#her design is on the Linked Maze discord!

[hazethestrange]

LM MALON MY BELOVED

You do not understand the brainrot I have been having over Linked Maze Time and Malon! I adore them so much gfhdbdbdbbd

[beyondthemirrorau]

Answering the AU game in the Linked Maze discord server because I am not, in fact, dead! I'm just doing a bit of messing around with my art style, rethinking the textured linework stuff. This is super low effort and not reflective of my art style in all likelihood, I'm still messing around.

Bonus: TOTK Zelda design! I'm dubbing her Light, because... Y'know.

[factorialsfandoms]

In the @linked-maze​ discord, a couple of us have been playing with various Zelda designs and tossing them into the maze. So! My turn. These very obviously are not official LM designs for the girls, just us playing about and having fun. I took the Hero of Hyrule’s two Zeldas, as is my tendancy. Redesigning them for aus are fun - I think this Dawn is my favourite of all the ones I’ve made thus far. 

Unfortunately, in my mind, its not each other’s attention they’ve managed to attract - look at the night/day difference in the drawings ^^;

Aurora in pink, Dawn in red. Here have some quotes and character notes and proper designs, because I enjoy completely rebuilding these two from the ground up constantly.

And some notes and some other odds and ends below cute

first, page with sketches of some of the details:

Now some notes.

Aurora is based on some concept art in Hyrule Historia, which is on a page where it could be /either/ AoL or ALTTP. Given it was never used eh, but also given she comes from a golden age and height of Hyrule’s power (in the Downfall Timeline, anyway), I think making her sci-fi and by TLoZ all that knowledge has been lost? Very fun. I did give her some leggings, though, because she deserves them. Her casual wear just drops all the sci-hi stuff. Colour scheme is the red hair of both those Zeldas, plus the standard Zelda pinks. Gems are in blue, because wisdom. Personality wise was vibing for ‘sweet but confused alien space princess who crash landed on earth’. Because you know. The well beyond her own time thing.

Dawn is a little easier to explain - her cape is from the Hyrule art on the LM tumblr, while the hat, belt and colour scheme come from her art in the strategy guide for the first game. I gave her gloves so I didn’t have to draw hands for practicalities sake, and the design of her dress takes the ribbons from her ‘normal’ official art (the stuff where they may as well be identical twins). Her more casual wear has it without hoops and petticoat and ribbons, so just the dark red bit of dress. It hangs funny, but she’s got bigger fish to fry. Tiny because did most of her growing under apocolyptic conditions. Aiming for ‘queen of the wasteland doing her damnedest to build a society with her own two hands’ sort of thing in personality. The notes about magic lost and religion and stuff feed into my headcanons of just how much is /lost/ during the era of decline, and also that she perhaps isn’t a female-line descent of the royal family. Given the state of the world, a couple of bits of the bloodline dying out or some adoptions here and there isn’t unfeasible.

But importantly both of them love their Hyrule and their Link in their own ways, and are trying to do their best by them.

Now as a bonus for reading all of this, the two little scene-type pieces but without the dialogue. Because computer ew.

[secretsofthemasquerade]

Nighthawks’s Kickstarter and interview with author

Hey guys, you might have seen this kickstarter over the past month, as its approaching its deadline I thought I’d interview the main dude for you guys :)

I played the demo that’s available, which isn’t fully representative of the story’s debth (as it was meant to be just a small visual fiction), which displays great attention to art, great voice acting, and quite nicely written characters and unique starting situation.

Overall I really love the concept and I’d like to see this game become a reality, we need down-to-earth games even if they’re not labelled WoD :p

Here’s the link to the kickstarter. You can get the game for just 20 bucks ^^ HURRY though, it ends in FIVE DAYS.

The author, Richard Cobbett, has done lots of work in the past, and the publisher is a solid one too (the publisher’s TechnoBabylon is just life, and Sunless Sea/Skies were made by this author), it’s not his first rodeo and he’s, as he put it in the discord server: “I'm writer, designer, programmer, marketing person, video compositer, UI engineer, community manager and basically everything not involving drawing“. His wording isn’t pretentiously all over the place and “darker than thou”, but it has the right amount of work from hat I could see from the screenshots and the demo. 

So here goes! Interview under the cut!

“Who are you, apart from what we know from the Kickstarter?”

I’m Richard Cobbett, and if you know me from anything it’s probably about 20 years of games journalism, including things like PC Gamer’s “Crap Shoot” column and Rock Paper Shotgun’s “The RPG Scrollbars”, or my work on Sunless Sea/Sunless Skies. But I’ve done quite a lot more than that, including the mobile adventure Silent Streets and the space game The Long Journey Home.

So, this is far from my first rodeo. I love cats, hate spiders, and once made a pitch to White Wolf that included the secret goal of making my home town of York a Tremere stronghold. I am entirely serious about this.

“In a few words, for a VtM Audience, what is the premise of Nighthawks' world?”

Vampires exist. You know this, because you’re one of them. But unlike the World of Darkness, the Masquerade has failed. You’ve been exposed, and the world is trying to figure out where to go next. You begin as a penniless vampire in a shitty hotel in the cheapest part of a dying town, and Nighthawks charts your rise from rags to riches as you become part of the new politics.

Things are of course very different from WoD, both to avoid treading on White Wolf’s paws and because of course I wanted the fun of creating my own setting! For starters, Nighthawks is a bit lighter in tone, and more rooted in the problematic elements of being a vampire. Blood tastes foul, being bitten hurts, and the world is at best incredibly suspicious and at worst outright hates you.

Also, vampires don’t secretly run the world. They’re more like cats, in that they’re fiercely individualistic and territorial, with many of them not even having historically known that there were others like them. There’s a few groups here and there that have had some historical sway in the world, such as the Eternal Dynasties that latched onto the great courts of Europe like parasites, and a handful of aristocrats who spread with British colonialism to find Heirs to further refine their bloodlines, but they’re very much in the minority.

The closest equivalent to the Masquerade is that some - not most, though you’re one of the lucky ones - have powers. These are primarily mental rather than breathing fire and turning into bats and so on, like Mesmerise or Corpse-Talking or copying the face of a human for a brief period. Vampire society is doing its best to hide the existence of these for fairly obvious reasons - they’re already distrusted enough! They’re also not skills to just spam at problems, but very expensive aces-in-the-hole to deploy very carefully.

There’s a lot more to say and discover about the world, but in short, it’s something that I think Vampire fans will both enjoy for the parts of the atmosphere it shares, and love exploring for all the cool ways that it tries something a bit different. It’s a game rooted in the social side of vampire life, where a dinner party can be more dangerous than any back-alley rumble, and one where you get to be a direct part of the big decisions that define what it means to be a vampire, versus showing up five hundred years after the Convention of Thorns or whatever already laid out how things work.

It’s also a game designed to let you play whatever character you want - both in terms of things like sexuality and gender, and just background. You’re not restricted to just being JC Denton with fangs. If you want a character who was, say, a hairdresser in their mortal life and who has never been in a fight, that’s just fine. Or, of course, you can be a bruiser. Everyone deserves the chance to be a badass vampire, and a badass vampire that fully represents them.

Hmm. That was quite a few words, wasn’t it? Sorry. I get excited!

“What are its mechanims and gameplay like? How long do you think it will take for an average player to beat the full game?”

We’re looking at around 15-20 hours for a playthrough, with a ton of replayability. Lots of choices, differences in character builds, cool things to discover… the lot. We’re primarily using text because it allows us to really flesh out the world and add as many stories as possible.

Mechanically, it’s a mix of life-simulation and RPG. It resembles games like Sunless Sea, in that most options are chosen from a list, alongside some gorgeous 4K graphics and voice acting. However, under that is a fierce system of RPG options and life simulation. Every click is a tick of the clock, as you explore the city, improve your character, and get back to safety before sunrise. Rather than the standard critical path of quests, the design is based around Objectives. In the first act, the simplest, your main goal is pretty much just making sure you can pay your hotel room bill. How you go about that is up to you, whether it’s hunting, taking on assignments, investigating rumours and so on. Later chapters of course get more complicated as you have to balance basic survival with dealing with crooked cops and politics.

I’ve posted a lot about the game design and where we’re going with it all in the Kickstarter Updates. Worth checking out! I think V:TM fans will really like it.

“What got you into vampire fiction and vampire games? Why make a game with those themes?”

Firstly, urban fantasy is awesome and it’s depressing that we see so little of it in gaming. Vampires specifically intrigue me as a designer because they offer so many mechanical opportunities - blood, sunlight, etc - and as a writer for the constant dichotomy between power fantasy and personal nightmare.

Nighthawks is very much rooted in exploring that, with some characters who find their undeath a curse, others who find it liberating, and with the player allowed to decide for themselves where they stand. It doesn’t hurt that the individualism of vampires allows you to create some really awesome characters who are fun to hang out with. Our Kickstarter backers immediately connected with the Companion in the demo - Madame Lux, a vampire stage magician with the power to manipulate human sight. She’s just one of many really vibrant characters, including con-artist cult-leader Maze, vampire fangirl bartender Becca, and Inez, a pirate queen from the Golden Age of Piracy struggling to adapt to a world where none of her skills are still in any demand.

Then throw in all the awesome vampire folklore from around the world, and you’ve got a fantastic palette to paint with. Much of the Nighthawks design makes me grin just to think of it, and I think players are going to dig it too.

“Favorite VtMB story part? NPC?”

Well, as a paid-up fan of the Tremere, obviously, Strauss. Good egg. Totally not like that awful LaCroix chap. Other than that, Heather and Tourette are obviously the first ones that everyone thinks of, and with good reason. Grey de Lisle’s voice makes any character awesome, and the Heather sequences were shockingly brutal the first time around. Absolutely amazing writing in those bits.

But I’m probably going to say Deb of Night. I love radio in games as a way of conveying atmosphere, and that’s one of the best one. I don’t know if it’s cool or sad that a few years ago I was in Santa Monica on a press trip, and spent some time wandering around the Pier while listening to Deb’s show. Bit of both?

“Anything you'd need apart from more backers to make sure the game becomes a reality?”

Moral support, really! Game development is a long and often pretty lonely experience, where you never usually know if anyone is going to want what you’re making when you’re done. It’s a real boost to know that so many people are excited by Nighthawks and really want to see it happen. That certainly adds some pressure, but the kind of pressure I think everyone can appreciate!

[domain-of-friendship-blog]

Episode 4-1

"Okay big sister, hold still."

Smiling, Scarlet sat at the edge of the bed and held her hand as steady as she could. "I will do my best, Auburn."

The younger boy gently held the tiny brush in his fingers, expertly applying a coat of dark red polish to the smallest of Scarlet's nails.

"Your careful touch never ceases to impress," said Scarlet. "Have you ever considered working in a salon when you grow up? I think you would make a fine manicurist."

"Oh." Though he never took his eyes off his work, a pink blush rose to the tips of Auburn's ears. "I, ah... had not given the matter much thought..."

Scarlet giggled softly. "No need to trouble yourself, then. It was a simple musing, nothing more; you certainly have plenty of time to decide." She watched her little brother at work for a moment longer before speaking again. "By the way, will Violet be ready to leave soon?"

"I cannot say," said Auburn, dipping the brush once again in the tiny bottle of nail polish.

"Oh?" Scarlet blinked. "I assumed you would know."

At this, Auburn rolled his eyes and fixed Scarlet with a mildly annoyed stare. "That is because you continue to believe our minds as twins to be somehow linked, despite my repeated insistence to the contrary."

Scarlet hesitated for a moment as though pondering a response, but settled for laughing instead.

A few moments later, Auburn returned the brush to the bottle of polish. "There you are, one coat is done."

Scarlet held up her hand, fingers splayed to have a better look at her deep crimson nails. "Fine work as always. Thank you again."

To her surprise, however, Auburn's gaze had sunk to the floor.

Scarlet lowered her hand, careful not to smudge the still-drying polish, and gave her brother a soft smile. "Chin up, dear brother, and tell big sister what troubles you."

"Well... I just thought..." Auburn seemed hesitant. "Siblings are supposed to look after one another, are they not?"

"Without question," came Scarlet's immediate reply.

"Then why did you abandon us?"

It was as though a needle had struck her squarely in the heart.

"Wha... What a thing to say, Auburn!" Scarlet gasped, covering her mouth with her unpolished hand. "What could I have ever done to disappoint you so?"

"You left us," Auburn insisted. "You left Violet and me behind and found someone else to play with. Your new pony friends..."

Scarlet bit her lip. "No, you misunderstand! Twilight and I have been trying our utmost to find a way back! We..." She suddenly trailed off as a thought struck her. "Wait. How do you know about that?"

"But you chose to stay." Auburn ignored his sister's confusion. "You gave up."

Another needle. Scarlet shook her head in disbelief, glancing over her shoulder nervously as though expecting someone else to be there... but the bedroom was empty, save for the two of them. "Auburn, why are you saying these things...?"

Auburn fixed Scarlet with an icy stare. "He gave you a chance. You could have come home... but you turned your back on us. You chose the ponies instead... You abandoned us."

Scarlet hadn't noticed the tears until they were already rolling down her cheeks. "Please... please, let me explain! I - " Her response was cut short as she attempted to reach out toward Auburn and caught sight of her forelegs. What had only seconds ago been five neatly polished nails was now a hoof haphazardly splattered with paint... and as Scarlet stared at it, she could feel yet more tears welling up. "I, I ne... never meant for - for any of this to happen. I thought I was... was doing the... right thing..."

Scarlet reached for Auburn with her other hoof, only to realize with a gasp that she was looking at his legs; he was now standing several meters tall, towering over her menacingly.

"Auburn, p... please tell me you understand..."

Darkness enveloped the room until all that remained were the two of them and the bed on which Scarlet sat. Without another word, Auburn turned on his heel and marched off into the shadows, quickly disappearing from sight.

"No...! Brother, wait! Please...!" Scarlet leapt from the bed and tried to give chase, but her hooves missed where the floor was supposed to be, finding only empty air... and causing her to plummet into the emptiness below.

"AAAAAAAAAAA"

*******

"GASP"

Scarlet's eyes snapped open as she awoke with a jolt, panting and sweating. Moonlight shone through the window, softly illuminating the room as she shoved the covers aside and slowly propped herself up on her forelegs.

She glanced about the room. Books littered the floor nearby, remnants of the past few nights spent staying up later than she was accustomed to in the hope that this time, this time she would find the clue they needed to get home.

It was a habit she had inadvertently picked up from Twilight. She had never been so avid a reader before, back when she had a choice in the matter; the life of a warrior normally expected earlier dawns than she could manage alongside such late night study sessions.

It seemed surreal, even under the circumstances, that this house not only belonged to Scarlet and her companions, but had been built expressly for them. It was so much more than they could ever have asked for, yet Twilight and the others had done it anyway. It was a gift for which she felt obligated to compensate them in some way, even as she knew they would reject the notion.

"Don't worry about it," they had said, and would likely say again if she voiced her feelings.

Were it so easy.

Yet even if she did find it in herself to accept their charity unconditionally, a dark cloud hung over the gift regardless, much as the admission left a foul taste in her mouth. Scarlet and her comrades had been in Equestria for far too long already, and the necessity of a more permanent residence meant it was likely they would be there for much longer still. The thought tainted her gratitude with an undercurrent of resentment.

It felt like defeat.

Groaning, she laid back down with a soft wumph and closed her eyes, but to no avail - her mind buzzed with worries she thought she had learned how to shelve. Though it would be hours yet before Celestia raised the sun, Scarlet climbed out of bed and stretched.

Reaching out with her magic, she lifted a long strip of red fabric from an otherwise empty clothing rack and quickly wove it into her mane, tying it into her signature bow. In hindsight, she might have done better to find a hairbrush first, but she wasn't of a mind to care at the moment.

Slowly, she made her way down the spiral staircase, across the hallway rug (so as not to wake her pegasus companion with the clip-clop of her hooves on the hardwood), and down another flight to the ground floor. Resigned to an unwittingly early start, her efforts in the kitchen soon filled the room with the distinct aroma of a fresh pot of coffee.

It was going to be a long day.

*******

"Good morning, Scarlet!"

Twilight smiled as her friend entered the library.

"Good..." Scarlet's reply was interrupted by a rather drawn-out yawn. "...Good morning, Twilight."

Her smile quickly inverting into a frown, Twilight closed the book in front of her and stood up. "Is everything alright?"

"Hm?" Scarlet took a seat opposite Twilight, used her magic to grab a nearby book, and plopped it open on the table in front of her. "Do you have reason to believe otherwise?"

"Yes, I do." Twilight leaned forward, folding her forelegs on the table. "This is the third day in a row you've shown up looking exhausted. You haven't brushed your mane, and your ribbon is crooked."

Scarlet's eyes widened. "Ah, er... is it?"

Twilight magically grasped the fabric of Scarlet's ribbon. A moment of fiddling later, it stood up proudly once more.

Scarlet patted it with a hoof. "Thank you."

"But back to the point..." Twilight sat back down. "This isn't like you. Are you not sleeping well? Is..." She raised a hoof to her muzzle in thought. "Is there something wrong with the house? We double- and triple-checked to make sure it passed inspection, so..."

"No, nothing of the sort!" Scarlet shook her head, perhaps a bit more vigorously than she had intended; a wave of mild dizziness struck her as she stopped.

"Then what is it? Did something - " Twilight gasped. "Discord!"

Scarlet blinked. "Er?"

A lavender glow enveloped Twilight's horn, but for a moment, Scarlet couldn't tell what she was doing... until she realized that an identical glow now surrounded her as well.

After a moment, the spell ended.

Twilight sighed. "No, there's no trace of chaos magic on you." She fixed Scarlet with a gentle stare. "But then, you never actually told me what happened to you in the maze..."

That was by design, of course. The memory was still too heavy in her heart; she hadn't even told Tank or Waterwing. Scarlet stayed silent and turned away in the vain hope that Twilight would drop the matter.

"Scarlet," Twilight began, "if whatever happened to you back there is keeping you up at night, then please, talk to me! I'm your friend, and I'm always here to help."

There it was.

"I appreciate the offer," said Scarlet, "but I could ask no more of you than I already do. Please, think nothing of it."

"Don't think of it that way," insisted Twilight. "I want to help. I can't stand seeing you like this."

Scarlet swallowed hard. Her voice shook a little, her words slower and more deliberate. "I promise I will be fine. I would rather not discuss the matter."

Twilight bit her lip. "But if it's affecting you this much, we have to do something! Maybe I can - "

"Twilight, please...!"

In an instant, she knew she had pushed too hard. Tears poured down Scarlet's muzzle as she stared at Twilight, her eyes full of... well, tears, but from what? It was like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle, but somepony had glued some of the pieces together the wrong way.

"I..." Scarlet did a poor job of wiping the tears from her face with her foreleg. "I should - I need to go."

Before Twilight could object, Scarlet whirled around and bolted for the door, slamming it shut behind her as she went.

"..."

A diminutive pair of feet marched down the stairs, carrying a small purple dragon with them.

"Twilight? What's going on?" Spike didn't stop until he was by Twilight's side. "Is everything okay?"

Twilight trembled. "No, Spike." She took a deep breath. "Something is very, very not okay."

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