#my notes are way worse just so you know

[werederg]

Bloodborne DND time babey!

Today’s Topic: NPC spotlight!

Yakov the Feathered!

This is him. My boy, my man. Yakov the Feathered!

Yakov is my take on the OG hunter of hunters. The exact quote from the gear is “The first Hunter of Hunters came from a foreign land, and gave the dead a virtuous native funeral ritual, rather than impose a blasphemous Yharnam burial service upon them.” So obviously Yakov comes from a foreign land, and for the native funeral ritual I have taken inspiration from the burial practices of Zoroastrianism, where a body is left out in the open for animals to feed on and for nature to reclaim. I chose this partially because it was one of my first thoughts and also because I think it adds to the horror if Yakov casually hangs out around rotting corpses being picked on by birds.

In the physical world of Yharnam, Yakov will first appear in the place Eileen normally does. He is notably different in temperament than Eileen. Eileen is somewhat kind and encouraging to the hunter when they find her, seeming understanding and sympathetic, giving helpful items to the hunter. Yakov by contrast is dismissive and standoffish. The first line of dialogue I have for him is:

“Fly away from my perch, little hatchlings. You’re much too wet behind the ears to be my prey quite yet.”

I kinda leaned into the whole bird themeing because this would be the man who made the damn bird costumes so I feel like it would be a thing for him. I like this as intro dialogue because it is dismissive of the players but it also prompts questions from the players about what exactly he means.

Yakov has so much lore and kinda complicated motivations, he’s my second oldest NPC for this setting but definitely the one I’ve worked on the most. So backstory for him!

Despite what the name might imply Yakov does not have a Russian accent mostly because I can’t do one consistently anymore. He has a British accent (which I’ve been practicing lmao) which is short hand in the setting for someone who is either from Yharnam or has been there long enough to pick up the native accent.

Yakov has been in Yharnam since before the hunt and the church was in full power. He met a woman who was traveling in his homeland and fell in love with her and decided to move to Yharnam to be with her. Her name is Bonnie.

Yakov lived in Yharnam with Bonnie through the start of the scourge, before Old Yharnam burned down, when the church was still trying to keep everything that was happening a secret. Both Yakov and Bonnie were aware something not quite right was going on, especially once the hunt officially started after the burning of Old Yharnam. Yakov was very distrustful of the church at the time especially as they seemed to know more than they let on about the scourge.

At some point Bonnie becomes pregnant and Yakov begins to think that perhaps Yharnam is not the place to raise a child, but Bonnie scolds him for the idea that he would abandon the people of Yharnam when they are in need of help. Yakov is an honorable man who believes in helping those in need. The night they have an argument about this however, Bonnie goes for a walk to clear her head and never comes back. It is not clear what happens to her.

Yakov is devastated, but he knows he needs to be the person his wife believed he was, someone who would help the people of Yharnam even if the people didn’t yet understand that it might be their very own church putting them in danger, as Yakov believes.

Yakov then joins the hunters workshop to be better equipped and have more access to investigate the inner workings of Yharnam and the healing church. He is brought out of his grief by some of the kinship he finds with other hunters, many of whom also with the best of intentions to help the people of Yharnam.

I’ll probably add more hunters that Yakov knew back then in the future but the main important one is Ahmed. Yakov and Ahmed are very close during their time as hunters. It is a deeply homoerotic relationship, but not explicitly homosexual as Yakov is still mourning his wife.

Ahmed is also a foreigner. His people are normally pacifists except for in extreme circumstances, which Ahmed believed Yharnam was in.

They hunt for a period of time, Ahmed not quite knowing about Yakov’s investigation into the church as Yakov worries it will put people in danger if they know about him opposing the church. Eventually, Ahmed discovers the old hunters DLC, a place where hunters seem to have lost their minds, trapped in a constant cycle of mindless violence. Ahmed is terrified that this is a fate that will befall him and that it will disgrace his family and ancestors for him to become a mindless killer. Ahmed makes Yakov promise that Yakov will not let Ahmed end up in that nightmare and they go about trying to understand what it is in the first place.

They together with some of their other hunter friends come to understand the phenomenon of “blood drunk hunters” and as time passes, one by one all of the hunters that Yakov knows start to show signs of going blood drunk, some slowly some quickly, eventually they all fall and are all claimed by the nightmare, including Ahmed. Yakov is powerless to stop them.

But after these losses, and the way the city has been degrading over time, Yakov decides that the people of Yharnam can not be saved. The beasthood can not be prevented or cured and things just see to be getting worse and Yakov has lost every one he has ever cared about in the city.

He sets his sights on blood drunk hunters, determined to prevent any more of his siblings in arms being claimed by the nightmare. He can’t keep his promise to Ahmed, but he can do what he can to stop any more hunters from hurting people and becoming lost in a waking nightmare.

This is how Yakov becomes the first hunter of hunters.

He is, by the time the players meet him, a very sad man. He has shut himself off from caring about anyone else because of everything he’s lost and has dedicated himself to his work of watching hunters, tracking signs of blood drunkenness, and taking them out before they can hurt anyone or be claimed by the nightmare. He works with other hunters who he has brought into the same cause but he remains distant from them.

I’m toying with the idea that there is something special about the blades of mercy that untethers hunters from the dream, because otherwise why would they not just reawaken in the dream, the other option is that once hunters become fully blood drunk their connection to the dream is automatically severed and there is a short window of time to kill them before they are claimed by the nightmare. I’m not sure yet.

There are two other hunters of hunters that Yakov collaborates with so far for the game. And they go by bird themed code names. Both because I think that’s fun and because I think that it would make sense that the church would not condone the work these hunters do and if the church knows your full name they can destroy your contract, which presumably is what gives you access to the hunters dream, an act that would basically kill you in the long term.

The two other hunters of hunters will come up in later NPC posts, shorter ones lmao.

Not sure if this is everything for Yakov, so if you have any questions or thoughts please let me know! Yakov is one of my fav NPC’s so far and I’d love to talk about him.

[queenlucythevaliant]

Just to clarify my thoughts (since I've had a number of people ask me about it) re: Job and cursing God. There's a big difference between cursing God as used in Scripture and how we generally would think of cursing at God today.

Cursing someone, in the Bible, has a lot of depth to it. It's not just saying "screw you " in anger, it's got a sense of forsakenness to it. It's the opposite of a blessing, a removal of blessing. If the blessing is presence, your face shining on the person you're blessing, then a curse is absence. In some translations, Job's wife tells him to "renounce God and die," which I honestly think makes a lot more sense to modern ears.

Job says a lot of unpleasant things to and about God in his anger and grief. So do the Psalmists. A number of the Prophets. So can we. God can take it if we come to him with honest expressions of our emotion, including those not-so-nice ones directed at him. I don't think there's anything wrong with getting mad at God and saying, "How dare you, you bastard" when you suffer unjustly. You can say much worse, I think, without sinning, though I don't feel particularly inclined to give examples. But as long as it's an honest expression of your heart, I think you're doing exactly what prayer is for. You're presenting him your heart with an open hand. He can use that. Opposite of love is not hate but indifference, etc.

Job doesn't renounce God. Neither should we. But I think when you're truly suffering, you're gonna have those feelings toward God either way. He'd rather you address them with him directly than try to avoid them. Cursing at God in the modern sense is actually a great way to keep the relationship strong and not end up cursing/renouncing him in the Biblical sense.

[tora-the-cat]

An interesting little fun thing with team 7 is that you assume that Sakura's gonna, like, woobify and simplify Sasuke by putting him on a pedastal,cause her goal is centered around him and shes a 12 y/o fangirl so like of course her understanding of him is skewed cause she doesnt see him as a person, just an object of affection, right? She's can't get Sasuke, can't imprint on and/or traumabond with him like Naruto and Kakashi do. They don't see him with rose tinted glasses, because they've lived through their own Horrors and empathize with Sasuke's experience.

......right?

WRONG lmao!! They have too many ghosts!! Naruto's single-minded codependent ass won't get out of his own way long enough to see Sasuke for who he actually is, only able to empathize with the parts of his trauma Naruto relates to and not really capable of understanding him outside of the context of himself (because Sasuke is. His other half). And Kakashi is far too jaded to be fair to him!! He can't decide if Sasuke is gonna end up as a mini-him or a mini-Obito or maybe a mini-Itachi, but either way he ALSO is too traumatized to see Sasuke AS SASUKE.

meanehile SAKURA'S autistic ass may have dogshit empathy, but you know what she does have? A special interest in sasuke. Nothing better to do then give herself a degree in Uchihaisms. She can write character studies about him. she can read his soul. Whenever she says something about him she is right. Every fucking time! She is RIGHT!!!!

'sasuke would NOT compliment me this directly or explicitly express worry unprompted, especially if it gets in the way of his goals' correct.

'Sasuke shouldn't hide that curse on his neck its not healthy BUT if I tell anyone about it he'll never trust me again, which might be even more dangerous for him then the curse mark. Like he can probably handle the curse mark but no one else can stop him from ripping peoples arms off.' correct.

Speaking of! 'Sasuke would not hurt me even when he seems to be...possessed? whatever the only way to knock him out of it is to present myself as Alive and thus something to be protected rather then something to be avenged, because he gets really stuck in his own head about revenge' CORRECT

'hey so um. like. Sasuke's gonna leave Konoha. I'm not sure anything can stop him at this point and honestly I'm kinda starting to doubt anything should, so the only thing I could possibly do to help him at this point is ALSO defect.' CORRECT!!!!

[elderwisp]

◁ || ▷

Atlas: Taryn? Hey!

Atlas: What happened-

Taryn: Please don’t. 

Atlas: Can you talk to me?

Taryn: [ strained ] What is there to say that you don’t already know? I keep asking myself why you’re so nice to me all of a sudden. Why would someone like you be around someone like me and it’s such a… Mind-fuck. 

Atlas: I swear to you, it isn’t like that-

Taryn: Am I just a one night stand?

Atlas: [ stammers ] N-No! 

Taryn: Convincing.

Atlas: I’m sorry it wasn’t a good enough response, I’m just caught off guard. Why would you assume that?

Taryn: Because my questions made sense the minute you walked out of that building and there was lipstick smeared all over your face. Then you gave me this look, something about it made me realize I wasn’t the first and I don’t think I’d be the last. 

Atlas: [ flatly ] We didn’t even catch each other's name, that’s how little it meant. 

Taryn: [ barely a whisper ] Oh now that’s incredibly fucked up… Was that supposed to make me feel better?

Atlas: Bee-

Taryn: [ voice breaks ] Was it worth it? [ pauses ] Don’t… Answer that. I’m… Gonna go now.

[bacchuschucklefuck]

the never stop blowing up vhs is where cute twinks go to get harmed

[greasydumbfuck]

watched the 2004 punisher movie yesterday with pixie and honestly i had fun 👍 some stuff was good some stuff was eh some completely irrelevant stuff made me mildly annoyed. but most of all it was funny and they had frank hang around with his tits out for multiple scenes so i mean how could i not have a great time tbh

[laugtherhyena]

Continuing the rant-iness of last post's notes onto this one i think (I appreciate if they're read, i think I'm too self-conscious to have them in the post itself)

[spamtoon]

i would take their poison

Sketch + Line Art for those Clicking Under the Cut(tm) (archival purposes honestly)

[crystalkitty1220]

Man I wonder where the leader of the fear realm could've gone, it's alMOST LIKE NEVIN HAS AN

[andaniellight]

i feel the need to say this because it's been bothering me the whole day /pos

i started watching black out because of this post of yours https://www.tumblr.com/andaniellight/761205004460851200/do-you-understand-the-violence-it-took-to-become?source=share it's very moving, but i'm still in episode 9 and then while taking a break i read your personal analysis? on sangcheol's character. somehow it led me to check on the actor's social media. on instagram go jun has been intervewed for his sangcheol role which kind of mindblowing because, first it's by forbes https://www.instagram.com/p/DAQPySlzD3D/?igsh=MTF6cDlyODdyYWprdw==

and second go jun said something along the line about "this character is gentle to the vulnerable" and i just !!!! idk how to explain it i know it's not even close to luck or miracle but i feel like i'm fated by you - the way you're fated to be into this series. gentleness that's everything. just woven by the concept of gentleness. i think i'm going to lose my mind do you get me???

FIRST OF. WHAT.

Oh my God........ Anon... This could possibly be the most insane DM I've ever received because WDYM YOU'RE FATED BY ME THE WAY I'M FATED TO BE INTO THIS SERIES??? THROUGH THE CONCEPT OF GENTLENESS?????? WDYM.

ANON, WDYM........

[caswlw]

the idea that they’re writing the season as they go so they’re seeing the reaction the audience has and that it (even in the smallest way possible) could have an impact on what happens this season (and in future seasons) is so wild to me. not saying that they’re seeing our response and saying “oh that sounds good, totally writing that in,” but it’s not impossible to say that they will see what the people want, realize the best way to generate buzz and excitement and increased viewership is to keep your fans happy, and then actually do something about it instead of killing characters/storylines just for kicks

911 has the opportunity to be that bitch even more than it already is and they shouldn’t squander it while they’re on top

[crossbackpoke-check]

a junkyard dog ain't always pretty but you always love that toothless smile

[trash-bin-ary]

I can go on that ramble about the future and housing and aromanticism though now. It’s like man, the future is already something that is so inconceivable to me. To then have the sexuality that does not allow me to slot in the cookie cutter you find a romantic partner that you end up moving in with is terrible. And like In this economy I sure can’t live alone, and I know at least when I’m sick I desperately want someone to be there. And then there’s I’m likely to move around a bunch how do you deal with that housing, other than the work having paid housing. like constantly having to find somewhere that’s looking for roommates and it isn’t terrible? And then long term, when I find a job I stay at for a while (that’s remote so I’d love to live in a remote place) is it like I find a place to stay and then I’m stuck there forever and I just have to hope that I make good friends at this new place. (Friends that don’t want to live exclusively with a romantic partner no less.) I want to live with close friends so bad and I’m not sure if that’s a feasible thing for my future. I’m a person that has so much hope so I have to assume that yes it will work out, I do believe that. But man just hearing someone mention it, sparks that hope.

[whoblewboobear]

It’s strange, I’m used to hyperfixating hard on things like HARD (beats my 2yr long beetlejuice musical obsession back with a stick) but Starbreaker- not even fantasy high itself took me over to the point of feeling like a teen about. Like I haven’t had this much fun in fandom in years. I haven’t like- interacted with people this much in fandom in years (which is still not enough but if I beat myself up about social interaction again I’ll jump off a cliff)

But there’s never been a concern of like “this obsession won’t fade for a while but it’ll lose popularity” and that’s fine and surprisingly it hasn’t. But it is different. It’s like adapting to it constantly as the thing itself changes even when there are aspects that you’d like to stay the same. Like that ‘I don’t go to this school of thought, but I’ll still take the class bc it’s interesting’ sorta thing.

And then there’s that feeling of WANTING to contribute but the thing has become such a beast that it’s like oooh I’m so out of my depths here.

Also like constantly having to look myself in the eye and be like ‘bitch you don’t have to talk or contribute to EVERYTHING’ and the sooner I accept that and accept that it is what it is, ill miss things, I won’t get enjoyment out of every aspect and every aspect isn’t for me and that that isn’t a bad thing, I’ll stop having moments of feeling weird and out of place. I have my lil corner and that’s okay

[bisexualmaedhros]

transfem furries hornyposting online about the relatively niche/"out there" things they're into have inadvertently helped me accept myself more than the body positivity movement of the 2010s ever did

[volivolition]

[guy with chronic pain voice] i should draw pain threshold