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Me: Okay, brain. This is an intensely emotional scene; these characters are taking a massive risk, opening their hearts to one another, connecting on a deep level. Can you handle that?

Brain: Puh-leeze. I had two thousand words before you finished that sentence, each one a piece of poetry.

Me: Excellent. Also, can you give me a single line of two characters being polite?

brain.exe has stopped working. Please contact your system administrator.

Error code: You're_literally_autistic_what_the_fuck_do_you_expect

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Thaos created the gods -> The gods were utter bastards -> Pretty much every problem in all three games

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So much talk about Avowed, and not one person mentioning Giatta's eyeliner game. I mean, that wing? 10/10.

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What's particularly funny about them (as of 2e lore): they mostly present male, but one of their favourite hobbies is using their shapeshifting to mess with people with narrow views of gender and sexuality

Monster Spotlight: Gancanagh

CR 4

Chaotic Good Medium Outsider

Bestiary 5, pg. 38

These graceful, fey-like entities are one of many breeds of Azata, the celestial natives of Elysium, and like their brethren they exist to spread hope, bring cheer, and fight Evil wherever it may arise. Like many of their kin, this involves using their at-will Change Shape to assume the form of any number of Small or Medium Humanoids, masquerading as the mundane so that they may better catch villains off-guard, or perhaps offer unseen assistance to actual mortals without revealing their true nature... though UNlike most azata, a Gancanagh (which I'll refer to as Gans or Gancans from here on out) looks effectively like a normal--albeit incredibly beautiful--human or half-elf when out of disguise, so their Change Shape is less for hiding and more for meeting the standards and preferences of their potential partners.

Gans embody all that is Good about free love, sexuality, and experimenting with one's self, and as such they are filled with righteous passion... and an irrepressible drive to flirt with just about anyone and everyone they meet. They're incredibly adept sweet-talkers who, unlike the fiendish succubi and incubi (whom they despise with incredible intensity), mean everything they say. Gans can and will hone in on the best qualities of their current targets via casual conversation, with the intention of inspiring a brief but meaningful romance, pulling people into whirlwinds of passion before breaking away and seeking new love. Rather than leaving a trail of broken hearts in their wake, Gans work tirelessly to assure their partners know that the meetings are temporary but meaningful nonetheless, encouraging them to use their experiences and experiments with the spirits to seek out true, lasting love in whatever form it may be... and sometimes, this means these alluring azata play matchmaker with everyone they bed, introducing them to one another if they think something can bloom between them.

And the thing is? They're rarely ever wrong. Guided by higher forces of passion and emotion, Gans have a knack for saying the right things to the right people... provided they aren't sauced due to their devotion to certain OTHER higher forces. Yes, Gancans are quite the party animals, frequently getting deep in their cups and encouraging others to do the same, if only to join them on the dance floor later without fear of how they look. If you can't dance without music, don't worry, as they can provide via their +13 to Perform (Wind Instruments), always carrying fanciful flutes to break out at a moment's notice to provide mood music.

Gans seem to have an oral fixation (FURTHER JOKES WITHHELD), not only preferring wind instruments, but carrying around elaborate smoking pipes and alluring tobacco blends... which typically sit unused at the Outsider's hip, are held unlit between their teeth, or get offered to other people as bribes, because a Gans' lungs are extremely Vulnerable to Smoke. This vulnerability causes the azata to take a -4 penalty against any gas-based effect, and assures that a single puff from their pipes or any other smoking paraphernalia will cause an amusing and potentially charming coughing fit, no matter how mild the blend.

So, three paragraphs devoted to their lore, but what about what happens when they fight? Well, ideally, there won't be fighting. Gancans are--and I'm extrapolating based on presented evidence here, and could be wrong--lovers, not fighters, and have a few tools to dissolve tense situations. They have potent social skills, possessing a +13 to Bluff and a +15 to both Diplomacy and Intimidate, typically enough to prevent some battles from breaking out one way or another, and if those don't work, they can use Charm Person and Suggestion both at-will to temporarily turn foes to friends... or at least keep them from fighting while there's other people still in the room.

Gancans are known to enjoy the occasional spars and wrestling matches, but when facing down foes with rage in their hearts and murder on their mind, they turn into terrifying but graceful forces. Their Grace allows them to add their Dexterity modifier to weapon attacks instead of Str, and while they can only make one attack a round, it's a painful one: 1d6+6 damage, with a crit range of 19-20. They fight exclusively with +1 mithral rapiers, not only allowing them to bypass DR/Silver common amongst fiends, but making them veritable pinatas for anyone that manages to kill or rob one! Good luck, though.

Gancans are protected by 17 AC, eschewing any armor that would prevent people from seeing their bodies and relying only on their Dexterity and natural armor to protect them, though they also have DR 5/Cold iron or Evil to shield themselves from thrown fists and other light weapons. They have 10 Resistance to Cold and Fire and are completely immune to Electricity damage, though that last one's about as unlikely to come up as their immunity to being petrified at the levels one can expect to be fighting one. Once in battle, Gancans also bless themselves and any of their nearby allies with their 1/day Good Hope, making their attacks more accurate and more damaging, while also raising their saving throws from +4/+9/+5 to +6/+11/+7!

Any creature of similar level hoping to slay one of these fierce fey-likes will also have to contend with their 1/day Mirror Image, producing anywhere from 2 to 5 additional targets to soak up whatever attacks are aimed their way. They may only be able to make one attack a round, but at low levels, the same is true for the party, letting the figments absorb entire turns from the martials in the party as the potent and accurate thrusts from the azata's rapiers carve through their HP and willingness to continue fighting.

If you think that only Evil creatures have to worry about fighting one, though, you'd be largely correct; Gans rarely fight to kill against anything but Evil Outsiders, but they're quite hot-headed and can be temperamental when insulted. Many times in history one of them has been driven to cross swords with a potential ally against Evil because that ally insulted the Gan's promiscuity, or one of their past or current partners... and sometimes these become quite serious, especially if the Gan was compared to a fiend that preys upon lust, such as a Succubus or Incubus. This insult is so grave and the fury it inspires in the azata so fierce that they often fight until the offending party is beaten unconscious, rather than just to the point of surrender.

And before we end, let's talk a little more about potent and accurate t[I SAID FURTHER JOKES WITHHELD]. At will, a Gancan can use Invigorating Passion on any willing creature with an act of passion as little as a kiss, gifting that creature a +1 bonus to attack rolls, an extra d10 temporary hitpoints, and the ability to ignore all penalties from being fatigued or exhausted. Not only does this stack with Good Hope, but the Gan can spread the love as much as it feels like... though there is a slight downside in that, at the end of the hour, the blessed target must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or become fatigued (or exhausted). This downside isn't especially impactful if the azata is nearby, as the ability has no per-day limit and no 24 hour immunity, so another round of Invigorating Passion can alleviate its own downside until the target finally lays down to rest for the day. ... and, yes, I know what you're thinking: this does indeed also cover any fatigue and exhaustion accrued during an extended night's stay with one of these legendary lovers.

You can read more about them here.

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Short fic idea I had for Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous that I won't ever write (because I can't finish the game, on account of it repeatedly hitting my "capture/loss of agency" trigger) but kind of want to float

I heard a party banter where Daeran and Greybor are placing bets on Lann hitting on the Commander, and I pictured her responding with "Stop betting on my love life. I'm a lesbian anyway, so the only way Lann would have any chance is if he downed a serum of sex shift."

This gives Daeran the horrible idea of giving Lann a "belt of giant strength" that "is a gift from the Commander", and surprise surprise, it's a cursed girdle of gender change. The result is a no small amount of the Commander yelling at Daeran, and giving him 1000 lines ("I will not interfere with the Commander's love life.") She also asks Sosiel to give Lann a much-needed talk about letting things go, and maybe a few words on the value of inner beauty while he's at it.

Lann considers remaining a woman in order to have a chance with the Commander, but Anevia quietly talks to him about it, telling him her story in confidence, and telling him no love is worth being something he doesn't want to be.

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Here is our highly-trained team of doctors, therapists, and neuropsychologists that specialize in helping video game protagonists recover from the terrible traumas they face over the course of their adventures.

And here is a second team of therapists to help the first team recover from hearing about that shit because HOLY FUCK

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Confession time: Half of my Pathfinder: Kingmaker work "The Loss Of Sunlight" <MAJOR SPOILERS>, about my Queen struggling to cope with Linzi's death, I wrote because I, myself, was struggling to cope with Linzi's death.

I have hyperempathy - meaning I get invested even in fictional characters - and Linzi had triggered my maternal instincts. Writing about a character processing her pain and trauma was the only way I could find of processing my own emotions. It... worked surprisingly well.

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The Steel Garrote planning their invasion of the Living Lands

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7 and 11 for both Teliana and Alteia, for the pride asks?

7. Is there something that could cause your oc to question their identity? What?

Both briefly questioned their sexuality upon meeting a male, but effeminate and very kind spellcaster (that turned out to not be entirely forthcoming about their loyalties).

11. Is your oc open about their identity? Are they more lowkey or more blunt about it? Why or why not?

Alteia is open about her identity and pretty blunt about it. Not being born noble - and being sterile anyway, after she becomes lady of Caed Nua - she loves for love's sake. Being a powerful wizard, she doesn't fear scandal. That, and she doesn't want to hide herself from any of the beautiful women that she might have a chance with.

Teliana is initially quiet about her identity; she believes she has a duty to produce an heir, and being a lesbian is something of a complication. But while recovering from the battle with the Lantern King in Nirvana, she met a female angel named Sayarila. Shelyn decided that a little romance was necessary to aid Teliana's recovery, and the pair hit it off, resulting in Sayarila using her angelic shapeshifting to give Teliana an heir. This lead to Teliana finding no more use for men, and she became much more open and blunt about her sexuality, pointedly rejecting the numerous suits from them.

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3 and 9 for Alteia?

3. How did your oc discover themself? Did something cause them to question, or did they always know?

As a young child, Atleia wondered why she didn't feel the same way about men, and why she felt so intensely about women, until she heard an old Wending epic about two women lovers, and then everything clicked for her.

9. Are there cultural or lore specific aspects to their identity? If applicable, does their species affect it?

Not massively, but there is a touch of relief in the fact that, as a godlike, and thus infertile, everyone knew they weren't getting kids out of her anyway.

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For the OC Pride Asks: 3, 4, 13 for Teliana?

3. How did your oc discover themself? Did something cause them to question, or did they always know?

A funny thing about Golarion is that bisexuality is, canonically, much more common than it is on Earth. Teliana discovering she was a lesbian wasn't too much more than her analyzing her tastes in the various other young nobles she was mingling with, and discovering that men simply never interested her.

4. Is your oc's environment supportive about their identity? How does this impact them?

Teliana grew up in a manipulative noble family in Cheliax, and was taught that things like romance and sex were tools for advancement. As part of this, she came to believe that being a lesbian - while not something to be ashamed of, exactly - was a problem to be either endured or solved, as it would make producing an heir more complicated.

When she left Cheliax and became a paladin, she found herself in a situation where being a lesbian wasn't a problem at all, something she might have indulged in had she found a partner.

When she took the crown of the Stolen Lands, her belief in her responsibility to produce an heir returned. This lead to a few arguments with Octavia, who was of the distinct impression that Teliana ought to marry whoever she pleased, bloodlines be damned. The rest of the party was, while not so zealous about the matter, supportive of Teliana being free to marry who she pleased (Valerie did partially share Teliana's concerns about bloodlines, but wouldn't have raised a great fuss over the matter).

Teliana was originally planning to marry a man (Octavia and Regongar frequently suggested Tristian), but, while recovering from the battle with the Lantern King in Nirvana, she met a female angel named Sayarila. Shelyn decided that a little romance was necessary to aid Teliana's recovery, and the pair hit it off, resulting in Sayarila using her angelic shapeshifting to give Teliana an heir. This lead to Teliana finding no more use for men, and rejecting any suits.

13. Would your oc be open to a poly relationship? Why or why not?

Growing up in a world where romance was considered a weapon, Teliana would, in theory, prefer to dedicate herself to a single partner, to keep herself safe from scandal. But her relationship with Sayarila is complicated; since the two literally live on seperate planes, they don't have a committed relationship, and Teliana would consider romantic relationships with other women, but they're still very much in love, and in rare moments their paths cross, they quickly fall back into eachother's arms.

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What the heck, I'll jump on this bandwagon. There's Teliana, Queen of the Stolen Lands with a very messy former relationship with Octavia and long-distance kind-of relationship with an OC angel, and Alteia, Watcher Of Caed Nua, who dates every other woman in the series because I am far too much of a lesbian for the women in that series to be that fine.

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈PRIDE THEMED OC ASK GAME🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

Bc I wanted one and didn't find it so. Here

[Send ask aimed at a specific character]

1. What's your oc's gender identity? What's their relationship to their gender?

2. What's your oc's orientation? (Romantic/sexual/platonic alterous ect) Do they have opinions about it?

3. How did your oc discover themself? Did something cause them to question, or did they always know?

4. Is your oc's environment supportive about their identity? How does this impact them?

5. How did you figure out your oc's identity?

6. How does your oc feel about labels? Theirs, or in general?

7. Is there something that could cause your oc to question their identity? What?

8. Have they had struggles with their identity, be it due to internal or external reasons?

9. Are there cultural or lore specific aspects to their identity? If applicable, does their species affect it?

10. Does your oc celebrate Pride? How?

11. Is your oc open about their identity? Are they more lowkey or more blunt about it? Why or why not?

12. Does/did your oc ever wish they could change the way they are? Why? If it's in the past, how did they get over the feeling? (this can be about internalized homo/transphobia)

13. Would your oc be open to a poly relationship? Why or why not?

[Not aimed at a specific character] / [Aimed at creator]

14. Do you have ocs on the aro or ace spectrum?

15. Do any of your ocs use neopronouns? Which ones?

16. Did you ever change an oc's identity when they were already established? Why?

17. Do you share identity with any of your ocs? Which ones?

18. Do you prefer to give your ocs specific labels, or keep it unspecified? Why? If applicable, do you change their labels depending on circumstance?

19. Do you have preferences about depicting homo/transphobia in your stories? What, and why? Does it vary by story?

20. Have your ocs helped you in self discovery? How?

21. Free ramble card wee

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This is really hard for me to express because of the way the English language tends to conflate personal taste with moral judgements, but does anyone else find, even in a fictional context, a distinct lack of empathy or compassion to be really unappealing? And not in a "I don't think authors should write evil characters" sense, more in the sense that it's like a character being annoying, that your personal opinion of said character drops a few points whenever they expression callousness or sadism?

Like, all else being equal, an evil character is going to be less cool than a good one. I remember Morrigan (Dragon Age: Origins) reacting to me helping people with "Oh, are we saving kittens from trees now?" and I'm internally going "You're damn right, bitch, now stfu and give me a boost". Kanerah (Pathfinder: Kingmaker) boasting about how she encourages religious zealotry, and I'm going "Fuck off and let me talk to your sister".

I see so often people going "Ooh, look at the evil empire, so cool", and I'm like, sure the armour designs slay, but they blow up babies or whatever, and that makes them just straight up lame. Sure, you can divide fictional characters into 'charming' and 'tedious' rather than 'good' and 'evil', but being evil massively increases their chances of me putting them in the 'tedious' category.

This isn't without nuance or context; if a character does something messed up but it's clearly a direct emotional response to something else messed up, it can be different. But cartoonish, unjustified, or casual evil, or scorn for compassion, just makes me less interested in a character, even putting aside moral judgements.

Now, I'm not going to start the argument here over whether there's an actual problem with finding evil 'cool'; I'm fully capable of acknowledging the line between fiction and reality. I just feel a little alone in finding evil distinctly 'uncool'.

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Urgh, I was looking forward to playing the Rogue Trader CRPG, but I just found out that there's an entire act that hits a trigger for me, so I'll have to put it on the 'can not play' list. Dammit, and one of my mutuals is really into it!

Apparently Rogue Trader has a whole act where you're captured by the Dark Eldar; and loss of agency is a trigger for me. The annoying thing is that I have no idea *why* it bothers me so much, I just know that whenever a major character gets captured, my entire psyche screams in protest.

It's doubly annoying because it's such a common trope in CRPGs; I had to stop playing Wrath Of The Righteous for the same reason. I *want* to like CRPGs so badly; I loved Pillars Of Eternity and Pathfinder: Kingmaker.

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People on Eora while the Main Character is doing important soul stuff:

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Feminist brain and lesbian brain have a lot of disagreements, but both *adore* the women of Pillars Of Eternity.

For feminist brain? They're clearly *people*, detailed, all with different relationships with gender, affected by their different cultures, but that relationship is never the whole of their character. And they're not overtly sexualised - some of the armour is a bit more form-fitting than would be perhaps realistic, but not to anywhere near the level common for video games. Hell, there's even a middle-aged woman that's a fully combat-capable companion! That's super rare!

Lesbian brain, meanwhile, sees a confident, pretty woman who can just straight up kill me and is instantly smitten. And Pillars Of Eternity isn't lacking in those.

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Me, halfway through Caldara's Watcher explanation: So I dislocated my soul, and now I see dead people. Understood.