#rqg cairo

[eleanor-is-fine]

RQG 89 We Hardly Knew Ye

Montage leading up to… Funeral.

Outfits, magical and otherwise.

[franzis-frantic-thoughts]

To celebrate the one year anniversary of Rusty Quill Gaming coming to its grand finale with episode 218, I am once again sharing the links to the fics I’ve written for RQ this year.

First up, a collection of letters both canonical and not.

1. one can survive everything nowadays, except death

Taking shelter after leaving a burning Rome behind herself, Sasha writes a letter.

2. can’t get by and I can’t let go

On her last night in Cairo, Sasha writes a letter.

3. since the last time that I saw your pretty face

Missing his wife while separated from her for the first time, Hamid writes a letter.

4. I’ll search without sleeping ‘til peace I can find

Having arrived in Damascus on the heels of the party, Zolf writes a letter.

[elliekillsu]

Actually wondering how Cairo isn't more popular? The emotion and acting on hammids story, meeting azu, the development of the gang especially grizzop and azu, Sashas "resurrection", the conflicts in the party themselves was all amazing it's honestly so surprising

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Thinking about the complexities of a "losing your magic" story in a DnD (and similar) scenerio because what it means completly depends of your class. Because while not everyone is born with magic, everyone can have it.

How for a sorcerer losing their magic is genuinally about losing a part of themselfs, to suddently not being able to do something they always did. Losing your magic is like sudently losing a limb or one of your senses. And how besides being always theirs, their magic is ancestral how it can mean losing a connection with a part of their family history.

How for paladins is about morals. About breaking their vows whatever they are, dealing with the fact that they changed or maybe that morals were always way more complicated than they thought they were. (The Oathbreaker subclass changes things but I think it can work if Oathbreaker is one of the ways to embrace the emotional conflict that took your magic). Is almost phylosofical. Is the what makes Thor worthy?

How for druids, clerics and warlocks are different levels of losing a connection. For druids is with nature, with a force beyond their comprehension but that became a part of you for so long and who are you without this feeling? For warlocks is so many things, is losing a boss, a friend, is the price of freedom, is the loss of whatever you had with the sentient being that gave you powers. And for clerics is a mix, is about if their gods are feelings like nature or beings that talk to them, but whatever it is, for clerics, for clerics is a lack of faith. Is about what happens when you doubt your god, when you can't belive it or in it. Is also about what happens when your god doesn't belive in you.

For bards and mages is the loss of a skill. The bards might have the loss of their playing or voice but even if not, even if is just the magic that is gone, well they, just like the mages, studied hard to be abble to do magic. If for a sorcerer is like losing a limb, for them is like waking up in the morning and noticing your accent changed or that you don't speak a language you once did anymore, is trying to ride the same bicycle you used to go to work everyday and noticing you just doesn't know how.

[stupidsexygrizzop]

ben meredith pcs always be running around yelling “Sasha! Sasha!”

[loverboybrightsideghost]

oh my god i have listened to a ridiculous amount of rqg in a short time

[blueberryspyder]

Me, early into Rusty Quill Gaming, playing around with the idea of a self insert character: oh haha yeah they’d get along really well with the gang!

Me 100 episodes in:

[miscreantahead]

azu and grizzop are looking for sasha in cairo and my brain is just howardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarterhowardcarter

[rqbossman]

As I’m relistening to RQG recently, I was struck by the fact that Hamid starts the story with a little bit of power, grows into a lot of power, and then basically has all of that power stripped away from him. He loses his magic, his family and money matter a lot less in the new world, and he presumably lost a ton of public respect and influence during Cairo with the scandals. Was this a deliberate choice, or just how things worked out with the story? It’s really interesting that when so much of Hamid’s arc was about learning to be responsible with power, he ended up having very little.

So Hamid's arc was always to my mind an examination of personal responsibility in a world with a horrendous power imbalance. Given that, there were a few ways it could have panned out depending on the player Bryn's actions: 1) Hamid could have been corrupted by his power. 2) He could have rejected it. 3) He could have grown into the proper wielding of it. 4) He have been denied it and been forced to adjust. I think in his heart Bryn was hoping for number 3 but we ended up at number 4. To be clear, this was not a foregone conclusion, I would not be arrogant enough to claim complete control over the story that unfolded but I would say #3 would have been hard to achieve at my end without falling foul of power fantasy tropes. As it is, I often catch myself examining the ending of RQG and looking for better alternates if I were to travel back in time and do it again but ultimately that's not helpful. It is what it is and I should be glad we managed to bring the plane in to land at all!

[kalgalen]

taking root

ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ @sapphireswimming rqg treat for u

The sun rises over Cairo with an eagerness that promises another beautiful - if sweltering - summer day. The city has been waking up for some time now, a large creature spreading its limbs and preparing to take flight; the streets are already busy with people taking advantage of the early hour to attend to their business before the heat really descends upon them. Market places are loud with calls and colors; for all intents and purposes, the past is forgotten.

The Tahan estate isn't quite back to its original condition, but at least the family has reinvested it; in its corridors too servants busy themselves, setting the breakfast table and generally just making sure their world runs smoothly.

It's just another day.

Just another day, Hamid tells himself as he looks at his reflection in the tall mirror set up next to his wardrobe. He's not dressed yet. His nightgown, which had once perfectly fit his younger body, now hangs off his frame. He's lost weight, he notes with detachment; something to expect when one spends an indeterminate amount of time running from debacle to cataclysm.

If he has to be honest - and Saira has tried to make him admit it - he's not doing the best. He should be happy, should feel satisfied - they've saved the world, for goodness' sake! But he can't ignore the gaps in his chest - the holes that had once been filled with his team, with fear and excitement - with magic.

[read more on AO3]

[eleanor-is-fine]

RQG 95 Apophis Awaits

One of my favorite episodes of RQG, really of anything.

The opening - from a position of Absolute Breakfast - is such a great bit of friendship, really well done to close out that emotional chapter (for now).

Wilde in this just riles everyone, then we get to see his deferential, diplomatic side.

RP throughout is stellar.

Worldbuilding & lore! Dragons! Temples!

But really, it is AJN as Apophis that is rightly the centerpiece. You stunner.

[iwannarunawayandbeapirate]

Relistening to the RQG Cairo arc right now and I have never thought about it from this angle before but holy shit Saira is going through so much??

Like imagine this. You're just going about your business when suddenly, communication, technology and transport all over the world stop working. Less than two weeks later, you hear that your sister has been killed by a wizard. It's all over the news, and apparently your brother was there too? And the wizard cursed him? You don't know if he's okay, and you can't even contact him because all the modern communication systems are down. But like two days later, he just shows up in Cairo with no announcement and doesn't even explain how he got there. He has some friends with him who immediately get drunk and damage the magical mural on the ceiling. Within the span of the next two days, you find out that he got kicked out of university, that your other brother broke into your family's bank and killed someone, that your father is taking the fall for him, that your brother didn't actually kill someone but did break into the bank and is now turning himself in to the police. Oh, and also there's an ancient tomb underneath the bank and it's full of traps. But you have no time to process this, because two of your family members have been arrested and another one has died while you have to basically run the entire family business while also still doing your normal job as a dragon's assistant. And that's not all! Apparently, you are actually descended from the dragon that you work for. Your brother and his friends want to talk to him because one of them is undead?? And your brother has inherited magical powers from the dragon. And so have your even younger brothers, apparently.

Eventually, your brother leaves again, as suddenly as he came. You think you can finally get a moment to breathe and get used to the new situation, but then, your other little brother is kidnapped. And your adventuring brother disappears as well. And then an old German guy shows up and tells you they're in a temporal rift in Rome?? You don't even have much time to worry about them, because suddenly, people are becoming infected with blue veins and betraying their loved ones. Your former home is now the headquarters for the rebellion, who you think also want to bring down the dragons you once worked for? Your brothers show up again after 18 months, but they haven't aged at all, and they've picked up a gnome, a goblin, and a paladin along the way. The older brother disappears pretty much as soon as he arrived - he's off to Japan now. A few weeks later, the abnormal storms that have been sweeping through Egypt suddenly stop. And then, a month or so later, it all stops. The blue veins. Magic. The Meritocracy. And your little brother was at the centre of all of this from the beginning.

What the actual fuck?

[utilitycaster]

Saw your answer to the TAZ arcs; would love to know your thought on the RQG arcs?

I truly do not know the RQG arc divisions. Basically I found everything pre-Paris to be a little slow though there was some good stuff in Dover; Paris was extremely upsetting (Mr. Ceiling happens to hit a number of things I Don't Like); Prague was good but sad and frustrating in parts; things started to take off in Cairo/Damascus and got awesome in Rome. Everything post-Rome was great until the last half of the last episode, roughly, though iirc Svalbard did get a little bit like "ok we did Shoin, I love a dungeon but like, wrap it up" and then the epilogues made me a little less annoyed at the ending.

[shy-magpie]

RQG 162

Never tire of that theme tune. Wow they'll tease Alex over anything. Alex teases em right back though.

Nice, what was that night like? Potion of Grizzop!?! Okay that does sound cathartic, maybe this counts as her "pop" and she won't explode from not expressing her emotions.

Cel is so great, putting Azu in a good position and tucking her in.

Been hanging around the fic writers too long, is the rocking chair canon? Did Azu take it with her to Cairo? Did she have to leave it behind to join the party?

It was a good move by Bryn, and frankly what's the point of spelling out Hamid is that damn rich if he isn't going to cheerfully cover a few expenses. Yes I know mechanically he probably only had his starting 3 gold after the casino and what he earned as a party member, vs access to family money. His attitude towards coming into that kind of money and spending it after, will however, be largely down to having been raised that rich.

Perks ears up for Zolf & Earhardt talking.

Ben can be so Ben sometimes! Yes its in character for Zolf, but don't preemptively turn down backstory!

Oh Zolf is talking about working for the meritocrats with Earhardt

And need to stop at minute 13 because apparently I can't correctly guess when I'll have an uninterrupted couple of hours* for love or money.

Eh low charisma or not, clearing the air as directly as possible makes sense.

"I don't scream, I shoot people ..." great line

Zolf is a good firstmate: a bad one would cross his fingers that everyone would behave like adults, he is handling it proactively.

Oh dice time. Skraak can assist on the engineering and alchemy. Hamid assists with the arcana. Fly as the final customization.

Oh time to find out if they are going there or not with the elementals

And another break for me. Ever get suddenly hit by how much you like a character because they clear a bar which would be on the ground, in a better world? Zolf doesn't a trace of the usual macho bull re: deferring to the expertise of someone he out ranks. even listening to Cel over Earhardt should be simple logic; with Cel being a new subordinate and Earhardt out ranking him its good to hear. Too many characters seem to take it as a threat to their leadership when one of their team, especially of another gender, can do something better than them, even if the only reason they are on the team is as a specialist.

Bryn in with the science trivia.

Cel votes for 3, because 1 is risky if anything happens to it and 5 is scary in the explosion odds sense.

Zolf remembered Cel likes electricity and summoned 2 electric elementals & 1 air. Cel is thrilled.

They are deliberately not making the Avengers reference.

Earhardt wants a spiky ship? Did the dragon grapple?

Zolf spends his free time healing and spreading hope; either Azu, Helen, or both are inspired by this and do the same.

Hamid finished making cold weather gear for everyone. Wow everyone laughs him out of the room when he tries to find an alternate captain. 3 crew are easily hired.

Oh ouch Alex just rubbing in how every crew member trusts her reputation as a good & caring captain and how that is probably no longer true. Gosh I hope getting her deck under her feet helps bring her back to herself. Its how I would expect her to break after what we saw of her on the way to Prague, but that doesn't make it pretty or pleasant. Would pay to know when Alex decided she would be attacked by a dragon; if this was fated at the first meeting than he could have designed her to break like this rather than based how she'd break on who she was then.

Uncommunicative lot, because Alex keeps spawning NPCs we keep longer than expected.

Hamid uses Zolf's money to pay for the crew not his own or Earhardt's in an elegant power move. He might argue with Zolf but he never did undermine him. Flipside to Zolf always arguing the actual subject and occasionally pulling rank rather than "how dare a subordinate not be a yes man".

Azu pays for her own mess after all.

Official break time

I am having trouble imagining anyone who would trade this much character time for getting to the plot faster, especially if they've seen the crime that is Bab's official timeline. Having Cel get to actually get to know the team instead of trauma bonding is a treat. **

Ship reveal! Beautiful

So the whole 18 month crew is joining us

Hamid made Wilde's famous fur coat

Air ship is now a battleship

Aw Hamid starts clapping and Azu & Zolf join in

The ship is called "the vengeance"

After toying with us again re: refusing to actually make the Avengers joke, Ben name drops "End Game".

Zolf tells Barnes to be prepared to take over if Earhardt loses it

Oh dear, the Cohort has better reflexes than Skraak, Hamid and Cel.

Cel questions Earhardt's flying as she puts the ship through its paces.

Zolf is keeping his feet well considering how poor he flew last time

Zolf tells Earhardt to knock it off.

Cel questions Earhardt to her face.

Twice the speed of Earhardt's old ship.

Azu finds it very pretty

Cel is right and they should say it. Zolf backs them

Zolf reassures Cel they'll mutany if Earhardt pulls this again. Just me or dark echo of scaring Sasha?

The dice will decide how hot the new crew is. Bryn knows the fandom also needs race & gender

Alex is delegating

Oh Siggif the human isn't worth typing about (tabaco isn't a personality) but Fredrick the dwarf with a short beard and magically large arms has potential. Kiko is a tall good looking human woman in armor, 20ish.

Bryn made the Hamid can't listen to opera joke fandom has been criming since Prague. Also remembered to specify European opera, good man.

The GM givith the GM taketh away. Alex gives us a glorious shot but follows it up with being ominous

Huh James Barnes but if its an out take I don't think its canon canon.

Thank you to everyone having fun with their patreon shout outs.

*I pause to type a lot now. Used to listen without pause and leave enough of the thought to turn it into a sentence later. Between my inability to get a guaranteed 0 interuption hour and my concentration being shot seemed like the best way to avoid missing things. Fortunately it turns out these live blogs count as doing something else for ADHD purposes so I'm not having coming back from what was supposed to be a little side task to find out I missed huge chunks of the episode like I do with other shows. And don't tell me not to have a side task I can do the same thing pondering the implications of something I heard in show. To the tune of "The call is coming from inside the house" the distraction is coming from with in the brain. Fortunately getting enough of my other issues under control to start posting these things again.

**not that it was out of character or that I think they weren't as close as they appeared. Poor Sasha impressioned on Zolf like a duckling for being her first boss she could trust. Between his father and toxic friendships in school Hamid was only "better" because he learned the hard way not to let anyone direct him against his conscience. Grizzop always did move to fast and Azu tried to marry them within 24 hours. Aphrodite did not teach her to keep those she likes at arms length.

[loverboybrightsideghost]

CARTER MOMENTTTTTTT