#the devs look on me in fear

[souenkun]

I need the pokemas anniversary to come soon so we can hopefully see volo go batshit crazy again for the second time!!!

[nzoth-the-corruptor]

So, the very original concept for the Primal Incarnates were that they were followers of Galakrond,

"Here we’re meeting another group of dragons called the primalists. They follow a group of primal incarnates, followers of Galakrond, ancient huge proto dragons that choose not to side with the Titans. They believe that everyone should be subservient to dragon kind because they're big and powerful." — Jeremy Feasel, [April 2022 AusGamers interview]

[...]players will also encounter the Primalists. This group of ancient proto dragons opposed the ordering of the dragonflights under the Titans. These purist dragons believe that, as children of Galakrond, dragons are the apex of creation who should be served by mortals, rather than the other way around. — [GamerRant's April 2022 Dragonflight Interview]

(this presumably ties into Iridikron's oft-remarked upon hunger, given Galakrond's own.)

Although it was one of the few pieces of information released about the Primal Incarnates after Dragonflight's announcement in April, by the time it entered alpha in July there doesn't seem to have been much left of the idea and by Dragonflight's release the narrative had changed to the Primal Incarnates having stood against Galakrond with the rest of primal dragonkind.

So let's talk a bit about Iridikron's (non-existent) hunger.

The first thing we learn about Iridikron is that he is the scariest of the Primal Incarnates and that his hunger is the most horrifying element of that. That if his hunger was unleashed, it would spell calamity for the world. When we finally get to see Iridikron, we see a creature whose physical form is falling apart — cracked, fragmented, its core exposed to the world. None of the other Incarnates have suffered such damage to their form.

We are warned repeatedly about his hunger and about the 'dark bargains' he has made that are so horrifying but his kin don't know about.

... and then the War of the Scaleborn novel came out, and he has no hunger whatsoever, and the darkest bargain he made was allying with Igira and her djaradin for the last few weeks of the war because he needed more soldiers to reinforce Harrowsdeep against the march of the Aspects and their army. His body literally falling apart is neither explained nor remarked upon.

Something clearly got dropped, and that something I am quite confident in saying was a bargain with Yogg-Saron.

It was implied in Dawn of the Aspects but confirmed in Dragonflight that Galakrond's all-consuming hunger and mutating corruption was precipitated as a result of exposure to Yogg-Saron. The tier sets that came out of Vault of the Incarnates had a color scheme for each element, with the Earth coloration using saronite as an accent color. What bargain could he make—so horrifying that his siblings would revolt from him if they learned of it—if not one with the eldritch god responsible for Galakrond's madness?

In Dragonflight we see Decay welling up from the ground in the Azure Span. We have long known that a connection to the earth also opens one up to the Old Gods' influence.

All of that build-up towards Decay, towards the legacy of Galakrond, towards Iridikron as this innately horrifying figure, and it fizzles.

(Though there is another angle to consider, that Iridikron might have intended to be one of the Bitten — those who were infected with the middle ground between rabies and zombism by the Not-Living during the dragons' war against Galakrond, and compelled towards violence and cannibalism if they lacked the willpower to control themselves. Malygos had been one of the Bitten, but force of willed himself into remaining sane until he could be cured by Ysera's (never mentioned again) psychic powers that had also allowed her to soothe the Not-Living.)

The Iridikron we have now is great, don't get me wrong, but he's a very different character from the one that had been set up by 10.0 and was likely intended to be the end boss of Dragonflight before it started being revised to lead into the Worldsoul Saga instead.

------------------------

Then there's the Primal Incarnates' friendships with the Aspects.

They were established to have all been friends prior to the War of the Scaleborn in Dragonflight's introduction, but then that statement was contradicted by the novel saying that Raszageth was never their friend and always their enemy, Vyranoth was only Alexstrasza's "friend", Fyrakk was only Alexstrasza and Ysera's cousin (and although he taught Alexstrasza everything she knew about combat, there is zero sense of lost camaraderie between them), and Iridikron was only Neltharion's former friend.

So we were robbed of their tragic falling out as their differences began to form too great a divide for them to bridge.

(The Primal Incarnates' relationships with each other gets wibble-wobbled around a fair bit too. In-game they're explicitly all siblings and referred to as being siblings and kin in multiple locations and contexts, by each other and by other characters and even by the voice of the narrative itself in the adventure guide, but in the novel it's kind of thrown around. Fyrakk shows up in Iridikron's home, starts a fight with him, then says that Iridikron can't hit him back because [Fyrakk] is his brother; this is peak sibling behaviour, but Iridikron has literally never met Fyrakk's close cousin Alexstrasza a single time in his life. Raszageth doesn't recognize Iridikron's clutchmate Ikronia as being related to her in any way, and even dismissively calls her '[Iridikron's] sister.' Vyranoth has never met Raszageth prior to the events of the novel, and doesn't acknowledge Fyrakk or Iridikron as her brothers though she clearly knows them at least somewhat well. Raszageth and Fyrakk only exist on page together in a brief, completely disconnected from the rest of the plot scene where the Incarnates decide they should take up the use of Visages. Ikronia never exists on page with Fyrakk or Vyranoth.)

------------------------

And of course, one must consider the abandoned plotline that established Tyr was deliberately experimenting on the primal dragons and had produced a number of elemental primals while testing what happens when they're exposed to large amounts of elemental energy.

When you consider the 7 'elements' we see in the Dragon Isles, this becomes increasingly suspicious (Air, Frost, Fire, Earth; Order, Decay, and Ire.)

We know for absolute fact what happens when primal dragons are infused with the first five, and we have a pretty good idea of what the sixth causes via Galakrond, with Tyr's statements to the Prime Designate that his mutation was a result of drinking corrupted waters from the wellspring that would become Tyrhold... only half an island away from the nastiness that would spring up in Azure Span a few thousand years later...

Moreover, however, are Tyr's indications that the conditions by which a primal dragon might absorb enough elemental energy to mutate seem unlikely to naturally occur in the wild, which raises questions.

Questions like: Is Tyr Responsible For Elemental Primal Dragons? Did he release any into the wild, or did they escape (Earth primals, he noted, were extremely good at escape attempts)? Did they learn about his experiments and reverse engineer them to create their own? Did they naturally occur in small quantities that the other primal dragons eventually learned to harness for their own means without any awareness of what Tyr had been doing?

The Dragonscale Renown questline where this is all brought up is never referenced again despite Tyr's return to the narrative.

Tyr's stuff in general feels like a good bit of it was cut out during the expansion's development. He was pivotal in agitating tensions between primal and ordered dragons that eventually boiled into war when his [attempts to bring the primals under heel failed,] with the art book released with Dragonflight's Collector's Edition explicitly setting up Tyr as a major subject of primal dislike and stating they made calls for his removal from draconic affairs — which for the majority of Dragonflight, was one of the few things we knew about the War of the Scaleborn.

And then in the novel he's barely a figure, outside of issuing the command for primal eggs to be taken. He's barely even mentioned by the Primalists and only ever in passing.

thinking about the primal incarnate retcons and early lore rewrites again

[blueskittlesart]

*sigh* thoughts on Nintendo's botw/totk timeline shenanigans and tomfoolery?

tbh. my maybe-unpopular opinion is that the timeline is only important when a game's place on the timeline seriously informs the way their narrative progresses. the problem is that before botw we almost NEVER got games where it didn't matter. it matters for skyward sword because it's the beginning, and it matters for tp/ww/alttp (and their respective sequels) because the choices the hero of time makes explicitly inform the narrative of those games in one way or another. it matters which timeline we're in for those games because these cycles we're seeing are close enough to oot's cycle that they're still feeling the effects of his choices. botw, however, takes place at minimum 10 thousand years after oot, so its place on the timeline actually functionally means nothing. botw is completely divorced from the hero of time & his story, so what he does is a nonissue in the context of botw link and zelda's story. thus, which timeline botw happens in is a nonissue. honestly I kind of liked the idea that it happened in all of them. i think there's a cool idea of inevitability that can be played with there. but the point is that the timeline exists to enhance and fill in the lore of games that need it, and botw/totk don't really need it because the devs finally realized they could make a game without the hero of time in it.

[dykedvonte]

I hate the stretch lines in the front of Curly's uniform because that means the devs rushed to make a model in like a month or so and thought "They gotta at least know he has huge knockers, gotta know he's got back pain." Cause like what is the thematic importance of his tits having overhang?

What responsibility is that representing? Breast reduction? It shows an inherent greed in his character due to the excess and heshouldletmeholdone and that he clearly is blinded cause if he tries to look down his damn ladder all he's seeing is his own cleavage.

[fisheito]

yakuya in MY swamp? in MY ecosystem? no . i am still in disbelief. i hope you all know that my particles are bouncing off the everything. i am using periods as punctuation but the state of my mind is naught neareth final.

[cjriles]

HERE ME OUT THO

There should be DLCs for:

• having all the spells unlocked at the start of the game

• no spell cooldowns

• having access to all the main storyline & side quests once you get sorted at Hogwarts, and just playing whichever one you want in any order

• being able to change the colors of your cloaks, robes, shoes, socks, glasses, etc.

• multiplayer games

• (and obviously) a romance option /srs

AND THEN MAKE THEM AVAILABLE FOR CONSOLES 👀

[felassan]

Sylvia Feketekuty: "To celebrate DA day, I've made a bluesky account that I'll keep active for a few days to talk about my work on Inqusition or Veilguard! After a few days I'll lock the account, because I'm not a social media person. Happy to talk until then though. I want to say straight off: the reception to Emmrich, Manfred, the Mourn Watch, and the Grand Necropolis has been heartwarming for all of us who worked on those people and places. Thank you all very much!" [source, two]

Rest of post under cut due to length and spoilers. [Post Two, Post Three]

Sylvia Feketekuty: "In the meantime, I do want to talk about a couple of things I saw floating around regarding Emmrich: 1. Emmrich being 52 or 50. I think people got 50 from data mining a character file, but we can't do a ranges in those files. As in, I couldn't input 50-60, it had to be a whole number. I put down 50 as an early ballpark, then went more accurate in later audition scripts. 2. Fifty-two is a old number I threw into an early document before his art or character was totally final. (And which caused another developer a headache because they thought it was accurate, I never updated it. Sorry about that.) 3. "Wait, how old is Emmrich then?" Once I saw his final character art, I felt more mid to late 50s. MAYBE early 60s. But unless we specifically state a character's age in the game, it's all malleable. I honestly would just adjust it to your impressions unless stated otherwise. 4. I've also seen comments on how weird it is for Emmrich to act like there's an age-gap in the romance if your Rook is around his age. And you're right. 5. The reason is because Rook WAS younger when those scenes were written and worked on. I felt it'd be odd if I never addressed the May-December aspect, especially as it hooks into some of Emmrich's worries. 6. By the time that shifted, it was really too late to change without catastrophic repercussions to the excellent cinematics and music and other things that depend on line delivery and timing. 7. To be clear: you can feel how you want about the age gap coming up at all! But that's how the discrepancy came about. 8. "Is there a way to reconcile Emmrich acting like my Rook is way younger than him if they're not?" Great question! I have several suggestions: -Accept it's an error. (True, but unexciting) -Emmrich considers a gap of 3-5 years scandalous. (Funny, albeit a bit cartoonish.) -The Mourn Watch has perfected swapping out organs, and Emmrich is nervously hiding that he's way older than he looks out of vanity. (Untrue, but funny.)" [source thread]

User in reply to point 6. above: "I'm personally glad it was too late to change because their argument about it is genuinely my favorite scene in the entire game! 😭💕 It's such an important moment to me" / Sylvia: "Thanks! That one was one where I was all sweatily trying to balance things out, with tone, with pacing, etc. Really glad it came together for you. (Cine and the actors did heroic things there to get it feeling just so!)" [source]

More snippets:

Emmrich's favorite ice cream flavor? Rum raisin [source]

Lots of people on the dev team shared the vision of having a bunch of gothic weirdness in that pocket of Thedas [source] (Necropolis/Nevarra)

Sylvia "especially liked writing the Mourn Watch origin, it was fun to write a fellow nerd for Emmrich to chat with" [source]

Sylvia poured some personal worries and fears into writing Emmrich [source]

On Vorgoth and their nature: "I'm a little leery of saying anything, partly because I'm cowardly avoiding publicly defining anything more until/if I ever need to. And partly because I did want them to be a fresh unknown. Sorry!" [source] "I'm glad you like Vorgoth, but I'm afraid I don't have much for you that isn't in the game. I deliberately wrote them so as to leave room, if we ever revisited them, or for Vorgoth to remain mysterious, if we did not. I'm sorry if that's not a very satisfying answer!" [source] "I will say, it was fun to throw in a few lines about Vorgoth's art collection. Their passion for it is sincere and deep. (I wanted all the Watchers to have a little non-death related hobby or interest, because they can be so singularly focused.)" [source]

Dwarven Mourn Watcher is a rare origin combo for Rook so Sylvia wanted to call it out [source]

On the outcomes of Emmrich's quest: "I tried really hard to make the options equally viable, and more up to the player's interpretation or preferences of what it would mean for Emmrich in their view. It's been interesting seeing reactions to it, which hinge sometimes on various single lines pushing people one way or another!" [source]

"The Grand Necropolis is always eager and ready for a new member of the Mourn Watch to grace its ranks." [source]

User: "I loved Emmrich's view on death and what his personal quest ultimately went on to say about the nature of death itself, and how the beauty of mortality lies in its impermanence and unpredictability." / Sylvia: "I really wanted to dig into those themes, and everyone in cine and art and level design and editing and the whole team honed in exactly on the vibe. The floral stuff especially, I was so thrilled when I played through the Memorial Gardens' with the art and lighting in." [source]

User: "I experience thanatophobia and that first conversation w/ Emmrich was so affirming and helped me describe my own anxiety to others" / Sylvia: "Thanks, the thanatophobia was, as you may've guessed, a personal experience for me too. I'm glad it was something that helped a little." [source] "I suspect that phobia is way more common than people think, and part of the reason Emmrich talks about it was to express that sentiment out loud. I find it helps sometimes just to acknowledge it." [source]

What languages does Emmrich speak other than Trade? "I think he'd be familiar with Tevene, since there's surely many, many old texts about magic written in that language. Kind of like a doctor that knows latin through their work. I also named that MW alphabet "tomb-script", though I'm not sure if it has a spoken component or not since it never came up in-game. If it does, he'd be able to speak that for sure." [source, two]

User: "Playing as a Mourn Watch Rook has been an absolute delight!!!" / Sylvia: "Thank you so much, I really liked writing those branches of the dialogue. Since Emmrich's so focused on necromancy, it was fun having a Rook who could be both casual and knowledgeable about it." [source]

User: "In your opinion, what outcome do you prefer for a romanced Emmrich (lich/non lich)?" / Sylvia: "Interesting question! To be honest, I'm afraid to answer it properly in case anyone takes my answer to be a canonical one. I really wanted either path to feel equally interesting/correct for whatever you decide fits your Rook's relationship with Emmrich. (We're also in the strange waters of meta-reasoning. I GAVE Emmrich his fear of death-Sorry Emmrich!-which makes me feel a little culpable for that, even though he's entirely fictional. And that might prey on my mind when trying to decide. A very odd experience!)" [source, two]

What music genres would Emmrich be into? "Classical music is very much playing to type for Emmrich, but I feel it's also correct. He'd enjoy a nice concerto or an organ recital. Or, if he's feeling daring, a bold new Orlesian opera! But I don't think his tastes are too outré in that area. That said, I saw someone post something like "Leave Emmrich alone, let him attend the Depeche Mode concert" while listening to Depeche Mode's "Violator", for the first time, which made me laugh. (Great album. If he could get over the shock of synths, Emmrich might enjoy "Waiting for the Night".)" [source, two]

When writing Emmrich the devs wanted to try and hit the gothic romance vibe [source]

Does Emmrich mix his own fragrance/cologne? Does he ever vary it by the season? "I think Emmrich goes to some of the many perfumers that have set up shop in Nevarra City around the Necropolis, just because he trusts their judgement and expertise. I hadn't considered him varying it by season, but that's very fun! I certainly think he has more than one bottle of scent." [source]

User: "How does Lich Emmrich have sex?" / Sylvia: "I don't mind the question! But my answer's a bit boring: I generally stay at arm's length on the more explicit romance stuff, just because if it's not stated or shown in-game, I don't want to bring in a canonical answer that might affect what people imagined. My general preference for romantic scenes that get physical is to leave blank space somewhere, so players can imagine what happens next. It's not the ONLY way to do it, I think there's legitimate artistic reasons to go more explicit. But that's how I approached Emmrich (and before him Josephine.)" [source, two]

User: "The scene with the fade glow where he touches your hand haunts me in the best way" / Sylvia: "Aw thank you. Our animators and audio people made that scene way better than I could've hoped! They took such care with everything there. I want to say that little eye-peep from Rook was added in by one of them, which was the perfect touch." [source]

User on Emmrich: "i’m curious whether you think he’d prefer dogs or cats (or both, or neither)" / Sylvia: "I think he'd consider cats and dogs a little too noisy and messy for his tastes. Not like a nice, quiet plant or skeleton! (Weirdly, I actually had a scrap of banter going over this exact subject at one point. It got tightened down to the exchange with Harding about the pig he used to hug when he was a kid.)" [source, two]

Sylvia was trying to tease Nevarra with the Tevinter Nights story Down Among the Dead Men [source]. "It was really fun to tease the Necropolis, so to speak, in TN, and I'm grateful we got to actually let players through its gates at last." [source]

User: "if Rook chooses to save Manfred and keep Emmrich mortal, what would Emmrich wish to become of his body once he did pass on?" / Sylvia: "Good question. I think he'd want to remain active and useful in death. A guide for other Mourn Watchers, or posted as a mystic guide somewhere dangerous, or perhaps an oracle in the library." [source]

User: "when and how was it decided that Emmrich would be romanceable? I remember reading that he would not be a romance option." / Sylvia: "I'm not sure where that came from, because I pitched him and then shortly after that we decided the entire cast was romanceable. That was fairly early on in the development of Veilguard, as I recall it. (Could've been a crossed wire?)" [source]

Trick Weekes: "Sylvia wrote the fantastic Emmrich "the Vol-carnage" Volkarin and everything that happens in Nevarra while dealing with a lead writer whose attitudes about corpses and undead are... not dissimilar from Taash's." [source] / Sylvia: "I still remember when you gave the very accurate feedback "I think we need to give players whose Rooks aren't into corpses some roleplaying choices to express this" and I was all "Ohhh yeaaaaaah." (Thank u Trick, you were right)" [source] / Trick: "Specifically, being able to express this without locking themselves out of the content! (For non-Sylvia folks) Given my issues with corpses, Emmrich as a whole was SUPER Not For Me, so I gave one caveat and then said, "For the rest of my critique, I will be impersonating his target audience." [source]

Sylvia on the secret origins of Manfred: "After I pitched Emmrich, I started jotting down notes and thoughts on his plots, his quirks, all that kind of stuff. It was very early on Veilguard, anything was still possible. We were chatting in the writer's room about it one day, and I think we'd just seen some early concept art for Emmrich. And our lead writer Trick Weekes joked that Emmrich looked like a man who'd have a skeleton named Manfred. And I laughed and went "Yeah he does!" And then I thought about it. It's wild in retrospect, but that one comment spurred a train of thought that led to the core of Emmrich's arc. He may've ended up a very different character without it! tl;dr: I stole it from Trick." [source, two, three, four]

"I got to play with a pretty free palette when defining the way Emmrich and the necromancers view death and spirits. But I tried to keep it within the confines of existing lore. That's one reason why that scene where Emmrich talks about Manfred to Harding goes into "the eternal question" of whether a soul actually returns with the dead or not. Nevarra has distinct beliefs, but I thought it'd be interesting if its people argue over their interpretations of those beliefs." [source, two]

"the other writers also suggested a bit later on that the big choice dig more into Emmrich's philosophies. Initially, it was more personally focused on his fears, which made it 'relatable' but pettier. Without that correction, I think it would've been weaker, I totally needed the team push." [source]

"I have a few guides to graveyard symbology, and it's so packed with references and meaning." [source]

User: "Did any of your own fears & experiences, make it into the writing of Emmrich? If yes, is it information you’re comfortable sharing with us? If it’s too personal to give any details, that’s fine as well. Also, across the other games, who do you think Emmrich will get along with best?" / Sylvia: "some of his fears are absolutely personal. The reflexive-compulsive panic over death is something I'm very familiar with, and I wanted to explore that through him. Because I suspected it was not uncommon, and worth examining. The question of who he'd get along with from the other games is surprisingly tough! Because without asking the other writers about their characters, I wouldn't know for sure. So I can only really speak to Josephine with surety. That said: -I think Josephine would be polite, and grow to like him, but would never entirely be over the ostentatious necromancy. -I think Emmrich meeting Sera would be the funniest match." [source, two, three]

"Peter Cushing was also one of my go-tos as an example of what I wanted Emmrich to be." [source]

"(Huge shout out to all the animators and level designers making Manfred run, quite literally. Like 95% of his personality lives in his movement, I think they nailed it.)" [source]

On Emmrich: "I tried to put a lot of passion and sincerity in his love for the dead, and I admit the Necropolis was THE big place I wanted to see in Thedas myself ever since reading about it in a codex." [source]

User: "Thank you for letting him have that cemetery dream date!" / Sylvia: "Having the date in the cemetery was one of the first things I wanted when thinking about the romance." [source]

"Josephine was the first time I was entrusted with a new character and a new romance at once, and that'll always be special to me." [source]

User: "How much input did you have in Emmrich's appearance in the podcast?" / Sylvia: "In the podcast, none myself. I believe it was handled by a third party but reviewed by a few people at BW, I don't know too much past that. (We did provide a descriptor and character rules. Stuff like "Emmrich never swears" and "always says amongst" and broader, more thematically useful things.)" [source]

User on Emmrich: "Are you planning any other external-media stories for him?" / Sylvia: "Thanks very much, The Flame Eternal has a special place in my heart for being the first time Emmrich got to be center stage in a story. (And very flattering to hear about the cross stitch. That's so cool!) I can't speak to any external-media plans, I'm afraid. That's not an implied hint about anything existing or not, it's just literally outside what I'm allowed to chat about. It'd be fun to do something like that again though!" [source, two]

"I must give full credit to Nick Borraine, Emmrich's voice actor. He got the compassion and tenderness the character needed right away." [source]

"And glad him being closer to your age resonated, I really wanted someone older out on an adventure. No reason that has to stop at any age IMO." [source]

User: "do the mourn watcher/nevarra in general raise their pets after they die to keep them around? like a dog skeleton with a whisp in it?" / Sylvia: "To be honest I hadn't thought out this one, but it's a very good question. I'm not sure how common that would be, or even if it's permitted to have pets running around the family crypt. (I definitely thing people would WANT to do it.) You know, I think I'm going to have to leave this one in the vague quantum foam of the future. I think I'd want to not only double check existing lore, but answer that in-game (or in a book or etc.) if we ever need to. (Hope that's not too much of a cop out. Sometimes I like to leave questions I'm not sure about alone, because until it's in an official game or story, it doesn't quite count.)" [source, two, three]

User: "as someone who shares emmrich's anxiety about mortality, getting to spend time with him, and in the grand necropolis and with the mourn watch, was genuinely soothing" / Sylvia: "Thank you, I'm glad he was a comfort. It's a familiar fear for me too, and I'd hoped he would connect that way with people very much." [source]

On the giant ribcage 'ceiling' in the Necropolis: "sadly, even I don't know all the mysteries of the Necropolis. (Which is to say it's a very cool bit of art but has no stated origin yet. Could be a large dragon, a giant...or something weirder!)" [source]

On TN story Luck in the Gardens: "It was nice change up, writing in first person and with someone so rascally. I've got an enduring affection for the Lords after writing Hollix, the scamp." [source]

User: "I just love his genuine enthusiasm for everything he does. If the other party members had fan clubs Emmrich would be the president of each and I love that for him" / Sylvia: "Thank you! I really wanted him to embody a kind of expansiveness and generosity of spirit, to stand in contrast to the eeriness of his abilities." [source]

User: "What was your inspiration for Josie?" / Sylvia: "My girl! When I came on to Inquisition, there'd already been work done on setting up the spine of the main plot, and figuring out the overall cast. But one of the advisors was a little murkier. It just said "Diplomat" on the white board. We knew we wanted someone in that position, but not who. So in a game where you were out exploring, killing demons, etc., but also had a big organization to run? I immediately wanted to make a Diplomat firmly there for you. Somebody you could hand the keys to the entire Inquisition to while you were out, and know it'd be in good hands. I also thought it'd be fun to have someone from Antiva, since that area wasn't covered yet by anyone in the cast. And I needed her to be polished, smooth, but heartfelt, because of that aforementioned trust. And that was the core of Josephine! Her voice actor, Allegra, brought her to life with such lovely charm, and hearing those early sessions also helped me further hone her tone." [source, two, three, four]

"Our music supervisor Ron Dazo hit it out of the park with Emmrich's music IMO. And so glad you liked Hezenkoss! Just very fun to write as a character." [source]

User: "Did any specific watcher raise MW Rook?" / Sylvia: "Good question! I kind of left that one alone because I wasn't sure if I wanted to let Rook define that themselves, or leave it open, and also I'd have wanted a full conversation on it. In the end that was a little out of scope so I left it unsaid. Which is to say that it COULD be Vorgoth who helped raise your Rook. And that stands until/unless we give a definitive answer (or let you choose from a range of answers) one day." [source, two]

"It was such a pleasure for all of us to finally get to explore the Necropolis, I am very glad we got to throw open the gates." [source]

User: "I was wondering if there were any Mourn Watch details you wished you had more time to explore? I was so struck by some of the ethical implications in your stories" / Sylvia: "Geeze, now that's a question. I mention it with Emmrich, but there's some resentment over the power the Watchers hold as THE mortalitasi of the Grand Necropolis, between them and the other orders. There's something to that situation I liked. There's also questions of how they select people for the order. What their standards are, how closely they work with benign spirits. And how they cultivate those relationships. How deep does that go? I also mentioned in a codex "the lives and bodies of those who tamper with the undead of the Necropolis are forfeit unto the Mourn Watch." which is pretty chilling. What's that punishment like, exactly? And in general, writing about anything weird or unexplained in the Necropolis brought me much enjoyment, and it would be fun to dig around how the Mourn Watch deals with (or what they want out of) all these mysteries and entities." [source, two, three, four]

"Geeking out with Emmrich about spooky stuff was a delight to write." [source]

"I liked writing someone older this time, it was something different for me and rewarding in some unexpectedly different ways. (And thanks especially for the nice words on DAtDM - I was very excited to introduce people to the Mourn Watch there!)" [source]

"Ah, tomb-script. I named it but it was our concept artists who went developed it with the hexagon shape-language of the Mourn Watch, which I loved. Conceptually: I think it's used purely an occult or sacred language. Something for the graves, or books on magic, but not everyday things." [source]

"Some trans people kindly offered their help with some feedback on some of the romance lines and others, which absolutely made them much better." [source]

"Trick Weekes actually wrote a ton of the banter where Emmrich inquires into qunari artifacts and customs, and Taash talks about what it was like to grow up under a scholar. I really dig the dynamic they unearthed between the two there." [source]

[watcherintheweyr]

I can't believe I'm writing this

To open up with: IT IS ABSOLUTELY OKAY AND VALID TO BE DISAPPOINTED BY THE LACK OF WORLDSTATE CUSTOMIZATION IN DRAGON AGE THE VEILGUARD. I have my own disappointments about it!

Ok? We have that covered? We good?

Cool, moving on.

To people who are genuinely, hatefully angry, saying we will now be 'forced into Bioware's worldstate' (when this year alone they've stated there is no 'canon' worldstate more than once), or saying that none of our prior dragon age choices matter, I need you to take a step back and walk with me for a second, okay?

For starters: John Epler stated that one of the reasons they narrowed the choices is because they DO NOT want to invalidate the worldstates of their longtime players. However they also don't want to alienate newer players who don't have the history and lore of the past choices. It's a narrow line to walk.

Secondly, I want you to really look at the choices made by your Hero, Champion, and Inquisitor. Which of those choices genuinely affected NORTHERN Thedas, not Southern Thedas, to the point it would linger for years afterwards? Which of those choices weren't things that specifically affected or altered the sociopolitical Southern Thedas climate and landscape in lasting ways?

The Well? Kieran?

That only leaves that if your Inquisitor drank, they now have knowledge from ages long past... that Rook doesn't need. Rook has a direct line into Solas' history and a possible Veiljumper background, unlocking those very secrets on their own.

It's entirely likely and probable that the Well's fears and threats were a red herring. Think about it. We as a gandom have spent TEN YEARS worrying about the Well, about Solas, about Mythal.

Come June 2024, we're slapped in the face by the big bads of Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan.

Morrigan likely isn't going to be close and friendly with Rook- so there's likely not much reason for her to tell us about her child or husband if she has them.

The rulers of Southern Thedas aren't going to affect us. We aren't tackling the current world ending crisis from the position of a leader of armies like the Warden and Inquisitor, but as leader of a small task force. The Southern Divine doesn't much affect us either- nor do Southern mage politics or templar politics.

Because Rook is an entirely new perspective.

Because Rook is in an ENTIRELY different sociopolitical climate/landscape.

I DO think there should've been ways implemented to specify your Inquisitor's bonds and personality. I'm HOPING maybe there still are that we haven't seen. But otherwise?

My Warden is free. I can say she's cured her Calling and is wandering the world with Zevran.

My Champion can retire into total obscurity with his husband or be quietly helping said husband destroy the slave trade. Either way.

Your history and choices in Thedas still matter. Your heroes still matter.

They just aren't Rook's focus.

Take a breath please. And stop sending death threats to the devs bc what the **fuck.**

EDIT:

further context from the devs on Bluesky

[imperator-titus]

Favorite Party Banter [Gale Edition]

[Astarion (Ascended)] [Halsin/Jaheira] [Gale] [Karlach] [Lae'zel] [Minsc] [Minthara] [Shadowheart] [Wyll]

I often miss party banter because of party comp (and sometimes just straight up can't hear??) so here's a collection of my favorite bants while going through dialogue files. I know the wiki has the banter (most? all?) but I added the file names and dev notes.

Either Gale is the main speaker/subject or I think his reaction is good shit.

Not in any particular order.

[PB_Laezel_Gale_ROM_Act2]

Gale: So, Lae’zel - have you ever been tempted to use psionics in your, erm, romantic endeavors? {Devnote: Curiosity winning out over awkwardness}

Lae’zel: Only once. Did you know, in low-gravity settings, githyanki can maintain aerial suspension for hours at a time? {Devnote: cheekily}

Gale: Fascinating - I think the archmage Tasha described a spell with similar effect. I really must look that up… {Devnote: latter part almost to self}

[PB_Gale_Astarion_ROM_Act3_Spawn]

Gale: If you’re feeling faint after your bout with Cazador, Astarion, I don’t mind donating some blood. {Devnote: Sincere/Genuinely trying to help}

Astarion: When you’re still full of that Netherese bile? I’ll pass, thank you.

Astarion: Besides, I have someone else to nibble on. And they are delicious.

[PB_Gale_Shadowheart_Morgue]

Gale: Look at this place. Such horrors defy descriptions…{Devnote: In very bleak/grim surroundings}

Shadowheart: Silence can be best. Give it a try sometime. {Devnote: A little cheeky, though they’re in a grim place}

[PB_Gale_Shadowheart_ROM_Act3_Selune]

Gale: I must tell you, Shadowheart, the bathing waters here leave much to be desired. {Devnote: a bit know it all}

Gale: The ablutions offered at the Temple of Beauty in Waterdeep are far superior. And they have the most excellent soaps. 

Shadowheart: Hmm. I was wondering why you always smelled like a wealthy dowager. {Devnote: teasing}

[PB_Wyll_Gale_ROM_Act2]

Gale: I’ve heard that in Baldur’s Gate, ‘wizard’ is also a term used for one who eschews their more, ahem, carnal desires. Is that true, Wyll? {Devnote: Fishing for info, a bit annoyed about what he’s heard.}

Wyll: Where are we going with this, Gale?

Gale: Oh, nowhere. I just think it a rather cruel misnomer. Not at all reflective of the glamour wizarding life affords. {Devnote: A bit sulky/sensitive about it}

[PB_Gale_Astarion_ROM_Act2]

Gale: I fear I've been rather hasty to judge you, Astarion. {Devnote: sincere/sympathetic}

Gale: One heartbreak was quite enough for me, but to experience it as many times as you have must change a person.

Astarion: Thank you, Gale. Let us both hope that broken hearts are a thing of the past.

[PB_Karlach_Gale_BlushingMermaid]

Karlach: Man, it's good to be home. First round on who?

Gale: She who thirsts buys drink the first. {Devnote: Like it's a well-known saying}

Karlach: You won't pin me down with a rhyme, wizard! {Devnote: jockeying with Gale}

Gale: She who declines gets the worst of the wines.

[PB_Laezel_Gale_ROM_Act3_001]

Lae'zel: Gale, I've heard you talking in your sleep. Your mate needs better rest for our journey.

Gale: And deprive them of the pleasure of hearing my nocturnal postulations? I'd never be so cruel.

Gale: The mind absorbs much while we believe ourselves dormant. To lie beside Gale of Waterdeep is positively educational.

[PB_Karlach_Gale_ROM_Act1]

Gale: Karlach... a hypothetical question for you.

Gale: If someone - not me, of course - detected a hint of romantic interest in them from another, unnamed individual, what might that someone do about it?

Karlach: Whoever it is, just talk to them, Gale. And leave out the hypotheticals.

Gale: Talking. Right. I'm good at that.

[royalarchivist]

Cellbit: Are you enjoying it? Are you liking it?

Etoiles: It looks like you– Like um– The enigma you did like, in all your Minecraft stuff? It's kinda the same, but it seems like you a bit sick in the head, because–

Cellbit: [Cracks up]

Etoiles: [Laughs] There's– bro, the first enigma– the first enigma is bullsht!

Cellbit: Oh! You mean the menu? The menu puzzle.

Etoiles: Yeah, the menu. Bro, I was so tilted on the first one! [Laughs] I was so tilted! I was like "OK?! Four years of development to put- to put the blood on it?!" 🙄

[...]

Cellbit: Oh! You know, it is- it is kinda hard, but not that hard. You're a smart guy, you get it.

Etoiles: Ehh, we will see. 😑

[ Full Transcript ↓ ]

—

Cellbit: Hi!

Etoiles: [He jumps] WHOA!

Cellbit: I think you're muted.

Etoiles: O-oh! You scared- you scared me! [Laughs with Cellbit]

Cellbit: I'm sorry! Do you need help?

Etoiles: Bro, there's a problem, like– Excuse me, but– I'm playing a game, I don't know if you know, it's like, "Enigma of Fear."

Cellbit: Ok, ok, yeah, I heard it came out.

Etoiles: Ok, yeah, and I'm opening something, and when I'm opening the thing, it's not working! Look, look, look, if–

Cellbit: Oh yeah! It's like a crumpled paper, right?

Etoiles: IT'S WORKING NOW! [Laughs] Ok, ok– I just need to reset-

Cellbit: Yes. Yeah, I fixed it live.

Etoiles: Ok, you fixed it? Ok ok ok, thank you, man.

Cellbit: [Laughs]

Etoiles: Thank you, thank you, I just need to... to go out, and to go in. Ok, um– It's beautiful, for now. It's a pretty cool experience!

Cellbit: Are you enjoying it? Are you liking it?

Etoiles: It looks like you– Like um–

Cellbit: Aww...

Etoiles: The enigma you did like, in all your Minecraft stuff? We look like–

Cellbit: Yeah.

Etoiles: It's kinda the same, but it seems like you a bit sick in the head, because–

Cellbit: [Cracks up]

Etoiles: [Laughs] There's– bro, the first enigma– the first enigma is bullsht!

Cellbit: Did you– yeah, I see you haven't solved the whole thing yet, right?

Etoiles: No no no, I- I- I'm in front of the 4a, thing.

Cellbit: Oh! You mean the menu? The menu puzzle.

Etoiles: Yeah, the menu.

Cellbit: Oh, alright, yeah. I just got to your stream, I'm watching with subtitles on.

Etoiles: Bro, I was so tilted on the first one! [Laughs]

Cellbit: [Laughs]

Etoiles: I was so tilted! I was like "OK?! Four years of development to put- to put the blood on it?!" No... It seems– the enigma with the 4pm thing on the alarm seems to be problematic.

Cellbit: Oh wha- why problematic?

Etoiles: Yea- no– It seems to be hard.

Cellbit: Oh! You know, it is- it is kinda hard, but not that hard. You're a smart guy, you get it.

Etoiles: Ehh, we will see. Thank you so much for the insights, I will–

Cellbit: Yeah, if you need any hints, just call me again.

Etoiles: I will call you bro, you're amazing. See you.

Cellbit: Bye bro!

After this, Etoiles says something along the lines of "This is a bit of a flex when you feel like asking a question about a game you can call the dev." Please let me know if there's a better way to translate this; I don't speak French so I'm solely relying on subtitles here.

[panther-os]

beating my head against the walls in Latine

here's eight things that atp will have me immediately closing out of any fic, AleRudy edition:

1.

❌ "the los vaqueros"

ah yes the famed and feared las almas battalion of Mexican special forces. the the cowboys

✅ "los vaqueros"

✅ "the vaqueros"

2.

❌ "the los vaqueros base"

✅ "los vaqueros' base"

✅ "the vaqueros' base"

3.

❌ "corporal alejandro vargas and sergeant rodolfo parra/major rodolfo parra"

look, fuck the military as an institution and also fuck the devs for using American rank structure for members of the Mexican army but

it takes roughly 2 years in the army to advance to Corporal. the equivalent in the Mexican army is Cabo, and Google will not give me the requirements for it no matter how I ask

it takes 3-6 years to advance to Sergeant. From what I can tell, the Mexican equivalent is also Cabo (where Sargento Segundo is closer to Staff Sergeant)

it takes 10-12 years to advance to Major, the equivalent is Mayor (not the English word mayor like of a city, don't be like those white people)

it takes 22-24 years, a bachelor's degree, and officer school to become a Colonel and it takes 18-20 years and a whole mess of leadership courses nearly equivalent to a degree to become a Sergeant Major

put some goddamn respect on their names

✅ Colonel Alejandro Vargas and Sergeant Major Rodolfo Parra

✅ Coronel Alejandro Vargas and Sargento Primero Rodolfo Parra

4.

❌ Fuerza Especiales

❌ Fuerzas Especiale

this is just not understanding Spanish grammar

✅ Fuerzas Especiales ("Special Forces")

❎ Fuerza Especial ("special force")

5.

❌ Sin Nombre ("without name")

Alejandro literally corrects Soap on this one in the game

✅ El Sin Nombre ("The Nameless")

6.

❌ "Alejandro Vargas, leader of Mexican Special Forces"

the leader of Mexican Special Forces is the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional - the Secretary of Defense - and Fuerzas Especiales is composed of three brigades, 74 independent battalions (like Los Vaqueros), 36 amphibious special operations groups. Colonels command single brigades at most.

Alejandro is capable of leading Mexican Special Forces, but it would require him to retire from the field and get more of a desk job, with far more politics than I think he'd have patience for

✅ "Alejandro Vargas, leader of Los Vaqueros - a battalion of Fuerzas Especiales stationed in Las Almas"

7.

❎ "our ancestors, the Aztecs"

look, indigenous identity is weird sometimes and I don't know enough specifics about the culture around it in Mexico to have a solid opinion, but I'm also very fucking tired of people thinking the only indigenous groups in Mexico are the Nahua (Aztecs) and Maya. if they're on the Texas border and their families have always lived there, their heritage is most likely seven different Apache nations/language groups in a trench coat with some Spanish conquistador on the side. they're most likely not related to any famous indigenous chiefs or other figures, but it's very possible they can trace their Spanish ancestry back directly to nobility

for example, I am related to absolutely none well-known Tsalagi or Kwikipa people as far as I'm aware, but I am a direct descendant of the brother of King Ferdinand the Catholic, which also means I'm a direct descendant of the guy who started the Inquisition (and now I'm Jewish (and pro-Palestine for those who want to know) so take that, colonizer)

also while Bayardo is Mexicano, Alain is Cubano, please be respectful when talking about the actors or when in their instagram lives and just. don't make assumptions y'all

8.

❎ "Los Vaqueros" is a nickname from the people of Las Almas, the battalion's actual name that is on all the paperwork and dog tags is more likely numerical or describing their role/location - like "11th Battalion" or "The Borderline Battalion" or something like that. maybe even both, like "The 11th Border Battalion"

[ma1dita]

hi jo!! can i please have a ticket to here for the boos! with sylus :)))) with a ice cream and fries! happy october ;)

devil inside

[STARRING: SYLUS QIN x reader ; “I know what you did.��� “Blood? Oh it’s not mine.” ] wc: 1.4k warnings: none, undercover stripper!reader, mentions of Xavier as a friend if you consider that a warning LOL, ooc!MC? if that's possible? best hunter in Linkon City but the devs play her off too ditzy for my liking so i gave her some duality and spice. but also that might just be how she is w Sylus anyway, title from inxs

monster mash-terlist

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

Maybe he’s had a few too many gin fizzes tonight.

That, or Sylus Qin has found himself completely captivated by the sight of you dancing on stage. The leader of Onychinus is rarely impressed by anything or anyone. It’s all a part of the job, after all. 

If Sylus was ever to be caught off-guard, he risks losing everything he’s worked for.

Winning is how he survives, and ensuring that keeps everything and everyone in the N-109 Zone in order. Anyone good or bad knows not to play him at his own game. Still, there’s something in the way you look at him as you spin around that pole that makes him think you could be a worthy opponent.

He shakes his head, running his hand through his silver hair, but his eyes remain transfixed on the way your hands slither up and down your body. You’re good at what you do and everyone in the establishment can see that, dollar bills flying onto the stage like confetti as you sway your hips. But he won’t let himself be shaken so easily by a woman he’s never met before.

The song ends with the club’s roaring applause as you twirl and flutter your lashes, waving cutely at men who leer at you like you’re a piece of meat. However, you’ve already made your mark on the most feared man in the establishment.

Making your way over to him and his henchmen, you lean down and offer him a smile, “You look like you might have something I need.” And once your eyes lock, Sylus can’t fathom not getting to know you. He thinks he can hear Luke choke on his spit under his mask, or maybe it’s Kieran—one of them whacks the other but that all fades into the background as his blood red eyes roam your face and then, lower. 

He’s still a man, after all.

“Eyes up here, mister. I think I just asked you a question.”

You’re a fearless one, toying with him in front of so many unfortunate souls that will never see the light of day once he blows this place up later. 

Perhaps he’ll do you a favor and warn you. A face like yours is too pretty to go up in flames. He smirks, “Is that so? Run it by me again,” he croons, index finger playing with the pendant that hangs from your neck, “You’ve got my attention, kitten.” Your smile widens, saccharine and sinister, as you repeat yourself.

“Do you have what I need?”

Oh, he knows you’re not here for him tonight. The man you were supposed to interrogate for information is being dragged out the back entrance by the blonde guy who’s been starring daggers at him since you started talking. 

“I think your associate already has him out back. Unless you mean something else, sweetie.”

Pretty little kitty, rubbing herself up against the wrong bad guy. 

It’s not your fault per se—the mission report details told you the person you were looking for would stand out; though it just so happens that Xavier found him first. Your eyes flash, straightening your posture as you spare him another smile before turning to head out the back door, “Maybe next time then. Thanks, handsome.” You’re gone in a swish of sparkles and you don’t look back at him, not even once. But Sylus does love a game, and you’ve successfully captured his interest, even if that wasn’t your original mission.

Later, on his way out, he hears the sound of metal against metal from the alleyway. Sylus watches you fight back-to-back with your partner through the crack in the emergency exit door, slashing through Wanderers with sheer power and athleticism in every strike. 

Who knew his little kitten had claws? How interesting.

“Ugh! Xay, Tobias is getting away!” you grunt, holding your sword down by your side—and Sylus dares to wonder where you pulled that out from. There are still two Herte Knaves staggering up from the ground, ready to pounce, “You need to get that briefcase!”

“I’m not leaving you here!”

Slashing a Wanderer clean through, you take a second to wipe the sweat from your brow, “I can handle this Xavier. You need to trust me, and we need to finish the mission. He won’t make it far if you use your Evol.”

Your hunter friend hesitates, before taking off, looking back at you the whole time, “Please be careful! I’ll communicate with you!” And Sylus has seen enough, he thinks, stepping out into the darkness. If he were fighting with you, it wouldn't even enter his mind to leave you alone like this. But as he raises his faintly glowing hand to pummel the last Wanderer into dust, your sword gleams in the streetlights, hacking at its weakest points until it disintegrates. You don't see him lurking in the shadows, as you collect protocores, sheathing your sword against your hip. The beeping noises on your comms link remind you to inform Xavier of your whereabouts.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side, sweetie."

You jolt, averting your eyes when you catch him at the door.

How long has he been there?

Sylus looks at you through full lashes and time stops. You don’t remember how he got so close to you, or why you let him…something pulling you to him from the depths of your core. His hand wraps delicately around the base of your neck and cheek before you even realize it, breath hitching under his caress, "Is that...."

"Blood? Oh, it's not mine," you smile as if he didn't see you single-handedly annihilate a group of Wanderers on your own, "I just got sloppy."

Your smaller hand claps around his wrist, fingers barely wrapping around his skin as you push him away and start walking. It's best to get out of here, handsome stranger be damned.

"I didn't get your name, kitten. Do you belong to someone?" he says playfully, watching your figure sashay towards the end of the street. You stop, not turning to meet his eyes. It's risky to get involved with someone while on the job, much less in the N-109 Zone.

What would the Association think?

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out."

Expensive cashmere is draped over your shoulders. You don't remember hearing his footsteps come near you at all. When you turn back towards the alley, the mysterious man is gone. Swallowing hard, you button the suit jacket to protect your modesty—who knows what other unexpected deviants might follow you home.

Mephisto caws from a nearby powerline, mechanical eyes gleaming ruby red like his master's. He makes sure you leave before the club explodes, plumes of smoke filling the night sky.

But all he can think of is you and the challenge you've presented him— a week later, Sylus has bought out an entertainment complex that you frequent in Linkon. He goes to inspect his newest business venture, making the trip out in scorching daylight and losing sleep every day that week just in case you might drop by.

What he doesn't expect to see is you standing in front of the plushie machine on your day off, eyes fixated on the stuffed animals within the glass box. You've been trying to collect the Succulent Bunny for an hour now, and he thinks even a fire wouldn't break your concentration. Sylus has tried everything—walked back and forth down the aisles, pretending to help customers nearby....he ought to stick Mephisto in there to be caught by the metal claw.

"I just need to try harder..." you mutter, the green plush slipping out of the trembling prongs. It glows red the longer you stare at it, lifting itself towards the slot, before hitting against the glass.

What?

You can feel the energy flux thrumming from inside the machine. Is there a Wanderer inside the plushie? Its new position makes it easier to capture—you can't help but scream in joy when the bells go off and the stupid thing slides into the hole.

"YES!"

You look around you frantically, hair whipping against your neck and then you see a familiar figure leaning against the doorway just like how you left him at the club. Hugging the plushie, you quickly walk towards Sylus. He watches you come towards him again with the same determination in your eyes, though the behavior you've presented in the arcade is nothing like the seductress he saw at the club. Here, you're not a hunter—just a plushie enthusiast.

"I know what you did."

"I could say the same about you, kitten. Wanna trade thoughts on it?" he smirks, looking down at your amused expression.

Two can play this game— it looks like the both of you are willing to take a gamble.

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

ma1dita's monster mash is closed for requests but ongoing for the rest of october!

[mellonieee]

My one fear before Operation:Birthday takeout came out was the idea that Vicky could be Dev’s mother and I’m glad that wasn’t the case. We can finally let go of that theory, thank god.

Though it does make me wonder who did Dale even have a child with?? Dev just looks exactly like Dale and he obviously isn’t adopted. Was Dev made through mitosis or something. IS DEV A CLONE??? (Im joking for the most part but its food for thought.)

[lycheedr3ams]

Congratulations on your account growth!! <33 (─‿‿─)♡

I followed you for that König story you wrote and I've been eating your works since then; truly, I loved your writing at first glance. Looking forward to future account growths!

Request: territorial!König x Gn!Reader •v• The rumor of Reader being the barracks bunny is false, obviously, but still, word got around. The rumors reached the highly respected and feared colonel König who confronted Reader and maybe...left a mark on them to show everyone who they belong to. Who they only belong to. Fluff/angst is fine, dom!König, so he's rough+degradation.

Everything else is up to you and please feel free to adjust or change anything to your liking! I just adore a territorial König story(⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝)

Thank you for your support!!!!!! You are so sweet

I love this ask!!! I love me a territorial, possessive man.... I have changed a few things tho. Personally, I think that colonel konig screenshot we all saw was fake info in the sense that the devs keep changing Kpnig's lore and stuff. I don't think he'd be able to be a colonel bc of his social anxiety, and his gear is just shit he put together. Besides, I lowkey like loser perv konig who isn't a colonel lol

I also made it she/her fem reader, i just don't relate to GN reader enough to write for it. I hope you still like it!!! also this turned out to be a lot longer than i had planned lol

...

Barracks Bunny

fem!reader x territorial!dom!konig

MDNI

Warnings: harddom!konig, degradation, rough sex, possessiveness, p in v sex, rumors going around about reader, territorialness (not a word but whatever), semi-public sex, slight humiliation, biting, not proofread

you had spent some time with konig since you first met him, and he eventually invited you to his room. you didn't care who saw you follow him to his room in the barracks, you just knew you needed him and his cock. the first time you both had sex, it was the best you ever had. his grunts flooded your ears as he took you from behind, pressing you down into the mattress with his hand on your middle back.

"arch for me, just like that," he praised. he couldn't get enough of your moans and the way your wet pussy perfectly sucked him in. he wanted to cum inside you so badly, but you told him no.

after that, you two had sex with each other at least three times a week when he was on base. some people who lived in that wing saw you entering and leaving his room, always looking a bit more disheveled than when you entered. but there were others who didn't see you leaving konig's room specifically, and their minds were left to wonder who the lucky guy was that night.

...

you had noticed that a lot of the men around base had been looking at you in a much more...predatory way when you walked around. sometimes, they would whisper as you walked past. you chalked it up to immaturity and harmless crushes, but you learned it was so much more than that when konig shoved you against his wall one night right as you stepped into his room.

"you told me I was the only one!" he whisper-yelled at you. his eyes glowed almost red from inside his hood.

"what are you talking about??"

"do you really not know?" he asked a bit more quiet this time. you shook your head, your eyes wide. konig sighed.

"they say you are the 'barracks bunny'. you know what that means, ja?"

your eyes widened and your heart sunk. so that's why everyone was looking at you like that? You looked up at konig, scared, and his eyes slightly softened at your expression.

"konig...I don't know why they'd say that. i've only been sleeping with you, i swear."

he stared into your soul for the next few moments, mulling over in his head if he should believe you or not. he leaned down and his breath ghosted your neck through his hood.

"you are mine" he growled. you couldn't help the way you shivered as his words went straight to your core. "and i'm going to prove that to every man on base, right now."

"wha-" before you knew what was happening, konig picked you up roughly and threw you onto his bed. you had never seen the way he was looking at you now: with eyes that could kill a thousand men. you weren't sure if the growl you barely heard was real or your imagination.

"strip," he commanded.

"konig, what do you mean you're -"

"don't make me repeat myself," his sentence clipped and precise. you gulped, and undressed yourself on his bed until you were bare before him, and your clothes were just a pile on the floor. you looked up at him with wide eyes. he slowly backed away, still looking at you, as he slowly turned the knob to his door and cracked it open a tiny bit. light from the hallway was streaming in through a little rectangle onto the wall. thankfully, the open space was facing the wall rather than you.

"konig, what're you doing?"

he rested one knee on his bed as he leaned down and looked at you. he was still in his camos and tight black shirt, just the way you liked it.

"showing these men who you really belong to."

he quickly pinned you underneath him and smashed his lips against yours, barely pulling his hood up all the way. it was so rushed that his hood got in the way of the kiss, and he angrily yanked it aside so that he could completely feel your lips. he bit your lip harshly, and you mewled.

"that's it," he praised as he licked your lip. "keep making those sounds. let every man here know who's making you feel this way."

he began to kiss your neck, feigning innocence, before he bit hardly on the space where your neck met your shoulder. you yelped louder this time, not prepared for the sting of his canines in your soft flesh. he laughed and bit you again.

"konig!!" you said loudly, not caring who heard you at the moment. "that hurt!"

he laughed darkly. "oh, my poor barrack bunny. you think i'm gonna go easy on you tonight?" he mocked. "nein," he growled in your ear. "i'm going to fuck you so hard that the only thing you remember is my name."

he pawed at your breasts hungrily, like they were his lifeline, like they were the last thing he would ever touch. you couldn't help but glance over at the sliver of light against the wall dimming every so often as soldiers walked by. you moaned loudly when konig sucked on your nipple. his siege on your boobs was relentless, his teeth teasing your sensitive nipple.

"seems you like this, ja?" he teased. "already so loud, and i haven't even fucked you yet."

he next went straight for your pussy. he spread you open wide by underneath of your knees, and didn't let you catch your breath before he attached his mouth to your wet cunt. he purposely slurped and sucked louder than he ever had, and you were already almost screaming. you slapped your hand over your mouth to keep you from being too loud as you saw people's shadows walking by.

konig roughly grabbed your hands and pinned them above your head.

"if you do that, i'm going to have to keep your arms restrained, ja?" he warned. "no hiding your sounds."

all you could do was nod as he squeezed your wrists. when you agreed, he went back to devouring your pussy. you listened to him this time, and you were nearly screaming with how hard he made you cum. the little beam of light from the hallway was dimmed for a while that time as soldiers stopped to listen.

konig sat up and unbuckled his belt in a rush, his fingers fumbling with the buckle as his cock threatened to rip through his pants. he pulled his pants and boxers down slightly with a hiss as his cock sprang free. it was completely erect, and slightly red at the tip already. he looked up at you darkly before he spread you wide again and shoved it all the way in without warning.

"KONIG!" you screamed. he grunted loudly before slowly thrusting into you, giving you a chance to get used to him for a moment. his huge body was blocking you from seeing if anyone was listening just outside the door. you tried to peek your head around him, when he punished you with a particularly hard thrust.

"no looking," he growled as he slammed into you again. "you just focus on me."

your face scrunched up in a mix of pleasure and pain as konig slammed into you again and again and again. his balls slapped against your ass loudly with each thrust, and your pussy was soaked. you threw your head back as he finally set a steady pace of punishing thrusts straight up to your cervix. it only took five thrusts for you to start nearly screaming.

"that's it," konig gasped as he pounded you. "let everyone hear you."

your pussy clenched at his words, and he laughed.

"oh, the barrack bunny likes that, doesn't she?" he teased. he leaned down, still pounding you, as he whispered in your ear. "they're listening right outside, you know. they can hear how well you take me. how hard i fuck you. let them hear. go on."

you clenched hard around him as you moaned and mewled and screamed. his pace got even faster, and the headboard began to bang against the wall. anyone walking by would definitely hear that. the sounds of the metal headboard hitting the wooden wall, your deep moans, and the slapping of skin on skin was so loud that it drowned out all thoughts.

you repeated konig's name like a mantra as he pounded you. he grunted. "see? i told you the only thing you'd be saying was my name."

suddenly, he came with a grunt, and you felt a wave of hot fill your cervix as his tip pressed against it and filled it to the point of overflowing. a ring of white formed around his cock as it twitched inside you.

that night, all the soldiers knew that you were certainly konig's, and only konig's, barrack bunny.

[dakyarie]

New Cookie Run Kingdom update preview(for people who don't understand korean)

Before I continue, please consider some things: I'm not the best with korean, so I may have missed various things. Furthermore, I skimmed through the whole livestream because it was 2 hours long, so that might have also caused me skip some stuff.

Another thing before I begin:

COUPON CODE: KINGDOMLIVE2409

Coupon code that's active right now! Go use it asap!

edit: Link to coupon website

Now, to start:

First off, Burning Spice:

Looking at the flaming wheel, it seems just like Mystic flour, Burning Spice will have design changes with promotions.

This also popped up so I assume that you will be able to get this for your mycookie. They will also have more mycookie accesories related to GCC(didn't screenshot, sorry)

Here's a picture of the soulstone

Second, new cookies and costumes:

Tiger Nutmeg(I think, from the leaks) and Smoked Cheese will arrive. However, note that the bottom caption says that THREE epic cookies are coming in this update, so just wait and see.

Then there's the epic costumes on the right, which I have no idea what theme it's based off of; it's probably not related to this update.

These concept arts were also shown. Moonlight and Frost Queen will both be getting legendary grade costumes in december.

This picture, you may have seen before from Braveverse or from other reposts. It was said on stream that from this picture, Gingerbrave, Sea Fairy and Wind Archer will be getting costumes in 2025. The other two will not get it due to complications(?)(also considering that FSC isn't in kingdom yet...)

Golden Cheese Cookie will also be getting an awakened form. It says taht as long as you participate in the event, you will get Awakened GCC for free guaranteed.

Third, new Beast Raid:

It says that it's a destructive god that consumes fear on the small text.

Beast Raid will also be getting a Master Difficulty, with an exclusive design for the monster too.

Fourth, future plans:

Still under development, there will be an update that will release many new epics and a story related to it. This is also related to arena. I skimmed this part too much cuz I couldn't understand it well, I apologize.

There will also be a new mode called cookie adventure. This is still in development. You can probably tell what it is.

For the upcoming anniversaries, the devs plan on releasing two major characters: for the 4th, Shadow Milk cookie. For the 5th, Dark Enchantress Cookie.

The list in the middle reads:

(20)25 improvement items:

improvement on kingdom production

island decorations

mine(?)

Champions League

More guild content

MyCookie Battle

(they explained some stuff for SMC but I couldn't understand well...)

There will also be this thing. It says "Island decorating" on the top.

Translation: Let me randomly decorate islands with various vegetation. It's small but it's my own precious space. Let's go to (my) friend's island.

I think that's all the major things! There were SO MANY small but promising improvements that I couldn't add, I'm sorry! The small things that I can recall were better rewards, new improvements in arena, guild, and kingdom(+ etc.), and also better chances for rarer characters(ancients, beasts, etc.).

Please let me know if I missed anything! I'll be happy to add more.

Livestream link here:

[waffleboyy]

Rambles under the cut

i like to think Dale was actually a fairly happy kid, especially when he got discovered by Doug, but as he matured and thought back on his situation he grew more hateful and resentful because no one cared to find or look for him for SEVEN YEARS, so why should he care about anyone else? I'm sure doug gave him a good home, and Dale, (much like dev) really admires his father but dale cares more so about how people perceive him rather than actually being cared for, because he doesn't know the difference.

Dale also grew really materialistic to make sure he never had to fear going back to that lemonade sweat shop ever again, which is why he's so attached to his boots rather than his son, because people have failed him before but money and goods have never left him. also I know...basic, sorry, but out of any of the characters, he. HE! He has autism. Dale is not very good at masking and he doesn't make an effort to hide it, but it's kind of hard to notice since he's always alone, and everyone just chalks it up as "capitalist guy who has no sense of the common man" , which is true but let me have fun. Like he never wants to see people despite being a millionaire and like public figure? He says random weird phrases that are just kind of out of touch, and he most likely has an aversion to physical touch as well because I KNOW dev has never gotten a hug. also he's very blunt and doesn't sugar coat anything he says, and while that may be because "he's a millionaire he doesn't have to care about what he says" I like to think it's because he genuinely has no social awareness. At all. He just does whatever the fuck he wants and good for him, kind of. ( Not really) ... Also the statue and the boots thing is simply because he does love his boots more than dev, like it's just a fact. He doesn't hate his son or he didn't do that just to rub it in , it's just a genuine fact for him that he values his boots, material things, things that never hurt him, over his son. I could talk about different examples all day but this is getting too long lol.

Also random head canon, But Dale has asthma and valley fever from all of the untouched dust and dirt filling his lungs from the lemonade stuff, but he's also been able to hold a resistance from needing an inhaler or breathing machine because of it, so he rarely needs it maybe once in a blue moon. Dev also has asthma, but he's literally like. A baby. While his dad is more immune to needing it, dev is just always cooped inside so he's never built any resistance so he needs it frequently.

hehe sorry ok I'm done... probably.... probably not...