#she could not be a tank or healer at least as a dps she only gets herself killed (usually) KJENMHRKJNM

[turnsorrow]

alisaie having dancer as a secondary job speaks to me

[msviolacea]

There's a lot of "oh, Baldur's Gate, isn't that game all about sex?" out there - I've seen it on the internet and heard it in conversation - which is fair, that's what the mainstream articles have been about, and let's not lie, most of us around here are all about the sexytimes with pretty people. (Me included, 100000%. And my "romance doesn't make an experience less interesting or serious" rant will be saved for another day.) But anyway ... it's Monday, and I'm avoiding work, so I figured I'd list as many things as I can think of right now that make the game amazing that have nothing to do with actually having sex with someone.

GINORMOUS areas to explore.

There are lore books literally everywhere. If you like reading random bits of in-universe texts, you'll be spoiled.

Have you ever played D&D and wished certain spells had more utility - like Grease, or Sleep, or Create/Destroy Water? You're in luck here! Anything that can either create a ground effect or temporarily distract/take enemies out is OP!

Animated, voiced cut scenes with nearly every single NPC you run across.

At the same time, most of them are not required. Some will give you interesting side quests, extra approval/disapproval from your companions, or interesting information that will give you more options in a future quest, but you don't have to spend hours talking to people unless that's your jam.

In character creation, you don't pick male/female as a gender. You pick from four body types (two small, two large, two with breasts/more slender, two more broad/slightly larger), three sets of pronouns (he/she/they), and several different sets of genitals - mix and match all three categories to your hearts' content. I'm sure there are other things they could have done, but it's the most inclusive character creator I've seen in a major game for sure.

The turn-based combat is a blessing for anyone who struggles with real time combat. Take your time, consider your options, look at things from all angles, sort through your spells and attacks to find the right one.

Or you can remember you picked up that barrel of smoke powder three rooms back, climb up into the rafters of the room, and chuck it into the fire pit in the middle of the room for maximum effect. I cannot overstate how fucking satisfying that is.

Big fucking tiefling horns. Of a variety of shapes!

Your female companions are the tanks/hearty warriors. Your male companions are all delicate fucking flowers, at least until you get Druid Daddy who can turn into a bear.

While optimizing your 4-person party to bring the usual configuration - one tank, one healer, a couple of DPS - is useful, it isn't always necessary. There are some fights where bringing four ranged options is a great idea, as long as you give them some survivability spells or plenty of potions. Sometimes bringing four people who can just barrel their way into a pile of ogres is satisfying. Mix it up!

Okay every companion thus far (I'm still only through act 1 yet, listen I have two games and my partner didn't feel well enough to continue the game where we're the farthest this weekend so I spent my time catching my solo game up) is absolute gold, no duds in the bunch, and the next few bullets will be one awesome thing about each one of them that has nothing to do with romance.

Astarion with the Thief subclass at level 3 literally cannot fail most lockpicking or trap disarming checks unless he rolls a nat 1. He is invisible when stealthed. He can one-shot most low level goblins with sneak attack arrows from range. He is a very bitchy fancy-lad Super Rogue.

Wyll is the Goodest Boy - the speed with which he goes from "I am oathbound to kill you demon!" to "well shit you're just a tiefling guess I'll deliberately fuck up my very dangerous warlock oath for you" is wonderful. He's noble and impetuous and wants to be more than a rich boy and gives nearly everyone the benefit of the doubt. I would die for him.

Karlach does the ADHD idle dance of "I could not stand still if you paid me all the gold in Baldur's Gate" and has the best puppy dog eyes. Also the story tie-in to her rage mechanics is really great and excellent storytelling.

Lae'zel is nigh unkillable if you give her the right stuff. Speccing her as Battlemaster is amazing for controlling the most powerful combatants on the field. Trip Attack has saved my ass so many times, you have no idea.

On paper, Gale should be absolutely insufferable. But somehow the writing and voice acting managed to hit just the right notes of humor and good nature and wizard geek. I'm very impressed.

Shadowheart is a very interesting combination of amoral/self-involved but also compassionate and I find myself fascinated by it. She clearly contains multitudes, and thus far the story is doing a good job of doling out pieces of her at a satisfying pace.

And speaking of interesting moral dichotomies, I absolutely adore that Halsin is both the good influence authority figure and also utterly ruthless when things run afoul of his strongly held belief system. Also thicc, broad-shouldered elf supremacy.

The tieflings you meet in Emerald Grove are directly tied to the D&D adventure "Descent Into Avernus" - as is Wyll! (And I'm sure it has a lot of context for Karlach's story as well, I haven't finished reading it yet.) I'm sure there's more when you get to the actual city of Baldur's Gate, but I'm not there yet. It's just fun to have that as an option to read for backstory about some of the game's characters and situations if you want. It's not required reading, though - cough, Bioware/Dragon Age, cough - everything that happens with them is perfectly understandable without any additional context!

The "Balanced" combat difficulty is a really good mix of fights that take a LOT of strategy and ones that can be easily cheesed.

Have you ever wanted to shove someone off a cliff even though you have like 8 strength? Listen, a 30% chance is STILL A CHANCE, and you have limited bonus action choices. TAKE YOUR SHOT.

... feel free to add your own. I'm still pretty early in the game and can't wait to get to more.

(edited for some slightly better phrasing about the character creation gender options, hopefully)

[elendsessor]

no fusion run mini update

the demifiend’s ex girlfriend gets beaten up by a trans archangel, woman with nails so long it’s scary, and monke, more details at 7.

had to put some skill points into vitality because i was kinda getting nearly murdered in the sea of random encounters before getting to baal.

now with chiaki dead, i’m actually doing a bit of a revision to my team because of how luci’s fight works. going to have to use raidou as my second damage dealer no matter what because the only demons of mine that have focus aren’t going to do well, he’s the only one with pierce, pierce can’t be mutated into, the only way i can get pierce on everyone else even through fusion is via metatron, etc. luci is one big dps check because he can, at any given point, bust out diarahan, something the people who got dante from the devil may cry series never get to worry about. whatever sadist at atlus decided to give the hardest boss in the game a full heal better have gotten a raise because they’ve probably crushed many dreams.

but i also need a better healer. i love titania but i can’t get her to null ailments and she’s very squishy. the only demon i can recruit that can null ailments, has no weakness to the elemental attacks luci has, and have set up in the compendium to mutate a couple skills to get better ones… is suparna.

yeah the bird with the stupidly annoying death cry? actually op if you put in the time and effort.

there’s a couple problems though.

first, they’re insanely underleveled right now. no real issue because merciful’s exp wield can cut down grinding time but it’s still grinding time. i have a ton of unused incenses sitting in my inventory so i can boost some of the stats quicker, plus the chance for incenses to be gifts are amazing.

second, the unchangeable stuff. stone hunt is a garbage skill outside of low level runs and garuda gets generally better skills. wind cutter is the best wind element skill that isn’t tornado, plus he gets endure at level 67—a skill my team is lacking. there’s also an unused skill slot they have just sitting there. taunting me.

the goal is to have bufula change to dekaja and diarahan to mutate into megidola before chaining into prayer. the dekaja is so i can set up provoke without luci getting the attack buff and just in case of emergencies to begin with, and prayer because luci loves status ailments.

not sure about keeping zandyne or what i would even aim for. suparna is going to be a fully support-based demon, so i technically don’t need an attacking move, and i can’t get rid of mazandyne which is a good alternative. i’m considering debilitate but i already have debuffing moves across the entire team that cover the bases so having fog breath + debilitate feels repetitive. then again, i haven’t used any of those skills outside of provoke in ages, mainly because provoke recovers mp, and i could be out-dekunda’d. mana surge is the other option since prayer costs a ton of mp, with each time used to recover it being one less bit of damage. it definitely could be remedied with a maxed out magic stat though. still torn, but i’m likely going to go the debilitate route if i decide i absolutely have to.

of course i’m gonna be training up the rest of the team too. need some emergency switch-ins and a good group to knock out kagutsuchi first and foremost since luci is a back to back fight. gay snake and uber pixie are the primary revivers and are tanks at heart. don’t know how that’ll work for everyone else. lilith has life drain so if i have to go the stall route she can take some hits.

because of the lack of pierce, i do need to max out strength and vitality on the boyfriends asap.

decided in the meantime to go for a personal goal in the upcoming grinding session: try and fully master as many magatama as possible. yippee.

at least this is the final push before i’m free from playing megaten games until smt 5 vengeance where i’ll probably get beaten to death by something.

[check-ur-squad]

im back again to ask something ajdkkc

anywho, i finally got vanessa thread of fate and im confused on who should i kick out of my team and whom to keep. here's my team just in case you're curious. (and the characters i have)

i reallyyyy need a healer on the team tho otherwise my team would be doomed 😭

Hi dude!! Hope you've been well.

Getting into it, both Vanessa and Zora operate the best on "Mono" teams. For Vanessa, that might look like her, party Mimosa, Mereoleona as a tank/DPS (or Patri), and Charlotte. For Zora, that's likely going to be him, ceremony Luck, Charmy/Kahono/Gauche if you can swing it, and William. The Mono meta is going to continue for a few seasons more, and then we're going to have Valkyrie Noelle introduced, which will disturb that meta by adding two new types to the game (purple (chaos) and yellow (harmony)).

Why is this the case? Well, currently the structure of the game is such that each type has a special strategy.

Blue has counterattack.

Green has SP regeneration/skill spamming (Ceremony Charlotte, Party Mimosa, and Fate Vanessa ALL regenerate SP)

Red has burn stacking --> more damage/blasta + witch queen combo.

Now, these strategies are by no means ubiquitous. Mereo also has burn stacking --> damage, and she's green. Yami and Noelle [Swimsuit] have counterattack, and they're red. However, most SUPPORT units in their types have passives that only activate if everyone in that team is only one color. Those support units include: Party Mimosa, Zora, Vanessa [Fate], Charlotte [Academy], Sally to some extent, Charlotte [Ceremony], Witch Queen, and more.

Zora in a mono blue team gives himself a +15 SPD boost at the start of a round. That's INSANE, and it makes him the fastest character in the game, but only if he's in that type of team. Otherwise, he has a regular debuffer speed of around 112-114. You can play him however you want, but you will be working at a disadvantage to people who are using him in mono (at least, in the arena), because that's just kind of how the game works.

It looks like you've got a lot of well-built units. As it stands, however, there's no reason to have both Zora and Noelle on a team -- their skills are essentially the same, and Zora's benefit is that he basically turns any attacker INTO Noelle through DEF stacking, damage reflection, and damage reduction.

Langris is frankly a shit DPS, even though Fate Vanessa resolves his Skill Points problem to some extent (I'm sorry to langris fans but he's not lore-accurate. forget eating my brain out of my head, the most he's ever done is lightly blow on me. im talking like 1k damage) so if I had a recommendation, I would swap Noelle out for another DPS character and Mereo for Vanessa. You could also swap Charmy for Vanessa and Magna for Noelle and run a burn/stun/taunt team of sorts, but I would personally play around until you find what's fun for you and then go with that.

Thanks for asking! Please feel free to continue to do so :D I'll do my best to help!

[hecksguard]

i wish I could just drop this but it's just yet another example of a serious problem I have with the game lately.

since becoming a healer main I've really become aware of when people are playing like complete jackasses. it's not all players, most players are nice, but definitely like one in four duty roulettes i do has a dps/healer who pulls mobs or a tank that isn't paying attention to the healer.

my partner (who plays Dark Knight) plays with a controller due to her disability and can't do things as fast as people on keyboard/mouse and there was this one DPS in the Expert roulette who kept yelling at her and wouldn't shut up until we told them she's disabled. they did end up apologising which we both really appreciated but I'm still kinda pissed off about it. why did she have to reveal that about herself to get you to give her basic dignity? it's not fair.

it's far from the only incident I've witnessed in the past year too. I once saw someone, a Dragoon if I recall, just completely lose their shit at a totally new player on Holminster Switch who playing tank and wasn't prepared for the jump in difficulty and getting frustrated. Me and the other player were supportive but this one jerk was being so mean and eventually he started refusing to move and we had to votekick him.

my girlfriend had another run of that same dungeon where the tank accidentally went in as Marauder and one of the DPS was just like "nah fuck this" and left. I joined the duty in progress and told jokes to lighten the mood but y'know what? We did fine and it went completely smoothly.

Like I dunno, is it really so bad if things don't always go how you expect? If maybe you go a little slower than usual? I know FFXIV can be tedious but being a jerk for no reason only makes it worse for everyone. At least wait one second for clarification before you start being unfair or unreasonable.

[dendroaspis-viridis]

Retribution

The Breach that opened above the Temple of Sacred Ashes weakened the Veil across all of Thedas, and none felt that instability more strongly than the Mourn Watchers of the Grand Necropolis.

Rating: M (Nothing explicit, just gore)

AO3

I wanted to get a feel for how Katareth interacted with her fellow Watchers, as well as how they interact with each other, so I made this. I also took some liberties with Johanna and Myrna’s abilities (one tank and three mages does not a balanced party make), so Johanna functions as more of a DPS flanker and Myrna is a support/spirit healer.

TW for some gore, as now it’s Kat’s turn to get grievously injured. Anyway, enjoy! :)

-----

9:41 Dragon

It was early in the morning, with only a handful of other Mortalitasi shuffling about the large dining hall where Johanna, Myrna, Katareth, and Emmrich sat around their usual breakfast table. In the center lay a small stack of papers, topped with a manifest containing a detailed and expansive list of supplies for their expedition. Beside each item on the list was five… six… seven neat check marks, with an underlined note at the bottom that read, ‘Check all supplies immediately before departure!’ in Katareth’s tidy, angular print.

Under normal circumstances, any sort of multi-day expedition was only required to contain two Watchers. Recent events, however, had necessitated that number being increased to four at the very least, with even more being much preferred. As the group Katareth had selected were all fairly experienced, there was no pushback from any of the higher-ups regarding her decision to utilize the bare minimum.

The qunari sat to his right, reviewing their goals as she carded through the stack, “We’ll be checking on half of the wards during this trip and repairing what we can.”

Locating the parchment she was after, she set it atop the manifest for everyone else to see. It was a charcoal drawing of a defaced ward, surface marred with dozens of deep gouges. “But if we can find the higher demon —or demons— responsible for commanding the lesser spawns, killing it should become our top priority. A group of Guides disposed of a few rage demons a few weeks ago on the eighth floor, but fearlings have been seen as close as the fourth, more recently.”

Emmrich could listen to her for hours. The rich, deep timbre of her voice mixed effortlessly with the rounded vowels and rhotic pronunciations of her prominent qunari accent, bringing to mind the measured draw of a bow across a cello’s taut strings.

“I’m estimating the trip will take about four days, though I’ve packed enough supplies for eight on the off-chance that things go sideways. Or we find undocumented areas and need time to catalogue them,” she amended, gesturing to Emmrich and Myrna. Katareth took a quick sip of her coffee before she concluded, “Um, feel free to look through my notes, too. They’re on the bottom. Johanna’s reviewed them, but it never hurts to get more opinions.”

As Katareth tucked into her breakfast, more Mortalitasi trickled into the hall, yawning or rubbing their eyes as they began their days. Emmrich reached to the center of the table, flipping through the stack to find parchment embossed with the equine heraldry of House Naletski.

Her notations were remarkably thorough, he thought. There was an entire page dedicated to explaining every incident within the past several months, highlighting injuries and deaths that resulted from either demons or the unique osteological creatures that resided within the Necropolis. A summary at the bottom noted that at this time last year, there were less than a quarter of the incidents reported. There were also letters from both Cumberland and Hunter Fell’s Necropoli reporting similar upticks in accidents.

The next page detailed potential causes, with the most likely theory being the explosion at the Temple of Sacred Ashes three months prior, resulting in the death of Divine Justinia and rending the Veil atop the Frostback Mountains.

As he continued reading, Johanna praised her former protégé, “You know, Kat, you’ve come a long way from the surly, mute twenty-something I took in a decade ago.”

“Thank you…?” Emmrich’s eyes rose from the parchment to look across the table, just as surprised to hear Johanna’s praises as the woman receiving them.

“I’m serious. When I got that letter from Cumberland’s Watchers asking if I’d be willing to mentor a ‘rather troublesome young Mortalitasi,’ I assumed they were sending me another Van Markham brat to humble, not the world’s meekest qunari. Now look at you: leading expeditions left and right!” When Katareth smiled, she continued, “And you speak! Granted, it’s not much when anyone else is around, but we’re getting there…” As she trailed off, her eyes wandered to a group of Guides of the Path piling their plates across the hall.

Emmrich and Katareth followed her gaze, landing on the tall, willowy frame of Yelena Petrovk, with her long salt and pepper hair tied back in a low ponytail. Looking up from her plate, the Guide noticed Kat’s stare, flashing the large woman a sultry smile and quick wave. The qunari turned back around in her seat, eyes trained on a lonely slice of toast as though it might start clawing at wards any second now.

Johanna snorted before leaning in to whisper, “Interesting… very interesting…” She scrutinized the Guide further, taking in the woman’s every detail. “I wonder if that little wave has anything to do with why Yelena’s walking like that…”

Emmrich took another quick glance out of the corner of his eye, catching a subtle, sore teeter to the woman’s gait.

Katareth remained enthralled with her toast.

“Kat? Nothing to say?” her voice dripped with mock confusion.

The qunari stumbled over her words, managing, “She might’ve slept wrong.” When Johanna’s smirk only grew, Katareth hissed as pink crept up her face, “There could be a million reasons that don’t involve me.”

Her mentor leaned back, lips pursed and eyebrows raised. “Fair enough… But would any one of those million reasons also explain the hickey currently peeking out from her collar?”

Rather than respond, Katareth squeezed her eyes shut as she muttered a quiet ‘vashedan…’ before taking a long gulp of her coffee, attempting to shrink in on herself more than she already had.

While Emmrich knew the two had a more antagonistically familial relationship—with Johanna once describing Katareth as ‘the younger sister I never wanted’—he still felt the need to jump to the qunari’s defense. Or at least do something to distract himself from the uncomfortable roil of… was that jealousy? Surely not.

“Andraste’s grace, Johanna. Really?” he castigated, setting down Katareth’s notes on top of the stack for emphasis.

She threw up her hands in mock surrender. “I’m simply ensuring my former protégé doesn’t make some of the same mistakes I did in my youth, and a Watcher’s work is never through! I’m quite certain you’d do the same if Myrna was ever interested in anyone.”

At the mention of her name, his own protégé-turned-assistant raised her head groggily from the plate of potato and sausage she’d been slowly working on, still not entirely awake. “Hmm?” While she was an exceedingly bright mage well ahead of her peers, Myrna was by no means a morning person.

“And I’m quite certain that I would not. Even if I did have concerns, I wouldn’t be badgering her first thing in the morning in the dining hall. Now can we get back on topic?”

“Gladly.” Kat set down her empty coffee mug like a gavel, grabbing the substantial list of wards they needed to examine and laying them out, reviewing the ones that’d been confirmed as damaged.

From across the table, Johanna scrutinized him, eyes shifting from himself to Katareth several times before conceding with a clipped ‘Hm’.

-----

It had been several hours since they left the residential area of the Necropolis, and they’d made great progress thus far. Many of the protective wards this close to the surface were still in working order, only requiring a simple dusting that could be done atop horseback.

Katareth led their party, flanked by Johanna and himself, with Myrna riding behind Katareth. The necromancer watched as Kat gently tugged on Gustav’s reins each time they approached an intersection, head canting slightly to the side as she focused. He recalled her describing the Grand Necropolis’ ‘voice’ as a low, warm hum that quietly purred at the base of her skull, guiding her through the endless, ever-shifting maze.

The silence was broken when Myrna commented, “I read that the Herald’s began recruiting rebel mages to help seal the Breach in Ferelden.”

“Good. Maybe things will settle down around here once it’s finally closed,” Johanna asserted. “I’m tired of all these damned demons running amok.”

There was a brief lull before Myrna asked, “Do you think they were actually sent by Andraste?”

“No. They’re probably just some poor kid unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Katareth nodded in agreement, flicking a Veilfire brazier to life as she passed.

Emmrich was waiting to see how things played out before drawing his own conclusions. From what he’d read thus far, Shrike Adaar was a fairly young qunari. Too young to be a Ben-Hassrath spy sent to assassinate Divine Justinia, as some of the less charitable papers had speculated. Though their prior anonymity—and the fact that they were the sole survivor of an explosion that leveled the entirety of the Temple of Sacred Ashes—left just enough space for Emmrich to entertain the idea that they may have been one of the so-called ‘higher dead’.

From his right, Myrna sympathized with the herald, “Mm. However they survived, or wherever they came from, I don’t envy them. Having the eyes of the world on your every move… grappling with the deaths of everyone around you…” She thought for a moment before looking to their expedition leader. “Katareth, I have a question about Qunari life, though there isn’t really a delicate way to ask it.”

“I’m listening.” Despite Kat’s typical frustrations regarding the near-constant onslaught of inquiries thrown at her regarding the Qun—especially now that the identity of the Herald was common knowledge—Myrna was a rare exception. The two had shared sleeping quarters during their early years in the Necropolis and developed a deep friendship, granting the human a significant amount of privilege when it came to asking questions about her heritage.

“I heard the Herald lost their mother in the explosion, but I’ve always been told Qunari don’t have mothers. Or at least mothers don’t raise their children.”

“That’s correct. There aren’t family units under the Qun like there are here, as they’re considered an inefficient use of resources.” Though she continued to face forward, Emmrich could imagine the lopsided curl of her lips. “Instead, we’re raised in groups by women called ‘Tamassrans.’” She paused at another fork, listening intently to the Necropolis before nudging Gustav forward.

“That’s why I believe Adaar’s a Vashoth, not a Qunari qunari. Their mother might’ve been born under the Qun and fled when the Tamassrans tried to take her child.”

Emmrich felt his eyebrows raise slightly as he asked a question of his own, “How often does something like that happen?” He’d always assumed the vast majority of Qunari found life under the Qun’s strict philosophies acceptable, and Katareth was a rare exception due to their frankly barbaric treatment of anyone with arcane abilities—however minor those abilities may be.

“More often than you’d think. I can remember two separate incidents just like it happening within a month of each other back in Qundalon.”

“Do you know what became of them?” He hadn’t meant to ask the question aloud, but he couldn’t help his academic curiosity.

“Unfortunately, I do not… Uh, I ended up needing to flee about a week after the second one left,” she stated awkwardly.

“Oh, I-” Emmrich struggled to articulate an appropriate apology, with each one he considered sounding woefully pathetic when compared to his blunder. Had he known his questioning would lead to the delicate subject of Katareth’s childhood—or rather, the abrupt end of her childhood—he would never have opened his mouth in the first place. Of all the oafish things to ask about-

His self-flagellating was mercifully interrupted by a rare show of compassion from Johanna, who redirected the conversation in her own irreverent way. “And by the grace of the most holy Maker, you were shepherded beneath my generous, benevolent wings, little Kitty Kat.”

The qunari gave her a withering look, deadpanning a monotone, “How auspicious.”

“Awww, there’s my favorite scowl!” Leaning over on her own skeletal horse, Johanna patted Kat’s thigh patronizingly.

“My apologies, Katareth. I hadn’t intended to open old wounds,” he managed after far too long, in his critical opinion.

She turned, throwing him a warm, reassuring smile over a broad shoulder, “Don’t be. Leaving was the best decision for me, anyway. I… wouldn’t have thrived, had I stayed.” She thought for a moment before adding, “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be. Truly.”

-----

Despite the normally calm halls being abuzz with false life, the second day of their trip passed without any major hiccups.

Some of the bone amalgamations that rattled about in neglected halls had grown rather territorial as of late, forcing the Watchers’ hands on more than one occasion. To Emmrich’s immense delight, there were two previously undocumented morphologies, as well! Curiously, both were in vaguely lupine shapes. One conglomerated into the general form of a typical wolf, albeit several times larger, while the other resembled a werewolf, lumbering about on its ‘knuckles’ that were made of fragmented ribs.

Another notable event occurred after repairing an otherwise nondescript ward to a passable state. The moment the glyphs glimmered to life, a low rumble emanated from deeper within the Grand Necropolis. For every subsequent ward they repaired after that, the noise slowly grew in volume.

And the demons: they were everywhere! It seemed like every corridor had at least one. Many were easily dispatched, returning to the Fade with little fanfare. Others fought a little harder to remain, with a particularly stubborn envy demon attempting to masquerade (poorly) as a Guide of the Path, shepherding a flock of rage demons.

The pack-like behavior wasn’t particularly notable—weaker demons often grouped in an attempt to overwhelm potential threats—but the way they grouped was too… organized. Too regimented.

Emmrich wasn’t the only one to notice, with Myrna wondering aloud what variety of demon was at the top puppeteering them. A pride demon was the obvious choice, but Johanna reminded everyone that they likely would have heard its boastful taunts by now, leading to a fierce but friendly debate over what exactly they were up against.

As they deliberated, Katareth marked another ward of her list with a neat checkmark.

-----

Their second night had not been so fortunate.

It was a well-documented phenomenon that dreams tended to become progressively more vivid the deeper one went—with Emmrich speculating it to be a result of the ancient magicks that permeated the Necropolis, mixed with the strange liminal space it occupied between the material plane and the Fade. Under normal circumstances, this would not have been an issue. But the recent influx of demons resulted in night terrors that felt all-too real, dredging up nightmares Emmrich hadn’t had since before he left for the Circle.

Everyone’s fitful rest was disrupted by Myrna’s terrified scream, scrambling from their tents with swords and spells at the ready. His assistant had profusely apologized, diffusing the situation and assuring everyone it was just another bad dream. Johanna threw a few quick alarm spells up around their little camp before retreating to her tent with a grumble, encouraging everyone to attempt to get some sleep.

After ensuring Myrna was alright after what must’ve been a horrible dream, he slipped into his own bed roll. Just before his consciousness slipped, he heard a muffled, “Katareth…? Can I sleep in your tent tonight? It was the bear dream, again…”

A low “mhmm” rumbled in response before a quiet flap of leather signaled their own attempts at rest.

-----

The following morning was passable, all things considered. Breakfast was slowly eaten while reviewing which wards had been repaired thus far and which would require a second trip with rune forgers (forty-three and eight, respectively), as well as a quick overview of the last six they planned to visit before returning to the surface.

Camp was broken without issue, and the first two hours or so of their day had been spent making their way to the next ward. As they continued their descent, the time between wards only grew.

Emmrich found this extra distance to be a double-edged sword. It was fortuitous as it allowed them the opportunity to explore more of the lower levels, including a previously-undescribed catacomb. Less fortunate were the long lulls between conversations or new discoveries, allowing his fatigue from lack of sleep to creep in. When he felt his eyelids grow heavy, he wished he’d taken Katareth up on her offer of coffee earlier that morning.

His weariness evaporated when Myrna dismounted next to him, approaching the defective glyphs carved into a polished slab of chalcedony. Collecting a few material components from his Saddlebag of Holding, he joined her. A quick examination told him it would be a simple fix, requiring maybe twenty minutes at the most.

Katareth and Johanna stood guard, sending motes of light in either direction down the dusty corridor. As Myrna laid out the tools they’d need, he heard Johanna ask, “Hey, Kat. What kind of dragon is this?” The glyph opposed the opulent double doors that lead into the Gervhardt catacombs, decorated by a large mosaic depicting a furious battle between several hunters and a swooping high dragon.

“It’s a Kaltenzahn.” He heard the clink of sabatons on tile as she approached. “She has the distinctive red and blue pattern they’re famous for. Oh!” She gasped, audibly excited, “And if you look here, she’s clutching onto a human!”

He caught Myrna’s smirk out of the corner of his eye as the pair worked, listening in on their guards’ conversation.

“Assuming the records are accurate, the figure should be Damian Gervhardt. The Kaltenzahn’s claws pierced his chest in several locations when she grabbed him. But before he bled out, he was able to jab his sword between her osteoderms here, likely severing one of the arteries in her neck. She crashed on the shores of Lake Merdaine, and the rest of his hunting party was able to kill her once she was grounded.”

Johanna hummed, asking a few more questions that were too low for his ears to catch. Returning his full attention to the repairs, Emmrich was pleased to find their work completed within minutes. With a few final incantations, it flickered back to life, wafting a pleasant warmth across his face. Like stepping into sunlight.

A few moments after their restoration, Emmrich recoiled when a deep, guttural roar scraped against the inside of his skull.

“Cease, you pathetic rats! Your feeble defenses only serve to stoke my ire. This horrid tomb has become my chrysalis, and it is time for my triumphant emergence!”

Johanna huffed, rubbing her temples. “I’m ashamed to admit I was wrong; it appears we are just dealing with a pride demon,” she complained, taunting the corrupted spirit.

“You think my motives so base, wretched human? NO. I desire something far greater than anything your simple pride could wring...”

Everyone hastily returned to their mounts, trailing the qunari as she began following the voice to its source, nudging Gustav to a canter with her heels. She rushed through junctions, refusing to slow down now that the cause of their current predicament had revealed itself.

“You scurry like the disgusting vermin that slaughtered my younglings. No matter, you will fall just as they did.”

After several more jeers from the demon, they arrived at the ostentatious courtyard leading to the Pentaghast’s sprawling burial estate. Ivory marble braziers cradled emerald bonfires, casting reflections off gurgling fountains of red wine that were dotted throughout the topiary garden. It was beautiful. And massive. One of Emmrich’s colleagues had recently published a paper on the original blueprints of the estate, theorizing it covered nearly twice as much space as their castle on the surface. Laying eyes on the exterior alone, he believed it.

Within the tidy rows that connected the lawn’s many decorative features, possessed corpses shuffled about, draped in armor from centuries passed. They were typically passive towards Mourn Watchers, content to allow the Necropolis’ guardians to pass unhindered. This time, however, the corpses suddenly grew hostile, growling as they limped forward.

With a few well-practiced gestures of his hands, the mummies froze, unable to break through Emmrich’s arcane hold over them. He maintained the spell long enough for everyone to race toward the gilded doors of the estate proper, doors slamming shut behind them with a deep thud. With a flick of his wrists, he released his hold over the corpses, now safe from their misguided defenses.

Looking around, the almost gaudy extravagance that pervaded everything House Pentaghast did on the surface continued below. A massive chandelier glittered with thousands of little crystals above, tinkling gently as it threw sparkles of green light down upon the Watchers. The black marble under their horses’ trotting hooves was polished to a mirror finish, and the red velvet curtains that covered each window were accented with gold embroidery featuring Nevarra’s prominent skull and flower motif.

“NO! You will not stop me! Not when I am so near my prize…”

A piercing PING rang out through the foyer as the chain from which the giant chandelier dangled broke, sending the metal frame plummeting toward Myrna. With a quick snap of her fingers, she disappeared, rematerializing a few feet away as the chandelier crashed upon her horse, sending bone fragments and shards of crystal in every direction.

The normally genteel healer blurted an exasperated “Damn!” as she righted herself and dusted debris from her skirts. Myrna pulled herself up onto Emmrich’s saddle, seating herself behind him. She urged them forward and answered everyone’s concerned questions with a breathless, “I’m fine, I’m fine! But let’s continue on. Whatever this demon is, we need to kill it before it brings the roof down on our heads.”

Katareth’s fury was evident when she returned her attention to the culprit, shouting, “Speak, then! What prize!?”

“RETRIBUTION!”

The qunari’s silver brows furrowed, likely expecting a more grandiose desire befitting a pride demon.

“Myrna, you may have been right when you speculated the Necropolis’ interloper was a revenge demon, yesterday.” Were they in more agreeable circumstances, Emmrich might have used this as an opportunity to excitedly lecture his colleagues on the seldom-seen inhabitants of the Fade. Instead, he was restricted to an abridged summary, “Revenge demons ride a fine line between pride and rage, but they can be distinguished by their singular goal of exacting whatever vengeance the corpse they possess sought in the moment of their death.”

Katareth turned to face him, “Are they more or less dangerous than a pride demon?”

“I’m unsure. There have been so few encountered, and even less that have adequate descriptions of those encounters,” he explained quickly before adding, “Though—like with most possessions—the physicality of the body they inhabit does play a role in determining their threat. If this is a Pentaghast mummy, I’m confident the four of us could subdue it without too much issue…” he trailed off uncertainly.

Johanna interjected, “That didn’t exactly sound like a Pentaghast’s final demand, Volkarin.”

“I know…” Emmrich sighed. While he dreaded the alternative, the demon’s earlier claims of ‘slaughtered younglings’ combined with the many dragon corpses that have been carted down here over the centuries pointed to a much more dire conclusion.

It seemed everyone had independently come to the same answer when Myrna cautiously confirmed, “Professor, are you implying there’s a possessed dragon somewhere on the estate?”

“It’s certainly a possibility.”

Katareth heaved a breath, rubbing circles into her temple, “Well that complicates things, somewhat.”

None present had ever been on one of the Pentaghast’s famed dragon hunts, though it was widely known that they were typically conducted with dozens upon dozens of combatants. The specific location of the demon also put the Watchers into an exceedingly dangerous political situation, as well.

While the Mortalitasi held significant power and influence within Nevarra, there were already suspicious whispers among the upper echelons that King Markus’ Mortalitasi advisors puppeteered the aging monarch, ruling the country through him. Were word to get out that a group of Mourn Watchers sat idly by—or even abandoned!—the Pentaghast’s charnel estate while it was torn asunder by a demon, the resulting outcry could lead to an all-out civil war. Emmrich’s thoughts grew more grim when he realized their expedition leader’s heritage would only stoke the flames further. There was no option other than to continue forward, regardless of the potentially lethal threat they faced. Anything else could be considered high treason.

“Well… we’ve come this far, there’s no point in turning back now,” Katareth stated confidently, attempting to rally her companions.

Johanna nodded with a grim determination. “Who knows, maybe you’ll get to see your first dragon.”

“I was rather hoping for it to be alive, but beggars can’t be choosers, I guess,” she laughed humorlessly. “Um… Let’s check the charnel halls first; if it’s truly vengeance the demon wants, we should check areas with the highest concentrations of bodies. If we don’t find anything there, we can look elsewhere.”

Setting Katareth’s plan in motion, they moved on, forgoing proper etiquette such as dismounting in favor of exorcising the demon as quickly as possible.

All of the charnel wings were void of demons, only hosting a few lounging Pentaghast mummy that paid their party little mind. Continuing deeper into the mansion, Emmrich had to resist stopping his horse several times, in awe of the magnificent architecture and gaudy décor.

Everywhere they examined proved fruitless. The bathhouses that bubbled cloyingly-perfumed waters, the library with towering bookshelves extending far past what Emmrich could see in the dim light, and even the chapel with its golden statue of Andraste, arms beckoning their entrance, sat empty.

When Katareth pushed open the double doors encrusted with jeweled dragons that led into the expansive trophy room, they knew they were on the right track.

Dozens of dragons had been strung up and taxidermized in action poses, and even more lay haphazardly along the perimeter, dragged in unceremoniously following their slaughter. None of the draconic mummies were complete, all showing some variety of post-mortem manipulation.

Broad chests lay deflated following the removal of lungs and hearts, and several were decapitated entirely, leaving expertly-sliced stumps at the end of thick necks. A few were skinned completely, revealing greyed muscle that had been tanned with time. In the very center of the room sat an empty exhibit, metal supporting wires splayed in all directions.

Katareth halted. “Do you hear that…?”

Everyone held their breath, straining to listen… There it was! Emmrich felt more than heard a deep, rhythmic thump from deeper within the mansion.

Hot on the demon’s trail, the Watchers galloped down long corridors, following a wake of gouged tiles and shredded tapestries before passing under a large, broken lintel. On either side lay two massive oak doors, blasted off their hinges.

Katareth halted at the top of a grand marble staircase, frozen in place by what she saw. The lavish grandiosity of the Pentaghast estate seemed to have abandoned the decimated remains of the grand ballroom. Many of the stained-glass windows were shattered, casting kaleidoscopes across the ground that were interspersed with tattered velvet scraps and the stone limbs of smashed statues. Once-exquisite paintings featuring glorious dragon hunts were clawed through, canvases singed and frayed at the edges. But all that destruction paled in comparison to the horrible visage that waited at the far end of the room.

At the top of the stairs, pounding into the massive golden double-doors that led to the throne room where Caspar the Magnificent reposed, was a colossal mummified dragon. Massive swaths of its hide had been peeled away over the centuries, providing a disgusting glimpse at sinewy muscles that ground against each other with every ear-splitting rake of its claws against metal.

Upon realizing it was no longer alone, the demon halted its assault, slowly swiveling its head like an owl toward the Mourn Watchers. Emmrich couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through his body when the vacant, hollow pits where its eyes would have once sat seemed to peer into his very soul.

“Is that… Caspar’s Vinsomer…?” Katareth whispered almost reverently.

Though the high dragon’s maw didn’t move, Emmrich nevertheless heard its awful voice in his head. “So you DO understand what you meddle in… And still, you attempt to thwart my righteous vengeance against the one who butchered me?”

Kat found her voice, “But you’re not the high dragon slain by Caspar all those centuries ago, are you? You’re a simple demon whose found an empty corpse to parade around in!”

“SILENCE!” The revenant roared, spreading its leathery wings and kicking up a gale. “If I must kill you to reach my true prey, so be it…”

The dragon leapt from its perch at the top of the stairs, landing in the center of the grand ballroom. The mansion quaked under its feet as a swarm of dust swirled.

As she unsheathed her greatsword, Katareth rushed information to her fellow Watchers. “Vinsomers are especially susceptible to damage originating from the Fade, but I’m not sure how the possession will affect that. Regardless, try to take out her wings first, and be mindful of her tail. Above all else, don’t get caught.”

When everyone nodded in confirmation, the qunari kicked her heels in to Gustav’s ribs, charging ahead to draw the demon’s ire away from her lightly-armored allies, sword cloaked in Veilfire.

Emmrich erected a quick arcane shield as he retreated to the far wall with Myrna, giving her the safety and distance she needed to weave precise bolts of magic that sliced away at its tattered wings. There were a few corpses scattered about the hall that he was able to guide spirits into, entreating their help. It was a careful balancing act, managing both his summons and mount, painfully aware of the fact that it was not just his own life he needed to guard with his jockeying.

He spotted Johanna darting along the perimeter, slamming devastating volleys of Veilfire into the exposed muscles. Each successive hit pulled a roar from the demon. “When the cur you call ‘Caspar’ is naught but dust, I will hunt his every heir like the vermin they are!”

Just when Emmrich thought the high dragon would bring a foul hand down upon Katareth, Gustav sidestepped, rushing between the revenant’s legs as she raised her sword to slice down its belly. It reared back, swiping its tree trunk of a tail into one of Emmrich’s summons, sending it careening into the wall. The marble buckled under the force of the impact.

The qunari circled around the dragon, drawing her greatsword across its ankle, beginning the arduous process of slicing through taut ligaments. As the revenant limped away, a ruined wing flumped to the ground behind it, freed from its shoulder by Myrna’s precise casting.

“His soul shall know the pain of my wrath, Watchers!”

Giving his reins a firm yank, Emmrich’s horse bolted to the right, narrowly avoiding a slab of stone launched by the demon in retaliation. Skeletal warriors hacked at its other ankle, pulling the demon’s attention in far too many directions.

The dragon inhaled, fraying the wiry muscles of its pectorals as its chest expanded. Its remaining wing beat furiously, kicking up a gale. With a deafening CRACK of thunder, it exhaled a gout of lightning up into the chandeliers. Magenta bolts arced wildly throughout the wrought frame and shattered the thousands of crystals, conjuring a devastating squall of razor-sharp shards.

Emmrich realized all too late that his shield only guarded their front when the rain of crystal nicked his exposed skin, trickling warm blood down his face. He felt Myrna tuck herself into the back of his leather battlecoat, protecting herself from the majority of the onslaught.

“I will reclaim my rightful lands from those who usurped me!”

As the high dragon maintained the storm, Johanna caught its remaining wing alight. The incessant beating only fed the flames, quickly spreading to engulf the entire limb as emerald chewed through dried flesh like kindling. As the patagium that stretched between bones disintegrated, the winds petered out, driving the revenant mad with desperation.

“N-No! I will end the Pentaghast bloodline! Just as they ended mine!”

Blood dripped into Emmrich’s eye, stinging as it blinded him. He attempted to rub it away and handed the reins to Myrna. Squinting, he watched blearily as a massive arm swiped out at something across the ballroom. A pained feminine wail rang through the hall. From behind him, Myrna shouted, “Johanna!” while his horse rocketed forward as the spirit healer raced to assist.

By the time they made it to her, Johanna had managed to sit upright, though one of her arms dangled unnaturally and a large gash marred her right cheek. Using her good arm, a whip of green magic snagged around her panicked mount’s neck, reining it in. “Fucking bitch slapped me off my horse…” Blood dribbled down her chin into the collar of her arming jacket.

Myrna leapt from his saddle, hands already aglow with cyan magic as she palpated the smaller Watcher’s arm gently. Turning to look up, his assistant urged him, “Go help Katareth; we’ll be fine!”

He’d managed to blink away the majority of blood, regaining his sight to watch as Katareth guided Gustav hither and thither, struggling to remain just out of reach of the revenant as she refocused its aggression away from her injured mentor.

“Little Tal-Vashoth! I sense the coils of fear that squeeze at your heart… Join me and become my champion against the Pentaghast blight,” it implored in a last-ditch effort, limping toward the reaper as its strength waned under their collective efforts. “We will paint the streets of Nevarra red with our vengeance!”

Dodging a grasping paw, the qunari raced to the dragon’s side, raising her greatsword to stab into its chest. Utilizing Gustav’s momentum to force the blade deeper, Katareth twisted her blade as fire blazed at the edges of the gaping wound.

When the flames reduced to smoldering chartreuse embers, Emmrich had a clear view of its withered heart, pulsing pinkish with the demon’s corrupt essence. Locking in on his target, the Mourn Watcher wove a hex into the exposed chest cavity that clutched around the corrupted organ.

Oblivious to the Walking Bomb now nestled between its ribs, the revenant crackled magenta along its throat, exhaling a gout of lightning that danced across the cracked tiles. The blast narrowly missed Gustav as he leapt away. But when the asaarash landed, a boney hoof slipped into one of the numerous fissures in the floor, snapping a metacarpal and spilling both himself and his rider across the floor.

Katareth rolled several times, coming to an abrupt halt when a massive, anisodactyl hand came down upon her chest. As the demon dragged her closer, her plate armor screeched as it carved jagged scars in the black marble. Emmrich watched helplessly as she struggled, his summons’ brutal attacks going entirely ignored as the revenant stared down the much livelier prey now in its grasp. Kat attempted to hold back the mangled digits that pressed into her cuirass, shouting with desperate exertion as the metal slowly crumpled like parchment under the immense weight of her captor.

Acting on instinct, he conjured a rope of Veil and connected it to the middle digit of the dragon’s hand before tying it around the horn of his saddle, kicking his mount to move. ‘I just have to buy time for the hex to finish charging. Should be any moment now…’ he reminded himself.

As more lightning zapped along its massive neck, the high dragon lowered its maw to hover over Katareth’s terrified face while it’s mandible creaked open. “I will not be felled again!”

Two more glowing ropes connected to the revenant, one joining his while the other looped around a thick horn. Looking to his side, he watched hopefully as Myrna gave her cord a savage yank from her seat behind Johanna, saddled once again.

With a flick of his assistant’s wrist, Kat’s greatsword skittered to her side. Taking hold of it, she thrust it upward, crunching through the dragon’s soft palate and into its rotted brain.

“I. WILL. HAVE. VENGEANCE.”

Despite their ironclad hold, the Watchers’ combined strength was no match for the dragon as its desiccated fingers flexed, piercing through her armor and ripping a blood-curdling scream from the reaper as maroon bubbled up and over.

Emmrich was momentarily taken by the strange, macabre beauty of the way her lifeblood snaked through the delicate embellishments of her breastplate—like a dozen little crimson rivers that waterfalled into the pool that expanded on the black tile below…

With a deafening ‘BOOM’, the necromancer’s Walking Bomb finally—finally!—detonated in a blast of violet, heralding the demon’s demise. The explosion obliterated its withered heart and split its chest along the spine like a flytrap in reverse, splaying ribs and vertebral projections in all directions. It was only thanks to Myrna’s continued pulls on the dragon’s horn that prevented it from landing directly atop Katareth, jagged jaw slack as it thudded between themselves and their prone ally.

His assistant wasted no time dismounting, letting the rope in her hand disintegrate while she darted around the skull. He and Johanna followed, dismayed to watch as Myrna fumbled with the reaper’s armor, not entirely familiar with how it all fit together. Slapping the spirit healer’s hands away, Johanna hurriedly unbuckled Kat’s gorget, instructing Myrna to cradle the qunari’s head while she peeled it away, unclipping her dented pauldrons at the same time. From her position at Katareth’s side, Johanna barked an order to hold the dragon’s hand still while they figured out what to do with her crumpled cuirass.

Grasping the giant paw between his hands, Emmrich placed a foot on either side of her hips, in awe of the sheer size of the limb he hoisted. Looking up, he made eye contact with their qunari, yellow eyes glazed somewhat with shock. Her gaze lazily traveled downward, following Myrna’s hands as she teased the breastplate from around each claw with a pair of thick shears.

Kat struggled to speak, hacking droplets of red that splattered the back of Emmrich’s hands as her arms pawed weakly at a mummified digit.

“Shhh… You’re fine, Katareth! You don’t need to do anything—we’ve everything well under control!” He attempted to reassure her, though his voice lacked any sort of conviction. Surely she couldn’t die, right? She was far better than that Gervhardt dragon hunter from earlier…

With a grunt, Myrna bent away the last of her breastplate, revealing a tattered evergreen gambeson now stained black with blood.

As the spirit healer cut at the thick, quilted wool, Johanna cooed, “Emmrich’s right. You’ll be fine.” Her brown eyes trained on Kat’s mangled chest; face pinched into a deep frown as things were distinctly not fine. The final layer of linen was peeled away with her gambeson, leaving only a black brassiere to protect her modesty.

Her state was… grave. Emmrich’s usually vast vocabulary failed him as that was the only word his mind could conjure. Grave. Her sternum bent awkwardly between two claws, and while she was thankfully still drawing breath, it appeared to be a laborious undertaking every time.

Myrna quietly but confidently doled out instructions, slipping a strip of leather between the reaper’s teeth. “Professor, pull them out one at a time when I give the signal. You’ll have to move with the curve of each claw, so do your best to not damage anything further. Johanna, try to keep her as still as possible: healing will progress much more smoothly if she’s not squirming about.” Looking down, she addressed Katareth directly, “And you… you… don’t die. I forbid it.” Uncorking a vial of mercurial liquid, Myrna threw her head back, grimacing at the bitter taste of lyrium.

They began with the hallux lodged just above her right hip, as it would give them greater freedom to manipulate the other digits. Emmrich gripped it at the base, pulling with a hasty flick as his assistant cupped her hands around the wound. Myrna’s eyes and hands glowed, calling upon Fade spirits to knit grey skin closed as Kat attempted to roll away with a groan, still not entirely cognizant. When the healer withdrew her hands, they revealed a wide divot of fresh, silvery skin.

Next would be the fourth digit, wedged between two lower ribs on her left side. This one also slipped easily, but was longer than the last, requiring a bit more finesse to extract. Katareth’s head lolled to the side, jaw clenching on leather as she recoiled more forcefully, attempting to buck Johanna off with a hiss. Nevertheless, it healed just as the last one had.

Wiping sweat from her brow and throwing back another vial, she advised, “These last two will be the worst, so let’s work quickly, yeah?” With a nod of her head, Emmrich attempted to remove the first digit just as he had the last two, embedded above the swell of her right breast. As he pulled, it held fast, snagging.

“It’s stuck on something!” The reaper lurched under him, spitting the leather strip to the side as she cried out.

“Then unstick it!” Johanna snarled, pressing her entire bodyweight onto Kat’s shoulders as she thrashed.

Myrna’s steady voice interrupted his rebuttal. “Try pushing the claw forward more, then pull,” she suggested, pressing radiant hands on either side of the puncture. “The tip is cracked and it’s catching on a rib.”

Following the spirit healer’s advice, he was relieved to find that worked, wincing at the awful sucking sound the claw made as it was pulled free. Her chest heaved as the wound’s edges glimmered cyan, stitching together.

Focused on ending Katareth’s agony as efficiently as possible, Emmrich wrapped his hands around the middle digit embedded behind her right collarbone, gasping when a cold, clammy grey hand wrapped around his wrist like a manacle. Cold. Maker, she’s never cold. She was staring at him again. Before, the reaper appeared somewhat dazed. Now, however, there was an awful mixture of anger and fear that turned his stomach.

The comparatively tiny hands of Johanna attempted to pry Kat’s fingers from his wrist, pleading, “Damn it, Kat! He’s trying to help you, I promise! Now let go!”

With some not-so-gentle persuasion, Katareth reluctantly allowed the smaller Watcher to peel her hand away, though her eyes remained trained on Emmrich’s every move. The necromancer had to remind himself that she was likely not in her right mind, in immense amounts of pain.

Above her, Myrna mouthed a countdown. When she reached ‘one’, he dragged the last massive talon from behind Katareth’s right collarbone, blood briefly rushing as pressure was released.

A gurgled shout bounced off the walls of the ballroom, devolving into wracking coughs as the spirit healer’s magic repaired her cracked sternum and punctured lung. Once she was satisfied with the reaper’s stability, Myrna helped roll Kat to her side, allowing her to more easily dispel the blood in her airway.

As she hacked and spat, Johanna leaned down next to her, quietly praising her former protégé as she rubbed at the qunari’s back soothingly, “Easy, get it all out… You did so well, Katareth, I’m so proud of you…”

Emmrich rose, dropping the paw by Katareth’s feet before stepping away with the distinct feeling as though he were intruding on what was supposed to be a private moment. Myrna must have felt similarly, as she too left the qunari’s side, wiping her hands on her skirts and leaving thick, red streaks across the fabric. She joined Emmrich several paces away, reaching up to heal the paper-thin slices that peppered his face and pressing a red vial into his hand.

He accepted the glass and placed a steadying hand on her shoulder when she swayed slightly, pupils constricted from the lyrium she’d imbibed. “Thank you… And to be clear, I’m incredibly proud of you, as well, Myrna.”

She gave him a tired but contented smile, sitting on one of the high dragon’s biceps as she looked around the trashed ballroom. “So… who will be the one to tell Prelate Pentaghast about all this?” She pulled a second vial from her satchel, clinking it against his own before taking a long draught.

He exhaled as he sat next to her. “Technically, that would be one of Katareth’s responsibilities as the expedition leader. However I suspect Vestalus will take the news better if Johanna or I tell him, so I’ll volunteer myself.” She’d been through enough already, and the Prelate’s likely ire would serve as something of a penance for the additional pain he’d put her through.

The spirit healer hummed, leaning to rest her chin in her hands, eyes closed. The two sat in companionable silence for several minutes as they finished their potions, the only sounds being Johanna’s inaudible praises and Kat’s occasional wet coughs.

Gustav!

Rising, Emmrich spotted the massive skeleton hunched protectively near the qunari, snapped leg still wedged between two broken slabs of rubble in the distance. Dislodging the limb with no small amount of effort, he considered his next course of action. Reconnecting the bone would be simple; Emmrich had plenty of experience repairing his most recent project: a human skeleton he’d been referring to as ‘Manfred’. Working with Gustav, on the other hand…

In life, the asaarash was an absolute brute, throwing his substantial weight around and bullying anyone who wasn’t his master. Following his death, Katareth somehow managed to find a spirit of duty that replicated his deplorable behavior to a T, much to the disappointment and frustration of everyone who wasn’t her.

Emmrich attempted to call the spirit away from his reaper’s side several times to no avail. It wasn’t until Johanna looped a finger under the skeleton’s mandible and shoved him toward Emmrich with a steely, “Move, you big beast!” that Gustav slowly hobbled over, snorting in displeasure. He kneeled before the horse, holding the jagged ends of bone together and fusing them with a few whispered incantations.

Clearing her throat, Katareth’s scratchy voice drawled from several feet away, “Let’s rest here for a few hours... We can fix the last of the wards once everyone’s feeling a bit better…”

Johanna was quick to rebuke. “Mmm, I think not. There are other groups of Watchers who’re perfectly capable. I agree with resting, but we really should get you to the surface. No offense, Myrna—you did wonderfully! I just… want to get another set of eyes on her.” The spirit healer hummed affirmatively, too exhausted to render further aid even if she wanted to.

When Kat frowned, Johanna patiently reminded her: “One of our primary goals coming down here was to find whatever was responsible for the wards being broken in the first place. We’ve done that.” She looked to Emmrich, entreating the support of her long-time friend.

“I concur. There will already need to be a subsequent trip to replace the wards Myrna and I could not repair, and I don’t think the rune forgers will be too terribly put out if we give them a few more.”

With Gustav’s leg reconnected, the horse tentatively placed his weight on the limb before returning to Katareth’s side dutifully.

The reaper finally conceded with an exhausted, “…Fine.”

The next few hours passed peacefully as they took a brief respite, with everyone attempting to return themselves to a somewhat presentable state. The crumpled remains of Katareth’s armor were shoved haphazardly into Gustav’s Saddlebag of Holding, opting to change into one of her looser-fitting linen shirts with Myrna’s assistance, instead.

-----

As the party began their gradual ascent, Johanna saddled up to Katareth’s side. Scrutinizing the qunari, she sighed, “Damn, Kitty. You look terrible.”

Katareth appraised her elder. “We look terrible,” she corrected, plucking a crystal shard from Johanna’s armor.

She laughed, “Fair enough. And hey, we’ve got matching scars, now.” Johanna gestured to the fresh scar that sliced below her right eye, comparing it to the prominent jagged line that ran from the reaper’s left chin to cheekbone.

The qunari hummed approvingly, “So we do! Yours is on the wrong side, though.”

“Ugh. There’s no pleasing you, is there…” Johanna huffed. Thinking for a moment, she smirked, “…I guess I’ll just have to ask Yelena for advice.”

Despite the small pool of blood she left behind in the Pentaghast’s grand ballroom, Katareth still had enough in her body to flush a dusky rose. “I hate you.”

Johanna’s cackling laugh bounced off the corridors, “Tell you what: next time I’m facing down a mummified dragon, I’ll politely ask it to attempt clawing out my left eye, instead. How’s that sound?”

“I’d appreciate that, thank you.”

[woaddragoon-nadya]

Meet Nadya!

I decided to commit and start a new character to conquer my social anxiety! I also changed datacenters to see if maybe not playing on Gilgamesh might be easier. (No hate to Gilgamesh, I just am not a hardcore player and that's the culture over there) So she's on Crystal Goblin. Got her to level 30 in like...6 hours, which isn't great but I started in Gridania which I've never done before (all hail Ul'dah) and wanted to actually see the story.

Just finished joining the scions and decided to log off because it is 4AM. She's another Hyur girly just because I like their face options the best. But, I went Lancer this time so I can learn DPS.

Below the cut is the very long recap of the day. Moreso for me so I can look back lol. Also me complaining a little bit about partying.

First 10 minutes of running around a mentor actually invited me to the novice network! I never got to join with Alsephina until I got the return label this month so that's a new experience. Playing DPS is crazy because I feel like I'm not contributing at all.

The party I had for Sastasha was incredible. Our tank blazed through that whole thing. I got 3 commendations from that run alone which was very sweet. Tam Tara was okay, but our entire party were sprouts. Not a big deal, but it was clear the DPS and the Tank were like...sprout sprouts y'know? I am terrible at the game compared to most people, but I also have 150 hours. So I ended up helping to lead that one.

Then...Copperbell. I will now clarify that I wasn't mad about how it went, moreso annoyed that I didn't go to bed sooner. 10 minute wait time which I was okay with because it is so late. Everybody is FRESH Sprouts. Our Tank would not pull at all. One enemy at a time in the most inconvenient locations. Tank also wouldn't run through so the enemies would turn, which meant I somehow kept getting enmity. I'm used to playing Tank so I didn't really mind, but Lancer is obviously not built to be a tank which put pressure on our healer. Nobody had gear on that was past the first job quest. The other DPS got left on a higher level and no one would wait for her so the entire second floor took ages. Everybody is running for treasure not looking around.

Our healer ended up running in the front and taking a load of damage. Then they started the final fight with NO ONE ELSE IN THE ROOM. I sprinted over there so it was just me and her for a hot second. Tank is jumping absolutely everywhere, other DPS is still lost. I think the tank only annoyed me because I have been so nervous about tanking in a party for so long. I don't expect big pulls , because I know I struggled with that. Just at least pull into the next larger room and not on bridges or hallways. Makes DPS easier and healing easier. Normally, the way I've been approaching any partying with other humans is "whatever makes the healer's life easier." I thought that was kind of how everyone approached it, but I guess not. Same with not jumping around. Tank kept running, so I kept having to reposition, which meant the healer kept having to reposition. Then everybody ditched immediately, which made me a little sad lol. I have had very VERY few dungeons or 8mans where we didn't all say at least GG before heading out. Nobody gave commendations either, so I gave one to the healer.

I don't know, on the one hand it is less anxiety to play DPS because you have a buddy and arguably the least important job. On the other, it does make me want to give tanking with a human party another shot. I think I have not been giving myself enough credit for everything I've learned since my major meltdown for the last party I did with Alsephina. So now at least I have motivation to level both characters to see both sides. I could never be a mentor though. I kept wanting to try and correct the Tank, but I do not have enough confidence to tell somebody to play their video game differently.

[sixpillarsofgenesis]

OKAY SO:

Some XBC3 thoughts because my brain will NOT LEAVE ME ALONE about them.

LANZ

I think, given Lanz’s aptitude for being assigned TWO healer classes (plus Soulhacker, which can turn into a healing class if you’re determined to), could have been a healer had he not decided to barrel headlong into sacrificial tank mode.

What would that have meant? Healer Tank! To the best of my knowledge, none of the healers in the game are particularly durable combatants, and at least one character does have the ability to manifest a shield that heals upon impact. (Zeon’s Deflector Shield, to be specific)

As such, it’s entirely possible that Lanz could have gone full ham into Guardian Healer if he wanted to, a niche specialty that could have still fed into his sacrificial tendencies. (High aggro, constant use of Regen to restore lost health, consistent abuse of blocking, etc.) I do hope that we see that someday, if not in Lanz, then in another character through the DLC.

EUNIE

A late-game sidequest actually mentions that Eunie only ever learned enough healing to ‘get by’, which implies that Healing, unlike most other roles, does not have to be determined by the weapon that they use. (This does make sense, since Eunie is shown working as an Attacker early on, and in her previous life, she was a sniper like Mwamba.)

But, what if Eunie had gone all in on healing? What would she have looked like? Would she have gone into strong debuffs like Taion? Would she DPS heal on hit similar to Teach? She learned Field Skills, similar to Joran, but she has more affinity to Tanks like Monica and Ashera, both of whom have various skills that are useful for Eunie.

But what if Eunie was a Defender instead? This is mostly based on the fact that Eunie has two classes that encourage counterattacking - Ashera’s Returning the Favor, and Monica’s Come an’ Get Me, both of which return damage to the enemy.

Ironically, this actually makes Sena the better Oroboros candidate for Eunie.

NOAH

Turns him upside down; shakes him.

What the hell do we do with you, sunshine? Noah, of all three Kevesi teams, seems to be the most suited to being an Attacker. He could probably do just fine as a Healer, or a Defender, but for him, it’s not really a priority, not in the way it was for Eunie or Lanz. Noah fits in his niche as an Attacker, and not in the conventional way. He’s a tactician, a planner. He’s fast enough to come up with plans on the fly, and he has the ability to maintain his cool even under fire.

Additionally, he’s capable of restraint of firepower, an option neither Healers nor Defenders have, being focused on Healing and Defense, obviously. Option and recommendation: Defender evasion tank, if he had to pick an alternate.

MIO

Why is this girl not a healer? Answer me Monolith Soft, you cowards. Yes, Nia is probably her mother. NO I DON’T GIVE A SNUFF MAKE HER A HEALER YOU COWARDS.

I will not be taking criticism.

TAION

Taion tanks more than actual tanks in his cutscenes. Explain to me that, you cowards. Also, Taion holds heavy responsibility towards other people, to the point that he blamed himself for a plan of another person’s making. Also, a Defender has a good idea of everyone’s status, despite Taion’s quote of how healing duty is the best monitor of a battlefield.

Defender Taion you cowards.

SENA

The Girl With The Gall! … I will never understand why she did not pick up a flute in Miyabi’s absence. Given Sena’s tendencies to mimic that of the people she often envies and considers to be more worthy of Mio’s attention, I’m genuinely surprised she didn’t try, given how hard she tries to seek approval in all the wrong ways. If not an offseer, Sena’s desire to protect at the cost of her own life fits the Attacker Profile, especially since she is so reckless in defending herself.

[lynne-monstr]

One line any fic! Rules: pick ten of your fics, scroll to somewhere midpoint, pick a line chunk and share it, and then tag ten people.

I was tagged a while back by @glorious-spoon. Thanks!! I feel like I’ve talked about my 2022 fic a lot so I’m going to make an effort to include some much older fic too!

1.  Solicited Noods (Leverage, 2017)

Beneath her, Quinn was opening the suitcase and showing its contents to the gang leader. Even from this high up Parker recognized the stack of papers as being identical to the labels on Peggy’s contraband jams. She was begrudgingly impressed. Drugs hidden in the adhesive. Easy to transport. Easy to hide in plain sight.

Peggy’s voice broke into her reverie. “I know, but at least yesterday I could pretend he wasn’t working with the people who tried to kill me. My cats and I are going to die single and alone,” she lamented.

2. your name whispered on the wind (The King’s Avatar, 2020)

Huang Shaotian gives up on the notebooks and stands. He’s paler than usual, a smudge of dark circles bruising the thin skin under his eyes. Or perhaps it’s just the overhead light, projecting Yu Wenzhou’s concerns onto the canvas of his face. Even his shirt is muted, a dark blue instead of his usual bright yellows and greens.

3. The Man in That One Suit (Person of Interest/What Not To Wear, 2013)

“Now he, on the other hand.” The co-host, Stacy, chimed in, walking over to Finch and appraising him from head to toe.

“A study in perfection,” Clinton agreed, a finger lightly tapping his lip in appreciation.

4. the shifting shapes of clouds (Shadowhunters, 2020)

Lorenzo’s gasp is poorly hidden and Magnus amuses himself in the growing silence by imagining the scandalized look that must be scrawled across Lorenzo’s face. He keeps his back turned and his magic ready. It’s both a test and a challenge.

Surprisingly enough, Lorenzo passes on both counts. “It’s probably for the best that I did not know that about you when I first came to New York.” Try as he might, Lorenzo can’t entirely hide the shake in his voice.

5. #work hard nap hard (The King’s Avatar, 2021)

Jokes aside, the napping pics have been heating up and we’re here to round up what’s fact and what’s fiction about Blue Rain’s afternoon delights.

Fact: The team really does keep a collection of “napping blankets” on hand. Their blanket cherry was popped by their very own Zheng Xuan. Bonus fact: Team Captain Yu Wenzhou is most frequently seen napping with the very same blue blanket that took his team’s innocence.

Yeah, we all wish we were that blanket

Fiction: Blue Rain team orgies. Sorry tanks, healers, and DPS dealers, but that rumor is Busted! Our correspondent onsite confirms only good wholesome fun is to be found with these boys.

6. strange partnership (Shadowhunters, 2019)

“I suppose it wouldn’t be fair to keep you here, but I can’t take you back either.” A sense of dread settles over Alec. If this man takes him captive, there’s not much he can do. Hodge had taken Alec’s cutlass and his pistol before pushing him overboard. He doesn’t even have the set of thin metal rods that have gotten him out locked rooms before.

He swallows around the tentacle in his mouth, his throat suddenly dry.

7. flicker (The King’s Avatar, 2022)

Yu Wenzhou tries not to think about how many versions of himself have fallen to this creature. “I can say no.” He’s figured this much out already. If he has to guess, he’d say it needs his permission to cross over into his stream. “You waited too long. You’ll die if I do.”

The lights flicker, faster this time. Yu Wenzhou doubles over, the taste of blood in his mouth.

‘I’ll take you with me.’ The voice sears into his head, splitting his brain apart.

8. Condiment War (Hetalia/Highlander, 2013)

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Prussia cocked his head in thought. Back in the days when he led armies into battle, he would have traded entire divisions for a mind like Pierson's. "You're damn good at this, for a linguistics nerd."

Pierson gave an abashed smile. "A lot of the documents saved for posterity are old military correspondence. Guess I picked up a few additional talents in the translation process. Oh, also receipts. I can discuss archaic trading practices at length, if you'd prefer." His brow furrowed in mock contemplation. "There were a suspicious amount of goats changing hands."

9. Means of Transportation (The King’s Avatar, 2021-2022)

“I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be fine. It’s Wenzhou who has the problem, not me. Nothing bad happened to me, which you would have known if you came to our conference.” The phone suddenly feels red hot in his hand and he’s tempted to end the call.

“You’ve always been a shitty liar.”

“Your face is shitty.”

“You’ll be lucky to look this good when you’re my age.”

The laugh dies in Huang Shaotian’s throat, leaving behind a tight ache. “I miss him.” The words slip out in a whisper. What did he do wrong that all his captains keep leaving him?

10. This is not a ghost story (The King’s Avatar, 2022)

"Have you ever heard of a kid named Huang Shaotian?"

Wei Chen’s face, normally etched in a perpetual scowl, falls. He pivots in his chair to give Yu Wenzhou his full attention. "Where'd you hear that name?"

tagging: @faejilly, @shadaras, @forerussake, @saxifactumterritum, @prince-of-elsinore, @gingersnapwolves, @geniuskaktus, @humanformdragon, @carmenlire, @bytheangell

[semi-imaginary-place]

ffxiv the loches to the end of 4.0

exploring the loches and fates its clear that ala mhigo has a very strong history of monarchy, stronger than what is shown for doma. a parallel is that both doma and ala mhigo are nationalistic and seek independence from garlemand, and they are both nations that are historically monarchies. doma rallies around the idea of a king, the king as a representation of a nation, and after a period without a monarch seeks to reinstate the monarchy. ala mhigo is also kingless but seems to be moving away from the idea of a king.

damn this man has been hiding out in the salt monastery, get him some food and water.

thanks for the convenient plot device to beat fordola urianger. i haven't seen you all expansion. speaking of people who haven't shown up what are the acsians up to didn't see them much in 3.0 either. ffxiv has had a long standing problem of juggling multiple plots the main ones set up in arr are the ascians light vs dark and the garleans global polimilitary conflict.

the salt lake is giant, it takes half the horizontal surface area of the map and there's an entire city down here

there's no way the player character knows how to operate garlean technology. this is sora at the computer.

the ala mhigan quarter has so many alleys. this map is useless. why does gyr abania have the special ishgardian black chocobos?

and now after 9 levels omega is back. uriange using us in his double blind experiments.

I think the writers forgot that limsa lomisa is a lalafellin name because they seem to be under the impression that its a seawolf city.

oooh they added yelling intot he background noises. nice touch

hien really did fly across a continent. ah on yolback. i was wondering why they didn't run into the same problems we faced going to doma in that moving an army across imperial controlled waters is going to spark a war. but if he only brought a few people that makes more sense. although i dont see any of the mol or xaela. when did yugiri get a yol. the doman forces might have been more effective drawing garleans forces to doma and away from ala mhigo. that door, it would have been so much easier just to unlock it but that would also have been much harder and riskier.

the story is obviously not going that way its just not how its written but raubahn could have been the new ala mhigo leader. conrad says that he wanted someone who has lived outside of garlean occupation and was more widely traveled than himself and raubhn fits the bill. politically speaking lyse is the family of two famous revolutionaries but raubahn is even more famous as the bull of ala mhigo and general of the immortal flames. he also has the proven battle and leadership record that lyse lacks. additionally here in the battle for ala mhigo he's made pipin lead general and is fighting not as a general but just as a soldier so he is willing to give up command and the flames would be fine without him. but on a personal level i see why it makes sense in character for him not to. now that illberd is dead his strongest ties are in ul'dah with nanamo and pipin. most importantly is that 4.0 isn't raubahn's story, its lyse's. She's the main character here and most things are written in service of her character arc instead of what would actually make sense.

I've said it earlier but I do really like how 4.0 centers the stories of women. I didn't even realized how bereft heavenward was of lead female characters until I got to 4.0 and it was the lyse, yugiri, and alisae show. basically until hien gets introduced on the azim steppe, lyse, yugiri, and alisae are the ones driving the plot they're the main characters and I do like that.

duty support for ala mhigo is interesting. you got tank arenvald, dps raubahn and lyse, and healer alphinaud so you cannot have everyone at once. of the 4 alphinaud is the least plot relavent but i refuse to play healer. not after it took me 5 attempts to clear battem's mettle. I may run this a couple times to see what dialogue I get.

my ilevel is so low i shoule not have run this as tank. wow the the dungeon end scene's really evolved used to be final fantasy victory music and then the pc jump excitedly and now its just a camera pan

jp zenos voice actor is doing a job. zenos usually sound soooo bored and now he's excited and deranged. did zenos just compare the wol to the primal he's trapped in a cage, illberd's primal.

localizations this time round have been pretty good. but i noticed this line is a bit different, i wasn't listening too closely but it was something like "I've never had so much fun".

zenos seems lonely. desperate for a connection and not accustomed to having one. also lol got him monologue-ing. he offers the hand of friend and wants to be rejected what a messed up little man. zenos has never had a friend. reminds me of those chronically online people with no friends but who are desperately lonely and they're doing these mental gymnastics and justifications for nothing. damn zenos is projecting HARD onto the player character. like pc is just standing there while zenos rants about how they must be the same.

wait wait did zenos just call the wol yuuitsu tomo like his one and only friend or the only friend for him. bruh you've never even had a full conversation with this person. ok wow a lot of lines are different I'm going to have to go look up the japanese version later.

zenos fused with a primal. how does that even work? probably more aether bs.

wow the game forces a sunset for this part of the game

seriously, last duty of 4.0 and not a single ascian this entire patch. devs really did give up on explaining why every boss fight is now on a platform in the void

see he's showing blood that's how you know he's scripted to die. suicide? edgy.

the price of freedom

THE FUCKING EYES ARE STILL THERE. and now the ascians show up after not seeing them since 3.x. what has y'shtola been doing since she was injured? uuuuuuugggg zenos said he used omega's power to trap shinryuu... so where's omega? the cidnero divorce saga continues! they were business associates

empires, occupation, communities diaspora

lyse is the main character. foil is hien. both monarchies kingship symbol of what doma lost.

zenos is under utilized his most interesting part is his final scene. but he also had to kill himself there because now that he has reached the meaning of his existence there was nothing left but the void again. miserable pathetic loser. having an existential crisis faced with the reality that his life his empty he continues to seek the only thing that can make him feel anything, the innate fear of death when he is on the brink of it.

[senetaf]

hati's lb3. tell me about it. doesn't have one? give him one :knife:

I don't really have the means to make custom animations by myself, but I can at least tell you how I picture it. His Limit Break changes depending on what role he's currently in.

Í GÖRÐUM GUÐANNA WHERE THE GODS TOGETHER DWELL - Healer

There stands a mighty tree, older than time itself. It is known to all children of the forests as the Wood Mother, for she is the giver of life and the holder of souls. Her roots run deep into the earth, and her branches stretch towards the heavens, reaching out to embrace the sky. The Wood Mother is a tree of great power, a being of wisdom and grace. Her bark is rough and gnarled, but her leaves are soft and gentle, like a mother's touch. Her canopy of foliage is thick and lush, providing a sanctuary from the harsh light of the sun and the ravages of the wind and rain. Those who seek solace in the Wood Mother's embrace find a balm for their souls. Her presence is calming and soothing, like a gentle breeze on a punishing day. Those who stand beneath her boughs will feel a sense of peace and tranquility, as if all the worries of the earth have been lifted from their spirits. The Wood Mother's hold is an immaculate salvation, a place of safety and protection. Her roots draw strength and nourishment from the soil, and her branches stretch without end, soaring out to touch the sky. She's a sentinel of peace and hope, a symbol of the resilience and strength of nature, and her presence is a constant source of comfort and inspiration. To stand beneath the Wood Mother's boughs is to be cradled in the embrace of a loving parent.

MÆLI ÞARFT EÐA ÞEGI WISELY SPEAK OR BE STILL - TANK

The sky is darkened by a flock of crows that soar overhead in a dizzying array of wings and beaks. They fly in tight formation, as if choreographed by some unseen force, their black bodies stark against the leaden clouds. Their caws ring out like sinister calls to arms, echoing through the valley and causing the blood to run cold. As the murder of crows draws nearer, their movements become more frenzied and erratic. They swoop and dive in terrifying unison, their wings flapping with a deafening intensity. They envelop the party in a terrifying protective hold, one that no mortal could possibly hope to disturb. The air is thick with the sound of their wings, a numbing roar that drowns out all other sounds. It is impossible to ignore the sensation that the crows are closing in, that they are preparing to unleash a terrible and deadly attack upon those who'd intrude upon their protection. Their numbers are vast, their black forms seeming to blot out the very sun itself. They are an omen of doom, portending a terrible and imminent catastrophe. Their flight is a prelude to an unspeakable horror.

FAR ÞÚ Í SESS Í SAL SEAT SHALT THOU HAVE IN MY HALL - DPS

The mountainside quakes as a cold roar reverberates through the air. The ground beneath the feet trembles, and the sound grows louder and more menacing by the moment. The air is thick with a white, swirling fog that blinds the eye and chokes the throat. The sky above is dark and foreboding, so alike a harbinger of doom. Monstrous force sweeps down the slope with a thunderous crash. Great slabs of glaciers and snow, like the scales of some immense, wrathful touch, hurtle down the crevice with unstoppable force. The deafening noise of the descent fills the air, and the very earth trembles with their passing. As the impact crawls closer, it swallows everything in its path. Trees are uprooted and tossed aside like broken twigs. Massive boulders are crushed and pulverized, leaving behind only a trail of dust and debris. The force is such that even the most steadfast and resolute of onlookers feel their knees tremble and their hearts race with terror. The swirling fog grows thicker each second, and the landscape is transformed into a white, featureless void. The very earth seems to shrink to the size of a pinhead, obliterating all in its path. And then, in the aftermath, there will only be silence. It becomes so still and quiet, and the only sound is the soft crunch of snow underfoot.

[yousawnothinglycanthropic]

I want to share a concept with you. The concept of a lady knight so fat she should very well be immobile. For reference, when I think of platemail, I think of the stuff you unlock when becoming a paladin at lvl. 50 in F-F-X-I-V. I hope you all enjoy.

A party of three, consisting of a tank, a healer, and a DPS, tromps through a forest, heading towards a small city-state. The healer is of a standard mage type, though more clerical in skills and preferences, his knowledge of healing magics most profound, though he has been getting rather portly lately. The DPS is a lithe bard, whose playful personality and penchant for "jokingly" harassing people being the root of a lot of the party's issues. The tank? An absolutely sweet lady paladin, her heart as pure as the finest gold; she is known to try her best to be the best friend her fellow party members could ever ask for, even going so far as to let her compatriots belt out their woes to her whenever they make camp.

This paladin, though, is special. Not because of her height, hair color, eye color, or even the rarity, or lack thereof, of her species. Nay, it's because of her weight. She's so rotund, in fact, that most people would be hard pressed to find even a shred of mobility left if they were her size, but her fat smothered muscles somehow manage to keep her mobile; sure, she needs help standing because her legs are so enormously swathed in fat as to make it hard for her to not step on the doughy flesh of her calves, but that muscle can help support this blubbery wall of a woman. When outside of her armor, the specialty made platemail helping to keep her enormity off of the ground, she is notably endearing and nonthreatening, at least according to any townsfolk she meets; who'd want to fight a woman who looks like if she gained just one more ounce, she'd become an island of immovable fat, anyways? With that tidbit in mind, she's often tasked with negotiation, her rotund, cherubic face easily bearing seemingly no ill will towards people, which helps lower the guards of anyone she meets. Her body is as soft as over-proofed dough, the tender, sensitive flesh hiding strong, dense muscle under the many feet thick layers of cloud soft flesh; her body's softness sometimes a source of comfort for her fellow party members, especially when they're distressed. It has surprised many a person that she is such a skillful paladin, but her weight has only proven to be useful, for if she failed to slice or stab you with her treasured claymore, she could just as easily cause you to burst like a tube of paste under a set of rollers by just standing on you. Her smile, though, complete with closed eyes and rosy, rotund cheeks, is what often has been used to put people at ease, even if it doesn't work; how could such a fat, smiling face bear something harmful, like deceit? One issue, though, is that this draconian-sized woman has been frequently misremembered as a hugely muscular man by those who have heard and/or experienced her skills in battle.

As soon as the party of three stepped past the gates of the small city-state, word quickly spread about their presence within the city-state. It's hard to miss such a ludicrously obese woman paladin, especially one who looks just positively enthused to be as big as she is. She's sometimes even seen stopping her waddling gait to smile and wave at people! News travels so far as to reach the ears of the city-state's sultan and his family, especially his only child, the adult woman who is next in line to the throne, though by this point the pond-filling lady paladin has been wrongfully described as a massively muscled male knight. Intrigued by the very idea of an utterly massive person packed into platemail, the sultan's daughter quickly changed into her more roguish attire and slipped out of her father's manor, disguised as a male. Now out and on her own, the sultan's daughter went off in search of the elusive knight. Though, that search didn't last long. She was outside of the manor for no more than a few hours when she spotted the ludicrously portly lady-knight resting on the ground near a blacksmith's, clad in her casual wear, which was a tent-like tunic and some breeches that even the fattest in the city-state would be swimming in, her platemail getting resized nearby. Carefully, the sultan's daughter approached her and asked what had brought her to the small city-state.

The doughy paladin simply beamed and stated that she and her two party-mates were passing through while on the way to slay a dragon that was notorious for poaching and eating traveling caravans that crossed near their lair. Interested, the sultan's daughter, still in disguise, offered to take the sweet, pillowy woman out for drinks because she wanted to hear the tales about the paladin's adventures. Cautious because she believed she was interacting with a roguish male, the paladin agreed.

It wasn't until the evening was long gone and night had fully set in that the sultan's daughter was discovered to be missing from the manor, for the sultan was away on business in a nearby city-state. His daughter, though, was thoroughly drunk in a tavern that was near the blacksmith's, laughing about the last escapade that the plush paladin's cleric friend and party member had with some slimes, hence his... Recently portly physique. While the royal guards searched for the sultan's daughter outside, said woman let slip to the paladin in a whisper that she was actually a woman disguised as a man so she could adventure freely.

With both still drunk, the sultan's daughter managed to somehow coerce the mattress-sized paladin to join her in one of the tavern's rooms. Once upstairs, it took the hugely fat lass awhile to waddle up there, a fierce makeout session ensued in their drunken haze. Despite the paladin being much less drunk than the sultan's daughter, she didn't deny the sultan's daugter's advances, letting her drunkenly try to be sultry and dominant, but especially letting her hands roam over the rotund lady's dough soft belly and other fat bloated curves.

Once the sultan's daughter and the paladin sobered up considerably, the sultan's daughter reached over and grabbed the mammoth-sized woman's chin, slightly pudgy fingers grazing her hugely fat-swollen second chin. With a sultry purr, she told the fat knight how much she loved her, despite knowing her for such a short time. With a sheepish grin, the pillowy paladin offered to have the sultan's daughter be apart of the adventuring party. The sultan's daughter agreed, but only if she got to take care of the gorgeously fat woman she was now actively rubbing the belly of when off the battlefield; this also included being hand fed at mealtimes. And so, the agreement was settled.

The following morn, the cleric and one of the sultan's guards found them asleep on the tavern bed, the sultan's daughter on top of her mattress sized lover, curled up in the crook of her fatty neck, her lover's plump hands and tree trunk sized arms gently wrapped around her; the whole sight was complete with them both under the covers, peacefully in deep REM sleep. The portly cleric had to consult with the sultan's guards and convince them to let things go, as clearly both ladies amicably put themselves in that situation, as the paladin would never hurt any good-hearted people, and the fact the sultan's daughter was curled up against the paladin's neck, complete with a smile on both of their faces, indicated that this was the natural result of whatever happened last night.

Once the sultan's guards left, finally admitting that things looked to be alright and approve-able, the rotund cleric smacked the lithe bard upside the head. Said bard was trying to create a ballad about how their enormously fat paladin had fallen for the sultan's slightly pudgy daughter; it was a much more crass description of what last night's events were, but that was half artistic liberty, and half because he never saw what actually transpired.

[voidendron]

Tonight's prog shenanigans:

Needed two fills; one of our healers wouldn't get home in time, and a tank was having login issues that she's had to contact support for so hopefully she'll be able to log back in soon

First off, multiple people were on off roles. one of the tanks was healing, two of the DPS were tanking (one of which hasn't seriously tanked since before 6.x iirc, it was before the Catz met him like two years ago), and one of our fills was using slinger for the first time ever in a raid setting. I think Gham (jugg DPS), Dusty (merc heals) and I (viru sniper) were like the only ones on our main class for that team

(I've been learning hatred for Styrak knocks but FUCK melee unless I absolutely have to use it I died so many times Friday because I was melee instead of my beloved ranged 😭 I think I died once (if not twice) every single Dash and Titan 6 pull Friday rip. so uh. yeah I'm using sniper til Styrak so I don't make my healers (and myself) cry trying to stay alive)

This was a run starting from Thrasher; we'd cleared Dash and Titan 6 on Friday so had a lockout

some Oh Shits on Thrasher, a few of which resulted in wipes

our operative healer realized it is Not Fun to heal ground team and got murdered by snipers and demolitionists. multiple times ajkldsljs

One of the pulls was saved because I was demolitionist hunter, so when one of the DPS from down low got thrown up and went to the wrong group, I was pretty close to that side of the room was able to book it to help the tank and healer dealing with ground team's group once the demo was killed. killing demo + a whole other group is stressful when out of cooldowns rip

adds leading to city resulted in someone getting yeeted into another group. health got very low. there was much panicked screaming

I also need to remember not to attacks arms dealers when they're reflecting oops....

City, there was a reminder to pause behind the crate to let the pather go by before heading toward the cantina/blue team. ...promptly followed by someone bolting out from behind the crate to pull droid

Every

Single

Pull

the one pull that droid wasn't pulled was the one we finally cleared. coincidence? I THINK NOT kjal;dsjsk

Olok was. odd??? the adds at the last phase didn't spawn until like his last two teleports it was really weird. the other sniper and I agreed to be on add duty so we were So confused when we could just focus boss most of the time. I think he was like 30% before he finally started spawning adds??

someone pulled the miniboss on the way to Warlords - which resulted in a few people being yeeted to their deaths

followed by the question of "why isn't this guy dying?????"

apparently he has 4mil health and at least one DPS had been yeeted to their death. so yeah. that's a thing

And Warlords.... oh, Warlords, the current bane of this team's existence

This time, the big What the Fuck of the night was someone accidentally(?) pulling while half of the group was still on the way

Gham and I were at the area right before the door where people get yeeted off the catwalk Way Too Often, and.

Garr appeared and pulled me in???

I was so stunned I stopped driving my mount, which he promptly knocked me off of, before he evaded and the fight reset

Gham and I both stood there a sec, then turned our toons toward each other, toward the edge of the catwalk, then back toward each other like some sort of cheesy comedy. all the while we were losing it laughing 😂

[angelsndragons]

okay since folks really like my original cockroach party post i’m going to expand a bit and talk about how and why the mighty nein turned into a cockroach party.

but before we do that, i’m going to talk about mechanics on this post. warning: long post ahead.

first, let’s define terms. all adventuring parties find their own play style when it comes to combat. from my experience, these tend to fall into three broad categories that i am calling the glass cannon, the control, and the cockroach. to be clear, no one party style is better than another; the players and characters simply have different priorities and skill sets.  

glass cannon: these parties are built for doing damage. that’s basically it. they do damage and hope that they kill their enemies before their enemies kill them. these parties tend to be low on support casters, healers, or both. round 4 is where things start to get really rough for these parties and chances are good that if the fight has gone on this long, someone’s at least unconscious.

control: these parties tend to go around obstacles and enemies. there are a million ways to do this; for example, these parties can regularly avoid conflicts all together via stealth or charisma or some other check. when forced into combat, they excel when they have plans or traps to spring on opponents. they struggle a bit but ultimately triumph because they have a myriad of ways to not get hit or they are able to escape and lose their pursuers. 

cockroach: these parties don’t engage in combat, they endure it. their goal is to outlast their enemies via healing, support, and tanking. you hit them? joke’s on you, they don’t care. unlike their glass cannon counterparts, round 4 is where things turn around for the cockroach party. they’ve dug in and are starting to push back.

vox machina is a quintessential glass cannon party. part of that is simply down to player availability; ashley their cleric worked across the country so that made it tough for her to attend on the regular. but. the party technically still had a primary healer who could have stepped in and filled that role: keyleth. druids are pretty dang good healers and support casters, even moon druids. however. marisha and keyleth decided to instead take a dps and tank role similar to grog. this ain’t a diss either so don’t any of you all start anything, especially considering keyleth was often burning her higher slots just to get vm to different places. when keyleth was tanking in wild shape and focusing on dps, it meant that vox machina was reliant on: vex’s cure wounds (and with her being a half caster, you weren’t getting a lot of mileage of it), scanlan as the only support role, and later vax’s lay on hands for emergency healing. percy could heal himself a bit if things got really dicey, grog was taking half damage from most attacks, and the twins could hide as a bonus action or stay at range out of the way. in fact, most of vm had some method for staying at range and letting grog and keyleth tank. and this style worked for them for the most part. their biggest dangers were always the longer fights, with or without pike. longer fights meant more chances for these fragile kids to get hit and possibly drag out the fight even longer by trying to get someone up.

the ashholes from exandria unlimited is a great example of a control party. i count half of their encounters which they’ve been able to wriggle out of without killing their opponents. their liberal use of charm spells, high charisma, and just flat out out of the box thinking (they flipped a fucking crocodile!!) has saved their bacon so many times. during unavoidable combat, they have struggled a little bit, but they’re a low level party to begin with so struggle is expected. all the casters appear to be offensively geared with dariax and fearne having prepped utility on the side. even so, that control vibe still permeates the party; dorian’s most clutch move was that dissonant whispers on mister, which he cast not to harm mister but force him to move away from the rune that transformed and powered him, thus ending the combat.

and finally we have the mighty nein, the cockroach party. we’ll get into the hows and whys later, for now, cockroach parties are built on three major founding principles: action economy, mindset, and versatility. action economy is king in dnd. pcs get an action, bonus action, and reaction per turn. having turns each round is critical to a dnd party's ability to overcome the enemy and the more turns you have compared to your opponent, the better. for large parties, that is a sizable advantage over enemy monsters, which is why even low level monsters are packing multi-attacks, decent ac, and/or good solid hit points. more members means more attacks the creature(s) needs to take and focused fire adds up fast, even at low levels. for example, kylre had about 90 hp and was dead in three rounds, with fjord alone dealing 64 points of that damage. yeah. want to know why mid to high level monsters have legendary actions and resists? action economy. want to know why some silly min-max number crunchers think that cleric healing is severely under-powered? action economy. laura's assessment of healing, that it is better to damage the enemy and only heal to bring people up to make sure they get their turn, is a solid, reasonable assessment of the economy, especially when it comes to the cleric spell slot economy which I elaborated on here.

so, in light of the action economy, let's talk about the cockroach mindset. the cockroach party doesn’t ask ‘how do we beat this opponent’, it asks ‘how do we outlast this opponent.’ it’s a subtle difference in combat focus but an important one. survival of the party is the cockroach’s top priority and all members go into the encounter with that priority in mind. the players aren’t focused on the survival of their character, however, they are focused on giving their party another round to act. they give themselves room to breathe. whether that is stunning the enemy completely, whether it's lowering the enemy's attacking ability, whether it's giving a party member an extra action, whether it’s bringing someone up from unconsciousness, those methods combine with damage generation to win an encounter. cockroach parties don't rely on damage output to keep themselves safe, they rely on their own ability to survive and support their team. 

which brings us to versatility. cockroach parties tend to have a wide array of skills at their disposal and aren’t afraid to use them. while they have solid support roles, casters are not the only ones who can bring utility to a party. just ask beau. just ask yasha as she flew caleb out of danger in the first lucien fight. heck, just ask orym and his swip swap battle flop. or damian and the owlbear from the darrington brigade. cockroach parties, more than control and glass cannon parties, prefer to have a wide range of options available to them. the more tricks up your sleeve, the more likely you are to have something to deal with whatever the dm throws at you. marine layer, anyone? at the same time, the party also uses this wide array to have multiple ways to handle the same problem. jester is the backup stealth scout and teleporter. fjord is the emt, able to remove and heal injured party members if caduceus or jester cannot. caleb is the backup backup cleric with polymorph. veth can also stun/incapacitate enemies with her spells. caduceus is the backup backup tank and battlefield control via his shield of retribution and spirit guardians to beau and jester.

these three tricks combine into one inescapable reality: there is no one better or obvious target to take out. the entire party is one giant interlocking trap; break one and the others will reinforce the weak point and make you pay for the effort.

(incidentally, the cockroach approach is so ingrained in the cast that the vm side of the battle royale didn’t play with the urgency the vm playbook requires and that, more than anything, screwed them over. but that’s a different post.)

tune in next time for a break down of how, when, and why the nein went from glass cannon to cockroach because it is a fascinating ride.

[bluexiao]

#Character Reviews (2.4 Reruns)

—reminder: these are mainly my experiences & observations throughout the times i use them. i main them on my accounts and i am looking at this without any bias at all.

—if i were asked which is better than xiao or ganyu, i’d say it depends on you. but if between the three and you don’t have all three, i’d say zhongli.

—i am speaking based on “practicality” especially for those who doesn’t mind getting either and wants to know the pros & cons of each.

—this thread includes builds, tips & other stuff that can help you in building

Pick GANYU if:

- You’re lazy and you just wanna go aim and shoot. (I’m not lying ksjsjs)

- You are F2p. After all, her second best weapon is a craftable weapon (Prototype Crescent)

- You have a shielder ready (quite needed, but she can tank too tbh)

- Aiming good doesn’t actually matter with her since it’s quite simple to aim with her (even on mobile tbh. I am a mobile user and you just have to aim on the ground most of the time)

- You want Elemental reaction. Obviously because she’s a Cryo and compared to Xiao, ofc you will get an Elemental Reaction.

- You don’t need another shielder/you already have Zhongli.

Pick XIAO if:

- You like polearm (melee) playstyle.

- You don’t mind having HP depletion.

- A straightforward build that doesn’t need your decision-making (lmao djksks)

- You have a shielder/healer ready (Diona works good with him. Also Zhongli)

- His cons are that he’s not f2p friendly. Like I said before, having a crit polearm is BEST for him, but if you have no choice, the ER ones are good, but you’re not going to do much damage unless your artifacts are god tier. His best option for f2p is Blackcliff Pole.

- You don’t mind not having Elemental reactions (no, Xiao doesn’t increase damage with EM at all)

Pick ZHONGLI if:

- You are in deep need of a shielder, he is the best out there

- He’s also F2p friendly because he could work well with ER weapons, but crit weapons are recommended for damage output.

- You don’t need another main DPS.

- You want an Archon and a broken character

- Low investment. Very very low. I think just having 2pc Tenacity is enough (though I do recommend 4pc for endgame players).

#character builds & breakdown utc.

those marked with * are crafted or free weapons (not gotten thru gacha or bp)

i arranged each weapons from most to least btw

GANYU

Weapon.

-> Recommended: Amos Bow, Prototype Crescent*, Thundering Pulse, Skyward Harp, Polar Star, Blackcliff Warbow*, Hamayumi, Viridescent Hunt

- I don’t suppose the other ATK% weapons that are not listed above are good with her passive wise

Artifacts Sets.

-> Wanderer’s Troupe

- WT is good as an overall build for Ganyu, especially if you want to do Melt

-> Blizzard Strayer

- BS is good for Freeze Comps or Permafreeze

- Endgame wise, I feel like BS is better than WT

Artifact Stats.

-> EM - Cryo Dmg - Crit

-> ATK% - Cryo Dmg - Crit

- Either way is good but people say it’s better to use EM cup with her. I personally have not tried it but if you have better stats with EM Cup then go for it.

- The only thing I want to add is that seeing that she’s a Cryo Character, Crit Rate is not that much needed IF you have 4pc Blizzard Strayer and your team has a Hydro Applicator & Cryo Resonance, and also you’re playing Permafreeze. However, I still do recommend that she has a decent Crit rate and a high Crit DMG.

- Also, even if you disregard the previous bullet, I think Ganyu can still do more damage. She’s just broken like that.

Talent Prioritization.

-> Normal > Burst > Skill

Tips.

- Like I said, on mobile, you could aim at the ground to hit the enemy, especially with multiple ones. (You could also aim for the head but it depends)

- She needs a built Diona, or probably another Cryo character and a shield character. Diona is actually the best bet imo because she’s a shielder + healer + cryo resonance + battery.

- She’s also a good support DPS btw. If you have a Pyro character like Hu Tao or maybe Diluc I think they’re a good match. Especially Hu Tao since she has downtimes for her skill and during those times, you can use Ganyu and boom problem solved. I think Childe can do good with her as well in a Freeze comp.

- Also, like I said, her Burst can charge up fast anyway so no need for a high ER for her.

XIAO

Weapon.

-> Recommended: Staff of Homa, Primordial Jade Spear, Deathmatch, Blackcliff Pole*, Skyward Spine, Lithic Spear, Prototype Starglitter*, Wavebreaker’s Fin

- other ER based Weapons are not really recommended but they’re next in line

- edit: I placed in Prototype Starglitter there but it’s beyond my recommendation ksksk. which means I don’t really recommend using it to him, but if you’ve got no other choice, then give him an R5.

- edit: Wavebreaker’s Fin’s passive doesn’t work on Xiao’s burst

- edit: Lithic Spear’s passive is quite good since the min. you can get is 7% additional ATK% and 3% crit rate. imagine if you have 2-4 charas from Liyue, then that would be higher, and more so if you have R5. Its Base ATK is also quite good!

- tbh, you only need 120~ ER for Xiao, mine is even lower. I recommend focusing more on Crit and ATK%

- no, Phys weapons are NOT good with him, you’re losing a lot of damage and wasting his potential

Artifacts Sets.

-> 2 pc Viridescent Venerer + 2pc Shimenawa/Gladiator

Artifact Stats.

-> ATK% - Anemo DMG - Crit

- like i said, he has a pretty straightforward build

- and no, he doesn’t need EM

Talent Prioritization.

-> Burst > Normal > Skill

Tips.

- On mobile, it’s difficult to control his burst at first, but I guess it just depends on how you’ve gotten used to jumping up and then plunging down. (Its control is quite the same with the increased jumps on Albedo’s event.)

- His skill CD is quite long, but if you want to make high damage, then use his charged attacks. His charged attacks are quite good since he makes smaller opponents stumble, plus it has high damage.

- You can actually use his skill to charge his own Burst, however if you really need his burst fast, having an Anemo battery will be helpful, or any elem battery (like equipping someone with a Favonius weapon). For me this is why I also use Diona with him because she has an R5 Favonius Bow.

- If you noticed, I placed Staff of Homa higher than his own BiS weapon because Homa gives lots of Cdmg. Cdmg with Xiao is always better, plus it’s easier to just have Crit rate for his Circlet if you have Crit DMG Weapon. Having Crit Rate weapon would mean you have to build up lots of CDmg from his artifacts, which is quite hard.

- I recommend 60/70 CR : 200 CD for his crit. (My Xiao has 70:250 I think and he can do 50k per plunge alone.)

- Actually, R5 Deathmatch is way better than R1 Primordial Jade Winged Spear. If you compare the two, the stats are very similar and reaching just R3 Deathmatch is enough. The only difference would be the high Base ATK from a 5* like PJWS, but then you can compensate that with the passive buffs with an R5 Deathmatch.

ZHONGLI

Weapon.

-> HP reliant build (Purely Shield): Black Tassel, Staff of Homa, Vortex Vanquisher

-> Burst reliant build (Mostly DMG): Lithic Spear, ER Weapons

-> Hybrid (Shield+Burst): Staff of Homa, Primordial Jade Spear, Skyward Spine, Deathmatch, Blackcliff Pole, Vortex Vanquisher, Black Tassel, Lithic Spear, Favonius Lance, Prototype Starglitter, The Catch

- by “build” I also am including the Artifacts. for example, you have HP-HP-HP on artifacts, then that means you have a HP Reliant build. If you have HP-GeoDmg/HP-Crit, you have a hybrid build. burst reliant builds prioritize a lot on ER but honestly I doubt a lot of people only use Zhongli for his burst damage and not with his shield.

- it is purely by reference, honestly. but if you’re on endgame, then I would suggest a hybrid build, especially if you also have a healer on the team.

- you can actually exchange weapons each time if you’re on Hybrid build (i do that too when I’m in deep need of HP), it’s better if your build is flexible like that.

- the tip with Zhongli is that the higher the level of his weapon, the better it is to have a Crit Weapon instead of Black Tassel.

Artifact Sets.

-> Tenacity

-> Archaic Petra

-> 2pc Noblesse (4pc not reco)

-> 2pc Gladiator (if you have 2pc ToM/Archaic/Nob)

- Now like I said he has different builds so I think you should rely more on your rng luck when it comes to deciding Arti Sets & your overall build.

- I do recommend 4pc Tenacity for a hybrid build since it can raise damage for a few seconds as well with its bonus. It’s good for an overall build since it can help your main DPS too.

- Archaic Petra is good… I used it with Tenacity before and it has good damage. If you want a good synergy with your main DPS, go for 4pc Tenacity. For a good support Zhongli who can do his own damage, then 2pc Archaic or maybe Glad with Tenacity.

Artifact Stats.

-> HP - HP - HP (HP reliant, pure Shielder)

-> ATK/ER - Geo - Crit (Burst reliant)

-> HP - Geo/HP - Crit (Hybrid)

- Like I said, I doubt a lot would even do a Burst reliant build unless you’re a boss and just wants to do it for the sake of it, go and lmk how it went hehehe

- I for one use a hybrid build with a Geo Cup and his burst can hit around 60k~ with crit. Tbh if you have a good Main DPS, you won’t need to build his burst much. His burst has a Petrify effect that is very useful especially in Abyss—it’s the most important aspect of his burst in my opinion.

Talent Prioritization.

-> HP Reliant/Hybrid: Skill > Burst > Normal

-> Burst Reliant: Burst > Skill > Normal

Tips.

- Actually, Zhongli’s cons are one of the bests out there. If you’re looking for someone to put your primos on, I’d definitely recommend him.

- I only have him at 80/90 and he’s in tip-top shape. I don’t recommend getting him to 90 if you don’t bias him that much since the important thing in ascending him is just his Skill.

- He’s the best in solving the cube puzzles in Inazuma (he’s the one I always use and I promise he never disappoints)

- I think I already said this but having a hybrid build will make him good with a crit or hp weapon. I for one just switched his weapon while exploring Inazuma before with a low level Tree (i forgot its name ohgod).

CONCLUSION

tbh if I’m the one who doesn’t have all three of them, I’d probably choose Zhongli. i couldn’t imagine having not pulled for him when i did since i barely could fight without him hahah. 

however, if you don’t need a shielder anyway, i’d say pick on your style. ganyu is more for those who crave for meta and wants to dominate the game far easier while xiao, on the other hand, despite being a meta himself, is quite difficult to build. he has more specific details that needs to be done to attain the “perfect build” and high damage, but if you’re lucky and have the perseverance, then why not?

out of everyone, xiao is still my favorite since i like his overall playstyle and he’s by far my strongest character on main. a character is strong depends on how you build them. there’s no weak character imo. question is, how strong are you to survive the farming god tier artifacts? :)

[morsking]

and that’s all the endwalker role quests done! my ranking from most to least enjoyable would be

1. healer role quests: a wonderful love letter to the ala mhigo portion of stormblood. neatly concludes fordola’s character arc, gives arenvald a chance to show that his greatest qualities are his kindness and his spirit and that his self-determination isn’t held down by his disability, and showcases everything we love about raubahn and the strong sense of leadership nanamo has fostered since her days in arr. loved every second of it.

2. magic dps role quests: i’m homobiased towards aymeric, i’ll admit but i really do love the way the game keeps humanizing its antagonists. it did a great job showcasing that transitioning to a more secular society after millenia of living under a theocracy isn’t easy. while it was right to divide the church and state in ishgard, religion being such a fundamental part of its society meant that there were those who clung to it to weather the unrelenting and haunting storm of perpetual war. it’s not enough to expose the truth of history, it’s important to also lay it to rest. very good all around.

3. melee dps role quests: really enjoyed how they integrated the usually inconsequential decision making by truly immersing you in the role of leadership through personally getting to know the characters and their strengths to advance the plot. a lot of the time, your reputation speaks to your ability to command, but some still need to see just how good you are before they’ll answer to your call anyway. it was a really refreshing experience, though i do admit the sahagin antagonists could’ve been a little more fleshed out. it’s not bad, per se, that doww was so blinded by despair he wanted to cling to the belief that the corrupting demise of his people was their salvation, but i still feel like they didn’t lean into it enough. merlwyb’s kick-ass as always. 

4. tank dps role quests: kan-e-senna is the most forgettable of the eorzean leaders which is why it was nice she finally gets some time in the spotlight. i still feel kinda lukewarm towards her but at least it’s better than “i don’t particularly care about her”. the elementals however are so brutally temperamental it’s personally hard to feel good at all that the gridanians had to work to reconcile with them after they punished a child for some other man’s deceptive dickheadery. 

5. the. *long groan* ranged physical dps role quests. whatever frustrations you had with the doma portion of stormblood become double the more aggravating here. the game as a whole makes it a point about how important it is to understand your enemy, about how an opponent may only be what they are because circumstances forced them to be, and otherwise they could have been your ally. this quest series never ever stops telling you people hated yotsuyu and are still scared of her after she died. but never once does anyone stand up for yotsuyu’s memory and remind them that she was also a product of her environment, another victim of not just garlean occupation but of the existing society that did nothing to interfere with her abuse and prostitution. yotsuyu is the only antagonist that isn’t afforded the consideration and understanding from other npcs the likes of emet-selch and ilberd are. it is legitimately infuriating that they want to make you like hien by showing you how much he loves his people and wants to bring them a new tomorrow that is, in fact, good, but they also make him look woefully spineless by being unable to properly defend his decision to spare yotsuyu, in fact doubling down on how oh so regretful it was that he didn’t kill her, as if that’s somehow what was fair and right and not utterly cruel and unjust? i cannot believe they let this questline release as they did because it is just so chockfull of cognitive dissonance it lowered my iq to read through it. but hey at least yugiri is there.