#support the codex

[thecreaturecodex]

Happy birthday to me

And it is a happy birthday! Honestly, this year has been one of the best years of my life so far. I don’t expect anyone to actually get me anything, but if you do want to, here’s some avenues. This is my Amazon wish list full of books and movies about monsters and biology, and this is my Paypal in case you want to chip in.

Thank you so much for your support and your feedback! I’d still be writing monsters without this avenue, probably, but it wouldn’t be this much fun!

[rooksunday]

thinking about fox getting his first poll card after the vode get citizenship. the guard scattered after sithsplosion day, but he and a score or so that were functionally useless without each other, like nervous space greyhounds with military training, all ended up bundled together on some planet in the mid rim.

he’s been working on a book about his years at the senate. no one knows about it aside from thorn, who has been checking his basic, and advising him where he needs to wind the reveals back a little because libel. the rest of the time he does payroll for a number of small businesses, picking and choosing his hours, and delighting in sending invoices for his business: the shiny security fund, he’s called it, to continue the tradition in a more official manner.

(when they’d been on triple zero, the fund had been for rations. blankets. bacta. they’d conned credits from tourists and stolen them from senators and turned those credits into hope for the poor bastards shipped to the city that ate shinies before they could ever earn paint. these days, the fund was for whatever his guard wanted. aside from a pony. fox couldn’t figure out where hound would keep the pony.)

the book had been born from two lists. one was the blackmail and gossip the guard had collected during their stint on coruscant; that was where thorn needed to check for dangers, but since most of those senators had died in sith-related incidents, or had been jailed when the media got hold of their dealings, all fox was doing was providing context.

the other part of the book was fox’s List. thire sometimes called it a manifesto, because he had been studying for his degree and liked to show off occasionally. the list was a suggestion of changes to the republic, some small, some large. it was a silly fancy of fox’s, as the whole book was, but if he couldn’t indulge himself in his own karkin’ book then they might as well have punted him off the high levels back on coruscant.

yet for all that he’d settled—and paid taxes, even—fox hadn’t felt part of the citizenship of the planet. then the poll card had arrived. and suddenly he mattered in a tangible way. just like the bothan baker next door did. just like the twi’lek downstairs, the one with the noisy kriffin’ speeder, did.

thorn found fox in the kitchen, still staring at the scrap of card. he rapped his knuckles on the doorframe.

“you okay there, chief?” he asked. he’d been trying out alternatives to ‘sir’. “noise complaint again?”

fox shook his head. he didn’t look up. “voting thing. there’s an election.”

“oh! yeah, we got ours yesterday. are you— what’s that face you’re making. i don’t think i like it.”

fox raised his head and gleamed his smile at thorn, who backed away slightly, one hand drifting to where a blaster once hung. fox’s eyes felt very wide. he jabbed the poll card like a vibroknife.

“do you know what this means?”

“democracy comes in two postal batches?”

“no! well, yes, apparently, and that’s inefficient, but— no!” fox jabbed the card again. “this means i am a citizen and i am about to make that a senator’s problem. where’s my manifes— list, thorn? it’s time for an update.”

[ffc1cb]

happy to announce i’ve finally lost it and spent a considerable amount of time making a dragon age inquisition mod that lets your inquisitor use they/them pronouns. if there’s anyone out there besides me who wants to use it, here it is on nexus.

detailed description and personal commentary under the cut

update: as of 3.05 (may 3rd), the mod has been uploaded to nexus. see download link above for any future updates.

this is a mod for frosty mod manager 1.0.6.1. you MUST install the bioware localization plugin for it to work, otherwise the game won’t start. on fmm 1.0.6.2, the plugin is already built in, so you don’t need to worry;

this mod is a simple overhaul of the game’s base text; no changes were made to the actual voice lines. this mod also does not affect default romance flags (just like in vanilla game, you can only romance sera with a "female" inquisitor (or dorian with "male"), but the mod should, hypothetically, be compatible with other mods that edit romance flags);

you can install it at any point of the game. starting a new playthrough is not necessary;

works for all races and with all available dlcs;

along with the pronouns change, this mod changes all gendered words used to refer to the inquisitor to be gender neutral, i.e man / woman have been replaced with person or contextual variants. my lord / my lady and other similar titles have been replaced with messere (on the basis of this reddit thread);

some of the dialogue could've been mistakenly changed, since context was not always easy to parse. if you try this mod out, i’d greatly appreciate any help with pointing out my mistakes (blackwall’s romance in particular has given me the most trouble); additionally, i might have missed some lines in the codexes, since i skimmed through them very briefly.

i’ve no previous modding experience, so i went with the easiest option and, like i mentioned above, brute forced it and made a complete overhaul of the base game text as opposed to a pickable option i’d like it to be. ideally i’d love for this mod to be bundled together with this other one that switches pc pronouns (which was a partial inspiration for this mod). if anyone here has any knowledge on whether this is something that could be done, please hmu.

also, since in order to make this mod i had to read through the entire game text (it was torturous. not gonna lie) i collected some of my personal favorite bits and pieces along the way. if anyone’s curious, you can look at them here. there’s surprisingly many developers’ notes in there.

ps: this mod is free to use for all so this is not at all necessary, but if anyone is feeling generous, i have a tip jar.

[v-arbellanaris]

here's the thing, right. like. okay, let's take everything up to the title showing up as the 'origin' style opening for dai, where you establish character. but like. literally what about that opening establishes character. you get brought to the chantry in haven where they briefly discuss executing you before declaring the inquisition. you can either begrudgingly support the people who have actively threatened you repeatedly or you can go uwu i'd love to help you guys out im so excited to be working with you. like. hello.

[moth-party]

Couple of old friends catching up

Zenai-yel the Scorpion and Ruhna the Dune Stag from my story Codex Xihuitl!

Dune Stags are a subspecies of Stag Beetle that are built more for endurance and adaptability in the harsh desert of the Sarjo, with coarse fur to help protect their shell from dust and sand.

The little white comma symbols are actually representing “breath” or speech! Most commonly used in Mexica art such as this one below

[bragganhyl]

ngl these "which eoran god is/isn't problematic" polls make me wanna rant about Magran but I don't have the braincells rn

edit: i did end up ranting in the tags whoopsie lmao

[the-guild-codex-and-other-things]

Kit, describing a dream he had: And then the prime minster showed up with a stale donut and the stolen circus donkey-

Lienna: Kit, I'm banning you from having dreams.

[rhoddys]

"I fucked with forces that our eyes can't see,

Now the darkness got a hold on me" - Meet Me in the Woods by Lord Huron

8: Crazy, Starvetober list by crazysnor1ax The red wording surrounding the Codex is as follows + translations: Above: Rex noster - Our King Right side: Vivat Rex - Long live the King Below: Revertere ad nos - Return to us

[thecreativemillennial]

[rosykims]

act 3 cillian hawke listening to shelley duvalls he needs me he needs me he needs me he needs me he needs me on repeat <3

[rylanwoodrow]

"Sin Eaters"

Finally finished this epic piece for my homebrewed space marine chapter of warrior-women, the Sin Eaters! I was shooting for that classic Codex vibe, while sticking in a few of those old Rogue Trader-esque elements that I always love. Maybe I'll mock up some kind of faux-codex cover with some graphics later down the road.

Commissions open! You can also support my Patreon to see this and more in their full resolution: https://www.patreon.com/rylanwoodrow

[vigilskeep]

when you first start the cousland origin, you can have some conversations with arl howe, teyrn cousland, and duncan that shed some interesting light on the political situation in ferelden. it’s definitely the origin where you get the most context on the rebellion and on cailan and his father. while howe isn’t exactly the most trustworthy of sources, he is also one of the most openly critical of cailan that we have access to, which i think is worthy of interest

howe remembers maric with what the toolset describes as “genuine fondness”: “your father hasn’t spoken of our time with him? that man took care of his friends. as they say, he was large as life and twice as tall!” i think we should pay particular attention to that man took care of his friends.

what howe’s talking about is a really important aspect of kingship, where you win the consent and enthusiasm of the nobility for your rule by offering rewards like wealth, land, and prestige to the loyal. kingship is always less stable than it’s portrayed, and this is one of the ways that kings must essentially sell to the nobility that answering to them is worth their time, which would be especially important in ferelden given everything we know about its culture. fereldans believe someone only has power when it is given by the loyalty of those below them, who have the right to freely rescind that loyalty. the dao codex says that “the sight of [fereldan kings] asking for—and working to win—the support of ‘lesser’ men is a source of constant wonder to foreign ambassadors.”

i suspect howe is remembering a maric fresh from the victories of the rebellion, who was able to reward those who had followed him with the spoils of those victories. at the end of the stolen throne, we see that in the final days of the rebellion, maric was killing those who had betrayed his mother to the orlesians even when they arrived under truce to meet him on holy ground. in dao, we see no lingering orlesian nobility except for those who married in and continue to be met with marked hostility. i think we can safely surmise that maric elected to make no conciliatory measures and give everything to those who had followed him; with the orlesians on the run and his people out for blood, he was in a strong enough position to do so, and it certainly served to win the fond memories of men like howe.

by contrast, howe goes on to say, “it’s too bad cailan isn’t half that.” the toolset notes establish very clearly that it’s the same issue, elaborating on howe’s thoughts: “bitter turn, i don’t get as much from the current king”, and “disdainful, i have no use for him, he does me no favours”. this isn’t a minor character detail, if howe’s last words when killed by the player are anything to go by. “maker spit on you... i deserved... more...” whatever it is that howe feels he should have been given, by the crown or anyone else, it characterises his actions and his defining treachery.

it’s in these same conversations that we see another side of this demonstrated. there are two points where howe can openly criticise the king, and bryce immediately admonishes him for both. one even has the toolset note: “speaks sharply, as a lord to a lesser man, not a friend to an equal”. it definitely comes across that way; the way he tells howe “that’s enough” is not far off the voice he uses when the player, his child, displeases him. bryce can’t tolerate any criticism of cailan, as the couslands in dao are ardent supporters of the king. to venture some hc, i suspect that this is not merely royalist fervour, and that howe’s resentment for having been given less is matched by bryce’s awareness of the precariousness of having more.

over the centuries, the theirins have consolidated their power and eradicated almost all the teyrns (the noble rank that is second only to the king). with the only other lingering teyrn being loghain, who is essentially part and parcel of the royal family, the couslands stand alone as the only real rivals to theirin power within ferelden. there are rumours that bryce was once considered for king instead of the theirins; he too could have decided to believe he “deserved more”. but unlike howe, and perhaps understandably given his strong position and happy growing family, he is satisfied with what he has. he will not take the risk of even the slightest challenge being made within his hall

(i expect that bryce’s satisfaction with the current situation further spurred howe’s dissatisfaction to its heights, given the complicated cousland-howe history and the fact that he was expected to accept a friend he had fought beside as a superior for the rest of his life.)

i don’t think howe’s judgement on cailan is likely to be without basis. we don’t hear about any victories the young king has to his name, from which he could have passed around spoils. (to be fair, cailan had harder luck than maric in this regard. a king who raises a successful rebellion gets to bring glory and prestige to everyone who follows him, whereas a king trying to rebuild after that rebellion mostly gets to bring, uh, taxes probably. especially on wealthy centres of trade like howe’s amaranthine, one might assume.) cailan also takes a far more diplomatic approach to the question of orlais, which perhaps predictably did not win over many nobles of howe’s generation. it makes sense that cailan’s strongest supporters would instead be men like bryce who hope for things to simply continue, peacefully, as they are. perhaps in another world where cailan had won the battle of ostagar, he might have earned wider respect. (you could actually argue on this basis that there’s more sense and purpose to cailan’s glory-seeking than he usually gets credit for.) but howe already acts before ostagar, which can only demonstrate his certainty in cailan’s failings at this point: his belief that even if cailan could win, he would not be stable enough to pursue justice for the couslands

[albywritesfiction]

ATE Devlog #9

Hello everyone!

After The End Chapter 1 Part 3 is finally here! In this part, you will:

get back home just in time to be reunited with someone you haven't seen in 3 months

talk to this certain someone about Prince Ædric's proposition

decide on which route to go through: the Sovereign route or the Heir route

ALSO!!! This update comes with a new codex tab that has entries for some of the main characters of the story WITH CHARACTER ART!!!!

THAT'S RIGHT, WE'VE GOT OFFICIAL COMMISSIONED ART PEOPLE

LOOK AT HOW AMAZING THE ART IS

ALL BY MY GOOD FRIEND @obsolete-stars-if GO CHECK OUT HIS IF!!!

I AM VERY NORMAL ABOUT THIS

*ahem ahem*

With this update, I'd also like to mention that if you guys enjoy what I write and you'd like to support me, I've set up a Ko-fi! It has some membership tiers set up in addition to the option for one-time donations, but their main benefits are early access to both future chapters and extra content, so don't worry about missing any content if you're not that keen on it or if you'd like to but are financially unable to!

Once again, constructive feedback is more than welcome and any coding or grammatical errors may be reported either in the comments section of the game or through sending an ask here.

Thank you for giving ATE a chance and I hope you all enjoy!

P.S. Join the Discord server! ^_^

Play it here:

[verinarin]

Ratio would be the type of guy who kisses you when he’s annoyed of you blabbering around! (he secretly finds it cute)

could be an interlude for my Partner! Reader fic who knows…..

Support me on Ko-fi ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

“You see it’s very important to note that there are endless possibilities in life so what makes you think I can’t use my supreme luck to be dealt with a royal flush !,” your constant blabbering about this luck of yours has bewitched him with a stern headache of his own

A sudden thud echoes throughout the empty room when he closes his codex to finally focus his attention on you, you feel rather happy over the fact that he finally decides to pay attention

“Since there’s four ways of a straight flush to be formed the percentage of me possibly getting it would be around 0.000154%, so there’s still a chance for me to— HMPHHH!!”

He can’t help it, the way your eyes glimmers when you spoke your truth, so captivating, so enchanting that he can’t help but to leaned down, tipping your head upwards and press his lips onto yours

Well your argument about the probability of you getting a royal flush is simplistic yet it is plausible no matter how low the chance is and how asinine you sound, but it’s somehow acceptable; he finds it cute but denies such fact even from himself

He caress your cheek as he taste the sweet aftertaste of the pomegranate tea you drank earlier on your tongue, the flavour driven him more to indulge in the kiss

You couldn’t help but to get lost in the moment as he literally took the words out of your mouth, in a sudden trance you quickly leans back and pushes him away, escaping the pleasant warmth of his lips

“W-wha” your face painted red all over with all the blood rushing through your veins when he smirks, his eyes trained at yours, relishing your adorable expression

“Please refrain from discussing such meaningless ideas with me, or perhaps not, maybe you’ll get another kiss to expel those festering ideas from your mind,” he says as he covers his true feelings behind his alabaster head, turning his head away to continue reading his codex, like he did not just kiss you all of the sudden !

[mistresssheo]

I don't think the Codex Astartes supports this action. But f*ck it! I think Astartes should also have glittering capes! :D

[thecreaturecodex]

State of the Codex March 2024

It is not a secret that I have had a bad year.

I am a school teacher. And a trans woman. This is my first year using she/her pronouns full time in the classroom, after a multi-year period of social transitioning. It has put a target on my back.

Over the course of this year, one period in particular has been a wellspring of hate. Homophobia, transphobia, racism and sexism. Not all of it directed at me personally, but a barrage of students showing over and over again that they are hateful and that they want me to know it.

Administration has gotten involved. Multiple students have been transferred out, but it feels like playing Bigot Whack-a-Mole. And now that the students know that they're under scrutiny, they've gotten subtler. Today someone left me a message. Subtle enough that it has plausible deniability, targeted enough that I know that someone intended for me to find it, and to know that they think of me as a man. I have my suspicions, but I don't know who did it. I feel gaslit, emotionally abused. I don't feel safe.

Someone else is going to be teaching that period for the rest of the year. They succeeded in chasing me out. I am exhausted and relieved.

And would like to know that I am loved.

Please, reblog and comment on monsters you like. Leave nice things in the tags. Send a friendly ask. If you want to make a material contribution, go to the support page. I want to feel like I'm valued and supported right now, because I have spent the last six months feeling like the wrong kind of monster.

Thank you