#Forging vs Casting | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gingerdusk · 1 year ago

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just saw ur gale/mystra analysis post. im new to the game and dnd lore and honestly… ur take on their relationship feels like the most natural/compelling one??? esp since its all too easy to simplify topics that have many facets and nuance….

thanks for sharing i love analysis and reading people’s takes on narratives : D

My pleasure! (Bee from the future here: congrats, you spawned another meta!)

I love complicated characters, WAY more than I like a clear cut-and-dry case. Flaws, to me, are what make a character compelling and lead to interesting stories about them with choices that can get them into situations. I'm both writing a fanfic and running a campaign where I'm playing as Gale, and in the interest of portraying him properly and in-character, I've gone into SUCH a deep dive into all the decisions and facts that make him him.

It helps to, y'know, also be in love with the fictional wizard, but I digress

The thing about Baldur's Gate 3 is that no character in there is perfect. I've seen a couple analyses about the theme of continuing cycles of abuse vs breaking out of them, but in my mind, in terms of the characters themselves, it goes like this:

The origin characters have just come out of the lowest situation of their lives (Lae'zel being the exception; being tadpoled is a gith's worst nightmare. You're seeing that lowest situation in real time).

Not the lowest point, mind. Gale's lowest was probably the day after he got the Orb. Wyll's was probably the day his father cast him out. Karlach's was the day she lost her heart. But the lowest, accepted normal for them is what they've just left.

They're then thrown out of their depth and forced to rely on you to live. That's #1 priority: living. We get the extremes of these characters before we get their nuances, because they're quite literally at their breaking points.

Then once we get to know them, we see their wants, their hopes, their fears, as they open up to us. Every companion's story is at their own pace, but they all have a moment where they ping-pong between despondency and desire. Sometimes that desire is what we know isn't good for them, like Shadowheart wanting to be a Dark Justiciar. Sometimes that despondency is only for a flicker, like Astarion's realization that he's condemned 7000 people to a half-life of tortured spawnhood for as long as he's been a vampire.

Romance lets us crack all that open more, because if you pursue a romantic partner, they see you as their closest confidant. They WANT to trust you, so they're more willing to explain how they see the world and what decisions they want to chase.

And then their endings. Those often get simplified as good/bad, continuing the cycle vs breaking away from it. But how is Duke Wyll on the same platform as Ascended Astarion? He's not evil, he's not even entirely unhappy. He might even have broken out of his abusive cycle with Mizora, if you played your cards right. And Ascended Astarion is overjoyed, even if he is remarkably more cold.

I think that the endings are less a dichotomy of "this is good for them" vs "this is bad for them," and more one of "bringing out their best traits" vs "bringing out their worst."

Wyll's worst trait is being willing to sacrifice his own wants for whatever people desire of him. His best is standing for what he believes in and ensuring people are safe. Duke Wyll leans into that necessity to turn the other cheek in the name of people who count on him, while the Blade of Avernus has seized that moral compass of his and forged it out of mithral.

Shadowheart's worst trait is blind obedience at the cost of her individuality, while her best is her desire to be kind to things that don't deserve to be hurt. Mother Superior Shadowheart's whole life is defined by Shar. Selûnite Shadowheart's life is defined by her hospitality, especially towards animals.

Karlach's worst trait is how willing she is to accept that things are (to quote her) fucked, letting despair override hope. Her best is her durability in the face of horror. Exploded Karlach would rather die than try to work out a solution in the Hells, because she's terrified of facing Zariel alone. Mindflayer Karlach has accepted her fate and decides to give up her heart and soul to go out a hero, losing who she is. Fury of Avernus Karlach is willing to keep fighting for a solution, and by the time the epilogue happens, she's got her sights set on one.

Astarion's worst trait is his desire for power over people. His best trait is using the tools he has to his advantage. Ascended Astarion has let his powerhungry nature and paranoia lead all of his decisions, with his sights set on dominating mankind. Spawn Astarion has embraced what he is, and carved out a life for himself where he can do as he pleases.

Lae'zel's worst trait is her blind fanaticism, while her best trait is her individual dedication, making her loyalty a marriage of the two. Ascended Lae'zel is a meal for the lich queen, turning a blind eye to all Vlaakith's tried to do to her and literally being consumed by her fervor. Champion of Orpheus Lae'zel has turned her loyalty into something productive for diplomacy. Faerûnian Lae'zel has seized her individuality by the throat and decided her own future.

And then Gale. Gale's worst traits are his hubris and, paradoxically, his low self worth. His best traits are his creativity and wonder for the world. God Gale is the embodiment of ambition, having burned away all but that in pursuit of perfection. Exploded Gale has let his remorse blot out all hope for a redemption in which he does not die, because he thinks he's earned it. Professor Gale leads his life by embracing the school of Illusion and letting his creativity thrive, teaching others to do the same. House Husband Gale has multiple creative projects he's working on, and Adventurer Gale is always finding new sights to see and wanting to share them with you.

There are arguments to be made on which ending the origins are happiest in, certainly, or which one benefits them the most, but each ending represents the extreme of a facet they possess.

So with all that, there's a sort of malleable method to figuring out the ins and outs of a character.

You take their endings—all of them, all variables they can have—and reverse-engineer the flaws and details they carry. Then you start to notice how those work into their approvals for minor things: Astarion approving of your taking of the Blood of Lathander, or Shadowheart approving of standing up for Arabella. Getting a list of approvals and disapprovals is helpful, but having those endings on hand tells you why they react like that to a majority of their decisions.

You take their romance-route explanations of how they act, and apply those to earlier decisions. Astarion's confession to manipulating you and Araj-prompted admittance to using himself as a tool brings to light how he reacts to your decisions, regardless of his actual opinions on them. Wyll's fairytale romance and love of poetic adages speaks to his idealistic nature, and why he takes a sometimes-blinded approach to decisions in which the "right" answer isn't always the smart one.

You take their beginning reactions to stress and use that to measure how future decisions impact them. Lae'zel locks down and gets snappy when she's scared, while Gale immediately turns to diplomacy. Shadowheart has gallows humor, while Wyll turns to quiet acceptance. If they break from these and seem even worse, you know the situation is more dire in their minds than having seven days to live.

And then you factor in all their fun facts and dialogue choices and backstories.

A wizard falls in love with a goddess and her magic, attempts to retrieve a piece of her power for her, is scorned for his attempt and is cursed to die.

Give that backstory to a Tav. Look at how it changes.

A chaotic good wizard fell in love with a goddess, thought retrieving a piece of power for her would be a showy bouquet of love, and was punished for not thinking things through.

A lawful evil wizard fell in love with a goddess's power, snatched the most precious thing she owned, tried to use it to barter his way through to the secrets she kept, and was given a swift retribution.

Same backstory. Same class, same act, same goddess. Wildly different connotations. Wildly different conclusions as to who is in the wrong.

If you take all there is to Gale, all that the game shows us makes up his character, and apply it to this backstory, you get what really happened:

A wizard, enamored with magic, fell in love with a goddess. His desires led him to want more than she was willing to give. In his well-buried fear of inadequacy, he concluded that the reason she wouldn't indulge his ambitions was because he just hadn't proven himself worthy enough. So he tried to prove himself, but he lacked the context for what he was proving himself with. And the goddess, seeing a weapon that had killed her predecessor, saw this ambitious wizard as losing his way and coming for her just like the weapon's creator had. She was angry, she withdrew his link to her, and he didn't know why. So he drew the conclusion that she took his powers to punish him, and let that encompass his fall from grace.

Was he wrong to reach for what was out there?

If you knew that the answers to everything you cared about were not only known, but kept by someone you loved—someone who adored you—what would you do to ask to see them? What if your curiosities were if there were other planets with life out there, or how dark matter worked, or whether or not we could one day travel in the stars? What if it was the potential cure to an illness that's little-understood, or the way to make a program you dreamt up, or the scope of the true limits of your artistic talents? Would your answer change?

Was she wrong to cut him off?

If you were once hurt, and the person you loved—the person who adored you—brought the thing that caused it to your door, believing you'd want it, how would you react to seeing it? What if that thing was someone you thought you'd broken contact with, like a friend or family member you'd been trying to avoid? Would your answer change?

That's the sort of scope that needs to be applied to this, on both sides. You have to take the perspectives of each party, and apply two analogies instead of one.

Gale saw the vastness of the universe, untold wonders, the solution to every question he could ever dream up, and saw Mystra as withholding this from him because she thought he just wasn't worthy enough. To claim Mystra knew his perspective does her a disservice.

Mystra saw a cruel weapon she thought long gone, in the hands of someone who could use it, brought right to her, and thought Gale was willingly following the path of Karsus. To claim Gale knew her perspective does him a disservice.

Should Gale have researched his prize more, so he knew just what he was obtaining? Should he have kept his hands off a cursed book that would devour him? Of course he should have.

Should he have given up on chasing his dreams?

Should Mystra have understood that Gale's pursuit of power was nothing like Karsus'? Should she have communicated when she was angry instead of giving the cold shoulder? Of course she should have.

Should she have given him the benefit of the doubt?

That's the root of their falling out. That's what leads to hurt being inflicted. Understandable, human reactions to the situations they perceive. Unhealthy, unwise choices made afterwards.

You work backwards from this to figure out their dynamic as Chosen and goddess. You work forward from this to understand more of where Gale and Mystra are during the events of Baldur's Gate 3. Gale reached too high, and understands this. His goddess hates him, and he regrets this. Mystra isolated Gale, and understands this. Her Chosen wants redemption, and she wants to make it happen.

Just like we took Gale's character into account, we also have to take Mystra's.

A goddess is faced with a problem. She uses someone who's desperate for approval to solve it, by telling him to kill himself.

An evil goddess is faced with a threat to her reign. She sees someone who's unfailingly loyal and hates himself, and elects to have him tear himself apart rather than do anything about it.

A good goddess is terrified of the future. She sees someone who tried to hurt her, who's going to die anyways, and tells him to use it to save the world.

Same story. Same act, same power, same pawn. Different character. Different perspective. Different outlook on whether or not this is the right thing to do.

Mystra has died, multiple times, to people trying to stake claim to her domain. Someone appears with the very thing that could do it again, right as she's regained her stability.

She does not see mortals the way mortals do. She is timeless. She is eternal. She has a duty to protect billions of people, and one person lost to protect that number is more than worth the sacrifice.

People like to bring up the Seven Sisters as proof of Mystra's cruelty. For those unaware, Mystra asked permission to, then possessed, a woman, used her to court a man (with dubious consent from the woman), and bore seven children, all of whom were capable of bearing Mystra's power as Chosen without dying. The woman she possessed was killed in the process (reduced to no more than a husk, then slain by her now-husband, hoping to end her suffering), and the husband was horrified by the whole story.

Mystra needed Chosen in order to restore herself in the event that she was killed again, to prevent magic as a whole from collapsing and wreaking havoc on the mortal realm, like it had in the few seconds Mystryl had been dead. Elminster, Khelben Blackstaff, and the Seven Sisters contributed to this. The more Chosen she has, the better; what happens if Elminster dies? She can't afford to have all her eggs in one basket.

Mystra has Volo (yeah, that Volo) as a Weave Anchor, imparted with a portion of her power to prevent the Weave from shredding itself to pieces in her absence. All Chosen of Mystra are Weave Anchors by nature. The creation of Weave Anchors was mandated by Ao, the Overgod, and Chosen are the best way to make sure those anchors aren't drained by ambitious people hoping for godlike power. Chosen can, and will, defend themselves, unlike static locations (which Mystra also has). The anchors are why the Weave wasn't completely obliterated during Mystra's last death, when the Spellplague rose up, because they stabilized the Weave around them.

Everything Mystra does is in the name of the big picture, to prevent a catastrophe like the fall of Netheril from happening again. Her restriction of magic, her numerous Chosen, her creation of Weave Anchors, her destruction of those who would claim her power, it's all in the name of the stability she's been charged with. Dornal Silverhand's grief and Elué Silverhand's death, while regrettable, were worth it to bring seven more anchors into existence to save all of the Material.

So someone appears with the Crown of Karsus, potentially powerful enough to try to kill the other gods in the name of the Dead Three. She can't risk being a target of them. She can't risk the destruction of magic again.

Gale is going to die. He lives in fear. He begs for forgiveness.

In Mystra's eyes, she's offering him the best outcome. She'll let him die in service to her, to save Faerûn, and she'll forgive him. He's going to die anyways, and if he does this, she'll give him everything (she thinks) he could ever want in her realm. She's asking him to do what (she thinks) is the right thing.

"She would consider what she considers to be forgiveness."

Notably, she leaves the decision in his hands. She doesn't have Elminster lead him to the Nether Brain. She doesn't activate him as soon as he's there. When he lives yet, she doesn't revoke the charm that keeps him stable. And when he declines, when he lets it go and starts pursuing Karsus' path, she doesn't smite him on the spot.

She is (she thinks) being incredibly patient. If Gale is going to try to be Karsus II, she's ready for him. If he decides to walk off and keep the Orb, he's dug his own grave in the Fugue Plane (those who don't have a god to claim them roam endlessly as husks and form a wall of bodies around the City of Judgement).

From her perspective, she's not being unreasonable. But from the perspective of a mortal, she absolutely is.

"Now, I have a question for thee: what is the worth of a single mortal's life?"

This is a question she cannot answer properly.

I think a lot of characterization is lost whenever someone paints one of them as being totally in the right. But I also think you have to be invested in them as characters to want to see that characterization. If you want to write about Mystra, you have to try to get into her head, analyze the decisions she made, figure out why she thinks she was right, and follow the pattern.

Gale's sacrifice is a very predictable thing for her to ask for.

#bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #mystra #long post #like really long post holy hells #did not expect this to go on for this long #swearing tw #< for karlach #oh yeah #astarion #karlach #wyll ravengard #shadowheart #lae'zel #ask bee

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vivsinkpot · 1 month ago

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Romantic Prompts: The Knight vs. The Sorcerer

Some love stories are forged in light. Others take shape in shadow — in stolen glances across the battlefield, in forbidden spells whispered too softly to be heard, in the quiet tension between sworn duty and impossible magic.

This is for those bound by oaths and those born of fire — for the blade that hesitates and the spell cast too late, for the love that lives in the pause between courage and consequence.

Here are ten prompts for the kind of love that’s felt in silence, and seen too late — or just in time. Pronouns are interchangeable.

1. “They are forced to share a small cabin during a storm while on a perilous quest.”

The rain hammered the wooden roof as the Knight and the Sorcerer found themselves trapped by the tempest in a cramped cabin barely large enough for one. The Knight, ever steadfast and guarded, shifted uneasily, unused to such close quarters with someone so… unpredictable. The Sorcerer, whose magic pulsed like a quiet flame, seemed oddly calm, eyes reflecting flickers of firelight. Outside, the storm roared, but inside, an unspoken tension grew — neither wanted to admit how much the other’s warmth was a balm against the cold world. When the Knight’s hand brushed against the Sorcerer’s while reaching for a shared blanket, the line between protector and enchantress blurred, stirring something fierce and tender neither could ignore.

2. “They meet as rivals in a tournament but are drawn together by a mysterious curse.”

When the Knight and Sorcerer faced off in the grand tournament, swords and spells clashed beneath the awestruck crowd. Their rivalry was legendary — steel against sorcery, honor against cunning. But after the last round, a sudden, dark curse entwined their fates, binding their souls in a way neither could break. Forced to work together to unravel the ancient magic, they discovered how their differences complemented and challenged each other. The Knight’s unwavering resolve softened beneath the Sorcerer’s enigmatic charm, while the Sorcerer found new strength in the Knight’s steadfast heart. As the curse deepened, so did their connection — transforming enmity into a fierce, undeniable desire that neither battlefield nor magic could resist.

3. “The Knight is sworn to protect the Sorcerer, whose magic is slowly consuming them.”

Bound by duty, the Knight pledged to guard the Sorcerer whose power came at a steep price: each spell drained more of their life force. With every battle, the she grew weaker, and the Knight’s resolve burned brighter. They traveled through shadowed forests and ruined castles, the Knight’s sword always ready, his eyes never leaving the fragile form beside them. Yet, it wasn’t just protection that blossomed in the quiet moments — there were stolen glances, whispered confessions beneath starlit skies, and a heat that neither could explain. As the Sorcerer’s magic threatened to consume them, the Knight vowed to be their shield not only from enemies but from the creeping loneliness of a fate no one else could understand.

4. “They exchange forbidden letters across enemy lines, falling in love without ever meeting.”

In a war that tore kingdoms apart, the Knight and Sorcerer lived on opposite sides, sworn enemies by birth and duty. Yet, in secret, they exchanged letters — letters filled with dreams, fears, and the slow blossoming of something tender and forbidden. The Knight’s words spoke of honor and the weight of a sword; the Sorcerer’s ink traced magic and longing. Each letter built a fragile bridge across the divide, a world where they could be more than rivals. They yearned to meet, to touch, but the danger was too great. Still, the more they wrote, the more their hearts ached to bridge the physical distance, knowing that when they finally crossed paths, everything would change — forever.

5. “The Sorcerer saves the Knight from death, binding their lives in an ancient ritual.”

Bleeding and broken on the battlefield, the Knight’s last breath was stolen away by the Sorcerer’s desperate magic. The ancient ritual used to save them bound their souls together — life and death entwined in a way neither fully understood. Now the Knight feels every pulse of the Sorcerer’s magic, and the Sorcerer senses every beat of the Knight’s heart. Their fates are irrevocably linked, creating a bond that is as dangerous as it is beautiful. Navigating this new connection, they discover strength in each other’s presence, sparks of passion igniting beneath the weight of their intertwined destinies. Together, they must learn not only to survive but to love beyond the limits of life and death itself.

6. “They hide from a relentless enemy in a hidden sanctuary, where trust slowly becomes love.”

Forced to flee the world outside, the Knight and Sorcerer found refuge in a forgotten sanctuary beneath ancient trees. Days blurred into nights as they hunted for safety, but the real challenge was the walls each had built around their hearts. The Knight, trained to trust only her sword, struggled to accept the Sorcerer’s quiet magic and softer truths. The Sorcerer, cloaked in mystery and shadow, yearned for a bond that transcended power and duty. Slowly, as silence grew between whispered spells and shared meals, trust blossomed into something more — tentative, fragile, yet fiercely alive. In the sanctuary’s dim light, the line between protector and beloved vanished, leaving only two souls drawn irresistibly together.

7. “The Knight and Sorcerer must perform a dangerous magical ceremony requiring absolute trust.”

In a ritual older than kingdoms, the Knight and Sorcerer stood side by side, hands trembling as ancient words wove around them. The ceremony demanded absolute trust — each vulnerable to the other’s power and will. The Knight’s steady breath anchored the Sorcerer’s swirling magic, while the Sorcerer’s soft voice calmed the Knight’s racing heart. With every chant, every spark of light, the space between them shrank, the ceremony becoming a dance of souls as much as of power. As the final invocation sealed their bond, they realised the true magic wasn’t in the ritual itself, but in the fragile, fierce love that had blossomed in the crucible of trust and danger.

8. “The Sorcerer teaches the Knight magic, and the lessons become more than academic.”

At first, the Sorcerer’s lessons were strictly about power — how to channel fire, how to command wind, how to bend light. The Knight approached each with the precision of a sword strike, determined but skeptical. But as days passed, the lessons slipped into laughter and lingering touches, each spell practice a chance to bridge the distance between duty and desire. The Knight’s armor felt heavier when not near the Sorcerer’s easy smile, and the Sorcerer found themselves drawn to the steadfast strength beneath the Knight’s stern exterior. Magic, it seemed, was only the beginning — what grew between them was a force far more enchanting and unpredictable.

9. “They must navigate court politics while hiding their forbidden love from watchful eyes.”

In the glittering halls of the kingdom, the Knight and Sorcerer played their roles perfectly — stoic protector, enigmatic adviser — while hiding a flame that burned too brightly to be seen. Whispers and sidelong glances surrounded them like shadows, and every stolen moment was a gamble. The Sorcerer’s spells shielded them from prying eyes, but no magic could mask the way their fingers brushed beneath the silk of gowns and armor plates. Each secret meeting was a risk, every touch a rebellion against the rules that sought to keep them apart. In a world where loyalty was currency and love was weakness, they learned that true courage was not only wielding a sword or spell but daring to love without fear.

10. “After a battle, the Sorcerer nurses the wounded Knight, discovering a love neither expected.”

The battlefield was a blur of pain and smoke, but when the dust settled, the Sorcerer found the Knight gravely wounded, pale beneath bloodied armor. Gently, she lifted the Knight to a hidden glen, where herbs and magic mingled to soothe ragged wounds. Days passed in quiet care — the Sorcerer’s soft hands tracing healing circles, the Knight’s steady breath slowly returning. With each shared silence, a fragile intimacy grew, blooming in the spaces between pain and hope. Neither could have foreseen that from the ashes of war would rise a love fierce and tender, one born in the delicate balance between strength and vulnerability.

Whether you’re writing forbidden magic, sworn duty, or a bond forged in battle — the sorcerer and knight dynamic never fails to amaze.

More dynamic-driven prompt sets coming soon.

#writeblr #writing community #writers of tumblr #writing tips #creative writing #amwriting #writing advice #character development #character dynamics #slow burn romance #romance plot #dynamic driven prompts #yearning prompts #romance prompts #fantasy romance prompts #I completely imagine 9 to be sapphic #vivsinkpot #fantasy romance #vivromanticprompts 💕

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gippity · 29 days ago

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Trump and Palantir Forge a Pan-Government Surveillance State, Empowering Tech Oligarchs and Silencing Critics

Source article for analysis: https://newrepublic.com/post/195904/trump-palantir-data-americans

1. Narrative Framing

Simplicity & “Common-Sense” Appeal The administration casts cross‐agency data‐sharing as an efficiency and “government modernization” measure, flattening complex privacy and constitutional concerns into a feel-good story about bureaucratic streamlining. This preloads the conclusion that any objection is mere technophobia or red tape, rather than a debate over surveillance power.

Binary Framing (“Security vs. Chaos”) By emphasizing “national security” and “public safety,” critics are implicitly positioned as indifferent to immigrant crime or terrorism, pressuring dissenters to choose between safety and liberty—an either-or that forecloses nuanced policy discussion.

2. Emotional Engineering

Fear & Resentment References to “enforcing the March executive order,” “punish his critics,” and fears of immigrant targeting stoke anxiety about arbitrary state power. This fear is then channeled into loyalty among “true patriots” who trust the administration to wield that power wisely.

Pride & Tribal Bonding Invoking a “war on inefficiency” and naming a “far-right billionaire” ally provides a rallying narrative for supporters who see themselves as part of an inner circle, engendering pride in being on the “winning team.”

3. Pipeline On-Ramps & Ecosystem Mapping

Soft Entry via “Modernization” Pitches around “data modernization” and “innovation” serve as gateway content—memes and soundbites in tech-oriented outlets gradually introduce audiences to more radical surveillance proposals.

Content Funnel

Friendly tech press (“efficiency gains”)

Conservative opinion pieces (“keep America safe”)

Policy white papers and FOIA-leaked memos (“full database blueprints”)

Private sector deep dives (Palantir user groups, DOD contractor briefings)

4. Dog Whistles & Euphemisms

“National Security” Sanitized language for mass surveillance and immigrant tracking.

“Data-Driven Governance” A euphemism that hides the indiscriminate collection of personal information under the veneer of neutral analytics.

“Government Efficiency” Code for centralizing power and reducing agency-specific safeguards that currently protect civil liberties.

5. Archetypes & Mythos

Tech-Militarist Savior Casting Peter Thiel and Alex Karp as modern “warrior-lords” of data who will “defend” America—evoking the warrior archetype that simplifies identity into a battle of “us vs. them.”

Fallen Homeland Narrative Suggests America’s institutions are backward and corrupt, needing a techno-strongman to resurrect core values—mirroring the “rise-from-ruin” mythos common in alt-right rhetoric.

6. Strategic Impact Assessment

Real-World Mobilization This intel could be used to silence dissidents (through audits, visa denials, or targeted prosecutions), chill protest activity, and surveil immigrant communities disproportionately.

Beneficiaries & Victims Tech oligarchs (Thiel, Musk) and the Trump political machine gain concentrated power; critics, immigrants, student activists, and labor organizers become object lessons.

7. Vibe Warfare & Identity Signals

Stoic Realist Aesthetic Dark, angular visuals of data centers and code screens reinforce a mood of uncompromising techno-authority.

“Based” Tech Patriotism Pittings of “innovation bros” vs. “liberal elites,” using jargon (“Foundry,” “Grok”) as in-group markers to foster parasocial loyalty among tech-savvy conservatives.

8. Epistemic Booby Traps & Self-Sealing Logic

“If you have nothing to hide…” Pre-emptively discredits objections by labeling them paranoia or disloyalty, barring dissenting evidence from being taken seriously.

Data as Truth Presents analytics as inherently objective, making any critique of methodology or oversight seem “anti-science.”

9. Irony Shielding & Tone Drift

Tech-Bro Irony Occasional self-deprecating jokes about “big brother” memes allow participants plausible deniability (“We’re just goofing, who doesn’t love tech?”), while the surveillance machinery locks in.

Memetic Alchemy Use of playful GIFs or “dank” one-liners about “tracking your ex’s Starbucks habit” masks the seriousness of mass data collection.

#politics #you are not immune to propaganda #fuck maga #technology #tech bros #us politics #elon musk #fuck elon #palantir #trump #immigration #surveillance #narrative warfare

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pottedplant53 · 1 year ago

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Oumota Post [Contains Spoilers]

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Something I don’t hear talked about enough in relation to Oumota (or just Kokichi and Kaito in general) is the SHEER NUMBER of parallels that they have with eachother, beyond just their narrative roles. Their philosophies of Faith VS Logic and their respective Hero/Villain personas are undoubtably the most interesting part of it, but there’s so much more to be said than just that. Even their physical appearances are designed to contrast. Here's a list of some of the similarities I found.

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•Kaito is tall with broad shoulders, while Kokichi is short with a small frame.

•Their hair colours are almost exact opposites on the colour wheel. On top of this, while you don’t really see it due to their respective hairstyles, they both have roughly shoulder-length hair.

•Tying into the previous point, they have very similar colour schemes. They both wear white shirts, and have red, yellow, grey, and white accents scattered around their outfits. They’re also both heavily associated with the colour purple, with Kaito being more aligned with magenta (pink) and Kokichi being more aligned with indigo (blue).

•Kokichi is especially pale compared to the rest of the cast, while Kaito is noticeably tan.

•Kaito’s eyes are upturned, and Kokichi’s are downturned. I’m not sure how to word it but it’s almost like their eyebrows are going in different directions, too.

•They both wear capes that fan out in their splash arts. Kaito’s is a coat, but it has the same effect.

•They’re both bilingual. Kaito can speak English, Japanese, and Russian thanks to his astronaut training, and while it’s unclear why Kokichi can speak multiple languages, we know that he can thanks to his second FTE with Kaede, wherein he says ‘common sense’ in English, Japanese, French, and Spanish. ‘Common sense’ isn’t a commonplace word that new speakers of a language would know, implying some level of fluency.

•In the original Japanese script, Kaito had quite a few homophobic, misogynistic, and transphobic undertones, all seemingly stemming from internalized toxic masculinity/belief in traditional gender roles. Kokichi was very much the opposite of this (read: not straight), as is discussed in-depth in the trivia section of his Wiki page. [We do not talk about Japanese Kaito in this household].

•Kokichi’s birthday is the 21st, an inversion of Kaito’s birthday, which is the 12th.

•Neither of them portray themselves 100% authentically. Depending on how you read their characters, you could almost argue that deep down, they’re more similar to the other’s persona than they are to their own.

↓

Though he’s often referred to as an idiot due to his stubbornness in the trials, Kaito is actually rather analytical when he so chooses to be, seeing straight through Maki’s lone-wolf act and understanding her needs startlingly fast. He was intelligent enough to pass his astronaut entrance exam (which would’ve involved extremely complicated scientific concepts and a basic understanding of medicine) and has proved himself willing to cheat and lie to get what he wants (i.e, forging an I.D to get early acceptance).

This isn’t the only instance of him lying when it wasn’t strictly necessary, another notable example being the entirety of his Free Time Events; he lies about his impossible summer escapades and brags about how many famous people achieved success because of his influence, seemingly just to boost his own ego and to make himself look more impressive to Saihara. Shuichi internally calls him out for this, more or less verifying that it was all a lie.

He repeatedly lies in the trials (like when he tried to insist that he was the one in women’s underwear in chapter 2), and of course, hid his illness from the others by pretending he was fine, when in actuality, he was on death’s door.

None of this makes Kaito’s passion and kindness any less real, but it’s important to note how he’s not as saintly as he seems. He’s a lot of things, but he’s also an Egotistical Liar, much like Kokichi promotes himself to be.

Moving on to Kokichi, while it’s hard to say with 100% certainty what kind of person he is, we’ve seen him become emotional a number of times throughout the game, most notably in Gonta’s trial. There’s a lot of debate over whether his tears were genuine or not, but the general consensus is that they were. He shows anger here, at both Gonta, the situation, and more likely than not, himself. He clearly feels a lot of shame and grief, but ultimately continues to push on with his plan for everyone else’s sake.

He shows mercy to Yumeno in chapter 3, when he asks her what she was holding back at the end of the trial. This is seemingly done in an attempt to help get her in touch with her feelings, with no obvious ulterior motives or mocking undertones. Him calling her out earlier in the trial can be chocked up to his hatred of hypocrites – as is seen with his overall relationship with the rest of the cast, specifically surrounding how they gang up on him and treat him like a monster for lying when it’s something that they themselves do – but this interaction shows that he sympathises with her, proving that he has some level of empathy.

Kokichi is EXTREMELY selfless, something that’s proven over and over again to the point that if I sat here and tried to list every example, we’d be here until the release of the V3 anime [forever]. He actively plays devil's advocate, knowing that this would lead to the rest of the group disliking him, and his entire plan to end the killing game centred around villainizing himself, all so that he could die to save the rest of the cast. He’s shown to have spent time, likely days upon days, thinking about how to end the killing game – if his room is any indication, he’s poured a lot of toil into making that a reality. Much like with Kaito, none of this changes how Kokichi chose to act – he’s still a bad person who did inexcusable things, but there’s some merit to the fact that beneath all of that, he’s a human being.

In the end, he dies as a Selfless Hero, trying to save a group who he surely must’ve known would feel no gratitude for his sacrifice. He's the exact kind of person that Kaito would approve of, were it not for the other, less pleasant aspects of his personality.

--------

Again this is all just my interrpretation and what do I know but I thought it was interesting so here :3

#danganronpa v3 #kokichi oma #kaito momota #oumota #analysis

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snivyartjpeg · 1 year ago

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what if we were raised together but also raised apart, unaware of each other until the day we meet and then- only then- do our lives begin to make sense?

more lore under the cut! (it's a lot)

The labs raised them in somewhat the same way- and both methods dehumanizing. Yuma solves a puzzle for a juice reward. Makoto solves a puzzle to avoid getting shocked. Both get shocked at the slightest display of disobedience anyway. Both have strict routines and regimes where every aspect of their lives seems set in stone. What the scientists didn't take into account was that raising a little genius in such conditions will eventually backfire.

They both escape their labs on the same day, shortly after they turn 20. They also name themselves Yuma and Makoto around this time, only being referred to beforehand as "Subject No. 01" and "Subject No. 02." These escapes simultaneously piss off the researchers but also fascinate them- how much of their identical choices were made based on nature vs nurture?

For the first month traveling alone, Yuma spent his time trying and failing to do everything alone. He eventually receives the help of a stranger and starts helping random people, learning he'll receive kindness in return.

Makoto spent his lonesome travels scraping by and barely surviving without the assistance of anyone else. He's still bitter and angry about what the scientists have done to him. He regrets not burning the whole institution to the ground.

They both meet at a bar, where they, of course, instantly recognize each other's faces as their own. After a lot of guarded questions, they learn that they were both cursed with the same upbringing.

So Makoto asks Yuma to help him return to the Amaterasu lab and exact revenge.

Yuma doesn't wanna hurt anyone, but agrees to come along... with ulterior motives! He wants to show Makoto that this world isn't so bad, and dwelling on getting revenge isn't everything. Think like the core relationship in Mad Rat Dead, between Heart and Mad Rat.

And why is Yuma so stuck on this pacifist philosophy? Well, he'd already gotten his revenge. Turns out, putting a bullet into the head researcher who raised him only made him feel hollow and scared. He doesn't want Makoto to go through the same thing.

They meet the other cast members on the way, doing odd jobs and favors for them and forging small bonds with all the strangers they meet. They help Halara, a pet rescue volunteer, get a cat down from a tree and in return Halara teaches them a few survival skills. The meet Fubuki, who is lost in the supermarket, but it's also their first time in the supermarket so they all end up going on an "adventure" together until the clones escort her back to her limo. She tips them a fat wad of cash that keeps them fed and housed in hotels for like 3 months. They help Desuhiko, an up and coming music star who's anxious about getting on stage. The decide to do an opening act as a comedy duo- Makoto and Yuma are familiar with street performing for money after all- and it not only has the audience in a good mood but eases Desuhiko's anxieties. The clones see their first concert together and it's the most fun theyve ever had. Desuhiko, in return, patches up their clothes for them (though, they do end up messing the clothes up again later, lol) with his impressive sewing skills. They save Yakou from getting beat down by some debt collectors and Yakou lets them crash in his shitty little apartment for a while.

This is really just a really endearing and cute road trip story in my head. It starts off tragic but once they get out it's just two guys who only understand each other trying to explore a whole new world while making other lives better.

They eventually reach the Amaterasu lab again, but by that point, Makoto doesn't have it in him to exact revenge anymore. He hates the place, but it was still his home. It's complicated. He tells Yuma that all he wants to do now is keep traveling the world together.

That's when Yuma reveals he's been secretly planning with the other people they've helped together to expose the laboratory for the corrupt place it is and get it shut down. That way they can get their revenge the right way. Makoto is ecstatic.

After they expose the dirt on their respective labs and have those places shut down, they're free to travel together again and continue helping any random people they see who need it <3

if anyone has any questiosn abt this au ill gladly answer bc it's rotting my brain <3

#rain code #raincode #mdarc #master detective archives: rain code #yuma kokohead #makoto kagutsuchi #rain code spoilers #raincode spoilers #mdarc spoilers #makoyuma #kokotsuchi #<- can we start calling it kokotsuchi it's so much cuter sounding #i dont plan on making this a fic but i did wanna share the brainrot #runaways au

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bisexualmcqueen · 4 days ago

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Twerkstallion's Alternate Universes + Headcanons Masterpost (June 2025 Editon)

Much of this is developed and written alongside @youhavehitawall , my brilliant co-author and dear friend.

If an AU has a tag, the title of the section will be linked! If a series has its own Ao3, that will be linked at the bottom of each section.

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Worldbuilding

headcanons/custom lore first, because they appear in multiple 'verses! you will notice some of the details mixed in are genuinely just straight up canon; hence the inspiration to expand those ideas further with head-canon and worldbuilding.

Feral Racers HC

Racecars differ genetically from civilian cars within the same species (think dog breeds... malanois vs golden). Racecars have sharp fangs, the natural ability to hunt, and have enhanced senses. It's inspired by the rivalry/drama/brawl culture of NASCAR as well as building up the 'anxious 700-hosepower machine of destruction' we see in canon. Lightning was an instant fish out of water on the roads. Why? Well, he's not a road car. But how does that work? was he born without a horn? how did that affect his ability to communicate as a bitlet? Mainly though, this is classic furry behavior of 'lets give that guy fangs to make them cooler.' The racers growl, howl, brawl, are territorial, and are often faced with the dilemma of instinct versus logic, road law versus interpersonal connections. this headcanon pokes at questions like: "what does 'street legal' mean in the cars universe? how come most cars dont seem to know any racecars, why are they so rare? whats the distinction between being A racecar vs being a Racer? what would cause a car to be born without headlights or need special accommodations?" maybe its an autistic monster-lovers metaphor for autism, maybe its maybelline.

Semiorganic Cars HC

the cars have tongues, gums, and... iris muscle tissue? yeah, theres meat in there. meat is powered by food, not lubricant, so they need small amounts of food to fuel their organic systems. the cars have a rudimentary pulmonary system, a digestive tract, and sexual organs somewhere between the back of their cab and their trunk. they reproduce sexually, most similar to mammals. the rest of their bodies are metal, with an elaborate but tough system of ichor-nerves along their entire frame to give them bodily sensation and control. and blood. i want them to be full of blood.

Bitlets Lore

Baby car = bitlet. Bitlets are born as fragile productions (litters), most dying within the first few hours. They remain small for the first several years of life, communicating with little beeps/honks. Theyre very squishy for cars, and they toughen into metal as they grow. if you threw one at the wall -throwing babies at the wall omg why?- well, theyd be fine. in fact, theyd bounce. cars are tough! bitlets are basketball-sized, near-formless blobs of cuteness. the cabin of an adult car is where the babies ride along until they are big enough to drive on the road themselves!

Living Metal Lore

fantasy/magic/mystery/scifi element. the metal of cars is 'alive'. this is why dusty needs a factory-new gearbox in PFAR, or to rebuild his current gearbox. factory new to have an unbonded mesh, or salvage his current parts that are already bonded to his body. his only other option was graverobbing or active murder (we see this black market of parts sales in Cars 2.) Maru salvages Dusty's gearbox, which is part of Mater's line of work too. new parts can be forged/cast out of Living Metal, which is the rare, raw material new parts are machined from. Raw Living Metal is mined. Most Living Metal is naturally already in the vehicles themselves though- as they were born made of metal and grew larger. This is why new parts is a dangerous economy- to break what you have isnt good. and if your manufacturer sucks at making new parts... well, then you get Cars 2... Ties into the ichor-nerve-veins lore mentioned above. Oh, and the cars can sort of heal their metal like Christine. Not nearly as fast or well, just to a slight extent. Christine is definitely like, the evil-Wolverine of the living machine world tho. More like Sabretooth.

Animals, Machines, and Agriculture

animals exist as machines... and so do some of their organic counterparts. Tractors are cows... and cows are cows. Tractors provide metals and fluids, cows provide beef and milk; all of which are things the vehicles need. the living machines eat metal also. There are no domesticated dogs that evolved alongside the machines, as many types of vehicle fulfill that niche, and dogs are too small to herd tractors anyway. Horses fulfill the role of a cattle dog in many cases; theyre larger and sturdier than dogs, able to keep up with their machine-counterparts slightly better. and sometimes, this is just an excuse to make custom monster designs.

These headcanons dont always appear in my works, but several of them do often!

[i probably missed one but thats a good start for now]

---

On to the Alternate Universes, Canon Divergences, and Crossovers!

Main Alternate Universes:

these AUs are in active development, and usually have asks, art, fics, and even multiple authors and full fic series. they are not worked on 24/7, but my brain cycles thru this list every few months/years with natural new ideas. most of these arent humanized, but i sometimes humanize them for fun!

Apocalypse AU

"What if racecars were left totally unsupervised?" Everyone but a very small population of cars drops dead within days after an invisible wave of pain crosses the globe, injuring most living machines beyond repair. Lightning McQueen, Cruz Ramirez, and Chick Hicks are among the few survivors. Together, they set out to the vast and now-wild lands of north america in search of oil... and life. A Mad Max/TWD/TLOU post-apocalptic longform anthology series with no zombies, custom lore, canon and original supporting characters, and a fully queer main cast. [Ao3 series]

Revived!Doc AU

post-canon. "What if Doc met Cruz?" Doc Hudson is dug up from his grave and brought fully back to life by a necromancer. in the 12 years he's been dead, so much has changed... and his revival doesnt come without consequence, as Doc's speed demon "The Judge" starts to haunt him. [Ao3 series]

Salqueen Bitlets AU [Canon Divergence]

Fluff-focused, Alive!Doc, slight multiship. Sally and Lightning decide 'wouldnt it be fun?' if they had a kid together. Through good doctors and sheer luck, they wind up with eleven children all at once- the full production survives. now, the task of Radiator Springs is to help raise 11 high-needs racecar babies. this will totally go well, with 0 exploding ipads in sight /s. The story follows Curly [a stock car, much like his father], Juice [an out-of-control dragster], Tad Strange [a well-adjusted geologist], "Phil" Philodendron [an anxious wreck], Runway [a girl dead-set on working for NASA], Prism Triangular [an artist in the making], Neo [a very serious young lad], and Michael [their crazy half-brother] as they grow and cause adorable mayhem in Radiator Springs. (ignore that there are 3 more names missing. you cant force an OC they sort of come to you.) [Ao3 series]

Old Man McQueen [Canon Divergence]

in the far future, Lightning is the only living resident of Radiator Springs. he's over a hundred, but his vain but painful life as a racecar has kept his parts cycled fresh and new, which has extended his lifespan. he's tired and cranky, but there may be another adventure in him yet... [Ao3 fic, no series yet at time of posting]

University AU

Rick Hicks wants his son to be a champion racer and win his team loooots of money. Turns out, his son Charles is really, really bad at this. Rick pulls Charles off the circuit, and instead sends him to university to groom him to take over the team someday and keep the family business alive. But all Charles wants is to prove himself by being a real racer. Monty McQueen wants to be a racer. Turns out, he's really bad at this, and no one can foot his bill of endless DNFing. hes sent to university to start a backup career ...the same university Charles is enrolled in. Charles and Monty are instantly drawn to each other, leaving destruction and rivalry in their wake, treading water as the ship of their dreams leaves port without them. Or maybe, that's just what being 23 feels like. [brand new AU at the time of writing, might be moved to backburner section]

Baldswap AU [CROSSOVER]

Double Isekai, temporary species swap, crack treated seriously. Custom X-Men timeline/team (to squish as many of my fav characters into one timeframe). Lightning McQueen from 2007 swaps places with Charles Xavier of the X-Men from 2004. Xavier, a human mutant, is taken in by a frightened Radiator Springs, who have to delcare Lightning missing. And Lightning... well, he gets dropped right in the middle of an active mutant warzone, and is forced to ally with Logan, the Wolverine, to survive. After the shock wears off, Logan takes the young car under his wing, suited to the job as one of the X-Men's resident mechanics- the other being his boyfriend, Kurt Wagner, who also takes a shine to the car. The X-Men adapt to their new talking car friend, but it isnt long before Lightning finds trouble, again and again. Run-ins with Magneto (who is searching for Xavier too), Sabretooth, as well as a custom racetrack on the grounds of Graymalkin Lane occupy their time... until Proteus shows up and warps reality, temporarily trapping Lightning in a human body until the X-Men can track Proteus down again to revert it. Uh, cue a trip to the mall with the girls for a wardrobe? All the while, the X-Men themselves are searching for Charles Xavier- and they know it has something to do with Lightning's sudden appearance... But the anti-mutant mob is stacked against them, and the X-Men are plunged further and further into pressure. As time goes on, Lightning is forced to reconcile that he may never go home again, and might be doomed to be the only one of his kind in a world that wants him dead, just like his new mutant friends. He doesnt have any superpowers of his own- he feels trapped in that regard too; like he cant help them either. ...is Lightning McQueen... X-Men material? (a self-indulgent reboot of my oldest crossover i made when i was 11 [too young to post it online at the time], where Logan was the one isekai'ed into Radiator Springs) This story actually is the second-most developed after the ApocAU. I have over 10k words of private notes on just this crossover, hence the long summary.

Backburner AUs:

these alternate universes are either side projects, not in active development, or are not being worked on much at the time of writing.

GTA AU:

gratuitous violence AU. humanized. Doc adopts Mater and McQueen as children after their parents are killed in a blackmail situation, and raises them both as his own. Problem is... Doc is the Crime Boss of Los Angeles... And sometime near their 30th birthday, Mater, Sally, and McQueen inherit it all after Doc is suddenly killed. And it only gets worse from there when people like Jackson Storm seize the power vacuum and nearly kill McQueen, running him out of LA... But not before a civilian named Cruz sees too much and gets trapped in their web of violence.

Demon AU:

humanized. Medieval+fantasy themed. [this summary is slightly inaccurate because this au hasnt been worked on since 2018 and i dont remember it well]. every ten years, the Demon King selects a new Demon to lord over the realm of Earth for him granting them power and control over all other demons. Lightning, a young demon attempting to survive his first challenge, crash-lands in a small village on his way to the demon king and is taken prisoner. Instead of executing him... the villagers are kind to Lightning [especially the innkeeper Sally]. Slowly, the ultimate power he sought becomes his enemy, and he rejects his duties as a demon, sacrificing his magical abilities with it. Ten years later, Lightning is nearly killed by a younger demon named Storm. Permanantley disfigured, Lightning just wants to keep living peacefully in his village... But then a demon hunter named Cruz shows up to kill him. After she fails, they realize they have a common enemy in Storm... [old art]

Bastard AU: [Canon Divergence]

In his mid forties, Lightning discovers that he has an adult daughter, a result from his party days. Shes already a racer; and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him for fear of being overshadowed by his legacy. But the press has already caught wind of their secret, and theyre forced to face the music.

Racer!Oliver AU:

OC/fanparent Oliver McQueen as a racecar in the 80s/90s, toting his son Monty along for a destablized trackside childhood. Monty still grows up to be Lightning... and he's a better racer in every way. But a better man? Well, that remains to be seen...

The Blender: [CROSSOVER OF 2 AUs]

Crack AU. The fankids from the Salqueen bitlets AU get sucked into the Apocalypse AU, and Apocalypse!Lightning winds up in their timeline in their place. The kids learn about The Horrors in looney tunes fashion, and Lightning is retraumatized to see everything he lost in the 'good timeline'... Despite it all, he's determined to actually return to the Apocalypse- there are still cars depending on him there.

The Pirate AU

Humanized, POTC themed sort of. This one i dont remember much either, as i plotted it out in 2018 or so. Captain McQueen's ship is sunk by Captain Hicks- and his first mate, the loyal Mack, is able to keep his young captain from drowning in the stormy seas- but in the chaos, theyre separated. McQueen is found and taken aboard by the RS Stanley, helmed by Captain Hudson, who'd rather send his new prisoner off the plank. Pirate stuff and friendship occurs idr. Eventually, they take down Hicks, reunite with Mack, and McQueen becomes the new captain after Hudson dies. Later, Admiral Jackson Storm has become obsessed with the infamous RS Stanley crew, and sets out with the Navy to take McQueen prisoner- and have him publicly executed.

Time Travel AU

another really old AU i dont remember much of. Humanized or not, both versions exist. The premise is post-Cars 3 Lightning gets trapped 12 years in the past. This was an early precursor to the Revived!Doc AU above.

---

WHEW! I just keep making AUs, huh? Well, it's been 20 years since Cars came out, its bound to happen. Clearly its also very fun!

I also write/draw plenty of canon-compliant+adjacent fic, and i even have my own canon-aligned pre and post-canon storylines.

Canonverse:

Origin Era

my personal "backstory" for Lightning McQueen's childhood/adolescence. focuses on childhood neglect, texas culture, the city of dallas, and my fanparent-OCs Oliver McQueen and Donna Ann Steeldust and their fraught relationship. How did little Monty wind up as 'mr. one-man-show', skirt by undiagnosed, and get so emotionally attached to Doc later in life? it all starts here!

Prequel Era

This is my personal rewrite on the pre-canon material we have regarding how Monty became Lightning. this is a short span of time in his late teens/early 20's as he starts his racing career, meeting characters like Carl, the smell-swell team, and eventually, his first fan: Mack! [Ao3 fic. Quite old and in dire need of a rework, even if i had 4 chapters complete in 2018 and never posted them.]

Sequel Era

Post-canon. "At the end of Cars 3 (and COTR), Lightning said he would 'keep racing'. What does that entail?" This "Cars 4" style story follows Lightning, now under the Dinoco brand umbrella, fighting to prove himself to the racing world and end his career on a higher note than utter defeat. Problem is, 'his' way of doing things is not Mr. Dinoco's way of doing things, and Lightning has to agree to try something new... ...Which means working with a crew chief who isnt Doc. After nearly a decade of running his team/strategy out of his own head WHILE driving, Lightning meets his new crew chief; the level-headed Roger Tappet, a massive pickup truck with his own glory to chase. Theyre forced to become a team, lest both their careers end in utter ruin. Both of them have served themselves a seemingly impossible task. But it doesnt look good for the underdog Team 95 as the 2019 season starts with a bang... and the hits keep coming! [Ao3 series]

Mentioning these because sometimes these events/characters still contribute to some of the AUs above, and alternate universes arent everyone's cup of tea; i cover plenty of ground!

maybe i need a canon-compliant tag too... hmm...

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Alright! that's my June 2025 roundup on all of my Cars Alternate Universes and other headcanons/storylines. Some of these have been in development on and off since 2018, but about 1/3rd of them are from 2024.

Once again, a lot of the lore and series towards the top of this post are ideas conceived by or written alongside @youhavehitawall as a writing partner. Send love their way too!!

If you read this far, thank you for your time! My askbox is always open if you have thoughts/comments/questions about my work, drop by anytime :3

my Art Tag my Fic Tag Ao3

#pixar cars #hc #au #meta #my blog #mine #worldbuilding #op #my fic #<can you tell i know how to sort thislol #masterpost

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satoshi-mochida · 9 months ago

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and PC - Gematsu

Publisher SEGA and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have announced Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store). It will launch on February 28, 2025 worldwide.

Get the first details below.

■ About the Game

A new legend begins as you step into the steel toe boots of Goro Majima, a man who has lost his memory and reinvents himself as a pirate on the open sea. Embark on an over-the-top, modern-day pirate adventure with an ex-yakuza, now pirate captain and his crew as they engage in exhilarating combat on land and sea in the hunt for lost memories and a legendary treasure.

Pirate Yakuza Adventure Ahoy!

Goro Majima, a notorious ex-yakuza suddenly finds himself shipwrecked on a remote island in the Pacific. Unable to remember even his own name, he sets sail in search of clues to his lost memories, accompanied by a boy named Noah who saved his life. Before long, they’re caught up in a conflict between cutthroat criminals, modern-day pirates, and other scoundrels over a legendary treasure.

Get Your Ship Together

Assemble a one-of-a-kind crew while upgrading your ship as you explore the open sea and forge your legend in the cannon fire of foes, unexpected friendships, and immense riches made along the way. When an enemy pirate ship catches you in their sights, an exhilarating real-time cannon battle breaks out. Quickly maneuver into position while avoiding fire, then deliver devastating damage to board the enemy ship and take down the captain in all-out crew vs. crew brawls. Conquer the seas, discover hidden islands and acquire loads of loot like a true yakuza pirate!

Kick Arrrss With Creative Combat

Dynamically switch between the “Mad Dog” and “Pirate” fighting styles to mix-up attacks and deliver explosive combos, juggles, and aerial takedowns that reward your creativity with over-the-top action. With “Mad Dog” style, utilize speed, agility, and flair to deliver precise yet powerful blows that stun your enemies into submission. Or make enemies walk the plank with the “Pirate” style that has you dual-wielding short swords and deploying tricky pirate tools to kick some serious booty.

■ Story

After losing his memory, Goro Majima, a once-feared legend in the yakuza world, sets sail in search of treasure. Half a year ago teaming up with Kiryu for a massive battle in the Millenium Tower, Goro Majima washes up with the wreckage of a boat on the shore of a remote, sparsely populated island. With no memories—not even his own name—Majima joins forces with Noah, the young islander who saved his life, and embarks on a search for clues to his forgotten past. However, what waits for them is a powder-keg world where scoundrels vie for a legendary treasure.

■ Cast

Goro Majima (voiced by Hidenari Ugaki)

Patriarch of the former Tojo Clan’s Majima Family.

An ex-yakuza with no memories who has washed ashore on a remote island.

Noah Rich (voiced by First Summer Uika)

Local boy on Rich Island.

A youth who dreams of the outside world, hoping to leave the confines of Rich Island.

Jason Rich (voiced by Kenji Matsuda)

Bar Owner on Rich Island and Noah’s father.

A former treasure hunter who, despite being a drunkard, is still a true sea dog.

Masaru Fujita (voiced by Ryuji Akiyama (Robert))

Bodyguard and ship cook.

A skilled chef for hire who’s sailed the seas on a long line of pirate ships.

Teruhiko Shigaki (voiced by Munetaka Aoki)

Patriarch of the former Tojo Clan’s Shigaki family.

An ex-yakuza with no memories who has washed ashore on a remote island.

Rodriguez (voiced by Ayumi Tanida)

Palekana disciple.

A burly warrior who guards Nele Island, Palekana’s holy site, with his massive sword.

Mortimer (voiced by Shunsuke Daitoh)

Head of the Mortimer Armada.

A handsome pirate with a charismatic persona who inspires fervor in the lowlifes around him.

Goro (voiced by ???)

Noah’s little friend.

An adorable little cat (?) that Noah found on Rich Island.

■ Battle

Push Combat to the Extreme with Two Battle Styles

In addition to his signature Mad Dog style, which is all about speed, Majima can also use his new Sea Dog style to wield a cutlass and other buccaneer gear. Pick the style that works for you to kick, pummel, and slash your way through the filthy bilge rats who stand in your way!

■ Adventure

Go wild and unleash chaos around the waters of Hawaii as Goro Majima!

Rich Island

A remote island that an amnesiac Goro Majima washes up on. Noah and his family are some of the island’s few inhabitants. Despite fishing being the mainstay of the local economy, pirates reminiscent of the Age of Discovery can be inexplicably seen sauntering around.

Madlantis

A secret island where multiple criminal organizations coexist. In a cave on the island hides a sprawling pleasure district built around a fleet of massive tankers. The Pirates’ Coliseum, a hub where pirates constantly engage in naval battles, is here.

Nele Island

A holy site of Palekana, a long-standing religious group based in Hawaii. The Haku, the most fervent believers of Palekana, inhabit the island. The island is notably larger than Rich Island and has a proper harbor.

Hawaii

One of the world’s most famous tourist destinations. You can learn a lot about Hawaii from the owner of a bar called Revolve in Honolulu City.

■ Early Purchase Bonus

Ichiban Pirate Crew Set

Crew Member: Ichiban Kasuga

Backup Crew: Nancy

Ichiban Special Outfit Set

Kasuga Outfit (Infinite Wealth)

Kasuga Outfit (Yakuza: Like a Dragon)

■ Game Editions

Standard Edition (physical / digital) – $59.99 / £54.99 / ��59.99 / 6,930 yen

A copy of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Deluxe Edition (digital) – $74.99 / £64.99 / €74.99 / 8,690 yen

A copy of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Downloadable content

Legendary Pirate Crew Pack – Have Kazuma Kiryu, Daigo Dojima, and other fan-favorite Like a Dragon characters become shipmates with the Goro Pirates!

Legendary Outfit Pack – Give Majima more outfits to wear, including a T-shirt exclusively designed for this title and the iconic get-ups sported by yakuza legends such as Kazuma Kiryu and Taiga Saejima.

Ship Customization Pack – Personalize the appearance of your pirate ship, the Goromaru! Choose from designs based on popular characters from the franchise, including Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga.

Extra Karaoke and CD Pack – Add the Majima Construction Song to karaoke and gain the option to play karaoke staples while exploring.

Complete Box (Japan / Asia) (physical) – 19,800 yen

A copy of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Goro Majima Pop-Up Pirate Jr.

Goro Majima Eyepatch

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii acrylic art board (A4 size)

Art book

Downloadable content

Legendary Pirate Crew Pack – Have Kazuma Kiryu, Daigo Dojima, and other fan-favorite Like a Dragon characters become shipmates with the Goro Pirates!

Extra Karaoke and CD Pack – Add the Majima Construction Song to karaoke and gain the option to play karaoke staples while exploring.

Watch the announcement trailer, battle gameplay, and reveal event archive below. View the first screenshots at the gallery. Visit the official website here: English / English (Asia) / here.

Announce Trailer

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Japanese

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Battle Gameplay

English

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Japanese

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RGG Summit 2024

English

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Japanese

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#Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii #Like a Dragon #Yakuza series #Ryu Ga Gotoku #Sega #Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio #Goro Majima #Gematsu #Majima's coming for yer booty. XP

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ckret2 · 9 months ago

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Decided to shake up the constant Gravity Falls asks on the blog (even though I adore them). What is your favorite transformers continuity? And what's your favorite character from that continuity?

Tough call, but probably IDW1. The comics had room to get expansive in ways the show-based continuities couldn't, and I like that feeling of bigness to the universe. It introduced a lot of my favorite Transformers lore: forged vs cold constructed bots, Functionism (especially as a critique of marrying religion to conservative politics), empurata, really creative uses of holoforms, conjunx endura & amica endura (and queer bots, let's give it up for queer bots!!), the complex network of lost colonies, the idea that the gods definitely officially existed BUT they were just guys, the DJD...

All the work that went into immediate pre-war culture with the turbulent corrupt senate and the corrupt Primes was terrific. LSOTW and SOTW are just so damn good, MTMTE up through Remain In Light was brilliant, and Getaway's coup was great. I'm thrilled we got a look at Cybertron's relationships with the rest of the galaxy and it turns out they're hated, because that makes perfect sense but we never really see that. The post-war politics on Cybertron were really fun. I was skeptical IDW could pull off writing about a post-war Cybertron—I assumed within a year they'd default back to restarting the war—and then that ended up being when the whole series really started to shine.

Introduced some characters I love—Drift, Tarn, Stardrive, Windblade, and Pharma stand out off the top of my head. Amazing artwork, especially whenever Milne had the pen. ABSOLUTELY LOVED seeing Starscream get to rule Cybertron. Even though they had trouble committing to it, I appreciate that they had the balls to make Optimus morph into a well-intentioned villain. Love the tragic former senator Shockwave characterization. Love the lonely logical Prowl who can see the Autobots' flaws too clearly for his own good and in his desperation to compensate for the rest of the army morally compromised his way into becoming the villain. Love horrible amoral Tarantulas with his small shining moments of love and tenderness.

Although by the end it was getting really bloated with other Hasbro property crossovers, I did like some of the crossovers they introduced: GI Joe slid in pretty seamlessly—probably helps that TF & GI Joe crossovers have an established history—and I was surprised a how much I liked Rom. And even though the sheer quantity of crossovers got tedious, the concept of going "they've all been dragged into this story because they were all affected by Cybertron's past colonialism" is GREAT.

Love that they ended the story by swinging from "yay look at all these fun new colonies for us to play with!" to "oh my god the Autobots are colonizers." LOVE that they ended with Unicron—every longform Transformers series could end with Unicron and I probably wouldn't complain—and that they let him eat some planets, let him eat half the cast, LET HIM EAT CYBERTRON... and characterized him not as some random bogeyman but specifically as the karmic vengeance for Cybertron's past colonial crimes. Love that the only way to stop him was not by killing him, but by acknowledging that Cybertron was wrong and showing him compassion.

IDW didn't always get things right with their attempted grand messages about politics and injustice and oppression and colonization—but, hell, even when they didn't quite hit the bullseye I love that they were playing with that dartboard.

Favorite character from IDW is Prowl (albeit not without stiff competition). I'm a gleeful Prowl apologist. Yeah he did those terrible things but he was right tho. I started picking up RID & MTMTE right when Prowl got Devastatored, and that was both the thing that made me go "oh hold on the comics are doing something interesting" and the thing that made me take notice of Prowl as a character for the first time in my life lmao. BIG fan of his messy lovelife. (Personally I go "he's too good for Chromedome" and then ship him with the Constructicons and Tarantulas, who are objectively far worse than Chromedome.) He's endlessly fascinating to me, one of my favorite characters to read and one of my favorite characters to write.

Right up there is Starscream—averaged out across all continuities, Starscream's probably my #1 favorite Transformers character, and IDW Starscream is my favorite Starscream, a perfect blend of the bombastic G1 campy villain and the wary, competent, resilient TFP schemer. And Tarantulas rounds out my top 3, I loved him in Beast Wars and then SOTW 3 happened and I had to stop at nearly every panel Tarantulas was in to go "oh my god, this is canon? They got away with that??" Read like a fanfic in the best possible way. "We were each the muse to the other" still has an iron grip on my heart. "I want YOU. I want US." God. SOTW 3 is a masterpiece of literature. Here, do you want a 130k no-war AU where Prowl and Tarantulas are paranormal investigators together? You can have it. For free.

I just spent a lot of time singing the praises of IDW but shoutout to Armada and Energon/Super Link (I preferred the fansub over the dub) for getting me into Transformers, wouldn't be in this fandom today if not for Starscream's beautifully melodramatic redemption arc in Armada. I'm not saying they're good. I'm saying I love them. Totally different thing.

#ultimatefangirl225 #(armada's actually pretty solid actually. energon's p bad tho; plot meandered too much.)#ask #transformers #idw #meta #(edited because I mentioned functionism twice. I liked it but I didn't like it THAT much.)

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tanoraqui · 1 year ago

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I think the way I'd do the Oath of Fëanor in D&D would be modeled on a Paladin Oath except that the 3 or 4 elements of it now replace your subclass elements no matter WHAT class you are. You're not a Wild Magic sorcerer anymore; you're a sorcerer Oath-bound to seek the Silmarils, and if necessary kill anyone who gets in your way. You aren't a Battle Master fighter anymore; you're a fighter Oath-bound to seek the Silmarils, and if necessary kill anyone who gets in your way.

Also, if you want to cast a healing spell - any healing spell, as any class of spellcaster or by using a scroll - you first have to made a WIsdom saving throw vs your own spell save DC (Charisma if you don't have one) in order to reconnect with the part of yourself that isn't just a weapon forged in the conflagration of rage, grief and vengeance.

Elements would be something like,

1 - Oath-Bound: You can spend 10 minutes in meditation in order to sense the general direction of the Silmarils. You can sense the directions of all three of them at once. You may do this accidentally if your mind drifts for long enough; you often wake from sleep or reverie thinking about them.

Also 1 - Enduring Fire: When you go down to 0 HP no you don't, you go down to 1 HP instead. You can do this once per Long Rest. You do not have a choice as to whether or not this happens.

2 - Lighting Sparks, Fanning Flames: You have Expertise on any Persuasion or Intimidation checks relating to the Oath.

3 - Kinslayer: When in direct pursuit of a Silmaril - eg, it's within 120ft of you and you know it - you have Advantage on all attack rolls and make a critical hit on a 19 or 20.

4 - Spirit of Fire: When you roll a natural 20 or a natural 1, the nearest flammable object within 120ft of you which is not worn or carried by another creature catches fire, just kind of for ambiance. It will not go out until put out.

Also 4 - Forsaken: You are resistant to magical damage by any caster or creature classifiable as "divine." You serve something worse, now.

#the silmarillion #oath of feanor #feanor and feanor's kin #D&D #my D&D

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raayllum · 6 months ago

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What Is Up With Humans, and a Brief History of Xadia

Because season seven gave us two important pieces of the puzzle and while we still don't have a full picture, I'm at least willing to try to assemble them. Let's go.

Elves and Dragons or First Elves vs Dragons

Previously to season 6, I'd speculated that the Archdragons and the First elves were peers. This was due to certain similar language used to describe them ("Oh Zubeia, your heavenly majesty" / "our adversary was literally a being from the heavens") as well as association: "In the name of the dragons and the First Elves" (4x03). It also provided an interesting contrast of the 'most powerful' elves and dragons being allied with one another, whereas the other elves were more subservient to the dragons (acting as the Dragonguard, bringing gifts, elements of worship) if not also enforcing their will over them (the Drake riders).

And it seemed, thanks to season 6, that this was straightforwardly confirmed. The Archdragons, even the draconic monarchy, worked alongside the Cosmic Council to maintain the Cosmic Order, per Leola's execution utilizing the Dragon Prince, Anak Araw, as a witness for something the Council hadn't even, perhaps, directly seen as it happened. Continuing into season seven, this association was maintained without any real hiccups. Aaravos states that "the dragons and the elves, all the arrogant fools blinded by the searing light of their own self-righteousness. They stand high, and they will fall hard" (7x01).

There's a little inclination that maybe things weren't always peaceful between the First Elves and Archdragons, given that the bite of the latter can destroy the mortal vessel of the former, but we don't have any conflict confirmed until we get to 7x07, and then boy do we.

3,000 years ago, we know of at least one battle between an archdragon and a first elf. We also know that Laurelion was battling the creature in their mortal form, hence why it could be (temporarily) destroyed, even if we don't know how long it'd take for their stars to re-align. We also don't know what they were fighting over. Perhaps who'd have control over the Earth, or Laurelion, protecting humanity from a destructive Archdragon — except...

Humans (see those consistently five fingers?) forged the Nova Blade, uniquely made to kill First Elves' mortal forms. Whatever conflict was happening, humans were ultimately more on the Archdragons' side than the Stars', and utilized what would become a basis for dark magic later — using a magical creature's body part — to forge a sword of great power.

It casts this line from Ziard in a new light, to say the least, whether it was genuine or just snide snark either way:

(More on Elarion and timeline things in a bit.)

We don't know, of course, whether Laurelion and Shiruakh's battle was unique and singular and individual, the beginning or culmination of a long drawn out conflict, or if other Archdragons and First Elves were battling one another. Just because humans were creating something to take down Startouch elves doesn't mean they were on the dragons' side either, or what magical (or non-magical) status they had at the time, 3000 years ago. But we do know, at one point since then and before Elarion a thousand years later, the First Elves and Archdragons came together to create and enforce the Cosmic Order, as Aaravos states:

To create a system that worked for them as a unit, and worked against humans. And while an oppressive system doesn't need a ('justified') reason to oppress beyond "having people on the bottom means you get to stay on top" this is where we get into the meta-narrative of it all.

Season Six: Revealing the Hand of God

The meta-narrative, or metafiction, is a form of fiction that emphasizes its own narrative structure in a way that inherently reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. The pulling back of the curtain, or when stories emphasize storytelling (think Hamilton following a character who's constantly worried about if, or how, his story will be told... while you are actively watching it be told.) Think of how different ATLA would be, for example, if we knew directly how the Avatar was chosen, and therefore got into the ethicals of some grand being putting a burden uniquely on the shoulders of a young child, compared to "this is just the story's worldbuilding, and we don't know how it's chosen."

Or, in other words, TDP's writers creating a purposefully unfair magical system in which to explore the conflicts that system would create (because stories are often thought experiments) but with no one in-universe to blame for that system. It just is. Or, I should say, it just was.

Putting characters in your story who Chose who got magic, or who didn't (and the consequences of it) when those choices were fundamentally Unfair, creates someone that we, the audience, and the characters, can blame for that unfair system. There is someone to be angry at. There is someone to hold accountable. The Cosmic Council decided, for whatever reason, to give magic, or create beings (elves) that had magic, and to have beings who not only don't, but cannot and should not have magic. And it was consciously decided, by people who exist within the story and within the narrative, not just by the outside hand of god creators, that humans would not.

Was this punishment for crafting the Nova Blade, and the humans (or magic-less elves?) who did side with the First Elves against the archdragons were given magic and became the primal elves (everyone but the stars)? But if that's the case, why and how did the First Elves and Archdragons — the latter previously possibly being allies of the humans — become united against humans? Did the Archdragons throw humans under the bus when the dust settled? Were the Archdragons angry at humans for, presumably, crafting the Scale of Shiruakh into a weapon as well? (We know that First Elves rarely take mortal form; was it different Before, and Nova Blade happy wielding humans gave them the incentive to stay more up into the heavens?)

We also know that pre-Fall of Elarion, the humans thought that the Stars would save them from the dragons...:

Elarion, fading bloom, afraid to wilt and dim and die, she searched the dark for but a spark and caught the dragons’ hungry eye. Elarion, frightened waif, reached bone-white branches to the night, the stars she asked their light to cast and stop the dragons’ fiery might.1

It happened long ago, when humans had only just learned to hold fire in their hands without burning. They nurtured their precious primal flames secretly—in the dark of night, beneath shadows and shrouds—as cultivating its glow drew the eyes and ire of monsters. Eventually, for the audacity of their fire, they were hunted, and—though they looked to the stars for salvation—the stars, too, looked down upon them with disdain. [...] It cannot be, wept others. The stars would not betray us!2

The dragons directly, not the Stars, had become the enemy of humans over primal magic usage, even though humans made the Nova Blade, and even though the dragons had once been allies, making it seem like an 180 switch happened in the interim. And we do know (although this could've been Leola) that eventually the stars did help humans, even if they did so without caring:

And so the humans learned to wait. They stared into the inky black above, patiently waiting for the stars to share their knowledge, their guidance, their brilliant light—and one day, the heavens finally reached for them. Held them. Blessed them. The humans rejoiced. We are saved, they cried. The stars have finally answered us! We were right to be patient—we were right to wait!3

It makes me wonder whether the Archdragons at the time made the decision for humans to not have magic, and the Stars agreed to enforce it, or whether it was the opposite / mutual.

Moving on: whatever the agreement between them was, one thing held fast of consciously choosing to deprive humans of primal magic, and then doing their best to maintain that deprivation.

Then it all changed, and an Order that hinged so completely on humans not having (primal) magic, at having humans at the bottom of the hierarchy, that it was irreparably broken, seemingly, by just a tiny taste of it, passing from Leola to her human friends.

This act, however motivated, is the beginning of the end. The start of the long slow spiral to chaos. (6x09) / So it is only fitting that I deliver their fear, the Great Unravelling, in Leola's name. (7x06)

My first part of the over arching theory I'm working towards, then, is that the Cosmic Order was made to keep elves and dragons and even archdragons in line, yes, but primarily to keep humans in line.

But why? What is it about humans that make them so unique, or dangerous, that they need to be 'supervised'? Well, I think it went further than

More Than Primal Magic

We know thanks to Callum and other sources (Ripples) that humans can connect to arcanums, and can connect to more than one, with Aaravos being our only example of an elf having more than one arcanum. It begs the question of, if Callum could do it, if there was any truly stopping from humans from acquiring it due to their nature (i.e. cuddlemonkeys like Stella are also born without arcanums, and then connect due to their environmental factors). But that's a post for another day, and I think that "humans connecting to primal magic" is only part of what scared the Cosmic Council.

And what I'm about to propose is, admittedly, both a simplistic and complicated answer for what was so special about humans. (It is also somewhat inspired by a HTTYD fanfic called "Hitchups" I read 11 years ago as a worldbuilding concept, so go figure). However, the more I turned it over in my head, the more I felt like it best reflected what we've seen throughout the series so far, so here it is.

Humans are dangerous because they have Imagination.

And I know on first glance that seems and sounds stupid, but bear with me. Humans, specifically, seem to have more the ability in-universe to imagine new, better, possibilities than we see from the elves and dragons, without prompting in the same manner. Whether it's the human gazing upon the new Sea of the Cast Out...

The wisest of the humans looked upon the water. His own reflection smiled back at him, and he dared to imagine what such power would feel like in his own hands, should he be allowed to hold it. Imagine, he thought, if I were more than what I am.

or Harrow's urgings to Callum, a son who already dreamed of peace even without knowing of the living dragon egg (which is what Rayla and Zubeia needed to get to the same place):

Callum, who believes that primal magic for himself is possible, even when every elf around him disagrees, and then he's right. Or Rayla's reflections on Callum, yes, but humans at large, as though elves struggle routinely with doing the same (and they do, constantly harkening back to the past otherwise):

The human kicked dirt at her, and Rayla scraped at her eyes, angry—infuriated, even. Humans were frustrating. Humans were clever. Humans could do anything, they could be anything, they could take their own fates and change them—4

Rayla, who offers up her gift of sacrifice to Rex Igneous to be the same like everything before, and it's only through Ezran's thought process and Barius' invention that it turns into anything else. Anything new, or successful.

Or the Orphan Queen, who alone sees through Aaravos' eyes, and then manages to convince everyone else who loved him that he's a traitor, who saw the possibility no one else were able to consider. Or the Jailer, who was tasked with creating the prison as opposed to just a primal elf mage, like one couldn't.

REX IGNEOUS: Long ago, it was a human who saw through the Fallen Star's schemes, and helped Xadia put an end to them. (4x08) AKIYU: I was visited by a human mage who called herself the Jailer. The Archdragons had given the Jailer a daunting task to design a magical prison that could hold a Startouch elf. She needed my powers to craft the prison itself. [...] The puzzle is the real prison, she told me with a proud smile. (5x05)

In this, the humans taught me another lesson.5 [...] Aaravos thinks that if he cared for the idea [of birthdays], he’d like to remember the taste of a smooth red fruit a human had plucked from a tree for him, once. It had been so crisp, and so sweet.6

And this idea — that while elves can, humans are better at introducing New Ideas, is not a new one either. Although we see Rayla, Janai, and other Xadian creatures think of ideas/plans, they are usually still operating within the means of what they Know to be possible—to use illusions as a Moonshadow elf, to cut Amaya's line off, to use their lightning abilities or strength—as opposed to what is half-started or unlikely (the bulk of Callum's magic in season 1, and again in 3x09). And we see this best through the way that humans, 9/10, are the ones who introduce Breaking the Cycle to Xadian creatures. We see this with not-so-great ideas as well: humans do the thing, and Xadians eventually copy them.

Now, some of this is an oversimplification, of course. Dragons and elves do introduce some new ideas to human characters, teach them magic/spells, and take new ideas from one another. Callum is usually more optimistic and likely to see a new spin on things than Rayla, for example, but Rayla is the one who sees Esmeray as something other than a monster. Most of the time, though, when elves or dragons are influencing human characters though, it is through revealing information (the scale necklace; Esmeray and Luna Tenebris; that Aaravos can possess people; Terry with Aaravos' plans, etc), not necessarily inventing new perspectives.

Meanwhile, humans reveal information a good deal of the time too: Ezran discovers and shares that the egg wasn't destroyed at all; Callum finds the truth of whether Rayla's parents ran away; the Orphan Queen, as noted, revealed Aaravos' treachery; and Corvus can tell that something is up with that island (7x01).

Elves, meanwhile, tend to be much more... follower-esque. Runaan does not kill unless he is ordered to ("and then Callum will decide if you live or die"). Karim believes in Janai as queen, and treats her as such, and even when he is pushing for his own rule, it is doing so in subsequent open service to Sol Regem and then Aaravos as greater authorities ("What would you have me do? Where would you have me go?" / "You pushed me to this, sister"). The elves who don't, or aren't, usually have more human influence on their lives: Amaya and Ezran with Janai; Callum, Ezran, and Amaya with Rayla, etc.

But the stars kept from them one secret still: that their first lesson—patience—was not a gift of the stars at all. You see, patience is a lesson the humans taught themselves. [...] But I have heard the lesson of the humans. I know patience well.

And this imagination to dream, build, create, to forge, to pursue with determination, makes them less predictable. They don't have arcanums: they don't have anything they intrinsically 'know' to shape them the way elves and magical creatures, and so they can know nothing; they can know anything, and that makes them much harder to control and look over, even for those who are Timeblind (as the Cosmic Council likely is). Especially since, per the apple, it seems that yes maybe Aaravos shared the gift of magic with humans by his own admission, and maybe helped to develop dark magic... but I do wonder if humans invented it, regardless. What Startouch elf would need self-eating, after all?

As a final point for this section: even Aaravos giving humans magic wasn't his idea. Humans likely saw Leola do primal magic and learned from it themselves > to her giving them enough to make a significant difference. Then Aaravos took what had already happened, then twisted and did it again. Moreover, Aaravos plots and plans and relies on people's predictability in order to manipulate them; he may hate the Cosmic Council, but he's still fundamentally acting like them, enforcing pre-determined destinies onto other characters, Sir Sparklepuff, Sol Regem, Viren, and his other pawns chief among them.

If humans are unique among Xadia for reasons beyond magic, then them rejecting the destiny of the stars, Aaravos included, is the ultimate way to write their own destiny and rewrite the system to be truly equitable (hi Callum with Aaravos' key and a literal leaning book of destiny?) and I think that's pretty cool.

A Detour: Aaravos' De-Powering

Back on the note of "the Cosmic Order and Council we see presented in S6 is not the way things always were" from before, I want to talk about Aaravos' de-powering. Specifically, both of them. Again, we tread into speculation territory here (because when do we not when it comes to the deep lore) but bear with me.

In the pre-S6 posters of him and his cube/book, Aaravos wears the same crown as the rest of the Cosmic Council. We don't know enough about Startouch elves to know if they all wear them, or just the Cosmic Council, or if every Startouch elf besides Aaravos is on the council anyway, with his classic bangles and even fancier outfit.

But by the time we see Aaravos in S6, he doesn't have his crown. This could be something he relinquished by choice, a side effect of residing on earth (though he has no trouble going to the 'council' room for lack of a better term), or otherwise stripped from him. This could be what made him less powerful than the rest of the council.

We know that the Cosmic Council didn't leave right away after primal magic was given, either. It was only when Elarion had grown from a fledging to a thriving city thanks to primal magic, and the dragons seemingly took issue, that the Stars left and Aaravos remained. We don't know why for either choice, beyond Aaravos wanting to stay and 'help' humanity (ie. get closer to the Great Unravelling):

Elarion, unworthy whelp, Wept as the stars turned black the sky, They donned their masks They turned their backs, And left Elarion to die. Elarion, dying husk, did wilt and whimper in the dark, ‘till the last star Reached from afar His touch: a blaze, a gift, a spark.

But as @kradogsrats pointed out, perhaps the Cosmic Council left because they were afraid. We see time and time again that fear, when listened to, is a turning point for people leaving: Soren ("I don't want to do this. I'm afraid"), Rayla (afraid of what Viren might do to the world and Callum), Lissa ("she was afraid, she said no"), Terry (of becoming someone he's not), and of more isolationist behaviour. Janai becomes demanding in 6x02 ("Take your masks off, I want to see what you are truly feeling. You are... afraid?"), asks Karim "what are you so afraid of?" in 4x02, to which he responds with permanent integration. And others who overrule fear — "Of course he was afraid, but you had a job to do!" / "It won't follow because it's afraid of me" — being antagonistic because of it.

Aaravos — who the other First Elves at least trusted — doing / becoming something awful, which causes them to turn and run. Maybe they're more de-powered than we think (we are assuming, after all, that they're at the full height of their abilities and can kill him, neither of which may be necessarily true). Aaravos states in 'Patience' that "I have not seen the stars in centuries. But when I see them again—when the stars are forced to look upon me, their dark brother" and the Epic of the Void poem in Tales of Xadia ponders:

Where do the fabled Great Ones hide? What secrets have you locked inside? [...] Of Starfolk, fabled, fallen, found— Once everywhere, now none around. Is all we are to know of thee Consumed by Dark, or cast to Sea? So bound to Earth, are we denied The touch of Stars? Have our Gods died? Where do the fabled Great Ones hide?

So, seemingly, there was the removal of Aaravos from the council, then something that made him be 'Fallen,' and that includes why he can't just access the First Elves wherever they are now the way he could before. With all this in mind, onto the 'conclusion'.

So What's the Point?

Quick timeline run down:

5,000 years ago: First Elves and 'ordinary' elves are separate. There are Archdragons and humans. Only First elves and archdragons, presumably, have magic.

3000 years ago: Laurelion and Shiruakh have their battle. More fighting between the archdragons and first elves may be ongoing. Humans forge the Nova Blade and presumably the scale armour.

Between 3000 and 2000 years ago: Primal elves are made distinctive. Aaravos is higher up in Startouch 'society'? First elves are more regularly walking around on the mortal plain. Aaravos has his first de-powering. Leola gives humans magic and is executed. Anak Araw is the Dragon Prince and Aaravos' goal of vengeance is born.

2000 years ago: Elarion is thriving under primal magic with humanity. Dragons (and possibly first elves) don't like it. The First Elves leave (ish). Sometime in the next 800 years Aaravos robs the Starscraper, taking a singular staff and a quasar diamond and gives humanity dark magic.

1200 years ago: Sol Regem is Dragon King. The Staff of Ziard is gifted, sowing chaos. Stand off with Ziard happens.

1000 years ago: Luna Tenebris is the Dragon Queen. Humanity is exiled to the west under the Judgement of the Half Moon, potentially after poaching all the unicorns. The Mage Wars happen, with the Staff passing through many hands, with Xadia not stepping in to stop any of it.

300 years ago: Luna Tenebris is murdered, throwing the archdragons into a succession crisis. Queen Aditi mysteriously vanishes (aka is eaten by Aaravos) before she can resolve it. The Mage Wars end (?) possibly because of Aaravos' imprisonment thanks to the Orphan Queen. She acquires the Key of Aaravos and passes it down her new royal line; the Jailer presumably keeps the staff and passes it down her occupational line of high mage of Katolis.

The one wiggling thought is that Ziard states that "One of the great ones" gave him the staff in 3x01, implying that more than just Aaravos are still around, but Sol Regem being pissed does imply that he knew it was Aaravos directly. Speaking of Sol Regem, I get the sense that he knew more than he was letting on, given that he tattled on Leola, hated humans but grew much more bitter as he progressed towards modern day (no more offers of mercy or bargaining), and his distaste for Aaravos despite not being involved in imprisoning him with the other Archdragons. The fact that he has the bleakest view on Xadia ("You think I can reign and fix what is broken in Xadia? No one can save it") and is the one Archdragon we know was canonically old enough to be contemporaries with the First Elves does not help matters, either.

I suppose what this all amounts to is that, with both the Archdragons and humanity (allied or not), First Elves faced a lot more conflict on the mortal plain than maybe first considered, before things evened out to something more stable and reverent. Humans were made to be distinct from primal elves on purpose, but in a flawed manner (i.e. they can connect to arcanums Anyway), possibly in a way that inspired Aaravos to do the same if he wasn't inherently connected (which is perhaps what his book used to be as a conduit). First Elves might've left because they were freaking terrified, and not necessarily just indifferent.

Meanwhile, the more you look at humans, the more they're beautiful freaks of nature within Xadia, and while they've undoubtedly done fucked up things in pursuit of magic and power/protection, we know Aaravos stoked the Mage Wars, and it also wouldn't surprise me if certain facts (like the unicorn extinction) was the responsibility of other parties in Xadia in congruence, rather than just on their shoulders. Unreliable narrators and all that + even when they were present, the Cosmic Council seemingly wasn't doing much, relying on Sol Regem both to report to them and to serve as a witness, and then doing fuck all about Aaravos when shit actually hit the fan. Maybe Aaravos and his quasi-human army hyped on primal magic freaked them out.

Uh. Thoughts?

#tdp #tdp meta #the dragon prince #analysis series #deep lore dive #worldbuilding #analysis #i wrote this all in one day don't look at me #s7 spoilers

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demifiendrsa · 9 months ago

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii | Announce Trailer

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Battle Trailer

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RGG Summit 2024

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (known as Ryu ga Gotoku 8 Gaiden: Pirates in Hawaii in Japan) will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) on February 28, 2025 worldwide.

Key visual

First details

■ About the Game

A new legend begins as you step into the steel toe boots of Goro Majima, a man who has lost his memory and reinvents himself as a pirate on the open sea.

Embark on an over-the-top, modern-day pirate adventure with an ex-yakuza, now pirate captain and his crew as they engage in exhilarating combat on land and sea in the hunt for lost memories and a legendary treasure.

Pirate Yakuza Adventure Ahoy!

Get Your Ship Together

Assemble a one-of-a-kind crew while upgrading your ship as you explore the open sea and forge your legend in the cannon fire of foes, unexpected friendships, and immense riches made along the way.

When an enemy pirate ship catches you in their sights, an exhilarating real-time cannon battle breaks out. Quickly maneuver into position while avoiding fire, then deliver devastating damage to board the enemy ship and take down the captain in all-out crew vs. crew brawls. Conquer the seas, discover hidden islands and acquire loads of loot like a true yakuza pirate!

Kick Arrrss With Creative Combat

With “Mad Dog” style, utilize speed, agility, and flair to deliver precise yet powerful blows that stun your enemies into submission.

Or make enemies walk the plank with the “Pirate” style that has you dual-wielding short swords and deploying tricky pirate tools to kick some serious booty.

■ Story

After losing his memory, Goro Majima, a once-feared legend in the yakuza world, sets sail in search of treasure.

Half a year ago teaming up with Kiryu for a massive battle in the Millenium Tower, Goro Majima washes up with the wreckage of a boat on the shore of a remote, sparsely populated island. With no memories—not even his own name—Majima joins forces with Noah, the young islander who saved his life, and embarks on a search for clues to his forgotten past. However, what waits for them is a powder-keg world where scoundrels vie for a legendary treasure.

■ Cast

Goro Majima (voiced by Hidenari Ugaki)

Patriarch of the former Tojo Clan’s Majima Family.

An ex-yakuza with no memories who has washed ashore on a remote island.

Noah Rich (voiced by First Summer Uika)

Local boy on Rich Island.

A youth who dreams of the outside world, hoping to leave the confines of Rich Island.

Jason Rich (voiced by Kenji Matsuda)

Bar Owner on Rich Island and Noah’s father.

A former treasure hunter who, despite being a drunkard, is still a true sea dog.

Masaru Fujita (voiced by Ryuji Akiyama (Robert))

Bodyguard and ship cook.

A skilled chef for hire who’s sailed the seas on a long line of pirate ships.

Teruhiko Shigaki (voiced by Munetaka Aoki)

Patriarch of the former Tojo Clan’s Shigaki family.

An ex-yakuza with no memories who has washed ashore on a remote island.

Rodriguez (voiced by Ayumi Tanida)

Palekana disciple.

A burly warrior who guards Nele Island, Palekana’s holy site, with his massive sword.

Mortimer (voiced by Shunsuke Daitoh)

Head of the Mortimer Armada.

A handsome pirate with a charismatic persona who inspires fervor in the lowlifes around him.

Goro (voiced by ???)

Noah’s little friend.

An adorable little cat (?) that Noah found on Rich Island.

■ Battle

Push Combat to the Extreme with Two Battle Styles

■ Adventure

Go wild and unleash chaos around the waters of Hawaii as Goro Majima!

Rich Island

Madlantis

Nele Island

Hawaii

One of the world’s most famous tourist destinations. You can learn a lot about Hawaii from the owner of a bar called Revolve in Honolulu City.

■ Early Purchase Bonus

Ichiban Pirate Crew Set

Crew Member: Ichiban Kasuga

Backup Crew: Nancy

Ichiban Special Outfit Set

Kasuga Outfit (Infinite Wealth)

Kasuga Outfit (Yakuza: Like a Dragon)

■ Game Editions

Standard Edition (physical / digital) – $59.99 / £54.99 / €59.99 / 6,930 yen

A copy of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Deluxe Edition (digital) – $74.99 / £64.99 / €74.99 / 8,690 yen

A copy of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Downloadable content

**Legendary Pirate Crew Pack – Have Kazuma Kiryu, Daigo Dojima, and other fan-favorite Like a Dragon characters become shipmates with the Goro Pirates!

**Legendary Outfit Pack – Give Majima more outfits to wear, including a T-shirt exclusively designed for this title and the iconic get-ups sported by yakuza legends such as Kazuma Kiryu and Taiga Saejima.

**Ship Customization Pack – Personalize the appearance of your pirate ship, the Goromaru! Choose from designs based on popular characters from the franchise, including Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga.

**Extra Karaoke and CD Pack – Add the Majima Construction Song to karaoke and gain the option to play karaoke staples while exploring.

Complete Box (Japan / Asia) (physical) – 19,800 yen

A copy of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Goro Majima Pop-Up Pirate Jr.

Goro Majima Eyepatch

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii acrylic art board (A4 size)

Art book

Downloadable content

**Legendary Pirate Crew Pack – Have Kazuma Kiryu, Daigo Dojima, and other fan-favorite Like a Dragon characters become shipmates with the Goro Pirates!

#Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii #Ryu ga Gotoku 8 Gaiden Pirates in Hawaii #Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii #Yakuza Like a Dragon #Yakuza #Ryu Ga Gotoku #Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio #Sega #video game #PS5 #Xbox Series #Xbox Series X #Xbox Series S #PS4 #Xbox One #PC #Steam #Microsoft Store #long post

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blueikeproductions · 9 months ago

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So with TFONE attempting to simplify the Primes and some recent cartoons trying to theme some shows around them, it has led to a thought how this could work.

The biggest problem the Primes have is that nobody really knows or cares that much about them. The only one most actually care about is The Fallen because of the Bay film. Vector Prime via Galaxy Force is fondly remembered by TF fans, but that version also predates the modern Prime mythology.

Transformers Prime was intended to look more into what it means to be a Prime, but never truly does so. It also introduced the modern 13 Prime lore, but also does very little with it. It’s mostly limited to Solus’ Forge being a reoccurring weapon, Megatron grafting a Prime arm on to him, with creatives unable to decide who it’s supposed to be, and Alpha Trion making a cameo (more so to reference G1 than do much with the Primes).

RiD15 also uses the Primes, with Micronus (the main rep and Optimus’ life coach) and The Fallen (the first season’s main villain) as the stand out ones. Despite Micronus being the first Mini-Con, he has no influence on the cartoon’s Mini-Con gimmick it adapted later in its run. Liege Maximo appeared in chapter books and is the only (not Fallen) one who got to properly do something. I still greatly insist Onyx Prime should’ve been the rep due to the Beast theme instead. Also Thundertron, but that’s a different problem.

Cyberverse used Alchemist Prime specifically, but while being one of the better characters, he’s not very memorable. Onyx and Alpha Trion have minor roles, with Alpha Trion getting a toy… that nobody bought. He was also there for G1 ‘memberberries, in a role similar to the old cartoon. The Cyberverse staff were not shy admitting to only writing the show for themselves and like minded fans and not actual children.

And now EarthSpark uses Quintus in a major role… but it feels like there’s some conflicting ideas about who he is. Storyboards suggest he’s more benevolent having everyone’s best interests in mind, while the show keeps insisting he might be shady and a dead beat dad.

And like the aforementioned Onyx, the series isn’t great about using Primes better themed to a show. Combiner Wars opts to NOT use Nexus Prime, when instead perhaps they could’ve made him into the evil leader of the Combiners, forcing them to wipe out non Combiners so Cybertron is theirs to rule. Vs the show just having them fight… because reasons. He also never got a toy in the Combiner themed line. This could’ve also been tinkered with once more in RiD15 for its Combiner Force, casting him as a neutral who gifts power of combination to the Bee Team and the Pack, seeing who’s more worthy to use the Enigma for an upcoming problem involving an ancient Combiner unique to the show. (Also having Chop Shop as a minor villain again.)

I think the problem is largely NOT letting the other Primes being proper characters. Vector Prime and The Fallen are allowed to be characters, with Vector allowed to be part of the Autobots, make bonds with them and the kids, and have a little arc of his own, remembering the value of life throughout time.

I think if we went back to that, having a surviving Prime join the Autobots and find their footing in the modern era on Earth during the battle against the Decepticons would help.

It’s actually kind of shocking in the current “DEI” era that they don’t have Solus Prime in such a role, working alongside Optimus. The downside to this is current writers would probably make her into a more arrogant Captain Marvel type, but ideally Solus should be cast in a role similar to Vector in Galaxy Force. I feel like it’d be funny if she especially bonded with the kids, a loving but firm grandma, who drives them around, with the gag being the kids are ferried around in a big purple construction vehicle. Solus is also happy to fix things with a gentle tap of her Fixit Felix hammer, usually the kids’ phones, but an episode sees some repercussions, where the phones and other gadgets start Transforming into semi sentient-semi automatic weapons.

Think the Appliance Bots from ROTF.

Amalgamous is really the only one that’s too abstract to use as he is. I feel like the trick is to create an in-story reason why he can’t infinitely Transform, limiting him to being a Six Changer like Sixshot. This way the writers and artists can be more creative, and have a character arc where Amalgamous learns to be one of the Autobots with a running gag he forgets he can’t change into whatever he wants anymore and turns into a car or dinosaur that isn’t appropriate to the situation.

Liege is easy enough. He’s the Sideways trying to nudge the Autobots, Decepticons and humans into doing what he wants for nefarious reasons.

I feel like Prima would be a hybrid of TFA Ratchet & TFA Ultra Magnus, a cranky foxy grandpa that means well and tries to guide Optimus and the kids, but he’s quite literally an overbearing helicopter parent trying to dictate what Optimus should be doing. While still powerful in his own right, Prima does get overwhelmed by Megatron’s sheer rage.

The 13th Prime is up in the air. It could be Zeta, Rodimus, Adaptus, Mortilus or a brand new Prime for the scenario. I got nothing.

I am a bit concerned about Vector. He was already used effectively, but his schtick is time travel and manipulation, and to move the story of TFONE along that didn’t help him against Quints or Sentinel. Can you even use time travel effectively anymore? Maybe if Vector was more in line with Time Patrol Bon, not that anyone watched the Netflix reboot of it.

#blueike productions #blueike #transformers #maccadam #the 13 primes

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