Hello, hello! I’ve decided to start consistently journaling as one of my New Year's resolutions, so that I can keep track of my progress this year and many to follow. My list of resolutions this year include:
Journaling
Focusing on and dedicating at least 24 hours to one project each month
Reading at least one book each month
Drawing for 30 minutes each day or at least 24 hours each month in total
I think these are all fairly achievable goals that I can contribute to throughout the year without getting too burned out. It would take about a minimum of 2 hours out of my day, which isn’t the worst thing in the world, and I’d have the weekends to catch up if one day is more of a struggle than another.
In starting this journal, you may notice that I started on the 2nd and not the 1st of January, and that is because I allowed myself a day to rot in bed before truly starting my year. I don’t know why, but large markers in the year are very intimidating for me. Starting anything new is always intimidating, especially if I’m tracking my own success. Because of this, I always allow myself to rot the day before. This means I start a day later than the rest of the world, which takes the pressure off starting the year. I’m already “behind”, so there’s no one to compare myself to, and it’s no longer a race.
On January 1st, I was in bed all day, and I didn’t track the times for when I accomplished any tasks. I don’t think I got out of bed until almost 3pm. This doesn’t mean that I wasn’t productive, though. It just means I was lounging in bed. I did work on the setting and characters for a new, solo D&D campaign I want to run that I’m quite excited for. I was getting the urge to write an epic high fantasy, but I’ve also been playing Baldur’s Gate 3. That might be the reason that all my inspiration for the story was leaning heavily into D&D. This will be a homebrew story that I write, so it won’t take place in the D&D world, but I will take the characters’ races and classes straight from the D&D manual. I’m not sure if it’s considered D&D fanfiction because I don’t own the rights to any of those things, but if it is considered fanfiction, so be it. I don’t care what it’s called because I’m having fun with it.
As for January 2nd, I woke up with a strange bruise on my thigh that I assume was from laying on the same side of the bed the previous day without moving. I showered at 9:40 and finished around 10:10 before completing my skincare routine and such from 10:20-10:45. Then I had breakfast, which consisted of egg salad on a bagel. Throughout my morning I was listening to episodes 2-3 of the Critical Role podcast on Spotify.
My sister and I had talked previously about reading more books this year, so we decided to read together. I was reading A Court of Thorns and Roses last year and have decided to continue reading it this year as my first book of 2024. I read from 12:30-1:19 before I decided to work on editing chapter 1 of Project Demon. While editing, I realized that I’d been calling chapter 0, chapter 1 and chapter 1, chapter 2 when talking about this project online. That’s a bit embarrassing, but from this point forward I’ll be referring to the first chapter of the book as chapter 0 and the second chapter as chapter 1.
Anyway, I edited chapter 1 from 1:30-5:32. I wanted to spend about an hour on this project so that I could either continue reading or work on some art, but Pro Writing Aid added a new critique feature that was stroking my ego. I also wanted to reread the chapter to get back in the mindset of writing the story since I didn’t write all December, but it was mainly the compliments that kept me going.
Then, from 6:00-8:45, my sister and I had dinner together. My mother made me an onion, garlic, cinnamon, clove, and lemon tea because I’ve had a terrible cough for about five weeks now and it shows no signs of disappearing. It’s a “medicinal” tea so I’m sure it’s alright for me to call it absolutely disgusting because it isn’t a show of my mother’s ability to make tea. It’s just gross for medical reasons. I also had leftover fried rice with seaweed and kimchi, which was delicious.
Of course, from 9:00-9:33, my family gathered in the living room to watch episode 4 of the new Percy Jackson series. I have always been a mythology geek, and I was a huge fan of the series in middle school. It’s one of the only book series my brother could stand as a child since he wasn’t much of a reader, and my sister and mother have never read the books. All I’ll say is, I’m praying on my knees for Nico’s introduction since they deleted him from the movies. It’s what will make or break the series for me since I stopped watching the first movie when it hit me that he wasn’t in it. If he doesn’t make an appearance, the internet will have to convince me through TikTok edits that it’s worth my time.
After the eventful episode, I showered from 10:00-10:55 and worked on my night skincare routine from 11:00-11:36. I decided that the New Year is a better time than any to start wearing my retainer again as I prepared myself for bed. I was in bed by 11:40, but I couldn’t sleep because the joints in my legs were aching. I had no explanation as to why, so I took melatonin at 12:15 and was asleep by 1:00.
#i wanna write this so badly but i have like 6 other works in progress so i’m making this post so i can come back to it <3
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
One of my favorite things the cast of critical role does is when they start laughing so much they laugh into the shoulder of whoever’s next to them. It’s the cutest thing oh my god
898 notes - Posted January 5, 2022
#4
Something cool about TLOVM that I’ve been noticing is you can often see the parallels between fights in the show and fights in gameplay.
Eg. Keyleth not joining the fight against the dragon until late can be seen as Marisha rolling a low initiative in gameplay. Pike being unable to heal the boy in the town can be seen as Ashley using up spell slots. Percy’s gun jamming during I can’t remember which fight can be seen as Taliesin rolling a 1 or something else really low. The hella high DC of that goddamn door (it’s always doors Jesus)
It’s just super cool to see that their actions are still effected by the “universe” and “fate” that are personified in gameplay by the dice. Aabria said in EXU something along the lines of “a roll is when a decision and the universe disagree”. This kind of parallel in TLOVM shows that not everything they do will be successful and it’s put into detail when you think about how the dice roll allow the universe to have its say about their actions.
Maybe I’m wrong but I just think it’s super cool and fun to think like “oh that would have been a HDYWTDT moment” or “that would have been a really low roll damn”
1,198 notes - Posted January 29, 2022
#3
Ryan “I fell into a pile of bricks as a kid” Bergara and Shane “I had a nose bleed the first time I entered a church” Madej
1,309 notes - Posted April 14, 2022
#2
Matt during episode 3 of 4-Sided Dive: “if the tower of inquiry falls there will be dire consequences for the one who ruins it, I will actually kill your character”
Liam during episode 6 of 4-Sided Dive: *wrecks the tower*
Episode 33 of Campaign 3: Orym is killed
UHM HEY MATT
WHAT THE FUCK MAN
1,343 notes - Posted September 9, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
What really bothers me about the try guys scandal is that there’s no word on or from Alexandria. She hasn’t said a word, she hasn’t apologized publicly. She deserves the same amount of blame for this, both of them had a part in risking the company and each other’s relationships. Waiting on a company statement about her job status or even better her own apology for hurting so many people. Im expecting her to at least apologize in the same vein as Ned’s apology.
i follow some ppl who are liveblogging campaign 1 of cr & ppl are really enjoying their comments ... im watching campaign 2 ..... would anyone want a liveblog 🤔
The gang is focusing entirely too much on Caduceus talking to animals and not nearly enough on Caduceus saying he talks with his salad before he eats it
Just so I have them all in one place. I’ll keep adding to this list as I do my random Ask marathons.
So as you can tell, Orym is my fave, but I’m willing to take a shot at the other members of Bells Hells, or even the other campaigns if you prefer. (I’m not as willing to take on shipping fic requests because, well, things can get a bit... heated amongst the community. Sorry.)
And I finished the first draft of my Caleb novel for NaNoWriMo 2022! :D
EDIT: AND I finished the first draft of my post-Calamity CR novel for NaNoWriMo 2023, which is now likely turning into a duology... oy.
ORYM-CENTRIC VIGNETTES (listed in order of the CR C3 timeline)
A Change in Perspective (takes place some time before the attack on Zephrah)
Knock Knock (takes place some time before the attack on Zephrah)
Love and War (takes place some time before the attack on Zephrah)
A Moment’s Respite / Found Family (AMR takes place shortly after the attack on Zephrah / FF takes place some time before the attack on Zephrah)
Shadows on the Wind (takes place the night of the attack on Zephrah)
Just One More Kiss (takes place just after the attack on Zephrah)
Beneath the Falling Leaves (takes place some time after the attack on Zephrah)
Solace (takes place a while after the attack on Zephrah)
Black Strands (takes place some time during the ExU trio’s travels)
Moons (takes place just prior to the ExU trio’s arrival in Jrusar)
Small Creatures (takes place just prior to the ExU trio’s arrival in Jrusar)
Aftermath (takes place just after the Shade Mother battle)
The Weapons We Wield (takes place just after the Shade Mother battle)
The Wrong Side of the Bed (takes place just before the departure to the Heartmoor)
Across the Many Miles (takes place the night before the heist)
What the F*** Happened Last Night?! (takes place the morning after the Hells return to Jrusar from the Heartmoor)
The Only Way Left to Hold You (takes place the night before the Deathwish Run)
Never Let Your Guard Down (takes place during the visit to the Calloway Layaway)
What Remains Unsaid (takes place during the return journey to Bassuras)
So Close Yet So Far (takes place near the tail end of Episode 32 while the Hells are waiting in their room at the Seat of Disdain)
Last Words (takes place just near the end of Episode 33)
Let Fall My Sword and Shield (takes place after Episode 33)
Living With One’s Choices (takes place during the latter half of Episode 34)
Because of Me (takes place aboard the Silver Sun at the tail end of Episode 39)
Just One Request (takes place at some point in the future, where Orym and Fearne travel to the Feywild)
ASHTON-CENTRIC VIGNETTES
Make It Fashion (takes place the night before the masquerade in Jrusar)
Long After Midnight (takes place aboard the Silver Sun the second night of their trip back to Jrusar in Episode 35)
CHETNEY-CENTRIC VIGNETTES
All Art is Collaboration (takes place during the flight to Yios in Episode 39)
DORIAN-CENTRIC VIGNETTES
Wherever You Are (takes place during C3E31/some time after ExU: Kymal)
Meeting the Parents (takes place at some undetermined point when Dorian and Cyrus have rejoined the Bells Hells)
FRESH CUT GRASS-CENTRIC VIGNETTES
Fresh Cow Grass (takes place just outside Jrusar just at the tail end of Episode 21)
Everything Hurts (takes place during the rest at the Spire by Fire in Episode 35)
IMOGEN-CENTRIC VIGNETTES
Take It Back (takes place near the beginning of Episode 35 aboard the Silver Sun)
LAUDNA-CENTRIC VIGNETTES
Nothing (content warning: violence) (takes place over the course of episodes 6-11 of The Legend of Vox Machina)
Death is But a Waiting Game (takes place during Episode 34)
NON-SPECIFIC VIGNETTES
After the End (takes place at some point after the end of Campaign 1)
Flowers In Her Wake (takes place sometime after the end of Campaign 2 but before Laudna meets Imogen)
The Not-So-Best Laid Plans of Fauns, Halfings, and Air Genasi (takes place some time during the ExU trio’s travels)
The Blame Game (takes place RIGHT after ‘The Not-So-Best Laid Plans of Fauns, Halflings, and Air Genasi’)
Kinda Sorta Something in Common (takes place just prior to the start of ExU Unlimited)
The Show As It Happens (no specific time but set during Campaign 3)
Never Have I Ever (takes place the night before the masquerade in Jrusar)
Force, Finesse, and Forced Entry (takes place some time between Dorian’s departure and the group leaving Jrusar)
Upon Your Brow, A Crown (takes place while on the road to the Heartmoor)
Oops (takes place while on the Silver Sun heading to Bassuras, after the Skirath Hunters battle)
Wanna Bet? (takes place the night of the meal at Taste of Tal’Dorei in Episode 25)
The Darkest of Hearts May Yet Beat (takes place during the night spent at the Calloway Layaway during Episode 31)
The Unfairness of It All (takes place during the first half of Episode 34)
Waiting for the Spark (takes place during the rest at the Spire by Fire in Episode 35)
Waking Nightmares (takes place during the astral walking ritual during the latter part of Episode 37)
A Good Idea at the Time (takes place during the flight to Yios in Episode 39)
A Little Friendly Advice (the sequel to “Wanna Bet?” / takes place some time during the flight to Yios in Episode 40)
Target Practice (takes place just after the chimera fight during the flight to Yios in Episode 40)
Too Many Cooks (takes place during the flight to Yios in Episode 42)
It Doesn’t Always Have to Hurt (takes place during the night’s stay at the Leycap Skyport)
Façades (takes place at some undetermined point during Campaign 3)
Welcome Back (takes place at some undetermined point in the future)
In the Spirit of Things (takes place at some undetermined point during the Harvest’s Close festival)
Congratulations on surviving the first narrative twist of Campaign 3—I say through misty eyes. I will miss that goddamn bastard, Sir Bertrand Bell. Due to the grand mysteries of the cliffhanger, this is a short call list this week: 32 words, most of which are represented in the above example and all of which are below the cut. You can grab your own shuffled card here at BingoBaker. Some notes:
"Imogen tells the others about her dream" - telling exactly one other person, but not the rest of the group, counts for this
The references contract is the one with Eshteross
We have visited three spires: the Core Spire, the Lantern Spire, and the Aerie Spire.
Open Mind is specifically Imogen's feat where she must make a saving throw first.
"new magic item" includes an item that has not been previously used before in Campaign 3 so far, as well as gaining anything totally new
"backstory namedrop" refers to an explicit name stated in connection to a backstory that has not been mentioned in Campaign 3 so far
Before you go, I do have an additional thing:
I also made a separate bingo card for specifically Travis character stuff! Given that we do not yet know for sure when he will be rejoining us, I made a card all on its own. It has 38 items, many of which are represented above and are also listed below the cut, underneath the general episode card. You can get that hard at this different BingoBaker link. Notes:
A full caster is any class who gains spellcasting at level 1. A half caster is any class who gains spellcasting at level 2. If they gain spellcasting at level 3, feel free to mark half caster, even if that's technically not.
PHB is Player's Handbook. TCOE is Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. XGTE is Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Explorer's Guide to Wildemount is other source. Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting is homebrewed.
"melee weapon" and "ranged weapon" does not require the character be a weapon-based class, i.e. being a cleric with a sickle counts for "melee weapon".
"is connected to who Orym is looking for" could be anything including they're also looking for that person, is working for that person, is a sworn enemy of that person.
"is an asshole" is up to interpretation. Mark it as your heart says.
If we don't get Travis' character this week, this card will return next week. As always, for both cards, I am willing to answer any questions you have about squares.
Good Night, And Joy Be To You All [Critical Role 3.04]
Imogen tells the others about her dream
Imogen does not mention her dream
contract signed before new PC
contract not signed before new PC
new spire visited
Orym asks Eshteross about those he's tracking
Dorian plays lute or flute
Travis' character joins party
no Travis character yet :(
Detect Thoughts
Open Mind
Message
new magic item
no initiative
roll initiative
new Rage build
Evelyn appearance
Milo appearance
Zhudanna appearance
Chandei Quorum mentioned
Gambler's Blade recovered
Gambler's Blade missing
a drink in memoriam
group name references Bertrand
backstory namedrop
Vasselheim or Issylra mentioned
Investigation check
Perception check
Charisma skill check
Insight check against NPC
Insight check against PC
Travis audible from off-screen.
Mr. Bailey's International Player Character of Mystery [Critical Role C3]