#according to her audio files

[sledge-in-space]

She's been waiting a long time for this.

(My absolute favorite commission from ImZeroAfterDark on Twitter!)

(Alternate facial expression for Deputy Hudson under the cut.)

Here's to hoping that posting this will give me motivation to finish the accompanying fic

[justiceamberheard]

I stand with Keke Palmer.

On Thursday, Keke Palmer filed a temporary restraining order against her former partner Darius Jackson and requested sole custody of their 8-month-old son, Leodis. The filing, viewed by People, is rife with accusations against Jackson. Palmer alleges that on Sunday, “Darius trespassed into my home without my knowledge or consent, threatened me, then physically attacked me—lunging for my neck, striking me, throwing me over the couch, and stealing my phone when I told him I was going to call the police.”  The incident began when Jackson, a former college football player and current fitness instructor, came over to take their child to a football game, but discovered the baby was with Palmer’s sister visiting family. They argued, and Jackson allegedly “knocked me backwards over the couch, stole my phone out of my hands, and then ran out of the house.” This, the filing states, was captured on Palmer’s home security system and will be played in court during a hearing. When Palmer went outside to get the phone Jackson “nearly hit me with his car.” The Los Angeles County judge granted a temporary restraining order, which says that Jackson must stay 100 yards away from both the actress and their son. She was also granted temporary sole custody, according to People.

In a response her ex boyfriend leaked an audio where Keke admits hitting him back, now he is trying to use DARVO and paint her the abuser. Sounds familiar, right?

[laurentidal]

Monitored Activity

The email had come from IT right at the beginning of the workday with the subject line "Attn HR. Problematic Monitored Activity."

Dear Miss Villanova, In accordance with company policy, we are writing to inform you that employee Joseph Ulish was found to be acting in violation of the company's internet usage policies during our last audit of online activity. We are attaching evidence for your review and action. Thank you, Martin Shore, IT Dept. Head

Lily gave a long sigh. It was the first time an employee had been caught looking at porn on company time, though it was certainly bound to happen eventually. She took a breath and gave herself a little hope. Who knows. Maybe it wasn't porn at all. Maybe Joe was on poker stars or he was shit talking the company on social media.

But as she opened the attached list of websites, she knew that those hopes were false ones.

Sixty-two websites were enumerated and organized by the date of first access. Accompanying the list was a breakdown of how many times each site had been visited and how long he had spent there. Lily whistled softly to her empty office. With these kind of numbers, it was a miracle Joe had gotten any work done. At the very least, he should be getting fired for theft of time.

She opened the first site and was shocked to see only text. Only a glance would tell you that it was almost certainly smut, but still. If he was going to try to get away with porn at work, text was certainly the most effective method for staying under the radar. And what exactly was "erotic mind control?" Out of curiosity, Lily found herself reading the whole way through the story. She wasn't too prudish to admit to herself that he might have been onto something here. Certainly not appropriate for work! But this was certainly… having an effect, shall we say. Perhaps there was some unidentified fetishes still hiding in that brain of hers.

Site number two was actual porn. Just straight up pornography videos. She closed it quickly, lingering just long enough to catch sight of a few choice body parts. She was human after all.

Sites three through eighteen were all social media pages once again dedicated to this mind control stuff. It seemed there were an impossible number of sub-genre's to this already incredibly niche thing. Lily was fascinated. The pages were stories and videos and audio notes. Most fascinating were the pages seemingly dedicated entirely to flashing gifs and spinning graphics. She found herself scrolling through them slower and slower.

She never noticed when her left hand had left her keyboard.

More porn. More smut. More porn. More spirals. More spirals. More spirals.

By the time Lily reached the fiftieth website, her pants were around her ankles. She didn't know how many times she'd brought herself to completion. Her eyes were glassy and unblinking. The words in the stories and the images and comics burned into her psyche. And oh. The spirals.

The spirals.

She wished she could stop and stare at each one forever. But she had a job to do. She had a list to complete. Link sixty-two opened to a website that Joseph had accessed just this morning before she'd arrived. The site was a full screen spiral. Black and white with streaks of red and blue that made it seem more real than reality. And in the middle there was a button that simply read "Submit?"

She clicked it immediately. The button disappeared, leaving her staring at the spiral alone. She had no more work to do. The list was complete. She could just stay like this forever.

The door to her office opened and Joseph entered, followed by Martin.

"I'm so happy you were the one who got to review my file, Miss Villanova," Joseph said. He snapped his fingers and Martin locked the office door and began to undress. "Martin here was the first to comb through my activities. He did just a good job cataloging everything, don't you think? He had to look so long and so close to compile that report. He was shooting his first load before he'd finished reading that first story, weren't you?"

"Yes, Master," Martin said dully as the pair approached.

"He tastes quite nice, Lily," Joseph said right in her ear as she helplessly masturbated to the spiral. "You'll see."

Thanks for reading! If you are a fan of my work, consider buying me a coffee. Any contribution is insanely appreciated. 💖

[merrinla]

Lift the Shadow Curse. Cut content. Part I

It was supposed to be one post, but because of the audio limit, I had to split it into two. So this part will be mostly about the portal ritual and the next one will be about other details.

Some of the lines below are in the game, the rest are from the early access patch 8.

During the cycle of development, Halsin has gone through many changes. He was originally just another side npc in the camp, but the community adored him so much that he was promoted to a full companion. Previously his story was more related to the main plot and the Thorm family, but later it was retconned. In the full release Halsin's personal quest is to find and rescue his childhood friend, a fey boy, from the Shadowfell. This special child is the only one who can cure the land from the shadow curse. And according to some files, this quest was previously also different from what we see in the game.

Bones of Contention

Before starting the portal ritual, the player had to find three bones of contention. To do this, it was necessary to defeat three bosses - the Hospital boss, the Tollhouse boss and the Distillery boss.

As we know from the game, these are Malus Thorm, Gerringothe Thorm and Thisobald Thorm.

Ketheric's daughter, Isobel also took part in this quest. The player could give her the bones to research. Who else could help us with the secrets of the Thorm family better than one of them.

After that, you had to bring the bones to Halsin and he crushed them as it was necessary for the ritual.

In the release version this part was replaced with a quest Wake up Art Cullagh.

Thorm blood

There is a flag in the game with an interesting name that isn't used anywhere - "SCL_ShadowCurse_Knows_NeedsBloodOfThorm". Unfortunately, there is no detailed description. So I can only guess.

Most of the flags "SCL_ShadowCurse_..." are related to Halsin's quest. I doubt this one is an exception. If the Thorm bones were part of the portal ritual, then maybe the blood was too. And it's not necessary to kill someone for that. Well, depends on how much blood you need. If we needed a volunteer, then only Isobel comes to mind. According to another flag, the player could ask her about the blood. But again, there's no details.

Maybe the Thorm blood was needed to open the portal (reminds me of DMC3) or lift the curse. Maybe it was Ketheric's blood that was needed because he started it all. And he definitely wouldn't have shared it voluntarily, so it would have ended up in a boss fight. The same as it is in the game. Or something else.

The ritual

Unlike the release version, the player didn't defend the portal, but Halsin while he conducted the ritual. This prayer is longer and has different words. During the combat, his voice was louder and more intense.

The player could interfere with the portal

In the game Halsin repeatedly warns that only he should enter the portal and nobody else.

Now it's important that only I pass through the portal once it opens. The magic is fragile - any mistake, and our one chance will be lost forever.

If there's any interference with the portal, then our one chance is lost forever. And so am I.

Let's begin. Remember what I told you - we won't have a second chance here.

Let's begin. Whatever happens, do not attempt enter the portal, and do not let anything interfere with it.

Even if you want to enter the portal, it won’t work. The scene ends only after Halsin has used the portal himself.

But earlier the player could attempt to enter the portal before Halsin. And it would have collapsed it. Not to mention that this would make Halsin furious and after that he would leave the camp.

Halsin was returning from the Shadowfell through the Shar Temple

The description of one flag says that Halsin explains how to find him after he is entered the Shadowfell. Which means he was returning in a different way than in the game.

And according to some lines it was the Shar Temple.

Once I've entered, go to the Shar Temple and look for a sign of my spirit. I can't say for certain how it'll manifest. But you'll know it when you see it.

Hah. Once I've entered, you must seek the place where Shar is loved the most. Look for a temple dedicated to her. There will be little separating the realms of light and dark in such a place. Once you find it, look for a sign of my spirit. I can't say for certain how it will manifest, but you'll know it when you see it.

I don't know exactly how the player was supposed to find Halsin (Halsin didn't know that either). But it seems he must have seen you or something that he could see with your help. In the game, right before the ritual begins, Halsin says "You are the beacon that will guide me home." I guess we really are.

I see you! Hold on! The path home is becoming clear!

Nearly there! Just hold on a little longer!

And when did he finally succeed, there was no limit to his happiness.

It worked. Oakfather's mossy beard, it worked!

Better than alive, triumphant!

Oh, my friend. I think my embrace would break you in two, such is my gratitude. But as you can see, my hands are full... [with Thaniel]

After which, it seems he went with Thaniel not to the camp but to the Last Light Inn. Maybe because Isobel's magic protected this place from shadows.

But now, I can tend to him, and the recovery can begin. Find us at Last Light, and thank you. The sun will soon rise over these lands.

Promise

Another part of the portal ritual was the dagger Promise that Halsin gave to the player. And we could even ask him about this weapon.

I've heard the theory that the dagger could be a beacon for Halsin. But, alas, I couldn't find any more information other than a brief description.

A leafy pattern is carved into the dagger's blade. It glows faintly in the dark.

I wonder if this weapon has its own story as the glaive Sorrow.

The dagger is still in the game, but you can only add it to your inventory via the console.

-----

Well, this is too much for one side quest (3 bosses + Shar Temple), so I understand why they changed it. I don't think Halsin was a companion in this version yet. Otherwise, he would have joined the party only at the end of Act 2.

[cookiethebirdthing]

Extra Extra!

Our sources have just informed the Bunbunmaru Newspaper of something remarkable. At 2:00 PM yesterday, the Great Tengu, Megumu Iizunamaru, left a distressingly hilarious voicemail on an unnamed kuda-gitsune's answering machine. Following that, there were six more voicemails during that same night from Megumu. While we weren't able to confirm the audio file firsthand, we have reason to believe it to be a legitimate claim.

According to our sources, each voicemail consisted of at least 20 seconds of sobbing, broken up by despondent wails. The voicemails then each ended with Megumu begging to get back together with the kuda-gitsune. Four of the seven voicemails ended mid-sentence as the answering machine reached it's maximum length for recordings.

Also of note: our sources claim that Mugumu sounded "drunk off her ass" and that each voicemail was more slurred than the last. This would seem to indicate that she was heavily drinking for some time before and during these calls!

Our sources wish to remain anonymous at this time.

That's all for this extra! This has been the Honest and Trustworthy Aya Shameimaru, your favorite birdseed reporter. Thank you for subscribing to the Bunbunmaru Newspaper!

[asaka-lucy-dr-rc]

Oh! The Kizakura audio dramas! I always wanted to listen to Genocide Jack’s part of the audio but an English translation of it doesn’t exist sadly. Do you know what she said in audio drama? I love to know! Thank you!

Oh yeah! Genocide Jack's part was really great and I wanted to share the content of that part of the conversation, so I'm glad you asked! I've written a transcript below:

<After Kizakura visited Toko at her home and told her that he had come to recruit her as a student at Hope's Peak Academy, they talked for a while, but Kizakura fainted in the middle of the conversation because Toko's house and her own smell were too bad.>

Toko: ちょ、ちょっとぉ！そんな大袈裟に倒れて、埃が…っはっ…ハクシュッ！ W-why are you collapsing!? Collapsing so dramatically like that... the dust... huff... achoo!

Kizakura: えぇっ、手を叩いて褒めてくれるの！？俺、頑張ったよね！？もう、ゴールしても…いいよね… What!? You’re clapping your hands* to praise me!? I did a good job, didn’t I!? It’s okay if I... reach the goal now, right...?* (*The reason he made this comment is because the Japanese word for sneezing, “hakusyu”, sounds the same as the word for clapping hands.) (*This is a parody of a line from a famous game called Air. It is often used among otaku.) Genocide Jack: はぁーーい、パチパーチ！！ってなんでやねん！ヒャハハハハハハハ！ Allllllllll right, let’s give a round of applause!! Wait, what the hell!? Gyahahahahaha!

Kizakura: あぁー！？何何何、どうしちゃったのこの子！？ Huh!? What, what, what’s with her!? What’s going on!? Genocide Jack: ヤァだ、ヤァだー！なぁにそんな熱視線困るんですけどー！ってなぁに！？この子ったら！？部屋に男連れ込んじゃってんのヒュゥーウ！！ Oh my, oh my! What's with those intense stares, I'm embarrassed by your intense gaze! Wait, what’s this!? This girl’s got a guy in her room! Wheeew!! Kizakura: (演技…じゃないな。二重人格か？ただのはっちゃけ姉ちゃんにしか見えねーけど…こいつは何かヤバイぞ…。) (This isn't just an act... Is this a split personality? All I see is an endless amount of cheerful girl... but she looks like danger.) Genocide Jack: でも残念！あんたちょ〜っとストライク逃しちゃってるわ！ファウルボールにご注意くださーい。ってデァハハハハ！！で、どこのどなた？ But too bad! You just barely struck out! Watch out for foul balls! Gya-hahahaha!! So, who are you? Kizakura: (記憶を共有していない…解離性人格障害か。考えられる原因としては、資料にあった母を2人持つという家庭事情だが…) 俺は黄桜公一。希望ヶ峰学園から腐川冬子くんをスカウトにやってきた。君こそ何者だ？ (She doesn't seem to be sharing memories... Dissociative Identity Disorder, huh? According to the files, it could be due to her upbringing with two mothers...) I’m Koichi Kizakura. I’m here to scout Toko Fukawa from Hope’s Peak Academy. And you are? Genocide Jack: うーーん、かっちょよく名乗りたいところだけどぉ、アタシってホラ、有名人だから！ナイショにしとくわぁ！ Hmmmmm, I’d love to introduce myself in style, but, you know, I’m kind of famous! So I’ll keep it a secret for now!

Kizakura: 有名人？ Famous? Genocide Jack: その希望ヶ峰学園ってお上品な学校に行けばアタシ好みの萌える男子がオーガニックに栽培されてそうジャ〜ン？ もしかしてぇ？あなたは意中の殿方もぉー？いらっしゃるのかしらァーー！？妄想が捗るわぁー！！ If I go to that fancy Hope's Peak Academy, I bet there'll be a lot of hot boys growing up organically just for me, don't you think? Or maybe...? Do you have a guy you're head over heels for? My imagination is running wiiiild!

Kizakura: 意中の殿方って……あぁやべやべ、思い浮かべるな！ A guy I’m head over heels for... Oh no, stop thinking about it! Genocide Jack: いいわ！その一瞬の油断！ふと脳裏をよぎった親友の面影！そ・れ・が！どんどん大きくなっていくからお大事にねェー！！ Perfect! That momentary slip! The fleeting image of your dear friend flashing in your mind! That, my dear, will only grow bigger and bigger, so take careee!

Kizakura: 趣味嗜好がまるっきり正反対だな…腐川ちゃんの方はオーソドックスなラブコメすら嫌がってたのに、こっちはBLまで許容しているみたいだ… Their tastes are completely opposite... Fukawa-chan couldn’t even stand orthodox rom-coms, but this one seems fine with BL...

Genocide Jack: ハァーイ、大正解！アタシはぁ、パトスだだ漏れの貴腐人なので！調子いい時はぁ、視界に入った男をビンゴ方式でゼェーんぶ絡める！ウァハハハハ！ハ…ハ、ハクシュッ！ Ding, ding, ding! Correct! I’m a kifujin* overflowing with pathos! And when I’m in a good mood, I’ll ship every guy in my sight like I’m playing bingo! Gyahahahaha! H- H- achoo! (* This is one of the ways that otaku girls who like BL refer to themselves, and refers to people who like BL even more than fujoshi.)

Toko: へ、あ、あれ…あたし…？ Huh? W-wait... what was I...? Kizakura: (くしゃみで人格チェンジするって、そんな古典的な…。この子、自分を主役にして小説書いた方が売れるんじゃないの…？) (She changes personalities with a sneeze? That’s so old-school... She could probably sell more novels if she wrote about herself as the main character...)

Toko: き、記憶が飛んでる…！あ、あなたまさか、私を眠らせて、無理やり！？ M-my memory’s blank...! D-Did you force me to sleep and then...!? Kizakura: 永遠の眠りにつきそうなのは、こっちの方なんだけど… I’m the one who feels like I’m about to sleep forever...

Toko: な、何よ、殺人鬼に遭遇したヒョロイ殺され役みたいなシケた顔して…！ What’s with that pathetic look on your face, like you’re the weakling about to get killed by a murderer!? Kizakura: (殺人鬼…そういえばあの殺気…。いや、まさかな。) (Murderer...? Now that I think about it, that killing intent... No, it couldn’t be...)

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

Toko's part is much longer, but this is the whole part where Genocide Jack appears. If you listen to the audio, you'll see that Miyuki Sawashiro's performance is really wonderful, but I hope it conveys at least a little of what it was like!

[katisinfactthebestofbois]

*breathes heavy*

I—

I did a silly, my good fellow Kevin `Spencer enjoyers. I did a small, what they’re called,,,,,,, ‘animatic’. It’s silly, it depicts how I see Shawna’s and Timmy’s relationship as a whole, I do not think they can function very well when placed in the same room. Also, I imagined this to take place before Season 6, Episode 2, hence why Shawna doesn’t have the filed down shark teeth.

(The original audio was taken from peternugget on TikTok!!!)

*if you don’t wanna read my ramblings, or the sources to why I feel this way, don’t continue reading after the “Keep Reading” mark!*

*Pulls out the Kebible*

AHEM….

According to Season 5, Episode 5…. We could infer Timmy doesn’t have much regard for Shawna with the way he jokes about her and himself. Based on Season 4, Episode 2, Timmy seems to reject Shawna’s gesture of a kiss by holding his right hand toward her, that is until Percy barges in. Based on Season 6, Episode 10, Shawna states she ran away into the woods, which quite well shows she herself doesn’t care much for abandoning Timmy(if they are even considered to be still ‘together’). In short, they both do not seem to care much for each other, hence why I see them most likely getting into arguments or just not completely getting along, it’s okay though, I still find this relationship dynamic amusing and quite interesting.

[lulu2992]

Who is the voice of the female Deputy?

When I saw this question, I decided to try to find an answer.

I looked up all the actors listed in the credits, listened to their voices (in interviews, demo reels, or other videos), and… I’m still not sure who played the female Deputy.

While I usually find it relatively easy to recognize voice actors in French, my native language, it turns out that’s much harder for me to do in English. Also, it doesn’t help that they’re usually very good at changing their voice/accent and that, in real life, most of them don’t sound like the characters they play.

I still believe the person who played the female Deputy is also “Cult Follower Female 5” (CFF5), but it seems to me the actor used a different accent and tone so the cultist sounds a bit “villainous”. In any case, I didn’t find anyone that sounded exactly like the two characters…

According to my ears, though, the female Deputy and the female Captain from New Dawn have the same voice. Outside of cutscenes, the Deputy has 314 lines in Far Cry 5 (which you can listen to here, here, here, here, and here) and the audio files were all reused for the Captain. In cutscenes, so the “lines” that were specifically recorded for New Dawn, the character sounds exactly the same to me, which means the voice actor must have worked on both games.

I looked at the names that appeared in the credits of the two games and narrowed the list down to the 15 (+1; see below) likeliest candidates, so here are the people who, in my opinion, could potentially be the voice of the female Deputy, as well as, when the information was available, either in the game or on IMDb, which character(s) they played:

Claire Armstrong

Kailea Banka

Carolina Bartczak (Cult Follower in FC5; apparently not in FCND, but you never know)

Kimberly D. Brooks (Gun for Hire)

Nicki Burke (Cult Follower in FC5, Selene in FCND)

Lucinda Davis

Stacey DePass (Nana in FCND)

Amber Goldfarb (voice of Faith’s Priestesses, “Cult Follower Female 3”, and, I believe, Rae-Rae)*

Julianne Jain

Mara Junot (Sherri Woodhouse, “Civilian Female 6”)

Helen King

Erica Linbeck (voice of Anne, but also this and this)

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (Resistance Soldier)

Debra Wilson

Kim Yarborough

Mayko Nguyen, who plays Kim Rye, was credited a second time as a “voice talent” in Far Cry 5, which implies she may have also played one of several NPC. Since she worked on New Dawn, she too could be the female Deputy’s voice.

Again, English isn’t my first language, and after spending two days listening to all those voices, everyone started to sound the same to me :’) If you’re a native English speaker and/or have a great ear, though, maybe you’ll be able to more easily solve the mystery! We can do it!

*IMDb says Amber Goldfarb played “Noodle’s owner” (the woman who called Ms. Mable for her pet snake) but the files tell me the voice is actually “Civilian Female 6”, so Mara Junot.

And under the cut, just in case, I included all the other female voices who appear in the credits.

FAR CRY 5

MAIN CAST Beryl Bain (Tracey Lader) Sarah Booth (Tammy Barnes and, according to IMDb, a “Civilian”) Luisa D’Oliveira (Deputy Joey Hudson) Jenessa Grant (Faith Seed) Debra McGrath (Nancy) Tasya Teles (Mary May Fairgrave)

VOICE TALENTS Carolina Bartczak (Cult Follower) Lauren Jackson (Skylar Kohrs) Erin Mathews Julie Nathanson (Jess Black) Kristen Peace Murry Peeters (Grace Armstrong) Claire Rankin Cara Ricketts (Dr. Sarah Perkins in FC5, Mickey in FCND) Charlotte Rogers Paula Shaw (Ms. Wilhelmina Mable) Jane Wheeler (Adelaide Drubman)

PERFORMERS (I’m not sure they recorded voices and they apparently didn’t work on FCND) Michela Cannon Roanna Cochrane (Cult Follower) Athena Karkanis Karen Knox Janet Porter Melissa Robertson Alyssa Trask Brandi Marie Ward

FAR CRY NEW DAWN

MAIN CAST Reina Hardesty (Carmina Rye) Leslie Miller (Lou)

VOICE TALENTS Rylee Alazraqui Mary Faber (in the “Additional Thanks” section in the FC5 credits and in Lost on Mars according to IMDb) Camryn Jones Rachel Kimsey Melanie Minichino (Gina Guerra) Carolyn Ratteray Marisha Ray Nadia Verrucci

PERFORMANCE CAPTURE PERFORMERS (again, I don’t know if they recorded voices in FCND) Ava Augustin Tamara Brown Jenny Raven Ajanae Stephenson Lydia Zadel (also credited in the “Additional Thanks” section in FC5 and a voice in Lost on Mars according to IMDb)

Good luck!

[horizontwinflames]

Horizon AU: Twin Flames - Gameplay (?)

I'm not just an aspiring character concept artist but also a game designer (I even have my own original project going on the background). So, when writing fan stories of game series, I will always have in mind the gameplay when coming up with ideas.

With that said, let's go to the ideas I had so far for this AU:

Aloy and Beta are the main characters in this story, so the gameplay revolves around their teamwork. Both are simultaneously playable characters where you can dynamically switch the control, increasing even more tactical thinking during gameplay.

Simple commands can be given to the other sister, such as "stay here," "use X weapon," etc. This wouldn't extend to NPCs, except Isaac.

Multiplayer could be possible, so one person would play as Aloy and the other as Beta.

The sisters have combo techniques they can use when the conditions for one are met. Depending on the combo, it's either via a quicktime event or a command.

As stated in other posts, on ZD, Aloy uses the Warrior, Hunter, and Survivor skill trees, while Beta uses Infiltrator, Trapper, and Machine Master.

The skill trees are simpler on ZD and more complex on FW, like in canon.

Even with the separated skill trees, the other will gain 50% of the effects from passive skills. But weapons, weapon skills, and valor surges (FW) are exclusive to the skill tree owner. The only weapon they have in common is the spear (on ZD).

Aloy can parry and defend, and Beta has more fancy dodges. Shield skills are in the survivor tree, and the dodge skills are in the trapper tree.

On FW, Aloy and Beta share the Warrior and Machine Master trees. Beta gets a new tree called "Acrobatics," which focuses on her mobility, while Aloy's gets a new skill tree called "Brawler," which focuses on her fist fight.

On FW, Aloy gets a new melee weapon; special hands and legs equipment for melee combat (name to be given yet). Its upgrades are on the Brawler skill tree.

On FW, Beta gets a new melee weapon; double blades of Zenith tech, which changes length according to the target's size. Its upgrades are on the Acrobatics skill tree.

The melee weapons on FW are separated on R1 and R2, and the skills change via button combo + directional (like in hack n slash games)

Gliding, diving, and pullcaster are FW only, like in canon.

They can double jump with the final armors Gaia's Wrath (Aloy) and Gaia's Judgment (Beta) (Shield Weaver in canon, obtained via story progression, near the end of ZD story, on FW is unlocked by default).

They will be "out of battle" when HP reaches zero, but there's a "downed hp" to give a window to recovery. If they suffer big damage while in this state is game over.

"Swarm Override,"; the sisters can override a group of machines together, but the more and bigger the machines, the longer will be the conversion and cooldown times.

Aloy and Beta can still individually override machines. Aloy's override is the light blue from canon, and Beta's is of a pinkish-red color. Which makes the swarm override a purple color.

Isaac is an upgradable mount. He gets his upgrades via the Cauldrons quests and story progression. The canon mounts are available, but their override is temporary, like with the other machines.

Isaac can wear outfits and change his ranged and melee weapons, which directly impacts mounted combat.

Isaac gets his exclusive skill tree on FW.

Isaac also works as the sisters' stash, which can be accessed anytime except during a fight. Aloy and Beta have their own separated inventories with a slightly smaller size than canon.

While riding Isaac, a function like a workbench can be used to craft ammo and traps and to check outfit, weapons, and pouches upgrades (those are only upgradable at workbenches).

While riding Isaac, he has an audio device to reproduce audio files from the Old World; you would be able to open your Spotify app on the PlayStation, and the music you picked would be played from Isaac in-game (I don't remember which game you could do that, I think it was a GTA or Need for Speed).

Isaac can swim and dive (with the correct gear). He gets an upgrade to fly on FW only.

That's all for now!

[Part 2]

Inspirations: Devil May Cry 5, God of War 4, God of War Ragnarok, Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XV/VII Remake.

Constructive criticism is welcome, and feel free to share/suggest new ideas too :D

[rappaccini]

... ok i guess a great earth-65 constant is that the timeline's fucked when compared to other universes. because when the hell does movie-gwen's dimension take place. what year and what time of year. does the movie even know.

because it looks like either gwen's universe was FULLY retconned to take place in a version of 1998-2001 with 2010s-era technology or they genuinely have no clue what time it's in or how long she's been gone.

gwen has a smartphone (despite her photo of miles being retconned between movies from a phone selfie to a polaroid, there are still smartphones and laptops in her dimension-- and the clunky 90s tv and computer in her apartment), knows what social media is, dresses like a zoomer, and never mentions that miles's dimension is in the future compared to hers, yet it's 1998 according to this police file.

the file's of gwen's vulture from 65b, not the renaissance one, so it might be of the vulture in general instead of this particular incident at the guggenheim (oh hey he's canonically killed at least one person: check under his photo and the sex of the person the file's on; it's from the med examiner, and the victim is an 87yo female middle school secretary). but if the file's old then it can't be by more than a few years, because vulture's one of gwen's first villains, and she's been active for ~3.5 years. so at the latest, if the file's any indication, it's 2001. which could make sense given that gwen's from peter's generation, not miles's, and peter's got about 10 (ripeter) or 20 (peter b) years on him. so gwen being from an alternate past compared to miles's present would make a lot of sense.

also even though the plot picks up on 1610b in may and gwen's been in the society for about five months, it's somehow also may when she runs away, even though it should logically be january yet she isn't dressed for the weather.

tbh i think it's just that the details are all fucked, especially since it looks like in an earlier draft of the script gwen was only gone for twoish months instead of five, and it might have been even shorter before that; it's possible the audio of the actors saying in character that "it's been seventeen months" comes from a different version of the script from what the animators were working from, and that different sequences that made it into the final film were animated at different times according to different versions of the script. esp since we know how fucked and chaotic that production was.

maybe we can handwave this as 'it's a different time of year in each dimension; for example: gwen's dimension is a season ahead of miles's' -- which means when she goes home it's around october on e65.

or, that the passage of time works different in different dimensions, which means

1) gwen might have been in the multiverse for months, but only a few days or weeks passed on e65. probably a good thing if her dad isn't gonna be in massive trouble for his daughter going fucking missing, and for making their reconciliation more believable. (... and gwen being stranded on 1610b for a week in itsv might convert to being gone for a weekend on 65b.)

2) gwen started aging at the rate of the dimension she was in. so she literally came back to her dad having sprung ahead months in her development. when you think about the difference in how teens look only months apart, man that must have stung. the ordeal of running away literally matured her.

3) from gwen's perspective, it might have been only a few months since she saw miles. which explains why she still has her itsv haircut-- it's not that she kept it, it's that the decembruary-to-may skip was literally only five months for her even though for him it's been seventeen. so she hasn't been manhunted by her dad for years or pining after miles for a year and a half... and the emotional impact of peter's death is still very recent for her.

4) miles is literally aging faster than her. so the fifteen month age gap might be even smaller now (... was she surprised he got older because she didn't expect him to have grown like that, or to have grown at all? and is gwen more interested in him this time around because she's realized that they're much closer in age now?).

5) if they part ways again, each time they reunite miles will be closer in age to her until he's suddenly older, and then the gap will reverse and keep widening. unless she moves to his dimension for good, which i hope she NEVER does. which shouldn't take long if time passes ~3x faster on 1610b than 65b. interesting implications... including the troubling one that gwen is temporally unable to mature as quickly as miles and will never be able to keep up with him as he grows up. the peter pan motif reverses: now gwen can’t grow up.

6) maybe it took peter b longer than a year and a half to reconcile with mj, conceive a baby and raise her. maybe it's been a few years for him.

7) ... how long has the spider-society existed? is it only a few months to a year old? or much, much older?

8) ... how much time will have passed on earth42 by the time gwen and co find miles. might there be a twist similar to the end of atsv's coming where we watch a split pov of gwen and co seaching for miles and him still tied to that punching bag, only to learn when they finally meet again that those two povs are set not in different worlds, but in different timelines, and miles has been on earth-42 for days, weeks or months?

yeah idk.... the timeline of gwen's disappearance and the chronology of her world is so messy and the details all contradict.

i'm just gonna assume that the vulture's file is just cumulative and he was a supervillain who's been active for decades before spider-woman existed and may be part of why she decided to put that mask on, because the sliding timeline is too confusing otherwise.

[mariacallous]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Police on Friday released video of the moments before and after a fight in an Oklahoma high school bathroom where the mother of a nonbinary student says the 16-year-old was knocked to the floor, and in a 911 call their mother made the next day she expressed concern about a head injury.

The teen died a short time later.

Sue Benedict, the mother of Nex Benedict, told a 911 operator that Nex had hit their head on the bathroom floor when the students who beat them up “knocked” them to the ground.

Benedict said during the Feb. 8 call made about 1 p.m. that the teen’s eyes were rolling back, their breathing was shallow and their hands were curled, according to the audio released by police in the Tulsa suburb of Owasso.

She said Nex had complained of a headache, and she had taken the teen to the hospital after the altercation the day before.

“I hope this ain’t from her head. They were supposed to have checked her out good,” said Benedict, who remained calm during the call and said she had been to nursing school. Sue Benedict said in a statement on a GoFundMe page set up to help cover funeral expenses that the family was still learning to use the teen’s preferred name and pronouns.

Paramedics responding to the family’s house performed CPR and rushed Nex to the hospital, where Nex later died.

The video released by police from the high school on Feb. 7 shows students walking into and then out of a bathroom after stacking chairs on top of tables in a cafeteria. Six students are seen entering the bathroom before Nex, who stops at a water fountain and then enters the bathroom along with two other students. A faculty member is then seen going into the bathroom, and the students walk out.

There is no indication from the footage, which only shows the bathroom door and part of the cafeteria, of what occurred in the bathroom.

Another video shows Nex being walked out of the school by a security officer and being picked up by a guardian.

In audio of the call Benedict made to police on Feb. 7 at about 3:30 p.m. from the hospital, she says Nex was “jumped” in the bathroom, and she said she wanted an officer to come so she could file charges.

But according to a police search warrant that was signed the day after Benedict’s death, she told the responding officers that she didn’t want to file charges at that time. She instead asked police to speak to school officials about issues on campus among students.

Benedict told The Independent later that the teen had suffered bruises all over their face and eyes in the fight.

The school district has said the students were in the restroom for less than two minutes before the fight was broken up by other students and a staff member. Police and school officials have not said what provoked the fight.

The family, through their lawyer, declined to comment Friday on the search warrant. The attorney did not immediately offer any comment on behalf of the family on the video and audio released. Earlier this week, they said they have launched their own independent investigation into what happened.

Vigils are planned over the weekend in Oklahoma for the teen.

The search warrant, which was signed the day after Benedict’s death, also shows investigators took 137 pictures at the school, including inside the girl’s bathroom where the fight occurred. They additionally collected two swabs of stains from the bathroom and retrieved records and documents of the students involved in the altercation.

While the two-week-old warrant states that police were seeking evidence in a felony murder, the department has since said Benedict’s death was not a result of injuries suffered in the fight, based on the preliminary results of the autopsy.

The police department, which didn’t respond to multiple messages sent Friday, has said it won’t comment further on the teen’s cause of death until toxicology and other autopsy results are completed.

Owasso school officials, meanwhile, said Friday that they requested police obtain the court order to search the school because of state and federal privacy laws regarding the release of confidential student records.

“We are continuing to cooperate with the Owasso Police Department’s ongoing investigation,” Jordan Korphage, a school district spokesperson, wrote in an email.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, whose office isn’t currently involved in the police investigation, called the death a tragedy but cautioned people against being “swayed by sentiments fueled by the passion of emotions which may be misinformed.”

“A family in our community is grieving and we empathize with their sorrow during this difficult time,” he wrote in an email Friday. “While much has been speculated about this child’s death in social media, we will maintain the integrity of law enforcement’s investigation, and allow them to do their job.”

[beardedmrbean]

The leaders of No Labels, a group preparing a potential independent presidential ticket, have asked the Justice Department to investigate potential criminal charges against a range of Democratic-leaning groups and activists who have been opposing their effort.

The group, in a Jan. 11 letter signed by former senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), former North Carolina governor Pat McCrory (R) and others, argues that a public and private pressure campaign to discourage donations to No Labels and support for the ticket goes beyond legally protected political speech.

“It’s one thing to oppose candidates who are running; it’s another to use intimidation tactics to prevent them from even getting in front of the voters,” the letter reads in part.

The Justice Department has not responded to the letter, according to No Labels leaders. The group scheduled an event at the National Press Club on Thursday to announce the letter.

The argument that the group puts forward in the letter is untested and unusual for a political group. Efforts to pressure donors, candidates and endorsers from taking various actions are the currency of politics, and courts generally give significant leeway to campaigns to compete publicly and privately for support.

Dan Webb, a Chicago attorney and No Labels volunteer who also signed the letter, said the group hoped any federal investigation turned up more evidence of wrongdoing.

“We don’t have subpoena or grand jury powers,” Webb said in a statement, about why the group had not filed a civil lawsuit yet. “We cannot do the type of investigation that is needed like DOJ can.”

The letter details a number of incidents that the group’s leaders believe go beyond the regular rough and tumble of politics. This includes an electronic billboard featuring photographs of No Labels CEO Nancy Jacobson and her husband, former Democratic consultant Mark Penn, that was driven around Georgetown during the weekend of the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

“There is no place for MAGA hate in Georgetown,” the billboard read.

Others involved in the No Labels effort have had their reputations or future business opportunities threatened, the letter reads. One supporter of the effort, co-founder Holly Page, says another Democrat warned her during a private lunch about her involvement with the presidential effort and asked her about what one of her personal clients thought about. Weeks later, an attorney for that client called to end their business relationship, she said.

Opponents of No Labels, a category that includes a range of outside Democratic groups and operatives, have publicly declared their intent to put pressure on donors and potential candidates to steer clear of the group. They point out that third-party candidates have no modern record of success in presidential politics, and there has been no polling that shows the group, even without a named candidate, has a clear path to a victory in the electoral college.

They argue that any No Labels candidacy will probably draw more votes from Democrats than Republicans, potentially delivering a win to former president Donald Trump, who is leading the race for the Republican nomination.

“We are worried about any third party. We realize it is a free country. Anybody can run for president who wants to run for president,” former congressman Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), who is leading one effort to oppose No Labels, said in December. “But we have a right to tell citizens the danger they will face if they vote for any of these third-party candidates.”

Audio of an anti-No Labels meeting acquired by Semafor quoted one opponent of the effort as suggesting that anyone involved would have their records searched for any embarrassing details. “If you have one fingernail clipping of a skeleton in your closet, we will find it,” the person said during the call, according to Semafor. “If you think you were vetted when you ran for governor, you’re insane. That was nothing. We are going to come at you with every gun we can possibly find.”

Ballot Access News, which tracks ballot registration, reported that No Labels had gained access or finished the process for access in 16 states in December, including key battlegrounds such as Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina.

Benjamin Chavis, a national co-chair of No Labels who also signed the letter, said that efforts to stop the group’s progress were undemocratic.

“When they prevent No Labels from getting ballot access, they’re really preventing the American people from getting ballot access,” he said.

Sorry bout the format, link didn't want to attach

[triscribeaucollection]

Shuri for the Win snippet

It starts with an error message.

More specifically, it starts when Shuri enters her lab early one morning, still half asleep, and attempts to pull up her itinerary for the day, only to blink blearily at- static. On her worktable. From her systems.

She finds herself abruptly awake, and distinctly uneasy.

Attempting to run a diagnostic comes with... disappointingly little information. According to the computer, there isn’t anything wrong with her schedule. No corrupted data, no broken connection between files. Only the error on Shuri’s part, attempting to pull up something that- wasn’t there.

Which could not be right.

From the age of six, she meticulously planned her schedule, cramming in as much time as possible for lab studies and projects around lessons and events - Shuri can handle spontaneous developments just fine, but when Wakanda and the world beyond were not actually in danger from criminal or alien threats, she likes to have everything neatly laid out each day. She could- could not actually recall what had been on the schedule for that day, but if she’d neglected to plan anything in advance, then there should only be an empty file, not an error message.

So.

Her own mistake, or external interference?

A little over two hours later, after combing through her systems with the digital equivalent of a fine-toothed comb and opening up several panels to check physical hardware, Shuri concludes no one has gotten into her lab’s private network to deliver any sort of virus or commit other sabotage. Yet, the error message persists. Assigning an algorithm to search for any other signs of static turns up several: at least one block of time on any given day every two weeks or so, going back over a year. Shuri wracks her brain, but cannot recall anything significant she’d done or attempted to avoid on those dates. The only stand-out which she does remember was a three day visit to New York City, which involved meeting with a Stark Industries liaison, checking in with the Wakandan representatives assigned to the United Nations, and- and-

-and something.

Upon realizing she can’t recall what else happened on that trip, Shuri pulls up memory files downloaded from her kimoyo beads, hastily seeking out the dates in question. No visual footage or audio recordings, unfortunately, but at least the data of her movements remain. Shuri opens a screen with a map of the city, transfers the recorded coordinates, and watches an accelerated accounting of where she went each day. At first, only the official buildings she can remember; then, a large amount of time traveling by foot around the section of the city known as ‘Queens’. Which Shuri does not recall in the slightest.

Her fingers drum against the edge of her worktable. When the simulation ends, she saves the map and painted route, then dismisses everything in order to sit back and stare at her blank screens.

An error in the computer was one thing.

An identical error in her own mind... it left an uneasy twist in her stomach.

At least the benefit of her itinerary being unexpectedly clear meant Shuri could immediately go find someone to ask for help.

---

I've got this plus two more pages up on my Patreon page, behind the paywall for now but scheduled to be available to anyone in a few weeks. Hopefully I jot some more down soon and get a chapter onto AO3, but not until after I make some more progress on my other big fix-it fic projects

[merrinla]

Shar Temple. Cut content - Necromancer

According to early access data, instead of Balthazar, there was another necromancer named Sevryn in the Shar Temple. Although this character has exactly the same ID as Balthazar, his background is very different from the release version. He was also very interested in Nightsong, or rather in her death. As for Nightsong, she was an unwilling avatar of Shar in the original plot. I didn't find any of Sevryn's audio files, but I tried to restore his text dialogue.

Synopsis: Players meet Sevryn in a crumbling temple ofthe Dark Goddess Shar. He has been locked within its walls for decades - he once came to claim the Nightsong's power, but she imprisoned him within its walls instead. Once locked inside, he and the Nightsong began to wage an eternal war. He sends wave after wave of skeleton minions to attack her, but her phantom-like shades are an even match for his army. They are at a stalemate. When players meet him, Sevryn is initially suspicious - he knows the doors are sealed, and expect they are a trick conjured by the Nightsong to kill him. During their conversation, he decides he can use the player instead - he tasks them with assassinating the Nightsong with a dagger that will absorb her powers. Players can choose to help him or not - but if they refuse, Sevryn will attack them. If they manage to kill the Nightsong with the dagger, he sets about a plot to build an empire of undead in the Underdark. Players may also choose to help Sevyrn's apprentice kill him instead. Sevryn looks upon his apprentice with disdain, and is fully aware that the novice plans to kill him. When he speaks, Sevryn refers to himself as 'we'. He has a tendency to talk to himself as well, working his thoughts out verbally - a side effect of decades of relative isolation. If he gets angry, he never quite raises his voice - he remains calm, but his words drip with poison. His one moment of true, unfiltered emotion comes if he tries to slow the development of the player's tadpole. He is horrified by the power he senses within it.

Sevryn: What's this? A soldier? An assassin? A fiend? Node Context: "Players have just greeted him. He's considering them - he believes them to be assassins sent by the Nightsong to kill him." Sevryn: Yes, another of the Nightsong's pawns, sent to slide a knife into Sevryn's back. Node Context: "With an edge."

Player: That wasn't the plan, but I'm happy to oblige. Sevryn: We will enjoy bending this one to our will. NodeContext: Preparing to attack the player. He is going to kill them and turn them into an undead minion.

Player: Who the hell are you? Sevryn: You know who we are. We see through this pathetic act. Node Context: "Players have asked who he is upon greeting him - but he thinks it is an act. He believes they were sent by the Nightsong to kill him."

Player: I am no one's pawn. Sevryn: What, then? The doors are sealed. Node Context: "Players have told him they do not work for the Nightsong. He doesn't believe them." Sevryn: She conjured you - admit it. Speak. Node Context: "Accusing the player of being sent by the Nightsong to kill him."

Player: What if she did? Sevryn: Impertinent. Arrogant. Foolish. Node Context: "Angry, but in a quiet, simmering way. Players have just threatened him." Sevryn: We will enjoy bending this one to our will.

Player Sharite: I am a servant of Shar. You and I are not enemies. Player Shadowheart: |We both serve Shar, right? I am not your enemy.| Sevryn: Oh, this is not our temple. We serve no goddess. We serve no one. Sevryn: But you serve the Nightsong's creator. Her source. You are on her side. Node Context: "Players have falsely assumed that the necromancer follows Shar - he does not. But the Nightsong does."

Player: The Nightsong is my target, not my master. [persuasion check] A) Success Sevryn: Oh, pitiable fool. The Nightsong cannot be taken. We have tried. B) Failure Sevryn: He/She dares answer us with falsehoods. He/She is wicked. He/She is a liar. Node Context: "Talking to himself, building with disdain. The player has just said something he believes is a lie."

Player: You've got it wrong. I'm not here to help her. [persuasion check] A) Success Sevryn: None can enter the temple. What are we to believe? Can it be true? Node Context : "Working out how the player came to be in the sealed temple." B) Failure Sevryn: He/She dares answer us with falsehoods. He/She is wicked. He/She is a liar.

Player: Then she's not an ally. She's competition. [religion check] A) Success Sevryn: Is it a ruse? Can we believe? Yes, it is true the Dark Goddess delights in the suffering of her flock. Node Context: "Coming over to the player's way of thinking - that Shar does not foster community amongst her flock, but competition. B) Failure Sevryn: He/She dares answer us with falsehoods. He/She is wicked. He/She is a liar.

Player: So be it. Another sacrifice for the Lady of Loss. Sevryn: Impertinent. Arrogant. Foolish. Sevryn: We will enjoy bending this one to our will.

Player: I wasn't conjured, and I have no interest in your petty feud. Sevryn: No interest in the Great War. No pawn of the Nightsong. Can it be true? Can we believe? Node Context: "Working out how the player came to be in the sealed temple."

Player: I have nothing to admit. I came in through the Underdark. Sevryn: None can enter the temple. What are we to believe? Can it be true? Node Context: "Working out how the player came to be in the sealed temple."

Sevryn: Yes, he/she smells of rivers. He/She smells of trees. Of the Underdark and Overworld and more. Node Context: "Speaking to himself, working out the possibilities. Sevryn: Tell us then - you breached the temple's seal. You walk these wretched halls. Sevryn: To what end? Why are you here, if not to aid the witch?

Player: Why are you here? Depends on whether the player asked questions to the necromancer Sevryn: Tsk. He/She dares ask us questions. Sevryn: Tsk. He/She still pesters us with questions. Node Context: "To himself, with disdain." Sevryn: Perhaps we will provide an answer, should he/she give us our own in return. Node Context: "Talking to himself, pondering." Sevryn: We ask you again - why are you here?

Player: I'm not telling you anything. Player: I'm not playing your little game. Sevryn: A pity. We must satisfy our curiosity with your corpse. Node Context: "Disdain falls, revealing evil curiosity"

Player: It doesn't matter. I'm here, and you look like you need saving. [persuasion check] A) Success Sevryn: We do not need a saviour. We are imprisoned, yes, but we have held our own against the witch for decades. Node Context: "Emphasis on 'Saving' - he comes across arrogant here. He doesn't want the player's help." Sevryn: Saving? No, we need retribution. We are owed it. Node Context: "Line begins somewhat ponderingly, before building up with bile. Emphasis on 'owed' in the final sentence. We are OWED it." Sevryn: You... you could be useful. Yes, you could be the one to do it. You could kill the Nightsong. Node Context: "Coming to a wondrous revelation. Emphasis on 'You' in the final sentence: YOU could kill the Nightsong" Player: My usefulness comes with a price. Sevryn: We have much to offer. Our powers are extraordinary. B) Failure Sevryn: Impertinent. Arrogant. Foolish. Sevryn: We will enjoy bending this one to our will.

Player: I need to travel through the temple. Player: I'm just passing through. Sevryn: He/She seeks the lands beyond. The towers of the moon. It is impossible. Node Context: "Players have told him they wish to pass through the temple. He has been trapped for decades, and knows of no way through." Sevryn: If the witch's shades do not thwart you, the temple will. Her cursed power spreads to its foundation. Sevryn: We came to take that power, but we were snared, trapped within these walls. That is why we are here. NodeContext: "Emphasis on 'that' - answering a question the player asked a bit ago 'Why are you here'?" Sevryn: There is no escape, no exit to the other side. Not while she still lives. NodeContext: "Thinks a moment before speaking. He's making a point - 'I've been here for years. I know there's no way through. You have to kill her to do it."

Player: I got in through one sealed door. I can handle another. Sevryn: She will stop you. But perhaps we can help. Yes, perhaps we can help each other. Node Context: "He's beginning to figure out his plan - the player will kill the Nightsong."

If the player has met Aradin and knows about Nightsong. Player: I seek the Nightsong. Player: I've come to collect the Nightsong. Player: The Nightsong is my target, not you. Sevryn: Oh, pitiable fool. The Nightsong cannot be taken. We have tried.

Sevryn: Yes, Sevryn sought the Nightsong, same as you. We were given shackles instead. Node Context: "Explaining how he was trapped in the temple."

Sevryn: You wish to know why we are here? We too came for the Nightsong. But she was not to be collected. Node Context: "Explaining how he was trapped in the temple. Responding to a question asked previously - he would answer if players answered his own question." Sevryn: The witch bent the temple to her will, trapping us within its walls. Don't you see? Sevryn: She is the temple. She is our prison. Node Context: "She' is the Nightsong - her curse has overtaken the entire temple."

Player: How long have you been here, exactly? Sevryn: We do not know. No, Sevryn does not count the years, but they are many. Node Context: "It's been decades." Sevryn: Years locked in an endless stalemate. A life wasted in this eternal war. Node Context: "He has been locked up for decades. He his bitter. He wants blood."

Player: The seal is broken. You can leave the way I entered. Sevryn: And let the Nightsong live? We cannot do that. It is unthinkable. Node Context: "Letting the Nightsong live is unthinkable to him. She has stolen his life." Sevryn: She has taken too much from us. No, the war must end. She must die. Node Context: "Starts calm but builds with bile."

Player: You failed. I won't. Sevryn: Oh, you will, so long as the witch lives. But perhaps we can help. Yes, our ambitions are aligned. Node Context: "Responding to the player saying 'You failed [to take the Nightsong]. I won't.' Begins to hatch a plan in his head - to have the player kill the Nightsong." Sevryn: You know of our torment, our bondage. You see how she slaughters my precious pets. Node Context: "His pets are his treasured army of skeletons. He sees them as his children." Sevryn: We are owed retribution. We are owed her death.

If the necromancer doesn't know that the player is looking for Nightsong. Sevryn: You... you could do it. You could kill the Nightsong. Dispose of her, and the path through will be clear. NodeContext: "Coming to a wondrous revelation. Emphasis on 'and' - this is a win-win situation for all involved." Player: I'll need more than safe passage if I'm going to do your dirty work. Sevryn: We have much to offer. Our powers are extraordinary.

If the necromancer knows that the player is looking for Nightsong. Sevryn: You... you could be the key. You could kill the Nightsong. Node Context: "Coming to a wondrous revelation."

Player: I'm here to collect the Nightsong, not kill her. Sevryn: She cannot be taken alive. Still, you will not leave empty-handed. Node Context: "'She cannot be taken alive' is said slowly - he has said this already, and he is re-emphasizing for the stupid player." Sevryn: We have much to offer. Our powers are extraordinary. Sevryn: Silence the Nightsong, and Sevryn will provide. Node Context: "If players kill the Nightsong, he will give them a reward."

If the player refused Player: I'm not killing anyone. Player: I don't think so. Sevryn: It was not a request. You needn't be alive to help us. Node Context: "Players have refused to kill the Nightsong for him. He's telling them that they will, once he turns them into an undead minion." Sevryn: Oh, he/she will make a fine addition to our collection. Node Context: "He is going to kill the player and turn them into an undead minion."

If the player has agreed Player: I have a tadpole in my head. Could you get it out? Sevryn: A tadpole. An illithid parasite. Fascinating. Node Context: "Players have just told him that they have a tadpole in their hadds." Sevryn: Get rid of it? No. But we could siphon its power, slow the transformation to a crawl. Sevryn: Time is not your friend. Sevryn can give you more - if you dispose of the witch. Node Context: "He will slow the tadpole's growth if players kill Nightsong." Player: I'm in. What do I need to do? Player: All right. Tell me what I need to do. Sevryn: The dagger! Plunge it into the Nightsong's stony heart. Sap her, drain her, and return the blade to us. Cinematic Node Context: "Pulls out and passes the dagger to the player." Node Context: "Explaining how to kill the Nightsong. Pulls the dagger out and passes it to the player as he says 'Sap Her'. Sevryn: You've seen the statue at the centre of the temple? The witch is at her feet. Sevryn: Our books will show you the way, past the temple's deadly tricks. Node Context: "Giving instructions on how to kill the Nightsong." Sevryn: Now go. We must plan. We must prepare. The Great War is almost won! Node Context: "Elated and excited, but still subdued. He is not the overexcitable type."

----------

Sevryn: The Nightsong still lives, yes this one speaks to us. Why?

Player: Should I be worried about those skeletons? Sevryn: Our children? No, they will not harm you. Not while you remain committed. Sevryn: But we will not hesitate to change their instruction should you step out of line.

If the player promised Nightsong to free her Player: The Nightsong is under my protection now. You will not harm her. Sevryn: The witch has broken your mind. You disappoint us.

----------

Sevryn: The Nightsong is dead. We feel it. We sense it. NodeContext: "Players have successfully killed the Nightsong."

Sevryn: Where is the dagger? Do you have it? Node Context: Players have told him that the Nightsong is dead, but they did not have the dagger. They have returned, so he is asking for it.

Sevryn: The dagger. Where is it? Give it to us! Node Context: "The dagger holds the essence of the Nightsong. He wants it back so he can claim it for himself."

Player: I think I'll be keeping the dagger for myself. Sevryn: He/She betrays us? Claims the dagger for his/her own? Node Context: "Talking to himself." Sevryn: It is useless to you. You die for nothing. Node Context: "About to attack. 'It' refers to the Nightsong-infused dagger that the player has decided to keep for themselves."

Player: I don't have it. Sevryn: Retrieve it. Quickly. Node Context: "The player has killed "

Player: Here. Driven into her heart, like you asked. Sevryn: We cannot believe it. Years of suffering, decades of miserable captivity - they are rewarded. Cinematic Node Context: "Player passes him the dagger. Necromancer holds it and inspects it, in awe." Node Context: "His ambitions are finally realised - he has claimed the Nightsong's power." Sevryn: The Nightsong's essence. Her power. It is finally ours.

If the player chooses to remove the tadpole as a reward. Sevryn: Oh, yes. Your tadpole. Your parasite. Node Context: "He has promised to slow the player's parasite in exchange for the dagger. Now that he has it, he will fulfill his promise." Sevryn: Come closer. Let Sevryn see. Cinematic Node Context: "Beckons the player closer." Node Context: "Beckoning the player so he can assess the tadpole in their head." Player: Step toward him. Sevryn: Yes. I can feel it. Squirming. Wriggling. Consuming. Cinematic Node Context: "Eyes closed, his hands hovering near the player's head." Node Context: "He is searching through the player's head, feeling out the tadpole." Sevryn: Damn! What... no! NodeContext: "The tadpole has rejected him - and it terrifies him. The only real moment of strong emotion from the Necromancer." Sevryn: We don't understand. What are you?! Node Context: "Horrified. He's tried to halt the tadpole's growth, but its power terrified him."

Player: Calm down. What happened? Sevryn: We do not know. We don not want to know. Node Context: "He does not want to know what the tadpole is. He would rather be ignorant - for his own sake."

Player: Did it work? Have you slowed it? Sevryn: No. No, we could not even touch it.

Player: Your reaction doesn't inspire confidence. Sevryn: It saw us. It laughed at us. Sevryn: It is not normal. It is... corrupted. Distorted. Perverse. Node Context: "The tadpole rejected him with powerful magic. It terrified him." Sevryn: Do not speak to us. Do not even think of us. Just leave. Now! Node Context: "Begging the player to leave - he is terrified of the tadpole."

If the player hasn't yet chosen a reward. Sevryn: Oh, you have served us well. We owe you an impossible debt. But perhaps a gift will suffice? Node Context: "The player has successfully killed the Nightsong, granting him incredible power".

If the player has chosen a rod as a reward. Sevryn: We have a gift for you, as promised. Yes, we made it. Necromancer gives resurrection rod to player. Node Context: "Promised the player a gift if they killed the Nightsong. Now that she is dead, he is fulfilling that promise."

Player: I'll take it. Thanks.

Player: Keep it. I have no use for it. Sevryn: You would refuse power? You baffle us. Yes, you are confusing. Node Context: "The player has refused a gift for their services in killing the Nightsong." Sevryn: We will only offer it once. Do not bother us by asking for it again. NodeContext: "Telling the player not to ask for another reward for killing the Nightsong."

An option if the player haven't yet mentioned their tadpole problem Player: There's something else I'd ask of you. I have a tadpole in my head - can you get rid of it? Sevryn: A tadpole? An illithid parasite? Oh, you grow more impressive by the moment. Node Context: "The player has just told him they have a Mind Flayer parasite in their head. He is fascinated." Next, the dialogue is exactly the same when the necromancer tries to remove the tadpole.

If the player have changed their mind about removing the tadpole Player: Actually, I'd prefer a different reward. Sevryn: You would keep the tadpole? We do see the appeal. Node Context: "Player has just refused the necromancer's offer to halt the tadpole's grwoth." Sevryn: Here. We do hope you use it well. Necromancer gives resurrection rod to player. Cinematic Node Context: "Hands player the rod of power." Node Context: "Giving player the gift he offered them for killing the Nightsong."

I'm not sure, but it's more likely an answer if the player stole the rod Sevryn: Hm. But we cannot find it. Perplexing. Our appreciation must suffice. Cinematic Node Context: "Pats his pockets down, confused." Node Context: "He goes to grab a reward promised to the player, but he no longer has it."

Sevryn: You may leave us. We have much to do. Node Context: "Pleased - the player has killed the Nightsong for him, and he now possesses his power."

Player: I'm curious. What abilities does that dagger give you? Sevryn: Ownership of the temple. Command of her shades. The ability to create more. Node Context: "Explaining the power he possesses, now that he holds the dagger containing the Nightsong's essence. Sevryn: That is what we expect. But we must study it. We must experiment.

Player: You're staying in the temple? Sevryn: Why would we leave? It belongs to us now. Node Context: "'It' refers to the temple - now that the Nightsong is dead, he controls it." Sevryn: We will build our army. A legion of undead. A cavalry of shades! Sevryn: None will dare oppose us. Our empire will rival Netheril itself. Node Context: "Explaining his plans now that he possesses the Nightsong's power."

Player: I can't let you do that. Sevryn: So quickly do you turn usurper. Your corpse will make a fine footsoldier. Node Context: "The player has just told him that they won't let him execute his plans for an undead empire after helping him gain the power to do so.

Player: Good luck with that. Sevryn: Good fortune is meaningless when one commands this kind of power. Node Context: "Player has just wished him luck on creating an empire - he feels he is too powerful now to need luck." Sevryn: Yes, we will subjugate fortune. We will warp and buckle it to our ambition. Node Context: Says 'fortune' with sarcastic disdain." Sevryn: But we appreciate the sentiment, worthless as it may be.

----------

If the player completed the quest to kill Nightsong and received a reward for it. Sevryn: We will not forget your assistance. Yes, we will remember your usefulness. Node Context: "The player has fulfilled the Necromancer's wishes - they killed the Nightsong and delivered the dagger that absorbed her power to him."

----------

If the necromancer has already tried to remove the tadpole. Sevryn: The worm sees through your eyes. Leave us, we beg you. Node Context: "Begging the player to leave - he is terrified of the tadpole."

----------

There is also a draft of the dialogue with the necromancer. I won't post it because it's not much different. The player didn't tell him about the tadpole, he sensed it himself and offered help in exchange for killing Nightsong. Also players could successfully lie that they killed Nightsong.

Besides, game files contained drafts of dialogues with the necromancer's apprentice, Myronus. These are raw, but I haven’t found anything better.

----------

Apprentice: |Master we have visit.|

Apprentice: |Please follow me.|

Apprentice: |It's been a while since we saw someone alive here.|

Apprentice: |Hello stranger.|

Player: |Who are you?| Apprentice: |I'm the apprentice of the necromancer.|

Player: |For how long have you been here?| Apprentice: |It's been so long that I can't remember.|

Player: |Are you here all alone?| Apprentice: |No, I live with my master.|

If players receive their reward for killing Nightsong Apprentice: |So you are who dealt with Noghtsong. You have my gratitude.|

Player: |How is it to live here?| Apprentice: |Let's say that if I don't follow my master's orders I may get in big trouble.| Apprentice: |But if something horrible happened to him...| Apprentice: |If you were for the cause of course.|

Player: |I will help you kill him.| Player: |I will help Nightsong.| Apprentice: |Then let's do this.|

Player: |Not my problem.| Apprentice: |Let me know if you change your mind.|

----------

If the player accepted the apprentice's offer to kill the necromancer Player: I've accepted another offer. You're the one to die. Sevryn: Myronus... we expected more from you than siding with our pathetic apprentice. Sevryn: Perhaps your corpse will be less disappointing.

If the player has talked to the apprentice and knows that he wants his master dead Player: Your apprentice wants you dead. I thought you should know. Sevryn: We know this. Poor Myronus cannot raise his hand against us. We find it... amusing. Sevryn: Do not give him another thought. We never do.

---------- If the player killed the necromancer Apprentice: |Thanks for helping me, now I'm free.| Player: |What will you do now?| Apprentice: |I'll get out of this place.| Player: |Bye.|

[p5x-theories]

Hey now that I’m looking at Riko’s phantom thief attire I can definitely say that she might have Pegasus as her Persona since we’ve all been a little confused about this persona.

Ah, the thing is, apparently according to dataminers who can get into the audio files (I unfortunately have not figured out how to decrypt those), her voice lines in the third beta's data confirm her Persona as Chiyome!

It's possible Pegasus could still have some connection to her, but it's really kind of a mystery what the deal with Pegasus is.

[dollarbin]

Mitchell Mondays #2:

Eastern Rain

My famous brother spent much of the last week bragging about how he'd taken in all 27 hours of Bob Dylan's latest archival release. I'd love to follow in his audio footsteps and listen to all of Bobby's 74 live recordings but I'm afraid there'd be some serious repercussions:

To begin, my work computer would give up the ghost. The machine is over a dozen years old and already on its last legs, laboring under the weight of some 30,000 MP3 files and 20 years of work documents. Every time I download another Neil Young bootleg compliments of my brother's fantastic blog the thing shudders, buckles and wavers somewhere between life and death. If that box could talk it would have nothing but curse words to hurl in my direction.

My trusty old IPod would beg for mercy. Forever addled with 22,000+ songs, it no longer holds a charge for more than 10 seconds and crashes every time I transfer antique docking stations. I'm so practiced at resuscitating it that it's a shame I wasn't on hand when Steven Jobs croaked. Plus the thing often insists boy genius is playing when I'm listening to Miles Davis. There are currently just 23 MBTs or GPTs or whatever of space left on it. Attempting to sneak 27 more hours of Dylan into its guts would be like entering me and my bald spot mid-school year and in-between shaves in a beauty pageant: things would get real ugly real fast.

Plus I'd be broke! The thing is retailing for $130 and I don't have 130 cents. Frankly, I find it incomprehensible that, given my track record of getting drunk and blogging while listening to Dylan's 70's live albums, Dylan's people have yet to send me a complimentary copy. Get to work all you Dylan-people: supply the Dollar Bin with free stuff already!

Finally, if I started in on 27 hours of Dylan and the Band in our kitchen my family would all rise up, don war-shirts and take to the streets against me. I once attempted to listen to every pass Dylan took on Idiot Wind in a row on a family car trip. In my defense I thought they'd all fall asleep or not notice what I was doing. But after just two and half glacial versions I was forced to abandon my attempt. It was either that or abandon my marriage.

Happily, my famous brother shouldered these risks for me and you and emerged unscathed, though one wonders whether his big deal wife made like a desperate farmer in a Dylan song and fingered the familial hatchet with menace once Bob and the Boys struck up their 64th rip roaring version of Hollis Brown.

Good bananas, this version, in which my brother astutely hears the rhythmic foundations of Shakey's Revolution Blues, truly cooks. Seven new people were probably born right there in the theater while Bob, Richard and everybody else pounded the hell outta this thing. Robbie Robertson: wow.

But the new Dylan collection's crown jewel, again according to the only human being on earth who has actually listened to the whole thing, is a song Dylan apparently couldn't find any room for on any of his 70's records. Apparently he thought New Pony was better than this greatness.

Imagine shrugging off and then forgetting altogether a song this dense and fruitful. Dylan, of course, built up a good deal of his cult following on equally stupid decisions: Union Sundown instead of Blind Willie McTell? Sure. Joey over Abandoned Love? Why not! Disease of Conceit when he had Series of Dreams? Definitely. Stupid apparently leads to genius if you're Bob Dylan.

But dare we say the same thing about Joni Mitchell? Once RBG died, Brandi Carlile forcefully placed Joni on our throne of liberal untouchability: criticize her and you'll suffer the progressive culture's wrath.

I'm as thrilled as you are to see Mitchell alive and well, but I think treating her like a Ming vase sucks. This is the Dollar Bin, not the Louvre, and we like our artists brilliant and flawed.

Consider: Mitchell routinely showed up to parties in the late 70's in blackface, then she memorialized the whole act on an album cover. Plus she once hired Billy Idol to accompany her on a song called Dancing Clown. Joni's not precious nor perfect; she's flawed, and she's awesome.

And she too was capable of Dylan-level dumbness.

Which brings us to Eastern Rain. When her Archives project was announced a few years back I couldn't wait to finally hear a studio take of her complex and rich song which was made famous by Fairport Convention.

But apparently Mitchell never even attempted the song for an album. All we've got after three archive collections are two live versions. They're both great, even if they include a twice repeated bridge which Fairport were wise to jettison.

Just imagine if she'd cut this song for Hissing of Summer Lawns. Lyrically it would interfere - I get that - but can't you just imagine the record's swooping bass laid over lush vibes and rich vocals? Eastern Rain could have served as yet another cornerstone of that incomparable record.

Then again, maybe the song is just cursed in some way; after all even Fairport Convention were dumb with it. Just listen to how much better everything sounds on this outtake version when Ian Matthews gets outta Sandy's way: