#return to mist

[qedmirage]

Tore through this one in 2 days. Lotta thoughts percolating over it, chief among them being "Hey Jim, why do you think the chapter with multiple characters trying to restore nations of the past is called Return To Mist, evoking feelings of ephemeral phenomena?"

First up, stage mechanics! The "vibe" for this one is the corruption damage that common nachzeher enemies do on death, a true damage AOE (finally, Quartz is strong). Other standouts are the trees that turn into stronger enemies the longer they're left alive, and the enemies that insta-kill the first op to block them (so, 0-block clears are stonks again). Nothing too wild but it was interesting and I felt they helped make more defensive units better, even if most of the time I just threw Mylnar and Gavail alter at it and didn't have to think. Final boss stage being optional was a choice and I like it, though I did clear that stage with Cement facetanking the Last Steam Knight. Story thoughts under the cut!

So, Return to Mist opens with a focus on Allerdale's childhood, a happy memory from right before the assassination of the King and the start of the 20-yr Victorian Civil War. And I do think that's how one should conceptualize the conflict in Arc 2; in the sections on Catherine we learn that the workers who made Steam Knight armor died and were not replaced. Charles Lynch was the Last Steam Knight, not just because the king wasn't around to title another, but because Victoria *can't make them anymore*. And there's this broad quest by several characters to restore nations long since lost. Lettou wants to restore Gaul, the KMC a Kazdel that stretches from horizon to horizon, and Allerdale and Siege (to a lesser extent) Victoria, the grand nation of Terra. For all these characters it feels very... unheroic? Lacking in triumph? The KMC are villains of course, but Lettou is essentially asking for Gaul to be made again from Theresis' diktat. Siege gets a lot more detail, but there's a sense that the stable, unified Victoria signified in the Realmblade may never have existed. Or if it did, it's a thing of the past, consigned to her memories of her childhood; the civil war has been going on since she was six. She remembers more of her time as a gangster than as a princess. That Siege's whole quest ends with them getting the legendary sword, but with no immediate use for it and at great cost, feels like she isn't going to fix things by reclaiming the throne and restoring Victorian Monarchy. That to do so is impossible, or if it is possible, far too bloody to be worth it. The KMC, well they get more development along their arc towards becoming a murder cult. Contrast, the feelings of rank-and-file Sarkaz:

With the viewpoint of political leaders, like the Sanguinarch:

I recall people sometimes saying that 'maybe the Sarkaz are the problem' and that's just not the case at all. The text acknowledges a level of nuance in these things, in how people get swept along into atrocities, that isn't often present in otaku media. The KMC, the catlyst agent pushing violent ethno-nationalism, is the problem (and also maybe all those magic ghosts that psychically attack people). Or in Logos's words:

and, Logos is present in Londinium not on behalf of Rhodes Island, but in his role as King of the Banshees; it's a Sarkaz civil war, too. Or in other words:

Contrasting with all that you have the genuinely uplifting and heroic stuff that happens to the Self-Salvation Corps; these are people who are not mated to the idea of Victoria as it was, they just want to build a better society and band together to do so. I appreciate also that the Self-Salvation corps has a bit where they're like "oh fuck no, a Ducal army coming into the city is the last thing we need", because the Dukes were never great to begin with and an inter-ducal civil war is only a matter of time.

Fiest for minister of industry All in all a good story, if a depressing one. As a final note, I love the tragedy of Golding's efforts with the kids throughout the chapter; she spends a whole year preparing a play about a knight for them to perform, hoping they'll learn something from the complex emotions, even if it doesn't all sink in yet. But instead, the violence of the times and the language of the play just seem to make them think bloodshed is cool and fun. Really deserves reading that bit in full.

[brave-symphonia]

There is something really touching in Amiya taking notice of the flowers in the middle of all this war and horror.

Seeing the brightest part of things, despite all the horror around her.

[bobbile-blog]

Gravel, I would like to apologize in advance for what I am about to do without hesitation for the rest of this chapter.

[exoticalmonde]

Arknights Chapter XI - Return To Mist

So... Chapter Eleven is at its end and because I am desperate to have enough Originium I need to go through as many chapters in Adverse level as I can so this terrible Clown Fiesta of a skinset coming out tomorrow would be mine.

And conveniently enough, Dr. Kryo is here to help me out.

SPOILERS OF THE STORY AHEAD

Mandatory Opening video because it's too good to skip. I love re-watching these after I'm done with a chapter.

Me, frantically: "Kryo, Gummy is gonna be eaten." Kryo: "AH- UH- STALL WITH GRAVEL." Me: Stalls Gravel: *Gets devoured* Pinkie, returning out of nowhere: "I see Gravel has been used. They really took 'Eat dirt' to a next level."

---

I have had this woman ever since I started playing, and I have spent all this time almost not reading anything about her. My lass was in Kazimierz, she's here in Victoria with us now, she's a follower of the wendigo, a witch... and I still gape at the mention of her actual relations and experience.

She's a necromancer and a Sarkaz with the funkiest horns ever and just refuses to elaborate, uses her dark arts to heal as a mock of redemption... or something.

---

Me: "IS THAT--" Pinkie, amused, sarcastic, smug: "Yeah?" Me: "Now I don't care who it is."

---

HOLY HECK IT'S THE --- GOOD GOD OH MY GOODNESS AAAAaa--

Kal'tsit lore, Kal'tsit jumping in front of us to save me, to save Amiya little baby saw so much and she's sobbing limp in my arms after the wall crumbled underneath her tiny little bunny feet!!!

I am so sad oh my golly Mrs. Cat lady you are in the middle of all the drama, you are THE historical event you horrendeous fossil you, all the horrible things that happened happened because of you and now everybody is mad; what does your brain see that we do not, what sort of demons haunt you, whose voice do you hear that guides you, I need to know. ---

...

---

Pinkie: "Oh hey Kal'tsit, what are you doing there?" Me, who already knows: "I don't want to." Kryo: "Are you ready to hear the team comp? Oh, it's pre-set. Tell me when you're ready." Me: "... Let me go through the story first. I feel like I need to learn the context before I witness it." Pinkie: "Yes please." Me and Pinkie: *Reading* Kryo: *Falls asleep* Me: "Alright, we're done now. I'm ready for guidance." Kryo: "..." Me: "Kryo?" Kryo: "..." Pinkie: "Is he gone? I have time. Let's do it." Me: "... Alright." ---

Me: "I want to save her." Pinkie: "You can't stop a canon event." Me: "I don't want it to be a canon event."

Pinkie: "O, he's coming." Me: *Sad whimpering*

Pinkie: "Oh, here it comes." Kal'tsit: *Dies* Pinkie: "Now he's gonna leave. So long, losers. Refuses to elaborate."

---

Me: *Pogging* "It's the sword!" Pinkie: "Wow, now we have TWO swords that only work if the one destined and chosen by the sword is wielding it."

---

Man... My life in Operation 11-18, am I right?

---

Kryo: "Why is he panting in my ear? Dog, chill!" Me: "Thank you for your services... Both Hung's VA and Hung himself."

---

Me: "I don't know which one is worse, a level where the enemies are only three 'No Data' boxes, or the levels where there are three rows of them." Pinkie: "Hey, but you get to find out for yourself, right? It's the fun part of it. Trial and error." Me: "I don't want trial and error..." ---

Me: "What was the Steam Knight music called again?" Pinkie: "You don't need to know." Kryo: "Sexy Vampire music." Pinkie: "Damn it... It's Vampire Sex Music." Me: "Reverse-psychologises you into telling us the name because you think we got it wrong and you always need to be right." Pinkie: "... How dare you."

---

Me: "So, the Vampire Sex Music." Pinkie: "Yeah." Me: "..." Steam Knight:

---

Pinkie: "I wish he was someone we could get as a character one day. Imagine being able to deploy the Steam Knight." Me: "He's gorgeous. Look at that."

---

Me: *Squealing* "Look at her! Baba! Look at her tiny ears. Oh my god her teeny tail. I love her." Pinkie: "I remember when people were super surprised to just... see baby Siege out of nowhere."

---

Lord, this scene...

Absolutely insane.

---

First try, here we go-

OH NO

EBENHOLZ

...

Pinkie: "I think you need a better Hoshiguma." Me: "..." Kryo: "My Hoshiguma was lvl40 E2, I think hers (lvl25 E2) would be fine." Pinkie: "I struggled and mine was lvl60." Me: "Maybe because you didn't have Ebenholz E2 level 90." Pinkie: "WELL! You're right. You'd think that I'm missing the boss-killer on the Boss stage and would do something about him sooner, but I just haven't been able to around all the other things I need to do for this game." ---

Me and Kryo: *Finish the stage on the second try* Us: *Celebrating* Me: "It was so much easier than I expected. I've seen so many elaborate videos that are... Really nothing in comparison." Pinkie: "It seems I am the problem. Skill issue."

[hikorzik]

Finished Arknights main story orz now I must wait like everyone else........ pain.......

[fanofspooky]

Horror sub genre definitions remake 1

[fishfingersandscarves]

my special guy

[rosemaryprosser]

Winter Solstice (2022)

[gcsly]

wat the hell is a sprint race still doing in my precious sport

[yonemurishiroku]

Alabaster is a son of Hecate so by all logic, he should know how to manipulate the Mist, yeah? Omg, what if Luke entrusts his mother to Alabaster so when everything has ended, Al returns to May's house, disguised as her son so that she's no longer waiting in vain.

And then Nico, the homeless kid he is, chooses to visit May someday just for the sake of his conscience, sees "Luke Castellan" alive and well. His first reaction is of course "How tf are you still alive?" before trying to literally exorcise him.

Alabaster knows of Nico as one of the main reasons besides Percy Jackson that contributed to their failure. Which means that they are technically enemies still.

And then Nico tries to poke him with that soul-sucking sword.

And things just devolve from there.

[brave-symphonia]

Makes me wonder about something.

So, the Sarkaz are one of the few races that don't really have traits of any specific animal, right?

And you have the Beast Lords, which all represent animals, so I wonder if the Ancients and Elders they mention are them, or at least have some connection to them.

Like, is it possible the Sarkaz were the original people that lived on Terra, and all the other races are a result of the Doctor's people coming here?

And I feel like all the things they mention here very well could be things brought from that civilization.

Originium is for sure, and I definitely wouldn't put the stuff in the north and the seaborn past it, either.

[vertigoartgore]

1988's Dr. Fate #1 beautiful cover by artist Shawn McManus.

[pulim-v]

Song lyrics drawings 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Yes a lot of these are rough no I won't give context for the Spark and Fern ones also if you get the songs right I will give you a kiss (platonic)

[hikorzik]

Awawawawa I just finished 11-17 holy damn this arc is GREAT????

[runefactorynonsense]

Melotober - Day 27 - Spirit

Just be careful, alright?

[wordlesslyjenneh]

Drabble prompt 56: Everything For You

“Will you sacrifice everything?” Kain asked, as Rosa packed her bag. “Is… it really worth it?”

“Is Cecil worth it, you mean?” Rosa corrected him. “And yes. I’d give everything for him.” She paused. “There used to be a time where’d you give everything, too. What happened?”

Kain said nothing, having no answer.

“Come with me to Kaipo to find Cecil,” Rosa implored.

“No,” Kain said. “The new Lord Captain has plans for me.”

“Aren’t I worth it?” Rosa asked quietly. “I’d give everything for you, too, if you’d let me.”

Kain looked aside, unable to meet her earnest eyes.