#I'll stop for now...

[sapphire-rb]

Some interesting text found on the code: Part 1.2 - Leftovers from DQB1

Split from this because it turned from 'fun trivia' to 'theory territory' and I wanted to keep the other post more informative than rambly.

5:

Look at that! I don't need to translate that, just read it for yourselves!

Inside the menu code there's text hinting at a chapter-structure thing, like the one from the first game!

What I think happened was that originally during early development the 4 islands were planned the same way the 4 DQB1 chapters had been planned, and then they connected them with a more lineal plotline (since there were complaints about the disconnect between chapters in the first game).

Then the game would start you from the beginning if you hit 'new game', and as you advanced through the islands you would unlock the ability to start a new game jumping directly to that part of the story, like how you unlock chapters and can replay them individually without having to complete the previous ones in the original.

That's why there's a "for beginners" and "for experienced" prompt. It'd be a little weird to tell you about "beginners" if you unlocked the menu as postgame, and there's no way they'd let you skip to the end minutes after turning on the game for the first time.

Here's the menu from the first game as a reminder:

(Also! Default builder name bonus. They are the same across both games)

And! There's no Skelkatraz in the menu, but there is a Malhalla, so Skelkatraz can't have been omitted for spoiler reasons, right? Or maybe it is, since 'before Malhalla' is slotted at the end... Was that not on the list originally because didn't want to spoil Malhalla on the menu, but eventually decided it was too important and had to add it?

But wait- can that mean that there was no 'before Malhalla' planned at the beginning? That after leaving Moonbrooke you would be basically thrown into Malhalla instead of having to build the Steppe (Steppe that just pauses the Builder-Malroth character arc for no reason)?

Because if you think about it- why is there an 'After Malhalla'? that's just a glorified cutscene away from 'After Credits'. Unless Cerulean Steppe was planned to happen after Malhalla originally and not before, which would explain why there would be content between Malhalla and Credits (prompting a need to give you the option between 'after' one and 'after' the other) , but none between Moonbrooke and Malhalla (meaning both 'After Moonbrooke' and 'Before Malhalla' would be the same point in time). And then afterwards they moved the Steppe to between Moonbrooke and Malhalla because it made more plot sense.

And think about the castle. In-game the villagers just build the shell of it, and the game just tells you to 'build it properly' post-credits. And I've heard player complaints about the game not bothering to give you a proper castle. But if Cerulean Steppe was originally a post-game IoA part, then the castle had always been planned for post-game content, and when they had to put the Steppe into the main plot they had to compromise with the shell to keep the original post-game castle idea intact.

So if that's true, and you think about the fact that Skelkatraz is omitted there, maybe the original 'structure breaker' was Malhalla breaking in the Cerulean Steppe part. But then that was cut, and Skelkatraz was slotted in during the Scarlet Sands part to fulfil the 'structure breaker' role. And Skelkatraz adds the plot point about the Children of Hargon attacking the island- and would you look at that, it just so happens that that plot point is resolved in the Cerulean Steppe part, right before Malhalla! (being the only thing that gets resolved during the Cerulean Steppe part)

And Skelkatraz is also a very buggy part of the game, so it being a last minute addition also checks out.

So, I wanted to add at the beginning of this text, the idea that if the 4 islands were planned like the 4 DQB1 chapters, that maybe IoA had been planned like how Terra Incognita had been planned. Something a little bit outside of the main plot.

Considering the idea that the Skelkatraz sequence didn't exist originally, it makes sense that the Cerulean Steppe would be out of the plot, because it means that all 3 IoA sequences were themselves 'out of plot', and you would have the 4 islands plot as the main story while going to the IoA was more of a 'side quest' thing.

Now, I'm not saying that IoA used to be like Terra Incognita. I'm pretty sure that IoA has always been like IoA, but maybe at first they had planned it to be like the little sandbox safe haven Terra Incognita is, before the realised that if they wanted to make a more intertwined plot they couldn't just have the hub of the game be completely removed from it and doing its own thing.

...You know... IoA only gets 'unlocked' after Furrowfield... The same way Terra Incognita is only unlocked after Cantlin...

ok I don't think my rambles are coherent at this point. Sorry. Got too excited. But anyway, I think it's fun to think about how the game was planned and changed around. Makes you appreciate how much work goes into it.

[inkskinned]

my brother got covid because he's a college professor and there's not much he can do to mitigate exposure when he has 200+ students per lecture. he's got a baby at home, so he does his best, but.

the governmental website for covid information is now propaganda. not a joke, not hyperbole, not an exaggeration: it's genuinely the definition of propaganda. this is biased misinformation determined to push a political stance. it is being hosted on a government server. it looks like something you'd find in a "top 10 weird internet conspiracy stories (and their origins)" youtube video.

my brother called me when he saw it. he had me type it into google. for a second i legitimately thought that i had typed something wrong. we have both taught college: we have both said "a .gov site is usually a reliable resource." i just stared at my phone for a long, long time.

i thought about how when i was a kid, conspiracy theories were mostly fun and a little spooky. unserious. i remember reading some long, complicated website about how avril lavigne is dead. how bigfoot is real. it used to be funny-and-a-joke.

over seven million people (globally) have died from covid. america has the highest death rate with over 1.2 million people.

the thing is - every time a person dies from something like a mass shooting or poverty or treatable illness - we are told don't make it political. we are told it's just something that can happen. we are told it's sad but what can you do!

the president of the united states is using a government website to try to erase the very-real deaths that he personally caused due to a complete mismanagement of the pandemic. the president of the united states is using a government server to host propaganda, undermine science and medicine, and encourage distrust amongst his followers.

nothing is going to happen. nobody's gonna, like, do anything about it. it's a thursday today, and we are just going to move on from this like we have been moving on from everything else.

yesterday my brother was outside walking his dog, mask included. a guy in a truck pulls up and shouts something about covid and whatever the fuck else. my brother has a good sense of humor, described it to me as enthusiastic! i hadn't ever been catcalled before, this was new and therefore thrilling! i do see why you hate it, though. like. i have actual covid, does he want me to cough on him?

my brother doesn't get extra time off work anymore, because the cdc practically doesn't exist. my brother said i'm not exposing 200 students to covid. his boss shrugged and said: who cares? they're going to get it eventually anyway. like it isn't a pandemic.

like it's just a fucking thursday, and who cares about it.

[egophiliac]

missed the mark by (looks at calendar) uhhh. hm. but I really wanted to do something for the 5th anniversary! happy five years to these idiots 🎉

[rubikor]

they were her people

[juney-blues]

"personally i think that if you think a transfem reading of this character makes any sense with the narrative. you lack reading comprehension. oh by the way *I* personally think that this character who's entire deal is being repressed and refusing to do any introspection, is a trans man who figured himself out at the age of like 2 and has somehow been on testosterone since he turned 13."

[bumblebeebats]

As much as i love Dungeon Meshi, i do think that given Ryoko Kui's attention to realistic worldbuilding there ought to be a companion series called Dishes Meshi where they spend 2hrs washing and drying and packing away. Alll the goddamnfuck dishes they just made

[wardingshout]

the Zelda timeline ??? yeah I know about it

[bananonbinary]

Crab Day

okay, so here's a new info post from the top.

the problem: tumblr is extremely extremely in debt. the current model is not profitable. this is why they are trying to turn the site into a shit clone of every other social media site, so they can attract new users and their money.

solution: not a ton of people can afford a long-term subscriptions like ad-free. however, many of us CAN afford $3 to inflict crabs on another unsuspecting user. (and those that can't, can still enjoy crabs everywhere)

the idea: in the grand traditions of mishapocalypses and goncharovs and tumblr users' obsession with [random inconsequential thing] Days, we create a fund drive/holiday on July 29th, dubbed Crab Day. buy your friends crabs. buy your enemies crabs. blaze posts. post memes. change ur icon. whatever. actually put your money where your mouth is and show @staff that there actually IS profit motive to listen to the current users about what we want this site to look like. (and yes, that means accessibility features too. we currently have zero leverage to demand these features. let's change that.)

i don't know if this will actually go anywhere. worst case scenario, a few of us have fun, tumblr gets a small amount of money, and nothing changes. best case though, we actually provide incentive to keep our stupid hellsite unique.

[purpleenjoyer]

If you saw the previous post no you didn't I had to correct some things

The second part of my previous Inquisition post.

[red-moon-at-night]

okay the whole vase is great but something about Helen sitting on Aphrodite's lap as she wraps one arm around her shoulder and brushes her leg with her hand, staring into her eyes like that... as she is persuading Helen to go with Paris (while Peitho aka persuasion stands behind them) is so incredibly iconic.

and gay. toxic yuri, if you will.

[omaano]

"It's very bold of you to turn up here with such a high bounty on your head. Bold and stupid. Shows that you are no different than any of the other clones."

This weekend my brain has been nothing but Hades2 and Boba Fett, so Happy May the 4th, enjoy the idea of this younger Boba meeting Omega in a spin-off version of my Hades AU

"old" Boba design (with Bobadin) - Boba and Omega WIP

[isjasz]

🌕Total Eclipse🌑

Writer: @zipzapzooooooom Editor: @onawhimsicot

Assistance: @gingermaple @kunehokki @corvidaearts @/mybrotherjoso7

and THE AMAZING COVER by googly88fancy!!

===

NO WAY HERE IT IS part 1 of MY TEAM'S COMIC!! FOR @hotguycomiczine !!!!! :D

I pour my blood sweat and tears into this one fr. HGCZ is the most insane project i've been in and I am so so proud of it <3 Big giant shoutout to everyone that ended up in my team, without any of you I couldn't have done it and ty for putting up with my shit HASHDSAEHEGLP. <333

If you haven't yet checked out the entire monster of this amazing zine, def do so here! 🏹

Part 2 will be posted tmr but if u dont want to left on a cliffhanger. pspsppspssps🪤

===

[ START | PREVIOUS | NEXT ]

[ MERCH ] [ MISC ]

[mecachrome]

lando when he doesn't know the answer to something: time to make oscar laugh

[kettlefire]

Prepare for the unexpected. (DPxDC)

Everyone knew about the reign of Pariah Dark. Even those who did not dabble in those realms have heard the tale of the tyrant. A power-hungry man who ruled over the dead with an iron fist.

Following the rise of Pariah Dark, his realm had been effectively cut off from communication. Many mystics and magic users knew better than to open the door of nightmares that could arise if Pariah Dark's reach went further than his own realm.

Except, the universe had plans to bring the realm of the dead back into the cards.

A new opponent, one that had all of Earth's heroes scrambling for options. A being with powers of a god over weather, destruction was on the horizon. A world ending threat.

It's the only reason the Justice League was doing this. In a deep bunker, far from close civilization as a precaution, the heroes looked on with grim expressions.

The world was already being threatened. It would be destroyed regardless of what the league did. So it only made sense to make the last ditch effort. To summon someone strong enough to defeat the threat.

No one wanted to do it. No one wanted to be the one to pull the realm of the dead back to the living. The consequences were untold if this succeeded. If Pariah Dark was freed and defeated the threat, whose to say he won't want control?

That was a problem for later. For the aftermath. For now, the league could only watch on with bated breath as Constantine completely the summon ritual.

They watched on as the shadows in the room seemed to darken and grow. As the sigil sputtered to life with a glow that was growing increasingly brighter. A sudden gust of wind rushed through the room, the temperature began to drop with eaching ticking second.

And then it was all gone.

The room stood perfectly still. Just as it had been moments before. Nothing changed. No giant king standing before them, no sign that the ritual worked.

The room stood deadly still for another beat before the murmurs started. The team trying to make sense of the situation, figure out what went wrong.

Constantine swore up and down that this was the correct ritual, taking offense that they would even think the problem was on his end. It only made it better when it finally happened.

A loud sound ripped through the room, pulling everyone's attention back to the summoning circle. Just in time to see a tear appear in the space above the circle.

A thin tear that ran the length of eight feet. The fabric of the dimension seems to curl at the edges, pulling back to reveal a deep glowing swirl of greens. A dark gloved hand reached through, fingers curling around the edge of the tear, stretching it even further.

A portal. The ritual had worked, but there had been a delay. A delay that had every hero nerves on edge. Each team member tensed, weapons at the ready as they watched the being stretch the portal to the right size.

Then, a foot stepped out with a heavy thud. A dark boot that looked otherworldly despite its similarity to mortal clothing. A deep black that seemed never-ending. A second foot quickly followed before a full body emerged from the portal.

Not many people in the room have ever seen Pariah Dark, let alone know what to expect. Based on what Constantine and Zatara had said, this wasn't Pariah Dark.

A man had stepped out of the portal, standing at almost seven feet tall, and built like a brick house. One glance at the glowing white hair, deadly red eyes, and shard teeth was enough to know this being was not to be messed with.

But there was no giant show of armor or royal garbs. There is no large crown at the top of his head or jewelry from the infinite realms laced around his neck.

Instead, the man stood before them in combat boots, worn-in ripped jeans, a graphic t-shirt, and a spiked leather jacket. Despite his almost normal clothing choice, the man's jacket seemed to be a never-ending depth of the dark night sky. If one was to look closely enough, the cosmos could almost be made out in the sea of darkness.

None of that would have prepared them for when the man spoke. His tone sounded more bored than anything as he took a step forward.

"Oh, so now you need the help of the dead." The man had spoken, running a hand through his hair. When Batman took a step forward to speak, the man raised a hand. Immediately commanding silence in the single gesture. "I'm on babysitting duty and have yet to have a cup of coffee. I'll be right back."

Just like that, both the man and portal vanished into thin air. Leaving behind a group of stunned heroes. Not only was the man not Pariah Dark, but he was also supposedly babysitting.

"Did that just-"

The Flash had been the first voice to speak up, his eyes trained on where the man had once stood. Except he had barely made it through the first few words before the man was suddenly back.

The man that now had a child hanging off his shoulders and another teen being held up by his scruff. Unlike the man, these kids looked human.

Too human for Bruce's liking. The dark black hair and bright blue eyes had every heroes eyes flickering to Batman for just the briefest moment.

"This isn't fair! I'm not even the king. Why do I have to be here!" The teenager had been complaining the moment the man had reappeared. Arms crossed tight over his chest and seemingly used to being held dangling. "Besides, who brings kids to a show down! Wait til I tell mom about this."

"Aw, come on, Danny. This is gonna be fun!!" The younger girl seemed in much better spirits than the teen, Danny. She had climbed up the large man, sitting on his shoulders and resting her arms on the mess of glowing hair. "It's like take your kids to work day! Ooo, Dan! Can we fight too!?"

Unlike the two kids, the man looked purely exhausted and annoyed. The man, Dan, dropped Danny like a sack of potatoes as he took a long drink from the travel cup in his hand.

It didn't take a genius to recognize the look of an exhausted parent in Dan's expression. A look many of the league members were well acquainted to. A look that even had Batman grimacing with sympathy.

"Can it, little shits. You two were grounded, remember." Dan had growled at the kids before shifting his focus back on the team of heroes before them. His glowing eyes set in a deadly glare. "Pariah Dark isn't coming, and he never will. He's been dethroned and banished. We're the best you've got."

A summoning that started with a group of on edge and scared heroes looking for the ghost king, ended in a way no one expected.

No one was even sure if it made any sense. They weren't sure if they should feel hopeful or in despair.

Because truly, what was a ghostly man with two seemingly human children against a godlike foe with the control over the weather?

The unspoken question of power and ability seemed to vanish following Dan downing the metal travel cup of coffee, and crushing it in his fist.

He tossed it to the side, straighting up his posture as he looked over the heroes. Dan might not be a hero, but he's been playing family for too long.

An almost feral, bloodhungry grin spread across the man's face, sharp fangs on full display. The look made the man suddenly look even less human. He looked closer to a demon from the pits of hell rather than the exhausted parent he looked just a few seconds ago.

"Point me in the direction of this bastard. It's been too long since I let loose and had some fun."

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

One of the reasons why this new 5 star is so important to me is the fact that here MC is the one pampering and taking care of Sylus. Usually it's the other way around, which befits Sylus and his pleasure dom/provider/caretaker tendencies. But equally, it's been pretty well established that Sylus wants and appreciates being taken care of too. He is touch starved and often pretty needy. Which given his history isn't surprising.

Almost all of his life has been spent being hunted and alone. He has never had a single soul take care of him or dote on him until MC came into his life. Before that, all he had was himself. For literal millenia.

So getting stories like Heatwave and Magnum Opus where he is being pampered and cared for makes my heart swell. He deserves to feel as treasured as he strives to make MC feel. He deserves to sit in a candle scented bathroom, eyes closed and head leaned back, while MC applies facial masks and cucumbers to his face 🩷

[nipuni]

insomnia