#american adaine

[flamingfoxninja]

In the world of British Spyre, we cut to the Hudol's School of Explorers Extraordinaire! A place where young students learn the ways of globetrotting shenanigans in search of love, war, and treasure seeking.

We cut to Kristen Applebees, an aggressive party girl who is ready to thrash and snog with the best of them. More specifically she's snogging her boyfriend

Fabian Aramais Seacaster, a quiet gentle poet who read the grand tales of adventures that his family legacy provides, especially of his Mother, Admiral of the Fallinel Navy. His shyness eventually broken by joining the Hudol Football League, along with his friend

Gorgug Thistlespring, the resident bad boy on campus. Growing up adopted in a lowerclass family, he is consistantly angry when anyone gives him shit about it. Which results in many fights and detentions on school grounds, not like he cares. But he's not the only fish out of water cause he's friends with

Adaine Abernant, an American transfer student. Her parents are Ambassadors who are trying to make a good impression, so Adaine is working on learning the slang and behaviors of her peers. Where she comes off as a bit brash and ignorant. But she's more than ready to learn, especially from

Riz Gukgak, the inquisitive mind of Hudol's greatest academic student. His dad a gentlemanly spy, his mother a police Sargent. He was taught from a young age a love of investigation, forensics, law, and learning. There's no such thing as useless information, only information not yet applied. But his talent in academia is only rivaled by

Figeroth Faeth, extra curricular extraordinaire. She can only even accept perfection in everything she does. Theater, Art, Classical Music, Martial Arts. Nothing is out of her reach to master. And nothing, not even her parent's divorce, her crumbling life, will keep her from her craft. Though she can at times learn how to let loose, go wild, and take a break from resident party girl Kristen Applebees

And these are our Hudol Hunters! Say Hi Hudol Hunters!

[glassrooibos]

JUNIOR YEAR HERE WE COME

[milkcos]

lemonade mouth/band au! more notes under the cut

lemonade as in like the disney movie! so there are a couple like clear comparisons but mostly it's the bad kids get stuck in detention together except they form a band instead of an adventuring party

fabian > no equivalent (olivia vibes)

the most popular kid at school who is both in dance and on the football team. somehow gets decent grades as well. no close friends, but a lot of people who know him and want to get on his good side. kind of depressed, and his dad's currently in prison. he started playing the guitar as a way to show off and then genuinely started enjoying it

adaine > mo

she's a concert violist (playing the viola) always an accompaniment for her sister and is striking it out on her own for the first time. her family is very upset about this, and consistently puts her down so she'll go along with they want her to do. also she recently transitioned to going to public school for the first time, making her the new girl.

kristen > no equivalent

she's recently ex mormon, got out of her parents house (currently living in her car) and without all of her former friends stuck in a student president position that she got when she was still with the religion. questioning her sexuality after one too many encounters with the soccer team captain, tracker. used to be on the church choir, was a bit too enthusiastic about it.

gorgug > no equivalent (charlie vibes)

he's got like one or two kinda friends (mainly fig). extremely busy with his classes and with marching band and self isolating as a result. he's stressed out about living up to his parent's name (they run a very successful electric engineering company). signed up to work as a sound tech for the theatre department bc one of the female stage managers is very cute (zelda) and then discovered that he rlly like it.

riz > no equivalent

no friends! (other than maybe the AV club + penny) too used to burying himself in work at both his part time gig and with his insane amount of extracurriculars. started playing the piano bc he heard it helps with memory retention and overall cognitive ability.

fig > stella/wen

she's the cool loner skater kid who is the floater friend mostly? she's got a maybe relationship with ayda, who she loves to annoy at the school library. very interested in making her own music not very interested in school. freaking out over her parents getting remarried. her mom enrolled her in music lessons when she was younger, and it's one of the only things she can talk about with her mom these days.

[l-herz]

Adaine and Aelwyn: Bite the Hand

[rrat-king]

siobhan in the preview interviews: oh yeah i played with the fact that adaine code switches between the bad kids and her sister

vs the whiplash of the phone conversation in ep 4 in which siobhan is more british than i’ve ever heard her

[allthecastlesonclouds]

Chapters: 1/6 Fandom: Dimension 20 (Web Series) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kristen Applebees & Her Brothers, Digby Thistlespring & Gorgug Thistlespring & Wilma Thistlespring, Figueroth Faeth & Sandralynn Faeth, Adaine Abernant & Jawbone O'Shaughnessey, Riz Gukgak & Sklonda Gukgak, Fabian Aramais Seacaster & Hallariel Seacaster

She grins as she takes a piece of steak and begins to cut it into pieces. This is nice, this sort of dinner. She doesn’t want it to change.

(It does. It always does.)

- - -

or, in a story where food is love, in a sense: 5 times the bad kids ate a meal with their families, and one time they did not.

[thespoonisvictory]

there is such a specific way brennan laughs at siobhan’s sense of humor and siobhan makes fun of brennan that is so unique to them and it’s criminally underrated

[incorrect-dimension20]

Fantasy High PCs as Quotes from my friends

Incorrect-Dimension20's 400 follower special

Fig

"Guys. I'm not going to college anymore. I've decided to finally fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a box"

"you have the fighting abilities of a drunk chicken!"

Adaine

"Manual labor? Why can't it be Womanual labor?"

"I'm holding myself back from beating you up right now because I'm severely depressed, not because I don't hate you"

Fabian

"Whats $5.50 divided by egg rolls?"

"American Ninja Warrior!"*proceeds to jump from bench to bench to avoid stepping in ankle deep water*

Kristin

"When a dumb woman marries a dumb man, they get a dumb baby. My mom was stupid and married a dumb dude and now I'm here"

"We are so gonna burn this house down!! Come on, let's go got the kitchen"

Riz

"I'm just a scared little boy, please follow the rules"

"This is why all the younger kids are so stupid. They hang out with you guys. All my future children are gonna be geniuses and your guys's are gonna say that giraffes moo"

Gorgug

"Just because- stop screaming- just because I'm a bad driver doesn't mean you have to be dramatic about it"

"All I want in life is one year of highschool without fear for my life. Is that so much to ask?

[heliza24]

Processing thoughts on ep 6:

I did love how Brennan kind of engineered Osion and Ivy to be appealing to Adaine after Siobhan reacted to Kipperlilly (something about American + hidden wealth and British but cockney seems designed to disarm her class based defensiveness). Ivy also feels like an off brand version of Aelwyn, perfect (in the worst way) for Fabian. And that decision between Ivy and Mazey! I do hope we finally eventually get some sincere romance out of Fabian. He has such a classic teen boy thing where he talks a big game but then is very afraid of emotional (and maybe even physical) intimacy. It would be cool to see him move through that.

So we know that the pit fiend in Lydia’s chest was working to resurrect a god, and it didn’t work because he didn’t attempt the ritual at a god birthspot. I wonder if whoever brought the mysterious god back now (maybe also the source of the anger crystal things from the mall fight?) did it in the nightmare forest/sylvare after Cassandra was reborn there. Also “I’m hurting him always with my anger” I 💜 Lydia, Crip badass who is tough as hell. I wonder how anger plays into this resurrected (?) god. And is this god maybe the same domain as Lucy, disposed of cleric from the Rat Grinders? So many loose ends this week.

The call with Tracker was a perfect story moment I think. Tracker/Brennan really crystallized the problem with Kristen: she tried to move on from Helio without processing what that meant. And she never faced up to the fact that a path you forge yourself is more rewarding, but it requires real work. That could have been a real parting conversation, but something about the way that Brennan hinted at a hidden motivation for Tracker makes me think we’ll see more of her this season, although how her relationship with Kristen will evolve I really don’t know. And her new girlfriend is definitely up on the “loose ends” board.

Also VIP award to Murph this week for making the connection that the Rat Grinders might be trying to get the Bad Kids kicked out of school, and for remembering the pass/fail thing after a party member leaves.

I think we’re starting to circle in on how the rival adventuring party and the God Drama (TM) intersects (the missing cleric feels key) and I’m excited to see that. I’m also excited for downtime mechanics that have been carried over and expanded from TUC2, and to see how that reinforces the anger/burnout/stress themes.

[thisisnotthenerd]

Curriculum at the Aguefort Adventuring Academy

Now that the Night Yorb adventure has concluded and the Bad Kids are headed back to school I have thoughts about the structure of the Aguefort Adventuring Academy.

The Solisian School District in Elmville, as far as we know, consists of Skullcleaver Elementary School, Oakshield Middle School, Mumple School, Hudol College, and the Aguefort Adventuring Academy. While Skullcleaver and Oakshield serve the population as a whole, Mumple focuses on NPC trades, while Hudol is a private school that focuses on theoretical magic for the ‘upper class’ of Elmville, and the Aguefort Adventuring Academy focuses on training adventurers from within their specific classes while also providing general education.

Obviously, the differing structures of each of these institutions brings up some questions. Since the Solisian School District presumably has a school board and a superintendent, are there any enforceable curriculum standards that the high schools have to abide by? What common classes do Mumple, Hudol, and Aguefort have? What does a high school diploma from each of these mean? 

Given the endless questions brought up by the organization of this school district, I’m going to try and make logical sense of it by tackling them as they come to me.

First, I’m going to focus on the Aguefort Adventuring Academy, since that’s what we have information on. I can speculate on the nature of Mumple and Hudol, but we have actual info about the AAA.

What has to be in the base curriculum for each school?

For the AAA:

I’m basing this on a combination of what we know from the Bad Kids’ classes and their investigation during Family in Flames.

Here’s what we know of the AAA faculty:

Administrative Staff:

Principal: Arthur Aguefort

Vice Principal: Goldenhoard/Kalvaxus, Gilear Faeth

Lunch Lad(y): Doreen, Gilear Faeth

Guidance Counselor: Mr. GIbbons, Jawbone O’Shaughnessy

Librarian: Maugly Dimweather

Nurse: Fatima al-Aydaa

Receptionist: Chart Bomsk

Custodian: Kasavian the Wise

Bloodrush Coach: Coach Daybreak, Gorthalax the Insatiable

Gen Ed/Elective Teachers:

History: Kurby Rockstone

Linguistics: Efevrian Stuttle

Home Ec: Pilby Hatchet

Driver’s Ed: Alphonse Doublefist

Health: Spunge Dirtfoot

Theater: Ebria Dwimmerwaithe, Mr. Pepper

Music: Lucilla Lullaby

Arcana: Joria Casterwall

Class-Specific Teachers:

Artificer: Grunding Tomblast

Barbarian: Porter Cliffbreaker

Bard: none listed

Cleric/Religious Studies: Yolanda Badgood

Druid: Ellarian Fallowglade

Fighter: Corsica Jones

Monk: River Moondaughter

Paladin: Halo St. Croix

Ranger: Ellen Fleetfoot

Rogue: Eugenia Shadow

Sorcerer: Jace Stardiamond

Warlock: Evan Freem

Wizard: Tiberia Runestaff

So we know there is at least history and linguistics, as well as many elective options. Math and science likely run differently when Arthur ‘Chronomancer’ Aguefort is around, so I can understand them not being present on this list, though I would say that math is probably present in the elementary/middle schools, just because having a basic understanding of how arithmetic and geometry work forms a lot of what goes into basic life skills and also things like material components and ritual circles for casters. Adaine has made reference to math classes before, so the existence of them is kind of up in the air–we don’t have direct confirmation, but they’re likely present.

I took the liberty of moving arcana to the elective category because while it is a specific specialization, it doesn’t fit with the rest of the class model, and it fits more as a class that would be shared between the casters that have to learn things. Understanding the foundations of each type of magic, learning the bases of material, verbal, and somatic components bc even if you use an arcane focus, it’s important to understand where the idea is coming from. 

Based on my own American high school experience, I would have expected a few more core classes. There really are a lot of electives. There don’t seem to be specific curriculum standards that would transfer well from school to school. Thus, I would expect that earning a diploma and/or a GED would have significantly different requirements.

Class-specific curricula:

Artificers

They likely have some sort of shop class/STEM course to learn how to build things and repair them–easy way to get tool proficiencies. Also a class on the different infusions and how to use them? 

Subclasses: Once you get past 3rd level and choose a subclass I'd assume they would have optional electives for each subclass (alchemist, armorer, artillerist, battlesmith). Ultimately it just comes down to different skills, but artificers do a lot of the same things from subclass to subclass.

Barbarians

We have insight into these classes because Fig and Gorgug attended them; they are learning about  the sources of rage, and how to control the rage state while in combat. 

Subclasses: electives likely split into controlling magical elements of rage for wild magic, zealot, totem, storm herald, and ancestral guardian barbarians, and martial elements of rage for battleragers, berserkers, beasts, giants, and juggernauts.

Bards

Bards are one of the classes that often have a strong theoretical basis, so I would assume they have a relatively heavy curriculum. We know there’s bardic history, because Aguefort talks about it in Sophomore Year, but bards would likely have some required music classes as well. 

Subclasses: Lore bards would definitely have some history crossover and maybe arcana crossover with the wizards once they started taking electives for their subclasses, while swords and valor bards would share classes with the fighters, creation bards with the artificers, glamour bards with the charisma rogues, and eloquence, spirits, tragedy, and whispers would likely have similar electives.

Clerics

Healing/medicine is likely one of their core classes, but generally clerics are probably going to be learning rituals and the histories of deities, along with other wisdom based skills. 

Subclasses: like the bards, there’s a ton of variance with clerics. A knowledge cleric is not going to have the same classes as a trickster cleric, or a grave cleric, etc.. Now that I think about it, it makes sense for forge clerics to be taking shop classes with the artificers.

Druids

Ecology, druidic magic, survival classes? They’re probably paired with the rangers often. I think I recall Aabria and Erika talking about Danielle helping Antiope with more traditional ranger skills, so it makes sense that they share some classes. Wildshape training and summoning practice probably factor in when they can perform the skills more than once a day.

Subclasses: the things that druids can do can vary significantly, but if i had to guess: moon & shepherd druids would get paired because they’re working with creatures, spores & blighted druids would work with more necrotic spells, dreams & stars druids would get paired because they’re associated with night in differing ways, land druids have their own classes, and wildfire druids would be arsonists. Just kidding.

Fighters

Fighters are explicitly trained warriors, so learning strategy, different fighting styles and martial skills depending on what fits their needs best. Learning to use action surge and attacking quickly would be a big one.

Subclasses: Each subclass would get slightly different training, but ultimately they’re all learning to fight, so it would be more like groups within a larger class. Fighter is also a solid multiclass, so I’d expect a bunch of multiclassed kids to join in with training.

Monks

Monks are also  explicitly trained warriors, though the focus is ki and finding enlightenment at a base level. We haven’t had a monk PC in the world of Spyre, but there is a monastic studies chair, so there presumably are monks at the AAA

Subclasses: some monks learn more ki-based techniques while others learn more arcana, so there’s probably some really split classes there.

Paladins

Paired with the clerics for deific history, though they have electives on the different forms of oaths as well as fighting classes/training. Ultimately paladins are a partial caster combination of a fighter and a cleric, so I would expect them to share classes with both of those

Subclasses: as stated, it would mostly be based on the differing oaths and the magics they get from each.

Rangers

They’d share ecology/survival classes with the druids, though the rangers are given more specific combat training and ways of tracking favored enemies and such. There’s probably a class that helps you decide your favored terrain.

Subclasses: all of the animal companion subclasses would get paired, while the hunter/assassin types would probably have some kind of stealth and tracking classes.

Rogues

Rogues would get skills training for expertise but also stealth training. Basically assassin training but also charisma classes for charisma rogues and elective magic for the arcane tricksters

Subclasses: not huge differences here except for the arcane tricksters because they’re partial casters. they're learning to sneak around and kill people by surprise.

Sorcerers

Sorcerers would get basic magic training, with a focus on controlling sorcery points/fonts of magic, and understanding where sorcerers come from. Sorcerers don’t technically have to do work to get their magic, rather, it’s a matter of precise control of what they have i.e. metamagic.

Subclasses: There’s a wide variety of sorcerous origins, so each would have pretty different classes associated. Divine soul sorcerers would probably get paired with the clerics, but everyone else would have their own options.

Warlocks

Warlocks are the weirdest type of full caster, so they probably don’t combine with other classes very much. I imagine that not many high schoolers are making these kinds of deals early on, so it probably involves learning about patrons, and maybe negotiation with your patron? There’s also probably classes on invocations and the different benefits of each. To be completely honest, I wouldn’t expect them to offer much in the way of warlock classes anyway. The only warlocks we’ve run into have been Johnny Spells and the greasers, Fig, Bill Seacaster’s cult, and Sam’s eldritch adept feat. Most of these are outside organizations, and if they aren’t it’s been based on in-game deals and negotiation.

Subclasses: very split. Different patrons have very different demands.

Wizards 

They’re already nerds that learn magic from books. Arcana and history classes, split courses to work in different schools of magic. Aguefort is a wizard–you think he wouldn’t have a robust wizard’s education at his academy?

Subclasses: one for every school of magic and also chronomancy. 

Next Question:

How does leveling work at the AAA?

Everyone presumably starts around level one in freshman year, probably with some variance based on family background and previous experience. The seven are level 10 when they get their GED, and all of them lost at least part of a school year. According to the RTX college visit oneshot, college students are ~level 15. I would say they probably don’t enter at level 15–somewhere around level 12-13 maybe?

This is not canon, but I think what’s maybe intended is annual progression requirements. You start at level 1 and get to 5ish freshman year, start at 5 and get to 8 sophomore year, start at 8 and get to 10 junior year, and start at 10 get to 12 in time for graduation. While they’re forming adventuring parties on the first day, most groups are not going to be going out and finding encounters immediately in Solace. They’re going to school. They’re learning how to work together as a party. They’re participating in extracurriculars. The lower levels are easier to get through–that’s why the progression slows down at the higher levels, because you get diminishing returns on leveling the higher level you are.

This seems to fit–the 7 are evenly leveled, but fit into the junior-senior model that would allow them to get their GEDs while being a little underleveled for graduation. The assumption is that they’re immediately going to go and be an adventuring party–they’ll make up any difference very quickly. By contrast, the bad kids had progressive leveling during freshman year that left them at level 8 during the Prompocalypse fight. I’m fairly sure that Penelope and Dayne were level 10 at least, and during sophomore year she can cast 6th level spells and has 3d10 fire bolt damage, so she’s at least 11th level if not higher. So being at level 12 in senior year tracks.

Thus the bad kids over-level during freshman year, even going by milestone leveling. if you go on an xp model you’d have to get around 10000 throughout the year to hit level 5–they’re running into so many encounters that they overshoot. And thus they’re still over-leveled in sophomore year, but if they had a relatively quiet year up to spring break, then not leveling up significantly makes sense.

Numerically, if a student is assessed on xp basis for what they have to earn in that year to level up appropriately, if they go back to zero at the start of each level.

Freshman year: 10,400

Sophomore year: 71,000

Junior Year: 112,000

Senior Year: 185,000

That tracks for high school–you can do very well in freshman year classes and then all of a sudden start struggling, and it’s more work every year. you’re capable of more, sure, but you also have way more responsibility. 

How does the quest assignment system work?

What we know: they have adventures during the year as a party that serve as a sort of capstone project–60% of their grade. My hypothesis: Knowing how high school classes work in a non-fantasy public school, I’d posit that the adventures are considered a form of independent study; every student is required to do a certain amount every year, in order to move to the next grade as an adventuring party. If they don’t complete a quest of a high enough level, or enough lower-level quests, the party can be disbanded, and they may need to repeat grades in order to move to the next grade.

In order to support the infrastructure of a modern school system, and modern technology, Solace can’t be unstable enough to require adventurers. That’s the crux of what Charity Blythe was advocating for with Project Reset–using a catastrophe to drive the market of adventure. Since this was a distinct event that the Ministry of Adventure was planning for, one can conclude that these Class A, B, and C quests are not happening all that often. What are those you ask?

The Ministry of Adventure classifies quests in a six-tiered system, from class A to class F, in order of decreasing severity. Class A quests threaten the existence of the Universe and planes beyond the prime material; class B quests threaten the prime material/the world of Spyre; class C quests threaten nations; classes D-F are for localized threats, the ‘bread-and-butter’ quests, though an adventurer that can handle a class F quest may not be able to handle a class D quest. There is likely some further calculus when it comes to these classifications–the classes simply refer to the scope of the threat with regard to what it threatens, not specifically how difficult it is to complete the quest.

A GED from the Larger Solisian School District requires the sign-off of the Superintendent of Schools as well as the completion of a Class A, B, or C quest. By classification: the Bad Kids’ defeat of Kalvaxus was a class C quest, their defeat of the Nightmare King was class B, and the Seven’s quest to release Talura to infinity was a Class A quest. Sidenote: if a GED requires quest completion, how does anyone not from the AAA get a GED? Do they still have exams for non-adventurers? What subjects are required in the world of Spyre? Is it even needed?

So, Solace isn’t unstable enough to induce quests beyond class D on a regular basis; where, then, do these teen adventurers get high level quests? We first need to talk about how the rest of the world and their capacity for teen adventurers.

Highcourt: Nation ruled by monarchy that reigns over most of the rest of Spyre, the have an ongoing treaty with spyre–they were the source of the original Sol worshippers that became the harvestmen. Thus, the mentions of perditional contradoxy in their treaty with Solace make sense. Not suitable for adventures beyond D class as it would likely violate treaties, unless the adventurers are specifically hired.

Fallinel: high elven nation ruled by the court of stars, or Seven Immortal Dancers on a Spindle, who Sing to the Various Phases of the Moon, with lower courts for bureaucracy. No lawyers. Not suitable for adventures beyond D class as it would likely violate treaties, unless the adventurers are specifically hired.

Sylvaire: aka the forest of the nightmare king. south of Highcourt, home of cassandra’s original worshippers, the town of arborly, and a bunch of captured gnomes who were sustaining magic for the druids of the storm king. The forest itself was walled off for ~850 years. Quests are feasible along the coast and around the borders of the forest, but quests to enter the forest would not succeed without infernal permission.

Red Waste: Kalvaxus’s initial territory but his lair was in the mountains of chaos? Desert-like, full of Kalvaxus worshippers and Yorbies. The Seven went there for their sophomore year quest. Developed enough to have a tattoo parlor where Antiope could get her leader tattoo. Suitable for higher level adventures.

The Baronies: collection of small city states/nations that are constantly at war, where the richest of the rich have access to technology while others are still operating in a medieval society. Suitable for higher level adventures.

Mountains of Chaos: where Kalvaxus’s lair is located, but also home to the Temple of the Earth Defiant. Sklonda Gukgak has family from there, though she is from Bastion City in Solace. Suitable for higher level adventures.

Swamps of Ruin: Not much that we know currently; Kristen was building swamp Venice there while on a humanitarian/missionary trip. Suitable for higher level adventures.

Nekronomicron: subterranean city of necromancy and the undead, the location of Talura’s final stand. Kalvaxus was allied with the necromancers–which extended his control beyond the Red Waste. Suitable for higher level adventures.

Leviathan: the pirate city made of ships cobbled together into a functional city. if you can find it. They have their own adventurers though. they’re more likely to kill you. Technically suitable for higher level adventures.

Throshk: North of the Mountains of Chaos and Solace, home to Kalebrimbor, not much known in canon. clear for adventure. Suitable for higher level adventures.

Frostheim: North of Throshk, snow-covered according to maps of Spyre.  Suitable for higher level adventures.

And that’s just the continent we’ve been shown; there’s probably more to Spyre that we have yet to explore. Sidenote: the map poster from the seven has been taken off the dropout store and i’m sad about it. I know this means they’re probably doing a poster for this season but still.

So what does this all mean? Well, all students of the aguefort adventuring academy must engage in a quest of an appropriate level with their adventuring party in order to jointly pass the year and move to the next grade. They are allowed to travel to achieve their objective, and can enlist paid assistance from non-students known as hirelings. They must go on at least one higher level quest, or multiple D-F quests, presumably starting in sophomore year, since parties are generally formed on the first day of freshman year, and the expectation is that the students are not of a high enough level to engage with threats of class C and above. 

This contextualizes Antiope failing a year for non-palimpsest reasons–her party would have failed their yearly quest and been disbanded. It also gives context to the rest of the Seven losing their adventuring parties; if one of your members is not participating in the completion of the quest, they can be removed from the party and left as a solo adventurer.

That’s all I have for now on this because I don't have the energy to keep digging at the moment. We’ll see about more as this season progresses.

[quarterlifecrisis-activated]

I think what I love most about BLeeM and how he crafts stories is that he’s just so kind. There are very few characters in his season that are considered unredeemable. Those characters are people (or constructs) in a position of power that use that power to harm and exploit people. Think The American Dream, King Prilbus, Adaine’s parents, Bobby Dawn. The rest of his villains, antagonists, and NPCs who suck aren’t treated as wholly evil. The Princesses and Fairies in Neverafter come to mind.

I think we can all agree that the Ratgrinders suck but I still hold out hope for them. Another DM might just say yeah they’re evil and should die but I can’t see that happening with BLeeM. He’s so kind to people who are shitty but also being exploited and harmed by these bigger movements. He doesn’t condone their actions but he also doesn’t write them off. I’m thinking particularly of Mac and Donna Applebees and Buddy Dawn. Yes, the Helioc religion is harmful and we don’t like it but I genuinely believe that the Applebees and Buddy are trying to do what they think is right. Maybe it’s because I have family similar to them but I know that Mac and Donna do love Kristen. It’s fucked and it’s not okay that they won’t accept her but I don’t think it’s because they’re evil or never loved her. They do love her but they’ve been conditioned to believe that their way of loving her is the best way. BLeeM shows that behind every hateful and harmful ideology there are real people who are just trying to do what they think is best. It doesn’t excuse their actions but it’s hopeful that they are capable of change. He highlights across seasons that there is a tangible bond between everyone between every person. There’s a humanness to every character because being human comes built in with an understanding that everyone else once you get to know them is also just a person. That despite ideologies and systems designed to drive us a part there will always be that bond. And because of that bond people have the ability to change and overcome for the people they love.

Maybe it’s wishful thinking and projection of my own parents onto the Applebees but I need to believe that they’ll come around and fix their relationship with Kristen. That they’ll put in the work because they love their child. We’ve seen it happen with Ragh and Aelwyn and I predict the RatGrinders too. I think BLeeM is too kind in his storytelling for that to not be a possibility.

[itbeleeeee]

Just finished Fantasy High: Junior Year, which was once again a great feat of storytelling on both Brennan, the Heroes, and the art department's parts. This season was really clean in terms of dealing with upper level D&D, and the story and the battles were done very well. I enjoyed it a lot, and it did make me tear up in some moments, which was what I was expecting because the Bad Kids do hold a very dear place in my heart, and everyone that takes part in this story does their job with so much precision and love that we can all see it.

Specifically in terms of story I do think focusing on the school part of this universe, and how Brennan did downtime was a good change of pace because it was different to how we'd seen the world of Spyre before. As an American and having experienced my own junior year, this was all very accurate and did make me cringe in places because it DID hit a little too close to home, so good job on Brennan for that. I also think the Heroes did really good with figuring out where their story would go, and how different they all went with it (Adaine needing money vs Fabian trying to become the most popular guy in school). You go through a lot of change junior year because it's the prelude to becoming an Actual Adult so there's so much thrown at you at once, and both the mechanic and the character choices all reflected that super well.

I also thought all the battles were super good, especially the Last Stand. There is nothing I love more than seeing the Heroes flex their battle muscles, and showing how well they all understand the mechanics and the characters they've built. It's always a joy to watch people do something they're good at, so that will always make watching them flip through sheets of paper and roll some dice an enjoyable time.

In general, this was the Heroes at their peak. They've stepped it up every time, and I expect that for the next season, if/when they choose to do one. I devoured this season like I have past ones, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Seeing the Bad Kids in action is always a treat, and I give my love to everyone who worked on this season, because they deserve every bit of it. Wonderful job gang <3

Here is the ranking thus far (in chronological order):

Fantasy High: 8/10

Fantasy High Sophomore Year: 9/10

Fantasy High Junior Year: 10/10

Unsleeping City: 7/10

Unsleeping City II: 8/10

A Crown of Candy: 9/10

A Starstruck Odyssey: 10/10

Neverafter: 10/10

[sixthsensewulf]

I just can't stop thinking of lines from D20. . Just the story telling from 7 comedians doing a role play game. Whether they are teenagers in a fantasy high school, 6 new Yorkers saving NYC, Candy, Fairy Tale characters or a crew on a starship.

Anyway speeches/lines I freaking love and just can't stop thinking about.

PiB's talk to Alphonse both times, but more the second one. For me it was 100% PiB talking to Alphonse, but speaking to himself, being a helper animal in the stories and that it's not his fault.

Kingston's speeches. There are too many to list here but god I love his speeches to Robert Moses before and in the stock exchange fight.

The Stepmother's speech to Baba Yaga. "I don't even have a name in my own story"

Rowan's speech to the American Dream as well as American Dream to Ricky.

Jawbone. .just Jawbone.. his speech to Adaine in FH:FY finale, literally made me sob.

Honestly back to TUC, Sofia on the Empire State Building moment.

Bill Seacaster to Fabian in the prison in front of The Bad Kids. I was heartbroken and mad.

Honestly weirdly Gepetto to Pinocchio in Pinocchio's story. Yes that moment is fucked but the fact the others saw it and immediately praised Pinocchio and told him he did the right thing.

"It's Gorgug, Keep Going"

"Listen here's the thing – I don't know what you kids are up to, but I do know one thing: laws are threats made by the dominant socio-economic, ethnic group in a given nation. It's just a promise of violence that's enacted and police are basically an occupying army, you know what I mean? You guys want to make some bacon?"

I probably have more but my god. .I love this group of nerds.

I probably forgot context to some of them or what they were. But I am so grateful I have found D20.

[ghost--queer]

One observation I haven’t seen anyone make about this season yet is that it kinda hits the nail on the head perfectly about the impermanence and ultimately unimportant nature of high school.

Like in canon spyre has essentially taken any DND forgotten realms dynamics and domesticated them, but the one interesting thing that happens in the translation of DND to an “American education system” I think is in terms of classes and levels.

The entire motif of junior year so far is about graduating and getting credits and padding resumes, which is the realistic twist of the season. But in the American education system, you get credits which lead to a degree, and a resume which will help with higher education.

But in Spyre, everybody has a class and everybody has a level. You don’t need a transcript and credits to track progress of how far someone has gone bc it’s literally innate.

From an outsider perspective, Gorgug doesn’t need jackshit to multiclass bc he already has, by the very structure of the world they live in, he already has a level of artificer! He even mentions this when talking to porter, saying that he “got into it at the end of sophomore year”

The bad kids are acknowledged by the narrative be further than others bc of their adventures, in the DND mechanics of the world, adventuring is the better experience than sitting in school, but in their school this progress almost doesn’t matter, Adaine becoming the fucking eleven oracle, an extremely important position, is only eligible to grab her a few credits if she makes a good prediction???

I think the closest American equivalent to what the bad kids have done is sort of a work-study?

The original point of this post anyway is to say that this season is really showing school as a hindrance to their education. Gorgug could study with his parents and gain artificer levels, Kristin is still leveling up in Cleric despite “failing” for killing her god. The boundaries the school is setting for them have no real consequence. (Tbf Kristin’s thing is gonna have real consequences bc…Kalina, but still.)

Anyway this post is too long but wow I have thoughts

[jens-lyndelle]

the bad kids and what they bring to thanksgiving

- fig: food from gilear’s fridge and cabinet. it’s not like she was last minute, she knew she had to bring something, but she figured she’d just bring whatever gilear had. it’s a lot of yogurt, vienna sausages, stale crackers, and Spreadable American Cheese. she loves it.

- gorgug: literally like 80% of the food. when his parents found out the party was having a friendsgiving, they set him up with every dish possible. and you better BELIEVE one of them is ants on a log.

- adaine: ice cream sundaes from basrars. she brought everyone’s favorite flavors!

- fabian: just food he likes to eat, like kippers and other Fancy foods from cathilda. i mean, anyone is welcome to have some, but he really just bought it for himself.

- kristen: creamed corn. even if she isn’t with helio anymore, it’s a family recipe and it’s GOOD. she also probably brought some Crazy midwestern salad that she used to have at her family’s thanksgiving. it’s got like tons of mayo in it.

- riz: pizza. sklonda ordered a bunch of varieties of pizzas for riz to bring, since she knows he’ll be too busy doing investigative work to prepare something and she’s pretty sure that no one else in the party is capable of bringing Normal Foods.

[kipperlillyforpresident]

Can I say that I think one of the problems with this season is that it's not about confronting the rage inside you? That's what the villains are about. But it's not been a part of the Bad Kids story at all. At any point. We get the opposite with Gorgug, where he's being encouraged to embrace and balancing his rage in order to grow (which gets even weirder when Porter turns out to be the villain, undercutting basically the one actual character arc that happened this season.) And there's been no other interest in or investment in rage around any other character. Their character development hooks (to the extent that they have them) are all about stress and preparing for the real world. The problem Riz gets confronted with over and over this season is the possibility that his friends aren't as invested in their relationship as he is. The problem Fig encounters is a problem of identity and coping with expectations. Fabain's problem is around loneliness. Kristen's is taking responsibility. Adaine's is navigating the world from a radically changed position. None of the actual problems intended to provoke growth that the characters were confronted with have anything to do with rage. Honestly, even Gorgug's problem only involved rage once Porter got involved, originally his problem was also about identity.

Now, I still think they dodged dealing with those problems too and none of the character's really grew this season. But I think the problem with the Rat Grinder's is that there is a fundamental disconnect between what the villain is doing and who the characters are. And that's kind of makes sense. Character arcs shouldn't respond to the villain. At least, not in an ongoing story like this, a good villain should be created to interfere with who the characters are/want to be. It made sense for the American Dream to be the villain in Unsleeping City because all of the characters had direct ties to striving for that dream. It made sense for The Authors to be the villain in Neverafter because all the characters were struggling with aspects of self-determination and free will. It made sense for The Nightmare King to be the villain in SY because all the characters were asked to confront their fears. At no point, were the character's storylines other than Gorgug this year about confronting rage and violence. And, frankly, I don't think they should have been because it's not a character arc that works particularly well for these characters or for this world (a world where brutal violence is encouraged, characters who have never seen their anger as a problem.) The original character prompts were much better than rage focus. But because they wanted to make Porter the villain, literally just for the bit, the whole thing turned into a thematic mess.

Sorry for the block of text. I've been trying to work out why I agree with so many of the Rat Grinder fans' general complaints but disagree with the specifics of a lot of their criticism. And I think this is it

do NOT apologize anon!! I always appreciate analytical asks like this - and I'm glad that even non-TRG stans find my blog interesting enough to share their thoughts like this.

I think this is... a really REALLY smart ask. It's an incredibly good framework for analyzing why so many people are upset by this season.

And, frankly, I don't think they should have been because it's not a character arc that works particularly well for these characters or for this world (a world where brutal violence is encouraged, characters who have never seen their anger as a problem.)

I think this part of your ask really hits the nail on the head. Because you're right! Brutal violence is seen as bad when the enemies do it, because that's a nominal theme of the season. But when the protagonists have to get to work, it's back to the status quo, and brutality is once again just a fact of life.

I'm going to be chewing on this ask for a while. Thanks for sending it!