#and magic is... well. it's a fantasy novel

[i-am-extremely-mad]

@allurasrealm

"don't know why you keep going back and forth with me on this like I don't already know this but I maintain that there are good themes they brought up in this show that weren't well developed, partly because they didn't have enough episodes but this post showed me is that they may have used their time poorly too"

I think that the themes they brought up in this show are actually well developed, especially when compared to similar shows, especially when compared to other shows for a younger audience.

TLOK is a DieselPunk fantasy that deals with themes such as the conflict between tradition and progress, spirituality and science, magic/bending and technology, as well as the challenge of the idea of ​​the Chosen One/Avatar all combined with the growth of fascist movements in the Avatar version of the early 20th century (which somehow disturbingly became more relevant than ever).

Also, they did not use their time poorly? The plot in TLOK develops quite quickly, much faster than for example The Owl House, Amphibia and Gravity Falls where the first seasons are 90% mostly adventure of the week.

https://www.tumblr.com/allurasrealm/776586763673174016/im-all-for-healthy-communication-but-i-can-not

"I'm all for healthy communication, but I can not handle the novels I get in my notifications over stuff I put in my tags (jokingly half of the time) 😭"

Is this post aimed at me? OK... Calling my answers novels is a bit rude.

I thought I’d share this because I always hear people say that “Book 1 was rushed because Bryke weren’t told Book 2 is coming until after it was finished”.

I got sent this signed script from KorraNation before for Book 2 Episode 1 and its dated September 21st 2011.

Book one ‘Air’ premiered April 14th 2012 and ended June 23rd 2012. Since the Book 2 script is dated 2011, this must mean that Bryke and the team knew they were getting a Book 2 before Book 1 even started.

This isn’t really relevant to anything, I just thought I’d share this.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Literary Realism

Literary realism - a literary movement that represents reality by portraying mundane, everyday experiences as they are in real life.

It depicts familiar people, places, and stories, primarily about the middle and lower classes of society.

It seeks to tell a story as truthfully as possible instead of dramatizing or romanticizing it.

Types of Literary Realism

There are a few different types of literary realism, each with its own distinct characteristics.

Magical realism. A type of realism that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. Magical realism portrays the world truthfully plus adds magical elements that are not found in our reality but are still considered normal in the world the story takes place. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967) is a magical realism novel about a man who invents a town according to his own perceptions.

Social realism. A type of realism that focuses on the lives and living conditions of the working class and the poor. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (1862) is a social novel about class and politics in France in the early 1800s.

Kitchen sink realism. An offshoot of social realism that focuses on the lives of young working-class British men who spend their free time drinking in pubs. Room at the Top by John Braine (1957) is a kitchen sink realist novel about a young man with big ambitions who struggles to realize his dreams in post-war Britain.

Socialist realism. A type of realism created by Joseph Stalin and adopted by Communists. Socialist realism glorifies the struggles of the proletariat. Cement by Fyodor Gladkov (1925) is a socialist-realist novel about the struggles of reconstructing the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution.

Naturalism. An extreme form of realism influenced by Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, Naturalism, founded by Émile Zola, explores the belief that science can explain all social and environmental phenomena. A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner (1930), a short story about a recluse with a mental illness whose fate is already determined, is an example of naturalism.

Psychological realism. A type of realism that’s character-driven, focusing on what motivates them to make certain decisions and why. Psychological realism sometimes uses characters to express commentary on social or political issues. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1866) is a psychological realist novel about a man who hatches a plan to kill a man and take his money to get out of poverty—but feels immense guilt and paranoia after he does it.

History of Literary Realism

Literary realism is part of the realist art movement that started in 19th-century France and lasted until the early 20th century.

It began as a reaction to eighteenth-century Romanticism and the rise of the bourgeois in Europe.

Works of Romanticism were thought to be too exotic and to have lost touch with the real world.

The roots of literary realism lie in France, where realist writers published works of realism in novels and in serial form in newspapers.

The earliest realist writers include Honoré de Balzac, who infused his writing with complex characters and detailed observations about society, and Gustave Flaubert, who established realist narration as we know it today.

History of Literary Realism in the United States

The first American realist author was William Dean Howells, who was known for writing novels about middle-class life.

Another early American realist was Samuel Clemens (pen name Mark Twain), who was the first well-known author to come from middle America. When he published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1884, it was the first time a novel captured the distinctive life and voice of that part of the country.

Similarly, Stephen Crane’s 1895 Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage told the real but previously untold stories of life on the battlefield. These stories encouraged more American writers to use their voices to speak truth to the real conditions of what life was really like, whether at war or in poverty.

Other well-known realist American authors include John Steinbeck, Upton Sinclair, Jack London, Edith Wharton, and Henry James.

History of Literary Realism in the United Kingdom

Literary realism existed, in some form, in England before the genre was fully defined. Some critics credit the first British novelists, like Daniel Defoe and Samuel Richardson, as realists, because they wrote about issues related to the middle class.

Once realism took shape, George Eliot published Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life in 1871, which is considered the most famous work of literary realism to come from the United Kingdom.

The genre developed in parallel with the U.K.’s new middle class and authors took the opportunity to echo their interests and concerns.

Other well-known British realism authors include George Gissing, Arnold Bennett, and George Moore.

Source ⚜ Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fiction Free-for-All Book Bracket Tournament: Round 1D

Book summaries below:

Monstrous Regiment (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett

It begun as a sudden strange fancy . . .

Polly Perks had to become a boy in a hurry. Cutting off her hair and wearing trousers was easy. Learning to fart and belch in public and walk like an ape took more time . . .

And now she's enlisted in the army, and searching for her lost brother.

But there's a war on. There's always a war on. And Polly and her fellow recruits are suddenly in the thick of it, without any training, and the enemy is hunting them.

All they have on their side is the most artful sergeant in the army and a vampire with a lust for coffee. Well . . . they have the Secret. And as they take the war to the heart of the enemy, they have to use all the resources of . . . the Monstrous Regiment.

Fantasy, satire, war, humor, secondary world

Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky

Jessi Zabarsky's lushly illustrated shoujo-adventure comic that introduces Lelek the witch as she blows through town one day, kidnapping the peasant girl Sanja. The unlikely pair grow more entangled as they travel together, looking for the missing half of Lelek's soul – the source of her true magical abilities. Both women are seeking to learn, in their own ways, how to be whole again. This book collects the serialized story all into a single volume, including the heart-gripping conclusion and other all-new material.

Graphic novel, fantasy, adventure, romance, young adult

[darlenicy]

Hi hi! Out of curiosity, do you have any headcanons for the Trix you’d like to share?

sorry for the late reply, sweety <3 they are totally random and just came to my mind

Icy:

Icy actually knows horse riding and had a white horse when she was younger but it was taken away from her because of her family's fall from grace. She still suffers from it.

when she reads, she usually doesn't do it for fun. Most time she reads textbooks about using magic.

she studies hard but is also very gifted. All spells she knows are results of hard work. She is the most powerful witch at cloud tower and she loves the admiration of the other students, knowing she could blow them away in a second even if they attacked together

she's super arrogant

her birthday is the 1st of january

she doesn't like coffee and mostly drinks water

she always has the urge to proof herself to others (Griffin, her mother, Belladonna)

she loves power

Darcy:

she is a bookworm. No matter what kind of books, if she reads, she fkn reads and nothing can disturb her. A bomg could explode next to her, when she reads she doesn't give a fck. One time when they were children, Stormy almost drowned because Darcy was so immersed reading a new novel

she loved fantasy, mostly when it's some kind of legend that has tome kind of facts in it. As a kid she read all the stuff that people would only read when they're older. Stuff like the mists of avalon when she was about 13.

later on she mostly read spicy romance because of the lack of it in her freetime (when she was with riven and he looked at the book on her nightstand she became super mad because she was embarassed [he found it cute and gave her a lot of love that night *v*])

she's an excellent student as well but has to work much harder than Icy. Darcy is brilliant in mental magic and understands the darkness of dark magic better than anyone else...but the rest is something she simply has to learn and she will only go to bed if she mastered a new spell. If not she'd learn it the whole night.

She loved it when the teachers praise her and she baths in it like a flower does in sunlight. She simply likes to be good.

She's the annoying nerd that reminds the teacher that they had homework

She is super toady and definitely the teacher's pet

Most time she doesn't mean it serious but she admires Griffin

she is actually a little Griffin nerd and read a lot of books about the company of light and how Griffin got there (it's quite a long time ago in my hc not only 18 years)

That's why the expulsion was a shock for her

She is also the type of girl who is never satisfied with knowledge and is often find in the big library in Magix studying magic and history (cuz history repeats and she wan't to be ready for it).

She's probably the one who knows the most about the Dragon Flame out of the 3 (maybe even more than Bloom herself)

She often has nightmares, as a kid she was afraid of the dark until she learned to embrace is as part of her power. So as a kid she could only sleep when the lights were on in her room

besides being a sweety, she is actually the one of the trix who is best at torturing people

she loves to play with people's minds. As a kid she was not social and afraid of other children. It took some time for her to realize that she had the power to fkn mess with their minds

sometimes she reads the thoughts of strangers for fun

Because of all the hostility she had to endure as a child, she is afraid to open up. At first she only influenced Riven's thoughts so that he thought they did it, because she is so afraid to lose control. Darcy is always afraid that someone uses her weakness against her

it took her a long time to open up to riven and actually let herself go

she's insecure af

her birthday is on 16th november

Stormy:

she's a gremlin - the end

no ofc not lol. She fkn hates studying. In lessons she scribbles in her notes and doesn't give a fuck what the teachers say. This often brings her in trouble. She actually got a lot of detention.

It's not that she's stupid, she's just lazy

she loves music and is oddly not someone who just downloads it illegally. She loves to support her favorite artists and has a lot of merch

sometimes she answers in music lyrics

She'd love Rammstein lmao

of course she loves thunder storms and sneaked on the roof as a kid whenever there was a tempest

she actually started smoking pretty early to be cOoL

she quits when she attends CT because she got several warnings

but when she's stressed she still smokes sometimes (Darcy will always say she's ruining her health and stormy will laugh of it ans makes fun of Darcy's prudish way of living)

she's a chaotic bisexual and has a soft spot for Mirta even though she's never admit it

she's definitely an otaku

she loves playing online games and battles herself with tecna a lot online (both don't know it because they use nicknames)

she's also the one who has the weakest connection to her Ancestral Witch. Even Tharma can't control this chaotic bitch

She totally got it brawls at school as a kid

She's the kind of kid who always has a tape on her nose and an her knees

When someone talked shit about her or her sister's she'd beat the shit out of them. no matter if it was a boy or a girl

the other children were afraid of her

She had no friends at school except for Mirta who was in her parallel class. But they didn't hang out a lot because Stormy hated Lucy (for being Mirta's bestie)

her birthday is 5th of may

[dedalvs]

The problem with art is that it's a subjective medium that, through its very nature, invites comparison. You listen to one song and think it's pretty good then listen to another and like that one even better. Then you find someone who thinks the opposite. Then you find someone who thinks both songs are trash. All the while the ones who wrote those songs may never have even heard of each other—may never have even been alive at the same time. Neither would have ever imagined they'd be in competition, yet, years later, there they are, as a result of conversation between people they've never met.

As subjective as art is, consider J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis—specifically, The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. If one of these is better, it's going to be The Lord of the Rings. Lewis would've said so—even Tolkien, if pressed. Lewis and Tolkien were friends, they encouraged each other as writers, they shared ideas, their works have similar themes—you can see the influence in both works—but if you had to choose one, it's The Lord of the Rings, hands down.

But does that mean The Chronicles of Narnia is worthless?

There are tons of people who've read and enjoyed the Narnia books over the years, and I'd say a sizeable portion (myself included) who never knew until much, much later that Tolkien and Lewis knew each other—that the two series had anything to do with one another. Something which seems terribly relevant at one time may be all but forgotten at a later date. (For example, did you know the Beatles and the Beach Boys had an intense rivalry in the 60s? I didn't. I'd heard about the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but the Beatles and the Beach Boys...? I doubt if I ever realized they'd even heard of each other.)

It's a difficult thing to do, I know, but if you have an idea—a drive that pushes you toward some artistic goal—you have to follow it while you feel it and then evaluate/revise/edit it later. You have to let the thing be what it's going to be. When something is new, the unfamiliar are going to see it as strange, and may offer you suggestions on how to make it look more like something they're familiar with. That may, indeed, help it be more recognizable and more acceptable to a current audience, but it may be robbing the work of an opportunity to be unique and original.

Going back to Narnia, consider the world building in the first book examined through the lens of Tolkien. My, but it looks sloppy! I mean, there's a random ass lamppost in a fantasy world? Fauns are there, as well as talking animals, and then…Santa Claus?! Santa Claus?! And the Tolkienite is asking how all these things tie together, what exactly the nature of magic is, what land Santa Claus hails from, how he interacts with the "real" world, etc. From the perspective of hard world building, you can imagine someone saying to Lewis, "Hey, maybe consider pruning literal Santa Claus from the book. It doesn't make sense." And if he didn't hold fast to his vision, maybe he does that. Maybe he also tightens up some of the other looser aspects of the world building. And maybe the end result is something a little more Tolkienesque—and, essentially, not at all The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

I took a course on Samuel Beckett (author of the play Waiting for Godot) and we read almost all of his work. He started with novels. He actually served as transcriptionist for James Joyce's Finnegans Wake when Joyce lost his sight. His first novel, Murphy, reads like someone who's trying to sound like James Joyce. There's definitely Beckett in there, but it's like he's trying to take his vision and push it through a Joycean mold. Now, there's nothing wrong with James Joyce, of course—he's one of the greats—but he's not Samuel Beckett. And it wasn't until Beckett loosed himself from these shackles that we saw what it was he could do. And, truly, he went on to produce some stuff that no one else could ever have produced (cf. Worstward Ho!). It's not necessarily better than Joyce, but also, Joyce isn't necessarily better than Beckett. Truly, it does not matter. Each of them produced something truly unique—true to themselves—and the world is better off for it, whether you like one or the other better, both, or neither. (Incidentally, this is another of those pairings that may surprise. Did you know Samuel Beckett literally transcribed Finnegans Wake for Joyce late in Joyce's life? I didn't, until that class I took.)

Back to the point of the post, there are two things I'd say:

Yes, your work may not be as good as someone else's. Chances are your work now isn't as good as your work five years from now. So? If you don't do what you're doing now your work five years from now won't be better. You can look at my early language work. It's not as good as what I do now. If I didn't do it, though, I wouldn't be where am I now. Oh, and you know what? At the time, I thought my work was fucking incredible. I was wrong, but sometimes if you don't have fans, you have to be your own fan to get you to where you need to be.

Yes, your work may not be as good as someone else's, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have value—and not because you're going to get better later because of it. There's someone out there that may like the work you're producing right this second just because. They may love the sound of it. They may love your unique twist on a case system. You may look back on the work you're doing now ten years from now and say that it is objectively shit, but then ten years after that someone on the internet will find it and say they love it, despite what you think. That's art. That's audience.

Most importantly, you can't let the voice inside you cut you down before you've had a chance to do what you're doing or else you'll do nothing. When negative thoughts come, you acknowledge that they're there, and then you tell yourself that it's just talk. Don't ignore the negative thoughts: shine a spotlight on them. Recognize that they are thoughts, and as thoughts, they can be pushed aside by something as insignificant as a damn commercial jingle you can't get out of your head. Some of the vilest thoughts I've ever had—crippling self-doubt, negative self-talk—can't even go ten seconds in the ring against the fucking "You won't get a lemon at Toyota of Orange" jingle that's come back to me at odd moments every day since I first heard it in 1987. Some musical hack that I hope to beat to death one day created a five second jingle that has spent more time in my brain than some actual humans I love and adore, and, believe you me, that stupid jingle is way more powerful than any voice in my head that says, "You're worthless trash"—and if that's true, how pathetic is that negative self-talk? What power does it really have over you?

Sometimes comparison helps. Sometimes it helps you grow; sometimes it gives you new ideas. But it has its time and place, and that time and place is not amidst creation. That time is your time, and I'd encourage you to let it be just that: your time to create.

Do you ever get nervous bc your conlang isn't as naturalistic or as well-thought-out as those of the literal masters of the craft and so that must mean it's Literally Garbage

[reneesbooks]

wip intro/masterpost - the raedoran cycle

hi hello here it is. my baby.

genre: fantasy

pov: third person limited, with various narrators throughout

status: a series of 4 novels/stories, in various states of drafting

summary: in one night, Raedora is thrown into chaos. the royal librarian murders the queen and her youngest daughter with magic and flees, leaving behind the king and the crown princess to pick up the pieces. the princess spirals slowly into madness as her sworn shield tries to save her, terrified of her dead sister's prophecy.

two thieves in the capital set their sights on the crown jewels after attending the queen's coronation. but when one gets a little too reckless and catches the attention of the Mad Dog of Morbhard, their plans quickly go off the rails.

when their parents are killed in the Dragon Purges, two shapeshifters must hide amongst their killers to survive. one, a talented healer, tries to build a life that will be safe for them, but her little brother has his sights set on avenging their parents by murdering the queen that ordered their deaths.

a young witch is raised alone by her father, always in hiding, with strange dreams and visions of the future. when he dies of an illness even her magic can't heal, she must strike out on her own, searching for answers to the prophecy that has followed her for her whole life.

tag: the raedoran cycle

so originally this was one novel following multiple characters, but thanks to a minor plot bunny that greatly spiraled out of control (lacuna) it has become something much more. many of the four novels' events occur simultaneously, with their stories overlapping and intertwining as the character's lives do the same.

the knight of lacuna lake

Keelan: baby boy war criminal. he narrates the story as he tries to save Maura from herself.

Maura: the golden queen of Raedora. she lost half her family in 1 night and handed it incredibly well all things considered (no she didn't)

status: first draft finished(!!), shelved while it marinates and i work on the rest of the cycle. likely going to come back and edit it at some point but for now it is what it is

tag: lacuna

the thieves of morbhard

Arthur: master lockpick and ball of anxiety. he narrates his attempts to get Jack to notice him while also trying to steal the crown jewels.

Jack: cursed damned street rat. born on the night of the triple new moon and condemned to a life on the streets, he's got his sights set on stealing enough to get both him and Arthur out of Morbhard for good.

status: just barely starting to draft. fully outlined.

tag: thieves

the dragons of kiltide

Emilia: the only voice of reason around here. a talented healer fighting to protect her baby brother from both the persecution they face in their homeland and the Purges that killed their parents.

Fabin: teenage ball of rage. his parents died in front of him when he was 13 and he has been supremely chill about it since then and doesn't everybody sleep with their sword under their bed?

status: outlining with the occasional scene.

tag: dragons

the witch of the west

Birdie: a talented witch born under and blessed by the full silver moon. raised by her father in the woods after fleeing the witch trials, she is determined to understand and fulfill her prophecy. her strange dreams of dragons, thieves, and knights lead her to a search for the people who she believes will help her in her journey.

status: it's complicated. this where all the original material lives for the most part so it's outlined(sort of??) and i've been writing scenes for it but idk what the actual timeline of events is and i've changed a LOT since i started. so it's a frankendraft mess. we'll get there eventually.

tag: the witch

and that's it! that's my baby! i think about Them a lot these days.

taglist: ask to be added <3 @k--havok @theharpywrites @oh-no-another-idea @space-writes @lyssa-ink

links:

lacuna wip intro/masterpost

salt and brine (pre-cycle story about side characters)

comic sans intro (silly)

i will add more as things get posted but for now you can find everything for each story/character through the linked tags up above. i am always available to scream about my children :)

[dragonsdenstudiosofficial]

The Pizza Knight Saves The Princess is a fantasy-comedy choose-your-own-adventure-style visual novel being developed by Dragon's Den Studios. Set on the planet Comestibla, where everything & everyone is made of food, we play as the Pizza Knight as he tries to save his beloved Water Ice Princess from the castle of the evil Chocolate Count. You can download the demo for free HERE: https://dragons-den-studios.itch.io/the-pizza-knight-saves-the-princess

Over the course of this month I'll be posting some of the game's art to this blog! This image is a sneak peak of content only available in the full release!

This image depicts the Gumball Chemist, the creator of the gumbots, doing some fantasy science with some actual science mixed in in an attempt to escape from the laboratory where he's been locked inside, unaware that the Pizza Knight has already broken in from the outside. The Cyrillic letters represent elements on the periodic table of magic.

[lilbitosunny]

Just do it. Even though it hurts- just do it.

Anyways hi hello This is a cover I made for my book- Grief In Your Walls UuU

A few close-ups below!

[mewgatori]

The one novel illustration I finished in November

[antigonishes]

i think legitimately the worst part about coming up with original settings is that i want to make all of the characters first before i write anything, which wouldn't take that long normally but whenever you have to do actual fantasy worldbuilding for one then it just spirals out of control

[dndspellgifs]

look, I know I've talked about this essay (?) before but like,

If you ever needed a good demonstration of the quote "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic", have I got an exercise for you.

Somebody made a small article explaining the basics of atomic theory but it's written in Anglish. Anglish is basically a made-up version of English where they remove any elements (words, prefixes, etc) that were originally borrowed from romance languages like french and latin, as well as greek and other foreign loanwords, keeping only those of germanic origin.

What happens is an english which is for the most part intelligible, but since a lot everyday english, and especially the scientific vocabulary, has has heavy latin and greek influence, they have to make up new words from the existing germanic-english vocabulary. For me it kind of reads super viking-ey.

Anyway when you read this article on atomic theory, in Anglish called Uncleftish Beholding, you get this text which kind of reads like a fantasy novel. Like in my mind it feels like it recontextualizes advanced scientific concepts to explain it to a viking audience from ancient times.

Even though you're familiar with the scientific ideas, because it bypasses the normal language we use for these concepts, you get a chance to examine these ideas as if you were a visitor from another civilization - and guess what, it does feel like it's about magic. It has a mythical quality to it, like it feels like a book about magic written during viking times. For me this has the same vibe as reading deep magic lore from a Robert Jordan book.

[sunderwight]

SV fic where Luo Bingge discovers that Shen Jiu had a long-lost half-brother or something, and subsequently decides that he's going to infiltrate the minor sect which this "Shen Yuan" belongs to in order to get close to him and then indulge in revenge fantasy 2.0 when it inevitably turns out that Shen Yuan is like Shen Jiu (i.e. a horrible abusive scum teacher).

So Bingge uses some magical object or technique or other, makes himself look like a scrawny 12-14 year old, then puts himself in Shen Yuan's path in hopes of convincing the man to take him on as a disciple. The idea being that after Shen Yuan abuses him, Bingge will be justified in reenacting his Shen Qingqiu Revenge Arc again and maybe finally feeling some closure about the whole thing.

Yes, this is a very deranged plan. No, no one is going to tell the emperor of the three realms that. Bingge also wants it to be clear that this has nothing whatsoever to do with his recent escapade in an alternate universe, except that he was inspired to find Shen Jiu's relative as a consequence of that. But he's absolutely sure that this guy is going to turn out just as rotten as his brother, given the opportunity. That is definitely the only reason he is doing this!

Flash forward about four years. Bingge's retainers are begging on their knees for him to actually come back and do some administrative work. The harem is running itself at this point and they're all very terrified of the situation with Liu Mingyan and Sha Hualing (i.e. ruling with lesbian iron fists) and whatever the heck Ning Yingying is up to (no one is certain but it's something). The outer provinces are rebelling. Mobei Jun's somehow found another weird human surnamed Shang to cavort with, except this one is basically running admin for the entire northern kingdom now and no one's even sure if they're fucking or if it's some kind of mind control situation or what.

Bingge is annoyed. He doesn't have a good explanation for why a bunch of demon lords would be showing up on the doorstep of Tiny Cultivation Sect to beg him for anything. They're going to spoil his cover! And they're interrupting his schedule! It's already four o'clock and he hasn't started on Shizun's dinner yet! Shoo! Get lost!

Anyway, eventually some of his demon followers get desperate and dramatically kidnap him. Shen Yuan is horrified and grieved when it seems that his precious disciple, so like white lotus Luo Binghe from the novel, has been captured by demons. He tries to track the assailants down, but they've covered their tracks too well. In the end, there's only one path left to him to pursue: taking this matter to the protagonist!

Yes, the protagonist! Because the thing is, Shen Yuan noticed the similarities between his disciple and the book character he so admired. Not only that, but he did manage to glimpse Bingge one time from afar. It wasn't anywhere near to a real interaction, but it was enough for him to notice the strong resemblance between the protagonist and the mistreated little lamb who showed up at his doorstep. A resemblance for which there can only be one explanation:

Shen Yuan's disciple is one of Binghe's kids!

Yes, he had it figured out since fairly early on. Not only was there a resemblance, and not only were their dispositions quite similar, but also the boy showed a lot of signs of some demonic heritage. Shen Yuan was just working up to broaching the subject, partly because he had been trying to avoid any direct or even indirect interactions with the emperor, and partly because he... became somewhat reluctant to part ways with his student. Sue him! He got attached! And anyway, he knew how missing child plots usually went. There was probably someone in the harem who was out for his disciple's blood, and it wouldn't be safe to send him back into that mess until he was strong enough to look after himself.

But as is inevitable, the plot seems to have reclaimed Shen Yuan's student all on its own.

He just... needs to make sure that it isn't a tragic outcome. It seems it falls on him to make the emperor aware of his son's survival, and subsequent peril, and help launch a rescue!

Which also means approaching Luo Binghe in person, which he knows is very risky indeed, due to his connection to the infamous Shen Qingqiu! He'd been avoiding the protagonist at all costs for that exact reason.

But if it's his only hope of rescuing his disciple, he will simply have to take the risk, and hope that enough time has passed that Luo Binghe doesn't read too much into a shared surname and a passing resemblance. Or that restoring the emperor's long-lost son to him will be worth seem lenience for the crime of being connected to Shen Qingqiu. Maybe if he's lucky, he will even be allowed to continue visiting his disciple! (Ha, yeah right! More likely, Luo Binghe's going to take his head for hiding his own kid from him for so long!)

Anyway, cue Luo Bingge running around swapping between his Emperor and Disciple forms, dramatically trying to orchestrate a situation where he can fake the emperor's death and go back to the sect with Shizun as his disciple, or something, only for it all to blow up in his face because Shen Yuan keeps flinging himself between Bingge and potentially fatal threats that could plausibly kill him???

[ancientgoddessofegypt]

Astro notes : Short N Sweet <3 Mercurial Design.

Mercury in the 1st - Comical. Socially abundant. Can be very quiet or loud. No in between. I love them actually. Would love someone that can match their flow, however most can never keep up with their every flowing wave. Their like the wind in human form. Their mind is a capsule of all the memories and experiences they've accumilated with time. Very interesting beings and could show you everything and nothing at the same time.

Mercury in the 2nd - This group has common sense enough to figure things out in such a small period of time that they can do almost anything to get what they want. They have issues with exploring things at first hand (taurus is the original ruler of the 2nd) so they can be a little stubborn but over time they quickly learn for new things to come to them from time to time. Very deep thinkers. Can be very open minded when they WANT to be.

Mercury in the 3rd - Intriguing personalities and are the gift that keeps giving. Soft spoken and has a mind thats free to any and everything. Really reluctant on having new friends but can become the bestest of friends later. they can really shy at times. There most open to conversations with strangers, it seems as they can let their whole world out from their mind and open a door to someone who is willing to listen. Beautiful spirits.

Mercury in the 4th - Sweet childlike personalities and honestly their mystique is one of a kind. Going into their world is like walking into a magical novel filled with fantasy, and coming out and it all disappears. Like a spell. Very captivating artists, and most keep the good stuff in a treasure chest, only the real ones will get a chance to open up whats inside.

Mercury in the 5th - Playful. Soft spoken. Interesting. Knowledgeable. Carefree. Those are the 5 things that is most prominent about their character. They will speak to you through song, writing, or even through and instrument. They work real well with their hands, if you can catch what I mean ;) Smooth charmers and could be a mini casanova so watch out for them. Very seductive.

Mercury in 6th - Talkaholics. Chatty Patties. You get my drift lol. Their caring to the ones they love and are advocates for everyone or everything such as animals and plants or even homeless people. You cannot get away with being mean to someone if they catch they are going to say some lol. Can be very mean spirited to the ones who deserve it. Overall, very practical and humane about things that need most of our attention. They aren't boring, their routines can switch up a lot depending on their mood so be easy on them.

Mercury in 7th - Charming individuals whose seductive prowess come out like a lightning bolt. Everybody likes them. Children come up to them the most tho. They have an angelic presence to their personalities and can get anyone to be on their side. Charismatic. Be careful, because the same way they can use this gift for good, they can switch and you know... do some damage ;)

Mercury in the 8th - Something about their wordplay is very special and potent. They have a gift with words that can transform the way you feel, think, breathe, etc. They have knowledge and insight about the world that most will never accept to be the truth. So they guard these secrets with their life, holding on until the ashes fall away connecting back with the wind. And allowing the circle of life to continue. The mind transforms a lot and they become a new person every once and a while. Be easy on them, their brain can take them to many stages psychologically.

Mercury in the 9th - Have a wit and charm to them that keeps the energy going. They aren't use to having people wanting to be around them or being attracted to them a lot however this happens more often than not. People love what they have to say, and want to hear more of how they view things from time to time. They are really interesting to say the least. Like what all do you know?

Mercury in the 10th - The audience admires these beings. Naturally charismatic and people love to see them on the big screen. They literally have a tv personality and can go viral at some point in their life. Gotta watch out for the people who always have their hands out, their naturally giving and love to share their time and energy freely.. a little too much. Keep your circle small.

Mercury in the 11th - Have a natural knack with entertaining all sorts of groups. Can commit to a cause like no other and get as many people on board. Very persuasive and social skills are through the roof. The social awkward become to most popular. The loner because the one everyone knows. These individuals are great with turning something that was 'lame' into someone fun and cool. Very different from the crowd, which what allows people to see them for their soul and not their flesh.

Mercury in the 12th - Spiritually inclined to feel the waves of the universe. Captivating the stars in the night and then going home to serve the divine with a painted canvas. A gifted creator who's only purpose is to live and die. To create and conquer the mind. The brain is the place of peace, when it wants to be. And when its not, they transmute that energy into something no other than. Something creative. Something special. The universe uses them as the vessel to give a message to the audience who desires to hear the words of God. You will never get another one of them in your life if you ever meet them.

[dragonsdenstudiosofficial]

The Pizza Knight Saves The Princess is a fantasy-comedy choose-your-own-adventure-style visual novel being developed by Dragon's Den Studios. Set on the planet Comestibla, where everything & everyone is made of food, we play as the Pizza Knight as he tries to save his beloved Water Ice Princess from the castle of the evil Chocolate Count. You can download the demo for free HERE: https://dragons-den-studios.itch.io/the-pizza-knight-saves-the-princess

Over the course of this month I'll be posting some of the game's art to this blog! This image is a sneak peak of content only available in the full release!

This image depicts the twelve magic potions that the Pizza Knight discovers in one of the castle's bathrooms. Each of the potions causes the knight to transform into something, some more helpful than others. Their colors & flavors are based on flavors of water ice; see if you can figure out what they are.

[returnofismasm]

Given how much of the immediate backstory to Dragon Age: Inquisition was found in Asunder and the Masked Empire, I think some people might be wondering if any of the short stories, anthologies, or comics are also "homework" for The Veilguard. Obviously, the game's not out yet, so I can't be 100% sure, but here's my best recommendations based on what we know about the characters (done in alphabetical order because why not).

Bellara: She's new! The Veil-jumpers are in a single issue of the Missing, but she's not any of the ones named there. They investigate magical disturbances around Arlathan forest, and that's kind of all we know.

Davrin: Also new! The reason he seems to have a juvenile griffon (or at least, why there's a griffon at all!) is covered in the events of the novel The Last Flight, but it's hard to say how much any of those specifics are relevant to Davrin.

Emmrich: Emmrich (and Manfred!) is in Down Among the Dead Men in Tevinter Nights, and another, The Eternal Flame released during a Dragon Age Day and archived on the wiki. We learn he's a senior member of the Mourn Watchers, somewhat eccentric, and capable of talking to the dead. Also he's got a last name, Volkarin, so that's neat. All of that seems pretty easy to catch people up on in-game. (Down Among the Dead Men is really good though).

Harding: Harding is in the Missing, accompanying Varric on his hunt for Solas. Her buddy-cop-comedy-ing it with Varric is apparent from the trailer. Her apparent magic powers are completely new though!

Lucanis: He and Neve probably have the most backstory in Tevinter Nights of the bunch. Lucanis's story is found in the Wigmaker Job and he's mentioned in Eight Little Talons, both in Tevinter Nights. A Dragon Age Day short story called the Wake seems to have implied that he died, so mayhaps he faked his death? To hopefully set some people at ease, even though he's advertised as "The Magekiller," the mages he's killing are Venatori, so it's all good. I doubt he'd have beef with Neve or Emmrich or a mage PC JUST because they're mages. Also he's got a last name, Dellamorte.

Neve: Neve has a last name too! It's Gallus. Neve is the viewpoint character of the Streets of Minrathous, where she stops a Venatori plot to unleash a giant sealed demon underneath Minrathous. Her story is very Noir-vibes in a fantasy setting. She's also in the Missing for an issue, where she meets Varric and Harding and they work together to help escaped slaves avoid recapture by the Venatori. The giant sealed demon business did feel very "preview of a boss battle" but who can say if it actually is.

Taash: Like with Bellara, Taash herself is new, but the Lords of Fortune have featured elsewhere. They're in a number of stories in Tevinter Nights, as well as in Dragon Age: Absolution. The group doesn't seem to have a formal role, they seem to be sort of "adventurers for hire." Side note though, Ataashi is Qunlat for dragon, so I wonder if that's where Taash got her name.

[johnbierce]

It's finally launch day for my new book! The City That Would Eat the World, book one of the More Gods Than Stars Trilogy, is out now on Amazon and Audible! More Gods Than Stars is socialist sword and sorcery progression fantasy starring a pair of wandering lady adventurers, set on a gas giant's habitable moon, featuring a mimic-based ecosystem, uncounted millions of gods ranging from ones for individual teakettles to gods of entire cities, a ridiculously complex magic-based economy in the vein of Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence, anime-inspired fight scenes, a trans deuteragonist (and plenty of other queer characters), a pseudomedieval megastructure arcology spreading uncontrollably across the landscape, and last but definitely not least, the god of counting flagstones.

"An incredibly imaginative adventure through the corrupt underbelly of a world-devouring and ever-expanding city and its gods-blessed inhabitants. Magical engineering, economics, divine blessings and human corruption combine into an adventure through a truly original setting."

Cameron Johnston, Author of Age of Tyranny & The Maleficent Seven

Art by Lukas Ketner, Cover Design by Virginia McClain

Thea is a washed-up mimic exterminator who expected more out of life, not some hero from stories. Aven is an impulsive wandering adventurer whose personal goddess is constantly getting her into trouble. Neither of them have the slightest interest in getting involved in world-shaking historical events. History doesn’t care what they want, unfortunately, and it’s fallen right into their laps in the shape of a godslaying weapon from a fallen civilization. Thrown together out of chance, Thea and Aven will have to learn to work together if they want to survive their pursuers. Because if they fail, and the weapon falls into the wrong hands? The results won’t be pretty. No one’s going to be using it on some random street corner goddess, teakettle god, or any of the other countless teeming millions of divinities on Ishveos. No, there’s one target that sits above all others. Cambrias, Whose Watch Never Ends. Cambrias, whose power has given rise to Cambrias’ Wall, the greatest city in the known multiverse- a city that has already covered much of a continent, and is strip mining entire mountain ranges for space and building material. A city that threatens to spread across the entire surface of Ishveos. And there’s no shortage of folks willing to kill Thea and Aven in order to stop the Wall, no matter the consequences.

I'm incredibly proud of this one- I spent years on the research behind its world, reading literally dozens of books on architecture, economics, leftist political theory, and theology. Though, for all that I genuinely tried to say something important with The City That Would Eat the World, I also did my best to keep it a fun, high-octane fantasy adventure- and I'm pretty dang confident I succeeded on that latter part. It draws heavily in inspiration from Terry Pratchett, China Mieville, and Max Gladstone; as well as the classic sword and sorcery adventure stories like Jirel of Joiry, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, and their ilk. More Gods Than Stars is set in the same multiverse as my other books, the magic school series Mage Errant and the standalone epidemiological fantasy novel The Wrack, but you don't need to have read either of them to read this, or vice versa.

"The City That Would Eat The World is easily one of the most impressive books I've ever read. Not only has Bierce conjured up a hell of an adventure from page one, but he's also crafted a strange and gritty world with stunning depth, jammed it full of fantastic characters, then topped it all off with an explosive ending. The next book can't come soon enough."

Kyle Kirrin, author of The Ripple System