#the arcana game next generation

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 4 MATCH 7

Chrom propaganda:

“Chrobin (Chrom x player character) is so many tropes in one oml. You have friends-to-lovers (Chrom and Robin are canonically best friends according to Nintendo), enemies-to-lovers (Robin is heir to the Grimleal cult, the enemy of the Halidom of Ylisse which Chrom is the prince, and later king, of), there's amnesia, time travel, official next-gen AUs, changed dialogue to lore important events in the game if you marry Chrom, and Nintendo keeps teasing us with the ship. Cheery prince who knows when to be serious, very strategically smart but very bad at communicating, a guy that can comfort you when you're down, make a fool of himself when you're not around, and he's just generally a very sweet guy. Also please consider the fact that you get to watch a cutscene of him dying in the prologue and despite the horrors he's just so supportive of the protagonist. Chrom doesn't care about where you came from or who you're related to, he cares for YOU. He gets KILLED by the protag and he reassures them that they did nothing wrong and pleads with them to get out, to a safe place. I lost my soul to Chrom, I physically can't play this game without romancing him.”

“He eats oranges with the peel still on, he's an absolute himbo. Also the writers accidentally made his daughter canonically trans so he definitely supports trans rights. And technically you can only marry him if you play as female Robin but their dynamic is still just as romantic if you play as male Robin (they literally call each other their other half and m!Robin and Chrom have a valentine's day duo unit in the gatcha, and in the anthology manga m!Robin asks Chrom to make polygamy legal so he can also marry Chrom's wife and they can be a family) so most people play the game with the gay mod so they can still marry him as a guy. He's incredibly stupid ("yeah, let's set all our ships on fire then walk through a volcano, you're so smart, Robin" "I know you've had prophetic visions about killing me and our daughter came from the future to warn us it would happen but I'm sure THIS TIME it won't because of the power of our bonds") but also really sweet. In the summer DLC they're fighting on a beach and when he sees Robin get excited over a weird creature they found he immediately forgets about the battle and starts trying to make a bunch of crafts (and failing) and cooking food (and failing again) and writing "Chrom and Robin were here" in the sand so that Robin could have some nice beach memories. I'm obsessed with this man”

Asra propaganda:

“He GIVES AWAY HALF HIS HEART TO REVIVE YOU okay but like. He's the MCs roommate and they were together for a few years before the MC caught a plague and died and he obsesses over a way to bring them back before succeeding by making a deal with a god to trade half his heart for MC and betraying the emperor. And then when MC comes back but without any of their memories, he takes care of them and teaches them how to live all over again and he never asks for anything in return. On all the routes where you don't choose him he's really supportive and helps you out despite your history and overall he's just really nice and supportive of the MC and is their rock no matter what route you go down. Also he has a pet snake named Faust and I love her she's so <33 

Idk I just appreciate him so much”

"He gave you half his HEART!! He would literally go to hell and back for you!! He wants to take you on adventures all around the world—doesn’t matter where, as long as he’s by your side!! AND he’s nonbinary!!!"

[owlhousetarot]

The Sun: The Collector

Upright: Happiness, optimism, fun, vitality, joy, confidence, positivity, warmth, success

Reversed: Inner child, excessive enthusiasm, unrealistic expectations, overly optimistic, sadness, conceitedness, negativity

The most positive card in the major arcana, the Sun radiates joy and light: a sign of happiness, success, and vitality. The Collector is one of the most happy-go-lucky characters in the Owl House, a concentrated embodiment of childish joy with his love of games. Even in their shadow form, we rarely see them without a devilish grin on their face, taking delight in the “games” he plays with Belos. Their greatest moment of triumphant joy comes when King frees them from the moon disk, ending their millennia-long imprisonment and allowing him access to his full range of powers—which he eagerly uses to begin the funnest game yet: The Owl House! He feels more alive than he has in a very long time, and he intends to make the most of it.

The Sun card isn’t without its downsides. Reversed, it can indicate you’re being overly positive or optimistic about a certain situation, when you should be approaching it from a more realistic or serious mindset. The Collector uses the people of the Boiling Isles as playthings in their game, and even views the abuse of the grimwalkers as a form of entertainment, not fully comprehending the personhood of mortal creatures nor the weight of what death means to them. He treats every situation with the same childish humor, believing death is as simple a problem to fix as a broken toy. The reversed Sun’s themes of sadness and negativity come into play when he is abruptly disavowed of this notion; Luz’s death in the finale shatters their overly positive worldview, causing them to feel real grief for the first time. They won’t be able to view the world in the same light anymore—but that’s a good thing. Because before, his joy came at the expense of everybody else’s; now, he's free to learn how to generate his own happiness, and radiate that positivity so that his friends might feel its warmth.

< Previous Card: The Moon

> Next Card: Judgement

[dailydemonspotlight]

Pixie - Day 110

Race: Fairy

Arcana: Lovers

Alignment: Neutral

September 13th, 2024

Kept you waiting, huh? As the unofficial mascot of the series next to Jack Frost, Pixie is no doubt among the most famous symbols relating to the series. While SMT itself is a relatively niche franchise, (surprisingly, given its connection to the giant that is Persona,) if you ask someone with even the vaguest familiarity of SMT to name a demon, it'll likely be Pixie. She's the tricky first partner of Nocturne, a frequently recurring character throughout many of the games in the series, and a perfectly emblematic figure for everything SMT as a whole is about- whimsy mixed with intrigue, with a slight splashing of horror. After all, Pixies are more than just pretty faces in the stories they originate from, so let's delve into the strange world of this archetypal fairy's past.

Pixies are actually a very common motif throughout much of England- while most famously originating in Great Britain, they recur in several areas, tying them to Celtic folklore closely, as their name may also originate in said Celtic areas. However, this has been disputed, as some argue it originated from the Swedish 'pyske,' meaning 'small fairy,' so the overall origin is rather controversial. However, we can pinpoint a concrete origin for Pixies, at least in some respects, in the towns of Cornwall and Devon, a pair of British towns who share quite a bit of mythology regarding said pixies. They're overall said to have a humanoid stature, though their actual size is up for debate in several stories- some paint them as being human child sized, others far smaller, though the general pop-culture consensus is them being very small, likely due to their role and importance in one of the most famous Shakespearean plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream. I'll save that talk for an eventual Oberon discussion, as we're not quite there yet, but they're very intrinsically connected to said play.

Pixies were very connected to magic and paganism, such as concepts like fairy rings, though they were separate beings from 'Fairies' themselves in some cultures- it's a very case-by-case basis, unfortunately, as sometimes Fairy is used as a catch-all term for small winged humans, and sometimes pixie, sometimes they're used interchangeably, etc, etc. Around southern Devon, an area known as Dartmoor, Pixies were a rather prevalent group who would commonly play pranks but were generally helpful, sticking around children and disguising themselves as children or as bundles of rags to catch their attention. Pixies seem to be generally agreed to not be malevolent, though they can cause quite a bit of indirect harm with their antics, whether it be playing around with children causing them to disappear or playing frequent pranks on adults in communities. Most famously of these pranks is one in which they cause a traveler to become 'Pixy-led,' in which they, well, lead a traveler astray and cause them to wander about aimlessly. To make up for this, though, Pixies are also said to frequently do housework and generally assist humanity when they need help, though this is still broken up by frequent pranks.

In terms of appearance, Pixies are generally seen as wearing very little, though there appears to be a very high valuing of bows within their culture- for the most part, they're generally naked, are very small, have a pair of wings, and look very young. While harmless for the most part, they punish neglect of children by stealing them away while playing with them from their parents, something that is actually far more of a general fairy thing to do, albeit minus the changelings. They're overall seen as a rather positive part of the British countryside, bringing joy and help in equal parts to many, though again, their propensity for bothering others and playing pranks may catch the ilk of some. Now, with all of that gone over, in terms of design in SMT... what is there really to comment on? If you think of pixie, you probably think of the SMT pixie, as it's a perfect microcosm of basically everything a Pixie actually is. 10/10, no notes. In terms of the games, Pixies are typically very early-game demons who have a specialty in magic, tying into their magical roles in folklore, and in many games they're actually the starting demon, most famously being in Nocturne, wherein if you take your pixie to the very end of the Amala Labyrinth, you can unlock...

SSSUUUUPERRRR PIIIXIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Which is probably one of the most iconic Easter eggs in the series. Overall, Pixie is an incredibly iconic and fun demon in the series, and one that I, and many others, absolutely love. Granted, I'm sure some have PTSD from the Demi-Fiend fight in SMT V, but... hell, whatever, it's Pixie.

[fantasy-drawings-ra]

I was wondering which drawing to do next so…

[ihaveforgortoomany]

Full talking about CN spoilers up to current CN version 2.1 (full spoilers on 2.0, 1.9, 2.1)

This is going too smoothly isn't it. Too smoothly, for a game that loves pyrrhic victories such as 1.9.

Sure something might be happening to Matilda (please no spare the French duck), interesting that Eternity's relevance to the main story is coming from relations with Matlida's mother (So YoU HaVe A MoThEr lol) but for Vertin.

I mean having someone create illusions of your childhood friends to bring out your worst fear is terrifying but overall with the Storm Immunity umbrella Vertin now has means to save other more effectively now allows her to finally attempt to track down her mother or Urd specifically.

But this seems too smooth sailing for R1999 standards.

Ch.4 higher ups, the "doves" of the Foundation have taken notice of Vertin but nothing has come of this yet, someone called Ms Grace in the Manus is out for Vertin and in general with the Zeno officer the nuking of Arcana seems to have more complications than we initially thought.

Sure Arcana is dead (the Manus report) but the talk of the coming of someone, a saviour is suspicious as is Arcana rlly dead?

1.9 Arcana being Arcana refers to Vertin as a puppet, there's no fear as she gets literally nuked and we know Arcana specifically came to the island for Vertin (why? We get cut off but yeah why?)

The 2.0 patches so far with characters like Paulina clearly show that ANY name brought up by the voices may have relevance later (literally it was like Chapter 4 she was brought up and only a few months ago shes a central focus of the 2.0 story)

All Im getting at is something might be going very wrong in the next few patches, maybe 2.2 or later for Vertin, because this is Reverse 1999 and you can't tell me nothing is gonna go wrong.

[arkanah]

Kwon Ahin was born in the outskirts of Jeonju, South Korea. His parents were farmers, and he lived out, from the outside, a picturesque childhood in the rural parts of the city. Ahin was homeschooled by his parents, who in reality were stiflingly strict, not allowing him to leave the farm unattended, watch television, play video games or listen to music. To entertain himself, Ahin turned to art and writing stories; however, through exposure at school, Ahin would become particularly fascinated with music, and soon began writing songs instead.

When Ahin was fifteen, he danced to Candy by H.O.T with his friends at a school festival. The video was uploaded to YouTube, and seen by chance by a talent scout at Valentine Records. After months of convincing, Ahin was allowed to sign to the label, though he has not kept the support of his parents and has since fallen out of contact with them. Ahin had no trouble fitting in with the other trainees at Valentine Records, quickly proving himself popular among trainees and staff alike. As the oldest among Valentine's fourth generation groups, Ahin is seen as a dependable figure by his peers at the label, looked to as a leader even by members of the other groups.

Thanks to his rural upbringing and vocal ticks, and his friendly, open personality, Ahin has maintained a boy-next-door image since his debut as the leader of Tarot, often promoted as a Good Man, with his reliability and good manners constantly pushed by the label. Ahin has also been active as a producer and songwriter since he was a trainee; one of the few members of Valentine Records' production teams to consistently be allowed to work with artists outside of the label. Alongside Junjie, Harin of Sour Candy and Gain of Medusa, Ahin is considered one of Valentine's 'favourites' by fans.

PREDICTION : what kind of a moron builds a throne on top of Fortuna's wheel? well, i suppose you'll have a nice view until she takes her next spin.

NAME : Kwon Ahin. BIRTHDAY : August 6 1996. ZODIAC : Leo. NATIONALITY : South Korean HOMETOWN : Jeonju, South Korea. POSITION : Leader, Lead Vocalist. ARCANA : Wheel of Fortune. FC : Ong Seongwu.

Yoon Yongguk was born in Busan, South Korea, though moved to Seoul in 2005, following the divorce of his parents. From then, he was raised by his mother, an office worker who could not afford to spend much time out of the office if she wanted to continue to support them. Very shortly after his parent's divorce, Yongguk lost contact with his father, who had been quick to find a new girlfriend. This planted a seed of resentment in Yongguk that he would begin to take out on his classmates, and by high school had settled into comfortable delinquency.

At seventeen, Yongguk was scouted by one of Valentine Records' talent scouts while smoking by the gates of his school. He attended the audition solely because the scout had threatened to report him to the school if he did not. Regardless of a complete lack of skill in singing, dancing, nor rapping, Yongguk was accepted into the label based on looks alone, and by the skin of his teeth was one of fourteen trainees to be selected for the Debut Team project; miraculously sorted into Team A while tens of his peers, all far more talented than him, were dropped from the label with no second chance. Although it's easy enough to believe that Valentine Records really were shallow enough to value Yongguk's appearance over everything else about him being unfit to debut, speculation among former trainees always carry the same trend; Yoo Seobin has some kind of soft spot for Yongguk, as if Yongguk reminds him of his younger self. Although this preference hasn't translated into career gain the way it might have for Ahin, Junjie, Harin and Gain, it's always been clear that there's some kind of odd bond between Yongguk and the label's CEO.

As a member of Tarot, things for Yongguk have been fine. That's kind of it. He's there to look pretty, which he knows and does well, without any of the need for approval of Junjie or the desperation for more of Jorden. He takes what he's given and does his job, bows at all the right people, smiles for the cameras, and manages to entertain just enough, but never actually give anyone anything to wonder about. He enjoys the benefits of his hit songs while standing in the back, not singing any of the hard parts, more than happy to let the others play their war games for all the attention. He'll ride their coattails as long as he can, and as of right now, things are fine. Eerily fine, like far more fine than things should ever have been able to get. He searches his name every night and never finds any of his old yearbook pictures next to lists of all the horrible things he's said and done, even though he knows it's coming and it's long overdue. He just waits.

PREDICTION : what's done to you is done to others, and those others do it to even more, and the next others do it to you again. over and over and over, until everything has been devoured.

NAME : Yoon Yongguk. BIRTHDAY : April 24 1998. ZODIAC : Taurus. NATIONALITY : South Korean. HOMETOWN : Seoul, South Korea. POSITION : Vocalist, Sub-Rapper. ARCANA : The Magician. FC : Kim Jiwoong.

Tachikawa Tetsuo was born in Shinjuku in 1998. His father is a prominent figure in the religious community of his hometown, and Tetsuo was brought up in a devout Catholic household. Through church, Tetsuo developed and maintained a love of singing, particularly hymns, and began dreaming of becoming an idol. His father, however, took offense to many aspects of the idol industry, and forbid Tetsuo from even entertaining the idea. Tetsuo's childhood was characterised by extreme restriction, regulation, and punishment, and he has opened up very little about it, even to those closest to him. Since moving to South Korea, he has lost contact with his entire family, and is not welcome home.

In 2017, a nineteen year old Tetsuo arrived in Seoul, and began taking every audition he could find, and sending audition tapes to every single label he could find an email for, sleeping in bathhouses and on the subway for two weeks before being scouted by random for Valentine Records on the street. Tetsuo saw this as a sign from god, and after facing rejection at his initial audition, maintained determination that he was meant to sign to Valentine. Tetsuo waited outside the Valentine building for twelve hours in order to personally hand CEO Yoo Seobin a USB tape with his audition on it, and was signed to the label before the end of the week.

Tetsuo is a beloved member of Tarot, best known for his gentle and sunny demeanour, positive outlook on life, and hauntingly beautiful vocals. Tetsuo has mentioned sometimes struggling with the themes of Tarot's music, and some of their styling/visuals due to his upbringing, but embraces this discomfort as he believes he has a lot still to learn about the world. Due to many fans exaggerating Tetsuo's personality as being far more innocent, naïve and 'pure' than he ever actually presents, a distaste for him has bred throughout the industry; because on the flipside, it's an open secret among industry insiders that Tetsuo is gay and notoriously easy to get into bed, and the disparity between the two translates to obnoxious fakeness to many; after all, is that really how a good, god-fearing man would behave?

PREDICTION : most young kings get their heads cut off.

NAME : Tachikawa Tetsuo. BIRTHDAY : November 2 1998. ZODIAC : Scorpio. NATIONALITY : Japanese. HOMETOWN : Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. POSITION : Main Vocalist. ARCANA : The Emperor. FC : Maeda Kentaro.

Zhang Junjie is the heir to one of the biggest tech companies in the world. Born the eldest of two twins in the winter of 1998, Junjie spent the early years of his life in Shanghai, but moved to London, England, alongside his sister and mother, at five years old to go to school there. As a teenager, Junjie attended a prestigious all-boys private boarding school, where he was a choir member and received classical vocal training. Extremely studious and determined to excel, Junjie also had a spot on the school's debate team, student council, cricket team, and as an extracurricular trained in traditional Chinese dance.

In 2016, it became headline news that Junjie, alongside his twin sister, Zhang Shiyu, had signed as trainees to Valentine Records, making them the company's highest profile trainees. As heirs to one of the biggest conglomerates in east Asia, their entry into the k-pop industry was controversial for some, considering the twins to be buying their way into one of the biggest labels in the industry on a whim; and these allegations of gross nepotism wouldn't cool down until years label, when Shiyu was unceremoniously dropped from the label upon the revelation of her relationship with fellow trainee, Jung Jumin.

Although Junjie is still openly a product of nepotism, the shameful and callous handling of Shiyu's scandal won her public sympathy, and in turn, some of that rubbed off onto him as well. Since his debut in 2018, Junjie's exceptional vocal ability, as well as his status as a kind of a musical prodigy has allowed him to prove his worth and his spot in Tarot. Junjie is fiercely beloved by his Chinese fans, who have a reputation for mass-purchasing anything he attaches his name to and not playing games when it comes to his good name. As the most front-and-centre member of Tarot, being involved in the writing and production of the majority of their music, and just a Valentine Records idol in general, Junjie boasts a formidable fanbase within South Korea as well, although he's often subject to criticism in the way he distributes lines among the group members. Junjie has also garnered notoriety for being brutally candid and outspoken, leading to an ongoing public feud with rock singer Jung Kitae, which has severely effected his reputation. (Not his record sales, though.)

PREDICTION : what use is it to feel one thing and perform another? you're backwards. born backwards. you're the wrong half.

NAME : Zhang Junjie. BIRTHDAY : December 28th 1998. ZODIAC : Cancer. NATIONALITY : Chinese. HOMETOWN : Shanghai, China. POSITION : Main Vocalist, Main Dancer, Face of the Group. ARCANA : The Lovers. FC : Zhang Hao.

Jorden Kim was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, to a lawyer father and a psychiatrist mother. Jorden lived an untroubled, upper-middle class life- he got decent grades, was popular amongst his classmates, was a good enough dancer that he didn't get made fun of for taking dance lessons, and spent most of his teenage years getting high in cars or drunk at house parties. From an early age, thanks to the influence of his older sister, Jayne, Jorden has harboured a love of K-Pop, but kept this interest to himself for fear of ridicule from his friends. Other than his unflinching resolve that Hwayoung of Saint Valentine was the hottest celebrity, none of Jorden's friends would have had any reason to suspect he had any more than passing knowledge of K-pop, and so when he just vanished one day in 2018, it hadn't crossed any of their minds that he'd passed an open audition held by Valentine Records and had run off to Korea with no goodbyes.

Upon arriving in South Korea, Jorden would find his life starkly turned on his head. Added into what was then known as 'Debut Team A,' at the very last minute, Jorden's suggestions of 'getting wasted' during self-directed practice and innocent inquiries on where to buy weed didn't sit well with many of his fellow trainees, many of whom had poured their entire youths into reaching the opportunity that Jorden had seemingly wandered into. As such, Jorden's trainee life at Valentine Records would be notably solitary, with his debut team members Yongguk and Junjie acting especially unkind towards him, often abusing his position as maknae and lack of knowledge of the culture to have him wait on them hand and foot. After intervention from Ahin, Jorden and Yongguk found common ground; however the incident cemented Junjie's dislike for Jorden, with their relationship continuing to worsen to this day.

As a member of Tarot, Jorden is often disregarded as a 'spare part,' referred to as the pinnacle of an unnecessary member. It's rare for Jorden to get a substantial part in any Tarot song, and it's not hard for his fans to notice that their songs seem to purposefully meander away from any of his strengths, never choreography heavy (even when they might benefit from being so) and extremely reluctant to ever include rap segments for more than a few bars. In spite of his lack of musical contribution (and whether you believe it's of his own volition or not) Jorden has managed to keep himself steady at the mid-point of popularity rankings thanks to his work outside of Tarot, particularly his acting career, which kicked off in 2020 when he was requested by director Noh Kangsun to audition for the lead role in queer movie Curtains, which earned him a nomination for Best New Actor at the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards. Since then, he has appeared in a handful of films and dramas, consistently praised as a strong actor. In 2021, Jorden was the first Valentine act to attend the MET Gala, to which he infamously wore jeans.

PREDICTION : better to reign in hell, and all that. have you read paradise lost, jorden? of course not.

NAME : Jorden Kim. BIRTHDAY : May 21 2000. ZODIAC : Leo. NATIONALITY : Korean-American. HOMETOWN : Daytona Beach, FL, USA. POSITION : Rapper, Lead Dancer, Maknae. ARCANA : The Devil. FC : Kim Sunwoo.

[khrysalis-best-world]

arc 4: a poorly written retrospective

(cw for spoilers for the entirety of arc 4)

welp, just finished wallaru and completed the pax arcana quest. while its still fresh in my mind, i thought i'd leave my notes here.

dasein's final speech to the schismists + arcanum did make me cry. i don't think wiz has made me cry since the end of khrysalis, so this was a very welcome cathartic moment

i think arc 4 was w101's first step into testing the maturation of the storyline, to see how they could execute it in such a way where it stayed true to the plot of the game while exploring more real-life conflicts (colonialism, capitalism/greed, oppression of indigenous people, etc) and while some people may have conflicting views, I feel it was done very well for a kids mmorpg.

the schismist storyline was weak overall, and id say that was my least favorite part about arc 4 in general. there are a lot of loose ends (i.e. why they even want to bring back the first world, why it was so good to schismists, etc) that still are not tied up, but i feel for the entirety of the arc, i just ignored it and focused on the message of each world for the sake of enjoyment.

wallaru was a little too quick for my enjoyment. where novus took a solid week if not a little more, wallaru was... very short. didnt feel like a finale world.

this was definitely an arc to conclude some prior mysteries and start anew completely for arc 5. i feel it still leaves enough loose ends and questions for us to ponder, but also allows a completely new story to emerge from a clean slate.

im a dasein kinnie now. nothing turning into something, the wizard helping him find who he truly is and what he truly wants is important to me. that also leaves room for the wizard to follow something similar, considering we are not 100% out of hot water with the rest of the spiral just yet. what is our end game? what will make us snap? where does the selfless wizard end and the human desire begin? we know we are powerful, almost too powerful. knowing there are so many people who still do not trust us, or resent us, how will that manifest our goals in arc 5?

while arc 4 overall is not my favorite out of them all (still arc 2), ive learned to appreciate it as someone who has grown with the game. i'd say my current ranking is arc 2 -> arc 1 -> arc 4 -> arc 3.

on the more personal side: this was emotional for me overall. ive been playing for 13 years and never in my time of being a player did i think id finally be caught up with the game. its bittersweet, in a way; this game was always a constant id return to and chip away at when life got boring. locking in for 2 months really helped pass the time and deal with some hard stuff in my life, as well as help me actually enjoy a game again.

ive never been more excited for what the future of wiz has in store. this conclusion was a good, fresh start. it can go anywhere at this point, and im looking forward to everything that comes next.

now, i shall theorize on here until we get crumbs for winter update + sit patiently for arc 5 hints :) if you read this far, thank you!

[fifthpilot]

So About the New Asra Tale by Dorian...

The plot was, not great. It was pretty boring, but it did touch up on a few interesting points from Asra's main story; like how much of his memory did he loose, his past before MC's death, and what extremes he had to go through because of MC's death like erasing his own memories of certain spells, which in my opinion is a very interesting scenario. Things did seem rushed considering the fact that the story had two endings depending on whether you chose to use the spell or not; and how the supposedly "bad ending" kind of implied that you and Asra somehow may have brought back the plague? or Lucio i.e the plague? It was left up to interpretation. The writing was, not good. I think they did try their best to stay true to Asra's tone even if it was a bit too on the nose at times and a little overbaord. But it was mainly the MC and the Magician that felt most off note to me.

That all being said, I like many others don't consider this a part of canon, it does ultimately give off a very wattpad feel. But in all honesty so did some of the main content after probably halfway through the main 3's routes. I think many people forgot just how erratic and disorganized the Nix Hydra Team was and how many people who came up with the original storyline had left the company before the end of the M3 routes. But a lot of people don't seem to notice that because all the content was in one place, the arcana app. Which brings me to my next point.

I think a good portion of the hate Dorian is getting is mainly due to the fact that their app is terrible. The UI is confusing, the app lags a lot and it's very slow. The game looks different on the dorian app, the font is wrong, there's no music, the character sprite animation is messed up, and the LI never says your name. And a lot of people have demanded that Dorian uploads the new conent to the Arcana app. But after thinking about it I personally think it's a good thing that the Dorian content and the "original" content stay physically seperated, so we know where one starts from where one ends. And I know a lot of people would disagree because using the Dorian app is a hassle, but like I mentioned before. Dorian is making fanfiction (but worse). They're using whatever's left of the arcana fandom to make some cash. This whole thing with Dorian creating new routes and new content is just another marvel-like tactic of beating a dead horse with a stick. And, they're even using the same Nix Hydra trick of placing the best content behind a paywall.

I'm personally not even upset at how terrible the app is, or how rushed and boring and generally just bad the tale was, I think I'm more upset that we won't put the Arcana Game to rest. And instead we have to watch as corporation after corporation uses the story for whatever means it wants to make money. I'm more upset that things can't just end and be celebrated for being. And how the way we engage with media has mutated into something more greedy and gluttonous.

What I'm saying is, we had a beginning and ending, we had prologues and epilogues and hidden scenes. We had plenty. We don't need more. Sometimes enough is enough.

[p5x-theories]

What We Know About Closer

(last updated 8/9/24!)

Motoha Arai, codename Closer, is a second-year at Kokatsu Academy in class 2C, sitting right in front of Wonder. She and her best friend, Tomoko Noge in class 2D, both have an interest in playing baseball, and were in a little league together when they were younger, though Motoha quit after an incident. Her Arcana is listed in the files as Strength.

A separate, summer event version of Motoha was added in Version 2.1.1, and has a separate post documenting her combat information. Note that Summer Motoha cannot be on the same active team as Closer.

The codename "Closer" comes from a closing pitcher in baseball, who “specializes in getting the final outs in a close game when his team is leading”, according to Wikipedia.

Her Japanese voice actress is Kaede Hondo.

Motoha is a Confidant of Wonder's, available to start after Kiuchi's change of heart. Her Confidant focuses on her training with Wonder, trying to rebuild her athletic skill. Tamayo Yoshida appears during it, and challenges her as her rival, because she wants Motoha to join her baseball team.

She's present when Wonder disappears from the train car, and later sees him reappear at Shibuya station, leading to a suspicion that prompts her to ask him about it and the strange app that appeared on her phone. However, her real involvement begins when Takeyuki Kiuchi, the first Palace ruler, recognizes her from his past and attempts to hurt her, but Tomoko takes the hit instead, and has to be hospitalized.

Motoha realizes there's some connection between Wonder and Kiuchi, and presses him about it, eventually getting the explanation from Wonder and Ruferu that they're targeting Kiuchi in the Metaverse to make him have a change of heart. While at first she's conflicted, when the police don't help with Kiuchi, she tries entering the Metaverse herself, leading to her awakening her Persona (4:29:17 - 4:45:45).

She wavers once more when Ruferu warns them of the potential risks of a change of heart, but seeing Tomoko dejected and hopeless in the hospital solidifies her resolve. After Kiuchi's change of heart, she decides she wants to continue being a phantom thief in order to keep helping people, and zealously pursues their next target.

Motoha's role seems to parallel a mix of Ryuji and Ann's roles in the original P5. In the P5 Collab, Ryuji is impressed that she's into sports, while she and Ann bond over having friends that they're trying to avenge.

Motoha is very energetic and friendly, and excels in sports, which has apparently given her a good reputation at school. While she stopped playing baseball when she was younger after hearing Kiuchi (her role model at the time) was allegedly injured while playing with her, she was previously called a baseball prodigy, and it's evident she still enjoys the sport.

As she wears her heart on her sleeve, it tends to be pretty obvious how she feels about something, and she's not the best under pressure, panicking if she doesn't know what to do. Paired with the fact that she tends to just go for things, this can often lead to her jumping into a situation without a plan for how to get out of it.

She's not incapable of putting things together herself, but it isn't her strong suit. At the same time, however, she seems to pick new things up quickly, and adjusts to life as a phantom thief and the workings of the Metaverse without much difficulty.

Tomoko seems to be her primary friend prior to meeting the protagonist, but in general, she cares deeply about the wellbeing of others, and what finally sets her mind on being a phantom thief is seeing that people besides her and Tomoko were also helped by Kiuchi's change of heart. When she finds out that their classmate Shun is suffering because of the second Palace ruler, Hiromu Miyazawa, she immediately wants to help him.

This consideration for others can also be a weakness, however, as she feels immensely guilty when she thinks she's wronged someone. As mentioned above, she quit baseball as an elementary schooler because she thought it was her fault that Kiuchi got hurt, and blamed herself for years, avoiding the sport. When she found out the injury was a coverup, she was furious, and declared she'd never forgive him, additionally demonstrating her strong sense of justice. She's also distressed that she's unable to help cognitions being tortured, in the P5 Collab.

Closer's Persona Awilda (based on a princess who became a pirate of legend) is categorized as an Electric type, and resists Electric while being weak to Ice.

Awilda is a Control Persona, meaning she’s good at dealing with groups of enemies, and her trait gives a chance for her attack skills to inflict shock, while causing shocked enemies to take more damage. She has three electric attack skills: the first sends four thunderbolts that hit randomly (but are more likely to hit different enemies) and afflict one target with shock, the second hits one enemy and increases all electric damage dealt by team for two rounds, and the third hits all enemies, hitting a second time if any enemies are shocked. Her passive skills have a chance to extend the duration of the shocked status, and increase the electric damage received by one target after she uses a skill.

In combat, her melee weapon is a meteor hammer (though she can also use Summer Motoha's water yo-yos), while her ranged weapon is a crossbow. Her Highlight is shown from 0:25 - 0:35 in this video, and it hits all enemies with an electric attack, shocking one and increasing the electric damage it receives.

Her recommended card sets are 1) 4 of Wands (Completion) + Queen of Cups (Trust), 2) 4 of Coins (Power) + Page of Coins (Growth).

The game recommends teaming her up with 1) Cattle and Mont, 2) Moko, 3) Bui and Riddle.

[mwezina]

The World & FE3H

The World represents completion and fulfilment. The bright blue skies represent a feeling of optimism and triumph. It is arriving at exactly where one is meant to be after a long journey. The laurel in a circular shape shows the cycle of life, and how arriving at the end of one cycle means the beginning of another. The figure is once again surrounded by the four angelic beings, looking on with contented expressions in the Rider-Waite Smith deck. 

This crest has a special place in the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, as only four people have had this crest before. Sothis, Nemesis, Byleth, and Edelgard. I will focus on all except Edelgard, and try to figure out what their names mean and how they relate to The World card. (I’m excluding Edelgard only because I have already covered her in The Devil card) 

Sothis’ name is a god’s name. It is the personification of Sirius, the Dog Star, in Egyptian mythology. This star rises in the new year, when the plantings are meant to begin, and is a goddess of fertility. 

Considering Sothis in the game can heal lands and her rebirth heralds the start of a new year, we can see how the game took direct inspiration from her namesake. In terms of The World, Sothis looks to be utterly content in her abilities, mirroring the confidence of The World card. I do wish more parallels could be drawn between Sothis and Anna, considering The Fool and The World are sister cards. 

Nemesis is a goddess of revenge (how I wish they had stuck with that, and made the Nemesis in game a woman too). She represents jealousy, envy, and anger. She gave rewards for noble acts and punishment for evil ones, sometimes reserving them for future generations. Strangely, she will also punish those who have undeserved good fortune or those who showed hubris before the gods. 

This makes the name very strange in FE3H, as Nemesis the character does evil acts, and shows hubris before the gods (Sothis). Perhaps this name really should have belonged to Seiros. Or perhaps Nemesis is meant to evoke in us the archnemesis of a character. 

Finally, Byleth’s name is based off of Beleth, a king of Hell. He has legions of demons under his command and likely also helped with maths proofs? (I don’t really understand demons that much). 

Byleth’s connections to The World is the strongest, as at the end of each route, they find where they belong in the world. If they save Rhea and take their rightful place at the helm of the church or a country, they achieve fulfilment and harmony. However, if they choose to follow The Devil card, the ending of the game and their own personal ending is filled with disharmony and a sense of incompleteness -- Byleth goes back to where they started, instead of coming to a new level of understanding. 

Byleth can also connect to both Sothis and Nemesis. In the majority of routes, Byleth becomes a god, and signals the beginning of a new era. They can heal the people and the land through their leadership, just like Sothis. Just like Nemesis, Byleth can enact judgement and revenge upon either Rhea or Edelgard.

So that’s it! That’s all the major arcana and their associated crest & dragon names. I really enjoyed making all these connections, and it brought me closer to the Major Arcana deck as well!

I didn’t originally plan on it, but I will be doing the minor arcana at some point in the future. I think there are actually four factions in FE3H, so I will pair each suit with a faction, then pair each card in the suit with an event, character, or emotion from the faction/route. So if your favourite character hasn’t come up yet, they probably will in the minor arcana discussion!

Previous: Judgement

Next: The Wands

[bleongambetta]

#AdventureCalendar December 1st

Dice Goblin Games launched this idea for taking drafts, ideas, and unfinished works and putting them into an Advent Calendar style release with a little something each day compiled possibly into a PDF at the end of things.

I love that idea, so I'm doing it too! It's gonna be a scattered collection of bits, but hopefully something people enjoy! There's a jam also (that I'll link when I'm not idly copying and pasting)

In the first little box... Where Did This Goodberry Come From?

The natural forces that guide nature arcanists allow them to create a goodberry when they camp. Higher level nature arcanists may be able to grow multiple berries or produce them more often.

Upon each time they camp, roll under Arcana for each rank in nature arcanist. On each hit, produce 1 berry that will heal 1d6 for each rank of nature arcanist.

If any roll is a crit, you may produce more berries when you camp next regardless of how much time has gone by. If not, you must wait until the sun next rises.

If the area you are in has magical miasma produced from the death of a wizard or the splintering, the goodberries will be infected by the miasma. If it has been clarified, they gain a magical boon instead.

General Arcana

Miasma: Roll with disadvantage against spell effects targeting you for an hour

Clarified: Roll the healing dice twice and take the higher

Flames

Miasma: Roll Arcana next time you are struck. On a failure, burst into flames causing d6 damage to yourself and adjacent people

Clarified: You are immune to non-magical fire for an hour. You may scoop fire as though it is mud.

Undeath

Miasma: Your skin blanches and your visage becomes drawn; roll with disadvantage for social checks for one hour

Clarified: Your scent changes nearly imperceptibly, the undead will treat you as one of their own for one hour

Frost

Miasma: Your body begins to shiver as cold grips you; you can not heal from any source other than goodberries with frost miasma until you sweat out the curse.

Clarified: Your skin takes on a layer of frost and ice. For an hour, you cannot be grabbed and can slide at 1.5x your speed down hills or 2x your speed on ice.

If you'd like to join the jam, check it out!

https://itch.io/jam/the-adventure-calendar

Hope you enjoyed the first little box!

[theresattrpgforthat]

hi there again! I loved your suggestions for the trans rights florida bundle, I've already convinced some of my players to try them out with me

I found a ttrpg bundle called "Solo But Not Alone 3" and man, it looks amazing, so I was wondering if you've any recommendations from it?

there's not a lot of ttrpgs in it as compared to other, bigger bundles, so I'm still weighing my choice as to whether to buy it. there was a lot of solo in the trans rights florida bundle too and I'm kinda broke so I'm weighing it all on whether you think there's some unique ones here worth playing

what do you suggest?

THEME: Solo, but not Alone.

Hello friend! I actually bought this bundle! I had a chance to poke around and read some of the games, many of which have a spectacular layout or really nice art.

A number of these games have existed in previous bundles. Monster Realm Exchange Program was also in Trans Rights for Texas, and A visit to San Sibilia was in the Bundle for Ukraine. If you already own those bundles (on top of the Trans Rights for Florida bundle) and you don’t play a lot of solo games, there’s going to be a bit of overlap. However, if there’s a game that exists in this list that you feel feral about 

For those who are not familiar with this bundle, it is raising money for suicide awareness until Mar. 31, so if you’re interested, you should check it out now!

Click Here.

Monster Realm: Student Exchange Program, by Lucky Newt Games.

A portal has appeared in our world that leads to a realm of monsters! The environment is deemed safe, the natives peaceful, and ambassadors exchanged. Now a foreign exchange student program has been struck up between the two realms, and you’re one of the chosen few to go first! While attending school, you’ll be asked to record a journal about the different interactions you have with the other students and the different relationships you develop.

Monster Realm: Student Exchange Program is a solo journaling game that can also be played as a question/answer game with younger players. Meet people very different (and not so different) from you and reflect on the reasons for the types of relationships you have with them. Each round is equivalent to a single month, and you’ll attend school for a year. All you need is a deck of playing cards (Jokers removed), three 6-sided dice, and a way to record your journaling.

This is a journaling game that focuses on making relationships with people who are very different from you, using a deck of cards to generate the monsters you meet, their personalities, and the initial relationship you have with them. The journaling game is meant to represent a year’s worth of study, but there’s alternative rules for anyone who wants to streamline the game and write a smaller amount of journal entries.

I love games that basically give me an excuse to flex my creative writing skills, and I’m a sucker for monster tropes, so this was an easy rec to add to the list.

Grackle Teeth, by Majcher Arcana.

Grackle Teeth is a solo journaling game informed by the Wretched & Alone SRD. All you need to play is a deck of cards, a handful of regular dice, and some stuff to write with and on—the crummier the better.

You play as the last survivor of a human extinction event, an apocalypse on a massive scale. Buildings still stand, the sun still rises, and vegetation has reclaimed the works of humanity. Few animals roam the empty streets, and those that do are feral, ravenous, and relentless. 

This is Austin, Texas, USA. Date unknown—the only time that matters is that between now and the next time you must go out to scavenge for supplies.

You have survived this long, but not for much longer. Food is scarce and terrible. Springs and rivers are clogged and poisoned. And the birds hunger for your flesh.

But still, you persist. You endure, because that’s what humans do.

Wretched & Alone games are solo roleplaying games that often direct your character to some kind of lonely end. Usually, this is represented in your character’s slow depletion of resources, as in Grackle Teeth. 

This game is extensively thought out, with specific events attached to each card in a card deck. Every week, your character will have to spend resources to survive, and certain events give you the chance to spend more resources to accomplish additional tasks. If you like a game about survival and struggle, this might be worth checking out.

A Visit to San Sibilia, by JimmyShelter.

This city never changes, this city never stays the same. Close to the coast in a river delta, San Sibilia’s sprawling districts are connected by rambling trams and ramshackle ferries. You may have read about San Sibilia once in a 20-part encyclopedia in a dusty shop around the corner, but haven’t been able to find the bookstore since.

A visit to San Sibilia is a solo journaling game in which you roleplay a character chronicling their visit to the city of San Sibilia. It is a city not found on any maps—San Sibilia is both part of and distinct from our world. The city manifests itself differently to every visitor.

I love this game (which might be obvious, since it’s my second time recommending it). It can be short or long, depending on the luck of the cards and how much you’re interested in the premise. The city is strange and full of mystery, with opportunities for both wonder and creeping dread. I went into this game deeply inspired by the Ambergris stories by Jeff Vandermeer, so if you like the weird, unsettling feeling that his settings evoke, I’d recommend picking up this game.

Wonderfall, by Catscratcher Studio.

WONDERFALL is a solo hexcrawl RPG about exploration and community building in a post-apocalyptic world. Your people was separated, but playing as a WANDERER (a cute anthropomorphic adventurer!), you'll recover and preserve lost knowledge and culture, help your community heal, and help the world rebuild!

To play, you will need this pamphlet, a few 6-sided dice (d6), a small token of your choosing to represent your Wanderer, and a way to record detailed accounts of the world and your experiences.

This game is pretty compact, but it has a lot packed into it. There’s space to draw your anthropomorphic)character, a hexmap, and a number of tables that you’ll roll on to determine elements and encounters that your little wanderer will come across as they try to re-unite themself with their community. This is a hopeful post-apocalyptic game, so if you like imagining new futures and new frontiers, this game might work for you!

6 Trials of the Weavers, by tallywinkle.

6 Trials of the Weavers is a solo exploration game where you find yourself transported into the realm of the Weavers, a group of mysterious spider-like creatures. You must complete the six trials they present you with before you have a chance at escaping, encountering plenty of horrifying things along the way.

This game is a horror game that uses face cards and number cards from a deck of cards in different ways. The Ace of Hearts and the King of Spades are markers of the beginning and end of your trials as you attempt to escape. You will have to pass 6 trials (and answer prompts along the way) in order to escape, but you have only as many chances to pass as you do faces on a d6. Failure doesn’t stop you from moving on, but your final trial (and your ending) depends on how much stamina you’ve lost and how difficult it is to face the trial in the first place.

A caution: this is not a game for people with any kind of insect-phobia or arachnophobia, as there is quite a bit of well-done art that would reasonably spook anyone who’s a bit squeamish about bugs.

Games I've recommended from this bundle in the past

Untitled Moth Game, by S. Kaiya J.

Voyage, by Brendan McLeod.

ScareBnB, by Jacqueline Bryk.

one thread, many patterns, by Rue (ilanight).

Taken by the Shadows, by Mundos Infinitos.

Swamp Troll Witches, by Cats Have No Lord.

[endupherefic]

Welcome!

Hello, everyone! My name is Chandani, but you can call me Dani. I run a blog @bakuliwrites which is a multi-fandom headcanon/fan fic blog (with a main focus on The Arcana, BG3, and JJK). If you've been following me for a while and are a fan of The Arcana, then you may know that I've been working on a multi-part fanfiction called End Up Here, which tells the tale of a Julian x Lucio x Apprentice path from Pre-Plague to Post-Game. I'm currently on part two of this four part series. This fanfic is rated MATURE and deals with a lot of heavy, emotional content along with general adult content. MINORS DNI. I will mark chapters with any explicit content accordingly.

I've taken a long break from this fanfiction to get my bearings and work on a couple other projects. But I'm gearing up to begin working on it again and decided, to keep things a little more organized, I would devote a separate blog to this fic. This is my passion project and my love letter to The Arcana. I have loved every moment of working on this and can't wait to continue.

On this blog, you can expect fic updates, random musings, lots of Arcana content, and what not. My inbox is usually open to questions/comments. But please keep it kind and respectful! I hope that you enjoy and have fun on here! Looking forward to posting more. I'll be uploading links to each chapter on AO3 on this blog over the course of the next several weeks while I'm working on part two. Thanks for being here and hope you are doing well! 💜

[visualnovelzombie]

Furry Visual Novel Book Club: Echo Week 2 SPOILER DISCUSSIONS

Hi everyone, here is the SPOILER discussion post for “Echo - Sunday”

Links: Previous - Next - Original - Spoiler Free Version

Feel free to respond in reblogs/replies/or asks :D

We open with our group headed to the nearby town of Payton where they stop at a vista overlooking the town. Chase films some footage for his project while giving a bit of exposition and lore for our setting, the track “Mitt” begins to play; this game's inquisitive song. We learn about a Mass Hysteria that happened in 1877 that led to the boom town’s eventual decline.

Fans and Players of TSR know this event ends up occurring in 1915 instead of the stated year. My best idea about this discrepancy is that this line was definitely written before plans of prequel were even thought about and the year given just missed in the anniversary update. Maybe it’s a meta acknowledgement and anything seen in TSR doesn’t lead to Echo itself??? (Probably not lol)

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Less Concrete Analysis/Personal Head-cannons that Aren’t Important:

Carl plays a the prank on Chase, which is a fun quirk to give the shy ram.

And Chase’s response/wording is very telling...

Carl/Chase shipping aside, this is one of the acts that cements Carl as Chase’s ‘Magician’ Arcana of Archetypes and I really enjoy the funny bro moment and crush Chase has...

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The group arrive at Southwest Adventures, the local amusement park, and plan their day.

Something not brought up again, although it’s definitely very interesting, is Tj’s motor tick. I wonder if it was just forgotten in the absolute fucking chaos of TJ’s route or was meant as a one off character trait.

They decide to ride the park’s largest roller coaster first and end up waiting in a long line. We get some internal exposition from Chase about the otter needing water, and how living in Echo, he’s unable to do that.

Question: What significance can we get from Chase’s statement?

Answer: This world building does two important things. It establishes Chase as an outsider to even his hometown, and how he can’t truly fit in here (which is very easily reflected in the narrative) and the second thing is to serve as a metaphor for queerness. It was something I missed the first time, still under the impression this was a typical gay UwU romance game with maybe some ghosts later on. It doubles with Chase not fitting into the setting and contrasts with Leo and Flynn being relatively fine in the setting despite both being out gay men, as the two are desert species. It’s a VERY interesting form of writing and world building that is unique to furry stories, and Echo is one of the strongest examples I’ve seen utilize this kind of metaphor. You can argue that Jenna being a type of desert fox but hating the town contrasts the initial theory, but it definitely fits into the second, as she (presumably, as we haven’t seen evidence otherwise) is not queer. This also leads into Tj’s general uncomfortable-ness with himself and sexuality in general. The poor guy is a lynx trapped in a dry desert, at least Chase can find solace in a pool (and others he’s willing to express himself to).

Right before boarding the train, Chase gives the extremely nervous Tj a way out of the ride, but the lynx decides to ride despite his trepidation, resulting in Chase being injured from Tj’s claws during the ride.

Spoiler Note: Chase gives Tj an easy way out of something and ends up with slashes along his arms for it… But on top of the dark foreshadowing, Chase constantly babies Tj too. Tj IS his soft little UwU twink, like he is for the audience.

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Less Concrete Analysis/Personal Head-cannons that Aren’t Important:

This is also a crack theory/headcanon and almost certainly not planned from the onset, but I like to think Chase developed a crush on Tj despite the weird ‘Jesus Stuff’ takes from Chase and preferring bigger boys, cause Samuel kept telling him “PLEASE talk to the Christian Cat Boy, I need the comradely”

also...

PEE MENTION COUNTER: 1

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The Track Intimate begins to play as the two finish composing themselves in the restroom, the soft and charming tones of the song are calming and extrude a sense of kinship and serenity. Carl ends up becoming sick from the ride and an early snack, so he, Chase and Tj decide to skip out on rides with the others and the group breaks into two parties.

Spoiler Note: The groundwork for Chase not being in the motel room is now full on text with a pattern for it happening being developed for later…

The three end up discussing their moobs… which results in Carl more or less turning to the camera and explaining to the audience what archetypes the characters fall under in case you didn’t get the memo (albeit for anime-girl nonsense)

QUESTION: Establishing character tropes is a time tested and nearly universal form of information convenience for media. Is there anything that can be gained from such a clear example of expressing those tropes to the audience?

ANSWER: It’s because the tropes are going to be so inverted you’re going to puke your guts out. Howly sets up the beginning as nearly a painfully cliche opening just to turn it on its head so fast it breaks everyone’s neck. Also Cheerleader Chase as the preppy one everyone likes….

We come to our second choice of the game, whose shoulder to sleep on. Did you choose the Soft Twink or Weed Chub?

Carl - Chase snuggles up to the Ram and Carl responds by putting his arm behind Chase, the otter enjoying the act of closeness.

Tj - Chase leans on Tj, commenting on how it’s easy to get the Lynx to help out. Chase falls asleep commenting on the warmth and softness Tj has.

Spoiler Note: The foreshadowing is really laid on thick here…

Chase falls asleep and a dream sequence plays out, while the track “Creep” begins playing, an ominous synthetic piece that evokes tension and unease. Chase dreams of suffocating while some entity with unnatural footsteps follows him. Chase nearly repeats the opening two lines of the novel. The entity rushes Chase after hearing him speak where we get the line, “You’re only moving in circles.” repeated again. The lines and unique font from the opening are repeated verbatim

Not only is this an injection of horror to break up the trope-y romance, but a flag to the connection that Samuel and Chase share.

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Less Concrete Analysis/Personal Head-cannons that Aren’t Important:

Samuel and Chase are deeply and nearly cosmically intertwined with murder cavern section of the mines. This along with events from tomorrow, are the first inclining of being able to witness other and various timelines, and I believe when Chase is having a night terror, there exists the possibility for him to see other timelines/world-lines/events that him, Sydney, Mr. ‘Chip’ Bronson, or Samuel (or even Jack) have witnessed. The cycle of trauma passes along, over and over again, and this is our first wake-up call to it.

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Chase wakes from the nightmare, gasping for air. Carl and Tj’s sprites are both happy, a clear contrast to what the player and Chase just witnessed. Chase checks his phone and texts Leo for the groups to rejoin and grab lunch together. At this time (and any time the phone is available), if you use the mouse to click on the center ‘home button’ through the game’s UIyou can exit the messaging app and access Chase’s homescreen. The only apps clickable are the messaging app that returns the player to the conversation… and a fun easter egg app called “Predater” which features the visage of a certain stinky-yote sheriff… It is definitely a fun and non-spoiler easter egg filled activity to click around the app.

(My Favorite One!... also if this is Brian I would be dead within two hours of opening the app <3)

And the one that works the best as a gag AND story significance/theming...

The group gathers for lunch only for Jenna and Leo to be absent. The two are playing carnival games together and Chase goes to join them. The two are carrying a horde of stuffed animals that Jenna has one. Fun Fact: The stuffed toys are all deliberately mythical creatures, as the ‘people’ of the world are animals. Just a small and very neat bit of world building i wanted to highlight! The two argue about competing in one last game, and Jenna eggs Leo on by involving Chase (as well as the first real confirmation that two share a history)

The track “Carefree” begins to play, an upbeat and cheery song. We get a sprite for the Carny… which is someone’s actual cat that won a contest for the sprite to be added in the anniversary update! Leo calls Chase by an old petname… something Chase isn’t entirely opposed to.

Leo loses a contest of strength to Jenna, where she then reveals to Chase that she had worked at a carnival during a prior summer as well as the game being more precise and technique than only about pure brawn. Jenna kisses Chase on the cheek, causing Leo to fret a bit before storming off. Jenna then asks Chase a VERY important question.

I am going to cover both options for both the following scene, and during the route itself so choose whichever one you’re more comfortable with! I would recommend to choose the one you haven’t already done, only to unlock all music tracks as the ending credits are different depending on the choice ~

I’m Gay - Chase laments about explaining his sexuality to people and chooses to avoid the topic by repeating what Jenna believes.

No I’m Bi - Chase admits he’s bisexual and Jenna is clearly interested in this information…

No matter which decision the player makes, Chase is still Bisexual. Admitting his sexuality opens up a romance option during Jenna’s route.

Question: What does the player’s choice not having an effect on Chase’s sexuality convey? Why is that important, and why is it important that Chase remains bisexual then?

Answer: This is the game hinting that we’re not playing a blank slate, that Chase Hunter IS a character, and not a vessel for the player. Just for Samuel. This informs the player that not every action Chase makes is fully up to them (EXTREMELY important for Flynn and Tj’s route). Chase remaining bisexual is important for the story because it still solidifies him as the same person with the same struggles outside of the player’s willingness to partake in straight romance, as well as setting Echo with a unique identity and representation around Furry Visual Novels, which are predominantly male dominated, MLM spaces. (Which is a fascinating phenomena I would like to see studied to some degree!)

After time passes off camera, where in which the group have fun together, they return to the motel for the evening. Chase ends up outside, filming for his project and is greeted by Jenna and Leo. Leo reminisce about the history the three share and how it started with the three of them becoming friends after Leo moved to Echo from El Salvador with his family.

We’re met with the order the group joined, as well as the mention of a name we haven’t seen until now., ‘Sydney’.

The three banter on top of desert ambience as Leo makes a bit of physical contact with Chase with his tail.

Jenna and Leo contrast their family life and responsibilities, Leo being tied to his and Jenna desperately wanting to escape hers. Jenna then brings Leo and Chase to confront each other about their history together before returning to the motel room.

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Less Concrete Analysis/Personal Head-cannons that Aren’t Important:

HAHA IM NOT CRYING SHIDDING AND THROWING UP YOU ARE

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Leo opens with an apology to Chase as ‘Intimate’ begins to play. The two argue about their anchor bracelets.

Leo explains they’re not above love, but about friends and families,with Chase clarifying they’re about Echo. We’re treated to our second CG

Chase shares his feelings with Leo about their hometown. We learn Chase’s viewpoint on the symbolism that’s etched into the game’s very textbox… as well as Chase’s feelings towards the aforementioned Sydney.

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Less Concrete Analysis/Personal Head-cannons that Aren’t Important:

Spoiler Note: Oh this isn’t even foreshadowing it’s just telling you what’s fucking happening and what’s going to happen. Also I’m a bit incoherent here because these few lines actually make me cry i just found out…

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Leo changes the subject to how Chase left things between them, learning a fact that turns the dynamic built between the two on their head.

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Huh, what an interesting choice of accessory…

🐺 👽 ...

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Personal Viewpoint Question: Does the nature of the breakup between the two change how you view/viewed Chase?

Answer: This is completely personal and less of a discussion, but I certainly remembered being caught completely off guard from the fact Chase did something so out of the ordinary. I was dead set on Leo being the problematic, mostly likely abusive or toxic (as one does in horror settings) boyfriend, but learning that Chase was the one who did the ‘messed up thing’ was certainly a shock to the system

The two embrace each other before being pulled from the moment.

The two return to the hotel room and the day ends as Chase heads out for the night…

which you can read about here /shitpost but also check it out <3

Another dream sequence begins, mentioning the group at the lake playing together.We see events relating to the fateful day everything changed for the group...

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That ends Sunday for our reading! Thank you to everyone who participated! I love feedback and discussion but just people enjoying the journey and reading these as letsplay is fun too ~

Our Reading for next week after voting is...

Best Boi Carl 🐏 🐏 🐏 🐏 🐏

Reading Assignment Particulars:

On Monday the Route Split happens. To pick Carl’s Route, select this option during the Events of Monday

(I would also recommend saving right before this option by using the rewind feature, as this is the route split for all characters!)

This will takes us to Monday, and as Monday and Tuesday are relatively short days, we will also read all of Tuesday for Carl’s Route! Stop at the following screen:

As a note, if a choice appears that I didn’t discuss, feel free to choose either option as it wont affect the outcome of the route. I’ll be sure to discuss both so you can see what the other option(s) look like! 

Thank you everyone again, and remember this is SPOILER discussion.

Link to SPOILER FREE DISCUSSION HERE

[ephiesoul]

What tarot card would Dan be?

Tarot card: The Page of Wands 💙

I don’t think anyone asked for Dan but it felt wrong to do Arin and not Dan.

So again busting into the minor arcana for this one too.

So the Page of Wands often represents cheerfulness, fresh ideas, adventure and energy. This card often represents a excitement and curiosity for the world. A passion to succeed, abstract ideas, seeing the “big picture” in situations. This card often tells you, you need to break out, make new discoveries, try new things, take the next step forward and advance to new stages in life. But also a sense of mixed messages and inner battles of discouragement or self doubt.

Reverse this card and it often represents boredom, a lack of ideas, being too hasty, laziness, distractions or tantrums. A sense of things not going the way you wanted or feeling like you’ve wasted your time in a project.

I find Dan to be very cheerful, upbeat with a general sense of adventure for projects and travel. A passion to pursue projects and a real enthusiasm and curiosity for games, projects, people and life as a whole. I also think in games he seems to get bored or distracted and a dislike for wasting time or doing things that aren’t working or aren’t moving things forward. 💙

[kurjakani]

4,8,12 for courtiers? hehe.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Gonna answer this one overall - again, I WISH I COULD STEALL THEMM BROOOO

But also. My interest w Arcana cross imtwracted w my interest in Baldurs Gate 3 time wise p strongly, so I would love. That au???? Idk what that would entail. I may have to think abt it. What dnd races & classes would the courtiers even be idk enough abt rhis stuff

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I'm actually generally pretty chill when it comes to... literally any and all fandom content, i rly don't care abt what other ppl do with characters :0

W two exeptions.

Not enough love for Vlastomil out there !!!! He's so nastygross and delightful, slithery hot fuck, dilf... ough.

Anddd Vulgoras modern design for that dorian story thingy the arcana instagram account was promoting a bit back. TAKE THAT SHIT BACK. TAKE IT BACK. THEY DO NOT FUCKING LOOK LIKE THAT. (Well rly its just the hair & style that bugs me)

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

Valdemar: i think this is. Affected by the fact that they're just so gangly, but I feel like they would just... have a very thin PRESENCE. At least most of the time. I think it has to do with skin. I feel like their more humanoid form would psychologically feel like standing next to a cartboard cutout, or a paper shell. And that people are shaken and surprised when they touch you - their physical body actually feeling solid would be odd and uncanny. You know how chickens legs look delicate and gentle but they grip you oddly strong? I think it would feel similiar. And just as cold !!!

Volta: I often think about what kind of assistants she would have... its such an addicting thought idk why 😭 she seems so scattered, it's hard to imagine her as Vesuvias procurator... of course it's canonical fact that she wasn't very good at it. But. She can't run... i assume some kind of warehouses?? Food collection??? No idea how it would work. But she cant run it all by herself. Needs people to do things for her. I love to imagine he's the most PLEASANT but like. Annoyingly distracted boss to ever exist..

Vulgora: i am SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO upset we didn't get to go to Vulgoras estate in Nadias route 😭😭😭 i havent finished the route fully yet (i do need to. I love it)but i don't think we do..? Anyways I imagine it's WILD. All red everywhere, and pretty... wild. Idk how to explain this but I feel like it would be a fully red, slightly lesser version of Howls room but more focused on weaponry etc. Idk for some reason I imagine velvet sofas with really asymmetrical, wild flowing embroidery work, maybe covering scratches recieved during some brawling...? Tinted glass windows in some rooms fully casting them in red light. Obviously a training yard... and WILD parties. Bacchanalian celebratios that feel great in the moment but leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

Vlastomil: the freakiness does not end at worms. A lot of rep for him has him completely focused on his worms- which is reasonable, that's the canonical version, but idk I do like the idea... maybe im mirroring. But that he is capable of obsessing over other things and just becoming this tooth clenching mess over them. He has side interests. Often relating to worms: dirt quality, nature preservation, and he has a mild interest in decomposition.

CHARACTER ASK GAME!!! 💫