#lore heavy and explains. like. literally everything that has ever happened in the game without giving away any spoilers

[project-sekai-facts]

Admin are you ready for the lore drops that's gonna be happening once the VS World link drops all the chapters? Cause I saw a leak and have not recovered in the least cause of the answered question. Won't mention it here, but, yeah. This might be the most lore heavy Virtual Singer storyline in the entire game so far. Which makes sense. It'll probably answer a number of questions about probably the individual SEKAI or something

oh yeah i already read the entire story and will be summarising some of it tomorrow when the event is out officially. it was very good

[mercurysowntwenty-two]

tell me more about lancer!! (I’ve heard of it but never played)

“It is 5016u, and the galaxy is home to trillions. At the core of humanity’s territory there is a golden age, but outside of this newly won utopia the revolutionary project continues... Your character in the world of Lancer is a mechanized cavalry pilot of particular note – a lancer. Whatever the mission, whatever the terrain, whatever the enemy, your character is the one who is called in to break the siege or hold the line. When the drop klaxons sound, it’s up to them to save the day. “ - Introduction, Lancer core rules (pp 10-11)

Lancer is a very good role-playing game about piloting giant robots and using them to make Utopia happen. I’m going to organize this into mechanical things that are Very Good about Lancer and lore things that are Very Good. Here are 12 things I like Very Much about Lancer. 

MECHANICAL

1. COMPCON

2. In addition to a primary system of regular old weapons n attacks n hitpoints, there is an entire other system of technological attacks and “heat” hitpoints to represent hacking enemy robots to increasingly bizarre effect. Making regular physical attacks is tied to physical weapon “mounts” on your mech, and these mounts may be destroyed over the course of a fight, so the technology attack system gives players who might otherwise be neutralized something to do the whole time. 

3. So much player choice: There are 29 mechs in the core rulebook, another 5 in the first rules supplement, another 3 freely available on the publisher itch.io, then various others in the nooks and crannies of the Lancer discord. Do not be daunted, however!  i. In a source like COMPCON above, all the mechs are organized by manufacturer and role. Each in-universe manufacturer matches one of the 4 fundamental mech stats so if you know you’re aiming for a mech that especially interacts with a particular part of the mechanics you’ve already selected out 75% of the choices.  a. The matches go like this: Harrison Armory matches to the “Engineering” stat and so their mechs deal with the Heat mechanics in interesting ways, HORUS matches to the “Systems” stat and so they specialize in hacking other mechs and other technological attacks, Interplanetary Shipping-Northstar matches to “Hull” and so builds tanks and tough guys, and Smith-Shimano matches to “Agility” and so builds the sexy ones the ones that have interesting ways of avoiding getting hit. b. Roles are relatively straightforward too! Striker mechs are the close-quarters fighters, artillery are... artillery- long range fighters, controllers do big Areas of Effect or impose conditions or alter character movement, defenders have big shields or are mobile bunkers or are just so darn big they protect those behind them, and support is... support- they share bonuses like repairs with their allies.  ii. Take this all together and finding the mech that best suits you is actually real easy despite the long long lists. And if you ever get locked into a build you grow to dislike? At every level up, you can completely replace and overhaul the mech licenses (which represent your ability to use the relevant equipment and frame associated with a given robot) you have so you can try other robots. 

4. The NPC system: There are 33 NPC statblocks, organized by the kind of role they have in a potential fight. In addition, there are 12 templates you could potentially apply to an NPC. Both statblocks and templates are defined by “systems”- just little traits and qualities and there are often many optional systems you can slap on for an extra level of customization. Therefore, you can tailor hundreds if not thousands of NPCs out of a seemingly-limited stock.  i. The template system means any potential moveset or archetype can be made into a miniboss or boss ii. The template system means you can flavorfully telegraph how an encounter can go- telling the players they are fighting a group of pirates prepares them for coreworm rockets and grapple leashes (hallmarks of the pirate template) regardless of the actual statblock in use. iii. Each statblock is effectively 3 statblocks in one, set to different tiers to match and scale to the level of the players throughout the game (so oops I guess there are 99 NPCs by default) iv. Monstrosity- it’s for Kaiju! it’s also one of the most modular statblocks for all the little tweaks you need for Big Monster v. Squad- for footsoldiers! 

5. There is no class system (mechanically speaking, in the lore Union is working on it). Character creation functions through selecting Skill Triggers for situations outside your mech and Talents for situations inside your mech, and mech licenses themselves. Even Backgrounds are mostly just lists of questions in order to prompt character introspection. 

6. I put this last down here because it’s kind of at the intersection of the mechanics and the lore, but Lancer has some good random tables for generating things like planets, space stations, people on space stations, Pirate crews, and big Enterprise companies. It’s just good clean fun. 

LORE

I also created this google doc for totally unrelated reasons

1. The naming convention of the rings of Union and the Blinkgates- Blinkgates are Lancer’s mechanism of faster-than-light travel. They are Big installations and passing through one can take you to any other instantly. They’re organized into “rings” of the stations that are physically closest to one another, emanating out from Earth. Each ring is named after a mountain range on Earth (now called Cradle because of course) and each gate is named after a peak in that range. This is a real small detail in the grand scheme of things but I adore it because this naming convention is a clear reflection of the priorities and values of the people who did the naming. Every gate by definition is situated in places that humans have already settled, but they’re not named according to local convention. Just so, every gate is situated somewhere in Cradle’s night sky, but they’re not named for things like constellations. Each blinkgate is named after a feature on Cradle because the blinkgates were named by the Second Committee of Union, who had a driving philosophy of Anthrochauvinism (a manifest destiny attitude towards humanity on the galactic stage, with a heavy bias towards humanity as it is on Cradle) and so of course blinkgates are named as a projection of life on Earth onto space without regard for the actual space they occupy. 

2. On a related note, according to the starship-battle spinoff Battlegroup, Union names its largest starships- its battleships- after environmentalists. That just warmed my little Environmental Scientist heart, and also is a clear reflection of the Third Committee’s values and priorities (Union rose from the ashes of an environmental disaster on Earth, and the Union Navy under the Third Committee has a general mandate of acting protectively and defensively, so Union has effectively named one set of their people’s protectors after another set of protectors). 

3. The fact that every faction is simultaneously in a state of escalating tension. "The Good War" is this inevitable conflict that everyone constantly expects, but it is constantly not here, which just increases the tension further. This makes for good adventure fodder.  i. KTB and HA are about to have the Second Interest War in the Dawnline Shore,  ii. Union and the Aun are about to have the Second Distal War in Boundary Garden, and SSC is gonna wade into it because geneticists gotta get their samples I guess,  iii. IPS-N is about to fall apart from infighting,  iv. In the Long Rim HORUS is closing in on Horizon, finding the Fourth Metavault is around the corner

4. Utopia is a verb. Corollary: Union are the enemy you want. Or: Life is good, but it can be better. All this to say, Union is presented as an unambiguous force for good, but the game and the creators make no bones about how Union can be made better (and thus directly put improving the world in the players’ court!). 

5. Many Factions are defined by a fundamental expectation-subverting "What If?"  i. Union- what if the big bad hegemony that rules over everything was (at least trying to be) the good guys?  ii. The Aun- what if the mysterious and mystical theocracy explicitly and literally had the support of a god and thus could back up their claims of manifest destiny?  iii. The Corpros- what if all of these awful organizations actually did materially improve people’s lives, instead of that just being a propaganda line they throw out to justify themselves?

6. NHPs- Explaining what’s up with NHPs in full would be a whole Thing, so for now I’ll just share my favorite thing about them: they’re like droids in Star Wars, except the creators actually acknowledge the immorality of the situation and thus generate and encourage discussion about it in the playerbase, rather than just let it be taken for granted (and thus directly put improving the world in the players’ court!). 

[spiritmaiden23]

HANDY DANDY RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET FOR ZELDA (skyward sword)!

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Templatehere.

mun name: Amber! ooc contact: My DMs are always open for mutuals and non-mutuals alike! In case I’m not here you can always reach my personal which is over @sealilys annnd I do have a discord however that’s only for mutuals, I rarely do drops. That out of the way let’s get started! 

who the heck is my muse anyway?

Well, for those who never touched The Legend of Zelda in their lives, I’m sure it’s pretty dang confusing to see more than one design of both Zelda and Link, I’ll try my best to explain this! The series follows a very, very convoluted timeline filled with plotholes, as such the Links and Zeldas we see throughout different titles of the game are actually reincarnations (well Link is the only one reincarnating, Zelda reincarnates once... more on that later) who are destined to seal away whatever darkness may threaten the lands known as Hyrule. 

Skyward Sword is the very beginning of that timeline, with Sky Zelda (this Zelda) being the first Zelda and she comes from a place outside of Hyrule, in fact high above the kingdom known as Skyloft. During her time, the kingdom of Hyrule was not yet established so the place below the clouds is known as The Surface to the Skyloftians. As such, unlike the other princesses we see throughout the series, she is not born a princess but is actually just your average, everyday girl who was studying to become a knight! Zelda is well-known for being charming and vivacious. She’s childhood friends with the sleepyheaded Link and the beloved daughter of the headmaster of the Knight Academy. Life was good and while she dreams of the lands below the islands, believing that there’s something down there instead of a barren wasteland like most seem to believe especially since she hears someone calling for her down there, she was content with spending her days with her best friend. Little did the two know that they both had a heavy destiny thrust upon them by the gods themselves. 

Zelda’s story is one that is about awakening. And she wouldn’t have that awakening until one faithful day where she was ripped from the skies by the self-proclaimed demon lord Ghirahim, with his magic spell that broke through the cloud barrier surrounding Skyloft, she falls and wakes up unharmed on The Surface. After being rescued by an old woman who then informs her of her shared destiny with Link to bring Skyloft back to The Surface while defeating the great demon Demise once and for all, this kickstarts her awakening and she begins her journey in purifying her body at the sacred temples on The Surface and praying to the goddess Hylia to retrieve memories of a time long ago. Along the way, she meets with a Sheikah warrior named Impa who acts as an escort and later treasured friend. 

In truth, Zelda is actually the goddess Hylia reborn as a mortal. In her past life, she knew the Gods of the Old, in fact they were the ones who had instructed Hylia to not only look after her people but to also look after the sacred power of the gods known as the Triforce. A golden artifact that can grant the wish of anyone. Gods can not use this power however mortals and even demons can, this would prompt for Demise to rise from the crack of the earth to obtain that power for selfish desires. As such, there was a great war on The Surface against the dark forces, her people were dying and the war greatly affected the lands. During her final battle against Demise, Hylia constructed a plan that would bring an end to his terror at the cost of her own death. The battle ended with her victory where she manages to seal away Demise while succumbing to her wounds from the battle, later she’d reincarnate as the spirit maiden Zelda. Once Zelda remembers her past, this only fuels her desire to end Demise once and for all with Link’s help. 

And sure enough, despite the bumps and heartache along the way, Link defeats Demise. Yet there was a catch. Before Demise passed away he placed a curse on all three of them where his grudge will bound them to the neverending destiny of Link and Zelda fighting off the incarnation of Demise’s hatred. The story ends with Zelda staying on The Surface to watch over the Triforce while helping colonize the lands. 

things you should know:

Zelda is not a princess. Nor does she become one after the events of the game. She remains as a guardian of sorts for the Triforce considering the fact that the Sacred Realm does not exist, therefore there’s no safe place to hide the Triforce someone has to look over it. Instead she’s a literal goddess, albeit human but she still has her divine powers despite it dwindling greatly compared to her form as Hylia. 

I PLAY LINK AND ZELDA’S RELATIONSHIP AS STRICTLY PLATONIC WITH HINTS OF ROMANCE. It is possible for her to develop feelings for Link but to avoid stepping on any toes, she’s happy with being his friend. 

Zelda does not have the Triforce of Wisdom. Considering the fact that the Triforce does not split, it’s whole in this era. While she can now use the power of it since she’s mortal she prefers not to honestly considering she still has her divine powers from Hylia, while weak when compared to her god form she’s far more powerful than the average human (speaking of humans are not yet known as Hylians during her time). 

She can hear the voices of the gods. Very minutely though but she can hear them. Considering her connection with them and the lore behind the pointed ears, I’d like to think she’d have moments where she can hear soft whispers of them. Rarely do they talk to her though. 

While Zelda is very capable of fighting, she cannot fight any of the beasts during her main verse where’s she’s traveling the Surface to find the temples to purify her body. Not only will they outnumber her, not only she is without a weapon, but the monsters let out this miasma when defeated and it’s possible for that miasma to affect her purification process. For the most part, you’ll see her sneak around monsters. If push comes to shove, she’ll use her harp as a bludging weapon...

what she’s been up to:

main verse: Which is during the events of Skyward Sword, as such she’s no longer in Skyloft nor does she have the full knowledge that she’s Hylia but Zelda is suspecting that there’s a connection there. She does not know how to wield her magic as it comes and goes in spurts. She’s seen throughout the Surface so she can be anywhere! Even in other timelines due to using the Gate of Time, we can just say that something screwed up causing for her to end up in another time period or even verse! LOZ series is pretty flexible in time travel. 

where to find her:

Faron Woods:  The place where it all started. Here the Sealed Temple along with Skyview Temple is located, so she can be either wondering throughout the woods or either of those places. She’s currently alone and is sneaking away from monsters yet is also enjoying the sights of the Surface while being mindful of her mission. 

Eldin Province: Neighboring Faron Woods and home to the infamous Death Mountain (known as Eldin Volcano). So what is she doing in a dangerous place? Why, praying at the Earth Temple of course! Here’s where she meets with a Sheikah warrior Impa, so chances of her showing up as an NPC in a thread is pretty high! 

Lanayru Province: Once a lush, green place now became a desert yet far from barren, hidden underneath the sands is a time long lost where hints of the past can be uncovered. There are many caverns throughout the desert. It is around here where she travels to find something known as the Gate of Time. Impa will most def show up as an NPC since she’s traveling with Zelda during this time. 

current plans:

Meet with Link and return Skyloft to the Surface while regaining all of her memories as Hylia.

desired interactions:

I would love for more wacky time shenanigans to happen where Zelda not only meets with LOZ muses from other timelines but also other muses from different universes all together since the LOZ community is pretty dang dead! This can work in post-game verse as well since she has more knowledge of timelines and the like! 

Muses joining Zelda’s journey while she uncovers her past, it’d be fun to do dungeon threads with potential of action happening since Ghirahim is hunting down Zelda along with the monsters that work under him. Protect tiny goddess at all costs!

I want her to make more friends but enemies would be fun too! 

Romance. I am a sucker for fluff and cuteness. 

This is very random but I want Zelda to interact with a Kina or even Kass so that they can do a jam session together! Actually any musically talented muse doing a jam session with Zelda is all I could ever ask for. 

things that bother me:

This doesn’t bother me too much but your muse insisting that she’s a princess despite her constant denial. I can understand this one considering her bloodline is royalty later on so it’s whatever.

Your muse magically knowing she’s Hylia. Yes, she has strong powers that can probably be sensed and yes she more than likely resembles her past life look but your muse shouldn’t make that connection easily on the spot unless she tells you herself and for the most part she keeps that knowledge away from outsiders. Insisting she’s just a humble spirit maiden should they feel something fishy with her.

YOUR MUSE BLAMING EVERYTHING EVER ON HER. This ties in with the one above, having your muse condemn Zelda for the choices she had made during her life spent as Hylia is a bad look dude. It’s hard to put into words and this happened long ago when the fandom was active but just... making Hylia/any Zelda out as the bad guy is just really annoying and just downplays her character. 

tagged by: i pirated it ;v; 

tagging: whomst ever! i recommend doing this since it’ll help a ton with those who still are unsure with your muse but feel too nervous to ask questions.