#q built up a world of magic

[realmythsmoved]

@seekesotsibteadmist continued from here Saima casually raised an eyebrow at Farryn's suggestion. But it only takes a few moments before they give a small nod. "You know what? It's been a while since I have gone out on the town.. for real. It might be fun to go out and be out all night for once." A part of them genuinely missed it and this was as good an excuse as any to indulge. "I'm up for it. What kind of places do you have in mind?"

"Nice!" Farryn says with a smile. "That's why you need it. Everyone needs to indulge every once in a while." At least from their perspective, it's something that people would enjo9y. Of course, everyone has different tastes. So perhaps some people wouldn't like it. But Farryn themself does enjoy it. And luckily, Saima feels the same. "I was thinking maybe some clubs so we could dance. If you're up for that." Farryn loves to dance. Though they aren't sure if they're any good at it, they enjoy it nevertheless.

[felassan]

Cliff notes on the new info on Dragon Age: The Veilguard in today’s issue of Game Informer (magazine hub link):

Edit/update: I tidied up this post. ^^

---

In CC you can customize things like shoulder width, chest size, glute size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, nose crookedness, and more

There are hundreds of sliders for body proportions

CC detail: “Features like skin hue, tone, melanin”

There is nudity in DA:TV, “which I learned firsthand while customizing my Rook” in CC

Rook’s backstory also affects “reputation standing”, along with the other previously-known things like in-game dialogue etc

Lords of Fortune are pirate-themed, “piratic”

Rook ascends because of competency, not because of a magical McGuffin, contrasting with the 'destiny-has-chosen you’ angle DA:I has for the Inquisitor

Rook is here because they chose to be, “and that speaks to the kind of character that we’ve built. Someone needs to stop this, and Rook says, ‘I guess that’s me'”

The 4 voices we can choose for Rook each have a pitch shifter in CC

The game starts inside the bar (as previously detailed in other coverage)

In some dialogue wheels there is a “romantically inclined ‘emotional’ response” option. These are the replies that will build relationships with characters, romantic and platonic alike, but you can ignore them if you want to. Giving a companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into another companion’s embrace however

Bellara’s surname is Lutara

In the streets of Minrathous (in the opening segment of the game), there is a wide, winding pathway with a pub which has a dozen NPCs in it (is this The Swan tavern?)

The devs used the DA:TV CC to make each in-world NPC, except for specific characters like companions

There is smart use of verticality, scaling and wayfinding in the gameplay

If you play as e.g. a qunari Rook, the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters like them loom over those below. The camera also adjusts appropriately for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature

Neve Gallus is described as being capable

The Venatori Cultists we fight in the opening segment of the game are seizing the chaos caused by the demons unleashed by Solas’ ritual to try and take the opportunity to take over the city

As you traverse deeper and deeper into Solas’ hideout, more of his murals appear on the walls, and things 'get more elven'. Rhodes says “this is because you’re symbolically going back in time, as Minrathous is a city built by mages on the bones of what was originally the home of the elves”

At the heart of Solas’ hideout is his personal eluvian

Demons are fully redesigned in this game, on their original premise as creatures of feeling that live and die off the emotions around them. “As such, they are just a floating nervous system, pushed into this world from the Fade, rapidly assembled into bodies out of whatever scraps they find”

In the opening, we stop Solas’ ritual and save the world. “For now” anyways. Rook passes out moments later and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to the voice of Solas. He explains that a few drops of Rook’s blood interacted with the ritual, connecting them to the Fade forever. (I guess this is why they said in the Discord Q&A on June 14th that Rook has good reasons to want to avoid blood magic)

He also says that he was attempting to move Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain (confirming who the two Evil Gods are) to a new prison, because the one he had previously constructed was failing. Unfortunately, Solas is trapped in the Fade by our doing, and the two gods are now free. “It’s up to Rook to stop them”, thus setting the stage for our adventure

Rook wakes up after this with Harding and Neve “in the lair of the Dread Wolf himself”, a special magical realm in the Fade called The Lighthouse. It’s a towering structure centered amongst various floating islands. This is where the team bonds, grows, and prepares for its adventures. It becomes more functional and homier as you do. “Already, though, it’s a beautifully distraught headquarters for the Veilguard, although they aren’t quite referring to themselves as that just yet”.

Because it was Solas’ home base, it's gaudy, with his fresco murals adorning various walls, greenery hanging from above, and hues of purple and touches of gold everywhere. Since it’s in the Fade, which is a realm of dreams that responds to your world state and emotion, the Lighthouse “reflects the chaos and disrepair of the Thedas you were in moments ago”

Clock symbols over dialogue icons signal optional dialogue options

At this point you can head over to Neve, engage in dialogue, and try and flirt with her

There is a dining hall in the Lighthouse. A plate, cutlery and a drinking chalice are at the end of a massive table. Matt Rhodes says that this is a funny and sad look at Solas’ isolated existence, and an example of the detail BioWare’s art team has put into DA:TV. “It’s like when you go to a friend’s house and see their bedroom for the first time; you get to learn more about them”

There is also a library, which is the central area of the The Lighthouse. It’s here that the party will often regroup and prepare for what’s next

The team decides that it must reach the ritual site back in Arlathan Forest. Corinne Busche said that the writer was "missing unique dialogue options here because I’m qunari; an elf would have more to say about the Fade due to their connection to it. The same goes for my backstory earlier in Minrathous. If I had picked the Shadow Dragons background, Neve would have recognized me immediately, with unique dialogue”

The team decide their next move. They go to Solas’ eluvian and back through to the ritual site in Arlathan Forest. However, it’s not fully functional without Solas, and while it returns them to the Forest, it’s not exactly where they want to go. Then a demon-infested suit of mechanized armor known as a Sentinel attacks them, and two NPCs appear to save you: the Veil Jumpers Strife and Irelin. Harding recognizes them, which you would expect if you read the comic Dragon Age: The Missing. They are experts in ancient elven magic. A cutscene ensues and we learn that Strife and Irelin need help finding Bellara Lutara. This cutscene is long and has multiple dialogue options.

“There’s a heavy emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, and it feels deep and meaty, like a good fantasy novel. BioWare doesn’t shy away from minutes-long cutscenes”

For Rook, this story is about what does it mean to be a leader? We define their leadership style with our choices. “From the sound of it, my team will react to my chosen leadership style in how my relationships play out.” This is demonstrated within the game’s dialogue and a special relationship meter on each character’s companion screen

Bellara is deep within Arlathan Forest, and following the events of the prologue, something is up here. Three rings of massive rocks fly through the air, protecting what appears to be a central fortress. Demon Sentinels plague the surrounding lands.

In gameplay/combat, players complete every swing in real time. Special care was taken in development for animation swing-through and cancelling. We can dash, parry, charge moves, and a completely revamped healing system that allows us to use potions at our discretion by hitting right on the d-pad. You can combo attacks and even ‘bookmark’ combos with a quick dash, which means that you can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the rest of the combo afterward

Abilities can be used to customize your kit. They can be used on the fly as long as you account for cooldowns

When you pause and pull up the ability Wheel, it highlights you and your companions’ skills. There you can choose abilities, queue them, target specific enemies, and strategize with synergies and combos

Each character plays the same in that you execute light and heavy attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way, regardless of which class you select

Sword and shield warriors can hip-fire or aim their shield and throw it like Captain America

Warriors can parry incoming attacks which can stagger enemies. Rogues have a larger parry window. The mage the writer played couldn’t parry at all. Instead they throw up a shield that blocks incoming attacks automatically, so long as you have the mana to maintain it

On the start/pause screen: it has the map, journal, character sheets, skill tree, and a library for lore information. You can use it to cross-compare equipment and equip new gear for Rook and their companions, build weapon loadouts for quick change-ups mid-combat, and customize you and your party’s abilities and builds via an easy-to-understand skill tree. There aren’t in-depth minutiae, just "real numbers". For example, an unlocked trait might increase damage by 25 percent against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like a Wall of Fire to your arsenal if you’re a mage. As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100 percent bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a spec, complete with a unique ultimate ability

“Sentinels and legions of darkspawn”

Combat is flashy and quick, with different types of health bars. Greenish-blue represents a barrier, which is taken down most effectively with ranged attacks

The game is gorgeous, with sprinkles, droplets, and splashes of magic in each attack a mage unleashes

The game looks amazing on consoles both in fidelity and performance modes

The mission to find Bellara is called “In Entropy’s Grasp”. You find her. She is the first companion you recruit (as Neve auto-joins). If your background is Veil Jumper, you get unique dialogue here with Bellara. She explains that everyone there is all trapped in a Veil Bubble, and there’s no way out once you pass through it. Despite the dire situation, she is bubbly, witty, and charming. She is spunky and effervescent

Companions are the faces of their factions, and in this case with Bellara, their entire area of the world. She is our window into Arlathan Forest. She is described as a sweetheart and a nerd for ancient elven artifacts, which is why she’s dressed more like an academic than a combatant. Her special arm gauntlet is useful both for tinkering with her environment and taking down enemies. While Neve uses ice magic and can slow time with a special ability, Bellara specializes in electricity, and she can also use magic to heal you. Her electric magic is effective against Sentinels. “However, without Bellara, we could also equip a rune that converts my ice magic, for a brief duration, into electricity to counter the Sentinels”

If you don’t direct your companions in combat, they are fully independent and will attack on their own

You progress at this point through the Forest, encountering more and more darkspawn. Bellara says that they have never been this far before because the underground Deep Roads, which they usually escape from, aren’t nearby. However, with “blighted” (BLIGHTED!) elven gods roaming the world, and thanks to the Blight’s radiation-like spread, it’s a much bigger threat in DA:TV than any prior DA game

The Forest has elven ruins, dense greenery and disgusting Blight tentacles and pustules

The style of the game is more high fantasy than anything in the series thus far and almost reminiscent of the whimsy of Fable. Matt Rhodes says that this is the result of the game’s newfound dose of magic: “The use of magic has been an evolution as the series has gone on. It’s something we’ve been planning for a while because Solas has been planning all this for a while. In the past, you could hint at cooler magical things in the corner because you couldn’t actually go there, but now we actually can, and it’s fun to showcase that.” The Forest’s whimsy will starkly contrast to the game’s other areas. The devs promise some grim locations and even grimmer story moments because, without that contrast, everything falls flat. Corinne says it’s like a “thread of optimism” pulled through otherworldly chaos ravaging Thedas. At this point in the game, Bellara’s personality is that thread

We can advance our bonds with our companions on their own personal quests and by including them in our party on main quests. Every Relationship Level you rank up, shown on their character sheet, nets you a skill point to spend on them. “The choices you make, what you say to companions, how you help them, and more all matter to their development as characters and party members”. Each companion has access to 5 abilities.

Each companion has issues, problems, and personal quests to complete. “Bellara has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you’re on” (They’ve said that all of the companions have this too in previous promo material)

You progress deeper into the forest and Bellara spots a floating fortress and thinks that the artifact needed to destroy the Veil Bubble is in there. To reach it, we must remove the floating rock rings, and Bellara’s unique ability, Tinker, can do just that by interacting with a piece of ancient elven technology nearby. Rook can acquire abilities like Tinker later to complete such tasks in instances where Bellara, for example, isn’t in the party

Bellara has to activate three of these in the Forest to reach the castle. Each one you activate brings forth a bunch of Sentinels, demons, and darkspawn to defeat

You can create Arcane Bombs on enemies. It does high damage after being hit by a heavy attack

It sounds like mage characters can charge heavy attacks on their magical staffs. “then switch to magical daggers in a second loadout accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick attacks”

Some enemies are “Frenzied”, meaning that they hit harder, move faster, and have more health

After a few more combat sections, including against a Frenzied sentinel, we reach the center of the temple. In there is an artifact called the Nadas Dirthalen. Bellara knows that this means “the inevitability of knowledge”. Before we can progress, a darkspawn ogre boss attacks, hitting hard with unblockable, red-coded attacks and a massive shield that you need to take down first. It is weak to fire

After defeating it (it’s a climactic arena fight), Bellara uses a special crystal to power the artifact and remove it from the pedestal, which destroys the Veil Bubble. Then, the Nadas Dirthalen comes alive as an Archive Spirit, but because the crystal used to power it breaks, we learn little about this spirit before it disappears. Bellara thinks that she can fix it (fixing broken stuff is her thing), so the group heads back to the Veil Jumper camp. The writer’s demo then ended.

The design of the game is not open world. The devs describe it as a “hub-and-spoke” design where the needs of the story are served by the level design. A version of DA:I’s Crossroads return (the network of teleporting eluvians) and this is how players will traverse across northern Thedas. “Instead of a connected open world, players will travel from eluvian to eluvian to different stretches of this part of the continent”. e.g. Minrathous, tropical beaches, Arlathan Forest, “to grim and gothic areas and elsewhere”. Some of these areas are large and full of secrets and treasures. Others are smaller and more focused on linear storytelling. Arlathan Forest is an example of this, but it still has optional paths and offshoots to explore for loot, healing potion refreshes, and other things.

Each location has a minimap, though linear levels like In Entropy’s Grasp won’t have the 'fog of war' that disappears as you explore like in some of the game’s bigger locations

The game has the largest number of diverse biomes in DA history

The Thedas of DA:TV “lives in the uncertainty”. “the mystery of its narrative”, “the implications of its lore”

The writer is surprised by BioWare’s command over the notoriously difficult Frostbite engine, and by how much narrative thought the dev team poured into these characters, even for BioWare.

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[source: the Game Informer pages from Issue 367 - the cover story from June 18th (link), two]

[tyrantisterror]

To bring this chain of asks full circle, what are your top ten favorite Delicious in Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi monsters and why? Either on the basis of biology, design, or even story significance? What are your favorite dishes from Delicious in Dungeon? 😋

I thin the chapter that introduced Dungeon Meshi's take on living armor is the moment where most readers realize they're in for something special and more than just the gag manga it could have been. For me, it's the epitome of what makes Dungeon Meshi's world-building so special. Living Armors are a stock monster in fantasy fiction, and normally the thought that goes into them begins and ends with "a suit of armor moves on its own because magic." That's all they have to be for an audience to accept them and move on, and in most fiction, that's all they will be.

Dungeon Meshi, by contrast, came up with the most creative explanation for why a suit of armor would walk around and attack people I've ever encountered. It's so bizarre that it's fascinating on its own - BUT THEN, just to show she's a fucking master of story-telling, Ryoko Kui makes the process of our hero discovering the nature of living armor vital to stopping them, saving his friends, and making his way through the dungeon. Dungeon Meshi took a monster archetype that is usually little more than a footnote and turned it into a crucial and iconic story beat, one so important that it continues to figure in to the plot thereafter in the form of Laios's living sword, Kensuke.

Griffins are a monster I have a great deal of fondness for, and one I feel should be more prominent given how iconic they are. There should be more kickass griffins in fiction, more memorable griffin stories, more griffins in general! Dungeon Meshi didn't reinvent the wheel with its take on griffins like it did with Living Armors, but its griffin/hippogriff arc is nonetheless one of the most important emotional beats in the story, and also led into the changeling arc, which is one of the funniest in the entire manga. They also gave griffins the gravitas as a monster that they rightfully deserve. A+ griffin use.

The vegetable lamb is one of my favorite obscure medieval folklore monsters and seeing it show up in this manga made me so happy. It is exactly the kind of bonkers idea that fits perfectly into Ryoko Kui's fantasy world, perfect addition, no notes.

I'm of two minds on how Quetzalcoatl has been reduced to a monster in pop culture instead of, you know, the benevolent god he was originally, but Dungeon Meshi's coatl at least gets a lot of gravitas and even plays a semi-heroic role in some scenes, which is better than most knockoff Q's get. Also the one in the manga itself is covered in psychedlic flower pictures because of SPOILERS and it's really cute.

...Falin's chimera form is ridiculously hot in ways that make me look long and hard at myself in the mirror and wonder why I'm wired like this.

On a less existential side of things, Laios's Ultimate Monster design is, for my money, the absolute best running gag in the manga, with the PERFECT punchline at the story's climax that you'll think you've guessed but trust me, you haven't quite. If you're looking at it and thinking, "That looks like what a four year old would draw when making a monster," you are right, and that is the gag, and trust me, it is ALWAYS funny when it pops up.

How many slots do I have left? Four? Fuck it, let's talk about the dragons, we can go over I don't give a shit. The Red Dragon is the Heavy for the first third of the manga, and it's built up impressively throughout all the monster-eating shenanigans, so that when it finally arrives as this small-scale kaiju who makes the dungeon tremble and quake in its path, you really get a sense of dread attached to it. A lot of modern fantasy fiction gets lazy with dragons, content to let their cultural reputation do the work for them, but Kui made sure that when a dragon entered her story, it feels like an EVENT.

I haven't watched the anime yet, but what I've seen shows they did a good job handling Kui's design, which has this wonderful blend of T.rex, sauropod, and crocodile to give it this primordial reptilian strength. I also love how they animated its Thor Thimble, it's a great touch.

About the only thing I'd change about the Red Dragon is its lack of wings, but then you see how the other dragon species look in Dungeon Meshi, and it makes more sense. Another trope of modern dragons I dislike is giving them all one body plan, when their mythic predecessors could have all sorts of arrangements and numbers of limbs. Kui's dragons follow suit - the red dragon is a stocky quadruped, green dragons have the hexapodal look with two wings and slightly more gracile proportions, we've got two-legged and two-winged wyverns, two-armed wyrms, multi-finned leviathans, Asian-style dragons, and even a big fluffy arctic dragon for those freaks out there who don't want dragons to have scales for some inexplicable reason. All of them are still very much dragons, but each one feels unique and broadens what a "dragon" can be in the setting. It's great, I love it, A+ dragon usage.

Oh, yeah, there's one other dragon species I forgot to put up there - the Nightmares, which in your dreams look like, well, a nightmare, and in the waking world look like... shellfish. Apparently it's a Japanese pun that doesn't translate easily into English. They're not really my favorite monster but I knew if I included all the other dragons and not these guys then at least one person would feel compelled to "Um, actually" me. That nightmare form for the Nightmare looks pretty wicked, though.

[patrickdiomedes]

Dragon Age/Cosmere crossover notes

First off, the Veil/Realmatics. In a Cosmere version of Thedas, I think that the Veil would be created by a sort of massive fabrial that affects all of Thedas. (Fabrial meaning any sort of magical device in the cosmere, not just the kind from Roshar)

So those elven artifacts from Inquisition? They were, in fact, used to strengthen the Veil. Also, Solas had help from the Shard Invention when designing the Veil System.

The Veil’s purpose is to keep the Evanuris, the Old Gods, and the Blight imprisoned, and to weaken them if they do get free.

The Prison has several parts.

The Black City, AKA Ancient Thedas’s Area 51. The Ancient Elves and Dwarves built it as a prison/storage facility for a whole bunch of nasty shit. It was already set up to contain stuff, so Solas yanked it into the Cognitive Realm and used it to imprison the Evanuris and as much of the Blight as he could. 

The Veil: some sort of disruptive interference that makes it much more difficult (but not impossible) to transition between the Realms. Normally, when you get enough investiture in one place, it creates a perpendicularity. The Veil disrupts this by siphoning little bits of Investiture whenever there's too much, preventing a Perpendicularity from forming and using that Investiture to maintain itself and keep the Evanuris imprisoned.

Solas tearing down the Veil wouldn’t lead to a full on merging of the Physical and Cognitive realms, but it would suddenly free up a whole lot of Investiture. Much like if the icecaps suddenly melted in our world, that wouldn’t go well for everyone currently living on thedas, but it’s not going to completely destroy the world.

The Blight is a combination of fainlife that the Old Gods brought to Thedas from Yolen and a particularly aggressive strain of Aether. There is a link to the dead/lobotomized titans, which is where most of the Blight’s actual Investiture comes from.

There's a quote I remember from a Q&A or something that described fain life as a competing ecology to non-fain life on Yolen, and I think that might be a good place to start from, the Blight being a competing ecology to normal thedas that has been twisted somehow.

The Titans I'm thinking of making some of Adonalsium's early creations, predating humanity on Yolen. They were an attempt to create something that could shape the land, like Adonalsium but on a smaller scale.

Thinking about it further, if I go with this origin for the Titans, then it helps me set up the whole Titan/Elf war thing. I think the very first Elves worked with the Titans to craft themselves bodies. With how big the titans were, it probably didn't take too much Lyrium to make bodies for the elves, and as long as things in the Cosmere were working as intended, the Titans were never in danger of running out of Lyrium.

And then 16 (or possibly 17) assholes had to go and shatter Adonalsium. Suddenly the Titans aren't quite working right. But the elves still want more lyrium. So they go to war with the Titans, eventually killing them.

Don’t see the need to change too much about spirits/spren, though the ones on Thedas can change their ‘aspect’ in ways that others (like Rosharan spren) can’t.

The Old Gods wouldn’t be just the Evanuris’s dragon weapons/phylacteries in this version of things, but rather dragons from Yolen.

Actually, maybe the Elves (and Titans) warred against the Old Gods first, and the leaders of that war got the idea to craft themselves new bodies, taking Dragon shape. So they needed a lot of Lyrium for this new shape. And that’s what led to the Titan War.

Tentative Timeline:

Adonalsium creates the Titans on Thedas, creates spren/spirits all over the cosmere, and creates Humans on Yolen

Titans create Dwarves, basing them on the human template that Adonalsium imprinted in their minds. The first Dwarves had access to some Invested Arts, mainly stuff like Stoneshaping and Microkinesis.

Some spirits on Thedas grow curious about the physical world, work with Titans to create bodies for themselves, based on the Dwarves

Relative peace for a few milennia as the Elves and the Titans work to shape Thedas.

Shattering of Adonalsium

A group of Dragons (the Old Gods), fleeing the Shattering, settle on Thedas and go to war with the Elves, Dwarves, and Titans

The war with the Old Gods reaches a stalemate, and some of the leaders of the Elves decide to try to take forms mimicking the Old Gods, to achieve greater power and break the stalemate. This is when they find out that the Titans aren’t producing Lyrium at the same rate/the Lyrium isn’t working quite the same way anymore.

The Titanomachy is a quick, brutal conflict, because the Evanuris know that they can’t afford to fight on two fronts for long. They ‘lobotomize’ (make Tranquil) several Titans, so that their bodies will still produce lyrium. The rest of the titans flee/go dormant.

With their new supply of Lyrium, the Evanuris figure out how to craft new draconic bodies, complete with the shapeshifting inherent to Yolish dragons. They defeat and imprison the Old Gods deep in the earth, in a prison made from the body of one of the Titans.

The Evanuris, led by Elgar’nan, begin a more brutal expansion across the world. Scarcity of Lyrium/access to it is what leads to a schism between the Evanuris and those who will later be called The Forgotten Ones.

War between the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones

The conclusion of this war is around when the Evanuris started to think of themselves as gods, and they decide to try experimenting with the Blight, which was originally less malignant/more controllable. These experiments quickly got out of hand, and the Blight was getting out of control.

Mythal tries to get the other Evanuris to chill the fuck out, and they kill her for it

Solas’s Rebellion, ending with the creation of the Veil.

Solas would’ve been one of the last spirits to take a physical body, before the Shattering. Started off as a spirit of Wisdom. He also would have been a Willshaper during his rebellion, having bonded with a Lightspren that somehow managed to leave Roshar. Unfortunately for him, the Recreance happened while he was asleep so when he wakes up in modern Thedas, he doesn’t have the balancing factor of his spren to help him out. He does bond with a Cryptic that has been hanging around, though.

Or possibly he went offworld after the Veil was created, and has spent the intervening couple millennia avoiding going home because he does not want to think about how badly everything went, and he picked the Cryptic up there.

The Maker as Andraste/The Chantry believe in him does not really exist. Some legends from pre-veil Thedas eventually became part of chantry doctrine, but there is no one being who shaped Thedas like they believe. Adonalsium was pretty hands off once the Planet itself was created.

Andraste was a Mage, and did have visions due to her closeness with spirits and occasional uncontrolled glimpses of the Spiritual Realm.

Ancient Elvhen beliefs; Similar to early Rosharan stuff involving Wind, Night, and Stone (Come back to this once Wind and Truth is out). Reverence for larger/deeper spirits that didn’t choose to become physical, seeing them as sort of like ancestors.

Forgotten Ones is really more a general term for anyone the Evanuris didn’t like, than an organized group. The Evanuris had a habit of doing a Damnatio Memoriae on those they defeated and wanted to punish.

[superlinguo]

Superlinguo 2023 in review

I spent 2023 on leave to hang out with a new tiny human. I still found time for some linguistics, including regular Lingthusiasm episodes and even some intermittent blogging. I also got to reuse all my linguist pregnancy announcement jokes.

Lingthusiasm

Lingthusiasm turned 7 this year! We celebrated with a dozen main episodes as well as our monthly bonus episodes for patrons. We had some help to get through the year while I was on leave with interviews with linguists from around the world, including Lingthusiasm team members Martha Tsutsi-Billins and Sara Dopierela.

We released our new Etymology isn't Destiny merch, which is available alongside merch for all kinds of linguists and language fans.

Main episodes

Where language names come from and why they change (transcript)

How kids learn language in Singapore - Interview with Woon Fei Ting (transcript)

Bringing stories to life in Auslan - Interview with Gabrielle Hodge (transcript)

Tone and Intonation? Tone and Intonation! (transcript)

Word Magic (transcript)

The verbs had been being helped by auxiliaries (transcript)

Frogs, pears, and more staples from linguistics example sentences (transcript)

How kids learn Q’anjob’al and other Mayan languages - Interview with Pedro Mateo Pedro (transcript)

Look, it’s deixis, a word for linguistic pointing! (transcript)

Ergativity delights us (transcript)

Revival, reggaeton, and rejecting unicorns - Basque interview with Itxaso Rodríguez-Ordóñez (transcript)

If I were an irrealis episode (transcript)

Bonus episodes

Parrots, art and what even is a word - deleted scenes from Kat Gupta, Lucy Maddox and Randall Munroe interviews

Singapore, New Zealand, and a favourite linguistics paper - 2023 Year Ahead Chat

When books speculate on the future of English

Neopronouns, gender-neutral vocab, and why linguistic gender even exists - Liveshow Q&A with Kirby Conrod

2022 Survey Results - kiki/bouba, synesthesia fomo, and pluralizing emoji

Linguistic jobs beyond academia

LingthusiASMR - The Harvard Sentences

How we make Lingthusiasm transcripts - Interview with Sarah Dopierala

Field Notes on linguistic fieldwork - Interview with Martha Tsutsui Billins

Postcards from linguistics summer camp

Linguistic Advice - Challenging grammar snobs, finding linguistic community, accents in singing, and more

Frak, smeg, and more swearing in fiction - Ex Urbe Ad Astra interview with Jo Walton and Ada Palmer

LingComm: 2023 conference

The 2023 LingComm conference happened in February, and was once again in the LingComm conference space in Gather Town. I enjoyed being on the planning committee that put together an amazing event that built on the inaugural conference in 2021. Stay tuned for 2024 lingcomm updates!

Top Superlinguo posts in 2022

This year was a chance to reflect on the decade since I graduated, and to articulate the important role my main supervisor had in shaping my career.

After wrapping up the linguistics jobs interview series last year, this year was a chance to share some aggregated resources from 8 years and 80 interviews.

I also got to read a couple of great linguistics books for kids, keep up to date with linguistics podcasts, share some of my favourite linguistics books and check in on some things happening online.

General posts and reviews

10 years of a PhD

Barb Kelly

Gender Variations for Person in Suit Levitating Emoji - Emoji Proposal

Linguistics and Language Podcasts (2023 update)

Language Books for Kids: Highly Irregular, Arika Okrent & Sean O'Neill

Linguistics books for kids: Once Upon a Word - a Word-origin Dictionary, Jess Zafarris

Linguistics Jobs resources

Linguistics Jobs Interviews - directory of posts and resources

Linguistics Jobs resource set

Superlinguo Linguist Job Interviews full list

Linguistics education and its application in the workplace: An analysis of interviews with linguistics graduates (new publication in Language)

Information and advice

hapax legomenon and automated email replies

Lingthusiasm guide to pop linguistics books

Hello Grambank! A new typological database of 2,467 language varieties

What we can accomplish in 30 years of lingcomm: Opening keynote of #LingComm23

Australian Linguistic Society’s Accredited Linguist program

Academic articles in 2023

Although I was on leave, things that I was working on earlier made it through to publication. I like that there was one paper on lingcomm, one on gesture (including emoji!) and one on the linguistics job interviews, it feels like a nice mix of some of my current interests. Just a pity there wasn't a Tibeto-Burman paper in there!

Gawne, L. & A. Cabraal. 2023. Linguistics education and its application in the workplace: an analysis of interviews with linguistics graduates. Language, 99(1), e35-e57. [doi][Superlinguo post]

Freestone, P., J. Kruk & L. Gawne. forthcoming. From Star Trek to The Hunger Games: emblem gestures in science fiction and their uptake in popular culture. Linguistic Vanguard, 9(3), 257-266. [doi][Superlinguo post]

Gawne, L., & McCulloch, G. (2023). ‘Communicating about linguistics using lingcomm-driven evidence: Lingthusiasm podcast as a case study’, Language and Linguistics Compass, 17/5: e12499. DOI: 10.1111/lnc3.12499 [doi][Superlinguo post]

The year ahead

I'll be back to work full time. I've found the low-key level of blogging I managed this year to be sustainable, so expect it to be business-as-usual here. Lingthusiasm will also continue with monthly main and bonus episodes, thanks to the patrons who support the show and ensure we have a team that can keep everything rolling while begin to take on more administrative responsibilities in my job.

I'm looking forward to sharing some things that are in the final stages of peer-review and copy editing, and I'm excited to be spinning up some new projects.

Browsing old Superlinguo content?

I have a welcome page on the blog that points you to aggregate posts, and series of posts I've done over the years, as well as themed collections of posts that have appeared on the blog in the last twelve years.

Previous years

Superlinguo 2022 in review

Superlinguo 2021 in review

Superlinguo 2020 in review

Superlinguo 2020 (2019 in review)

Superlinguo 2019 (2018 in review)

Superlinguo 2018 (2017 in review)

Superlinguo 2017 (2016 in review)

Superlinguo 2015 highlights

[thana-topsy]

1,6,8,11,17 for the ask thing!

Answered #6 in this post, and #8 in this post!

A fanon characterisation that you love

Oh, this took some thought. I went scrolling through my AO3 bookmarks for this one. But at the end of the day I have to go with my good friend @nientedenada's interpretations of Elenwen and Ondolemar in her Q&A style fic: "The Dominion is Here and They're Answering Your Questions" - her take deeply influenced the way I wrote both of these characters in "Hollow Men" as well as just helped to shape the Thalmor into people in my mind, as opposed to stick man villains.

11. Recommend a fic with an unusual/original headcanon or characterisation that you loved

Accidental Double Thalmor Post, but I'm going to have to recommend "Evil is Made of Us" by LeviathansEyes on AO3 for their masterful interpretation of the Thalmor. It's a purely OC-driven fic that's technically a sequel to a much longer fic, but I think it can be enjoyed on it's own easily enough. I had already finished up my own Thalmor-centric fic (Hollow Men) by the time I was reading their work, but I was still SHOOKETH by the end of that story. It was an unflinching look at how "evil" manifests itself, but also how, at the end of the day, people are just people. "Evil" is a concept within the framework of an institution.

17. Something you love that you don’t often share because you’re worried what others will think

Hmm... well, for the most part I'm pretty shameless with most of the stuff I share. I put myself out there in good faith, and generally expect that my work will be taked in good faith in return.

I think, maybe, if I want to be vulnerable for a minute, I'll admit that I tend to meme on Neloth publicly a lot to cover up just how deeply I've been impacted by writing his character. More below the cut, because this turned into a bit of a ramble...

I write Neloth as a low-empathy individual who arguably has a personality disorder (I won't throw around specific labels, as I don't think there is a specific one that I had in mind when going into his stories). My love for Neloth runs incredibly deep because I've been working with this fatally flawed, deeply damaged character who has built his own defences up so impossibly high over hundreds of years that even he is unsure of where his own walls end and the core of himself begins.

And then, to pair him with Teldryn, (which I think most people who only see the ship art or the memes think I just picked two characters and smashed them together for fun or because Hee Hoo Gay, which... isn't a lie, but it isn't the whole truth either). I write Teldryn as an endlessly compassionate person beneath the armor he's been forced to wear (literally and figuratively) over the years. The Nerevarine Prophecy left him questioning his own place in the world with a terrible case of impostor syndrome, and then the Red Year absolutely ripped out his heart (no pun intended??) and left him feeling that everything he did amounted to nothing. So he's cynical and jaded, he's hiring himself out as a merc, he has every reason to hate the gods and the life that's been thrust upon him. And then, for whatever reason, when I put him and Neloth in a room together for long enough, they somehow managed to crack through each others' shells. And it wasn't pretty at first, and, hell, it wasn't even romantic. But it happened. And sometimes, writing can be magic like that.

So here's Teldryn, a literal hero, giving this (by all accounts) terrible person a chance to show that he's capable of both receiving and giving love, actually. And that love can look a little different in everyone. And augH GOD, I HAVE A FUCKING CHARACTER TYPE, OK???

Anyways, tl;dr -- Neloth is actually more than just my special little meow meow babygirl blorbo, he is my shadow self, my darkest reflection, the opposite of everything I strive to be and everything I fear becoming. And I think, by writing him as still being worthy of love and companionship and joy, I'm writing to let myself know that I am also worthy of such things.

[sl-newsie]

Query: Q x 00 Agent- Ch. 13: Conquering With Loyalty

In no less than 10 minutes we meet up with M in an empty parking lot. I give a thousand grateful prayers that Bond’s made it back. Now he can talk some sense into M and we can get to work.

“We shall have to hide out in a nearby safehouse for now,” M informs us as soon as I park the bike. 

Q hops into the car with the others and I follow them to an abandoned building on the outskirts of town. The darkness of night is a useful ally in this hour of urgency; moreover it’s even better that there aren’t many visible cameras in this area.

“Moneypenny’s going to wait in the car so for now it’s you, me, Tanner, and Q.”

I lead the rear of the group as we climb the fire escape.

“I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of this place,” Q comments.

“Well that’s the whole idea of safehouses,” M states obviously.

“Exactly how safe is it?” Q asks suspiciously.

“We’re about to find out.”

Being one of the two people with a gun, I join M at the front and prepare to enter- Oh. What a welcoming sight. Bond’s waiting for us at the door.

M gives an annoyed sigh. “It’s safe.”

He opens the door and we all pile into a small drafty room. I recognize Dr. Swann standing nearby.

“Who are you?” M asks.

“Madeline Swann.”

“Malloy. Pleased to meet you.”

Bond is the last to enter the room and I greet him with a stiff nod.

“You look a little worse for wear.”

He grunts. “Had a bit of a fight-”

“Don’t tell me. You had a fight on another bloody train and then conveniently got taken to SPECTRE’s secret base?” I raise a brow. “I pick up on these beneficial patterns, Bond. What have you found this time?”

Bond gives M a narrow look. “SPECTRE funded the Joint Intelligence Service while staging terrorist attacks around the world in order to create a need for the Nine Eyes program, all done by your new best friend C who’s about to gain unlimited access to intelligence from a system he built right under our noses.”

I shake my head with worry. “The system goes online at midnight, Bond.”

“If that happens they’ll have control of everything. That is unless Q hacks it to stop it from going online.”

In the corner of my eye I see the dark-haired genius perk up.

“Are you sure he can?” M asks Bond.

“He’ll find a way. He always does.”

Isn’t that the truth? 

M claps Bond on the shoulder. “It’s good to have you back, 007.”

Bond and Dr. Swann grab the few bags they have and we all head back out to the parking lot.

“We need to arrest C if any progress is to be completely halted,” M instructs. “0011, you guard Q.” Both Q and I give him apprehensive looks. “I thought since you’ve both spent such good quality time together you’d be the best choice.” M points Bond over to a separate car. “We’ll each drive a different route.”

I follow Q to the car where Moneypenny and Tanner are waiting and take a seat in the back next to him. He makes quick work to start getting deeper into the Nine Eyes system, which is showing a countdown of only 32 minutes until the initiative goes live.

“Are you in yet, Q?” M asks over the phone after a few minutes of driving.

“I think I’m getting somewhere…” Q mutters and looks at me. “Never thought I’d have to break into a government security system.”

I pat his shoulder and offer a comforting smile. “If anyone can do it you can, Quartermaster. Now work your magic.”

Tanner drives us through the dark streets, leading us to the upcoming CNS building- Uh-oh.

We turn a corner and come across Bond and M’s car, crushed between two unknown SUVs. Bond and M are nowhere to be found. No doubt it’s Oberhauser’s work.

“Bond’s been captured,” I estimate. “We need to get out of here!”

Just as I say this the guys from the SUVs notice us and start shooting.

“Reverse!” Moneypenny shouts.

Tanner speeds us back the way we came, only to find another car waiting for us with more bullets flying our way.

“Get down!” I push Q aside just as the bullet shatters the window. I feel another one tear through my vest; although it only goes deep enough to rip a hole in my shirt. Dear God, Q was almost killed. Why does that make me so frantic?

Q’s a bit shaken and looks up with wide eyes. “Thanks.”

“Thank me with a drink after we’ve survived this nightmare,” I grunt as I lean over him to shoot through the broken glass.

“Um, do you know your uniform is-?”

“Yes, I am aware that my uniform is torn, Q. Focus!”

Q continues to hack into Nine Eyes from underneath me while Tanner swerves to escape the SPECTRE operatives. It seems that Bond’s capture is distracting them because we make it to the CNS structure without any more conflict- for now. Tanner and Moneypenny secure the ground floor while M and Q head up to where C’s office is. I follow them and keep guard with my pistol at the ready. C better think twice next time he tries to order an attack on us, because my trigger finger is itching to punch a few holes in his chest. We reach the top floor and discover C isn’t currently here, but there’s a good chance he will return soon.

“Keep hacking, Q. I’ll search for any weaponry.” M walks to C’s desk and pulls out a single handgun. “Amateaur.”

The sound of approaching footsteps alerts us to the hallway and we all hurry to hide in the shadows just as C bursts in. M’s taken a seat in a chair while I position myself next to where Q’s working.

“Go back now, find them. We need them both!” C orders and hangs up his phone.

He sits down at his desk and turns on his laptop. After a few seconds he gets a confused look on his face. Probably because I just saw Q turn off his security privileges.

“Not a good feeling, being watched. Is it?” M asks from where he’s sitting.

C notices him and he lets out an annoyed sigh. “Don’t tell me you’re responsible for this?”

M shakes his head. “No, but my Quartermaster is. And he’s extremely talented.”

As an extra precaution I move to stand alongside Q with my pistol in C’s view.

“Well, in case you haven’t realized it you lot are out of a job. And you’re trespassing.”

M simple tilts his head. “I'm afraid you’ve got the wrong end of the stick. We’re going to stop this from going online. Then I’m going to bring you in.”

This doesn’t phase C too much. “Take a look at the world. Chaos. Because people like you, all the government officials and politicians are too spineless to do what needs to be done. So I made an alliance to put the power where it should be. I bet I know what that M stands for.” He pulls out the gun from his desk and raises it. “Moron.”

He pulls the trigger, but the gun doesn’t fire.

“And now we know what C stands for.” M holds out a handful of bullets. “Careless.”

I take C’s stunned face as my que to step over with my pistol aimed at his head. “You tried to shoot him.” I jerk my head to where Q’s sitting. “Which makes you personal enemies with me.”

The slimy bloke chortles. “Is this love I’m interrupting?”

“Love does not exist in my job,” I’m quick to answer. “He’s a damn good Quartermaster and a loyal friend. 00s are devoted to him.” I step closer and glare daggers at C’s weasel face. “And you’ve just made this 00 agent very pissed off.”

“At ease, 0011.” M goes to stand in front of me. “He’s not worth the bullet. Is the system eliminated, Q?”

The geek in question is still digging into the system database. “Almost there. Come on. Come on. No, no… Yes!”

With one final click Q sends the whole system on shutdown and Nine Eyes is wiped clean. He leans back in relief and sighs heavily.

“Bravo, Quartermaster.” I pat his shoulder. “Impressive as usual.”

“Let’s go,”M motions with his gun for C to get up. “After you.”

“Why can’t you just face it, M?” C snickers. “You don’t matter anymore.”

“Maybe I don’t. But someone has to.”

Suddenly C tries to grab the gun and it goes off, shattering the window. I rush over and sucker-punch C in the ribs. He spits at me and shoves against M, only to lose his balance. His face flinches into a look of horror as he stumbles and plummets to the ground in a rain of glass. Q stays at the desk while M and I lean over to spot C’s lifeless body collapsed in a pool of blood on the cement below.

“Well. He’s dead.” I look to M. “Are you alright, sir?”

“Never better. Now let’s get downstairs and try to find Bond.”

He takes a head start. I decide to stay back and wait for Q to pack up his things. 

“I’ve never had someone stand up for me like that,” Q says as we head for the door.

“You did the same for me. You might be annoying at times but we all owe you respect, Q.” I give him a courteous nod. “You just saved MI6 from a security breach. Not exactly an easy task.”

We race down the stairs, which leaves Q panting heavily, and meet M and Moneypenny at the front door.

“Any word on Bond?”

“No, but I can imagine a guess.”

Suddenly there’s a loud explosion from the old MI6 headquarters. After a few seconds the entire building crumbles down as if it had never existed. But where’s-? There he is!

I spot Bond, along with Dr. Swann, driving a boat away from the wreckage. He’s shooting at a helicopter which I’m assuming has Oberhauser inside it. A lucky bullet finds its target, sending it swerving out of control. The helicopter crashes and ignites instantly, having become a wreck of twisted metal. It’s over now.

On instinct I start sprinting to where Bond has Oberhauser trapped-

“Where are you going?” Q calls.

I stop and turn around. “Mallory might need help arresting him-”

“Let Mallory have his moment.” The geek catches up to me wearing a smirk. “I think I owe you a drink.”

My eyes close at the thought of it. “You have no idea how nice that sounds.”

By now Bond’s walking up hand-in-hand with Dr. Swann. M’s overseeing the authorities as they walk Oberhauser to an awaiting car. Maybe now we can all put this headache behind us.

“Bravo, Bond. Another dramatic getaway.” I look off to the demolished pile of rubble. “I’m going to miss that building.”

“Try not to be too sentimental,” Bond teases. 

I roll my eyes. “I have no energy left to argue. You up for a drink?” I already know the answer once Bond and Dr. Swann exchange looks. “Alright, fine. We’ll celebrate without you as usual.” 

Bond offers a goodbye handshake and the beaming couple walk off into the night. There’s something different about Bond in a way I can only describe is that he’s… happy. Genuinely happy. Dr. Swann seems to have grown fond of him and I can only hope that they make a good pair. I shake the thoughts away and join Q and Moneypenny by the edge of the bridge.

“Where should we go? The K Bar again?” I ask.

“With all due respect, I think my own cooking would make that pale in comparison.”

I smile gratefully at Q. “Really? You’d cook for us?”

“Actually, I’d better get home.” Moneypenny checks her phone and starts inching away. “There’s a lot of paperwork I have to file. But you two go on! Have fun!”

If I didn’t know better I’d say she’s up to something. Q thinks so too because we each share confused expressions.

“Oh well. I have to pick up Cricket anyway. What’s on the menu, Quartermaster?”

The geek winks and we start walking. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

After tonight I think I can deal with this level of suspense.

[rowanmgrey-author]

Writer Q&A Tag Game

Thanks to @mthollowell-writes for the tag! Find their original post here.

1)What motivates you to write?

Mostly reading fantastic stories and becoming inspired with ideas about my own work. Also the people in my life like my sister who is also a writer; her vivid words inspire me all the time. I am also heavily motivated by my love of my characters, and a little bit of my guilt that I have not finished one of my novels (the first one) that I have been writing for soooo long.

2) A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

Shared my own work from Bloodlines.

Every day she fought the wolf for control. Every day to stop herself from hurting anyone. The wolf was the worst, most animal parts of her, and most of those dark parts wanted nothing more than vengeance. To cause the chaos and suffering done to her. Before Eron and her suspension from The Order three years ago, that’s what she did. The wolf that now sulked beneath her flesh missed the blood. Every day it tried to take control, to turn her back into a monster.

3) Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

Jackal Bellare from my WIP Bloodlines. He is always my answer because he is just so fun to write. He is that character that came fully formed. Nothing to change, nothing to define, he just appeared. He is a smartass, deceptive and manipulative. He at first is very selfish because he was forced to grow up fast and was abused by his father for many years. He pushed him to achieve his own goals and basically taught Jackal that no one would love him, not even his own family. So he grew up thinking he couldn't trust anyone and that everyone he met would be angling for something. He is also ridiculously powerful as a demon and can be impatient and even petulant. And he's classist too, thinking he's better than anyone who's not at his power-level. These are all fairly awful traits, but I love him still because I know the depths of his character and that all he truly wants is friends that he can trust, a surrogate family that actually gives a shit about him.

4) What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

I love the discovery/investigation phase best I think. Imagining the world and then researching and defining what I need to. I love to learn new things, and I always do in that stage.

5) What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

I would say action scenes and dialogue are my greatest strengths. I can plot as well, but I am more of a character focused writer so most of the plots are pretty simple in concept and execution. I am also not too shabby with the NSFW scenes, but I don't write detailed smut. It's not my thing anymore.

6) What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

Doing tag games! no really. I love answering questions and seeing other's posts about this stuff. I also just appreciate the vibes, everyone is very friendly and inclusive and it's refreshing.

7) A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

Microsoft Word has always been my go to. I really appreciate the formatting and how easy everything is. It's also great for editing. I have also used fighter's block to help me reach my goals in a fun way.

8) A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I would say Pandemonium from my novel Bloodlines. This is the planet where demons live. I really just like the lore I have built around demons in general because they are inspired by lots of things but not tied to any real-world religions or mythology. Also in that story one of the types of demons are dragons (Draconem) and they have the power to shapeshift from their real form (dragon) to a human, and change their mass even. There are also these garbage disposal-like demons that have no heads and a mouth on their chest. These are heavily inspired by Blemmyes. I even have a separate dominion for Hell, which in my series is unusually referred to as Gehenna. The realm is a prison obviously, but instead of one place, or several levels like the circles, each Hell is a separate dimension governed by Warden that has a particular specially for punishment. I also have demons that are kind of like Valkyries, they are basically the law enforcement and are super scary even to other types of demons because they can make you tell the truth just by looking into your eyes. There are Demon Kings (which in my novels is a non-gender term, just go with it) and each one has a different rank and they serve as military leaders as well. They also have cool titles, like King of Slaughter (he's the war general and most powerful warrior). I could go on for ages. I spent a lot of time on the lore around demons because originally the novels were going to take place there exclusively and the main character was a Demon King.

9) What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

I usually step away for a bit, and look at it again later. Sometimes it sparks new ideas and even makes me appreciate what I have already. I would really just advise that you don't be too hard on yourself. It's better to go slower and work smarter, so you don't burn out and end up in an uninspired state of procrastination. Goals are important too, but don't compare yourself to other writers. Make goals you know you can achieve and set times and make space to work.

10) Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters:

Obviously @dyrewrites needs to be first. She is my sister and was the one that got me on writeblr in the first place. And what an amazing community! I haven't been here long, but I can say that I get a lot of attention and really cool asks from these amazing people:

@stesierra - @aziz-reads - @digital-chance - @mthollowell-writes - @quantumlandbooks - @anonymousfoz - @another-white-hole @inkytealeafwriting - @schepper-wubs-wips - @hottubraccoon

You all are lovely people and if you want to join in on this tag please do.

[welcome-to-oslov]

World-Building Questions

Is it cringe how much I like getting comments on these stories? Then I'm cringe. All comments are helpful to me, but I especially like world-building questions. I got some great ones from Rain, who was reading "All the Kinds of Broken," and they gave me permission to copy the Q&A here as a resource. It's probably most helpful to anyone who starts with the prequel story, since the other stories address at least some of these issues (maybe not all!).

Is the story set in a nuclear winter? They are literally in the Arctic (Baffin Island, I think), and at least parts of North America (which they call Harbour) are still habitable and temperate. But the apocalyptic event they call the Unraveling did involve nuclear strikes.

Can you explain the calendar system to me? How many free nights are in a ten-day, or is it ten days of work, then a free night? How many free nights are in a row? I admit I've never actually figured out the schedule. It varies by which ten-day of the month it is, so it's really complicated! The number of free-nights varies from three to four to possibly occasionally five, and they never occur in a row. It's a workaholic culture, and the difficult-to-memorize schedule for Upstarts and government functionaries is yet another form of elitism. The Laborer schedule is simpler and more generous with free time.

When is New Year celebrated? How many days and months are there to a year, and how any holidays? Do days and months have names? For simplicity's sake, I gave them the same 12 months as our calendar and the same new year. There is a traditional winter fest in late December, but they generally shun holidays because of their association with religion, which is considered subversive. (There's a traditional religion some Laborers believe in, left over from Feudal times. The Spark is the main deity figure, and it all goes back to being deprived of power and the internet after the Unraveling.)

What is year zero, is it related to Whyberg? How many years has it been since then? How many years did the Unravelling take, and how many years since? I just looked at the timeline I wrote in a binder decades ago and realized it's irrelevant because I changed some major things. (Oslov used to be its own planet! :) ) So basically, the Unraveling was about 500 years ago. Major cities were devastated, and some refugees moved north to escape the radiation. They lost their tech and reverted to "Feudalism," worshipping the Spark (electricity) but seeing it as magic. Meanwhile, a major Arctic research station managed to preserve the technology and culture of the past, similar to a medieval monastery. For a long time, the scientists kept out the Feudals, but eventually their cultures merged and they had a "Quiet Revolution" in which they overturned the Feudal lords and chieftains and started to envisage a merit-based society.

The Quiet Revolution is year zero. Whyberg is born soon afterward and completes this project of basing social status on intelligence, which was the ethos of the research station. He codifies everything and creates the new government. This story starts in year 341. So 300 years after Whyberg, give or take.

Is sap an opium product derived from poppies? Sap is derived from the sap/pitch of the rare, delicate muirthorn pine, which becomes an issue later because the pine plantation can be sabotaged. According to Feudal legend, owls gave sap to humankind. What it actually is chemically is an excellent question, but in larger doses, it can have hallucinogenic effects.

Is Oslov slightly based off of the USSR with Oslov being Russia and a place like Thurskein a smaller SSR? How did Oslov come to conquer Thurskein? Does Oslov control any other states? Did Thurskein originally have a different language? What language is Oslov derived from? Yes! Oslov is partially based on my vague concept of the USSR as a kid growing up during the Cold War. Thurskein wasn't conquered, though, but built as an industrial city to produce goods for the rest of the Republic (there's one other such city: Karkei). It was always planned as a city of Laborers under Redda's control, and it's always shared a language with Redda, though it has its own dialect.

Oslov has an isolationist, anti-imperialist official ideology. But it does have a trading center in Harbour (formerly North America) and a garrison and exerts some power there by virtue of its tech—we see that in "The Trip to Harbour."

Oslov is mostly derived from Scandinavian and Germanic languages, but the research station had several nationalities represented, so there are also people of South Asian descent, Russian influences, etc.

You mentioned Kafka's Metamorphisis, I think, but what was the Tangle romance Tilrey read a bit earlier? Yes, The Metamorphosis is the insect one! I'm not sure if I settled on a specific book for the romance, but it might be Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In another story I think there's a reference to The Red and the Black. Both those are novels about ambitious young men trying to climb the ranks in an unequal society, so they have strong relevance for Tilrey.

Is the Upstart practice of having kettle boys raped by other servants of theirs intentional so as to create division within the lower class? It's a hold-over from brutal Feudal customs, but it serves double duty to create those divisions, absolutely. Mostly Upstarts segregate themselves from Laborers (living in different parts of the city, putting most Laborers in the industrial cities), but when they do live close together, they find other ways to keep Laborers from having thoughts about rebellion.

Oslov was inspired by the classic dystopia Metropolis and how it talks about the head (intellectuals, managers) versus the hands (workers) of the body politic. Oslovs think they have those two elements balanced in a fair, equitable way, with social mobility built in, but they really don't.

Thanks again for these great questions! I was looking through old stuff from high school, and I found the earliest Oslov stories I ever wrote, along with my unfinished guide to the Oslov language. Maybe I'll do another post with pics, just for fun. One story was typed on an electric typewriter and the other was printed on a dot-matrix printer, to give you a sense of time frame.

[freddy-ryland]

“Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.”— Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Mom was staring her down, examining her backpack and rolled-up overalls, picking at the flyaways not quite pressed down, pursing her lips over the scuffed Converse.

"We can buy you better clothes than these Freddy," the short form of 'we are a powerful House you don't need to dress like a gardener'.

"I'm just going to Diagon Alley, it can get so dusty in the summer." the short form of 'I'm going to meet Q then we're tramping to Li's then finding wherever T is and going for drinks and I don't want to spill liquor on my nice dresses'.

"I'm not so sure Diagon Alley is such a good place to run off too...alone." short form from 'wait for your brother to babysit you, he's off work, he can protect you from your little friends and your little plans and your little adventures'.

"I won't be alone! We're just going to the bookshop!" the long form for 'fuck off'.

"We can buy books from the catalog." short form for 'don't leave this house. we can keep you safe here. there is no reason to leave for no reason nor without protection or to meet your ridiculous friends and we are rich enough to build you a library - just stay home, stay where you're safe.'

"I'm leaving." 'I'm trapped'.

Freddy marched out the door, her puffy spacebuns stirring in the breeze, onto the broad porch and into the front garden. Their house was the largest on the wizarding block, enough home for two families, enough space that a bedridden girl could find solace and peace and solitude. But Freddy couldn't help but feel that a few thousand square feet of various four corners was stifling.

"Patronus me when you get there!" the long form of 'I'll call the Calvery if it pleases me'.

Her parents couldn't do much since she was 17 now, couldn't tell her no, legally an adult, but if they called an Auror to bring her home, they'd get her home. No one could tell a member of the Shacklebolt family 'no' even if their married name was Ryland. Hell, even just the name Ryland would get the Aurors moving.

"Yes, Mom." Because she was dutiful and careful and hated to worry them more than usual. Because she woke up at night with her Mom touching her chest, ensuring she was breathing. Because she found her Dad tapping her awake from naps, so sure she was unconscious. Because Micah and Q and T and Li and everyone else had found Freddy bleeding from head trauma from a fall, curled up into stone corridors, and splayed out on busy streets when the magic decided to poison her own body and send her flying through time and memories and the future. Freddy is just a passenger in her body for a magic rooting and rotting her from the inside out.

But she smiled and waved from the sidewalk, the street built for wizards, apparition points set up in front of homes and in public spaces. A necessity of bygone War days, now the public knew who was coming, had wards set against random entry points, and the Rylands were stringent about watching the comings and goings.

"Just be careful!"

Freddy pointed at herself, "Who me? I'm always careful!" Carefully plotting the days until Graduation, plotting the days until she could escape, find a curse-breaking program willing to take on a girl with counted days and worse chances of survival past 25. Somewhere that wouldn't sneer at the wasted spot could give her all the adventure her fragile body could handle and let her chart her own course. Freddy's life was a map to a swift end, but that didn't mean she couldn't attempt to enjoy every second she breathed - living in fear meant not living at all. Living within the four walls and four corners and four streets and the four sets of eyes following her every move and watching her very steps making sure she didn't so much step on a crack - it was suffocating, and as Freddy spun in place, she couldn't help but feel a choked up relief at seeing her Mom's face fading away, warping and disappearing into the void of her house.

Landing just outside of Knockturn Alley, Freddy let out a huff of air, her magic rocking her body with a deluge of images - monsters and criminals, grimy shadow children stalking the alleys with white teethed smiles, cackles of war and shrieks of laughter. A life lived, and living and living long after Freddy died. Her moments here were short, her rattled lungs sucking in an expanse of air as she stepped from the apparition point.

There, across the way, leaning against the wall, sharing a bottle of butterbeer, they waited. Freddy took in the scent of piss, magic, and cigarette smoke and bounded forward, clenching the straps of her backpack every two seconds getting a bombardment of visions until she was wrapped up in cosmos and ink, nestling her nose into her Beloved's hair and letting the weight of Falmouth fall from her shoulders. Q already chattering away, and the sound fell like rainfall on Freddy's ears, calming and kind in the wall all summer showers were, and they parted, pinkies locked together.

"Hey Nightmare," Linden greeted, Freddy offered them a shoulder bump before whipping out her wand.

"I learned a really fun hex this week!"

A shine of sun bounced off a grimy window as the trio set off, Freddy bouncing along, shifting between past-present-future, her head spiking with pain.

But life moves quickly, and Freddy's would move quicker than the ones at her side. It was her right to experience the sunshine, so she wiped away a bit of blood dripping from her ear and continued forward.

[realmythsmoved]

@thedoctornumber11 continued from here "You could have tricked me," the Doctor stated, keeping his sonic screwdriver out in case he needed to use it. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

This is the difficult part. The Doctor looks at their past self with a curious expression for a few moments as they debate what to do. Finally, they decide to be honest. "I'm you from the future. Far in the future...."

A pause, a chuckle. "I'm most likely here for the same reason you are. What brings you here?"

[felassan]

Snippets. 🐺💜

The Game Informer article approximately covered the first 4 hours of the game. [source]

--

Twitter user: "Please please please let me make a feminine shaped body with no chest, begging for non-binary to be something I can present not just a pronoun slap" Saira: "this will be entirely possible with the body sliders!" [source]

--

''the characters you don’t romance WILL romance each other which can showcase different straight and queer relationships.'' [source] (So it's not only Harding/Taash, but more companion-companion pairings will be possible, and these will be diverse? ^^)

--

the game will have Brazilian Portuguese subtitles [source].

the community Council, which had long-term fans of the series on it, also had folks on it who had never played a DA game before [source] (this is good! a good mix)

another detail was that they ranged in age from 20s-40s, unfortunately I can't recall the source for this rn but yea.

"Last names are based on your faction. You can customize your first name, however." [source: the BioWare Discord]

"In-world - Rook is a nickname you're given before the events of the game, and it's what everyone refers to you as. It allows for other characters to refer to you in dialogue without awkwardly having to write around not having a defined title, while still allowing for name customization." Also, in the game, it is explained why we got the nickname Rook in the past. [source: the BioWare Discord]

"There are specific lines and dialogue options for different lineages, as well as different backgrounds, and classes, including at least a handful that are unique to lineage/background combinations. No specifics but we wanted to make sure the game felt reactive to the choices you made in creating your Rook." [source: the BioWare Discord] (lineage as in: human, elf, dwarf, qunari)

A user asked whether elven Rook is Dalish or City. Answer: "It'll depend on your background. As mentioned previously, certain lineages will have variations of that background that go into more detail where appropriate." [source: the BioWare Discord]

"Every faction is, ultimately, made up of people. Some good, some bad, and some trying (and failing) to do their best. So it's fair to say that different people in the world might have a different perspective on how the various factions fit in and what they're trying to do." [source: the BioWare Discord]

"Without getting into spoiler territory - Rook's a hero because they chose to be, not because they were chosen. Your choice of background fills in some of the details - and you get opportunities to define it further - but some things we leave up to you to fill in." [source: the BioWare Discord]

A user asked "In what capacity is the Inquisitor going to return? Can we expect something similar to Hawke’s return in Inquisition?" Answer: "This one you'll just have to wait and see as this is well into serious spoiler territory. But more generally, as I said in the Q&A - the Inquisitor's been part of this story all along, and it would be very strange for them to suddenly fall out of it."

"Much of what would have been abilities or “spells” in the past are now accessed in real-time from the core buttons on the controller! Mana Shield, Mage Beam, Bolts, Magical Blasts, Orb Toss, and Elemental Bomb. Not to mention the elemental types change depending on your weapon. It very much feels like casting spells, but don’t just take my word for it. I’m excited to show more Mage gameplay as we get closer to launch." [source] There will be quick buttons on the keyboard for PC people too. [source]

The Veil Ranger spec can be built around charged ranged attacks, lightning damage, and stagger [source]

Many builds are possible in the game and this is highly variable with gear and companion-set up [source]

At some point this summer, they will be showing more of the skill trees [source]

The music score has variation, flourishes, and great tavern songs [source]

Corinne: "everyone at EA has been incredible in their support for the game and commitment to quality. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to do it [Discord Q&A] again. In the meantime I watch the Discord comments fairly regularly, even if I don’t respond often." [source]

A user asked about cameos of previous characters. "Seeing the surprise appearances for the first time is half the fun! There are some good ones, but I’ll leave the discoveries to you all" [source]

On a post of the table team gathering picture - Corinne: "The moments where you gather the whole team like this are some of my favorites." [source]

When Solas shot Bianca during the prologue during SGF, "Some of the journalists in the live demo audibly gasped!" [source]

In combat there are primers and detonators [source]

Lots of beloved elements from previous DA games inspired the combat of DA:TV [source]

[music-industry-updates]

Unlocking Creativity: A Live Streaming Guide for Artists

Hey Tumblr artists! 🎨🌟 In our digital age, live streaming has become a game-changer for creatives everywhere. Whether you're a painter, musician, or performer, live streaming can help you share your art with the world, engage with fans in real time, and even make some money. Ready to dive into the world of live streaming? Here's your ultimate guide to getting started.

The Magic of Live Streaming

Live streaming isn't just about showing off your skills; it's about creating a space where you can connect with your audience in a genuine and interactive way. It's a chance to let your personality shine, share your creative process, and build a community around your art.

Finding Your Platform

Choosing the right platform is key to your streaming success. Here are some top picks:

YouTube Live: Perfect for artists with a YouTube channel. Great for long streams and detailed content.

Facebook Live: Ideal if you have a strong following on Facebook. It's easy to notify your followers and get them to tune in.

Twitch: Best for live performances, especially music and interactive art sessions. It’s built for real-time engagement.

Instagram Live: Awesome for quick, spontaneous streams and casual interaction with your followers.

Each platform has its unique vibe, so pick one that feels right for your art and your audience.

Setting Up Your Space

1. Gear Up: You don’t need a Hollywood studio setup, but a few key pieces can make a big difference.

Camera: A good webcam or your phone's camera can work wonders. If you want to splurge, a DSLR is top-notch.

Microphone: Clear audio is a must. USB mics like the Blue Yeti are fantastic.

Lighting: Natural light is great, but ring lights or softbox lights can really make your art pop.

Internet: A strong internet connection is crucial to avoid lag and ensure a smooth stream.

2. Software Savvy: Software can help you add a professional touch to your streams.

OBS Studio: Free and highly customizable. Great for adding overlays and managing multiple inputs.

Streamlabs OBS: User-friendly with built-in themes and alerts.

XSplit: Easy to use with high-quality streaming capabilities.

3. Test Runs: Before going live, do some test runs to check your setup. Make sure your audio and video are in sync, and troubleshoot any issues that come up.

Spreading the Word

1. Teasers and Promos: Build anticipation by sharing teasers on your social media. Use eye-catching graphics and videos to announce your stream.

2. Collaborate: Partner with other artists or influencers to reach a broader audience. Joint streams can be a fun way to mix things up and attract new viewers.

3. Hashtags and Tags: Use relevant hashtags to increase your stream’s visibility. On Tumblr, tags like #livestream, #artist, and #digitalart can help your post get discovered.

Going Live: Tips for Success

1. Be Authentic: Your audience is there for you as much as for your art. Be yourself, share your thoughts, and let your personality shine through.

2. Engage Actively: Interact with your viewers by responding to comments and questions. Shout out to regulars and make new viewers feel welcome.

3. Interactive Content: Keep things lively with polls, Q&A sessions, and live requests. Ask your audience what they’d like to see or hear.

4. Post-Stream Wrap-Up: After your stream, continue the conversation. Post highlights, respond to comments, and thank your viewers for tuning in.

Monetizing Your Streams

1. Donations: Platforms like Twitch and YouTube Live have built-in donation options. Encourage your fans to support your work with small contributions.

2. Subscriptions: Offer exclusive content or perks to subscribers. Twitch, for instance, has a great subscription model.

3. Sponsorships: Partner with brands that align with your art. Sponsored streams can be a great way to earn while doing what you love.

4. Merch Sales: Promote your merch during your streams. Whether it’s prints, music, or apparel, live streams are a great platform to showcase your products.

Inspiration from Live Streaming Artists

Check out these artists who’ve mastered live streaming:

Ashley Longshore: This pop artist uses Instagram Live to share her vibrant, eclectic art and engage with fans.

Lolo Zouaï: The singer-songwriter has used YouTube Live for intimate acoustic sessions, giving fans a front-row seat to her creative process.

Danny Casale: Known for his surreal animations, Danny streams his drawing sessions on Twitch, creating a chill space for fans to watch and interact.

Live streaming is a fantastic way for artists to connect with their audience, share their creative journey, and even make some money. By choosing the right platform, setting up your space, and engaging authentically with your viewers, you can create a vibrant, interactive experience that showcases your art and builds a loyal community. So grab your gear, hit that go-live button, and let your creativity flow!

Have you tried live streaming your art yet? What platform do you prefer and why? Share your experiences, tips, and any questions you might have in the comments below. Let’s support each other in this exciting journey of live streaming! 🌟🎨🎤

[roshnivish]

🎯Level Up Your Digital Skills: My Experience with Internet Millionaire Digital

The internet is a fantastic place brimming with potential for anyone looking to learn, create, and even earn a living. But with so much information swirling around, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin, especially when it comes to building a successful online presence.

This is where Internet Millionaire Digital (IMD)comes in. I recently signed up for their membership area, and I've been thoroughly impressed with the resources and support they offer.

Structured Learning for All Levels

One of the things I found most valuable about IMD is the structured approach to learning. The membership area is packed with informative modules that cater to all experience levels. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned entrepreneur looking to refine your strategies, there's something for everyone.

The modules are well-organized, with clear explanations and step-by-step guides. I particularly enjoyed the in-depth breakdowns of various digital business models, such as affiliate marketing and content creation. Each module is like a mini-course, providing a comprehensive understanding of the topic at hand.

Expert Insights and Real-World Examples

What truly sets IMD apart is the access it grants to a community of successful digital entrepreneurs. The membership area features exclusive interviews, webinars, and Q&A sessions with industry leaders.

Gaining insights from people who have built thriving online businesses is invaluable. They share their personal experiences, the challenges they've faced, and the strategies that have propelled them to success. Hearing these stories is not only motivating but also incredibly educational. You learn from their triumphs and setbacks, gaining a well-rounded perspective on the digital world.

**Continuous Support and Networking**

The IMD membership goes beyond informative modules and expert interviews. A dedicated online forum allows members to connect, ask questions, and share their experiences. This interactive platform fosters a supportive community where you can learn from your peers and collaborate on ideas.

I've found the forum to be a great source of encouragement and practical advice. It's a place where you can connect with like-minded individuals who are also on their digital journeys.

Investing in Yourself: Is IMD Right for You?

While IMD offers a wealth of resources, it's important to consider your own goals and learning style. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Commitment is Key: 🔐

Building an online business requires dedication and consistent effort. IMD equips you with the tools and knowledge, but you'll need to put in the work to see results.

Continuous Learning:

The digital landscape is constantly evolving. IMD emphasizes the importance of staying updated with the latest trends and adapting your approach accordingly.

Community Matters:

If you thrive in a supportive environment and enjoy learning from others, the IMD community can be a valuable asset.

Overall, my experience with Internet Millionaire Digital has been positive. The structured learning modules, expert insights, and supportive community have empowered me to broaden my digital skillset and pursue my online goals with more confidence.

Is it a magic bullet for becoming an internet millionaire?

No online program can guarantee that. But what IMD does offer is a valuable roadmap and a supportive network to help you navigate the exciting world of digital opportunities.

[pb-dot]

Introducing: The Thereafter Release Newsletter

Big news everybody! As of today, I open up for subscriptions to the Thereafter release newsletter, which is the method I have chosen to release my serial novel Thereafter. The first chapter is slated to be released on May 1st at 13:00 GMT, with subsequent chapters coming out on the 1st and 15th every month until I change the schedule or the story is done. Back-of-the-book-brief and a bit of a Q&A below the cut

The year he turned 13, Michael Sørstrand saved the world of the Molefolk from the tyranny of the Lightlord and his armies. It’s been mostly downhill for him after that. Now, 20 years later, Michael finds himself spirited away by magic yet again. The world he finds himself in is stranger and more chaotic by a long shot than the serene caves of the Molefolk. Something defying description has destroyed the world of the Molefolk and countless other magical worlds. The survivors and refugees of these innumerable worlds that have banded together in the ramshackle town of Therafter, built from what parts of their worlds they could salvage. It is here they have called upon Michael to once again take on the mantle of hero to provide hope and inspiration for the disparate masses of survivors. The good news? The wizards and warlocks in charge of Thereafter have managed to summon three other heroes through the void between worlds. The bad news? They’re all messed up in their own, unique ways, and they don’t play particularly well with others, either. Now, Michael and his fellow ex-heroes must rediscover what heroism they once had, find peace with each other and themselves, and ask what it means to be heroes in an imperfect world. They’ll have their work cut out for them. The city of Thereafter is rife with desperate crime and runaway magic, and the calamity that shattered the countless worlds is still out there, somewhere.

Q: Is there any cost associated with subscribing to the story of Thereafter?

A: Subscribing to the Thereafter story release newsletter is free and will remain free for the duration. If I get enough subscribers that staying on the buttondown free plan becomes unfeasible (100+ subscribers), I will open a patreon or similar crowdfunding page to help pay for the costs associated with the upgrade to a paid plan.

Q: Why are you sending this story out there for free?

A: At a point in my work on the first draft of His Impossible Brushstrokes I realized that I love writing too much to put writing entirely on pause while I edit Brushstrokes and The Clockwork Boy. Rather than get started on yet another manuscript to try to sell to an open-minded indie publisher, I decided to just get some of my writing out there.

Q: Why Buttondown?

A: I did some light research on the topic of newsletter services, and found Buttondown's approach to be the most promising for a small operation like mine. The first tier of paid plans is also more reasonable than what substack can offer.

Q: Does Thereafter have an age limit?

A: As I'm not a children's developmental psychologist, I feel ill-equipped to answer this question. I will however say that Thereafter is a story intended for mature audiences, both in that coarse language and references to sexual acts as well as not-insignificant descriptions of violence feature prominently, but also in that the feeling of being an adult and the often painful contrast with the potential of youth is a pivotal part of the narrative. As such, I suggest "adulthood" as the recommended reading age.

Q: Will you tag potentially upsetting material?

To the best of my ability, yes. I can't guarantee I'll catch every single one, but I will do my best, and I'll do my best to amend any glaring omissions in the archived posts.

Q: Speaking of archival, how will that work?

Buttondown archives every mail sent out, and I will post archived chapters to my Cohost under the tag Thereafter Chapters a week after they go out. This way, the Newsletter is the primary source for new chapters, while allowing for multiple ways of back reading depending on individual preferences.

Q: What's your stance on fanworks, remixes, and similar works?

Thereafter is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial ShareAlike license, which is to say that you're free to make works based on or remixing anything in it, provided you do attribute the source, make no money off it, and make your work available under the same license. On a less legalese level, I adore fanworks, but I will personally not read fanfiction of my work as I'm worried about picking up ideas, concepts or interpretations from these subconsciously. I should also mention that I am not super strict about these things, just smack a Thereafter tag in there (and maybe @ me if you feel brave and cool) and we're gravy.

Q: How might your readers interact with you and the community?

Buttondown does not feature a comment section to the best of my knowledge, but I encourage anyone who has thoughts or something to say about the chapters to give the #Thereafter tag some love. If you have questions or a message for the author, contact me here on Tumblr, or on blueSky, where I post as Victor S Dale. I respond to tagged posts, DMs if we're moots, or you seem legit, the whole bag.

Q: Would you fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?

Ok, this is getting silly, time to wrap it up. (The 100 duck-sized horses, easily. Horses are flesh machines made to break in stupid ways, ducks remember being dinosaurs and giving them a chance to relive the glory days seem like a massive mistake.)

[fancallindia]

Top YouTube Trends for India in 2024

Namaste, India! Are you ready to spice up your content calendar and stay ahead of the curve? Buckle up, because we’re diving into the hottest trends that will set the Indian YouTube scene on fire in 2024. From bite-sized entertainment to immersive experiences, get ready to explore what’s next!

1.Short & Sweet: The Rise Of YouTube Shorts:

Attention spans are shrinking, and YouTube Shorts are here to capture them! These snappy, vertical videos under 60 seconds are perfect for quick laughs, tutorials, and updates. Think snackable content with the power to go viral, making Shorts a must-have for creators and brands alike.

2.Regional Flavors Take Center Stage:

India’s diverse languages and cultures are a treasure trove for content creators. From Bhojpuri comedy to Assamese food vlogs, regional content is breaking through, resonating deeply with local audiences and sparking national interest. So, embrace your heritage and share your unique voice – the world is listening!

3.Live Streaming:

The Interactive Arena: Get ready to ditch the script and connect with your audience in real-time! Live streaming is exploding in India, offering a dynamic platform for gaming, Q&As, product launches, and even virtual concerts. It’s a chance to build a loyal community, engage directly, and create unforgettable moments. Apart from it go for personalized connection with fancall app.

4.Edutainment:

Learning with a Smile: Who says education can’t be fun? Edutainment channels are blending knowledge with entertainment, making learning engaging and accessible for all ages. From animated science lessons to historical reenactments, these channels are educating and entertaining millions across India.

5.Micro-Influencers:

Forget the millions of followers, micro-influencers with engaged communities are the new stars. These niche creators have built trust and authenticity with their specific audience, making their recommendations highly influential. So, partner with relevant micro-influencers to reach targeted audiences and build genuine connections.

6.Gaming Mania:

Level Up Your Content: From mobile esports to AAA titles, the Indian gaming scene is booming. Gaming channels are not just about gameplay anymore; they’re communities where viewers connect, share strategies, and cheer each other on. So, if you’re a gamer, grab your controller and hit record – your audience awaits!

7.The Relaxation Revolution:

Whispering, tapping, and crinkling sounds – yes, ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a real trend, and it’s growing fast in India. These calming videos trigger a tingling sensation, promoting relaxation and focus. From cooking sounds to soft spoken storytelling, ASMR offers a unique way to connect with your audience and de-stress.

8.Shop ’Til You Drop: Live Commerce Takes Off:

Forget browsing endless online stores. Live commerce brings the shopping experience straight to YouTube, with creators showcasing products, answering questions, and offering exclusive deals in real-time. It’s interactive, engaging, and drives instant sales – a win-win for creators and brands.

9.Sustainability Speaks:

Eco-Conscious Content on the Rise: From upcycling tutorials to eco-friendly travel vlogs, viewers are increasingly seeking sustainable content. By promoting responsible living and showcasing eco-friendly practices, you can connect with a growing audience and make a positive impact.

Final Thought

Remember, these trends are just a jumping-off point. The beauty of YouTube lies in its diversity and creativity. So, experiment, explore your passions, and find your unique voice. With dedication, authenticity, and a dash of masala magic, you can create content that resonates with your audience and conquers the Indian YouTube scene in 2024! Whether you are a YouTuber, fans or brands, fancall app is a trusted way to connect for personalized connection. It facilitate one to one videocall in very secure and safe environment. Download fancall app now and start living in the future.

Article Source : https://www.fancall.in/top-youtube-trends-for-india-in-2024/