#if y'all are interested in more DnD stuff i can also put some of my campaign stuff on there.

[ravenmoodle]

I have created the THING.

This is mostly for animation work, since working on animation takes foreeever. that way I can post updates on that without clogging up everything else.

There's already a decent amount of things on there, Polls, comics, gifs, AND there's some public stuff too- so check that out!

Just a couple simple tiers for now, but If we get enough supports I've many ideas of ways to expand in the future! The more support I get, the more I'll be able to add cool stuff! I have a ton planned already, so lets get there and see what we can do!

cheers, thank, ilu.

[infiniteanalemma]

Nobility in Baldur's Gate

Edited to add: I never expected my silly, niche post to get as much attention as it has! I'm giving you all forehead smooches! 😚💋 I've gone through to clean up some things up as I've found new information. I also added a list of nobility that I've found in game and other sources to the end of the post. Thanks, y'all! I'm glad I'm not the only one to wonder about this stuff. Good stuff in the reblogs, too!

Baldur's Gate has dug itself deep in my brain, so I apologize to my poor mutuals who didn't follow me for BG3 content getting this onslaught of posts. Please bear with me until my hyperfixation wears off. 🙏

Now, I'll admit up front that I'm no expert in DnD lore*, so if I get things wrong, please feel free to correct me or just add in stuff I may have missed. I'm going off of what I've found in-game and my Google Fu skills.

That said, I do know enough about DnD to remember that Baldur's Gate nobility are called patriars, and that there are only a relative handful of actual patriar families. I was thinking about my "canon" Tav, Velassa, and her background in BG3. She's a modified OC that I plunked in-game during Early Access, so I made her a noble. It was just part of her existing character that I didn't think too deeply about. It was only after I starting playing that it occurred to me to wonder what exactly "a noble" is to a native Baldurian.

That got me digging a little more into the current state of the Baldurian nobility as of BG3. I don't know who--if anyone--needs or wants this, but I put this together for myself and decided to share it for anyone else who might be interested. I realize that this is probably pretty niche and it's rambly and long af, so I'll put it under a cut.

So, for starters, here's a list of all the patriar families, including "fallen" houses that are barely hanging on: Belt, Bormul, Caldwell, Dlusker, Durinbold, Eltan, Eomane, Exeltis, Gist, Guthmere, Hhune, Hlath, Hullhollyn, Irlentree, Jannath, Jhasso, Linnacker, Miyar, Nurthammas, Oathoon, Oberon, Portyr, Provoss, Ravenshade, Rillyn, Sashenstar, Shattershield, Silvershield, Tillerturn, Vammas, Vannath, Vanthampur, and Whitburn

From what I've gathered, Exeltis, Provoss and Ravenshade are all more-or-less destitute. Also, the Szarr family (Cazador's family) were patriars, but were believed to be entirely wiped out. No living descendants makes them a dead house, rather literally. 😏 (No, I'm not sorry.)

Now, we learn that Wyll's father is Ulder Ravengard, the Grand Duke. This brings us to the first point: There are four Dukes, known as the Council of Four, and the Grand Duke's job is to be the tie-breaker.

Traditionally, one of the Dukes is also the highest ranked officer of the Flaming Fist--that's Ravengard, who was a Fist promoted up through the ranks. Wyll tells us that his father was born lower class, and quite a few of the patriars seem to scorn him for that. The other Dukes are Belynne Stelmane, Dillard Portyr (more on him later) and Thalamra Vanthampur (more on her later, too). Of the four, two are patriars: Portyr and Vanthampur. We don't know much about Stelmane's past, except that she was a brilliant businesswoman, politician and--as we find out later--member of the Knights of the Shield. Apparently, you can't buy your way into the patriars, but maybe you can buy your way into being a Duke.

Skipping ahead a bit, when the player shows up to Gortash's coronation, there are a group of mostly patriars sitting in the boxes leading up to the front of the room. I'm listing them by seating arrangement, with box 1 and 2 being the left and right closest to Gortash, and 3 and 4 being farthest. (I don't know what, if anything, the seating arrangements imply. The second box has eight people, compared to four for all the rest.)

Lady Ailis Belt, Baron Callem Bormul, Lord Rugger Shattershield**, and Lady Alia Durinbold**

Lady Ruth Linnacker, Lord Sarken Eomane, Lady Freida Oberon, Lord Raylen Jannath, Lord Myer Ravenshade**, Lady Madeline Whitburn, Lady Beatrice Provoss, and Duke Dillard Portyr

Lady Winstra Hullhollyn, Admiral Peil Hullhollyn, Lord Randolph Vammas, and Lady Eshvelt Guthmere

Lord Milon Tillerturn, Lady Silifrey Sashenstar, Lord Petric Amber**, and Lady Haeril Birch**

Here's some pictures of the nobles sitting together. (Sorry for the terrible quality! I slapped it together for my own reference. 🙈)

The characters marked by ** aren't human, which is interesting because the information I found said all the patriar familes are human except the Shattershields. Myer Ravenshade is listed as human if you examine him, but he has a dwarf model. That might be a mistake, but I'm including him anyway. Alia Durinbold, from a presumably human patriar family, is a wood elf. Again, this could be a mistake, but unless Larian winds up changing it, it could mean that interracial marriages that once may have been looked down on are now becoming more acceptable. Petric Amber is also a wood elf, and Haeril Birch is a high elf.

Those last two are interesting because they are the only ones in the boxes who aren't patriars. If not for them, I'd have assumed the coronation was simply a demonstration for the patriars alone. Their inclusion means this is something else.

Digging around, my conclusion is that all the listed people are members of the Parliament of Peers--a 50 person advisory party to the Council of Four. However, what I found says that it's pretty rare for all 50 to attend meetings, and the usual group is between 20-30. There are exactly 20 named individuals listed, plus a group of unnamed "patriars" standing at the front.

Here they are, for what it's worth:

One thing I noticed here is that most of those listed here are Lord/Lady, but there are three other titles: Duke, Baron and Admiral. I've already talked about the Dukes. Looking into the patriars, the Hullhollyn family are notable for having a fleet of ships, so it makes sense that one of them would be an Admiral. That leaves the Baron.

I couldn't find anything about what it means to be a baron in Baldur's Gate. Going on real-world peerages, a baron/ess is generally the lowest "rank" of nobility. Basically, it's someone who was an official landowner (usually of an "important" bit of land) under the feudal system. Well and good, I suppose, but presumably all the Lords and Ladies of the patriars own land within the city. This particular Baron is also a patriar, but given that one doesn't need to be a patriar to become a Duke (normally a higher peer than a baron), that may not mean anything.

(Apparently, the term "Duke" was originally meant somewhat jokingly. That said, it still carries the weight of a title even if not the conventional one.) We don't see any other titles between Duke and Baron, so what does that mean?

This isn't canon, but my assumption is that it means the Baron owns important land outside of the city. This would make sense for Baron Bormul, given that the Bormul family apparently have investments in silver mines and vineyards. Assuming they own the mines/vineyards, that may make those lands "important" enough to the city for their owner to earn a title. Alternately, the Bormul family also has counterparts in Amn, so maybe baron is an Amnian title that got passed along. That's getting a bit far afield for me, though. 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, among the group at the coronation, pretty much everyone supports Gortash becoming Archduke, with the exception of Lady Sashenstar (an old woman who really isn't too impressed with this commoner) and Duke Portyr, who expresses some hesitation at the whole thing.

Duke Portyr is interesting here. Except for Ravengard (who is thralled and conducting the ceremony), Portyr is the only Duke present. Now, Stelmane is already dead, so that explains her absence. Vanthampur is also missing, which is interesting. Portyr first, though: he was Grand Duke before Ravengard. He's the one who re-instituted (Edited: and originally created!) the Parliament of Peers to make the day-to-day decisions of running the city, and ceded the title of Grand Duke to Ravengard. He's described as being conflict-averse, so it makes sense that he'd go along with Gortash's coronation, even though he's clearly unhappy about it. Also, the current leader of the Fists is also a Portyr, likely still Liara Portyr, the Duke's niece and Ravengard's second-in-command.

Thalamra Vanthampur is an interesting character, too. She's the head of the Vanthampur family, and part of the Descent into Avernus story. Apparently, she's the one who got Ravengard to go to Elturel before it sank to the Hells, intending to take his place as Grand Duke. From what I read, she also conspired with the Dead Three's cults to murder people in a bid to discredit the Flaming Fist. (The murdery bits were undoubtedly left to Bhaal's cult.) We never do find out anything about Thalamra Vanthampur in this game (I assume that's probably cut content). (Edited: She is mentioned in one of the in-game texts as having been killed, which was one of the possible outcomes of Descent into Avernus. Larian chose that as their canon, just like the fate of Elturel and Zariel.)

The only Vanthampur we do meet is Carnelia Vanthampur, who is in the Guildhall and describes herself as "a peer of the Parliament". She's willing to work with either the Guild or the Zhentarim. Nervously of course. Also interesting is that, on the Bloodstained Parchment hit list, is a Varri Vanthampur, whose gravestone you can find in Candulhallow's Tombstones shop, reading: "Varri Vanthampur. Unwanted in life, welcomed in death."

Interesting, hm?

Also on that hit list is Fridrik Hhune. The Hhunes apparently have links to the Knights of the Shield, from what I looked up--the same group the Emperor led with Stelmane. The only Hhunes we meet in-game are Blaise and Gheris Hhune, two of the werewolves in Cazador's ballroom who are brothers according to the dev notes. With them is another werewolf of a different patriar family, Duver Rillyn. This suggests Cazador has been going after members of patriar families, which sort of fits with what we know about his plans. We really don't find anything else out about them except that they consider Cazador to be their master and Astarion says they're new.

We also can talk to a Flaming Fist who mentions that Hurlbut Hhune is the father of Henrietta Hhune, who used to be secretly engaged to the Fist in question, only for her father to decide to arrange her to marry fellow patriar Derque Rillyn, who the Fist describes as "a major arsehole."

That conversation is interesting for a few reasons. For one, it tells you that arranged marriages within the patriar are a thing. Also, this Fist is a Manip (essentially a Sergeant) who can't ask the other Fists for help because "the Fists don't mess with wealthy patriars, they've got the Watch to back them up." That's aligned with what Devella can also tell you: "There are patriars on the murder target list. I'm oathbound to secure them first, so I'll be heading to the Upper City next." If you say that the Fist should protect everyone: "Not from around here, are you? We're in Baldur's Gate - this is just how things work."

This brings me back to my original issue: what is a Baldurian noble? The patriars are canonically nobles, of course, and they're undoubtedly seen as the "most important" of the nobility. From there, it's not much of a stretch to say that anyone who has earned the title of Duke is now a noble, even if they aren't patriars. I'd go so far as to say anyone on the Parliament of Peers (and their family by association) is a noble^, given that non-patriars Petric Amber and Haeril Birch are considered Lord and Lady. The information I found about that is that there are approximately twelve non-patriar members. If Amber and Birch are two of them, that leaves another unnamed 10.

^Edited: Looking at the dates, I realized that the Parliament of Peers is a very recent change to Baldurian governance. Duke Portyr originally created it after the three other Dukes on the Council of Four were assassinated. It was clearly meant as a temporary measure, but my guess is that the patriars liked having more official say. Not to mention the non-patriars who managed to get a seat. This has all happened within even the youngest of Tav/Urges' lifetimes.

Personally, I'd also assume that branch families of the patriars probably also count as nobility. By branch family, I mean those that marry out of the main line but whose ancestry stems from a patriar family. From what I've seen by naming conventions, Baldur's Gate seems to use patronmyic lineage--ancestry is generally passed to the sons, and wives take their husband's surname. So, if a daughter marries out of the family, she'd no longer be a part of her father's family lineage, but still would be considered nobility. These branch families likely still maintain powerful influence and connections from marrying into wealth, which would make them a good political/financial choice of marriage alliance, despite no longer having the main branch patriar family name. These families are also probably the ones most likely to find a place on the Parliament, too, but likely have to jockey for position if their "representative" dies (or otherwise leaves) and a new opening in the Parliament is created.

If you've read this far, as a treat you can have some crappy close-up portraits of the nobles at Gortash's coronation, grouped together in their respective boxes. 😚

* For what it's worth, I'd count myself as a casual DnD player. I have some knowledge of DnD--I've played BG1 and 2, Planescape: Torment, along with some general cultural osmosis. I've had friends who played the tabletop version, but for one reason or another, I've never played it myself.

[scribe-of-stories]

Get to Know Your Moots Writeblr Interview

Was poked by the wonderful co-writers of Sunset @sunset-a-story and @touloserlautrec. Go read their posts here and here!

On the Tumblr Writing Community

How long have you had your writing Tumblr/Writeblr? A short eternity (first post is mid 2022)

What led you to create it? Was very bored at work and wanted to share some recent stories. Also I had never tried social media before, it this looked like the most interesting place to try it.

What’s your favorite thing about the Writeblr community? Getting to see other people's imagination unfiltered. I've read plenty of great works before, but it was definitely an entertaining first to see the author later publicly say "this is my favorite little guy, can't wait till the next time he suffers."

What’s one thing you’d like your mutuals to know about you? I constantly feel like I'm bothering people and or feel self conscious when talking about me/my stuff, so bare with me hah.

Is there anything you’d like to see more of on your dash? Just some really unhinged stuff about y'alls stories. I want to open my phone and see someone discussing the seven major heresies dictated by some cabal of priests only to later realize "oh, this is someone's fever dream, not a history lesson".

What tips/advice do you have for someone who made a Writeblr today? Interact more, take up the offer of "open tags" on other people's posts. Also throw your ideas onto the table for other's to look at, we all seem to love just watching someone go off about something they love.

WIP it Good

Which Works-in-Progress (WIPs) or writing projects are you noodling about, lately? Been in a bit of a writing drought. Lexical is always getting worked on, more so the TTRPG stuff than any story right now though. I've had a few projects pop into my mind and leave over the past while. Have a cluster of characters I can't get out of my head, but no narrative or setting to properly put them into. A god of violence and the man that cut her out of himself, a cultish vampire philosopher and his favorite little guy (little guy has a knife). Surely something will come of this, or they'll continue to just exist in one-off stories in my own head. Amber Hill, specifically The Lawman, is still somewhere in here but it's been struggling to come out for a while. Been trying to find Lars' voice as a POV character.

How long have you been working on them? I've been working on something based in Lexical since mid 2022 (huh, exactly around I first posted here); the other guys are new and only a few months old at most.

Do you remember what inspired them/what got you started? Lexical is a can of worms. The short answer is that my irl DnD group wanted to play something more free form and creative leaning than what our 5e campaign was allowing, so I said fuck it and started homebrewing a system based in a world I have vague ideas about. The long answer is that Lexical is a sequel to a Pathfinder campaign titled "Demis", which was about fantasy super heroes. It was heavily inspired by My Hero, Worm, and inescapably Homestuck. So when it came time to make a whole new system for these same players I took some concepts that worked in Demis, applied some occult-adjacent philosophy I was/am into, and ended up with my years long passion project. Atem and Sadaf were born out of my growing need to explore violence as a concept, philosophy, and inescapable existential crisis. The Vampire and his thrall Ish spawned out of a desire to have a toxic romance to think about. And AmberHill was inspired by a desire to create something cozy and occulty. Ended up being SCP adjacent but maintained the idea of a small community that cares about itself.

How much time, in your best estimation, do you spend thinking about them? Lexical- not enough, I'm lucky I have at least some productive thoughts throughout the day. Atem- too much, his tired ass sat down in my head and I've been too polite to ask him to leave.

When someone asks the dreaded, “What do you write about,” question, what do you usually say? "Urban Fantasy with science fiction elements"

What do you want to say (if it’s different from what you do say)? "My dissertation on the semi-real building blocks of both physical and social reality, also wizards punching people."

Let’s Rotate Blorbos

Name any characters you created. We've got the original Lexical boy Samuel Smith, Atem and Sadaf who you've already heard of, Lars DuPont from Amberhill.

Who’s the most unhinged? Sadaf.

Who comes the most naturally for you to write? For whatever reason Samuel's self-loathing PI perspective just comes very natural and is maybe someone I should write more about.

Do you ever cringe at them? Nah

How much control do you feel you have over your characters? Depends, my mind does not wonder so much that I don't feel like I am ever not in control. But who I am able to focus on tends to be a matter of debate.

Do you enjoy people asking questions about your characters? Yes absolutely. Characters, worlds, magic systems; I'll rant about any of them given the chance.

On Writeblr Engagement

What makes you want to follow another Writeblr account? A combination of preferred genre (urban fantasy), shared interest (books/games/table top). Also if they have Scribe as part of their name it's just an auto follow.

Do your mutuals’ characters occupy space in your noodle? There's a few. The telepaths from Sunset and their many ways of being terrifying are the first that come to mind. Since I already mentioned the scribes I'll go ahead and tag @scribe-cas , @covenscribe and leave the rest of the tag open. Here is an empty template

[gracelikesfries]

Tag ppl you wanna know betteeer

Tagged by: @dudettastone, a person I don't know at all actually, I don't know why you tagged me in this

Last song: "Not Strong Enough" by boygenius. I was listening to a playlist for one of my DND characters on my way home, and that song was written for Sunny Regalo exclusively.

Favorite Color: Earthy greens! Darker than the pic below is good too.

Currently Watching: Twin Peaks: The Return; currently I'm 13/18ths of the way there. I also started watching Adventure Time recently, and I was watching LOST this summer but got distracted. I'm thinking about doing a Succession re-watch soon.

Last Movie: I'm trying to watch every Wes Anderson movie in order by renting them from my local library, and I'm more than halfway done! So, my most recent in that regard is Moonrise Kingdom, which was quite fun. Non-Wes, I watched the Favourite recently and holy shit, that's an absolutely incredible film.

Currently Reading:

Non-fiction - I'm currently reading On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, which is a book of prose by incredible lesbian Adrienne Rich. I'm studying for my gender comprehensive next week, so as some last minute prep, I've been reading through a bunch of articles by sociologists who study gender as a macro-level social structure; I've worked through Cecilia Ridgeway and Joan Acker, and will hopefully start reading some more Barbara Risman tonight. I'm also have some works from Raewyn Connell lined up to read on hegemonic masculinity and patriarchy, and I'm very excited to give that another glance.

Fiction - Just finished a re-read of Harrow the Ninth this afternoon! Gonna start a Nona re-read, hopefully on audiobook. I have been very slowly making my way through A Feast for Crows, which honestly has been a great book to pick up and put down. I also have a copy of The Bluest Eye checked out from the library, but I don't think I'll get to it before it's due :(

Sweet/spicy/savory: Sweet, with savory as a close second. Unfortunately, I am a bitch with spice.

Relationship status: You know how in middle school, you used to change your Facebook relationship status to "it's complicated" when you wanted people to gossip about you and think you were interesting? I'm there, except if anyone talks about me I'll start crying

Current Obsessions: I'm finally setting down from an obsession with The Last Of Us that comes and goes; I'm sure it will be back when I sit down and finally play the second game. Some of my friends are reading The Locked Tomb series, so Harrow brainrot has returned in full force. I'm in the middle of a continual Sufjan Stevens obsession, and am slowly making my way through all of his music; I just got his new record on Vinyl! I'm hoping some of my crafting obsessions come back, I miss it, and desperately need to finish crocheting a blanket. Overall, my brain is in exam mode, unfortunately.

Last googled: "Earthy Greens." Y'all aren't being honest - you saying you had that picture of a color on your computer? (Also, "when are PA bar results released" and "obama soup tumblr")

Currently working on: Passing my comprehensive exam (on GENDER of all things) and not failing out of graduate school. I'm doing great, of course. Also, eating consistently. Also, being a better friend :)

okay I'm tagging @lily-patent-pending because we have been active mutuals for a hot sec but I don't know you and would love to be friends :) also @criticalrolo (@criticalrolo-main) because you like stuff like this where you can talk about DND, and people will actually read yours hahaha

[kats-chaotic-wonderland]

Alright, I finally got a whole ass day off with no obligations!! Plus I am in a writing and drawing mood! So we're gonna work on shit!

Schedule and some updates under the cut. Read if you follow any of my fics.

Todays schedule:

Set some UB funkey orders to cast

Make a mouse mold

Maybe eat something we'll see

Work on Clone Adoption Agency chapter 6

Get chapter 2 of the Sylvanas fic up

Get the other character arts for the Sylvanas fic done

Finish the first batch of clone acrylic blind bags arts and hopefully get the proofs ordered

Start getting my sith lesbians fic edited, hopefully post the first chapter

Practice sewing some isopods for dice bags

Finish the ref sheet for my elemental OCs

Maybe work on the master post for my Warhammer fics.

Take some photos of my painted minis so y'all can see my unhinged work

Finish a few sorted fan arts and OC redesigns

And hopefully get all of this done before I have to get to sleep at 2am.

So as not to overwhelm people I may set a lot of this up to queue. That way I can get mini photos out without just flooding people who don't care. I have a lot of Warhammer and DND minis to get through. But with fics I'll post them ASAP so people can get a chance to read them.

I will also have a few polls up this week. I'm trying to put some standees, pins, and keychains in my shop and I want to see what people are more interested it. Some are Wow related, some is clone wars, a few niche anime characters who don't have any merch, and some other niche stuff. I'll have posts up for that between getting other things done.

For those of you waiting on fics, I apologize for the sudden delay. My new job took a while to settle into a comfortable schedule. But Wednesdays will probably be my consistent writing and work day from here on. So expect updates to be scattered around Thursday-Saturday.

As always with any of my work, I encourage comments and suggestions. I'm always happy to add other stuff to my queue. Please remember my ask box is always open and I am happy to chat while I work!

[interact-if]

Umm hi 👉👈 I realized that most of the asks you guys get are about games and rec lists. You guys deserve so much recognition for the work you put in this blog, so I wanted to ask if I can do a little get-to-know-the-mods thing? If that's okay!

1. Besides writing, what are your hobbies?

2. Do you have a niche interest right now?

3. Any fave songs/artists/bands?

4. Any fave movies/tv shows?

5. On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you survive in your wip's world?

You can totally ignore this if you guys want, no pressure. Anyway, much love to all the interact-if mods! You guys are incredible! ❤

We saw this ask and we went 👀 👀 👀 so we’re happy to answer! Thank you so much for the fun ask!

 We also rated our survivability in all of our collective games, since Mars isn't an author! Fun stuff! Spoilers, though: it’s really not looking so great for me (Dani) but that’s fine!!!  😌

1. I’m a photographer as well as a graphic artist (but not like. A painter/drawer kind of artist!) and, on a general level, a maker and a tinkerer!

2. Fountain pens! I only write with ink, and only with fountain pens, and I use bottled inks/converters!

3. I’m pretty eclectic with music, but my top genres are alt rock, indie, indie pop, etc, as well as top 40s and some rap.

4. I feel like this is the hardest one for me to answer? Favorite movies/shows? Avatar: the Last Airbender has been a favorite show of mine since I was a little kid, but I have a harder time thinking of shows I would call a favorite in recent years. There are shows I’ve liked, and a lot of shows I’ve watched. But I’m picky! And demanding! It takes a lot to earn a place in Dani’s Trophy Case of Favorites. 😌 I would say I quite liked A Quite Place (movie), and I liked Us (movie). When it comes to TV shows, I have a hard time being pleased with them if they don’t end well. As a result, I have a penchant for a good limited series/miniseries (because they’re stories that have an end in mind and the plot reflects that, dagnabbit).

5. Heh. Okay.

In The Goodfellows? I think I stand I chance. I can exercise my sparkling wit and lovable personality to the best effect. I’m gonna give myself an 8/10 survivability rating. Even if I don’t have the right skills, I can go crying to the person who does and they’ll save me. Maybe.

In Creatures’ Cradle? I’m super $**!%d. 😌 1/10 survivability rating. And that 1 is me being nice to myself. The day the apocalypse breaks out I would probably be patient 0. I am self-aware. I would not do well in an apocalypse. Zombies care not for aforementioned sparkling wit and lovable personality, and I have all the muscle of a boiled spaghetti noodle. So it’s a no go.

Greater Than Gods (Cruz): Well. I’m going to be optimistic. And say that I have the wisdom not to do things I shouldn’t do and not to rock boats I shouldn’t rock. I’m going to give myself a 7/10 based on insider information, but also based on reckless optimism!

Vardir (Cruz): Cruz says this is a lighthearted game, so 10/10 LOL.

When it Hungers (Roast): I’m giving myself a nice, mediocre 5/10. I think I could put my mind to work here; I joke that I’m the village idiot, but I’m actually pretty smart! Unfortunately, I’m also curious, and maybe a little bad with authorities who won’t answer my questions. So I knocked off a lot of points due to the fact that I’d probably poke the metaphorical bear. So it’s a real coin flip as to whether I’d really make it or not.

Orthall Bay (Nines): Considering the genre is “horror” and the game intro includes the words “monster” and “maim,” I’m giving myself a whooping, enthusiastic 3/10. Yes, folks, I am that confident in myself! Once again, I can’t charm the socks off a monster (or can I?), so one of my greatest weapons is snatched from beneath my feet. Alas!

1. Beloved I’m a college student in the middle of a pandemic... i can hardly even write LOL i do draw at times which u can see in my personal blog (nothing too good really) and i used to do karate before things went to shit <3

2. Nothing niche I believe? All I do is leave Netflix as bg noise every day n play popular videgames (genshin)

3. Porter Robinson <3 I love Bea Miller a lot as well but lately I’ve been feeling Porter a lot

4. The Good Place <3

5. My WIPs:

Greater than Gods: Highly situational, the world GtG is set in is as broad as the real world LOL so I don’t have an universal answer. But keeping it vague, and knowing my own personality, I feel like 5/10. depends on my luck.

Vardir: 10/10 no one dies in Vikgade, unless you’re a hunter but I wouldn’t be a hunter <3

Others’ WIPs

I'm gonna give myself a solid 5/10 in all other WIPs because y'all aren't writing lighthearted stories either. I feel like as long as I avoid the role of the MC I will be mostly fine. I hope. But as Dani said I'm also prone to fight the wrong person and dig my own grave so 😌

1. Well, writing is a very, very, very, distant hobby since Words Hard, but I like to crochet and sculpt a little! Anything to do with fiddling with my hands and I’m good to go. And like, debatable but graphic design is my passion [insert clown emoji here since Tumblr said No]

2. Oh yeah a bunch! DnD yelling at people, thinking of arson, crocheting, rock climbing and simply vibing. I got into podcasts a few years ago and I’m always looking for more recs, so if you have some, hmu 😤

3. Pls,,,,my music taste is,,,so weird do not let me expose myself with lack of consistency but uhh. Current songs that are stuck in my head include; Cult of Dionysus , Achilles Come Down and The Last Shanty  

4. If you’ve ever spoken to me before, I probably yelled about Pacific Rim to you or at you. Plus I love all The Mummy films and really enjoyed Castlevania (s3 excluded, we do not perceive that) as well! 

5. Ah, mod survival simulator pt. 3

Alright, let’s go!  I don’t have a WIP because again, words hard, but like, considering how feral I am when not tryna seem professional hm... 

The Goodfellows: I wanna say a solid 7/10 because I’d hardcore vibe with the Traveler and probably instigate so much nonsense. I can also bribe with blueberry cake so maybe. 

Creature’s Cradle: maybe a 4/10 and only because of pure spite keeping me alive long enough to smack someone. I’ve prepared for hypothetical  zombie apolcapyses and I won’t hesitate to bap, but will be bapped back because I’m weak as hell. 

Greater Than Gods: a toss up between 2/10 and 7/10! I can vibe and be chill but I also have terrible impulse control so... 

Vardir: hm....I think pretty good survival rates all around? If you ask me to fight then like, okay sure, your knees are mine. So maybe a 8/10? 

When it Hungers: .......8/10 just because I’d refuse to die if I can be a cool creature. Living for the aesthetic can and will drag me outta hell. But I’m also clumsy as hell so I’d probably crash as a porcelain or hold a rooster and perish (aka, real rating is a good 3/10) 

Orthall Bay: 2/10, nope. Nope I’d be taken out in a heartbeat. Monsters can go pspsps and I’d head straight into the dark creepy forest like a fool if someone comes @ me. Half the time I’ll just assume it’s sfx makeup and vibe until it’s too late. 

god, never put me in a universe where I cannot squawk like a bird and throw pebbles from a window. Oof

Anon, you're so sweet! I give you a forehead smoomch <333 As for your questions...

1. If I'm not writing, I'm usually watching video essays on Youtube. My go-to channels as of right now is Disrupt and Aperture! I just really like their videos. Aside from that, I recently got into podcasts. Currently going through Hello From The Hallowoods and Shelter and Warning, which are made by queer creators!

2. Oh oof, there's quite a bit so I'm just gonna put down one thing. For some reason, I really got into collecting tiny astronaut things? I recently bought this astronaut desk light, and I've got a package coming in for the miniatures I ordered. No purpose for them other than I think they're neat <3

3. I'm a bit private with my music taste (even tho I have Spotify connected on Discord lmao), but there's 5 songs that I'm currently obsessed with. I keep replaying them over and over again. Just squeezing all the serotonin I could get outta them.

4. I can't really say I have a fave TV show or movie because I can't really just pick one, but my current fave is 9-1-1 and Resident Alien. 9-1-1 because I just really love the found-family dynamics and how the show tackles sensitive topics, and Resident Alien because it's lighthearted comedy. My all-time fave movie is Flipped! I have the book too and I like rereading from time to time <3

5. You're in for a doozy, anon, because we're rating each other's games <333

The Goodfellows: 7/10

Listen. Shenanigans with the Traveler. I would get up to so many of them and that is what'll get me possibly bodied, not the actual environment itself <3

Greater than Gods: 7/10

I like to think I have enough common sense to uhhh not recklessly flip stones that should not be flipped <3 I'm a cautious and skeptic person irl so I think I'll hold up well? Then again, it's a vast environment change and while I can adapt pretty quick, I wouldn't like the lack of control in the unknown.

Vardir: 10/10

Going off what Cruz said, Vardir is lighthearted and focused on personal growth so I think I'll be okay! Self-growth here I come, babey!

Creatures' Cradle: 8/10

Maybe I'm overestimating myself, but I think I'll be able to survive in a supernatural post-apocalyptic world! Ah, but it depends on the motivation though. I like the idea of rebuilding communities and eventually societies, but the survival turmoil would be a constant battle I'd have to overcome. If we're talking survival itself though, I think I'll do well.

When it Hungers: 8/10

That's probably my wishful thinking but I think I'll be fine. Maybe. Possibly. Don't like the idea of being regulated by an organization so if I was a non-human creature that could pose a problem but I can roll with it <3

Orthall Bay: 6/10

Assuming I'm not playing as MC, my chances of survival uhhh changes quite drastically. Not enough to guarantee an untimely demise, but certainly enough that it would constantly keep me on my toes. I think that's the safest answer I can get without spoiling anything lmao

Thank you so much for asking! It's super sweet of you <3

1. Too many :'D I knit, I sew, I do carpentry (well, learning), I bake, I'm hammering away at HTML and CSS, my job kind of encourages learning new things and I take that to picking up new hobbies!

2. My time is kind of consumed with school work and work work and WIP work so not a lot of time to pursue niche interests right now. I've been watching a lot of horror game playthroughs, true crime youtubers, and an adorable show on Netflix called the Repair Shop <3

3. My taste in music is "what am I vibing with atm?" I've been listening to a lot of 80's music atm (don't @ me), but also Lo Fang and Kaleo, and whatever spotify recommends me on my discover weekly which is usually complete chaos.

4. I love the Mummy even though it hasn't aged 100% well (I'm a librarian, of course it's one of my gotos LOL), Legally Blonde, Leverage, Jumanji (the original), I'm....very bad at having recent tastes... and very bad at remembering my favorites when asked.

5.

The Goodfellows: I'm a creature of comfort, 5/10 if I can just luxuriate in town and not actually interact with the story sfjkdbsdkf

Creature’s Cradle: I'd like to think I have a 50/50 shot XD 5/10, I want to think I'd be decent at a zombie apocalypse but ultimately would suffer an early fate.

Greater Than Gods: 10/10 if I'm just vibing, less so if I'm involved in the actual story XD

Vardir: I'd still suffer without technology but I can also knit for a living in this world so I'm down 8/10

When it Hungers: I feel like I could vibe here, there's tech if dated, hot showers, telephones are around by now... might still get bored. 7/10 though it'd be cool to be another creature....I should make a 'what creature of snv are you' quiz!

Orthall Bay: 7/10 idk I feel like after the first monster of the week I'd just skip town XDDDD I'm the worst protagonist, I see danger I just leave.

[cynical-amphisbaenia]

Uh, hi? I'm sorry if I'm sending a ton of asks. I accidentally sent an unfinished one and didn't know there was a character limit?? Like I typed a lot on one and it never had a limit so I'm not sure if it's like a mobile vs desktop thing? I'm really bad at Tumblr lol. Uh anyway, my interests are almost entirely dnd and art. I mostly run games for my friends and do world building or plot stuff. When I actually play I always struggle between wanting to play something useful but then get upset when I get brushed off as "not a damage dealer" like yeah I can heal you 30 HP with a 1st level spell but I'm doing 4d8 minimum damage a round. I know basically every ability in the game and usualy use that understanding to work around my allies and make it so they can work as effectively as possible. But I feel like helping them be the best they can be takes away from me and makes it look like I'm not actually contrabuting? Like noticing that I'm the reason y'all are attacking more often would be cool. When I do play damage dealers I have a lot of fun at first bit get annoyed at their lack of non combative abilitys and uses. I'm a very talkative player and like to poke and prod everything and try to advance the plot or keep people on track. I tend to absorb as much information as I can about topics that interest me or just ammuse me so I can spout off that information at random or help people apply that information to whatever (like me the DM, telling my players how to make their characters even stronger without realizing I have to deal with them) I really enjoy art and I dabble in photography? I think my abilitys with photography are more of a natural inclination towards taking good photos more than actually knowing anything about photography? I was one of my photo teachers favorites even though I just winged everything and pretended I knew what I was doing. I do that a lot. Acting like I know what I'm doing just because it makes things easier when I have to put up with other people involving it. I'm a big fan of cryptids and I've been meaning to just do a deep dive and learn every tidbit I can but I haven't yet. Estheticaly I'm very drawn to crowns. I just adore them for some reason and I always have. When I took my friends senior photos he payed me by taking me to spirit Halloween and buying me a crown. I joke about it being my thinking crown and like to wear it while I work. A reoccurring thing that pops up in my life is bees? They're just a part of my personality at this point. I love those lil guys (did you know they can smell fear and do math?) Something I just remembered about myself is that I'm capable of beliving two entirely contradictory things. Like tarot? It's nonsense. But also it's literally never been wrong so I guess it's not? Same with how I feel guilty taking on any "main character" role in games but constantly joke about being all powerful and a being a book or cartoon character that I'm pretty sure I'm slowly trucking myself into genuinely seeing myself as a powerful entity. I'm really good at noticing patterns in the way people act and why they act the way they do and most of the time I just use that knowledge to "win" debates or whatever they just try to argue towards me. By win I mean I just intentionally misconstrued what they're saying to annoy them until they leave me alone (like "fuck you!" "No thanks I'm not interested") a lot of what I do is motivated by how funny I think I would be. Like tricking myself into kinning vriska? Hilarious. Getting into Homestuck so I can annoy my friends with useless trivia? Wonderful. Making my super friendly flower cleric and nicest character I've ever made also a raging anarchist and overthrowing two governments and killing a god through the power of friendship? God tier funny (in my eyes). I do a lot of things just so I can have a story to tell later (like killing the god) uh I think I've rambled for a while so I'm just gonna send this?

No worries about all the asks! I just want to say in advance that I really hope I don't confuse you further, but here's what I can figure out based on the information you've given me:

Your aspect is definitely Light. This is the clearest I've ever been able to determine someone's aspect so I don't think you need to doubt that. So much about Light is important to you - information/knowledge, your approach to stories, your focus on roles in reality (even if it’s fictional dnd reality). 

However, I don’t think you’re a Rogue. The classes I suggest you consider are Maid, Witch and Knight.

Maid might describe your relationship to wanting to be acknowledged as a contributor, but often being ignored. It would also explain why you constantly create Light for others, but desire to sometimes take on those roles yourself. You also appear to create situations for yourself to then create Light in the form of stories, as well as creating Light through plot/worldbuilding.

Witch is an option as you do sometimes appear to manipulate Light - intentionally misconstruing what people say, slowly changing reality by doing things because they’re funny, and using your knowledge to change things for your teammates. Poking and prodding at the plot is a very Witch-like trait. Witches also tend to be confident with their aspect. 

Finally, Knight might explain why you think you’re redistributing Light - perhaps you’re serving it instead. You do tend to use Light as both a weapon and to protect others when playing dnd. Joking about being a powerful entity and pretending you know how to do photography are both very Knight-like traits. However, Knights tend to only pretend to be confident in their aspect which might not suit you if you truly are confident with Light. 

I know I just gave you three new classes to consider! Probably not very helpful, sorry. Though with your own knowledge of classpects, you might be able to easily dismiss some of these yourself. Of course, my general advice is which do you feel you do more often - create, change or serve? Maybe there’s particular roles in dnd that you’re drawn to which would line up with one of these. 

Well, I really hope I’ve helped somewhat rather than confusing you more, but feel free to keep sending me asks if you need help narrowing it down. I’m sure you’ll figure out your classpect though, don’t worry. ^^

[creativeskullcreations]

Chapter 10: A Real Guilty Feeling

Hey everybody, here's chapter 10! But, unfortunately, it'll be the last chapter you see for a while. I need to take a break from writing for a while, do something else and recharge a bit. Maybe also knock out some drawings too while I'm at it.

Current timeline is looking like this: Couple of weeks without writing, and then maybe build up a bit of a buffer of chapters for <i>Outside</i>. But first, I'll be working on episode 2 of <i>Happy Times at Handeemen HQ</i>. Y'all are starting to show an interest in that, and I wanna put something new out for it.

If you want to keep updated, or even just see what I'm drawing, you can follow my art Tumblr here. Also check out my YouTube, in case of livestreams or speedpaints!(Am I plugging my own stuff too much?)

Whenever I'm ready to start posting again, I'll make sure to leave an announcement on here.

I'll see y'all later.

When Will got home, he dumped Stacy's stuff and scout on the couch. He then pointed out his locked workroom, and told her that she was never to go in there no matter what. That done, he left her to her own devices, and went off to bed. He took off his shirt and jeans, then crawled under the sheets. The last thing he did before passing out was shoot off a message to the group chat about how DnD Night was canceled until further notice.

When he woke up, far too few hours later, it was to a light weight on his chest. He stared at Scout for a moment, then picked her up and dropped her on the floor, rolling onto his front. He grabbed his phone, squinting at the too bright screen. Several messages were in the chat, and he sighed as he opened it up and scrolled to the top.

Masonary: um, excuse me?! i asked for that day off u can't cancel!!! somebody better be dead! D:<

Blooming_Stitches: Mason, shut up. We don't know what could be going on.

drWEED420: ugh, stacy. I told you to call me.

Masonary: y would stacy need to call u sam?

Masonary: is it because she hacked ur account and changed ur name again?

 drWEED420 has changed their name to DrSamIAm

DrSamIAm: no but it is something we'll going to talk abaout.

Will_and_a_Way: Stace is in the hospital for infected surgery stitches

Blooming_Stitches: I'M SORRY WHAT

Masonry: dude i was joking about som1 being dead

DrSamIAm: goddamit stacy

 DrSamIAm has left the chat We're ALL Idiots Here

Masonry: ok first of all what happened to stacy

Masonry: second who changed the chat name again?

Blooming_Stitches: lol

Will sighed, the went into his phone and pulled up his drop box, where he'd sneaked the file into a while ago. He hesitated briefly, then sent it to the chat. Stacy could be mad at him later, but he was too tired to think up a cover story for her right now.

 Will_and_a_Way posted a file in We're ALL Idiots Here

Masonry: ?

Blooming_Stitches: !

Will_and_a_Way: read that if you guys want to know what happned.

Will_and_a_Way: I'm going back to sleep now try not to kill each other

He clicked his phone off, dropping it to his mattress and letting his head fall on his pillow. Within seconds he was back asleep, completely oblivious to Scout Jumping back on his bed and climbing onto his back. She curled around the small Kirby toy, using it as a pillow as she settled back into sleep herself.

()()()

When Will woke up again, it was to a light weight in the center of his back, right below his shoulder blades. He huffed, glaring at the wall. He took a deep breath, then heaved himself up with all his strength. As predicted, Scout was catapulted off, and he quickly got out of bed, heading to the kitchen.

He made himself some toast, checking his phone on the way. The group chat was mostly just full of the various reactions from Lisa and Mason. Sammy had come back at some point, going on a rant about what Stacy hadn't told him.

He read over the various comments as he  ate, able to tell where they were in the document. Unsurprisingly, Mason finished it first, and Lisa was intent on meeting Scout. Sammy had told her Scout was nothing special, which Will privately agreed with. He finished the back reading and, seeing as nobody was online at the moment, locked his phone again. He picked up his toast and moved into his work room for the time being, deciding to get something done.

It was easy, really, for Will to get lost in his work. Dissecting the "toys" he brought home, taking them apart and recording it in his notes. He was currently working on the body of the head he'd been looking at last night. The brown, fuzzy thing was strapped securely onto the table, the front having been sawed apart and spread open.

He shifted through the innards, making careful, detailed notes about what was in there. He would compare them to the stolen blueprints later, figure out what was supposed to be in there and what wasn't. For now, though, the intention was to make a catalogue of parts.

When his phone alarm finally went off, signalling it was lunch time, he straightened up with a sigh. He pulled off his rubber gloves and, making sure the straps on the table were tight, went out to the kitchen. He made himself a simple sandwich, eating it in the kitchen as he glanced through the group chat. Mason and Lisa were on and currently discussing things, but Sam hadn't been on again since his rant.

He lurked a bit longer after he finished his sandwich, then got up to go back to work. On the way through the living room, he paused when he saw Scout sitting on the couch. She was curled up in the corner, Kirby plush on her lap as she stared at it. Even as a Puppet, he recognized the look on her face as one Stacy had often worn in the first year after her mother had died.

'Why the hell do I feel so bad for that thing?' He sighed, rubbing at his face. Making a snap decision, he went over to his DVD shelf and pulled out The Iron Giant.  He turned on the TV and player, then loaded in the movie, skipping the previews. When he reached the main menu, he selected play and dropped the remote near Scout. He then left, heading back towards the basement and his work.

Scout watched go, staring silently after him as he once again disappeared behind the locked door. She didn't even try to follow him, instead settling in to watch the show he'd turned on. With any luck, it would be violent and/or funny enough to take her mind off of things.

()()()

'That is the saddest shit I have ever seen...' She sniffed, rubbing at her frustratingly dry eyes. 'I can't believe he let himself get blown up like that. What the fuck.' She rubbed at her eyes some more, then tried to figure out how to choose a different show. When she couldn't figure it out, she threw the remote down in frustration. 'Fuck it! Where's Will?'

She Jumped from the couch, heading over to the locked door. She peered in the crack between the door and the floor, but couldn't see anything. She could hear, however, and what she heard were power tools. The sound sent a shock through her system, dredging up unwanted memories of Riley's lab. She drew back, then jumped onto a nearby table when the noise stopped. Thinking quickly, she opened the drawer that was there and tried to pretend that she had been going through it.

Will came out of the room a minute later, wiping his hands with a dirty towel. He glared when he saw what she was "doing". "What the hell are you doing? Get out of there!" It wasn't quite yelling, but his voice was definitely louder than it needed to be. Scout suppressed her fear and scoffed.

"Fine. There wasn't anything but batteries in there anyways." She slammed the drawer closed, feeling a small, petty joy in how the contents rattled around when she did. She watched him cross to his bedroom and, when he'd closed his door, opened the drawer back up in order to snoop for real.

Batteries, keys, some weird plastic clips, and other odds and ends she didn't have words for had been organized neatly in the drawer. Working quickly, she shuffled everything around even more, then shoved a handful of what was sitting on the table into the drawer. She then closed it again and sat back as innocently as she could, tilting the shade of the lamp next to her. When Will came back out, now dressed in different clothes, he sighed and fixed the shade.

She watched as he gathered up a couple of things, then came over and grabbed up a set of keys she hadn't dumped into the drawer. There was a pause, or maybe more of a hesitation, and then he scooped her up and left the house, ignoring her protests.

"Hey! Hey lemme go! H-mmph?!" He easily covered her mouth with one hand as he locked the door. He made his way to his car, not letting her go into he'd climbed in and dumped her in the passenger seat. "What was that for?!"

"Okay, here's the deal." He told her, ignoring the question. "We're going to go see Stacy. To do that, we have to go through a whole hospital full of people. And you will be quiet and good the whole time, or you will be going out the nearest window."

"We're going to go see Stacy..." That was the one thing she had really comprehended. Her Host was alive, Scout knew she had to be. If she wasn't, then the Puppet wouldn't have long to-

It didn't matter. She didn't matter, not after what almost happened. Not after what she almost did, accidentally or not.

She was jolted out of her thoughts as Will started the car, realizing belatedly that he'd continued talking to her. She hoped he hadn't noticed she wasn't paying attention. Whatever he'd been doing behind that door, she did not want to become his next patient.

In the silence of the car ride, Scout easily lost herself in the thoughts swirling through her head. The most prominent were thoughts of guilt, knowing she was to blame for this and wondering where she had gone wrong. Maybe she hadn't tried as hard as she should've to subjugate her Host back in the Studio? Or maybe she shouldn't have stayed with her after they escaped. Maybe she should have left after making sure Stacy was okay.

'Maybe I should leave anyways.'

She missed it when Will parked, only noticing when he picked her up. She let herself stay limp, though not so much out of compliance than a desire to try and keep working on the plan that had come to mind.

Vaguely, she was aware of the clean white halls Will was taking her through, as well as a nauseating smell that reminded her of Riley. A few other unclaimed Hosts like Will, though wearing clothing that, again, reminded Scout of Riley. She watched  those ones carefully, just in case. She may not like Will, but Stacy did and she didn't want something to happen to him.

Will came up to a door, opening it and peeking inside. Scout tried to look, but could only see the very end of a weird looking bed. Whatever he saw he seemed to like, as he fully entered the room, kicking the door closed behind him and approaching the bed.

"Hey Stacy." He began quietly, and Scout felt her stuffing go cold at the sight of her Host in the bed. Her normally warm brown skin was several shades paler, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She was mostly upright, though leaning heavily against the pillows behind her. The scariest thing, though, were the several tubes connecting her to various machines by the bed.

Scout felt another cold rush of guilt when she saw how Stacy's eyes lit up when she spotted them. She waited for her to say something, anything, but the Host didn't speak, instead lifting her hands to use that weird hand language.

"She can't talk right now." Will translated. "She had to be intubated and her throat still hurts. But, for some reason, she's happy to see you." He sounded annoyed by that, and Scout couldn't help but be confused. Surely Stacy knew about what she did.

'Unless she doesn't.' The Puppet realized. 'She doesn't know shit about how it works. She had no idea what I almost did to her.' Somehow, that didn't make it any better.

Against her will, she was handed over to Stacy so Will could go set down the bags. Stacy hugged her tight, and Scout couldn't help but curl up in her hold, clutching at the weird shirt she was wearing.

She ignored the humans as they talked, or rather as Will talked and Stacy did one handed signing. Instead she stared at the tubing connected to Stacy's arm, watching the clear liquid slowly drip it's way into her body. She didn't know how long she stared for, but she must've dozed off at one point because she suddenly became aware of her hair being stroked.

It couldn't have been too long, as the room was still bright, though she couldn't hear Will anymore. Instead there was a quiet, steady beeping that matched up with Stacy's heartbeat. It was relaxing, and brought up memories of when Scout had first woken up, all those years ago. Before she'd been made to take part in Riley's "tests", or found that TV. Even before she'd met her siblings and learned who and what she really was. Those first few moments when it had just been her and Daisy, enjoying the gift of life.

She almost wished she could go back to that point. Things were so much better back then, when her world consisted of Daisy's sewing room and her siblings. When she didn't have a Host to worry about accidentally killing, or her own people coming after her.

But she wouldn't have to worry about that for long. If her plan ended up working, Stacy wouldn't be in danger ever again.

[rpchive]

124th Encounter-- Starcast

nearly 130 logs in and the group finally gets a name!

The door to Collin and Jay's room swings open as Collin gingerly makes his way inside, trying not to put too much weight on his left leg. He puts the shard from his leg on his desk as he twists around and plops down into his chair. Bending over, he works the boot off of his prosthetic and then rolls the leg of his pants up to inspect the damage the bird caused. The hole itself isn't particularly big; the bird just pecked; chewed; and cracked its way through to something that interested it. None of the other shards seem to be missing or damaged, and the shard it grabbed seems to be undamaged despite being pulled out. Collin: Good grief, I guess those bird things like shiny stuff. Well, at least it didn't do a lot of damage while it was in there.

though they’re eating metal trying to find oracles, this one was trying to get to the leg shards specifically because they’re magical

realistically they’d probably be eating mages in TJ’s universe too, but they need to get big enough to do so first

He detaches the prosthetic from his stump and sets it on his desk. Staring intensely at it, several minutes quickly pass by as Collin tries to figure out the best way of repairing the prosthetic.

alienrabitt: Are you gonna be able to fix that on your own? Collin: Huh? Oh, I... I'm not sure. It's not too bad, but I've never tried to do anything to my leg before, so I'm not sure how to react. We could always go back by Barbell, but it seems kinda rude just to swing by for a quick repair job. alienrabitt: Can the pantheon fix it? Collin: Oh yeah, that's also a possibility. I could also... hmm...

His eyes glance over to one of the drawers of his desk. alienrabitt: What's up? Collin: I... was working on a thing a little while ago before things got a little, uh, hectic.

He pulls the drawer open and pulls out a pair of brown leather gloves. Setting them on the desk, Jay can see a symbol on the backs of the hands etched into the material, a dark colored jumble of loops with a small number of tiny runes dotted within some of the circles. alienrabitt: Some gloves? What're those supposed to do? Collin: You know how people with magic usually use like a wand or a staff or something to channel their magic? I thought maybe since I'm not as powerful magic-wise as I used to be, I could try my hand at making my own, uh, focus or whatever you want to call it. If I had something that could make me more efficient at channeling my power, I could make myself a little more useful. alienrabitt: Hey, you're useful even without it em. But let's not call each other "useful" or "useless," that just sounds mean. You're helpful, regardless. Collin: I guess that's fair, but regardless, I thought it might be handy to have. Anyway, I haven't really had a chance to use these yet, but assuming they actually work, I might just be able to fix this myself. It'd probably be good to be able to fix my own leg, after all. alienrabitt: Well, I mean, they are gloves...uhh, but that would be really cool, if you can pull it off...! Collin: Actually I have to put them on to make them work.

He gives Jay a sly grin as he picks the gloves up and starts sliding them on. alienrabitt: Huh? Well, yeah... Collin: That was a, uh... glove... joke- N-Nevermind, let me just focus on this...

so many puns lately...

He picks up the removed shard and carefully pokes one end through the hole that the bird made earlier. Once the shard is most of the way through, he drops the shard back inside. It bounces around for a moment and then rests on the bottom as the other shards continue to float around. Collin takes a deep breath and then holds his hands over the glass section of the leg. As he does so, the central point of the symbol on his gloves begins to glow with a faint white light which then quickly begins to expand outwards to fill the rest of the lines and runes. Visibly relieved, Collin lets out a small sigh. "Ha, okay, the gloves are actually doing something! I was afraid they were still duds right now." alienrabitt: Well, it looks cool...is it working? Collin: No idea, let's find out!

He adjusts his shoulders and focuses more intensely on his leg. The symbols' glow intensifies slightly as the prosthetic starts to shimmer and the loose shard inside begins to shake. Finally, the shard lifts back up into the air and returns to its normal position with the rest of the shards in their orbit, and a moment later regains its normal shine. The hole within the glass begins to shrink as the glass itself seems to grow and stretch to seal the shard chamber. Another moment later, the shimmering subsides as Collin's leg is repaired back to its former state. The glow in Collin's gloves dies out, and he rests his hands on the edge of his desk.

"I... I can't believe that worked, holy crap."

I will note that, even though the bird didn’t eat the shard, it did drain all its magic

alienrabitt: That's great!! It looked cool, too. Let's see how well it holds up, huh? Collin takes the prosthetic back off the table and turns around in his seat. He spends a moment reattaching the leg back, flinching slightly, then shoots a tiny flame out from the bottom of his foot to make sure the shard is functioning normally again. "Perfect, I think it's back up and running now! Hopefully nothing else tries to pick my leg apart for parts, though." alienrabitt: I doubt anything else would... Collin: Here's hoping.

[The next morning...]

Collin and Fawkes step into the console room, partway through a vague conversation about something Fawkes is currently working on. Nydins and Rio sit in the console room, casually making small talk as they wait for something. Collin: Oh, mornin'. How're you guys doing today? Nydins: We're fine; just waiting for Paprika to get back. Fawkes: Oh? What is she up to? Rio: Well, we landed in a place where there's mostly just humans, so we need to see why we're here; but, well, a lot of us are blatantly...not human, or a little different, so we need people who can pass as human to look around. Collin: I... can't argue with that. Now that I think about it, I guess Paprika really is the most "normal" looking human on the IT. Has she been gone long? Nydins: Not really. Probably about 5 minutes....and that's not true; I'm sure you and Clair could go out there! You'd just need to look less like a DND character. Collin: That's... fair. As long as I covered up my leg, I'd be fine. Anyway, if it's only been that long, I'm sure she's fine. Nydins: I'm sure she'll be back soon. What about you two? Collin: Well, I was just planning on getting something to eat, honestly. I didn't realize we'd already landed somewhere. Nydins: It happens. You're probably just used to it by now. Collin: I guess so, yeah. Anyway, I'm gonna duck into the kitchen for a few minutes, I'll be back. Maya is in the kitchen with Jay and Clair, the trio making smalltalk about what could be outside. Collin: Mornin' y'all. Talking about where we landed, I'm guessing? alienrabitt: Yeah, just a little. We were debating going out there, but if it's someplace boring, staying in might be better...

Clair: I mean, it's just a normal place with just...humans, I guess? It might be boring compared to what you're used to, but aren't you a little curious how humans are? You didn't get to see a lot of normal people, right?

alienrabitt: I've...seen plenty of, uhh...kids and teens, I guess? But I haven't seen a lot of adults. Or good adults. Collin: I haven't seen much of anything when it comes to normal human stuff, but I can't really go running out there right now. I'd need a change of clothes before I do that at the very least. Maya: So would I, probably. I doubt they see a lot of girls running around in suits with lights on them...

Clair: Well, I bet Paprika's not gonna find much if it's just a bunch of normal humans. There's probably nothing exciting out there...

alienrabitt: But why would the IT land in such a normal place...? Fawkes: Even normal people can have problems. They probably just don't involve things like evil machines or giant monsters usually. The group can hear the door of the IT open and close followed by an excited conversation in the console room. Collin: Oh, shoot, sounds like she's back.

He hurriedly digs through a cupboard and pulls out a granola bar, which he begins quickly eating. "Wanna go see what's up?" With a nod, Jay opens the door to the console room only for Paprika to excitedly enter the kitchen and toss what appears to be a comic book upon the table. "S-somebody knows about us...!"

Clair: Well, we're uhh...superheroes, aren't we? Is that really surprising?

Maya: But we haven't even been here before...!

Paprika: The comic's not even about anything here, it's an older issue that covers the meteor incident with Asra Nox! Collin: That's so weird. Seeing stuff that we've done laid out like this is so... bizarre.

Fawkes: I suppose it was only a matter of time until we came across something like this, given the nature of parallel universes and such. alienrabitt: Did you see a newer issue anywhere...?

Paprika: Well, I did, but it didn't sound like anything anyone's done before...

Collin: But... doesn't that mean it could've been predicting our future? Maya: Maybe it has. We'd know if we could find an issue about something we've done recently... Collin: Does this mean we need to go comic shopping? alienrabitt: Or steal one, I guess... Fawkes: I thought we were above shoplifting...

Collin: I don't think we need to actually take anything, right? Can't we just flip through them in a store or something? Maya: Can't the IT just make them? Collin: ... I keep forgetting it can do stuff like that. Maya: Just get it to make a bookshelf with all the comics in somebody's room, then get one of your robots to speed read them all. They can do that, right? Or maybe one could just download all the comics or something? I don't know; you have advanced technology and magic, use it for information!

half this season’s been Maya going “USE YOUR SHIP THAT CAN MAKE ANYTHING TO MAKE THINGS TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS THAT COULD BE SOLVED IF YOU HAD THOSE THINGS”

Collin: I've never really asked the IT for anything specific before, uh... Can you make a bookshelf with all of these comics somewhere in my room? Please?

He glances around the room, unsure of where exactly to look, then shrugs at the others. Paprika: Um, I guess you'd have to check your room after that...

alienrabitt: I'll go look.

Shrugging, Jay heads for their room. Collin and Fawkes follow closely behind him, curious to see if it worked. Sure enough, there's now a new bookshelf in the bedroom lined with multiple volumes of comics, each one with a single common title: "The Starcast." Collin: "The Starcast"? That's an interesting name... alienrabitt: I guess that's what they're calling us...? Y'know, like the Justice League or somethin'... Collin: I'll take your word for it? I guess it is kinda catchy though. So uh, what should we do with all of this now? alienrabitt: Look through it and see if it's catching up with us or ahead of us...though I guess we could see that much by finding the latest issue...there's over 100 of these, though... Fawkes: Here, give me a few minutes.

He sits down in front of the bookshelf and pulls a chunk of comics down from the end section. Setting them to his side, he grabs the topmost one and carefully thumbs through it to get a full view of the pages, pausing for just a moment before skipping to the next page. After a few minutes, Fawkes finally finishes the last comic and returns it to the stack, then carefully replaces them back in order on the shelf. "There we go." alienrabitt: Well, what'd you find? Fawkes: I'm... not sure. The last comic here featured two people fighting, but I don't recognize either of them. Before that, Demo and Daedalus were having a conversation, and Demo was saying that she couldn't come back to the IT because of something she'd done. alienrabitt: What? Why would we kick Demo out...? That must be way ahead of us... Fawkes: I guess so. That seemed to be the only bit that stood out from what I already know. alienrabitt: Well, maybe we should find the author...they might've just started writing whatever they wanted after a certain point. I mean, we can't see the future, but we know what happened before we got here... Collin: We could, but I'll need to wear something that isn't so uh, "DND" first. I'm just wondering where they're getting the ideas for all of these... alienrabitt: That's something I don't think we'll know until we ask... Collin: True. Give me a few minutes to figure out a new outfit.

Several minutes pass as Collin gets lost in the closet trying to put an outfit together, but he finally steps out after some time. He has a hoodie over some kind of t-shirt, and a pair of denim jeans and shoes that manage to hide his prosthetic. "It's nothing fancy, but I guess that's the point, huh?" alienrabitt: Probably. I'm gonna have to cover my arm if I go out there too... Collin: Yeah, but it's up to you whether you come with us or not. Anyway, we should probably go fill in the others. alienrabitt: Yeah. It'd probably be suspicious if we went as a big group...

They return to the kitchen, where Maya, Clair, and Paprika are discussing who should go outside.

Maya: We should only send two or three people. If they're a celebrity, they might not even let one person in... Collin: Ah, sounds like you guys are already on the same page as us. Maya: I think you should send someone who's good at dealing with people socially...

Paprika: Why not Clair? Even if she spent a lot of time in Oz, if some kind of security or something kept you from getting to the author, she could just, uhh...persuade them you should go anyway.

Maya: I don't think she's got the goods for-- oh, wait, you meant...y-yeah, that would work... Collin: Wait, what else would she mea- Maya! Sheesh, I'm suddenly glad Daedalus isn't in the room right now... Maya: It should be you two, honestly. Jay and Paprika would probably back down under pressure, and I'd probably do something irrational at the first sign of a "no." Collin: If you say so? I'm just trying to figure out what our story should be... Paprika: You could say you're fans! But once you got to the author, I'm sure they'd know the truth... Collin: I think we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it, honestly. Paprika: Um, well, good luck out there! If you get into a pinch, don't forget your communicators. Rio found the author's address, so if you just follow your communicators, you'll find the place you need to be. Collin: Sounds easy enough. Are you ready, Clair? Clair: I...guess so. I just hope I don't actually have to do anything weird to anybody... Collin: Hopefully we can just bluff our way out of needing to do that. Let's see if we can find this mystery author, then. The pair leaves the IT and makes their way into the city without drawing unwanted attention to themselves.

Clair: It's been a long time since I've been to a place like this... Collin: No kidding. I think I've only ever been in a city for a couple of weeks at most, and that was... at least a year or two ago now. It feels a little surreal, honestly. Clair: It's a shame we can't go around and do anything here... Collin: Yeah, maybe we should pitch that as a downtime idea for next time? Maybe not here exactly, but a place that's just... normal.

is it still illegal to get the IT to make money if you don’t even live in that dimension

Clair: That'd be nice! Maybe you and Azreldeh could go on another date or something. Collin: U-Uh, maybe? She seems like she'd know her way around a city, at least. I'm not much help when it comes to stuff like that, unfortunately. Clair: That's why you'd be better off together! Unless it didn't go well last time...? Collin: I mean, it wasn't bad? It was a little unexpected though, she seemed so... solemn, I guess? It was a very different side of her that night, I'm not entirely sure why. Clair: Maybe she was thinking about something serious? Collin: Yeah, she was talking about some stuff from her past that night. I don't know, it was an odd night. Clair:Well, hey, it's probably pretty hard to open up about that stuff. Maybe she just wanted to prove she trusted you? Collin: Hmm, I hadn't thought of it that way. You may be right about that. I'm surprised you brought her up though, I didn't think you'd be interested in what we're up to. Clair: Well, I mean...it's kind of special to have a relationship with more than one person at once, right...? So I guess I just got interested a little... Collin: ... Ohh, uh, yeah, that makes sense. I don't know, it hasn't really turned into anything serious yet. Plus I've never really "dated" anyone before, so it's all kinda new to me. What about you? Is everything going well with you guys? Clair: It's...fitting. All of it just feels a little like a finished puzzle, I guess. Collin: Heh, I'm glad to hear that. You guys deserve it after everything you've been through. Although I have to admit, it's kinda funny seeing how different Daedalus is around you. Clair: Huh...? Well, I...guess he is. Collin: It's a good different, don't worry. I'm glad he found someone like you.

Clair: Someone like me? He was already dating Demo, wasn't he? I'm not that special... Collin: No, there wasn't anything special going on there until you guys all became a thing. Clair: I think you're just saying that because you've never seen a relationship with more than one person... Collin: Well, I'm pretty sure Demo has always had a crush on him in some form, but she didn't do anything about it until now as far as I know. Besides, I've never seen Daedalus take an interest in anyone as fast as he did with you. Clair: That's...kind of surprising. I didn't do something to him on accident, did I...? Collin: Pff, nah, you're fine. It was before you even had any powers, honestly. Clair: M-maybe I just didn't notice, then...um...I'm just glad he's happy for once, though. From what I know, he hasn't really had the best life...or a long one, I guess? So it's probably really important that he figures himself out sooner rather than later... Collin: Yeah, no kidding. But I think he's in a good spot right now if you ask me. Clair: I just hope it stays that way. I hope whatever this is isn't actually a big deal either... Collin: Yeah, likewise. I just don't get how a normal person could be writing all of that without something to give them all that knowledge. Clair: Well, maybe they just...look normal? Collin: Definitely possible. I just hope to God they're not another devil or something. I don't think I could take another one of those... The pair arrives at the author's address, a rather large house surrounded by a stone fence with two mechanical gates connecting a driveway; one at the front, and one at the back. Collin: Looks fancy. So uh, how do we get in? Clair: Oh, I've seen a few of these! There's usually a little box or something with a number pad and maybe a button to get someone's attention so you can ask to be let in, but I doubt the author'd let in a couple of strangers claiming to be their comic book characters... Collin: Yeah, I hadn't really thought about how to bring that up... Don't suppose we could just pretend we're selling something, huh? Clair: Probably not...can't you just shoot a portal somewhere past the gate? You can fire through bars, right? Collin: I could, I just wasn't sure if that was the best plan... Oh hell, we've done dumber things before.

Collin opens a portal on the wall next to them and then another on the outside of the house beyond the gate. The pair make their way through the portals and to the door of the large house, only to find the house itself is already unlocked. Upon entering the house, the pair finds themselves in a large living room themed around the IT's console room, though the floor is made of tile instead of glass, and the "console" in the center is actually a currently unlit fire pit lined with benches in an isolated area "outside" surrounded by sliding glass doors. There are two halls to the left and right; a doorway leading to the backyard; and a staircase leading upstairs visible from the front door. Collin: Oh man, this is weird. I mean it's kind of neat but also kind of, I don't know, uncanny? Is that the right word? Clair: Whoever's making these comics must be a serious fan...it's a little strange. Collin: No kidding. Who do you think the most popular character is? Clair: Well, probably you or Jay. You've been around the longest, right? Collin: Oh I was just kidding, I don't wanna think about what having your own fan club would be like. Anyway, uh, where do you think this guy would be right now? Upstairs, maybe?

*spider man voice* save it for comicon

Clair: I'm not sure. They probably have an office or something... Collin: That's what I figured. I don't know, let's try down here first and see what happens.

Collin wanders toward the left hallway, glancing around as he goes. There is a bathroom in the hall between the entrance and the room at the end of the hall, which seems to be a dining room. Collin: Well, at least the bathroom isn't themed the same, right? Clair: Looks like a bathroom you'd find anywhere else. It's pretty clean, so this one must be for guests... Collin: Yeah, and there's just a dining room over there. Let's try the other hallway. The right hallway has a locked door, and at the end of the hall, there is a second locked door; however, after trying to open this one, a surprised voice responds from the other side: "Oh god, somebody's in my house! Look, if it's about the show, I won't go back on my storyboards; I've told you a dozen times that this is just how things pan out, so just...! ...Wait, you didn't knock..."

There's a pause as they walk closer to their door, and their voice becomes significantly more recognizable as feminine.

"...Did you seriously break into my house?" Collin takes a few steps back from the door but doesn't shift his footing to run.     "We considered it, but the portals work a lot faster." ???: "I should've known you'd be the first to come look into all this. So that means...Clair's probably with you, right? Because nobody else could get you out of a pinch without drawing attention, and anyone that could is obviously inhuman...or something like that."

Clair: Um, pretty much...? Who are you?

???: "Well, I'm the author! I write the comics; I storyboard the cartoon; and I guess I'll be scripting a movie sometime soon...um, but I guess my pseudonym won't be enough for you guys."

The door unlocks, and the woman responsible for the comics greets the pair face to face. Though she has no horns, and though she is most certainly human and nothing else, the woman's features seem unmistakably similar to Nydins, with a few differences. Her hair, significantly shorter, is hastily pulled into a sloppy bun; and she's wearing a gray cardigan over what appear to be pumpkin themed PJs. Half-rimmed glasses rest upon her face in front of bright, green eyes.

"Nia Bardos, legally, but I'm sure you know..."

Nia’s like a 4kids shortened version of Nydins; Bardos is an anagram of Darbos

Collin: Wait, you... Nydins? But you look so...? Nydins: Yes and no. It's complicated. I've obviously never been Nydins Darbos in this life, and yet ever since I was little, I knew about a soda machine that flew through space; and a robot that helped a superhero rescue a human...so I wrote about it. I drew it. I couldn't let myself forget, so I kept doing it. I got better; I remembered more; I got it published; put it everywhere; and growing up, all I ever wanted was to know it was true, and here you are. Collin: So you're like... a reincarnated Nydins? That's so... Man, that raises a lot of questions though. She laughs a little. "Doesn't it?"

Crossing the room, she takes a seat back at her desk, L-shaped so the computer off to the right side doesn't block her view of the people in the tall, black chairs across from her own desk seat. Upon the walls are framed posters and drawings of the Starcast; the IT; places they've been; presumably the most iconic fight scenes or memorable moments; concept art sketches that show all the outfits people considered wearing before deciding on a comfortable look; and various other similar things. "...The technology here's not super advanced; I've been trying to make something similar to Fawkes for ages, but it's not looking reasonably possible. Truth be told, I just didn't want to be the only one I could talk to about this." Collin slowly walks toward the chairs on the opposite side of her desk as he takes in everything inside her office. "Geez, this is a lot to take in. So I guess you haven't actually found anyone else that uh... 'reincarnated' here then?" Nydins: Nobody's contacted me or anything; not like anybody'd really have the guts to send an email to an author going "hey, I think I might be that guy you write about all the time!" Collin: Yeah, I guess that would be a little out there. We didn't even bother ringing your door thing because we figured no one would buy us saying that we're the actual characters. Clair: So...did you seriously just hope we'd break into your house someday?

Nydins: Oh, absolutely. Every once in a while I'd throw in something ridiculous that definitely didn't happen just to see if you'd panic and try to find me to ask if it would. Collin: So... that thing about Demo leaving the IT was literally just bait for this exact situation? Nydins: Well, yes and no...I don't have the full details yet, so I'm writing red herrings until I can remember exactly what happened. I think there's still humans left from the war, and they won't be happy to hear that they missed a couple of gods and an entire city... Collin: Well that's not really what I wanted to hear from someone that might know our future. Do you know anything more specific than that? Nydins: I don't know much else other than there's a human with a weapon that's out for kleivenn blood, and either you'll find him, or he'll find you. I just hope it works out for you...

I mean she probably knows how it works out but 🙃 gotta keep some stuff a secret

Collin: God, I hope so too. The last thing we need right now is another post-war dude with a grudge to bear. Nydins: Hmm, well, is there anything else you wanted to ask? Collin: I'd ask if you were holding up okay given whatever happened to you, but you seem to be doing uh, fairly well for yourself all things considered.

He looks around the room again as he considers his words. "I guess our little story really picked up, huh?" Nydins: People sure do love superheroes. We've managed to attract a lot of attention. It's funny seeing people run around dressed as us for Halloween. Collin: That's so weird to think about... I mean, I should've figured this was possible given all this multiverse crap, but man. Seeing it for real is something else entirely. Nydins: You're free to stick around as long as you'd like, but I'm sure my publisher'll be sending someone to look into my work in a few days here. I feel like you guys being here would raise a lot of questions... Collin: I can imagine, especially if I start throwing more actual portals around here. I'm guessing those don't normally exist here either, huh? Nydins: Probably not! You probably wanna get those closed before it gets dark... Collin: Done. Anyway, we came here to figure out how true your future comics were and whether or not we needed to be worried about something, but it seems like we need to take everything with a grain of salt, huh? Nydins: For now. I'm sure now that you know about all this you'll probably find out what's true for you and what isn't. Collin: I guess so. Well, I'm sure there must be something you want to ask us, right? It seems like this is what you've been waiting for, after all. Nydins: What's there to ask? I've been writing about you my whole life; I know you guys. Collin: ... Can't really argue with that, can I? Nydins: Heh, probably not. Well, I should probably get back to writing... Collin: Alright, we'll get out of your way. I uh, guess we might see each other again? Or maybe you'll just know what we're up to, I'm not really sure. Nydins: I'm sure we'll meet again someday. Looks like we'll be friends for a while.

Collin: Here's hoping, huh? Well, take care, and try not to make me look too bad in your next issue, alright? Nydins: Hahaha, alright! You take care too! Collin steps outside of Nydins' office with Clair and closes the door behind him. A moment of silence passes between them, only broken by Collin quietly saying "Huh." Clair: It's a little weird, huh? Collin: Just a little bit, yeah. Guess we should head home now? Clair: Yeah; probably should. The pair makes their way back out of the house and past the gate again, then head back for the IT. Paprika: You're back! How'd it go out there? Collin: Well, it wasn't... bad? Paprika: Hmm, I guess it would be pretty casual in comparison to everything else we normally do... Collin: No no, I mean... the person writing all those comics was like... a reincarnation of Nydins. Paprika: I...guess that would be possible, huh. So, nothing else weird? Collin: Well, not exactly. She mentioned something about it being possible that some humans from the kleivenn war might still be hanging around somewhere, but her memories aren't really all that precise or accurate all the time. Paprika: Well, what could we do about that aside from bring it up to everyone in Kujaar? Collin: Not sure, but I figured I should bring it up anyways just in case. Paprika: Well, I'll definitely make a note of it! Collin: But yeah, aside from that, nothing super crazy happened, which is probably good considering it was just the two of us out there. Paprika: Yeah, I'm glad you two were alright. But my assessment led me to believe there were only ordinary humans out there, so I figured you wouldn't need help. Collin: Good thing you were right on that. Anyway, I'll go let everyone else know there's nothing to worry about regarding those comics.

this was just filler tbh; who knows what the next log’ll be