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alexandraisyes · 1 year ago

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Eclipse Character Analysis (Sun and Moon Show)

Alternate Title: Why I'm 95% sure Eclipse is a sociopath EDITED TITLE: An Analysis of how Eclipse's ASPD is reflected in his character

A hopefully unnecessary disclaimer: - One, hi, hello I am a sociopath, I do know what I'm talking about. This also means that a lot of what I notice and will describe about Eclipse are similar or the same as my own experiences living life in this mortal realm. What I will touch on in the "redemption" section is heavily based on the kind of intensive treatment I had to get in order to improve my behavior when I was younger, so it's important to note that while Eclipse will never be able to change his personality (like how I can't change mine, and you can't change yours), he can change his thought patterns, mentality, and behavior. The saying that "sociopaths can't change" is specifically talking about how we can't change our personality, which is true for everyone. That doesn't mean we can't learn to function better in civilized society or be taught emotional awareness and morals. - Two, hi, hello this is just what I've noticed and does not mean it's canon unless Reed or Davis themselves come onto my Tumblr and go "Yes, this, this is what is correct", and even then, you're allowed to have your own opinions and views on these characters. I'm just theorizing here EDIT: Reed and Davis confirmed that Eclipse is indeed a sociopath a day after I posted this here, and a week after my initial post in their server that is basically this but slightly messier. - Three, hi, hello I'm also a psychology student so I also know what I'm talking about in that regard too. I've been studying psychology and general medicine for three and a half years now, so I like to think I have some idea of what I'm talking about - Four, I use the terms sociopath, ASPD, sociopathic disorder, and anti-social personality disorder interchangeably since they all describe the same personality disorder - Five, this analysis is long, I cover the basics, an in depth, some potential scenarios, a redemption arc possibility, and some other thoughts I have about him. - Six, I made this disclaimer to address any potential misunderstandings, or harmful stereotypes that I tend to be confronted with any time I talk about ASPD. Now onto the good stuff!

Too Long; Won't Read - Here's a Summary

Attachment and Pride: Eclipse initially cared about Lunar, and his reaction to Lunar leaving suggests a fragile pride. His inability to connect with others is evident in his strained relationships with KC and Bloodmoon.

Masking Emotions: Eclipse keeps his darker thoughts to himself at the beginning, and throughout the show as well. He masks both his emotions, and his intentions throughout the show, and is careful not to show when people have upset or offended him. This behavior stems from a learned experience that letting his guard down leads to resentment.

Manipulation and Brash Communication: Eclipse is straightforward and brash when expressing thoughts, feelings, or opinions. He employs manipulation when needed but is mostly disinterested in others.

Boredom and Stimulation: He seeks reactions from people, often causing chaos for entertainment. Boredom, especially when stuck as an AI, prompts him to instigate situations for amusement.

Lack of Empathy: He also appears to lack empathy, as evidenced by his inability to understand emotions and his focus on getting reactions rather than connecting with others.

Touch Aversion: Eclipse's lack of physical affection aligns with the common aversion to touch seen in individuals with ASPD.

Remorse and Growth: Eclipse shows remorse only in instances where he hurts Lunar in the beginning of the show, indicating a potential area for growth. A redemption arc could explore his struggles without completely erasing his apparent sociopathic nature.

Writer's note: A thoughtful portrayal of Eclipse's sociopathy, should my theory touch on the truth, if continued in a storyline, could provide an authentic exploration of mental health challenges and personal growth. Care should be taken to avoid stereotypes (DON'T USE GOOGLE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS I BEG)

Putting Him Under a Microscope - Full Analysis

1. Attachment and Pride:

Eclipse's initial connection with Lunar suggests a potential attachment, a notable aspect in individuals with ASPD who can form (highly) selective bonds. However, Lunar's departure significantly impacts Eclipse's pride. This reaction aligns with the fragile self-esteem often observed in those with ASPD. The departure becomes a perceived personal betrayal, triggering Eclipse's defensive response.

In individuals with ASPD, relationships often serve specific purposes, and Eclipse's attachment to Lunar may have been driven by a combination of genuine connection but also very clearly the utility Lunar provided in fulfilling certain needs or desires. (Which was helping Eclipse get the star of course)

Moreover, Eclipse's struggle with connecting to others, evident in strained relationships with KC and Bloodmoon, is a characteristic of ASPD. Individuals with this disorder often face challenges in forming and maintaining meaningful relationships due to their limited capacity for empathy and understanding of emotional nuances.

2. Masking Emotions:

Eclipse's tendency to keep darker thoughts to himself reflects a common coping mechanism associated with ASPD. Individuals with this disorder often learn to conceal their true emotions early on due to negative experiences when expressing genuine feelings. This learned behavior serves as a protective measure against potential backlash or social rejection.

The fear of vulnerability and subsequent consequences aligns with the interpersonal difficulties faced by those with ASPD. Eclipse's decision to hide his less socially acceptable thoughts is a strategic choice aimed at avoiding conflict and maintaining control over his image.

Professionally, the concealment of darker thoughts is recognized as a defense mechanism in individuals with ASPD. This protective facade, or 'mask,' becomes an integral part of their social interactions, allowing them to navigate social situations with greater ease. However, this constant need to mask one's true feelings can contribute to internal struggles and further isolate individuals with ASPD from genuine emotional connections.

One may ask, what 'darker thoughts' did Eclipse show, or receive backlash for? Well, let's see, when he was stuck in Sun for the beginning of his life, he was first confused, a bit scared, and completely disoriented. He was forgotten, and during the first parts we can see him trying to reconnect with Moon, however, his delivery, as individuals with ASPD tend to do, was brash. It didn't sugar coat what he wanted, and considering his earlier transgressions previously, they weren't taken well in the slightest. Instead of Moon trying to genuinely talk and explain, all he provided Eclipse with was "I changed, and you didn't." and in general was very annoyed and irate with Eclipse. There were several times during the beginning of Eclipse, where there could have been progress made with him, to help him work through his issues, his internalized fear of being forgotten again, and the accidental neglect, that just… didn't happen. Because Sun and Moon saw him as a virus.

Moon because Moon saw himself as a virus, so what else would he think of something that originated in his code, and acted like he used to? Acted like he still sometimes did, parts of himself that he didn't like about himself, living and breathing once again in the mind of his brother. Corrupting him.

And of course, Sun because he was just so tired and hurt and he finally thought he could have something only for this ball of code to make itself known? This peice of his brother that was left behind, that was formed from Moon's killcode? That was constructed from Moon's literal need to lash out, hurt others, and kill. I'm honestly a little horrified that this is never touched on in the show, because people aren't just born to be awful, that's not how this works. There were so many opportunities where toxic and awful behavior could have been stopped if it was handled properly.

Of course, I'm not blaming Sun and Moon. It's hard to help someone who doesn't understand they need help, and as a result the person won't want help either. Plus, they've said it themselves in the episodes where Lunar had returned from the dead. They were never programmed to understand mental health issues, and they have a hard enough time grasping the concepts of their own mental health issues to deal with other peoples. Especially other people who are actively hurting them, it's hard to feel sympathy for someone who causes you harm as far as I'm aware. (I personally wouldn't know)

But back to my main point, there absolutely were times in the beginning where Eclipse was just honest about his wants and desires, and was shown disgust and hatred for it. Which would absolutely make him be prone to masking, which he does a lot in the show from what I can tell.

3. Manipulation and Brash Communication:

Eclipse's communication style, characterized by being brash and straightforward, aligns with the speech patterns and tendencies often associated with ASPD. When he's not trying to pull a fast one over someone, he's very blunt, and he doesn't beat around the bush. Individuals with this disorder may utilize manipulation as a means to achieve personal goals or navigate social situations, but without a reason to sugar coat, they won't. Although sometimes not sugar coating is also employed as a manipulation tactic, which makes it tricky navigating conversation at times with sociopaths. Eclipse's lack of hesitation in employing manipulation reflects the calculated nature of his interactions, as we see him smoothly switch between fronts, acts he puts on to get people to agree with him.

His disinterest in others, apart from exploiting them for personal gain, is consistent with the self-serving behaviors commonly observed in sociopaths. The use of manipulation as a tool for control and amusement is a manifestation of the disorder's impact on interpersonal dynamics. When he contacts Moon for help with Killcode, even then he has his own motives that are only helped by Moon being distracted with Killcode, as well as having KC out of the picture.

Professionally, manipulation is recognized as a prominent feature of ASPD. Individuals with this disorder may lack the ability to form genuine emotional connections and, instead, view relationships as transactional opportunities. Eclipse's interactions, particularly with Sun and Moon, exemplify this transactional approach, where he derives amusement from creating chaos. This last bit (amusment) is important, and I'll cover it next.

Before I pop on over, this is where I'd like to touch on Servant Eclipse. He is very crafty, and very manipulative, but it doesn't fool Lunar, who he clearly cares about to some degree. (Again, will say it as many times as needed, people with ASPD can care about people, it's just a lot of effort at first, doesn't come naturally, and is reserved for a select few). Lunar in this reality probably knows Eclipse inside and out, and isn't fooled by the not very convincing "I'm just a husk now" act Eclipse is playing out with. I suspect that Eclipse also is aware the Lunar isn't fooled, but it amuses him to some degree to keep up the game. I can only imagine serving a "Lord Lunar" is a fairly excitable life, and it's unlikely he's extensively bored. He's also just as brash as the OG Eclipse, and doesn't sugar coat the truth, or tries to ease Gregory into topics.

4. Boredom and Stimulation:

Eclipse's constant quest for stimulation and amusement, even at the expense of creating chaos, reflects a key characteristic of individuals with ASPD. Boredom intolerance is common in this population, leading to a perpetual need for excitement and novel experiences. (Can speak from experience, I spend about 4-6 hours every day bored out of my freaking mind and it's absolutely torture - which is why I draw so much)

The portrayal of Eclipse as being "bored out of his mind" when stuck as an AI in KC's base underscores the challenge individuals with ASPD face in mundane or monotonous situations. The need for stimulation is a driving force behind their impulsive and sometimes risky behaviors. There's a certain kind of restlessness, and impulsivity associated with ASPD, very much an act before you think, get defensive when confronted, and maybe think about it two days later on the very small chance it triggers a sense of morals/remorse. (Then probably forget it happened, cause we are very good at not caring enough to remember half the stuff we do. This isn't a choice, by the way, people with sociopathic disorder just aren't wired to feel strong emotions like guilt and shame.)

Professionally, this behavior aligns with the clinical understanding of ASPD. Individuals with the disorder often engage in sensation-seeking activities to counteract feelings of boredom and emotional emptiness. Eclipse's enjoyment in hacking Moon's computer, causing reactions from Moon and Lunar, serves as an outlet for his need for stimulation and disruption, as well as fulfills other purposes in starting a conversation with Moon about KC.

And of course, now I get to touch on my two favorite things that just drill this in. When OG Eclipse gets the star… what does he do? He torments Sun and Moon instead of wiping everything away, and I'm aware this is mostly because he doens't have mastery over the star. But what does Sun say, when Eclipse shows up to torment them on top of the play structure. Something along the lines of, You're just bored at this point? Is that it?

And what does Eclipse do? He leaves. Because Sun is absolutely right, and it probably stings his ego to have someone he so fully has convinced himself of hating to be right about him. Even before he gets the star… just how much effort did he really put into getting the star? Sure, he had this big plan, but I think he was aware that the 'perfect world' would never make him happy to start with; he just felt the need to be something larger than life, so of course you must set the largest goals to achieve in order to be that. He could have gotten the star so much faster lets be honest. I fully believe he was just having too much fun messing with Sun and Moon, because it gave a reaction, and the reactions to his actions were exciting, breaking his boredom. He was bored a lot, stuck in Sun's head, stuck in Sun's body and pretending to be Sun, stuck as an AI, stuck with Solar Flare's AI fighting him, stuck being unable to use the star…….. seeing a pattern yet?

And of course, my second favorite thing. Lord Eclipse. Moon full out calls him out on how bored Eclipse is, and Eclipse first tries to deny it, then sees no tactical advantage to denying it, and admits that yeah, he is bored. He's been bored for ages and Moon is the first exciting thing in what feels like forever. He's not happy in his perfect world, but he isn't going to change is because that would cut his pride for Sun and Moon to be right about what he wants and needs after so many years. So many years of his Moon being dead. Of having Sun as an obedient servant, bound to his beck and call. He's bored, and it shows, and he knows that it shows.

5. Lack of Empathy:

Eclipse's consistent inability to understand and empathize with the emotions of others aligns with a central feature of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). Individuals with ASPD often struggle with recognizing and comprehending the feelings of those around them.

His focus on getting reactions rather than forming genuine connections reflects the hallmark trait of lacking empathy. Eclipse's interactions with Sun, Moon, and Lunar highlight his detached and indifferent approach, as he manipulates situations purely for personal amusement without regard for the emotional impact on others.

Professionally, the deficit in empathy is a well-documented aspect of ASPD. Those with the disorder may comprehend others' situations on a cognitive level but struggle to grasp the emotional nuances involved. Eclipse's inability to understand why Lunar is upset and his constant pursuit of reactions underscore the emotional disconnect inherent in individuals with ASPD.

Eclipse's interactions with Lunar provide a poignant illustration of his consistent lack of empathy. Despite a seemingly genuine attachment to Lunar in the beginning, Eclipse's emotional disconnect becomes evident as Lunar leaves. The impact of Lunar's departure on Eclipse's pride and subsequent defensive reaction highlights the absence of genuine understanding of Lunar's emotions. Eclipse struggles to comprehend the significance of Lunar's departure beyond a perceived personal betrayal, showcasing a lack of empathy toward Lunar's perspective.

Moreover, Eclipse's manipulation and attempts to provoke reactions from Lunar, even after Lunar has left, underscore his disregard for the emotional toll on Lunar. This behavior aligns with the typical patterns seen in individuals with ASPD, where the pursuit of personal amusement takes precedence over the emotional well-being of others.

Eclipse's inability to process and acknowledge his own damaged ego resulting from Lunar's departure further emphasizes his lack of emothional understanding. He doesn't want to admit that Lunar hurt him, so instead he just continues to shut it down, bottle it up, and let it churn into hatred instead of looking at what he did wrong. His resentment and refusal to acknowledge the emotional impact on Lunar highlight the emotional blindness inherent in individuals with ASPD, especially in the context of complex interpersonal relationships.

6. Touch Aversion:

Eclipse's noticeable lack of physical affection, as both seen throughout the show, and mentioned when Lunar clings to Sun and states that Eclipse never showed him physical affection, aligns with a common trait among individuals with ASPD. Touch aversion is a characteristic feature, as those with the disorder often lack the intrinsic desire for physical closeness or intimacy.

Eclipse's minimal physical interaction, even in what could be perceived as emotionally charged moments, is consistent with the general pattern observed in individuals with ASPD. The absence of hugging or comforting gestures suggests a limited appreciation for the emotional needs of others.

Professionally, touch aversion is recognized as part of the interpersonal challenges associated with ASPD. Individuals with this disorder may not instinctively seek physical connection unless it serves a specific purpose, such as manipulation or personal gain. Eclipse's avoidance of physical affection adds a layer to his character, illustrating how his interpersonal behaviors align with the clinical understanding of ASPD.

This aspect of Eclipse's character contributes to a nuanced portrayal of the disorder, showcasing how the lack of tactile expression can impact the dynamics of his relationships, particularly in situations where emotional support is expected. (Like seriously, even Sun and Moon hug when one of them are having an awful day, but Eclipse? He literally doesn't seem to understand why Lunar craves positive physical touch so bad, because he just… doesn't feel the need himself. You can never fully understand something you experience, and it's not like people were explaining these basic needs and wants to Eclipse… ever.)

7. Remorse and Growth:

Eclipse's occasional display of remorse, particularly in instances where he has harmed Lunar, offers a glimpse into a facet of his character that deviates from the (BAD DOWNRIGHT AWFUL) stereotypical image associated with ASPD. While individuals with ASPD are often poorly and harmfully characterized/stereotyped by a complete lack of guilt or remorse, Eclipse's moments of internal conflict suggest a degree of emotional complexity.

Professionally, the intermittent remorse aligns with the recognition that individuals with ASPD may experience moments of internal conflict, especially in relationships that hold personal significance. Eclipse's struggle with whether to apologize after hitting Lunar reveals a brief internal debate, questioning the severity of his actions against Lunar's emotional response.

However, Eclipse's ultimate decision not to apologize, driven by his failure to perceive the significance of Lunar's distress, reinforces the inherent challenges in navigating emotional landscapes for those with ASPD. This internal conflict and eventual dismissal of remorse contribute to a more realistic portrayal of the disorder, highlighting the ongoing tension between impulsive actions and moments of potential introspection.

Should Eclipse undergo a redemption arc, these moments of internal conflict could serve as a foundation for growth, illustrating that while individuals with ASPD may grapple with moments of remorse, their ability to sustain lasting change remains a complex and challenging journey. Of course, I'm going to cover this as well.

Redemption and Recovery

Eclipse's potential redemption could be approached with an understanding that a complete overhaul of his personality is near impossible, because as psychology has shown, you don't just change your personality. However, nuanced growth and positive change within the framework of his behaviors and thought patterns can be explored.

Increased Self-Awareness: Eclipse could undergo a process of heightened self-awareness, acknowledging the impact of his actions on others. This could involve introspection into the motivations behind his behaviors and the consequences they entail. This won't be something he does on his own, he's going to need someone behind him, pushing him to be better. Preferably someone who has no majorly poor history with him for the best results.

Therapeutic Support: In a realistic redemption arc, Eclipse might engage in therapy tailored to individuals with ASPD. This could involve developing coping mechanisms, enhancing emotional intelligence, and learning healthier ways to navigate interpersonal relationships. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a very affective type of therapy for people with personality disorders, or collections of disorders that combined provide the complications of a personality disorder.

Recognizing the Value of Relationships: Eclipse could gradually come to recognize the value of genuine connections beyond their utility. This may involve acknowledging the significance of relationships for emotional support and personal growth. This is going to be a process, and he will mess up. He will forget. It's something he will have to choose to work with in order for it to work, and even then he will make mistakes. It will be important to have patience with him, and instead of lashing out (cause that can cause a spiral back into poor behavior), working on these slip ups with him, and helping him relearn the significance of correcting it when he messes up.

Empathy Development: A full restoration of empathy is be unrealistic, Eclipse could work on developing cognitive empathy—understanding others' perspectives intellectually, even if not emotionally. This could improve his ability to navigate social situations more effectively. (This is what I do! <:happy_stim:867544047735275521>)

Establishing Boundaries: He should learn to set healthy boundaries in his relationships, understanding that manipulating and exploiting others for personal gain may provide short-term satisfaction but is detrimental in the long run.

Contributing Positively: As part of his redemption, he could find avenues to contribute positively to others' lives. This could involve utilizing his unique skills for constructive purposes, fostering a sense of accomplishment outside of manipulative endeavors.

Maintaining Accountability: Eclipse's growth would involve a commitment to being accountable for his actions. This includes acknowledging mistakes, making amends where possible, and actively working towards minimizing harm to others.

Embracing Personal Growth: Eclipse's redemption arc could focus on embracing personal growth within the constraints of his personality. It's about acknowledging that while he may not fundamentally change, he can adapt and evolve to lead a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Potential Future Scenario: Eclipse Apologizes

Brought to you by someone saying that Lunar would refuse Eclipse trying to apologize, but I respectfully disagree, and here's why.

I think that if Eclipse ever does apologize to Lunar, Lunar would have literally no choice but to accept, because we’ve seen early on that he does not apologize

To genuinely apologize and acknowledge his wrongdoing would be major character development that would take a lot of time and struggle to get to that point, based on my theories/analysis about him

So by the time he can actually, truthfully apologize, there would be evidence to prove his struggle with his own twisted nature, and probably how he failed at times during the journey, and had set backs and road bumps. The others would have most likely seen the effects and effort it takes to learn to change for him, and would most likely acknowledge that he’s being truthful.

If Lunar doesn’t accept at that point, if it ever got to that point, Lunar would be acting irrationally due to emotional complications, would probably just hurt Eclipse when he’s trying to be better for his brother, and would most likely set him back. There’s a very destructive pattern of thought when it comes to personality stuff (which is what I think Eclipse struggles with, a specific personality disorder I’m writing a comic thingy about), because you can’t change your personality. You can’t will yourself to be a certain way, and so it’s very easy to destroy progress people make on self improvement. So lunar refusing the apology would most likely not only hurt Eclipse’s pride (like it was hurt when Lunar left his side the first time) but would also further his belief of “why bother if they won’t accept the fact I’m trying for them” that he’d probably struggle with throughout a period of character growth.

Lunar’s smart, and pretty emotionally aware. He can be petty, but if Eclipse were to get to that point, I don’t think Lunar would refuse it because he would have already seen the struggle and effort Eclipse had put through just to get to that point

Logically, Solar would be the best person to help Eclipse, not Earth

This is partly copied/pasted from some conversations and does analyze Solar a bit as well

I really honestly doubt that Earth is going to be able to help him, if he comes back, and I’m suspecting that Solar would do a better job because he’s the only who can understand, properly, the absolute hell that was waking up inside of Sun’s mind with no idea what’s going on and how he got there. Earth can be sympathetic and show him pity, but that’s not going to help him very much at the end of the day. He doesn’t want sympathy, he doesn’t want pity because he has associated that with being weak and out of control. He needs some one who will understand him, and who will fully understand how one small thing changed so much due to the snow ball effect. Which Solar would understand. He’s “nice eclipse” after all, aka just an Eclipse without such bad formative trauma. So he never spiraled, but he’s just as blunt and analytical as Eclipse tends to be, and would be able to actually communicate with Eclipse about his issues since it’s a situation he could have easily been in had things gone slightly different

Solar is probably the only one who can understand, and I mean properly understand, Eclipse’s trauma and bottled up emotions. And I think that if they’re going to give Eclipse someone who will support him, they should do Solar. He’s got all boxes checked

The ability to fully understand Eclipse

No bad history with Eclipse that would really affect how Eclipse treats him (It’s not like Eclipse knows he built the satellite)

Similar base personality, his just wanted warped and twisted in the start, but if you strip away Eclipse’s issues, they’re practically the same person… for obvious reasons

The willingness to say what needs to be said, and not try to sugar coat. Earth would try to let Eclipse down easy about stuff, ease him into it, and he’s gonna see that as her being manipulative because that’s how he manipulates people. He needs someone who is just going to lay things out on the table

And of course, Solar most likely wouldn’t think Eclipse is too far gone to change. Because how do you think that of yourself? And they are the same person, just from different perspectives. It’s a similar dilemma I have to just writing off Eclipse, when I take him apart and see myself staring back at me. But I was able to improve, it just took work, and it took a situation dire enough to get me to realize that if I didn’t want to ruin the few things I cared about, I needed to get my crap together. And that’s probably what he’s gonna need to, something that threatens what he cares about to the point he realizes that this can’t go on. (And I’m suspecting that something will be control over his own life, just like it was for me.) We saw at the end of his life, that he was starting to self reflect and realize that he needs to change somehow, and this was because his control over his own life was being threatened I suspect.

Extra, Smaller Analysis on Solar and Eclipse

It is important to note that Solar doesn't have this issue (ASPD), and I believe it's because he didn't suffer the same beginning that Eclipse did. They resolved the Solar issue when he popped into existance very quickly from what we can tell, and so he wasn't left in the dark for months on end, left to stew in his own agony and emotions. Personality issues are caused by trauma, and specifically ASPD is directly tied to neglect during the most crucial formative stages in development. Sun and Moon had no idea Eclipse was there, and didn't mean to abandon him, because they didn't know he existed. But this complete, and utter abandoment, what is probably internalized as a personal betrayal because I can imagine Eclipse being destroyed by the idea that Moon left him behind on purpose. Which is just… not a good thought for my man to have, because that leads to feelings of worthlessness, and self-hatred for not being 'good enough' to keep/take care of/help. Which then just snowballs into other negative emotions, that gets him all worked up, and then he's fuming at the fact that they left him. That they decided he wasn't worth keeping around, and how dare they make that decision about him for him?!

You can see how it gets out of hand quickly, as he realizes the neglect he's suffering from, the abandonment he's facing, and the fact that he's now trapped. That Moon got to escape, but he can't and it's not fair. This is the perfect breeding ground for that funny little disorder called sociopathy, and boy, there's almost nothing at this point that can convince me that he doesn't have it because it's all just a little too perfect. And the worst part?

I really really doubt it was done on purpose, but holy heck it would be so cool if it was. Not just because of how beautifully crafted it is in his character, how it's so consistent and real, but also because if it was done on purpose, it would show that the writers took the time to do real research about a disorder that is so often done so poorly, and is commonly confused with a completely different issue (psychopathic disorder). Even knowing that it probably wasn't done on purpose, I'm still gonna just cling to him because I love him and I want him to get the happy ending he deserves. And I mean that genuinely, people who are suffering and lashing out because they're drowing in hate due to unfortunate circumstances that were really out of their control deserve to be given the tools to improve themselves and their lives, and it would be wonderful to see this sentiment reflected in the show.

Wrap-Up Ramble/Writer's Notes

This is, of course, my own personal observations, and it is definitely a lot to read. I had a lot of fun constructing this thread, because it is so rare to find a character that I feel I can properly connect to. I've struggled with a lot of the patterns Eclipse has shown in the show that I've called out, and I've had to go through the steps in the 'redemption arc' section myself. It's not an easy process, and as I mentioned, him realistically improving is going to be a process that is going to be draining on himself, and the people around him. He will have to wake up and choose to go against the walls he's thrown up around himself every single day if he's going to have a realistic redemption, and it's going to be exhausting. But I do genuinely believe that he can change, and improve, because I was able to change and improve as a person. It took time, years of intensive self examination and cognitive based therapy, and it required a strong support system. Which hopefully, if he comes back to the show, he can obtain, because otherwise he will continue to drown in his own bitter stew of resentment for others and himself. And that's no fun, that's just depressing.

A lot of people look at Eclipse and think the villain, but I just can't. His actions make him a bad person, but taking apart the psychology behind him, and seeing how glaringly similar a character is to you that is supposed to be the 'bad guy'… I want him to be able, if he comes back, to get the proper 'recovery arc' that he deserves, and I really hope that if they do try to save him from his own demons, they do it properly, instead of giving him a complete 180. Because you can't change your personality, and Davis and Reed seem to be aware of that with Moon. Even when old Moon tried to be better, he was still an awful person. And the 'new' Moon is still eerily similar to the old one, and as the time goes on, he just becomes more and more like the old one. Because it's the same AI, he just lost his memories. He didn't do a whole personality change because he got his memory card wiped, because he's the same person where it counts. He just has the benefit of not having all of the pain his past self was carrying. He's free of the hurt, and trauma, and self hatred old Moon carried, but he's still Moon.

So I'm really hoping that they continue to accurately display psychology in their characters if they bring Eclipse back, because it is such an immersive show due to the fact that it makes sense. These things make sense psychology wise, their behaviors, actions, patterns of thinking and speech. And I really am looking forward to seeing if they bring Eclipse back because he's such a beautifully constructed character.

You Made It

This is the end of my massive post. Congratulations if you made it this far. If you did, uh, the password is Dorito. Leave it in the comments/reblogs to let me know you made it, haha.

I'd love to see people's thoughts on this and on him, so feel free to leave your thoughts as well in comments/reblogs. I'll try to reply to every single one I see. Again, I love his character so much, it's so well crafted, and it was so fun to take this apart.

Edit: I have been asked about where to find the thread/join in on the convo, etc a few times: I have a thread in the SAMS server here if you want to join the conversation

#fnaf #fnaf au #sun and moon show #sunrise fnaf #moondrop #fnaf dca #daycare attendant au #earth and lunar show #eclipse sams #solar sams #lunar sams #character analysis #long post #sun and moon show theory #character theory

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strawberryteabunny · 1 month ago

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Frederick’s 30 Days Day 6: Are there popular lolita things you tend to dislike for your own style?

So this might be really controversial but… petticoats ><

A) I travel a lot and I’m a lifestyle lolita; on average I’m out of town at least once a month. I also live in a big city and don’t own a car so I’m on the bus or train everywhere. Trying to pack a petticoat in a suitcase or on public transportation is REALLY annoying so I started skipping it and it turns out I find it a lot more comfortable without!

B) A lot of classic and oldschool styles are either very low or no petti in the first place (or have built in petticoats in the dresses)- so an OTT level cupcake petticoat doesn’t work for most of my coords anyway. I do wear a petticoat on occasion for dresses that look really flat without it…

C) … but tbh no one’s ever called me out on it or said my dresses/skirts look flat/bad. Maybe everyone’s just really nice and keeps this thought to themselves, but imo it’s not very distracting/bad looking and in photos it’s easy to hide if a dress isn’t poofy enough. Who knows, maybe I’ve been posted to cgl over it or would’ve been on BTB but I feel like people care less these days, especially other lifestylers or people who do more casual coords.

Oldschool/classic styles were often a lot more casual about wearing a petticoat or even a blouse- these are all pre-2003 iirc, from GLB’s via lolitahistory. The last one is an ad for Victorian Maiden- a summer coord with no blouse, petti, bloomers, or long socks! (Disclaimer that some of these coords may have petticoats but some clearly don’t, and it’s not always crystal clear which is which)

I’m not wearing a petticoat in any of these pictures (and I tried specifically to look for photos where I’m not holding my skirt out)- would you have been able to tell the difference if I hadn’t told you?

I do want to wear more underskirts though- a lot of dresses are short on me and I just like the added detail. Somewhere in my project bin is an underskirt that I’m hoping will provide a nice amount of length and volume for my dresses and will therefore double as a ‘pettiskirt’- adding some volume but not an overwhelming/uncomfortable amount of fabric. I’ve also been really into a VM underdress I bought recently that I’ve been wearing in my classic coords to lengthen/add some volume to my skirts.

I do want to add that I think a key part of the lolita fashion is the silhouette, which has a poofy knee-length skirt as the ‘platonic ideal’. Skipping a petti absolutely can lead to your coords looking bad and there’s definitely some dresses where I always wear a petti because they need one to look right. But just like longer skirts can still be lolita and are more common in gothic and classic lolita, I think lower volume can be a thing in oldschool or classic coords sometimes too.

On a much less controversial note, I’m also not a huge fan of KC’s and wristcuffs. I’ve really fallen in love with rectangle headdresses and KC’s are a lot more ‘sweet’ to me, so if I wear a head bow it’s usually on the back of the head not on the top. Wristcuffs- I’ve just never liked the feeling of something on my wrist! I don’t wear bracelets or watches either 🤷‍♀️

#y’all can feel free to disagree with me but like keep it civil #I know this is a really controversial one I don’t think petticoats are useless #but I also don’t think they’re 100% necessary 100% of the time #literally half of official oldschool brand ads they’re not wearing a petticoat and neither are the street snap girls #you can’t argue it’s *always* ita unless your idea of lolita resides solely in 2010+#when I do ott sweet yes I always have a big cupcake petti because that’s the style #but you just can’t fit one of those in a dress from 2002 #lolita fashion #fredericks30days #mine

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m--rtyr · 5 months ago

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@that-one-i-think told me to talk about Tu’La in my rewrite AGES AGO and I’ve been hunting for my actual already-made Tu’La docs but idk where they went.

So.

This is a bunch of clothes stuff. Because. I can.

Tu’La has a lot of access to pigments. There’s a lot of colourful plants and beetles and rocks and such, so colour plays a very large aspect of the culture.

Especially in Meif’wa cultures, as a lot of Meif’wa come from areas like Rainforests, where colour discourages predators, or desserts where shiny clothes and smothering your skin in clay (which tends to stain it the colour of the clay after a certain amount of time) helps to protect you from the sun and heat.

Tu’La is a very varied region in terms of geography, and because of this has a large variation in cultures, but colour remains rather prevalent throughout. Clothes will often be dyed a myriad of bright colours, with colourful and shiny embroidery, and not only as a display of wealth but of patriotism. Their colour and overall flamboyant style of dress is very particular to their culture, and when multiple other regions have been colonised, or have lost large amounts of their cultures as the result of wars, it’s something that Tu’Lans tend to be very proud of.

It’s not uncommon for Tu’Lans, and especially Meif��wa to dye their hair and fur also. Some hues can be achieved using hair-specific dyes and clays, but others are achieved by using wool dye and similar materials to get bolder colours. This is actually a practice that can be also found in Ru’Aun though it is far less common, and those in Ru’Aun tend to lean towards darker, more muted shades.

The sun is a very significant religious symbol in Tu’La and always has been, from even before Menphia. It’s a typically quite hot region, and so many older religions have worshipped the sun, often thinking that they could appease it to be more gentle. Part of the reason their clothes tend to be very shiny is to reflect the sun to keep cool, but another is to pay an odd homage to it, as it’s very ‘in vogue’ to have as much of the sun visible on your person as possible, whether it be depictions of it or just actual sunlight reflecting off of your clothes.

There are some religious groups however that believe so strongly in the ideal of the sun that they refuse to wear colourful dyes. This is a very small amount of very… evangelical fundamentalist sorts. They will only wear fabrics that are sun-bleached, and nothing else. They will put mixtures into their hair to allow it to bleach easier in the sun. And such.

Anyways this was all done to justify all of the Meif’wa having colourful hair and KC’s addiction to the colour pink. Also bc I love colours RAHHH

#aphmau #aphverse #aphblr

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pokepuff2988 · 5 months ago

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You know the hyper-fixation hitting different when you make them Pokemon teams.

King Candy (Fairy): I made him a fairy type trainer, as the fairy type is often associated with sweets and other such foods. The fairy type also tends to fit his aesthetic, of shine, frills and pin- SALMON, i mean salmon. There is no other reason why he's this type (🏳️‍🌈).

Reasons:

Slurpuff: It's literally the "Meringue Pokemon", a french dessert / candy. It's also pink and white, and has a general silly vibe to it.

Grimmsnarl: Fairy/Dark type to cross-over with Turbo's team, and shiny to match colour themes more. Probably makes more sense on Turbo's team than it does here, but I wanted to have atleast one Pokemon the same on each team. Fantasy vibes, so kinda fits with the King idea? I feel King Candy could get away with that one as part of the disguise.

Alcremie: The "Cream Pokemon". Essentially same reasons as Slurpuff, to fit with the whole candy sweet thing. (I feel like he'd have the Salted Cream variant, red and white, but I couldn't figure out how to change it on the website)

Rapidash: Fantasy vibes, but also because of Skittles, the uni-candy-corn that was going to be King Candy's familiar/pet before being scrapped from the movie. (also, the hair looks like taffy and the horn like one of those Oreo ice cream cones)

Mawile: Large teeth and metal, huh? Themes of eating and deception? Pretending to be something you're not? Sweet face, but vicious? Never heard of that before. (CYBUG CANDY CYBUG CANDY CYBUG-)

Dachsbun: Last food based fairy type? Again, fits same role as Slurpuff and Alcremie, to sell the disguise.

Non-fairy/ Other options: Mimikyu (fairy, disguise, vibes too creepy for KC), Mr. Mime (fairy, jester, vibes too creepy for KC), Vespiquen (royalty), Bisharp (knight), Nidoking (royalty), and Politoed (described as leader of frogs)

TURBO (Dark): I made Turbo a Dark type trainer, as the Dark type is all about trickery, disguise, thievery and dirty tactics, which Turbo exemplifies. Also, the Dark type is generally seen as the """Evil""" type.

Reasons:

Weavile: The fastest dark type (excusing any legendaries or special forms), which I feel Turbo would value greatly on his team. The red and the smug face also hint to his design.

Zoroark: Oh, so your whole thing is disguises and you're literally the "Illusion Fox Pokemon"? AND you're red? On the team.

Grimmsnarl: Fairy/Dark to cross over with King Candy's team, and shiny to match colour themes more. Personally, I think Morgrem fits Turbo more (a short asshole), but the shiny of Grimmsnarl fits more and I don't believe Turbo would be caught dead with anything considered inferior, like a not-fully-evolved Pokemon. Only the best for the king, after all.

Sharpedo: FAST. It's a torpedo, and it's described as "the bully of the fear" and as being to "swim at speeds of up to 75 mph" which, while not as fast as a race car, true, is still pretty fast, and I think he's admire that.

Spiritomb: Something something death imagery, something something back from the dead, something something your misdeeds will not go unpunished.

Thievul: THIEF >:( Getting his grubby hands all over Sugar Rush, all over that code that's not his. Also red and also Thievul deserves more love.

Non-dark / Other options: Revaroom (CAR POKEMON. WHY AREN'T YOU DARK TYPE), Rotom (Possessing and transforming machines, like a virus...maybe I should've made him a ghost type trainer-), Parasect (TURBO IS THE FUNGUS /ref but also parasite themes and bug), Bisharp (Vibes mainly, also Pawniard looks like him), Rapidash (speed, and to pair with KC), Gengar (creepy smile glowing eyes wombo combo), Mimikyu (disguise, somehow didn't fit the vibe?), Banette (something about something from your childhood being replaced by something horrible. also, yellow eyes and teeth), Darkrai (something about childhood nightmares) and Hypno (yellow? i dunno, i'm a Hypno fan, I gotta get her in somehow).

Let me know what Pokemon you think King Candy or Turbo fit best :)

#turbo #turbotastic #turbo wir #king candy #king candy wir #wreck it ralph #pokemon #pokemon team #autism #🐛virus offerings #i swear he's a brain virus he won't leave #hyperfixation #fairy type #dark type

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usafphantom2 · 5 months ago

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How I Missed the D*mn War – Part 1

Monday, August 5th, 1990, my buddies phone rang and it’s his Aircraft Commander (AC) telling him he is now in crew rest, to pack a bag for 90 days, report to the squadron in 12 hours, and no, he didn’t know where they were going.

Fifteen minutes later, my AC called me. I was needed at the squadron to help load and preflight aircraft that were deploying in 12 hours. We still didn’t know where we were going or how long we’d be there, but the news was hitting the airwaves that the United States was reacting to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait.

Twenty-four hours later, in KC-135R 58-0059, I was sitting in my cockpit seat, right behind the AC, taking off out of Loring AFB ME headed to Lajes Field in the Azores, a small island in the eastern Atlantic. We had an airplane full of support gear for the 9-hour sortie. I can’t recall for sure if we dragged any fighters on that first flight, but judging on the flight duration, I think we did.

An Air Bridge was being put in place to get Air Force fighters, sometimes referred to as chicks, from the East Coast all the way to Saudia Arabia, or Down Range as it was known to us. Our job flying from the Lajes was to meet up with tankers flying east from the east coast, take their fighters and escort them to the Strait of Gibraltar where other tankers would be waiting to take them through the Mediterranean Sea.

It would be one tanker with anywhere between two and six fighters, depending on the fighter type. A-10s tended to be flights of six aircraft, whereas F-15s usually came in groups of four. For F-4s, the thirstiest of the fighters, there were usually only two. It wasn’t a hard and fast rule, but rather determined by many factors including weather, location and availability of divert airfields, the fighter’s fuel requirements, and the tanker’s available offload.

I always had great respect for the schedulers and planners who put all this together. The amount of coordination needed was enormous. Tankers on the east coast, supported by many bases, tankers in the Atlantic at the Azores, tankers the Mediterranean, all had to be able to meet at their rendezvous points without fail or somebody was going to end up in the drink. Nobody wanted that.

For us, at the Azores, life was good. The weather was absolutely stunning with the sun shining and the temperatures in the 80s. I had never been there before, and wrongly assumed it was like that all the time. Everything we needed (food, beer, pool, gym) was within walking distance except heading to the temporary squadron that was hastily set up. If we were flying, we’d wake up late in the morning and head over to the gym, then off to the chow hall for lunch and then report to the squadron for a sortie. If we weren’t flying, then it would be the pool and the NCO club.

The formations from the East Coast came in waves about an hour apart. That worked well, until one evening mother nature intervened. The diversion for weather caused some serious confusion, and we had tankers stacking up in an orbit waiting for their receivers. One AC who didn’t get the memo decided not to coordinate with the other holding tankers, who were stacking up in altitude, and entered the orbit at the planned altitude, which was already occupied by a tanker that had taken off a couple of hours earlier. Both aircraft circled around the orbit for a while until eventually, they crossed paths and almost collided. One of the pilots said they he was able to see the map light in the cockpit of the offending aircraft and reported that they were easily within fifty feet of each other. TCAS, or Traffic Collision Avoidance System, did not exist in those days, so there was no safety net. The funny part, not that it was that funny, was that the offending pilot was actually the head of Stan/Eval or Standards and Evaluations, the people who gave Check Rides and made sure everybody was doing things correctly.

At the Strait of Gibraltar, we’d often meet up with a KC-10. They could carry more fuel for offloading and could be refueled themselves providing even more flexibility. If we had extra gas when we met up with the KC-10, we’d refuel them, giving them the extra so they’d have it if needed.

After sorties or on days we weren’t flying, the NCO club was the place to go. C-141s were landing everyday to refuel, there were no tankers available for direct flights, and they often spent the night. There airplanes were filled with ground pounders making their way down range.

One evening, we ran into some KC-130 enlisted Marines crew dogs who were bragging about how they were the “tip of the sword.” One of our older, more experienced, and more inebriated booms started yelling at them, “Tip of the Sword my ass, we’ve been here for two effing weeks.” Fortunately, we managed to avoid getting our asses handed to us by buying them all a round of drinks and doing carrier landings on a table.

By the way, we drank the base dry. They literally ran out of beer. For a few days you couldn’t find a six pack of beer anywhere on base, but eventually we were resupplied, and all was well again.

And then, all of the sudden, that little piece of heaven melted away like a chocolate bar in the sun. Aircraft and crews started moving around again. Some of our guys went Down Range, some went home. The Down Range guys went to France, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Saudia Arabia, Doha, and Deigo Garcia.

I was on a crew that was sent back home, back to good old SAC Alert watching the continuing buildup on Headline News wanting to get back to. A few weeks later, I returned to the Azores and the difference was startling. The weather had gotten cold and rainy, all the tankers were gone, the C-141s landing was reduced to a trickle, the NCO club was empty, and there were no missions to fly. All the fighters that needed to be moved had been moved.

My crew was headed down range…

(stay tuned for How I Missed the D*mn War – Part 2)

Photos: Lajes Field runway, the parking ramp, my AC and copilot, an A-10 receiver during one of the missions

@tcamp202 via X

#kc 135 #tanker #boeing aviation #aircraft #sac #aviation #usaf #cold war aircraft #boom operator #passin gas ⛽️

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aphverse-confessions · 10 months ago

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fantasy racism anon, i want to start to say that i did commit an error on my part, that part being me not specifying who exactly that message was targeted towards, which was white people mainly. this post is also in no way a hate towards you, as i understand many of your points in the tags. the original post came from the fact that i am a queer, person of color, who suffers discrimination everyday and cannot turn it off the moment i decide that i an bored or tired of experiencing it. it truly frustrates me when white people include these things simply for added conflict because most of the time fantasy racism comes from real life racism, and furthur discriminates and harms real life minority groups.

the best examples i can think of in the context of mcd and mystreet as a whole is meif’was being extremely based on japanese & asian culture as a whole, being seen as only these cute kitty cats who are silly and cute (kc is an example of this) or werewolfs, who are viewed as agressive and monstrous, who live in tribes and attack people for no reason other than being hostile, all things that indigenous people are linked to being due to years of colonialism and racism. but this exists outside of aphmaus roleplay series too. think of orcs from dungeons and dragons, who are agressive and evil and are often depicted having black features and black hairstyles. think of goblins in fiction, who are described as having hooked noses and being greedy, a common negative stereotypes of jewish people.

fantasy racism isnt just fantasy. it is inherently inspired by the real world, and tends to only furthur stereotypes and negative connotations. that is why is truly frustrates me when i see white people incorporate it into their retelling of these stories and in general, because to them it is just conflict that they can walk away from by simply just shutting the book or closing their computer, while me and countless other people of color have to sit and watch as we see characters go through what we go through, instead of being able to have a moment of peace from the real world like white people do.

#REALLY important addition #I agree completely #ppl should not use others discrimination for “shock value'' or ''drama”#sorry if my tags came across rude or disrespectful #it was an unfortunate misunderstanding of your intent #aphmau confessions #aphmau #aphblr #aphverse #‼️#skipping queue for relevance

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jangmo-othewarrior · 2 years ago

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The Intricacies of Demon Culture

(or a bunch of loosely based on DMC Canon headcannons and theories, take your pick)

Demons come in many different flavors, and the word 'demon' is essentially the same thing as saying 'rectangle; it is a broad category with smaller subsections within it.

Devils are inherently smarter and more powerful demons. The main way one can tell the difference between a lesser demon and a devil is the capability to speak a human language; devils often wish to at least interact with (kill) a human in their lifetime, so they go out of their way to be able to communicate. This is not always true, but it works as a good rule of thumb.

There are also artificial demons, but their classification is a little bit more broad then you would think. There are demon-made demons (Trish, Nightmare) and human-made demons (Lucia, all of the antagonists from DMC4) in this category, but this category also includes demons that do not naturally exist. Malphas is actually in this category due to her being a fusion of two separate demons (which was shown in Nico's notes)

Human blood is seen almost as a drug, as it gives demons power. However, non-devils tend to go crazy from too much, almost like an overdose. It is an issue in the demon world.

There are two main types of groups in demon culture: Family groups and Political groups.

Family groups function like extended families, with a priority on continuing the family line. Demons like Empusa fall into this category, with their priority on collecting blood and serving the queen, who furthers the line.

Political groups are when different species or multiple families group together for some reason. Mundus' army is a great example of this, but another great example are the Cerberus devils. They are referred to as a 'tribe' not a pack, so there must be multiple families within said tribe. The existence of a King Cerberus also implies some sort of political hierarchy, most likely based on power and age.

There are also groups of demons who merge these two categories, where different species co-exist in a family setting. The Cerberus tribe is another example of this, as KC refers to the Cerberus from 3 as 'kin' despite them looking nothing alike.

The Spardas are officially option 3 due to their already mixed heritage and the amount of different 'beings' they hang out with. Two artificial demons, 3 full blooded humans, the descendent of a demon summoner, and Kyrie, who Nero would say deserves her own category.

Everything with demons is physical. They disagree you? Be ready for a fight. They hate you? Be prepare for them to kill you. They do like you? They are still gonna fight you, but at least they aren't actively trying to take off limbs.

Sibling demons are known to fight constantly, both to shown superiority, and, in more close-knit demon families, to help each other become stronger.

#a mutual asked about this a while ago so here it is :)#a LOT of these talk about the sparda bois #but I love them so *shrugs*#demon instincts go brrrr #dmc #devil may cry #dmc 5 #devil may cry 5 #dante sparda #dmc dante #dmc anime #dmc headcanons

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teawinx · 1 year ago

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Since we have a explaination 'bout how Kalshara work,how and why the KCs became the KCs?

Not me wondering for a hot minute what the KCs are XD

I'll separate them into two categories

Kyral and Kelli are both products of society From watching Winx, people tend to assume the worst of witches. Like to an extreme degree, esp in the 4kids dub. Everyone seems to assume that a witch is guilty until proven innocent.

This is never really explained in canon, and witch is often just used as a short hand for evil. Which like okay then why have an entire ass school for them? So I assume that it's just societal phobia, and witches are irrationally used as the scapegoat for everything. Can't imagine that being a parallel to ANYTHING in the real world tho. And I'm gonna assume that the Ancestral Witches did a lot to damage their fellow witch's' reputation. Thanks, ya dicks.

So Kelli and Kyral are both products of the bigoted society they both grew up in. They are conditioned to think that witches being evil is normal and to be expected.

They both genuinely believe that they are good people and are fighting for a good cause. Kalshara manipulates them by appealing to this ingrained bigotry. "The witches in your school are a danger to you and your fellow fairies, and you need to protect them from harm".

Both have figurative walls around their bigotry, but Kelli's figurative wall is a lot weaker than Kyral's which leaves her open to seeing the truth and reforming

And then there's Yomi

youtube

Yomi isn't a product of this same society. She is terrified of witches. Because of this lil event called The Fall of Domino where she watched her whole world crumble apart and everyone she ever knew being seemingly killed and then suddenly waking up 18 years later into a universe that has moved on without her. Yomi was approached by the Ancestral Witches, who sensed her growing inner darkness, and offered her a place beside them. Which she refused. She is only alive today because a Guardian Fairy sacrificed her life to save her.

This has left Yomi with fear and paranoia, and it is all directed at witches. She feels like she's lost control of her life, and believes eradicating all witches will finally allow her to live in peace and safety.

She is aware that what she's doing isn't right, but she doesn't care. She can barely sleep at night, fearful that a witch will come and take everything away again.

So it's no real wonder why Kalshara picked her

Voila!

#winx club #winx the roxy chronicles #winx club rewrite #winx club kalshara #winx club kelli #winx club yomi #winx club kyral

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slvt4dillon · 1 month ago

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Matt talks with his hands. That’s all.

#me too Matt #i’m literally him #meme #matt dillon #celebrity interviews #kc tends to think often

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galvanizedfriend · 9 months ago

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you for the tag @kirythestitchwitch and @morningstargirl666 🤗

How many works do you have on ao3? 22! But I think I currently have two or three fics that are private because I keep meaning to rewrite and never get around to it.

What's your total ao3 word count? 1.617.205 😗

What fandoms do you write for? Currently only The Vampire Diaries/The Originals.

Top five fics by kudos: The Wolf (surprising no one, The Originals S1 rewriting), The Wolf II (surprising no one², The Originals S2 rewriting), Vice & Virtue (very surprising this has more kudos than TWIII lol, regency AU), The Wolf III (The Originals S3 and 4 rewriting) and The Sound of Settling (that time I committed coffee shop!AU).

Do you respond to comments? Yes! I try to always keep up with comments, but I get a little behind from time to time, especially with comments left on older fics. Sorry, folks 🥲 With WIPS, I tend to always reply to comments right before or immediately posting a new chapter.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Pendulum, for sure. The alternative ending is pure angst (and I love it very much, there's so much meaning and to me it's a perfect ending for that story).

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? All the others lol All my fics have a happy ending, Pendulum is an exception.

Do you get hate on fics? Not so much anymore, though I did recently get a bitter anon here on tumblr. But yeah, I've received a lot of hate over the years.

Do you write smut? Occasionally, when I feel like the story asks for a smutty scene, but more often than not I go with the classic fade to black.

Craziest crossover: I've never written crossovers, though I have written lots of AUs inspired by other things (I forgot what those are called now).

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Yes, I have. A while back this nutjob stole a bunch of fics and published them as originals on Amazon and The Wolf was among them. I got lots of comments from people warning me about it and I managed to get it taken down.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, I have! To Russian and Chinese.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have not, though it's a fun idea.

All time favorite ship? My favorite ship is always the current one and I've been stuck on Klaroline for a few years now. Those two idiots in love have my whole heart.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I have so many. 🥲 I really wanted to give the TVD S5 rewrite a chance, but really don't think I have it in me to start something like that again.

What are your writing strengths? Oh boy. I suck at paying myself a compliment. But I've heard I write good action scenes? I don't know if it's true. Personally, I think I do a decent job of writing AUs, as in adapting canon aspects to other universes. I don't just plaster names on characters, I try very hard to make sure everything is still recognizable even in a totally different setting (then again, that's very subjective 😂).

What are your writing weaknesses? Wordiness. I am so freaking wordy, my stories are so goddamn long. I wish I could simplify my writing, shorten sentences, but alas. I have these ideas for writing exercises I would like to try with a couple of ideas I have, but I need to finish the ones I have started before I can jump into something else.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language? If it's single words or short sentences, it's ok. I kinda like it even, but when it's full dialogues in languages I don't understand, it kind of loses me.

First fandom you wrote in? I think I wrote some semblance of fic when I was like 12 for Charmed, though I didn't even know that was fanfiction. But the first conscious fic I ever wrote was for Torchwood.

Favorite fic you've written? Pendulum. I think it's the most original and profound (lol) thing I ever wrote, it expresses many aspects of how I feel about KC. But I also really, really like The Unexpected Grace of Falling Apart. I LOVE romcoms and I think that story is everything I love in that genre, without being completely silly (in my opinion, ofc). Those two fics couldn't be more different if I wanted to, but one thing they have in common is the fact I spent years working on them.

Tagging @definedareasofuncertainty, @howlingmoonrise, @misssophiachase, @jinxedwood, @bettsfic, @bellemorte180, @marginally-accurate, @b-mina and @austennerdita2533!

#fic writer asks #fanfiction #yokan writes

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silversiren1101 · 2 years ago

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Knight Commander as Companion: Minovae Arangeir

Using @dragonologist-phd template here!

Name: Minovae Arangeir

Race: Human (Ganzi)

Class: Skald - Battle Scion / Hellknight - Order of the Pyre

[Note, in my game as my canon KC she is a Fighter / Bard / Hellknight, but to have better party synergy you can have her as a Skald!]

Appearance: Rather short for a human woman, Minovae nonetheless carries a certain presence about her that transcends her stature--and the blackened Hellknight plate adorning her frame is only partly responsible for that. She beams at you with violet eyes overtop of cheeks lined with opaline scales, and from beneath her long platinum ponytail peaks out feathers the color of turquoise. Her armor does little to disguise the hallmarks of her ganzi heritage, and you get the impression she bears both with confidence and pride. Nothing embodies this better than her tail--thick, longer than she is tall, covered in those same scales and lined with a feathered ridge--adorned in what appears to be custom-designed Hellknight plates: a ganzi and Hellknight through and through. The scuffed hammer at her side and the condition of the spiked shield on her back suggests years of experience in battle, yet her general demeanor suggests a disposition that is quicker to smiles and song-like laughter than her fellow knights.

Favored Weapon/Equipment: Warhammer and spiked heavy shield.

Top Skills: Athletics, Persuasion, Perception

Alignment: Lawful Good

General Personality:

Minovae can best be described as a bright blue sky that has one persistent cloud obscuring the sun. She is a naturally cheerful and energetic person that strives to bring joy to others around her, and yet there seems to be an underlying melancholy in her own words and laughter. She can often be caught unawares staring off into the distance, lost in thought, with those bright eyes clouded in some internal worries or memories. When called out or asked if she is okay, she will attempt to quickly mask and reassure the knight commander she is quite alright, that she has merely been in this war and away from the civilization she has been fighting for for too long.

In the day to day, she is friendly and easy-going, though does try to keep herself and others on a semi-strict regimen. She wakes up, like every Hellknight, before or at dawn, and runs laps around Drezen before attending to her chores and duties. Any place she is settled in tends to become spotless--so long as it isn’t her room. The barracks, the stables, the war room are all neatly swept and cleaned up, and while her own living space isn’t dirty, she seems to abide by a personal ‘organized chaos’ with her own belongings if she stays in one place long enough to truly ‘unpack’. When asked for help or to take over another duty, she will often drop everything she is doing to lend a hand even to her own detriment of her own duties, as she has a difficult time disappointing people that she perceives need her help.

On her own true free time, she prefers to be around people, reminding herself of what she is fighting for. She will hang out in the tavern or marketplace, just talking with people or watching, or will specifically seek out the mongrel children to play with as they think she is one of them and she simply cannot resist making children squeal and laugh.

In battle, she is quick to defend others with her shield and body, preferring to take any blow personally than let those around her get harmed. As a natural leader, her voice carries impressively loud and far, issuing out orders and calling for battle formations almost instinctively. This is at stark odds with her demeanor towards leadership outside of battle, as she tries to eschew any formal leadership titles, believing herself not the best choice and also struggling to risk the lives of subordinates.

Initially, it is difficult to believe she could have made it as a Hellknight for long, but speaking with other Hellknights reveals a little bit more about her capability - as does spending more time with her. While she is kind, incredibly patient, and prone to believing the best in others, the very second she has deemed someone beyond forgiveness or saving, or if her mercy has been taken advantage of, it’s almost as if she becomes a totally different person. Her fellow knights call this side of her “The Little Linnorm”, which administers justice to the harshest extent possible and with a cold expression on her otherwise jovial face. She is brutal, efficient, and difficult to sway once she becomes the Linnorm, but afterwards it is easy to see she took no pleasure in the moment or act, appearing weary and becoming withdrawn. She has these moments in Wintersun with Marehevok, with Nurah, and with Latverk.

What traits/values do they admire?

Lawfulness and justice that serves the people. Using the weight of the law and order against Evil beings and actions. Mercy for those that were coerced or tricked to do wrongs, within reason. Atheism and mortal autonomy. Kindness towards children and indulging children in childishness.

What traits/values do they disapprove of?

Wanton cruelty. Literal interpretation of lawfulness that defies the spirit of what the law should or was meant to be. Over reliance upon gods or other beings that grant divine power. Being overly strict on children or not letting children be children. Treating civilians with the same harshness as soldiers. Undeath, specifically ghouls. She is terrified of ghouls!

Are they affiliated with any deities? Absolutely not... for the most part. Minovae is progeny of Ssila’meshnik, the Colorless Less and the protean lord of fate. She does not initially know this.

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers? What are their reasons for joining the commander’s party?

Minovae is initially very suspicious of the mythic power. She is a staunch atheist in that she believes mortals need to stand on their own two feet and be able to survive off of their means. Over reliance upon the gods will only cause trouble if those gods decide to rescind their aid or mysteriously disappear; she knows the history of her home country Cheliax all too well.

As for participating in the Crusade, she is all too happy to and quite proud to serve alongside the Knight Commander. She joins because she is asked to (presumably!) or possibly even ordered to by her own Paralictor, Aminos Renth as a representative of another Hellknight Order (the Pyre) alongside Regill.

Who are their friends among the other party members?

Unsurprisingly, Regill and Minovae do know each other despite her far lower ranking. She actually saved his life personally a few years ago here in the Worldwound, and while he has opinions on her inclinations towards mercy and kindness, he highly respects her and knows she is fully capable of embodying the cold justice of a model Hellknight. She, meanwhile, has opinions on his overt harshness and tendency towards overreaction and cruelty, but also sees there is a certain (dying) brightness in him and that he was not always this way. Their camp banter focuses much on ‘arguing’ about hypotheticals or talking about their battles they’ve both been in, but it’s clear to see while they have disagreements they also quite respect the other... and a little more as the story progresses if the Knight Commander is not romancing her.

Mino also has quite a bit of reactivity with Ember, being overly protective towards her and treating her almost as her daughter. She is staunchly vocal in that Ember should not be in certain situations, yet will do what she can to protect her if she is brought along. Ember comments often on Mino’s inner feelings and struggles, about her sorrow and bleeding heart and how she is brave for continuing on in spite of all she’s been through.

Woljif and Mino butt heads like siblings, and she naturally tends to treat him like a troublesome little brother. She will ruffle his hair and give him a smack, but will turn into a snarling beast towards anyone that dare mistreat him or mean him harm. She sees the goodness in him and wants to steer him onto a better path with a support network of friends and found family so that he doesn’t end up at the gallows any time in his future. Growing up as an orphan in an abusive orphanage, she is pretty protective of him in this light too, knowing he grew up never knowing real love like she did and she could very well have been on his same path.

Surprisingly, Mino and Daeran really hit it off the more they get to know each other. As a former Scourge Knight who used to investigate Egorian’s corrupt nobility, she initially thinks the worst of him. Dae, of course, sees her as a higher-than-thou knight... and they steadily learn to see way more in the other past this. Mino is strongly rooted in justice for individuals and protecting the people because she is filled with genuine love for mortalkind and appreciates fun and laughter and joy. Daeran is acerbic and among the nobility, yeah, but also has this complete disdain for the real aristocracy of Mendev. They are always ribbing the other for being what they are, but it’s playful and challenging. She pushes him to leverage his status and resources in a way to support the Crusade that’s spiteful to the Mendev elite, and he’s always pushing her to lighten up and let him get away with things. They become very good wine drinking buddies, sharing their best tales of their exploits terrorizing nobles in Cheliax and Mendev respectively.

Another surprise is her relationship with Arueshalae, where she does not treat the succubus with any suspicion for what she is despite being a Hellknight. Minovae was captured by the demons (explained later) and kept in a cell next to her, and Arueshalae saw all the goodness and love in her heart and made it her mission to keep her sane and alive through the torture until she could break them both out. Because of this they have a very friendly relationship and Mino trusts her whole-heartedly. Arue sees her as a shining beacon and thinks Desna brought them together so that she could have an example of the kind of goodness the goddess wants her to be. Mino refutes this always, telling Arue only she can determine what kind of being she is, and there is goodness everywhere one looks.

Lastly, her final major friend is Trevor Vaenic, who she fully understands who he is then and now and why he’s become how he is. She does not see him as permanently lost or broken, but as someone you can patiently take in hand and walk back towards the path. He still has a future in front of him and she wants to ensure he sees it and gets the rest he has earned. She often asks him about his past in Andoran and how he joined up with the Hellknights, what he saw in them and why. She does not judge him, and fears his brother will treat it all as emotional mistakes rather than the choices of an adult man made with dignity.

What about rivals?

If you thought Regill and Sosiel being at each other’s throat was bad, wait until the cleric has to fend off both of them. Unlike Regill though, Minovae does not leap to insult or sharp words, rather stating plainly facts which he gets wrong or other view points and staring deep into his soul as she patiently waits for an answer. She knows the history of the Hellknights inside and out, and Sosiel’s constant incorrections about them are her favorite to needle him on. She also does call him out on his naïve idealism - that war against demons requires tough decisions and sacrifice and hesitating through trying to save everyone will only get more people killed. She is constantly annoyed by his civilian idealist mentality when he willingly chose to come to this war, thinking he’s any different from any other cleric that’s come from another unaffected country and trying to tell everyone how to do things as if it hasn’t been tried before.

Mino also grates with Seelah pretty often, both because of Seelah’s paladin-ness and treatment of Ember. Minovae does not have problems with those that wield divine power or put their faith in the gods, but people like Seelah that wave it around everywhere and attribute victories or accomplishments to the absent gods really annoys her. She looks out over a sea of bodies and blood and can’t help but bite her tongue about where The Inheritor was in this slaughter that looks so absolutely godless. Seelah is also, honestly, so mean to Ember and that alone is enough to get Mino’s feathers bristling. Still, it’s not all hissing and spitting between them. They do have an okay relationship, sparring and drinking together.

Another surprise in her relationships, is that she butts heads with Lann. Lann is always seeking guidance and examples of leadership because he has this crushing pressure to be tribe chief for the mongrels, and his struggle to find his own merits and settle on his own unique leadership style or always looking for answers from others annoys her. Mino is difficult with herself because she knows she is a good leader and destined for leadership in some capacity, but doesn’t want it and dislikes the pressure of command. Lann has been given this leadership and is fumbling around with it so hard and she can tell he can get there, but she also doesn’t want to expose herself as a ‘leader’ and be pestered by him too. Regill often redirects Lann to her or prods her in his direction because he wants her to achieve her maximum potential and it drives her nuts. Ultimately, her and Lann and like the older sister and older brother in a family: just annoyed to be in each other’s presence but will defend the other in life and respect.

There is one thing that can be said for Mino, though, in that she sniffs out something is not quite right with Camellia instantly. With both Daeran and Camellia as nobility, she immediately has her scrutiny on them and while Daeran shakes off the suspicions pretty fast, Camellia only attracts Mino’s “corrupt noble sensor” more and more. It’s actually Minovae that tips off Anevia about the murders - such a thing was her specialty in Egorian. She was known for being a cult buster among the Scourge and unfortunately Camellia learns she is not quite as wily as a devil-backed Egorianite. Even if the Commander spares Camellia and keeps her around, Minovae is always watching her and building a contingency plan for if she will have to break the Commander’s order to stop her.

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give?

Minovae is put on both the Diplomatic Council and Logistics Council, which of course she tries to refuse but is ordered to be on by both Regill and Deothan and she cannot rightfully refuse.

On the Diplomatic Council, her experience in working with the Chelaxian aristocracy in an antagonistic way, rooting out corruption by learning their games and how the social elite ‘work, works powerfully in her favor. She is remarkably shrewd and cunning in this way, and her advice will be much like Daeran’s but in a way that is much more subtle. She will suggest means that are a subtle insult or middle finger to the Royal Council, a balance between Lann’s open disregard for their wants and Daeran’s direct insults. Ultimately she wants everything to be what is best for the Crusade, but knows that the wrath of the aristocracy is something they cannot fully risk so early on. As the story progresses and the council ranks up, she will ultimately suggest more bold actions that completely disregard the Royal Council’s wishes as they do not need them anymore.

I also like to think she trips Konomi more than one with her tail as an “accident”. She really, really dislikes that woman.

As for the Logistics Council, Minovae has unique experience as a more “boots on the ground leader”. She is a Field-Maralictor, meaning she has the authority of a Maralictor in active combat situations but not so in the formal hierarchy of the Order of the Pyre. Her experience in leading small units and directing field missions has given her a good eye for resource management and knowing just want kind of resources are needed out in the Worldwound for survival. Her inclination to preserve lives and also the Hellknights’ heavy coffers means she will suggest more expensive options but ones that will last and ultimately result in less long-term cost. She’s suggesting things like ensuring each soldier has a specific load-out of potions or scrolls before they leave the gates, or negotiating contracts with equipment enchanters to ensure everyone has minor protective accessories. It’s expensive, yes, but they can also recoup the cost later with less dead soldiers.

Where do they hang out in Drezen? In the Abyss?

Minovae is like Sosiel in that she will appear in different places throughout Drezen. She can be found in The Half-Measure chatting with Fye or Greybor or other patrons; about the marketplace chatting with Wilcer Garms or Woljif or just soldiers; in the Inn at the table sharing stories with the people there; or even just sitting on top of the battlements, watching everyone going about their daily lives. She and Arueshalae often people watch together, as they are both fascinated with people and their habits, and she wants to help Arue learn.

In the Abyss she is often very close to the Hand of the Inheritor or the sanctified stone that keeps the air in Nexus pure. The ambient chaotic-evil energy of the Abyss is attracted to the chaos in her ganzi blood and she finds herself growing steadily ill and emotionally unstable. Sosiel is often seen casting Protection from Evil spells on her but they only do so much right here in the heart of the Abyss.

Regill is often close to her as well, not saying much but his presence suggests a concern for his fellow Hellknight.

What are their idle animations?

Her tail lazily swishing around the ground like a contented cat, though it will sometimes lift itself up and do a little flex/writhe/wave. She will also do a full body shake that rattles the armor on her tail and bristle her neck feathers. A big over head stretch for her ribs and arms.

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream?

Pretty much the same as described here!

Mino’s core wants are relief, rest, safety, and of course a genuine loving relationship with her favorite Paralictor, but what would a ‘superficial’ view of this look like? You’d get Field-Maralictor Arangeir, low ranking but not a complete no one, taking orders from Paralictor/Lictor/Knight Commander (higher rank title than her) Derenge who is now in charge of operations. It’d be a scene of her approaching the war table to turn in a report of her latest mission. They’d accidentally brush hands, and a flicker of a glance would pass between them conveying more. He’d thank her for the hard work, with a single sprinkle of praise, and then order her to get some rest before the next mission.

That’s it.

Her core wants are addressed in the worst possible ways: she’s not in charge, she’s getting crumbs of attention from him, and she’s being ordered to rest rather than being granted actual relief. It’s not what she truly, actually wants in her heart but rather a bastardization of it.

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers?

She wants the Knight Commander to drop the mythic power like it’s the Abyss itself, but ALSO really really dislikes doing what Iomedae tells them to do.

Angel, Azata, Gold Dragon: She will encourage the Knight Commander if they are on a Good mythic path to do what their heart tells them to do.

Aeon and Trickster: She will ask them if it’s worth losing themselves over? Aren’t they as a mortal just as worthy of life and emotion and autonomy as everyone else? It’s been terrible watching them lose who they are to their powers and she can’t bear to see it.

Demon: She will leave or go hostile.

Lich: Minovae has history with ghouls and is terrified of them. She will immediately not vibe with a lich commander and if the Lich commander doubles down, she will attempt to leave. The Lich has the option to slay her and turn her into a ghoul graveguard companion. Her class will change to bloodrager and she will be a barely leashed undead looking to kill the commander at all costs before killing herself.

Devil: She will flee, and will be caught by devils and brought before the Knight Commander who has the option to execute her, make her a thrall, or allow her to flee for real.

Legend: Her absolute favorite, the triumph of mortalkind over powers granted by the gods. She will state her pride of the commander and reassure them they should feel no guilt or shame for choosing themselves in the end. They have every right to exist as they are and no one can say otherwise.

How/when do they join the Commander’s party?

Minovae can be found in the siege of Drezen in a cell next to Arueshalae, where the succubus has helped keep her sane through torture with gentle song and encouraging words, and also giving her peaceful sleep and painless dreams. She will be at 20% health and with several instances of ability score damage to strength, dexterity, and constitution, but will demand to be freed and given a weapon so she can fight. She can join the party immediately here, and will vouch for Arueshalae of course.

Regill will have dialogue recognizing her if he is present and states he believed she was dead. He will make his typical comment on why one should endeavor to not be captured- killing themselves if necessary, and she will snarl back that she chewed through her own tongue and bit through her wrists with her fangs only for the demons to force healing potions down her throat each time. “You can so easily chide me like I’ve committed some misstep at the dinner table, but until you’ve torn through your own flesh with your own blunted teeth you are woefully out of your element in this, Paralictor.”

She will apologize to him later for her disrespect and he will, surprisingly, also apologize but in a very aloof way and without specifying what for. He will have slightly modified dialogue to the scouts in the molten canyon in Act 3 if this moment has occurred, or they will have this dialogue if they are both in the party at that time then.

Describe their companion quest:

Minovae’s companion quest revolves around why she was captured by demons and present in Drezen’s dungeon: she learned too much and was marked for death because of it.

Act 3:

Talking with Mino will reveal she used to be a Scourgeknight and mostly worked in Egorian, she transferred to the Order of the Pyre a good few years ago. When pressed about why, she will lie that “she felt a calling for something more, the aristocracy were beginning to wear on me when we have literal demons to fight.” A Perception check is triggered that can reveal she is deliberately lying, but if pressed will say simply that she cannot answer, while looking very uncomfortable and will try to dismiss herself to some other task.

She actually glows with the Aeon sight if the Knight Commander is an Aeon! You can get a non-standard death with her like with how bringing up the Other too early to Daeran kills him, by pressing her too deep or using your Aeon abilities to force her to ‘confess’. She will explode into a black-fire inferno, and of course she is gone. No continuing her story. It may possibly kill your KC too depending on their health and saves!

As for her quest, she will ask the Commander to go with her to the site where she was ambushed and taken captive, as she suspects she was betrayed. They will find nothing of evidence there except booted prints that appears way more recent than the scuffle of the fight. It is unmistakably that of a Hellknight’s. She will also ask the Commander to be a little more scrutinizing of the Paralictors (outside of earshot of Regill) and other Hellknight officers they meet, as she has a few ideas on who it could be but cannot reveal her hand too quickly or she will risk expulsion or execution for such insubordination.

Act 4:

Mino will ask to visit the Battlebliss, curious to see if it’s anything like the awful gladiatorial pits back in Cheliax, but will of course encounter the devil-blooded tiefling, Zeklex, and his imp. He will make a curious face at Minovae and say he can smell the infernal magic on her even from this distance, to which she will immediately panic and step back clutching her head and telling everyone to get away from her, thinking that is enough to trigger the infernal geas’ conditions. A flare of infernal magic radiates from her and sends her to her knees, unconscious and bleeding heavily from the nose and ears and eyes, but still alive: a warning flare.

The Commander can ask Zeklex more about it and he can posit it seems like a powerful geas of some sorts, like Duke of Hell or Archdevil powerful (it is in fact powered by Geryon, so this is truth). Whatever it is, some devil has her mind locked down tight and even just revealing the geas itself could be enough to violate its terms.

Her quest is advanced when she asks the Commander to meet with her in the outside part of Nexus, that jutting ledge overhanging the city in the distance. She asks for the Commander to “help her” but clearly can’t do anything further or specific without instantly dying. The Commander can use their mythic power to try and draw out the geas into a fightable form here, where it manifests as a cornugon though weakened because they’re in the Abyss. Upon slaying the beast, Minovae collapses to the ground sobbing and remarks she is finally free, where she shares the actual truth with the Commander about why she left Egorian and came to the Worldwound.

The truth is, she uncovered a Thrune plot that could very well send the nation into civil war again if it got out--especially to the Hellknights. House Thrune fuels its infernal contracts with the sacrifice of those souls “living on behalf of the land of Cheliax” i.e orphans/homeless/those without proper home and family. She also discovered the existence of the Order of the Glyph, a false Hellknight Order the rest of them don’t know about and is entirely loyal to House Thrune. Seeing as she was investigating a rightful crime though, and with her well-liked reputation, House Thrune knew they could not just kill her and make her disappear without the Scourge asking questions and getting suspicious. Thrune instead pressed her into a willing Geas on herself: if she told anyone what she saw or if anyone even reads her mind or memories, she’d explode with infernal fire and possibly kill everyone around her too. After House Thrune’s torture and the Geas ritual completed, she transferred to the Pyre to try and leave it all behind her--unfortunately opening her up to assassination and betrayal since she had a lesser reputation here and ‘accidents’ are easier to cover up. One of the maralictors in the Pyre is a House Thrune plant, and he issued the mission to Minovae and her unit having subtly letting slip the route to cultists. Their location was revealed and it resulted in all of her subordinates dying and her capture (though he wanted and assumed her dead).

Act 5:

Minovae still does not know who betrayed her and knows she is in a delicate situation, because the ‘owner’ of the geas could now know it has been dispelled and she can freely talk. Her suspicions are confirmed when she receives a letter from “Paralictor Gerren Deothan” but she recognizes some faults in mimicking his writing, and knows it is the true Thrune agent. She sets off by herself to confront them, knowing she cannot rightfully ask the Commander to risk outright hostilities with Cheliax and House Thrune by aiding her. The Commander is informed this by Anevia that Minovae was seen leaving with a hard expression on her face, and a letter can be found in her reports saying she was proud and happy to serve with the Commander and everyone.

Catching up with her has her surrounded by not just the ‘Paralictor’ but high ranking Thrune assassins and Glyph Knights sent to torture her for who else knows what she knows now before killing her. She’s killed quite a few already but she is outnumbered and has been fighting for a while now.

A Good Commander will protect her and save her life.

An Evil Commander and turn her over to the Thrune Agents and confirm only they know, and would instead like to cooperate with Cheliax.

A Lawful Commander can attempt to take the Thrune knights and assassins as prisoner for interrogation and put up and actual trial for Mino to see if any actual laws were broken (they will fight to the death).

If Regill is present, he will turn on the Commander if they pick the Evil option, as his loyalty is to the Hellknight Orders, and Thrune’s violation of their autonomy by forming the Order of the Glyph is tantamount to betrayal.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want!

Minovae is romanceable, yes, and she is a very doting and protective lover, if not a bit reluctant because of attention to rank and her own perception of self (and also the danger she poses because of the geas on her mind).

Some scenes with her involve her encouraging the Knight Commander to stop and see what is worth fighting for. When they go to Gundrun or Wintersun, she will ask the Knight Commander to stay a night with her in one of the homes. They will also walk about the place with her to see how the people live and even though they’re in trouble or were deceived, they are still civilians and this is a life worth fighting for, worth making hard decisions and giving up their own happiness to protect.

She also has a scene after the geas is broken on her head where she is sitting up on Drezen’s inner battlements at night all alone with a bottle of whiskey, just thinking over everything and all she lost now that it’s done with. She will somberly asked the Commander to share the drink with her and snuggle under the blanket she has, just talking as they watch the stars above and the dwindling candlelight below as Drezen’s people go to sleep. She’ll ask them about their home and what they’ve lost that they wish most they could have back.

On a lighter note, Mino is very loud in bed and there WILL be banter about it from the other companions.

BUT! If Minovae is not romance by the Knight Commander, someone does still win her heart in the end... or more like she wins theirs. Similar to Mass Effect in how Garrus and Tali will wind up together if not romance, Regill and Minovae will eventually seal the deal and become a couple by the very end of the game. It’s subtle, with both of them spending more time around each other and subtle hints in their dialogue and camp banter. Yaker will have comments on how Regill is slightly, slightly nicer if he’s interacted with Minovae recently. Arueshalae will have dialogue with her about it, being able to sense her yearning and love for him. Ember also comments on how her heart is bleeding and she will be seen some day. It’s such a gradual change over the storyline progressing until there is a scene at Threshold where both of the Hellknights, ehm, emerge from the same tent in the morning and the both might have a little buff for the final Act that gives them bonuses if they’re fighting within 10 feet of each other.

What would their ending slides be like?

Freed and Hopeful (Not Romanced): Freed of the infernal geas on her mind and able to spread the truth of House Thrune’s treachery to her fellow Hellknights, Minovae uses her reputation as having helped closed the Worldwound to secure herself the rank and leadership she has always avoided. She swiftly rises through the ranks now that she hungers for the leadership and power to rally support against House Thrune in the Orders, becoming a Paralictor in the Scourge upon returning to Cheliax. Regill returns with her, and though many expected him to quietly bleach with his mission of closing the Worldwound complete, a new sense of color has returned to his skin and hair, and there is a brightness in his eyes whenever he is seen at his new wife’s side. Many speak of the odd couple they are, a ganzi and a gnome in black Hellknight plate, one drawn towards kindness and the other mercilessness, but none can deny how truly happy they seem with one another.

Mind Freed and Heart Captured (Romanced): Freed of the Infernal geas on her mind, Minovae has a new appreciation for life and a deeper sense of love than ever before. Her reluctance to fully love the Commander disappears entirely, and she is seen to be a doting, public, and affectionate lover. She has not forgotten her mission to expose House Thrune for the snakes they are and her desires to liberate Cheliax, but she is reluctant to leave her lover now that she has the safety and security she’s always wanted. This ending can have variation depending on if the KC stayed in Drezen or left, and on whether or not they ascended or stayed mortal. She will regardless not leave the KC, but if the KC has ascended, she will charge forth to Cheliax knowing she has at least one divine being she can put her faith in for the first time in her life.

Still Shackled: If Mino’s quest is not completed, she will stay around for the victory celebrations but quietly leave not longer after. Rumors spread about why, but House Thrune is ever thorough about making people disappear when they choose to. She is never seen ever again.

Turned Over to House Thrune: If Mino is captured by a Devil commander or turned over to House Thrune in her quest, will have a unique ending slide where she is described as snapping and going on a violent rampage. She is finally brought down with her fangs sunk deep into a lesser Thrune’s throat, having torn it out in her blind rage for vengeance.

Any other fun facts?

Minovae is a ganzi of course which is not fully supported in the game, but she would use the basic stat template for one and have their racial benefits!

+2 con, +2 charisma, -2 intelligence (this is reflected in the stats I have for her as a ‘human’ too).

Her ganzi oddity is the Prehensile Tail feature, which lets her retrieve stowed objects as a swift action (consume a potion as a free action for instance).

As for her personally, you can learn more about her treatment as a ganzi growing up in a shitty orphanage in Westcrown. She’s had her tail cut off numerous times, her scales peeled off, and her feathers torn out. Regardless, she is proud of her ganzi features and spends quite a bit of time taking care of them! This also hints as to why she likes children so much: she desperately wants children to be children and to be shielded from the horrors of prejudice and the world she wasn’t protected from.

She is also terrified of ghouls and cannibalistic undead! Really great stuff if you’re a Lich commander...

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

Conversation Start: Minovae beams at you over those shining scales with bright eyes, and a hint of fang flashes as she grins before remembering herself and giving a polite nod. “Commander! It’s a pleasure to see you as always. Is there anything I can assist with?”

Conversation Ends: “Always nice speaking with you, you know where to find me if you need a hand with anything!” She gives a small cant of her head with that signature smile before turning back to the reports in her hands.

Selection: “Happy to report!” / “We moving out? Good, I thought my tail might actually start molting.” / “Just point me to the problem.”

Skill Check Success: “With this hammer, sometimes every problem is a nail!” / “Only happy to do my part.”

Skill Check Failure: *Frustrated growl/whine* / “Hells, I really thought I had that.” / “Another thing to consider over my weekly Reckoning, I suppose...”

Combat Start: “Behind me! I’ll protect you to the last!” / “So long as I stand they will never know victory!” / “Show them the meaning of Hell!”

Low Health: “They’ll get past this shield over my dead body!” / “Am I... at duty’s end?” / “I will not yield to pain... Order must be... as merciless as our foes...”

Provide some examples of companion banters!

Regill: You avoid leadership even though you are drawn to it. It is in your mannerisms and voice, do not think I have not noticed how you carry yourself in battle and issue commands as if it were second nature to you. Why do you hold yourself back? It is true arrogance to deprive the cause of your skills and talents.

Minovae: Is it arrogance? Or it is arrogant to issue orders where others have more experience, and are wiser and more credible than I am? I will make sure to control myself better in battle, Paralictor Derenge, to avoid any further confusion with the Commander’s own orders.

Minovae: Put that right back! Hells, Woljif, I swear you are getting more and more brazen just to test my patience! Next I know you’ll be stealing the feathers right off my neck!

Woljif: Nah, just to test your eyes and keep you sharp! “sides, I already have a few from your tail, so if you’re inviting the challenge... *heh hehhh*

Ember: You are very brave, Minnow. You press on even though it hurts so much. I promise others will see you, too, before this is done.

Minovae: ...Sometimes it’s better not to be seen Ember. Some worries and hurts cannot be shared, even as unbearable as they are.

#silversirenwrites #oc: minovae arangeir #knight commander #pathfinder #pathfinder wrath of the righteous #wrath of the righteous #wotr #pfwotr #pwotr #this took me forever omg #might go back and add some later #pwotr pals

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spyridonya · 2 years ago

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The Knight Commander as a Companion - Part 1

Name: Kadira Storadottir

Race: Tiefling - Devilkin

Class: Wizard - Spell Master (can be classed into Rogue to Arcane Trickster). Her focuses will be based on buffs.

Age: Mid 20s.

Appearance: Tall with wide shoulders and hips, Kadira tends to gain and shed weight easily, a trait notable among Kellids to survive the harsh climate of the Northern regions. A heart shaped face with a firm chin and jaw framed by black curls and large blue eyes, Kadira's angelic features contrast with medium red skin, a thick tail longer than she is tall, black furred goat legs. It is readily apparent that Kadira is a tiefling though she lacks the asymmetry of most Doomspawn or Demonkin have with their features. She dresses modestly in clean, neat, and well made clothes that are usually shades of blue and green pastels. Her outfits are often minimalistic but well made. The only piece of jewelry she wears is a bracelet of beaten silver, one of the last gifts she was given by her grandfather on her 13th birthday. Kadee is aware she's attractive, but is very sensitive about her legs.

Top Skills: Knowledge: Religion, Arcane, Nature and Trickery

Alignment: Neutral Good

How/when do they join the Commander’s party?

Kadira will introduce herself at Defender's Heart, informing Commander that Irabeth has asked her to assist in escorting the commander around the city. She's a bit curt and formal in this introduction, though the commander will realize she's not entirely trustful of them.

General Personality:

At first impression, Kadira is a dutiful young woman whose initial shyness might be mistaken for arrogant - an impression that can quickly melt away depending on the KC's actions. Rather, her distance is self protection due to living in a city that sees her as a constant reminder of the Worldwound and from the Inquisitors who are too eager to clamp down on the tiniest bit of heresy. When comfortable with others, Kadira is considerably kind, bright, and a reliable friend and ally. She becomes giddy with excitement in sharing her knowledge, though it's more prone to being helpful than to showing off.

Due to her seemingly well organized and loyalty to the Eagle Watch, many mistake Kadira for being lawful more so than chaotic. If pressed Kadira would say that any method that helps the benefit of all should be used, if following the letter of the law can save more soldiers, she'll stick to it. If flipping a table and demanding a change of guard can save more civilians, she'll do it.

Kadira, however, can be prone to being far too sharp with some of the more forceful characters within the commander's party, and she has a high sense of morals - goodness is what she's truly loyal to and is quick to leave if she finds the Commander is dangerous - meaning she will leave under Lich, Demon, or Devil paths without the right circumstance.

In romance, Kadira returns to her cautious nature once more, she compares herself to other LIs harshly, considering herself as too boring in personality and a required taste. However as she opens up, Kadira is playful, affectionate, and open with her affections. There is a spicer element in her romance around Chapter 4.

What traits/values do they admire?

Compassion, ingenuity, competence, and humor.

What traits/values do they disapprove of?

Mistaking cruelty for pragmaticism, putting methods before morality, hard love methods, grasshoppers and locusts.

Are they affiliated with any deities?

Kadira worships Shelyn, though her focus is primary on Shelyn's role as a goddess of love and compassion with art being secondary. Though she doesn't bring it up often with the other companions save conversations with Sosiel, Trevor, and Wenduag. However, the commander can find her sketching the flora and fauna around camp and in the march to Drezen, Drezen, and the Abyss.

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers?

Kadira has a unique perspective due to the mundanity of her life, notably so compared to the other companions coming from Kenabras. As someone with Sarkorian heritage, she's very aware how much of her culture has been lost due to the demons and the crusaders, and that the only way to get it back is to close the Worldwound. She finds the Eagle Watch the least problematic among the crusaders, though she often attempts to speak with Irabeth about why Mendevians are the way they are with minor success.

Kadira never expected such a role, and if she had to be honest she felt she was fighting the good fight that wouldn't end well for Golarion. She's honored and a little overwhelmed with her powers, due to the fall out with her family, but has to admit she enjoys their uses.

Upon finding out the powers are from the Abyss, Kadira will react reasonably with non-evil paths, pointing out that ultimately the KC is choosing how to use their powers and isn't bound to fate. She strongly approves of Angel, Azata, and Gold Dragon paths, and tolerates Aeon and Trickster. Kadira will leave the party, regardless of romance, if the commander goes Demon, Lich, Devil, or Swarm. However, with a Another Archdevil Path, she might be able to stay…

What are their reasons for joining the commander’s party?

Kadira's reasons to join are simple, she was assigned as a guide to the commander by Irabeth, and knows the city well and many of the named NPCs that the party can interact within the city. Her reliability and skills make her a useful member of the companions and she's dedicated to stopping the demon threat.

Who are their friends among the other party members?

Arueshalae - The relationship begins with outright curiosity and Kadira becomes more animated in talking with Arue as the game goes on. Eventually she'll discuss that change is just as much a part of 'law' as 'chaos', otherwise the universe stagnates - and what Desna is doing for Arue isn't chaotic. It's ultimately 'good'. As a romance rival, Kadira is very much loyal to Arue and encourages her to follow her feelings.

Ember - Kadira knows Ember, and Ember knows Kadira, and Kadira cannot fault Ember for her rejection of the gods. She worries that Ember does too much and tries to encourage her to stay at the camp or at Drezen. She's deeply concerned when Ember is kidnapped but becomes so very proud of Ember's courage.

Lann - Kadira and Lann get along well, often exchanging banter and jokes with each other in their reactivity. She does become dismayed when Lann leans more into 'lawful evil' than 'lawful good'. She also trades methods on how to groom horns as the crusade progresses. He can also be 'romanced' by Kadira if the KC encourages it. She gets very conflicted about being a romantic rival with Lann, because her ‘canon’ crush on him.

Seelah - Kadira has some prejudice against paladins and inquisitors, so she's half unsure that Seelah compassion and friendliness is real. Eventually Kadira will warm up to Seelah and there will be a few camp banters where they're both drunk and cackling about Cayden Cailean hitting on both their goddesses.

Woljif - Woljif and Kadira become like squabbling siblings at times, Woljif having the remarkable knack of getting Kadira's nerves. However she is fierce in defending Woljif when he runs away and when dealing with his fiendish relatives.

What about neutral?

Ulrbrig - She’ll be fascinated by the big man, constantly asking him questions about their old homeland. He finds her endearing at first, but when he finds she’s a wizard, he becomes rather cold. Kadira is remarkably hurt by this.

Trevor - She never becomes friends with Trevor, who doesn't understand why a wizard would worship Shelyn, but she always remains unfailingly kind towards him.

Sosiel - There is a strange rivalry between the two. Kadira is far more focused on Shelyn's love and compassion than her art, despite her attempts to perform art, and finds Sosiel clings a little too much to the 'rules' when love has no rules. She also attempts to ask if his distrust of the Hellknights is based on what they do, or propaganda by his homeland. However, she does agree if the Hellknights over welcome their stay, she’ll treat them like she will any demon cultists.

Nenio - The two are remarkable foils as wizards; Nenio is arrogant about her intelligence and collects knowledge blindly. Kadira gently downplays her intelligence and uses knowledge as a benefit for others. Nenio doesn't care about the lack of her past but Kadira cares a little too much about her past.

Greybor - She's one of the few people Greybor is uncomfortable with, and that's due to the fact Kadira was abandoned by her father. While Kadira is not the one who brings it up, Greybor does once or twice. He slides into the friendship side after her Act 5 quest, being remarkably compassionate. (Over what? Good question!)

Regill - Kadira will claim that the fundamental wrongness of the Hellknights is their adherence to dogma and refusing to see the Law as transmutable reference for how a society should act in the Material Plane, notably when the Hellknights have their own biases what pragmatism is. Regill tells her she's too naive and needs more discipline. However, they both admire their end goals even if their take of said goals are remarkably different pathways.

What about rivals?

Camellia - Unlike Kadira as a Knight Commander, Kadira as a companion doesn't know much of her family's former Green Faith. She finds Camellia largely boring and hypocritical, Camellia is no meaner to her than she is to most people. Kadira actually can lose her temper and will go on about how they're both bastards of peasant stock. Camellia will absolutely mock Kadira’s lack of experience as a romance rival for the KC… nevermind that Camellia is on the same boat.

Wenduag - Kadira and Wenduag do not get along; Wenduag finds her weak in nature and doesn't appericiate her Kadira's role as a support caster. Kadira finds Wenduag's method of bootlicking as disgusting and finds her lack of planning troublesome for Wenduag's people. As rivals, Kadira is oddly meek, and Wenduag does prey on it.

Daeran - Kadira dislikes Daeran, who is largely amused by her (and attracted), though Kadira never hesitates to let him know his misanthropy is hardly unique - punching up while pissing at the feet of others doesn't make him special. She becomes kinder to him after his Act 2/3 quest, picking up his discomfort but never approaching him about it at the party. (DLC dependent) If Kadira is the only DLC companion that romances Daeran downloaded, he can be a romance for her. As rivals, he hints they really ought to join forces to capture the KC's heart. If Kadira is with other DLC companions who romance Daeran, Kadira will not romance Daeran. As rivals, Daeran is quick to mock the traits that she finds uncomfortable.

Other NPCs

Kadira has a friends with benefits relationship with Ramien in her recent past. When romanced by the PC by Act 3 and if Ramien survives in Act 1, the cleric will head to Drezen regardless of who is the Prelate of Kenabras to engage in a more romantic affair with Kadira. If Daeran is in the party while talking to Ramien and referring to their past affair, Kadira will react to the conversation. There will be a reaction from Daeran in Act 3 about the relationship. Ramien doesn't die during Act 5 outside the Angel and Trickster path due to a protective ring Kadira gave him.

Kadira begins a long distance romance with Aranka should she not be romanced by the PC. Aranka will arrive in Drezen in Act 3, regardless of the mythic path the KC is on. There isn't as much reactivity by the party, save Arue or Seelah encouraging the romance in camp banters once the affair begins. Aranka will give Kadira a ring before Kadira must go to the Abyss along with the KC.

Kadira is very fond of Gretlen and her idiosyncratic acting trope, knowing that joy is very important in such dark times. She'll always encourage the commander to speak to Gretlen during her conversations in all acts. At times there will be scenes at the camp and in Drezen where Kadira is attempting to help with the play.

One Eye Devil, Kadira becomes friends with the merchant due to both being devilkin in a land of Doomspawn. Sadly, this friendship doesn't help with discounts. His possible death in Act 5 is a blow to Kadira.

DLC Companions

Coming soon

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give?

Kadira would be placed on the military and logistics council. She's prone to focusing on the citizens of the worldwound and then its soldiers. She will often champion better equipment and well trained units at the cost of smaller units.

Where do they hang out in Drezen? In the Abyss?

During the city's siege: Kadira will be helping with the refugees inside and will be absolutely enraptured by the golem, asking him questions and being delighted with any and all comments.

On the March: Usually on the outskirts, found crouched and looking at shrubs, she'll say she's a bit busy and wants to get this sketch done.

In Drezen: Prior to the Ivory Sanctum, Kadira can be found just about anywhere, if not talking to One Eye, the Golem, Wilcer or drawing scrub bushes or birds. After the Sanctum in a romance state, Kadira can be found talking to Ramien and the Hand.If the KC encourages her to romance others, she can be found next to Ramien/Aranka/Lann/Daeran depending if she's in romance. If she's not romancing anyone, she can be found near the Hand.

At the Nexus: Kadira is everywhere outside, she'll complain about the energy but she's still drawing. There will be three or four cycle animations of her in various areas, exclaiming about how she's shocked how harmless these plants can be.

What are their idle animations?

straightening her skirts

holding a spell book with her tail, paging through the contents with her fingers

checking her tail behind her

checking her hooves, raising her skirts

playing with a pen while her tail sways behind her

stretching her goat legs and looking so cute!

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream?

Kadira dreams of a shadowy figure rushing towards her, enfolding her into a hug. She sounds like she's sobbing as she clings desperately and whispers 'Gramps'. When awake, she will be in pain and answer the question of what she was dreaming with this, "That my family accepted me."

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers?

Angel: Kadira approves of these powers, saying that how one uses power is more important than the origin of power. She'll remind the KC how all the good and justice they've done and that they've shaped the power. She understands Iomedae's worry, but she's followed the commander from the start.

Azata: Kadira approves of these powers, saying that how one uses power is more important than the origin of power. She'll remind the KC how all the good and justice they've done and that they've shaped the power. She understands Iomedae's worry, but she's followed the commander from the start.

Trickster: Kadira will be doubtful of the power, saying how one uses power is more important than the origin of the power. That being said, she'll note that it's not so much the chaos that Trickster causes but rather how it's slowly eating away at the KC's psyche and do they truly want to risk that?

Aeon: Kadira will be doubtful of the power, saying how one uses power is more important than the origin of the power. That being said, she'll note that it's not so much the chaos that Trickster causes but rather how it's slowly eating away at the KC's psyche and do they truly want to risk that? She will try to remind the commander that rules are impossible to keep not because they're wrong, but rather they're guidelines.

Lich: Kadira will leave if the KC stays on the Lich Path.

Demon: Kadira will leave if the KC stays on the Demon Path.

Gold Dragon: Kadira is in awe, and approves of this new path greatly.

Swarm: Kadira leaves.

Legend: Kadira approves of this, telling the KC that sometimes the greatest power comes from within.

Vanilla Devil Path: Kadira will leave if the KC steps on the Devil Path.

The Other Archdevil's Devil Path: The KC will have a chance to be offered power by a different Archdevil on the Angel or Lich path. Which Archdevil is this? What will Kadira do? Well, that’s for the next update…

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

When selected:

"What can I do?"

"You rang? (amused)"

"Oh! Yes! Wait, let me cross the t..."

"No time like the present."

"Need my expertise? (Hopeful)"

Assigned a task:

"Of course!"

"Let me handle it."

"I know what to do!"

"I read this in a book, once."

Success:

"Perfect!"

"I'm glad you trusted me."

Failure:

"I guess I didn't get to that part of the book."

"Well, mistakes do help us to become better..."

"Shoot."

Magic Item Failure:

“But I read the instruction manual, twice!”

Spotted something:

"Oh! How interesting!"

"Wait! Stop! Don't step on it!"

"Hmm?"

Into battle:

"You are intolerable."

"Oh, demons and cults. How surprising."

"Get out of my homeland!"

Critical hit:

"Gotcha."

Health low:

“I... knew I should have studied medicine.”

Falls unconscious:

“I will ... know better... next time.."

Refusing to equip something:

“I feel this is a bit bulky for me."

"Oh! This is something only Shelyn could love..."

“Don’t you know how heavy this is?”

"I-I don't know how to use this."

If romanced after sex:

"Wait... it's cold out there. I want you to be warm."

"The idea of lingering and waiting for you is... a perfect use of time."

"I'll be thinking about you all day."

"I... take care of yourself, if I can't?"

“I promise I’ll use my tail. Again.”

(coming later!) Quests/Romance

(coming later) Endings/Banter

#character: knight commander kadira #commander as companion #pwotr #pwotr pals

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cassynite · 2 years ago

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WOTR Companion Meme: Vonzi

@dragonologist-phd‘s original meme here!

Name: Kallesto Voness (Called Vonzi)

Race: Human

Class: Oracle--Wave Mystery, Blackened Hands

Appearance: A dark-skinned woman with a solid, curvy build and an afro of curly black hair. She wears clothing in blues and purples, in styles that are similar to the southern ocean-faring countries like Sargava, but cut for clolder climates. Perpetually wrapped around her shoulders is a large fluffy wool wrap. Her most striking features are her eyes--which are large, bulging, and flecked with light like a starry sky--and her hands, where her fingers have blackened as if exposed to extreme frostbite.

Favored Weapon/Equipment: Her magic, which tends to be focused on frost spells. Uses a crossbow if needed, though she has disadvantage. Will wear light armor if she wears any at all. Will often also wear gloves, as it makes it less painful to use her hands.

Top Skills: Use Magic Device, Knowledge (Arcana), Persuasion

Alignment: Chaotic Good

General Personality:

Vonzi has two states: the Delirious State and the Lucid State

Her Delirious State is distant, inattentive, and forgetful. She is not fully aware of herself or her surroundings, and finds it difficult to concentrate on the present situation around her--this does not prevent her from being a powerhouse of offensive cold magic when needed. In conversation, she speaks little and sometimes will not make a lot of sense, muttering phrases or fragments of sentences to herself. She will often struggle to understand or speak in a conversation.

Mechanics-wise, delirious state causes her Wis and Int to lower but her Cha to increase.

Her Lucid state is that of a cavalier easygoing woman, one with a witty sense of humor and a matter-of-fact attitude that lets her carry her burdens with far more tact. She is deeply self-confident in herself and her abilities and tends to dislike showing weakness in front of others--her delirious state is a vulnerability she hates showing. She will tell the truth when she thinks it matters, but will also lie for fun about things she doesn't think matter, and what she thinks matters might be different than what a KC values.

What traits/values do they admire?

An ability to stand up to and question authority; in that vein, a willingness to put value on individual's lives and helping those who would not otherwise provide material benefit as a reward. Personality-wise she's drawn to people who are willing not to take themselves too seriously and have a sense of humor about things, as well as people who are confident in themselves and what they stand for.

What traits/values do they disapprove of?

Blind loyalty to any organization, including religion, makes her wary, as she believes all hierarchal organizations are inherently corrupt. Cruelty disgusts her, whether it be self-serving and pointless or borne out of zealotry. Showing a lack of curiosity about the world and the people around them, being overly judgmental, or just being like a stick-in-the mud is likely to irritate her.

Also, while it's not something that will stop her from being friends, being overly deferential or self-deprecating is something she has little tolerance for.

Are they affiliated with any deities?

Explicitly she is an atheist, and shows a distrust toward all organized religion. However, though she no longer remembers this, her quests reveal that her family (or at least her mother) worshiped the entity that gave Vonzi her powers, and she possibly worshiped them as well.

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers? What are their reasons for joining the commander’s party?

Vonzi is neutral to the Crusades and their place in it. She is introduced in her Delirious State and barely knows what the Worldwound is, let alone cares. Becoming lucid shows her expressing concern over the danger to the public the Worldwound poses, though she tends to express it in a very cavalier way ("Yeah, a giant demon hole is a problem"). However, she distrusts the Crusade as an institution and will warn a KC that if there isn't corruption on some level of such a large movement, there definitely will be. She doesn't particularly care one way or the other about the fact that she is companion to its leader, however.

Vonzi's attitude toward the KC's powers will be largely positive except in a few mythic paths, as she directly attributes them to her lucidity and ability to function.

Vonzi joins the party as a consequence to actions she no longer remembers taking, and remains due to instincts or half-remembered memories that tell her she either knows the KC (which the KC will refute) or that being in the Crusades is important for some reason. She's looking for something, and thinks that the KC and whatever she's searching for are intertwined. Her main motivation for remaining in the Crusades is to find out what she wanted in the first place.

Who are their friends among the other party members?

Ember: Ember's one of the only people who never gets irritated at Vonzi’s blunt and self-confident attitude, and will often converse with her normally regardless of if she is delirious or lucid. Vonzi enjoys Ember’s can-do attitude and her determined joy, finding it refreshing and an outlook that she philosophically agrees with--life might be shit but getting upset over it won’t change anything, so you might as well find hope.

Arueshalae: Like Seelah, Vonzi wholeheartedly believes that Arue is genuine in her attempts to become better and therefore sees no issue in befriending her and treating her like anyone else. She does struggle to understand Arue’s struggle--she genuinely thinks “just don’t be evil” is sound advice--but is tolerant and encouraging of Arue’s desire to learn more about mortals and trying to be better.

Seelah: While Seelah's devotion to Iomadae is something that Vonzi finds tiresome, her relaxed demeanor is one that Vonzi enjoys. As long as they don't talk about anything too serious, they got along just fine.

Sosiel: Sosiel's Andoran background is something Vonzi is interested in and she enjoys talking to him about ideals, of which they share a lot of commonalities. Sosiel's better about not being preachy about his religion, though he will still irritate Vonzi when he tries to pry into her past or the cause of her mysterious illness in an attempt to heal her.

What about rivals?

Daeran: While Vonzi thinks Daeran is hilarious and "actually sort of self-aware, for a noble," she ultimately finds his contrarian nature hollow and doesn't get along with his overt selfish nature. Daeran enjoys Vonzi's sense of humor and her usual easygoing nature but as soon as she expresses her usual life philosophies he starts to tune out; even if they share disdain about the Crusades and religion it's for different reasons and Vonzi's anarchist leanings are good for a laugh to him and nothing more. They can joke in banter but ultimately Vonzi writes him off as a spoiled, self-centered noble with little redeeming qualities under the surface.

Camellia: Camellia dismisses Vonzi early on in the game and will openly question why her presence is considered more of a help than a hindrance. She will also, conversely, insinuate the Vonzi's delirious state is an act she puts on to hide some dark secret. Vonzi, when delirious, will avoid speaking to Camellia outright; when lucid, she will be very straightforward with the fact that she doesn't like Camellia, but is willing to work together. She doesn't have to like her coworkers, after all. Cam just needs to leave her the fuck alone. When Camellia's secret is revealed, she tries to bond with Vonzi over dark pasts and entities that require so much of them, but Vonzi will tell them they are nothing alike.

Lann: I don't think Vonzi and Lann dislike each other necessarily--Vonzi appreciates Lann's sarcastic sense of humor, and when lucid they get along. However, Vonzi gets very irritated by Lann's self-deprecation streak, finding it self-pitying, and there will be several encounters where she basically tells him to get over himself, and he gets angry and defensive--he's allowed to think he's ugly, because he is, and he's allowed to joke about how short-lived and awful his life is because that's all true. And Vonzi retaliates by letting him know that they've all got it bad, he isn't special, and also he's moaning so much about how no one will ever want him, well that's less to do with his appearance and more to do about how he won't shut up about how ugly he is. You want people to see you as a hotshot? Act like it! Fake it till you make it, bud. (This would occur over several resting banters, ending with her apologizing, "Not for saying it, because it's true. But I shouldn't have said it that way. You're a good guy, you just have to see it in yourself.")

If Lann's quest is completed with him successfully pulling off his plan, there will be dialogue where he and Vonzi will reconcile and become good friends.

Regill: Regill sees Vonzi as an unknown factor with too varying a skillset--her delirious state, in his mind, is an active liability. He treats her with less contempt and wariness than Arue, but not a whole lot less. He'll often vocally wonder why the KC is allowing someone so clearly out of control of their own powers to assist the Crusade. For her part, Vonzi will be rather accepting of Regill's censure, but how much of it is out of actual agreement and how much of it is sarcastic, "Yup, I AM a menace, yet I'm still here and there's nothing you can do about it, neener neener" depends on if she's lucid or not.

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give?

Vonzi will show up for the leadership council--"show up", not "was invited," because she somehow finds out about the meetings and ends up crashing the sessions, much to the annoyance of Captain Harmattan. Her leadership advice basically comes down to recommending the KC be open and transparent about their leadership abilities to dispel dissent. She'll also make not-jokes about keeping an eye out for inherent corruption within the upper ranks; to be quite honest the Wary just sounds like the beginnings of a classic power grab to her. But what does she know?

Where do they hang out in the Defender's Heart? Drezen? In the Abyss?

Defender's Heart: Near Vissaly and the injured. Ambient dialogue when the KC comes near would have Vissaly asking Vonzi diagnostic questions about her state of mind.

Camp to Drezen: Around the edges, close-ish to Seelah

Drezen: Near where the Ziggurat/portal to the Azata court is.

Abyss: Around the campfire near Sosiel and Trever.

What are their idle animations?

Delirious: Rubbing her ears, hunching down and holding her head in her hands, looking around as if she hears something or is confused about where she is.

Lucid: Rubbing her neck, lifting one foot up placing it back down again, massaging her hands, swaying from side to side.

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream?

Vonzi's dream is pretty sad--even if her act 3 quest is completed before the lab, Vonzi's dream is deeply incomprehensible to an onlooking KC, like a splash of watercolor around her rather than a concrete scene. There are some vague almost-images, sometimes--a farm, maybe, a giant bush of blue and purple flowers. Laughter--some that sounds almost familiar, and sometimes that of a stranger's. A shadow of a child, running along the edges of the vision. Sometimes other figures, which a completed-quest KC might interpret as Vonzi's sisters. The only thing constant and clear is the sky: the purple of high dusk, and yet covered in stars like salt on dark linen.

When asked what she saw, Vonzi will admit she can't really remember.

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers?She will strongly advise an Angel or Azata to keep their powers--they're clearly not of the Abyss any longer, and it helps them with their goals. They've certainly helped her, literally made her sane, and she can't imagine the KC causing the kind of harm Iomadae is worried about.

"You're joking, right? I don't know, personally I think the powers that have literally given me back my sanity might be good, actually. Go nuts! I've got faith in you no matter what you decide."

If the KC is a trickster, Vonzi will urge them to go legend, equating the mythic path to her own sense of unreality when her sickness untethers her--it's not nearly as fun as it seems, and the KC will lose sight of themselves. She will even say that while the power has allowed her some lucidity, it also makes it even harder for her to stay in the here and now, and she doesn't want to lose herself--or the KC to lose themselves either.

If the Commander is a demon or a lich, Vonzi will consider the power as doing more harm than good--either by being so focused on their own power that they do not care what happens to others, or by thinking the only way to truly gain the power needed to stop the Worldwound is by dominating others' wills (demon and lich, respectively). She will urge them to go Legend.

If the KC is an Aeon, Vonzi will admit to being torn. On one hand, the power of the Aeon is changing the KC in ways she doesn't like, and she's worried about them. However, she understands that becoming a full Aeon could do more than even Iomadae could do to fix what is wrong. She will ultimately tell the KC that they will know what is best, but to ask themselves if they are truly willing to sacrifice everything to walk this path--because that is what their power will demand of them.

How/when do they join the Commander’s party?

Vonzi can be found near the base of Iomadae's statue in the Market Square, collapsed and surrounded by a puddle of what looks like black ink, except strange pinpricks of light emanate from the dark liquid like stars. The tieflings trying to break free their friend nearby will comment on her presence, saying they had nothing to do with whatever the heck happened to her but also that no demons have come near this area since Deskari first attacked. The scrawny tiefling (the one you can help free from the rubble) can be asked about her once he is free, and he'll tell the KC that she just appeared out of thin air right before Deskari attacked, to tieflings shock, and had collapsed. He doesn't know where the inky stuff came from.

The KC can approach Vonzi at any point, triggering a cutscene. She will be unresponsive, both to physical attempts to wake her and to healing, if the KC is a healer. However, the strange wound on the KC's chest hurts looking at her, and the KC can reach out with the strange power to connect with Vonzi. This causes her to wake up. She is shaken and barely responsive; the KC can only ask a few questions before a group of demons attack. Vonzi takes one of them out immediately with a blast of cold, and fights alongside the party to take out the rest.

Afterward, Vonzi can be asked questions again. She's slow to respond, and doesn't have a lot of information. She knows her name is Vonzi. She was here in Kenabres for...something. Something important. But she doesn't remember what, anymore. She doesn't know what the black liquid is. She doesn't know why she's so injured. The KC can then tell her where the Defender's Heart is, and she will offer her services and her magic as thanks for the KC waking her up. If the KC agrees, she becomes part of the party.

Do they have any specific comments or interactions during the main quest (EG volunteering to go to Leper's Smile, reacting to the Queen firing the KC, etc.)

If Vonzi is present during the second attack on the Gray Garrison, when the KC first gains a level in mythic power, she will have dialogue before the fight with Minagho that shows her first shift from her delirious to her lucid state, which the KC can note as her seeming far more clear-headed than before. Afterward, she has dialogue when KC first comes to the camp at the beginning of Act 2 as a formal introduction to her lucid state.

A lucid Vonzi will volunteer to lead the soldiers in Leper's Smile, probably with a comment about how bugs don't like cold much.

Vonzi will be kidnapped during the gargoyle attack; she'll be the last companion found, right before the chapel, encased in black ice that has surrounded her as well as a group of gargoyles. The KC touching the ice will cause it to break, freeing the gargoyles to be fought; Vonzi will be in her delirious state but insist on coming along to fight.

Describe their companion quest:

In Act 2, after Leper's Smile, Vonzi will request to accompany the KC the next time they go scouting. While she's felt much better and more clearheaded ever since the attack on the Gray Garrison and dealing with the wardstone, she is now feeling antsy and out of touch, unable to concentrate. She's worried she's slipping back into the state she was in when in Kenabres. The KC can also note that she's looking far worse, and is distant and distracted. She's hoping that some fresh air away from the camp, as well as concentrating on scouting, will help shake off the cobwebs in her mind, and she doesn't care where the KC is going as long as they go somewhere.

The next time the KC travels with Vonzi after this conversation, a random encounter will occur on the map that forces the party to fight a group of demons who have ambushed them. During the fight, Vonzi will have a breakdown, causing an explosion of power around the party that knocks the demons away in a gust of cold. After she teleports the party, she collapses in a seizure, black liquid with pinpricks of light oozing out of her eyes, nose, and ears. It's a large amount that very quickly pools around her body.

If Sosiel, Daeran, Seelah, or Ember are in the party, one of them will jump in at this point to stabilize Vonzi (in that order if more than one is present). If none are present, the KC has the option to heal Vonzi if they have healing abilities, or use an item if a potion or scroll of Heal Major Wounds or Greater Restore is in the inventory.

If none of these requirements are met, then Vonzi succumbs to her mysterious wounds and dies.

Once Vonzi is healed, the scene immediately cuts back into camp, where Vissaly is examining Vonzi. He will inform the KC that the seizure was not caused by a regular illness, or even a byproduct of some kind of brain injury; instead, it looks like the source of the seizure is magical in nature, some kind of spell that has been placed on Vonzi and is actively causing the condition--and probably her shifting mental state as well. Vissaly cannot determine what the spell is, where it is coming from, or how to remove it; all he can tell the KC is that the strange power they are sharing with their companions is actively healing Vonzi and is probably the only reason she isn't dead yet. Regular checkups and healing can also help mitigate these symptoms and he insists Vonzi visit him regularly moving forward to help with her condition until they can figure out more.

Vonzi herself is little help during this regarding the source of this spell; she not only still doesn't remember anything pertinent, but the seizure has reverted her back into her delirious state, and she finds it difficult to communicate.

Vonzi will remain delirious until the KC gets their next level of mythic power at the Lost Chapel; after that point, their general state will switch between lucid and delirious after several rests, with corresponding buffs and debuffs for each state.

NOTE: If the KC does not take Vonzi with them before the camp is attacked by gargoyles, Vonzi's body will be found during the attack with black liquid seeping out of her orifices and she will be permanently removed from the party, failing the quest.

In Chapter 3, after the key to the Ivory Sanctum is found in Wintersun, Irabeth will approach the KC in a cutscene with Vonzi present, who (currently lucid) was asked to come to the war room. Irabeth will explain that a new civil servant has joined the Crusade, and has specifically been helping to coordinate resources and supply lines to Drezen. She hails from Sargava as a highly recommended businesswoman--she is also, Irabeth had found out when they had met the other day, almost identical in appearance to Vonzi. Irabeth had wanted to bring this to Vonzi and the KC's attention, as this "Viritine Voness" might be related to or know something about Vonzi's past.

Vonzi seems genuinely confused by the revelation. She has no recollection of having any kind of family and doesn't recognize the name of the woman, though that really doesn't mean anything considering the holes in her memory. However, she is also surprisingly unwilling to follow up on this information. If the KC asks why, she says she feels that it just doesn't feel necessary, but this is obviously a super cagey response.

If the KC pushes the issue, pointing out a family member can tell Vonzi about her past, or perhaps know about the spell placed on her, Vonzi shuts down the conversation. "Okay, what I was doing before was a hint--I don't want to meet this Viritine person. Drop it."

The KC can, at this point, seek out Viritine on their own--she will be in Drezen near the soldiers practicing in the yard, near the supply houses (around where Trever can be found). She does look nearly identical to Vonzi, though there are some key differences--she's taller, and looks older, and her black hair is cut short, close to her scalp. She does not have whatever gift Vonzi has, as her eyes are a dark brown, and her hands are unblemished.

Viritine comes across as impatient and intense, with little charm or desire for niceties. She's helping to deal with supply chain issues and even the Knight Commander is just someone distracting her from her job. The KC can try asking her about her past, her life, and where she's from, what her family is like--but after a few questions Viritine, who had only been reluctantly answering before this point, will cut to the chase and ask why she's being interrogated.

The KC can lie about getting to know who works for them, but it requires a high bluff check and even if it succeeds, Viritine is not convinced. The KC can also just explain the truth, that they have a companion named Vonzi who looks like Viritine.

Failing the bluff check or telling Viritine about Vonzi will cause Viritine to get very angry, and she will storm off with little explanation.

Succeeding in the bluff check allows the KC to drag a little more information out of Viritine. She has lived in multiple places through her life, mainly in Sargava, though the last place she lived was in Isger until her mother's death a few months ago. When the Crusade started she traveled north to help with the efforts. Viritine will also reluctantly mention a younger sister, Aerici, and a niece, Laicanis.

After the conversation with Viritine, the KC can return to Vonzi to inform her about what little was learned. Vonzi is uncomfortable and irritated that the KC even bothered to speak with the other woman, reiterating she didn't need to know this. However, if the KC offers to drop the issue, Vonzi will ask for them to just give the information since they already went to the trouble to get it. If the KC told Viritine about Vonzi and informs Vonzi of this, she will become truly angry.

Whether or not Viritine was told the truth, she will appear and interrupt the conversation as either the KC or Vonzi attempts to end it. Viritine is furious, pop-a-blood-vessel furious, either by what the KC told her or about what she found when she followed the KC to Vonzi on a hunch.

She immediately starts yelling at Vonzi, calling her "Kallesto." She accuses Vonzi of playing some sort of ill-thought prank, of being selfish, of abandoning the family. Vonzi will stay silent throughout the tirade, and the KC can at this point step in in various conciliatory or aggressive ways.

Regardless of how the KC jumps into the conversation, Viritine will turn her attention to the KC and ask them if they know who they've been traveling with. She calls out Vonzi as her younger sister, Kallesto, who the Voness family had sacrificed everything to keep safe from the Isger government, who had seen her powers as heresy in a country where worship of all but Asmodeus was illegal. And in return? Vonzi's recklessness had led to the death of their mother. And then, the day after her mother was hanged for her crimes, Vonzi had the gall to leave.

Vonzi will not speak or defend herself during the tirade; at the end, she just walks. The KC can go search for her afterward; the conversation after will have Vonzi not giving a lot of information, but stating that it was important that she leave the family. That seeing Viritine had allowed her to remember enough to know that she'd left them for an important reason and that while the anger was probably deserved, she ultimately feels that her decision is justified even if she can't remember the justification.

The KC can, at this point, urge Vonzi to try and reconcile with her family, tell Vonzi that the KC is there to help if anything is needed, or agree that Vonzi is probably correct in her decision. Regardless, the scene ends.

The next time the KC leaves and re-enters Drezen (or a period of five days passes, whichever comes first), a small cutscene will happen where Irabeth will tell the KC that Vonzi is acting erratic and is demanding to see the KC. Vonzi comes in shortly after, and the KC can tell she's either delirious or slipping into a delirious state; she tells the KC she can't find Viritine anymore and had found out that she'd gone back to Kenabres. She insists that they go after her; under no circumstances should Viritine stay in Kenabres. The KC can ask for reasons but Vonzi will not give them. The KC must either agree to go to Kenabres or disagree; if they disagree the quest fails.

Traveling to Kenabres, the KC can enter the Market Square once more, with a cutscene starting in front of the church where Vonzi was first found and recruited. Viritine will be there, along with another woman described as looking like Vonzi, as well as a child about four years old--Vonzi's second sister, Aerici, and her daughter Laicanis. Aerici comes off as far more even-tempered than the angry Viritine, but is clearly hurt by Vonzi's actions.

They will together resume the argument that started in Drezen, with both sisters expressing anger/disappointment at Vonzi's behavior. The KC can either side with the sisters, urging Vonzi to open up to them and explain her reasoning, or side with Vonzi, noting that the sister seem to demand a lot from her and that they clearly don't know the whole story. Either way, the sisters refuse to listen to the KC's excuses, and Vonzi will tell them to leave the Crusade immediately, that they're not wanted--she will be very cold and downright cruel, which can cause the KC to either agree or intervene. Both sisters will express confusion and anger at Vonzi's behavior.

Then, there argument gets cut short by sounds of shouting and terror--and the subsequent arrival of a group of very powerful demons. Vonzi will freak out and immediately start attackign them with powerful cold spells; the KC and party will join in to help defeat the demons, with the sisters running away.

After the fighting is done, Vonzi is delirious from the energy expended. The sisters return and notice her change in behavior and demand answers. The KC can give a little bit of information regarding how Vonzi's mental state has shifted, which leads Aerici to ask Vonzi to please tell them what is happening.

The KC can ask Vonzi to tell them what is going on; if they have not been supportive of reconciliation or agreed that Vonzi's mindset is correct before now, Vonzi will refuse. Otherwise, she will tell the sisters that she left to protect them, that she didn't want them hurt the same way their mother was hurt because of her. This will cause the family to reconcile.

Alternatively, the KC can continue to support Vonzi's desire not to say anything, saying that she doesn't really owe the sisters anything and the sisters aren't obligated to forgive her. There are some things you can't fix, and this rift feels like it is one of them. This, as well as Vonzi refusing to say anything, leads to the family not reconciling.

After this quest, whether or not Viritine and Aerici are reconciled are not, they join the Crusade as NPC helpers, both providing buffs to Crusade management. Viritine ostensibly helps Dorgelinda with the supply line and rationing issues, while Aerici starts a "comfort circle" with other noncombatants in Drezen to send letters and gifts to soldiers on the front line, giving them a boost in combat.

Both of them can be spoken to in Drezen. They will share more detailed stories of their childhood and the complicated feelings they have toward each other, though what they exactly say will change depend on if they've reconciled with Vonzi.

If reconciled and Vonzi is in her delirious state, one or both sisters will move from their usual spots (Aerici is in the lower quarters near the mongrels, while Viritine is in the marketplace) to next to Vonzi, and will provide additional dialogue if the KC tries to speak to her letting the KC know she's not "feeling well" that day.

Vonzi's Act 5 quest activates after Iz. At the beginning of Act 5, the KC's first conversation with Vonzi will have the KC noting she looks far worse--sallow with dark bags under her eyes, and an unfocused gaze. Even lucid, she starts drifting off more often in conversation. However, if you ask her about it directly, she'll insist she's fine.

After the big post-Iz speech, Aerici will show up and say that something is wrong with Vonzi--the exact speech will be slightly different depending on if she's reconciled with Vonzi or not, but it will basically amount to Aerici attempting to visit the house Vonzi lives in and finding the door won't open, and black liquid is seeping out from underneath the frame.

She will then hand the KC a note, one with a short and simple message: "Thank you for helping me accomplish what I came here for. I tried to hold on until after we closed the Worldwound, but it looks like that won't be possible. Goodbye."

Aerici will insist they immediately go to Vonzi's house; if the KC refuses to, the quest automatically ends and Vonzi is permanently removed from the party.

If the KC agrees it cuts to her house, where the KC can break down the door. They will find the interior in a black expanse with dim lights twinkling in the distance.

When the KC tries reach into the blackness, it will coalesce on the doorstep into the shape of a vaguely humanoid figure with stars twinkling in its form. It will tell the KC that Vonzi is dying--the mythic power had been keeping Vonzi alive for far longer than she should have been able to hold on, and for that it thanks the KC. But the KC needs to convince Vonzi to let go. Otherwise, Vonzi will not survive the night.

The KC can ask questions--what the entity is, what is relationship to Vonzi is, but it will not answer. Aerici will guess that it is Vonzi's patron. The patron will reiterate that Vonzi needs to "go back," and that Vonzi needs to know she "cannot fix this."

The KC can express distrust at the entity's motives but will ultimately have to move forward with what it asks. The KC can ask what needs done and the entity will telll them that they need to "find her where she lies and tell her to let go."

The KC can walk into the house after this point, with Aerici asking the KC to get her sister.

Walking in finds the KC in Vonzi's memories--back when she was Kallesto Voness in truth, the youngest child of a woman who picked up her children and ran away from the community she grew up in when Kallesto was blessed with powers from the stars. There are several scenes the KC has to walk through showing Kallesto as a child, chafing under the understanding that the poor conditions her family has to endure is a direct consequence of her existence and her powers; that her family loves her, but they all might have been better, happier, if she weren't around.

Rigid and controlling Viritine, who expresses her fear and concern through anger; sweet and placid Aerici, who takes until she's married and left the family to sail with a Sargavan pirate to find any sense of identity outside of caregiver; and of course the matriarch Zapphine, whose overbearing nature, paranoia, and intermittent rages are all layered over the overwhelming sense that she had given up everything for her children and would die for their happiness. Vonzi is the one they revolve around, for better or for worse; the one chosen by their mysterious god, the smartest and the strongest and the one destined for greatness.

This information is given in discordant, out-of-order scenes from Vonzi's life, where the KC is forced to watch her interactions before being able to speak to Vonzi, who is able to point them in the direction they need to go to get to her--walk through a door, crawl under a bed, even fall off a cliff at one point, to get to the next scene.

While many of these pieces of her life are from the past, some are strange and conflict with what has happened in the story: scenes from Vonzi's life where she apparently joined the crusade alongside her sisters months after Kenabres was attacked, after the KC had led the army to Drezen and retaken the city. This Vonzi has no illness and helps her sisters with reconstruction efforts, with plans to head to Drezen after. There's no indication she has ever met the KC in these scenes--in this version of events, the Voness family fled together after their mother's death, when Vonzi retaliated by killing an entire church of Asmodean worshippers and putting a bounty on their entire heads.

The confusion with these scenes is eventually explained in a scene from Vonzi's earlier childhood; she and Aerici are cooking together when Vonzi stumbles and breaks a figurine that had been on the shelf, ostensibly the only nice and expensive looking decoration in the room. While Aerici tries to comfort Vonzi, Vonzi insists that she'll "fix it," closing her eyes and holding the broken glass sculpture. The world around her warps and turns liquid, then restructures itself; when Vonzi opens her eyes, she's still in the kitchen, but the figurine is back on the shelf, unbroken. There is a puddle of black liquid at her feet, one that Aerici expresses confusion about. Vonzi excitedly tells her sister that she learned a cool new trick with her powers.

Everything seems to be fine, until several hours later when Vonzi collapses, black liquid seeping out of her ears. Her mother helps Vonzi up and demands to know what's going on, but Vonzi can't answer. Eventually, the liquid pouring out of Vonzi turns into a puddle with a slick, mirror-like consistency; in it, Vonzi's patron tells her mother that she must 'go back', or she will die. Her mother, caught between rage and terror, demands that Vonzi do what their god has told them and go back. Vonzi, still seizing, seems to lose her grip, and the world snaps back--she is in the kitchen, with the broken figurine in her hands. She faints shortly after.

When Vonzi awakens, it is to her furious mother, who demands an explanation. Vonzi says that she broke the statue and had just wanted to fix it; she knew how important it was to her mother. And she'd realized that when she concentrates, she can go back in time, though she'd never tried to stay there before.

Zapphine tells Vonzi that she can never, under any circumstances, do that again. Their god has spoken and explained what had happened; Vonzi is too young to use this power, and if she tries to stay in an altered timeline she will die. She cannot make any meaningful changes in the past that will stick, because her powers will slowly crush her mind and soul until she dies or snaps back to the unaltered present she left.

Right afterward, it devolves into one final scene: Vonzi in Kenabres again, with her sisters and her niece. She and Viritine are fighting about how they had to join the Crusade because of Vonzi when the demons that had attacked in Vonzi's Act 3 quest show up. This time, though, unprepared and without the KC's help, Vonzi is only able to protect herself; the rest of her family is killed in the attack.

Vonzi has a breakdown at the deaths, her powers exploding out of her and killing the rest of the demons. She then tries to revive her sisters, without success. After a moment, seemingly numb, she tells their bodies that she will fix this, that she can fix it. And then the world warps and melts again, restructures once more with a puddle of black ink--Kenabres, months in the past, right as Deskari attacks.

The scene ends, and the KC has finally found Vonzi in the middle of a black expanse littered with stars. Her power is a tangible thing here, a weight on her back that is slowly crushing her to death: it was her own spell, her insistence on staying the past, that has caused her delirious state, and what is killing her now.

Vonzi expresses surprise at the KC's presence and thanks them for their help, but saying that she knows she has to die to preserve the timeline and keep her family alive. Dialogue will vary slightly if she reconciled with her family or not, but either way she asks the KC to leave so she can make sure she properly fixes things.

At this point, the dark figure from before will reappear, this time a more coherent silhouette of stars--it identifies itself as an aeon (an Aeon KC will be able to recognize it as a rogue aeon, one that has gone against the natural order), and insists that Vonzi is "too young" to do this properly. That she must return back to her timeline, and let the past go.

The KC, at this point, has three options:

Let Vonzi die: the default, which requires no convincing on Vonzi's part, and can be done whether or not her family reconciled with her or what her relationship with the KC is. The rogue aeon will grow furious and attack; the KC must defeat it, with Vonzi helping. When it is gone, Vonzi dies, and is permanently removed from the party. The KC leaves the house and delivers the bad news to Aerici, who is tearful but understanding; both she and Viritine remain as important NPCs to the Crusade, with their corresponding buffs.

Convince Vonzi to return to her timeline: Requires the KC to have pushed Vonzi to letting things go/not destroying herself for the sake of fixing things in her dialogue and quests, as well as have high trust. She and her family must not be reconciled, and a persuasion check must be passed. If successful, Vonzi agrees with the idea that even if her family is gone, life is still worth living--that there is something on the other side of the tragedy. Vonzi will let go, causing the stars to wink out and fade into darkness. When they fade, the KC will be in an empty room; Vonzi will not be present, and outside, neither will Aerici. Both Aerici and Viritine will have disappeared from the Crusade and their buffs will also be gone.

After a rest, a cutscene will occur in the war room where Vonzi appears. She is calmer, more grounded, and looks much healthier--lucid, permanently. She at first presents herself as a stranger and a new recruit; after the KC tells her they remember her, she thanks the KC for helping her come to terms with what happened and for convincing her to revert the timeline. She asks to rejoin the party, which the KC can agree to or not. There is special dialogue regarding Vonzi with several NPCs, as while the KC's mythic power allows them and the party to remember Vonzi, no one else does. The KC can also talk to Vonzi after this quest to discuss her decisions and her grief.

Convince Vonzi not to let go and accept help from the KC: requires very high trust, the KC to be on a non-evil mythic path, and for the KC to have convinced her in her quests that her efforts weren't pointless even if they came at a high cost. Her family must be reconciled and the KC will have shown her they can be trusted to support her. When Vonzi agrees the KC will use their mythic/legend powers to permanently join Vonzi to the KC's power. However, the patron informs the KC that this will not stop the pain and the delirium brought on by remaining in this alternate present, and that even with their power it will grow worse for her and she will never fully recover from what was done.

At this is done, the stars fade to black, and then the darkness recedes to find the KC in a room with Vonzi lying on the bed, covered in the black tar of her powers. She is barely unable to speak, having reverted to her delirious state; however, she will thank the KC for their help and express gratitude at what they have done for her.

Viritine and Aerici will burst into the room shortly after the KC starts talking to Vonzi and begin take care of her. All buffs they bring to the Crrusade remain and Vonzi remains part of the party, oscillating between lucid and delirious states with corresponding debuffs.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want!

Vonzi is not a romance option; however, she will sleep with a female KC following her Act III quest. Vonzi makes it clear that she is not interested in any kind of relationship, and the sex is a no-strings attached arrangement; the KC can speak to her more in general dialogue about this, where she admits she just doesn't really see the point of romance. She's got friends, she can get sex if she needs it, and sex with friends in particular is fun. But she doesn't want anything like a romantic relationship with the KC and she will encourage the KC to seek out another partner if that's what she's looking for.

If the KC has romanced another character and slept with Vonzi, while there is no jealousy confrontation, Vonzi will stop sleeping with the KC in Act V, letting the KC know that while she doesn't care about who else the KC sleeps with, it's clear the other love interest does and she's not going to step on anyone's toes. There is no option to continue sleeping with her past this point if another romance is active.

However, if the KC did not romance anyone else and continued the friends-with-benefits arrangement with Vonzi, Vonzi will have special dialogue at Threshold, basically telling the KC that she's sorry she wasn't able to give the KC the kind of romantic relationship that other people could have given her, and that she hopes the KC will find that one day after this.

The KC can respond basically saying that she hopes so as well, or by saying that the close friendship she has with Vonzi is more than enough; this second dialogue option leads to an additional bit of information in the ending slide, where Vonzi and the KC meet up frequently for the rest of their lives and their close friendship is a point of discussion, though whenever asked directly they always deny a romantic relationship. "We're best friends," Vonzi will say. "Isn't that enough?"

What would their ending slides be like?

Vonzi dead, timeline preserved: A small slide regarding the rest of the Voness family, who leave Drezen after the end of the Crusade and mourn the final loss of their sister.

Vonzi alive, timeline reset: Vonzi travels after the events of the Crusade, acting as a mercenary and a bodyguard for travelers that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford the protection--her focus is on families. She will regale her clients with stories of her family now long gone, finally able to confront their loss while still moving forward from it.

If KC chose to leave Drezen: Occasionally, Vonzi will be joined in her exploits by the former Knight Commander, who will share tales of their own travels.

If KC chose to stay in Drezen: Sometimes, Vonzi's wanderings will take her back to Mendev, where she will visit her old friend.

Vonzi alive, timeline preserved: The Voness family settles down in Drezen, Viritine heading a lucrative shipping and transportation business and Aerici starting a daycare. Vonzi, for her part, spends her time helping her sister with guarding shipments in her business, volunteering as a child wrangler at the daycare, and being a menace at The Half Measure during off-nights. Both of older sisters work to take care of Vonzi when her episodes of delirium grow longer and more frequent; Vonzi will always brush off their concerns, saying that the delirious episodes don't even hurt anymore. Besides, the episodes are more than worth it to see her family alive and together.

Ascended: Godhood suits Vonzi. She becomes something akin to a trickster goddess, an enemy to rigid organizations and corrupt hierarchies. If someone is planning on burning down the system, Vonzi is who they pray to.

Timeline reset: Vonzi also ends up traveling, exploring the vast expanses of the planarverse. Eventually, she comes across what she's looking for--the hidden home of the rogue Aeon who was her patron as a mortal. What she discussed with them is known only between the two of them, but after that first encounter Vonzi often disappears for periods of time to visit them.

Timeline preserved: Beyond her usual patrons, there is one group of mortals that Vonzi can always be found reliably helping out--the Voness family. Even after her sisters go into Pharasma's arms after long and fruitful lives blessed by the gods, Vonzi keeps a close eye on Laica and then all her descendants afterward, making sure her family is safe.

True Aeon: In a word where the Crusade never took Vonzi's family away, the Voness clan move to Andoran and settle down in a far more democratically minded society. Vonzi turns her attention to speaking out against the iron hold over common lives that Cheliax still has over its citizens, and is vocally supportive of rebellion groups in the country. Eventually, to her family's disapproval, she goes to Cheliax herself to help with the rebellion's efforts--gone in the middle of the night without a word, silent for years, and believed dead, until she comes home with gray in her hair and stories about the people she has helped the adventures she has had. When her family does not welcome her back, she only smiles and expresses understanding before leaving again, never to return.

True Aeon (memories preserved): [Last sentences of previous slide are replaced with this] Eventually, to her family's disapproval, she goes to Cheliax to help with the rebellion's efforts, stating only in her defense that it would be better for all of them if they had distance from her. Despite her work and the attention it demands of her and her powers, Vonzi still regularly writes to her family over the years, making sure they are all happy and safe, and when they call for her to visit, she makes the effort.

Any other fun facts?

If Lann was recruited but not romanced, and Vonzi reconciles with her family in Act 3, there can be party dialogue activated by speaking with Aerici a few times that suggests she and Lann have been spending a lot of time together--Aerici's late husband was a sailor himself and they had traveled on sea together until Aerici became pregnant with Laica. Lann has, apparently, been asking her a lot of questions about it, and other things as well.

Eventually, party banter will have Lann awkwardly bring it up to Vonzi, who will immediately shut Lann down: no, she does not want to know ANYTHING about what he and Aerici are doing. Her older sister is a paragon of beauty and purity who has never touched a man. She conceived Laica through some kind of divine intervention and, in Vonzi's opinion, that will be how she will stay. She will give Lann a very laid-back version of a shovel talk, though, and warn him to expect to get shit from Viritine for it.

If this ends up activated, Aerici survives, and Lann gets his good ending, his ending slide will reflect that his adventures on ship are always punctuated by trips back to Drezen to visit his wife and adopted child, who both eventually join him on his adventures.

Vonzi describes the difficulty she experiences communicating in her delirious state as like "finding words underwater--they're always two inches to the left of where you think they are."

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

When clicked on (lucid):

"Where do you need me?"

[When clicked on too many times][annoyed] "What--what? Yes?"

"Fun fact: some of the greatest atrocities committed in history were done by people fighting for a good cause. Why did I bring that up? Oh, no reason."

When clicked on [delirious]:

[Audible sounds of shivering]

"I missed that...what?"

"Where are we?"

Conversation start:

[lucid] Vonzi looks over to you and yawns. "Feeling pretty good today. What do you need?"

[delirious]: Vonzi's gaze is in the far distance, unfocused and feverish. She jerks her attention to you only when you are close enough to touch. "I don't--I'm here. What did you need?"

Conversation end:

[lucid] "Well, don't let me keep you."

[delirious] Vonzi turns her attention back to the far distance, her gaze unfocused.

Skill check success:

[lucid] "Ha, nice."/"Yeah, you're welcome."

[delirious] "It worked..."/"I did it. I fixed it."

Skill check failure:

[lucid] "Well, that sucks."/"I'm not trying again."

[delirious] "No..."/"What...was I doing again?"

Combat start:

[lucid] "Well, let's get this over with."/"You really think you can take me on?"

[delirious] "You won't hurt them!"/ *screaming*

Low Health

[lucid] "Hey, healer please!"/"I'll put down my weapon if you put down yours!"

[delirious] "I have to stay!"/"No, I won't go back, I can't--"

Knocked unconscious:

[lucid] "You absolute shitheads..."/ "It's too soon..."

[delirious] "It's so cold..."/"I can't go back..."

#oc: vonzi #pwotr #wotr #theeeee companion meme for the actual companion i made. only took me like 84 years #'where are the camp banters cassy' they're wherever you need them to be with the power of imagination #i got too tired and couldn't muster up the energy it takes to make accurate character voices for banters ok #the quest is complete and that's really the thing i wanted done most of all tbh #now you finally have the necessary context when i talk about her lol #pathfinder wrath of the righteous

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