#Card-Based Time Attendance Systems

[sasaranurude]

Okay. I've been playing Tokyo Debunker today, since the release happened to catch me on a day when all I'd planned to do was write fanfiction. I just finished reading the game story prologue (it was longer than expected!), so here's a review type post. If you're reading this post not having seen a single thing about this game: it's a story-based joseimuke gacha mobile game that just released globally today. It's about a girl who suddenly finds herself attending a magic school and mingling with elite, superhuman students known as ghouls. If you look in the tumblr tag for the game you'll see what appears to be a completely different game from 2019 or so: they retooled it completely midway through development, changing just about everything about it due to "escalating competition within the gaming industry."

I'll talk about how this looks like a blatant twst clone at the end.

Starting with the positive: The story is charming. I enjoyed it thoroughly the entire time and am excited to read more. The mix between visual novel segments and motion comics was really nice--it broke things up and added a lot of oomph to the action or atmospheric scenes that visual novels generally lack. I like the art in the comic parts a lot. the live2d in the visual novel parts is... passable. Tone-wise, I think the story was a little bit all over the place and would like to see more of the horror that it opened on, but I didn't mind the comedic direction it went in either. The translation is completely seamless. The characters so far all have unique voices and are just super fun and cute. Of the ones who've had larger roles in the story so far, there's not a single one I dislike. It's all fully voiced in Japanese and the acting is solid. (I don't recognize any voices, and can't seem to find any seiyuu credits, so it seems they're not big names, but they deliver nonetheless.) Kaito in particular I found I was laughing at his lines a ton, both the voicing and the writing.

He's looking for a girlfriend btw. Spreading the word.

The problem is like. The gameplay is the worst dark-pattern microtransaction-riddled bullshit I've ever seen. Hundred passive timers going at all times. Fifty different item-currencies. Trying to get you to spend absurd amounts of real world money at every turn. There's like five different indicators that take you to various real-money shop items that I don't know how to dismiss the indicator, I guess you just have to spend money, wtaf. Bajillion different interlocking systems mean you have zero sense of relative value of all the different item-currencies. I did over the course of the day get enough diamonds for one ten-pull, which I haven't used yet. Buying enough diamonds for a ten-pull costs a bit under $60 (presumably USD, but there's a chance the interface is automatically making that CAD for me--not gonna spend the money to check lmfao), with an SSR rate of 1%. BULLSHIIIIIT.

There's like a goddamn thousand-word essay explaining the dozen different types of character upgrades and equippables and equippables for the equippables!! Bad! Bad game design! That's just overcomplicating bullshit to trick people into thinking they're doing something other than clicking button to make number go up! That is not gameplay!

In terms of the actual gameplay, there is none. The battle system is full auto. There might be teambuilding, but from what I've seen so far, most of that consists of hoping you pull good cards from gacha and then clicking button to make number go up. There's occasional rhythm segments but there's no original music, it's just remixes of public domain classical music lmao. I'd describe the rhythm gameplay as "at least more engaging than twisted wonderland's," which is not a high bar

At least there's a cat in the rhythm bit.

And like, ok, I gotta remark on how derivative it is. Like I mentioned in my post earlier, this game is unabashedly aping twisted wonderland's setting and aesthetic. (That said, most of the stuff it steals from twst is magic school stuff that twst also basically stole from Harry Potter, so...?) However, it isn't exactly like twst: in this one, the characters say fuck a lot and bleed all over the place and do violence. Basically, the tone is a fair bit more adult than twst's kid-friendly vibe. (Not, like, adult adult, and I probably wouldn't even call it dark--it's still rated Teen lol. Just more adult than twst.)

Rather than just being students at magic school, the ghouls also go out into the mundane world to go on missions where they fight and investigate monsters and cryptids. Honestly, the magic school setting feels pretty tacked-on. The things that are enjoyable about this would've been just as enjoyable in about any other setting--you can tell this whole aspect was a late trend-chasing addition, lmao. So, yeah, it's blatantly copying twst to try to steal some players, but... Eh, I found myself not caring that much. Someone more (or less) into twst than me may find it grating.

Character-wise, eh, sure, yeah, they're a bit derivative in that aspect too, but it's a joseimuke game, the characters are always derivative. Thus far the writing & execution has been solid enough that I didn't care if they were tropey. If I were to compare it to something else, I'd say the relationship between the protagonist and the ghouls feels more like that of the sage and wizards in mahoyaku than anything from twst. There's some mystery in exactly what "ghouls" are and their place in this world that has me intrigued and wanting to know more about this setting and how each of the characters feels about it. I have a bad habit of getting my hopes up for stories that put big ideas on the table and then being disappointed when they don't follow through in a way that lives up to my expectations, though.

So, my final verdict: I kind of just hope someone uploads all the story segments right onto youtube so nobody has to deal with the dogshit predatory game to get the genuinely decent story lol. Give it a play just for the story if you have faith in your ability to resist dark patterns. Avoid at all costs if you know you're vulnerable to gacha, microtransactions, or timesinks.

[buckymorelikefuckme]

way too damn needy

steve rogers x fem reader

words: 907

warnings: **18+ ONLY** brat reader, sawft dom steve, oral (m receiving), masturbation.

a/n: i've provided the link to ao3 if you prefer reading it there :) any and all mistakes are mine. feedback is encouraged & appreciated ♡

You’re attending some kind of event with Steve. It’s not so special that you have to be there too long or do anything other than show your faces and do a little mingling. But you’re unbelievably horny the whole time, with no discernible reason as to why.

You “accidentally” drop something and, when you go to pick it up, end up on your knees in front of Steve, slightly hidden by a table. Steve is standing so he’s right where you want him, doesn’t expect to suddenly feel your lips gently mouthing at him through his trousers. His eyes dart down to you, wide and panicked and aroused,  then around the room to check that no one’s seen yet. 

“Here?” he asks, incredulous.

You nod, grinning when you feel him harden and twitch under your mouth, sliding your hands up his muscled thighs. He fists your hair and yanks your head back. You gasp and feel your underwear grow damp. There’s two splotches of red high on his cheeks betraying his desire. 

“We’re gonna find a bathroom so you can get this out of your system,” he says with a gruff voice, “and then we’re going home and I’m gonna make you think twice about pulling this kind of stunt in front of so many people.” 

You moan, mouth falling open, making Steve curse under his breath. He quickly hauls you to your feet and drags you behind him in his search for an exit, shoving through the door when he finds it and then stomps down the hall until he sees another door marked as the bathroom. He’s pulled you in and locked the door before you can process the movement. 

“What’s got my girl so worked up, huh? Why couldn’t you wait until we left?” You bite your lip and shrug, glancing up at him through your lashes. Steve sighs. “Come on, then. On your knees, please.” 

You hurry to comply, reaching up to undo the button and zip on his trousers with greedy hands. All the while, Steve is carding his fingers through your hair, smiling to himself. His eyes flutter closed when you finally pull his cock out of his underwear and give the tip a kitten lick. He hardens further in your grasp as your tongue draws a line from the base to his tip. 

You take the head of his cock in your mouth and sigh, happy to finally have what you’ve wanted all night, sucking him down until your lips meet your hand where it’s wrapped around the rest of him. You press your thighs together to get some relief for the ache between them. 

Steve cups your cheek, thumb tracing around your lips. “Be good for me, please, since you can’t be patient. Make it quick.” 

Your eyes flit up to his as you begin bobbing your head, taking his cock further into your mouth. You keep your pace nice and slow, though, and Steve loves it as much as he hates it. 

“Am I gonna have to fuck your mouth, darlin’?” he asks, voice gravelly and barely containing his lust. 

You groan and shift your thighs apart, reaching under your skirt to get your fingers on your pussy. 

“Oh, I see,” he murmurs. He runs his fingers in your hair and grips, tight, holding you still. “You want to be used. Will you let me use you, sweetheart? Please? I know you’ll be so good for me.” You nod as best as you can with his cock in your mouth. “Okay, darlin’, I can do that. Are you ready?” 

You nod again, flicking your tongue on the sensitive spot under the head. Steve groans lightly, eyes closing for a brief second, and then he’s pulling his cock out of your mouth and thrusting back in. You shamelessly rub at your clit, whining, keening, as Steve uses your mouth. His rhythm is faster than what you’d set before, but you don’t mind in the slightest. 

Your eyes stay firmly on him, on his face; on the way his mouth is open and letting harsh breaths out, the redness in his cheeks getting darker, his eyes boring into where he’s disappearing into your mouth, at your hand frantically rubbing your clit. His cock shines with your spit and Steve suddenly thinks it’s unfair how lucky he is. He's pretty sure there’s no one else in the world like you, and you’re his.  

“I'm close, darlin’. Will you swallow for me, please?” 

You whimper and shuffle closer, as if you want to swallow him whole.  It’s when his thrusts go rough, when they make you gag, when you’re whining as if begging—that’s when he comes, spurting down your throat, triggering your own orgasm. You trap your hand between your thighs, grinding into your fingers, your free hand clutching at Steve's thigh. 

He’s panting heavily when he finally comes to a stop, gently pulling his cock from your warm mouth. “Swallow, please.” 

You do, your tongue darting out to swipe at your lips in case you missed any. You rest your forehead against his hip, trying to calm your racing heart and breathing.

“Are you satisfied?” he asks, softly running his fingers through your hair now, easing the ache from his rough tugs before. 

When you look up with a half smile and a mischievous glint in your eyes, Steve grins. 

“I think it’s time we head home.” 

“Please,” you rasp.

[shippergirl-14]

Craig head canons

Hii, some of those head canons are based on episodes and popular opinions. They are more fitting when he is older. Please share some of your head canons too ^^ also I’m not American so I don’t know about their school system…

He is one of the tallest in his grade

He is actually really good at math and physics and even attends the honor classes

He has a telescope in his room and glow in the dark stars on his ceiling

He is autistic and his special interests are space, the ocean and red racer

The school forces him to join a sports club so he is in the swimming team since it’s the most relaxing sport and he really likes the silence under water

He has peruvain roots and can speak spanish

His dad often buys him fidget toys, but he just gives them to Tweek instead

He lets Tweek wear his hat and pull on the strings to prevent him from ripping out his hair. He also carries around bandaids in his bag just in case

In 5th grade he got braces for his messed up teeth and was really insecure about it to the point he didn’t want to talk. He was relieved when they finally took them out and now he has nice teeth.

He has watched red racer more than ten times already and he urges his friends to watch it with him.

Red and Stan are his Cousins. He doesn’t want to be associated with Randy though.

He can play the violin and sometimes does duets with his boyfriend

He is the guy with the most ‘sick’ days but he still never was held back a grade. His grades are rather good for someone that doesn’t do much.

He sometimes helps out in the coffee shop so Tweek would be able to end his shift sooner

He absolutely despises Tweek’s dad and doesn’t trust him or their coffee. Tweek’s parents love him though.

He really enjoys watching his boyfriend’s boxing matches and is really proud of him. Tweek is also super supportive of his hobbies and doesn’t miss his competitions.

He watches horror game theory videos with Clyde knowing his best friend will be scared. He and Clyde were really obsessed with Fnaf as kids.

He enjoys collecting Pokemon cards or book. He also has some of Tweek origami creations on display in his room.

[hmooncreates]

For Truth's Sake is a solo-journaling game based in the ideas of anthropology and field work. You play as an anthropologist living and working in a community of your choosing. Pull cards and roll dice to determine who you talk to/where you go and what questions to ask. The game uses a "trust points" system - you gain and lose trust points by playing and interacting with NPCs and locations!

THE SRD | $2 with community copies available || itch.io | ko-fi

This SRD provides you with core rules and explanations on how to build a setting to explore on your own time!

Also comes with examples and questions to get started. Included is a creative license for making your own settings. 

SETTINGS

Each setting comes with 20 NPCs, 12 locations, and 12 events that you can interpret as you wish. They also come with the full core rules and set of NPC and Location questions.

WEREWOLF NEIGHBORHOOD | $5 || itch.io | ko-fi

A pack of werewolves lives together in a suburban area. They hang out, connect with each other, even hunt together. Do they live in a world where they can openly be werewolves? Or do they have to hide who they are? How is the pack set up? Do they talk to other packs? Talk to NPCs, explore locations, and attend events to find out!

URBAN WITCHES | $5 || itch.io | ko-fi

A coven of witches lives, eats, and games together in an apartment building in a large city. Is this a city full of magic? Or are they the odd ones out? How do they connect with each other? With other people in the city? With their landlord? Explore the NPCs and Locations to discover all there is to find out.

FEYWILD INN | $5 || itch.io | ko-fi

An inn nestled in an odd space between what we consider reality and the wilderness that some call the feywild is home to an interesting group of fey and humans alike. Are they living together in harmony? Are the fey preying on the humans? Or is your bias showing through?

Remember, it’s polite to eat what a person that has invited you in offers you.

[tozettastone]

Number 5 with Genjutsu Master/Her Beautiful Hair please !

For #5: "College AU in which exactly none of the characters are undergraduate students at this college. Character A and Character B are coming up with a list of ways that they could fund their research that isn't the competitive grants process. They've settled on organised crime. "

---

She drummed her fingernails on the bench as the cute barista made her coffee.

She didn't have a name, but today the body she'd borrowed was called Chikako. She was a uniformed young lady with subtle makeup and a girlish pout. She was a civilian—a meter reader employed by a utility company by day, and a student by night—and about twenty years younger than the nameless ninja currently borrowing her form.

The real Chikako was across the other side of the city right now, occupied by her actual day job. The one getting her coffee just needed to borrow her student ID and face for a bit. And her credit card, obviously, as it was right there in her wallet next to her ID.

The coffee wasn't great, but she'd anticipated that and gotten three pumps of artificially flavoured syrup in it, which, combined with the milk, disguised a multitude of sins. Today Chikako was not here to stalk anyone or steal anything (although she'd probably steal something anyway. She was only human, after all!) but, rather embarrassingly, to sit in on a seminar introducing researchers to the whole system of competitive grants by which public research lived and died.

Chikako was pretty familiar with the actual research process. Sure, she'd never attended a university or even a regular school herself, but she'd been introduced to field research by way of the gruelling discipline of the shinobi intel machine. She'd been spying on people for fun and profit since she could walk. Her biggest hurdles hadn't been the field work, but rather the experimental design and treatment of her data.

What she really wanted to find out today was if it would be better to apply to one of these big old universities and do her field research through them. There were advantages, she knew: you never had to break into a print shop and create copies of your own publications, and you got invited to conferences rather than having to steal someone's identity and crash, and you got to actually present your own research to other people and talk about it! All of this was very exciting to her.

There were also downsides: people knew who you were, you had to talk to them all the time using the same face and anyone who got mad at you usually knew exactly where to find you. Less exciting. But potentially still workable... especially since there was no reason to expect she would enroll under her own identity.

She slipped soundlessly into the lecture hall. It seated a hundred but it was sparsely populated by ragged looking people, mostly in their mid to late twenties, each more sartorially challenged than the last. As Chikako, she felt she stood out almost uncomfortably simply for being unwrinkled, colour coordinated and awake. She sat down in one of the faded chairs and did not swing the battered wooden slab that was meant to serve as a desk out over her lap. Instead she clutched her sickly sweet coffee and waited for the professor to show up and let them know all about the exciting world of applying for a competitive grant.

This was really what would decide her, she figured. If it was easy money that could support her in fieldwork, she'd swap careers in an instant.

Chikako was well adjusted to the lifestyle, but being a missing-nin was hard, dangerous work. It meant never having a proper home base to stay at, taking dangerous jobs that paid worse than they did at a traditional ninja village, and just... living very precariously. She lived both worse and better than most: she ghosted into accommodation without anyone the wiser, lifted her petty cash from oblivious civilians, and when she did do real shinobi work, her skillset meant she was often doing glorified PI work, enabling blackmail, rooting out embezzling and preparing evidence for the scandals and divorces of the rich and famous.

But she also had to take time out from her research any time she wanted to make any honest money. And that had led her to thinking: didn't people get paid for research? Like, legitimately? And how did they do that?

So now she was here, listening to the ancient and hunched professor wearily explain that a competitive grant application was essentially an instrument of intellectual torture. He was currently halfway through detailing that, for example, you would need to know which conferences you needed to present at and what the travel costs would be three years in advance to prepare your budget for assessment, and then if you were one of the 18% of successful applicants, you would probably be given four fifths of the money you actually needed.

"...after a while you will learn how to tailor your application so your project can be effectively cut down without losing significant value. You can't inflate your costs though, because they won't approve it if you do that."

Someone raised a hand.

"Ah... you," the professor pointed one aged, shaking hand. "Yes."

"What if you, um, like, learn something new? And your project doesn't go how you expect? And the costs... well, you know, change?"

"Heh," said the old professor. "Heh heh heh. The grants committee is not set up to accommodate that. Any costs that exceed—"

"Sorry, forgive my interruption, sir, but the grants committee isn't set up go accommodate research leading to new information?"

"That's correct," he said serenely. "Any costs that exceed your predictions need to come out of central university funds. You will need to explain your needs to your departmental representative." He looked around at their faces. Chikako's was sceptical but she was hardly alone in that. "You get the knack for it eventually," he assured them.

Hmm. You know, she was nearly fifty, and had gotten the knack for many things in her time. But she didn't feel that getting the knack for this was going to be the solution to her problem.

She finished her coffee and draped a secondary genjutsu over herself so nobody would notice her getting up to leave. There was no point being rude to the poor old professor, after all.

Chikako's money was burning a hole in her pocket, so she strolled around the campus, inspecting this and that. It was almost like a little town all on its own, really. The students who could afford university had plenty of family money, even if it seemed like their careers paid shit all more generally, so there were stores and stalls and amenities aplenty, including what seemed to be several charitable organisations recruiting volunteers on campus.

She ghosted through it all, finding little of value to her personally, and fetched up at the library instead. There, she maxed out Chikako's library account by borrowing twelve books to read instead, all with titles like "Shinobi, Crime and the Black Economy," or "Labelling Perspective: The Meaning of 'Missing' Nin."

Once she was off campus, she let her illusions fall in an alley between two residential houses, turning from the twenty-something, dark eyed, dark haired, fresh-faced willowy little Chikako back into her actual, real, flesh and blood self: a flawlessly made up woman who might have been any age between thirty and forty five, with a missing-nin's forehead protector and a wild tumble of red curls.

She pulled the forehead protector off and shoved it in her pocket before she handed Chikako's "lost" wallet in at the nearest police station.

"It was just outside the university campus," she reported, leaning on the bench in the station. "I have no idea how long it's been there."

"Okay, thanks for your report, Miss... We'll make sure she gets it back."

"I'm so glad," she said earnestly. "I know I'd feel just awful if I lost my wallet."

"Well, you did the right thing. Have a good day, Miss."

That was her. Doer of right things. Always.

It was the off season for tourists, so after check-in hours had passed, she simply wandered through a luxury hotel and selected one of the unused honeymoon suites to break into. The bed was huge, with a feather-soft mattress and a multitude of pillows, but enormous bath was the real prize for her.

Fancy hotels like this had all sorts of sample products, and she did love bubbles. Naked and unselfconscious, she peered at herself in the mirror for a while, inspecting her face. It was a lovely face, framed perfectly by her pretty crimson curls. A little angular and aggressive for the tastes of the day, with her high cheekbones and sharp jaw. But beautiful, which was the important thing. If she had nothing else—and she usually had nothing else—she still had her looks.

As the bubble bath filled up, the mirror fogged over, until her face was an indistinct blur with a smear of hard candy red where her mouth was. She turned away from her reflection and slipped into the bath with a full body shiver at the water's blissful heat.

She had her pile of books to read, but with a deep sigh, she supposed it would be best to start thinking about how she was going to fund her next research project instead.

Not by way of the competitive grants process, obviously.

Credit card fraud was a short term solution, useful for buying little treats or paying for a night in the odd hotel when one really wanted room service; it wasn't a lifestyle. Hard currency—cash—was probably the optimal way to go. It was tricky to trace, accepted everywhere and couldn't be tied to anyone's identity if it was wisely spent.

She sighed deeply and dunked her head under the water. Tomorrow she'd just have to quietly rob a bank on her way out of town.

[the-empress-7]

Empress, do you think is possible that the duo were asking for something to White House? (Jill or Joe)you know, a video for Invictus, a political shenanigan from Meghan (a letter) asking to attend an event

hi, I'm a fed in DC. My personal theory (based on what I know about how DC works) is that I think Meghan thought the White House worked like the BRF in that if she knows the right person or if she flexes her title, she can be connected directly to Joe or Jill instead of being routed through all the different assistants first. I think either a) she called too many times and when she finally got to talk to someone, she pulled the "don't you know who I am how dare you" card or b) they granted her one courtesy meeting/phone call that turned into a whole "if you give a mouse a cookie" situation. Either way, the White House quickly nipped it in the bud with a hard line in the sand. I get the feeling that asking to travel on Air Force One after the funeral was when the White House dropped all the niceties in dealing with her and started saying "fuck no." (excuse my french)

however the scuttlebutt I've heard around here is that Meghan really and horrifically overplayed her hand on 2 separate occasions: first with the paid parental leave lobbying and second with the lobbying Newsom to be Feinstein's replacement. On paid parental leave, Meghan's calling the senators on their private/unregistered personal lines is a huge boundary-crossing no-no. Biden would've heard about it as the party chief. And by lobbying Newsom so hard to get Feinstein's replacement, she ticked off all the California Democrats because she was essentially trying to leapfrog the entire system. California Democrats make up a huge part of the current Democratic coalition, of which Nancy Pelosi and Kamala Harris are part of, so they absolutely heard about it.

I did hear at one point that Kamala really can't stand Meghan and has her blocked or won't ever return her call. So something definitely went down.

[mimikyufriend]

Teaching Resources I Use as a Sub

I think substitute teaching is a good way to make extra money even if you don't plan on becoming a teacher, so I wanted to share some things that help me :)

Classroom Screen - I use this every time I sub (unless a smartboard isn't available for whatever reason), it has lots of little widgets for classroom management and communication

Teachers Pay Teachers - pre-made activities for students to do in case you need something extra, free and paid options

Stedi Bonus Activities - more activities, these are all free and geared toward substitutes (the main site offers paid training courses, I don't recommend them as someone who was able to do a course for free, they were very basic and not all the advice was good)

cK-12: free grade school level textbooks, useful for short, additional readings (I wouldn't trust the AI tutor thing)

Read Think Write Interactives - these are a bunch of charts that students can fill out on their computers, or you could fill one out together on a smart board based on what was learned in class

Boom Learning - more interactives, these are more focused activities rather than templates

CNN10 - daily 10 minute news clips, can be used to fill time

Class Dojo - classroom management system that uses points that can be earned or lost, this is difficult to implement from the perspective of a sub since you can't import class lists, but it may be useful to use numbers and reset points at the end of the day

most of these are unnecessary unless you're working with a very bare bones lesson plan or are subbing long term, but I can't recommend classroom screen enough

next are some useful youtube video genres worth keeping in mind (always remember to vet anything you want to show ahead of time)

multi-hour long relaxing music - good for background noise during quiet work, I don't recommend music with lyrics or recognizable instrumentals such as movie soundtracks and video game music because they may end up amping up students instead

mario run - these are like fun guided exercise videos, short ones are good for brain breaks and longer ones are good for when you have to have recess inside (some classes may not be able to handle the excitement, make volume expectations clear before starting)

animals in action - I've used like snake and spider videos as rewards for good behavior, kids love it

and lastly, some things I keep in my bag

clipboard with compartment - I keep school maps, extra paper, mental health crisis numbers, and even my resume inside and I'll clip attendance sheets and lesson plans on top of it

fidgets for students to borrow

prizes - mini erasers and stickers are popular and relatively cheap

dice, playing cards, flashcards - extra, tangible activities (the dice and playing cards are for randomly picking numbers to add subtract multiply etc.)

ok that's all bye

[daveythefool]

something about verity doesn't make sense to me. why would they love morris if he's so devoted to the company they hate?

{This is fixing to be a long answer, I am SO SORRY, you have indulged the hyperfixation fr, I could talk for hours about this man! }

Mostly, Verity's reasoning is based around how I'm setting up the story for them, and how I head canon Morris would be as a multifaceted character. There's a few mods out there that do this already- add in more personality and reason behind him & his actions in-game than the vanilla game allows him- such as Morris Redeemed and Marry Morris. {Great mods, even if it's for the bit, I'd recommend trying them out and seeing the awesome work the people who made them put in!}

Anyway, Morris absolutely feels like a cartoonish, over-the-top bad guy. He's meant to be the overall "villain" of Stardew, a personification of Joja itself as the big scummy company, so it makes sense. Surface level personality of "he's just evil to be evil", not meant to be taken seriously at all, he's written exactly as he's intended to be for vanilla game. He's great as just that!

So, of course, it's not necessary to ask the questions "What if he's not actually just a big ol' greedy scumbag? What if there's more to it?", but it's so FUN to.

Therefore, for Verity's story, the answer is a resounding: yes, there's more to it. I'm definitely going to end up leaning into the fact that he DOES feel like the personification of Joja, not because he likes it, but because {like Verity at one point in time} he felt like Joja would bring him the life he wanted/wants.

Being over-the-top for his job just seemed like the right way to go about that for him, so he's constantly pushing for membership cards, hounding his employees to put in 100% of their effort just like he is. He's the manager of the whole store; his job rides on their performance in Joja's eyes just as much as THEIR jobs ride on his & their own performances. So, he performs. And he presses those who work with and under him to perform, too. It's a constant, monotonous, day-to-day show in order to keep the one Joja store in this small, barely-make-a-profit town floating. Those above him press him about how they'll tear the store down if that store doesn't meet the quota Joja wants- that if he doesn't get another membership to build that warehouse and please Joja corp., he's screwed, and on top of that, the employees who rely on the paycheck that Joja provides them are ALSO screwed.

Poor Shane is obviously crumbling apart at the seams as is, and the last thing Morris wants to do is fail these employees of his.

He cares about the people in the Valley, it's just that he's been made to believe that allowing a corporation like Joja to treat himself and others as less-than-human, forcing them to consistently and constantly mask any "undesirable" traits/behaviors in order to continue making the company the highest profit they can, please the company as a whole, put the store on some kind of corporate radar, will bring himself and others a good and happy existence. That the Joja brand suffering is normal, and worth it. Please the system, and the system will be good to you.

Except, it isn't, and it won't. Joja is a company that will use you up, and spit you out without care the moment you disappoint their already too-high expectations. The opening scene, after all, is of the office space Verity came from- constant surveillance to make sure every second is spent working, high turnover, and a significant lack of warmth and life in the building. It is cold, imposing, and highly stress-inducing. It's not a stretch to imagine that {playing off of some things in the Marry Morris mod} Morris had been unable to attend his father's funeral, and isn't able to visit his mother very often. That's something Verity can relate to him on. They didn't get much, if any, off-time from Joja, and their interpersonal relationships {not to mention their relationship with themself} suffered for it. Just because Verity hates the company, doesn't mean they hate or should/would be hateful to those that are still stuck working for it; they aren't the kind of person to take somebody's actions/behavior purely at face value, even if they aren't happy with what they did. It doesn't take hating a person to ask them if they're really happy with the conditions they're living under, if their job is really worth the cost it brings them- it takes actually caring enough to bother asking. That's what Verity brought to the metaphorical table for Morris; someone who could understand where he's coming from, even if they refused to fit in his static worldview. Someone willing to hold a conversation about whys and hows and what fors, instead of "you're just another shitty boss, and underneath that, you're just another shitty person; I'll do everything I can to make sure you never have your way." Verity didn't work on the community center out of spite and/or hatred. They did it because they fully felt it was the right thing to do in order to aid and uplift the community they, also, care about, instead of forcing them to submit to whatever Joja wants. That included Morris, as a member of the community. It's a whole thing, that Morris in the end doesn't actually want what Joja wants; he wants what he, as an individual, wants, and what he wants is for everyone he cares about to be happy, healthy... thriving. TL;DR Verity went a route he didn't/couldn't bring himself to take, and when the Center was refurbished, he suffered a Character Arch:tm: and frienemies to lovers shenanigans ensued.

[blossom-adventures]

Kupo Con: Pom Central, Feb 24th & 25th 2024

Hey, everyone! It’s me, the elusive Blossom here with my post from KupoCon 2024!

My mum and I travelled down to Birmingham on Friday the 23rd of February, fully laden with cosplays for both Ardyn and Cloud it didn’t take long to get there by train and the walk to the hotel was short, as it was only across the road from the station. Once there we got settled, I unpacked my costumes and put them ready for the weekend, then I went downstairs and joined the attendees already hanging about in the bar.

It made me smile every time that I saw one of the guests arriving in the hotel lobby too, casually saying hello to David Menkin (Barnabas, FF16) as I got out the lift, or walking past John Eric Bentley (Barret, FFVIIR) having a long conversation with one of the artists who were attending

I reunited with friends that I’d met at Pom2 and met new ones that I’d missed last time, I traded Tripom (KupoCons series of trading cards, based on triple triad from the FF franchise) had drinks with friends, and had dinner and drinks at a restaurant called The Alchemist, then I headed back to my room at about half 10 for an early start on the Saturday.

An early start… I woke up at half 3 and didn’t get back to sleep 😆

We got up at 7 and went and had breakfast, I spotted David Menkin again at breakfast, as well as some of the Con staff, like Eric (the official photographer) who got some amazing pictures (honestly they’re incredible, they’re available on KupoCons FB page)

Then came the main convention, which was so fun! The queuing system worked so much better than it did at Pom2 which allowed me to meet the 4 attending guests; David, Lorraine, Christopher and Gideon (Barnabas, Charon and Gav from FF16 and Balthir from FF12 and Biggs from FFVIIR) they were all lovely and I was so happy I got chance to meet them all ☺️

Then I spent time catching up with friends, getting pictures, spending a ridiculous amount of money on official merch and artists merchandise, I’d saved up for this so damn it I was going to spend it all 😆

After the main event me and mum ventured out to get something to eat before making our way back to the hotel, we got in the lift with some other attendees and when we got out we saw Chris again and he asked if we were attending the evening party

Yes! I attended a party! I socialised… ME! I can barely believe it myself 😆 but I did and I had a great time!

Then came day 2, the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launch event which was just as good as the 1st day, I queued to meet the guests and managed to get there just before they were needed to go and do a panel, I met Caleb, Gideon again, John and Paul (Zack, Biggs, Barret and Cait Sith) who were all lovely, John repeated his actions from Pom2 and gave me a masquerade token for my Cloud cosplay, and he took the photo too because I couldn’t lean across the table because of the Buster Sword on my back, to which he replied “I’ve got you”

I had a lot of compliments about my sword, which really made my day! There was a Zack cosplayer, and a Cloud cosplayer that were really impressed with it (they had been following my progress on instagram) and my friend who printed the kit for me was really impressed with it too their compliments were so appreciated and I was so happy that they liked my cosplay and it made me feel proud that I had attempted it

Cloud was a cosplay of firsts; first prop, first attempt at armour, and first attempt styling a wig, I am so proud of it and to see so many people liked it really made me happy

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

“In theory, group counseling to address the root causes of abusive behavior sounds promising. If batterer intervention programs make abusers less violent and, as a result, victims safer, why wouldn’t it be a preferable alternative to sentencing someone to, say, a year in jail, as Majors faced? But decades after the first programs were established, we have limited and highly contradictory research on how well they work. Some studies have found batterer intervention programs reduce future violence; others conclude they have little to no impact. The National Institute of Justice says results are “mixed.” Complicating matters, batterer intervention programs aren’t a monolith, and curriculum and quality varies wildly from one to another…

But while batterer intervention programs may prove effective when abusers attend, a huge portion of participants simply don’t. Anywhere from 15 to 58 percent of participants fail to complete treatment, often with few consequences. A 2022 state audit of California batterer intervention programs, including those in L.A. County, where Majors is expected to attend, found that probation officers and program providers frequently failed to inform the court about absences and other probation violations, including serious ones, such as contacting a victim under a protective order. In California, like in Massachusetts, those who completed the programs had a lower rate of reoffending than those who dropped out — 20 percent compared to 65 percent — but notably, nearly half of the domestic-violence offenders reviewed by the state did not complete the program. The “system has not adequately held offenders accountable,” the audit concluded, adding that these issues “have plagued the batterer intervention system for at least three decades, creating a critical need for statewide guidance and oversight.” Without proper supervision, these programs can end up functioning as literal get-out-of-jail-free cards.”

One evening last summer, I logged onto Zoom to observe a virtual counseling program for men who perpetrated domestic violence, run by a Boston-based group called Emerge. There were nine men of various ages and ethnicities and backgrounds on the call. Some were at home, video-conferencing from their bedrooms, one was in the car, and another was taking a leisurely walk outdoors, his sunglasses blocking his eyes from view. Emerge has a set format for these classes, which run weekly for 40 weeks and are generally populated by men court-mandated to attend by a judge. Participants begin by identifying themselves and the name of the person they abused, serving, it seemed to me, a dual purpose—centering the victim at the onset of the session and promoting responsibility. At Alcoholics Anonymous, it’s Hi, I’m John and I’m an alcoholic. At Emerge, it’s Hi, I’m John and I’m an abuser.

The walker, whom I’ll call Jeremy, was doing his weekly check-in with the group when David Adams, the co-founder of Emerge and one of two facilitators on the call, asked him a direct question: What was the abuse he committed that landed him in the program? Emerge encourages men to talk candidly and in detail about their abuse — what preceded it, what they did, how it impacted their partner — and accept feedback from the rest of the group about their behavior. The hope is that participants will begin to recognize and interrogate their own patterns of abuse and, over time, undergo the slow and uncomfortable process of change. To be successful, this intervention model requires active, incisive coaching by group leaders, Adams explained in a paper describing the program, as left on their own, “abusive men tend to give superficial or highly skewed reports of their interactions with their partners.”

Jeremy, still walking, began describing his relationship with his ex-girlfriend. They both struggled with insecurity, he said, leading to arguments over stupid things. “We were both wounded birds, just trying to soar through the sky, and we just, kind of like, we didn’t have very good communicative skills,” he said. Adams stopped his digressive answer there. The question, he reminded Jeremy, was how exactly did he abuse his partner? Now, Jeremy’s voice sped up. “Just like … pushing … I like, pulled her down the stairs, but like two … two stairs, you know?” he replied. “It wasn’t like I dragged her down a flight of stairs and she was all beat up or nothing crazy like that.” He went on: “I don’t want to reflect on my past because I am accountable for my actions, and stuff like that. But it was again, like I said, based upon our insecurities and not having good communicative skills.”

In Jeremy’s telling, his physical violence toward his girlfriend was caused by their mutual insecurity. It was only a few stairs. Nothing crazy. It is exactly this type of thinking that batterer intervention programs, as they are called, are designed to combat. Emerge, circa 1977, was the first such program in the U.S., born at a time when feminist activists were demanding national attention to the neglected issue of domestic violence. As hotlines and shelters sprung up for victims, Adams said, the natural next question within the movement was what to do with the men causing harm?

In the years since, programs have proliferated (over 2,500 exist, according to one count) and are now fully integrated into the criminal-justice system. These days, if you are convicted of a domestic-violence offense, it is likely you’ll be mandated to go to one. Millions of men have attended, including celebrities such as Mel Gibson, Christian Slater, and Chris Brown, who bragged about completing the class on Twitter: “Boyz run from there [sic] mistakes.. Men learn from them!!!” he wrote. (Four years later, a judge granted another woman, Karrueche Tran, a five-year restraining order against Brown, who she said he threatened to kill her.) And earlier this month, Jonathan Majors was sentenced to a 52-week batterer intervention program in California after being convicted of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.

In theory, group counseling to address the root causes of abusive behavior sounds promising. If batterer intervention programs make abusers less violent and, as a result, victims safer, why wouldn’t it be a preferable alternative to sentencing someone to, say, a year in jail, as Majors faced? But decades after the first programs were established, we have limited and highly contradictory research on how well they work. Some studies have found batterer intervention programs reduce future violence; others conclude they have little to no impact. The National Institute of Justice says results are “mixed.” Complicating matters, batterer intervention programs aren’t a monolith, and curriculum and quality varies wildly from one to another.

Most states have legal standards that regulate programs, but oversight falls to different departments with distinct goals. In California, for example, the Probation Department is in charge. In Massachusetts, it’s the Department of Public Health. Generally, participants are mandated to attend once a week for anywhere from 8 to 52 weeks (the longer the better for real change, Adams says). While models range, most programs are a mix of therapy and education, covering topics such as conflict-resolution skills, effects of abuse on partners and children, and how to take accountability. With victims’ consent, Emerge checks in with them throughout the 40 weeks to see if there has been any additional violence or threats and assess victims’ sense of safety. If a perpetrator refuses to own up to his actions or suggests he might commit more violence or stops attending, programs are typically supposed to communicate with probation, courts, and even the partner in question. “If we get somebody 12 weeks into our program who’s still blaming his partner, then we put that in a letter,” Adams said, which can be helpful to partners who are trying to make a decision about whether to stay in the relationship.

Adams, a psychologist who grew up with an abusive father, is a true believer in the power of these programs to save lives. When I asked him about the dismal research on effectiveness, he said studies often lump together participants who quit with those who complete it. Truly changing someone’s deep-seated and long-held thought patterns and beliefs takes time, he explained. “Many of the studies look at somebody who dropped out after one session and reoffend and count that as a program failure,” he said. “If substance-abuse programs were evaluated that way, they would all be considered to be failures.” He directed me to a 2015 pilot study conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School that assessed three batterer intervention programs in Massachusetts, including Emerge. It found that participants who completed such a program were 28 percent less likely to recidivate — measured as an arrest for a future domestic-violence-related crime — than those who failed to complete the program. Stated another way, those who dropped out were three times more likely to be arrested for domestic violence again than those who completed the work. (Of course, evaluating a program’s success using future arrests reveals only the tip of the iceberg, as domestic violence is chronically underreported to police.)

But while batterer intervention programs may prove effective when abusers attend, a huge portion of participants simply don’t. Anywhere from 15 to 58 percent of participants fail to complete treatment, often with few consequences. A 2022 state audit of California batterer intervention programs, including those in L.A. County, where Majors is expected to attend, found that probation officers and program providers frequently failed to inform the court about absences and other probation violations, including serious ones, such as contacting a victim under a protective order. In California, like in Massachusetts, those who completed the programs had a lower rate of reoffending than those who dropped out — 20 percent compared to 65 percent — but notably, nearly half of the domestic-violence offenders reviewed by the state did not complete the program. The “system has not adequately held offenders accountable,” the audit concluded, adding that these issues “have plagued the batterer intervention system for at least three decades, creating a critical need for statewide guidance and oversight.” Without proper supervision, these programs can end up functioning as literal get-out-of-jail-free cards.

In 2016, I was invited to attend a conference on batterer intervention in Dearborn, Michigan. For three days, I listened as leaders in the field, many of whom had been working on this issue since the ’80s, described what they’d learned. Session titles, such as “Real Change, Real Challenges: Moving Forward Through the Backlash” and “Let’s Set the Record Straight!” reflected a sense of frustration with how outsiders perceive the work. I left with the impression that many batterer intervention practitioners genuinely believe that reforming abusers is a critical step — maybe even the critical step — to reducing domestic violence yet is chronically underfunded, the ugly duckling of the movement to stop violence against women. Few advocacy groups are interested in raising money for programs that help abusers, especially if it seems like it might divert resources from victims.

Bringing us back to Jeremy, the Emerge participant. After he finally acknowledged to the group that he pushed his girlfriend down “two” stairs, Adams called him out. He noted that Jeremy kept referring to the core problem as “our” insecurities, as if his girlfriend’s insecurity played a role in the violence. “You’re taking responsibility for your abusive behavior means it’s 100 percent a choice that you’re making. Regardless of how insecure or whatever the other person’s feelings are, right? It has no relevance.”

“I comprehend everything you’re saying,” Jeremy responded guardedly.

Adams continued. “I’m just recommending that you think differently about it, because if that’s the way you continue to think about it, then you’re not responsible. You’re saying, ‘Well, if I get into another situation where both people are insecure, then of course I’m going to be abusive,’ as if one follows naturally from the other.” At this, Jeremy squirmed and frowned. The audio cut out for a few seconds.

Once he was reconnected, he conceded the point. “I should have said ‘my insecurity,’” he said. “I absolutely agree to what you’re trying to say. And my mind-set changes in each group that I come into.”

When asked what Jeremy hoped to get from the program, he said he wanted to learn from his mistakes. “I want this lesson to have an effect, a very big impact in my behavior, my lifestyle and everything.” Of course, it’s easy to say that, whether you really mean it, and some men do fake their way through the classes without genuinely engaging with the content. Regardless, Adams said, “fake it ’til you make it” can still produce an impact.

I asked Adams how Jeremy was doing, nine months after I observed him in class. He’s still attending, Adams said, which is something. He’s taking somewhat more responsibility, but he still deflects from time to time. There’s still more work to be done.

[kylewithann]

Village Necromancer - A Solo TTRPG Liveblog

Back when I was posting all of my journaling game playthroughs on Twitter, the first one I did was Village Witch by Eliot Silvarian. Today I'm playing a re-flavoring of that system called Village Necromancer by SmallTownCreepy. As a fresh-faced graduate of Atropos University, you are charged to set up a necromantic practice for your year-long residency. Will you succeed and find a place to call home? Or will you have to start anew next year? Only time will tell.

CW: This game has themes of death and dying.

How to Play

For this game, you'll need a d6 and a tarot deck.

The gameplay is divided into seasons, which each last 13 weeks. For each week, a tarot card is pulled from the deck for an event-based writing prompt. I will also be playing with the optional roll to roll a d6 to determine the outcome of the event (1-3: bad outcome, 4-6: good outcome). At the middle or end of the season, your necromancer can decide if they want to move villages or continue their practice where they are. Gameplay ends when you have gone through all 4 seasons, after which you move to the ending questions and decide whether or not your residency was a success.

Character Creation

Now it's time to build out our necromancer using some guiding prompts:

Name - Cordyceps, but he goes by Cordy

Pronouns - he/him

Appearance - he's just a little mushroom guy! Think of a mini-myconid from D&D or a mushroom veggieling if you're familiar with the Dragon Stew 5e supplement by Antonio Demico.

Clothing - Unlike what you would expect from a typical necromancer, Cordy likes to dress in warm colors like oranges, reds, and yellows.

Why a necromancer? - Being a necromancer runs in Cordy's mycelium. His family has always had an affinity for reanimating the dead, so Cordy is pursuing a family tradition.

What are your code of ethics? - Cordy does no harm to living creatures. He's a good boy who tries his best to help others.

What are your favorite necromantic spells? - Cordy loves to reanimate corpses with his own lil shroomy twist. You can tell which bodies he has revived based on the mushrooms sprouting on them.

World/Village/Residence Creation

Now time to flesh out our world! For the setting, I've chosen high fantasy.

After rolling a d6 to determine what kind of village we start out in, I got The Grasslands, where funeral pyres are common.

Now to answer some more prompts to define our residence within village. The prompts are kinda long, so I'll just bullet point my responses to the questions:

Cordy resides within the local cemetery, which is mostly made up of the graves of poor farmers.

Instead of having a traditional home, he likes to burrow into the soil to create a living space under the dirt (think of Rabbit's hole from Winnie the Pooh). He has spaced it a respectful distance away from the graves.

Cordy keeps a little garden of herbs and produce to share with the locals.

Meadowfield is your standard farming village. The houses are sparse among the rolling fields of crops, minus a small town center where your farmer's market takes place.

There is a dilapidated church not far from the cemetery that most of the villagers religiously attend.

Meadowfield is informally governed by a council of the farmers with the most land. The council is facilitated by the local priest, Rhys.

The villagers of Meadowfield, being a very religious and superstitious sort, are initially apprehensive towards Cordy's arrival.

The first person Cordy meets is Burke, and older gentleman who comes to the cemetary often to pay respects to his deceased wife, Mabel.

Season #1: Spring

More opening questions to start off the first season! The questions are once again a little too long to write them down word for word, but my responses will give you a general idea of the prompts:

Meadowfield has begun planting its spring crops, particularly potatoes, parsnips, green beans, cauliflower, and kale.

Meadowfield is made up of hardworking, dilligent people. Unfortunately this means they give themselves little time to celebrate the season of rebirth and renewal.

They're also so busy tending to their crops that they hardly ever take time to honor their dead. Most often, the deceased are cremated and their ashes are spread over the crops in hopes that they'll nuture the soil. You do, however, have some people that insist that their loved ones are buried in a traditional manner (much like Burke).

Cordy plans to show the people of Meadowfield that instead of working themselves to death while allowing themselves no pleasures, they should celebrate life while they still draw breath.

As far as the literal seeds he is planting, he is currently nurturing some strawberry and rhubarb plants for potential jams and pies.

Cordy is naive and stubborn enough to believe that he doesn't have to sacrifice anything in pursuit of his goals.

Now we can dive into the events for Spring! Let's hope we get some successful rolls!

Spring #1:

Event - A man cursed with immortality seeks your aid.

Dice result - 1 (fail)

---------------------

While there was no door to Cordy's residence, he could feel large footsteps rumbling through the ground. He emerged from the ground to find a large, ancient tree person hovering above his home.

The arboreal creature entreated the small fungal necromancer for his aid. They had traveled from a faraway forest because they had heard rumors that there was a practitioner of death in Meadowfield. Their request perhaps went outside of the parameters of Cordy's usual practice: they had lived for far too long and wished to pass on and create a fertile environment for their little seedlings to grow.

Cordy was conflicted. While he had promised to never trifle with the living, the tree person's begging tugged on his heartstrings. The mushroom boy wanted nothing more than to help a troubled soul in need, so he agreed to lend a hand.

Cordy was initially stumped as how to carry out this plan, but then an idea popped into his head. While his spores normally reanimated the dead, why couldn't they also fulfill the mushroom's natural purpose to decompose?

Cordy drew from the power of the mycelium to channel his spell spores. With a puff, they drifted over towards the tree creature. Cordy's chest puffed up with pride as he watched the mushrooms began to sprout from the bark as the tree person let out a contented sigh. But suddenly, the sigh turned into an agonized yell.

"It burns," the wooden creature cried, attempting to peel their own bark off of themself.

Before Cordy could reverse the spell, it was already too late. His spores had turned into a painful infestation, spreading rapidly. There was nothing the fledgling necromancer could do.

The tree person contorted into a painful, angular position and let out once last pained moan, their face forever frozen in a grimace. Their body had rotted from the inside out. They would never be able to properly provide for their sprouts now.

Cordy's first instinct was to dispose of the body within flames. But he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, the poor creature's dark, twisted frame would hang over the entrance to Cordy's abode for days to come, reminding the necromancer of his failure and his re-commitment to his code of ethics.

Spring #2:

Event - You hear an unsettling rumor in the village. What is it? Who is involved? Is the rumor true?

Dice result - 6 (pass)

-----------------------

One day, as Cordy was walking around the farmer's market to grab supplies, he heard two spinsters gossiping loudly as he walked by.

"Well I heard that Silas is intending to buy out the graveyard to expand his farm"

"Oh heavens, what are they going to do with all of those bodies?"

"Dig them up, I suppose. Probably light the pyres, you know."

"Oh poor Burke, he'll be so heartbroken..."

As the two woman chattered on, Cordy felt his mycelium grow cold. There was no way that could be. Where would he live and practice? Worse, how would his friend Burke be able to visit Mabel if she was no longer resting there? He had to get to the bottom of this rumor to see if it was true.

It was easy to find Silas' farm, as it was the most expansive in Meadowfield. Cordy hurriedly made his way to the farmer's homestead and knocked on his door. As Silas came out to greet him, the little mushroom lad began to barrage him with questions and pleas to not tear the graveyard down. With a chuckle and a sympathetic smile, Silas assuaged the necromancer's fears.

"I can see why you're worried, but not to worry, kiddo. I would never disrespect those folks like that. Your cemetery is safe. Ya know, I'm actually thinkin' of buyin' a plot over yonder by..."

As Silas began to ramble about his plans to increase his fields, Cordy breathed an internal sigh of relief. That would be the last time he believed such wild gossip.

Spring #3:

Event - A day of stillness, quiet, and self care. Do you gain a new perspective?

Dice result - 5 (pass)

------------------------

Business was virtually nonexistent for the recent necromancer graduate. The villagers were still wary of Cordy and his "dark arts." It gave Cordy lots of time to tidy up his home and tend to his crops.

Eventually, he started running out of things to do. He had to find alternate ways to keep himself entertained. Sometimes, he would go through the cemetery and read the headstones, imagining what the lives of the deceased buried beneath must've been like. Sometimes, he would go into town just to people watch. Eventually, even these activities began to grow stale.

It was another slow day in the graveyard when Cordy decided to do something he had never done before: settle somewhere quiet and practice meditating. He sat under a nearby shady tree and closed his eyes, feeling the spring breeze rustle his mushroom caps. He tried to empty his mind of all thoughts, but he couldn't help but drift back to thinking about the denizens of Meadowfield.

He had spent so much time these past three weeks trying to advertise his services to the people of the village, but all he had been met with was polite declines or outright disdain. He had hit a wall. How could he ever win over the hearts of the people of Meadowfield?

A revelation came to him: he couldn't brute force his way into swaying the hearts and minds of the villagers. He would have to slowly ingratiate himself into their community. He had to meet them at their level. Perhaps he could win them over by sharing his crops and the fare he could create from them? He could set up at the farmers market and converse with the local farmers. If they were less afraid of him, maybe they would be more likely to come to him in the future.

He would have to sacrifice his time and patience, yes. This would be the things he allowed to die to serve as compost for his plans. From this, he hoped something beautiful would grow.

Spring #4:

Event - Another Necromancer shows up in town and questions your skills

Dice result - 3 (fail)

---------------------

As Cordy was tending to his patch of crops, he was alerted by the appearance of arcane runes appearing on the ground nearby. He watched as a fiery portal opened up and a familiar figure emerged. It was Nespira, a red-skinned tiefling who also practiced the necromantic arts. Like Cordy, she was a recent graduate--top of the class, actually. What she was doing here, Cordy had no idea. It wasn't like they were particularly close.

"Ah, I had heard that their was another Atropos student who had set up a practice here," she said, her eyes sweeping the graveyard with a disdainful expression, "Meadowfield, huh? Hm. Certainly a choice."

As for Nespira, she explained that she had set up shop in Metropolia. The name was familiar to Cordy. He had never been, but he had heard it was the largest city in the land. According to Nespira, business had been booming for her.

"And what about you, Cordyceps? How many customers have you had so far?"

Cordy sheepishly held up a single finger, causing the tiefling necromancer to let out a haughty laugh.

"Oh that's a shame" Nespira said, feigning pity, "but I suppose it can't be helped. "

Her gaze then landed on the gnarled tree body that stood watch over Cordy's residence. She took a moment to study it before recognition spread across her face.

"So this must've been your only customer. A pity. Seems like you couldn't get the decomposition right. And such a simple spell too."

Nespira extended a single finger, necrotic energy swirling around it. Before Cordy could protest, a beam shot from her index finger. As it hit her target, the deceased tree creature slowly began to melt into a pile of black ichor. The mushroom boy's heart sank.

Nespira then chanted under her breath before another doorway of flames opened up before her. As she partially stepped through the portal, she turned and looked back at Cordy.

"Cheer up, Cordyceps. You can always try your residency again next year...if they don't call you back to the university, of course. You could certainly use the practice."

With a wink, the transportation spell closed behind her. All of the tears Cordy had been holding back began to spill onto his face. He would prove Nespira wrong. He had to.

Spring #5:

Event - You are visited by a village official. Is everything alright?

Dice result - 3 (fail)

----------------------

Cordy was in the process of backing a strawberry rhubarb pie to bring to the farmer's market when he felt a foot tapping gently near the opening to his home. Cordy tunneled up through the tunnel to find Rhys, the local priest of the old church.

"Hiya, Rhys!" Cordy said with a bow. "What can I do for ya? I got a pie in the oven if you wanna stay around for tea."

The clergyman's solemn expression did not shift. He bowed his head gently, his eyes looking at the ground rather than making contact with the mushroom lad's.

"Thank you for the kind gesture. However, I'm afraid I must decline. I am here strictly on business. The news is...not pleasant. I will keep it brief."

"The people of Meadowfield feel...uncomfortable with the presence of a necromancer in our community," Rhys continued. "The farmers put it to a vote and...well...I'm afraid I must ask you to leave our village."

Cordy felt like he had been hit in the chest with a ton of bricks. He tried to keep his composure, but he could feel his bottom lip quivering while holding back tears.

"I'm sorry for the short notice, but the villagers requested that you leave by tomorrow morning. If you will excuse me, I will give you time to gather up your belongings. Good luck on your journey, Cordy."

The priest departed, leaving Cordy alone. Cordy descended into his abode, sniffling as he began to pack up his things. As he was almost ready to depart, a timer dinged. His pie was ready. Cordy released the fire magic that was baking his dessert while he slowly removed it from its resting place, looking down at the lattice pattern he had placed on the crust with care.

Carefully, he wrapped up the baked good. Afterwards, he jotted a quick note. He emerged from his dirt hole and walked over to Mabel's headstone, setting the items down. He wanted to leave a gift and explanation for his departure to first and only friend in this town, Burke. He knew he would be by tomorrow to bring flowers to her grave, right on schedule.

With the last of his things packed, Cordy slung his bag over his shoulders and began walking down the dirt path. It was time to start over once again.

Village/Residence Creation #2

Because Cordy has been kicked out of Meadowfield after his unsuccessful tenure there, it's time to roll up and build out a new village. Here are the main points:

The village of Neverglades resides within a swamp, complete with bog mummies.

There is no official graveyard in Neverglades. The dead are given something akin to a Viking funeral: wrapped bodies are floated on a small boat and are torched by fire magic.

Instead, Cordy lives in a house on chicken feet stilts, much like the other denizens of Neverglades. The huts can travel across the murky marsh with ease, meaning neighbors can go directly to each other without ever touching the ground below.

Cordy's home is small and sparse, but he has a hammock he can hang from the tree branches so he can relax and enjoy some quiet time in the humid outdoors.

This place is more up Cordy's alley than Meadowfield. The villagers all have a quirky vibe that the budding necromancer can relate to. They are also not fearful of the dark arts.

The shops of Neverglades are run out usually more stationary huts by their residents. They are not in a centralized location, so one has to remember where each shop is and travel to them separately.

There is no unified body of worship. The denizens of Neverglades are more spiritual, preferring to commune with nature.

The village is ruled by an ancient hag known only as "The Mother"

Neverglades celebrates Cordy's arrival, as their last necromancer recently passed on.

The first person Cordy meets is actually The Mother, as she was the one to give him her blessing to move into the community.

Season #2: Summer

Opening questions answered to start the second season:

The citizens of Neverglades deal with the hot weather by taking frequent plunges into the water. It's not the most sanitary or safe, but it's the only way to beat the heat.

Neverglades hosts a huge celebration for the summer solstice.

Cordy is working hard this summer. Haunted by the failures of spring, he wants to prove that he has a place in his new community.

The cards for last season have been shuffled back into the deck. Let's see how summer plays out!

Summer #1:

Event - A villager hires you to reanimate their dying business

Dice result - 5 (pass)

----------------------

Cordy was unpacking the last of his belongings when he heard the creaking of another hut sidling up next to his. He scurried over to his front porch to spy a wild-haired, heavily pierced girl waving him down. She introduced herself as Chana and began to bemoan her plight.

She was the oldest creator and salesman of shrunken heads in Neverglades. What was perhaps an odd and even terrifying practice outside of the bog was commonplace here. As such, competition had begun to pop up, diluting the market. Chana expressed that if things didn't turn around soon for her, she would have to close up shop. She pleaded with the necromancer to help her get a leg up on her competitors any way he could.

Cordy pondered on how to help the girl. After all, he didn't possess any business acumen. But then, a quite literal idea popped into his head: why not reanimate a dying business by...well...reanimating the dead?

Cordy dug deep into his mycelium to create spell spores to overtake one of the shrunken heads. As mushrooms began to sprout through the eye sockets, the head gasped and cried out in a comically squeaky and indignant voice,

"Heya bud, what's the big idea?!"

Chana laughed long and hard. She asked if Cordy to create more of these, to which the necromancer agreed. Once he finished his task, Chana was beaming.

"Business is gonna be BOOMING after this! Thanks mister! I owe ya one!"

As she lept across the gap from Cordy's residence to her own, she waved heartily as her hut began to dislodge from the mire and trod away.

"If ya ever need anything, ya can rely on Chana! Ya hear that? Chana's got your back!"

At last, Cordy had successfully serviced his first customer.

Summer #2:

Event - You are woken by the sound of someone digging their own grave

Dice result - 3 (fail)

----------------------

It was shortly before sunrise before Cordy slowly awoke to a strange sound: the wet sloshing and slopping of mud. He sleepily stumbled out to his front porch to investigate the source.

Down in the swamp below, there was a giant, humanoid creature made of mud. They were digging through the water, tossing muck and mire behind them. Cordy hailed the mud mound.

"Lookin' for somethin'?" the tiny necromancer called down below, "How can I help ya?"

The creature of slop shook their head, pointing to the hole that was slowly filling in with mud once more.

"It is my time. I feel the earth calling me back. Please, leave me to my work."

"But wait!" Cordy cried out. "I can help you! Are you sick? Injured? I can help! If you pass on, I can bring you back!"

Once again, the humanoid shook their head, muck sloughing off the side of them as they did so.

"I have no need for your magics.," they rumbled. The earth....she beckons me. To her I must return. I beg of you, leave me to my duty."

Cordy began to stammer out protest, but the creature ignored it. Once they had cleared away a sizeable portion of the bottom of the bog, their body began to relax. They slowly began melting into the bog.

"Goodbye....goodbye....I am going home."

That day, Cordy sat in solitude for a long time, attempting to process what had occurred in front of him. He left with this lesson: no matter how tragic, the wishes of the living in regards to their demise were something to be respected and honored.

Summer #3:

Event - A young couple of star-crossed lovers want to fake their deaths to escape their families.

Dice result - 5 (pass)

-----------------------

It was the dead of night when Cordy was awoken by the sound of someone calling out for him. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he stumbled towards the front porch to see what the fuss was about. The voice cried out once more, causing Cordy to turn his attention below. There he spotted a boat with a young man and woman inside, waving him down.

The couple introduced themselves as Julius and Ramona. They explained their plight: Julius was a noble and Ramona was a commoner from a kingdom not too far from Neverglades. After being told they could never be together, the lovers escaped and hatched a plan. They beseeched the necromancer for his aid: help them fake their deaths so they could slip away into anonymity. They left an obvious trail to the swamp so the search party would be able to find their decoys. Because of this, they didn't have much time and needed urgent assistance.

Cordy immediately got to work. He reached forth, calling forth mycelium to rapidly grow and expand into two roughly humanoid shapes. The gnarled forms looked almost like decayed corpses. Cordy explained that they should leave their top layer of clothing and possessions behind to aid the illusion before allowing the boat to float away. He offered to take them to the edge of the swamp via his movable home so they could make their escape. The couple gladly agreed, carrying out the next steps of the plan. Once the reached the clearing, they hurriedly thanked the necromancer before hopping off and running off into the distance hand-in hand.

Summer #4:

Event - You receive a bad omen. What form does it take? What do you think it’s warning you about? Does it come true?

Dice result - 5 (pass)

------------------------

The omen was so subtle at first that Cordy didn't notice it. While his chicken-footed home trekked its way through the bog one day, Cordy spied a large tree taken with rot. Although the main body of the plant was no longer alive, green baby branches still dotted the large branches. The mushroom lad thought nothing of it.

The second omen was more obvious. While laying in his hammock tied to the treetops the next day, he spotted a deceased bird, still shielding her eggs even in death. Feeling pity for the poor babies, the necromancer used his magic to revive the mother.

Bad luck comes in threes, and this was no exception. The day after, Cordy was sweeping his porch when he spotted a gruesome sight: a mother gator floating belly up in the water with her babies feasting upon her flesh. This time, Cordy couldn't bring himself to use his necromancy upon the corpse--they were already too far gone.

The puzzle pieces clicked together in Cordy's brain. All of these dead creatures had one thing in common: they were providers. Mothers.

The Mother.

She must be in danger.

Cordy quickly rushed through the mire to make it to The Mother's hut. When he arrived, he found her on her bed. She looked so sickly and frail--she was definitely nearing the end. Neverglades could not survive without her. Cordy had to act fast. He had no time to grab a medic.

The mushroom boy conjured up some healing spores and sprinkled them all over the dying leader. With a gasp, her eyes shot open. She slowly raised herself from the bed.

"My child," The Mother croaked, "You have done us a great service this day. We thank you. Neverglades thanks you."

Summer #5:

Event - A sleeping sickness strikes the village. Those suffering look like they have died but recover in a few days…if they haven’t been buried or cremated already.

Dice result - 1 (fail)

---------------------

Cordy was riding the high of last week's miracle. He was hailed a hero throughout the village and a celebration was held in his honor. He was so caught up in it all that the next tragedy flew under his radar.

It was only one or two people at first--a gentle snooze into a deep slumber, a deep slumber into nothing at all. Then it spread. Rapidly. Half of Neverglades was overtaken with what appeared a sleeping death. Chana, the shrunken head saleswoman who Cordy had become pals with, had been afflicted as well. The village made the difficult decision to dispose of the bodies before the plague spread to the remaining members.

Cordy pleaded with The Mother to try to let him perform his magic. He would be able to save these people. However, the hag could not be swayed.

"This is the only way to protect those we have left, my child."

Bodies were quickly being wrapped, placed on boats, and being prepared for the symbolic burnings. As people were distracted, Cordy nervously scuttled around to try and find Chana. If he could save her, perhaps the village would believe him.

His search took him some time, but at last, he was able to unwrap and find Chana. As he was preparing to perform a resurrection ritual, he heard her let out a yawn. Her eyes slowly blinked open, and she looked up at him with a confused expression.

"Oh hey little buddy, whatcha doin' here?"

Cordy's mycelium ran cold. These weren't deaths. These were victims of a sleeping sickness. A curable disease.

As Cordy ran to report his findings, he discovered that he was too late to save some of the villagers. Bodies were already being burned. Even though he acted as fast as he could, it wasn't enough.

Upon learning the truth, the denizens of Neverglades began working on reviving the remaining victims. Children were reunited with parents. Lovers reunited with lovers. However, what should've been a joyous occasion was solemn and morose. The smoke hung heavy in the air.

Summer #6:

Event - You find roadkill/dead animal that is fresh enough to reanimate.

Dice result - 5 (pass)

------------------------

It was a quiet week. No one came by Cordy's residence, nor did Cordy reach out to anyone. He and Neverglades were still reeling from the recent losses.

The only thing Cordy did that week was revive a small animal that he found. It was basic necromantic practice--the very first thing he learned to do at the university. It wasn't much, but it was enough to remind him of her purpose. He was a necromancer. He could save lives.

Summer #7:

Event - You see or are informed that there is a ghost nearby. It's the specter of a highwayman. Do you investigate?

Dice result - 3 (fail)

-----------------------

"Hey Corrrrrdy!"

The small mushroom boy heard a familiar cry outside of his hut. Across the way, he spied Chana, waving him down wildly. It was in the middle of the night--what could she possibly want at this hour?

"I saw a ghoooooost! You wanna come check it out?"

Normally, Cordy would excitedly agree to the proposition. He loved a good old-fashioned spooky adventure. However, he was still haunted by all of the deaths from two weeks ago. Ghosts only served to remind him of his failures.

It broke his heart to see Chana so crestfallen after he turned down his plans. As her home trudged away, Cordy crawled back into bed. Sleep did not come easily to him that night.

Summer #8:

Event - A messenger on a skeleton horse brings you a small package.

Dice result - 6 (pass)

-----------------------

A loud, mournful neigh was not what Cordy expected to hear in the middle of the swamp. It was accompanied by the sound of a splashing gallop. Cordy had to check out the ruckus.

Outside of his abode, he saw a skeletal horse pull up to a stop right next to his home.

"Delivery!" the messenger called out.

Cordy lowered the ladder for the deliveryman. After climbing up and handing off the package, the courier saddled back up and rode off.

Cordy recognized the handwriting on the outside of the package--his mother's. He excitedly tore into the mail. Inside was a heartwarming note congratulating him on being almost halfway through his residency. His family was so proud of him and couldn't wait for him to return to visit soon. Also attached was a bag of Cordy's favorite mushroom tea.

As he brewed and drank in the earthy, umami flavor of the tea, nostalgia rushed over him. It was nice to hear from family and be reminded of home. He hoped that he could continue to make them proud.

Summer #9:

Event - You catch kids sneaking around at night

Dice result - 2 (fail)

----------------------

Night had fallen, and Cordy was preparing for bed. Just as he was about to tuck in, he swore he heard the faintest hint of giggling. He grabbed a lantern and went outside to investigate the noise.

He scanned the horizon and couldn't find anything. But then, giggling once more. He peered down before and found what appeared to be three small figures playing in between the chicken legs of his residence.

Cordy excitedly waved down to them and asked them if they would like some tea. Startled, the children looked up at him with large eyes. They began screaming and running away.

Their fear was a painful reminder of what it was like living in Meadowfield.

Summer #10:

Event - There’s trouble in the village due to a misunderstanding. Do you get involved?

Dice result - 2 (fail)

----------------------

Despite calling Neverglades his home, Cordy lived on the outskirts of the tiny town. As such, gossip hardly ever made it to his doorstep. But this time, he heard the news of unrest in the village. From what he could gather, a disagreement had broken out between The Mother and another member of the village.

Although Cordy was normally the type to poke his nose into business that wasn't his, he did not feel his usual drive to help. He was still thinking about the burning bodies. The fearful children. How could he show his face in the village right now? Instead, he decided to continue to huddle up in his home. He would wait for all of this to blow over.

Summer #11:

Event - You find buried treasure. Is it the usual of gold or something more unusual?

Dice Result - 3 (fail)

-----------------------

Cordy was foraging for cattails in the swamp--he had heard from one of the locals that the roots were particularly delicious this time of year. He was trudging through the muck when he felt his toe stub against something hard. After muttering some curses under his breath, Cordy began to dig through the mud to figure out what it was.

His eyes sparkled with delight as he pulled out what appeared to be a chest. Buried treasure! What secrets were hidden inside?

Cordy pried open the treasure chest and peeked inside. Nothing a couple of silvers and coppers. Boring. Cordy returned the chest to where it belonged and continued about his business.

Summer #12:

Event - You discover a berry hedge near your residence. Are they edible or poisonous? How do you know?

Dice result - 2 (fail)

---------------------

After collecting and cooking up cattails successfully, Cordy had developed a newfound appreciation for the art of foraging. He wanted to continue pursuing this new hobby. Besides, it gave him the excuse to stay out of the village. His guilt still prevented him from stepping foot there.

While exploring, Cordy discovered a berry bush near the edge of the swamp. The small mushroom's mouth watered at the thought of biting into one of the delicious, juicy fruits. Cordy happily plucked a few berries from the shrub. As he returned home, he thought of all the ways he could utilize them in his cooking before just deciding on eating them raw. Along his walk, he popped a couple into his mouth.

However, once he returned to his home, he felt his stomach churn. He began to feel lightheaded. Uh-oh. Perhaps he should've investigated the berries further before eating them. It seemed as though he had unwittingly poisoned himself.

Luckily, he could conjure up a few healing spores to cure his ailment, but he still spent the rest of the day sulking in bed.

Summer #13:

Event - You are challenged to a game of chance. Do you make a wager? Use your D6 to see how you do in three rounds.

Dice result - 1 (fail)

---------------------

As the end of the summer season drew near, Cordy pondered what his next move would be. He was officially halfway through his residency. Was Neverglades where he wanted to plant his roots? He felt his heart twinge. He didn't want to leave--this place had been so accepting towards him, and he felt like he did some good work here. However, he was still shaken by the sleeping sickness incident. Cordy was conflicted.

As he was wrestling with his thoughts, he once again heard the familar, chipper voice of Chana hailing him. Stepping out onto his porch, he found her and another individual who he hadn't met before.

Chana introduced the mysterious figure as Jack. According to her, Jack was an expert card player, so she figured they could all get together to play a game or two.

Although Cordy didn't want to participate, he felt bad for blowing Chana off for the past few weeks. Therefore, he agreed to play.

"So whatcha betting?" Jack asked with a sly smile.

Cordy was a little taken aback. He didn't realize they were playing with wagers.

"Oh...uh...I'll just play for fun," he offered with an embarrassed smile.

But in his mind, he decided to make a bet with himself: win this hand, and he'll stay in the Neverglades. Overcome the guilt he had been wrestling with and stay with his friends. Lose, and he'll pack up and start over. It was all or nothing.

As he pushed all of his makeshift tokens into the pot, Cordy bit his lip nervously. It all came down to this.

The card was flipped and revealed: total bust. Round lost.

Although Cordy was wracked with sadness at his lost, he knew the fates had spoken.

It was time for his tenure in the Neverglades to come to a close.

Village/Residence Creation #3

Although I'm heartbroken that Cordy will no longer continue living in the Neverglades, I feel like with the way the dice rolled this season, it makes sense for the story. So that means it's time to hit the drawing board and create another village. Here are the highlights of our new place of residence:

Sirensong is a stormy seaside town on a rocky cove, where water burials are common.

Cordy lives in an cave right on the shore, rumored to be a former thieves' hideout. Although it is not a graveyard, it is littered with bones from creatures and people alike.

The furnishments are minimal. No garden like he had in Meadowfield. No wraparound porch like he had in Neverglades.

Sirensong has a somber air about it. The mood of the villagers matches the dour weather and surroundings.

The buildings in Siresong are made from driftwood from ships that have crashed along its shores.

Because it is a port town, there is an open air bazaar with many traders selling wares from across the ocean. It is the most lively aspect of the town.

There is a temple on the highest point of the village overlooking the sea. Religion is not a joyous custom in Sirensong. The denizens worship the sea fearfully, appeasing it with gifts and sacrifices.

The mayor of the village is Robert Morrow, a stern retired sailor. Villagers whisper that he lost his whole crew at sea, turning him into the solemn man he is today.

The citizens are apathetic towards Cordy's arrival. Like the tide, visitors come and go, never staying for long. They are not optimistic that he will remain.

The first person Cordy meets is Marcus, one of the market vendors who tries to maintain an upbeat attitude in the overwhelmingly morose atmosphere of Sirensong.

Season #3: Fall

Here are the opening questions answered for this season:

The sea offers little in return this season. The villagers have no harvest to celebrate.

In an effort to quell the ocean's displeasure, the people of Sirensong give up what little possessions they have to the waves. Even the dead are offered up, with the people hoping that providing the wildlife nourishment will increase nature's bounty.

Much like Sirensong, Cordy's harvest is nonexistent. He has sacrificed a place he loved and called home to move to this gloomy town.

Time to reshuffle and start the events for this season!

Fall #1:

Event - You are offered a new path in life by a strange hooded figure. Do you take them up on it?

Dice result - 4 (success)

--------------------------

Cordy had not expected to receive any visitors yet. He had yet to advertise his services, as he was still in the process of unpacking and setting up shop. However, a visitor came to him unannounced. Cordy only spotted them out of the periphery of his vision. Their footsteps made no sound and they said nothing to reveal their presence. Cordy was also silent in response, eying the nondescript person up and down. Who was this? What did they want with him?

The cloaked figure extended a bony hand and called out in a raspy voice.

"Young necromancer, I offer you a new path. The true path. Give up your foolish magicks. Offer yourself to the sea. She will reward you generously in her depths. Come, take my hand. I will show you the way to enlightment."

But Cordy stood his ground and shook his head. He knew his purpose in life, and it was not sacrifice himself to the waves. He still had so much to give this village--to show them the joy of life.

Although he could not read the visitor's face, Cordy felt their aura darken. The hand retracted coldly.

"Very well...you will see the truth soon enough."

Cordy blinked and the figure vanished. A chill ran down the necromancer's spine. A foreboding welcome to Sirensong--hopefully this would not set the tone for his time here.

Fall #2:

Event - You have a dream of the location of a magical artifact. What is it? Where is it? Do you retrieve it?

Result - 1 (fail)

-----------------

As sleep took Cordy this evening, he received a dream. More accurately, a vision. Swirling out of the fog of his mind was the image of an amulet with a glowing, azure-tinted jewel. The vision flashed again and he saw a grotto containing piles upon piles of abandoned treasure, the necklace laying in its midst.

He felt himself awake, although not entirely. He felt himself rise from bed as he felt a tug towards the back of the cavern. His mind was no longer control of his body--he was sleepwalking.

He lurched along, entering unexplored reaches of his cavernous home. After walking what felt like hours through the labyrinthine passages, he arrived at the destination he saw in his dream. Although there was mountains of untold riches--enough for Cordy to live comfortably for the rest of the days--he ignored them entirely. His purpose was singular: find the amulet. He kneeled at the pile of treasure and began to dig methodically through the gold and trinkets until the necklace was in his clutches.

Another compulsion overtook him: he must place the necklace around his neck. As he did so, he pulled the jeweled centerpiece close to his ear. His mind was filled again--this time with quiet, muffled singing.

Oh, how the song was so beautiful--but oh so distant. Too distant. The enthralled mushroom boy simply had to get closer.

He began to make his way back from whence he came--that's where the enchanting tune seemed to be coming from. As he did so, the melody began to gradually grow louder. He exited the mouth of the cave, and the singing swelled into a crescendo. But still, it was not enough. He needed to be even nearer. And there was only one way to do so: go into the sea.

And so, he walked. The waves lapped around his ankles. Then, his knees were submerged. He continued, the water now coming up to his waist. Although logic pleaded with him to turn back, the cries were drowned out by the enrapturing melody. The saltwater now came up his chin. Forward. Forward. He must press forward. Finally, the top of his head descended into the deep.

The night passes silently. Dawn approaches, but Cordy does not emerge. The poor boy had succumbed to the Jewel of the Siren's Song.

The tide comes and goes in Sirensong, and life continues on.

Ending

While we haven't reached the end of the seasons, I feel like I should cut the game here. Although I am sad for Cordy's misfortune--the dice and cards seemed to be working against him the whole game--it feels narratively appropriately for his story to end here. However, endings are only temporary for necromancers, right?

The game does have some wrap-up questions, however, I am opting to skip them for this conclusion. Curious about what they are? Looks like you'll have to check out the game for yourself ;)

Final Thoughts

I was worried that this game would have been too similar to my experience playing Village Witch, however, the flavor was unique enough to separate the two games. I'm glad I opted to use the dice roll rule--it really helped me shape how I answered each prompt. Next time I play, I'll try not to be so morbid and make it through all of the seasons (because yes, I'll definitely want to play this game again).

I know this is a long one, but thanks for reading! I hope to be back soon with another solo game to explore.

[daxieoclock]

Been lurking around your persona stuff for a while, can you tell about your hunters campaign personas and how much player input you had into them. Also Greek myth plus lovecraftian horror is fucking epic.

IT WOULD BE MY GENUINE PLEASURE ANON G-DBLESS

(Most of the art you'll see in this post was done by Nyanko, who also plays Sammy.)

"The Hunters" is a Persona tabletop campaign I've been running with my friends and partners for the last three years(!) over Discord, using a homebrew tabletop system to emulate both battles and social links. Since it's a text-based campaign, the result often approaches pretty careful collaborative storytelling.

The main hook of the campaign is a group of rabblerousing college students taking on part time work for a shady secretive organization called the Daedalus Collective, whose stated goal is protecting the world from the threat posed by Shadows. These students (and various NPCs) take on the mantle of "Hunters," traveling into a mirror world known as Fractals, where Shadows roam free, along with their eldritch monarch-deities, the monstrous Behemoths. The Hunters' mission: to locate and slay Behemoths within their twisted kingdoms.

As the Dungeon Master ("Keeper of Power" i suppose), I worked with everyone individually but their characters (including Personas) was ultimately their decision. But as for a cast list...

Blake Leto (@lilyhoshikawa) They/them Justice Arcana Persona: Artemis

Arrested at a young age, pinned for the crime of murdering a police officer and subsequently abandoned by their only living family, Blake Leto took advantage of the public fascination with their case to adopt a public facing mask pulling directly from tabloid headlines: the "Murder Prince." Intelligent, well-read and charming, a victim of circumstance with a good sense of humor about being falsely imprisoned and absolutely no resentment towards the officers who beat and abused him. It is only through this mask that Blake claws their way into a good enough reputation to be granted parole, attending Belknap College while secretly searching themselves for the real killer who they took the fall for.

(Edit by Jane)

In Fractals, Blake's spite pokes through the cracks of their mask. Clad in the armor of a paladin, channeling Artemis through their once-lost childhood journal, with the brand of a bow on their wrist. While they act as team leader and navigator, using their natural smarts and Artemis's support focus to guide the Hunters, bloodlust has started to mar their actions. A perfectly good bow is worth firing, isn't it?

Ilse Belanger (@triskaidekaphilist) They/them Fortune Arcana Persona: Clotho

Ilse wasn't meant to be Ilse. But they are. The closeted-trans child of strict and religious parents, Ilse had all but let go of control over their life. They were a good kid, a Belanger, a product of faith and privilege. They were a good kid. They were. And then there was Stephen. Their first close friend, with whom they shared their innermost self, their name and their passions and their love of fantasy. For years, the two were inseparable. And then they were separated. Even as an adult, Ilse struggles with feeling in control of their life, their narrative. Their fate does not feel like their own. But it is. Twicefold, now that they finally found him again...

In Fractals, Ilse is a supportive spellcaster with a scissor brand on their collar, pulling from Clotho's magic to cast powerful nuclear bolts. While a heavier hitter of the gang, Ilse leans towards sticking back and debilitating, following Blake's direction and helping where they can. When the occasion demands it, they will lean on Clotho's power as a weaver to rewrite fate and bend circumstance, a powerful and often-used trump card.

Lena Tarr (@mcpuliotjr, above and below art drawn by him) She/her (for now) Chariot Arcana Persona: Goliath

A baby butch with a reputation for lashing out at authority figures, Lena wears her heart on her sleeve. After spending years of her life in painful and often demoralizing surgery recovery and physical therapy for an ankle injury that never properly healed, she habitually externalizes her daily pain as open hostility, amplified by years of overbearing family making her bottle up her feelings. Over the course of the campaign, she's been hard at work fostering feelings self-worth, channeling most of that frustration into beating up Behemoths and protecting her friends. Most recently, she's taken a huge step towards healing by starting an intimate loving relationship with longtime NPC and newfound Hunter Lucy "Twitch" Blum.

In Fractals, Lena is a physical powerhouse and a tank, clad as an urban skirmisher with a brand of a broken stone on her ankle. She soaks up damage for her allies while dishing out strong physical hits in return, with the occasional burst of powerful flame from Goliath. Despite this power, her most powerful and helpful skill is her overflowing compassion and willingness to put her life on the line chasing kindness. She was the one to suggest the Hunters save a Behemoth they were assigned to kill, and it was she and Blake who were able to get through to Lucy when the girl's Persona (at that point a Shadow) went berserk.

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko) They/them Hermit Arcana Persona: Neko Shogun (perhaps...)

Samael "Sammy" Cabra is an odd duck. They're fixated on their past, forging an outwards persona based on who they were as a middle schooler - friendly, open, creative - as a rejection of their dissociated and depressive high school self. Not to say that their childish joy is an act, far from it, it is genuine and honest. But they aren't a middle schooler anymore. Young adulthood has brought its host of bitterness, especially since their foundational memories of joy involve a friend who vanished abruptly from their life, splintering them somewhat as she left. Sammy is spry and sweet, and Samael is desperate and loyal to a fault. With no one is this splinter more seen than with Prim, a vicious protective specter in Fractals. Sammy has made it their mission to integrate this violent guardian into their life and the lives of the Hunters, at any cost...

In Fractals, wearing a green cat onesie (made by their missing childhood friend Tango), with a cat-face brand on their left shoulder, Sammy is adept at both ice magic and ranged attacks, a mixed damage dealer. In theory. If they ever leaned on Samael. Sammy is hesitant to use their powers, hesitant to push Neko Shogun to his full potential, hesitant to follow in Blake and Prim's violent footsteps. They're extremely powerful but see themselves as a guardian, and their goatish stubborness leads them to fight with a shield, focusing on defense and debilitation despite their damaging skillset.

Camellia Pavel (@shinyvibrava) They/them Star Arcana [Contested] Persona: Hecate [Contested]

The bearer of the curse.

The only Hunter not currently attending Belknap College, Camellia is a chronically unemployed college dropout living in a bare-bones apartment near campus, struggling with debilitating insomnia. One part depression. One part nightmare-avoidance. They have pulled away from the party somewhat over the course of the campaign, and their quiet distance was recently revealed to be due to ongoing offscreen conversations with an eldritch deity called the Dreamer, though it goes by many other names as well. They are now hospital-bound recovering from an overuse of their new powers.

In Fractals, dressed a bit like a fantasy sage, Camellia is a capable supportive healer, balancing between firing off psychic attacks with Hecate and healing/buffing their allies. For a long while, they were the party's foremost ace in the hole, with a limited-use power known as Salvation to protect themselves and others from deadly attacks. More recently, they have been pushing themselves past their expected limits, forging new deals with the Dreamer. At times, though the brand of a key on their right shoulder is still Hecate's anchor, light bursts up from inside their throat, staining their words with great and terrible power. The nature of this strength is still not fully grasped, but it is indeed potent.

There's a LOT more to talk about when it comes to the work I've done on the world and the bonds forged between PCs and NPCs, I'd love to go off for another few thousand words, but I think I'll need to leave that to a masterpost part 2. Look forward to that later today.

To be continued........

[intuitively-her]

What happened to Tiffany Valiante? (psychic reading)

❗️This post is entirely ALLEGED, and for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES only❗️

Overview of case: Tiffany Valiante was an 18-year-old high school senior. She had a love for softball and volleyball; and was going to attend Mercy College on a volleyball scholarship. On the night of July 12, 2015 sometime after she left a graduation party, Tiffany got into an argument with a friend after being accused of stealing their credit card. Shortly after, Tiffany left her home in an unknown vehicle. Her phone was left at the end of the driveway. Later that night, Tiffany’s body was found badly struck by a train. Her death was ruled a suicide. However, the evidence showed otherwise.

Tiffany’s energy: The Sun, 10 of cups, 9 of cups, 9 of pentacles

Based on what I pulled from the cards, Tiffany was a very happy-go-lucky person. She was the type of person that marched to the beat of her own drum. She was like a breath of fresh air. Her life was actually very stable at the time and she had a lot going for herself.

What happened to Tiffany?-The Hierophant rx, The Moon, 7 of swords rx, 6 of wands rx, 8 of wands, 5 of wands, Strength rx, 7 of cups, Queen of swords, 3 of pentacles, Page of wands, 2 of swords, The Tower rx

She was definitely invited out somewhere and lured to her death. I feel like her "friend" pretended that things were okay between them (after the credit card incident) and then just completely blindsided her. This feels like another feminine energy. There were definitely other people there, but I don't think Tiffany knew them personally. I keep getting the feeling that Tiffany and this feminine had undercover animosity in the past, and this situation was like the straw that broke the camels back. It feels one-sided though. Very competitive energy. I feel like this feminine started an argument with Tiffany and eventually got everyone else to join in. I keep getting a vision of someone being backed into a corner by a group of people. This feminine is very bullheaded and doesn't go down w/o a fight. She felt embarrassed and wanted to punish Tiffany to "prove a point". It's possible that humiliation tactics were used on Tiffany to force an apology out of her. With the 2 of swords, I feel like she was stuck between an option regarding the credit card situation. Maybe there was a game being played? Truth or dare? Whatever it was, Tiffany tried to fix it before shit hit the fan. I feel like someone among the group had connections to someone in the criminal justice system that helped cover up what happened and swayed the public's opinion. Definitely a connection to someone with power.

Possible outcome of this case?-Temperance rx, Page of swords, 8 of wands, The Chariot, 10 of wands, Knight of Pentacles, Queen of cups, Strength, Ace of swords, King of swords rx, 5 of wands, The Fool rx, Death rx, 10 of swords, Knight of swords rx

There will be some type of fast communication that will expose a masculine involved in the cover up. Maybe through an anonymous tip or someone will discover a small piece of evidence that was overlooked. This is gonna piss some people off. (I'm feeling like it's law enforcement) I keep getting the feeling that this is a very small piece of info that can answer so many questions. Kinda like the key to a safe. The masculine that will be exposed has a lot of power. This is possibly the same person that's connected to someone in the group. There will be a feminine that will try very hard to keep her case alive. I feel like this is her mother. She's gonna feel like all of her hard work on this case will be to no avail. Her family is almost getting to the point where they feel like giving up. I feel like the police involved in this case gave the family broken promises in the past. The police are being negligent towards this case on purpose. I feel like there could be 2 reasons why. 1. Her death was ruled a suicide so the police just don't care. or 2 there are some officers that are aware of the cover up and corruption and won't come forward out of fear/complacency. Someone is going to have to take initiative! I'm not sure what that means in this, but that's the message I keep getting. The outcome of this case is unpredictable honestly.

*Thank you so much for reading. I really hope this was able to help someone out there. 🙂 Please spread her story if you can.

❗This post is entirely ALLEGED and for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES only❗

[cloobert]

Who Is Clooby

Hi everyone-- I’ve had this account for almost a decade now but now that twitter is slow-motion dying I want to dive back into this site.

And part of that is explaining who I am, now! I’m Clay or Clooby, a writer of fiction, bad joke, and tabletop games. I’ve always loved the Gothic, the grand, and the mythic, and try to harness and repurpose that every chance I get. Other than that, I cook pasta and walk long distances, generally. I’ve yet to decide what specifically will go where, between here and @cloobywrites, but here’s what i do: My two published (ish) works are: Over Sea, Wander Home, a book for Jay Dragon’s Wanderhome about adding a sort of epic maritime dimension to the game’s wandering. Perfect if you want to play a former sea captain, lying (or honest) big-fish storyteller, or a cartographer looking to bound the world in maps.

END THE WORLD, a painful PBTA ashcan about, well, ending the world. It’s run straight through with my feelings about a recent death in my family and the pain of the summer of 2020, so it may never be truly finished, but it’s certainly playable right now.

I’m also working on a lot of current projects: I’m writing Mobile Chariot Aurochs (working title), a mecha novel about vampiric wood Chariots piloted with marionette strings. It's got sex, duels, and my complicated thoughts about Sayla Mass and Haman Karn threaded through it.

Next is another untitled project--this time my expansion for Austin Ramsay's Beam Saber. Real Robot is often about war, yes, but it is so often also about living in the shadow of the greatest war anyone has ever seen. So I'm adding five playbooks, two squad playbooks, and a setting made for emulating things like Zeta Gundam, Iron Blooded Orphans, After War Gundam X, and a whole bunch of others.

Below is the Comet, a playbook about flying in and out of history's great orbits:

And here are some abilities from the Shrike, a pilot burns their mechs hot and fast:

Next, I'm developing the Sparked by Resistance game Last Day Academy-- A game about teaching at the awful school for magic and monsters that you once attended. It's a personal, painful game, but it also lets you play a pyromancer who burns their own futures for the energy to get through grading season.

or a toxic-soul-waste repository who uses the runoff in their soul to work miracles:

Next, is The Lies from Friday Rhapsody's, a game about doing Lupin III style cartoon heists in a weird city with a shattered sky. This one has an all new system based around both playing and cheating at blackjack in genuinely every way to cheat I could imagine. You can also play an invertebrate clown. This one is on a back-er burner solely because it really wants a real  deck of cards to be marked up and altered as the adventures go on.

Finally, I've been writing Death Comes to Little Island, a Chuubo's Marvelous Wish Granting Engine campaign in the mode of things like Stand By Me and Anohana about grief, growing up, and also fistfighting Death on the beach. One of the main characters dropped out of world-killing void god school. They're a hoot.

[aeionastrologyandtarot]

Another Name for Snow: Virgo Snow Full Moon

Tomorrow (February 24rd) begins the last Full Moon of the Winter, Known as a Snow Moon it takes it name from month of the heaviest Snow fall in the year. Also it is a Micromoon. Micromoon or apogee is when the moon is furthest from the earth. For astrological purpose it doesn't dimish the power of the moon though it may minimalize some aspects of the moon , both positive and negative.

The Moon, as a planet in astrology, is concerned with needs such as food, shelter, nurturing, security and emotional support. It also governs psychic abilities, intuition and feelings. It is the primary or first emotional energy of the zodiac or the cardinal Water sign. Virgo, are the organizers of the zodiac. Through analysis and observation, they can determine how to improve how a system works and make it better. Practical, hardworking, and supportive. They can also be hypercritical, insincere and preoccupied.

The Moon, in astrology, is concerned with needs such matters as food, security, and emotional support. For the Virgo Full Moon, analyzing what nurtures you, your feelings and what makes you feel more secure will play an important part. Finding emotional security will rate high at this time, as the moon heightens such sensitivities.

Full Moons are times for completions, bringing projects and endeavors to their conclusions, or redirecting existing energies to new efforts and enterprises. Given that this is a Virgo Full Moon, it is also one the more stable Full Moons, the Virgo aspect making a it a good time to evaluate how your needs are met and what can be done to make things better. This Full Moon is a particularly good for painstaking activities in your life and to address issues related to your quality of life and health. This is may be a good time for a spa day, invigorating health regime or simply a day off.

Within the next three days, you may spend your time contemplating what needs are being met and which ones are unfulfilled. The Moon, which governs psychic energy and intuition, makes this a good time to perform divinations and explore all possibilities about just such questions. The work you do now may serve you well into the days ahead and the rapidly approaching spirit

Virgo, this is a really good time to get something going. Any effort you’ve been keeping in reserve or held off upon should now be advanced. The energies of this moon, coupled with the approaching season of spring, may make this an extremely productive for you and your abilities Pisces, what needs must you attend to? What has been neglected? Look upon these next three days as a time to get in touch with yourself and what remedies are required. Again, let the main focus be upon that which helps you feel effective, accomplished. Sagittarius and Gemini, some matter may urgently be in need your attention. It might not seem an important in light of other concerns but the Full Moon may force your hand. Attend to the issue with an eye toward resolving what may ultimately prove to have been a long-standing problem.

As we bask in the glow of the Virgo Snow Moon, take the time to better understand who you are and what you need. Inner strength comes when we nurture and feed our inner resources.

Aeion is a professional astrologer and tarot card reader with 30 years of experience. His approach is based in the belief that divination should be in employed to enhance ones' life experiences, not to predetermine them. Let Astrology and Tarot be your tools for better living

[skrunklyp]

↳- Leo Tsukinaga VOCALOID Producer Headcanons -༉‧₊˚✧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

My Enstars x Vocaloid brainrot is too strong I NEED to share this.

This will definitely get updated the more hcs I come up with LMAO

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Not only he's a popular composer, but he's also a popular VOCALOID producer.

He goes by "LeoP" cuz he's basic like that. (It's ok we still love him either way).

He basically uses all the voice synthesizer programs but he mainly uses VOCALOID, Synth-V, sometimes UTAU, and later on Piapro Studio.

He also mainly uses Hatsune Miku but he pretty much owns all voicebanks known to man (including appends) so he picks the voicebank that matches his song the best.

He's a massive Miku fan you can't convince me otherwise.

Back to the topic of voicebanks, he tried to convince Knights to make UTAUloids of themselves but they sadly shut that idea down before he could even attempt to do so. (He's still trying though.)

Like I said before, I can see him as the type to use voicebanks based on their voices/how they sound, so you can bet that he also uses UTAUloids even if they aren't "popular".

Imagine the heart-attack you'd get when THE Leo Tsukinaga uses your voicebank for one of his songs, I'm 100% sure he's the root cause of many souls ascending /pos.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

In my opinion, I think he'd hate the piano roll system that the synthesizers use so most likely he'd transcribe his composition in a website that automatically makes a MIDI file out of it. (idk if that actually exists but it does for the enstars universe cuz I said so /lh.)

I can see him absolutely DESPISING tuning. He loves to compose and loves to hear the final song but he hates the actual tuning process.

He either hyperfixates and get the tuning done in one sitting, commission someone to tune for him OR he just doesn't bother and that song goes into his folder, never seeing the light of day ever again.

He sometimes uses VOCALOID for harmony guides for Knights songs.

He definitely duetted with Miku before, there's absolutely no way he didn't.

Tried to convince Knights to sing a song with Miku and the other Vocas. (Knights shutting down Leo's antics pt. 2; Electric boogaloo.)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

On the topic of duetting with the Vocas... YES he was an absolute menace to 2wink and Switch when they collabed with Miku and the Kagamines.

He attempted multiple times at entering the practice room just to meet the Vocas. (Knights, specifically Arashi, had to physically DRAG him away from the door.)

I can see him be very salty about it LMAO.

Don't worry, to make it up to him AKA to avoid him attempting to break in and enter the practice room all the damn time they allowed him to meet them.

DEFINITELY ASKED THE VOCAS TO "UCHUU" WITH HIM YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.

They're now besties your honour.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

He owns a shit ton of CDs AND has attended basically all concerts.

He definitely asked either Izumi or Mama to accompany him but he was only successful at convincing Mama. (Izumi couldn't be bothered LMFAO.)

I can see Izumi threatening to throw his CDs away if Leo doesn't do his chores in Florence. (Spoiler Alert: That threat works every time.)

Going back to the topic of concerts... I'm 100% sure his songs would make it to the song list. So just imagine Leo freaking out over the fact that the Vocas are performing his songs live.

He buys wayyy too much merch. Someone take his wallet away before he goes BROKE-

Yes he plays Project Sekai... And yes he whaled... Several times actually... Izumi had to take his card away </3

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

As a Voca-P, I can see him as the type to release the VSQ(x)/UST/SVP/etc and the instrumental. So there's always a shit ton of voice synthesizer covers of his songs.

The reason why I say that is cuz I feel that his songs are so iconic/recognizable that, even without credit, people just know it's a LeoP original.

I can also see him as the type that comments on/shares every single cover he comes across. He can't help it! He just gets super excited and happy!

100% the root cause of souls ascending /pos, pt 2; Electric boogaloo.

Bonus: His Voca-P social media accs are definitely filled with reblogs/retweets of covers cuz he just loves sharing people's works.