caleili

[caleili]

Gods, this is just awful. How could anyone think feeding it to AI is in any way good?!

This is the worst timeline. (x)

[caleili]

I recieved art for my longfic Lead to Gold from the marvelous Gobvo!!!

It's for a scene in chapter 14 and I just adore it!

[caleili]

Plotbunny strikes again

There will be a slight delay on the next intermission chapter of Lead to Gold coming out, because I'm scribbling out an unignorable plotbunny one or twoshot rn. It's coming along super quick so it won't take long at all until i release it and get back to LtG. It's not going to be pleasant times for P, and it features a new stalker you just might see in LtG. Their name is Shrike and they might give Arlecchino a run for his twisted money...

[caleili]

A writer friend told me something that broke my heart a little bit today; they're going to quit publishing their fanfic.

My instant thought was that they had been trolled or attacked or that something terrible had happened in their life because this person is so passionate about their writing. It wasn't any of that. Engagement with their works has been going down, as it has for many of us. Comments are like gold dust a lot of the time, and just looking through the historical comment counts on old fics on ao3 demonstrates this trend very clearly. It was not simply the comments dropping off which caused them to decide to stop posting, however.

My friend came across a discord server for their fandom (I should point out here that their fandom interest and mine diverged a couple of years ago, we stay in touch but don't currently read each other's posts because I'm not into their fandom and they would rather gouge their eyes out with a wooden spoon than read anything Star Wars) and specifically to share fic in that fandom. They joined, because we all love a good fic rec, only to discover that their latest multichapter fic, which has almost no comments and very few kudos, is being hotly discussed in this server as one of the best stories ever. Not one of these people has bothered to say this to them on the fic. When they asked, none of participants could see the point in telling the author of the fic they apparently loved so much that they love it.

This discovery has absolutely destroyed my friend's love of sharing fic. They share because they love seeing other people's enjoyment, and fic writers do that through comments and kudos/reblogs/likes because we don't get paid. There is no literary critic writing a blog post/article about how amazing the story is for us to copy and keep/frame. There is no money from royalties. All we have are the words of the people reading our works.

Those people on that server could have taken five minutes of the time they spent gushing about how amazing my friend's story was to other people and used it to tell the one person guaranteed to want to hear that praise how much they loved it. They could have taken a moment to express their opinion to the person who spent hours upon hours plotting, writing, editing, and posting those chapters. Instead, they deprived my friend of thing that keeps them sharing their writing, and in the process have killed their love of it. My friend now feels used and unmotivated.

I won't be sharing a link to their fic, they said I could share their experience but not their identity. I know they plan to post one final chapter. I know they intend to express their hurt at being excluded from the praise for the thing they created, and I know they intend to announce that as a consequence they will not be posting for a long while, if at all.

So please, I beg you, don't hide your love of a story from the writer. It's just about the only thing we have.

[caleili]

Chapter 13!!!

I got a liiiittle bit impatient so i posted chapter 13 of Lead to Gold a few hours early. My fic is 62k words long and we're not even halfway yet. 😁👁️👁️

Lovely eldritch goodness just in time for Halloween!

[caleili]

Oh gods this is so sad and skin crawlingly creepy! Sophia is just unravelling and Simon just lurking and looming in the back... That hand gives me the heebie jeebies!

Love it.

putting her through so much suffering and for what

[caleili]

These 3 are consuming all my brain energy i need medical intervention

[caleili]

Finished! There's a twist though...

I have finished ch 13 of Lead to Gold! \o/

I'm not going to post it now though, it'll go up on ao3 first thing on Halloween. This gives me time to get cracking on ch 14 (of which i already have a small start on), plus it's just thematically appropriate, there's a big chunk of eldritch goodness in it. :3

[caleili]

We’re only finding out recently that a lot of animals have colors and patterns that we cannot see because they’re outside of our visual range. It calls to attention how much of the world we can’t experience because our senses are limited. When we shine UV lights on them, they glow pink or blue, but these are the colors that we CAN see…. they could be a bunch of different colors, which we SEE as all pink. It’s also interesting to consider that most of these animals are not aware of having glowing patches on their bodies…. isn’t it also possible that we have skin or hair patterns that were not aware of? . . (There is actually some research out there to support the idea that our own skin fluoresces as well and that there are gender differences in the pattern and glow.) Other places to see my posts: INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / ETSY / KICKSTARTER    

[caleili]

IT. IS. DONE!

Chapter 12 of Lead to Gold!!!!!!! 🥳 https://archiveofourown.org/works/51326182/chapters/151198018

[caleili]

Almost Done

The Sophia interlude just needs a little editing and it will be done! (It's also come in at a respectable 4k words so not quite as small as I first thought.) The chapter after that is also two thirds done at 6.8k, so it shouldn't be too long a wait for that either! :D

The wait is almost over!

[caleili]

Minor Delay

Well, Para and another new character I won't name yet are being a little difficult. Also a Sophia interlude mini chapter (I say mini, it's still over 3k and isn't done) has spontaneously formed. Not sure which chapter will be up first but it is coming in the next couple of weeks!

[caleili]

I can see where you're getting some of this but... it's quite heavily implied Carlo died while still attending Monad Charity House, in the outbreak incident when Sophia was kidnapped. His sand figure when the Legendary stalker finds him is still 'wearing' the same shape as the Monad uniform. Romeo almost certainly graduated before Carlo and thus was probably older, so he I could see becoming a junior stalker until he caught PD.

was carlo a bastard stalker? + more thoughts on blue blood's tailcoat

[reposting here cuz my answer was too long and linking is easier]

most of this is lifted from the inhuman one's theory here, also wrote out some of this in an earlier post

@ideas-on-paper

tbh the only thing really going for it is that the blue blood's tailcoat seems to be the "official" outfit of LOP, also just that between the sweepers and bastards I think carlo grew up unlikely to join the sweepers. also, theres another part of the theory that considering how carlo died, if he died in the first wave of the outbreak it might have been from close proximity with the alchemists whom the bastards served. but all of this is just conjecture

(I cropped the post btw) I also feel like the fact that this outfit is the promotional outfit and the one on the cover art is noteworthy. Like, the devs chose this to represent P, and their game, the most. [whether or not that constitutes it being the "canon" outfit is debatable] But also it could be that they just thought it was the drippiest outfit of the game (it is) and it doesnt necessarily mean anything

And then it hit me, symbolism that I feel might make more sense than Carlo being the "bastard"; and it's that P is shown wearing it. symbolically Bastard = illegitimate child (like how P is a "fictitious" child because he is a puppet)

also just noticed this: the outfit is called "blue blood's tailcoat", and blue blood is one of the symptoms of the PD

"Torn Doodle":

It itches. Peel the skin and there's blue blood, Blood. Blood. Pretty cocoon. Blue angel. Joyful appetite. Blue death. What a feast. Deathdeathanddeath. I' m a l i ve. It i t che s

"blue blooded" is also a figure of speech meaning someone born of high status (which is ironic considering these are the "bastards" uniforms). I think you could also see it as "blue-blooded" like a creature of ergo (puppet), like ergo is flowing through P (ergo is stored in the P)

very cool (also the demo "torn doodle" is slightly different from the launch one)

so closing remarks, I'm not sure if Carlo would've been a bastard. the bastards were also associated with the workshop union so maybe carlo would see the workshop as related to his father. He only seems to have disavowed him later in life tho (graduation) so maybe he hadn't switched specialties or whatever. I also don't know how much of Pino's skills were learned or inherited from carlo's time.

[caleili]

Week One Kickstarter Recap: Fully Funded In 28minutes, SIX Stretch Goals Achieved, Official Dino-Pet Reveal, Newest Pet Name Reveal and A Huge Thank You to our Beautiful Community!

We are officially at our 1 week mark into our Kickstarter Journey, and what an incredible journey is has been so far. Our absolutely wonderful community never ceases to amaze us! Thanks to the outpouring of love and support, not only were we fully funded in 28 minutes, we have officially unlocked SIX of our stretch goalsand are closing in on the seventh! We can hardly believe the momentum, and we are beyond grateful to every single one of you for making this possible. Santae is truly coming to life in ways we never imagined possible this soon, all thanks to YOU ALL!

We’re also excited to announce that we’ve added another new stretch goal! At the $65k mark, we will be unlocking a Dynamic Animated Weather & Seasons Systemthat will transform the world of Santae. This feature will introduce animated weather changes as well as animated seasonal effects that directly influence gameplay and provide a stunning immersive experience. Imagine your adventures under sun, snow, or rain—each weather change will bring new events, bonuses, and challenges, making Santae feel even more alive! (We also, as with our current animations, will be adding the toggle feature to turn any animations off to only showcase the static images for any players with sensitivites.)

And now, for a formal reveal… the completed Velotra! You’ve all been eagerly awaiting this, and we are thrilled to present the completed pose and rendering of this dino pet species! The Velotra is officially Santae's first dinosaur-inspired pet, and we couldn’t be more excited to see it roam the world alongside your beloved companions. This is a huge milestone, made possible only by the continuous overwhelming support from this incredible community. We can’t wait to see which pets will join the Velotra next!

Speaking of new pets, the most recently unlocked pet species will be revealed soon, so stay tuned! We are excited to announce the Official Name of this newly unlocked pet species has been chosen: Zephera, which will become our 27th Pet Species to come to the ever growing world of Santae!We know you’re all eager to meet this latest addition, and we promise it will be worth the wait. Keep an eye out for updates as we get closer to the official reveal. 

As always, we are eternally grateful for every kind of support, from backing the campaign, being a part of our community to sharing Santae with friends and family. You all have made this journey something truly special, and we couldn’t have done any of this without you all. We are also excited to share that many more gifts will be coming your way, as well as an exciting adventure in our next upcoming newsletter from The Santae Team, so be sure to watch out for that!

Thank you once again for being the heart and soul of this project. With your endless love and support, we’re creating something truly magical together

With Love and Gratitude, ~The Santae Team

[caleili]

:3

I am so excited to get this chapter finished and posted, we can finally get into the meat of the plot and really see the eldritch elements I had planned from the start!

I will be adding a good few new tags once it's ready to post. >:3

Eldritch Spectre, eldritch Paracelsus...

[caleili]

im sure this was already done

[caleili]

I love this site and the pet art! Only alpha and it's still fun to play, the devs being really interactive and lots to collect or dress up your avatar with.

Greetings From Santae,

Adventurer, Thank You for joining us on our exciting journey and being a part of our community during Alpha Testing at Santae! We're thrilled to have you following our progress and signing up for our newsletter. As a valued member of our community, you'll enjoy exclusive perks and stay informed about our upcoming updates, including what we've accomplished and what we plan to continue building. Be sure to check your email and click the link we sent to redeem your special reward. We are beyond grateful for your support and look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you! Also, click the link below and hit that "Notify Me Button" and anyone who signs up to follow our Kickstarter will receive a Divine Synthwave Harlowin Figurine as a thank you gift!

The Official Santae Kickstarter Is Kicking Off Soon!

Exciting things are underway in the magical world of Santae, and there’s no better time to begin – or continue – your adventure with us.

We’re thrilled to announce that the official Santae Kickstarter campaign will launch August 30! Backing the project will grant you exclusiveaccess to the site during our Beta launch, in addition to an incredible variety of rewards.

Tier Rewards range from beautiful Animated Wardrobe items for your avatar, to the companionship of the Kyree, Phasmic, and Seamso pets, and much more. You can even unlock the opportunity to collaborate with our art and design teams to design your very own site content: A Minimal, hairstyle, on-site item or clothing set, NPC, or even pet species!

Visit the Official Santae Kickstarter Today!

Press “Notify me on launch” on the official Santae Kickstarter to become a follower, and invite your friends to do the same. As our Kickstarter page hits certain follower thresholds, the entire Alpha community will unlock tiers of prizes!

At 500 followers for the official Santae Kickstarter, we will release a new pet species, the Luffin, early. At 1000 followers, we will unlock early access to the brand-new Synthwave color! Don’t miss your chance to unlock rare rewards while also helping to make our Kickstarter a success. Visit this page for a sneak peek of all available Kickstarter tiers and rewards!

The Road So Far…

The beginning of Santae’s Alpha test on May 12th, was the start of an incredible journey. In the weeks since then, we’ve enriched the game with dozens of regular updates and exciting new features.

Here is just a taste of what we’ve added to enhance your experience on Santae:

New pet species

On Santae, mystical pets are your adventuring companions. There are plenty to choose from, and many more species on the way! Over the course of Alpha, we released 5 brand new pet species for Santarians to befriend. We’ve also increased the amount of pet friends you can add to your adventure party to 10 when you start!

The adorable moth-like Nochturn is ready to join any Santarian’s adventuring party as soon as they join the site. Brave adventurers who journey to the Lava Caves of the Flamefall Cascades can find the draconic Harlowin and fearsome Grusim. The elegant Drava can be found at traveling merchant Vespera’s exclusive shop. And finally, the friendly Quibbit evolves from its tadpole-like Minimal form.

Which pet species will become your faithful adventuring companion?

New Pet Colors

No matter your style, you can customize your pet companions on Santae with the help of magical shimmer dust!

We announced FOUR exciting new pet colors over the course of Alpha, with more to come in Beta and beyond. Will your pet let its true colors shine with the beautiful Prismatic shimmer dust? Will it become an adorable Pipsqueak? Will they show class and elegance with a RegalShimmer Dust? Or will you give your pet a taste of retro digital style with the brand-new Synthwave color?

New Minimals

In the world of Santae, your pets can adopt enchanting companions of their own called Minimals! Choose from dozens of types to find your pet’s perfect match.

Santae’s Alpha phase has brought many new exciting types of Minimals to join the herd. Which will your pet adopt?

Exciting New Site Features

The world of Santae is rich with opportunities to explore, gather, and discover. During the site’s Alpha phase, we’ve unlocked engaging on-site mini-games that bring you and your pets all across the vibrant world of Santae.

Send your pets Gathering at locations across Santae and they will bring back exciting items to share with you! Your pet might bring you a magical rune from the mysterious Stormforge Caverns, gather useful plants from the Ancient Grove, or maybe even discover an egg that can hatch into another pet at the volcanic pools of Ember Springs. You can also direct your pet to pluck rare berries from the Great Berry Tree!

When your pets go Fishing at the sunny Solar Sands – or in any gathering location across Santae – there’s no telling what they might find at the other end of the line. You might reel in a delicious fish, an eel that can join your pet as its Minimal companion, a piece of useful equipment that only needs a small repair, and so much more. More discoveries in the depths of the waters around Santae are sure to come.

If you want to tame wild Minimals, go visit Silvershade’s Ranch in the Lani Archipelago! They will send you out into the wild to catch and tame a Minimal through an interactive Herding mini-game. Bring berries, toys, and plushies to tempt and distract the Minimal as you and your pet cooperate to befriend it.

A Dynamic World

Santae’s sunny days and mysterious nights each hold their own mysteries to explore, watch as the clouds move while you play, and every hour on the hour you can watch the transition to day/night. As the world cycles between states every hour, you and your pets have the chance to make exciting new discoveries!

Visiting the Lava Caves in the dark of night will bring you face to face with the opportunity to tame a fearsome Grusim – but during the light of day, the Grusim retreats. While the sun shines over the Lava Caves, you can instead bring your Harlowin egg there to hatch into a new companion.

Exciting Events

The most important ingredient in the world of Santae is you: The community!

Over the course of THREE exciting events, our Alpha Testers have been able to participate in and shape the future of the game’s world. Together, we’ve discovered new Minimals, locations, and even new pet species.

The Goopper Swarm

Mysterious slug-like Minimals swarmed Gathering locations all across Santae, prompting adventurers everywhere to collect them in an attempt to learn more.

By collecting the Gooppers and discovering their source, Santarians discovered a brand-new location: The Goopper Grotto. This tranquil forest clearing holds an amazing secret: When you bring a Goopper there alongside certain powerfully magical items, the Minimal will transform!

The Mourning Grusim

By following the traces of an ancient legend, adventurers learned of a mythical creature lurking deep within the Lava Caves.

Together, Santarians discovered sanDust: A secondary currency earned through site activities. This magical dust proved to be the secret to calming the ferocious ancient beast within the caves. By working together to collect sanDust, the community unlocked the ability to tame and adopt the Grusim for everyone!

The Quibbit Cove

When Santarians began to discover mysterious eggs around the site, they banded together to collect them and learn more about them. Together, we learned how to hatch Quibbspawn eggs into a brand-new Minimal: The Quibblet!

But the Quibblet was no ordinary Minimal. More ancient clues pointed the community towards a newly-discovered location, Quibbit Cove. It was there that the true secret of the Quibblet was revealed: Feeding it in the cove causes it to evolve into a fully-fledged pet, the Quibbit!

Thanks to the community’s efforts of research and discovery, the location of Quibbit Cove and the secret of Quibblet evolution are now unlocked for everyone.

Thank You For Being A Part of the Magic of Santae!

Whether you’re an experienced Alpha Tester or a brand-new applicant to the game, we’re so happy to have you as a part of the community we’re building together.

Alpha has brought so many exciting updates – but we’re even more excited for what will come next as we continue to work together to make Santae the most magical site it can be.

Make sure to sign up for notifications about the official Santae Kickstarter so you don’t miss the start of our next big adventure as a community!

With Love and Gratitude,

~The Santae Team