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WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS

What’s the lie your character says most often?

How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?

What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?

What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?

Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

When do they fake a smile? How often?

How do they put out a candle?

What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?

What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it’s personal versus when it’s professional?

When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

How do they greet someone they like / love?

What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?

Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?

What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?

Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?

How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?

What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?

Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?

Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?

What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?

What’s a phrase they say a lot?

Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?

Who would / do they believe without question?

What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?

How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?

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Fantasy Royalty Names (Male)

✧ Caelum✧ Thalion ✧ Aric ✧ Galen ✧ Eryndor ✧ Daemon ✧ Leontius ✧ Seraphiel ✧ Ronan ✧ Tavian ✧ Elandor ✧ Hadrian ✧ Elric ✧ Rhaegar ✧ Valen ✧ Cassian ✧ Oberon ✧ Zevran ✧ Maeron ✧ Thelian

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Villain: The Harbinger ( Wrathful Skies Adventure arc)

“Cower, Run, Scatter as Fieldmice before the Plunging Hawk. You Of Lesser Birth will rise to no greater glory than a swift death beneath our talon.” 

 Adventure Hooks: 

There’s a new face at the Duke’s court, said to have flown in out of the blue on the wings of a dragon and knelt to pledge his fealty right then and there. The rumors say that he never removes his helm, that he is invincible in battle, and that he is quickly accruing the Duke’s favor as he wins glories for his noble patron far and wide. 

The party, their noble family, or their well off allies find themselves increasingly sidelined in local politics as the duke showers honors on his new champion. More than just having the Duke’s ear, this cryptic crusader is accumulating more and more sway over the court, and seems to be reigning it towards uncertain ends. Perhaps someone should investigate this newcomer, and what exactly his true intentions might be. 

Just on the verge of completing an important quest that will earn them widespread renown, the party finds themselves ambushed by the drake riding knight and their prize wrested from their hands. While likely not able to defeat such a mighty warrior, they could steal back their due reward, (an artifact, hostage, or other important macguffin) but doing so will earn them a powerful enemy, along with the disfavor of the duke’s court. 

Setup: Behind his mask of courtly guile and obfuscating tales of chivalry, the Harbinger is a an agent of a malevolent sorcerer, who lifted him from ignominy and granted him his draconic mount and enchanted armor. The sorcerer has a grand scheme that requires the realm’s rulers turn their eyes elsewhere, and so has sent the Harbinger and several similar agents to beguile, divert, and distract important figures like the duke. 

Keep reading

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Villain: Kaddric the Heedless, King of Empty Coffers

(This is part of a multi-post adventure prompt, to get the whole story, click HERE) 

Setup:  The madman was never supposed to take the crown. Brought out of exile to put an end to a succession crisis, the last sovereign’s son has an avaricious lust for wealth and prestige, and little love for the people his office holds him to protect. 

Seemingly obsessed with bleeding every last drop of value from his new domain, there is no avenue of exploitation that the Empty-coffer King won’t pursue: Confiscating communal lands and noble estates before sending indentured surfs to stripmine any resources that might enrich the royal treasury, burring settlements and merchants under needless taxes , and enforcing his will through the use of private mercenary armies drawn by the promise of his bottomless vaults. 

Kaddric plunders his own land worse than any invading army, and it’s up to the players to mount a rebellion against this gold-glorifying tyrant and kick his avaricious ass off the throne. 

Adventure Hooks:

When a vein of silver is discovered on the lands belonging to one of the players or their patrons, a cadre of Kaddric’s flunkies and their mercenary escort show up not long after to contest ownership. While negotiations dragon painfully slowly, the party realizes that the king’s agents are surreptitiously looking for ways to oust them from their land, vacating their claim and allowing it to be taken into royal possession. 

The party is made up out of outlaws, those who had their family swept away to access their vaults, or who fled from their village as Kaddric’s pressgangs circled offering only enslavement or the noose. Together with their allies and a few would-be masterminds they’ve assembled the seeds of a conspiracy that may one day overthrow the tyrant. As their first true meeting is raided by the King’s enforcers, the conspirators scatter, leaving the party to find allies in a realm turned against them. 

The king has come to town and he’s apparently brought a party with him? A rolling caravan of circuses, menageries, and theater troupes descends on the part’s home and turns the landscape into a labyrinth of excess. Formerly starving people gorge themselves on the finest meats and wine, all work ceases as the townsfolk disappear into distraction and indulgence, and Kaddric wanders the streets at the head of a mob of adorants: gold coins dripping from his fingers like drops of water. 

Based out of a neighboring kingdom to Kaddric’s and hearing only rumors of his crimes, the party learns the truth when an alchemist friend/patron of theirs is kidnapped and whisked off to the king’s dungeons. 

Keep reading

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Adventure: On the Hunter's Trail

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An old man waits for the party at the ruins of the old mill. His name is Erstvahn, he was once a scout in the king's army, but after serving with decoration he retired to his home village where he spent the next three decades acting as its protector.

There is something evil lurking in the forest nearby, he thought he and his apprentice Zaire could handle it... now Zaire is gone, his body is ill healed from his encounter with that evil, and the village elders have hired a squad of outcasts and travellers to assist him in what might be his last hunt.

Enter the party, stage left.

Challenges & Complications:

Though this adventure could be slotted into any ongoing campaign, I've found it particularly useful as a framework for new players going on their first quest in that it has an inbuilt NPC guide/babysitter to help them stay focused on the mission. Giving your party the shame backstory of being from the same village gives them a springboard for character creation, as they can probably imagine a few interesting locals who'd want to help their neighbour Erstvahn with his difficult task. Alternatively, if they have a strong idea what they want to play, they can be sellswords responding to the village's promise of reward/plea to local authorities.

Erstvahn's has doubts about the party's capabilities, as they'll need wits and awareness in addition to strength of arms if they want to succeed on their hunt. To that end, he's stashed a lockbox and a key inside the old mill, and will agree to take them into the woods if they can bring him what's inside the box. This is your excuse to introduce your party to the exploration pillar of gameplay, pitching their search around the the ruins as an escape room. When they eventually open the hidden box, they'll find it empty, aside from a diagram on the inside indicating what they're looking for is hidden in the water wheel, but only accessible if they get the old mechanism working again. As they fuss around, Estvahn will let it slip that Zaire managed to pass this exact same test without any hints or complaining... then he'll get quiet.

Once the party has proven their worth, we can get out into the woods, and the usual gauntlet of challenges one might expect tracking through the woods at night (evading prowling wolves, fording a crumbling old bridge etc), peppered with the old ranger's reluctant guidance. As they explore, they'll notice plants starting to blacken and wither, animals acting oddly aggressive. Erstvahn will explain that this has been happening ever since their quarry appeared in the region.

Speaking of their quarry, Erstvahn will be hesitant to talk about what exactly it is, along what happened to him and Zaire when they first encountered it asides from a deadly ambush. Getting him to open up will be a challenge in and of itself, but attentive heroes may notice they seem to be on the trail of a great stag, oddly lined up with the path of corruption and malevolent shadows they keep encountering.

Background:

What actually happened is this: Erstvahn was taking Zaire out for a bit of night-time wilderness training when the two of them encountered a woman bathing in a stream, eerie beautiful but with skin like grey marble. The old man knew better than to let his eyes wander but the youth was enraptured by the moonlit sight of her. She caught him looking, smiled a cruel smile, and said:

" I was always fond of young bucks, would you like to be mine, sweet thing?"

A single nod from Zaire and a single drop of water flicked from the terrifying woman's finger was all it took to transform the ranger's apprentice into a black stag under her control. Her first command was to kill the one he loved most so that she might be first in his heart, which left Erstvahn gored, torn, and left for dead on the forest floor. His last memory before losing consciousness was watching the woman kiss his blood off the stag's snout before riding her new pet off into the forest at a trot.

Now Erstvahn has sworn to kill his former apprentice to spare him the fate of being the strange woman's plaything. One of the reasons he retired from the army was that he fell prey to a mage's compulsion and was forced to skill several of his squadmates before he broke free. Erstvahn is convinced there is no worse fate, and is willing to die to see it through.

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Can you please do the Zezir? That weird fire raptor that I never remember how to spell right.

Zezir Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 127 (15d8 + 60) Speed 40 ft. Str 18, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 13 Damage Immunities fire Damage Vulnerabilities cold Senses darkvision 60 ft. passive Perception 11 Languages - Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Fast Healing. The zezir regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point. If the zezir takes cold damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the zezir's next turn. Actions Multiattack. The zezir makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage. Spark Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) fire damage. Flammable Spray (Recharge 5-6). The zezir spits a sticky flammable goo in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The area continues burning for 1 minute, and any creature that starts its turn in the area during that time takes 3 (1d6) fire damage.

The zezir is a creature of the desert, hunting alone or in packs of three to eight. They delight in fire, and often will attack caravans just for the joy of watching them burn. They are pyromaniacs to the core, and the fact that they prefer to feed on ash, and seem to gain sustenance from it, only adds to their obsession. Zezirs communicate in yips and growls. They appear reptilian, but actually are closer to being avian. They stand 5 to 5-1/2 feet tall and weigh around 150 pounds.

Originally from the Monster Manual III. A request from androidmk1.

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Listen to Mark of the Fool 9 by J.M. Clarke on Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/B0FCYRLKRP?source_code=ORGOR69210072400FU

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Archaic Words: Injuries & Death

writing inspiration for your fight scenes

Apeyrement - injury

Ascat - broken like an egg

Bresure - a bruise or sore

Byhanggid - hanged up

Byhefded - beheaded

Chined - broken in the back (e.g., chined his back, i.e., broke his back)

Diffade - to injure

Emperish - to injure, or impair

Flean - flayed

Frush - to bruise; to indent; to break, or dash to pieces

Hop headless - when a king beheaded a person, he was said to make him hop headless, a phrase which occurs in many early writers, and was even applied to decapitation in battle

Mench - to bruise, to beat up

Mudgelly - squashed; trampled on

Outraie - to injure; to ruin; to destroy

Scrim - to crush; to bruise

Sherdel - skinned

Sleep away - an idiomatic phrase signifying a gradual decay

Slocken - to suffocate in mud, and perhaps at times to drown simple. If a person should have been suffocated by getting into a bog or marsh he would be said to have been slockened; and the term was applied to a drunken man, who had perished in a ditch or running stream.

Stongen - to stab; to pierce

Worowe - to choke

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Word Lists ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

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hii!!! i dont know if this questions goes with your blog's usual tips, if it's not, dw, just ignore this ask. but do you have any tips to write 4th wall breaks in theather plays, aka for live public? thank you!!!!

Writing Notes: Breaking the Fourth Wall

Fourth Wall - An imaginary wall that separates the story from the real world.

This term comes from the theatre, where the 3 surrounding walls enclose the stage while an invisible “4th wall” is left out for the sake of the viewer.

The 4th wall does not exist in such a set but is suggested by the proscenium—the implied plane that marks the “edge” of the onstage action.

The audience sits just beyond that 4th wall.

The 4th wall is the screen we’re watching.

We treat this wall like a one-way mirror.

The audience can see and comprehend the story, but the story cannot comprehend the existence of the audience.

In a Hollywood film or TV show, the 4th wall is where the camera stands. Most of the time, the actors in a scene do not acknowledge the camera or audience; they carry on as though the scene were real life, and they treat the missing wall as if it were there.

If you break that wall, you break that accord. This is called “Breaking The 4th Wall.” It can also be described as the story becoming aware of itself.

Breaking the Fourth Wall - Typically, theatre productions, films, and television shows allow audiences to follow the action of a story with a degree of remove. Viewers drop in on fictional worlds as voyeurs, observing characters from “outside” the story. Yet sometimes playwrights, screenwriters, and directors will upend this suspended reality by having characters address the audience.

When plays, television shows, and movies break the fourth wall, they acknowledge the existence of the audience and speak to them directly.

When they do this, the fictional world gives way to the literal reality of the medium: A group of actors is putting on a performance for a live audience or a camera.

The actors may step out of their imagined reality and address the audience watching them.

When this happens, they break the fourth wall.

IN THEATRE PLAYS. How to break the fourth wall & some tips:

Turning and speaking directly to the audience in a play is one way to step over the invisible line to connect with the audience.

Audience participation is another method of breaking the fourth wall. An active relationship between actors and patrons can include an interactive or immersive component that defies the fourth wall. Rather than asking the audience to be passive observers, interactive theatrical experiences give them an active role that impacts the outcome of the narrative.

Establish intimacy by speaking directly to the audience. It adds a level of insight and vulnerability—it sparks an immediate connection beyond the world of the story. It can make the audience feel more sympathetic or empathetic to your character’s plight.

Break the fourth wall for comedic effect. The audience can elevate the joke if they are in on it. Wisecracks, a punchline, or referring to specific conventions (such as advertising) in a knowing or ironic manner gain more laughs. Quick reactions directed toward the camera/audience while the other characters are in the dark also injects levity.

Relay information because extra details always help the story unfold. Briefly stepping outside the world of the performance can break down complicated language in layman’s terms while bringing in more comedy or intimate elements.

Unsettle your viewers. Comedy may be the showcase for breaking the fourth wall, but scary material also taps into this technique to provoke an unnerving effect.

Be extreme. Break the fourth wall all the time, or very rarely. You don’t want the audience to question your decision, or for them to think you were never really sure that wall breaks were the right idea for your story in the first place. Breaking the fourth wall needs to come across as intentional. Anything “middle of the road” will fall into an unwelcome, and frustrating gray area.

Be thoughtful. Consider opportune scenes and moments within the scene for wall breaks. Ask yourself: (a) Should I break the fourth wall before a scene to share key intel? (b) Break it in the middle of a scene as a sort of joke, or aside? (c) Break it at the very end of a scene to punctuate the moment? If you can find a way to break the fourth wall that enhances your scene, you’ll have something special. Can you do it without a word of dialogue? Even better. When you break the fourth wall, you creep into the secret mind of a character. Ever notice how many times it is used with psychopaths?

Be controversial. Don’t waste your big decision with an underwhelming 4th wall break. Controversial doesn’t mean you have to be crass or rude. It means you’re doing something big to get the viewer’s attention. Everyone notices when you break the fourth wall. You cross a line. If you’re going to do it, you need to make it count. Otherwise, why do it?

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Hi, this is perfectly fine! Here's what I found for you. Such an interesting topic for me. You can find more information in the sources. Hope this helps with your writing!

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4 D&D accessories I always 3D print instead of purchasing

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one more list of "troublesome" words

waiver, waver

Waiver - a relinquishment of a claim

Waver - to hesitate

whence

”And man will return to the state of hydrogen from whence he came” (Sunday Telegraph).

Although there is ample precedent for from whence—the King James Bible has the sentence “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help”—it is nonetheless tautological.

Whence - means “from where”

It is enough to say “to the state of hydrogen whence he came.”

wound, scar

The two are not as interchangeable as writers sometimes casually make them.

A scar - what remains after a wound heals

Thus it is always wrong, or at least stretching matters, to talk about a scar healing, including in figurative senses.

who, whom

For those who are perennially baffled by the distinction between these two relative pronouns, it may come as some comfort to know that Shakespeare, Addison, Ben Jon-son, Dickens, Churchill, and the translators of the King James Bible have equally been flummoxed in their time.

The rule can be stated simply:

Whom - used when it is the object of a preposition (“To whom it may concern”)

or verb (“The man whom we saw last night”)

or the subject of a complementary infinitive (“The person whom we took to be your father”).

Who - used on all other occasions.

Source ⚜ More: On Vocabulary ⚜ Writing Basics ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

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Writing Notes: Fragrance Classification

Citrus

lemon, sweet orange, mandarin, grapefruit, lime, lemongrass, bergamot, citral, dihyromyrcenol

Floral

rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, muguet (lily of the valley), tuberose, orange blossom, violet, gardenia; types of floral scents: aldehydic, fruity, white, transparent ozonic, spicy

Oriental

vanilla, benzoin, labdanum, coumarin, civet, tolu balsam, oakmoss, musks, spices, woods; types of oriental scents: gourmand, woody, floral

Chypre

bergamot, oakmoss, labdanum, patchouli, vetiver, benzoin, castoreum

[The chypre family is derived from materials traditionally found on the island of Cyprus (Chypre, in French), which was a hub of the aromatics trade for many centuries. In 1917, Francois Coty, who was originally from Corsica, created a fragrance called Le Chypre based on bergamot, oakmoss, labdanum, jasmine, and animalic musks. Although no longer produced today, there are echoes of Le Chypre in all fragrances in this category.]

Fougére

coumarin, lavender, oakmoss, citrus

[This category is named after a specific perfume: Fougére-Royale (meaning royal fern). Created in 1882 by Paul Parquet, chief perfumer at Houbigant, Fougére Royale was originally sold as a toilet soap. It was a “fantasy” accord in that it was made to imitate the aroma of an odor-less fern. These days we’re used to fragrances evoking imaginary flowers or other abstract themes, but at the time this “fantasy” perfume was seen as ground-breaking.]

NOTE

Classifying fragrances into families makes it easier to understand their composition and also helps the fragrance buyer work out what they prefer.

It is quite likely that if you are fond of a particular fragrance, then you will also like others in the same category. Fragrances fit within particular families due to their unique combinations of ingredients.

It may be fairly straightforward to work out if a fragrance is a citrus or a single floral note, but some are a little more tricky without some technical knowledge.

Other than smelling, knowing the vocabulary used in perfumery deepens your understanding and will help you to recognize different scents more easily.

Source: Perfume: The Art and Craft of Fragrance by Karen Gilbert

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Writing Notes: Traumatic Stress

Common Reactions and Responses to Trauma

How people react and respond to trauma can vary, according to the National Center for PTSD.

Following a traumatic event, people frequently feel stunned, disoriented, or unable to integrate distressing information.

Once these initial reactions subside, people can experience a variety of thoughts and behaviors.

Common responses can be:

Intense or unpredictable feelings. You may be anxious, nervous, overwhelmed, or grief-stricken. You may also feel more irritable or moody than usual.

Changes to thoughts and behavior patterns. You might have repeated and vivid memories of the event. These memories may occur for no apparent reason and may lead to physical reactions such as rapid heartbeat or sweating. It may be difficult to concentrate or make decisions. Sleep and eating patterns also can be disrupted—some people may overeat and oversleep, while others experience a loss of sleep and loss of appetite.

Sensitivity to environmental factors. Sirens, loud noises, or other environmental sensations may stimulate memories of the disaster creating heightened anxiety. These “triggers” may be accompanied by fears that the stressful event will be repeated.

Strained interpersonal relationships. Increased conflict, such as more frequent disagreements with family members and coworkers, can occur. You might also become withdrawn, isolated, or disengaged from your usual social activities.

Stress-related physical symptoms. Headaches, nausea, and chest pain may occur and could require medical attention. Preexisting medical conditions could be affected by disaster-related stress.

Coping with Traumatic Stress

The good news is that there are very effective ways to cope with and treat the stressful effects of trauma. Psychologists and other researchers have found that these actions can help:

Lean on your loved ones. Identify friends or family members for support. If you feel ready to discuss the traumatic event, you might talk to them about your experience and your feelings. You can also ask loved ones to help you with household tasks or other obligations to relieve some of your daily stress.

Prioritize self-care. Do your best to eat nutritious meals, get regular physical activity, and get a good night’s sleep. And seek out other healthy coping strategies such as art, music, meditation, relaxation, and spending time in nature.

Be patient. It’s normal to want to avoid thinking about a traumatic event. But not leaving the house, sleeping excessively, isolating yourself from loved ones, and using substances to escape reminders are not healthy ways to cope over time. Though avoidance is normal, too much of it can prolong your stress and keep you from healing. Gradually, try to ease back into a normal routine. Support from loved ones or a mental health professional can help a lot as you get back in the groove.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

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Just A Few More Writing Notes for your Sex Scenes

Sexual Fetish - a way of pleasuring that must be part of the sexual experience for sexual gratification.

Sexual fetishes are often specific—such as spanking with paddles—but what makes them a fetish is that they must be present for sexual satisfaction.

Sometimes, partners share a fetish—such as BDSM (bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism)—in which case one operates as the submissive partner (sub) and the other as the dominant one (dom), and each derives sexual pleasure from the other.

Sexual desire is highly unique, so one person’s preference might seem out there, while others think it is ordinary and safe. Practicing safe sex is paramount, meaning explicit consent is essential for fetishists and all others, and there should also be a safe word to stop sexual activity should one need to stop or get a break.

Kink - a sexual interest a partner may pursue because it excites them.

Kinky sex may gently test the boundaries of someone’s comfort zone by having them try a new sex position or incorporate sex toys.

A kink will be a turn-on for at least one partner, and the other may participate because they will be curious or aroused by their partner’s arousal.

Some people in the kink community may seek out new kinks as a form of sexual attraction, and sometimes couples may try out a kink for the first time to spice up their sex life.

Sometimes, a sex therapist will suggest couples explore kinks to rekindle their mutual attraction or deepen their sexual relationship.

Common Fetishes

There are many different fetishes people can explore in their sexual behavior. Some of the most common fetishes include:

Age play: Age play involves consensually fictionalizing the ages of each partner. Calling someone “baby” during sex is a typical age play. Sometimes, this common kink is more pronounced, as with “daddy dom/baby girl” scenarios. Calling a partner “mommy” or “little boy” may also be a part of age play.

Foot play: Some people get pleasure by touching, massaging, kissing, or licking parts of the feet or toes or having those actions done to them. People with a foot fetish might enjoy others rubbing their feet over their genitals as foreplay.

Impact play: This fetish involves one partner receiving impact. Impact play might include spanking, whipping, or flogging. Light gagging with a ball gag might be someone’s impact fetish, whether that person is the choker or choked. For sexual acts involving momentary asphyxiation, it is crucial to have a clear safe word or action that deliberately stops the fetish for everyone’s safety.

Role play: Dressing up can help loosen people up and get them to take on a new persona. Common dominatrix role-play kinks include portraying an educator and student, doctor and patient, or, in a more masochist bent, a disciplinarian and wrongdoer.

Stigmatophilia: A fetish of piercings on body parts is known as stigmatophilia. Piercings can increase sensitivity in erogenous zones, including nipples, genitals, and tongues, so these can help stimulate each partner’s arousal during sex.

Urophilia: This fetish, also known as water sports, is sexual arousal involving urine. Peeing on a partner can be arousing for some people, and this act, known as a golden shower, often occurs in the shower or outdoors to avoid making a mess of floors.

Voyeurism: This is a kind of exhibitionism in which the voyeur watches other people having sex or one person masturbating. Those engaging in sexual voyeurism must consent to have a person watch them.

Fetishes vs. Kinks

Fetishes and kinks both pertain to sexual desire, and each implies a form of sexual deviance.

Fetishes and kinks differ in one elemental way.

A kink is when a person derives sexual arousal or pleasure from a nontraditional source but is not dependent upon it for arousal.

Alternately, a person with a fetish typically requires interaction with their specific sexual interest for arousal or sexual gratification.

In cultures where discussing sex is taboo, kinks and fetishes exist outside the norm.

The missionary position is a common sex position, but many people explore other ones, where exploration into kinks and fetishes can begin.

It is important to note that everyone has their own relationship with sex and desire. Normalizing that idea can invite others to try out different kinds of sex with consenting partners.

Sex Position - any configuration that two or more people use to engage in sexual activity.

A position indicates how each partner should arrange their body to allow for a particular placement or specific angle for stimulation.

Trying new sex positions is a popular way to explore new sensations, increase trust and intimacy in a relationship, or get out of a rut in the bedroom.

Some Sex Positions

Against-the-wall oral: For sexually active partners interested in taking their sexual exploits away from the bed, there are plenty of positions you can use or adapt up against a wall, including a standing-sex version of the missionary position, doggy-style, or oral sex. To execute this variation on oral sex, the receiving partner stands with their back against the wall while the giving partner kneels in front of them at the level of their pelvis.

Coital alignment technique (CAT): The CAT position (short for the coital alignment technique) is a variation on the missionary position. In missionary, each partner is approximately eye-to-eye, but in the CAT position, the penetrative partner rests slightly higher up so the penis or dildo points at a downward angle, stimulating the bottom partner’s vulva, clitoris, and pubic bone. In addition, the CAT position utilizes a rocking or grinding movement rather than a typical in-and-out thrust to maintain constant stimulation for the receiving partner.

Cowgirl: The cowgirl position (also known as “cowperson,” since individuals of any gender identity may use it) is a sex position where the penetrative partner lies on their back, and the receiving partner straddles them, facing forward. The receiving partner can control the pace, angle, and depth of penetration. For instance, they can bounce while sitting upright or gyrate their hips while lying on their partner’s chest. This sex position is one of the most popular sex positions for those who require clitoral stimulation to climax because it allows the vulva owner to grind into their partner or use their hands to stimulate their clitoris.

Doggy-style: An umbrella term, doggy-style is any sex position in which one partner bends over, either on their hands and knees, resting on their elbows, or resting on the edge of the bed. The other partner can stand or be on their knees, and they’re free to use their hands to hold onto their partner’s hips. Doggy-style is useful for penetration, whether in vaginal or anal sex, including with a penis, strap-on, finger, or vibrator. A rear-entry alternative to doggy-style is spooning, where both partners lie side by side with knees bent.

Eiffel Tower: In this penetrative sex position for threesomes, all three partners stand. One person bends over to receive penetration from a penis or strap-on from behind, vaginally or anally, by the second person. The third person stands in front of the first person to receive oral sex. You can also try this position kneeling. Here’s a guide to additional sex positions for threesomes, including the daisy chain, double penetration, and group blow job.

Lotus: A particularly intimate position, the lotus position (or yab-yum position) is a tantric sex position in which one partner sits in the other’s lap. In the lotus position, both partners face each other for deeper penetration or external stimulation. Each partner’s legs can wrap around the other’s body for increased closeness. One partner can try leaning back in the lotus position, which can be pleasurable for vulva owners since it offers deep penetration and more g-spot stimulation than the traditional upright lotus. (The g-spot is an area two to three inches inside the vaginal canal that, when stimulated, can lead to pleasure and sometimes orgasm.)

Missionary: One of the most classic positions, missionary is a face-to-face sexual position in which the penetrating partner lies on top of the receiving partner. The penetrative partner can then control the speed and depth of penetration. In missionary, you can maintain sustained eye contact, allowing for an intimate experience between partners.

Reverse cowgirl: Reverse cowgirl (or reverse cowperson) is a variation on the cowgirl (or cowperson) position. In the cowgirl position, the receiving partner straddles their partner and faces them; in reverse cowgirl, the receiving partner straddles their partner but faces away. Reverse cowgirl can incorporate external stimulation or penetration (using a penis, dildo, or other sex toys) of the receiving partner’s anus or vagina. The receiving partner can grind on their partner or use their fingers or a toy to stimulate themselves and their partner.

Scissoring: In the most classic scissoring position, one partner lies on their back with their legs open, and the other person lies on their side so their genitals come together, forming a shape similar to two open pairs of scissors brought together. Scissoring is popular for vulva owners who enjoy external stimulation.

Safe Sex - when people take specific measures before or during sexual activity to reduce the risk of sharing sexually transmitted diseases or infections (STDs/STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), genital herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

Sometimes, the phrase “safe sex” is used to refer to contraception practices (which help prevent unwanted or unplanned pregnancy) in addition to STI prevention.

It’s important to note that many contraceptive methods (such as birth control pills) are not effective ways to reduce the risk of STIs.

How STIs Spread

STIs usually spread through sexual contact. Different STIs spread in different ways, but the most common modes of transmission include:

Transfer of bodily fluids: Most STIs are transmitted by the transfer of or exposure to body fluids (especially semen, vaginal fluid, and rectal mucus), so many methods for safe sex aim to avoid transmission of fluids during vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Certain STIs (including hepatitis B and HIV) can also be spread through blood-to-blood contact in non-sexual contexts, including sharing needles or coming into contact with an open wound.

Genital skin-to-skin contact: Some STIs, including HPV, herpes, and syphilis, can be spread by intimate skin-to-skin contact, especially with a sore, genital wart, or infected area on another person’s genitals or skin.

Safe Sex Practices

Here are some standard practices for safer sex:

Barrier methods: Barriers during sex aim to prevent direct contact between each partner’s genitals by limiting exposure to bodily fluids. Among the most common barrier methods for safe sex are latex condoms (external polyurethane) and internal condoms (sometimes called female condoms). Latex condoms are barriers worn on the penis during intercourse, and internal condoms are placed inside the vaginal canal before vaginal sex. Other barriers include dental dams, which can be used as a barrier over the vulva or anus during oral sex, and latex gloves, which can be used as a barrier over the hands to prevent contact with an open wound. In addition to their use during sexual intercourse, you can use condoms or other barrier methods over sex toys to avoid transmission of fluids between orifices or partners.

No-contact sexual activities: No-contact sexual activities are sexual experiences that do not include physical touch, eliminating the possibility of fluid transmission. Examples of no-contact sexual behaviors include phone sex, sexting, mutual masturbation, and cybersex.

Non-penetrative sexual activities: Non-penetrative sexual activities like making out, handjobs, and fingering limit partners’ exposure to each others’ bodily fluids, reducing chances for STI transmission (as compared to high-risk activities like vaginal, oral, or anal sex). However, non-penetrative sexual practices do not protect against STIs transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact, like herpes or syphilis.

Immunization: You can reduce your risk for STIs like hepatitis B and HPV by being immunized preventatively by a licensed health care provider.

Medication: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a method of taking specific prescription drugs to reduce your chances for HIV infection. The most common PrEP drugs use a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine, and should only be taken under the direction of a healthcare professional. These drugs have proven effective against HIV transmission, but cannot reduce your risk of other STIs. Contraceptive pills (also called birth control pills) are not an effective method to prevent STIs.

Treatment as prevention: Treatment as prevention (TasP), sometimes called “undetectable = untransmissible” or “U=U,” is a method of limiting the transmission and spread of HIV by treating people living with HIV with antiretroviral medication. When managed properly through medication, the levels of HIV in someone’s body can become so low that tests cannot detect it. When an HIV-positive person reaches undetectable status, studies show that the virus cannot be transmitted to someone who is HIV-negative.

Limiting sexual partners: Engaging in sexual activity with a new partner runs the risk of exposure to an STI, so one way to reduce your risk is to limit your sexual partners to people who communicate about their medical and sexual history and agree to use safe sex practices in a way that makes you feel comfortable.

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[pipuisrpg]

commonly confused words

accept: to receive except: with the exclusion of

advice: recommendation (noun) advise: to recommend (verb)

adverse: unfavorable averse: opposed to

affect: to influence (verb); emotional response (noun) effect: result (noun); to cause (verb)

aisle: space between rows isle: island

allude: to make indirect reference to elude: to avoid

allusion: indirect reference illusion: false idea, misleading appearance

already: by this time all ready: fully prepared

altar: sacred platform or place alter: to change

altogether: thoroughly all together: everyone/everything in one place

a lot: a quantity; many of something allot: to divide or portion out

angel: supernatural being, good person angle: shape made by joining two straight lines

are: plural form of "to be" our: plural form of "my"

accent: pronunciation common to a region ascent: the act of rising or climbing assent: consent, agreement

assistance: help assistants: helpers

bare: nude, unadorned bear: to carry; an animal

beside: close to; next to besides: except for; in addition

boar: a wild male pig bore: to drill a hole through

board: piece of wood bored: uninterested

born: brought into life borne: past participle of "to bear" (carry)

breath: air taken in (noun) breathe: to take in air (verb)

brake: device for stopping break: destroy; make into pieces

buy: to purchase by: next to; through the agency of

canvas: heavy cloth canvass: to take a survey; a survey

capital: major city capitol: government building

choose: to pick chose: past tense of "to choose"

clothes: garments close: to shut; near cloths: pieces of fabric

coarse: rough course: path; series of lectures

complement: something that completes compliment: praise, flattery

conscience: sense of morality conscious: awake, aware

corps: regulated group corpse: dead body

council: governing body counsel: advice; to give advice

dairy: place where milk products are processed diary: personal journal

descent: downward movement dissent: disagreement

dessert: final, sweet course in a meal desert: to abandon; dry, sandy area

device: a plan; a tool or utensil devise: to create

discreet: modest, prudent behavior discrete: a separate thing, distinct

do: a verb indicating performance or execution of a task dew: water droplets condensed from air due: as a result of

dominant: commanding, controlling dominate: to control

die: to lose life; one of a pair of dice dye: to change or add color

dyeing: changing or adding color dying: losing life

elicit: to draw out illicit: illegal, forbidden

eminent: prominent imminent: about to happen

envelop: to surround (verb) envelope: container for a letter (noun)

everyday: routine, commonplace, ordinary (adj.) every day: each day, succession (adj. + noun)

fair: just, honest; a carnival; light skinned fare: money for transportation; food

farther: at a greater (measurable) distance further: in greater (non-measurable) depth

formally: conventionally, with ceremony formerly: previously

forth: forward fourth: number four in a list

gorilla: animal in ape family guerrilla: soldier specializing in surprise attacks

hear: to sense sound by ear here: in this place

heard: past tense of "to hear" herd: group of animals

hoard: a hidden fund or supply, a cache horde: a large group or crowd, swarm

hole: opening whole: complete; an entire thing

human: relating to the species homo sapiens humane: compassionate

its: possessive form of "it" it's: contraction for "it is"

knew: past tense of "know" new: fresh, not yet old

know: to comprehend no: negative

later: after a time latter: second one of two things

lead: heavy metal substance; to guide led: past tense of "to lead"

lessen: to decrease lesson: something learned and/or taught

lightning: storm-related electricity lightening: making lighter

loose: unbound, not tightly fastened lose: to misplace

maybe: perhaps (adv.) may be: might be (verb)

meat: animal flesh meet: to encounter mete: to measure; to distribute

medal: a flat disk stamped with a design meddle: to interfere, intrude metal: a hard organic substance mettle: courage, spirit, energy

miner: a worker in a mine minor: underage person (noun); less important (adj.)

moral: distinguishing right from wrong; lesson of a fable or story morale: attitude or outlook usually of a group

passed: past tense of "to pass" past: at a previous time

patience: putting up with annoyances patients: people under medical care

peace: absence of war piece: part of a whole; musical arrangement

peak: point, pinnacle, maximum peek: to peer through or look furtively pique: fit of resentment, feeling of wounded vanity

pedal: the foot lever of a bicycle or car petal: a flower segment peddle: to sell

personal: intimate; owned by a person personnel: employees

plain: simple, unadorned plane: to shave wood; aircraft (noun)

precede: to come before proceed: to continue

presence: attendance; being at hand presents: gifts

principal: foremost (adj.); administrator of a school (noun) principle: moral conviction, basic truth

quiet: silent, calm quite: very

rain: water drops falling; to fall like rain reign: to rule rein: strap to control an animal (noun); to guide or control (verb)

raise: to lift up raze: to tear down

rational: having reason or understanding rationale: principles of opinion, beliefs

respectfully: with respect respectively: in that order

reverend: title given to clergy; deserving respect reverent: worshipful

right: correct; opposite of left rite: ritual or ceremony write: to put words on paper

road: path rode: past tense of "to ride"

scene: place of an action; segment of a play seen: viewed; past participle of "to see"

sense: perception, understanding since: measurement of past time; because

sight: scene, view, picture site: place, location cite: to document or quote (verb)

stationary: standing still stationery: writing paper

straight: unbending strait: narrow or confining; a waterway

taught: past tense of "to teach" taut: tight

than: used to introduce second element; compared to then: at that time; next

their: possessive form of "they" there: in that place they’re: contraction for "they are"

through: finished; into and out of threw: past tense of "to throw" thorough: complete

to: toward too: also; very (used to show emphasis) two: number following one

track: course, road tract: pamphlet; plot of ground

waist: midsection of the body waste: discarded material; to squander

waive: forgo, renounce wave: flutter, move back and forth

weak: not strong week: seven days

weather: climatic condition whether: if wether: a neutered male sheep

where: in which place were: past tense of "to be"

which: one of a group witch: female sorcerer

whose: possessive for "of who" who’s: contraction for "who is"

your: possessive for "of you" you’re: contraction for "you are" yore: time long past

commonly confused words part 2 ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[pipuisrpg]

Phrase List: Clothes

phrases and idioms to try to include in your poem/story

At the drop of a hat - as soon as the slightest provocation is given; immediately

Dress the part - to dress the way that people in a particular role usually dress

Fancy dress - a costume (as for a masquerade) chosen to suit the wearer's fancy

Give (someone) the shirt off one's back - to do anything to help (someone)

Hand in glove - in extremely close relationship or agreement

Hang one's hat - to situate oneself in a place (such as a residence or place of employment)

Hat in hand - in an attitude of respectful humility

If the shoe fits - used to say that something said or suggested about a person is true and that the person should accept it as true

Not wearing a stitch (of clothes/clothing) - to be completely naked

Pass the hat - to take up a collection for money

Put a sock in it - used to tell someone to stop talking

Scarf down - to eat (something) quickly

Sock away - to put away (money) as savings or investment

Spin/turn on one's heel - to turn away from someone in a very quick or sudden way

Take one's hat off to - to give (someone) praise or credit

The shoe is on the other foot - used to say that a situation has changed to the opposite of what it was before

Throw/toss one's hat in/into the ring - to announce that one is going to try to win a contest (such as an election)

Tie oneself (up) in knots - to cause problems for oneself from being too careful, trying too hard, etc.; to become very upset or worried

Tip one's cap/hat - to touch one's hat or cap or to lift it off one's head as a way of greeting or saying goodbye to someone—used informally to say that one admires or respects someone

Under the heel of (someone) - completely controlled by (another person, group, etc.)

Source ⚜ More: Phrases ⚜ Word Lists ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[pipuisrpg]

pro-tip: don't ever use the sentence "thousands of years" in your worldbuilding unless you really know what a thousand years is like