#wb: rules of magic | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dravidious · 11 months ago

Text

Magic has 10 color pairs, and those 10 pairs are used together every set for limited archetypes. There are many times when the pairs need to be listed or sorted, raising the question of what order they should be in. Let's discuss the options for sorting color pairs.

When putting colors in order, the first thing that comes to mine is WUBRG order, white-blue-black-red-green. The is the order the colors are laid out on the color wheel (on the back of the card), and thus the first thing to consider. An obvious sorting method would be to put all the color pairs that include white first, then the blue color pairs, and so on. This would be WU, WB, WR, WG, UB, UR, UG, BR, BG, RG.

However, this would put the 4 white color pairs together, then the 3 remaining blue pairs, then 2 black pairs, which is awkward, unbalanced, and very unsatisfying. A more serious problem is that the black, red, and green color pairs end up split apart into 3 different places. But if you're as obsessive about templating as I am, you'll also notice that pairs like "WR" and "WG" aren't how those mana symbol pairs are supposed to be written. Let's talk about mana symbol ordering now, as it's relevant for this discussion.

Given two mana symbols of different colors, what order should they be in? WUBRG is the obvious answer, but see above; that makes 4 color pairs start with W, and none with G. Basically the whole point of this is for aesthetics and beauty, so this awful asymmetry is a non-option. Let's start with a nice, satisfying rule: If two colors are adjacent on the color wheel, they should be in the same order as on the color wheel.

At first this is pretty similar; WU, UB, BR, RG. But then with white and green, the trick is to remember that the color wheel is a wheel that loops around; if you're tracing along the color wheel, then once you hit green, the next color you'll hit is white. Thus, the order is GW. White may be the color that's first on the color wheel, but that doesn't mean it always goes in front of the others.

That covers adjacent colors, or "ally" colors, but what about enemy colors? Well, when tracing around the color wheel, after we hit white, the first enemy color we hit is black, so we can make the order WB. Repeat this for the other colors, and we get UR, BG, RW, and GU. Now look what we've got: For each color, there's 2 color pairs that start with it and 2 pairs that end with it, all with fairly consistent rules that use the color wheel. Perfect symmetry! This is how mana symbols are ordered on cards.

Now how do we sort these color pairs? If we sort them in WUBRG order based on the first color in each pair, we get WU, WB, UB, UR, BR, BG, RG, RW, GW, GU. That's pretty good! Color pairs that contain the same color are still split up, but only into groups of 2.

With this ordering, it's fairly easy to find and look through, for example, all the black multicolor cards; you only need to find the WB-UB section, then find the BR-BG section. In the previous ordering, you'd have to find WB, then UB, then the BR-BG section separately. And hey, the two pairs that end with B are together, and so are the ones that start with B! How perfect! There's just one problem, and that's U. WU and GU are split up on opposite sides. You could argue that it loops around and GU and WU are actually right next to each other, but that's not how lists work. Still, it's easy to skip to the start or end of the list if you're looking for U cards.

Something a bit awkward about this sorting method is that it mixes together ally colors and enemy colors. Nowadays, ally vs enemy pairs don't matter as much, but it could still be nice to separate them. If we just separate our current list while keeping the same ordering rule, we get WU, UB, BR, RG, GW, WB, UR, BG, RW, GU. The ally colors sort nicely, but the enemy colors are jumping all over the place! It's separating the pairs that contain the same color!

Let's make this a rule: Within the ordered list, two adjacent entries must share a color. The ally colors end with GW, so our options to start the enemy list are WB and GU. Following WUBRG, let's start with WB. From there we need a color pair that's either W or B, so our only option is BG. Following that logic, our final list of color pairs is WU, UB, BR, RG, GW, WB, BG, GU, UR, RW.

In terms of practicality, this is as good as the mixed ordering; there's only 2 places you need to look to find all the cards of a color, with the exception of white because it's at the start and end. In terms of aesthetics, it's pretty nice; look how the color that ends one pair begins the next pair, WU-UB-BR. Different from the mixed ordering, but neat in a unique way.

Great! Now we've got 2 beautiful ordering methods, each with their own advantage; the mixed ordering walks a lovely circle around the color wheel, while the split ordering separates ally and enemy pairs. The question now is, which one should we use? Well, let's see what WotC chose

... They chose the awkward split ordering. Look at that, the adjacent list entries don't share a color! What are they doing!? That's so ugly and impractical! For reference, these are from this article by head designer Mark Rosewater and from the Modern Horizons 3 limited archetype list on MTG Arena, respectively.

Though, it's actually a bit inconsistent; in the Arena deckbuilder, the multicolor sorting uses the mixed ordering of WU, WB, UB, etc. And then sometimes official videos like this one will just kinda do whatever?? It goes in order for the ally colors (and says blue-white instead of white-blue, lmao, amateur), but then when it gets to the enemy colors it just kinda does it randomly?? WB, then BG like the good split ordering, but then UR? What in the world is going on here???

The only thing I can conclude from this is that there isn't really an official policy at WotC for color pair ordering. In set numbers, multicolor cards are all grouped together and sorted alphabetically, not by color, making it difficult to find cards of a particular color combination when they're sorted by set number.

But this isn't about WotC. Sure, their inconsistency is what inspired me to make this post, but it was genuinely interesting to think through the best way to sort color pairs. I also thought about how to sort 3-color combos with similar logic of "share as many adjacent colors as possible".

In conclusion, I am autistic.

#original #mtg #magic the gathering

6 notes · View notes

lakesbian · 2 years ago

Note

General thoughts about the reveal on who the Maggie in the Toronto arc was?

Also general thoughts on the arc?

i think its fun that she and blake are both connected (& she's the last tether blake has to anyone knowing he exists) via having both slipped through the cracks due to Whoopsie-Daisies. also say what u will about literally everything else in wb's writing but i like how girls in wildbow novels are more often than not grungy and a little weird. already talked abt the goblin thing some in the last maggiepost but i do really like the goblins. "pure distillations of the dirty abandoned scraps of the world which exist solely to kick you when you're down" is an extremely coherent and fun spin on goblins. the constant "fat = gross" associations are insufferable but the rest is solid. the padraic thing isn't one of the iterations of maggie's prophecy but it does feel fitting for her character that the girl who was initially inducted into being a practitioner via living somewhere that was slipping thru the cracks was fucked over for a Second time via slipping thru the cracks. i hope she is fucked over a Third time by it for rule of three. also i was in fact correct previously when i said this:

i also think she’s probably still in over her head without realizing. she’s manipulated into ordering someone’s murder and then is like “you know i think i can make up for this one AND go on a fun little adventure to add to my scrapbook of knowledge at the same time.” that’s not how reality works! you killed someone! and then tried to semi-earnestly befriend slash mooch from their cousin! she’s only been a practitioner for six months–i think there’s a very fundamental disconnect btwn the maggie that’s lucky enough to still have parents she can be a normal silly teenager with and the maggie that’s making forays into The World Of Backstabbing, Horror, Murder, and Fates Worse Than Death. and i think that disconnect will result in strain for her as the fact that she’s sort of doomed to do some really awful things, have some really awful things happen to her, and/or both sinks in.

except instead of just Strain. that fact had to sink in via her doing, as sandra put it, the magical equivalent of crashing a car 2 learn respect for the road. YA protagonist maggie holt died in the crash now it's just wannabe goblin queen mags scrambling 4 purchase in the wreckage. i believe in her i hope she captures sooo many crass little creatures. i'm glad that buttcheeks stuck around he's fun to watch :)

i don't feel like we actually know johannes yet. the thing about the really successful practitioners is that they're doing less Desperate Violent Scrabbling to maintain their positions and subsequently have more luxury of ostensible niceties and lofty philosophies. they should throw a bucket of mud on him and toss him to the wolves so i can see what he's like when shit gets real. also the entire arc is a really funny demonstration in how severely being a thorburn has fucked blake over. everyone is sooo much nicer to maggie than him he's out there playing on hard mode. this is what i mean when i say that alec would b a diabolist, diabolism is fundamentally abt when you are marked Rotten by the world by virtue of the family you've been born into, defined more by their legacy than by anything about yourself, even moreso than the other brands of practitionerism.

hmm anything else. oh yeah i think we should flog wildbow for crone mara. ok thats all. OH yeah and Not Being Maggie Holt Anymore is a really funny way to skip out on the other iterations of the prophecy. its that fairy bitch's problem now. i have a lot of thoughts on pact faeries but that's a post for one of the "why are pact creatures good" asks just know i'm rotating them in my mind rapidly

#ask #pact time #pactblr

19 notes · View notes

mugasofer · 9 months ago

Text

So, "how do you end up with a similar result from a different starting point" is the usual way I tend to approach these kinds of AU too (I have whole Skulduggery Pleasant urban fantasy AU along similar lines sketched out that I'll probably never get around to writing, with Taylor as a Child of the Spider and so on). But this made me think of the opposite take. Given that typical fantasy magic schools/classes are chosen, rather than imposed, it'd be interesting to see what they'd pick given the opportunity.

Taylor, for example, IIRC talked about really wanting to fly, and I get the impression she'd have picked an Alexandria Package if given the choice. Something like Wizard is an obvious pick given her tendency towards Clever Plans and jealousy of Tinkers, but I think those came later, after she got her powers; initially she viewed her power being flexible-but-weak as a terrible bargain. She definitely wouldn't pick an icky bug power given her early squeamishness. She believes strongly in being Good but dislikes authority, which probably rules out Cleric (WB has actually commented on this being incompatible with a belief in God.) Paladin might squeak through (of the "powered by their own belief in Justice" stripe), probably Warlock if not. Angelic-winged paladin (probably wearing scary armour) if she can get it, obviously. I could even see a case for a very specific kind of Barbarian.

(One could potentially angle Warlock back towards her canon powerset - it's actually the class I'd go to if building Skitter in 5e - but it might be more interesting to lean on the differences from canon.)

Queen Taylor Hebert, First of her name?

Panacea ... hmm. First we need to port over her backstory, since it's so cape-heavy. The Dallons are obviously a Sorcerous bloodline, so they can actually remain pretty similar. Marquis can be basically anything evil, but let's assume it's not hereditary.

Cleric .. isn't an obviously terrible idea, actually, there's a clear appeal it would offer her in Objective External Proof Of Goodness. The extent to which this would potentially disrupt the existing Dallon family dysfunction could be interesting in itself, but... does Amy actually have the kind of capital-f-Faith required to become a Cleric? If not (and failing to gain Cleric powers in order to please Mommy would not be good for her), what would she pick? There's a sense in which Amy is one of the few parahumans whose power is so broad she basically did get to pick, we know she dislikes front line roles; but assuming a classic "only divine casters get healing" situation... some other kind of support caster, maybe?

Artificer, outfitting the team with protective gear? (One could, again, possibly bend this towards canon by having her brew them healing potions.) Or maybe a Diviner, providing the Scry half of a scry-and-die strategy while the rest of New Wave provide the Die? Some kind of Warder would be an even better fit if the others (e.g. Shielder) don't have that covered, purely defensive... honestly that might be the pick even if they do, and it could easily overlap with the Artificer idea; Amy showed some willingness to create things, but was very reluctant to make weapons.

I know Amy's hair isn't red per se in canon, but this really jumped out to me while image-hunting for something to illustrate this. Also, I didn't think of this initially, but making her a different fantasy race than the other Dallons - even one that seems innocuous on the face of it - could be fun. Maybe chalk the hair colour up to her Gnomish heritage?

I saw a bit in a Taylor/Amy fic (the latest chapter of Desperate Times Call for Desperate Pleasures) where Amy compared Taylor to a Necromancer Princess (it fits in Context) and that immediately made me think of a Fantasy AU of Worm. No shards/powers, or at least not in the Worm way, but playing with the characters.

And of course that has me thinking about who everyone would be in such a story idea:

Taylor - necromancer, obviously, given the inspiration. Maybe not a princess, but of some high birth. Danny Hebert is still his canon personality, but as a necromancer. Probably a distant father since the death of Annette. Maybe he's consumed with trying to find ways to restore her to full life or something. Doesn't control bugs, maybe? Or maybe she controls swarms of dead insects in addition to or instead of the usual skeletons and zombies? I'd lean to no bugs, just skeletons and zombies, but YMMV. Keeping her bullied/etc experience may be harder, but if Emma is also a noblewoman, perhaps of higher status (maybe Taylor's low nobility? Or not at all?)

Amy - she's a cleric of some healing-related goddess, presumably? The rest of her family are probably all Knights and Paladins of some sort. Her birth father could be some sort of Bandit King type guy who played up a 'honorable highwayman' schtick (and may actually have been a noble as well as a bandit) akin to the 'code' and 'better than the other villains' thing he had going in canon. Her guilt over not healing all the time probably wouldn't be a thing because there'd be too many other healers, but you could still play with the idea, and she'd still have that separation from her family because she's not a warrior.

Tattletale - no magic, just really smart. Probably a 'Rogue', if we were applying classes to it.

Rachel - Ranger, obviously. Has a wolf animal companion, maybe actually gainfully employed as one of the Royal Huntsmen or someone who prevents poaching on a King's Forest type place. or maybe she's a poacher herself. Probably the latter, but the former could be done well, IMO. Either way, definitely still pretty feral from not spending a lot of time around most people.

Brian - maybe some kind of Paladin of darkness type thing. He could be sworn to Taylor's father as her bodyguard (and Taylor still has her canonical attraction to him).

Alec - I'm honestly not sure. If I were wedging it into D&D classes, some form of Bard, but I wouldn't necessarily want to be bound specifically to classes. Still, he could either have magic specially around manipulation and controlling of the body, or maybe he's like, half-demon, or quarter-demon (and Heartbreaker is either a demon or half-demon) and that's the source of his power. I lean towards the latter.

Aisha - Illusionist? Uses her magic for lots of pranks and stuff, and gets really good at making herself invisible, etc.

New Wave - as I noted, the rest of New Wave would probably be knights/paladins of some sort. Maybe Vicky, Sarah, Crystal and Eric ride griffons or some other flying beast? Vicky on a Pegasus sounds really fitting. Also probably a noble family, but definitely recently ennobled or low nobility, to play into the privileged WASP upper middle class vibe New Wave has in Worm

Lung - could be an actual Dragon, could be a guy who shapeshifts into one, maybe a half-dragon (playing on his half-chinese/half-japanese canon backstory and how he was an outsider in Japan as a result). Warlord or roaming bandit type guy, probably. Oni Lee would be a teleporting assassin who works for him, and Bakuda as an alchemist making explosive compounds and such is there.

Armsmaster - a master Smith and warrior. Already has a Halberd. maybe he does enchanted runes into his weapons or something to make them sharper

Miss Militia - either she's a super skilled archer of some sort, or maybe a magic who specializes in big, flashy attack spells (fireball, etc)

Dragon - Secretly a construct (or disembodied animating spirit?) of some kind that has free will and sentience, but pretends just to be a construct-crafting mage? Might not be able to keep using that name if Dragons are a thing in-setting. Depends.

Kaiser - probably a normal noble in his public face (Max, of the House of Anders), known for his charity towards the poor (only the humans, of course), but secretly the leader of a racist militia-type group that persecutes nonhumans in the Kingdom? Or specific groups of humans. Or both. Probably doesn't have magical powers, but does have some cool enchanted gear he paid a fortune for, and hides just how good he is with a sword, except in his secret persona?

Hookwolf - actual werewolf? Still works for Anders, presumably.

None of these thoughts are necessarily final, really, and I have a few more, but nothing quite formed yet.

Obviously, more might need to worked out, including plot and the particulars of the setting (is Brockton the whole Kingdom? Is Brockton Bay one city? A major focus? Maybe Brockton Bay is a larger region, and some of the various parts of the Bay are distinct cities and towns in the Bay area. I have a setting that involves both Paladins and Necromancers in prominent roles that I might repurpose if I was going to write this... which I still might, but not yet).

Other characters could play all sorts of roles, would have to think more on their equivalent versions. Can't just make everyone some flavor of wizard/warlock/witch/etc, and wouldn't want to be married to specific 'classes', but it's a solid starting point anyway.

What would you all envision 'Fantasy AU' versions of some of the characters? Do you think I'm way off the mark with some of them? Obviously 'Fantasy AU' covers a wide swath of possibilities, so there's a lot of variation. Still, curious as to people's ideas with it.

Obviously, if I wrote it, it would be Taylor/Amy in the long run, (I am nothing if not a predictable, hopeless shipper) maybe involving Taylor (and the AU's version of the Undersiders?) kidnapping Amy at some point, who knows.

#Worm #fanfic #parahumans #long #fanfic meta

58 notes · View notes

chdarling · 2 years ago

Note

What a fantastic writer you are ch . Thank you so much for sharing this masterpiece with us . Can you start a patreon or something so we could convey our gratitude ? Such talent should get all the award it deserves .

Well you made sirius accept his 30% share after all . Think it this way : There are way too much talentless scum making money doing shit . You are just redirecting the flow to a just and noble cause 🥰 . What say you CH ? Did my lame post convinced you ?

You are so very kind ❤️❤️❤️

I don’t do Patreon or anything though because I don’t feel comfortable accepting money for fandom. I know some people do that now! But I’m of the generation that remembers anxious disclaimers on every fanfic and given how litigious WB and increasingly she-who-must-not-be-named can be, I prefer to carefully avoid any potential issues. I’m just here for fun anyway. I do this entirely out of love, and I think that’s part of the magic of fandom. ❤️

But I do really appreciate your support and kindness!!! Maybe one day I’ll share some original stuff and then the rules are different 😂

#ch answers #tle

11 notes · View notes

detectivejigsawpines · 3 years ago

Text

The Ultimate Disney Villain Showdown-Part Four

...Well, so far people's lack of actual interest is a little discouraging, but nonetheless I will press on with the final part that I'm sure you've all been waiting for: The Magic Users.

Coachman (Pinocchio)

Human (Maybe)

Kind of a metaphor for child trafficking and/or a rewrite of Greek mythology's Circe

Does a remarkably good Wario impression

Strengths: Whip, demonic laughter, persuasion, deceptively jolly-looking appearance most of the time, creepy demon henchmen, apparent ability to forcibly shapeshift others

Weaknesses: Risk of future lung cancer

VERSUS

Judge Doom (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)

Toon

Obvious villain

Played by Christopher Lloyd because the directors were too scared of Tim Curry

Strengths: Cartoon violence, intimidation, the Dip, physical strength, shapeshifting, henchweasels, played by Christopher Lloyd, cane sword

Weaknesses: The Dip, has to adhere to rules of cartoons just as much as anyone else

****

King Candy (Wreck-It Ralph)

Video game character

Control freak

Sore loser

Strengths: Deception, manipulation, strength and speed (in giant bug monster form), flight (also in bug monster form)

Weaknesses: Skybeams (in bug monster form), insecure regarding masculinity, can't handle a little glitching

VERSUS

Oogie Boogie (Nightmare Before Christmas)

Resident of Halloween Town

No-Account

Insectaphobe's worst nightmare

Strengths: Ability to turn into the shadow on the moon (?), henchkids (sometimes), awesome theme song, ability to breathe deep and pull people towards him like a reverse Big Bad Wolf, deceptively fast for his size, unafraid of cheating

Weaknesses: Greedy, self-serving, cowardly, just unravels the moment things don't go according to plan

****

Headless Horseman (Ichabod and Mr. Toad)

Legendary

Maybe magic, maybe mundane

Just trying to get ahead in life

Strengths: Horse, sword, flaming pumpkin, undead (possibly), terrifyingly awesome laugh, catchy theme song, ability to pose dramatically against the moon

Weaknesses: Might be just Brom Bones in disguise, running water

VERSUS

Horned King (The Black Cauldron)

Lich

Warmonger

Terrible boss

Strengths: Voiced by John Hurt, knack for making dramatic entrances, necromancy, barbarian army, gwythaints, intimidation, patience, manipulation

Weaknesses: Tendency to monologue to rooms full of dead people, abusive to underlings, temper, in a movie that's sadly underappreciated

****

Evil Queen (Snow White)

Witch

Evil Stepmother

Based on Joan Crawford of Mommy Dearest infamy

Strengths: Potions, magic mirror, deception, manipulation, intimidation, huntsman, absolutely fabulous makeup

Weaknesses: Jealousy, vanity, pettiness, softhearted minion, lightning, virtually no nose, can't tell the difference between a pig heart and a human heart

VERSUS

Yzma (Emperor's New Groove)

Emperor's advisor

Mad scientist

Probably reached octogenarian status decades ago

Strengths: Potions, cunning, scary beyond all reason, experience, surprising strength and agility for someone her age, manipulation, voiced by Eartha Kitt

Weaknesses: Kronk, vanity, temper, wrath

****

Dr. Facilier (Princess and the Frog)

Witch Doctor

Designed to resemble Baron Samedi

Or possibly a pimp, depending on your point of view

Strengths: Manipulation, friends on the other side, half-truths, psychedelic powers, voiced by Keith David, cane, living shadow, genuinely catchy theme song

Weaknesses: Can't use magic on himself, temper, wrath, bad at paying back his friends

VERSUS

Rasputin (Anastasia-yes, I know it's technically not a Disney movie, but Disney owns WB so just let me have this)

Yet another lich

Yet another person who's been overly villainized by dramatic license

Russia's greatest love machine

Strengths: Durability, evil magic reliquary thing, voiced by Christopher Lloyd AND Jim Cummings, totally awesome villain song, tenacity

Weaknesses: Impatience, temper, henchbat whose heart's really not in his work, falls apart whenever things don't go his way

****

Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

Sea witch

Half-octopus thing

Just can't wait to be queen, for a change

Strengths: Deception, manipulation, preying on emotional vulnerability, potions, transformation, pet eels, other magical powers, yet another catchy villain song

Weaknesses: Animals can sense her true nature (and they really, REALLY don't like her), temper, not immune to wood

VERSUS

Madam Mim (The Sword in the Stone)

Magnificent

Marvelous

Mad

Strengths: Shapeshifting, willingness not to play by the rules, adaptability, can change into a giant purple dragon, slight manipulation

Weaknesses: Sore loser, temper, germs, sunshine

****

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

Sorceress

Or maybe a fairy, it's kind of ambiguous

One of the scariest villains Disney has ever come up with

Strengths: Magic staff, pet raven, ability to shapeshift into dragon, creepy leitmotif, intimidation, evil laugh, lightning, fire, teleportation, hypnotism

Weaknesses: Incompetent minions, petty grudge-holding, not immune to swords

VERSUS

Magica de Spell (DuckTales)

Sorceress

Scrooge McDuck's archnemesis

Yet another in a long line of abusive parents/guardians

Strengths: Magic amulet, manipulation, patience, dramatic declarations, intimidation (as long as she has her powers), pun-tastic sense of humor

Weaknesses: Pettiness, amulet that's not indestructible, canes, being kicked in the ribs

****

Jafar (Aladdin)

Sorcerer-turned-genie

Former grand vizier

Should never be put in charge; he tends to go mad with power

Strengths: Snake staff, charisma, hypnotism, phenomenal cosmic power (in genie form), intimidation, manipulation, terrifying laugh, deception, willingness to play dirty, voiced by Jonathan Freeman

Weaknesses: Arrogance, itty bitty living space (in genie form), temper, impatience, jealousy, unwillingness to be second best, being smashed in doors

VERSUS

Emperor Belos (The Owl House)

Former human

Long-time witch hunter

Current despot of the Boiling Isles

Strengths: Manipulation, gaslighting, ability to change into a giant gray-green sludge monster, intimidation, deceptively soft voice, secret-keeping, patience, persuasion

Weaknesses: Tendency to throw people away when they're no longer of 'use' to him, addiction to palisman soul thingies, addiction to killing Grimwalkers, inability to recognize own imperfections, obsessiveness, bigotry, splatting against walls

****

And last, but certainly not least...

Hades (Hercules)

Death god

Murderous uncle

Hothead. Literally.

Strengths: Immortal god of death, manipulation, ambition, patience, biting sarcasm, fire power, intimidation, ability to unleash his inner used car salesman on a dime

Weaknesses: Temper, semi-competent minions, jealousy, weakness for making deals

VERSUS

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)

Dream demon

Immortal being of pure chaos

Will return some sunny day

Strengths: Manipulation, possession, chaos magic, deceptively cute, nice hat, nice singing voice, piano playing, willing to play the long game, creepiness, enjoys pain-his or anyone else's

Weaknesses: Can't handle damage to his eye, temper, impatience, desire for instant gratification, existing as either an overpowered teenager or an overpowered toddler depending on the situation, prideful, greedy, can only control you if you let him in

#ultimate disney villain showdown #round one magic users

6 notes · View notes

brazenautomaton · 4 months ago

Text

Despair as a weapon, understanding the value of hope and removing it from your enemies you, seems WB.

And removing hope from your subordinates and never appearing to remove it from your enemies is monoB. Almost everything we see of Orzhov is about how they deal with their own members, not other guilds, and what we see is cruel and exploitative and monoB.

I don't think this is correct at all. I don't know much about FR's version of Asmodeus, I find FR exhausting, but he seems to be much heavier on the 'Prince of Lies' thing than other versions and not particularly Lawful at all; he's still probably whiteBlack the same way he's lawfulEvil, if I was to make a card for him it would probably cost NWBB.

You linked a description of him that says he is extremely Lawful. He is devoted to absolute authority and law because he finds law useful as a tool of oppression and getting what he wants, which is monoB.

The Cabal was definitely cult rather than church, not very structured; it was gangs of powerful people, their followers and summons, and cultists of the Patriarch, kept from infighting solely by the threat of the Patriarch's hug.

The Cabal organized and ruled the biggest city on Otaria and was extremely structured. The Patriarch had everyone's secret names to ensure their loyalty. Within that hierarchal structure the people jockeyed for power and to usurp one another, which is also how it works in Orzhov.

Slavery is among the oldest of White's traditions; caste systems are among the most White of social orders. Athens was White, but so were Sparta and Xerxes. White is not Good.

White is not good! But it is selfless and puts the community first. Elesh Norn is monowhite evil because she wants what's best for everyone regardless of their opinion on it and will force the world and everyone in it into her perfect orderly design.

Black loves slavery. White might not oppose it depending on how society is structured (and Green and Blue might not have an opinion either) but Black fucking loves slavery so much. To enslave someone is to have absolute power over them. Sheoldred's goal is explicitly to enslave everyone. Every slaver that has appeared in Magic and the card named "Enslave" are all black (and then there's Mindslaver, an artifact).

Also, the whole extended family/clan thing is White.

Actually, loyalty to your family is about as Green as it gets.

And the only time I can think of that someone betrays that is Baronness Teysa Karlov breaking with her Great-Uncle because it's going to destroy the world and she's too moral/White to let that happen.

Lilliana Vess also saves the world regularly despite being monoB, because the world is where all her stuff is.

The idea that any organization whatsoever is White is silly. It's like saying any character who can think is Blue, anyone who had an emotion is Red, anyone who ever did anything for themselves is Black, and anyone who was ever content is Green.

Black is willing to do anything and use anything in order to get power. If Orzhov uses structure to get power because all it cares about is power, guess what, that's monoblack. If they do nothing but take and take and are never satisfied, that's also monoblack.

you know what I said it in reddit and I'll say it here: there is nothing white about the Orzhov Syndicate and they're a monoblack organization. there is exactly one card that shows them tossing alms to the poor, and every other card goes out of its way to remind us the Orzhov have no white ideology or goals or methods and do not ever do the jobs they are supposed to do.

the only thing they do is extract infinite debt, and the only thing their religion preaches is to be in infinite debt. there is no sense of community or common good even among its elite toward each other. they're callously cruel, with absolutely no sense of morals or values, and each of them is completely self-interested; there is no trust between any of them. their religion provides absolutely no solace or inspiration and is explicitly stated on multiple cards to be about crushing and removing hope.

they supposedly "use white methods to pursue black goals" when A: every other guild incorporates both of its colors into its worldview and B: no they don't because everything about them is monoblack in every other circumstance. evil crushing religions are monoblack. hierarchal oppression is monoblack. fucking people over with contracts that have a horrible price could not possibly be more monoblack.

the Dusk Legion are a white/black group, you can see both colors in their worldview: "We are inherently better than and feed upon you, which binds us to a sacred moral duty to look out for you." "We should conquer this land so that its people can be given the truth and join us." "Ixalan's wealth will let us share the gift of vampirism without feeding on anyone, and also make us super rich." and conquistadors are the least sympathetic people you're allowed to write about, but they managed to give them an internally consistent worldview wherein they genuinely believe themselves to be doing the right and moral thing. Orzhov has all of their black traits and none of their white traits. There is nothing about Orzhov that isn't monoblack!

36 notes · View notes

bardic-tales · 5 months ago

Text

In this post, I am going to explore and explain the rules behind the magic of the Mortal Realm (Prime Universe) in Fantasy Worlds Collide. Like all of the Realms of Existence (the Abyssal, Celestial, and Mortal Realms), it has its own unique system of magic that governs how spells work and what limits exist in this realm. I will try to break down how magic is structured and the key principles that dictate its use.

It should be able to seamlessly exist along side Final Fantasy 7’s magic system, which I will be exploring with Bianca in Blood & Stardust, as well as the other two novels.

What things can magic not do? What are the limits to magical power? How do magic users try to get around these limits?

In the Mortal Realm, magic cannot alter fundamental human experiences like free will, true love, or mortality. No spell or blessing can override a person’s intrinsic choices or their eventual death, as these are governed by divine laws. Additionally, magic is incapable of creating something from nothing; every action requires energy, materials, or spiritual resources. For instance, a Cleric may heal physical wounds, but they cannot reverse death or bring back a soul once it has moved on to the Celestial Realm. Similarly, Prophets can foresee possible futures, but they cannot definitively prevent prophesied events from occurring, as these are often bound by cosmic order.

Magic’s limits also extend to its dependence on celestial favor. Without divine intervention or permission, even the most devout Clerics and Knights cannot wield their abilities effectively. Humans have tried to circumvent these limitations by forming pacts with celestial beings or undergoing extensive rituals to enhance their spiritual reserves. However, such attempts often come at a high cost, like losing part of their humanity or incurring divine wrath. The Military Order of Divvik enforces strict discipline to ensure no member steps beyond acceptable bounds, as unchecked ambition can lead to corruption or catastrophic failure.

What is the price magic users must pay in order to be magic users — years of study, permanent celibacy, using up bits of their life or memory with each spell, etc.? Does anyone ever try to get around the price of magic?

The price of magic for humans in the Mortal Realm is steep and multifaceted. For Knights and Clerics, the cost includes years of grueling physical and spiritual training, beginning in early childhood and lasting well into their early adulthood. This training often isolates them from ordinary human experiences, like forming families or pursuing personal ambitions. Clerics face additional burdens, as their healing and crafting rituals deplete their spiritual reserves, leaving them physically exhausted and vulnerable. Prophets, on the other hand, endure an even harsher toll; their connection to the divine often shortens their lifespan and erodes their sanity, making their gift as much a curse as it is a blessing.

Despite these costs, some individuals try to bypass the natural limitations of their abilities. Rogue magic users occasionally attempt to siphon power from forbidden sources, such as demonic entities or dark artifacts. While this might grant them a temporary surge in power, the consequences are dire, often resulting in possession, madness, or eternal damnation. The Military Order of Divvik vigilantly monitors for such transgressions, knowing that even a single rogue user could tip the balance of the Mortal Realm into chaos.

Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they distinguished?

Miracles and magic are fundamentally different in origin and purpose within the Mortal Realm. Magic, as wielded by Clerics and Knights, relies on disciplined training and the invocation of divine blessings to perform specific tasks. It operates within the laws of the universe, often requiring tangible components like holy artifacts or sacred chants. Miracles, however, are spontaneous acts of divine intervention, unbound by human effort or understanding. They occur when celestial beings directly intervene in the Mortal Realm to achieve a specific purpose, often altering reality in ways that magic cannot replicate. For example, a Cleric might heal a wounded Knight through ritual, poultices, salves, and prayer, channeling divine energy into the process. In contrast, a miracle might manifest as a sudden and complete restoration of the Knight’s health without any intermediary action. The distinction lies in intent and source; magic reflects humanity’s disciplined partnership with the divine, while miracles are rare gifts bestowed by celestial beings to affirm faith or fulfill a greater plan. Prophets often serve as witnesses to these events, further distinguishing them from the structured nature of magical practices.

Where does magic power come from: the gods, the “mana” of the world, the personal willpower of the magic user? Is magic an exhaustible resource? If a magic user must feed his spells with his own willpower, life-force, or sanity, what long-term effects will this have on the health and/or stability of the magic user? Do different races/species have different sources for their magic, or does everybody use the same one?

Magic in the Mortal Realm is drawn directly from the celestial planes, serving as a conduit between mortals and divine forces. This energy is granted sparingly and with purpose, ensuring that it cannot be squandered or misused. Unlike innate talents in other races, human magic is entirely dependent on this celestial connection, making it a finite and exhaustible resource. Knights and Clerics must regularly renew their spiritual strength through prayer, meditation, and adherence to divine will, while Prophets rely on their visions to replenish their link to the divine.

The toll of channeling celestial energy varies depending on the individual and their role. Knights, who rely on blessings imbued into their weapons, experience physical strain and require periods of rest. Clerics, on the other hand, deplete their life force and spiritual reserves with each act of healing or crafting. Over time, this leads to premature aging, physical frailty, and, in extreme cases, death. Prophets suffer the most profound effects, as their visions and connections to the dead gradually erode their sanity and physical health. Despite these costs, humanity’s reliance on celestial energy remains unwavering, as it is their primary defense against the demonic threats that plague the Mortal Realm.

How does a magic user tap his/her magic power? Does becoming a magic user require some rite of passage (investing one��s power in an object, being chosen by the gods, constructing or being given a permanent link to the source of power) or does it just happen naturally, as a gradual result of much study or as a part of growing up?

In the Mortal Realm, humans do not possess innate magical power in the same way as celestials or infernals. Instead, their abilities come from divine intervention or celestial blessings. The process of gaining access to these powers is not a natural evolution or result of personal study; rather, it is a rite of passage tied to their faith and service. Members of organizations such as the Military Order of Divvik undergo rigorous training and spiritual preparation to awaken and channel divine magic. Knights and Clerics, for example, are granted their abilities after proving their loyalty, discipline, and readiness to serve as protectors of humanity. This often involves sacred ceremonies where blessings are conferred, weapons are consecrated, or spiritual links to celestial beings are established.

For Prophets, the awakening of power is less structured and often more traumatic. Their gifts manifest as divine callings, typically marked by visions, signs, or inexplicable phenomena that draw the attention of the celestials. Unlike Knights and Clerics, Prophets do not undergo training to acquire their abilities; they are chosen by celestial beings based on destiny or divine will. This connection is deeply personal and comes with heavy burdens, including physical strain and a shortened lifespan.

What do you need to do to cast a spell — design an elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mix the right ingredients in a pot? Are there things like a staff, a wand, a familiar, a crystal ball, that are necessary to have before casting spells? If so, where and how do new wizards get these things? Do they make them, buy them from craftsmen, inherit them from their teachers, or order them from Wizardry Supplies, Inc.?

Spellcasting in the Mortal Realm is not a spontaneous or simple act for humans. For Knights and Clerics, rituals and preparation are essential. Clerics must gather and consecrate specific materials, such as herbs, oils, and sacred symbols, to create holy items or perform healing magic. They rely on prayer and meditation to channel divine energy, which must be directed with precision to avoid failure or harm. Knights, on the other hand, imbue their consecrated weapons with celestial blessings through rituals that often involve anointing the blade with holy water, inscribing sigils, or invoking divine names.

Prophets do not cast spells in the traditional sense. Instead, their abilities manifest through moments of divine inspiration, such as receiving visions or sensing hidden truths. These occurrences are spontaneous and beyond their conscious control, often leaving them physically drained or mentally fragmented. The tools required for their roles—such as relics to enhance clarity or protective talismans—are usually bestowed upon them by celestial beings or crafted by Clerics within the Order.

Is there a numerical limit to the number of wizards in the world? What is it? Why?

Yes, there is a strict limit to the number of human magic users in the Mortal Realm, dictated by divine will and the strain such abilities place on mortal forms. The celestials only grant power to individuals they deem essential for maintaining balance and protecting humanity from infernal threats. Organizations like the Military Order of Divvik carefully regulate the recruitment and induction of new members to ensure that the number of active Knights, Clerics, and Prophets remains sustainable. Prophets are especially rare, with no more than a handful existing at any given time due to the immense spiritual energy required to sustain their connection to the Celestial Realm.

This scarcity is further compounded by the physical and spiritual toll of wielding magic. Many human magic users, particularly Prophets, face shortened lifespans or are consumed by their duties before they can train successors. The celestials also intervene to prevent the misuse of power, ensuring that only those truly worthy are chosen. This selective process maintains the delicate balance between the divine and mortal realms, preventing widespread corruption or chaos.

Can two or more wizards combine their power to cast a stronger spell, or is magic done only by individuals? What makes one wizard more powerful than another — knowledge of more spells, ability to handle greater levels of power, having a more powerful god as patron, etc.?

Collaboration among magic users is possible but rare, requiring precise coordination and mutual trust. Clerics and Knights can combine their abilities during rituals or combat, with Clerics enhancing the potency of Knights’ weapons or creating barriers to protect their allies. However, Prophets typically operate alone, as their abilities are more suited to guiding and advising rather than direct intervention. The power of combined magic is significant but comes with risks, as even a slight misalignment in intent or execution can lead to disastrous consequences.

The strength of an individual magic user depends on several factors. For Knights, their combat prowess, discipline, and connection to consecrated artifacts determine their effectiveness. Clerics rely on their mastery of rituals, spiritual reserves, and ability to interpret divine will. Prophets draw strength from their connection to celestial beings and their ability to endure the mental and physical strain of their gifts. Ultimately, the depth of a magic user’s faith, their dedication to their divine mission, and the favor of celestial beings are what set the most powerful individuals apart.

Does practicing magic have any detrimental effect on the magic user (such as becoming addictive, fomenting insanity, or shortening life-span)? If so, is there any way to prevent these effects? Are the effects inevitable to all magic users, or do they affect only those with some sort of predisposition? Do they progress at the same rate in everyone? Are they universal in all species, or are some races (dwarves, elves, whoever) immune to these detrimental effects?

For humans, the use of magic is inherently dangerous and carries significant physical and spiritual risks. Magic, as channeled through divine or celestial sources, strains the mortal body and soul, which were not designed to handle such power. Over time, repeated use of magic depletes the user’s life force, accelerates aging, and can lead to debilitating conditions like chronic fatigue, muscle degeneration, and even organ failure. The mental toll is equally severe, with users often experiencing fragmented memories, paranoia, and eventual madness due to prolonged exposure to divine or otherworldly energies. These effects are universal among humans, regardless of their innate predisposition, as the mortal form is fundamentally incompatible with sustained magical use.

The progression of these effects varies based on the intensity and frequency of magic use. A Prophet who receives frequent visions is likely to deteriorate more quickly than a Cleric who uses healing spells sparingly. While some rituals, meditative practices, and holy artifacts can temporarily mitigate the strain, the effects cannot be completely prevented. Furthermore, the dangers of corruption by demonic forces add another layer of risk, with any misstep potentially leading to possession or irreversible madness. Unlike other races, humans lack the inherent resilience to magical backlash, making their reliance on celestial beings both a source of strength and a vulnerability.

How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? How much of what is commonly known is wrong (e.g., Aristotle’s ideas about human anatomy, which were wrong but accepted for centuries)?

In the Mortal Realm, humanity’s understanding of nature and physics is relatively advanced but often compartmentalized from their knowledge of magic. While early scientific achievements, such as those inspired by Aristotle and medieval scholastics, laid the groundwork for natural philosophy, much of what is "known" about magic remains shrouded in superstition, myth, and divine mystery. The Templar Knights and their orders possess some of the most accurate insights into the mechanics of magic due to their celestial affiliations. These insights are guarded closely, however, and the general populace often relies on fragmented or incorrect teachings passed down through oral tradition.

Common misunderstandings abound. Many believe that divine magic operates on faith alone, when, in reality, it requires a precise balance of spiritual focus and celestial alignment. The connection between magic and physics is poorly understood, with most humans failing to grasp that magical phenomena often obey complex, unseen rules similar to physical laws. Even within the ranks of the Templar Knights, debates persist about the exact nature of celestial blessings and whether they represent an extension of divine will or manipulation of an ethereal force that transcends mortal comprehension. As a result, magic remains a mixture of science, faith, and enigma, fostering both reverence and fear among those who encounter it.

What general varieties of magic are practiced (e.g., herbal potions, ritual magic, alchemical magic, demonology, necromancy, etc.)? Do any work better than others, or does only one variety actually work?

Among humans, magic is strictly categorized into divine arts, as mortals cannot access the elemental or infernal forms practiced by other beings. The three primary varieties include healing magic, used by Clerics to mend wounds and cure ailments; combat wards, employed by Knights to create barriers and holy sigils during battle; and prophetic magic, manifested through visions and truth discernment by Prophets. These practices are all derived from celestial intervention, meaning they are powered by divine blessings rather than innate talent or personal will.

Each variety of magic serves a specific purpose within human society and the Templar Knights. Healing magic is critical for maintaining the physical well-being of combatants, while combat wards provide tactical advantages on the battlefield. Prophetic magic, though rare, is the most influential, as it shapes the Order’s strategies and forewarns of demonic threats. None of these forms of magic are inherently superior, as their effectiveness depends on the practitioner’s skill, the clarity of their connection to the divine, and the context in which they are used. Rituals, holy artifacts, and strict adherence to celestial laws enhance their efficacy, while misuse or overreliance can lead to catastrophic consequences.

Are certain kinds of magic practiced solely or chiefly by one sex or the other? By one race or another? Is this because of inborn ability, natural preferences, or legislation?

In human society, the division of magical practices by sex is not dictated by biological ability but by cultural and organizational norms within the Templar Knights. Historically, male members have dominated martial roles, including the use of combat wards and blessed weaponry, as Knights are often selected for their physical prowess. Female members, on the other hand, are more frequently assigned to the roles of Clerics, emphasizing healing magic and spiritual support. This division stems from societal perceptions of gender roles rather than any intrinsic limitation, reflecting broader medieval traditions of valorizing male combatants while relegating women to caregiving positions.

That said, exceptions do exist, particularly among Prophets, where gender plays no role in the manifestation of abilities. Prophetic magic is granted by celestial beings based on spiritual resonance rather than physical characteristics. Furthermore, within certain sects of the Templar Knights, particularly the Knights of Saint Rose, women have risen to prominence in both martial and spiritual capacities, challenging traditional norms. These evolving dynamics suggest that while historical prejudices have shaped the distribution of magical roles, there is no inherent barrier preventing either sex from mastering any particular type of magic, provided they have the divine favor and training required.

In modern Templar society, the distinction between knights and clerics is not based on gender, but rather on the outcome of the final trial that each candidate must undergo. Both men and women are equally capable of becoming knights or clerics, depending on their ability to pass the trial, which tests their spiritual and magical strength. Those who succeed are inducted as knights, specializing in martial combat and offensive magic, while those who fail become clerics, focusing on healing and defensive magic. This system ensures that the distribution of roles is meritocratic, allowing individuals of any sex to pursue their chosen path based on skill and capability rather than cultural expectations. Consequently, the modern Templar order promotes a more inclusive and flexible approach to magic, with both sexes equally represented in both martial and clerical capacities, reflecting a shift away from traditional gender norms.

Does a magic user’s magical ability or power change over time — e.g., growing stronger or weaker during puberty, or with increasing age? Can a magic user “use up” all of his/her magic, thus ceasing to be a magic user? If this happens, what does the ex-magic user do — die, retire, take up teaching, go into a second career, start a freelance consulting business?

For humans connected to divine orders such as the Military Order of Divvik or the Knights of Saint Rose, magical ability does not naturally increase or decrease over time as a result of age or biological changes like puberty. Instead, their powers are directly tied to their connection with celestial beings. Training and devotion to their divine mission refine their ability to channel these powers, making them appear stronger as they gain experience. However, as they age, the strain of wielding celestial magic often begins to manifest in physical and mental wear, creating a natural limitation to their abilities. Unlike celestial beings, humans cannot sustain prolonged magical use without suffering repercussions, which becomes more evident as they grow older or face extensive combat.

Though humans cannot "use up" their magic in the traditional sense, overextension of their spiritual energy can lead to a permanent loss of their connection to the divine. When this happens, they often retire from active service, transitioning to roles like archivists, advisors, or spiritual mentors within the Order. For some, losing their magical abilities is emotionally devastating, as their sense of purpose is tied to their divine mission. Others might find fulfillment in roles that require less strain but still contribute to their organization’s goals.

Can the ability to do magic be lost? If so, how — overdoing it, “burning out,” brain damage due to fever or a blow, etc.?

The ability to channel celestial magic can indeed be lost under certain circumstances. Overexertion, failing divine tests, or succumbing to demonic corruption are common causes of this loss. Prolonged or reckless use of their spiritual reserves can cause burnout, severing their connection to celestial forces. Physical trauma, such as brain injuries or near-death experiences, can also disrupt this connection. In rare cases, human magic users who betray their divine mission may be stripped of their powers as a punishment from celestial beings, marking them as fallen.

Those who lose their magical abilities often face significant challenges. The loss is not merely physical; it is a spiritual and emotional wound that leaves many feeling adrift. Depending on their resilience, former magic users might devote themselves to scholarly pursuits, helping to preserve divine knowledge for future generations, or they may live out their days in quiet seclusion, haunted by their former glory. In some cases, the loss of magic can lead to despair, and without strong support systems, such individuals may succumb to bitterness or self-destructive tendencies.

Can the ability to work magic be taken away? If so, how and by whom?

Celestial beings wield the authority to revoke a human's ability to channel divine magic. This often occurs as a form of punishment for moral failings, betrayal of sacred oaths, or the deliberate misuse of their gifts. In such cases, the severing of their connection is immediate and absolute, leaving the individual vulnerable and powerless. Additionally, certain demonic curses or artifacts designed to corrupt divine magic can forcibly strip away a person’s abilities, although these methods are far more dangerous and often irreversible without celestial intervention.

The circumstances under which magic is taken away often have profound consequences for the individual. In organizations like the Military Order of Divvik, those who lose their abilities may be expelled or reassigned to less prestigious roles. The social stigma attached to such losses can be severe, especially if the individual is perceived as having failed in their divine mission. For those stripped of power as punishment, their lives often become a cautionary tale to others within the Order, serving as a reminder of the importance of humility, discipline, and unwavering faith.

#fwc: ff #bardic tales #bardic-tales #wb: magic and magicians #wb: rules of magic #passion project: fantasy worlds collide

6 notes · View notes

thebrownssociety · 4 years ago

Text

Looney Tunes Headcanons - Off-Set, Part 2

This is a bunch of headcanons about what I think some of the LT’s are known for being like outside of the WB bubble. As there are a lot of them, it’ll be uploaded in stages.

References to homosexuality.

Porky Pig is well-known for being the off-screen face of Looney Tunes. Because Bugs and Daffy have a lot of filming commitments it’s Porky who attends Toon-town related things on behalf on the Looney Tunes.

He’s judged fashion shows, cooking shows, car-races [Toon Town has a lot of car races. They have a lot of different terrains which provide a wide variety.] and Variety Shows. Unfortunately he’s also had to uncover various episodes of cheating during these competitions. [No, you C-C-CAN’T take a magic potion which g-gives you a p-p-perfect voice in a sin-sin-sing - vocalising competition!]

Porky is also known for being one half of the original Looney Tune Power Couple. Him and Petunia have been together forever and during that time, although they have had disagreements they’ve never been that serious. They split up once in the late 40′s and that was due to [unfounded] rumours about Petunia dating Elmer Fudd. [Of all toons!] They laugh about it today, but at the time it was rather difficult.

He’s also the one who sticks up for the other looney tunes, major or minor ones, and in the olden days was well-known for challenging the producers the most. There was one famous incident in about the 70′s when Rocky and Mugsy were accused of having committed a series of well-known burglaries. Even when the rest of the LT’s were convinced they’d done it, it was Porky who was saying ‘Just because they’re t-t-thieves doesn’t m-m-mean they did this crime!’ Unfortunately it turned out Rocky and Mugsy HAD done it, but the thought was there.

Five opinions he’s well known for having:

1 - Just because we act a certain way on screen doesn’t mean we have to act that way off-screen. [That being said, he doesn’t get drawn into arguments about what a toon is doing off-set. Reporter: ‘Pepe Le Pew has taken up cooking! Do you think it’s wise having a skunk in the kitchen?’ Porky: ‘A-a-as long as he can do it without b-bur-burn - destroying the place, I don’t care!’]

2 - Every toon deserves an education. [Porky is also off the firm opinion that there is no such thing as a ‘stupid’ toon, or one who is completely incapable of learning at least the basics of education. This opinion has been tested on many occasions but he still has it.]

3 - Petunia is amazing, fantastic, awesome, brilliant and the love of my life. Did I mention she’s amazing?

4 - Everyone should go abroad. Porky loves travelling and has a wall covered in pictures of places where he’s been. He also likes buying hats from the countries [in a reference to his first short ‘I haven’t got a hat.’ now he has just shy of one for every day of the year.]

5 - Just because a toon isn’t working anymore doesn’t mean they aren’t a toon. To this day Porky is still in touch with Beans, Bosko, Honey, Oliver Owl, Foxy and Roxy and supports their endeavours. [Namely, Bosko and Honey’s restaurant, Oliver's mechanics, Beans chimney sweeping and Foxy and Roxy’s low-key acting gigs.]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Elmer Fudd is known for a variety of things. In the olden days it was his extremely good acting skills, reserved - but not shy - personality and his debated relationship with Petunia Pig. [There was never any romance between them, just very good friendship and a deep level of understanding of one another.] Once Porky and Petunia got engaged he was an ‘established bachelor’ [despite being less than 21 at the time, it was more the fact he showed absolutely no inclination towards a romantic relationship with anyone that put him in that category.]

When he was 24 [1959] it came out that Bugs loved Elmer. Elmer admitted he felt the same way and a relationship started. [Details of this can be found in my ‘Unsolicited’ Fanfiction.] It was quite an unusual relationship due to the fact they didn’t live together, didn’t spend a lot of time together [mainly due to a mix of filming commitments] and didn’t go out of their way to show affection publicly.

They got engaged in 1982, then married in 1992. Both events were well-publicised in Toon Town.

Aside from his relationship with Bugs, he’s known for surprising everyone by proving to be very smart when the toons were allowed to access proper education. As well as a teaching degree, he’s got a degree in Law. [Much to everyone’s surprise.] It only took him a decade to get up to an High School level of education, and he passed with flying coulors. [Despite a snooty human-teachers best efforts]

Five opinions he’s well known for having:

1 - Daffy Duck is not an idiot and is actually very clever. Elmer has been of this opinion since he first met Daffy and despite multiple instances when Daffy has acted like the dictionary definition of a complete and utter nimrod, he’s been unwavering in this belief. Thankfully when the toons got access to education Daffy proved Elmer right and gained a degree in Performing Arts.

2 - Opera is brilliant. Elmer loves all kind of music [excluding heavy metal and some raunchier pop songs.] but opera will always remain his favourite. It’s one of the many things that bonded Elmer and Bugs. Elmer’s favourite song is ‘I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General’ but his favourite musical is ‘The Phantom Of The Opera.’

3 - No one is a complete idiot and everyone should be encouraged to learn. Due to his own experiences of being treated like a complete imbecile by pretty much everyone - even Bugs has been known to do this on a few occasions - he does his best to be nice to those who are also utter idiots and encourage them. Unfortunately, like Porky, this approach has been tested to breaking point. Two words: Pete Puma.

4 - In the same vein, Books are brilliant. Elmer is a massive fan of reading and reads a wide variety of stuff. He reads non-fiction on a range of subjects [Cooking to real-life crime] and he also reads fiction again, over a variety of genres. [Crime, Romance, historical fiction, children's books, the works.] Elmer normally aims to read for at least 30 minutes twice a week. It used to be more, but parenting, filming and The Looniversity have restricted the time he can devote to it by quite a margin.

5 - Everyone should be given three chances. Elmer does his best not to judge someone when he first meets them, especially if they’re acting like a bit of an asteroid. The second time he forms a bit more of an opinion, but normally keeps quiet about it [except to Bugs, Daffy and Porky.]. Third time he meets you he’s got a good idea of what you’re like and how others are reacting to you. Then he decides whether or not he wants to be around you. Once he’s made up his mind it’s very hard to change it.

The main exceptions to this rule have been the Tiny Toons. Seeing as they’re literally little version of Elmer’s family [and he’s parenting three of them, namely Elmyra, Buster + Babs] he’s cut them a lot of slack.

#looney tunes headcanons #porky pig #elmer fudd #bugs bunny #daffy duck #tiny toons #elmyra duff #buster bunny #babs bunny #rocky and mugsy #these are headcanons only #pete puma #long post

21 notes · View notes

travelcenter-uk · 4 years ago

Text

Top 5 Cities to Visit in 2021 for Bookworms

There are no places in the world that bookworms have not travelled to. Starting from the streets of London to the villages of India, we have been everywhere. The descriptions of places in every book that we read have been our little bubbles of peace. And, we have all enjoyed the solo tours through the pages that take us to places. Sometimes, some places become a part of us. Some places, although imaginary, become so real to us. Some places, we add to our bucket list because they are worth a real visit.

It is the third type that I am going to talk about in this article. A list of best cities around the world for all the bookworms to visit in 2021!

Sit back and read till the end to know more about the literary destinations in your bucket list. Look out for the quizzes that come in between!

First off, we’ll start with the centre of Literature;

London!

London is the heart of many best-selling novels of all time. An inspiration for many of our favourite authors, like William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, JK Rowling, Jane Austen, and many others.

I know most of you already know this, so let’s talk about what more London has for you as one of the best cities to visit in Europe. Of course, for the bookworms!

Get on the Hogwarts Express & Head to the WB Studio Tour!

We grew up in the streets of London as children every time we read Harry Potter. Besides wanting to visit Hogwarts, we have all wanted to visit the Platform 9¾ at least once in a lifetime.

This opportunity for you is open at the King’s Cross Station, London! Although the platform is not as J.K. Rowling describes it as in the book, you can still take a picture to treasure.

Photo tips include: A picture with the cart, wearing a scarf and holding a magic wand in your hand. Or, get someone to shoot a video of you trying to run through the secret wall.

In addition to all this literary fun, you will also find the official Harry Potter Platform 9 ¾ Shop!

London does not have only one place to visit for the Harry Potter fans. I know how much this makes you happy! So, the next best thing for you to do in London is to,

Take a ride on the Hogwarts Express and Go shopping in the Diagon Alley

These are the two best things to do in London that’ll make you feel like a real wizard/witch. The train heads to Scotland (pretend like its Hogwarts), cutting through the lush countryside. This two-hour ride to Scotland would be enough for you to fill your gallery with many iconic images to recreate.

If that isn’t enough, then you still have an option to select a two-day train journey around the highlands.

Won’t say ‘to wind up’, but maybe if you haven’t seen enough, then the Diagon Alley is the best place for you to go next.

It is a cobblestoned wizarding alley allocated for shopping in London. The alley, just like the one described in the book, is an assortment of shops and restaurants. Besides London’s Leadenhall Market and Borough Market, this is the ideal place for you to do your muggle shopping!

As much as these places in London excites the Potterheads, the next literary spot is going to satisfy the wannabe Sherlock Holmes! Because, next, you are going to,

Embed your footprints in 221B Baker Street!

Being London’s iconic places to visit in 2021, 221B Baker Street is the Home to the famous (fictional) consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes! What is so special about Baker Street is that it covers Sherlock Holmes art and memorabilia.

For those who want to get a full-on detective experience, the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B located between 237 and 241 is fantastic! Why? Because it recreates the rooms from the series, including Holmes’ laboratory (I know you wouldn’t want to miss this).

Besides this, you can also check out the Sherlock Holmes Public House and Restaurant located nearby.

Apart from the signature drink, thrills at the Platform 9 ¾ and Baker Street, you can also, visit the famous museum of Charles Dickens, to find a lock of his hair (a little weird, I know) and his lemon squeezer! The die-hard fans can also encounter personal letters and manuscripts of Dickens.

Next,

Try out Jame's Bond's signature drink!

“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”

If you remember this, then you sure know what signature drink we are recommending you try.

The Duke’s Hotel in London serves this signature drink of 007 in its most original form. Inspired by James Bond’s way of ordering, the golden rule to this martini is for it to be “shaken, not stirred”!

Once you had tried the Vesper Martini, here’s

A list of other things to do in London;

Visit the garden squares of Bloomsbury, where lots of great writers, artists and intellectuals have met in the 1920s and 30s.

Explore the British Library, famous for Jane Austen’s writing desk!

Enjoy drama at the Shakespeare’s Globe

Take a look at the Keats House

Encounter the famous Elephant House

Pay a visit to the Eagle and Child

Check out the Greenway House

Be a part of the Poet’s Corner

Experience the wild Ashdown Forest

Take a look at the Hilltop House

Visit the Brontë Parsonage

Walk into the George Inn

It’s just mind-blowing how London counts as one of the best cities to visit in 2021 for the bookworms. The city constitutes innumerable literary things-to-do that I could write a whole other article on! (You can let me know down in the comment if you want one!)

I know I have told you way too much about London here. But, this is not the end. We have more best cities around the world for you to visit!

In that list, let’s see what the city of Love has for the bookworms;

Paris

While for the rest of the world, Paris means love, for the bookworms, Paris means Les Misérables! The city was the heart of Victor Hugo, who based his novel ‘Les Misérables’ in the 19th-century Paris. Paris has always been in the romantic bucket lists but here’s why it could now be in your literary bucket list;

You can take a literary tour in Paris by foot or a metro

It’s as simple as that! Just save more Euros to visit Disneyland Paris and take the literary tour on foot. Metro sounds excellent too. But walking around the streets would give you an experience that’s more than just a literary tour.

However, you get to choose your convenient mode of transport. Meanwhile, here are some of the best literary spots in Paris that we don’t want you missing out!

First, visit the park that Hugo highlights in Les Misérables,

Jardin du Luxembourg!

It is where the first meeting between Marius Pontmercy and Cosette happened!

Besides Les Misérables, Henry James also had featured Luxembourg park in The Ambassadors.

It also has been a favourite spot for American writer Gertrude Stein and her partner, Alice B. Toklas.

Fun fact: Many famous writers are said to have spent time wandering in the park for inspiration.

Next,

A trip to the Home of famed French writer Victor Hugo

I know we talk a lot about Hugo as we stroll through the literary streets of Paris. It is because there was perhaps no other significant writer who wrote about the enchantment of Paris the way Victor Hugo did. His Home has now become a museum dedicated to his life and his works.

So, if you are a fan of his writing, you should not miss this out. Not a fan? Then this visit is still worth it! Because you are sure to become a fan overnight!

After a visit to two of the memorable Les Miserable spots, you should,

Experience the authentic literature spot, La Closerie des Lilas

Fun fact: Legend has it that F. Scott Fitzgerald showed Ernest Hemingway the manuscript to The Great Gatsby at this place!

It has been a significant meeting point for literary geniuses, where they had recited and shared their work during the days. At night, the spot had been a place for debate and literary discussion for many American novelists as they enjoyed the chilly nights of Paris.

Paris, like London, is one of the best cities to visit in 2021 to quench your thirst for literary destinations. Besides these literary activities, you also have a whole range of places to visit, like; the American Library in Paris, Maison de Balzac, Harry’s New York Bar, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Café de Flore, Shakespeare & Company and much more!

Next in the list of best cities to visit in 2021 for bookworms is,

Cairo

One of the best cities around the world for bookworms to visit! Why? Because it is the birthplace for many famous novels like Fates’ Mockery by Naguib Mahfouz, Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie and The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming!

You can start your literary tour in Cairo from the Egyptian Museum. Here you can discover more about the origins of the hieroglyphics and ancient papyrus.

You can also check out the Cairo Marriott palace where Agatha Christie, the English writer, stayed for three months.

Noisy neighbourhoods can be a little daunting. If you can cope with that, then the Miami Metro Hostel in the Garden City area is a great place to stay. It lets you spend the night in the apartment block that inspired Alaa Al-Aswany’s international bestselling The Yacoubian Building.

For, James Bond fans, you can head to Darb al-Ahmar where Ian Fleming set the ground for Bond to walk around the 2,000-year-old Mosque of Ibn Tulun.

In addition to these, the Great Pyramids are also a must-visit. Not just because that is what Egypt is famous for, but also became it evokes memories from the opening of Christie’s famous mystery novel, Death on the Nile.

The next city is vibrant out of the best cities around the world to visit for bookworms;

Tokyo

There’s no best novel than Murakami’s Norweigan Wood that can describe Tokyo in its most extraordinary form. So, for those who have read Norweigan Wood, Tokyo is one of the best cities to visit in 2021!

Some of you avid readers may already have noted the highlighted places in the book. But, for those who haven’t, these are what you must do in Tokyo to get the full experience of Murakami’s novel.

Walk the roads where Watanabe followed Naoka for most of the afternoon.

Start from JR train, where the duo had their first encounter. Get off at the Yotuya station. Walk to Ichigaya, the ultimate one-stop-shop for a hardcore Murakami fan, where you’ll feel every bit of the book come alive. After the long walk, you can dine at “Komatsuan”, the place the two of them dined at.

Next,

Multiple train ride from Kichijoji and Shinjuku

The first trip you should take is to Shinjuku, where Watanabe used to work part-time. Then, the jazz bar Dug where he goes to with Midori. These multiple train rides from his residence to his workplace and the chilling spot will give you a complete experience of the book.

Once you have encountered the second half of the book, next,

Wakeijuku-Watanabe's dorm!

Wasade Daigaku is the real place in Tokyo that inspired Murakami to create Watanabe’s dorm. It is a university campus, gorgeously covered in green. You can walk from the university to Watanabe’s dorm in the book- Wakeijuku. The place is no different from what Murakami has described it as in the book.

Besides Norweigan Wood, other famous novels are also in Tokyo. Some of them are; Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima, Who Is Mr Satoshi by Jonathan Le, Flesh and the Mirror from Fireworks.

After Tokyo, in our top 5 cities in 2021 for bookworms, we have the city of Russian writers!

Plan your next holiday in Japan - Get a Quote

St. Petersburg

The residents consider this city as “a stone book whose pages were created by great Russian poets and writers.”

St. Petersburg is one of the best cities to visit in 2021 for bookworms, considering the reflection of Roman Literature in the city. Not just that, the city also has many shrines dedicated to writers and literary characters. These buildings also have plaques marked to commemorate writers and poets.

It’s always a cultural visit if you loved Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment because you get to explore the literary past and present of St. Petersburg. There is no insufficiency in Literature in this city. It widely includes a collection of the best museums, workplaces and memorials to Russian writers!

These top 5 cities to visit in 2021 for bookworms do not limit the countless other places available for literary visits. So, if you want to read more and add more such best cities around the world to your bucket list, let us know in comments.

Oh, and don’t forget that you can always make Travel Center’s exclusive deals into unforgettable literary tours. All you need to do is to talk to one of our friends at Travel Center. They are always online to give you all the information you require.

Don’t wait too long; we have already got the deals for the best cities to visit in 2021 & 2022 ready for you!

Read More:- Top 5 Cities to Visit in 2021 for Bookworms

This Article, Information & Images Source (copyright) :- Travel Center UK Blog

#travel #travelling #traveller #travellife #travelgoals #travelcenertuk #bookworms #destinations

9 notes · View notes

teaxch · 4 years ago

Text

Miscotti, Criminal Paradise (Fan-Plane In Progress)

I don’t normally post fan-plane concepts that are “works in progress” to this degree - things aren’t even named properly, and the name of the plane itself sounds like “Biscotti.” With today’s announcement of the canon plane of New Capenna, I figured that it was topical, however, so I decided to post what I have. The world concept isn’t a topic that I have a great deal of knowledge in, so it’s a bit half-baked - it mostly exists to be the home plane and home base of a fanwalker character. Details below the cut.

Miscotti is a world of grey-skied cities ruled by rival gangs. It draws on early-mid 20th century Chicago and New York, but heavily dramatized. While Miscotti’s cities are large enough that they run together, it isn’t a total ecumenopolis like Ravnica is. There are quiet areas around and in the cracks of the main metropolitan area. Only a small minority of the population is directly affiliated with a major gang, but the gangs’ activities sharply color day-to-day life on the plane. Being part of a gang comes with tremendous opportunity, but also incredible danger. This means that most members of the major gangs are ambitious sorts.

Miscotti has four major crime families. Each is primary in one of the non-black colors and secondary in black. (Miscotti is not designed as a “draftable set” world.)

(Wb Faction) (The Something Family?) - This faction has the government and law enforcement under their thumb, and isn’t afraid to direct their puppets against the other factions. Compared to the other major families, this faction puts the most effort into presenting themselves as a respectable organization, and in some ways they even are - they frequently take steps to improve the communities in which they operate, and put pressure on local governments to do the same. They also destroy debt records, especially when that debt is owed to their rivals. It’s generally understood that the primary motivator for these actions is to improve their standing in the eyes of the public, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work.

Their leader, NAME, allegedly achieved their position as a result of being voted for by a consortium of high-ranking members of the family, but given the family’s penchant for political manipulation, it’s unlikely that this was a completely free and fair election.

(Ub Faction) (Something vague, like “The Organization?” A lot of good names are already taken.) - This faction places a premium on secrecy and loyalty, to a degree that the exact scope of their operations are largely unknown. Fiercely meritocratic, this is the only faction where actual family connections will get you nowhere; members who are actually related are expected to set these bonds aside, and are often deliberately separated from each other. It’s generally believed that the majority of their activity centers on the production and transport of illicit goods, and they also skim from the activities of the other factions through their members embedded in their hierarchies.

NAME is well-known as the leader of the faction, which means that they almost certainly have no actual power in the organization. There’s no way that such a secretive organization would make the identity of their leader so well-known, so NAME must not be their true leader. Unless maybe they’re hoping that that’s what you’ll think, and NAME actually is in charge?

(bR Faction) (Something Gang? Outfit?) - This faction has its hands in a number of different operations, but is far and away the most overt in its criminal operations. They’re the ones knocking over banks, doing smash-and-grabs on jewelers, and sticking up those foolish enough to wander through their territory alone at night. They also run nearly every casino and numbers racket on the plane, and simply burn down or beat up any attempt at competition in this area. Members of this faction are known for being incredibly well-armed and quick to shoot, to a degree that even those that are hopeless in a fight can often coerce whatever they want out of their victims. This faction experiences a lot of in-fighting - members often find themselves at the mercy of other members - but it is also the easiest to join by a wide margin, so it is the largest of the major factions by far.

This faction doesn’t really do hierarchy in the way that most other factions do; if somebody wants something to happen, they demand that somebody does it, and if the person giving the order is mean and tough enough, the order gets done. NAME is the meanest and toughest person around, which means that they’re effectively the leader.

(bG Faction) (Order of the Serpent? Or Something?) - Part crime family, part secret society, this faction claims to be part of a lineage of mystery adepts that stretches back to long before Miscotti’s skyscrapers were erected and the other factions showed up on the scene. Their organization and hierarchy has a heavy ritual element, and an ability to adapt to and internalize the traditions of the organization is considered as important as demonstrated ability in completing actual missions. While all of the factions employ spellcasters, this faction actively mythologizes the reputation of their ritualists, and that reputation isn’t unearned. This faction tends to operate mostly outside of the main metropolis; they establish themselves in smaller communities and proceed to use their (real and projected) magical and physical might to gain a stranglehold on the community.

This faction is divided into a number of lodges that operate mostly independently. NAME claims to have founded the faction over four hundred years ago and to still mastermind the operations of the organization as a whole. Whether NAME is actually the original leader or whether it’s an identity that has been passed down through various individuals over the years is a secret, but whatever the truth is, NAME certainly seems to have the magical potency of a centuries-old shaman.

Miscotti has many, many lesser gangs, but they tend to be much smaller, less influential, and shorter-lived. These gangs often scatter and fade out of relevance when their central leader figure dies or is recruited into a major gang. It is also common for an entire gang to be folded into Rb Faction, or less often another major gang.

#fanwalker #fanplane #MtG

2 notes · View notes

lostinthewinterwood · 4 years ago

Text

Worldbuilding Exchange 2021

Hey there friend!

Apparently you share some of my taste in obscure novels with gaps in their worldbuilding—impeccable, truly. I’ve got some expansion on all the tags I’ve requested below, though if you want to just get started feel free to ignore all that; some of them are distinctly longer than others, but don’t worry, just because I didn’t use as many words for any given prompt doesn’t mean I want it any less!

Anyway, thanks for writing for me! And if any of you lovely people are inclined towards treating, I will happily accept treats in any medium for any of the fandoms, including media I didn’t actually request there :D

General DNW

· non-con/dub-con;

· explicit sexual content;

· incest (incl. adoptive/chosen family);

· a/b/o;

· mpreg;

· non-canonical permanent major character death;

· complete downer endings;

· hurt no comfort;

· heavy angst;

· on-page deliberate self-harm*;

· on-page suicide;

· gore;

· graphic physical trauma;

· character bashing;

· cringe comedy;

· fic-as-writer-soapbox;

· setting AUs**;

· unrequested identity headcanons;

· romance as the main plot.

*I don’t include things like, say, punching a wall in a fit of emotion under this. However, something like cutting would not be appreciated.

**This doesn't mean that I'd expect you to hew very narrowly to what we know for sure in canon; after all, this exchange is for worldbuilding. However, for this exchange I'd prefer not to have anything that fundamentally alters the character of the world--eg elements like a/b/o, or things like a post-canon zombie apocalypse in a canon where that doesn't really fit in with the established tone/genre/world, that sort of thing.

General Likes

– I really like plotty fics

– A focus on family and/or friendship, especially characters realizing they’re not nearly as alone as they think they are, and just generally characters who like each other and enjoy spending time together

– Found family; families of choice

– Character studies

– Worldbuilding (obviously lol)

– Canon-divergence AUs and missing scenes; things set pre- or post-canon; wriggling into canon and poking at it to see what it spits back at you, if that description makes any sense at all.

- for a list of unconventional media/formats I’ve requested before, along with some commentary on them, please see my fic in a box letter.

Mother of Learning - nobody103 – in-universe meta

Any or No Characters (Mother of Learning)

Kirielle Kazinski (Mother of Learning)

Original Character(s) (Mother of Learning)

Original Eagle Shifter Character(s) (Mother of Learning)

Xvim Chao (Mother of Learning)

Zenomir Olgai (Mother of Learning)

fandom-specific dnw: romantic and/or sexual Zach/Zorian; physical parental abuse within the Kazinski family; significant exaggeration of canonical emotional neglect/abuse/general family dysfunction

WB: aranean languages (Mother of Learning)

So, we get at best a very vague description of the aranean language in canon; I’d love something that somehow expands on this! A brief grammar? Some other kind of profile? An attempt to turn their idea-morphemes into words, or outline what they are more explicitly? Up to you!

WB: Folklore and Literature (Mother of Learning)

Over the course of the story we learn plenty of things about the world and about their magic system; we learn a lot less about specific cultural things that aren’t directly relevant to the plot, and that includes folklore and literature—they have novels, we know that much, but that’s about it. So tell me more!

WB: how language and gesture and mana interact to form spells (Mother of Learning)

For all that the novel tells us about many different spells, we never really get to see the mechanics of spellcasting, or the underlying form of the mana—tell me how it works! And there’s also the fact that when you know the spell better you can cut parts out; how does that work in combination with all of this?

WB: Ikosian as spell language: how comprehension affects outcome (Mother of Learning)

Unless I’ve embarrassingly forgotten how canon actually goes, they use Ikosian (possibly a more specific dialect? I don’t remember, I’m sorry) for their incantations, but iirc they don’t speak that day to day, and even if they do not everyone does—so, you know, how does comprehension of the incantation affect the outcome of the spell?

WB: Oral Traditions (Mother of Learning)

If we don’t get much of literature, we get less of the oral traditions of… well, anywhere, tbh. So tell me more there! If you’re looking for something more specific, I’d love to hear about witch, Khusky, morlock, or shifter traditions, but really anything would be great.

WB: the development of unstructured magic and shaping exercises (Mother of Learning)

We know that way back in the past, human magic users were less adept with unstructured magic; now, if they want to be, they can be very good indeed with it. How did we get from Point A to Point B? How did that develop, who discovered all this?

WB: the Winter Mountains (Mother of Learning)

There’s very little to be heard about the Winter Mountains in canon; all we really know is that the eagle shifters flew off there, and the place is Very Dangerous. So… what are they like? How are the eagle shifters doing out there? What else lives there?

Mother of Learning - nobody103 – in-universe meta, fanart

Any or No Characters (Mother of Learning)

Kirielle Kazinski (Mother of Learning)

Original Character(s) (Mother of Learning)

Zenomir Olgai (Mother of Learning)

fandom-specific dnw: romantic and/or sexual Zach/Zorian; physical parental abuse within the Kazinski family; significant exaggeration of canonical emotional neglect/abuse/general family dysfunction

WB: Architecture (Mother of Learning)

We get a little bit of the architecture in Eldemar, mostly in Knyazov Dveri, but not too much of it; I’d like to see more of it, and from anywhere in their world really.

WB: Artistic Traditions (Mother of Learning)

If we only get a little bit of the architecture, we get less of the art—we know that they have carved doors and Kiri does pencil sketches, and realism is a style they have (or Zorian wouldn’t be thinking about how realistic her drawings were without any hint of that being unusual were she not nine) but what else can you tell me? What does their art look like; where do these traditions come from; is there some art that’s respectable and other art that isn’t?

WB: Clothing and Fashion (Mother of Learning)

Now. We get a bit of architecture, less of art, and approximately three lines in the whole 800k about clothing, and none of it very specific, so you’ve got pretty much total freedom here—show me what’s going on!

WB: how language and gesture and mana interact to form spells (Mother of Learning)

See above section—I just thought this would lend itself well to art as well as meta!

The Rhianna Chronicles - Dave Luckett – in-universe meta, fanfic

Antheus Northstar | Serenir (Rhianna Chronicles)

Any or No Characters (Rhianna Chronicles)

Arwenna Songsinger | Arwenna the Wise (Rhianna Chronicles)

Eriseth Arwensgrove (Rhianna Chronicles)

Original Character(s) (Rhianna Chronicles)

Original Male Eldra Character(s) (Rhianna Chronicles)

Rhianna Wildwood (Rhianna Chronicles)

Worldbuilding tags:

WB: academic magic and spellcasting techniques (Rhianna Chronicles)

We don’t see a whole lot of traditional spellcasting that actually works—mostly we see Rhianna’s attempts, which tend not to go all that well, lol. Other magic we see is primarily from people who know what they’re doing and aren’t explaining things in detail. Show me some that actually works! How is it different for schoolchildren and old archmages? What are the rules and mechanics—they don’t make sense to Rhianna, but clearly some things work and some things don’t, so there’s something going on there at least.

WB: Eldra magic (Rhianna Chronicles)

Since our main Eldra character is Eriseth, we don’t see much of their magic—tell me about it! How does it work? How do they channel it, what do they use it for?

WB: Eldra society (Rhianna Chronicles)

Again, we don’t see a lot of Eldra society—we see a few characters outside of their social group, and the one meeting thing, but not a whole lot of their day- to-day life. What’s it like? What’s the role of men in their society; we know they don’t do magic, so what do they do?

WB: Wild Talents and wild magic (Rhianna Chronicles)

To be fair, we do know a fair amount about how wild magic is worked from canon; I’m interested in going farther—go deeper into things! What can or can’t be done? Why are some people wild talents—how does this happen?

WB: Wizardly College (Rhianna Chronicles)

We only see Wizardly College through Rhianna’s eyes; she doesn’t get all that much of a look at it, either. So tell me more about it! What’s it like if you’re actually involved, not just a visitor?

The Farwalker's Quest - Joni Sensel – in-universe meta, fanfic

Any or No Characters (Farwalker's Quest)

Any Storian(s) (Farwalker's Quest)

Ariel Farwalker (Farwalker's Quest)

Ezekiel Stone-Singer (Farwalker's Quest)

Misha (Farwalker's Quest)

Original Character(s) (Farwalker's Quest)

Scarl Finder (Farwalker's Quest)

fandom-specific dnw: works that rely on knowledge of later books in order to make sense--i'm not gonna care all that much about spoilers? but i haven't read 'em, so.

WB: Essence and the Trades (Farwalker's Quest)

In some ways, Essence—or at least how it’s presented in relation to humans—seems kind of like an inborn specific magical talent, but in other ways it isn’t; Zeke’s tree talks to him, and then later the stones, but the tree talks to Ariel too, if only a little. Scarl was a Storian before he was a Finder; Ariel’s feet drag her where she needs to go, but she can also learn the basics of Finding and could have been a Healtouch if she’d not messed up the plants. So how closely are they tied together, Essence and the Trades? How much of an affinity do you need? How much can you make up for lack of affinity with desire and skill?

WB: Folklore and Fairytales (Farwalker's Quest)

We know a fair amount about the history of this world as people know it, but less about their folklore and fairytales—they have trees that talk and telling darts and Essence and ghosts, they definitely have folklore about those, or other things too. Do they tell children stories of what lies outside the village? Do they have spirits or Good People who may or may not actually exist? Who tells these stories—is this still a Storian’s job, or is it the purview of anyone who knows them? Did there used to be more, before the Forgetting?

WB: ghosts and how they work (Farwalker's Quest)

Misha’s dead, has clearly been dead for quite some time, and he can do a weird assortment of things—can other ghosts do them? He’s the only one we really see, so we don’t know if he’s special or not. And how common are ghosts anyway—how do they come to be? What’s up with them, overall?

WB: how Tree-Singer Abbey came to be (Farwalker's Quest)

Clearly, Tree-Singer Abbey is very old. If I had to guess, I would say it must have been made either before the Blind War or right after the sight came back—but most likely, given that it contains the Vault, it’s from before. But Essence, as far as the characters know, wasn’t discovered until afterwards; nor were the Trades. So who built this abbey, up there in the mountains, with all the trees? Why build it there in the way they did? Was it never widely known that it was also the Vault, or was that forgotten somewhere along the way?

WB: the nature of trees (Farwalker's Quest)

…so. What is up with the trees, anyway, and have they always been this way, or did the used to be normal trees? How sentient are they; how much can they move; what are they like, especially among each other? Zeke’s tree tries to catch him, so we know they can move on their own; is that typical? Can they do it whenever they want, or only under duress? Idk man, I just want to know more about the trees, y’know?

Star Split - Kathryn Lasky – in-universe meta, fanfic

Any or No Characters (Star Split)

Darci Murlowe (Star Split)

Lana | The Prima (Star Split)

Max Lasovetch (Star Split)

Original Character(s) (Star Split)

Original Umbula Character (Star Split)

Vivian (Star Split)

fandom-specific dnw--all of this is for the narrative level (not addressing it is fine; having characters who believe or do these things is fine): eugenics apologetics; segregation portrayed as good for society/the people living under it; infantilization of disabled characters; portrayal of low-prestige dialects as being "bad grammar" versions of higher-prestige dialects

fandom-specific note: the “setting AU” dnw is here amended to “surface-level setting AUs” and is expanded on as follows: This is a pretty loose dnw for this fandom, given that the canon leans very hard on the line between straight scifi and science fantasy; it acts like it's grounded future dystopia, speculative but not fantastic, but... well. Based on canon events, I can't fully consider it as such--so as long as you keep the surface elements more or less the same, no matter what the underlying justification for them is we'll be good. Is your explanation Aliens Did It? sweet, go for it. or anything else in that vein. this world is your oyster.

WB: "tears in the mind"/ancient word memories in masked chimeras (Star Split)

Okay. Okay. So. Most of this book’s worldbuilding is plausible, you know? If not real-world plausible, at least future scifi dystopia plausible, right? But. The word thing. There is no reasonable connection as far as I can see between the genetic condition of masked chimeras and having sudden, unexplained epiphanies about the meanings of words—since the relevant aspects of language are arbitrary, and Darci doesn’t have any particularly detailed knowledge of Modern English (being herself presumably a speaker of Future English, although I have to assume that Future English is surprisingly similar to Modern English given the time scale since the poetry fragments she’s reading don’t seem to have needed any translation for her to understand them, which would generally not be the case with Modern vs Old English—and that is the time scale we’re dealing with here—anyway, let’s move on), there’s no way for her to come up with this? So please, just, explain how all this works to me?

Really don’t feel you need to stay within the scifi world conventions here lol, especially since this element pretty much… doesn’t.

WB: disability in the Bio Union (Star Split)

We don’t see much of how disability works here—Darci doesn’t seem to consider herself disabled, and there’s no other character who could really be interpreted as such. Given how very eugenicist the Bio Union is, I have to wonder how they deal with disabilities they can’t engineer out of existence—tell me how it works!

WB: divergence/difference between Genhant and Original dialects and mannerisms (Star Split)

So we can see the effects of a long-term social separation here; the dialects used by Genhants and Originals seem fairly different. Darci observes that Originals’ grammar “might not be as good” but obviously that’s her perspective, being a kid who speaks the prestige dialect; the grammar within their dialect would be no better or worse than Genhant grammar in their speech. And the Original dialect seems to also include more specific nonverbal communication; if they’re talking less, but (presumably) communicating similar amounts, then they must either be able to convey more information in the same amount of time through their speech, or their dialect includes informal signed elements—Vivian doesn’t seem to parse it as such, but although Darci observes less dialogue from the Original kids, Vivian’s conversations with her uncle aren’t presented any differently than Darci’s conversations with other Genhants. A tragically unused opportunity, in my opinion.

Show me how these two dialects differ, in more specific ways, rather than just telling me they do! Tell me about potential miscommunications! Is there a lack of documentation of the Originals’ dialect due to its low status? How does this affect scholarship on it? Are the hand gestures elements of the language in some way, or are they nonlinguistic?

WB: growing up as a Laureate's umbula (Star Split)

So… how does this work? They try to replicate the childhood as closely as possible, but obviously it can’t be perfectly done. Do the kids grow up knowing they’re clones, that they’re meant to be Important Person The Second, Just The Same, or is that hidden from them? What happens if a Laureate’s umbula decides they don’t want to follow in their predecessor’s footsteps; what if they want to forge their own path in life? Is that allowed? No one forced the Laureate into being what they became, after all.

WB: growing up as an Original (Star Split)

Things that are not entirely clear in this book include the answer to the question of how much of the high degree of segregation we see is socially and economically enforced, and how much of it is legally enforced. This is interesting—clearly, the original divergence was economic, with the wealthy being able to afford genetic enhancements and the poor not being able to afford them; however, it strikes me as slightly unrealistic that there would be no Originals in Genhant schools or at non-scholarship Genhant summer camps, etc, if there was no segregation on a legal level. Of course it would be more difficult for Originals to become wealthy enough to afford these, but the fact that none of them seem to have reached that level is very revealing; that tells me there’s far less social mobility than we have in our modern society (which isn’t very mobile, much as we may like to think otherwise) or there’s legal discrimination and segregation keeping things this way or both.

…and with all that being said, I’d love to hear something about what it’s like to grow up in the underclass of this society. We see most things from Darci’s point of view, and she, being a thirteen-year-old who’s basically comfortable in her own life, doesn’t really see that much. What’s it like, being raised as an Original? What sort of expectations do Original parents and schools have for their children? What sorts of jobs do they typically do? Do they go to university? Can they go to university? Are there summer camps for them, or do they only get to do things like that on scholarships? What’s it like, being the Scholarship Kid due not only to your family’s finances but also your very genetics? How does that change your dynamic with your other Original friends, when you got a scholarship and they didn’t—what do they think about that? I’d assume they have less obsession with Genetic Predetermination, since they don’t get a map of their probable life at conception… how does that work, in this society that runs on genetic predetermination for so many things?

#exchange letters #worldbuilding exchange #requested: mother of learning #requested: the rhianna chronicles #requested: the farwalker's quest #requested: star split #requested: art #requested: fic

2 notes · View notes

smokeybrand · 4 years ago

Text

Breaking the Rules

So the Snyder Cut finally dropped. Four hours of Snyderisms like slow-mo, dumb kinetic camera work, and relentless edge. Now, I'm a card-carrying Marvel shill. Been real transparent about it for years. Marvel is my sh*t and Spider-Man is my favorite superhero. That said, i do like DC. I always give them a fair shake. Hell, my favorite capeflick is The Dark Knight. I even like Watchmen and that was a slog to get through. I’ve seen every film in the DCEU and they have left me wanting. A lot of DC heads write off my opinion because of my Marvel bias but let’s be serious; The DCEU is inferior to the MCU in almost every way. As it is, the DCEU needs to be better. It needs better storytellers. It needs a better plan. It needs a Feige. Snyder is not that dude and i don’t think Wan is either. I think WB and ATT have to figure out a way to coalesce this sh*t because it’s all wonky, especially now that we have this Snyder Cut. I’ve already reviewed a Justice League before so all of the observations i made about performances in that, stand. This is more what i think this version does better and worse.

The Better

This opening is much better and makes more sense. That Super Death Wail as the principal genesis of Steppenwolf’s conflict, the thing that wakes that first Motherbox, makes way more sense that whatever the f*ck Whedon did.

This thing definitely looks so much more gorgeous that that first run. Zack Snyder can’t plot a story to save his life but this motherf*cker can compose a shot, for real. Snyder is an idea man, a cat that just wants to make cool looking sh*t, but this ain’t the medium for that. You can have all the beautiful shots in the world but if they are tied together by a shoestring of a narrative, then it’s just polished sh*t, you know?

The extended Aquaman intro was outstanding. Whedon didn’t let this scene breath and, seeing it as it was intended, that was a mistake. Seeing this version of Justice League kind of makes Josstice League in it’s entirety, a mistake. It’s weird that this was cut because it’s so good and shows so much more of Arthur.

Jeremy Iron’s Alfred continues to be my second favorite Alfred after Michael Caine. Sorry, Michael Gough...

Wonder Woman’s first scene in this, the one with the terrorists, is ridiculous. This one scene is a perfect example of the difference between the two versions of this film. Snyder’s is better, if way more brutal than it needed to be. Still, i love the warrior version of Diana so I'm good with this.

Speaking of Amazons, Snyder, apparently, put them in more clothes this time around? I couldn’t really see for sure because of the color correction but it didn’t seem like they weren’t rocking those iron bikinis like in the Whedon cut. I think Joss Whedon might be a bit more problematic than we think. Between the half naked chicks, the way he kept sexualizing Diana, the fact that there are no people of color in his version or the way he shortchanged the entirety of Cyborg’s plot... Breh.

Steppenwolf is SO much more menacing in this version of the movie. Dude feels like a force, like a proper threat an not just some stop-gap for something better. Ol’ Wolfie was a decent antagonist for an initial run at an Avengers-esque team up for the DCEU. Definitely more Loki this time around and less Ultron like the first time.

Also, the Parademons look much more dope. The first time, they looked like fodder. This time, they actual felt like a force, like a horde.

Hey, we got an Atom sighting!

Not a ton of Iris West but enough to wet my appetite. Anytime i get to see Kiersey Clemons in stuff, I'm happy. Having it tied to an outstanding sequence demonstrating Flash’s powers was just icing on the cake. Seriously, Snyder did a great job visualizing Barry’s abilities. That scene where he saved everyone from the debris and then the subtle reversing of time; All of it was dope to see.

Are those Starros that Steppenwolf is using to “interrogate” the cats with Motherbox stink on them? They look like little mechanical Starros. I hope they’re Starros.

Lots of Cyborg stuff. Like, intricate Cyborg stuff. The sh*t Whedon cut of Vic was instrumental to the coherency of this story and dude was just like, “Nah.” It’s no wonder that version of the movie doesn’t make any f*cking sense.

Hey, we got a Spectre sighting! Nice.

The explanation for the Motherboxes and their mcguffin-ness goes a long way to soothing the whole “resurrecting Superman” thing. Snyder basically tells the audience they’re magic boxes that can do anything because of magic-technology. It’s a little ridiculous considering what Motherboxes actually do in the comics but whatever. It makes sense in this universe i guess.

All of the action scenes are better. All of them. Snyder is nothing if not a cat that can actualize a dope punch-out. Dude can’t get out of his own way when telling a story but if you need a fight scene, Snyder is definitely your guy.

Speaking of, that climax was WAY better. It carried far more weight and there were times when the heroes felt like they could lose. There’s an unrelenting tension that grips you hard and doesn’t let up until it finally does. I appreciated this way more than the first one, even if it’s dumb edgy for no reason.

The Worst

Zack still doesn’t understand these characters, man. It’s very apparent to me that a lot of this is just window dressing for kind of a Zack Snyder fan fic version of DC and that’s fine i guess? Sh*t’s not my cup of tea but a great many people seem to like it. Dude’s writing can definitely be tighter and he can skew a little more toward the heart of these characters but i mean, it’s called Zack Snyder’s Justice league for a reason.

The Snyderisms, man, they are all over this thing. Look, i just don’t like how Zack makes movies. Too much style, not enough substance, or rather, not enough focus. He has a ton of great ideas but gets too bogged down in how sh*t looks, or tumbles down his rabbit hole of concept but never expresses any of them clearly enough. Outside of 300 or Dawn of the Dead, this film is probably the most focused I've ever seen Snyder and it’s still kind of all over the place yet, never where it needs to be.

So many plot holes, man. Less than before, but so many threads left untied.

This thing didn’t need to be four hours long. Not even close. There were several shots that i thought could have been cut. Like, that three hour version which got the standing ovation was probably the best version of Justice League and we’ll never see it. This version is definitely better than the theatrical run but f*ck is it long. You really feel that sh*t, too.

Cyborg still looks gross to look at. You’d think they’d try and make his weird, angular, body look a bit better upon the redo but nope. This what we get i guess.

Also, why the f*ck the Atlanteans sound British? Why they make Amber Heard do that accent? She can’t do that accent, man. You’re actually asking a chick who’s professionally pretty to act and she can’t act. She’s just pretty. That actually brings up an interesting question; Is Aquaman canon to this universe because Mera in that doesn’t have an accent and her Pops is still alive. This one has an accent and her parents are dead. Or maybe the accent makes it easier to recast Heard later with a British actress? Maybe the Mother of Dragons really is about to be the Queen of the Seas?

Why is this Knightmare sequence in here? Sure, it was awesome to see, pure fan service, but this is the blue balls of blue balls because we don’t have a movie to follow this one. This is it. This is all the Justice League we’re getting. There is no part two or whatever. Why even hint at something more?

The Verdict

There’s a lot to like about this version of Justice League. It is, hands down, better than Josstice League in almost every way. Sh*t is a better film, man, and should have been what we got to begin with. WB did Snyder a disservice by letting him go and then letting Whedon butcher his movie. I don’t like Snyder’s take on DC. I think it’s try-hard, edgelord, nonsense but it is it’s own thing and i commend him for that. Dude has a vision and I'll never take away from from a creative’s inspiration. That said, this thing was a slog to get through. It’s definitely better than what we got before but it’s still not that great and it’s way too long. Three hours is more than enough to tell this story if you make prudent cuts. Still, I’m glad it exists and, if you’re a fan of this world, a fan of Snyder’s work, you’ll love it. For me, as a cat who has no skin in this game, I'm not all that impressed. Per usual, Snyder has too many ideas and that leaves the plot unfocused and meandering at times. In a genre that is predicated on storytelling, you can’t be a bad storyteller like that and just gloss over it with spectacle. That’s disingenuous. At the end of the day, it was entertaining. It was pretty to see. It was a Snyder film.

1 note · View note

seeksstaronmewni · 5 years ago

Text

Samurai Jack Season 5 in Review: EPISODE XCVI

Things can change greatly when one is open enough to see the truth.

As the episode’s TV spot promoted (as with earlier TV spots for the season in general), it’s time for the Scotsman episode of Season 5! Enough said.

NOW, as the Scotsman proclaimed, “NOW we... CHAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!!!”

This’s the first episode in Season 5 to be rated TV-PG-V (for “moderate” violence), although it’s not really that violent. It clearly could be TV-Y7-FV, but I guess that Cartoon Network is concerned about easily imitable violence such as kicking and punching (unlike Disney Channel/Disney XD), so it may never be TV-Y7 again.

NOTE: Obviously, I started working on this post on Memorial Day of 2020 in honor of our dear Scotsman. Anyway, I’m curious as to what was going on with the Scotsman’s family and what they were plotting, during the time that we’re focusing on Jack and Ashi... but we still have 40 episodes to come until the series is complete. I was too busy or lazy to finish the post before the end of the day or month (for that matter, I was mostly inactive on it for 6 months), but I’m slowly back on it, so WACH’OUT!

We start with Aku’s place... which appears much more barren than it was in EPISODE I. The episode is another Andrews-Tartakovsky duo-boarding. Just the sound of wind, but no mist full of demons for some reason. Perhaps some bombing or missile attack cleared Aku’s yard?

A tank rolls over to the edge of Aku’s yard. A soldier within signals the other tanks to advance with his horn. These tanks are designed by the late and great Chris Reccardi and @heydusty.

The camera streaks further back to reveal another army of men riding a 20-legged, rhino-like creature, in armor similar to the exterior of the tanks. He signals his army with his horn, too.

How about another army, then?

Signaled by a woman with her bagpipes, she leads her army...

a whole army of women

Talk about girl power... compared to The Powerpuff Girls, which stopped in 2019 and wasn’t nostalgically correct enough for the last 3 seasons anyway.

Whichever one I find most attractive all depends on which hairstyle looks most attractive... like the one in the bottom right corner. Aside from that, they pretty much all look and sound the same.

The sound of wheels grows audible. Who is that man in the wheelchair?

He has a machine gun for his left leg. Slowly, the camera, defocused except on his leg, eases out.

“Ha ha! We found him!”

It is, indeed, the Scotsman. The hype-inducing Scotsman!

And he’s pretty much ready to fight!

Well... except for one thing...

“I take you out for a day of battle, and you’re dressed like you’re goin’ dancin’!”

She’s kind of bashful. Isn’t she, Scotsman?

Flora was apparently out of appropriate uniform... not that it’s the time for dancing, or dance-fighting, however they intended to take Aku down face-to-face. She looks kind of hot, but this’s not the time to be thinking about fashion or a sultry appearance.

“That goes for all of you.”

“Cover yourself!” the Scotsman yells; “You’ll catch your death of cold!” He definitely cares about his daughters--I know not how many he has, but it’s an army’s worth--but I don’t think that they’re really cold at all.

What season is it, anyway?

(Oh, and, for the shot above, Flora has tiny dot eyes X3)

“Now”, the Scotsman proclaims, “we... CHAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!”

“EYAAAAHHHHH” he shouts excitedly, as Flora drives him into battle.

The Scotsman’s army rolls into battle, firing with some nicely-colored smoke.

*p-powaa-p-p-powaa-powaa-p-powaa-aa*

Yep. There’s that more familiar Universal/Hanna-Barbera explosion, like one would hear in Seasons 1-6 of The Powerpuff Girls, serving as the sole sound effect for this shot and repeating itself. Joel Valentine’s uses of these classic explosions are probably different from those on Sound Ideas’ Universal & H-B sound libraries as these’re cleaner in quality.

The armored creatures apparently shoot some pretty hot snot out of their trunks, leaving us to wonder what this particular animal ultimately is. That classic Anime whistle (kind of sounds like “SHELL SCREAMING WHINE DOWN”) becomes audible as the bunch of hot snot falls toward Aku’s place.

“It seems we are under attack”, Aku overhears. “Under attack?” Aku highlights, beginning to consider use for this opportunity as he slowly stretches his beard. Aku takes a peek at the war through his own kind of TV or something. “Perhaps annihilating this scum will break me out of my...

me-lai-i-i-i-i-se.” Aku streak immediately upward.

Meanwhile, the Scotsman was firing HIS LEG gun... (footage that the last TV spot advertised for the coming of Season 5 in March, well before this episode itself was advertised, also showing the same footage)

Not sure at what HIS LEG gun was firing, since Aku wasn’t out, until...

*bwssss! wb-wb-wb-wb!*

...Aku rockets out of his place...

...trailing blazing fire as he turns into a giant ball...

...bowling his way over all of the tanks. The armored creatures on which 1/3 of the army rides are next!

“You know what?” The Scotsman said, come to his senses. “This was a bad idea! Time to go, girls.” Protective of his many daughters, the Scotsman knew what to do in such a disastrous moment: “I’ll stall him while you escape.”

“I’m sorry, old man; I think you are lost.”

Just as Aku was about to make the annihilation complete, a voice froze him: “Hold it! You’re not goin’ anywhere, you big buffoon”. Not knowing who this guy was at all, Aku looked down upon him... and he seemed pretty serious, even though he met not this guy before at all.

“The samurai is still out there, inspirin’ people by the thousands!”

“I ain’t lost, y’ tree ogre!” The Scotsman talked back, pushing his insults further and further. “After all these years, you’re powerless against him... afraid to show yourself ‘cause you know he’s out there, and you can’t do anything about it!”

“Ah ha ha! You’re just a big baby! Why don’t you go cry to your mama--”

Aku was not in the mood for being “roasted”.

*wshiiiiiing*

A third of a sword flung out of the explosion.

Aku burned him.

*psst*

Aku burned him good.

Those catchlight-y eyes don’t lie, Flora.

OK; “highlights” would be the more common term.

This’s why I began writing this post on Memorial Day 2020.

When you roast Aku, Aku roasts you back.

“Why did he bring, up, the samurai?”

A relative question: If Aku cares no longer, what else has Aku to do with his life? Must he be evil? Some centuries worth since he started ruling... I guess that the Scotsman was just trying to make Aku upset, when he could speak a better conversation than mostly insult him.

Flora stabs the remainder of the sword into the ground by his ashes. There is some inscription on it that should be interesting to decode. I wonder if there’s an Easter egg in its words...

“I be back--and in me prime, no less!”

BOOM! Souls don’t die! Of course, rather than probably being in Heaven, he’s more of a ghost who’s still able and willing... by Celtic magic, which apparently connects to the inscription on his very sacred sword. “We’ll find Jack” he plots, “and finally defeat that BIG BABY!”

Anyways... one night, probably very far away from wherever Aku’s place is, Ashi was doing some thinking.

She grew up with her mom, who claimed that Aku created everything, but now she met Jack, who told her that Aku had the world ravaged.

Ashi was raised to believe that “The samurai is the poison killing the land”... as if Aku even cared at that point; she never even met Aku. Jack’s wisdom begat conflict in her mind: “If you... let go of (your) hate, you will see the truth.”

At least it’s an otherwise peacful night.

Well. It was.

“I have questions, mother.”

Ashi began to hallucinate (or it was some kind of weird fever dream... I know not) as the moon turned into her mother’s mask. “The samurai sleeps”, she slips through her mouth. “Kill him in his slumber before he wakes!”

“How DARE you?!”

I suppose this’s what comes of wishing for the moon.

Ashi was not ready to act on instinct as this samurai saved her life, but her vision was merciless. She had questions (and had the... moon failed??? Well not the moon, just her mom), and frankly one could question if she or her mother knew who exactly the samurai was and what he looked like. She was apparently secluded from the rest of society and we know little of her life growing up, so of course she’d have questions.

From there, that very island, Ashi’s journey began, and the next morning Jack found a sea dragon to continue the journey.

Although the dolphin chirps act as a faint, echo-y sound in the scene, they stand out as more unique recording than the stereotypical Hollywood Edge recordings one would hear pretty much everywhere else, like in Spongebob or whatever.

The sea dragon submerges into the ocean and makes a giant leap into the sky! Not sure why, but it probably got them closer to land.

ANIME LINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It might not seem too noticeable, but the animation right here looks a bit... tight/slow-paced or whatever. Korean animation’s been thinning out on ln-betweens since, like 2016 for some reason, but they still put more effort on this Cartoon Network Studios project than most right now.

“I shall not forget your kindness.”

The sea dragon gives him a snort and a roar of... gratitude?

Jack and Ashi finally made it to a bigger land (and probably not just a bigger island). Now where would they go from here?

“Goodbye.”

It looks like Jack was just going to part ways.

I’ll continue working on this post later, preferably/almost daily if not weekly. (I’ve just been very slow mentally and more autistic this year than I ever realized)

14 notes · View notes

lifeascaty · 6 years ago

Note

Can you detail you journey to getting a WB pitch? I need some inspiration

I mean, I don’t know how detailed you want because technically this is a journey 18 years in the making …

2001: Watch LOTR: TFOTR. Fall in love with it. Decide this is what I want to do. Not sure what this is but know it has something to do with films. Director? Writer?

2001-2009: Write constantly. Write badly. Write badly, constantly. Act in all the school plays because it’s the closest you can get to film as a 13 year old. Join the media club at school and make shitty short films. Direct two theatre shows as a 17 and 18yo. Write and direct my own play at 19. Join the National Youth Theatre in London and work backstage on a West End production of Mamma Mia.

2010-2013: Go to university for English Lit. Harass the Creative Writing Dept. until they let me into their creative writing classes, even though they have a stupid rule about them not being available to English Lit students. Take two screenwriting classes, alongside a prose class. Graduate and win a UK screenwriting competition with a script I wrote while in undergrad.

2014-2016: Work in an office doing boring office stuff. Work as a PA on British TV show. Work at film festivals. Take an Oxford Uni DfCE YA Literatue class. Take a few meetings in London. Take a UCLA Professional Program year-long class in Screenwriting. Apply to the only two UK film schools worth bothering with. Get accepted immediately by one but it’s the one I’m least impressed with so I don’t accept. Get waitlisted by the big name school who talk about how much they love my script but say it’s too American. Cry. Have an American friend tell me if they say I’m too American then I should just come to America. My Dad says “fuck these UK film schools” and says he’ll help me apply to America.

2017: Can’t just move to America (visa issues!) but can apply to US film schools. American education is very stupidly priced compared to the rest of the world, so apply for a Fulbright scholarship ($50,000). Get the scholarship. Move to America to attend UCLA for an MFA in Screenwriting.

2018: Write a pilot I love with a professor I love. Hear about the BAFTA Scholarship ($10,000) and apply. Get accepted. BAFTA holds an event for their scholars, which includes meeting managers. I meet a manager who asks for a sample. I send the pilot I love. Turns out he loves it too. He asks for a second sample. Loves that also. He sends me a contract. Yay! (Also turns out I was the only person who signed with a manager after that BAFTA event, which shows how tough it is, even when you reach that level.) We work on my samples and continue to polish them ready to send out to the industry.

2019: Scripts get sent out. Start going on generals in March. My second (possibly first?) ever general is with a company who decide they really love me and want to attach me to one of their properties. It’s a book-to-TV adaption. Spend months working with them and a larger studio on that pitch. Start taking the pitch out over the summer. At the same time, I meet with Blumhouse. The meeting is going okay until they suddenly latch onto an idea I mention. They want it, but I don’t really have it. The script’s in terrible shape. I only mentioned it because they weren’t resonating with any of my other ideas and I was getting desperate. Panic-write the script in 3 days. Sell the script. Yay! On another general with a big company. They tell me they love me and were looking to staff me but the diversity hire has gone to someone else. Not willing to give up, I mention an idea I’m working on. They like it and want me to come in and pitch it. Start working on a pitch for my own, original work for the first time. Manager starts sending out the pitch to companies to see who’ll take the meeting with me. Meanwhile, my other scripts are still going out. Warner Bros is interested in one of those other scripts and has me come in for a meeting. They pass on that project but, while we’re talking, I’m determined not to walk away empty-handed. So I mention this other project I’m taking out as a pitch. They really respond. Ask me to come back in and pitch it. Pitch is arranged.

& voila. That is my detailed journey as to how I got my second meeting at Warner Bros. & I’ve actually been on the Warner Bros lot plenty of times before, taking meetings with other companies that have first-look deals with Warners and so have office space there. I really hate the idea that any of the success in this industry is overnight. Like, everyone I know has put in blood, sweat, and tears. But also, a lot of people (for understandable reasons) aren’t willing to be open about all the failures they had along the way. When I was still at UCLA, I didn’t post about my pitches and generals because I understood that I was very lucky and I didn’t want to make anyone feel shitty about not yet having those opportunities. (And I say ‘yet’ because they’re all talented fuckers and it definitely is just a question of time and access before they do get them.)

But now I’ve graduated and people back home don’t really know what I’m doing any more so I’m being more open about this shit. Partly so people back in the UK recognise that I’m still doing stuff, I swear and also because I don’t want to contribute to the unhealthy idea that you graduate from film school and are suddenly a success. So I post on my insta stories every time I have a pitch or a general, and I’m trying to make it more natural to talk about it on here too. I try to make it clear to people that 99.999999% of pitches don’t go but that it’s okay and doesn’t mean shit about you as a writer. Failure and struggle is part of this damn industry and people need to be more open about that instead of acting like their success just magically happened. So yeah, sorry if you follow me on insta and are sick of the pitch posts but I’m trying to do something mentally healthy.

I have no idea if any of this helps for your inspiration, but basically: stick at it, realise it takes years of work, but eventually skill and persistence will win out. (And also know that even if you get a meeting at Warner Bros you’ll still feel like a nobody and a fraud so you may as well enjoy every little part of your journey along the way.)

#anon #caty answers #film industry #screenwriting

67 notes · View notes

hypexion · 5 years ago

Text

A Pile of Fanwalkers (Part 3)

Part three of all these fanwalkers. Now it’s time for all the ones who are mean, and should not be trusted. Sometimes because they’ll stab you, and sometimes because they’re just... kind of massively evil.

The basic format for each planeswalker will be a Name/Colour Identity/Pre-Ignition Typeline/Homeplane blob of information, a quickish description of them and some “fun“ facts, and then some hits and misses for extra flavour. Also, I’m going to split this into three posts - “Heroic“, “Okay“ and “Villians“, for I believe I have the moral authority to judge my creations.

Also some of these are going to be from fanplanes, which will go undescribed beyond whatever tidbits come out the character flavour. Others will just have a ?, representing a lack of knowledge and/or sufficent worldbuilding. With that out of the way, let’s go!

Villians

Evil is not a state of being. It is a form of intent, and a form of action. Some of these Planeswalkers can be trusted. Some of them may even appear to be nice. But make no mistake. They have caused suffering. They have altered lives for the worse. Either by design or consequence, their effect upon the multiverse marks them as villians.

Aster - B, Human Warlock, Zodyas - Aster was born under the influence of a bad star, which granted him the ability to draw power from negative emotions. But don’t think that makes him a bad person. Aster’s powers do not compel him to perform evil deeds. They simply enable him. Motivated by nothing greater than his own self-interest, Aster is the truest example of a disaster with a point of view. He was, while it lasted, a member of the Infinite Consortium. After Tezzeret forget how to run it, Aster managed to… convince a number of cells to accept his leadership. While lacking a grand plan for his splinter group, he’s interested in expansion, if only for the sake of increasing his own personal power. Aster may possess a certain kind of charm, and some level of restraint when compared to other ‘walkers, but do not be decieved. The moment harming you becomes worth the effort, Aster will be ready to do so.

Aster is often described as being pale of skin and dark of hair. There’s some weird magic causing that, since different cultures usually focus on different things when describing others. Aster prefers to dress in the fashions of power, whether that happens to be expensive robes, hand-tailored suits, togas or other such clothing. He preferes to wear darker colours, but if opulence is the style of a plane’s elite, then opulent he shall be. While he does carry a mean looking dagger, his primary form of defense are his so-called attendants - humanoid shades he commands via magic. These can perform many tasks, such as “fetch me more wine“, “open that door“ and “kill them“. When Aster planeswalks, he dissipates into a fine black mist. Interestingly, if he’s thinking about planeswalking, his magic generates a similar mist, that trails from him as he moves.

Hits: Power, influcence, tormenting his enemies, using people’s guilt to literally physically crush them. Misses: The undead, constructs, Loxy, Constellation Cults trying to recruit him, being around Ashiok for too long.

Galina - WB, Human Advisor, Ithmorne - In her early life, Galina leaned much more towards the White aspects of her personality. Even as a member of the Zoriac Imperium, she valued their goal of peace greatly, and was one of those that saw certain practices as a detriment to that goal. However, this did not last. When the outpost she was in was raided, everything changed. The ignition of her spark saved her life, but not her right eye. Fortunately for her, Galina arrived on Ravnica within dragging distance of a Simic emergency care clinic, where it was assumed she was an Azorius member who had suffered a run in with the Gruul. This was a role she was happy to take up for real, once the chance provided itself, seeing the Senate as an obvious parallel for the Imperium of her homeplane. In fact, Ravnica seemed to have many similarities with Ithmorne. This could only be due to the work of Azor, the great Sphinx who had brought peace to her warring plane so long ago, and whose Compact still enforced it now. Galina soon realised that her ability to traverse the multiverse would allow her to find more worlds ‘saved’ by Azor, and in turn learn more from them. Ultimately, she decided, those factions on Ithmorne too small to be affected be the Compact would be forced into co-operating. And if not? Then they would perish. Such would be the price of peace. The process had already begun, Galina believed, and if accelerating the pace was necessary, it would be done.

Galina has white skin and long brown hair. Additionally, the events that led to her ignition left her with a noticeable scar, running from her temple, across her right eye, to halfway down her right cheek. Many wonder how her right eye survived such a wound, and the truth is that it didn’t. Instead, she had it replaced by the Simic while on Ravnica. Galina generally wears the standard uniform for those in her position in the Zoriac Imperium - navy blue military robes, kept in the best condition possible. Rather than carry a weapon, Galina relies on her mastery of law magic, using it bind and impede her enemies. She is also capable of many of the standard black mana abilities, especially those which weaken her foes. When combined, these make her a formidable, and potentially deadly opponent. Galina’s planeswalking effect is a jagged and chaotic burst of darkness, which can cause minor damage to living things that nearby.

Hits: Peace through power, Azor, law and order, her own take on the concept of justice, Simic biomagic. Misses: “Barbarians“, insubordination, traumatic memories.

Malius - UBR, Human Wizard, Innistrad - In every profession, there are those that push boundaries. They look at the rules, and wonder which are truly needed. These are the kind of people the majority of Innistrad distrusts. And in the case of the stitcher pariah Malius, they are completely right to do so. While his fellow skaberen found his “wolf with werewolf arms“ experiment a daring new idea, even they had limits. Rumors began that he had started to use demons as a source of parts, and that he consorted with diabolists for unknown purposes. These rumors contained some truth - Malius was interested in demons and had, for a time, used them to “improve” his creations. But over time, he had become interested in the nature of demonic pacts, and how one might acquire the benefits without having to pay the price. Somehow, he was able to construct a device that extracted the source of a demon’s power, and began using it to infuse himself with dark power. For a time, not demon, nor mob, nor torch-wielding monstrosity could stop him. The destruction of the Helvault was an opportunity to Malius, bring him yet more specimins. Everything was going well, until an angel arrived. She cut through his creations, and had both the strength and motivation to kill Malius. In an act of desparation, he activated the extractor, aiming it at the angel. She exploded (don’t worry - she got better (sort of)). This would have been incredibly fatal to Malius had his Spark not ignited, sending him across the Blind Eternities to Zendikar. And so, he soon discovered all sorts of new things to stitch. Including Eldrazi. In fact, Malius was straight-up ecstatic during the events of Eldritch Moon.

Malius’ various experiments have left him with sickly, pallid skin, and pale white hair. His eyes no longer appear human, and those who spend time around him soon feel uneasy. Malius wears the standard dress of the stitcher, a white labcoat, brimming with tools and notebooks. Malius often manipulates his tools via telekinesis, either to work upon a new creation, or as a method of attack. In dire situations, he calls upon the demonic powers he has infused himself with, physically taking on the form of a demon. This grants him signifigance strength, speed and endurance while it lasts, but prevents him from planeswalking, making it as risky as it is useful. When Malius planeswalkers, he disappears in cloud of dark and burning ash, crackling with lightning. This occurs even when he cannot actually planeswalk due to being a demon.

Hits: Extracting demonic power, demonic infusions, terrifying creations. Misses: Angels, torch-weilding mobs, basic medical ethics.

Skath - WBG, Naga Assassin, Orpheri - At first glance, Skath is like any other planeswalker assassin you might meet. She kills people for money, and she does it well. However, she is still a member of the organisation that trained her, a religious order of assassins on Orpheri. So Skath will not kill those standing on sacred grond, those not old enough to be an adult of their kind, and she requires more than just a payment before targetting a diplomat or member of a religious order. Beyond the rules of her faith, however, Skath kills without hesitation, selling death for gold and jewels. When not killing, she is surprisingly thoughtful, a writer of poetry and cultivator of interesting plants. And while unrepentant, she not always unrelenting. Put up enought of a fight, or simple hide in a shrine for a few days, and Skath will move onto easier targets.

Skath has copper-brown scales, and no hair, because Naga don’t have hair on Orpheri. She wears light armor on her torso, which is engraved with protective magic. Her favoured weapons are two scimitars, enchanted to deliver venomous strikes. She also carries a dagger, and a number of poisons, so that she might have the perfect tool for any assassination. In a pinch, she can bite someone, however the Naga Assassins of Orpheri consider this an act of last resort. Mainly because once you identify the cause of death as Naga venom, finding the killer is fairly simple. Skath planeswalks with a flash of pale orange light, leaving behind traces of sand. Interestingly, she is capable of being incredibly precise with her appearance on a plane, and has sometimes managed to planeswalk into a room based on it’s relative position to a know location.

Hits: Getting paid, botany, the statisfaction of a job well done. Misses: Cold places, oath-breakers, Locke, people attacking her from sacred ground (this is actually a bad idea - her religion sees this as an act of desecration, meaning you ultimately forfeit the protection provided).

Look at all these not nice people. It’s probably best to keep a distance between you and them. Of course, their motivations differ greatly, so if you were to find yourself in close proximity to them, you might be able to avoid getting stabbed. Or worse.

#fanwalker #magic the gathering #fan character february

10 notes · View notes