#and some swordfighting techniques in general

[privilegedjester]

"yeah, cause you want me whipping out my knowledge of the German longsword at the pool." one of the weirdest things I've ever said aloud, I think

[fictionvssleep]

(How to) Study the Blade

I love all the medieval weaponry jokes and shitposts on here, and in case folks are interested in trying out historical European martial arts (HEMA) but aren't sure where to start, you're in luck! There are a lot more opportunities to learn swordfighting than you might think (or related weapons like spear, polearm, axe, and dagger, but swords are definitely the main) (sword pun intended).

First: How does one buy a sword and essential gear? Unless you're at a tournament, the answer is usually online. There are a lot of vendors, and in terms of price point, safety (blades need some flex to not hurt the other person), and being up to tournament standards (so if you ever want to enter one, your sword has you covered), my go-to is Purpleheart Armory: https://www.woodenswords.com/

In general, you can get a longsword or rapier for somewhere between $200 and $300. There are a ton of decisions to make, like what length works for your height? What weight? Ring guard, complex guard? Schilt or no? Do you want to venture into dussack, messer, saber, buckler, parrying dagger, greatsword? There's a vast number of opinions, and asking around (see info on joining a group below!) or checking out people's thoughts on Reddit can be incredibly helpful. It is possible to get sharp blades, but you have to be so. goddamn. careful, and don't even think about using it near anyone else. I'll just recommend the usual steel that you can get, where it's historically accurate and properly weighted and wants to move, but the "edge" is more like the handle of a butter knife than anything else.

When choosing what to get started with, feel free to go with whatever seems coolest or most fun to you, or what you can find guidance for. Longsword and rapier are what you'll run into most often (especially if you misgauge your distance HEYO). While people may assume that it's heavy and slow, only for big and buff people, a longsword is just ~3.5 lbs, which is lighter than a lot of my favorite doorstopper fantasy books (and they're just so f'in cool). And once you're familiar with one weapon, it's amazing how much translates over to others, and even between one-handed and two-handed ones.

If you want to just do solo cuts and drills, a sword is all you need! But as soon as you want to study techniques and historical fencing, the next things you want are head protection and hand protection. These are incredibly important, and depending on your partners/group and how careful they are and how hard they hit, more or less intense gear may be needed. And then a fencing jacket and leg protection get you all the way there. Some jackets are more intense but hotter and limit mobility more, and others are more comfortable but less protective- historical fencing is full of these kinds of tradeoffs and decisions. Note that no amount of gear, no matter how expensive and well-made, can leave you fully protected. You need to be able to trust your partner to keep you safe and keep them safe in turn. And even then, accidents can happen, so it's important to have a plan and a just-in-case first aid kit on hand.

Second: What materials can you learn from? There are historical treatises and manuals out there (Liechtenauer, Meyer, Fiore...), modern books that cover the same bases with visuals added in, and a number of people have put their own guides and lessons online. Especially helpful for more intuitive visual learning, there's a lot on YouTube. For getting a feel for longsword cuts and solo drills, I love Björn Rüther's channel:

Third, while it's possible to have a great time and develop some skills solo: There's nothing like learning from other people. Joining a club or at least stopping by and trying it out is a game changer. This site catalogs every documented HEMA group: https://www.hemaalliance.com/club-finders

Look at this! It's crazy, right?? There are so many clubs! Note that some are full-on businesses with a full-time rented space and professional coaches, lots of classes every week, and dues to cover those expenses. Others may be just people who regularly gather to learn from and teach each other and spar, which keeps costs low but may limit how often or where you can practice. For a number of groups, you can drop in to try it out without needing to invest money in equipment first.

But very importantly: Groups vary a ton. Many are full of the kindest people you've ever met who will be so excited to show you the ropes. But some may have a gross atmosphere of toxic masculinity, some may encourage hitting hard to "teach people a lesson" about failure, and some may be really into glorifying European culture in a way that gets white supremacy-y. So when you're seeing what groups are around you and checking them out, pay attention: Is this a group where women feel comfortable? Queer folks? People of color? People of varying ages and mobility? And: Is there a member conduct policy or agreement? Is there a protocol for what to do if someone makes others feel unsafe or hurts them? Being ready to answer the hard questions to protect everyone's safety and following through are a green flag for a group.

And lastly: You don't have to be crazy fit to get started! Whatever may feel like a barrier to entry, something you think you have to be able to do first- "No, I need to be able to run five miles and do 50 push-ups before I could ever start something like that" - NOPE! It's important to listen to your body, not push to the point of pain, and rest and stretch as needed, but you can always start. And there's nothing like doing something incredibly fun and that requires a lot of focus to make exercise joyful as hell.

NOW GO FORTH AND STAB

[pulim-v]

what are the *checks notes* obamitsu/muzan vs yoriichi parallels. Be insane

OKAY SO. I MIGHT JUST BE CRAZY

SO IN DEMON SLAYER THERE'S THESE TWO CHARACTERS CALLED OBANAI AND MITSURI

And they are quite possibly my favorite shounen couple ever.

So to give a basic rundown of their stories, both are very accomplished demon slayers (titled "pillars" because they support the whole organization), and they got the job for VERY different reasons.

Obanai was abused by his family. Rich aristocrats, who got their wealth due to the atrocities committed by a demon, they usually sacrificed all the boys that were born to said demon, but Obanai's heterochromia caught her attention, and he was left to live until he was older. Eventually, an older Slayer saved him and killed the demon (in the process causing the deaths of several members of the family), but the experience heavily traumatized Obanai - he feels at fault due to a relative of him blaming him for their deaths, he is afraid of women due to the demon's abuse, and he cannot eat regularly due to the abuse he endured. He goes into the Corps as a form of repentance - he kills demons and saves people to compensate for his cursed blood.

Mitsuri's situation is very different. She had a family that supported her, but she was born different. Her muscles are incredibly dense, which makes her physical strength very impressive, and her need for food very high (which had the side effect of causing her hair to turn partially pink). Sadly, though, that caused her to be rejected from society - when she was about to get married, her fiancé rejected her, telling her that her strength, hair and appetite were disgusting, and only a beast would settle for her. She hid her strength, dyed her hair and didn't eat nearly enough, living half of a life so someone would accept her. Then the leader of the Corps told her to use her strength to help people, because she was a wonderful person and shouldn't waste her talents. She saves people and kills demons because she finally found a place for herself, and in this she wants to find a husband, someone who is stronger than her so her strength isn't seen as a curse.

I could go insane over the two as a couple in general, but I'll save that for later. For now, let's get into Muzan and Yoriichi

Muzan is the king of demons, and the original person to BE a demon. As a child, he was incredibly frail and sickly, and his doctors all warned him that he'd die before he became an adult. One doctor, though, gave him a medicine that fixed his issues, and made his body much stronger, but it seemed to have some weird side effects. His body craved human blood, though that wasn't a big issue; the really bad thing was the face that he couldn't walk in the sunlight anymore, so after killing his doctor he used his newly acquired immortality to search for the thing that could fix that and make him a truly godlike being

Meanwhile, since he was a child, Yoriichi seemed very different from other people. He always had a sort of pleasant aura around him, and could see the inner workings of things without any effort. One day, while his twin was practicing swordfighting, his teacher seemed curious to see how Yoriichi would fair. What followed was him being utterly destroyed, Yoriichi striking four times in a mere moment and making him unconscious. This made Yoriichi be celebrated by his family, but he truly didn't want this level of fame - he ran away, and found the Demon Slaying Corps. He joined them, and taught them the way of Breathing Techniques, though they could never be as strong as he was. He finally found a place where he belonged, though even then he was never like the others near him, and they eventually rejected him too when he failed to kill Muzan.

So we have a cursed child, sickly and weak, who is fated to die at a young age but is saved by others, who hates their nature and tries to go against it, and an incredibly kind, blessed soul, who is unlike everyone else in their life, but never managed to find a home. The difference, in these cases, is that Obanai was kind and Mitsuri found her people. It's that Obanai was grateful to his savior and the Slayers accepted Mitsuri.

@risingscorchingsuns bestie sorry for tagging you in this but you're the KNY literary analysis moot to me and I want to get your input on this akjshdaksjhdjkash

[salty-dracon]

hsr 2.5 quest yeeeeeee

feixiao is fun, she's chill but not in a boring way. she's chill in a fun way

marchieeee you've gotta do important thingsssss

love how jing yuan hears lingsha spouting some shit and gives lingsha basically a giant ap xianzhou history lesson on what politics actually went down

WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY???

jiaoqiu: listen guys I can't just give you drugs and call it a day. I gotta do this shit to you link breath of the wild tears of the kingdom style.

jdjskdghddhkd jiaoqiu's two options were 'taunt them' and 'turn them against each other'

game be like IF YOU ASK FOR HELP YOU WILL DIE DONT ASK FOR HELP YOUR ENSLAVERS WILL KILL YOU

this guy sucks. I hope he gets bodied in a really boring way. by a foxian. I hope yukong hits him with the homegoods concrete brick.

writers be like "we're gonna psychologocally torture this fox guy because we really need the fandom to like him"

hey what are you doing? hsr characters can't climb trees! that's illegal!

feixiao is so epic lmao

LET HIM COOK (LET HIS ENGLISH VA COOK!)

also shoutout to hoolay's VA because his work is unique in these sorts of games and it fucks severely

they got coca cola ads in the wardance ring LMAO

I wish feixiao's battle intro was longer and had more oomph to it lol (2seconds later) LMAO HER TECHNIQUE

ngl I kind of find the xianzhou generals' similarities a little boring. "they're good leaders with high respect for the chain of command but they're a little bit silly" gets boring after a while. need more random weirdos from this locale who have nothing to do with the military or government. need xianzhou sampo. the independent unlicensed dentist

feixiao wields awesome power and she keeps showing it off in funnier and funnier ways

dude you cannot bring American capitalism into this. the coca cola ads are just gonna be "limited wolf edition"

I knew the moment they announced owlbert was here that hoolay would arrive in 0.9 seconds. he doesn't have an ingame model, if he did it would have been leaked weeks ago

xianzhou stories be like: and actually jing yuan thought of everything and this went all according to his plan because he's so good at this (both affectionate and derogatory)

and so the fate of the xianzhou lies in the palms of two fifteen year olds and the nineteen year old cousin they taught swordfighting to last month

I want my gender to be big werewolf with sword so bad. AND his animations are insane

HEY DOES HE DIE??? DID HE PUT POISON INSIDE HIS OWN BODY AND LET THE GUY EAT HIM. IS THAT WHAT HE DID. THEY MISTRANSLATED PEPPERS AS CHILIS

YANQING I KNEW YOU WEREN'T COMPLETE TRASH

oh. oh that's not good. that's not good. I think that's not good at all. how did you fit a whole moon in your chest

oh okay she's got some kind of divine beast in her body. that's unreasonably cool

ohhhhh she's a boss fight. that's hot

yeah I figured this out once he did the crimson moon trick. if feixiao has borisin blood and she eats his heart, she'll become a new warhead, similar to the line of succession in laceron

hoolay: foxian and borisin are just labels, be who you want!

feixiao: then why do you keep calling people slurs

KILL THE MONSTER WITHIN YOURSELF BE THE HUNTER EARN THE GAZE OF A GOD YOOOOO

[docterdenseif]

How would you rank the Fables in terms of martial skill, how good can they handle themself without using powers?

I have the feeling that Wukong, Arthur, and Janus would be the top 3 but want to hear your take as the creator

Without using any powers and just techniqual fighting skills I would rank them in this order. You were pretty much spot on in the top three

Arthur - He is the most disciplined in single fighting style of all the Fables. He has been practicing diligently for over a thousand years, and seeking out peers to test his skills against. Not to mention the fact that he was already renowned as the greatest swordfighter of his generation before he claimed Excalibur. I don't think it would be possible for another fable to challenge him.

Wukong - Out of all the fables other than Arthur, SWK has the most training in an actual fighting style. They may usually their kung fu with their augment, but they are able to fight very well even without doing so.

Janus - While Janus is not extraordinarily talented like Arthur is with his blade with their dagger, they are most certainly still skilled in the art. They have been in many battles with it and are heavily experienced.

Lucifer - It may be surprising, but I actually think Lucifer would be the next strongest in terms of martial skill. They have been using Zulfiqar for thousands of years but have never received any formal swordplay training. They are very skilled, but their skills are nothing insane. One could consider their style of swordplay unorthodox.

Ishtar - Her augment doesn't really require her to do anything other than simple moves from the air. However, Ishtar is skilled with the spear. It was the weapon of the ancient world, and she had much training during her time in Uruk on how to fight with it on the battlefield. However, these skills are rusty and would take some time to fully relearn.

Zeus - Zeus's augment is their entire fighting style. He shoots lightning, calls lightning, and hits things with lighting-infused limbs. I don't think their fighting style would be much of a style at all. All that said, they still were trained in swordplay by their father during the early years of their life. These skills would be rusted into oblivion, but they would emerge with enough practice.

Pele - If you take away Pele's magma manipulation and indestructible body, I think they suffer greatly. Because of their overwhelming physical strength, they have never had to think deeply about things like hand-to-hand combat. Granted, Pele still knows how to scrap and would dominate a bar fight, but they couldn't beat a professional fighter.

[sekhisadventures]

The Choices We Make

The Glittering Prize, Early Morning

Jaie was in the galley of the ship hard at work. With four more mouths to feed she had her work cut out for her, but her pride wouldn’t allow her to let their new guests go hungry. The members of Avalon and Savage United had agreed (Grimo with a bit of ‘encouragement’ from Nitika) to allow those who had been ripped out of their timelines to call the Glittering Prize home until such a time as they were able to either find alternative lodgings for them or return them to where and when they belonged.

Still, feeding that many people was a LOT of work for one pandaren, even one with her culinary skill. She was doing the best she could, but it was possible that breakfast would wind up delayed.

As she focused on mixing ingredients she heard a knock on the door, glancing behind her curiously. “Hm?”

“Er… good morning…” mumbled Xhu Pai awkwardly, seeing her there and again having the bizarre feeling of both knowing and not knowing someone. “Need any help?” she asked.

Jaie nodded, “Oh yes please if you’re offering. Could you chop those potatoes into small pieces? Just about this big.” she asked as she made a circle with her thumb and forefinger to show the size.

Xhu Pai nodded, walking over and getting to work. She still wore the borrowed martial arts outfit that Jaie had loaned her, her silken one hanging on the deck of the ship to dry from being cleaned before Nitika would mend the tears in it that the outfit had gotten in her panicked flight from the ship.

After a few moments of silence, Xhu Pai asked the question. “So… if I’m stuck here, I get the feeling I might need to know how to fight.” she began, “I know the basics of swordfighting… but that’s all, and I think I might prefer something with a bit more… reach… like a spear… if, um, you could give me some tips on how to use one…” she tried.

Jaie nodded to her, “Well, I mostly use my fists when I fight, but I know enough about how to use a spear. Mola’raum is our big spear fighter, but his fighting style relies as much on his powers as a death knight as it does on using his weapon, so he might not be the best teacher.” she replied. Mola’raum was a death knight whose powers focused on necromancy, the summoning and control of the more mindless undead like ghouls and skeletons. Short lived minions who could swarm his foes… but to use such techniques one would actually need to be a death knight.

Xhu Pai smiled a bit anxiously, “T-thanks… just… um… sorry if I’m still a bit awkward but…” she began.

Jaie nodded, “I understand. Really. I met my father when I wound up in your timeline, and he’s been dead since I was a cub in this one. That was pretty awkward too…” she replied.

She nodded, blushing at that thought. She rather liked Shi-won. He was always friendly to her when she’d visit and eager to try her own father’s new recipes for brews, generous with his advice and feedback on them. The idea of him dead… well… she would definitely be saddened to see that herself.

With Xhu Pai’s help the food was prepared just as Jeemjazo rang the ship’s bell to announce the dawn, the various adventurers rising from their sleep (or in Ed and Mola’s case already being awake as they didn’t sleep) and the group dug into a huge spread of grilled potatoes, spiralhorn sausage, breadrolls with cinderbee honey butter, and the like.

But no eggs. Jaie had learned her lesson.

“Once we’re done eating, we’ll go find some good long sticks and I’ll show you the basics of how to use a spear.” suggested Jaie to Xhu Pai with a smile as she popped a piece of sausage into her mouth.

Xhu Pai nodded, giving her a still slightly uncomfortable smile in return, but she tried to ignore the odd feeling as best she could. It wasn’t easy, but she was managing for now.

Later in the day

Yvain frowned as she gazed out at the ocean, the dwarven woman just wearing a tunic and trousers now. With no fight at the moment there wasn’t a reason to wear her heavy and cumbersome armor after all. “I just canne believe it poppa.” she muttered.

Dareley looked up at her from where he was sitting nearby, the earthen man dressed much the same for right now, reading from his prayer book. “Hm? Believe what lass?” he asked.

She shook her head, “Arthas, th’ Scourge, everythin’ ye told me o’ yer version of ‘im.” she frowned. “I cannae believe it.”

Dareley sighed. Now he understood Nitika’s frustration with his own stubbornness. His daughter (he was having much the same difficulty with that as Xhu Pai was having with Jaie, but he had seen a lot of strange things and was dealing with it better) had been shocked to learn that Arthas Menethil, who she knew as King of Lordaeron and the leader of the Order of the Silver Hand in her own timeline, had become not just a monster, but a king of monsters in this one.

 “Lass, I understand it’s a bitter pill ta swallow, but it be a matter o’ historical record here.” he replied, “Our version o’ Arthas took up Frostmourne outta desperation ta defeat Mal’ganis, ‘n th’ second he did Zovaal had ‘im sure as that.” he nodded firmly, snapping his fingers.

She snorted, “… ‘n now ye count th’ horrors th’ Scourge made as yer allies?” she asked, glancing over to the door to the ship’s interior. Coming out of it were two familiar figures. They were both quite good friends, but then they were the only ones of their team who could really understand what it was like to be in their situation.

Mola’raum of the Ebon Blade emerged, his runeglave balanced on his shoulder as he stepped into the sunlight. Next to him in his purple tunic and trousers, a stylized coffin backpack strapped to his back and his companion and imp Guzzle perched on his shoulder, was Edwood Vargas of the Forsaken.

“Aye, I do. I cannae pretend I’m entirely comfortable with their powers bein’ wut they are lass, but Edwood ‘n Mola’raum are good men. Neither of ‘em asked ta become undead, but they’re doin’ th’ best they can with their lot in li…” he began, then caught himself and cleared his throat, “… er, ye know what I mean.”

“Good men…” she frowned, “Aye okay, I understand death knights dunnae get a choice in becomin’ wut they are… but a bloody warlock?! Yer tellin’ me ye count a thrice-damned fel-tainted warlock as one of yer allies?!” she asked, staring at Dareley.

From his side came a snorting sound. Nelen had been nearby, reading a tome of titan philosophy he’d gotten in Dornogal.

The two paladins looked at him. “Somethin’ funny lad?” asked Dareley.

“Nothing. Just… feels like I heard that once before…” he chuckled, remembering when he had first met Dareley in Stormwind City shortly after the Cataclysm and joined Avalon as one of its founding members… along with the ‘thrice-damned fel-tainted warlock’ Dissonantia.

Mind you, Dareley had turned out to be totally right about her, but it was still amusing to know just how little the apple fell from the tree.

Dareley rolled his eyes at him as Yvain frowned. “I’m just sayin’ I cannae condone it. Death knights may get their powers forced on ‘em from what poppa told me, but ye have ta CHOOSE ta become a warlock!” she shook her head, “Nobody good chooses that!”

From just behind her came a raspy voice, “Aye, well… when yer damned already whats one little bit more, eh lassie?”

Yvain’s eyes bulged and she spun around just in time to see Edwood’s rictus grin vanish in a burst of green light, the warlock appearing halfway across the deck in a circle he’d summoned to pull him out of range. Next to him was Mola’raum, the death knight smirking at the dwarven woman.

“Yer daughter’s voice carries rather well Dareley. Must be good fer singin’ th’ hymns in church aye?” chuckled Edwood.

Dareley sighed, standing up, “Stop feckin’ with ‘er Ed. Th’ timeline she came from dunnae even have Forsaken from what I understand. It sounds like th’ same one ye landed in where ye never died… or at least close ta it.” he nodded.

Edwood smirked at him, then started to walk towards them, his bony limbs clicking with each step. “Lassie, ye wanna know why I’m a darkcaster? Why I took up th’ mantle o’ fel magician?” he asked, cocking his head at her, his eyes glowing green as he raised what remained of one eyebrow.

Yvain suppressed a shudder, then folded her arms over her chest. “I suppose I could hear out a confession… aye…” she replied, gritting her teeth as the smell of preservatives wafted from Ed’s body.

Edwood glanced up, looking to Nelen. “Oi, matey. Ye can make portals again aye?” he asked.

Nelen nodded slowly, closing his book. He had a hunch as to what Edwood was about to ask, “Yes…” he replied.

“How close can ye get us ta Lordaeron City?” he grinned. Nobody called it that anymore, but he wanted to make it clear where they were going.

Nelen raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Dareley. The earthen man sighed, then shrugged, “She’ll have ta face th’ truth o’ it sooner or later lad. Not like we know when Nyloc is gonna come after us again.” he replied.

Nelen nodded, then held out his hand as his staff appeared in his grasp in a swirl of arcane energy. “I do still remember the co-ordinates we used during… what happened after the War of Thorns, yes.” he stated, drawing a circle in the air with the head of the staff. A stream of purple energy trailed behind it, making an oblong shape in the air as the atmosphere within distorted, and suddenly a hole in the world appeared. “Right this way please.” he gestured to it.

Yvain frowned, then walked through the portal… and into a nightmare. The Forsaken had been doing what they could, but the War of Thorns had left it’s scars, as had the Third War, and the Cataclysm, and much more besides. Tirisfal Glades in recent times had seen more than its share of horrors.

She stared, looking around, “Wait… where th’ feck are we?” she asked as Dareley, Edwood, and Mola’raum emerged from the portal. Nelen stayed behind to maintain it so they could return when the history lesson was over.

“Well lassie…” chuckled Edwood, “Once upon a time this was known as th’ Kingdom of Lordaeron. Now, we just call it Tirisfal Glades as th’ kingdom kinda went tits up a while back.” he nodded, pointing out one long bony finger towards the distance. “See that?” he asked.

She squinted, shading her eyes as she gazed out. “Looks like some ol’ ruin… what of it?” she asked.

“That’s Lordaeron City, after ol’ Arthas got done with ‘er.” nodded the forsaken man.

Yvain started, then leaned forwards and stared, her eyes going wide. “Wait… I recognize those hills… ‘n those walls… it really is Lordaeron, but…” she stammered, “What th’ bloody FEL happened?!” she asked.

“Exactly.” replied all three of her companions.

Dareley cleared his throat, “Th’ mournblade ‘n th’ Scourge were th’ creations o’ Zovaal th’ Jailer, but ta get them ta Azeroth he needed th’ Burnin’ Legion ta make him a sorta… prototype Lich King. From what we learned in th’ Shadowlands, that was th’ soul o’ an orc named Ner’zul. Th’ Dreadlords were workin’ for Zovaal ‘n convinced Sargeras that they could conquer Azeroth with an army o’ th’ dead, which allowed ‘em ta get Frostmourne ‘n th’ Lich King’s crown here.”

“Aye matey. I heard o’ what Arthas was like in yer timeline lassie. His faith got tested, but he didn’t change his course fer nothin’ ‘n stayed a paladin… well… welcome ta th’ timeline where he was tested ‘n found wantin’.” nodded Edwood, gesturing to the ruins.

“If ye were ta go east from here ye’d wind up in a place we call Th’ Plaguelands. Even years after th’ Scourge’s defeat it’s still ruined and covered in feral undead, despite yer dad’s friend’s best efforts ta heal it.” he explained, “Go ta Quel’thalas ‘n ye’ll find th’ Ghostlands ‘n th’ Dead Scar that th’ Scourge left. Head south ‘n ye’ll see th’ ruins o’ th’ original city o’ Dalaran…”

He glanced at her and meaningfully tapped his bony chin, “That’s where I got topped by th’ by… I was a student there when ol’ Arthas came knockin’… ‘n the fecker knocked me good ‘n hard right in th’ bloody face. ‘s what happened here.”

Yvain frowned, “So… you were brought back by th’ Scourge in this timeline?” she asked.

Edwood chuckled, “What else do ye think would do this ta me? A buncha murlocs?” he asked, “Aye, spent a few years as one o’ their slaves… don’t remember much of it ‘n th’ bits I do I’d rather not.” he frowned, “Woke up some years later near what used ta be Andorhol ‘n ran away in a panic right inta a patrol o’ Deathguards. They took me back ta Lordaeron City, th’ catacombs underneath it specifically. Told me what they were ‘n what I was… ‘n I was one o’ th’ Forsaken from that day.” he nodded. “Couldn’t go back home ta Kul’tiras… so here I stayed. ‘n we had a really bad demon problem after th’ Legion was sent packin’ at th’ end o’ th’ Third War, so I became a darkcaster ta help ‘em deal with it. I knew magic already, but this let me deal with th’ demons that were still loose in Tirisfal directly.” he finished.

“So ye did choose ta be a warlock…” frowned Yvain, suddenly wishing she had her armor and her hammer with her, the paladin woman narrowing her eyes at him.

Edwood sighed, “Lassie were ye not listenin’?! I am Forsaken! It ain’t just a fancy impressive name!” he snapped, “We’re stuck like this… all o’ us wot got our minds back from Arthas ‘n th’ Scourge. We’re damned, through no choice o’ our own. So feck it! At least this…” he gestured to his clothing and Guzzle, who waved at her with a rather unnerving grin, “… was MY bloody choice.”

Yvain muttered something and glanced over at Mola’raum next. “So what about ye tusk-face?” she asked.

The death knight glanced at Dareley who shrugged apologetically at him, then replied, “I be dead a long time before any o dis happen.” he explained, “I died… I tink two hundred years before de Dark Portal open? It be hard ta remember now. I got sent ta Maldraxxus, ta join de House o’ Plagues. I made weapons o’ war for de Maldraxxi ta defend da Shadowlands.” he nodded… then noticed Yvain’s expression, “… eh, long story.”

Yvain nodded slowly. She had been told of Zovaal by her father, the Jailer and former Arbiter who had been condemned to the Maw for his crimes, only to plot his escape using Arthas Menethil and later Sylvannas Windrunner as his pawns in his attempts to claim Azeroth’s world soul and the power it held to dominate all realities… but learning about the concept of the afterlife and how it had been actually discovered with certainty what lay after death was still something she was having difficulty wrapping her head around.

“De point bein’, back ‘bout… eh… between twenty ‘n thirty years ago I got called by Margrave Sin’dain, me boss woman in Maldraxxus, ta go ta Northrend. She’d heard rumors bout de plague de Cult o’ de Damned be usin’ ta make undead, ‘n how it sounded really fookin’ similar ta one we made but declared a failure. We sealed it away, but it went missin’, ‘n de Margrave be thinkin’ dat de Scourge be de ones who stole it, or at least usin’ it.” he explained.

“I went because me Margrave ordered me ta go… but I be no fighter back den. I just be a potion-maker. De Scourge caught me ‘n I got taken before Kel’thuzad. He knew what I be… ‘n…” he shuddered.

Edwood was watching him curiously. Even though they shared the unspoken bond that all the Scourge’s victims did… Mola’raum had never told them of the memories he’d regained during his visit to Maldraxxus.

“… he called in Arthas ta see me… ‘n while he was dere, Zovaal took him ova…” he nodded firmly, “One minute he almost seem ta be fightin’ de Jailer’s influence. I shouted bout de Maw ‘n Zovaal… ‘n he hesitated. He said he remembered somethin’ bout dem, like he dream it. Den Zovaal step in ‘n it was like he be just a puppet dat de Jailer be pullin’ on dere strings. Zovaal sealed me memories o’ Maldraxxus ‘n me past, den Kel’thuzad had his boys make me inta a death knight. No memories mean I couldn’t warn Maldraxxus if dey send somebuddy else, ‘n as a death knight I can’t fookin’ die so I couldn’t go back.”

“Ye were there…” whispered Yvain, “Ye coulda saved ‘im! Ye coulda done somethin’!” she shouted, the idea of the man she knew in such a state sending a chill down her spine.

Mola’raum shook his head, “No sistah, dere be no savin’ ‘im by den. He’d had Frostmourne fer years at dat point, ‘n he wore de crown almost as long. Arthas Menethil be as good as dead by den, he be de Lich King when I met ‘im.”

Yvain stared at him, then turned to look at the ruins of Lordaeron. Below it, the Forsaken were hard at work making the Undercity habitable again, but it was slow going. Sylvannas’ plague had done tremendous damage not just to the city, but to the land itself. It might never be restored even to the ravaged state it had been before.

Finally, after a long moment, she turned to Dareley. “Why are ye showin’ me all this poppa?! If I go home, none o’ this’ll have happened for me!” she demanded, her eyes wide.

Dareley glanced around, the golden orbs he had for eyes looking sad as they gazed out at the ruins of Lordaeron. Somewhere in those ruins were the bones of this timeline’s Misti Steelhammer. He couldn’t recover her body when he fled, she never got a proper burial. All he could do was gather what living he could find and flee into the wilderness, leading as many as could survive the trip to the safety of Ironforge Mountain, away from the Scourge.

“Because its important lass.” he replied, “It was hard fer me ta accept it too, but workin’ with these two taught me a lot. No matter what we are, our choices are what decide who we are…” he nodded.

“Arthas, that day in Northrend, made a choice. In yer timeline, he chose well. In our’s…” he sighed and gestured around them. “Aye… but both Mola’raum ‘n Edwood ain’t just undead. Their powers come from a dark place lass, but they dunnae use ‘em fer dark deeds.”

Dareley looked Yvain straight in the eye at this point, “Mola’raum is a death knight aye… but he chooses ta use his powers ta protect Azeroth. After we got ta Khaz Algar I ran inta another death knight named Garnal, ‘n he’s fightin’ fer our enemy Xal’atath. I tried ta stop ‘im from wreakin’ havoc down below, but if it weren’t fer Mola’raum arrivin’ ‘n drivin’ Garnal ‘n his partner back, I’d be dead right now. Same be true fer Edwood. He’s never once turned ‘is demons on us, or used his fel magic ta curse us.”

Dareley gazed back out at the battle-ravaged lands of Tirisfal again, “… it’s a bloody important lesson lass, ‘n one th’ Old Silver Hand tended ta miss a lot. Even th’ best ‘n brightest o’ us can fall… but those who had their lives ‘n choices stripped away, who did what they had ta do to survive… they can rise.” he nodded, thinking of Aziguni’s brother, Malgum. A man’ari, but one who was press ganged into becoming one under threat of death and soul destruction. Without his aid and what he discovered after being captured by Dissonantia, the Witch of Blackwald Forest would plague them even today.

“Even th’ darkest powers can be used fer good… ‘n…” he continued, gazing to the west, towards an old monastery building on a hilltop in the distance. It had been purged several times, but like cockroaches the occupants kept stubbornly returning, “… even th’ Light can be used fer wicked ends.”

Yvain stared at him. This sort of talk was downright heretical to what she learned growing up under the teachings of the Church of the Holy Light. The Light was always a force for good, the Fel and Necromancy could only ever be evil. Yet, this was her father… of a sort… saying this, and she could feel the conviction and certainty in his voice.

“What th’ bloody fel happened ta ye in this timeline poppa?” she whispered, sounding equal measures amazed and afraid.

“A lot.” he replied simply, “But… we should be headin’ back. Keepin’ a portal goin’ ain’t easy, ‘n we’re not exactly welcome ‘ere after th’ war. Best not let th’ Deathguards find us.” he nodded, turning and walking back towards the portal.

Yvain walked after him, glancing towards Mola’raum and Edwood as she did. “… sorry, fer what I said…” she mumbled, her cheeks flushing as she stepped inside.

Edwood watched her go, then smirked, “I think that’s about as good as we’re gonna get matey.” he chuckled.

Mola’raum nodded, “Eh, she be Dareley’s kid mon. She’ll learn, if she be smart like her dad.” he smirked, walking back into the portal along with Edwood.

The portal snapped shut and, just like that, its like it never was.

In this timeline the kingdom of Lordaeron was no more. The royal line was extinct in every sense of the word. The only ‘surviving’ member, if surviving was the right word, was undead and serving on the Desolate Council, though Calia Menethil had made it quite clear she had no desire to declare herself queen and only wished to aid the people of what Lordaeron had become as best as she was able.

The other Forsaken didn’t really know what to make of her, but her help wouldn’t be refused. They had a world of work ahead of them repairing the damage that Sylvannas had caused while still under the baleful influence of Zovaal. Whether it was a supernatural compulsion from him having a fragment of her soul, desperation at threats of being imprisoned within the hellish realm of the Maw, or if she truly believed his lies, they could not say but she had fallen as far as a person could fall.

The Forsaken, however, would rebuild. They would recover and, perhaps one day, they would rise.

Next Story

Previous Story

[waifuoftomonori]

Absolutely, yes. There are multiple instances in canon of Tomonori flexing his culinary chops (pun intended, I suppose); I think most notable is when he does all the cooking in the cabin with Shiki, and she thoroughly enjoys the results despite the lack of seasoning (which he’s worried about at first) and limited ingredients. He also helps make shaved ice that one time in a CD Drama, and it sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. I think he could poison food if he wanted but would not do so unmotivated, so we’re fine unless we’re actively trying to hurt Shiki or screw Kifu over or something.

Shiki has also been shown to have some cooking skills, although I’m not sure how much of the other characters’ enthusiasm for eating her food is because it’s genuinely delicious or because they’re all fiending for her and would happily eat anything halfway edible she served them. Downside to being an otome protagonist, I guess. (Personally, in my headcanon it’s the latter: I think she’s a decent cook, because she knows how to make a few different dishes, but she is not shown cooking either in her free time before she’s in a relationship or for her job, and I don’t think it would appeal to her more than other hobbies like swordfighting. Also it’s funny as hell to me to think of her serving up the equivalent of peanut-butter sandwiches and all the guys going “THIS IS THE MOST FANTASTIC THING ON EARTH” simply because she made it.)

Akifusa… Akifusa’s cooking skill has never been praised or disparaged in canon or any of the canon-adjacent stories, to my knowledge. I do not think his cooking is “kill someone or start a fire” levels of bad. However: he is impatient in day-to-day life (less so for longer goals) and has a strong aversion to umeboshi that has stopped him from eating it for years, which opens up the possibility of him shying away from bolder flavors in general. I think his food would likely be undercooked (or otherwise hastily prepared) and possibly underseasoned or bland. He might miss a semi-important step in the recipe. It would be cut really well, though. I don’t think you could fault his slicing technique. …Unless he got really enthusiastic about it partway through and ended up cutting his finger or something. He knows how to wield a sword. A sword has a very different weight and length from a kitchen knife.

I would still eat Akifusa’s food to be nice, because his face would crumple if I refused.

Every poll on this blog is about fictional characters only. This request was sent to us and we made a poll in response to it. Send any Blorbo-related question you want to our inbox and we’ll make a poll on which people can vote with their own Blorbos in minds

[diinferi]

BACKGROUND

[TURKS] You work for the General Affairs Department, Investigative Sector. As part of Shinra’s private spy network, you’ll conduct reconnaissance, gather intel, and undertake any black ops Shinra deems necessary to maintain their company’s near-global domination. You’ll do much of Shinra’s dirty work, but will enjoy freedoms few in Midgar would even dream about.

PERKS

[FIGHTING SKILLS] Gaia’s dangerous, and most people know how to defend themselves to some degree. You are now proficient in one fighting style, whether that be swordfighting, firearms training, or fisticuffs. This isn’t mastery by any means, but you can keep a cool head in combat and take care of yourself in a fight. This perk also comes with a certain level of agility, letting you roll across the battlefield and leap great heights to combat the foes of this world.

[HD REMAKE] Give the world the Square Enix treatment! With this perk active, each setting you visit will come alive. Your environments will seem more detailed while light and shadow stand in greater contrast. Even people look better while this perk is toggled. You also gain a glorious soundtrack to accompany you on your adventures, one worthy of Hamauzu himself. You may decide to apply these enhanced aesthetics to future worlds, as well as whether your accompaniment plays out loud or just in your head. Enjoy those next-generation graphics, Jumper!

[I’M NOT BAD] But I sometimes do bad things. A Turk’s repertoire is as black as it comes. Assassination, espionage, blackmail, and kidnapping are all in a day’s work. As a result, your fieldcraft skills are as sharp as any professional spy. Whether you’re digging up rival corporate secrets, putting down workers who have decided to strike, or passing secrets back to base, you have the skillset to get the job done. You also have avelvety-smooth voice; the envy of all who hear it. People do love a bad boy.

[LIMIT BREAK] Normally a person gets more tired as they fight, losing effectiveness as time goes on. But not the champions of Gaia! The fighters of this world have Limit Breaks; special techniques they can execute after enough successful hits. Now you have one of these devastating techniques. Landing more sequential hits and combos will prepare these techniques faster. Each Limit Break has a special effect, whether it be inflicting extra damage, debuffing an enemy, or buffing your allies. Though you only start with a single basic Limit Break, you can unlock more through combat experience and training. This perk also serves as a Capstone Booster to all 600cp perks and items, enhancing their rewards. See each description for the specific effects.

[LOCKHART’S LEGACY] Beautiful, badass, sexy; you embody it all. You’re endowed with many incredible features, from a stunning face to stylish hair to impossible proportions. Such beauty comes effortlessly to you, whether it be on the beach or the battlefield. Of course, there is more to this perk than simple looks. Like the powerhouse of Avalanche, your stellar looks are matched only by your staggering strength. Both of these traits are now linked, letting you enhance your power or looks by improving on the other. Yet, for all your brawn, you’ll never lose your sweet appearance. You needn’t carry Barrett’s bodybuilder physique to powerfully pummel your foes. Whether by your strikes or by your style, you’ll always leave others stunned! See the Notes section for additional details.

[ON THE HUNT] Turks pursue their objectives with dogged determination. They see the mission through, no matter how difficult the task or how gruesome the work. You too now have the steely resolve to accomplish the tasks you set out on, wavering from them only if you choose to. This perk also makes you a pretty decent tracker, and grants a fair bit of acrobatic skill. Jump out of helicopters, leap across rooftops, and do whatever elseyou need to to pursue your target.

[SHADOW WAR] A Turk lives in the dark, and thrives on stealth. You can’t do your job if you get caught all the time. With this perk, you now have the training you need to slink through shadows and avoid detection. Sneak through the city, tail your targets and observe events without raising the alarm. You can also suddenly appear and startle your opponents, should you have a flair for the dramatic.

ITEMS

[STRIFE-BRAND CONDITIONER] Do you desire full and silky locks? Do you seek a hairstyle that stands at oblique angles? Then buy Strife-brand hair conditioner! Lock in moisture for hours while guaranteeing your style stays in place, even if the world is ending around you! Comes with a selection of materia-shaped bath bombs that are sure to leave your skin flawless. Supplies are limited, order now!

[MATERIA SET] Though SOLDIER gets access to the finest materia, thousands of Gaia’s citizens take advantage of the convenient mako crystals every day. Everyone from Shinra’s grunts to the freedom fighters of Avalanche rely on materia to stand a chance in this dangerous world. You’ve now acquired a set of materia orbs to give yourself an edge, and may choose three known materia to add to your arsenal. The orbs you select will change size to fit your given equipment. Only exceptionally powerful materia, like those of Holy and Meteor, cannot be purchased here.

[SHADES AND GLOVES] You couldn’t do your job if you could be easily tracked. To fix this, the Turks have outfitted you with some standard equipment. While you wear these sleek leather gloves, any evidence you leave behind is greatly reduced. No need to worry about fingerprints, DNA traces, or even footprints. You also receive a pair of sunglasses in a style of your choice. While worn, these dark shades will make you unrecognizable to all but your closest friends and colleagues. Accessorize, Jumper.

[BLACK TIE] Despite their appearances, the Turks employ substantial defenses. This tailored suit is both fashionable and functional. You may have these garments shaped to any style you wish, so long as they are dress clothes. Laden with enchantments, this formal wear can defend against both physical weapons and magical attacks. It doesn’t matter if your work takes you to a pockmarked desert or a corporate battleground, you’ll always look stylish.

[FLAT] Finding a place to live in Midgar is difficult, especially if you’re new in town. Thankfully you did some work for a kind old lady, and she’s given you a small apartment in exchange. The place is small, with only a single bathroom and bedroom, and the interior could do with a little sprucing up, but at least it’s all yours. Rent and utilities are included, and any changes you make to the interior will be kept throughout your travels. Should you move on to other cities or future worlds, circumstances will place a similar landlord in debt to you, giving you a new place to lay your sword down at night.

[FIREPOWER] Not everyone has the mako-charged muscles to bring a sword to a gunfight. The rest of us have to defend themselves the modern way. You receive a firearm customized to your preferences. You can choose anything between Jesse’s zippy submachine gun or Biggs’ rugged revolver, all the way up to Barrett’s rotary cannon. Of course, the larger and more powerful your chosen weapon is, the harder it’ll be to conceal. You are a guerilla fighter, after all. Comes with plenty of ammunition, which restocks weekly. You also get your choice of a sleek combat knife or a sturdy set of knuckle dusters for those up-close encounters. Gotta keep life interesting, Jumper.

DRAWBACKS

[ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE] Perhaps another story has grabbed your attention? Instead of arriving six months before the start of Final Fantasy 7: Remake, you may instead choose to start a chosen amount of time before the start of the original Final Fantasy 7, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, Dirge of Cerberus, or the events of Advent Children. Alternatively, you may be only interested in the events of your chosen game. Should you choose, you can end your jump one month after the concluding events of your selected installment in the franchise.

[MAKO POISONING] Hey Jumper, can you hear me? Listen, there was an accident. You were exposed to a truly frightening amount of mako. The physical symptoms will fade quickly, but there was also some mental trauma. Exposure to the Lifestream has damaged your sense of identity and left large holes in your memory. You’re not going to remember your Jumping escapades, or really anything from your life before you arrived on Gaia. Friends will be hard to recognize, if you can find them at all. You may even have some enemies out there that you can’t remember pissing off. Look, I’m sure these effects will fade with time, and the stout-minded will recover even faster, but the first several years of your stay here is going to be rougher than usual. Just remember, recovery is a journey, not a milestone.

FUTURE

[MOVE ON]

[howtofightwrite]

The Self-Delusion of "Good in a 'Real Fight'"

Hii how are you both? I like your blog’s tips as a fan of fantasy fiction, but I thought you could answer a real-life question. I do HEMA (im not good at it but its good fun!) and something comes up every now and then that i thought you could weigh in on with more authority.

Theres a big guy who isnt the best, but whose refrain is that he would win in a real fight since he wouldnt be holding back. He says its not a gender thing, just a size thing.

Since everyone has to hold back so we dont injure each other (and we still get plenty of bruises) he’s right, it’s an artificial environment.

Does he have a point that everyone’s restraint disadvantages big guys more, or is he being a bit of a poor sport?

Thanks!

rub-the-rest-with-yellow

He’s deluding himself, in a variety of ways.

Generally speaking, size doesn’t help, especially not in armed combat. It just means you’re a larger target for your foe’s weapon. Sword combat isn’t about being bigger and stronger than your opponent, it’s about opening your foe up and filleting them.

It’s important to remember that being bigger does not make you tougher, and no theoretical biological advantage makes you tougher than steel.

The entire point of using a blade is cutting your foe, not bludgeoning them. The emphasis here is to point out that you do not mindlessly hack away with a sword, trying to brute force your way through your foe’s armor, you look for openings and either slice through them, or thrust through them.

Now, if you’re using blunted edges, it is true that he could cause some misery if he didn’t hold back. However, that’s true for pretty much anyone in your group. You’re not competing to hurt one another.

Even with blunt weapons, like warhammers, maces, or mauls, you’re not relying on your strength, you’re using the inertia of the weapon to cause harm, so being a big guy still doesn’t offer any real advantage there.

Guys like this aren’t uncommon. They’re convinced that they’d be good in “a real fight.” In actual combat they would, inevitably, go down with the first hit, and then whine about how the fight wasn’t fair (if they survive.)

This is may be a bitter pill, and I’m not judging you for this, but there isn’t a single member of your group that would be okay in a real swordfight. The defect is in HEMA, not in you. HEMA, like many martial arts, is a revived art. This means, at some point in the past, the last person who was properly trained in your combat style died without passing that knowledge on. Someone in the 20th Century found surviving training manuals and manuscripts and did their best to rebuild the martial art from scratch.

This isn’t a case where the best techniques survived and have been codified, instead the only filter on which techniques survived is which texts survived the following centuries.

More than that, we know our reconstruction is wrong (or at least, incomplete.) We know this because of Polish Crosscutting. Unlike HEMA, this is not a revived art. It was (at least partially) preserved. It does a number of things that HEMA preaches against, and it decimates HEMA practitioners in competitive bouts. To be clear, Polish Crosscutting is not some incredibly effective set of sword techniques, it’s just better preserved than HEMA.

The end result is, our understanding of Historical European Martial Arts is extremely limited, with serious gaps. Against someone who actually knew what they were doing, any one of you would be screwed. And that’s not the point of the exercise.

This is going to somewhat duplicate the previous point, but, as you said, you’re training recreationally. This is for fun, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, if you’re training recreationally, or for sport, you are not training to use your skills in, “real,” combat. Again, you’ll find guys who are studying other recreational or sports martial arts and hold that up as their ability to handle themselves in “a real fight,” and they’re also deluding themselves.

If you want to train for combat, you train to kill people, not to, “fight.” It’s not fun, it’s not recreational, you’re not doing it to prove you can fight. It’s about ending another person’s life as efficiently as possible.

The idea of, “a fair fight,” (or in this case, “a real fight,”) is an illusion. It’s actively dangerous to both participants. In a real life or death, situation you’d want to take him out in as few strikes as possible. Realistically, we’re talking about ending his life in less than a second. Ideally, before his brain even realizes he’s in combat, and can react, though that’s bit harder to do reliably. If he is aware he’s in danger, neutralize his weapon, then end him. Again, the goal is for combat to be over in under five seconds. That probably won’t happen, but it should give you an idea of just how fast this would need to be. The longer you’re in combat, the greater the risk of you taking a hit, and in real combat, that’s a risk you cannot afford to take. Any injury means you’re at a disadvantage when you’re facing your next foe.

Killing someone is an entirely different discipline from recreational martial arts (and even from competitive sport combat.) If you train to kill people, you’re ready to kill people. If you train to have fun, you are not. If you’re in a real fight with real weapons, you’re not fighting to, “win,” you’re looking to end your foe.

To be fair, he may not be a poor sport about this. He probably, genuinely believes he can take any one of you. But, if he believes it’s because, “he’s holding back,” and he’s not one of the better duelists, yeah, he would not survive.

-Starke

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The Self-Delusion of “Good in a ‘Real Fight'” was originally published on How to Fight Write.

[discet]

Don't know if you watch the show or have better taste than me:

In an Amphibia/My Hero Academia AU, what quirks do you think the girls will have? Not generic or the one from AWIA but something unique like from the show. For instance, a quirk I have for a crossover character is enchanced strength, but only if she is listening

I read mha until the defeat of All for One. Mineta single handedly ended up spoiling any endearment I had for the series.

Coming up with interesting diverse super powers is kind of a lot if I'm being honest. Especially super powers, since they have to be balanced and interesting enough to build plots around. I've had this ask in my box for a few days and I'm struggling to come up with stuff that's really interesting.

That said some Basic ideas

Anne: On the Beat (Inspired by 'Life Giving K-Pop' moment from All In): While music is playing Anne gets a boost in physical agility moving faster. Her reaction speed is up as moments between beats are elongated from her point of view allowing her to react better to moments

Sasha: Let's Talk: When focused on a single person, Sasha is able to implant ideas and for as long as her focus remains on them, convince them that those ideas and motivations are their own, and have them act on them. If line of sight is broken then the effect tapers off quickly. (blinking or Sasha looking away doesn't break the connection, but they must be present to eachother)

Marcy: Biblio-Tech: Marcy when touching a book or digital storage device (Up to a certain wordcount) instantly knows and understands the material within. This also applies to any manuals for physical activities (manuals for martial arts or swordfighting) and while accessing that material can physically enact those techniques.

[iviarellereads]

Locked Tomb bonus: The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For detail on The Locked Tomb coverage and the index, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

Published on Tor.com mere weeks before Harrow's release, a short story about Palamedes and Camilla at age 13.

"I count that as the first time we surprised them," the Warden said whenever he was reminded of it. He was only a Scholar then. I was thirteen and nine months and he was thirteen and six. Surprised them was right.

The Sixth expects their young necromancers to be gifted, so it takes a rather extraordinary feat to surprise the establishment. Still, Camilla thinks Pal is wrong to include her in his accomplishment. It was just her shuck(1) they were sitting in when it started.

He was "going over his numbers", and Camilla was reading a letter from Dulcinea to Pal. She recreates some of it in the text of the story, describing Dulcie doing a medical technique Pal suggested but getting it wrong and making things worse. Dulcie makes reference to staying with "Pro(2) and Mia" and their children being kept quiet which is exactly the opposite of what Dulcie wants: to hear life happening around her. Still, their eldest is about Pal and Cam's age and brings Dulcie flowers, and he has necromantic aptitude so she's adopted him as a younger brother of sorts.

Cam kept every letter from Dulcie. Pal didn't need to, he memorized them.

When he finishes his math, he declares, "One hundred and forty-one." Cam says he's off by six. Pal asks how, and hands Cam the notes. She has little to spend her time thinking about anyway, as Cohort-track swordfighting in the Sixth requires only competency (she was the best swordfighter in the Sixth by age 12 even if they wouldn't have the first clue how much better she was until she was 15) and genetic potential. If you're pretty and competent, you're assigned to the Alexandrites(3) who get deployed out of system; just competent gets you into the Epeids(4) who get "general referral";(5) and just pretty gets you into the Nireids(6) which are offworld reserves and tend to get massacred.

Pal used to joke about losing Cam to the Alexandrites, but if she wasn't his cavalier, she'd be working in data, not fighting.

At any rate, Pal's numbers come down to a his course load in schooling: a recent reshuffle of the requirements means he can't take a certain course he wanted to, leaving him six points short.(7) He says he can't afford to be six points behind, Dulcinea doesn't have time.

Before they can get into an argument, there's a knock at the "shuck muffling".(8) They open the curtain to reveal Archivist Juno Zeta, who doesn't normally visit juvenile dorms. She's tall, of a vague middle-age, but round-cheeked and cheerful. Pal maintains privately that it's a mask for her brain, "which should have required thermal paste to keep from overheating."

She hands them both clipboards, requiring a signature and thumbprint from Pal but only a signature from Cam, to come with her as her attaché. Pal remarks that she got that done quickly, and the Archivist says she was owed favours and "sleazed" past secretaries. She's far too excited and she needs them to hurry up and accept, because she needs "to be the first one through that door."

The room has been closed for four hundred years, and "Archeo" was trying to extend their warrant for control of it, but the last person who really wanted to examine it has been dead ten years, so-- can't they hurry up? But they're already done, and donning protective gear.

The halls were crowded that day, because it was time for routine maintenance outside the dome. Skeleton servitors get attached to umbilical lines and coated in brightly coloured organic thermal paste, and the greatest entertainment for children is watching them in hopes that they'll get tangled into a neon knot. Pal wants to modernize the system, but his plan requires an expert from the Ninth, which doesn't get him very far with the Oversight Body.

They make their way to their destination, and Archivist Zeta makes small talk until Cam asks where exactly they're going.

She clasped her hands together and said, "We're going downstairs--to the study of Doctor Sex!" The Warden looked at me. I looked at the Warden. I recall that we decided not to.(9)

Zeta explains that Doctor Donald Sex was known for his work on "post-Resurrection psychometry." When he died, the Emperor himself sent a letter of condolence. But, the good Doctor Sex never finished his last project, and his rooms have been sealed ever since. A Fifth ambassador had tried to get permission two centuries ago to investigate a theorem, but was denied, and Sex's ghost refused to come back to answer any questions about the matter. Zeta thinks that's the proper attitude, and hates the idea of people wheedling her ghost for insight decades after she's forgotten what they want. But the important bit is, Doctor Sex's study is theirs to unseal and investigate.

Pal says he would have expected a laboratory, but Zeta says Sex's lab was unsealed when she was young, and it was nothing interesting. His study is where the goods should be. They take stairs down to just one floor above the base of the Library, and Pal is a little out of breath from the exertion. Through and through they go, down featureless corridors to the door where four excited scholars await them, and give Juno the honours of opening the door.

The room is thick with dust.(10) Some of the scholars file in, but Pal stops at the door and asks about the bones on record as being kept in the study. When they aren't listed in the manifest, he tells the scholars there are two hands on the desk they haven't noticed yet.

The rest crowd in to look, but Cam gets a good initial exam.

The Warden had been right. The desk wasn’t cluttered by Sixth House standards, but it hadn’t been tidied. Donald Sex had put his tools down one day and never returned to get things organised. There was a pile of flimsy documentation in a tin tray, and a heavy penholder, and a blotter for stamping. These had all been left at angles to each other. One of the drawers gaped open, empty except for a nest of crumpled tissue paper. On the blotter sat a jointed brown sphere, perfectly circular except for one long segment ready to snap in and join its brethren. In the light it looked a lot like wood. Beside the sphere and the penholder there were, as my necromancer had pointed out, two skeletonised hands.

A visual sweep indicates no other visible remains. A scholar named Julia is asked to perform psychometry on the hands, and is shocked at the reading she gets: they're only two hundred years old, though the room has been locked tight for four hundred and sixty. She wishes she'd brought sensory gel to help with the reading, and Pal produces some from his robes.(11) With it, Julia confirms, two hundred and ten years old at most, and the spots where they touched the bone are shiny and lighter, as if cleaned by contact with the gel.

Everyone but Cam and Pal talks at once, mostly arguing over which colour of form to fill out. Zeta shuts them all up and says they'll need the red form and someone from Archeo to sign off, so someone needs to go fetch both and some hot drinks because it's going to be a long one, examining this room.

The scholars all filter out, leaving just Zeta, Cam, and Pal. Zeta tells them they don't have to keep her company, but Pal says it's interesting and asks to look around more. Zeta gives her blessing, and suggests he not trip on the rug since they still can't touch anything, then goes to lean in the doorframe to start writing her observations.

Pal drags Cam into a corner and says the desk "bewilders" him. He asks if she saw the hands, and she says yes, the wrist bones are uneven. Pal asks if she saw pins, which she didn't, and he says the weight of them was in the palms, not the normal center of gravity for hands. He thinks they've been pinned. Cam notes that they were also dyed, and it came off when touched with the gel. Pal is "genuinely startled" that he didn't notice that bit.

They move in to examine the hands. They've definitely been dyed, as the colour is deeper in the crevices, and there are streaks of orange on the desk as if the dye was still dripping when they were placed. The bones themselves look less than two hundred years old: something slowed the oxidation process.

Pal asks what Cam notices about the distal phalanges, so she has a closer look, Pal bracing her to lean in without touching the desk. She sees patches where the sealant was put on too thinly, and the bone has been eaten through. Pal pulls her back when she says this aloud, and stares at her. He says that's indicative of... but trails off and starts calling Cam a genius, though he won't tell her why when she asks.

Above the hands there's an old air vent, and Pal asks Zeta if there's a service tunnel above the room. Zeta says she brought a map, they can come have a look in the hall. Indeed, the map confirms a service tunnel to outside, with an internal access put in about a hundred years ago when they started updating the basement levels. She has the access codes memorized, but she'd like context for the questions before they go looking for alternate access points.

Pal says if they can access the tunnel above the study, they should find more bones.

The Archivist looks at Pal, and says all of this will go in the written report, and if they go opening maintenance doors without results, the review panel will want to know why. She asks if he's certain enough to put both their reputations on the line. Pal doesn't hesitate, he's absolutely certain.

Zeta cheerfully says they'll have to be quick, then, and they access, but for the shaft in question, there's only enough space for one person to crawl. Zeta has claustrophobia, and Pal has a dust allergy that Cam doesn't, so she's the one who enters.

There's no dust, in fact, but also not much visibility. She follows the shaft, and comes up on a grille with a skull grinning on the other side. A whole skeleton, crumpled in a position much like hers, at an angle just missed by the view from below and missing its right hand, which matches the observed right hand in the room. Cam is nearly certain the back of the skull would show an identifying number on closer examination.

Still, from the front, she can see a perfectly round mark, gleaming white while the rest of the skeleton has the same orange cast as the hands.

She takes some quick measurements with her hands, and then shimmies backwards out of the shaft. She describes everything to Pal and Zeta. When she gets to the white circle on the forehead, Pal asks to go back to the study. There, he stands near the desk, looking up at the grille. Cam says the grille is loose enough for the arms to fit through, easily.

Pal's desk falls to the desk, where Cam thinks he's looking at the penholder, as he's "a fiend for stealing pens." But, as it turned out, he was looking at something else.

The scholars return with two Archaeologists, who are bewildered, then horrified. Zeta tells them all what she and the youths found in the maintenance shaft, and one of the Collections team is openly sad that their heist theory was disproven.(12)

One of the Archaeology duo turns to Pal, obviously unaware of who he is, and asks if he touched anything. No, Pal responds, but he knows what happened. Everyone turns to look at him, and Cam says, she doesn't. Pal asks, doesn't she? Cam demurs, well, she doesn't know why.

One of the Collections team says there's hell to pay if Pal's used psychometry, but Pal says it's obvious what happened, if you think about it.

"Nobody likes a smug child, Scholar; pony up," said the Archivist.

Pal says it was Doctor Sex.

A puzzled silence follows this declaration.

Pal explains that the servitor skeleton had two jobs: the last job was doing external maintenance, and the job before that was common area maintenance. Zeta told them how a Fifth scholar summoned Doctor Sex's spirit and didn't get anywhere. Pal thinks he DID get the spirit, but only strongly enough to become a revenant to Sex's own skeleton. From there the spirit jumped across a thanergetic link to a cleaning servitor, probably the skeleton of a relative, though there are implications about the thanergetic permeability of the copper in his tomb.

He pauses for a moment, and looks a little crestfallen when nobody asks him about the implications. He continues that the Doctor tried to access his study, but it had been sealed off, so he went to the maintenance shaft and tried to go out with the other servitors. The staff suited him up, and didn't notice that he didn't return because he wasn't on the manifest in the first place. He couldn't get his whole body through, but he did manage to break his hands off cleanly and that's all he needed.

One of the Collections team calls him Scholar Sextus, which Cam does not miss, but says it's all just conjecture. Pal maintains that he hasn't used any necromancy, but he can prove all of it. Zeta asks how he can prove the bones are from a cleaning servitor, and Cam points out that they're pinned. Zeta says they pin together skeletons for a number of reasons. Pal says it's covered in orange thermalose, which has since degraded. Cam points out he can't prove it's the thermal paste, but Pal says it's all over the skeleton which suggests servitor, as well as the umbilical mark on the forehead as it's the standard place to place it.

Someone says the common area maintenance part is just a guess, but Cam points to the acid damage on the fingertips. Pal adds that heavy cleaning would have meant putting gloves on the skeleton, to protect it, but light to medium cleaning would not, and the Copper Garden uses acid cleaner, not biological, which would leave different marks.

Another, Caspar, asks why Donald Sex would have felt the need to return to his study. Pal says if they open Sex's copper coffin, they should "find something to confirm" his conclusions, but the Doctor was the only one who could have opened the drawer in his desk.

As one, they turn to look at the open drawer, which hadn't posed them any questions before. Pal says they owned that the Doctor was cagey about his security, nobody else could have known his passcodes.

Zeta still asks why? Revenants are born of passion to return to life, what did Donald Sex have of that? Pal asks what his final, incomplete project concerned. After some mismatched answers, Pal suggests a theory, but it will require him to touch something. He asks if he can retrieve an object, if gloved, and if it's in service of retrieving more important material. Zeta says he's pushing the limits of that regulation, but takes a quick vote of those present: all hands go up, though at varying speeds.

Palamedes thanks them, then puts on the thick plastic gloves, and reaches past the bones to the sphere. Cam shines the light on it, and Pal picks it up, weighing it. He quietly thanks the Doctor, and pushes the small protruding bar of wood inward. This leaves an unbroken sphere of wood, and there's a click.

"He must only have worked out how to do it after his death," said the Warden. "That's so Sixth that I might be ill," said Zeta. "But why did he leave it with one move to go?" The click had heralded part of the top of the sphere coming loose. There was a seam in it now, like a lid. The Warden opened the lid, and he stared at something within, fragile and white.

When the others see what it is, everyone is hustled outside, with half of them taking off to find barrier tape and a containment team. They all express gratitude that it was them who opened the study, as if the object had been given to the Repository, it might never have been opened at all.

Eventually, they remember that Pal and Cam are only thirteen, and send them off to a late dinner with a note of apology. Cam is hungry, but Pal is too busy writing to eat.

Eventually, Zeta finds them, and confirms Pal's every conclusion. They even got immediate permission to exhume Sex's tomb, and found the finger bones worn down: he'd tried to open it from the inside. Rather intense, even for a revenant.

Pal says, that's the one thing that bothers him: if he was so intense, why stop before the last step of the box puzzle? Zeta suggests that he knew that nobody would get around to opening the study for decades yet, and he may have had an idea of what was inside the puzzle sphere. Keeping it closed may have preserved it from oxidation. And, he allowed someone else to "benefit from his final deduction." At least, it's what Zeta hopes she'd do in Sex's position.

Pal asks if he can get extra credit points, if he submits a Scholar's report. The Archivist says he can submit, but she won't pull any strings for him, and he'll be lucky to get one point.

"One?" "Greedy! I would have been overjoyed to receive a full extra grade point when I was your age," said the Archivist. "What is your ambition, Palamedes? Wait--dont' tell me. I don't want to know, and I won't let myself influence you. Don't expire in a fit of hubris." "I don't think I should take that from someone who made Scholar at fifteen," he said. Archivist Zeta reached forward and, in a rare moment of affection, ruffled his hair. "Like mother, like son, eh?"(13) she said. "Dad likes to say so," admitted Palamedes.

Zeta says she never scared "the local wildlife" like Pal did... well, she waited seven years longer, at least. He's going to have to present his findings to the Oversight Body himself, and wishes him luck.

When she leaves, the two look at each other and give a ringing high five. Pal says Cam is the greatest cavalier, and his favourite second cousin. Then they look at each other and start laughing from all the sex jokes they definitely did not make while trying to be taken seriously. They laugh so long and so hard that the kitchen staff kick them out.

Palamedes remembers everything he's ever read, even after just one reading. Even though they took the puzzle box away before he finished reading, he saw enough to conclude it was a love letter. He should know, given how many he wrote over the years.(14)

Darling girl, Tomorrow you will become a Lyctor and finally go where I can't follow. I want you to keep this letter when you are far away and think of me and want me and can't have me, and know that no matter how far you travel, nor how long the years feel, the one thing that never stays entombed is

Cam no longer has a copy of the transcript Pal made. They burned it, to be sure they wouldn't be caught with it.

He didn't need one anyway. Nor did I. Palamedes remembers everything: That was his problem. I always remember him. That's mine.

=====

(1) Yet another word whose meaning seems opaque to my search terms! The best I can guess from context is it's slang for a very small sleeping space, originating from the shuck (shell) of a nut or clam being a very close fit for the contents. (2) Protesilaus, the real one! (3) Likely a reference to Alexander the Great, handsome and competent. (4) Less sure, but likely a reference to either Epeius, builder of the Trojan Horse, or Epeius, son of King Endymion who won his father's kingdom in a footrace against his brothers. More likely the former, in this context, IMO. (5) I have no idea what this constitutes versus the other categories, but am open to suggestions in the replies for anyone more familiar with military type hierarchies than I! (6) This was the trickiest reference to find, but my best guess is just that it's a reference to the Nereids, which were more or less what Disney's The Little Mermaid portrayed the mermaids as, though the term is used more generally for nature spirits (nymphs, fairies, and mermaids) in modern Greek. A fitting name for a group of low-skill, high-charisma warrior wannabes. (7) So, something like credits or credit hours. (8) No door for easy evacuation, probably. (9) I will try to also not make any of the particularly obvious jokes, but just so you know, I'm thinking them anyway. (10) Something that stories like this often get wrong about dust, actually: if there are no people, and there's no wind to bring dirt in, dust shouldn't tend to accumulate past what was last introduced to the environment. Most of dust is human skin cells, shed in the normal course of existence. So in a reasonably sterile, filtered-air environment like one would assume of a dome existence on a planet right up next to a star, if nobody's going into a room, and the air is being filtered before being pumped in, there shouldn't necessarily be a thick coating of dust on anything even after four hundred years… unless something else is going on here. (11) Ever prepared, our Pal. (12) You and me both, mystery scholar. (13) Well that explains a few things. How cute! (14) The tragic and doomed love of a boy for an older girl out of his league.

[niseamstories]

10 Lessons on Realistic Worldbuilding and Mapmaking I Learned Working With a Professional Cartographer and Geodesist

Hi, fellow writers and worldbuilders,

It’s been over a year since my post on realistic swordfighting, and I figured it’s time for another one. I’m guessing the topic is a little less “sexy”, but I’d find this useful as a writer, so here goes: 10 things I learned about realistic worldbuilding and mapmaking while writing my novel.

I’ve always been a sucker for pretty maps, so when I started on my novel, I hired an artist quite early to create a map for me. It was beautiful, but a few things always bothered me, even though I couldn’t put a finger on it. A year later, I met an old friend of mine, who currently does his Ph.D. in cartography and geodesy, the science of measuring the earth. When the conversation shifted to the novel, I showed him the map and asked for his opinion, and he (respectfully) pointed out that it has an awful lot of issues from a realism perspective.

First off, I’m aware that fiction is fiction, and it’s not always about realism; there are plenty of beautiful maps out there (and my old one was one of them) that are a bit fantastical and unrealistic, and that’s all right. Still, considering the lengths I went to ensure realism for other aspects of my worldbuilding, it felt weird to me to simply ignore these discrepancies. With a heavy heart, I scrapped the old map and started over, this time working in tandem with a professional artist, my cartographer friend, and a linguist. Six months later, I’m not only very happy with the new map, but I also learned a lot of things about geography and coherent worldbuilding, which made my universe a lot more realistic.

1)  Realism Has an Effect: While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with creating an unrealistic world, realism does affect the plausibility of a world. Even if the vast majority of us probably know little about geography, our brains subconsciously notice discrepancies; we simply get this sense that something isn’t quite right, even if we don’t notice or can’t put our finger on it. In other words, if, for some miraculous reason, an evergreen forest borders on a desert in your novel, it will probably help immersion if you at least explain why this is, no matter how simple.

2)  Climate Zones: According to my friend, a cardinal sin in fantasy maps are nonsensical climate zones. A single continent contains hot deserts, forests, and glaciers, and you can get through it all in a single day. This is particularly noticeable in video games, where this is often done to offer visual variety (Enderal, the game I wrote, is very guilty of this). If you aim for realism, run your worldbuilding by someone with a basic grasp of geography and geology, or at least try to match it to real-life examples.

3)  Avoid Island Continent Worlds: Another issue that is quite common in fictional worlds is what I would call the “island continents”: a world that is made up of island-like continents surrounded by vast bodies of water. As lovely and romantic as the idea of those distant and secluded worlds may be, it’s deeply unrealistic. Unless your world was shaped by geological forces that differ substantially from Earth’s, it was probably at one point a single landmass that split up into fragmented landmasses separated by waters. Take a look at a proper map of our world: the vast majority of continents could theoretically be reached by foot and relatively manageable sea passages. If it weren’t so, countries such as Australia could have never been colonized – you can’t cross an entire ocean on a raft.

4)  Logical City Placement: My novel is set in a Polynesian-inspired tropical archipelago; in the early drafts of the book and on my first map, Uunili, the nation’s capital, stretched along the entire western coast of the main island. This is absurd. Not only because this city would have been laughably big, but also because building a settlement along an unprotected coastline is the dumbest thing you could do considering it directly exposes it to storms, floods, and, in my case, monsoons. Unless there’s a logical reason to do otherwise, always place your coastal settlements in bays or fjords.

 Naturally, this extends to city placement in general. If you want realism and coherence, don’t place a city in the middle of a godforsaken wasteland or a swamp just because it’s cool. There needs to be a reason. For example, the wasteland city could have started out as a mining town around a vast mineral deposit, and the swamp town might have a trading post along a vital trade route connecting two nations.

 5)  Realistic Settlement Sizes: As I’ve mentioned before, my capital Uunili originally extended across the entire western coast. Considering Uunili is roughly two thirds the size of Hawaii  the old visuals would have made it twice the size of Mexico City. An easy way to avoid this is to draw the map using a scale and stick to it religiously. For my map, we decided to represent cities and townships with symbols alone.

 6)  Realistic Megacities: Uunili has a population of about 450,000 people. For a city in a Middle Ages-inspired era, this is humongous. While this isn’t an issue, per se (at its height, ancient Alexandria had a population of about 300,000), a city of that size creates its own set of challenges: you’ll need a complex sewage system (to minimize disease spreading like wildfire) and strong agriculture in the surrounding areas to keep the population fed. Also, only a small part of such a megacity would be enclosed within fantasy’s ever-so-present colossal city walls; the majority of citizens would probably concentrate in an enormous urban sprawl in the surrounding areas. To give you a pointer, with a population of about 50,000, Cologne was Germany’s biggest metropolis for most of the Middle Ages. I’ll say it again: it’s fine to disregard realism for coolness in this case, but at least taking these things into consideration will not only give your world more texture but might even provide you with some interesting plot points.

 7)  World Origin: This point can be summed up in a single question: why is your world the way it is? If your novel is set in an archipelago like mine is, are the islands of volcanic origin? Did they use to be a single landmass that got flooded with the years? Do the inhabitants of your country know about this? Were there any natural disasters to speak of? Yes, not all of this may be relevant to the story, and the story should take priority over lore, but just like with my previous point, it will make your world more immersive.

 8)  Maps: Think Purpose! Every map in history had a purpose. Before you start on your map, think about what yours might have been. Was it a map people actually used for navigation? If so, clarity should be paramount. This means little to no distracting ornamentation, a legible font, and a strict focus on relevant information. For example, a map used chiefly for military purposes would naturally highlight different information than a trade map. For my novel, we ultimately decided on a “show-off map” drawn for the Blue Island Coalition, a powerful political entity in the archipelago (depending on your world’s technology level, maps were actually scarce and valuable). Also, think about which technique your in-universe cartographer used to draw your in-universe map. Has copperplate engraving already been invented in your fictional universe? If not, your map shouldn’t use that aesthetic.

9)  Maps: Less Is More. If a spot or an area on a map contains no relevant information, it can (and should) stay blank so that the reader’s attention naturally shifts to the critical information. Think of it this way: if your nav system tells you to follow a highway for 500 miles, that’s the information you’ll get, and not “in 100 meters, you’ll drive past a little petrol station on the left, and, oh, did I tell you about that accident that took place here ten years ago?” Traditional maps follow the same principle: if there’s a road leading a two day’s march through a desolate desert, a black line over a blank white ground is entirely sufficient to convey that information.

10) Settlement and Landmark Names: This point will be a bit of a tangent, but it’s still relevant. I worked with a linguist to create a fully functional language for my novel, and one of the things he criticized about my early drafts were the names of my cities. It’s embarrassing when I think about it now, but I really didn’t pay that much attention to how I named my cities; I wanted it to sound good, and that was it. Again: if realism is your goal, that’s a big mistake. Like Point 5, we went back to the drawing board and dove into the archipelago’s history and established naming conventions. In my novel, for example, the islands were inhabited by indigenes called the Makehu before the colonization four hundred years before the events of the story; as it’s usually the case, all settlements and islands had purely descriptive names back then. For example, the main island was called Uni e Li, which translates as “Mighty Hill,” a reference to the vast mountain ranges in the south and north; townships followed the same example (e.g., Tamakaha meaning “Coarse Sands”). When the colonizers arrived, they adopted the Makehu names and adapted them into their own language, changing the accented, long vowels to double vowels: Uni e Li became “Uunili,” Lehō e Āhe became “Lehowai.” Makehu townships kept their names; colonial cities got “English” monikers named after their geographical location, economic significance, or some other original story. Examples of this are Southport, a—you guessed it—port on the southernmost tip of Uunili, or Cale’s Hope, a settlement named after a businessman’s mining venture. It’s all details, and chances are that most readers won’t even pay attention, but I personally found that this added a lot of plausibility and immersion.

I could cover a lot more, but this post is already way too long, so I’ll leave it at that—if there’s enough interest, I’d be happy to make a part two. If not, well, maybe at least a couple of you got something useful out of this. If you’re looking for inspiration/references to show to your illustrator/cartographer, the David Rumsey archive is a treasure trove. Finally, for anyone who doesn’t know and might be interested, my novel is called Dreams of the Dying, and is a blends fantasy, mystery, and psychological horror set in the universe of Enderal, an indie RPG for which I wrote the story. It’s set in a Polynesian-inspired medieval world and has been described as Inception in a fantasy setting by reviewers.

Credit for the map belongs to Dominik Derow, who did the ornamentation, and my friend Fabian Müller, who created the map in QGIS and answered all my questions with divine patience. The linguist’s name is David Müller (no, they’re not related, and, yes, we Germans all have the same last names.)

[starmagnets]

Spellcasting styles is such a fun thing to talk about when it comes to my headcanoning of characters because with some characters it's a really good window into how they were trained (or weren't, in Mags' case) and sometimes it's just like, wow, you literally have no idea the sort of power you wield do you.

So anyways I'd like to talk about spellcasting and how it affects my interpretations of some characters. This is a long one and delves into a lot of my personal headcanons involving both characters and how magic functions, so buckle up.

First of all, magic. It's something in the kirbyverse, which, in my interpretation, makes up souls and powers bodies, and the excess can be channeled into what is commonly known as magic or spells.

Everybody has some sort of magic in them. Some, like Magolor, have more than others. Some, like Susie or Bandee, have less and can only use it to channel elements into their weapons.

Depending on the amounts of energy one's soul generates, some may even let it off while they're sleeping if it goes unused, like how Magolor floats in his sleep if he doesn't cast a lot of spells in some of my writing.

Now that that's out of the way. Let's get into the character stuff.

Magolor, like most halcandrans and jambandrans, has a lot of magic in him. Practically overflowing with the energy it needs to make magic. And he's been pretty decent with it his whole life, having learned some of the simpler spells as early as seven despite being entirely self-taught since his father didn't know magic. His body was tough enough to keep up with it as far as non-offensive spells, but he's not properly trained. He doesn't know the technique or the form that goes with it. He only knows that rifts are a good hiding place and that he's got a surprisingly good handle on a number of elements. Not the strongest caster before the crown, well, y'know, but he's capable of holding his own in a fight and can fire off some pretty powerful spells before needing a break to recharge. A bit spammy with the magic orbs, but it's how he learned to fight and he's sticking to it.

Marx didn't know any spells outside of mirror tricks before he made his wish, though he, like Magolor, has quite a lot of magic in him, doubly so once he'd gotten some powerful magitech in him. He knew the basics of a healing spell, but when a dreamlander healing spell requires hands to cast, there's only so much he could do. Then he's got magic. Powerful stuff, too. He's on top of the world! Unfortunately, like Magolor, he has no idea where to start with form or technique. He'll spam the craziest spells he's got, along with some mirror tricks he'd picked up. He's just having the time of his life, man. He does get some sense of technique by the time Star Allies rolls around, but he's pretty similar to Mags in that he knows his way of fighting and he's gonna stick to his teleport spams and black holes, as sick as they make him feel.

Taranza, unlike Mags and Marx, was properly trained. He grew up learning the basics of puppetry and how that applied to his own magic, as well as knowing the basics of spellcraft itself (see: queen's phantom). He views casting similarly to swordfighting. Tactics and timing are key to winning, and spamming spells the way his friends do is not the way to win in the slightest, no matter how many times he might lose in practice matches. It's important to him that the art of magic is kept just that, an art. Even if he is a little envious of the way his friends can just whip spell after spell at enemies like it's nothing.

Zan Partizanne is an interesting case. She had a lot of magic in her, yes, but she didn't know how to control it, and her mother's way of teaching it wasn't exactly intuitive to Zan, either. This lead to her basically being a walking plasma ball. Touch her at this stage in her life and you'll receive an unintentional shock, at best. This lead to some... Disastrous consequences, and eventually to her discovering that she needed a spellcasting focus (which her partisan would become) to properly control her magic. She has a surprisingly similar casting style to Magolor once she can control her magic, though much more electricity-focused, rather than Magolor's rift and multi-element blasting "technique."

Francisca and Flamberge were also very much introduced to their magic via Hyness, but, unlike Zan, they didn't necessarily need a casting focus to control it. They just needed to learn the basics of magic and how to use it. Their focuses are more of a failsafe should anything go wrong. And wrong they go.

Hyness is similar to Magolor in that he was mostly self-taught post civilization split. He did learn quite a lot of basics and spellcraft as a young sorcerer, but beyond that? He taught himself the majority of the actual spells he knows and uses on a regular basis. He's a lot less spammy than Magolor, but definitely has a less careful fighting style than Taranza, acting as a sort of happy medium on the casting style spectrum.

Susie, and other non-element granters (except DMK, more on him in a minute) do have magic. It's just that their souls don't generate the same amounts of energy as other characters do. This leads to them not being able to cast elaborate or wide-ranging spells. They can, however, elementally enchant weapons, such as swords, spears, even blasters and mechs if they know how! It's a process and a learning experience, but once they've got it down, it's easy to incorporate into one's fighting style.

Now onto Dark Meta Knight and other reflections of characters. Even generally "nonmagical" characters do have "magical" reflections. Mirror magic, while relatively uncommon in the non-mirror world, is something most, if not all, reflections at least are aware of, if not able to perform with relative ease. These tricks can be enhanced by elemental enchantments (see DMK's mirror-influenced moves), but they're also magical all on their own. Most reflections don't incorporate such magic into their fighting styles, but it is noteworthy nonetheless with characters such as DMK actively using mirror magic in his moveset.

Anyways that's all thank you for listening to my endless ramblings about magic and how training or lack thereof can affect how one uses it.

[fireandfolds]

not much left to do (even less to say)

anna finds elsa writing, and has a question about it.

read on ao3 or keep reading

note: this fic was written for a writing challenge hosted by a fun fanfic/podfic server, audiofrickbooks. the prompt was “feelings” and i had to write it between 200-1,000 words. join here if you want: https://discord.gg/jufpfE5vwx i hope you enjoy!

———

“Hey, Els?”

”Mhm?” The blonde looked up from the paperwork she was poring over. She’d finally convinced her advisors that her decision to abdicate was not a result of hysteria.

They were reluctant to heed such an order, but they could not refuse the Queen. Even as she was making her exit.

Elsa had previously enlisted Anna’s help in areas she had less expertise in, which is why she knew her younger sister would be the perfect successor. She was a quick study and had skills that Elsa did not. She was charismatic, sociable and empathetic. What she lacked in grace and poise she made up for with passion and drive. Her naïveté had matured into optimistic cheeriness that made her the perfect leader for a sleepy, pacifistic kingdom.

One thing that hadn’t changed from their younger years was the distinct lack of order about Anna. She always had her sleeves rolled up, unafraid to put some elbow grease into things. Currently, she had a dirt streak on her cheekbone and a tear in her trousers.

“Why’re you writing with your left hand?”

Elsa took off her reading glasses and set them on the desk, temple tips pointing up. “My goodness Anna, what did you get yourself into today?”

Anna waved off her concern. “Oh, not much. I helped Head of Construction Peter with a chicken coop, and then I heard from the Orphanage Director Janne. She said she wanted an audience with the Queen, so I took some notes so I could tackle her concerns when I have the throne. Oh, don’t worry,” Anna quickly assured her, “I didn't tell her about the abdication business. Janne’s a gossip and if word gets out before the official announcement I’d have a lot of fires to put out and a very annoyed council.”

Plopping herself in the seat next to Elsa, the redhead continued. “I just got back from swordfighting practice with General Mattias and Lieutenant Minji. He warned me that his right-hand woman wouldn’t go easy on me, and as usual he didn’t lie.”

“Do I need to scold anyone for maiming the Crown Princess?”

“Nope, she only got my pants. She apologised and offered to stitch it up after. I got her on the upper arm, but I don’t think she was very mad at all, more impressed. Oh! She offered to teach you some self-defence, in case you were ever without your powers. If you’re interested.”

The blonde inclined her head. “I’ll be sure to tell her I would be interested. It would be nice to mix Arendellian techniques with the Northuldran things Honeymaren’s been teaching me.” Reaching into a pocket hidden in the folds of her dress, she pulled out a handkerchief and gently coaxed her sister closer. Rubbing away the dirt, she felt her heart thumping in her ears. How many times had she done this when they were younger, before they had been forced apart? How many years had Elsa been afraid of her powers, afraid to get close to anyone?

It was only the love of her sister that thawed her overly-cautious heart. As she kissed Anna gently on the forehead, she was suddenly pushed backwards.

“Oh, hey, you never answered my question! But I just remembered it after seeing you pull your hankie with your left hand out of your left pocket. And even though the dirt was on this cheek,” Anna gestured to the left side of her face, “you still used your left hand. what’s up with that?”

Elsa shrugged helplessly. “Well, I'm left-handed. Or I was.”

“How can you be past-tense left-handed?”

The Snow Queen coughed as she felt the temperature dip. “I am… ambidextrous against my will.”

“What do you mean?” Anna’s tone wasn’t accusatory, rather gentle and inquisitive. It calmed her down as she thought of the best way to explain.

Chewing the inside of her cheek, she slowly spoke. “Anna, do you remember how you described Lieutenant Minji?”

The other woman blinked. “Nope, I forget most things the moment I say them.”

“Okay, fair. You called her the General’s right-hand woman. There's a reason for that: the right is associated with positive, good things.”

A blank stare looked back at Elsa. She smiled fondly.

“The left is associated with evil, immorality, weakness, bad luck, and uncleanliness. In a lot of languages, left is a synonym of ‘incorrect’ or ‘weird’. People used to be tortured or executed if they used their left hand. And for a Queen to use her left hand… it simply wouldn’t be a good omen.” She looked down at her hands, clenching them into fists. “From the age of 3, our tutor held my left hand down and made me complete tasks with my right. We focused on writing, eating, and public speaking mostly. General Mattias offered to teach me swordfighting right handed, but everyone else decided that wasn’t a good idea.”

Afraid to look up, Elsa shifted uncomfortably and felt the cold in the room leak into her chest. Her next words were directed to the floor. “After our parents died, I stopped caring. I was breaking new ground with my powers. I still hid it, however. But now that I know myself better, I’m trying to accept all my quirks. No more hiding.”

The hug came out of left field. Elsa, who’d been sitting on the edge of her seat, hit the backrest with a quiet oof.

“I’m so proud of you. You know I love you, right?” Anna leaned back and flicked tears out of her eyes. “E, I’ll write a decree that lefties shouldn’t be discriminated against or forced to use their right hand. I’ll pitch it right after the anti-homosexual discrimination decree I’ve drafted.”

The cold seeped away as her chest became comfortably warm. She chuckled, “And how about right now?”

“I’m hugging my favourite person.”

“Love you too, Anna.”

———

wc 981

read on ao3

thanks for reading <3

[guynamedultimax]

What if Kirby had a traditional fighting game?

Listen, I know I should’ve done more “FNF fighting game characters” but i doubt anyone cared for that, and even then I lost a bit of interest, so if you actually cared sorry about that, you can still come up with whatever you want for the characters I didn’t talk about!

That being said, I think all Kirby fans here know Kirby Fighters 2. Personally speaking most of it was just the same as Kirby Fighters Deluxe BUT there were five playable Dream Friends. FIVE. Priority to the Copy Abilities a bit too high, isn’t it HAL? Sometimes it feels a bit barebones if you ask me. So I’m here to discuss what would a non-platform Kirby fighting game be.

THE GAMEPLAY

It’s the same as any basic fighting game, there isn’t really that much that the Kirby franchise can offer to make the genre a bit more varied, and that’s mostly due to the fact that Kirby makes friends wherever he goes and combat is pretty much straightforward in these platforming games, the crazy stuff comes from learning specific moves with each copy ability/character in the games and that’s also true for this game.

THE PLOT

I have quite a few ideas for how this can go:

-It’s a “what if” re-telling of Kirby Star Allies where Hyness’ ritual (somehow) also causes space-time rifts across the entire universe to be generated, pulling in Kirby villains from previous games but also allies, which would ALSO explain Dream Friends in the game’s canon a bit more properly.

-It happens in an AU. Plot would basically be Kirby Battle Royale’s but instead of shooting a loadshit of Kirbies onto Kirby, Dedede would just call upon all of their friends to fight for that cake before things escalate and Dedede loses control of the tournament to greater evils, forcing him to work with Kirby to stop the threat, be it old or new.

-Another AU idea but this time it’s original/based on Milky Way Wishes. Galactic NOVA appears every thousand years above Pop Star’s skies, and everyone tries to fight for the right to get the wish. Villain wouldn’t necessarily be ONLY Marx though, most of the Kirby villains could easily win against him if they get to NOVA and get their wish granted. Which means yes, all plots happen at once and Kirby has to deal with everyone at once.

-The least interesting idea: it’s Kirby Fighters 2′s plot but without tag team duos and with all Kirbies replaced with the roster.

THE ROSTER

Now we’re about to have some fun.

RETURNING CHARACTERS: The Dream Friends (and Kirby, of course)

-First up, all Dream Friends are coming back. You don’t even need to change their movesets that much, just add/tweak things, but just for funsies (and for a specific reason too) we’ll also give them specific copy abilities or more than one to categorize them.

-Kirby is the specific reason. He has the same moveset as his Smash Bros incarnation, although he incorporates more copy abilities (and also super powerful stuff like the Star Rod that he usually uses in endgame fights) in it now due to being a traditional fighting game. And yes, he still has his inhale. Using it will have the inhale be replaced by another move in-game, the closest one to a “neutral special” in the opponent’s arsenal. His copy ability is therefore, Smash Bros. And since the game has multiple super moves, we can make his gimmicks from the Kumazaki games the super moves: his level 1 would be a random Super Copy Ability from Return to Dreamland (cutscene is random everytime but damage is always the same), his level 2 would be using the Robobot Armor to stomp foes around, ending with a giant ground pound/fist to the ground and his level 3 is Hypernova Kirby due to the inhale being one of his most unique properties.

-Meta Knight and Dedede will also have heavy Smash influences but they’ll also use techniques from most of their boss fights, such as Meta Knight splitting himself in four clones temporarily for an attack or Dedede actually pulling out an axe instead of his hammer for some attacks based on his Triple Deluxe incarnation. Their copy abilities would formally be Sword and Hammer but with heavy Smash Bros inspiration. Meta can also call in for the Meta Knights to help him in one of his unique super moves. They’d all be there except for Sailor Dee and Captain Vul (one’s an alternate costume and the other is never seen outside of dialogue text).

-Bandana Waddle Dee’s moveset incorporates both Spear and Parasol, but due to the Spear being his most used tool he’ll be categorized with that.

-Marx is the first character with Unique as its own copy ability due to his arsenal being entirely based on his boss fight. Inhaling Unique characters doesn’t always allow Kirby to get copy abilities but when it happens he usually has their most basic move replacing the inhale. Gooey is in the same situation, but i have no idea what would Kirby get from him as an ability since he’s technically player 2 in the Dark Matter trilogy’s first 2 games. Rick, Kine and Coo would technically be categorized as Unique only because they have Fire, Water and Wind in their moveset. You could say they’d be stance characters while Marx is a zoner and Gooey a rushdown character.

-Dark Meta Knight is categorized as Mirror, and Adeleine (with Ribbon as an assist of course) is Artist. Daroach would be Animal, which is missing since its debut in Squeak Squad, as far as I can remember, but he naturally still retains his moveset of calling the Squeaks to help him.

-It’s pretty easy to categorize Magolor as ESP, and Taranza as Spider, while I have no idea what would Susie’s ability be even. Spark? She is mostly around in the Robobot Armor to be fair. The Three Mage-Sisters would be treated equally to the Animal Friends

THE NEWCOMERS

-NAGO, CHUCHU & PITCH: The other set of Animal Friends. I theorize a moveset revolving around the Cleaning ability like in Star Allies would be easy to make, although it can also incorporate moves from other abilities that have been in Dream Land 3.

-CHEF KAWASAKI: I think it’s safe to say this one is pretty easy to do just like the returning Dream Friends. He has a unique moveset in comparison to Chef Kirby that also has him use Kirby’s Final Smash from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

-LOLOLO & LALALA: Aside from pushing boxes and Gordos they can be the Ice Climbers of the game, and most importantly one of their super moves could have them fuse into their original form in the anime to reference that further.

-SHADOW KIRBY: A clone (in terms of moveset) for Kirby that lacks the inhale ability and has more attacks based on his appearances in Amazing Mirror (and also on Kirby’s unique ability to split in four in these games) and the Kirby Fighters spinoffs. Simple as it is.

-THE MIDBOSSES: They all play the same as their fights too, so doing a paragraph for each of them would be a bit redundant. I chose to add minibosses in because most of them are pretty iconic among Kirby enemies and some of them are also technically friends of Kirby’s. I picked Bonkers (whose coconut throwing and some special moves could make him different enough from Dedede if you ask me), Mr. Frosty (also because we don’t have an Ice-based character in the game), Buggzy (which I can see being the ultimate grappler), King Doo (because we don’t actually have a Waddle Doo in the roster and he’s technically not only their king but also the most unique of them) and Grand Wheelie (look, I like Wheel as an ability ok? it’s like playing as Sonic in a Kirby game)

-KNUCKLE JOE: Taking stuff from both his Star Allies moveset and his Assist Trophy from Ultimate PLUS a few references to the anime and you have the ultimate Shoto character in the Kirby franchise. Ryu mains, this is the character for you.

-GIM: Look, my three favorite abilities are Yo-Yo, Wheel and ESP, in no particular order, so I HAD to include him and the Grand Wheelie. Magolor covers for ESP enough. This lil fella looks more unique than most of the generic Kirby enemies and even among the copy ability ones he’s always been a bit of an oddball due to being a robot. The trickshots you can do with this copy ability make Gim perfect to camp, so he’d be a pretty good zoner as well.

-TAC: He’s been a Helper in Super Star where he also has an unique moveset. Expanding on it and on Tac being generally a copy ability thief could mean more copy abilities can be implemented in a moveset, probably even more than what Kirby can do. Also his design just screams potential to me.

DLC FIGHTERS

WAVE 1: Spinoff Dream Friends

Cuz these guys have been done dirty by Star Allies’ devs. Elline would be the other Artist character in the game and call for Claycia’s assistance in specific attacks. Prince Fluff would play mostly just like Kirby himself did in Kirby’s Epic Yarn and implement specific transformations in some attacks, ending with the tank one from the end of that game. Then we have Gryll. If you know how to make a Tetris/Puyo Puyo based character in a fighting game then good for you, I absolutely don’t know how. What I KNOW however is that she has a float like Peach’s in Smash Bros and I-No’s in Guilty Gear.

WAVE 2: Dream Villains

These guys would all play exactly like their boss fights. Hyness and Sectonia would remain mostly unchanged while Haltmann in terms of moveset is the same as Susie, just without every non-Robobot move that she has.

WAVE 3: Clash of Blades

THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S ALL ANIME SWORDFIGHTERS. They all pull from their boss fights, but Morpho Knight is gonna be a bit more unique compared to Galacta, Dark Meta and Meta Knight, having in the swordfighter equivalent of Akuma’s Raging Demon. Meanwhile, Dark Matter Swordsman and Galacta Knight are completely faithful to the source material, but they’d probably be a bit nerfed due to Galacta’s universe-breaking powers. (you can bet that if we get the remaining legendary heroes who sealed Void Termina in future games they’d be their own separate Wave 5 DLC pack)

WAVE 4: Revival of Old Faces

Nightmare and Drawcia are back and they’re here to stay! Their movesets don’t really need that much changes. Void however is an entirely different beast. He’d be a mix of Kirby, both Zero incarnations and Dark Matter. His design wouldn’t just be giant orb that switches between Kirby and Dark Matter faces, he’d be Kirby-sized and with legs and stubby lil arms like the pink puffball. And you can bet your ass he’d be broken as fuck.

SKINS

If a character’s appearance changed across the series’ history (like Marx Soul, Girl Blob Gooey, Shoppe Magolor, Mecha Knight, Dark Taranza/Taranza in the Super Kirby Clash games, Masked/Shadow Dedede, Anime!Knuckle Joe, Parallel/Pres. Parallel Susie, EX versions and so on) they’d just be an alternate skin/palette swap for the specific character. Multiple characters of the same species with little changes (like a normal Waddle Dee or Sailor Dee, or literally all Kirby colors including Keeby) are the same. I’m also debating on how Dark Mind would be a skin for Nightmare or if there’d be a skin inspired by him for the Dark Matter Swordsman. Zero and Zero Two would probably be turned into palette swaps/outfits for Void (imagine a white Kirby cosplaying as Zero Two that’d be so cute lol).

ATTACKING ASSIST CHARACTERS

Characters who appear in other characters’ attacks. Like the aforementioned Squeaks, Meta Knights and Claycia. Normal Dark Matter would appear in DM Swordsman’s attacks in some capacity outside of the eye laser and the Gordo Throw would return from Dedede’s previous Smash incarnations alongside the Waddle Dee Throw from Brawl. And naturally Magolor can call in the Lor Starcutter for one of his super moves. I am actually considering giving Tac the ability to throw random items/enemies at opponents, with the Bomber being one of these. It’d be a very RNG attack with the Bomber being the best outcome, blowing on the opponent’s face.

HELPERS

All characters in the game can be called on for an Helper attack, that can help you in some form against the opponent by either damaging or tampering with the opponent or by having you get healed or with some buff. Outside from the playable roster enemies that give you copy abilities would also be Helpers, but the specific ones I’m not so sure on.

BOSSES

Characters you can fight in Arcade mode, in Story mode or in a specific Boss mode. There’d also be a Ganon’s Fury (Hyrule Warriors) inspired mode where you’d play as the bosses pitting them against each other. I specifically picked Dyna Blade, Whispy Woods, Landia, Star Dream, Kracko, Great Edge, Pyribbit, Ice Dragon, Fire Lion, Masher, Grand Mam, Metal General, Kibble Blade and Pon & Con.

STAGES

There’d be quite a lot of stages, but I haven’t thought out specific ones except for Green Greens, Butter Building, a Ripple Star stage, one for Dedede’s castle with stage cameos by Tiff, Tuff and Escargoon from the anime and every final boss’s fighting arena.

THE MUSIC

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is gonna be nothing compared to this one. We’re getting all the important music from all pre-Kumazaki games, all music from Kumazaki games and spinoffs, and online arrangements with focus on orchestral (Desolo Zantas), metal (GaMetal, of course) and EDM (Acid Notation, Qumu and various others), including stuff like Itoki Hana’s vocal arrangements. We’re going all out on this one.

Aaaaand that’s it. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Stay hydrated.

[i-minato-chan]

"Honestly, I've never used a sword with the intention of hurting someone."

It wasn't exactly an excuse - Minato had a lot of training prior to coming to the Soul Society. He knew how to wield a sword in such a way that, theoretically, other people died and he did not.

The problem with that was 'theoretically'. Minato had never even sparred with another fighter before coming to the Soul Society, and there was suddenly so much more to consider. How did one modify their fighting style to account for people gaining traction on the very air itself?

However, Minato was nothing if not dedicated - and finding another shinigami who fought kinda like he wanted to was the first step on getting better.

"I was hoping you could give me some advice on... well, swordfighting in general, to be honest. I don't think my Living World technique is going to be all that useful."