#demon slayer crit

[2-late-2-the-party]

this is a meme for me and me personally, I know the shows aren't really comparable.

[pi-seas]

Genya and Percy De Rolo have the same whiplash effect, because you are so entrenched by bows and swords that you completely forget GUNS are options until a sad little angsty boy with a glock rocks your shit.

[olicutterartorsmt]

THE AMOUNT OF RANGE MATTHEW MERCER HAS FREAKS ME OUT SO MUCH

LIKE ISTG HE’S SNEAKING HIS WAY INTO EVERY FANDOM HES IN AOT, OW, YAKUZA, FF, ONE PIECE, ZELDA, FIRE EMBLEM, CRIT ROLL, DEMON SLAYER, JOJO, ACE ATTORNEY, REGULAR SHOW, AND SO MUCH MORE

but seriously I love his voice and his work he’s a very talented Va lolz :D

[starlightcleric]

So I started playing the Treasures of the Midnight Isles dlc for WotR because in my sick bleh state I need to do something familiar but also need to do something new, but it can't be too new because that's too stressful.

Anyway, I brought over my dwarfy dwarf cleric and have an entire adventuring party of dwarves.

There's Sonja, the cleric of Torag who fights with a warhammer and shield.

Bjorn the inquisitor of Abadar who gets way more crits than he should with his great axe.

Sven the crane style monk who is the fastest in the parry.

Elin the longbow wielding Slayer who disarms all our traps and let's be honest gets most of the kills.

Ingrid the empyreal sorcerer who focuses on buffs.

And finally Marja, the earth and fire kineticist. Except magma blast does not appear to be implemented in the game so she might get respecced to double earth.

Together, they fight demons and no centipede can poison them!

[malsfefanfics]

OC Profile: Tancred

art by @/nessiemccormick, edited down to icon size by me

"He was always very sickly, according to his family. But from what I've seen, he's very enthusiastic and wise beyond his years. Tancred seems to really like it when people say his name, or when they compare him to his brother. I expect great things from him in the future." -- Edelgard, about Tancred

Full name: Tancred von Vestra Nicknames: Tanc (most people), Mini-Bert (Hapi and Yuri), Treasure (Ferdinand and Dorothea), Sweet-Breeze (Medee) Birthday: Day 31st of the Wyvern Moon, 1174 Age: 6-7 (Pre-TS), 11-12+ (Post-TS) Crest: None Family: Marquis Iason von Vestra (Father, Deceased), Medee (Mother), Hubert (Older Brother), Rosamund (Older sister) Nationality: Adrestia Titles: Hidden Treasure, Mage of Mercy Voice Claim: Maxey Whitehead (Child voice, similar to Alphonse from FMAB), Zach Aguilar (as he ages, hitting somewhere between Tanjiro in Demon Slayer to Aether in Genshin Impact)

Interests: History of Fódlan and surrounding nations, Opera, Magic Studies, Language Learning Likes: Sweets, His brothers and sisters, Gardening, Riding Dislikes: His father, People who are mean, seeing others in pain

Favorite Meals: Saghert and Cream, Sweet Trio Bun, Peach Sorbet, Sautéed Jerky, Liked Meals: Vegetable Pasta Salad. Country-Style Red Turnip Plate, Vegetable Stir-Fry, Small Fish Skewers, Disliked Meals: Spicy Fish and Turnip Stew, Daphnel Stew, Bourgeois Pike,

Tea Preferences: Dandelion Root Blend, Dagda Fruit Blend, Southern Fruit Blend, Sweet Apple Blend, Lavender Blend

Liked Gifts: Hunting Dagger, Board Game, Sheet Music, Armored Bear Stuffy, Tea Leaves, Exotic Spices Disliked Gifts: Goddess Statuette, Blue Cheese

Lost Items:

Bag of Herbs: A velvet pouch of strong smelling herbs that remind you of mint leaves. You find they make you breathe easier.

Small Toy Soldier: A toy soldier that looks to be part of a set. The handmade clothes remind you of someone sinister.

Tin Whistle: A small musical instrument that plays an airy tune. It's size seems best fit for a younger musician.

Starting Class: Noble Preferred Class Path: Noble --> Monk/Myrmidon --> Mage/Dark Mage/Priest/Thief --> Swordmaster/Bishop/Dark Bishop/Warlock --> Dancer/Mortal Savant/Trickster Strength: White Magic, Black Magic, Dark Magic Weakness: Heavy Armor, Brawling Budding Talent: Sword Personal Skill: 'Calming Winds' - Restores 10% HP to nearby allies each turn.

Weapons Starting Levels:

Sword: E+ Lance: E Axe: E Bow: E Brawling: E Reason: D+ Faith: D+ Authority: E+ Heavy Armor: E Riding: E Flying: E

Base Stats:

HP: 17 Str: 5 Mag: 10 Dex: 10 Spd: 7 Lck: 8 Def: 6 Res: 6 Cha: 10

Learned Faith Spells: Heal, Nosferatu, Physic, Restore, Seraphim Learned Reason Spells: Wind, Miasma Δ (Dark Mage) Thoron (Mage), Cutting Gale, Death Γ, Dark Spikes Τ

Recruit Requirements for Canon-Compliance AUs: CF exclusive - Must have up to B support with Hubert.

Potential Supports:

Byleth

Hubert

Rosamund

Medee

Linhardt

Dorothea

Ferdinand

Ashe

Mercedes

Jeritza

Lysithea

Marianne

Ignatz

Hapi

Constance

Dimitri (Through Meals Only, up to B)

Dedue: (Through Meals Only, up to B)

Crit Quotes: (Pre-Timeskip)

Stay back!

Stop it!

I can't falter!

I need to fight!

Just a little more.

I'm sorry!

I need an opening.

Must one of us die?

Crit Quotes: (Post-Timeskip)

For my brother!

For my sister!

I am your pyre!

I will make an opening!

You will be silenced!

Mind and Heart guide me.

Your head is mine!

I do what I must.

I must stay alive.

We shall prevail!

Defeat Quotes:

I can't be here. I need to go.

I...don't feel good....

I'm scared....I want to go home....

I don't want to die alone.....

Hubert....Rosa.....I'm sorry I made you sad.....

Skill Level Increase Quotes:

This is so much fun!

Glad I could get out of bed today.

I think I'm getting stronger. (Weaknesses)

That was too easy. (Strengths)

I never knew I could do that! (Budding Talent)

Level Up Quotes:

I hope I can make everyone proud.

I'm so much stronger now.

I'm know I can be stronger.

This is to help everyone.

You sure I can't learn a bit more?

Gift Quotes:

Liked Gifts: My absolute favorite! Thank you, thank you!

Neutral Gifts: You're so nice to me. Why?

Disliked Gifts: Did I do something to upset you? I'm really sorry.

[softjawswithharshteeth]

Before you follow:

1. I am mostly a kin account. Humans who are trying to educate themselves are tolerated. But this is a kin/nonhuman targeted account. 2. Unsettling images, overall rage, and the occasional gore and vulture culture will be shown here. 3. I know I’m biologically a human, fuck off.

[If you didn’t take this seriously, I am not liable.]

ABOUT MY KINTYPES:

(note: when I happen to kinshift, everything is differed with each kintype, also pronouns will be listed above the kintypes also they are not in order & I do not control my kintypes nor where they come from, this is not for fun)

𓉡 = Theriotype

𓉢 = Fictotype

the dog/he/it:

𓉡 Border Collie 𓉡 English Bull Terrier 𓉡 Dogo Argentino 𓉢 GB [Ginga Densetsu Weed] 𓉢 John [Ginga Nagareboshi Gin] 𓉢 Delgado [Beverly Hills Chihuahua]

he/she:

𓉢 Kyojuro Rengoku [Demon Slayer]

it/they/that creature:

𓉡 Thylacine AKA. Tasmanian Tiger 𓉢 Arcanine [Pokémon] 𓉡 Spotted Hyena 𓉡 Florida Black Wolf 𓉡 Australian Dingo 𓉢 Demon 𓉢 Akaza [Demon Slayer] 𓉢 Kokushibo(u) [Demon Slayer] 𓉢 Beowolf [RWBY] (yes, the grimm.)

(note: you can use she/her if we are close.)

——————————————————————————

kinsidering:

– Doberman pinschers – Dragons – Hellhounds

And now…

FOR THE NON-KINTYPES !

(note: these are ALSO not for fun, and again I don’t control them)

synpaths:

– Knuckles [Sonic The Hedgehog] – Tanjiro [Demon Slayer] – Mitsuri Kanroji [Demon Slayer]

copinglinks:

– Vitani [The Lion King: Simba’s Pride] – Golden Retriever – Douma [Demon Slayer]

(note: more will possibly be added soon & some kins will be dekinfirmed as I am still figuring out my nonhuman identity, I’d add pictures but tumblr sucks and they put a image limit)

STUFF ABOUT ME-ME-ME !

Heyo! I go by Jay most of the time! And as you can guess, I’m an autistic nonhuman! My pronouns mostly depend on my kinshift hence why I put pronouns for each of my current kintypes. If I happen to reblog info that is incorrect, or if I happen to do something that is generally not good, feel free to tell me and I will do my best to remedy it!

My special interests at the moment are (not in order);

– Demon Slayer – Literally any animated movie or series – Talking dog movies – Ginga Densetsu Weed – Ginga Nagareboshi Gin – Military/K9 dog units – Cynology + Zoology in general – Cooking – Rock (the music genre) – Skulls/Bones in general – PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR 😩

dividers & userboxes by @oldnetreasures, @animatedglittergraphics-n-more, and @angryuserboxes !

DO NOT iNTERACT !

- General DNI crit., z00ph1les, RADFEMS, TERFS, TRANSCUM, KFF (kin for fun), animal haters, those who “reality check”, “furry hunters”, those who support cringe culture, anti-kin, anti-hunting, people who attack those based off of their kintypes alone, and people who make fun of those that have companions/plushies. - If you sexualize my identity in anyway, fucking get out.

[luulapants]

My Stuff

Current Writing Projects:

The Fix | Destiel | Explicit | 12,440 words | Work-In-Progress

American Politics AU. Republican Congressman Dean Winchester, at risk of losing his reelection, makes an unwitting deal with the devil: a wealthy corporate donor intent on controlling a closeted politician through blackmail and bribery. Castiel Novak, a political fixer, is there to make sure their asset does as he's told.

Some Cruel Tide | Mature | 4,318 words | Complete

Pre-canon AU. In which Dean’s first case goes awry when a shapeshifter posing as John Winchester takes advantage of his obedience to his father. Warnings for nonexplicit depictions of sexual abuse.

A Cliff That Knew Too Many Tides | Explicit | 94,501 words | Complete

Season 1 AU in which the consequences of Some Cruel Tide are explored. Dean’s relationship with his father is more strained, his devotion more intense, and Sam is increasingly able to see through the cracks in Dean’s paranoid facade. Featuring Cassie Robinson and Deacon Kaylor as prominent side characters. Warnings for internalized homophobia and discussions of past trauma and trauma responses.

Riptide | Explicit | 7,732 words | Work-In-Progress

Season 2 continuation. Following the events of A Cliff That Knew Too Many Tides Dean and Sam must navigate their father's war against the yellow-eyed demon without him. But John hasn't left Dean, not really.

Other recent work:

Worship in Recursion | Mature | 5,745 words | Adam/Michael one-shot

Canon-compliant account of Adam and Michael’s time together in the cage between Swan Song and being released in s15.

Current fandom interests:

Supernatural, Daredevil, Batman, Hannibal, The Expanse, The Flash/DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Marvel (MCU crit), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Merlin

Other interests:

Name etymology and usage history

How to Write Substance Use

Taoism (side blog)

Shaming rich people for ugly houses and wealth crimes

Original music

Past Writing

[childofaura]

Ok I sorta have a question for the VA ask:

What do you think of Ben Lepley?

SORRY I got super side-tracked. Had to catch up on Demon Slayer and Vinland Saga and I was just... kinda marinating in the sadness of the latter's latest episode.

Ok, Ben Lepley, Saias and Dedue. I owe this man for lending his voice to one of the sweetest men of Three Houses, the only man I will ever marry in my Fodlan playthroughs. But I'm in a weird spot with his overall acting for FEH.

Starting off, performance. I think he does a great job, and I like his "Huh?... My, you aren't shy, are you?" line for Saias. The only problem (AND IT'S NOT HIS FAULT) is that both Saias and Dedue are similar energy-wise, being that they're both super mild-tempered, so it's very hard to get a huge spectrum of emotion. Saias DOES have more emotion in his criticals though, for sure. BUT WHOEVER VOICE DIRECTED BEN DID MY MAN DIRTY, BECAUSE HIS CRIT LINES FOR DEDUE ARE SO LACKING! Like, man if you listen to his crit lines in Three Houses, his "I WILL BREAK YOU!" sounds like he MEANS it. But in FEH, it's so toned down and I don't like it. Dedue is supposed to be someone who isn't prone to violence unless SERIOUSLY provoked, like when Dimitri is in trouble. But those crit lines... Damn you, FEH voice director! You've skewered so many of my favorite actors and characters!

Being a fit for both characters... Dedue? Yes. Saias? I'm... not sure. It's not BAD, but it almost feels like perhaps Ben should be going for a slightly higher tone. It feels too deep for someone who looks like Saias. But in Ben's defense, his voice sounds remarkably close to Saias's Japanese actor, so maybe I can't judge on that.

Simply based on Ben's two roles, the range is... not wide. Saias and Dedue sound much too similar to each other. While Ben changes enough in his inflections to make the characters unique, it's pretty easy to tell it's still him.

So while I adore Ben's work for Dedue and I DO think he's a genuinely great actor... I'd realistically have to give him a 7/10. If we get Crest Beast Dedue for the Fallen banner next year, and we get to hear his performance then, I'll gladly bump it up.

[redeyeflyguy]

Wonderful Things That May or May Not Be Wonderful!!! There are a lot of demons in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Some I’ll seek out in any game they appear in and some who I wouldn’t give the time of day. For a while, Siegfried, the legendary hero from Germanic mythology, was one of the latter. He’s been in quite a few games as a mid to late game summon who specializes in physical hits but due to favoring magic oriented demons and having a design I saw as rather boring, I’ve continued to pass him by. Then, I saw a community post from a YouTuber who referred to this warrior as “one of the best personas in P3 Reload” and a “certified gigachad”. That, admittedly, got me curious and hey, I needed to fuse him for one of Elizabeth’s requests so I leaned into that curiosity. That’s when the true power of the dragon slayer became known to me. You see, the reason I typically pick more magic oriented demons is due to consistently hitting enemy weaknesses with their element of their choice (which is super important in MegaTen due to granting additional actions). Physically oriented summons rely on critical hits to do the same thing which are much less reliable. Siegfried, on the other hand, is capable of learning several crit chance raising skills like Auto-Rebellion, Auto-Masaku and Crit Rate Amp without needing to inherit them through fusion. Add this fact with a reasonably high strength stat, powerful slashing attacks, and additional skills that buff both these things and you have quite the engine of destruction on your hands. So is that it? Nope! Siegfried has one more ace up his non-existent sleeve: Scarlet Havoc. If you have had him and the Roman sun deity, Mithras, in your compendium at some point plus a filled super gauge a.k.a Theurgy on hand, the two can summon a stampede of massive buzzsaws that not only do massive damage, not only ignore all your opponent’s immunities and resistances, but if Seiggy’s your lead, it benefits from those same boosts I mentioned earlier turning massive damage into absurd damage and another action in case some shadows somehow managed to survive. Safe to say, if you obtain this juggernaut for your climb up Tartarus, no shadow crawling will be able to stand in your way. I’ll also admit, his design has grown on me. He really does look like an ancient hero of legend. So yeah, Siegfried is wonderful and he’s reserved a slot on my SMTV Vengeance team in June. All hail the gigachad! BONUS WONDERFUl!!!: Oh, about where I got the “gigachad Seigfried” thing from. Let me introduce you to Deus. A self proclaimed masochist who does ridiculous challenge runs of SMT games and turns them into long-form videos complete with some editing and jokes that really go above and beyond the call of duty. His latest (and possibly greatest) video asks “Can you beat Persona 3 Reload without the power of friendship?” and I highly recommend giving it a watch if you like SMT, silliness and suffering…or are just interested in any of those three things…no judgement.

[khapaleaf]

Arbitrary choices, a lot of exposition, anti-climactic endings, and no dialogue because I am a professional non-writer. This is all so bland and convoluted, but I still think it fits the tone of the quests in the game, plus I had a good time. Anyway, this is the Knight-Commander as companion meme thingy from this page by @dragonologist-phd​, much appreciated. 

Name: Nortelania “Tela” Nelandarin

Class: Slayer/Deliverer (of many hits and massive crits)

Appearance: A tall elven woman with a light, easily sunburned complexion, and pitch black eyes that contrast sharply against it. Her hair is a shade of strawberry blonde and is usually kept in a neat style during travel and combat (none of the game models really work); it reaches all the way down to her waist when it is not tied up, though it is unlikely for anyone to see her in that state. She is lean and fit, though relies more on dexterity and manoeuvrability than pure strength. Her base outfit is of a moss green colour with lighter gold and brown elements, as well as some white details. On the sleeves there are intricate sewn-on patterns that she wears proudly as a way of honouring her heritage.

Favoured Weapon/Equipment: Elven curve blade and medium armour

Top Skills: mobility, trickery, stealth, knowledge (world), perception

Alignment: Lawful good

General Personality: Initially, while it is clear that she is well-meaning and dutiful, she is a bit closed-off and rigid in her interactions, even if she is striving to be civil and polite. After she spends some time among the crusaders and gets used to the Commander and their inner circle, she begins to come out of her shell more. While still calm and largely introverted, she begins showing hints of a sense of humour that is either deadpan or surprisingly childish on occasion. It also becomes more apparent that she has an anxious and turbulent side that she tries but often fails to hide. This is caused in part by her indecisiveness when it comes to trying to find a proper balance between her desire to do good, and the need to do so within a structured, sometimes overly rigid system of either her own moral code, or society at large. She is often paralysed by the fear of making the wrong decision, and tends to ignore her intuition even if the latter offers the best if unlikely solutions to the problems she faces.  

What traits/values do they admire? Loyalty, confidence, accountability, altruism, perseverance, playfulness, showing appreciation for the artistic pursuits and beginnings no matter how small they are in the grand scheme of things, being supportive and encouraging, patience.

What traits/values do they disapprove of? Overindulgence, abusing one's authority, excessive cruelty and violence, entitlement, lack of discretion, impatience, greed, disproportionate punishments, being dismissive of opposing viewpoints, chronic cynicism.

Are they affiliated with any deities? She is a devoted follower of Sarenrae, and believes in good intentions, kindness and second chances. She also thinks that the requirements for forgiveness should often be challenging, but also merciful enough in order to allow a person to seek redemption and rebuild their life should they turn over a new leaf. She is, however, merciless (though not cruel) towards those who deny their own guilt and wrongdoings.  

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers? What are their reasons for joining the commander’s party? Prior to joining the crusaders, she essentially operates as an adventurer who travels the lands with the goal of helping those who are helpless, or joining the cause of those whom she considers to be worthy and honest. She does not think that her contributions to the crusade efforts are in any way more essential than any other person's, but appreciates being given the chance to push back against the demonic forces alongside a worthy leader and their troops. Privately, she believes that joining the Commander in their fight against the demonic threat is a way for her to gain a degree of vindication from a grave mistake that took place in her past. She is understandably wary of the powers bestowed upon the Commander and even suggests that this may be somehow linked to the corrupted lands of the Worldwound, further urging the Commander to use these powers with caution. If the Commander assures her that they will be careful, she will confess that even though she is sceptical of the origins of the mythic powers, she cannot deny the benefits that come with the boost in their healing and combat abilities.

Who are their friends among the other party members? She is rather protective of Ember, and often indulges the younger elf whenever she asks for stories of adventure and exploration of far away lands. She also connects with Seelah on a more personal level due to their similar struggles, and they both try to lift each other’s spirits up whenever one of them is feeling down. Her relationship with Lann, Regill and Sosiel is respectful enough, and she always looks out for them both during and outside of battle, but she never managed to grow close to them in a more familial and sometimes readily affectionate manner as with the previous two. Finally, while she did not fully trust Arueshalae in the beginning, being a follower of Sarenrae, she was more than willing to help her follow the path of redemption, often having conversations about what it means to turn over a new leaf, and also supporting her in subtle ways. 

What about rivals? She cannot deny that Camellia has a variety of useful skills, and the interactions between them are polite enough to the eye of a casual observer, though a person with high observational skills will notice a barely perceived undercurrent of animosity during their conversations. Privately, she believes that there is something deeply unsettling about Camellia and is relieved after her departure from the crusade. Her relationship with Greybor is tense, predominantly because she has a low opinion about the way he applies his skills and attempts to make everything about profit, rather than remaining open to the possibility of providing his services for a good cause without asking for a reward. Initially, she does not enjoy having Woljif around due to his shifty nature, although with time she comes to care for him (while still remaining annoyed by him) in a way an older sibling does for their mischievous younger brother.

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give? No (to be completely honest, I do not care for the council meetings as a player and always skip the dialogue to get to (what I think is) the better option; it doesn’t matter who suggested it and how, so I am not entirely aware what is expected from these discussions and solutions lol).

Where do they hang out in Drezen? In the Abyss? In Drezen she is found near the marketplace, either observing the townspeople or standing near the stairs close to Dorgelinda, giving some treats to her monkey familiar. In the Abyss she is found standing on the edge of the cliffs near the portal, looking towards what is seen of the floating city.

What are their idle animations? Clapping on her knee to call her monkey familiar towards her and allowing it to climb all the way to her shoulder (it is permanently by her side right from the moment of her recruitment, even though, yes, it shouldn’t be there in accordance with the rules until after level 10, I believe), straightening out the folds of her clothes, the generic elf animations.

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream? She is sitting alone in a dark room, seemingly at peace, eyes closed and body unmoving, though she periodically opens her eyes and glances around – furtively at first, then with some evident distress, but she does not move away from the chair. Suddenly, a door appears behind her, and she clutches her hands together and closes her eyes tightly shut, giving it her all not to look back. Despite her aggravated state, the room begins to fill with light and colour until two elven figures appear by her side. It is not difficult to tell that these two are likely her parents, as the familial resemblance is evident to all. The man puts his hand on her shoulder, while the woman leans in to whisper into her ear, and the effect of these gestures forces Nortelania to open her eyes. She sees her parents and stares at them, eyes wide with disbelief, then buries her face into her mother’s shoulder and does not move for quite some time, while her father envelops them both in a tight embrace.

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers? Her initial gut reaction is to abandon the powers, but she will leave the final decision to the Commander, naturally. If the Commander has shown that they are using the powers mindfully and without malicious intent, then she will encourage them to keep the powers on the Angel and Gold Dragon paths. The Azata will also get a positive response, though less keen. She is not entirely against the Aeon path, though she will remark that the Commander is losing both their spirit and themselves with this choice; if she is in an active romance on this path, she will attempt to break up, but the Commander can convince her not to with a successful medium difficulty persuasion check. She can be convinced to stay on the Devil and Demon paths by passing a fairly high persuasion check, though the romance will end regardless of whether the skill check was successful or not. She will leave the party on the Lich and Swarm-That-Walks paths.

How/when do they join the Commander’s party? She can be recruited in Act 1 sometime before the attack on the Defender’s Heart. Upon their return from one of the missions in the city, the Commander will be pulled aside by Irabeth and the latter will point toward an elven woman sitting at one of the tables and comment that a competent volunteer is willing to join their ranks. When approached, Nortelania will rise to her feet and greet the Commander with a small bow. She will readily offer her services to a good-aligned Commander, but she will be more hesitant to join an evil-aligned one because she will sense that they are more inclined to lead the crusaders for some kind of personal gain rather than being motivated by altruism. It will be possible to recruit her in the case of an evil Commander by passing a persuasion check by admitting that even though they may not be the most selfless person, they are still clearly the most qualified to lead the troops and defeat the demonic threat. In the case of a successful skill check she still remains sceptical, but will nonetheless become available as a party member. Otherwise, she will not be convinced that the Commander is being entirely honest with her about their goals and motivations, thus saying her goodbyes and making the choice to continue helping out in an independent manner, unaffiliated with the crusaders.

Describe their companion quest: There is a hidden counter for her quest, which is used to track whether she is pushed towards intuition (relying less on rigid rules, learning to accept her mistakes, being more assured and assertive but not harsh) or stringency (following strict rules, being less open to emotional vulnerability when dealing with various issues, being assertive but also critical of herself and others due to striving for perfection), with conversation choices geared towards either path provided both in her unique dialogues with the Commander, and in numerous other quest-related dialogues (for example, if she is along for Seelah’s quest in Act 2, and the Commander uses the “You’re both right in a way, and anyway, what’s been done can’t be undone” option, that will add to her intuition counter). Her quest is fairly straightforward and consists of three parts that should trigger in Acts 2, 3 and 5, though there is a hint of a problem in need of solving as early as her first conversation at the Defender’s Heart. If the Commander takes the time to have a conversation with her after her arrival, they will notice that, upon seeing them approach, she will quickly fold up a written note of some kind and tuck it away into one of her pockets. If asked about it, she will nonchalantly reply that it is a letter from her homeland while omitting further details. A passed perception check will open up the dialogue option to note that the contents of the letter seemed to make her anxious, and ask for further details about it. Hesitantly, she will make a comment about the Commander’s perceptive nature, but will ask to table the discussion for now as there are more pressing matters that need to be resolved before her private affairs.

In Act 2, there will be new dialogue options to discuss the letter at the camp. She will first explain that back in Kyonin, after a brief and middling career as an emissary that was cut short due to a fear of speaking and anxiety, she was instead recruited owing to her keen perceptive skills as an operative for a behind-the-scenes group that worked for the various courtly advisors and noble houses that saw the inherent value in traditional attitudes, but were not entirely opposed to change, so long as it was introduced into elven society gradually and by reasonable means that would avoid extremes in societal attitudes (the outside world, however, knew her as the curator for house Menaheran, in charge of cataloguing its extensive library and archive). One such job had her track a leader of a group that wished to break away from isolationist politics in a way that would cause societal unrest on various fronts. While she did manage to track the leader successfully, fate had it that the two women became trapped in an underground cave system. In a surprising turn of events the two managed to reach an understanding and develop a kinship as they worked together to survive and escape, and Nortelania learned more about the rebels, their values and goals. It was enough to make her question her own beliefs, but the experience also left her in a state of inner conflict. Hoping that the rebel leader – Velanoriel – saw the value in their brief connection, she suggested meeting up again in a week’s time and, much to her surprise, the leader agreed. However, on the day that she was supposed to have met a few of the other key members of the group, she was instead met with a gruesome murder scene – several bodies mutilated to the point of no recognition, and no chance of telling whether one of them belonged to Velanoriel. Next to one of the bodies laid a torn piece of paper with a set of coordinates unrecognisable to her. Upon reaching the marked location within a dense forest with centuries old trees she was met by none other than her mentor, Telandys Menaheran. The man was entirely aware of her attempts to engage with the anti-isolationist rebels and delay Velanoriel’s capture. However, in an unexpected show of mercy, Telandys demanded that she go into exile instead of imprisoning her or outright killing her. For all she knows, her family either believes that she is abroad looking for various period pieces for her mentor’s collection, or they think that she is no longer alive if Menaheran no longer keeps up the above-mentioned charade.

In the present, however, the letter was sent by an unknown source claiming to be one of Menaheran’s hounds – unsurprisingly, her movements were being tracked for decades. Apparently, the once noble and just leader went into a grieving rage after the death of his only son, Aranthelion – a perfectly average young man just about grown enough to enter into adulthood, and with no notable achievements to his name yet deeply loved by his father. Less than a year ago, he died in an accident which was brought on by a misunderstanding, if the contents of the letter are to be believed. It would seem that Aranthelion became aware of his father’s behind-the-scenes role when someone planted several letters belonging to the latter in the son’s desk (rumour has it that it was the work of one of Velanoriel’s surviving agents). An idealist, Aranthelion himself was largely against isolationist policies, but also came to believe that the work his father and his allies do was also keeping the elves in place, instead of allowing them to move forward and fully engage with other cultures and nations without fear of losing their home and identity. Due to his high social standing, eventually the young man found himself associated with a growing number foreign dignitaries, diplomats, and merchants willing to expand their presence and interaction with and within the elven lands on a permanent basis. One such luminary was a noble from Mendev who was interested in bringing his business farther than the borders of Greengold, and the two set to work on making his plans a reality early in their friendship. However, during one of their outings in the port city, the two got into a heated argument with a local store owner with the latter lashing out and pushing Aranthelion to the ground, which resulted in a fatal head injury. Long story short, Aranthelion died on the spot, the Mendevian noble fled the scene, and Menaheran vowed to get his revenge, believing that his son died in no small part due to incessant foreign influence. This desire twisted his personality, and he was no longer willing to look for moderate solutions, instead focusing on advocating for a near complete ban on foreign presence, all the while working on ways to track and punish the one person he saw as the most guilty in the death of his son.

The letter further explains that the Mendevian noble in question, a man known by his pseudonym Golden Nightingale, became aware of the fact that he is being hunted, and, in a particularly risky move, decided to flee the nation and play hide-and-seek across the Worldwound. The author of the letter further states that, while their main task is to track Nortelania, another one of the hounds, upon entering the Worldwound with Menaheran, sent them a disturbing message chronicling their mentor’s descent into near total frenzy and what it could mean for Kyonin if he survives his pursuit and returns. Thus, hoping that Nortelania, despite her exile, is still vested in the well-being of both Kyonin itself and its inhabitants, the anonymous sender asks to meet-up to discuss the situation and what can be done about it in further detail. A set of coordinates is attached to the letter with a note explaining that the meeting can be arranged on the nth (the date will change depending on the in-game date), and they will wait for another week before leaving.

The Commander can refuse to help straight away, thus breaking up the entire quest line, and the anonymous sender would believe that Nortelania is far more invested in crusade business than solving this issue. If the Commander agrees to help, a location labelled as nothing more than Meeting Place will appear on the map as part of the quest. Visiting the location will reveal a scene that looks to be an abandoned campsite with discarded tools and utensils lying around a roughly made fire pit. Looking around the surrounding area will reveal a trail of blood leading towards some overgrown shrubs. There, a body belonging to an elven woman will be found, seemingly still and unmoving, but with a small perception or lore (nature) check it will become evident that she is still breathing, even if it is barely noticeable. Nortelania will then comment uneasily that she does recognise the woman’s face, stating with a degree of disbelief that the elf is none other than Velanoriel, the leader of the rebellious anti-isolationist group. Though shaken by the revelation, she will nonetheless suggest taking the elf back to camp for healing. The Commander will then have the option to either: 1.) agree to the request; 2.) deny the request and simply leave the elven woman to die by demanding Nortelania put the entire situation out of her mind and focus on the crusade. Begrudgingly, she will agree, but not without leaving some cure wounds potions; 3.) outright kill Velanoriel and state that her injuries were too severe and a full recovery was out of the question, thus providing her with medical attention, either practical or magical, would have been a drain of much needed resources. Note that both this and the second option will set the romance flags to zero, without any way to salvage it later on. This option will also prematurely break the quest chain, though it will result in a unique (bad) ending. Back at the crusader camp, provided the Commander agreed to take Velanoriel there and provide assistance, a small conversation will trigger with Nortelania where she will express her unease about the situation, though she will comment that she is pleased to see that her former mark is holding on for dear life, as she is eager to try and understand the severity of the situation. She will also thank the Commander for their willingness to find some time to spare and help despite the pressing circumstances of their own situation. If Velanoriel is either left to die or killed, she will thank the Commander for checking out the location at least, and will promise to focus on crusade matters from now on. Her tone will be far more distant than usual, though she will not elaborate if asked to explain the shift in her mood, instead leaving the Commander to their crusade duties.

In Act 3, if and when Velanoriel is healed, the three of them will have a proper conversation at last. The elven leader will say that she had spent much of her time trying to understand Menaheran’s weaknesses – looking for ways to undermine him, trying to turn some of his hounds and agents to her cause – and will further confess that she was indeed the person that planted the letters for Menaheran’s young and impressionable son to see, with the hope that she would eventually recruit him to her cause as a means of diminishing his father’s influence. However, his death was a tragic loss that she claims no responsibility for. To this, the Commander can comment that even if it was not her intention for the young son to die, her initial actions did set in motion a series of events that led to this end. Alternatively, they can agree that his death was an event completely out of Velanoriel’s hands, stating that no person can accurately predict the effect of their actions and that mistakes, however tragic, are there for us to learn from them. Whether the Commander decides to interject or not, she will continue her story, saying that at first she was pleased to see Menaheran descend into near hysteria, although with time the reports chronicling his behaviour began to disturb her deeply. The fact that he was growing more and more pro-isolationist in his views also forced her to rethink her strategies, even if it meant returning to the status quo. One day, upon learning that Menaheran is planning to follow the Mendevian noble all the way to the Worldwound, she disguised herself as one of his hounds that were to accompany him on his hunt, determined to eliminate Menaheran when the time was right. However, in a strange turn of events she began to question whether it was possible to turn the man back to his usual self, perhaps out of some morbid curiosity, or perhaps due to feeling sorry about his circumstances. In any case, at some point during their journey Velanoriel became aware of the fact that Menaheran is keeping tabs on Nortelania. Intrigued, she eventually contacted the hound responsible for this task and managed to turn him to her cause, the end goal of which, to be entirely honest, was becoming more muddied by the day. Either way, she suggested looking in several key locations in order to get to the Golden Nightingale first and offer their protection, and, should the hound be successful in tracking their target, proposed meeting for further planning. Soon after, they sent the letter to Nortelania, hoping to arrange a meetup but being ambushed in the process. 

Velanoriel will then mark a location on the map indicating the place where she and the hound were supposed to have had their meeting had she been successful in eliminating the trackers. She will prompt the Commander to be quick, because their rivals are also highly committed to their goal, making movement along these parts incredibly difficult and dangerous. At the given location – a worn down hut with a labyrinthine system beneath it – the party will be required to dispatch some stray but otherwise unimportant creepy crawlers and some lame old babaus before reaching the end of the underground structure and finding a camp hidden away by a magic barrier. Before the barrier lie several mangled bodies belonging to the elven hounds – disguised and dressed in unassuming clothes to blend in with the locals and track their targets (a closer inspection will reveal body armour hidden beneath the layers, though that evidently did not help prevent the ripping of of their extremities). The magical barrier can be dispelled with a medium difficulty use magic device or knowledge (arcana) skill check. There, the party is required to look around the abandoned camp space and, with a successful perception check, take note of a long, narrow crack hidden behind dense creeping vines, that has opened up farther along the wall, and a light breeze is wafting through. A character with a medium mobility skill will be needed to fit through the crack and help in leading the others make it safely to its other end. The time spent in the narrow passage will seem agonisingly slow, with the air being thick with a kind of musty and earthy smell. The uneven rock walls of the cave will seemingly nearly encase the party for a time, digging into their back and chest with its edges. Eventually, all will feel the air becoming less humid and, with a successful skill check, reach the surface once more. In case of a failure, however, a randomised party member will receive a head wound due to a tumbling rock near the cave’s exit. The party will then find themselves quite a bit removed from their entrance near the worn down hut, though its tall chimney will still be seen on the horizon. There, with a high perception check, one of the companions will point toward some trees and the small pile of soil and leaves beneath it – seemingly ordinary yet intriguing to the keen eye. The party will frustratingly find nothing but a folded note written in a cipher tucked and hidden in the pile. Having Nortelania or having a companion with the knowledge (world) skill in the party will reveal that the letters appear to be elven, though written using an older script, with the text itself appearing to be nothing but gibberish to the untrained eye. Further attempts to decipher it on the spot will yield no results.

Without having much success in their journey, the party will be forced to return to Velanoriel. Upon returning to the capital, the Commander will briefly explain the situation to Velanoriel, who will become visibly shaken upon hearing that the group managed to find no one at the location, but she will steel herself quickly enough in order to receive the written message, thanking the Commander for bringing it for her to contemplate, though she will confess that deciphering the text will take some time. In a day’s time, she will request to see the Commander and will eagerly roll out a map with a new set of coordinates to check out and see whether the hound and the Golden Nightingale are safe.  The map will take the party to an abandoned ruin. If Velanoriel was left to die in Act 2, this part of the quest and this particular area on the map will be revealed in an unskippable ambush scenario in which a number of elven agents will try to make pleasant conversation with the Commander (if Nortelania is in the party, they will attack on sight), though distant sounds of a fight will be heard coming from within the ruin. In any case, they will not let the group pass inside of the ruin, and will need to be dealt with before processing to the derelict structure. There, the Commander will walk into a scene of a murder about to happen (this will happen in a book story format used in the game a lot). With the hound gravely wounded and subdued, the Mendevian noble is left to fend for himself with nothing but a rusted sword discarded in these ruins decades if not centuries ago. There are merely four elves to deal with, but that in itself could prove to be difficult. The options to clear the area would be: 1.) with an arcane user in the group, cast web or grease (do not forget to cast freedom of movement on the party beforehand), grab the hound and the Nightingale, and escape. One of the elves will make an attempt to grab the party member with the lowest reflex score by their ankles and, should they fail their saving throw, they will be brought to the ground, hurting their knee, though later successfully kicking off the elf at the cost of yet another small injury by getting stabbed in the leg. Despite this, the party will escape successfully with both of their targets secure; 2.) with an athletics check, have someone climb the broken down stairs made of stones, and attempt to line up and shake the pillar in order to crush the elves with it. A successful skill check will eliminate the elves and leave the Nightingale unharmed, but a failed check, while crushing the elves, will injure the noble man severely; 3.) have a character perform a stealth+mobility skill check by having them stealthily approach the four elves and take them out in quick succession. In case of a failed skill check, one of the elves will stab the Nightingale in the gut, while the remaining ones will need to be dealt with by the Commander and their companions. If the Nightingale got injured during the rescue, the hound will implore the Commander to provide healing, as it is important to keep the Mendevian alive because he is in possession of a crucial piece of evidence in regards to Aranthelion. However, this evidence is kept in an arcane protected box which responds to a spoken line verbalised with his voice only, thus making his survival a priority. Otherwise, the hound, while also injured, will thank their rescuers but state that further questions will have to wait until they are away from this place.

Back at Drezen, the quest will update with the task to visit the temple to see how their newest visitors are acclimating themselves. The Nightingale is still in shock, and he will confess that this venture is taking a bigger toll on him than he could have even predicted. If Velanoriel was left to die, the hound will add that it feels like their journey should have fallen apart earlier, after Velanoriel nearly crawled to their place of meeting full of injuries, though determined to relay that Nortelania had indeed visited their camp, and that knowledge alone kept him going. Still, he will bitterly comment that he is not expecting the Commander to be of much help. To this, the Commander can reply that, while they do not have a personal investment in this situation, it is important to one of the people belonging to their inner circle and they intend to see it through, even if they did not understand its significance earlier, and for which they apologise. Alternatively, the Commander can dismiss the hound’s remark, stating that they will not allow themselves to be dragged down by this pathetic display, though they are willing to be “the bigger person” and see this through until the end. 

Whether the Mendevian noble was successfully rescued or not, he will go on to explain that the box contains letters exchanged between the Nightingale and Menaheran’s son. These letters contain personal details and describe at full length Aranthelion’s feelings about the need for elven society to become less isolationist. It becomes clear by reading the letters that he was under no compulsion or deception when prior to the accident that took his life – perfectly willing to bring about changes, big and small, by his own volition. If there is a way to open the box, the hound will comment that having these letters may give them a chance of making Menaheran see reason and abandoning his quest for revenge by showing him what kind of issues his son held close to heart.

After a while, the Commander will receive visitors in the conference room – elven officials claiming to have a vested interest in bringing one of the Commander’s recent visitors back to Kyonin to provide information as an eyewitness to a case of manslaughter. The Commander can easily infer that they are talking about  the Golden Nightingale and his connection to Aranthelion, and they should know by this point that the elven merchant responsible for the death of the latter was appropriately punished. Therefore, the elven “officials” are really trying to trick them into releasing the Nightingale into Menaheran’s custody and potential future abuse as an act of vengeance. Still, the elves will be persuasive, offering great riches and an opportunity to have among the crusaders a highly trained unit of elven assassins. Should the Commander agree to give the Mendevian noble into their custody, the remaining quest line will no longer be available, and, disappointed with their decision, Nortelania will leave permanently, no longer having the same enthusiasm for the leader of the crusaders as many others do. Otherwise, the quest line will resume in Act 5.

In Act 5, Velanoriel (if alive), Nortelania and the hound will approach the Commander in the meeting area of the castle to discuss the plan to lure out Menaheran into the open, commenting that they have noticed a few from his entourage circling around Drezen’s surrounding areas, though not yet following through with any kind of plan to either kidnap or eliminate the Nightingale. Velanoriel will suggest having one of them magically disguise themselves as the Mendevian noble, with the hound escorting both of them away from Drezen, seemingly to allow him to escape. The Commander, on the other hand, should go ahead with their companions and set up an ambush at the decided upon location with the goal of subduing Menaheran. Afterwards, Velanoriel and the hound will take their leave, but Nortelania will linger behind. At this point, the Commander can ask what her plans are in regards to Menaheran’s fate, should they be successful in this venture.To this, Nortelania will comment that she is not thoroughly convinced that he is a completely lost cause, though he will need to answer for his use of brute force in hunting down the Mendevian noble and leaving him mentally scarred. The Commander can either ponder her reply in silence, agree that they must try their best to get through to him and convince him to abandon his revenge, however unlikely that might seem, or suggest that he should be dealt with in a way that will prevent him from going on similar rage-fueled campaigns – either by killing him or by way of imprisonment.

East of Drezen, in a thickly wooded area, the Commander and their  companions will be required to set up an ambush and wait. If Velanoriel is dead, Nortelania will briefly become unavailable, because she will have to mask herself as the Mendevian noble and lure out her former master. Once Menaheran and his entourage of five will reach the location, the Commander and their companions will encircle them and an auto-dialogue will appear in the storybook format with the option to tell him to surrender. He will attempt to rush and grab the “noble”, but the person pretending to be him will unmask themselves at this point, making Menaheran loose his temper. If the party managed to acquire the letters sent by his son, the Commander will mention this and suggest having a proper discussion. His disposition will soften for a brief moment, but a fight will ensue regardless. After seeing that both he himself and his five warriors are incapacitated, Menaheran will have no other option but to listen to what the Commander has to say. It will be possible to present the letters directly for him to leaf over, if they are in the party’s possession, which will make further persuasion skill checks easier. Otherwise, several persuasion skill checks will be offered: 1.) suggest to let go, stating that he only loses more of himself by continuing on this path; 2.) suggest to keep the memory of his son in his heart, but try to find strength to forgive both the noble for escaping and himself for choosing the path of ruination; 3.) suggest that the memory of his son should not be a source of anguish that requires vengeance to dull its pain, but instead can be used as a beacon of hope to allow him to see new possibilities while remaining cautious not to go overboard. While it would appear that something breaks inside of Menaheran, if Velanoriel is present, he will address Nortelania and state that, while exiled, she was never formally released from her oath, thus making it her duty to capture the leader of the anti-isolationist rebels and bring her to him. If only the hound is present, Menaheran will reveal the elf’s name (Faelarion) and state that his actions were entirely unsanctioned, and he needs to be dealt with appropriately, suggesting that this loyalty test will decide whether Nortelania deserves to return from exile. She will not comply at this point if her intuition counter is higher than the stringency one, but the reverse case will cause her to doubt herself (the same will apply if the counters sit at equal values). Seeing this, Menaheran will further push Nortelania, saying that this situation only came to be due to her mistakes and disregard of her duty, but he is willing to give her a chance. At this point, the Commander can solidify which way she will be nudged towards. The can either remark that a mistake made in the past should not define and shackle a person, but instead offer a way of strengthening one’s character and abilities. There is value in mistakes, and one should embrace with an open heart (this will add to the intuition counter). Conversely, they can say that, since our lives and the path to our goals are bound to be riddled with errors and mistakes, it is crucial for people to act in ways that take into account these potential miscalculated decisions and work on preventing them before they even shape up to happen. To often, people fall into the trap of justifying their mistakes, thus becoming more weak-willed and lacking focus (this will add to the stringency counter).

If Nortelania once again refuses to follow her mentor’s instructions, he will fume for a while, though ultimately, sensing his own defeat and unfavourable position, will acknowledge that there is value in following a path unrestricted by inflexible rules. He will concede that his own little crusade was bound to be a failure from the start, or else it would have ended in his own demise, further promising to honour the memory of his son by putting an end to this venture. If only Faelarion is present, he will relieve him of his duty of tracking Nortelania, urging him to return to Kyonin to make preparations for his own eventual homecoming. If Velanoriel is alive, he will, somewhat listlessly, ask if she intends to keep on ruining his efforts to avoid a societal upheaval. To this, she will surprise everyone by solemnly saying that she sees this entire ordeal as a cautionary tale and no longer thinks that rapid change is the answer. After all, the elves have more time than most to think about what direction they should take. Though she will promise to keep her eye on Menaheran, prompting a hearty laugh from the man. 

If Nortelania agrees to hand over either Velanoriel or Faelarion (or both), a fight will ensue, though it will not be fatal, and the elven guards will take their prisoner(s) into custody, marching along ahead of their leader. Still, remembering her dedication to Sarenrae’s teachings, Nortelania will ask that the prisoners be treated fairly and with the possibility of an absolution. Afterwards, Menaheran will slowly return to his old, calm self and applaud her willingness to follow the path laid before her until the end, and will mention that, should she wish to become protégé once more, his doors shall remain open. He will similarly thank the Commander for bringing him back from his irrational state and will make the promise to honour the memory of his son upon returning to Kyonin. 

Whichever way the quest concludes, the Commander will have the option to ask Menaheran how he intends to navigate elven politics from behind-the-scenes, to which he will state that their queen is still young and largely interested in applying less isolationist policies, but he will ensure that it is done in a way that prevents chaos and fracturing within their society. Still, after having paid witness to the Commander and their various companions, all of which come from different backgrounds and societies, he is willing to be a bit more lenient in his decisions, knowing that inspiration and beneficial knowledge can be found beyond the borders of Kyonin, thus returning to the status quo before his hunt on the Mendevian noble, although with more tolerance for a more collaborative approach to the development of elven society. Finally, before his departure, he will confess that Nortelania’s parents are still blissfully unaware of her exile, thus making her free to visit them at any time if she so wishes.

Back at Drezen, Nortelania will seek the Commander out and thank them for their help, whichever way the quest ends. However, their conversation will vary depending on whether she is pushed towards intuition or stringency. She will also say that the Mendevian noble, now free of being hunted, no longer wishes to stay in Drezen, and is planning to leave, though he promises to supply the Commander with a group of talented warriors as a way of thanking them for their protection.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want! She is romanceable by female and male Commanders of an alignment that is ultimately non-evil. However, the romance itself is rather niche because it will not feature any fade-to-black scenes of a more physical nature. She is not interested at all in any activities of a sexual nature and it will be addressed in the romance as it progresses.

If the Commander spoke to her soon after her arrival to the Defender’s Heart, there would be some subtle options available among the dialogue options. Most notably, asking her about her travels prior to the Worldwound would lead to the option of remarking on the fact that some of her adventures sound risky, and further inquiring whether there was anyone to keep her company. She will comment that she was surrounded by people of various walks of life on her journeys – some she knew for only a couple of days, while others stayed in her life for a longer period, and while she did enjoy spending time with them, either as a protector, or as a companion on a long journey from one distant land to another, none were close enough to share the troubles that weighed heavily on her mind, thus often leaving her with the feeling of being alone in a world of strangers. The Commander can then: 1.) say that they understand the feeling of not wanting to be a burden to those around them, and will further comment that it is important for people to know that they have someone that can offer companionship and a feeling of safety, especially during particularly trying times; 2.) teasingly comment that they hope that the presence of one very amiable Commander will alleviate that feeling and, even though they barely know each other, they hope to become someone that will help her carry whichever burdens she might have. She will appreciate either sentiment, and will go on to state that she appreciates the Commander looking out for her, praising their attentiveness to those under their command. She will also commend them for protecting others, to which the Commander can either thank her good-naturedly, or respond in a slightly flirtatious manner stating that they are all the more happy to do so knowing that she is there to watch their back. In the first case, she will respond with a small smile, but she will gently but firmly urge the Commander to get back to their duties. In the second case, she will smile and say that the Commander hardly seems like someone in need of constant protection, though she is pleased to know that they trust her with this important task before reminding them not to dally.

In Act 2, there will be an option of reassuring her during her personal quest and promising to stand by her and help her solve the issue until the end.

After the battle for Drezen, if the Commander has expressed their interest in her at least once, she will ask whether they can spare the time to see her for a private conversation. If the Commander agrees, she will take them to the battlements in the late evening to talk. She will begin by saying that she is glad to have grown close to the Commander in such a short amount of time and will offer to listen to any worries, complaints or thoughts they might have, in many ways echoing the sentiments expressed by the Commander during one of their first conversations. She will then turn to look at the night sky distractedly, saying that she believes that each body is a universe that contains their own inner candlelight that is there to offer help, inspiration and understanding to those who need it in traversing the world. However, many people either forget about it or are completely unaware of it to begin with, and behave recklessly and thoughtlessly, thus toppling the candle over and putting out its light. Still, she hopes that the Commander will not forget about their own light despite the numerous hardships they face, and will try to keep their inner candle burning. To this, the Commander can ask if this is a fanciful metaphor the followers of Sarenrae use to cheer someone up. She will blush a bit at this, saying that it is nothing so profound, as these are her own thoughts that gave her comfort in a difficult time, as well as a way to keep her from hardening in a world that is oftentimes harsh and unforgiving, because when a person has something to protect, and something to live for, life becomes a bit more bearable. 1.) tease her and ask whether she meant to say “someone” instead of “something” (she will smile evasively, though it would seem that she does not appreciate the humour right now); 2.) thank her for keeping them in her thoughts, and promise to keep her words close to heart; 3.) thank her for the encouragement, and confess that they find it to be a daunting task on top of everything else they have to deal with, but admit that they feel a bit more at ease knowing that she is there to offer a degree of solace. Either way, she will reiterate that she is grateful for having met the Commander and hopes that the both of them will face whichever obstacles ahead by being there for each other. At this point, she will try to take hold of the Commander’s hand, but will stop herself. Noticing this, the Commander can either: 1.) thank her again but suggest catching up on this later; 2.) wordlessly take her hand; 3.) stay close without taking her hand, and remain to watch the stars in quiet contentment together.

In Act 3 a random post-camping scene will trigger. One morning, while the entire party is gathering up their things and preparing to set off once again, the Commander will note that Nortelania is nowhere to be found, to which one of the companions will reply that they saw her hurry towards the tree copse / other room (depending on where the camp takes place) in a manner that suggested she wanted to be alone. If the Commander decides to pursue this further, they can go looking for her and eventually find her hiding away, nervously glancing about and trying to comb out a nest of tangled hair. Upon seeing the Commander, she will awkwardly state that she had a hard time falling asleep and kept tossing around, which resulted in the mess on her head. She will comment that her wanting to do this in private must be a family thing – neither one of her parents walked around with loose hair around people that were not part of the family. The Commander can then ask whether their presence makes her uncomfortable and if they should leave, but she will respond with the action of taking hold of their wrist and asking them to stay while she does the entire routine if they so wish. The Commander can either laugh it off and confess that this feels too personal before taking their leave, stay to either watch her silently, or suggest to help her. If the last option is chosen, she will agree to allow the Commander to brush out the tangled mess on her head after some hesitation, and will soon become more visibly relaxed, fully trusting them with this task.

Shortly before the party’s descent to the Midnight Fane she will approach the Commander and pull them aside in order to gift them an item of her own creation. She will offer a kind of protection charm made from ornate silk depicting traditional elven patterns stitched by hand, and containing a small circle-shaped wooden plaque with a prayer to Sarenrae – thus combining to things that are important to her identity and sharing them with the Commander. The charm itself provides a +5 bonus to all skill checks as well as a +2 to saving throws. She will linger near the Commander for a while and, seemingly after steeling her nerves, she will take both of the Commander’s hands in hers (kneeling before doing so if they are small) and pause, seemingly at a loss for what to do next, though looking at them imploringly. The Commander can then thank her for the gift and either pull away (which will end the romance, though she will want them to keep the charm regardless) or lean in to kiss her lightly.  When it ends, she will take the Commander’s hands and say that, even though she is feeling nervous like never before, she will give her all to protect them in the journey ahead.

In Act 4 she will approach the Commander on the Nexus with a rather anxious look on her face, asking for a quiet moment away from curious eyes. The two will walk side by side for a while as she clearly needs to gather up her courage to say something. She will suggest sitting comfortably on a fallen tree, and then finally, she will awkwardly confess that watching the succubi and other demons with similar purposes, and observing their ways of expression and behaviour, while perturbing, also causes her to feel anxious about her own inability to offer gratification of that nature. The Commander can then express their confusion as to what that means, and she will explain that while she is fond of the Commander, she is not interested in ever taking the relationship to a sexual level. She will further say that she does not want to find herself cornered into a situation that she will not be able to manage, and she does not wish to lead the other person on, making them think that she will eventually want a relationship that follows the traditionally expected script. But she will also admit to being selfish by delaying this conversation, even though she did so only because she was entirely too happy to spend time with the Commander and wanted the illusion to last for a bit longer. She will apologise for not bringing this up sooner and will await the Commander’s response. Upon hearing this revelation, the Commander can express their thoughts in a couple of ways: 1.) with understanding, though not without a tinge of regret about having to end the relationship due to incompatible desires. 2.) angrily and upset about her wasting much of their time before mustering up the courage to explain how she views intimacy of a more physical nature 3.) state that, while surprised, they value her honesty and, even though they may not fully understand her circumstances, they would rather have her in their life on her own terms, rather than not have her at all. 4.) let out a relieved breath and explain that they have always felt the same about physical intimacy, and are incredibly relieved and delighted to try and make the relationship flourish on their own terms. If either the first or second replies are picked, she will listen to the Commander patiently, apologise for wasting their time once more, and express the hope that they will emerge victorious by the crusade’s end and find someone to appreciate them as fully as they themselves wish. She will then take her leave to spend some time by herself in order to collect her thoughts. She will initially not believe the Commander if the third or fourth options are chosen, and will ask for further reassurance, upon hearing which she will simply nod, becoming incapable of speech due to tears inexplicably welling up in her eyes. The Commander will have the option to let her cry without disturbing her, silently run small circles over her back, or wipe the tears away from her face. In any case, after calming down, she will take the Commander’s hands into her own, brushing soft kisses over their knuckles before flipping them over and leaving a lingering kiss on each of their palms. She will say that the Commander has a beautiful soul, and she wants to keep getting to know the person that they truly are, beyond the titles and the stories, for as long as she can, now that no secrets are there to create any obstacles between them. With a soft and contented sigh, she will curl closer against the Commander / pull them closer to her side if the are small, saying that she expects being with them like this will always make her feel both joyful and safe, and hopes that her presence will offer the same comfort to the Commander. 

Depending on whether they had the Act 4 conversation before or after the Battlebliss Arena, the scene will have some differences. If they did not go through the dialogue options yet, she will take a step toward the Commander and look them over with an expression of concern on her face, lightly touching their shoulder or kneeling down before doing so if there is a noticeable size difference between the two before looking the Commander over for injuries and signs of stress. The conversation will have the same main beats if the two had the romance conversation prior to the abduction, but she will be more open with expressing her relief at seeing the Commander through physical actions – she will rush to the Commander’s side and wrap her arms around them (lifting them up if they are small), almost laughing in relief and prompting surprised looks from the other companions before looking the Commander over for injuries and signs of stress.

In Act 5, the Commander will now be able to invite her to spend time with them, though the romance itself will not progress until the completion of her quest. After the completion of her quest she will ask to visit them in their room with the intention of once again thanking them for resolving the situation with her former mentor. She will confess that, if it weren’t for the Commander staying at her side throughout the entire ordeal, she would have been very tempted to just leave the situation behind her, but that would have meant having to deal with her growing inner doubts in ways she would not have had the courage to explore alone. She will also ask how the Commander is feeling and, even if they reassure her that they are ready to face whatever dangers await them ahead, she will take their hands  into her own and say that, even though she does not know what the future will hold for either of them, she will not give up on the Commander and will still be there should they decide to lay down their burdens. If the Commander is either on the Angel, Azata, Dragon or Legend paths, she will also comment that they have managed to keep their inner light burning despite the hardships that befell upon them. She will suddenly turn silent for a bit before facing the Commander and nearly blurting out that she dearly wants to tell them something, but is a little unsure of how to do so. After some prompting, she will become lost in thought again, seemingly running over the hypothetical options in her head, before finally settling on the perfect solution and saying that she wants the Commander to turn around so that their back is facing her. She will shift to sit more comfortably and in a mere moment afterwards the Commander will feel her warm breath as she murmurs something in between their shoulder blades. She will pull away after saying the short phrase, but will not allow the Commander to turn around just yet, instead tracing what seems to be elaborate letters into their back before asking whether they understood what she said. To this, the Commander can either: 1.) smile and say that they love her, too; 2.) take her hand and trace the words “I love you” on the inside of her hand; 3.) say that they understood, but would still like to hear her say the words aloud; 4.) laugh and say that she will have to try again because they were too focused on the tickling sensation. Whichever reply they chose, she will smile and lean in to hug them before saying the “I love you” in full, and confessing that the phrase seems a bit odd coming from her mouth because she had never expected to have the chance to say them so openly and sincerely. She will repeat the words several times as if trying to decide how it makes her feel, all the while planting small kisses on the Commander’s hands, cheeks, forehead and so forth. Satisfied, she will look at their face intently, almost with the intention of memorising even its smallest creases and imperfections. She will cup their cheek and say almost wistfully that she would like nothing more than to simply spend time in their company and away from all and everyone else, though she is aware that the world needs saving. The Commander will have the option to ask her to stay longer, stating that they both deserve a little rest – after all, they did manage to get farther and faster than any crusaders before them. She will readily agree if she was pushed towards intuition as part of her quest, with further options to either go for a walk around Drezen, have her read aloud a book of the Commander’s choosing, or simply lie next to each other and cuddle. However, if she is now more stringent, she will say a bit regretfully that the world doesn’t stop for anyone, and both she and the Commander are needed elsewhere, though she will kiss them again and say that she will treasure this and every moment they share together until their next opportunity to have a quiet moment.

What would their ending slides be like? These are related to the end states of her personal quest. Perhaps I will write in the Ascension and Aeon endings later, because currently the word count is getting a bit out of hand.

If she is pushed towards trusting her intuition: she will stay in Drezen for several months even if the Commander decided against staying there after the war – both out of a sense of duty, and as a way of showing her gratitude and support to the Commander by taking the time to help with restoration efforts. Eventually, she will head off to continue her exploration of the various regions, helping people along the way and making sure to find the time to visit her parents in Kyonin eventually, exchanging meaningful letters in the meantime. The people she meets in her travels note the elven woman’s patience and kindness, but also her certainty and a quiet inner strength. If romanced, she and the Commander are often seen together – enjoying the time spent in each other’s company, creating many memories together, sharing their experiences and learning new things, and simply allowing their love to grow deeper in ways unique to only them. 

If she is pushed towards stringency: after the war she will stay for as long as the Commander deems necessary, or of her own volition if they decided against staying with the crusaders in order to help with reconstruction efforts by keeping the crusaders in line and reminding them of their duty. Even though she manages to grow to be more assertive over the course of her journey in the Worldwound, many notice that, while still reliable and willing to offer a helping hand, she is less prone to focus on the emotional side of things, instead wanting to put everything into neat boxes and being in many ways inflexible, thus frustrating those around her. She makes a mental note to visit her parents, though for now she is content to resume their familial relationship by way of letters. If romanced, she will schedule her activities in a way that allows her to see the Commander for at least a couple of hours per day, if they are near. During those moments, she never stops inventing new ways to improve the Commander’s life and makes sure they are well-cared for in her company. When they are apart, she sends trinkets that she wants the Commander to enjoy, and writes letters in which she expresses her love for the Commander in a way that reveals a soft side of her that nobody else ever sees, though not without firmly reminding them to stay vigilant in their travels.

If her quest is abandoned: feeling the need to come to terms with her inability to make assured choices in life, she will gather up her belongings and set out once more some time after the war (before the war ended if the Commander sold out the Nightingale in Act 3) – offering her services to all who require assistance, exploring and hoping to find inner peace. Eventually, becoming more and more frustrated with her own indecisive and often self-pitying behaviour, she will begin looking into increasingly dangerous job offers and journeys, perhaps with the desire to prove something to herself. On one such expedition in the Osirian desert she will get caught in a sand storm, suffocating from the dust gathered up in her lungs.

Any other fun facts? 

She stands at exactly 195 centimetres. She enjoys both simple and elaborate soup dishes, though out of the available recipes she largely prefers the Creme Soup With a Snout (a favourite she shares with Ember). Additionally, she greatly enjoys the Blazing Parfait due to having a bit of a sweet tooth. Both of these provide a 1d6 damage bonus to sneak attack. Her monkey familiar is named Pebbleseeker or Pebbles for short. Her speaking voice has calm quality that sometimes teeters on the edge of pedantic due to her unique use of prosody and a refusal to use contractions in her speech (something close to a young Emma Thompson, perhaps).

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

Dialogue start: Upon seeing you approach, the elven woman whispers to the oddly coloured creature at her feet, prompting the familiar to swiftly find its perch on her shoulder, and draws herself to her full height. “Commander,” she says. “You wish to converse?” Dialogue end: “Until next time, then.” She nods politely and turns her attention back to the monkey, fishing out a dried fruit from her pocket and passing it to the familiar. Combat: “Sarenrae, grant me courage” / “Stay back, you filth” Selection: “I shall endeavour to do my best” / “Stay vigilant, these lands are treacherous” / (will let out a small chuckle if romanced) Losing health: “I am in need of assistance” / “We should have planned more thoroughly” Ability Check:  (success) “A job well done, if I should say so myself” / “There! I believe the saying is easy as pie” / (failure)  ”Perhaps I could try again” / “Oh, for crying out loud” Stealth mode: “Ah, my speciality” / “Patient, now”

Provide some examples of companion banters! 

(image credit)

Again, being a professional non-writer, I do not think that I have a firm enough grasp on the companion’s personalities to do them justice in written form, so... I am skipping this one for fear of mischaracterising them.

[pantherlord3]

Do we have any Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba fans on here? Because I've been working on an idea for a demon lord based on one of the Upper Moons.

Number 6, Kaigaku.

In the form of Raiju, The Thunder Blade Master.

Demon Lord of Thunder, Swordplay and Overwhelming Speed. (Still working on it though.)

For design I was thinking about taking inspiration from the Rajin Beast,pet of Raijen the Japanese thunder Demon God. Making him a weasel like Humaniod usually dressed in a kimono or other such robe. Exposing his chest and left arm. With his blade Thunderclap resting at his side.

Raiju in combat is a sort of, armored fragile speedster. His ac is high due to his massive dodge bonuses, but he has very little Magic Resistance ( 22) and has a low AC if he's ever denied his Dex bonus due to spells and effects. While he does have an eternal freedom of movement active,that doesn't mean he can't be stuck or harassed with spells. He has a massive number of attacks per round and multiple AoOs due to an improved version of Combat Reflexes. Though he does very little damage per strike, only 2d6 slashing, though he adds 2d6 lightning damage as well. Treating immunity as Resistance 15.

His main strategy is also to use his massive movement speed and ability to dash attack to repeatedly slash through people or perform one big attack via Power Attack. The later increasing the amount of lightning damage to 6d6, doubled on a crit(which he gets on a nat 17 or Higher.) Allowing him to truly strike with the force of a bolt of lightning.

Raiju also has abilities related to thunder,once a round he can perform a Thunderclap Strike, dealing 4d6 Sonic damage instead of lightning damage for his normal attack.

He's still a WIP but I think he's got potential. Just need help with lore and getting all the mechanical details down.

[utilitycaster]

Level 14!

let’s go down the list except Fjord last because there are two paths he can go by but in the long run there’s still time to change the road you’re on

Jester and Caduceus: no additional spell slots, although they can prep an additional spell as they always can upon leveling up (both are now able to prep 19 spells). Eighth level spells show up at L15 and honestly it’s a short list (for those wondering: control weather is very handy but they might not get that in time to battle the takers, antimagic field will be good when they take on Trent at some point in the future but probably not yet, earthquake could be pretty nasty against enemies in the distance, and holy aura grants some great benefits but does require an extremely expensive relic and mostly I just want to know what a 1000 GP relic of The Traveler will be). They do however get improved Destroy Undead (up to CR 3 now), and a slightly better chance at divine intervention (not relevant for 7 days for Caduceus, but maybe Jester will be able to drag Artagan from the bar?)

Caleb: like the other full casters, no additional spell slots. He does get two new spells for free and personally speaking after looking into how antimagic fields interact with concentration I would love to see delayed blast fireball. I’m saving 8th level spell speculation for when they level up to 15 because the wizard list is huge, and more importantly, Caleb gets a subclass feature this level! He is now a master transmuter and can use his stone in four ways: he can transmute a nonmagical object no larger than a five foot cube into a different nonmagical object of similar size and no greater value; he can remove all curses, diseases, and poisons from one creature and bring them up to full HP; he can cast raise dead without a spell slot (diamond still required)(unless it’s Yasha); or he can restore youth, reducing a creature’s apparent age by a minimum of 13 years (3d10 or 13, whichever is higher), but with no lifespan extension. Any of these options will destroy the stone, and he’d need to create a new one, which takes 8 hours, after a long rest.

Veth: She learns a new spell, which can be up to 3rd level, and can be anything on the wizard spell list (as opposed to her usual limitation to the enchantment and illusion list). Also she hasn’t use mage hand to distract people, I don’t think, unless I missed it in last week’s battles, which is a L13 ability that Sam might review upon leveling up. As mentioned, she could take Leomund’s Tiny Hut, but also counterspell, blink, nondetection, remove curse, sending...it’s a good list. I would advise personally against major image just because that’s illusion, so she could take it at any level she gets to learn new spells or swap out an older spell for it.

Yasha: in addition to a zillion HP, she gets the most metal ability of all, Rage Beyond Death. If she is raging and is taken to 0 HP, she does not go unconscious. She still makes death saves as normal - and presumably, if she is hit she still takes a death saving fail (although not an auto-crit since she’s not unconscious) but she will remain conscious until her rage ends, and also she can, as far as I can tell from the wording, be healed despite failing 3 death saves and remain alive as long as her rage has been continuous. L14 is a fun in-between state because at L15 she gets persistent rage, which makes her very, very hard to kill as a result - it pretty much needs to be an insta-kill, like disintegrate or finger of death or being taken to -154 HP, since otherwise she just rages until healed. But at L14 she does have to maintain rage through attacks or damage.

Beau: Beau is now proficient in all saving throws, which means +9 to WIS and INT, +6 to CHA, and +8 to CON which will help a lot against Lucien next time (as she was rolling with just a +3 to CON last week). Her strength and dex saves are unchanged since monks have proficiency in those to start. She also can spend a ki point to reroll a failed save. And finally, her unarmored movement speed is now 55 feet per round, which means with step of the wind she can do 165 ft/round, which is 18.75 mph or about 30 km/h. (note: technically this is not superhuman; Usain Bolt’s record 100 m dash comes out to 37 km/h. However, that was for under 10 seconds. A rested Beau can do this for 14 rounds which is 84 seconds, covering about 700 meters. Using the 800m dash world record, the top speed is about 29 km/h; since it’s not a perfect comparison, Beau is at the very least matched with the (male) world record holder for that distance and possibly a bit faster).

Fjord: Fjord is currently at L10 Warlock/L3 Paladin.

Another level in Warlock gives him two major benefits: a third 5th level spell slot which like his other warlock spells refreshes on a short rest, and a mystic arcanum, which is essentially a once-per-day 6th level spell. The arcanum options are interesting and a few don’t seem very in line with his patron (somehow, create undead, mental prison, or soul cage don’t really seem like great choices) but arcane gate is highly on-brand - it’s basically Now You’re Thinking With Portals (and means that he could essentially allow the whole party to dimension door, with the restriction that it must be somewhere he can see). Conjure fey is sort of the same idea as conjure greater demon except fey, so I don’t really see the benefit; Eyebite is a solid debuffing option; Flesh to Stone lets him petrify people if he can maintain concentration and they fail their saves; Mass Suggestion is exactly what it sounds like (and lasts 24 hours without concentration, although there’s a save and it breaks if you attack the creatures affected); the various elemental investiture spells which could be handy in combat although would make it hard for the other melee fighters in the Nein; scatter, which is also very on brand in that it lets him teleport other people around; and we know True Seeing from the clerics and it’s probably not worth it since he’s got the sword and said clerics can do the same thing.

L4 in Paladin’s main benefits are: gets him closer to higher paladin levels, gets him an extra prepared L1 spell, and he finally gets the ASI/feat the rest of the party got two levels ago. For ASIs, bumping up strength and dex wouldn’t hurt - a higher AC and saves are always nice even if his attacks are with his maxed-out charisma - but the feats look better, honestly. Some that stand out to me are are inspiring leader (he’d have to do it twice to cover everyone, but it would give everyone +19 temp HP); mage slayer which is a feat I really like but also makes sense for Fjord, who is often in melee against spellcasters; spell sniper (which would give him a 240 range with Eldritch Blast, and a bonus cantrip, which he could take from any list although charisma casters are the smartest option); or prodigy, which Beau has and which would give him some extra skills and expertise.

[dragynkeep]

I was trying so hard to be optimistic about RWBY again, but I realized I was just ignoring the problems, and after getting sucked back into RWDE due to getting sent hate from a simple analysis I made, I think it's finally time I not only abandon the show for good, but also RT.

I hate how the company handles stuff now. It just feels off and unprofessional at best and rude and mean spirited at worst. As for the show, I think there are much better series I can focus my energy on, like My Hero or Hunter x hunter.

I probably lurk on your blog still cause I like your takes, but a massive thanks to you and other RWBY crit blogs for being the last enjoyable part of the fandom, but also in being really nice and cordial even with disagreements.

Ciao ♡

I'm sorry you feel that way about RWBY, anon. I know I've been in the exact position as you with this show, especially since I started out near the end of V5 still really liking the show and wanting it to get better again.

I'd recommend BNHA and Demon Slayer for anyone wondering. They're really good shows and, most of the time, the animation is amazing.

[mossyythoughts]

wanna know a bit more ?

heyy~

alrighty !!

i main klee/ganyu/xinyan/hu tao/venti

i love catalyst/polearm users

i started playing november, 2020

i actually downloaded genshin in september, but it wouldn't run on my computer (it always crashed???) so i forgot about it until november

i got my sister into playing in december, but now she hits bigger numbers then me wtf. (she's a chongyun/hu tao/itto/xingqiu main EWWWW /j)

it took me WAY TOO FUCKING LONG to get qiqi (she's home now tho!)

my hu tao never fucking crits what the hell.

SHE HAS 54 CRIT RATE….

i’m shifting teyvat high! (haven’t shifted yet, but once i do yknow theres gonna be so many stories LOL)

in teyvat high, my dorm people are bennett, razor, chongyun, xingqiu, venti, xiao, hu tao, xinyan, xiangling, and fischl!

teyvat high is chaotic as all hell.

I'VE NEVER FUCKING WON A 50/50 I HATE IT.

my sister was watching me wish on venti's banner and when diluc came up she left the room to laugh and then came back.

It's FINE THOUGH. DILUC I HATE YOU /j

I like a multitude of animes! Mha, Demon slayer, TBHK, etc! (manga reader for everything besides mha because my sister wants me to be surprised when i see it animated like bitch can you PLEASE just tell me if my faves are gonna get hurt 🙄)

shrimp chips are literally so delicious eating some rn as im writing this actually

i also also ALSO really like rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles

not to brag, but i kin mikey from tmnt 🥱

and miu iruma

huge switch but yknow.

IM REALLY OBSESSED WITH LEGO MONKIE KID !! watch it it is so good !! 110% would recommend the animation is great, the story is great, THE CHSRACTERS ARE AMAZING !!

i respond with yo mama to every inconvenience and i PRAY to not meet anyone who doesn't have a mom.

[tigerkirby215]

5e Gondar, the Bounty Hunter build (DOTA 2)

(Artwork made for Valve Software.)

And here you were thinking that I wouldn’t actually make a DOTA 2 build; that’s where you’re WRONG! While this is sort of meant as my April Fools joke build I did actually play DOTA before migrating to League. I still love all the characters and I do genuinely think the gameplay has some strengths over LoL. The community...? Well, it exists.

Regardless back when I played DOTA I mained Bounty Hunter, which is rather ironic given I fucking hate League’s counterpart Bounty Hunter of Pyke. Gondar (yes his name is Gondar) was an extremely fun stealth assassin with a very unique passive to keep tabs on enemies at all times and inflate his teammates’ wallets. And apparently they magnified that even further by allowing Bounty to steal other heroes’ gold now with Jinada? Sweet Zeus Valve calm down with the feature creep...

Regardless: happy 5 days after April Fools! Hoes mad that I’m acknowledging DOTA’s existence.

GOALS

You can't fight what you can't see - DOTA is a lot more willing to give people invisibility. Helps when you can buy a gem that lets you see all invisible enemies.

The realm's justice - Jinada, que pasa? We need to be able to do big damage to critical points that weaken our enemies in a fight.

You can run but you can't hide - Your ultimate ability will be to track people down like some sort of... person who tracks people down for money.

RACE

Back in the Warcraft days Gondar was a Goblin, so a Goblin he shall be! As a Goblin you get a +2 to Dexterity and a +1 to Constitution, and Nimble Escape to get half of what a Rogue can do with your Bonus Action to Disengage or Hide (but not Dash.) And you get a nice bonus to take down big bounties (big in the literal sense) with Fury of the Small, allowing you to do extra damage equal to your level to a creature that’s bigger than you once per Short or Long Rest!

ABILITY SCORES

15; DEXTERITY - Is your refrigerator running? Well you’d better go catch it, because there’s a bounty on its head!

14; WISDOM - Wisdom is tied to tracking, and spoiler alert? We’re going to be doing a lot of tracking.

13; CONSTITUTION - We kinda don’t need anything else so may as well use that +1 from our race to get a nice boost to our HP.

12; INTELLIGENCE - Practical intelligence never hurt when tracking down gods and demons.

10; CHARISMA - You need to be able to talk to the people giving the bounties.

8; STRENGTH - You’re a small man with small knives.

BACKGROUND

Man, if only there was a background for a Bounty Hunter! We’ll be going for Urban Bounty Hunter from the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide because just because the name says “urban” doesn’t mean you can’t prowl around the Radiant jungle too. You can choose your proficiencies among a small list: I opted for Insight and Stealth. You also get proficiency with two musical instruments or gaming sets: I’d maybe ask about languages instead? But honestly pick your poison.

Your feature Ear to the Ground gives you plenty of information about whatever bounty you may be tracking, as you’ve got contacts in all places to slip you information about where a giant fishman may be. “The Tidehunter becomes the hunted.”

(Artwork made for Valve Software.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - FIGHTER 1

You level Shuriken first on Bounty, you go for CON saves first in D&D. Along with those CON saves you also get proficiency in two skills from the Fighter list: Acrobatics will help you survive and Survival will also help you survive! But it’s mainly useful for tracking.

As a Fighter you can choose a Fighting Style at level 1: for a quick Shuriken Toss Superior Technique will let you grab the Quick Toss maneuver as well as a d6 Superiority die to use on said maneuver. It doesn’t take a lot to push Q and click on someone. Remember that your superiority die come back after a Short Rest, as well as a long one.

Finally as a Fighter you can hold onto a Bottle to use for a bit of Second Wind, healing for a d10 plus your Fighter Level as a Bonus Action. “A prudent hunter knows when to strike.” This ability also resets after a Short or Long Rest.

LEVEL 2 - FIGHTER 2

Second level Fighters can up their APM with Action Surge, allowing them to take two actions in a turn. The Wiki says the trick of attacking people during Shadow Walk’s Fade Time is still a thing, so yeah pro tips from a League player!

LEVEL 3 - FIGHTER 3

Third level Fighters get to choose their Martial Archetype and truth be told I just want to be able to throw more shuriken, so Battle Master it is for four more Combat Superiority dice! You can also learn three more Maneuvers other than Quick Toss: Disarming Attack will let you knock an enemy’s weapon away with Heaven’s Halberd, and both Commander’s Strike and Distracting Strike are good to team up with your allies to play support. “My allies have earned their keep.”

But of course the most important feature is Student of War; no shmuck politician is going to hire you unless you have Calligrapher’s Supplies proficiency to fool a god to sign off his power to you!

LEVEL 4 - FIGHTER 4

How about we slow them down a bit? The Slasher feat will increase your Dexterity by 1 but also allow you to slow enemies hit by 10 feet. Additionally if you crit you cripple them, giving them disadvantage on their attacks! This only works with Slashing damage, so technically you can only slow in melee range with a Scimitar. But if your DM is cool I’d totally allow Darts that do Slashing damage to slow at range!

(”Twin Blades Assassin” set made by motenai and T_Vidotto. Made for YYF.)

LEVEL 5 - RANGER 1

First level Rangers get proficiency in one skill from the Ranger list: increase your map awareness and buy some wards for Perception. Additionally you get Deft Explorer from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, which grants you the Canny ability for two language proficiencies and Expertise in one skill of your choice. Your languages don’t matter too much but guess what? Survival is still used for tracking down bounties!

Speaking of those bounties you can mark them with not quite track thanks to Favored Foe. When you hit a foe you can choose to mark them and make them take an additional d4 once per turn for up to a minute! You need to concentrate on this effect though so you can’t just fire-and-forget like in DOTA, and can only use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

LEVEL 6 - RANGER 2

Second level Rangers get to choose a Fighting Style and you know what’s good for tossing shuriken? Thrown Weapon Fighting, letting you draw thrown weapons for free and giving you +2 damage to said thrown weapons!

But of course the main appeal of being a Ranger is the Spellcasting! You can learn two spells from the Ranger list: for a not quite stun that certainly isn’t mini Ensnaring Strike lets you throw a shuriken (or stab with your sword) to root an enemy in place. Alternatively if you want to track people super good Hunter’s Mark gives you advantage on Survival checks to track the person you marked, and also lets you do an extra d6 every time you hit the enemy!

It’s of course worth mentioning that both these spells require Concentration which means you can’t use them along with Favored Foe, but most of the Ranger spell list is Concentration.

LEVEL 7 - RANGER 3

Third level Rangers get to chose their subclass, and I hope you weren’t expecting Hunter just because the character is literally called “Bounty Hunter.” No we’ll be going for the Monster Slayer subclass, because certainly you only hunt monsters who have a price on their head for a reason, right? Regardless Hunter’s Sense will let you know what an enemy’s weaknesses are just by looking at them (and perhaps peeking at their inventory) with your Action. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain all expended uses at the end of a Long Rest.

But what we’re mainly here for is Slayer’s Prey, for more tracking marks! As a Bonus Action you can put another mark on a foe within 60 feet to make them take an extra d6 the first time you hit them! You can only have one target marked at a time with this ability, and it ends if you take a Short or Long Rest. This stacks with both Hunter’s Mark and Favored Foe, so pick your poison to do as much as you can to your foes!

You can also learn another first level Ranger spell like Snare, to set up in advance for bounties you know are coming. You get a lot more magic too: Monster Slayer Magic provides you with the Protection from Evil and Good spell, which is helpful for hunting down demons and fiends. You can also cast Speak with Animals once per day thanks to Primal Awareness, just in case you’ve been hanging around with Enchantress.

LEVEL 8 - RANGER 4

4th level Rangers get another Ability Score Improvement, but we still kinda need to be able to turn invisible? Good thing Shadow Touched lets you increase your Wisdom by 1 and gives you the Invisibility spell along with one Illusion or Necromancy spell of first level.

What first level spell will we be taking you may ask? Why if only there was a spell to squeeze more gold out of your bounties. Oh wait! Distort Value from Acquisitions Incorporated, allowing you to sparkle up your bounties for more gold! You can cast both of these spells once per Long Rest without using a spell slot, and can also cast them freely with your spell slots.

(”Desperado in the Shade” set made by HeeJae.)

LEVEL 9 - RANGER 5

5th level Rangers finally get their Extra Attack. It’s about damn time to pick up some attack speed as a Martial Fighter.

You can also learn another spell like Locate Object, because sometimes items have bounties on them too. Speaking of spells Monster Slayer Magic gives you the Zone of Truth spell, and Primal Awareness gives you one casting of the spell Beast Sense, in case you want to ride along with Lifestealer.

LEVEL 10 - RANGER 6

6th level Rangers get Roving from Deft Explorer, increasing their movement speed by 5 and granting them a Climbing and Swimming speed equal to their walking speed, meaning you can follow your bounties through any terrain. Additionally Favored Foe increases to a d6 of damage, so while it’s still not really comparing to Hunter’s Mark it’s still helping!

LEVEL 11 - RANGER 7

7th level Monster Slayers have a Supernatural Defense against magic and crowd control. Whenever the target marked by your Slayer’s Prey feature forces you to make a saving throw or if you try to escape their grapple, you can add a d6 to your roll.

You can also learn another second level spell like Lesser Restoration, as a Dispel is never a bad thing to have.

LEVEL 12 - RANGER 8

Striking foes from the shadows is all well and good but you haven’t got many ways to keep yourself safe. (Other than using your Bonus Action to Disengage I guess.) The Mobile feat will speed you up and let you avoid hits after cutting a foe’s heels!

(“Giant Hunter” set made by Jigglypuff.)

LEVEL 13 - RANGER 9

9th level Rangers get third level spells! This means you get:

Magic Circle from Monster Slayer Magic.

Speak With Plants from Primal Awareness.

And Revivify from the Ranger spell list (thanks Tasha’s), in case you need to help someone Buyback their respawn.

LEVEL 14 - RANGER 10

10th level Rangers are Tireless thanks to Deft Explorer. You can recover Exhaustion on a Short Rest, and can use an action to give yourself a boost of Temporary Hitpoints a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, which resets at the end of a Long Rest.

You also get more ways to turn invisible with Nature’s Veil, which lets you turn invisible until the start of your next turn. Like Tireless you have a number of uses equal to your Proficiency bonus, which come back at the end of a Long Rest. “Unseen.”

LEVEL 15 - RANGER 11

11th level Monster Slayers carry a ministun to deal with casters. When you see a creature casting a spell or teleporting within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to try to foil it with Magic-User’s Nemesis. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, or its spell / TP fails and is wasted. You can only use this ability once per Short or Long Rest however, so be sure to stop the enemy from using a teleportation scroll.

Additionally you can learn another spell like Nondetection, for protection against wards.

LEVEL 16 - RANGER 12

12th level Rangers can grab another Ability Score Improvement: even though we have an uneven Wisdom score I’m still going to suggest maxing out your Dexterity first for the highest possible AC, damage, and dodging skills.

(”Hunter with No Name” set made by BigTuna, Vermillion-Wlad, and Stefco. Made for Funn1k.)

LEVEL 17 - RANGER 13

13th level Rogues can learn 4th level spells. You get Banishment from Monster Slayer Magic, but much more importantly you get Locate Creature from Primal Awareness for some proper Bounty Hunting! We’ll also be taking Locate Creature as our learnt spell at this level: one may say that it’s not the most useful spell, but if you need combat magic you can upcast Ensnaring Strike for a chain stun or Invisibility to dust up.

LEVEL 18 - RANGER 14

14th level Rogues see Favored Foe increase to a d8. Is this way too late for a feature that’s still arguably doing less than Hunter’s Mark? Perhaps, but Favored Foe still doesn’t cost your Bonus Action nor a Spell Slot.

You do also get Vanish to hide as a Bonus Action but... you could already do that. Oops.

LEVEL 19 - RANGER 15

15th level Monster Slayers are masters at 1v1ing squishy spellcasters, as you master the Slayer’s Counter. If the enemy you marked with Slayer’s Prey forces you to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction attack them! You make this attack immediately before the saving throw, and if your attack hits you automatically succeed your saving throw.

You can also learn another spell but honestly? Pick your choice. We got just about all the character-accurate spells we could need as is.

LEVEL 20 - RANGER 16

16th level Rangers get their last Ability Score Improvement and while it’s probably late to do this the Resilient feat in Wisdom will make sure the enemy has zero chance to CC you.

WHY NOT ROGUE

There's several reasons I opted for Ranger levels instead of Rogue levels. Firstly Bounty Hunter can crit targets even when not stealthed, and Jinada is described as "preparing" the next attack which is much more in-line with Hunter's Mark and Favored Foe. Gondar's code language is most likely Goblin speak as opposed to Thieves' Cant. And of course Ranger was the only way to acquire tracking spells like Hunter's Mark and Locate Creature.

But above all else there were few Rogue subclasses that fit Gondar. Soul Knife is perhaps the only one that makes sense but ironically enough the unlimited nature of the Soul Knife Psychic Blades doesn't fit. (Also long-ranged teleportation doesn't fit either.) Monster Slayer meanwhile brings the backline counterplay to Gondar and allows me to work in a lot of Bounty Hunter's utility abilities.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

I didn't come here to see my enemies grow rich - You have many ways to get the upper hand both in and out of combat, with both spells and martial prowess to aid you in combat. Between invisibility, Hunter’s Mark, Ensnaring Strike, or just generally tracking your enemy down you have all the tools you could need and more to get the jump on your foes.

Watch your head! - You are very strong against magic users and other enemies who force saving throws, and you didn’t even need the Mage Slayer feat! Monster Slayer is exceptionally good at giving one enemy an incredibly tough time killing you, especially if they rely on magic to do so.

Impressive technique, but not enough - A little bit of Constitution goes a long way, and a +2 to CON along with a d10 hit die will give you quite a bit of bulk in comparison to others.

CONS

A wise hunter knows patience - It takes quite a bit to set up all your marks, with several bonus actions to operate at maximum effectiveness. In fact you have an absolutely excessive amount of Bonus Actions to choose from which can make picking the right one very tricky.

My target eludes me - You also have several Concentration spells, and while your CON saves are good many of your spells are utility based you still can’t turn invisible while tracking down your bounty.

That's going to come out of my pay, isn't it? - Your Wisdom isn’t terrible but it’s not good either, and while most of your spells don’t rely on saving throws many abilities such as Hunter’s Sense and Magic-User’s Nemesis do rely on your Wisdom. I’m not saying Point Buy would be better but your Intelligence really isn’t doing much to help you.

But a good hunter knows what tool to use in any situation, and you have the tools to take out any target... for the right price, of course. Stalk your foes, strike when they least expect it, and reap the rewards for your allies. And if they're the type to complain that you're not from Runeterra simply remember that DOTA is better than League, and a LoL player can't deny.

(Comic by Nerf Now!)

[raeynbowboi]

How to Play as Gray Fullbuster in DnD 5e

For today’s build we’re building the ice cold stripper wizard from Fairy Tail, Gray Fullbuster. For this build we need to be able to create a wide array of weapons and inanimate objects out of ice, be extremely versatile with our ice magic, and be able to dance naked in a blizzard without shivering.

He’s Mister White Christmas

As is my standard rule for Anime characters, Gray is a Variant Human. We’ll make sure he has Elemental Adept for Cold damage so that enemies can’t resist your Ice Make Magic. We’ll use our race to give ourselves +1 DEX and +1 INT. We mix magic with melee combat, so we’ll pick up proficiency with Athletics to stay in shape.

We’re grumpy, but we don’t tend to violate rules with reckless abandon. I would say we’re Neutral Good.

For background, we’re a wizard for the Fairy Tail guild, a paid hero. You could chalk him up as a Folk Hero because the Fairy Tail guild is famous (and infamous) in the land of Farore. However, because Fairy Tail is also a structured guild with ranks and hierarchy, he could be considered a Soldier, a Knight of the Order, or a member of the City Watch.

Ice Make Magic

Frostbite (Artificer, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Ray of Frost (Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard) Shape Water* (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) Armor of Agathys (Warlock) Ice Knife (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) Mage Armor (Sorcerer, Wizard, Eldritch Invocation: Armor of Shadows) Shield (Sorcerer, Wizard, Hexblade Warlock, Artillerist Artificer, Armorer Artificer, Battle Smith Artificer)  Cloud of Daggers (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Melf’s Acid Arrow (Wizard) Shadow Blade (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Snilloc’s Snowball Storm (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Spiritual Weapon (Cleric, Conquest Paladin, Raven Queen Warlock) Glyph of Warding (Bard, Cleric, Wizard) Sleet Storm (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) Fabricate (Artificer, Wizard, Forge Cleric) Ice Storm (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) Cone of Cold (Sorcerer, Wizard, Lurker in the Deep Warlock) Creation (Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard, Forge Cleric, Noble Genie Warlock) Freezing Sphere (Wizard) Investiture of Ice (Sorceer, Warlock, Wizard) Wall of Ice (Wizard) Arcane Sword (Bard, Wizard) Control Weather* (Cleric, Druid, Wizard)

The Mark of a Hero

Wizards of the Cost just released Unearthed Arcana for magical tattoos, and two work very nicely for Gray.

Absorbing Tattoo: Blue. As soon as he joined Fairy Tail as a child, Gray was stamped with a magical tattoo on his chest. While it’s true that Gray’s stamp is Black, which is Necrotic and not cold, it doesn’t take much to change his guild mark into a blue one instead. What matters is that Gray needs to resist cold damage, he already has a tattoo, and Wizards just gave us a tattoo that lets him resist cold damage. This permanent cold resistance also means he is adapted to cold climates and won’t suffer exhaustion in extreme cold. On top of that, once per dawn, Gray can use a reaction to become immune to cold damage and eat the cold damage to regain HP equal to half the cold damage, a skill Gray demonstrates in later seasons.

Blood Fury Tattoo. This is a legendary tattoo. He won’t get this until much later in the build, but it’s a nice parallel to his Demon Slayer mark. You crit on 19 or 20, and crit attacks deal 4d6 additional Necrotic damage, as well as giving you Temp HP equal to the extra necrotic damage. When enemies dare strike at you, you can counterattack with advantage.

Ice Ice Baby

ARTIFICER

  Artillerist. Gray has made a working bazooka that fires gigantic snow blasts. However, this can also be reflavored with a Lore Mastery and turning Fireball into a cold damage spell.

BARBARIAN

  Tundra Storm Herald. Your rage will cause snow flurries to swirl around you, healing your allies and allowing your to ignore cold climates. Considering Grey has walked around in winter in nothing but his underwear, it’s safe to assume he’s acclimated to cold climates. Perhaps just as important though, Gray has a bad habit of misplacing his clothes, so being able to fight in your underwear without shivering or a major disadvantage to combat is a plus for his build. However, his Absorbing Tattoo already gives him acclimation to the cold, so the main benefit now for taking levels in Barbarian is for the Unarmored Defense.

CLERIC

  Forge. The Divine Domain can be used to craft objects, but the downside is that it’s an hour-long ritual, and it states that metal must be used, but Grey creates objects out of ice, so unless your DM approves of Grey using ice shards to use the Artisan’s Blessing, it won’t work for his character.

FIGHTER

  Eldritch Knight. Gray is a Wizard first and foremost, but he also creates ice weapons, and this would give him a way to both use his weapon and continue gaining spell slots.

MONK

   Kensei. Frankly, the only reason to take any levels in Monk is for the Unarmored Defense so that Gray can fight in his underwear and still be a competent combatant.

SORCERER

  Draconic Bloodline: Silver or White. Okay this might be blasphemous on a storytelling level because Dragonslayers are their own group of magic-users in Fairy Tail, but it gives us ice magic and elemental resistance to cold damage, so it’s worth taking into consideration.

  Pyromancy. While this subclass is closely tethered to fire damage, but I have seen people suggest that this subclass can easily be customized to any elemental damage type you want, turning him into a Cryomancy Sorcerer. With this, his cold damage will deal more damage, and he’ll gain resistance and eventually immunity to cold damage.

WIZARD

  Conjuration. The Minor Conjuration feature is great for Grey, since it lets him create objects at will. Too bad the rest of the features expand too far past the notion of creating objects.

  Lore Mastery. You can turn literally any spell damage type into cold, giving Grey a wider selection of cold-damage spells in his arsenal than the standard fair.

When it finally came time to pick his classes, I had to think about multiple elements. Gray not only needs to be acclimated to low temperatures, but he needs to be competent at fighting unarmored. Thus, while I could start Gray as a Fighter for CON proficiency so he can tough out the cold, a Tundra Storm Herald Barbarian not only gets that same CON proficiency, they flat out are immune to cold climates, and don’t suffer penalties for fighting half naked. However, Monk offers the exact same benefits, and Barbarians rage, which doesn’t fit Gray’s skills. Since our blue Absorbing Tattoo already provides Cold Resistance, we don’t need Tundra Storm Herald Barbarian to acclimate to cold temperatures. So I think the best mix of Classes are Wizard, Eldritch Knight, and a single level dip into Monk.

You’re as Cold as Ice

As an Ice Wizard, our Intelligence is our primary stat for casting. We’ll want our Dexterity to be good enough so you can fight with your ice-forged weapons, and a decent Wisdom score to improve our Base AC because we don’t want to be penalized for being allergic to shirts. A decent Constitution score will help us to not die. I wish our Strength could be higher because Gray’s definitely not a wimp, but Dexterity is more important for our AC, and we really don’t want to split our attention between any more stats than we have to. We’ll dump Charisma because while Gray certainly has Juvia all over him and I’m sure a good number of fangirls and fanboys to boot, he himself is not exactly a charming devil.

Name: Gray Fullbuster Race: Variant Human Background: Knight of the Order Alignment: Neutral Good Class: Lore Mastery Wizard (19)             Monk (1)

Base Stats: 

Strength: 10 (0) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 20 (+5) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 8 (-1) 

Saving Throws: 

Strength: 0 Dexterity: +5 Constitution: +1 Intelligence: +11 Wisdom: +8 Charisma: -1 

Combat Stats: 

HP: 109  AC: 17 Speed: 30 Initiative: +5 Proficiency Bonus: +6 Passive Perception: 12  Dark Vision: 0 feet 

Proficiencies: 

Acrobatics (+4) Animal Handling (+2) Arcana (+11) Athletics (+6) Deception (-1) History (+11) Insight (+8) Intimidation (-1) Investigation (+11) Medicine (+2) Nature (+5) Perception (+2) Performance (-1) Persuasion (-1) Religion (+5) Sleight of Hand (+4) Stealth (+4) Survival (+2)

Spell Slots

1st (4) 2nd (3) 3rd (3) 4th (3) 5th (3) 6th (2) 7th (1) 8th (1) 9th (1)

Gray’s Spellbook

Cantrips    Firebolt    Frostbite    Green-Flame Blade    Mending    Ray of Frost 1st Level    Burning Hands    Ice Knife    Magic Missile    Shield 2nd Level    Aganazzar’s Scorcher    Cloud of Daggers    Melf’s Acid Arrow    Mind Thrust    Scorching Ray    Shadow Blade 3rd Level    Fireball    Glyph of Warding    Lightning Bolt    Melf’s Minute Meteors    Psionic Blast    Sleet Storm    Slow    Tidal Wave    Vampiric Touch 4th Level    Black Tentacles    Elemental Bane    Fabricate    Ice Storm    Resilient Sphere 5th Level    Arcane Hand    Cloudkill    Cone of Cold    Creation    Immolation    Steel Wind Strike    Synaptic Static 6th Level    Chain Lightning    Disintegrate    Freezing Sphere    Investiture of Ice    Sunbeam    Wall of Ice 7th Level    Arcane Sword    Delayed Blast Fireball 8th Level    Control Weather    Incendiary Cloud 9th Level    Meteor Swarm

Features:

Absorbing Tattoo: Blue. You have resistance to cold damage, automatically succeed on CON saving throws to survive in Extreme Cold, and once per dawn, you can become immune to Cold damage, and absorb half of the Cold damage taken as HP.

Alchemical Casting. Cast a 1st and 2nd level spell without using spell slots.

Arcane Recovery. Regain 10 or less level 5 or lower spell slots on a short rest.

Blood Furry Tattoo. You crit on a 19 or 20, deal 4d6 extra Necrotic damage on a crit, recover temp HP equal to the Necrotic damage dealt with this feature, and make counterattacks with advantage on creatures that harm you.

Elemental Adept: Cold. Ignore resistance to your Cold damage spells. Damage rolls of 1 become a 2.

Knightly Regard. You receive food, shelter, healing, or risky support from those in your order, and those friendly to your order’s cause.

Lore Mastery. You have expertise in Arcana and History. Roll Initiative with INT.

Martial Arts. Make an extra unarmed strike during attack action. Unarmed strike or monk weapons deal 1d4 + 5 damage.

Master of Magic. You can cast a spell from any spell list once per long rest.

Prodigious Memory. You can replace a prepared spell with another once per rest.

Spell Mastery. Change any elemental spell damage to cold damage. Once per rest, change the saving throw stat against one of your spells.

Spell Secrets. Use a spell slot to boost damage, distance, or DC of your spells. 

Unarmored Defense. Your AC is DEX mod + WIS mod when unarmored.

While I do wish we could still include the 2nd level Conjuration Wizard feature to let Gray create simple objects out of ice, I still feel this is the best blend of stats we could get. Granted, I would like to have make his Strength and Constitution higher to make him a more fitting Shonen Anime Character, but my top priority was making him an amazing wizard, and that sadly forced most of his hard stats to rot. However, in the end, I think I’m satisfied with what I could do for Gray. He was a challenge, but a fun one.