#... ancient and the post is from like 2022

[ki1ldeer]

I’m on winter break so I’m drawing a lot lol SORRY! I mentioned that I found my drawcast archives and now my winter break goal is to redraw one a day… here’s redraw 1 of ??? But this one’s more of a redesign? 14-15 year old me was actually kinda great at gemsonas ngl

Original under the cut because I want my posts to be compact >:(

The quality is gonna be CRONCHY because the “drawcast archives” are actually a thumb drive I hastily put together in the lates nights of the winter of 2021 right before drawcast shut down. Uh yeah so I don’t know how to get better quality images of my old art rip. This is from 2016, I was 14 probably

[jonathanbyersphd]

To clarify, when I say Steve's empty fake house I don't mean it an uwu woobify Steve way I mean that the actual house that they shot at had a weird fake ass interior with like four garages and incredibly vaulted ceilings for no reason

[chaika-jpeg-shitpost]

social survey time. in 2000s there was a german videogame called zanzarah about a girl who lives in london and travels to the fairy land to save the humanity. i played it when i was five. it was my first encounter with art. if you could disassemble my persona this game would lie at its fundament. it has the most beautiful ost ever called come with me by karina gretere, and when i watched tamb it popped in my head for the first time in many years. i wrote a comment about it under the song hoping that maybe one day one person will understand me..... and got 7 likes????? maybe i live under a rock but in my 24 years of life i have not met a single person who knew zanzarah, and now i meet SEVEN who know zanzarah AND tamb??????? is..... is there some sort of link....... did the eight of us end up in tamb because of zanzarah.........

[buttercupshands]

You're lucky I don't do crk shitposting here, because I do so on Twitter already

And I don't think anyone likes THAT

At the same time people miss sooooooo many posts of me just going LOOK AT HOW THEY DO NOTHING IN THE SPECIFIC POINT OF THE KINGDOM

.... Actually I think I might start shitposting about crk here as well

[blueiscoool]

4,000-Year-Old Tomb of Egyptian Royal Physician Found in Saqqara

Teti Neb Fu, a high-ranking physician during Pharaoh Pepi II's reign, held titles like Chief Dentist, Priest of Serket, and Director of Medicinal Plants.

In the southern region of the Saqqara archaeological site, a joint French-Swiss archaeological team made an important discovery uncovering the mastaba tomb of the royal physician Teti Neb Fu from the Old Kingdom, according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

This tomb, unearthed in the southern region of the archaeological site of Saqqara, known to contain the tombs of high-ranking officials from the Egyptian Old Kingdom, shows that medicine and magic were once equally revered, and expertise in both earned a long-dead physician to the pharaohs a place of honor among the ancient world’s most esteemed.

Dating back over 4,000 years to the reign of King Pepi II, this important find features exquisite carvings and vibrant artwork, including a painted false door and elaborate scenes depicting funeral offerings.

The sarcophagus found inside the tomb was also inscribed with the name of its occupant and his titles, according to the post. Because of the burial location in Saqqara, researchers knew he was important, but Teti Neb Fu’s official titles named him as the chief palace physician.

Teti Neb Fu, who held prestigious titles such as Chief Palace Physician, Chief Dentist, and Director of Medicinal Plants, also had a unique role as a “Magician” of the Goddess Serket, specializing in the treatment of venomous bites.

Additionally, he was known as the “Great Physician of Teeth” and “Director of Medicinal Plants”, suggesting that he led research and practical applications in the fields of dentistry and the use of therapeutic herbs.

Even though it had been looted in the past, the mastaba still has many of its ornamental features. The director of the archaeological mission, Dr. Philippe Collombert, said the walls are decorated with remarkable reliefs and inscriptions, including a complex frieze that displays the owner’s name and titles.

Among the most remarkable elements is the red-painted ceiling, which is intended to resemble granite blocks, a material commonly found in imposing buildings. The titles and name of the doctor are also written in the middle of the ceiling. An additional noteworthy discovery within the mastaba is a stone sarcophagus, which has hieroglyphic decorations inside that offer more information about Teti Neb Fu and his accomplishments.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the importance of this discovery, stating that the texts and drawings on the tomb’s walls unveil new insights into the daily life of the Old Kingdom.

This discovery strengthens Saqqara’s position as one of Egypt’s most important historical sites and contributes to its rich archaeological legacy.

Excavations in this area of Saqarra began in 2022, to unearth the graves of state employees for King Pepi who are buried near him and his wives, officials said.

By Oguz Buyukyildirim.

[foone]

Annoying edge case for lycanthropy: a dragon who is also a werewolf.

(A short story I wrote back in 2022 for twitter. I've slightly re-edited it, but it's still "twittery" in how it uses linebreaks (because there used to be post-boundaries there). Sorry! )

So on the full moon, they uncontrollably turn into… A much smaller and squishier humanoid. They can't wait to get their scales and fire breath and wingspan back. They're so vulnerable in their werewolf form!

No one at the werewolf support meetings is sympathetic.

They're all humans or nearly, so one of them is like "it's just so scary. I'm huge, and inhuman, and I feel like I'm made of weapons, with my claws. Everyone fears me, and I fear myself sometimes, never knowing what I might do, if I lose control and just let the rage out…" And the werewolf-dragon is like "and then you turn into a werewolf! It's so annoying, I agree"

Everyone else just turns to look at them, slowly

They do take some tips about werewolf safety. They just do it backwards, because instead of making sure they can't get out and cause death and destruction, it's more about making sure no one can get in and attack them in their merely nigh-invulnerable werewolf form. When you're a dragon, turning into a nearly unkillable rage monster of claws and fangs is a major downgrade. It's a real moment of weakness, and who knows if your ancient enemies or some upstart knight is going to try to take advantage of that moment of weakness?

They get infinitely more annoyed when they finally find a witch who can do the right ceremony and lift the curse of lycanthropy. "there… With the burning of this silver candle, you are finally free. You're human in all moonphases, now." "WAIT A FUCKING SECOND, HUMAN?!"

They got turned into the humanized version of their werewolf form. Permanently.

Always read the fine print before asking a witch to do a complicated magical ritual on you.

"also, question: how the hell did you burn a silver candle? Isn't the melting point of silver…" "one thousand eight hundred degrees, yes. It wasn't easy. Look. "

She pulls back a curtain and points. There's a complicated bellows system being vigorously pumped by a bunch of little black cats, each wearing a tiny witch's hat. They're sweating with exertion and the heat.

"we're done, my lovelies. You can stop now" The kitties hop down off the bellows and lie down at her feet, or wander off looking for food. The witch looks down at the former dragon, now barely 5 feet tall. "why do you think I asked for my fee in cat food?"

"but it was ALL cat food. Don't you need to-" The former dragon pauses mid-sentence, as the witch pulls off her traditional witchy headwear to reveal two pointy feline ears. "you were saying?"

"nevermind. Thanks, I guess." The dragon walks to the door, then turns around. "hey, I need to find out how to be a human, would you happen to know anything or anyone I can ask?" The witch looks up from sitting on the floor with a leg behind her head, licking the inside of her thigh "wouldn't have a clue, sorry love", she says with a smile.

The witch has to show up later and bail the former dragon out of jail. Apparently they accosted a city guard after being told "you can't just wander around the city naked". The dragon told them to contact the catwitch because it's not like they know any other humanoids.

The guard wasn't physically hurt, but getting jumped by a small naked human after merely pointing out you need to wear trousers or a dress or something in public is the kind of thing that leaves mental scars that'll take a while to fade.

Even if your tiny nude opponent was mainly trying to scratch or bite you with claws or fangs they no longer have

The former dragon ends up living with the catwitch. She could use some help with the bellows, and even if the dragon can no longer provide her own fire, they still know a lot about it.

And even if they're now a short little weakling who has to be reminded to wear clothes, they are a bit better at pumping the bellows than a pack of kittens.

Plus they can help with making potions and such in ways the cats can't, what with having thumbs.

They live together for a while, until the grumpy now-human finds out that another dragon has taken up residence in their former hoard.

And that will just not do!

So the dragon convinces the catwitch to come with them on an adventure to raid their own hoard and defeat (or at least evict) the dragon.

So they set out, the former dragon having to figure out the weaknesses in their own defenses and how to navigate a space built for dragons, not tiny humanoids. They're wearing the minimum in clothing they can get away with, and wielding a sword almost bigger than they are.

And following, the catwitch with a broom and a big sack of magical devices and reagents, and a little procession of kittens in their hats.

(the former dragon uses they/them pronouns. Their human body does have a sex, but when gender was explained to them they called it a "foolish human thing" and never bothered with it, just like their opinions on silverware and public indecency laws)

As far as anyone can tell, dragons have only one gender, and it's dragon.

Anyone who has asked further questions about dragon gender, sex, or reproduction has ended up crispy and good with ketchup.

They manage to evict the squatting dragon, and the witch is like "well, I guess you got nearly everything you want now. I'll take my cats back to the city…" And the ex-dragon is like "WAIT… I was thinking, maybe you could… Use my hoard as a new shop? There's plenty of room"

"are you asking me to stay?" "n-no… I mean, yes? Shut up. It's just because it would be a good place for you. After all, your shop has that leaky roof, and you were running out of storage space, and the mayor always wanted you kicked out…"

"oh I see, so it's just for me? How kind. You don't care either way, right?" "right! I don't care! I don't need or want you around! I don't care about silly human things" "human?" she asks with a smile, wiggling her ears on the top of her head. "shut up you know what I mean"

"so you don't want me to stay around you? You don't have a reason why you want to be near me, to be with me?" she says "with" with a certain slant on it, as she rests her arm on the shoulder of the former dragon, having to lean over her to reach. "n-n-n…"

The witch switches to cupping the former dragon's face in her palms. "and your face is so warm, little one. Are you trying to breathe fire? You're turning red, so maybe you are…"

"stop it! I… I just…" "yes?" the witch lets go, but her tail curls around the waist of the former dragon, like they are walking hand in hand down a beach.

"I like you, alright? I want you to stay. I want to be with you! Is that so wrong?"

"nope!" says the witch, happily pulling them into a kiss.

We zoom out, past a pile of gold coins and goblets and scepters, as little black kittens in adorable hats play in the hoard, ambushing each other in play-fights from the high ground of a treasure chest.

[adelina-shifts]

what is astral projection and how is it connected to shifting? (sourced information)

astral projection

noun

a supernatural phenomenon in which a person’s astral body is said to separate from the physical body and travel to or in a different plane of existence. (dictionary.com)

The term was first recorded between 1885 and 1890.

"The idea comes from a 19th century mystical system called theosophy which claims that we have seven bodies from the lowest physical to the highest spiritual and mental bodies," Dr Susan Blackmore told HowStuffWorks during an interview. (Astral projection: Facts and theories, Callum McKelvie, Benjamin Radford, February 25, 2022)

According to Wikipedia, astral projection takes up some type of form in the following religions: Kemetism (Ancient Egyptian), Animism/Shamanism (Amazon, Inuit), Hinduism, Shinto (Japanse), Taoism (Taoist), Judaism, Christianity, and Western esotericism.

The idea of astral travel is ancient and occurs in multiple cultures. The term "astral projection" was coined and promoted by 19th-century Theosophists. It is sometimes associated with dreams and forms of meditation. (Astral Projection, Wikipedia)

"what is western esotericism?" (can skip)

Western esotericism is used as an umbrella term for a wide variety of historical traditions that were traditionally neglected in academic research but have been moved to the foreground in recent years. These include “gnostic,” Hermetic, or theurgical currents in late antiquity, the so-called “occult sciences” (astrology, alchemy, magic), Jewish and Christian kabbalah1, theosophy, Rosicrucianism2, illuminism3, occultism4, spiritualism5, and related trends in modern and contemporary culture such as new age and occulture. (University of Amsterdam)

1 a form of Jewish mysticism that focuses on understanding the hidden, secret knowledge and meaning within Jewish tests and practices2 the belief that its members possess secret wisdom that was handed down to them from ancient times. 3 belief in or claim to a personal enlightenment not accessible to humankind in general 4 the study and pursuit of hidden knowledge, often aimed at achieving spiritual insight or personal power 5 a system of belief or religious practice based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, especially through mediums

"what is theosophy?"

theosophy, occult��movement originating in the 19th century with roots that can be traced to ancient Gnosticism and Neoplatonism. The term theosophy, derived from the Greek theos (“god”) and sophia (“wisdom”), is generally understood to mean “divine wisdom.” Theosophical writers hold that there is a deeper spiritual reality and that direct contact with that reality can be established through intuition, meditation, revelation, or some other state transcending normal human consciousness. (theosophy, editors of Encyclopedia of Britannica, J. Gordan Melton, May 9, 2025)

In esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astral body or body of light through which consciousness functions separately from the physical body, travels throughout the astral plane. (Astral Projection, Wikipedia)

Most people see astral projection as a method to shift, there are countless posts about it on forums, some I will list below if you would like to read for yourself.

e1 e2 e3

There isn't much talk about astral projection, but it is the sister of shifting and can be used as a method of shifting. I've heard talk of waiting rooms, and astral projection can be used as a waiting room as well.

There are so many possibilities regarding shifting because shifting is limitless. Recently I've had an out of body experience right after shifting/manifesting, which I now believe to have been astral projection.

Update: I have learned something new, astral projection is when, "...your consciousness fully leaves your body and floats around this reality." (@callsigndio , commented).

So what I experiences was likely the void state, which I will be doing more research on tomorrow!

[korshrimpski]

A 1498 PRIMER (again) because we are loosing the ancient text

have you 🫵 the reader of this tumblr post ever wondered, 'does connor bedard have a boybestfriend like the other first overall draft picks?' well he does and his name is kevin korchinski

Kevin Korchinski was drafted drafted 7th overall in 2022 from the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). But he currently plays in for the Rockford Icehogs in the AHL.

something to note: before the nhl Connor and Kevin already knew each other and had a friendship that dates back to wjc 2023 when they were both on team canada

in 2023-24 Kevin played for the Hawks, making his rookie debut with Connor and they both shared a rookie lap together [insta link]. and they went no bucket for the lap which isn't allowed so they both got fined. and the reason they both went helmetless is because their teammates were telling them not to saying that they only get one rookie lap [twitter link]

a small tidbit: during their rookie season these two along with some other young teammates (like wyatt kaiser, lukas reichel) were usually the last off the ice because they wanted to keep practicing.

something these two would do together is "argue" about whose WHL team would win against the others as their teams didn't get a chance to play against each other [achieved link]

before every game during warm up kevin and connor had their spin

[VIDEO ID: Connor Bedard skating into Kevin Korchinski they bump together and kevin pushes Connor and Connor goes spinning against the boards. END ID]

Here are some other spin videos (all links go to twitter, sorry): spin, weeee, spinnies!!

Something else to note with the spin is that is has now become part of Connor's routine so when kevin isn't there connor bumps into the boards pushing himself spinning (who knew spinning could be so tragic?)

In this article "Kevin Korchinski, Blackhawks’ other future franchise pillar, is comfortable in Connor Bedard’s shadow" they both said this about each other:

And this article was overall really good a i recommended reading it

here is more 1498 content to sink you teeth into

Kevin's OT winner against the leafs [NHL link]

Every Shift Season 1 Episode 5: Ambition to action | 15:07 - 15:20 [youtube link]

Every Shift Season 2 Episode 6: Paths of Progress | 01:37 - 04:20 [youtube link]

Kevin and Connor playing a video game together [instagram link]

They also did a podcast together but it is a painful watch/listen because the what chaos host are the most *gunshot* [youtube link]

[mythicalviper-fr]

FR Skin Contests and You (and Me)

Let’s talk about festival skin contests.

This post will be 1) about win conditions 2) my breakdown on my wins/losses. Before we start, please know a lot of this is guesswork, and based on my own perspective. Still, I hope this will be useful for some people ^^

***August/888 and I (but August mostly as it’s his idea) will be hosting an event encouraging new artists to join festival contests on 8/8. It will have a lot of tips and references to help get you started, so please keep an eye out! 

-

When it comes to skin contests, people generally enter for one of three reasons: 1) for fun 2) because it’s seen as a milestone of skinmaking, or 3) out of a desire to push yourself to the limit knowing you’ll regret it like a Sunday hangover– but I hope that’s just me.

In my two years of participating in skin contests, I’ve seen a lot of artists join with a lot of excitement, only to give up or drop out because they aren’t winning. Some blame it on skill, others blame it on the staff, and some blame it on fellow competitors. 

Here’s what I will say: like any contest, winning the festival skin contest is based on a combination of luck, knowledge, and skill. Just like any contest, there is a strategy to it and there are win conditions that you have to fulfill if you want a chance at winning. Some artists find these win conditions quickly and are able to adapt and cultivate the skill needed to pull off a win. Some are aware of these win conditions but do not yet have the skill to pull off a win. And some aren’t aware at all. A loss is usually (but not always) a result of not fulfilling those win conditions, or not fulfilling them as much as another artist. 

So, let’s talk about these win conditions.

The Biggest Win Condition: Breed Variety

In my opinion, the biggest factor that makes or breaks an entry is breed variety. Over the past ten years, there's been a consistent trend of staff picking one winner per breed/pose, though there are occasional outliers (most recently, two Aether M for Brightshine, but previously also Undertide M and Spiral M). This means whenever you submit a skin, you’re competing against artists that also submitted the same breed/pose. 

For those who aren’t aware, breed variety has been dropping in contests, along with the number of submissions. The result is that there are very few submissions for less popular breeds. Take a look at Brightshine 2023 - the majority of the submissions were Aethers. But even if there ended up being three Aether wins, that meant none of the other Aether skins made it in. 

I want to explain this with numbers. Say Aethers (M&F) made up 60% of the Brightshine 2023 submissions but could only make it into 2 or 3/16 of the winning slots. That’s 60% of the submissions eliminated from making it into the remaining 13/16 slots. Where would the other 13/16 skins come from, if staff were to stick to their trend of 1 breed/pose skin per festival? The flight breeds - Imp and PC might take up 4 more slots. But that’s still 9/16 slots that need winners and only 30% of the submissions to pick from. Additionally, ancients will generally make up at least 40% of the winning submissions, if not 50%. That’s why having 100 submissions might mean there aren’t a lot of winners the staff could pick, and why there weren’t any Fae skins for Starfall 2022 or Spiral M skins for Mistral 2023. 

I tested this theory with F Ridgeback submissions. I mainly focused on three breed/poses that I saw as the least submitted - F Noc, F Bog, and F Ridgeback. I went with Ridgeback because it was the base I liked the most. The result? Out of the 22 contests I’ve entered, I won 5 with F Ridgeback. That’s a 25% win rate with one breed/pose alone. If we factor in wins I’ve had with these three poses combined, that’s 8 wins or a 36% win rate.

Drawing on an unpopular breed/pose is a good way to make sure you don’t have too many competitors (and also show some of the more unpopular breeds some love). This is particularly true if you’re a newer artist like I was. I started doing art in June 2021, so I knew there was no chance I could outcompete better artists on the same breed/pose. 

Of course, choosing the right breed will not always net you a win - you still need good skin composition and skills to catch the staff’s attention, which is what we’re going to talk about next.

Statutory Win Conditions: Flight Themes & Colors

When it comes to making a skin for a festival contest, I always recommend people look at the apparel, lore, and familiars for that flight, because these items are usually the closest to what’s canonically considered a flight’s aesthetic. A lot of the entries I’ve seen win are based off of the fest fams or match a fest apparel.

There are exceptions. The game aspect of the Lightning Flight isn’t canon, but we’ve had hivemind and gaming skins win. Why? Maybe that contest only had a total of 12-15 breed/poses submitted, maybe it was just the best executed skin for that breed/pose, maybe a staff member just really liked it. However, generally winners will match the flight’s canon aesthetic.

The trend of skin contest winners also suggest a favoring of elements that are placed on the dragon’s wings and head (leaves, vines, fairy/insect wings, gears), or accent/tattoo-like effects that involve gradient, sparkles, or abstract smoke (see 888’s 2023 brightshine win). Skin compositions that are balanced (elements throughout the body, as opposed to just one part of the body) see a higher win rate. Skins that have lower accent coverage tend to see higher win rates when they’re gradients/accents (linings on the dragon, runic/circuit effects) or when they’re concentrated on an easily noticeable/central part of the body (like the wings, or the dragon’s back).

In the end, knowing what to draw really comes down to research and knowledge. Before each contest I would review all the past winning entries and try to glean what staff did or didn’t pick. I noticed that staff didn’t tend to pick whiteout or body morph skins, and they tend to pick skins with higher coverage. I also checked past festival winners to see the color theme for each contest. There are some contests during which colors that aren’t necessarily the flight’s colors are still picked, and there are contests that haven’t seen a festival skin which didn’t match the flight’s colors. Like any contest, there’s always going to be a small bit of luck involved.

Ultimately, while I can’t speak for the staff, I do think there are win conditions that need to be fulfilled. You need to have a basic level of art skill. You need knowledge on skin composition and colors. Then, of course, you need to know which breed/pose to choose.

-

I hope my analysis helps a little when you’re entering your next contest, or that it made for an interesting read. If you just came here for general tips and tricks, that’s all I have for you - you can also scroll all the way down to see my final thoughts on contests. But generally, just keep trying different things, doing your research, and making sure you’re sticking to the flight theme.

For people who want it, here’s my breakdown on each series of contests that I’ve entered, and reasons why I think I won or lost. 

-

Personal Analysis - Brightshine 2021-Brightshine 2023

I’m a very competitive person and more importantly, I love to compete. So the moment I found myself capable of making skins, festivals were on my radar. I studied what previous artists did, what techniques and designs seem to win the most. What skills did I need and what skins caught the judges' eyes? More importantly, what bases did I feel confident with and could perform the best on? As soon as I felt like I understood the contest, I entered Brightshine 2021 with about 2 weeks’ worth of art experience.

Then I proceeded to lose four contests in a row.

So, what happened?

Brightshine 2021 (loss)

Sometimes unearthing your old art is like watching an old video of yourself in your cringey teenager phase. But knowing why you lost is important in understanding how you can win (and what to absolutely not do again).

For Brightshine 2021, I submitted a Guard F design with two recolors. At the time I only had the skill to draw lanterns and filigree, so I went “that’s Light enough” and did exactly that. Although I would say my theme was (kind of) on point, it was my execution that was lacking:

Issue No. 1: Colors. In review of previous Light winners there’s a umber/gold palette or gold/sunlight palette that appears to be the meta. There have also been cases of red or purple winning even though they aren’t used in official Light items, and some rainbow entries. While one of my recolors followed this scheme, it fell short because–

Issue No. 2: Composition. Skin composition is the balance of elements and how well each element pulls their weight in a piece of art. In my Brightshine 2021 entry, most of the base was left bare. Artists like August are really good at skin comp where their entire piece looks tied together; mine was far from that.

Issue No. 3: Quality. If you compare my Brightshine 2021 submission to my 2023 one, you’ll see what I mean. My art style relies on rendering, or applying lighting and shadows, to bring out each element. Basically I need rendering in order to win. This isn’t necessarily a requirement for you; some artists do lineless, others do painterly, and others don’t render at all, but overall the art style should have a specific level of quality that rendering brought out in my art.

In short: wrong colors, bad lineart, skill issue, no skin comp - overall it was a piece of art not even its creator could love. (I tossed the psd in the recycling bin and hit delete. Except looking in the database now apparently I printed it, so now I have to live with the shame of its existence.)

There is one takeaway that I got. By the time the contest ended there were no other Guard F entries. I realized then that had my art been better, with the breed/pose’s lack of competition, I could’ve had a shot at winning the contest. 

Thundercrack 2021 (loss)

Alright, 2021 Myth thinks, I’ve learned my lesson from Brightshine. The skin composition was not good. That means I should put more stuff on the base and I’m sure to win!

Have you ever just looked in the mirror and realized you, yes you, are the most punchable thing in the world?

In all fairness, the skin comp of my TCC entry did improve. Like Brightshine, I did a single design with two recolors on an unpopular breed. Improvements I made: additional elements to the skin aside from the one big element on the wing, and a color palette that matched the flight. Of course, I wished my theme of hivemind/code also matched the flight aesthetic, but just like my love life, the only thing my submission matched with was loss and disappointment.  

Issue No. 1: Design. Upon reviewing past winners, very few featured fake apparel or clothing. As mentioned previously, staff do not appear to favor whiteout or body morph skins, and prefer elements that adhere to the dragon (like wings) or add to the dragon (like bones/feathers).

Issue No 2: Technology. For my entry, the circuit patterning on the wings did not take resizing well. I drew this on a 750x750 canvas and the resizing blended the many circuit lines into a single line. This isn’t a program issue. It was a lack of understanding of how resizing works.

Issue No 3: And we’re still here with my biggest problem: skill issue. Art is not a skill you learn in two months. I did learn to render, but not well enough. I wasn’t good enough. Yet. 

Starfall 2021 (loss)

So… fun fact! During all of this I was writing my thesis. As in, I was writing my thesis after not writing my thesis for a year. It was stressful. I don’t have much to say about this contest because I did this skin as a meme for the sole reason that somewhere in my 3 am sleep deprived brain I thought “Emergency Portal-col” was hilarious.

I did not expect to win and I didn’t. Still, I did notice more and more that certain breeds just weren’t submitted for contests. Ridgeback F, I noticed, had anywhere from 0 to 1 submission for each contest while M pose generally had 0. Same for Nocturnes. 

Riot of Rot 2021 (loss)

By this time, 2021 Myth had given up on the “one big element + some other accessories” idea. It hadn’t worked for Light or Lightning and it wasn’t going to work. So I thought, what if I just went for the accessory elements? My ROR skin featured the spider lily, smoke, and sparkles. I also started experimenting with dark gradients on the limbs of the dragon, which I’d noticed in winning fest entries.

Gradients and sparkles help with skin composition. Especially if you’re a newer artist who can’t pull off more complicated effects. Oftentimes a skin looks empty in certain parts, but adding elements to those parts would make things look messier. That’s where gradients/sparkles come in. However, I lost because:

Issue No 1: Composition again. While my elements tied together well, I had no main attraction other than the empty void that was the center of the Ridgeback wing. I essentially did a background scene and didn’t add a main character for it. This made me think that maybe my “one big element” skin comp idea was still worth a shot, but I needed a different take.

Issue No 2: Aaaand skill issue again.I was still bad at rendering, and sometimes skill is just why you lose. Not because you don’t have good ideas or because your execution was bad, but because you do not yet have the skills to defeat your competitors. You can do a really good looking skin, but if someone else in the contest did an even better looking skin on the breed/pose, then you’re not going to win.

Gala 2021 (win)

Losing four times in a row was pretty discouraging. But here’s another important element to skin contests: consistency. The frequency of your submissions should result in a win so long as you fulfill all of the other win conditions such as good composition, understanding of the theme, and the basic level of art skill required to win. 

For the Gala, I realized that wings would be the best big element to put on a base while tying in all of the other elements. This is probably the most complicated skin I’d worked on at that time. But because I’d learned minimal rendering, because my skin composition was actually good, and there was no competition for Ridgeback F, I won. For the very first time.

Trickmurk 2021 - Starfall 2022 (6 wins 2 losses - 12 skin designs submitted total)

Here, I’d found my strategy. As long as I kept to the theme and made sure my skin comp and rendering was good, I would win. Especially because I had no competition. Again, breed variety is a huge issue in skin contests, because people - particularly the really skilled artists - are more likely to go for a breed that they like or is popular. As a newer artist, I was well aware that there was a 100% chance I’d lose if I tried to fight anyone for the same breed/pose. (And part of knowing the win conditions is also knowing artists you definitely are not winning against.) 

3/6 of my wins during this time was F Ridgeback. The others were: F Coatl, which had no competition during Trickmurk, and F Nocturne, which had no competition during Wind and Arcane’s fests (but competed against my will to live because this is a terrible base to work on).

But relying on unpopular breed advantage was about as reliable as internet connection in a college dorm. 3/6 of my wins were ridgeback but that meant all of my losses were also ridgeback. On top of that, the number of Ridgeback submissions peaked at one point to 5-6. I was still winning, because I had the skill to beat my competitors. But I had to up my game. My skins had to be more elaborate, closer to the theme. I began submitting two designs per competition, which was… going to be a problem for me later.

The idea behind submitting two designs per competition is simple. Instead of just relying on one unpopular breed/pose to net you the win, now you have two shots at winning. 

My goal that I’d made during this time was to either win 11 in a row or to win once for each holiday. This was to keep my motivation. Keep in mind I was also writing my thesis, so I really needed a goal to go towards, especially when I committed to doing two designs per contest. 

(I defended my thesis successfully in May 2022 and graduated with high honors!)

ROR 2022 - Brightshine 2023 (7 wins 1 loss - 16 skin designs submitted total)

Here’s where I found another niche in the skin contests. Flight-breeds. These are breeds that belong to each element and surprisingly - they don’t actually get that many submissions. Seeing Starfall 2022’s skin turnout as an Arcanite was tough. When it came to reviewing Starfall 2022, anyone would’ve won as long as they submitted a good quality Fae skin that didn’t break the rules or stray too far from the theme and had a skin composition that the staff liked. 

I decided to put my theory to the test with Earth, Ice, Wind, Water, and Nature. Are you surprised there were only three Snap F submissions for Earth, one Tun M for Ice, two SDM for Wind, and something like two Undertide F entries for Water? I was. Especially with Undertides because the breed had been released only five months ago. By noticing the flight-breed meta, and having the time, skill, and experience to make skins for those breeds that fit the criteria, I was able to win.

At this time I started straying away from my “one big element + smaller accessories” composition. My art had gotten better so I was able to expand my designs. Wavecrest 2023 was the biggest show of that, and I’m really proud of my entries for that contest. It was essentially a turning point in my art style… but it did take a lot more time and effort. From that point on, my skins were hitting 90+ layers and taking me at least two weeks to draw.

The last skin contest I entered with that art style was Brightshine 2023. By the time the contest ended, I was pretty sure winning would take a miracle or a relationship with god that I did not have. The competition for Imp M was difficult, and I was pitting my submission against artists who had far more experience and skill. I had some hope for my Ridge F entry, but again, relying on unpopular breed advantage is, well. Not reliable. 

I lost. It was crushing, because not only did that mean I lost Brightshine three years in a row, Brightshine was the last contest I needed to win to fulfill either one of my goals: winning 11 in a row or win once for each elemental holiday. However, losses happen and it sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. I simply lost to a much better artist, and I am okay with that. 

Final Thoughts

Heart-to-heart time. 

I know some people become discouraged because they don’t think they have the skill, or they compare themselves to other artists. I felt discouraged for the same reason. After losing so many contests in 2021, I thought I would never improve. I would never be as good as artists that started long before me, or even some that started after me but learned so much faster. 

I still think that’s true. I have a long way to go and I may never catch up to these other artists. But here’s the thing about art: it’s a skill that constantly evolves and you cannot see that evolution unless you keep trying. And you need to keep trying if you want to win, because you aren’t going to without reaching the right skill level. 

The hardest truth about competitions is that you can’t expect to win just because you tried. If everyone could win just by participating – that contest isn’t worth winning. There are no stakes so there is no value. But when you put in a lot of effort and time, and you win? That win is something that will stay with you. That is a worthwhile win - because it was hard and because you lost so many times.

Sure, the staff could let everyone who enters win. Maybe winners should be judged solely on participation. Maybe that would make more people happy. But would you really be happy to win, knowing there’s no chance of losing? At that point, would being a festival contest winner mean anything?

In the end, a contest is supposed to be fun. Throw everything I’ve said out the window if that’s made contests un-fun for you. Most, MOST importantly, you should join the competition because you enjoy it. If you’re joining just to win, and you take losses very hard, and participation becomes a chore - then that is never going to be worth the toll on your mental health.

Take it from someone who took it too seriously. Drawing two skin designs monthly was taxing (remember it was taking me at least 2 weeks per design), and by Nature 2023 I had severe burnout. When Brightshine rolled around, I sat down for 11 hours to finish my Imp entry, because I knew I wouldn’t have time for art later. By the time I finished, I was running on about five hours of sleep and a very unhealthy attachment to caffeine. 

Then, three days before Brightshine, I was diagnosed with tendonitis. 

I started feeling discomfort in my arms/wrist since March, hence why I stopped releasing public skins. But this is effectively the worst arm related injury I’ve had, and while drawing is not the main cause, doing so for 11 hours straight didn’t help. My left arm has minor pain. My right arm is swollen and in a brace. This could’ve been avoided by taking breaks and doing exercises. But the lack of proper precaution led to injury. (And yes, I drew my Bogsneak TCC 2023 entry with a mouse for this reason. I could not use my tablet pen so… circle and line tool it was. But I had fun ^^)

I hope my analysis of the contests will be of some use to you. But please do not hurt yourself, mentally or physically, in competing. UMA artists make around 3kg per run of skin, so if you are entering contests for the prize, that’s not the best use of your time and energy. When it comes down to it, you are going to be doing free art for the site, and that is never worth injuring yourself for.

As a final note, thank you to the FR staff for allowing artists to participate in the site. My art experience is purely derived from skins and contests have encouraged me to improve myself. Thank you also to my friends who cheered me on along the way, the many wonderful artists who gave me tips on line weight, coloring, and rendering. And of course, many thanks to August for being the best cheerleader I could have. I would not have made it to Brightshine without him as a competitor and fellow artist. 

(However nothing you do will make me like Gaolers and that is a hill I will die on.)

Happy almost-Flameforger’s everyone! Here’s to the next fest cycle.

[useless-catalanfacts]

Blog recommendations

Many of the other useless-[country]facts blogs are inactive now, though you can still find years of content on their blogs. The ones that are still sometimes active with new posts (to different extents) are:

@useless-austriafacts

@useless-bulgariafacts

@useless-denmarkfacts

@useless-englandfacts

@useless-polandfacts

@useless-switzerlandfacts

and of course me :D

(I hope I'm not forgetting anyone, please let me know if I am!)

Considering that the other ones aren’t active anymore, I thought I could compile a list of blogs about cultures from around the world that I like and that people who follow this blog might be interested in.

From East to West approximately:

@arkipelagic - history, archaeology, culture and photos from the Philippines.

@sinoheritage - cultural heritage, architecture and nature from China. They also run @chinoiseriene for traditional Chinese crafts and @sinoculinary for food from all over China.

@lotusinjadewell - beautiful photos of historical and modern places, traditions, food, and traditional and modern fashion from Vietnam.

@nonrussian and @thenuclearmallard - about the Indigenous peoples of the Russian federation.

@russianfolklore - legends and folklore from Russia.

@songs-of-the-east - photos, culture, arts and history from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (former USSR).

@womanlifefreedom - updates, translations and art from the 2022 Iran revolution and following events.

@ancientegyptdaily - art and archaeology from Ancient Egypt. 

@harminuya - culture, history, art and current events from Armenia (and Artsakh)

@gemsofgreece - photos, history and more from Greece.

@arbenia - photography, culture and recent history of Albania.

@unofficial-estonia - culture, history and recently mostly news and jokes from Estonia.

@norwayandsapmi - culture, crafts and history from Norway and Sápmi.

@urluch-in-dla-nebia - languages, music and photos from Lombardy, Switzerland, Piedmont, Trentino and South Tyrol. 

@unofficial-aragon - culture and photos from Aragon. 

@beautiful-basque-country - culture, places, photos and some current events from the Basque Country.

@knario47 - history and current events from the Canary Islands (blog in Spanish).

@haitianhistory - history from Haiti.

@fuckyeahmexico - Mexico (blog mostly in Spanish, sometimes in English, but mostly photos).

This post will be updated when I find more interesting blogs about these topics.

[vintagerpg]

An Account of the Lengthy Existence and Numerous Experiences of Ambrose Backhouse, Vampire, with Special Attention to Those Years in Which He Walked Upon This Earth Tho Dead (2022) is a lovely graphic novel by Tim Denee and published by Tim Hutchings. It is essentially a log of a playthrough of Thousand Year Old Vampire. Denee posted the initial installments on Twitter as he went, which is where I initially saw them. Around that time, I was spectating a number of TYOV playthrough logs on social media and this was by far the most engaging, because pictures. I guess Hutchings thought so too!

Ambrose it turned to undeath by the Rek, an ancient vampire bound to the sea floor by heavy chains (love this, its so wonderfully evocative). The pair foster a deadly enmity for each other over the centuries, in and out of which weave the people of Ambrose’s daily life, their schemes and his miseries. As a narrative, it jutters, which is the nature of the game, but I find this to be compelling (just as I do in the game) because real life rarely has threads and conclusions that satisfy the framework of good narrative. This feels weirdly real, and derives a power from that feeling. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I really enjoy how the book resolves, like most lives, with much unfinished.

Denee’s approach to the art for this is perfect, very flat, highly graphical, almost as though pasted together with cut-out colored paper. It has a sense of assemblage that echoes the narrative. He is very good at pushing the style toward warmth or humor and then immediately pulling back to something horrible. The whole this is quite effective. And the book is handsome (if very oddly shaped). Treat yourself!

[ntls-24722]

Requested (and promised awhile back)... ancient DJMMS from my massive art folders!

January 5th, 2022, these ugly sons of bitches were the very first djmms i made.

I was hailing from an artstyle that didn't accomodate DJMM well - I was used to latex-y scientist gloves with skinny little fingers and bulging knuckles, thin heads (i was big into object and shape heads back then, which is why djmm's head was a lot more of a rectangular prism than the brick/box shape it actually was), tall n skinny bill cipher hats and face shapes that weren't nice little eggs? What were those? Also, anterior foramen magnum coming in with a steel chair, that neck placement haunted me for stupid long.

But. Practice makes perfect. And my next attempts were much better.

i'm fond of this doodle, i like this one.

"realistic reaction to my advances"

funny, considering that i hadn't fully realized the beautiful, beautiful world of selfshipping and became a DCA x DJMM shipper because that was the closest thing to that. either way im glad that i was in agreement even back then that djmm would kill me if given the chance

Also, It didn't take me as long as I thought it did for me to draw the mini music men? I thought their appearance was going to be much further along. But no, I drew them quick. Here was ya boy's first DJMM comic.

some of these panels are heinously bad. idk what made me think that was acceptable for me to draw and just not edit at all.

Also why are the windups battery powered. they're... they're windups. they literally have a key coming out of the back of them. i think i was... perhaps....stupid.

But, this comic made me make this, and that was important to my music man journey, i think.

Finally, there was this last thing in my old sketchbook.

I have.... a lot more than this. like...

a lot

will i post it all? maybe. thas a lot of paper for me to go through, and that's not even including sketchbooks. but i think i'll do this when i can/when my hands are on my old art folders.

[hoovesandfloorpaws]

Hey I just made this post and I've been trying to reach out to diff blogs to see if anyone knew about it or had any other information? It doesn't seem to be any info anywhere, so I would love to know what you think

2011 interview

hello sweetpea, thank you for reaching out with this! (◠‿◠✿)

‼️CORRECTION EDIT- @bulletprooflarry DID include the QX interview in her October 2011 timeline! The interview was done on 2 Oct 2011. Big thanks to @broken-beaks for mentioning that in the comments of the post: "This is from October 2nd in 2011 when they were at Nobis Hotel in Stockholm, getting interviewed by Ronny Larsson before their signing at Café Opera for the fan project #Bring1DtoMe" btw, 2 Oct 2011, the same day THIS all happened:

and the rest of my original reply:

I have written a reply in your post already, but will repeat what I wrote here.

I know this interview, yes!

QX is the largest LGBTQAI-media publisher in Scandinavia and QX (Magazine) is a monthly free queer magazine. They also host 2 annual GayGalas in Sweden and Finland.

The 1D interview from their Nov 2011 issue, page 16, was also used in a masterpost on "Harry's sexuality" from 9 April 2012 by @hazzalovesboo - I have elongated to archive the post here (it used the @lourrythoughts translation post as a source as well, which was posted on 18 Feb 2012)

The shift from 2011 to 2012 in terms of how H&L were allowed to publicly communicate, interact, behave themselves and be seen together was severe! I'm currently elongating to archive all the BPL 2011 and 2012 timelines (which will all be linked here) and man... fuck, the contrast is SO stark, it all paints such a clear picture. There's so many lovely, funny and beautiful moments for Harry and Lou and then... so many gut-churning, heartbreaking ones. :(

So yeah, H&L’s closeting had REALLY started taking off in mid 2012 and the contents of that very candid Nov 2011 queer magazine interview were definitely the opposite of what Modest!/Syco wanted/expected of/planned for H&L. Plus, the readers of that magazine were certainly not in the target group that was chosen for 1D. Plus plus, we know they were under the contractual thumb of people who -on top of everything else- were also homophobic as shit.

Thank you for digging up that interview, love (◡‿◡✿) and archiving the screenshots and linking all the sources, it is truly appreciated!

We need to preserve everything that we can as best & fact-checked as possible, because -as this clearly shows- we can't keep losing the ancient texts (ﾉ;≡ω≡)ﾉ

(on a personal note I'd also like to say that however Harry meant his answer about "i can play double, it's okay", this was 2011 and he was 17. and in 2013, when he was 19, he said he's "pretty sure" he's "not bisexual". then came 2022, when Harry was 28, and to the ask "Did Harry ever say that he was unlabelled?", here's a wonderful post incl. his interview quotes by @bluewinnerangel sexuality can be fluid. gender can be fluid. it's truly great. :') )

Thank you for your kind message 💖 x

[eatuniverse]

sonny's : retired drs

i have been in the shifting community for like five years, a lot of scrapped scripts are piled in the recesses of my noggin.

i choose blood ! ✶ dream smp

i'm so tired of pretending like the dream smp was corny. i mean, the fandom was. and so were the streamers. and so was the story. and the characters. however, i choose to turn a blind eye because it did something through minecraft that nothing else was doing at the time, and nothing has replicated since. and it was great. excellent, beautiful. although i recognize that my impression filtered through layers of nostalgia and headcanons. and if you know me, you might expect, i basically rebuilt the entirety of the lore from scratch. rewrote history.

who is she . . . ? my name was soap. i was part mushroom, the daughter of an ancient forest entity, psychically tapped into the mycelium network between the tree roots. i was down devious madly in love with technoblade, who was a werepig cursed by the same witch who was sally's mother. i lived with him and phil, and tommy post-exile. i listened to a lot of grimes during this time period. so, think, that informing the vibe. i was a weird kid in middle school. i would yap to anyone who would listen about ts.

death before dishonour ! ✶ arthurian legend

i went through a phase where i was obsessed with the knights. not in a weird christian way. in a feminist way. this was just after i finished reading tcp, and i needed to be a girlknight so bad. i remembered i had free will so i clung onto the round table, my funky little englishmen, my mythological blorbos. i still have never seen bbc merlin, dont want to watch that thank you. because. i dont like real british people. i started trying to learn old english. i still really fw this so i might go back to it lowk.

who is she . . . ? phoebesthus goulding la fey. i was the descendent of faery warrior nobility. had a tail and golden eyes that shone like a cats in the dark. whimsically inhuman. i was an expert swordfighter, the only knight other than lancelot to best king arthur in a joust. smaller, quicker, and deadlier than any of the others. i was op.

one giant leap for mankind ! ✶ space travel

phase when i really wanted to be an astronaut. i had just read project hail mary and thought that the astrophage were dope. and i desperately wanted to escape our solar system. this was basically a waiting room. i scripted that i just drifted between outposts and journaled. incredibly chill. the ship i drove was an old green hunk of junk shaped like a scarab beetle called a "sunbug".

who is she . . . ? i was a green, half human/alien who could photosynthesize. a spaceship mechanic with a pet raccoon named beetle. i was an orphan, obviously, with a military past, duh. i think i just really want a tail in general, because i still lowkey script one in almost every dr.

do i dazzle you ? ✶ twilight saga

im literally bella swan. like she's just literally me. that's always been the case. im legitamately an avid twilight scholar, i know all of the lore. no one truly understands it like i do. i love it all. not even in an ironic way like genuinely. and i wanted that freak discoball so bad.

who is she . . . ? i replaced bella. i divorced my parents (foreshadowing...). and i love my baby renesmee. MY SHAYLAAA.

breathe out / so i can breathe you in ✶ firebug dr

original firebug dr was actually a fever dream. it was a better cr that i heavily fixated on throughout freshman year of high school. it took place in a major, quite historical city on the east coast, except i scripted near constant cosmic peril to befall us. dark, grungy, thrilling, inspired by the batman (because that movie literally altered the culture, 2022 was crazy). this is what my currently current superhero dr is based on. scripted my hallway crush wanted to talk to me and that i never fell over when a public bus moved.

who is she . . . ? sarafina graham. the firebug. pyrokinetic. pit fighter. annoying smartass. biochemistry prodigy. fourteen year old girl. oooh good times, bad bad nostalgia.

ib this post by @oretskov

[buniix3]

Ancient art of mine from 2022 that I still like

I’ve been looking through the old art and might keep posting the good stuff

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hello! I have two (separate) genres im interested in recs for, if youve got them (though combined would be fascinating tbh): Horror and farming sim-like ttrpgs. Horror im sure is fairly common, just not in my circles (which are adventure fantasy based); farming sim though seems like it may be rarer? for that id be interested in either solo or with 2+ people

Theme: Horror Games

Hello friend, I’m going to let one of my older posts do some of the heavy lifting, and point you towards the Small Town Farming collection I put up back in 2022.

You are absolutely right that Horror is much easier to recommend, but I’ll also try and put some quick recs for solo-farming type games at the bottom of this post.

1978: The Night They Came Home, by World Champ Game Co.

1978: The Night THEY Came Home is a 1-2 player horror roleplaying game telling the story of a fateful showdown between Survivor (a clever and resilient person caught up in horrifying circumstances) and Slasher (a legendary force of evil). Using a deck of poker cards, dual rule books, varied resources, and shared play space, players will recount the events of a forsaken Halloween, zooming closer into the haunting folklore of a small Midwestern town and its inhabitants, and culminating in a violent battle for survival.

Here is a game for solo gamers and folks who want a more intimate experience. If you’re a fan of Friday the 13th, this is probably in your wheelhouse! 1978 has a win condition, meaning that either the Survivor or the Slasher will come away as the victor, and the fact that this is also a game that depends on a deck of cards means that I think this might also be a good game for folks who also enjoy card games and board games.

Vast Grimm, by Infinite Black.

EACH MISERABLE DAY THAT PASSES, THE UNIVERSE INCHES CLOSER TO ITS INEVITABLE DEMISE.

Vast Grimm is a stand-alone, art-filled, punk-fueled OSR role-playing game about the few humans remaining in a universe being consumed by growing parasitic würms.

Are you a MAnchiNe ravaged by war, pieced together with remnants of bots and the little flesh left of your body? Maybe you're a twisted biochemist shoving needles into your arms in hopes that this next fix will be the one that saves you and what’s left of humanity? Or perhaps you are a soul survivor, like a cockroach, doing whatever is necessary to stay alive even if it means the rest of your Legion must perish.

This is a game about survival, no matter how gruesome things get, humanity must survive.

If you’ve heard of MÖRK BORG and thought it was cool, and if you want the same kind of energy but in a sci-fi future full of mutant animals and horrific parasites, then you might want to check out Vast Grimm. Your characters will have to ration food, energy and ammo in an unending battle against the worms. This game looks to have a large amount of support, from expanded content, to a number of adventures, to an online character generator. For over-the-top violence, plenty of alien goo, and shambling pathetic characters that look like they might fall apart at any moment, try out Vast Grimm.

The Lost Bay, by IKO.

What Is The Lost Bay? The Lost Bay is a Suburban Gothic tabletop RPG se199X. The Lost Bay is also the name of the setting where the game takes place: a coastal suburb inspired by films and media from the 80s and 90s. In it you play as a young person touched by the Weird, an ancient force that gives you supernatural powers. You roam the Bay with your gang, its malls, arcade games shops, skateparks and beaches, and fight the Horror that has awakened.

The Lost Bay is a game for folks who like their horror drenched in 90’s nostalgia. Characters are archetypal, and each one comes with special powers. Using your powers is exciting and effective, but also brings you closer to Scars, horrible truths about the world around you that will irrevocably change your hometown.

The Lost Bay is great for planning heists, rescuing friends, and trying to get out of dodge when the going gets rough. It’s not about fighting your way out, but more about trying to keep you and your loved ones safe. A lot of game designers have had a riot putting together adventures for this game, which you can check out in this game jam. The link above is for the Kickstarter, but in case you see this game after the campaign finishes, you can also check the game out on Itch.

Flyover Country, by Headstone Hills.

Fields of wheat and corn ripple in the wind, hungry eyes peering out between the stalks. Billboards along the road advertise strange and dangerous attractions. Smiles are too wide, manners too polite, secrets buried too deep. The neon light of a diner glows in the distance, but you may never reach its doors. An empty highway stretches out to the horizon, then wraps back in around itself. This is Flyover Country.

Flyover Country is a Midwest road-tripping horror role-playing game for 4-6 players: one gamemaster, or Watcher, and 3-5 players, or Drifters. It is designed to be played in one setting and without prep. It only requires paper, writing utensils, and a tarot deck.

This is a great option for a group where the GM is uneasy about doing a lot of prep. While one person acts as the Watcher, much of the events in this game are simply generated by drawing tarot cards from a deck. Characters will also draw from the Major Arcana to determine what their secret is - and what special ability it has given them. This is a game of hidden information, and grinding your characters down towards a tragic or grisly end.

Gravemire, by Clawhammer Games.

Gravemire is a tabletop roleplaying game about death, growth, horror, and survival, based in an original mechanical framework and set in the churning waters of the Louisiana bayou circa 1894. Players slip into the roles of outsiders arriving in the town of Scarstone, a rural outpost that has been warped by a terrible transformation known as the Convulsion. Once, Scarstone was surrounded by similar towns. The Bayou once had an end. Now, unknowable numbers of horrors seep through the uncharted backwaters, strange magic contorts reality to its whims, and the settlements that called Scarstone their neighbour jut half-ruined from the mire like bones from a wound. Times have changed.

Gravemire is a pretty brutal game, not afraid to kill your character and steal their soul. The town of Scarstone is a trap; your characters wandered in one day through curiosity or the desire for adventure, but leaving the town isn’t nearly as easy. Characters are built using a point-buy system, and as you play you may acquire more skill - but you will also acquire Aversions, which sap your Willpower and inhibit your ability to muster through the worst of what the game can throw at you.

If you want to check out an abbreviated version of the game, you can check out the Kickstarter playkit here.

Under the Autumn Strangely, by Graham Gentz.

"Under the Autumn Strangely" is a storytelling game of pastoral horror priming with anachronistic Americana set in a land that Never Was.

Inspired by "Over the Garden Wall" created by Patrick McHale, players collaboratively create a world uncanny and old. Codify and encourage tonal clash as the Three Roles meld whimsy, autumnal melancholy, and dread.

Take a wrong turn on a dusty road. Follow the sign past the red barn with peeling paint. Doubt your senses.

Get a little lost.

Welcome to the Never Was.

From what I understand about this game, it works best with three players, as there are three roles that the participants are expected to embody. One person plays the Arcadian, who embodies the landscape and setting. One person plays the Traveller, who acts as a “main” character. One person plays the Terror, which grows to dominate the story. Each role can only add to to one role’s suggestions, and can only deny the other’s. If you want to mix your horror with nostalgia and a romanticized vision of the rural USA, you might want to check out Under the Autumn Strangely.

The Facility, by Galen Pejeu.

You awaken, cold and in the dark. Fumbling around by low blue lights in a coffin shaped pod. You pull yourself out of the box, and in the dark see the faces of others. You are all wearing loose fitting white clothing and laceless shoes. Hospital patients? 

You peer into the dark, seeing little but hearing the sound of dripping, running water and distant machinery. You gather what you can, knowing that something is hunting you. It will be here soon.

Wait.

Can you remember who you are?

The Facility is a game for any number of players, taking on the role of ordinary people, stripped of their memories and trapped in a hostile and insane labyrinth of machines and interdimensional weirdness.

The Facility places your crew into an unknown place full of machines that want to kill you. It’s great for high-action scenes, and since your characters have lost their memories, I think the struggle to find pieces of who you are (or were) is a great way to zoom in and make the horror personal. The game is Breathless, so expect your character’s gear and/or abilities to slowly wear down over time, and for the staked to get bigger every time you pause to try and re-stock. If you want a science-fiction twist to your horror game, check out The Facility.

You Should Also Check Out...

My Shudders Rec Post

The Curse of the House of Rookwood, by Nerdy Pup Games.

Nature, Town, Farm, Villagers, by CardboardHyperfix.

Weeds in the Waste, by Meghan Cross

The Wandering Tea Garden, by AP.

Green Thumb, by Curious Frog.

The Bonsai Diary, by Sticky Doodler.

Iron Valley, by M.Kirin.