#dungeons and dragons overview

[legionofmyth]

Dungeons & Dragons: A Comparison of Selected Editions

🎲🌟 Are you a fan of tabletop RPGs or curious about the evolution of Dungeons & Dragons? 🌟🎲 Dive into our latest blog where we break down the various editions of D&D, comparing and contrasting each one to help you find your favorite! Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or a newcomer to the world of D&D, this comprehensive overview has something for everyone. Discover how each edition brought something unique to the table, from the classic charm of AD&D to the modern innovations of 5E. Plus, learn why D&D 5E's popularity has been both a blessing and a curse for the TTRPG community. 👉 Click the link to read more! And don't miss out on our special feature on the **Dragonbane RPG**—a thrilling tabletop experience that every RPG enthusiast should check out! #DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #TTRPG #TabletopGames #RPG #DragonbaneRPG #FantasyGames #Roleplaying #GamingCommunity #AdventureAwaits Read, share, and let us know which edition of D&D is your favorite! 🎉

Original Dungeons & Dragons Original Dungeons & Dragons Chainmail: Rules for Medieval Miniatures Original Dungeons & Dragons (OD&D), published in 1974, is the first edition of the iconic role-playing game created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Packaged in a simple “White Box,” this edition laid the groundwork for all future RPGs with its innovative blend of tactical wargaming and…

[educationaldm]

Dungeons & Dragons: What it is and isn't. Here's a quick overview of what D&D is and some its legacy.

[catnerdenby]

My first ever D&D game

Today, 5 minutes ago, I finished my very first D&D session. It was...it was awesome! I had so much fun, all the people were really chill and nice to the new ones in the group. A few of the new ones didn't show up, so our DM was a bit dissapointed at that, but the game was still very enjoyable!

What happened?:

The session started with the party boarding a ship and being greeted by the royal couple and having to give them the items that they had quested for last session.

They got paid for their efforts in 2000GP, 2 magic books, and 1 magic scroll. They split the gold pieces between their warforged paladin and their halfling bard.

The bard immedeatly invited everyone to the tavern: drinks on him! which was the introduction que of me and another new player.

In the meantime, the paladin got yeeted into the void twice (bad internet) so we had to wait a little. Otherwise they were on their way to a weapons shop but then they saw everyone leaving and also went to the tavern themselves.

There we got properly introduced, the paladin went to the kitchen to talk to the barman, some gajingle bajingle and suddenly instead of a warforged, we have a human. Technically we now have 2 human paladins. Fritz and Ksara (former warforged).

After that was done, we ordered our drinks, (me and our tortle cleric Kurranduk (Duke) drank tea, most got ale, a few got nothing), decided on what to do (go to a festival), and how to get there (carriage).

We found a suitable carriage, and it came out that our dwarf barbarian Ranleen (Ran/Ranny) can drive a carriage. Then we had to decide on sleeping places and reached to the conclusion that some can sleep in the carriage. While our tiefling ranger Histari (me) wanted to sleep under the stars, me and Ran discovered that it was Maran (Spring) and the seasons last 8 months. One year is 32 months and this really destroyed me and Ran's image of age.

Slightly before that Duke had gone to reconnect with his deity and deal with his trauma, no-one knew where he was, so when we got the carriage stuff settled, we went to look for him. All the while Ksara enjoyed their first meal.

We stumbled upon the town square, looked around a little, and found The Sun Tree. I wanted to climb it at first but then figured it wouldn't actually be a good idea. We got a bit Sun Tree lore and then just chilled around, yelling for Duke.

Meanwhile Duke found out that hanging out with your deity is better than therapy and came to share his joy with us. He accidentally healed our bard Bigbe, a bigass emerald dragon showed up, and demanded her loot, which was to everyone but Bigbe's surprise the exact same stuff the royal couple wanted.

The Dragon initially wanted to kill Bigbe, as no-one else knew of the little quest she had for the party, since Bigbe didn't tell them, but Duke convinced her otherwise and then Dragon threathened to burn down the capitol (where the festival was supposed to happen btw) unless she got what she wanted. We reached a compromise and now we're all a little fricked.

We returned to the tavern, the barkeep was terrified of the emerald dragon and hid in the basement, so Ran stole several bottles of booze, Duke cast a truth spell on all of us (I failed my charisma saves all times) and so began our game of Truth or Pass. It started as Duke wanting to know the truth why didn't Bigbe tell the party of the Dragon's quest, but Bigbe was the only one the truth spell didn't affect. Still he told the truth.

We then asked each others a few questions, all of mine being very silly (like about Duke's crush) (It was an orc lady Bruna from his past but the attraction was one-sided. We turned it into a "that's rough buddy" joke), they learned about Histari's non-existent family, Bigbe's dead older brother and escape from city so the people that were after him wouldn't use his big family. Ran was a family runt from a big and respected dwarven family.

All the while she drank booze and she kept rolling higher with every drink (it was foul stuff as well, btw. 3 bottles of Dragon's Breath and 2½ bottles of some extra potent special stuff.) I drank half a bottle of the special stuff and was almost immedeatly knocked out by it, if it wasn't for the fact that I had decided to reside under the table for the entire time we were at the tavern. Before that I hadn't drank one bit. Luckily Duke decided to help me out and removed all poisons from my body, which sobered me up. Ran ended up sober though she had been a bit tipsy for a while.

It came out that the stable our carriage was in was locked so we all slept at the tavern, me, Bigbe, and Ksara got beds, Duke and Ran wanted benches.

This concludes our wonderful game and I can't wait for the next one!

We also had Duke's best friend Hope with us. He couldn't join the game this time but he seems cool.

Histari's name also used to be Hope. So grateful I changed it because it would've been way too confusing otherwise.

[karmashameleon]

A mobile friendly, black and white character google doc inspired by medieval art and fantasy with plenty of space for a character overview, introduction, backstory, and such other features. Free to use/pay what you want!

Ideal for fantasy settings, Dungeons & Dragons, medieval settings, etc.

[gx-gameon]

Okay show of hands who’s played skyward sword?

Spiritshipping Skyward Sword Au

Brief overview and spoilers

The game starts with Link and Zelda and childhood friends who are obviously in love.

Zelda falls from their home I. The sky to the world below and link goes to find her.

Zelda is rescued by Impa, a servant of the goddess, who shames link for being to slow to save her.

Later we come to find that Zelda is the goddess Hylia reborn and that she needs to travel back in time and seal herself away so that her divine power can keep the Desmond king at bay.

Link forges the master sword, defeats the demon king x2 and saves Zelda.

Okay so now that we are roughly on the same page how do we make this spiritshipping? There are two ways.

1st option: Jaden as the hero

Let’s be honest Jaden is always the hero. If we follow this path Jesse is taken and Jaden goes to find him and you get a story that’s very similar to cannon but with a new flavor.

Make the Crystal beast fill Impa’s role as guardian and protector to their god.

Jesse fills the role of the reincarnated god either Crystal Protector or the Rainbow dragon themselves.

Jaden and Jesse go to hang out and Jesse is take down to the surface below. Jaden follows later after getting his own guiding spirit. In the game it’s a sword spirit named Fi. Here you could make it Neo but maybe a lower level Neos like Neos Alius as he will grow into his power later in the story. Or you could make it Yubel, again unlocking new levels as the story moves forward. You could even make it winged Kuriboh if you wanted.

Jaden and his partner go to the surface to look for Jesse. The first temple they are two late and run into Trueman, the servant of the demon king darkness.

Again the story continues with Jaden looking for Jesse. You could swap dungeon items with the Neospaianis. Instead of getting digging mits in the second dungeon Jaden finds Neospacian grand mole.

By then end of the story Jaden has his team of hero’s and a fully powered up partner (be it Neos, Yubel, or Winged Kuriboh and is ready to save Jesse)

2nd option: Jesse as the hero.

I really like this option because it’s a fun twist in cannon.

The start is the same with Jaden and Jesse going out but this time it’s Jaden who is taken.

Jesse worried about his friend goes to give chase. But first he receives a gift from the god. Ruby Carbuncle. A creature who can help him search for Jaden and guide him on the right path.

The two head down to the surface meeting many strange characters and entering the first dungeon: Skyview temple. An underground labyrinth found in the woods that is filling with water. Here Jesse finds his second companion: Emerald Turtle. Creating shield and walkways for Jesse as he moves and fights through the dungeon. Jesse also encounters Trueman for the first time. Jaden is not here anymore, but he was here at some point.

The next place Ruby guides them to is Elden Volcano. Here they enter the Earth temple. A place full of Magma and find their third companion: Amber Mammoth. He’s able to use his size to ram into the walls knocking down pieces of the ceiling to make new walkways over the magma and to aid Jesse in combat by taming enemies. They find chains in the dungeon that have been broken and Trueman tells them he had Jaden but the servant of the king came and saved him before Jesse arrived.

After defeating Trueman’s monster Jesse runs to the back of the temple where he finds Jaden and Yubel. Jaden is excited to see him but Yubel stops their reunion and shames Jesse for taking so long. That if Yubel hadn’t been there Jaden would have been killed by Trueman. Yubel then opens a portal to take Jaden to the next place they need to go. Jaden follows because he knows he has a role to play. Even if he wants nothing more than to stay and reunite with Jesse.

The third place they go to is the Lanayru Mining Facility, found in the dessert. There are time stone here that allow you to switch between the present dessert and the past oasis. Here Jesse finds Cobalt Eagle. He has the ability to create gusts of wind that clear the area of sand/debris. He can also grab Jesse or Ruby and fly them up. Opening up new mobility options and combat options.

Jesse completes the dungeon and runs out just in time to catch up with Jaden and Yubel. Once again their reunion is interrupted by Trueman. He goes to attack Jaden but is stopped by Yubel. Trueman is able to push Yubel back but before he can attack either Yubel or Jaden Jesse jumps in. Asking if he’s late again? Teasing Yubel for their earlier harsh comments. Yubel grabs Jaden and the two flee to the past while Jesse holds back Trueman. Yubel blows up the gate behind them so neither Jesse nor Trueman can follow.

Jesse’s now at a loss for what to do next Jaden and Yubel are gone, and there is no way to follow them. Ruby guides him once again and he learns about a second time gate and sets off to find the missing pieces

The next dungeon is the Ancient Cistern. Based on the Buddhist story of the spider tread there is a heavenly side to this dungeon and an he’ll side of this dungeon. The vibes best fit Topaz Tiger. He definitely helps in combat and is big enough for Jesse to snag a ride either on the ground or in the water. Tigers are great swimmers and this dungeon has a lot of water.

The next place is the Sandship. Another place with time stones allowing the sandship to be a rundown ship in the middle of the desert or a battle ship floating in the middle of the ocean. The corridors are tight and are a great place to as Amethyst Cat to the party (I wanted to add her in the first three dungeons but use and theme wise she works best here) she defiantly helps with combat and sneaks up on enemies to get double damage. Her and Ruby work together to find hidden parts of the ship and get Jesse into them.

The final dungeon is the Fire Sanctuary. A place that fills up most of the crater of the volcano. It has giant gaps between locations and either has to be carefully traversed from the inside of flown over. Finally Sapphire Pegasus is here. Once again a big help in combat. But also opens up so much mobility. While Cobalt could fly Jesse for shot distances and blow enemies and debuts away, Sapphire is made for long hauls. Jesse can ride on his back indefinitely. Making traversing the dungeon and other areas easy. Paired with a bow and Jesse and Sapphire are a real problem as Sapphire keeps Jesse at a safe distance while Jesse can just pick off enemies.

Together the 7 beasts and Jesse are able to travel to the part and meet up with Jaden. Jaden tells Jesse what happened in the past. How the Supreme King kept the world in balance, using the power of the Gentle Darkness to keep the Light of Destruction and the Darkness at bay. But then the Darkness took human form as the Demon King, also just know as Darkness, and waged war against the Supreme King. The King was able to save the world but at the cost of not only his life but that of the Fabled Rainbow Dragon. Jaden is the Supreme King reincarnated and it is his job to hold Darkness back. The Supreme King gave his life to seal Darkness away and now Jaden must stay in the past to maintain the seal.

After telling Jesse the legend of the Supreme King, Rainbow Dragon and the Demon King. Jaden reveals that if he is playing the Role of the King he will need the help of Rainbow Dragon to defeat the Demon King. He asks Jesse to find/free/resurrect Rainbow Dragon. (This will take the place of the triforce quest)

With a tearful goodbye the two separate and Jesse and the Crystal Beast are off to find Rainbow Dragon.

So those are the two ways you could play this au. Obviously I have one way more thought out than the other.

Which one do you guys like?

[ladyloveandjustice]

Winter 2024 Anime Overview: Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon)

Premise: Laios is the leader of an adventuring party, and his sister, Falin, got eaten by a dragon while sacrificing herself to save the team. Fortunately, in the dungeon they were exploring, people can be resurrected with magic. Unfortunately, if the dragon fully digests Falin, they probably can’t resurrect her. They have no time to resupply and must traverse many levels of the dungeon filled with monsters to find the dragon. Laios declares that since they can’t get food, they’ll eat the monsters in the dungeon instead-- and as a huge monster fanatic. he's unsettlingly excited about this. He’s accompanied by elf mage Marcille and hafling rogue Chilchuck in his quest, who are much more reluctant about monster-eating. They run into a dwarf, Senshi, who is an expert at cooking monsters, and the delicious race against time to save Falin begins!

...Oh what the hell, I'll say it. FINALLY, some good fucking food.

Memes aside, I love this story so much that writing a review of Delicious in Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi is daunting, because I really want to get across how great it is. But are there enough words in the English language to convey this? We can only try.

Dungeon Meshi combines cooking and adventure animanga expertly, humorously treating eating monsters with the complexity of actual recipes (and indeed, the recipes for the monsters are based off real life recipes). You can experience the warmth and contentment of sharing a meal and enjoy the way the story goes in depth about the biology of the monsters and ecology of classic RPG style dungeon. But at the same time these characters are on a classic fantasy quest and there’s lot’s of excitement as they work together overcome monsters, obstacles and their own weaknesses to save Falin.

The first thing that stands out about Dungeon Meshi is that it’s immediately entertaining and funny. A lot of humor is mined out of Marcille’s complete disgust at eating monsters (and Chilchuck’s more measured reluctance) contrasted with Laios and Senshi’s bizarre enthusiasm for it. The face game of the series is on point, especially Marcille’s.

The characters play off each other very well, have a hilarious dynamic and tons of quirks. They're immediately lovable. They're eccentric weirdos who push each other's buttons, misfits who just happen to fit together, and that's always the best.

I've seen some first time anime viewers complained about that how the early episodes are supposed to be race to save Falin, but there isn't much urgency as the characters have adventures and meals on the way. I can see that as a criticism (though it didn’t stick out to me much in the manga) but this is because we’re mostly seeing them in between the times they’re traveling, when they need downtime and mealtime. The fact that people should never neglect eating and rest if they want to succeed is a pretty important message of the show. You’ve got to let the series cook (forgive the pun). As it goes on, the urgency and tension increases ramps way up. the plot truly takes form and we see a lot of the world building from early parts pay off.

Phenomenal, intricate worldbuilding is the next big thing that stands out about Dunmeshi. Any viewers paying attention will notice it pretty quickly. Ryoko Kui doesn’t dump her complex world or her character’s detailed backstories on the viewer all at once, instead she lets it unfold bit by bit, so the viewer/reader can watch the world expand as the journey goes on, as if we are truly living this world and exploring it along with the characters.

 Everything is carefully thought out, from the structure of the societies, the cultural nuances and physiology of the different magical races, the conflicts between said races and the ways they integrate, the ecosystem and the different monsters and how they function…I could go on forever. And best of all, Dunmeshi's worldbuilding is never to the detriment of it’s incredibly rich story and characters, all of which are also developed wonderfully.

After all, Dugeon Meshi isn’t simply a story about making food and eating monsters—it’s about the ways we consume and ARE consumed, it’s about the endless cycle of life and death and the pain of struggling against that cycle. It’s about the endless hunger that drives us all and the ways we try to fill ourselves up. It’s about the ways we can find both solace and terror in the monstrous, about our struggle to accept not just monsters, but anyone who's different from us. It’s not just about natural ecosystems, but social and societal ecosystems and the ways they both hurt and help us. It’s about all the things that make good meal, one that can draw people together and help us find essential humanity that connects us.

These strong themes are all expressed through the world and the journeys of the characters. And god, do I love these characters.

Even from the start, the characters overturn RPG/fantasy archetypes. (We have an elf who’s not that into nature and dwarf who LOVES nature and doesn’t like blacksmithing)… but the most special thing about these characters is how they deepen, becoming more and more complex and fascinating as the series unfolds. None of them are quite who you think they are while also being exactly how they appear.

Marcille is one of my favorite characters in anything ever. She’s just an absolute disaster, while also being terrifyingly powerful. She’s a magic honors student who buried herself in theory but doesn’t have a lot of experience with the real world and gets upset it doesn’t work like school (I feel that). Her pride and generally high strung nature can lead to blunders that make her very funny to watch. She’s a total nerd in a way that’s so relatable, she has intelligence in spades, but not a lot of wisdom.

 But on the other hand, she’s an aching wounded soul who’s struggling under the surface, dealing with grief and loss constantly. She's obsessed with control in a world that uncontrollable. She’s incredibly driven and unnervingly dedicated to her goals. She’s also scarily devoted to the people she loves and will cross any moral line, break any taboo, and cover herself in blood and sin to save them. She refuses to let silly things like “laws” and “rules” stifle her research or get in her way .And while she's a neat freak who's grossed out by monsters, she's the first person to dive into the blood and guts and horror when shit gets real.

The contrast between her being a sweet, silly, dorky lovable nerd who flails around and being a powerful badass who has complex motivations, an intricate arc, and sometimes questionable morals is so great. Get you a girl who can do both. She's basically everything I love in a character.

Marcille’s love for Falin and infinite devotion is also key to the story, and it’s so refreshing to see a well-written relationship between women be so central to a fantasy anime like this. And yes, by love for Falin, I mean in a gay way. It’s not technically canon (Dunmeshi is not into confirming romantic relationships for any of it’s characters really) but it’s hard to interpret their relationship as anything else, and honestly it’s one of the best wlw ships I’ve seen in a while. It’s got everything, the softness, the sweet and sensual intimacy, the angst, the tragedy, the raw unbearable yearning, tearing the world apart and defying even the laws of nature for her, crawling through hell and soaking your hands in blood and not letting anything get in your way...yeah, it’s good.

While Marcille is my #1, all the characters in this story are fantastic and I love them all. They all have incredible depth and similarly complex backstories and arcs, and are all fun to watch. For instance, Laios may look like generic human fighter but he’s just the weirdest dude, a wonderfully unhinged man who absolutely has a monstersona. But then we also discover he's someone who struggles socially in a way that many neurodivergent people can relate to, who had a troubled childhood, who grapples with survivor’s guilt, and who, like Marcille, would do anything for his sister and the people he cares about. Chilchuck and Senshi and Falin and all the others the same, really interesting characters who deepen and grow. Everyone's relationships also develop wonderfully.

And on top of all that, it's a show with really well-realized and well-written female characters…who even have diverse body types! We have stocky dwarf ladies with muscles! Huge orc and oni women! They’re allowed to be messy and complicated, badass and vulnerable, and that’s definitely a part of my affection for the series. (and famously, most of the fanservice of the series is focused on Senshi’s endless pant shots (loincloth, if we’re being specific)) and while there are moments with the female characters that make me fan myself, it’s not the obnoxious anime unsexy bullshit way that treats women like objects.

And specifically for the anime, Trigger is doing great work with it. There’s so much cool and vivid animation. There are some small moments from the manga that I really miss and wish they had kept, but it’s been a largely faithful adaptation that understands what makes the story great, and I can’t ask for much more. The English simuldub is also genuinely good with all of the VA’s turning in great performances (and Prozd plays Senshi!)

Dungeon Meshi is honestly one to the best stories in recent years, and it’s easy to let it take over your brain. So come along with me and enjoy the funny jokes, the splendid storytelling, the endearing and endlessly fascinating characters and the delectable world. You don’t want to miss out on this delicious meal.

[satoshi-mochida]

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time launches May 21 for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Switch, and PC - Gematsu

Social slow-life RPG FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam on May 21, publisher LEVEL-5 and developer LEVEL5 comcept announced. The PlayStation, Xbox, and PC versions are newly announced. It will support English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish language options.

In the west, the game will be a digital-only release available in the following editions:

Standard Edition ($59.99)

-Base game

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Digital Deluxe Edition Upgrade ($13.99)

Upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition to claim amazing rewards, including an exclusive mount, equipment and costumes!

Digital Deluxe Edition ($69.99)

Pre-orders for all platforms include the downloadable content “New Adventurer’s Pack,” which contains the following:

Flutter Charm – An accessory that increases Exp earned.

HP Potion + (x10) – Heals HP.

SP Potion + (x10) – Recovers SP.

Power Aid + (x10) – Temporary Attack UP effect.

Resistance Aid + (x10) – Temporarily Defense UP effect.

Life Cure + (x5) – Revives and heals HP.

Great Bomb + (x5) – Damage to a massive area.

Fireworks (x5) – Sets off traditional fireworks.

Courtship Fireworks (x5) – Sets off heart-shaped fireworks.

Celestia’s Gift (x100) – Use to revert a Strangeling back into their original form.

In Japan, the PlayStation 5 and Switch versions will also be available physically for 7,678 yen. The physical edition contains the same content as the standard digital edition.

Here is an overview of the game, via LEVEL-5:

About

Step into this slow-life RPG where you can freely switch between 14 unique jobs, so called “Lives,” and enjoy a carefree life in a fantasy world. Fish, cook, shape the island to your liking, or team up with friends to battle monsters across the vast world. It’s up to you to choose what kind of Life you’ll live!

Key Features

A Dragon Guides You to a Mysterious Island

You are an adventurer who sets sail with the archaeologist Edward and his team.

Following the light emanating from a dragon’s fossil, you discover an uncharted, deserted island.

A vast abyss, a dragon made of bone, and a girl’s message that begs you to save the world…

Travel between the island that thrived 1,000 years ago and the present-day island to unravel the mystery of its downfall!

14 Unique Lives to Make Yours Brighter

In this world, a “Life” is the equivalent of a job.

Each has its own characteristics and provides various ways to enjoy yourself.

Collect ingredients or materials with Gathering Lives, create weapons or cook dishes with Crafting Lives, or fight monsters with Combat Lives. You can switch between any Life at any time, creating a life that’s uniquely yours.

Shape the Island! Create Your Town!

Use Lives to gather materials and restore the island to its former glory!

Not only can you place houses and objects, but you can also alter the landscape and draw rivers and roads to create a truly unique island.

Expand your house, place some furniture, and decorate the interior however you like!

Embark on an Open-World Adventure!

Freely explore the largest continent in the series!

Climb ledges, swim across rivers and lakes, or ride on mounts – With these new actions you can explore the world without limits!

Endless Fun with Multiplayer!

Enjoy multiplayer with up to four players!

Invite friends to your island, explore dungeons, or find your own ways to have fun together!

If you have two controllers, you can also use the 2 Player Family Co-op feature where one player can join the adventure as your travel companion without needing to connect online!

Supports Cross-Play and Cross-Save!

Play freely on any platform! Play in handheld mode when you’re outside and enjoy the game on a big screen at home.

To access online play, a paid subscription to Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus, or Xbox Game Pass is required, depending on your platform.

An Epic Games account is required to use Cross-Save.

Watch a new set of trailers below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery. Visit the official website here.

All Features at a Glance

English

Japanese

Traditional Chinese

Simplified Chinese

New Life Guide

English

Japanese

Traditional Chinese

Simplified Chinese

[multifandom-nerds-blog]

On a whim of inspiriation I wrote a dragon prince post season 6 fanfiction with established Sorvus and emotional hurt/comfort. (Corvus arriving in Katolis and running to Soren right away)

This was literally written out of nowhere but enjoy~

When Corvus and Ezran finally arrived at Katolis castle town they could only look up at ruins, smoke still rising from some of the towers in to the darkening sky of late afternoon. When his king started crying in his arms Corvus could only think of how Ezran was just a child after all. How this wasn't fair.

Live wasn't really fair though, was it?

A soldier ran up to them from the woods opposite of where he and Ezran had come from, when Corvus was already preparing himself to go through the rubble. Looking for... anything he supposed, blonde hair and blue eyes probably. The soldier brought them to a clearing in the woods right away. The first thing they could see there was barius handing out food with the help of a female soldier. The next second Opeli was running up to them.

Six people died, Opeli told them. Five who got hit by or trapped under the rubbel and couldn't be found in time.

The sixth was Viren. Saving them from the dragon fire with his magic apparently.

It took Corvus a while to find Soren in the camp that Opeli managed to organize. After making sure Ezran has calmed down more or less, leaving the young king with Opeli and Barius to get an overview of the situation. She could only tell him that he was probably running around somewhere trying to "stay busy". And the glance she gave him was enough to tell Corvus that Soren was probably doing that without a proper break now for a while.

Saying "camp" was also very optimistic if he was being honest. Even if Opeli had obviously done the best they could with the situation and all that people. The tents where mostly bigger blankets and tarps secured between trees and carts. The few proper tents they organized in the short time were all used for the sick, injured and infants.

To his relieve he couldn't find Soren there. Though when he did find him, at the camps western border helping other soldiers with hitting stacks into the ground and tying rope between them, Corvus decided that maybe Soren should have been in one of the tents. Or at least he should clearly be resting somewhere, and if it was laying on the darn grass with Hat on his head. Even from afar he noticed the tiredness combined with a tension in Sorens body. The kind of tension he would get after pushing himself for to long. When something was going on inside of him that he refused to talk about.

To even notice this tension was a skill that Corvus had perfected over the last two years. First as his enemie-turned-colleague, then as his friend and than as his partner. Though actually getting him to open up when he was like this, to figure out what was bothering him, was a skill Corvus still hadn't really worked out. So most of the time he just focused on distracting Soren to make him feel better.

Luckily Corvus didn't had to do a guessing game on what exactly Sorens issue was or how he could best help him relax. Opelli told them that it was Soren who had run to the dungeon where Viren had been imprisoned. But only the rats from the dungeon could possibly tell them what happened between them this time.

Viren, he didn't really like calling him 'Sorens father' no matter the situation, was the cause for this kind of tension in Soren most of the time in the end. In some way, shape or form Viren was always at the back of Sorens mind.

"Soren!", Corvus called while walking up to him. It was hard not to run, but making a scene wasn't exactly in his interest here. Their relationship was still mostly private after all.

Soren turned around, dropping the hammer in his hand, and Corvus almost stopped in his track. The tiredness was even more apparent on his face. His usual smile was nowhere to be seen and his eyes had heavy bags under them. Most worrying to Corvus however was the stained bandage on his forehead.

"Corvus?", Soren said. Even his voice seemed of, to Corvus trained ears at least. But a spark returned in his blue eyes as he was looking to Corvus. "You're here! Where is Ezran? We heard rumors about an attack at the wedding, but well... Y'know we kinda... had to focus on setting up the camp here and-"

Soren went quite when Corvus hugged him, clinging his arms around him and listening to Sorens heartbeat under his armor. Making a scene or not be damned this time, there were only a handful of soldiers that could see them here anyway.

The beating of Sorens heart was probably the most beautiful sound to Corvus ears at this point.

However the tension did not wash out of Sorens body as he had hoped. Instead his breathing turned sharp, rigged, enough for Corvus to notice but everyone else could probably only see how Soren returned his hug. One of his arms around his back, the other hand gripping his shoulder hard enough for it to slightly hurt.

Corvus ignored it. The blonde man needed the comfort, now more than ever. He could handle a little shoulder pain.

"We just arrived. I will catch you up on our side later.", Corvus said after a while, his head in Sorens neck. "But you really look like you need a good nap, and maybe someone to check that wound on your head."

Soren loosened the grip on his shoulder, and only then did Corvus loosen his own grip around him. Though Sorens left hand at his back still grabbed his shirt slightly, and Corvus decided to keep a hand on Sorens forearm. Meanwhile the blue head of Hat popped out of Sorens armor with a squirm. Seemingly not liking to be squished between two grown men in armor.

The blonde knight used his other hand to touch the stained bandage. To Corvus relieve his fingers came back down dry, so the blood wasn't fresh at least.

"What happened?", Corvus asked.

"Stone flew right to my head.", Soren answered. Not what he had asked, but they both knew that. Maybe he would have a bit more luck when they were actually alone, and they both had sleept for a bit. "Is Ezran okay at least?"

"He didn't get hurt." Corvus however could still feel the bruises from Karims people throwing him on the ground and holding him down. Though this would probably just rile up Soren even more in the moment. "As I said, I will tell you everything later. King Ezran wants to talk to you later too."

He raised his own free hand to trace his fingers around the bandage on Sorens forehead. Light, making sure he didn't put any pressure on the wound to accidentally hurt him.

Just distracting or comforting Soren wouldn't be enough this time. They would actually have to talk about the isdue this time. About Viren. What happened. What he did to the world, and most importantly what he did to Soren. Possibly about Claudia. The one topic didn't really came without the other one.

Ignoring the fact that they were still in the open, soldiers working around them and some of them probably looking at them for gossip, Corvus pulled his hands from Sorens face and grabbed his free hand instead to put a kiss on his fingers.

Sorens hands were ever so cold, to a worrying degree if you were to ask anyone else probably, but well, normal for Soren. Whatever the reason was for his freezing skin (Soren gave dubious answers and became restless whenever Corvus had tried to ask) at this point it was something familiar to Corvus.

"Come on, I'm sure they can finish the stakes on their own.", Corvus said. "We both need a few hours of sleep before we have to meet up with the council."

Soren let out a sigh, but still removed the hand still clinging to Corvus back, sliding it in his hand for just a moment before dropping both his hands at his side.

"Ok.", Soren whispered and walked ahead to to where the improvised campsite. Corvus walked along close enough so that their hands could touch, if Soren wanted to.

Luckily it wasn't hard to find a more private spot for two memebers of the crown guard. Close to the trees, under a lower hanging tarp and a cart blocking sight from where most people were trying to eat or already sleeping.

Getting Soren to lie down wasn't hard at this point. He quietly followed him to the ground, and even let Corvus remove the plates on his arms and shoulders without much protest.

Though his mind was clearly still racing. They were facing each other on the thin blanket they were laying on, close again but not touching. It was one of these moments where Corvus couldn't tell if Soren needed to be held or if he should avoid it instead, because it would make him flinch or even run off.

Luckily, he didn't had to guess.

"Can you...hold me?"

He hated how insecure Soren became sometimes about this. Wanting comfort from someone. Needing it. How his voice turned so quite. How all of his optimistic energy and joy seemed to just completely dissappear.

He really hated Viren for this. Wanted to make him pay. Though it clearly wasn't possible now anymore, hopefully for real this time. But it wasn't his place to do so anyways.

He could only help Soren cope with whatever emotions were racing through his mind. And he was glad to do so.

Corvus pulled Soren close, one hand at his back, the other one in his blonde hair. Once again Soren returned the embrace, but this time while hiding his face in Corvus chest.

"You don't have to ask."

There were tears wetting his scarf.

He didn't mention it.

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Series Overview

I began this series in October 2024 and it took me six months to finish reading the main series. I remember how Dungeon Meshi took the site by storm when the anime came out and I understand the appeal.

At it's core, Dungeon Meshi is a silly premise: A group of adventurers explore a dungeon and turn monsters into gourmet dishes. And part of the comedy of this series is due to the Laios's earnestness to eat monster cuisine, the seriousness the protagonists approach eating monsters, and the horror and disgust of everyone else when they learn what the protagonist team is doing. And Ryoko Kui made a wonderful story, world, and history based around eating food.

I think it's safe to assume that Kui had the major story beats, characters, and history planned from the start. I can't find a date for when the Oneshot was released so depending on how much earlier that was, it may have been a proof of concept that Kui then wrote a full story bible thanks to the positive reception it had.

However, I'm not saying that she knew everything from start to finish. This series ran for 9 years so some things were sure to change over time. While skimming through some of the supplementary works, I found concept art and commentary implying Laios would have become the dungeon lord instead of Marcille.

Because of the series's episodic structure, Kui had a lot of wiggle room to insert additional content until she had finalized how the major story events could play out. If the plot was moving too fast, or something needed better explanation, then Kui could just throw a monster that either makes the party slow down or introduces a concept to the plot. They could also serve as character developing moments.

I'd bet that the entirety of chapters 18 - 20 were made because Kui needed room to set up the transition from hunting the dragon to Falin becoming a chimera. So Marcille gets attacked by an undine and the party gets slowed down as a result. And then Namari and Mr Tansu walk into the plot to help them and later become the means to explain resurrection and the general politics so that the problems surrounding Falin's resurrection and the later arrival of the Canaries do not feel like sudden events.

I'd also say chapter 60 is the moment Kui had finalized every detail about how the story ends because every chapter from that moment moves the plot forward.

While the core premise of Dungeon Meshi is about eating monsters, the core themes of the story are about how eating ties into health, community, and the environment.

The best part of the health themes in this story is it does not try to shame the reader into following a specific diet. It doesn't treat fats as some horrible thing that should be avoided. All the way back in chapter 3, Senshi talked about fats being an important food component your body needs and desires. The actual concern is when your diet is missing vital nutrients as well. The only foods that should be avoided are things that are actually dangerous to your health. Otherwise, just make sure you're eating a variety of things.

Eating as a form of community is probably the theme I've talked the most about in this series. Sharing meals is a powerful social activity and the party's bonds grow stronger through it. I want to point out how Izutsumi joined half-way through the story and much of her socializing was through meals. At first, she was wary and on her guard during meal times, but slowly eased up. The next thing you know, she was happily joining in on meal prep and was excited to make something by herself for the others (and disappointed it didn't taste good).

Eating as a way to connect to the environment relates primarily to conservation, understanding where your food comes from, and the food chain. Senshi liked to drill the concept throughout the series. You should only take what you plan to eat and leave enough for everything else. Taking everything you can find will disrupt the environment and it will eventually die. One subtle part of this theme I've never touched on is how eating something is the only way to ensure it cannot be resurrected. When a living thing dies, its body is recycled into the world and bits of it become part of something else. Eating is just part of that recycling process. But in a setting where the body instead becomes dormant rather than dead, the only way for something to truly die is if its body becomes part of something else.

And the Winged Lion is an antithesis to these themes. It doesn't eat for health or wellness; it eats desires for pleasure and it only eats desires. And it's eating something that is ultimately poisonous to it because the lion is bound by its addiction.

It does not understand the pleasure of sharing meals. In the ancient world, one person it fed itself to wished that the happiness she felt sharing a meal with everyone could last forever. But the demon thought she was talking about the food itself and sought to make an unending feast. It tailors its lords to be selfish and its plan was to trap everyone in their own isolated pleasures because it thought the joy was only in eating the things you liked and had nothing to do with eating with the people you like.

The lion does not care about conservation and does not understand the nature of eating. It eats desires until there are none left. Then it moves onto new lands. And we saw at the end that its possible to gain new desires after old ones are lost. Meanwhile, the lion being infinite means that it does not truly interact with the world when eaten. It doesn't live or die and nothing of it is lost when eaten. In fact, the reason why it probably understood what eating meant at the end was because Laios ate something of its and that something no longer exists now.

Some additional themes that aren't tied to the main concept but tie into the themes that branch from it are the importance of respecting boundaries, being honest, and taking time to relax. And I feel like Shuro and Kabru are the primary personifications of these themes.

Shuro is introduced in the story after having run himself ragged to reach the red dragon. He's exhausted, hungry, and irritable. He and Laios were exploring the dungeon for roughly the same amount of time but Laios had been making sure to eat and rest, and he ended up making it to the fifth floor first and was able to fight the dragon.

Kabru and Shuro are both people Laios considers friends only for him to learn there are things about him they don't like. And the problems from them stem from how they weren't willing to be honest or set boundaries with Laios. Laios is willing to respect boundaries, but he has to be told what they are. And his relation with Shuro and Kabru almost completely fell apart because he only learned he'd been stepping over their boundaries when Shuro lost his temper with Laios and Lycion told Laios that Kabru doesn't like monsters.

It almost feels like Kui is screaming into the void and saying that you need to tell people how you feel, and it's your fault if you get mad that someone does something you feel is rude or makes you uncomfortable but they're only doing it because you never told them. And no one benefits from you being quiet because when the other person finds out, they're going to feel bad and it can completely destroy your friendship.

Man, this is long. I've still got so many things I want to mention about it. I want to talk about the way Kui lays out images in pages, my personal praise and complaints about monster designs in the story, and some of the speculations I made during my readthrough. And I still plan on reading and commenting on all the supplementary content out there as well.

Part 2

back

[uninspired--poet]

Menzoberranzan is a boxed set accessory for AD&D 2nd edition.

“Ruled by the feared and respected Houses and their Matron Mothers, Menzoberranzan is a place of great nobility and great treachery. The priestesses of Lloth, the Spider Queen, demand (and receive) complete respect from the citizens of this mighty city. But what of the common folk—the drow of non-noble birth, the humans, and others? What is their lot in life, in this magnificent den of intrigue?”

Book One: The City gives the reader a tour of the streets and districts, a wealth of information on various practices and customs, and an overview of daily life for each class of citizen (and non-citizen).  Book Two: The Houses presents all eighteen major and minor Houses of the city, including the Matron Mothers and their immediate families, as well as any important advisers and associates. Four connecting poster-size maps of the city proper; one poster map of the House Baenre compound; a poster showing the rivalries and alliances among all eighteen major and minor houses

I do not have the Drizzt retrospective or the adventure book. This set of scans only includes the maps and posters, Book One: The City, and Book Two: The Houses. This set was released by TSR, Inc. in December, 1992 during the 2nd edition, Advanced DnD era of Dungeons & Dragons, so certain specifics have changed or been re-written to adapt to new editions. These files should be available for download from the drive folder within the link. Preview below the cut.

The House Baenre Compound

Rivalries and alliances among all eighteen major and minor houses.

[campaign-spotlight]

Old School with Max [S2E3]

In this week's episode, we chat with Max about Old School Revival gameplay, the joys of exploration, and how being a guest on our show can improve your romantic relationship. Minor spoilers for Lost Mine of Phandelver, if that matters to you. Also, if you're wondering what the production process looks like, the beginning of this episode has a bit of behind-the-scenes conversation.

This is a very theory-heavy episode with long discussions of the connection between TTRPGs and video games as well as the role of skill checks in D&D 5th Edition. Also, we briefly touch on the economic impacts of explorers continually hauling gold back to the village. For more on how dungeon gold can devalue the currency in a world with magic and dragons, Google "fantasy inflation".

Here's an overview of the BECMI system Max describes in this episode.

Here's the MÖRK BORG system Max mentions playing in.

Here's the Old School Essentials sytem that Max recommends.

Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. You can also get episodes right from the source at our RSS feed. If you enjoy Campaign Spotlight, consider subscribing to our Patreon. For more on the show, including links to all our social media, visit our website. 

[chuckeroo777]

Dungeon food! Having ravenously devoured both the anime and manga, I felt like re-reading the manga and giving some thoughts. (And posting funny pictures.) Spoilers ahoy!

Chapter 0

So, chapter 0 is a pilot of sorts. Maybe there's a proper term for it, but I am not exactly a manga expert. It does a pretty good job of setting the tone, even if still rough around the edges.

Most of the character designs are already done, but Senshi looks particularly rough in this whole thing. Not that it really matters. Chilchuck is the only one even mentioned by name. Izutsumi is the focus character here, even if no one is polite enough to mention her name.

Laios would never. I don't remember the party having this much chutzpah in canon.

Oh, sure, NOW you're interested. Please stop staring at me like that.

What makes you think they were sane to begin with?

Behold, a dark twisted universe where they actually ate the fish-man.

Man, where was Izutsumi when we needed her? She'd have been great against the dragon.

Anyway, that was chapter 0. Short but sweet, gives a good overview of the vibe, especially early on. Can't wait to start reading the manga proper to see more adventures with this sassy cat-girl.

What do you mean she doesn't appear in the manga proper until chapter 42?

[homestuckreplay]

Homestuck Is A Game, Who Is The Player?

Week 3 Retrospective

'Video games have long been associated with spectatorship as well as play, from their origins in quarter-fueled arcades, where high score displays implied the presence of admiring or competitive spectators, to their migration to home screens and consoles. Live streaming chat emulates these older models, but its interaction with economies of scale on streaming platforms brings a different kind of intimacy and intensity to the experience. Chat lets spectators feel like they are there with the streamer as well as a part of a crowd, even if they are alone in their room.' [Jeremy Antley - emphasis mine]

From Homestuck’s very first page, the comic has made something clear. We are not allowed to immerse ourselves in John Egbert’s world. There is a layer of separation between us, an interface mediating our access to his life and story, a voiceover narration from the person who’s really in control. Who is this person, and what form does their control over John take?

Homestuck is presented like a video game, yet unlike a video game, we don’t control the character’s movements with arrow keys or have the chance to type our own commands directly into the text box. Instead of being able to explore the game on our own terms, we are confined to a specific and predetermined route, even though others seem theoretically possible. Simply put, we are not the ones playing the game.

Essay continued under the cut - about 2.6k words

I think there are two really important questions to consider when analyzing the meta elements of Homestuck and treating it as a game. The first - what kind of game is it? The second - where exactly do we stand in relation to the player(s)?

The most obvious answer to question one is ‘Homestuck is a text based adventure game.’ This guide to text based adventures is a great overview, and we can map the example commands here onto commands we’ve seen in Homestuck. ‘Examine room’ (p.4) is a one-word action, ‘Captchalogue smoke pellets’ (p.9) is an action and direct object, and ‘Nail poster to wall’ (p.19) includes the indirect object. John hasn’t given any orders yet - he’s too nice a guy for that - but ‘Report progress to TG’ (p.39) is definitely communicating with another character. All of these, and most other command lines, feel like reasonable instructions that could be recognized by a game.

However, commands like ‘Fondly regard cremation’ (p.52) and ‘Play haunting piano refrain’ (p.77) honestly feel too characterful to be fully interpreted by a computer, and ‘Squawk like an imbecile and shit on your desk’ (p.16) is… well, I tried typing this into the command prompt for the classic text adventure Zork, and got the following response.

A text adventure is just not set up to interpret wacky, left field ideas, much less respond to them in an entertaining way. And we know there is a real person behind Homestuck doing exactly that.

If my party enters the wizard’s study in Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, and I tell the Dungeon Master that I squawk like an imbecile and sit on the wizard’s desk, that statement will be understood. Sure, the DM will probably call me an idiot and put a nasty spike trap on the desk, but what I said will become part of the story in the way that a nonsense command in a text based video game never can. It’s interesting to think of Homestuck as a tabletop roleplaying game, where the narrator is the Game Master, the command prompt is a player, and John is a player character (presumably TT, TG and GG are the rest of his party and they’re just really late to the session).

Homestuck isn’t just text based, though - it has a strong visual element, including interfaces and overlays where the player can click and drag items between John’s inventory and his environment, or around his space. This suggests it could also be a point and click adventure game, a genre that grew out of text based games as graphics improved, and is defined by a strong inventory management component (check), puzzle solving quests (check - we’ve recently solved our first quest of acquiring the Sburb Beta) and dialog trees (????). The sprite based, isometric art style is really good for getting an overview of the space and seeing possible interactable objects, and Homestuck does feature extended dialog sequences - we don’t know if there are other possible inputs from John, but it's interesting to think that there might be.

These three genres - text based adventures, point and click adventures, and tabletop roleplaying games - all developed throughout the 1970s and 80s. It’s reasonable that Andrew Hussie (born 1979) could have grown up with some of these games. But to answer the second question, ‘where do we stand in relation to the player’, we might need to look at media forms still in their infancy - let’s plays, livestreams, and actual play.

[Michael Sawyer, 2004]

In the past few years, ‘Let’s Play [Game]’ has become a relatively popular thread format on the Something Awful forums, as well as personal websites. This began with posters taking screenshots of their playthroughs of a game and adding commentary in the text. The medium has now advanced to video and is typically hosted on YouTube, with commentary overlaid. Either format gives a creator the space to play through as much of the game as they choose, and then edit exactly what content they want to show to the audience, providing commentary after the fact. 

Homestuck, with its per-page illustrations, could be seen as a long thread of forum posts by the player, each including screenshots as they move through the game. The inclusion of short Flash animations shows the edge into video, and makes me wonder if we’ll see longer or more complex videos, perhaps with voiceover narration, as Homestuck expands its focus. The self-referential and aggressive yet helpful commentary in Homestuck is similar in tone to Sawyer's playthrough above, and could easily be the work of a player who knows where the story will go, at least in the short term, and is dropping hints to the audience while purposefully concealing some things.

Livestreaming video games is a similar concept to Let's Plays, but performed in real time. Often hosted on Justin.tv, an open video broadcast website that’s been gaining prominence in the past couple of years, a livestream is an improvised and unedited way to watch someone game. Any commentary from the creator happens without knowledge of how the playthrough will turn out. Homestuck, by Hussie’s own admission, is being written similarly in real life - they don’t know more than the broad strokes of how the story will go, and it’s possible that neither the author nor the narrator knows the long term implications of an action such as John stealing his dad’s PDA. 

Livestreams open the possibility for viewers to influence game events, if the streamer listens to their audience. We know this is true in Homestuck - readers are able to submit commands, and some are chosen for the story. The real time nature of Homestuck, waiting each day for the new update, is equivalent to waiting for a streamer to come online and start playing again so we can find out where their game goes next. This is compounded by us having no access to Homestuck outside of the streamer - we cannot buy and play this game for ourselves, it’s still in some kind of early or limited access, and the streamer controls all our knowledge. 

The livestream is definitely most similar to how Homestuck is made by its author, but it's hard to say whether its narrator is commentating in real time, or after the fact. I can't find any definite clues in our pages so far - I think the narrator wants to seem smart and superior, but I can't say whether they have the knowledge to back it up.

[img source]

Our final media format is known as Actual Play. Almost a year ago, the creators of Penny Arcade (along with Dungeons & Dragons game designer Chris Perkins) began releasing Acquisitions Incorporated, a short-run, officially licensed podcast where the group plays through a D&D adventure to demonstrate gameplay interspersed with jokes. This isn’t the first time a TTRPG publisher has recorded sessions to help people learn the game, but this idea seems to be crossing over into the entertainment genre - and webcomics are part of that movement.

In the first episode, the group have a brief aside. The DM says that ‘some players prefer to refer to their characters in the third person… others prefer to get into the first,’ and one player says they’ve observed the same thing in World of Warcraft. What’s not explicitly said is that the Game Master typically refers to the player characters in second person, describing what happens to ‘you’ and what ‘you’ see - much like streamers talking to their chat. The blocks of narrative text below pictures in Homestuck could easily be a Game Master balancing giving information to an unruly player, and providing entertainment for the audience. John’s lucky or unlucky moments with his sylladex could be the result of particularly good or bad dice rolls from his unseen player.

Actual play is a really great format for deep diving into a small cast of characters, and exploring their emotional state in ways that aren't intrinsic to a lot of video games. As we're already seeing the beginnings of John's emotional arc, we know this will be a focus, but we need two to four more characters with equally large roles in the story to really form a TTRPG party. Actual play also tends to include a lot of combat and its mechanics. We know Homestuck can handle crunchy mechanics due to the sylladex, but I'd expect to see the Strife concept become just as in depth and central to the story if Homestuck ends up fitting into this mold.

All three of these formats can have a mass audience, just like Homestuck does in reality - but Homestuck also feels like a very personal experience. Two people playing the same video game, even a highly linear game such as Portal or one that doesn’t involve much active interaction such as a visual novel, have slightly different gameplay based on the speed they move through the story and their missteps on the way to finding the solution to a puzzle. 

Similarly, my experience of Homestuck is different from yours. I read the new update every day, while I know some people wait for a few days of updates to build up and then read a larger chunk. Maybe I clicked ‘Aggrieve’ and ‘Abjure’ three times each on p.90, alternating the options, while you clicked ‘Aggrieve’ five times in sequence and then ‘Abjure’ only twice. Maybe I didn’t realize p.110 had an interactive element at first, and skipped over it until somebody pointed it out to me (really telling on myself here). These elements of Homestuck that we have direct control over are currently only a small part of the story, but they do exist.

In this way, Homestuck feels a little bit like sitting in the living room as a kid watching your older brother play a game, begging him to let you take over for a minute, occasionally doing so until he gets frustrated with your inability to Strife and takes the controller back. The nostalgia of the simplistic graphics and the 70s and 80s games that are being evoked only adds to this cozy feeling. If Homestuck starts to add more interactive elements, such as branching paths, opportunities for us to take over the cursor, or a chance for us to use John’s sylladex ourselves and choose what he picks up, it might be worth thinking of Homestuck as different iterations of the same game, each of us watching our own, slightly different player, and even co-playing with them.

So, who IS this narrator? In my mind, I’m trying to draw a clear distinction between the author and the narrator. Hussie is the author in the real world, and the narrator, or player, or GM, exists within the work. Their role is best described on page 82:

‘The game presently eluding you is only the latest sleight of hand in the repertoire of an unseen riddler, one to engender a sense not of mirth, but of lack. His coarse schemes are those less of a prankster than a common pickpocket. His riddle is Absence itself.’

The narrator is this unseen riddler (or perhaps unseenRiddler?), providing a secondary layer of control over what happens and what we are able to see. They’re the person clicking and dragging objects around John’s room, and choosing what actions to take next. The narration is their perspective on the game - whether we see this as a GM describing a scene to their players, or a streamer reading aloud information that the game has given them and providing their own commentary. 

So, we're watching the narrator play Homestuck, in whatever form it takes - but there's another layer to this. On page 22, an equivalence is made between the Sburb Beta, which John was supposed to receive on April 10 (and finally acquired on April 13 in-story, p.100), and the Homestuck Beta, which launched to us on April 10, but was quickly canceled and replaced with Homestuck proper on April 13. The Homestuck beta is linked within the comic, and might be canon within it - the narrator making an initial run at the game before restarting their save (perhaps on a different computer or console?) and trying again. Homestuck the game is currently about a kid who lives in the suburbs - and if the name and logo are anything to go by, Sburb could also be a suburbs-themed game. While we watch the riddler play Homestuck, the riddler will be watching John play the game Sburb. How deep does this go? Are there more layers inwards or outwards?

I’ve been puzzling this over for days, and I’m definitely left with more questions than I can answer. Here are the ones I'm focused on:

Is the unseen riddler playing the game as intended? Now that they’ve passed the tutorial, are they keeping the game on the rails and trying their best to follow a linear story, or are they pushing the boundaries, going for some kind of pacifist or resource-stripped run, trying to interfere with John’s intended story? Have they played the game before, and if so, how does this affect their gameplay?

If the unseen riddler is a character within the story, distinct from the external author, are we the true audience? Will there be an audience within the story, or perhaps other players? If so, how big will it be? What kind of reach does Homestuck the game have, and how many people are playing it or tuning in to watch?

How permeable are the boundaries? Is John simply pixels on a screen for the unseen riddler to play with, with no agency of his own outside of the riddler’s interpretation, like if we were playing The Sims? Or is it possible for the riddler to enter the game, or for John to leave it, and the two of them to communicate directly? Or a middle ground - something like ‘character bleed’ in TTRPGs, where a player embodies a character for so long that despite their not being real, they come to influence each other even outside of gameplay?

What the hell is the Midnight Crew? Is this a different game that exists separately to Homestuck? Will our riddler, or a different one, eventually play it? If we have three games - Homestuck, Midnight Crew, and Sburb - what exactly is the relationship between them, and how interrelated are they?

This is a lot of thoughts for what is, at time of writing, is 125 pages of comedy webcomic. But the story is just beginning, and we’ve been told it’s going to be a long day. Anything could be important, and with the frequent in-text nods to the meta elements - ‘examine third and fourth walls of room’ (p.61), ‘you decide it’s time for less meta, and more beta’ (p.113), the title appearing in the clouds on p.82 that John may or may not be able to see, the integration of the physical captchalogue card into the sylladex interface on p.98 - I don’t want to draw any firm boundaries, or make any assumptions about what is and what isn’t part of the story. Instead, I’ve cataloged the meta elements of Homestuck that might be worth paying attention to as we move through the comic, to develop a more concrete theory in time.

[sneeg-snag]

The hero’s journey and Shilo, an in depth analysis.

HI GUYSSS I was tasked with outlining how a character of my choice followed the twelve step process of the hero's journey. Due to the fact I am chronically obsessed with JRWI, I decided to pick Shilo as A) he is a very well rounded character who has very interesting dynamics and follows the journey quite closely and B) His story is “ended” (and I also remember most of it LMAO). 

Black is anything I turned in for my assignment and is a bit more barebones as it was supposed to be a minimum of 300 words and I wrote… 900… and red is all of my added and more in depth analysis of Shilo’s journey for those who have actually Watched The Show and understand what I mean when I say “The character of Edward Twilight is a formidable and powerful villain against the main characters''. also thank u @codecicle for egging me on i probably maybe wouldnt have gone as in depth if u hadnt asked for it <3. Lastly, THERE ARE SO MANY SUCKENING SPOILERS IN HERE I DO NOT HOLD BACK PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!

Without further adu… ENJOY!!!

For my character that follows the hero's journey, I picked Shilo Bathory from the ttrpg podcast Just Roll With It. Some context to the character and the story, he is a character in a game the players of Just Roll With It play called Vampire: the Masquerade (think Dungeons and Dragons but with a different ruleset and Vampire themed), where he is one of the three main characters. It is a comedy drama podcast, with some things being on the sillier side while still retaining a story. He is a vampire prince who was locked in his mothers castle from birth Rapunzel style, and we start the story when he is itching to get out. (Had to give some people a like. Overview cause you will a) always find me promoing jrwi and b) there is like. So much going on all at once in this damn podcast) 

1.Call to adventure: Shilo, sick of being trapped in his room, searches outside and finds several papers in his mothers study detailing how one person was being tracked and followed in the streets of Los Angeles. He decides he wants to escape said entrapment and searches for a way to escape. Shilo is an interesting figure when it comes to the call for adventure, because rather than being called by an outside force like many other stories (ex, Rapunzel is egged on by the appearance of Flynn Rider or Rolan Deep being called back by his parents funeral) Shilo makes his own call. He is the one who breaks into his mothers study and he is the one to decide to go. This is influenced by a lot of things- like how it is the start of a VTM campaign and Bizly cannot just sit and wait for forever, but it also opens the question of would Charlie have made one if Bizly did not already take action? 

2. Refusal: Shilo notably skips this step, mostly ready to jump into the adventure due to his nativity and belief he will be safe as he is the prince of his vampire clan. However this can be interpreted as his mother blocking him from leaving and even restricting him by magical means from even speaking about the documents he found. Referencing back to the last step, it's very interesting how the refusal manifests as someone else rather than Shilos own inner turmoil. It is like the characters that would normally play in these two steps -his mother and himself- switch, creating a more interesting story when it is himself who has chosen to leave and the juxtaposition later that causes when he enters LA. 

3. Supernatural aid: Shilo himself, as a vampire can be interpreted as his own supernatural aid, however notable at this point he is overtaken by a supernatural anger at being treated like a child. His player rolls very well for the stealthy and supernatural actions he takes to push past any obstacles facing him getting to Los Angeles. The seer at the door can also be interpreted as said supernatural aid, as she tells Shilo how to go through the door and is sort of the classic “old person helping the young protagonist” type. I think she will 100% be more important later and possibly assume this role in Shilo and possibly Emiezl's life due to her being there when the twins were born and being the overseer of Salem (Pepper) but in the current season we have now, she is simply a guard to the door. 

4. Stepping through the threshold: Shilo physically and mentally steps through the threshold in his story. He finds his way through The Darkened Door, a physical door that can take him wherever he wishes. The physical one comes to Los Angeles, which is a complete turnaround for Shilo from his quiet castle room. The lights are bright, the city is busy, and the people are mean. Shilo throughout the story remarks on this and how he is very much a fish out of water. I personally love his “LA sucks” phrase because to him, it really does and plays off comedically on how he was the one to want to visit LA and get out of his castle doors. Of all places to go, it was LA, the complete juxtaposition of the Umber castle. ESPECIALLY since he can’t even dress like a normal human and must dress like a gaudy victorian vampire. (a trait I REALLY wish was brought up more. Granted who knows maybe people think it's just someone doing a late night cosplay (clown walk /ref))

5. Belly of the whale: Shilos first belly of the whale conflict is when he realizes he is not 24/7 protected and regarded as infallible royalty in the city of LA when he tries to enter a club that seems to be a hideout for vampire society and proceedingly gets arrested. He is taken from his group and quickly placed in jail where he will later get bailed out after repeating how cops are heroes to him. This one was hard for me to choose what Shilos “first” trial was. Originally I was going to go with his altercation with Emeziels (his?) father, due to the fact he erases his memory without an afterthought and that emphasizes the whole lesson of “consequences” later on. However, I really do think Shilos first moment of being in deep- in the “belly of the whale” was the aforementioned club altercation and his subsequent jail time. He is no longer this kid who can bat his eyes at the primogens or his mom when he gets caught out of his room, and is now a functioning member of society that must abide by both vampire and human laws. It’s a moment of “oh”, although this is kind of overshadowed by the fact Shilo is like “yay police ride!! They're the good guys!” and later sets in when they are not on his side and when he speaks to Soda. 

6. Road of trials: This is where most of the events of the podcast take place. Shilo and his group have many trials, through the story, including but not limited to getting into a huge vampire party, finding information on the main villain he meets at said party, finding out his mother has died due to vampire hunters that are now hot on his trail, all while avoiding the consequences of his own actions. Okay this one's kinda self explanatory. I trust yall to get it and I really don't wanna go in depth because i'm LAZY. I really considered mentioning things like the unseen one but I wanted to make it seem like a much more cohesive plot to my classmates than what the suckening really is (cause looking back good lord is it all over the damn place bro)

7. Meeting with the goddess: The character(s) I would consider the traditional “goddess” in Shilo’s story is the group known as The Midnight Circle. They are a group of female witches that help Shlio and his companions on gaining knowledge on both how to deface and bring down the main villain of the story and their curse as vampires. They can only succeed however, by working through their own personal doubts and gripes with their curses and helping each other. Shilo succeeds with flying colors, and he gives up his eye (mechanically, in the game, his insight and perception bonuses) in favor of knowledge of the main villains and his own mothers origin. This one is also kinda self explanatory. Though I am kind of sad that the midnight circle is like. The only figures who could be considered the goddess in this story. You could technically argue that both The Midnight Circle AND the Unseen One could be the typical “goddess” figure, but I digress.

8. The temptress: The temptress character on the flipside is actually quite a stray from the regular idea of a sultry maiden in this story. Some might say it can even be skipped, but I'd like to interpret it as the main villain. Early on in the story, the main villain had Shilo “drink his blood” several times unknowingly, leading to a game mechanic called a “blood bond” where the drinker is entranced by the vampire whos blood they drank and on higher levels (eg. the more blood they drink) has to obey their beck and call. In some of the final episodes of the story he makes Shilo a victim to his wills, leading Shilo to accidentally give up all the proof they have to defame him to said villain. It’s quite a huge roadblock in the final parts of said story, and the players must find a way around it. You can tell I really wanted to get this point across and went all out explaining the blood bond LMAO. I really do feel like for Shilo, Edward is the temptress in a less-orthodox way of a woman who the protagonist might lust after, and instead is this force that physically calls Shilo and interrupts his plans. On Tumblr, people have pointed out how because Shilo is very aro/ aroace coded, this very well can be interpreted as a sexual assault metaphor. Unknowingly drinking Edwards blood, several times, the fact he was undressed and redressed in matching clothes as Edward, the way Grizzly describes the music (that we cannot hear, only the players) Condi put on as “romantic” only fulfills this. Hell, Nathan Hanover himself said Edwards original music was supposed to have a chorus of moans. Imagine that playing over the scene where Shilo wakes up? I could very much go on about Shilo being treated narratively “like a girl” and how that affects his story and progression but this thing is already so long and id want to find and quote the tumblr posts this idea spawned from because it's important to me people actually get credit <3. Overall though, Edward Twilight ABSOLUTELY fits the temptress role in Shilos story, especially in the scene where he calls on Shilo while Shilo has the evidence of his wrongdoings and all Shilo can do is just. Follow along. 

9. Atonement with the father: This is actually one of the few steps Shilo skips, as he does not really have a father figure and this step falls more on his companion through the story, Arthur, who’s entire arc revolves around his past family and father. <- I actually LIED here. Shilo DOES have an atonement with the father- and that is with Deacon! I didn't want to introduce this new character and have to explain who this new guy was to the story on step nine LMAO. However, Shilo doesn't have an “atonement” with Deacon, and in fact after Edward takes all the proof of him breaking the masquerade from Shilo, Deacon does not believe him. It’s a very sad moment, and really plays into Deacon and Shilo’s relationship and dynamic through the whole story. Shilo believed Deacon was a person to go to for safety and protection, someone who would believe him though and through, and instead Deacon is fallible. He attacks Shilos friends after Club Crepuscule is blown up, he does not answer any of Shilos messages after he calls a billion times, he brings him straight to Edward after Shilo is hurt, and he does not believe what Shilo says about Edward. He shows again and again how he really only does things for his own gain, and honestly, I think if Shilo wasn’t the prince he would have left him to die many times. A vampire cop is still a cop y'know. 

He also has a strange fucking voice/person?? In his room??? I feel like we don't talk about this enough hello????

10. Apotheosis: Teehee. Apotheosis. This stage happens when Shilo’s previous actions throughout the road of trials comes to bite him, and consequences are on the horizon. An old man Shilo has accidentally let into the world and knowledge of vampire society is kidnapped and left up to be food for the main villains “end all be all” game (a hunger games style arena). Shilo does his best to save this old man, but in the end fails, and realizes how his actions have consequences in a very heartbreaking moment. I do think Shilo actually has TWO apotheosis, but I thought for word count and explanation I’d only mention Ben. The second (and honestly my and probably many others) first thought was when Shilo loses his innocence trait when making Edward Twilight “ugly” in front of all vampire society. Both of these events play into different traits and lessons Shilo has been learning through the course of The Suckening. Ben represents the fact he does have consequences to his actions and what he does matters in the grand scheme of things, not only to him but to others. His loss of innocence is about how he is no longer a child who is protected by his mother in the castle, and instead is someone who has the power to do what he wants when he wants. These two apotheosis also play into each other. Without the realization of consequences Ben brings Shilo, he could easily fall into being a manipulative creature without much humanity or care for those around him just like Edward and the other vampires of vampire society. Without the loss of the innocence trait and bringing down Edward Twilight, he could shrink into himself and become an anxious defeated child, whose mother is dead and who is a slave to the whims of someone much more powerful than him. It creates a very interesting end to this chapter of Shilo's life, and with the promise of a second season, creates suspense for where this new version of him is going to go. 

11. Ultimate boon: Playing off the last step, Shilo realizes how he isnt a small child protected by the castle walls anymore, and does have consequences to the actions he takes, especially on those he cares about. I forgot what the ultimate boon thing was. Give me a second. OH okay for more context the ultimate boon is the accomplishment of the goal the protagonist set out to do. Shilo’s “main goals” move a lot through the story. At first, it’s escaping the castle to find who his mother is tracking. Then its getting used to LA. Then it's taking down Edward Twilight and finding a good replacement, which morphs into becoming a good leader himself. At the end of The Suckening, a couple of Shilos goals are not met yet, and Charlie and Bizly actually speak in the QNA how originally the Suckening was supposed to be on a much bigger scale than LA, so we can imagine in the next installment we will possibly see Shilo’s goals of a good ruler being met, or they will shift as he grows into himself outside the castle walls. 

12. The return: Shilo, after finally defacing the main villain, Shilo is picked up by one of their companions' helicopter, and flown away from the other companion, watching as said other companion is burnt to a crisp by the rising sun. This ones really simple, as Shilo does not “return” to his home. Instead he is picked up by Real Taylor Lautner, and the story ends. 

13. Crossing of return threshold: This is where Shilo’s story truly breaks from the hero's journey, as his story is cut short and left open ended. There is a whisper of season two in the works (although it seems very far away), and hopefully we will see Shilo return to his broken castle home, a changed person without his mother and new knowledge of the outside world. I really do hope we get to see him return, as it is a very interesting dynamic and as mentioned earlier, the trio was supposed to take on all of Vampire Society rather than just Edward, so I really do hope we are not cut off from Shilo’s heroes arc too early and maybe we simply restart back to the road of trials when we get season two. 

Shilo is a very interesting character, who one may argue isn't even a hero. He follows some of the steps of the hero's journey, but also subverts some of the traditional steps with his beginning and ending. He is a very complicated and interesting character, and this analysis is also here to show how the JRWI boys follow said hero's journey in one way or another. Not to sound like a cringey youtuber but if you have more thoughts/things to add PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME!!!! I would love to speak about this more (not just to myself lmao) and there are a lot of points I missed (LIKE SHILO RIPPING OUT THAT ONE GUYS THROAT BEING A TURNING POINT IM SO MAD I COULDNT FIT THAT IN). Overall, I love The Suckening, and I think how Shilo is handled and played as a character is very intriguing! And also I might need to get tested for autism. 

[aesethewitch]

My 2024 Year Ahead Tarot Reading

All the way back in January, I did a year ahead reading for myself. For each month in 2024, I drew two cards from the Alleyman’s Tarot and one from my Dungeons and Dragons Tarot deck (for variety and to play with it, since it was brand new at the time!). My goal was to get a general overview of each month, patterns for the year as a whole, and specifically reminders and warnings for the year.

I kept notes throughout the year in my divination journal to reflect on that month’s reading and compare it to the actual events of the month. For the most part, it was pretty accurate! There were a few things that seemed inaccurate at the time, but that ended up being… well, more accurate than I wanted them to be.

I’m omitting some of the more personal bits and pieces from the actual journal entries, but all of these observations are coming direct from the journal! Noting, of course, that I’m writing this at the end of November/beginning of December, so December’s notes are going to be kind of scarce.

January

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Knight of Wands, Seven of Inking Bells D&D Tarot Card: The Sun

Immediate Thoughts: Using motivation to reclaim a sense of self; makes sense, lacking direction, drained

Full Reading:

I’m partially through the month, and I can see what this means: A loss of direction and sense of self, feeling very drained and lacking motivation to do much of anything. But the choice to find motivation can give a hearty shove to the creative mind. I should focus on the things that make me happy, not just what I “should” be doing.

Analysis:

[11/25/24 (the time of reviewing my entries)] I don’t have any full notes on January, unfortunately. Since I did this reading partway through the month, I skipped it. However! After year ahead readings closed, I took some time to myself. I focused in on my hobbies and self-care, holing up for the chilliest part of the season.

February

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Six of Cups, Death (Blood) D&D Tarot Cards: Five of Wisdom

Immediate Thoughts: Violent upset; death in the family?

Full Reading:

A painful change. My intuition says this is an actual death of someone I know. It will kick off a renewed determination to enjoy life despite the rain and thrive under bad circumstances. No matter how large the foe, I will manage.

Analysis:

[3/26/24] No one died in February. I did take a somewhat extended hiatus (longer than I expected/wanted) and started up again at the top of March. February was really tough, health-wise.

[11/25/24] Looking back, this is the month I thought was totally wrong. In actuality, I received really bad news last month — my dad’s health is declining rapidly, and we have a very limited amount of time with him left. Things started going downhill in, you guessed it, February. I really had hoped that this outlook was wrong. I’m still hoping it’s wrong. It has given me a renewed motivation to enjoy life and take care of myself and the people I care about. So, that’s something, at least.

March

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Hierophant (Arrow), King of Swords D&D Tarot Cards: Page of Intelligence

Immediate Thoughts: Reclaiming a sense of control over spiritual matters

Full Reading:

A renewed sense of control in the spiritual realm. This might be a good time to start doing more spirit-focused spells and workings. With the Page of INT on the field, maybe a bit of research into constructed spirits or a new kind of spirit vessel?

Analysis:

[3/26/24] March has been good. I do definitely feel like I’m back in the saddle and have control over where I’m heading next. I haven’t been doing a ton of spirit work, but what I have been doing is very natural and fulfilling. The research I’ve been putting in has paid off already.

So, not perfectly accurate, but not bad!

April

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Two of Cups, Weird-Ass Mystical Shit D&D Tarot Cards: Ace of Charisma

Immediate Thoughts: Balance and happiness, trying new and weird magic; new and deeper friendships?

Full Reading:

This is a good month for magic and trying new things. A happy time of balance and good relationships. Could also be a sign of new and deepening friendships. The warning is to not get too carried away by alluring outside influences.

Analysis:

[4/14/24] I’ve been interacting more with folks in my online witchy circles! It does count!! (:

I haven’t gotten to do any new or weird magic yet. I should do that Straw into Gold spell soon and maybe look at some other spells. A new recipe, maybe.

Then again, my new money bowl has been working! It’s a new configuration and cast method with different upkeep than previous iterations. Not “weird,” but definitely a change.

I’m also planning on returning to older, odder facets of my practice — ghosts and ghost-related workings. By popular request, I’ll be writing about my ghostly experiences and how to contact/work with the dead.

Maybe I could get really weird about it. Hyper-specific, weird, and outside my usual work. I’ll give it some thought.

[4/28/24] Friendship!!! The folks in the Discord server I got invited to in February have encouraged me to revive the original House Rules campaign for them to play. It’s very cool! I’ve gotten to chat more than usual and have gotten better acquainted with people individually. I’d say this reading is now definitely accurate on the new and deeper friendships front. (:

Going into May, I’m keeping burnout warnings in mind. I’ve got a lot going on, and I don’t want to get overwhelmed again!

May

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Ten of Wands, Two of Whips D&D Tarot Cards: Judgment

Immediate Thoughts: Heavy; breaking out of unhealthy patterns, lashing out

Full Reading:

A heavy month. Burnout leading to anger. It’ll be necessary to look at everything on my plate and decide what actually needs my attention and what can be left alone. What’s worth my time? Pick and choose battles wisely.

Analysis:

[5/27/24] Most of this entry is redacted due to it being really personal.

I’d thought that the burnout would be work-related. Instead, it ended up being more interpersonal, emotional burnout. Bearing a burden alone is neither necessary nor fair. The lashing out was definitely very real. Perhaps the most accurate set of cards out of the whole year, unfortunately. The bright side is that the conflict(s) laid everything bare and paved the way for improvement and healing. Judgment, indeed.

June

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Three of Books, Knight of Swords D&D Tarot Cards: King of Strength

Immediate Thoughts: Imposing order

Full Reading:

A lot of esoteric knowledge is tough to make sense of. The urge to wrangle it is powerful, but it isn’t always possible. That doesn’t mean to waste the energy! Just direct it toward more productive ends.

Analysis:

[8/7/24] June… was hard. I ended up not getting a lot done after all. Back to back migraines killed the back half of the month. There was some magic and theory work, but not a lot.

[11/25/24] Looking back on this, I wasn’t being very fair to myself. The reading was more accurate than I gave credit for at the time. There was so much I wanted to do and get done and handle, but my body just kind of gave out. It does that sometimes. In the end, I had to direct my energy reserves to simple survival — productive enough, no?

July

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: The Letter, Nine of Cups D&D Tarot Cards: Four of Intelligence

Immediate Thoughts: Successful social interactions

Full Reading:

Successful socializing is rewarding! Proper communication about goals, wants, and needs is essential. Taking time to oneself, even in the company of others, is an essential skill. This hand screams “comfort in others’ presence,” which I love.

Analysis:

[8/7/24] July was better than June. My friend finished her move, and we helped her haul furniture last week. It was definitely a month of positive socialization, even if I can now feel myself retreating inwards again.

[11/25/24] I remember little of June, unfortunately. I do remember much of July, though! It was a fun time, though very busy. I took as much time to myself as I physically could. Recovering from two full weeks of migraines at the end of June took a long, long time. It was horrible. Having comfortable places to socialize without straining myself too far was critical to my recovery! So, another pretty accurate reading.

August

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Queen of Pentacles, Eight of Tentacles D&D Tarot Cards: Nine of Intelligence

Immediate Thoughts: Comfort, roots, expression

Full Reading:

Comfort and indulgence. This is a sign to invite others to enjoy the things that make me feel good. It’s easy to hide away but hard to exist out in the open. Foster a space where anyone can come and be themselves safely. Protecting myself and my energy is still important — this may be a good time to renew personal protections.

Analysis:

[8/7/24] I definitely think the advice for August is solid. I’m tired. I desperately want to indulge in the things that make me happy.

With my friend only two hours away now, I might be able to plan some actually fulfilling witchy events. And maybe I can involve my partner more, too. He seems interested in everything.

Being so drained, it’s tough to gather the energy I need for even the most indulgent, lazy activities. Still, I’ve got to try.

[10/16/24] August ended up being a subdued month. The weather made me pretty ill, so I spent my time caring for myself and focused on my novel.

[11/25/24] God, August was so bad. I thought June was bad, but August was almost as bad. It was three straight months of feeling like absolute garbage. If you recall seeing my content publish less and less frequently (which has unfortunately continued into the end of the year), this is why. The second half of the year has severely kicked my ass.

I did ask for more help around August, though. My partner kept my spirits up and engaged with me about the things I care about more often and more intentionally. It definitely helped as I finally, fully recovered from the horrible summer sickness.

September

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: The Tradition, the Comforter D&D Tarot Cards: The Devil

Immediate Thoughts: Comfort, roots, expression; interference

Full Reading:

More comfort, this time found by returning to my roots. This time of year is full of fulfilling traditions, and it’s important that I get to partake in them. Straying from the path and letting lazy temptations take over is no good.

Analysis:

[10/16/24] September saw our first chilly days. I did observe several traditions and have plans for more as we move into the final months of the year. Overall, a calm month. Not a lot of spells, more spirit work and offerings.

[11/25/24] This time of year is always when I come alive again. Spring and autumn are my peak seasons. Spring is often spellwork, autumn more so spirit work, so this really does track. Otherwise, September was pretty quiet. I was still recovering, so I intentionally took it easy. Traditions and structure definitely help to energize me, though!

October

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Four of Swords, the Star D&D Tarot Cards: Knight of Charisma

Immediate Thoughts: Rest, dreaming

Full Reading:

“Damn, bitch, take a vacation.” So I will. October will have one full week (at least) off from writing, posting, commissions, everything. Maybe I’ll go somewhere I’ve always wanted and fulfill a dream.

Analysis:

[10/16/24] Looking at October, I’m torn. It’s been a chiller, less busy time, but I’m still working on other stuff — plans, writing, etc. I hope to do more in the second half of the month. On a more somber note, I’ve gotten news that my dad is officially Captial-D Dying. The suggestion of rest isn’t about dreams. It’s about having hope for the best and allowing time to pass.

All I can do is wait.

[11/25/24] As you can probably tell, that’s the day I got the Bad News. It’s worth noting that I very much did not take a full week off, and I should have.

On October 31, I wrote an entry venting about everything going on that I won’t include here. But in that entry, I mention scheduling a week to stay offline and away from my computer. And I’m going to be doing that!! Kinda!! This weekend, from Thanksgiving on Thursday until Monday, I’m not working at all. I’m taking Thursday and Friday off, and I’ll return to everything Monday. I won’t be allowed to log into Tumblr or my email or do any work. Totally unplugged.

I have it marked on my calendar and everything. Peaceful introspection will be mine this weekend.

November

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: The Emperor, Nine of Wands D&D Tarot Cards: Seven of Intelligence

Immediate Thoughts: Authority over a safe space

Full Reading:

No matter how serious things get and how certain I am about my path, I should always take a moment for quiet introspection. Peace is an option. It might take some clever thinking, but I can make it happen.

Analysis:

[11/24/24] After almost a full week of activity (November 6 to November 11), the “quiet introspection” was less a suggestion and more a bodily-mandated requirement.

It’s been a really busy month. Events and socializing in public have left me drained of energy. I have little left for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Peace and quiet are no longer options, they’re requirements.

I sort of think this card combo might also be in reference to the Annoying Neighbors debacle, in a way. All of them are finally, blessedly quiet after months of struggling. QUIET. I win.

Dominion over my safe and quiet home. Ha ha ha.

December

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Bone Fire, Queen of Swords D&D Tarot Cards: Wheel of Fortune

Immediate Thoughts: Start fresh, question everything; BIG educational upheaval

Full Reading:

Radical change! Time to call everything I’ve learned and everything I am into question. Time to decide who I want to be. Am I happy? What am I willing to do to get there? There’s an element of faith and chance here — nothing is certain. But the leap has to be made. It has to burn. I have to stand back up. I have to fight. I have to.

Analysis:

[11/25/24] Now, obviously, December hasn’t happened yet. But I think I can comment on this hand now, since it’s more a call to action than a prediction.

I really am in a position where I need to examine my life and my practice. This year has been difficult on a lot of levels. I keep setting goals that are unattainable. They “should” be things I can achieve, but my health continually gets in the way. It’s not fair, but I have to do better about keeping my limits in mind. The more conscious I am, the better I feel, the better I’m able to perform.

I’m looking toward December as a month of planning. I want to sketch out my 2025 with purpose. I’ll throw out everything I don’t need and don’t use and don’t particularly like. I’m talking restructuring my whole year. New schedule, new holidays, new traditions, the works.

I’m starting over. It’s all gonna be new again.

The thing I have to remember is my limits. Not what I “should” be able to do, but what I actually can do.

Facing reality, one Bone Fire at a time.

Conclusions

Since jotting down my December thoughts in my journal, I received a very cool tarot readings from a mutual who was testing out a new style. Now, I’m fairly certain I know what the Bone Fire is and how to approach it. It’s going to be a lot more new than I was expecting. Square one, in many ways.

Ah, well.

I had pretty good overall accuracy for this reading! I expected the details to get less accurate later in the year, but it stayed fairly faithful throughout.

The big critique I have for this is that I wish I’d written down more details at the time of the reading. Part of the brevity is because I wrote the reading out by hand. This year, I think I’ll type up a very in-depth report that’s more similar to the year ahead readings I do for clients.

My 2025 reading will also definitely focus more on the spiritual side of things rather than being a totally general reading. I have a feeling that it’s going to be more productive if I do it that way!

Anyhow, let me put my shilling hat on real quick… If you’d like a year ahead reading, check out my Ko-Fi commissions, available for a limited time only! I also do other types of tarot readings and custom spell services, if that tickles your fancy. And stay tuned for more seasonal posts!

You can also read this post over on Ko-Fi!:

[satoshi-mochida]

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince coming to PC on September 11 - Gematsu

Square Enix will release Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince for PC via Steam on September 11, the company announced.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince first launched for Switch on December 1, 2023.

The PC version will include all the downloadable content from the Switch version, but will not include the network mode “Online Battles.”

Here is an overview of the PC version, via its Steam page:

About

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince comes to Steam! Compose your very own team of monsters from across the Dragon Quest series and engage in thrilling battles against your foes. Recruit monsters from the wild world around you and combine them to synthesize new creatures as you see fit. With over 500 monsters to choose from and a revamped synthesis system to explore, you can mix and match to you heart’s content to create your favorite cute critters and dastardly supervillains, as well as brand-new additions to the monstrous roll call. Your quest to become the greatest monster wrangler of all time starts here!

Story

Psaro is cursed and is unable to harm anything with monster blood. Now, he must become a Monster Wrangler to create an army for battle. The hunt for high-ranked monsters takes Psaro through the ever-changing seasons of Nadiria and its unique environments, with rivers of bubbling lava, mysterious ancient ruins, and soaring towers of cake. Along the way, Psaro meets the kind-hearted elf, Rose, who joins his adventure to seek out ever-stronger monsters. The key to Psaro’s success lies with synthesis: the ability to combine two monsters and create a stronger offspring. Each new creation brings Psaro one step closer to his goal of becoming the Master of Monsterkind.

(The network mode Online Battles from the console version, where players battle one another in real time, is not included.)

Key Features

A Wondrous World Awaits – As time passes in Nadiria, so too do the seasons change, with different weather conditions tempting new monsters out of hiding and revealing paths to undiscovered areas. The Circles of Nadiria are sure to provide a fresh experience every time you visit.

Over 500 Unique Monsters – With such varied environments to explore, you can expect them to be inhabited by a plethora of monsters. While many can be recruited in battle, occasionally a defeated monster will ask to join your team of its own accord. Befriend as many monsters as you can, then combine them to synthesize new creatures and build a unique party to your exact liking.

Enjoy All the Downloadable Content from the Console Version – The Steam version includes the downloadable content packs from the console version: the Mole Hole, Coach Joe’s Dungeon Gym, and Treasure Trunks. Make the most of their unique features to enhance your adventure.

Test Your Might in Quickfire Contests – Register your team for the network mode Quickfire Contests to participate in automated battles against the party data of 30 other players. Once a day you can earn stat-boosting items as a prize, and the monsters from any team you defeat will be added to your roster (up to rank B monsters only).

Watch a new trailer below.

PC Announce Trailer