#title is based on his eidolon!!

[miothle]

rejected by death, infected with life🥀

[feroluce]

Made a FANTASTIC discovery today regarding the meaning behind Boothill's fourth eidolon, I'm so happy!!! Most of it is just cowboy references, like

Eidolon 1: Dusty Trail's Lone Star- cowboy lingo, the Lone Star of Texas

Eidolon 2: Milestonemonger- more cowboy lingo, someone who roams and wanders

Eidolon 3: Marble Orchard's Guard- yet more cowboy lingo, a term for a graveyard (a fave of mine, because for me it evokes the image of a Church Grim <333)

Eidolon 4: Cold Cuts Chef- ????

Google didn't really provide much on Eidolon 4 like for the first three. Before today I had assumed it was just another movie reference of some sort, since Boothill is like entirely based on/inspired by old Western films.

"Cold cuts" are basically lunch meat/deli meat. It's precooked meat that doesn't need any kind of preparation- you can literally just eat it cold. Since it didn't seem to be a movie reference, I thought oh, maybe it's a nod to his lifestyle? Boothill is unhoused and lives on the run from the IPC with little rest, he doesn't really have the means to cook. Precooked, easy food like that would be a godsend for someone in his circumstances.

Anyway the original Chinese text gives it an entirely different, MUCH wilder meaning fjadskljfkld

love how they chose "celebrity chef" to show his expertise and/or fame in this fjkdlsja

Because no, "cold cuts" isn't cowboy lingo for anything, but cold meat specifically is.

It's how you refer to a corpse.

"Cold Cuts Chef" is not a title talking about his cooking ability, or his life's circumstances, or anything as mundane as that, IT'S ABOUT THE FACT THAT BOOTHILL SPECIALIZES IN DEALING DEATH, THIS MAN IS EXTREMELY SKILLED, AND GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES, AND WHAT HE DOES IS MURDER!!!!!

[ueidesign]

I’m curious as to your reasoning behind making Leona Wind/Euridition.

Does it have something to do with this?:

And the fact that he canonically loves chess, is very strategic, and is extremely intelligent?

I would have thought, with Savanaclaw’s dorm motto, the Hunt path would work better… but if you chose to go with the above clip and a sand storm as his main attacking point, then Eurdition does work better since they do better against groups, right?

Forgive me if I’m way off I have never played hsr in my life this is the product of a quick amount of research to figure out elements and paths etc. so I knew the barest of bare bones so I could learn more and understand more about what you’re doing here with these because I love them 💀😅

Well, hello there ! ^^

Before i start yapping, i just want to say that i love how u ended researching about the paths and elements BECAUSE THAT IS TRUE DEDICATION OVER HERE

Also you are not far from my own reasoning :0 !

Soooooooooo

Let's start by the Path

If we want to choose based on the canon, it would be Tank (Book 6), similar to Vil's

However, i wasn't pleased with it .. it felt bland ?

even Idia himself forfeited the idea immediately cause it DOESN'T MATCH LEONA'S CHARACTERISTICS

And i absolutely agree that the path needs to reflect a character behaviour and their skills !

A small detail i liked is that Leona is not only physically strong, but even his magic power is in great shape !

LEONA IS STRONG AND WELL SUITED TO BE A DPS

He might be lazy... yes, but wasn't what started it was his hatred toward the way he got treated whenever he tried his best ?

In reality He is strong and well suited in the front lines

He even has the title of a "Sunset Warrior" back in his hometown, which is a title given to the strongest fighter !

This leaves us with two options Destruction, The Hunt and Erudition

It is true that Leona's SP (Signature Spell) is a destructive one(turns everything he touches into sand), but unlike Malleus, his behaviour AREN'T that hazard !

This leaves us with The Hunt and Erudition

Comparing the two to each other, i believe that the Erudition is the perfect choice

One

is because Leona is a character that was raised as a TRUE prince he did turn into a troublesome person and very difficult to handle, but those actions of his reflect how strategic he can be

Not to forget how he managed to avoid lots of trouble thanks to this talent

Another thing i love about Leona is that he might be ruthless, but his words are based on experience and silent observation. A LOGICAL ONES INDEED

He even went to a great length with cheating and abusing his power in order to achieve what he wanted (Book 2 accidents)

Point two is more related to his SP, which can injure those around him on a specific range

I think this is a great choice for him to be a multi targeted character or, more accurately, an aoe character

Element choice

As u saw, i ended up giving Leona the Wind element and not physical

Why ?

Because relating him as physical just because he is strong and well built didn't feel right

LEONA ALWAYS DID WHAT HE WAS TOLD he learnt to fight because he is the prince

he polished his skills because he is the prince

I'm not saying he doesn't like that. But why does it feel wrong? It is as if we are labelling it as his duty as the SECOND prince

Wait, let me give an example

Remember Jack Eidolons?

I gave Jack a physical element, compared to Leona. You can see how well deticated Jack is for working out and balancing a healthy lifestyle, but Leona ? He might have cared once but completely gave up on it later on

Not to forget that Leona is a beastman. his species played a huge role in this too.

Last but not least his SP gives a veryy strong feeling for wind

Since sand storms occur when there is a strong WIND to the point it starts lifting the sand grain off the ground and blows them in the air :> (thank u google)

Hope this helps clear everything

Btw !!!

i didn't consider the gif i inserted as a part of my reasoning because u absolutely shocked me with that detail, and I LOVE IT hellooo!!!???

Little note (and a reminder)

ALL OTHER CHOICES ARE VALID. THIS IS NOTHING BUT MY OWN OPINION ON HOW I VIEW THE CHARACTERS <3

Feel free to drop me ur thoughts ! Or reply on this matter

[ell-arts]

PMATGA Headcanons: Surnames

This thing has been a headscratcher for as long as I have been a fan of the show. Or it might be just me-

But I've always struggled to imagine what some of the characters' surnames/last names could be. Especially the main trio. Mostly because it's tricky to come up with surnames that would fit them, and something in line with the show's running theme of naming things after geometry or character-specific quirks.

We know that Stratos' last name is Spheros (derived from stratosphere) and thus it's also Betrayus' surname. We know of Mr Strictler, who only revealed his surname and never his first name, so we can deduce that Sherry's last name is Strictler (she's his daughter). Then there's Mr Dome, Ms Globular, Sir Cumference, etc. But other than these characters, we never really heard of any other surnames mentioned in the show.

There is Spheria Suprema, and hey it could be probable that that is her surname, but I'm leaning a bit more towards the idea that it's her celebrity name/Pac-Pong champion title/nickname rather than her actual given surname. The chances of Spheria being given a name that rhymes with a descriptive title such as 'Suprema' at birth is a little slim if you ask me (this is just my rationalisation, don't come at me xD)

So that leaves us with the rest of the cast. I've seen some really creative attempts from the fandom to give the characters their surnames. So much so that I can't really come up with any good ones in comparison xD

But hey, these are the best I could come up with, along with some headcanons or reasons for why I chose them. Subject to change!

-

Pac Orbon (Yellow Orbs, duh...)

Cylindria Eden (based on the Garden of Eden, and sounds hippy-ish)

Spiral Logarith (based on the logarithmic spiral in math)

Elliptica Spheros (her mother kept her last name)

Sir Perimet Cumference (his first name is based on perimeter (of a circle), which can be shortened to 'Peri' but he still prefers 'Sir C')

Trayus Rotundin Spheros (he changed it to Betrayus Sneakerous Spheros as part of his rebellion-turned-revolt)

Zac Orbon (again, yellow orbs...)

Sunny Orbon (maiden name was Sunny Solari - a play on sol and solar, from the sun - which is also round and yellow)

Spheria Solari (tends to go by Spheria Suprema, her celebrity name, since that's what many people know her as)

Specter Eidolon (greek for 'idol' or 'phantom')

Blinky "Shadow" Scarlos (based on 'scarlet')

Inky "Bashful" Whimson (based on 'whimsical')

Pinky "Speedy" Chacier (Old French for "chase/hunt")

Clyde "Pokey" Oren (just based on orange, but can also have different meanings depending on the language)

[The Ghost Gang's names are a combination of lore that I've found relating to the original Pac-Man games. For example, Inky's original name in the retro games was Bashful, and his Japanese name is kimagure, which means 'whimsical', hence Whimson.]

[kyuohki]

Tell me about Olgan and Kemal! What is their relationship with their parents/family like?

What originally inspired you to make them?

Olgan and Kemal! EEE! (Under a cut bc it got long!)

The inspiration to make them - nothing in particular stands out; mostly they were just background characters in the first iteration of Discarded Hope, loosely based on two power-hitters I had in-game. (Discarded Hope was originally supposed to follow Marche's brother and Montblanc, and delve into Marche's past of being neglected because Doned needed more care from their mother. I will eventually write this story...) Kemal was a Paladin with Fighter skills, and Olgan was a Black Mage with White Mage capabilities (and items equipped that boosted the spells cast). While I was writing up the first part of the first chapter, Kemal decided to make come-hither eyes at Olgan, and I remember writing out Soft Care (then just titled Side Story) in the attempt to get the two to leave me alone...yeah, that didn't work. I ended up re-rewriting everything (and making edits to their Jobs) to figure out their story.

Kemal is youngest of two and a "runaway" of a prominent noble family (eeeeh, still trying to place where in the noble hierarchy I want them to be). His father, Evren, is a Paladin who was granted a title for heroic deeds; while his mother, Sena, is a Monk/Fighter, and is the reason why Kemal dual-wields swords. Kemal idolizes his parents, and wanted to follow in their footsteps (was originally training as a Paladin, with intent to become a Judge). He eventually became disillusioned with the Judges while training to become one (there's a lot of corruption, etc), and ends up leaving on a journey to figure himself out, with his parents' blessing (Evren gets Kemal set up into his first clan, pulling a few strings with old friends). His sister, Lela, is 10(ish) years older than Kemal, dislikes fighting and dedicated her time learning how to navigate politics to keep their family safe in other ways (she's the main reason their family is as prominent as it is, otherwise it'd be an empty title). Lela nags him whenever he goes home, for him to settle down and be more respectable (she dislikes how rumors circulated amongst the nobles on how "uncivilized" he's become (with digs on how their family is "jumped up"/etc), and he cuts his visits short when it gets to be too much (Evren and Sena miss him and also wish he'd stay, but also don't want to cage him in.)

Olgan was raised by his mother, Letia, who was a high ranking Black mage, but does not know/remember his father (a Summon/Eidolon/Esper, whatever term you prefer; not gonna say *which* one, but it's a very powerful entity. >:3 ) Said Eidolon was trapped on Ivalice by Letia's clan (their mages sort of forced them into a vessel of their choice, a sacrificial male Hume; the vessel's physical form was overwritten when the spirit was bound, giving the body characteristics/powers of the Eidolon, with controlling magic to make them do what the clan wanted). Letia disagreed with what they were doing and helped them escape, eventually falling in love with the trapped Eidolon, and Olgan was the result. Her clan chased them, and the Eidolon was eventually “killed” (physical form destroyed, spirit returning to the Land of Eidolons), leaving Letia to flee and raise Olgan on her own (he's about 2-3 when this happens). Even as a child, Olgan could use a lot of spells, which Letia had to teach him to control and hide (most toddlers aren't able to cast any spells, while Olgan was casting both basic black and white magic). This made her paranoid and strict with Olgan, though she tried her best to ensure that he knew he was loved. Letia was eventually caught by her old clan in a Jagd, and sacrificed herself to take them out and protect him (Olgan would be about 8-ish when this happened). He wandered around in the Jagd and was caught by slavers, was bought and sold for a few years, then Kilov "rescued" him when (he held this over Olgan's head for a long time). He was trained to be a thief (and then plaything), then his magical abilities made themselves known (primarily the black magic) and had to learn to use them quickly. Olgan is about 16-17 when he is injured on a mission and lands himself in Matius' safehouse the first time, and the Gladiator-turned-Priest immediately tries to adopt convince him to stay in the Order. He's in and out of the safehouse for a few years more (making friends w/ the Order and warming up to Matius and his unsubtle attempts at fathering him), when the incident with Lorek happens, Olgan takes the chance to flee the Jagd and change his life around.

[krawlernyannyan]

VERSION 2.5 UPDATE LIVESTREAM ROUND-UP

TLDR for this TLDR:

What the dog doing?

March give you a boba

Guess who's going to priiisoooooon~

Yunli is Clara 2

Jiaoqiu is Guinaifen 2

Huohuo and Sparkle are back

STORY NEWS

We have a multi-part Trailblaze Continuance! Part I of the Luofu's new story sees the generals of the Xianzhou Zhuming and Yaoqing arrive onto the Luofu for the Wardance ceremony (and other reasons...) along with March 7th's journey into martial arts!

The title of Sword Champion will not be decided yet, and the new Luofu story will take place over this update and the next.

NEW CHARACTERS

Yunli is a Physical/Destruction character focused on countering enemy attacks. Her skill deals blast damage while restoring her own HP, while her Talent allows her to deal blast damage onto attackers whenever she's struck. Her Ultimate taunts the enemy formation, increases her damage reduction, and enhances her counters to deal more damage. Her Technique puts her into an idle where, after being attacked, she'll immediately launch a counterattack on a random enemy.

Jiaoqiu is a Fire/Nihility character focused on increasing the party's damage. The "Ashen Roast" debuff (applied in various ways) causes enemies to take increased damage, with all of Jiaoqiu's attacks (basic and his blast-damage skill) having a chance to inflict stacks. His Ultimate furthers the Ashen Roast debuff and creates a field that causes enemies to take greater Ultimate damage. His Technique creates a field that causes enemies within it to take Fire damage once the battle starts (with a chance of applying Ashen Roast).

March 7th's new form is Imaginary/Hunt. Her Skill allows her to designate a teammate as Master, increasing their Speed, and builds up charges for every attack or Ultimate used by her Master. Once enough charges are built up, she'll immediately take a free action with an enhanced Basic Attack that deals a variable amount of hits to an enemy. Her attacks gain additional properties based on her Master's Path - Destruction/Hunt/Erudition gives them additional damage while Nihility/Harmony/Preservation/Abundance give additional Toughness Reduction. Her Ultimate deals single-target damage and boosts her next Enhanced Basic Attack. On the field, March'll gain one charge for every Technique used by allies before a battle, and her own Technique regenerates her Energy at the start of the battle.

Hunt!March is unlocked through the new story, and a new event bestows her Eidolons.

NEW BANNERS

Yunli is the banner character for the first half of v2.5, and is running alongside a returning Huohuo! The four-stars on their banners are Hanya, Yukong, and Lynx. For Light Cones, their respective Cones (Dance at Sunset and Night of Fright) are coming along with the four-star LCs The Moles Welcome You, Perfect Timing, and The Birth of the Self.

Jiaoqiu is the banner character for the second half of the patch, and Sparkle is coming back as the rerun. The four-stars on their banners are Hook, Guinaifen, and Arlan. Their respective Light Cones are Those Many Springs and Earthly Escapade and come along with Eyes of the Prey, A Secret Vow, and the new four-star Harmony LC Poised to Bloom.

NEW MAP: THE SHACKLING PRISON

The Shackling Prison is an underwater map below Scalegorge Waterscape, home to the Luofu's deadliest and most dangerous criminals. The prison is a labryinth and requires many tests of strength and skill to navigate.

NEW EVENTS

A new Companion Mission centered on Yunli: Swords to Plowshares.

A new March-focused event sees her face off against Skott of the IPC (you may remember him as that dude we made bark in the Aurum Alley event) in a competition of Xianzhou swordplay versus IPC technology: Saga of Primeval Blade. The story changes through the player's choices but always ends in a 1-on-1 confrontation with Skott. Hunt!March's Eidolons are earned here.

A Pokemon Snap-style event where you have to photograph several Trash Cans that have emerged around the Luofu: Operation Memoria Snapshot.

A combat event focused around training up and fighting alongside a Trash Can in Belobog: Trailblaze: Friendship is Magic!

Gift of Odyssey is returning.

The double-drop events for this patch are Garden of Plenty (Calyxes) and Planar Fissure (Planar Ornaments).

SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION

You'll be able to save your Relic filtering options for later use.

New quick-locking and quick-discarding functions.

In character equip menus for Relics, the Relics will be automatically sorted by set relevance to that character.

The Relic Recommendation feature now includes substats in addition to recommended main stats.

When checking Relics or Planar Ornaments in the SU or DU, the game'll recommend characters that work well with that ornament set.

In order to speed along new players' interaction with newer time-limited events, they'll be able to access those events through Finality's Vision, giving them temporary access to the features of those events.

OTHER NEWS

New enemies: The Borisin are canine enemies of the Luofu fought in the Shackling Prison, who gain stacks of Bloodlust with each attack and enter the Moon Rage state once the enemies' collective stacks get high enough.

A new episode of Knowing the Universe will be premiering soon.

A crossover between Star Rail and Fate is happening in the third quarter of next year.

[ac-liveblogs]

Aventurine Design Breakdown (and why he miiiight come back)

like. not anytime soon. but maybe. eventually.

When I was playing 2.1, I was constantly being hammered with literary references I recognised. HYV does this a lot but damnit, I actually knew these ones!

Anyway, despite my "ehhhhhhh" feelings about 2.1 in general, I was pretty impressed with how much thought was put into designing Aventurine's character. He has an incredibly consistent throughline besides gambling - 'death' and 'rebirth', so while I can't promise that means he's going to come back... based on his outfit and the motifs present around his writing, I wouldn't exactly rule out the possibility.

Obviously, I might have missed something (or several somethings!) but I at least wanted to put the notes from my playthrough and later research into post form.

Spoilers for 2.1 of Penacony, obviously.

Design Elements (Outfit, Associated Objects)

As mentioned, Aventurine has some very persistent theming.

Aventurine - "The Gambler's Stone", associated with luck and prosperity. This colour features prominently on his outfit as well.

The Spade Suit/Ace of Spades - While featuring all four card suits somewhere on him, Aventurine features Spades most prominently. In his splash art, he is holding the Ace of Spades and the Spade is the suit you're going to notice first (his chest). The Ace of Spades is known as the Death Card and is the mostly highly valued card in the deck. The suit is also associated with intellect, swords and bad luck.

Peacocks - his coat features peacock feathers (his coat tail, shoulder patches, hat). The peacock represents luck and vanity, but is also associated with immortality and rebirth/renewal (and has a strong connection to phoenixes).

Aventurine's 'vanity' motif is undercut by the fact that while he's not wearing a collar, the buckle around his collar does somewhat resemble one. His slave brand is also clearly visible, but his 'rebirth/renewal' one is reinforced over the course of the story (see below).

Roulette Wheel - the roulette wheel on Aventurine's coat quite literally puts an 'x' (a target) on his back.

Aventurine's attack and ult names all reference gambling - his skill references his cornerstone and role in the IPC.

Aventurine's Eidolons also almost all references to 'game theory', which may determine the way that you choose to play a game or gamble. The one that doesn't, Droprate Maxing, is still a gambling reference that refers more to videogames (Aventurine plays gachas too).

Chapter Titles and Other Associations:

Danse Macabre ('The Dance of Death')

Aventurine's playable segments.

Danse Macabre is an artistic movement that features the image of the living (often from a range of social classes) dancing with skeletons (death). The message of Danse Macabre means, broadly, 'death comes for us all and it will treat us all equally when it does'.

Despite the claim that no-one can die in the Dreamscape, the concept of Death has begun killing. Ergo, despite, the Family's best efforts, death is inevitable and no-one is safe - not a beloved starlet, the average guest, or a criminal stowaway.

Immediately following Aventurine's first chapter Acheron explicitly reminds you that when the Dreamscape collapses everyone in it will die. She also meditates on the off-screen tragedies she's witnessed in Penacony that are a result of the class differences.

Aventurine's overall goal in Penacony is to prove that death is possible by committing 'the Grandest Death' himself.

Aventurine is tied to the concept of death by his association with the playing card suit 'Spades'/the Ace of Spades.

Aventurine dances with Caelus, the sentient host of a Stellaron/Space Cancer, in the White Night trailer.

Aventurine feigned a plan to make Caelus 'become Death' in his boss fight, though that fight was actually a plan to have Acheron (the Emanator of Nihility/Nothingness) help him prove death's existence.

The Devil in Velvet (John Dickson Carr)

A man makes a deal with the devil to get a new life - he later comes to be known a devil himself.

Aventurine both serves/made a deal with the devil (the IPC) while embodying the devil and offering the same to the Trailblazer.

The Tell-Tale Heart (Poe) & The Statue of the Happy Prince (Oscar Wilde)

Both are short stories. The Tell-Tale Heart is a section primarily played as Acheron, while Sparkle directly references the Statue of the Happy Prince when she encounters Aventurine giving away his wealth (to lure her out) in the Dreamscape.

Uma (Sparkle): Wealthy people have fancy ways to enjoy this dream, but to be honest, I've never seen anyone who gives out money to others like you. Uma (Sparkle): So, are you trying to be the prince from the tale, handing out his gold-leaf garment and melting his lead heart in the fire?

The events of both stories play out fairly literally during the course of the 2.1 patch.

Acheron is the 'the protagonist' of The Tell-Tale Heart, who murders a man with unnerving eyes.

Aventurine is the man with the unnerving eyes who is murdered and the generous, gilded statue who gives away his wealth (gems and gold).

Aventurine shatters his own Cornerstone (an object more valuable than Aventurine himself, in which he 'chiselled his own will') for the IPC's benefit and ends up dying for their cause. Jade moves into Penacony to replace him without much fanfare. The wealth that the Statue gives away are the gold leaf and gems from his own body, and once he is no longer beautiful he is destroyed by his owners and replaced with a statue of the Mayor.

In both stories, despite the 'death' of the subject of the work, their heart remains in some form. In The Tell-Tale Heart, the murderer believes he can still hear his victim's heart beating beneath the floorboards. In The Statue of the Happy Prince, despite the statue being melted down for scrap, it's heart survives and remains in one piece.

This ties into the dual themes of 'death' and 'life' Aventurine carries - he's dead, but due to the nature of the Dreamscape he might still survive in some abstract way.

The game hints that despite his death he may return in some capacity, e.g.;

Aventurine's final conversation with Acheron and the message received from Dr. Ratio.

Aventurine's final message to the Trailblazer.

Robin sure seems to be doing okay.

Aventurine's association with peacocks - life/rebirth.

And the next part -

What The Thunder Said - The Wasteland (T.S. Eliot)

Chapter 8, All the Sad Tales, incorporates fragments of Eliot's poem into Aventurine's journey with his visions of his past and future self. Chunks of the referenced stanzas are removed or altered. This chapter primarily makes use of the first half of this poem.

Poetry is not my area of expertise and beyond briefly flipping through his work I mostly knew Eliot for Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, it's associated musical and one extremely cursed movie. Happily, Eliot left us notes on his intentions with the work. Quote;

"In the first part of Part V three themes are employed: the journey to Emmaus, the approach to the Chapel Perilous (see Miss Weston’s book) and the present decay of eastern Europe."

The Journey to Emaus - two travelers, believing Jesus to be dead, unknowingly encounter him post-resurrection.

Chapel Perilous is a consistent aspect of the Grail Quest of Arthurian mythology. Details vary, but it is a place of death. It's a perilous place, with a curse that must be undone by a hero (the Trailblazer, surely - Aventurine is one of those who died before their arrival).

This connects Aventurine to 'decay of [place]' (the situation in Penacony), a place of death (the Dreamscape) and resurrection (copium).

More literally, the parts of the poem sourced describe a place resembling Sigonia-IV, Aventurine's homeworld (e.g. HSR removes the first two lines of the poem - that make reference to a garden, unlikely to be found in Sigonia-IV - and picks up from the third), as well as Aventurine's march towards death and the hallucinations he has of the people accompanying him on his journey (Eliot explicitly states part of his poem refers to Ernest Shackelton's Antarctic expedition, where his party hallucinated a whole extra person being present).

Additionally, there are two achievements available that also relate to the poem in chapters 8 and 9; "Sibyl, What Do You Want?" (see Aventurine's backstory) and "...she replied, 'I want to die'." (defeating Aventurine)

Which is a fractured quote in The Wasteland's epigraph (in turn quoting Petronius' Satyricon) that references The Cumaean Sibyl, a supposedly immortal Apollonian prophetess. In the Satyricon, she has been preserved for eternity within a jar and wants to die. In Virgil's Aeneid, she is a guide between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Aventurine wants to die, and the second achievement is received before he talks to Acheron in the liminal space before his 'death' (though in the second case Acheron plays the role of Sibyl).

Misc. I'm less sure about.

While I can't guarantee that Aventurine is outright going to return, there are a lot of design elements that indicate he may survive in some capacity. It is fairly interesting that Harmony Trailblazer wears the hat from the White Night trailer (Danse Macabre), is associated with dancing and has a skill visually reminiscent of Aventurine's.

There are 3 Aventurines (past!Kakavasha, present!Aventurine and future!Aventurine) that make the journey to Aventurine's eventual 'death'. This might be a reference to the 3 Fates, or the Norns or Morai, that feature prominently in several mythologies including Greek and Norse - three goddesses, one each representing past, present, and future, that rule over the fates of humans from birth until their death and eventual journey to the Underworld. I was less sure of this one until I found the Sibyl connection. I'm still a little unsure, but Aventurine is guiding himself to the underworld...

The Spade on Aventurine's chest is in two parts - an upside down heart and a smaller segment connected to the bottom. It could be doing double duty as a reversed Heart - if this is the case I would interpret the Heart here as referring to home, family, love, contentment and an assortment of other nice things that Aventurine no longer has.

Aventurine's connection to Spades having a connection to wit/intelligence lines up with the final line in the blessing of the Gaithra Triclops - "…and your schemes forever concealed."

It also might allude to Aventurine's connection to Dr. Ratio of the Intelligensia Guild.

FINAL NOTES:

Aventurine's story mapping so literally onto aspects of the literature referenced above does make me think that HSR committed to making a lot of literary references first and then constructed Aventurine's role in the story around the ones that worked for them. The rest of Penacony 2.1 is similar, though to a less effective or consistent degree (e.g. Double Indemnity, Cat Among the Pigeons).

'Weston's Book' is "From Ritual to Romance" by Jessica Weston. The whole thing is available online and it's a great read if you're interested in The Grail Quest.

I can't say too much on The Devil in Velvet, because I haven't read this book. I did try to source it prior to this, but it's pretty expensive.

Because I'm a nerd, I was actually a little annoyed that Aventurine has all four suits on his outfit (though the other three have less prominence than spades) because they muddied how clear cut the life-death reading of his outfit is. Because they're less prominent than his connection to Spades, I chose to interpret them as an extension of the gambler motif started by the roulette wheel on his back.

I mentioned that HSR has edited The Wasteland for Aventurine's segment - it might be more accurate to say they took a hatchet to it and extracted/edited the parts that worked best for them. This is fine, though they did invent a new word in the process. Besiding is not a word! (i think the original poem scans more smoothly than the changes HYV made too)

I'll happily read Weston and Eliot for Aventurine, but I will not read Nietzche for Acheron. Or anyone. Lucky Aventurine (lol)

someone might have already done all this. if they have, i didn't go looking! i took a really long time (procrastinated) and would be curious to see anyone else's breakdowns if there's anything i missed

[imonthemoonitsmadeofcheese]

hi im gonna write a drifteris fic (with different names) for a creative writing contest but i desperately need a prompt, you are The Drifteris Person™ and i would trust you with my life so please do you have any prompt recommendations 😭

I do not know when I became the Drifteris person but, while I feel unworthy of the title, I will try my very best to give you something lovely.  If at some point in future you wish to share what you've written I would love to read it.  Anything I can do to increase the amount of Drifteris in the world delights me intensely.

Here's a bunch of story ideas for things I might write some day that you (and anyone else who wants) are free to use (ideas are not stories - take them, use them, write your thing and revel in the glory that is human creativity).  Some are quite unoriginal, but the thing about writing is if you get too original no one can relate to it, so always give yourself permission to do something that's already been done.  Only you can write a thing like you.  No matter what the base idea is, the actual writing is still your own.

Specifically set in Beyond Light: Europa (because I feel robbed we did not get enough of those two in BL - for research, watch the awesome cutscene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAD6E_vESJY&t=18s or the videos of their conversations with the player by the fire)

Exo Stranger is busy and there's a strange signal so they go investigate

They find something in an ice cave

Why did they leave Europa? (We just showed up one week and they were gone - maybe there was a specific reason that caused them to run off?)

There is a blizzard and one of them is late coming back from a patrol so the other goes out looking for them

Ice fishing gone wrong

Snowball fight

Scenes from learning how to use/practicing Stasis

More generic anytime/anywhere:

One calls the other after waking up from a bad dream

"Saw this, thought of you." (bonus points if it seems vaguely insulting on the surface but is actually really sweet)

Cooking lessons

Pick a location in the game, think of a reason for Eris to want to investigate something there and drag the Drifter along in a similar manner to the Eidolon Pursuant clothing ( https://www.ishtar-collective.net/categories/eidolon-pursuant-suit-warlock?highlight=eidolon+pursuant )

The Drifter takes Eris fishing to one of the fishing spots in game (why does she go with him?  she lost a bet? or perhaps she asked him to take her fishing and he's nervous about them getting shot? so many possibilities!)

Drifter shows up on the Moon having fixed something for her (maybe he stole it and she didn't know he had it? maybe she asked him to fix it so he made it better?  maybe she didn't know it was broken?  maybe he broke it?)

She shows up to the Annex because he asked her to come look at something he found after one of the Salvage operations on Titan (and of course he never mentioned it to anyone because Drifter be like that)

Immaru says some shit to Eris and gets bullied (the possibilities are endless - I support more Immaru bullying in the world) 

Eido asks Eris about something the Drifter once said to her and wants an explanation of what that 'human custom' means (it is of course something Drifter-terrible - or maybe not - perhaps it’s emotionally revealing and he never expected Eido to notice never mind ask about it - you decide!)

Ikora asks Eris to investigate something in a lost sector and Eris brings the Drifter along (or the Drifter finds out Eris is going and shows up uninvited - I love lost sectors - they're such interesting bits of the game and easy to explore for research purposes after you've cleared them out)

Go in game to one of their locations (Annex or the Moon or Athenaeum...) and wander around looking at the details.  Find something intriguing.  Have one of them ask the other what it is and why it's there (why the hell does Eris have Hive eyeballs floating in her bowl in the Athenaeum?  Seriously... what is she even doing with that?)

Sometimes I just go stand beside Drifter in the Annex or Eris on the Moon and listen to their idle diaogue and then go “I wonder what that was all about.  There’s a story in there!” and get inspired.

I will stop now or I'll just keep going on forever.  I would love to read any/all of these.  Please write them.  I may write them too at some point but that’s ok.  There’s no such thing as too much Drifteris.

[littlekiara96]

Meet Rose, my HSR OC :D

Her kit is based on life-stealing through DoTs and she's part of the Stellaron Hunters :D

I'd love to get asks about her (anything, really) ^^

I've tried to make her kit not too OP because she is meant to be a 4-star but huuuuh... Not sure I managed that...

[Kit, Eidolons (titles only) and voicelines under the cut]

— Ability

Basic ATK: Flying Thorns

Shoots 3 needles out of her umbrella to one enemy target, with a 70% base chance of inflicting them with Wind Shear for 3 turns, up to 5 stacks. Each DoT applied life-steals for 30% of her max health and 10% of her attack.

Skill: Lovely Sacrifice

Heals all allies by downing her own health by 30% of her max health. Each ally receives 20% of her max health.

Ultimate: Sweet Revenge

A blast that hits up to 3 enemy targets, life-stealing for 70% of her max health and 30% of her attack.

Talent: Unbearable Loss

Revives one ally per battle at full health but she sacrifices 70% of her Max HP in the process. She cannot go lower than 1 HP.

Technique: Delicate Touch

Attacks her target, applying one stack of Wind Shear on all enemies at the start of the battle.

— Eidolons

Under the Umbrella

Means to an End

Gentleness Aplenty

Irreplaceable Ire

Love Abounds

— Character Lines

First Meeting: “Hello, darling~ Don't fret; the name's Rose and I'm merely here to help you. Do tell me if anything hurts. If you behave, I might even kiss it better~”

Greeting: “How have you been since last time? Tell me everything!”

Parting: “Aww, don't worry~ I'm not going anywhere without you.”

About Self: “Oh? I’m not all that special! I just take care of the people dear to me, and I make sure nothing bad happens to them. Just what any good friend would do, right?”

About Self - Pendant: “You wish to see…? I'm sorry, but it's very precious to me. It's… a souvenir of sorts.”

Chat - Flowers: "I can't help but like the smell of roses… It reminds me of… old times…"

Chat - Love: "I say I love everyone, but in fact… There is one person I despise. Who? I'm not telling you~"

Hobbies: "I mostly read whenever I have nothing better to do. Do you know about a romance writer from Jarilo-VI? I just love her work!"

Annoyances: “Anyone who hurts my friends, be it physically or not… shall face the consequences.”

Something to Share: “Isn’t life just so wonderful? All the little things that make up the universe… It’s a beautiful, chaotic miracle, don’t you think?”

Knowledge: "Have you heard about the Knights of Beauty? They are quite the interesting bunch. I wonder what they are up to, nowadays…"

About Sam: "Oh, funny Sammy? He's a bit all over the place, but he's always there when I need help with anything. Sometimes, it's like he pops out of nowhere… I whacked him once with my umbrella reflexively. He asked for compensation. What was it? Oh, hum… Heehee~"

About Silver Wolf: "She's a good kid, once you explain things to her like it's a game. She has a passion for high scores and such, so she just needs a feeling of competition and she'll do anything for you!"

About Kafka: "Aaah~ I always go shopping with Kaykay! She has impeccable taste in fashion, and she even helped me train with my umbrella!"

About Blade: "I wish Bladie would stop telling me not to heal him. I don't even want his thanks, I just want him to… Ah! Don't tell him I called him Bladie!!"

About Elio: "Now, now~ If you think I will tell you anything about my boss… You're dead wrong."

About Argenti: “Wh- Why would you want me to talk about him?! N-No, I am not blushing! Who taught you to be so rude to a lady?”

— Combat Lines

Battle Begins - Weakness Break: “Careful not to prick yourself.”

Battle Begins - Danger Alert: “That's a thorny situation…”

Turn Begins I: “Time to reap what you sowed!”

Turn Begins II: “Let’s pluck some petals!”

Turn Idling: “Is there a problem, dear?”

Basic ATK: “Stay still!”

Skill: “Please, don't look…”

Hit by Light Attack: “Just a prick.”

Hit by Heavy Attack: “That one hurt!”

Ultimate: Activate: “Do not interfere.”

Ultimate: Unleash: “The constant flow of change in all that exists… How poetic!” - x2 “The flow of change… Wonderful!”

Talent: "Not on my watch!"

Downed: “Should've been… better…”

Return to Battle: “Did you miss me?”

Health Recovery: “How sweet of you~”

Technique: “Here's a gift~”

Battle Won: “Does anyone need a magic kiss?”

Treasure Opening: “Oh! How nice~”

Successful Puzzle-Solving: “Keeping one's mind sharp~”

Enemy Target Found: “Beware. That flower has thorns.”

Returning to Town: “We can rest whenever you need to.”

[walkman-cat]

you cannot just reblog a metal post and blorbo tag it without an explanation davey who is eidolon and why does he rule i must know - @pigeonwit

hi pidge! i'm soso glad you asked wbwbw

eidolon vetch is the title of one of my stories! it's a mystery/fantasy/i dont really know set in a city based on turn-of-the-century new york :]

it's primarily about kit allister, alias hermes vetch-- a gentleman thief-- trying to solve the 14-year old disappearance of her lover's ex-betrothed by becoming the assistant of the detective chasing him.

but it's also about a forbidden pantheon of dead gods erased almost completely from history, were it not for the fact that traditions and practices done in two of their names have kept two of them somewhat alive (they're still dead but prayers are answered they still have powers it's confusing but i think also metal as hell). two major characters are technically embodiments of these dead gods but also technically not and neither of them are really suited to the god they're supposed to be it's a fun time

[jeglly-bean]

how did you come up with those ancestor titles

i get futaba's ancestor's title referring to what wakaba was

the rest i am unsure about

i kinda thought of the martyr for shinjiro since that's what castor was

Most of the ancestors I chose were based on each characters' persona's lore, but that didn't apply to everyone. For example, Sumire's ancestor(s) are the Eidolons since I was thinking of Kasumi, someone who was idolized and revered in her field. There's also Narukami who's ancestor is the Chirurgeon, an archaic word for surgeon due to my headcannon of his family working in the medical field and him taking an interest in it as well.

[localsharkcryptid]

Boredom fills me so uh take some brainrot on an idea I am currently working on making into a fic

In summary - A small mountain side tourist-trap town which I've yet to name has been more or less bought out by Quackity, an ex-politician with more than enough money thanks to his husband's 'death' who plans to turn this nice scenic mountainside land into the next entertainment capital of the world. With some main construction points already done such as The Needle and the bare-bones for the grand casino as well as a few others, Q already considers this a major success [even after his failures in being able to turn the land into a man made desert] though with continued construction more and more problems arise as they encroach on the forests. Equipment damages, several accidents and 'animal attacks' ever continuing though in reality there's nothing within this area that should be capable of this. Meanwhile the towns people have their own opinions on the situation, majority displeased with the abrupt renovations and others mostly fine since business is business but with constructions coming to a halt a fair amount of people blame these incidents on the cryptids which are said to live within the mountains. These claims are shoved off as nonsense by Quackity and his team, though the stories are apparently more fact than fiction... Seeing as an unexpected meeting due to a certain someone's inability to see glass causes Q to learn first hand that the tales of this town are more real than one would think.

More details cause wooo-

SBI take up the roles as the cryptids of this town, all with varying lore and legend around them.

Philza is refered to as the Crow-Father, due to several sightings only ever seeing him within the shadows of trees while the surrounding area is filled with a murder of crows, due to this it's generally custom that crows in the town are given right-of-way as well. Over all he has a reputation akin to Mothman, an omen of ill fortune, disaster and death- thus leaving things out wether it be food, shiny objects and things for the crows is said to bypass the Father's judgement.

Techno is so originally named named the Boar/Hog-Man, the 'most easy to provoke' of the quartet. Having several notable attacks that have left cars and buildings damaged, along with people as well having been reportedly mauled. Though these incidents have been written off as 'bear attacks' by most officials. According to most in the town there isn't much that can be done to get on the good side of this one, but in general they've noticed a distinct disappearance of potatoes when they're in season- but best to leave 'offerings' out in the woods and far away from people.

Wilbur has been given the title of The *town/mountain name* Harpy or The Eidolon [Im undecided on the name for him] sightings and incidents with his involvement have been far and few between though even with being the most pacifistic of the group there's been a few isolated incidents with human property being damaged by him or small animals being snatched. Though most sightings have an interesting tie in, being that his appearance was usually brought on by music of some fashion- so far basic in tune singing as well as guitars have been the two to mainly do it. Generally it's not advised to play instruments at night due to this.

Finally, Tommy, who has just simply been titled Verm [alternatively the Vermilion Vermin], having been the cause of numerous missing pets and items his acts are once again normally pinned on wild animals. Though despite this a few townsfolk make it customary to collect the blood of wild game [hunting is a big thing so yeah] and leave it out near wooded areas before and after hunting- as to bring good luck and to hopefully stave off the cryptid from raiding their campsites.

Phil is of course inspired by the mothman legends along with his usual bird vibes/angel of death schtick, Techno doesn't have any real world cryptid tie-ins I'm more so basing him on just a piglin and the blood god stuff, Wilbur takes phantom inspiration primarily with no real-world tie in aside from me partly basing his appearance on the Ropen and Jersey Devil and Tommy takes heavy inspiration from the Chupacabra, I figured both variants of it give the feral goblin energy which he holds so he's some funky combo. Also they are all humanoid to a degree- well except techno he is just a pigman- everyone else is human adjacent and fully sentient for reference.

Oh yeah also if you wanted to know - this'll be a very tnt duo centric fic and they will kiss at some point.

Also please for the love of god feel free to ask stuff about this idea, I have sooo much and I don't know if I can include it all in the fic

[theterribletenno]

There are Many Benefits to Being a Warframeologist

This is the wordiest season of Bad Warframes so far, a lot of stories being told. ALSO, this is the first season in which D-listers are getting their chance at being recycled! As per usual anyone new or needing a refresher can find the voting guide here make sure you cast your votes based on which frames you'd like to see get a full profile page, every vote counts!

Naberus, the Kuva Lich Warframe. In a life now long buried in the dusty tomes of history, Naberus was once a member of the Orokin High Council, one of the most powerful men in all of the Origin system. But for his crime of sharing the precious red kuva with the unworthy and the unclean he was branded a heretic, stripped of rank and title, and condemned to a fate worse than death. Naberus was entombed in his own flesh, turned into an un-living, un-dead warframe abonimation and sealed away. From his corrupted flesh the kuva flowed, a pungent red wine for the mouths of those who cast him down. Now released, the warped and withered form of Naberus has awakened to feast on blood and spread a plague of foul undeath through the cursed black kuva that courses through his cold veins. (based on a submission by bandit-o-s)

Armstrong, the Sentient Shrapnel Warframe. Half-destroyed during the old war, Armstrong's body was riddled with shards of debris from an exploding sentient. As a hundred fragments of a shattered foe embedded into his body, he fell upon the battlefield, presumed dead. But the Sentients' powers were not yet fully understood at that time, and the hundred shards of rust-red metal pulses with Eidolon energy for a century. When Armstrong was unearthed from the battlefield his warframe body had assimilated the throbbing Sentient shards, becoming a new hybrid. With his broken body rebuilt from minerals leeched from the earth and stone, and prickling with alien thorns that sing in voices only he can hear, Armstrong has reawakened to bring hell back to the battlefield in an explosive way.

Avatar, the Digital Construct Warframe. Where the arcane meets the technological is where you find Avatar, the princess of projection. Avatar conceals her true slender form beneath an extravagant display of light and shape and color, a constant and dazzling demonstration of her power. Beyond making herself look larger than life, Avatar's powers of digital construction and projection of hard light holograms makes her a strategic asset in battle. She can travel at the speed of light by turning herself fully into energy for a fraction of a second, and create energetic traps and illusory hazards to misdirect enemies to a shocking death. Avatar is something incredible to behold, ensconced in an illusory gown of twinkling crystals and swirling lights. Electrify the battlefield as the goddess of glamour, the idol of illusion, the princess of projection, Avatar.

Kelvin, the Negentropy Warframe. The Warframe now known as Kelvin was meant to explore the possibility of creating new engines that drew power directly from the void, but the shallow and flawed understanding of its properties led to the creation of an engine that produced excessive heat instead of limitless power. The occult Orokin engine inside Kelvin generates such immense thermal power that if left unchecked it would burn Kelvin to ash. So throughout his entire body a system of coolant tubes like pumping veins was installed, a means of reducing the arcane engine's temperature chilling Kelvin's overheating body and even his surroundings. But Kelvin can also cut the flow of coolant, letting the heat build. To make sure that Kelvin's body is never subjected to temperatures so extreme that they would destroy him, a heat gauge was installed into him, activating the coolant pumps if he becomes too hot, and disabling them if he becomes too cold, forcing him into a state of constantly fluctuating equilibrium.

Mantis, the Kung Fu Warframe. A warrior whose tutelage traces its origins to the far distant past, a martial art older than the golden empire, Mantis is a master of close combat. With skills that embody the five totemic animals of his ancient art, Mantis changes his fighting style to suit his ever-changing battlefield. Mantis style is fast and precise, Crane style's stance cannot be broken, Monkey style is agile and acrobatic, and the legendary Tiger style is unmatched in ferocity and force. Bring the ways of the old world to the new generation with Mantis and his legendary Kung Fu fighting styles, enhanced beyond their limits by Warframe technology and Tenno control.

[cathoderaysunshinebeaver]

Heretic/Hexen

I love Doom. I’ve never made an attempt to list my favorite video games in a numerical order, but if I did, Doom would likely be one of the highest, if not #1. I’m also a big fan of the “dark fantasy” aesthetic, so discovering the Heretic/Hexen series was a treat, to say the least.

Released in 1994, Heretic was built using the Doom engine by Raven Software, with John Romero himself having helped the team set up their computers and teaching them the basics of how he would make maps for the game. With this in mind, you’d be forgiven for saying what a lot of reviewers said at the time: this game looks like a Doom reskin with a fantasy theme.

This sentiment mostly applies to the first game, Heretic. But in a sea of other “Doom clones” released at the time, it is definitely one of the more competent ones. You play as Corvus, one of the few surviving elves in a world overtaken by the evil Serpent Riders, who have decided to exterminate all the elves because their magical powers make them resistant to the mind control spells the Serpent Riders use to conquer and subjugate realm after realm on their quest for world domination. Unsurprisingly, Corvus is out for revenge, and the end goal of the game is to hunt down and kill the first of the three Serpent Riders, D’Sparil.

The gameplay in Heretic is more similar to Doom than in the later games, but it does the Doom formula well. Most weapons have a distinct counterpart in the game it is based on: the Elven Wand is your pistol, the Dragon Claw is your chaingun, the Ethereal Crossbow is your shotgun, and so on. They are satisfying to use (save the wand, arguably), and look deliciously fantasy-eque, with beautiful spritework. The levels are split into a familiar structure, featuring three episodes with nine levels each (and two more episodes released as an expansion pack). The enemies are varied, with pretty animations and distinct sounds, and play into the Doom experience very well in that the combinations and locations of enemies in each area lends itself to very different strategies (although “run really fast and blast everyone with the crossbow” rarely fails on most difficulties). The two expansion episodes are considerably more challenging, and will require more quick thinking and ammo, sorry, mana conservation. Definitely a fun romp.

The sequel, Hexen, is where the series starts finding it’s own unique twist on the genre, and is the by many regarded as the “classic” that really put the franchise on the map. Again, you’re playing as a vindictive hero on a quest to liberate their realm from the Serpent Riders. This time it’s Korax, the second out of the three. However, now you’ve got to pick a class. This is the first big difference you’ll notice when starting the game. Corvus is MIA from his last adventure, and instead your choice of protagonist is between Baratus the Fighter, Parias the Cleric, and Daedolon the mage. While the game isn’t an RPG, these characters all have different stats when it comes to running speed and base HP. More importantly, they each have access to their own unique set of weapons. Mana is shared between the weapons, which are now split into green, blue and dual mana types, but they all behave very differently. For example, the fighter’s weapons are mostly of the melee variety and consume mana rapidly only for special attack modes, as they can still be swung without mana. The mage on the other hand uses his bare hands to cast a lot of his spells, but they do not burn through mana nearly as quickly. Unsurprisingly, the cleric is a hybrid, and uses both a spiked club and a mix of magical weapons. An “ultimate” weapon is also available to each class, which must be assembled from parts and consumes both blue and green mana, but has really devastating attacks (the cleric’s “Wraithverge” summons ghosts that scream like banshees and tear every nearby enemy to shreds; it’s just as metal as it sounds)!

Beyond the class differences, the level structure is the other major difference between Heretic and Hexen. Instead of a linear series of levels, each episode is now defined by a hub level with many branching areas that can usually be visited in any order. You need to find key items and activate switches in each one to open the way to the next world, and many areas within each sub-level are also locked until you find the right key/switch in a completely different area. As would be expected, this new spin on the level progression comes with both pros and cons. Few players today will be able to complete the game without ever looking at a walkthrough, and based on some comments I’ve read, this is one of those games that many people in the 90s would only dream of beating on their own. That said, there are very few instances where pulling a switch won’t at the very least give you a short message indicating it’s purpose (i.e. “A door has opened in the Wastelands”), and even then those with enough patience will rarely feel completely lost if they’re willing to backtrack systematically through every area over and over, taking note of every single locked door and unreachable area. I doubt it’s something the majority of gamers enjoy doing, but if you’re the type who would rather give up before accepting a hint, I’m happy to report that this game IS beatable even with your play style.

On the other hand, this structure also adds a lot to the feeling of being on a dangerous, epic quest. Metroidvania fans know that there are few things as satisfying as picking up a key and thinking “hey, I recognize this symbol! Now I can finally see what’s behind that door in the swamp!”. Uncovering the world bit by bit in this fashion really lends an air of mystery to the land of Cronos (where Hexen is set), and truly gives you that classic feeling of “pride and accomplishment” when you’re finally able to descend into that forbidding temple that’s been looming on the horizon for so long. And for those of you who are worried you won’t get to blast enough monsters to get your fill, this game still has you covered.

The enemies in Hexen are just as threatening as those in Heretic, and they look even better this time (seriously, if you enjoyed the visual aspect of Heretic, Hexen steps it up tenfold with truly gorgeous sprites, textures, animations and even some environmental visual effects, like thick mist and dead leaves blowing in the wind). You’ve got a fantastic cast of evil wizards, zombies, dog-like orcs, Minotaurs and more types of dragons and dragon hybrids than you could shake a Mace of Contrition at. A good amount of the baddies are initially very similar to those in Heretic, but their attacks are more distinct, varied and dangerous, and there are a whole lot more of these guys this time around. If you have the enemy counter turned on in your automap it won’t be uncommon to see the numbers exceed 400, and some of the weaker enemies will even respawn after a while. Don’t worry though, it’s not frequent enough to be stressful, but instead it really helps the backtracking from getting too tedious. Key hunting is a lot more intense when you never know if an Ettin is waiting around the corner to cave your skull in! However, if you’ve seen any other reviews of this game, you’ve heard a lot of grief expressed in regards to the Minotaurs (and their big brothers, the Maulotaurs). They aren’t the strongest foe in the game, but their shields, their surprise lighting bolts and their sheer numbers can definitely be a pain in the gluteus maximus. On the plus side, it makes killing them all the more satisfying, and you’ll find yourself experimenting quite a bit with your weapons and items to figure out the safest and quickest way to end their existence.

That’s right, I forgot to mention the items. The third and last major difference between Doom and these games is your inventory. The items are largely the same in all the games in the series, and using them can be a bit of a hassle unless you’re willing to fiddle around with your control settings to find a setup you prefer (I would usually bind the item selection keys to the scroll wheel and use them with the right mouse button). Visually, the inventory is similar to that seen in Duke Nukem 3D, and just like in that game, you’ll likely find yourself using some items a lot more frequently than others. Health and mana refills are a major aid, and beyond that you have things such as invisibility, invincibility, flechettes (despite what the name says, they’re more like grenades or mines, depending on your class), and a magical book that gives your weapons a much more powerful firing mode for a short time (although this item is mysteriously absent in Hexen). A special mention also goes to the Morph Ovum/Porkelator/Seal of the Ovinomancer, which transforms an enemy into a chicken/pig/sheep, respectively. A lot of fun to use, and and immense help against some stronger enemies if you’re low on health and/or mana.

If you didn’t find yourself using these items all too much in Heretic or Hexen, the following game might just give you a reason to. Hexen II is the third game in the series, and the final chapter in the Serpent Riders saga. This time you’re in the realm of Thyrion, and the last Serpent Rider, Eidolon, is the one who must be slain to free the land from his curse. In terms of gameplay, Hexen II is a lot more similar to Hexen than Hexen was to Heretic. You’ve got the same type of hub level structure, and you’ll again pick a class at the start, although now your choice has expanded, consisting of the Crusader, Paladin, Necromancer and Assassin, as well as the Demoness in the expansion (yes, all these games have expansion packs and they’re all worth playing in that they’re more of the same, but expanded, duh, and more polished).

The major difference this time around is one you can probably tell immediately from the screenshot: yes, Hexen II goes 3D (and in an exception to the common rule at the time, it is NOT titled “Hexen 3D” despite technically being the third installment). Specifically, the game uses a modified Quake engine. As mentioned, the core gameplay remains largely the same as in Hexen, but the level designers definitely did not waste that extra dimension. The levels are less expansive here, but a lot more complex and full of hidden passages, surprising loops and a whole lot of verticality. Scurring across a courtyard with archers raining arrows down on you from balconies is just as tense as it is satisfying later on to reach the same balcony and return the favor to any ghoul unlucky enough to find themselves below. Overall, the layout and progression in each area feels like it’s been given a lot more consideration and has endured more testing. Most of the time, the key hunting in each area feels more self-contained, and when it isn’t you rarely feel like you have no idea where to go. This is because every lock has been designed to feel more like a puzzle. In practice, your goal is still to find an item and bring it somewhere, but the locks and keys themselves are much more distinct, which helps you remember what to do and where to go. Instead of levers and typical keys, you find yourself looking for artefacts such as potion ingredients that will let you turn metal into wood, pieces of a broken mechanism or symbolic relics that must be placed in the hands of a statue to go in line with a prophecy. There are also more direct instructions in the form of book entries and inscribed stone tablets, which are very helpful in those cases where the puzzle might require a bit more than just item hunting, such as pulling switches in a certain order or lining objects up to create a pattern. It’s still unlikely that you’ll breeze through the whole game without getting confused, but you’ll rarely be at a complete loss; you’ll usually know what you’re looking for or what you’re trying to activate, even if you may need a walkthrough to find a specific hidden passage or to figure out exactly what a contraption does.

Overall, Hexen II feels like a refined Hexen, with more care put into making every area feel very distinct. It is absolutely not any less challenging though. The areas might be smaller in terms of actual units of measurement, and there are definitely fewer enemies on the screen at all times, but this is compensated for in spades. The third dimension adds a thick layer of complexity to every level, and the enemies hit HARD. If you got into a rhythm in Hexen of circle strafing, dodging and picking off targets in an order of perceived priority, you’ll have to learn to dance to a different tune here. Some enemies will close in on you incredibly quickly, and many of them have the ability to turn you into minced meat in a matter of seconds. Now more than ever is when you’ll want to shoot with a steady aim, use your items wisely, keep all the possible paths of retreat in your mental map, and scour every nook and cranny for health and mana to stand a chance against some of the stronger mooks. Hexen II as a whole is a lot more fast paced and tense and also has a more dramatic views and set pieces along with some extra bits of storytelling scattered around the world for those interested.

So, what are my thoughts on the Heretic/Hexen series as a whole? In short, it’s a treat. Combining classic fantasy tropes with the hectic action of Doom (and Quake) was an idea that was bound to happen sooner or later, and in this case, it worked out really well. There are of course other examples of this iconic clash of genres (check out Amid Evil for a totally kick-ass recent example!), but from what I know, the Serpent Riders saga is the one with the most lasting appeal. All the games strike a great balance between frantic, gory FPS action and the slower paced mystery and brooding sense of evil that only dark castles and dungeons can provide, with each game leaning a bit more toward one direction or the other. At a core gameplay level, there is nothing absolutely groundbreaking about Heretic/Hexen, but every element is done well and with care, and the presentation oozes of 20th century gothic fantasy charm, both the visuals and music. If the first paragraph of this review made you go “oh, those are both things I like!” then definitely check these games out. Same goes for anyone who is simply curious about the history of Id software and the impact Doom and Quake had on the gaming landscape. My only warning to you before playing these games is this: keep in mind that these games are from the 90s. There’s a reason many people have memories of booting these games up, getting completely stuck and then never playing them again. That said, as long as you have an internet connection (how else would you be reading this?) and an average amount of patience, there’s a whole lot of fun to be had here. All the games mentioned above are available on Steam (and GoG as well, I believe), and play excellently with modern source ports: gzdoom for Heretic and Hexen, and Hammer of Thyrion for Hexen II are my recommendations.

Finally, there is another game in the franchise. Heretic II returns to the story of Corvus (from the first game) and continues the story beyond the Serpent Riders arc, but due to some licensing issues it is not available on neither Steam nor GoG. Technically you could still buy a physical copy of the game, and I’ve seen mentions of at least one fan endeavor to make the game more accessible on modern computers, but I have yet to check it out. Maybe in the future. For now, I hope you enjoyed this dive into one of the slightly less famous, but still very popular classic 90s “Doom clones”!

[vespertine-legacy]

sweet darling, where he wants you

I realized I never posted a bit I wrote a long time ago with a flashback to when Coda worked for the Eidolon that, in my mind, explains why she opted to give him to the Hutts. Title is from “less I know the better” by Tame Impala.

Warning for slight non-con vibes just in case. Nothing sexual happens, but the Eidolon is a bit skeevy. Togruta biology stuff taken from fanon and workshopped a bit with friends.

“Sit here, Orcodaa,” the Eidolon motioned to a plush divan under a fabric awning at the back of the dais in his operations center.

As Coda sat on the edge of the too-soft couch, not entirely settling in, he made a low gesture to his guards, signaling for them to move to their posts around the room’s perimeter. Coda had only worked for the Eidolon for a few weeks but it was long enough to assume that a private audience with him might not be a positive thing. The Eidolon paced in front of her, back and forth a few strides, while looking her over appraisingly. When he stopped directly in front of her so that she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes, Coda realized how intentional it had been that she was seated while he still stood—even without her montrals, Coda was a fair few inches taller than the Eidolon, and he wanted to remind her of her place without looking her level in the eye.

“Have I done something wrong?” Coda asked after a long moment of silence, tired of looking up at him. As an afterthought, she added, “Sir?”

“No, Orcodaa, my dear. I’ve been very impressed with your work. And I have a new task for you,” the Eidolon smiled down at her, placing a hand gently on Coda’s cheek. “Orcodaa, how much do you know about your venom?”

Coda felt the heat of embarrassment in her cheeks, felt the blush spread across her face and neck, felt her lekku twitch anxiously. She began to dislike his use of her full given name, started to feel uncomfortable that he knew more about her biology than she did. Her parents had given her the explanation of their heritage as apex predators, how their venom could take down and paralyze small prey, warned her and her sister to be careful not to bite anyone as the venom wouldn’t usually be dangerous to sentients, but it could have certain adverse effects. Coda had had to learn on her own—with a series of varyingly enthusiastic partners—that those effects could range from pleasant and mildly hallucinatory to aphrodisiac.

“Ah, looks like you do know what it’s useful for then,” the Eidolon’s grin widened.

Unwilling to meet his eyes any longer, Coda shifted her gaze to the Eidolon’s nose, the thought that his coloring matched that of unripe muja fruit flitting through her mind. Was this why he had hired her? Not for her wit or her moderate skill with blasters, not for her short stint with the Republic Army that had provided enough medical and xenobiology training that she could patch up just about any member of his crew in a pinch, but for the two small glands behind her teeth.

The Eidolon reached into an inner pocket of his coat, producing a small glass with a thin layer of what looked like synthskin stretched over the top. Coda swallowed hard against his fingers as his hand shifted to her chin, gripping a little tighter than was probably strictly necessary.

The Eidolon pressed the glass to Coda’s mouth, his fingers on her chin forced her jaw slack. The synthskin was soft and foreign against her lips.

“Bite, my dear.”

There was the slightest pop as her fang-like canines pierced the false skin. Coda felt stupid and still hot from embarrassment with her teeth sunk into the synthskin. Her lip stuck against the glass and his fingers bruised her jaw. She knew she was supposed to express her venom, but it was suddenly too jarring to be held like a kodashi viper to be milked. So Coda froze with her tongue resting against her soft palate just below her venom sacs, considering her few options.

“Orcodaa,” the Eidolon’s voice was gentle, and the hand on her jaw released, his fingers trailing slowly along her cheek, around the back of her head and stroking up her central lek before lightly gripping the base of her left montral.

Coda managed to suppress the shiver that tried to run through her at the touch, but not the low whimper. She wondered how much more her embarrassment could burn her.

“Either you can give me your venom on your own, or I can make you express it. I can do that one of two ways,” A smile in his voice, his hand slid slowly down the lek hanging down the middle of Coda’s back. “I can arouse you…” 

His fingers closed around her lek, feather-light, his nails grazing against the underside. “...or I can hurt you.”

The Eidolon’s fingers dug into the soft skin of Coda’s lek, his sharp, hard nails pressing crescent-moon cuts into her flesh, bringing tears to her eyes. Without realizing, Coda pushed her tongue against the roof of her mouth in response to the pain.

His grip on her lek released and the Eidolon’s hand slowly slid back up to rest on her montral, his thumb rubbing soothingly as he whispered, “There’s a good girl now.”

Coda closed her eyes to keep any tears from falling, feeling like the Eidolon would get some strange enjoyment out of seeing her cry. With him standing over her so close, his hand controlling her head, and her lips wrapped tightly around the glass, Coda wondered how much this tableau resembled a badly-choreographed blowjob from some seedy late-night low-budget HoloNet porno. After only a moment, Coda was sure her venom glands were empty, but she rolled her tongue against the roof of her mouth to be sure.

The Eidolon removed his hand from Coda’s montral, and returned his fingers to her chin to coax her jaw open wide enough to carefully pull her teeth out of the synthskin covering the glass. Her lek still throbbing slightly, but sure that the tears had cleared, Coda opened her eyes to look up at the Eidolon.

“I’ll be needing that from you weekly, Orcodaa. One of my assistants can set up regular appointments for us. I won’t stop you from living your own life, but,” the Eidolon held the glass up to the light, swirling the small amount of thin, honey-colored liquid. “I’ll expect at least this much each time.”

Coda stood to leave, and feeling slightly lightheaded, stopped in the middle of the dais, turning to face the Eidolon, covering her unsteadiness with curiosity. “Is it for you personally, or are you selling it?”

Settling onto the recently-vacated divan, the Eidolon smiled up at her. “Do you really want to know?”

Wrinkling her nose, Coda sighed. “Nope, you’re right. I probably don’t.”

[ranger-report]

Thoughts On: HEXEN II

After developing two fantastic games utilizing the id tech 1 engine -- also known as the DOOM engine -- Raven Software found themselves once again at the forefront of technological advancement when their neighbors id Software released a little game called Quake. Using a brand new, fully 3D rendered engine, Quake revolutionized first person shooters and PC gaming graphics. After the successes of Heretic and Hexen, Raven was deep in the throes of developing a third game in their dark fantasy series, this one titled Hecatomb. Sadly, this game never came to pass, as John Romero (who’d had heavily helped develop the previous two games) left id Software to found his own company, abandoning Hecatomb in the process. At this point, Activision Publishing acquired Raven and the rights to distribute future games they developed. Activision told Raven that they wanted to see the Heretic and Hexen games split into two separate franchises as both games were different in gameplay styles. So rather than a final third game to wrap up a trilogy, ideas from Hecatomb were then split between Hexen II and Heretic II. While this yielded mixed results, we’ll look first at Hexen II, a game that was highly anticipated upon release, and whose legacy is an uneven yield.

The story this time around is that the third and final Serpent Rider, Eidolon, has taken over the word of Thyrion. Separated into four lands, Thyrion is infested with Eidolon’s minions, and it’s up to one of four warriors to take him down: the Crusader, Assassin, Necromancer, and Paladin. What’s neat about this premise is that each of the warriors comes from one of the four lands --  Blackmarsh, Mazaera, Thysis, and Septimus, respectively. And each land has a different cultural theme -- Medieval European, Mesoamerican, Ancient Egyptian, and Greco-Roman, also respectively. Also very interesting about this setup is that each land is being ruled by one of the Four Fucking Horsemen of the Apocalypse -- Famine, Death, Pestilence, and War also also respectively. Off the jump there is a lot going on here, a lot more detail than the previous two games about the worlds and what is happening. This works to the game’s credit in attempting to set up a distinct world for this entry in the game series, but somehow, it falls a little flat. In previous games the player encounters a variety of monsters and enemies that all carry over from hub to hub, level to level, giving the player a chance to learn their attacks and be aware of how to defend themselves. There’s also overarching aesthetics that maintain a steady, immersive feel to the worlds presented. Hexen II’s decision to split the hubs into unique lands works against it, as each land as its own unique enemies and aesthetic and architecture. Just as the player has a chance to get used to enemy tactics and tricks (thanks to some stellar AI work), those strategies are abandoned as the next world is loaded up with new enemies and new look, throwing the player off and breaking the immersion. As much as I tried to get into it, what it ends up feeling like is the standard issue Water World, Fire World, Sand World, etc of old NES platformers. This is not to say that the worlds aren’t good looking, however -- Raven modified the shit out of id tech 2′s textures and polygonal aspects, crafting a still-gorgeous game which takes full advantage of the technology.

Progression here is also slightly different from the previous Hexen, but is a very welcome course change. Each character class has different skills and abilities, and as you play through the game, you’ll gain experience and level up. Returning from the previous game are the fact that each class has their own four weapons, using 1) no mana ammo 2) blue mana 3) green mana and 4) both mana. As usual, the fourth weapons need to be assembled from pieces in order to be used, but what overpowered destruction they bring. My favorite class is Crusader, whose skills and weapons focus on defensive measures, but his ultimate weapon is the Light bringer. It fires a steady stream of what can basically be called pure light, burning through any enemy in a matter of seconds, and the drain on Mana is negligible. It’s possible to reach the max level of 12 through the game, and each character receives a new passive ability at levels 3 and 6. It’s always nice to notice that you’ve gained a level during the adventure, but it usually happens well after the fact. I had a difficult time hearing the audio cue to let me know that I’d leveled up and now had extra health, or new ability. I had to go into the revamped inventory screen, which now shows key quest items as well as the current items in your pocket.

In fact, Hexen II’s biggest immediate suffering is that there seems to be a lack of feedback. There’s little in the way of gratifying sound or feel whenever your attacks land, which is doubly frustrating when most attacks are ranged and as far away from the very deadly monsters. Up close and personal melee attacks seem to have a weird range, sometimes being able to hit at different distances, but it’s hard to know exactly how and when that’s going to happen. The inventory system is fine, objects work they way they’re supposed to. Most of the problems come from the early usage of id tech 2. Quake is not a game designed around interactivity, despite Hexen II being the exact opposite. id tech 2 takes away the Action button, so you walk into panels or switches to operate them, no button mashing required. There’s also no minimap, so navigating become a trying issue. But projectiles in this game don’t seem to have an impact; there’s no oomph to it, similarly to Quake’s monster who rarely stagger when hit. This is a problem because multiple times will occur when you’re firing rapidly at damage-sponge enemies, wondering if you’ve hit them enough to count, counting each shot, watching your steadily diminishing mana fall away, waiting hoping praying that this isn’t another time where you’re going to be forced to use the melee weapon, and then they are suddenly dead and you didn’t know they were close to death. It’s not as frustrating in the early levels, where you’re Level 1 and Everything Hurts and Everything Takes A Lot To Kill. But by Level 9, there are bigger, badder, more horrifying enemies who soak up so much damage that it feels like a Thoroughly Epic Duel every single time. This, perhaps, is meant to make up for the fact that -- unlike Hexen which sent waves of hordes of squads of monsters at the player at once -- Hexen II lobbies much fewer enemies at a time. In fact, I’m hard pressed to remember any time I fought more than five at a time, and even that is a generous number. But since each of the enemies are so much more resilient, anything more than three becomes an exercise in dodging and weaving and running for cover in order to get in a few shots and quaff a drink from a healing elixir, because these fuckers hit, hit hard, and hurt harder. Especially the Four Horsemen, who are so intense and difficult that I was convinced for a moment that the game was building up to a boss run near the end that would have been insurmountable. Fortunately, thank fuck, there wasn’t. And yet, while the increased difficulty of the enemies comes with the bonus of impressive AI (most notable in the Were-Jaguar warriors, who leap and roll and attack like real human opponents), it also comes with the downside of empty stretches of pathfinding. Where in Hexen enemies would respawn with abandon in an effort to wear down the player, Hexen II seemingly keeps a limit on the number of enemies involved on a map. Once they’re dead, they’re dead, which then makes wandering around afterwards an exercise in frustrated boredom searching for clues and hints to the puzzles.

Speaking of which, while feedback and aesthetics are weak points, if there’s anything that the game truly bounces players out of the game, it’s the puzzles. Blackmarsh is host to one of the most infamous puzzle glitches in the series, possibly in all RPG gaming, the solution to which is based on how your character enters a particular courtyard. Depending on which turn the player takes, this will then spawn a clue in one of three locations based on your entry point, along with the necessary quest item in one of three locations after gathering the clue. However, the clue itself can be accidentally destroyed. It can also be missed entirely, and if you don’t find the clue you can’t go directly to the quest item location knowing the solution -- it can only be solved in the order of clue, location, item. So if you somehow miss or even destroy the clue itself -- and Hexen II is rife with destructible items holding hidden mana and health so chances are you’re breaking a lot of shit -- you’re out of luck. I discovered this far, far too late, and had to start the whole game over because I didn’t have a recent enough save file that I could utilize to go back to. Thankfully, this was fairly early on in the game, but it serves as a brutal low point that comes back to haunt the player in the Egyptian levels, where a maddeningly opaque puzzle involving time travel and astrology nearly drove me to a walkthrough and early onset baldness. Elsewhere, puzzles are item-based rather than key-based like in Hexen, which revolve around gathering items, transporting them to a location, and then receiving either a new item or a key. Sometimes these items need to be altered or transmutated; the game is questionably vague about what is necessary sometimes. Fortunately, despite the veiled hints, most fetch quests are simple enough to solve. But the lack of enemies giving way to empty hallways and corridors makes those fetch quests empty and tedious, moreso than they ought to be.

Hexen II isn’t a bad game by any means. It’s very much a product of 1997. New technology, advancements in PC gaming, experimentation with new control schemes and movements, a lot of games at the time featured both innovation and frustration in equal measure. Hexen II is a solid game at its core, with great direction from the returning team, a great soundtrack, fantastic graphics and sound design, and RPG progression. But all of these upgrades come at the cost of a more simplistic version of Hexen that is somehow trying to have the straightforward run-n-gun gameplay of Heretic and the brutal dungeon crawl of Hexen. Puzzles suffer, shooting mechanics suffer, and immersion suffers. What it ends up being is Hexen Lite, not as good as the original, but fine on its own. Would I go back and play it? Sure, at some point I’d love to, but it didn’t draw me in the same way that Hexen did, not even as much as Heretic. But it’s a Quake engine game (which I’m a sucker for) and a 1997 game (which I’m a sucker for, goddammit), and despite its flaws it represents a moment in gaming which I can’t help but be nostalgic for. Your mileage may vary, but be advised that there are other, bigger, bolder versions of this experience that Hexen II has inspired, and while this may have inspired quite a few, it hasn’t aged as well as its predecessors.

Next up: we close off the Thoughts On series of Heretic/Hexen games with Heretic II. And if Hexen II was a different experience in order to differentiate itself as a unique series, Heretic II goes above and beyond to set itself apart....for better and for worse.