#except algard

[midnightechoes]

Episode 10 of The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady , a summary:

ANISPHIA: “I, being the self-sacrificial lesbian protagonist, am about to sacrifice my happiness for the good of the kingdom. I’ll also probably have to marry a man for archaic lineage reasons.”

LAINIE, TO EUPHYLLIA: “Doesn’t that bother you?”

EUPHYLLIA: “No.”

LAINIE: “But, I thought you were gay.”

EUPHYLLIA: “...”

ILIA: “Aren’t you gay?”

EUPHYLLIA: “...?”

TILTY: “ BITCH, you are gaaaaaaaaay.”

EUPHYLLIA: “...!”

EUPHYLLIA, TO HER FATHER: “Father, I am sorry if this disappoints you, but I am gay and wish to bang the princess.”

DUKE MAGENTA: “It is okay, my daughter. I am also gay and wish to bang the king.”

[ladyloveandjustice]

Anime Overview: The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

Whew, not typing that again! We’re calling it Magirevo. If you couldn’t tell from the trademark long title, it’s a light novel adaptation, but most importantly, it’s a yuri light novel adaptation.

(And yes, technically an isekai, but the isekai element isn’t focused on a lot. It only comes into play at the last minute, in a surprisingly emotional way!)

The story centers around two extraordinary girls- Anisphia, nicknamed Anis, and Euphyllia, nicknamed Euphie. Anis is a rambunctious princess who’s given up her claim to the throne. Royals are expected to be able to wield magic, and Anis was born without the ability. So she’s developing her own field of study, “magicology”, and inventing tools that will allow anyone access to the wonders of magic. Since magic was restricted to nobles before this, Anis making it easily accessible to the common people naturally threatens the gentry, and Anis is branded a heretic. On top of all that, Anis has openly declared if she ever did get married, it would have to be to a woman, and she’s not interested in continuing the royal “bloodline”.

Euphie, in contrast, is entirely focused on fulfilling her role as a proper noblewoman. She’s arranged to be married to the future King, Anis’ brother, Algard, and is determined to live up to expectations. But then Algard betrays her and publicly destroys her social standing.

That’s when Anis steps in to save the day. She takes Euphie’s hand, quite literally carries her brother’s girlfriend away, and promises Euphie they’ll discover the root of the conspiracy brewing against her. So their partnership- and blooming romance- begins.

Sometimes just I want to watch girls fight dragons and save kingdoms and use cool magic. And sometimes I want to watch girls be gloriously joyously gay. I want to watch them fall in love, kiss, dance grandly, and team up to defeat enemies with swords and sparkles! I want to see layered, powerful queer protagonists in fun fantasy adventures! Magirevo delivers wonderfully on all those fronts, and (easy mark that I am) that alone would probably have been enough for me, but that’s far from all the series has to offer.

Anis and Euphie are great protagonists. Anis is chaotic and passionate with her love of magic. She’s bold, openly queer, and charming right off the bat. Meanwhile, Euphie is a girl struggling with the fact she spent her whole life trying to fit into the mold of perfect lady, perfect prodigy and perfect future queen. Every choice was made for her, but now that life has been ripped away. She’s free to make her own choices now, but all that possibility is frightening and overwhelming, and seeing how other people live makes her feel empty aside. The care that the show puts into representing Euphie’s depression is one of the best parts of the early arcs. The sharp direction really lets the viewer feel Euphie’s sense of loss and melancholy, as well as the hope she comes across when she realizes there’s a power in making her own choices, and when she finds inspiration in Anis.

Both girls are dynamic, easy to root for, and have a strong rapport with each other. They also both go through some nice development. The story starts off with Euphie as the vulnerable one who’s burdened with expectation and Anis as her confident savior, only to completely reverse the roles near the end of the story. We get to enjoy the journey of watching Euphie grow bolder and more self possessed, meanwhile as the story goes on it becomes clear that Anis’s sunny nature hides some aching insecurities and royal traumas. She’s not unscathed by how others denigrate her for not having magic, or from the pressure of her role. The character arcs are simple to follow, but the development is satisfying.

Yuri adaptations are often cursed with scant resources and middling-to-poor looking animation (sobs in Otherside Picnic) but Magirevo is thankfully a glowing exception to that. The animation is slick, and the show delivers some punchy action scenes and great emotional moments. When Anis and Euphie wield dangerous magic to fight an attacking dragon, it’s just as fun and hype as your average action shonen, and it’s great to see lesbians get to go feral and do ridiculous OP fantasy shit.

Magirevo also has some really fun side characters, like the cynical goth gremlin Tilty and Anis’ charmingly snarky maid Illia. There’s a few fun surprises in store- like a compelling hints of another wlw side romance, involving a vampire! It would be nice to see these characters get a little more attention, but the anime can only cover so much.

The second episode has a few hiccups that might stick out to some viewers- Anis’ father reacts badly to her antics and her declarations that she loves women, and his reaction is played in a goofy anime slapstick violence way that’s very tonally weird (it's even weirder in prose, believe me). There’s also jokes made about Euphie feeling initially uncomfortable about Anis’ flirtation and this includes Anis “helping her get her clothes off because they’re too complicated to do on her own” and Euphie being obviously unhappy with this. In the light novel, since we see Anis’ POV and there's not much of a negative reaction from Euphie, so we know she genuinely did just want to help Euphie with her clothes and wasn’t being a perv, but it doesn’t quite come off that way in the anime. Though at least the whole thing is much briefer and less skeevy than it's manga counterpart. (And Anis never repeats this behavior again).

There’s also some brief scenes of Anis at the bath later on, and an even briefer scene where Anis touches a girls boob as part of an examination and said girl is super embarrassed (this one goes by quickly enough and Anis’ expression is detached and clinical enough it doesn’t make much of an impression- it was so much worse in the manga). In the area of things that are unsettling on purpose, there’s a pretty well-done scene where Anis has to listen to a bunch of old nobles talk about her like she’s breeding stock, and a lot of emphasis is put on her disgust, fear, and discomfort. It delivers the message well, but might be upsetting.

The other caveat of the show is that while making magic accessible to commoners and upsetting the outdated hierarchy is a clear theme of the show, it’s far more focused on Anis’ and Euphie’s relationship. I think that’s for the best, though it might make one feel like the show glosses over some things. You shouldn’t expect super complex political intrigue or a rigorous, detailed examination of oppression- the show’s more into romance and cool fights. (The ending of the anime also makes it clear the fight to reform the kingdom is ongoing, so we might get more in the novels, for what its worth).

The anime also manages to condense three light novels into 12 episodes. This leaves the last arc feeling a little cramped with all the big emotions and ideas its covering, but after reading the light novel I discovered that the anime didn’t cut out much of value. The anime is by far the best way to experience the story, as the light novels are incredibly repetitive and full of exposition dumps. The anime wisely cuts all that out and focuses on what matters, the emotions and the characters. I do wish there was one more episode at least, since judging by the care the anime team shows I think they would have capable of adding good original content, but overall I’m very impressed with all the adaptation decisions. The anime turns an uneven, dragging novel series into a tighter, jam-packed story with a satisfying finale.

And what a finale it is!

When I say joyously gay, I really mean it- the Magirevo finale is one of giddiest celebrations of queer romance I’ve seen in anime. You will happily drown in rainbows.

It’s so rare to see a yuri adaptation get far enough with the source material that we get romantic catharsis, and Magirevo goes for every inch of it! Even the early moments of Euphie’s shyness and Anis’ pushy flirting become more meaningful as the roles are reversed in a truly fun way.

We even see the isekai concept used for meaningful emotional drama I always wish more stories would go into! It’s stellar all around.

Magirevo is a fairly simple story at its core, treading on some well-worn fantasy archetypes and tropes. But the loveable characters and jubilant execution of the romance make it a treat to watch. Who cares if it’s not super deep? Queer viewers deserve something shiny and fun once in a while, and Magirevo truly has a magic of its' own.

[lgbtqmanga]

New Releases Mar. 19, 2024

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The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (manga) vol. 5 by Piero Karasu and Yuri Kisaragi

Lainie, the daughter of a baron, is the mysterious girl at the center of the scandal over Euphie’s broken engagement. Anis, the reincarnated princess, can’t help but feel there’s something odd about Lainie, so she conducts a checkup on her-and comes to a shocking conclusion! At the same time, Anis's brother Algard, the prince of Palettia, takes the lead in a grand scheme that’ll impact the whole kingdom…

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (novel) vol. 6 by Piero Karasu and Yuri Kisaragi

When Anis and Euphie learn that vampires are threatening the Kingdom of Palettia, they scramble to formulate countermeasures. Then, an urgent message comes from the East, stating that a vampire has been captured-a powerful one with great ambitions!

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Mitsuka (manga) vol. 2 by akabeko

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Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu (novel) vol. 4 by Meng Xi Shi and Me.Mimo

Shen Qiao is a devout Daoist priest who has spent his life honing his skills and spirit, leading his sect with martial talent, beauty beyond measure, and an earnest heart. His polar opposite, Yan Wushi, leads one of the most powerful demonic sects and is said to be unrivaled in his strength and cunning. Yan Wushi believes in the inherently selfish nature of all people—himself included—and that nobody is above committing dark deeds for their own benefit.

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Welcome Back, Alice (manga) vol. 6 by Shuzo Oshimi

Yohei, Kei and Yui are childhood friends and things get complicated when Yohei witnesses Kei and Yui in an intimate moment. But when unexpectedly Kei moves away and returns a few years later to reunite in high school, he seems to be a bit different. How will relationships change in this latest volume?

[jaebird88]

Didn’t have enough time to say my thoughts on the first episode of the Magical Revolution. (Which is how I will shorthand it because good grief these long-winded titles 😅)

For starters, I do like how our MC, Anisphia, was reborn in the world she finds herself in, and has vague memories of her previous life. With the exception of only her personality carrying over as she is very un-princess-like despite being born into the main royal family of a kingdom. Almost like what if the Princess Diaries was an isekai.

I also like how the episode sets up Euphyllia, of which I am invested in seeing how she will overcome the slander as devised by Prince Algard Dickhead. Whom, based on his actions, I feel is taking the wrong lessons from his sister’s strange behavior and apparent free will. I can understand there being pressure placed on him being in line for the throne after his sister gave it up, but people still talk about Anisphia in somewhat high regard.

I am looking forward to see if Algard will be reprimanded for his actions, and I’m sure Ms. Steal Your Girl will have repercussions of her own to contend with.

[crystalelemental]

“books-are-my-life-stuff: I feel like the pacing is more "inconsistent" than slow. The Dragon arc felt very rushed, and Euphie's character arc also felt rushed as a result. Euphie's progression of feelings to Anis also didn't feel natural since there seemed to be lots of details that's skipped. But after that, the middle arc felt very slow, but at the same time also had some details left from the novel. I think starting from the climax of Algard's arc the series picked its pace back up for me.

Algard's arc was pretty great, and frankly speaking, after seeing his arc, I kinda like him, but his punishment was well-deserved. He's done a lot of horrible things, so he deserved the slap from Euphie very much. The siblings' relationship is just beyond repair. And after that the series become consistently great again until the end, delivering a satisfying conclusion. I'm thinking of reading the manga or the novel too so I can see how it's originally intended.”

That’s a fair point.  It’s just a very weird mix of sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow, never quite a reasonable pace except the very beginning and very end.  Even Algard’s arc I feel like is missing some fairly crucial stuff.  Like...almost any real understanding of what he’s trying to do?  Like okay, he wants things to change too.  What specifically?  What’s his goal?  Apparently he needs raw power to do it and is willing to nearly kill Lainie for it, but like...for what?  Control?  Bro, you’re set to inherit the kingdom, just give it a bit.  It’s possible I missed something in there, but I couldn’t really parse his game plan.  Just a lot of sweeping statements with very little direct course, it felt.  The episodes after him were really good, though, because they did well when they focused on the main relationship.  The first three episodes and the last couple were strictly dedicated to developing Euphie and Anis’ relationship, and they work really well.  Everything else feels like I need to read source material to have a better picture.

[robbyrobinson]

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (Review; Contains Spoilers)

In the Kingdom of Palettia, we follow an odd princess named Anisiphia. Ever since she was a child, she loved magic, but she was unable to use it herself. However, thanks to her memories of her past life, she uses her knowledge to create several devices with the hopes of achieving her lifelong dream: to fly.

During one of her test runs, she accidentally crashes her broomstick and witnesses her brother Algard publicly renouncing his arranged marriage to Euphyllia choosing a commoner over her. With her reputation in flames, Anis interferes and decides to "take Euphyllia away."

Thus begins the story of The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady which was based on a series of light novels. So, my thoughts?

Positives:

The animation is pretty good. As are the OP and ED themes.

While I will get into more of the problems with the characters, found a good bunch of them likable.

Voice work is good especially when it goes into making a character sound emotionally wrecked.

The Negatives:

Worldbuilding is weak. For instance, there comes a point where there was a way for Anisiphia to avoid inheriting the throne which, naturally throws her into conflict with Euphyllia. A lot of this does come from the result of truncating for time or omitting moments from the light novels. Oftentimes, scenes get boring likely because of all the political talk on who inherits the throne and all.

The characters are static and ultimately are back in the places where they were introduced. Anisiphia, while she makes up several of the comedic moments of the anime, is an example. With her, we know that her main motivation is to "fly" and that she loves magic due to her memories of her past life. Beyond that, she never really gets into conflict that would seriously make her reconsider.

In the penultimate episode, we have Anisiphia truly being in a dilemma: due to a convoluted series of events, she is once more in line to be queen. This could have been a chance for Anisiphia to grow as a character. She is in a position where she has a heavy weight on her shoulders and thinks becoming queen would be her atonement for the mistakes she had done. This would mean that she would have to grapple with whether that meant ending her research something that gave her joy, but perhaps it was in the kingdom's best interest for her to stop living in her fantasies. Or what if she made it to where she could implement her research in her rule?

All those interesting questions are literally solved the moment Euphyllia interjects. Speaking of her...

Euphyllia was established as being someone who was molded to be "perfect" as in doing what was expected of her instead of making her own choices and we see the conflict of that once her reputation was tarnished. She is even asked this directly by Tilly. So...my issue?

Because of the deus ex machina I have mentioned, she can inherit the throne so that way, Anisiphia would not have to lose what she loved. I'm sorry...what? I know that the anime tries to say "she was making her own decision and she wanted Anis to be happy." But that is not making her decision for herself, that is making decisions for someone else. She is living for Anis not herself.

Worse is that she does not console Anis on this rash decision and seemed to not think much about it. Except for the fact that should she become a spirit, not only will she be immortal, but she will forget even her memories of being human including her time with Anis. How did she think Anis would be happy that Euphyllia was making that huge a sacrifice?

The other characters are hit-or-miss, but mostly "hits." Ilia is a deadpan snarker of a maid who tends to get annoyed with Anisiphia's antics. Laine, the girl that Algard chose over Euphyllia, and Tilly, who is probably the best one. She is the vitriolic best friend of Anisiphia and her polar opposite: while Anisiphia loves magic, Tilly sees it as a curse. She is also likely the only one who truly understands her.

The anime can also have times where the emotions are contrived though I did find myself pitying some of the characters despite that.

= 7/10

[fanboyscribbles]

So far, this is the last batch of #Winter2023 picks and they're all continuing series, except for the last one. #Tsurune. The boys of Kazemai High School's archery club are back and it's nice to see that they're all well and are comfortable in their own skin. Love how they preserve the relationships between rival schools but they've already introduced the season's plot driver at two eps in. Still 10/10 for the art and the sport. #BlueLock. Second cour's here and I'm just as invested as I was last time because the dynamics are totally different. What will Isagi do? Not that I care as much as I do about my kids Bachira and Chigiri. 9/10 because I haven't seen the miss. #TheVampireDiesInNoTime. Seriously, I wasn't even aware a second season was in the works so when I saw this on MAL, I immediately added it to my list. True enough, it's more chaotic than ever thanks to Draluc, Ronald, and John-sama. 8/10 watch it for the absurdities. LOL #TenTenKakumei (The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady). Added this as a reco title for sampling and in fairness, I like Anis as an MC, but I almost dropped this mid-episode because of the slanderous scene between Algard and Euphylia. Really left me very uncomfortable, which makes Anis' entry to the scene an essential pivot to conclude the premiere. Keeping this one for the art and the laughs. 8/10 also, likely to be the last isekai title to be added this season. And that's it! I'm still waiting for Tokyo Revengers, but overall, it's a pretty solid and diverse season. Praying I maintain my bandwidth until the end. Also, AOT's making a comeback in March. Will likely watch it for the art, but I think my investment dampened from the extensions. Anyway, let me know if you have any other Winter 2023 titles that you'd want me to try! Thanks for sticking around! https://www.instagram.com/p/CnjZhkeo5XY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[formlesschromatic]

The tidings you bear are not related to the Empress, but they're certainly good. For the second time in a year you make your way into Algard's office, and though his table is as clear as ever, the two added pocket dimensions indicate that paperwork may have been piling up while he was engaged in tower-related business in Eight Peaks. "Trouble with the tower?" he asks distractedly, squinting at a parchment covered in numbers. "Not at all, Lord Patriarch. I bring the best kind of good news." A small smile twitches in the corner of his mouth. "The kind that would have been very bad news, except it ends with 'and you took care of it'?" "Don't know where you'd get that idea." You take a seat across from him. "I speak, of course, of a full-blown Skaven civil war."

lol

thought it happened later tho whoops. think I thought it was part of the "my sources are primary" bit

okay starting another Divided loyalties readthrough. going to post stray thoughts and comments here reacting to it.

Better clean the… whatever that was… off you, because it's time for the ceremony. Thankfully your normal grey robes count as formal dress, because otherwise you wouldn't have a thing to wear.

there are many benefits to being a wizard

[mj-is-writing]

WIP: Character Bios for The Assassin and His Moral Compass

You can read more about the project here.

Cassian Eldrick

He/him, bisexual

Cassian is a 19 year old white man with blond hair and brown eyes. He has a fair share of scars all over, and tends to dress in fairly plain clothing, with the exception of formal wear and his traditional Konlanian witch’s cloak.

He is 5’4.

He can be cocky and stubborn, but he does care about others (though he will stab you for even suggesting the notion).

Adelaine Algard

She/her, lesbian

Adelaine Algard is a 23 year old white woman with auburn hair, brown eyes, and freckles. She wears mainly finely embroidered dresses, though this is not by choice. When Adelaine is finally able to dress herself, she picks a loose fitting blouse and leggings in dark colors. She favors boots.

She is 5’10.

She is cunning, witty, and able to take care of herself, but she is very afraid while doing so. She knows how to fight, but actually having to do it is another thing altogether.

Aoife Orlathe

She/her, lesbian

Aoife is a 20 year old black woman with brown eyes and an afro. She wears the official armor of the Enblynish military over a loose tunic and pants. She always has her sword at her side.

She is 6’1.

She is an intelligent and effective fighter, as well as a good leader. She tends to take charge, and can also be a bit of a flirt. She isn’t greedy, but getting a reward is a pretty good way to motivate her to do things.

Keeva Orlathe

They/them, bisexual

Keeva is a 20 year old black person with chin-length loose curls and dark brown eyes. They have a few scars on their arms. They wear the official armor of the Enblynish military over a loose tunic and pants. They always have a quiver of arrows and their bow slung over their back.

They are 6’3.

They are a bundle of contradictions: anxious yet confident, peace-loving but willing to throw hands, and introverted yet hates time spent alone. They can be aggressive when the situation calls for it, but their true strength is as a comforter.

Minnie Lang

She/her, straight

Minnie is a 24 year old white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She has two large scars on her face: a slash on her left cheek, and one at the right corner of her mouth. She dresses in a lot of dark colors and soft-soled boots.

She is 5’6.

She is a mess. She’s obnoxious, chatty, and blunt. But she’s also kickass. Minnie takes self-reliance a bit too far and doesn’t trust easily. She likes having friends, but she knows deep down that she’s always going to be on her own.

This only included the main cast. Side characters are just as important and good as protagonists, but I won’t name all of them here.

Taglist: @a-completely-normal-writer

[advernia]

F and M for the ask game? 😊

reply’s late but thank you for asking, anon! happy new year to you! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

dialogue scenes… (ʃ⌣́,⌣́ƪ) i skimmed the last 10 fics i posted for this, and i think this wins:

“Though the thrones are numerous and never vacant, the crown still remains unworn.”

i think i’m proud of this bc it was one of my favorite results of thinking about different angles to see the black army’s meritocracy system, haha! i’m awfully fond of thinking about stuff like this… anyway, the beauty of the system is that you base worth on skill and ability, rather than other given factors (wealth, bloodline, etc). in-game, the approach is pretty straightforward: it seems that anyone(?) can claim the title of the chosen thirteen, given that the individual can beat the current titleholder in a fair one-on-one fight. it’s still vague to me and tbh i hope there’s more explaining to this, but this seems to be the case presented in ray’s route……

for the person speaking though, rather than seeing the system as something like champions defending their titles, he sees it as a matter of choice - the black army’s thrones are created by the hands of those who wish to be chosen, not the black army creating the thrones for the chosen… and while the crown does go the strongest soldier, does it belong to the strongest throne? no, not necessarily… and why is that? who decides this?

…. the choice falls onto the soldiers of the black army themselves. if the throne of the strongest soldier doesn’t appeal to the majority and is built on lies, is there a reason for an army to support him? if the throne of the weakest soldier is as weak as his body but as strong as his will, is there a reason for an army to support him? if the throne of the king has been built alongside his fellowmen and its foundation is made of his hard work, is there a reason for an army to support him? it goes on and on, and on………

… thrones are made by choice, but ultimately, it is the army that decides - who chooses - whose throne they will and shall serve.

that is because the soldiers - the black army as a whole - form the crown, and if it is left unworn… it means that there’s yet a throne to fascinate them, or there hasn’t been a throne worthy enough yet to serve in their eyes.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

Σ(゜゜) b-b-back burner premises!?!?! got a lot of that…. but two premises have been bugging me for months tho, so here’s one of them!

it’s an ikerev mafia!au, inspired from the game’s actual mafia cards! i saw the posts about them pretty late but still, bless the kind souls who posted those cards bc wOW…. my eyes???????? they have been cleansed + my crops have been watered??????? ( ꒪Д꒪)ノ

i guess it clung to me pretty bad bc 1) i like mafia themes, 2) it reminded me that otomate’s piofiore no banshou is gonna be localized and i’ve been pretty interested in it despite polarizing opinions, and 3) those gacha cards look great???????? i was half expecting cybird to make an event about it lolol!

anyway, here’s my outline about it! excuse the odd formatting, i wrote it to be play-like the day i plotted it out!

…

welcome to cradle, all you ladies and gentlemen gathered here today! here, in this seemingly quaint crescent-shaped city, the citizenry live like they’re dying, so watch your back! always think twice before you act, or else you may end up in a sack!

what’s the reason for that, you ask? well now! you see, here in cradle, families run rampant! and we’re not talking about some happy household kind of family… we’re talking about men, women and children of all ages unafraid to spill blood, if only to protect their families or their families’ interests! are they noble, or simply selfish? are they justified, or simply paranoid? was this for survival, or for profit? all the lines have blurred!

what interests are we talking about, and why exactly has this beautiful city turned this way, you ask? tsk, tsk! you’ll never learn if all you do is question others for answers! so instead, why don’t we look around first? do follow me closely as we observe this place we call cradle, this city that is our stage!

enter stage left!

there goes a raven-haired lad and with him his band of merry men, forming a renegade group that bows down to no family or any other ruling power in cradle (except the government, what model citizens they are!). 

it’s been at least three years since the group has entered + made themselves known in cradle, and sometimes the citizens start to think they’re a family, too - they’re the good kind, though!(?) they help the powerless citizens, watch over clueless tourists, assist the government in maintaining order (in their own ways - while they help, they also refuse to be fully bound to the government), and even go as far as keeping tabs on all the families present in cradle! 

but why are they here, and why do they do what they do for cradle? it turns out the lad who appears to be their leader is searching for answers about a certain major incident that happened years ago in cradle. not everyone in the group knows about this purpose of his, though - refusing to get the whole group involved in his business, the lad allows only a select few to (grudgingly)assist him in his search for the truth.

one day, things get complicated: unfamiliar men are suddenly after the lad’s head! this was not an unusual occurrence for him or in cradle, but what throws everyone off is that these hitmen are different and dangerous: they’re incredibly skilled, annoyingly hard to brush off, and will do anything to complete their task… and that includes killing themselves off with their own blade / poison / hands once they are defeated / failed their mission.

the lad’s been on the run for three whole months without rest until he finally discovers a lead about his pursuers… deciding that it’s better than nothing, the lad and his trusty men follow this lead… even if it would make things more complicated, because the lead points the way to investigating five certain families in cradle that they’re not too keen in getting involved with at all.

will the lad ever find the answers to both his old and new questions, or will he eventually end up dead? will he ever know why he’s being hunted in the first place and discover who’s after him? where will this lead bring him: who will he meet, who will he trust, what will he do? destiny has quite a lot in store for him and his friends….

enter stage right!

if you cross paths with a beautiful man with hair spun like fine gold threads but with eyes as cold as ice, it would be wise not to offend him - he is the son and the future boss of a highly respectable family in cradle! this family has a long history and is still the leading voice in the council, an organization created by the government that enlists the aid of five special families in maintaining a semblance of balance and order among the many families and powers in cradle (think something like one piece’s shichibukai).

everything is fine and dandy until one day, the son’s father is found dead in cradle’s central square, his mutilated body hung up in the fountain for everyone to see……… naturally, this becomes a very serious issue + hot topic in cradle: who would do such a thing, why a man from the council from all people, and how mad was this person to display a corpse in such a gruesome  fashion? so many questions….

but the son has hardly any time to pay attention to such whispers - his family has suffered a grave loss + a blow to their reputation and is now seen as vulnerable, the four other families of the council see an opportunity to claim the power of the leading voice, and there are no leads about his father’s murderer. hardly having any time to mourn, he takes up his father’s mantle and goes about to set things right.

in the short span of four months, he succeeds: he picks his family up again and gives no one any doubt that their family is stable and still not to be underestimated, manages to maintain the position of the leading voice and keeps the greedy hands and prying eyes of the other council members at bay, and also restores the public’s respect for his family.

while he was busy doing all that, he had ordered a handful of his men to search for any clues about his father’s death - it seemed like the search was going nowhere, until one rainy day one of them discover a tattered letter stuffed away haphazardly in an unsuspecting dark alley - it bears the family’s rose seal and a single word is spelt on its surface through messy, bloody fingerprints: jabberwock.

was this some sort of code? did the word actually mean anything to the family, to anyone? was this the name of a family, a person, or the murderer? was this even related to the murder, or a different issue entirely? it’s a pursuit with not much to start with………..

finally, center stage!

enter the algarde, cradle’s “most notorious crime” family. why the quotation marks? simple: despite being a prime suspect in perhaps every crime that happens in cradle, they have never been caught. all evidence against them always happens to be circumstantial and never incriminating enough to pin them to the crime….. how was this even possible????

the algarde is one of the oldest families reigning in cradle, and going against them is a guaranteed swift trip to death. both the government + council have never been able to tame the algarde, nor have they been able to keep proper + regular track of their movements. one thing is really for sure about the algarde, though: once you get directly involved with their business, you might as well start to treasure + be thankful for each day you’re still alive…

their current head is an odd middle-aged man known for his sharp silver eyes - his name is farlan, and he’s really quite charismatic as he is elusive. he’s said to have the whole of cradle dancing on the palm of his hand, but he claims he’s not that influential… what a joke. he’s constantly on the move to find something that amuses him and depending on his mood, the whole of cradle can be subjected to his whims - what a fearsome man!

what role does the algarde family play in this story, you ask? who knows! are they the ones after the lad’s head? do they hold the key to understanding the word jabberwock? better yet - are they responsible for both incidents, or are they shockingly unrelated to them? the plot thickens….

ah, before i forget! you didn’t hear this from me, but it’s said that farlan has a child, of all things! a son or a daughter??? who cares! it’s a joke, a made-up tale on the streets!

………………………………… or is it?

[brookston]

Holidays 10.30

Holidays

Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security

Anniversary of the Declaration of the Slovak Nation (Slovakia)

Banknote Day (Indonesia)

Bodybuilders Day

Checklist Day

Covenant of Grace Day

Create a Great Funeral Day

Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions (for Soviet Republics, except Ukraine)

Declaration of the Slovak Nation

Devil's Night (Michigan)

Frankenstein's Monster Day

Gate Night

Goosing Night

Haunted Refrigerator Night

International Orthopedic Nurses Day

Look in the Back of Your Refrigerator Day

Miggy Night

Mischief Night

Mizzy Night

National Checklist Day

National Publicist Day

National Sleep-In Day

National Speak Up For Service Day

National Text Your Ex Day

National Treat Your Pet Day

Practice Winter Snuggling Night

Rhyne Toll begins (Chetwode Manor, UK) [thru 11.7]

Try on Your Halloween Costume Early Day

Wish We Hadn’t Done That Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Buy a Doughnut Day

Cabbage Night

Egg Night

National Candy Corn Day

Pumpkin Bread Day

Pumpkin Day

Sugar Addiction Awareness Day

5th & Last Sunday in October

Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day; Dominica, Saint Lucia) [Last Sunday]

Reformation Sunday [Last Sunday]

Surly Darkness Day [Sunday in Oct] (Note: officially on hiatus)

Visit a Cemetery Day [Last Sunday]

Feast Days

Adam Smith (Positivist; Saint)

Auserius of Pontus (Christian; Saint)

Dominic Collins, Blessed (Catholic, Ireland, Society of Jesus)

Chat Parwa (Nepal)

Country Joe Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Crow (Muppetism)

Dorothy of Montau (Christian; Saint)

Ethelnoth (Egelnoth) the Good (Christian; Saint)

Furry Animal Fondling Day (Pastafarian)

Gerard of Potenza (Christian; Saint)

Germanus, Bishop of Papua (Christian; Saint)

John Wycliffe (Episcopal Church (USA))

Lhabab Duechen (Descending Day of Lord Buddha; Buddhism)

Marcellus of Tangier (a.k.a. Marcellus the Centurion; Christian; Saint)

Maria Teresa of St. Joseph (Christian; Blessed)

Saturninus of Cagliari (Christian; Saint)

Serapion of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Talarican (a.k.a. Tarkin; Christian; Saint)

Theonistus (Christian; Saint)

Thevar Jayanthi (Thevar community, India)

Zenobios and Zenobia (Christian; Saints)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [59 of 71]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Appalachian Spring, by Aaron Copland (Orchestral Suite; 1944)

Coat of Many Colors, by Dolly Parton (Song; 1971)

Doctor Sleep (Film; 2019)

Faith, by George Michael (Album; 1987)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine, by Marvin Gaye (Album; 1968)

Meddle, by Pink Floyd (Album; 1971)

Megamind (Animated Film; 2010)

The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M. Cain (Novel; 1934)

Tumbleweed Connection, by Elton John (Album; 1970)

Today’s Name Days

Alfons (Austria)

German, Klaudije, Marcel, Marcijan (Croatia)

Tadeáš (Czech Republic)

Absalon, Elsa (Denmark)

Urmas, Urmet, Urmo (Estonia)

Eila (Finland)

Bienvenue, Maeva (France)

Alfons, Angelo, Dieter, Sabine (Germany)

Apollonia, Asterios, Astero, Kleopas, Kronos, Markianos, Tertios, Zenovia, Zenovios, Zinovia, Zinovios (Greece)

Alfonz (Hungary)

Benvenuta, Germano (Italy)

Algards, Nadīna, Ratne, Ulla, Venera (Latvia)

Darata, Edmundas, Skirgaila, Skirvydė (Lithuania)

Aksel, Ånund, Ove (Norway)

Alfons, Alfonsyna, Angel, Angelus, Edmund, Klaudiusz, Przemysław, Sądosław, Zenobia (Poland)

Šimon (Slovakia)

Amparo, Marcelo (Spain)

Elsa, Isabella (Sweden)

Arilda, Xena, Xenia, Ximena, Zena, Zenas, Zenia, Zeno, Zenobia (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 303 of 2022; 62 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 43 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Hagal (Constraint) [Day 2 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Lùyuè), Day 6 (Bing-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 5 Cheshvan 5783

Islamic: 4 Rabi II 1444

J Cal: 3 Mir; Twosday [3 of 30]

Julian: 17 October 2022

Moon: 33%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 23 Descartes (11th Month) [Adam Smith]

Runic Half Month: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 5 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 38 of 90)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 8 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.30

Holidays

Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security

Anniversary of the Declaration of the Slovak Nation (Slovakia)

Banknote Day (Indonesia)

Bodybuilders Day

Checklist Day

Covenant of Grace Day

Create a Great Funeral Day

Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions (for Soviet Republics, except Ukraine)

Declaration of the Slovak Nation

Devil's Night (Michigan)

Frankenstein's Monster Day

Gate Night

Goosing Night

Haunted Refrigerator Night

International Orthopedic Nurses Day

Look in the Back of Your Refrigerator Day

Miggy Night

Mischief Night

Mizzy Night

National Checklist Day

National Publicist Day

National Sleep-In Day

National Speak Up For Service Day

National Text Your Ex Day

National Treat Your Pet Day

Practice Winter Snuggling Night

Rhyne Toll begins (Chetwode Manor, UK) [thru 11.7]

Try on Your Halloween Costume Early Day

Wish We Hadn’t Done That Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Buy a Doughnut Day

Cabbage Night

Egg Night

National Candy Corn Day

Pumpkin Bread Day

Pumpkin Day

Sugar Addiction Awareness Day

5th & Last Sunday in October

Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day; Dominica, Saint Lucia) [Last Sunday]

Reformation Sunday [Last Sunday]

Surly Darkness Day [Sunday in Oct] (Note: officially on hiatus)

Visit a Cemetery Day [Last Sunday]

Feast Days

Adam Smith (Positivist; Saint)

Auserius of Pontus (Christian; Saint)

Dominic Collins, Blessed (Catholic, Ireland, Society of Jesus)

Chat Parwa (Nepal)

Country Joe Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Crow (Muppetism)

Dorothy of Montau (Christian; Saint)

Ethelnoth (Egelnoth) the Good (Christian; Saint)

Furry Animal Fondling Day (Pastafarian)

Gerard of Potenza (Christian; Saint)

Germanus, Bishop of Papua (Christian; Saint)

John Wycliffe (Episcopal Church (USA))

Lhabab Duechen (Descending Day of Lord Buddha; Buddhism)

Marcellus of Tangier (a.k.a. Marcellus the Centurion; Christian; Saint)

Maria Teresa of St. Joseph (Christian; Blessed)

Saturninus of Cagliari (Christian; Saint)

Serapion of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Talarican (a.k.a. Tarkin; Christian; Saint)

Theonistus (Christian; Saint)

Thevar Jayanthi (Thevar community, India)

Zenobios and Zenobia (Christian; Saints)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [59 of 71]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Appalachian Spring, by Aaron Copland (Orchestral Suite; 1944)

Coat of Many Colors, by Dolly Parton (Song; 1971)

Doctor Sleep (Film; 2019)

Faith, by George Michael (Album; 1987)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine, by Marvin Gaye (Album; 1968)

Meddle, by Pink Floyd (Album; 1971)

Megamind (Animated Film; 2010)

The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M. Cain (Novel; 1934)

Tumbleweed Connection, by Elton John (Album; 1970)

Today’s Name Days

Alfons (Austria)

German, Klaudije, Marcel, Marcijan (Croatia)

Tadeáš (Czech Republic)

Absalon, Elsa (Denmark)

Urmas, Urmet, Urmo (Estonia)

Eila (Finland)

Bienvenue, Maeva (France)

Alfons, Angelo, Dieter, Sabine (Germany)

Apollonia, Asterios, Astero, Kleopas, Kronos, Markianos, Tertios, Zenovia, Zenovios, Zinovia, Zinovios (Greece)

Alfonz (Hungary)

Benvenuta, Germano (Italy)

Algards, Nadīna, Ratne, Ulla, Venera (Latvia)

Darata, Edmundas, Skirgaila, Skirvydė (Lithuania)

Aksel, Ånund, Ove (Norway)

Alfons, Alfonsyna, Angel, Angelus, Edmund, Klaudiusz, Przemysław, Sądosław, Zenobia (Poland)

Šimon (Slovakia)

Amparo, Marcelo (Spain)

Elsa, Isabella (Sweden)

Arilda, Xena, Xenia, Ximena, Zena, Zenas, Zenia, Zeno, Zenobia (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 303 of 2022; 62 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 43 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Hagal (Constraint) [Day 2 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Lùyuè), Day 6 (Bing-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 5 Cheshvan 5783

Islamic: 4 Rabi II 1444

J Cal: 3 Mir; Twosday [3 of 30]

Julian: 17 October 2022

Moon: 33%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 23 Descartes (11th Month) [Adam Smith]

Runic Half Month: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 5 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 38 of 90)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 8 of 31)

[multipublicity]

Hiya raises $18M to build business search and spam blocking into native smartphone dialer app

Hiya raises $18M to build business search and spam blocking into native smartphone dialer app

Hiya CEO Alex Algard. Photo via Hiya.

Nearly every major smartphone app built over the last several years has gone through countless improvements and iterations. But the native phone dialer is an exception — and now a Seattle startup is looking to change that.

Hiya today announced its first outside investment with an $18 million round led by top European firm Balderton Capital; Nautilus Venture…

[mj-is-writing]

WIP Character Bio: Cassian

Cassian is one of five main characters and is the main protagonist of The Assassin and His Moral Compass, an upcoming fantasy novel. For more info about the project, read the intro here.

Cassian Eldrick

Male (he/him)

Bisexual

19

Allegiance: The Kingdom of Konlan

Cassian is a captain in the Konlanian military. Actually, he’s the youngest captain in the country. On the side, for extra cash, he has a second job— an assassin.

Having been raised in a magic home, Cassian has skills that make him particularly useful in his field. This is the main reason he’s contracted for his biggest assignment yet... Princess Adelaine Algard of Ellowyn.

Appearance

5’4” tall (162.5 centimeters)

Blond hair and brown eyes

White, has a tan.

Cassian has a few small scars on his arms from various scrapes and fights, but nothing major.

His clothing consists of mostly muted and neutral colors. The exception being his cobalt blue cloak, which is a trademark of a magic user in Konlan. He wears lots of belts and necklaces to store charms, and wears a dagger strapped around his thigh.

[formlesschromatic]

Then, to your surprise, Algard approaches you. "So," he says, seemingly confused. "The problem is that the sun is in the wrong place some of the time, right?" You blink at him. "Yes?" "Why don't you just move it, then?" What. "What?" "Well, not move it, move it. But just, you know. Swap two parts of the sky for a bit." What. "What?" "So the sun can shine the shadow wherever you want it to." You try to find thoughts. "That... would help, yes. Is that feasible?" He shrugs. "With three, four power stones? Sure. Can't have a proper Tower without power stones. I'll rustle them up." You stare after the Magister Patriarch as he bustles off, cheerfully humming. --- You're reeling from that encounter as you almost run into Kragg and Gunnars. "So," Kragg says, launching straight into conversation and leaving it to any listeners to catch up at their own pace. "Grungni discovered many of the Runes, and Thungni discovered most of the rest. But I've been reminded that it was Gazul that discovered the Runes of Grungni, Valaya, and Grimnir. And, of course, the Rune of Gazul." Gunnars nods in confirmation. "Didn't sit right with me that this masterwork of yours is all about something called 'Burning Shadows' but there's no actual fire, and since you're a fan of swords, I decided there was no better fire than that of Gazul's burning sword." "As far as I understand, it shouldn't interfere with the workings of your magic," Gunnars says. "Zharrvengryn is not of normal fire. It consumes light, rather than emitting it." You give your stunned acquiescence, and for weeks you watch as Algard and Kragg have loud but enthusiastic disagreements over the fundamental nature of magic, and day by day the largest Rune you have ever seen is constructed out of layer after layer of ground diamond. Apparently Gazul's realm is metaphorically below the mountains, and diamonds are born literally below the mountains, so there's a conceptual link between the two. Unlike other Runes you've seen made, this one doesn't snap into a new nature once complete; the air chills in an instant as a blue fire you can only see out of the corner of your eyes burns its way slowly through the diamond dust, leaving it transparent and utterly invisible unless you can spot how light bends as it passes through the Rune. Then, to your surprise, it is not installed in the tower. It is, instead, buried in the deepest point of Karag Nar, right on the boundary between where mountain ends and where the rest of the world begins. It's also directly under the tower, measured to within a hair, and over the course of weeks a steel beam is built from the tower to the Rune, displacing several rooms in the process and leaving a rather forbidding steel pillar glowing with a faint blue light in the center of your entrance hall. The downside to all of this is that when you ask Panoramia if she thinks it'd be a good idea to use the eternally-burning fires of Dwarven Hell to weed her gardens, she laughs, looks at you, realizes you're not kidding, says "no" a lot and then runs away.

The Eye of Gazul is born

You put out feelers through your networks among the Colleges and among the Dwarves. You find yourself sorting half-heartedly through a short list of various hoodlums, ruffians and ne'er-do-wells that all enthusiastically made claims you doubted their fists would back up. Then you answer a knock on your foyer door to see what you're almost sure is a Priest of Grungni, except unlike every other Priest of Grungni you've ever seen or heard of, he doesn't possess a pick. "SO," he says. He doesn't seem to be shouting, that's just how his voice is. "YOU WISH TO LEARN TO PUNCH." You've encountered stranger and you refuse to be put on the back foot. "Not personally, for one of my employees." "THIS IS GOOD. APPROPRIATE LEADERSHIP. LEAD ME TO YOUR EMPLOYEE." The possible Priest of Grungni gives Johann a glance and snorts, but after Johann takes his gloves off and reveals his gilded skin, the Priest gives him a longer, much more thoughtful look. "FOLLOW," he finally commands. You tail along out of curiosity, and watch as the Priest of Grungni pauses, catalogues and ranks every nearby rock formation, and leads Johann towards the least meritorious of the foothills. The Priest slams a bare fist into a rock-face; it is unmoved, but so is the Priest. "NOW YOU." Johann obeys. The Priest spends some time correcting a number of different things about Johann's posture. A second punch. A pebble bounces down the rock face. You walk away.

THE LEGEND OF GOLDPUNCHER: ORIGINS

okay starting another Divided loyalties readthrough. going to post stray thoughts and comments here reacting to it.

Better clean the… whatever that was… off you, because it's time for the ceremony. Thankfully your normal grey robes count as formal dress, because otherwise you wouldn't have a thing to wear.

there are many benefits to being a wizard

[formlesschromatic]

The latter was trickier than it sounded, and you would either need to create or enslave a sentient mind for the purpose - rather drastic, morally dubious, and that's what you had Maximilian for - 

hilarious 😆

A second attempt unfolds as Roswita rides to Siegfriedhof, and once more you're able to witness the entire process from start to finish. Though it is obligingly shrouded in shadows, Hunger Wood is not home to any wholesome wildlife, and instead a lurking pack of ghouls are slain one by one by the apparition, and once more the twisted lesson unfolds. With their twisted forms already home to Dhar, ghouls are both more receptive to necromancy but also less predictable in their responses to it. As you watch the beasts rise back to their feet and have their muscles begin to bulge with unnatural energies, you frown to yourself in thought. The bats were barely a threat, but ghouls were nasty enemies even without the benefit of necromantic empowerment, their teeth and claws practically guaranteeing infection from the slightest wound. You resolve to intervene, and watch closely until the most precarious moment and then interrupt with the slightest jolt of Ulgu, which disperses within moments of its work being done. "Doina," the voice scolds as the ghoul that was rising to its feet shudders as Dhar runs rampant through it. "I know you know better than that. What just happened?" Whatever answer the apparition gets, it doesn't satisfy it, and it reaches out and squeezes the unlife from one of the previously-raised ghouls in frustration. "Just put a rag over it until it stops bleeding! Next up, let's go." Another well-timed nudge, another spell tears itself free of its owner's control. "Ionuţ! Someone check the chart, I'm sure he's on his last chance." One of the ghouls crumples, presumably as its controller abandons it to consult said chart. "That's what I thought. Hold him down- I said hold him! If I have to come over there myself-" The rest of the reanimated ghouls crumple and the silhouette shrinks back in on itself, and as soon as it is reduced to the size of a fist, it shoots off into the sky, heading east.

having a chart for tracking when you can go 'you've failed me for the last time' to your apprentices is so funny, Alkaseltzer knows how to be a villain properly.

"Dame Magister Loremaster Weber," he greets you with a smile that doesn't detract from his piercing gaze. "What tidings bring you to Altdorf?" "The best kind of good news," you say. He considers that for a moment. "I'd say Malekith's death or a full-blown Skaven civil war, but I doubt either would involve a cartload of paperwork." "The kind that would have been very bad news, except it ends with 'and I took care of it'." 

the set up for one of my favorite jokes in the story, tho the punchline wont be for a while

"I should have guessed," he says with a smile, "I've heard good things from the Dwarves. This is my dear wife, the Empress Consort Heidi Haupt-Anderssen." You're not able to bask in the news you've become known to the Emperor himself, as you've suddenly realized where you've seen this woman before. "A pleasure to meet you!" says the woman who was once known as Countess Gabriella von Bundebad brightly, closing the gap between you before you can react and taking your hands in hers. "I'm sure we've so much in common!" And hidden by her hands, she folds one finger over another in the sign of the Gambler, and with a tiny sliver of divine attention that leaves you feeling giddy, an always-familiar presence gives confirmation. "The pleasure is mine, your Majesties," you say faintly. As you try to wrap your head around the magnitude of the plot Ranald appears to have expended his divine bounty upon, Dragomas and Algard explain the situation: a Vampire that has decided to share his knowledge freely instead of jealously hoarding it, and how it would have continued to go completely undetected if it not for fortune delivering the right Magister to the right spot at the right time - and the Empress gives you a cheeky, conspiratorial smile at fortune.

woo Heidi!

WHEREAS, it has come to the attention of his Majesty Emperor Luitpold I that the Imperial Citizens of Eastern Stirland are suffering under the yoke of Vampiric Oppression; WHEREAS, it is known that the Colleges of Magic are bound by the Articles of Imperial Magic, as laid down by Emperor Magnus the Pious (S·T·T·L); WHEREAS, it is recognized that the Colleges of Magic are Empowered and Required to seek out and combat the dark forces of Necromancy throughout the Empire; IT IS DECREED, that the Colleges of Magic are given full and complete permission to unleash any and all magics, enchantments, abilities and allies they see fit that are permitted under the Articles of Imperial Magic; IT IS DECREED, that the aforementioned permissions explicitly include the application of the restricted powers known as Battle Magics, and those that specialize in their applications; IT IS DECREED, that this declaration will be in effect for the entirety of the realm of Eastern Stirland, that some know as Sylvania; IT IS DECREED, that this declaration will be in effect from this day until the last Vampire is driven from the Empire's borders. May Sigmar have mercy on their souls. Proclaimed at the Imperial Palace of Altdorf on this the 12th Day of Erntezeit. Signed by the Emperor Luitpold von Holswig-Schliestein the First. Signed by the Supreme Patriarch Dragomas of the Amber Order.

the hounds, they have been unleashed

"I've been working with Priest Gunnars," she says. "He wishes to know Morr." You narrow your eyes suspiciously, but you can't tell if the pun was deliberate. You'll say this for Shyish, it gives you one hell of a poker face.

badum tish

The normal procedure when a student miscasts is to stand back and pray, but recently you've done a fair bit of reading and thinking on the topic of unruly Shyish and you have no fear of Dhar. As the curdling energies within her start to concentrate in her jaw and reality begins to fray, you reach out and press your hand against her cheek, your will unable to prevent the magic from rebelling but able to at least command where it goes. As two awestruck students watch, you tear the miscast spell from Gretel's head and clutch it in your fist, where it immediately comes under the influence of Dwarven Runecraft and ignites into sullen purple flames.

this moment is so funny imagining it from an outside perspective. Mathilde reaches out and just grabs a miscast(??), from a wind she doesnt use(!!), and then it just kinda burns(?!?), leaving no adverse effect on anyone?

To your considerable surprise, Anton's ability to regularly produce miracles seems to have failed him, and he wasn't able to convince Asarnil to make an appearance, apparently being outbid by Tzar Vladimir Bokha of Kislev. On top of this, he's returned with only a single regiment of Dogs of War. Has the Baron of Blutdorf lost his silver tongue? Apparently not entirely, you note, as although only the heavily-armoured pavise crossbowmen of Tilea are worth noting, Anton seems to have depopulated a significant portion of the Border Princes by circulating tales of Dwarven generosity. What they lack in skill and discipline they make up for in numbers and value, as it doesn't take all that much Dwarven generosity to outbid the rugged and hostile landscape of the Border Princes.

he continues with getting away with it

Conventional wisdom would advise against attempting an assassination in the middle of a melee, but conventional wisdom wasn't a Grey Wizard. Take No Heed is of limited utility in this setting, but limited isn't the same as none, and in the Doppelganger form of a Ranger surrounded by other Rangers you draw no attention to yourself as the Warboss aims himself at the tallest figures in the shieldwall - your students, and charges home as they bravely ready their weapons to receive the charge. You're proud of their bravery, but this battle is beyond them, and you want to add a... You allow yourself a moment of thought as the wall of Orcish muscle approaches. King Belegar got the one at the Eastern Gates, you got the ones at Lhune and Nar, and then three more here. Six. You want to add a sixth Warboss to your tally. In an instant, the Dwarf standing just behind your students becomes a wizard and an arcing blade, wreathed in a fog of dispersing Ulgu. Blood sprays the second rank of Big Uns as their Warboss is bisected from left hip to right shoulder.

oh yeah Mathy so cool and badass 😎

(please ignore what happened after warboss number 5 :V)

Johann doesn't have the ability to summon a magical horse, but you're quite shocked to learn that he doesn't need one to keep pace with you. Enchanted gold, it seems, not only makes him stronger and tougher - it also removes his capacity to feel physical fatigue. He's not at all out of breath when you reach Karagril and dismiss your steed, nor, now that you watch closely, is he breathing at all, except when required for speech. "It's one of the most recent things I had done," he says casually as the two of you make your way deeper under the mountain. "I've a gift for the more literal applications of the Wind of Metal, but it's still quite a tricky ritual under the best of circumstances, and trying to convince yourself to inhale molten gold isn't the best of circumstances. But it does mean that I don't need to breathe." "Useful," you comment, keeping envy out of your voice. It's a fact of life when dealing with members of other Colleges that they'll have access to capabilities that would be astoundingly useful; you can only imagine how infuriating it must be to someone who doesn't have their own suite of magical abilities to comfort themselves.

yeah... imagine... ;_;

okay starting another Divided loyalties readthrough. going to post stray thoughts and comments here reacting to it.

Better clean the… whatever that was… off you, because it's time for the ceremony. Thankfully your normal grey robes count as formal dress, because otherwise you wouldn't have a thing to wear.

there are many benefits to being a wizard