#first syndic thalias

[netmors]

Night art with Admiral Ma'kro and the First Syndic of the Mitth's Family - Thalias.

Later I will tell you more about their roles in the "Eleventh Fleet AU", but for now will just drop a little spicy art of this duet.

[wolf-of-stormwind]

Story revamp for my OC, Thalia Trollbane

--

Thalia Trollbane is not her real name, it is the name that the kingdom of Stromgarde forced on her. Her true name is Thali'ith, or Li'aka as her mother often called her. She was born and raised in the Witherbark Village, and she had hopes of training to become a Zealot/rogue following Shadra.

That was until, Thoras Trollbane discovered his daughter's existence. Thoras went to his former lover, Thali'ith's mom, and asked to know his daughter, and asked his former lover to let Thali'aka go to live with him to Stromgarde. Despite both her tribe and Thali'aka's wishes, she agreed, as she was afraid he would retaliate with violence if she denied him.

After that, she was forced to live with her father and half brother, Galen. There they took her clothes in exchange for a dress, and they changed her name to Thalia. Thali'ith was extremely upset with leaving to Stromgarde her father, she felt like she had no kinship with them, and wished for nothing more than to go home. One night, about a week after she moved, she sliped out under a boon of Shadra and returned to her village.

When her father awoke, and discovered her missing, he was infuriated, thinking that the Witherbark took her. He gathered his forces and left to bring her back by force this time. Shortly before they reached the village, Thalia saw them coming with force, and went to stop them before the soldiers engaged in any combat. Thali'ith told him that it was her doing and hers alone and begged them not to harm her tribe. Thoras was glad to see she was okay, but was still determined to fight them. Thali'ith then struck a bargain. If the soldiers of Stromgarde would leave with no bloodshed, Thalia would return with them without any fight, and not return to her tribe. Reluctantly, Thoras agreed after a moment. Mostly driven by his desire to have both of his heirs under his kingdom. Thali'ith told her goodbyes to her mother and people tearfully, and then allowed them to take her back to Stromgarde.

Overtime, she would grow to care for Stromgarde and its people as her own, (despite their distaste for her) and she grew comfortable with her nickname given to her by her father. Although she never let him forget that it was just that, a nickname and her real name would always be Thali'ith. She continued to worship the Loa, Shadra.

Once Thoras was killed, she fled back to her birth home with mixed feelings. Although she was sad to leave Stromgarde, enraged at what Galen had done, but she was also estatic to once again be home. There she dropped being a princess, completely and returned to simply being Thali'ith. Thali'ith began to be trained as a rogue by another older follower of Shadra.

When the Alliance and Horde began to fight over Stromgarde, Danath sought her out to return, as she was the only other remaining family he had living. She agreed, but only if the Witherbark would be spared by his forces. Danath denied this request at first and left. That is until Princess Elizabeth conviced him to do so, as they were already fighting the Horde, ogres, and the Syndicate so it would be wise to not have to fight on another front. Danath was reluctant but agreed eventually. Before Thali'ith retuned she told him four things that he had to agree to, as she was effectively an ambassador for the WItherbark.

If Danath was to ever break the tense neutrality between them, she would leave for the Witherbark without a second thought, and fight with her tribe.

If the Horde would win, she would return to the Witherbark and no longer be a member of the Alliance or Stromgarde.

She would be able to freely visit her people and worship her Loa freely and without any reservations.

If the Witherbark began to lose against the Horde, they would send aid.

Danath agreed to all but the last one, as he still despised the trolls and did not wish to fight along side them, only not to fight them.

Eventually, Thali'ith was able to convince both Elizabeth (and her tribe) to send temporary aid against the horde to the Witherbark.

After the Fourth War she began to focus on allowing the forsaken that called Stromgarde home in life home again in undeath, and to lessen the tension between Stromgarde and the Witherbark (to little success.)

As of year 35 she was able to get the forsaken that were once member of stromgarde citizenship and the ability to freely live in homes of the city. The forsaken also sent an Ambassador to Stromgarde to make sure they had a ear of the leaders and that they would not be mistreated.

At year 40 she was finally able to get a Witherbark Ambassador to come to the city to look over more of the neutrality between them. Thalia also established the territory lines that the Witherbark had. She made a rule that no non Witherbark would be allowed into their land without explicit permission from either her or the Witherbark Ambassador and that they had no control over what would happen to tresspassers.

Ambassadors in Stromgaude:

Ambassador Khe'sti of the Witherbark Tribe

Ambassador Theron Bloodbiter of the Forsaken.

Danath Trollbane (While technically ranking higher than an Ambassador, he acts as the voice for the human civilians. When he acts as an ambassador.)

[legendoftortor]

I would like to know more about your characters but I can’t think of anything specific to ask about

so tell me a fun fact about each of them

ahh tysm for asking about my mc’s 🥹 I’ve been wanting to make a longer separate post about each of them but work has kept me too busy lately! Will eventually get around to it but to answer your question (and elaborate just a tad on their backstories)…

Fun Facts about my MC’s 💜

Estelle Frye:

She was my first MC (and my only for many, many months!), so has the most detailed and fleshed out backstory by far. Her first name is inspired by the lead character from one of my favourite series of games (Trails in the Sky), but her nickname Este is also a subtle nod to Taylor Swift’s song ‘no body, no crime’.

I also decided to throw in a bit of a crossover with my last fandom by making her the daughter of the AC:Syndicate protagonist Jacob Frye.

With that in mind, her fun fact is that she is able to use Eagle Vision and was briefly trained as an assassin prior to starting at Hogwarts. She tends to prefer a stealthier approach to combat, even when using magic.

She is also the MC most inspired by my own appearance & personality, so much so that eventually I just decided to cheekily self-insert a much cooler version of myself as her mom (because technically I did create her, right? 😂)

Evie Morgan:

My newest MC, so I’m still solidifying her character and backstory so apologies if this one seems a bit bland compared with the rest!

She is a distant descendant of Isadora Morganach - I know it’s not implied that Isadora had any children or family other than her brother & father, but my imagination was hard at work with this one 🤭

Fun fact - She is the younger cousin of Elsie Morgan, one of the other students who compete in Imelda’s time trials. I’ve decided that Elsie is the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team too, because why not?

Her name is also another gentle nod to AC: Syndicate (Evie Frye) - there’s a pattern emerging here 🤷🏻‍♀️

Leila Greene:

She is my one and only muggleborn MC (technically…will elaborate more on this in the future!). She’s quite artsy and has a green thumb, and I consider her to be my most cheerful & outgoing character by far.

Fun fact: Her mother is a lover of all things literature & poetry and named her after the characters in Lord Byron’s works ‘The Giaour’ and ‘Don Juan’.

She’s also technically the only MC whose name isn’t directly inspired in some way by another form of media - I only found out about the Lord Byron connection after choosing her name!

Thalia Blackwood:

Another MC whose first name was inspired by a favourite character of mine from the Percy Jackson series. She is a descendant of Eunon Blackwood, the creator of the hedge mazes that appear around the highlands, which technically also makes her distantly related to the Black family (again, imagination working overtime on this one!). She is completely unaware of this until she stumbles upon the mazes during her fifth year.

As for her fun fact, like her namesake, she is terribly afraid of heights, and Astronomy & Flying class are two of her least favourite classes for this very reason.

(Sorry that ended up being so long but am always happy to answer questions about my MC’s! ☺️)

[starwarsrecrimination]

Canon Character Design: Thalias

Mitth'ali'astov first appeared in Chaos Rising, the first of the Thrawn: Ascendancy novels, as the Caretaker for the navigator Che'ri noted for having been a navigator (or sky-walker) herself. In Recrimination, Thalias is now a highly respected and influential Syndic of the Mitth Family, also holding strong ties with the Ufsa and Irizi Families due to her husband and daughter's connections to those clans. The illustration below was created using @/stuffjademade's Picrew, which can be found here.

[Image ID: An illustration made using Picrew. The subject is a Chiss woman of middle-age, with azure skin dotted with freckles and moles and piercing solid red eyes that shine with a white starbust effect. Black lipstick and red eyeshadow and liner emphasizes her features, and intricate swirling scarlet patterns frame her cheekbones. Her black curly hair is pinned up elegantly, and she is wearing a gold diadem and matching earrings. She also wears a red coat with black fur trim and a black scarf tied in a neat bow. The expression on her face is bemused. The background is a white square with a blur effect in the middle, containing stylized eyes which all look to the woman at the center. End ID.]

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

The Dream Syndicate - Crystal Ballroom, Somerville, Massachusetts, September 18, 2022

There's a very expanded edition of The Days of Wine and Roses coming out in June — and it looks very cool, chock full of rarities and live jams. While we wait for that, let's listen to this: Daniel Bourque's fantastic tape of the reunited/reconfigured band in Somerville last year. A generous, two-set affair with one half devoted to new material and the other presenting a complete Wine and Roses run-through. Killer from start to finish (and with a very special guest towards the end) ...

Here are Dan's notes:

This was the fourth time I've had a chance to see The Dream Syndicate and it was great night all around. The band played two sets with a break and no opener: one of recent material and the second a full performance of The Days of Wine and Roses. The show took place at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville with the band in great spirits as Steve Wynn bantered with the audience and reminisced about playing in and around Boston over the years. While the shows on this tour were meant to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Days of Wine and Roses, the opening set is just as strong as the second, and the whole performance really rocks.

During the first set the band play songs exclusively from their post reunion records, leaning heavily on the recently released Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and Confessions. After "Out Of My Head" Steve asks if anyone in the audience saw Roxy Music the night before in Boston (I was there) and confesses to feeling jealous before introducing the other musicians. "We're of course the opening band," says Steve referring to the two-set structure of the show "we're going to blow them off the stage — we saw their set, they're playing a bunch of old songs so we can wipe the floor with them!"

Once the set is done there's a short break before the band return to play The Days of Wine and Roses in full with a guest vocal from Thalia Zedek on "Too Little, Too Late" filling in for Kendra Smith. As an encore the band play a loose jam called "Open Hour" incorporating bits of "John Coltrane Stereo Blues," "The Regulator" (from The Universe Inside) and "Morning Dew," an often-covered folk ballad.

[javier-huerta]

"You wanna be a dental assistant, by any chance?" It was easier to move on to that subject than linger on the subject of her brother. Family was always a messy subject to tackle and Javier didn't want to thread in places where he was either unwelcome or bound to make a mess.

But she goes on about him, and Javier does something he's not very good at. He sits back and he listens. It's a lot to take in, and he supposes it's really none of his business but he's know Thalia for a while now, and it's the first time he sees her in that state. "Hey now, you know Kamilah's not gonna leave you struggling," and at least, if the guy was stuck in a prison in Illinois, then he was nowhere near the Syndicate's bullshit. What a beautiful relief. "Maybe he can be a dental assistant," he offered with a small, sorry smile. What else was he supposed to say? He didn't like empty words, empty promises.

For a brief moment she just shakes her head, curious eyes watching as his hands reach to her side of the bar. After a pause, "My stupid brother." Thalia lifts down the tequila, "If Kamilah fires me, you're required to give me a new job." The pour is heavy handed, glasses filled to the top with barely room to spare. It takes her a minute or two to down the glass, amber liquid leaving a trail of fire down her throat. Setting it down empty with a rather unladylike sigh Thalia refills her glass before coming round to the front and hopping on top of the bar.

Coltish legs dangle, aimlessly swinging back and forth. "Theo," her voice cracks. "He's being put up for parole this year. They're having a hearing." Another drink. Pretending that tears haven't begun to fall in earnest now. "He got locked up for me. Trying to take care of me. Fifteen years. The only reason he didn't get life is because the man lived. There's more time left on his sentence but you know how it is. They're over crowded, need the space. He has spent his entire adult life behind bars and when he gets out he's going to be alone. Stuck in Chicago while I'm here, unable to do anything to help. Even if he could come here I live in a studio. I know it's a decent space but even that is expensive enough as it is. How would I take care of him?" She is crying freely now, lower lip quivering as she meets Javier's eyes. "After everything he's done for me, how could I let him down?"

[nemo-of-house-hamartia]

Dude, you got an oc for Pirates of the Caribbean too??

Just, how many ocs do you have that you have never spoken about? O.O

Hi there, Nonnie!

Yes, I do have an oc for Potc!! 😁😁😁

as for how many ocs I have......

let me just say.

MANY.

A GARGANTUAN AMOUNT.

Now, you have to take into consideration I created my first oc for fandom when I was a wee bebe of 11 years of age, and it was the year when "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" had just come out, and I had just fallen HARD for Draco Malfoy. I still remember distinctly coming back from the cinema and start imagining all these scenes in my head, while listening to my walkman, and at a certain point, I just felt that imagining wasn't enough anymore. I needed to put all those ideas down into words AND pictures.

And since then, I have NEVER STOPPED creating ocs for any fandoms that had meant A LOT to me.

I have something like 22 years on my back of creating ocs, so, as you can imagine, I HAVE A LOT OF THEM.

But allow me just to list down the fandoms and the characters I created for them, for the sake of it!😂😂😂😂

brace yourself, this gonna be a long one! (and I will limit myself to the main characters, not to the secondary one I created around them, because otherwise we would be here until next Christmas);

So here you have it, in no particular order:

The Lost Boys - Robyn Irons

Resident Evil - Thalia Thériaud

Assassin's Creed - Lucia Barbarigo (AC2), Aura the Selkie (AC Rogue), Colette, Antoine and Mathias Beaumont (AC Unity), Dorothea Starrick, Byron Harrison, Phillip Starrick (AC Syndicate), Isinofret (AC Origins), Apollonia of Naxos (AC Odyssey)

The Wolf Among Us- Tatiana Volkov

StarDew Valley - Carlotta De Saint-Exupéry

The Arcana - Raniya Al-Yassin

The MCU - Grace and Veronica Caruso, twin sisters

Elfquest - Nimue of the Northern Tribes

FFVII - Ranian Pendragon-ShinRa, Lilirara of the Forgotten City

FFX - Kiani Ronso, of the Ronso Tribe

FFXII - Nabirye Leia Ondore, Niraj Halim Ondore, Fearchar Aetius Bunansa

The Chronicles of Narnia - Winter, Sovereign of the North

Disney Fairies - Boreas, The Fast-Flying Fairies

Kingdom Hearts - Suen of Twilight Town/ Nexus of The World that Never Was

LOTR - Elwen Anariel

Harry Potter - The Dumbledore Siblings (Stephanie, Samantha, Andrew, Maxwell)

Pirates of the Caribbean - Eleanor Josephine John Henry Morgan Silver

A Song of Ice and Fire - Briallen Baratheon

My Little Pony G4- Ice Crystal the Pegasus, Fleecy Snuggle the Earth Pony, Nurse BebeHeart the Unicorn

Sailor Moon - Sailor Artemis, Sailor Hera, Sailor Demeter, Sailor Aphrodite, Sailor Athena (also known as the Sailor Olympus Group)

Star Wars - Kuni Laikantaar

Miraculous Ladybug - Ophélie Duval, Aida De Luca

Naruto - Sayuri "Onitora" Kureaki, Yukaku "Onikarasu" Kureaki

Percy Jackson & the Olympians - Viktoria Katsumi Kimball, Child of Ares

Labyrinth - Loreena, the Unicorn Fairy

Monster High - Aisling Skellington, Bran Skellington, Albine DesRoches

Ever After High - Gwenhwyfar Swan

Ouran Host Club - Alexandra Margaret Seymour

FullMetal Alchemist - Arkady Armstrong

Tekken - Mizuya Mishima

Interview with the Vampire/VTM - Artemis "Cainsblood" Hargreaves

So, there you have it, Nonnie. A very summarized list of the majority of Ocs that I have created in the last two decades of life. This is what happens when you have 0 social life, you are an introvert and an hermit, and have ADHD a fervid imagination, and a passion for researching and coupling Canon Characters with OCs.😂😂😂😂

I think I have probably still forgotten some, especially the one that I have created during my teenhood, but eh, my memory is not the best, and those that I listed here are the ones that I cared the most about anyway!

thanks for the ask!!

--Nemo

[fog-weaver-of-nyc]

The first Sinister Six: Aftermath with angy dad

I wrote this as a follow up to ask-spidersisters series of events, which read them first here => 1 2 3 4 5

-----

Perched on the roof of one of the large skyscrapers in his version of New York, Sterling watched the lights and listened to the noise that drifted up from below for any sign of danger. But this was a surprisingly quiet night, even for Christmas Eve. And he didn't like it. He was pulled from his thoughts by his phone and raised an eyebrow under his mask at who was called. Thalia always texted first. Answering it via his comms, he immediately felt something was wrong.

“Hey Honey, is everything ok? Normally you text first.”

The concern leaked into his voice, and it only grew to alarm when Thalia started sobbing.

"Thalia, Honey, talk to me. What happened?"

He fought to keep his voice calm as his younger daughter broke down on the other end.

"A-Athena, she's really badly hurt, th-they took her to the compound. We were attacked at-at the ice rink and Athena went to fight them."

Sterling felt like ice water had been poured down his spine. One of his spiderlings was hurt, and he hadn't been there to stop it.

"Were the avengers with her?"

"I-i don't think so."

He was glad he was using comms or he would have dropped his phone.

"Okay, Thalia, Honey I need you to listen to me. I need you to go to the compound and wait with her. I will be there as soon as I can with Alpha and Jace. Okay? Everything is gonna be fine, I promise."

He was already moving, knowing that Harry was already calling the other two. He just hoped he'd get there before anything else stupid happened.

-----

Sterling was going to kill someone.

Not that it was unusual for him to do so, he wasn't like most other spiders in that regard. But no, what was not standard was the situation he found himself in. Athena had been critically wounded, because Stark had been at a fucking party instead of paying attention to his 'mentee.' And Sterling was pissed. The idiot had one job. One! And it was to make sure a sixteen year old girl wasn't killed on his watch. And lo and behold, Athena was nearly killed.

Sterling pushed down his own guilt, the bile in his throat he pretended wasn't there, fueling the blistering rage he felt as he stormed through the Avengers' compound. Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D agents and the like tried to stop his warpath, only to be thrown into the walls or their fellow agents. Trailing along behind were a worried looking Night Wren and a serene looking Alpha, both only there to keep Sterling from ripping Tony Stark apart. The former had never seen his mentor's unbridled fury before, only frustration, but he heard the stories of Sterling's rampage through the crime syndicates of Spotlight Row when he went missing.

Reaching the medbay doors, Sterling wasted no time plugging Harry in, the young teen quickly overriding the security measures and throwing the doors open for the party. Storming in, Sterling had no problem grabbing Barnes when he tried to intercept the pissed spider and flipping him into the floor. Cap soon joined him after being slammed with his own shield, not that Sterling cared, as he locked eyes with the REAL target of his ire.

"Stark, you have five seconds to explain to me why one of my daughters is in a hospital bed, on YOUR WATCH, before I crush your fancy suit like a tin can while you're in it!"

The billionaire found himself hefted up with shockingly little effort, and staring down an angry beyond belief spider. The mask had been torn off by its owner, giving the genius unhindered access to dark eyes that glinted with barely repressed killing urges and a snarl that wouldn't be out of place on a mother bear protecting her cubs.

"Well?"

All Tony could do was wheeze before a hand found its way to Sterling's shoulder.

"Put him down, boss, he can't answer if you crush his windpipe."

Sterling let out a chitter and dropped Tony like a sack of potatoes, instead choosing to turn his back on everyone else in the room and settle at his spiderling's side. This left the rest of the avengers with the murder robot and Night Wren, the later helping the super soldiers to their feet.

"Now, can we get an explanation before the boss decides he prefers Stark in chunks?"

All that could be heard in response was Tony catching his breath, and the soft chittering of the worried father in the room. And honestly no one was sure what to say…

To fill the silence, Harry flicked the nearest TV on, and the sound of a news report flooded in. Detailing the aftermath of what happened, Sterling only half listened, and then something interesting was said.

"- Reports claim that the villainous group known as the Sinister Six was responsible for this attack."

Realizing his error Harry shut off the TV frantically, but it was too late. Sterling had new targets. Standing abruptly, Sterling stormed towards the door, fog beginning to form in his wake.

"Alpha,"

The woman snapped to attention and tilted her head,

"Guard her and Thalia when she gets here until I come back. I have some mongrels that need to be taught their place to deal with."

The robot silently nodded and moved to Athena's side as the man left the room. Noone dared to follow.

-----

Sterling stalked his quarry from a distance, the wounded lion a few roof tops ahead. It was laughably easy to tear apart the oh so terrifying Sinister Six. They weren't expecting a much more experienced spider to get the drop on them, and while he was safe for now in his cozy prison cell, doctor octopus was far from off the hook. He'd get his in time, but for now, Sterling had more pressing concerns. Namely the furrycon reject that was Kraven.

When Sterling had found the six, they were gloating their victory in the middle of Times Square, against the good doctor's wishes he assumed, and Sterling couldn't help the murderous grin that curled across his face. Such easy prey, out in the open like that. To call what happened next a massacre would be an understatement. The square was flooded with a thick fog, and the panicked shouts of the men he stalked only spurred him onwards.

One could say the fog was a blessing for civilians, because when it cleared, five of the six villains lay broken in the street, a note pinned to the unconscious rhino. It read;

"My daughter is kind, merciful. A better person than I am in every way. But do not mistake her mercy for a weakness, it is strength and restraint. Restraint I do not have. These men have left my child, Scarlet Spider, half dead, and I shall show them what it means to truly be hunted. I know who you are, Planner, and your time is coming. Let the lion be a lesson for all, attempt to harm my child again and I will make sure it's the last thing you do.

Fog-Weaver"

Kraven had been let go, the elder spider choosing to play with his food. He stalked the man, slowly cornering him at a spot with a perfect view of where Athena had nearly died.

"Nowhere to run, little lion."

Sterling let his steps echo on the now too quiet roof, the hunter for getting a good look at the man who had ripped the six apart. But while a smart man may recognize the danger he was in, Kraven could only boast.

"Who is running? Now I have you right where I want you, I must thank you though, you got rid of the others that kept me from having the sole honour of defeating the Scarlet Spider. For your combat prowess you will make a fine trophy. Now let us-"

As the man boasted, Sterling had kept up a steady advance and was now in arm's reach of Kraven. Without another word, Fog-Weaver reached out, grabbed Kraven's arm, and snapped it. The hunter stopped mid monolog and howled in pain. Even that was silenced when the angry spider kneed him in the stomach and slammed him into the ground.

"How do you feel hunter? How do you feel now that you're the prey?"

Kraven tried to respond but a tight grip around his throat stopped him. Looking up at his attacker, Kraven expected the blank eyes of the mask, but instead found him staring into eyes darkened with rage.

"Know that however you feel is nothing compared to what you and your colleagues put my child through. And I hope your last moments on this earth makes this sink in."

The spider hissed, before the hand around his throat vanished only to be replaced by fangs. The more he struggled and fought, the quicker he felt himself weaken and begin to seize as his organs began to shut down as Sterling drained every last bit of Kraven's life essence. When the man finally died, Sterling pulled away and wiped his mouth, eyeing Kraven's body with contempt. Eventually he hoisted over a shoulder after placing his mask back on, heading towards the Jumbotron in the square.

That was how the police found the once proud hunter, dangling lifelessly and drained of blood. The only explanation was a note reading;

"This is both an example and a warning, the only one you will get. Do not anger me again.

Fog-Weaver"

Of course, Sterling wasn't there when they retrieved the corpse. He was at Athena's bedside and hugging Thalia close, watching over his children, and giving no indication of what he had done. He would deal with the fallout later. For now, he had a spiderling to guard and a child to comfort.

[gryffindor-jedi]

The Vampire and the Chiss – Beginnings

This story takes place during the Chaos Rising time period, and canon has been thrown out the window, meaning Thrass is still alive and remains Thrawn's long-suffering brother. Every character will have a happy ending, except probably Thurfian.

Summary: Thrawn disappears, and returns after undergoing an incredible transformation, much to Ar'alani's and Samakro's dismay.

Word Count: 811 words

Samakro paced endlessly outside of Ar'alani's temporary quarters, fidgeting with his hands. Admiral Ar'alani had been discreetly making calls, trying to ascertain Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo's whereabouts, while Caregiver Mitth'ali'astov and Senior Captain Kiwu'tro'owmis were doing their best to distract Syndic Thurfian. It had been seven rotations now since Thrawn was supposed to return, and Samakro was getting very worried. He had been the first to notice Thrawn's disappearance, since everything on the ship was going smoothly, no one was complaining, and the admiral was very calm and composed. This had caused Samakro to subtly ask Admiral Ar'alani where Thrawn was, which brought them to the current situation. Why Ar'alani and Wutroow were aboard the Springhawk in the first place, especially when a Mitth family syndic who hated Thrawn was on board, was a question that he was still unable to answer. Although, Samakro supposed, given Thrawn's political prowess, or lack thereof, it was probably a good thing that they were on board. In fact, the pair were likely there to save Thrawn from himself, which would also explain why Ar'alani sent Thrawn on a supply run, three hours after the warship had departed.

“Thurfian has gone into his room to rest, Admiral. And a shuttle has somehow docked itself into the cargo bay.” Wutroow informed Ar'alani, as the the latter exited her quarters. “It doesn't match the specifications of the ship that Thrawn was last seen on.”

“The timing of the ship seems far too coincidental – Thrawn's on that shuttle.” Ar'alani said, shaking her head. “I could be wrong, but this ship is quite similar to the one belonging to Syndic Mitth'ras'safis. I think Thrawn might have 'borrowed' this ship from Thrass.”

“And by borrowed, you mean stole. I would like to be present, just in case Thrawn isn't on board, and some other Mitth family member is.” Thalias suggested.

“Of course, and I want Samakro to come along too. If Thrawn is on board…” Ar'alani continued, her tone going ominous.

Samakro involuntarily shuddered, and soon, the four reached the shuttle. Only to find the ship abandoned.

“Is this some kind of prank, Thrawn? You're making me lose my patience!” Ar'alani raised her voice.

Her only reply was a bat swooping down and out of the shuttle.

Ar'alani took a deep breath. “Let's just go back to my quarters, and report Senior Captain Thrawn missing. At this point, I don't even care about how much backlash this is going to cause, and whether or not Thrawn will be court-martialed.”

The party returned to Ar'alani's quarters, to find Thrawn casually sitting on top of the table. Only Thrawn had longer hair, and was sporting small fangs as well as a strange outfit.

“Explain yourself, now!” Ar'alani ordered, her temper nearly getting the better of her.

“Well, I went to procure the needed supplies, and changed ships to avoid being tracked. Then, I accidentally took a small excursion to the dark planet of Transylvania, where I learned about vampires in great depth.” Thrawn said calmly.

“I send you on a simple supply run, and you manage to 'accidentally' go to the forbidden planet Transylvania. I can't even say that I'm surprised.” Ar'alani sighed. “Did you at least successfully get the supplies?”

“Of course. The supplies are on the shuttle.” Thrawn replied innocently. “I even had enough time on Transylvania to research and experiment with vampire transformation.”

“You WHAT!” Thalias desperately tried to keep her voice down, and looked around the room.

Wutroow looked stunned and Samakro's jaw had dropped, while Ar'alani looked bored and slightly annoyed.

“I suppose this means that you are a vampire. That explains the bat and the fangs.” Ar'alani said in a resigned tone. “Couldn't your little vampire experiment have waited until after Thurfian left?”

“I was only able to borrow the shuttle temporarily from my brother, and I needed the shuttle to visit the planet. My apologies for any harm I may have caused.” Thrawn replied diplomatically.

“I don't think that the admiral is worried about the harm you've caused – she's probably worried about the problems you will cause.” interjected Thalias.

“There's no use worrying about the future. Samakro, Thalias, could you please take Thrawn to his room and keep him there?” asked Ar'alani, patiently. “Wutroow, could you keep an eye on Thurfian? I don't want him to see Thrawn, especially since he apparently has fangs sticking out of his mouth right now.”

“Got it.” replied Thalias and Wutroow in unison.

What he wouldn't give for a normal life, Samakro thought darkly as he followed Thrawn and Thalias to Thrawn's quarters. Only Thrawn was capable of turning a simple supply run into something as complicated as a vampire transformation, especially when there was a syndic running around trying to destroy him.

[not-the-tie-youre-looking-for]

Greater Good Liveblog—Part I

⚠️Spoilers for Chapter 1–Chapter 3 of Thrawn: Ascendancy: Greater Good and Thrawn: Ascendancy: Chaos Rising⚠️

Chapter 1

Ahhhhh Wutroow 🥺🥺🥺 and Ara’lani are the best duo!

Hahah Thurfian is brooding lmao. Sucks to suck huh?

So the rank of prime syndic is a secret one....very interesting

Zistalmu bringing up that Thrawn is actually bringing the Mitth honor is hilarious and also true. Thurfian is salty as fuck

THRASS??? THRASS MENTION???? OHHHHH!!! Confirmed that Thrass and Thrawn are “kin.”

So basically they’re trying to make up some pirate rumors to get Thrawn out of the immediate area of the Ascendency

Thurfian: it’s hammer time 🔨

Memories 1

Jixtus is here. And Haplif? who this?

6 month timeframe to destroy a planet. yikes 😳

refugee ship got away.... same one from Chaos Rising? Yiv’s got a mention

“I understand everyone very well,” Haplif said.

idk why but Jixtus is giving me Thanos vibes??? and Haplif is giving me Ebony Maw vibes?? interesting duo here

Haplif says “I deal in the political realm” oh boy. ohhh buddy. that doesn’t matter in thrawn’s book 😭

Chapter 2

it’s samakro and springhawk time!

Thalias is Che’ri’s official caregiver now! 💙💙💙

Samakro’s Senior Commamder is a Chaf 👀

Thalias forgot Che’ri’s “starday,” which is described as “being taken to the skylight to see [her] first star.” apparently they were on mission and thalias is determined to give her a starday of some kind cause she feels really bad about forgetting... GOOD MOM THALIAS!!

Che’ri is also ten now!

The Springhawk is going to Rapacc; when they get there Thrawn is returning the ring the Paccosh gave jume for safekeeping 🥺

Oh my gosh????? the chimera design is on the Pacc frigate???? THATS AMAZING???

The Paccosh want Thalias to speak to a Matriarchal society called the Magys and convince them not to basically commit mass suicide. Thalias is just like “....what the fuck”

same girl, same

samakro is killing me here “10 years old are basically aliens” SIR—

Chapter 3

so they go to these Magys and oh man. more Force lore!!! yes!!!

The Magys want to die so they can join “the Beyond” and replenish their dying planet in that way, so that some day, when others come along, they will be able to prosper due to their efforts

however, Thalias tells them that there is still hope for their planet, as Csilla was able to recover from its rapid freezing

Thrawn automatically links the Beyond to the Force from his time with Anakin

Thrawn basically gives Thalias Senior Officer status to validate her authority with the Magys and Samakro is pissed, confused, and overall just done lmao

He also does not like thurfian, does not like Thalias’ association with Thurfian, and therefore thinks that Thalias is trying to politic Thrawn in Thurfian’s steed. or something

it’s a mess

[netmors]

There have been no updates for a long time, so I'm dropping here concept sketches of the First Syndic Thalias.

Since last winter, she has undergone major changes (unlike Samakro, hehe).

[lurkingleighbee]

Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising (Chapter One - Chapter Four)

Heavy spoilers below! 

Chapter One

Space outside Chiss borders is known as “the Chaos”

Space is very difficult to navigate due to (according to legends within the text itself) a “series of chained supernova explosions” that sent a massive, chaotic chain reaction throughout the region, resulting “in the constantly changing hyperlanes,” hence the need for sky-walkers. 

The Chaos also holds “dangers... hidden worlds and tyrants who sought conquest and destruction.” Dun dun dun! 

General Ba’kif seems to be on the same level, intelligence wise, as Thrawn. It is a good pairing thus far. Zahn gets to show Thrawn being super smart and observant without it being too much. 

Excellent summation of Thrawn:

loves chasing down enigmas and working through puzzles

sees connection where others can’t/couldn’t

higher-ups don’t want him anywhere near them 

only sees the surface situation and misses the political subtleties

I like this Samakro guy. No-nonsense and straight to the point. 

Thrawn really is the only Chiss, really the only person, who talks the way he does. Making him stick out all the more. Who taught him to talk like that? Where did he learn how to talk like that? I need some more background on lil’ Thrawn! 

“subsequent death of Syndic Mitth’ras’safis and the loss of valuable alien technology.” 

don’t do that to us Zahn, damn 

Outbound Flight slowly coming back into canon, piece by painful piece (Thrass!! Lorana! C’baoth!?... we will have to wait and see)

Memories II

So, my first impression of sky-walkers is that they are like children caught in a messy, contentious divorce. At least in the case of Ali’astov, she is used like a pawn between fighting parties and kind of neglected until deemed useful again. 

world-building: sky-walkers abilities typically last until they are age 14

Thrawn is genuinely nice to kids/tweens and connects with them so well. That is really sweet. 

Al’iastov comes across as pessimistic and sulky but to be fair to her - she was taken from her home at a young age, lost her Third Sight ability, and is now being shunted to a new family. That is a lot for a 13-year-old. 

Chapter Two

Thalias joined the Mitth family because one person from that family showed her a bit of kindness. Yikes. 

Her early life suggests it was unstable at best - got punted around to different caregivers. 

And does Thalias have a crush on Thrawn or just a strong attachment? 

Good to see there is plenty of bureaucratic bullshit within the Ascendancy (I say, sarcastically) on top of the politics. 

who alerted Thurfian he needed to help Thalias? I have to assume they have systems in place for detecting this, but he came in at just the right time. 

So it had been two decades since Thalias “had to even read a military timetable”... so is she 33-ish? 

Thalias finds the sky-walker playing some sort of “tap-click game on her questis.”

Is that some sort of Chiss version of Angry Birds or Candy Crush?

Does this mean there are app/game developers within the Chiss workforce? Interesting... 

Che’ri - means “beloved,” “cherished,” “darling”, “sweetheart” in French

nearly 10 years old

odd comment: “sky-walkers tended to be on the short side.” What does that mean? 

had eight caregivers before Thalias shows up?! Dang. 

cute quote: “I am not supposed to talk like that about people.”

Yeah, just not in public! 

nut-paste sandwiches are now canon!

Thrawn must have been a cat in a past life because:

he is sneaky

he is quiet 

he has a hard time relating to actual people with few exceptions 

he needs constant care because if not, he will inevitably mess something up 

Ar’alani: Thrawn, what in the flying fuck do you think you’re doing?! Get back into formation!

Thrawn: reads the message, does not respond

this jerkwad. I love him. And poor Ar’alani, she has been dealing with him for years, if not decades! 

Ar’alani: Mind keeping me in the loop going forward?

Thrawn: mmmm... maybe. 

Thrawn: “I’ve had the protocols concerning preemptive attacks carefully and specifically laid out for me.”

Yeah, I bet you have. 

Samakro thoughts: “Just because the protocols had been laid out for him didn’t necessarily mean he’d listen.”

Protect Samakro.  

Memories III

Irizi’ar’alani - her full name. :) Had to give it up when she joined the military. 

Mitth family cannot be bothered to show up for their adopted son’s hearing. Eesh. 

Ar’alani has literally been saving Thrawn’s neck since their school days.

Ar’alani is good at reading a room, calling for backup when needed, and condensing/explaining information. No wonder she is a good leader. No wonder Thrawn relies on her! 

Chapter Three

Senior Captain Wutroow: “bogus. Totally bogus. Bogus to the ninth, factorial.”

I love her already

She and Ar’alani make a solid team. Ar’alani comes across more by-the-book and stately, whereas Wutroow seems a bit more loose and crafty. 

I am really enjoying getting to learn more about Ar’alani. Zahn wrote her so well. 

Again, the Mitth family letting Thrawn out to dry. Why adopt him then?! You can’t even help out your adopted son!?

Thrawn is known for being that fucking guy who loves art all the way up to the higher echelons of power. He is an outcast and the butt of a joke to his own kind. It’s funny and a bit sad (but mostly funny). 

Chapter Four

It makes me so uncomfortable that sky-walkers are told/encouraged to push on and on and on some more, despite the heavy toll on them. Reminds me a bit of America’s grind till you die approach to work and of the Soviet Union’s hard push to make everyone perform at impossibly high standards. These are little kids and tweens. Cut them some slack. 

Zahn really nailed down the sad/pathetic narcissism kids/tweens have at that age - everything is her fault, everything happens because of her. 

Get the girl some therapy, STAT. 

A bit weird that a 10-year-old girl needs a bath drawn for her, but maybe the overload spell is akin to a really bad hangover or the flu. You cannot function properly and need some help. 

Samakro got some sass. 

the chapter ending is so gold:

“You think there’ll be combat at the other end of this trip?”

“Thrawn’s there,” Ar’alani reminded her. “So, yes, I’d say that’s pretty much guaranteed.” 

Wince Count

I have noticed Zahn really likes to use the word wince, so I’m going to count all the times the word is used throughout this novel for sh*ts and giggles. Thus far: 5 cumulative uses of the word. 

[ct-hardcase]

Ch 16 Chaos Rising Check-in:

I wasn’t able to quite liveblog everything so, thoughts

1. the moment with Thrawn and Che’ri is adorable. I loved it. Finally, some good fucking emotional payoff

2. the fact that Thrawn has a sister he doesn’t know really twists the knife on him commenting on Hera’s (very likely dead) brother, like dude you have family you lost as well and you have the aUDACITY—

3. I was lukewarm on Thalias at first but after that move with Thurfian, I loved her.

4. All respect to Marc but this is my first time hearing his Ar’alani voice and absolutely the fuck not, that is the most obnoxious thing I’ve ever heard

5. Ar’alani severing her family ties to be with the military was emotional ngl

6. I am not quite loving the ‘buh buh buh politics bad expansionary force good’ attitude in the writing. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely problems with the politics, but the fact that every politican/syndic is a dithering fool and has a stick up their ass and everyone in the expansionary force may have some quibbles but is well meaning. hm. don’t like that.

7. Speaking of political problems. holy everloving fuck does this book go on. I’m interested in politics probably more than the average star wars fan but there were points where it threw me back to my university lectures where I’m on my second cup of coffee that evening and still half-asleep.

8. That being said, Thurfian’s Bastard Moves in the Mitth family, while obviously terrible, is the plotline that is gripping me most throughout the book.

9. The fact that he hates Thrawn in general and wants to sabotage his own family is like. hmmmmmmmm finally a plot that I’m invested in.

10. I’m having trouble keeping up with the main plot thread (Csilla/some Chiss HQ is bombed as a distraction > Investigation leads to one species > leads to another > leads to galactic domineering figure > leads to finding out a previously assumed servant species were allies > leads to springing a trap????) but like. If the Chiss don’t involve themselves in conflicts that aren’t their own, my question from the beginning is why the hell do they need to be attacked as a distraction in the first place? Also, not to mention that the enemy did this when the halls were packed with syndics and got through the defenses, so I’m saying that unless they have particularly good luck, there was espionage from the outside or they have a spy on the inside, and we still haven’t addressed this. There’s a few more chapters so it might resolve but ughhhhh.

11. Everyone in The Chaos rOASTING the hell out of the chiss for thinking they’re better than everyone else, you’re doing amazing sweeties.

12. Also the cool network of Force sensitives making a navigator’s guild???? coolest shit I’ve seen

13. Additionally I still maintain a strong hold on my feeling that the Chiss culture directly influences the fact that only/mostly girls present as having the Third Sight because if the Jedi, Sith, these randos in the outer rim, the guardians of the Whills, the Bardotans, and everyone else with the Force in the galaxy and beyond can use it into adulthood and distributed evenly between gender, why can’t the Chiss? I’m making a separate post on this.

[starwarsrecrimination]

Canon Character Design: Mak'ro

Ufsa'mak'ro first appeared in Chaos Rising, the first of the Thrawn: Ascendancy novels, as the first officer aboard the Springhawk. By the time of Recrimination, Mak'ro has attained the status of flag officer and surrendered his Family name accordingly, though he maintains cordial contact. His marriage to the Mitth Syndic Thalias, as well as their adopted daughter's induction into the Irizi Family as a merit adoptive, has been a source of strength for that Family despite his independent status, and has smoothed out several entanglements in his naval career. The illustration below was created using @/stuffjademade's Picrew, which can be found here.

[Image ID: An illustration made using Picrew. The subject is a Chiss man of late middle-age, with blue-green skin and piercing solid red eyes ornamented by faint red under-eye shadow. His wavy light blue hair is neatly combed back, and his gold lip ring matches the buttons on his white uniform coat with black piping. He has a slight frown. The background is a pale blue square with a blur effect in the middle, and faint golden lines halo the figure in the center. End ID.]

[entergamingxp]

Celebrating Blackness in Gaming’s Past, Present, and Future

June 9, 2020 2:30 PM EST

During times like this, it’s especially important to highlight and celebrate black heroes, casts, and developers themselves in video games.

With what’s been happening in the past and especially in light of current events, it’s important to reflect on the video games that have centered or been inclusive of black characters, as well as games led by black developers. Representation has been an ongoing conversation in video games (and other forms of media), and the desire for new stories told from the perspectives of diverse voices and backgrounds has only continued to grow.

In recent years, more games have been releasing that highlight black characters or have been created by black developers. A large chunk of those games are created by independent developers, who have far more creative freedom to craft the kinds of characters they would like to see in games. Even rarer are games led and published by black developers, with many of these narratives still being told by white creators.

But compared with the amount of white protagonists (and all or mostly white casts) that we often see in video games, there’s still so much work to be done. As we’ve been seeing in the past week, plenty of black creatives have been given the long-due spotlight to showcase their talents as opportunities from companies are finally opening up. I truly hope this will lead seeing more blackness reflected in both the games that we play and their internal development talent.

That said, there have been notable black characters and stories told through video games that are worth highlighting. Below, here are some of the most prominent games of the past several years that either star a black character, have a significant (as in mostly) black cast, or were made by black developers.

Telltale’s The Walking Dead

Many fans were enraptured by the first season of The Walking Dead, which introduced two lead black characters: Lee Everett and Clementine. Their relationship and overall story arc–backed by some seriously powerful writing–gave birth to one of the greatest narratives in gaming I have ever witnessed. After Lee’s death, seeing Clementine grow far too fast as she fights for survival while reconciling her perceived role in her father figure’s death is moving and harrowing. Most of all, Telltale’s The Walking Dead creates a sense of constant urgency and dread that completely sucks in the player and doesn’t let go until the very end.

Mafia III

Set in 1968 New Orleans, Mafia III follows the exploits of Lincoln Clay, a war veteran who aims to build a new criminal organization while seeking revenge on the Italian mob. The game holds an extremely uncompromising gaze at systematic racism while allowing for the black protagonist to empower himself and take back power from those who would strive to oppress him. The characters are compelling, and the setting and story of Mafia III offers a rare gaming experience that interweaves the experience of actual blackness in its narrative.

Chromatose

Chromatose is an upcoming indie title by a black lead developer going by the moniker Akabaka. A visual novel and JRPG blend influenced by Persona 3, it follows the protagonist as he awakens in a strange nightmare after a fall that should have ended his life. Amnesiac strangers are also trapped in this world for their own unique reasons. The haunting visuals filled with strong color contrast convey a tale filled with danger at every turn. Between a captivating and diverse cast, excellent monster designs, and a fast-paced battle system, Chromatose seems to be shaping up to be a gem of an indie game.

Watch Dogs 2

Watch Dogs 2 takes place in a fictionalized version of the San Francisco Bay Area and stars Marcus Holloway, a hacker who works with the hacking group DedSec to take down the city’s advanced surveillance system known as ctOS. Having the black hacker Marcus taking the lead role in this game adds a unique perspective on the plot that deals with fighting back in a system designed to strip away power and silence its citizens. Seeing him fight tirelessly and slowly gain traction against the city government is incredibly empowering and strengthens the overall narrative even more.

Murder By Numbers

For fans of the excellent Ace Attorney series comes an indie game with a similar approach to storytelling, over-the-top characters, and investigative gameplay. Murder By Numbers takes place in 1996 Los Angeles and stars Honor Mizrahi, an actress on a hit TV detective show. Unfortunately, her boss winds up dead just moments after he fires her and she finds herself forced to investigate his murder in order to secure her own innocence. Putting aside the harsh reality of black women being kicked out of their own careers, the game does well in emulating the fun and often ridiculous style of Ace Attorney while establishing its own charm. Much of that charm is attributed to Honor herself, who’s plucky, determined, and resourceful, as well as her interactions with her robot sidekick SCOUT. Murder By Numbers is a fun and lighthearted foray complimented by Picross-style puzzles that’s worth checking out.

Apex Legends

Seemingly (but officially unconfirmed) in response to the Overwatch controversy surrounding its lack of playable black women, the free-to-play Battle Royale game launched with two black women characters: Anita Williams and Ajay Che. Not only that, but these two were and still are front and center in the marketing of Apex Legends, which is very notable. While the game is light on lore (as games in this genre tend to be), both of them have very separate upbringings, personalities, and combat proficiencies. From what we know of them, they have well-fleshed-out motivations for why they fight. And I really love the touch that Ajay is a healer, an archetype you don’t tend to see associated with black women characters.

She Dreams Elsewhere

This indie title is a true rarity in that the entire party is black and stars a black woman protagonist. She Dreams Elsewhere is a surrealist adventure RPG where you traverse protagonist Thalia’s dreamscape along with her friends. She must come to grips with and confront her mental health conditions, and escape from a never-ending coma. One part Undertale, one part Persona, it’s a game made beautiful through its retro simplicity and haunting soundtrack that combines black music such as R&B, funk, and jazz. Not only do we have that level of diversity and culture, but the characters themselves–especially Thalia–are fleshed out and fully-developed. When pitted against the well-designed monsters using abilities grounded in reality, She Dreams Elsewhere truly ups the surrealism surrounding its setting and atmosphere.

EQQO

EQQO is a unique title, in terms of both its passive storytelling and gameplay, as well as the fact that it’s inspired by Ethiopian mythology. This game is the tale of a mother as she weaves a great story of her son born blind yet full of life and love. The puzzle-based exploration and gameplay is presented as a mythological legend slowly unfolding as the mother, playing as the narrator, tells it. Gorgeous orchestrated music complements the visuals in a harmony that gives even more depth to the narrative. Seeing this level of care and detail with a mythology that is rarely represented in gaming gives me hope that the future will bring more games like this one being created and given proper attention.

Cyberpunk 2077

It’s exceedingly rare to find a triple A title’s universe created by a black person, and yet the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 is just that exception. Mike Pondsmith is best known for his work for the publisher R. Talsorian Games, where he developed a majority of the company’s roleplaying game lines. His most recent project is the collaboration between himself and CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077, which takes place in his own Cyberpunk RPG universe. Pondsmith’s involvement in the video game’s development mostly focuses on the game world aspect and mechanics as well as his general input, such as shooting a bulletproof backpack to test just how a bullet would react with it; for implementing in the game properly, of course.

Streets of Rage 4

The triumphant return of the wildly popular 2D side scrolling beat-em-up franchise, Streets of Rage 4 stars a cast almost entirely of black/POC fighters including newcomer Cherry Hunter. Wood Oak City falls under the control of a new crime syndicate led by Mr. X’s children, the Y Twins, who are planning on brainwashing the city with the use of hypnotic music. The plot, while simple, is a great excuse to beat up some mooks and the character designs, animation, and music are phenomenal. Also that’s not to mention that Cherry, Floyd Iraia, and Cherry’s father Adam Hunter are featured very prominently on the cover and the general advertising. It’s great to see a beat-em-up starring so many cool black characters.

Earthnight

A love letter to classic fast-paced 2D platformers (think Sonic the Hedgehog), Earthnight uses the genre to tell a tale of a bleak dragon apocalypse where humans have been exiled to space, forced to live in orbit above the planet. Protagonists Sydney and Stanley team up one day and decide to skydive back to Earth, taking out as many dragons as they can along the way. The 2D animations are breathtaking; everything from the ripples in their clothing, to the fluidity of their general movements, to the colorful and insane monsters that can take up nearly the entire screen are stunning. It’s clear there was a lot of love and effort put into this game. I also need to mention how much I love Sydney’s design and the way she’s front and center in the trailers. How can you beat a game that lets you fight dragons because a little girl and a dude had enough?

Broken Age

Broken Age released back in 2014 and 2015 as two separate acts by Double Fine and starred protagonists Vella Tartine and Shay Volta (played by Masasa Moyo and Elijah Wood, respectively). While initially their narratives are completely separate from each other, as the story unfolds you realize how intertwined they really are. What makes the storytelling so satisfying is that because the protagonists are kept separate for so long, their individual character arcs can develop in a satisfying way without interfering in the overall story. Vella, the young black girl, in particular had a very strong and compelling story worth experiencing. In Broken Age, seeing her deal with traumatic events as she fought back against a seemingly unavoidable force of destruction made for an excellent real-life comparison to black struggle.

Here are some honorable mentions of other games featuring black/POC characters that, though they didn’t make my list, are worth checking out:

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Half-Life: Alyx

Afterparty

Treachery in Beatdown City

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

Beyond Good and Evil

Remember Me

If you’re looking for more black indie talent, check out this Twitter thread as well as this one. For a huge directory of black game developers and their projects, check out the Black Game Developers website and consider supporting them.

And finally if you’re a Black, Asian, and/or Ethnic minority, Code Coven is offering scholarships for their Intro to Game Making Course, which will be open until June 10, 2020.

Are there any games or developers you know of that deserve a mention? Feel free to sound off in the comments!

June 9, 2020 2:30 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/06/celebrating-blackness-in-gamings-past-present-and-future/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celebrating-blackness-in-gamings-past-present-and-future

[astralsunset]

5, 6, 21

5. Favorite NPC.

Either Acumine or August! Acumine is a copper dragon and our party’s employer - we’re some of the more active members of her information network - who is Enigmatic and is really fun to RP conversations with; August is a bronze dragon and lord protector of the city my character Lyn grew up in, and is definitely in a relationship with his personal assistant that he’s trying to keep on the down-low, I Know It. They’re old war buddies and work together from time to time so we’ve dealt a lot with both of them, Acumine moreso than August. 

For the other people in my campaign know that Septimus is honorable mention and that I really want him and Lyn to be friends. 

6. Favorite death (monster, player character, NPC, etc).

KRUTHIK HIVELORD. That’s still my favorite fight of ours, though the coven of sea hags we fought last session were definitely up there. (One day we really do need to tell the story of the kruthiks and the gelatinous cube session.)

Actually, Lyn taking out the one sea hag in our belated Halloween Episode is probably a close second specifically because it’s the first time she’s willingly killed something vaguely humanoid and our campaign has spanned like twenty sessions that are mostly six hours long. It was a big Character Moment for her. 

21. Have you ever regretted something your character has done?

Aside from little “no wait there was a smarter way to do that” moments here and there… hm. I guess I do sort of regret letting Adriel go. 

For context, Adriel is a warlock connected to the Big Mysterious Organization (called The Syndicate) that our party has been investigating for pretty much the entire campaign. We ran into her an abandoned laboratory that my character’s aunt was head of right up until it exploded two years prior to the story; though the official cause is human error, Lyn’s always suspected sabotage, and this was the first time she’d actually been to the lab to investigate for herself. Below the lab, we found Adriel, a mysterious monster, and a lab assistant who was thought to have died in the explosion (and also is implicated as maybe having had something to do with it). 

The lab assistant - Thalia - and the mysterious monster teleported out before we could question them, but Adriel had a lot to say about revisionist history and how the world has forgotten or been made to forget many things. The implication is sort of that she’s talking about gods or other powerful beings who need to be known about to have power, and that not knowing about them might be a good thing for our personal safety. She’s also kind of the key to talking to the assistant again if they ever want an answer on what happened with the explosion. 

Our party of four had this lady cornered and outnumbered, but Lyn reasoned that she might be a valuable resource later if she thought they might be open to hearing her out, so sort of nodded along with her and then reluctantly let her walk instead of fighting her. (That’s the reasoning Lyn has shared with the party, anyway - it was also that Lyn has a bit of a Thing about killing and a four on one fight like that would have practically been an execution, which she was extremely uncomfortable with.) Our druid was totally down with this because he’s got a habit of being really friendly with antagonists and our paladin didn’t have much of an opinion so followed our lead; our monk was very against this plain but was outvoted, and thus Adriel escaped. 

Like thirty seconds later it occurred to me that we could have taken her captive instead and that there were much smarter actions to have taken, but the damage was already done at that point. Lyn’s since been pretty defensive about her choice to our monk when confronted but hasn’t mentioned some of her reasoning, and out-of-character I’m paranoid enough to know in my heart that Adriel being allowed to walk is Going to bite us in the ass the next time we see her or anyone else from the Syndicate. 

TL;DR: it was largely my call that let a character potentially working closely with a major antagonist of the campaign get away scot-free and with information about the party instead of taking her down while they had a very clear shot, and I’m highkey nervous about that coming back to bite us.