#burrow's end meta

[crowreys-wormstache]

Seeing as we know Tula has omitted a ton of stuff and when it comes to my emotional wellbeing I trust Brennan Lee Hooligan about as far as I can throw him here's my speculation

Tula fully went into the snow to die. Maybe it was the same day she talked to Ava about Geoffrey's death. Maybe it was later. One of those cold winter days the pain just became too much. Or maybe it didn't until later maybe Tula just went out to clear her head and instead her thoughts spiralled.

She is so tired. Her husband died recently and it hurts so bad and her mother blames her for it and she has two wild little ones to raise more or less by herself and it's all just so heavy and she is so exhausted. And this particular mound of snow looks so enticing. So soft. It's not very warm but it's okay, Tula has her wintercoat, she'll just settle down for a moment. And she gets so, so sleepy. It seems like a lifetime ago since she last had a bit of time just to herself and it's so calm and peaceful out here, nothing like the Warren where there's the little ones to keep fed and Ava to placate and everyone else to guide and maybe just a little nap would make it all better.

Tula is smart. Tula knows the winter is uncaring. She knows that she can't sleep out here, because she might freeze. She might die.

But would death be so bad? Would it really? Geoffrey is dead, her own mother told her it's her fault she wasn't with him. She should have been with him, she should have died. And maybe if she dies now she'll see him again. Maybe Mama was right and she was meant to die with him. And so her eyes close and Tula drifts off to a sleep she expects to be eternal.

And it almost is. But then she sees her children's little snouts in her mind's eye. She sees their eyes, barely open at this point and she sees them looking at her with hurt and confusion. She sees Ava desperately trying to take care of them. She sees them growing up never knowing neither of their parents properly.

And Tula knows she can't let it happen. It almost seems to be too late but with sheer power of will and motherly love, Tula comes to and wills her heart to start pumping again. Wills her body to move and warm up and wills it back towards her warren.

Because Tula can't die now. Tula has a job to do.

[irisbaggins]

In rewatching the season, I'm noticing how clever Aabria and Brennan were in crafting Tula's story. How well thought out everything was.

Specifically, the bear. It's been mentioned so many times before, but with the context of the completed season, I cannot help but be in awe at the skilful storytelling at display here. The way in which the Blue is described to appear wrong only in reference to Tula and her heart, the way in which Tula talks about curiosity and and having experienced knowing someone who died because of it. Of how Aabria describes to Izzy how Tula looks when she heals the bear, of how Aabria specifically points out that Tula recognises the commonalities between herself and the bear. These breadcrumbs that mean little in the beginning, that tell everything at the end. It's amazing, stunning, masterful storytelling. I am in awe.

[underwaterbanshee]

I am obsessed with Tula. The last five minutes of tonight's episode just cemented for me that everything about her comes down to the fact she never got to mourn Geoffrey.

Even if she did bust a cap in him. Even if he did have it coming. She never was allowed to let him go.

She went from being annoyed and concerned about her husband's dangerous behavior regarding the Blue and monsters to becoming a single mother of two children and living entirely for them--

--just as her sister meets and marries a man who is a lot like Geoffrey.

It's so clear that Tula wants Thorn to be nothing like Geoffrey for Viola. Hearing that he completely supports Viola's ambitions has to just eat her up with jealousy and grief.

This family is so fucking good at saying things without saying them and Viola does not want to be trapped the way she thinks Tula is trapped.

And her mom is trying to get her to marry again? Every male stoat Ava points out to Tula is just another pale image of Geoffrey. Even Bennett. Especially Bennett.

Of course Tula fundamentally lies to her children. It's constant. Everything is so focused on making sure they are physically and emotionally safe.

So what's going to happen when Lila can finally see that the mother she trusts so much is hiding something fundamental? And will she forgive her?

[thisisnotthenerd]

i love where this season is taking us. finding out about the first stoats. that the stoats of last bast speak human. tula locking down bennett at the thought of walmer showing up again. lukas as either a 3rd level bard or 10th level expert sidekick. the entire concept of dr. tara steel.

in other news, we have the final class updates for burrow's end! i'm expecting level 10 to be their endpoint, as they've all landed there this episode. everybody multiclassed, with 3 cleric multiclasses this season.

tula: stoat mom as a feat is all i'm going to say. towards the end, she's really leaning into the healing aspect with the cleric levels.

initial level: redemption paladin 4

final level: redemption paladin 7 | life cleric 3

jaysohn: adhd karate boy, or all stoats in a nutshell. a true killer like his grandma.

initial level: astral self monk 4

final level: astral self monk 5 | swashbuckler rogue 5

viola: the embryonic diapause storyline is going to kill me, i can feel it. it is indeed. instead of going more magic like tula she went more martial.

initial level: devotion paladin 4

final level: devotion paladin 7 | champion fighter 3

thorn vale: anxious wife guy cult leader is something i didn't know i needed until now, but i'm so glad that that's where jasper went with him. and now he's really leaning into the cult and the power of the blue.

initial level: fey wanderer ranger 4

final level: fey wanderer ranger 5 | tempest cleric 5

ava: if generational trauma was a stoat. the commitment to the werther's? phenomenal. she died and came back with magic.

initial level: ancestral guardians barbarian 3 | fighter

final level: ancestral guardians barbarian 5 | battlemaster fighter 3 | grave cleric 2

lila: i'm living for izzy as a stoat that can sneak attack people and read??? and now lila has fireball. what could be better.

initial level: inquisitive rogue 4

final level: arcane trickster rogue 4 | bladesinger wizard 6

all of this info is available in the spreadsheet under level progressions, and also in the ao3 compilation in chapter 11.

[threetrenchcoatsinatrenchcoat]

Erika: we all remember Tula was a ho

Brennan: we all remember Ava was an alcoholic

[canonicallyanxious]

(burrow's end ep 3 spoilers)

Thinking so many thoughts in my brain about Brennan actively making the decision for Tula to not only not engage with the writing Teedles and Olliver found but also not give the help action to anyone investigating the writing... this plus the implication that Geoffrey could read and was interested in investigating the symbols and there were things about what he was interested in Tula didn't approve of... she didn't like the things Geoffrey was pursuing and the implication is also that maybe him pursuing those things is what led to his death and yet the most passion and anger we've ever seen from Tula is in response to the implication that Geoffrey deserved to die... Brennan your choices let me into your brain I want to know what you're thinking so bad..........

[optionalcausality]

Thorn Vale's backstory is going to be the key to So Much awesome worldbuilding, isn't it?

In the first Adventuring Party, we learn that Thorn Vale didn't always have a name. At some point, Backstory Events happened, and he became known among other stoats as Thorn of the Vale. Realizing that other stoats had names, he decided to adopt Thorn Vale as his own.

Speculation that fits:

Thorn was isolated from other stoats growing up, and didn't need a name due to being the only stoat around that anyone might refer to, OR he was raised by normal (meaning, not so cultured and intelligent) stoats who did not have formal names.

Thorn survived something dangerous or impressive or both, and other people know about it. This could be because it happened in a very public manner, or it could be that whatever scarred him tends to just kill or incapacitate its victims, so it's rare to see a survivor whose injuries had the chance to fully heal.

Alternately, maybe he is believed to not have "survived", but to have died and returned Different from his previous self. Like if he'd been stunned by electric shock (not dead, but maybe knocked out) or nearly drowned and was resuscitated afterward.

Or maybe he was possessed by whatever the Blue is, assuming it's an intelligent phenomenon and not just an unthinking weird characteristic of the area, like a parasite in the water that happens to make mammals smarter. (I don't know if this is even potentially a thing, I just read Legacy of Heorot and Beowulf's Children at a formative age and it was a plot point.)

... Or maybe Thorn was caught in a chemical blast from the military research outpost, and the humans he encountered scooped him up and brought him to a medical setting and released him after he had recovered.

He started life outside the Blue Forest, probably? It's not clear where he's from but other stoat communities exist, and he isn't from those places or he'd have had a name.

Lastly -- in homage to the Secret of NIMH -- he might have been an ordinary stoat that was experimented upon and later escaped.

But like. You don't become the Conduit and a reluctant cult leader without something big having happened. And what could be so impressive that even a badger would have signed up to join them?

EDIT: Corrected the spelling of Thorn throughout

[a-couple-of-notes]

Burrow's End is tapping into one of my favorite things from EXU Prime and what I can tell of Aabria's storytelling style in general: the breakdown of a larger story and thematic question into acts.

In EXU, the larger thematic question was power, and each act presented a different challenge to the party's viewpoint on power. Act 1 was the party vs. Poska: what do you do when you don't have power? Do you keep power when you find it, and who do you trust with it? Act 2 was the party vs. the Spider Queen: what could you do with enormous power? Do you resist the temptation or give in? What would the course of your life look like if you had more power? And Act 3 was the party vs. Muratta/Mud Ted: what would push you to accept this power and its consequences? What would you be willing to give up?

Six episodes in, I can see Burrow's End, similarly, breaking down into that same act structure. The larger thematic questions are around home, safety, family, violence: who do you protect, and what would you give to protect them?

Act 1 was our stupendous stoats vs. the wood/the outside world, seeking safety from external threats like the bear or lack of shelter and food. How do you make a home faced with these threats? How can you find safety when you're just a small group against this whole world? Does this new environment change the dynamics of your family? What kind of violence are you willing or able to enact to protect them?

Act 2 was our excellent ermines vs. the society of Last Bast, finding safety from external threats but facing internal tensions they're not prepared for. How do you make a home inside the threats of an institution? What does safety look like when you're lost in and expected to conform to this larger group? Does this new environment change the dynamics of your family? And how is the violence here similar or different to the kind you already know?

And Act 3? I think it's just starting as our capsizing creatures make their way into another environment (as far as I can tell, the creepy underground lair of the First Stoats). I don't know how it's going to wrap up, but I'm excited to see the other facets of these themes explored. Will it be the First Stoats' use of violence and exploitation for survival against the humans? Will it be tensions within the family rising and coming to a head? Will it just be more hats?

I guess we'll see. But I just love the way this structure allows us to build on the world and story progression in understandable, thematically-rich ways, and how it preserves the sense of narrative pacing and momentum. As Brennan said: this show rules.

[trans-leek-cookie]

also random thing that "Charlie" is generally C in like. Military alphabet - Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo etc so I wonder if that's why it was chosen for the reactor? Bc otherwise it's a weirdly human name (maybe idk abt reactor naming conventions). Anyway I doubt it's That Many but I wonder- if it is military alphabet- if they needed 26 different names

[thenerdypen]

I feel Iike part of the reason Bugs likes Daffy so damn much is that Daffy doesn’t buy into his hype at all. It’s canon that Bugs like Daffy because his unpredictability brings a certain chaos that is lacking in his life. (Thanks Looney Tunes Show)

Bugs’ whole shtick is that he’s cool under pressure and never loses because he knows how to meta-textually game the story by making himself an under-dog. Towards the end of the looney tunes originally run of cartoons, Bugs starts replaying the same dynamics over and over, being depicted as universally beloved and unable to fail. Considering what a menace he is in his early work, I imagine him getting very bored of that very quickly. (This isn’t dunking on Chuck Jones era at all, he’s actually my favorite of the directors) Then he starts being paired with Daffy in shorts and it’s electric. The Hunting Season trilogy is probably the best remembered of the shorts for a reason. Daffy sees through Bugs usual gags, he literally snatches his wig and calls him out for being cliche. He can’t win against him as it would break the formula, but he makes it interesting again.

Over the years there’s a real kinship there that Bugs doesn’t have with anyone else. Do we get shorts or cameos about Bugs going on vacation with Elmer Fudd or Wile E Coyote or even Porky Pig? Of course not, as far as we know Daffy is his only REAL friend. I mean he has friends in the Looney Tunes Show but before that we never see him hanging around anyone else in a significant way. Even in Space Jam 2 despite them forcing that whole Looney Family thing we don’t see him talk to anyone other than Lebron and mandated loved interest. (I love TLTS Lola but Space Jam Lola doesn’t have a personality…sorry) The truth is Bugs is pretty closed off, he acts too cool for the room and keeps himself distant. However Daffy isn’t one to back down from anything no matter how futile, and that’s exactly what makes him daffy. He’s too crazy to know better and finds a way under Bugs skin. He doesn’t let Bugs retreat into his untouchable star persona, he calls him out and shows up at his burrow for dinner every night and gets him into competitions or new sticky situations. He brings out a side to Bugs that literally no one else does which is why Bugs will fight to keep him around even if he doesn’t want to admit it.

And of course, Bugs gets Daffy in a special way. That’s why he’s able to piss him off so much lol. These two are a truly iconic duo for a reason. They get each other in a way no one else can and that’s why they should kiss sometimes…

[eliastheownerof0axolotls]

@kirbyoctournament i am so scared

✿Flower Waddle Dee!✿

Flower waddle dee is a sweet, shy and introverted waddle dee that lives on the outskirts of Dreamland in Whispy's Woods in a nice little cabin on her own, like her name implies, she's a gardener and sells different types of flowers that she grows herself to those in Dreamland. she is a very sweet gal and hates crowded places and confrontation (she's a massive pushover, y'all have free reign to bully her as you wish)

❗BACKSTORY❗

TW FOR THE FOLLOWING:

CHILD AB*SE

CHILD INDANGERMENT

CHILD NEGLECT

CHILD LABOR

DESCRIPTION OF LIFE CHANGING INJURY

⚠️YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ⚠️

Flower waddle dee did not have a great childhood, her father walked out on her and her mother when she was young, so she has no emotional connection to him, while her mother was extremely ab*sive and violent towards her.

Flower waddle dee's mother would force her to essentially be a house maid and forced Flower waddle dee to make a business out of her gardening when she was very young and then would take Flower waddle dee's hard earned money for herself.

Flower waddle dee had to endure physical ab*se, emotional ab*se, verbal ab*se and more, she's even made a little burrow outside and under her house for when her mother would lock her outside in the freezing or boiling weathers.

Though eventually Flower waddle dee's mother had enough and walked out on her as well, forcing Flower waddle dee to basically raise herself on her own, she continued to do what her mother used to force her to do since she felt lost when not doing so which is why even as an adult, and much happier, Flower waddle dee is still living in that exact same house.

One day while selling her flowers, the Dreamland market place was attacked by a large monster, the waddle dees there all scattered in a panic but Flower waddle dee noticed from her hiding place that a little waddle dee kit had been left behind in said panic and in a moment of bravery, Flower waddle dee made a dash for the child and curled around them to protect them, which worked, but left a disgustingly horridly jagged scar down the entirety of her back, the doctors were surprised that she was still able to walk and move, though somedays pain flairs up in that area, rendering her immobile.

The monster ended up being defeated by none other than Meta knight himself, and Flower waddle dee found herself infatuated with Meta knight ever since then (not in a romantic sense but in a she's a massive Meta knight fan girl sense).

But yeah, here's my sweet baby girl! I hope you all enjoy her and see you all (possibly) in the tournament!!✨

[bittersweetresilience]

miraculous masterpost 🦚

writing

sentitwin soulmate au (Félix and Adrien are soulmates. Amélie and Emilie used to be just as close. Ongoing.) ghost félix au (Félix just wanted it to stop hurting. Ongoing.) sentitwin omori au (Adrien wakes up. Emilie is home. Ongoing.)

never been in love (Félix comes to terms with being aromantic.) metempsychosis (Félix is in a time loop.) i've drowned and dreamt this (Adrien has a problem.) no one listens to the dead (Félix and Adrien switch places.) oh, no, not again (For Félix, time travel is a dangerous thing.) band-aid (Adrien helps Félix through a panic attack.) for what we've done (During Emotion, Marinette chooses differently.) garden of dreams (Adrien takes care of Félix when he dissociates.) i want to hold the hand inside you (Félix gives Marinette his ring.) loose leaves (Marinette shares a morning with Félix and Kagami.) come alive when the light dies (Ladybug remembers Patte de Velours in the Burrow.) in certain light, i can plainly see (Félix lets Marinette kiss his hand.) handle with care (Félix takes Adrien to meet his horse.) aftertaste (Ladybug brings Adrien to a picnic date.)

better left unsaid (Snake Noir visits Félix after Réplique.) brave, truthful, and unselfish (Five times Félix lied to Adrien.) ephialtes / reverie (Félix survives the night of the Diamonds' Dance.) sleep (Runaway Chat Noir and Félix have a conversation.)

and a couple others i haven't made posts for which you can find here!

analysis

why félix makes me insane why i read félix as aromantic why félix would go by his father's last name random félix defenses in my stash timeline of félix events

félix and flairmidable as pandora's myth félix as a classical or method actor sentitwin sun and moon symbolism

sentitwin soulmate au meta / more / more

every scene where the miraculous theme song plays in minor definitely not every scene where in the rain plays

parallels between marinette, adrien, gabriel, and émilie parallels between exaltation and chat blanc parallels between gabemilie and feligami

french history and gabriel's color palette plikki at the end of the world

adrien agreste and borderline personality disorder

webweaves

félix fathom amélie graham de vanily felinette / more / more philosophy / more the whiteness of the whale hearth and thirteen paris special chat blanc twins / more feligami ladyvelours team is a four letter word

amvs

how far we've come / miraculous ladybug i could fight on a wall / ladynoir emperor's new clothes / félix fathom i can't decide / félix fathom end credits / felinette this side of paradise / ladrien savior / ladyblanc tightrope / djwifi are you bored yet? / kuro neko way down we go / félix fathom

playlists

émilie agreste kitty section

gifs

sentitwins felinette / more / more / more feligami / more félix fathom the wish

fic recs

félix sentitwins feligami ladynoir

other

miraculous frozen au miraculous infinity train au

murder at the graham de vanily dinner party birds of a feather

as time goes by podfic

thirteen poem félix poem

in the rain a capella

[irisbaggins]

Spoilers ahead for the finale!

An aspect of the final battle that got lost after Viola's amazing attack, was the fact that Tula nearly killed her son. And that, I think, is something I would really like to delve my teeth into, to properly look at what happened.

The thing that struck me the most during Tula's attack on her son, was that Jaysohn did manage to snap her out of it. In the context of the story, Jaysohn grappled his mom to get her to stop, and even after getting viciously bit by her, he still managed to get her back to herself. He managed to get to his mom fast enough, and used himself to protect the others from the mindless being Tula had become. And, even when faced with near death, this little kid manages to get back up and attack the creature that did this to his mother. Not once did he blame her, having understood enough about the situation to realise his mom was not in control. He knows, he understood, that this was Phoebe, not Tula. And so, the moment he is able to free his mom, still wounded and near death's door, he goes after Phoebe so that his mom won't be taken again.

Tula, however, was aware of everything she did to Jaysohn. She was painfully aware of how badly she hurt her son, how she nearly killed him. And, as Brennan describes;

She is broken, in a way she has never been before. She nearly killed her baby, used as a puppet because she's alive when she should have been dead. The Blue that keeps her alive is what nearly caused her to kill her son. Tula nearly lost everything, yet, once more, it was hope and love that brought her back once more. Her son brought her back.

However, she was silent for the rest of the battle until Phoebe finally fell, and Jaysohn nearly died. She was quiet, too horrified with what she nearly did. Perhaps, had more time been afforded to that moment with Tula and Jaysohn before he decided to retaliate against Phoebe, there would have been...something...that went on. A focus on the fact that it was Tula who went for another member of their family, whilst Ava went for the ground and the reactor. What would that do to her, I cannot help but wonder. What did that do to her, in the immediate aftermath, when she could slow down and process what happened. She must live with the knowledge she nearly killed her own child, and that, had he been just a little weaker or just a little slower, she would've succeeded. She might have been able to bring him back, like she did with Sybil...but she would have to live with the knowledge that she took her son's life. And that thought is horrifying.

Yet, it makes her gentleness with Lukas later all the more significant. Even with the blood of her son on her hands, she still chooses to hope for a better tomorrow. She still chooses to give Lukas - and herself - another chance, another tomorrow. Bad things could have happened, but they didn't, and they all made it out. The "what ifs" will remain in the shadows, in the nightmares, but in the daylight, she will keep her head high. It doesn't lessen the impact of her deeds or her burdens, but it can make them bearable. And, with the addition of her son's refusal to blame her, it makes it just the little easier. She deserves a new tomorrow, too.

[wynought]

So, just like my previous post on the First Stoat's names let's look into the new information we found out in the latest episode (Burrow's End episode 8 spoilers under the cut)

So let's get the most important thing out of the way first, cause there's a lot to go through here: Obviously, Phoebe also means light - the name originates from the Ancient Greek word φοῖβος (phoibos) for "pure", "bright", "radiant" etc.

The word itself was used as an epithet for the sibling deities Apollo (god of, among other things, sun and prophecy) and Artemis (goddess of, among other things, the moon, wild animals, and the hunt). They inherit this name from their grandmother, the Titaness Phoebe who is associated by proxy with the moon and prophecy, but not actually a deity of anything. For her, it seems to be mostly a name, while it is used more akin to a title for her grandchildren.

In honour of Phoebe the Titan, one of the moons of Saturn has been named after her. It is called an irregular satellite, meaning it follows an eccentric, distant orbit which also happens to be retrograde (aka it moves opposite to the rotation of the body it orbits). With a diameter of 213km Phoebe is the most massive of Saturn's irregular satellites, and the second largest retrograde satellite in the Solar System (after Neptune's moon Triton).

There is a Phoebe mentioned in the Bible (New Testament, Paul's Epistle to the Romans). She is described as a deacon (apparently the only woman named as a deacon in the Bible) and Paul speaks highly of her - from skimming the Wikipedia article on the biblical Phoebe this part seems to be some kind of letter of recommendation. It is unclear, what community Paul intends to recommend her to, but some scholars seem to believe that she was, in fact, the emissary who delivered Paul's epistle to Rome in the first place.

(Incidentally, the aforementioned Wikipedia article mentions that the Catholic Church puts her feast day on September 3rd which is my birthday, and my chosen name is Paul, which has nothing to do with this meta, but I just found it funny.)

Anyways. There is also a species of bird called Phoebe in the tyrant flycatcher family (aka Tyrannidae); they live on insects and originally got their scientific name from being loudly territorial and aggressive. And since we, apparently, don't have enough things called Phoebe yet, there's also a genus of evergreen laurels called Phoebe.

To me, this paints a vivid picture: A Titan specifically known for being the progenitor of the Sun and Moon deities, somebody associated with prophecy ("She'll come back" comes to mind as a pertinent prophecy we have on her right now). Phoebe is, of course, the only female First Stoat we have encountered so far. I have a few unformed thoughts on the whole 'emissary' bit (which is, arguably, the piece of information with the least solid grounds presented here; but still, why is Phoebe gone from Last Bast in the first place? Is she an emissary sent by the First Stoats to somewhere else/the humans? How did the First Stoats conquer Warren Peace originally - they didn't just do that on their own, maybe they are the 'emissaries' sent there to actively sabotage the plant?).

The one thing I am certain of, is that First Stoat Phoebe is going to be just as territorial and aggressive as her Tyrannidae namesakes, if not more so.

[thisisnotthenerd]

guess who's back! that's right, it's another edition of thisisnotthenerd's d20 stats. this time we're talking level progression.

a few disclaimers: this is only inclusive of initial and final levels. i may go through each season to find the exact points of change and the full progression at some point, but not right now. i don't have the time for that. this is already incredibly long with just initial and final levels. anyways:

level progressions

these are sorted into a couple of categories: major level progressions, minor level progressions, nonprogression seasons, and nonleveled seasons (which basically just means they are non dnd seasons).

to start we have:

major level progression seasons

this includes most of the intrepid heroes' seasons, plus a couple of sidequests that had or are in the process of having major level changes. major level changes means the party levels up two or more levels during the season. without further ado:

fantasy high freshman year: this season had a fairly standard progression; everyone starting from level one, milestone leveling with each battle until they hit level 8 for the finale.

fig faeth:

initial level: bard 1

final level: whispers bard 8

gorgug thistlespring:

initial level: barbarian 1

final level: berserker barbarian 1

adaine abernant:

initial level: wizard 1

final level: divination wizard 8

fabian seacaster:

initial level: fighter 1

final level: champion fighter 8

kristen applebees:

initial level: life cleric 1

final level: life cleric 8

riz gukgak:

initial level: rogue 1

final level: inquisitive rogue 8

the unsleeping city: this season follows a similar progression to fantasy high--the characters just start at level 3 instead of level 1. this let them start with subclasses and a more features that let them swing harder in battle earlier.

ricky matsui:

initial level: devotion paladin 3

final level: devotion paladin 10

sofia lee:

initial level: drunken master monk 3

final level: drunken master monk 8 | hexblade warlock 2

kingston brown:

initial level: city cleric 3

final level: city cleric 10

misty moore/rowan berry:

initial level: lore bard 3

final level: lore bard 10

kugrash:

initial level: shepherd druid 3

final level: shepherd druid 10

pete conlan:

initial level: wild magic sorcerer 3

final level: wild magic sorcerer 10

a crown of candy: this season was a little different because of the initial party composition--the adults started at level 3, while liam and the twins started at levels 2 and 1 respectively. the entry points of cumulous and saccharina obviously affected their starting levels, since they had to match the party at the point of entry. there was also more multiclassing and subclass switches for story reasons this season. just a bit more complexity as d20 itself got more complex.

liam wilhelmina: the most effective subclass switch i think ever. he became a war guy.

initial level: ranger 2 (took beastmaster after 1st battle)

final level: gloomstalker ranger 6 | assassin rogue 4

theobald gumbar:

initial level: eldritch knight 3

final level: eldritch knight 10

jet rocks: she started in rogue with martial adept to match ruby, multiclassed into fighter and dropped her rogue level before she died.

initial level: rogue 1

final level: battlemaster fighter 7

ruby rocks:

initial level: rogue 1

final level: arcane trickster rogue 9 | shadow sorcerer 1

amethar rocks:

initial level: storm herald barbarian 3

final level: storm herald barbarian 5 | battlemaster fighter 5

lapin cadbury:

initial level: celestial warlock 3

final level: celestial warlock 5

cumulous rocks: came in as a cloud, cried over magic, killed chickens for temp hp

initial level: long death monk 6

final level: long death monk 10

saccharina frostwhip: a powerful queen

initial level: storm sorcerer 6 | tempest cleric 2

final level: storm sorcerer 8 | tempest cleric 2

the unsleeping city chapter 2: only a couple of subclass switches this season, but more new characters that played in the multiclass space.

ricky matsui:

initial level: redemption paladin 12

final level: redemption paladin 10

sofia lee:

initial level: shadow monk 8 | hexblade warlock 2

final level: shadow monk 10 | hexblade warlock 2

kingston brown:

initial level: city cleric 10

final level: city cleric 12

iga lisowski: she comes in statted with the party, but it tracks because she's been the steward of a magic Polish dragon box for decades.

initial level: genie warlock 10

final level: genie warlock 10 | draconic sorcerer 2

rowan berry: she comes in late and so only really has the opportunity to start at level 12

initial level: lore bard 12

final level: lore bard 12

cody walsh: can you imagine your intro to magic being selling your soul to a lesser devil and instantly jumping to level 10. he's so bad at everything that it balances. the athletics checks? insane. absolute loser of a mall goth sword guy. a time capsule of the year 2003.

initial level: oathbreaker paladin 10

final level: oathbreaker paladin 12

pete conlan:

initial level: wild magic sorcerer 10

final level: wild magic sorcerer 12

a starstruck odyssey: this season isn't precisely DND and so works a little differently. the party started with level differences: all nonhumans started at level 3, the humans started at level 2, and gunnie was level 1. i think this was indicative of the fact that a) takamori leveled up by getting brain slugged, b) margaret leveled up by undergoing a quarter-life crisis, and c) gunnie probably joined the ship more recently. they also have ship deployments that they take levels in to be able to competently run a ship. deployments are indicated in [brackets] like so.

gunnie miggles-rashbax:

initial level: engineer 1 [mechanic 1]

final level: engineer 6 [mechanic 3]

riva:

initial level: suggestion consular 3 [coordinator 1]

final level: suggestion consular 6 [coordinator 3]

norman 'skip' takamori

initial level: operative 2 [pilot 1]

final level: lethality operative 6 [pilot 3]

margaret encino:

initial level: scholar 2 [operator 1]

final level: politician pursuit scholar 6 [operator 3]

sundry sidney:

initial level: corsair sentinel 3 [gunner 1]

final level: corsair sentinel 6 [gunner 3]

big barry syx:

initial level: ballistic berserker 3 [gunner 1]

final level: ballistic berserker 6 [gunner 3]

neverafter: this season marks the first level 1 party since fantasy high, and also follows a similar level progression pattern. however, they got episode 3'd, and so skipped levels 2 & 3. they woke up with subclasses. the baba yaga also helped them skip from level 6 to level 8 iirc.

rosamund du prix

initial level: ranger 1

final level: swarmkeeper ranger 5 | stars druid 2 | fighter 1

mother timothy goose:

initial level: bard 1

final level: lore bard 8

pinocchio:

initial level: archfey warlock 1

final level: destiny (homebrew) warlock 8

puss in boots (pib):

initial level: rogue 1

final level: mastermind rogue 8

gerard of greenleigh:

initial level: fighter 1

final level: battlemaster fighter 8

ylfa snorgelsson:

initial level: barbarian 1

final level: bear totem barbarian 6 | moon druid 2

the ravening war: here's where the distinction between 'leveled up two or more times' and leveled up two or more levels' has to be made. technically there's really only one major change during the season, but they go from level 4-5 to level 9, so it's counted as a significant jump.

delissandro katzon: this is the second time lou wilson has played a fighter barbarian in calorum. truly i would have two nickels. also the second time he's played a champion fighter that switched to battlemaster and multiclassed. really starting to collect nickels here.

initial level: champion fighter 5

final level: battlemaster fighter 8 | barbarian 1

raphaniel charlock: i don't feel like tracking his titles. also he has so many feats. dear god.

initial level: eloquence bard 4 | rogue 1

final level: eloquence bard 6 | rogue 3

karna solara: the third triple multiclass in d20 history. the only characters that i can think of that are of equivalent assassin vibes are liam, gangie, and skip.

initial level: whispers bard 3 | great old one warlock 2

final level: phantom rogue 4 | whispers bard 3 | great old one warlock 2

colin provolone: oh what a guy. a traditional mercenary if you ever saw one

initial level: battlemaster fighter 3 | rogue 2

final level: battlemaster fighter 6 | swashbuckler rogue 3

lady amangeaux epiceé du peche: she starts lower level than the rest of the party because she's more naive and less prepared for the intrigue and assassination plots. she's the only to not multiclass in this season. the only one.

initial level: arcane trickster rogue 4

final level: arcane trickster rogue 9

burrow's end: i know that it's the ongoing season, but evidenced by the fact that they double leveled up in episode 2, i have a feeling this is going to be a major leveling season. i'm anticipating level 10 as a stopping point, but who knows where they go from here.

tula: stoat mom as a feat is all i'm going to say

initial level: redemption paladin 4

final level: ?

jaysohn: adhd karate boy, or all stoats in a nutshell

initial level: astral self monk 4

final level: ?

viola: the embryonic diapause storyline is going to kill me, i can feel it.

initial level: devotion paladin 4

final level: ?

thorn vale: anxious wife guy cult leader is something i didn't know i needed until now, but i'm so glad that that's where jasper went with him.

initial level: fey wanderer ranger 4

final level: ?

ava: if generational trauma was a stoat. the commitment to the werther's? phenomenal.

initial level: ancestral guardians barbarian 3 | fighter

final level: ?

lila: i'm living for izzy as a stoat that can sneak attack people and read???

initial level: inquisitive rogue 4

final level: ?

and that's all of the major progression seasons. with that concluded, we move into:

minor level progression seasons

as stated earlier, these seasons really only have one major level change as opposed to the progressive milestones of the major leveling seasons. i think that comes down to a couple of things: 1) they all start as midlevel characters who are reasonably powerful 2) two of these are 10 episode seasons that had less time to do progressive leveling than most of the intrepid heroes' seasons, and 3) the timeline of the level ups really only makes sense for one level change, especially since they start out of the low levels that shift easily. fhfy is like a week and a half in universe, t7 and acofaf are each like a week. anyways, here it is:

fantasy high sophomore year: mostly carried over from fhfy to start, with one major level but we really got into multiclassing and subclass switches for story here, i think in part because running live sessions is inherently a little more spontaneous than a pre-recorded season.

fig faeth:

initial level: whispers bard 6 | hexblade warlock 2

final level: lore bard 6 | hexblade warlock 3

gorgug thistlespring:

initial level: berserker barbarian 8

final level: berserker barbarian 8 | artificer 1

adaine abernant:

initial level: divination wizard 8

final level: divination wizard 9

fabian seacaster:

initial level: champion fighter 8

final level: battlemaster fighter 6 | swords bard 3

kristen applebees:

initial level: life cleric 8

final level: twilight cleric 9

riz gukgak:

initial level: inquisitive rogue 8

final level: inquisitive rogue 9

the seven: the ladies are here! they start at the level 9 baseline set by the end of fhsy and hit level 10 in like a week. granted the second half of the season is almost all encounters--three double episode battles total, with two in the back half.

antiope jones: the reluctant leader, not that kind of ranger. a choice aabria character. sometimes i think about the fact that both of aabria's spyre characters could conceivably meet, and it's not even that contrived. myrtle is sam's cousin.

initial level: arcane archer fighter 6 | monster slayer ranger 3

final level: arcane archer fighter 6 | monster slayer ranger 4

katja cleaver: half horse girl, half childhood neglect and abandonment, half rekha shankar's brand of ttrpg decisions.

initial level: battlemaster fighter 9

final level: battlemaster fighter 9 | barbarian 1

penny luckstone: eldest daughter syndrome to the max. deeply funny. an incredible rogue, even if she feeds old men horse meat candy hearts.

initial level: arcane trickster rogue 9

final level: arcane trickster rogue 10

danielle barkstock: actually erika ishii's second shepherd druid. they really like summoning geese, spiders, pixies, and various creatures that can absolutely ruin brennan's day. with a side of no self-care.

initial level: shepherd druid 9

final level: shepherd druid 10

ostentatia wallace: she lives up to the name. the forge cleric i want to be when i grow up.

initial level: forge cleric 9

final level: forge cleric 10

sam nightingale: a masterwork in character building, from a mechanical and story standpoint. i love the use of eldritch adept to maintain the build and keep with the story during their level up.

initial level: storm sorcerer 6 | glamour bard 3

final level: storm sorcerer 6 | glamour bard 4

zelda donovan: my girl! the other fighter barb of the group, but built in the opposite direction. also 55 movement speed? by god she can hustle.

initial level: eagle totem barbarian 8 | fighter 1

final level: eagle totem barbarian 8 | fighter 2

a court of fey and flowers: this season starts in a similar place to the seven with midlevel characters and levels up mostly for story reasons. it's a little more important to track reputation by episode, but i don't have the time for that at the moment.

andhera: hot, but built mid according to omar. an ace he/they king. never actually levels up, probably because they avoid conflict by beign a slippery pillar boy in wet cotton pants.

initial level: devotion paladin 8

final level: devotion paladin 8

k.p. hob: triple multiclass, builds on brennan's theme of self-sacrificial characters who don't think love can find them.

initial level: battlemaster fighter 6 | rogue 1 | barbarian 1

final level: battlemaster fighter 6 | rogue 2 | barbarian 1

lady chirp featherfowl: an assassin wizard with bird puns, a wife and daughter, and no regard for her reputation.

initial level: bladesinger wizard 8

final level: bladesinger wizard 9

lord squak airavis: the sluttiest bird you'll ever meet. the author of the green hunter. they got renner.

initial level: lore bard 8

final level: lore bard 9

delloso de la rue: made me cry when i watched them come out. the outfits. the pizzazz. the 'i love him'. the miscommunications. an icon. doesn't use subclass features, so we'll never know.

initial level: bard 8

final level: bard 9

binx choppley: another fantastic reveal. a single mom who works two jobs, but she's a warlock patron and trying to revive her dead court while masquerading as her friend while said friend dates her warlock on the material plane. truly who is doing it like them.

initial level: arcane trickster rogue 8

final level: arcane trickster rogue 9

now that we're through with the minor progression seasons, let's look at the single-level seasons.

nonprogression seasons

there's variance in these--there's not really a consistent start level. they go low level when they need to and high level when they need to. the lack of progression here also indicates timeline and season length: most of these are 4-6 episodes, and all of these seasons happen over the span of about a day or two in-game.

escape from the bloodkeep: d20's highest level season to date. unbelievable shenanigans, deeply funny. it's also fun for me to note that d20 and cr both have their morally dubious seasons that start and end at level 14 (eftbk and exu calamity) but they end up in literal opposite ends of the comedy/tragedy scale.

maggie (magfelda):

level: berserker barbarian 14

leiland (kraz-thun):

level: hexblade warlock 14

efink murderdeath:

level: grave cleric 14

sokhbarr:

level: beastmaster ranger 14

lilith:

level: shepherd druid 14

markus st. vincent

level: swashbuckler rogue 14

tiny heist:

rick diggins: the most charisma rogue i think you can get. negative dex and strength? grifter

level: mastermind rogue 4

boomer coleoptera: his subclass is unknown--it's never really mentioned during the season. it's theorized that he may be a battlemaster. the muscle

level: fighter 4

agnes: she also doesn't use any subclass specific features during the season. the other grifter

level: bard 4

ti-83: what a little fount of violence. the techie/explosive specialist

level: artillerist artificer 4

bean: the grease with a bone to pick

level: shadow monk 4

car-go jones: the mastermind, even though he's not a mastermind rogue. the danny ocean.

level: inquisitive rogue 4

pirates of leviathan: this entire season happens pretty much in the course of 24 hours. a good chunk of that time is just spent having a spa night at the gold gardens. who is doing it like them. everyone in this party can do magic.

sunny biscotto:

level: devotion paladin 5

bob (barbarella sarsaparilla gainglynn):

level: lore bard 3 | city cleric 2

cheese:

level: necromancy wizard 5

myrtle (the bitch):

level: tempest cleric 5

jack brakkow:

level: ancestral guardians barbarian 5

marcid the typhoon:

level: gloomstalker ranger 5

mice & murder: the oops all rogues season. for a low level season there are some astronomical dcs here. it really does a lot to show off the range of subclasses. all of them have dramatically different abilities, when they're not competing.

gangie green:

level: thief rogue 3

buckster $ boyd:

level: mastermind rogue 3

daisy d'umpstaire:

level: assassin rogue 3

vicar ian prescott:

level: eloquence bard 3

lars vandenchomp:

level: battlemaster fighter 3

sylvester cross:

level: inquisitive rogue 3

coffin run: this season is actually another one with mixed leveling--maybe to indicate time spent with dracula, maybe to level out powers on from a spellcasting level

aleksandr astrovsky:

level: alchemist artificer 7

squing:

level: undead warlock 8

wetzel:

level: mastermind rogue 7

may wong:

level: shadow sorcerer 6

dungeons and drag queens: i'm fairly sure they filmed this season in one shot. a great intro to dnd and the mechanics of level 5 characters.

troyánn:

level: arcane archer fighter 5

princess foehammer:

level: berserker barbarian 5

gertrude:

level: shadow sorcerer 5

twyla:

level: gloomstalker ranger 5

fantasy high oneshots: this is just the one-off characters from the fh oneshots. both of these characters show up in between freshman and sophomore year and so land at level 8.

hargis:

level: brute fighter 8

ficus:

level: dreams druid 8

and last but not least, we have the non-DnD seasons that have no level progressions:

misfits and magic

shriek week

mentopolis

and that's all folks! this one got so long. as always the spreadsheet is open to perusal. i hope you like it!

[whinlatter]

master list: fics, metas, headcanons, writings 🌻

🌿 last updated february 2024 🌿

fics 📖

🐾 Beasts (WIP)

Summary: Ginny Weasley comes of age among them: the beasts, the wild things of their world. (or: how the youngest Weasley won the Hanging Out With Hagrid Award). Canon compliant, multi-chapter, post-war, non-linear narrative, flashbacks. PS/SS through post-DH (1981-1999). Harry/Ginny. Author's notes (1+2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10+11, 12) Trailer | playlist | moodboards

🌳 Orchards

Summary: The orchard is a wild, thousand-flower, crumpled-gate, fall-down-fence sort of place, where things grow that you’ve never asked for, that you’d never expect. Summer of ’96, the story of something flowery he thought he might have smelled at the Burrow.  Canon-compliant, oneshot, summer between OotP and HBP. Non-linear narrative, flashbacks/flash-forwards to DH. Harry/Ginny.  Meta on Ginny's t-shirts 👕

🪟 the room at the top of the house

Summary: It’s doing something to him, watching her like this, all loose and laughing and bare-legged, ray of light and warmth and wonder sat atop his bedsheets. It’s turning him on, it’s setting him alight. Canon compliant, post-war, oneshot. Harry/Ginny. NSFW.

💭 think / hope

Summary: Kill your darlings, push them out to sea // Harry and Ginny's first evening apart after the breakup. Canon compliant, oneshot, missing moment, post-HBP. Harry/Ginny. Written for Hinny Microfic April 2023 days 13 & 14.

🌼 flower(y)

Summary: Are you sorry? // Moments after the kiss. Canon compliant, microfic, missing moment, HBP. Harry/Ginny. Written for Hinny Microfic May 2023 day 10.

🍳 warm light peaceful (quiet)

Summary: Two big things happen on Monday 31st July 2000: Harry Potter turns twenty, and Robbie Williams releases a little song called Rock DJ. Canon compliant, microfic, postwar. Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione. Written for The Three Broomsticks 'A Very Harry Birthday' Fic Fest 2023.

🏴‍☠️ dead ends

Summary: Later - much later, when he's leaving - he’ll tell her: ‘I’m a dead end.’ ‘Fuck off,’ she’ll spit back, fuming. ‘We’re all dead ends. You’re not bloody special.’ Canon compliant, microfic, Remadora. Written for @remadoramicrofics.

🏹 the huntress

Summary: The last day of August 1997, she comes downstairs in her dressing gown to find Kingsley in the kitchen with a Muggle newspaper that says that Princess Diana is dead.

Canon compliant, microfic, Harry/Ginny. Written for anon ask prompt.

metas 💫

Harry's thoughts of Ginny in the Forest (and Ginny's goodbye)

Harry and Ginny's shared experience of going to their deaths

Harry and Ginny at Shell Cottage

Ginny and the Veil

Ginny and Dean's relationship

Ginny's feelings for Harry | Harry's feelings

Harry's postwar relationship with Ron and Hermione vs. with Ginny

The Weasleys on Harry and Ginny’s relationship

Parallels between Sirius and Ginny

Remus as seen by other characters

Ginny and the poem

Ginny and Molly's relationship

The Dursleys' treatment of Harry

Democracy in the Wizarding World

headcanons ☁️

Harry and Ginny's careers, home and married life

Harry and Ginny's flat in London

Harry and Ginny getting back together after the war

Harry and Ginny dating other people if one of them died

Ginny headcanons

Harry and the horcruxes after the war

Hermione as Head Girl (1,2)

Hermione's eighth year

Deamus

The Potter kids

Ron Weasley: favourite uncle

Fleur headcanons

Misc. character headcanons

writing things 📝

Fic writing tips and tricks