#I NEED!!! more insight on the Archon process

[blazingblorbos]

Okay Genshin 4.1 thoughts dump because if I don't compile my thoughts somewhere I will literally implode. Anyways, spoilers for the Fontaine Archon Quest so far (as of Chapter 4, the Version 4.1 update) under the Read More (a couple paragraphs under, but you catch my drift)

So. Something I have always absolutely adored about Genshin's storytelling is the way it goes about presenting its gods as "Human too"...

At first, it was seen painfully obvious through Ei and her incredibly human response to grief and trauma (a lot of people thought she was being unreasonable, and yeah for a ruler of an entire nation, closing yourself off to the outside world certainly seems - and is - irresponsible. And then... you consider how easily any other normal person would have done the same thing, if not worse, if they had lost nearly everyone they loved in quick succession, while also being personally responsible for a handful of those deaths).

And upon further reflection on the topic, you can see blatant traces of it present in every archon. And I don't just mean their trying to blend into/ further their understanding of humans, human society, and human nature.

I mean, Venti is kinda hedonistic and aloof; Zhongli wasn't always as wise and so intricately-versed in his knowledge about so many things - before the Archon War, he was more of a brute who preferred to solve things head-on (literally) as opposed to thinking things through; Nahida- oh don't even get me started on Nahida. Her self-doubt and insecurity as a result of facing constant beratement and feelings of inferiority to Rukkhadevata; her constant desire to learn more (both for her namesake as the God of Wisdom, to prove herself, and for her own curiosity's sake); her child-like nature (as a result of her research and human observation ofc!!! but still adorable none-the-less; I mean "dook-dook" !?! come on!)...

But now with Furina, oh. I think we've entered a BRAND NEW level and it's part of the reason why I absolutely love her so much.

In classic good-story-telling practice, Genshin achieves all of this through "show-not-tell" and it's world-class ability of characterizing its characters (IN MY OPINION ! I love them so much, okay?). And from the second I MET this girl to the very last line of 4.1's archon quest, it has been made painfully abundant to me that

Furina is just a child.

She has. NO IDEA what she's doing!!! Now, the underlying reasons for this have yet to be seen, and will most likely be tackled in the very next Archon Quest chapter, but if you'll allow me to speculate right now... Knowing that Egeria also conducted trials for citizens who broke the law (meaning she should have also been a God of Justice), I believe whole-heartedly that it was her who built the entire system Furina and Neuvillette are running right now. Meaning, I'm confident Furina has absolutely nothing to do with it. The ONLY (and I think I truly mean ONLY) thing Furina did in the time since she inherited the role was: change the perception of what justice and its deliverance should be into something a lot more akin to a dramatic play, only enacted for people's enjoyment.

Which includes her lack of knowledge on the Oratrice. Furina didn't create it. How could she? She's so utterly ignorant on what it is, how it works, and dare I say what it's truly even for.

The moment I read this statement I convinced myself that it had to have been the previous Hydro Archon. And while I concede that: looking back on the wording of this statement now, it seems like its existence would only be beneficial under someone like Furina's ruling… But, I'm willing to just chalk that up to "Egeria had great future-sight" (or something more along the lines of: she trusted the machine to help keep her in check so false charges were less likely; and it just so happens that its decision making is carrying the court system now under Furina’s rule).

Like many things related to Fontaine's history, it would seem, Egeria being solely responsible for the creation of all these staple facilities and aspects of the nation's inner workings would shed light on why Furina is so unknowing. She had nothing to do with it. And while I'm no envoy from Celestia, so I have no insight as to what the hell happens when a new Archon is born to fill in the void that was left, I think that whatever that process is (IF THERE EVEN IS ONE) went completely awry for Furina. She probably didn't even inherit the Gnosis - ever ! I'm thinking it's stuffed into the Oratrice somehow/somewhere. I'm thinking the "curse" Arlecchino sensed has something to do with that process of inheritance (or... lack thereof) going so wrong.

It’s obvious that Furina is running from something. Ignoring something. Distracting herself from the realities of the world with the “spectacle of the courtroom” (as Dain put it). And it’d be easy to just chalk it up to her being a little bitch with no deeper meaning but I don’t think that’s it.

Genshin doesn’t make it gods “just human”. They spend their time trying to prove that they’re “Human too”.

The underlying reasons for it have to lie in whatever happened when Furina was born. Cursed. Whether it was a curse to end up alone (as per the prophecy), or to never obtain the powers becoming of a god in this world... Whatever happened, it overwhelmed Furina to an unbearable degree, and naturally, like any Human would... she resorted to escapism. She found entertainment in the trials headed at the court room, realized she could make people like her by being this mascot of justice, and upon learning that it's only a matter of time before all of her subjects turn into puddles and she'll be left all alone… she decided to just- NOT think about it!! Who would?! That is a horrifying! revelation.

THAT is why she's so scared to fight - literally anyone!! She doesn’t have the power (and if she does she’s never had to use it).

THAT is why she’s turned out this way - a brat with very little humility, never knowing when to stop the act - because for centuries she’s lived in this little Lala-Land of a bubble denying the inevitable. A fate she was cursed with from the moment she inherited the title of “God”. She wasn’t really given powers, she wasn’t given dominion, and she most certainly hasn’t received instruction, or… ANY!?! HELP!! it seems, in understanding what it means to be an Archon (perhaps even in spite of those other perks she was “supposed” to receive.)

Born to be a god, yet being set up to suffer the loss of your entire people with almost no power to change it? That would fuck anyone up, even an Archon.

And it’s the way that they’ve shown how it’s fucked with Furina that blows my mind.

She’s so disconnected that Arle’s assassination attempt shocked her to her core. She’s a GOD!! Who would try to assassinate her (aside from the Fatui)!? She’s never had to even perceive the notion of being a target of something like that. Stack that on top of her general sense of helplessness in the greater context of what’s happening to her nation, and it makes sense that she broke down crying later that night... :(

Girlie just needs some help </3

[almightyelectro]

eternal grief.

an introspection on ei from genshin impact, focusing on her concept of grief, life and human emotions.

sadly because reading old stories on genshin is hell, a lot of my information has to be pulled from the wiki, my own memory and some videos (i usually love to back up my thoughts with quotes but...genshin is way too tiring to dig up info for, i'm sorry)

will go into spoilers involving the inazuma archon quest and the sumeru archon quest (particularly involving wanderer/scaramouche).

everything mentioned is about ei's feelings on the matter, as i cannot speak for others and their characters!

the creation of the raiden shogun (who will be shortened to the shogun) and kunikuzushi (who will be shortened to kuni) and her treatment of them is something that gives us great insight on how ei processes her grief. for one, we need to talk about why ei is grieving-- and though i'm sure we do all know, i'm going to talk about it in detail anyway.

ei's source of grief is pretty well known: she lost her twin sister during the cataclysm. anyone losing a family member, especially one so close to them, would be torn... but there's a bit more to it than that. for one, ei and makoto have been together since the very beginning, and as far as we know they're the only family they had. second, the death of a god in this universe isn't really as simple as a mortal's death. while they're aware gods can die (based on the archon war, though we don't know exactly what went on during it), ei and makoto lived in relative peace for a very long time before the cataclysm occurred. i think it's safe to say that before this event they likely considered the possibility of the other dying.

i personally believe that makoto realized just how dangerous it was and this was why she went to khaenri'ah all on her own-- or perhaps she believed she could handle it on her own without involving her sister. either way, makoto's care for ei is why she went all by herself, eventually leading to her death and ei taking up the role of the raiden shogun.

so, what does this have to do with the shogun and kuni's creation? well, the biggest thing is what happened when she first created kuni in order to host the gnosis. once kuni was created he shed a tear, and ei deemed him unsuitable for his purpose. i think a lot of people misunderstand ei's motives when it comes to kuni, especially because the two of them have different views of what happened.

while it can be read that she saw him as weak, something to pity, i think there's a bit more to it than that. as mentioned before, makoto went into battle on her own, likely due to wanting to spare her sister's life. makoto's own emotions are what caused her death-- or at least, that's how ei views it. yes, she did pity him, but deep down i believe she was afraid that his emotions would get in the way...that they would put him in danger, just like makoto.

i think it's also important to note that...ei didn't create kuni with the intentions of him being a son, or a family member. if she met kuni (now our beloved wanderer) now and learned that was how he viewed her, i think she would be genuinely shocked. it probably never crossed her mind that to her creation she was more than just that-- a creator. she was a mother, gave him life and sentience, but in her eyes...she is simply a god crafting a puppet. i dont think she would even be against accepting him as family (especially since she gave him the golden feather so that he may return to her), but...can a god like herself really understand what it means to be a mother? it's a foreign concept to someone like her. all she knows is she is his creator, and she truly believed she would give him a better life by stripping him of his duties and allowing him to choose his own fate.

the shogun, meanwhile, was her final product. a (seemingly) emotionless puppet that would follow her ideals. but...the shogun and ei aren't even 1:1. i think this especially hammers home the idea that ei was not only afraid of erosion, but worried that her own emotions would result in her death. she spared them from knowing of her sister's fate, from having to mourn, but if she died there would be no way to shield them from it.

it's pretty common for people to see ei as just the shogun 2.0, but there are pretty noticeable differences. for one, the shogun is very matter of fact, capable of making decisions without hesitation if it means furthering her ideals...while ei's voice is much more soft, and she has a tendency to ask questions. even when it comes to apologizing for the shogun's actions ei hesitates. she believes the shogun should do so-- and though this could be read as her not wanting to take responsibility for her creation, i think it has more to do with the fact that ei is just...not used to being a leader. for most of her life she was an unseen shadow, makoto did all of the talking. even now she stands behind the shogun, acting as a shadow (until post sq2)

tldr: i dont thinkwe should be expecting gods to fit our morals when it comes to how they process things. nya

[hopecomesbacktolife]

I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’m at photos per post limit with new excerpts so here’s more ex machina thoughts~

we start out with a very low point, or, what I call,

he would not fucking say that—

whyyyy make Chekov needlessly racist!!! The migroaggression serves no purpose!! yeah, Nizhoni laughs at it and dishes snark back to him, but she shouldn’t have to!! what the fuck!!

I’ve been not-including the worse parts of the book so far in actual photos but this was just… yeesh. anyone thinking of reading it deserves to know the above excerpt is in the book 😳😠

—

anyways. moving on from that entirely unnecessary and offensive excerpt, we have a much more enjoyable reflection train-of-thought from a Starfleet ambassador, one Christopher Lindstrom, who appeared in the TOS episode The Return of the Archons and is shown here to have since that event dedicated himself to extremely empathetic and culturally sensitive, context-informed diplomacy, very refreshing (particularly after the last excerpt) and enjoyable to read, really liking what the author’s doing with his character

next excerpt was also incredibly enjoyable to read— more McCoy and Spock discussing emotions, logic, and the balancing act of the two and their experiences post-TMP (and more specifically for Spock, post-Vger) in as outwardly compassionate, gentle, sincere, and open manner as they’ve ever been toward one another ♡

you know how I mentioned earlier the disappointing scenes between McCoy and Natira, and how I’d wished for more angst, emotion, or… anything, really, just more substance? Well, thankfully, that first scene was just the initiation to a much more complex emotional landscape between the two! We finally got some emotional admissions from both of them here, each of the two characters stepped outside of their own self-scolding (can’t think of the word for it at the moment) to see that ultimately there’s more going on, without dismissing their own internal feelings as unimportant, either. They connected on shared similar events/traumas in their pasts and allowed that connection to let them begin dismantling their fears, which was pretty neat.

We did get a sort of weird, brief flip-flop scene emotionally with McCoy preceding this, but that seems to have been a processing stage rather than a tone setting point, which I was glad about as it did seem rather out of character for the core of who he is. We also, before this part, got McCoy in a low moment thinking to himself that love/emotional intimacy/romance isn’t for him as everyone he’s been involved with has gotten hurt and left, which… well, I’ve gotta give credit to the author here, he certainly touched on something which the subset of fans who are McCoy fic writers love to explore (and of course, eventually rectify♡)

but, anyway, all of this to say— we got some much better McCoy/Natira scenes later on here in the book, in a manner that read almost like a fic (I mean that in a complimentary way, this time!!) and was emotionally satisfying after the former letdown. All isn’t solved per say, but these two vaguely-exes are on speaking terms, and what’s more, friendly terms again, and in a sweet way, too which is pretty significant:

I won’t give away the ending to the scene, but it was very sweet :)

—

to parallel the earlier Spock and Bones emotions-vs-logic conversation, Spock later seeks out Scotty, who provides his own endearing insights to Spock on how it works for an engineer

this moment between Kirk and Chekov— I need to take a moment here to just, wholeheartedly, sincerely, from the bottom of my very heart, appreciate the lengths toward which Kirk goes to apologize genuinely and proceed to affirm his true feelings and high esteem for Chekov in this scene. It’s beautiful, it’s wonderful, and it’s exactly how this type of response should be done every time— sincere apology and affirmation of the value the other person holds to one’s self. it’s so good, and it continues on the next page and is also beautiful there, but this scene meant so much to me and even though I was running out of photo per post allotment I had to include at least part of it ♡

and lastly (for this set) we have a brief quote that just made me (a card-carrying, certified McCoy fan) very happy :)

(keep the thoughts pg keep the thoughts pg keep the thoughts pg…🤣)

—

once again, I’m continually struck by this author’s seemingly contradictory writing that’s at times a brilliant showcase of the characters’ personalities, their tensions and friendships interpersonally, their strengths and weaknesses, their hope and empathy and ultimately love and curiosity that guides them— and then at times is rife with sexism, racism, and bigotry that makes me want to yell. truly a baffling writing style that keeps shocking me with how, at times, beautiful, and at other times, terrible, it is.

continuing to refrain from judgement so far regarding the religious+political aspect of this book because at over 3/4 of the way through the novel, he’s continuing to write an incredibly nuanced, multifaceted, no-right-no-wrong situation neither casting judgement on those of faith or those who left it, which is something I’m really, really appreciating. I’m hoping that keeps up through the end of the novel and that he continues to utilize this nuance to have the resolution of [main plot tension] be just as thoughtful as that preceding it!! that would be really cool!

how the heck am I going to condense all of my varied thoughts on this book into a single review when I do finish it lmao

fun new writing challenge!!! white cishet men write a scifi novel without using incredibly demeaning and sexist terms for your women character(s) 🙃

[udretlnea]

The Almother’s Reincarnation & the Herrscher of Flamescion

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT CANON TO MESSIANIC AUREATION by @isshua. This is a fan work inspired by her work. PLEASE GO FOLLOW HER AND READ HER FANFIC; it is good if I say so myself. 

Author’s Note: Alright, listen, I’m trying something new here-it’s also quite ambitious so bear with me ‘cause I had to split this into two parts. FURTHERMORE, I REALLY am tryin’ my best to create over here while juggling college and getting ready for midterms, which I am doing a great job if I do say so myself. Also, I may or may not have made Bennett OOC-I don’t know if he’d be that wise, but considering the trying experiences he’s had, I figured he’d be at least SOMEWHAT insightful. ANYWAY, I hope y’all enjoy it (Comments and critiques are welcomed).

Words: 2.1k

(Edit: 11-9-2022: Midterms are done. I went back to this piece and decided I wasn’t satisfied with it; rewrote certain parts I felt were unnecessary and sub-optimal.)

Why must Mondstadt be the first location to suffer from rabid fanaticism? The Observer thought.

 For a nation priding itself on freedom, it sure was filled with devout and eager cultists; these…things that wore the faces of his beloved friends and talked in their voices, but he knew they weren’t truly them, especially Barbatos.

It seemed that no matter the versions of Teyvat he traveled to, he was the first Archon to be chained by the Corruption; the Observer felt the pit in his stomach open again as recalled kind, whimsical aqua green eyes-

The Observer shook his head to get out of his memories.

 No, no those weren’t the same eyes. The ones he kept seeing were filled with disgust and loathing, with an eldritch excitement hidden underneath. The same ones he saw when he-Barbatos-exited the Cat’s Tail; he had seen through the window that he had said something to the poor girl who was transported here against her will.

Speaking of, the Observer secretly observed her long enough to tell that she was as uncomfortable about her situation as that one guy stuck on top of a rock in Dihua Marsh.��

Some creator deity you turned out to be Caratrice, the Observer thought. You died so fantastically your backdoor was damaged in the reincarnation process. Now she truly believes she’s a regular human being magically transported to another world. I expected more from you, the brilliant Allmother.

Suddenly, the door to the Cat’s Tail opened and he heard multiple different footsteps exist, but his ears focused on a set that was too light to be any male. 

The Observer counted to five before he left his hiding spot, which just happened to be under the stairs, and saw the familiar coat of the Cavalry Captain disappear around the corner. 

“Hmph. Not on my watch.” The Observer huffed, unimpressed, as he adjusted his mask; then he snapped his fingers and disappeared intothin air.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaeya gestured for them to come closer as he reached into his pocket and revealed a roll of cloth; he unrolled it and picked up a lockpick. He began to pick the lock while the others kept their ears open, leaving the library in mostly silence.

“Huh, it’s pretty convenient that Lisa was out just as the Library was about to close. I think it’s our lucky day!” Bennett excitedly whispered. He clamped a hand over his face as he realized his words. “Aw shoot, I jinxed it.”

“No need to worry. We have Cara with us.” Razor nodded towards the young woman who was currently dressed in a blonde wig and a black colored fantasy outfit. She kept her eyes trained on Kaeya's lockpicking, gripping the fabric of her shirt to curb her anxieties.

“...How long does it usually take to pick locks?”

“It depends on the lock. This one appears to be quite fascinating.”

“Well, try not to rush it.” Cara lifted her head and stared into the quickly darkening room. “We just need to-

“Don’t worry your Grace, Lisa will be preoccupied finding those last two late books. We’ll be in and out before she realizes it.” He blinks before correcting himself. “I mean, Cara.”

The sound of a lock mechanism clicking caught their attention. Kaeya gently pushed the doors open and then took a step inside; Cara stood just behind him, observing how dark the restricted area was. She waved her hand in front of her when the scent of old, musty books drifted out. 

“Is…the restricted section usually this dark...and old-smelling?” Cara squinted her eyes to try to see any more than five feet in front of her.

“Hm, Bennet. If you will?” Kaeya moved toward one of the candelabras on the nearby table and picked it up. Bennett strode over to the Cavalry Captain, raised his hand, and channeled Pyro into it until a small flame lit up; he moved his hand over each wick so that the candles were lit and then extinguished the flame.

“Huh, neat trick Benny,” Cara commented.

“Aw shucks. There’s no need for that Cara. It’s ordinary for Vision Holders to be able to channel some elemental energy into their hands or legs. I mean, just look at Razor.” Razor made an agreeing noise.

“I can make claws made out of lightning. Maybe Bennet can also make claws out of the fire?”

“That sounds awesome…if incredibly dangerous. I’m not sure I should try doing that; I might end up seriously injuring my hands…or worse.”

“Then just put a pin in that,” Cara said.

“Come on, let’s move. Lisa is probably on her way back already.” The group nodded and entered the shadowy section of the library. Despite their newfound source of light, they weren’t able to see that far; their eyes did manage to adjust to the gloom, however, allowing them to notice the ancient-looking tomes on the shelves. 

They kept an eye out for anything that was even remotely related to the words “Creator” or “Caratrice”. The light from the candles helped them as they pulled dozens of books from the shelves; they each opened them for a brief second before closing and putting them back in their respective order. Time seemed to slow as they continued this process; occasionally they skipped a couple of shelves to save time. They were sitting in an intersection in the middle of the room when Cara yawned.

She rubbed her eyes and sighed. Placing the book back, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, noting how the air was stagnant. It was strange. 

Shouldn’t the air from the main library be circulating and refreshing this area by now? She thought. 

 Suddenly, Razor sniffed the air and made a low growl. 

“Razor?” Cara turned her head to look behind her. “What’s wrong?”

“Hmm…there’s a weird scent in the air. It smells like…metal, but also…human?” Razor tilted his head up and sniffed again. “Hm…never mind. It’s gone now.”

“Could somebody else have access to this place?” Bennett mused out loud. Kaeya shook his head.

“That’s highly unlikely. The only person to be able to enter here is the Head Librarian.”

“Maybe there’s some magic in the air that’s throwing your nose off?” Cara said, though her tone didn’t sound as if she believed herself.

Razor shook his head. “I’m fine. It’s probably nothing. We should look for the book before Teacher comes back.”

“Yeah, you’re right. What does it look like anyway?”

“It’s not that different from the books here, just a decently sized book with an ornate gold and black cover.” Kaeya raised a hand to his chin and looked down in thought. Then he plucked a candle from the candelabra and handed one to Cara, who took it without thought; he grabbed another one and handed it to Bennett. “We should fan out and look in different areas. We can look for it much faster.”

“I’ll go with Cara.” Bennet stepped forward. “She’ll be safer with me.”

Cara arched an eyebrow. “What? Are there booby traps here?”

“I don’t know…maybe?”

“I will go by myself. My eyes are used to seeing in the dark.” Razor said before turning and walking into the dark.

Kaeya nodded. “Be quick.”

That was all he said before he too marched into the shadows with only a single candle to light his way. Cara and Bennett went in the only direction the others didn’t take. 

They weaved through the narrow passage between bookshelves, and as their eyes glossed over shelf after shelf, a part of Cara grew more anxious. The more time they spent here the more likely Lisa would be back. So far they hadn’t been able to find it, and then when they did she’d return to capture them all. 

Bennett and Razor would probably be thrown in jail for colluding with the “Impostor” never to see the light of day again. 

And Kaeya would most likely be executed. 

At that moment, Cara’s soul was broken at the sheer weight of the thought, and she could feel the edges of her eyes burning; she furiously scrubbed her face with her arm and then took a deep breath. 

Will you allow him to perish? That tiny voice she’d heard in Springvale spoke again.

“No,” she muttered, clenching her hand.

“Cara? Hey, are you okay? What’s wrong?” Bennett put a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I’ve been trying to get your attention, but you seemed pretty deep in thought!”

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry Bennett. Yes, I’m alright. I’ve just…” Cara took a deep breath. “If we fail…I'll lose you all. You and Razor will be put in jail. Kaeya will be executed and I don’t know what I’d do if that were to happen-”

“Hey! None of that depressing talk alright?” He put his hands on her shoulders. We’re going to find that book and then we’re gonna prove your innocence. After that, you won’t have to worry about a thing anymore”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“A little bit,” he admitted. “But it distracted you didn’t it?”

“Haha…yeah. Thank you Bennett.”

“Aww, don’t mention it sis-!” Bennett clamped a hand over his mouth. Cara’s expression of surprise lasted for a second when she giggled at him; his ears suddenly felt hot, but he made no remark as Cara broke out into laughs. “Agh, I can’t believe that slipped out! Please don’t laugh!”

“Hahaha! I’m sorry-ah, oh my god. I mean, if it makes you feel any better you and Razor are kind of like the brother I never had, but don’t tell him I said that…!”

“I promise!” The two shared an intimate laugh together. A warm feeling flooded the both of them that made their bond seem stronger.

“Cara! Bennett! Kaeya! I found something!” Razor cried out. Cara’s eyes widened and she felt her body move before she could realize it. Bennett yelped as he ran to catch up to her.

“Razor! What did you find?” Bennett spoke up as he slowed to a halt. The sound of quickened footsteps grew louder and several seconds later Kaeya appeared behind the young adventurer.

“A chest. It is already unlocked.” He pointed to a moderate-sized chest, big enough to hold a book; around it was several chain links and a broken lock.

“It’s already unlocked?” Bennett repeated. “Huh, that’s suspicious.”

“Perhaps, but it looks awfully important, and Lisa could be back any second now…” Kaeya said.

“Then let’s open it already!” Cara exclaimed. Razor nodded and grasped both sides of the chest and slowly proceeded to lift the lid. Cara stared at it as he did, thinking that it would disappear if she looked anywhere else. 

Razor and Bennett gasped. Kaeya’s single eye widened as they beheld-

“There’s nothing in there…” Razor stated in surprise.

“What?” Cara stepped forwards and put a hand on Razor’s shoulder; Razor stepped aside, allowing her to observe the rather empty chest. “What-how? Where…?”

“Could…could it have been moved elsewhere?”

“It’s highly unlikely that that’s what happened. Lisa wouldn’t simply have moved the book, let alone touch it. She may not look like it, but she’s as devoted as the rest of the knights.” Kaeya said.

“Could the impostor have possessed her and…destroyed it?” Bennett asked him. 

Kaeya shrugged. “It’s possible.”

The silence that hung in the air at the moment was more deafening than hearing Klee set off her bombs up close. Cara’s stomach dropped as the realization that they had come here for nothing settled in; if they couldn’t prove that she was the true Creator, she could say goodbye to any hope of living without fear. That’s not even mentioning finding a way to return home. She covered her face with her hand as she felt a sob get lodged in her throat. 

She barely felt the hand on her shoulder or heard Kaeya’s voice.

“Cara-?”

The silence that hung in the air at the moment was more deafening than hearing Klee set off her bombs up close. Cara’s stomach dropped as the realization that they had come here for nothing settled in; if they couldn’t prove that she was the true Creator, she could say goodbye to any hope of living without fear. That’s not even mentioning finding a way to return home. She covered her face with her hand as she felt a sob get lodged in her throat. She couldn’t breathe.

She barely felt the hand on her shoulder or heard Kaeya’s voice

“Cara-?”

“What’s…what’s wrong with the air?”

“The air? It’s just stagnant. Is it affecting you that much-?”

“Don’t you know? Stagnant air is a common foreshadowing that you’re going to have a bad time.”

A new voice, rough yet young, cried out from the dark. Footsteps sounded off, close enough for Cara to realize that she could feel presence a couple meters away.

“Who’s there?” Kaeya asked the shadows. There was a snapping of fingers and Cara had to cover her eyes when the entire restricted section of the library was suddenly lit up; when she opened them, the first thing she saw was a figure in a mask; he had light silvery hair and wore a plain dark jacket over a simple black combat outfit. Although his eyes were covered, Cara could feel an intense feeling, similar to determination, ebb outwards.

Her three companions drew their weapons and pointed at him.

“Who are you? And what do you want?” Bennett cried.

“My name? Váli  What do I want?” He tilted his head as purple fire crackled to life in his hands. “I want to save that young woman from Caratrice.”

With that quick introduction finished he lunged towards Cara, fingers stretched and aiming for her throat.

[pandemoniclucio]

The Arcana HC #9.1

AU where MC is a retired archon/diety but are disguised as a consultant and has selected the LI's to show them the mortal world. The reason why you aren't running your country is because it's now ancient history/destroyed.

M/L - Mythical Land

Asra

They were aware of your reputation as an esteemed consultant of unparalleled knowledge and skill so they decided to bring you along on their adventure.

They appreciate your knowledge & insight but they often wonder how you know so much, if you said that you've only ever stayed in Vesuvia.

They were taken a back when you were revealed to be the Archon of (M/L) but they soon got over it and tried to understand why you hid your identity.

They try not to ask too much about why you decided to come travel with them but will let it slip subltly even if you just tell them anyway.

They have to make the first move by subtly flirting with you, they're surprised by how obivious you are until they have to kiss you for you to take the hint.

Does everything they can to make your travels with them an experience worthy of an Archon.

Nadia

She was in need of a consultant to help her undo the travesty that hit Vesuvia and heard of you so she decided to make you a vizier.

She was genuinely shocked that you actually helped her and had no ulterior motives unlike the other's she hired.

She absolutely loves listening to all your tales and advice and is contiunuesly shocked by your incredible memory and the many times you've proved her and many others wrong.

She's sad that she didn't here about the fact that you are an archon from you, but moves on from it quickly because she knows you did it for your own reasons.

She confesses her love to you at a minature shrine dedicated to you, to show that she loves & respects you.

She from then on decides to spoil you more than she already has and take you to all sorts of romantic excursions and even travel to help gather info or preserve some culture from your former city.

Julian

He was trying to ccreate a new sort of medicine, so he needed someone with an extensive knowledge of medicine that was in town and he didn't want to bother Nazali, so he turned for him.

He was impressed by your extensive memory and never stopped being amazed by how precise & detailed you are.

He get's embarressed if you do something nice for him even if it's making a simple coffee because he thinks you deserve better and jokes around about you being the doctor instead.

Does not believe it when one of your friends tell him you are the Archon of (M/L), he'll only believe it once he's consulted and scriptures from (M/L) or he'll get you and Asra to confirm this information, will take some time to process.

Took a lot of reassurance from Portia, Mazelinka & eventually you that you do want to be with him even if he is a human and potential aethiest, for him confess his love.

He tries to find anything from your former kingdom to preserve, and try to learn some customs to surprise you every once in a while along with taking you out to sea, with Mazelinka's premission of course.

Sorry I haven't upated in a while, school has become hectic and I finally got my mid-term break which is just a long-weekend because my school hates us. Will try to write more, please send requests because writers block has become a reaccuring thing in me, especially during school.

[genshin-impact-updates]

Developer Insight #4: Character Stories (I) - "Vigilant Yaksha" Xiao (Part I)

Greetings, Travelers!

It's been almost five whole months since Genshin Impact went live, and the time seems to have flown by! We do hope you're all enjoying a smooth journey through Teyvat. Since the game's release, we have received a great deal of feedback and suggestions from Travelers and we've systematically recorded each one for the developers. We deeply appreciate all the time, energy, and passion everyone puts in to these suggestions.

In the midst of this, many of you have expressed an interest in learning more about how some of Genshin Impact's characters are created. As it happens, one character who has received an especially high amount of attention is Xiao, who has now entered the live game with the release of Version 1.3, "All That Glitters." So, for this issue, we've invited colleagues from the Creative Concept & Writing, Concept Art, and Animation departments to explain a bit about the thought process behind everyone's favorite Vigilant Yaksha.

1. The Vigilant Yaksha Is Born: A Character Woven From Cultural Symbolism

Hello everyone, my name is Zhongyuan from the Creative Concept & Writing department of miHoYo.

The first part of the process when designing characters for Genshin Impact is to pin down who the character is at their core. In this step, we need to establish the features that set this character apart from other characters. Besides ensuring that this character will make a strong impression on people, these features are used to evaluate what this character's position in the world of Genshin Impact will be. Characters are not just lumps of rock that we can place anywhere we want in the environment; they are autonomous individuals, each one with a complex set of past, present, and future interactions with the world of Teyvat. Their core features, then, represent their initial points of contact with the world. They are the guiding principles behind all the character's actions and how they live their life.

Xiao was one of the first Liyue characters we came up with. He began with our colleague CiCi's proposal for a young warrior character, which everyone involved in the character evaluation process approved of. The Art team envisaged him as a young man of great beauty, while colleagues in Creative Concept & Writing hoped to position him as a beautiful adeptus. Both sides were on the same page, and thus Xiao became our very first character planned with the identity of "mighty and illuminated adeptus."

Although this is somewhat tangential, I'd like to take a moment here to give a little more detail on the adepti in the Genshin Impact universe, given that so many players have expressed an interest in this topic. The adepti are based on the idea of demigod-like "immortals" (仙人 xianren) in Daoism, and are referred to by the honorific title "sanyan wuxian" (三眼五显), literally "three eyes and five manifestations" (but localized in English as "mighty and illuminated"). The adepti are classed as non-human, based on the notion that "All who have nine orifices can achieve immortality through self-discipline," a line uttered by the "Monkey King" Sun Wukong in the Ming-dynasty novel Journey to the West. This means that animals are also capable of achieving adeptus status. However, humans have a higher purpose than adepti in the world of Teyvat, so for this reason, only those of non-human status can be referred to as "adepti" in Liyue. The "three eyes" part of the adepti's title refers to the "third eye" possessed by those with the ability to manipulate elemental energy, which for humans takes the form of a Vision. For adepti such as Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper, the human understanding is that they must have an "inner eye" that serves the same purpose as a Vision. Xiao, however, typically appears in a human form, so he dutifully wears a Vision to comply with the expected norm.

After the character's fundamentals are established, the next step is to design their Constellation and refine their cultural background.

Outside of Genshin Impact, the term "sanyan wuxian" can be traced back to ancient Chinese texts and also appears in supernatural fiction from the Late Imperial period (c. 1368–1911 CE). In both cases, it typically describes the Daoist deity Huaguang Tianwang (华光天王, "Heavenly King of Radiant Light"), also known as Ma Lingguan (马灵官, "Numinous Official Ma"). Huaguang Tianwang is a well-known guardian deity, who appears in the Ming-dynasty novel Journey to the South, in which he has an altercation with Sun Wukong. Research into folk culture also shows there is precedent to connect deities known as Wuxian (五显, "Five manifestations" or "Five Named Xian") with a group of malevolent deities known as Wutong (五通, "Five Powers" or "Five Named Tong"), which includes the one-legged, people-eating, mountain-dwelling demons known as Shanxiao (山魈, "mountain demon").

So, at the most hidden but fundamental level of this character's core, we decided on the name Xiao (魈) and the identity of a guardian-adeptus. The name Xiao is used to hide his past, but also embodies this character at the innermost part of his soul. It is the starting point for all further character development and cultural embellishments.

Another dimension of Xiao's design was that he wields an Anemo Vision and has a fleet-footed and agile combat style that includes the unique ability to propel himself through the air. To stay true to this, we decided to design his Constellation and skills around the idea of the yaksha in Buddhism. This meant we were conflating ideas from different sources; nevertheless, the yaksha had become a well-established figure in Chinese folk legends by at least the end of the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). The yaksha element ended up being a crucial part of Xiao's design that really helped us flesh him out in terms of his image.

The two archetypal stories of "guardian yaksha" and "numinous official's redemption" both involve a malevolent spirit on a path towards goodness, which was consistent with the general direction of Xiao's character core. Furthermore, his physical agility matched very well with another term for yaksha in Chinese, "Swift and nimble spirit" (捷疾鬼 jieji gui). Through further development of the yaksha concept, we arrived at the decision that the other fundamental aspect of Xiao's identity would be his role as a guardian yaksha in service of a monarch, or in this case, an archon.

One detail is particularly worth mentioning here. There is a well-known group of guardian yakshas in some Buddhist denominations known as the Twelve Heavenly Generals. All but one of them correspond to different animals in the Chinese zodiac, while Mekhila, who would otherwise correspond to the rooster, is instead associated with a bird deity, the golden-winged Garuda, a figure from various Indian religions. The story goes that this golden-winged bird deity was a fearsome predator who ate only evil dragons, until one day the dragon poison he had consumed became too much for him to bear, and he burned to death, leaving only a crystal heart behind. This story seemed to resonate with aspects of Xiao's character. Furthermore, the Chinese name Jinchi Peng Wang Niao (金翅鹏王鸟, "Golden Winged Great Peng") embodies a history of evolution — it represents a convergence between Garuda and the Peng, a Chinese mythological bird, showing that some adaptation occurred in the process of his adoption into Chinese religion. After much consideration, we decided to use the Golden Winged Great Peng as the basis for Xiao's Constellation. In English, Xiao's Constellation has been localized as "Alatus Nemeseos," in reference to the bird deity and Xiao's role as the nemesis of evil.

Finally, we conducted an overall review of Xiao's character profile. During this process, we noticed that Xiao's origins were very complex: Some aspects of his identity were based on folk legends while others drew on religious stories. From mountain demon, to Daoist deity, to guardian yaksha, to mythological bird, this was a uniquely rich character formed from the convergence and refashioning of many ideas in one place. More importantly, all these elements were consistent with each other at the narrative layer, creating a strong and cohesive impression of who this character is and adding clear, nuanced substance to his story. This degree of complexity gave Xiao just the depth and appeal that we were hoping for with this character: we hoped to create something entirely new through the convergence and fusion of various cultural elements, and we hope that the end result, Xiao, possesses the power, aesthetic value, and maturity to become a true cultural icon.

The next step was shaping the character's personality and behavior.

After close consultation with Concept Art colleagues, Creative Concept & Writing further fine-tuned the details of this character's content. To pick one example, we all felt that the distinctive image of a young warrior was an important one that we wanted to keep. This begged the question: if Xiao is a warrior, who or what is he waging war against? We quickly got to thinking about a war between the gods. (See section 2 of this article for how Concept Art developed the mask design based on this idea.) One of the basic rules of the Genshin Impact world is that gods cannot be completely destroyed — even if a god's physical form is destroyed, its will and power live on. The remnants and the wrath of the defeated god will remain in the world, waiting for opportunities to cause chaos. To keep Liyue safe from this threat, somebody has to go and keep them at bay.

The decision to release Xiao at Lantern Rite was to tie in with the Chinese custom of driving away evil spirits at the new year, since Xiao's role in Liyue is that of a protector in precisely this capacity.

During festivals, people offer up incense and pray to the adepti for their protection.

But they do not pray to Xiao.

For Xiao is no lucky star that promises fame and fortune — he is a demon-hunting yaksha.

After the lantern lights of Liyue have faded, the thankless battle to protect the city goes on unseen. It is an endless battle, and there can be no victor.

The Traveler's first impression of Xiao is most likely to be of a silent and brooding individual, a courageous and competent fighter, and someone who harbors great suffering. This suffering comes from within Xiao himself. One aspect is that the years of intense, never-ending battle against the remnants of defeated gods have led to him resigning himself to the fact that fighting is all he is good at. The other aspect is that the remnants have a negative effect on him, while the constant killing places a karmic burden on him, causing him mental and spiritual anguish.

This inner suffering is present in the design of his skills: when Xiao uses "Bane of All Evil," he dons his mask, which continually enhances his combat abilities but also continually drains his health. This demonstrates the great suffering he must endure as a consequence of using this power.

After the Traveler has spent some time with Xiao, perhaps they can sense that deep down, Xiao has a gentler side. Xiao is by no means a cruel and callous individual, he is simply reticent to show his emotions to others.

Xiao always keeps his distance from the hustle and bustle of human society. This is not because he doesn't care about humanity, but is due to his role as a protector. He must wage war against dark forces out of sight of humans, and endure a suffering that is incomprehensible to them. Despite this, he does not despise humanity. Humans are the foundation of his millennia-old contract with Rex Lapis, and the reason he silently fights to protect every living soul in Liyue.

The player's first offer to Xiao is to go to the Lantern Rite together to experience the atmosphere. Xiao instinctively refuses requests of this nature— not because he dislikes the idea, but out of avoidance. For Xiao, who has lived for millennia, the human world is a brilliant but fleeting flash of light; a wisp of cloud floating by; a firework on the horizon. And as the one tasked with defending this flurry of activity, he is like a caged beast circling the fire of a stove: fearful, but also full of curiosity. Having watched from a distance for so long, he would not know how to join in with the crowd even if he tried.

The lanterns rise up into the night sky, as if to shine along with the stars. Xiao watches this beautiful sight alone from a mountaintop, and just like anyone else, he senses the sentiment behind them, and he understands that the reason people craft these beautiful things is to remember those who fought alongside him in the past. As one who lived through the events of the past and remembers it all, he is, of course, able to appreciate the well-wishes that the lanterns represent. He understands kindness and gratitude, but doesn't know how to interact with ordinary people, nor does he know what his place is among all the excitement and noise. This lonely state of existence is the source of his melancholy. It has caused time to stand still, leading to him still having a very young mentality even to this day.

During the main Liyue questline, Xiao came to the Traveler's rescue in their moment of peril. In Version 1.3 "All That Glitters," we invite Travelers once again to experience a story that provides a glimpse into Xiao's seldom-shown gentle nature, as well as the trust, hidden deep within his heart, that he places in you.

2. A Young Adeptus: Detail-Based Design

Hello everyone, this is D and SS from the Genshin Impact Art team. We worked on the concept art for Xiao.

After the initial brief, we produced a first draft of Xiao's design based on the young warrior concept. As you can see, Xiao's expression in this version is far from the stern one he wears today. He has a gentler temperament and he is smiling. In this sense, he captures a more traditional notion of what a Daoist immortal (or in Genshin Impact terms, an adeptus) might look like. After more discussion with Creative Concept & Writing colleagues and taking more of his back story into account, we decided on the green version.

Xiao is an adeptus who protects Liyue, and in the course of his long battle against the remnants of defeated gods all over Liyue, he has become poisoned by their nefarious energy. Based on this background, Xiao's upper body uses white and green, which represent the adepti and correlate to his Anemo Vision. For his lower body, we used darker colors to represent the dark, malevolent power that exists inside him.

Based on these same principles, we gave him dark hair with highlights, and also created some interplay between light and dark in his attack animations. The darkness represents the destructive power of fierce battle, while the fragments and orbs of light that he gives off come from the fact that he is an adeptus.

Xiao may have the appearance of a young man, but his true age is something over two thousand years.

Fortunately, people do not tend to underestimate him on the basis of his appearance — one only needs to spend a short time with Xiao to recognize that he is not someone to be trifled with.

Xiao is a man of few words. He is highly dangerous, and has the most piercing gaze you've ever seen.

Given Xiao's true age and his identity as an adeptus, we decided to give him some jade jewelry to bring a sense of longevity and mystery. Accordingly, his legs, wrists, and shoulders feature decorative jade as well as various other objects bearing simple motifs. Meanwhile, to match his young appearance with striking good looks, we tailored his clothing (especially on the upper body) using a more modern design, displaying his vibrancy and agility.

On the one hand, Xiao is an immortal adeptus, while on the other hand, he is a young warrior. This is a great variance in image, and it posed a significant challenge for us from an art perspective. Traditionally, an immortal is imagined as a scholarly figure dressed in long, flowing robes with wide sleeves, who is fairly reserved in the movements of their hands and feet. But Xiao, as a master of the dance-like art of polearm combat and a fleet-footed yaksha, required clothing that offers both protection and freedom of movement. Furthermore, we also knew that there were strict limits on any flowing parts of his outfit due to the risk of clipping they would create after 3D modeling.

So we made Xiao's garments close-fitting and short-sleeved, put some light gauntlets on his wrists, and added some religious paraphernalia such as a censer and a vajra. Meanwhile, his streamers and the breechcloths around his waist are decorated with a cloud motif to add a sense of antiquity. In this way, we achieved a union between practicality and ethereality.

"Bane of All Evil" — the four words that sum up what Xiao has experienced over the past millennia, according to Liyue's rulers who know the truth about him.

In the design of Xiao's mask, we referenced aspects of the masks traditionally used in exorcism rituals as part of Nuo (傩) folk religion.

The main colors used in these masks are black, blue, and gold, the eyes are bright but not flamboyant, and in general the masks look solemn but also mysterious. The sinister-looking bulging eyes, fangs, and horns instill fear in the viewer. The eye in the center of the forehead represents omniscience and the flame motifs make it all the more imposing, the intent being to cause all onlookers to cower in fear.

Xiao's release coincides with the ancient festival of Lantern Rite. We would like to use this historic occasion as a chance to send our best wishes to everyone — here's to deliverance from the ills that plague the real world as well as those that face us in the world of Teyvat. To fans of Xiao reading this, we hope you feel that learning a little about the design ethos gave you the chance to better understand and connect with this character.

(Continued in Part 2)

[mz-elysium]

Wow. That was a lot longer than I planned. Do we even do comic sans wip posts anymore? It it cool? Am I cool? 

Photo ID below the cut because this is already way too fucking long of a post. And this ID, bc of it, is so so long.

Photo ID: a 13 slide Comic Sans font powerpoint about an original WIP. All slides but the first are white, black text, all font being Comic Sans to follow the meme.

Slide 1: black background, white text. Titled with red shadow: The City of Fallen Angels: (2) Hitaeth. Definition below: hiraeth: homesickness or nostalgia, an earnest longing for an idealised past, or a sense of regret. Around this title are a bunch of floating descriptors about the WIP: vampires, gothic-punk, regrets vs forgiveness, dark urban fantasy, historical 2003, 4 POVs, secrets, political intrigue, slice of life, compassion vs selfishness, vampires playing Game of Thrones, grimdark and also hopepunk. A Vampire the Masquerade canon divergent original novel.

Slide 2: Worldbuilding, about the Vampire the Masquerade world. Titled: The canon sects but like a little more nuanced. Three columns of bullet points follow. 

The first is the Camarilla. 

neo-feudal lords and princes

rule most of the world

want to rule the rest of it

scheming, old elders who don’t give a shit about anyone else

will kill your family to make a point

BUT ALSO.

stable domains; due process

clan culture, history, tradition

connected to wider vampire society

play their game and you can live as a peaceful peasant (mostly)

The second column is the Anarchs.

rebellious neonates/ancillae

in their Free States, there’s opportunity for power and to live your own life

neonates can actually own land??

ALSO

literal anarchy

no real oversight or leadership

can and will be killed by another gang

“if you can hold it, you can have it”

Third column is the Sabbat

worship Caine as the First Murderer (first vampire)

take “vampire” too literally

inhuman monsters

war cult readying for Armageddon

ALSO

profoundly religious

strict code of honour

accept their inhumanity (no angst)

tight-knit family-like packs

heroes/crusaders for their ppl

Slide 3: Titled: Have a shitty map. A Google map screenshot of Central Los Angeles, with highlighted sections in different colours, clearly done in Paint by a child. Seven sections are highlighted, explained on the next slide.

Slide 4: The lands are divided by the sect who control it.

Anarchs:

Angels Wasteland: remains of the #peaceful Barony of Angels. With Salvador Garcia’s death, it’s a shitshow chaotic warzone. 

Tinseltown: Isaac Abrams, movie baron, just wants to be left alone.

East LA: ruled by loyalists of the Old Guard Anarchs, who are all dead/gone. Sabbat from further east are smelling weakness.

Downtown: technically “no baron” but also nines is baron. Typical Anarchs, shooting each other, living rough, living free. OR ARE THEY???

Camarilla:

The Valley: a praxis backed by legendary elders, who are propelled by faceless masters, using unwilling Prince Barty Vaughn as a pawn

Westside: greedy and ambitious LaCroix goes “hmm. la looks like shit. probably wanna get in on that” and calls up his contact, Therese Voerman and says “yo. u got a barony, huh? wanna be my seneschal?”

“Independent”

Silver Lake: a desperate grab by Monroe and co to build their own “utopia” … sorta like the Anarchs 60yrs ago… and look how THAT went. Monroe ate the last Old Guard Anarch.

Slide 5: Titled: Monroe’s POV, with a subtitle of The Captain. On the left, a photo of half of a man’s face in shadow. He has dark hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and a hard expression. Bullet points describe him as Matthew Monroe, Clan Ventrue, Embraced 1873, Humanity 5, age 28. On the right, a series of bullets describe his POV’s story.

this is a dude drowning in an ocean of Problems and his catchphrase is “I’ll figure it out”

he owes a life debt to the enigmatic powerful archon in the Valley (Jan Pieterzoon), who seems to respect/honour him more than most of LA.

he used to be besties with the Valley Prince (Barty Vaughn), who he can’t trust but seems? the same?

he turned his ghoul and secret love into a vampire (Hawthorne), against her wishes, and now she hates him. monroe: u kno what? that’s fair.

Silver Lake is held together with duct tape. monroe’s right hand (Ashley Swan) is a nightmare and untrustworthy. his people try to kill each other.

he’s got a lot of unresolved trauma/grief/abuse/anger and vampires sort of have “The Beast”, a spirit that haunts them with evil

and oh yeah, LA is about to explode

Slide 6: Titled: Monroe’s supporting characters. Four characters, each of them have a photo, a title, and brief run-on description.

First, a photo of a very pale man with purple eyes and a lock of ice blonde hair. Ashley Swan, the Thorn, Clan Toreador. Monstrously cruel, sarcastic, hedonistic, aggressive, sadistic, can’t be trusted, doesn’t wear shirts. Bisexual transman.

Second, a photo of a dour woman with dark hair. Audrey Hawthorne, the Lovechilde, Clan Ventrue. Blinded by the Embrace, furious, frustrated, grieving, snarky, over accomplished, creative, passionate.

Third, a man in a black suit looking over a ballroom with a crystal chandelier. Jan Pieterzoon, the Kingmaker, Clan Ventrue. 300 year old, archon, elder, sire is Camarilla big-shot, dignified, mysterious, chessmaster, honourable, elite.

Fourth, a man in a dress shirt, sleeve rolled up, hand extended with a cigarette and bloody palm. Barty Vaughn, the Valley Prince, Clan Ventrue. Former Anarch, Prince of San Francisco, now reluctant Prince of LA. Smokes like a chimney, lives to fuck Tremere and have fun.

Slide 7: Titled: Zari’s POV, with a subtitle of The Black Rose. On the left, a photo of a beaming dark-skinned Black woman with bouncy coily black hair. Bullet points describe her as Zari Adeyemi-Swan, Clan Toreador, Embraced 1973, Humanity 6, age 27. On the right, a series of bullets describe her POV’s story.

life sucks, it’s cruel, and there’s no point thinking on the past, even when the past comes to haunt you

she fled her foster sire and once-lover (Ashley Swan) for his cruelty to others, but now he offers maybe?genuine? amends.

thirty years ago, she left her human children. her daughter (Aisha Adeyemi) has been Embraced and brings bad news

her main way of #coping is working and distracting herself. she throws herself to infiltrate the Westside Camarilla court (Sebastian LaCroix), against all good advice.

soon after she arrives, she finds herself having a secret admirer (Mercurio), who reminds her how precious it is to be loved, held, and cared for — but they need to overcome their own instincts to accept what they could have

The Voerman sisters are in the thick of it all, making perfect cautionary allies and, if she can overcome her preconceptions, friends.

and oh yeah, LA is about to explode

Slide 8: Titled: Zari’s supporting characters. Four characters, each of them have a photo, a title, and brief run-on description.

First, a photo of a white man wearing mirrored sunglasses in front of orange-pink neon. It casts his face and smile eerily. Ashley Swan, the Foster Sire, Clan Toreador, monstrously cruel, charismatic, loyal, thorough, too clever, pleasurable. Bi transman.

Second, a photo of a white man in a suit, adjusting his cuffs. Sebastian LaCroix, the Westside Prince, Clan Ventrue, opportunistic benefactor, greedy, ambitious, petulant, ruthless, degrading.

Third, a white man in a paisley shirt, gold necklaces, putting a hand to a tattooed and exposed chest. Mercurio, the Admirer, LaCroix’s Ghoul, resourceful, sweet, empathetic, capable, romantic, salt of the earth, former Mafia hitman.

Fourth, a white woman in a black suit with delicate gold jewelry. The Voermans, the Mirrored Sisters, Clan Malkavian; one is brutal, calculating, patient, reckless, the other is seductive, fun-loving, innovative, insightful.

Slide 9: Titled: Charlie’s POV, with a subtitle of The Moonchilde. In small text, a line says “a.k.a. Me processing grief over my mother #coping. On the left, a photo of a sad-faced white woman with freckles, black eyeliner, and frizzy brown curls. Bullet points describe her as Charlie Bradley, Clan Malkavian, Embraced 2003, Humanity 8, age 20, lesbian. On the right, a series of bullets describe her POV’s story.

life is getting back to normal? well, “new normal”

as a new adult, she has a good ol’ fashioned “start of life” crisis: who am I? where do I fit in? complicated by her mother’s death a year ago. what sort of woman am I? how does this figure into my attraction to women?

maybe. maybe. maybe monroe is cold and distant and ruling a vampire kingdom, but he wants to look after me. maybe i should let him.

also, hey, you (Jesse Harper) get it. and you’re hurting. let me help, let me be your soft place to land. wow, okay, this is kissing.

she didn’t mean to ruin her sire’s (Rhys Wilson) life. but, she did. she killed his mentor. SHHH! secret! she feel bad. maybe friends? uh, okay, weirdo. maybe D&D.

she’s learning to deal with feeding on scumbags and giving what people got coming to them. and the Cobweb, supernatural psychosis

WHY ARE VAMPIRES LIKE THIS? WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? FFS

and oh yeah, LA is about to explode

Slide 10: Titled: Charlie’s supporting characters. Three characters, each of them have a photo, a title, and brief run-on description.

First, a white man in the middle of screaming, his head swaying back and forth so it looks like he has three heads. Rhys Wilson, the Sire, Clan Malkavian, weirdo, prime D&D fanatic and DM, just wants friends, and vengeance, pulls pranks to teach lessons. Gay.

Second, a very strong white woman with her arms crossed, a tattoo on one, and a t-shirt that is obscured but clearly says “The future is female”. Jesse Harper, the Darkness, Clan Lasombra, former vampire hunter, reluctant vampire, brooding, mysterious, sullen, black trench coat, buff as fuck, brave. Lesbian.

Third, a pair of clasped hands, male over female. Monroe, the Stepsire, Clan Ventrue, fucking old, inhuman, kills too easily, sincere, honourable, intense, gives good advice but really should shut his mouth hole.

Slide 11: Titled: Jack’s POV, with a subtitle of The Lone Wolf. On the left, a photo of a sad-faced strong Chinese man with a shaggy and tufted mullet. Bullet points describe him as Jack Shen, Clan Gangrel, Embraced 1955, Humanity 7, age 25, gay. On the right, a series of bullets describe his POV’s story.

why does he always end up alone? people leave, people die, people drift and change, but the good times were worth it

he’s always had a rocky relationship with his lover (Ryuko Saito), but now the dumbass has found a cult promising power.

he hasn’t lost him. he hasn’t. him and ryu just take time apart sometimes. but it’s been a long fucking while. and jack isn’t sure who he is alone anymore. a new human friend (Dustin Cohen), working at his animal hospital gives new life.

his former best friend (Damsel) has dove deep into Downtown and managing as Nines’ lieutenant, bringing him more and more dirty work to clean up

monroe relies on him to reign in the chaos of vampires trying to live without killing each other.

and oh yeah, LA is about to explode

Slide 12: Titled: Jack’s supporting characters. Three characters, each of them have a photo, a title, and brief run-on description.

First, a young white woman with dyed fire-engine red hair and an Iron Maiden t-shirt. Damsel, the Lieutenant, Clan Brujah, naive, brash, physical, loyal, loud-mouthed, smart.

Second, a skinny man in an ill-fitting Hawaiian shirt and jeans. Ryuko Saito, the Orphan, Mage, power-hungry, desperate, proud, ruthless, loving, isolated, crushingly lonely, gremlin, old and chronic pain, hides and “treats” it with magic.

Third, a white hand extending a hummingbird to fly free. Dustin Cohen, the Receptionist, Human, understanding, the best of Good Dudes, empathetic, kinda lame outsider

Slide 13: Titled: also. A moodboard on the right side includes two weeping stone angels, one at sunset, one in darkness between a tarnished and broken silver crown; a gas station in LA as seen through a rainy car window; grim-looking downtown city buildings; and a sidewalk curb with neon lights reflecting off a puddle and a plastic bag of takeout garbage strewn across.

On the left, bullet points follow.

about 100 million other characters. I legit have a spreadsheet

Everyone is capable of evil

Sins of the sire (father)

Never too late to start being a good person

Takes place  about 6 months before Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines

At least one more novel in the works

Subheading, 22/55 chapters written. Gonna start posting September 28.

End ID.

[starcunning]

This Beast that Rends Me: 11 Apr

A challenger appears! Also, I seem to have all my rigging questions from the last chapter answered, but if you have something to contribute I’m always ready to learn.

Previously: Week One Previously: 8 Apr, 9 Apr, 10 Apr

Chapter Five

Spring’s temper seemed to break in the days that followed, and cloudless skies stretched from the mountains to the wall, visible in the hazy distance. It made the greenhouse warm and close, especially at midday, when Shasi often visited.

She had come in the morning, after their night together. It seemed the responsible thing to do. It also seemed more responsible not to spend her evenings there—however much she wanted to. Still, she could not regret it.

Sometimes they played megalith, but today she was teaching him Triple Triad.

“It’s very popular, you know, in Ul’dah,” she said. “The Platinum Mirage would stage tournaments.” “I can’t imagine why a gambling house would favor it,” he drawled sardonically. “Especially that ‘Plus’ rule you mentioned? It’s impenetrable. Which I’m sure they use to their advantage.” “I wouldn’t know anything about the inherent discomfort of facing an opponent with better insight than you,” Shasi said, grousing playfully in return. “That’s because you’re usually on the dealer’s side of the table,” he told her, reaching out with his long fingers to flip one of her cards. “And then I met you,” she told him, playing to the opposite corner. “And I found myself outmatched.” “I haven’t done it in weeks,” he said, defensive. “I know,” she told him, “but you might. It’s terrifying.” “Really,” he said, laying out a card. “I suppose I would find it liberating. You might, at any moment, come to know anything about me. Why demur, in that case? At least then I have made a choice.” “I don’t want people to see me that way,” Shasi told him. She set her last card down, flipping two of his, and smiled. “A draw,” she said. “Now we each take the cards we claimed in that match and play again until we decide a victor.” “What way?” he asked, taking up the cards and organizing them in his hand. “A relentless interrogator,” Shasi said. “It seems you are relying on being seen that way in your dealings with me,” Zenos said, smirking over the fan of his cards. “And yet you still won’t tell me about the situation in the outer provinces.” “I would, if I knew more. There was discussion of sending me to Dalmasca, as I was sent to Doma.” Shasi only hummed thoughtfully, playing her first card to the corner. “I see.” “They treat me as they treat you,” he said. “A blade to be unleashed as needs be. You’ve told me yourself they don’t tell you everything.” She felt the sting of pity, though it was quickly forgotten as he laid his next card and took hers, subsumed by her momentary annoyance. Shasi opened her mouth, conjuring some retort.

There was a knock on the window, the gentle rap of knuckles against glass. Shasi’s ears pricked up, and she turned her head toward the source of the sound. Thancred stood there, no less familiar despite his absence, and she could feel the way surprise rose upon her face. “You’re not supposed to be here!” Shasi greeted him. “I know,” the rogue said, his voice half-muffled through the glass. She rose from her seat at the table, setting her cards aside. “No, really. You’re not allowed to speak to me.” “No,” Thancred said, a smile twisting his features, “I’m not allowed to speak to you face-to-face after I’ve been briefed. But I haven’t been. Not until tomorrow morning. Let’s talk.” “Later,” she said, teeth catching at the curve of her lip. “Later, then,” he agreed. “Good luck,” he drawled.

Somehow, despite the conservatory allowing her almost a full panorama of the gardens, he seemed to disappear a moment later. She sank back into her seat. “I’m sorry,” she said, dropping her chin onto her fist. “About the interruption.” “A friend of yours?” Zenos asked, in a tone that told her he knew perfectly well. “Thancred recruited me,” she said. “I’d seen him before then, but we didn’t meet until after … after the awakening of my Echo.” “But you were paying attention to him before then.” “I wouldn’t put it that way, exactly,” Shasi said, cautiously setting down a card. “He’s one of the Archons, and he’s rather distinctive. He’d been operating in Ul’dah longer than I’d lived there. People took notice of him. But I suppose I was thinking of … Carteneau.” “You were at Carteneau?” Zenos wondered. He laid his card, and flipped hers. “With my mother,” she said. “We were protecting them. The Archons’ levy.” She tossed another card onto the board. Zenos flipped that too, and she looked down in surprise to see that he’d tabled her. “You’re distracted,” he said, frowning. “We’ll stop for now, and resume tomorrow. I will see you tomorrow?” he asked. “You will,” Shasi promised.

He was right about her distraction, so Shasi sought focus the way she always did. The menagerie was a pleasant enough place for her sword drills: the late afternoon sun was warm but not cloying, and the breeze refreshed her. She could hear the rustle of leaves and the shuffle of her own feet as she moved through the forms. It required an exactitude of movement that meant her focus remained on her weapon. Nothing outside the reach of her sword existed.

So it was a surprise when Thancred stepped into the sphere of her world, turning her blade aside with one of his daggers. “What are you doing here?” she asked, advancing on him, sword at the ready. She struck, and the blow rang as he knocked it aside. “Urianger told me you’d asked for me. I hadn’t imagined it was to help you beat the Viceroy of Ala Mhigo at tarot.” “Triple Triad,” she corrected, taking a step back as he struck, a backhand sweep that made an arc of steel. “All the worse for you, from what I recall watching you play in the Seventh Heaven,” he laughed. She made a swipe with her sword that he caught, and the rasp of steel on steel rung down her blade, catching the rogue’s dagger in the cross guard of her sword. They were inches apart. Shasi reached out, grasping his forearm to hold it away from her body, the tip of his hunting knife kept from her flank as they struggled.

Her blue eyes locked to his—the one that was left him, the other secreted behind his blindfold. She could smell the leather of his garb, the sandalwood of his soap. With a twist of her hand, she forced him to give up his dagger, which fell to the grass beneath their feet. His hand, now freed, locked on her wrist in turn. He was taller than her, and should have had better leverage as they wrestled, but she set her shoulder against his chest and planted her feet.

“You never end it, when you could,” Thancred said. “I don’t know how to pull my blows when it’s magic instead,” she admitted, gritting her teeth. “And you don’t have any. It hardly seems fair.” “Don’t worry about fairness,” he said, and she felt his heel against her calf. Then her knee collapsed, and they fell to the ground, his knife and her sword clattering beside them.

The earth at her back was cool; his body was warmer, and she laughed. “Oh, they’ll sing songs about this for sure,” he said, pushing himself to his knees. “The day I put the Warrior of Light to her back.” Shasi’s face colored, and she quickly sat up so that she could drop her chin, looking down at his boots, watching him stand. He offered her a hand, and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet. He let go a moment later, looking back at the glass panels of the greenhouse.

Shasi followed the line of his gaze. Through the glare of the golden sun, she thought she saw a figure—Zenos—moving inside, as though stepping back from the window. “Has he given you anything?” Thancred asked, all the joviality robbed of his tone. “A bit,” Shasi said, dusting herself down. She flicked her ears, and Thancred leaned over to pick a blade of dried grass from her hair. “Mostly internal politics, but … they kept him ignorant of a lot. I suppose they were afraid of him developing his own agenda.” “He did anyway,” Thancred reminded her. “What about the Resonant? That was his project, one of the few we know about. Has he spoken of it to you?” “No,” Shasi said. “Only briefly.” “Find out what you can,” Thancred said. “Aulus mal Aesina’s research may not have died with him.”

So perhaps he had not come for her after all. “I’ll ask,” Shasi promised, stooping to retrieve her sword and return it to its keeping at her belt. “I’m supposed to produce a precis on it—and on the facility—for the council,” Thancred said. “So the more we know, the better.” “I’ll ask,” Shasi repeated, feeling suddenly distant from him. “He just … tells you things?” Thancred asked, seeming confused. “His thinking seems to be that I could come to know them anyway, thanks to the Echo, so he may as well disclose them and shortcut the whole process,” Shasi said. “At least then he has some semblance of agency in the telling.”

It struck her then how transgressive it was, to see into another’s soul at will. And, as Thancred shrugged, wishing her luck as he retreated from the sunlit lawn, she realized how paradoxically distant it had made her.

[madamlaydebug]

My Visions of New Earth Hello My Wonderful Readers and Supporters~ Last night, after experiencing more (groan) ascension symptoms of body aches and pains and emotional blockage in my heart chakra, I spent some time in quiet, hot buddies on my body, shiatsu massager on my back, and did some necessary purging. After that, I felt that I either received downloads (are those still coming??) or activated whatever downloads I had already received. Either way, I received some insights, and coupled with insights and visions I have had throughout the past 10 years, I was able to put some things together and thus, present to you my visions of new earth, what is going on right now, what is important to focus on and what we can let go of. Again, these are just insights from my own Inner and Higher Selves. Please use your own guidance and discernment. To begin with, even though my awakening began in my mid 20’s, my knowledge of New Earth/5D Earth did not come into my heart and consciousness until Fall 2012. Prior to 2012, I had a vision around the years 2006/2007, which I have shared in a previous Daily Notes post or two and will share again briefly. In the vision, I was with a group of Beings. We were tall and had an interesting form. While there was a physical mass (torso, arms, legs, head, etc.) we also seemed very “light” – almost as if we were floating. Illuminated is a good word to describe how we were. We were standing in a circle around a tree. I felt ~ blissful. Serene. Completely at home and totally in the moment. While I didn’t “see” with my mind’s eye what came next, I felt something unexpected happened and our civilization ended. Since then I have concluded and intuited this was Lemuria I had seen. This was the last earthly time we (humans and Gaia and all life) have lived in complete harmony, at the higher vibrational frequencies. During this time period in which I had this vision, I also had a dream where I was in this beautiful wooden house. It was a big structure with a strong presence. Rather odd for a house, I thought. But there I was ~ at first on the outside deck, watching a group of children around the age of 6-8 running around, interestingly enough all in overalls. Next scene, I’m in the kitchen, the kids all gathered around this long counter, hungry for peanut butter sandwiches. I had no children at the time, but in the dream I knew one of them was mine, likely a girl. “Hmm, peanut butter sandwiches,” I thought. Suddenly, a jar of peanut butter, butter knife and loaf of white bread appeared. Cool, I thought. I have the ability to manifest instantly! I then look outside over the property. The scenery was beautiful. Peaceful. The skies were brilliant blue (NO CHEMTRAILS!!), the trees vibrant. Where am I, I thought. I didn’t sense a lot of people around. I sensed my mate in the garden. The feeling of pure contentment was palpable, having not experienced that very often in my waking life. It was a wonderful feeling! Upon waking I concluded I was on another planet, definitely earth-like. I promptly forgot about the dream. I didn’t share it with anyone, not even my mate. That is until he had the same dream a couple of years later. The house, the children in overalls, knowing one was ours, the garden, the feel of the planet ~ all the same. Since that time my spouse has had several dreams of the town. He’s the explorer in the family, so no surprise there. I have had a dream of the town. I was playing the piano in a small diner for the locals. I explored the street – beautiful majestic mountains, small shops, roads made of paved dirt (no ugh asphalt – yay!!) and interestingly enough, no cars (flying ships!). Woo hoo! In my meditations, I have gone back to the house several times, outfitting it with furnishings, hangings and other things I wish to have in it. I had another dream of the house last fall where I was standing in front of it, looking up at it. It’s such a massive structure (compared to where I have lived throughout my adult life) – it takes my breath away. Again the feeling of home and absolute contentment were palpable. This house is mine. It is a powerful, wonderful feeling. No threat of some greedy landlord or bank to take it away. It was and is mine – until I decide it isn’t. In the dream it was winter, a bit of snow on the ground. I had on my winter coat and these white snow boots I didn’t have at the time so they were not recognizable. That is until I saw the very boots online last December and bought them (of course I did!). When the boots arrived, I put them on and announced “Ok house and new earth I AM READY!” Ah if only it were so simple. And yet in a way, this is part of it. For you see, in buying these boots, and in intending this house and how I wish for it to look in my meditations, I so deeply believe I am creating this house. I am making it so. As I said, the terms “5D” and “New Earth” didn’t enter my mind until 2012. A neighbor shared with me some of her visions and it was then that I remembered the dream I had where I was in this house on a planet that looked so much like earth, only it felt different. That’s when she said shared with me her belief in New Earth and 5D. Completely resonated. It is my belief 5D Earth, 5D Gaia is already “in place”. It’s simply a timeline issue. (And of course since coming to that conclusion, I am seeing videos and articles on “timelines”. Love that beautiful Universal Synchronicity!) This is so important: We are all creating our timelines now, based on our thoughts and beliefs. Believe the world is in chaos and going to hell? That will be your experience, your timeline. Believe that while there is chaos “out there”, there is another reality we can choose. That will be your timeline experience. The possibilities, I am now seeing, are, perhaps, endless. I received strong confirmation on this timeline creation experience last night. Before I went to sleep, I did my usual intentions/meditations, only this time I “saw” an actual scene I had had earlier in the evening, a conversation with my neighbors. Only this time, I could see this energy wall between us. It looked like a wall of bubbly water. I knew if I were to speak, or they were to speak, it would sound like one does when one speaks with their hands over their ears. What I was seeing was a separation of the timelines that I am creating. Powerful vision. So…. I suggest being specific in your intentions. Don’t like what you are seeing and believing? Believe and intend to see something different that’s in alignment with Who You Are and Who You Want to Be. I do not believe we need to be perfectly “healed” to ascend to New Earth. Intention, an authentic heart/will are all that is necessary. I have read far too many pieces that state “you must be healed of all your stuff if you wish to ascend.” Nonsense, especially for those who have had seemingly endless incarnation cycles in this lower vibrational frequency. As I said in a previous piece, that is a lot of lifetimes of pain and trauma, and given most of it is not available to our conscious memories, we are in need of some help with this healing. I believe we will be receiving that help upon our arrival to 5D. We will have help from our mentors, likely those of our Soul Group who have chosen to be here now, outside of the Reincarnation Cycle of 3D earth, in order to help out with this Ascension process. It is also my belief we are not here to “master” this 3d matrix as some are saying before we ascend. Speaking just for myself here: I have no desire nor intention in mastering all of this dark, controlling system crap. Zero. Nor does this make me more (or less) Spiritually “Mature” or ready to Ascend. I see it for what it is. It can “have its way”. I am choosing Different. I also do not believe I needed to experience suffering and trauma/pain and darkness in order to know love and freedom. Why? To begin with, I am Divine and thus it is my Vibrational Nature to BE Love and Freedom. Second, where I believe I came from, my time in Lemuria, was an experience OF love and freedom so I was well aware of this way of Being/Living and certainly did not need to experience the polar opposite in order to KNOW. Again, nonsense. Which is why I have continued to return here lifetime after lifetime in order to Remember all of this, to Remember the experiences of living in Lemuria, in order to RETURN to this way of Being and LIving… …which is why, I believe, so many of us are feeling “I want to go home.” We ARE going home. And naturally we want to! Who wouldn’t want to? Now I believe not all have continued on with the reincarnation cycle. I believe some have opted to be in other dimensions, on other planets, in order to help with the perfect alignment of energies in order for Gaia and Us to ascend at this time period. I have had the feeling a few times that I have had an incarnation on another planet. Perhaps I have. This time around, I believe we will all be Ascending in our own time period, when we are ready, hence the explanation above of how we are creating our own experience, our own timeline. It’s a CHOICE. I also do not believe Source or any other Being of Love would say “you have until this date to get it straight or else you will stay behind and continue to suffer.” Nope. The Divine doesn’t operate on that frequency bandwidth. I ain’t buying it. Or feeling it. That is duality with the energy vibe of a threat. While I believe there will be a lower vibrational earth frequency for those choosing, consciously or not, to remain in this energy space, I do believe the days of the archon control are over. Because we had our way of living stolen from us by these dark archons, who then set up a false energy grid to keep us enslaved, to keep us in this reincarnation trap, many of us have “chosen” to return again and again on this planet in order to make it to this point in history. I use the term “chosen” in quotes because while we have made the soulful and conscious choice to return to this 3D earth, there wasn’t much freedom or free will in that choice, certainly not in their most authentic of definitions. Let me say is this way: We were part of a horrible hostile takeover. And because we cared so much for not only one another but for our Gaia, our Home, we have returned time and time again to ensure we bring Her and Us back HOME. This has not been about lessons. This has not been about karma. This has been a mission of undying Love to make the Loving Choice – to provide and return Sovereignty and Freedom for All Lives. Period. And I can attest I have read many who have proclaimed they are not coming back to this cycle again. I am one of them. And we say this because we’re not going to have to. We have experienced darkness in a way that has been shocking, traumatic and beyond our level of comprehension. As such, we will not be fooled again. We can remain Loving and Powerful while also now being aware of what darkness is capable of it. I realize this is a long piece with a lot of information. I just felt this need to put it together, as jumbled as it may appear, and set it loose to you to provide some comfort (in case you are feeling fear that you aren’t doing it “right”) as well as to play a role, serve my Purpose, which is something I have been rather shy at in claiming – that I have a purpose in this Ascension process. One of my readers lovingly sensed this in me and shared with me that she believed I wasn’t aware how important I am in this Ascension mission at this time. Certainly I don’t have the following of many other Ascension websites and don’t receive channeled messages or have one of those science-based linear minds that talk of the science behind energy, dna and the like. But my intention has, since the onset of this website last fall, been to share my Truth as I see and feel it at the time. It has been a work of Love. And I deeply thank you, my readers, for believing in me and showing me your support in your own ways. I hope to see many of you in New Earth. What a grand party it will be! With Love~ Victoria New Earth Goddess

[fangirlnationmag]

Whew! 11 days of hard core gaming and I’ve completed Mass Effect Andromeda at a 100% viability with ALL Arks found, ALL allied missions accomplished and a trio of strong Strike Teams to aid in future Kett/Remnant/Outcast Apex Missions. Now what do I do? Oh! I can tell all of you about it! WARNING: There MAY be some MEA spoilers in here so read at your own risk…

CHARACTERS

Since this game is IMMENSE I will need to break it up in sections. Why start with characters? Well, you really would not get anywhere without your: Team, Ark and Relationships. Therefore, characters are where we’ll start on this MEA journey.

Playable Team

The first characters you encounter are the fellow humans who traveled with you on Ark Hyperion: Liam Kosta and Cora Harper. They travel with you and your father prior to the “incident” that lands you the job of Pathfinder. That “incident” occurs in the Andromeda cluster. That’s right, you’ve traveled for 600 YEARS to arrive at a new galactic cluster chalk full of enemies, planets, aliens and some weird dark matter suitably named “The Scourge”.

After Habitat 7, where “the incident” occurs, you are charged with finding habitable planets. Before your first mission a determined Turian who goes by Vetra Nyx insists she travel with you. Not one to turn away an extra pair of arms, you accept her offer and venture to the first semi-viable planet: Eos. Eos is inhospitable which is no surprise after you find several ruined outposts from previous settlement attempts AND some VERY unfriendly foes. But hey, you’re a Pathfinder so danger is a part of your position. As you roam about Eos you discover “The Remnant” and realize they have harnessed the power of a massive terra-forming network that could just make the not so golden worlds viable. It’s here where you meet Peebee, she’s a rambunctious Asari with a penchant for technology/archaeology who is reminiscent of Liara from the original ME series were she much younger. After a few battles in Eos you also encounter Nakmor Drack, he’s…well, he’s a Krogan who’s over 1400 years of battle experiences and living have made him cranky and absolutely AMAZING to interact with.

So let’s do a head count. You have: 2 humans (Cora and Liam), 1 Asari (Peebee), 1 Turian (Vetra) and 1 Krogan (Drack)…that’s a pretty even playing field but MEA makes sure you have one more hand to aid you in exploring this new galaxy. During one of your missions the enemy reveal itself. Known as the “Kett”, this species steals the genetics of others and “exalts” them to enhance their numbers. It’s a messy process and the “exalted” are brainwashed into submission so there are A LOT of pissed off people in Andromeda who HATE the Kett. Cue the Milky Way galaxy Arks and the Angarans, who call Andromeda home, are fed up with alien visits. Despite this hatred the Angara tentatively welcome you, the Pathfinder, in a last ditch move of desperation. In Aya, the Angarans’ sovereign world, you meet Jaal Ama Darav. BAM! You have a team of 6 interchangeable characters who can aid you on your missions.

But wait! I haven’t REALLY told you much about your team…have I? Let’s fix that… #gallery-0-7 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-7 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-7 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-7 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Cora Harper – Human trained by the Asari Commandos. Biotic companion who packs a punch!

Liam Kosta – Human Crisis Unit. He’s had a rough lot in life and wants Andromeda to be his new start.

Vetra Nyx – Turian Mercenary. She was taken from her home world at a young age and learned to live using the streets to her advantage. She is an excellent shot and a great companion on Kadara.

Peebee – Asari Researcher. Peebs is full of energy but she has HUGE commitment issues (she lives in the escape pod). Her biotics are impressive and she LOVES Remnant tech.

Nakmor Drack – AKA Old Man. Drack is a hammer in the game. His grand daughter is the superindendent of the Hyperion Ark and he’s in good standing with just about EVERY clan. This make him VERY useful on Elaaden.

Jaal Ama Darav – Angaran Resistance Fighter. Jaal grew up knowing the Kett and their murderous ways. He has never NOT known fighting and yet, he remains very gentle. He is often found quietly contemplating in his room on the Tempest and he is a great asset on Aya, Havarl and Voeld.

Tempest Team

During your travels across Andromeda you have a team on board the Tempest that keeps you and your ship in tip top shape. There is… #gallery-0-8 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-8 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-8 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-8 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

SAM – He is your personal AI. SAM was created by your father and aids you from his SAM node on the Ark Hyperion via an implant in your head. He is CRITICAL to the game.

Kallo – He is your pilot. Kallo is, as many Salarians are, fast paced and full of spirit. He was a part of the team that built the Tempest.

Suvi – She is your communications specialist. Suvi seeks new experiences in Andromeda but struggles with her views on faith. She is a great companion and her conversations are diverse.

Lexi – This aloof Asari is your Doctor. She is very bright and took the position on the Tempest at the behest of Harry, who was SUPPOSED to be your Doc. She’s is the ships psychologist as well and often has great insight for you.

Gil – He’s your ships engineer. He keeps the Tempest humming and frequently gets into arguments with Kallo over the improvements he makes to the Tempest.

Mr. Pebbles – Ok, that’s not his official name and THIS photo is from the original ME series but they DID include a space hamster in Adromeda. Woohoo!

Influential Encounters

These characters are the ones whom, when you interact with them, WILL impact the future success/failures you endeavor to survive in the game.

Reyes Vidal: He’s a sly one who helps you on Kadara port. I won’t spoil it but you are going to HAVE to choose between him and Sloane.

Sloane Kelly: She is the leader of the outcasts who took over Kadara port from the Kett.

Nakmor Morda: She is the new overlord of the Krogan colonists who live on Elaaden.

Sarissa Theris: She is the pathfinder for the Asari Ark.

Avitus Rix: He is the pathfinder for the Turian Ark.

Raeka: She is the pathfinder for the Salarian Ark.

Primus: He is second in command to the Kett Archon.

There are others who you encounter which will change the course of the game for you but these are the folks with whom I interacted the most OR I felt had the greatest influence on the game.

Romance Options

What is a Mass Effect game without its romance options? Here are the RO’s for MEA…

Vetra: Available for Male OR Female Ryder.

Jaal: Available for Female Ryder.

PeeBee: Available for Male OR Female Ryder.

Cora: Available for Male Ryder.

Liam: Available for Female Ryder.

Gil: Available for Male Ryder.

Suvi: Available for Female Ryder.

Reyes Vidal: Available for Female Ryder.

Keri: Available for Male OR Female Ryder.

Of course I may have missed an option or two…let us know if you find more! WARNING: THESE ARE NSFW AND NC-17/R (depending on your outlook in life).

Other Characters

Your team, the Kett, RO’s and Influential characters aside…there ARE others you can interact with. Here is where you can find them…EVERYWHERE. They are on: the Hyperion, Nexus, Aya, Voeld, Elaaden, Havarl, Kadara…they are all places. Just look for a little surprise symbol on your map or listen for someone saying “Hey Ryder!”. I particularly enjoy conversing with the Bartender and his Asari counter part in Vortex on the Nexus.

That sums up the characters of MEA! Be on the look out later this week for the game experience and fan girl on!

Mass Effect Andromeda – Character Encounters Whew! 11 days of hard core gaming and I've completed Mass Effect Andromeda at a 100% viability with ALL Arks found, ALL allied missions accomplished and a trio of strong Strike Teams to aid in future Kett/Remnant/Outcast Apex Missions.