#Studio Essentials

[extraplugins148]

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[minkei]

people liked the koi boy and the magikarps so here he is with a bit of color

[lovefrenchisbetter]

@did.studios

[dol--blathanna]

Thinking a lot about Orym choosing a rabbit when asked what animal he would pick if cursed with lycanthropy.

Because, it makes sense. Orym is small, quick, agile, jumps well, and is highly perceptive. That definitely evokes rabbit imagery. But a lot of Orym’s identity is also tied up with being a protector – giving people AC bumps, the shield being as much a part of his fighting style as his sword, even his title: Saviour Blade of the Tempest. He wants to be a “Shield that protects Exandria”; his priorities about saving the gods are less about the gods themselves, and more about protecting the people of Exandria from the unintended consequences and bloodshed of releasing Predathos. And it would’ve been very easy to pick a large, strong predator to try and evoke the sense of a protector – a wolf, for example, an animal associated with loyalty and protecting its pack. Yet Orym chose a rabbit.

And I think that’s interesting, because rabbits are often seen as ‘cute’ animals – but they’re also a prey animal. In fact, they’re a common food source for many animals across several ecosystems: foxes, wolves, wild cats, dogs, birds of prey like eagles or owls, coyotes, stoats, and humans (and that’s just off the top of my head). Rabbits are skittish, easily frightened; to be rabbit-hearted is to be timid or cowardly. They are not generally associated with fierceness or prowess in fighting. Mice and rats are prey animals too, but typically seen as vermin (rabbits are sometimes seen as vermin too, but a farmer could eat a rabbit – they wouldn’t eat a rat). Deer are prey, but they have hooves and antlers that bring a danger to hunting them, for any animal – the difficulties of hunting rabbits are more related to their evasiveness, speed and good hearing than any life-threatening danger they might pose. Rabbits are, first and foremost, prey animals. They are killed and eaten, so that another animal might live.

Which made me think a lot about one of Orym’s other key traits: self-sacrifice. Bait and switch doesn’t just bump up his ally’s ACs, it specifically switches their place to put him directly in harm’s way. Goading attack is meant to encourage enemies to attack him instead of his friends. He literally made a deal with a hag, essentially exchanging his own life for power to protect his friends. How many times has he gone down in a fight? He’s not the only tank – but unlike Ashton (and Chetney, who also uses ‘self-sacrifice’ in his fighting style with his blood curses) he has no abilities to reduce the damage from the hits he takes (barbarian rage and the werewolf form).

(Side note: I think it’s pretty interesting that Chetney, the wolf, has attacked Orym, the rabbit, more than anyone else when losing control. That Orym’s facial scar was given to him by a friend, not a foe).

Of course, Orym isn’t the only character with self-sacrificial tendencies (FCG wins by a landslide), but I just can’t stop thinking about how weirdly perfect it is that he chose a rabbit for his animal. Rabbits are prey animals. They are eaten, so that other animals may live. Orym takes the hits, he goads and switches with his team mates to put himself in danger, he makes a deal with a hag at the cost of his own life. He’s a soldier, throwing his life away for a cause over and over again because Ludinus must be stopped, because Keyleth has put her trust in him, because it’s the only way to protect his friends, to protect everyone, because it’s the right thing to do. Orym is a rabbit. He’s always been a rabbit. That day in Zephrah, it could have easily been Orym who died instead of Will and Derrig – “unfortunate but necessary sacrifices”, as Ludinus viewed the attack. It’s unfortunate they had to die, but it was for the greater good, according to Ludinus. It’s unfortunate that a rabbit has to die, but it will feed a family of foxes, or stoats, or even a hungry human, so it’s acceptable, right?

Orym is a rabbit. He is giving himself to a greater cause that could very easily kill him – he already willingly signed his life away to Nana Morri. Because that’s what rabbits do. They die to feed others.

And the theme of being disposable is present across the entire group, not just in Orym – Bell’s Hells has been called a “party of NPCs” before. Aside from FCG’s death, I’d say Laudna perhaps fits this theme the best: she was literally murdered and hung from a tree simply because she looked similar to Vex, acting as a warning to adventurers she had never met before. But FCG’s death was – rightfully – viewed as a terrible tragedy by the group. Laudna’s decision to remove Delilah, finally freeing herself from her abuser and emphasising she is more, and deserves to be more, than just some disposable puppet – this was rightfully viewed as a very good thing! But Orym seems to be embracing this identity of self-sacrifice instead, rather than this mindset being properly challenged or acknowledged as a bad thing. After all, there’s no time. There’s too much at stake. Keyleth, Bell’s Hells, all the memories of those who have died in this fight, all the people who might die if Predathos is released and kickstarts a second Calamity – they’re all relying on him, right? A rabbit feeding so many animals with his sacrifice. And it’s not malicious compared to the way that, say, Delilah killing Laudna was an incredibly evil, fucked up and unnecessary thing to do. If Orym died to save everyone else, well, at least everyone else would be saved, right? Saving lives is good, isn't it? How could he complain?

Because rabbits are prey animals, and Orym is a rabbit too. Destined to die so that another animal may feed.

Except, that’s not true. Rabbits are more than just prey. They’re highly social, and thrive best living with others. They’re playful, they enjoy running around and kicking their legs just to show their enjoyment. They’re inquisitive and mischievous, even being associated with tricksters in some folklore and stories. They’re also associated with innocence, playfulness, spring, youth – all manner of things, depending on the story or culture. And they’re not helpless, either, even if they might be thought of as such. They can bite and scratch and draw blood quite easily if they want to! In fact, freezing up isn’t their only response when being attacked by a predator, they are known to fight back if cornered. They can sprint quickly, they have excellent hearing and senses of smell, they know how to evade predators.

Rabbits are prey, and they are also survivors. They have their own social dynamics, their own habits and dislikes and preferences. They are more than just a wolf’s meal. And Orym is more than a soldier, too. He’s more than a “necessary sacrifice”, he’s more than just a shield and sword. He deserves more than to die for a cause. He deserves a happy ending, just like everyone else. I hope he remembers that.

Orym is a rabbit. And the message isn’t that he shouldn’t be a rabbit. It’s that rabbits are worthy of surviving, too.

[chiropteracupola]

hornblower ceramics au that no one (incl. me) asked for

[bpenn]

Ok. So I usually don't go on TikTok but there's too many Next to Normal Proshot clips there that I could not stay away and I somehow stumbled onto one that had a comment about wanting a UK Cast recording. Guess who commented and what they replied. M'fing Ghostlight Records with the goddamn 👀 emoji.

[getincentstyle]

Song Jia for the M essential 10th anniversary event in Shanghai wearing M essential

More photos HERE

[ranger-danger]

Antidepressants have lead me places I wouldn’t even go to with a gun, but oh man for the first time in a long time do I feel like I’m living.

[lil-beanz000]

Ive since adopted two smols @banana-jar-studio and @cuddlebugmonster

[freshdesignflow]

'Form-Functional Archi-Furniture' by Studio SMA.

[lovefrenchisbetter]

Acne Studios

Striped Short Sleeve Shirt in Black & White

@voostore

[minweber]

I have no idea how hot of a take that is - because I, in my infinite wisdom, tend to stay away from such harmful things as "discussing Dragon Age on the internet" - but I do think that moving to a more ME-style action-focused combat system with only partially controllable companions is a good move on part of DAV team.

I would imagine that few people have very fond memories of DA2 or DAI combat, but I have often seen people praise DAO's slower, more tactical system as a standard that series needs to return to. Probably did so myself, if I am being completely honest.

But replaying DAO in 2024, I find that combat is... fine? Serviceable, better than what its two sequels had to offer, but in no way something that could carry a game on its own, or even something that you truly return to the game for.

I find that "real-time-but-actually-turn-based-via-the-pause" combat doesn't work - in a sense that its attempt to marry the two extremes neither retains all their best qualities, nor produces any new ones. It's functional, but not much more so. Trying to control your entire party as if it were a turn-based tactical RPG feels rather clunky (the tactics system, while presenting a valiant effort, does not really save it) and rawdogging it real time robs the system of most of its depth and makes the game nigh unplayable on higher difficulties.

And I think 2010 BioWare actually saw it as well, as they kept trying to streamline it for the next two games. It seems to me that they failed, but whether it was a failure of execution, or an inevitable consequence of the limitations of the concept is up for debate.

And if one were to be of the second opinion, then it would make sense for this system to be discarded, and lean more heavily in either direction. And the choice between a fast-paced action combat system and a turn-based tactical one would be nowhere near obvious - yeah, franchises's and studio's roots lie closer to the turn-based tactical one, but their greatest success was with an action RPG, and honestly, DA's entire post-DAO (meaning the entire series but one game) identity desperately wants to be attached to something action-packed and fast-paced.

So why keep fighting it?

[musicollage]

John Coltrane - Crescent. 1964 : Impulse! A 66.

! listen @ Apple Music ★ buy me a coffee !

[winterline13-art]

Flower Language

This is Valor everyone say Hi Valor

He loves himself some flower language :3c

Echinaceas represent strength. Lavenders represent healing. Wild petunias represent anger. Black roses represent farewells.

[sleeepydraws]

I legit haven't touched this since LAST YEAR, April 2024, and I'm only now riffing off it

These two have the best dynamic. Hands down.

[poolsidepanic]

Realised I never did share the original moodboard I made for Ceramic Hearts, so here it is :)