#and then eventually become a proper adventuring party after

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hewaaa!! Is your OC related to Director Crowley, The Maleficent crow or something? I saw your design and I found it really interesting 🩵🖤

While Miss Raven and Crowley share many visual similarities + she considers him her legal guardian and family, they’re not actually blood-related! She just showed up at NRC’s doorstep own day and Crowley took her under his wing as his “niece”. In truth, Crowley became acquaintances with Raven’s previous caretaker during his travels. That person—the “Storyteller”—knew that he would soon pass away, so he asked Crowley to please look after his ward for him.

One thing I love about Twst is how even if the inspiration for a character seems obvious at a glance (like Ace is obviously twisted from the Ace of Hearts card soldier), they can embody the traits of other characters (for example, Ace acts like Alice in that he constantly defies the Queen of Hearts). Miss Raven is technically twisted from an Alice in Wonderland riddle that was intended to have no answer... but I wanted my OC to also draw from multiple sources so that they also feel “real” and like they “fit in” the world of Twst.

(By the way!! There’s an excellent post on the Twst subreddit that discussed how Crowley is inspired by various iconic Disney birds. I’d recommend giving it a read; it’s fascinating!)

I integrated aspects of Diablo and the Evil Queen’s ravens in Miss Raven’s relationships with the equivalent Twst characters, Malleus and Vil. Diablo is Maleficent’s only competent minion, performing a number of important tasks on her behalf. Raven and Malleus aren’t familiar with one another, but she does play a key role in that she delivers the notes from the dorm leader meetings he misses. Malleus believes that she is brave to approach him (does this make them friends???), so he had assumed a strange self-proclaimed “mentor” role. He sometimes flags her down and attempts to socialize (key word: attempts) but more often than not he ends up hovering like a sleep paralysis demon… Rave has to wonder if Malleus-senpai is in need of something.

The Evil Queen’s ravens is only on screen for like… what, a minute?? And mostly just acts shocked and scared of her transformation potion brewing. This is paralleled in how Raven is intimidated by Vil’s aura, but does manage to get over it eventually to ask him for advice on how to become a “proper lady” herself. He’s the one that taught her a lot about social etiquette and manners in general.

There’s also other Disney and non-Disney references I’ve included in her lore. The backstory of Miss Raven’s guardian (pre-Crowley) is very similar to that of Beast from Beauty and the Beast… She is pessimistic at times, claiming some prospects are impossible or “nevermore” (Edgar Allen Poe)… She lacks confidence, believing she is an “ugly duckling” and wishes to become an elegant and beautiful swan… Tons more; I can’t list them all here!

In a nutshell, yes. There’s a lot more to it than just borrowing the phrase because I happen to like AiW though!

The riddle “why is a raven like a writing desk” comes from the tea party scene in the original Lewis Carroll novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Disney translated it over to their animated film, but the riddle makes appearances or is referenced in many other AiW adaptations.

According to Carroll, the riddle was meant to be nonsensical and have no answer. (In the book, the Mad Hatter himself admits, “I haven't the slightest idea,” and then Alice asks about why they are wasting their time with riddles that have no answer.) However, many people have come up with their own absurd answers to the supposedly unanswerable riddle, including: “Poe wrote on both”, “they both stand on sticks”, “they both come with inky quill”, and “because there is a B in both and an N in neither”. Ironically, Carroll was pressured into including an answer in a later edition of his book. His response was, “because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!” In the original version of this preface, “never” was spelled “nevar” (“raven” backwards).

I liked the open-endedness of the question. It keeps the door open to allow for many possibilities and encourages us to explore, to indulge in our curiosity, to experiment and let our unique perspectives shape unique replies to the same riddle. I wanted to run a blog with that kind of a creative spirit. The fact that both writing and ravens are mentioned are serendipity, but it ends up working out really well for what I do here.

My Twst OC, Raven Crowley, is also closely associated with “why is a raven like a writing desk?”. In fact, she’s twisted from the raven in the riddle, and this ties in with her backstory. Because the riddle is just… that, a riddle (and not an actual flesh-and-blood character that does things in the story) with no answer (aimless, open, without direction), Miss Raven’s character reflects that. She is a curious girl always seeking out new experiences. but she lacks self-confidence, believing that she isn’t a “main” character, just a supporting role or even a background character. Her story is that of finding her own strength, learning to become confident in her own identity, and taking charge of her own destiny—even if she’s unsure of where the winding oath may take her.

It’s all connected! ^^

[tag-of-light]

"Come on, Baderon said It's Probably Pirates!"

Adventurers of Eorzea | Limsa Lominsa The Star Squad Catrine [MRD] | Hrodric [LNC] | Charmont [ROG] | Sakura [ACN]

[justsomekpopstuff]

ateez as d&d characters

NOTE: Remember, these are just my opinion and how I would classify them in D&D. You can have your own perspective, just don't be a hater about it. I also know that my D&D knowledge isn't perfect. Don't judge me.

current masterlist | fic recs

Party/Campaign Concept: You never know what, or who, you will find out on the open seas. After spending his early years learning the ways of piracy and justice, Captain of of The Silver Light, Hongjoong, works to assemble a crew of trusted companions to join him on the high seas for adventure, anarchy, and retribution to those who abuse their power. After traveling the world, he found outcasts, rebels, and other like-minded individuals who were shunned to the outskirts of society because they did not fit the mold of "proper" society. Together, this ragtag band of pirates sail across oceans, assisting with an oath of justice, to bring justice, liberation, and adventure to those in need of it most - but, they have to find each other first!

Hongjoong: Human Paladin

Hongjoong doesn’t remember most of his early years. He did his best to block them out as much as possible. The point where things began to turn around for him was the day he ran. Still a child, barely alive, tired and hungry, he ran through the streets of his harbor town, hoping beyond all hope that he could find a way out. He somehow managed to stow away on a ship, not realizing that that ship was the property of one of the most fearsome pirates to ever sail the ocean. At that point, all Hongjoong cared about was that he no longer had to return to the life he ran from. Hongjoong was discovered by the pirates a few days into their journey into open waters when one of the sailors found him rummaging through the pantry for food. Despite their notorious reputation for pillaging and other crimes, the pirates ended up taking Hongjoong under their wing, showing him that sometimes you have to cause a little anarchy in order to do some good. The captain of the crew treated Hongjoong like their own son, showing him what it meant to lead a crew and all of the skills it took to be feared by those in power, and beloved by those in need. No matter how many places they visited, their goal always remained the same - only take from those who have plenty, and give to those who have none (and maybe keep some to yourself just for fun). Hongjoong took every lesson to heart, forming a strong sense of justice and a desire to be a positive force to be reckoned with. When he eventually came of age, Hongjoong left the crew to build one of his own - one that would take on the mantle of justice and retribution against those who abuse their power. The first period of being on his own was harsh. Being the captain of a crew of one was not exactly the most rewarding work he had encountered, even on the ship he had managed to steal from a royal navy and redesign to his heart's delight. But slowly, as he took on more small jobs, stealing from the rich rulers of cities to give back to those in need, he garnered a reputation that would follow him everywhere he went. His stories began to spread like wildfire amongst the towns he visited, leading to him gaining the title of “The Charitable Pirate King”. His knack for chaos-creating, anarchy, and justice would end up reaching the ears and hearts of many, including those who would eventually become his crew.

Seonghwa: Half-Elf Warlock

All Seonghwa knew was that he was found on the front steps of an orphanage in a harbor town with a note stating only his name. He was taken in by the workers of the orphanage, but just because he had shelter does not mean that everything was fine. The conditions of the orphanage were destitute at best, and all the other children were regularly ignored by the workers. Even as a young child, he took it upon himself to care for the other children and the house they occupied - it was the only thing he had control over, and he was going to control it. That is when a plague swept over the harbor town, hitting the orphanage especially hard due to the harsh conditions. Seonghwa had his hands full taking care of all of his sick siblings, trying his best to provide them with the care that the real workers refused to provide them. One of the children, barely three, was much worse off than some of the others. Seonghwa regularly prayed to any deity he could think of, begging for the little one to be spared. One entity, one of healing and light, heard his pleas and showed themselves before Seonghwa, asking him if he would really do anything to cure the child. Seonghwa replied “yes” without hesitation, and so the entity bestowed powers of light and healing upon him, giving him the chance to heal the child. From then on, Seonghwa never had to worry about the little ones anymore, contracted to an oath of healing. As soon as he came of age, the workers kicked Seonghwa out of the orphanage, forcing him to take on multiple hard labor jobs just to keep himself afloat. That was, until, he heard rumors of a lone sailor, one who had taken the seven seas by storm - a pirate king in the making, “The Charitable Pirate King”. One day, the up and coming pirate king pulled into the harbor, parting the crowds as he made his way through the town. The captain approached Seonghwa, asking him his name. The captain introduced himself as Hongjoong, and reported that he had heard tell of someone in the village who had the power of light and healing. Seonghwa looked at the young captain, shocked, knowing that he was the person that Hongjoong was talking about. Seonghwa confessed to being the one with such powers, showing the light glowing from his palms that never seemed to dim. Hongjoong, seeing such potential in Seonghwa, offered him freedom - a place on his crew as his second in command. Seonghwa knew he had nothing left to lose, leaving the only place he’s ever known to embark on a new adventure aboard the Silver Light.

Yunho: Human Bard

Yunho grew up in a very loving home. The only challenge was that both his parents were forced to work to keep them afloat, leaving Yunho in charge of raising his younger brother. Yunho taught himself how to play the lute, using music and stories to keep himself and his brother entertained. Yunho quickly learned how to spin a tale full of fantasy and adventure. It was all they had besides each other, even though they knew that their parents loved them - until they didn’t come home. The boys never found out what had happened to their parents, but they knew that as long as they had each other, things would be okay. Because they were still young, Yunho took to sharing his music and stories on the streets in the hopes of earning money to keep them going. Yunho packed up what they had, and with his brother they began to travel from town to town, continuing to try and pick up some more money as they moved. They finally reached the coast, now well into their early adulthood, still sharing stories and music where they could without being run out by soldiers. One night, as they wandered the streets for somewhere to sleep, a kindly baker invited them in, taking pity on them. The baker provided them with food, allowing them to sleep inside the shop for as long as they needed. That was the safe place that Yunho and his brother needed to start over. Yunho’s brother began to work for the baker as payment for their kindness as Yunho continued his storytelling. That was, until, one day he ran into two other men while heading to his usual storytelling spot. The two men were scouring a map with intensity, seemingly trying to figure out where exactly they were. Yunho stopped to help them, before recognizing one of them - "The Charitable Pirate King", Hongjoong. For Yunho’s kindness, the captain offered Yunho a position in his crew. Yunho was initially hesitant, not wanting to leave his brother behind, which Hongjoong sensed. Hongjoong let Yunho know that his offer would remain open until the next dawn and walked away. Yunho scurried back to the bakery, desperate to speak with his brother. As soon as Yunho mentioned the offer, his brother immediately told him to take it - Yunho couldn’t spend the rest of his life looking after him, and he would be okay working with the baker. He told Yunho that he could always visit if he needed to, but that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity - he shouldn’t miss it. Late that night, Yunho left his brother to join Hongjoong on his adventures on the Silver Light. This is where he would eventually meet his best friend, Mingi, and become the light of inspiration and encouragement for the crew. His stories and music would always bring a lighthearted air to the others, one that would keep them going through their darkest challenges.

Yeosang: Half-Elf Rogue

Yeosang had no memory of his parents, who happened to be elven and human royalty. There were many, though, who were outraged by Yeosang's birth, stating that a half-human half-elf was blasphemous. One such person was his father, the elven prince’s royal advisor, who stole Yeosang in the dead of night, abandoning him where Yeosang would never be found - a large human village far outside their borders, whose street urchins took pity on him and did their best to keep him alive. As he grew, they taught him the ins and outs of survival on the street, from pickpocketing to various scams. His quiet demeanor and innocent-looking face kept him out of trouble while he snuck around to survive. It would be his sneaking around that would lead him to Wooyoung. One day, an adolescent Yeosang was wandering the alleyways a village, trying to lay low after his most recent pickpocketing spree when he heard a commotion from the other side of the alley - soldiers, clearly chasing after someone. Yeosang went to the end of the alley, laying in wait before a figure flashed in his view. He grabbed the figure, yanking them into the alley and covering their mouth as the soldiers rushed by. That figure was Wooyoung, a local troublemaker that Yeosang had heard about. To “thank” Yeosang for saving him, Wooyoung swore allegiance to Yeosang, refusing to leave his side (much to Yeosang’s dismay). However, Yeosang managed to find use for Wooyoung - he was now the (very loud) distraction to Yeosang’s heists. Together, they were a formidable pairing, managing to pull off even the most difficult of capers. Fully grown, Yeosang and Wooyoung became notable names in the thievery game - until one day, when they picked the wrong target. Charging through the streets of a coastal city, they scoured everywhere they could for a place to hide from the kingdom’s soldiers. They came across a menacing looking ship and raced aboard, finding a place to hide amongst the cargo on the deck. When they heard the soldiers leave, they stood up, only to find three men staring back at them - Seonghwa, Yunho, and “The Charitable Pirate King” Hongjoong. Fearing the worst, Wooyoung immediately began to spin a tale about how they got there, while Yeosang looked for an escape route - until Hongjoong began to laugh. The notorious captain let the two of them know that he had heard tell of their skills and heists, and offered the two of them a place on their crew. Knowing they had nothing left to lose, Yeosang and Wooyoung agreed, finally in a place where their skills could be used for the good of others.

San: Half-Orc Barbarian

San was actually raised in a very loving home - parents who adored him and cared for him, and an older sister who taught him the ways of the world. They lived mostly isolated on a farm, selling what they grew to the local villages. They were beloved by the people they sold to, and they always commented on what a lovely family they made. However, there were some in society that saw half-orcs as inferior. One day, as the family was tending to the farm, some strangers came begging for food and shelter. Because of their kind natures, San’s parents took the strangers in, not realizing that those strangers would be their undoing. San and his sister do not remember much of what happened next - all they remember is fire, blood, and suddenly only having each other as family. That was the day that would haunt San forever. Many years later, a now grown San was sitting at the bar of his sister’s tavern. She had made a name for herself, using the hidden inheritance their parents had saved for them to build the tavern that would keep herself and San alive and safe. He sat at the bar, nursing an ale that his sister had poured for him, when a group of already drunken thieves barged in. They instantly became a nuisance, harassing every other patron they came across. San could feel his temper beginning to boil at their antics. It wasn’t until they began harassing his sister, the most lewd and awful comments escaping their foul mouths that San snapped. He launched himself from his seat, charging at the group with force. Despite his powerful strength, San quickly found himself overpowered by this drunken group. That was when a group of strangers joined in the fray, beginning their attacks against the drunken thieves with ease. The unconscious thieves were soon thrown out of the tavern, leaving them to the constables for the night. San went to thank the group, the leader introducing himself as Hongjoong, “The Charitable Pirate King”. San had heard whispers of this crew’s adventures from some of the other patrons, but he admitted to the crew that he thought they were just a myth. The crew laughed, joking with San to not tell anyone - they had a reputation to upkeep after all. San’s sister thanked the crew profusely for helping and keeping her tavern safe, offering them a reward for their services. They declined any reward, but turned to San and offered him a spot in their crew, stating they could use his strength. San’s sister encouraged him to go, knowing that he was meant for so much more than just being a tavern bouncer. San left, promising his sister to send money and to visit often, before setting off with the crew of the Silver Light. There, they presented him with the weapon that would be his crowning jewel - a large battle hammer that only he could wield. San could use his passion and his strength to continue to fight for those who needed it, knowing he always had someone else to watch his back. 

Mingi: Human Druid

Mingi grew up in near isolation, despite being born into a very deeply connected faction of druids. He was born on an island far away from any mainland, where the whole population lived in connection to the island nature and all its creatures. Despite being collectivistic, with every child raised together as a group with the same naturalistic magic, Mingi was always an outcast. It did not help that as he grew, he grew to be tall and broad, very different from all of the others. This led to him being teased and ousted, even though Mingi was an incredibly kind and gentle soul. And so, Mingi regularly found himself alone. One day, a now grown Mingi was sitting on the beach by himself, taking time to meditate to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. He was feeling at peace until he heard some of the others giggling, beginning to taunt him for his “scary” looks and the fact that he was all alone. Mingi did his best to ignore them, but they came closer, continuing to taunt him. Mingi began to feel his emotions taking over, the magic coursing through his body becoming too overwhelming to handle. He started to lose control, and he bolted for the water with the others chasing after him, shifting into his wild shape as he dove into the waves - a large, intimidating-looking whale shark. Despite being entirely harmless, the size and look of his whale shark form scared away those who taunted him, finally leaving him alone again. Mingi swam off, knowing that there was no longer a point in returning home - he wasn’t welcome anyway. That was when Mingi heard a voice above him, calling out if he was all right. Mingi, in his wild shape, peeked out above the water. A random stranger peered out from over the railings of a large ship with a concerned look. Confused, Mingi shifted back into his human form, and the stranger cast a rope ladder over the railing for him to climb. As Mingi crawled over onto the deck, the stranger handed him a cloth to dry himself off, again asking Mingi if he was okay, noting that he had watched Mingi be chased into the water. The stranger introduced themselves as Yunho, sitting Mingi down as another stranger walked up with food for Mingi to eat. They asked if he wished for them to bring him back to the island, but Mingi refused - he had no home anymore. That day, Mingi found himself in the care of the crew of the Silver Light, no longer alone. Mingi would still have nightmares of his time on the island, but Yunho took it upon himself to calm Mingi’s mind, always sharing stories and songs to bring him comfort. Mingi knew that he would never be an outcast again, finding a home that loved him no matter what. 

Wooyoung: Human Barbarian/Rogue

From the time he was born, Wooyoung made his presence known. As a toddler, he would regularly yell “hello” to everyone he passed by, always asking questions and showing affection to those around him whenever he got the chance. He was full of love and passion and volume, a spark of joy to behold. However, that spark of joy would soon be dimmed. A cult raided his village, destroying everything and capturing all of the children for the sake of their master to be put to work. Wooyoung and all the other children were forced to build shrines for this cult in complete silence. Every day was filled with grueling hard labor, the likes of which no child should ever experience - and it nearly drove Wooyoung insane. Years he spent in silence, his light nearly snuffed out completely, until one day, he snapped. Tired of being forced into silence, Wooyoung screamed out, rallying the other children and teens into revolting. Wooyoung picked up a pickaxe and began to smash the chains that bound each child together, sending them into a full-fledged riot. Wooyoung and the other now older members of the group fought off the guards, his passion inspiring them all to liberate themselves from the cult. That day, every one escaped into freedom, leaving Wooyoung to now live his life as he pleased. He hopped from place to place, no longer afraid to use his voice, causing whatever chaos he needed to in order to keep him alive and supplied. This pattern of chaos-creating would end up being how he met his best friend, Yeosang. Wooyoung latched on to Yeosang, the two of them finding a balance and rhythm that helped both of them achieve their goals. Wooyoung’s loud, boisterous, and chaotic personality served as an excellent distraction for Yeosang’s silent, tactical means of getting what they needed. Even when they found themselves faced with “The Charitable Pirate” Hongjoong, Wooyoung did his best to get them out, even if it meant yelling, lying, or fighting their way out. Thankfully, that was not the case, and Wooyoung followed Yeosang in joining the crew of the Silver Light. Wooyoung immediately took it upon himself to bring everyone together, using his friendly demeanor to start breaking the silences that fell upon the still new crewmates. Though they would never admit it out loud, the rest of the crew (even Yeosang) were thankful for Wooyoung, because they knew without his overly-friendly and loud nature, they would never be as connected with each other. Wooyoung would never have to live in silence again. 

Jongho: Human Fighter

Jongho was born to a family of nobles who served an arrogant, prideful royal family. These royals took their role too seriously, and made sure that everyone who worked for them “knew their place”. Even as a child, Jongho never understood what made them so different aside from their title, but his parents told him to keep quiet and do as he was told so he would be okay. And so, Jongho did as he was told, training in various forms of combat and weaponry to serve the family as a personal guard. From a young age, he showed great potential in anything he picked up, and had a knack for learning things quickly. He showed the royals that he was an asset to hold on to, even if it meant having to keep his opinions to himself. One day, Jongho walked through the halls of the royal palace, tasked with guarding the crown prince. Everything was quiet until one of the royal maids accidentally tripped and fell into the crown prince, nearly knocking him over. Before Jongho could even react, the crown prince shoved the maid to the floor, screaming at her in disgust for “daring to touch royalty”. Jongho was horrified at the scene - a grown man screaming at an innocent woman for an accident she had no control over. Jongho, without even thinking, immediately stood in front of the now distraught woman, still on the floor, staring the crown prince down with a glare. The crown prince ordered Jongho to move aside so he could “teach the wretch a lesson”, but Jongho refused, finally letting his feelings towards the royal family be known - they were crass, arrogant, and didn’t deserve to rule if this was how they treated the people who worked for them. Needless to say, Jongho was quickly banished from the kingdom, with nothing but his skills to keep him going. Jongho bounced around from town to town, doing odd jobs that used his skills well to keep him going. Still a knight at heart, Jongho regularly practiced his combat with any weapon he could find in the early hours of the day before heading into town for work. This habit would continue even in the harbor town he now resided in, stocking cargo ships and hauling fresh fish from the fishermen. One morning, as he practiced as usual, a voice called out to him, stating that Jongho was “doing it wrong”. Immediately whipping around to sass the voice that he was doing it properly, he came face-to-face with “The Charitable Pirate King” Hongjoong. The captain recounted that he and his crew had watched Jongho practice for a few mornings now, seeing his potential and skill. Hongjoong offered Jongho a chance to put those skills to use as a part of the crew of the Silver Light. Jongho, having nothing left to lose, agreed nonchalantly, walking with the captain to begin his new life using his power and knowledge to do what he wanted. He no longer had to be at the mercy of those who saw him as a means to an end - he was now the fighter that he longed to be. 

[trans-queen-administrator]

My favorite manga ended after 6 years of me following it, so y'all get to hear me ramble about how Falin from Dungeon Meshi and Noelle from Worm are counterparts. Major major major spoilers for Dungeon Meshi, just a warning. And Worm I guess, but I just kinda assume anyone seeing my posts knows about Worm.

So first off, super obvious comparison, they're both women who have had their lower halves replaced with a massive monster body that's a mishmash of multiple animals that is so large their human torso is dwarfed. Falin has a rather coherent feathery and scaled chimera body, and Noelle has a mass of meat and mouths and limbs that's constantly expanding. Both of them got this lower body through some sort of fucked up life-saving medical procedure too. Noelle was dying and needed to drink her vial to heal, and Falin was a completely deceased set of bones before Marcille revived her. Both of them immediately seemed better in the aftermath, only for the consequences of drinking half a vial/repurposing dragon flesh to regrow a human with dark magic to show themselves after a short period of relief. The two of them are both taken over by their monster half as well. Falin's soul is overwhelmed by the dragon soul and her orders now that she's part of the dungeon, and Noelle is slowly subsumed by her broken connection to her passenger that takes away parts of herself until she's a violent and aggressive mess with barely anything of Noelle left in her.

Noelle and Falin are also the heart of their groups. Noelle was the common friend among everyone in the Travelers, and Falin was was similar with her being generally friendly and very important to Laios, Marcille, and Shuro. Both groups immediately start looking for a way to save them, but I think it's rather interesting how the relationships strain in different ways. In Dungeon Meshi, when Falin died the adventuring party fractured. Namari and Shuro left, and Chilchuck only stuck around because he had been paid in advance, and when she was revived into being monstrous there was consideration of giving up. The adventuring group in Dungeon Meshi weren't really friendly at first with Falin gone, they were co-workers who argued and bickered and stuck together out of obligation. Marcille thought Laios was crazy, Chilchuck thought he was dumb, and Marcille and Chilchuck were often getting on each others nerves, but through their quest to revive and then to un-chimera Falin they all bonded and actually grew close and cared deeply about each other. The Travelers are similar, they were all friends before their wacky psychological body horror isekai, bar Cody and Krouse, but once the group was put under stress and the heart of the group in Noelle got her condition they began to grow apart. By the time we see them in canon, none of them really like each other and they all feel alone despite being in the group, but they remain because they don't have anywhere else to go and most of them care about fixing Noelle. Both groups go from being friends, to having something horrible happen to the common uniting factor in the group, to being strained and disliking each other. The difference is though, Dungeon Meshi has them grow to like each other beyond their bond with Falin, and they make new friends along the way, but the Travelers just become more and more resentful of each other and can never really bond with anyone else on Earth Bet. The groups have the same starting point, but they travel in opposite directions and reach opposite destinations. Noelle doesn't get cured, but Falin does.

This is a Dungeon Meshi post, so I have to make a comparison to food as well, I'm legally obligated to. Falin is saved by being consumed, with everyone coming together to eat her lower half, and it's a proper meal. Noelle though, she mindlessly consumes with no purpose. She feels a constant hunger and is sustained with insane amounts of meat, eventually consuming people as well. It's not a meal, it's not a way to spend time with others and appreciate the effort put into food, it's just consumption with no joy or meaning. It's an odd parallel. One of their monster halves eats, and the other is eaten.

Another fun little parallel is how the adventurers line up with the Travelers in some ways. Both groups do some pretty illegal shit in their quest to save their giant monsterified friend, but I think there's especially a fun line to draw between Krouse siding with Noelle when she was fully gone and rampaging and Marcille becoming the lord of the dungeon with saving Falin as one of her main goals, and then they both get sentenced to super mega turbo jail after it all. Marissa and Laios both get the fun little moment of "resolving to kill their former closest friend because she's completely gone, only for her to appeal to their bond," but Marissa incinerates Noelle anyway while Laios hesitates. Marissa also parallels with Marcille because both of them have massive codependent desperate crushes on their respective friends turned into mindless monsters, and Laios parallels Krouse in being a leader that the group often hates, there's a lot of ways to twist those 4 around and look at them for funsies. Beyond that there aren't really any easy parallels to draw between the group members. Cody could be Shuro because they both have a crush on Noelle/Falin that goes completely unrequited, and they fucking hate the leader of the group. Jess could be Izutsumi because they both resent their bodies and desire freedom. Luke and Chilchuck both want to leave the group when everything goes to shit, and retire from adventuring after the experiences. Oliver is Senshi because they're both eye candy.

Ultimately, I don't have a point here, I just think that it's nifty that I can draw so many connecting lines between these two groups in vastly different media. Its neat seeing how having the central member of a group be put through the horrors can either fracture or forge friendships, and I like how they both turn out in such vastly different ways despite the similarities. Rip Noelle you would have loved Dungeon Meshi.

[dangeroustigerbasement]

CONTENT WARNING: SOME CHARACTERS MIGHT BE DEMONIZED

Introducing Corrin and I's son (well one of them), James. I wanted to focus on him since in my story series, Summer Adventure, he's the most prominent the 12 offspring. Even down to the fact that he has his own portion of the series, Hero's Legacy. Here's an overview of his series wide appearances leading up to Summer Adventure 10.

Hero's Legacy 0: The Last Frontier

Nothing much about it is known since I've not gotten around to writing it yet. All that is known right now is the premise and the outcome. The premise involves James, along with his recurring companions Bandana Dee from Kirby, Charlie from Smiling Friends, and Akiyama from Yakuza/Like A Dragon, being tasked with going to Alaska to escort a familiar Thorn Princess named Yor Briar away from Twilight's reach, who has vile ambitions for her and Alaska. Eventually, James and co. defeat Loid Forger, Yor is safely escorted out of Alaska, and Akiyama goes off to assist me, leading to Summer Adventure 7. This takes place in April of 2022, 10 months after Summer Adventure 6.

Summer Adventure 7: A Hero's Legacy

James' proper first debut in the series, after becoming reliable in the prequel, Hero's Legacy 0: The Last Frontier, he reunites with his comrades to take down the Elites, who have framed his father (me) for a crime he didn't commit. James, his comrades, and whoever they meet along the way must set sail to Japan to clear his name. In the end, the Elites are defeated, my name is cleared, and James readies himself for what's next. This takes place during December of 2022, right in the middle of the 1 year time skip between Summer Adventure 7 and Summer Adventure 8.

Summer Adventure 8

His first mainline appearance, he and his comrades assist me and my party through a tyrannical social darwinist regime, while also helping me grapple with my past. At the end of it all, guilt drove me to time travel to the end of Summer Adventure 6 and prevent the incident that caused the events of Summer Adventure 7.

Hero's Legacy 2: The Dark Future

Taking place a year after Summer Adventure 7: A Hero's Legacy, James and his group check out a time machine Engineer is building, hoping to check out the future and see what it has to offer. However, things go awry, as the Time Machine sucks everyone present into the future, which after a bit of poking around, is revealed to be less than savory. Far less. A dystopian future that serves as the consequence of the time travel stunt that happened at the end of Summer Adventure 8, the Dark Future is a ruthless wasteland ran by the tyrannical Zack Fair. James and his party find their friends, with some of them having tagged along with the Dark Future version of Nori in a bid to find James. Everyone reunites in a dystopian Alaska, defeats the Dark Future equivalent of Loid Forger, and meet up with Engineer and Medic, who leads them to the Chrono Crystal Cavern to find a Chrono Crystal and repower the Time Machine to take them back home. Back in the present, there is still one thing left to do. James, along with Bandana, Charlie, and Akiyama go over to Moodswing Prison to defeat who they believe is responsible for the dystopian future. After defeating the perp, they head back home to recuperate and begin working towards a solution.

Summer Adventure 9

As the protagonist of his own quarter of the story, complete with his own party, his quarter of Summer Adventure 9 sees him working towards a better tomorrow after his time in the Dark Future in Hero's Legacy 2. This includes temporarily scaring off the tyrannical regime from Summer Adventure 8, tying up loose ends from his father's childhood, truly putting an end to the remains of the Cult of Dramodious from Summer Adventure 3, the Emperor's Faithful, dealing with a corrupt seafaring militia, and having run-ins with various One Piece villains such as Spandam and Roji. At the end of it all, he reunites with the protagonists of the other 3 quarters, his father, the Dark Future version of Nori, and Luzie. While his father and Luzie go to the Dark Ruins to deal with Varitas, he and Dark Future Nori dissolve the Emperor's Faithful in Camas, as well as sinking the corrupt militia's fleet near Ocean Shores. After that is done, they meet back up with their father, who has fused with Luzie after their encounter with Varitas. With a box truck en route to Moodswing Prison arriving, me, James, and Dark Future Nori ride over to Moodswing Prison for the final showdown, which involved:

- Destroying Sentinel 14

- Infiltrating Moodswing Prison through the back by trekking through a forest at night

- Destroying the Effigy partway into the Sacred Grounds

- Taking down the mother of all One Piece villains

- Scaling Moodswing Panopticon to reach a painting to Alaska, which they jump into.

- Defeating Ean, Zack, Absalom, and Hancheol at the bottom floor of the skyscraper that houses Hope Etheim.

- Scaling said skyscraper to confront and defeat Hope Etheim, which causes Dark Future Nori to fade away.

Hero's Legacy 3: Seas of Despair

I won't reveal the details for this. Yet. I will however, elaborate on a future post, so stay tuned.

I will be making a new "heroslegacy" tag for organizational purposes.

ANTIS/ROMANTIC DOUBLES DNI

[roguesscribbles]

Finally got around to making a proper reference sheet of my DnD character, Loranis Harkenves! She's a human wizard. She was my first DnD character who I brought back in a new campaign set in the same world.

Following the party's defeat at the hand of the Faceless One, a demigod hellbent on taking over the world, she and the party were sent 100 years into the future by a time wizard in hopes of putting them in a time where they could better prepare to defeat him.

However, it came with a catch. The once powerful wizard lost all of her memories of the first campaign. To her, she had barely left home a couple months ago to become an adventurer, and her world isn't how she remembers.

If you want the full rundown to what happened in the first campaign, you can find it under the cut! Warning: it is very long

Loranis wasn’t always a Harkenves. Loranis Silverkin was abandoned by her parents at the age of 5, and was taken in by a wizard called Dawand Harkenves. Dawand lived in a cottage in the woods on the outskirts of a small town called Darkwall, and he took on the young girl as his apprentice at the desperate request of her parents.

Loranis spent her childhood under the tutelage of Dawand, who turned out to be an incredibly powerful wizard. He was calm and kind, always showing unlimited patience for the young Loranis as she adjusted to her new situation and learned from his teaching. However, he was also quite eccentric. He was always full of jokes, and a lot of his lessons were unusual and unique.

As Loranis became a teenager, she began to resent her parents and the name they had left her. In the end, despite it supposedly being to help her, they had abandoned her with a complete stranger. She was grateful for Dawand and saw him as her father, a sentiment that he reciprocated. Eventually, she asked if she could take his surname and make it official, which he was ecstatic to accept, and from then on Loranis was officially seen as his daughter.

When Loranis reached the age of 20, she felt more confident in her magical abilities, and decided she wanted to try her hand at adventuring. Loranis lived quite a sheltered life, rarely leaving the more secluded town of Darkwall on select trips with Dawand. She gained the idea from the various different travelers that come through Darkwall, with adventurers being occasionally among them. She wanted to grow, both as a person and as a wizard, and left with Dawand’s approval.

The trajectory of her life changed when a simple job became a lot bigger than she expected. A bard had gone missing, and the trail led to an abandoned religious temple called Lightwatch Tower. Sealed inside was a demonic abomination known as a Demvil, a cross between a demon and a devil, and the product of revenge against a warlock who had broken his pact. The creature, presenting himself as a young boy at the time, was highly intelligent and incredibly dangerous and completely above their level, but he was also willing to listen to reason.

After some clever convincing, Loranis and her party were able to leave with the missing bard in tow, under the impression that the creature would still be confined to the tower and they could forget it existed. How wrong they were.

Despite the intense situation, there weren’t given much time to rest, as they promptly found themselves kidnapped by a group of elven warriors called the Azurewood Rangers. One of their own had been killed during the previous adventure by a rogue servant of the Demvil, and the party were the only witnesses. After an explanation, they were released and found themselves in the elven treetop city of Azurewood. Here, they made a new friend through a fellow cellmate, a dwarven warrior called Bolton Ungart.

It was through Bolton that they discovered a dastardly plot was brewing in Azurewood. The leader, Lord Ellesmere, was hunting for 3 outcast druids who were friends with Bolton. Through a meeting with the druids, the party discovered that Lord Ellesmere isn’t entirely what he seemed, and following a confrontation, it was revealed that he was a Dhampir and was using his power to control the town. After a tough battle, he was slain, but one of the druids were killed.

Once the dust had settled and Lord Ellesmere’s intentions were revealed, the remaining druids were welcomed back into the community. However, a new issue quickly arose. The soul of Lord Ellesmere lingered and was quickly contained, and if it wasn’t destroyed then he would reform. However, the two remaining druids weren’t strong enough to banish it, and they needed another druid to help them.

With no leads on any druids, they turned their attention to a new adventure. Their newest party member, Bolton, revealed that he was exiled from his home of Voghun, a dwarven city within the southern mountains. He asked the party for help regaining access to the city and petitioning for the removal of his exile. However, the party soon find themselves entangled in another dastardly plot.

They discovered that Bolton is in fact dwarven royalty, and the son of the previous rulers. However, following the sudden disappearance of the king and queen, his uncle took over as king, and the two had never seen eye to eye. Eventually, his uncle exiled him, and the situation has taken a turn since Bolton was forced to leave. The dwarves have always been at constant war with the occupants of the Underdark, particularly with the orcs, and every recent attack seemed to be pushing more and more ground. After a heated discussion with the current king, the party decided to take matters into their own hands and investigate themselves, which led them to travel to an orc encampment to at best, speak to the leader and try and negotiate and at worst, fight them.

It didn’t take long for things to fall through, however. Not only were the orcs unwilling to negotiate, which was not unexpected, the last person the party expected to see made an appearance. Demvil, in his true shadow form, rose from the ground and towered over them. He revealed that his confinement to the tower ended long before the party had arrived, and the denizens of the Underdark were under his command. Not only that, but the king of Voghun was also his pawn, and the party leaving the city provided an ample distraction to initiate his plan.

Realising what they were up against, the party made a hasty retreat back to the city, only to find an invasion was well underway. The orcs, most likely with inside help, had burst through the main gate and were pushing their way into the city, outnumbering the dwarven guard. The party were able to intervene, but they knew they had to go to the source. Fighting their way to the royal citadel, they confronted the king, who was surrounded by his royal guard. It didn’t take long for the party to realise they were outnumbered and outmatched, and unless a miracle happened, they way meet their demise in the throne room.

Fortunately for them, the gods seemed to have been listening. Bolton sent a desperate prayer to Bahamut, the primary god of the dwarven people, and his prayer was answered with a blessing. The royal guards were frozen in time, and Bolton was empowered with holy power. The fight between the party and the king was still brutal, the king being empowered by whatever pact he made with Demvil, but eventually he was slain.

It was a long battle, but with the help of Bolton’s power up, the orcs were driven from the insides of the city and the battle was won. When the dust had settled, the question in regard to the new ruler was raised. Bolton was the rightful heir to the throne, and the death of his uncle meant he could finally take his place. However, Bolton’s work with the party wasn’t yet finished, as the threat of Demvil was now known. In the end, Bolton decided to postpone his ascension to the throne, deciding instead to put his most trusted friend, a blacksmith called Odo who was once a close friend of his parents, on the throne while he was away.

The party returned the orc encampment to investigate. The camp was hastily deserted of everything barring some abandoned prisoners. Surprisingly, while most of the prisoners were dwarves, one stood out among the rest. A blind elf sat in solitude with a very gloomy attitude. He had been blinded by the orcs and was mourning the loss of his sight, feeling without it his life had lost meaning. However, the party quickly discovered that the elf was also a druid, and after much convincing, they were able to bring him back with them to Azurewood.

The druid wasn’t the only new companion the party had gained. During their time in Voghun, the party came across a golden dragon wyrmling after helping Odo investigate why metal in his workshop kept going missing. The little wyrmling was unusually alone, and may have been killed if discovered, so the party convinced her to come with them. The party then named her Gwen.

The elvan city of Azurewood became the home base for the party as their focus shifted to Demvil and his unknown plot, their adventures giving them pieces to an ever-growing puzzle. Demvil’s power was bigger than the party ever could have imagined, and his influence was growing. His plan was to turn the entire material plane into a plane of Hell, to give him a steppingstone in rising through the levels and gaining more power. This would, in turn, eradicate most life on the material plane, which made is an event that needed to be stopped at all costs.

Under the leadership of the druids, who has fused to create a new being, an elf named Plyan, the party travelled far and wide to gather allies for the fight to come.

It took them to the home of the dragons on a far continent of Incinerous, where they met and worked for the king of the dragons named Traxion. It took them to the small but growing city of the Tieflings, where they helped them deal with outside sources that threatened the budding save haven. It took them to the reclusive Gnomes, who had discovered how to replace their flesh with steel, who were dealing with deadly infighting. It took them to the manor of the halfling leader under the guide of an extravagant dinner, which soon turned into a bloodbath when Demvil’s influence was revealed. It took them to a once thriving human capital, which lay abandoned and filled with fog, stagnant air and shadow demons.

Their adventures let Loranis and Bolton grow closer, eventually falling in love and getting together.

At one time in between, it took them to Loranis’ biological family, the Silverkins. Through her father, Loranis was introduced to a Devil called The Silver Spider. She had a long running connection with her family after Loranis’ ancestor made a deal with her, leaving behind the lingering mark of her silver eyes that was passed down through generations. Despite being devil in nature, she had no interest in working with Demvil. In fact, his entire plan was bad for business, as she relied on the deals she made with the mortals of the material plane. As such, she had reached out to Dawand to provide some assistance.

She revealed that a type of fiend called a Cambion had vital information that could be used against Demvil, which made him a high priority target. It was known that he was currently hiding in the Silverkin estate, bound to someone inside. As such, the party would need to infiltrate the manor, find him and get that information at all costs. And their in was through Loranis.

Feigning interest in a reunion, the party were able to enter the manor as guests. In turn, Loranis was able to learn more about her family. Her parents and older brother were travelling merchants who were once ostracized from the main branch of the family due to a disagreement with the head of the family. They struggled for a time, especially with a young Loranis to take care of. Eventually, her parents made the difficult decision to give her away, both to try and give her a better life and to help the rest of them survive.

The main branch of the family is incredibly wealthy, and it seemed her parents had recently reconciled with them. Loranis, now older and wiser, understood her parent’s decision, but it didn’t make the lingering resentment go away.

The peace didn’t last long, however, as the party were soon attacked. Loranis’ uncle was revealed to be a warlock working directly under Demvil. He had been corrupted, tricked into thinking that the party would be the ones to bring about the end of days. After defeating him, he retreated, but not before they discovered that he was the one to bind the Cambion to the material plane with the intention of Demvil killing him permanently. They discovered him in the basement, severely weakened due to the source of his binding getting further and further away, and he asked the party to kill him in exchange for the information. His death at their hands would allow his soul to return the hells, where he could reform and live on.

They discovered through him that Demvil had a weakness. Extended periods on the material plane weakens him, and eventually he needs to return to a pocket dimension to recuperate. If they could fight him when he was at his weakest, they would have the best shot at killing him. And with that, the Cambion was sent back to the hells.

The victory was quickly replaced with dread, however, as another presence entered the basement. Demvil was here just seconds too late, and he was furious. He had enough of the party’s meddling, and decided a horrible punishment was in order as well as their death. He forcibly ripped the souls from their bodies and cast them deep into the hells.

The party awoke in chains somewhere they would soon find out was a prison complex on one of the planes of hell. The souls that were send here could not escape, as the exits could only be activated by someone with a body. Souls were sent here with the intention that they face eternal suffering for the rest of time, and most of the fiendish guard were in league with Demvil.

Not all was lost, however. The Cambion, who they discovered was called Garrak, had reformed and come to help them alongside the Silver Spider. The party needed to sneak through the complex undetected to a crystal, which either fiend could activate to return the party to the material plane.

Luck seemed to be on their side as they moved through the grounds and reached the crystal undetected. However, being out in the open led to them getting spotted. A fight broke out, which led to Bolton getting slashed across his eye before they could retreat using the crystal. They awoke in the dusty basement mostly unharmed, but the damage to Bolton’s soul revealed that he had gone blind in the damaged eye.

This situation worked in their favour, however. Demvil was now under the impression that the party was imprisoned, which allowed for them to move undetected for some time. They needed to gather their allies and their armies and prepare to go to war against Demvil to save their plane.

When the armies had gathered and the time came, the battle was immense. The party needed to fight their way through the opposing forces with the united army and force their way to where Demvil was hiding. They discovered him in a deformed tower of his own design, and that’s where they had their final showdown.

It was a long, egregious battle that claimed the life of one of the party, but Demvil was finally slain. With his death, his army quickly broke and retreated. The plane was saved.

They knew it wasn’t entirely over. A being of his nature would reform on his own plane, like Garrak had. However, for someone of his power, it would take a very long time, and they would make sure they were ready.

The next few years were one of healing and peace. Many of the different races took losses during the war, the humans most of all were almost entirely wiped out. However, the unity of the races bore fruit, resulting in new alliances and stronger bonds.

The party became renown throughout the land as the Demon Slayers and became legends among adventurers.

Loranis returned to Voghun with Bolton, who finally took his rightful place on the throne, and Gwen, who she had formed a strong bond with throughout their adventures. She helped to strengthen the city where she could, and Voghun, for the first time in its history, was opened up to outsiders.

After two more years, the two lovers wed.

Eventually though, Loranis was pulled from her adventuring retirement when a new threat had been reawakened. The Faceless One, a being much more powerful than Demvil, even as far as claiming they were a god. Following the war, a gargantuan tornado of magic only known as the Vortex had appeared, and they were going to use it to take over the material plane.

Even before the confrontation with allies old and new, they knew they were outmatched. Unprepared. But they knew that they had to die trying. Someone else had other plans, however.

Singard, a powerful time wizard, used the last of his strength to propel the heroes into the future, to a time where they may be able to prepare and defeat him. Not all were lucky however, as the Faceless One managed to disrupt the magic on Plyan and Bolton, forcing them to stay in the present.

It was 100 years before Loranis awoke again, lying in an unfamiliar field, dressed in unfamiliar clothes. She sat there with confusion, as to her, she had just been at a campsite after having barely left home for the first time. Whatever magics Singard had cast had rid her of 5 years of memories and has stranded her in a world that has changed dramatically in her absence.

Will her memories return? Will she find out what happened to those she loves? Only time will tell.

[crqstalite]

now tell me some about your bg3 blorbo kallista!! 👀👀

oooo thank you!! similar warnings for minor (act 1?) spoilers below :) im not actually super well-versed in baldur's gate lore, so some of its vague for the sole reason i have zero idea what i'm talking about lmao

her full name is kallista fortuna raeburn. she prefers the name kalli though usually. or 'the caster'. or 'the artisan'. or 'that tiefling down the road with the weird magical abilities'

she's about 27, turning 28 mid-campaign. 5'6", asmodeous tiefling sorc with a penchant for electricity and of course -- fire <3

( the wild magic bit doesn't help much )

grew up in a semi-major town outside baldur's gate. she worked primarily as an artisan at the request of her house mother after leaving the orphanage she grew up in. she loves to make things with her hands.

on that thought, she ended up in an orphanage shortly after her parents disappeared. kallista has never found out what happened to them, but it is part of her sub-story. her parents were adventurers, not unlike who she'd eventually become, and often took off on long trips. however it was unusual when her father didn't return after a particular excursion, and her mother went after him -- never to return again. kallista believes them dead, but has never really stopped looking. they left her with a pendant that would direct her back to the matching one her father wore, but finding it crushed and buried at seventeen certainly didn't help matters. her mother's is still out there, keeping the pendant warm, but she's never had the means to find it when it lead out to open ocean.

her father was a seldarine drow while her mother was a tiefling.

with the others often not-so-well-veiled distrust of her because of her tiefling background, kallista became a bit of a wily one early on. she's a little too dexterous for her own good (her claws allow her to attempt lock picking), and a bit of a charismatic smooth talker. it allowed her to sneak in and out of the orphanage, lie and often persuade others to give her what she wanted. usually she was rather benevolent, it just could get destructive if she forgot details (like what she told whom or how she had gotten in/left the night prior). high dex/charisma score v. low wisdom/int score troubles

very much a 'react first, ask questions later' person. easily spooked. not a good idea to sneak up on her. however not so easily grossed out (collects specimen off battlefields like it's nothing. likely is always covered in...someone's blood. not always her's.)

she's actually incredibly smart in the arcana, even with her avg. intelligence score. she has a crazy photographic memory, and if she's experienced the spell firsthand, it's way easier to remember the history attached to it and the grimoire it was in.

very chaotic good! she's always down to help someone...but that doesn't mean she'll do it right. or legally. but you lived right? stop getting bogged down in the details.

her closest party members are likely halsin (her RO), lae'zel (she has a weird amount of respect for her...and is terrified of her), shadowheart (similar reasons), karlach (she had a major crush on her early on before it waned into 'no, i just really respect and like you around' ) and astarion (the only person she organically got to know without being scared of him)

not so much a fan of gale, and largely academically curious about wyll. of course, he's her friend, but she's never met a warlock prior to him. she likes to learn, even if she's a little nosy. actually, yeah, she's similarly academically fascinated by gale and his problems with mystra. she just thinks he's a little odd (and perhaps pretentious...he's a proper wizard to her wild magic sorcery)

( sorry weird amount of astarion & kallista content...ivelina's run will be romancing him bc im not normal about him )

astarion is a weird case for her because unlike the others, she didn't immediately clock him as a threat. yes, he did try to sink his fangs into her and suck her dry, but after the initial 'holy shit youre so very very lucky i did not fireball you into next week' wore off, oh boy astarion got bombarded with so many questions. he thinks he would've been better off had she tried to stab him.

( she's a sciency gal at heart )

still, she likes his sarcastic nature and his willingness to be vulnerable with her later on. they become rather quick friends (well, she calls him a friend the day after he bites her, it takes him a while to get past 'pest-like woman who won't leave me be')

she regularly lets him drink from her, it takes him a while to come around to actually, well, even coming close to enjoying it, but somewhere after kallista stops flinching everytime he does it they have a nice amount of comradery. there's some fleeting romantic interest that isn't reciprocated by either party, but it isn't unusual to find them sitting by the fire later, the pair of them discussing the days events...and maybe astarion making sure the all-too-nice tiefling doesn't pass out from blood loss.

they nitpick at each other quite a lot. usually in good fun, in the wiity, dramatical way he does and the sarcastic, innocent-but-not really way she does. if astarion wasn't incredibly pale and kallista did without the horns and tail, it wouldn't be all that bad of a guess that they were half siblings in another life.

on that note, she is...not good with boundaries. unlike koda this appears more as her inserting herself into everyone's problems and lives. mostly because her own is such a mystery and her feeling like she's never belonged turned her into a social chameleon. she needs people to like her. after all, if she's all-knowing, it means she can control what others think of her...and if she stays in their good graces, they won't leave her, right? if she becomes a fixture in their lives, they have to stick around. right? yeah. yeah...

( her parents disappearing + her rough childhood in the orphanage did...wonders for her self-perception )

in the "best" sense of the word, she doesn't really know when no means no. and it takes just about everyone (but especially lae'zel post vlaakith reveal) to get her to back off and relax. she struggles immensely with the lack of stability in her life, and getting tadpole-napped did not help matters. on the outside it shows more as her just wanting to be "helpful", but in reality she subconsciously wants to give you a reason to stay around her. to need her for something. it's manipulative -- she doesn't know it, but i do.

is learning how to navigate her new relationship with halsin. while she is monogamous, she respects that he is not, but perhaps gets a little forlorn thinking about the after...and how he may not always be around. or that her little tadpole family may not be either. it keeps her up at night.

living in the here and now is hard with so many emotional loose ends for her. but halsin does his best to sooth her worries, and peppers her with enough affection to garner attention from the others. kallista never minds this. wyll has not slept peacefully in a minute.

their dynamic is very much that she's the spitfire short girlfriend who has to remind the barkeep her beloved teddy bear of a boyfriend did not want pickles and so help her hells if they didn't take it off his sandwich--

has been to baldur's gate a few times on trips for the business she used to work for. however in-game, it's her first time going by herself...and so much has changed.

has a scar on her face after accidentally slicing open a part of her face with a paring knife when she was practicing telekinesis as a teenager.

thank you for asking im incapable of shutting up <3333

[shalpilot]

Hello! It's been a while since I asked you something

So, i'm not really into ffxiv stuff (like, plot, game itself, etc) but I'm extremely curious about your oc Kiril. Due to this i came up with some questions (they're so basic, because i need to know at least something to ask a proper question)

1. Can we get a lil' bit of Kiril's backstory (other than running away from home). As far as i understood, he ran away with his sister/friend Yesui and something bad happened to her. So, maybe now you can give some extra details on their runaway and her death (if it was death, obviously)?

2. What about Kiril's parents? I didn't get the thing about forehead scales (maybe, it's described in ffxiv wiki or smth, idk) and who were they? Some sort of a ruler? Just soldiers?

3. Not really important but how do you pronounce Kiril and Yesui's names (full, of course)?

So, I'm glad to write again and being eager to wait for your new answers

Probably, if it doesn't bother you, i'd ask more questions in future about Kiril

edit: question one ain’t canon anymore LOLOLOL. yesui still dies in coerthas but it’s related 2 the herectics now. idk how bc I like. just stared heavensward but. we will see.

1) I actually rolled Kiril’s last name and ended up getting one of the tribes with canon lore which is GREAT for me bc it helped me mold his backstory more. I’m not at the part where I actually get to learn about ‘em in-game cuz i only started playing like a month ago but to boil down what I know, the Dotharl tribe believes in reincarnation & as a whole the Xaela- pausing. Kiril is an Au Ra (race), a Xaela Au Ra (black scales; nomadic), and a Dotharl (tribe). hope that makes sense lol. anyways as a whole the Xaela are pretty unwelcoming to outsiders and even Xaela from other tribes. Every year they have a Naadam which is battle where the victor “claims dominion” over the Azim Steppe (homeland) for the year. The Dotharl emphasize not fearing death and not being a fucking pussy

all of that is setup LOL. Anyways, Kiril was born shortly after the death of a notable warrior (also named Kiriltugh) and so he was set on the path of becoming a warrior since essentially day one. thing is, he a.) hated it and b.) was shit at it. he struggled to pick up even the most basic parts of fighting and suffered a lot of berating due to it. at the same time, an older girl in the tribe was making strides and becoming a veritable golden child in the eyes of the adults. that was Yesui! she was incredibly strong for her age and seemed to have a natural gift for battle. but very importantly, she was also understanding of Kiril’s struggles & helped train him even after plenty of other people had declared him a lost cause. eventually though, despite her best efforts (and Kiril’s improvements! turns out a mentor who doesn’t yell at you is a lot more effective) Kiril made up his mind to just. leave. when he told Yesui about his plan, she insisted on coming with him. even with Kiril protesting (you’re doing fine here; don’t ruin your life by coming along!) she wasn’t going to let a 10 year-old leave on his own.

They travel together for an undecided amount of time- left vague so I can update it when i get to later expansions (heehee) until they eventually end up in Coerthas, a snowy region. To my understanding this is pretty fucking far away so I think they must’ve argued their way into an adventuring party or several to make it all that way. they didn’t exactly have a plan; it was just “keep going until we feel like it.”

(a realm reborn spoilers until the next question.)

in Coerthas, things take a pretty sharp nosedive for the two of them and they end up alone and very, very lost. their adventuring party was attacked by a beast tribe and the materials they were carrying were ran off with. They manage to find a cave which offers them a small amount of shelter. Yesui leaves Kiril there while she goes to look for any kind of settlement they might be able to hole up in. she’s gone for ages. and when she comes back, excitedly promising Kiril she’s found someplace safe, she seems… off. she’s holding his hand a little too tight, moving a little too fast. she assures Kiril that where they’re going is safe, warm, and “beautiful”, but the storm raging around them only seems to be getting worse.

…i’m gonna get a little more technical from here because i want to make the rest of this into a comic rather than writing it out.

what’s happened to Yesui is she’s become enthralled by a primal god. Garuda, the resident primal of the region, is in the process of being summoned by the same beast tribe that attacked them, with the items they were transporting (large quantities of crystals). the more followers a primal accrues, the more powerful they become, and something in the region has caught her attention.

Kiril.

so, using Yesui as means to draw him to her, she means to take control of him as well. unbeknownst to either of them, Kiril is under the protection of Hydaelyn, a different (benevolent) goddess who grants Kiril immunity to the thrall of primals. in shielding him, She also ends up shattering the crystals being used in the ritual, causing it to fail. in the ensuing chaos, Kiril escapes with Yesui and manages to find an actual settlement. he begs for help for him and his closest friend- who has remained enthralled even after the disruption of the ritual.

the thing about those who become enthralled is that there is no helping them. what’s more, every follower is another source of strength for a primal.

she cannot be allowed to live.

despite his desperate pleas, despite his promises that she’ll never hurt anyone, Yesui is put to death.

he is far, far from home, and he’s never been more alone in his life.

….then some stuff happens and he becomes an adventurer. i don’t wanna fill in everything just yet, haha.

2.) His mom is a goldsmith and his dad’s a hunter! His mom’s forehead scales are just a trait female Au Ra have. men don’t tend to have as many/any scales there.

3.) Key-rill-too (full name is Kiriltugh) and Yesui is like. yeh-sooey. kinda :?

Kiril doesn’t tend to go by his full name because he feels he hasn’t earned it. this is more so a thing before he saved the entire realm; now it’s more of an affectionate nickname from friends.

[justdaniel-eh]

AnoVerse Book Updates

Good morning tumblr :D

Figured since I mentioned the AnoVerse book in my last post ,,, little update time. I've been hard focusing (as much as I can between work and assignments anyway) the artistic side and refining the first half of the written book itself... so let me break down the work done for you all !

Writing Updates ✍

As I said, I've been refining the first half of the written book. This hasn't just been rereading and changing sentances either... I noticed come chapter 3 that I was writing a LOT more than I expected for the first half because I was so much more focused on character interactions since that was what the story was becoming for that part. It prompted me to reread what I'd done so far and realise that I did actually want to include more of that since we only get limited time with Deejay and Minister in the picture together. So whole sections have been added to reach a standard I'm more happy with.

Obviously the biggest issue that comes with that is pacing... I personally think I can make the pacing work - but the sudden increase in content by the chapter is something I'm trying to figure out how I want to work around. For the record - chapter 1 at the moment is just under 2000 words... chapter 2 is just under 4000 ! Nearly double ! It's very hard to just cut out writing and character moments I'm happy with and love !! I'll figure it out though eventually before release, I wouldn't want to release something I'm not happy with.

Art Updates 🖌

So... this post opened with something new as you may have seen.

Finally - I've made the AnoVerse 2025 logo !

A new logo is something I was wanting to get down for a while... I mean the old logo was outdated the second Deejay got an updated design - not to mention I felt it wasn't something I could utilise dynamically with each story. The original focused too much on representing each character rather than the story... and yes this new logo still has some character focused decisions here as you may be able to tell, but it's for a much greater purpose.

The red star is very much the series' logo and brand now to me. It'll make more sense after the Cosmos Cuprite arc has finished (which will be the first arc to begin if the series begins proper production), however even past that I personally see a lot in stars that resonates with AnoVerse. A star to me represents hope and new beginnings. Adventure maybe even as the unknown calls to be discovered. It's a universal consistant that I feel can apply to AnoVerse no matter the situation.

Anyway... enough about the star. Look at them !!

The front cover is coming along nicely... I removed the background for this image since it's not yet done haha and I don't want to show EVERYTHING off, but I had a lot of fun drawing these three and am excited to draw more of them for this project.

Fun little fact about this... I wanted to give them all unique party hairstyles too, but sooner realised that Minister was the only one who fit giving him a different hairstyle - I mean, he's trying extra hard to be presentable for this haha. On the contrary, Deejay is just here for a good time and Samantha always has her hair back in case she needs to go into action.

No it wasn't because I couldn't find hairstyles I liked trust me. I swear.

The Future (at the moment) ✨

Honestly... I just wanna talk a little bit more about the future of this real fast. First of all - roadmap goals. I'm still very confident in the ones I set for the most part, but I'm considering adjustments since I've began to realise how much of my time that assignments and work is taking up. I still think pre-orders will be up in the next 2-4 weeks, but I think I'll be leaving pre-orders up for 2 months so that I can have plenty of time to ensure everything is ready AND properly market the book which would push the book itself closer to a mid-June release with the online release becoming August.

This definitely affects my conceptual plans for the next year if this is a success, but it's not a massive deal since I think I knew deep down that it was a tad unreasonable... I still very much think I could get at least the first 3 books out in 2026.

Anyway, that's all. I just wanted to provide more updates. Hopefully these updates can come every 2 weeks, just depends what I have to report... we'll see though.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading, hope to see you again soon :D

[masterskywalkers]

Questions for Tavanna [Part Four]

Part one - with links to the original questions - can be found here.

16. What is your Dark Urge’s greatest desire?

Tavanna's greatest desire is control over her own self. To not have to fight against a part of her she desperately wishes didn't exist, nor had hold over her. It's what she constantly fights against, knowing that to give in to the urges would only make her a slave to Bhaal.

17. What is your Dark Urge’s greatest regret?

Alfira's death.

Tavanna was fond of Alfira. She thought she was sweet and kind, and her desire to adventure alongside them was a contagious warmth. She was hopeful that they might become friends eventually, and Tavanna found Alfira to be very talented with her music.

Her death was the first sign that something was very wrong within herself, and Tavanna quickly felt guilty for killing her. She never really recovers from that guilt and carries it with her even years later. Tavanna had even begged Withers to bring her back, but Withers refused on the grounds her fate had been set.

18. How does your Dark Urge feel about love?

Pre Orin's betrayal - Tavanna had no concept or thought of love. As Bhaal's chosen she used sex and affection as a tool, especially when it came to her 'relationship' with Gortash. Anything that helped her to further her goal, it didn't matter to her how she got there.

Post nautiloid crash - Tavanna didn't really think much about love to begin with, not until she started finding allies and building real friendships and connections with them. She quickly came to realize that she liked having friends, and that the people she surrounded herself with were people she had grown to care about.

19. Has your Dark Urge become particularly close to anyone romantically and/or platonically in their journey? If so, who, and what is the relationship like? If no, why not?

Tavanna is closest to Astarion.

At first, she didn't like him. At first, they tried to kill each other, their first meeting ending with the pair of them aiming their daggers at one another. She didn't trust him, and sensed early on how avoidant he was when the subject came to focus on him beyond what she thought was only petty vanity and pride.

But as they got to know each other more, Tavanna found herself warming to him. There were a few occasions where he surprisingly made her laugh with a sharp and unexpected comment he would make, but it wasn't until one evening when they both sat near the campfire just talking that she realized they could be friends.

By the time the Tiefling party happens, Tavanna feels that Astarion is one of her best friends among those she's come to travel with. She's surprised when he propositions her, but figures that yes, she is rather attracted to him, and if he's proposing a night together then there's no harm in joining him.

One night becomes two. Two becomes three -- until she soon realizes that they have fallen into a friends-with-benefits situation.

She comes to realize she might care more for him during their time in the Shadowlands. Tavanna keeps that revelation to herself - she doesn't think it's proper to say anything while he's supporting her with her own growing fears of her urges, and she's learning more about his own past with Cazador.

They do eventually confess that they share mutual feelings that are deeper than what they expected after the meeting with Araj, and when Tavanna learns about Astarion's true emotions when it comes to sex, she's very quick to support him and suggests that they put that sort intimacy on hold for however long he needs. That, and she thinks it'll be nicer for the two of them to learn how their new, fragile relationship will work on a more serious level, since it's a new experience for them both.

After Cazador's death, both Tavanna and Astarion tell each other that they love one another.

Tavanna is also closest to Lae'zel, Shadowheart, and Gale. Gale had fallen for her a little bit at the start of their adventure, but when he realized she didn't share his affections he soon backed off, giving her space and instead taking his place as one of her best friends.

Tavanna also has a very high admiration for Jaheria after she joins them. They have a bond that is unlike that she shares with others - Tavanna thinks the closest she could describe it as being is like Jaheria were a mentor to her.

20. Is your Dark Urge open about their Urge or do they try to hide it? Why?

Tavanna doesn't hide her urges from her companions. She feels it's important for them to know that she is struggling with this part of herself and that they need to be warned in case she ever becomes a danger to them that they need to be rid of (her companions refuse to kill her, which frustrates Tavanna to no end to learn because 'I'd rather you guys protected yourselves if I lost myself than risk your lives'). She confides her fears and thoughts the most with Astarion though, especially after the night when she nearly kills him. He encourages her to talk in the same way she gently encourages him to share anything he feels comfortable sharing with her, and he ends up being the person who knows best how to help her when it all becomes too much for her, or knows to read the signs when she needs a moment to stop and remind herself who she truly is.

Jaheria eventually becomes a valued confidant too, as her past experience with bhaalspawn helps to reassure Tavanna that, as long as she can keep her urges under control, there is a chance her life can go ahead with some sense of normalcy.

[sketchyelvenasss]

7, 15, 18, and 21 for Aerika or 2, 5, and 10 for Rexander for the Tav ask game please!!

Thank you for the ask ❤️! I don’t get very many so I’ll just do both. Also I read “or” as “and” first time round anyways lol (Rexander’s answers have near endgame Durge spoilers)

Aerika

7. Did your Tav travel a lot pre-tadpole?

He did! Specifically to the Underdark in search of magic items that were either lost in the dark or in the hands of those that meant to harm others with them. If he can he brings them back to the monastery where he became a cleric on the surface. Thanks to him they have a collection and have opened a museum of sorts to the public.

After the events of bg3 he will eventually return to his expeditions, despite some protesting from Gale. Even though his view of Mystra had been somewhat tarnished he still felt the passion to find, protect, and preserve magic.

15. Do they have any sentimental items?

-Aerika has a few. The first are his parents’ wedding rings. When he was still under a century old— he’s mid 200s now for reference—they were murdered by lolth-sworn raiders, he was captured and probably fated to become a slave when a cleric saved him by killing his captors. Before retreating to the surface with her they buried his parents and he took their rings as momentos.

-His wedding/ engagement band from Gale. They get engaged sometime before the reunion party bc they both knew they’d eventually be married. But Gale really wanted to take the time to do the proper things now that it was far less likely that either of them would die anytime soon.

-When Aerika starts adventuring again Gale gifts him with a smooth and polished amethyst sending stone so they could still communicate.

18. What did they want to be when they were younger? 21. What kind of education did your Tav have?

I’m gonna put these two together bc they work together.

Aerika wanted to be a wizard! But his parents were farmers with little disposable income. Still they loved him and did their best to nurture his passion with books. He didn’t receive any formal training or study until he decided to become a cleric of Mystra.

He believes it was fate to be saved by one of her clerics, and felt it would honor her and still allow him to channel the weave albeit in a different way than he originally thought he would.

The story below kinda covers these with how Aerika feels about them + Galemance fluff

Rexander

2. Does your Tav have any siblings? Are they close?

That is one of the things he still can’t remember. He can’t even remember who his mother was or if he even had one.

The closest you could call family for him were Sarevok and Orin and they are both dead by his hand so…

Rexander is a little grateful that Orin usurped him because he appreciates who he has become since escaping the nautaloid. His brain may be in shambles but at least it is all his own now.

5. Is your Tav religious? Were they raised that way?

Not anymore! As time went on after the tadpole died his memories began to steadily return. And he hates them, hates who he was. Rex, King of Murder was a devout follower of Bhaal leading the cult by example of heinous blood soaked murder—striving to be his father’s chosen and deliver Faerun to him in offering.

Now he doesn’t care who someone lights a candle for unless they come after him or his loved ones.

10. Was your Tav in a relationship? How did it end?

Pre-tadpole he did have a relationship with Gortash, but to him it wasn’t as important as his devotion to Bhaal and Rex had plans to murder him after they had conquered the world together— a revelation that comes to Rexander only as he’s standing over his corpse, but with the intent to save faerun.

I totally think it was a bit awkward to slowly remember their past relationship with Astarion standing right next to him. Although the elf means so much more to him than Gortash ever did. Astarion definitely says something to the effect of “glad to see you’ve upped your standards.”

[scottguy]

The rise and fall of water skiing

The above video is a snapshot of the sport of water skiing in 1973. At the time Water Skiing was roughly on the same trajectory as surfing. It was a sport that was popular with doctors and lawyers as much as with school teachers and construction workers. Competitive skiing was growing as was the American Water Ski Association (AWSA). Water skiing was a demonstration sport at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.  

Hall of Fame skier Ricky McCormick was on the Ed Sullivan show in 1967 with the Rolling Stones, Flip Wilson, and the Muppets. McCormick went on to win a Gold Medal at the Munich Olympics in 1972.  

Water Skiing was pop culture at one time and was one of the original extreme sports. The story of the rise and fall of the sport could be framed a number of ways. The dream of becoming a mainstream Olympic sport may or may not have been the defining factor. Within the sport we joke about how badminton and curling have long since passed us in terms of participation and exposure.  

USOC told us that if we wanted to get back to the Olympics after 1972 we had to restructure our national organization (AWSA) and expand it beyond its original scope. As a result, we formed USA Water Ski with AWSA as a subordinate organization along with other similar disciplines. It is at this point that the once focused sports federation became a bloated bureaucracy and completely lost its way.  

At the same time, US Water Ski also became subordinate to International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF). The IWWF is an even more bloated bureaucracy that rarely appears to be serving the athletes.  

In the mid 1980s, there were two print magazines as well as one from the AWSA. The best pro skiers had six-figure incomes and literally partied with rock stars. Anheuser Busch and Coors were primary sponsors of pro events seen on ESPN.

Fast forward to today, there is no print magazine, high-end ski sales are measured in hundreds of units, not thousands and competitive participation is at an all-time low. Most professional skiers coach to pay their bills. The demographics are increasingly affluent and male.  

Some of this can be explained by changes in the culture and economics but not all of it. For decades after water skiing was a demonstration sport at the Olympics the goal of getting back to the Olympics was a prime goal of leadership. It can be argued that the fundamental changes made to comply with Olympic criteria drove the sport down a path toward extinction.  

There is also a theory out there that water skiing was doomed when the sport started to move from public waterways to bespoke man-made lakes. The list of other negative circumstances is long and varied.

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

Two other things I think are major factors... anything that's super fashionable eventually has a backlash. People get bored with it.

Also, and I see this in whitewater river sports too, before it was boring at home. In the 1990s, people would park their rafts and watch other rafters make it or dump people or flip boats in the major rapids for hours! Why go home to your crappy 32" low res cathode ray tube TV and a few video tapes when it's a sparkling summer day doing an adventure sport?

Raft guides likely also got tired of the extra hours for the same per-raft pay. But private rafters don't park & watch either, at least not here in Northern California.

Now people have 72" screens in high definition and access to pretty much every movie or TV show ever made. And smartphones. So, it's not nearly so boring to sit around your home anymore. They want to have their adventure and then rush back home.

People still raft and commercial rafting thrives.. just no more huge crowds.

So why no water skiing? It's not so difficult to do on two skis (a single ski is significantly harder)

Now, I think, people have just forgotten how fun it was. Nobody WANTS to do it because they hardly see anyone doing it ever. It's just not the "cool" sport to do anymore.

[cybercookiepainteralmond]

Harry Potter and the Augefort way

WORLD DETAILS

Hogwarts is but one of many adventuring academies in the world of Spyre, but they specifically train the magically inclined students due to the nature of its founding centuries ago.

The country of Europe is similar to solace in many ways but differs in others, a higher focus on spellcasters and heightened prejudice against anyone not an elf for example. The chief adventuring academy is Hogwarts. Europe was embroiled in its own civil war for a good few decades against the lich Voldemort. Only 13 years ago did this war finally end

TIMELINE

1981 harry Potter is orphaned by the lich Voldemort, he is left with his aunt and uncle, who are religious followers of Helio and pass those teachings on to their son Dudley over the next ten years while abusing harry for being born with arcane power.

1986 Harry Potter is abandoned in the streets after being bitten by a werewolf when trying to escape Dudley. He is found by Jawbone O'shaughnessy and adopted by him. He also meets Jawbone's niece Tracker this same year

1991 Harry Potter goes to middle school, meets his cousin Tracker and the two team up to kill a teacher who was possessed by Voldemort

1992 harry and tracker hunt and kill a basilisk that was attacking anyone who isn't an elf

1993 Harry and tracker go off and manage to arrest Peter petigrew, but are prevented from turning him in and saving Sirius black by the full moon

1994 harry Potter becomes a student at the Augefort adventuring academy and Hogwarts hosts an inter school tournament to inspire the next generations of adventurers. It is here he meets Ron Weasley, a half elf and Hermione Granger, a Tiefling. He also meets the school's resident bully Draco Malfoy a high elf. Eventually Hogwarts is attacked during the first task by a young blue dragon and these four band together and become a proper adventuring party to save the school. Draco, Ron, and Hermione soon transfer to Aguefort after the school year ends to stick together.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Adventure: The Doomsday Book

“If you don’t like how it’s done, do it yourself” is very bad advice for someone with a god complex

Setup: In life, the mage Varner of Boltzford was fascinated with the complexity of the world, the seemingly infinite inter-connectivity of all things in a web so complex that one mortal mind could never understand all of it. In death fascination transformed into obsession, as Varner was driven to extend his existence to perfect what he saw as the art of the gods: Genesis, the act of bringing life out of nothingness.

Decades of experiments with astral constructs and transmutation eventually led Varner into the a philosophical and theological haze of “ontology” and “ideal forms”, along with a lot of other prattle that allowed him to convince himself that the things he could create things so beautiful they could redefine beauty, so perfect they could improve on perfection, and so real that they made other things less real by comparison.

He created the Renascent Tome, an artifact that ate up the matter of the existent world to produce things that adhred to Varner’s vision of perfection, small things at first that were mere pretty trinkets, through which he learned that the more he wanted form his creation the more he had to feed it

It was shortly after the lich turned an entire town and its surrounding valley into dust that Varner fell victim to the bane of so many promising omnicidal visionaries: meddling adventurers. The heroes did what heroes did best and though they made a proper mess out of the perfectionist’s plans they were unable to keep hold of his Tome, which slipped through their grasp to cause problems in the wider world to this day, diminished in power but no less a threat.

Hooks: 

Varner went through a number of research facilities/evil lairs in his time before he was felled by heroes, and any one of them could be a resting place for his tome. Such lairs are often dumping grounds for the lich’s escaped or failed experiments: creatures and constructs so beautiful they sear or corrode things around them, eerily stagnant wilderness, the soulless progeny of attempted “master races”.  Such oddities would draw all sorts of adventurers, or at least the collectors and conservationists looking to study these anomalies.

A foolish and famehungry apprentice found the Renascent Tome at his local book fair being sold  ( at a discount no less) by an unwitting salvager. After discovering its ability to transmute things into idealized forms, he began using the book to mend broken objects and “heal” local livestock ( no matter the fact that things the book abzorbs are effectively disintegrated with a new thing made in their place). Tales of his wondrous talents reached the ear of the ailing local countess, who requested the apprentice bathe her in the books healing light and restore her to the glory she once possessed.  Now her lands are ruled by a nightmarish “perfected” tyrant, and patrolled by her inhumanly “idealized” soldiers. The thing that took the countess’s place brings the captive apprentice out from his cell every week or so to illuminate her increasingly crystalline castle, each interaction getting crueler and more alien.

Cultists of an outergod dedicated to ego destroying perfection have come to see Varner’s work as a holy relic of their faith, allowing them to perform miracles that they could have never dreamed of otherwise. They seek it always, putting a target on the party’s back should they come into possession of the Renascent Tome. When pushed to extremes, these same cultists will unleash the relic’s power without any heed for who or what it consumes, gleefully sacrificing themselves to become the foundation of the world it will create.

Item stats: The Renascent Tome

artifact

Dormant: while dormant the tome serves as a +1 arcane spellcasting focus.

A creature attuned to the Renascent tome gains the 2nd level wizard school feature: Minor Conjuration, save that the items created always have a +1 magical bonus to any rolls they were intended to make. Conjuration wizards treat both the focus and the items conjured as if they were a +2 bonus instead.

When this feature is activated, the book’s pages glow and begin siphoning in dust and small unattended objects from its surroundings. The effect is otherwise harmless.

Awakened: When awakened, the Renascent tome gains 10 charges, which may be used to cast the following spells: Discorperating light (1 charge as tasha’s caustic brew, but dealing radiant damage) Conjure Barrage ( 3 charges) or Fabricate (4 charges). Items created by the fabricate spell are of exquisite quality and retain the +1 magical bonus from the minor conjuration feature.  The tome regains 1d6+4 charges at dawn. When the last charge is spent, roll a d20, on a 1 the tome consumes itself in a blast of siphoning radiance. All creatures in a 20ft radius must make a save vs the bearer’s spell save dc ( or int+proff if they are not a caster) or suffer the effects of a successful gravity sinkhole spell

Exalted: The bonus the focus provides grows to +3 and the tome gains 10 extra charges.   The spells that it can cast now include disintegrate ( 6 charges), mirage arcane ( 7 charges) and blade of disaster (9 charges). Spells can still be cast if the item lacks the prerequisite charges, but this increases the number rolled on the no charge roll to go up by 1 per missing charge. 

Curse: Once exalted, Each spell cast from the book now also requires an extra 1d4 charges. If the no charge roll occurs, in addition to triggering a gravity sinkhole, the Tome begins to act as a sphere of annihilation from that moment onwards. 

Further Adventures:

Removing the curse from the Renascent Tome requires access to Varner’s research notes, requiring the party to either seek out a source of great knowledge of attempt to seek the imprisoned lich himself.

Varner has had a lot of time to think after he was imprisoned, and has concluded that the current material world is too corrupt and messy for any of his perfect creations to truly take root. Though his reemergence into the land of the living will bring with it a tide of new horrific experiments and dangerous objects released upon the world, his ultimate goal is to find a nice enough place to use as raw material for the eden he’s going to build. Given that he’s spent long enough as a lich that many of his own feelings have begun to atrophy, he’ll reach out to those closest to him ( like the meddling adventuring party that woke him up) to see what they think of as ideal. Say, the starting town of the campaign or wherever the heroes have decided to make their home.

Should the Renascent tome fulfill its purpose it’s safe to say that the party will have very little chance of undoing what its done, muchless surviving the process should they have been caught within its mile wide blast radius. However, with the slightest bit of divine intervention from whatever spirits are watching over their adventures, the party might just be able to turn that slim chance into a fighting one. They find themselves trapped inside the grotesque Perfection of Varner’s world, a grotesque parody of a place familiar to them with all the personality and imperfection scrubbed away.  At its center is the Tome, its own less than perfect existence protected by an enchantment Varner made to protect his magnum opus from devouring itself in an act of sentimental self sabotage. The perfect world is contained inside the book while the book is contained within the world, this paradox, if inverted, might allow the party to reverse the flow of the Tome’s reality devouring magic, deconstructing the demiplane it’s constructed and reassembling the world that was in mostly the right order. All that’s required is to brave the maze of hyper-real nostalga and face off against a perfected Varner, alive again after a near century of lichdom, ignorant of any of his previous failings, but master of his domain.

[gudfornuthin]

Held by Another (2/?)

Knight!Eddie Munson x Princess!reader

Edward Munson (or Eddie as you call him) has been by your side for most of your life. Now at an age where possible suitors compete for your hand in marriage, how will he fair watching on from the sidelines? After all, a princess and her knight? It could never work.

You can read part one here :)

~ten years ago~

It was early January, and snow had fallen across the Kingdom. The grounds were silent, aside from the soft chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves from the wind. The once untouched white dusting on the grass paths, now were littered with small footprints. The Princess had ran off from her morning etiquette lesson. Her teacher lost sight of the girl within seconds of making it outside. For an eight year old, she was certainly fast.

She ran and ran for as long as her legs could handle, until eventually stopping by a large willow tree. She hunched over, holding her knees and panting heavily. The princess was freezing cold, due to leaving so promptly without a proper coat. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

Lessons were getting harder and harder every passing year. Princess Y/N was at an age where she’d begun to understand the weight on her shoulders, knowing one day she’d be Queen. She wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea, she just wished to have more freedom. Seeing the other children her age go out and play, all the while she remained stuck learning about the correct cutlery for the correct meal, upset her dearly.

The princess didn’t hear soft footsteps coming from behind the tree. “I thought I’d find you here.”

She turned around and sees her friend Eddie, hair a mess and cheeks rosy red. He walked closer and leaned by her side, looking far off. Of course he would be the person to know where she’d disappeared to. This was their spot. Beneath the willow tree, the pair had first met, Eddie having ran away from his uncle, and Princess Y/N from her mother. They bonded immediately, sharing a passion for adventure and travel stories. Due to Eddies’s uncle working on the castle grounds, he would also be around frequently, helping wherever was needed. And also sneaking away to meet up with the princess when able to.

You finally decide to break the silence. “I’m not going back there. You’ll have to drag me.”

Eddie laughed. “You can’t hide out here forever. They’ll end up sending a search party.”

The Princess smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Eddie hated seeing his best friend so down, and not knowing what to do to cheer her up. They hadn’t spend as much time together since her lessons became more prominent and important. He would sometimes walk past the study window and see her sitting next to an older woman, her teacher she presumed, and not once did she appear cheerful.

Princess Y/N spoke up once more. “I just wish we could spend more time together. I feel happy when you’re around. My worries go away. At least for the time you’re with me.”

Eddie looked at the girl. He felt the exact same way. Like without her, a small piece of him was missing. They were both young, so these emotions weren’t always easy to understand or explain, but he knew he couldn’t possibly spend a day not in her presence. He thought hard, and stood up tall, the princess shocked by his sudden change in posture.

“I’m going to become a knight.”

She squinted and scrunched her nose up. “I’m sorry?”

Eddie stood in front of the princess fully, nodding his head. “That’s what I want to do when I’m old enough. I’ll become a knight. A protector of the crown, or whatever they do.”

“Why would you do that?” Princess Y/N stood up tall as well, “you hate following rules.”

“Yes, but becoming a knight means I can be by your side at all times. I can be there, day and night, if you need me to be. If that’s what it takes for you to be happy, I’ll do it.”

The princess smiled wider than Eddie had ever seen in some time. “I would really like that.”

~present day~

The princess stands on her balcony, overlooking the gardens. Most of the party guests had already left, besides a few saying their last goodbyes to the King and Queen. She rests her hands on the ledge and takes several deep breaths. The tight corset of her dress, along with the pressures of meeting a possible suitor, was making it hard to breath.

“I’d suggest taking a few steps back from the balcony edge. You look like you’re going to pass out.”

She swivels and, much to her delight, sees Eddie standing by the doors. She rolls her eyes as he moves closer to stand by her side.

“I’m perfectly fine, thank you.” She side eyes the knight. “Shouldn’t you be escorting some of the stragglers out of the castle?”

“They know the way out.”

The two bask in the silence, enjoying each others company away from the crowds. Away in the distance, the princess just about makes out the willow tree. Their tree. The leaves waving in the wind. She huffs slightly in good nature. Eddie turns to her.

“What is it?”

She shakes her head, playing with the rings displayed on her fingers. “Do you remember what you said to me 10 years ago?”

“I said a lot of things. I think I remember you telling me once that I never seemed to shut up.”

The princess ignores his quick jest. “You told me you wanted to become a knight. You would do it so you could remain by my side. For my happiness.”

Eddie moved a strand of hair from his face. He really needed a trim. “I’m surprised you would remember that.”

The princess moves to look at him completely. “Do you ever regret becoming a knight?”

“There are times. It’s a strenuous job. There’s a lot on the line.” Eddie looks deep into your eyes. “But then I think of you, I see your face, I see your smile. And I know it was all worth it. To be by your side. Whenever I need to be.”

The both breath in sink, not wanting to be the first to break eye contact. Sadly, it’s broken by someone else. Nancy clears her throat, alerting the two to break apart and look over to where she stands.

“Sorry to bother you both,” she subtly raises an eyebrow, “but the King requests your presence.”

The princess moves closer. “What’s going on?”

Nancy looks down, gulping. “He would like you to officially meet your possible suitor. Prince Steven Harrington.”

[apas-95]

hi! im kind of new to politics and i had a question if thats ok? i see a lot of people talk about mao and quote him a lot, and you included quotations from mao in your short reading list, but most people i see dont use maoist or mlm to describe themselves. how do those differ from being an ml and why dont more people use those terms?

'Maoism' or 'Marxism-Leninism-Maoism' is an ideology that was developed by the Peruvian group Shining Path, often associated most with its leader, Chairman Gonzalo. It differs from 'Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought', which refers to the incorporation of Mao's ideas into Marxism-Leninism.

Maoism is not the ideology Mao followed - Mao was a Marxist-Leninist, and his works of political theory are contributions to MLism. Maoism was created after Mao's death, by a completely separate group than the Communist Party of China. It emphasises some aspects of Mao's writing, such as the protracted people's war, and the mass line, but generally disagrees with Mao, considering his political theory to be outdated.

The argument made by Maoists is that, in a similar way to which Leninism (or Marxism-Leninism) is the advancement of Marxism in the age of imperialism - where imperialism becomes the primary contradiction in society - so too is Maoism the advancement of MLism in the age of revisionism - where revisionism becomes the primary contradiction in society. This has an obvious problem: while imperialism has an obvious, material presence, and can be felt both in every particular interaction and contradiction in society, as well as in its wars and genocides, which now threaten to drive humanity to extinction through nuclear war and climate change; revisionism is an ideological issue, with limited and unclear effect on society. Its ability to constitute the principal contradiction in society is questionable at best.

Maoists consider Marxism-Leninism to be outdated, with Maoism being the modern, advanced form of communist thought. This is based on a faulty premise, and, in reality, Maoist projects have struggled to achieve anywhere near as much as Marxist-Leninist projects have achieved.

Maoists would consider all currently surviving ML states to be revisionist, failed projects. The only existing communist projects, in the Maoist view, are the Naxalites in India, and the NPA in the Philippines. While these groups have made great advances, they are both deadlocked in perpetual guerrilla campaigns with no end in sight, and fighting equally as often with other communists as with the state. They have not seized state power, despite having been engaged in armed struggle for over fifty years each.

These groups, though admirable in their commitment to militant action, have been criticised by their own country's Marxist-Leninist parties for engaging in adventurism. By dogmatically adhering to military struggle, and neglecting actually building up the mass movement of the people to the level of military struggle, these groups are alienated from the people, and cannot actually rally a mass movement that could overthrow the state. They are mainly popular with the middle classes - the peasantry and intelligentsia - not the proletariat, especially because they generally limit their action to the countryside.

Maoism considers protracted people's war to be a universally applicable strategy. For a Marxist to consider anything universally applicable is already questionable, but for a military tactic to be considered universal is particularly egregious - especially one as controversial as a protracted war. Basic military theory states that a protracted war should be avoided at all costs, due to the inherent human cost of waging war. Evidently, reapplying a tactic (which, while risky, was valid in 1940s China, facing a Japanese invasion that would eventually wear itself out) outside of its proper context has not succeeded.

The Shining Path, which formulated Maoism, is itself a shining example of its failures. The Shining Path waged a guerrilla campaign, never seizing state power or any significant territory, largely in the countryside, supported mainly by the peasantry. It is most notable for its frequent terrorist attacks, including the bombing of a crowded marketplace, and the infamous Lucanamarca massacre, in which an entire indigenous village was tortured and killed, with infants murdered by being boiled alive. These actions read like over-exaggerated anti-communist propaganda, but the Shining Path and Chairman Gonzalo admitted to these actions, often offering nothing more than a promise to self-criticise, with no disciplinary action against those who carried out such atrocities.

As previously mentioned, Maoism relies heavily on the middle classes, such as the peasantry and intelligentsia, over the urban, industrial proletariat - neglecting to build up a mass movement, and instead simply waging old-style guerrilla warfare from the countryside, a strategy formulated before cities became as central to life as they now are. Maoism considers the Marxist-Leninist states to have been toppled, without a drop of blood being spilled, simply by the ideological and political maneuvering of a few bureaucrats and intellectuals - completely in contradiction to the Marxist understanding of violent revolution. It sees revisionism as the principal contradiction, because it considers proletarian governance so weak as to be destroyed simply by ideology.

Maoism inflates the importance of the middle classes, of the peasantry and intelligentsia, and paints them as the leading force. It neglects building up a mass movement, and considers states that do not liquidate their middle classes through cultural (or permanent-) revolution to be already lost, controlled by those middle classes, as it considers the proletariat unable to act as a ruler over other classes. It is an ideology based on faulty premises, which has achieved little.

Much like Trotskyism, Maoism is unthreatening to capitalism; it overstates the importance of the middle classes, demanding permanent revolution due to the perceived weakness of the proletariat, and its supposed defeat to bureaucracy; and mainly serves to oppose actual socialist states - much like Trotskyism, the FBI even found it useful to create Maoist publications to espouse a 'left' anti-Soviet line. Adherents often referred to Trotskyism as 'orthodox Leninism', so Maoism apparently even shares its habit of stealing better theorists' names.