#dream trail rpg

[dream-trail-rpg]

Happy One Year Anniversary to the Dream Trail Demo!

art by @chipistrate

[sobredunia]

Greetings tumblr nations I made a shitpost. You will look at it. now.

go check out @dream-trail-rpg btw it's a banger

@rottenkadaver @sansxfuckyou-deactivated20230515 @blacklight-system @beetroot-merchant @ashs-hellhole @h3xt0r @bree-sae @helloidkwhatimdoing-0

and now tagging extra people because fuck you

@ask-nonny-anything @zecrisketch @zephyrnine @mistys-togepi @magodangretsus @zenithian-conquest @auztim69 @xhda1449x @uncommondumdum @dr-mothman

[the-ink-bean]

Just a little fanart for a passion project that I find interesting! :D they’ve got a really neat thing going on and I’m pretty excited to see what they’ll do in the future with it!!!!!!

Official account if interested is @dream-trail-rpg!!! Check them out if you want, no pressure of course.

[wolfkitty42]

I played @dream-trail-rpg's demo today. Here are some of my thoughts. This is hopefully relatively spoiler free!

First off, I adore the designs for the main characters and the settings. They are very charming and I love the sprites! All the backgrounds are easy on the eye and I really love the visual style.

That being said, one of the first things that stood out to me about Dream Trail was its similarities to Omori. Especially the opening cutscene. While I don't really mind the story's overall similarities to Omori (taking place in dreams), I did feel like the opening made me think of Omori a little too much. Dream Trail is a fantastic game, and I think it has a lot of potential on its own. When I open a game, I want to see something new.

One thing I did enjoy was the puzzle. I really liked the dialogue and story setup as well- I'm curious as to how Koen and Jasper's friendship is going to evolve in future parts of the game.

Overall, I really enjoyed Dream Trail! Outside of some personal gripes with the opening, this demo was utterly fantastic. I recommend playing it if you have a chance!

[mochinomnoms]

I'm curious about the dreams Idia was having about the reader.

(reference to this)

nsfw under read-more, minors DNI!

It's quite silly, really. Idia was never one to yearn for the touch, closeness, the affections of a person. He was fine, being alone. It was better this way. He could cope with his games and shows, online groups and friends filling the void. Besides, why would he want to drag another person into the Shroud curse? It already took one person from him, Idia couldn't stand doing it to another as long as it was up to him. Plus, he wasn't exactly prime boyfriend, let alone husband material (perhaps he did that intentionally).

So, Idia wasn't all too worried when he first started becoming friends with you. You were kinda weird, but a friend to introverts like him! Somehow always a wallflower, but always involved in the chaos of overblots and school. But, you were conscientious of his need for space and privacy; Ortho must have said something to you about his eating habits, cause you started bringing food other than chips, soda, and ramen cups for him to eat, like actual meals. You also liked to entertain Ortho, who liked when you drew silly designs on his plating, which is always a plus in Idia's book. You were sweet, like his favorite ramune soda. Despite having abysmal skills in gaming (which he was all too happy to make fun of you for) he liked having you as his support, watching him on the sidelines and being a cute cheerleader. In exchange, Idia lent you an old gaming computer and bullied tutored you in a few of his favorite games so you could be his squishy healer in raids.

But, he was a bit worried when he started feeling something more than platonic things for you. Then, he was exceptionally concerned when, at the first day of spring, Idia started coughing hydrangeas, which he managed to secretly keep under wraps from Ortho for a few weeks. No, he was downright mortified when, during those few weeks, night after night, he started having dreams of you.

They started off innocent at first: you on his lap, head on his shoulder, as he played the latest RPG. You murmured words of encouragement, sleepily nuzzling your head into his. Another, he was in the board game club, where you cheered him on as he won a match against Azul in some luck-based game. Idia remembers giving Azul a smug smirk as you threw your arms around him and pressed kisses into his cheek. He even faintly remembers one where you simply sat with him in class, fingers lacing through his in comfort as he dealt with the anxiety of being out and about.

It wasn't until he was a week in when the dreams, infested with hydrangea bouquets always at the corner of his eye, that he knew he was utterly screwed beyond belief.

It started off sweet, at first. This time, you were with him at Styx, though you looked a few years older and were wearing a similar uniform to his mother. He was wearing the uniform as well, though it more closely resembled his father's. He was now Styx head, and you, his precious little wife. The domestic stuff was fine, it made his heart rate spike up so much that Ortho questioned if he had a nightmare while sleeping, but it was fine he could deal. You did look cute… as you smiled up at him… leaned up to kiss his cheek… and whisper in his ear…

“Idiaaa~ What if I crawled under your desk and sucked you off? Do you think you could stay quiet? You can, can't you? For me~”

It was fuzzy, when he tried to remember it, but Idia remembers the heat pooling in his belly. Your hands trailing down his chest down to his hips. Your lips following after and pressing soft, slow kisses down and down until—

Idia's flames grew into a burning, hot pink as his face is in his hands the following morning. He'd actually gone to bed at a reasonable time (to him anyway, 3 am was reasonable), and woke up with that in his head? How was he supposed to function? How was he supposed to look at you, talk with you, when the last memory he had was a dream of you sucking him off???

It progressively got worse from there. It was a weird mix of erotically domestic scenarios. You, waking up to him in bed before work, riding him as you cooed sweet words. Another of the two of you heavy petting, his hands groping your ass as you curled your body into his, making out in his office before Idia had to run off to a meeting, leaving you pouting and telling him to, “Hurry back to your needy little wifey~” One of you cooking him breakfast in one of his shirts, before he bent you over the kitchen counter, after which you sat on his lap and hand fed him.

The last one that really freaked him out, which led to him further isolating himself until Ortho dragged him out to the nurse, was one where he woke up to you next to him in bed. You smiled the sweetest smile to him, whispering to Idia how much you loved him, moving over to press a trail of kisses from his lips, to his neck, down his chest and abdomen. Idia was anticipating the same follow-up from his first dream, especially as your hands reached to pull his briefs down before a soft whine, followed by a cry, interrupted you.

He had no clue what to think, as you make a surprised noise, smiling at him, as the following words left your mouth: “The baby's awake, guess we'll have to continue this later, huh?” Dream Idia giggled along with you as the two of you shared a kiss, watching as you rolled off the bed to the bassinet that he was just noticing. He watched as you cooed and murmured soft words to the small, blue-flamed haired baby, reaching their tiny hands for you. But it was the next sentence that bolted him from sleep into a dry sweat:

“Say good morning! Say, 'good morning' to your baba, my darling~”

Idia let out a screech as he flailed out of bed, tangled in his sheets. He was coughing up a storm of hydrangeas when Ortho flew in, panicked and already full of concern for Idia's health. It was then Ortho started insisting that Idia visit the infirmary, much to his chargin.

At least you'd never see him like this… right?

[lynnuvo]

₊✩‧₊˚Your Biggest Fan! ˚₊✩‧₊

Characters: Streamer (Y/N) x Yandere!Fan Potential to become a series. If you're interested, stay tuned and stay wary ♡ .ᐟ

You are the literal embodiment of a college student: stressed yet laidback at random times, too tired to put a lot of effort to dress up unless it counted, and--most relevant of all--broke. And in this instance, you are disastrously broke.

After the most heated argument with your parents you ever had in your life, they sent a text message when you got home stating that they would no longer be providing financial support unless there is an dire emergency. To say you were panicked would be an understatement. Your parents typically refused to not send you money when you told them you didn't need it (you did). As much as the family bickered and made up as fast as temperatures change, they always threw money your way. The argument was spontaneous and could not have come at a worse time. Before it happened, you shared with them that you had just gotten fired from your part-time job.

You flop on your bed and pull out your phone to doomscroll the afternoon away. Classes have taken the energy out of you. You could job search, but you decide you deserve a break.

After an hour, you come across a video of a big streamer talking about their income with their chat. Your interest piques at the revealed amount of money they receive from streaming alone and from sponsorships. Getting paid to do whatever you want? It sounded like a dream.

It starts as a simple thought, but it wakes up with you the next morning and trails with you to class. More videos of streamers pop up while you try and dine to entertainment. You distract yourself at night with games, but you wake up still thinking of it.

After two weeks of overthinking about expenses, you decide to give in to the temptation. You were lucky your dorm was already paid for, but groceries are becoming harder to obtain already.

You make an account on CommLines one night and decorate your profile--fonts and all. You didn't expect for research to come into play, but you need as much engagement as possible.

The next night, you prepare to do your first stream. You're going to need to get the hang of things and a fanbase before you're eligible for payment.

The first five streams go as expected: the only viewer you receive during one of your gameplays leaves after 10 minutes without saying anything. You end your last stream with a sigh. Admittedly, it's a bit awkward talking to yourself, but you needed to add some clips to another social media account you made.

After talking about your family predicament with a friend in class, they offer you a job at their family's restaurant. It's only for one day a week since their parents are skeptical about their child's friends all the time, but you take it anyway. Any income is better than no income. Thankfully, the restaurant colleagues treat you better than your last job. You actually find yourself enjoying the place (save for the lunch rush, of course).

You're no longer as desperate for money, so the next time you stream, you let yourself loose. You're getting bored of the popular FPS you've been streaming, so you try out a niche RPG you saw another streamer play. It's quite fun thinking of yourself as a YooTube creator now! You're not worried about your reactions and the best way to play as much anymore. From then on, you stream when you have free time and feel like it.

Over the span of four months, your platform grows at a tremendous rate due to someone making one of your clips grow viral (though they title the video embarrassingly: "Top 5 Screams from New Players of Scary Scary Town: Horror RPG!!"). Your numbers aren't quite there to get monetized yet, but you average 100+ viewers per stream now. Your heart beats with passion when you start one after finals.

"Hey everyone! Nice to see you all again! Mwah!" you greet, throwing a silly little kiss at the camera. "I'm having a great day today. First one to guess is getting pinned why is getting pinned. Even if no one guesses, I'll tell you anyway~!"

Messages flood the chat.

You grin as you finally spot an answer. "I see someone! Mr.OWO--I can't believe I just said that--you got it so fast. I'm guessing you might also have classes. Lemme figure out--sorry, this is my first time pinning someone, but I know it's possible....there! That's it; I passed all of my finals!"

Praises and cute emojis pile up. You thank your followers and open a video. "As the title suggests, I'm not gaming this time. I'm doing a bit of hobby-exploring. See here, a friend gifted me this wooden box to store some stuff. I want to paint it, but I'm not the best at coming up with ideas. I was hoping you guys might be able to help me."

And so, you begin. You answer questions from chat while taking suggestions as you paint. Your hands get messy, your job isn't perfect, but you're having a great time. There ends up being no theme, but you love the doodles regardless.

Another suggestion rolls in. You read, "'I think you should paint a fox with a bowtie. By the way, I'm surprised you got this far.' That's a cute one, though I'm not sure how to take that last sentence....SheepyWolf23."

Huh. That name looks familiar.

SheepyWolf23: i was your only viewer in one of your streams a few months ago. you were playing GotchaHand2.

You gasp. "Oh my gosh! It's you! How did you find me again?!"

SheepyWolf23: i just saw you on my FYP streaming page but with much more subs. just wanted to check in but ended up staying and subbing XD SheepyWolf23: cant wait to join more

A laugh escapes your lips as heat rushes to your face. "Thank you so much for coming back! Everyone, SheepyWolf23 is my first viewer of all time. Crazy how things change, huh?"

You continue the stream as normal, though your inner feelings are otherwise. By midnight, your box is finally complete. It certainly has personality that you thank the chat for gifting. With a wave, you end the stream and wipe your eyes with your wrist. It's late and you need to clean up before bed.

The next morning, you wake to get ready for school. All is typical until you skim your phone while packing lunch. You nearly drop your tupperware.

A notification from a direct message on CommLines reads:

SheepyWolf23: hey! hope i'm not disturbing. i see you haven't set up donations yet. how do you feel abt donos?

Your heart beats in your chest. This is your first private message from a subscriber. The alarm on your phone blares, making you flinch. You hurriedly prepare to leave the dorm to get to class on time. The sun shines bright and the breeze tickles your legs on the way to campus--a good sign, you hope. You're a bit early, so you slip into a seat quietly and take out your note-taking necessities. No one in real life knows you stream yet; you're shy at the thought. Despite having already shown your face to the internet, you wish no one in real life approaches you about your online activities. Therefore, you hold off on opening the app until after classes.

When that time came, you drive home as quick as possible and throw yourself on the bed. You take a deep breath before replying.

Streamer(Y/N): hi! no, you're not, don't worry! to be honest, i'm not sure how to receive them and whether im at the right level to

Ping!

Wow. They're fast. Then again, it is the time when both workers and students of all grades start leaving their buildings.

SheepyWolf23: wdym level? Streamer(Y/N): im not sure how to describe it. i guess what i mean is that i'm not "big" enough? tho i dont really emphasize getting big as much as it is to have fun! SheepyWolf23: ohhh. don't worry about that! you have to be a certain "level" to be monetized, but donations can come at any time! i can help you Streamer(Y/N): really? that would be nice if it's no trouble! Streamer(Y/N): you're not gonna hack me, are you? SheepyWolf23: of course not XD promise

The user messages you instructions and suggestions for resources that can be useful. You spend the next hour examining them and finally choose one. They guide you, from making the app account to linking it to your streaming account. As part of the promise, they do not ask for your personal identifiers of any kind--not even once. The only thing he does have is the username, which is the same as your username for streaming.

Streamer(Y/N): i think it's done! SheepyWolf23: yup, that should be all. let me try something just to be sure.

You don't have time to wonder what it could be before a ping! resounds from your phone. On it is a notification from the money transfer app stating that you received $50 from SheepyWolf23. You gape and frantically fly your fingers across the keyboard.

Streamer(Y/N): you didn't have to donate! i'm grateful for your help and that's enough for me, i promise SheepyWolf23: haha don't worry about it. please don't send the money back. it's part of my fun money. and n e way, you deserve it for the sudden growth! i get to be your first viewer and your first donator XD Streamer(Y/N): omg you're right. thank you so much!! i srsly mean it SheepyWolf23: ur welcome! im going out with friends tonight, so i should get ready now. see you next stream ᵔᴥᵔ Streamer(Y/N): oh okay okay, have a good night! thank you again!

SheepyWolf23 doesn't answer back, concluding the conversation. Your grin could break your face. It's been forever since you felt you were on the right track of something. Maybe this was the start of your path to be part of the Top 10 Streamers online.

Oh, who were you kidding? You weren't going to get that far yet, but you're going to enjoy trying to your fullest.

Your next couple streams are all successes. A few people went out of their way to clip parts of the recording themselves to post on Yootube, which both enlightened and terrified you. You were going to have to be more careful about what you say, but to be honest, you haven't run into any problems with that so far. Still, it's a little scary to think that strangers anywhere in the world are viewing you. That's a cost of your streaming content you were willing to take.

You're in quite a chipper mood in class one day when you feel a tap on the shoulder. Turning around, you find your friend, Sherry, behind you with a smile. She gestures for you to hurry up and pack your things so you both can leave for lunch together. You do so. It wasn't a normal occurrence to eat out with friends during the weekdays, so today was extra special!

You two hop into Sherry's car and head to her restaurant--the one you work at. You'd guess most wouldn't want to dine at their workplace, but Sherry's employees make mean meals. You're both quickly escorted to a booth and delivered food; Sherry, with the power of the daughter of an establishment, receives only the best service.

"Thank you again, girl," you cheer as you feast immediately. "I'm so glad things are doing well here, from what your dad said last shift, anyway."

Sherry chuckles. "Yeah, you know you're doing great in the food service when the rushes are torture. I'm so sorry. You're on your feet much more than I am."

"Oh, don't worry about it! I'm grateful for the job, and you have to deal with the nasty customers at the register. I hate hearing old ladies yell at you. I just want to punch them!"

"Please don't!" Sherry chides half-heartedly, pointing her straw at you. She suddenly whispers, "Anyway, I heard my mom and dad talking about raises last night. You're for sure getting one. It's not by a lot, but I figure you need it."

Your eyes brighten, and you jump forward to hold her hand. "Really?! Oh my gawd, thank you, Sherry! I love you so much! I could kiss you!"

Sherry laughs aloud as you mimic kissing her. You catch an elderly couple side-eyeing, but you don't care. You finally sit back down and release a light sigh. "I feel like I've been dreaming lately. Things are going so well, and I actually feel alive!"

"That sounds good! How come?"

"Well, first of all, this job. Then, uh--" You flicker your eyes to the wall and hide your smile a bit. "--my hobbies have been making me real happy. Like painting and playing games, you know? I also started clay-making. It's harder than I thought, but I think I'll get the hang of it sometime."

Much to your surprise, Sherry's smile falls. Her mouth opens and closes hesitantly before she finally says, "(Y/N), can you be honest with me?"

"Huh? Yeah, of course. I've always been."

"Are you....streaming?"

Your heart drops. Your mind shouts at you to laugh it off, but your voice is caught in your throat. Was it really necessary to lie to someone who's helped you this much?

You don't need to make the decision. Sherry rests her elbows on the table and offers a tiny smile. "You do, don't you."

"Yeah...I do. How did you know?"

"I saw one of your clips on YooTube. I chalked it up to similarity at first, but I searched a couple more videos and couldn't deny it was you." She chuckled. "Thank goodness I was right. It would have been embarrassing if I was wrong."

"Please don't tell anyone, Sherry."

"I won't. I haven't. I'm glad you're doing something that makes you happy, but...just be careful, okay?"

"I am, don't worry!"

"I mean it, (Y/N)." She fiddles with her fork and drops her gaze to her plate. "I know it might not be my place to say, but I saw some....things people said. They're mostly good things, though! It's just...in the comments of a video, I saw someone talking about your shirt...hanging a bit--um--down, you know?"

"Oh my gosh. I wasn't exposing myself too much, was I?"

"No no. I was just a bit of cleavage, but the person was making it a bigger deal than it was." She rolled her eyes. "Some guys act like they've never seen a woman."

You take a bit of your food with furrowed brows. "I can't believe it. Thank you. I'll be more careful. I was having fun--I didn't realize. Oh. How much of my streams do you watch, if you don't mind me asking?"

She waves her hand. "I don't pay much attention to videogames, even less streams. The only streamer I know except you is the big one with red hair. Don't worry about whether I'm watching! No offense, but I'd rather go thrifting and make vlogs for my TappyGram!"

"Oh right. I saw the new video you posted. The pink top with bows was so cute! Who was that girl shopping with you?"

"My cousin! We both like pastels, so we went to the mall together to find some. Let me show you the stuff I didn't post!"

Sherry pulls out her phone, and the day continues. After lunch, she drops you off and bids you farewell before heading home. You head to your car yourself, grateful your professor cancelled class. When you get to your dorm room, you shower, change, and search the comments of every YooTube video of you you could find. It's probably best not to look for the comments Sherry told you about, but you're curious--too curious for your own good.

You finally find it.

RedCarsAre_Sexy: aw man, almost saw her tits ⤷ 608x: wtf? ⤷ TwinkleMonster: people like you are why police exist

Your stomach twists. It's okay. It's the internet, after all. There's bound to be people with thoughts that are better kept in their dirty minds. Should you address these thoughts with your subscribers? It'll definitely tell them you absolutely do not want this kind of behavior, but what if it draws the wrong attention instead? What if it somehow becomes controversial?

Discouraged, you opt to focus on your studies and friends. They do a great job of distracting you from the matter, so much so that three weeks passed since your last stream.

You're eating alone at a fast food joint while watching videos when a notification from CommLines pops up.

SheepyWolf23: hey! everything okay? just checking since u normally stream at least once within two weeks

"I do?" you mumbled with a fry in your mouth. You two haven't conversed since they helped you with setting up donation, so it was a bit of a relief to hear from them again. A little touching that they're concerned enough to inquire about it too. You open the app and message back.

Streamer(Y/N): hi again! im doing okay, no worries! i didnt realize that much time has passed since my last stream. i've been so focused on irl stuff i never really planned a time when i'd come back SheepyWolf23: oh that makes sense. sorry if this made you uncomfortable Streamer(Y/N): no no, pls dont be sorry. i should have put something in my bio saying im taking a rest SheepyWolf23: true but i dont think a lot of ppl would go to your CommLines bio for that. how abt making a server instead? like on DisKord? it would be easier to make announcements and talk to fans. Streamer(Y/N): huh, maybe i should. i'll make one when i finish eating SheepyWolf23: yay! can i be your first member? yknow, to match the first streak XD Streamer(Y/N): LOL sure!

SheepyWolf23 doesn't respond. You read your message again. Did it sound mean? It is kind of dry. You shake your head. People exist outside of you. Perhaps they became busy.

You finish your meal and return to your dorm. Your eyes skim the bedroom. Although you had decorated it to become somewhere cozy, the room unexpectedly feels solemn. You grab your laptop and sit at your desk to begin making the server. Eyes flicker to your phone. You tap it once or twice, but the screen is blank save for your background and the time.

Once the server is finished, you immediately message SheepyWolf23 about it. You go about random activities until a ping! sounds from across the room an hour later. You sprint over and unlock your phone as fast as lightning.

SheepyWolf23: thanks for the invite! um. i know this might be much to add, but would you be comfortable with giving me permissions so i can decorate the server, no offense! it's great, you have the right channels, but i have some experience and think i can make improvements you might like. just give me a theme and i'll do it to your liking!

Admittedly, you did the bare minimum that you guessed a streamer might need in a server. You were more focused on finishing to send the invite to SheepyWolf23. Their offer was generous, but it'd be bad if their permissions affected you negatively. Well, you were the owner. You have the power to remove someone's permissions.

Streamer(Y/N): that would be nice. are you able to finish it tonight? SheepyWolf23: if i get started now, i can have it done by 11:30pm sharp. Streamer(Y/N): awesome! i'll send a reference photo of the type of style i wish for the server to have. most of all, i want it to be a friendly & safe place for subscribers to talk in. anyone can join, even nonsubscribers.

After sending the photo, you spend the day doing chores while waiting in anticipation. Your steps have a beat, and you let happy music echo throughout the room.

SheepyWolf23 sends a message of his completion just as you settle into bed. You check the server and are amazed. The titles of the channels are decorated, the channels are more organized, and they've even added a few of their own: Rules, Clip Dump, and Suggestions.

Streamer(Y/N): wow! thank you so much again for helping me. i'm so lucky to have your attention! Streamer(Y/N): oops, that kind of sounds strange haha SheepyWolf23: XD NOOO, it's alright dw! i appreciate it a lot! i just thought i'd help since i have some experience with marketing and streamers is all

Oh. So you weren't the only one they've worked with? That's definitely benefit your...career? Or was it a hobby? It'd probably have to wait until you actually make a livable wage to call it a career. You never thought about going beyond posting clips of your own videos to market yourself, but SheepyWolf23 might know other ways that'd suit your niche of viewers. They might even know of secrets and tricks to the platform you're on.

A question pops into your mind. You lick your lips, wondering if this is even a concern you should bring up at all. Searching for an answer online was fine, but personal guidance just felt more....considerate. You give in.

Streamer(Y/N): i have a question that might sound a bit personal for a streamer to ask. you don't have to do anything for me, but i'd like some advice if you're willing to share

SheepyWolf23: i'll try to help as much as i can. what do you wanna know? Streamer(Y/N): someone brought to my attention that a person left an unsavory comment about my body in a YooTube video. i know people saying things you don't like is part of streaming, but i want to know how to deal with my discomfort. i want to avoid blocking people from my streams as much as possible, though SheepyWolf23: hm. tbh part of dealing with it is exposure, but i know that sucks. how abt this: in exchange for helping you this far, i can be your (first!!!) moderator. i don't intend to do anything sketchy with the position. this way, i can remove chat privileges from users and make your stream flow easier

Streamer(Y/N): omg yes please! can i message you before my next stream to give you the permissions you need? SheepyWolf23: of curse! SheepyWolf23: of course* SheepyWolf23: im gonna head to bed. getting kind of sleepy and gotta work tmrow. take care, Streamer(Y/N)! Streamer(Y/N): goodnight SheepyWolf! thank you again for helping me, sleep well!

You shut off your phone, drop your phone to your chest, and squeal while kicking feet in the air. You got your first moderator, and you didn't have to make a posting! SheepyWolf23 is so kind to not only return to you but also be your companion. It wouldn't be so professional to become friends with them, but just the thought sends electricity through your body.

A yawn escapes your lips. You close your eyes and daydream about becoming part of the Top 10 Streamers on the internet. There would never be a need for you to clock in during early hours. Rarely will you have to hear the screech of an alarm. You'd live a double life: a student by day and an entertainer by night. People would laugh at your jokes, tune into your gameplay with friends and family, and mourn when you'd go on break. You would be on stage to receive an award for your performance, and you'd wipe a tear while thanking the fans that made it possible. A party would conclude the ceremony. Your favorite streamers would approach you with glasses of wine and congratulate your success. One or two would ask for your phone number. The group would clink glasses and cheers.

Once the party simmers down, you'd gather your items and head for the door. A person lacking physical characteristics would approach you and take your hand to whisk you into their--your--shared car.

The day kisses you farewell.

──────────────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆────────────────────

In a house far away from where your campus, a man older than you by only two years hugs his phone close to his chest in bed. He stares at his DMs on CommLines, a streaming platform he's all too familiar with. Euphoria rushes through his veins as he reads a message his newfound favorite streamer had sent.

Streamer(Y/N): wow! thank you so much again for helping me. i'm so lucky to have your attention!

He's received thanks before, but it's never been phrased like that. He didn't think he really needed to help with anything since you already had his attention because of your success journey. It isn't that much different from other streamers, admittedly, but it was different enough in the mere fact that HE was your number one.

He screenshots the message and adds it into his Hidden photo album. Your words are a blessing to poor him, who's been needing to find more enjoyment in his boring life.

He'll need to be careful not to take anymore overtime work. Your streaming schedule wasn't set yet, and he wasn't planning on missing one moment.

Not when your career was in his care.

[satoshi-mochida]

Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga coming west in 2025 for PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC - Gematsu

Publisher refint/games and developer Falcom will release crossover fighting game Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG in 2025 worldwide, the companies announced. PlayStation Store wishlisting is also available.

Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga first launched for PlayStation Portable on July 29, 2010 in Japan. A western version was never released.

Here is an overview of the game, via its store pages:

About

Finally, the walls between Falcom’s legendary RPG series, Ys and Trails, are broken for the ultimate dream match up! Fan-favorite heroes and rivals clash in battles once thought impossible, with support from beloved characters across Falcom’s classic titles to aid you in the fight!

Maximum Thrill! High-Speed Battle Action!

The fast-paced action that earned acclaim in Ys SEVEN is back and better than ever! With the ability to jump adding a whole new layer of speed and strategy, you’ll soar across vast battlefields while unleashing thrilling combos that take the excitement to the next level. Familiar characters from the Trails in the Sky series showcase their mastery of diverse crafts, delivering familiar yet dynamic attacks you can only experience in this title!

Bringing the Story to Life with Full Voice Acting!

Featuring a stellar cast of voice actors from the Ys and Trails series, every scene comes to life with full voice acting. Their powerful performances heighten the drama of battles and cutscenes.

Falcom All-Stars! A Cast of Beloved Characters!

In addition to the playable characters, many fan-favorite characters from various titles join as support characters! These allies provide powerful backup in heated battles, which will assist you in achieving victory. Let their guidance lead you to triumph!

Key Features

Beautifully remastered graphics for display in HD and 4K screens, as well as 60 frames per second support.

Featuring couch and online multiplayer for the first time.

Includes English voice acting from a familiar cast from the Ys and Trails series.

A vast Material Collection of wallpapers and soundtracks from various Falcom titles to unlock.

PC-centric features including mouse and keyboard support, arbitrary aspect ratio (up to 5:4 and 21:9), and more!

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer

[sanders1665]

The Spark

sometimes, I’ll ask people,

what’s your favorite thing to do?

and sometimes,

they light up like a goddamn Christmas tree,

their words exploding like fireworks,

bright and messy,

filling the air with stories of

their stupid game,

their pointless hobby,

their wild dream

that’ll never pay the bills.

and I listen,

like a dog sniffing out a scent,

nodding, asking questions,

pretending their obsession

makes a lick of difference to me.

it doesn’t.

but here’s the trick,

the dirty little truth—

you are my favorite thing.

it’s not your football league,

your dragon-slaying RPGs,

or that book you claim changed your life.

it’s the way your eyes spark

like matches in the dark,

the way your voice lifts

like a drunk trying to dance.

you,

alive in the thing you love,

are the reason I drag my sorry ass

to the typewriter,

pounding keys like a factory worker,

trying to steal that spark

and stick it on a page.

because me?

I’ve got nothing,

just an old fart going through the motions,

pretending life is anything but

a series of lukewarm days.

but you,

in that moment,

are the fireworks I never saw coming,

the muse I can’t help but follow,

burning through the black,

leaving a trail of light

for the rest of us to see.

[pyjamaart]

one of my favorite edgelords 😈

Let's talk about one of my favorite games of all time, Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass.

I had originally started working on a different piece of art for this game, but that one is still a work in progress, since I have to get my shit together and draw multiple pieces of furniture for it. That's why I decided to draw something easier first. And I say easier, even though I spent like two weeks on this. Man, I really don't have that much time to draw anymore since I started working at my new job... Sometimes I really miss my old job, where I could finish all my work in an hour and then read Transformers fanfictions for the rest of the day. Sigh...........

I tried out a bunch of new stuff with Buck here, like finally learning that there actually is an Overlay function in Gimp and then promptly using it for the fancy effect on the line art, the pattern on his wings and the background. This image also made me realize I can only draw giant Mega Man boots. That's why his shoes look like that, lol.

Now let's finally talk about this game. If you don't know anything about Jimmy, it's a Mother inspired game about a little boy fighting horrors in his dream world together with his family and some other wacky characters like the coolest man you have ever seen, an anime waifu and a bear. The game starts off like a typical RPG where his mom sends Jimmy and his brother, Buck (pictured here in this image, I'll explain why he looks like that in a minute), to fetch some honey for a cake she wants to bake. And to get that honey, the two brothers visit the beehive that's located south of their house. On the way there, they have to fight various goofy looking monsters in turn based battles. Jimmy unlocks the power of empathy and imagination at the start of the game and can turn into some of the monsters he defeats in battle, by putting himself in their shoes. Examples include a smelly green blob that was living in his brothers dirty clothes, a sunflower that was getting freaky with some of the bees, a very fast bird, and a bear.

When they finally make it to the beehive, the queen explains that a group of thugs is bothering them and promises to give Jimmy some of their honey if he takes care of the ruffians for her. The so called "petty thugs" are located in a canyon right next door, so Jimmy and Buck go and beat them up. After various shenanigans, including a "goon exam" and Buck breaking some bartenders spine after he refused to serve Jimmy some milk, they have a battle with Punch Tanaka, the worlds raddest guy and also the leader of the thugs.

I think this is a good time to mention that this game is freaking hard. Punch was the first fight in the game where I lost a couple of times, since it really takes you a while to learn all the games battle mechanics. I didn't truly understand the power of Startle/Alert until I was halfway through the game. That's on me though. I'm stupid. Still, later boss fights can get insanely difficult if you don't know what you're doing. (Looking at you, Lingering Eyes....) After kicking the thug leaders ass on the first try, the whole gang flees the canyon, but not before Punch warns Jimmy that he doesn't know what he's up against. He's not talking about himself or his gang, but his employer. And we soon find out who that employer is...

Back in Giant Garden, Jimmy and Buck make their way over to the beehive again, only to be confronted by a trail of green liquid that leads from the throne to a door in the back of the room. The atmosphere suddenly turns very eerie, with the whole hive being shrouded in darkness, the background music being replaced by a frightening track that sounds like someone held a microphone right inside a dying swarm of insects, rightfully titled "Cacophany of Bees" and the enemies you fight on your way deeper into the hive being horrifically mutated, suffering, cannibalistic versions of the bees you fought beforehand. This is the first time in the game you come into contact with a so-called "nightmare dungeon", if you ignored the secret one you can unlock in the canyon.

These nightmare dungeons all represent one of Jimmys fears, because, as you can probably recall, we're playing through the dreams of a ten year old boy. Maybe he was stung by a bee in the past and that's why he developed a fear of them? (Doesn't help that his brother loves to terrorize the poor things...) The other nightmare dungeon themes only get worse than bees: spiders, heights, drowning, haunted houses, math, eternal sleep ...and bears.

Coming back to the beehive, after trekking through a plethora of gore and dead cartoon insects, Jimmy and Buck get confronted by the now heavily mutated queen of the bees, who has some of the most chilling dialogue in the entire game.

"Jimmy... Jimmy, where did you go?

I can't see well, Jimmy.

I can't hear well, Jimmy.

I can taste blood, Jimmy.

It's dark and I'm alone. It's dark and I'm alone. It's dark and I'm alone. It's dark and I'm alone. It's dark and I'm alone."

In the end it turns out that the title-giving pulsating mass is behind all the terrible things happening to Jimmy's dream world, like employing the petty thugs to terrorize him, corrupting the poor bees, the nightmare dungeons, etc etc. And after Jimmy and Buck finally get back to their house, they arrive just in time to see their whole family getting kidnapped by a space ship. Even the two brothers get beamed up into the ship. All part of the pulsating mass's master plan...

Now I won't go into detail and tell you the whole story of the game (even though I really want to), but you can expect the game to get even darker later on. Normally, I don't enjoy playing really dark and gritty games, but thankfully, since this game was inspired by the Mother games, it still retains some of the funny and heartwarming moments that the series is known for. And I like that a lot. If the heartwarming moments balance out the horrors, then I can deal with the horrors. (TVTropes has this very fitting trope called "Too bleak, stopped caring", which Jimmy masterfully avoids with its charming, yet flawed characters and ridiculous moments that genuinely make you laugh, like the whole game shifting into an entirely different genre for one specific area.)

I'll try my best not to get into too heavy spoilers (that's reserved for the other piece I'm drawing), but I think I still need to explain what happened to poor Buck here. Just like the queen bee, he's been taken over and corrupted by the pulsating mass, after saving Jimmy from a murderous bear. (As you can tell, there are a lot of bears in Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass. Or is it always the same bear? Better play the game and find out!) After the dreaded bear boss fight happens and Buck gets dragged down into a hole, Jimmy and their mother Helga jump in after him, but you don't see him again until way later in the game, where he suddenly sports this massive pair of veiny wings, his slightly deformed skin and muscles have turned into a deep shade of purple and his eyes glow in a menacing red. There's also no talking to him, since his normal grumpy personality has been turned up to eleven and he's completely blinded by rage, actively attacking and sabotaging his family members in their quest to stop the pulsating mass.

He gets better though. Don't worry.

What I find really interesting about this character is that he genuinely loves his little brother and wants him to get stronger and more independent, but the way he tries to accomplish this is just really really... bad. In a late-game dungeon centered around Buck you find out that he's actually responsible for all the horrifying abominations and gore making their way into Jimmys head. How, you ask? By showing him a bunch of thrillers and splatter movies that were definitely not meant to be seen by a ten year old boy. Just to "toughen him up". Another dungeon centered around him, titled "The Abyss" (which is just a memory zone and not a nightmare zone, despite the scary title) implies that Jimmy is actually a little scared of his big brother. As I've said, all of Jimmys family members are deeply flawed people. (Don't even get me started on his uncle. Oh BOY. More on that in my next essay.) But I think it's nice. I think it makes the characters much more human. Much more relatable. Because despite all the horrible things his brother put him through and despite how scared he is of him, Jimmy still loves him a lot. And over the course of the game you get to understand that despite how imperfect and dysfunctional Jimmys family is, they're all there for him in the end to help him fight against the pulsating mass.

Man, I have so many feelings about this game. That's why it's one of my favorites of all time.

But before I'm done yapping, one more thing about Buck: The fact that he's an older brother, was presumed dead after going missing and reappears later in the game completely changed with a big pair of wings reminds me a lot of Claus from Mother 3. And since he's one of my favorite video game characters ever, Buck gets a lot of points in that regard alone. But enough with the Mother comparisons, other reviewers (Am I a reviewer now?) have already done that in massive amounts.

I think I'm gonna stop here for now and continue my essay when I post the other piece of Jimmy fanart I'm working on. Until then (and until I get my shit together and draw some cabinets and chairs), see you next time.

Jenny out.

[s0ckh3adstudios]

Also I suppose I should say this-

For those wondering why there hasn't been much word on Dream Trail (a game I'm working on that already had a demo release @/dream-trail-rpg ), I'm currently taking a step back from the project! Chip is overseeing things in my stead for now while the team works on it (things are just a bit inactive at the moment because I imagine some people are busy)

I'm taking a step back to focus on other projects (including other possible games I'd like to make) because my motivation for Dream Trail is VERY low and I think the inspiration and motivation for it fizzled when I fell out of Omori completely. I still love Dream Trail, but I just can't put in attention or care at this current state, so I'll return to the project when my brains back in Dream Trail mode. I didn't want my lack of initiative to continue keeping things on hold which is why I gave the green light for things to develop without my constant being there HAHA

Dream Trail is NOT dead and for all the people who've been keeping up with it, so sorry for the radio silence 🙏

If you don't know what DT is, go try the demo perhaps!! However be warned it's filled with very old Sock art LMAO

[h-worksrambles]

I recently watched Absolutely Everything About’s video on the end of the Xehanort saga and having stewed on it, I do genuinely think that 0.2 is the best Kingdom Hearts side game, and I agree with their sentiment that it’s the model I really wish Kingdom Hearts spin offs would follow.

A short, lower budget, asset-reusing side game that maintains the core gameplay of the mainline but puts you in control of a different playable character, which allows both for new opportunities to develop them, as well as how to experiment with new gameplay styles. It gave some really appreciated character work for Aqua that she probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. That effectively solves the biggest problem I’ve had with KH’s approach to side games, that being how much they vary in both gameplay styles and quality.

The frustrating thing about prior spin offs is how much they can feel like homework to any one playing on the collections, either re-experiencing the series, or going through it for the first time. Titles like Chain of Memories and Birth By Sleep made sense somewhat as experimental stop gap releases on handhelds. But when you play them on console now, directly packaged next to the numbed games, some of the best action RPGs ever made, boy do they feel like a chore you have to sit through to understand the numbered games. I remember once watching a friend get into the series. He had a great time with KH1 and was excited to play more, but Re:COM’s tedium pretty much killed his momentum to keep going. And as a result, he’s still never got round to 2. But 0.2 carries over the gameplay you’re already familiar with, and so it doesn’t have this problem.

It’s also a good solution to Kingdom Hearts’ massive cast, which I do feel it’s had a harder and harder time juggling, particularly in 3. Nomura has stated that he wants the numbered games to remain focused on Sora and that’s fine. But the scope of the series has expanded in such a way that keeping the focus on Sora and doing those characters justice at the same time is a tough balancing act. Give those characters their own episodes though as short interim titles? Boom. Problem solved. Ample opportunity to provide further character work for fan favourites, especially when at this point in the series they’re all off looking for Sora separately.

Give me Episode Riku, where he wanders bizarre new dream worlds following his connection on to Sora. Episode Kairi where she sets out to find the remaining New Seven Hearts. Episode Roxas where we see his own efforts in the search for Sora, while seeing him adjust to finally being a complete purpose. A Wayfinder trio episode where they work through their baggage as they return to the Realm of Darkness and Ventus gets his memories back.

Now this may be sounding a bit too much like Final Fantasy XV’s much maligned DLC practises, but I think this would be a better fit for Kingdom Hearts. XV felt like an expansive vision for a big JRPG that was broken up piecemeal over a rocky development, or at times dived into damage control retcons. Kingdom Hearts thrives on its melodramatic soap-opera story structure, checking in regularly with these characters to see what new crazy twist will happen next. Much as I think the spin offs in the 2000s and early 2010s often weren’t great, they did maintain a momentum that gave it such a strong following with kids in the 2000s. I can’t think of another big game series that maintained that kind of release structure and momentum besides maybe Trails.

Kingdom Hearts IV has been quiet for a while now, and I’m really glad they seem to be taking their time with it. And usually, I’m not one to demand constant content. I’ve criticised Pokemon in the past for that very practise. But KH clearly wants to maintain a release schedule because they’ve been diving into mobile games. And I gotta admit, I feel nothing at the prospect of Missing Link, but I’d be chomping at the bit to play a short new game in 3’s engine as a different character.

It’s probably too late to ponder on this. If Square-Enix were gonna make more games in 3’s engine, they’d have done it by now. But I can still ponder what would have been.

[dream-trail-rpg]

After months (and we're so sorry for that-), we have finally collected all the music tracks from the Dream Trail demo (and the trailer themes!) into one video for your listening pleasure! I'll hopefully edit this later to have that sort of library timeline thing, but here it is. :]

Please enjoy! (REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED!)

(Full artwork below by @side-of-honey )

[sobredunia]

Koen!!

@dream-trail-rpg @chipistrate

@rottenkadaver @sansxfuckyou-deactivated20230515 @blacklight-system @beetroot-merchant @ashs-hellhole @h3xt0r @bree-sae @helloidkwhatimdoing-0 @imflyingfish

Everyone go check out Dream Trail rpg!! It's so good

[johnbierce]

Video games I would love to make: Art history inspired games ade to mimic the art style of actual artists.

- A Carceri game made to look like Giovanni Piranesi's Carceri d'invenzione series, where you're trying to break out of a seemingly endless prison. Fancy nonsensical clockwork Renaissance weapons, probably a soulslike?

- A ukiyo-e game inspired by... probably Hiroshige and Toriyama Sekien? 57 Demons of the Tokkaido, hah. Maybe a dialogue-heavy roguelike?

- A Hieronymous Bosch-inspired point and click puzzle game, somewhere between Myst and Machinarium.

- a Bayeaux Tapestry side-scrolling beat-em-up, Streets of Rage style. (This would also probably work for ancient Egyptian carvings, which were very comic-book ish?)

- A Gustave Dore RPG. Full on sixty hour game all in Dore woodcut style, with lots of super classic fantasy tropes. Maidens chained to rocks, hippogriffs and flying palaces, lots of Arthuriana... Literally all right from his stuff.

- An Oregon Trail-inspired game in the style of the Hudson River School (my favorite school of landscape painting)

I love being a novelist, it's my dream job, but I'm endlessly dreaming up ideas for games, movies, shows, comics, radio plays, whatever. I think I'd be happy as long as I got to create for a living. These art history game ideas, though, are especially close to my heart. Huge chunks of my physical bookshelves are just art history books. Getting to have it be part of my games library too would be so cool. Alas, game designers don't usually line up at novelist doors...

(and yes, I've played Monument Valley, it's great. Definitely gave me a solid Escher fix.)

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

The Sward RPG--3

The group was discouraged when no one knew of a way out of this place--or even if there was a place out at all--but the fact that they were now surrounded by other cats sparked hope none of them had held in a long time.

When no one could answer her question, Sandhowl went on. "I'm clearly dead." She glanced at the foam curling over her bottom lip. "Would I be wrong to assume that this is the Dark Forest?"

~~

Responses (thus far, to make understanding easier):

Flashcry -> Flashcry sighed, letting his shoulders fall. He tried not to think about the scars carved into his belly and legs, and how they had been bleeding a trail behind him as long as he had been there. He was well and truly dead

"That is where we appear to be." He muttered. "Thought it'd be a bit more of a forest."

Raisel -> ”Well, there’s a considerable lack of a forest..[possibly said at the same time]. I should bring that up with someone when we get out here.” Raisel tilted his head, licking his bloodied paw. “Eh, it’s better than StarClan. I could do without the sand though, but sacrifices have to be made I assume.” Raisel plopped down in front of the white cat, rolling onto his back with his paws in the air, the drying wet-red sand falling off of them in clumps. What a day… or was it a week?

Bouncefur -> "The Dark Forest!? But I didn't do nothing wrong!" Bouncefur cried out, tail swishing in a panic. "This has to be a mistake. A bad dream right? Though it'd be an awful long dream..." They eventually sank down, putting their chin on their paws as they thought. The ginger cat eventually looked up, furrowing their brow. "Why are you guys here then? I thought we were sposta wander around the Dark Forest alone forever or somethin like that."

Laureldawn -> Laureldawn carefully resisted the urge to smack Bouncefur. “I did what I had to do.”

Bouncefur (2) -> Bouncefur was completely oblivious to the she-cat's urge, and shook their head. "I mean like. Why are we all together if we're sposta be wandering alone n stuff." They rested their head back down, humming in thought. "Unless this really Is just a really, really long dream and I'm gonna wake back up to see my family again. I mean one time I had a really long dream where I was a kit again and grew up to be an elder all in one dream! It felt really real too

Sandhowl -> Sandhowl couldn't stop herself from staring at the ginger she-cat, a slithering horror crawling up her skin. The cat's words, her mannerisms, it was reminiscent of someone she had known in life--someone she would rather forget, but who had haunted her dreams since the beginning. She considered her words. Maybe she really was trapped in a dream. Or nightmare, surrounded by cats that resembled her victims but different enough to give her false hope

--

Characeters:

Flashcry belongs to @indigo-flightly-falls

Laureldawn belongs to @ambitiousauthor

Raisel belongs to @wills-woodland-warriors

Bouncefur belongs to @elementaldeityoffood

Sandhowl (me)

[More are welcome!]

[teecupangel]

So, I'm watching The Witcher: Wild Hunt gameplay - it's amazing and I want to cry because in total it's almost 30h of videos and aaaaAaaaaaaaAAAAAA - and I noticed that when you use the witcher's senses, things glow red, gold and silver (?) according to importance, functionality and usefulness. And my ADHD brain immediately: hey, doesn't that look like eagle vision?

Me:

So! Witcher Desmond, anyone?

Here’s the Desmond (and some more characters) gets isekai’ed into the Witcher world ask I got before for more Witcher AU idea.

Witcher 3 is one of the greatest RPGs. Honestly, the main reason why I haven’t finished it is because it keeps crashing my PS5. XD

So a witcher!Desmond has been knocking on my head for quite a while now.

Of course, we are taking a lot of liberty from Witcher lore in this one, mainly to ‘preserve’ some of the core elements of AC lore.

Now, Witcher is known to be made so, in this setup, Desmond came to the School of the Eagle in mysterious circumstances that only their leader, also called the mentor, knows. Some say he was sold off by his parents. Some say he was a bastard son of a high-ranking noble that wished him to be striken off the ‘records’.

Regardless of the reason, Desmond grows up to be a witcher with three other kids.

Altaïr is an orphan who was sold off to them, supposedly of unknown origin. He’s quite close to a veteran witcher named Umar who treats him like his own son. (You decide if Umar dies in this one or… just goes on his own Witcher travels)

Ezio had a family. Or… he believed he had a family. His memories are fuzzy but he believed he had siblings once but he’s not sure if it’s real or if he was dreaming them. Giovanni, an older witcher and one of their training instructors, found Ezio as a small child near their headquarters with a letter saying that the child’s name is Ezio. That’s all he knows about Ezio’s past.

Ratonhnhaké:ton was actually taken from his mother when he was young and was supposed to be sold off when Bayek, one of the oldest witchers in their school, got into a fight with the slave ‘traders’ and Bayek had tried to bring Ratonhnhaké:ton home, only for them to find his village gone. Even with the witcher sense, the villagers’ trail ends by the nearest coast and Ratonhnhaké:ton decided to become a witcher to become strong enough to find his village (and his mother).

The four of them develop a close bond with one another, one which the other witchers don’t really try to push because folks get testy with just one witcher… four witchers traveling together? It’s unheard of and, frankly, would get them more in trouble than it’s worth. They do tend to find one another even though they usually travel alone, usually because they decide (on their own) to hunt the same monster or follow the same rumor.

Unorganized Notes:

Altaïr is the most proficient in signs in general and uses them regularly with his regular attacks. It’s normal to see him use Igni in close combat after striking his opponents with his sword or Aard to keep other enemies back while he’s focused on one of them.

Among the four though, Desmond has the highest mastery over Axii and he has no qualms about using it to calm down other people or make them do what he wants. During battle, Desmond usually uses Axii to confuse his opponents and create an opening.

Ezio rarely uses Axii as he feels uncomfortable manipulating other people’s minds. He usually cast Quen before charging into battle, just to be safe.

Ratonhnhaké:ton prefers to use Yrden as a trap for his opponents and also uses a bow with specialized arrows (poison, silver, etc). He’s also the most skilled in hunting his target and sometimes doesn’t even need the witcher senses to find clues.

Among the four, Ratonhnhaké:ton’s the one to mostly use potions and decoctions. Altaïr mostly just creates them out of curiosity and experiments with a lot of possible combinations but rarely uses them, most of the time just giving them to Ratonhnhaké:ton or the other two if they meet and his inventory is getting full. Ezio tends to only use them if he has no other choice and Desmond… uuuhh… Desmond mostly forgets them. They oil their swords liberally though. That’s just good sense. (“Good sense would be drinking-” “What’s that? I don’t hear you. I think you’re too far away.” “I’m right beside you.” “Huh? I might be getting something with my witcher senses. Please wait.” “That… that’s not how it works.”

Cristina and Sofia are two sorceresses that Ezio has… past dealings with. The other three don’t want to know the details.

I was contemplating if Leonardo should be their Dandelion but I think it’s better if we keep him as he is, the multitalented mad man we all love. He’s also a very avid Gwent player who taught the boys how to play Gwent. Most of the time, he provides information and rumors to them.

All witchers of the School of Eagles have a Hidden Blade made of silver. It’s mostly not used because, as veteran witchers say, “If you’re close enough to use it, you’re too close to death itself.”

Honestly, the plot is more or less ‘witchers doing witcher stuff and finding each other in the big world for some reason’.

If you really want a more solid plot, Desmond’s parentage has been left a mystery so we can play it with later. Making him the Ciri with William Miles being king would lead to an actual plot of the most powerful people in the world looking for him.

And hey, if Desmond is meant to be Ciri, he would have elder blood in him that has been mutated by becoming a Witcher, making him more powerful even if the powers of the elder blood should only be activated by women.

Or… you know… Desmond is an anomaly all by himself not because he’s the Ciri of the plot but because he’s the actual Desmond Miles from AC world that got deaged and transported to this world after the Solar Flare and he has no memories of it. The Wild Hunt is after him because he doesn’t belong in this world and becoming a Witcher granted him more powers than he should have.

… there was also this vague idea I had of Desmond being sold off to become a witcher but he ran away before he could become one then things happened and he became a sorcerer instead. Then he meets up Altaïr who is now a witcher and remembers him as the boy who ran away. But… that’s as far as I got. XD