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arcane-nari · 3 years ago

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why are you trying to make nari evil she's the only good one in the arcane order?

(re: this post I’m assuming)

sorry anon you've unlocked my trap card. now i can draw infodumping from my hand and place it face up on the board

tl;dr: Nari isn't evil -- but neither is the arcane order. It's just that nari is the only one of the three who isn't okay with the suffering that would be caused by doing her job of maintaining the balance.

from what i can tell, the order's morality isn't Good or Evil in Tales of Arcadia: Wizards. (I do not see Rise of the Titans. I am not looking.) i've had this blog since wizards first came out, so my interpretation of nari is largely from there, with only some points here and there taken from Nari.

(aside: i feel so vindicated with how she acted in the police station. this bug is feral and i love her)

they're antagonists for sure, and they're rivals, but their morality isn't good. Instead, it's sort of more focussed on the good of the balance between magic and mortals and keeping that in check. there isn't much explanation as to what that means in canon, but I think it's sort of a chaos vs order thing -- too much of one and the world explodes. too much of the other and it's rendered inert.

before the battle of killahead, while each demigod has their own personality, they seem to be of the same mind when it comes to the end goal: protect the balance, no matter how many mortals get hurt along the way. (Mortals, in this case, meaning anyone who is not a primordial wizard.) It's a matter of good of the many (the balance) vs the goods of the few or the one (mortals).

Coupled with their duty to the balance, i have the interpretation that they're simply too disconnected from the world of mortals to understand what pain is -- skrael and bellroc moreso than nari, which i'll get to in a minute. But they're so powerful and ancient that it's easy for them to feel Apart from the mortals, because of how short their lives are and how small their magic is in comparison. Kind of like how most humans view squirrels -- they're creatures living their own lives and having their own drama, but, ultimately, we are far more advanced.

to continue the metaphor -- the world at the time of killahead is something along the lines of a tree that's overgrown the sidewalk and is causing problems, in my mind. Yes, squirrels have made their home in it, but it's causing too much trouble to the humans living in the area, so it has to be cut down. It's not done to cause direct harm to the squirrels. it's just that the action of cutting down the tree will cause direct or indirect harm to the squirrels.

(I've used this metaphor way too often with the order lol)

So they aren't remaking the world because they hate humans specifically. Most definitions of evil is someone who wants explicitly to do other's harm. In my mind, the order doesn't want explicitly to do people harm. They don't care about people. Well -- they don't like them, and perhaps they aren't happy about the amount of people who will die when they remake the world, but it's certainly more than justifiable in their mind considering the ends they're pursuing.

And that takes me to pain. Nari explicitly says she can sense all souls, but it's not clear whether she can sense their pain and suffering. Rather, she seems to be right on board with the order's methods all the way up until she sees Killahead directly. Once she sees the pain -- once it becomes real for her -- she can't dismiss it as a necessary evil that comes with keeping the balance in line. She can't depersonalize it or separate herself from it.

Sure, she's able to occasionally Look into the aether and see souls winking out here and there due to the destruction being caused, but it's different from seeing it up close. And she realizes what they're doing has real and tangible effects and she can't do her duty anymore. It's not that remaking the world is wrong. It's not that the demigods are misguided.

"It's not worth it."

Those are nari's words when she realizes what they've done. The cost is too high. They can't move forward.

I think, were this turned around and the order were to be shown as the protagonists, nari would be written to be a coward. It's all about doing your duty until you face the consequences of your actions, and you can't keep your word. Instead of trying to stop things, she runs. She hides. for nine centuries, she spends her life hidden in a castle away from the world.

We don't see what she does, but I think she learns. I think she asks questions and learns how people work, and how trolls work. I think, once she has the chance to be up close and personal to living people -- even if it's just galahad for the majority of the time -- she falls in love with them. it's hard not to. The way they change and grow and create. The idea of constellations is as much a wonder to her now as it had been the first time she heard about it.

And her desire to protect mortals grow with it. The more she learns, the more her heart becomes entangled with the very world she once wanted to remake. To hell with her orders and her duty -- she's doing what she thinks is right.

By hiding. By doing nothing. We see in Rott that it's probably the only thing for it, considering mind control, but i'm iffy on whether that's something that's canon for me or not. It feels a bit too convenient, considering we've seen such massive power on her end.

She's ancient, but she learns in a few short years what it means to have friends. Her love for humanity is what separates her from the order but, on an objective level, that doesn't make her good, or even Not Evil. Ultimately, it's a human thing to label her as good because her intentions align with protecting us, rather than protecting this vague, enigmatic concept of The Balance that we get so little understanding about. Maybe if we as an audience got more, we would understand why it mattered enough to destroy the entire world to repair it, but we don't, so it's easier to side with the tangible "protect humans at all costs" goal over the intangible "repair the balance at all costs" goal

And the order cares about each other. The way nari teases bellroc and skrael, the way bellroc snaps at skrael -- it feels like a band of siblings. It feels like a family. There's more to them than evil. (And rott did a disservice by trying to make them such. Even at the end, bellroc showed empathy. They could have killed jim when they were certain of their victory, but they told him to go to his family. There's a heart in there, however much it may be of blackened stone.)

(But that's another story entirely.)

There's stories about the fair folk that come to mind, with their strange morals and rules. A lot of stories paint these fairies as evil because their punishments seemed harsher than what humans would expect for certain infractions, while their games often included things that hurt humans. But it's not because they wanted to hurt humans directly. (Okay, a lot of them did, but many of them didn't). It's that what they consider good and bad is so far removed from humanity, because they are not and have never been human. They're simply existing alongside them in the same world.

In conclusion, the order isn't evil. But because their goals don't include the welfare of humans, it's easy to label them as such - and because nari's goals ultimately were protecting humanity, it's easy to label her as good. But the order themselves are too far removed from humanity for me, personally, to label them in terms of explicit morals.

Nari is kind. She is clever, and she's capable of learning, and she's curious. She is herself -- but if we call her good, that's on us, whatever comes of it. She may be capable of change, but she is only ever herself, whatever shape that takes

also veggie lady good character and i love her. grey morality and all.

#gOD I COULD GO ON FOREVER about how our morals are human centric siince we are humans after all but once u bring in demigods all bets are o #but it's almost 1 am i gotta go to bed thank u anon for this question !!!!!#ooc #ask #trollhunters #trollhunters: rise of the titans #rott #rott spoilers #nari #the arcane order #bellroc #skrael #meta #fact #text post #trollhunters meta

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stealthily · 3 years ago

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Pls can you explain in simple terms what Arcane is and about b/c I keep seeing the gifsets you reblog and I'm high key in love with the art but I've got zero clue about League of Legends if it's even about that Idkkkk

@koldtblod Hey there love, yes, absolutely!! So while Arcane is based on characters from League of Legends, you don't need to know any of the lore to watch it (i knew literally NOTHING about the game going in, and i understood the show perfectly, they do a great job world-building)

So as far as the setting goes, it follows characters from two different parts of a city-- Piltover, which is the wealthy, upper class "city of progress" chasing scientific and magical advancements; and the Undercity, which is the more impoverished, the not-so-pretty side, the ones who have to fend for themselves as they suffer the most from the systemic problems of this world. and tldr; the undercity get taken over by a violent crimelord while most of the rich upper folk turn a blind eye, either out of naivety or corruption, until said worlds start to collide.

BUT, first and foremost, this show is about it's CHARACTERS. they are the absolute heart and soul of what makes the story special. it's about their battles and traumas. It's about characters who choose to break the cycle of cruelty, and those who continue them. it's about family and reluctant partnerships and enemies and learning to trust again. every character in this show is incredibly well-rounded and allowed their morality in shades of gray-- you can understand the motivations of the more "evil" characters in the show, you can see the faults of the more "heroic" ones. Also, the art and animation is GORGEOUS. There is SO much expression in the way all their characters are animated, so much life, and you can absolutely tell that this project was was a labor of LOVE instead of just a moneygrab. (plus: incredibly diverse character designs, especially for the women, and god bless the amount of buff ladies this show gave us)

So like, full disclosure: I started watching it literally only because I saw gifsets of these two lesbian characters being tender and I thought their relationship looked sweet (spoiler alert: it is) but by the end of Episode 3 the show had already hit me like a trainwreck, and it only continued to get more incredible and emotional from there. It is a work of art in every sense of the word and I'd give anything to have more animated shows out there with this level of quality and care put into it.

I know this ended up being more of a long, emotional rant about how much i love this show and i am... so sorry for that LMAO. But yes, it's on Netflix and season one is only 9 episodes total, so if you have the time to spare, I'd definitely recommend anyone giving this show a shot. <3

#arcane #txt #koldtblod #i wanted this to be short but i never know how to shut up IM SORRY #i also didn't know how to explain a lot of things without going into spoilers fsdkdjkfs but hopefully this is an okay answer !!!#answered

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darkanachronism · 5 years ago

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Keziah Mason Meets the Whateley’s

"Who 're yew an' what're yew doin' in my lab?" Wilbur demanded, looking down at the old woman.

"Depends," she started, "on why you smell like Yuggoth."

~~~~~

What’s this, me posting writing on main? More likely then you think. Anyways have the Lovecraft crossover no one asked for.

Wilbur had been preparing the shed for some time now. He didn't have to yet, but he would eventually with Twin getting as big as it was.

For now though, he just wanted a bit of space. A little respite from his mother, from his brother. From the Byhakee it had upstairs.

Just a quiet place to read, to write, to study.

Admittedly it was a rather sad little makeshift lab, but it was his nonetheless. The chairs and tables fit him, he barely had to stoop to get in the door, yes this was as comfortable as he could hope to get.

Wilbur was just about to enter with another armful of books when he heard a crash from inside.

The crash, and accompanying string of curse words belonged to an old woman stumbling out of a corner, tripping over a pile of books and face planting onto the floor.

Keziah Mason has taken a wrong turn on her trip back to Arkham. Something she immediately decided not to tell anyone about, in a rush or not this was an amateur mistake.

She rolled onto her back and cussed again. Being fairly certain she'd heard some bone or other make a noise it shouldn't. And took in her surroundings, digging in the pockets of her robe for something to throw at whoever owned the place.

The door creaked open and Keziah was staring down the barrel of a revolver.

Fuck.

"Who 're yew an' what're yew doin' in my lab?" Wilbur demanded, looking down at the old woman. She looked harmless.

So did lots of things.

Keziah blinked in surprise, trying to take in all of the massive figure that loomed above her, to place the unearthly stink that came off him, and come up with an answer to his questions all at once.

"Depends," she started, "on why you smell like Yuggoth."

She managed two out of three, and to stall for time on the third. The gun lowered just a little, Wilbur's brows furrowing in surprise. Not the answer he’d been expecting. Or for that matter one he’d accept.

"I’ll answer yew once yew answer me seein’ as I asked first an' I've got the gun."

No point in distracting himself.

"Both valid points. I'm Keziah Mason, and I took a wrong turn. Now you."

Cryptic and sort of a non answer, but in certain circles her name preceded her, and in others bothering to explain that you were not just a common burglar but an fiendishly intelligent witch who could use her knowledge of advanced physics and arcane secrets to travel long distances via interdimensional shortcuts, well that sort of talk was just as likely to earn you a bullet as keeping quiet. Even if the man towering above her could barely pass for human himself.

" 's just how I smell is all." He answered her first question. "And I'm Wilbur Whateley." She hadn’t asked for a name, but it seemed polite to give one.

Whateley, of course, everything clicked into place.

“Yog-Sothoth’s kid then?” She asked quirking a wiry brow. She’d expected more...Tentacles? Maybe a tail or something. Still, something around the eyes put her in mind of the fathomless space beyond spaces.

The revolver dropped to Wilbur's side as he tried to puzzle through how to respond to being called out so casually. He nodded. Not sure what else to do.

"Help an old lady up would you?"

Wilbur did, hauling Keziah rather artlessly to her feet, still baffled into silence.

"How'd yew know that?"

Keziah shrugged. “Your family’s been at this for a while. Honestly I’m surprised things lined up."

"Yeah, guess et were a bit 've wurk on granpa's part." Wilbur trailed off mumbling, scratching the back of his neck and looking around for something else to discuss. The topic of his conception was awkward, he imagined that was one of the few things he had in common with any other teenager.

"Sorry, didn't catch that. Tinnitus." Keziah said, adding the explanation with a grimace. It was a small price to pay for visiting The Court of course, but a deuced nuisance most of the time.

"Uhh, Nuthin'." Wilbur said, before changing the topic abruptly.

"Yew still didn’t explain why yer here."

"Told you I took a wrong turn.” She was trying to sound casual, but perhaps came off as a tiny bit defensive. “Just a tiny miscalculation on my part. We are in New England aren’t we?"

"Dunnich."

Keziah pulled a face and Wilbur laughed.

"Take et yew've visited before?"

"Not if I can help it. Is it still as painfully backwoods as it was in...1786?"

Wilbur quirked a brow, sure, she looked old, but not that old.

"Nah, et's wurse."

"You poor thing." Keziah patted him on the arm, it was about all she could reach.

The condescension wasn't appreciated, nor was the physical contact, Wilbur pulled away from that, but since she evidently loathed Dunwich, he let it slide.

"Where were yew tryin' t' get then?"

"Arkham."

"That ain’t far,” Wilbur started helpfully. “Yew culd take our horse, Long as yew return et."

It’s not that he was a particularly generous man, he had no natural inclination to help a stranger out. But it wasn’t as if he was planning to ride anywhere any time soon.

Keziah chuckled.

"Thanks for the offer, but I can get there faster." Keziah glanced around the makeshift magical laboratory, looking for something.

"Do you have some graph paper I could borrow?" She asked after a moment.

"Uh, yeah I c-" Wilbur was cut off by a tentative knock on the half opened door.

"Wilbur, dinner's rea-," Lavnia called out, opening the door as she did so. Ordinarily she wouldn't but in like that, Wilbur had been so insistent on his privacy lately. But he’d left it ajar, so she didn’t see any harm.

She paused mid step to stare. In what world did Wilbur have company? And how had she missed the woman showing up in the first place.

"Who's yer friend?" .

Wilbur looked between the two and stepped out of the way to make introductions.

"Uh, hi Ma, this is-"

"Keziah Mason. One of Nyarlathotep's Thousand Favoured." she said, brushing past Wilbur and offering the other woman a hand to shake. No need to be cagey about who she was now.

Lavinia very quickly wiped her hands on her skirts before accepting, clearly flustered by the title drop.

"I'm Lavinia Whateley, pleased t' meet yew."

Wilbur wasn't half so impressed, actually he had to wonder what she did to earn the Crawling Chaos' attention. Or if she wasn't just full of shit like so many magicians turned out to be.

"I'm sure it's mutual. Don't let you keep you from Dinner though, I was just about to leave."

"Yew dun half tew, ef yew dun want. I mean, yew culd stay fer diner ef yew'd lak. We dun often have guests, 'specially 'un so destingished."

Wilbur winced at his mother's gushing and hand wringing. She was special enough in her own right that she shouldn't be tripping over herself to impress some witch who couldn’t even keep her angles right.

Admittedly Wilbur’s understanding of interdimensional travel and the mathematics involved in them were shaky at best. But he could make an educated guess as to what a wrong turn meant.

Keziah considered the invitation, taking a quick look at each of the Whateley’s to guess at how much of an intrusion she’d be before answering.

“Why not, I don’t really need to be back until Sunday.” She gave a casual shrug.

Lavinia positively beamed when the older woman accepted her invitation. A reaction that made Keziah question the other woman’s sanity just a bit.

“Well, house es this way ef yew tew want t’ follow me. Sorry ‘bout the house bein’ in a state, et’s ain’t usually this much ‘ve a mess.” Lavinia gestured for the other two to do just that, before backing out of the door way.

Wilbur let Keziah go out ahead of him and locked up behind the trio.

Dinner at the Whateley house was usually an awkward affair, consisting of strained attempts at small talk from Lavinia and increasingly successful attempts to avoid that small talk on Wilbur’s part. So a third party was appreciated, and it really didn’t take much to set Keziah off.

An idle question about how exactly she knew the Whateley’s from Lavinia prompted wild stories about Wilbur’s great great grandparents, questions about Yuggoth from Wilbur earned an even more energetic response. All the while Keziah displayed the kind of table manners that startled even Wilbur.

It was increasingly difficult to imagine the hunched old woman tearing into a drumstick with clawed hands and trying to explain the Dho Formula through a mouthful of chicken rubbing elbows with The Outer Gods, acting as a messenger for Nyarlathotep himself.

But she did know things. Gods did she know things. His grandpa has known some and read some, and Wilbur had done his best with that meager tutelage and a plethora of crumbling books. But Keziah, she rattled off facts and incantations and corrections to his magical theory like other people talked about the weather.

The conversation was beyond Lavinia’s grasp, she nodded when she thought it was appropriate. And was quickly forgotten by the other two. She didn’t mind though. It was a rare treat to see Wilbur so animated.

Dinner ended with everyone in a good mood, Lavinia offered to clear up and let the other two retreat to Wilbur’s lab, Keziah still had to work out exactly where she’d gone wrong in her calculations earlier, and Wilbur was eager for a crash course traveling the space between spaces.

“Don’t worry kid, I’ll work slow so you can keep up.”

The teasing earned her a sour look. Even as Wilbur bent over the desk to see what she was working on.

“I’m sure I’ll manage just fine, I’m sharper ‘en most folks.”

“So am I.”

If Keziah made things a little unnecessarily complicated just to show off who could blame her. Wilbur was a nice enough kid. But she couldn’t let him think he was smart just because his dad knew absolutely everything there was to know.

Still, she helped. More than slaving over his books alone could. And after some untold hours. Keziah stood up, stretching and cracking her back and knuckles as she did.

“I think that’s enough for the night. I’ve got to get back to Arkham, and I really hate to travel when I’m tired.”

Wilbur looked down at her with a frown.

“S’pose ef yew’ve got tew. Like ma said, yew can come back whenever yew like. Jus’ use a door next time.”

Keziah let out a low scoff and rolled her eyes. “Absolutely not kid, doors are for people with no imagination.”

She traced a quick sign in the air, lines lingering that glowed a shade no human eyes could really appreciate, and without another word Keziah stepped through the corner of Wilbur’s laboratory and was presumably back in Arkham. The space she just occupied tilting strangely before folding in and righting itself.

Wilbur stared and wished he’d had his better eyes out to watch that. Probably would have been quite impressive to see in five dimensions.

#Wilbur Whateley #Lavinia Whateley #The Dunwich Horror #Keziah Mason #Dreams In The Witch House #my writing #I don't know how much of my writing I'll post #but I may as well right

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amygdalae · 6 years ago

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What is your favorite or preferred hunter tools? Most times I ignore them all and just go for attack spam but I feel like I should switch up my play style.

OK sorry in advance: I was just gonna answer the ask but I haven’t infodumped about Bloodborne in awhile so hooray you just won a free monologue from yours truly. buckle in because im gonna say boring gameplay stuff that everyone probably knows already lets go

ALSO to answer your question my favorites are blacksky eye, phantasm shell, augur of ebrietas, and madaras whistle

First, we’re gonna talk about the hunter tools that can easily be used regardless of build (as long as you have at least 15 arcane):

The empty phantasm shell is perfect for most builds, as long as you use a weapon that can be buffed. I personally like it for boss fights cuz of the added edge. It puts cool sparkles on ya weapon and the damage bonus isn’t that big, but it’s useful if you don’t have any fire/bolt paper or the boss is weak to arcane.

the choir bell is useful if you’re out of blood vials, but it really mainly comes in handy for co-op (it heals other players). It lends itself well with the ‘caster’ vibe of an arc build, but you don’t gotta be an eldritch wizard to help a friend in need.

The messenger’s gift isn’t that useful but it’s very fun to turn into messengers and it can be good to bust out for funsies in co-op. Also, I actually was able to hide from an invader with it until they left.

Beast Roar! folks like using it to tell enemies to back off. BIG yell, knocks em back. It’s aesthetically good to use for a beasthood build, too.

I haven’t used the Old Hunter bone much but it makes ya dodge fast. I hear it’s good for pvp and helps with faster-paced bosses. the effect looks cool.

Alright. Next are the ones that are good but only kick ass with some arcane investment (with high enough arcane they really do shred shit up tho)

augur of ebrietas! it’s cute, it’s spooky, it parries/backstabs, and it does heaps of damage with good stats. Who doesnt wanna shoot tentacles out they hand

blacksky eye: it has a very brief casting windup, long range, and decent damage. It’s functionally similar to a throwing knife except it’s a small missile you shoot from your eyeball. Useful for staggering ebrietas or amygdala if you aim at their heads, and it only costs 1 bullet per projectile. good for cheesing as well.

A call beyond: pretty much only for higher-arc builds cuz it requires at least 40 arc. It looks badass and shoots homing projectiles in every direction, and can knock enemies over. the windup is kinda long, but a well-placed call beyond can turn the tide of a fight.

Tiny tonitrus is great. when used right, it cuts big swathes of sparky destruction and its satisfying to line it up to hit multiple enemies. definitely worth utilizing against bosses that are weak to bolt. ive always felt like it should cost fewer bullets tho

executioners gloves: who doesn’t love spooky homing projectiles? the range is shorter than youd think but its great for boss fights and doesnt take that much precision. it can also be good for distracting folks in pvp.

i havent used the accursed brew much since its a pretty late game item but it’s kinda like a fucked up magic molotov. the effect lingers for a moment, too.

The last one is the outlier! Snake whistle!!!

the Madaras whistle is the one hunter tool that scales with bloodtinge!! it makes a big snake come outta the ground and chomp. Enemies and also yourself. Best to get out the way. however it does kickass damage and can help keep invaders outta your grill.

Agh

#sorry about this im very pmsed and needed to infodump lmao #you probably know all this #bloodborne #long post #soulsborne #bloodborne guide #i guess?#this is incomprehensible garbage #asks #video games

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npc-guy · 7 years ago

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Daily NPC: Part 2

Okay, everybody, sorry for the delay, but here is what’s happening with The Daily NPC. The next chapter/book/volume/etc, will consist of characters created with the classes from Pathfinder’s Advanced Player’s Guide. These classes being: Alchemist; Cavalier; Inquisitor; Oracle; Summoner; and Witch. We’ll be sticking with the Core Rulebook races for now, but in time I’ll likely explore NPCs of non-standard races for this blog. Let me tell you a little bit about each one before we get to the real posts.

The Alchemist is probably about what you’d expect: the mad scientist of a fantasy world. Their abilities allow them to craft potions from the beginning, as well as creating special brews, bombs, and even body-altering substances called mutagens. They are an interesting take on the boundaries of magic and science.

Cavaliers are martial combatants like the Fighter, but are each part of an Order that allows them to have special qualities. The tenants of these Orders allow Cavaliers to make challenges that affect their allies and enemies in combat, can give them access to skills that other front-line fighters might now have access to, and also come with a focus on mounted combat.

Next, the Inquisitor is a divine spellcaster that seems to be a cross-section between paladin, ranger, cleric, and maybe sorcerer. They are utterly devoted to their faith and eliminating its foes or bringing judgement to traitors. With a variety of skills, and abilities, Inquisitors can be as varied in one faith as among multiple.

Oracles are a divine spellcasting class with a strange origin: they don’t choose their role. An Oracle is made so without their decision, and unlike Clerics don’t have to be faithful to the god(s) who granted them this power. Along with spells, Oracles also gain access to the power of Mysteries which are similar to the Cleric domains. However, they also suffer from a Curse that can affect their life in a myriad of unpleasant ways.

Now the Summoner is one of the two arcane casters from the APG, but has more in common with a ranger or druid than the wizard or sorcerer. This is because Summoners have eidolons, intelligent beings bonded with them that they give physical forms with magic. They also have spells, but these are mostly focused on summoning more creatures or buffing the eidolon. But the eidolon itself, that’s something I’m going to enjoy talking about.

Finally, the Witch is what I would call Pathfinder’s take on the Warlock from D&D. It’s not cut and paste, but it is rather close in flavor. The Witch is an arcane caster that gains their power through a pact with a powerful entity, which may mean a variety of attached strings. They have some very folk-tale-esque abilities, such as hexes and magic cackling, and also have a familiar that they require to access their magic. While not inherently evil, their source of magic is certainly unusual and generally distrusted.

I hope you are all excited for these new kinds of NPCs we’re going to be seeing over what I hope is a schedule more like what I started with. Get prepared for chemical reactions, flying banners, burning heretics, divine mysteries, magic companions, and strange casters. Until then, keep on adventuring everybody.

#the daily npc #daily npc #npc #Non-player character #rpg #Role Playing Game #Pathfinder #Pathfinder RPG #Paizo #Advanced Player's Guide #APG #alchemist #cavalier #inquisitor #oracle #summoner #witch

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colleydogstar · 8 years ago

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A Ranger’s Tale - 6 - 3 Weeks Later

Story and all other character by @rollem-bones. As mentioned before, the log has a mix of 1st/3rd person tenses due to play styles.

Our story continues...

The cottage by the lake becomes your home for several days. The Order of the Antler and Thorn has time to take. Salicia and Donnel take to sweeping the lake and the nearby forest for any lingering undead remnants from the Necromancer. Pritchard remains behind to cleanse the area, to study any accumulated arcane effects, or traps left behind. And around the cottage, you are expected to giving some help as much as you can. Salicia and Donnell need you to travel with them in the forest. There you try your hand at blade work, at scouting, and hiding. At where to cut and slash. How to draw out and feint against simple minded foes. And especially how to track and work with both the brawny woman and the older demi. Pritchard doesn't need much of your help, but he's more than willing to let you hang around him as he works, to talk and to demonstrate the manner of magic he works with. Though it does seem that for the most part, you're stuck as a grunt worker and gopher. Treating, in many ways, as the young woman and rookie Gamesmaster that you might yet be becoming. And night after night, you sleep in the warm cottage, generally on the floor, though you can look out the window and see the night sky awash in stars.

Rhodie rubs at her eyes and looks up the sky. Are the constellations even the same in this universe? She hadn't thought about that much lately, focussing on training, and getting used to the new body. Trying to train her mind to adjust as well as her body has been tasking, but she feels she's making progress, she hopes she's making progress. She's feeling more comfortable with the blade, less swinging wildly and more controlled attacks. Maybe she'll get the hang of this yet. Sure she's a gopher, but right now that's not a bad thing to be since she's still able to learn during it. She looks back at the inside of the cabin. Maybe... maybe she could actually join the team full time.

"We're moving on in the morning." That was all Donnell said before you moved on once more. The job was done and you were given a pack to carry. Mostly the small tents that the others had used. It's heavy, a bit burdensome on your smaller frame, yet the athletics in the past week had been setting you up for this. It's easier. Everything has been. And in the week following leaving the cottage, you find things settle into a routine. Sometimes you're sent ahead to scout, sometimes you just carry things. Sometimes you get made to keep watch, sometimes you're given a space under Salicia's tent while you catch a nap. It's the start of the third week, Salicia is on watch, Donnell is sleeping, Pritchard is reading by the light of a mote bobbing in the air as the fire crackles. The final day is tomorrow, and you'll be back in Estorly. And, as you're told, the chance to no longer have to survive on dried rations, game meat, and wild fruits and tubers.

The setter-girl is trying to make herself comfortable, having a hard time getting to sleep on this night. A town, a chance to see civilization in this world, and it has gotten her anxious. A chance to see others of this world beyond her new friends. The prospect of having a proper meal again is something she's looking forward to. She sits up, and runs a hand through her hair. "Estorly... rather nice sounding name for a town."

"Sorry, did you say something?" Pritchard asks, looking up from his book. He places the book aside as he looks over toward you. "You're probably looking for some good food, a real bed, and some new coverings. Don't worry about the cost, I'll speak with Silberschmidt about my fees and see what I can get from him." He looks up at the stars. "Estorly has been situated on his familial land for generations. As the meister, he has taxation rights. I won't imagine he's pained for coin."

"Ah, just talking to myself mostly. Those all sound pretty good honestly," Rhodie says, looking down at her clothes. "Not having to rely solely on Salicia's outfits would be rather nice, can stop being a burden on her for that." She thinks, "Maybe see if there's a sketchbook and pencils or such so I can draw, maybe start work on some stuff for the maps... Ah, if that's OK, I mean. ...I can still stay with you all after reaching the town, right?"

"Not really my decision. Donnell is the one who can make that call. I doubt that after all you've done that you'll simply be tossed to the street," Pritchard says. "You've been helping us quite a bit in the last fortnight." He gestures and the mote of light fades from view. "If it helps, I would be glad to vouch for you should Donnell need to think the matter over." He offers you a smile. "I've found your help invaluable, Rhodia."

"Well, all things considered, honestly I'd really like to stay with you three if I can," She wraps her arms around her knees as she tucks them up to her chest. "I'm learning a lot being with you all, and trying to make new connections or friends here by myself? That's gonna be a real challenge without folks who know what they're doing." Rhodie's tail wags at the compliment, "I like being helpful, one of the things I strived to be back home. Couldn't do the rescue service like my dad, so figured I could at least try and do stuff that might help others out. I..." She raises an eyebrow, "Rhodia?"

Pritchard hums quizzically at your question. "There a problem?" he asks. "Oh, I'm sorry. I," he hesitates and shakes his head. "Never mind. I misspoke." He looks back at the fire. "Salicia should be done with her watch soon. And, your father rescued people?"

"Never been called 'Rhodia' before is all," she says with a bit of a laugh. "Yeah, he was part of the local fire department when I was a kid. Usually meant he was on call most nights if there was an emergency. Used to see him on the nightly news in the background whenever they were doing reports on fires, did fire safety talks at my school... He was a real heroic guy." She smiles, thinking.

"Fire departments?" Pritchard looks the fire over, fingertips tapping at his knee. "And I apologize if I have offended. I didn't mean to. Though I'm curious about the fire department matter. There are a few in Evenbow. Perhaps you can see it some day. Though I'd wager they brawl more than they stop fires."

Rhodie waves her hands, "No, no, no offense taken, Pritchard, really! Just, curious why you said it more than anything. The fire departments in my world? obviously a bit more tech advanced, large engine powered transports that carried their equipment, pumps and firehoses that could tap into a central source of water for controlling and extinguishing the fires, large extension ladders for taller buildings. Dad never told me about having to brawl anyone, though he did have to drag a guy kicking and screaming from his house once. Guy apparently felt that without his stuff inside he had no reason to keep living."

Pritchard pushes himself to his feet. "Interesting," he notes tapping as his elbow and putting a hand to his chin. "I should go check on Salicia. It's my turn to watch." He curls his hand up and for the briefest of moments, a faint image of an icy wisp roils around his wrist. He takes a step toward the wood. "I would like to hear more of this at some point. I've been doing a lot of talking, but I would like to listen for a change."

"Of course," Rhodie says, nodding. "I'll gladly tell you what I can about my world anytime, Pritchard," she says. "Helps me to remember as well." She looks at her hand, flexing it, still not fully used to being covered in fur but she's getting better about that. Rhodie rubs her face, and looks back at Pritchard, thinking. "...She HAS been gone a bit longer than she should be..."

It's a hand, it's a paw, it's somewhere in between, though it's far more on the hand side of the spectrum. Thankfully you won't have to shave your palms. It's while you're rubbing the fur on your face when you feel a hand plop on your head and rub vigorously. "If you're tired, you should go off and get some sleep," Salicia says as she passes you by. She places her axes along the trunk of the tree your group has taken shelter under. "Pritch is working his magic out there. Should be good for a sleep if you want. I'll keep the fire going."

Her tail wags at the rubs and attention. "That had been the plan. Was having trouble keeping my eyes shut," Rhodie says with a small laugh. She lays back, looking up. "Normally I'd get to work on a project or something when I was having trouble sleeping. Bit harder now that all my stuff is literal universe away." She lets out a long yawn.

"Get some sleep," Salicia says, waving toward the tents. "You look like a bushed one, dear. I got the fire under control." She yawns in match with you. "Off with you, before I wake Donnell up to make you take a nod." She has a smile on her, jovial, always with energy.

#Ask Rhodie #Irish Setter #Rhodie #ranger's tale #rhodie's tale

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53nk41 · 8 years ago

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The rules of the Hunt (Part 1/?)

I couldn’t sleep last night and just had random ideas about the adventures of a certain grumpy bounty hunter from the times of her wandering around the Rift.

1618 words, but it’s not done yet B3c

Timeline and place is 4E 202, Skyrim.

The Bee and The Barb is probably the friendliest it gets in Riften. And that's a lot to say, given that it's almost always filled to the brim with the most annoying, snobish and racist folk in the Rift. Not to mention the innkeeper herself will most probably cut off your fingers if you even dare touch something without paying first.

Yet, Ferryn persisted. He eyed the whole room, clearly searching for a specific table, with a specific someone. And of course, in the corner of the inn, right near the window, there they were. They being her, a woman with a loose fur hood shielding her away from everyone's gaze, comfortably leaning against a chair. A little nervous, but he nodded to himself and picked up the pace towards the table. As he grabbed the chair, Ferryn cautiously looked around the room, making sure no one is watching a little too much and sat down. Their eyes met and he gulped down the last bit of his nervosity.

The woman reached out with her right hand but stopped herself in the middle of the act, and instead offered her left hand for a handshake instead. Not soon after they shook hands she pulled down her hood like it was nothing, revealing a smug smile on her face. Ferryn here was dealing with a dark elf, which shouldn't surprise him as much as it did.

"Quite far away from Windhelm, aren't we?" he jokingly proposed as he accepted a mug of ale from Keerava without even looking at the argonian. The dunmer leaned back and laughed "Your assumption that i am a refugee wounds me, oh sir." a brief moment of silence followed as she suddenly leaned forward and faced him properly, gaining more of a serious posture. "I've known Skyrim for much longer than that." she proclaimed and raised her eyebrows confidently. "Why, excuse my manners then!" the man returned the hearty laughter, taking a sip from the mug.

"Llerani Nevethys is the name."

"I am honored to meet you, lady Nevethys. Mine would be Ferryn Fyreblood, just a small no one from Whiterun."

"Well, then it is i who is honored. You too have traveled quite the way."

Llerani answered and finished the few last drops in her wine goblet. "In that case, i must ask..." she put aside the goblet and their eyes met once more as she slowly leaned closer, supporting her chin with both of her curled up hands. "Why me, then?" She may have finished her sentence, but it didn't say much. However, she led his eyes to the man sitting on the bench on the other side of the room and waited for him to make the connection, still with her smug smile forming on her lips.

There sat Marcurio. A man well known in Riften, and for good reasons. Most mages choose to forever pursue the knowledge of the arcane, to forever better themselves. But Marcurio has already reached the skills of an elite mage, honing them only effectively in battle. His advanced magicks also cost way more than any ordinary mercenary would ever dare ask for. So why didn't Ferryn come for the services of this well experienced man, Llerani wondered.

The nord too leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Because i really need this done."

As they stared at each other in this moment of seriousness, some sense of uncertainty formed on the nord's face. He was clearly examining her face, as if something was off. Llera's ashy skin was perhaps too pale for his likings, and the lack of blue hues was uncommon. But the eyes, the eyes worried him the most. Surely he knew of the range that Dunmeri eye colorations can go to, so why did the striking, fiery orange frighten him so much?

Llerani, realizing this, sharply pulled away and straightened her posture.

"My services go for even higher than his." she raised a brow, expecting the man to surprisedly argue the price.

"I am aware." he however, completely calmly, insisted. This amused the dunmer greatly and the sly smirk quickly returned to her face. She made herself comfortable in the chair again, taking out her knife and playing with it casually, not even looking at him anymore.

"So who or what am i going after?" Llera asked, still playing with the dagger, patiently awaiting the contract's details.

"They're... two targets." the man gulped. "Farilda, my daughter. We used to visit this one solitary temple up in the mountains, on the borders with Morrowind. Back when the fields of the Rift still bloomed. There we would pay homage to Talos.." Ferryn was staring out the window, getting teary-eyed and his voice cracking.

"To the point, please." Llerani stabbed the knife into the table – strongly enough to get him to snap out of his melancholic nonsense, but gently enough to not seem threatening.. too much.

"Over the years, she changed. Too much. The church has been abandoned for years, but.. she... she's.. practicing her... witchcraft there. And.. it needs to end." finally he managed to get it out of his chest, frowning miserably into the window still. Ferryn then let out a sigh and looked back at the elf. "She and her atrocity of a husband. A vampire."

The way he said it and the way he stared at her, he needn't say more. Llerani knew what was needed from her, and with a quick move of her hand she sheathed her knife again. "My my, have you picked the best bounty hunter for this task, then." she said rather confidently and entwined the fingers of her hands together, staring into his eyes once more, more focused than ever. "Well mister Fyreblood, here are the rules of the Hunt then." the smirk was gone and now she seemed to pierce him with her cold stare.

"First, you do not question my origin." she made sure to pause after this one, watching Ferryn carefully, awaiting an unwanted reaction. When there was none, she continued. "Second, you do not question my ways." "Third... you pay up front." maybe a little of her cheeky smile returned after saying this, taking pride in demanding so much from him already. When she stayed quiet too long after this one, Ferryn safely assumed the three rules were announced to him and there would be no more, so he looked down upon his lap and rummaged through his travel rucksack. After a moment of searching, he brought up a fat coin pouch and rested it in front of her on the table. Llera hungrily eyed it, then looked back at him and leaned away from him, but still maintaining eye contact.

"Fourth. You do not need to see the bodies."

Ferryn gasped slightly, but noticeably nonetheless. Was it because he was annoyed with his own inadequacy, the fact that he interrupted this obviously highly respected mercenary and made himself seem impolite and rude? Or was it because the implications were too difficult to bear.

Yet, the man recollected himself and nodded her way. Llera chose to ignore the few drops of sweat rolling down his temples, and reached down under the table. "Good, then." she replied and laid her crossbow in front of him. Up until now it was resting under the table they shared, but the awe in his eyes proved that he did not notice. Or was it fear?

Next to her weapon, she laid out few bolts and their respective head types.

"I'm sure you're a wealthy man, with no worries of money. So i propose some additional services to you." she said so sensually while she was examining the nails on her right hand, not even paying attention to Ferryn. Her voice was so enticing, and invited him to accept whatever it was she was offering. "Do you want it to be over with quickly? Or perhaps.. they should go slowly and... painfully? Maybe you don't even want them dead, maybe i can just cripple them. Forever or just for a while. My good sir, you get to pick all this, but the rest is up to me." as she ended that sentence, she raised her gaze to him and lifted her brows inquisitively, watching him be speechless. The nord was processing all the information just given to him, thinking about all the possibilities and implications that were coming out of this. It seemed like he just could not decide. Yet the drops on his forehead were multiplying and slowly but surely rolling down his face. It was clear that it was this moment in which he realized he'd been dealing with a monster all along.

But he liked it. The best kind of person suited for the job.

Ferryn swallowed yet once more and babbled out "T-the slow one for the vampire, and the quick one for my Farilda."

The expression on Llerani's face shifted from amused to mildly concerned, perhaps some sort of empathy forced her to feel somewhat sorry for what this man was going through. Still, she took great joy from doing this.

"The layered steel and smoothed barb, then." she said to herself and grabbed all her laid out bolts, putting them back in her quiver. Then, without hesitating, she reached for the heavy sack of coins and hid it in one of her pockets as she got up from the table.

"I will contact you via courier when the deed is done." Llera nodded at him, strapped her crossbow across her chest, left few coins on Keerava's counter and hastily walked out of the inn. Ferryn did not even finish his ale, paid, and left soon after.

#the elder scrolls #skyrim #tes #dunmer #the elder scrolls v: skyrim #llerani #stuff

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elizabethcariasa · 6 years ago

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12 reasons to file a tax return even if you don't have to

Broad City image via Giphy.com

Do you have to file a return? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the answer usually is yes.

But there's a difference between having to file a tax return and submitting a 1040 form because you should. And by should, I mean when it's to your advantage to do so.

Yes, that does happen in the tax world now and then.

When filing is required: First, though, let's look at when the tax code says we must send the Internal Revenue Service a Form 1040.

If you are a U.S. citizen or resident who made money last year, whether you must tell the Internal Revenue Service about it depends on three things:

Your gross income,

Your filing status, and

Your age.

The IRS created the table (shown as Chart A in the 2018 Form 1040 instructions) below to give you an idea of whether you should start getting your filing material together.

2018 Filing Requirements for Most Taxpayers

If your filing status is:

AND at the end of 2018 you were:

THEN file a return if your gross income was at least:

Single

64 or younger 65 or older

$12,000 $13,600

Married filing jointly

64 or younger (both spouses) 65 or older (one spouse) 65 or older (both spouses)

$24,000 $25,300 $26,600

Married filing separately

Any age

$5 (Yes, five bucks)

Head of Household

64 or younger 65 or older

$18,000 $19,600

Qualifying widow/widower

64 or younger 65 or older

$24,000 $25,300

A quick filing note for some older New Year's Day babies. The IRS says that if you were born on Jan. 1, 1954, you are considered to be age 65 at the end of 2018. That one-day shift lets you make a little more before you have to mess with filing.

Also, for filing requirement purposes, the IRS says that gross income means all income you received in the form of money, goods, property, and services that isn't exempt from tax, including any income from sources outside the United States or from the sale of your main home, even if you can exclude part or all of it.

In this gig economy world, all income definitely means money from these jobs, be they your full-time work or simply side hustles to supplement your wage income. And the earnings count even if you don't get an official tax form, usually a 1099-MISC or 1099-K.

You don't, however, have to include any Social Security benefits unless (a) you are married filing a separate return and you lived with your spouse at any time in 2017 or (b) one-half of your Social Security benefits plus your other gross income and any tax-exempt interest is more than $25,000 or $32,000 if married filing jointly.

And since the IRS has seen it all, it notes that if even if you're married, if you didn't live with your spouse at the end of 2018 (or on the date your spouse died) and your gross income was at least $5, you must file a return regardless of your age. That's the same as the five-buck income threshold for married filing separately folks.

There also are filing matters to consider if someone can claim you as a tax dependent. Basically, your filing requirement again takes into account your filing status, age and income. Chart B in the 2018 Form 1040 instructions has details.

Again, I'm just the messenger when it comes to keeping the IRS off your back when it comes to filing, so please, as the old saying goes, don't shoot me.

Other filing factors: One of the biggest complaints about taxes, aside from the actual dollars we pay, is how complicated they are. That's obvious in the rules regarding income and filing status above that determine whether you must file a 1040.

But there also are other factors that, well, factor into the decision. They include —

You have household help and pay your employees enough to trigger employment taxes. For the 2018 tax year, that's $2,100 and it means you must file a Schedule H with your 1040. Although this requirement is popularly called the nanny tax, it covers not just childcare assistance, but also maids, housekeepers, gardeners and others who work in or around your private residence as your employee. Note the designation as employees. This doesn't apply independent contractors who do household work for you. Be careful here. The IRS looks closely at worker designations. The good news, though, is that if you are filing a tax return only because you owe this tax, you can file Schedule H by itself.

You or your spouse or dependents got advance payments of the premium tax credit to help cover medical coverage purchased through the healthcare Marketplace. You need to file to reconcile those amounts.

You made, after expenses, at least $400 from self-employment. While you might not technically have made enough to require filing, you still have to file in order to pay the self-employment (SE) tax on these independent earnings. The tax due here, calculated on Schedule SE, is the self-employed person's version of the payroll taxes that go toward Social Security and Medicare, aka FICA, that are taken out of salaried workers' checks. Again, it bears repeating. It's possible you could owe SE taxes, but no income tax. However, you still must file to report those independent earnings.

You can find more about filing requirements in the IRS' general tax guide, Publication 17. You also can use the IRS' online tool to determine whether you need to file this year.

When you should file: OK, you've discovered you technically don't have to file a return. Great, right?

To borrow one of Donald J. Trump's favorite words, Wrong!

Sometimes even if you don't have to file a tax return, it's to your benefit to do so.

Here are a dozen situations when you should file a federal income tax return:

You had federal income tax withheld. The only way to get any of this excess money back as a refund is to file a 1040.

You made estimated tax payments. You want to make sure the IRS knows that you sent in these extra amounts for income that's not subject to withholding.

You qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This tax break for lower- and middle-income workers is, as the name says, a credit, which means it reduces any tax you owe dollar-for-dollar. It's also a refundable credit, meaning you can get a tax refund even if you don't owe any tax. The amount of the credit and the income thresholds are adjusted annually for inflation, with as much as $6,431 available to some EITC eligible filers for the 2018 tax year.

You qualify for the refundable portion of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's (TCJA) new child tax credit. Like the EITC, this additional child tax credit means you could get money back — as much as $1,400 — even if you don't owe any tax.

You qualify for the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) premium tax credit. Yes, Obamacare is still law. Most people who qualify for this credit get it in advance — which, as noted in the must-file discussion above, means you have to send in a Form 1040 — when they purchase their health insurance via the Marketplace. But you do have the option of paying all your premiums in full yourself during the tax year and then claiming the credit when, you got it, you file your return.

You qualify for the health coverage tax credit (HCTC). The HCTC is a refundable tax credit that pays 72.5 percent of qualified health insurance premiums for eligible individuals and their families. This is a separate, more narrow tax credit with different rules than the ACA's premium tax credit. The IRS has a special Web page with HCTC eligibility and claiming details.

You qualify for the American opportunity tax credit. This educational tax break could give you a credit of up to $2,500 and portion of it — up to $1,000 — is refundable to some qualifying filers.

You owe the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). This parallel tax, created in the 1960s to ensure that rich taxpayers paid at least some (aka minimum) amount of tax, used to snare a lot of middle-income filers because it wasn't indexed for inflation. That changed in 2013, with the annual exemption amounts now reducing the number of folks caught in this tax net. The TCJA went even further, increasing AMT phaseout threshold amounts to $1 million for married taxpayers filing a joint return and $500,000 for all other taxpayers. If, however, you make enough that you have to pay the AMT, then you must file.

You didn't report all your tips to your employer. You now need to do that by filing a return and also paying the SE tax on those gratuities. The same SE filing is required if you got a paycheck, but your employer didn't withhold these FICA taxes.

You qualify for the credit for federal tax on fuels. With this one, you might have to wait to file. This relatively arcane tax break for biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels, as well as the alternative fuel credit, had expired. They are part of the group of tax breaks known as extenders, which are still awaiting Congressional action. If they are renewed for the 2018 tax year and beyond, you'll be able to claim them. For now, you can get an extension if this tax break makes a big difference to your filing or you can amend your return later if the credits are restored. Form 4136 instructions have more details.

To establish a placeholder for tax deductions and/or credits you need to carry forward. TurboTax points out that, for example, you can't claim a home office deduction so large that it would produce a loss. Instead, you claim zero business income for the year and carry any leftover deduction into the next year. But in order to claim that extra write-off in future years when you do have more income, Smart Money writer Bill Bischoff says you need to file for that initial claim.

To start the audit statute of limitations clock ticking. The IRS generally can go back three years to look at your old tax filings. But that time frame doesn't start until you actually file a 1040. So even if you didn't make quite enough to trigger the filing requirement, you might want to make sure the IRS can't come back, say, 10 years from now to ask about why you didn't file in 2018.

The main reason to file, though, even if you don't have to is to get tax cash. The IRS doesn't know what tax breaks you qualify for, so it's not just going to send you the cash.

The only way to get any tax money you're owed because of over-withholding or tax credits you qualify for is to file a return and claim them.

So if any of these 12 potentially positive tax-filing circumstances apply to you, send in a 1040!