#rune factory reflections

[lilaroxa]

Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon will always hold a special place in my heart. Which is why I decided to draw Raguna as my first attempt at fanart!

I've said this in various spaces on the internet, but what really drew me into the series was how farming was part of the overall strategy. Particularly, how you NEEDED to farm to progress further into the dungeon. Nowadays, I feel like farming is more of an afterthought, making dungeon crawling and farm management two separate responsibilities.

I don't think the shift towards a more "cozy" experience is wrong, per se, but I'd love to see farming return to a more central point in the series. After all, isn't that what being an Earthmate is all about?

[lilaroxa]

Pairing this with the Rune system which (in some games more than others) is about the earth "giving back" to the beings that take good care of it.

Rune Factory is all about taking care of yourself, others, and the earth!

i really do love rune factory's ridiculous skills. i think it's kind of genius actually even though we like to make jokes about there being a "walking" skill and an "eating" skill

i like the eating one especially bc what it does in game is every skill level you raise increases your RP and HP, as well as some other misc things depending on the skill. if your character sleeps every night (skill up!), eats every day (skill up!), and farms/exercises (skill up!), their general stamina and health also increases. it turns "taking good care of yourself" into a game mechanic with actual rewards.

this has tangible benefits too like in the beginning of the game you lose a lot of RP doing basic tasks. the more you take care of your character, the more complex things you can accomplish - like dishes. which then come with their own unique buffs like oven dishes buffing your vitality. which, these things then also apply to party members when you give them dishes. iirc they even get special stat bonuses for dishes they like?

it all makes the actual rpg part of it feel blended into the farming sim aspect of it, and thats something that i feel is lacking in stardew valley and stardew valley-likes, bc they just sort of graft on a simplistic combat style onto a farming sim. and thats one of the reasons i really wish people would play rune factory and like really study how its mechanics work, bc they really do work so well for a farming sim/rpg hybrid. and also i like it lol

[dawnsies]

drew my version of Alice and Ares :V

[drawingthelines]

hehe kicking my feet twirling my hair hehe

Pilika bond quest/confession spoilers

Theyre so CUUUUTEEEEEE

ok i was a dolce fan of course pilika would be one of my faves as well

[rehncohro]

Every July 10th, 2023, Conor posts a video discussing what he's been up to and what he's going to do. Can't wait for the next July 10th, 2023!: https://youtu.be/d0Sk7BUVOxI

[tiredpudding]

some of my games, i'm thinking about buying rune factory 4 or 5 and blue reflection (๑´•.̫ • `๑)

[beck-a-leck]

Becky's Guardians of Azuma first impressions:

I'm only like 9 days into the game, so none of the spoilers are going to be Huge, but below the cut, just in case.

Thoughts and Impressions in no particular order:

First off I was absolutely shooketh to realize I'd been pronouncing Azuma incorrectly the Entire Fucking Time

I did not watch like Any of the promo material and videos when people probably said the name out loud. So that's on me. I was definitely putting the emphasis on the U in Azuma not the A.

Also we have a name for the other part of the word where the previous games take place! Unsure if Adonea is the continent or a country name. Would make sense for the Sechs Empire to have been given a new name after its collapse. Would also make sense for it to be the continent that holds Norad and Sechs and possibly others. Or maybe the kingdoms combined into one new nation?

Couldn't believe the game started with "You've been living with us for 6 months" and there was no Amnesia! It's a rune factory! Where is my amnesia!

The amnesia got confirmed later. Good news, we're still a rune factory protagonist lmao

Thay being said. Time feels all kinds of inconsistent with this game. Like Iroha says you've been in their village for 6 months, but a lot of the villagers act like you've been there for a week or two. The hole in the roof wasn't even attempted at getting fixed in that time?

Yeah we had to do a whole fetch/rescue quest for the carpenter but he was missing for a few days. Not months.

Also that introductory tale "many many years ago the Celestial Collapse happened" i honestly feel like would have been fine at the very beginning of the game. It does not provide any information that would have changed the first few days of gameplay

Also also time feeling inconsistent. The celestial collapse happened 50 years ago. But the game often acts like it was 500 years ago they way people act like the time of gods and such was in legend. Guys that was within living lifetime!

Then other times the game reflects "yeah, this is a more recent problem and we don't know how to fix it"

The pacing feels so fast. Like. RF5 had the same feeling for me. I wasn't really trying to power through the plot as quickly as possible but it still went so fast. Maybe it's just esrly game = easy missions but even the social stuff seems to be moving real fast just doing the interactions the game gives you

You can't go into people's homes and buildings, which makes me kinds sad. I liked being able to see how the different characters decorated their homes and what not and getting those little peeks into their private lives

The towns also feel empty. Like yes. People moving out of town is a driving problem of the game, but when there's only a handful of 'portrait' npcs in each town it feels very empty. Granted, they are spreading an entire cast of characters over 4 villages rather than placing them all in one. So there is that.

Farming is different. Which I kinda like the change up.

You're faced with the general "gotta farm to restore runes to the land" impetus but rather than being the Earth Dancer who does it alone eith their bare hands, it's more geared to resource/people management

You gotta assign basic villagers to various jobs to take care of resource material and farm management while you go do Plot Things. And while you Can get into the fields and plant the crops and water then and such. That's not a significant part of the gameplay.

You only get 1 do-all farm tool and it doesn't need upgrades and strengthening and doing farmwork/using tools doesn't affect your RP either

Which is another change I kinda like. Rune Points/Energy. RP is pretty much only spent using the divine instruments and such. Doesn't cost RP to swing a weapon. Doesn't cost RP to use farm tools. I really like that bc then I don't have to budget my limited early game energy with 'today i gotta clear fields and plant. So i can't go dungeon diving' and so on.

Combat feels a little weird but that might just be my muscle memory adjustment period i need when swapping between games. I keep trying to do TotK controls lol

But. Locking on is annoying. More often than not it bypasses the enemy right in front of me for some fucker not even on screen/involved in the battle. A minor annoyance, but annoying nonetheless.

I do like the party system we were given! I rarely used combat oarties in other RF games because I just found it annoying to have all these characters trailing after me EVERYWHERE and/or wasting time in game running around to find the people I want in my party. Now it's menu-managed and team members just appear at my side when I leave town

Which was kinda funny when I left spring village and there was this whole tearful goodbye "promise us you'll visit! Will we see you soon?" Song and dance and then 5 minutes later I land on an island and my frienda are Right There.

Also the sky islands! Here for that! Give me lots of little places to explore and find goodies!

SKY WHALES!!!!

I ADORE A SKY WHALE

Love how they're all like "we don't know what caused the Celestial Collapse" and then literally everyone points to the big fucking meteor in the middle of the country and says "that did it."

There's some plot intrigue that"s been hinted at that I wonder if the game will deliver on.

Like Hina (my baby all grown up and a SEED Ranger Archeologist) very quickly corrected herself when she almost mentioned working for SEED. Like what are they up to now? Why wouldn't she feel okay mentioning SEED? Are they not allowed to send operatives to foreign soil? Is she on a secret mission? Is it just an easter egg? (I hope not)

Also I'm very entertained that with all the Shenanigans Hina is just watching the Protag like "👀👀👀👀 funny coincidence but almost this exact thing happened in my hometown when I was a kid"

Like girl! Share your experiences!

Thus far, gameplay's a lot of fun. I'm enjoying the characters and the unfolding plot. I'm intrigued seeing how all this fits in with the wider world of Rune Factory.

The world building is feeding my little writer brain, so that's always a plus!

I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story unfolds

[mostly-magical-polls]

Hey there! Question, would you mind linking the full list for the Magical Girl Video Game tourney or something? I’ve honestly been wanting to look into games within the genre but not had much success personally, so I’d love to use it as a vague rec sheet and I don’t want to try Tumblr’s pretense of a search function to look for a post that might not exist.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica - The Battle Pentagram, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Grief Syndrome, Futari Wa Pretty Cure Max Heart: Maji? Maji!? Fight de IN Janai, Pretty Cure All Stars Everyone Gather ☆ Let's Dance!, Twinkle Tale, Unwieldy Wand, Witch’s Wish, Potionomics, Syrup and The Ultimate Sweet, Wand of Fortune R, Kokoro Clover, Hello Kitty and the Apron of Magic: Rhythm Cooking, Love Spell: Written in The Stars, Magical Girl Dash, Omega Quintet, Little Witch Parfait, Majestic Majolical, A Hat In Time, Hero Hours Contract, Nanatsuiro Drops: Touch de Hajimaru Hatsukoi Monogatari, Pop n’ Magic, Phantom Rose, Kirara Fantasia, Genso Manege, Blue Reflection, Lock & Key: A Magical Girl Mystery, Magical Battle Arena, Magical Pop’n, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story, This Magical Girl is a B★tch, MAGIC CHAOS, GrimGrimorie, Star Melody: Yumemi Dreamer, Makeruna Makendo, The Songbird Guild, Super Lesbian Animal RPG, Magical Heroines Plus, Style Book: Fushigiboshi no Futagohime Gyu!, Hamster Monogatari GB + Magi Ham Mahou no Shoujo, Dear My Magical Boys, Twinkle Star Sprites: La Petite Princesse, W.I.T.C.H., Vroom in the Night Sky, MaguSphere - Magical Cannon Girls, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s Portable: The Gears of Destiny, A Magical High School Girl, Magical Chaser: Stardust of Dreams, Witch's Talisman, Moco Moco Friends, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1, Winx Club (gba), Panel de Pon, C.A.T: Cyber Attack Team, Magical Warrior Diamond Heart, Crystar, Witch You Want, Infinity Nikki, Tokyo Mew Mew – Tojo Shin Mew Mew! – Minna Issho ni Gohoshi Suru Nyan, Pripara (Arcade Game), Long Live the Queen, Calico, Princess Peach: Showtime!, Little Goody Two Shoes, Rune Factory, Madoka Magica Mobage, Madoka Magica Online, Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable, Pretty Cure Connection Puzzlun, Yes! Pretty Cure 5, Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo! - Zenin ShūGo! Dream Festival, Sailor Moon Drops, Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue, Berry Berry Mew Mew, Blue Reflection: Second Light, Megadimension Neptunia VII, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha INNOCENT, Winx Club: Rockstars, I Am Magicami, a letter of challenge, Magical Girl Critical, Trouble Witches Origin - Episode1 Daughters of Amalgam, Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero: Bouquet of Brilliance, CopyKat, Life After Magic, Lovely Fracture, Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream, Otocadoll, Tobari and the Night of the Curious Moon Misa no Mahou Monogatari Astrune Academy, Community Pom, Cotton 100%, Fantastic Fortune, Fray in Magical Adventuredwellers empty path, Kira Kira Magical Stars, Kurumi Miracle, Little Witch Nobeta, Love and Berry: Dress Up and Dance!Magic Kyun! Renaissance, Magical Battle Festa, Magical Missy Launch, Mahou no Shoujo Silky Lip, Mahou Senshi Cosplay Club, Majokko Mari-chan no Kisekae, Money Puzzle Exchanger, Nova Hearts, Panic in Sweets Land, Paradigm ParadoxPrincess Farmer, SaGa: Emerald Beyond, Star Girl Proxima, StarCrossed, The Five Steps to Ensuring Momo Graduates Successfully!!!, Valis: The Fantasm Soldier, War of Prayers, Witch-Bot Meglilio, WitchSpring R, Wonder Momo, Deathsmiles, Idol Mahou Shoujo Chiruchiru☆Michiru, Magical Girls: Save the school, Pretty Sweet! Healing Guardian, Punchline, Purikura Daisuken, Shantae, White Cat Project

[pokemontheywouldhave]

Please reblog for larger sample size :)

Propaganda below :

The scenario is this: If Arthur had an Eevee (which he probably would) and evolved it, between these two which would it evolve into. [I] chose Espeon & Umbreon specifically because they best reflect the light & dark magic he starts off with.

[wingedfoolnearthesun]

DAY EIGHTEEN: How can you best describe your relationship with each of your deities?

as i’m still learning to get closer to the deities i worship, i feel like i still have some ways to go before i can say anything with confidence. however, here’s a bit of my initial interpretations of my relationships with them <3

with Lord Apollo, it always feels like i’m communicating with a warm and caring father/older brother figure. when i had my breakdown yesterday, for example, even through my distress and dissociation i could feel his warm presence beside me. he gently guided me to relax and start working again. i look up to him a lot, and always feel so at ease whenever he’s by my side. he’s given me the best advice and reassured me of decisions i’ve made and initially regretted.

with Lord Hermes, he’s sort of like a mischievous father figure. i’ve already mentioned it in an older post of mine, but i definitely feel so taken care of by him. he’s like a father who’ll joke around and tease you while still keeping you on the right track and reprimanding you when you’re being too hard on yourself. i can feel myself getting giggly and hearing laughter whenever i talk to him or feel his presence, which i feel is just a great representation of the type of influence he’s been.

with Lord Hypnos, although my worship has started anew, i definitely have felt his presence on multiple occasions (even long before i got into practicing hellenic polytheism). he’s the drowsiness, comfort, and warmth i feel every time i lie down all cuddled up in bed. he’s the soothing feeling and the calming hand that pats my head and strokes through my hair as i try (but fail every single time) to stay awake. he’s kind of like a caring figure who stays awake with me the few times i’ve pulled an all nighter. he probably doesn’t approve of it, but he sits beside me in exasperation as i play my silly little Rune Factory games and watch the EPIC: the musical livestreams.

i rlly rlly enjoy watching my relationship with my deities grow by the day. as i first thought the only way i could have a proper relationship with them was through setting up an altar and dedicating material offerings, learning that simply including them in my life and doing devotional acts that are within my mental and financial capabilities is more than enough has made me feel so much happier through my journey so far <3

divider by @adornedwithlight

[zetadraconis11]

Cael Ilson Wizarding World Alphabet

And here we are with Cael's! I made up Cael Ilson far longer after I made up Estelle, actually. But then I liked the idea of twin MCs that both have Ancient Magic, and so Cael was made! He's really grown on me, and I love him as much as Estelle.

Again, the template credit goes to @dwellinginsilence!

~~~

🪄Wizarding World Alphabet🪄

🐈Animagus: Cael, as the older twin, is super protective. He will fight (and kill if need be) for his sister and anyone else he cares for. His Animagus form would be a bear, BUT specifically a polar bear. Polar bears are protective of their families, but this also ties into his love for stars, and Ursa Major (the bear constellation) is his favorite. His fur would stand out, but he doesn't care if it makes him able to protect his loved ones.

😱Boggart: Fire. He hates fire. He also hates Inferi, especially when he has to use only fire to stop Inferi. Fire would be his boggart before he's introduced to Inferi. Then, the boggart would mess with him and make the Inferi barely resemble Estelle, as if she had a fate like Bardolph Beaumont in the game...

🍎Class: He likes Astronomy Class as he enjoys stargazing like his Housemates Andrew and Amit. He also enjoys Charms class as he's great at it, and that's also where he first met the girl he fell for... He does not give a rat's tail about Divination, not finding any merit in so-called prophecies or astrology, so he's glad to not take it. He takes Arithmancy and Ancient Runes instead, which makes his Ravenclaw mind very happy.

💀Dark Magic: Cael is very against it. He hardly has a gray morality when it comes to Dark Magic. This led to some disagreements between him and Estelle when they were working with Sebastian, but he stayed loyal to his sister and helped her. After 5th year, he certainly never wants anything to do with Dark Magic again.

🌀Expecto Patronum/Patronus: In 6th year, his patronus is a polar bear to reflect his nature and his love of the Ursa Major constellation. But in 7th year, it changes to an arctic wolf to compliment the raven patronus of the girl he fancies.

🧹Flying: He enjoys flying on his Night Dancer broom, and he just enjoys breathing in fresh air from up high. Having lived in London where it's full of factory smog, he loves clear, clean skies of the rural Highlands. And what better view of the beautiful landscapes and night skies than perched on a broom?

🏏Game team: He does try-out in 6th year, and he gets on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. He is actually pretty fit and has lean muscles, so he is great as a Beater, which is the role he gets. Since he's on the Ravenclaw team, he will always be biased to the Eagles, lol.

🏠House: Ravenclaw all the way. The Sorting Hat did consider him to join the Gryffindor House as he sensed Cael's clear bravery, but in the end, he saw that Cael saw things very rationally and logically and put him in the Ravenclaw House.

🔵Imperio: Cael hates the spell as much as his sister. He despises manipulation to the core, and he's intimidated by such a spell.

💼Job: He becomes a Curse-Breaker. He has an affinity in runes thanks to Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, and he likes the idea of helping by investigating and breaking cursed items and cursed places.

💋Kiss: Cael grew up pretty aromantic. He wasn't interested in any girls as he was too busy for romance. But when he gets to Hogwarts, he does fall very quickly for a girl and pines like heck, lol. When he finally kisses her, it's certainly worth the wait for him. And he knows there's no one else he wants to kiss for the rest of his life than her.

🧠Legilimancy: He isn't interested in learning Legilimency, finding such an idea a headache. But he does learn Occlumency like his sister, also intent on making sure the wrong person doesn't see his secrets.

🐉Magical beasts: He doesn't mind magical beasts, but he isn't as big about them like Estelle is. However.....he does like nifflers. Even though he's a rule-follower, and the lil guys are basically thieves, he finds them adorable. The first niffler he found was just one he and Estelle came across while exploring the Highlands. They had a debacle about how a platypus got here, but then they noticed it had a shimmer to its fur coat. And it also liked how shiny Cael was in his suit of armor. Cael decided to take the niffler in, naming him Luster. Then he found the Thief of Irondale, and took that niffler in. Soon enough, he found a female companion for Luster and named her Amethyst. Estelle later teases him about being a Niffler Dad.

📝N. E. W. T./OWL: Cael is one determined student, and he's also a planner. So, he worked hard and studied hard when he could in his chaotic 5th year. He got "Outstanding" in Charms, Astronomy, and Ancient Runes. Then "Exceeds Expecations" in DADA. Everything else was "Acceptable".

🦉Owl: Cael mainly borrows the school owls as he and Estelle share her bat, Dusk. So he doesn't have an owl of his own. That's fine with him, though.

🌱Plant: He doesn't have the greenest thumb in Herbology, nor in nonmagical plants. He does get some tutor help, and he appreciates plants more thanks to her. He also tries to dabble into Victorian Flower Language because of her as she is fluent in that language.

🏉Quidditch: As mentioned, he plays as a Beater on the Ravenclaw team. He is like any teenage boy and is super-competitive. He is not afraid to hit a Bludger as hard as he can if he thinks it's the best tactical advantage for victory.

💭Remember: His best memories involve his sister whenever they got to bond over the years growing up. He loves Estelle and wants the best for her. Just like how she loves him and wants the best for him. His happiest memory is probably like Estelle's where they were taken in by Fig. He respected the man, and did see him as a father too. Even though their time together was temporary, Cael was still thankful for Fig being a good father when he could.

🩸Status:blood: Muggle-born, of course. He was confused whenever he heard someone call him a "Mudblood", but when it was explained to him, he merely shrugged it off. He has thick skin and is used to bullies, but...if someone calls Estelle that, he WILL use Muggle Violence, lol.

🍬Treats/Honeyduke’s: Cael is more of a sweet tooth than his twin sister, and he loves the most "normal" treats at Honeydukes. Like chocolate frogs and sugar quills. He also likes butterbeer. But he loves chocolate cake with chocolate frosting the most. It was a decadent treat in his childhood and he will always get it whenever he can.

❌Ugly bad habits: He is a very judging person. He has a critical look in his eye as he "sizes" people up. He can have a poker face sometimes, but other times, he looks like he has a lemon in his mouth. He's not afraid to speak his mind and say no to people that ask for ridiculous things. He is also not afraid to ask for compensation from people when things get more troublesome than they're worth. He did this a lot during the 5th year when he and Estelle did countless tasks for strangers.

🙊Veritaserum: Cael can appreciate how useful the potion can be, but he thinks it's still too dangerous. Much like Legilimency or even the Unforgivables. He curiously tries brewing it over the summer, but he didn't want to test it out on himself or his sister or anyone else. So, he just poured it out, not knowing if he was successful in brewing it.

🪄Wand: Wood - Spruce; Core - Unicorn Hair; Flexibility - Slightly Springy; Style - Spiral; Length - 11 inches; Wand Handle - Imperial Grey and Silver

➕Xtra: So, the girl he fancies and has fallen fast and hard for is.... Artemis Loreley, @polarisgreenley's MC! She and I talked about our MCs for a long time, and we see them as a wonderful fit for each other. They first met in Charms class on his first day in 5th year, and then she later helps him with tutoring. He can get by with Acceptables in Herbology and Potions and such, but he likes learning from Artemis. He always pays attention with a faint smile, just completely enthralled by her. And such begins his long pining for the only girl that managed to captivate him and his heart.

🤢Yuck: Like mentioned before, he hates fire. This is because he was forced to go find a job to get more funds for the orphanage he and Estelle were raised in. Since no one was against child labor, he started working in a factory at 8. Lots of horrible, fiery accidents would happen there, and while he would get out of them physically unscathed, fireballs or explosions make him paralyzed in fear. And seeing Inferi, with their only weakness being fire.... It causes awful flashbacks for him, and the smell along makes him retch.

😜Zonkos: Cael is very no-nonsense, lol. He always says that Estelle is more of the "fun" twin, so that usually means that he gets roped into whatever mischief she does in Hogwarts. He often tries to keep her from having too much fun, and he pinches the bridge of his nose so many times out of stress. He does have witty and dry humor, though, so he can appreciate puns. Sebastian's puns actually make him crack a smile or even chuckle. He once burst out laughing at seeing Estelle try out one of Garreth's potions, and her hair turned bright purple as a result. That led to Estelle poking his ribs, and that led to a sibling squabble and fight where they were pawing each other.

[lilaroxa]

RF1: Year 1 - Winter 4

"Surely that can't be true!"

Whatever Mei lived through, imagine hearing the rumours that Kardia's Mt. Clemens has a view so vast that you can see as far as Mei's [unnamed/forgotten] homeland.

Yet here she is anyway. Every Wednesday afternoon, actually. I wonder if she still hopes it was all a nightmare, or maybe she comes here as a place to reflect?

LILA'S RUNE FACTORY TEMPERATURE BLANKET

[ersaersa-ersaelectronics]

TVS Diodes: Voltage Dragonslayers

In the realm of Voltaria, where lightning wyrms scorch circuit castles and power surges roar like enraged titans, stands a line of silent guardians—the TVS Diodes. Forged in crystalline silicon fires and tempered by storm giants, these arcane wards shield mortal electronics from the chaotic fury of transient energies. Here’s why engineers crown them the Paladins of Power Protection.

Chapter 1: The Arcane Forging

TVS Diodes are no mere tavern trinkets. Quenched in the Lightning Anvils of Silicon Vale, they bear three sacred enchantments:

Dragonfire Reflexes: Strike in nanoseconds—swifter than an elven arrow piercing shadow.

Storm Giant’s Hunger: Devour 6,000W surges like a black hole swallowing stars.

Frostfire Endurance: Thrive from -55°C (Frost Wyrm’s breath) to 175°C (Phoenix rebirth pyres).

Why lesser wards fail:

MOV Mercenaries: Shatter after one battle like glass golems.

GDT Apprentices: Panic when lightning dragons darken the skies.

Chapter 2: The Battlefronts of Voltaria

1. The Steel Steeds (Automotive): Guard Tesla warhorses from skyfire strikes, laughing as chariot circuits sing. “Thunder is but a lullaby.”

2. The Iron Forges (Factories): Defend welding automatons from grid gremlins, sparks dancing harmlessly off their wards.

3. The Healing Sanctums (Medical): Shield MRI scry-crystals from storm interference, steady as a cleric’s prayer.

4. The Arcane Labyrinths (Data Centers): Banish EMI specters haunting server crypts, silencing chaos with a diode’s glare.

The Codex of Power

Guardian’s TraitTVS DiodeMOV MercenarySpeed Nanoseconds (Elven grace) Microseconds (Dwarven lag) Endurance 10,000 surges (Immortal) Single surge (Mortal) Resilience Auto-resurrecting phoenix Shatters like cheap glass

The Dark Lords of Surge

Lightning Wyrms: Spit 20kV fury at power grids.

EMI Specters: Whisper chaos into data streams.

Ground Trolls: Rattle earth with brownout quakes.

TVS Counter: “Your rage is my breakfast.”

Forging Your Own Ward

Quest Steps:

Clamping Voltage: Choose a shield rating tighter than dragon scales (e.g., 12V for mortal gadgets).

Peak Pulse Power: Demand wattage worthy of Thor’s hammer (6kW for forges, 600W for scrolls).

SOD vs. AK-Series: Pocket-sized glitter flecks for amulets; hulking rune-stones for castle gates.

Wizard’s Tip: Bidirectional diodes reflect curses like mirrored shields.

Legends of the Realm

Automotive Aegis: Survives orcish mud and giant hailstones.

SOD-123FL: Tiny as a fairy’s tear, yet stops bolts that split oaks.

Industrial Colossus: Eats arc-furnace surges and spits stable voltage.

Epilogue: The Unbroken Ward When the final surge tears the sky asunder, and lesser components flee like cowards—TVS diodes stand firm. For they know: Chaos is not conquered. It is tamed.

Scroll References:

The Tome of Transient Magicks (Silicon Vale Archives)

Voltaria’s Guardian Bestiary (Engineers’ Guild Ed.)

[fantasy-harvest-rune]

I’ve changed the name of my blog to reflect the fact that Fantasy Life has become a huge thing for me. Plus (while I still love the older games) I haven’t played any pokemon games for a while. It’s also a bit of a pun on the Rune Factory series tagline.

[dcviated]

@rfn-margot sent: New icon inspires an ask for a new season; how is Raguna handling the weather? All those leaves all over the farm and home? (And town?)

Rune Factory is a great farm sim but like all games in its genre simplifies a lot of… things. Whether it’s the fact there’s not a single bathroom in the RF series that you can see or the quizzical state of technology. On the one hand we’re magic-wielding backwater towns and on the other we have airships and flamethrower tanks. What is it? Where even are we??? I’m reaching for concrete foundations from which to build up my own version of this world and left with so many choices I feel like I’m building my own world entirely.

Well. That’s fine.

All this a preamble for me to get into… there’s a fuckton of trees around Kardia and Trampoli. Fall comes around and we don’t have to do any raking? Are you kidding? The only person who gets an excuse is Micah in RF3 farming under a tree and I guess Ares in RF5 with the dragons up in the air… There’s gonna be leaves. Neither town Raguna has lived in are windy enough that he’d escape the wrath of leaves. But! I think he’d enjoy it! It’s busy work, sure- but there’s going to be at least one or two monster helpers with him that play in those leaves. And that brings much needed laughter to our solitary farmer. Because he needs socializing and doesn’t always get much prior to marriage.

Raguna isn’t immune to jumping into leaf piles himself. The guy can be silly, especially when people aren’t there to watch. This can and should be exploited by an ask or someone or something I am asking anyone reading this to take advantage of it and !! You know!! Don’t make me spell it out.

As for the weather? Thriving. I was actually going to make a post about this as I’ve made in the past, that despite being a spring lad and that being his favorite the fall is not too far behind. Summer has its benefits. Winter brings its reprieves. Spring brings the work drive and readiness to develop but … Autumn is a time of settling and savoring. Whether it’s the shift of climate into more temperate ranges or the resurgence of the seasonal tastes that are oh so appealing not just to enjoy but to make for others who enjoy.

Raguna particularly enjoys those soft warm evenings with a hot mug of something spiced to drink. Sitting on the porch and listening to the growing wind whistle through the branches or brush the tips of the plants through the fields. He’s a reflective person and this is something you can do in any season, sure. But it’s the drink that makes it. A drink you can savor best when you feel the chill just start to pull at your skin.

The cooler weather also brings with it warmer clothing. We’ve only seen Raguna in his one outfit (two others if you count the wedding scenes) but I 100% believe he is someone who likes wearing warm hats, scarves, and layers when he’s working outside. Compared to the hot season he’s escaping; this lets the lad actually break into his wardrobe! Okay, not too dramatic. Raguna isn’t stylish by any stretch, but he does have clothes and familiar pieces he likes to wear. Soft wool-lined pieces. Collars. What have you. COMFORT. COMFY.

Also sweaters. Girls wearing sweaters? Maybe that’s my bias.

Oh yeah. And Raguna grows a pumpkin patch to give to people to carve for the season!

He’ll carve some too! They look silly! Not very scary!

And he absolutely adores the markets and festivals.

But he doesn’t do the drinking thing still.

Anything else I’m forgetting? Hm.

[varahkas]

Some context: this is Eunice. She's one of the Bachelorette characters from the Wii-era farming sim Rune Factory Frontier, who the player can court and marry. She is notable for being one of the only fat/plus-sized marriage candidates in the entire franchise, even 5 entries later.

Eunice is a complete sweetheart! She's the innkeeper's daughter and can be seen doing chores and domestic maintenance around the inn property all day. She starts off a bit lonely in the small town the game takes place in, but quickly befriends most of the other villagers who move in over the course of the first year. She will describe her off-screen interactions with them to you, exchanged gossip and tea-time hangouts. She loves flowers and sweets, and is a delightful character by the standards of Rune Factory at the time.

So it is beyond heartbreaking when the game narration and her own dialogue draw attention to her weight. It is further outrageous when, after befriending her a bit, the game asks you whether or not Eunice should go on a diet and slim down, through her asking the player their preferences in women. If you respond that you prefer them thinner, she will then start on her diet, no longer accepting sweets as gifts from the player. Over the course of a few in-game seasons, she will eventually complete her diet, gaining a new portrait to reflect this.

It is only *after* her losing weight that Eunice will join the other Bachelorettes in a regular summer activity, hanging out at the beach in their swimsuits. During beach season, she will awkwardly refuse the idea of going there. In practical game terms, there is simply less Eunice content to enjoy unless you change her body to resemble everyone else's. While fat, she does not exist on the same footing as other Bachelorettes.

The player *can* marry Eunice without her undergoing this diet, and she has all the bridal gown portraits and CGs to account for this. But for all the love and acceptance you can give her, Eunice will still not go to the beach, even years deep into a marriage. Loving her is not a path to her overcoming insecurity. In spite of everything that there is to appreciate about her as a Bachelorette marriage candidate in a silly old farming sim, the gentle voice acting, diligent work ethic, and social agility, the game itself will always treat her fat body as undesirable. It is something to be looked past, not shown off too much, and an incredibly frustrating mark against RFF all these years later.

It flies in the face of the art at the top of this post, drawn by Minako Iwasaki with what only feels like admiration. Soft, buoyant, cozy, and clearly not something in need of fixing. This one jagged, cutting decision in the writing, even as an attempt to bring forth the topic of body image to their first and sole fat Bachelorette, can only feel cruel. I could hope that Rune Factory takes another, more thoughtful swing at this, that it would try to vary body types, skin tones, and other features among its "desirable" characters just that little more, but it's not looking promising.

Every day I am so fucking mad on her behalf.