#next life online NPCs

[next-life-online-rpg]

NPCs IMPORTANTES EN NEXT LIFE ONLINE

En el mundo virtual de Next Life Online, tenemos el reino Camelot, junto con otras regiones (las cuales podrán conocer mas adelante dentro del foro cuando se abra, o probablemente en un futuro post), y por supuesto, como todo juego, existen personajes cuyos roles son importantes en dichas zonas.

(Cabe aclarar, que estos personajes, serán NPCs que NO PODRÁN SER LLEVADOS POR LOS USUARIOS, ya que el staff será quien los manejará en futuros eventos donde sea necesaria la presencia de alguno de ellos, esto dependiendo la situación, por lo tanto, si bien estos personajes se ubicarán en zonas específicas del mundo virtual de NLO, ELLOS NO PODRÁN APARECER EN ROLES NORMALES, solo en eventos y posiblemente en otro tipo de situaciones)

Información Básica:

Barlaam "La Quimera" Raza: Hombre bestia PB: Carrion – Tensei Shittara Slime Data Ken

Basanta "El inamovible" Raza: Humano PB: Leonidas - Shuumatsu no Valkyrie

Excalibur "El Arma del Rey" Raza: Autómata PB: Durandamon - Digimon

Hektor "El Dorado" Raza: Enano PB: Don Quixote – Fate

Coronis "La Madre" Raza: Dragonewt PB: Vritra – Fate Series

Sif "La Bendecida" Raza: Hada PB: Trianda – Fire Emblem

Gémini "El vagabundo" Raza: Autómata PB: Svarog – Honkai: Star Rail

Cepheus "La Fortuna" Raza: Vampiro PB: Illumi Zoldyck – Hunter x Hunter

Laelia "La iluminada" Raza: Humano PB: Melina – Elden Ring

Gasto "El Invicto" Raza: Humano PB: Date Masamune – Sengoku Basara

... ¿uh? ¿Buscabas información mas completa de estos personajes? Bueno, eso no será posible, ya que esto es una demo de lo que se viene en el foro, si quieres conocerlos completamente, tendrás que esperar a que el foro abra!

Esperamos verlos pronto iniciar sesión!

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for putting a hit out on an ex friend’s dnd character?

A few years ago I [M 18] was the link between two different online friend circles along with my longtime friend A [M 22]. Essentially, both A and I ran two different dnd campaigns that acted as a melting pot between our two friend groups. It was really fun, super casual stuff. Enter C [M 19], who was originally one of my friends and played in both groups. Over time it became clear that C was, to put it lightly, not a great person. At the time, I was a really new DM and struggled a lot with my self confidence. C was a super disruptive player in my group, going off the rails and generally trying to undermine both me and other players. I tried to sort it out between sessions, but it didn’t end up working out. It came to a head where I ended up shutting down my campaign, claiming school got to be too much, but in reality I just couldn’t deal with C’s behaviour. It was a really big blow to my self confidence at the time.

At this point a lot of people had been cutting out C for various other things like this - generally being disrespectful and callous, not taking responsibility for harm he caused, etc. Pretty soon the only times I was interacting with C directly was during A’s campaign.

A, who wasn’t 100% aware of the situation, came and talked to me after a session one day about why I’d shut down my campaign, and I told him everything about how I was feeling. He was really understanding, and said that he got the feeling that I probably didn’t want C around anymore, and neither did he. I agreed, so A offered to ‘sort out some stuff with C’s character’ and shuffle him out of the group. I made a joke about wanting C’s character to die, in a pretty flippant way, and the conversation diverted.

This is where things get kind of weird.

So, at the time, I was expecting A to just talk with C and kick him out of the group in between sessions, but that didn’t end up happening. C was at the next session just as planned, and continued to show up for several weeks. During this time A, and I really don’t know how else to describe this, pulled some Machiavellian scheme on C’s character as the DM to ruin his life. A wove in this story where C’s character got this evil mask shard of a dead god, and played on C’s want to sabotage other players & go his own way in a very ‘lone rogue’ way to isolate him from the group and get him involved in all these evil deeds (killing minor npcs, etc). None of our characters knew about this in character, but A dropped all these hints and the context lined up to make it seem like C’s character was slowly going insane. C, unable to communicate in or out of character, backed up this idea by refusing to talk about the god IC or OOC. Eventually this god fragment lead to the death of C’s character when an overpowered assassin struck him down, in a fight that felt very ‘well this could’ve been a party boss but because you didn’t tell anyone, you died’. Immediately following this the party found out about C’s character’s evil deeds, meaning he wouldn’t be mourned by the party. The whole death felt so… hollow. It really felt like C had ended up in this situation because of their own hubris. But they hadn’t.

A had masterminded the whole thing. He’d given me live updates about his plan to essentially manufacture a situation where C’s character died a miserable death that felt totally deserved in the eyes of the other party members. And then we all just blocked C anyway???

I’ve never seen someone manipulate somebody like that in my life before and I’ve never seen anything like it again. I’ve never told anyone else in the group that the death was masterminded by A because of my petty grudge about my failed campaign. I don’t speak to either A or C now but I still feel bad about not doing something. Should I have just told A to kick C way before this?? I had no clue it would spiral into actual months of chess mastering his demise!!

What are these acronyms?

[luvtonique]

I wanna tell a little story. Just a little one. [Edit after typing: Yeah I ranted for a while. Oh well.]

I grew up with a dad who was extremely racist, extremely homophobic, and extremely abusive. Used to beat me and my brothers for 20+ years of my life, left us all with mental disorders and trust issues, you name it.

One such story of his homophobia and beatings is that my brother had a boyfriend at one point, and my dad hit him with a belt and screamed at him until he agreed to break up with said boyfriend, which he did.

Now cut ahead 20 years, my dad met an openly gay celebrity online and became friends with him. All the sudden, my dad was Mr. LGBT Pride. He was a writer, and suddenly started writing a book about a gay cowboy called Buck Justice. He would rent movies with gay actors in it, or gay themes, and was suddenly super pro gay.

It just left all of us disgusted, my brothers and my mom. We knew this man, but people on Facebook didn't. He had this huge friend group all the sudden of people calling him "Dad" and "Big Bob" and shit (When in reality, my dad called himself N*gger Bob and even had that written on the whiteboard next to his phone number), and he kept telling us all these stories and laughing and having a good time about how "Cool gay people are."

You see, it left a poor fucking taste in our mouth.

Because we had personally seen how horrible this man was. He beat us. He beat my bisexual brother. He was a fucking monster, but now that he was in some clique with a big popular movie star friend, he was suddenly this shining beacon of gay pride.

That's what bothers me when I see people on the internet acting the same way. I see the disingenuous nature of their actions. I see the popular people they're brown-nosing, I see the big popular bloggers and streamers they're trying to be friends with who are spouting the same bullshit.

And the reason it bothers me is because I know who these people are. I go back in their blogs like 1 month and find death threats, calls for violence, mental instability, extreme rage.

I go to their YouTube channels and find videos of them watching rats die on glue traps.

I get invited into their Discord servers and scroll back through the history of them talking with their friends and see just mountains of hate posting, calling for violence, wishing people would be killed, celebrating the death of people they hate.

That's why I don't do that shit. And why I don't tend to hang out with people who do. Because I know those people aren't really respectful people. I know they don't truly want equality.

I know the truth. From 20 years of belt marks on my back.

I know y'all are fucking disgusting people who are just pretending to be respectful advocates for equality and peace because the big celebrities and vloggers and streamers you wanna be friends with are saying the same shit.

You people aren't real. You are NPCs spouting NPC dialogue in hopes of getting some pseudo social credit score with big e-celebs while all it takes is 10 seconds of scrolling through your blog to find out you are the most disgusting, violent and unhinged person on the internet.

Case in point, y'ever seen a cat owner before?

Tell a cat owner you don't like cats.

Watch what happens.

It's been 9 years since I made a post saying I don't like cats and I still get those fucking psycho pieces of shit sending me extremely descriptive anon asks about how they want my throat to be ripped out by a dog in my sleep. That's who these people really are.

All it takes is one thing that sets them off and they go from your 11-year-running best friend of all time to a person who sends you multiple paragraphs of descriptive ways they hope you die.

I've learned from experience with my dad.

Y'all want equality? Just treat people with respect no matter what. Don't act like there's versions of people or groups of people who deserve more or less respect, because guess what, THAT'S CALLED PREJUDICE YOU FUCKING DIPSHIT.

If you have to say "I am LGBT friendly"

You clearly have something to hide (which I guarantee is like 10 posts down in your blog and is horrifically violent and descriptive) and you are the last person I would expect to actually be LGBT friendly, or any kind of friendly.

[maybeamiles]

Okay so something happened in the Honkai Star Rail community that really bothered me and I'm trying to put into words what makes me so upset about it.

So Hoyoverse recently hired a new voice actor named Chris Niosi to voice one of their new characters. He is no longer voicing this character. The reason he is no longer voicing this character is because a bunch of people found out that in 2019 Niosi released a shitty internet apology for being abusive to people in his personal life in response to callout posts on Twitter and Tumblr. During this time he also violated an NDA about a role he played in Fire Emblem 3 Houses, and was replaced with Zach Aguilar. He did not face any criminal charges for this behavior, but it is a thing that happened. Naturally people are upset about this and kept asking for him to be fired, and some VA's stood up for him claiming he'd changed, and fans began to lash out against them too. Niosi ended up resigning, and Hoyoverse will hire a new voice actor.

So far, it seems this controversy has not affected his work. Since 2019 he's played Reigen Arataka in Season 3 of Mob Psycho 100 and was an NPC in Genshin Impact.

Now I have a few problems with the community reaction to all this:

Problem number 1: I spent way too much time in the Dream SMP fandom, and have heard way too much bullshit about people being abusers in their personal lives to be ok with any of this. Like part of the reason Dream SMP was so awful is that every other week there would be a new post along the lines of "Dream is the Worst! Here are 7 Heavily Censored Screenshots To Prove Why!" This stuff instantly activates my "I don't like this" senses, I have a very bad reaction to these things.

Problem Number 2: He's a fucking actor. Just because he now has a bit of fame in the community doesn't mean he's somehow more worthy of criticism than he was before. Hell, he still has work in the industry. Just go look up his IMDB. The only reason it matters more in Star Rail is because a lot of the Hoyoverse VA's make extra money off of being Hoyoverse VA's, like how Dan Heng's VA gets the other Star Rail VA's together to do music covers. Even then, he's WORKED WITH HOYOVERSE BEFORE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT HE'S NOW VOICING A PLAYABLE CHARACTER INSTEAD OF AN NPC.

Problem number 3: Personally, I don't see what online abuse allegations from 2019 have to do with his role as a Voice Actor. Would working at McDonald's or in a less flashy job stop him from hurting people? No! Now, if I was hiring him, I would be nervous about that NDA violation, or that the abuse allegations might flare up into a PR disaster (like they ACTUALLY DID). I might not hire him for a major role. I might take concerns about his mistreatment of his colleagues more seriously. He might not be a Good Face for my company. But, at the end of the day, he is still a Guy Doing a Job, parasociality be dammned, and not doing This Job will not make anything better for the people he hurt.

(Also your (and my) favorite game has like, one not-pale dude in it and is made by a huge dev team that probably has shitty people in it just because that's what happens when you get a large enough group of people together but like heyyyyy let's all jump onto boogeyman of the week now shall we?)

(now, concerns about parasociality I do respect. Hoyoverse VA's are VERY parasocial, and tend to make a bit of extra money from fans by doing cool Hoyoverse VA things. But most people are like ABUSER = BAD AND GROSS and... ugh onto the next slide).

Problem number 4: ABUSER = BAD AND GROSS is a stupid black-and-white mindset and I think everyone who has this mindset should grow the fuck up. People can and do get better, I know people who have gotten better, people who it would be really fucked up of me to stop speaking to because of things I wasn't even alive for, when I don't even know the people who were hurt. People who have already had enough guilt and now need the space to live again. Hell, I've hurt people. You can't divide people into "good" and "bad" and you have to make room for change because if you do not you will hurt someone badly and that mindset will either break you with guilt or turn you into one of the "bad" people without even realizing it. (i reblogged earlier a comic about this exact phenomenon go read it)

At the end of the day I do think it was a good thing Niosi resigned because jesus fucking christ this was a PR disaster, and I would have hated to see him do something like Elliot Ghindi and use the parasociality of Hoyoverse fans to hurt more people (which is just a possibility, not something Niosi has actually done), but I don't think the internet Hate Mob was a good thing. I think bringing up someone's irrelevant personal details into their work life is a universally bad thing and even though he's a semi-public figure, nobody's private life should be exposed like that. There are court systems for a Fucking Reason and I know that they are flawed but also I genuinely believe that this whole internet tradition of making "callout posts" and stuff is incredibly toxic and abusive and I don't want it to keep happening in the fandoms I'm in.

[watermelonbugs]

Best tip i can give new dnd players, especially for multiclasses, use DND Beyond to your full advantage. The character sheet is a life saver

The free version dose mean you can only play basic classes and races, but theres still a lot to choose from! (12 different classes and 14ish different races)

It tells you basically everything you need/can have. It gets really confusing figuring out what perks your background/race/class gives you what your scores on stuff are, when you get new stuff, what new stuff you get at different levels, etc and the dnd beyond character sheet dose all that for you and straight up tells you what you need to add and when

Also write stuff down, sometimes a random name of an npc is just the dm making shit up on the spot, some times the dm will say the same name 5 sessions later and its the bbeg! Writing also just helps with keeping time lines in place and understand what the group has done and will do next

And know your playing a game, not in a tv show. A lot of people will listen to Dnd podcasts and assume thats what all dnd is, but dnd podcasts are polishes the dms job is to make a big story, real dnd is a fun game

Like is a dnd podcast is lord of the rings, real life dnd like a group of kids on a playground all pretending to be golium

You dont need a 6 page backstory, PC's die sometimes and its not a super big deal, and sometimes an entire campaign is just a series "travel to place -> kill thing -> travel to new place" forever and thats also fun!

Over all dont sweat it, if everyone at the table knows you new they aren't gonna sacrifice you fir taking to long on your turn, use online tools for free, and kill some rats in a tavern basment:]

(Btw im one of aethers friends who saw its post with your ask and wanted to throw some tips)

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!

This is so helpful!!! I definitely was expecting smth kinda like the dnd podcasts I’ve listened to, so that’s good to know that it’s not the same!!

I’ll def look into DND Beyond, and I already have an assigned DND notebook to write stuff down (it’s a Garfield notebook!) but didn’t think about writing NPC names!! I was mostly gonna use it to remember what spells mean.

Thank you so so so much, this is all so helpful!! Also hi hello, lovely to say hi to one of Aether’s friends! Hope you’re doing well!!

[satoshi-mochida]

Monster Hunter Wilds third trailer, screenshots - Gematsu

Capcom has released the third official trailer and new screenshots for Monster Hunter Wilds.

Get the latest details below.

The latest footage for the highly anticipated action RPG showcased the Scarlet Forest and a spider-like monster known as Lala Barina, who patrols this lush woodland. Capcom also presented the first extended look at a region’s apex monster and explored exciting new gameplay details, including how to clash with larger-than-life foes head-on, hunt as a group even in single player, and enjoy unprecedented freedom in the seamless world of the Forbidden Lands.

The next evolution in the award-winning Monster Hunter series is gearing up for a simultaneous worldwide release in 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam with cross-play support.

New Hunting Ground – The Scarlet Forest, a newly revealed locale in the Forbidden Lands, is a lush setting with towering greenery contrasted by waters dyed a crimson hue. Like the other ecosystems in Monster Hunter Wilds, the Scarlet Forest is a dynamic environment that undergoes periods of Plenty, Inclemency, and Fallow that transform the landscape and wildlife residing within it.

New Monster – One creature that calls the Scarlet Forest home is Lala Barina. Part of the Temnoceran class of monsters rarely seen in the series, the Lala Barina possesses sharp, spindly limbs and can unfurl its thorax into a massive, rose-like form that is as treacherous as it is beautiful.

Apex Spotlight – Each region in Monster Hunter Wilds is ruled by an apex monster. Downstream from the Scarlet Forest in the previously revealed Windward Plains, a monster known as Rey Dau reigns supreme. Initially glimpsed at Summer Game Fest, the Flying Wyvern was unveiled today in its full glory. The apex predator of the Windward Plains is adapted to the harsh conditions of the Sandtides that transform its dusty grassland and can unleash destructive electrical strikes that pose a threat to even the most experienced hunters.

Support Hunters – Whether playing solo or online, Support Hunters can fill openings in players’ hunting parties. These helpful NPCs include Olivia, a hammer-wielding member of the Forbidden Lands Research Commission, who will also play a key role in the story along with her elite Palico, Athos.

More Moves – In addition to new allies, hunters can also engage with adversaries in fresh ways. These include the Power Clash, where blocking certain attacks can lock hunters into a physical struggle, and Offset Attacks, where a well-timed hit can interrupt a monster. Succeeding with these new abilities can knock monsters off balance to provide critical openings or trigger powerful special attacks.

Windsong Village – The latest trailer also introduced Kunafa, a settlement hunters will visit in the Windward Plains. One of multiple communities in the Forbidden Lands, this village has existed here for generations and possesses its own unique culture. Shaped by its surroundings and local wildlife, Kunafa raises livestock for cheese production and is also home to Seikrets, the trusty mounts hunters will soon discover to be indispensable companions when exploring the wilds.

Seamless Exploration – When away from base camp, hunters can embark on expeditions with a number of objectives in mind. Quests can begin by targeting a monster in the area using their map or simply by striking one when out in the field. Players can also prepare for their next hunt without returning to base by using their portable BBQ grill for a stat boost or by taking a rest at a Pop-up Camp. These forward operating bases are convenient spots to manage items and equipment, serve as return points after fainting, and can be used as fast-travel destinations.

Monster Hunter Wilds is due out for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam in 2025.

Watch the trailer below. View the screenshots at the gallery.

Trailer #3

English

Japanese

[dancingineclipse]

Persona Eclipse | Custom Online Text Tabletop RPG

A fan of the mainline Persona series and SMT? Wonder what a Persona game based off of the Moon Arcana would be like? Ready to explore the dreamscape while navigating everyday life full of drama?

Monkeku High, a famous school in Tokyo, suffered a terrible event that destroyed half of the school. Eight students, sponsored by a famous researcher, were able to go to a prestigious school in Okinawa to enjoy their last year of high school. They were given free education, a beach house dormitory, and an internship at the top hospital on the island.

As the students settle into their new schools, they notice something strange within the island. People were falling into comas, never waking up again until they let out one blood curdling scream before dying. The Nightmare Syndrome. Working with their mentor, Dr.Nazamo, the students work tirelessly to cure the nightmare syndrome in the dreamscape, find the source of this disease, and end it once and for all. The power of persona and the connection they make, aiding them in saving countless people.

Explore the dreamscape, save people, find your true self, all while studying for your next exam in Persona Eclipse!

What Awaits You Under The Eclipse?

> Unique Story: A campaign filled with original events, npc, villians, and Dreamscapes (dungeons). Everything was written and thought of by the GM with heavy inspiration from the existing Persona series. Enjoy both the linear storytelling in the main story beats while taking your sweet time to craft your own story during the downtime of everyday life outside of curing the nightmare syndrome.

> Make Your Own Character: Make your Persona protagonist with their own arcana, persona, social link events, and perks. Immerse yourself with a character you are really proud of.

> Social Links Matter: Forge bonds with your fellow players, students, teachers, and even enigmatic figures outside of school. Your relationships will strengthen your Persona, unlock new abilities, and influence the course of your journey. Form strong bonds with both player and npc and even start a romance?

> Turn-Based Tactical Combat: Exploit enemy weaknesses, trigger bonus actions, and execute powerful All-Out Attacks with your team. Each fight is a strategic puzzle where knowing your enemy’s vulnerabilities could be the difference between victory and defeat. With the luck of the dice and a little bit of foresight, this dnd style of combat will get you excited to fight in the dreamscape.

> Puzzles: Easy to hard puzzles are sprinkling throughout the campaign. The students have to use critical thinking skills to solve puzzles to progress in the dreamscape, figure out who the eminator, and much more!

> Economy: Built in an economic system so students could get jobs for extra cash and social stat increases. Or spend money they get from the dreamscape. Buy helpful items, gifts, weapons, and more!

> Everyday Life: When you aren’t killing shadows or fighting a boss, enjoy the slow complexities of everyday life. Go to school, hangout with friends, study, go to the arcade, shopping, and more. With your limited amount of time slots, carefully choose what you want of your story and who you choose to form bonds with.

> Mystery and Intrigue: Unravel the secrets of the island and the strange events that have begun to unfold. What is the connection between the rising number of comas and the dreamscape you explore at night? The truth might be closer than you think.

Join the Team!

If you're a fan of deep character development, tactical combat, and a story that challenges you to look within, then this campaign is for you.

Game Sessions: TBD

Campaign Length: Several Months

Platform: Online | Discord | Text-Based

Age: 18 +

Requirements: RP experience | Access to discord | Commitment

Interest Forms: https://forms.gle/5LA5rnG3kKTF5z5GA

Embrace Fears. Dream Nightmares.

[mscloud]

svsss chunibyo au

I honestly think MXTX series would go great with this AU because of their characters and how elastic and devoted (obsessed ) they are especially their main characters however feel the dynamic would much suit SVSSS rather than TGCF or MDZS because you can swap with most of the characters and it would still make sense to imagine :

A1 Shen Yuan was a huge nerd who used to pretend he was a grandmaster or smth like a cultivation expert and post lots of nerdy shit online (and do in real life) of him "cultivating" in tons of Xianxia clothing and teaching the next generation of "immortals" on his blog until his reputation got too so bad he couldn't talk to anyone thinking of that, so he can't continue he moves to a new school. He decided to start his new life by deleting his blog and getting rid everything but then he moved to his new school. For some reason, this kid luo binghe (a really big chunibyo) keeps calling him shizun and seems to know his past as a chunibyo determined to cure/help this kid so he can fit into normal society (and keep his past a secret) Shen Yuan must keep a close eye on luo binghe.

OR

A2 you change perspective and make Luo binghe fill the role of Shinka

a bright student and love throb for most of his year has a dark secret, his peaceful life is threatened by an annoying rat of a student named Shen Jiu who has kept a copy of his blog that contains the record of spells and daily life of "heavenly emperor luo binghe" whilst he was a chunibyo, to which luo binghe tries to convince him that he is that emperor which fails and now he has "supervise" shen jiu and make sure he doesn't go telling people.

______________________________________________________________

Yue Qingyuan would fill the role of Yuuta's mother or Kumin

Tianglang would be Touka but instead of being a chef he's a CEO and he's a lot more devious and less quiet; although in AU1 he is a lot less judgemental and more accepting he is still quite worried.

Liu Qinge is a bit harder cause I don't really imagine him chunibyo however I don't think he cares if either of the MCs are, so I think he takes something similar to Kumin a person who isn't really Delulu but likes hanging out and being silly with friends but he'd be a bit tsundere about it however if he was chunibyo he be similar to role Sanae most likely in AU2 (tbh I don't know I'm just saying purely out of stubbornness that both characters have)

Zhushi Lang would be the role of one of Yuuta siblings or Kumin but only A2 universe (I know I'm saying her name a lot but she is a very neutral character)

ShangQing Hua is SHINKA but instead of being popular his main goal is to be a likable NPC the only one who knows about this past is probably Mobei and until the rest of the gang finds out about his self insert Xianxia immortal demon way.

I have more thoughts for other characters but I've really thought about these four a lot!

anyway closing note PLEASE MAKE OR SEND FANFICTION OF AN AU LIKE THIS !!!

[hilacopter]

I've been trying to put into words this frustration of mine for a while, and I think I've finally got it figured out:

So! Israel is built on genocide! And that's certainly not a good thing. You can try to argue about whether or not Jewish people are indigenous to the land (though I won't get into that whole argument here), but there's no denying the fact this country was built on blood. Lives were lost and people were banished. Therefore, us Israelis are deemed colonizers for living here. Is it false? No, not necessarily. Is colonialism okay or justifiable? Of course not! However, the way people have used this as an excuse to dehumanise us Israelis is absolutely disgusting.

Western leftists have this mindset that we should either be sent "back to where we came from" (and by that they mean countries we have never been to in our lives and just so happen to have ancestral ties to), or that we should be eradicated. Because it's easy to see these groups of people you don't know as simply blank NPCs, or a hivemind. I've had an online friend of mine tell me that there's this level of dissociation when you aren't the one going through it, and that a lot of times it takes having someone you know suffer that fate to go "oh shit, REAL PEOPLE are going through that", and I think the problem stems from the fact so many of the people who insist on being involved in this conflict don't actually have Israeli (or Palestinian, for that matter) friends to tell them what it's like to be living through this nightmare. We're faceless and nameless, which leads to dehumanisation and demonization.

It is a universal fact that no human is the same, everyone's life is valuable and unique. Everyone has something to bring to the table, and something like the country you were born in is inconsequential to how good or bad of a person you are. Unless, of course, you're an Israeli. That means you're nothing more than a filthy colonizer. That means you're a part of an evil hivemind being led by an evil government (yes, Israel's government is horrible WHICH IS WHY WE'VE BEEN PROTESTING AGAINST IT FOR MONTHS NOW). That means you've done wrong merely by existing.

I'm certainly going to offend some people with this comparison, but in my opinion telling an Israeli to simply deport is not much unlike telling a queer person to go to conversion therapy. It's obviously not the same thing, but just like you aren't able to get rid of someone's gender or sexuality, you aren't able to get rid of someone's heritage. Simply sending us away won't magically make everything better, believe it or not (I won't get into it in this post, but know that there will be no Palestinian utopia under Hamas rule, as Hamas actively harms the people of Palestine too). We won't just forget about Israel and keep living like nothing happened. We have lives here. We have friends and family we'd be separated from. Most of us won't simply be able to adjust to a new country we don't even know the language of. And if you think the solution is to kill us all... I don't even know what to say to you at this point. Is being attached to the place you were born in truly such a horrible crime? You can argue we deserve it for being colonizers, but it's not like we chose to be born here. Which leads to my next point:

The global left is used to everything wrong being a mindset. Homophobes, racists, sexists; all of those are not something people are born as, rather something they've been lead to believe. Something that can be fixed by teaching them better and having them unlearn their ways. So when faced with the fact that being an Israeli isn't something which can be reversed, leftists don't know how to process it. They cope by seeing us as something inherently evil and violent. Something inherently unworthy of living. Something that automatically deserves whatever bad things happen to it. Something less than human. Something that must be erased, one way or another. It doesn't matter that we're people with feelings and minds, we're all just filthy colonizers! Get rid of us pesky Israelis and everything will be better! Just burn it all down!

It's human nature to want to get rid of something you don't like. Whether it's a bug in your kitchen, a shitty friend, a mindset you don't like, whatever. It's when "something I don't like" translates to millions of people that you start to get under my skin. It's when you celebrate a brutal massacre and root for a terrorist organisation that I deem you a disgusting human being.

Like it or not, new life has been created here. And no matter how many chant "death to colonizers", you won't be getting rid of it. You won't be getting rid of us.

Because we, as human beings, don't deserve to be gotten rid of.

[ninjamonkeystudios]

RL kind of dragged me away from OC-Tober. So, I’m trying to catch up on my OC list to see if I can slide in under the wire.

Character names/descs below the cut.

Portrait page, L to R, top to bottom

Natsume: a character from Damn Ninja MUX and online, text-based Naruto rpg site. She and her twin brother served under Ibiki as part of the information extraction team. The official story is they were Rain Clan orphans taken in by a Leaf family. The real story, of course, is a bit darker.

The twins were both marked with a third eye on their forehead and typically hid it under their hitai-ate. When they did activate their special technique, Natsume could peer briefly into the future and her brother had unerring aim.

Dindanni: She was a porpoise aspect member of the Melusine Clan of Changelings from a text-based MUSH set in Seattle. She frequently dragged her friend, the son of a minor noble, out on her adventures to interact with the human world while avoiding detection.

Ume DelaVale: From an in-person Final Fantasy homebrew D&D game, Ume was a Summoner from the Hidden Vale (Hidden Valley Ranch). She and her Carbuncle companion set off to discover why the Eidolons had gone silent.

Candra: A Bard/rogue who was trying to earn a living on her feet rather than on her back. After her father died, her mother had to take on his debts which thrust his surviving family into a precarious position. Candra, who had already been apprenticed to a fairly vapable musician found she would have to take on some less than wholesome side gigs if she wanted to help her mother.

This was the only character that another player had threated with saying, “If my character found out she was [withholding] treasure, he would kill her so fast.” Well, he never did and nyeh on you, roll-player 😛

Darlene: Technically an NPC but I used her repeatedly as she tried to uncover the conspiracy that surrounded the Lindblum Regency on the Final Fantasy MUX. She was a Lilty character based on the Crystal Chronicles games and a tenacious little pest.

Cid Fabool disappeared long ago when the FF worlds converged and since then, several Regents have taken his place for good or ill. They seemed to resemble one another more than a little, so there was a conspiracy theory someone was creating clones to control the city. Not entirely off as several of the Regents were Genomes from the FF9 game, lol.

Jubei: A character within the Ninja Monkey comic setting, Jubei was a ronin character I used for some short side story diversions.

Next Page:

Chase and Frieda were created on an adult-only oekaki board when that was a thing. Each image was a little snippet of the struggles of school life and Chase’s “little” secret.

[that-wizard-oki]

How did you start doing jobs for kingsisle?? I'm trying to break into the industry as an artist, and I have no clue how to approach potential employers, even just for commissions 😭😭

Hey! So I actually work full time with KingsIsle as a character animator- my job year round is to make pets, mounts, mobs, npc's move :D

How I got started here is kind of a wild story. I had been wanting to reach out to KI about possibly interning with them post-graduation- I had a few people I semi knew at the company, and knew I'd have a good portfolio piece to show them from my senior thesis project. However, three days before graduation, a friend from KI msg'ed me that KI was doing summer internships, and asked if I was interested. I spent the next 3 days building my portfolio website/resume & sent it to my friend. A month and two interviews later, they accepted me! Once my internship was drawing to and end, they were able to offer me a full time position.

My #1 piece of advice for folks trying to break into the industry: MAKE CONNECTIONS. NETWORK. Obviously having dedication and building your artistic skills (whether that's character design, animation, story boarding, etc) is a huge part of it- like you can make as many connections as you want, but if you don't have a decent set of skills/a portfolio to back you up, then you might be out of luck there. But I cannot understate the importance of networking.

So, how do you make connections/network? My advice:

-I know everyone can't afford it, but going to an art school/college is a decent way to make connections- not just with teacher's who have worked in the industry themselves, but also with your future artists. Heck, I've been seeing younger artists like myself start their own studios. You can defo still make connections w/o college, but I just wanted to note that.

-Interact with artists/folks in the industry online. comment on their posts, ask them genuine questions. Most folks are happy to answer questions or give portfolio advice.

-Mentorships are a great thing- also something i see offered on twitter a lot. Some studio's like dreamworks have "internship" like programs where people who have recently graduation or are looking for a career change can apply to and learn from. I'd follow companies you're interested in via linkedin, or visit their websites to see if they offer things like this

-Also!! Participate in anijams, gamejams, art swaps, zines- these are all great ways to connect with fellow artists online. My college has an animation club that does anijams twice a year- which is a GREAT thing to put on your resume- it shows collaboration, dedication- things you need to be open to when working in the industry.

-I'd also say that trying to narrow down what you're really passionate about doing (for me, 3d animation just fit my heart the best) and learn more about it. Watch youtube videos, follow tutorials. Practice your anatomy, do gesture drawings from life, draw as many hands and feet as you can, lol. All things to help strengthen your skills! Consistency is key!!

I know that's a lot of info, so I just want to reiterate something: I've been at KI for about a year and a half now, and I am still just as passionate about this game as I was beforehand. That passion is one of my greatest assets. WANTING to do what I do for work makes working a lot easier, and produces a better product. If you have a passion, a drive to do something, you can do the damn thing. Making connections/being consistent as an artists can feel wildly overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be. You're worthy of sharing your art and ideas with the world, and people want to hear them. Baby steps! Start small. Heck talking to me already gets your started with networking :D

Hope that wasn't too rambly/answered some of your questions anon. Feel free to inbox or dm me if you wanna chat more- goes for anyone reading this :)

[next-life-online-rpg]

Conoce a nuestros NPCs

Sif "La Bendecida"

PB: Trianda – Fire Emblem

Lugar donde se encuentra: Gran mar de Arboles Percival (Gigantesco árbol madre)

Raza: Hada

Lore: Sif es el hada más antigua del mar de árboles, incluso en los libros de historia, se puede leer su nombre en más de una ocasión, y esto es debido a que era una amiga íntima de Percival, no hay nadie que cuestione su poder ni cargo como la nueva “líder” del bosque, pues participó en la guerra contra los ángeles y sobrevivió a esta, aunque según ella, el mar de árboles siempre le pertenece a Percival, todos la respetan como si fuera la reina.

“La Bendecida” se debe al tiempo que pasaba esta junto a la reina Treant, pues la gente piensa que esta fue totalmente impregnada por el poder divino que desprendía Percival cuando estaba viva, siendo la segunda en Camelot con ese aire de divinidad.

Actualmente, el único lugar en donde se le puede encontrar, es en la cima del árbol madre... incluso después de su partida, Sif siempre ha estado junto a esa persona, esta pequeña hada solo siente cariño y respeto por lo que dejó su vieja amiga atrás.

[yamchaisawesome]

My Dungeon Master Tips

If any of you are beginning your journey as dungeon masters or are thinking about doing it, here are some tips. Note: These are not universal, these are just the things that work for me and the people I have DMed for. If anyone else wants to add something, feel free. Now, onto the things.

Preparing to DM

Know the rules pretty well. I know, no brainer but this is pretty important. You don’t have to know everything, I still use references all the time, just make sure you have a solid grasp of the rules, especially if you’re GMing a different system.

The DMG is a very useful resource. Nothing less, nothing more. Puffin Forest once said “Learning to DM from the DMG is like learning to read from the dictionary”. It’s a great tool to help you out and if you’re asking a specific question, it’s probably in the DMG.

Learn to improvise. This comes naturally to some people, others not so much, but you will need it. Find some online improv classes if you need it.

Understand that everyone is there to have a good time. Don’t let the players push you around but make sure that they’re having fun. DND is a cooperative game.

Getting the campaign started

Find people you like to play with. These could be your friends, your family, your significant other, maybe randos you meet at a local game store who usually become your friends after a while. Heck, you could even get your cat to play.

Scheduling, I hate this part. Find a time that works for all of you. This doesn’t have to be once a week, could be every fortnight or once a month. As long as it is a regular time that you can all plan for.

Tell your players that you’re only planning to do like 2-4 sessions and do the starting quest in that time. Then, if they’re invested, you can continue. People don’t like to do commitments until after they’re invested.

Session Zero. Optional but highly recommended, have your first session not be one where you play but instead one where you make characters and lay out some ground rules. Boundaries, tone of the game, what character options will be allowed, etc. Hopefully by the end you and your players will have gotten a solid grasp of what everyone else wants.

Writing a Campaign

Make sure you have a solid idea of what’s generally going on in the background of the world outside of your characters. This is good for all storytelling but especially TTRPGs. This is due to the teensy weensy fact that your main characters are also the audience and that you are not in complete control. Eventually, something they do is going to throw you for a loop and you have to scramble for what to do next. Having a good idea of what’s going on in the background makes this a lot easier as you can essentially look at the situation the world was in and extrapolate from there.

As a general tip, start off your adventure with a pretty low stakes quest to get the players attached to their characters, subtly foreshadowing future events. Give them some fun NPCs they like, give them a few trinkets and the opportunity for some cool character moments. This makes those big moments that throw everything into peril a lot more impactful. Players can’t really properly visualise the threat of the world being in peril, but if they have something in that world that they care about like an NPC or that tavern they won a dragon chess tournament and have a free drinks for life voucher at, suddenly they have something to fight for.

When writing NPCs, start off with some foundational features. Think about what they look like, some basic personality traits, maybe how they talk. If they’re for more than a quick one off; think about their relationship with the party and other NPCs and something about their past. If you have them as main NPCs, flesh them out even more. These don’t have to be done all at once. If your party likes a random one off NPC with not much planned, just flesh them out more as they go and make them a bit more important to the plot.

Pick up what your party puts down. If they make a joke, maybe think about making it a plot point. If they make a prediction that you think makes more sense than what you had in mind, don’t feel ashamed to do it. If your party gets attached to some random npc, flesh them out more as per the last point. This makes the players feel included and either makes them feel smarter than they are or have an “Oh shit” moment.

As an addition to the previous point, if one of your players told you something they’re uncomfortable with, don’t put it in the campaign. If they tell you this after you put it in, do your best to get it out of the campaign in future. Don’t ruin that player’s experience.

Playing the Game

Set the ambience, get some music on, add on some custom maps and some good miniatures if you have the money, maybe light some candles. Getting the atmosphere right really gets the immersion going. Even if it’s a little thing, it gets them going.

If you’re playing with more experienced players, fuck around with the monster stat blocks. This makes sure to make things interesting for them. If you don’t know how to do it, check the DMG.

Get the right ratio of roleplay, combat, and exploration for your your party. Discuss this in session zero if you can and adjust when necessary.

Account for your party’s strengths and weaknesses in combat. IE: if your party is entirely composed of martials and you haven’t given them magic weapons, don’t put them up against something that’s resistant or immune to non magical damage.

Whether in combat, roleplay, or exploration, use the terrain to your advantage. Make hazardous obstacles and potential booby traps for combat, make interesting challenges and solutions for exploration, and make the terrain in which your NPCs live inform their lives.

Don’t be afraid to take a break if you’re burnt out. Worst case scenario: DnD is off for a couple weeks. Best case scenario: one of your players DMs a one shot for you.

Other Resources

r/DMacademy on Reddit is a place where you can ask other DMs questions.

ZeeBashew on YouTube does great videos on DnD and especially DMing.

World Anvil is an incredible world building tool.

Most* of the official pre made adventures or the DMG are super useful resources.

* The adventures to avoid are Hoard of The Dragon Queen and Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos. Seriously, they are awful. One’s painfully railroady and the other is more barebones than a lich.

Hope these are useful. Have fun DMing

[iamthecomet]

-strolls in holding a bag of sweet feed-

Hi, it has been a minute (feels like that's the theme here with me popping in anymore lol) figured I would drop in and give a little update and see how you're doin'~

I finished reading 'Salem's Lot; Loved it.

I read it in-between customers at work, and only then, because it kept me consistent and gave me something to do during my downtime other than attempt the crossword or draw things on the backs of envelopes.

I also took up a new hobby; I've been making silly bracelets.

All in all, I've just been trying to be more present in my day to day life.

My friends and I have been holding a weekly game night online, and then an irl one every so often so we can play board games, and recently I started sitting in on my friends' dnd campaign and taking notes for the one DM as a reference tool, and occasionally appearing as a candle selling NPC.

Generally speaking, I don't know if I'm doing better than I was before, the last two-three years have been a lot, but I'm trying to get myself back into a more productive mindset at the very least.

I also may or may not have started taking, uhh... "special gummies" to help with my anxiety, because, whoo boy.

That's been a bit of an adventure, too, but it's nice to have something that helps me calm down.

So how goes it in your neck of the woods?

I saw the stuff about the tour and all of that coming up.

-there are now a lot of deer grazing in your inbox-

1 I've missed you I'm so glad to see 4you here again. I love your updates ♥. 2. Glad you loved Salem's Lot. I read it a million years ago but I really enjoyed it and have always thought I should re-read it someday. 3. I am OBSESSED with your bracelets, excuse me!?!? THE WORMS ONE (all of them but that one in particular)???? 4. I love that you're trying to be more present, and have been doing fun things with your friends! Game nights are the best, digital or otherwise. And candle selling NPC sounds like a dream job, where do I apply? 5. Are the gummies helping? What kind of adventure has it been? Inquiring minds want to know! 6. It's good-ish over here. Life is fucking hard, dude. But we persist. It's been a rough few months, but I am still here and still moving forward. It's a roller coaster for sure. But it's one I'm glad I'm on--even when things are shitty. Work is busy (huge, really cool, things happening with the library soon!) but also good--I'm so lucky to have a job I actually like. 7. Yes, Ghost tour. Stressful ticket buying. Now I just have to twiddle my thumbs until next July. Thank you for ALL THE NEW PETS LOVE YOUUUUU. *starts putting leashes and cute little hats on the deer*

[systastic]

Hi!! Adding on, just a few npcs and stuff, anything that's easier for you, as we don't want to stress you out :3

a stunning, absolutely marvelous idea you have here, anon :] hope you like these goofy little guys! might come back n add some more to them later after i sleep, haha —🤍 (🌳)

Mandy Isobel Graves

What’re YOU looking at? Huh? If the answer was Mandy, then good luck babe! Mandy is an attitude-filled “almost adult” (her words, not mine) who deals with her problems by avoiding the fuck out of them. People who annoy her or try to hit on her get clapped back on and shut down right away. Nobody is gonna touch this until she’s sure they can handle it! She works at the diner part-time as a way of earning income to keep up her addiction. What kind of addiction, you ask? Stuffed animals. Very cute, very small, very fluffy stuffed animals. If you tell anyone else about this, then… Well, technically, she can’t do much of anything about it. But she’ll pout at you and will refuse to serve your food to your table at the diner. So there! She is a lesbian through and through — so don’t try hitting on her if you’re a guy. That won’t end well. Mandy lives with her parents in Suburbia, Katherine and Edward Graves, along with their dog Jett. And yes, he’s named after Jett from ATLA.

Good with: Diner patrons, teens around her age (particularly women)

Bad with: Authority figures, older men, children (2-10). She doesn’t like kids nor does she know how to deal with them. Sorry, Charlie.

source: here!

Craig Cummings

This is Craig Cummings, local police officer and resident boxer of the town living in apartment 205. He may not look like it, but he’s actually new to this place, having only shown up about two months ago. His ex-wife left him over a squabble about their income (Craig was still in training at the time) and took their unborn child with her. Craig is pretty beat up about the whole ordeal, but honestly, he’s getting better now that he’s moved to a new location. You might catch Craig in the bakery while on duty or in the diner later at night chowing down on a big meaty burger. He can be a bit hard to talk to at first, but he’s got his heart in the right place: the good of the people comes first in his mind. Now all that’s left is to find a few new buddies, some craft beer, and get over this hump in his life. Fingers crossed it all goes well.

Good with: Older men (20-50), teenagers, old people, and other folks like himself

Bad with: Women around his age (he is bad at flirting), “those kids nowadays” aka gen alpha, chronically online people

source: here (please consider supporting the artist!)

Ethel McClellan

Ethel is an older woman with a big heart who lives in apartment 116 with her husband Barney. Her apartment matches the woman herself: homey and comfortable with a whole lot of knitted things that are obviously handmade. She is the kind of woman who will invite new faces into her home for tea despite not knowing them in the slightest. Her husband doesn’t mind one bit either. Both of them are starved for company due to the fact their children never want to visit. A real shame, that. Ethel’s views lean more to being conservative in nature, but she has enough common sense to tell when things are simply not right the way that they are. For some reason, the local stray cats flock to her windowsill during the afternoons. It might be because of Ethel feeding them sardines all the time… but she claims it’s “a little gift from the Good Lord himself”. (Barney disagrees, but doesn’t say a word.) Her evenings are spent knitting and watching the game with her dear husband. A rack of spare teacups sit on her kitchen counter waiting to be filled… Maybe you’ll be her next visitor?

Good with: Children (5-11), “youngins” (20s-30s), older folk (40-60+)

Bad with: Pretty much no one unless they’re a “gosh darn rapscallion” or “troublemaker”

source: here!

[mariacallous]

Taylor Swift remains inescapable. Tales of her reign are legion, as are her fans. Next to Beyoncé, her power and influence have reached heights so unbridled it’s almost unfathomable. Her Eras Tour made nearly a billion dollars in 2023, and the concert film of that tour has brought in nearly $250 million worldwide. When rumors started swirling in the fall that she was dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, they upended American football. Still, when Time named her Person of the Year, conspiracy theorists saw only one explanation. They allege Swift is a psyop.

If you’ve lived on the internet long enough, you will have heard this kind of thing before. Back in 2016, when she was largely apolitical in her public life, Swift was a hero of the so-called alt-right who some believed was actually red-pilling America to further a racist, conservative agenda. When she piped up about politics in 2018, some people online (somewhat jokingly) theorized she’d been replaced by an NPC. The latest twist? “The regime has plans to weaponize her just in time for 2024,” the @EndWokeness account posted on X Wednesday, adding that if you didn’t find this plausible “you clearly have not been paying attention.”

@EndWokeness has 1.9 million followers, and, as of Monday morning, the post had more than 788,000 views. On Telegram, a QAnon influencer account posted that “we need to wake the next generation up to the occult forces colluding with their favorite celebrities.” Right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec posted on X that “the Taylor Swift girlboss psyop has been fully activated.”

Last week’s Person of the Year honor was also followed by resurfaced allegations that Swift is performing witchcraft to further her success and that the left is using her to influence the 2024 US presidential election. Stephen Miller, a senior adviser during Donald Trump’s presidency, posted a message on X saying that “what’s happening with Taylor Swift is not organic.”

All of this happened the same week WIRED reporter David Gilbert published an investigation into a pro-Russia campaign that used fake Swift quotes in a series of Facebook and X posts attempting to seed anti-Ukraine sentiment, reinforcing—in a totally different way—that celebrity is a powerful tool for manipulation. A few days later, Microsoft researchers revealed a similar effort by an unknown Russian group to alter Cameo videos by celebs like Elijah Wood and Mike Tyson to make it look like they were being critical of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Swift exists as a unique example of the intersection of celebrity and politics, and how it operates globally, says Jonathan Dean, a professor of politics at the University of Leeds. “An important feature of culture and politics over the past 10 years, certainly in the UK and the US and I think probably more broadly as well, is that there’s been a significant convergence in the grammar and style and mode, if you like, of pop culture fandom and political citizenship,” he says, referencing the similar ways fandoms and political parties can operate. “Taylor Swift is interesting in that sense because I think she’s a real embodiment of those convergences.”

Simone Driessen, an assistant professor of media and popular culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam, agrees, noting that as the message-spreading of fandom has merged with that of politics, support can be mobilized readily. As Driessen puts it, “fandom(s), particularly the practices of what fans do, can be weaponized.” What’s weird is that to those who believe these claims, Swift has risen to a level where she can be a powerful political pawn—all without her input. (Swift’s rep did not respond to an email seeking comment on whether or not the singer was part of a psyop.)

Well, maybe not entirely without her input. Swift herself knows how to plant seeds. Her lyrics are written to be decoded by listeners. Her fans have their own theories, like those espoused by Gaylors who decode every image and message from Swift through a queer lens, powered by their belief that the singer is trying to signal that she’s in some way into women. (She could be! But also, who cares?) Some people believe she showed up at Kelce’s game against the New York Jets just to alter Google Search results away from her use of private planes.

Swift’s name draws attention, and that’s power. It’s why the State of Israel often tags her in social media posts, and why #SwiftiesForPalestine have been asking for her to speak up about the Israel–Hamas war.

Celebrity has been used by political movements for centuries. Politicians are celebrities. Swifties are simultaneously like every fandom before them, but they’re also unique. By remaining largely apolitical for the first half of her career, her acolytes were able to project whatever values they held onto her. When she finally came out in support of women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and Joe Biden during the past few years, she alienated some and brought others to the fold.

Swift also created a vacuum in which anyone could claim she was an agent for any cause. It’s hard to imagine Swifties believing she said Ukrainians “behave like charlatans,” so the odds that a pro-Russia campaign could successfully weaponize her fame are slim. Where she stands on the 2024 US election may be more indecipherable. Perhaps that is the real psyop.