#black crystals rpg

[dimalink]

Dragon sword and crystal of light

Pixel art for today based on videogame Necromancer for game console PC Engine. It is role playing game. And, it was released in 1988. It is amazing. According to its title, it is dark fantasy.

And this is my drawing about the same theme. Behind the windows of castle, it is a big lighting and storm. And in this time, you were told, that crystal of light was stolen. And now castle lands lost their magic shield against creatures of the night. Army of zombies already is raising in a far. And soon they will come here. Librarian call you for this special case. And ask you to take a dragon sword, which is about a hundred years is in the catacombs of the castle. And he asks you to bring back a crystal of light.

Somewhere in a black forest, a necromancer is living. Someway, he intrudes the castle in a look of a black bird. And he stole a crystal of light. And send to catacombs slimes and skeletons. Hurry up. He is already rising his army to invade the castle!

I am, of course, to imagine, out of this picture, some of my favorite thing – action RPG.

Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.

WEBSITE: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/home_eng.html ITCHIO: https://dimalink.itch.io/ GAMEJOLT: https://gamejolt.com/@DimaLink/games

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[unravellingsilencehq]

“Oh, Merlin, tell me, does THE LOYALIST get what she deserves?” She is in THE DEATH EATERS & CLOSED to finding out.“

name → bellatrix black pronouns → she/her identification → cis-female year of birth → september 1950 - september 1951 face claim → crystal reed blood status → pure-blood sexual orientation → up to applicant occupation → socialite amongst high society in wizarding london future information → wife of rodolphus lestrange

— she is best described as ;

A DEADLY WEAPON, SHARP as a KNIFE’S EDGE & as COOL as the STEEL. She is as VIOLENT as TSUNAMI but appears CONTROLLED like CALM WATERS. She is POISED for DANGER, ready for ATTACK, prepared to SHED her SKIN to MORPH into something NEW to add another CARD to her evergrowing HAND. 

— her story starts with ;

tw: death

A tenacious young woman, Bellatrix possesses the ferocity of her father of CYGNUS BLACK [father] and the charm and bone structure of her mother DRUELLA BLACK [mother]. Raised with strict beliefs regarding blood purity, Bellatrix grew up believing her family were the elite in the wizarding world and strived to make them proud. Whilst NARCISSA BLACK [sibling] longed to find a handsome pure-blood prince like Druella and ANDROMEDA BLACK [sibling] wanted to be just like Cygnus and lock away the bad guys, she was different. The idea that a muggle-born could sit as the Minister of Magic was shocking to her, although a career in the Ministry sounded appealing, the idea of working alongside blood traitors made her blood curdle. Bellatrix enjoyed the attention that embracing their family rhetoric brought her, including from her very busy father. Cygnus was often at work, meaning gaining his ear was difficult. At dinner, Bellatrix would proudly announce what she had learned and her thoughts and ideas about the world, much to her mother’s embarrassment. Druella longed to have three well behaved daughters to make respectable marriages. 

Her father encouraged them all to have their own minds beyond that, although even Bellatrix could tell that sometimes her overly aggressive need to give her opinion made even her father grimace, secretly scared she might blurt something out at a work party. Although she believed it with all her heart she was careful to choose private moments to make her opinions known, knowing to some they weren’t popular. Once at Hogwarts, Bellatrix tried to find those who would mirror her thoughts, though her tact as a young child was far from perfect. She established herself as the strongest character in her school, packing a punch with her wand and ensuring that mudblood and muggle-borns knew not to darken in her presence. CASTOR WILKES, [best friend], NATALIA SIMINOVA [close friend], RODOLPHUS LESTRANGE [friend] and ARISTAEUS GREENGRASS [friend] became her closest friends. Good pure-blood Slytherins who shared her thoughts and feelings. Other people like DOLORES UMBRIDGE [rival], were desperate to join the fun, but Bellatrix hadn’t decided how she felt about half-bloods, though she did know her feelings on the pathetic, so Dolores became an occasional target for good old fashioned schoolyard bullying, despite her thoughts on purity. 

Bellatrix really came into her own, however, in her later years of Hogwarts, when she had younger pupils to follow her around and aid in her schemes. Her cousin EVAN ROSIER [cousin] joining really changed the game at Hogwarts, as did LUCIUS MALFOY [friend], DECIUS FLINT [friend] and ALFHILD ROWLE [close friend]. It was all school games until her final year, when her entire outlook changed. At her parents’ Yule Eve party she was sent to collect a bottle of her father’s best firewhiskey from his study, where she was approached by an older wizard she had not met before. He asked about her life at home, her friends at school and replied that she was destined for more than the schoolgirl antics. Later that evening her father would tell her she had a very special task, to return to school and seek out those like her, who could be persuaded to be more open in the right settings to speak on their way of thinking. Bellatrix knew that Evan, Castor and Alfhild were certainly just like her, as was Lucius; though she needed more time to be certain. She began telling a small circle about THE DARK LORD [leader/object of affection] and his rhetoric, which they were all too eager to learn more about. 

About to leave school, she knew the key to success was to get into the minds of those younger. THORFINN ROWLE [friend] was quickly recruited and later RABASTAN LESTRANGE [close friend]. Only the very best could be entrusted at this stage, the numbers would come with trust. After leaving school, Bellatrix noticed her father began to intrust her with more responsibility, allowing her to know his personal thoughts and feelings, knowing now she could be discreet. With his blessing they decided it was best for Bellatrix not be brought out into society just yet. Her reputation as a bully at school had meant people had begun to look at her, which wasn’t helpful given their aims. Instead she stayed at home, studying families and identifying persons of interest, then passing owls to those still at school to carry out their aims. The Dark Lord visited often and then after a while, he began requesting Bellatrix come to him. Living in his residence where she could be at his beck and call, just where she liked it. The Dark Lord trusted her to build her own team to surround him. Evan became her right hand, with Rabastan becoming more and more valuable to her the older he became. 

When the murders began happening of course she and her team were behind them, though no one would know. She’d been ‘travelling’, learning and growing. Bully Bellatrix was in the past, replaced by a polite yet stern society girl, though she still publicly ignored her blood traitor cousin SIRIUS BLACK [cousin/adversary]. The aim was to work in plain sight and recruit as many as possible. Some people didn’t listen to reason and measures had to be taken. Recruiting her younger cousin REGULUS BLACK [cousin] helped in this area as he worked for Wizengamot with Andromeda and Rodolphus, which meant burying evidence was easier. Recruitment was going well, which meant it was time to enact phase two of his plan, creating chaos within the Ministry. The plan was triggered early when her usually trustworthy protege Rabastan murdered the Minister’s son BOOKER BAGNOLD [person of interest] in cold blood on Halloween, but in hindsight it had been a blessing in disguise. The plan was clear. Make people believe there was a series of creature attacks, let the Ministry turn on them, recruit the people turning on the Ministry, recruit the creatures who feel put out. 

SILAS CRUMP [victim] was a tragedy. Sent to Azkaban for Booker’s murder, when he could have simply joined the cause and leant his expertise and leadership to them, though they were fortunate enough to have come away with his daughter CORIN HALE [person of interest] to aid in recruitment. Bellatrix found that although she was able to carry out The Dark Lord’s plans, other people were constantly making stupid choices that impeded his mission. AMELIA BONES [victim] had to die because she’d come to suspect the truth about Booker. Summer Solstice 1983, she watched with poisoned smirk as a voice echoed that The Order's HQ had fallen and a prophecy they so needed was in hand. Fighting ensured, MARLENE MCKINNON [person of interest] crucioed ROSALINE DAVIS [person of interest] under the imperious and Bellatrix made off with the leg of ALASTOR MOODY [adversary]. Chaos was ensuing, but more was to come. Almost three years on from Amelia’s death, the Ministry needed to seem more unstable than ever. With her trusted follower CRISTIANO PARKINSON [close friend/potential love interest] handling The Dark Lord’s mission for locating special artefacts, Bellatrix can focus on the more important things. Starting 1986 off with a bang. 

— she is a LEVEL 9 WITCH & readied for war ;

[minticecodes]

A (late) piece for dmcweek2024 day 4! I was buzzing to put forward something for the week. Prompt was alt universe.

AU where Eva survived the fire and had to figure out a way forward, believing the twins dead. She becomes an RPG shopkeeper selling wares ranging from antique books to magical goods (Devil May Scry). She's also out for Mundus' blood.

Image descriptions are the same as in alt.

[ID: 7 Digital illustrations and sketches. 1: Coloured illustration of a bookshop at sunset. Eva, a pale blonde middle aged woman mans the bright patterned counter. She wears a turtleneck and red shawl, has shoulder length hair, and diagonal facial burn scar and scarring on her left hand. Light rays illuminate her gently smiling face. Besides packed books, on the shelves are potion bottles, statuettes, succulents, and a displayed katana. Roses and plants decorate the shop. On the counter are a thick hardback, bookscanner, and crystal ball. Cards are displayed inside the counter. On the wall hangs a price sign, featuring doodled vital stars (large star drawn with sunglasses), holy water and fortunes. Beneath it is a rose wreathed divinity statue display, with 2 red orb offerings in a dish. 2: Eva from behind, sitting hunched alone at a table where a birthday cake sits untouched. It's a two flavour cake. By her clenched hand are crumpled tissues. Caption: 'Vergil...Dante...happy birthday...' 3: Eva bracing the Devil Sword Sparda across her shoulders, aimed at the ground. She wears a bell sleeved, ruffled funeral/wedding dress with a slit for leg movement. A veil trails behind her like a ribbon. Close ups of her show the headpiece design; a pacifier made of a long bird skill, feather, rose, and four skeletal 'legs'. 4 & 5: Trish taking on teen Dante's image: a tan teen in black, with chin length white hair, a halter neck tank top, leather pants, kneelength boots and black polish. Her leather jacket collar resembles lightning bolts. She leans against an invisible wall, one leg bent to brace her foot against it. She looks askance with arched brows, lifting shades from her face. The 2nd image is a 3/4 profile with shades perched on her forehead and popped collar. 6: Helmetless portraits of Dante and Vergil in armour, expressionless. Dante's hair is shoulder length and falls across his face. 7: Full body of 2 somewhat lanky demonic knights. One (Nelo Angelo) in black and blue with droopy horns rests his palms atop his blue broadsword's pommel, the sword upright against the ground. He stands straight, staring ahead. The other in white and red and curled horns has a palm clapped on Nelo Angelo's shoulder, other hand at his hips. Somehow the eyes on his helmet express playfulness. At his back is the hilt to a flail, the spiked ball resting on the ground by his armoured heels. They're labelled '~16' . End ID.]

Read more for some wordy backstory and sketches. TW for mentions of torture, abuse and solitary confinement surrounding the twins.

I had...so many more ideas that I'm leaving out to keep this short. It's fun to think how she'd mesh with the cast.

Like! her and Lady. Mother that lost her kid and kid that lost her mother. It writes itself how much unwitting projection can go wrong. And pretty much everything about her, the twins, and Trish :)

In terms of backstory:

After the fire she's alone. Her birth family disowned her long ago. She thinks about revamping the mansion but the idea of staying in that empty space with only memories for company is too much. So she eventually opens a small store.

Starts off paranoid and distant. Still is distant but gets entangled with the local community overtime. Greets people by name and they'll chat about how life has been going. This includes demon hunters and demons and supernatural beings living peacefully; her shop becomes a small safe haven to exchange information to stay safe.

Gets very good at forging protective charms. Haunted by the memory of the enchanted closet, smashed in and empty.

A regular is a schoolgirl who originally came to pick up reserved books for her father but stuck around because hey, this place is quiet and interesting, and the owner serves stellar teacakes. Great place to study. To Mary, Eva's kind, though odd, secretive and a little lonely.

I got inspired by Eva's association with the bangle/bracelet of time and the amulets for her fighting style. It's based around item crafting, like an RPG character slapping on every stat boosting item.

She stitches together different outfits for different needs Cardcaptor style. They're all exceedingly dramatic. It's not clear here but I wanted a bird motif to eventually come through. Phoenix motif, really.

[ID: Rough sketches: A magician esque outfit with vest, feathered tophat and cape. A longcoat with long skirt and long scarf at her back like a cape. The cape is tagged with 'spells stitched into fabric'. Close ups on the coat lapel show two pins (strawberry and wing), labelled 'charm lapel pins.' Close up of the shoes show sharp heals and ankle bracelets. Eva leaping in a black bodysuit and leotard, with feathery collar, quill behind her ear, and ballet shoes with a claw at the heel. Eva making a triangular 2 hand sign in a hooded cloak and longskirt. Around her shoulders are claws. At her hips is an hourglass. Above her heeded head is a clocklike halo. Beside her is a sketch of a woman with a lionhead mask. A funeral and wedding dress inspired outfit. Eva crouches, wielding the Devil Sword Sparda in scythe form. Her face is covered by a tattered veil. She wears a knee length ruffled dress, black gloves, and a long, ruffled cape. Close up of her left hand shows a ring and finger claws Rough comic. Chibi lady talks to chibi Eva. Lady holds up a black body suit with billowing sleeves and a cleavage window. Lady: "Eva what is this" Eva (smiling cheerfully): "Oh - that old thing!" Eva: "My old hunting outfit. Gosh I'd almost forgotten about it. Not the most comfortable thing - so skin tight..." However Lady fixates on 'my old hunting outfit'. The words go in one ear and come out as a younger Eva in a catsuit, pointing a gun with a serious expression, wind blowing through her hair. Lady stares into the distance, bewildered, and slightly blushing. End ID]

Meanwhile the twins are having a terrible time but they have each other, even if they don't remember they're brothers. I think it'd be sweet if they have a bond anyway. Everyone else thinks they're rivals at best.

(Nelo is Mundus' favourite to toy with as the proud, eldest son. But when he gets rough, Bianco butts in and acts up for Mundus' attention. This gets him sent to solitary confinement; Mundus figured out Bianco hates small spaces and designed an iron maiden for him. Others think Bianco is a brute who acts out for a fight. But that's ok. It means Bianco can keep buying Nelo time.) (When lucid, Nelo despises his own weakness when this happens.)

[ID: 2 Images. Nelo and Bianco Angelo in fisticuffs in a cartoony dustcloud, glaring at each other as they fight. They're captioned 'Mundus' most competent generals'. Additional text: 'silent, obedient, crushing force when apart. Perfect soldiers. ... until they're put together. Complement each other's battle style OR clash terribly. Nelo Angelo staring off, arms crossed and furrowed eyes somehow expressing being completely fed up. Behind him, Bianco and Griffin talk at each other. Griffin's glaring. Bianco has a hand up to gesture. End ID]

[adobe-outdesign]

Is there a pokemon you haven't reviewed that you're really itching to? Maybe one that bothers you a lot? I'd love to hear about some of your least favorites

(I'm pretty sure I've reviewed all of the Pokemon that I don't care for already, and it's not that big of a list to begin with. That said, I'm doing the Grimer line for this one because I don't care for the originals that much, even if I love the Alolan forms.)

Grimer... is kind of boring, if I'm being honest. Slime monsters are a classic in fantasy and RPGs, and you can see a lot of different takes on them across the board. The beauty of a slime monster is that they don't have a solid body, so you can do whatever you want with the design.

Not only do we already have a slime monster in Gen 1 in the form of Ditto, but Grimer is pretty standard. It's a blob with arms, a wide open mouth, and big eyes. Color-wise, it's pure purple to represent its poison type with no details on its body. (For the record, I thought this line had stripes for years, which would've made them a bit more interesting, but the 3D models confirm that the stripes are shading.)

What I do like about Grimer is that A) the expression is kind of fun, especially in the earlier sprites, and B) it does have some great lore. I love details like how it dies if there's not enough trash and filth for it to eat, and how this has caused them to slowly become endangered because the Pokemon world has been cleaning up its pollution. It's good world building, and adds some much needed interest to the line.

Ultimately, while I find Grimer pretty bland, Muk is really what kills the line for me. There are so many things you can do with a pile of slime, and all the line does is... get bigger. It does change its eyes, gain a strand of slime over its mouth, and loose an arm (or rather, the other arm is merged with its body). The shape of it is kind of nice, and I like the mouth even if the eye is a bit of a downgrade, but overall it's about as uninteresting as an evo as you could get.

All that said, while the Kantonian version of these Pokemon don't do a lot for me, the Alolan regionals knock it out of the park. My main complaint was that the original line felt very standard, so Alolan Grimer imminently works on fixing this by making the body green (also clever as it's another toxic color, as well as a standard slime color) and giving it a blue tongue with a bright yellow mouth outline and two small teeth (actually crystals). Some black accents around the eyes help them pop a bit as well. This instantly makes it stand out a lot more.

The reason for this change is that the line now feeds primarily on chemical waste instead of regular waste, having been introduced to Alola to deal with their trash problems. Once again, great worldbuilding!

And if Alolan Grimer wasn't enough, Alolan Muk improves on the line even further by massively changing the design. What was one yellow line around the mouth is now four different colors, (yellow, green, blue, and pink), which are incredibly bright. Under normal circumstances they'd look clashy and garish, but they work perfectly when used to represent chemical poisons and the like. It's also nice that the line actually has stripes after all these years, and they ripple in its animations, which is even cooler! (The blue stripes don't move, which is odd, but I digress.)

And in addition to that, Alolan Muk expands on A. Grimer's little "teeth" by including more crystalized poisons all over its body, giving it a jaw full of jagged, uneven "teeth" and "claws". The line went from being way too similar and fairly standard to incredibly distinct and unique. It's basically a perfect example of how regionals can be used to improve on older, plainer designs.

Overall, the original line is harmless but pretty par for the course. The Alolan versions are a big improvement all-around and a much appreciated addition to the line.

[thecraftyacademic]

♱𝔡𝔞𝔯𝔨 𝔣𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔰𝔶 𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔯𝔢𝔣𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢𝔰♱

I created a Pinterest board for dark (mostly medieval) fantasy references because I enjoy the genre so much. Upon putting it together, I've unfortunately been noticing a lot of AI-generated artwork which is really upsetting to see. :( I've been struggling to find a solid, collective batch of references from actual artists and human-made media so I'm making this post just so that there's something digitally to refer to.

Artists Reza Afshar Juan Miguel López Barea Zdzisław Beksiński Clyde Caldwell Frank Frazetta Piotr Jabłoński Chris Nazgul Keith Parkinson Luis Royo Justin Sweet Keith Thompson Boris Vallejo (and Julie Bell) Michael Whelan Takato Yamamoto Andrej Z.T.

Tumblr Accounts (includes artists) @buriedknight @darkartfinds @descendinight @godivaghoul @jakubrozalski @lowstrear67 @madcat-world @plastiboo @saprophilous @vane-sya @vyrosk @wolfhidewinter @yehuoji

Movies (not a lot, I know, I'm not a big movie person) Dragonslayer (1981) Excalibur (1981) Legend (1985) The Dark Crystal

Reference Books Castlevania: The Art of the Animated Series Demon's Souls (Black Phantom Edition) Artbook Dracula X ~Nocturne in the Moonlight Dark Souls Design Works Magic and Dark Fantasy Coloring Collection Santa Lilio Sangre - Ayami Kojima Artworks Art Book Sketching from the Imagination: Dark Arts Substrata: Open World Dark Fantasy The Art of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Other/Miscellaneous Resources Dark Fantasy Resource Pack - RPG Maker MV Demon's Souls Concept Art Diablo Concept Art Symbaroum Shadow of the Demon Lord World Anvil Royalty free Dark Fantasy music

I hope that this may be helpful to others too. Feel free to add on to this!

[themattress]

Pokémemories: Pokémon Black/White

As much as I enjoyed playing Emerald and Platinum, I felt that they still failed to live up to Gold/Silver/Crystal, something only reinforced by Heart Gold/Soul Silver. But just as I was accepting that a Junichi Masuda-directed game could never be on par with Satoshi Tajiri's, Black/White was released. Set in the Unova region based on New York (the first time a mainline game was not set in a region based on Japan), Black/White felt like the Pokémon series was truly innovating again rather than just tweaking its formula and adding on new gimmicks. The gameplay was the most refined in any 2D RPG, the graphics and sound quality were top notch, the choice to only have new Pokémon until the postgame helped create a fresh, unique mood, and it had hands down the best-written, most complex and emotionally resonant story in the series to date, focusing on the relationships between people and Pokémon and using it to explore the nature of relationships between people and people.

Highlights:

The first female Professor, Juniper, and two interesting rivals, Cheren and Bianca.

The addition of changing seasons depending on the month.

Crossing Skyarrow Bridge to reach Castelia City.

A dizzying amount of bonus features and facilities such as the Battle Subway.

The best designed Gyms and League with the best set of Gym Leaders and Elite Four ever.

Battling Team Plasma, a villainous group of self-righteous Pokémon "liberators".

Team Plasma's king N, one of the franchise's most compelling characters.

The entire campaign endgame.

[samueldays]

As promised to @brazenautomaton, extended feedback on Princess: The Hopeful - Crystal Edition (PTHCE). This is going to be quite long and probably have more replies, so readmore break early.

This is partly feedback to Brazen and partly review for other people wondering what's going on with it and partly me doing stream of consciousness recapping as I read through it, so it's a little disjointed. Still, better to have it out than not.

Chapter 0: Introduction

When reading the opening of PTHCE about Sincerity and Fear and Darkness, first in the prologue chapter and then in chapter 2 (setting), I was thinking about how much D&D and its descendants 'polluted' the fantasy genre with numbers, game mechanics and LitRPG tropes. Even in works that aren't LitRPG outright, I feel like recent fiction has a lot more level X power, needs Y amount to resist, has Z type element.

Lord of the Rings does not feature the One Ring casting Level 4 Soul-Hook, Will Save DC 18, 2d6 Corruption Damage, or anything even vaguely like that. It simply offers power to the bearer, and eventually Frodo makes the decision that taking power is preferable to getting stung by spiders and beaten by orcs while slogging through the industrial district. (LOTR is of course not alone about this, but it's well known.)

PTHCE is like that too.

People spread fear to others in an attempt to ward it away from themselves, to prevent what causes it or prevent themselves from feeling it. People are afraid of being preyed on, so they must prey on others first. People are afraid of being known, so they can’t let themselves be loved.

So I quite like this opening of PTHCE for not needing another special antagonist or evil force with unique setting adjustments and secret history retcon, especially in the Crossovers of Darkness that arguably has too many of them at odds already.

The Darkness is not invading our world. The foul black ichor of its presence does not surge from outside of reality. It congeals from the world around us like morning dew collects water from the atmosphere. The difference between the power to harvest energy from human beings and the power to abuse humans into compliance is only in degree, not kind.

There are monsters and there is a Darkness antagonist to the RPG, but it's one with less spotlight time and less identity of its own, and more exaggeration of regular forces. From the Glossary:

Ultimatum, The: The extortionate “bargain” offered by the Darkness to all living things who feel its fear: “I will make you suffer, and the only way to make me stop is to inflict me on others.”

(Could use separate scare quotes and speech quotes.)

This also made it feel easier for me to start planning a first test adventure. One of my approaches to a new RPG is to outline a plot for a test adventure early on, mostly from the setting and themes and fluff description, and then see how well the mechanics support it. When the 'antagonist' is a cycle of fear and suffering, I came up with a plot fast.

My outline went like this: The conflict centers on a museum. A pack of Werewolves are subtly fucking with the museum in an attempt to acquire/destroy an artifact there, because they're afraid of trying to approach humans about this openly. This leaves the museum guides afraid too: afraid that they're seeing things, that they're getting old and nutty, that they're going to lose their jobs, so they do foolish things in response. The museum director is influenced by the Ultimatum: afraid that someone is trying to sabotage the museum, he responds by trying to militarize it for security, adding a police presence, locking up exhibits, restricting opening hours, and slightly worsening life for everyone who would like to go to the museum.

I will/did refine this plot while reading through the book and understanding the system, but I think this is a good start for something Magical Girls can resolve with the power of love and hope and friendship. Let's see how it holds up later.

White Wolf fucked around with the term "soul" a lot, this glossary's redefinition tries to band-aid over it, still sucks IMO.

Champion: One of the five Callings.

Currents, Queen of: One of the five Radiant Queens.

Embassy: An optional third type of grouping a Princess can choose to join in addition to Calling and Queen.

Yeah this is White Wolf's Not-A-Class-System of Darkness all right, with the good and bad that comes with it. Those entries are summaries in the glossary in the prologue. The book's numbered chapters start after that with Chapter 1: Calling and Queen, (roughly: character classes and archetypes) and it immediately runs into one of the bad things about the Not-A-Class-System and the White Wolf foundation, the back-and-forth dependencies. From the first Calling, "Champion":

They have a natural affinity for the Kiai Charm to master the chaos of combat, and the Force Charm to exert their will on the world. Like all Princesses, they have an affinity for the Buster Charm, and one additional Charm of their choice.

From the glossary I know a Charm is a superpower. What are these specific Charms? What is an Affinity? There's no page reference. Then it's "Sample Oaths" for a Champion. What's an Oath and why am I swearing one?

It is very much faithful to White Wolf book layout that the book can't be read in order, you have to flip to several later chapters to explain things in the first chapter, with Glossary in the front, Appendix in the back, and several explanatory sidebars through the book, which are not listed in the Appendices.

This is a bad thing, but it's hard to avoid. I have no clever ideas for fixing it. Page references or sidebars might improve it a little.

The not-a-classes are callings of Champion, Grace, Seeker, Mender and Troubadour // Queens of Currents, Flowers, Jewels, Spades, Swords, for 25 combinations.

Chapter 2: Setting.

Once there was a golden age, then the Darkness and its evil minions showed up and ruined things, blah blah.

From there, the history of this world began, the Chronicles of Darkness. If you want the official story you can look at a history book. If you want the true story there’s at least eight types of supernatural creature claiming to offer it and none of them can see all of it.

In spite of what I said above about ordinary darkness, a magical girl supplement can't stick entirely to the regular world or history, so we get the Fearless Kingdoms lost in the Dreamlands, and three other Queens of Capitalized Letters who are different from the Chapter 1 Queens. These 3 are the Twilight Queens who have been fighting the Darkness for ages and gotten fucked up by it.

The 5 reasonable PC-class Queens to follow are the Radiant Queens who were imprisoned until the Moon Landing in 1969, which was such an amazing inspiring feat of hope, it cracked the Darkness's hold on the world and let the Radiant Queens out to start raising protagonists again.

The Radiant Queens still live in the Dreamlands, and they suffer the dream-logic problem of sending unreal people on unreal quests to come back with unreal information. If you, the player character, want your Mentor Queen to give you advice, you need to tell her about your personal real situation. This is both a plot device for keeping the big powers off the board so the PCs can shine, and a clever setup for MLP-style "Dear Princess Celestia, this week I..." letters. I like it!

Also some stuff about how the Darkness spawns monsters and hazards. The secret setting history is decently solid.

Pages 59-60 are blank in the saved PDF version. Reee.

Chapter 3: Character Creation.

Starts with game creation, getting the players on the same page, discussing how the campaign should be designed, this is supposed to be an adaptive character-centric game, unlike D&D mostly-static adventure modules and pick-up games.

Two important elements of character creation are the Calling and Queen that Chapter 1 focused on. White Wolf Editing! *shakes fist*

There's the usual WW 5-dot attribute/skill system, and then the usual new set of special supplement stats, which I'm going to analogize to Vampire as a starting reference.

Humanity stat: "Belief" in magical girl idea(l)s Power stat: "Inner Light" Blood points stat: "Wisps" Disciplines: "Charms"

But instead of the Charms being 5-dot, each has a basic function and several independent upgrades.

Then there's the Magical Girl Transformation, which takes a whopping 30 seconds of shiny transformation sequence, and it comes with super identity protection to allow players to mess around with it safely. Good stuff.

Unless players have been extremely careless, the Storyteller shouldn’t have a supernatural antagonist follow them back to their mundane lives [...] the mundane relationships a Princess has are incredibly important thematically and mechanically and the best course of action should never be “cut off everyone so I don’t put them in danger.” There are things a character could do to make that relationship safer, but they’re tedious and get in the way of playing the actual game, so you don’t want to do those either.

We're still in Chapter Character Creation giving OOC reasons for the IC strength of dual identity protection and the failure of scrying spells, organizing interconnected material in a linear fashion is hard. I don't blame the author, but it annoys me.

In the grand tradition of RPGs borrowing magic words and redefining them, a Princess's transformation catalyst object is "Phylactery". :D

There's an XP cost chart. It is one of the few outright bad things in this version, IMO. Starting with the ambiguity. Cost of Attribute: "4XP/dot". Okay, if I'm raising an attribute from 2 to 3, does that mean a 1-dot raise costing 4XP, or a raise to 3 dots costing 12XP? (Shadowrun got this one right by saying "New Rating x5" as the cost.)

There's a XP cost for "Lost Willpower dot" but not for regular Willpower raises that I can see.

Then we've got explanations of the Belief stat (Integrity, Humanity) and then, at last, explanations of the Oaths that came up two chapters ago, which are not next to explanations of the Callings despite having come up together.

Then, still in Chapter Character Creation of PTHCE, because editing is very hard, we've got a special new mechanic: Flaring Belief. When you fail something or come up against a big threat, you can choose to raise the stakes, giving you a reroll and a power boost, by swearing to achieve some goal that's more difficult or more thorough. If you succeed, the power was free, you rose to the occasion. If you fail at the goal, lose Belief stat! It's great Magical Girl content.

Also appearing in this chapter: Merits.

With that chapter of miscellanea finally done...

Chapter 4: Magic.

Best part of the book, IMO. There's basic effects like super movement, summon object, or magical girl hyper beam, each of which has several upgrades that can be combined to enhance or modify effects. For example, the water-walk movement can be combined with the affects-vehicle movement to drive on water.

It's also the part of the book that looks like the most work, reminding me of the Mutants&Masterminds build-your-own-power pointbuy system. Players will have to figure out how to build the effects they wanted, GM will have to adjudicate, it's quite a loose system.

I'm going to reserve judgment on this until I get a chance to see it in play, but my superficial impression is good.

Then there's options for giving those effects elemental upgrades or elemental restrictions for more themed attacks and character identity and stuff.

Chapter 5: The Forces of Darkness.

While trying to Ctrl-F for this chapter I noticed that funny font symbols have happened, and trying to copy-paste the headline elsewhere yields "Cha???r 5: The For??? Of Dar???s?", possibly ligature bullshit or the result of me saving GDocs file to PDF.

So here we have the monsters, and the monster-associated things like evil places that buff monsters, the ecology of monsters, monster abilities, and a bunch of fiddly little stat modifiers for monsters. Monsters are supposed to embody aspects of the Darkness, which is evil and parasitic and cannot create, monsters have to form around a source of Light and consume Light where it leaks into the Darkness.

First up are the Darkspawn, generic monster-of-the-week gribblies with too many teeth.

Then come the Nightscapes, living location puzzle bosses built around someone's fears that, must be resolved with social and clues while beating up gribblies, which the GM is expected to customize heavily. I like the idea, but as with Magic in the previous chapter, it means this isn't a pick-up-and-play game, this is something where the GM needs to prep.

Nightmares are the minions of Nightspaces, doing specific tasks and inflicting relevant fears for the puzzle bosses. I had a hard time telling the functional difference between Nightmares and Darkspawn at first.

Defilers are where it gets interesting: humans empowered by the Darkness and knowingly choosing to keep doing that, though not necessarily with knowledge of what the Darkness is.

Cataphracts are former humans whose heart and soul has been replaced with Dark Power, sometimes evolving from Defilers.

Enthroned are the campaign bosses: corrupted magical girls, who come with a personalised and controlled Nightscape around them. They are obvious in person for that reason, but harder to spot when posting on the Internet, which is why magical girls should stay off the Internet. :D

--

Now lemme go back to that werewolves-at-the-museum plot from the start and see how I'm going to work it with this game's bestiary and ecology. First question seems to be: Am I going to have a Nightscape or not? Is this adventure important enough, or is someone fucked up enough, to have one?

I learn towards "no". This is a starter adventure I'm planning.

Let's have some Darkspawn. For example, the Ravenous Darkspawn statblock could be used for a book that came to life, grew teeth and started biting people. (The Ravenous entry appears to be missing a Size stat?) "Books don't bite people", say the boring people, nudged along by Insidious Darkspawn telling them "You saw nothing" and looking important with badges. Traitorous Darkspawn might be nudging the museum director into reacting even worse.

The director is militarizing the place even more, which makes life harder for the werewolves trying to get the plot device in the museum, so this situation is not going to fix itself, only escalate with the likely outcome that the museum closes. This I think is stakes of the sort the Storytelling chapter calls for.

[...] it’s important to keep the stakes lower than you might think. The impulse in both anime and roleplaying is a threat of a world-ending, apocalyptic scale, but ironically making the stakes too high means the stakes are nothing. You can’t go through with a consequence of failure that basically makes the setting cease to exist, therefore, it’s not going to happen. The focus of the Chronicles of Darkness is at the local level. Failure on the part of the players should result in terrible things happening, and the world around them being a tangibly worse place to live, but still recognizable enough as the world that they can actually live with the consequences of the failure.

Possibly there's the risk of a Nightscape being created if the party fails, the museum closes, and the museum guides who have worked there all their lives suffer a breaking point.

I think I'd like some more kinds of Darkspawn in my adventure, and at the book level, I think providing some more would be useful to GMs.

Then I need an agentic antagonist to interact with. The werewolf pack might serve this role, but they can be talked to and aren't outright enemies. Since I noped on the Nightscape, the more hostile antagonist should probably be a Defiler somewhere. I'm thinking either the museum director (empowered to call in unreasonable amounts of security, cops, and city budget with OP social influence) or some other dude who also wants the plot device artifact, can't contest for it directly, plots to steal it in the museum shutdown when lots of items will be transferred and it's easy for some to go missing.

To be continued.

[ninesnowfang]

Ramble about Bravely Default's offensive spells and why they're bad and how Bravely Second made it amazing

first of all i'm gonna mention that i will default to BD for bravely default and BS for bravely second in this, BD2 isn't gonna be mentioned much if at all. I will also note that this is mostly stated for boss encounters since regular encounters are so easy it barely matters what you use, any sort of AoE spammed enough will clear the encounter, This will also talk about Hard mode being the played difficulty (normal and especially casual mode you can literally run whatever and it'll work) BD has probably the worst magic in any "final fantasy" style RPG i've ever played, it's very strong SUPER early on (aka once you get it) and no further than the first optional asterisk holder it's already becoming so weak comparitively to the sheer damage output that thief and its massive agility stat lets you do, this is partially because of bosses not having many elemental weaknesses to exploit and also because rods don't give magic attack via proficiency, a Brawler and a Black Mage will get the exact same amount of magic attack from the same rod which holds back magic starting late Florem or early Eisen. It's also held back by Spell Fencer taking away what COULD be its niche, having elemental variety to exploit any and all weaknesses if a boss DOES have them (mostly crystal bosses). By the time you get Hunter especially there's no longer much reason to use magic at all offensively thanks to hawkeye taking away the one issue physical attacks could have, that being the chance of missing or whiffing to many hits, doubly so once you get the strongest class in the game aka Ninja. Lastly the amount of JP needed as well as magical damage support being incredibly scarce as the game goes on compared to physical support (merchant's crit boost, quick, agility boosting equipment and ofc spellblade) just makes it an awful feel to use it compared to mowing down enemies with pyhsical damage. Then comes BS and your literal first asterisk you get is wizard with the glorious Spellcraft ability, Spellcraft lets you change your spells with different properties, need a priority spell that does 1.5x its original damage/heal? level 2 of the class which you reasonably get before the bella/cu fight where you really want those lightning darts, enemy magic defense too high? at level 4 you get spellcraft: hammer which deals PHYSICAL damage based on your magic attack, it can also crit for double damage, the same spellcraft level also gives you mist which keeps the spell on the side you cast it on for a few turns, this can be used with healing spells or even REVIVES, the next spellcraft tier includes wall, a counter that casts the spell after getting hit by a physical attack and blast which turns the spell used into an AoE and boosts the effect of it. So yeah Wizards give you a massive utility boost right out of the start with any caster you get… and it somehow also has the highest intelligence stat in the game + the now SCALING magic attack rods which lets you use magic offensively throughout the game… especially with the last spellcraft tier where you get spellcraft: Rain, changing the spell to be cast four times with no effect boost besides that.

This works with meteor and every hit does capped out damage and with the right setup you can do this 14 times per full brave turn, that is 56 capped damage hits which no boss in the game can survive. But it costs a ton of MP so unless there's a simple way to take care of that you really won't be able to spam it...

thankfully MP free in a pinch + ghost status turns these frail glass canons into a zero risk maximum reward team setup that obliterates the entire game and you can get that setup going at around 60% of the game being complete. Now how does physical stack up to that? well, magic is far easier to use in BS but physical builds have a lot of neat new tools too, fencer in particular is such a good class that it's worth using as a sortof hybrid tank and DPS or main DPS. thanks to spellcraft on Supportive magic like keeping up buffs every turn, immediately rebuffing someone with dart after they were just revived it doesn't really matter what kind of build you go for, hell use both magic and physical in the same team it's ABSOLUTELY viable in this game because Bravely Second is probably the most free "just go nuts it'll work somehow" class based RPG i've ever played and that's likely going to stay that way

On that note just to have it mentioned, BD2 also has good class balance as long as you ignore beast tamer and freelancer overshadowing the other classes as main jobs due to sheer stats, the game also has a good mix of phys and magic balance so it's another sorta "just use whatever lol" game, but not to the degree of BS

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Is Magikoopa Magic Stolen Wish/Star Magic

So when looking for an image of Kamek with a crystal ball I stumbled upon something that could further add on to a previous hypothesis I made a post about.

In Mario Party DS there is a Minigame called Hexoskeleton where you fight against a Dry Bones. You fight against him by by summoning powerful magic by stepping on magic switches that bring forth magic symbols, and it's described as learning secrets of Magic. There are several switches on this with different symbols, 3 of these symbols are the exact same symbols seen in Magikoopa magic. In addition there is a star in the center of all the symbols, this could imply these symbols are from the stars or more specifically star magic. This is something I have speculated on before when it comes to Magikoopa magic.

Now for the next part of all this. In the Super Mario Bros. manual it mentions the Koopas are a tribe of turtles famous for their Black Magic. Now if the magic Koopas are using is Star Magic, why is it regarded as Black magic as opposed to Peach's White Magic which is also Star Magic. Well I believe it's either the way they obtain this magic or use this magic. For starters most turtles don't generally use magic, that seems to be reserved for the Magikoopas and Kuppas. In fact the magic used by the Koopalings uses the exact symbols as a Magikoopa's magic.

So my main hypothesis is Magikoopas are essentially stealing Star Magic when they aren't given access to it. For example Princesses like Peach and in the situation of Paper Mario are allowed to access this magic, and everyone can to an extent as established in Super Mario RPG. But what if you aren't granted access say like a certain Evil Koopa King. Well the other way you obtain it is by essentially stealing it. For example in Super Mario Bros. 3 the wands the Koopalings originally used are wands they stole from the Kings of other Kingdoms. So I believe the Koopas steal Star Magic, but would beg the question. Why would Bowser need to steal the Star Rod? Well notice how there's 8 symbols, but Magikoopa magic only has 3.

I think Magikoopas have only been able to access some Star Magic but not all Star Magic. This is why they are able to perform all the abilities such magic would bring. S o while even though they are capable of doing lots with the magic they have, they are still limited. Meanwhile Mario and friends are able to learn and or access the magic on these panels. But probably can only individually access each one one panel at a time.

This would explain why Bowser need to steal the Star Rod. I bet the Star Rod is able use all 8 symbols thus accessing the full extent of Star Magic.

In addition to the Magic being the Power of the Stars. In the Data House of Mario Party Superstars Kamek can be seen with a crystal ball. In it is some type of star, similar to how Kamella had a Power Star in their wand. I think this could further confirm they are using stars to cast magic.

Follow up

[undyingmedium]

MUN'S COMFORT LIST

Comfort food(s): Pizza (like the good Italian peep I am), sushi, spicy things, chocolate and sweets!

Comfort drink(s): Bubble tea and mocaccino on non-alcoholic side, wine otherwise!

Comfort movie(s): Atlantis! I still cry to the beginning and ending scenes and the Crystal Chamber never fails to give me goosebumps. And REC. Calling that "comfort" is a huuuuge stretch, but it's one of the best horror movies I ever watched and nothing ever spooked me as much as that one. Love me some strong emotions!

Comfort show(s): Speaking of strong emotions, Cabinet of Curiosities has been destroying me lately in both a good and bad way, but I'm enjoying in thoroughly and it's probably gonna stay as one of my favourites. On a completely different note, Wander over Yonder and Vox Machina. Something tells me I'll be back to change/add more a thousand times after I post this.

[[EDIT]] Oh shit I forgot Fallout!!! And Pluto!

Comfort clothing: Black/dark t-shirts with nerdy prints and leggins. Also earrings of all kinds.

Comfort song(s): Peter Gundry's entire production and videogames soundtracks/instrumental pieces with emotional intent! And System of a Down and Blackbriar as groups!

Comfort book(s): I'm very attached to the Emerged World sagas because they're the first big trilogies that ever really got me into fantasy as a child ♡

Comfort game(s): I'm afraid League of Legends is far past me without a group of friends that plays with me because of its awful community, but I'll never forget it's the reason why I started chasing my dream job and today I'm finally starting to see it realized. But! Kingdom Hearts got me into gaming during childhood and I'm still respecting it despite the creators' thirst for money and questionable writing, Hollow Knight is going to stay one of my all-time favourites, Minecraft is also fun with friends, Crypt of the Necrodancer satisfies my love for gaming and music, [[EDIT]] Dead by Daylight is my new happy choice for nights with friends and! Last but not least!! TTRPG games - most of them!! Gift me a good story and let me immerse myself in them with a loved character of mine and you'll have my heart for years to come, as my DMs very well know ♡

Also, just for the record, a few honorable mentions: horror RPG maker games and Undertale got me into story-based games, Among us, Slay the Princess struck my heart lately, Ring of Pain was an amazing go-to to fill the time and Baldur's Gate is the best alternative to real campaigns I tried so far. Probably unpopular opinion: I don't like fighting and mechanics that much - some fights are breathtaking but I'm mostly in for the story and the relationships with characters (absolutely not limited to romantic ones) and I can't take it seriously because of the possibility to reload and my lack of discipline with avoiding it. So yes, but also no. Just a mention.

Tagged by @windwithinmyveins || Bring it on~ (Thank you! ♥)

Tagging: @steel-and-fire @witches-and-weirdos @deepseawarlock @aquatic-hybrid @deaddovestellnotales and you!

[thecurioustale]

After The Hero: A Curious Tale Turns 25 Today! (Plus: Story Excerpt!)

Today, 25 years ago, in the light before dawn, I published the first piece of After The Hero: A Curious Tale. Namely, the Prelude, which I called a prelude even then because it was on a community roleplaying board and I was aiming to do something like a cold open prior to starting the game proper.

In just a few short pages, there passed the final confrontation between Rennem, the eponymous Hero, and Galavar, seemingly a villain bent on ruling the world, who defeated Rennem and with that victory threw all the hackneyed fantasy formulae of the 20th century away. It was my reaction to what I saw as stagnation and degeneracy in the fantasy supergenre, especially in epic high fantasy. And it was also my reaction to the artificiality and wastefulness of the imposition of a boring good vs. evil paradigm onto the narrative, and the corresponding squandering of interesting characters—the villains, who are inevitably the most dynamic, proactive, and ambitious ones in most fantasy stories.

I had just played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time a couple weeks prior, and it had blown my mind and crystallized something I had been wanting to say for years. Galavar was my Ganondorf, and at first the story as I conceived it was all about him and his Guard of Galavar, and their forces, versus the emergent international Resistance against them, and the key difference was that Galavar was saddled with none of the petty, tacked-on traits of cruelty, vanity, etc. that artificially hobble villains because some storytellers do too good of a job and have to bring their villains down a few pegs, and other storytellers lack a sophisticated ethical faculty and don't know how to do it any other way.

That bold premise is still the main axis of the plot in ATH today, if no longer the thematic core of the narrative. And, in the years since 1999, we have seen the fantasy supergenre change somewhat. Not in a way that I'm particularly satisfied with: There was a broad backlash to the formulaic good vs. evil paradigm, but the way most contemporary storytellers have moved beyond it is to make all the central characters evil, i.e. unlikeable, wrong, "gritty," self-interested, petty. If I may be uncharitable, they came up with the only thing less interesting than black-and-white: pure gray.

And the villains are still villains, and are still treated as such.

After The Hero is nothing like that. My conceit was that it was a story with no villains, except for all of two side characters who weren't even central to the story. I always wanted all of the characters to be likeable, not necessarily in the sunshine-and-rainbows sense, but rather in the sense that a hypothetical reader could theoretically root for any character, any side of a conflict, and be justified in so doing by the text. Characters you can believe in! Characters you're not embarrassed to be unironically proud of. The Galans, the Resistance...everyone! Even the Gods. It's easy to be against a character or a faction, and that is of course also possible, or at least that was always my hope. But to be for them...now that's special.

But I never arrogantly pretended to be above it all. I have my favorites too, and always did. As far as factions go I am with the Galans 100 percent. As for the individual characters...I'm not exaggerating to say that I like the vast majority of my characters. Not just the fat ones. Not just the left-handed ones. Not just the redheads. The vast majority! I have to go out of my way to write characters I don't like. It doesn't come naturally to me, and I decided long ago not to put too much of that sort in the novel.

Of course, it wasn't always a novel. As I mentioned, it began as an RPG. (And if you've an old-timer, you've heard this story a million times.) I will forever be grateful to the other core cast members who got ATH the RPG off the ground and saw it through to its triumphant conclusion. We made a great story together. And even though the RPG era lasted only a little more than one year, and even though the story today is very different from what it originally began as, in substance, tone, and style, I'll always be grateful for their participation, because that's what got the novelization era going.

I have a couple of things in the pipeline in addition to the novel itself, and I had hoped to be able to announce at least one of them today. Sadly, nothing was ready in time—but stay tuned in the months ahead. The ATH 25th Anniversary lasts for a whole year, after all!

In lieu of any of that, I thought about sharing an excerpt from the book itself, but, as I was looking over the candidates, I realized that I didn't want to spoil the carefully-curated experience I'm working to build. So that's a no-go.

Yet I had a thought: If not After The Hero itself, then one of its satellites. One of the Interludes. Something whose publication is so far away in the future that it doesn't really matter who reads it today.

I have just the passage in mind!

Long-timers will remember The Great Galavar, one of the Interludes that I actually began publishing on my website as a weekly serial during the Year of 32. Mostly, I wrote it each week in order, but occasionally I would write scenes that would occur later in the story, and those got saved for later. Even when The Great Galavar went on hiatus when the Troubles began, I still occasionally wrote down scenes as they came to me.

And one of these is a pair of scenes dealing with the splash that Silence Terlais makes in her first year in the City of Sele, the seat of Gala, as a fledgling adult. This is in the past relative to the events of ATH, so In these scenes Silence is roughly 18 years old by our years, or 25 by Relancii years (and Galavar is roughly 36 / 50). Silence has spent most of the year confined to her sickbed recovering from terrible injuries, and now she has recovered to the point where she is "coming alive" as it were.

The first of these two scenes features Silence directly onscreen, and is one of my favorite Silence scenes that I've ever written because it delivers on the premise. It's possibly the favorite Silence scene that I've ever written, at least among those I have put to paper. For my entire adult life I have been wanting to write scenes like this for her, but they are very, very hard, in the same way that trying to describe a paradise is hard. When Silence isn't present onscreen doing stuff, it's a little easier to get away with building up her legend. But to actually, explicitly illustrate the behavior that makes her such a big deal is not easy, and is one of my chief cap-feathers as an author.

And on top of that, because it's in the past, I have to write a Silence who's much younger than the one we see at the start of ATH, and is living in a different era of her life.

I first conceived these scenes in April 2021, and what I am going to share with you today is in a relatively stable, near-finished form. Together they form a mostly self-contained short story.

It's..."a lot." It's ten thousand words of talking about Silence, and there is a certain monotony to such a singular focus on anything. I understand that, and in fact there's supposed to be another scene in between them, in part to help break that up a bit. But that scene isn't written yet. Maybe, when you see the three asterisks (***) in the text at the scene transition, get up and take a break, and come back to read the second scene later.

I hope you enjoy this excerpt! I hope these characters come a little bit more alive. And if you read this and come away feeling like you understand my fascination with Silence a little bit better, that will be the ultimate compliment.

Please do feel free to reshare this post, and I would love to hear any feedback you have. Even the harsh stuff, if it comes to that.

They say you should believe in what you write. You have to commit. You can't get embarrassed or back out, because it ruins the whole thing. And I really believe in Silence in these scenes, and it shows, hopefully it does so in a way that redounds to your interest in future Curious Tale publications. But, either way, I'm proud of it, and there's no better way to celebrate my life's work than to share one of the most sterling and stirring pieces of it.

~ ~ ~

The Secretary

Their fortuitous left-handed arrival stirred a commotion throughout Sele almost immediately.

During the early days of her convalescence, Silence had been downright passive in her manners. It didn’t fit with the fire that Galavar had met in her mind, and he wasn’t sure what to expect from her moving forward. Conation could be deeply confusing for him sometimes, with the appearance of a person’s mind not closely resembling their outward style. Was there something he had failed to comprehend about her?

As it turned out, no. At least not in this regard. Silence had merely been observing, getting a sense of this new society and finding her footing in it. Waiting. And once she was on her feet again, she sprang.

Her first command came over brunch (va variv) one sunny morning at the end of winter. Galavar had joined her in their private little tearoom, where she could carnivorously devour her copious cuts of flesh in peace, free from the distractions of seeing or being seen. Galavar had grown quite fond of these meals with her, and on this morning he noticed there was no wheelchair.

“You walked?”

“I walked.”

“Not two days ago you hadn’t walked under your own power in three seasons gone by. What muscles were left to walk with?”

“The deep ones, of course, that don’t so easily die back from a little neglect. Zeal, and guile.”

“Those are not motor muscles.”

“Oh, I think they are. That’s where the real lifting happened.”

“But—”

“These Galan healers of yours gave me plenty of exercise in bed. More than enough to physically carry me, now that the moment is right for it.” She thrust out her arms to glorify her recovering form, and smiled proudly in her seat. “Here we are.”

The traces of her accent were almost completely gone now. There was no hesitation in her grammatical constructions. It almost scared him how fast she learned things. And now came her command, the first of many:

“I’d like to ask if I could have a secretary.”

Galavar noticed the question and turned it over in his mind. She had a way with her words, he’d learned. She hadn’t actually asked him. She’d said she’d like to ask him. What would have been a flowery turn of respectful phrasing from most people was something altogether different from her.

“A secretary? You want a staff?”

“A desk. An escritoire.”

“Oh! A secretary.” He’d forgotten that usage. “Y-you…I…where did you learn that term?”

“I couldn’t tell you the book that gave me the Galan word for it, but we have them where I come from, and I’ve seen them here.”

“Secretaries, as I recall, are a repository for secrets.”

“Hence the word.”

“What sorts of sinister secrets do you wish to keep?”

This was his first question of the morning that made her think. She darted her eyes off into space a few different ways, and fumbled her hands around a bit, thinking unseen thoughts.

“My power to conceive of things,” she eventually said, “outstrips my power to remember things. I need a place to write down my creations.” She looked up at him, her eyes and narrow lips revealing the only traces of any pleading that might have been mixed in with her otherwise confident imperative, along with these words: “There’s more than enough space in my room.”

And that was true enough. Having come to Sele with no belongings but her sword and the filthy, disintegrated clothes on her back, Silence’s room was quite bare. There was her bed, an armchair for visitors or Silence herself, an armoire for her small allotment of provided clothing, a mess of books whose covers changed by the day, a window, a wall painting of orchids, and little else.

“What would you say to a new accommodation?” he asked. “If you’re walking this well in just a couple of days, I think you’ll be ready to be discharged soon.”

“I’d like that,” she said. “But I’d like the secretary in the meantime.”

“I’ve learned how particular you are—a trait we share. How about I take you to my favorite furniture shop and let you pick out the one you like most? The owner is an old friend of mine. She keeps stock on hand, but you can also commission a piece if you don’t find anything you like.”

She thought it over and grinned at him. “A probing question, Galavar! I like it.” She wagged a playful finger in his face, the left index—the one through which she projected the center of her essence and all her will. “You want to know how hard I’m willing to work. How much I’m willing to do my own lifting to get what I want, versus barking at others to do my bidding. How far I’m actually able to walk, and how much of this confidence is just a façade. Very well! I accept your challenge. I’d love to go furniture shopping with you. Give me three days.”

“Three days?!” He peered at her, then roared a laugh. “Three days till you’re ready to walk halfway across the city! I meant to take you there by carriage and merely have you walk around in the shop.”

The fact that his question had not been the masterpiece of hidden swordplay that she had taken it for weirded her in the face, and the very notion of that incongruity seemed to fall off her consciousness. She replied, “You are graced with an uncommonly powerful, resilient body.”

“Yes,” he said.

“If you were in my position…how long would it take you?”

“Point taken, but…three days? Even with all my willpower, I couldn’t do it in three days. Muscle doesn’t grow like that.”

“You haven’t met my body yet. Only my mind.” She looked down at her dishes of food. “But you will.”

She picked up a long piece of fish in her left hand, held it up at him. The juices ran down her hand and wrist, and forearm, dripping down onto the plate. “This stuff isn’t just to give me something to do, you know.”

And she chomped an enormous bite of it.

“Physician Ieganan mentioned that to me. Your appetite is through the roof recently.”

“Much of me was lost, destroyed.”

“Like a house fire… First, clear and repair the damage. Then, rebuild.”

“You understand.” Her thoughts shifted. “Do they have fires out here? Your aedes are all metal and stone.”

“If not the walls, other things do still catch fire, sometimes.”

She nodded, in a way that told Galavar her thought: In Junction City it would not be so.

“I wouldn’t need the physicians to tell me that my heart was damaged,” she said. “I know it. I could feel it. A heart takes time to heal—and one shouldn’t gain weight with a damaged heart. So time I have paid. Now, I’m going to replenish the flesh I lost. The day will come soon when walking across the half the city is nothing. I walked across half the world to get here. Well, mostly walked. Flew a bit.”

He wondered, briefly, what she would do if he denied her idea of walking to the furniture shop with him. The fact that she had felt confident enough to agree to attempt it, even if he hadn’t meant it that way, implied that she would offer a response to any effort to deny her. Silence Terlais was not the sort of mate who would put herself at the mercy of others if she could help it. The passive, wounded observer lying frail in her sickbed was gone. Yet what sat before Galavar was not exactly a match for her lofty view of herself. What would she do? But he chose not to ask.

*

By the time the three days had elapsed, Silence was running—running!—up and down the stairs at the Academy. She’d tripped and fallen countless times, and was covered in bruises. She didn’t care. “Supple bones,” she’d explained to him. They met for aleo that morning instead of the later variv. For the outing she wore a gold-embroidered shirt and a handsome pair of slacks loaned to her by one of the teachers, and didn’t eat as much as usual—didn’t eat much at all. Before too long, they set out under a fine morning sun.

And she walked with him to the furniture shop.

It wasn’t actually halfway across the city, like he had told her. In fact the Workshops were quite close to the Academy. Silence was terrifically dismayed at this, telling Galavar that she’d prepared herself for the full measure. So he led them on a detour, up Swan Ridge and around, performing a spiral around the Workshops District. And she was assuaged somewhat, though her spark still missed the idea of walking the Selish radius.

Their exceedingly circuitous route led them by one of Galavar’s favorite cafés, and they popped in for drinks. For its caffeine Silence eschewed the tea which Galavar so highly commended to her, though she did take a sip of it and agree it was delicious. But the caffeine, she said, bothered her heart—and she much preferred milk or lollywater besides. There was only a little new flesh on her bones as yet, and he wondered where all the food went before realizing the obvious: Her energy was unflagging! The piercing winter cold, the mercilessly thin air, the exertion of a body that had barely moved in nearly a year…none of this was evident in Silence Terlais today. She matched Galavar’s pace, so competitively that for her own sake he set a more leisurely one than he would have otherwise—until she called him out on it:

“Don’t go easy on me,” she told him. “I’m prepared to die today, if that’s what my body has in store for me.” And he believed her. This was her test, not his guardianship. She had something to prove to herself today, and he had no right to take that from her. So he walked at his customary clip.

[Verbiage about seeing the city.]Sele was an incredible city: wildly young yet already sprawling. Everything was new and had the shine of dynamism to it. There was zip!; that old-time get-up-and-go. Everyone shared in the spirit of their city. No one was here because the generations had deposited them here mindlessly. They were here because they had come hearkening to Galavar’s call of Galance, or were the children of the same. Everyone here had said yes. And it was extraordinary—to Galavar’s eyes, to Silence’s, and to anyone’s—just how much faith and spirit and loyalty and industry dwelt in the sparks of the people.

And everything here had evolved into a new strain from its ancestors—a new culture. The Halrowns Dumpling House with its stone porches and outdoor heated stone tables that seared a crisp underbelly into the already-boiled dumplings, a restaurant that in some other land would have told some other story, here told a story of dreams pressed into enterprise and hot food at the top of the world. The Hapidanger Belly Theater, which brought the traditions of Imperial belly-dancing to Galavar’s land, was not the pulsating seat of seduction it would have been in Panathar; here it was an electric laughterhouse where they made of their bellies art and sport and humor, and maybe a little seduction too, but only in between the belly laughs. And Findul’s Emporium could not have existed anywhere else in the world, for where else in the world could Findul exist?

It was a very Silence kind of a town, and Galavar listened to her read all the signs out loud with excitement and delight, watched her fall in love with it in real-time…and felt the kind of pride that one would be lucky to encounter twice by the end of their years.

At some length they finally came to a workshop with a beautiful wooden frontage—rare in the city. The wood was heavily varnished to protect it against the growling winds and insufferably dry air, all cut by the carpenter herself to show off her talents. The sign, painted in rich yellow against dark red arjor, read Javelin in Wood.

They walked into a wonderfully lavish showroom. Silence sighed a great breath of romance and inspiration, took in heaps of the fragrant woody air; Galavar was all but forgotten to her as she instantly set her mind upon exploring what she saw. Ravenous, was the word that came to him. He was coming to appreciate that Silence was a ravenous sort of person. Sure enough, it dribbled out in her speech now, directed at no one:

“So much to see. … Every line deliberate, every cut. Every shelf and drawer placed with knowing, with intent. And so well done. … It’s like a city, Galavar. Just in this one aede. My sight has been so bare of late! I love the flowers on the wall in my room but surely they would forgive me for wanting something more. … … Hand-tied coil springs … Yes, this is where it should go. … They knew. They knew!”

There were no other customers or visitors, and no sign of Javelin. Galavar walked into the back to look for her. Her workshop was messy, strewn with projects in various states of construction or repair. He finally found her in a tiny room in the far back, boring pilot holes in an assemblage that looked like it might become a cabinet someday.

She looked up at him, leaving her work behind.

“Galavar.”

It was a strange expression she wore. She wasn’t happy to see him. She wasn’t sad or angry. She wasn’t indifferent either. It was unmistakable: the look of someone who’d loved him, and been rejected and kept at a distance by him, but couldn’t bring herself to let go of how much she cared for him.

“I got your note.”

“I didn’t want to drop in on you unannounced.”

“This new friend of yours, she’s in the front?”

“Yes. Quite approving of your work, if I may say so.”

“And…?”

“It’s complicated.”

“It always is with you. Never simplicity. Let me guess: You dig her, and you screw her, but you’re not ‘with’ her.”

“Javelin, she’s a kid.”

“She’s older than we were when you turned me down.”

“That’s…well…to answer your question, Silence and I shared a conation together in the spring.”

“Ah, a Galavar groupie, then.”

“No. At least, not like anyone else. She kept herself, most of herself. More than a match for me. I think I changed more than she did. No groupie. We’re very close. Resh and I found her in a sorry state. She’s been too weak even to walk until very recently. But she seems to be on the mend.” He chuckled. “She asked for a desk. I figured it would be the perfect excuse to step away from ruling the Universe for a few hours, and come visit you.”

“In my little woodshop. It’s been three years.”

“I know. I just…wanted to give you your space.”

Javelin seemed to be on the cusp of a quick retort, but she stopped herself and closed her eyes, and breathed. When she opened them, there was something different.

“Part of me is very happy to see you,” she said. “If you can overlook the rest, I’m going to try to give that part of me the speaking role today.”

“How have you been?”

“The shop’s doing well. I can’t get enough wood in to keep up with demand, so I’m focusing on high-end pieces that take longer. As for me personally…what would you expect? Same as always.” She found the words pouring out of her. “I’m lonely. I don’t feel pleasure the way I used to. Not in my friends, not in my work. I miss Ieik. I miss being young. Better times. I miss home. I don’t know where I am anymore.” She looked around at the tiny room, tools hanging everywhere. “I’ve lost something. Lost myself. Not quite sure what part.” Her face turned to his, eyes locked. “I have everything I said I wanted…everything but you…but as I get older I realize that I don’t know if you could have made me happy in the long run. Maybe nothing could. But you definitely succeeded in making me sad. I’ve tried to reclaim that power from you, for many years now…but I never could.”

“Sometimes,” he said, “I dream of that simpler world, where I married you and we lived out our lives in peace and quiet in the Village of Ieik. You’d have your shop, much like this. Maybe I’d be the River or something.”

“Wouldn’t that have been good enough? To be the River of Ignorance, with a loving mate to share your life with, in the paradise that God made for us?”

“Sometimes I dream of it,” he repeated. “But my spark could never have fit in Ieik. I had to go.”

“And take all of us with you.”

“We’ve had this talk before.”

“I just…I just…I’ll never understand. That’s all. I’ll never understand. But!” She clapped her hands, forcing energy and a smile that were neither false nor true. “I’m partly happy to see you. Let’s go meet your friend, shall we?”

They walked back to the showroom, where Silence was nowhere to be seen.

“Silence?” he called.

“Over here!”

They found her underneath a sofa, her head hidden beneath the front skirt, beyond which she was presumably studying the joints—but with her hands only, since the skirts blocked out all the light. Javelin shot him a quick look that said something to the effect of you always find the weirdos, and Galavar laughed.

Silence had enough social tact to pull herself out rather than waiting to be summoned, and was on her feet surprisingly quickly, shooting Galavar a quick grin before immediately turning her full gaze on the shopkeep.

“Silence, this is Javelin, the owner of this shop, and a childhood friend of mine from Ieik. Once an incredible athlete, now an incredible carpenter and furniture wright. Javelin, this is Silence Terlais, a new citizen of Gala and a consummate would-be knower-of-everything.”

“‘Everything,’ eh?” asked Javelin. “What’s five times three?”

Silence laughed, and gave Javelin a small salute. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said. And then, still smiling, she added: “I didn’t realize what I was stepping into. Are you okay with me being here?”

Javelin seemed pleased by that, but it took Galavar completely by surprise. Silence by his own experiences was stunted, even borderline deficient in her social skills, almost childlike, yet…in this moment she was smooth as butter. What was this devilry?

“I’m okay,” Javelin said. “I’m guessing he didn’t tell you about us.”

“No, he didn’t even mention your name. Now I see why. I apologize if I’ve brought you any discomfort today. But he does have good taste in furniture!”

“Hah! Yes he does! Where are you from? Galavar says there was a conation—and that he came out short for a change..”

“I’m from the Middemesne,” Silence replied, “including several years in Junction City.”

“Inside the city?”

“Yes.”

“Inside-inside?”

“Yes.”

“Can you do that? Just…move to Junction City?”

“It worked out that way for me.”

“How old are you?”

“[AGE ~ 25].”

“You really are, aren’t you! Galavar, this borders on indecency!”

Galavar began to fumble something about conation, but Silence saved him:

“We’re not actually having sex. It’s that the joining of minds is even more intimate than sex. So to say that we’re not having sex is one of those things that’s factually correct but diametrically opposite the deeper truth of intimacy.”

“I see,” she said, with a visible sign of relief in the upward turn of her lips. “I thought he’d found another mate he couldn’t commit to.”

“Maybe it’ll come to that someday,” said Silence, “but I prefer fat males who know everything there is to know about me—and, though he’s been a good friend so far, he fails on both counts. And, what’s more, there’s an old flame of mine whom I’m not truly ready to move on from yet.”

“Fat, eh? Not many of those around here. It’s not really an Ieikili fashion.”

“Give it time!” Silence merrily exclaimed. “I will teach this whole society how to grow fat.”

Galavar, for his part, found himself quite disoriented. Old flame? Who was this flame of hers? It was a glaring, glaring thing for Silence to say: Their conation had shown him no “flame” at all. When had she had the opportunity? Was she lying to Javelin now, or had there been parts of her life that he really hadn’t seen when their minds touched? He instantly realized it had to be the latter: She’d just said as much: males who know everything there is to know about me.

Silence, all while talking to Javelin, was telling Galavar that he didn’t know her as well as he’d thought.

Galavar began to appreciate DeLatia’s disdain for Silence a little bit better. Silence was…what was this? Not passive-aggression. More like…what?

Silence, for her part, continued talking as though all were level and blithe:

“But in the meantime I’ve asked—and Galavar has charitably agreed—for a secretary. I plan to begin keeping a lot of papers in the very near future, and I am viciously scatterbrained when it comes to remembering objective details. I’m also building up my worldly possessions almost from scratch, and a secretary would help me with small-item storage in the coming year.”

“A good piece of furniture is a real wealth,” replied Javelin, seemingly oblivious to the subtext. “It can stand you in good stead should times ever turn lean. At your age, it’s an excellent gift. You should see [NAME] on [STREET] for the best ink pens, [ETC.] for brushes, [ETC.] for stationery…”

Then Galavar figured it out: Silence was resetting the terms of their relationship. Up till this point she had been docile, and almost completely helpless. But that had only been a survival mechanism for a bedridden wreck of viutari ruin. The real Silence was beginning to emerge, and she didn’t intend to be subservient to Galavar in any way.

She was declaring her independence from him, and it hurt like ripping off a piece of sticky bandage. It was a strange way for her to explain it to him, yet it had worked: It got his attention, and left him with no doubt as to where they stood. That was the disorientation he was feeling: He had painted a mental image of her, and she was ripping it up—deliberately, as though they were still conating now.

And one thing more: She was embarrassed; embarrassed that their minds had touched at the darkest moment of her life. And their conation, contrary to what he’d thought, hadn’t resolved that humiliation.

“I’ll be sure to visit them all,” Silence told Javelin gladly. “You clearly know your stuff. Just from the look of your showroom I can tell you’re busy.”

“I sure am!” Curiosity got the better of Javelin. “How can you tell I’m busy just from the showroom? There’s no one else here!”

“Most of these sticks have sale tags on them; they’re already sold. If I had to guess, you’re holding most of them pending delivery while people’s homes and businesses are still under construction—with maybe a few more on deferred delivery so that your showroom doesn’t go too empty.”

“…That’s exactly right.”

“You’re also prospering enough to have more than a bare staff. I take it as a given that you have one or two striplings to handle the worst of the drudgery. They’re not here right now because they’re on deliveries, but I can smell what’s left of their scent. Blends into the oils here.”

Javelin stared at her wide-eyed.

“On top of that, you have at least three proper employees besides yourself: the one who writes the stickers and whom I presume is your bookkeeper, whose handwriting is different from yours; and two more people implied by the presence of two different carpentry styles in addition to your own. At least one is a full journeymate, and maybe both.”

“That’s also exactly right. All of it. To the letter. Yes, two journeymates. Second one is new.”

Galavar could tell that Silence was underlining her point for him. Whatever he had previously estimated her powers of perception to be, they would need to be revised upward. And she would have known his next thought: She had possessed these powers all along, and had assuredly been using them right from the beginning, on her sickbed. This was more than a display of independence. It bordered on the sociopathic. She was using Javelin as a toy to play with Galavar.

For a moment Galavar felt the world fall away beneath his feet. Had her kindness and kindred spirit been insincere? No…surely not. She was too pleasant, too wonderful. But what…what was she doing?

Silence continued:

“I recognize the provenance of most of your materials, but”—Silence walked over to a large table in very pink wood—“I don’t recognize where this came from. The wood is stove hawk, but I only know them to grow in the western hills of [NAME], and none of those have the kinds of annual rings I’m seeing here. They don’t live that long; they don’t get this big.”

“Ah, because it’s not stove hawk! It’s pink stove. They grow in the high altitudes of the Howl Riada, and nowhere else.”

“I don’t remember seeing any when I was there!” Silence seemed genuinely surprised.

“You weren’t yourself at the time,” said Galavar, whose voice reminded the other two of his presence.

“I suppose I wasn’t,” she said. Then, back to Javelin: “I’ve seen more than enough to know I’d love to have you build my secretary. Would you be willing to do it?”

“For a friend of Galavar’s, I’ll put you at the front of the line. I take it you have something different in mind from the two in here that aren’t already sold?”

“Quite. Since you’re busy, what would the timetable be on a delivery?”

“It depends on your specifications, but I would anticipate the Equinox, or midway through spring at the latest.”

It must have ached at Silence to face such a delay in the realization of her first, imperious declaration of arrival and self in this new Galan city of hers. But she gave no sign of it.

“Very good! Shall we get into the technical details now?”

“Let’s step into my drafting office. You want to tag along, Galavar?”

“I think I’m going to make my rounds up and down the block; talk to people. See how things are going. It’ll give you two a chance to talk without me getting in the way. How long do you think you’ll need?”

“Come back in four hours,” said Silence.

“Four hours?!” Galavar’s jaw dropped. Even Javelin raised an eyebrow.

“I have very specific technical requirements.”

“You do, don’t you?” said Javelin. “I’m beginning to get a sense of that.”

Galavar peered at Silence, not sure what to make of it all.

“Four hours, then.”

He turned around to leave. The last words he heard as he stepped out into the street were Javelin’s: “I think you scare him a little…”

* * *

Back at his home late that evening, there came a knock at the door.

Galavar was in his element: dressed in his most comfortable robe, sitting on his living room sofa, reading the evening paper. The work of day never ended, but day itself did end, and Galavar had grown better over the years at giving the evenings—his most beloved hours—back to himself. There was nothing so uniquely relaxing for him as being done with the day’s work and meetings, done with any errands or chores, done eating, done with everything and free to go to bed at any time, and free till then simply to recline upon the sofa’s softness and read about the day’s comings and goings in his cherished city.

A proud luminary, Galavar paid a special attention to the lighting in his living room at this quiet wind-down hour. Most of the main lamps were not in use, but a few well-placed ones created spots of splendid brightness, while the space as a whole bathed in their pleasant, dim glow. The drapes were all still drawn open, creating black pools of darkness into the outdoors upon his windows, and in the living room there were many windows, including a whole bank of them on the main face. Galavar loved the contrast, and he didn’t mind that others could, from the modest distance of the street, turn their gaze up the gentle slope toward his house and look in on him. His whole life was a fishbowl anyway, and he rather fancied a passerby looking in through those windows and saying “Ah, now there’s Galavar in his robe, reading the paper before bed; all’s right with the world!”

At the sound of the unexpected knocking at his door, Galavar’s eyes and brows rose first. The knock was a gentle one, clear but unhurried. Someone authoritative, someone decisive, stood on the other side of that door. This pleased him.

Generally speaking, it was a well-known faux pas in Sele to call upon folks unexpectedly at a late hour for any matter that wasn’t both urgent and important, but it happened sometimes anyway, and Galavar got a sense this was one of those, which led to the good humor in his comment, proffered to himself:

“I had better answer it, then!”

He picked himself up out of the softness and went to the foyer, opening the door with genuinely no idea who it might be. As it turned out, it was Javelin.

“Javelin! Come in.”

“Thank you.” She availed herself.

“Take your coat?”

“Please.”

Javelin had a strange look on her face, an echo of that old competitive ferocity of hers. It took him back many years.

“Some tea?”

“You know it.”

He led her to the kitchen, pouring fresh water into the kettle. The rays of light fell softly from the living room upon them as Javelin sat at a stool along the bar.

“Did the design work with Silence go well?”

“You never came back to pick her up.”

“I don’t think she wants a chaperone.”

“Yes, but…” Javelin chuckled softly. “You don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?”

“She’s only a child, Galavar.”

“I told you that! Remember? Besides, had you said that to us when we were her age, I don’t think either of us would have taken kindly to it.”

“True, but we know better now. Demonstration and majority confer autonomy, not experience. Not wisdom.” She rapped his counter and pointed a finger at him. “And apparently experience doesn’t confer wisdom either. You should know better by now.”

“What did I do?”

“She couldn’t walk five days ago. She told me all about how hard she worked to be able to go out today. You shouldn’t have left her to walk home by herself. Let her deny your escort if she wants; don’t deny it on her behalf.”

Galavar set out a pair of teacups and saucers.

“She misjudged her energy, I take it?”

“Yes. I took her home in a carriage. We spent so many hours working on the secretary. You know how exhausting matters of the brain are! Back in school I could run any race, but sitting down with books and paper…that really takes it out of you. Silence didn’t leave herself enough strength to get back to the Academy.”

“Did she admit it? Or did she collapse first?”

“Of course she admitted it. She’s proud, not stupid. We both thought you’d be coming back, but you never did and we lost track of time. Talked for hours. By the time it became clear you weren’t coming, she was tuckered out. Walked as far as the front of the shop, turned around, and asked me for help. Poor thing had a wide look in her eyes, like the world had run out of matter ahead of her and she was staring at the void.”

As he shuffled some tea into the teapot, Galavar cracked a smile. That was a very un-Javelin way to have put that idea. But her Galavar mask always picked up such mannerisms.

“I know that place,” he mused. “I’ve been there. That moment when you realize you’re not in control.”

“Yes.”

“Those are good, balancing moments,” he said. “Humbling moments. I think she needs them.”

“You’re probably right about that. But, still.”

“What?”

“Context.”

“She’s an adult, Javelin. And what she needs from me is not a mother hen but a peer. She needs peers. A kindred intellect. Someone who’ll push her, upward and forward. If she wants supporters, she’ll seek them out.”

He sat down on a raised stool in the kitchen to wait for the water, and found Javelin’s fierce gaze meeting him.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “I think she’ll neglect that whole dimension of life if it isn’t foisted on her. Children need parenting.”

“She’s an adult.”

“You’re lost in her intellect…her ambition. You’re not seeing the viutar who contains it. Yes, she is an ‘adult.’ What does that even mean? I’m saying she needs mentors, guiding figures, helpers, even a matrix. She’s stunted. She doesn’t know how to interact with people. She only knows how to mimic it. She doesn’t know what she needs. Doesn’t know how to go about getting it. She’s trying to interpolate a whole new Universe into this one, but what she really needs is someone to tell her how to put her pants on forward.”

The kettle began to boil. Galavar got up to pour the water into the teapot.

“I think you make a fair point,” said Galavar. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you going to be able to build her secretary?”

“Yes!” Javelin sucked in some air and smiled. “She was so deliberate. We drew blueprints down I swear to a hair’s width. Every grain of wood in the whole design is put to her purpose. Ideas that I’ve never seen before. The actual blueprint we drew is a complete mess; no one but she or I could read it.”

“Grand,” he grinned. “Most pleasing.”

“You’ve found a special one, Galavar. She is the smartest person I have ever met.”

“Yeah?”

“I learned things about carpentry from her, today. And she’s never done carpentry.”

“She did some woodworking in Junction City.”

“A little. But she picks up things instantly. You only have to explain something once—usually not even once! She’ll pick it up before you finish talking. And it’s not just the concepts. It’s the work. I let her do a little practice work in the shop. Everything she did…there was summary competency to it. A few strokes of the hammer, and she knows the hammer. A few turns of the lathe, and she knows the lathe. A mixture of absolute proprioception, rapid comprehension, transfer of knowledge from other applications, and deduction from first principles. It was brilliant…” Javelin looked up at him “…and frightening.”

“Frightening? Ah, so that’s why you’re here. I couldn’t believe that you’d come here at this hour just to scold me.”

“I’m concerned.”

“What better place for a precocious young mind is there than the City of Sele?”

“That’s only the smallest part of what I mean. Yes, the raw potential of her intelligence should be scary to anyone in their right mind. She’s not one of us. Not even you. She’s on her own echelon. That is scary, yes, but it’s the kind of scariness I can set aside. But…Galavar: You said you found her wandering through the desert?”

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t that strike you as an extraordinary coincidence?”

That caught his attention.

“What do you mean?”

“There she is, this brilliant young thing from Junction City—from the Forbidden City—who shows up just in time for you to encounter her. Any other day, any other hillside…and she’d have died.”

“You think she was supposed to die?”

“The other way around. What if she was meant to be found? What if she’s an agent of the Sorcerers?”

“She’s not.”

“Not consciously, no—I take you at your word on that. But what if she doesn’t realize that she’s serving their will?”

“How?”

“We’ve kept Gala a secret from the world, but the Sorcerers are not of this world. They have eyes in far places. Here’s this newcomer, this child, who instantaneously has unfettered access to the mind and daily agenda of the Great Galavar. How do you think the Sorcerers enforce their balance on the world? Subtly. Never with armies of might.”

Galavar rose again to pour the tea.

“This smells wonderful,” she told him. “Thank you.”

“It has a blend of lesca hips. I know caffeine doesn’t always agree with you. You share that in common with Silence.”

“It’s amazing how thoughtful you can be when you put your mind to it. And how easily it goes away the rest of the time.”

He sat down again, this time pulling up the stool to the other side of the bar straight across from Javelin.

“It’s a dire accusation to call Silence a spy.”

“No…not a spy.” Javelin gave a sort of frustrated sigh as she tried to find her words. “I don’t think she’s knowingly working for them. But they may be using her in some way. Her intellect is obviously real. If the Sorcerers wanted to shape the direction of Gala, how would they do it?”

“Are you asking?”

“What about taking a bona fide genius—like Silence—and subtly shaping the direction of her growth as a person? And then she shapes our growth as a society. You’re going to come to rely on her, Galavar, and soon. The fruits of her mind are going to be irresistible. She’s going to become one of the controllers of Gala. And…”

“And if the Sorcerers control her…”

“You see my worry. This secretary I’m building could be the first component of a dreadful weapon. A sorcerous weapon. Not steel, not fire…but something…more.”

Galavar sipped his tea in silence for a long time. Finally, he blinked heavily and shook his head.

“It’s not fair to Silence to act on that kind of an accusation, or even to harbor it in our thoughts. She deserves a chance.”

“I agree with you on that,” Javelin said. “I just think it’s worth acknowledging the possibility.”

Galavar stared out into the distance of worlds, patiently finding his words:

“When our minds were together, in the conation, I saw the reasons she left Junction City. I don’t think the Sorcerers could have designed those events. She…it wasn’t pretty. She’s very much her own, strong-willed self. I didn’t see anything in her whole psyche to suggest that she’s a puppet of a concealed plot.”

“Are you sure of that? Are you sure that this power of Sourros to join minds as one, which you have only of late begun to wield, is so clear in its vision?”

“Actually, now that you mention it, Silence spoke of an old flame of hers today.”

“I remember.”

“I didn’t see any person like that in her memory. I didn’t feel any lingering love in her for him.”

“So either she was lying, or you don’t know her as well as you think.”

“Exactly.”

Javelin frowned thoughtfully. “Supposing it’s a lie, do you know, from your intimate knowledge of her, what might cause her to tell it?”

“She might have just been saying things to be sociable. You had implied that she and I were having sex. Maybe she was uncomfortable.”

“That’s certainly possible,” Javelin conceded. “I shouldn’t have said that. When you mentioned her in your note, I assumed she was older. So! At least we do have a plausible alternative to my scary idea. But still: I’d think twice before assuming that you know the full measure of her thoughts and history.”

Galavar wasn’t about to tell Javelin the details that might have explained his judgment. He wasn’t going to tell her that he’d put a gesh on Silence. He wasn’t going to sink Silence’s reputation and trustworthiness with that terrible onus. The dark regions of her mind, the gaping tear in her psyche that he hadn’t been able to repair…they were a secret between Silence and himself, and no one else. But…he couldn’t deny Javelin’s point.

“I’ll agree, there is at least the possibility that there is something more to Silence than is apparent to me,” said Galavar. “But I maintain that she deserves a fair chance.”

“That’s all I would ask of you.”

“Tell me…if you’re so suspicious, why build the desk?”

Javelin laughed, not entirely charitably.

“I’m not going to stop her, Galavar. She’ll get her secretary regardless of what I do. The fate of all Gala and the Galance Ideal and bick it let’s add the world! does not hinge on me building a piece of furniture. I’m nothing to her, do you understand? Nothing. Do you see it? I don’t mean she doesn’t care about me, though for all I know she doesn’t. I mean I have no power that could possibly interdict her. Short of murdering her in her sleep. She’s bigger than me.”

“Not that much bigger.”

“Not physically. God, you’re obtuse sometimes. She’s bigger than me in the spark.”

That gave Galavar a sudden, unexpected chill, as he thought back to what he had seen in her mind…

Javelin continued: “She’s going to become bigger than all of your friends and everyone else in your government. She’s a polestar. And I didn’t say that I am ‘so’ suspicious of her. I just think it warrants a mention. She’s going to become exquisitely dangerous. You’re the only one who could possibly hope to check her power. With Sourros at your side, you alone can check her.”

“There’s that sadness in your voice again.”

Javelin agreed with a sigh, and drank tea, and a long silence passed between them. It was good to be with Javelin again, yet aching. Happy and sad. Familiar and guarded. He had loved her back. He’d just…he’d been too young…and he’d never had enough spark to wrap it all around everything he wanted.

Javelin eventually turned her eyes onto his face. Studied him. There was a new melancholy on her scent as she said:

“This isn’t easy for me to say, and I don’t want you to take it as an attack on her. This ‘Daughter from Illar’ you’ve given us represents the living incarnation of the antithesis of everything I lost when the Ieikili became the Galans. I wanted a simple life. I wanted to die out there, in Ieik, at a ripe old age, having lived a humble, peaceful journey under the Sheer. This new friend of yours is the opposite of that. She’s going to complicate everything. You’ve already ripped my world away from me and replaced it with something unbearably grander. Now I fear she’ll do the same. One day.”

He sipped his tea; it was getting down to the bottom of the cup and had cooled off.

“You’re so certain,” he said.

“Yeah.”

“What all did you two talk about today—besides the desk? What makes you think so?”

“Many things. Our personal lives, for sure. But mostly other topics. Weather. Culture. Philosophy. Food. Art. There’s a common theme in all of it.”

“Oh?”

“Power. She’s obsessed with power. Not…political power. Not physical power. But you know what I mean.”

“Yes.”

“Power complicates life.”

“It does indeed.” He raised his brows. “That’s a good thing.”

“I…guess we disagree.” She smacked her lips and tilted her head, tried to explain it to him: “She’s especially interested in rare forms of power that have been forgotten in time or that no one has mastered or discovered or invented yet. Subtle powers. Forbidden powers. Knowledge that shapes the Kindred behavior. Data and science that describe the world. Old books. New books. And it all comes down to control. She wants to control…everything: people, society, technology, nature, Junction…and most of all herself. I didn’t go into her head like you did, and she was kind of evasive talking about her past, but I’ve met plenty of newcomers to Sele who’ve walked that same road. Silence was powerless when she was young, and now she wants to never endure that again. She wants to become.”

“Well spotted,” Galavar replied. “Yes, she has a lifetime of helplessness that she wants to make up for.”

“Perhaps to our communal peril, is all I’m saying. Everything we talked about led to her ambition.”

“Everything?”

“Well…no. It’s not like her ambitions are the only things she can think about. Like I was saying earlier, she’s a viutar like us. And she’s young. She sees the world with young eyes. She’s filled with young emotions. There’s a lot that goes on in a young mind. But there’s just about nothing she talked about that didn’t at least tangentially regress to some passionate desire for control.”

“Give me an example.”

“Like…well…food, for instance.”

“Food?”

“She loves food, but not purely for its own sake the way I might love biting into a tookalook soup dumpling. It’s about control. She loves all things flesh. Meat and sex and corpulence and athleticism…. She’s a very carnal person. A very…I guess I would call it lust. Not for sex per se. A lust for life, and the power that comes from living. Like a predator who knows she’s the predator, and loves everything about being a predator. Food makes her powerful; that’s why she wants it.”

“Okay, yeah. That’s fair.”

“And she wants…everything. Always the wanting with her.” Javelin laughed. “Not an easy person to chitchat with! But I won’t say it wasn’t a gratifying talk! She’s very interesting.”

“I’m aware,” Galavar replied. “She really made an impression on you, hasn’t she?”

“We talked about something else, too.”

“Oh?”

“She wanted to know all about me, my life, my desires…and my history with you.”

“She never struck me as the jealous type.”

“No, not jealousy. Not like that at all. She looks for greatness in others. I think she was expecting to find a plentitude of it in me, because of my long friendship with you. Greatness by association. You impress her. But I think I disappointed her. She wasn’t impressed by my lack of ambition and desire for simplicity.”

“Who at that age is?”

“I was. Don’t you remember?”

“Well…I suppose I do. I guess it’s harder for me to see back to it, given that I look at your past self through my eyes. My vision of you.”

“And you’re like Silence in that you notice the greatness and not so much the humbler bits.”

“Aye. More tea?”

“Ah…” he could see her wanting to say yes “…I should probably go.”

Then she gave him a strange look. There was part of a smile, but also frustration…and something else. Her next words gave it away:

“God, you’re handsome. All this talk of power and flesh. Twenty years later and you’re more attractive than ever.”

Galavar gave a distant sigh.

“I wish I could show you that a peaceful, unassuming life inside Gala is entirely possible,” he said. “It’s what I want for most people! I wish I could make you happy here. But…my body’s not going to make up for that.”

“I know. I’m not propositioning you. I’m just…just imagining. ‘What if?’ What if things had turned out differently.”

“The road not taken. We’ll never know.”

Suddenly a dark thought occurred to him. Javelin’s comment about Silence’s interest in forbidden powers stirred in him. He saw in his mind the image of Silence, and something she had said to him last year:

I know all twelve Powers. Not from the Sorcerers. I know them like the hours of the day.

And there was, in fact, an answer to Javelin’s question. Out there, beyond all that was natural and proper, there was an answer.

The road not taken…the world that could have been…

“Did you tell Silence that?” he asked her.

“Tell her what?”

“That you wish things had turned out differently? Your life? Our lives?”

“I did, in fact. She has a way of cutting to the center of things. There’s no point concealing information from someone like her.”

“What did she say?”

“I don’t recall exactly. I think she said it was an interesting thought. We didn’t dwell on it.”

“Good.”

“Good?”

He let it go, and smiled a honeyed sort of thing:

“Well, I for one think we’re already living in the best possible world.”

“Hah, the old Galavarian optimism!” she laughed, then finished the dregs of her tea. “Never change.”

The two of them rose in unison.

“Thank you for hearing me out,” she told him.

“Thank you for coming by. You’re always welcome, you know.”

“I wouldn’t feel right, calling on the Meretange Individual just to chitchat. But you are always welcome down at the shop. I’ll build you a secretary, too. Even if it’s hard for us…please don’t be a stranger.”

They returned to the foyer, where they exchanged valedictions. Galavar gave Javelin her coat and showed her out into the frigid night.

She walked away into the darkness, with little puffs of mist for breath.

Galavar’s eyes followed her for a bit, indulging, just for a moment, the “What if?”

The life he’d given up to have this one.

Then he closed the door, gave a long sigh, and returned to his sofa. The cushions were still just as nice, and the lamps just as warm, but on the whole his posh little living room seemed a lot less peaceful and comfy in that moment.

Sourros, he spoke in his mind, if I could give Javelin a measure of my own happiness, I would.

To his mild surprise there came a reply:

No, Galavar, you would not—for you did not. You have walked the path I opened for you. Happiness has never been your intent. For now, it accompanies you even so; you would be wise to enjoy it while you can.

This Silence Terlais…is she an agent of the Sorcerers?

That question assumes a great many things. You must first seek to understand what you are truly asking. Then you may pursue your query as a luminous being of logical knowing.

How about a straight answer for once?

To Galavar’s even greater surprise, Sourros actually gave a pretty straight one:

She is no minion of the Desolate Forsaken by their doing, though one supposes their interests could be served by her all the same.

How?

Read your newspaper.

And then the God’s presence was gone, nearly as suddenly as it had appeared.

Galavar shook his head, redid his robe’s belt, and sat down at the sofa.

With a curmudgeonly harrumph, Galavar picked up his newspaper, rustled it for effect, and returned to the article he’d left...

[wild-magick-child]

Mana: What It Is & How To Absorb It

For the last decade I have done a study on Elemental Magick, and what I found is very interesting!

This post is dedicated to exploring the concept of Mana as magick energy.

So, what is Mana? There are many theories but the short answer is power. It is magickal energy that exists as particles. A concept that is very common in Anime. In fact, the concept is so common that it was adopted in RPG video games. However, it is hard to say which one said it first. If the concept of Mana is so widespread, then it must be grounded in reality.

Before we continue let's get one thing clear: Magick is real. The beings you invoke in your rituals and spells actually do exist on the astral plane. The energies we summon: The Elements, natural energies, the powers of spirits, etc are very real. This is not, and has never been, a metaphor. It's not just "spicy psychology." Don't let witchy social media fool you into believing that you don't have real power.

That being said - what *exactly* do you think powers our spells? It's not spirits if that's what you think. The truth is that the beings we invoke in ritual are not the ones that fulfill our commands. If that were true then Atheist Witches wouldn't be a thing. They don't even work with spirits. If that were true, then Wizards who work with Chaos Magick Theory couldn't create Servitors. Sigils wouldn't work. So, what is the other option? The answer you are looking for is Mana.

So, I ask again, what exactly is Mana? I have a working theory: Mana is the particles of energy created by the combination of Solar & Telluric power currents. I found the answer I was looking for in John Michael Greer's The Druidry Handbook as well as several other books by various authors. But my main sources have come from fantasy anime, namely Fairy Tail, Black Clover, Akashic Records of a Bastard Magical Instructor, and The Rise of the Shield Hero.

In The Druidry Handbook by John Michael Greer, he mentions the currents of what Druids call Nwyfre (noo-iv-rah). It is the same energy that the Chinese call Chi, the Japanese call Ki, the Hindus call Prana, and we call Mana. There are two main energy currents: the Solar Current and the Telluric Current. My theory is that these currents converge in the atmosphere all around us to create the energy we refer to as Mana. This is why so much anime and so many RPGs visualize it as particles of energy in the air. Because that's exactly what it is!

So, the more scientifically minded among you are probably asking "If Mana is real, then why can't modern science measure it?" My reply is "Who told you we can't?" Consider this scientific research on how the Law of Attraction works. Your nervous system plays a big part in all of this.

Mana is basically the same as electricity, or more accurately - light. It's not that difficult to deduce if you consider the facts. In anime, Mana particles always look the same: like photons. Consider that our entire Multiverse runs on electricity. Our very bodies are electric in nature. The Solar & Telluric Currents of Nwyfre that create Mana are electric & magnetic in nature. Telluric Currents are what create ley lines, aka magnetic flows of the Earth that generate the Earth's electromagnetic field. Mountain air is so healing due to the higher concentrations of Solar Nwyfre.

This is the same reason why we use copper to wire wrap our crystals. The same reason why we work with clear quartz (piezoelectricity). The reason why we work with natural substances such as herbs and oils (trace amounts of stored electrical potential via atoms). The very reason we say to build your Wands and Staves and other Tools out of wood and metal (electrical conductivity). It's also the exact reason why we say to never use plastic in your Craft (because it is non-conductive). And finally, it's the reason why intention controls how our spells manifest (thoughts are electrical impulses).

I will end my research paper here. I hope you have enjoyed my research! I have many more metaphysical research papers to write and publish.

Sources:

The Druidry Handbook by John Michael Greer

Anime (listed in post)

This site

Piezoelectricity and the Piezoelectric Effect

The Body Communicates By, Emits, and Is Made of Light

What Are Telluric Currents?

Druid Interpretation of the Nwyfre Currents

[sonicasura]

Broken Dreamer and the Seven Stars

One of two Mario/KN8 crossovers that came to mind. This involves Super Mario RPG in particular as the other will revolve around the Fawful Saga of the Mario and Luigi RPGs. Now let's get started.

A mysterious epidemic has slowly began to spread throughout Japan. People falling asleep and never waking up. Every single one stuck in what seems to be an endless nightmare that varies. The only correlation between them were these few words garner by multiple sleep talkers: The stars are breaking.

A few days later, 30 year old Kafka Hibino would mysteriously disappear. There no signs of a break in or the man even leaving his apartment. He simply returned from work and went to bed on the night he would disappear. The only sign that something was a mysterious indent in the mattress, one which eeriely looks something pierced through.

An unconscious Kafka Hibino is soon found by a wandering Shaman and taken to Moleville. Unbeknownst to the unaware populace, this man had been changed if one sees the broken black crystal tattoo etch on his right hand. Well until Kafka freaks out upon waking to a giant talking mole and a seemingly inhuman hooded figure.

The man suddenly transforms into monstrous mole version of himself from sheer fright! It seems that whatever had taken Kafka to this world had grant him the ability to transform and even summon monsters. Taking pity on the man, the Shaman teaches him how to control these powers.

Kafka stays in Moleville for at least a week as he tries to understand what had happened to him. All while helping the townsfolk and learn to control his newfound magic. Believing Kafka is ready the Shaman tells him to seek the Frog Sage at Tadpole Pond for guidance.

The man bids everyone farewell and sets off on his journey. Of course with new gear alongside essentials provided by the townsfolk. The plot of Super Mario RPG truly kicks off once Kafka leaves Moleville. (Can't have him staying there to wait for our heroes.)

Best way to describe Kafka's outfit would be similar to Dynamite Anton's attire from AntonBlast if it was for mining and his starting weapon is a Pickaxe. His starting abilities are: Summon (Shard/Lava Bubble/Cluster), Transform(Buzzer/Mole/Shaman), and Earthshaker(Break the ground around enemies with a Pickaxe.)

He bumps into Mario and Mallow during their first visit to Tadpole Pond. Kafka joins the group on their journey as maybe he could find out what him here. (Plus he wasn't gonna to abandon someone in need especially if it involves missing family and friends.)

You can bet Kafka gets pulled into a lot of shenanigans as he helps Mario's group. There are slight changes with his inclusion. Here are a few that I've gotten so far.

Monstro Town holds a lot more importance when it comes to Kafka. I'm not just talking about his magic either. Will say collecting the Shiny and Extra Shiny Stones have become mandatory into getting him home.

The destruction of Star Road is partly responsible for the epidemic in Kafka's world aka the Shatter Star Coma. A place connected to people's wishes would honestly have more consequences to its destruction. Though there's another string tying to this mysterious epidemic.

Kafka attempts to reform Bowser! Considering how the Koopa King acts, our himbo has faith he can stop the entire 'Capture Princess Peach' status quo. Also Bowser accidentally kisses Kafka during the whole Booster wedding nonsense. (I failed the minigame so Mario got kissed by both Booster and Bowser but this switch up sounds funnier. Although if people ship the Koopa King with Kafka then go for it.)

Our himbo still has his magic and items from the adventure once he returns home. Kafka does experiment with it for two reasons. One is he rather not fall out of practice(it would be disrespectful to the Shaman who helped him.) The second being he could help others with it.

Kafka essentially becomes a vigilante of sorts for the next few years. Since he aged out, the only other way he can standby Mina is through this path. Luckily his transformation magic makes it easier to keep a secret identity.

The Defense Force are clueless when it comes to who or what their new vigilante is. Only thing everyone can come to agree with being his alias: Proteus. (After the elusive Greek God who uses shapeshifting to slip from people's grasp.)

The mystery would truly unravel when Kaiju No.8 makes his debut. (Whether Kafka joins the Defense Force or not is still up in the air though.)

@foolmariofest

[imgntn1933]

*THE HANDSOME GENO STAR ROAD*

### A Night of Elegance in the Classic Hall

On a beautiful night, Geno, the renowned hero from Mario RPG, attended a classic gala held in a grand mansion styled after the 1890s era. That evening, Geno appeared in the most elegant attire: a black tailcoat, a white shirt, a bow tie, and a tall top hat. This ensemble made him look exceptionally handsome and captivating.

As Geno arrived at the front of the mansion, gas lamps illuminated the night with a soft glow, creating a magical ambiance. Geno stepped out of the horse-drawn carriage that brought him there. As he set foot on the entrance steps, the women guests around him immediately took notice.

"Who is that handsome gentleman?" whispered a young lady in a light blue gown to her friend.

"He must be a nobleman!" her friend replied, gazing at Geno with sparkling eyes.

Geno confidently walked towards the main door of the mansion. Every step he took was accompanied by whispers of admiration from the ladies standing by the stairs. A friendly smile graced his face, making him even more enchanting.

"That gentleman... he is so handsome," said another young lady in an elegant red gown to her companion.

"What a perfect appearance," her friend, dressed in an emerald green gown, replied, covering her mouth with a fan to hide her nervousness.

Geno finally reached the mansion's inner corridor, filled with luxurious decorations and glistening crystal chandeliers. The ladies standing along the corridor couldn't help but notice him as well.

"I've never seen a man like him," whispered a girl with long blonde hair.

"He’s sure to capture everyone's attention tonight," another girl replied, smiling shyly.

Geno walked gracefully through the corridor, aware of the significant impact of his appearance. He gave a friendly smile to everyone he met, adding to his already overflowing charm.

When he finally entered the main hall of the gala, all eyes were on him. The ladies whispered to one another, praising his handsomeness and charisma. Geno stepped inside, ready to enjoy a night filled with elegance and luxury, knowing that he had captured many hearts simply with his presence.

In the main hall, the gala was in full swing. Classical music played beautifully, and the guests danced gracefully. Geno became the center of attention, surrounded by ladies eager to talk and dance with him. That night, Geno was not just a hero, but also a star shining brightly in the crowd, creating beautiful memories in the hearts of everyone present.

THE END

[the-monkey-ruler]

Pokémon (2006) ポケットモンスター

Date: September 28, 2006 / March 6, 2011

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: Game Freak, Inc.

Publisher: Nintendo / The Pokémon Company

Genre: Role-Playing

Theme: Fantasy, Anime

Franchises: Pokémon

Also known as: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl / Pokémon Black and White

Type: Appropriation

Summary:

Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl are a pair of RPGs in the Pokémon franchise (each game released has two versions, e.g. Red and Blue, Ruby and Sapphire). The games were released for the Nintendo DS on September 29, 2006 in Japan, April 22, 2007 in North America, June 21, 2007 in Australia, and July 27, 2007 in Europe. The games were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Pokémon Platinum, the third in the Diamond/Pearl trio, was released later (this was also done with other games, e.g. Emerald, Crystal). Diamond/Pearl are in the fourth generation of the Pokémon franchise.

The game takes place in the region of Sinnoh. The game adds more Pokémon, bringing the total to 493 different species of Pokémon. Diamond and Pearl both have exclusive Pokémon species, but the species can be traded to the other version (as well as imported from previous Pokémon games). In addition to this, there are many more new features, such as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection capabilities, a new watch called the Pokétch, and changes in battle mechanics.

An anime based on Diamond/Pearl was aired on Cartoon Network, as well as three films. A total of 110 episodes have been aired in North America, with more based off of Pokémon Platinum due to be aired. The three films are similar in style to the TV show, having the same characters, but not a story arc as in the show. The three films are The Rise of Darkrai, Giratina and the Sky Warrior, and Arceus To the Conquering of Space-Time (only released in Japan).

Black and White are the fifth generational entries in the Pokémon series, the first new generation to launch since the release of Diamond and Pearl in 2007. The developers of Black/White made extensive changes to the core game play design and presentation; changes much more immediately apparent than in any previous shift to a new generation. Unlike the Pokémon trainers in prior games, the male and female protagonists are adolescents, and both will play a prominent role in the story, regardless of whom is selected at the beginning of the game.

Black/White was released in Japan to critical acclaim, earning the fourteenth perfect score from Famitsu. It was also the most pre-ordered game in Japanese history. It was released in Europe on March 4, 2011, and in the US two days later (March 6). This was the highest-selling Pokémon game on launch day of all time, selling 1.1 million in one day. As of March 31 2016, it has sold 15.60 million copies worldwide.

Source: https://www.giantbomb.com/pokemon-diamondpearl/3030-3240/ https://www.giantbomb.com/pokemon-blackwhite/3030-30613/

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFUok4zd76qH1pI-3TdmzIUyBBLMyxt6k https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGKJJhcJXlNy3uWb91NcoRKbYEN3-1Mh_

[serengeral-alaan]

A brief retrospective on the FF14 2.0 storyline, since I re-finished it recently

Pretty good overall as far as an RPG story goes, while still of course the weakest out of all the MSQ storylines. 

Main issue, I think, is that it spends a lot of time worldbuilding and setting up conflicts, but struggles to get players as emotionally invested in the immediate conflicts due to it focusing on worldbuilding and setting things up over having the PC interact with deeply interesting characters. The Scions aren't...awful in 2.0, but between their frumpy character designs, awkward voice direction in EN, and clumsy initial chemistry, it's hard to feel emotionally invested in the Scions. Meanwhile, the WoL at this point is just some no name adventurer who's not even from Eorzea, so our PC isn't a good avenue for emotional investment in the initial plotline either. 

 The lack of truly interesting villains doesn't help. Gaius Van Baelsar has a weird might-makes-right philosophy and seems to mostly want to conquer Eorzea because he despises the "barbaric" Eorzean society, while Lahabrea in 2.0 is not much more than a cackling loon who wants to bring his dark god back for...reasons. The tribes are a bit more nuanced, but even with Y'shtola and the city-state leaders admitting that the conflict between the city states and the tribes is pretty gray, we don't really see much from the tribes' perspective to make the conflict feel truly tragic or ambiguous. 

 All this means the overall 2.0 story does not have the emotional beats that the later expacs are known for, and the lack of such moments in 2.0 really helps add to the perception that 2.0's story is...fine, but nothing outstanding compared to the other expacs or even other well-written RPG stories.

 As for the plot of 2.0 itself, it's overall fine. I don't think the Titan questline is as bad as it's made out to be, and if you bother to talk to the lesser Scions at the Waking Sands, suddenly losing most of them to the Garlean raid is actually kinda shocking. Rather, IMO the real low point is the annoying runaround you have to do to get all the corrupted aether crystals in the leadup to Garuda--at least in the Titan storyline you got to talk to the Company of Heroes and hear some interesting perspectives on what it means to be a hero, whereas in Garuda it's a constant chain of "Sorry but your properly-aligned corrupted aether crystal is in another castle" messages. 

 Lastly, one major black mark on 2.0's record:  the EN version of Lahabrea getting smote after the last solo duty is *cringe*. It felt like something that came out of a bad children's saturday morning cartoon. 

Beyond those mentioned lowpoints, 2.0's story didn't feel bad. It just didn't have a lot of those high points that later expacs do, and while worldbuilding and setting up later conflicts is all well and good, such things have a hard time drawing in newer players. As is often pointed out to me by skilled writers, worldbuilding is something you do to make your interesting story work, not something you do instead of an interesting story. Seeing how the conflicts plaguing Eorzea are laid out in 2.0 is neat and all, but if a player doesn't care about Eorzea that much in the first place, that worldbuilding doesn't mean much.