#i suspect i'm

[spilledmilkfkdies]

hello, i wonder if the wizards were to swap their powers around so they all got one of their brother’s powers, who would be most vs least suited for each power??

Hi yes hello anon, I work for @solariaswitch, or rather she's my investor and owns like 80% of me. But!! I'll gladly take the ask off her hands, hope that's okay <3

I was gonna type this separated by power, but I noticed that it didn't give me the chance to talk about every wizard as much as I wanted because I'm a little stupid, so I'm doing it per wizard instead.

『 OGRON 』

I can't start this off without putting the deranged take out there that, considering his own main power, he might've handled/used the other wizards' powers before. It's not impossible. Would probably put him at an advantage if a power swap situation were to occur. That being said? I think he'd like Anagan's least in a combat setting specifically, but not by a lot. Could definitely still work with it if necessary, I just don't see Ogron as someone who enjoys running for a LONG period of time, let's just say that.

Now, would he like Duman's or Gantlos' better? I'm gonna say Gantlos'. Do I have a solid reason beyond 'the enhanced senses might throw him off a little'? Yeah, actually. Ogron's way of using it could perhaps take it to a different level than Gantlos, not necessarily better or worse, just different. Uses it on a smaller scale rather than go full natural disaster, doing less damage overall, but being more focused and precise. Safe option. I think he can do it.

『 GANTLOS 』

Do NOT give this poor man Anagan's super speed either. I keep imagining his legs moving before the rest of him is ready, just violently yoinking him along, pulling him in a direction with the smallest step. I'd like to think his movements have weight to them, if that makes sense? So giving him powers that are all about swiftness and literally speed just doesn't sound like a good idea. Would probably be scary though.

I'm on the fence whether he'd handle shapeshifting okay. On one hand I think the enhanced senses would negatively impact him the least, but I don't see him enjoying the actual transforming part of the whole thing, which is pretty important. BUT would he like it more than Ogron's? I don't know either. I mean, the converting damage into strength part could work out for him, I guess? Both powers are quite versatile in the sense that they're both about adapting and doing so quickly, and I already said quick is simply not for him. Okay unhinged take, give him shapeshifting. Ask me to elaborate and I'll disappear mysteriously.

『 ANAGAN 』

Okay so, I'm gonna come out and say he would dislike Gantlos' powers for the same reason Gantlos would dislike his, sort of. It's not his tempo and he's very light on his feet, tries to stomp and might break his leg. Not ideal. I'm gonna come out a second time to add shapeshifting to his 'no' list as well. He likes his powers a bit more uhhh normal. Let's put it like that.

Give him Ogron's powers. PUT HIM IN CHARGE. The audacity of me to go "he likes his powers normal" and then give him this wow. Anyway, I think that out of everyone, he'd handle them best. Quick thinker, a straightforward plan enthusiast, what more could you need? The major downside of it is of course that his own powers don't allow for as much different use as Ogron's do, but that'd be a good thing. I believe in him. He's level-headed enough for it to not get to him, if that makes sense?

『 DUMAN 』

I think he'd be upset with any power that's not his, honestly, also like a majority of the powers, if not all, would genuinely drive him insane and I'm not sure if I mean that affectionately. Gantlos' seismic bs and super strength? Suddenly develops some very serious anger issues. Or enhances the ones he already has, depending on how you view him. Goes clap clap and stomp stomp for funsies, throws cars, experiences the most unhinged tantrum known to man and makes people explode. Probably wouldn't do too well with Ogron's powers either, the general population, I mean. COMPLETELY loses the plot. Being able to pretty much copy any power simply cannot be good for him. Not to dunk on my boy and say he has power hungry hysteria potential. But. Yes I will say that.

Least offending option? Anagan's speed. Final answer. Since he's already pretty physical in his combat style, y'know? It'd be a bigger challenge for him to dress in a way that allows for mobility than it is to figure out how to work with super speed. Might turn into a speedy meat grinder, but just put a leash on him or something, easiest power to keep him in check with probably. Hopefully.

To summarize:

Give Ogron Gantlos' powers, Gantlos gets Duman's, Anagan gets Ogron's and Duman gets Anagan's. That is best case scenario, least problems for everyone. Worst case scenario though? There's some overlap so unless multiple people can get Anagan's, there isn't really a worst. His powers are not popular, poor guy. No actually, the WORST scenario is the one where Duman gets all.

Crazy how the original Trix ask was mine?? Go figure lmao.

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

I am incredibly serious right now when I beg you all, please, and if you have Twitter or Tiktok or whatever to please spread the word: click on an author's profile on Ao3.

You want to know if an author has written more? Want to know if they're still writing? Want to see more from them? Want to know if they've written a trope or kink or sex scenario you enjoy?

Click on their name. And look at their profile.

I cannot tell you how many times in the last six months someone has read a new or newer fic of mine and said they (a new reader who has read nothing else I've done) "can't wait to see what you do next!" I've written 50+ fics and over a million words already.

"I don't know if you're still writing..." click on my profile. I am. I literally wrote a 128k+ fic for that ship last month.

"Would you ever do X?" "Please do Y!" I already did. Click on my name and look at my works.

Archive of our Own is a library. It's an archive. Not social media. It is your responsibility to fight back against the laziness that corporate algorithms have trained into you.

Click my author name. Just click it. Just click it.

Before you demand more, or ask if a writer will do XYZ, or wonder if the author still writing, or anything - click on their profile. Click on the author's profile.

I'm not trying to be mean or condescending or anything like that. I'm just exhausted. It's disheartening and frustrating to repeat myself ad nauseam, because someone couldn't take thirty seconds to do the tiniest bit of work to see if I've written lately, if I've written more for their ship, or scan my works to see if I've written what they're asking for. Please. Please. I'm begging.

Click the author's name, and explore before you ask.

[egophiliac]

half a warm-up doodle, half consoling myself because I have thrown so many keys at him and yet he refuses to come home. >:( please sir...your stats are so good and your elements are ones I need...please...

[benevolenterrancy]

Scholarly peak is catching up on recent literature

[terresdebrume]

Going off that one poll, I'd like to test a theory.

More reblogs = bigger sample size.

Also, I think follow up polls would be a good idea but tbh i might need input from actual disabled people for those ^^"

[anglerflsh]

I'm also unsurprisingly not immune to wanting to study the wha artstyle

[queenlucythevaliant]

I made a silly uquiz while dog sitting"

(This is very Tumblr-core. There are many like it, but this one is mine.)

[hermit-frog]

[beif0ngs]

LUFFY’S DREAM

Huh? Have I never mentioned this to any of you before...? I guess I only told Shanks, Ace and Sabo then.

[ozzgin]

Do you have a funny fact with husband Demon King? 👉👈

(Im so miss this guy🥺)

Referring to the Demon King story.

I like to think that his hatred for mortals remains completely unaltered, with you being the one, lone exception. So, you know, like any working husband, when he goes to obliterate worlds and destroy civilizations, while the living wail and the fires reach into the sky, he likes to take his little pouch out and gaze at a picture of you.

"That's my spouse", he'll say with a proud smile.

The monstrous soldier at his side glances sheepishly and nods.

"M-my question was how to deal with the survivors, My Lord."

"What survivors? Didn't I say kill them all?" he retorts with a scoff.

Back to important matters. What should he get you as a souvenir?

[captainjonnitkessler]

I firmly believe that any movement focused on how you *think* people should act instead of how they *actually* act is doomed to failure. In light of that I think it's clear that Democrats have failed to engage voters and drive turnout, and they desperately need a new strategy before 2026.

My sympathy for the absolute children who think it's a candidate's responsibility to get them "excited" about politics in exchange for spending the time to vote one day out of every 1460 instead of viewing being an educated voter as a civic responsibility is at an absolute fucking zero right now

[zuppizup]

[egophiliac]

So how’s ride kamens going for you as I just pulled my self together long enough to read the other half of the current main story

I've been working on catching up on the event stories since they announced the upcoming main story update! (I totally bombed the last few events...they're so fast-paced and I just didn't have time...😭)

and then of course they went and dropped THIS on us today

(you don't understand, I LOVE Tajador and I already love the two blurry frames they've given us of non-silhouetted Kelka, I'm ready to absolutely lose my shit come the announcement/reveal(?) stream on Thursday --)

[celebrimborium]

Stop fighting me and together, let us fight them.

[utilitycaster]

I like that the Raven Queen, who made the decision to take on an immense and (at least to her understanding at the time) unending responsibility is the one who calls Bells Hells out on their endless indecision.

It's been...interesting, shall we say, tracking this "party of NPCs," and tracking the fandom response throughout. The initial reception to "party of NPCs" was actually a rather cold one. This took place early in the campaign, prior to the Gnarlrock fight, and at the time a lot of people who shipped Imogen and Laudna were actually extremely resistant to the idea that Imogen was the "main character" of the campaign (as seen in the fallout from the gnarlrock fight, in which the bulk of attacks from the fandom were on Imogen). I've had complicated feelings on Taliesin's reads of this campaign specifically - he tends to have a very good understanding of his own characters that doesn't necessarily expand beyond them - but that phrase was indeed pretty valid. I think about the WBN interludes, in fact, in which the cast plays using NPC statblocks, and what a true party of NPCs for Bells Hells would look like, since it would be quite simple to draw up.

Allied NPCs in TTRPGs rarely act without guidance from the PCs. I've cast a critical eye in the past towards certain meta (particularly romantic in nature, regarding Yeza or Essek or Gilmore not making moves) for this reason, because while villains and antagonists move throughout the world generating obstacles, allies exist to be directed. They have their limits, of course; they have their own priorities and motivations and cannot be persuaded against their nature, but they can be guided at oblique angles from the GMs initial intent given enough work from the PCs. They're still people with thoughts and feelings and dreams, to an extent, but rarely do they make decisions that would conflict with those of the PCs.

That's the problem with a party of NPCs. NPCs take direction. They serve as support, but they're not in the driver's seat. And the Raven Queen has noticed.

The attitude within the fandom towards "Party of NPCs" became far more positive over time, and I wonder if it should have. People began to lean perhaps too heavily on how Bells Hells were people from nothing and nowhere, discarded. This is of course objectively false when comparing across parties (can we really say Imogen had a worse childhood than Vex? Chetney to Caleb? Even Ashton to Fjord?) but were it true, that in and of itself wouldn't be a problem. D&D backstories are often tear-stained and blood-soaked, full of unjust accusations, dead or neglectful parents, failure and regret. D&D is a game about coming from very little but a disproportionately good stat block for a commoner. It is unavoidably about amassing power. Starting off as a party of NPCs is fine. You should not still be a party of NPCs at the endgame.

I mentioned the gnarlrock, and I've mentioned an emphasis (or overemphasis) on this party's lack of agency and I think that remains the problem. Ludinus's villainy is rich, complex, and multifaceted, but a consistent element of it is his eternal false insistence that he - Martinet, founder and head of the Cerberus Assembly, Archmage - is just a little guy, chaff in the wind of the will of the gods, without free will of his own (he says, as he places his thread outside the reach of the Matron). That too is a theme in fandom discourse: free will and intent. Is Imogen justified in being angry at Laudna for breaking the rock if that wasn't Laudna's intent? (yes.) Is Orym on a quest of vengeance, with a death wish? (no, but if he were it wouldn't matter.) Was it wrong to pressure Fearne to take the shard instead of letting her make her own choices? (yes.)

Did any of you, perhaps in preschool or kindergarten, since that's about the age when this happens, have someone pull your hair and for adults to say "it's because they like you?" I find this is a good way to convey the importance, or unimportance, or intent. Because when your hair is being pulled, at least if that is the extent of the problem, it doesn't matter if it comes from the misguided affections of a four-year-old admirer who doesn't know how to use their words, or a six-year-old who just grabbed the most obvious material with which to test the limits of the safety scissors, or an eleven-year-old bully. Your hair is being pulled and you want it to stop. It doesn't matter if the person secretly likes you or if they want to hurt you; it matters that no matter the intent behind it, they are doing so. And if you reject the affections of your fellow preschool classmate because you think they might pull your hair, that's a fair consequence.

Bells Hells' indecision is some sort of cosmic hair pulling. They have reasons for faltering, and some of those reasons are understandable balking at an immense weight placed upon them and some of those reasons come from a deeply self-centered place in which their individual pain is used to blot out the suffering of countless others. But in the end, even that doesn't matter. Their histories don't matter. We don't need another series of introductions of where they come from and what they've done. We need people who can make decisions and who will act.

The Raven Queen seems to have been convinced they will. I'm not sure. But I think we are in agreement that inaction is, regardless of the intent behind it, no different than active harm. It would be irresponsible to continue to be a party of NPCs; if they truly are lost and forgotten fuck-ups, they have a responsibility (as the god of death once did) to abdicate and find a replacement.