#hopes hearth

[hopeshearthpod]

Way back in 2020, when we started Hope's Hearth, we played a little game called Apotheosis by Gordie Murphy

Now, 4 years later, it's getting a second edition!

It's a game that is near and dear to all of us on the podcast, and so we want to encourage all of our listeners to please support the project when it goes live on Kickstarter on August 13th at 10 am Eastern.

Now what is Apotheosis?

Apotheosis is a GM-less mythmaking and worldbuilding game for 1-4 players. Players will create a society and sketch out that society’s starting myth, then change that myth over five generations in response to historical events that they create. The second edition will be a 44 page full color book created by a diverse team.

There's going to be updated rules. new art, new layout, new random tables, pre-generated societies, it's gonna be good!!

If you'd like to hear people play the first edition, the first four episodes of Hope's Hearth are us playing the first edition. Check out episode one here!

[lotsadeer]

Started listening to the podcast because of the poll, I'm only on Ep 2 so far, so I haven't met her yet, but im loving it so far. Came for the hot bear lady, staying for the interesting world. Husky nation assemble!

One propaganda flirting coming right up! Husky thinks that you are a cute small person with lovely hair.

Vote for Husky and send me proof and I'll draw the large polar bear woman flirting with you!

@sexiestpodcastcharacter

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Sexiest Podcast Character 2024 — Unscripted Bracket — Round 2-1

Propaganda

Moonshine Cybin (Not Another D&D Podcast: Bahumia):

Moonshine Cybin was submitted twice without propaganda.

Husky (Hope's Hearth):

A giant polar bear woman

[moonsun2010]

Ooh man, I love your Crew of Light's first Christmas tags.

Can you imagine... Lucy died on the longest days of the year, when light fades and darkness starts to reign on land and on everyone's souls from losing her. Then a month after Dracula becomes ash the Crew of Light are there together on the longest night of the year and Christmas and near the dawn of a new year. Light starts to slowly but surely come back, as if Quincey made sure of it.

Context: Anon is referring to my tags* on this post... Anon I wanted to reply to this with a comic on Christmas but I took too long,,, consider it a post-Christmas gift:

*My tags: #im damn rusty on the loreTM rn but i do agree arthurll throw a fancy ass celebration and stuff as expected from the lordling #and then once thats done the real celebration of them meeting at the Harkers occurs where its more somber. i imagine the 1st christmas #postDracula is very somber. its barely been a month after all. no parties in the goldaming estate this year im afraid yes the new lord is #just so deeply in mourning isnt he devoted. sitting at the grave of his beloveds every week. hes still in his room now mediating i heard #just as the loneliness finallt gets to arthur hes greeted by a knock at the door. seward has come to find him—one look at his drawn face #is all it takes to know they were both mourning the same ppl. so they go. down to the harkers' where van helsing is alr waiting by the door #chiding them for their lateness ('didnt you receive my telegram' 'that seems to be a recurring problem yes') even as VH's hug warms them up #from their trek through the snow ('oh no we dont need a carriage dears enjoy your christmas'). they become warmer still sitting ard the #hearth with the Harkers similarly harggard yet brightening instantly as the group reunites... and as they exchange stories of the dead #it is as though they still walk amongst them their memory forever kept alive. if 2 ghostly presences watch from the doorway well. #do pardon them. they just missed their family so much.

[ruegarding]

today i'm thinking abt percy asking for his mother's blessing so he can either die in the river styx or die shortly after by fulfilling the prophecy and her response was to come up w a sign to let her know if he lives

[followerofmercy]

I think Freminet has some of the most interesting dissonance in his self perception of any Genshin character.

Like, of the Hearthlings we know, he's one of the most emotionally mature and intelligent. Lynette might still have him beat, but after playing her hangout... I dunno. I think they're tied. Lyney is Crumbling, Alrecchino is. Well. Arlecchino. Everyone else is a deeply traumatized child or adult and Freminet seems to pretty regularly be people's emotional support. His character stories talk about getting his vision by saving a bunch of other kids on a dive that went bad. The Selkie event literally had him being a therapist for a grownass woman, citing his past experiences with all the other Hearthlings that have died or killed themselves. And he handled that situation WELL. Yeah, he seems to live in a fantasy, but goddamn he's alive and a lot of people in his position aren't so clearly something is working.

Either his or Lyney's character story talks about the time Freminet had reached out to Lyney to try to ease his burdens, which resulted in Lyney blowing up at him. That probably contributed to Freminet thinking he's not good at it, but I think the reason Lyney reacted so badly was BECAUSE Freminet is actually a good support. He can't allow himself that from the little brother he's supposed to protect.

Freminet seems to both cry and dissociate often, but like... Kiddo you are in fact the only person in this family actually processing your emotions. Lynette dissociates 24/7. Arlecchino. Lyney lies and tells everyone he's fine and would literally rather die than admit otherwise. In comparison, Freminet is doing FANTASTIC

Freminet also gets a lot out of helping people! Like anyone, he needs to feel useful and needed. He seems to be an excellent mentor to the younger Hearthlings and perfectly competent on his own, but when you put him in a room with Lyney and Lynette who baby him and insist that THEY take care of HIM, he withdraws into himself.

Like, Freminet by himself feels like a young man and Freminet with the magician twins feels like a teenager. I have no idea how old he actually is. Logically, he would be OLDER than them! He's been with the House much, much longer and his experience shows. I think it's fascinating that they love him SO MUCH and yet, they just Cannot let him help them. Which is hurting him.

(Lynette is much better about not babying him and that is probably why their relationship is so much better than Freminet and Lyney's. Also why she keeps having to mediate between them. Because Lyney charges off trying to Fix Everything and that just makes Freminet feel useless and he doesn't want to get in the way and- you get the point)

Idk. It's hard to tell what things the previous director said to him vs what Arlecchino has said to him. I'm inclined to think our Arlecchino was the one that said he cries too much, but in a "crying in front of your enemies will get you killed" way and she herself is too fucked up to realize how "you cry too much" could be damaging.

Also I try not to consider gameplay stuff when it comes to story, but Freminet also has some of the most BRUTAL animations. He SMASHES HIS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT METAL PENGUIN INTO HIS ENEMY'S FACE. He doesn't think he's the most amazing fighter, and by Fatui standards he probably isn't, but he is winning fights against most grown men.

Tldr Freminet thinks he cries too much and is a burden and isn't good at helping people when he's actually the most mentally stable Hearthling send tweet

[kesketcher]

shout out to this scene from the last Olympian that’s been kicking around my brain since 2013

image description under the cut

Start ID.

Image 1: a digital illustration of Percy Jackson holding Pandora’s jar. Inside the jar is the spirit of hope, emitting a glow onto Percy’s face. Percy is looking at the spirit and smiling tenderly. Percy has tan skin and black hair, with a grey streak. Standing protectively over Percy and the jar is Hestia, smiling down on them.

Image 2: A close up on Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, inside Pandora’s jar.

Image 3: A close up on Percy’s face.

Image 4: A close up on Hestia’s face.

Image 5: An excerpt from The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. The last three lines are highlighted. The excerpt reads:

“I picked up Pandora's jar. The spirit of Hope fluttered inside, trying to warm the cold container.

"Hestia," I said, "I give this to you as an offering."

The goddess tilted her head. "I am the least of the gods. Why would you trust me with this?"

"You're the last Olympian," I said. "And the most important."

"And why is that, Percy Jackson?"

"Because Hope survives best at the hearth," I said. "Guard it for me, and I won't be tempted to give up again."

The goddess smiled. She took the jar in her hands and it began to glow. The hearth fire burned a little brighter.

"Well done, Percy Jackson," she said. "May the gods bless you.”

End ID.

[hyperionwitch-art]

Dear Gillian Renk, hello~ :D

I love your art very much <3 Your comics and arts of Tev and Dren always amaze me. I love their stories of how they interact with the world and each other. Thank you for sharing them with us. I made fanart of your babies. Hope you like it, and hope Dren is not too out of character :3

Love you and have a nice day <3

Ohhhh my goddd guugtdtdfyhuu thank you so much, that's so sweet!!

No no you nailed it omfg 🖤🖤🖤 this is so good, god bless you ;;u;; On realizing what he's done and would give him a look so dry he wouldn't even need a towel.

[podcast-bookclub]

The server listen-throughs of Give Me Away, @camlannpod and @hopeshearthpod begin this Tuesday, 10/09/24. Hope to see you there !

The Podcast Book Club is a community focused on sharing and exploring audio fiction. For more information, check out our website & join the Discord; we'd love to have you :]

[blissfulalchemist]

Jill and Clídna

"How does it feel, love, to finally be free? To truly be free?" "It feels...." Jill shakes her head, blinking back the tears that still fall in defiance, "I can hardly believe it still. I spent so long cutting myself off from all emotions that I-." "I know, love. I know." "But now we're free, Clídna. We're free to live as we wish and I will start with loving you with an open heart, my knight....my heart."

*off screen is Clive taking down Titan because this ain't about him right now*

I am at a loss for words with this piece done by the ever wonderful and talented @ziorre! You knocked it out of the park and captured them so well! My girl Clídna has never looked more perfect with the added scars on her body, and both of their soft expressions! The lighting and softness of the room! I am just so! !!!! I'm gonna cry! Thank you so much once again! Your talents are immense!

tag list: @shellibisshe @statichvm @shallow-gravy @chyrstis @voidika @adelaidedrubman @florbelles @unholymilf @belorage @sorrybatman

[mxtxfanatic]

When the man stood across from Lan Wangji, it was like seeing two sides of a mirror, except Lan Wangji’s eyes were light like ceramic glaze, whereas the man’s eyes were gentle, warm, and dark.

—Chapt. 11: Elegance I, fanyiyi

Forgot that the novel actually does say that the Twin Jades have different eye colors, but I also love that dark-colored eyes are being associated with positive, nurturing traits instead of just being described as bland or having no description at all.

[hopeshearthpod]

IN ONE HOUR! THE MYTHENING BEGINS!

Come watch Will, Hours, August, and Fi play Apotheosis Second Edition, with myself and author Gordie Murphy hosting and facilitating, to support the final days of the Kickstarter!

Twitch.tv/hearthsideenclave

[lotsadeer]

Time to liveblog my own podcast, a thread

@hopeshearthpod

"Do you want to roll to rile?" Filo is good at funny phrases

[stardustdiiving]

Oh my god this house of hearth pmv https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=KnPnRdth-oywOxPU&v=2gz6FlrLXJg&feature=youtu.be

[660percent]

"It’s the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?”

[evelynpr]

Arlecchino Demo Music Analysis

DISCLAIMER: I am no musical expert in any way, just a massive fan of the Genshin soundtrack and learned music theory as a hobby.

One of my favorite things about Genshin is its music. It is not just that it sounds amazing, but each element, style, and motif has meaning and purpose- while being orchestrated and mixed to create a truly magnificent and unique musical experience. It is no exaggeration that this soundtrack is one of a kind.

Arlecchino's Character Demo has just been released, so I want to make a musical breakdown of it because I think it is a stellar example of how Genshin uses music to signify its themes and present its story. Before we get into that, there are ideas that I must detail for you to get the full picture, so I hope you enjoy!

Genshin uses musical elements to signify certain ideas (places, characters, elements, etc.). For example, Chinese and Japanese instrumentation signify Liyue and Fontaine respectively, but it goes beyond this.

"Travelers' Reverie" — Behind the Scenes of the Music of Sumeru | Genshin Impact

You may have noticed that a majority of Genshin's environmental music consists of real world instruments. There are even videos showcasing the orchestras and instruments of each nation (Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine), and using orchestral/live instruments even applies to other regions such as Enkanomiya, The Chasm, Golden Apple Archipelago, and etc. This gives each region a distinct musical identity, but all together it establishes them as places that are grounded and real.

During the final act of Fontaine's archon quest, we have been introduced to a new musical identity. This is Genshin's dubstep, and it has been used to signify otherworldly power. This genre not made by a real orchestra or real instruments, but through sampling (using existing sounds/music) and technology.

This is the identity in its most blatant form: (Shadow phase of the All Devouring Narwal boss fight)

This entire track symbolizes this. No other track within Genshin's world sounds remotely like it, symbolizing its otherworldly nature. It does not belong here- not with the live orchestras and melodic symphonies of Genshin's world.

Simply put, hardcore dubstep = otherworldly

Note: I am aware that many character demos and other tracks also use dubstep/EDM, but for the purposes of this post I think it should be left separate. Only if someone openly disputes this conclusion then I would happily oblige in presenting more evidence to this thru a reply or rb. Essentially, dubstep IS used in other tracks, but only in Silhouette of Catastrophe and Arlecchino's demo is the dubstep used as a"main idea", while also accompanied by heavy bass and "smaller intricate" sounds. This specific form of dubstep is what signifies being otherworldly.

Another musical element is children's singing!

In terms of the in-game ost, children's singing is used most prominently in Dragonspine's soundtrack in Genshin's world- and I will admit that I am not sure why that is. Perhaps Dragonspine has themes relating to innocence? Childhood? Tranquility? Whatever it is, I am not sure of. (If you have an idea, I would love to know!)

Instead, we can look at a certain character demo:

Nahida's! The beatdrop of her demo begins with children's singing. I believe this represents her innocent nature, status as a young archon, and the children of the forest that surround her- the Aranara.

Not only that, but the only other people in her demo are all children. Suffice to say, Genshin pays very close attention to using their music to reflect the themes and attributes of their characters in their demos (I could make more posts about this- breaking down more demo music...I think that'd be fun)

It's fairly straightforward, but essentially children's singing = children, innocence, and childhood

Now let's (finally) look at Arlecchino's demo

Let's first review each of the main musical elements and what they represent:

Dubstep and distortion: Otherworldly power. For Arlecchino: her curse, power, and dominance. "A spark cannot shatter all shadows until it sets all ablaze"

Children's voices and music box: Children. For Arlecchino: a lullaby; possibly protectiveness/care or tainted innocence (depending on how you interpret how she sees her children)

The music begins with a solo piano- lonely, melancholic, and mysterious. This is how she is after the death of Clervie and the rest of the children of the HotH.

Afterwards, the piano gets distorted- then replaced with harsh artificial beats and musical turmoil. This may be reflected on how she defeated her "mother" using her otherworldly power- her curse.

Following this is the anticipated beatdrop. Fascinatingly, it is not actually lead by dubstep, but by a distorted music box with a creeping melody. Not only that, but it is accompanied by a children's choir and a drum beat together.

The dubstep then ramps up- completely overtaking the track. But one it has reached its height, it is interrupted by the music box and singing children.

One can interpret this as her children holding her back from unleashing her true power. When she is most ruthless and violent, she is reminded of their playfulness and innocence.

The choir ends abruptly- but afterwards, the children's voices and music box lead the melody, while the dubstep and distortions accompany it harmoniously to create one whole piece.

This is who Arlecchino is. A Father and Harbringer defined by "caring" for her children and her otherworldly power. A love that nurtures and neglects- a power that frees and destroys. A wolf in sheep's clothing, or a sheep in wolf's clothing?

However the demo doesn't end there- the solo piano returns once again.

"Its flame is no longer needed, for you have the strength to defend yourselves"

This is going into speculative territory, but perhaps after she passes on her title as "king", she is once again lonely, left without a family. After all, she may no longer be needed or wanted at all- not after all that she has done, not after all that she has failed to do.

Conclusion

I love Genshin's music from the bottom of my heart. One reason why is the attention, detail, and beauty put into each track. Each piece is not only an experience, but also a story, an idea, a character, a place, whatever the artists wish to portray.

Arlecchino's Character Demo is one but many pieces that showcase this. In this track, we are able to discern Arlecchino's two core ideas, her relationship with her children and otherworldly power, through an incredible combination of singing, a music box, and dubstep. One can even theorize the course of her story through its visuals and music, in the end creating a beautiful and encompassing display of "Arlecchino".