#and dragon age's art style has never been consistent game to game

[sneakyneighboururchin]

Listen, listen. I will be the first to say with my whole chest that Dragon Age is not good and that Inquisition was a huge let down. And yes, ten years is far too long to wait for a game, I agree with that. But some people were ready to hate this game out of the gate and you need to calm down. We've had one trailer and a couple of teasers. Actually let the game come out and get played before you decide if it's good or bad.

[felassan]

New interview video from TheGamer: 'Exclusive Interview with The Directors of Dragon Age: The Veilguard'

"Will there be returning characters? Will the light prevail against the darkness? Will our comic book and graphic novel knowledge of Dragon Age finally come into play?"

[source]

The video has some footage from the DA:TV booth at SDCC.

Info from this video:

More will be shown of the skill trees over time

"We have 700 new unique characters to talk to"

This may be the biggest game they've ever made

"Rivain, that more tropical feel. Something we've never really been able to do before in Dragon Age is, what does the coast of Rivain look like?"

Lots of love has been poured into how the areas look. They all look and feel different, but also coherent and consistent with the style of the game as a whole

The writers did a good job of finding the light in the darkness of this story

Just after timestamp 5 mins 0 secs, John says Emmrich's surname Volkarin aloud

Emmrich's character design is kind of like the more classical, Hollywood actor type

On returning characters, they're excited for people to see them, especially in the context of how 10 years have passed in-world since the last DA

Each choice in the game, especially the major ones, has significant consequences on gameplay, what content is available to you, and also how characters in the world regard you. "No choice should be easy, we never want to make players feel like there's a right choice. There's always going to be a consequence, some that you don't expect, and some that change the world in real ways"

On casting - Ashley: "Casting is a collaboration. The ensemble that the companions create was basically where we started. We put the character art on the wall, we saw the writing, we auditioned vastly and we assured that the cast was very dynamic and complimenting, and opposing, to each other. We spent a lot of time in getting those companions the juiciest they could possibly be"

The acting talent was cast across 5 years

[ishouldgay]

‘Dragon Age The Vanguard’s art style looks different from the other games!’

??? My man Dragon Age has NEVER been consistent. This is literally the same woman:

[newwillinium]

So let's talk about the Darkspawn Redesigns Across the Dragon Age Series

So I think we're all familiar with the basics of Dragon Age right?

Noble Dark Fantasy Series made by Bioware with a fantasy Church, Elves, Dwarves, with a focus on politics, religious faiths, and racial strife across the decades that we play the series in.

Dragon Age, unlike it's sister series Mass Effect, has never really had a consistent art-style or settled on design for it's . . . well basically everything.

The Elves started out as shorter lithe humans, turned into Waifs in DA 2, and kind of evened back out into a happy medium in Inquisition.

The Dwarves have remained Dwarfy, though a bit more squat in the subsequent games then they were in Origins where they were short wided stocky humans.

Then there's the Qunari, who started out as Dark skinned Giant Humans who appeared as a companion (Sten) and random mercenaries to kill. Transition to DA 2 and not only are they the sexiest beings in the setting, but they now have horns, grey skin of various shades, almost monochrome eyes, and beautiful white hair. Then in Inquisition they backed off the design a bit, made them look more "human" (if that makes sense, less blocky and angular features, more variety in facial shape).

You get the idea.

But the peoples that have always been hit the absolute hardest by it's redesigns have been the Darkspawn of the Setting.

Very brief TLDR for those unfamiliar or having forgotten about them, the Darkspawn are said to be the result of the High Priests of Tevinter invading the City of the Maker (God), and bringing back the Blight to Thedas. The Blight corrupted the Old Gods, corrupted humanity, and created the Darkspawn as we know them.

The Darkspawn served as dark twisted reflections of the races that originated them.

The Hurlocks originated from Humanity and served as the kind of general Officer Corps and Priest/Mage Caste of the Darkspawn. They were humanity stripped of all beauty, no hair, no lips, savagery exposed, with just enough skin to protect their flesh but still show every inch of veins and blight and blood coursing through them.

They had a bit of a evolution in Dragon Age Awakening (Better then Origins actually, fight me though I admit that without Origins it wouldn't hit as hard, kind of like Kotor 2 and 1) with the onset of the Awakened Darkspawn.

The Awakened were Darkspawn that had been freed from the enslaving call of the Old Gods, and have split into two factions, those serving the Architect and those that serve the Mother (who desires the return of the Song).

These Awakened Darkspawn played a very serious role in the design of the Hurlocks going forward, something that I personally only realized about a month or two ago during a replay of the series.

Freed from the Call they were able to think towards goals other then the destruction of the world and the freeing of the Gods. They cleaned themselves up, created more intricate armors, war paints to distinguish themselves, the Darkspawn became sapient and more human, skin the color of dead flesh, but in a way that still served as a dark reflection of humanity.

Similarly as dark reflections we had the Genlocks who were corrupted Dwarven Stock who could also use magic.

Ogres who were from Qunari stock, and I think later directly inspired the change of the Qunari from giant Humans to Horned-folk.

And the Shrieks who came from Elves.

And then comes Dragon Age 2.

Which took the Awakening Hurlock designs and. . . generalized and ruined them in my opinion. Now they ALL have the intricate scale mail coif. Now instead of wearing intricate armor sets, or rough hewn beaten plate armor, they wear scattered broken sets of chainmail and weird angular pointy bits of armor.

But as much as I hate what they did to the Hurlocks, the Hurlocks and Ogres got off relatively light compared to the Genlocks who were turned into hairless gorillas incabable of wielding weapons or armor or crafting anything (hey remember in Dragon Age Origins where the Genlocks were the Forgemasters of the Darkspawn?), the Shrieks have been turned from weird Hulking Werewolf/Vampire Esque Beasts to just being Elven Hurlocks with arm-blades, and the Emissaries, which used to be a caste of Darkspawn rather then a race, are now all floating Elven beings who all look the same with no manner of variation to speak of.

The Ogres only main change is that instead of being a mostly purple color, it's become more and more flesh and like. . . dead tree bark toned, which kind of feels backwards from how they and the Qunari evolved? While the Darkspawn redesigns all baffle me, and some irritate me to genuine irritation, the Ogre touch ups just kind of confuse me.

Dragon Age Inquisition kind of solidified all of these into a kind of final product with some new additions, now some Hurlocks tower over the others but still with that weird super angular spiked (not spiky SPIKED) armor and helms.The Shrieks aren't quite as waifish, and the Genlocks are wearing armor again but are still hairless toothy gorillas.

Now we have the Dread. .. .Veilguard trailers and reveals and it looks like the Darkspawn, or what a lot of us have been assuming is a darkspawn, have gone through yet another revision. I'm. . . I think I have to see more of it before I can probably judge if I like this or not. They look more skeletal and crazed, but also kind of cartoonish in a way I can't quite put my finger on?

Again I need to see more before I can properly make a decision on it.

Anyway, I figured that this could be for a fun discussion to look at now that the hype has very slightly gone down to simmering.

What about the rest of y'all, what are your thoughts on the Darkspawn redesigns across the 4 games both in general and in specifics?

[but-first--tea]

B A S I C S

Name: Ferthur Venator

Nicknames: none, unless aliases count. If they do, a lot of them. Notably, her most commonly used aliases for the past couple years have been Omori Kaya and Kasasagi.

Age: adult (I don't like to define characters by specific ages, especially with how wonky the passage of time in RP can be. But logically she's probably in her late twenties or early thirties by now. I created this character 4 years ago.)

Nameday: in game it's the 2nd sun of the 5th umbral moon. I've never RPed it.

Race: well she looks like a xaela

Gender: Female (cis)

Orientation: hetero/demisexual (eternal bonded to Eligos Venator, monogamous)

Profession: "I do what I want" (and try not to get caught). She owns an auction house now, though. That probably counts as an official job! Except it was more like the world's most over-the-top impulse buy while trying to shop for Starlight presents. She's suffering from a case of "asset rich, cash poor" at the moment as a result. That's probably going to suck when she has to pay taxes on the Omori Estate. Oops. Next BBEG: property taxes.

P H Y S I C A L     A S P E C  T S

Hair: White, and rather long. She doesn't wear it in a consistent way, and is instead adept at styling it many different ways to suit the outfit or occasion.

Eyes: Slitted gold

Skin: very fair, which can be a point of frustration for a lizert who would very much like to bask in the sun

Tattoos/scars: For most of her life, the very idea of any sort of permanent identifying feature was anathema to her, a potential threat to her anonymity and survival. However Eligos has slowly begun to erode these fears, and even managed to talk her into getting tattooed. A mixture of dragon scales, geometric patterns, and stylized florals now grace her right shoulder and arm, and curve along part of her hip and leg. So far she's managed to avoid any permanent scars, mostly by pulling a vanishing act when things get out of hand.

F A M I L Y

Parents: She was raised by a Doman shinobi named Harue, who told her that her father was a samurai who had perished fighting a voidsent. Unbeknownst to Ferthur, neither of these people are her birth parents. Harue is now recently deceased, and thus unable to tell her the truth of her origin.

Siblings: None that she knows of.

Grandparents: Harue's mother taught Ferthur her foundation in the arcane arts when the girl began to show an aptitude for them that Harue herself never had. Her grandmother passed away when Ferthur was a teen, leaving her to continue her arcane studies on her own. The lack of guidance went about as well as one might expect.

In-laws and Other: Eligos's parents are still alive, but they do not know Eligos is still alive, and so Ferthur has never met them.

Pets: None

S K I L L S

Abilities: Ferthur was raised by her shinobi mother, and thus was instructed in the shinobi arts from early childhood on. As she grew older, her affinity for the arcane began to show, and her focus quickly shifted to the arcane arts. Her obsession with magic brought her to some very dark places, however, and lately she has fallen back to her roots, relying mostly on the teachings of her mother to survive.

Hobbies: Dance, collecting clothing, theft and general mischief.

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Highly adaptable and quick thinking on her feet, very protective of the self agency of others

Most Negative Trait: Obsessive and prone to spite beyond reason when something upsets her

L I K E S

Colors: Yes. Though to wear she prefers black and white, sometimes blue. (Why yes I did give her a magpie color scheme.) Even though she's not typically superstitious, she'll often wear red 'for luck' when she's about to do something particularly dangerous.

Smells: Jasmine, osmanthus, plum blossoms. Waterfalls and the sea. The spices and scents of the kitchen while Eligos is cooking. Sun-warmed skin and coconut.

Textures: Being buried in fuzzy blankets. Submerged in water. The touch of skin. Tracing anything with patterns or edges. The smooth softness of petals and leaves.

Drinks: Spiced tea, which she grew very fond of during her time in Ul'dah

O T H E R    D E T A I L S

Smokes: Nope.

Drinks: Tea, water. Wine occasionally with dinner. The most ridiculous-sounding drink on the menu if on vacation or traveling.

Drugs: On purpose? Not usually. She's too paranoid and always needs to feel in control. Eligos has talked her into experimenting with alchemy on a couple rare occasions in a very controlled environment.

Mount Issuance: Unless a very tall viera picking her up and carrying her around because she's smol counts, not really. She doesn't own a chocobo or horse, though she does know how to ride.

Been Arrested: She came close once, but she chose murder over capture. Things got rather dicey after that for a while.

Tagged by: @wpip-raham and @starforger Thank you! Sorry it took me forever!

Tagging: anyone who wants to do the thing! This was going around maybe a month ago but I wasn't feeling well

[ghostgirlvii]

A love letter to Mass Effect

( ft. my OCs; Daryus, Alexis and Kirr :3 )

Today (27/10) mark the 11 year of me discovering Mass Effect. A little more than a decade later, this game still hold a very special place in my heart. I say this knowing full well that I have been jumping from fandom to fandom, hyper fixation changing over the years, posting less about ME. Yet, it is the only consistent thing throught out the years. The one happiness that keep dormant and some times come back. Like every N7 day ❤️

Mass Effect means more to me than just a game. I discovered it in a time where I was a little lost in life. I recently finished highschool, had dropped college, worked a whole year and was actually trying back to go to school. Bakery class. I was a little lost overwhelmed by all that was going on. One day my best friend came over and she had this game, she got on sale on Steam. It looked interesting. Space, fight, action, futuristic, stuff I like. Peaked my interest and the same day I decided to buy it. And so I started my Mass Effect journey.

I tried the first game, you know the OG one, not the amazing remake of Legenday, and god I hated it. So I gave up only started from the second. Eventually bought the third game later on. Mass Effect 2 was my first introduction (or a re-introduction) to RPG style game. I never really had played a game where your choices mattered and had consequences (at least aware of it. Sorry Legion and Miranda!) but also romance?! Totally discovered that by accident. I thought I was casual, nope apparently I had accepted to sleep with the big lizard man 😂 Rambling a little but, ME really gave me an idea of what game genra I like. Even today, my most favorite game are RPG ones (Dragon Age, Cyberpunk 2077, Fallout (althought I did play it before but never really grasped the concept till ME)) The more I played the more the characters started to feel like family. Back then I probably did 5 playthrought in a row. Probably burned me out in restropect but I enjoyed still.

This game also came at a moment where I was trying to distance myself from Transformers. It had helped me throught a hard time in my life and most of my highschool years, but the fandom was getting to toxic. I had to escape. With Mass Effect, I started new. I met awesome people. Some who just passed by, other who stayed who are still mutual till this day even if we talk less and I'm jumping fandom, but... It's also thank to Mass Effect that I met my partner. Because he saw art I made of my OCs. And while it all started as just randomly talking throught ask on tumblr (back in the days where DM didn't exist lol), nerding about ME and eventually other thing, it turn out that 10 years later we are stuck with each other still ❤️ For this I owe Mass Effect a lot. Around the same time I also got my first dog ever which obviously I had to name after one of my favorite character. Tali 😌 Althought she had more a character like Jack. My big girl who stayed with us for 8 years, I miss her dearly.

Talking of OCs, these three as seen above here are my first, and for a long time, most thought out ones. Today it might be blurry but back then, my Mass Effect lore knowledge was off the chart. You know all the Star Wars or Trekkie geek who know all? That was me with Mass Effect. So I was able to really make them more fleshed out, connected them to the canon without be completely depend, they had their own adventures. Today my CoD OC has the same work put into her, if not more 🫣 Still my little trio still hold a place in my heart even if I draw them much less.

Mass Effect by itself is a game with great aspects for the time it came out, but also as its flaws, nothing is perfect. But I'm not here to give an analyse on that, enough people do it. Yet I do understand that it wasn't perfect. Even if it sounds like I put on pedestal, it's only for the reason above. How it changed and helped my life. This is my love letter to it. Because I don't think I would be where I am now if it wasn't from it. If I had never knew the game, I wouldn't have make OCs. No OCs, my partner never find about my blog, we never talk, I never move to Belgium and I never have the life I have now. Today, most of my playthroughts are left unfinished, a little bit like the drawing above. For various reason, but the main one is I always play till the Citadel DLC and then I can't bring myself to finish. It's like leave it in a constent state of happy time, of cherished parts and nothing sad happen. My happy place.

Ok I'm not to sure where I was going with this, I'm probably rambling and it's hard to put in word what I feel about this game, how much it means to me. I feel like this text doesn't give it justice but it's all I can say.

TLDR: Mass Effect changed life, I meet amazing people because of it and even if the game as its flaws and I'm not as active as I was about it, I love it with all my heart and nothing will ever change this.

[spacevulpix]

I gotta say I really don't understand the vitriol people are hurling about the art style for da4

First off, let's be real, NO dragon age game looks like the next one. These games are released so far apart that from a software standpoint, it's just not gonna happen. I doubt dao will ever get a remaster bc the engine it was made in is so outdated they'd have to remake the entire game in a newer one, da2 was incredibly rushed but looked miles better than dao (which didn't even look bad! it was just difficult for them to get all the races to look distinct!), and dai sits in a weird uncanny valley where they've got realism down but the second anyone tries to show emotion on their face it makes the back of your brain itch. so if your issue is consistency across the brand, you already don't have a leg to stand on.

second, we are LANGUISHING in a never ending field of "realistic" animated media. Nothing has any style anymore! Everyone is trying to get photo-realism instead of trying to make an interesting and engaging art style, largely due to industry standard operating procedure being crunch and executives playing it safe, doing what everyone else is doing, because they know that style will sell! it got REALLY bad in the early to mid 2010s when every animated movie looked the same and every AAA game title coming out did too. I'd argue it's only in the past 5-10 years that we've seen game studios breaking away from that and creating their own unique styles, like telltale games was on that trend from the start when the walking dead games blew up

third, it's not even that bad! in fact, i think it's really cool to have a different visual theme for a tevinter-based game! it's obvious by the art we've been shown that they're going for a very different vibe from previous dragon age games, darker fantasy, almost a noir style, and i think that vibe will be communicated equally well by the writing and by the visual setting! it was really cool in dai that wherever you were, you could look at the sky and see the breach. i feel like this is the next step up of that choice! one of the biggest disappointments for me in dai was that all you could see of orlais was an outdoor shopping mall with multiple travel loading screens within that mall itself, and a small portion of the winter palace. fantasy is a genre that relies heavily on showing over telling because many of the plots that are used in fantasy could easily be fit into any other genre which is a strength but also a weakness if your setting is too generic.

and going back to the point about facial expressions looking weird in dai, having a distinct, not quite photorealistic art style is great for mitigating that issue, like how star wars duels often read better in animation than live action due to the difference in cost to produce a lightsaber battle with superhuman flips and hits in an animation program versus a live action production which requires paying actors, their stunt doubles, insurance, stunt coordinators, time spent practicing choreo, on and on and on...

[comradeacerbus]

Miraak Headcannons (for fanfic)

Okay, so, I’ve been planning a Skyrim fic for some time now. I started one, but it fell through due to a lack of proper planning. Now that I know what I’m doing, I’m gonna try again! I’m just posting some notes on everyone’s favorite jackass here because I needed something to post. Obviously, since this is my fic, I’ll be referencing my granola-crunching pacifist Dragonborn, Haldis Ragnardottir.

Bethesda didn’t give us much to work with but that just makes it more interesting. I’m just getting a feel for his personality now so I can keep him consistent.

* Miraak was already getting up there in age by the time his revolt against Alduin fell through, so he’s a bit old and grey now. Maybe in his sixties physically, though he looks more past his use by date because of how Oblivion has affected his outward appearance.

* Stupidly tall because, yknow, Atmorans.

* He’s a dirty old man. He doesn’t come off that way initially, but internally, Miraak is a pervert. While he won’t get physical with women, he won’t hesitate to say something pervy.

* Just because he’s a bit pervy doesn’t mean he’s promiscuous. He certainly has game, I imagine, but he feels he’s too old to go throwing his weight around. It’s mostly for his own entertainment

* He loves to make people uncomfortable, especially our little baby Dwagonbown. Constantly picking on her, saying weird pervy shit, just constantly flustering her for his own amusement.

* A really good talker, can worm his way out of any bad situation with his words. He’s also a natural politician. He can make any insane remark and easily justify it to anyone who’s willing to listen to him.

* He’s no liar though. Not unlike Odahviing, he might not tell the whole truth, but he won’t tell much in the way of lies. He’ll just manipulate the truth. It’s no wonder he was so able to lead a cult, really.

* Literate in multiple languages. Obviously the Imperial language spoke in Tamriel and Dovahzul, but he is also fluent in Daedric and has dabbled in Falmer and Dwemer dialects as well, though he dislikes the cultures themselves as an Atmoran. He probably started looking into them out of sheer boredom in Apocrypha.

* He’s definitely looked into more than just languages in his time in Oblivion. He’s looked into various magics, histories of ancient civilizations, Aedra, Daedra, trades, and everything in between. In other words, Miraak knows his shit about a lot of things.

* In spite of how much he knows about a wide range of subjects, a jack of all trades is a master of none. He’s not talented in all the fields he’s studied, but he’s honed his main skills to a fine point. Namely the art of shouting, various styles of swordplay, and the main schools of magic.

* He frowns very strongly upon thieving and sneaking about. Subtly is one thing, but being sneaky and deceitful is a whole nother ball game to him. He dislikes the idea of assassinations, especially the use of poison. He much prefers the ancient Atmoran-Nordic tradition of openly challenging an authority figure for his seat.

* Under all the arrogance, Miraak actually does have some wisdom to him, and he does learn from his and others’ mistakes. He likes to pretend that he didn’t change after narrowly escaping Apocrypha, simply because he doesn’t want to admit that what he did was wrong, but he certainly has changed some of his views.

* Simply speaking of Oblivion’s Princes makes him uncomfortable because he wants nothing to do with them now, though he’d never admit that he’s afraid. He might be garbage in a lot of ways, but he’s definitely still human.

* Apocrypha has most certainly disfigured him, as well as the night Vahlok and his legion of Dragons burned his temple to the ground. He has some burns scars on his chest and some smaller ones on his face. They no doubt would have been worse, were it not for the metal of his mask. Apocrypha has made his skin pasty and his hair white and nasty looking no matter how much he cleans himself or walks around in the daylight. His sclera are also darkened permanently. He doesn’t wear his mask anymore, and instead prefers his hood when he returns to Tamriel, but he won’t usually show his face to anyone, aside from the Dragonborn, because he’s ashamed of what his choices have done to his body.

* He’s of an ectomorph body type. He’s super tall and towers over Haldis, but he’s not especially muscular. He’s got the broad shoulders of an early Nord, but he’s actually quite skinny. I imagine he tries his best to bulk up with his robes. The other cult leaders most certainly poked fun at him for him.

* After he and Haldis bury the hatchet and accept that they’re stuck together, I imagine he starts to see her as a niece/granddaughter/little sister figure. She doesn’t know much about shouting combatively, and he knows that her overall lack of fighting experience is likely to get her killed, so he begins teaching her from the ground up. It’s initially a thing out of necessity, but he later grows to enjoy it. Not like he’d admit it.

* He may have changed a little since his imprisonment, but he’ll still keep his pride forever. It’s what got him stuck with Herma-Mora, and it’s what got him through so much time in Oblivion.

* The main thing he was worried about for the time of his imprisonment was that he’d turn into a Seeker, but his will as a Dragonborn is likely what kept him from turning, so he’ll cling to his arrogance and his stubbornness till death does him part from Mundus.

* Yeah, he’s old fashioned and very stubborn, but he’s not unreasonable. He’ll listen to one’s argument, but with how well-spoken he is, he usually “wins” the debate, ultimately.

* Even if he is reasonable in the realm of debate, he will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means using or hurting people to do so. This is a result of his inner Dovah. Haldis finds this rather insufferable and it’s one of the main reasons as to why they fight.

* When he gets drunk, he’ll sort of “forget” it’s not the Merithic Era anymore and will start speaking to people in Dovahzul and then get pissy when only Haldis can understand him. He doesn’t normally like to drink in his ripe old age, though, so it’s not something that happens often.

* A similar thing will also happen when he gets angry. He never loses his temper, but when he gets frustrated, he’ll start belting out Dovahzul rapidly.

* He may also speak Dovahzul to Haldis when trying to be subtle. For example, Haldis has to deal a lot in Skyrim’s politics as a diplomat, so if Miraak needs to tell her something or remind her to say something, he’ll tell her in Dovahzul so she doesn’t look dumb.

* The Dovahzul he speaks is a different dialect, though, given their difference in age, so things have been lost in translation from time time, resulting in small, humorous mishaps. He also finds Haldis’s accent when speaking Dovahzul to be very irritating, and mocks her for it quite a bit, usually saying that she sounds like she has a speech impediment.

* As her accent gets better, in his almighty opinion, they’ll have entire conversations together in Dovahzul when they’re alone, like out on the road or something.

I might reblog and take on some more here later. This is just some basic junk that’s not really organized. Also I did not proofread but shhhh

[tabletoptrinketsbyjj]

Trinkets, Valuable, 10: More useful than simple baubles touched mystery, these items have either a clear purpose, a reliable ability or are made from a fairly costly material. The items could fetch fair prices to collectors of the strange, jewelers, antique or art dealers or simply to barter with if the owner is short on actual currency.

A silver pocket watch, that's a true masterwork of consummate craftsmanship, so dense with tiny gears and cams and glorious spiral springs that its interior is a solid teeming mass of gleaming clockwork.

A silver staff topped by a large ruby with swirling contents within the scarlet depths. When an intelligent creature dies nearby, the swirling intensifies as does a near-silent sound of muffled screaming.

A lyre made of a tortoise shell and strung with catgut made from cattle. The instrument greatly resembles the description of one belonging to a certain sun god. It glows with warmth and radiance when played and creatures associated with the moon experience discomfort when they hear its notes.

A small golden idol displaying a grinning face that weighs about as much as a bag of sand.

A flat box of pale wood etched with a repeating pattern of ivy-vines, roughly a foot long by six inches wide by two deep. Inside, nestled in tissue, are a dozen perfect quills of cinnamon, deeply coloured, scenting faintly of rose and fit for an emperor's table.

A thick, heavy spool of wide gauge gold wire wound around a cracked ivory spool. Every millimeter of the wire's surface is carved in conjoined, cursive letters in a scratchy, unknown script.

A large white porcelain vase painted with stylized images of stalking lions, rabid wolves and swooping dragons.

A traveler's outfit consisting of boots, a wool skirt or breeches, a sturdy belt, a shirt, jacket and an ample cloak with a hood. When worn, the outfit is covered in a weak but constant illusion that causes it to appear as a suit of sturdy plate mail to any creature who has not yet touched it or come within five feet of it. Close proximity or physical contact renders a creature permanently aware that it's an illusion. The bearer can activate of suppress the illusion with a command word.

A curled, gleaming golden horn whose mouth flares outward. Its only markings are a line of silver script inlaid around the mouth of the bell which reads in the old tongue; "The Grave Is No Bar To My Call."

Smuggler's Jar: A standard-sized, clear glass mason jar that always looks completely empty no matter what’s inside of it. When sealed, the jar reduces the weight of the contents inside to zero and muffle all sounds that originate from within. The jar can hold 16 fluid ounces or about 500 milliliters.  

—Keep reading for 90 more trinkets.

—Note: The previous 10 items are repeated for easier rolling on a d100.

A silver pocket watch, that's a true masterwork of consummate craftsmanship, so dense with tiny gears and cams and glorious spiral springs that its interior is a solid teeming mass of gleaming clockwork.

A silver staff topped by a large ruby with swirling contents within the scarlet depths. When an intelligent creature dies nearby, the swirling intensifies as does a near-silent sound of muffled screaming.

A lyre made of a tortoise shell and strung with catgut made from cattle. The instrument greatly resembles the description of one belonging to a certain sun god. It glows with warmth and radiance when played and creatures associated with the moon experience discomfort when they hear its notes.

A small golden idol displaying a grinning face that weighs about as much as a bag of sand.

A flat box of pale wood etched with a repeating pattern of ivy-vines, roughly a foot long by six inches wide by two deep. Inside, nestled in tissue, are a dozen perfect quills of cinnamon, deeply coloured, scenting faintly of rose and fit for an emperor's table.

A thick, heavy spool of wide gauge gold wire wound around a cracked ivory spool. Every millimeter of the wire's surface is carved in conjoined, cursive letters in a scratchy, unknown script.

A large white porcelain vase painted with stylized images of stalking lions, rabid wolves and swooping dragons.

A traveler's outfit consisting of boots, a wool skirt or breeches, a sturdy belt, a shirt, jacket and an ample cloak with a hood. When worn, the outfit is covered in a weak but constant illusion that causes it to appear as a suit of sturdy plate mail to any creature who has not yet touched it or come within five feet of it. Close proximity or physical contact renders a creature permanently aware that it's an illusion. The bearer can activate of suppress the illusion with a command word.

A curled, gleaming golden horn whose mouth flares outward. Its only markings are a line of silver script inlaid around the mouth of the bell which reads in the old tongue; "The Grave Is No Bar To My Call."

Smuggler's Jar: A standard-sized, clear glass mason jar that always looks completely empty no matter what’s inside of it. When sealed, the jar reduces the weight of the contents inside to zero and muffle all sounds that originate from within. The jar can hold 16 fluid ounces or about 500 milliliters.  

A flat rectangular box with a handle set into one end and a gilt lock beside it. Either side of the box's keyhole is decorated with the images of a pair of griffins, both of which have their eyes firmly closed. When opened, the container's interior sheds an amber light and when the box is closed any creature who saw its contents instantly forgets what they saw. A creature can choose to remove any object from the box while it is opened which will allow them to remember it after the container is closed.

Smith's Hammers of Silence: A set of blacksmith's tool that have been enchanted to make no sound whatsoever when striking any sort of material. A small bubble of magical silence envelops the tools and they could even be used to strike a drum or a gong without making as much sound as dropped pin.

A silk coin purse that, once per day at dawn, will convert all the currency inside to whatever the local common coin is. The purse will not change the monetary value of the currency and it will leave unchanged anything that it cannot convert.

Hand of Obscenity: A necklace that bears the mummified remains of an crass sorcerer's hand. Age and neglect have withered away all but one prominent middle finger which remains stubbornly straight and stiff. With a mental command, the bearer can create an illusionary duplicate of the hand that is ten times the size and glows dimly and floats in the air within ten feet of the bearer facing the direction of his choice.

An age-old archery bracer made of dragon bone and embellished with a large moonstone. The protective article also has fitted slots holding spare arrows for rapid drawing.

A small, beautifully crafted, mahogany chest that contains ten tiny gnome sized pieces of cutlery and kitchenware: two knives, two forks, two spoons, two plates, one cheese knife and one wine-bottle-opener. The pieces are pristine and masterfully crafted. Gold and silver laden handles and the plates made of the finest porcelain. It is likely the most glorified picnic-set the bearer has ever laid eyes on.

A courier's packet of silk-lined leather with a half a pound of pure, reddish-gold tears of myrrh of the highest quality sewn into the lining.

Executioner's Soap: A thick bar of pure white, magical soap made by alchemists, who produce it from a mixture of potash and angel fat. It always smells pleasant and comforting to who whoever senses it. When used while bathing, the soap will wash away unpleasant emotions associated with recent memories, such as guilt or shame. The memories of any events will remain, but any emotional turmoil should be settled. The effectiveness of the soap decreases if the memory isn't fresh, so physicians recommend to use it as soon as possible after committing any immoral act, or if too late, to buy and use the soap daily until your conscience is sufficiently cleansed.

A small leather drawstring bag filled with sixteen beautiful turquoise game pieces. There is a note inside from someone hoping to “Meet up for another match soon”.

The Veil of the Temptress: A thin, nearly see-through dress that accentuates more than it hides. The fabric moves over the bearer's body like a living being, shrouding just enough to not be obscene but enhance all natural endowments of the person that wears it. Colors and style will also change in the most flattering way possible.

A gold-plated pocket watch with an engraving of a hummingbird on its lid, and a circular cloak display within.

Razor of Bluntness: An ordinary looking silver straight razor. Closer inspection will reveal that its blade is blunt and is unable to cut anything, and all attempts to sharpen the blade will fail. However, when applied to the body with the intent to shave, the item will in fact work perfectly, providing a clean and smooth shave even without the application of water or soap. The shave is so perfect that it is impossible for this razor to nick, cut or otherwise abrade the skin in a negative manner and a shaved creature never suffers razor burn or ingrown hairs afterwards.

A bleached human skull with heavy gold nuggets for eyes and smile full of gold teeth.

Vaporizer: A spherical jar in the shape of a curled dragon that can hold up to one cup of liquid. The dragon's head serves as a threaded lid and its mouth gapes open as if to breathe fire. If any liquid is placed inside and the command “breath” is given, the liquid is slowly vaporized and “exhaled” through the open mouth until the receptacle is emptied. The duration of vaporization depends on the liquid used. If the receptacle is filled: Alcohol based liquids typically last a minute, while water based solutions last around eight hours and oil based liquids last around a full 24 hours. The vapor typically effects a radius of about 30 feet in still or calm wind conditions or if used indoors. The object is typically used as an air freshener with scented oils and for medicinal purposes with healing with oils of camphor, or other herbal extracts. It can be filled with acids or poisons, however the magical vaporizing process has a built in purifier which nullifies outright harmful materials. Nonlethal intoxicating substances and hallucinogenics do seem to retain most of their strength and vaporizer’s like this are sometimes used in pleasure houses and dens of iniquity to provide an entire room with a mild high.

A wine bottle made of crystal covered with intricate etchings. Any alcoholic substance stored within the bottle will never turn, skunk or spoil.

Snapping Purse: A large leather belt pouch with a grotesque face of a creature with nasty teeth on the front. When anyone other than the owner reaches into it, the pouch will snarl and bite causing a dagger's worth of damage (1d4). The purse considers its owner to be the last creature who has had it on their person for three full days.

A rare droplet-shaped, clear orange gem known as a Tear of Passion. The quasi-natural jewel sometimes forms around the mouths of lava-flows. It gets warm when squeezed tightly but otherwise doesn't seem to get heated by much else, even when placed in the heart of a forge.

Horseshoes of Cleanliness: A set of four iron horseshoes stamped with arcane runes symbolizing purity. Highly prized by paladins, cavaliers and wealthy knights, a set of these horseshoes will preserve the cleanliness of any mount. No mud, filth, sweat or detritus of any kind will cling to a steed wearing a full set of these horseshoes. Furthermore the mount is protected from vermin including flies, worms, maggots, mosquitoes, lice and ticks which will not land or willingly come within one foot of the animal. All four shoes must be worn at once, a partial set will offer no protection of any sort.

A single acorn earring that when worn, allows the bearer to speak the language of the Fey, but only to say: "I don't actually speak Sylvan. I only know that sentence, and this one explaining it.” The bearer is not granted the ability to understand the language and doesn’t comprehend what they just said unless they are already fluent.

A most unusual gold and copper anklet, etched with folk symbols claiming to increase the life force of the bearer. It is of kingly workmanship.

A bundle of excellent quality, lustrous marten pelts tied together with silken cords and wrapped in a protective oilskin case.

A dark hooded lantern that sheds a mystical light in the form of shadowy illumination. Constructed of black iron with mithral filigree, its crystalline panels are tinted bright gold. When filled with oil and lit, the lamp lowers the illumination of the area to an equal amount that a mundane lantern would brighten it.

An electrum jewelry box inlaid with a pattern of silver and set with an amethyst. A knowledgeable PC will know that much of the piece’s value comes from the rarity of the style it is done in.

A platinum and walnut stein set with a handle of rose quartz.

A decadent gown of typically worn by human nobility with metallic buttons running down its length, carved from a gold dragon’s shed scales.

A deep indigo coloured sapphire the size of a large marble, which holds a raging thunderstorm inside of it. Dark grey clouds shift inside the gemstone, and flashes of lightning streak across them from time to time.

A large black pearl the fist of a fist, that shrieks unintelligibly when submerged in saltwater.

A terrifying silver mask displaying a grotesque face distorted into a grimace. When donned, the eyes pulse with a deep red when the bearer speaks, adding to its unsettling presence. It hums with a variety of magical enchantments, inspiring fear in all who gaze upon it.

A hollow, silver staff is covered in intricate glyphs and flute-like keys.

Riverseer Plate: A disc of thick green glass one foot in diameter, with a small, stylized image of a boat acid-etched into its center. When set against the deck of a waterborne vessel, the plate warns of nearby obstacles on or under the water (Such as rocks, logs or other ships), presenting them as glowing green silhouettes on the glass in relation to the boat etched on the plate’s center. A riverseer plate warns of inanimate dangers within a 100-foot radius beyond the vessel in which it is set. Once per day, a creature can apply a drop of blood to a riverseer plate’s surface. For ten minutes thereafter, the plate marks the locations of all living creatures who weigh 20 pounds or more in the water around the vessel, presenting them on the plate’s surface as glowing red dots.

Loathsome Mirror: A large hand mirror that magnifies flaws and faults, presenting the least appealing image of any creature reflected in it. The mirror reflects the reflected creature's hidden insecurities, most troubling regrets, deepest darkest fears and hatreds about themselves and the person they turned out to be.

An iron scepter that while held, imparts the bearer with his altitude or relative depth compared to sea level.

A bronze sphere the size of a sling bullet that weighs ten pounds.

A golden cuff gilded with large sapphires and engraved with the image of a young mermaid. It glows with a strange blue light and when worn, the bearer can feel a soft ocean breeze.

A shield-shaped brooch made of silver with mother of pearl inlay.

Blanket of Coolness: A soft cotton blanket makes whoever is touching it comfortably cool. The material magically eliminates sweat, and bodily odour on the area of the body it covers. No matter what the environmental temperature is, the blanket is always five degrees colder than the standard body temperature of the species currently using it. ---Note: A human's average body temperature is 37° Celsius or 98.6° Fahrenheit.

A graceful rod made of acacia wood wrapped in thin layers of gold.

An ivory and silver inlaid page turner bound in monkey skin, the hair of which is still ghoulishly intact.

A waterproof hard leather tube protecting a canvas, oil painting, created by an unknown artist. The work is a masterpiece and the viewer's eyes are drawn to the unusual colors, interplay of shades and dynamics, to the game of light and shadow. The atmosphere of gloom and the noble flavor transmitted by the majestic forest. And in the center, in a mysterious light, the main figure of the work: the deer during the rut.

Flask of Frustration: A clear and nearly unbreakable, crystal flask that is found empty. Creatures who drink from the flask gain all of the physical benefits from the liquid but the drinker's thirst is not quenched, nor do they feel any more sated than they were before. Knowledgeable PC's know that items like these are used by monks in order to maintain fasts in a spiritual and mental sense without risking their lives through dehydration. It is rumored however that some of these bottles wind up in the hands of torturers who use them to drive their victims crazed from thirst and desperate to cooperate without actually causing any harm, or risking any visible injury.

A beaten silver amphora, stoppered by a silver plug engraved with runes of protection.

A finely crafted silver flute that resembles a rolled-up spell scroll, with its holes lining the edge of the "parchment." A creature capable of casting magical spells is considered proficient at playing this flute even if they normally are not.

Little Black Book: A palm sized book bound in black leather with pale red pages. The book’s pages changes when held to contain the names of all the people the bearer has had intimate relationships with. Once per week the bearer can send a short message of twenty-five words or less to one of the people listed in the book. The creature hears the message in its mind, recognizes the bearer as the sender and can answer in a like manner immediately.

A delicate, pearl-handled comb along with a matching fine hairbrush and mirror, latched within a folding silver case.

A large golden goblet cast so that its bowl resembles the face of a saint revered for her bravery, and is decorated with symbols of the god she revered.

Tourist's Torc: A shiny tight brass neckpiece, wrought to resemble a series of white-capped waves with a dolphin at each end. For as long as the torc is worn, the bearer is at home on or in the water and is immune to the negative effects of seasickness and any vertigo or loss of balance commonly attributed to travel by boat.

A three-inch-diameter gold disk with the holy symbol of the God of Random Domain inlaid in platinum.

A finely worked, pure gold chalice bearing the symbol of a sun rising upon a blooming rose.

A leather pouch containing a handful of tiny clear stones marred by a black, cloudy interior. Periodically, bright blue and white flashes like lightning bolts can be seen within. Knowledgeable PC's can identify the mineral as black opal.

An elaborately carved velvet-lined small oaken case. Within rest a pair of delicate silver shears, suitable for use by a noble ladies’ servant.

A tiny gold filigree birdcage suspended from a single strand of golden thread. Something within the cage emits a brilliant ruby red light.

A one foot tall, rough cut blue crystal spire surrounded by a handful of gently orbiting uncut crystal fragments. The floating fragments resist movement as though tethered to the spire by steel cord.

A huge bolt of brilliant purple fabric, in excellent condition despite its obvious age. The fabric seems impossibly thin and weightless to the touch, suggesting that there must be hundreds of yards of it.

A petite golden music box that presents a small clockwork scene of an elaborate wedding ceremony when opened.

An embroidered silk purse with polished silver clasps and beaded with precious stones.

A set of three golden asymmetric hoop earrings, when interlocked in a certain pattern, form part of a metallic map.

A bundle of excellent quality, silky mink pelts tied together with silken cords and wrapped in a protective oilskin case.

A series of interlocking pink gold bangles, engraved with fine patterns and writing in an unknown language. They resonant a soft tone as they clink together.

A small cedarwood box inlaid with lapis lazuli and containing blocks of holy incense. The incense is very fine in its own right but it is said that if it is anointed with blood from a virgin (Who does not have to be killed to obtain it) and then burnt and inhaled, it will bestow mystical and revelatory dreams.

A thick plate of an unidentifiable crystal-clear material, shaped like a broad teardrop, faceted along its edges and as large as a grown man's head. The object is trimmed with delicately etched scrollwork and mounted in a slim frame of gold and burnished blue steel.

A small, light, violin of masterwork quality. The dark varnished wood reflects the light back in a dark amber haze. The strings are wonderfully tuned and drawn taut. Every curve and edge of the instrument tells you that it has been crafted with a loving care. The accompanying bow is perfectly balanced and when the two parts meet a low melodic hum emanates and seems to echo.

A fine silk pouch containing 30 jade chips. Each gem is shaped into an intricate teardrop and has carvings of minuscule portraits of cranes on them.

Gardener's Locket: A simple locket of silver and dark green stone. One half is styled as a sprouting seed, the other as an embryo. If the fruit or seeds of two different plants are placed together in the locket and kept there for a week, they will fuse and become a hybrid seed with the best characteristics of both species.

A fine set of masterwork, elven, boxwood combs, smoke aged and hardened for 30 years, and inlaid with fine gold wire in a floral pattern. The combs come with a fine black boxwood case, lacquered and inlaid with gold wire in a matching pattern. On closer inspection, the inlay is a stylized form of an elven family crest that hasn't been in active use for over 600 years.

A jade statuette of a wandering trader with a large pack on his back. His race is indistinguishable.

A statuette of intertwined palm trees made from precious metals. When the wind blows through it, it makes a pleasant chiming noise.

A coat of silver fox with snow leopard trim and four blue-white ovoid gem buttons. It is suitable for a tall human, fit for nobility. The gems are cabochon-cut moonstones on silver wire settings.

A mask made of solid opal. There is no mouth or nose holes, but breathing is surprisingly easy due to it being so light. The mask attaches with several large facial piercings into the cheeks, chin, and brow.

A finely lacquered black box with silver hinges and latch. It contains a carved jade puzzle ball with seven layers resting in silk cushioning. The outermost layer of the ball has an intertwined leafy branch motif.

A ceremonial, blunted sword. The blade is made of pure gold, its hilt of silver, and the pommel studded with different gems. Platinum inlay runs the length of the sword in a flowing, meandering pattern.

A small iron sphere with necromantic sigils and black diamonds on the outside.

A ruby vial containing a measure of fresh human blood.

A heavy sack of coins each known as a “Pound”, the currency’s value is associated with its glittering composition; a true gold standard. Each weighty coin is composed of a half-ounce of gold with its circumference is bound in cold iron. This binding serves to protect coins from debasement and dissuade thieving fey. Each pound's obverse face shows a shield bearing the layered scales and plump outline of a fir cone. Around the shield is graven the motto: "Fast Is The Shield Against Night." The reverse face displays a stylized heart nestled in a twelve-pointed crown.

A gold-plated medal of valor shaped like roaring lion.

A mirror of beaten silver with a handle resembling gusting clouds.

A game board with gold and platinum playing pieces sculpted in the likeness of a former royal court and their bitter rivals.

Patchwork Scroll: A small rolled up bundle of fabrics that is more than it appears. When unrolled the bearer notices magic symbols stitched into the outer hem and is precisely one foot square. This scroll, when placed over a break or tear in an object, immediately begins unravelling at the hems if the break or tear is completely covered by the cloth. A few seconds later, the now unravelling cloth melds into the surface, mending the area of the object  that the cloth covers. The item is then repaired, leaving no trace of former damage, consuming the scroll in the process.

A platinum inlaid vial containing a pickled tentacle and an eyeball.

Ring of Infinite Seals: A plain brass ring adorned with a flat, empty surface at its top. The bearer spend a moment to press a finger against the ring and cause the top surface to shift into an engraved version of a symbol he is familiar with. The symbol remains until the bearer changes it to a new one or removes it. If subjected to effects that cancel magic, such as dispel magic or an antimagic field, the ring it returns to its empty state.

A human skull carved out of charcoal. When burned, the skull will turn into a pile of ash. Within an hour, the skull reforms into charcoal from its ashes making the object useful to adventurers and blacksmiths.

A hunting cape of sable-trimmed panther fur and ornate gold dragon brooch with two small iridescent white jewels for eyes. It is suitable for a tall human and fit for royalty.

A bandolier of black dragonhide trimmed in leopard fur and dragon buckle in gold with red gem eyes.

An exquisitely fashioned silver doll with finely-assembled ballgown and corsetry, inlaid with tiny pave diamonds. She has a keyhole in her back which, when wound up, causes her to unfold her clothing a layer at a time until her full glory is revealed. Knowledgeable PC’s will remember that these automata were very popular in the Palatine Fastnesses of Hthulmoz where, it is said, gnome and dwarf worked side by side, transforming the treasures of the earth.

An expansive swath of golden yellow linen, fringed and shot through with golden filaments from a phoenix's plumage, the fabric is long enough to be used as a sash and broad enough to be worn as a heavy shawl. Nonetheless, its intended use seems to be as a voluminous scarf.

A finely crafted handheld mirror made out of ivory, glass, and silver. Small runes are inscribed into the back, and words in a forgotten tongue glow softly around the handle. Whoever looks into the mirror will see themselves reflected, but in the background will be what the individual knows in his mind as home.

A simple ebony chalice gilded with gold leaf into intricate patterns, tiny fragments of cut topaz glimmering in the delicate spacing of the leaf.

A pair of delicate ruby earrings shaped like teardrops. Each gemstone is encased in a lacelike pattern of gold filigree which is equally intricate and fragile.

A rod of mithral and moonstones, this implement has engravings of various cages along its length.

A solid silver plate engraved with the seal of a dead noble house.

A large star ruby that gleams with an inner fire due to the phenomenon of asterism. Knowledgeable PC’s can identify the ruby was once one of the eyes of an idol that stood in a temple dedicated to a dark and bloodthirsty god on the Isle of Bronze in the Sea of Fallen Stars. Whilst the cult that prayed to this god has long since been eradicated, there are still those who believe that when the idol has both its eyes restored, the deity may grant boons to those who restored its form. Or at least not kill them instantly when it awakes.

[morganaseren]

OC Introduction

Tagged by: @illusivesoul Thanks! Sorry this took so long!

Tagging: @this-is-something-idk-what, @noeldressari, @alessandramortt, @theherowarden, @jellydishes​ As per usual, I can never figure out who has or hasn’t been tagged by this. No pressure if you don’t want to participate though! Below is the template you can use.

My answers will be under the Read More.

---

Fandom:

Role:

BASICS

Full Name:

Nickname(s):

Pronouns:

Sexuality:

Occupation and Titles:

Birthday & Age:

Physical description:

Clothing style:

BACKGROUND

COMBAT & SKILLS

Preferred fighting style:

Special skills:

RELATIONSHIPS

Family:

Love interest:

Best friends:

PERSONALITY

Positive traits:

Negative traits:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Fears:

Guilty Pleasure:

Hobbies:

Fandom: Dragon Age

Role: Inquisitor

BASICS

Full Name: Niamh (pronounced “Neev”) Cousland

Nickname(s): Neevy (from Sera), Brat (from Leliana lolol), Storm Pup (mostly from her late mother’s side of the family)

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Lesbian

Occupation and Titles: Niamh is the leader of the Inquisition forces and is also hailed as the Herald of Andraste. Although all her rights to the Cousland estate along with any titles associated with it were forfeited the moment her magic manifested, her ties to her family name are still recognized and vice versa--perhaps especially so now with her being Inquisitor. Thus, in accordance to an older tradition from her late mother’s family, she is also titled the Storm Wolf of Highever per her brother Teyrn Fergus Cousland.

Birthday & Age: Niamh was born on the 3rd of Cloudreach in 9:08 Dragon, so she’s 33 as of Inquisition and 36 as of the Trespasser DLC.

Physical description: She’s a woman of middling height (5′6″ or 168cm). Niamh’s hair is pitch-black, which settles asymmetrically around her face with a longer fringe covering one of her eyes--a pale, misty-grey hue. Physique-wise, she’s full of wiry muscle, especially along her arms, shoulders, and back--testament to years of heavy staffwork.

Clothing style: This is more dependent on what setting she finds herself in. Around Skyhold or in more official circumstances, she tends to garb herself in formal wear such as the one seen below.

When she’s out and about on missions, her attire consists more of cloth and leather as depicted in the screenshot above. As a native Fereldan, she has a tendency to favor fur in her overall field outfit, which is evident in the black Great Bear fur seen along the spaulders atop her shoulders. Then, as an occasional artist, her sketchbook is ever present, constantly hanging from her belt as she draws flora, fauna, and anything of interest in her travels to properly document later. Littered amongst the sketches are also occasional plans for whatever project she’d like to work on back at Skyhold.

Art and crafting is ever her way of relaxing.

Despite being an artist, her color palette in terms of clothing remains relatively simple even if the cut of them are always finely-tailored. She favors darker colors overall with white and varying shades of grey. Occasionally, a splash of color is thrown in every now and again for visual emphasis.

For instance, the red scarf you see on her is a gift from Bethany Hawke. ;3

BACKGROUND

Niamh is the youngest child of Bryce and Eleanor Cousland.

She was born beneath a violent storm that only settled as her newborn cries filled the world--a telltale sign perhaps of the destiny that would later be laid out before her.

She was taken away to Ferelden’s Circle when her magic manifested at the age of four. Niamh was the youngest to enter Kinloch Hold that year, and she was inconsolable for several months as she struggled to adapt to her new surroundings and the many strangers that were meant to be her new family of sorts.

Of all the mages present, she was closest to Jowan since he was only a year or two older than her, and the then young boy was responsible for drawing her out of her sullen shell--enough to where she could finally be comfortable with interacting with others after months of frightened silence. The two children did everything together and were otherwise inseparable. Unfortunately, their relationship would later become strained as they entered into adolescence, especially as Niamh grew into her magical abilities and surpassed him entirely in power, astounding the likes of First Enchanter Irving and Wynne--both whom became her respective mentors--with her command over the elements. 

Niamh was able to successfully undertake the Harrowing at the age of seventeen, earning the right to be recognized as a full-fledged mage. She was never designated an Enchanter throughout her time in the Circle, for she had no personal apprentices of her own. The few new ones to arrive at the Tower were assigned to those who had passed the Harrowing before her, but she was content to help them and the Senior Enchanters however she could. Her kindness, patience, and calm diligence earned her easy friendships.

...or at least she thought so until some of her colleagues turned on her with Uldred’s coup following the onset of the Blight.

Caught between blood mages and Templars who believed she had a hand in Uldred’s machinations, she likely would have succumbed to either party eventually had her sister Saoirse--now a Grey Warden--not arrived to help cleanse the Tower of abominations and save First Enchanter Irving and the remaining Senior Enchanters.

For her efforts in saving them, Niamh was allowed to accompany her sister on her travels across Ferelden along with Wynne. She formed a fast friendship with Leliana early on, and it eventually led to heavy infatuation on Niamh’s end, but it stuttered to an abrupt halt when she realized her sister was also in love with the bard. Believing that she had nothing of worth to offer to Leliana as a mere mage, Niamh buried her feelings for the other woman, watching from afar as she fell for Saoirse.

Saoirse was as bold as all great heroes could ever hope to be, and so she was well-suited for Leliana, but it was Niamh who tempered much of her sister’s impulsiveness, especially when it came to matters of diplomacy.

---

"Can't we just--"

"No." Niamh just kept her gaze forward as they walked out of the Deep Roads, refusing to look at her sister.

"But it's a good idea!" Saoirse insisted earnestly.

"Saoirse, in no world where you throw the crown at the two candidates for Orzammar's throne and expect the least most concussed to be King can ever be considered a 'good idea,'" Niamh deadpanned.

---

Yet, for all her brilliance with tactics and matters of negotiation, Niamh was unable to convince Saoirse to allow Morrigan to use her Dark Ritual despite knowing it would have saved any of the Grey Wardens from being sacrificed. Worse, her sister made her promise not to tell Leliana of Saoirse’s own plans to slay the Archdemon in the final battle.

As expected, it resulted in Saoirse’s death.

Racked with guilt over never telling Leliana the truth of the matter, and believing she had been left the last of the Couslands--a mage that Thedas would have never recognized--she disappeared following the end of the Fifth Blight. Niamh placed herself in a self-imposed exile abroad for over a decade until news of a Conclave by Divine Justinia was brought to her attention. The Divine had hoped to bring together both sides of the Mage-Templar War and negotiate its end.

For Niamh, this led her to return to Ferelden. It was her last hope to see if the world could finally begin to change for the better.

Instead, she was given a far different destiny...

COMBAT & SKILLS

Preferred fighting style: She prefers keeping herself at range on the battlefield, for it allows her to better survey it. She sees everything like an intricate chess game, and she always tries to place herself and her team at the best advantage to overcome their opponents.

As a mage, Niamh incorporates a lot of staffwork in her fighting, especially when it comes to casting magic. However, when she was living abroad, she had to learn to adjust her fighting style altogether so that she would never be suspected of being a mage. As such, she taught herself to fight with spears and polearms, as they were still similar enough to normal staff-fighting that it wouldn’t require a completely new foundation with which to work from.

Because the new style of fighting required her to be within relatively close quarters of her enemies, she learned to try and limit the time of the engagement with them as much as possible with quick, brutal strikes. That methodology happens regardless of how many opponents there are. A quick takedown means a much quicker escape after all. As a runaway apostate, she couldn’t risk leaving a trail of bodies behind her wherever she went.

Special skills: Niamh is specialized in all the elemental houses of magic although she favors lightning the most. During her time with the Inquisition, she also specialized in necromancy--much to the surprise of many.

RELATIONSHIPS

Family: Of the renowned Couslands, only she and her older brother Fergus remain, but despite their years apart(she honestly didn’t know that he survived the Battle of Ostagar until she returned to Ferelden in 9:41), they remain loving and supportive as always toward one another. Of her late mother’s family, the Mac Eanraigs, she gets along well with them, especially her Aunt Eithne (who will be making her first official appearance in chapter 24 of OtSttCA).

Love interest: Leliana (although they won’t be an official couple until close to chapter 30 or so)

Best friends: Dorian, Sera, and Cole. She views the three of them like younger siblings, which was an admittedly odd feeling for her at first, given that she’s the youngest of her own siblings.

Of her other companions, she is also closest to Vivienne although Niamh sees her more like a fond, maternal figure than a best friend. She greatly respects how the older woman was able to take her status as a mage and turn it into a position of power within the Orlesian Imperial Court, especially when so very little of it was ever afforded to their people. When it comes to the mage allies she gathered from Redcliffe, she trusts Vivienne’s judgment in overseeing them along with the Knight-Enchanters Niamh requested of her back in chapter 13, especially since Niamh travels so much between missions. Then, when it comes to just about anything regarding Orlais, she goes to Vivienne as much as Leliana or Josephine, mostly wanting the insight of a mage in regards to the culture and politics seen there.

Then, of her War Council, Leliana and Josephine are her absolute favorites. Niamh and Leliana have so much history between them that it’s impossible to separate themselves from one another, and she appreciates Josephine’s sweet nature as well as her diplomatic acumen.

PERSONALITY

Positive traits: Her adaptability. There’s an almost... chameleon-like nature to Niamh at times. As such, she can acclimate herself to whatever her environment asks of her and find a way to thrive in spite of it all. She’s also quite intelligent. Ever the eternal student, she constantly looks to expand her wealth of knowledge. Had she not been born a mage, she likely would have done well as a scholar in the world of Thedas. Niamh is also benevolent, always seeking to place more kindness into the world rather than contributing to the bad already within it.

Negative traits: After years of being taught rather toxic, religious doctrine from the Chantry in regards to mages, Niamh has rather low self-esteem, especially when it comes to the subject of love. She doesn’t believe herself worthy of Leliana for instance. As brilliant as she is, her mind can be rather restless at times. This can lead to overthinking outside of any tactical or official setting, which tends to feed back on her latent anxiety as a leader. Then, having spent a decade constantly on the move, she’s not used to staying still for long periods of time, which lends itself to some trouble, especially if she’s injured. She is quite literally the worst patient ever. :P

Likes: Storms, the ocean, mabari, tea, strategy games, sweets, books, art

Dislikes: The Chantry, Templars, discriminatory behavior, incivility,

Fears: The Rite of Tranquility, outright failure as a leader

Guilty Pleasure: Niamh has the most terrible sweet tooth. If given half the chance, she’d get her entire day’s sustenance through sweets alone. She actually does like fashion; she just couldn’t allow herself to indulge in it since her nomadic lifestyle before joining the Inquisition didn’t permit such luxury. She’d happily window-shop the entire day away if given the opportunity.

Hobbies: Sketching, painting, crafting, reading, chess

[duhragonball]

I was curious to hear about what you think of the anime splitting DB & DBZ into separate shows. Personally, I get Toei’s logic and find it ridiculous how some extremists & purists act so hostile/resentful about DBZ being treated as a sequel to DB, especially since Akira Toriyama didn’t have any problems with it.

I agree, anon, there's really not much to the name change. The way I understood it, the manga kept the same title, "Dragon Ball", from start to finish, while the anime changed to "Dragon Ball Z", mostly to put a fresh coat of paint on the series, I suppose. I always understood the "Z" was a reference to Toriyama's intention to bring the story to a close, which turned out to be ironic, since the Z portion lasted so much longer.

But yeah, that's basically all it is. There was a clear division between one and the other. Z has Gohan and Vegeta, and OG Dragon Ball does not, for example. But you can make a similar case for other parts of the story. The division between kid Goku and adult Goku, in the Piccolo Junior Saga. I've long maintained that there's a very clear border around the halfway point, when Goku fights Recoome. Before that moment, everyone was worried about Dragon Balls, and after that moment, it became all about Super Saiyans. And you could make a case for the post-Frieza stuff being a very different story from what came before. I watched the opening theme to the French dub of DBZ once, and the visuals kept emphasizing Goku for the "Dragon Ball" part of the song, and Buu-Era Gohan for the "Dragon Ball Z" part, like the Buu stuff was Z alone. So there's plenty of other candidates for places to draw the line if you wanted to cut the story in two.

Ultimately, "purist" fans are going to do what they always do, and a lot of them use these artificial divisions to arbitrarily declare the point where the show stopped being "good". It's the same bullshit as the myth about Toriyama wanting to end it with Frieza. There's no truth to that, beyond Toriyama considering it and eventually deciding to continue. A lot of people think he planned to keep Goku dead after the Cell Games, and was forced to bring him back to appease the fans, but that makes no sense either. Goku returned *very* soon after the chapter where he died. Fans act like he was absent from the comic for seven years, just because he was dead that long, but it was more like a few months. But a lot of fans like to perpetuate that myth, because they think it justifies their dislike of the Buu Saga. "Oh, it could have been good if Toriyama hadn't been hijacked by Goku stans, so now it's terrible."

As far as I'm concerned, the post-Frieza stuff is the best part, and I think the Saiyans and Frieza are good but overrated. I also really dig the run from Mercenary Tao to Piccolo Junior a lot. This is probably why I never tried to play the whole "It was great until X," because there's ups and downs for me. And the ups are very long, and the downs are still pretty good, so I don't try to convince people that my opinions are facts. "Oh, well Toriyama got a new assistant after General Blue, and then he left around Raditz and came back when Trunks showed up, and that guy was the one who made it kick ass." That's dumb.

Like, with JoJo, I can understand preferring art styles and characters, which change over the course of the series. Part 8 just looks different from Part 4, and some folks like one more than the other. I mostly dig Part 7 for the horses and the scenic views of the continental U.S. Not everyone would agree. But I don't see a lot of folks saying things like "Oh Part 6 is terrible because Araki overdosed on Bad Comics Pills in the early 2000's." No, just say you don't like it, and move on.

But Dragon Ball is pretty damn consistent, other than the art style getting more angular over time. People will talk about the shift from fantasy to scifi, but Z ended with the boys fighting a genie in Superheaven, so how scifi is that? You don't have to like the later stuff, but it's not so easy to put it in a box like that.

But the fandom snobs love to act like their opinions are objective truths. "Oh, the Saiyans arc was better because Goku and Vegeta's hair actually moves." Really? Is that what this show is about? Hair animation? I like the Cell episodes because he's a fucking monster from the future, and that's rad as hell. I guess I was too busy having fun to notice that the *hair* isn't as well animated.

Actually, let me flip that around. The Androids/Cell/Buu episodes are superior because everyone is jacked in those. Early Vegeta's costume was all baggy, but after Namek he had the big horseneck and Bulma made him a uniform so tight that you can see his entire asscrack. That's *better*, as far as I'm concerned. Tien always looks swole as hell, but he's extra jacked in the Cell Saga, and that's the way I like it. Everyone who disagrees is a plebian.

It sounds pretty dumb, doesn't it? But that's what these elitists do. They pick on some minor infraction and tell you it's unlovable beyond this point, and if you do love it, there must be something wrong with you. Well, I'm here to say there ain't, folks. Toriyama's still making this stuff, so don't try to tell me he regrets the later material. If the Buu Saga is so terrible, why does everyone keep making sequels to it? Toriyama could just ignore the parts he doesn't want to use, the way he apparently ignores GT.

It's like the Terminator movies. I bought a box set recently because I never saw 4 or 6, and I thought it'd be fun to watch them all in order. But I already know the later movies have nothing to do with each other. T3 killed off Sarah Conner off-screen, but she's alive in T6. Basically, every movie after T2 is trying to be a direct sequel to 2, without bothering to acknowledge the others, because different people made 4, 5, and 6, and I guess they all hated 3. So they just did their own thing. Toriyama could do the same thing whenever he wants, but he always seems to make an effort to acknowledge his older stories. He doesn't de-age Gohan or change Bulla's name. Because he remembers working on the Cell and Buu stuff and he still respects it enough to keep it. I know people don't like how Videl turned out in DBS, but that process started way back in 1995.

I'm not saying people shouldn't have opinions, but acting like the letter Z ruined 60% of the story is kind of reductive, to say the least. Sometimes, things change, and they may not change the way we want them to, but that doesn't mean they're "ruined" or that other people can't enjoy them.

[sweet-savvy-slytherins]

Hi, everyone!

Developing characters is something I really enjoy, so I had a lot of fun putting together a twin set of MCs! This is the first of the two, Evangeline! I’d love if people would give her a read, and let me know what you think of her!

For clarification, I used the Classified Text Generator in a few spots. That way, I didn’t have to leave any information out, and those who had reached that part of the game would recognize what I was talking about regardless, but those who hadn’t wouldn’t be spoiled.

Name: 

Hypatia Nadine Linwood, originally

Evangeline Nadine Desrosiers, currently

Usually goes by Vany

Initials spell “END,” which she finds hilariously ominous

Gender: Cisgender female

Age: 16 years old

Birth Date: October 20th

Species: Human (despite her mother’s insistence that they’re part Veela)

Blood Status: Pureblood

Sexuality: Openly homoromantic and homosexual

Alignment: Chaotic good

Ethnicity: Afro-European

Residence: A condo in Bristol

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ESTP-A, the Entrepreneur

1st Wand: When she was eleven, Evangeline was matched with a dogwood wand that was nine inches in length, with a dragon heartstring core.

2nd Wand: In her fifth year, after she unwisely challenged Madam Rakepick and had her wand broken as a result, Evangeline found herself paired with a spruce wood wand, this one nine and two thirds inches in length with a phoenix tail feather core. While she resents Rakepick for breaking her first, Evangeline does admit to feeling like her second wand suited her better.

Animagus: Evangeline never becomes an animagus.

Miscellaneous Magical Abilities: Unlike Jacob and Enola, Evangeline is not a born legilimens. However, just like her mother, she is a Seer. (Because that is just like her mother, isn’t it? To pass on the world’s shittiest super power?) Most of the time, this ability manifests in the form of a vague sense or a murky dream. To this day, she’s only had one proper vision, and it was when she was very small.

Boggart Form: Her mother showering her with praise, and saying she was proud of the witch she’d grown to be. This tends to confuse her peers, since it seems so positive—but Evangeline knows her mother. The narcissist that she is, Mireille would never have praised her like that unless she molded Evangeline into her double. That is Evangeline’s worst fear: becoming her mother.

Riddikulus Form: Mireille more or less being turned into a cymbal-banging monkey, with a kazoo in her mouth, cymbals in her hands, and a silly hat.

Amortentia: When Evangeline smells amortentia, the scent is a combination of broom handle polish, leather, and buttered toast. If someone’s amortentia were to smell like her, it would smell like cherry lip gloss, orange pekoe tea, and, again, broom handle polish.

Patronus: A crow. Although they’re best known for supposedly being an omen of death, they’re also believed to symbolize destiny, flexibility, and mischievousness.

Patronus Memory: About a month before Evangeline turned nine, there was a night where her entire family—Aunt Felicienne, Jacob, Enola, and Casper—all let her paint their nails. They all talked and laughed the entire night, drinking cocoa and admiring their nails, and it was the first time they felt like a proper family.

Mirror of Erised: Her family not only together again, but being treated with the respect they deserve. Her brother’s bad reputation erased, the whispers about her aunt for being a squib silenced, and the ghost of their parents’ actions exorcised.

Specialized/Favorite Spells: Evangeline has an affinity for fun spells, like Colovaria and Orchideous. They may not be the most practical, but is that such a crime? Not every spell can serve a greater purpose.

Physique: 

Athletic build, due to her involvement in Quidditch

Strong limbs and a toned figure

5′8 in heigh

Eye Color: 

Dark grey in color

Always decorated with pristine eyeliner and a light brush of mascara

Hair Color: 

Deep brown

Occasionally experiment with different hair colors using Colovaria

Naturally curly, but is often straightened

Hip length (when straightened)

Skin Tone:

Light brown

Warm undertones

Body Modifications: 

One piercing in each ear

Scarring: 

Extensive burn scars on both forearms — gained at 7 years old

Thin scar directly across the bridge of her nose — gained at 25 years old

Inventory: 

Her favorite cherry lip gloss

A bag of butterscotch candies

A hair clip or two

Her treasured leather journal.

Fashion: Though Evangeline consciously tries not to be vain, knowing it was one of her mother’s vices, she does take pride in her appearance, and enjoys looking good. When not outfitted in her school robes, she usually tries to aim for a classy, feminine sort of style. More often than not her outfits consist of trendy sweaters or turtlenecks (never t-shirts), tea length skirts, and oxford pumps. As for accessories, Evangeline is quite fond of dainty earrings and delicate silver rings, as well as pretty hair clips. The one exception to her style tastes is Erika’s sweaters: they’re over-sized, a little more traditionally masculine, and more worn out than Evangeline likes to let her clothes get. Still, she absolutely covets them.

Hogwarts House: Slytherin, house of the cunning and ambitious. It’s garnered such a reputation for being the “mean house” that people always seem to be surprised to learn that Evangeline was placed there. But, as she’s always quick to remind them, “mean” is not a requisite for being in Slytherin. It’s just an unfortunate trend.

Ilvermorny House: Thunderbird, house of the soul, home to the adventurer.

Affiliations/Organizations: Obviously, as first a student and then an alum, Evangeline is affiliated with Hogwarts. She also joins ███ ██████ ██ ██████ out of support for Enola, and, later on, is a member of the Order of the Phoenix.

Professions: After working as a spy for the Order during the second wizarding war, Evangeline builds a career as a grief counselor for magical children.

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: A

Charms: E

DADA: O

Flying: O

Herbology: P

History of Magic: A

Potions: A

Transfiguration: E

Electives: 

Divination

Muggle Studies

Both are total goof off classes, considering she’s a Seer who was raised in a muggle community

Quidditch: 

Seeker on the Slytherin team from third year onward

Played one season as a beater in her fourth year

Extra Curricular: 

Art Club

Frog Choir

Favorite Professors: 

Professor Hooch — fellow Quidditch lover

Professor Trelawney — endearingly kooky

Least Favorite Professors: 

Professor Snape — killjoy

Professor Sinistra — uptight

Brother: The eldest of the Desrosiers children is Theron, who renamed himself Jacob after his parents’ death. Of his three younger siblings, he’s arguably closest to Evangeline, since she shares his charisma and occasional haughtiness. Evangeline understood, better than any of the others, how badly he wanted to restore both the Kastellanos and Desrosiers family names to their former glory. No, actually, not their former glory—a new glory, built on talent and respect, rather than on the subjugation of those considered “beneath” them. 

Other Siblings: Older than Evangeline by six minutes, Enola is the second oldest Desrosiers sibling, and easily the one Evangeline is closest to. People can dismiss the notion of twin ESP all they want, but Evangeline believes it. Different as they may be, her and Enola have always been finely attuned to each other. They can read each other easily, and always know exactly what the other needs. There isn’t a chance they could ever be as close with someone else as they are with each other. 

Evangeline also has a younger brother. Helios Kastellanos, renamed Casper by their Aunt Felicienne, is five years younger than the twins, and truth be told, Evangeline’s never had too strong of a relationship with him. It’s not like they argue, or they hate each other. They’ve just...never connected. He’s always clung to Enola, so Evangeline figures that it’s a trade off she had to make. She gets to be close with Jacob, at the cost of being close with Casper. Enola gets to be close with Casper, at the cost of being close with Jacob. It evens out.

Father: Truth be told, Evangeline remembers very little of her father, Proteus. Beyond not spending a lot of time at home, Proteus was more concerned with his male heirs than either of his daughters. Everything Evangeline knows about him, she’s learned secondhand, and even then, it’s very little. Felicienne and Jacob always waved off her questions, telling her she didn’t want to know about him, Enola remembered as little as she did, and Casper was only three when he died. Evangeline knows that he was a Death Eater, and that’s more or less it.

Mother: Now, her mother, Mireille, on the other hand...Evangeline remembers her quite vividly. Mireille was a woman who prided herself on beauty more than anything, and wanted to raise her daughters to be just the same—as long as they were never more beautiful than she was. Though she came from a family of blood purists, Mireille was the first Desrosiers to become a Death Eater, and Evangeline suspects that she got in over her head. It’s her theory that the stress drove Mireille crazy, and that was why she was so prone to paranoia and explosive bursts of anger. One of Evangeline’s most vivid memories of Mireille attempting to throw a pot of boiling water in her face when she was seven years old; Evangeline threw up her arms to defend herself, and she still bears the scars from the attack all these years later.

Love Interest: Evangeline has a big, fat, gay crush on Erika Rath, and she’s not ashamed to admit it. She’d already been attracted to her on an entirely physical level, and then Evangeline had to seek out her tutelage when the Slytherin team was short a Beater. Discovering the awkward, uncertain girl that existed beneath the gruff exterior completely sealed the deal. They bonded over their love for Quidditch, continuing to train together even when Evangeline switched back to playing Seeker, and with time, came to find that they really enjoyed each other’s company. Evangeline could make Erika laugh like no one else, and Erika felt like one of the only people Evangeline could be entirely herself with, even if that meant exposing the ugly pieces of herself as well as the polished ones. Finally, Evangeline asked Erika to the Celestial Ball, and the rest was history. It’s rather funny to see them side by side, with Erika, perpetually dressed in her jersey and scowling, towering over Evangeline, with her pressed skirts and sunny smiles.

Best Friends: One of Evangeline’s dearest friends at Hogwarts is local contraband dealer, Jae Kim. Truth be told, he was initially quite intimidated by her. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but despite Evangeline’s bubbly disposition, something about her always struck him as distinctly...eldritch. Like she was something unusual, and not entirely human. Maybe it was just the way she could flip her emotions on a dime, entirely of her own volition. Watching her be seething mad and then slap on a bright, sunny grin as she turned away, easy as flipping a switch, was unnerving. Regardless, the two bonded throughout their time spent in detention, and Enola is quite proud to boast that she’s one of the few people that can almost wrangle Jae into following the rules.

She’s also quite close with Penny Haywood and Diego Caplan, two Hufflepuffs who share Evangeline’s popularity and social skill. Evangeline likes to joke that she’s “Penny, but with edge.” Penny gets a kick out of it. Diego, on the other hand, did initially have slightly selfish reasons for befriending Evangeline—namely, his hope that she could help him get closer to Enola, who he had a crush on—but ended up genuinely bonding with her somewhere along the way. She’s his favorite dueling and dancing partner, and they trust each other more than anyone seems to realize.

Rivals: Some people might not understand how two people on the same team can be rivals, but Evangeline and Skye Parkin make it work. It’s not a mean rivalry by any means, but it’s an intense one, with both of them aiming to be the star player on the Slytherin Quidditch team. Evangeline also considers herself rivals with Emily Tyler, who reminds her uncomfortably of her mother, and Merula, who competes with her in, well, everything.

Enemies: Logically, Evangeline knows that there’s really nothing wrong with Talbott Winger. He’s an entirely decent guy, who minds his own business and keeps his head down. She has no reason to dislike him the way she does. But she just can’t help it. Maybe it’s his aloofness that rubs her the wrong way—Evangeline’s always liked to be liked, not to mention the nosy streak she possesses and she finds people that reserved and guarded frustrating. Maybe it’s the fact that she thinks he has eyes for her sister, when Enola could definitely do better. (Of course, this is only Evangeline’s perception. If she really wanted to know who had eyes for Enola, she’d have better luck looking at her best friend, Jae.) Either way, Evangeline isn’t a fan.

Dormmates: Evangeline shares a dorm with Rowan Khanna, Liz Tuttle, Skye Parkin, and her twin sister, Enola.

Pets: On the record, Evangeline has only one pet, and it’s a very old, exceptionally grumpy, melanistic Sphynx cat named Toodles. Despite being more or less a crotchety old man in cat form, Toodles is absolutely the light of Evangeline’s life, and she dotes on him like he is her actual child. The amount of money she’s dropped on Toodles is honestly kind of staggering, but Enola insists that it’s entirely necessary. Sphynx cats require a lot of careful care, and if Evangeline has her way, Toodles is only going to get the best of the best.

However, off the record, Evangeline has also grown unusually close to one Thestral in particular. She’s been sneaking into the Forbidden Forest to study them since she was in her 2nd year, and during one such excursion, she witnessed a Thestral foal being birthed. Since it provided a prime opportunity to study the life cycle of a Thestral, Evangeline focused most of her observations on that foal, which she named Melinoe, after the Greek goddess of ghosts and spirits. It took some time to build trust, but eventually, Melinoe and Evangeline were thick as thieves, and Melinoe greeted her like an excited puppy whenever she came to visit the forest. Leaving Melinoe behind is perhaps what Evangeline’s dreading most about her graduation from Hogwarts.

Closest Canon Friends: Jae Kim, Penny Haywood, Diego Caplan, Nymphadora Tonks, and Tulip Karasu.

Closest MC Friends: Outside of Enola, none yet, but looking!

Pre-Hogwarts: Hypatia was born the third child of Proteus and Mireille Kastellanos. She spent the first eight years of her life in Greece, living on her father’s family estate, roaming the grounds with her siblings, enjoying the abundance of wealth at her fingertips. It should’ve been a charmed life...but it wasn’t. See, Proteus and Mireille were both Death Eaters, and neither were much suited for parenthood. It was a household strife with unease and contempt, and if the ruthless mental (and occasionally physical) abuse Hypatia experienced wasn’t enough, her childhood was also plagued by terrible visions. In this visions, an explosion burst in her family parlor, leaving both her parents dead on the floor.

Then, when she was eight years old, the premonition came true. Aurors raided the manor, and in the ensuing fight, both Proteus and Mireille were killed, with their two young daughters bearing witness. The children were whisked away from the home, and eventually sent to live with their maternal aunt, Felicienne Desrosiers. A squib who had fled her Pureblood-supremist family to live in England, Felicienne was hardly equipped to take on four young, magical, traumatized children, but still, she stepped up to the plate, determined not to fail them the way that their parents had.

The first thing she did? She sat them down, and helped them choose out new names. While her family name wasn’t exactly sparkly clean, it carried less of a stigma than their father’s. And thus, Hypatia Kastellanos died with her parents, and Evangeline Desrosiers was born.

From that point on, Evangeline grew up to be a rather well-adjusted girl. Or, as well-adjusted as a girl with her experiences could be. The only real point of concern was the fixation she began to develop with death; she played funeral director far more often than she ever played princess, and was prone to checking out books on embalming methods from the local library. However, she wasn’t hurting anyone or thing and showed no desire to, so Felicenne decided it wasn’t anything to worry too much about. It was simply Evangeline’s way of coping. Throughout the years, Evangeline found happiness with her new family, and despite Jacob’s disappearance, despite Felicenne’s failing health, Evangeline is determined to protect that happiness.

2nd Wizarding War: As the war starts picking up steam, Evangeline establishes her allegiance to The Order of the Phoenix, and starts working as a spy, able to rely on her charisma and family heritage to gain the trust of dark wizards. She’s not accepted into the inner circle, not nearly, but she’s silver-tongued enough to get information from those that are. During this time, she secretly elopes with her long-term girlfriend, Erika Rath. She fights in the battle of Hogwarts, and in doing so, gains a scar directly across the bridge of her nose.

Post-War: Following the war, Evangeline finds that her ambitions have changed. Despite having wanted for years to be a mortician, she finds that the idea now lacks the appeal it did when she was young. Perhaps she’s just seen enough death. Still, she’s determined to put all of her years of research to use. She ends up finding her calling providing grief counseling to children, and, specifically, to magical children. She makes the unconventional choice to train Thestrals as a sort of therapy animal for children who have witnessed death. Her and Erika, now going public with their marriage, also adopt a set of siblings—an eight year old named Winifred, and a six year old named Josephine, the daughters of a friend of Erika’s who was, unfortunately, killed in the war. It’s difficult, considering both girls are old enough to remember and miss their parents, but Evangeline’s grief training comes in handy in helping them cope with the loss. It may take time, but eventually, they do truly feel like a family.

There's a lot more to Evangeline than there appears to be at a glance. Upon first meeting, she seems...well, vivacious. She loves to laugh and lights up a room with her smile alone, and is playful and a little mischievous by nature. She's also quite the hopeless romantic, and ultimately wants to end up happy with someone she loves. Some may say that this makes her pathetic, but she doesn't view it that way at all. What's so wrong with wanting to be happy?

Though Evangeline may not hand out her trust too quickly or freely, she is always willing to provide a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. Her loyalty to those who find a place in her heart is admirable, especially when it comes to her family, and she would willingly fight to the death to protect those she loves. She always finds some way to show her affection, whether it's through a warm hug when one is needed or a good laugh provided when sadness seems to be taking over. She’s charismatic and enigmatic and attractive, and most everyone she meets consider her to be a delightful young woman. 

And then her smile sharpens just slightly, glinting like light on the blade of a dagger, and all of a sudden, it’s abundantly clear why she was sorted into the house of the cunning.

Now, the image Evangeline puts forth isn’t a lie. She is genuinely friendly and outgoing, and the majority of the time, everything she says and does is sincere. However, certain traits are exaggerated because she wants to present a specific image of herself—or rather, she wants certain parts of her to go unnoticed, so she emphasizes the ones she wants people to see and lets the other ones slip out of the edges of their perception. 

Beneath the girlish laughter and perfect grins is a master manipulator, always poised for battle, whether they be fought with words or fists. The sweetness, the flattery, the pretty little smiles, they coax information out conversations faster than threats ever did. A true Slytherin at her core, Evangeline has long since learned how to use her beauty and natural charisma to get what she needs out of people and accomplish her goals, which are, fortunately, mostly altruistic. Who knows what sort chaos she could wrought, if she put her mind to it?

Total theater kid. She attended muggle primary schools prior to Hogwarts, and you can bet your bippy she jumped on every opportunity to get on stage that she was offered. Notable roles include Belle in Beauty and the Beast, the Wicked Witch of the West (ironically enough) in The Wizard of Oz, Wendy in Peter Pan, and Queen Zixi in Queen Zixi of Ix.

It’s no secret that Evangeline’s one premonition was of the raid that her parents died in. Her siblings all know, and none of them blame her. She was just a child; she didn’t understand what she was seeing. The secret is that, even if she had understood, Evangeline doesn’t think she would’ve warned anyone.

[artemishphm]

ARTEMIS LUNA GREY

IDENTITY

Name: Artemis Luna Grey

Nicknames: Temis, Art, Artie, Mis, Moonie, Pip, Honey, Lunetta

Gender: Female

Age: 11 - 17 (in-game, 1984-1991); 47 (present day 2020)

Birth Date: 31st August 1973

Species: Human

Blood Status: Half-blood

Sexuality: Bisexual

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Ethnicity: Caucasian/White

Nationality: Half Italian, Half British

Residence: London, England

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ENFJ-A

THE MAGE

1st Wand: Acacia, Unicorn Hair, 12 inches, pliable

Garrick Ollivander found that wands made from Acacia were difficult to match with a wizard. Acacia wands generally refused to produce magic for anyone but their owners, but conversely, seemed to withhold their full power from all but the most gifted wizards.Owners of Acacia wands were generally subtle wizards, as wands made from this wood were generally unsuitable for what Ollivander termed "bangs-and-smells magic".             

Wands with unicorn hair cores produced the most consistent magic, were least subject to fluctuations and blockages, were most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts, and were the most faithful of wands. However, they do not make the most powerful of wands (unless the wand wood compensates) and are prone to melancholy if mishandled.

2nd Wand: Laurel, Phoenix feather, 12 inches

A laurel wand cannot perform a dishonourable act, although in the quest for glory (a not uncommon goal for those best suited to these wands), laurel wands have been known to perform powerful and sometimes lethal magic. Laurel wands are sometimes called fickle, but this is unfair; the laurel wand is unable to tolerate laziness in a possessor, and it is in such conditions that it is most easily and willingly won away. Otherwise, it will cleave happily to its first match forever, and indeed has the unusual and engaging attribute of issuing a spontaneous lightning strike if another witch or wizard attempts to steal it.

The Phoenix feather his is one of the rarest core types. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn hair or dragon heartstring cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike.Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won.

Animagus: American Staffordshire Terrier

(Real footage of Barnaby playing with Artemis, Rowan rec)

Misc Magical Abilities: 

Parselmouth

Just like her brother Jacob, Artemis is a Parselmouth. She realized she was one when learning about Vipera Evanesca in her fifth year, a snake told her all about his life and she talked with him about her friends.

Seer

Artemis can see the future with her inner eye. She rembers giving prophecies since she was born and how she cried when she couldn’t see her brother’s future anymore, she can’t also see her own future. Artemis hates having prophecies at the most random times (example: when Barnaby was about to kiss her for the first time).

Animagus

Artemis can switch to a dog. She learned to do it with Talbott, even though they aren’t really close. She is not registered in the ministry.

Legilimency

Artemis was born with the ability to read other people’s minds.

Wandless and nonverbal magic

Artemis learned to cast nonverbal and windless magic with Rowan during their second year while they got bored during one of their sleepovers.

Boggart Form: Rowan’s dead body waking up and telling Artemis that it was her fault that she was dead.

Riddikulus Form: Rowan laughing with the fun that she bought with with Artemis 

Amortentia: (What do they smell like?) Rain, Cookies, Vanilla and Fire

Amortentia: (What do they smell?) Snow, Shepherd’s pie, Fresh Laundry and a hint of sandalwood

Patronus: Unicorn

Patronus Memory: 

Dancing her heart out at the end of the fourth year with all of her friends in the courtyard thanks to a muggle stereo Jae had managed to smuggle in the castle

Mirror of Erised:

She sees her whole family just being there with her smiling, telling her how much they love her.

Specialized/Favourite Spells:

Flipendo

Episkey

Riddikulus

Depulso

Protego

Colovaria

Arresto Momentum

APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: Amanda Arcuri

Game Appearance:

Height: 5′5 (169 cm)

Weight: 110 lbs

Physique: Slim

Eye Colour: Green

Hair Colour:  Natural: brown, but she changes it every two weeks

Skin Tone: Ivory

Body Modifications: 

Her mother pierced her ears when she was born. During her years at Hogwarts she got a lot of other piercings on her ears.

She got a septum when she was 15

She also has a small sun stick & poke on her wrist. She got it with Rowan when they were 13 & bored. Rowan has a moon in the same place.

Scarring: 

She has small scars on her fingers due to failed spells

She also had a scar on her lower belly but she doesn’t remember how she got it.

Inventory: (what do they carry on them?)

Popcorn (”you always have to be ready to watch Merula fail at duels”), her mother’s necklace, candy, eye-liner, one of Barnaby’s rings and a dugbomb (”just in case”)

Fashion:

Converse are a must, she’s always wearing them (even when she shouldn’t). During the weekdays when she is not wearing her uniform you can find her sporting an old hoodie and some sweats around the castle. When she’s outside or on special occasion she has a 90s style,

I’ll link her Pinterest style board here once I do it.

ALLEGIANCES

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Affiliations/Organizations: The Grey family, The circle of Khanna, House of Gryffindor, British Ministry of Magic, Order of the Phoenix

Professions:

Gryffindor prefect (1988-1991)

Auror (1992-present day)

HOGWARTS INFORMATION

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: Outstanding

Charms: Outstanding

DADA: Outstanding

Flying: Exceeds Expectations

Herbology: Outstanding

History of Magic: Outstanding

Potions: Outstanding

Transfiguration: Outstanding

Electives:

Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding

Divination: Outstanding

Muggle Studies: Acceptable

Quidditch: TBD

Extra Curricular:

-Duelling Club

Favourite Professors:

Minerva McGonagall

Severus Snape

Sybilla Trelawney

Silwanus Kettleburn

Least Favourite Professors:

Patricia Rakepick

RELATIONSHIPS

Brother:

Jacob Apollo Grey

He used to be Artemis’ best friend, but after his disappearance she couldn’t help but think that their bond would never be the same

Father: 

Xavier Grey

Xavier left when Artemis was 3. He never came back.

Mother:

Jennifer Bane

A very cold woman, she never know how to show her love to Artemis. After Jacob left she became verbally abusive towards her daughter.

Love Interest:

Barnaby Lee

Penny Haywood (one-sided love, 1985)

Best Friends:

Rowan Khanna

Jae Kim

Nymphadora Tonks

Tulip Karasu

Penny Haywood

Rival:

Merula Snyde

Ismelda Murk

Andre Egwu (friendly bc of quidditch)

Enemy:

Patricia Rakepick

R

Acromantula

Dormmates: (Who’s in your MC’s dorm with them?)

Rowan Khanna

Skye Parkin

Barnaby Lee (when he doesn’t get caught, sneaked in)

Pets:

Niffler named Plato

Abraxan named Achilles

Fairy named Roger

Closest Canon Friends:

Badeea Ali

Charlie Weasley

Bill Weasley

Liz Tuttle

Skye Parkin

Murphy McNully

Closest MC Friends:

Lizzie Parker ( @lizzieparkerhphm​)

Luna Powell (currently 2nd year, one of my MCs)

If u wanna be friends with Artemis just dm me! I’d love to!

PERSONALITY

Artemis is kind, loyal and funny. She’s a bit bossy sometimes but she always everyone’s best interests at heart. She would literally do anything for her friends. She’s really impulsive and that often puts her in very dangerous situations. She’s also really smart.

MISC

Artemis started dying her hair during her second year, after Tonks pulled prank on her and put dye in her shampoo. She loved so much her green hair that she decided to always change her hair color (Colovaria helped, a lot too)

None’s ever seen Artemis with the same hair color for more that three weeks. Her friends often don’t recognize her from behind when she has a new dye

Artemis and Tulip throw the best parties. They got caught only once.

There’s an unwritten rule at Hogwarts, what happens at their parties stays in their parties.

Artemis loves muggle music, especially Queen and David Bowie.

Even though Snape is always pretty harsh, he’s one of her favorite professors (and deep down he has a soft spot for her).

Rowan and Skye found her during OWLs week at three am crying her heart while singing “love of my life” to a piece of paper where she had written “outstanding OWLs” and a bowl of ice-cream, probably stolen from the kitchen. They never talked about it.

Artemis is in love with the moon. She doesn’t know why, but she’s always felt connected to it. That’s why you can often find her in the astronomy tower just staring at the moon.

She ofter sneaks Barnaby in her room because the feeling of his arms around her helps her ease her nightmares and, when she has her visions, he’s able to calm her down almost instantly.

When Rowan died, he slept with her for two months. None of the professors said nothing.

Thanks to @hogwartsmystory​for the template <3

[softcoregamer]

DRAGON QUEST XI S: ECHOES OF AN ELUSIVE AGE - DEFINITIVE EDITION

I've never played a Dragon Quest game before, so all I had to go on with this game was the pretty looking graphics and charming character art by the Dragonball guy, which- combined with having a hankering for a JRPG, a genre I haven't played since probably the Digital Devil Saga games (minus an abandoned most-of-the-way-done playthrough of SMT3 and a partial of one of the Megadimension Neptunias) was enough to sell me on it. I'm having a tough time determining if it was worth it.

(spoilers)

The story starts off very weak. Your glowing hand marks you as the chosen one, you have to collect glowing orbs to defeat the dark lord. It's like the story of a generic videogame you'd see in the background of a movie. They do throw in a little novelty to keep you on your toes- you present yourself to the king and he throws you in the dungeon, you go back to your hometown and travel back in time for some reason- but I really never warmed to the setting. It's just a collection of cliches and cute gimmicks, like the town of people who speak in haikus, the town of people who speak in rhyming couplets (you're stuck with these people for the bulk of the exposition at the start of act 2, which is a nightmare) and the town of- ugh- Italians. There's no sense of these places being places. It's just a nice pleasant fairytale kingdom of the kind that's normally mentioned in Snow White or whatever as the place the handsome prince comes from, except here you spend dozens of hours trudging through it looking for glowing tree roots and orbs. The big problem in Gallopolis is that the sultan's son isn't brave enough for god's sake. Acts 2 and 3 pick things up, and there's some neat reveals- I like that the lil red star you've been seeing in the sky right from the start was the stain of the original hero's failure to slay the villain, literally hanging over the entire setting all this time. Also the annoying act 1 scene where you get handed the name of the villain and an orb quest in an exposition dump is retroactively improved by the fact that the exposition isn't quite correct. Act 3 reintroducing time travel and actually being thoughtful about it was welcome as well, but sadly that has the effect of making you redo story points you already did since, logically, you're back in time to where you haven't done them yet. Sometimes this comes across as getting a do-over to get a more positive outcome for something that previously ended more tragically, in keeping with the way time travel is explained in-universe as essentially reloading an earlier save (and, as revealed in the end, continuing in a separate save slot). The 8th party member's act 3 quest is a standout here. In reading discussion of the game I've seen people insist on referring to this character as 8, presumably to preserve the plot twist of his existence, so I guess I'll do it too. But more often than not, act 3 quests consist of just doing the same stuff as act 2 again, in a somewhat more curt manner. This sticks in the craw after so much of act 2 already consisted of just doing the same stuff as act 1 again. The party members aren't much better, for the most part. The first three people you meet all say "ah, you're the Luminary, I was sent to help you" and there isn't much to them beyond that for a long time. Sylvando has a lot of personality, which is probably partly why he's become the game's big meme character, but it gets grating and he is insanely trite. The Dark Lord takes over the world and purges the unclean, and Sylvando's overriding concern is that he wants people to laugh and smile more. It's like he takes advantage of the fact that I need him for his boat to get my goat by acting like a fucking teletubby. Things pick way up when you meet Rab, and the 8th party member is genuinely really good. Even the early-game party members end up having their moments (Erik's backstory was pretty fun) but the game really doesn't put its best foot forward with these characters. Not that it needs to; for the first few I was just glad to be getting some help in combat. The combat is excellent in this game, when it gets going. I played with the "draconian quest" tougher enemies mode on, and I turned it off right at the act 2 end boss. The difficulty curve flowed really well this way, with act 3 enemies not feeling noticeably less tough than "draconian" act 2 enemies. The abilities and spells you get are carefully balanced so that it's very difficult to put together a perfect 4-person party, you're always missing something. This means the fact that you can change your line-up midfight isn't just a nice quality of life feature, it's a potentially vital mechanic. They tread a fine line where sometimes needing to swap people out during the battle doesn't mean the characters themselves feel useless; everyone is capable of some extremely tough stuff. And on the other end of the scale, enemy damage is heavy enough that buffing your attack and using big-damage abilities vs healing or defending can be a properly difficult choice; a heavy hit or a big heal at the right time can turn the tide of an entire battle, as can your big hitter suddenly getting put to sleep or your healer getting knocked out. Again, this is all with the caveat that I had "draconian quest" on for the first 2/3 of the game, from what I've heard combat without it is insanely easy. My big gripe with the combat is that there's very little in the way of tooltips. What's this enemy's magic resistance? Does my Sap have a better chance of landing if I up my Magical Might, or does that just increase spell damage? Does Oomphle affect Quadraslash? If I increase my agility will it go up by enough that I can take my turn ahead of these enemies? Does agility even do that? Does using abilities and spells mean I go later in the turn order vs generic attacks and defending? You just have to guess at all this; the wiki has some info on enemy stats but I don't know where they're getting it from other than datamining. There's an entire bestiary with almost no useful information which is functionally just a model viewer for all 700+ enemies. The only way to know anything is to experiment, which I guess at least adds some purpose to combat when you've filled out the bestiary for an area but still have to grid encounters- which will be required at some point, because fighting is the only way you get xp and money. There is also too much RNG. Critical hits being rare and certain attacks having a chance to cause Confusion or whatever is fine (although I'd prefer for attacks which are labelled as having a chance to inflict status effects to actually inflict the status effect way more often than they do) but why the fuck does the resurrection spell have a 50% success rate? Under what possible circumstances would I be using that spell other than needing my dead teammate back right now? Same for all the abilities on the skill tree that say "doesn't connect very often, but when it does it can cause a critical hit" OK that "CAN" is telling me that this ability which doesn't often connect won't even necessarily crit if it does. Why would I choose this ability? To handicap myself? How is this going to help me defeat the Timewyrm? All that said, when the combat is good it's really good, and whenever I lose a fight I'm thinking "I can win that next time if I do XYZ". The 2D battles are much less fun because the pace is much slower and there are no cute animations to liven it up, but it's always satisfying when the "flash" of an enemy taking damage becomes the "flash" of them disappearing, and you know you have slayed yet another blob. Non-combat gameplay is a mixed bag. The early-game fun of running around looking for new enemies to fight and fill out the bestiary wears off hard once act 2 begins and everything is either a reskin or a glowing-eyes "vicious" version of something you've already fought, and many maps are fairly sparse with just the odd treasure chest and locked door to liven up your path to the next area. That said, there are also several areas and dungeons which make a minigame out of traversing them; the Eerie Eyrie and the Battleground were standouts for me. Especially the remixed version of Eerie Eyrie you go to later on, where you get a flying mount to ride around. Crafting is surprisingly involved, with a whole minigame around it and hundreds of recipes to find all over the place. In most cases you can just use money in lieu of ingredients, which means minimal farming is required to get a lot out of the system, and the recipes with ingredients that can't be bought feel special instead of bullshit. In terms of items and recipes there really is a deluge of content- there are recipe books all over the place, with new ones available even in the last couple of maps that open up in the entire game, and there's an undeniable cookie-clicker rush you get from getting better at crafting and taking something you could barely get to +1 all the way to +3. I play games like this as a magpie, accumulating items with nice pictures and effects that make me do a 😲 face, and DQ11 certainly delivers. This even extends to character advancement, with Hidden Goodies incentivizing picking skills you might not want otherwise, and entire new skill trees opening up as quest rewards.

Overall, DQ11 is a good combat system with loot and progression systems that are well-executed enough to feel rewarding after 100 hours, all wrapped up in a style and tone that is not up my alley at all. A good litmus test for how much you'd like the game is probably: watch this scene and if you think it's the most epic thing you've ever seen then Dragon Quest 11 is for you.

[devil-kindred]

Get to Know Me - raisinghellinotherworlds

Saw @pd3 do this and though I’d give it a go!

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1. Name : Siren (it’s a pseudonym!)

2. Nationality: American

3. Age: 27

4. Birthday: January 29th

5. Zodiac sign (or your primal zodiac sign): Aquarius

6. Gender: Female

7. Sexuality: Heterosexual

More below the cut

[[MORE]]

8. Your looks (add a picture or describe yourself)

For the record this is the only recent picture of myself I like and this is about as much of my face as you’ll ever see bc I know my angles.

9. What do you/did you study?: I went to school for a Bachelors in Arts with and emphasis on Sciences but never finished it bc 1) college is expensive and 2) I don’t know what I want to do career-wise so there’s not a point in going back anymore.

10. What’s your current job like?/What job would you like to have?: I’m a service desk associate at a department store. Something where I could deal with less people bc boy does this job push my patience sometimes.

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11. What is your birth order?: Firstborn/Oldest.

12. How many siblings do you have?: Technically four, but only two living.

13. Do you have good relations with your family?: My immediate family. My siblings are closer to each other (but they’re only two years apart) but we get along. I also have a good relationship with my parents though I’m not as close to my mom as I could be it’s hard to forget the not nice things your parent say to you as a kid.

14. How many friends do you have?: Lots though only a few I see/talk to on a regular basis.

15. Your relationship status: Single.

16. What do you look for in a SO?: Intelligent, kind, has a sense of humor.

17. Do you have a crush?: I guess.

18. When was your first kiss?: WHY *sighs* I was... 25.

19. Do you prefer serious and meaningful relationships or casual dating/one night stands?: I’ve... never been in an actual relationship? I’d like to say serious.

20. What are your deal breakers? Being rude, cheating, and treating me like a child/you know what’s best for me/someone in need of saving (new flash, i am not your princess peach/some damsel in distress. If you need to rescue someone I am not your girl).

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21. How was your day?: It’s still early into the day and I go to work in about an hour and a half and I get to close so we’ll see!

22. Favourite food & drink: French Fries. Or anything with potatoes. I’m a fiend. And Dr. Pepper or Coffee.

23. What position do you sleep in?: On my side/stomach on the part of the bed that’s against the wall.

24. What was your last dream about?: It was... highly NSFT and no, I will not go into detail.

25. Your fears: I’m not a fan of spiders or bugs of any kind really, I hate clowns, and I don’t like thunderstorms. Or tornados.

26. Your dreams: Move, either out of state or out of the country.

27. Your goals: See above.

28. Any pets?: A bird, Momo.

29. What are your hobbies?: Writing, playing video games, and reading (fanfic or books)

30. Any cool places in your area?: I’m sure there are but I live in a town surrounded by corn and other farmland so... it’s anyone’s best guess.

31. What was your last awkward situation?: The other day when a customer stared at me for a solid three minutes when I explained that due to the pandemic we’re no longer offering one of our services in an effort to reduce contact.

32. What is your last regret?: That I didn’t realize the true nature of some people who I no longer speak to sooner.

33. Language/s you can speak: English, Spanish (I’m so rusty though), a little bit of French, and a teeny tiny bit of Japanese.

34. Do you believe in astrological stuff? (Zodiac, tarot, etc.): I believe in my many things so yes.

35. Have any quirks?: Uh... I mess with my hair when I’m nervous? & the more nervous I get my (already high) voice gets higher and will go up several octaves the more nervous I get?

36. Your pet peeves: People in my apartment building slamming the front door all the damn time.

37. Ideal vacation: Somewhere with nice scenery and where it’s calm.

38. Any scars?: Quite a few small ones on my head from a car accident when I was just a baby (I went through a window- got a few scrapes but other than that was unharmed) and one on my hand (it’s on both sides of my hand too) from when I was toddler and got bit by a dog.

39. What does your last text message say?: “I’ll let you know when I get some gameplay posted!” I have a sideblog for casual TS4 gameplay. Was telling a friend that I was going to post new stuff soon.

40. Last 5 things from your search history: No thanks! It’s all just checking if a word is really a word and spelling anyways.

41. What’s your [Device] background?: Lockscreen is a wallpaper from FFXV ft. The Chocobros; Hope Screen is Sam & Evie.

42. What do you daydream about?: Writing mostly.

43. Describe your dream home: Decent amount of space, a library room to hold all my books... good lighting, comfy.... preferably NOT in the middle of nowhere.

44. What’s your religion/Your thought about religion: I am not a fan. Particularly of Christianity but everyone has their own beliefs and in that regard, to each their own. Just don’t try to convert me bc the answer is f*ck no.

45. Your personality type: INFP.

46. The most dangerous thing you’ve done?: Climbed onto the roof of the shed when I was little because I got something stuck up there.

47. Are you happy with your current life?: For the most part!

48. Some things you’ve tried in your life: Gymnastics, Ballet, etc.

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49. What does your wardrobe consist of?: Lots of t-shirts, jeans, shorts, flats, boots, etc.

50. Favourite colour to wear?: Black or Blue.

51. How would you describe your style?: Extremely casual.

52. Are you happy with your current looks?: Kinda? I really need to cut my hair because it’s gotten so long it’s annoying. But I can put up with it until it’s safe again bc pandemic. My hair is not that important I assure you.

53. If you could change/add something to your appearance - impossible or not - what would it be?: Oh God, could I be taller? Like at least 5’3”? Which is still teeny but better than my 4’9” ass.

Do you have any piercings or tattoos?: I have 3 piercings and three tattoos (two finished, one in progress)

55. Do you get complimented often?: Maybe? I’m oblivious to the point that you could have a flashing neon sign with the compliment written on it and it would probably still go over my head.

56. Favourite aesthetic?: Biker Chic!

57. A popular trend that you dislike: Neon.

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58. Songs you’re currently obsessed with?: Blessed Be - Spiritbox.

59. Song you normally wouldn’t admit you like: If I like a song, I like it. But if I have to pick one, I know everyone hates Despacitio. I know, ok but I really like the original version bc I like the sound. Latin music always has a fun groove to it.

60. Favourite genre?: Rock & Metal.

61. Favourite artist/band/genre?: Type O Negative, Pallbearer, Ice Nine Kills. Give me all the goth rock/metal and just fun metal in general.

62. Hated popular songs/artists?: Oh boy... don’t hate me but I um... don’t care too much for T Swift? And I’m not a fan of country.

63. Put your music on shuffle and list first 5: Devil’s // Door - VCTMS, Karasu - The GazettE, Path - Apocalyptica, I Walk the Line - Halsey, Drumming Song - Florence + the Machine

64. Can you sing or play any instruments?: I can kinda play bass but I’m still learning so it’s just like... the very bare basics.

65. Do you like karaoke?: I’m very self-conscious so no.

66. Own any albums?: Yes, though majority are digital.

67. Do you listen to radio? What stations?: Yes. I have it on for background noise in my room in which case I don’t pay attention to it, but I have XM radio in my car where I listen to Octane/Liquid Metal/Turbo.

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68. Favourite movie/series?: The Dark Knight trilogy or Hellraiser or Nightbreed.

69. Favourite genre of movies/books/etc: Horror, Sci-fi, and fantasy.

70. Your fictional crush/es: Too many. Look at my OCs and their SO’s and you’ll find a bunch of them.

71. Which fictional character is you?: My friends would say Mira Jane from Fairy Tail. My bestie says Mercedes from Fire Emblem Three Houses (minus the devout part bc... I do not have nice feelings re-religion. You do you though!).

72. Are you a shipper? List your otps, if so: Yes, and once again you’ll be reading for eternity. So I’ll sum it up as too many to list.

73. Favourite greek god?: Apollo.

74. A legend from where you live that you like: It’s said that before big disasters happen in the town I live in + the surrounding areas, that you’ll see a panther. Supposedly one has been seen before at least 4 different bad things that have happened over the years. I’m in the midwest though so take that as you will.

75. Do you like art?: I do but I don’t really have a favorite. ... I am kinda partial to Van Gogh though.

76. Can you share your other social media?: I have a Pinterest but since my other social media has my name (which I also share with an OC whoops. That’s what I get for being indecisive and going the first name the name generator gave me) I’d rather not. If you ask and we’re friends I’ll probably give it to you but...

77. Favourite youtubers?: I don’t really watch too many anymore but I’ve been watching a lot of jacksepticeye’s gameplay. Aside that I tend to just watch channels like PlayStation Access or Outsidexbox.

78. Favourite platform?: Instagram

79. How much time do you spend on the internet?: More than I should, I’m sure.

80. What video games have you played? Which one’s your favourite? Uh, if I had to list them all you’d literally be reading this for eternity. To sum it up, I mostly play RPGs/JRPGs, open-world, survival horror (my fave), and a few (emphasis on few) FPS. Favorites are (once again with a limit): Bioshock, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Until Dawn, Silent Hill 2, and Fatal Frame.

81. Your favourite books (manga also counts): do you know how f*cking hard this question is as someone who’s a bookworm? Ok, ok um... Gotta have a limit or I’ll never shut up... um... Three favorites: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Horns by Joe Hill, and American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

82. Do you play board/card games?: On occasion! They’re best with bigger groups but alas, my apartment is rather small and I don’t have a lot of space for multiple people so I don’t play them often.

83. Have you ever been to a night marathon in cinema? No, but it sounds fun.

84. Favourite holiday: Halloween!

85. Are you into dramas?: As in, tv dramas? Kinda? I have a friend on lived in SK for a time and got into K-dramas so I watch them with her from time-to-time when she visits.

Would you use a Death Note if you had one?: No.

87. What changes would you make in the world, no matter how impossible, if you had the power to?: Oh boy... make everyone get along, ensure everyone could live their life to the best possible, etc.

88. Could you survive a zombie apocalypse?: Possibly.

89. If you had to be turned into a paranormal being, what would it be?: I’m going with mythical instead of strictly paranormal but... a vampire!

90. What would you want to happen to you after your death?: As in to my body? Cremate me. To my stuff, give my books to a good home and take care of my bird.

91. If you had to change your name, what would be your pick?: Most people call me by my middle name already since I got tired of people calling me the wrong name (& I like my middle name better) and insisting my first name was actually a nickname (it’s not, it’s the same as the musician I’m named after) so if I were to eventually be bothered enough, I’d have it legally changed to my middle name.

92. Who would you switch your life with for a week?: I don’t know to be honest. I’m fairly happy with my life so I think I’d just not switch.

93. Pick an emoji to be your tattoo: 🌊

94. Write 3 things about yourself - only one of them must be true: I took karate classes for several years, I’ve never dyed my hair, I’ve had two jobs thus far.

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95. Cold or hot?: Cold I guess? If we’re talking in reference to seasons give me cool (aka Fall).

96. Be a hero or be a villain?: Hero because being a villain would mean I’d have to be mean to people and I can’t even pick the mean options in video games without feeling guilty so...

97. Sing everything you want to say or rhyme?: um... no? I’m not quite certain what this means but I’m going to go with no?

98. Shapeshifting or controlling time?: Shapeshifting!

99. Be immortal or be immune to everything aside from natural death?: Immortal.

[fnlrndcllctv]

REVIEW: Mortal Kombat (1992)

Developed by Midway in 1992 as a response to the wildly popular Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat took a slightly different direction thematically than the cartoonish sprites of other fighting games. Opting for digitized photos of actors as the game’s fighters, Mortal Kombat looked stood out as looking more realistic and placed a much higher emphasis on strong, bloody violence in its gameplay.

It’s this violence that made the game incredibly controversial and, alongside games such as Night Trap and Lethal Enforcers, is partly responsible for the formation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a governing body that requires all games to be rated.

The game was also originally intended to be called “Van Damme” and based on the muscles from brussels himself Jean Claude Van Damme, but a deal was never made, so it didn’t come to fruition. The inclusion of Johnny Cage, a diva-esque Hollywood movie star that could do the splits, in the game was a clear reference to the game’s origins (and an indication that the development team had a pretty snarky sense of humour!).

Gameplay

In comparison to its peers such as Street Fighter II and Fatal Fury, Mortal Kombat is definitely much trickier to control. With special moves that require longer, more precise inputs and blocking now being triggered by its own separate button (as opposed to simply holding back on the joystick/d-pad), getting good at the game was more challenging, but arguably more rewarding as a result.

The game also introduced the concept of “Juggling” to fighting games. Juggling takes advantage of the fact that when a character is knocked into the air, the player is unable to control their character until he or she lands and gets up again. It’s so satisfying to watch an opponent helplessly rage as you bounce them into the air to inflict more damage.

Then there’s the most infamous aspect of the Mortal Kombat games - FATALITIES. Each character has their own specific fatality, and requires a particular set of inputs to trigger them in the short gap of time between when game commands players to “FINISH HIM/HER!” and the opponent collapsing. Ranging from the still-beating heart being ripped from an opponent’s chest, heads being viciously removed with the spinal cord still attached to Scorpion removing his mask to breath fire and Liu Kang transforming into a dragon, these finishers are hilariously grim, and are one of the greatest parts of the game.

These gruesome finishing moves have become firm fan favourites across the series, and inspired many future fighting games to implement the same vicious elements in an attempt to “outdo” Mortal Kombat.

Story

The game’s main storyline centers around a tournament being held by the powerful Shang Tsung on an island in Earthrealm. For 500 years in a row, the dragon prince Goro has been undefeated in the tournament, and initially helped Shang Tsung take over the tournament in an attempt to doom the realm. This, the 10th tournament, sees a new generation of fighters enter in an attempt to become the new Grand Champion.

Mortal Kombat’s lore has grown massively since the first entry in the franchise, but here, things are kept relativelysimple. Each character has their own backstory and specific reasons for entering the tournament (instead of, ya know, just wanting to win a tournament?), and the introduction of the “earth is doomed” multiple realms and magic abilities make the whole thing feel like a martial arts movie mixed with the fantasy genre, while keeping things gritty and grindhouse-ish with its strong violent content.

Roster

Mortal Kombat features seven unique playable characters, each with their own backstory that ties in to the game’s general lore.

Johnny Cage - A martial arts superstar trained by several great masters from around the world. Utilising his fighting talents on the big screen, Cage is the star of such movies as “Dragon Fist”, “Dragon Fist II” and the award-winning “Sudden Violence”.

Kano - a thug who lives a life of crime and injustice as part of the Black Dragon gang, a dangerous group of cut-throat madmen. An expert mercenary and thief, Kano is feared and respected throughout all of crime’s inner circles.

Raiden - A deity known as the “Thunder God”, Raiden was rumoured to have received a personal invitation by Shang Tsung himself to take form of a human to compete in the tournament.

Liu Kang - A former member of the secret White Lotus Society, Liu Kang represents Shaolin temples in the tournament, and has a burning hatred of Shang Tsung.

Sub-Zero - At this point, Sub-Zero’s real name and identity is unknown, but due to the markings on his uniform, it is believed that he belongs to a legendary clan of Chinese assassins known as the Lin Kuei.

Scorpion - Much like his blue-colored counterpart, Scorpion‘s identity in this game is a mystery. From time to time, Scorpion has been known to show distrust and hatred towards Sub-Zero, which suggests that he belongs to an opposing clan.

Soya Blade - A member of a top U.S. Special Forces unit that was hot on the trail of the Black Dragon organisation. After tracking Kano and his men to an uncharted island, Blade‘s team was ambushed by Shang Tsung‘s personal army

Each fighter is equipped with various different fighting styles, the most recognisable being Scorpion’s ability to hurl a roped blade at his opponent to bridge any gaps between them (along with the iconic “GET OVER HERE” yell), Sub-Zero’s ability to literally freeze an opponent where they stand (living up to his namesake), and Raiden’s ability to teleport around a stage (thanks to being a god and everything).

Even the game’s non-playable characters are incredibly recognisable, especially the quad-armed Goro, who is an absolute nightmare to fight against.

Graphics

Mortal Kombat’s graphics have aged surprisingly well considering that it is now almost 29 years since its original release.

Vividly coloured backgrounds, large digitised character sprites and a very kung-fu/martial arts movie vibe that’s carried across almost every aspect of the game all work together to create an experience that isn;t just fun to play, but good to look at.

It wasn’t the first fighting game to make use of the graphics style (games like Pit Fighter beat them to the punch a couple of years prior), but it was one of the first to do it well.

The following 2D sequels improved on almost every aspect of the game’s look and feel, but having a more realistic approach to the game’s graphics in this first game certainly made a lasting impression in the genre.

Stages

There are a total of seven stages to fight on in Mortal Kombat;

Courtyard – Shang Tsung sits on his throne and looks on as fights take place in front of a crowd of monks in this Enter The Dragon-esque stage.

Palace Gates – Located at Shang Tsung‘s old island fortress, with a large statue of Buddha looming in the background.

Warrior Shrine – A shrine dedicated to honour the contestants of the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament.

Throne Room – Where Shang Tsung sits on his throne in his island domain and watches as the combatants fight each other for his amusement.

Goro’s Lair – Home to the tournament’s Grand Champion Goro, this level with stone walls and several dark passageways; human bones are scattered on the floor and a skeleton hangs from a few shackles at the center of the arena. Many pairs of glowing yellow eyes appear and occasionally blink in the dark portions of the back area.

The Pit – a bridge suspended over a sea of steel spikes, which is the source of death for anyone unlucky enough to be knocked off. When an opponent is defeated on this stage, they can be uppercut off the bridge where they will land on the bed of spikes. This is the game’s only stage fatality. There are many severed heads at the bottom of the pit, including those of the game’s creators Ed Boon and John Tobias.

Pit Bottom – This stage is only accessible when the player is fighting Reptile.

The stages show a wide variety of interesting locations around Shang Tsung’s island, and even though some of the background characters look a bit weak graphically (those monks in the audience of the Courtyard ALWAYS looked rough), there’s enough charm and impressive architecture here to make each stage feel incredibly unique and memorable.

Replayability

There’s not much in the way of unlockables in Mortal Kombat, but there are some cool bits in terms of bonus stages and hdden secrets.

Mortal Kombat‘s bonus stage is called “Test Your Might”. The minigame consists of the player’s character standing above one of five blocks of increasing hardness, depending on how far the player has progressed in Test Your Might. The player would have to hammer multiple buttons until the gauge next to their character passed a certain point, and then would have to press the Block button to strike. If they were above this point, their character would break the block in front of them. Otherwise, their hand would bounce off the object sitting in front of them.

Not the most original of minigames, as several other earlier titles had similar levels, but this one would return in later Mortal Kombat games, and become quite popular in the meantime.

Then there’s the main hidden secret in the game - Reptile. Although we would see the green-clad Reptile appear in future Mortal Kombat titles as a playable character, he remains a secret non-playable fighter in the first game. In order to face him, players had to execute a Fatality finish after fighting on The Pit stage, assuming a shadow flew over the moon in the background, without taking any damage or pressing the block button in the winning round.

It’s an incredibly specific process, but being “in the know” about it (and successfully pulling it off) during the pre-internet era felt bloody fantastic.

Final thoughts & overall score

Mortal Kombat is a nice start to an iconic franchise.

While the sequels were way more sophisticated in terms of graphics and moves, the first game holds a special place in fighting game history for its innovative gameplay tweaks and its hilariously bloody violence.

Do you agree with our review of the original Mortal Kombat?

Let us know in the comments section below!