#this works with any adventurer or mage so you can change the love interest :P

[reallyghostlypost]

Villain AU - farmer and Lance being on opposite teams while still crushing on each other

Imagine Joja acting more like a villain in comic books/manga/children shows (vague inspiration for this has been Team Rocket). Wants to take over the world, will use monsters and dark magic as distractions while they carry out their plans, maybe they want to steal magical artifacts or take over areas with strong magic or enslave magical creatures like the junimo. They could still have their normal business as a legal front and the main money maker for their ideas.

For whatever reason the farmer still works at Joja, and for this AU it's not a temporary thing. Why the farmer works there? Maybe only Joja would hire them and they were late on rent, or maybe they needed to pay for college, or they signed some sort of magical contract with Joja and now they are stuck there, or they were sold to Joja as a baby, or maybe Joja truly pays the most or brings the farmer some sort of benefits that they would never get anywhere else (to use Thad as an example he would have a place where he could still practice magic even after the Ministry forbade him to do it). But in the end they are one of the evil minions Joja sends on different missions. (Besides characters that are evil, but not too evil, are cool so why couldn't the farmer be one of those lovable bad guys?)

And of course, there are heroes willing to fight against Joja and stop it's evil plans. The Ministry and the guilds could fight against more than just monsters, and they made it their mission to stop Joja. Similarly, mages/adventurers act more like the classic heroes that will appear everywhere to stop the villains (they could still use mainly swords and magic and dress in medieval cloaks though). Maybe belonging to a guild now mainly shows the type of training/abilities each character has, since guilds in SVE tend to focus mainly on their territory rather than work together all the time.

But after multiple times where they fight against each other Lance and the farmer start to fall for each other and then end up in a really weird relationship. They are still on the opposite sides of the conflict, but the farmer sometimes sends warnings and tips to Lance about their future missions. "We will soon attack the Governor's mansion. Joja wants to take his family hostage. Keep an eye on him". Or the farmer makes sure Lance and his friends won't be killed in that trap they laid around the magic grove they were trying to raid. And Lance in turn pretends to not notice when the farmer escapes after finally getting captured by the Ministry. So they are stuck with flirting while they fight and try to make sure the other is alright even while they both are attempting to fulfil the objective that brought them there.

While still nice and kinda disinterested in Joja's success, I imagine the farmer is still trying to actually do their job and succeeds in whatever mission he was sent to do pretty often. After all the farmer is really inventive and resourceful, learns new things fast and can be very determined when they want to. In a team of Joja minions the farmer is easily the one the adventurers have to be weary of the most, and they often grumble when they figure out that the farmer will part of the group sent to do some evil task. So they won't complain too much about Lance's unusual crush as long as it makes their job even a little bit easier.

[magneticmage]

Quiz Meme; OC-style

I was tagged by @rozhevisny to take this quiz.

I also ended up doing a number of my OCs. They are under the cut for length.

I am tagging @awellboiledicicle @mikkeneko @changeling-fae @higheverweave @yusukesmomjeans @dalishious and @draxen1123 but don't feel pressured to do so if you don't wanna! It's all for fun.

(Inquisitors)

Paeriel Lavellan="You're choking on how much you have to try". Accurate by the time of Inquisition (specifically around Skyhold) as Paeriel very much embodies the virtue of suledin. She can handle the amount she's dealt with but it is still a burden and she worries about how it will affect others if she slips and drops under the weight. She doesn't want more harm to come to innocents and those who are already struggling under their own burdens (mages, dwarves, elves, even the templars to some degree), and yet it is a fight that continues on and on seeming without end. Just as Solas walks his path to break the systems oppressing people, she tries to work within those same systems to better chances for those who need it.

Armashok Adaar="You were meant to". Accurate prior to his joining the Inquisition. He spent so much of his life struggling to find his place as everyone told him what to be; silent, obediant, a weapon to be protected against. He chafed and struggled to find comfort in it and yet he ultimately realized that he was his own person. No one could tell him who and what he was or was meant to be, not even his wife. So he chose for himself; To be Armashok Adaar.

Ransley Trevelyn="This isn't enough for you" Also accurate for pre-Inquisition Ransley, as he balked against his family expectations. They wanted him to marry a nice noblewoman of status and wealth. He courted them but couldn't quite bite the bullet as something about them just lacked....something. Even when he met his lover, he struggled against the fact that they had to be discreet for her reputation as a Knight-Divine. His family demanded he become a Templar, he decided the Seekers would be a better use of his talents. Always when he was told something, his innate ambition would push him for more and better things. While he can give up things as needed, he dislikes it. That last part is something he struggles with-and notably fails during Trespasser-post-Inquisition. This is a trait that Josephine can understand, though like their lover Cassandra, she tempers it in herself and him with patience.

Naranka Cadash="Because you have made mistakes you cannot swallow" Pfft. Yeah, this is very much her. She seeks redemption just as badly as Paeriel does for Solas, just as badly as Blackwell-her love interest-does.

(Inner Circle)

Kara Adaar="Because you cannot hold freedom". Very true. She's seen what freedom has cost her parents to give her a better life and plans to make the most of hers. That desire to enjoy life is shared with Sera. The desire to understand the world through the lens of ensuring that freedom for others is something she shares with Dagna.

Emilyse Trevelyan="You swallow pain and fold around it" Yikes. This is accurate to her time in the Circle, however. She spent much of her time trying to be a "good" mage, despite a number of abuses by the Templars and the Chantry. It was only when her brother visited her during his training as a recruit that some of those abuses came to light and she was brought to the Circle in Ostwick, closer to home and with the newly added bribes to ensure her safety, she did much better. However, this newfound life did not for too long as the Rebellion broke out and she was left adrift for a time before making her way with some other refugees to the Conclave at Haven. She was nervous about so many Templars, but eventually found solace and peace with Cullen as they each began to heal over their own traumas of their respective sides, and together as they began a family shortly after Trespasser.

Samrel Lavellan="because you cannot hold freedom" Interesting. He's actually one of my simplest OCs; a simple life with his clan and husband, First to the Keeper and cousin to Paeriel, is all he wants. Unlike some of my other Dalish OCs, he hasn't faced quite the same level of hardship and loss, and though he does mourn the loss of his clan, he seeks to rebuild it alongside his husband and the few survivors that managed to escape the humans' blades. So perhaps that defiance of the losses inflicted harkens back to the Dale's and the elves' refusal to submit to the Alienages, by simply standing up and saying "No, you cannot silence us" is enough? That could be a type of freedom and there is power in that refusal. Thoughts to consider more later.

Pyrmar Cadash="This isn't enough for you". Oh that's interesting. Pyrmar is one of those characters that seems super simple (ex-surfacer Carta bruiser with a notable penchant for leadership as a Champion) and, for the most part, he is. He likes drink and fun as much as any other mercenary like the Chargers. But, like Dorian, he sometimes feels inadequate in some way. As if he is meant for more; to be and do more. Most notably for basic respect and care, something his upbringing in the cutthroat nature of the Carta was missing. Dorian shows him that he is capable of love and being loved and The Iron Bull gives him the respect and belonging he lacked previously. While he can still fall orey to his baser nature at times, his heart as grown much over the years and so it becomes less common to "want more" as he used to.

(Last Court)

Aurore de Serault="Because you have made mistakes you can't swallow" Ooo. She does carry some lingering guilt and grief over her late husband's death at the hands of the Game. She struggles with the Orlesian court at times, and much prefers solitude and peaceful quiet to gossipy ballrooms and noble Lords and ladies demanding a dance, a bonding point for her and her love interests of The Silent Huntsman and the Elegant Abbess. However, it's not that she's unskilled in the Game; in fact, she's quite good at it. She simply prefers simplicity to more complex machinations. All that said, she does regret the ferocity with which she holds grudges; she had gone on to murder the entire families of those individuals responsible for her husband's death.

Marcel de Serault="You swallow pain and fold around it". Hmmm. Not sure of this one. Marcel divorced his wife to pursue a cloistered and scholarly life in pursuit of knowledge (he was once a Chevalier). Eventually he began to crave the adventure of the Game again, which is how he fell for The Wayward Bard and the Dashing Outlaw. Again, not too sure but it's interesting. Perhaps he simply internalized his losses and pain?

(Hawkes)

Knight-Commander Jasper Hawke of Kirkwall="because you've made mistakes you can't swallow" Oh cool! Jasper watches his younger siblings-three of his fellow quadrupled and Carver- go off into the Deep Roads expedition. He made the decision to stay behind to protect Bethany and their mother in case things went south. Despite assurances from his departing siblings, things did go south. After being pissed at Batrand, he sighed and went to work for the Templars. Shortly thereafter, despite his best efforts, Bethany was caught by Templars and taken to the Circle. Jasper did what he could to protect and shield his sister from the worst abuses of the Templars under Meredith's command, no matter the personal costs and enmity it earned him from his siblings and companions. It even ended his relationship with Anders around the beginning of Act 2. After Meredith was defeated, he worked with Cullen to try and reform the Templars and rebuild Kirkwall post-Chantry boom. His efforts were strained once red lyrics began to show up and corrupt his fellow templars. Despite narrowly avoiding being swept into the group while infiltrating it to gather intel, he succeeded in driving them out. When Cullen left for the Inquisition, he stepped up to continue reforming the Templars for protecting the mages. While he originally balked at the pro-mage decisions of the Inquisition, he ultimately agreed that the Chantry had abused all of its charges-mages and templars both. He began to reshape the Templars under his command to fit in line with the changing world; a choice to take lyrium, and a recovery and rehabilitation plan set in stone for all members who wished to leave, new rules and regulations in place to protect the rights and dignity of both mages and Templars, slowly making them a secular force beyond the Chantry but under the control of Vivenne's newly reformed Circle of Magi perhaps. He does what he believes to be right and for the best of his family, even if they dislike his decisions. A trait he no doubt picked up from his mother.

Lord Gray Hawke of House Amell="You swallow pain and fold around it" This is fitting for Lord Amell. While Jasper and Violet always held loft goals to pursue and Skye simply wanted to go and see the world for all it was, Gray preferred to remain at home and tend to their family. He is the one most connected to the Amell legacy rather than the Hawke self-made determination. That's not to say it isn't there; he's more than willing to help others and make something of himself, but it comes back to wanting to appease and help his family in whatever ways he could. He pines for Anders for a great deal of time, but doesn't make a move due to either Jasper dating the mage or simply not wanting to be a rebound for his brother. In the end, however, Anders surprises him (perhaps nudged on by Skye and Violet) by initiating a kiss and the two quickly develop into a stable relationship. He is even willing to leave all he'd built to go on the run with Anders and further aid him in his cause. Gray is just a cutie who wants a simple meal and a nice husband. If he gets to watch Anders shoot lightning at fools, well, who is he to laugh?

Viscountess Skye Hawke="Because you cannot hold freedom". Accurate. Skye loves her freedom. While she is certainly ambitious, it often comes down to more power means more freedom. She rules as Viscountess of Kirkwall for a time until abdicating in favor of Varric so she can pursue Tallis across the seas, but also to simply go back to adventuring and exploring. While she does not care for the Qun and its Qunari, she cares about people and her family most of all. It is one of the few tethers she did not choose but it is the one she keeps above all others. After all, even the Sky must touch the earth at some point just as a Hawk must return to its nest to rest and tend its young.

Champion Violet Hawke of Kirkwall="Because you have made mistakes you cannot swallow". Fitting given that Violet is both a blood-mage (also a spirit-healer and force-mage) and extremely pro-mage freedom, and her choices often led her to conflict with Jasper due to their views and lives. She has only ever wanted to be free to live her life as she chooses, with is how she fell for Isabela. She fell for Fenris because she's a bleeding heart who wants to help everyone as much as she can. Kirkwall left its mark on her and she's struggling to do better than what she views as a failure due to her diplomatic nature in the name of mage freedom by the time the Inquisition comes around. While just as driven by the cause for equality as Anders, she often privately struggled with her mother's death among the many other revelations and choices of her family, fearing the loss of all she called dear. Luckily Fenris and Isabela returned to her and they made a pact to live well on the seas after everything had settled down and Champion Hawke was no longer needed.

(Awakening)

Senior Warden Dion Caron="This isn't enough for you" Okay. So, Dion joined the Wardens to escape the Templars (p.s. it didn't work) and his adopted sister Victoire-Ainsley was already joining and he had promised to protect her for their parents. He's happily married to Garam and spends much of his time training recruits and fostering camaderie in the ranks of the Wardens. What more could he want? Perhaps it is nothing and the doubt is simply there as is human nature, perhaps he frets about his dwindling time in the world before his Calling, perhaps he does want more. Who can say?

Senior Warden/Warden-Constabke Victoire-Ainsley Caron of Orlais="This isn't enough for you" Pfft. Victoire-Ainsley's ambition to make a name for herself and her family (she came from a long line of Chevaliers) nearly cost her her life and resulted in her father's death. Her mother adopted an orphan boy-Dion-in the hopes it would curb some of her darker tendencies. It partially succeeded. While she did not go as far as she'd once been willing, she still acted ruthlessly and this earned her quite the name in the Game for a time. However, her fall from grace was just as bloody as her rise, and she was only spared by the intervention of the Wardens' Conscription. She lost a great deal and was now forever barred from reclaiming it. She acted out for a time and was surprised when the Wardens allowed-encouraged even-it. However the death of her husband to save them during a nasty skirmish against a powerful broodmother she'd led them against resulted in a mission successful but at a cost she hadn't wanted to pay; only her, Dion, Garam, and I senna made it out alive. Since then, she had been working towards redeeming herself, opening up to the criticism and vulnerability she'd been so afraid of, much like Loghain is when he is sent to Orlais. And so while her pride demands more of her, she focuses instead on what she can provide and tries to bite back the bile this causes. After all, this is for the best and that is enough. Right?

Senior Warden Isenna Andras="You were meant to" Isenna lived first under the Orlesian cruelty in the Alienate and then the Templars' in the Circle. It is no wonder she fights to carve a name for herself in history, to make herself her own, to be what she was never meant to even dream of. She wants to be a hero but struggles against her own inner nature to survive. She is driven by the conflict of selflessness and self-preservation. Perhaps Mhairi's idealism is enough to tip the scales for her.

Senior Warden Garam Kader="Because you have made mistakes you cannot swallow" Accurate. He joined the Wardens after passing off the wrong Carta Boss and then spent years helping Victoire-Ainsley and her brother grow their ambition and then....his unit died beyond the four of them. And all the glamor of the Wardens fell away and he realized just how far some would go and he began to wait for them to step back, hoping they would step back. Victoire-Ainsley and Dion and Isenna did. He did. But the Clarel didn't. He hopes Loughlin will do better as the Warden-Commander of Orlais. He knows he will do better and he knows his husband, Dion, will.

(Wardens)

Warden-Commander Lynera Mahariel of Fereldan="You were meant to" Ouch my heart. Lynera lost Tamlen and never quite recovered. She was forced into a Warden and then into leading the party as the Hero of Fereldan and then into the role of Warden-Commander/Arlessa of Amaranthine and she did it. She took all the pain and hurt and losses over the years, the Taint and its horrors and its strength sapping, the politics and hard decisions; she took it all and she did it. She did what was needed, became what a Grey Warden Commander and hero was meant to be. She can't even say she regrets becoming a Warden anymore as its become so central to her identity now, only mourns the things and people she's lost to get there. I think Sten-excuse me-the Arishok understands this. Perhaps that is why they both hope to never meet on a battlefield unless they are on the same side again.

Warden Isemaya Tabris="You swallow pain and fold around it" Okay that's like SUPER interesting. See, Isemaya learned about the injustices elves face early in life. It cost her her mother's life and very nearly her twin brother's as well, after all. She became a warrior to protect them (her family, her community, her home) and she was good at it. But then she saw a glimpse of a different life with Nelaros, one where she might be happy simply letting someone else deal with all the fighting and clawing and exhaustion. She wanted it, she realized, she wanted it very much. But then she lost him and Shianni was hurt and she was hurt and Vaughn was dead and the humans were so angry. She geared up to protect her people again, to be the brave warrior like her mother before her. And then....Duncan Conscripted her. She was forced from her home, alive and angry and proud, and so she expanded her family to her companions. Then Zevran tried to kill them and they let him live and she watched him like a hawk and saw the same longing for a life, for more in the absence of loss, in him. She helped him heal and learn to live again and he helped her set down her weapons and her anger for a time and then the times became more frequent and they grew closer. She told him she loved him in the brisk Haven air and he gave her a golden earring to match the old and blood-stained wedding band she still wore, and she had found peace. She continued with the Wardens, with helping him take down the Crows, with searching for a cure so they could have more time. She took her pain but instead of weaponizing it like Lynera and others did, she learned to let it go and continue on. She learned to live in spite of, not because of, her pain.

Arcane Advisor Catriona Surana of Fereldan= "Because you have made mistakes you cannot swalllow" Oof. This is definitely Catriona during Origins. Her decisions to betray Jowan, to use blood magic at Ostagar and then to continue to practice and study it despite the stigma it holds, the merging with Compassion to save Cale, to give up her dreams of marriage and freedom and let Alistair marry Anora for the good of Fereldan and again when Leliana went on to become the Left Hand of the Divine and then again as the Divine Victoria...she makes a lot of mistakes and the consequences haunt her for a very long time. While she does manage to find some good in them, or at least simply makes peace with them, they still color how she becomes in 2 and Inquisition and beyond.

Warden Cale Amell=

Teryn Fion Cousland of Gwaren=

Paragon Prince Barran Aeducan=

Warden Paragon Tatha Brosca=

(Origins)

First/Keeper Vireth Mahariel=

"Dark Wolf" Elthorn Tabris=

"Stormcaller" Alaros Surana=

Lord Azul Amell=

Lady "Nightshade" Raven Amell=

Lord Carmine Amell=

Lord Reed Amell=

Lady Marigold Amell=

Captain "Highever Spitfire" Aelynne Cousland=

Princess and Orzammar Commander Valda Aeducan=

(Canon Solo Shepard)

Commander and Spectre Annette Shepard=

(The Sibling Shepards Canon)

Spectre Riley Shepard=

Spectre/XO Roscoe "Ros" Shepard=

Spectre/Commander Joanna "Jo" Shepard=

(Shepard Cousins)

Angelus "Angel" Shepard=

Elliot "El" Shepard=

Jaden "Jay" Shepard=

Alexandra "Alex" Shepard=

Kristopher "Kris" Shepard=

Clover "Clove" Shepard=

(Starship Ryders Canon)

Pathfinder Lucas "Luke" Ryder=

Pathfinder Rebecca "Becca" Ryder=

Pathfinder Shiloh "Shy" Ryder=

Pathfinder Evander "Evan" Ryder=

Pathfinder Asher "Ash" Ryder=

(Baldur's Gate)

Cei Gloomdraft=

Faenerys Elendir=

"Sable Shades" Risaeder Rosandoral=

Saga "Muse" Musehart=

Lyr(e/a/an) Lovemoor=

Rune Mistsea=

Lucine Mistsea=

Roan Roarke=

[rpgmgames]

September’s Featured Game: Turovero: The Celestial Tower

DEVELOPER(S): Queenie ENGINE: RPG Maker VX Ace GENRE: RPG, Adventure, Psychological, Dark Fantasy WARNINGS: Violence, Light Horror Elements, Sensitive Themes SUMMARY: Turovero: The Celestial Tower is a freeware, dark fantasy role-playing game created with RPG Maker VX Ace. Players take on the role of four young adventurers - Sigurd, a brave and kind-hearted knight, Leilia, a gentle and motherly cleric, Edric, a gifted yet sharp-tongued mage, and Ruby, a cheeky, fun-loving thief - who have no recollection of their lives prior to meeting one another. Determined to free their world from the influence of an ancient evil, the Dark One, the group sets forth on their most perilous journey yet as they climb the mysterious divine tower, Turovero. However, as the heroes ascend the Celestial Tower, they begin to realize that not everything is as it seems. Just what is the Dark One that plagues their world so, and what truly happened to the Four Gods of legend? The answers to these questions lie in wait for them at the top of the tower… but do they truly want to discover them?

Play the game here! Our Interview With The Dev Team Below The Cut!

Introduce yourself! I'm Queenie and this is my second game that I've developed, written, and composed for (my first game was Prom Dreams: A High School Love Story, a horror / dating sim game available whever you can download Turovero from). I've been making games in earnest for about 4 years now, but I did use to muck around in the old bootleg version of RPG Maker 2000 when I was a kid I guess. Because one of the main complaints about my first game was the artwork, and because I, er, can't draw very well, I also enlisted the help of @genkaiko, @caffeineandcarpaltunnel, @pleasedrawmore, and @meakersneakers to draw the character artwork, title and ending artwork, enemy artwork, and cutscene artwork respectively. Check them out too if you've got the chance!

What is your project about? What inspired you to create this game initially? *Queenie: I've always enjoyed horror games and games that started out normal / cute / cliched but slowly turned into something darker as they went on. I also really love RPGs and adventure games. So, naturally, I figured I'd combine the two at some point, and thus the initial concept for Turovero was born!

How long have you been working on your project? *Queenie: Total development time was around 2.5 years.

Did any other games or media influence aspects of your project? *Queenie: Considering every games I've made so far is essentially cobbling together various ideas from games and anime I love, you bet your ass it did LOL. Gameplay involves a mix of classic Final Fantasy-esque battles and Zelda-style field puzzles, whereas the story and atmosphere takes inspiration from other RPG Horror games and anime such as Madoka Magica and Higurashi. Essentially, dark psychological drama wrapped up in a nice little JRPG shell. Or something like that.

Have you come across any challenges during development? How have you overcome or worked around them? *Queenie: Besides my complete and utter lack of art skills (which I thankfully had my team to help me with!), I also really struggled with the field skills due to RPG Maker's admittedly shoddy collision detection. I was eventually able to make the mechanic work around 90% of the time (and if it doesn't, protip: push up against the object before activating the field skill), so it's thankfully playable, but it sure was a pain to work with :T

Have any aspects of your project changed over time? How does your current project differ from your initial concept? *Queenie: I actually try to fully create a solid outline of my games and then stick to it, for the most part, so that I don't lose track during development. So, to be honest, not a whole lot changed besides some minor details, such as names, battle skills, and combat balance adjustments. Although, I did originally envision the theme and look of the final "dungeon" a bit differently (which I obviously won't go into details about), and only went with the current design because I couldn't get the sprites to cooperate with me and I was like "well, eh, this is the next best thing I guess". :P

What was your team like at the beginning? How did people join the team? If you don’t have a team, do you wish you had one or do you prefer working alone? *Queenie: I did about 80% of the game myself, but I did have an interview/portfolio submission process for artists. I knew many of them previously, and the title artist I'd already had a working relationship and internet friendship with, so that made things easier as well. It also helped that I could share my ideas (and memes. lots of memes.) during the development process so I didn't have to keep the game 100% secret, haha.

What is the best part of developing a game? *Queenie: The music!! I freakin' love composing okay. I also love writing emotional or comedic scenes, then see other people's reactions to them as they play. Speaking of which, my jar of Player Tears seems to be running a little empty lately... :3c

Do you find yourself playing other RPG Maker games to see what you can do with the engine, or do you prefer to do your own thing? *Queenie: I usually just go with the kind of gameplay my story needs and that my developer's skills will allow; sometimes I see another game and go "oh, that's possible?", and might keep that knowledge in handy, but I don't actively seek out gameplay inspiration or anything.

Which character in your game do you relate to the most and why? (Alternatively: Who is your favorite character and why?) *Queenie: My boy Edric and his grumpy yet adorable tsundere ways LOL. I have a thing for characters with love problems okay ;;

Looking back now, is there anything that regret/wish you had done differently? *Queenie: I do kind of wish the game had a way to do something like unison attacks from the Tales series, since it'd be thematically consistent with the game's ideas of friendship and unity, but at the time I wasn't willing to fudge around with the battle engine too much, so I shelved the idea.

Do you plan to explore the game’s universe and characters further in subsequent projects, or leave it as-is? *Queenie: I have ideas for some prequel stories (in an e-book or even a visual novel format) that expand upon the characters and world a bit, but I'm waiting to gauge interest in them.

What do you most look forward to upon/after the release of a project? *Queenie: Player reactions and Let's Plays, definitely. I feed off of player reactions. I crave them like a zombie craves brains. If you play my games please tell me how much you suffered - er, enjoyed it, it really makes my day!

Is there something you’re afraid of concerning the development or the release of your game? *Queenie: Honestly, only that it'd attract the wrong kind of fan - you know, the ones who harass people over fictional characters and over a work not being 100% to their particular standards. Thankfully that hasn't seemed to happen yet, and most people who've played my games are super chill and awesome.

Do you have any advice for upcoming devs? *Queenie: Use outlines and try not to shovel features into your game just because you can! Figure out what kind of game you want and then focus your energy on making it the best version of that image that you can. Sure, my games may not take advantage of everything RPG Maker can do, but I don't think they need to - I only needs the elements that will help me tell my story the way I want to.

Question from last month's featured dev @Teal Crown: If you're working on a team, how do you manage to keep organized? (Otherwise: If you could meet your favourite dev, the one that inspires you the most, what would you ask them?) *Queenie: My artists and I kept up via Tumblr messenger and Discord mostly. I also made a beta testing server when the game reached the testing phase, which was very helpful and also loads of fun. :)

We mods would like to thank Queenie for agreeing to our interview! We believe that featuring the developer and their creative process is just as important as featuring the final product. Hopefully this Q&A segment has been an entertaining and insightful experience for everyone involved!

Remember to check out Turovero: The Celestial Tower if you haven’t already! See you next month! 

- Mods Gold & Platinum

[theonyxpath]

Friends, this has been a tough week.

So we’re going to actually provide you with all the usual material that comes after the Blurbs!, but this upper part of the blog where I try and ramble through some useful stuff; I’m keeping this short.

In fact, the topic I’m really writing about this week is on another blog post that I’m going to link to. The post concerns Matt McFarland and why we are no longer working with him, and further connected issues:

http://theonyxpath.com/?p=11633

Why? Because the topic is an ugly one. It’s not what I normally post about, and it’s not what you probably expect from your weekly MMN blog. But it is an important one, and it needs to be written.

But after discussing it during our monthly meeting, we decided on this method of delivering it to you. This way, the topic isn’t just sitting on top of wacky Blurbs! and business as usual, because that would be inappropriate to the subject matter.

At the same time, we think it is important for our community to read this even while it might run counter to the expectations of some of our folks who come here specifically because this is a relief from real-life issues, or even more importantly, for some of those people who are actually affected by the matter in question.

We really do not wish to minimize what they have gone through in any way.

Along the same line of thought, I’m not including any art up here, just this message. We’ll have lots of art next time. Finally, I’m putting some space between this and our usual tagline. Not because it is no longer appropriate, but because it represents what we can all achieve together in a cheerleading sort of way that is important, and we’ll get back to, but which isn’t right at this time.

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

A week into our Kickstarter for the Deluxe version of EX3‘s Lunars (that funded in less than 40 minutes) and we are almost at 300% funded and have over 1500 backers! Multiple Stretch Goals have already been achieved, and we’ve just gotten started. So c’mon and get your beast-form on and join the fun!

The Story Told Podcast has a wonderful interview about Lunars: Fangs at the Gate: https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/bonus-episode-5-exalted-lunar-ks-interview-with-eric-minton

ONYX PATH MEDIA

Illustration by Michael Gaydos

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast is an in-depth interview with Eric Zawadzki, writer and a developer on Deviant: The Renegades. I’m told it’s just chock full of spoilers. https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

If YOU have a podcast, YouTube or Twitch channel, or talk about games on a blog or other website, and want to perform actual plays or make reviews of our games, please reach out to the Gentleman Gamer on the Onyx Path forum. From there we’ll share emails and get you started, so when you do start producing content we’ll be able to promote it on our blog and YouTube channel!

Lots of media today!

First up, we have Caffeinated Conquest‘s Scion actual play, which has proven very popular and entertaining: https://youtu.be/MqCNQq6a7gs

High Level Games continues their actual play of Pugmire! For those of you who love adventurous tales of dogs and cars, check out their video: https://www.highlevelgames.ca/podcastingnetwork/pugmire-actual-play-episode-3

Matthew Dawkins and Red Moon Roleplaying continue with their actual play of They Came from Beneath the Sea! both on our channel and their website: https://youtu.be/FL_v0OfJ3n4

The Story Told Podcast has a wonderful interview about Lunars: Fangs at the Gate: https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/bonus-episode-5-exalted-lunar-ks-interview-with-eric-minton

Travis Legge continues with his superb Myths and Matchmakers Scarred Lands actual play too: https://youtu.be/W-_szpegJpc

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

ELECTRONIC GAMING:

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can now order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

And available this week! Deluxe Changeling: The Dreaming and Deluxe Beckett’s Jyhad Diary! The additional books we have after the Kickstarter ship-outs are done are now at IPR!

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

This Wednesday, we’re releasing PDF and PoD versions of the new Map of Stygia for Wraith20 on DTRPG, as well as Changeling: The Lost 2e T-Shirts on our Onyx Path Redbubble store!

Also we will be adding two new Art Packs to the Slarecian Vault community content site for the Scarred Lands!

CONVENTIONS

UK Games Expo: May 31st – June 2nd Gen Con: August 1st – August 4th Save Against Fear: Oct 12-14 GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year. n!

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Let The Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

TC: Aeon Ready Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Redlines

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Development

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Manuscript Approval:

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Editing:

Aeon Aexpansion (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Dystopia Rising: Evolution (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)

V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

Wr20 Book of Oblivion (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

C20 Novel: Cup of Dreams (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Scion Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)

Post-Editing Development:

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon (Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Edition)

Indexing:

Ex3 Dragon Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

The Realm – More sketches in. Some finals finalized.

Ex3 Monthly Stuff –

Chicago By Night – Notes and contracts going out.

Aeon Aexpansion

They Came From Beneath the Sea!

EX3 Lunars – KS going.

Signs of Sorcery

Hunter: The Vigil 2

Shunned By the Moon – All artists contracted and then one bailed.

Book of Oblivion – Sketches coming in slowly but surely- some finals.

Contagion Chronicle – AD’d for KS.

Marketing Stuff

In Layout

Dystopia Rising: Evolution

In Media Res

Proofing

M20: Gods and Monsters – Finishing backer errata.

Pugmire Roll of Good Dogs and Cats – Gathering backer errata.

Adventures for Curious Cats – First proof corrections in.

Trinity Core – Inputting Errata. Cross referencing with TC: Aeon.

Trinity Aeon – Inputting Errata. Cross referencing with TC: Core.

Ex3 Dragon Blooded – Indexing.

Geist 2e

C20 Player’s Guide

False Images – EX3 novel – Finishing and inputting backer errata.

At Press

Wraith 20th – Shipping to KS backers.

Wraith 20 Screen – Shipping to KS backers.

Scion Hero – To press.

Scion Origin – To press.

Scion Dice – At Studio2.

Scion Screen – At Studio2.

Fetch Quest – Shipping to US.

Wraith 20th Stygian Map – PoD and PDF versions on sale this week.

Slarecian Vault Art Pack 01 and 02 – Available this week.

TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 

And another US holiday: boom, on top of last week. Presidents’ Day! Well, we’ve had a mixed bag with these guys, but some actually made a difference and set us on better paths because they were in office. And in this world…that’s worth a celebration!

[rightburningfist]

Khaidu Tumet - LFC

I D E N T I F I C A T I O N

Full Name: Khaidu Tumet Alias: Khal Ura Pseudonym: The Right Burning Fist Nicknames: Khai, Kai Age: Twenty-Nine Cycles Nameday: 13th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon Birthplace: The Azim Steppe Guardian: Rhalgr, the Destroyer Residence: Obfuscated Manor - A manor deep in The Black Shroud.

R E F E R E N C E S

Motto: Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. - Carol Burnett Theme Song: Face Claim:  None.

S T A T S

Gender: Male Race: Xaela, Au Ra Height: 8'00" Weight: 180lbs Eyes: Ice Blue Hair: Silver/White Skin: Alabaster Build: Athletic, Toned Scars: A scar that covers most of his left eye, and missing scales on the left side of his face. Another large scar on the left side of his torso. Tattoos/Marks: None. At First Glance (+5)

Drunk: While he is a bit calmer and more open when he’s drunk, he does tend to aggravate those around him. His goading is more aggressive and enjoys a good bar fight now and then.

Cold: He isn’t afraid to be blunt, readily able to call anyone out on their faults or stupidity. He has little to no patience with headstrong individuals or the simple minded. However, If the headstrong individual happens to capture his interest he doesn’t mind them as much.

Alpha: From how he carries himself to the way he talks is with an air of superiority, unless he has great respect for another he will not take orders from them. He uses his persuasiveness to manipulate others into doing his bidding.

Knuckles: While he does fight for fun, it does tend to tear up and bruise his knuckles and this is mostly hidden by the gloves he wears on his hands. When he isn’t fighting and relaxing he does sometimes find his hands shaking, numb, or just plain cold.

Smug: Confident of his appearance, superiority, and ability, he is a difficult person to be around. Which works in his favor as he enjoys most of the time spending his free time alone either exercising or practicing.

Well-Toned Physique: He is very dedicated to staying in shape, while he is strong his body shows his muscle definition and is not one for becoming grossly bulky. He tends to put this on display opting for not wearing a shirt, or wearing an open chest coat instead.

F A C T S

Occupation: Pit Fighter, Nomad, Brother, Provoker, Specialties: Fistfighter, Jockey, Hands-on, Jousting, Axemanship, Hunting & Gathering Skills: Blacksmith, Armorer, Training & Exercise, Swordsmanship, Axemanship,

P R O F I C I E N C Y

Education: Self-Taught, Father, Fellow Tribesmen, Books Favored Weapon(s): Fists Secondary Weapon(s): Hora, Lance, Axe, Sword Magic Abilities: N/A Magic Strengths: N/A

R E L A T I O N S

Sexual Preference: Bisexual Romantic Identification: Demiromantic Relationship Status: Single Sweet On: Xorxoi, Odval Alignment: Chaotic Good

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

Spouse: n/a Maternal: Siban Ura (Protected, Respected) Parental: Silugukhan Tumet (Mentor) Siblings:

Xorxoi Tumet ( 2nd Born, Sister, Protected, Respected) Khulan Tumet ( 3rd Born, Brother, Valuable) Odval Tumet ( 4th Born, Sister, Protected) Osal Tumet (5th Born, Brother)

Mentor: Silugukhan Tumet, Other Various Associates:

Sannom ( Unofficial Landlord, Drinking Partner, Possible One-Night stand)

Allies: Ishgard, Immortal Flames, Adventurer’s Guild, Enemies: Non-Allied Tribes, Goaded individuals,

M E N T A L I T Y

Social Level: Nomad, Introvert, Cold, Optimistic View(s): That he will make amends with his tribe and allow his sister Xorxoi to come and go as she pleases ending at least her exile. Pessimistic View(s): Being alone is better than being surrounded by sheep, he’s very reluctant to find others to get along with and chooses to surround himself with questionable individuals. One  Positive Personality Trait: He is a very talented smooth talker, and has not only talked himself out of terrible situations but also can convince others to do anything. One Negative Personality Trait: When faced with a challenge he tends to become very aggressive. As a fighter his aggression can cause him to get dangerously physical with his opponent. One Personality Warning:  He puts his loved ones and the others he cares deeply for them putting their needs and desires above his own, and he would go so far as to die for them if their survival depended on it. Random Quirk: He’s very nit-picky. Hobbies: Personal fitness, Reading, Horseback riding, Meditation, Being an ass, Goading Addictions: Personal fitness, when sober he is usually found doing multiple exercises keeping him in shape. Habits: Erect walking, Arms crossed or resting on his hips, Sitting with his hands behind his head, Pinching the bridge of his nose Pleasures: Reading, Drinking, Fighting, Love-making, domineering-sex, Goading

Appreciates (List 5+)

Obscene amounts of Liquor Books Spicy Foods Women Men Fighting Gil/Gold Challenges Raen Sweets

Dislikes (List 5+)

Unpredictable Losing Mages Lalafell Undeserved Authority Superiority

Strengths (List 5+)

Loyalty Intellect Knowledge Physical Strength & Ability Patience Enthusiastic

Weaknesses (List 5+)

Compassion Love Has trouble operating with others. Perfection Domineering

Fears (List 5+)

Being imprisoned. Destroying the fragile relationship that he has with his only family left. Becoming permanently incapacitated. Being forced to submit to another. Finding things out about his siblings he never wanted to know. 

F A V O R I T E S

Favorite Food(s):  

Priestly Omelette, Spicy Foods, Sweets

Favorite Drink(s):

Ale, Whiskey, Tea, Coffee

Favorite Scent(s):

Outdoors,

Favorite Colors:  

Wine Red, Violet, Gold

T R I V I A

- None currently.

R P   H O O K S

One-Night Stands - Khaidu always seems to find himself after a long night (or week long binge) of drinking in either his own or another’s bed. This happens more frequently than one would think. Why? You’d have to talk to him to find out.

Bars and Brothels - He is a frequent customer of these type of establishments, enjoying not only the shows that but also the people that come to them.

Fighting & Training - He finds himself constantly getting into fights as he loves to provoke and offend others to get a reaction from them. He does fight in both official and unofficial fighting rings. He will train with others who are looking to spar, challenging them to a contest of strengths.

O O C

Server:

Mateus

Timezone:

(UTC -08:00) Pacific Time

Availability:

Mondays & Tuesdays : All - Day (Unless I am doing something with the SO) Wednesdays & Thursdays : Mornings and Late Evenings Friday - Sunday: Nights mostly as I work at ODD times on weekends, and sometimes just pop into the game to check retainers.

You can however during my work week message me on Discord / Google Docs if I’m not in-game.  

Mun: Female Experience: I recently got back into roleplaying June of 2017, so I’m a bit rusty. I did, however, RP a lot up to 2008/ 09 over the programs available at the time (skype/ email/messenger). Will roleplay in-game or on Tumblr when possible, but I am open to other forms of communication. I will attempt to match in complexity, length, and format to the best of my abilities. The more time I’m usually provided on my posts I can dish out some decently sized posts, but when on my phone I am usually posting about 1-3 lines.

Type of RP: Any/All, Mature, and R-Rated. Long-Term Short-Term story-lines or One-Shot scenes. Enjoys interactions that are with Canon or OCs. Looking for: Friends, Associates, Connections, and Rivals, individuals who have goals or are really good motivators.

Will Do: Mature content and themes (violence, sexuality, drug/alcohol use) so long as they are logical in a plot-driven encounter. Coarse and Excessive language. Temporary injury or incapacitation, temporary imprisonment, and most walk up encounters.

Ask First: long-term/permanent injury or disfigurement, long-term captivity or imprisonment.

Won’t Do: Non-consensual scenes, and permanent character death. Mary Sues, Scenes with characters below the age of 18.

C O N T A C T  I N F O R M A T I O N

In-Game - Khaidu Tumet

Discord -  minaTiA #4774

Tumblr - rightburningfist / carbuncle-egi (main)

[nemossubmarine]

D&D ask meme: 2, 7, 19, 29, 34

2. Your favorite character that someone else has played.:O What a tough question, I love all my friends’ characters always. I’ll pick a few, because this would otherwise be impossible!

@raddigested‘s Randy (from DA rp) (and Jeff from KoNS): Partially because we talk so much to each other about our characters, so it’s that extra-insight that makes it extra-enjoyable to see them played. Neither of them started as especially deep characters, which I kinda prefer personally? It’s easier to go with the flow and let the story affect you, if that is kind of the most buckwild thing to happen to you ever. Randy especially has had some great character growth these past 4 years, doing some actually pretty awful things and then getting into actual trouble for it, and I’m glad to have been part of that, as a GM and a fellow player.

Humbert (from DA rp): I like to complain about Humbert a lot, mostly bc my character butts heads with him all the time. I know Humbert’s player often is vehemently against what Humbert is for as a character (mostly re: the mage issue in DA-universe), so playing him can’t be easy, which makes it super-enjoyable to watch him be played (when I’m not grumbling about what he has just said that is :P).

7. Your favorite downtime activityHmm, I don’t know how often I as a player get to partake in that, since it seems there’s a lot of it done during my campaigns? :D (I’m sure I’ll be corrected if I’m forgetting something big) At least all my the examples I can think of at the top of my head happened in my campaigns. But anyway, our group has a boat, so when we’re not adventuring we’re trying to get enough money to pay for crew by buying-and-selling. That’s pretty fun to orchestrate, although I am terrible with coming up with numbers on spot. 

Also I am always here for one-on-one IC conversations, usually more than anyone else though. :D

19. Do you or your party have any dice superstitions?We play with 3d6′s, and everyone gets their own. Someone usually gets “bad” dice and changes theirs during the game night. Also if someone has been rolling really well all night, another person may lend their dice or ask them to blow on theirs for luck in a tough spot.

29. Do you prefer RP heavy sessions or combat sessions?My ratio to combat to RP heavy sessions is usually one combat heavy session / campaign. I fluctuate between wanting to get better at combat and just keeping it as that one obligatory one. I just feel that basic combat is not that interesting anymore so I have to always make a big bad with either interesting properties or interesting environment, and while I’m way better at DA-math that DnD-math that’s still a lot of work. For my last campaign I put stuff straight from the monster manual in (with some minor tweaks), which seemed to work alright, but then I didn’t run those parts, just wrote them, so idk how I would have felt running them. (the best combat in that campaign did feature an interesting environment so that helped :D)

That is to say, I am far less conflicted on RP heavy sessions. Those are far more easy to orchestrate. :D

34. Do you tend pick weapons/spells for being useful or for flavor?DA rp doesn’t have that much choice, especially playing a rogue. That said, I’m a single-handed weapon rogue but I do have a staff around in case blood-spilling is discouraged, even though it lessens both my defense and damage and I can’t even back-stab with it, so yeah, flavor all the way. :D

[serendipitousoracle]

Mixtape n wardrobe for like... ALL the ocs?

[♡ OC ask meme ♡]

i will give you six (6) ocs.

Egeire Mahariel:

mixtape: 5 songs that describe your OC(s) or songs they themselves would like

1. “Love Love Love” - Of Monsters And Men (basically The song for Egeire/Zevran tbh. love and reluctance and duty and fear and pining, which eventually breaks down as despite it all they keep getting in deeper and deeper until Egeire finally goes fuck this and for once decides not to sacrifice everything he wants to hold onto)

2. “Rather Be” - Clean Bandit (happy fluffy love song for Eg’s sweet, loyal attachment to various love interests. he is devoted and adoring and when he is with the one he loves he would never want to be anywhere else)

3. “Wolves Without Teeth” - Of Monsters And Men (wqieujb?? devotion and consumption and non-physical wounds idk how to explain)

4. idk. something emo? and then instead insert “Not Gonna Die” - Skillet bc it’s really the message Egeire should be taking home

5. and then as throwback to something he’d like maybe smth Gorillaz or Disturbed just for “smth that would probably be on Egeire’s music playlists somewhere“

wardrobe:what’s your OC’s style like?                                  

In DA-centric universes Egeire ends up becoming fairly all-or-nothing re: clothing. at the end of the Blight, into Warden-Commanderdom, and to some extent post-Wardenhood, he is either in full armor and weaponry (with some extra flash and ideally some small piece of elfiness in the Awakening period), or when he is completely alone and not paranoid and with people he trusts in a space he feels safe in, he is wearing like comfortable loose-fitting pants and that’s about it.

In more modern AUs Egeire wears more like… practical clothes, probably? flannel and open button-ups over tank tops with sturdy pants and tough boots, whatever clothes have been Gifted to him over the years, annnnnd at-home muscly shirtlessness with loose sweatpants

Also he looks so great in lace

Under Cut: Egeria Surana, Flytter the Junior Historian, Cyrron Mirevas, Soveliss Liadon, Grey Surana

Egeria Surana

mixtape: 5 songs that describe your OC(s) or songs they themselves would like

1. “Arms” - Christina Perri (still p much the First and Most Egeria/Alistair song. being Wardens is one rough thing and then the elven mage and the bastard prince is harder still. it works out in the end, but….)

2. “Retrograde” - James Blake (ouch that isolation and your friends are gone, and your friends won’t come, so show me where you fit. i’ll wait, so show me why you’re strong– i’ll wait, we’re alone now)

3. “You May Be Right” - Billy Joel (whoops it’s The DenRia Song)

4. “Beth’s Theme” (Broadchurch OST) - Ólafur Arnalds(Ria’s canon is just so like…. sad. unintentionally sad. quietly, wordlessly sad.)

5. “Stolen Dance” - Milky Chance / “Budapest” - Georga Ezra / “Break Stuff” - Limp Bizkit (just kind of misc songs for Ria Chilling Around The House)

wardrobe:what’s your OC’s style like?

DA: a mix of aesthetic robes and practical ones, some with long flowing pieces and embroidered flowers that gradually transition to black dust, wearing her mage blood and magic specialties quite literally on her sleeve, some that are more armor than robe (bc spellsword/arcane warrior) but with elements of robes nonetheless. Dresses more lightly in private for ease of movement, with fur shawls and fine shoes and all. may be talked into some sort of short top + long skirt look by her fawning husband. in private.

Modern: light blouses and either loose-ish pants or long skirts, fond of flower motifs, plenty of like cardigans and soft jackets and things that generally perfect that sweet and trustworthy and caring outward demeanor she wields like empathy made tangible and precise. also has regular graphic tees and jeans for gardening.

Flytter

mixtape: 5 songs that describe your OC(s) or songs they themselves would like

1. “Little Talks” - Of Monsters And Men (grief is what drives Flytter from home to wrap themself up entirely in their work… for better or worse, despite the best wishes of those who cared about them)

2. “Non-Stop”, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”, … - Hamilton the Musical (um excuse me if somebody made a musical about Egeire Mahariel/WAWsquad/The Fifth Blight Hero you fucking know Flytter would be all over that)

3. “Radioactive” - Imagine Dragons (radioactivity… lingering Blight corruption… same difference, right?)

4. “Heavy In Your Arms” - Florence + the Machine (not entirely happy with this pick but struggling to find something for just– that kind of background gnawing of the slow, slow, painful death seeping into their being, the constant pain and the losing fight to the ebb of the corruption and their inability to keep it effectively treated or soothed or just. nesdfds.)

5. “Beyond the Veil” - Lindsey Stirling (trippy instrumentals for recording things and remembering dreams? sure why not. clear Veil joke? woo!)

wardrobe:what’s your OC’s style like?

.DA: robes, again. robes with a focus on complete head-to-toe coverage and not irritating rough patches of skin or what not too much. Something comfortable enough to sleep in. Not really much variety once they lock themself away in Kinloch Hold rebuilt.

Modern: light shirts tied up and semi-professional vests and the ability to quickly create a skirt in any situation when they need to really move in a hurry

Cyrron Mirevas

mixtape: 5 songs that describe your OC(s) or songs they themselves would like

1. “Enemies” - Shinedown (i didn’t even have to think about this one everyone hates Cyrron except like…. you jay. only you. everyone else goes ‘ew’ or ‘why are his eyes sockets not full of sharp/sharp-ish utensils’ when i bring him up. only you cheer when he shows up or hand him over to tentacle monsters but)

2. “Simple Man” - Lynyrd Skynyrd (and the complete flipside– a simple kind of man, not rushing, revering the gods, settling down with a bondmate and having children… it was the life Cyrron intended to live, not exactly a soft or warm or gentle man by any means, but a simple man. Then he lost everything, and survived Vir Banal’ras, and we have present day Cyrron.)

3. “The Dalish Elves Encampment” - Dragon Age: Origins OST, or something (this is basically a placeholder to state: what do you think super traditional Dalish elf music sounds like? for Ferelden Dalish if you want to get specific maybe. Basically, whatever Traditional Dalish Music is, that is all Cyrron himself cares to listen to. That’s it. He hoards it. maybe even plays an instrument. the world will never know.)

4. i swear to god i’m not putting “Closer” on this list SO HOW ABOUT THAT BODIES SONG HUH IT’S SUPER MURDERY N STUFF

5. “Indestructible” - Disturbed (fitting, since it was on Egeire’s list, and he definitely got that from somewhere. really, Cyrron is indestructible to a point that even upsets himself until all the venom he sank into others finally comes back to flood his veins)

wardrobe:what’s your OC’s style like?

DA: Armor. Sturdy Dalish armor, long updated and cycled through with parts, blades on hand at all times, each meticulously well-kept and menacingly. The only time he’s not in armor is if he’s for some reason in disguise to get closer to someone to kill them.

Modern: ranges from business semi-casual to business ultra-formal and nowhere below that range, at least not for wearing out in the daylight. Cyrron mostly has his crisp dress shirts and pressed black slacks and all that easy “I am wealthy and important and you don’t need to know what I do for a living” class, even despite the clear vallaslin, but he also has a variety of tougher garb and more lowkey clothing for when his real line of work comes calling in the night for a slit throat or a poisoned drink.

Soveliss Liadon

mixtape: 5 songs that describe your OC or songs they themselves would like

1. “Addicted to Love” - Florence + the Machine (possibly the earliest defining song for my vague thoughts of ‘Soveliss and his feylock patron’. Soveliss insists he knows what he’s doing! He just has to keep his wits around him! … gods, though, he is so lonely.)

2. “Carousel” - Melanie Martinez (have I mentioned Sov is really super doomed? And it’s all fun and games/‘Til somebody falls in love/But you’ve already bought a ticket/And there’s no turning back now)

3. “Believer” - Imagine Dragons, & “Whispers in the Dark” - Skillet (the main brain-chewing songs for fiendlock!au Soveliss)

4. “Dust Bowl Dance” and “Broken Crown” - Mumford & Sons (hypothetical #mood for potential Angry parts of potential Soveliss character/story arc “You haven’t met me, I am the only son.”)

5. “A Martyr for My Love for You” - The White Stripes (i’m just saying if anybody else dies before we finish this adventure Sov is gonna start getting real antsy about forming attachments to normal, mortal people)

Bonus 6. Welp. (a ghost monk floats through Soveliss’ room as Sov puts up a bard band poster up in his room in the monastery like “soooooovelllllissssss whaaaat isssss thissss” and teenage Sov is just Instantly Teenage Annoyed “MUSIC, JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, IS CHANGING, DAD” (all the monks in the monastery are Dad sov has like 2 dozen dads it’s a time))

BONUS 2 EDIT EDITION: i forgot “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” - Florence + the Machine was also a Sov inspiration song whoops

wardrobe:what’s your OC’s style like?

D&D: Soveliss at the moment generally has his greyscale Acolyte of Kelemvor robes/garb, some dark leather armor, maybe some shiny beads or baubles, and his gorgeous blond hair (it is probably literally enchanted t b h), buuuut he has no real exposure to like….. choice of clothing let alone fashion. idk we’ll see if aub ever gets us somewhere cool where I can get him a truly art-worthy outfit or if he dies first i guess.

Modern: ????????????

Grey Surana

mixtape: 5 songs that describe your OC(s) or songs they themselves would like

1. “Stray Italian Greyhound” - Vienna Teng (whoops first song is a Grey/Tamaris song. but: Grey is every bit the tongue-tied hopeless romantic that Egeire is, except he somehow works himself up about it even harder bc in a way Grey can be summed up as Eg But Extra (i love this song tho))

2. “I of the Storm” - Of Monsters And Men (wh o o ps it’s another Grey/Tam song. but it is also a good sort of song for Grey’s general insecurities, still carried over if reflected differently from Egeire’s. not measuring up. not being loved. feeling trapped. are you really gonna love me when i’m gone? are you really gonna need me when i’m gone? i fear you won’t; i fear you don’t)

3. “In My Sleep” - Mystery Skulls (can’t find a good video but you can’t do this like i do/i fucking wrote this in my sleep is just. 1. it mostly inspired an au. 2. take Egeire’s mild peacock tendencies and turn them up to fucking 11 and you might start to approach Grey levels of pride and showboating. tempted to put “Magic” on this list but just. it’s so great. just go look it up.)

4. “Through Glass” - Stone Sour (something quieter. bringing back that feeling of isolation from Ria, but a bit more self-imposed– putting up walls of glass to keep a distance from everything and ending up sitting alone inside his own head, which really could account for a lot of his doubts. a negative feedback loop of sorts. but he is so used to it.)

5. “Work Song” - Hozier / “Iris” - Goo Goo Dolls / “Rather Be” - Clean Bandit (just some more love songs for the hopeless romantic bc I’m p sure I’ve spent like 8 hours on this ask and I’m dead now)

wardrobe:what’s your OC’s style like?

DA: so fashionable. whether he’s the Circle Ambassador or the Warden-Commander, Grey is dedicated to keeping up with trends and edging out ahead of them where he can. It’s a careful balance to keep, neither being so compliant as to be invisible or stepping so far out of line that he’s branded “outsider“ again, but he loves it. Grey is all about politics, wealth, luxury, prestige– whatever the Circle and the Chantry wanted to deny him, he will take, one way or another.

Modern: so fashionable. if it’s In he is at least looking into getting his hands on it, if he doesn’t already have it. as the Circle is traded out for more like…. slicksharp white collar big business laddering-climbing type ambition, so too are robes traded for suits, and so some manner of dress shirt + jacket/blazer/etc + slacks/dress pants/etc becomes his norm. Whether he’s climbing or charming or sleeping his way to the top, he enjoys surrounding himself with luxury and learning how to take advantage of it.Is still a sweetheart who looks nice in lace though.

[faded-coat-of-blue]

odd numbers for Colm even numbers for Lorelei GO

Oh shit son OK let’s do this:

1 - Full Name and Relevance ©I fucking love this question. Colm hates his full name /and/ there’s family tradition involved. The first Blackmore child in each generation takes the name of their paternal grandmother/father as their first name and the name of their maternal grandparent as their middle name. I have like the whole tree worked out for a few generations, but Colm’s full name is ‘Colmanus Archibald Blackmore’ (as their only paternal aunt/uncle is single, they’re by default the oldest Blackmore kids). He can’t stand the full name and only his immediate family know it, so I was planning to make it a major part of his character development.

2 - What hobby would they like to be good at? (L)Well to be honest most of Lorelei’s waking hours are devoted to magical study, and, like Colm, she doesn’t really have much interest in becoming a cooper - she’d probably try her hand at gardening, I suppose? It enables a cathartic kind of order, but if things go wrong it’s still definitely flammable.

3 - If they played DnD what class and race would they pick? ©Colm firmly believes in old-school notions of heroism and adventuring, so one of the four original classes. He’d probably be a little uncomfortable playing cleric unless he stuck by Pelor, but I reckon he’d like the versatility of fighters in 5e. As for race, he’d almost certainly be a dwarf - he’s proud of what little dwarven he knows, and their interests definitely align.

4 - If they could go back in time and change one thing? (L)Depends where in her timeline we’re going from. I was planning to only play her upon Colm’s death, so obviously that - but if we’re going from before that, it’s a little trickier. Her attachment to her mother wasn’t all that strong, so I doubt she’d alter that - I think if anything, she’d probably try and spend more time with her uncle Edward before his death? She was quite close to him, but didn’t get to see him much, and given the change in her father’s personality afterwards, she’d probably want to have a better understanding of why that came about.

5 - What is their favourite weapon to wield? ©Boy is Colm ever partial to a good maul - he’ll take anything really though, be it fists, chair legs, or even other people. If it can bludgeon, he’s not fussy.

6 - If you could give them one magic item? (L)Man this question required some thought because she’d love to get her hands on all of them really. Every sadistic bone in my body says Bag of Devouring, so there’s that. I also think she’d find the Deck of Many Things something to be reckoned with. As an overall malicious magic item that relies on probability and has no apparent functional reason for existing (at least at face value), it really goes against everything she understands about magic. So probably that, just to make her think.

7 - If they didn’t have to adventure, would they stop? ©Again, funny this one lands on Colm. No. He doesn’t adventure with an end goal in mind, he adventures both as a coping mechanism and because it gives him purpose. Besides, he really enjoys beating things up. Adventuring is a hobby as much of a pastime for Colm, one he’d prefer not to give up if given the choice.

8 - What do they look for in a platonic or romantic partner? (L)For romantic - she doesn’t. Straight up. End of story. Not interested. As for platonic, she’s willing to befriend anyone who has at least some intelligence and common sense, and isn’t directly opposed to her. Don’t expect it to be the most fulfilling friendship though.

9 - Do they trust easily? ©Ooh, good question. On the balance of things, probably not, although more so than Lorelei. He’ll want to know why people are buying him drinks, and he’ll question until satisfied. After that though, he won’t complain.

10 - What is their favourite colour? (L)Red-orange. Fire is everything in Lorelei’s aesthetic. For the most part, she tries to keep it concealed within neutral browns and blacks, but it will occasionally flare out into the odd cantrip or spell circle.

11 - Diplomatic or aggressive? ©Wish this had been for Lorelei, but - I mean, it’s very much aggressive for Colm. Not a hard one, that.

12 - They get arrested and thrown in jail. How do they escape? (L)First up, Lorelei’s going to try the way that draws the least attention, even if it’s slower; that is to say, nothing that could leave them as fugitives. Plan A - negotiate release. Plan B - bribe a guard. Plan C - charm a guard… Plan X - knock a guard out. Plan Y - blow a hole in a wall. Plan Z - blow a hole in a guard.

13 - Would they leave the party for any reason? ©Colm’s pretty ride-or-die. Not only would he need to be certain of future adventuring prospects for him to leave, it’d also have to be over something pretty serious - that’d probably be insults to his family, or killing innocents. Even then, he’d deliberate over it for hours.

14 - If they could own any pet? (L)Well, Lorelei already has a feline familiar - however, I’m not sure she’d like the unpredictability of a real cat. She’d take something that could be trained, and could be useful in a variety of situations (and one that went with her aesthetic tbh). That would be a hawk.

15 - How have you influenced your character’s personality? ©The fierce sibling bonds between Colm and Lorelei are a direct correlation to my friendship with my sister to be honest. I’m also vaguely responsible for the Sartrean existentialist aspect to his adventuring drive - his desire to prove himself is somewhat a mirroring of my own life philosophies, although not entirely identical.

16 - Do they have tattoos? If yes, what? If no, would they? (L)She doesn’t yet - not because she doesn’t want to, but because it’s simply never been something that crossed her mind or was ever a priority. If she were to get one in the future, it would likely be for the sake of efficiency, something she could cast through - either the runes for a frequently-used spell, or as a home for her familiar.

17 - Where would they like to be in 10 years time? ©In a bar, probably. Still adventuring. Still alive. Ideally, Colm would like to be doing something that made his mother proud, so acting as a defender of the faith in some way would probably appeal to him. For now though, he very much doesn’t care where the road leads him, so long as he’s on it.

18 - What do they look like? (L)Becky Lynch. She looks like Becky Lynch. That’s the faceclaim. That’s the inspiration for the aesthetic, and to some extent the inspiration behind the latent anger in her character. The entire idea stemmed from that faceclaim and a song by Blackmore’s Night. So… Yeah :p Less certain on Colm, but I can absolutely tell you this one.

19 - What genre of music would they be into? ©*cough* Dropkick Murphys *cough* - basically any drinking song is good for Colm. I realise that’s not much of an answer though, so I’m gonna come right out with my modern Colm headcanon: he’s totally the guy to be into super cheesy mainstream stuff but never admit it, to the point where it’s kinda funny and endearing.

20 - What would be the worst thing someone could say to them? (L)Any insult to her intelligence. Any insult to her capability as a mage. And may the gods have mercy on the poor soul who says a bad word about her brother.

((Man that took a hella long time! Thank you so much for the suggestion though! ^_^ ))

[operationrainfall]

Title Langrisser I & II Developer Chara-Ani, Extreme Publisher NIS America Release Date March 10th, 2020 Genre Tactical RPG Platform PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4 Age Rating T for Teen – Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes Official Website

I’ve been excited about Langrisser I & II since I first heard that NIS America was publishing it. Not due to any past familiarity with the Langrisser series, since I’m pretty much a lifelong Nintendo fan, but cause I love strategy RPGs. You don’t have to look back very far to see I tackle those games pretty much every chance I get. But when I heard I would get to cover a pair of classic SRPGs that was only originally available on Sega consoles, I was intrigued. The question then, is were these Langrisser adventures worth the wait? Or should they have stayed in gaming’s past?

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The stories of both Langrisser I and Langrisser II feature roughly the same premise. Evil forces are at work, and it’s up to your heroes to put a stop to things. There’s a bit more complexity, such as warring kingdoms, dark magic and evil-sealing artifacts, but it pretty much boils down to a seen before story. Which makes sense, since the original games came out in the 90s, when the industry was still in its adolescence, and was relying on basic tropes instead of trying to shatter expectations. Also, since it was out in that era, we get some sublimely silly anime features, such as over the top drama and very, very silly names for some characters (looking at you, Chris the priestess and Narm the sky knight). While a part of me was somewhat disappointed Langrisser I & II doesn’t have a more nuanced premise, mostly cause I’ve been spoiled by series like Fire Emblem, I can cut it some slack. Ultimately, what’s most important in the SRPG genre is how it plays, and for the most part I felt these adventures played very well.

Both Langrisser games feature the exact same mechanics, though there are slight differences between the two. An example is how in Langrisser I any units can literally walk on water and cross mountains, only at the expense of limited movement range. Or how in Langrisser II, the various classes are a bit more streamlined and less overpowered initially, meaning you’ll learn less spells and skills when you change classes and that your class choices are more important. But when it comes to how you fight, both games play the same. Each game is split into various chapters, and each one has you fulfill a specific objective before you can claim victory. These can vary, such as protecting an NPC, reaching a goal, defeating a particular boss or decimating every foe. There’s a good amount of variety, and they constantly mix things up with enemy ambushes that come out of nowhere. There are even some maps where the objective will change mid-battle, so expect both Langrisser games to keep you on your toes.

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As for how these battles play out, it’ll be mostly second nature to any fan of the genre. You select units, move them around, attack and cast magical spells. When you select any unit, it will display their movement range, and you can move and then attack foes. One quirk is that you can’t move and then cast a spell. So if you want to do that, you’ll have to do it from your starting position that turn, which took me a bit to wrap my head around. It means the positioning of your magical focused units is utterly vital, at least until you learn spells that have a wider AOE. Any spell costs MP, though thankfully you’ll max out your health and MP meter whenever you level up. Which was something I learned in one harrowing map that I thought I was doomed to lose until I realized one spellcaster had miraculously filled their MP. And that brings me to my primary complaint in the game. Though most of the mechanics were easy to figure out on the fly, there were other aspects of the strategy that were unclear. And the reason for that lack of clarity was that the game never told me there was any guide. There’s no tutorial at the beginning of the game, and the only way to access the guide is by pressing + first and then selecting “How To Play”. Which was totally unapparent, especially since pressing A on the map brings up another menu. It’s no exaggeration that I was 70% done with the second game when I finally discovered the guide, and that was only because I asked my rep at NIS America specifically.

While this lack of clarity didn’t ruin my experience, it did make it more frustrating. For example, I didn’t know that keeping your Commander units next to their Mercenaries heals them every turn. Or that there’s a weapon triangle of sorts between Infantry, Spearmen and Cavalry. It seemed like some types of units had more efficacy against others, but I never confirmed it til late. More significant was the Command option. Each Commander can select it, even after they’ve ended their turn actions, and it gives the following options – Attack, Defend or Charge. Yet when I selected any of these, there was no immediate response. Little did I realize that selecting a Command prompts your Mercenaries to follow those orders once you end the player phase. Lastly, I had no idea that each Commander’s influence, visualized by a glowing white area, improves the stats of their Mercenaries while they’re in range. Though I did figure that out without the guide. My point being, all I wanted from Langrisser I & II was some in-game clarity that there’s a guide that governs how things work, especially since it isn’t forced down your throat. It would have made everything flow more smoothly, especially since without it I was individually moving all my Mercenaries every turn like a sucker.

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On the topic of Commanders and Mercenaries, there’s a bit more to cover. Each Commander will learn passive skills they can equip before battles, which mostly boost various stats. At the beginning of each battle, all of your Commanders can recruit some Mercenaries. Depending on your current class, you’ll be able to recruit more or less of them. Additionally, each class you learn unlocks more types of Mercenaries for that character. For example, the aerial classes will be able to recruit Sky Knights and Harpies, whereas naval classes can recruit various Merfolk. The nice thing is, you’ll never be forced to stay a certain class just to have access to particular units. Once you unlock them, they’re yours to use as you see fit. Just keep in mind, the stronger the Mercenary, the more expensive they are. Yes, recruiting Mercenaries costs money (cause of course it does), so part of the strategy is finding the best bang for your buck. Usually I would spend anywhere from 10 – 15K in a single battle on my Mercenaries, though thankfully you do get rewarded with more gold at the end of each battle. Overall I rather liked the unique aspect of Mercenary units, and even though they’re weaker than your Commanders, they’re vital to deflect attacks and surround foes. And while Mercenaries don’t level up themselves, they have a sort of symbiotic relationship to their leader. When they defeat a foe, their Commander gets more experience. Plus, so long as a Mercenary has a bit of health left, you can heal them by keeping them near their Commander, or just healing them with a spell. Just be wary, since if the Commander dies, so does all their Mercenary units.

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I will say, I also really enjoyed the various classes in the game. There’s a wide variety, and the only thing that determines what class you can and can’t learn is the specific character. You could have two mages that have access to different classes, for example. But it couldn’t be easier to use them. As you defeat foes and win maps, your characters get points that are used to change classes. So long as you have enough points and are on the proper branching path, you will be able to learn a new class. Once learned, you immediately get new skills and spells, have access to new Mercenaries, and get stat boosts. While there’s no penalty for staying the class you want, sometimes others will help your character achieve better overall stats. The cavalry-focused classes also have much better movement range, which is why most of my party were riding horses, rocs or leviathans. My only minor issue with the class system is that many of them are pretty interchangeable, or are just upgraded versions of other classes.

More classic gaming on Page 2 ->

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One of the biggest hooks for Langrisser I & II are the many, many endings you can get. Though I managed to beat each of the two games in 18 hours, that’s how long it took to get only one ending in each. As you play, depending on decisions you make and secret factors, you’ll unlock different story paths and missions. You’ll also only have access to certain characters if you follow their path or make the right decision. A key example is Lance, who is your enemy for most of Langrisser I, but can become an ally after you save him from basilisk petrification. Or take Sonya, a wild half demon girl who can be recruited in Langrisser II. I love the idea of branching paths and multiple endings (there’s 20+ in the game), but have one small complaint. Once you’ve beaten either game, there’s nothing that tracks which endings you’ve already gotten. So it’s very easy to get lost or get the same ending twice, even with the ability to go back to chapters and make new choices. Without a full guide, it’s rather challenging to acquire the many endings in the games.

Hello, new waifu!

Though I do feel that it’s best to play the games in chronological order, technically you don’t have to. And while it’s very tempting to start with Langrisser II, since overall I felt it was better balanced and had a more interesting plot and characters, there’s one reason you should play Langrisser I first – for context. The second game takes place in the same world, but centuries afterwards. You’ll have various recurring characters and similar story beats, but I really can’t express properly how much more I liked Langrisser II. Everything that was clunky or frustrating mostly happened in the first game. It doesn’t start that challenging, but a few chapters in you lose your chaperone, a powerful knight named Volkoff, and then things get harrowing. The last few missions in that entry were especially hard, since many involve your army being surrounded by spellcasters who can snipe you with a beyond irritating Meteor spell, which hits an enormous area for significant damage. To add insult to injury, every single one of these magicians has a skill that recovers some MP every turn, meaning that if you take too long reaching them, they’ll just keep recasting overwhelming Meteors again and again.

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Regardless of balance, you have the option to replay each game from the beginning after you’ve beaten it in a new game+. This will activate Challenge Mode, and every time you “lap” the game by beating it again, the next attempt will be a bit harder. You can choose to tackle Challenge Mode with all your previously acquired skills and items, or you can do it from scratch. I found the latter to be far more interesting, as it’s very boring plowing through the early game as an overpowered god unit. If nothing else, this mode offers another way you can unlock the many endings in the game, though you’re also perfectly free to start a new save file, since each game has room for 5.

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Aesthetically speaking, I have mixed feelings about Langrisser I & II. On the one hand, I adore the art for the character portraits and stationary cutscenes. These show off great flair and bring life to the characters. By contrast, the chibi art used in actual battles is a bit underwhelming. Frankly all the units look like Funko Pop figurines, and that’s not a compliment. They’re all pretty lifeless and cartoony, with the exception of the models used for monsters. These are all larger than life and vile, and I really wished the models for the humanoid characters in battle followed suit. Or, better yet, that this game had sprite-work or even pixel art characters. I know that’s a tall order, but given that we’ve been waiting on this game for the better part of a couple decades, why not go all out? Cause while the chibi designs are functional, the contrast between them and the other art is palpable. Though I did check out footage from the original games, and I will say that the chibi models here are better looking than the pixel models there. Also, I was a bit frustrated by how many maps look nearly identical in the first game, though they do fix that a bit in Langrisser II, with more temples, villages and forests. Part of me would have killed for maps with fog of war or features like drowning darkness or even a sunset to liven things up. Musically, both games focus on a hard rock soundtrack that, while not bad, doesn’t necessarily fit the action that well. The second game does have more soundtrack variation, which I appreciated, but overall the music was not the game’s strong suit. Though I did enjoy the Japanese voice acting for all the characters in the game.

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While I enjoyed quite a lot about Langrisser I & II, there’s some other nagging issues I need to touch on here. One are the long load times that occur when turning on the game and loading files. I know both adventures are based on much older games, but it irked me you can’t do thinks like view detailed unit breakdowns for non-Commanders or see a preview for how much damage spells will inflict. I also didn’t like how AOE spells cast by foes don’t pan the camera to indicate all the units affected. More than once, I would hold my breath when these spells were cast and pray one of my Commanders didn’t end up defeated. Also, while the writing in both games is grammatically sound, much like the plot it lacks nuance and subtlety. It’s great if you already like these sorts of games, but it’s also very derivative. And regarding the enemy AI, it’s ruthless but not particularly smart. It’s pretty easy to bait it, and the only times it’s a problem is when the odds are firmly stacked against you in some maps. Finally, while I liked how pressing the trigger buttons moves the cursor to different Commanders, I wish I could have only moved it between either mine or the opponent’s. Without that differentiation, you’ll have the cursor flying all over the map. These irritations make this feel like an old game with a new coat of paint, which is unfortunate, since there’s still a lot of good here.

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Overall, I am happy that NIS America brought new life to two classic games in Langrisser I & II. Sure, it’s not perfect, and there’s many archaic oddities, but I had a good time. My biggest complaints were a lack of a timeline or registry showing your achieved endings, and something that made it more apparent how to recruit certain characters. In my 36 hour playtime, I probably encountered only 16 of the total 33 playable characters and approximately half of the 50 classes. Even then, for $49.99 you get good bang for your buck, and tons of replay value in Langrisser I & II.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″]

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

REVIEW: Langrisser I & II Title Langrisser I & II

[serendipitousoracle]

zodiac shooting star mixtape & fragrance for Eg(any aus) & Ria & Sov plz

[ ♡OC ask meme ♡ ]

By question:

zodiac: what’s their sign? does it influence theirpersonality? do they care about astrology?                              

Egeire Mahariel & Egeria “Ria” Surana:

As Egeire is a derivative of Egeria and Egeria is originally aSelf Insert, both are born in the twelfth month, known as Cassusor Haring. Unfortunately if I ever nailed down a date fortheir birthday/s I absolutely cannot find it.They very likelystill both fall in the range for Sagittarius, though. I don’t thinkit terribly influences their personalities, though I am very biasedby years of being umimpressed with the common astrology babble of“Sagittarius is an extrovert who loves adventures and excitementand is changeable and spontaneous!!1!!1“ Ria would probably payastrology no mind and Egeire would probably mostly do the same but heis also absolutely the type to lowkey look up sign compatibility withpeople he gets crushes on.

In the Chinese zodiac, they were both born in 9:08 I believe,which if you translate that straight as 908, means they’re EarthDragons. I… think.

Soveliss Liadon:

yeah I’ve got 0 idea when Sov was born. soz fam. if it becomesimportant to his backstory or if aub develops any Cool Year Info NShit maybe I will figure that out but honestly I never come up withcharacter birthdays until it comes up. which is not often. I don’teven have any real vibes for seasons they all seem Fine.

shooting star: if your OC(s) could have one wish whatwould it be?  

Egeire Mahariel

Perhaps… peace, or maybe life depending on the timeframe. Peacebeing the ability to be cured of the Taint in his blood and live alife that makes him happy with the people who make him happy.Alternatively, life– namely, Tamlen’s. He feels guilty aboutTamlen’s death for a long time. Even if Tamlen isn’t his…Egeire wants his friend to live a full life and die a death not inagony.

(Egeire’s wish for peace extends to any Warden Egeire AU, but inWAW!AU imagine his life wish expanding. it would probably take quitesome rules-lawyering to keep it from being disastrous, but what ifEgeire could undo so much sorrow? Tamlen lives, and so does anybodyfrom Clan Sabrae who might have perished in the Blight. The Circle isnot ravaged, and so many mages who were locked behind heavy doors andleft to die have a second chance at life. Hundreds of soldiers, lostat Ostagar and beyond, return home to family and loved ones.Consultation is probably needed to keep his tongue from erring intosomething unwise, but what if the past year did not need to be soakedin so much grief? And, well… he has plenty of role modelsfor ambitious goals, now.

Royals AU Egeire would consider it, and… honestly find hedoesn’t want for much. He is happy with Denoreth, and unlike theother royals AU, this Egeire is not as scarred by Cyrron beforeCyrron is eliminated from his life. His training with Cyrron isultimately what allows him to keep Denoreth safe, in fact, and evenDen likes watching him fight. so Egeire would probably just wish forsomething like eternal prosperity upon both their kingdoms or somesuch.

Fugitives AU Egeire probably has an interesting wish: A life wherehe is never taken and broken by Cyrron, but still gets to meet andend up happy with Denoreth like he is now, without the trauma.Failing that, the follow-ups would be erasing the aftereffects ofsaid trauma, or him and Denoreth having a life of comfort where theynever have to struggle to get by again, like they did when they firstfled their past lives)

Egeria Surana

I think the big thing that would address a lot of Ria’s hurts inlife would be equality; if elves and mages and non-Andrastians wereon even footing with humans (etc), maybe then she and those who comeafter her wouldn’t have to worry about mages (some of themso young) leaping from high windows or choosing Tranquility,and elves wouldn’t suffer in alienages, and she would not feel socaught on a tightrope between Warden and elfmagegirl, the latter ofwhich also becomes a real threat to her relationship with Alistair.It is a gigantic scale wish, but it’s one concept, and itwould likely be hers.

Post-Inquisition, the wish she makes probably wouldn’tchange… but honestly, on the inside, she just wants Alistair backfrom the Fade.

Soveliss Liadon

There are two major angles Sov can wish for: past and future. Onthe one hand, he could have everything he lost back. The monks couldlive again, he could have a home, they could perhaps reconcile, andhe could spend like a week straight just crying and holding onto eachand every one of them for dear life.

But on the other hand, there is the future. There is him as anadventurer, a warlock, and a traveling acolyte. For the future, hiswish would likely be power. Knowledge, magic, and control farbeyond his current comprehension. With enough magic he could protectwhat few things he still cares about, and fulfill his duties toKelemvor in protecting others and striking down undead. With enoughmagic, he might not feel so small compared to his patron, though hewould not be able to fathom being on equal footing (or being morepowerful than?) his dear patron, an archfey. With enough magic… hecould perhaps bring his family of monks back himself, or at least putthem to rest so they no longer haunt the halls of the monastery. Sogiven the choice, Soveliss would probably wish for magic, power, andknowledge.

What could possibly go wrong?

Under the cut: mixtape & fragrance

mixtape: 5 songs that describe your OC(s) or songsthey themselves would like

Answeredhere for normal Egeire, Egeria, and Soveliss.

Royals AU Egeire:

1. “TheBest Is Yet To Come” - Frank Sinatra (once Egeire and Denorethfinally get to the point of being in love… things are reallylooking up)

2. “I Lived” - OneRepublic (being very suddenly thrown into an arranged marriage feels a bit like being thrown to the wolves, but perhaps by the end of everything, he will have finally lived a life of his own choosing.)

3. “Collide” - Howie Day (tentative, sweeter love song for boys gettin’ to know each other)

4. “Float On” - Modest Mouse (chill song about carrying on through setbacks, bc hey that’s p much all Eg can do at this point)

5. “Any Way You Want It” - Journey (surprise most of this AU rn is young princes falling in love and holding onto themselves despite the politics as much as possible)

Fugitives AU Egeire:

1. “TheOnly Exception” - Paramore (Egeire learned from Cyrron thatlove was fickle and fleeting and led only to hell and heartbreak, andDenoreth had figured out pretty quickly that getting attached topeople was a fool’s errand, but…)

2. “Be OK”- Ingrid Michaelson (Poor tol has spent so long being torn topieces and scrambled and he just… wants to have the partsof himself he lost back)

3. “Field of Innocence” - Evanescence (The sadder half of the above coin. Flip-flopping between wanting to Be OK again and just wanting to go back to before he was ever hurt.)

4. “Jump the Fence” - Mother Mother (Fleeing and freedom and not necessarily goodness, only looking out for themselves and going straight back to merc work and profiting (surviving) off of doing richer bastards’ dirty work)

5. “Give Me A Sign” - Breaking Benjamin (Just. Boys gotta hold onto each other and try to keep each other together through financial struggling and moral conflict and internalized shit and the scars will remain but they can too.)

Bonus: “Home”- Phillip Phillips (could apply to both AUs, really. everything is uncertain- and inFugitives AU especially even terrifying- but they will have a home.This new place will be home, one day.)

fragrance: what do your OCs smell like?                              

Egeire Mahariel:

Canon/WAW: Leather and sweat typically, from being out on the road, often with some measure of blood. When they get to Vigil’s Keep and there’s room for fancy soaps and shit, he would probably be particular to pine or herbal scents or smth.

Royals: really it’s going to be like soap and scented oil rubbed into his hair or halla and sweat and there’s not a whole lot of in-between

Fugitives: When Denoreth first meets him, it is the light, almost undetectable scent of salt water and ocean breeze. This lingers through most of their encounters, at varying degrees of intensity, until they make their break for it– that day is just sweat and fear, ironically as they are surrounded by the real sea and eventually have their final confrontation with Cyrron. After that, Egeire never smells of the ocean again. He likes apple and water lily and honey scented soaps, and the smell of flowers often lingers on him when he leaves his room. He also specifically keeps unscented soap around for when they’re working.

Egeria Surana:

Scents don’t cling to her much. Soap and books if anything, in the Circle. Sweat on the road. Likes flowery soaps once she can get her hands on them. Still only lingers for so long, though.

Soveliss Liadon:

Pre-adventuring Sov mostly smelled like old, old books and incense. Adventuring Sov probably smells of pretty little considering he is extremely ready and willing to basically prestidigitate off layers of skin to keep himself fairly clean. Dusk of the New Morning Soveliss probably smelled like dust and food, while Here There Be Kerbolds Soveliss (aka current Sov which is absolutely getting a The Adventure Zone reference name bc of the Abraca-Fuck-You quote) probably smells like either linen or faintly of swamp (bc grumblegrumble it takes /so much prestidigitation/ to get swamp water out and he’s probably still going to have to wash so much shit after this is over).