#nonbinary thaumaturge

[dixie-the-pixie]

FOR THE LAST TIME ANGUS MCFIFE II, OUR PRONOUNS ARE THEM/THEM!

NOT BECAUSE WE’RE NONBINARY, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE LITERALLY TWO THAUMATURGISTS!

ALSO BECAUSE WE ARE NONBINARY!!!

[the-official-account]

Do you love detective stories but hate cops?

Do you love gay detective stories and hate capitalism?

Like disabled main characters who's disability actually comes up?

Like characters of color but not in the mood for stories on racism?

Tempted by the thought of romance at ages of 30+?

Does the idea of stories so queer you'll hesitate before calling any character a "man" or a "woman" make you think "Ah, yes pronoun shenanigans, just like my discord used to make"

And you into an abundance of strong, diverse female and nonbinary characters?

Do you fight for women's wrongs?

I know rep-only recommendations can be annoying, but I'm trying to grab your attention to promote some Indie media. Luckily, though, this post isn't rep-only!

To read my full reccomendation and review of Three of Hearts, click below. ♦️♥️♣️♠️

And if you aren't in the mood for a new thing right now, consider reblogging! Maybe even ping a friend who might be into this! You love supporting queer indie creators!

Note: I am not involved with the making of the show or the game space Kings. I just really like this podcast.

The story

♠️♣️♥️♦️Three of Hearts♦️♥️♣️♠️ centers on two paragovernmental agents in a fantasy, post-war, queernormative 1950s.

Roughly 20 years before the opening, a set of heroes purged magic from the world to turn the tide of the war. But scraps of this thaumaturgic energy still remain. S.U.I.T.S (securing unpredictable injurious thaumaturgic situations) is an agency founded to deal with everything left behind.

When two of the longest standing employees at S.U.I.T.S, Agent Vellum and Agent Felspar, are called onto a new case involving stone crops and a missing person, Felspar isn't surprised (Though Vellum, who's injury had him doing desk work most of his career, is). Things devolve quickly when the Agents realize this case comes from Felspar's home town of Cloven heart, an idyllic magical village that prefers to handle justice on it's own.

Answers yield only more questions, as the Agents realize almost everyone in town has something to hide, and Felspar isn't the only one whose past keeps catching up to him:

How much magic is still around? What's Vellum got sloshing around in there that people think is so juicy? What is Diamond, elven pop star and queer icon, doing in such a small town? Just how big is this case, and how can the Agents balance their legal responsibility, with promises they've made to Cloven Heart?

WHEN. WILL. THEY. JUST. KISS?

(if you're skeptical about central romances, I get it! See notes on aro/aceness and platonic relationships in the rep section for more info)

The combination of magic and newfangled war tech — think telegrams and radios — is somehow just as charming as a rotating cast of characters who will each stake their claim on your heart, but betrayal is imminent and mistrust is rife. The story strikes a wonderful balance between slice of life goodness, and edge-of-your-seat high drama, culminating In a show I highly recommend.

But are they just reskinned cops: my answer has got to be no. While they are technically law enforcement, the main two are entering a commune-like space, where that isn't so welcome. It's a situation they treat with caution and respect. The classic cop-plot of "Should I make myself judge, jury, and executioner because The Bad Guy™ deserves punishment" just isn't a problem. The justice system isn't perfect, in our world or the show's, and the story acknowledges that. But in a social, cultural way, they don't act like cops. They DO act like detectives. But the rules they choose to break and the ones they choose to follow will hopefully satisfy my fellow cop-haters who crave a good mystery

The format

♠️♣️♥️♦️Three of Hearts♦️♥️♣️♠️ is an Indie actual play — this is not DnD, hear me out — podcast in the game Space Kings. All the tension of dice rolls, without drawn out combat or clunkiness, it's a breeze of story-forward listening, even if you've never listened to actually play podcasts before!

If you've tried dnd actual plays, and haven't like the flow of them, I would recommend trying this. A few encounters that may feel random (though they're not) get the story kicked off at a fast pace, but it quickly settles into a story with a tight plot, great pacing, and impactful character development.

The use of a playing card deck to see the outcomes of risky actions means that no matter what happens, success or failure, the tension keeps rising. And the hosts do a wonderful job of explaining mechanics in the show, so it never interrupts the listening experience.

Actual-play connessuires who want to primarily see people playing a game might not be satisfied, as bonuses are given liberally, and I would describe the podcast as more story focused than game focused, But the risks are ALWAYS real, sometimes (often) with thrilling, shocking outcomes.

Also concerned AP listeners should know there's some chaos magic involved! I was surprised when it first came up, and doubtful about how it might affect the story, but it ended up weaving into the rest of the plot really well, and I feel neither like it had no affect, nor like it shook up everything the party was building in an unsatisfying way. Personally I would have preferred to go in knowing it was there, but I also don't think it's major enough to belong in the main synopsis. Now you know, though!

The hosts make a real effort to blend stats and story, and I think the pull it off wonderfully without spending too much time on mechanics. If you want to see that though, session 0 and other details are on the Patreon (where you get the same content no matter how much you pay, at a minimum of a dollar a month).

The pod has all the lighthearted fun and banter of a "friends around the table" show, but never once have I had that "oh my god, I'm not a part of your inside joke, shut up and play!" Feeling.

I think it's a delight for AP and non-AP fans alike.

The episodes: roughly 45- 75 minutes long, with a midtro and some post-end music scenes, so listen through the end music, or check that there isn't extra content by seeing how close the play head is when the end music starts. It's not too long and quite pleasant in my opinion! The midtros always come at a nice moment to step back from the story, and are not too long and not irritating. I enjoyed listening to them! At some point, a midtro starts getting reused, and I was slightly disappointed I wasn't hearing new jokes every episode, but it's a small thing. I skip the repetitive ones with my 30 seconds forward button, and while I haven't timed the Intro, that's worked really well for me. I don't have to fiddle with my play head to make sure I don't skip forward too far. Super convient.

Trigger warnings: the show is pretty lighthearted! Listeners sensitive non-graphic mentions of needles, blood, and/or guns might want to skip on this one, but most episodes don't get heavy. The few that do have pre episodes notes that warn you things get dark, how they get dark, and how to skip the darkest bits. Personally, I listened through them and enjoyed those parts a lot! But if that's not your thing, I agree with the warning that they're very skippable, and I think trigger-sensitive listeners will be pleased. As an indie pod, there are no fan made, super specific lists of triggers. However, my DMs are always open if you have particular concerns, and I'll answer to the best of my ability.

I try to emphasize the balance between lightheartedness and drama, but if you mental health is sensitive to grim & dark media, i think this one is pretty safe. Please always exercise caution! But I'd describe 30♥️s as emotionally restful.

Transcripts: transcripts are in the works, but do not currently exist. Three of Hearts is a non-scripted show, so those are also unavailable

The rep

Don't you hate when someone raves about rep and you go in expecting something good and get like. One dog-boy described as having "chocolate colored skin"? Or when people make a "watch for rep" post and then mention like. Gay and maybe trans people and that's it, even when shows DO have disability and POC rep? Yeah that's not me. Here's the spoiler free rundown, race is at the bottom because I get into more detail with it, not because it isn't important:

Edit: For more on some of these topics from a hosts perspective, see the reblogged addition by @/citrusandsalt

MLM characters: Main characters, one confirmed bi the other unknown

Wlw characters: Reoccurring side characters (present or mentioned in every episode I think) Married. Orientation unspecified.

Enby love: LOTS. It's actually hard to really categorize mlm and wlw stuff because almost every character is nonbinary. Anyways— it's VERY queer

Women: I...I don't know exactly which characters are women 😂. But there are many feminine characters, and they're badass as fuck. Some are compassionate, some are cold, some are chaotic, most are a mix! The two main characters are...masculine...(I say with much hesitation) but you will not feel robbed for your woman-ly content.

Non-traditional family structures: All of the families in the story, pretty much, are non-traditional. Adoption is super common. (You want some wlw who just KEEP adopting kids? You got em) Found family is a MASSIVE force in the story. Also, It's a post-war story.........which is to say almost everyone's parents are dead.

Edit: an MC had poly parents, which may not be obvious but is true!

Polyamory: to my knowledge so far, there are polyam characters, and it is definitely present in the world! But no poly relationships in the forefront. I am about 2/3 through the current episodes, so there may be a present polyamorous relationship later, but also if I confirmed it that would be a spoiler. This may be that "playing it by ear" thing that happens with ttrpgs. I wouldn't listen for the hope of polyamory alone, but I don't tell you it's not there/won't happen.

Trans characters: almost all of them. Might think "oh there are only a few!" And you are wrong. You are so wrong.

Neopronoun users: yup! To my knowledge, minor characters. A handful who use at least he/she/they or they/them and may also use neos in a manner im forgetting

Plurality: no system characters yet, but the creators are friendly, I asked ;)

Platonic relationships: YES. As an aro person who hates so many romance tropes this one gets my stamp of approval. There's no real jealousy drama, exes who communicate and are supportive, and romance doesn't kill friendships. There's a central sibling relationship and non-familial platonic ones that have conflict, drama, resolutions, and a deeply satisfying significance in the story. If you don't like romance at all, this one might not be for you. If you just don't like stories exclusively about romance, I think you'll enjoy this. Genre wise, I'd definitely describe three of hearts as a mystery primarily with a strong romantic subplot, not a romance itself, and that comes through in player and character's additives and priorities.

Aro/ace characters: none confirmed yet to my knowledge. Romance is very central, sex is joked about on occasion but it isn't at the forefront of the story at all. There are many, single characters who are thriving.

Edit: Actually! There is one character who discusses demiromanticism in cannon that I forgot, and another confirmed out of cannon character who is ace. Both are non-main major characters!

Age diversity: the youngest characters in the show are older to middling teens, and the oldest are in their 400s. Okay but the oldest in human terms are roughly 60-70. The most common age range, and the ones the central characters are in, is 30-40. The second most common is that 60-70, then some ~40-50 folks here and there, with people in their 20s being probably the rarest (no named ones off the top of my head?) And there are a small number of teens. This is not a story about youth and youthful beauty. Generally, the older a character becomes the most bad ass/spooky powerful they are, and older characters are very involved in the plot.

Mental illness and neurodivergency: to my knowledge so far no characters are in cannon confirmed to have a specific mental illness or ND, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was part of a character or the main characters, and just hadn't come up. Listeners with cluster b or "scary" disorders, or with conditions that may cause them to lash out, will find satisfaction with how compassionately the narrative treats werefolk. To say more encounters spoilers. I would also say that depression, while the word isn't used and it is not central to the story, is present as a narrative force, and also treated wisely and with compassion. Still, as is usually for a good story, all of these bitches need therapy.

Disability: LOTS. There's a lot of "different, not broken" themes that disabled listeners are likely to love, but both of the main characters are disabled! One is a cane user, the other experiences migraines. These have a genuine, pressing, mechanical impact on the story. It's COMES UP. It's a real joy. For a magical world, there is no magical healing! Or there is, but it isn't a perfect solution, which in my opinion is just a magical version of real healing, though yours may differ! Also, there is a minor, reoccurring character who's a wheelchair user, and I think he's really fun.

Disfigurement: Excuse me if I am not prepared with the most sensitive way to speak about this, but I'm doing my best! There is a character with no eyes or nose, who is central and lovely. To my knowledge, there are no amputee characters or characters with limb differences (of the wheelchair user I'm not sure if it's specified whether or not he has legs). There is a character of questionable morality who has significant facial and bodily disfigurement. In as few spoilers as possible: this was not injury or genetic related. The disfigurement is treated with a firm compassion, and does not exist as a "this character is evil" signal. It's a long arc, but I imagine people who relate will be satisfied, though I cannot speak for anyone.

Characters of color: many! The main two are Hispanic and Asian. Terms like "dark skinned" are used for characters, but in the fantasy world race doesn't exactly translate, and I wouldn't call it "important" in this story. Read more about race below:

Fantasy racism: sort of! The word "race" is used to mean "humanoid species" and I know some folks don't like that? None of these fantasy races are oppressed, but specific people (Magic versus non-magic people) have conflict about that aspect of their identity, and policing is a related concern. I would place the allegory more in the space of transness and disability/neurodivergency if pressed to choose, but it doesn't feel like it's trying to tell a story about real-world oppression, primarily. I have more complicated thoughts on exactly what I'm trying to communicate here, but they involved some spoilers. DM me for more info!

Hosts/creator identity: out of three hosts, two are white, one is not! They are very queer, and disability is also...a thing! These are real life people, so I'm not going to get into detail, but check out their twitters plugged in the show for more on how they self-identify.

Okay but are they racist: Real talk! As a black person who thinks I keep my ears sharp, I would say no! Not at all! This is one of those situations where I was like "YOU'RE WHITE?" And shocked about it, (if you listened to TSCOSI, same vibe) which is a very good thing in my books. The hosts are open and sensitive, and I have no complaints, however, this is just one perspective! This isn't coincidental, race is an active consideration in how the story is told — just not a central theme.

Edit: One of the hosts, Essay (@/citrusandsalts) discussed more on hosts identities in a reblog! If this concerns you, and you want less of me walking on eggshells about other people's identities, read her addition too!

Edit 2: Jordan, the GM also has commented additions!

Minor but worth mentioning: A minor character has a name with what I believe is the Nahuatl "tl" sound in it, which is not pronounced correctly. It's a really hard sound! I can't really do it! But if that really irritates you this might not be the podcast for you.

People who might be interested in this post, as always let me know if you don't want to be pinged (I rarely ever do this) and it won't happen again: @citrusandsalt @fyeahaudiodrama @boombox-fuckboy

[the-splorts-eye]

Do you love detective stories but hate cops?

Do you love gay detective stories and hate capitalism?

Like disabled main characters who's disability actually comes up?

Like characters of color but not in the mood for stories on racism?

Tempted by the thought of romance at ages of 30+?

Does the idea of stories so queer you'll hesitate before calling any character a "man" or a "woman" make you think "Ah, yes pronoun shenanigans, just like my discord used to make"

And you into an abundance of strong, diverse female and nonbinary characters?

Do you fight for women's wrongs?

I know rep-only recommendations can be annoying, but I'm trying to grab your attention to promote some indie media. Luckily, though, this post isn't rep-only!

To read my full recommendation and review of Three of Hearts, click below. ♦️♥️♣️♠️

And if you aren't in the mood for a new thing right now, consider reblogging! Maybe even ping a friend who might be into this! You love supporting queer indie creators, right?

The story

♠️♣️♥️♦️Three of Hearts♦️♥️♣️♠️ centers on two paragovernmental agents in a fantasy, post-war, queernormative 1950s.

Roughly 20 years before the opening, a set of heroes purged magic from the world to turn the tide of the war. But scraps of this thaumaturgic energy still remain. S.U.I.T.S (securing unpredictable injurious thaumaturgic situations) is an agency founded to deal with everything left behind.

When two of the longest standing employees at S.U.I.T.S, Agent Vellum and Agent Felspar, are called onto a new case involving stone crops and a missing person, Felspar isn't surprised (Though Vellum, who's injury had him doing desk work most of his career, is). Things devolve quickly when the Agents realize this case comes from Felspar's home town of Cloven heart, an idyllic magical village that prefers to handle justice on it's own.

Answers yield only more questions, as the Agents realize almost everyone in town has something to hide, and Felspar isn't the only one whose past keeps catching up to him:

How much magic is still around? What's Vellum got sloshing around in there that people think is so juicy? What is Diamond, elven pop star and queer icon, doing in such a small town? Just how big is this case, and how can the Agents balance their legal responsibility, with promises they've made to Cloven Heart?

WHEN. WILL. THEY. JUST. KISS?

(if you're skeptical about central romances, I get it! See notes on aro/aceness and platonic relationships in the rep section for more info)

The combination of magic and newfangled war tech — think telegrams and radios — is somehow just as charming as a rotating cast of characters who will each stake their claim on your heart, but betrayal is imminent and mistrust is rife. The story strikes a wonderful balance between slice of life goodness, and edge-of-your-seat high drama, culminating In a show I highly recommend.

But are they just reskinned cops: my answer has got to be no. While they are technically law enforcement, the main two are entering a commune-like space, where that isn't so welcome. It's a situation they treat with caution and respect. The classic cop-plot of "Should I make myself judge, jury, and executioner because The Bad Guy™ deserves punishment" just isn't a problem. The justice system isn't perfect, in our world or the show's, and the story acknowledges that. But in a social, cultural way, they don't act like cops. They DO act like detectives. But the rules they choose to break and the ones they choose to follow will hopefully satisfy my fellow cop-haters who crave a good mystery

mid post note: I am not involved with the making of the show or the game space Kings. I just really like this podcast. Also, if you are seeing this text you are looking at a copy of the original posted on an unused sideblog so that I can keep the notes separate from my naturally spreading original without looking like a bot, and not get blaze notification spam.the references to "look in the notes for more" won't work for you. Yes, I spent my own money on this.

The format

♠️♣️♥️♦️Three of Hearts♦️♥️♣️♠️ is an Indie actual play — this is not DnD, hear me out — podcast in the game Space Kings. All the tension of dice rolls, without drawn out combat or clunkiness, it's a breeze of story-forward listening, even if you've never listened to actually play podcasts before!

If you've tried dnd actual plays, and haven't like the flow of them, I would recommend trying this. A few encounters that may feel random (though they're not) get the story kicked off at a fast pace, but it quickly settles into a story with a tight plot, great pacing, and impactful character development.

The use of a playing card deck to see the outcomes of risky actions means that no matter what happens, success or failure, the tension keeps rising, because there are only so many successes in the deck before you shuffle. The hosts do a wonderful job of explaining mechanics in the show, so it never interrupts the listening experience.

Actual-play connessuires who want to primarily see people playing a game might not be satisfied, as bonuses are given liberally, and I would describe the podcast as more story focused than game focused, But the risks are ALWAYS real, sometimes (often) with thrilling, shocking outcomes.

Also concerned AP listeners should know there's some chaos magic involved! I was surprised when it first came up, and doubtful about how it might affect the story, but it ended up weaving into the rest of the plot really well, and I feel neither like it had no affect, nor like it shook up everything the party was building in an unsatisfying way. Personally I would have preferred to go in knowing it was there, but I also don't think it's major enough to belong in the main synopsis. Now you know, though!

The hosts make a real effort to blend stats and story, and I think the pull it off wonderfully without spending too much time on mechanics. If you want to see that though, session 0 and other crunchy details are on the Patreon (where you get the same content no matter how much you pay, at a minimum of a dollar a month).

The pod has all the lighthearted fun and banter of a "friends around the table" show, but never once have I had that "oh my god, I'm not a part of your inside joke, shut up and play!" Feeling.

EDIT: i did not know "friends around the table" was the name of another podcast. no hate to them I'm sure they're lovely, this was just the use of a phrase.

I think it's a delight for AP and non-AP fans alike.

The episodes: roughly 45- 75 minutes long, with a midtro and some post-end music scenes, so listen through the end music, or check that there isn't extra content by seeing how close the play head is when the end music starts. It's not too long and quite pleasant in my opinion! The midtros always come at a nice moment to step back from the story, and are not too long and not irritating. I enjoyed listening to them! At some point, a midtro starts getting reused, and I was slightly disappointed I wasn't hearing new jokes every episode, but it's a small thing. I skip the repetitive ones with my 30 seconds forward button, and while I haven't timed the Intro, that's worked really well for me. I don't have to fiddle with my play head to make sure I don't skip forward too far. Super convenient.

Trigger warnings: the show is pretty lighthearted! Listeners sensitive non-graphic mentions of needles, blood, and/or guns might want to skip on this one, but most episodes don't get heavy. The few that do have pre-episode notes that warn you things get dark, how they get dark, and how to skip the darkest bits. Personally, I listened through them and enjoyed those parts a lot! But if that's not your thing, I agree with the warning that they're very skippable, and I think trigger-sensitive listeners will be pleased. As an indie pod, there are no fan made, super specific lists of triggers.

I'm trying to emphasize the balance between lightheartedness and drama, but if your mental health is sensitive to grim & dark media, i think this one is pretty safe. Please always exercise caution! But I'd describe 3o♥️s as emotionally restful.

Transcripts: transcripts are in the works, but do not currently exist except for episodes 1 and 2. Three of Hearts is a non-scripted show, so those are also unavailable. Some of the money given to the show will be used to hire a queer disabled transcriptionist! So if you listen and love it, consider sending cash their way. All transcripts are on patreon for free.

The rep

Don't you hate when someone raves about rep and you go in expecting something good and get like. One dog-boy described as having "chocolate colored skin"? Or when people make a "watch for rep" post and then mention like. Gay and maybe trans people and that's it, even when shows DO have disability and POC rep? Yeah that's not me. Here's the spoiler free rundown, race is at the bottom because I get into more detail with it, not because it isn't important:

Edit: For more on some of these topics from a hosts perspective, see the reblogged addition by @/citrusandsalt

MLM characters: Main characters, one confirmed bi the other unknown

Wlw characters: Reoccurring side characters (present or mentioned in every episode I think) Married. Orientation unspecified.

Enby love: LOTS. It's actually hard to really categorize mlm and wlw stuff because almost every character is nonbinary. Anyways— it's VERY queer

Women: I...I don't know exactly which characters are women 😂. But there are many feminine characters, and they're badass as fuck. Some are compassionate, some are cold, some are chaotic, most are a mix! The two main characters are...masculine...(I say with much hesitation) but you will not feel robbed for your woman-ly content.

Non-traditional family structures: All of the families in the story, pretty much, are non-traditional. Adoption is super common. (You want some wlw who just KEEP adopting kids? You got em) Found family is a MASSIVE force in the story. Also, It's a post-war story.........which is to say almost everyone's parents are dead.

Edit: an MC had poly parents, which may not be obvious but is true!

Polyamory: to my knowledge so far, there are polyam characters, and it is definitely present in the world! But no poly relationships in the forefront. I am about 2/3 through the current episodes, so there may be a present polyamorous relationship later, but also if I confirmed it that would be a spoiler. This may be that "playing it by ear" thing that happens with ttrpgs. I wouldn't listen for the hope of polyamory alone, but I don't tell you it's not there/won't happen.

Trans characters: almost all of them. Might think "oh there are only a few!" And you are wrong. You are so wrong.

Neopronoun users: yup! To my knowledge, minor characters. A handful who use at least he/she/they or they/them and may also use neos in a manner im forgetting

Plurality: no system characters yet, but the creators are friendly, I asked ;)

Aro/ace characters: none confirmed yet to my knowledge. Romance is very central, sex is joked about on occasion but it isn't at the forefront of the story at all. There are many, single characters who are thriving.

Edit: Actually! There is one character who discusses demiromanticism in cannon that I forgot, and another confirmed out of cannon character who is ace. Both are non-main major characters!

Platonic relationships: YES. As an aro person who hates so many romance tropes this one gets my stamp of approval. There's no real jealousy drama, exes who communicate and are supportive, and romance doesn't kill friendships. There's a central sibling relationship and non-familial platonic ones that have conflict, drama, resolutions, and a deeply satisfying significance in the story. If you don't like romance at all, this one might not be for you. If you just don't like stories exclusively about romance, I think you'll enjoy this. Genre wise, I'd definitely describe three of hearts as a mystery primarily with a strong romantic subplot, not a romance itself, and that comes through in player and character's additives and priorities.

Age diversity: the youngest characters in the show are older to middling teens, and the oldest are in their 400s. Okay but the oldest in human terms are roughly 60-70. The most common age range, and the ones the central characters are in, is 30-40. The second most common is that 60-70, then some ~40-50 folks here and there, with people in their 20s being probably the rarest (no named ones off the top of my head?) And there are a small number of teens. This is not a story about youth and youthful beauty. Generally, the older a character becomes the most bad ass/spooky powerful they are, and older characters are very involved in the plot.

Mental illness and neurodivergency: to my knowledge so far no characters are in cannon confirmed to have a specific mental illness or ND, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was part of a character or the main characters, and just hadn't come up. Listeners with cluster b or "scary" disorders, or with conditions that may cause them to lash out, will find satisfaction with how compassionately the narrative treats werefolk. To say more encounters spoilers. I would also say that depression, while the word isn't used and it is not central to the story, is present as a narrative force, and also treated wisely and with compassion. Still, as is usually for a good story, all of these bitches need therapy.

Disability: LOTS. There's a lot of "different, not broken" themes that disabled listeners are likely to love, but both of the main characters are disabled! One is a cane user, the other experiences migraines. These have a genuine, pressing, mechanical impact on the story. It's COMES UP. It's a real joy. For a magical world, there is no magical healing! Or there is, but it isn't a perfect solution, which in my opinion is just a magical version of real healing, though yours may differ! Also, there is a minor, reoccurring character who's a wheelchair user, and I think he's really fun.

Disfigurement: Excuse me if I am not prepared with the most sensitive way to speak about this, but I'm doing my best! There is a character with no eyes or nose, who is central and lovely. To my knowledge, there are no amputee characters or characters with limb differences (of the wheelchair user I'm not sure if it's specified whether or not he has legs). There is a character of questionable morality who has significant facial and bodily disfigurement. In as few spoilers as possible: this was not injury or genetic related. The disfigurement is treated with a firm compassion, and does not exist as a "this character is evil" signal. It's a long arc, but I imagine people who relate will be satisfied, though I cannot speak for anyone.

Characters of color: many! The main two are Hispanic and Asian. Terms like "dark skinned" are used for characters, but in the fantasy world race doesn't exactly translate, and I wouldn't call it "important" in this story. Read more about race below:

Fantasy racism: sort of! The word "race" is used to mean "humanoid species" and I know some folks don't like that? None of these fantasy races are oppressed, but specific people (Magic versus non-magic people) have conflict about that aspect of their identity, and policing is a related concern. I would place the allegory more in the space of transness and disability/neurodivergency if pressed to choose, but it doesn't feel like it's trying to tell a story about real-world oppression, primarily. I have more complicated thoughts on exactly what I'm trying to communicate here, but they involved some spoilers. DM me for more info!

Hosts/creator identity: out of three hosts, two are white, one is not! They are very queer, and disability is also...a thing! These are real life people, so I'm not going to get into detail, but check out their twitters plugged in the show for more on how they self-identify.

Edit: One of the hosts, Essay (@/citrusandsalts) discussed more on hosts identities in a reblog! If this concerns you, and you want less of me walking on eggshells about other people's identities, read her addition too!

Edit 2: Jordan, the GM also has commented additions!

Okay but are they racist: Real talk! As a black person who thinks I keep my ears sharp, I would say no! Not at all! This is one of those situations where I was like "YOU'RE WHITE?" And shocked about it, (if you listened to TSCOSI, same vibe) which is a very good thing in my books. The hosts are open and sensitive, and I have no complaints, however, this is just one perspective! This isn't coincidental, race is an active consideration in how the story is told — just not a central theme.

Minor but worth mentioning: A minor character has a name with what I believe is the Nahuatl "tl" sound in it, which is not pronounced correctly. It's a really hard sound! And I, op, can't really do it! But if that really irritates you this might not be the podcast for you.

[sagemonsters]

Heyo! It’s been a hot second since I’ve posted about any writing activity in my life—the end of my university semester + some familial troubles has really kept me away from my drafts—BUT I’m getting back into the swing of things! I have a new WIP that I’m hoping to finish the second draft of before my autumn semester starts on August 22nd.

The WIP doesn’t have a title for now, but is best described as “Dungeons & Dragons meets Indiana Jones meets monster romance” and is a cis male centaur x AMAB nonbinary human/elf hybrid romance novella. I’m hoping to publish it on Kindle and/or Smashwords once I’ve finished the draft and made all necessary edits.

The story takes place in a high fantasy setting inspired by the pre-Islamic Middle East and northern Africa. If I may gush… the setting itself is what made me fall in love with the story. I’ve been listening to the Fall of Civilizations YouTube channel and really vibing with the episode about the Nabatean civilization + looking at some stunning photography of the real-world Namib Desert along the west coast of southern Africa.

The first draft of this nameless WIP was set in a generic kitchen sink fantasy universe in the standard western European flavor, and I really didn’t click with it; even adding my favorite biome (temperate rainforest) as the backdrop for an important location didn’t make me have fun with what I was writing. However, once I changed the setting to something more geographically & culturally distinct, I started to enjoy it a lot more.

But characters are important too!

Taji Seventhborn is a linquist-mage who specializes in translating a variety of ancient languages into a variety of contemporary ones. They’re newly graduated from a thaumaturgic university in the (ofc fictional) city of Al-Darabous, and struggle with a mild anxiety disorder. Taji is the POV character for the entire novella.

I used the Baydews 2.0 picrew to make a portrait of them, which I’m not 100% happy with because it makes Taji look 14 rather than their actual age of 24. However, it’s still nice to have a visual representation of the character.

Cimitrius Firefoot is the centaur character and love interest. He’s a little older than Taji at 27 and is a warrior rather than a mage. He leads a band of adventurers, and was contracted by Lord Sindiso (along with Taji; that's how they meet) to guard an expedition searching for an ancient temple somewhere among the ghost-wracked dunes of Tindaalo Desert.

Excerpt below the cut!

Taji took a deep breath and looked around the Square. Even though dawn had not yet broken, there were plenty of people about. Veiled women filled pitchers with water from the fountain, their bangles tinkling as they moved, and the first wagons were being admitted through the massive, studded ironwood doors of the Victory Gate on their way to the marketplace. Shutters were being opened in the windows of the tenement buildings that flanked the Square, and street vendors pulled their hand-carts into position in preparation for hawking food, drinks, trinkets, and everything else under the sun. Another busy day was getting ready to dawn in Al-Darabous, and—for the first time—Taji would be leaving it all behind.

Their nerves jangled like the delicate silver chains that the Emperor’s court dancers tied into their braids. They scanned the two major thoroughfares that fed into the Square over and over, shifting their weight from food to foot as time wore on. The gray dawnlight blushed into the full brilliance of morning, and a cacophony of bells tolled in the high white towers to mark the occasion. Taji pulled the papyrus letter out of their pocket and read the last lines for what might have been the thirtieth time:

Prepare and outfit yourself for a long journey through the desert, and meet us in the Square of the Leaping Gazelle before sunrise on the seventh day of Firefall.

[phoenixlionme]

DC Nonbinary Superheroes

I owe this and other DC/Marvel LGBT Superhero lists to lgbtincomics tumblr. They had a list comprising of the sexual orientations of comic characters, including DC and Marvel superheroes.

MAIN UNIVERSE

1. The Aerie

2. Atlantiades - also bisexual and pansexual

3. Danny the Street

4.Jamie Weber aka Dr. Thaumaturge 

5. Jess Chambers aka Flash of Future State - also genderfluid

6. Kani aka Kevin aka Porcelain - also bisexual and genderfluid

7. Lynari Lili’alo

8. O.M.A.C.

9. Sigrid Nansen aka Icemaiden aka Glacier - also bisexual

10. Stitch

11. Usagi - also genderfluid

12. Sir Ystin aka Shining Knight 

[endless-bunny]

Would like to add two more canonically trans characters: you've mentioned the Iconic Shaman Shardra Geltl (left); but there's also Wrath of the Righteous NPC Anevia (who is also a lesbian. Her wife Irabeth sold her family's sword to buy a potion of sex shift for Anevia to magically transition); and Iltara Clavela, proprietress of a stall called "Material Changes" in the Grand Bazaar. She helps people find their inner self, which means transitioning without the help of magic, and she is an expert seamstress who makes clothes that help people feel like themselves.

As well as Mios, the Iconic Thaumaturge (left), who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, we have Reiko, the Iconic Ninja, who is female-presenting genderqueer/genderfluid and asexual.* *This was stated in a forum post by the person who wrote Reiko's backstory, but they stated it while not acting in an official capacity, so it hasn't been confirmed as canon yet.

Pathfinder also has a deity of sex workers, Lymnieris. Her edicts are: Help others achieve their desires, aid and protect sex workers, help others through difficult transitions; and her anathema are: Persecute sex workers, force or support unwanted marriages

And that's just LGBTQIA+ rep! Mobility aids and assistive devices like wheelchairs and prostheses are common in the world of Golarion and readily available for adventurers.

Paizo also employs many black and indigenous American writers and artists, and gives them a chance to share their experience, culture and heritage in blog posts like these:

Uplifting voices for Black History Month 2023

Honoring Native American Heritage Month

Not to mention these passages from Lost Omens: The Mwangi Expanse and from Gamemastery Guide:

Paizo's current design philosophy makes clear that they're conscious of reductive tropes in fantasy fiction and they're trying to steer away from them, making stories about people.

Next year, there are going to be two books about Tian Xia, the Asian-inspired continent. But unlike some settings, which take "Asian-inspired" to mean "Chinese, Japanese and Korean but all blended together and homogenised", the lands of Tian Xia take from wider Asian traditions (including India and southeast Asia, which is often underrepresented in fantasy fiction). Paizo is trying to be very careful about cultural appropriation, inviting people from different backgrounds and heritages to share their culture with the community.

Lmao.

[opashoo]

The scholar, the poet, the mystic, the friend. Deceitful persona. The Hidden Right Hand. 

Shou! Disillusioned fortune teller, ex-casino con, former organized criminal informant, and agent of a mysterious benefactor. They have a very cheerful, absent-minded facade that belies a sharp cunning. In the criminal underground, they had to minimize themselves and leverage every advantage they could, but on the road with loyal friends and good company, it's hard to tell where the the mask ends and Shou begins. Unafraid to do some truly heinous shit at the behest of their employer.

Mechanically they’re a Pathfinder 2e thaumaturge (I have been absolutely hype for thaumaturge ever since the initial playest). Their training in the mystic arts always gives them the lightly magical edge they need to get by. Very excited to play them.

[microwavedzebras]

New Genderfluid Superhero!

I feel like this is something that should be shared with Tumblr because I was really excited when I found out!

DC HAS A NEW GENDERFLUID SUPERHERO

Their name is Dr. Thaumaturge, and they have reality-warping powers. They appear in the new Suicide Squad Black Files comic, the first issue of which is already out!!

Support this amazing new superhero and buy the comic!

This is what Dr. Thaumaturge looks like! I love their character design:

[brehaaorgana]

PATHFINDER RELEASED THEIR NEW ICONIC FOR THE UPCOMING THAUMATURGE CLASS YESTERDAY AND I LOVE THEM:

THEIR INTRO BEGINS WITH THIS:

COMRADE MIOS (image is just text of the first paragraph of the linked backstory text saying monsters usually look like the rich)

Mios:

Is nonbinary

Hates the rich

Worked graveyard shifts (carriage) driving around rich people

Hyperfixates on knowing lots of weird shit about everything especially folklore

Absolutely bonkers fashion sense

Got bit by a werewolf while overworked and underpaid and then did 30 million things to stop themselves from getting the werewolf curse

ONE OF THOSE THINGS WORKED (but they don't know which one lmfao)

NOW THEY WEAR A WEREWOLF SKIN

Mios, my love.

[augustheart]

the state of trans characters within dc is...like...truly disheartening. 

like i know we’re all excited about jess (and rightly so, genderbend earth and all) and i know there are trans characters that dc has, believe me, i know that, i really do know that, i am a walking fucking encyclopedia for lgbt dc characters, i know the trans ones. okay? i know. but if you just open dc wiki or comic vine or whatever the hell and you look at dc’s trans characters, you will notice patterns in the negative spaces, and they’re upsetting! they really are!

i know about trans characters you probably don’t--i know about mel from american virgin, one of the surprising handful of trans characters from the vertigo imprint. (he dies.) i know about starbright, one of the surprising handful of trans characters from the vertigo imprint. (she appears in a singular issue.) i know about hilde, one of the surprising handful of trans characters from the vertigo imprint. (she is a transmisogynistic caricature.) i know, of course, about kate godwin (dead), lee serrano (written off; a Special Issue), alysia yeoh (written off), victoria october (background), porcelain (written off), ystin (written off; and with transness a recent retcon), wanda mann (dead). i know. and i know if you look at them written out like this, it might seem like a lot. you may even notice some i’ve missed. (to name a few more: ones like dr. thaumaturge. the aerie. echo. suzie su.) (a reforming vigilante, and a far background one at that. a sympathetic protagonist, i will give tom taylor that much. a literal nightmare. a transmisogynistic caricature.)

it’s not a lot. it’s not. marvel is no better, of course marvel is no better, but i’m not talking about marvel. i’m talking about dc. do you see a pattern? do you see it, if you tilt your head and squint? maybe it’s apparent. maybe you see the lack of living trans men, the lack of well-written, mainline trans women (their mere existence in dc’s comics is not some kind of privilege they hold over trans men. do you see the notations--dead, a caricature, written off. a dc tv show holding valuable representation and some characters who have fallen through intolerance’s cracks--only to be torn away later, of course--do not a presence make), the morally grey background nonbinary characters with scant appearances even when they are written well.

this isn’t to say all of these characters are bad. i like (love) many of them. i love coagula, i love porcelain, i love starbright. many of them are written well. but they are never a permanent fixture. “make your own characters instead of imagining existing ones as trans” look what happened to kate godwin. “beg for scraps of representation or you will starve” i will not let cis people pat themselves on the back for characters who die, who are Very Special Issues, who are caricatures. “they already exist, just look for them!” i know, i know, i know, i cannot stress how much i have looked, how little i have found, the way what i have found has turned out! 

i will not pretend i haven’t told others to look and they will find for the characters who i think genuinely are good--the coagulas, the aeries, the victoria octobers, the alysias, the starbrights. i love them so, so dearly. i hold them close to me because they are the best we have gotten. this isn’t to disparage the good characters. the ones written with as much compassion as possible, though sometimes a bit clumsily--i will take a hundred lee serranos over one suzie su. a hundred background victoria octobers over one hilde. even if the execution is sometimes off, the genuine desire to help make change is a sentiment to be encouraged.

but look. look at them. look how when they make us heroes, they trip and stumble over themselves--transness comes from an alternate universe, it is a slate wiped clean and shuttered away as soon as the run ends, it is something that...well...are you sure you said heroes, would you mind being a villain? (i love the morally gray characters, i do! look at my fucking url! but where the hell are all these trans heroes coming from, that people feel comfortable making so many of us villains--sympathetic and protagonistic or not?) look at how many, as i said, simply vanish from pages, whether into the aether or into a coffin. 

there has been some change. i cannot stress enough how much i love some of these characters. how well-written i think some of them are, at least in their motivations and backstory and interactions with others if nothing else. there has been change. but it’s not enough. i don’t know if it will take a major retcon for a popular character to finally give us a trans person who won’t vanish after the writer who put their all into making a new character the fans will love with their transness and not despite it. i hope it doesn’t take that. i still wait with bated breath for every new trans character, i hold and polish them like quartz crystals and i love damn near each and every one. 

but i’m so tired of it. i’m so, so tired.

the state of trans characters within dc is...truly disheartening.

[modcraft-osha]

Hi! This is a message from “oshahelpdesk”. I’m trying to make a catalogue for all osha accounts so it’s easier to navigate them. If you could submit a bio for the catalogue at some point, that would be great! Thank you for your help! - Mod Janitor of @oshahelpdesk

[ Of course!!

@oshahelpdesk

Name: Malachite

URL: modcraft-osha

Species: Enderian, part human

Age: Unknown

Gender: Nonbinary

Pronouns: They/Them

Orientation: Aromantic Asexual

Department (If Applicable): Thaumaturgical Research, Thaumaturgical and Magical Workplace Safety

Does Account Have A Lore Tag?: Not currently

Important Relationships: None currently

Warnings For Account: Unreality, derealisation/dissociation (potentially, it may not come up but just in case for now), mentions of injury or harm

Mod/s’ Other Accounts: @malonnaise @maldemoi

Mod/s Pronouns: He/They ]

[ofmidsummernights]

Hold! Who goes there? Why, is that Elphame Glaerun, the Governor of the Vailsteppes? They do look beguiling for a person of 4500 years. Don’t they call them the wise and visionary thaumaturge? I’ve heard they’re also devious and capricious though. Don’t take my word for it but they do look an awful lot like Michelle Hurd.

Basic Info

NAME: Elphame Glaerun

PRONUNCIATION: El-fame Glay-rune

TITLE: Governor || The Thaumaturge

AGE: 4500, looks around 50 in human years

PLACE OF ORIGIN: Rodarwen

FAMILY MEMBERS: None alive 

Physical Description

HEIGHT: 6���7

HAIR COLOR: Golden

EYE COLOR: Hazel

GENDER: Non-binary, They/Them

BUILD: Willowy

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES?: Exaggerated pixie-esque features due to Vailsteppe lineage. Long and sharply pointed ears, with gangly thin limbs and gnarled digits adorned with sharp nails. Their teeth are razor-like.

ANY HEALTH RELATED ISSUES?: None, as far as the eye can tell. 

The Vailsteppe Folk have a unique appearance when compared to other Vailar, owing to the distanced evolution invoked in their community through their dedicated worship of nature as well as the forbidden corners of the arcane.

They are hollow-cheeked and gaunt, their eyes and ears both larger as well as sharper in appearance than those of their kin; more adapted to sensing the delicacies in the sounds and sights of their surroundings, especially within the evening gloom of their canopy-shrouded forest. 

Their steps are feather-light, allowing them to move with nary any betrayal as to their doing so. They have long earned a reputation as shades of the forests, and are often referred to in the bedtime stories of human children in the form of skeletal specters that haunt the woods at night - the spirits of those who perished upon recklessly venturing there alone. 

Personality

Elphame carries the weight of their years with immense dignity and grace, moving with the fluid confidence of one who is effortlessly certain of their own intentions and affairs. They are prone to inviting lines of questioning into the means of others upon idle whim however, to invoke uncertainty even if only to watch the other party wrestle with newfound doubt and trepidation all for the sport of it.

They are predisposed towards fostering an intimidating presence when around others, and will rapidly move in subtle ways to establish their own perceived dominance within a public space - in such a way so as to ensure that all eyes are on them. To that end there is a degree of vanity within their manner, working in concert with an arrogance of self-conviction to forge a sense of cultivated superiority.

Within Elphame’s personality also lies the innate paradox that comes with the meld created between centuries of wisdom and and an insatiable appetite for mischief. They are at once insightful and playful, mature and petty, authoritative and rebellious - in essence their manner is an unpredictable collective of contradictions, which is most likely just how they would like it to be. 

Above all else Elphame loathes the notion of becoming known, or predictable - the moment they feel someone is perhaps getting too comfortable with them, or certain of their actions, they like to shake things up a little. Keeps things fresh, and fun.

Additional Info

THE NATURAL MANNER OF THINGS

Elphame is ardent in the belief that the natural manner of the world is to be governed not by governments and walls but rather solely through its own natural forces – nature and magic in tandem. They view the affairs and politics of other nations as entirely petty and irrelevant, believing that the only meaningful fate is for Vailar to be once again be freed into the whims of nature and the arcane.

As a result they are an available ally to dragons and fellow unorthodox mages, and a natural enemy to any organized institutions, governing bodies or state infrastructures promoting any form of social order.

INTRODUCE A LITTLE ANARCHY

Further to their macrocosmic perspective of the world and its functions, Elphame has a petty nature that can very much hinge upon and shift axis on a whim. To this end, there’s an innate delight they experience in invoking chaos in organized settings and provoking turbulence in otherwise staid or “boring” domains.

Due to this, they are a covert supporter and resource-laden backer available to members of the rebellion. They delight in the thought of the rebels making a resurgence, due to the absolutely sublime mess of things they provoked in communities all over the last time the movement rose to prominence.

THE HOUSE OF WONDERS

Elphame is a powerful mage with a widely famed – if ominously shrouded – reputation as a thaumaturge; a maker of miracles. As part of curating their own image as well as enhancing the perceived power lurking within House Glaerun, Elphame is always open to opportunities to further cement this impression of the depths of their magical aptitude.

They therefore run something of a personal business of granting such “miracles” for others – but always at a price. Whether it be a request for wealth, love, a chance for extended life, or a fatal curse upon an enemy they have no qualms; however one must be prepared to pay in tribute something of equal worth.

History

THE VAILSTEPPE FOLK

The Vailsteppe Folk have evolved over many thousands of years to become genetically distanced from their Vae kin, having become “pixie”-like in their features due to growing too close to nature in their highly involved magical practices. Having taken those practices too far for too long, they somewhat lost themselves to the intoxication of the very force they worship.

Gradually they became almost one with the forest and magic therein themselves, growing increasingly capricious, disinterested in the delicacies of national and international politics - as well as the will and word of the Council itself, even. Uniquely their sexual dimorphism has nigh on disappeared through this same process, and as a culture they have come to identify themselves as a nonbinary community. The Vailsteppe population is small, as the norm in their society is for children to only be conceived once or twice late in their 5000 year lives in order to secure inheritance upon their forebears’ passing.

KINGDOM

The Vailsteppe Folk’s love for the forest in which they dwell is reflected in their sigil. From their ancestral seat in Rodarwen do they govern the surrounding woodland out to the open steppe beyond. Their forests are dark, labyrinthine and tangled; their greatest defense being that one must intimately know the way to the city, lest they otherwise be lost forever in the shrouded gloom of the forest which otherwise threatens to lead even the most wary travellers astray. Their realm has long held a secluded, mysterious and removed reputation due to their location – and the fact that its denizens guard the secret of their veiled paths and hidden trails with utmost jealousy. They believe that their forest is that which had first sprung from Vailanwiel’s sacrifice those many eons ago.

FAMILY

House Glaerun is an old “family” that has been suspicious of centralized power and reclusive where it comes to outside affairs for as long as the records at Rodarwen can remember. Due to the way the Vailsteppe community now operates and perceives themselves, family has taken on an unorthodox form compared to other societies in Vailar.

A partner is merely one’s chosen to produce an heir with when twilight years at last approach, and surnames are now little more than indicators of those inheritances. One’s loyalty to the community and neighbours as a whole far outweighs that to those who share your surname.

Despite being mature in years, Elphame has shown no interest in considering a partner in order to produce an heir to secure their hereditary governorship with. Mysteriously, the Vailsteppe Folk appear neither concerned nor curious as to the reasons why.

MAGIC

Elphame is a practitioner of “low magic” with thousands of years in experience; their specialty has been in Divination magic, wherein they have particular affinity for oneiromancy, geomancy and astromancy. The hedge witch that started Elphame on their journey into the arcane is long deceased, and though in their youth Elphame once had ties to the Magaesterium these were likewise severed in the distant past – the reason for this being concerns and objections over Elphame’s experimental forays into forbidden, darker magics in their increasingly unsettling apathy for collateral consequences. Elphame is a proficient practitioner of blood magic – it is the source of their “wonders”, and a method they are more than happy to use in pursuit of both their long-term goal of returning Vailar to nature, and to have a little fun on the way there.

[kc-rp]

Congratulations, you’ve been accepted!

Please send in your account and look over the checklist to make sure you’re following everyone and the tags for the rp.

Please welcome the following character:

HOLD! WHO GOES THERE? WHY, IS THAT [ELPHAME GLAERUN] THE [GOVERNOR] OF [THE VAILSTEPPES]? THEY DO LOOK [BEGUILING] FOR A [PERSON] OF [4500] YEARS. DON’T THEY CALL [THEM] THE [WISE AND VISIONARY THAUMATURGE]? I’VE HEARD THEY’RE ALSO [DEVIOUS AND CAPRICIOUS] THOUGH. DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT BUT THEY DO LOOK AN AWFUL LOT LIKE [MICHELLE HURD].

Plots they’re interested in:

Additional Info

THE NATURAL MANNER OF THINGS

Elphame is ardent in the belief that the natural manner of the world is to be governed not by governments and walls but rather solely through its own natural forces – nature and magic in tandem. They view the affairs and politics of other nations as entirely petty and irrelevant, believing that the only meaningful fate is for Vailar to be once again be freed into the whims of nature and the arcane.

As a result they are an available ally to dragons and fellow unorthodox mages, and a natural enemy to any organized institutions, governing bodies or state infrastructures promoting any form of social order.

INTRODUCE A LITTLE ANARCHY

Further to their macrocosmic perspective of the world and its functions, Elphame has a petty nature that can very much hinge upon and shift axis on a whim. To this end, there’s an innate delight they experience in invoking chaos in organized settings and provoking turbulence in otherwise staid or “boring” domains.

Due to this, they are a covert supporter and resource-laden backer available to members of the rebellion. They delight in the thought of the rebels making a resurgence, due to the absolutely sublime mess of things they provoked in communities all over the last time the movement rose to prominence.

THE HOUSE OF WONDERS

Elphame is a powerful mage with a widely famed – if ominously shrouded – reputation as a thaumaturge; a maker of miracles. As part of curating their own image as well as enhancing the perceived power lurking within House Glaerun, Elphame is always open to opportunities to further cement this impression of the depths of their magical aptitude.

They therefore run something of a personal business of granting such “miracles” for others – but always at a price. Whether it be a request for wealth, love, a chance for extended life, or a fatal curse upon an enemy they have no qualms; however one must be prepared to pay in tribute something of equal worth.

Optional Info

> THE VAILSTEPPE FOLK

The Vailsteppe Folk have evolved over many thousands of years to become genetically distanced from their Vae kin, having become “pixie”-like in their features due to growing too close to nature in their highly involved magical practices. Having taken those practices too far for too long, they somewhat lost themselves to the intoxication of the very force they worship.

Gradually they became almost one with the forest and magic therein themselves, growing increasingly capricious, disinterested in the delicacies of national and international politics - as well as the will and word of the Council itself, even.

Uniquely their sexual dimorphism has nigh on disappeared through this same process, and as a culture they have come to identify themselves as a nonbinary community. The Vailsteppe population is small, as the norm in their society is for children to only be conceived once or twice late in their 5000 year lives in order to secure inheritance upon their forebears’ passing.

> KINGDOM

The Vailsteppe Folk’s love for the forest in which they dwell is reflected in their sigil. From their ancestral seat in Rodarwen do they govern the surrounding woodland out to the open steppe beyond. Their forests are dark, labyrinthine and tangled; their greatest defense being that one must intimately know the way to the city, lest they otherwise be lost forever in the shrouded gloom of the forest which otherwise threatens to lead even the most wary travellers astray.

Their realm has long held a secluded, mysterious and removed reputation due to their location – and the fact that its denizens guard the secret of their veiled paths and hidden trails with utmost jealousy. They believe that their forest is that which had first sprung from Vailanwiel’s sacrifice those many eons ago.

> FAMILY

House Glaerun is an old “family” that has been suspicious of centralized power and reclusive where it comes to outside affairs for as long as the records at Rodarwen can remember. Due to the way the Vailsteppe community now operates and perceives themselves, family has taken on an unorthodox form compared to other societies in Vailar. A partner is merely one’s chosen to produce an heir with when twilight years at last approach, and surnames are now little more than indicators of those inheritances. One’s loyalty to the community and neighbours as a whole far outweighs that to those who share your surname.

Despite being mature in years, Elphame has shown no interest in considering a partner in order to produce an heir to secure their hereditary governorship with. Mysteriously, the Vailsteppe Folk appear neither concerned nor curious as to the reasons why.

> MAGIC

Elphame is a practitioner of “low magic” with thousands of years in experience; their specialty has been in Divination magic, wherein they have particular affinity for oneiromancy, geomancy and astromancy.

The hedge witch that started Elphame on their journey into the arcane is long deceased, and though in their youth Elphame once had ties to the Magaesterium these were likewise severed in the distant past – the reason for this being concerns and objections over Elphame’s experimental forays into forbidden, darker magics in their increasingly unsettling apathy for collateral consequences.

Elphame is a proficient practitioner of blood magic – it is the source of their “wonders”, and a method they are more than happy to use in pursuit of both their long-term goal of returning Vailar to nature, and cause a little fun on the way there.

[gryphon-four]

The Basics ––– –

NAME: “Four”, or sometimes “Gryphon four”. Doesn’t give out their name publicly, usually. If you know their real name, you don’t know about their job or their codename - vice versa.

AGE: 24

RACE: Hyur

GENDER: Nonbinary

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

MARITAL STATUS: Single

Physical Appearance

HAIR: They keep it covered.

EYES: ??? (Hazel)

HEIGHT: 5′6″ (167cm)

BUILD: Lean, athletic, and flexible. Well-muscled and healthy, as most adventurers are.

DISTINGUISHING MARKS: While they hide this fact well, they have no left pinky.

COMMON ACCESSORIES: They always wear the same hood, regardless of their outfit. They rarely show their face to someone in public if they know them as “Four”. Their public identity is kept very separate, and someone may not realize that they have seen Four before outside of the mask.

Personal

PROFESSION: Adventurer, but also a spy for the Ala Mhigan resistance who infiltrated Garlemald to gather information. They’re up for hire for any kind of job. They were trained as a shinobi by Domans for stealth missions, but are especially skilled in magic - red magic specifically, though they’ve dabbled in dark magic more closely as a thaumaturge.

HOBBIES: Music (plays violin), eating, exploring, and anything that’ll give an adrenaline high.

RESIDENCE: A small apartment in the Ala Mhigan quarter.

BIRTHPLACE: Ala Mhigo

PATRON DEITY: Rhalgr

FEARS: This is to be seen - they do a good job of hiding theirs.

Relationships

SPOUSE: n/a

CHILDREN: n/a

PARENTS: Live in Gyr Abania, but Four’s contact is limited to just sending money every once in a while.

SIBLINGS: n/a

OTHER RELATIVES:  n/a tbd

PETS: None, but does have a modified “Allagan node” they stole from the Garleans, later modified to contain a mammet heart that they use as a secure log to record information.

Traits

extroverted / introverted / in between

disorganised / organised / in between

close minded / open-minded / in between

calm / anxious / in between

disagreeable / agreeable / in between

cautious / reckless / in between

patient / impatient / in between

outspoken / reserved / in between

leader / follower / in between (prefers working alone but can take orders)

empathetic / unempathetic / in between

optimistic / pessimistic / in between

traditional / modern / in between

hard-working / lazy / in between

cultured / un-cultured / in between

loyal / disloyal / in between

faithful / unfaithful / in between

Additional Information

SMOKING HABIT: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

DRUGS: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

ALCOHOL: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

RP Hooks

They have a tendency to drink a bit too deep into their cups at bars - usually they are incredibly vigilant about keeping their public and work identities separate, but with a hazy mind may let something slip about their job after asking the right questions.

Four is always open to be hired for any kind of job (assassinations, information gathering, landscaping, blackmail), provided it fits into their morals - anything that won’t harm Ala Mhigo’s efforts against the Garleans, and anything that won’t harm the people living in Gyr Abania.

Outside of work, Four rather surprisingly loves reckless activities bound to give a rush of adrenaline. They’ve found themselves in a pinch against a pack of wild jackals or stuck at the bottom of a cliff a few times, in dire need of help. That, or perhaps you’ll see a figure off in the distance... sandboarding down the rocky dunes of the deserts in Eorzea, or swimming with the sharks.

Availability

I’m always around weekday evenings EST, but I’m usually able to get to messages at any time. I have slightly odd hours, feel free to message me whenever and I’ll get back to you when I can. 

Style/Preference Notes

In general, I just want to use this blog to write drabbles about my character and see cool content of other people’s OCs, it’s unlikely I’ll really engage in much RP unless my interest has really been piqued. 

As a side note about Four, they keep two different identities completely separate - their public persona, and their work identity. Whenever they are in Eorzea anywhere near the Ala Mhigan resistance, they’ll have their helmet on so any possible Garlean spies can’t identify them, but outside of work they will go by their real name, wear civilian clothes, and do regular things like hanging out with friends, going out to eat, and pretending that they work a completely normal soldier’s post in the resistance. They are part of a spy network headed by a commander leading a special information branch whose members specialize in infiltration, impersonation, and assassinations. Hence the strange name - they solely use their codename, Gryphon-Four.

[save-the-spiral]

Could I please get a nameless ones writing about the ice person sacrificing themselves in battle? (PS what gender do you see these characters as, if any?)

I see them both identifying as nonbinary, or something under that umbrella term at least. The necromancer is more androgynous, and the thaumaturge more masculine in style. They both use They/Them pronouns. (It feels really weird to think of them as anything else, really, when I’ve been writing them with they/them pronouns.)

Also I used ‘partner’ in a romantic sense in this, just to be clear.

Warnings for graphic depictions of violence, gore, corpses, death, necromancy, fire, and a lot of stuff I’m sorry.

It was a mess.

There was no battle array, no summoned circle of magic to keep their fight contained and civil, with turns and passing and a waiting period between spells.

Chaos ruled the entire field, dozens of wizards casting spell after spell. The tripled roar of a hydra shook the necromancer to their bones as they continued running, searching for their partner.

They called the thaumaturge’s name, ducking under a mass of electricity as it launched towards them. They yelled again, running to the trees as they dodged more spellfire. The necromancer leaped over the body of a wizard with blood bubbling at their mouth, staring with dead eyes.

The necromancer reached the treeline as they stumbled over a much too small body, using the momentum to press a hand to the ground and cast magic before rolling back up to their feet. Behind them, the small wizard in bright green robes rose to fight again.

“I’m sorry.” The death wizard whispered, then turned back to run through the surrounding forest, to the abandoned ruins where they had agreed to meet with their partner before this madness.

They sprinted through the woods, and began panicking as a clear trail of burned plants as well as slick sheets of ice made the situation clear. Their ice wizard partner was fighting a pyromancer.

They pushed themself even further, wheezing as they followed the wreckage of the battle. 

Finally they saw a flash of scarlet robes, and they didn’t even move to cast any spells, they just continued running, intending to tackle the fire wizard to the ground.

“NO!”

Glittering blue robes were all that the death wizard could see as they skidded to a stop, bright colors swimming in their vision as they steadied themself.

Then they looked.

And they saw-

“No-” They choked on a sob.

Their robes were still burning. They were still burning, but the slash across their throat was a second bloody smile, grinning up at the infinite sky. The blood made their darker complexion wash out. Or maybe they had already lost too much of their blood for it to make a difference.

The necromancer continued staring down at their partner, dull with shock.

Laughter echoed around them, reverberating like a gunshot inside the necromancer’s skull. The pyromancer continued giggling, rosy cheeked in the aftermath of the murder he committed.

The necromancer tore their eyes away from the ice wizard to look up, look him directly in his eyes. They tore only one word out of their throat, snarling like some wild beast, grief starting to warp what was previously mercy into something far more sinister.

“You.”

And the pyromancer just kept laughing. He was a regular bully of the school, and one of the most violent ones as well.

He started this battle in the first place.

“YOU BASTARD!” The necromancer roared, and brandished their wand. “You’ll pay-” Their breathing was heavy as they continued. “You’ll pay for every life lost on these fields. I will make you beg for death, and even in the eternal you shall beg, lost only to the suffering of others which I shall pay back tenfold.” 

Tears streaked down the death wizard’s pale face, but they started casting spells, hissing dark incantations under their stuttering breath.

And he kept laughing.

Until he started screaming.

He’ll pay.

[elegant-etienne]

30 Day Roleplay Challenge - Day 10

10.) Can you define a turning point in your character’s life? Multiples are acceptable.

Getting sober and leaving Ishgard, seeking “legitimate” employment

Devoting themself to Nald'thal after witnessing a sermon and becoming a thaumaturge

Meeting their now-ex-husband and joining Aethertide Ventures

Facing their fears and ultimately resolving to live their truth as nonbinary

Leaving behind adventuring after a particularly sobering mission involving the death of a child, deciding instead on a life of service and joining @ashen-clinic .

Dissolving their marriage

Lots of twisty turns.