#the ivory collective

[theworldbrewery]

I just finished a 5 year long campaign on Saturday. I would describe myself as a hardass on the rules, up to the point that something worked within larger thematic parameters in the setting.

In practice, this meant that the game began with me being very strict on rules. Some things, like carrying capacity, were not worth tracking (especially once they got a bag of holding), but other rules, both official and house-rules, I kept to very closely. As the PCs became more powerful, I started offering them brief opportunities when something important wasn't going to go their way. Memorably, when a PC was about to die by mind flayer and lose her brain and drop concentration on the spell that was holding the boss monster at bay, I asked how badly she wanted to survive, and allowed her to make a sacrifice: the goddesses of luck had a problem with her using her Wild Magic subclass abilities to manipulate her fortune, so she gave up her subclass in exchange for surviving the attack (and got a new subclass later obviously).

This type of scenario worked because I established the possibility of 'trading' a consequence for a desirable outcome -- borrowing from other systems a little bit, where you can succeed at a cost. It fit into the mechanics and flavor of the Wild Magic sorcerer's abilities, but it broadened over time to include anyone willing to make a deal and give something up to get what they wanted.

That practice brought us to an underdark adventure where they found the place where sacrifices 'go,' metaphorically speaking, and set the stage for the finale in which the PCs broke with fate altogether and ascended to godhood to fight Bane to the death. I worked with them to build divine statblocks and what mattered most was the exchange. The sense of loss, thematically, that comes from achieving great feats of power that should be impossible. It builds on the most basic ideas of making sacrifices to a god to receive their support, and of destroying components to cast powerful spells, and turns them into a larger framework of magic and power.

But I still expected them to use spell components, and take fall damage, and remember you can't stack advantage or temporary hit points.

Once they ascended to godhood I relaxed the rules somewhat, to let them savor the power they'd gotten. But as mortal beings those rules represent their vulnerabilities, their relative weakness, the risks and rewards of adventuring. I always considered it necessary for my own peace of mind to be clear on the rules and on the interactions of mechanics, from the limits of dark vision and which hexes could be affected by a spell, but it also empowered me to be more flexible with the rules when specific, thematic moments came into play.

Rule of Cool can get weak when you rely too heavily on it. It takes away the stakes, which kills the fun. But this version of "Rule of Cool" expected the players to open themselves up to risk and change -- trying and failing to wake up a cursed archfey led the group's cleric to give up all his memories before the age of 10, trying to force an enemy to fail her Banishment saving throw made the bard swear to protect the cleric with their life (and be compelled to do so). The losses they suffered weren't punishments, but opportunities: what new subclass does the sorcerer take, and why? Do you throw yourself in front of a blow that would kill the cleric?

The role-play moments that resulted, the twists in the tale, were worth it, every single time.

I didn't accept pure mechanical sacrifices: the gods don't care about your melee weapon attack modifier. They had to give up something that mattered to the character. To understand what sacrifice really is.

And they sacrificed themselves, in the end.

[silverscreencaps]

A Room With a View (1984) dir. James Ivory

[conservethis]

Spent way too much time yesterday trying to figure out if this book’s cover was real ivory or fake ivory (ie celluloid). The time period it was made (1890s) lands it smack in the middle of when both could be equally possible options. I have a known celluloid photograph album to compare it to, but nothing made of real ivory so at this time I am still on the fence about its veracity…

But dang I love the gilded gauffered edges and clasps!

[orangelovesyoumore]

A few doodles of my favorite of Randal's dolls from a few different Lucids!!!! (+ caterina)

Probably going to rb later w their respective og appearances! I love them all so much! (*｀▽´*)

[stardust-and-ivory]

Collector redesign for the Au

[cruisingxdystopia]

GLITCHTOBER PROMPT: RAW (a sequence)

[supertanya-mohair-sweaters]

❤️HAPPY FRIDAY❤️

[loola-a]

oghh 21 and 31 for any oc of your choosing >:3

(I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABT THESE>.....)

aiyla's time to shine...

21. their favourite place to be?

if she could pick anywhere at any time in history it would be her old family home, back in duscur. she lived with her mother and father who ran a clothes/tailoring shop together!

if she had to pick a place in current day (since she can no longer go home) it would be the reis family home in the alliance! this is the family that took her in after she escaped the attacks. aiyla never sees them as her parents, but she's very grateful for what they've done for her, and the work they do to help other children like her! she has a lot of respect for them and feels very safe when she's back there :')

31. do they like receiving gifts? giving gifts? what is their ideal gift?

aiyla isn't a fan of recieving gifts becuase she doesn't like feeling as though she owes people :') she much prefers direct actions rather than objects (helping her with a task, training with her, helping her with classwork) HOWEVER!! she will secretly very appreciate pretty things like gems and lace and other nice things for her sewing projects hehehe////......

[sourkitsch]

The way I love my job and desperately want more hours not just bc I need the money but because it legitimately fulfills me. I would do a 40 hour work week here in a heartbeat. But alas. Nonprofit .

[frozenwolftemplar]

Gazelle. (ca. 1390 - 1352 BC). Egyptian (New Kingdom) https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544068

[silverscreencaps]

A Room With a View (1984) dir. James Ivory

[eye-coded-rat]

(ep4) CAT3C7494-19111831-29012024

Collection (blood) -/- musical [letter]

Dear old grandpa Augustus, thank you for introducing this gentleman with a bag of tricks! In the olden days we didn't sell dangerous artifacts in the black market, we just traveled the world gifting Hungry Violins to people!

Also, sidenote that Gentleman with Bag asked Uncle Violin about himself and Uncle casually divulged his Entire Life Story. as you do.

Hungry Object that will make your performances GREAT... just gotta pay the price. Your options are:

Don't Feed (everyone who hears your music will get Very Violent, this may lead to eating eyes and the peeling of flesh)

Feed It Yourself (ouchie fingers, blood everywhere, not ideal)

Outsource (so a couple music students go missing, no biggie!)

And last note: this case was filed by Gwen, as far as I can tell all the others up to now have been Sam's.

[myriadne]

Ivory Sculpture (Basket of Flowers), circa 1900, Japan

The Khalil Collection

[nihilisticlinguistics]

it's not that I wasn't expecting to feel emotional about the approaching end of a D&D campaign. it's been nearly five years, after all. it's that it has come on like a weird malaise, a sort of quiet heartache feeling.

I think I was imagining a more cathartic feeling. maybe that comes when I close the last door and turn out the last light. there are still final battles to complete, one more mission to finish. but we've reached the end of something, nevertheless. three player characters, with whom I have spent five years, have left mortality behind and that's a kind of dying, right?

I think I'm mourning something, but it's not a regretful feeling. I helped to bring them here. They have been transformed. And maybe the catharsis of this tragedy comes when, in the end, they win, having already lost everything.

(I hope so.)

[atenderofsycamoretrees]

Georges Hobeika Fall 2023 Bridal

Photos courtesy of Georges Hobeika

[littletroubledgrrrl]