#Major Arcana Inspired Character Asks

[a-d-nox]

web of wyrd: how to identify fame/popularity

the top left corner of the wyrd web can tell you about some of your talents/interests, the core tells you who you truly are, and the flow/career is like the midheaven of the wyrd web realm. that being said, these are basic premises; in no way does one number mean a single thing. each number can mean different and multiple things. these are simply my observations (also observations are not destined to be true; they are simply possibilities / increased odds). if you want to learn more about the major arcana, which is the basis for the web's numbers, click here!

acting

3 (the empress): they are the real star of the show - the camera loves them

11 (justice): they can really step into a persona and become a character

artist

3 (the empress): they have an eye for detail; they are used to sitting still and observing the world. they have a creative instinct to creative because they are venus ruled

18 (the moon): they are very abstract visionaries and creators

breakdown / postmortem

13 (death): this is typically an unexpected occurrence that captures the attention of the masses

16 (the tower): famous breakdowns and even more sudden deaths

20 (judgment): they have a reawaken as to who they are that capture the world's attention

director

12 (the hanged man): the artistic eye for sure; it's because they are a neptunian that they can make their vision into a reality

fashion

11 (justice): i don't how often i can repeat this before everyone gets annoyed, but the fashion of 11 people is just iconic - they are trendsetters

infamous

16 (the tower): these people tend to be popular/famous for something morally unsavory

influencer

8 (strength): the giantess is the guiding hand that in encourages others

literally anything

10 (the wheel of fortune): these people are the type to blow up overnight and get "lucky" by becoming famous

17 (the star): they tend to have ups and downs in their time for popularity/fame but in the end they remain memorable in a lot of people's minds

21 (the world): tends to represent someone with a lot of rewards and fame after a long period of time

nepotistic

14 (temperance): the angel pours one cup into another - like a parent's talent into their child

one hit wonder

22 (the fool): these people tend to fall as soon as rise (due to being uranus ruled) - they take a single big leap then they are good

politics/legals

4 (the emperor): they can be great leaders - they use their powers for the greater good and to better the world around them

7 (the chariot): they tend to make great speeches that inspire the masses

11 (justice): they tend to be more wrapped up in the legal end of things or they are moderates in the political realm

religious leader

5 (the hierophant): they are often seen as wise and can gain a lot of worshipers/followers

research/educational

5 (the hierophant): they tend to make incredible discoveries that further the world around them

19 (the sun): they tend to make a discovery that changes the world around them

singer

3 (the empress): they have a magnetic energy that makes others want to listen to them and watch them preform their creativity

4 (the emperor): they tend to be great rappers and tend to make great diss tracks haha

6 (the lovers): these people are known for their sound and their appearance (they are considered gorgeous)

writer

6 (the lovers): this card is gemini ruled so writing is definitely their thing

9 (the hermit): these people can make their own world - they are good at illustrating their thoughts

12 (the hanged man): they are very good at multi-POV writing and making an idea very realistic

like what you read? leave a tip and state what post it is for! please use my "suggest a post topic" button if you want to see a specific pac/pile next. if you'd like my input on how i read a specific card or what i like to ask my deck, feel free to use the ask button for that as well.

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© a-d-nox 2024 all rights reserved

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

QUARTER-FINALS MATCH 2

Elliott propaganda:

“Just look at him. Pure hunk energy.”

“I will punch anyone who dislikes him. He’s like a fire emblem character in the modern day. He’s so flamboyant and handsome, he can play the piano and he’s best friends with the old fishing man!”

“dramatic writer man with sexy hair”

"Since I like elliott. I will state some reasons why I like him

Imagine if Mr. Darcy didn’t insult your family first time you met him, that’s Elliott. The man who’s basically the hallmark romance love interest. He’s a writer who moves to the small town in the country side to find inspiration for his writing. Then he finds the farmer.

He has a crab living in his pocket

He can play the piano (hopefully it isn’t the river flows in you however)

His fans sometimes hc him as a merman and that’s just a major plus IMO

He genre of the book he writes is dependent on what genre you say you like.

He also sends letters to you if you marry him

Okay and also some things I dislike

His liked gifts, the easiest one is pomegranates, which cost like 6000g to grow a tree if you don’t pick the fruit cave. I AM NOT GETTING SQUID INK IN YEAR ONE FOR YOU.

he might be British /j

The fact he has no kitchen but still likes food like lobster, like he is just a mystery. Lives in a cabin, with no kitchen, no washroom (okay no character has a washroom), but still likes the most fancy food out there and has luscious hair worthy of a L’Oréal ad.

Gifting him on rainy days when you don’t have two hearts"

Asra propaganda:

“He GIVES AWAY HALF HIS HEART TO REVIVE YOU okay but like. He's the MCs roommate and they were together for a few years before the MC caught a plague and died and he obsesses over a way to bring them back before succeeding by making a deal with a god to trade half his heart for MC and betraying the emperor. And then when MC comes back but without any of their memories, he takes care of them and teaches them how to live all over again and he never asks for anything in return. On all the routes where you don't choose him he's really supportive and helps you out despite your history and overall he's just really nice and supportive of the MC and is their rock no matter what route you go down. Also he has a pet snake named Faust and I love her she's so <33 

Idk I just appreciate him so much”

"He gave you half his HEART!! He would literally go to hell and back for you!! He wants to take you on adventures all around the world—doesn’t matter where, as long as he’s by your side!! AND he’s nonbinary!!!"

"He is so caring!! Anyone who says he is boring or his 'route' was boring is a LIAR or didn't really understand his character! He is such a sweet person

Asra propaganda on this poll doesn't even do him any justice!! He makes friends wherever he travels to , likes knitting for his familiar snake , is a sweetheart, WILL take care of you even in the lowest point of your life"

[writingwithcolor]

Conlanging Issues: A Compendium

NOTE: This question was submitted before the Nov 1, 2023 reopening and may not adhere to all rules and guidelines. The ask has been abridged for clarity. 

Most of my questions are about linguistics. […] One of the major locations in my story is a massive empire with cultural inspirations ranging from North Africa in the far south to Mongolia/Russia in the far north […] The middle region is where the capital is and is the main root of culture, from which Ive been taking inspiration from Southwest Asia […], but most notably southern regions of India. I've tried to stick to the way cities are named in Sanskrit-based languages but added the names of stars to the front (because the prevalent religion of this region worships the stars [...]). So Ive ended up with names like Pavoprayag, Alyanaga, Alkaiduru, Alcorpura, Cygnapete, etc. Is this a consistent naming system or should I alter it in some way? The empire itself is named the Arcana Empire since [...] each act of my story is named after a tarot card [...]. Another region in my story is based more on parts of South China and North Vietnam, so I've tried to stick to names with a Chinese origin for that. I understand the significance of family names in southwest [sic] Asia, so I wanted to double check [...]. They have only two short given names. Based on the birth order of the child, the first half of the name comes from the fathers family and the second half from the mothers family. It is seen as disrespectful not to use both names because using only one is seen as denouncing that side of your family. Thus I have names like Su Yin, Dai Jun, and Yi Wen for some of the characters from this region, and the city itself that they are from is named Bei Fen. On the other hand, Im having further trouble naming characters. […] Ive been trying to give my human characters names from real human cultures to distinguish them from the website-generated names of say, orcs, elves, dwarves, etc, but I think I should change many of the names Ive used to be more original and avoid fracturing real world cultures for the sake of my worldbuilding. […] Im still very weak in the linguistics area (even after four years of French, sigh) and am having trouble finding where to read about naming patterns so I can make new ones up. I read your naming guides but am still having trouble on where to start for specific languages. […] Im trying to look into Sanskrit, Turkish, and Persian specifically.

You're Going Too Broad

In my opinion, you’re casting too wide a net. You mentioned looking into Sanskrit, Turkish, and Persian to develop fantasy names. These languages are very different from one another, so unless you’re using them separately for very different parts of your world, it will be hard to draw inspiration from them in a way that makes sense. You’re taking on a huge amount of research in order to worldbuild cultures that span a massive geographical area (basically all of North Africa and Asia?) and have very little in common. Are you sure you want to take on that task?

I could see it being more manageable if most of your story is set in a small region of this world, which you will then research in depth to make sure you’re being as specific as possible.

Taking Persian as an example, you’ll have to decide whether you want to use Old Persian, Middle Persian, or Modern Persian. Each of these comes with a different alphabet and historical influences. They’re also associated with different periods of time and corresponding cultural and social markers. Once you’ve decided exactly when and where you want to start from, you can then expand the borders of your area of focus. For example, if you’ve decided to draw inspiration from Achaemenid Persia, you can then look at the languages that were spoken in the Achaemenid Empire. A quick Google search tells me that while Old Persian was the empire’s official language, they also used Aramaic, Akkadian, Median, Greek, and Elamite (among, I’m sure, many many others and many more regional variations). Further research into each of these will give you ethnic groups and bordering nations that you can draw more inspiration from to expand out your worldbuilding.

Don’t forget to make sure you’re staying within the same time period in order to keep things consistent. It’s a lot of work, and this is only for a small portion of the continent-spanning worldbuilding you’re trying to do.

You can get away with painting the rest of the continent in broad strokes without too much depth if the story doesn’t go there and you don’t have any main characters from those parts of the world. Otherwise, you’ll need to put this same level of detail into your worldbuilding for the area with Turkish-inspired names, and again for the area with Sanskrit-inspired names, and so on.

I know this isn’t what you were asking, but I honestly have a hard time helping you figure out where to start because your ask is so broad I don’t quite know where I would start myself. So, this is my advice: focus down on one region and time period and go from there. Feel free to write back once you’ve picked a narrower focus that we could help you with.

- Niki

So there’s logistical issues in regards to your naming system for southern China-coded regions. One issue is history: mainly on how there is not simply one language in China but multiple due to having a lot of ethnic groups and the size of China. South China in particular has different dialects and languages than the North as seen in this map of Chinese languages and dialects. There’s also how historically Mandarin was not the official language until 1913 in China and historical China saw vast changes in territory dependent on the dynasty. Before then, Mandarin was primarily a northern Chinese language based in Beijing while southern China had its own languages, dialects, and dynamics. Not to mention, historical China saw an evolution of language just like English has Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, and Modern English. For instance, Vietnam was once part of China during the Tang Dynasty and at another point, it was not part of China.

-Mod Sci

If You’re Borrowing Whole Words or Elements, Research More

The other issue is inconsistency with the cultures you’re deriving this conlang from. In regards to “two given names,” the Chinese name I was given was one syllable and then I would have a last name that was also one syllable. There’s also how not every family is perfect. Not every marriage is sanctioned and some children may come from single parents. Some families may not cooperate with marriage and sometimes children may be abandoned with unknown parents. There does not seem to be contingencies for these names under this conlang system.

The main problem with conlangs is that one needs to truly understand the languages one is drawing from. Tolkein managed to create conlangs due to training in linguistics. Mandarin is already a difficult language with multiple tones, and trying to use it for conlangs without knowledge of how Mandarin works or a good foundation in linguistics is just a Sisyphean endeavor.

-Mod Sci

Four years of French wouldn’t have taught you about linguistics as a science or anything about the language families you’ve listed - Indo-Iranian, Sino-Tibetan, and Turkic, nor any Asian naming conventions. I agree with Niki that you need to narrow down your research.

Pur/pura means city in Sanskrit (ex: Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur). Prayag is a place where pilgrimages are done. Naga isn’t a place name in Sanskrit (google says it means snake), nagar is and it means town. X Nagar is a very common name for places (Ex: Rajinder Nagar). Many cities in Karnataka have names ending in uru (Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Tumakuru, etc) but the language of Karnataka is Kannada - a Dravidian language and completely different family from Sanskrit (Indo-Aryan). I’m not sure where “pete” came from. “Bad” and “vaal” are common suffixes for places too (Ex: Faisalabad, Allahabad). A disclaimer that I do not speak Sanskrit, I speak Punjabi, which is a descendant of Sanskrit and in the same linguistic family (Indo-Aryan languages).

- SK

Also, This Is Not…Really Conlanging.

Hi OP. Linguistics refers to the science of studying how languages work, not the discipline of learning languages. And nothing shows that gap more than how you have thus far approached constructing fictional languages and toponyms. 

The reason why Sci and SK have a lot to say about your place names is because they don't resonate—you have borrowed whole words into your toponyms (place names) from a variety of languages—without an accurate understanding of what these words mean, how they’re pronounced, where they’re derived from—and expected them to work together. I suggest you read the links below on why conlanging is not as simple as choosing some languages and mashing their IRL words together: 

Why Using Random Languages Wholesale in your Fantasy is a Bad Idea 

Pitfalls of Mashing Countries and Languages in Coding

In your city names, for example, you’re using star names from multiple languages that use different sets of sounds represented by different sets of historical spelling rules. “Cygn-” and “Arcana” stick out like a sore thumb—the fact that one “c” is /s/ and one is /k/ is an obvious flag that they are Latin-derived English borrowings. This is because spelling rules were created in Middle English to make sense of the mix of “c” pronunciations across words of Indo-European origin due to a historical split called the Centum-Satem division. This is a phenomenon that is very specific to our world history, and to the history of English at that. Ironically, in your attempt to avoid stock fantasy names (which also often fall into the Latin-derived English pit), you are taking the exact same approach to naming.

Like Niki said, your selections are far too broad to code under a single umbrella. Do you expect that whatever language that city name came from runs the full gamut of sound inventory & spelling variety that spans multiple continents and hundreds of languages? Because that’s not how languages work. (And yes, I mean hundreds. Indigenous languages and linguistic diversity are a thing. See Niki’s note about just the languages in Persia. And nation-states bulldozing over those languages and pretending it’s just one language is a thing. See Sci’s note about China.) I haven't even talked about the variation in morphology (how words are formed) or syntax (sentence structure).

Please just read or re-read my guide on “naming conlangs” in this post and start from there.

~ Rina

PSA ON CONLANGING AND FANTASY NAMES:

For fantasy language asks submitted after Nov 1, 2023, the asker must indicate that they have read Mod Rina’s conlanging posts linked in FAQ 2 (Guides and Posts by Topic) of the Masterpost under the question “How do I make a fictional language for my story?” While this is an older ask, we are posting it as an example to our followers.

Per our new rules, any questions that can be directly answered in or extrapolated from the FAQs, or questions that indicate that the relevant resources haven’t been read, will be deleted with a note in the Deletion Log explaining why.

As always, if this post was helpful or educational to you, please consider tipping the relevant mods: SK, Niki, Sci, and Rina.

Edited for terminology errors

[mishacakes]

how do you connect to your character? like how do get to know them so well? how do you pick out their likes, dislikes, habits and those itty bitty bits about them? I've been struggling to do that for sooo many of my ocs, and i'm also at a lost of how to design them. like i once had a clear idea of what kind of character they are, but i wanted to change them a bit, make them a little better, and i feel like I've lost that character and that character i'm working on doesn't exists, no matter how much i loved them and enjoyed writing an drawing them. this has happened with every single character i made and it just makes me think that i may not be cut out for drawing or writing characters. i look up to you so i thought of asking you for help

sry for the long rant idk wat im doing

HELLO HELLO THANK YOU FOR ASKING!! So basically I took this question and turned it into a 1.6k word essay on writing characters and how I like to do it, so, uh, hope you enjoy!! and hope it helps!

OK!! character writing. How do you do it? or, well, how do I do it. I’ve got a few methods that help me out the most and are the most fun for me to think about. Here’s my big secret, if it’s not fun I don’t do it. I’m not here to do homework I’m waaayyyy out of school. I’m a legal adult. I pay my taxes. I’m not gonna do something that doesn’t give my brain the good fun juice. Anyways. My methods are: symbols, archetypes, and character inspiration. I use all these to figure out the CORE of a character, their very beating heart, and most importantly, what haunts them. Everything about a character, in my opinion, comes from this core and their ghost. Their habits, their fears, their joys, their coping mechanisms. So long as you have a clear grasp on their heart, you won’t go astray. Let’s dive into it! The characters I’m going to be using to describe how I use these methods are Alice and others characters from my webcomic—namely Edith, Hatter, and Rougina—and Tomiko (you know her you love her, catgirl supreme).

Symbols! I love using symbols, they’re something that can describe a character through metaphor, even without going into detail about their whole backstory and habits. Tomiko’s symbols are lanterns (specifically light), cats, ghosts/yokai, shapeshifting, and gold. They all work to further her character as a rough around the edges monster cat with a heart of gold, who uses shapeshifting as a method (both literally and metaphorically) to mold herself into what others need her to be. Alice’s symbols are hearts, eyes, and flesh in general. Try picking one general symbol (the ocean, the forest, the city), and see how specific you can get from there. Or pick a god or goddess that resonates with your character and see what symbols are used for them. Rougina (the antagonist in my webcomic) is a war goddess fallen from grace, and is symbolized with land and volcanoes, so I’ve used volcanic plants to evoke her. Personally I also love going through the tarot for symbols, assigning a tarot card to characters (of the major arcana) is a fun exercise. Which leads us nicely into our next method:

Archetypes! The tarot deck’s Major Arcana is pretty much only archetypes. The Empress as the Mother. The Magician as the Wise Mentor. The Tower as The Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen Oh Jesus Shit. These can help a lot with who your character is. I’m extremely storytelling oriented, so it helps me knowing What Role a character serves in the story they inhabit. Another thing I love in archetypes in the Zodiac. Yes, I am an astrology bitch. The whole reason I love talking about my methods is my Sag rising, I love giving my wisdoms. But astrology can be used for writing, and not just for excusing and not reflecting on shit behavior (can’t help being a gemini!). The zodiac is FILLED WITH ARCHETYPES!!! From elements to how they function! The four elements (you A:TLA bitches know this), and three modalities. If you’re interested please watch Eugene’s Rank King video, it’s very informative on the signs. Also many symbols! For example, Alice is a Taurus—May 4, Alice Liddell’s birthday—so she’s pretty stubborn while also loving creature comforts. Tomiko’s birthday is August 23, making her a Virgo, so she likes being precise in her work. More archetypes you can look for are DnD classes! I love using that to design costumes. One of Edith’s recent costumes is very wizard inspired, since that’s the class I see her having as she’s very studious and driven. Heck, all of Alice and the Nightmare is derived from the character archetypes of the Alice in Wonderland characters! Rougina is specifically the Red Queen, NOT the Queen of Hearts!! The confusion started with the 1951 Disney animated movie when the two characters were merged!! Lewis Carroll himself said the two were different! The Queen of Hearts is an “embodiment of ungovernable passion” and the Red Queen is “the concentrated essence of all governesses”!! GOD!!! Tim Burton meet me in the fucking pit you’ll pay for your alice crimes. anyways.

Archetypes help a lot in costumes too, figuring out what kind of fashion they’d like to wear. You can start broad and get more specific with it (like going from a wizard type character to a wizard character with steampunk themes). Fashion is just an extent of character. What are they comfy in? Are they confident in their body? What colors do they like? Bright high fashion or simple dark sweaters? Ryoko Kui is a master of character design I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend checking out her work.

Another method I like using, specifically for Alice and the Nightmare characters, is what I call the “three trait method”. When I was in middle school we did a production of Alice in Wonderland (I was the White Knight), and too many girls auditioned for Alice. So the director’s solution was to split the character into three parts, and assigning each part to an actor. Her temper, her intelligence, and her innocence, all used in different scenes. Now I use that to think about my own Alice character, except with “polite, temper, and curious”. Edith’s keywords are “nervous, tactical, and intelligent”. Hatter’s are “kind, enthusiastic, and intuitive”. Using keywords can help figure out how they’d react in a situation, what side of them would shine the brightest. Hatter’s want to help everyone is his kindness, but overstepping his bounds can be attributed to his enthusiasm. Edith can know what path to take in a pinch, but her nervousness can freeze her in place. Reading the source material helps a lot with Alice characters too, which brings us to our final point:

Character inspiration!! The art of taking things you like and shoving them into your own characters and stories. DISCLAIMER THO!!! If you take things without really EXAMINING what about them you like, WHY you like them, and how you’d like to evoke that same love in the things you make, the interpretations can come off as shallow. (for more on this subject, watch HBomberguy’s RWBY video essay, specifically the section on “anime homework”)

Tomiko’s biggest inspirations are Izutsumi from Dungeon Meshi, April Ludgate from Parks and Rec, Power and Reze from Chainsawman, San from Princess Mononoke, and Mei from LMK. It’s a good cocktail of aloof, biting, vicious, weird, fierce, loving, and bright. Figuring out what I love about the characters and what I want to write in a character like that helps a lot in writing Tomiko. It’s also really fun in a sense for screenshot redraws and memes.

Music is also a HUUUUUUGE source of inspiration for me, I love making playlists. And even as playlists can change as characters grow and change, having a couple of core songs still helps me ground to that character’s center. For Tomiko it’s “Make Them Gold” by CHVRCHES, and “Nice Girl” by Ashnikko. Alice’s is “Headlock” by Imogen Heap and “Demons” by Hayley Kiyoko, Edith’s is “Warrior” by Kimbra, and Hatter’s is “Dementia” by Owl City.

Ok, we’ve gotten though symbols, archetypes, and made a couple of banger playlists. Next is something that can help write your character, the Big Lie. The thing that keeps them up at night. Their biggest fear, their ghost, what haunts them. What’s holding them back from their goals? What do they need to overcome? That can be as central to their theme as any symbolism. For Tomiko it’s the lie that her emotions don’t matter, only what she can do to be of service to her mother. Her arc is about overcoming her dismissing her own emotions and learning to not run away from the people who she truly cares for. Alice dismisses the literal ghost that is haunting her believing that that will let her have a normal life. Edith pushes down abilities that come naturally to her for fear that she’ll be exiled, not just from society, but the world. Rougina believes she must burden the world’s problems on her own shoulders with no one’s help. The outer character and the inner ghost can reflect, mirror, and inform each other.

Now, listen, sometimes characters are hard to get to know! Tomiko was lol. Quinn was for a looong time. And in times like this, I just, let them be. I listen to some music to get inspired, and let them tell me about themselves when they feel like it. And they will, it just take a little while. And a few dozen quick exploration drawings. But they come through. Also, try not to get bogged down with habits and little details of their character, keep their core in mind, what their heart is. Start broad and get specific. That way, if you feel like you’ve lost your way or the character feels different to you, recenter yourself at their heart and go from there. Or, if you find that their center no longer fits, don’t be afraid to change it! Characters are meant to be fun! First and foremost!! I make characters cause I like writing and storytelling, and drawing little comic for fun and me time. Sometimes characters stick around, sometimes they fall by the wayside. You really have to find what sparks joy, and chase your bliss!

So as long as you have your character’s essence in your hands, and you WANT to keep working on them and drawing them, there’s really no wrong way to go. This whole essay I’ve given is just a set of tools that works for ME, and I HIGHLY encourage you to find stuff that works for you! I really really hope that all this has made sense and isn’t just the ramblings of a madman. Good luck and happy charactering!!

[ravenloop]

hi darling! i do see that you want requests in your inbox so im here to fullfil that want of yours :)

oh, btw i really do expect that you're well and, if you don't, please take care of yourself okay??

anyways, the request is for the arcana characters, more specifically for julian, asra and muriel (idk how much characters you accept for request but if you need to you can take one of these off) with a reader that does like art and try to make everything in their lifes a little bit more fun, colorful and artsy.

you can write in any format you're more comfortable in writing, but i think that maybe headcannons is easier. oh, and if you could do the reader gender neutral would be good!

oh and if you couldn't understand something, im sorry, english is not my first language. and if you want to, feel free to ignore this request.

AN: Thank you for the kind words!! I am doing well, busy but well :)) also you speak English amazingly!! Anyways here's your request <33 I haven't done Muriel's route yet so forgive me if anything is wrong :')

Headcannons: Julian, Asra and Muriel with an artistic S/O

—————————————————

Julian:

Honestly? He loves it!

It may not seem like it with the pirate outfit and rogue-ish lifestyle, but Julian is quite the colour lover himself. He just loves the energy and atmosphere vibrant colours bring.

So when you and him meet, and he finds out you're an even bigger lover of colours and an artist at that—the man was practically bursting with excitement.

Definitely gets you some art supplies. But since Julian has little to zero knowledge on being an artist, his art supplies aren't always the most helpful. Though you still appreciate him for trying to help with your hobby, even if his "paint" looks like it belongs in a potion brewing shop.

Practically demands to see some of your older art works and becomes sad if you say no. It's fine though if you don't let him, he'll find them eventually (his words, not yours).

Whenever you're painting or doing anything artsy, he's almost always by your side asking questions and just chatting with you. And as always you enjoy it when he's with you, it makes you feel warm inside knowing he's as passionate about watching you paint as you are about painting.

"Julian, I need you to-"

"I know, I know—you want me to stop staring at you. But I can't help it! You're just so beautiful when you're focused on something you're so passionate about!"

"...That's really sweet, but that's not what I was gonna ask. You're sitting on my paint pallette, could you maybe get off it?"

"WHAT—"

Asra:

You're an artist?? He's ENAMOURED already.

Asra adores everything you paint. He himself is a bit of an artist, but he doesn't paint as often as you since he's always busy with the Major Arcana amongst other things.

When he travels for long periods of time and comes back, he always brings you things like art supplies, trinkets or flowers, saying, "They reminded me of you." And he loves watching your eyes sparkle as you think of the different ways you can use the items.

After a long day, Asra just likes curling up besides you while you create your masterpieces. He'll bring you a warm drink and food too, before settling down on a blanket besides you.

If you ask, he'll give you some pointers or tell you what you could add to your work as you paint. He has an eye for detail.

"I think a few flowers would look really nice over here." He points to a certain part of the canvas.

"You always think flowers look nice in every painting," You playfully respond, and see him look away shyly. "What can I say? They really do!"

Asra could stare at your work for hours without feeling the need to look away. He just loves the mixture of colours and patterns you use. They remind him of the different realms and he finds that beautiful.

Sometimes you even use things from around his home for inspiration. It could be anything—his clothes, the intricate patterns on his curtains, sometimes even his tarot cards, and he won't say it aloud but it gives him a bit of a confidence boost. It's almost as if a piece of him is within your art work.

Muriel:

Muriel is a very... Dark and gloomy man in general.

The forest is his home, but not the pretty and flower-filled part, he makes his home in the shadowy, dark and somewhat dangerous parts of the forest.

So when you come into his life and bring all of this colour and vibrance, it throws him off. He doesn't know what to make of it. He feels to seen with all of it.

"What are you doing?" He approaches you as you hang a vine of flowers over the fireplace.

You look back and smile, "I thought it could use a little bit of... Decor..." You notice the way he frowns, even harder than usual as he stares at the decoration. "I'll take it ou-" "No. Leave it."

You're shocked, "Muriel, if you don't like it I can-" "I like it. It's pretty... Like you" He mutters the last part, so softly you almost don't hear him. Then he leaves. Quickly.

You smile to yourself.

After that you notice he spends more time with you as you decorate or make things, you even started asking him for his opinion on some things. He always responds with "Hm..." But you'll take what you can get.

Sometimes you take Inanna with you to hunt for things in the wild that you could use. Muriel was weary at first of letting you go with her, but Inanna seemed happy to go, so Muriel allowed it. After a while you even convinced him to come along on your art scouting journeys too. He comes in handy when you get carried away and find a little too many items that you need to take with you.

Oh and if anyone ever criticizes your art, no they didn't. In fact, almost as soon as they criticize it, they're on their knees worshipping you and the art itself. Why? Let's just say a big, terrifying man glaring down at you with eyes that say "I will rip your limbs apart and relish in every second of it" is not very fun.

—————————————————

[mintaii]

hiii i love your art it feels so edible to me and this might be a dumb question but i love your work so i wanted to ask someone who i looked up to: how do you know what you wanna make?? i want to make more art myself but usually all i know is “i wanna use these colors” or “i wanna try painting w this technique” but i don’t know what i wanna draw, if that makes sense. how do you pick an end goal, or even an idea?? how do you get ideas in the first place yk??? idk if you even have this issue. thank you for reading this!!

hi!! not a dumb question at all, don't worry!! and yeah. thinking of ideas sometimes is a PAIN but i'll try to answer this as best as i can...

i think u can look at it like there's 3 main starting points to jump off from: character, scenario, object(s).

with character, i usually figure out what i like about them or if there's a facet of their story that i want to portray. or maybe it's an emotion i associate them with. however, u can also pick out a specific design element u like about them and expand upon it. if the character's main color palette is black and white, why not try painting a portrait of them only using that limited color palette?

scenarios are where u can go 'i want to draw this interaction', 'i want to draw this outfit' or 'i like this specific scenario/setting, why don't i draw something in relation to it?' sometimes i work backwards from 'i want to draw them in this specific type of genre' and then think of a scenario would get the characters into that genre LOL

with objects, i kind of mean it super broadly so it includes like. the stars. pretty architecture. a microwave idk. but if there's something out there that u really like the design of, u can try to figure out what u want to do with it and combine it with a separate concept.

i.e, pretty vintage music box designs -> i could draw something from the nutcracker, since the combo gives off christmas vibes -> i could draw something also inspired by the phantom of the opera, since the musical featured a music box and the combo gives off a certain atmosphere that reflects the story as a whole. tasia.m.s on instagram does a series where she draws women in dresses that are inspired by inanimate (typically vintage) objects.

i unironically think using tarot cards– specifically the major arcana– as art prompts help with practicing idea generation for original art LOL

the names of the cards can range from abstract to very literal and each of them are tied to specific meanings and are chock-full of existing symbolism, which can assist with learning how to craft ideas in response to them

really hope this helps!! sorry it got kind of long...

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Tarot Assignment: Meryl Stryfe

She's so cool. Look at that dramatic action pose. Here's best girl Meryl.

Ace of Swords: This card indicates that one is about to experience the world from a new point of view, and is a seeker of truth that cuts through deception. Importantly, it emphasizes the idea of viewing the world as a place filled with possibilities. Out of all of the people Vash becomes close with, Meryl is the closest to embodying similar ideals to his, and that includes the capacity to believe that humanity and the world can choose to move forward. Meryl is also a journalist in Stampede, which suits the truth aspect of this card well, but even in 98 and the manga, she is driven to uncovering the true identity of Vash, and she openly questions even the antagonists in the interest of finding out information - a trait that unfortunately earns her exactly what she asked for in the worst of ways in the manga. Most importantly though, Meryl reevaluates her views on the world and what she knows throughout the story, never losing her drive or her compassion.

Strength: This card was really a no-brainer. The card of fortitude, compassion, and fearlessness even when under immense duress and danger, I can think of no other major arcana that better suits Meryl and her story. Meryl's resilience becomes strength not only for herself, but also for Vash to feel inspired by and hopeful - Meryl winds up representing, in a way, the capacity for humanity to accept, work hard, and change. Meryl is also a source of stability for the characters - Milly, as her mentor, and Vash, as his friend and support. It speaks too of self-mastery and confidence, something Meryl is shown to value, especially in her career.

Seven of Pentacles: The card of investment and effort, as in, someone who puts in a lot of time and effort towards their goals and what they ultimately want to achieve. They may feel frustration when there are delays or when faced with failure. I don't think this one requires much explaining - Meryl is driven and work-focused, even to the point of detriment sometimes early in the series. However, this card also indicates a willingness to put in an investment for the long-term, despite the fear that things might not work out - which to me reminds me of her acceptance of Vash's philosophy and her putting in so much effort to help make this better future a reality.

[soylent-crocodile]

Magura (Monster)

(Realistic Magmar by Namh on Deviantart)

(I mentioned these earlier in @thecreaturecodex's ask box before we started actually talking, and here they are, published to tumblr! Magura started as a servitor race for the Great Old One Cthugha, who is relevant to a character from my Strange Aeons game, and was inspired by the pokemon Magmar, even if it quickly spiraled in its own direction.)

CR9 NE Medium Aberration (Fire)

Magura are a race of intelligent, omnicidal beings who seek to cleanse the universe of life through the detonation of stars. They travel through space on massive fiery skiffs powered by solar sails on a search for stellar systems to annihilate. An average magura citizen is a scholar of these astral detonations and of alien technology, being well-versed in arcane secrets and occult philosophies about destruction, the planes, and fire. Despite this, many magura are spiritual, and the worship of fiends and outer gods (particularly daemons) is a common part of magura societies. 

Magura philosophy understands the material plane, if not creation itself, as a mistake on the part of the gods- a material existence can only lead to suffering, as interpersonal connections and material goods are lost, destroyed, or simply fade to the sands of time. Their answer to this philosophical quandary is to destroy the material plane by snuffing out stars one by one. True to their beliefs, magura do not collect material possessions for any purpose other than practical use, and even then, many destroy or dispose of tools even if there’s a potential future use, much like other mortals have the opposite affinity. 

Magura bodies subsist on solar energy in a process not unlike photosynthesis, though with different chemical pathways. Magura appreciate the irony that they rely on the stars they destroy to move and survive, and acknowledge that the completion of their goal will cause the extinction of their race- this is a sacrifice they are comfortable making, especially as it’s rather far into the future.

Magura leaders are called Magura Guides. Magura Guides can cast spells as an 8th level wizard, and often advance their levels in Wizard or Rogue.

This man-sized creature resembles an upright reptile, but its head has a pointed beak and is covered in large, bulbous growths. Misc- CR9 NE Medium Aberration (Fire) HD14 Init:+7 Senses: Perception:+15 Aura: Flamestoke 60ft Stats- Str:21(+5) Dex:17(+3) Con:17(+4) Int:22(+6) Wis:16(+3) Cha:18(+4) BAB:+10/+5 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:119(14d8+28) AC:22(+3 Dexterity, +13 Natural, +6 Deflection) Fort:+10 Ref:+7 Will:+12 CMD:28 Resist: Acid 5, Electricity 5 Immunity: Fire, Disease Weakness: Vulnerable to Cold Special Defenses: Heat Shimmer Offense- 2 Claw +16(1d6+5 plus Burn) CMB:+15 Speed:30ft Special Attacks: Burn (2d6, DC19) Feats- Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Power Attack (-3/+6), Combat Expertise (-3/+6), Improved Dirty Trick, Greater Dirty Trick, Improved Feint, Weapon Focus (Claw) Skills- Acrobatics +15, Bluff +12, Escape Artist +9. Fly +15, Heal +6. Knowledge (Arcana) +10, Knowledge (Planes) +14, Linguistics +10, Perception +15, Sense Motive +12, Spellcraft +18, Stealth +15, Use Magic Device +13 Spell-like Abilities- (Caster Level 10, Concentration +14) Burning Gaze (DC15) /constant Fireball (DC17), Major Image 3/day Special Qualities- No breath Ecology- Environment- Space (Hot) Languages- Ignan Organization- Solitary, Wave (4-6 Magura, 1 Magura Guide) Treasure- None Special Abilities- Convection Flight (Ex)- In areas of intense heat, magura are particularly buoyant; they gain a fly speed of 40ft and a maneuverability of average. Flamestoke Aura (Su)- Mundane fires around a magura are empowered by a magura’s internal heat. The Reflex DC to avoid or put out a mundane fire within a flamestoke aura increases to 18, and the damage dealt increases to 2d6.  Heat Shimmer (Su)- A magura’s internal heat warps the air around it, causing a visual distortion. Magura have concealment (50% miss chance) against ranged attacks and a deflection bonus to AC equal to its intelligence modifier. Creatures with the fire subtype can see through this effect.

[snekverse]

MCD Tarot deck 0-VII

Here are the first seven cards of my MDC Tarot deck, a project a year in the making!! For times sake and my own sanity, I'll only be doing the major arcana, but expect the next seven (hopefully) soon :)

Introductions + explanations under the cut! and disclaimer: I know VERY LITTLE about tarot, so please take all this with a grain of salt!

Aphmau, the Fool - Among other things, The Fool is representative of new beginnings, opportunity and potential, things Aphmau's character (specifically in MCD) encapsulated. Her newness to the world is a huge part of her character in the beginning of the series, and towards the end as the lore fleshes out it gets reflected in her dynamic with Irene, and being Irene's reincarnation. She is the culmination of the fresh start Irene wanted, and was filled with the potential to be everything she could never be.

Zoey, the Magician - Among other things, The Magician is representative of manifestation, resourcefulness, power, and inspired action. This was somewhat of a hard call on my end, but I think her dedicating the 15 year timeskip to research on how to free Aphmau and co. from the Irene Dimension, and ultimately succeeding even though it would cost her her immortality, aligns with this best. She worked hard and used all her power to change fate, to return her loved ones to their rightful home, which is pretty inspirational if you ask me.

Lucinda, the High Priestess - My note for this one is "I don’t know how to explain how this makes sense to me it just suits her" so there's no real reason for this decision lol. Among other things, The High Priestess is representative of intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, and the subconscious mind. You could argue that MYST Lucinda inhabits some of these, being very comfortable in her femininity and having a strong sense of intuition as well as knowledge most of the cast isn't privy to, however we all know that MYST =/= MCD so do with this information what you will.

Zianna, the Empress - Among other things, The Empress is representative of nature, nurturing, and abundance. This is based somewhat on headcanons, but Zianna is heavily associated with being a kind, doting mother. She loves and nurtures her children, and in MYST we see this kindness applies to others' children as well as her own. Additionally, The Empress when reversed encourages one to make self-love and self-care a priority, something this ever-doting woman desperately needs after devoting all her time and energy to other people's needs for the past several DECADES.

Garte, the Emperor - Among other things, The Emperor is representative of authority and establishment, and when reversed is representative of domination and excessive control. This is based somewhat on headcanons, but Garte more so resembles The Emperor reversed, being a cold and controlling tyrant, both as the leader of a nation and as a father figure. He is a man of strict rules and regulations and tends to abuse the power he holds over people.

Zane, the Hierophant - Among other things, The Hierophant is representative of spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions. Zane canonically is the high priest of a very large and traditional religion, this aspect of The Hierophant is self explanatory. He is literally the head of an institutionalized religion of which he is very knowledgeable about. When reversed, The Hierophant is representative of personal beliefs and freedom. This is based somewhat on headcanons, but I believe Zane's hunt for Irene's Relic/the Divine Relics is a personal goal, and ties into breaking free from the controlling nature of his father, his nation, and his religion: who would dare control you when you become their god?

Donna and Logan, the Lovers - Among other things, The Lovers card is representative of love, harmony, relationships, values alignment and choices. I feel like this one if the most self explanatory, as their entire arc together is about over coming differences, and choosing to love each other in spite of those differences. Y'all remember how freaked out Logan was when he got turned? Specifically about Donna's reaction? And how she chose to love him anyways because this plot point happened before Jess added her werewolf kink to the canon lore? They constantly choose to be happy and they choose to be together, who else could I have picked for this card?

[ratwavegamehouse]

Ritual Magic for Besties Preview (Character Creation)

Ritual Magic for Besties is a GMless, tarot-based game where you play as mates casting spells, using your shared history. Its raising money on Crowdfundr as part of Tabletop Non Stop. It's a slice of life game in an urban fantasy setting created by me and @molomoot

Character Creation in Ritual Magic for Besties is intended to be a starting point. Play involves asking questions about what you feel about each other, what informed those opinions and exploring scenes related to that.

So the starting point involves three things to pick from first of all. A Style, a Magical Background and drawing a Major Arcana. The styles are intended to be evocative but a little off, they're subcultures that sound like they could exist, but aren't exactly right. Backgrounds imply things about the world and some early history that's important for you.

The Major Arcana (which you draw and interpret) can give you a quick pitch. Some samples:

7 The Chariot

A righteous courier

A fighter who prefers to lose

8 Strength 

An emotionally raw firebrand

A control freak trying to let go

9 The Hermit

An outsider, struggling to accept that they could belong

A mistress of disguise

10 The Wheel of Fortune

A retired tortured artist

A lucky jack-of-some-trades

The Connection Map

Character Creation also involves mapping your initial connections between each other. I first did this Character Creation technique in The Infinite Dancefloor (and tbh it was inspired by the L Word). I like the sense of mess and tension it can introduce from the get go. Here's a example of how it worked in Infinite Dancefloor.

Anyway please support the game, I think it's full of really fun ideas, interesting rules and gorgeous art.

[happyinjection]

X-Playing Cards and Cartomancy

High Card takes a lot of ~stylistic inspiration~ for its X-playing cards system from the standard 52-card deck and related card games, but it never occurred to me until someone pointed it out that the French deck was also based on tarot cards, precisely the minor arcana! (media usually make parallels from the major arcana so it took me longer to connect the dots)

More elaborate explanation under the cut...

1. The abilities and meaning of each suit

To be frank this one is obvious enough from the beginning, both the standard deck and minor arcana have 4 suits, and each suit (hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs) symbolizes emotions, wealth, creativity, and will, in that order! I think the description of each suit’s abilities fits quite well with its original symbolism.

It’s also interesting to note that the spades is associated with military/nobility. I can see that with Wendy, given that her father owns a dojo, but Finn...? Yeah, so I guess we know what’s coming.

2. Correlation between the five main characters and the interpretation of their respective card in minor arcana

Note that I’ve never dabbled in tarot reading before (I know someone who does, but asking them a favor especially for cracking anime lore is embarrassing, so no), and this is all based on a quick Wikipedia search, please bear with me.

I see a lot of... similarities, but you decide.

2 of Swords/2 of Spades (Finn): Intuition, balance, calmness, it’s also related to the justice and judgement card of major arcana (making moral decisions, essentially carries the same meaning). In general, 2 in tarot represents opposing forces, seeking balance and peace of mind, then moving forward from an inner struggle once they find it.

5 of Cups/5 of Hearts (Chris): Grief over past events, inability to see the bright side in any situation. 5 card symbolizes tragedy in all suits... it either means loss, defeat, or betrayal, but the meaning is somewhat brighter when reversed, and I think it’s the only card to do so? Tarot cards generally have better outcome when upright. Its major arcana counterpart, the hierophant, can represent a role model.

7 of Pentacles/7 of Diamonds (Leo): Success, commitment towards work. In reverse position it also means bad investment haha. 7 in general represents not only determination and self confidence, but also overcoming challenges in the “survival of the fittest” sense.

1 of Swords/Ace of Spades (Wendy): Conquest, triumph, a great force in everything, so it can either mean victory or disaster. In tarot 1 symbolizes beginnings, potential, and early stages of endeavor. I like the sound of that!

3 of Wands/3 of Clubs (Vijay): Achievement, optimism, fresh start, partnerships. It’s a calm card? 3 in general represents communication and interaction, also influence over partners in friendships and work. It can mean facilitating creation, growth, development, and growth as well.

3. Original design of each suit’s King card

Okay so this one is one of the less important details but it’s just too interesting to pass up. Apparently the visual interpretation of the Kings is like this:

...sounds familiar, huh?

I just want to appreciate Ebimo aka HC character designer, it seems that she really did her research right lmao.

Another interesting point is the King of Hearts is sometimes called the “suicide king” because he appears to be “stabbing his own head” in his card due to mass production error, but it’s hilarious to me.

4. Correlations with the major arcana?

The 52-card deck we have right now have nothing to do with the major arcana, but we can still draw lines between some of the cards and figures in the Fourland folktale?

The Magician card, for example, fits right with the role of the Mage from whom X-playing cards’ abilities originate. The Magician represents manifestation of desire and one’s potentials, and the card illustration itself show all four of the suits symbols (cup, sword, coins, club). Meanwhile, there is also The Fool card, sometimes called to be the Joker of tarot, as it can be the highest or lowest trump. The Fool represents a “protagonist” or just “humankind itself”, which I think fits right with the role of the boy-king.

Let me know what you think!

[theresattrpgforthat]

THEME: Map-Making Games

This week's games are centred around map-making or city-building games.

The Quiet Year by Avery Alder.

The Quiet Year is a map game. You define the struggles of a community living after the collapse of civilization, and attempt to build something good within their quiet year. Every decision and every action is set against a backdrop of dwindling time and rising concern.

This game uses a deck of cards and a map that the group will communally elaborate upon, picking up characters and elements of the setting to answer questions as the game goes on. You will play through four seasons, and at some point in Winter, the game will suddenly end.

If you like this idea, but would like to play from the perspective of monsters putting their lives back together before the Humans come back, you should try The Deep Forest, by Avery Alder and Mark Diaz Truman.

The Shrike, by sadpress.

It is early evening aboard the airship The Shrike. Far below us, rich pine forests roll past. It is fine flying weather, and the skies around us, for now, are empty. Soon pale miniature cliffs slip away beneath, and now we are over the vast dark sea. The sun's glow on the horizon fades. One by one the stars come out, but they fail to illuminate the waves below. We are hurtling in the quiet darkness. We put on our lanterns. Our voyage has begun.

The Shrike is a game about fantastical voyages aboard a skyship. It's inspired by Avery Alder's The Quiet Year, John Harper's Lady Blackbird, Italo Calvino, Ursula K. Le Guin, and utopian and dystopian fiction. It features four complete adventures (two multiplayer, two for solo play). 

Adventures for The Shrike provide a level of detail between traditional game-books and oracle-based games such as The Quiet Year. You'll encounter people, places, and other prompts, but you'll also have the flexibility to build your own world and tell your own stories. 

If you are interested in this game, you might also be interested in The Shrike Voyage Generator (which is still in alpha!

Cul-de-sac, by Clint Smith.

Cul-de-sac is a neighbourhood-building RPG exploring the connections, or lack thereof, between people living in close proximity. Players collaboratively create the occupants of a neighbourhood, what their lives are like, and what secrets they hold. 

This game uses Tarot cards, with the Minor Arcana representing the everyday occurrences of the neighbourhood, while the Major Arcana represents significant events. The Neighbourhood centres on the families of the neighbourhood, and you will spend 12 turns exploring the personalities of the Cul-de-sac. Each turn has two phases: the Day Phase and the Night Phase. The Day Phase tells us about new events; the Night Phase tells us about the cult-de-sac’s personalities. 

This game is a very interpretive game; it’s also simple and pay-what-you-want. It’s inspired by games such as the Quiet Year, and I’m sorry did you say street magic, which, as you might have guessed, have had a big impact on map-making games in the indie scene.

The Station, by pidj

The Station is a GMless worldbuilding game where players take turn answering prompts about a train, a station and the people. The Station explores how places shape people and people shape places in the vein of i'm sorry did you say street magic by Caro Asercion and The Quiet Year, by Avery Alder.

The Station uses no dice. It uses playing cards, paper (such as index cards) and points.  The game is A6, fully illustrated and laid-out, and is 16 pages long. Play time is adjusted by setting the number of Train Progress cards required to begin resolution or by changing the size of the deck. Draw cards and answer questions to build a world. The prompts are genre-agnostic and you will have plenty of opportunities to ask your own questions of the table. When your time is up, collaborate to bring the game to a close in a bitter-sweet resolution. Spend points to resolve the stories of some of the characters you have collaborated on and bring your time together to a close.

If you like the quiet everyday magic of Studio Ghibli movies, this might be the game for you. The artwork carries a mix of whims and mundanity, and the game is set up so that everyone has some level of creative control.

What the Water Gave Us by JordannaGeorge

What the Water Gave Us is collaborative storytelling game about strange things that come out of the water, and how the community deals with it.

This game also uses a deck of cards, and players will take turns drawing cards and answering questions about what exactly is coming out of the water - and whether or not it turns out to be a blessing or a curse. The game plays out over the course of a four seasons, with the option to continue playing after the first year if you feel like you haven't fully fleshed out the narrative yet. It's simple to set up, with an easy oracle to get you started. If you're looking to tell a story specifically about seaside or lakeside towns, or if you like stories about the mysterious and unknown, this might be the game for you.

Questlandia (Second Edition) by turtlebun.

In Questlandia, you and your friends will invent a world from scratch. It might be fantastic or bizarre, from a remembered past or imagined future. You’ll paint a picture of your society and its people, their laws and customs, how they live and how they dream.

But your society is failing.

As you play, your characters will attempt to find beauty and purpose amidst the chaos of a changing world.

Questlandia is a tabletop roleplaying game that creates fantastical worlds in states of change. It may be medieval fantasy in a ghost-haunted kingdom, neo-noir in a roboticized undercity, or microscopic slipstream suburbia in a puddle.

The concept of Questlandia is beautiful and enchanting, and it lends itself to new and exciting worlds in which you can play using the same system, or re-visit with a game of your choice. The second edition uses a deck of cards as well as d6s: cards to build the world, d6's to explore the conflict that is befalling your beloved world.

The first edition of Questlandia is $2 cheaper, and can be found here.

An Altogether Different River by ehronlime.

 It has been some time since you’ve left home, but now it’s finally time to return. To what, though?

The home you held in your mind, and the home you will encounter will not be the same. You are not the same.You can’t step into the same river twice. You can’t go home again.

This is a GM-less roleplaying game meant for 2 to 4 players and a single session of about 3-4 hours. It is inspired in parts by Downfall, by Caroline Hobbs and Microscope, by Ben Robbins. It is about a Town, the people who have left it and returned, and the people who stayed behind.

This is a game that is just as much about a town as it is about the people who live in it. It explores themes of change and growth, and the feeling you get when you go back to a town that isn't really home anymore. At the end of the game, you'll likely have questions unanswered, so if you like finishing games with a bit of bittersweetness, you might want to try this one out.

An archipelago-based fishing town, separated by its various islands, gathers annually to celebrate the turn of the harvest.

A collective of magical artists embarks on an ambitious project: a guerrilla public transit system powered by enchanted street art.

In a sprawling metropolis decades from now, breakthroughs in biotechnology offer citizens superpowers far beyond mortal ability.

This city that we call home has a magic all its own. It is wonder, and joy, and spirit — and with that spirit, we breathe life into our city together.

i'm sorry did you say street magic is a GMless city-building story game for two to six players, that runs three or more hours.  Discover and imagine a city filled with life and vivid detail, packed with a myriad of neighborhoods, landmarks, and residents. Discover their true names, and the ways that they intersect—then set events in motion that will change or alter their relationships.

This is an enchanting game, with the breadth you need for any city, whether it be fantastical, futuristic, or modern-day. You can mix and match with different themes, and each player has a chance to imbue the city with their own personal touch. At the end of every round, one player instigates an event that will certainly stir up excitement, but wil usually won't be resolved by the time the game is over. If you're looking at establishing a setting for a game with distinct city sectors and characters that act as emblems for a larger neighbourhood, if you want a game that hands a series of story hooks over to the GM by the time you've finished, this is absolutely the game for you.

The author has also written a supplement that you can use to generate true names if you want some inspiration. It is called there are names more powerful here than our own.

[changelingsandothernonsense]

Hi!! Tarot ask for Teldryn :) The Moon in Reverse: When does your character mistrust their feelings or intuition?

Hi there, always happy to answer stuff about Joshi. The Moon in Reverse: When does your character mistrust their feelings or intuition? Teldryn doesn't really trust his decision making at the best of times. However, he's always been pushed to make a choice and often times those decisions have far-reaching consequences. A great example being Red Year, pull out one brick from the crumbling tower that was Morrowind's social structure and end with the destruction of the entire civilisation. Suffice it to say, he doesn't trust shit about himself or his ability to judge a situation. Whether it's trusting the brother of a high ranking Hlaalu Duke or trusting that the powers that be want to help him, it's all bullshit and he's been horribly burnt every time. He can't trust himself and that leads to him drinking in order to make peace with things, it puts him into a loop of successive failures that have him hiding in a cave waiting for his end. He wants someone else to make a decision for him.

Major Arcana Inspired Character Asks

[skullhaver]

Im late for the Major Arcana asks, and I want to ask one too many. I'll keep it simple: The Magician for Edric and Aristide, The Empress for Edric and Athren, The Lovers for Ari and Athren. Death in Reverse for whomever!

The Magician: How does your character unleash their creativity or resourcefulness?

Edric - As a magic teacher! I headcanon that after the events of DAO-A, he goes to Antiva City with Zevran. While Zev is embroiled in his efforts to dismantle the Crows, Edric gets curious about new ways to teach young mages how to safely control and explore their powers. He ends up leading an underground mage school, starting with Crow recruit kiddos freed by Zevran. Edric is a patient and warm-hearted teacher who really loves finding new ways to connect with students.

Aristide - Ari has artistic inclinations as both a visual artist/illustrator (they've had to get very good at conveying people's faces for their illusion powers) as well as being a good dancer. In a kinder world, Ari's artistic side is one of their core traits. In a real world/modern AU, I've been toying with the idea of making them a professional dancer--an ensemble performer for touring/off-Broadway type musical productions.

The Empress: Who has been a positive female figure in your character’s life?

Edric - Leliana. During the events of DAO, Leliana was a major emotional sounding board for him. Exhausted by dealing with blunt people like Morrigan, Sten and Oghren; frequently frustrated by Alistair's immature behavior and unexamined self-deprecation; dealing with complex Wynne feelings as his former teacher; and frankly unable to have an emotionally vulnerable conversation with Zevran until Denerim; for all her eccentricities, Leliana helped Edric keep his sanity.

Athren - His mom Intrae has been a mentor and guide for all of his life. His childhood friend and later lover Jinarra frequently challenged him and inspired him. Even the ruthless Waterdeep-Zhentarim Master of Trade and Coin Istrid, he regards as a kind of mentor and possibility model. But tbh for this I really want to say his fellow PC Thia MacDonald 🥺Athren's identity was so tightly wound around being a younger sibling, but his friendship with this weird teen warlock has allowed him to explore new sides of himself: a confident, knowledgeable mentor to someone else, and feeling protective and nurturing.

The Lovers: Which of your character’s relationships has been the most positive? (Romantic or otherwise)

Aristide - the easy answer of course would be their lover, partner, and Crow compañera Renata. She's single-handedly changed the trajectory of their life by helping them doubt some of the brainwashing and abusive ways that their Crow mage teacher has spent the last decade instructing them. With Renata, they have the opportunity to be both vulnerable and strong in ways they have never before experienced, getting to set aside some of the masks they always wear and live more authentically.

Athren - gotta say his fellow PCs, who I tend to refer to as the Trollskull Tavern Crew! For similar reasons to what I said about Thia. The dynamic with them is totally different than anything he's experienced before, and he kind of loves who he gets to be around them/on their behalf: someone confident, ambitious, daring, powerful in a fight, charming, with a wry sense of humor. In some sense, it's who he's always been, but he's really never gotten to manifest that before spending time with them.

Death in Reverse: When has your character tried to fight change?

Looking at my suite of OCs, most of them do not have arcs around trying to fight change. If anything, they tend to instigate change and push for more of it than what they usually get. But they're protagonists, so of course they are subjected to some Inciting Incidents that involve trauma and unwanted change.

Edric didn't want to be a Grey Warden; he ratted out Jowan, why is he getting punished??

Ari was taken in by the Crows as a child following a magical accident where they killed people.

Athren would have preferred to stay in Menzoberranzan rather than flee to the surface followed the failed coup, but he felt his family had no other option.

[practically-an-x-man]

The High Priestess, The Chariot, Strength, The Hanged Man, Death The Moon, Judgment, The Hierophant in Reverse, Justice in Reverse,The Star In Reverse for Nikoletta and Jimmy?

Oh wow thank you so much!!

Major Arcana Inspired Character Asks

The High Priestess: When has trusting their instincts paid off for your character?

Nikoletta: Pretty much her whole life has been rooted in trusting her instincts. If she didn't trust her gut, she'd probably have ended up blindsided and beaten, even killed, in Belle Reve. She's only alive because she knows how to trust her gut.

Jimmy: Let's be honest, his instincts are terrible. Well, more accurately, his instincts are fine, he just has a habit of getting so caught up in his hopes and desires that he pushes those instincts to the side. In most regular situations, his instincts have kept him safe in a lot of ways, but as soon as his emotions start to get in the way, he gets himself in trouble (like we see in Francesca - it wasn't that he didn't know things could go wrong, he just really wanted to believe they wouldn't)

The Chariot: What goal is your character determined to reach?

Nikoletta: She doesn't really set goals for herself - she knows all too well that life can be turned on its head at a moment's notice - but subconsciously she's just driven to find security in her life.

Jimmy: He's determined to pull his life, or at least some semblance of it, back together. We see this in Francesca, of course, his journey from a shapeless ghost to the human, tangible form he is presently, but that's not the end of it. He wasn't ready to leave his life, and he's determined to grab this second chance by the horns.

Strength: On what issue is your character persistent?

Nikoletta: She's persistent about keeping herself safe, sometimes through any means necessary. Whether that means reinventing herself, instilling fear in others, pushing her emotions and personality aside, anything to keep her alive and safe.

Jimmy: Similar to the prior question, he's persistent in finding or building a new sort of life for himself.

The Hanged Man: When has your character needed to step back and look at things from a different perspective?

Nikoletta: When she first started living together with Abner after everything in Corto Maltese, she had to step back and reexamine the habits she'd built in Belle Reve. Closing herself off and snapping at her living partner may have worked to build an illusion of power in Belle Reve, but now it just threatens to fracture the trust she's built with Abner. They both had to adjust to a normal domestic lifestyle, since neither of them had really had that before.

Jimmy: Watching the world change around him has definitely inspired him to look at things from a new perspective, especially when it comes to increasingly-accepting views on diversity.

Death: When has your character had to let go of something in their life?

Nikoletta: She accepted very early on that she wouldn't ever get to be a kid, since she had to grow up quickly to keep the household running (especially after her father died, and she had to support herself while finishing high school). She's gotten comfortable with the idea, though sometimes she does see a kid doing some fun childhood thing and it makes her inwardly grieve a little since she never got the chance to make those memories.

Jimmy: In his life, he had to let go of the idea that he'd eventually be able to find love and get married, since he knew the society around him would do anything to keep that from happening. It got more painful as he grew older and watched his friends find partners, but he generally learned to accept that he wouldn't be able to live a life like that

The Moon: When has your character’s path been unclear?

Nikoletta: Any transitional period in her life: when she first got out of STAR Labs, when she first entered Belle Reve, when she first started living with Abner, etc.. After a while, she starts to carve out a path for herself by force of will, but those immediate big changes in her life definitely result in a lot of uncertainty at first.

Jimmy: Again, when he first became a ghost and wasn't sure how much of himself he'd be able to recover. He fought hard, but he still wasn't sure how far he'd get, or why he'd even become a ghost in the first place.

Judgment: Has your character ever been given a second chance?

Nikoletta: She'd argue that her opportunity for a secure life after Corto Maltese was more of a first chance, since life pretty much chewed her up and spit her out before that.

Jimmy: His whole story is about how he's been given a second chance at life and love, next question.

The Hierophant in Reverse: When has your character’s personal beliefs been challenged?

Nikoletta: She viewed herself as an overall decent person up until her dad's death - childhood struggles or not, she was generally polite and made friends with all the stray cats and helped out in her community, and she believed she was a pretty good person. Then her dad died, and she had to turn to her voodoo scam just to make money, then even that escalated into home break-ins when she was short on money... and she couldn't really believe she was a good person at the core of it anymore. And of course, everything she did in Belle Reve only shattered what little glimmers of that still remained.

Jimmy: He was raised to be a Christian, if only by circumstance, and so he believed in a concept of Heaven and Hell - he even believed, despite all that homophobic rhetoric around him, that he might've been a good enough person to make it into Heaven. Instead he became a ghost, with no proof of either realm's existence. That definitely twisted things up a bit for him.

Justice in Reverse: When has your character been treated unfairly or cruelly?

Nikoletta: Well, the justice system is already known to be incredibly biased against both women and People of Color, as well as there being a disproportionate financial bias against People of Color, so... systemically, a lot of her life has been defined by unfairness and cruelty. Not to mention the way she was treated while in Belle Reve - if she hadn't built up such a reputation for herself, it could have been even worse than it already was.

Jimmy: Yeah... a lot of these answers boil down to the same event. He was killed out of bigotry, which is really the ultimate display of cruelty and unfairness.

The Star in Reverse: When has your character lost faith?

Nikoletta: She's not a person with much faith to begin with, but I'd say she lost the last of her already-limited faith in humanity when she was captured in STAR Labs. Just the idea that anyone could be cruel enough to do such terrible things without even the slightest hint of remorse... that was the nail in the coffin.

Jimmy: See above answer about personal beliefs

[roadandruingame]

RaR Musings #25: Re-trod Ground

In a perchance perusal of game sites and reddit threads, I saw a post asking about the risk of spiritual offense in using a tarot card deck in a mechanic. The comments assured OP that tarot wasn't even explicitly used spiritually, originally just a randomized deck of cards, no more spiritual than the gods influencing how dice might land, but one comment brought up the use of a couple games: The Hidden Isle, which uses existing tarot but with new rules, and Kult, which invents it's own tarot deck.

Given that I'd had the idea for Road and Ruin to have a tarot-esque deck for randomization elements several years ago, I try to keep an eye out for anything that might cleave a little too close to what I considered to be a good and unique idea, and that I might be accused of ripping off.

And so, I would become distraught and tormented by the realization that not only had Kult: Divinity Lost come up with a system that, at least at a distance, was entirely indistinguishable from what I had wanted to do, but that a 4thED remake was kickstarted in 2018, based on the original game, released in 1991, naught but a few years before I was even born.

TTRPG design spaces recommend doing your research on existing options, lest you discover that another game already does what you're looking for a game to do. I'd half-ignored the advise, letting myself be inspired by the gist of rules in other games rather than look too deep into them, but I'd tried to stay independent, convinced I could reason my way into good design first, and then look into other games later to see how to refine it, with examples done right.

I take a lot of pride in original ideas. It usually paints me as an idiot, one way or another. If anybody is like me, my best advise is to use a good idea, either your own or someone else's, as a foundation, but to let your skill in transforming that idea into a masterpiece of engineering speak for itself. Ideas are cheap, and a vessel of potential value, but it takes doing something about it to actually have that value realized.

In any case, after reading into it a bit further, I could see why I'd never heard of Kult before, not in the six years since it's kickstarter, and not in the 33 years since it was first released.

Kult makes a few brutal mistakes in their engineering of what is otherwise a pretty solid idea (if I do say so myself, given that I had the same). Between the insistence that they change all the tarot cards, but still use a 78 card deck of 22 major arcana and 4x suits of 14 cards, their rather esoteric (and sometimes downright opaque) meanings and applications of each card forcing players to check a guidebook for definitions, and their somber, "spiritually-guided" attitude in encouraging the GM to light a candle, play atmospheric-relevant music, create a mental space by clearing your mind, take deep breaths, let go of everyday stress, and focus your thoughts on the narrative, letting the question form in their mind, and open themselves to curiosity, empowerment, and manifestation, all because "a tarot reading can be much harder if not in the proper mood and moment", I would almost believe that doing a switcheroo between a standard tarot deck and the Kult tarot deck wasn't for marketing or merchandising, or for player ease of use or system adoption rate, so much as it was for easing the conscious of the designers, who might have felt using a "real tarot" in such a way bordered on sacrilegious.

Road and Ruin's card system didn't spring fully formed from my brow, either, and is the result of many years of incorporating cool ideas I'd seen, or interpreted, for my own purposes. As such, I can see exactly where such pitfalls could have been avoided, and why I'm actually more confident in my system than ever.

To begin with, I'd thought of keeping characters and campaigns organized using cards long ago. Rather than having endless scrawl on a character sheet, players could show up with cards that represent what making an attack, or casting a spell actually meant for them, and, Magic: The Gathering style, play their cards and resolve the stack in order of initiative, slow characters having to play first, with pre-emptive reactions occurring chronologically first. Enemies could have their info detailed on a card, which would offer players some kind of visual feedback, but the card could be stylized, to help inspire their imaginations, rather than show them verbatim what a ghoul looks like.

I'd played a game of DND's Curse of Strahd, where a fortune teller at the start of the campaign tells your future based on "drawing of cards", and these results influence the events you encounter later in the campaign, leading to unexpected stories and replayability. I thought it a great idea, given how fortune-telling "tells the future", especially for a GM-less game as I was trying to make, to have cards direct the players in a slightly more restricted way.

But I couldn't use tarot cards. Tarot meant purchasing some, and marking them up to reflect what I actually meant them to be, or having to refer to a lookup table for how they work, or learning to actually read them, an insane requirement obstacle for any game.

As a kid I'd watched Card Captors, and loved the idea of cards that represented powers or objects; I even own a deck, found at an anime convention. I'd wanted something a little bit more like that, but when showing some off, someone asked "how would this one be used?". I found I couldn't really say. It was a bad card, and so I needed to refine the system, so that it better guided the players in a more intuitive way. Less, "let me parse the heavens and the spirits for what your fortune reads" occultism, and more of a Rorschach test, "what does this make you think of?" Pop culture elements and personal experiences meant that there was no wrong answers, just tools to help guide the players, and dice to confirm whether the idea held water, or was just a good guess.

For the third inspiration, the map-making game A Quiet Year (that I still have yet to play) absolutely blew my mind with the realization that a standard deck of 52 cards split between 4 suits, could be used to correspond to a year of 52 weeks, with 4 seasons. Apparently it's just one of the most insane coincidences to happen in game design, as a standard deck derives it's 13 cards/suit, from tarot, with 14 cards/suit, with 22 major arcana, and people eventually just decided 13 cards was fine. At any rate, it got me to consider the role of suits, colors, and the cards within them differently, and so, rather than have 4 suits of 13 cards, Road and Ruin has 13 suits, of 4 cards. It's easier to come up with categories, and a small number of examples within them, than it is to come up with few categories, and a large number between them, and while the issue still stands of having to 'remember' what each number and suit combination means, this is solved by a visit to walmart and using a marker on a standard playing deck. I'd appreciate it if people purchased the deck that I made, with the art and such, but I didn't want this system to act as an obstacle in players adopting the system.

A couple years later, I would come up with the Story Roster, a tool for defining narrative flow in an emergent way, and confirm that cards could be added to the roster, their significance increasing if they were ever drawn again. Likewise, an Oracle class of sorts could preemptively draw cards, letting the players see what lies ahead, though not knowing the context until it actually occurred. If a monster was deemed "weak to fire", questing could be done until the reward for a task was a Fire-type card, or a Water-type sought to counter a Fire-type opponent, thus producing a "random, but eventual conclusion" mechanic. Of the Three Pillars mentioned in RAR Musings #24, 'continuity/story' would have a place through the use of a deck of cards, both randomized, yet permanent.

As a "tarot-adjacent" game, Road and Ruin understands that there are no wrong answers, and that everyone at the table contributes to an end experience that is wholly and uniquely their own, changed by the addition or removal of even a single individual. The game may be playable with no GM, such that the active host could not show and the game still go on, but I wanted everyone to feel the sting of a player not being present to continue to collaborate. Likewise, for a player who doesn't mesh with the group's ideals to be soothed into feeling like their time is better spent at a different, more like-minded group, than to feel like their ideas and interpretations are constantly getting voted down. Kult, as a "tarot-alternative" game, feels like it believes that players can make the wrong interpretation, but hopes that you'll get it right someday, the tarot reading a little game for the GM to play, but one that slams the brakes on every other player's engagement while the GM does the reading.

There is still work to do, however. Kult has given me insights into some ways that some cards are flawed, and will need to be updated, but in promoting "create a character/creature/item/location/cult/plot" mechanics that I disagree with, has given me pause to consider whether I'm doing enough to enable those mechanics in my own system. And, as always, the artistic mountain of having to design and paint 52 different cards (at least) sits ever on my backburner.

I should be doing some of those and posting them, somewhere. I should be advertising this and getting credit, somewhere. Ideas are cheap, engineer and refine and apply, ideas are cheap, engineer and refine and apply, ideas are cheap, engineer and refine and apply.