#event commentary

[brokendreamscreation]

Me: Huh, if the muses can pray for aid from the angels (for the Unholy Crusade event), can they summon demons with like a blood ritual?

Me: *remembers the thing about Gabriel and blood rituals*

Me: DO NOT DO A BLOOD RITUAL AROUND HARBINGER GABRIEL! ALL OUR MUSES WILL DIE!

@heaven-said

[themosthatedbeingg]

Has no dog in this fight anymore after being summoned but that being said he’s really hoping this cycle pulls through and that other him doesn’t die. They are so close .. he wishes he could help them more somehow .

[hells-greatestdad]

At being drained to 20% health despite currently being benched, he doesn't feel so good

They will just continue to strategize. They are all in the same boat here

[exoticalmonde]

Image stolen from Dr. Pinkie who got it from god knows where but I'm here to declare that I succeeded in my adventure into the bottom of Ling's cup and I come out victorious.

With a team of hardened steel and all the blood I could spill to guilt-trip half the team into doing more damage/healing (and to get Chongyue off my back for this morning's training session) , I managed to acquire a Nearl-alter from a unsuspecting owner.

Basically we tried multiple things that could have worked potentially if my characters were stronger, including attempting Ebenholz (it's for the peepos, no we didn't try killing Sui Xiang) and Kroos-alter, Skadi-alter and company. To no avail.

At some point Dr. Kryo came by to offer the assistance of Pozemka in case Kroos-alter was not doing enough damage. Mine is not E2 and Dr. Pinkie was really adamant on using Skalter.

Since none of us have it.

So while I was away I hear those two bicker in the background:

Kryo: "If you're struggling you could always go the Pozemka strat."

Pinkie: "We're doing quite fine, stage by stage."

Kryo: "Or you could use Pozemka."

Pinkie: "Or you can shut your wh*re mouth."

Me: *Wheeze laughing from the kitchen*

Kryo: "You're failling and could use the support."

Pinkie: "Why don't you guide her then?!"

Kryo: "Because I don't know your plan!!"

They love each other though, this is all regular chatter in Rhodes Island, I promise. No operstors or feelings were hurt in the creation of this post.

About operstors actually...

The first... Couple of times... Were eventful.

Sussuro was taken to bed early today for some well-deserved rest.

We started using the training tickets and figured out that if you need some tick damage, it's better to get your best casters. Nobody told me that fastest caster was also an option, of which such are - Click... And Pudding.

At least now I don't remember if Passenger was an option, but chain casters seem to work fine. He's just a little too expensive to put down. Not that Pudding isnt 28DP at E1 mad pots, but... You know. Splash caster kind of cost for a 4 target hit at a speed of Average.

Now every time I see this I feel a headache coming up.

During the last phase, after we took a 10 minute break, I forgot I was meant to play the training thing first and we accidentally succeeded in Challenge mode the normal way.

I still have to farm for 20 more stages for the full medal set.

Speaking of which, GOD the last seconds... Surtur died way too EARLY, not to mention it took multiple attempts to figure out Sui uses his skill on the MELE character which is closest, closest meaning PROXIMITY. So my Surtur got stabbed into the ground twice before we fixed thsa by placing Gravel below her and not below Sui. Just bait as close to the ball as possible.

And as a last resort we stalled and used that ONE block you see behind him. Backstabbing as a last resort, by the wise words of Dr. Pinkie.

Cleared the shop. Cleared the stages.

And also a day ago I got enough primes to get Nian. Mentioning it again since she was also used in a couple of stages and it was a splendid experience. Aak and Hung, you two will get dressed up some other time.

[yokaismp]

Oh my god,

[pinklocksoflove]

Mystra looks into her scrying orb in genuine confusion. Just what the hell is going on? This does not bode well honestly, but she has yet to receive a call to action. So she'll do as she usually does. Stay the fuck out of bullshit.

The Goetia wizard teleports to her parlor where tea was already waiting for her, brewed by her ephemeral steward.

"This is going to be a real headache I can already tell. Greed will be greed I suppose."

[hamletthedane]

Imagine telling somebody in 1995 that one day, Snoop Dog and Flavor Flav would both be beloved American icons highly associated with the Olympic Games. With Snoop acting as an official NBC commentator and carrying the actual Olympic torch in his 50s.

They would look at you like you were absolutely insane. What an incredible world we live in

[feelinsheepish]

*Sniffle. Sob.*

[choshinsei]

Choso has to forget his brothers, right?

[chronurgy]

Gortash designs and builds mechanisms so I imagine he has to be able to sketch fairly decently in order to sketch his projects and designs. And I'm imagining a pile of charcoal sketches of Durge, done over their entire acquaintance, starting out with sketches of them in battle and then slowly becoming more detailed and intimate and as they do, the titles changing from things like "The Bhaalspawn" and "Bhaal's Chosen at Their Bloody Work" to "The Chosen in Contemplation" and finally just Durge's name

[brokendreamscreation]

A golden portal opens over Pride Ring in a flash of light, the Angel of Dreams and Illusions soaring out of it. The screams and cries of Sinners meet his ears from below, noting the destruction already at hand. Yes, violence is a day to day thing for Hell, but this is of a whole different scale. Lucid soars off in search of his fallen brethren and keeping an eye out for the bloodlustful Gabriel. He promised Deerie he would stay out of sight of the raging Archangel for his own safety. If unable to locate Lucifer or Feitan, Lucid will turn his attention to leading citizens to safety if he can.

[Mentions: @//heaven-said @//themosthatedbeiing @//rradiio]

[torchstelechos]

I love that In Stars and Time gives the nonconsensual kiss a proper horrified reaction, by the way. Most media where a character can kiss someone out of no where either make it a funny thing or the "romantic" thing, but here Siffrin kisses without permission out of no where and Isabeau reacts correctly! He pushed them away! Because thats surprising, and fucked up to do to someone with no lead up and no permission! Isabeau had no context, and at the time when the kiss happened, was under the impression that Siffrin didn't like touch which can have a variety of horrible reasons for it. Not only that but... We don't know what face Siffrin was pulling and I don't think it was a nice one. Which, again, means that we don't have all the context either! This is a horrible event that has horrible consequences and I love that it does. Because it's something that is horrible and objectively one of the worst things Siffrin did to one of the others in the loops, so I'm just!!! So excited it had bad consequences!!!

[eagleeyethree]

Bill your reign is OVER

[socialjusticefail]

It has been wild.

[gophergal]

Life on the farm

[tapestryundone]

yknow what why not. have this from last night

(just the text under the cut)

IM INTRIGUED BY WHATEVER HE HAS GOING ON bc he likes fun but seems also deeply unhappy with himself which FEELS like it contradicts his whole being Like That but it makes Sense. why is he so self consious

it FEELS related to him as a voice being like. a desperate desire for agency at all costs. to be able to have fun in an extremely stressful situation. im struggling to put my finger on it but its liek

all of the voices are tied to complex emotions and hes like. the epitome of trying to get someone to leave you alone by doing anything you can to piss them off. like hes decided he Likes to do that, actually, and its NOT a desperate attempt to gain control in a situation where he has none, bc hes genuinely compassionate but it gets hidden behind the fact that he wants to upset hte narrator. hes the opposite of the opportunist in that he doesnt want to appeal to people who have power over him, he doesnt want to fight them or run away from them, all he wants is to aggravate them because he doesnt think he CAN do anything else. its pestering someone bc its the most power you can exert against people and situations you dont wanna be in, and then convincing yourself that its what you wanted in the first place

as a guy who likes fun DOES make him clash w the tones of a LOT of the game but i think its like. easy to look at the other voices and pinpoint what survival mechanism they are and then contrarian shows up and its less obvious

but hes a persons NEED to have fun, similar to cold. where cold has rejected the notion of emotions but still seeks novelty, contrarian NEEDS to experience joy and is trying to force it to happen, even if it involves goading the others or making bad long-term decisions. hes a very emotion-heavy voice and i think thats probably WHY hes quick to feel guilt and shame, bc it stems from teh same need to feel satisfied with actions and your environment, because in a situation like this, you CANT get entertainment from yourself. but he cant entertain anyone but himself. but he cant actually do that because its weak, poorly executed attempts at levity that falls apart under pressure

idk if this makes ANY sense im just intrigued by him. bc the stranger route started as a joke but it seems to serve as the BIGGEST outlier of a chapter in the whole game to teh pt where it can give you an entirely new ending that even goes so far as to include a second voice in the ending which makes me feel like he has to be important SOMEHOW

maybe its just the underlying emotions of it all. above all else, people want to enjoy life. it doesnt matter if life is stagnant, or if life is a unending cascade of changes, because its only bad if the people it affects do or dont enjoy it. because what the world does and doesnt need revolves around if it makes you feel good. hell i feel like theres a case for the fact that the contrarian ALWAYS gives you new, novel options. he ADDS change wherever he goes. hes the among the most connected to the shifting mound of the voices in that what he wants changes by the moment because what he wants above all else IS change and novelty. and hes a persons need for joy in life, something that is so distinctly mortal, to not just exist but to ENJOY existing, something that the narrator gave the long quiet and the shifting mound. he just extremely represents choices that are Out There. and the fact that the contrarian ascribes "the courage to do things that others may not do" as being him is ALSO interesting to me. maybe hes not just a persons ability to seek joy but also a persons ability to push back against outside pressure. a complement to the heros desire and conviction for agency, being the ability to push back when that agency is denied, to be able to live and feel fulfilled through ones OWN choices, not someone elses

and in an environment that so often denies that agency, his Whole Deal is trying to wrench back that agency even if he knows it wont work. the Trying IS the point. but in spending so much time trying to wrestle agency back you dont really pay attention to situations where you dont need to do that. because as far as hes concerned, you dont have agency, cant have agency, and wont have agency, so the best he can do is be a dick about it. as far as hes concerned, choices dont really matter. if everything is changing, if you can make EVERY choice, then do those choices matter? which always shocks him when they DO. because as an entity that exists to try to piss off those denying you agency, you dont realize where the line between 'choices that dont matter' and 'choices that have effects' are. but by his nature he ALWAYS forces his actions to matter without realizing it. maybe THATS why the knife never comes back after he throws it away. because it is in his nature to allocate agency where there previously was none. to the detriment of Literally Everyone

guy who makes agency exist but doesnt realize hes causing that and keeps acting like his choices dont have consequences

and that in itself is like. his comment abt EVERYTHING being as bad as nothing. feels like it rly strongly is tying him to what tlq and tsm once were. because they used to be the combination of everything and nothing. but now they are everything and nothing, apart. and maybe thats part of where contrarians weird self consciousness comes from, because his very existence is to force EVERYTHING to be possible, to do EVERYTHING, to cause as much change as possible, but its still not what he wants, he wants a balance that doesnt exist anymore

idk if this is making ANY sense i feel like ive accidentally talked into circles like 50 times but out of all of the voices the context of his purpose intrigues me the most actually bc i think everyone else has pretty straightforward purposes and then theres. This Guy who JUST causes problems. but its weirdly sincere about it. and i think its intentional bc blacktabbygames does not shy away from making Guys Who Are Just Obnoxious and unwavering in their goals, and for how much each of the voices so adamantly resist yet desire change, contrarian and hero are both the most malleable and changing