#i keep threatening with the lore built up for this

[alectoperdita]

Do I have a dozen things, including fic requests, to finish? Yes. But I only seem to want to start self-indulgent things that I may or may not even finish myself.

Anyway, inspired by those photos, here's Seto and Katsuya after six months of dating in the Old Friends universe.

---

As soon as the elevator's doors shut, Seto's phone dinged with a message. He checked it, hoping against hope it was a cancellation of tonight's dinner plans.

No such luck for him. It was a message confirming the other party might even be early.

Movement on the edge of his vision distracted him before he could reply. He peered sideways at the elevator's other occupant, at Katsuya, his boyfriend now of six months. Katsuya also had his phone in hand, held aloft, and flipping the bird with the other as he snapped several selfies.

Seto stopped to watch him pose and make faces at his camera. It still boggled him sometimes: how long they'd lasted, how seamless the transition had been, how well they clicked.

In the mirror-finish of the elevator doors, their reflections stood side-by-side but they might as well be from two different worlds. Seto's navy-pattern suit was neat and pressed, a folded pocket square peeking out of his breast pocket, and shoes shined to a gleam. Every detail of his appearance managed and controlled down to the stitch. Katsuya, on the other hand, looked as if he recently rolled out of bed—Seto's bed—despite having taken as long as Seto to get ready.

Seto took his time giving his boyfriend the once-over, as was his prerogative, his eyes tracing the slopes of Katsuya's chest and midriff visible through his torn, sleeveless mesh top. The stretch of black, barely there fabric was broken up by bands of silver, heavy chains stringed around his neck, biceps, and wrists. His pants hung low on his waist, exposing his underwear's waistband, and boasted more straps than belt buckles Seto used to wear in his youth. The artfully tousled hair resembled his bed head after they had one or two invigorating rounds of sex, and his heavy eyeliner reminded Seto of when they first ran into each other on a fateful New Years Eve.

Their eyes locked through their reflections, and Katsuya pursed his lips to blow him a kiss.

He'd been caught staring. Ears now warmed, Seto tore his gaze away and typed a hasty reply to his dinner meeting.

As soon as he slipped the phone into his pocket, though, Katsuya immediately invaded his personal space. His chin rested on Seto's shoulder as his burly arms slung around his waist. Seto's eyes darted back to their reflections again. They were undeniably fetching tangled together, something that pleased Seto to no end.

"I'm not just for looking. You can touch," Katsuya mumbled against his heated ear.

"In that case, we're going right back upstairs," Seto grumbled.

Katsuya chuckled. "Down, boy. You're the one who worried about being late and rushing out the door."

As they said, business before pleasure. Pity.

Sooner than Seto preferred, they hit the ground floor. Katsuya dropped his arms, leaving Seto somewhat chilled and bereft despite wearing a suit in June, and swaggered off the elevator. Together, they crossed the atrium, where the black granite interior threatened to swallow Katsuya if not for the bright glimmer of his blond hair.

"You sure I can't convince you to come with me?" Seto asked. It was not the first time he'd even asked him. If it got Katsuya to change his mind, he wouldn't mind asking several times more.

"Hmmm. Depends. Where are you going?"

"Buddha-Bar."

Katsuya burst into laughter. It was music resonating within the high-ceiling lobby. "Tools go to Buddha-Bar."

He winced.

"Sorry, babe." Katsuya flashed an apologetic smile. In the middle of the lobby, he paused and spun to face him before gesturing to himself. "Plus, I doubt this meets their dress code."

Seto also came to a stop, taking the obvious invitation to ogle his scantily-clad boyfriend more. He couldn't even be mad at Katsuya, because the man was right on both accounts. The restaurant often attracted a crowd more concerned with appearing more cosmopolitan than they actually were, plus it'd would never seat Katsuya when he showed that much skin. Pity because he'd pay to sick Katsuya on tonight's dining party of financiers, all of whom certainly qualified as "tools" in Seto's book.

"They would if I bought them out," he said, blasé even as he stared a little too intensely at Katsuya's sculpted pecs.

Years ago, such an off-the-cuff comment would've pissed Katsuya off. But they were older now, close enough for him to recognize Seto's jokes even if he didn't always appreciate them.

Instead, Katsuya rolled his eyes and twirled around. Seto would've been annoyed if his broad back wasn't as delectable as his torso. Tonight, his boyfriend was eye candy from head to toe, front to back. Merely one of many reasons for Seto to trail behind him toward the exit.

"Hey, look at it this way. At least you don't have to go far, and it'll be an easy walk back once it's over."

Boots clomping, he shouldered past the glass door and onto the sidewalk. Dusk had not yet settled over the city, but the sun dipping behind the high-rises limned the urban landscape in light purple and orange. It was quiet, "quiet" for New York, the calm before the storm of bustling nightlife that descended on the neighborhood after dark.

They took a second to drink it in, then they were off again.

Seto lengthened his stride until he fell into place next to his boyfriend. In his opinion, any walk was vastly improved with Katsuya at his side. Katsuya gave him a sidelong glance before reaching across the small gap to intertwine their fingers. Seto squeezed his hand in return, finding solace in its warmth and weight. They drew glances as they approached the intersection, seemingly mismatched in their style of dress.

Katsuya peered up at him from under smoky eyelids. "You could always ditch 'em. Run away to Williamsburg with me."

Though he said it like a joke, Seto knew he meant it. As with almost anything involving Katsuya, it was tempting.

"Can't. I've been trying to schedule this meeting since last month."

"I know. I know. It was worth a try." Katsuya tilted his head, gesturing across the crosswalk as the light changed. "Alright, I'm headed that way."

Toward the subway. In the opposite direction of where Seto needed to go.

Even as their fingers started to separate like a taut string fraying, he squeezed them one last time. "Tell your sister and Mazaki I said hi."

"I will." Katsuya swooped in and caught his lips in a kiss over far too soon. When he drew away, his eyes twinkled with good-natured teasing. "Have fun dropping a Benjamin on an app and cocktail. I'm off to stuff myself with chili fries. You're always welcome if you get that bored."

With a wink and a wave, he was gone, a flurry of black and bronze lost to the streets of Tribeca.

Fifteen minutes into a round of pre-dinner drinks, Seto wished he had ditched and made the trek out to Brooklyn with Katsuya. But building a new theme park required constant injections of cash flow. As healthy as his company's coffers may be, it alone didn't suffice. Thus the need to wine and dine these bankers to see what loose change he could shake out of them.

Still, he fired a message to his boyfriend asking where he might find him later.

[thestoryteller-thedreamer]

The Lack of Lore in Dragons Rising

Warning:

This is a really long essay rant about Dragons Rising. You probably won't agree with all, or even most of what I have to say, and that is totally alright. This is just my take on Dragons Rising so far.

Also, I have not seen any of the new leaks for Season 3 Part 2. All of my issues could be resolved in those episodes for all I know. I do talk about things that happened in Part 1, so if you haven't watched Episodes 1-10 of season 3 and don't want them to be spoiled, maybe don't read this post.

Anyway, I've warned you. What you do next is your own decision.

Dragons Rising has introduced us to all of these interesting concepts in the past fifty episodes. The Forbidden Five, the Source Dragons, the wolf masks, the prismatic blades, shatter spin, rising dragon technique, the missing characters, and the freaking merge itself. All of them feel like they connect in very nuanced and intricate ways with the already established ninjago lore, but we are given none of their history, only the action scenes that utilize them. Which is starting to feel less like a mystery and more like an oversight. 

Let’s go back to Season 1 of the entire show. Right off the bat, we are introduced to the Serpentine. The main characters give us a bit of exposition in the form of bickering in the first episode, describing the Serpentine, their role in Ninjago history, and the mystery/ legends surrounding them. We continue to get a glimpse into the various Serpentine tribes, including their abilities, their power structure, their intertribal relations, and their desires within the first few episodes. By the midpoint of the season, Wu has revealed the backstory of the Great Devourer as well. And it doesn’t feel like too much exposition is going on. The season, for all of its other flaws, flows fairly smoothly and is full of action.

In Season 2, we meet the Overlord, and are immediately given his history with the First Spinjitzu Master. In Season 3, though not a lot of new lore is added, returning characters and the new technology of the Digiverse are both explained to some extent. Both seasons 4 and 5 handle the lore excellently, at least in my opinion. We are shown the histories of Garmadon and Wu, respectively, continuing to see glimpses of their troubled pasts as the season goes on, without feeling left in the dark for too long. Similar things can be said of most, if not all, of the other seasons. 

However, in Dragons Rising, we are given none of that. 

The characters claim to have a backstory (Egalt and Rontu say the Forbidden Five are an evil “unlike anything you’ve ever seen”) but what we are given is so lackluster that it feels forgettable. Part of what made the Forbidden Five so boring in Season 3 is how little we know about them. Most of our information comes from posts by the writers, not the actual show itself. Their powers are barely explained, the relationships between all of them other than Nokt and Rox (the two siblings) aren’t even present, and I have no idea why they want Thunderfang or what they plan to do to the merged lands. Conquer them? Destroy them? Declare the doughnuts must be eaten every third Tuesday of the month? I don’t know! Older villains, like Garmadon, Harumi, Morro, Chen, Aspheera, Kalmar, Unagami, and Nadakhan all had very clear, if also very misguided, goals. I don’t know what these new villains want! Gosh, I can’t even keep their names straight. They have really cool designs, but I get Zarkt and Drix confused all the time. 

Not to mention, the Forbidden Five were built up as the greatest evil in all the merged lands, only to be immediately defeated by Thunderfang. Creating an even more powerful villain for our heroes to face would work if the writers actually raised the stakes. As it is, these latest villains don’t feel anywhere near as threatening as those that actually came with a cost- Lloyd having to fight his dad, Zane dying to the Overlord, Nya merging with the sea to defeat Wojira, even all of the cubing that happened while in Prime Empire. Like the entirely evil Oni, they work really well as a background threat, but as soon as they appear in action, they are pretty underwhelming (and both the Oni and Thunderfang were defeated by a fancy Spinjitzu move). I think it would be more beneficial if the villains stopped threatening the entire world, and instead honed in on something more personal, such as hunting down one of the main ninja for revenge or something, or trying to steal their powers so everyone is “equal” (aka, Legends of Korra). 

Or the villain isn’t even a real villain, but they are trying to keep the ninja from something they want, like figuring out the secrets of the Merge, finding the truth about Wu, or recovering Jay’s memories. Lowering the world stakes and raising the personal stakes could actually be far more gripping than constantly raising the bar for who is the ultimate evil. 

Okay, so what about the Source Dragons? It feels like the writers go back and drastically change everything we already know about the First Spinjitzu Master and Firstborn. It gives me the same whiplash sensation I had finding out that Lloyd was part Oni and part Dragon. In hindsight, Lloyd’s heritage is an interesting concept. And so are the Source Dragons! But right now, it feels like my entire understanding of Ninjago history is falling apart at the seams. Not to mention, we don’t get a dramatic Mystake storytelling moment for the Source Dragons. We are told they exist and are super powerful and supposedly give everyone their elemental powers… but not much else. Where do they live? What makes them so powerful? Why did they decide to give powers to people like Cinder and Zeatrix? Why do the Source Dragons give evil people their elemental powers? How could they refuse to interfere with mortal affairs unless they are being threatened, especially since doling out powers that way could be the cause of some of Ninjago’s problems? 

Oh, and will the show ever care to discuss the Wolf Masks? How did Ras get his hands on them while he was busy in Imperium? At this point, it seems like he has a backup plan for a backup plan for a backup plan for a backup plan (Dragon Icons with Arin to make up for Nokt betraying him and using the elemental powers for himself to make up for the blood moon ritual not going as planned to make up for Beatrix not doing what he wanted to make up for his tribe kicking him out.) What is this guy’s deal? And how did he get an entire army of faceless, nameless soldiers to wear his masks and help him take down the world? In Season 4, at least Chen offered his followers the appeal of a snake cult on a tropical island. I’m seeing none of those benefits for Ras’s minions. 

And don’t get me started on the Prismatic Blades. What the heck are these things? They are made from “soul energy?” Has someone been harvesting souls to turn them into swords? Why does looking through them allow someone to see invisible demogorgon soul sucking spirits? How did Rapton, not to mention Dorama’s puppet, get his paint spattered pinchers on one of those things? What is up with the sword that shattered during the tournament? If these are the only things that can bust Thunderfang free, why weren’t they hidden better? Or if they were, how were they found? At least in S1, when the ninja were searching for the Fangblades, we were given a bit more explanation. We had a fancy map with their locations, a Clutch Powers bit where he “found” one and turned it into a trophy, a dramatic battle in an erupting volcano… Yes, they fight over the prismatic blades. But the fight locations don’t feel important the way they do in S1 of the original show. 

Ooh, and what about the missing characters? Crystallized ended with an absurd number of side characters all teaming up to help the ninja rebuild their monastery. At the start of Dragons Rising, they are not only gone, but forgotten. We’ve had a few beloved side characters make guest appearances- Dareth, Fugidove, some of the elemental masters at the Tournament of Sources… but the others haven’t even been mentioned. I think it would be ridiculous to try to fit everyone into the plot. This ensemble show has a cast swollen way past anything reasonable. But maybe give us a cameo of Harumi living her life, or Skylor running her noodle shop or Benthomar and Vania being the best king and queen one could hope for. Give us Garmadon and Vinny walking through the crossroads, and an angsty teen Unagami addicted to his phone, and Nelson jealously watching Arin fulfill his life dreams. It can take place in a quick fly by, where their relationship to the ninja isn’t explained, but older fans have a moment to freak out and scream at the top of their lungs when they see their babies for a few seconds. 

Now for the Merged Lands. Yes, this is a kid’s show. But I feel like after several years (which, btw, why are they so vague about the time span? They are always like, the merge happened “several years ago,” but never give us an exact date, and it drives me crazy!) the different combined realms would have formed some sort of political understanding. We are given no glimpse into how Ninjago decides to interact with Imperium, or the Cloud Kingdom, or the Wyldness. At the very least, I would have expected some reaction to Imperium declaring the ninja as enemies of the state from Ninjago. How dare the foreigners try to capture their beloved heroes?! Only the Ninjago City police and the *new ninja* are allowed to put them in jail! We have no interactions between them, or even reminders that old businesses and characters still exist. (NGTV news, the mayor, that police commissioner with the twitchy eye…) It feels like Ninjago’s culture has been erased, and none of the other merged lands have become prominent enough to replace it. The beautiful city that gets destroyed every other season and feels a little bit like home when I see it on screen isn’t relevant any more. 

The show really wants to have new lore. It hints that it is there, it tries to dump it on us in repeated blasts of the same boring exposition. But I honestly can’t see it. Or maybe I just can’t get excited about it because it doesn’t feel personal enough. Unlike the earlier seasons, where villains targeted the ninja specifically because of Wu and Garamdon’s past, or trying to steal their powers, the heroes are so detached from this current wave of baddies that it doesn’t seem to matter. Saving the world for the sake of saving the world is good and all. But you know what is great? Saving the world for the sake of saving your friend. Stopping the villain merely because they kidnapped someone you love or tried to steal your teammates powers or broke your brother’s heart or made your already elderly teacher even more old. 

The lore is connected to the world, not the characters. And if it doesn’t matter to the characters, then it really doesn’t matter to the audience. 

[nowimjustastranger]

StCMO Lore | Part 2

I changed Watchdog Ford's motivation for going into the multiverse and I think this narrative is far more fitting, with the added benefit of being angsty as all hell.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Stanford Pines began his obsessive search for a solution soon after, determined to undo what had been done. But Death could not be reversed, nor could it be threatened or bribed. So Stanley Pines remained in Death’s tender embrace and, in his growing desperation, Stanford Pines began to explore other means of getting his brother back.

He left no stone unturned and eventually stumbled across the multiverse theory. A theory which suggests that our universe is not the only one, and that there may be countless other universes existing alongside it, each potentially with its own laws of physics and properties, essentially creating a "multiverse" where our universe is just one part of a much larger cosmic structure.

An idea began to form.

After getting his first PhD in evolutionary biology, Stanford Pines immediately pursued a degree in physics. In the meantime, Fiddleford found a job and bought an apartment near campus so he could look after Ford, who had begun to neglect both his health and hygiene in favor of pouring all his time and attention into turning his idea into reality.

When Stanford graduated early yet again, they moved to Gravity Falls together, where the barrier between Dimensions was weaker, and began to build a portal that could tear a hole between the two. Fiddleford was reluctant, suspecting that Stanford’s intentions were far from innocent or scientific in nature. But Stanford would do it with or without him, so Fiddleford assisted in order to keep him from working himself to death.

Ford also had a side project that he had started working on in college, his premonitions and sensitivity to changes in the universe leading him to experiment with harnessing those frequencies and applying them to his ability to see glimpses of the future in an unconscious state, increasing their strength with an amplifier so he could see into the future whenever and wherever he pleased.

He very nearly rendered himself braindead on multiple occasions.

When Fiddleford found out about Project Prescience, by quite literally walking in on one of Stanford’s tests, he aided Stanford in repurposing a biker helmet in order to implant the amplifier and external neural connectors into the frame. Once activated with a press of a discrete button on the side of the helmet, the system amplified Stanford’s premonitions to visions of future pathways.

Refining the tech takes Stanford and Fiddleford four years, but it’s ready by the time the portal is finished. They test it before Stanford gears up to go through, successfully entering the multiverse in an alternate dimension identical to his own except Gravity Fall was never founded. He stands in the middle of a forest where the Shack would’ve been, using the built-in communication device in his helmet to keep Fiddleford updated.

Stanford returns to his dimension and they shut down the portal, working on a way to shield their dimension from outside forces. Stanford designs a strong spell using unicorn hair to erect a barrier around their dimension, as well as performing a ritual on himself so he can come and go from his dimension as he pleases.

Also, Stanford convinces Fiddleford to build the memory gun by arguing that he could remain anonymous by using it on anyone who discovered his true identity. Unfortunately, Stanford intends to go behind Fiddleford’s back and use it to steal a Stanley from another Dimension. The memory gun still has an addictive quality, but only when it's used on the same person several times, but Stanford usually only has to use it on someone once.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Mint Plays Games: NIbiru

The Pitch

Nibiru is a game about amnesiac characters called Vagabonds, wandering a gigantic space-station habitat in a speculative future, trying to keep their identities a secret even while working to uncover pieces of their memories that they’re slowly starting to recover. It’s a unique game because you create your character backstory as you play, rather than inventing your backstory during character creation.

I find it hard to describe the setting of Nibiru, and I think that’s because there’s so much lore placed inside this game. The locations of the setting are divided into three sections: the Antumbra, The Penumbra, and The Umbra. The Antumbra is located in the centre of the space station, is the most easily habitable, and acts as a series of urban cityscapes, ripe for political intrigue and big social games. The Penumbra is a series of colonies, struggling to maintain control resources, and pushing back against the powerful, well-funded city states of the centre. The Umbra is the barely survivable borders, where gravity pressure, floods and blackouts constantly threaten your life, and small communities try to get by in a setting great for exploration and eerie adventures. Any given group is expected to find ample inspiration in just one of these areas; you certainly aren’t expected to explore the entire breadth of the station (although you can if you want to, of course. It’s your game).

Being a game about amnesiacs, character creation is rather simple. Because you are playing amnesiacs, you don’t have to select a skill list, but rather build your skills alongside your memories; every time you recall a memory, you either give yourself a negative modifier and earn Memory Points, or you spend previously earned Memory Points and give yourself a positive memory. But at the beginning, all you need to do is choose a habitat that carries themes that feel resonant to you, and think about how that might affect your character. However, the Habitats give you the core themes of what you want your character’s story to be about, and I think they’re very special.

The Habitats

There are five Habitats: The Machine, The Leviathan, The Dreadlands, The Dreamlands, and Brighttown. If you are from The Machine, you were some kind of robot or AI in your past life; at some point you gained sentience, and now you’ve awoken in a human body. If you are from The Leviathan, you were originally some kind of animal, driven by instinct; and while your body is different now, those instincts are still there. Dreadlands inhabitants suffer false recollections provided by a parasite called The Nightmare, which turns all of your skills into negative memories, but still shelters and protects you, and gives you plenty of chances to re-try something you’ve rolled poorly on. Dreamlands inhabitants do not collect one set of memories, but rather find themselves reliving periods of various other lives, of people that they meet as they go about the world. And finally, Brighttown players can play versions of themselves, dropped from the mundane world into an alien environment that still occasionally turns up artifacts of the world they came from; pieces of their old life continue to haunt them.

I played a two-shot of Nibiru over the past few months. I had four players for this game, each of whom picked a different habitat to play with. We didn’t have anyone to play the Leviathan habitat, but all of the others were represented. Our first session involved introducing the players to the system, while the characters woke up in a tank of water and found themselves meeting a small settlement that needed help sending aid to their neighbours. Our second session involved a voyage through a series of flooded corridors, dealing with hostile wildlife and suspicious patrols on their way to a hidden settlement built around a strange landmark. From a GM’s perspective, it was a simple delivery mission: get something from point A to point B, and deal with whatever obstacles pop up in front of you.

The Mechanics

This game only uses d4's. In order to do something in Nibiru, a character must make one of three rolls: a regular roll, a contested roll, or a special roll. A regular roll involves rolling 3 dice, adding or subtracting dice according to relevant modifiers, and looking for at least one 4. A result with at least one 4 is a success; a result with no 4’s and at least one 1 is a critical failure. A contested roll involves two players rolling 3 (or more) d4’s and adding them up. The highest total determines who wins out. Finally, a special roll is invoked by the GM whenever the character engages with a special mechanic of the game, either a Stress test, a Habitat mechanic, or some other special rule. Typically a 4 is good and a 1 is bad, but there can be more nuance, depending on what you’re rolling for.

Just from the two-shot, I could tell that Nibiru is more designed for the long haul. Character progression is slow, using two different kinds of experience points, and characters will level up only after filling a journal page with eight memories. Creating these memories is one way to spend these experience points, as well as a way to generate more. This encourages most players to switch between creating positive and negative memories, generating both positive and negative modifiers to any given roll. The biggest advancements happen at the end of the journal page, where characters write something called a Revelation - a special power that uses the second type of XP as a resource, to allow the players do something unique and powerful, such as experience premonitions of the future, or cry black tears that can be used as a poison. Over our two-session adventure, we got nowhere near receiving a Revelation.

That being said, we did play enough of a game to get a good taste of what I think is the most interesting thing about Nibiru - the memories.

The Memories

We began the game with an opening scene of each character pulling themselves from the water, gasping for air, and being confronted with their very first link or memory - something that established each characters’ expected tone. Our Machine character wanted to recall a series of disjointed recollections of the space-ship they were responsible for, and hint at the tragedy that caused them to lose the entire crew. Our Dreadlands character began a series of memories of things going wrong around her home; people arguing and breaking in, threatening those that she held dear. Our Dreamlands character began telling a series of stories about the man he woke up next to; following the confusing tangle of events of his life journeying through the Umbra, and our Brighttown character described to us a memory of something incredibly familiar: a movie theatre, and the ticket that came with them to this new, alien world.

These memories weren’t just establishing character backstory, they were giving the players a chance to build a history collaboratively, and build parts of the world. They also gave the players control over what kind of tone they wanted to set; a Dreadlands player that is consistently creating negative memories is setting a gritty undertone that contrasts the bright, but distant memories of Brighttown. The different themes of the habitats were also clear signposts: a Dreamlands player knows that at some point they might have to help the NPCs they meet reconcile with lost parts of their past, and the decisions they make about what parts to reveal and what parts to keep quiet about says something about who their character is - and how they judge the other people they meet in Nibiru.

The Letdown

My biggest letdown regarding Nibiru is not what it provides, but what it lacks: incentives for the characters to relate and depend on each-other. The players had no reason to turn to each-other while they were wrestling with their own personal emotions: I suppose thematically, they might have had a narrative reason to do so, but there was no mechanical prompt or reward.

It was rather easy to emotionally or physically isolate oneself from the group, working together when only you were in danger, but not sharing their memories or working through their lost paths together. In some games, like Thirsty Sword Lesbians, or Last Fleet, characters are drawn or pushed together, seeing each-other as resources or tools to use, but in either case forcing the characters to confront each-other’s vulnerabilities. Nibiru’s introspection makes for a rich character experience, but in isolation, and as a result it was more like telling four separate stories, than one cohesive one.

The Takeaway

One thing Nibiru reinforces for me is the fact that you don’t really need a backstory for a character in order to find them worth playing. And the themes introduced in Nibiru’s habitats have me thinking about how baking the themes of the game into the character backstory that you do have can tie your players more closely to the setting than otherwise. As amnesiacs, your characters have a solid reason not to know any of the lore, but the fact that the players know where their memories are coming from give them enough agency to hint towards the kind of stories they want to tell. Nibiru is a game about discovery: discovering who you are, and what the world around you is like.

Nibiru is also a game with plenty of space for tragic stories. Your character sheet has space for a number of symptoms that will start to affect your character should they take too much mental damage, and these symptoms can range from hearing voices to experiencing delusions. There's a lot about mental health and memory loss tied up in the mechanics of this game, which means that as a group you need to have a talk about what sorts of themes you're comfortable experiencing, and whether there's any consequences you need to avoid for safety reasons.

I think Nibiru has the potential to create a very emotional experience for your table, but I think that you have to play this game with folks who you can expect to naturally turn to each-other even as they introspect. Mechanically, it's beginner friendly, but when it comes to role-play, it demands a level of vulnerability that I'm not sure every table wants to have.

You can check out my spreadsheet play-kit for Nibiru here.

[ufologyexpert]

This made me go insane for 4 hours and 39 minutes of drawing. I miss drawing Fallout (especially my Fallout OCs). There's a painting of Elise (my Fallout 4 OC) that is taking foreverrrrrr to do. I think I've spent 4 hours on that one and I've only gotten her face done. But here's some stuff about Cain I've been dying to say.

⤷ I've started changing Cain's lore (once again). For right now I'm mainly focusing on changing his relationship with Butch and Boone.

I. Since Cain originally started out as a sorta self-insert I wanna keep his relationship with Butch. Which means they still get eloped (also as a kid I had the biggest crush on Butch and I would like to keep that in Cain's lore for my younger self lol). However, due to it being spontaneous, I'm changing it to where the relationship doesn't last. More so because Cain is going through the process of grieving his Father to being forced out of and being hunted down by the Brotherhood of Steel. This makes it hard for him to stay with Butch because he doesn't really have an outlet for all this anger and sadness, so he leaves the Capital Wasteland for a courier job.

II. He eventually makes it to the Mojave where he takes his last delivery before he plans to head back to the Capital Wasteland to stay with Butch (by the way, little to no progress was really made with handling his trauma by being taking on a courier job, he just got more stressed out). Obviously we know where this goes and he loses his memory so that never happens. But after the few years that passed they would've gotten back together if it wasn't for Benny.

III. Now with Boone. Since Cain first met Boone while still early-ish in the healing process from being shot in the head twice, Cain is still a very heavy chem user so he's not quite there yet. Plus with all his built up anger from previous years (especially dating back to Fallout 3) now coming out, he will definitely not have a good relationship with any faction, which you know includes the NCR. I mean Cain is still aware enough to not side with the Legion or go on massacring NCR troops, he's just not company you want around while his head is still jumbled. So obviously Boone wouldn't be too happy being around Cain when he's bad mouthing the NCR. Or threatening them. However, their relationship improves once Cain stops using chems so much and can control his anger again. At most they can be friends, even if Cain yearns to be something more than that. But it will never happen.

IV. Plus I'm making him more of a loner like his original non-legionary version (but not so much that he's always alone). This trait also comes from having only one friend in Vault 101. But his actual Fallout 3 self is something I'll probably talk about another day.

I tried so many times to draw a deathclaw only to use a png because I was tired of this.

[utilitycaster]

as someone who DMs in Exandria and tries to at least keep the happenings of the campaigns canon, i’ve been struggling to decide how i’m going to handle the ending of c3. if you had to decide what to scrap, what to keep, and what to change, what would you do?

Hi anon,

Honestly...at a macro level? In terms of Exandria (the worldstate, as a lot of us referred to it) I wouldn't change anything! If you're running a game during the 843 PD Apogee Solstice, have the characters be aware of its approach, and then have them notice the ley lines are weird and some magic isn't working and things have come unsealed or unenchanted. And then, eventually, have the gods become mortal, and really, you get to play the events of that as you want.

I think the parts I'd scrap, keep, or change are like...background lore that was inconsistent. For example: we do know from written works (Netherdeep, Tal'Dorei Reborn) that Ruidusborn experienced unfounded persecution...but as this doesn't square up with Fearne nor, frankly, Imogen's experience. Alyxian was taunted and threatened and people in rural Tal'Dorei would commit infanticide with full knowledge of what a Ruidusborn was, but Fearne and Imogen straight up were fine when wandering around Exandria and Imogen's experiences in Gelvaan were due to her powers, and neither of them even knew what Ruidusborn was. This isn't to be clear inconsistent - it could be that the rumors about Ruidusborn did not properly make it/survive in rural Marquet in the 800s PD the way they did in modern Tal'Dorei and Calamity-era Wildemount - but you should be cognizant of that difference across continents and take that in mind.

I also think, and this isn't Exandria lore nor specific to Exandria DM-ing but was a failure of this campaign, that this is a good opportunity to like, point out that when players riff and make things up about a fairly heavily built-out world that would conflict with your plans or just would be a weird fringe viewpoint, you should let them know. I've seen this done at tables I've been at - someone gave a very United States in the 21st century answer about their thoughts on the divine and the DM stopped and was like "so. we are in a world where gods are real and this would be a radical fringe view that people would, in this world, judge you for. Is that what your character thinks? because we can roll with that but people are going to think they're nuts." Like, the statements about oppressive religion in Exandria when none has ever been established and it's usually all been lone actors, fringe cults, or one-offs in C3 probably should have been either refuted or incorporated instead of just left to float there, unconfirmed and useless.

I think the shortest answer is "If your only source for information is out of the mouth of a Bells Hells character, try to find a different one and don't feel bad about scrapping it, but the overall state of the world should stand."

[stone-stars]

okay if anyone wants an insane amount of lore/conversations about melora, telaine, and aryox, i transcribed these for my own reference. i'm putting them under the cut because by god there's so much.

Mira, c3e53 The story of the Ice Knife is tied to the story of the Feywild. Thousands of years ago, after the Gods abandoned this world, the Material Plane was in somewhat of a magical dark age. But the Feywild flourised. They still had their gods living amongst them: the Archfey. Now, the Feywild (despite its name) had its own politics, and power grabs, and eventually there were Archfey who used their powers to open gates to the Material Plane. Some to seek refuge, some seeking to rule it. Now, there is some matter of debate over whether the rift in our sky is one of those original gates, but suffice it to say there were gates opened here in the Frigid North through which creatures of the fey entered Bahumia. Now, there were dragonkin and giantkin that existed on the Material Plane. But the Feywild brought even more of them. And unlike the Feywild, where magic and tricks rule the day, the Material plane has hard rules and can be won by strength and sword. So, the original smallfolk of this world were forced into hiding. Just mere witnesses to a great war between dragons and giants, who fought for the realm. The Material Plane was threatened with another apocalypse. So, an Eladrin Demigod named Aryox-- Aryox joined the war on the side of the giants. But while some giants believed he would lead them to conquer the realm, he was secretly working to restore balance. Once the dragons and giants were diminished enough that the smallfolk could build their cities, Aryox sealed the gate, stopping the Feywild from invading the Material Plane. And that is why the Ice Knife was made. So that someday, perhaps, we might open it back up. But originally it was used to lock the rift. [So it's a key?] Indeed. Now, this quote-on-quote betrayal came as a shock to many of the giants. Except for us. Our ancestors were trusted allies of Aryox. We saved the world from being conquered but at the cost of betraying our own brethren. The specifics of the conflict are largely forgotten and there have since been many wars amongst giants, but still it is said that the cavern where the Ice Knife lies is cursed. They say that a paladin of Gruumsh killed Aryox with the Ice Knife itself and cursed his resting place. Now, I don't know if all of that is true, but the cavern in which the Ice Knife supposedly lies is definitely haunted. I investigated as a brazen young ranger general. The ghosts warned me not to tarry there without purpose. [Do you believe it? Did you feel Aryox there?] I do believe it, yes. There are different stories I've been told. But I believe that Aryox came clean about the true intentions of his plan. He was confronted by another party with conflicting views and they… killed each other in that cavern. All I know is I went into the caves there, I followed where I knew the Ice Knife to supposedly be, and I was greeted by a strange specter, who advised me not to travel further. That it was not the time.

Telaine, c1e96 I was in an adventuring party with [Melora] and another eladrin named Aryox. Together, we defeated the goblin god Bargrivyek, and afterwards we were skeptical of creating another god, so we split his divine heart in three. Each of us swearing to protect the realm, without imposing our will on any of its creatures. But in the end, Melora was the only one responsible enough to keep her pact. But me? I fell in love with the beauty of dragons, and believed the world would be better if it was filled with them. And their numbers were being dwindled by evil giant hunting parties, what other choice did I have? I had to side with the dragons. I-- I sided with dragons in a war against giants, and while we were busy killing each other, humans built their empires and, in the end… defeated us both. And afterwards, Melora banished me here for breaking our pact. And years later, I hear Aryox broke our pact as well, but eventually gave his piece of the divine heart back to Melora.

Telaine, c1e96, confrontation It is just like the followers of Melora to bend over backwards for the plight of the smallfolk at the cost of everyone else. You come to my home, my prison, you attack my butler, and you want me to give you my heart? The thing that gave me the power to become a gold dragon? A dragon lost because the followers of Melora let the giants kill them off? If you want my heart, you can do what your goddess did and break it yourself.

Telaine, c1e96, defeat Telaine: You wish to- to borrow a divine heart? And what would all of you do when you had this power? Do you think you would stay friends? Do you think you— you wouldn’t change? That everything would stay the same. Moonshine: You can change for the better! Change is not inherently bad! In fact it’s inherently great! Telaine: I agree, and that is why I think Melora’s indifference is wrong. I saw the dragon’s plight and I took action. Moonshine: We are not necessarily going to do precisely what Melora did. We did not represent whatever she does. Or whatever she did to you in the past. We are going to make our own decisions and decide what to do with this. All we know right now is the only course of action is just getting rid of Thiala. Hardwon: We’ve got a lot in common with you. You saw the plight of the dragons and you made a choice to defend them. We see the plight of our people— us small folk— and we want to defend them. - “I am the one who changed. I changed. She stayed the same.”

Murph, c1e96 short rest [if you had failed a saving throw] You would’ve gone to the groups old hangout spot in the Feywild. It’s a little like— brook, and a little like picnic area, and she had like painted her and her friends and things like that.

Telaine and Melora, c1e97 “Why didn’t you do this when I was in trouble” “You mistake me not taking your side for neutrality. I am not neutral. I defend the material plane. I would not kill for the sake of the dragons, nor would i stop the smallfolk from building their empires, but this— what Thiala has done— is an attack on Bahumia itself. Here I must intervene.”

Armory, c3e27 Telaine was an eladrin. She was part of an adventuring party with two other eladrin. One became the goddess Melora, and the other was an eladrin named Aryox. We do have some recreations of spellbooks of druids of Melora here, but she herself didn’t have a heavy hand on the Material Plane so we don’t have much here that’s representative of her combat. - (Calder’s eyes are drawn to a giant gleaming bow with blue and white touches.) This is a replica of a bow that was wielded by Aryox, who was another Eladrin, who would actually eventually battle against Telaine. He sided with the giants in their wars. [Ultrus: “Yes. Smallfolk but giant heart.”] - (Callie looks for symbols on the bow.) You do see… this does seem to have been wielded by a winter eladrin. But it is very big. The attendant clarifies; “Aryox used his magical powers to grow to giant size, and would use his godly archer skills to shoot dragons out of the sky.” You look at this bow and you don’t see anything from Oberon, but you do see a symbol on it that is a snowflake, and the design of it reminds you of your mothers old family crest.

Book that Callie stole from Glenn, c3e30 Telaine ended up siding with the dragons during the dragon and giant conflicts that happened centuries ago— thousands of years ago, in fact. And Aryox fought against her. He had sided with the giants. And as you’re reading about this, you see that unlike Telaine, who seemed to actually love dragons and seemed to actually feel for their plight and want them to defeat the giants— everything you’re reading about Aryox here is… he was working with the giants as a means to an end. This is someone who saw the ‘smallfolk’ being wiped out by dragons and giants. So he sees this war between the giants and the dragons and he knows that the longer it goes on, the more the giants and the dragons wipe each other out and give the eladrin a fighting chance. So he was actually on the eladrin’s side the entire time even though he was fighting with the giants. And you do know that the end of this age of monsters where dragons rule the sky and giants rule the earth, that humanoids would build up their settlements and everything like that, and the eladrin would flourish in the feywild and humanoids would flourish in the main world. But as you’re reading this stuff about Aryox, it’s not really clear if he’s a good guy or a bad guy. He seems cold and calculating and you get hints of your mother in there.

Murph summary, c3e53 Short Rest Glen had sort of misread the story of Aryox. Because he knew about how Aryox was secretly helping the smallfolk by turning this big war into an opportunity for the smallfolk to establish themselves in their world. But this was your first time finding out that like, oh, there were a bunch giants that were in on that plan with him. And then a bunch of the giants are from the feywild. - So the lore that has been spread out over the two campaigns is that there were three adventures from the Feywild: Melora, Telaine, and Aryox. You found out very little about Aryox in the first campaign, but you found out a lot about him in the third campaign. Essentially what happened is the three of them, during their adventures, killed a goblin god that was trying to take over the Feywild, took his divine heart, spread it out amongst the three of them. They all made an agreement not to get involved in mortal affairs. Melora’s the only one who stuck to that. Telaine joined the dragons, Aryox joined the giants— and then this is the first time you found out that Aryox was killed by a giant. [Yeah, like he wasn’t on the giant’s side, he was looking for balance.] Yeah. [And a paladin of Gruumsh.] Oh yeah, and so Gruumsh is involved, because you also know that— as you guys learned in Molscuriel, Gruumsh and Kord, there are different people that think that he’s “the all-father,” like the one that the giants should follow.

[cosmica-galaxy]

I just wanna ramble about Threadville for a moment:

So, the Roblox game currently has my interest and investment, despite just coming out a month ago.

I just keep thinking up ideas and story plots that I hope are touched on at some point, as well as certain aspects I wish were included in the game's story.

Here's a brief list on things I hope appear or get built upon in the world of Threadville:

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF THE UNIVERSE LET MY GRANDMOTHER AND THE ENTITY HAVE MAJOR BEEF WITH EACH OTHER, OR AT LEAST HAVE SOME FORM OF HISTORY TOGETHER IN THE PAST! There HAS to be a reason why our Grandmother had the mirror and it would be so cool if she was aware of the world within, maybe she even visited it herself many years ago, and she may have encountered the same entity once upon a time. I also saw that people are theorizing that the entity MAY be our Grandfather or someone that our Grandmother may have had a thing with in the past and I would LOVE to see that sweet divorce divorced energy between the two of them. .

The Protagonist and The Entity should have interactions at some point and maybe there is a potential reason for it targeting them specifically? As stated above, maybe the Entity and our Grandmother had a rivalry in the past and it wants revenge or some form of "payback". It also seems to only have eyes on us when it tries to hunt us down and kill us. This is evident by how Rocky turns away from Oliver after throwing him, despite Oliver being vulnerable and unconscious, and that would have made him a perfect target to kill. However, Rocky turns away from a potential victim and tries to go for YOU instead. That means the Entity that was controlling him has personal beef with US and we don't know why just yet. .

If the Entity does communicate with the Protag, it could possibly be through nightmares and a "doppleganger" version of ourselves that looks more akin to the entity's own eyes, colors, ect. It would probably taunt us, express slight curiosity, and would obviously show just how imposing or threatening it can be. I just think some dramatic conflict would enrich this story greatly and help us get more connected to the characters. .

I would love to have some type of item that eventually becomes very important to the story later on. Like, imagine if we pulled something out of the box that resonated with the mirror into activating (or causes the entity to become aware of the mirror) and it would be useful later on during the final act or second to final act? Maybe it can be like a charm that prevents the Entity from assuming control of us and it frustrates it to a great extent? I like to envision a talisman that is in the shape of a ornate needle that prevents the entity from harming us and it serves as an old symbol that connects our grandmother to the entity via lore. .

I do think the beginning needs a bit of an overhaul, because walking into a mirror is cool and all, but being dragged into the mirror by force is far more interesting. Can you imagine the hands of the entity grabbing onto your character and forcefully dragging you into the mirror before falling down into the world of Threadville? It would be a stronger hook for the game's story in my honest opinion. .

On top of that, I do think that act 1 is a little slow and we don't get enough buffer time to get to know any of the characters. We barely get to know Rocky before he is controlled (killed off?) by the entity and Oliver gets hurt to set the scene for the next act. Pacing is a little bit problematic and I think if we get to know the characters a bit more, we may be able to actually feel sad that our beloved characters are at risk of falling under the entity's control. .

Last entry for this ramblefest. PLEASE give the world some cool lore or worldbuilding that involves our grandmother in some way! Maybe she is an old hero that helped the world before and it is now upon our shoulders to save the same world that our Grandmother protected years ago or something interesting like that. Maybe even give us a legendary weapon that is based off of scissors or shears that the hero of old used to wield against the entity. Something like that would be so AWESOME! . Okay. Rambling about Threadville over. Going to start working on my fics and shit...

[bleue-flora]

why do people think cdream was obsessed with ctommy like i read stellos analysis on it and its well written and nice but they fail to take into account that cdream has a persona and 90 percent of the time is not telling the truth

Ummm well many reasons actually. Ones I’ve talked about a bit before, but basically I think it actually comes down to Tommy himself for a few reasons.

a) Firstly, I think because Tommy believes it, it’s hard for us not to believe it. In other words, by watching his stream, being in his head, that perception is ingrained into the lore itself so we are more inclined to believe it, simply because the character we are watching through does. This is true not just for Tommy but other characters as well and it makes sense, we are seeing things for the first time through their eyes - how could it not taint our view? This is also not helped by the fact that Dream leans into Tommy’s expectations. In multiple scenes we see him bring to life Tommy’s world view, giving him and us more inclination to take it at face value. Like Dream becomes who Tommy thinks he is so it makes it really convincing from Tommy’s head to believe it.

b) Secondly, in many ways Dream is obsessed with Tommy. Sure not in the way Tommy thinks - like him constantly trying to kill him and take his discs and yada yada… but he tears up Tommy’s whole yard for Tommy’s discs, he fights wars for the discs against Tommy, and in some ways that is Tommy obsessing over Dream forcing Dream to engage. The problem I think is not so much that Dream is really obsessed with Tommy but that he’s obsessed with keeping his “big happy family” and Tommy continues to threaten that and be the center of chaos and conflict, there by making him a priority for Dream. And it doesn’t help that Tommy is also the very center of Dream’s hurt, and beginning and end of his downfall.

c) Lastly, and I think probably most notably, I kinda touched upon this already, but because Tommy is obsessed with Dream, he forces Dream to constantly be involved with him, making it look like a focus/obsession/priority when Dream really may be just trying to defend himself, defend his friends, get back his stuff… etc. Dream can’t not be involved with Tommy because just like the finale Tommy inserts himself right at Dream’s throat again.

So is Dream obsessed with Tommy? Or is he obsessed with getting to live his life, something Tommy continues to make impossible?

And yea the fact alone that Spirit, Mars, and Bekerson existed before Tommy and that Dream built a prison but plans on putting Skeppy in a little cage, should be enough to highlight that Dream is talking nonsense in the disc confrontation about Tommy being the key and him needing Tommy alive and yada yada… like it should be enough to showcase that maybe he isn’t really obsessed with Tommy like he depicts. But perhaps it’s much easier to believe that narrative than the one that Dream is actually a relatively sane person who’s just lying (like he’s accused to be lol - “All you do is lie, Dream…”). It’s a less messy reality then the what ifs and considerations and dissecting needed to find the actual truth. And who doesn’t want to just do the things that are easier?…

[theink-stainedfolk]

New WIP!!!

Crimson Nocturne

---

In the neon-drenched streets of Vael Noctis, a city teetering between towering skyscrapers and cursed ruins, the rogue task force Vireo hunts the darkness others fear. Bound by their own haunted pasts and wielding powers from ancient Relics, this eclectic crew—led by the icy strategist Zeiha Tirimzi and grounded by the commanding Omizan—tackles supernatural threats that threaten to unravel reality.

From the impulsive heart of Raze to the enigmatic Lalea Rigon, each member carries a curse that fuels their strength and threatens their humanity. As whispers of a catastrophic prophecy known as “The First Night” surface, Vireo faces off against the sinister Pale Choir, a syndicate with designs on forbidden power. With every Relic they destroy, the line between hero and monster blurs, forcing the team to confront their own demons to save a city that doesn’t even know they exist.

---

Character Introduction

ZEIHA TIRIMZI

Age: 28

Birthday: November 12

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Ethnicity: Mixed (inspired by a blend of East Asian and Eastern European heritage, adapted to Vael Noctis’s world)

Height: 5’8” (173 cm)

Build: Lean and statuesque, with a dancer’s grace and a swordsman’s strength.

Eyes: Piercing amber, glowing faintly when she channels cursed energy.

Hair: Long, silver, tied in a tight braid with a single red ribbon.

Skin Tone: Pale, almost luminescent under neon lights.

Dominant Hand: Right

Style: High-collared black coat with silver filigree, fitted trousers, heeled boots, and a crimson scarf that flows like blood. Her cursed katana is sheathed in a lacquered scabbard with forbidden runes.

Moodboard: Black silk, shattered mirrors, crimson roses, ancient calligraphy, a lone sword in the rain, neon-lit shrines, and a cold, starry night.

Appearance: Zeiha carries an air of untouchable elegance, her sharp features softened only by the faintest hint of weariness in her eyes. Her movements are precise, like a predator stalking prey, and her braid sways like a metronome. A single silver hairpin shaped like a crescent moon keeps stray strands in check.

Past: Once a prodigy in a secretive order of Relic hunters, Zeiha’s life changed when a mission went wrong, costing her mentor’s life and binding her to a cursed blade that erases her memories. She founded Vireo to atone, but her past haunts her in fleeting, forgotten faces.

Personality & Traits

✔ Strategic and calculating, always three steps ahead.

✔ fiercely loyal to her team, though she rarely shows it.

✔ Emotionally guarded, hiding her fears behind a cold facade.

✔ Relentless in pursuit of her goals, even at personal cost.

✔ Dryly witty, delivering sharp one-liners in tense moments.

✔ Secretly sentimental, cherishing small tokens from her team.

✔ Haunted by the gaps in her memory, driving her to journal obsessively.

Hobbies:

Journaling in elegant script.Practicing sword forms at dawn.

Studying ancient Relic lore.

Drinking black tea in silence.

Quirks:

Adjusts her gloves before drawing her blade, a ritualistic tic.

Never re-reads her journals, fearing what she’s lost.

Taps her sword hilt when deep in thought.

Always stands slightly apart from the group, observing.

Likes & Dislikes

✅ Likes:

Quiet moments at dawn.

The scent of rain.

Tactical puzzles and riddles.

Her team’s banter (secretly).

Well-crafted weapons.

Bitter tea with no sugar.

❌ Dislikes:

Chaos without purpose.

Being touched without permission.

Loud, crowded places.

Betrayal or disloyalty.

Forgetting names or faces.

Sweet foods.

Favorite Food:

Black tea with jasmine.

Soba noodles with scallions.

Dark chocolate (rarely indulged).

A Line That Defines Her:

“Memories are a luxury. I gave mine up for power.”

~~~

RAZE

Age: 19

Birthday: June 25

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Ethnicity: Mixed (inspired by a blend of Southeast Asian and urban street culture, adapted to Vael Noctis)

Height: 5’7” (170 cm)

Build: Wiry and athletic, built for speed and agility.

Eyes: Mismatched green and blue, bright and expressive.

Hair: Messy black with a streak of red dye.

Skin Tone: Warm tan, scarred from street fights.

Dominant Hand: Left

Style: Patched-up hoodie over lightweight armor plating, cargo pants with tech gadgets strapped to the thighs, fingerless gloves, and a gear-shaped earring.

Moodboard: Graffiti-covered walls, glowing circuit boards, red sneakers, a busted radio, urban sunsets, and a fist raised in defiance.

Appearance: Raze’s boyish charm hides a scrappy edge. His mismatched eyes sparkle with defiance, and his hoodie is a patchwork of repairs, each stitch a story. He moves like he’s always ready to dodge or strike.

Past: Raised in Vael Noctis’s slums, Raze survived by scavenging tech and dodging Relic Abusers. A chance encounter with Vireo gave him purpose, but his reckless need to prove himself stems from losing his family to a Relic rift.

Personality & Traits

✔ Impulsive and brave, often acting before thinking.

✔ Fiercely protective of his found family.

✔ Quick to laugh, even in danger.

✔ Stubbornly optimistic, refusing to give up.

✔ Easily flustered by praise or affection.

✔ Prone to guilt over past failures.

✔ Street-smart, with a knack for improvisation.

Hobbies:

Tinkering with broken gadgets.

Street racing on modified bikes.

Collecting rare coins.

Sparring with Saeji.

Quirks:

Talks to his gadgets like they’re friends.

Cracks his knuckles before a fight.

Always carries a small wrench in his pocket.

Blushes when Lalea smiles at him.

Likes & Dislikes

✅ Likes:

Fast bikes.

Spicy street food.

Helping others.

Lalea’s quiet encouragement.

Loud music with heavy beats.

Fixing things.

❌ Dislikes:

Being underestimated.

Cold weather.

Zeiha’s lectures.

Losing control of his powers.

Quiet, awkward silences.

Traitors.

Favorite Food:

Spicy ramen with extra chili.

Mango sticky rice.

Energy bars (for missions).

A Line That Defines Him:

“If you’re scared, then I’ll be brave for the both of us.”

~~~

ZAOSE KESHAR

Age: 26

Birthday: February 8

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Ethnicity: Mixed (inspired by South Asian and Mediterranean influences, adapted to Vael Noctis)

Height: 5’10” (178 cm)

Build: Lean and lithe, with a dancer’s poise.

Eyes: Violet, sharp and calculating.

Hair: Long, midnight-blue with violet-pink streaks, tied loosely with a silk cord.

Skin Tone: Olive, smooth and unscarred.

Dominant Hand: Ambidextrous

Style: Fitted waistcoat over a sleeveless black shirt, tailored pants, polished boots, rings on every finger, and a choker with a single gem.

Moodboard: Velvet curtains, flickering neon signs, a silver coin spinning, violet smoke, a sly smirk, and a dimly lit lounge.

Appearance: Zaose is dangerously magnetic, with a predator’s grace and a smile that cuts. His hair flows like liquid night, and his rings glint with every gesture. He moves like he owns every room.

Past: A former black market dealer, Zaose traded in Relic fragments until a deal went south, cursing him with his illusionary voice. Joining Vireo was his way out, but his old ties to the underworld linger.

Personality & Traits

✔ Charismatic and manipulative, always playing an angle.

✔ Sarcastic, with a sharp tongue.

✔ Secretly insecure about his past.

✔ Thrives on chaos but controls it masterfully.

✔ Loyal only when it suits him.

✔ Enjoys pushing others’ buttons.

✔ Surprisingly protective in rare moments.

Hobbies:

Collecting rare gemstones.

Playing high-stakes card games.

Mixing custom perfumes.

Eavesdropping for secrets.

Quirks:

Flips a silver coin before every mission.

Hums softly to test his voice’s power.

Adjusts his rings when nervous.

Winks at inappropriate times.

Likes & Dislikes

✅ Likes:

Outsmarting others.

Expensive liquor.

Flirting (with anyone).

Saeji’s chaos (from a distance).

Rare artifacts.

Velvet textures.

❌ Dislikes:

Being outmaneuvered.

Peran’s judgment.

Cheap imitations.

Predictable people.

Cold food.

Vulnerability.

Favorite Food:

Saffron risotto.

Pomegranate sorbet.

Spiced chai.

A Line That Defines Him:

“Control is an art. I paint with your weaknesses.”

~~~

SAEJI

Age: 22

Birthday: August 3 (he shares my bday yall!!!!)

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Ethnicity: Mixed (inspired by Central Asian and punk influences, adapted to Vael Noctis)

Height: 5’9” (175 cm)

Build: Lean and wiry, with a feral edge.

Eyes: Gold, with a manic glint.

Hair: platinum-blond, slightly singed at the tips.

Skin Tone: Light, covered in faint scars.

Dominant Hand: Right

Style: Torn, asymmetrical robes with chain belts, exposing tattooed arms with glowing spirit seals. Barefoot, with jingling anklets.

Moodboard: Broken chains, lightning storms, glowing tattoos, a cracked mirror, punk graffiti, and a wild laugh in the dark.

Appearance: Saeji looks like he’s one step from exploding into action. His wild hair and scarred arms scream rebellion, and his gold eyes burn with unhinged energy. His barefoot stance adds to his unpredictable aura.

Past: Saeji was raised in a cult that worshipped Relics, but he broke free after his powers awakened, shattering his sanity. Vireo gave him a home, but his fractured mind makes him a loose cannon.

Personality & Traits

✔ Chaotic and unpredictable, thriving in disorder.

✔ Fiercely loyal to Raze, his anchor.

✔ Prone to manic laughter in fights.

✔ Surprisingly poetic when calm.

✔ Distrustful of authority.

✔ Haunted by voices only he hears.

✔ Protective in his own strange way.

Hobbies:

Carving symbols into walls.

Talking to spirits.

Street dancing.

Collecting broken glass.

Quirks:

Twirls a broken chain link like a toy.

Laughs at inappropriate moments.

Whispers to unseen spirits.

Runs barefoot even in snow.

Likes & Dislikes

✅ Likes:

Chaos and destruction.

Raze’s optimism.

Lalea’s riddles.

Loud music.

Breaking things.

Night markets.

❌ Dislikes:

Rules and restrictions.

Zeiha’s control.

Silence.

Being ignored.

Confinement.

Bland food.

Favorite Food:

Fiery curry.

Sour candy.

Grilled street meat.

A Line That Defines Him:

“The afterlife is overrated. Let me show you the preview.”

~~~

PERAN

Age: 24

Birthday: October 31

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Ethnicity: Mixed (inspired by Japanese and gothic influences, adapted to Vael Noctis)

Height: 5’6” (168 cm)

Build: Lean and graceful, with a dancer’s poise.

Eyes: Crimson, glowing faintly through her mask.

Hair: Short raven hair with a single white streak.

Skin Tone: Pale, almost ghostly.

Dominant Hand: Left

Style: Red ceremonial robe over lightweight black armor, cracked porcelain mask covering half her face, white bandages on one hand.

Moodboard: Burning incense, blood-red silk, cracked porcelain, a lone candle, cherry blossoms in the rain, and a silent graveyard.

Appearance: Peran is hauntingly beautiful, her cracked mask and crimson eyes giving her a ghostly presence. Her movements are deliberate, like a ritual, and her bandages hint at a wound that never heals.

Past: Peran was an assassin bound to a Relic that reanimated her after death. She joined Vireo to seek redemption, but her cursed flames burn her lifeforce with every use, tying her to a cycle of vengeance.

Personality & Traits

✔ Quiet and introspective, speaking only when necessary.

✔ Morally rigid, judging even her allies.

✔ Graceful under pressure.

✔ Secretly fears her own power.

✔ Loyal to the team’s mission.

✔ Haunted by her past kills.

✔ Compassionate in rare, private moments.

Hobbies:

Lighting incense for rituals.

Studying ancient prayers.

Practicing calligraphy.

Watching the stars.

Quirks:

Lights incense before every fight.

Touches her mask when uneasy.

Whispers prayers for her enemies.

Stands perfectly still when thinking.

Likes & Dislikes

✅ Likes:

Silence and solitude.

Zeiha’s leadership.

The smell of incense.

Lalea’s quiet wisdom.

Order and purpose.

Cherry blossoms.

❌ Dislikes:

Zaose’s manipulations.

Unnecessary violence.

Dishonesty.

Crowded places.

Her own reflection.

Bitter foods.

Favorite Food:

Red bean mochi.

Miso soup.

Persimmon slices.

A Line That Defines Her:

“Ashes are honest. They do not pretend to be whole.”

~~~

OMIZAN

Age: 30

Birthday: April 15

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Ethnicity: Mixed (inspired by Pacific Islander and urban military influences, adapted to Vael Noctis)

Height: 6’0” (183 cm)

Build: Lean and muscular, built for endurance.

Eyes: Deep brown, steady and commanding.

Hair: Short, spiky black, no facial hair.

Skin Tone: Warm bronze.

Dominant Hand: Right

Style: Tattered military-style cloak over a sleeveless black shirt, cargo pants, barefoot with ankle wraps, matchstick in his mouth.

Moodboard: Urban battlefields, cracked pavement, glowing embers, a lone matchstick, steel chains, and a stormy horizon.

Appearance: Omizan exudes quiet strength, his lean frame moving with a soldier’s precision. His tattered cloak billows like a war banner, and his barefoot stance is both grounded and defiant.

Past: A former soldier who deserted after a Relic-related massacre, Omizan joined Zeiha to form Vireo. His gravity powers come from a Relic he stole, but its weight haunts his dreams.

Personality & Traits

✔ Calm and grounded, a natural leader.

✔ Protective, treating the team like family.

✔ Laid-back but terrifying when serious.

✔ Quick to defuse tension with humor.

✔ Carries guilt from his past.

✔ Strategic but trusts his instincts.

✔ Respects strength and loyalty.

Hobbies:

Whittling small wooden figures.

Training in martial arts.

Cooking for the team.

Stargazing.

Quirks:

Spins a matchstick between his fingers.

Goes barefoot everywhere.

Calls Raze “kid” affectionately.

Hums old war songs.

Likes & Dislikes

✅ Likes:

Team camaraderie.

Zeiha’s resolve.

Home-cooked meals.

Open skies.

Honest fights.

Raze’s enthusiasm.

❌ Dislikes:

Betrayal.

Zaose’s schemes.

Unnecessary rules.

Cold feet.

Arrogance.

Wasted food.

Favorite Food:

Grilled fish with rice.

Coconut curry.

Fresh bread.

A Line That Defines Him:

“I only kneel to rest. Never to beg.”

~~~

LALEA RIGON

Age: 20

Birthday: January 20

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Ethnicity: Mixed (inspired by Northern European and ethereal influences, adapted to Vael Noctis)

Height: 5’5” (165 cm)

Build: Wiry and delicate, with hidden strength.

Eyes: Shifting colors, like a kaleidoscope.

Hair: Cropped silvery-blue, slightly tousled.

Skin Tone: Pale, almost translucent.

Dominant Hand: Left

Style: Oversized coat with fur trim over a fitted bodysuit, layered with soft scarves, a feather pendant at her neck.

Moodboard: Feathers falling, misty forests, glowing prisms, soft lavender light, a cracked crystal, and a distant, dreamy gaze.

Appearance: Lalea seems fragile but moves with quiet confidence. Her shifting eyes and feather pendant give her an otherworldly aura, and her scarves flutter like wings.

Past: Lalea was found wandering Vael Noctis’s ruins, her memories fragmented by a Relic experiment. Her powers make her a target, but Vireo protects her—though she might know more than she lets on.

Personality & Traits

✔ Dreamy and cryptic, speaking in riddles.

✔ Empathic, sensing others’ emotions.

✔ Fierce when pushed to fight.

✔ Secretly fears her own power.

✔ Gentle but unyielding in her beliefs.

✔ Observant, noticing what others miss.

✔ Haunted by visions of the future.

Hobbies:

Collecting feathers.

Writing poetry in code.

Meditating in quiet places.

Sketching abstract symbols.

Quirks:

Names feathers after emotions.

Hums softly when nervous.

Stares into the distance mid-conversation.

Touches her pendant when scared.

Likes & Dislikes

✅ Likes:

Raze’s kindness.

Saeji’s chaos.

Soft fabrics.

Starry nights.

Riddles and puzzles.

Gentle music.

❌ Dislikes:

Loud noises.

Zaose’s manipulations.

Being underestimated.

Crowded spaces.

Her own visions.

Bitter drinks.

Favorite Food:

Honey-drizzled pastries.

Mint tea.

Fresh berries.

A Line That Defines Her:

“You call it a curse. I call it clarity.”

---

My ♡s: @paeliae-occasionally @willtheweaver @drchenquill @wyked-ao3 @the-inkwell-variable @corinneglass @seastarblue @keeping-writing-frosty @oliolioxenfreewrites @vesanal @orphanheirs @dauntlessdraupadi @oros-ash3s @pheonix358 @ominous-faechild @loveyouloatheyou @write-with-will

[yansimstorythatiwillnotworkon]

Megami Saikou

Name: Megami Saikou

Gender: Female

Class: 2-2

Club: Student Council

Persona: Lovestruck (Devoted)

Reputation:

Overall: +100

Liked: +100

Respected: +100

Feared: +100

Crush: ???

Strength: Invincible

__

I'm not entirely sure about how I feel about Megami. I think she might be kind of dull, but that's only via the fan content. She's widely known as the most beautiful rival, but that's all the art about her is. Either that or changing her race and whatnot (which I never understood, personally). I feel like too many people focus on how Megami looks and what they want her personality to be, instead of her general lore that makes up her character.

This is probably why, despite consuming so much YanSim content, I never knew much about Megami. I think that despite YanSim being such a dark story, the majority of the fandom being built up of minors keeps the interesting fan content to an unrealistically vanilla standard.

Enough about the fandom, though. Regarding game play, I think that during Megami's week, the Student Council will really be justified to be as threatening with everyone as they are with Ayano. Possibly even leaving them vulnerable to bullying, rumours, humiliation, and being fired. Much more beneath the cut.

I feel as though everyone knows that Megami and the Student Council could be on close terms, but I also feel like people constantly forget about how dark their relationship with her could be as well. As much as I'd like to touch up on that, I didn't add the student council up above due to having limited space and having the ability to touch up on them in their own post.

I think that each rival should have a different relationship with their suitor, and it shouldn't copy the whole "guy in love who will not talk to his crush without the help of the main character" schmuck that placeholds the matchmaking system currently. With this in mind and considering that Kaga (supposedly?) is already in contact with Megami's father, I think that it isn't too far off to believe that he's also in contact with Megami herself and is aware of her goals once she arrives in school. How he goes about his actions while knowing this information is a complete enigma to me, though. I feel like if I were to look at Kaga and Megami in a more romantic light, I'd say that the two of them are completely compatible, but only other vastly different circumstances. Without all the Ayano-loathing madness, Megami would probably come to terms with the fact that, psychotic or not, a smart guy is a smart guy, and a smart guy is her type. Additionally, considering Kaga's overall madness, I'm sure in his mind "a future as the head of Saikou Corp" has always been "a future with Megami", regardless if at first it was a romantic attraction or not.

Regarding Taro, I'm sure that regardless of his mental stability in the future game play, Megami's approach in this week would not be giving him a lunch, borrowing his book, or going on a date with him. If anything, her entire week might just be her standing buy him until club time, where she and the student council can have a meeting. Taro himself, after the events of the past nine weeks, feels obligated to some degree to comply with her. Hell, if not to assist in the capturing of a supposed psychopath, then at least to become the hero he couldn't be for any of the past victims. If Megami were to gain feelings for Taro, then she likely wouldn't act on them unless Taro was in a more stable mindset. But if that were the case, I feel like Taro would grow - if not suspicious, then confused of Megami's intentions after she went completely overkill just to confess to him in the end anyway. If he wasn't in a stable mindset, Megami would likely transfer him to a safe and stable school and environment in order for him to continue the rest of his life like normal. Or at least, as normal as a traumatized boy can get.

Ayano will be "assigned" a trusted member of the school (most likely a student council member or female) to watch her at all times. This could essentially force Ayano to kill her chaperone or force her to do a 100% friendly route- which might not even be available in Megami's week all things considered. Several other students (like surviving rivals and close friends of Ayano) will likely be followed for the sake of believability of Megami not targeting Ayano as well as wanting to keep others safe and away from suspicious material. I imagine that if Ayano has kept to a peaceful and friendly route throughout the whole game, even befriending everyone (maybe the SC included), Megami will be forced to tolerate Ayano and not treat her harshly since at that point all her feelings would have just been due to judging her ancestors' actions. This would work far better than Ryoba's game (good and bad ending included) because Ayano has never canonically killed anyone, and can 100% make a change in order to normalize herself and her kids for the sake of Taro. I also think that the only way to peacefully defeat Megami if the peaceful and friendly route was taken would be to snatch Taro's heart before she can.

Raibaru's case could possibly just be an oc-implemented case since regarding her canon information, her being attached to Megami wouldn't make any sense, but I'll still explain a tad bit to you lot anyway. In the story, a reason why Raibaru is so attached to Osana is because of a loss in middle school. Due to this and an oc, she's become suspicious of Ayano and still thinks that Osana's life is possibly at risk. Hence why she partners with Megami.

[jay-grayves]

When you're fried, call on Freid.

I'm fried.

There's no dancing around the truth. I'm burnt the fuck out and I have been for awhile - long before this fascist coup actively began.

But I also know that is likely true for you as well, in addition to the folks within your own circles.

We're all fried.

So, I'm turning to Freid.

Freid is Wudan's partner, his wife. She holds down the fort while Wudan is out on his travels. She keeps the house orderly, stable and safe. The cosmic roller coaster rides that Wudan embarks on must be balanced by a solid home base. Order combats disorder.

But let's not just relegate Freid as the housekeeper of the Urglaawe pantheon. Let's not diminish the importance of a safe and stable home.

I'm a millennial, born in 1991. Growing up, my home was physically stable. The structure was sound and not falling apart. We did not live in squalor, but it certainly was not glamorous either. My dad, a carpenter, had a habit of ripping a room down to the studs and then taking an extensive time to put it all back together. Our bathroom didn't have a sink and the shower was lined in plastic to keep the crumbling wall tiles in place. My mom was a stay at home mom until my sister and I were in our late high school/early college years.

Emotionally, the house was unstable. Everything revolved around the whim and mood of my father, who was prone to fits of unprovoked rage, often referring to his own wife and kids as "you fucking people." My parents had intense screaming matches all hours of the night and morning. Their marriage is built on the foundations of toxic co-dependency, something that is incredibly unstable. Neither of them expressed their love of my sister and I in any kind of meaningful or impactful way. They provided food, clothing, shelter and medicine for us. In their mind, that was enough. That was love.

Instability. Uncertainty. Back and forth. Seesaw. Rollercoaster.

Flash forward to now.

I'm married. I own a modest house in the city with a small porch and backyard. I have steady employment, and I feel fairly secure in my job (as secure as one can feel in these tumultuous times). I don't have kids, but I live with two roommates, who are essentially my brothers. We don't have screaming matches in this house til all hours of the night. If we have issues with each other, we talk about it like adults or learn to accept each other's nuances, quirks, and habits.

Stability. Safety. Sanity.

But now, outside forces, particularly this active and open authoritarian takeover of the American government, threaten the stability I have worked so long and hard to achieve. In addition to working 45+ hours a week, serving my local Pagan community, maintaining my commitments to my kindred and joining my voice in organized protest with my fellow Americans, I also cannot let the orderliness of my house fall to the wayside.

It may sound crazy to some folks, but for me, my brain can't form thoughts to organize the next Philly Pagan Pride board meeting if I have weeks of laundry piled up in my bedroom. I also have a difficult time focusing on anything else if there is something broken or malfunctioning in my house. I forged this life for myself out of chaos, luck and determination, and I cannot let it slip from my grasp if I want to stick around in the fight for a better future.

In heathen lore, there is a lot of focus on the travels and acts of Wudan, and rightly so. He is the All-Father. He sacrificed himself for the runes and shared them with us. We cannot forget that. We will not forget that.

But where did Wudan go to rest after that? Home. With Freid.

When Wudan returns home, Freid is not caught by surprise, for she spins the material that composes the web of Wurt that links us all together - gods, spirits and humans. No one is exempt from the influence of Wurt. We are all in the web. She is the goddess of the home, but also of time. And we all know that anything worth building will take time.

Freid is our hearth goddess and rightly so, for she is strong and stable. She knows that gods and humans alike need a sanctuary, a place to rest and recover for the travels that lie ahead. She is the Keeper of the Keys. She knows where every door leads and can provide you with the correct key to get you through. Through rest, recovery and regrouping, we are able to see new pathways, new possibilities, that we didn't see before in states of chaos and turmoil.

I've been out of tune with my house and regular house-keeping duties, which have contributed to me not being able to fully engage with the various Pagan groups, efforts and initiatives that I'm a part of. Yesterday, I called on Freid for some extra support.

In a whirlwind of divine influence, Aries determination and neurodivergent hyper fixation, I plowed my way through our entire backlog of laundry and did a thorough sweeping, dusting and organizing in my bedroom.

Today, it took awhile for the caffeine to hit my brain, but I feel much more refreshed and focused now that I tackled that project looming over my head. Finally, after what feels like the entirety of winter, I'm back in my study/workshop in the basement, focused and actually writing words again.

I have a large skeleton key, bigger than all the others I have available in the shop, hanging above my altar in my study. Today, I offered and dedicated the key to Freid. With her support, I was able to complete the task I needed to return some stability to my home and my mind. With that task completed, she gave me the key I needed to unlock the door that was holding back my desire to write and engage with the groups, projects, and initiatives that I'm a part of.

Hail to Freid, Lady of the Hearth and Keeper of the Keys!

[duncandonuts06]

Yippee!! I’m finally done with this massive drawing! I am so happy to share with you all Schatzi’s complete ref sheet! Character information and lore dump under the art! Its going to be a lot to read but bear with me. I have a lot to share. Schatzi is my first “thomas oc” so he holds a special place in my heart. I have spent months researching Trench Railways, and I am so excited to finally get to publicize some details from this big project I am working on.

TW: War, and Death

Schätzchen (can be shortened to Schatzi) is a German trench engine. He was built in 1915 so the world has been at war for his entire life. Built for war, immediately sent to war. His personality has been shaped by the soldiers around him. He is brave, strong, and proud (but not vain). He understands how important his work is and gives it his all. He can be stubborn and pop-offish around his crew but holds his tongue around strangers. He is very gullible and naïve which is occasionally taken advantage of by people in his unit. He is considered a fellow soldier by his crew and the other soldiers in his regiment, and they treat him as such.

Schatzi did not start off with a name. In this “universe” as you may call it, trench locomotives usually are never named. They are known solely by their numbers. They are machines made for war, and just like a soldier is known by the serial number on his dogtags, so are the engines known only by the number on their plates. They are seen as expendable and nothing more. If an engine has a name it is because they did something heroic enough to become loved and valued by their unit. In a similar way we only know the names of war heroes, we only know the names of engines brave enough to sacrifice themselves for their humans. The rest are lost to time.

Schatzi understands the fragility of human life and puts himself in harms way to see that lives are saved. He earns his name after saving his injured crew, and a very overloaded train of soldiers retreating from the front. He suffers severe damage in the process and is written off as scrap. However, his crew, who see him as their family, protest and get word out to everyone he saved on that train. It sets their entire sector of the front ablaze. The commander of the region is informed that his soldiers are threatening mutiny if this one trench locomotive is sent for scrap. So, instead of scrapping No. 1091 the engine is saved by the officer’s pen. Once they learn that their engine has been saved, the soldiers go to rescue him and in their jubilation scribble out “Unser Schatz” (Our Treasure) on his tank with chalk. He is repaired, and his crew lovingly paint Schätzchen on his tanks because he has and always will be their little treasure. 

Afterwards, he is adored by everyone. He is accepted by the soldiers as “one of them” and is addressed accordingly. They play jokes on him and tease him just as they would a comrade. He even gets the nickname “Scheissechen” (which is like calling him little shit) when he is taking them back to the front. A lot of “tough love.”

He does any job asked of him. He carries munitions, supplies, and troops to the front but the job he holds in the highest regard is serving as an ambulance. Derailment was very common on Trench Railways. Schatzi is a fully articulated locomotive which gives him an advantage over other engines. He can handle tight corners with ease which enables him to keep up a good pace while rushing to and from the front lines. However, the track was still incredibly rough, and he does derail on occasion. His biggest fear is derailment while pulling ambulance wagons. He knows how precious time is to injured patients and blames himself if someone dies enroute.

Another advantage he has is the ability to “hide” his face. Some trench locomotives have adapted and developed ways of protecting their faces from shrapnel and debris. In a sense they can choose to "hide" their face and appear like a normal engine while still having all the functions of a "living engine." He can still see and speak while faceless which he occasionally uses to play tricks on people.

He prefers the company of humans over engines. Once he was accepted as a fellow comrade he took an interest in how humans live and interact with each other. He enjoys listening to them talk about their families and loved ones. He even learns popular war songs and gets to share rations and drink beer with his crew on occasion. The war has caused him to suffer in his own right but, regardless of how difficult things are, he carries on through adversity and remains strong. Lives are counting on him and as long as there is someone in need he will continue to give it his all.

[angelo-di-canto]

Okay starting off with oc lore part one:

The WORLD BUILDING because the story part is still in the works and building worlds is pretty awesome

So the universe started out with this one all powerful being named Tamashii. Tamashii could control space and time and loved creating worlds and planets. But even more than that, they discovered life. They created light, Fukuro, and darkness, Raiko. The little baby godlike beings who then, they taught them to create too. Then Tamashii created the elements, earth, Batu, water, Kauhoe, air, Maluhia, and fire, Hekili

Together they created a planet with complex life, lots of creatures, all living together.

On that planet were little bitty humans who would thank the gods with offerings, sacrifices(not human ones) and fancy stuff. The gods thought that was pretty neat and decided to gives them gifts, inspiration for new technology, keep them safe, and the humans built a cool society. The gods gave who they deemed fit a fraction of their power to control.

Nice, so that explains the creation and why humans have powers.

But the humans have their own separate civilizations.

The air people live in the floating islands, a mountainous region. They travel on flying boats and ships, some large flying animals. They’re architecture i imagine to be more like Bhutan with how they have cool monasteries in the mountains and stuff.

Water people are split with people living in tropical regions, and people living in cold, icy climates.

The tropical areas are more jungley and chaotic architecture, like Mumbai, but packed like Kowloon city.

But the more icy regions are more like European baroque architecture, lots of pillars and arches made out of marble.

The earth region is underground in multiple places. Under a huge dessert, inside a mountain area, and in more meadowy, forest areas. The underground areas have a huge emphasis on interior design with a more art deco style. Outside forest areas have a more rustic feel

The fire region is in nice warm regions around the equator, the middle of everything. They have more East Asian ancient architecture.

The light/dark people live together in the same region. They live next to the fire region, with a more Rome/ Greece style plus a little bit of everything else.

To be given the gift of an element, you have to pass a series of test that show strength, logic, compassion, bravery, etc.

Then you get to have a ceremony, where there are special temples for this in each country, but one of the rooms inside there is a giant pool of water, and all around you are towering statues of the gods. You get into the water, dunk yourself, then the water glows. You look up and one of the gods is glowing

That god chose you and you now have the element.

You get the element your family and people get, it’s kind of passed on.

There are tons of cool animals in the regions:

Flying whales and jellyfish, basically a ton of normal sea creatures but they fly instead of swimming.

Underwater creatures are huge and more weird looking, lots of them glow.

In the forest, trees are as tall as the ocean isl deep. In those forests, there are huge deer that people can live on the antlers of so they travel around on them. There are huge bears, their are mimic deer that are carnivorous and eat people. Lots of huge animals.

Since humans can think, they create their own concepts like love, hate, greed, etc, it creates a new being, called a false god.

Lucero, the manifestation of obsession or anything taken to extremes. Love becomes unhealthy lust and obsession, wanting to be like someone becomes envy, greed, gluttony, narcissism, abuse, wrath, etc.

Lucero wasn’t really a big deal at first, but the gods could tell he would threaten them if he could and kept a close eye on him.

Anyway in the human realm, tensions between people is brewing. The fire nation was being hostile and closed off to other countries. Accusing the light/darkness nation of controlling some land the fire nation should have.

The northern water nation wants some valuable resources in the light/darkness nation. They are afraid to try and take it because they know they are strong, but then a captain came up with a plan that made the emperor want to talk to him immediately, the captain said if they cornered all the civilians during this one special holiday of theirs where all the people would gather together in their capital, they could corner them together. Then they wouldn’t have to fight them. And he said they should use armor and tactics from the fire nation to frame them.

He was promoted to general, and he lead the army to attack.

It was a complete genocide.

The people were celebrating, with their loved ones, nothing they could do to save them. They were kind people and were strong, but they weren’t ready. They tried to hide in their buildings, but were stuck inside as it all burned. Their shelters had become their tombs.

The water nation staged it to look like they sent their soldiers to help, but the fire nation had destroyed them.

This enraged the other nations and together, water, earth, and air overthrew the fire nation throne and divided the land. The capital city became a city were people of every nation could live.

The city uniting the world sped up progress, and around a hundred years later is when the story begins.

(I might edit some details in the future like some names I don’t feel quite fit yet, so we’ll see)

[funbonded]

So here’s where I’ll briefly mention some spoilers for SOTM && whether it effects my blog or headcanons or lore ( spoiler alert no it doesn’t ) .

I think me writing a Funtime animatronic one built by “ Afton Robotics” frees me from the possibility that Edwin had anything to do with the Funtimes there’s a lot that gives me confidence about this and one or two things that don’t .

1. The Funtimes blue prints include ways in which they can be used to kill ( definitely Afton ) . This is the biggest one and in the silver eyes they are like his little murder robots . Dad’s monsters if you will .

2. The Blob . This isn’t Funtime Freddy only his mask . Why ? Because the pieces of the Funtimes were left in the bunker . Molten Freddy ( Ballora , Funtime Foxy and Funtime Freddy ) were in game described as having so much remnant the most ever read off of any animatronic before . We know remnant has a life essence .

The two things I feel might screw me over in the future even though I’m already in the clear of having Funfred’s lore accidentally botched by all this is ;

1. The Funtimes ability to mimic ( concern ) which has always been a thing , that and their ability to change with the illusion disc . But that was already said to be William’s idea && Scott && Steel Wool I’m threatening you now . As that is what it says that it’s WILLIAMS design that would be a retcon. You’ve avoided the term so long now by the skin of your teeth don’t touch the Funtimes . They are literally Aftons Robotics .

what’s weird here though is the sister location bunker is located underneath the Manor House once owned by Murray now owned by Afton . Murray may have built the bunker but Afton utilised it for his own monsters . That bunker leads to underneath the costume manor later turned into the pizza plex . The only weird thing about this is it feels like pizza simulator night also have been made out of the prototype beneath the manor too so why did the Funtimes parade Michael around only to end up back right next to where they just left ? ( please don’t be true that’s kind of stupid if this is true that’s another reason to feel like maybe they do have something to do with The Blob but at least The Blob seems to breathe and hopefully not be related to the mimic GET OUT MEME HERE) .

I did like the game no shade to steel wool it ruled honestly fnaf lore has sorta derailed though but that was inevitable . Just keep my panda out of your games actually.

Lastly people say a lot that maybe Jackie inspired Baby but to me they look completely different if anything maybe Ennard was a bit like Jakie in design or even an old prototypes for her I’d believe that more . && Ballora is definitely Afton’s robot let’s be real .

It is weird that we lack a Funtime Chica like Orville && Mr. Hippo who are Edwin’s creations again . ( she might have been Edwin’s actually since she was in Pizza Sim you know what RIP me . If it does turn out that Edwin put the panda together at some stage I’d take it and say Afton was the one to make him a monster but for now he’s Afton’s evil panda .) Steelwool leave it androgynous so I can sit in my imagination please . && actually yeah where did the molten Freddy head come from or Scrap Baby design … bet they were actually fall fest animatronics dear god … molten Freddy is burnt before the pizza sim fire hence why he’s molten … okay never mind forget everything I said like it’s genius it links up but God !!! We knew so little actually! anyway until that’s confirmed my lores the same I’ll change things up when we learn more about new Fnaf as we learn it . In a lot of ways it’s great in others it’s a little frustrating.

yeah the lores been cooked for a while hasn’t it ? But steel wool are doing there best . I’m not a hater I thought the new game was their best so far I think they thrive more when they work on their own character designs like Jackie && Dollie looked great .

[animatronic-assistant]

But why are you helping Skol? Don't you think that as soon as he's no longer a goose he'll turn on you? Turn on your children? Your babies? Even if he does appreciate the help in his current state of vulnerability, he's not going to change over night. Don't you know what he's done in his dimension?

Weren't you also programmed to listen to your Sun and Moon? You went against that programming, didn't you? Forgiving and understanding aren't always synonymous with smart. Your current life is still so fragile. Only recently you found out about how your memories were threatened with the management change of the theater. You could've lost everything if you weren't so lucky. And yet you still side with that fowl beast. You have people weaker than you in your life now that rely on you and yet you risk getting close to that maniac?

You should convince Titan to kill him. Or get Bloodmoon to do it, you wouldn't have to watch. That thin neck of his would break so easily. Just a quick snap and you'll have one less threat to the life you've built for yourself.

Do you really want to risk everything just so a monster like him can have a second chance? Do you really think he'd want it?

(<3 only half keeping up with the Titty lore, hope this is accurate, btw pun intended)

I do not know why I am helping Skol. I know he is not a good person but none of is really are if you think about it. Some of my friends and loved ones have blood on their hands... I can only hope he might want to be better. I do not know his thoughts or feelings. I can only try to show him kindness and care.

Now to my programming. I actually am still programmed to obey Sun and Moon. It is tied to my core code like several other codes and programs. Some can be overridden for a moment if it conflicts with another. If a Sun or Moon my codes recognize as my Sun or Moon, even if they are not, gave an order I would be compelled to follow that order.

Skol is weak and defenseless in this form. I would never be able to forgive myself for knowingly ordering his death. Everyone deserves a chance. I do not know what he wants. I do accept any consequence my decision will bring me.