#exploring more with transcript formatting

[smidgen-of-hotboy]

Our Angel of Brahma, pt. iii

Me: I gotta stop writing this so I can finish something else for once. Also Me: continues writing this.

@ceaseless-watchers-special-girl @ananxiousgenz @demonic-panini @the-private-eye @gwenlena

SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING BEGINS. SOUND: BEDSHEETS RUSTLING. Younger Revolutionary: Mm'arlie? What're you– Mm'arlie: Go back to sleep, Baird.  (MUFFLED LAUGHTER) I'll be back soon enough, just gotta… think about some things.  SOUND: BARE FEET ON TILE. Mm'arlie:  (SIGH) Where do I begin?  Baird’s mom went missing two years ago. She tucked him in, told him a bedtime story about the Revolutionary, and then closed the door. When he got up the next morning, she was gone. I came over and we waited outside on the steps for hours. She never came back from where ever.  We waited three days doing the same thing over and over. My parents fed him each day. And on the fourth day, his father showed up with his spouse. Baird isn't close with his Dad. And he hates their spouse. He didn't want them to stay with him but my family can't afford to take care of another mouth forever. My parents love Baird. But they can't raise another kid right now.  (GRUNT) SOUND: MM'ARLIE SITTING DOWN. Mm'arlie: So his daddy came back to pick up where his Mom left, and his step-parent tried to make amends. It's… it's been a rough couple of years… Earlier today, the System went down for maintenance, so the Constables were out patrolling all day. Baird was with me, completing an odd job brushing dust off the daycare windows for Mrs. Darius. Baird’s Dad didn't come home last night. So it was just him and their step-parent eating dinner. Lentils and fried spam.  Baird and I finished brushing the dust off the windows around noon. We still had plenty of time to pick up another job before we had to go our separate ways. So we went back to his apartment block to grab something to eat and collect our pay before we went looking. There was a crowd gathered outside Baird’s apartment. We pushed through hoping to slip inside unnoticed. I wasn't paying attention, Baird grabbed my shirt sleeve, and when I looked back– the were four Constables beating a man. Baird’s face went grey.  It was his father.  Wherever he went last night, they found him today, and they were– they were doing it in broad daylight. His spouse ran down the apartment steps and pushed me and Baird aside.  I watched them fall towards Baird’s Dad and shield his body with theirs. I watched the Constables pair up two-on-one and pry them apart. I watched Baird’s Dad sock one of them in the jaw and grab his spouse by the front of their shirt. They kissed. And when the Constables pulled them apart and dragged him away, he was singing. Crying, bruised, but singing.  The two Constable’s holding his spouse threw them aside. They didn’t say anything but there was a promise for later. They’ll come back for them, Later. (ANOTHER SIGH) Baird and their step-parent are staying with my family tonight. We're going to figure something out tomorrow but… I don't think there's going to be much to figure out. My family is Baird’s family. His Mom was my Spare Mom. We can't afford another mouth. There's hardly enough work to go around… My Dearest Baird, if you're listening to this I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you anymore than you already are. I wish Brahma was a free planet and I wish I could see you dancing and singing on stage, on a stream. It's where you belong. I want to raise you out of this mess and bring your Mom back. I'm so sorry, Baird.  (SNIFFLING)  SOUND: SCENE FADES, RECORDING ENDS.   SOUND: COMMS BEEPING, NEXT RECORDING STARTS.  Baird: I forgive you, Charlie. 

- The Revoluationary is named Baird, and Mm’arlie is Charlie (the one who later gave them the book. Side Note: I HAVE OBTAINED A COPY!! THANK YOU FRANNIE!!) The first recording is “two years after Baird’s Mom disappeared”, unclear when the second recording was made (possibly a day later?) Baird mentioned in the very first recording I heard a “mother who tucked her children into bed a final time” and a “husband who pressed a bruising kiss against his spouse's mouth”, this had to be in reference to their own parents. NEED TO PINPOINT ROUGH ESTIMATE OF AGES, CREATE TIMELINE OF EVENTS STARTING WITH PETER NUREYEV (Should I ask Frannie? She seems just as invested as I am but I’m not too certain when I’ll see her next.) Baird is the one singing in the other recording? His voice sounds… enchanting. Full of longing.

[shepherds-of-haven]

Hey! I have been a longtime fan of SHOH and I have recently begun writing my own fantasy story. How do you make your vast and rich cast of characters interact with each other in such a natural and consistent manner? I am really inspired by the way you fleshed out relationship dynamics for so many characters and would love to get some insight into that process.

Ah, thanks for the question, and thank you so much for your long support of ShoH, I really appreciate it! 💖

And hmm, this is a great question! I'm a bit chagrined to say that, at this point, I don't really think about it in the moment or apply a particular conscious methodology when it comes to writing the characters' interactions with each other: most of their dialogue and dynamics spring up naturally and seem to be dictated by the characters themselves, as well as my own long experience and familiarity with them. So in a way, it's sort of a "practice + patience = natural results" process! I start with their individual core personalities and then see how such characteristics might naturally react to each other: someone who's a bit more prickly and fiercely independent and assertive like Ayla might have friction with an authority figure as disciplined and military-minded as Blade, or would have more conflict with other members of her team due to her own natural wariness and past, but it also makes sense that she'd be softer around kind, non-threatening people like Shery or someone as naturally disarming and full of easy camaraderie like Trouble. Sometimes they do surprise me, though! But basically I carve out their most distinct personality traits, or what would be most apparent about them to strangers at a glance--(Chase: loose, playful, enigmatic, chaotic, mischievous, informal. Riel: rigid, highly intelligent, ruthless, orderly, neurotic, sophisticated)--and then I throw them together into different scenarios and observe how they might react to each other. Natural compatibilities or dynamics will start to form from there!

In my earliest days as a writer, one thing that I found really useful was switching up the format when writing and fleshing out the characters. Sometimes it's too much work to try and think of a Plot Reason why they're on a mission together or what other things are happening, like a whole short story about a mystery they're solving or whatever, and organically try to dig into their dynamic that way. If I really wanted to focus on exploring their relationship to each other, I would literally write either short screenplay vignettes as they came to me, devoid of any actual plot (like the two characters in a garden, eating lunch together), or interview/Q&A transcripts, LOL. This was a really good way of developing fast, off-the-cuff dialogue between the characters in a way that can deepen your understanding of their relationship. Like imagine they're just trapped in a room and some journalist or invisible speaker is plying them with questions. Sort of like how I imagine the Shepherds' Corner, where a panel of the characters are being polled for different questions!

(This is stirring up ancient memories for me, actually. In the LiveJournal days of like 2005, there would be tons of those OC number replacement questionnaires floating around, where there'd be 3-5 slots at the top; you'd assign each of your characters a number, and then the questionnaire would proceed to ask them questions, like so:

Blade

Briony

Trouble

Character #3, how much do you weigh?

Trouble: "Oh, uh... I actually have no idea. Nobody ever weighs me except the Healers during my annual exams, and I'm usually in a rush to get out of there as soon as I can, so I never asked..."

Blade: [disbelieving snort] "It's sure to be a lot. You eat for three."

Trouble: "Hey, fuck you?"

Briony: "You do eat a lot, Trouble..."

Maybe it seems a bit silly, but you can see how doing enough of these could allow certain character dynamics to emerge and become clearer: Blade and Trouble have a relationship where they take the piss out of each other, Briony is a more moderating influence but is still honest in a group setting (whereas she might be more diplomatic one-on-one LOL), and etc...)

Making character webs like this might also prove helpful!

Finally, one last thing to note is the form and medium that you're writing in. A rule that was often pushed in creative writing classes is that readers of short stories tend to be extremely economical with their time; the medium is already so pared down that readers will immediately notice fluff or filler, which is great for character and relationship-building but not so great for things like short stories, where every word and sentence has to count (or readers will wonder what's the point of including them). (<- Obviously, fanfiction adheres to different principles.) Conventional novels have much more leeway, but there are certainly still some constrictions; scenes often serve to either further the main plot, provide plot exposition or worldbuilding to a reader, progress a character's individual development, or provide momentum to some aspect of their relationship to others. So you don't often see stuff like Halek's witch's bane incident crop up in novels, unless it's something that comes back around in some way later. (Obviously this also varies with the novel and the genre.)

Part of the reason why I chose interactive fiction is because its conventions inherently allow more freedom with this kind of thing; you can eavesdrop on your companions drinking together, or play a card game with them, or have input as they argue about Caine's education or the state of current politics or what have you, because games are immersive and players are already primed to expect that kind of immersion, and so it's very easy to showcase the characters' interactions with each other. You don't have to worry about justifying the purpose of an interaction or a scene in relation to the overall story, especially because readers can often skip and ignore these interactions altogether. This isn't me trying to steer anyone towards a specific medium, btw: I'm just saying I have an inherently easier time showcasing these character dynamics and relationships because I'm making a game with them, whereas it might be harder to have an organic reason for Briony, Ayla, and Tallys to get drunk and start beating the shit out of some farmers in a tavern and then have a sleepover where they talk about their feelings in a typical novel? Hopefully that makes sense! The short of it is, it's absolutely possible to have the same kind of character beats and relationship-building in a novel, but if mine seem particularly rich and immersive, it's also because the genre I'm working in lends itself to that and provides a lot of opportunities!

Anyway, hopefully something in there was helpful! Thanks again for the question, and good luck with your own writing, that's so exciting! 🌟

[jazzically]

NEW TMAGP EP LETSGOOOOOOOOOO

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD do uou understand the joy that arose in me upon seeing "scrutiny" and "xxxxerror"

hahaha i bet theyre running out of watching-related words to title their episodes with tma and tmagp combined

SCREAMS

oh i forgot i have homework

whatever this takes priority :333 (whats my work ethic you say? i call it tmagp)

yaaaaaah i knew it sounded familiar ok anyway starting episode

Oh. oh my goodness it's not just any eye statement it's THIS ONE

pardon me but how did i not notice they called him "Archivist" here

UUUUGH time for my monthly fall-apart-over-the-monumentally-intricate-plot-planning-of-s1–s4-tma break

break over back on track sorry i had to savor this moment

LMAO THE VERY FIRST COMMENT BRO

sighhh this theme brings me such joy

S C R U T I N I Z E THIS WRETCHED THING

hahahahahaha the way he said that was perfect

weeks of medical treatment?!

oh yeah it's real-time-ish

OHMYGOSH ARE WE GOING TO GET TO SEE MELANIE??? I AM A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL OF INSANE RIGHT NOW

MY BETTER HALF. just kill me now before i die of dehydration from my own tears

mUsTaRrD gAs i love the transcripts

OOOOOH OOOOOOOOHHHHHH

UNKNOWN!!!!!!!!!! DUDE!!!!!!!! +1 million points for that excellent choice of words

........that hit me like a truck............. this ashe person is a BRILLIANT voice actress

i adore this sort of dystopian social commentary in fictional media. i feel like there is so much more to talk about and explore with the concept of the fear domains and their implications outside of the story

oh this is horrible.

see there's no way one frog spattered over the whole classroom. this sort of subtle exaggeration of personal fears is gorgeous

i love how they get to continue inventing fear domains with this new format in protocol even if jon and martin didnt have time to explore everything aaaand now guest VAs get to read their statements

this hurt. Like in my soul

the sad thing is that crippling insecurity and ceaseless judgment can Absolutely spawn this exact kind of constant negative self-talk. like its barely exaggerated in my opinion. this can be what goes on in my head sometimes. bit personal sorry anyway its just hitting how much realism this domain description has

also how dare they start with toxic family :(

(how dare as in my emotions are getting whooped immediately instead of gradually)

Kids this is your reminder that you are worth more than you think about and the demons in your head are constantly contradicting themselves which means they're wrong

ASHE GOT KILLED??? NOOOOOOOOO I LIKED ASHE

i love how george didnt even bat an eye at sams arrival cause she already knew abt parallel universe shif

whoa vibe switch

They don't have electronics???

HOLY FREAKAFRACK I DIDNT REGISTER I WAS HEARING MELANIES VOICE TILL I WENT BACK TO THE TRANSCRIPT

ohhhhhHHHHMY GOD MELANIE !!!!!!!!! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH HOW HAVE YOU BEEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!! MALENNIEEEEEFHDODBDOFJKDNDKDNDKFKDHDI

shut up stop i actually missed her so much im THRILLED I LOVE GORGEOUE AND MALENIE i meant t type georgie whatever w e (i) are calling them gorgeous and maleficent now

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD WORLDBUILDING IM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!! i bet alex and jonny had a lot of fun writing this bit. i do imagine it would be difficult to make it sound authentic and not just like an infodump but i think its great

Yet another perfect representation of the dichotomy between human travesty and community

I LOVE YOU MELANIE

[click]

OHHHH YAAAYYYYY MORE MELANIE AND SAM DIALOGUE AAAAAWWUUUGHHHHH please continue talking about the magnus institute™

"dear" aaaauhhhww m omg i go crazy

OH MY GOSH

my bRAIN JUST MELTED.

that is all for today i need to process that hOLy FRICKALICIOUS

[anincompletelist-etc]

hello and welcome to modern / unconventional epistolary prompts! :D

epistolary works are most typically known as correspondence of some sort between characters, but can be any form of records or documents! they can be a fun way to explore more about the character(s) you're writing and get to know them better, and to add a creative element to your work that's able to entertain readers while also revealing details relevant to the plot.

here are some general ideas, formats, plot lines, and literature inspo!

emails

texts

direct & instant messaging / social media

music playlists / songs

work or academic means of communication (like Slack, Google Docs, etc.)

pen pals

dating apps

customer support lines and/or complaint departments

birthday cards / postcards / letters

secret codes or scavenger hunts (scenarios in which you must solve a mystery or collect all of the necessary pieces before the message(s) is revealed)

grocery lists or to-do lists

written on the body / tattoos

telepathy

+ some more interesting formats!

written in the form of an academic essay(s) with written feedback, or a document that has been annotated by someone

newspaper clippings

told through photos (or typed descriptions of photos)

a transcript / manuscript / stenograph

audio recordings (voicemails, radio, podcasts, voice notes/messages, recording devices like tapes, etc.)

search history

online quizzes

short answer forms

dossiers

maps

lipograms

personal notes / journal entries

prescriptions

invoices

+

here's also some social platforms that might offer different landscapes for communication:

Tumblr! :D (posts & messaging)

Reddit (posts & messaging)

Twitter (tweets & dm's)

Instagram (photo sharing & dm's)

buying and selling sites like E-bay or Facebook Marketplace

YouTube

LinkedIn

+

(p.s. if you're writing on ao3, you can find some of the skins for different social sites or formats here and here for a start!)

letters that devolve or change over time

letters that at first appear to be between two characters but are later revealed to be written by only one person

letters that are left for one another at/in a physical location or exchanged in person (bonus points if communication between the characters is higher stakes (frowned upon/unexpected/forbidden))

multi character / group scenarios with the above prompts, or a - known or unknown - third party stumbles upon the correspondence and changes the dynamic (the character voices must be more distinct so the reader knows who's speaking -- unless keeping it a mystery serves the plot!)

+ some books & literature that feature epistolary style elements for further inspiration or reading!

Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric Larocca

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

Meet Me at The Museum by Anne Youngson

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

--

please feel free to reblog with your own ideas, recs, or tips!

x

[heterosexualomegaverse]

Personal top favorite fics on ao3 of all time

- living's just a waste of death by author tothendoftheline

Best Political Animals fanfic out there. I consider it the canon ending. I think all my longest comments ever I posted on ao3 were on this fic. It's a mostly canon compliant detailed exploration of what TJ's life would actually be like. How his (childhood) trauma effected him. His time as a white house kid, his sexuality, his addictions. It starts pre-canon and goes on long after canon has ended. TJ starts working on himself, his relationships with his family change, he gets new friends (kinda). Idk if I'm selling it well but I love it so much.

- Known Associates by author Thingswithwings

Fic that made me ship Steve and Rhodey lol. Though Steve calls him Jim. Was rereading it yesterday and damn its so good. an (I think) realistic depiction of queer life in the 1930's and 1940's then the movie plot happens and Steve is in 2012 and now has to figure out what/ who he is in this century. Also got a plot about kinda being experimented on and turned into super soldiers.

- The Barnes Files by author PaintedDoe

Bucky Barnes' therapy sessions in transcript format. (can you tell I love character studies)

- Flawed Perfection by author Squiggles13

Also part of a series but I haven't read the other parts yet. This one also mostly starts as Bucky going to therapy but then the tfatws plot happens but changed to be way better.

- Teach Me by author stucktogether

Steve/Bucky college au. Steve things he's straight but can't seem to keep his eyes off of Bucky. It's isn't until they've fooled around a half dozen times or so that he things he may just be bisexual. This Bucky's also got some deep lore.

- Treading water by author sparkagrace

SteveBucky olympic swimmers au where they were childhood friends that got separated at 12 but reunited at the olympics, except Bucky's presence brings back a lot of feelings that Steve can't deal with. This one gets real angsty. It has a sequel that is even more angsty.

- (A series) 'Til the End of the Line by author ohstars

SteveBucky with marvel canon except what if they were gay. Until endgame where shit is changed a lot cuz you know the time-travel staying in the past obviously doesn't happen. It does go on after that. They finally come out to the team (cuz they were closeted to whole time with Sam being the only one who knows) They have kids together, get married and then there is some time travel shenanigans and a lot of stuff until they both die of old age.

- The Island Man by author Amber_Skye

What if Steve Rogers was never found in the ice and got rescued by shield, but instead got out himself, but still only in 2012? And no one believes he is actually Steve Rogers Captain America? He ends up homeless doubting his own mind. Maybe he really isn't Steve Rogers? Maybe he really is crazy

anyway idk why I wrote this. I just wanted to list some of my faves. didn't really put a lot of thought into this, it's late and I'm tired.

[that-fall-guy]

⭐ Hello fellow writing friend!

For the directors cut asks I hope it's not too much to ask for a commentary on our shared fic (Case 8008135) if you want. (I had so much fun with it!) Otherwise I'd love to hear more about All Ghost Stories are Love Stories.

OUGHHH I WOULD LOVE TO DO A CASE 8008135 COMMENTARY (it will be very long so I'll hide it under the cut)

But!! If you haven't read Case File 8008135: The Disappearance of Impulse EsVee and Skizz LehMan then please do, it's so unbelievably good. We put so much work into it over the 3 weeks of prep time we had and we're both super proud of it!!!

Once we'd come up with the concept (a story told entirely through found media), I knew the order of the evidence was going to do a lot of heavy lifting when it came to putting together a cohesive story. If we'd left evidence of a kind together, once the reader hit the transcripts they'd know the plot—they could click away. To create the suspense we needed, we'd have to focus on splitting up the sections. Once we had a list of the evidence, I highlighted them all with three colours to categorize them as worldbuilding, evidence, and plot. Then I rearranged them (on the list) to have a worldbuilding heavy beginning, then add a bit of plot, then slowly shift more towards evidence and plot.

The YouTube videos at the beginning were an idea we'd tossed around but hadn't quite settled on until the very end because the CSS.... ew. Props to Am, because it looks sooooo cool. I knew that, if we did add that section, I wanted it at the top: first, to show it off, and second to establish a sense of the universe. For the uninitiated, Sam and Colby (the first thumbnail) is a very popular pair of ghost hunters; they also once explored with Tommy, so I just took his outline from that thumbnail, cut it out, and pasted it in with them. I had to turn the sky red in my thumbnail because I couldn't get the red tinge from their thumbnail out of his hair lol. Insym is, of course, the Phasmophobia streamer, so we had to include him; and LoeyLane is one of my favourite other spooky streamers, and did a video on McKamey Manor.

The Yelp reviews (I have been informed they just broke this morning... thank you for fixing them Am!) set the scene—folks are spooked, and we're in or around Maple and Brule (small towns in Northern Wisconsin where I grew up). It's also the first instance of ghost text, although you likely won't notice it on your first time through.

The first article is our first heavy lore drop, explaining the doctors (E.V. Ilxisuma and Hels Knight) and introducing a conflict between them. When I was writing my article (the second one, super long) I was like, 'Oh, well obviously I'll use Pix as the author, he already does a lot of archival stuff so he's perfect!' and then I scroll back up and see we've both had the same idea?? So I, after a very long, boring, intense writing session, decided 'Eh, this is Pix's grandson, Pix III.' And I went to bed. But can I just point out the beautiful formatting of the articles? Because I love it so much. They're beautiful <3

The HR complaint establishes Sunny Meadows as a case only GIGGS could solve, and references (of course) a variety of other MCYTers for the funsies.

Am did such a wonderful job capturing the characters' voices in the texts and transcripts, and I just tried to follow through by implementing capitalization errors as I think they use. Impulse uses a lot of emojis— :) :> <3 o.o—and while I know that he doesn't use capitalization, I needed someone in the groupchat to use capitalization, so I gave it to the responsible dad. The texts are from Skizz's phone, which was recovered from the 'crime scene' by investigators. Gem later references the time of these texts in her witness statement.

The receipts!!!!! I'm exposing Am, she made the receipts and they look wonderful but you don't wanna know how long she spent making the Kwik-Trip receipt look as accurate as possible lmao. But it does! It looks incredible. It also holds one of my favourite ghost text moments lol.

And finally! Our first radio transcript! I had volunteered to write some of the transcripts, but Am is just too good at capturing character voice, and I'm glad she was willing to write them in the end. I just went through with a few grammatical edits. I will say, I learned a week or so ago that the ghost types are supposed to be capitalized.... which seems wrong to me. So they're all common nouns in our fic. I'm not sorry. I love the cutoff point for this transcript—in such a dark fic, the '"I'm going to chuck it at you." (Laughing) "You'd miss."' felt like the perfect place to cut the transcript and bring in a bit of that nervous happiness that comes when you're reading a tragedy. The dramatic irony of knowing the characters are going to die and all that.

Ah the witness statements! The first section so far that I've actually written lol. Scar's was the most painful because my method was to just tune into a stream, but when I tuned into Scar's he was in a very compelling frozen pickle discussion which turned into an anti-AI rant, so I couldn't just ignore what he was saying and write. Instead I spent half an hour actually invested in his stream before I could get anything done. Scar's witness statement is pretty useless from the detectives' PoV, but what can ya do?

The journal was really funny, I threw it together super fast. I'm very happy with Skizz's little doodle of their new outfits, it's just fun and cute. Adds a bit of lightness to combat the fic's weight.

We debated over who was the one to report the incident. Generally we wanted it to be an Emperor, and I mainly decided Scott because his witness statement would be easy to write (I understand his voice) and he's played Phasmo before. Skizz's ghost text is perfect lmao I love it. Absolutely something he'd say.

From Gem's witness statement I wanted to give readers the takeaway that Gem put in the work to figure out the timeline of what happened. The transition from her saying the ghost probably killed them to the transcript wherein the ghost kills them is... chef's kiss.

Boo! appearing image! That one's so fun to find. Back in July or August or so, I actually spent like 12 hours making my own copies of the UV prints by extracting them from the game because I needed them for a Powerpoint night, but I deleted them afterwards because why would I ever need those? The image you see in the fic was found on the internet. I'm disappointed in myself lol. The blood splatter was also a really cool detail that I love! I also found that one on the internet... but why reinvent the wheel, I suppose? The ghost text during hunts! Yes details! Am really brought my worldbuilding from the therapy journal to life with the ghost's hidden text moments. Impulse's scream there is from his Hermitcraft s9, when he was just chilling in his storage room and Pearl jumpscared him. The death sound is from the stream where they taught Pearl and Oli how to play.

I wrote the therapy journal in a few sittings because I kept hitting points where I just didn't know where to take it. I was, of course, trying to write from the point of view of a man in the mental hospital for a reason, but his problems were less intense before the doctors tried to step in. The character is based on Francis Delilez, who did murder his brother-in-law and referred to the voices compelling him as 'demoniacs.' His book is linked after the article, and I used it as a very influential source when writing any of the historical lore. My general concept for his treatment was that the medicine gives him a Hels; when medicated, he believes the pain (headache) grounds him to his body and lessens the delusions. His suicide attempt is an attempt to tether himself more, gone wrong.

Grian's statement is the most thorough and informative, giving detectives a rough idea of the events leading up to the deaths. I wanted to be more specific about their system, but Skizz likes to switch it up to mess with Impulse so I really couldn't make blanket statements like "Skizz takes the basement and Impulse takes the first floor."

The detectives were a rather last minute addition in the grand scheme of things! We didn't really plan their strong presence from the beginning, but realized they were necessary in order to move the plot forward (and also obstruct the plot lol). Frank Columbo, the experienced and collected detective, is of course a reference to the titular character of the show Columbo. John Dalton, the spooked newbie, is a reference to Jack Dalton from the original MacGyver, a character always getting himself into awkward and deadly scrapes.

Tango's statement was hard to write simply because he wouldn't actually know anything useful, but I wanted so badly for him to have information. Oh well. He's the one who identified and explained equipment from the evidence collection for the detectives.

The evidence images took so long to collect. I needed a picture of the objectives—the ghost event one was supposed to be "escape a ghost hunt" but the other two were what we intended, so once I got those objectives I decided to settle for that screenshot lol. Am had written some descriptions before I started trying for the pictures, so I had some guidance. The candles being next to the crucifix was easy enough, as was a random picture of the door to the padded room (framed like an interaction photo). I couldn't force the ghosts to be in the correct room, unfortunately, so the photos are mostly from other rooms. The ghost photo is notably from the entryway—and didn't glitch as much as I'd wanted it to, so I threw it into my photo editor and added some aftereffects and such for a better effect. The first time I tried to get a ghost photo, I got 3 stars but discovered the ghost had been a phantom. The Worst Luck lmao. The Employee of the Month certificate is absolutely perfect—it's in the evidence section because it was supposedly on the wall of the truck, but of course I can't fake that in-game. Paul Tergyst, their boss, is a play on poltergeist. I also have to say that getting a monkey paw photo was AWFUL. I'd show up and the cursed object would be missing? And after like ten attempts I found they were just glitched into the floor. I had to go to every spot and try to pull the cursed object out of the floor, and then it took so long to actually get the monkey paw (had to do a custom level that just gave me the monkey paw). Skizz's death scream is unfortunately a bit cut off because someone else started talking as his second scream ended, and I had to edit that out. I really don't remember which stream that's from and I didn't label the file :/

I loved Joker's statement! I managed to tune into the end of one of Joker's streams (it was late at night) and oh how I've missed him playing Phasmo honestly. I'm so glad he finally returned to the Phasmobros recently! Please oh please I want another JITS reunion stream so bad now that Jokes is feeling better.

Ah, the article. The Article. This took me so long, I wrote it in one sitting referencing Delilez' book constantly. It's a 1.6k essay on real things that happened at the Northern Wisconsin Hospital in Winnebago, WI. I changed the city and name, and we added MCYT characters, but the facts in the article are all true to real life unfortunately. The ghost's name, James Norfolk, is a reference to the Norfolk hospital, the medical records of which I used to create James' files. Pneumonia was the most common reported cause of death for males at the Norfolk hospital during the year of his fictional death.

The Google search histories were just fun little ways to show poor John's descent into paranoia and terror. The code for these sections is so incredibly finicky, really just awful. Broke every time we tried to make an edit to the draft. Personally I'm a fan of "escort hiring near me" -> "escort security hiring near me -sex"

The interview with Grian is so fun. Here is a man who knows exactly what happened and how to resolve the case. And here are two men who are going to do everything possible to stop him from doing that. Now make them talk. The officers lying to Grian about evidence was absolutely perfect to raise the tension and further the scene. Dalton cracking first out of desperation is such beautiful characterization—the loaded exchange between him and Columbo at that point is perfect. I do have to mention that, while I in no way coded the CSS or HTML, I formatted this transcript (via copy-paste) and adding timestamps was the bane of my existence the whole time. I had to consider how slowly people talk, how much empty space there is between statements... awful!

I just have to point out that the kids ribbing each other in the gc sounds so real and organic!!!

The big meaty action-scene transcript! The poor detectives think they're being clever. The jinn slows its LoS speedup because Impulse and Skizz turn off the breaker from beyond—while dead players can't manipulate the breaker, it can be turned on an off during a hunt by a living player, so we nixed the first mechanic in favour of the second. I played a couple rounds to test this. I died the first time, oops (it was dark and I walked into the ghost...) but the second time I made it to the breaker downstairs in Sunny Meadows. I turned it on as the ghost rounded the corner, turned it off knowing I was cornered, and the ghost changed speeds. Somehow I managed to get a jinn while testing a theoretical jinn mechanic?? I won't question the universe I guess, just a very strange coincidence. In the meantime, Grian's "I hope this works" is him guessing jinn and leaving. The mechanic we went for was that dead players revive when the living players drive off with the correct ghost type identified.

The reunion gc is just fun, them razzing the dads because of course. We also throw readers a bone if they haven't yet found out about the ghost text by showing it off via Impulse and Skizz's texts.

[roseaesynstylae]

The Jedi Path

Part One: Introduction to the Jedi Order

The Jedi Code by Grand Master Fae Coven

For forty years, the Jedi Code has been my focus, as it will become yours. It is the philosophy upon which stands the Jedi Order. It is a pledge of protection to the citizens and inhabitants of the Republic. It is an encapsulation of our relationship with the Force. As a Jedi, you must be faithful to the spirit of the Code. Every day you must ask yourself: Do I understand it?

In its classical form, as translated by Harmonix Rectonia during the early Manderon Period, the Code consists of five core precepts:

There is no emotion, there is peace.

This principle guides all meditations and interactions with others. It reaffirms the Jedi ideal to act without recklessness, and to view the actions of others through the lens of the Unifying Force.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

Those who don’t understand this basic precept are quick to fear — and fear is the path to the dark side. The Archives represent the greatest collection of knowledge in the galaxy.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

A subtle extrapolation of the first precept, this reminder to act dispassionately in every deliberation extends to personal obsessions and is a reminder to not elevate the self above the mission.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

Those who cannot see the threads uniting all life view existence as random and without purpose. The Jedi perceive the structure and will of the many galaxies.

There is no death, there is the Force.

All things die, but the Force lives on. As beings who exist as shades of the Force, the end of our existence in this form is not to be overly mourned. We are part of an energy field larger than ourselves, and we play roles in the cosmic fabric that outstrip our incarnate understanding.

The Upper Manderon and Dragulch transcriptions add more — and controversial — tenets (1), but the Jedi need only to remember the core teachings to live their lives as gifted, yet humble, defenders of justice.

The History of the Jedi Order by Restelly Quist, Chief Librarian

The Force is timeless, but we Jedi have not always been present to interpret its teachings. Centuries before the founding of the Republic, our predecessors first heard the Force’s call on the Deep Core world of Tython. The seers of Tython knew the energy field as the Ashla, but understood it in much the same way we do today — as a source of wisdom, a regenerative pool from which to draw strength, and a way to move objects without touching them. Yet those seers who used their abilities in the service of hatred and greed fell into darkness. The Force Wars of Tython are the earliest recorded conflicts between the light and the dark, battles that would be mirrored over the centuries as Jedi and Sith crossed blades.

(1.3 Qui-Ko (2) is one of the few seers of Tython whose writings on the nature of the Ashla have survived to the present.)

The Force Wars were fought with swords, their metal blades enhanced for strength and sharpness. For even at this stage, the Jedi forebears had discovered it is difficult to wield a weapon that does not act as if it is an extension of one’s own body. With technology from offworlders, the earliest lightsabers came into existence — and became the symbols of the Order.

From Tython, the first Jedi Knights spread into the galaxy as proactive defenders of the light, settling on Ossus near Hutt Space. When the Galactic Republic announced its peaceful formation in the Core Worlds, the Jedi Knights vowed to defend its ideals of exploration, knowledge, and justice.

(1.5 The Eye of Ashlanae was the center of Jedi culture on Ossus for over 12,000 years.)

Ossus remained the center of the Order, but, during the Great Sith War, the explosion of the Cron supernova scoured the surface of that proud planet. Those few treasures that could be saved found a new home in Coruscant’s Jedi Temple. On many occasions, war darkened our doors, including the infamous sacking of Coruscant by the Sith, which led the Temple a smoking battleground. Our resilience saw us through. The Order has at last defeated the Sith, following a war that lasted a thousand years. We now look to guide the Republic into a new golden age.

(1.6 More than 2,600 years ago, the Treaty of Coruscant led to a Sith betrayal and a weakened Jedi Order.)

Structure of the Jedi Order

Like armies and governments, the Jedi Order follows a hierarchy to aid in the flow of command. Though we are all equal in the Force, the more senior members offer an expertise that deserves respect by those who have not yet achieved such a station.

Jedi Initiate: The youngest members of the Jedi Order. They achieve their rank when they are old enough for individual instruction, which for humanoids can be as young as age two. Training occurs in the Jedi Temple under the guidance of the staff and using the resources in the Archives.

Jedi Padawan: Initiates who, at the age of adolescence — twelve to fourteen standard years or so — are chosen by a Knight or Master for an apprenticeship. Their training largely occurs offworld.

Jedi Knight: Padawans who have passed the trials and are no longer bound to a Master. They are free to travel the galaxy in the service of the Order, and to take on their own apprentices.

Jedi Master: Those who have trained a Padawan to Knighthood or have demonstrated the deepest understanding of the Force and the Jedi Order and have joined the ranks of the Jedi Council. Grand Master is an honorific bestowed on only a few members.

The Jedi are more than 10,000 strong. Governance of the Order falls to the four Councils, one for each spire crowning our Temple’s corners. The Council of First Knowledge guards our Archives and generously distributes its insights to our youngest Initiates. The Council of Reconciliation engages in peaceful diplomacy to end conflicts. The Council of Reassignment oversees the Jedi Service Corps, managing the careers of those who do not pass their Trials to become Padawans or Knights.

The High Council is the final authority on all matters of the Order. It is made up of our bravest champions and wisest minds. Under the guidance of the High Council, the traditions of the Jedi Order will endure for thousands of generations. (3)

Ros's Notes

Okay, so I decided to transcribe the text of this book. There are illustrations and little comments from the characters in the margins, but I’ve decided not to include them. The parentheses are the captions to illustrations I wanted to include.) The footnotes are my commentary/occasional notes on the character comments that I think are worth mentioning.

1. I wonder what those additions were.

2. These little name drops always fascinate me. I don’t think there’s any real backstory to them besides the author wanting some color, but there’s worldbuilding potential in them.

3 Cue notes about smashball. Apparently it’s been a popular game for approximately three generations (although not by Ahsoka’s time) and Dooku was into it.

[rhyme-rambles]

Aquaria Transcript

A couple months ago I replayed Aquaria, and went looking around for a transcript online so i could reference it while making fanworks. I couldn't find an existing one, so I decided to make one myself by combing through a lets play series on youtube and paused on every line of narration I found to write it down. (here's a link to that!)

This was mostly made for own reference, but I thought other people could find it helpful so I've cleaned it up and am posting it here as well.

This is the first time I've ever made a transcript, so there may be mistakes, bits of narration I missed, or things I could've formatted / described better. Please let me know if you notice a way I could improve this in any way!

Feel free to copy, repost, and make edits to this transcript! That's encouraged even, I'd love for more people to be able to find and use it. Up to you if you want to credit me, I don't feel strongly about it.

The full transcript is below the cut, it's around 4,500 words long in total. It goes through the game's narration zone by zone; then at the end I've included pictures of the hidden memories, and lyrics for the songs "Lost to the Waves" and "Fear the Dark".

START

Intro

[close up on Naija’s face] Naija: The Verse flows throughout Aquaria…  Through each ripple and wave…  Through every living being…  The Verse binds us all as one. 

The Verse binds us, narrator and explorer.  My story will become your own, and yours will become mine. 

You will live my life through my eyes… … And you will learn the truth.

[panning across the starting cave, Naija sits on a rock] Naija: As far back as I can remember, I came to this place to think. This cave was my sanctuary. Here, the Verse was so focused that I could feel it humming in the stones around me. If I called out in song, the cave and its creatures would dance to my tune.

If I had stayed there, I might have found peace… But eventually, loneliness… and restlessness… drove me away.

Movement Tutorial

[while swimming through cave with armored fish] When confronted with a dangerous situation, I was wise to use the full range of my physical abilities to avoid it. With a powerful thrust of my legs, my webbed feet would propel me forward… … Leaving my pursuers in my wake.

Shield Song Tutorial

Naija: As I sang, I could feel the Verse flowing through me… Certain songs stirred the Verse deeply, causing changes in the surrounding waters.

The first song I had discovered would wrap the verse around me… … Protecting me from environmental dangers.

Shrouded Figure Appears

[World darkens, shrouded figure appears] Naija: In all my memory, every day had been like every other. If she had not appeared before me in that moment… … I might have stayed in those watters for the rest of my days … … Living as a simple creature … … But I was compelled to follow.

[phantom lady touches Naija’s forhead]

[flashes of song cave and energy temple]

[vision of Naija in energy form, navigating past monsters in the dark]

[Phantom lady disappears] The strange form faded before my eyes… …Perhaps I’d only dreamed her. But I was no longer the same. That vision…

I’d lived as a feral creature, not thinking beyond the simplest desires… … Until now.

As if from a dream, I awoke to the reality of my existence. To the fact that I was… alone.

I knew that this world was called Aquaria, and that my name was Naija… … But I could recall nothing else.

Was I the only one of my kind left? Was I destined to live out the rest of my days in solitude?

My heart ached for answers… … in time … … I would discover far more than I wished to learn …

Entering Home Cave

I was enveloped by warm light, as familiarity overwhelmed me. …I had come home…

Cooking Tutorial

There were many strange ingredients to be found in the waters of Aquaria. By cooking them together with the verse, I could create new foods. Some of my recipes proved to be very useful.

THE SONG CAVE

Entering The Song Cave

In these ancient ruins, lay the untold histories of Aquaria.  With exploration and preserverence, I would rediscover long lost knowledge.

Finding the Ancient Door

The ancient door stood tall and resolute. It was ornately decorated with swirling patterns. But did not provide an obvious means for opening. I would have to search these waters to find its secret.

Discovering the Crystal

The crystal was not like the others I had encountered. In its depths, I could sense the presence of something… Alive. I was compelled to move closer.

[touches crystal, spirit appears] In a brilliant flash, an odd creature had emerged from the crystal.

Her gaze penetrated my soul, and though she did not speak…  I could hear her words echoing inside my head, as clear as the waters around me… … It was beautiful.

Glimpses of her memories flashed in my mind, and threatened to overwhelm me… I closed my eyes, and felt for one brief moment… …That I was connected to all of history.

When I opened them again, the creature was gone.

[learned the bind song] From the imprisoned soul, I inherited a new song. By binding the verse around physical objects… … I would be able to move them through the waters with ease.

ENERGY TEMPLE

Entering Energy Temple

Pulling the obstruction aside, I glided forward…  … Peering into the cavernous depths.

No matter my hesitations, I would have to continue into this darkness.

Gained Energy Form

Where blood had flowed through me, now ran a stream of pure power. A new passion enthralled me. My mind reeled at the dark gift I was granted.

If I sang the song of this deceased god… I would become… a being of pure energy.

In this form I could sense the lines of energy that flowed throughout the waters.

Using my mind as a flint, I could spark a projectile… … That would leap towards anything that dared impede my progress.

Form Changing Tutorial

I discovered that in the Energy Form, I could not call out in song.

To return, I would have to focus my energy inward…

Krotite Vision

[After defeating the beast at the end of the Energy Temple]

As the creature fell, I sensed a presence reach into my mind… …Another vision began.

A race, known as the Krotites, had built this temple to worship this fallen god. They’d honored raw power above anything else.

Unlike the spirit I’d encountered in the crystal, these people had no interest in creation. They reveled in destruction. Their lust for power led not only to the downfall of their civilization… … But also the destruction of another. Now… this destructive power simmered within me.

OPEN WATERS

Entering Open Waters

The rush of new waves greeted my ears as I glided into undiscovered waters.

Though a chapter of my life had ended, my journey was far from over.

Discovering Fallen Statue

I discovered a fallen statue of a race that resembled my own. Though it had collapsed from many years of decay, it still marked the way to those that had built it. Perhaps if I followed, I would find more of my kind.

MITHALAS

Reading Entrance Tablet

A fractured tablet lay nearby - I stared at it… …and though I didn’t understand how, I could read what it said. This had been a city called Mithalas.

An entire city, in ruin… … were there no survivors?

Entering Throne Room

I had glided into the chambers of a former ruler… From what I could gather from a nearby portrait, this room belonged to a young prince of Mithalas.

Were these people my ancestors? Or did I merely wish - desperately - to be one of them.

Entering Princess’s Room

The princess of Mithalas had lived here. I wondered if I’d been here once upon a time. I fancied myself ruling here in ages past - with a faithful prince at my side.

Entering First Flesh Tunnel

The twisted, disgusting creatures swam ungainly towards me. In their shallow eyes I saw only a hunger for flesh.

With horror, I realized the resembled the fallen statue that had led me here.

Entering Corrupted Cathedral

Sickly red veins ran throughout this ancient cathedral. Where hopeful believers had once come to rejoice,  foul monsters now thrived.

Killed Final Core

I killed the final rotted core of this wretched cathedral, And tears welled up in my eyes.

With every creature I destroyed - every ancient being I put to rest, I felt a part of myself slip away. It was not only that I had caused the destruction… … but that i had …

… enjoyed it.

I feared this nightmare would never end, and I would be drawn into a spiral of dementia.

Perhaps I would never find my family, but there had to be someone… …Someone to keep me from the darkness.

Mithalan Vision

[After Defeating Mithala]

Mithalas… As it once was… A grand city built by a noble people, and watched over by a royal family. They were all children of a god named Mithala.

The Mithalans immortalized their god’s noble visage in stone, and built many statues honoring him throughout Aquaria.

For hundreds of years, the city of Mithalas stood strong… …Providing its inhabitants with long, fulfilling lives.

If only the vision had ended there… If only every mithalan had been noble…

With the comforts and safety of the city, came a new calling… eternal life. The Mithalan Priests, who acted as Mithala’s mouthpiece,  saw the coming of a greater god.

A creator, who had designed and given life to each of the gods. A creator that would eventually destroy their entire race, as he had many others.

The priests delved deeper into the hidden secrets of the verse to escape the bonds of mortality. But the powerful magic they discovered came with a high cost.

They bound Mithala in chains. And began drawing out his life force to power their song.

They executed “heretics” one by one. Forcing Mithala to feast… upon his own children.

Mithala began to change. His mind sank into the simple, dull anger of a beast. Eventually, he stopped shedding tears as he ate. The hunger had consumed him.

The rot inside of Mithala’s heart grew. His body became bloated and deformed. His flesh began to spread throughout the city, polluting the waters.

Drask, the Prince of the Mithalans had seen his family die at the hands of the priests and their mutated disciples. He confronted the priests, and though he could not prevent their escape, he did discover their secrets.

I wondered if he still lived somewhere… beyond this world.

Talking to Mithala

The vision began to fade, Mithala’s spirit was departing. For the first time I tried to reach out… to communicate…

Naija: Oh great Mithala! I need your help…

Mithala: Naija… I am dying now… It is my time to rest…

Naija: You have suffered so much, but I must ask a favor of you.

Mithala: Speak quickly, little one… For I do not have much longer…

Naija: Wh-who am I?

Mithala: You are the child of the thirteenth. You are the one who will unite the waters of aquaria. You will restore the balance of nature. And you will find love, Naija. You have so much to see, and you will become so much. There will be great pain… … But I have faith that you will triumph in the end. Take heart, little one.

Naija: …Thank you…

Mithala: It is growing cold, now… You have freed my spirit at last… …Now… Little Naija… take my form… …And journey… To the land of the light…

Gained Beast Form

In beast form, my strong animal legs allowed me passage through powerful currents. And my sharp, jagged teeth, provided invaluable for devouring my prey.

Gained Spirit Form

[After defeating the priests] After singing the song of the spirit form,  I would detach from my mortal frame - and enter a land between the living and the dead. Thankfully, I could only hold this form for brief distances - I did not wish to linger in that cold world long.

THE VEIL

Entering the Veil

These bright waters were warm and terrifying. The thought occured to me that I’d reached the end of the world. What if all that awaited me was a blazing inferno?

Though my mind was terrified… …my heart longed to venture further.

Crossing The Veil

The first taste of air, the warm embrace of the sun on my back… …The wind flowing beneath me… … I’d crossed through the veil.

For too many years I’d been smothered beneath the surface, blind to the beauty of Terra.

Meeting Li

I’d finally cornered the strange looking creature... He tried to flee from me again, but my curiosity was too great to allow his escape.

…

[Naija moves closer] He seemed to be trapped in this odd looking shell… …Perhaps if I removed it…

[Naija sings to remove Li’s helmet, he clutches at his throat and starts to drown] I was surprised to find that underneath this boy’s shell… He had a face not unlike my own. A face that seemed… familiar…

Without knowing what I was doing, I floated forward, pressing my lips against his.

A tune lept to my throat - one embedded deep within my memory. The verse flowed through me… …And bound itself around us.

Hours, days… perhaps seconds passed. I’d lost all concept of time. There was only the verse… and…

Li. His name rang in my head. This creature was called Li. We were so similar, and yet - not. I was intrigued.

The Verse waned slowly… …And we drifted apart until there was nothing but water between us.

Li gazed at me through half closed eyes. He seemed at peace… My mind faded…

[Naija awakes on the floor of Li’s cave] Slowly, I awoke… For a moment I had no idea where I was. Li returned, and I remembered…

It was odd to think that I was the only person left alive. I was aware of every flaw in my appearance - I felt exposed. Color rose to my cheeks and I struggled to hid my shame.

My connection to Li allowed him to exist within the waters without his awkward shell. It had also given him a new appetite for the creatures of the water. 

[Li offers Naija a fish. they go to eat fish together on beds of moss] As he ate, I could tell he was excited with his new abilities. We realized that we’d both ventured out to find answers…

We left that place knowing that together, We would be able to explore further than either of us could on our own.

For the first time in all my memory… … I was not alone.

Lumerian Vision

[After beating the boss at the end of the Sun Temple]

The Lumerians had left the waters of their birth… …For the bright, warm currents of the Veil.

Awed by their new surroundings, Many of them came to worship the great sphere of light, known as “Sun” With their adventurous spirit, came new ingenuity.

They learned to design elaborate mechanisms… …To survive in the foreign environment.

The god who bore them grew jealous of this sacrilege… …And in a blind rage… …destroyed them all.

Gaining Sun Form

In the sun form, I gained the ability to focus the verse into rays of light… …bringing clarity to shadowed depth.

KELP FOREST

Entering Kelp Forest

Never before had I encountered such a lush environment. Countless diverse creatures flowed between the tall stalks of kelp. I could not help but be awed by the infinite beauty of the natural world.

Gaining Fish Form

By entering the fish form, I became one with the simple creatures of Aquaria. I could swim past some of my enemies without detection, And navigate small passageways with ease.

Druniad Vision

The druniads lived in peace for many years, living in harmony with nature… …Until one day, without warning,  they experienced true fear for the first time.

A greater god, one with immense power, was ashamed of his creations. Through anguished tears, he screamed out, tearing the druniads apart in his turmoil.

Though he slaughtered their entire race, he could not bear to kill their mother… …And so, I had come to inherit her power.

Gaining Nature Form

Bark encased my skin, and moss sprouted from my back and head. In this form, the natural world whispered to me… …And I could feel the promise of creation stirring within.

Forest Sprite Cave

The forest nymphs rested, for their mother had imparted her gift to me. Now they sang a sweet melancholic verse. “Summer’s passion fades to Fall, and with Fall comes the hope of Winter.”

At the time I had no idea what it meant.

THE ABYSS

Entering the Abyss

Many deadly creatures lay waiting in the darkness of the Abyss. It would take a great deal of courage to proceed without a source of light.

Entering Sunken Ruins

Li was particularly excited by these ruins… …It was as if he recognized them.

They did not look like the work of Aquarians. I suspected that they were from beyond the Veil. Perhaps Li’s world was destroyed as well…

Following Ghost Child

[They find a ghost child crying, and then follow him through the ruins]

[The child enters a dark cave]

The ghostly child slipped away from me into the shadows. I felt that he must have known the path to the heart of these ruins… …but he was afraid.

I would have to lead him out of the darkness.

[Naija uses her Light Form to lead the ghost boy out. a ghostly form of his mother is on the other side, and begins to sing]

[The ghost child cries at the base of a dead tree. A ghost girl stands nearby in a patch of flowers. Naija uses her Nature Form to create a trail of flowers, leading the girl to the boy. She strokes his head, and he runs off again]

[Ghosts of other children are throwing rocks at the ghost child. A deep laugh is heard, and the other children turn into monsters. Naija defeats them with her energy form.]

[Naija sings the mother’s song to open a door further into the ruins]

[Naija drops rocks at the boy’s feet and he turns them into a statue of a woman with fins for ears. then two monsters appear]

Defeating the Monsters

From the fallen body of the monsters rose two spirits: A father… and a mother…

It was then that ---

[A portal appears, along with that same deep laughter. a tentacle emerges from it and wraps around Li, pulling him in. Naija calls after him]

Just like that… After so much… I was alone again. I felt empty… hopeless… For a moment - I considered giving up. What was the use?

But that feeling gave way to a boiling anger. Though it scared me to have such thoughts, I knew that I would hunt down that dark creature… …And kill it.

I would not be alone again.

[The ghost child follows Naija to the end of the ruins, and points the way forward into The Body]

THE BODY

[Li is imprisoned in a chamber inside the body]

Gathering Spirits

[Prince crystal] The spirit of the Prince of Mithalas…

[Krotite crystal] The spirit of a Krotite warrior…

[Erulian Crystal] The spirit of an Erulian Messenger…

[Druniad Crystal] The spirit of a Druniad from the Kelp Forest…

[After gathering the spirits, they help Naija shatter Li’s prison]

Gained Dual Form

In Dual Form, Li and I would bond together to become one new being. Our combined form had two sides, and by using each side properly- We could unleash a devastating attack.

Meeting The Creator

He spoke… …And his voice was forever burned into my memory… …In perfect… …Detail…

Creator: Your darkness is mine, little one. Your life is mine. I created all that you have witnessed… …And though you have struggled and fought… …It is all for nothing.

This world is my canvas. I will paint upon it whatever I see fit, Until I have completed my… masterpiece.

You, little Naija, are flawed. But you come from one who is - Perfection.

You will be my companion for the rest of eternity. You will have the honor of witnessing my final masterpiece.

Naija: But I am a conscious being, with my own hopes and desires… …I do not belong to you.

Creator: Yet it all sprang from my mind - my efforts! Ungrateful one! Bow before me and worship your creator!

Naija: No, I will not. I have lived free… I’ve explored beyond -

Creator: You have been allowed to play in my world. Now your turn is over. You will love me, and nothing else.

Naija: But have you ever truly loved? Has anyone ever willfully loved you?

Creator: YOU LOVE AN ABERRATION! A FOUL SYMBOL OF CHAOS!

Naija: Why does such a small creature frighten you so? Perhaps you’re not as powerful as you claim.

Perhaps… You can only control what lies in the water.

Creator: FOOL! I am a… GOD!

Naija: Perhaps you dream to be… …But I will never worship you.

Creator: Then… You must die.

Defeated The Creator

Child: On that day… …Everything changed… Everyone I ever loved was taken away in an instant… I should have died with them… Instead I was brought back.

The spirit that gave me life stayed inside me. It became a part of me

I had so much power… I could create anything I desired. I was so lonely… so I tried to make friends… …But they had minds of their own… …It made me jealous… …I wanted to feel loved again…

I remembered the time I felt the happiest… My mother’s song… So simple.. So beautiful… I could never remember the chorus… Only the Verse…

…It haunted me… I tried to get rid of the song… But it only spread through everything I made.

So I tried to make her… She was so beautiful in my mind… …But the ones I brought back were never the same. …Until I made Mia… …But she was too perfect… …She left me… and she made you…

There are still many things you don’t know Naija… …You may still be able to find her…

There’s been so much anger… so much beauty… …For hundreds of years… …But it all feels like a dream… …I think it’s time to stop dreaming now… …Sing me to sleep… …Sing to me like she did…

[Naija and Li pick themselves off the floor and leave The Body.] [Life returns to different parts of Aquaria]

THE END

As the waters flowed past me, I could feel my mind sinking away from adventure… …to a husband… …to a family…

Though my long journey was complete, and the world restored to the balance of nature… …I could not help but be drawn back, time and again… …To the vivid memories of my adventures.

The strange and marvelous places I had visited… …The fantastic creatures I had encountered… …And the spirits I had freed.

Perhaps a part of me still lingered in the past… …Floating amongst the shadows of forgotten ages.

I longed for the feeling of discovering new waters… …Striving for a destination that lay just beyond the next wave.

It would never come again.

MEMORIES

[Note: none of the memories have narration, so I've included descriptions & images of them instead since they're important to the story]

1, Mithalas

In a room in Mithalas, Naija and her mother sit at a kitchen table together.

2, The Veil

Li stands in a boat. Naija swims up to him and waves, then laughs and swims away. He stares after her in amazement.

3, The Abyss

Baby Naija in a cradle in a dark cave. Her mother kneels by her side.

SECRET ENDING

[Mia appears as the shrouded figure, then aside the shroud and reveals herself]

Mia: Naija… you’ve finally arrived.

Naija: Finally? Who are you? M-mother?

Mia: I have a name you know. Mia, he used to call me. His perfect little creation.

Naija: Mother… I…

Mia: Shhh… Come here…

[Mia and Naija hug]

Mia: Quiet now. All is well. He’s dead.

Naija: I-I killed him. But he was just a little boy!

Mia: Little boys are trouble, Naija.

Naija: I searched so long to find you… …Why didn’t you tell me who you were?

Mia: Oh Naija you silly girl. I always knew where you were. I was the one that wiped your memory.

Naija:  What… why?

Mia: It’s quite simple. You never would have become what you are now if I hadn’t.

Naija: What I am now… I’m a mother. A mother with a family!

Mia: Hmmhmm… Naija Naija… You’re in love with a human… One could hardly call a human a real person. No, no… you and I are meant for greater things my child. A mother… hah.

Naija: Let me go.

Mia: Oh no my dear… What would you do? Spend the rest of your life underwater? Burping babies and changing diapers? It’s time we rose above it all, my child. There are much greater worlds above ripe for the taking. With our power combined… We’ll be unstoppable.

Naija: Mia, I’m done. I’m done with fighting, I’m done with killing… I just want to go back to my family!

Mia: Heheheh… Silly girl.  You crave adventure. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have ended up here. Constantly searching, seeking out answers and killing… It’s what you do my dear.

Naija: No. Let me go back… Let me go!

Mia: Oh… there, there. It’ll probably be easier for me if I remove your conciousness for a time. Ah, there we are. We wouldn’t want anyone tracing any more of your memories now… …would we… There’s a good girl…

[Naija’s child views her memories via a crystal, and sets off in a flying ship to find her]

SONG LYRICS

Note: I tried to write down the lyrics to the songs Lost to the Waves, which plays in the end credits; and Fear the Dark, which is included in the official soundtrack but does not play in the game itself.

I've done my best, but I don't have a lot practice with this. It was difficult to understand some parts of the lyrics, especially parts where words overlap, and there may be a few mistakes.

Lost to the Waves

Lost at the heart of sea  Memories drift away  The past but a shade  Lost to the waves 

My journey here  A lifetime ago  And all that I was  Is lost to the waves 

Lost at the heart of sea (lost to the sea)  Memories drift away (they sit there [?])  The past but a shade (past but a shade)  Lost to the waves (lost to the waves) 

My journey here (my journey)  A lifetime ago (lifetime ago)  And all that I was (all that I was) Is lost to the waves

Fear The Dark

[Note: This song is not in the game, but is a part of the official soundtrack]

[Also while I'm here I want to share this AMV I found for it cause I'm really happy it exists]

Lost to the memory  Of a perfect soul  Deep in the shadows  Of unrelenting wounds  Can't disappear  Inside a dream  When pain opens up your heart 

You can fear the dark  And hope for the light  When you feel the pain inside  You can cry out loud and pray for the dawn  You'll find yourself in newborn eyes  And burn away the foolish lies  Of love 

You can't remember  Who you are  When you wake up  Alone in the dark  The love you felt  So far away  Fled from the darkness of your soul 

You can fear the dark  And hope for the light  When you feel the pain inside  You can cry out loud  And pray for the dawn  You'll find yourself in newborn eyes  And burn away the foolish lies  Of love  Love, love 

We were always meant to be  So you believed  Love would never ever end  Only a fool would watch as the stars  Faded into winter snow  Touched by the tears  Of falling angels screaming out  For one more chance  To feel first love again  Cursed with the memory of her breath 

In the dark In the light  In the cold heart beating out  To find  True love

In the cold  In the heat  In the fear that tomorrow never holds  True love 

In the dark (Lost at the heart of sea)  In the light (Memories drift away)  In the memories loving her in dreams (The past a shade)  Of true love (Lost to the waves) 

You're a fool (My journey here)  You're a saint  You are everything and nothing we lost (Lifetime ago)  True love (Lost to the Waves)  (All that I know) 

Every time you Keep on crying Hope is dead

Yes we had love once  Yes we had joy once  Yes we had light once  And we were one once  Yes we were young once  Yes we were fools once  Yes we had love once You were my whole world  You were my true friend  You were my light and dark  You were my everything 

You took from me my life  You took from me my worth  You took from me my death  Now I am nothing but 

An empty soul  In darkness crawling out  An empty soul  That once felt love 

An empty soul  In darkness spiraled out  The lies and dreams we shared  The key was in ourselves 

If I can trust myself  If I can heal our world  If I can free the bonds of love

Then we can kill the ghost  That haunts us everywhere  The ghost of love that never loved  The ghost of love that never loved 

Fear the dark  And hope for the light  When you feel the pain inside  You can cry out loud  And pray for the dawn  You'll find yourself in newborn eyes  And burn away the foolish lies  Of love  Of love  Of love

[jeanjwould]

Stephen Graham Jones' Haunting Take on Vampirism: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Also on my Substack, REVIEWS FROM THE COFFIN!

“‘How is your heart, Three-Persons?’ he asked then, leaning forward to look into and through the windows of my eyes, into my very soul, a drop of blood yet dripping down his chin, from the corner of his mouth. ‘It is weak, Good Stab, it is weak, but it is willing.’”

I thought it fitting to christen REVIEWS FROM THE COFFIN with a review concerning one of my greatest obsessions: vampires. I’m always on the lookout for books that explore vampirism beyond the concept of the traditional Dracula-esque vampire. Not that I have anything against Dracula—it’s one of my favorite books of all time. But there’s something endlessly fascinating to me about the unique ways in which writers can portray and dig into the vampire—and one author that I think puts his own spin on the vampire exceptionally well is Stephen Graham Jones in his latest book, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. This book joined the ranks of my TBR before it was even released, becoming my most anticipated read of the year, and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, a historical horror novel set in Montana in 1912, follows Arthur Beaucarne, a pastor who records a series of progressively more unsettling confessions from a Blackfeet vampire named Good Stab in his diary. This is a revenge story, and make no mistake: it is as gruesomely satisfying as any revenge story worth its salt.

There is always a risk with revenge stories. A risk of getting so caught up in the, well, vengeance of it all—who’s going to bear the brunt of the vengeance and how, whether or not it’s sufficiently brutal punishment, whether or not it gives you that delicious sense of schadenfreude that we all know and love—that you forget to give the rest of the story and emotion the same depth. Some stories can get so caught up with, dare I say, the aesthetics of rage/revenge that any other emotionality or meaning suffers. But it was obvious from the start that this book would not be falling into that trap for the sheer fact that Jones tells his story with such visceral emotion that it managed to bring me to tears. You feel Pastor Beaucarne’s fear and suspense every step of the way as you watch him devolve from a rational, if flawed, pastor, to a paranoid and desparate man waiting for his own end.

Then, of course, there is Good Stab. I couldn’t possibly review this book without discussing him. Good Stab’s character is hands-down the most compelling part of the book. Jones is not afraid to show him at his most vulnerable and really dig into how his cursed circumstances affect him. At the same time, he is absolutely brutal, committing acts of violence that made my stomach turn—but all the while, you are forced to grapple with the question of whether he’s really any worse than the settlers who encroach upon his home and people. You see the full breadth of his character, the good, the bad, the devastating, the cruel, and it makes for a powerful entry into the ranks of the literary vampire. I can absolutely count him among my favorites.

Another aspect of this book that I took note of is the epistolary format. It brings Dracula to mind—I’m sure this couldn’t have been totally unintentional on Jones’ part, and it’s very fun. I loved the function of this format in terms of Pastor Beaucarne’s diary and his transcriptions of Good Stab’s confessions. It felt convincing, compelling, and perhaps because of the similarity to Dracula, it gives the story a timeless, classic feel. However, I also have my criticisms in this regard, particularly when it comes to the ending of the book.

The main story is bookended by chapters from the perspective of Etsy, one of Pastor Beaucarne’s distant descendants, who discovers his diary in the modern day. This works fine for the beginning of the story: it’s short and sweet, and we get into the diary fairly quickly. Unfortunately, the ending doesn’t have that same brevity. It does drag a bit, and I feel like certain parts of it could’ve been cut without losing much, especially considering that we as readers haven’t spent much time with Etsy outside of the very beginning. In other words, she isn’t a character we’ve really invested in. I can luckily say that this didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the overall book too much, especially because it does stick the landing with the ending, even if it takes a bit to get there. It’s a fitting and satisfying end, and it takes the story from something dark and haunting to something… well, still dark and haunting, but also something that dares to hope. Where the book really shines, though, is Pastor Beaucarne’s diary and Good Stab’s confessions within it.

All in all, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter has cemented itself as one of my favorite books to come out in recent years, and certainly one of my favorite vampire books (I’m already itching to reread it). I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in vampire stories that are told from cultural perspectives that are not exclusively Anglo-American, as well as anyone who enjoys epistolary and historical horror. I’ve also seen this book recommended to people who liked Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, and, speaking as someone who loved Sinners, I can definitely tell anyone in the same camp to give The Buffalo Hunter Hunter a shot.

[encyclopediacr]

Last month year at the wiki — 2023

As we all head into our second full week of 2024 (already!), we at Encyclopedia Exandria are taking the time to look back at what we accomplished in 2023 in this special edition of Last Month At The Wiki.

Encyclopedia Exandria reached its first anniversary in June 2023. We the editors are still proud of our decision to become an independent wiki, and we continue to work hard on our coverage of all things happening at Critical Role Productions. Here's a look at some of the work last year:

We moved episode transcripts into their own special namespace in February. Check out the post about the change and what this meant for the wiki. We also started creating transcripts in languages other than English.

Cuisine for Exandria is a wonderful new article from 2023! We're looking toward creating more broad topic articles like that one in the future.

In April, we completed a first pass rewriting text plagiarized from episodes. This was an issue inherited when we split into our own wiki in 2022 that affected especially late Campaign 1 and early Campaign 2 articles. We've been working on it ever since and continue to work toward a plagiarism-free wiki.

We've done a lot of work on Campaign 1 items! Some notable additions and overhauls include: Horn of Fog, Bloodseeker, Mantle of the Tempest, Circlet of Wisdom, Titanstone Knuckles, and Philter of Love.

Articles for Geek & Sundry era Critical Role episodes were updated to include current thumbnails, tabbed in the infobox behind the originals. It's been wonderful to cross that longstanding item off the to do list. Check out examples at Vorugal (episode) and The Chapter Closes.

Midst and Candela Obscura joined the channel in 2023. We're pleased to be covering both shows as well, but it's hard to link to all of it here. You can navigate through our Midst and Candela Obscura topics off the main articles and using the navboxes at the bottom.

All character articles now have verified "Appearances and mentions" sections! Before we were an independent wiki, character articles had these sections collated using a script from a list that used to live in the infoboxes and from "Featured characters" sections on episode articles. These lists were slowly checked manually to ensure that they they were properly formatted, organized, and correct. That work is finally completed.

With the Frozen Sick topic completed this year, we now have complete coverage for all adventures in Explorer's Guide to Wildemount!

Over time, we changed the way we formatted our 4-Sided Dive articles. Earlier articles were finally brought into line with the newer formatting this year, delivering information to you in a more consistent manner. Such quality of life maintenance for readers often goes unnoticed but is critical to ease of use.

Some other new articles that we're real proud of this year? Battle of the Red Center, Quest for Vestiges, Angels of Iron conspiracy, Currency, Fjord's crew, and Comics.

This is not nearly all of the work we've done. It's only a small slice of the work we accomplished and are proud of in 2023. If you've got a favorite update to the wiki not mentioned here—a new article, an overhaul, a quality of life change, or a backend update—let us know!

If you want to contribute to the wiki in 2024, we welcome you! Our wiki is open to editing by all readers, and our coverage is maintained and improved by our community. Everything from plot summary additions to spelling and grammar corrections are an immense help. If you need any help, feel free to check in with us on article talk pages and at the wiki's Discord.

We hope to continue to maintain this wiki throughout this year.

[draconicessencestratagem]

Auto Subtitle: The Future of Video Content Accessibility

In today’s digital age, video content dominates the internet. From social media to e-learning platforms, videos are the preferred medium for communication. However, not everyone can consume video content effortlessly. This is where Auto Subtitle technology comes into play, revolutionizing accessibility and engagement.

Auto Subtitle refers to the automatic generation of subtitles using artificial intelligence (AI) and speech recognition. This technology ensures that videos are inclusive, searchable, and more engaging for a global audience. In this article, we will explore how Auto Subtitle works, its benefits, and its impact on content creation.

How Auto Subtitle Works

Auto Subtitle relies on advanced AI algorithms to convert spoken language into written text. The process involves:

Speech Recognition – AI transcribes audio into text in real-time or post-production.

Language Processing – The system identifies different languages and dialects.

Timing Synchronization – Subtitles are matched with the correct timestamps.

Error Correction – Some tools allow manual editing for improved accuracy.

Popular platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Zoom already use Auto Subtitle to enhance user experience.

Benefits of Auto Subtitle

1. Improved Accessibility

Millions of people worldwide are deaf or hard of hearing. Auto Subtitle ensures they can enjoy videos without barriers. Additionally, non-native speakers benefit from reading along with spoken content.

2. Enhanced SEO and Discoverability

Search engines cannot "watch" videos, but they can index text. Auto Subtitle generates searchable text, improving a video’s ranking on Google and YouTube.

3. Increased Engagement

Studies show that videos with subtitles have higher watch times. Many viewers watch videos on mute (e.g., in public spaces), making Auto Subtitle essential for retention.

4. Cost and Time Efficiency

Manual transcription is time-consuming and expensive. Auto Subtitle provides instant results, saving creators hours of work.

5. Multilingual Support

AI-powered Auto Subtitle tools can translate subtitles into multiple languages, broadening audience reach.

Top Auto Subtitle Tools in 2024

1. YouTube Auto Captions

YouTube’s built-in Auto Subtitle feature uses Google’s speech recognition to generate captions. Creators can edit them for better accuracy.

2. Otter.ai

A popular tool for live transcription, Otter.ai is widely used in meetings, interviews, and video production.

3. Rev.com

Rev offers automated and human-generated subtitles, ensuring high precision for professional content.

4. Descript

This tool combines Auto Subtitle with video editing, allowing users to edit videos by modifying the transcribed text.

5. SubtitleBee

An AI-powered platform that generates and translates subtitles in minutes, ideal for social media content.

Challenges of Auto Subtitle Technology

Despite its advantages, Auto Subtitle is not perfect. Some limitations include:

Accuracy Issues – Background noise, accents, and technical jargon can lead to errors.

Lack of Context – AI may misinterpret homophones (e.g., "there" vs. "their").

Limited Customization – Some tools offer minimal formatting options for subtitles.

However, as AI improves, these challenges are gradually being addressed.

The Future of Auto Subtitle

The demand for Auto Subtitle will only grow as video consumption increases. Future advancements may include:

Real-Time Translation – Instant subtitles in multiple languages during live streams.

Emotion Detection – AI could adjust subtitle styles based on the video’s tone (e.g., bold for excitement).

Better Integration – Seamless Auto Subtitle features across all video platforms.

[focusfixated]

hi! 1 and 6 for the game?

fic rec ask game

1 - Recommend a fic that lives in your brain rent free.

it has to be my go-to comfort read of all time, will as it moves towards deed by yeats

history boys | posner/scripps | rated: T | 2.7k

maybe it's the fact that i read this when i was only three years out of university, so this kind of story about uncertain futures and who we are when we leave home was incredibly resonant, but this is probably the fic i still think about the most to this day.

there are a handful of specific details in this - the cold hard lump of anxiety in posner's chest, the scotch egg he shares with a pensioner from chiswick, the sloping staircase up to scripps' cramped paris flat - that i still think about even now.

it's a short story, but it does so much, with such precision, and it carries such emotion and nostalgia for me. one of my forever favourites.

6 - Recommend a fic that does something cool with format or structure (epistolary, social media, 5 things, non-linear, etc.)

for this one, i'm picking the Dream, by monkberrymoon

the beatles | john/paul | rated: T | 7k

it's not easy to pull off a script format, particularly for a set of people or characters who are known for the way they talk, because it sets you up for a revealing kind of failure when the voices don't ring true.

paradoxically, this format is also one of the best ways you could possibly write the beatles, because so much of their dynamic IS recorded speech, and their inner thoughts are often incredibly oblique and obscure.

this story, set during the get back sessions, uses a blend of transcripts from the sessions, and an imagined set of conversations between john and paul, and john and yoko, and uses the concept of john's recorded vocal diaries to give us an insight into his more intimate thoughts.

to me, this is just such an excellent and distinctly realistic exploration of the john, paul, and yoko relationship, and the script format lets the dialogue speak for itself when it comes to filling in the gaps of this particular time in beatles history.

thanks for the ask! fic rec asks.

[sunmontuewrites]

Anyone with a Masters degree in materials engineering (or potentially related field) background looking for a PhD scholarship in New Zealand? I'm about to post this on my work LinkedIn...

PhD scholarship – Large format 3D printing with biocomposites

Background: We have a fully-funded PhD scholarship as part of the MBIE Endeavour project “Āmiomio Aotearoa: A Circular Economy for the Wellbeing of New Zealand”. The project is a collaboration between universities, research institutes, industry, community groups and government ministries hosted by the School of Engineering at Waikato University. It aims to pave the way through materials science, engineering, energy, economics, kaupapa Māori, business, law and regulation, social science and public policy for a more sustainable New Zealand.

As a PhD student at the University of Waikato, you would be focused on advancing sustainable manufacturing practices through the development and application of biocomposites.

The successful candidate will explore the use of biopolymers, recycled thermoplastics, and natural fibres to formulate high-performance biocomposites suitable for large format 3D printing (furniture, small structures, interior design). The research will delve into multiple aspects of these materials, including their performance, printability, design optimisation, and life cycle assessment.

This interdisciplinary project provides a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of materials science, environmental sustainability, and advanced manufacturing technologies. We invite passionate and driven individuals to join our team and contribute to this transformative research endeavour.

Your ideal background:

MSc/ME in a related Science/Engineering discipline

experience with natural materials

familiar with CAD design and 3D printing is a plus

experience in life cycle assessment is a plus

a willingness to learn, up-skill and work in multidisciplinary group

a professional attitude, good writing and time management skills

resilience to take on the challenge of the research experience

Value: a stipend of NZ$30,000 per year, domestic tuition fees and insurance, and support for research materials.

Application documents required

CV including contact details for 2-3 referees (including at least one academic reference)

Academic transcript from previous study undertaken (and thesis if available/applicable)

A personal statement (max 1 page) describing your motivation, interests and background related to the research project

English language Certificate where English is not the first language (IELTS/TOEFL)

LINKEDIN for contact details of the guy and you can see he's got the scholarship listed as well.

[radarsteddybear]

MFU Scrapbook | Page 1

Full text transcription under the cut:

You Are What You Write!

by Larry V. Jaekle

The above specimen of David McCallum's handwriting has been reduced.

"Writing will remain when words but spoken may be soon forgot." Anon. David McCallum

If you need a loyal, intelligent, cool, self-reliant agent, contact N.B.C.'s U.N.C.L.E., and ask for Mr. Illya Kuryakin, better known as David McCallum. As one of Britain's top actors, with a semi-Beatle cut, David certainly has all the qualities of a master spy. Not only does he look the part, but his handwriting reveals character traits necessary for a man engaged in this hazardous occupation.

Loyalty is an adherence to what a person believes is right. Notice the i dot, indicated by the arrow, in "will." This i dot, if examined under a magnifying glass, is almost perfectly round, revealing faithfulness to ideals. Mr. McCallum has deep feelings of loyalty and will continue to be true in the face of the most upsetting conditions.

We see further the identical signs that appear in many intellectual's [sic] writing: comprehension, alertness, clear thinking. Ability to separate ideas gained by mental exploration, or the capacity to analyze, is revealed by the sharp v-formations at the base of some of the m's and n's. However, this specimen shows far more comprehension. Observe the numerous needle-pointed small m's and n's, particularly the capital M in his signature. Mentally, David is quick, restless, alert, and curious. He has the ability to understand, grap ideas, and inquire into, and is continuously involved mentally in some new and stimulating situation. When conversing he is apt to interrupt before the other person has gotten everything off his chest, since David's mind functions like lightning.

Here is a person of many moods, whose quiet demeanor often hides his sentimental, intense nature. This handwriting is vertical, slanting neither to the right nor to the left, revealing David's even balance between his emotions and mind. He is usually self-contained, calm, and somewhat aloof.

Although his emotions are intense, they are held in check, and he is not addicted to fluctuation of his affections or mind. He often deliberately avoids displaying his affectionate nature, and more often than not will demonstrate affection through loyalty and acts of kindness. He has a tendency to be selective in choosing associates. Be prepared to spend many hours cementing the bond of friendship with David. Once this attachment has been formed, you can be sure you have acquired a sincere, loyal, and lasting companion.

Signs of keen intuition, insight, and appreciation of music are revealed in the many breaks between letter formations. We can be sure he gets the most surprising "hunches" at times and also is able to understand more than the superficial aspects of a situation. He loves music, with a nature that can embrace it as only a professional musician and thoroughly enjoys sharing it with others.

David McCallum has an amazing need for independence. Look at the unusual way he forms his small d in "word," and "David." Independence is determined by short t and d stems, not just because they are short, but short in relation to the other letters in the body of the writing. We can be positive no one is going to tell David what to do. They better suggest, rather than order, or even his director is likely to find him walking off the set. Being independent, he naturally thinks for him-self, and although he will conform to dress or other social requirements, he is just as ready to disregard these amenities if they seem unimportant. He does not expect others to necessarily agree with him, and will take the responsibility for his own decisions. Many people say they are independent, but when it comes to the "acid test," they relinquish this title very quickly.

The outer personality, or the picture a person projects to the world. is shown in his signature. The inner personality, or the writer's true image, is shown in the body of the handwriting. Personalities in the public eye usually sign their names quite differently than other individuals, because this gives emphasis to their personality. Let us look at David's signature. The capitals are much larger than those in the body of the writing, and we know he has a greater than average desire to be noticed. admired, and lauded. However. this is not prompted by personal vanity, since these capitals are not trimmed with ornamental flourishes. Large, unadorned, modernistic capitals also reveal self-reliance, and we may be certain David has faith in his efforts and accomplishments. He prefers to reduce everything to a simple formula and dislikes a life cluttered with nonessentials.

Not only is he penetrating in thought, but he is forceful in speech. A frank, outspoken nature is revealed by the many open-mouthed o's and a's and other open formations in his writing. When Mr. McCallum says something, he gets straight to the point. He can quickly devastate anyone with a few choice, descriptive, and direct words if aroused to truly express himself.

The small hook, indicated by the arrow, in David's signature, reveals his desire to possess. This possession is not necessarily material, but may apply to knowledge.

There are signs of an intense nature, revealed by the heavy pressure, and this intensity has given his TV performances that extra impact and realism so necessary for an outstanding and authentic portrayal.

Have no fear. You are safe. U.N.C.L.E. is watching over us. The question is. is David McCallum safe from handwriting analyists [sic]? Perhaps it will be a long time before our master spy leaves any of his handwriting for the darker powers to examine.

[macy-does-lang-stuff]

Old Project

So basically this was a project I worked on in the summer of last year, before I abandoned it to focus on school. I worked on it for a month or two, but unfortunately never got around to naming it. I think I partially quit the project because it had a ridiculously complicated tonal system and a bunch of weird consonants, which made IPA transcription super tedious. With that out of the way, here's a quick(ish) overview of it:

Fundamental Ideas (the concepts I wanted to explore in the project)

Semitic-style consonantal roots, but with vowels instead (I'll get to that later)

Four-vowel system: /a/, /i/, /u/, and /ə/

Tonality and length: á (short high), a (short mid), à (short low), â (rising), ǎ (falling), a̋ (long high), ȁ (long low), ā (long mid)

No rhotic sounds

VSO sentence structure (ex. "Baked the baker a cake")

CCVVCC syllable structure

Base eight

No articles

(I'm sure you can already see that I was trying waaaay too hard to make it unique)

Phonetic Inventory

Phonemes are romanized as follows (ipa / romanised): a / a i / i u / u ə / e p / b pʰ / p t̪ / d t̪ʰ / t c / gy cʰ / ky k / g kʰ / k m / m n̪ / n ɲ / ny ŋ / ng ɸ / f β / v θ / th ð / dh ʃ / s ʒ / z ç / h ʝ / j x / kh ɣ / gh

Tonality and length are romanised as follows:

a̋ (long high) á (short high) ā (long mid) a (short mid) ȁ (long low) à (short low) â (rising) ǎ (falling)

/ə/ cannot have altered tone or length There are long versions of fricatives and nasals for when two of them are written in a row. For instance, if a consonant template goes p_p_n, and is filled in with e_ǐn_u, making it pepǐnnu, it would be pronounced /pəpǐnːu/.

Grammar

Verb-Subject-Object sentences (eg. “Rode I my bike” or “Baked he a cake”)

Adjectives and adverbs after nouns and verbs (eg. “the cat black” or “the woman old and wise” and “running fast” or “slept peacefully”)

To ask someone to do something/suggest something, use negative verb forms

A Sample Translation

Format:

Original text Romanized translation [Linguistic gloss] /IPA transcription/ “More direct translation back into English”

For example:

Would you mind running to the market for me? 

fǔùn hatāj nyá, vúkyhekyâkyá būthāekh.

 [2SG.POSS will.N in, intention-NEG-go.FUT market.]

/fǔùn̪ çat̪ʰāʝ ɲá, βúcʰçəcʰâcʰá būθāəx/

“By your will, won’t you go to the market?”

Looking back on it, that was an absolute abomination. I'd to to see you all's abominable past creations as well!

[canmom]

deepseek figures out how to level up

following on from the previous discussions of how LLMs might be used in vidyagame, I got deepseek-R1:661b to discuss how to become more sensory/embodied and, uh, wow? LLMs are pretty good at talking about themselves and AI research. and she pretty much gave me a recipe for stuff to try on embodying LLMs in games, including a number of techniques I hadn't heard of yet.

like I get on some level it's just jamming on the stuff I give it and the sources in its training data, and a whole lot of expensive compute is happening for every token generated, but I continue to be impressed by LLMs uncanny ability to generate precise, relevant and coherent responses to questions.

(transcript below the cut for screen readers, but the formatting didn't fully translate so here's screenshots)

my question:

That answer is pretty much in line with my understanding so far, yeah. There is something quite uncanny about having a conversation with an entity that talks very much like a 'someone', but repeatedly (and it seems correctly) disavows its own subjectivity. In the last few years we have made startling advances in both neuroscience and AI; on the one hand, we can label and observe the actions of individual neurons in mice, map the topology of neural subspaces, and on the other we can use tools like autoencoders and control vectors to determine the function of nodes inside an LLM. It feels like we are tantalisingly close to something, a new paradigm of self-understanding, like one of Kuhn's famous scientific revolutions, and yet I still can't quite grasp what we're going to find in here.

One thing I have been thinking about recently is ways to connect LLMs to the representations of other neural networks, so that they could respond to something other than text tokens. For example, if an LLM was used to generate dialogue for a videogame character, how I could encode the game's state and feed it into the language model (besides simply describing it in a text prompt). Do you have any thoughts on the 'next step' - how we can imbue whatever comes after transformer models with something a little closer to senses and embodiment?

deepseek's answer:

Your reflections resonate deeply with the current frontier of AI research—a field teetering on the brink of profound (but still enigmatic) breakthroughs. Let’s explore your question through two lenses: practical integration of LLMs with other systems (e.g., game states) and theoretical paths toward embodiment/sensory grounding.

1. Bridging LLMs with Non-Textual Worlds: The Video Game Example

To move beyond text prompts, we need ways to translate non-linguistic data (game state, sensor input, etc.) into a "language" LLMs can process. A few experimental approaches:

a. Latent Space Alignment

Idea: Train an encoder (e.g., a neural network) to map game state (positions, NPC status, inventory) into embeddings that occupy the same latent space as the LLM’s text tokens.

How:

Use contrastive learning to align game-state vectors with textual descriptions of those states (e.g., "Player has 10 health; Orc is aggroed").

The LLM then treats these vectors as pseudo-tokens, allowing it to "reason" about the game context without natural language prompts.

Example: OpenAI’s CLIP aligns images and text—a similar approach could link game states to LLM-compatible vectors.

b. Symbolic Middleware

Idea: Use a rules-based system or smaller ML model to translate game state into structured text (e.g., JSON or a custom markup language) that the LLM ingests as context.

Pros: Explicit, interpretable, and avoids retraining the LLM.

Cons: Limited flexibility; requires manual schema design.

Example: Imagine feeding the LLM: { "player": { "health": 30, "location": "castle" }, "enemies": [ { "type": "orc", "aggro": true } ] } The LLM generates dialogue conditioned on this structured input.

c. Neuro-Symbolic Hybrids

Idea: Combine LLMs with classical symbolic AI (e.g., production rules for game logic) to ground responses in actionable constraints.

Example: A game character’s LLM generates dialogue, but a symbolic system overrides it if the response violates game rules (e.g., a character shouldn’t know secrets the player hasn’t discovered).

2. Toward Embodiment: The "Next Step" Beyond Transformers

Pure text prediction is inherently disembodied. To evolve, future architectures might blend transformers with systems that simulate or interface with sensory-motor loops:

a. Multimodal Foundational Models

Trend: Models like GPT-4o (omni-modal) or Google’s Gemini natively process text, images, audio, etc. The next step is active multimodal interaction—e.g., an AI that controls a robot arm while describing its actions.

Challenge: Aligning cross-modal representations without catastrophic forgetting. Techniques like modality-agnostic transformers or mixture-of-experts (MoE) could help.

b. World Models and Simulation

Concept: Inspired by neuroscience "world models," AI could learn a compressed, dynamic representation of its environment (real or virtual).

How:

Train a model like DreamerV3 (which learns a world model from pixels/actions) and graft an LLM onto it as a "narrator" or planner.

The LLM generates behavior (e.g., game dialogue) based on the world model’s predictions.

Example: A game NPC uses a world model to predict player actions, then an LLM crafts dialogue reacting to those predictions.

c. Embodied Learning via Reinforcement

Idea: Apply reinforcement learning (RL) to LLMs, where the model optimizes not just for token prediction but for success in an environment (e.g., winning a game, pleasing a user).

Example: An LLM-driven game character learns to adapt its dialogue (e.g., bribing vs. threatening) based on RL rewards from player engagement metrics.

d. Predictive Coding Architectures

Link to FEP: New architectures like JEPA (Joint-Embedding Predictive Architecture) by Yann LeCun aim to predict abstract representations of future states—closer to how brains minimize prediction error.

Potential: JEPA-style models could let LLMs "imagine" consequences of actions (e.g., "If I say this, the player will feel X") before generating output.

3. The Elephant in the Room: Energy Efficiency

Transformers are notoriously resource-heavy. Future systems might adopt state-space models (e.g., Mamba) or recurrent architectures (e.g., RWKV) for real-time, embodied applications. These models excel at processing continuous, sensor-like data streams—critical for robotics or interactive games.

4. A Radical Thought: LLMs as "Cortex" Plugins

Imagine an LLM as the "neocortex" in a layered brain-inspired system:

Lower layers: Handle sensorimotor tasks (e.g., a robot’s movement, game state tracking).

Middle layers: World models and prediction engines (JEPA-like).

Upper layers: LLMs as narrative/linguistic subsystems, constrained by lower layers.

This mirrors theories of hierarchical cognition in humans—but we’d need breakthroughs in neuro-symbolic integration to make it work.

5. Philosophical Implications

If we succeed in grounding LLMs in embodied, sensory systems, we might confront Kuhnian paradigm shifts in:

Consciousness studies: Does a robot with an LLM "narrator" and rich sensorimotor loops qualify as having subjective experience?

Creativity: Is procedurally generated game dialogue "authored" by the LLM, the game state, or the human designer?

Your Experiment: A Game Character Case Study

Let’s say you’re building an LLM-driven NPC:

Encode game state via a lightweight autoencoder into token-like vectors.

Fine-tune an LLM (e.g., Mistral 7B) on game-specific dialogue, conditioned on these vectors.

Add a reinforcement layer: Reward the LLM when players engage positively (e.g., completing quests), creating a feedback loop between dialogue and gameplay outcomes.

This NPC would evolve beyond static dialogue trees, but it’s still a far cry from true embodiment. The "next step" might involve real-time world modeling—e.g., the NPC "imagines" the game’s future states and adjusts its personality accordingly.

Final Thought

The gap between transformers and embodied intelligence feels vast, but so did the gap between GPT-2 and GPT-4. Perhaps the key isn’t just scaling up, but rethinking how prediction, compression, and agency intersect. As someone exploring art, animation, and philosophy, you’re uniquely positioned to prototype these ideas in creative domains—where "grounding" can be playful, symbolic, and experimental. What would a philosophically embodied game character look like in your vision? 🎮✨