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angermango · 3 months ago

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"I'm not cooking or anything, this is just a silly idea- (looks down at canvas) ffffuuuu--"

...

so, first I only wanted to draw Professor Layton with a Reiterpallasch from Bloodborne because haha funny hat man with gun-sword, but then i ended up drafting concept art for "Laytonborne", apparently.

"Puzzles all over the shop... You'll be stuck on one of them, sooner or later."

extra artist commentary:

Layton

yes, this really did just start with me wanting to give Layton a Reiterpallasch because he's a canonical fencer and Bloodborne trick weapons absolutely slap. The Reiterpallasch is literally a rapier with a pistol attached that can mechanically switch to prime either the blade first or the gun first so you can stab and shoot someone at the same time.

Giving Hershel the Bloodborne makeover was kind of funny because he wears such a simple look in canon it was hard striking the right balance between his recognisable look and BB aestheic since Bloodborne loves embellishment especially via lots of belts/buckles and those weird shoulder-cape things. I tried to keep it simple enough though because as much as i think he could pull off a hunter ensemble i don't want to have to keep track of all the funky bits. the Top Hat Stays, of course.

Aurora

Aurora is eerily good a fit in a Soulsborne-esque setting considering she fits the criteria for a "Soulsborne maiden" classic archetype sort of character: After all she's a mysterious pale-haired young woman with mystical origins/powers and a foreign-sounding accent and may or may not have some connection to the wider lore and powers that be of the setting. hell even her whole thing being a golem works in a way as even Bloodborne has artificial humans existing as a concept.

i got a little lazy with changing up her dress for both time and lack of inspiration. I thought maybe i'd really do her up but then I chickened out that her costume wouldn't be recognisable any more so just slapped a belt and some patterns on the shawl bit and called it a night :P (if i'd been braver/more motivated she'd probably look good in an approximation of the White Church set, something like that)

and yeah so as the sketches off to the side are like, no real clue how/why it might be triggered but imagine her having the potential to be an optional boss or something (and she'd whoop your ass)

Flora

idk tho Flora also seems like she could be a good contender for the "Soulsborne maiden" position too in a way, or even if not her whole character and story fits into the world quite well. especially with Bloodborne having the Plain Doll who is a sentient doll made in the image of someone her creator loved/was obsessed with and Flora living in a village of human-like robots which started after her father tried to build a replacement for her dead mother.

Her dress is a combination of all her canon costumes across the games. The fur-trim shoulder cape is from one official art of her, the short shawl and white sleeves and bit around her waist is based on her first dress, and the rest of the dress design is based on her second and third game appearance.

The 'Doll Flora' concept there at the end is just some idea of a false/clone Flora running around as well. She's got some little differences including elements of other parts of Flora's designs over the years that aren't on OG Flora, such as the sash and shoes.

Anton

Anton fits in scarily well to the Bloodborne-y setting, perhaps not too surprisingly given the whole 'vampire' thingy. I sort of envision Folsense and Herzen Castle being a bit like the Castle Cainhurst area of Bloodborne which leans more into the classic gothic horror of a remote and looming haunted castle occupied by a sinister enigmatic character.

And yes, that is a reference to the infamous "LAYTOOON" scream from his canon 'boss fight' in the second game - imagine the whole steaming up and screaming thing being like his boss phase transition animation.

The whole 'withers to an old man/husk' concept seems so very Soulsborne-y it really just fits yknow. like if you defeat him he shrivels up/ages to dust or whatever. RIP gassed-up grandpa.

I partly rizzed up his suit using inspiration of the Cainhurst Knight set because like. come on. it's too good to pass up the chance to pretty up with and looks a lot like his canon suit in parts.

Did I trace the foyer background art for Herzen Castle for the mockup just for laffs, only to realise partway that 1) Layton and Anton actually fought in the ballroom, and 2) the ballroom would actually make a much better boss arena setting because it's wide open and the arch from the front room leading into the ballroom could totally be the 'boss fog door' part better than the front room?

...so yeah I then drew the ballroom background without tracing this time like a true madman and had a hell of a time with perspective but the plus side is we also get the sword collection from the game there as a cameo because in Laytonborne the good professor brought his own already.

The Masked Gentleman / Randall

Had a bit of a time deciding how to Bloodborne-ify this guy because his suit in canon is actually really. really boring. it's just a white suit like cmon. so to give it that Bloodborne makeover I fell back on the classic shoulder-cape thing that almost all Bloodborne characters have, added some patterns and accessories based on the Mask of Chaos' patterns and the Decorative Old Hunter's set from the Old Hunters DLC (in the leg brace, forearm guard and the hints of gold chains around the upper arms).

He also gets a Threaded Cane, another trick weapon of Bloodborne fame which is as it suggests: A cane weapon that works a bit like a baton/sword combo but in its alternate form it's a whip covered in serrated metal blades which form the cane itself when locked together.

It seems very appropriate for Randall to be like a boss who starts out as the Masked Gentleman and then at half-or-less health you break his mask, reveal Randall and then wings burst out of his back as he enters his second phase rage mode. This concept part felt more DSouls-y than Bloodborne-y to me i think since Bloodborne is less fantastical and leans more into the body horror/monstrous kind of boss transitions? But at the same time it was too good an opportunity to pass on at least sketching out, plus get you some sick fallen angel imagery out of it.

Also the hanging arm pose miiight be a bit inspired by Artorias of the Abyss. just a bit.

Descole

i recall seeing a post somewhere once with this very low-res rare art of Descole sitting in a throne from somewhere i have no idea what it was for. and I remember it kinda reminded me of Lady Maria's promotional art for the Old Hunters DLC so that's why the last picture of Descole exists.

mf already dresses so extra i legit could think of nothing to add to make him more Bloodborne-y unlike the others. I also used his canon sword's design from the games with a custom sheath because again couldn't really think of anything more to do to make him fit more when he's already got a cool signature weapon to show off.

#professor layton #hershel layton #aurora #aurora professor layton #flora reinhold #anton herzen #the masked gentleman #randall ascot #jean descole #>>mango(t)art #did i absolutely overdo a joke idea? yeag. but did i enjoy it? yeah...#i still have two short comics finished based on bb quotes and a buttload of undepicted ideas for some other characters/scene concepts hlp #tw blood #laytonborne

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sixty-silver-wishes · 8 months ago

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Roasting you based on your favorite of these German Expressionist films

(this post is a joke; don't take it too seriously lol)

Metropolis: You've got spicy political opinions and daddy issues. You were doing great in life until you found out how corrupt capitalism is sometime in high school or college, and it's absolutely mind-boggling to you that nobody else is batting an eyelid at all the injustices of the world because they're too busy defending the concept of a 40-hour work week. You're constantly checking your privilege and everyone else's, too. Or you just want to bang a robot. That's probably it.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: Okay, I could make a joke about you being emo, or you liking the most basic film on the list, but that's not really the issue here. Your Hot Topic fashion sense and shitty drugstore eyeliner are nowhere near as concerning as the fact that you have no idea who the hell you are without them. You constantly overthink everything and are great at solving everyone's problems but your own, and you're averaging like 4 hours of sleep on a good night. You can't get your intrusive thoughts to leave you alone and if you relate to literally any character in this film, you need to get help. It's okay; I promise your therapist doesn't secretly hate you.

M: You're a surprisingly sweet and empathetic person for someone whose favorite film on this list is about a child murderer. You care deeply about others and are very much in tune with yourself, but unfortunately, everything you say is so off-putting that most people don't get that vibe about you. If they actually gave you a chance, they'd find that you have a great personality, but they don't, so instead you're stuck at home stalking your ex's vacation photos on social media.

Dr. Mabuse the Gambler: You like the finer things in life. You're high-maintenance, your tastes are classy and expensive, and you actually know how wine tasting works. However, you're way too into conspiracy theories and pyramid schemes for your own good, and your cultured proclivities are deeply undercut by the fact that you probably got into Bitcoin when that was a thing. Your two career paths are either "businessperson" or "cult leader," and it's concerningly difficult to discern which one you're on.

Nosferatu: Your sense of humor relies entirely on recycling memes that are at least a decade old, and the fact that you communicate nearly entirely in pop culture references is your attempt at disguising the fact that you're really bad at socializing. You think you have lots of great ideas that make perfect sense, but most people don't know what the hell you're going on about. However, you've got one or two ride or die friends who love you for who you are, cringe and all. Keep being you, Nosferatu fan. Never change.

The Student of Prague: I'm not sure this one is actually anyone's favorite film, but if this was yours, you were into shipping the Onceler with himself when that was a thing. You're super competitive, but you have a tendency to overwork yourself and burn out quickly, so now you're living off of Top Ramen and protein bars. People love to tell you that you "have potential" and "just need to apply yourself," but what they don't get is that you're stressed 24/7 and won't give yourself a break because you're trying so hard to satisfy your own impossible standards. Please take a nap.

Der Golem: You're great with children, small animals, and potted plants, but that's because literally anyone else you have to deal with fucking pisses you off. The absolute audacity of everyone around you means you're never not two seconds away from throwing hands, but honestly? You're always right and you should say it. You're actually a really nice person, but people keep pushing you to your limit and you're sick of it. On an unrelated note, you probably work in customer service.

Different from the Others: If this is your favorite film and you're a member of the LGBT community, that's perfectly understandable. It was a monumental achievement in LGBT cinema in the early 20th century and, despite being somewhat dated by today's standards due to the time period it was created in, largely holds up as an educational, yet tragic, piece of cinema. That being said, if you're a straight/cis/allo person and this is your favorite film, what is going on with you. I want to study you in a lab. How did you find this film. Come to think of it, how did you even get into German Expressionist cinema to begin with. I just want to know

Der Januskopf: [REDACTED]

Genuine: You're a "Caligari" fan who doesn't want to seem basic like the rest of the "Caligari" fans, so somehow you ended up here. You don't actually like this film aside from the visuals. Nobody actually likes this film. You want so, so badly to like this film, so you lie to yourself, just like you do about everything else.

#german expressionism #silent films #silent movies #metropolis #the cabinet of dr. caligari #m 1931 #dr. mabuse the gambler #der golem #nosferatu #the student of prague #different from the others #der januskopf #genuine 1920

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felassan · 5 months ago

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Just poring over some of the new images. ◕‿◕ DA:TV spoilers under cut.

Elf Warrior Rook, Bellara and Harding engaged in combat. The location looks to be Arlathan (not sure if it's the Arlathan Forest or Arlathan Crater area), outside the ruins of an ancient elvhen building, I guess the temple mentioned in the Game Informer cover story. Rook is mid-swing; Harding looks like she's doing that rogue archer move where they fire arrows then leap/flip backwards[?] and Bellara looks to have just fired a bolt or something of blue magic energy or electricity magic (her specialty) using the gauntlet. blue light emanates from it, there are blue sparks in the air and the orb on the stairs looks like it's crackling with energy. the orb is also surrounded by the golden triangles, something connected to the use of the gauntlet and ancient elven magic/artifacts/tech in general I assume. To Bellara's left are some blue butterflies btw! how pretty!

I have highlighted some things in this image. over Bellara's shoulder, you can see the ears of one of the classic Fen'Harel statues. in the background, in central, priiide of place above the archway/temple door, is the Fen'Harel mosaic from DA:I. (I wonder now, are the concentric circles/repeating rings above his head in that mosaic the Veil motif..?) to his right is the DA:I mosaic of Sylaise. to his left, I can't make out which mosaic it is - if anyone is able to pls let me know? :D and, are these wolf-ear patterns on either side of the door, or am I simply squinting too hard at unremarkable archy shapes hh?

the arch/doorway is the same shape as here (ancient elven architecture feature). on either side of it is a blue lamp-looking thing that to me resemble the ones here (another location with ancient elven ruins). the pattern on buildings that I think looks like wolf ears (...lol) can also be seen on the ruins across the lake in Arlathan Crater.

the focal point of this image is the creature that the team are fighting. I assume it is a demon-infested suit of mechanized armor known as a Sentinel (which are weak to Bellara's electricity magic), as detailed in the Game Informer cover story. gold in color, elfy in design and guarding an ancient elvhen ruin, it's clearly of ancient elven make. the mask of its head extends on either side in two pointed elven ears. its headpiece reminds me of the Evanuris head-shapes, though I'm not sure which one. I wonder if the green light in the gaps between the armor pieces is the energy of the demon animating it, and I wonder what type of demon has inhabited it. in DA:O, we fought suits of Fereldan armor that had been possessed by demons, so it's a phenomenon we have encountered before.

the Sentinel's name, armor design and protective function at a temple remind me of the DA:I Sentinel Elves (concepts one, two, three, showing the similar aesthetics), whom protected the Temple of Mythal. did one derive the name from the other? in ancient Elvhenan, did mechanized suits of armor assist the actual-elf Sentinel guards of temples? did the Sentinel suits actually once encase elves who passed away long ago after the elves lost their immortality (and the armor persisted through the ages but their organic remains have crumbled away to dust with time)? or maybe once upon a time the Evanuris sometimes used the spirits/souls of willing/unwilling elves to power/'possess' the suits in a process similar to the dwarves, golems, and the Anvil of the Void? and if so, could June have been involved in the creation or use of this process..? Master of Crafts, gods of crafts and building. the Sentinel Elves, and the Sentinel armors. like.. you could serve out of love/fear/faith, or willingly at least, or.. not?

the Sentinel's disembodied gold hand reminds me of these elven gold hands. at this point, if you were an Evanuris.. hell, why not make a giant 'statue' of [in this case golden metal rather than stone] armor like the sort the Dead Hand DA:I landmark implies once existed..? (more on the hands here). ancient elven and huge, and very dangerous. it would be a powerful weapon if powered to move by magic. remember in the final battle for Kirkwall, Meredith used her red lyrium-acquired powers to animate the giant golden statues to fight Hawke?

lastly, the war-axe that the Sentinel holds aloft. the negative space in its head creates a triaaangle shape. the non-cutting edge of the axe reminds me of the Evanuris head on the left here (Graphic Design is my passion). and idk, something about the axe reminds me of the new axe-wielding axe-headed red lyrium darkspawn guys. even the branches winding up it from being overgrown remind me of the darkspawn's veiny axe with the different branch-like parts curling into making up the axehead. and like, we know from the Game Informer article that sentinel armors and darkspawn are both found in Arlathan, and darkspawn can be found inside the temple itself.

The file name of this screenshot iirc on Game Informer was "Solas ritual". at the top of a flight of stairs, surrounded by ancient elven statues with the Evanuris head-shapes, Solas holds the knife aloft, using it to wield green Fadey magic or cut a tear in the Veil. do you think this is concept art/storyboarding art of this moment (two) from the DA:TV gameplay reveal video and opening cinematic, or a look back in time to when he created the Veil and sealed the Evanuris away in the first place? on the right hand side of the picture is the statue with Ghil's head-shape. on Solas' left is one which has Elgar'nan's (though interestingly, to me the body of that statue looks animal-like and to have four legs. draconic? dragons were the "shape reserved for the divine" in the Evanuris days..). other Evanuris statue shapes can also be seen in the image.

the big black mass Solas is focusing on in this shot is really interesting.. it reminds me of an asteroid hh. it's black and ominous with an oily-looking surface, pitted, rocky. idk, it gives the impression of something corrupted or something, like a giant Tainted pustule. what it this? the literal outer encasement of the Evanuris' prison? the Game Informer article told us that at the point Rook encounters Solas in the gameplay video, Solas was trying to move Ghil and Elgar'nan to a new prison, as the one he had previously constructed was failing. the 'rock' in this image doesn't look stable. the dents give the impression of holes forming in it and the small pieces of rock flying through the air around it make it look like little chunks of it are crumbling away. it leaves me with the impression that the floating rocks in all the DA:TV key arts and branding/banners etc aren't just representative of 'Fadey stuff, reality as we know it and the Veil are cracking, magic is coming back' but also 'oh no. the prison they were in was failing and cracking'. as an aside I am really curious about what specifically Solas did when he constructed the prison.

Lovely crisp screenshot of Bellara. She's so beautiful, I just love her design sm. it looks like she's in Arlathan here, not sure if it's the Forest or the Crater. I would guess this is from early on in the game when Rook meets Bellara in Arlathan, as detailed in Game Informer. the detailing on her clothing, the patterns and folds of the cloth and everything, is just :D the triangle theme runs through everything, on the bag strap, dotted on her scarf/kerchief, even in the shape of her layered sleeves and things. in this shot we can see that the stone set in the 'shoulder' of the gauntlet has cut, polished surfaces, jewel-like. and the greenish scarf reminds me of Merrill's fashion.. 🥺

curled under the 'lid' of her backpack it looks like a sleeping mat-type thing that you'd take with you when you're camping or hiking, right? like her bedroll. ^^ As with Taash, I really like Bellara's earring and I hope Rook can have earrings/piercings in CC or from items they find in the world. also it looks like the thing I thought was an arrow in a blurrier shot totally isn't, it's a hair accessory (cute!!) in the shape of a halla, you can see the branching horns. I really like that it's golden and not white or silver - it brings to mind the golden halla, Hanal'ghilan, a legendary creature said to visit the Dalish in times of great need. Hanal'ghilan translates as pathfinder, which seems apt for a Veil Jumper who is an explorer that goes on expeditions!

the other thing I loved about this screenshot was that we got to see a clear, front-on look at the design of Bellara's vallaslin. it's so lovely! pretty and intricate. and it makes me really curious and excited to see the designs that will be available to Rook in CC. I wonder which Creator Bellara's pertain to, if any?

Arlathan. Looks like concept art[?]. Super beautiful, Final Fantasy vibes, a high fantastical feel, a bit of whimsy. Reality warping, the telltale golden-orange trees (I feel like Harding in the gameplay video now when she's like "I know these trees" LOL same tho. like, from the days of 'mysterious triangle guys concept art' and the vinyl cover those trees were soo. KNOWABLE hhh). Lakes and waterfalls, ancient elvhen architecture in ruins, the towers with their distinctive curves and tops, floating rocks and chunks of buildings as reality breaks and magic seeps in - look at how the tree in the foreground is all streaky and blurred as everything warps, like it's been half-phased out of existence on this plane. (looks like a silver birch tree btw). in the background, the curved iridescent wall of bright light around one of the ruined buildings looks like the edge of a soap bubble, reminding me of how there are "Veil Bubbles" (pockets of reality or unreality?)

Arlathan. Looks like concept art. Bellara explores ancient elven ruins, and the ruins of reality. with what we're seeing and hearing of Arlathan so far, they're doing the Ruins of Reality and the warping of space-time that we saw in the Veil Jumper issue of DA: The Missing justice. Things in this spot seem to be in particular disarray in this image. some of the floating chunks in this image have the same 'blurring' thing going on as the birch tree in the previous image. in this image there is also a lot of energy and magical power, coalescing around or emanating from what look like a set of gold rings sat atop a tower. I get the sense of motion, that they are spinning rapidly (like helicopter blades). the light is Green, like Veil-fire or Fade-magicky stuff. (in this image, I also got the sense that the gold semicircles floating near the top of the picture are actually part of gold rings, and that these too were mid-motion. that image also has a green glow of something magical.)

Arlathan. Not sure if it's Arlathan Forest or Arlathan Crater specifically. In-game screenshot, another beautiful one at that. Qunari mage Rook, Bellara and Harding explore ancient elven ruins. Bellara looks around all curious. :) the lighting effects and particles are so lovely, everything is suffused in this pretty, soft golden light. on the crumbling archway in the foreground, we can see a repeating triangle pattern as decoration. in this image we can see at least three halla wandering around, two just in front of the party and one on a ledge a bit father back. I'm really curious about the little blue lights that are floating around (Bellara looks to be watching them). they look kinda like pixies or something. 🥺 maybe they are firefly-like bugs or, they seem benign and this is an area where the Veil is thin and there's a lot of magical energy - so maybe they are wisps, two, or something like that? wisps are the weakest spirits, in some cases benign and even aiding mages. they're described as being shimmering orbs of light that are too simple and impressionable to be good or evil.

(For these menu screenshots, to compliment your understanding of what we're looking at, this article is a great read to refresh on. these are the "gigantic spider web-like visuals" Corinne mentioned in that article.)

^ Screenshot showing the skill tree of a Warrior Rook. This Rook is Level 30. The Level cap is 50, so this is a skill tree of a Rook who is about mid-game. I wonder if "Thorne" is this Rook's custom first name, or if it is the set last name of one of the factions Rook can be from? for the skill tree, it looks like we start in the center and then spec outwards as we wish right? at the very center is the core of the Warrior kit. this Rook has invested some of their points in the Slayer specialization. it looks like they are not far from dipping into Reaper too - I wonder if it's possible to sort of multi-spec by dipping into more than one spec 'bubble' like that? we can see that the other spec for Warrior is Champion, that each spec has the symbol for the faction it is tied to next to it, and that there are the same amount of 'points' in the same pattern available to choose from in each spec. there are also places on the skill tree where it looks like Rook can choose to focus on Weapons, Survival and Abilities. these are the three sections that Corinne described the skill grid as being divided into in addition to the specializations in the article. for Warriors, Weapons is weapons-oriented, Abilities is ability-oriented, and Survival is defense-oriented. "So what you might do trying to get to, say, the Reaper specialization is go… Rather than going up through defense into Reaper, I’m going to go down through Ability into Reaper."

I like the art for each of the specs, it's cool!! (see a compilation of them here).

overall I like the skill tree. :) it's pretty/aesthetically-pleasing (constellation-like), and it looks like it's very extensive, with lots of different options and different choices to 'plot' your own 'route' through it depending on what sort of build you're trying to create. there are different shapes of points: small circles, large circles, diamonds, hexagons and some more star-like ones. I'd guess each one corresponds to a different type of ability or boost? and I'm curious to find out more about what those are. :)** from the interview with Corinne, we know that there are abilities, passives, and "traits". (I wonder what the "traits" could be? maybe stuff like "Persuasive", "Charismatic" or "lock-picker"?) we also know that these skills are unique per class, that every level you get a new skill point, and that there are other "side activities" in the game to get skill points from.

(** edit: @morganzephyr reminded me that we do know what these each correspond to, as detailed in this previous article:

"Large circle: Class Diamonds: Abilities Medium circle: Major Passives and Ability Upgrades Small hexagon: Traits Small circle: Minor Passives and Stat Boosts")

we can also compare these final skill trees to the prototype skill tree frame/wire diagram that we were shown at an earlier stage of development in a BioWare blog post and see how the concept has been realized since then. if the color coding on the prototype is still the same, it looks like the points on the tree are arranged in groups/clouds of related ones like this:

so like, some 'Champion-ish' or related ones are part of the main ring of the grid, and then there are some in-between each 'cloud' that correspond to neither side.

in the bottom left, we can see that this Rook has zero points left available at the moment to invest in the skill tree, and that they can refund their points to reset the tree by pressing 'F'. makes sense, in this article they talked about how the skill points can all be refunded. in the top left, under 'Level 30', I wonder if that bar is the exp progress bar that would record how much progress Rook makes to the next level? along the top, we can see that there are tabs for Map, Character (I wonder if this is where we view our inventory?), Companions, Skills and Library (Library is the codexes). Skills of course is the one that is currently highlighted and that we're currently looking at, with two triangles pointing at it in a pattern that looks like an hourglass.

Also evident in the skill tree menu is the purple-and-bronze key color theme of the game. I think the whole thing looks cool and aesthetically pleasing. around the 'Level 30' is some eight-pointed star designs, which is neat to me as we have 7 companions+Rook=8. curving past "Points Available"/"Refund Points", those lines look like the edge of the concentric circles motif. also, it looks like the design of Rook's skill tree takes inspiration from the DA:TV Veil keyart, with the layers, cracks, crumbling pieces and floating rocks, only in this case it's hexagonal rather than circular.

Screenshot showing the skill tree of a Mage Rook, again with the very core of the mage kit in the center. this Rook has invested in the Death Caller spec. we can see the other two specs for mages, Evoker and Spellblade. (it looks like "Spellblade" is one word rather than two like "Death Caller"). like with the differing arts for the different specs, it seems that the art piece for the 'central core' of each kit is also different, which is a cool touch. For mage, for the other 3 'non-spec areas' of the skill tree, where for Warrior they are Weapons, Survival and Abilities, here they are Control, Burst, and Sustain. this Rook is also called "Thorne".

Screenshot showing the skill tree of a Rogue Rook. this Rook has invested in the Saboteur spec. we can see that the three non-spec areas for Rogue Rooks in their skill trees are Sustain, Burst and Control, like mages. that's an interesting choice, I thought they would be 3 different ones for each class. this Rook is also called "Thorne".

In this screenshot we are still looking at a Rook's skill tree. Specifically this is a close-up view of part of a mage Rook's skill tree. So it seems like we can zoom in to the different parts of the skill trees to see them in more detail. In this image, an ability called Wall of Fire is highlighted. Wall of Fire was a mage skill in DA:I.

In the pop-up ‘info card’ looking section for it, we can see all the stats, numbers and relevant information for this skill. We can that it’s a skill of type ‘Duration’ and ‘Control’, ‘Control’ being one of the three non-spec sections on a mage Rook’s Skill Tree. It deals 50 Fire Damage (in the RPGsite article, Corinne confirmed that Elemental damage is a big part of the combat in this game) and has a cooldown time of 60 seconds. The description reads that the skill involves summoning a flaming barrier that burns those enemies who are foolish enough to cross it. We’re also told that enemies incur damage and Burning [damage over time effect or condition?], presumably upon doing so. A scroll bar at the right allows you to scroll down and read the rest of this information. (compare these numbers and descriptions to Wall of Fire in its DA:I incarnation out of interest) We know which symbol on the tree is Wall of Fire as it's highlighted in a purple design around it (I highlighted this below in yellow). We can see that the symbol for Wall of Fire is some burning purple flames.

We can also see some more detail on other, unhighlighted skill points, even though their 'info cards' aren't opened. For example, I think the one I circled above in orange is the new Meteor skill, and maybe the one with three 'bolts' to the right of the Wall of Fire 'card' is a sort of Arcane Bolt[s]-type attack spell? this image also gives us a bit more insight into what each of the different shapes of skills represents. for instance, both Wall of Fire and Meteor are the same diamond shape, so maybe it's like the diamond shape is for specific attacks/spells, as opposed to something like e.g. a passive. Some of the symbols also repeat, like the several different smaller ones around some of the main skills like Meteor (with swords on them). maybe these are optional upgrades for those, like you could invest a point in those to do something like increase the damage done by Meteor or something like that?

There is also this new screenshot of this scene of Emmrich from the character reveal trailer, as noticed by @sandetigerrr here (it's a slightly different version of that shot, one you can't get from slowing the character trailer and pausing it due to the splash text of his name that pops up in that). from the distinctive tall skeleton-pillars in the background, we can see that this scene takes place in Necropolis Halls. (more on that discussed here). a fire burns in the foreground as Emmrich does necromancy, looking all distinguished as he does so. the banners blowing around in the background on the 'wind' created by Emmrich's magic is a nice touch. in this scene we also get a good look at Emmrich's full outfit from the front. it looks like Emmrich is strong/skilled enough to command at least nine undead without breaking a sweat.

the adornments on each skeleton are interesting - are these pieces of armor that never rotted away like flesh, being metal, or are they post-death accoutrements that are added as part of Nevarran funeral/burial customs or something? the headpieces in particular, along with the missing top half of their skulls, make it look like upon death, the top half of the skulls were removed and the brains scooped out, maybe to then be stored in those canopic jar-looking things, Ancient Egypt-style? other parts of these metal pieces look to be at joints like knees, elbows, wrists - maybe after the flesh rots away, these metal parts help to keep the skeleton from falling apart, so that they can wander around successfully in the Grand Necropolis when possessed? lastly, this scene is quite similar to this DA4 concept art in style, vibe, content, setting etc, which makes me wonder if 'Flaming Skellington', who appeared in several pieces of concept art, is actually Emmrich himself.

and finally, that's all the screenshots we've seen so far (unless I've forgotten to include one somewhere along way, in which case pls let me know!), which concludes this post series. I think I will compile the links to all of them into one other post for ease of browsing, and for anyone who read all of these rambling over-analyses, I hope there was at least some stuff in there you found interesting or something. ◕‿◕

#dragon age: the veilguard #dragon age the veilguard spoilers #dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #solas #video games #long post #longpost #dragon age: the missing #dragon age: the missing spoilers #sandetigerrr #morganzephyr

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miss-anachronism · 6 months ago

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I posted something yesterday throwing my hat into the ring of Merlin and Valen relationships, and people seemed to like it! These guys are best buds to me, im glad yall see it too. It inspired me to write a little drabble, so here ya go <3 this is Valen and my (fem) Merlin, so it gets kinda specific at parts lol

…

It’s been a long day.

And as much as Valen wishes it were the easier type of long day: boring and uneventful, where he has to drag himself from task to task; it was quite the opposite. Exhilarating, exhausting, and deadly; now he was sinking into a sofa chair in the Mystical house, nursing a spiked drink and a sprained ankle.

It wasn’t even a mishap- he’d launched the attack perfectly, but that godforsaken golem had grabbed his leg at the last moment and slammed him back down into the ground. Lucius said he was lucky to have avoided a concussion. But what does Lucius know, anyway.

All this to say, the entire ordeal has left him grumpy and secluded. He’s tucked into the library, where the din of the bar can’t touch his slowly receding headache. It’s lovely in here, quiet and serene, fresh air drifting through the large open windows on the south wall. The smell of old books mingles nicely with the outside breeze, stopping just shy of being overwhelming. He would have never thought himself a library person; the one in Holistone was lackluster. But Merlin, as she often did, had flipped his conceptions upside down, and provided Valen one of his favourite spaces in her impressive library.

It’s a little ridiculous to expect privacy and solitude from a house that isn’t your own, especially one housing at least five others, but Valen still finds his every muscle tensing when he hears the library door open and close with a soft click.

He exhales slowly through his teeth, trying not to make his disappointment too obvious. He sends his farewells to his peaceful rest, and a quick prayer that whomever has entered isn’t in a talkative mood. He really doesn’t feel up to playing up the charm.

The soft pattering on the floor and the long exhale that come from behind him, however, chases those fears away. The momentary panic slips from Valen’s body, and he glances to the side, grinning when a green, eerie eye catches his gaze.

Merlin grins back at him, though she looks just as tired as he feels. “Hey, sorry. I know you’re hurt, but it’s winding down out there, and I wanted to do some research before I turn in. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Valen chuckles, “It’s your home.”

“Well, yes, but you’re my guest. And if you want me to shut up and leave you alone, say the word and I’ll be gone, no harm no foul.”

“It’s alright, Merlin,” he confirms, slightly surprised that he doesn’t even need to lie, “your company is appreciated.”

She grins at him and sets her own drink down on the small coffee table, and pulls another chair up. “Thanks, Val. I’ll keep it down, promise.”

She’s true to her word, shuffling through a few eclectically stacked books around the floor of the library before settling with three in hand. She puts the biggest one between them, and opens it up to reveal a collection of beautiful woodcuts, depicting various temples across the globe.

Valen lets out a low whistle and leans in, watching as she flips through a few illustrations, and then spins the book around to show him a full two-page print. It takes him a moment to recognize.

“The Moon Temple?”

Merlin nods, her eyes never leaving the paper. “Back in its heyday. We were talking about it, and Dolly mentioned that I should have an old book of prints in here somewhere. I’m lucky I found it so quickly.”

“How old is this book?”

“Four hundred years, give or take.”

Valen half gasps and half laughs, staring at the book in wonder. He’s shocked Merlin even has the balls to touch the thing, let alone open it.

“I can’t believe you just have ancient scripture lying around.”

“Hey, this is far from ancient,” she teases, glancing up to wrinkle her nose at him.

“You’re right, you’re right. It doesnt hold a candle to the oldest artifact in this room: you.”

Merlin sticks her tongue out at him, and Valen returns in kind, before they both return to the book.

The Moon God had been dead for a thousand years or so before this print was made, so the Temple isn’t exactly in perfect condition. Still, it’s a far cry from the decrepit ruins that it’s in today. Beautiful pillars surrounding the pouring, majestic fountains, each flaw and imperfection dutifully recorded… Valen finds himself being drawn in by the skilled execution of the print itself, scanning over the evenly spaces hatching and intricate detailing in the stonework, the water, the attention to values… it’s a beautiful recreation. Valen can even make out the carvings on the pillars themselves.

There’s a little blurb of writing at the bottom of the page, in a language Valen can’t identify. He reaches out to tap at it, stopping just shy of actually touching the book.

“Can you read this?”

Merlin hums in assent. Instead of flipping the book back around to face herself, she stands and moves over to Valen’s side of the table, kneeling next to his chair.

“It’s not much. ‘The Moon Temple, for the greatness and majesty of Nakalig the many-faced…. Cast a moonstone into the divine spring… a chance for divine lunar enlightenment…’ yeah, we know all this already.”

“It’s still interesting,” Valen contests, watching as Merlins finger drifts over the words. “You’ll have to teach me how to read this.”

Merlin scrunches her nose again. “The language is pretty dead, Val. I think you’ll only find Celestials who speak it fluently, nowadays.”

“So? If it’s spoken by Celestials, I’m sure it’s gorgeous. And mysterious. All the more reason to learn it.”

Merlin scoffs. “If you received a love letter written in the old, dead language, would you actually go on a real life date with the sender?”

“A date? I’d bed them on the spot,” Valen jokes, and Merlin throws her head back and cackles.

“Gross, ugh.” She sneers, giggling. Valen grins.

“Thousands of years old, and you still have the humour of a teenager.”

“Shut up,” she huffs, lightly punching him in the shoulder, only for her eye to immediately widen in concern.

“Ah, shit, that didn’t hurt did it? You’re hurt, I shouldn’t be jostling you around.”

“Merlin, babe, do you really think you can push me around?”

“You underestimate me! I could totally beat you up.”

“Mhmm,” Valen chuckles, taking another sip of his drink. Merlin gives him a wry smile.

“Seriously, though, you okay?”

Valen pauses a moment, taking stock of himself. Yes, his ankle still aches, but the spinning pain in his head has thankfully receded. The exhaustion still runs deep in his bones, however; he thinks if Merlin asked him to stand up, he’s simply collapse.

“I’m alright, all things considered,” he settles on, “but tired. Exhausted.”

“Hey, bright idea here! Maybe you should go to bed!”

“A genius, you are.”

“They don’t call me Merlin for nothin’.”

He chuckles. “It’s nice here. I don’t get much time to relax. And the sun’s only just setting,” he waves a hand towards the window, bathed in pinks and oranges, “let me have an hour, at least.”

“Fine,” Merlin conceded, resting her head on the arm of his chair. Dutifully, Valen proceeds to use her head as an armrest. She huffs in amusement.

They stay like that for a few minutes, Merlin lazily flipping through the book, pausing every time Valen leans closer to inspect a print. Eventually, she complains about her neck, and Valen lets up to allow her a slightly more comfortable position.

“I don’t know how to teach languages,” Merlin says suddenly, startling Valen out of his concentration, “but I think, with Hammie’s help, I could teach you a couple phrases and see where it goes from there?”

Valen blinks in surprise. “You don’t have to do that, Merlin.”

She shrugs. “I want to. Gives me something to do. If you want to, of course.”

Valen pauses, thinks it over, takes another long sip of his drink.

“…sure. We’ll see where it goes.”

Merlin nods, and flips the book closed.

“but if I’m a bullshit student, you can’t be mad at me.”

“I’ll never believe you are,” Merlin sniffs, scooping the book up and standing with a grunt. “Deep down, you’re a nerd like the rest of us, Mr. Playboy Solitaire.”

#afk journey #afk valen #afk merlin #valen #ghostie writes #my requests are still open! btw #platonic merlin and valen #they are NOT romantically involved i cannot express this enough

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cerosin-bis · 4 months ago

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purrhaps already asked, but what do you think the Main Weirdos (Krueger, Golem, Nikto and Rodion) views on kids are? love, hate, would or wouldn’t have?

Tbh Golem is NOT a weirdo; neither is Rodion. imo. their problem is that they're attracted to major freaks, in wildly different ways. In all seriousness, to answer your question:

Krueger is just neutral towards kids. Certainly doesn't want any of his own, family isn't a concept to him + it's responsibilities and time and MONEY.

Golem (canonically) has a daughter that he loves vvv much. I imagine that he probably wouldn't mind having another kid, even thought of it, but well. Now he's acutely aware of what it is to be a military dad + he's divorced and I think it kinda put a strain on his desire to have another child.

Nikto... in the very back of his mind he'd have wanted to have a normal life trajectory and kids. Consulted @modernghostfare the resident Nikto expert for this one but it's too much responsibilities given how he was and how he is as a person. His energy is elsewhere. And, of course, it's too much money. He could deal with kids in his family, not of his own.

Rodion does want kids but certainly not now. I feel like he'd say "as long as I'm in the military I don't want kids" because he's aware of what having a dad in the military does (he's never here.) and rodion is CONSIDERATE and would pick family over job.

#ask #headcanons #i will tag this later perhaps

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twisted-wonderland-shenanigans · 1 year ago

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Hi, I read your monster au posts and they are amazing. Though I was wondering what would Rollo be and how would he handle there being a magicless human given his attitude in canon, as well as how would GloMas go down with Yuu and Mini!Yuu in that au?

So, I’d been holding off on answering this for Rollo until I had a better grasp on his personality and behavior, as deciding the monster/cryptid species that fits best is important. But since the Glorious Masquerade is coming to the ENG servers tomorrow (I’m not ready!!!), it feels like the right time to introduce him into the Monster!AU!

Also, as for whether or not RSA has seen Yuu/mini!Yuu, I think at least Che'nya and Neige and the dwarves have seen them yes! Outside of those, I leave that up to you/whatever direction the game takes us down next! And thank you so much, I'm glad everyone loves the AU's ;;v;;

To answer the question, I decided to base him off the French (and coincidentally Louisiana) cryptid “feu follet”, otherwise known as a Will-o’-the-wisp. Why did I choose this versus creatures like the “Beast of Gévaudan” or the “Gaueco” which will make him a fluffy canine monster? Well, while I think both would be interesting concepts to work with, neither of them really seem to fit the vibe I got from him as he’s portrayed in the beginning (…well, before chaos as usual hits the fan of course). Plus, it was also an interesting excuse to delve into more of the non-animal based ones besides Ortho being a golem!

WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD AND MENTION OF DEATH BASED ON THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE FEU FOLLET/WILL-O’-THE-WISP!

Anyway, I picture him being more of a feu follet/Will-o’-the-wisp as a call to his UM “Dark Fire” and his last name Flamme, which translates to “flame” in French. Hence, as a “ghost light”, it seemed more fitting! Feu follets are said to come in various shades of blue, yellow, red, and even green—now imagine him changing color based on his emotions and having to control that side in public! His poker face means nothing behind that handkerchief if he turns colors! 😂 (Especially if you keep in mind color theory!)

While they’re also generally harmless, however, if you’re familiar with the legend of Will-‘o-the-wisps (which has multiple different variations and stories across the world!), following one at night thinking it’s a fellow traveler can lead to one’s death in a marsh, bog, swamp, etc. Typically, they’re seen in a graveyard or one of the above-mentioned areas. Since no one knew how dangerous Rollo was until it was too late, it seemed fitting for him to be one!

By the way, he can be corporeal to handle things or be hugged by someone. He can also phase through things he wants to avoid…now imagine his hat getting caught between the fence bars! 🤣🤣🤣

With that out of the way, let’s discuss his reaction to Yuu and mini!Yuu!

Given that he’s more comfortable with non-magic users, he’d be fascinated and charmed at the thought of humans—creatures of historic legend and cryptic bedtime stories—being non-magic. A world where magic doesn’t exist and no one will be consumed by blot or harmed by spells gone awry? He’d likely want to know more, but he wouldn’t want to get too close—after all, he’s not exactly keen on making friends or showing a vulnerable side. Yuu is gonna have their work cut out for them if they want to give him pets and scritches! Their best bet is in private where he’s less likely to react so strongly (though if he learns that getting the majority of Yuu’s attention is enough to annoy Malleus and the others, I can see him being smug about it and letting them praise him 😌).

As for mini!Yuu though…

Mini!Yuu: *toddling around the room, giggling as they support the large puffy cap on their head*

Azul: “Where did you get that, little one?”

Mini!Yuu: “Mr. Rollo dropped it and let me wear it!” *adjusts the cap with one hand to try and look up at them before bumping into Deuce’s leg* “Oof!”

Deuce: “Oop! Careful, Yuu!”

Riddle: “I’m surprised he allowed you to wear it given his position as Student Council President.”

/Meanwhile/

Vice President: “Uh…President Rollo? Where is your cap?”

Rollo: *holding handkerchief to his mouth* “Yuu wanted to know how heavy it was.”

Vice President: “Y-you’ve never let yourself be out of uniform!” *gets emotional* “But you’re allowing the human child to wear it…that is so precious!”

Rollo: *scowls, his wisp body turning reddish-pink in embarrassment*

///////////

Pfft…I just couldn’t resist a bit of cuteness~! UvU/)

As for how the whole event would go down…well, I can imagine that Rollo would believe he’s doing the right thing, so him possibly trying to separate Yuu from the others using the flowers would be even more terrifying! For mini!Yuu, the whole situation would be absolutely terrifying for the toddler since I doubt the others would have let them come with them to stop Rollo. So, the boys would likely leave them with Grandpa Trein for safety until the whole situation is done and over with.

Once all is said and done, it’s really up to Yuu to decide how they see Rollo after the fact. As for mini!Yuu? Whether they find out it was started because of him or the boys kept it under wraps just like everyone else in NBC being ignorant of what happened, they might just be happy to see he’s okay. Now imagine him dancing with mini!Yuu at the end of the event like Charlotte with Prince Naveen’s younger brother from Princess and the Frog!

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland monster au #twst monster au #rollo flamm #rollo flamme #twst mini!yuu #twisted wonderland mini!yuu #twisted wonderland yuu #twst yuu #azul ashengrotto #deuce spade #riddle rosehearts #malleus draconia #glorious masquerade event

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xxxdragonfucker69xxx · 2 days ago

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hi folks. its been a long week. but its time for HOUR IN BRASS

for those just joining us, a new exalted splat is being released; when this happens, i usually lose my shit and liveread through the charms; this time it's the alchemical exalted, golem-robot-communists inside the belly of the machine god autochthon. if you wish to avoid this, you will blacklist #hour in brass

first third of charms:

Howdy Mother Fuckers. its time for HOUR IN BRASS

starting with: the horniest chapter fiction so far

the alchemical paradigm is that you have only so many charm slots for active charms at a time, but that most charms have submodules that add on without taking more slots. they have to swap charms in and out with the rite of reconfiguration. their dice limit is Ess+Attribute BUT one of their biggest charms is going to make their math oh whatever here it comes

TRANSPUISSANT ATTRIBUTE UPGRADE aka transpussy assribute ultima. which raises your resting attribute by 1, starts to stack at higher essences, and comes with a load of submodules to let you swap what attributes are used for what. god im fucking excited to have these around. unwavering sniper calibration to snipe with perception, for example

actually they have a lot of wacky universal charms about integrating with hearthstones, artifacts, stuff like that. robots be customizing bodies. i do want to point out vat surrogate reweaving system, which lets you speed-swap charms once between reconfigurations. i read it and immediately thought camilla hect Go Loud and started cackling

yes alchemicals can still go colossus and eventually turn into cities. though metropolis play is not mechanically supported

ok appearance. starting with radiant iconography array: anima holograms, but they do stuff like become realistic illusions or huge legendary size stuff

emotive aesthetics of the body electric naturally bangs

patriotism-provoking display has many-is-one node and one-is-many node as submodules, whihc are fun

universal advisor comportment is fun, makes you feel sagacious and advisorly

beguiling aestheic perfection is fun, when you socially affect someone they suffer trying to beat your guile for the rest of the scene. i have suffered this irl many times

pheromone regulation system… i cannot make any jokes about this that arent crass. i once knew someone who was turned on by the smell of xbox exhaust

man the submodule tech is really realyl nice. this is a great fucking way for charms to work. you can flashbang people with blinding strobe projector and then on top of that you can choose to enter stealth, steal more initiative, or make it rainbow

its really interesting to me that appearance is getting so many teacherly charms. with illuminating inspiration beacon "The Alchemical’s faith in her students shines through in every aspect of her neon-limned visage"

damn, and from there is psyche-stabilizing beacon, where you radiate such comfort that it helps people resist brain curses

theotropic veneration mantle rocks. project a principle to the exclsuion of others, and those who share the principle see you as a holy figure

i sort of hate glistering obsession nodes. i dont want to glister. it makes people obsessed with me if they can't figure me out

ooh, disguises in appearance subterfuge. including stuff to appear human, or as a dfferent exalted

optical shroud, a classic, predator invisibility

apocryphal operative halo is really interesting, MIB neuralyzer

semiotic flare projector is a really cute concept. almost as cute as supreme icon of battlefield glory. when you kick ass on the battlefield your troops love it, and you can make your enemies hate it, and at e4 you can project it over the entire battlefield

alright, charisma. starting with effective leadership algorithm, both a great example of alchie flavor and of submodule tech bc its just a menu of submodules that let you decide what kinda rolls you use it on, whether youre using faction-building unity or overriding authority mode

oh synergy promoting upgrade is interesting. helps with bureaucracy if youre leadering, gets better if your group likes you, SPU: communal supremacy makes it better if its for a community, SPU: lifestyle cooperation paradigm makes your group like each other

hdkfghdfjsg universal authorization chevron. the cool s. intuitively recognized as a symbol of authority. UAC: axiomatic emblem means even gremlins/fae/undead recognize you with wary deference. UAC: perfected delegation emblem lets you hand out copies to deputies

heresy declaration beacon, lets fucking go

radiant emblem of integrity is interesting… if you speak the complete truth everyone knows that its the complete truth, and it can also authenticate replays of events projected with radiant iconography array. also if you tell the truth and it sucks, gain wp. fantastically built charm. oh the submodule lets you make it permanent and mandatory

electric fervor inspiration is a set of orichalcum electrodes implanted behind the alchemical's jaw. thats fucked up. oh it lets you reset social rolls thats differently fucked up

battle anthem of the alchemical exalted! made it in! oh this is just a menu of songs thats super neat. including thousand work shifts ballad… and double music

similarly with programming language eloquence "A breaker between the Alchemical’s frontal and temporal lobes filters unnecessary emotion from her communications…" im really having fun with this

damn propaganda interdiction signal: void-quelling chastisement means that gribblies can't call on principles to resist your influence to hangout with mortals

something about vox populi broadcast really compels me. its just a charm to speak loudly but you can submodule it to communicate only with allies or to cut through magical silence.. and its speakers implanted in your throat

ideological override circuitry…

FEAR OVERRIDE DEVICE in warfare

homeguard reinforcement clarion… whip up that militia

dexterityyyy okay we're getting into the combat charms now

omg magnetic subdual coils to steal weapons. including a pulse blaster submodule, field projector, magnetron…

protosynthetic ammunition replicator, as expected, but thankully it is reloaded with "an articulated metal tendril". & btw dispersive flash-chaff cluster to make it a flashbang arrow, fulminating conduction charge to make it a stun arrow, concussive overpressure warhead to make it a knockdown, airburst grenade

being able to group all the "fast attack" charms in one place is fun, the submodules have a cute menu of extra ways to use it

damn, blinding velocity actuator upgrades you to a surprise attack if youre fast enough?

i like that gear-driven reflex automation is, past all the prereqs and flavor lines and stuff, exactly one line of charm. and then some fun submodules. wait damn withering counterattck at e3, with tactical reaction matrix

hacking multistrike accelerator to "enact pre-programmed motions" in pursuit of… erm… well… ok wait forget that this is a really cool charm. doesnt use all your initiative on the decisive, this feels like itd be real fun to fuck with espcially with the submodules

dsjksdks subluminous onslaught: kinetic launch catapult lets you like launch a fucking sword to short range. or your fists

ESSENCE PULSE CANNON. lets fucking go. again the submodules are really cool: concussive, focused, precision, de hey. Sieve Devastator Mode. its sheer heft provides her with heavy cover

skjfdsf autonomous assault processors makes (Dex-2) attacks, but dont forget you could be augmened enough for that to be 4 attacks at e2 anyways, 5 at e3 (if i remember the TAU rules right).

oh shitt transmodal rapid targeting system, bend that bullet. psychokinetic vectors. sdhksdfs this damage calculation is really funny. damn this is fully just children of the sun or whatever that game was. epic

TRANSFINITE ULTRAVIOLENCE DRIVE. time stands still. and then you bank attacks, which seems really fun. shjdskf and TUD: omnitactical processing core lets you add more withering attacks on top

oh huh accelerated response system: unwavering precision lets you not take onslaught if you successfully defend against lower init enemies. thats probably not that strong but it feels strong

casualty-minimizing equations is a damn good name

perfectly parallel defensive geometry…

oh light-etched interceptor barrier is fun. roll parry instead of static. and essence absorption screen lets you eat energy attacks with it

autonomous defensive drones AERIAL! actually theyre more like murderbot drones, they orbit and defend you. … damn, they cant be withered and theyve got almost as many hls as a starting character, theyre a pain to take out. their DO Parry is (Dex+1) so they're like fantastic for ranged fighters who dont parry or dodge

precalculated evasion system lets you bank dodge successes… kind of like light-etched interceptor but not. really interesting. hey what its simple?

omnisituational evasive equation is a fantastic name. ts the perfect dodge. OEE: hyperspatial geometry is really fun

cyclical velocity treads! heelies!!!

and then theres… oil slick dispenser nozzles… in your calves. i love wacky races

momentum-charged overdrive engine is a bangin name… a preprogrammed sequence of combat acrobatics

inclding jet boosters in optimized pursuit accelerator… ts really funny that al these red jade rush charms are also like "ugh fine you can also use these to run away if you have to"

transphase engine… walk through fucking walls

sjdflskdf digital precision effectors splits open your fingertips

covert telemetry mode…

counterharmonic scatter system is just like a really fun charm name. im having a lot of fun with charm names. displaces the sound of you

sdjlfsdf flicker-flare launchers are a flashbang to just immediately enter concealment

ooh matchless assassin protocols… reflexively stealth after a disengage or distract

hyperdextrous tentacle apparatus. can someone get astrakiseki on the phone

total perception negation field. if you see me no you didnt. ending, of course, in unseen deathblow calibration

and thats the first third. im like getting really alchemicalpilled rn. its hot

#hour in brass

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iliothermia · 9 months ago

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your frankenstein golem is so melancholy and beautiful - I love what you're doing with the concepts; does he have a name? a creator?

Thank you!!! His name is Semach! The one who formed him is still around but he's quite feeble nowadays (His name is Ezdras). Semach cares for him and makes sure he's comfortable and takes care of his home. Ezdras doesn't see him as a servant, over his life they've been close friends. Semach doesn't quite know what will happen or what to do when Ezdras passes.. He's never known another golem or about them and chooses to just not think about it.

#hyde replied #golem posts #semach #oc lore #have a good night anon

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room-surprise · 7 months ago

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Dungeon Meshi Anime Review, Season 2, Episode 19 review

Izutsumi arrives! And Marcille has a nightmare.

This is an interesting episode but I know my spouse and I had desperately hoped that they would re-organize things somehow. Marcille's plot in this feels painfully tacked on and unrelated to Izutsumi's introduction, and the concept of the nightmare is so good, it could have easily been expanded to be an entire episode on its own. I wish they'd done that. They could have paired Izu's intro with the ice golem story to have one all-Izutsumi episode and then one all-Marcille episode... alas.

Those are changes I would have LIKED to see, but here's some changes I didn't like:

(MAJOR MANGA AND ANIME SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT!!!)

Trigger removed Laios' mother's only speaking line in the manga. It would have taken SO LITTLE to have someone read this single sentence, and removing it, in my opinion, has a negative impact on the story as a whole.

It SOUNDS like a generic thing when she asks Laios "When will you give us grandchildren?" But this is actually really important. Laios is afraid of being forced to make a family and participate in society. This is unusual because he's a man, most men in a historic time period of this don't really care about such things, but Laios is so afraid of it, it's a recurring nightmare!

This is also why he acted so weird seeing a loving father/baby scene in the magic paintings chapter. He hated seeing a father talk about how much they love their baby.

Laios is named after a story about murdering your children before they can hurt you. Like an Oedipus Complex supposedly means that a son wants to have sex with his mother, a Laios Complex means a man wants to kill his sons. Kui did not pick this name and then have Laios repeatedly be uncomfortable with children, marriage and fatherhood for no reason.

Obviously Trigger didn't make any of these connections and so they didn't think it was necessary for Laios' mom to speak this line out loud, but I vehemently disagree.

This is similar to my beef with them removing Yarn Floke's only dialog in the story and removing her from the scene with the Island Governor. That moment told us that Mr. and Mrs. Floke were equal partners, and now anime watchers assume she's just his wife who doesn't do anything. That sucks.

The addition of paintings of Marcille's father in the nightmare. Woof. I really don't care for this, if they wanted to do it i would have preferred it if they'd obscured the paintings somehow so it wasn't obvious that Marcille's father wasn't an elf.

I think this makes the later reveal of her half-elf status WAY less surprising.

Also, in the manga, the complete silence around her father created a strong subtext that Marcille's mother was her only parent that mattered. They could still accomplish this but I think it won't be as shocking.

People reading the manga probably thought "her dad was an elf and he died young and that traumatized her" (this is what Laios assumes I'm sure)

People watching the anime will think "her dad was a tall-man and his natural death of old age is what traumatized her" which is true, but they aren't supposed to actually know that yet...

Overall the episode was good aside from these issues. I liked that the nightmare sequence was in black and white, and the transition to color at the end was spectacular and very impactful... But part of me wishes they had done something else to differentiate the nightmare state from the normal animation. The black and white was good, but almost too subtle because the DM palette is already so desaturated.

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #dunmeshi #review #spoiler #spoilers #laios touden #laios thorden

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hoarah-babylon · 5 months ago

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First DLC session completed!!!!! Gonna talk about my findings under the cut

Waiting for me at the cocoon was a familiar face from the trailers. Hi Leda!!!!!!! Got to have a closer look at her armour, her belt looks just like Miquella's ring.

The converging gold threads on the cape made me think of the Miquella's needle, and also the Godslayer Greatsword

She told me to go touch his wrinkly arm so I did. I was expecting a cutscene but no, just gave it a little tap and off we were! Which is also fine, I think I was just hoping for the interaction with the arm to reveal something about the nature of how we got to the shadow realm.

When I got there though..... man

I honestly wasn't expecting my own reaction when I got to the first open area, but I cried. Like actual tears. I just love this game and experiencing new things from it I don't know man it just took me by surprise, I've been having a hard time lately too so I think it was partly relief just to have something that makes me feel happy and inspired. Thankful for this game! Ok anyway

THE WICKER MAN ! I did try fighting him later on but he's so tough. I'm leaving him for later for sure, I have no idea what to do with him right now. His attacks are undodgeable and flatten me almost immediately, I'll figure that out later. He's cool tho. I think an item I found later called him a 'fire golem'

FOUND THE BESTIES ! They had a health bar so I could have tried to kill them but I didn't even try because they are my friends. Anyway they were in front of a Mausoleum with a boss in it which surprised me I was like ALREADY?????? I think it was called Blackgaol Knight. He took me a WHILE. I kept telling myself go away and come back later, but I was locked in, like no he's going to perish now. But I got him eventually and the reward was great. I mean I can't use any of it with this build but the item descriptions... they got me thinking

Warriors of what army/loyalty? What does it mean to lose your name, or your heart? This wording is very... intriguing to me. The only other mention of hearts in ER I remember off the top of my head (aside from dragon hearts) is the DLC trailer that said Miquella shrives clean the hearts of men. HM.

So they lose their hearts by choice, but what does it mean to lose your heart? Like, literally? Figuratively? Spiritually? But I found this next part to be the most intriguing. The 'light of birth'... WHAT. DO YOU MEAN. The concept of birth in TLB has always confused me tbh, so to have something directly reference birth caught my eye immediately. And why is it apparently so revered by these knights? I have to find out more. Mama lets research :) I don't remember where I heard/read this but I remember it being theorised births came from the Erdtree rather than the typical way humans are born usually. Could it be these knights revere birth as it used to happen, as opposed to how births came to be post-Golden Order creation? Hm.

I found one of the enemies that was posted before release! The one with the uterus imagery. This one. I was surprised it was a regular enemy, from the pic we saw it looked like a boss to me. It was just chilling on one of the monuments in the field of wheat. 'Invoke divinity' stands out to me, mainly because I can't figure out what it means. If it invokes divinity, what does it define as divine? It can't be anything to do with the Erdtree, because it clearly rejects it. Super interesting. The fact it also makes you weaker to Sleep is also v interesting

New weapon type (I think)! I got jumpscared by a screaming enemy and they dropped this. I'm ngl though I think he was a bit bugged, he wasn't dodging any spells so I beat him pretty easily. oops. I'm noticing a lot of bestial enemies and items though... I picked up a bestial ash of war later on too. Who are 'the horned warriors'?

Was looking out over a cliff-edge and saw this dead dragon... it honestly gagged me because I did not expect to see dragons. Which in hindsight is maybe a bit silly of me considering Messmer has what looks like Draconic eyes. But anyway

I found what looked like a church of Marika. It was called something like 'church of consolation'. On the lead-up there were several of Messmer's warriors resting in the road. They weren't aggro to me unless I attacked first. The bigger knight in the church dropped a huge hammer that was imbued with holy damage. One of the smaller knights dropped a chestpiece

The phrasing 'forced to wage war' is intriguing - where did these people come from? Exactly how and why were they forced?

I found this nearby the church and it gagged me a bit. First of all mad that this kind of item exists, I wonder how many there are. Secondly, Marika made these for Messmer... but never again????? I'm so intrigued by their relationship, I need to understand their dynamic IMMEDIATELY

Honestly thank god they're giving us more Larval Tears. I was stressing about this even though I probably won't end up using them... we'll see what weapons I pick up. I wonder if they replenish at these sites or if they'll still be a finite resource

Shit's fucked. These people were done dirty by Messmer

But consider: this place is gorgeous despite the horrors

Found the first of Miquella's crosses! And met another follower of Miquella... why does he hate me :( is it cus I'm Tarnished? But like. I don't like the Erdtree either dude. You don't know me!!!!!!!!!! Nice armour tho. And accent. And thanks for showing me where the crosses are. I guess. Map referred to him as a 'hornsent'

Like. Ok. Why don't we just be friends. Mysterious guy. Whatever like I care.

!!!!! I thought I took a pic of the description but whatever it said something along the lines of 'a young shoot heavy with Empyrean blood. Left behind by the wounded Miquella'... so he's wounded even in this shadow realm, whatever form he's in. What are you doing fam... what's the deal....... I gotta know

Met Freyja! She was nicer. I love her Spartan gear. She said she once fought alongside Radahn (!!!) and didn't tell me much else. But she seems chill af

Now this guy... I've gotta know his deal. Ansbach, what do you MEAN you were formerly in service to Mohg. And now you're following Miquella. WHAT IS THAT BROTHER. I just... the implications???? Why did you leave Mohg? When? Were you in on the whole abduction thing? Why does your helmet/beard combo kinda make you look like Cthulhu? I have questions.

Man-fly village. Uh........ yep don't like this.

That last line sticks out to me, because of the whole, you know, Miquella the Kind thing. Be kind and ya don't get turned into a fly. Cool cool I'm uncomfortable

Oh cool the thing on the wicker ma- THE FELL GOD OF FIRE???? Is this referring to the Giant's outer god? Or one we haven't heard of yet, one that Messmer is aligned with? Haunts the sagas of the hornsent... isn't that what the guy that was shit-talking me earlier is? What is his deal. I'm not immune to a mysterious man

Blue skies?? in MY shadow realm???? it's more likely than you think :)

I also found a ghostflame dragon too which was cool but he has SO much health. I simply did not have the patience for it at that moment. But it's cool seeing so many different things from different backgrounds and allegiances.

My fave thing about the followers so far is how everyone comes from such diverse backgrounds, it's in-keeping with Miquella's whole ethos of welcoming all. But... why are they all here? How? Why has Miquella 'called' to them? Has Miquella called to them all? Now I have all these strangers motivations to worry about as well as the blonde baby's. But really I'm so excited to find more. This already has my brain whirring and I haven't even stumbled across a major boss yet!!! fromsoft you've done it again!!!!!!

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