#QuestWorld

[highintlowwispod]

Hi-lo everyone! We left that last ep on a bit of a cliffhanger huh? Look at our team, doing Stallone and the writers of Between The Lions proud… pretty sure I remember there being an episode of that where Cliff Hanger had to deal with a potentially indiscernible number of adversaries blood-steamed, gored, and brained by beans. With the battle still raging and many members of the party fractured (and, perhaps, fracturing??) so much is still up in the air. Or, well, up in the tree at least.

Episode 15 “Imperfect Friends” is out now on your favorite podcast listening platform! Or if it's not, it's probably at least on your second or third favorite podcast listening platforms. Join us as we see how this latest fight pans out. Will Lorelei make her shot? Does Daphne even still have enough blood left in her for this sauna? What fate will befall our crew’s previous Bindle Buddy, and who will they Bindle next? 

And the most important question of all: who has a good classic anime recommendation?

[morsrattus]

The Gods Around Pent: The Qa Ying Gods - Inner Wind Sage

Inner Wind Sage, the Revealer of Hidden Things, the Spirit Lord, the Gambling Wind

The Cult of Inner Wind Sage (AIR SPIRIT)

The Inner Wind Sage is an ancient being, a spirit-wind who was the elder brother of the King Violent Wind. He has been the oldest and most loyal of the King Violent Wind's followers, his advisor and guide in the world of spirits. Some argue over whether he should be considered a god or a spirit primarily. Most, however, say that he is a spirit first, foremost and even only, for he does not offer power in the way of gods.

Mythos and History

In the ancient days, the world of spirits and the world of people were not separate. They were the same world, and the spirits were cruel and vicious powers, for they had more power than humans and even than the Qa Ying. Therefore, the Inner Wind Sage took up the World Bones, and he did…something. It is unclear quite what. Some say that he used these to create the Spirit World, which he trapped the spirits inside. Some say he used them to open a path to the Spirit World and convinced the spirits to go there. Some say he used them to trap the spirits in the Spirit World after King Violent Wind defeated them in battle.

Whatever the case, many spirits were unhappy with the Inner Wind Sage's trick. The greatest of them gathered to fight the gods while King Violent Wind was busy in the Underworld. They asked the Inner Wind Sage to join them and rebel against his brother, but he refused, even when they promised him a crown. Instead, the Inner Wind Sage defended the Qa Ying and the world from the spirits.

The Inner Wind Sage gathered up his World Bones again, and he gambled with evil spirits. From them, he won the secrets that would appease the grandparents of bad luck, keeping them from the war. Then he went among the insects and gambled with them, winning from them a promise to drive away the powers of Chaos, and to convince the other beasts to have nothing to do with it. Thus, the world turned against Chaos. And last, he went among the wind spirits and gambled with them, winning an everlasting loyalty. These he set to driving away the spirits of disease, that the Qa Ying would be kept safe from plague.

It was not enough to stop the war. The spirits found their servant in the monstrous Karjakan, who made his own body a bridge to allow them to attack the mortal world. As the spirit world threatened to consume the mortal one, the Inner Wind Sage turned himself inside out, releasing the spirits that lived within him. These were the strongest of all, for they were of his body and of his nature. They drove away the enemy spirits, but many of them were slain or driven from the Inner Wind Sage forever.

At last, the Inner Wind Sage stood before Karjakan. They wrestled with each other, each trying to slay the other, but neither was able to. They were too evenly matched. The Inner Wind Sage's wings were held at bay by Karjakan's claws. Karjakan's talons were locked by the Sage's hands. Karjakan's fangs were clashed with the Sage's teeth. But as their match went on, the Inner Wind Sage pulled back and revealed his final secret: he breathed out the last spirit he had kept inside him, and she ripped the brains from Karjakan's skull, killing him.

When Karjakan was slain, the spirits retreated to their world once more, for he had been their bridge, and they could not maintain themselves. The Inner Wind Sage performed a great ritual, binding the body of Karjakan to be the gate of the Spirit World and trapping his spirit-soul within the Spirit World forever. Even in death, Karjakan is not gone, after all, and is now the ruler of a realm of hostile and evil spirits.

To defend the gate, the Inner Wind Sage set up his village in the Horn Place, which is named for the loud horn blast that sounds when a shaman enters it. It is a beautiful mountain camp in a land of great wind spirits. There his children remain. The Sage himself rests in the King Violent Wind's village, in the high Wind Cave, but no one may enter it without being trapped forever inside the Sage's thoughts.

Nature of the Cult

There is no priesthood worshipping the Inner Wind Sage. The cult is composed of spirit-seekers and shamans, who perform the esoteric rites that bind and deal with the spirits of the world around them. They tend to be more mystical and strange than the shamans of the beast path that serve under the Burning Wings Hunter, though 'strange' describes all shamans to some extent.

The Wind Shamans maintain friendly relations with many spirits. Some of these are the Secret Winds, whom the Inner Wind Sage released from his own body. They remain a part of him, and they are the most loyal friends the cult has. Others have sworn to serve the Sage, most notably the World Bones, spirits born from the knuckle bones that the Sage took from the great spirit of the Shan Shan, the World Spine.

Depiction

The Inner Wind Sage is almost never depicted by his shamans, and when he is, it is always as an abstract symbol, usually an Air Rune inside a Spirit Rune. Other Qa Ying art depicts him as a fat, puffy-cheeked man with no clothing, wild black hair, and yellow wings. Typically, he has four arms, and each of his arms and wings points a different direction - one ahead, one right, one behind, one left, one above, and one below.

Runes

The Inner Wind Sage is associated with the Runes of Air and Spirit, but does not provide rune magic of any form.

The Seven Winds Spirit Society (AIR MASTERY)

The Seven Winds Society is the core society of the Inner Wind tradition, and the first one most followers of the Inner Wind Sage join. It covers the spirits of air, wind and storms, as well as those spirits that were defeated by the Inner Wind Sage and made part of his kingdom. In particular, however, the chief spirits of the society are the Six Direction Winds, who form the most loyal of the Secret Winds of the Sage, the core of his power. The seventh wind, the Wind Within, is the most potent of the Secret Winds and can only be met by shamans.

Almost all of the spirits of the Seven Winds Society are Air spirits, but a small number are spirits of other elements, defeated by the Inner Wind Sage and brought under his power. All spirits in the society are elemental in nature, for these are the spirits that the Inner Wind Sage was closest to and conquered most often. They are only loosely organized, as the Sage does not maintain a complex hierarchy in his village.

Members of the Seven Winds Spirit Society must participate in the rituals of their tribe and devote time to assisting the tribe on matters related to spirits. They have few other direct responsibilities, and most make their living as crafters, traders, or keepers of law and lore - the sages of the village.

Seven Winds Spirits

Hhu Ho, the Winds Ahead (AIR): These spirits are the direct winds, who go forth before the Inner Wind Sage and declare his presence. They are loyal above all things, and stood guard for the marriage of the King Violent Wind and the Merciful Rain Consort. They typically grant powers over wind, such as Blow Things Away, and their taboo is typically Never Commit Adultery.

Tular Narnei, the Winds To My Right (AIR): These spirits are the winter winds, the bringers of cold and frost. They are the sword of the Inner Wind Sage, striking out at his foes. They are known to love trees, which they rarely get to meet, and many seek spouses from among the rare tree spirits of the steppes. They typically grant powers over cold weather, such as Safely Travel In Snowstorm or Freeze Crops. Their taboo is usually Never Harm A Tree.

Uuuh Hu, the Winds Behind (AIR): These spirits are the changing winds, who cannot stand to be still or to be the same as they were yesterday. They survey the lands that the Inner Wind Sage traveled and they remake them, making things new again so that he will never become bored. They cannot stand laziness, and are always busy. They generally grant powers to change weather, such as End Calm or Bring Rainfall. Their taboo is usually Always Be the First to Rise From Sleep or Always Be the Last to Bed.

Seleran, the Rains To My Left (WATER): These spirits are those of the deep mountain wellsprings and the rainstorms that the Inner Wind Sage conquered and took into himself. They are the shield of the Sage, protecting him from foes and defending his lands. They must be ready at all times, even when others play. They grant powers that protect against other spirits, such as Deflect Curse or Block Spiritual Attack. Their taboo is typically something like Never Drink Alcohol.

Veren Vu, the Sun Above (FIRE): These fire spirits come from the high sky, defeated in gambling and sworn to serve the Inner Wind Sage. They are guardians against magic, watching for sorcerers and spirits and tricking them into defeating themselves. They retain their loyalty to the sun and sky, however, and demand the same. They grant powers that defend against spirits or sorcerers in some way, such as Track Magic To Its Source or Reflect Spirit Curse. Their taboo is always something such as Always Sleep Under the Sky.

Zolan Zubar, the Demons Below (DARKNESS): These darkness spirits are demons from Hell, terrible monsters bound to hunt the enemies of the Inner Wind Sage. They give powers that help fight the six great enemies of the Sage: the undead, possessing spirits, death spirits, disease spirits, and curse-witches. They will harm no one else, and they prefer their victims to suffer ceaselessly. Their powers are often things like Destroy Skeleton or Scourge Disease Spirit or Punish Curse-Witch. Their taboo is generally something such as Never Kill.

The Inner Wind Tradition (SPIRIT AIR)

Only Qa Ying may join the Inner Wind Tradition, and only if they have the Spirit Rune. Members of the Inner Wind Tradition offer up homes within their own bodies for the spirits that assist them, but they must earn the respect and obedience of those spirits first. This is typically done by gambling, which was invented by the Inner Wind Sage, and specifically the throwing of knuckle bones. The knuckle bones of sheep are favored, but any animal knuckles may be used. Initiation into the tradition must be granted by a Wind Sage, who typically takes payment in the form of a period of service and assistance, though some Wind Sages will not require payment if defeated in gambling.

Members of the Inner Wind Tradition may sense spirits, which will approach them to communicate on a regular basis. They have no innate power to force spirits to listen to them if they don't want to, however. They may use spirit charms, but are reqired to take part in the spirit rituals of their village as needed, and must always honor their debts to all people. Those who do not belong to a spirit society may onyl use their charms as augments, but essentially all members of the tradition belong to the Seven Winds Spirit Society.

Opposed Runes

The Inner Wind Sage is opposed to the Chaos Rune.

Particular Likes and Dislikes

The great enemy of the Inner Wind Sage is the Spirit King Karjakan. The two are in near constant conflict, as Karjakan seeks to unbalance the world by making the Spirit World overtake the physical, as well as seeking revenge on the Qa Ying for their relation to the Sage. The Sage is also a constant foe to the hated gods Malia, the Queen of Disease, and Thed, Mother of Broos. Lastly, he is the ardent foe of the strange spirits called Grandmother and Grandfather, who are the source of bad luck and once nearly destroyed the world.

Beyond this, the Inner Wind Sage has made several enemies. He is hated by his brother, the Storm Bull, as the Sage has often stopped his rampages. He is despised by the spirits of the Sea, for he came to the aid of the Merciful Rain Consort and led the Thunder Brothers against the Sea. He is feared by ghosts, for he keeps them out of the physical realm, and is an enemy of the strange being known as the Earth Witch, whom he fight in the spirit war against Karjakan. He is also an enemy of many beast spirits, including those who are allies of the Blazing Wings Hunter, which can lead them into conflict.

Cult Organization

It is rare for a Qa Ying to feel the pull of the spirits and worship them over gods, even the Burning Wings Hunter. It is these people who join the Inner Wind Sage's cult, and they tend to be very loyal to each other, even across clan lines. However, it is common for most clans to offer up sacrifices to the Sage as part of their rituals to the King Violent Wind, for his the King's chief advisor.

Typically, dedicated shamans, called Wind Sages, are supported by the offerings and gifts of the clans near where they live. They typically live alone, outside clan villages, to better commune with spirits. They are hired by individual clan members to deal with spiritual problems, and will typically advise and care for the spirit-worshippers of every clan in a small region. There is no formal structure of rank among shamans, save for the power of the spirits that serve them.

Typically, a Wind Sage has free rein to organize their followers however they choose, as well as to join whatever spirit societies are most relevant to their needs and the region in which they live. This means the spirit worship of the Qa Ying is often extremely individualised, with the Wind Sages tailoring their rituals and practices to the spirits and people around them.

Center of Power and Holy Places

The places sacred to the wind spirits are widespread but not especially common. They are generally in secluded caves or valleys in the Shan Shan mountains or in places known for windstorms in Pent, Chen Durel or other regions near the ranges settled by the Qa Ying. These sites are favored for rituals and sacrifices. Typically, these sites are not well known by those outside spirit cults, but are generally harmless unless outsiders have made enemies of the local spirits or directly anger them.

Initiates

Initiates must possess the Spirit Rune to be able to perceive and interact with spirits. They receive no Rune Magic through the cult, of course. Initiates without the Spirit Rune may still join, being given access to the cult's spirit rituals, which are private and secret affairs. They are forbidden to drink alcohol or use any plant-based medicines in the three days before or after a spirit ritual, for these things are said to be tricks laid by Karjakan.

Shamans

The shamans of the Inner Wind Sage are known as Wind Sages. Becoming one requires years of training under the tutelage of another Wind Sage, as well as membership in the Inner Wind Tradition and a Spirit Rune of 11W or higher. Their master takes them into the Horn Place and abandons them there. If the would-be shaman survives (overcoming a major plot obstacle), they return with their awakened fetch - their very own Wind Within, the spirit that now lives inside them forever. This marks them as a shaman.

The Fetch

The fetch of a Wind Sage is always a Wind Within Spirit, also called a Seza. They appear as an incorporeal spirit in the shape of a large bird of prey, but spend most of their time inside the shaman's own inner world, to guard their body when they enter the Spirit World. However, when fighting spirits or other incorporeal beings in the physical world, the Wind Within assists the shaman, granting them immunity to multiple opponent penalties.

Further, the shaman may uniquely exhale the Wind Within into the physical world even when not in the Spirit World. This grants the fetch a unique power that it can invoke on behalf of the shaman, such as the ability to blow cold winds, make the air hot, unleash terrifying howls, or hunt a specific kind of animal or spirit. If the Wind Within dies, so does its shaman.

A Wind Sage has all the normal abilities of a member of the Inner Wind Tradition, but in addition gain the power to draw more easily on their charms, gaining the normal powers of a shaman. They must take part in the spirit rituals of their clan, and may never learn any sorcery or any divine or spirit magic not associated with the gods of the Qa Ying. They belong to all spirit societies they qualify for, but never qualify to join the spirit societies of bird spirits, for they chose the path of the Wind over the path of the Cosmic Egg.

Holy Days

The holy days of the spirits are not regular, and their dates are chosen by the casting of the knucklebones at various times throughout the year. Some castings are done on known dates, others after specific kinds of events happen or before specific things are planned to be done. The casting reveals the correct date and time of the rituals, which the shamans then send spirits out to communicate to their followers.

Gambling is always an important part of the Inner Wind Sage's spirit rites, and the results of knucklebone gambling determine how the rites should be performed. Dances are common, as is drumming and songs of thanks to the spirits, ending with the sound of horns to signal the central rite that opens the Spirit World to worshippers. All worshippers must fast for a full day before this, and every succesful rite ends in a feast.

Fasting and ecstatic dances are used to get worshippers into an altered state, but the cult absolutely forbids the use of alcohol or plant-based psychedelics to do so for their rituals, for these open gates for Karjakan. The presence of outsiders is also held to offend the spirits, and so they are forbidden to take part in spirit rites. Rites are performed at a holy place relevant to the spirit being petitioned or praised.

Sacrifices

Sacrifices vary wildly based on the tastes of individual spirits. However, the elemental spirits most commonly associated with the cult tend to prefer gifts of clay goods, gambling knucklebones, or other material things over food. Most sacrifices do include small gifts of meat or bread, but significantly less than would be offered to a god.

Other Associated Spirit Societies

World Bones (LUCK EARTH)

The World Bones are the first knucklebones ever used to gamble, taken from the Spine of the World, as the spirits know the Shan Shan mountains. The Spine is a living spirit, though it spends much of its time asleep. When Karjakan captured the Inner Wind Sage, the Spine of the World awoke to free him, taking a flock of peafowl as stakes to gamble with. Karjakan cheated, but the Spine's mastery of the gambling arts let it win anyway.

It is said that the Spine of the World taught everyone to gamble, and gave its own bones freely to the Inner Wind Sage for that purpose. It hates Karjakan for cheating in the ancient past, and has been friend to the Inner Wind Sage ever since. The Sage agreed to use the knucklebones in all rites, and has agreed to rule over the World Bones while the Spine slumbers, meditating upon a secret truth.

World Bones Spirits

Horse Face (LUCK): Horse Face is the spirit of the first and best knuckle bone of the Spine. When thrown, he always landed on the luckiest face: the Horse, which is fast and strong. It as always fair, though, and he cannot stand cheating. He grants powers such as Detect Cheats, and his taboo is Always Accept Any Offer to Gamble.

Sheep Birther (LUCK): Sheep Birther is the second knuckle bone of the Spine. More often than not, when thrown, it landed on the Sheep face - lucky and wise, but arising from misfortune. It grants power over good luck, such as Bless With Trading Fortune or Choose Safer Path. Its taboo is Always Give Aid to the Poor When Asked.

Camel Mother (LUCK): The third knucklebone of the World Spine was Camel Mother, the origin of bad luck. She saw when people deserved a bad future and cursed them to move towards it. She was the greatest of the World Bones in fighting Karjakan. She gives powers to curse and harry with misfortune, such as Ruin Outfit or Attract Someone's Enemies. Her taboo is usually Never Lie, for she was always open about her nature.

Goat Gift (LUCK): The last knucklebone of the World Spine was the Goat Gift, the bad fortune born out of goodness. He would turn fortunes around, showing people why seeming good luck was truly bad, or revealing the truth behind pretty lies. He grants power to see bad truths or reveal evils, such as Reveal Betrayal or Know Flaws In Gift. His taboo is Never Allow A Slight To Go Unavenged Nor A Favor Unrewarded.

Screwhorn Snake-Eater (EARTH): Screwhorn Snake-Eater is a goat spirit that swore to serve the World Bones and obey them. He gambled with the World Bones for aid against his sworn enemies, the Serpent Lords, and lost. Now, he guards the mountains so that they do not awaken the Spine of the World. He grants the power of Scare Earth Serpent. His taboo is Let No Enemy Pass By You Unhindered.

Bone Rat (EARTH): Bone Rat is a pika spirit, a small and weak spirit who cannot easily fight. She lives within the World Bones, making her home in the holes where the Knucklebones once were. She is not strong, but she is cunning, and knows many secrets that others would hide, for they do not notice her. She grants the power of Hide Under Rocks. Her taboo is Reveal No Secret For Free.

[kd-heart]

Promptober day 1 - Whumptober - A LITTLE OUT OF THE ORDINARY - Adverse Effects | "This wasn't supposed to happen"

Fandom: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

  Rating: Teen and Up

  Characters/Pairing: Jessie Bannon/Hadji Singh

  Summary:   "This wasn't supposed to happen," Hadji said, running to Jessie’s side as soon as he pulled her out of the simulation. He picked up one of her hands in his and held it delicately; just enough pressure to assure her she was there.

  Tags: Future Fic, Bruises, Consequences, Jeremiah Surd is a pain in the neck from beyond the grave, Revenge, Ghosts

  Words Count: 300

AO3

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Hadji said, running to Jessie’s side as soon as he pulled her out of the simulation. She looked unfocused around the room, her visor still clenched in one battered hand. Bruises were blooming across her arms and left temple.

He took the visor out of her hand, gently untangling it from her fingers.

She flinched.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice as soothing as his growing panic allowed. "This shouldn't be possible!"

She followed his gaze down to her hands. The bruises were already turning darker. Her attention lingered on them.

Jessie rarely went quiet.

"We had this fixed!” Hadji picked up one of her hands in his and held it delicately; just enough pressure to assure her she was there.

She quietly shook her head.

"It's been years!" he insisted.

Jessie opened her mouth. And closed it again.

She pulled her hand out of his and brought it up to his face, cupping his cheek.

"I’m okay,” she assured him.

“You shouldn’t get hurt in Questworld!” he insisted. “We spent years making sure nothing in there can follow us out here!”

She averted her gaze.

“I might have brought this on myself,” she said reluctantly, pulling her hand away.

“How can this be your fault?” He gestured at her current state.

She didn’t answer.

She continued to look away.

And, as the rest of the color in her cheeks drained away, making her bruises stand out in stark contrast, Hadji remembered what used to cause the intrusions of virtual harm into the real world. But he was dead. Jessie had turned his own machinations against him, locking his mind away in the virtual world, while old age did the rest, his physical body withering with the passage of time.

“It’s my fault,” she insisted.

[thydungeongal]

I saw your post on DnD having no consequences besides death and was wondering what systems you know that aren't like that,and how they accomplish it.

Really love your stuff btw!

First one that comes to mind is Fate. The way Fate achieves it is simple: instead of having death as a consequence, in Fate if your character gets taken out of combat (which will happen if they take Stress and they have no more Stress boxes to take that Stress and you don't elect to take a consequence instead) they're simply Taken Out. There's no countdown to death, the character is simply out of the conflict. And should the whole party get wiped in a conflict that simply means that they failed to achieve whatever it was they wanted to achieve in that conflict. This means that players can lose individual conflicts but the story doesn't end there. In fact, the game in some ways encourages losing in conflicts, because it can be a source of character development (via Extreme consequences which can only be taken once every now and then and that actually change one of the character's Aspects, basic building blocks of the character). Fate also allows, as far as I remember, simply conceding a conflict, meaning that characters lose the conflict but at least they get out mostly without consequence.

Blades in the Dark is another one: BitD is about doing heists and during heists characters can suffer a wide variety of consequences, including various degrees of injury. The important thing is that BitD allows players to declare that their characters are withdrawing from a heist whenever they want. This means that they get no payoff and go straight into downtime, and still have to deal with the various consequences like heat and entanglements. So, players basically always have the choice to retreat. (And in fact this is something that is very similar to older editions of D&D: before cyclical, individual initiative became the norm, characters would take turns together, and between rounds of combat players could decide that their characters would retreat. It wasn't of course automatic and there was a chance of pursuit, but there was a quick escape button available to players.)

QuestWorlds is another one that allows for players to define what their characters' goal in a given conflict (called Sequence) is, and allows for either retreating (and thus failing to achieve the story goal) as well as simply losing and failing to achieve the story goal with added consequence. QuestWorlds is very similar to Fate in how abstract it is in modeling conflict. QuestWorlds also models difficulty rising with every success since it seeks to model a certain type of narrative structure. It's a fascinating game imo

That's just a few though, and there are countless others as well.

[vintagerpg]

Jackals (2021) is Osprey’s most ambitious RPG to date, the first to launch with an accompanying campaign. An additional sourcebook has also surfaced.

Back in 1982, Chaosium published QuestWorld, as a sort of open world for RuneQuest (as opposed to the closed, Stafford-approved Glorantha), where players would essentially come up with their own RQ variants. The box set was an interesting, but failed, experiment. Jackals strikes me as the sort of thing I bet Chaosium hoped would emerge from the scheme.

It is powered by OpenQuest, a tweaked retroclone of RuneQuest. Jackals tweaks it some more, but at heart, if you’re familiar with the BRP style d100 skill games, you’ll ken this system fast.

Like RuneQuest, the game world is extremely important. Characters get the choice of one of four cultures (modeled loosely on the real world Bronze Age cultures of Greece, Egypt, Israel and the Arabian desert), each of which determines the bulk of their baseline attributes. As the titular Jackals, they wander the world, beloved by communities beset by the taint of Chaos, manifest as a variety of beast-people who kill and destroy indiscriminately, a sort of embodied anti-civilization. When no such problem exists, though, most folks don’t want Jackals around.

The world they wander is a rich one. I love Glorantha for its strangeness, but the War Road feels familiar (thanks to its dim relation to our Middle East). That gives the setting a kind of excitement akin to knowing the song on the radio, even if it is a cover. The mysteries are intriguing, the art lovely and the maps! My goodness, these are some of the best dungeon maps I have seen in years! A handful of scenarios round things out and pave the way for the grand, world-changing campaign, The Fall of the Children of Bronze.

[kleioscanvas]

The Runequest Prosopaedia is out! It's a book I've fully illustrated about the many gods and myths of Glorantha and I am very excited to see it published. I'm looking forward to see what people think!

[downwithpeople]

bashing my brains against magic for UA glorantha. in questworlds, spirit magic and divine magic are mechanically distinct. i was tripped up by spirit magic meaning something completely different in runequest and it made me question the whole thing. animism is cosmologically separate to theism and should probably look different in play, but how? what does it actually look like to be like, a praxian raider vs orlanthi raider? it doesn't help that whereas divine cults are really straightforward, spirit magic has cults, spirit traditions, spirit societies and shamans.

[viralarcadian]

oh man the cgi in real adventure of jonny quest is terrible in the best way. the walk cycles are absolutely incredible they're walking like they have back and hip problems in questworld

[juniaships]

Okay oc lore time

Jonny Quest the real adventures and the direct to video scooby movies takes place in the same universe. Myra is friends with the Quest Kids and Jessie Bannon.

Reboot (the cgi cartoon from 1994) also takes place in the same universe; Mainframe can access QuestWorld. Race Bannon flirted with Hexidecimal much to the horror of everyone else.

Swat Kats take place on another planet (nearly canonized in a scrapped ending for one of the episodes). I have a SK OC who works as the Kats' mission control/backup member.

Beau is a government agent who got cursed by the evil werecats; after their defeat died he was cured but had to send all his findings to the Quests so they can help the victims' families find closure. He then goes on to be an informant for various super teams.

Skysurfers also exists because that show was made by the same creators of Scooby Doo; Jack Hollister's father used to be lab partners with Dr. Quest.

Acceleracers takes place in the same universe due to being made by the same folks who made Reboot (being Canadian productions irl).

Mainframe and Cyberspace (of Cyberchase fame) may be linked, technically considers Mainframe a Site.

Gen 13 (mix of comics & the animated film) is set in the same verse. Unlike the movies Matthew Callahan doesn't die but remains under the custody of John Lynch; also he doesn't rejoin Ivana as he did in the comics. Also, unlike the comics Gen 13 actually has 13 members. They rotate time from time. Matthew is forced to be a part to undo the damage he caused working as Ivana's underling. Caitlyn is not his sister, his siblings are Sarah and Nicole as in the comics. Cait and Roxy are half sibs.

Im not sure if I want TFA in the same verse but for the sake of it yes; the year is current but still with the theme of Detroit rebuilding, to go along with Animated's theme of redemption

Jackie Chan Adventures are set in same verse as the 2006 legion of superheroes, the 03 Teen Titans, Xiaolin Showdown, and 2004 Batman.

GI Joe Sigma Six is set in the same verse as TFA.

GI Joe Renegades and Transformers Prime are set in the same verse detached from Sigma Six and TFA.

Universal's Monster Force is set in same verse as JQTRA and Scooby Doo

The 2000s Mummy and Tintin take place in the past; 1930s at the earliest. Bayformers and the live action Joes take place in that timeline's future.

Mummies Alive take place in San Fran and likely set in the future of the Mummy cartoon. It also takes place in the same verse as the 90s King Kong & Godzilla cartoons.

My Descendants rewrite takes place in a world where the heroes never agreed to send villains on the Isle. Instead the isle is simply a mysterious place said to harbor riches beyond legend.

Gargoyles, Atlantis, The Mighty Ducks cartoon, BLOSC, and OUAT takes place in the same verse. BLOSC is set in space and has a ranger from the same planet the Swat Kats come from

Osmosis Jones is in its own solar system based on organic body parts. Its "star" pulses like a heart beat. Sorry but I hate Bill Murray.

Loonatics Unleashed takes place in the same time period of the regular looney tunes; instead of being descendants theyre distant cousins. Acmetropolis is a mega city using Sumdac Tech

Zadavia comes from a planet English translaters describe as Freleng. The common export is energy crystals and its rocky deserts is a haven for geologists and unlucky miners everywhere

The civil war was sparked by General Deuce and Optimatus's betrayal

[cyberprincehavoc]

what do you think of fate, and why is it the best and sexiest ttrpg system ever written

I actually don't like Fate at all. I've tried to like it a lot, I've played it more than I wanted, but I just don't. every single session has devolved into constant meta discussions about if doing such and such thing is "creating an advantage" or a kind of attack.

fate is a good game if you want to play as the director of a movie or a tv show, or if your group is entirely made up of DMs, because you don't think in terms of "What would my character do", you think in terms of "what's the coolest thing to happen now", and most times I don't know. part of why I like RPGs is finding those cool moments happening randomly and organically because of the dice.

also I've always, always seen players struggle to create their aspects, or telling me they feel bad they chose those aspects because they're not being as useful as they thought, or struggling to create feats, etc. imo HeroQuest / QuestWorlds strikes the perfect middle ground to me between "kinda like Fate but not quite."

[ikindamaybewanthertositonmyface]

Oh good god the fact that they enter the Capone reality of Questworld and Gwen is in a dapper suit. If that isn't a huge neon sign telling us she is SO GAY then I don't know what is. GIVE IT TO US MARVEL!

[highintlowwispod]

Hi-lo everyone!! The crew/stowaways of this Trainwreck are back in action, but so are their Green Cloaked Assassin Pals! Hold up, there's more of these cats? Just how many people are they sending after Marianne, and where are they getting all of these matching cloaks??? 

Asking for a friend who would also really like a green cloak... for non-assassin reasons.

Episode 14 “See Bee Tee” is out and available for a listen now! If you are also looking to find answers to these cloak-related questions you probably aren't going to find them in this ep friends. But! If you’re maybe looking for info on How To Calm An Iimish, what's the Airspeed Velocity of an old can of beans, or how thick a Gatorborn’s hide is we may be able to help ya out there. 

And as always, if the spirits move ya, feel free to leave us a review on your podcast listening platforms of choice! As our faithful GM always says “give us as many stars as you think we deserve or, if you're feeling generous, give us a whole lot more.” 🧡

[morsrattus]

The Gods Around Pent: The Qa Ying Gods - Blazing Wings Hunter

Blazing Wings Hunter, the Father of Birds, the Sun Eagle, Whose Talons Are Death

The Cult of Blazing Wings Hunter (FIRE BEAST SPIRIT)

It is said by the Qa Ying that when the Sun Egg hatched, it was the Blazing Wings Hunter which emerged. Some say he may have existed before this, some disagree, but all contend that he is what emerged from the egg, and that his chidlren are the birds which spread across the world. His wings blaze with the fire of the sun, and his light shows the Qa Ying paths to the spirit world.

Mythos and History

Before the Sun Egg hatched, the world was light but empty. The sky was empty of birds, and night never fell. This was bad, for no one knew when to sleep and when to wake. No one knew when to have children, when to rest, when to do anything. Therefore, the King Violent Wind shattered the Sun Egg, though it would send the world into darkness.

The Blazing Wings Hunter hatched from this violent act. He emerged in a glorious blaze, crowing and lighting up the sky. It was not as bright a light as that of the Sun Egg, but it was the light of day, and when the Blazing Wings Hunter hid his light in a black cloak, that became night. He went into the world and made many lesser eggs, and from these hatched every bird that is.

The greatest of his children this way were the sun eagles, and they feuded with the storm hawks, the birds that were chosen by King Violent Wind as his own. Blazing Wings Hunter contended with King Violent Wind, treating him as an enemy. He fought for the honor of his Sun Egg and for the honor of his children. The two gods fueled for a long time, many days. King Violent Wind would not be defeated, even when the Blazing Wings Hunter wielded the great fire of the sun against him, nor even when he cloaked himself in night and struck unseen.

At last, the Blazing Wings Hunter landed and knelt. He was not struck down, but he knew he could not win. The King Violent Wind raised him from the ground and said: "You are the only god that has ever fought me so long and not been struck down. Teach this to my children, and I will call you brother, and brother of my brother."

The Blazing Wings Hunter agreed. He taught the Qa Ying how to hunt, with birds and with spears and with bows. He showed them what was good to eat and what was not, what they could take and what they should flee. At last, he showed them the spirits of the birds, that they might know their kin, and he showed them the men below, who hunted with eagles, that they might know who would also call on their greatest friends, the hunting birds.

As the world grew darker, the teachings of hunting became more and more necessary. When King Violent Wind descended into the Underworld to find the remnants of the Sun Egg and restore light, the Blazing Wings Hunter became the chief warrior for the people. He was not as strong as his king, but with the Merciful Rain Consort defending the home, he was able to keep fighting.

It was not enough. There was too much evil, too much Chaos, for him to fight. Even with the aid of the Thunder Brothers, he could not defeat it all. But he stood to the last, his fiery wings blazing, lighting the path that the Sun Egg would rise once more to follow. And because he lit the path, there is day and night even today.

Nature of the Cult

The Blazing Wings Hunter cult occupies a lesser space in Qa Ying society, providing a path for those Qa Ying who do not feel a strong connection to their Air ancestry. It bears quite a bit in common with the cults of the Hsunchen neighbors of the Qa Ying, offering a path to communion with the birds. It is a hunter's cult rather than a warrior's cult, predicated on understanding animals, hunting them, and speaking to their spirits. However, it also has fewer shamans than the more dedicated and air-specialized path of the Inner Wind Sage. Most Qa Ying feel far more connection with the Air than the Sun, after all.

Depiction

The Blazing Wings Hunter is depicted as a man with golden skin, burning red wings, and the head of an eagle. He has four arms. One bears a spear, one a bow, one a quiver of arrows, and one holds a bright red eagle. He wears no clothing but many feathered decorations and accessories. His hair is yellow and his eyes are red. He is generally depicted with many birds of all kinds around him.

Runes

The Blazing Wings Hunter is associated with birds - all birds, yes, but especially with birds of prey. Generally speaking, each village's cult has a specific kind of bird of prey that they feel is closest to their lineage, the Blazing Wings Hunter, or both, and the god's power is greater over this iconic bird. :FIRE: The Blazing Wings Hunter has relatively broad power over Fire, though it is generally somewhat less capable of the more metaphorical and symbolic aspects of Fire. Initiates have been known, among other things, to use the Fire Rune to glow brightly, to light fires, to fight with spears or bows, to speak with birds, to fly higher than others, to shoot arrows of flame, to cook meat, to hunt with their iconic bird of prey, or to see things at great distance. Those strong in the Fire Rune are generally arrogant, forthright, and forceful. :BEAST: The Blazing Wings Hunter's Beast Rune commands birds generally and the iconic bird of a clan's cult specifically, but is incredibly broad within this arena, particularly over the iconic bird. Initiates have been known, among other things, to use the Beast Rune to speak with birds, to command birds, to transform partially or fully into their iconic bird of prey, to bless birds, to strengthen those with traits similar to their iconic bird of prey, to bind subservient spirits into their iconic bird of prey, to enchant their iconic bird of prey, to track, to hunt prey, or to curse others with the bad traits of their iconic bird of prey. Those strong in the Beast Rune are generally fierce, uncompromising, and primal. :SPIRIT: The Blazing Wings Hunter does not offer magic through the Spirit Rune. Instead, he offers a shamanic path, allowing followers with Spirit of at least 1W to join his spirit society and call on spirit charms, which typically take the form of decorative feather talismans or practical goods marked with feathers that reflect the charm's nature.

The Blazing Wings Spirit Society (FIRE BEAST)

The Blazing Wings Spirit Society is made up of the spirit-children of the Blazing Wings Hunter, the eggs that hatched from his warmth. They claim their authority over the spirit world by tracing their descent to the Cosmic Egg, which hatched into the Cosmic Dragon, the ancient and primal figure that others call Korgatsu. Only bird spirits make up the court, and only those who follow the Cosmic Egg Tradition or the distantly related Korgatsu Tradition can join the spirit society directly.

While many sun and fire spirits serve the Blazing Wings Hunter, they belong to other courts unless they are also birds. All spirits of the Blazing Wings Spirit Society are bird spirits, and they come in many types. Spirits associated with birds of prey are the most prestigious, but every bird is a child of the Blazing Wings Hunter - even those which do not belong to the sky, like storm hawks.

Members of the Blazing Wings Spirit Society must participate in the rituals of their clan and devote their time to assisting the clan on matters to do with birds, hunting or spirits. They are required to take part in all egg-tending the clan needs, and must only harm birds which they are going to eat, and must repay all debts, whether to human or spirit.

Blazing Wings Spirits

Bug Eater (BEAST) is a spirit of nightjars who is much beloved by those clans which fight with the trolls. She loves nothing more than to devour bugs and drive them from the night realm. She grants the power Drive Away Insects. Her taboo is Never Deal Peacefully With Bug-Tamers.

Bean Goose (BEAST) is a spirit of geese. He is particularly valued by poor clans, for he can always find forage, even in the worst snows. He is unafraid of cold, as well, and thrives in winter, for he knows how to avoid the gaze of the hollri. He grants the power Forage In Winter. His taboo is Do Not Fight Ice Demons.

Rat Catcher (BEAST) is a spirit of snowcocks. They thrive in the high mountains, teaching their children how to survive on berries, shoots and rats. They are often called on for their power to keep villages safe from vermin. They grant the power Trap Rodents. Their taboo is Always Announce Yourself When Arriving.

Brilliant River Bannerman (FIRE) is a flamingo spirit. He is one of the emissaries of the Blazing Wings Hunter to the river Sirdaryo for her friendship to the sun, and so is always in resplendent feathers and finery. He grants the power of Be the Center of Attention. His taboo is Always Wear Bright, Beautiful Things.

Yellow Singer (FIRE) is a bulbul spirit. They sing to announce the rising and setting of the Sun Egg, and they are capable of creating some of the most beautiful and the ugliest songs in the world, celebrating the rebirth and destruction of the Sun Egg, respectively. They grant the power of Sing Incredibly Memorable Song. Their taboo is Sing To Mark the Rising and Setting of the Sun Each Day.

Starlight Eagle (FIRE) is an eagle spirit, one of the great daughters of the Blazing Wings Hunter. She is an amazing hunter and she is marked by the glowing lights of the stars on his feathers. Her courage and skill are legendary, and she helped defeat many threats to the world. She grants the power of Hunt Monsters. Her taboo is Never Give Up on a Hunt.

The Cosmic Egg Tradition (SPIRIT BEAST)

To join the Cosmic Egg Tradition, you must have a Spirit Rune. Among the Qa Ying, this is relatively common, and usually considered a sign that a person has been chosen by the spirits to communicate for them, with little to no relation to bloodline. Initiation into the Cosmic Egg tradition is further only practiced by the Cult of the Blazing Wings Hunter. Shamans associated with the tradition will generally accept students, but require them to swear an oath binding them to the beasts and the Cosmic Egg over the secrets of the winds. Typically, a student must spend an extensive period as assistant to the shaman, learning from them and helping them in their day to day life. This grants the Cosmic Egg Tradition tied to the Spirit Rune.

The Cosmic Egg is, according to the shamans, the first thing that ever existed. When the world was born, it hatched from the Cosmic Egg, formed from the runoff. The creature that emerged was the Cosmic Dragon, who is called Korgatsu but whose secret name is whispered only by the wisest spirits. As the gods came to be and shaped the world, the Cosmic Dragon moved through the world and saw it needed life. It moved among the gods in many forms and by many names, but all of them brought children into the world. First the dragons, then all other beasts. The gods set about making people, whose minds let them reshape the world, and the beasts set about making more beasts, whose primal nature expressed the world's truths. The shamans say that the Qa Ying are among those peoples whose nature is both mand and beast, and who therefore are able to learn the secret truths of the Cosmic Egg, which even the great King Violent Wind cannot. These secrets must never be shared with those who do not follow the path of Korgatsu, even other Qa Ying.

Members of the Cosmic Egg Tradition can sense spirits. Spirits reveal themselves to members regularly, and when they do, members can speak to them. They can see other spirits in the world around them but lack any power to force them to listen. If you do not belong to a spirit society, you can only use your charms as augments, but essentially all members of the tradition belong to the Blazing Wings Spirit Society.

Opposed Runes

The Blazing Wings Hunter opposes the Rune of Darkness.

Particular Likes and Dislikes

The Blazing Wings Hunter is loyal to King Violent Wind, but stands apart from the other gods of the Qa Ying. He is not of the Air, but of the Sun above, and this makes him distant even from the high-flying gods he works with. He is closer to the bird spirits which are his children. He is also an ally of the human god Tholm, who is the servant of the eagles and works with them. The two are very close, like grandson and grandfather.

The great prey that the Blazing Wings Hunter seeks but has never managed to catch is the god Gord, the Burrower. His children are prey, and Blazing Wings Hunter once worked with Tholm to try and catch them all for eating, but failed. Gord and his children have held a grudge ever since.

Cult Organization

The Blazing Wings cult traditions vary from clan to clan and village to village, but there are some constants. Shamans and priests are generally held to be about equal in rank, but with different focuses. Priests oversee the hunting aspects of the cult and the care of physical birds, while shamans largely deal with the world of spirits and particularly the spirits that rule over birds. Initiates are expected to obey the orders of both, and the eldest priest or shaman within a clan will generally be in charge of the cult, with the eldest shaman advising a leading priest or vice versa. The cult generally oversees hunting for the clan, and it is common for the best hunter, the eldest priest and the eldest shaman to hold seats on the clan's advisory council, though only one tends to sit on the ruling council within that.

Priests

Priests are selected within the cult not by humans, but by birds and spirit birds. An initiate will be raised to the rank of priest when the priests and shamans of the clan recognize a sign indicating the favor of the birds. This typically manifests in the appearance of birds flocking around them or bringing them gifts, the appearance of a spiritually possessed bird to aid them, or a spirit granting them a gift of fiery power during a hunt. It is possible to be both a priest and a shaman at the same time, though it is rare.

Center of Power and Holy Places

Every clan maintains at least a shrine to the Blazing Wings Hunter in their village, with larger cults maintaining a sacred temple-space. These areas are all open to the sky, and largely marked off with sacred carvings. Birds nest in these places, especially temples. All bird nests are sacred and it is forbidden to harm a bird egg, though a nest with no parents may be taken back to a shrine or temple to be hatched and reared. Other holy places are those which mark places that the Blazing Wings Hunter performed great deeds, but it is rare for a clan to control these for long periods unless they are high in the mountains, away from other peoples. Instead, it is common for cultists to perform sacred hunts that take them out to these places, where they will ritually take prey or steal goods to show their courage.

Initiates

Initiates must have one of the Fire or Beast runes at 1W or higher. While an initiate must have the Spirit Rune to join the Blazing Wings Spirit Society or become a shaman, they need one of the other runes of the Blazing Wings Hunter to initiate in the cult in the first place.

Shamans

To become a Cosmic Egg Shaman, an initiate must have the Spirit Rune at 11W or higher. Their teacher in the cult brings them to a valley in the mountains and ties them down, covering them over with a clay shell, representing the egg from which they must hatch. If they break free and emerge (overcoming a major plot obstacle), they hatch into the spirit realm and return with their awakened fetch, which has revealed the secret truth to them: they too hatched from the Cosmic Egg, for they are both Bird and Man and thus part of the Cosmic Dragon, Korgatsu.

The Fetch

The fetch of a Cosmic Egg shaman is their bird self, for each shaman is both Qa Ying and bird. This is the bird they hatch into during their awakening as a shaman. This bird spirit is their true nature, and much can be told about a shaman by their fetch's breed. Often it is the same as their clan's favored bird, but it does not have to be. It is always a different gender than the shaman's Qa Ying body.

The bird-soul is extremely potent in the spirit world, and even a small prey bird fetch is more than capable of fighting against other spirits easily. When the shaman enters the spirit world, the bird-soul remains with their body, keeping it safe from possession. The shaman may immediately escape from the spirit world by swapping places with the fetch as a simple contest with resistance never greater than Moderate. When fighting spirits or other discorporate entities in the physical world, the bird-soul aids the shaman, rendering them immune to multiple action penalties.

Uniquely, a Cosmic Egg shaman may invoke and embody their bird-soul physically. When this happens, the bird-soul takes on the appearance of the shaman's Qa Ying body in the spirit world, while the shaman transforms into the shape of the bird-soul in the physical world, gaining all the capabilities of the bird. While in the form of their bird-soul, the shaman may still speak, but has only the physical strength and capabilities of a bird otherwise. Other birds of the same breed will instinctively obey them in this form.

Cosmic Egg shamans are considered members of every spirit society associated with the Cosmic Egg Tradition for which they qualify and gain all other normal abilities of shamans. They must, however, perform the duties of a shaman within their clan, serving as the intermediary between men, beasts and spirits. Further, they may never learn any sorcery, nor any divine or spirit magic not associated with the gods of the Qa Ying. They also never qualify to join the spirit societies of wind spirits, having chosen the path of birds and the Cosmic Egg instead.

Holy Days

The most important holy day of the year is the Rising, the day on which the Blazing Wings Hunter emerged from the Sun Egg. The cult holds grand festivals celebrating hunting skill on this day, as well as long worship rituals that run from sunrise to noon. At sunset, a great sacrifice is held of the collected prey, to empower the sun to continue for another year.

Lesser holy days are held at the start of each season, sanctifying and honoring the chief prey animals of that season. The exact day varies, chosen by the spirits and relayed through cult shamans. These feature public worship rituals and sacrifices to the spirits of the prey, as well as displays of hunting skill to ritually take the first prey beast of the season. Each season permits hunting of different kinds of prey and forbids the harming of others.

Other holy days are held based on the needs of local spirits. Typically, these days are private to the cult rather than public festivals, and involve sacrifices and worship to empower weakening animal populations or other things that the bird spirits say need aid.

Sacrifices

Sacrifices to the Blazing Wings Hunter are largely meat, and specifically the meat of prey animals. Prey birds are particularly blessed sacrifices, provided they are permissible to harm during the season they are sacrificed. Sacrifices of pottery eggs or other goods are also done, though they must be red.

Sacrifices to local spirits are typically in the form of clay figurines and smaller amounts of meat. They are almost never as generous as sacrifices to a god, but the figurines are often specifically tailored to the needs and desires of the spirit involved.

Subcults

The Blazing Wings Hunter has few major subcults, but many minor ones. Many are heroic cults, worshipping specific past heroes of the clan and emulating their deeds. Others focus their worship on a specific kind of bird and gain the power to bless that breed of bird and more easily command them.

Devotees

It is relatively rare to see a devotee of the Blazing Wings Hunter. They must possess the Fire or Beast rune at 11W, and must forswear the magic of any other god entirely, giving up initiation in any other cults, as well as any sorcery. They may retain their shamanic powers if they are a Cosmic Egg Shaman, however.

Common Blazing Wings Hunter Feats

Ender of Night (FIRE) When the Sun Egg hatched, its light was ended. The first night fell. As the darkness continued, however, it was clear not all was right. The Sun Egg did not rise again. When the light did not return, the Blazing Wings Hunter spread his wings. He flew into the sky, and his light spread beneath. The Dark Crawlers who had spread in the first night cursed him, for his light burned them and sent them scattering. They threw stones and set demons upon him, but he fired arrows, bursting their stones. The demons came closer, and he cast forth his spear, pushing them back towards the horizon. Where his light fell, enemies were revealed and the people were kept safe. Prey was revealed, and easily taken. For the whole day, no danger could threaten where his light fell. However, when he came to land, the demons hid in the shadows cast by his light. The Second Night fell as he was forced to cloak his wings in darkness. The demons emerged in the dark, but they could not find him. They and the Dark Crawlers hunted then, taking beasts and not the people, who hid in their village. This was the right way of things, for even the Dark Crawlers needed to eat.

Under One Sky (BEAST) While the King Violent Wind traveled in the Netherworld, many foul monsters sought to conquer the air and sky. None could fly higher than the sun eagles, however, and no eagle could fly higher than the Blazing Wings Hunter. First came the False Sun, which pretended to be kin to the Hunter, but he saw through its lies. His talons tore through the false feathers it wore, revealing its wings to be arms, and it fell from the sky. Second came the Bone Eagle, which tore itself from the Hunter's fallen daughter, whom Chaos had slain. It tried to drive the Hunter mad with grief, that it might steal his place in the living world. However, the Hunter knew that even his children needed to die, that new eggs could hatch. He tore out the bones from the Bone Eagle's wings, and she fell from the sky. At last came the Beast Beyond The Sky, which came from outside. It came from above, from the Greater Sky, and told the Hunter that it was greater for this. However, the Hunter knew the truth: beyond the Sky was only Chaos. He spread his wings and told the Beast the truth: All things exist under one Sky. The Beast's true nature was revealed, and the birds came together to drive it from the sky, forcing it away.

Divine Retribution

Those who betray the secrets of the Blazing Wings Hunter are cursed. The first curse falls upon those who hunt prey that is forbidden by the cult's hunting schedule. The Hunter leaves a burning spirit-feather in their village, causing all birds to view them as an enemy. They and their entire family will be attacked by wild birds that encounter them, and the entire village will be plagued by birds pooping on everything. This curse may be lifted by making a sacrifice and seeking forgiveness from a priest or shaman of the Hunter.

The second curse falls upon those that break eggs in the temple-spaces of the Hunter. They are marked by a black spirit-feather, which drives away healing spirits and attracts plague spirits. Disease will follow them wherever they go. This curse can be lifted by performing a great deed to protect and honor birds under the direction of a priest or shaman of the Hunter.

The final curse falls upon those who reveal sacred secrets of the cult. They are marked by a white spirit-feather, attracting one of the warriors of the Blazing Wings Hunter's spirit kin. They use their powers to harry the cursed traitor, attacking them with wild beasts when they leave the village and entering their dreams at night to attack them there. The only way to end this curse is to defeat the spirit, which no shaman of the Hunter will help with.

[kd-heart]

Promptober day 2

Whumptober - Delirium | “They don't care about you.” Flufftober - Family, Friends, Loved Ones AI-less Whumptober - Exhaustion Angstober - Anxiety

Fandom: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

Rating: Teen and Up

Characters/Pairing: Jessie Bannon & Jonathan "Jonny" Quest & Hadji Singh

Tags: Delirium, Angst, Whump, Off-Screen Injury, Brain Damage (maybe), Hurt No Comfort, Anxiety

Summary: Jessie stole another worried glance in the rearview mirror. Her eyes kept darting from the road ahead to the back seat with alarming frequency. They needed to get home as fast as speeding laws allowed.

Word count: 629

AO3

Jonny's brain felt like someone dunked it in fizzy water, wrapped it in tin foil for good measure and left it to simmer. He wasn't sure if he hurt anymore, because all the other sensations were so overwhelming. Something to be grateful for, at least. 

He could almost catch glimpses of himself in the facets of the foil. They were mocking him - so fragile, so weak, so prone to failure. One moment he's playing a game and the next, his brain cracks open. He almost feels like laughing, himself. It's all so ridiculous. He must have done something stupid while in Questworld - Jessie was sure to tell him once she unwrapped all the tin foil to get to his nicely baked brain. She was going to rub it in, like an aromatic herb, and dinner will be ready. At least that would mean he was good for something. 

Something soft and cool touched a part of him, but he wasn't sure if it was a hand or his forehead. It crackled at the contact, making him recoil at the sound, even though he longed for the pressure. 

"You're being a nuisance, again," he assured himself. 

Except he didn't feel very reassured. 

His brain felt like it was sloshing around in the liquid, bubbles popping and bouncing off the thin metal. It was kind of funny. 

*

Jessie stole another worried glance in the rearview mirror. Her eyes kept darting from the road ahead to the back seat with alarming frequency. They needed to get home as fast as speeding laws allowed. 

The hospital discharged Jonny after running every relevant scan money could buy in a 24h period and keeping him under observation long enough to conclude there was nothing wrong with him on a physical level. They ruled out drug use, too, although Jessie had told them that wasn’t a possibility from the beginning. Nothing was bleeding. Nothing was broken. And whatever was misfiring in his brain, didn’t seem to be acting up again after he’d been logged out of Questworld. So they let him go in Jessie and Hadji’s care and their reassurance that they wouldn’t take him by plane - who knew what low air pressure and turbulence might trigger! 

Now, he lay across the back seat, his head in Hadji’s lap and a strong arm across his chest, holding him from falling. His legs were folded, too long to fit comfortably, and secured with the seatbelt as an extra precaution. 

Hadji looked pretty lost himself. He brushed Jonny’s hair from his eyes and was rewarded with pained noise and a tilt of the head towards him. 

He met her eyes in the mirror and frowned. 

“We should switch at the next stop,” Hadji suggested. 

“You can’t possibly think you’re less tired than me,” she protested. “You’ve been up with me all night.” “True, but I haven’t been driving for the past how many hours?”

Jessie straightened up and gripped the steering wheel tighter, pointedly looking at the road ahead. 

“And you’re going to sprain something if you keep looking back here like that.”

“I’m fine,” she muttered, catching a glimpse of Jonny stirring, pressing tighter into Hadji’s stomach. She also caught the brief smile faltering on Hadji’s face at the movement and how his arm tightened briefly once he settled. He’d been up with her all night and now he had spent most of the day watching over and clinging to their dearest friend, while she focused on the road to distract herself from the situation. It didn’t work, but he deserved the same illusion of escape she had.

“Fine,” she conceded. “We’ll stop for coffee and you can drive the next stretch of road.”

He nodded. 

She could feel his eyes on her in the rearview mirror. 

[thydungeongal]

Do you think there's a game that would be better for actual play shows to play than 5e that would better match the style of play they're creating? Or are they too curated/divorced from actual gameplay for it to matter?

It ultimately depends on the show in question and what the arc of the given season is. There are games I think are better for producing conventional narratives without a lot of GM expertise and having to effectively fight against the system, and I think showcasing those systems would be doing people a lot of favors in terms of actually showcasing how different games can support collaborative narrative differently. Ultimately a lot of actual plays end up using D&D because it's popular, without actually leveraging the strengths of the game or leaning into the type of play it textually supports.

Incidentally, since I've been hearing about the Critical Role produced fantasy RPG Daggerheart recently I mused about it out loud, like whether the game could actually better support the type of heroic, conventional narrative that Critical Role is very much about, and one reply I got was basically "Yeah it actually does, as a game, better support narratives in the house style of Critical Role, but watching their playtest streams I noticed that they keep on falling back on the habits they've learned from their D&D campaigns even when the game itself explicitly advises against that style of play (like unnecessary rolling)."

Anyway, ultimately the choice to use D&D or whatever for actual plays has very little to do with playing to the strengths of the game, it has everything to do with D&D bringing the views. So even if something like Fate or QuestWorlds or the upcoming MCDM game or Daggerheart would better support that style of play, I do feel it's ultimately a moot point. I don't think the medium of actual play is entirely resistant to the idea of playing games in a way that plays to the strengths of the medium, like there are lots of smaller scale actual plays that actually showcase what the medium has to offer in terms of storytelling potential without it relying entirely on a GM-authored curated narrative, but ultimately it's not a good fit for the larger scale actual play productions.

I don't know if that makes sense. But like, let's be fair, a D&D actual play that actually plays to the strengths of D&D might not actually be all that entertaining to listen to, because as cool as dungeon-crawling and overcoming obstacles with carefully selected abilities might be to play, it can lack a lot of the personal stakes and narrative framing that people look for in conventional narratives.

[lemurion]

Taking Doc Wide

If you’re observant, you might have noticed that the Doc Vandal Series is no longer available in Kindle Unlimited. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was a necessary one. Older fans of Doc Vandal might remember that I previously sold the RPG rights to the character and wrote a settings book for Chaosium‘s upcoming QuestWorlds system. The catch there is that the number one marketplace for RPG…