#u know books are more of adaptations than exactly translations of the original

[ravenloftbythelamplight]

what're some fun facts and/or dreadful curses about your party? i wish to hear as many juicy details as u got about these poor unfortunate souls O:

Ohohoho we've only had three sessions but I very much so have thoughts to say regarding the party of four that my players have handed to me. Possibly, too many thoughts, but nevertheless! I'm gonna go through in order of the introductory vignettes from session one for the sake of convenience, talk about my thoughts on each so far, and give some fun facts (and dreadful curses) along the way.  I originally spent a day typing this out in a document on my phone and oh lord this is way longer than I thought it was, apologies in advance for the wall of text-

Kestrel: Out of all the members of the group, I as the DM know the least about Kestrel. This is due to factors mostly out of game, but in game I too would say this is the result of our desert-wandering tabaxi cleric being the most (I say this lovingly and this is the best word I could think to use) "average" among the party. By that I mean he could've very easily been put in with the PCs of a non-Ravenloft campaign and would fit right in, likely even more so than the actual group he's gotten himself saddled with. I, personally, think this is a stroke of genius for a number of reasons. They're the everyman archetype as someone who neither lives in and has thereby adapted to the nature of Ravenloft nor someone not tied to the setting but is still horror-based; a regular, unwitting person with no expectations for the terror that awaits. Kestrel's average-ness, in fact, makes them stand out amongst the other party members. He both sharply contrasts with and balances out fellow setting outsider Lemeia; a contrast that makes their dynamic and fast friendship such a blast to watch. I'm also excited to see how his dynamics with the other two evolve in the next session. So far Kestrel has stood as a neutral anchor-point amidst Brynmor's fear-driven worry, Nocturna's jovial indifference, and Lemeia's eerie fascination: understandably afraid in the face of their current predicament, but for the most part remaining level-headed and curious. I would not boil them down and describe them as "holder of the sole brain cell" because that just wouldn't be true, but he has been a grounded and often inquisitive facet of the group; not quite the voice of reason just yet. They haven't had any particularly big moments to themselves asides from discovering the dismembered mannequin in the kitchen, but I hope to ensure that such won't be the case for long. Fun fact time! Kestrel has an interest in plants! His character sheet has the herbalism kit and a journal of notes on plants and herbs listed in his inventory, and his player inquired on if The House had any potted plants to study during session one. Planning on having them get some in-world translated books on domain-native plants and seeing what they're able to do with that. Unsurprisingly for a character decidedly not steeped in dread like a nightmare-themed tea bag, Kestrel lacks a great deal in possible dreadful curses. However, they were the only member of the party to have been, uh, gently pushed in the direction of The House by shadows rushing past at the corners of his vision. This could come back as something of note, but as of now I'm not exactly sure on a good plan for that. His backstory is likely to, maybe literally, haunt him as well.

Nocturna: Nocturna… ooooh boy oh boy where do I even begin? The party's Lepalï (homebrew from somewhere online I was sent by player) warlock hailing from The Carnival as the child of two illusionist performers is a character that I and their player had discussed many 'a time prior to the beginning of the campaign proper. They are… well, they're a lot, which is quite fitting. If it gives any strong indication: with no prompting or prodding from me, the player had Nocturna sprint head-first into the mists completely ignoring the immediate concern of the other Carnival residents and this act was entirely on brand for both player and character. Additional note, as relayed to me by their player, she has also definitely done this more than once before. Yep. A never-ending fountain of whimsy and mischief, Nocturna has taken the situation in stride; seeing the investigation of The House as a fun adventure rather than a omen of ill occurrence. They've ran off from the party to explore, drawn on the walls, tore a hole in another wall, and solved a major puzzle without actually fully solving it; they're just hear to have fun! Incredibly reckless fun! The whimsy, however, belies the single-minded determination that she has found herself gripped by on multiple occasions over the course of the time spent in the house. Putting others at risk, literally knocking Brynmor over and trying to dig through his equipment, in a desperate bid to pry a basement door open. This aspect of her character hasn't been explored in a lot of detail yet, but it's something that might prove interesting later. Speaking of Brynmor! I could and probably will make a whole post of its own just to ramble about the two's dynamic. Seriously. Solo moments of note include stealing the mask of one of the dining room mannequins, and then a session later punching said mannequin to the ground. Also, the entire mini-saga of double nat-1'ing on trying to open the basement door. Fun fact: They're not only a magician, but also able to draw and play multiple musical instruments well. A performer of many trades! I have a hunch that they might be multiclassed into bard at some point later down the line. Potential dreadful curses, at least at the moment, are more so in line with her patron than anything else. This isn't to say The Carnival doesn't have anything in store, but the most obvious of the warlock business will likely come first. At the moment we're at in the campaign, Azalin Rex isn't actually aware of the fact that he's got an unaccounted-for warlock running around with an object he had intended for someone else to have. This is the lord of Darkon we're talking about though, and he'll have some sort of scheme in mind for her in no time. Whether or not Nocturna actually cooperates is yet to be seen, and the king isn't in much of a position to seek aid elsewhere.

Brynmor: Going in I had little to no expectations for what Brynmor was going to be like. To my absolute delight he has very quickly become a wonderful piece of characterization from his player and an absolute treat to behold. Dragonborn ranger born in Barovia to a mother known in the village of Krezk as a defender and protector against that which lurks in the night, Brynmor has made it his goal to follow in his mother's footsteps and face monstrous threats with strength and courage. He is also an absolute dork and very afraid of the possibility of actually stumbling across something that could harm him or those he intends to help; qualities which are very understandable for an ambitious 18 year-old who's never really left home until now. This guy left Krezk and immediately climbed the goddamn Balinok Mountains in the middle of fucking winter and now he'll never live decision down and I love him for it. In stark contrast to Nocturna, Brynmor has taken every step of the party's exploration of The House incredibly seriously: arguably, depending on your own view, too seriously. He's extremely fearful about whatever it is that must have brought them all to the house, and especially paranoid about it being in the house with them. Incredibly cautious and equally as concerned for the well-being of his newly-found compatriots, but still trying to lead the charge. He's no leader, though, especially not where he's at now. He's reached beyond his means, and I'm excited to see where his ambition might lead him; for better or for worst. Our boy here has had a few good solo moments, of note being his realization that the strange set of stairs at the back half of the house lead nowhere and make absolutely no sense physically, and the absolute terror that realization caused him. Also, just, the way his dialogue is phrased a lot of the time is really fun. Final fun fact: One of the times in Brynmor's inventory is a old, worn book of nursery rhymes (via the horror trinkets table in the 5e VRG). The player and I have decided that this was a book that his mother would had read to him often as a child, and that he brought it along on his journey up the mountain as a keepsake. Dreadful curses is the name of the game when it comes to the mists and for Brynmor this is no different. Knowledge of undead creatures and sinister forces has been passed down through his family and onto him: one such piece of knowledge being the true scope of Strahd von Zarovich's status and power as a vampire. What Brynmor doesn't know is that his family has been a mild thorn in the lord of Barovia's side for some time, his grandparents having been the sole surviving members of an adventuring party pulled into Barovia by forces unseen many years before the beginning of the campaign.

Aaand that's it that's the whole post-

[thaliasthunder]

im back pls dont kill me

im such a dumbass i thought i read chapter 6 when i got into book 2 but no so here u have ch 6-7-8

To my surprise he put his hands on my shoulders and leaned forward and kissed me, right on the mouth. -> WHAT ¿#?%¿!@¡#¿$!

'how can you possibly justify cold-blooded murder?' Henry lit a cigarette. 'I prefer to think of it,' he had said, 'as redistribution of matter.' -> EKDKEJ FICTIONAL KILLER MEN MY BELOVEDS

charles & camilla's sibling relationship is very sweet :((

HENRY AND FRANCIS ARE 21 😭😭

a pregnant dog ran across the road in front of us. 'That,' said Henry, 'is a very bad omen.' -> LMFAO

Henry had done marvelously. He was the author of this drama and he had waited in the wings a long while for this moment, when he could step onto the stage and assume the role he'd written for himself: cool but friendly; hesitant; reticent with details; bright, but not as bright as he really was. He'd actually enjoyed talking to them, he told me. -> KELFKFJE KILLER MEN MY BELOVEDS

'Do you know what Henry made us do, a couple of days after that thing in the woods?' 'What?' 'He made us kill a piglet.' -> hah? 😃😃😃

'Milly, my girl,' I heard him call. 'Where are you, honey?' -> im gonna cry this is so sweet ???

An ambulance was parked directly beneath us. (…) I saw, hanging down from the edge, five or six inches of yellow rain slicker. -> OH FUCCCK

Henry took a deep breath. Then he closed his eyes; and exhaling sharply, a hand to his chest, he fell back in his chair as if he'd been shot. -> QUÉ

'Dirt under his nails. When that kid went down he was grabbing at anything he could get ahold of.' -> oh gods

Bun, I thought, oh, Bun, I'm sorry. -> <\3

The world was a fresh and wonderful place to me, green and bracing and entirely new, and I looked at it now with fresh new eyes. -> bro😭?? u just buried ur friend 😭

The idea of that fucking bacchanal in the first place –who thought of that? Whose idea was it to take Bunny to Italy? Who the hell wrote that diary and left it lying around? The son of a bitch. I blame every bit of this on him. -> i mean yeah i know henry ruined everything but i love him so who cares

CHARLES AND CAMILLA DO WHAT

charles fucking assaulted camilla im gonna fucking kill him

I felt a fierce, nearly irresistible desire to seize Camilla by her bruised wrist, twist her arm behind her back until she cried out, throw her on my bed: strangle her, rape her, I don't know what. -> ???? IM GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU TOO

'It was the most important night of my life,' he said calmly. 'It enabled me to do what I've always wanted most.' 'Which is?' 'To live without thinking -> wow….i love this murderer

JULIAN KNOWS

'Don't say "fuck" anymore,'  'Fuck? What's the matter, Henry? You never heard that word before? Isn't that what you do to my sister every night?' -> oookayy things are pretty tense here 😃💀

It was Charles. He stood in the doorway, blinking drunkenly around the room, and I was so surprised and glad to see him that it was a moment before I realized that he had a gun. -> WHAT

'What are we going to do about me?' I said. They all turned and looked at me. 'He shot me.' -> oh i imagined him saying this with a fragile voice just like a hurt child <\3

To my surprise, he smiled at her. 'You think I'd hurt you?' he said. 'Come here.' -> i love this killer man

He put the pistol to his temple and fired, twice. (…) and Henry, his eyes squeezed tight, and his knees giving way beneath him, fell with a thud to the carpet. -> WHAT???????¿¿? NONONONONO

Forgive me, for all the things I did but mostly for the ones that I did not. -> man dont do this to me

'I hope you'll excuse me,' he said, 'but I'm late for an appointment -> rest in peace my boy :((

grecia reading the secret history by donna tartt 🖼

here u have me FINALLY being able to read this book after weeks of searching for it

prologue + chap 1-2:

they fucking killed someone 💀

MA'AM TARTT THIS PROSE??????????

oh our main boi is named richard papen okay okay nice to meet u young man

so, the greek class huh?

damn the dark academia vibez here are IMMACULATED 🗝🖼🎩

I am nothing in my soul if not obsessive. -> PEOPLE DIED

did this mf really say come to bed w me,,,,, IN LATIN ?????

henry is such a emotionless narcisistic dick................i love him

professor julian marrow i love u

henry explaining how they'd take down hampden in extreme detail........ okay that's suspicious..... that's weird 👁

Francis maybe? He and she were fairly chummy, but Francis didn't look like the sort who would be too interested in girls. -> did i just read this rig- INSERTE MEME DE "LO SUPONIA 🏳️‍🌈"

.................woah

TOO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT

And the boy twin, he starts screaming at me. Like he really wants to kill me, you know? And that Henry just standing there, but to me he was scarier than the other one. -> why am i??? fascinated by this...........????

"See? Knew he'd come. Oh, hello. Boy am I glad to see" "Where's the check," said Henry, in a toneless and deadly voice. -> LMFAO

Once he was inside, Henry turned to me. 'I'm very sorry,' he said -> MY BABY BOY DONT APOLOGYZE ITS NOT UR FAULT

oh francis' has a house in the country and they all spent time in it this such a pleasant image 😭

HENRY DIDNT BELIEVE WE'VE GONE TO THE MOON IM FUCJING CRYINXG

Live forever.

(...) but for sedentary people they had an odd excess of bruises and small wounds -> okay thats suspicious.... thats weird

He smiled at her. There was a slight chip in one of his front teeth I'd never noticed before; it gave his smile a very engaging quality. 'You're light as a feather,' he said. -> SHUT UPPP 😭😭😭

bitch what the fuck is "Good girl. Look at you, you didn't even cry" and "she was brave" ???? U better stop before i fall in love w yall

i have no self control so i already made a playlist and may i tell u Sober II Melodrama by lorde and Heathens by 21pilots are the most tsh song i've heard u'r welcome

[pop-goes-the-sneasel]

Was reading your Raichu post, which prompted this giant message.

There actually is some evidence that regular animals still exist in the Pokemon world, just not as prominently. There's actually promo material of Pikachu and Ash walking past a lady walking her dog, for example. This suggest that, originally, regular animals and Pokemon were supposed to coexist.

One possible explanation for why we don't see them is that they're less popular than owning Pokemon, and since wild animals generally avoid humans, trainers wouldn't encounter them, much.

Takashi Shudo, on the other hand, claims all real-world animals went extinct and were replaced by Pokemon (presumably by evolving into them...hopefully) but this seems to contradict all the stories of "Ancient" Pokemon, unless the series is thousands of years in the future, making us the Ancient Ones.

I actually dislike this explanation, because he also claims all the real-world animals that appeared were simply "animation mistakes" which makes zero sense in the case of the Ghastly turning into a mongoose, which was very obviously deliberately done, not a "mistake" like he claims.

There also was a Pokemon book called "Bulbasaur's Trouble" where Bulbasaur had to find a frog to settle a dispute between two children...the frog was a main part of the plot, and thus can't be written off as a "mistake."

Furthermore, the inclusion of Pokemon like Arceus, who supposedly created the world, would imply that Pokemon have been around since the beginning...unless he either wasn't originally a Pokemon, or recreated the world after it was destroyed.

Takashi Shudo's word should also be taken with a grain of salt since he didn't create the series, he was mainly the chief writer for the anime adaptation, so while he was very influential and created Lugia, his word isn't exactly final, it's just one opinion that many of the other writers for the series may disagree with for all we know. As a matter of fact, as far as I can find, he's the ONLY one who spoke on the matter, so we don't know the other writer's opinion on the matter. Raichu's entries continuing to reference Indian Elephants could be a sign that others working on the games disagree with his interpretation. We still don't have Satoshi Tajiri's word on the matter, either.

Furthermore, while it is more common in Gen 1, you can still see real-world aquatic animals in the Sun and Moon anime such as starfish and various shellfish, all the anime features coral, barnacles are sometimes seen, and in the Black and White manga they ask if someone was scared by a spider...a regular spider.

If you want to look more into it, Bulbapedia has an entire article listing all the times normal animals appeared in the franchise.

You sent this a year ago, and I’m just now publishing it because I’m only now deciding to finally return to this blog! In the year since you sent this in, though, a fascinating thing happened: Raichu’s dex entry in Legends Arceus seemingly retconned the old Indian elephant into Copperajah. Or, alternatively, an Indian elephant is just as easily knocked out by Raichu as Copperajah is, and Copperajah is simply a more useful barometer for Professor Laventon to use :U I think my stance at this point is that it’s undeniable that, early in the franchise, real animals were 100% intended to exist in the pokemon world, even in modern times. This tracks with early promotional material you showed above, and also the supplementary Gen 1 Pokedex book translated by Dr. Lava just a couple years ago, which not only includes references to real-life animals, but also theorizes that stuff like Vulpix are related to real-life foxes. Most outlandishly, Kabuto is claimed to be a common ancestor of hermit crabs and *turtles*. It’s a fascinating read and I highly recommend it! Link here: https://lavacutcontent.com/1996-creatures-pokedex-translation-1/ As for nowadays, though, I think it’s kept purposefully vague. Stuff like starfish are still shown, as are coral and some small insects, but most things that people will readily identify as a traditional “animal” are very strongly avoided. I suspect there’s not really an internal statement whether real-life animals do or don’t exist -- there’s just general orders not to show them, regardless of if they do or not. And invertebrates are just the best at slipping through the cracks. For myself, though, I agree with you -- if non-pokemon plants and fungi and rocks can exist, why not non-pokemon animals too? Anyways, with SV having recently unveiled its official artwork for its new pokemon, now’s as good as time as any to resume the reviews c: