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soyouareandrewdobson · 6 months

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Nintendo-vember Level 4: a last minute birthday special and opinion on Zelda

Okay so before I start this post, I should admit that I initially intented to post this one only in a couple of days, to let the previous entry settle down a bit. But as some anon made me realize, today on November 21th is actually the 25th anniversary of Ocarina of Time.

I am not going to let this chance go to waste. So enjoy this entry.

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Following the Localization comic and me giving the claims of Dobson a bit of a verbal beatdown, I decided out of a certain (biased) nostalgia for the Ocarina of Time, to dive in a bit further into Dobson’s genuine disdain for the game.

For a start, I take some clues from “thehypocrisyofandrewdobson” and just point to those little posts Dobson made in regard of one videogame, that not only fans but (as I want to show later) some of the biggest game developers ever have cited as being one of the greatest ever made.

So what is it? Is it your favorite game on the N64 or an absolute pile of shit? I also find it very telling, that Dobson doesn’t give a damn about story and only visuals, at least according to the tweet.

And before you ask, no, I don’t think Shadow of the Collosus is a bad game because “it’s not Zelda” or something. I actually agree with Dobson that it is a visually stunning game. In addition it manages to tell a rather tragic and poignant tale with only minimalistic story techniques and has quite some unique platforming elements and ingenuity in order to defeat the titular creatures. But you know what is also funny? The director of the game, Fumito Ueda, cited Ocarina of Time as a major inspiration and influence of the style of the game

As did other game creators, at least according to Wikipedia. And who wouldn’t believe it? After all, OoT among other things was one of the first games back in the day to include a target lock system for fighting enemies in a 3D-environment, making it as such something of a breakthrough when many other game developers truly fumbled with the jump from a 2D environment into a proper 3D one. Not just that, it was also one of the most successful game sales of its time. The N64 version alone sold over 7.6 million copies world wide. All while also being one of the most re-released Nintendo games ever, having gotten releases on the Gamecube and a graphically updated one on the 3DS.

Anything else I want to say about OoT I want however to contextualize in the “analysis” of the following two comics made by Dobson. One SYAC related, one just Dobson whining about the things that in his opinion make OoT a terrible or great game, depending on whatever mood he has right now.

This one is just one of Dobson’s earliest SYAC comics, in which quite frankly, all he does is bemoan the fact that people hate him for his “silly” takes on things. Flying eyebrows included. Which if you are even slightly familiar with Dobson is kinda bullshit. After all, his “silly takes” and opinions included among other things bemoaning the whole of anime being garbage because he fell out of love for it and the fact people called his work derivative of anime comedy tropes of the 80s and 90s. Or outside of just his comics openly attacking fans of stuff he didn’t enjoy rather blatantly.

There is also another “funny” thing about the comic. The blond guy (one of the few blonds not demonized by Dobson through his artwork) is pointing at the Holiday comic as one example he is confused people got angry about when it comes to Dobson

The thing is, I myself can understand people calling the comic crap without genuinely being offended about the “Christmas” and Holiday thing. For starters, Danny is a genuine asshole here to the old lady, who hasn’t done anything wrong then to wish him a good time, by essentially making her believe that she did an accidental racism by saying “Merry Christmas” instead of being sensible and assume he is jewish. In addition, you could argue that Danny is doing something inappropriate too by claiming to be of another religion than he truly is, to exploit the privilege connected to it to shame someone.

Lastly, it is hilarious how Dobson wants to “stand up” for non Christians on the holidays, when people at this point likely knew of the Channukah incident, that happened a few years BEFORE the comic was published

But again, I digress. Anyway, Dobson’s choice of the topic of OoT is in my opinion more than deliberate, even if Dobson claims that the only reason he did so was, because the comic is partly based on real events.

I get the feeling that was not really all that happened, because who in their right mind would not try to elaborate on their point. And even if the person in question just yelled at Dobson and then moved away, the strawman argument the (of course) uglified strawman nerd makes in the comic is not entirely wrong.

Look, say about OoT whatever you will. Perhaps it is not the best (Zelda) game ever (cause what accounts for “the greatest game ever” in a series or in general is partly based a lot on personal bias as well as the point in time it came out) but I think the following two things ring true:

At least storywise, it was a massive step up from previous Zelda games (especially the very first two of the NES days) and to a degree held the title of the “most complex” storydriven and “technically less flawed” Zelda compared to some other games that followed in the series for quite a few years. At least Wind Waker based on what I heard (haven’t played it yet, sorry) had a few flaws like the sailing and fishing for items mechanic that nudged the game down a bit, despite how many people consider it a great game in the franchise now. Twilight Princess was widely considered a spiritual successor to Ocarina, but some people complained about a too dark presentation or were even annoyed about Midna. And Skyward Sword’s original controls and the entire thing about Demise hasn’t sit too well with some people either. Mind you, this doesn’t mean I think the games are crap and Twilight Princess is in fact one I want to revisit soon again, now that I am in the mood thanks to the review.

The second thing, it did have a massive impact on the Zelda franchise. Many of the things that kinda make the world of Hyrule way more fleshed out and as such contribute to the fun of the games, found their roots in the game. Things Dobson btw may claim to enjoy in Breath of the Wild, but as evident by that comic I now present hates.

And in order to make my point, I combine what those elements are, while also dissecting the comic that is the true main point of this entire post, panel by panel

First, the “derpy Goron” thing. So, you don’t like the Gorons? Okay, fine, you do you. But why is your idea to show why you think they suck to give them derp-face and portray them as “dumb? Sure, they are simple minded in a manner in the game, but not like that?

If anything, Dobson’s choice of facial expression and the “DUH” implies that he wants to use the word retarted to describe them. Which you know, kinda offensive. And also hypocritical, as Dobson would show down the line in life that just even the word “derpy” to use to describe a character, would in his mind be problematic.

As evident by the following MLP related posts provided by Hypocrisy, that show his dA journal expressed opinion on the Derpy Hooves controversy of 2012

In addition, hating the Gorons? Why? I admit, I did not think too much of Goron City as a location. It is a cave system in form of a hole in the ground, inside a mountain. Not very much to see there, but that was in regard to the technical limitations of the time. As a species however, I like them. Some of them are just simple minded, but kind creatures, but then you also have a badass like Darunia, who even becomes your brother in blood after you save the species from starvation. They are to me kinda like the Zelda version of the trolls in Discworld, elemental creatures that can also be funny but badass. In addition, traveling through territory leads to encountering some of the best dungeons in the game. Including the dungeon in Death Mountain, where you have to fight a dragon with a sledgehammer.

Nintendo's original GigaChad

Lastly, the Gorons would help to flesh out the world of Hyrule significantly, by introducing one of the first non human/elfish and yet intelligent species in the entire franchise. Till then, most of the time when you interacted in a Zelda game with an NPC able to talk, it was some other Hyrulian phenotypical to Link. Creatures such as Goblins or Lynel were only minions to Ganondorf. The Gorons, Zoras and Gerudos are the first major species with their own additional culture and kingdoms in the land of Hyrule and they got introduced in this game and further developed in other games.

Heck, Darunia is actually even something of a callback, as he is named after a town in the second Legend of Zelda game for the NES. You know, the sort of games Dobson worshipped.

Ganon(dorf) not being a pig Yeah. And that is a good thing.

Frankly, when OoT came out, most people assumed it to be a “prequel” to A Link to the Past from the SNES, because in this game Ganon isn’t yet in a boar demon form and goes by the name of Ganondorf. And they thought it was awesome. After all, A Link to the Past was a great game for many, and this implied that through OoT we get the “backstory” of this game, by diving into the very conflict that sealed away the Golden Land and resulted in a thief becoming the King of Evil. And we did… kinda.

Ignoring the Zelda timeline branching out more than Dobson ever did in his artistic growth, for quite some time it really came off like this game was a prequel to the SNES game. But not just that, it expanded on the Zelda myth and in doing so also on Ganon, which was more than a good thing.

Let us be real here: Ganon until that point was a boring boar. He simply was a fat blueish boar demon sitting with his thumbs up his ass in the final dungeon till you came along and finished him off with the sword or the silver arrows. Of all the four main Zelda games that existed by Nintendo up until that point, he only showed up in two.

The thing on the left is supposed to be the true embodiment of evil? Oracle games Ganon on the right was better than that!

Sure, he was the main antagonist and supposed mastermind behind everything in the first Zelda and A Link to the Past, but he had no real presence in the game. He wasn’t like let’s say Kefka in Final Fantasy 6, who showed up early on and became a constant thorn in the side for the heroes over the course of the game or the narrative till we were meant to fight him.

Ganondorf rectified that. In OoT, he was an active threat from the get go. Having assured that the Deku Tree would be infected by a deadly parasite, almost starving the Gorons to death, infecting the patron of the Zoras with another creature before the adventure of Link even began. And once he got IN story the triforce of power after essentially taking advantage that those dumb kids tried to stop him in order to enter the sacred realm… HOLY SHIT did things turn dark. Now Hyrule was ruled by a genuine king of evil.

The great kingdom we travelled before in search of three gemstones being turned into a wasteland and everyone we started to care for suffering in one way or another. We had more urgency, because the way the story had handled Ganondorf up until that point, made defeating him way more personal than in prior games. We didn’t just get a final baddie to fight to wrap things up, we saw the rise and fall of evil. Not to forget, his boss battle, with the castle falling apart and then the final battle in which Ganondorf finally snaps and takes on a demonic beastform… I have to say, playing that as a kid felt way more epic than the way it was presented in prior games.

The game essentially abandoned Ganon’s beastial cartoonish look and shallow final boss presence from previous games, to reinvent him as one of the greatest videogame villains of all time. This game establishes him as a determined, malicious and highly cunning villain in search of ultimate power, with his own backstory and origin to booth and laid the groundwork for his presentation in every game afterwards. Be it the old, more regal but still utterly mad man who wants to make Hyrule resurface from the sea in Wind Waker, the semi immortal manipulator in the shadows in Twilight Princess or the usurper and semi demon god in the Breath of the Wild continuity, who even in death is an utter menace thanks to his miasma overflowing the kingdom like some eldritch horror.

You know how they say that a villain is at times only as good as his best villains? Ganondorf is that example for the entire Zelda franchise, if not the entire Nintendo canon. As evident by the fact, that fans and even the main company alike think, that in any form of villainous team up he would be the true leader among the group.

The timeline branching Okay, I kinda agree with Dobson, the timeline branching really is an issue with that franchise. But none I would blame OoT for.

Timeline according to the Hyrule Historia post Skyward Sword but BEFORE the Breath of the Wild

To me it is like that: The timeline branching is a problem that first genuinely surfaced in the wake of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, as prior to those games you could, even as a casual Zelda player, kinda put the games into a certain chronological order, even if the games themselves were NOT released as such.

Like to me OoT was the first game, followed by Majora’s Mask, then a new Link fought Ganon along in A Link to the Past, the Oracle games and Link’s Awakening, before the NES games had the final incarnation of Link get rid of Ganon for good. Either that or you ignored the NES games and considered everything from Wind Waker on a reboot.

But I digress. To me, OoT can’t be blamed for the timeline branching (nonsense), because the game itself did not attempt to “branch” the timeline. That is something other people, the game developers of future installments started to do, all while just saying OoT should be the point of divergence because it is chronologically the first game with time travel shenanigans.

Blaming it, is like blaming the great grandparents of Jeffrey Dahmer for his murders, because by reproducing and bringing one of his grandparents into the world, the existence of that monster was guaranteed.

On another note, Dobson also genuinely thought the Zelda games should only follow ONE Link for all eternity, instead of reincarnations or alternate versions. Which I guess may be linked to some autistic desire for conformity.

Sidekicks Oh, you are one of those people!

Frankly, I never got the hate Navi gets. I admit that her “hey listen” can get annoying over time, but as far as I know, this has been more of an issue in the American release of the game, than in the PAL version. Or at least I never got the impression she was that annoying. But frankly, she had way more positive functions as a “device” in the game to me, than anything. Plus, I can think of worse sidekicks in the series interrupting the flow of the game.

Navi has been criticized by some people in the fandom so hard, at this point it isn’t fair criticism in my opinion as much as it is blatant character bashing.

Also, complaining about annoying sidekick characters and how they are dumb?

Dobson is the last person online to do just that.

Fans Yeah, how dare people have fun with a videogame, that may have also impacted in a positive manner how they think of the medium overall.

I will say this: Yeah, overzealous fans in any fandom are annoying and I actually agree with Dobson on the notion that even if you love something, you should also look at it once in a while with a critical or neutral eye. Admit for example if something has flawed, but also try to explain why these flaws make it good in your opinion e.g.

However, two things work against Dobson’s point.

First, I think that overzealous hatred for something is even worse than overzealous joy.

Second, like with his hatred for sidekicks, Dobson is one of the last people on the planet to get mad at people being fans of anything to an extreme degree, when he himself has shown rather unhealthy fan behavior. Be it by hating George Lucas for the Star Wars prequels…

Obsessing over KorraSami to the point of it overshadowing the actual show…

Or spending more than 500 hours on Zelda Breath of the Wild in only 7 sessions

Now in his defense, spending hundreds of hours in an open world videogame is not the problem. But 568 hours in seven sessions? That amounts to an average of 78,2 hours per session. So either Dobson let the console run while he was busy doing other stuff (though I doubt they included actually drawing comics) and in doing so wasted precious electricity or he is a severe game addict.

The Zora redesign Again, I don’t get the problem. Zora’s in “A Link to the Past” were pretty much just mindless random monsters. This game established them as a sophisticated species and independent kingdom. And while Princess Ruto could be annoying and the Water Temple was so frustrating, I spend months not playing the game because I was stuck in it, I think the Rutos were a great addition to the game and the series as a whole.

Again, the world of Hyrule wouldn’t be as colorful and interesting, if it hadn’t been further fleshed out by the addition of non-elfish species and kingdoms/tribes. This game learnt to walk, so that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom could essentially run.

I think the only reason Dobson hated them was, because he thought them being turned humanoid turns others into furries. Granted, I can kinda understand why someone would go Troy McLure based on that design…

But I think the designs of later games are even more detailed.

Heck, if I ever find out that he claimed for Breath of the Wild or some other game, that the Rutos are amazing and he always loved them, I will laugh my ass off at the hypocrisy. Before punching him in the face while smiling like Sidon

Oh and I will admit freely, that I love Sidon and his sister, even if my current main expossure to them is via Hyrule Warriors- Age of Calamity. Cause god dang it, those two siblings deserve a happy end, even if it is just in an alternate timeline.

Moving on...

Empty Fields

I will say this: Yeah, the Hyrule Field is my least favorite location of the entire game. It is just a huge grassy plane connecting the different more intriguing locations of the kingdom and before you get Epona or the songs to teleport to the different temples and dungeons, traveling across it can be rather annoying. But if walking around terrain without doing much is such a problem to Dobson, why exactly does he enjoy Breath of the Wild again, as it does involve a lot of travelling around vast space too? Granted, it is at least space with interesting scenery and great battles against minor yet dangerous monsters, but it’s the principal that counts for me here. Not to forget, walking around an overworld map that is kinda empty or devoid of much has been a stable for many games. Including great ones, wherein the lack of action, but the presence of a great atmosphere, helps to sell the game’s atmosphere. Including Shadow of the Collosus, which Dobson claims to love. Btw, if Dobson hates dungeons in Zelda, why isn’t he lapping up the actual overworld?

And this btw is only the second most annoying nitpick in the comic if you ask me. Cause the most annoying comes of course now

LINK IS BLOND! Again, like I asked in the last post, what is it with Link having a lighter hair color now than before, that makes Dobson channel his inner Chris Chan here? Link being blond is essentially what Sonic’s arms are to the internet’s most famous motherfucker. I just get the impression that Dobson genuinely believes the stereotype of blond people being dumb or at the very least “nasty” as the face Link makes in the panel also is kinda one reserved for genuine douchebags. Smug, slightly arrogant, as if he is going to give someone a swirly.

Heck, Dobson’s asshole level smugness about Link’s hair color has not only been more or less the reason for an entire comic complaining about it to exist…

If he could, he drew the character as often with brown hair as he could.

Frankly, I am more concerned about how Dobson’s interpretation of Link looks more like Link’s mother fucked a troll doll (something about the nose in most Link drawings by Dobbear give the impression to me) than anything from the genuine games. Like for someone who considers himself an artist, his own art doesn't really manage to capture what Link is supposed to be (End part 1/2. Second part uploaded in a minute because of a problem regarding the uploading of pics)

#andrew dobson #zelda #legend of korra #legend of zelda ocarina #ocarina of time #ruto #so you are andrew dobson #tom preston #syac #nintendo vember #nintendo #Youtube

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sound-traveller · 6 months

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if you saw this get posted early no you didn't 💀

☆ F/O-vember Promo! ☆

"Hm... it seems the little detective left their phone here."

"Let's see what I can do with it until they come back for it...~"

F/Otember info || general acc info

current asks in inbox: 3

HI EVERYONE! I'm gonna be participating in FO-tember this year!! (hosted by @cherry-bomb-ships, sorry for mentioning you twice,!!!)

Basically I'm handing this blog off to my F/Os for the entirety of November. You can ask any of my F/Os questions and they'll answer in-character! I'll also try to draw responses to questions :3 if you shoot them an ask, I'll send you one back!

In addition, I'll also be letting a few of my F/Os have near-complete control of my account, meaning they'll sometimes make posts instead of me!

These characters are listed below (may change)

💫 Snail-Chan (Snail's House, platonic)

💎 Roguefort Cookie (Cookie Run, familial / rival)

⚙️ Timekeeper Cookie (Cookie Run, platonic / familial)

✒️ Baguette Cookie (Cookie Run, familial)

🎵 Vagabond Cookie (Cookie Run, platonic)

📖 Blueberry Pie Cookie (Cookie Run, platonic / familial)

🪷 Lotus Dragon Cookie (Cookie Run, familial)

⛺️ S'more Cookie (Cookie Run, queerplatonic)

If you want to know the characters you can send asks to, check my carrd! (link)

That's all for now, I think! I look forward to seeing everyone else who's participating in this =w=

#ok to RB!! ♡#phantom bleu stole my fucking phone send help #°• || snowy.txt || •°#selfship promo #selfship #selfship community #self shipper #self shipping #f/ovember archive [2023]

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hydesjackiespuddinpop · 6 months

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No-vember 7: I guess you've never heard the word "no" before.

Summary: Jackie tries to get Hyde to go to the historic ball with her.

November 7, 2023; 7:56 PM

"So how's the baby?" Hyde asks. He is on FaceTime with Mia and Reggie.

Reggie looks at his wife, putting a hand over hers before looking back at the camera. "Things couldn't be any better." Mia smiled, "We just came back from the doctor. We're having a boy."

Jackie squealed, making everyone cover their ears. The door swung open, revealing Kelso coming in. He was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. "Damn Jackie, lower the volume. I'm trying to sleep! Oh hey kids."

Mia gagged, "I don't know whether I want to throw up because of morning sickness or the fact that I can see uncle Kelso's cock from here." She turned to Reggie, who just hugged her. "We've gotta go, but we'll talk to you later."

Hyde nodded as Mia and Reggie hung up. He sighed, “In three months, we’re gonna be grandparents grasshopper. Can you believe it? Jackie?”

Jackie wiped her tears, “They just…my baby boy.” She sobbed into her husband’s arms. Hyde stroked the brunette’s hair. “I know. I know.” He knew that Reggie becoming a father was a lot for Jackie to take. Hell it was a lot for him to take.

Hyde kissed his wife’s hair, “You wanna go out for a bit.” That immediately got Jackie to perk up and smile. “Oh my god, yes! Retirement has been so boring! We can go the historical ball together! I got you the cutest su—“

Hyde shook his head, “I guess you've never heard the word "no" before. I’ll go to the ball, but I’m not wearing that damn suit.” Jackie pouted, letting her lower lip pop out. “Pweeeseee.” The curly haired man sighed, “Fine.” The brunette jumped, “‘Kay!” She pecked his lips before leaving.

#that 70s show #that 90s show #my fanfiction #t7s fanfiction #t9s fanfiction #no-vember #otp: anything for you doll #zenmasters #mia x reggie #oc: mia forman #oc: reggie hyde #het ships #day 7

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neverwinternighting · 2 years

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30 days of Never-vember!

It’s November! And just like last year, I was thinking about posting a list of NWN/NWN2-centric general prompts for each day in November! (Get it? Neverwinter + November? Never-vember?)

This year we’re doing TWO lists of prompts. Yes, two - one list for each game! Feel free to do one, or the other, both at the same time, or even switch between them. This way, those who are unfamiliar with some parts of the games can still contribute something for that day if they wish. They will also have some of the same prompts for the same days, since those specific ones are generally applicable with their own potential meanings in each adventure.

You can write the prompt. You can draw the prompt. You can do a combination of both. Comics? Hell yeah. Everything is welcome!

If you decide to do these, please feel free to tag me in each one you do so that I can give you reblogs.

This challenge is not in the least bit binding and it is by no means an obligation or a contest - you can do few, you can do all, you can even do only one day if you want. It’s entirely up to you!

Prompts listed below (take artistic license in interpretation if you need):

Never-vember NWN1:

Day 1: Describe/draw how your character was recruited for the Academy

Day 2: Describe/draw how your character came to Drogan for adventure training

Day 3: Describe/draw a typical day at the Academy, pre-massacre

Day 4: Describe/draw a typical day at Drogan's adventuring school pre-Kobold attack

Day 5: First impressions

Day 6: Fenthick's Fate

Day 7: Brutal truth

Day 8: Meeting Aarin Gend for the first time

Day 9: Encountering Deekin the first time, compared to encountering Deekin a second time

Day 10: Fish out of water

Day 11: Family

Day 12: Your character or a party member is caught red-handed! (By whoever you like, doing anything)

Day 13: Drogan's sacrifice

Day 14: Aribeth's doubts

Day 15: How would your character like to command Mephistopheles, given the freedom?

Day 16: Sanctuary

Day 17: Changing fate

Day 18: A significant moment in your adventure described or drawn entirely without dialogue

Day 19: Confrontation

Day 20: If you and your character switched places for a day

Day 21: "I didn't know you cared so much"

Day 22: Your character’s relationship with their god, or gods in general

Day 23: A moment of anguished helplessness

Day 24: Your character's thoughts or attitude towards Lord Nasher

Day 25: "Just in case we don't make it-"

Day 26: Denial

Day 27: Comedy relief

Day 28: Trapped

Day 29: How your adventure(s) should have really ended

Day 30: Free space! Write or draw anything you like!

Never-vember NWN2:

Day 1: Describe/draw who taught your character, or was a major influence on them growing up

Day 2: Your character's best moment in the Harvest Fair

Day 3: A welcome surprise

Day 4: The "good old days"

Day 5: First impressions

Day 6: Two companions and/or your character forced to get along

Day 7: Meanwhile, back at the inn...

Day 8: Fire

Day 9: Unconventional hero

Day 10: Fish out of water

Day 11: Family

Day 12: Your character or a party member is caught red-handed! (By whoever you like, doing anything)

Day 13: Betrayal

Day 14: Unexpected middle ground

Day 15: A magical mishap affects someone or everyone in your party!

Day 16: Sanctuary

Day 17: A moment or moments your character felt something was just too much for them

Day 18: A significant moment in your adventure described or drawn entirely without dialogue

Day 19: Confrontation

Day 20: If you and your character switched places for a day

Day 21: "I didn't know you cared so much"

Day 22: Your character’s relationship with their god, or gods in general

Day 23: A moment of anguished helplessness

Day 24: Your character's thoughts or attitude towards Lord Nasher

Day 25: "Just in case we don't make it-"

Day 26: Denial

Day 27: Comedy relief

Day 28: Trapped

Day 29: How your adventure(s) should have really ended

Day 30: Free space! Write or draw anything you like!

#nwn1 #nwn2 #nevervember #neverwinter nights #neverwinter nights 2 #never-vember #prompts

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noonmutter · 1 year

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Return

DWC November 2022 Day 6: Home/Unnatural

"I tried to warn you. Multiple times. But you're a grown man, in theory."

"'Ow was I sposed t' know 'ow long it'd been? Time passes funny in there! You know it does!"

"And yet, somehow, I've never spent so much time in the Dream as to have your questionably problematic problem."

"Your biological clock is gnome-manufactured; mine is a sundial from a farm."

"I really don't think anyone's going to mind, Leon."

"I mean... as alterations go, it coulda been worse, I guess? I mean, look at Malfurion, right?"

"Malfurion Stormrage is one of the greatest druids the Night Elves have ever produced, if not the greatest on Azeroth, and you would do well not to make fun of him."

"Okay but 'e totally does look a bit ridiculous if y' think about it too long."

"...Fine, yes. I'll grant you that much. Regardless, it's nothing to be dramatic about. If you hadn't made such a fuss about it in the first place, half the grove wouldn't even have noticed to begin with."

"Vember, 'alf th' grove doesn't notice what month it is."

"That's hardly relevant."

"Th' other 'alf is asleep."

"Leon. It's fine. Go home."

"I'm goin', I'm goin!"

"And give my best to your lovely fiancé, who's been terribly patient with you this whole time!"

"Long as y' give yer beau my blessin's in return, y' brat."

"I love you too, little brother."

As with most things, Vember was right about that parting shot; Valarin had been so very, very patient about his time away from home. The cabin visits had done well to stave off the...not completely unjustified fears his elven love harbored, but they weren't enough to chase away the almost tangible need to see one another. Engagement had a way of making that need so much stronger.

Leon had been looking forward to going home for good, because of course he had, but there was still a sense of sadness when he looked back at the barrow he'd shared with his adoptive sister for the last handful of years. She'd been as much a mentor as anyone else in the Dreamgrove, if not more so, because she was family and she knew him well enough to cut through his bullshit better than anyone else there. She was the only one, besides perhaps his feral shan'do Bollad, who could get him to admit he'd grown adept as a druid. He wasn't sure about Bollad because Bollad hadn't tried.

Walking the Dream was... an experience. No matter how many times he did it, no matter how easily it came to him now, there was always a brief sense of disconnection followed immediately by immersion. He felt both more and less real, though he knew the Dream was more. Though it was the place where Druids went to gain insight, to grow, to cement their place in the great balance, he understood immediately how it could be so easy to lose one's place entirely there. How easily one could forget how to wake up, and believe that they had always been as they were in the Dream. How that existence wasn't an unhappy one, for the dreamer.

Leon had brushed up against that twice in his time with the Dreamweavers. The first time, he almost fell straight into it like a warm blanket. The shock of it had been enough to crank his vigilance up to eleven, and he'd done much better in the following months. Visiting his friends and lovers by way of their dreams was great fun, but it was also good practice.

The second time, he had to actively fight it, and the effort was comparable to trying to take off his own skin in one piece without a knife. When he'd emerged he was...different.

Emotionally, of course; that was to be expected. But also there'd been a slight change. He really didn't know what to call it--unnatural was inaccurate, since nothing was more natural than the Dream, but it wasn't correct, either.

As he approached the cabin in Bradensbrook for the last time, trying to figure out who would be waiting for him there, he thought for a moment he was being followed. It took him several increasingly unsettled stops and checks before he thought to look down, and realized the problem.

The clicking noise on the cobbles was coming from him. He could only laugh a slightly nervous, embarrassed little laugh and move on.

He'd explain the talons when they asked about them. Not before.

( @daily-writing-challenge @valarin-sunstorm @vembermarlon )

#leon #drood nerd bros #my writing #dwc #oops he birded too hard

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igiveinyouhellsite · 2 years

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Did you know that anyone can make a drawing/writing/etc. challenge? Cause I just realized that and now I’m making it your (optional) problem!

Introducing New-Vember! The last-minute, not-very-thought-out challenge for the month of November because I couldn’t find any November challenges!

New-vember

Audience Stand-In

Trickster

Devotee

Idiot Turned Hero

Slasher

Mad Scientist

Experiment Gone Wrong

Living Legend

Friendly Rival

Devil Incarnate

Gentleman Thief

Unknown Threat

Loose Cannon

Catalyst

Childhood Friend

Corruptor

Corrupted

Impostor

Jaded Protagonist

Hedonist

Chooser of Chosen Ones

Deity

Outsider

Stand-In Parent

Evil Underling

Scapegoat

Byronic/Tortured Hero

Traitor

Dark Trickster

You!

These prompts were selected from a list of 201 character archetypes. I pretty much just picked my favorites.

#writing challenge #drawing challenge #art challenge #monthly challenge #writing prompt #art prompt #drawing prompt #writing #art #drawing #new-vember #newvember #my monthly challenge #newvember drawing challenge #newvember writing challenge #new-vember drawing challenge #new-vember writing challenge

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ingek73 · 2 years

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‘I’m deadly serious’: why filmmaker Michael Moore is confident of a Democratic midterm win

The Academy-award winner has been emailing a ‘daily dose of truth’ to mobilize supporters of the party to vote in November

Edward Helmore

Sun 23 Oct 2022 08.00 BST

For the past month, Academy Award-winning documentary maker Michael Moore has been emailing out a daily missive “Mike’s Midterm Tsunami of Truth” on why he believes Democrats will win big in America’s midterm elections next month.

Moore calls it “a brief honest daily dose of the truth – and the real optimism these truths offer us”. It also – at this moment in time – flies in the face of most political punditry, which sees a Republican win on the cards.

Making predictions is a risky undertaking in any election cycle, but especially in this round with Democrats banking they can hitch Republican candidates to an unpopular supreme court decision to overturn federal guarantees of a woman’s right to abortion. Republicans, meanwhile, are laser-focused on high inflation rates, economic troubles and fears over crime rates.

But political forecasting has become Moore’s business since he correctly called that Donald Trump would win the national elections in 2016 against common judgment of the media and pollsters businesses.

The thrust of his reasoning that this will be “Roe-vember” is amplified daily in the emails. In missive #21 (Don’t Believe It) on Tuesday, he addressed the issue of political fatalism, specifically the media narrative that the party in power necessarily does poorly in midterm elections.

“The effect of this kind of reporting can be jarring – it can get inside the average American’s head and scramble it,” Moore wrote. “You can start to feel deflated. You want to quit. You start believing that we liberals are a bunch of losers. And by thinking of ourselves this way, if you’re not careful, you begin to manifest the old narrative into existence.”

Reached by telephone last week, Moore, 68, told the Guardian that his purpose, in effect, is to puncture herd-thinking. He points to three recent examples where political norms were wrongly interpreted.

“If I said to you six months ago, ‘you know Kansas, right? It’s a huge pro-abortion state and this summer by a margin of 60% they’re going to keep abortion legal’ you’d think I had made a crazy statement,” he says.

“If I’d told you at the same time that in the congressional election in Alaska, a hard red state, that it’s not only not going to be won by a Democrat but a Native Alaskan Democrat, again you’d have to question if I was out of my mind.”

Finally, he draws attention to Boise, Idaho, where an incumbent Republican candidate for the board of education was endorsed by a far-right group, the Idaho Liberty Dogs, and lost to an 18-year-old high school senior and progressive activist, Shiva Rajbhandari, who was also co-founder of the Boise chapter of climate group Extinction Rebellion.

In each case, Moore says, conventional thinking was challenged.

“I have a high-school education so probably, maybe, you shouldn’t be getting your news from me, if you’d just been paying attention in the last six months to Kansas, Idaho and Alaska you’d have seen the red flags going up,” he says.

Moore likes to go off in a different direction. He comes from Michigan with its strong connections to anti-government movements – Moore went to the same high-school as Oklahoma bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols.

His read is not metropolitan-orientated. Last year he wrote Democrats have “insurrectionist envy” of the January 6 Capitol riot. “Deep down in your soul, as you watched what your eyes could not believe was happening, admit to me that in that appalling moment on January 6, 2021, you were – how do I say it – jealous that it was the fascists who had risen up, and not us long before now,” he wrote.

Moore insists he’s not simply being provocative in predicting a Democrat landslide. “I’m sixty-eight and I don’t have time to mess around. I’m deadly serious.”

Moore predicts the election will see a record turnout of younger voters whose views pundits and commentators often miss. “If you spend any time with women, the Dobbs decision struck them personally and deeply. This was a religious edict based on conservative Catholic principles.”

Moore’s political musings are not limited to critical observations of the right. Missteps by Democrats are also apparent. “The biggest hurdle to what I’m doing with the series is the Democratic party,” he says. He’s been watching Democrat governor and state election debates on the US public broadcaster C-Span.

“It’s very disheartening and it would make even me question how we’re going to pull this off. The Democratic party consultants are feeding lines that are so lame and weak. They don’t go for the jugular like a Republican would. It doesn’t inspire people at home.”

“We stand here on the precipice of a very important election and our greatest enemy could be the Democratic party itself,” he adds.

But Moore has a further point, often made but not always heeded, that biggest political grouping in the US is not Republican or Democrat, but non-voters. This non-voter party, which is perhaps the most potentially powerful but also the most inaccessible, is whom Moore wants to reach.

“The non-voter party don’t see how politics benefits them, they’re disgusted with the hypocrisy, a lot are disgusted with the crazy fighting that goes on, and the craziness that Trump amped up,” Moore says, adding that when he turns on the TV in the evening he doesn’t necessarily go to a news channel but looks for a comedy.

Moore’s call-to-arms then is to reach the non-believers. “Everyone of who does care, and feels like our democracy could be hanging on by a thread” now “has to do something in these last three weeks”.

In his case, he says, it could be as simple as calling a cousin who doesn’t vote to give them reasons why, this time, it’s important and that “she can go back to non-voting after this.”

But what would he say to them?

“Aren’t you tired of nothing getting done? All this deadlock bullshit. One way to undo this logjam is to give Democrats a chance to pass legislation and let’s see how it works out. Maybe it won’t work. Maybe they’ve got bad ideas. But no idea and no decision is paralyzing and hurts the country. If we talk like that, talk normal, that could be a huge help.”

#michael moore #us midterm elections

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sakadayrina · 2 years

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"i didn't know"vember, where in november you make up for all the art challenges you had zero clue were on during october

#apolloposting #there's an oc-tober??? hullo???

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ayatosmoles · 3 years

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saku-vember by marcy!

happy november!! this year i really wanted to participate in kinktober, but i'm not comfortable quite yet with smut so i decided to do my own little month-long event for the absolute love of my life :)

the schedule: i am going to aim to post a fic twice a week! however, because i am a full-time college student, this may be difficult so it may only be one some weeks. if this is the case, the event will continue to november because i have 9 posts planned!

i can't really plan out specific days of the week because my schedule varies, but it will most likely be on thursdays and weekends! please be kind if i'm behind schedule - like i said i am a full time student and it's midterms season!!

background: each fic is going to be a chronological telling of all the firsts in your relationship with sakusa kiyoomi (but i couldn't think of all firsts, so some are different), starting with your first meeting, and ending with your first huge milestone :)

each part will be independent, so you do not have to read every single on if you don't want to!!

important note: this event will contain nsfw pieces! there should be no minor/ageless blog interaction on these!! of course, they will be tagged and labelled properly when posted!

the prompts:

day one: the first date (sfw)

day two: first night together (sfw)

day three: first vulnerability (slight nsfw, hurt/comfort): pt. 1 pt.2

day four: first time having sex (nsfw)

day five: morning after (sfw, suggestive)

day six: moving in together (sfw)

day seven: first fight (sfw, hurt/comfort)

day seven: proposal (sfw)

day eight: wedding (sfw, probably suggestive)

bonus: ??? (nsfw)

i'm thinking about making a taglist, so if that interests you just send me an ask/reply to this post :)

#ik sakutober is a silly ass name but i like it don't bully me #praying to god that i'll actually finish this #and people will actually like it </3 #sakusa x reader #sakusa kiyoomi x reader #haikyuu x reader #♡.talking #marcy.events #i'm also too dumb to get image headers otherwise this would have more spice

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kobutareads1 · 2 years

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NO-vember by Erwins_eyebrows

Modern AU. Firefighter AU. One shot. Levi and his friends participate in No Nut November. His new neighbor firefighter Erwin makes it difficult. Damn Hanji.

A fluffy, sexy and funny fic. Levi is so sexually frustrated and poor Erwin is confused. Almost all of the Vets plus Isabel and Farlan are in the fic.

#eruri fanfic #eruri #erwin smith #levi ackerman #erwin smith x levi ackerman #levi's og squad #Mobuhan #farlan church #isabel magnolia #mike zacharias #modern au #firefighter #no nut november #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin

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lailoken · 3 years

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Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale, agg.)

“The idea that the picking of dandelion flowers leads to bed-wetting is widespread and well- known even in urban areas.

When I was a child in Brixton (1950s) we believed that if you picked dan- delion flowers vember 1979] you would wet your bed. [St Albans, Hertfordshire, November 1979]

Dandelions: not to be picked. Very unlucky. Children in Fife (1930s) called them 'pee-the-beds' and anyone who picked them was mocked. [Apples, Switzerland, February 1983]

An Irish lady told me that if you gathered dandelions, and brought them indoors, you would wet your bed that night! [Capel Hendre, Dyfed, September 1983]

Another day, when I was nearly seven years old, I had gathered a bunch of dandelions-this time grandmother told me that I risked wetting the bed if I had anything to do with these. [Bow Street, Dyfed, March 1984]

[I was born in 1949] as a child every other child I knew lived in horror of picking a dandelion-it was widely accepted as a fact this would lead to bed-wetting. [Belfast, February 1991]

This belief has given rise to many local names including: pee-beds [Clappersgate, Cumbria, October 1985], pee-in-bed [Accrington, Lancashire, March 1982], pee-the-bed [Belfast, February 1991], pee- the-beds [Parkstone, Dorset, June 1991], piss-i-beds [Langtoft, Humberside, March 1985], pissimire [Langtoft, Humberside, March 1985], piss-in-the-beds [Dainean, Co. Offaly, January 198 5], pisterbed [Lenamore, Co. Longford, April 1991], pittly beds [Corbridge, Northumberland, January 1993], wet-the-bed [Stockport, Greater Manchester, March 1984], and wet-the-beds [Streatham, London, May 1983]

On the continent of Europe such names as the Dutch pisse-bed and the French pissenlit [Grigson, 1987: 393] reveal that similar names and beliefs are not restricted to the British Isles.

Children also use dandelion 'clocks'—ripe dandelion seedheads—to tell the time, or, more rarely, predict the future.

When dandelions lost their yellow petals and grew that fluffy material, children used to pluck them and by blowing it they imagined they could tell the time. Each blow was counted as an hour, starting at one o'clock. Whenever all the fluffy material was gone, that counted as the time of the day. [Daingean, Co. Offaly, January 1985]

As children in Notts in the 1920s . . . we blew dandelion clocks to tell the time. [Oban, Argyll, October 1990]

We used to blow dandelion seeds and count — 'This year, next year, sometime, never' (to get married). [Llanuwchylln, Gwynedd, April 1991]

Learnt from my mother's knee, so to speak...dandelion seed heads when perfect were used to find out whether someone loved you or not by blowing short breaths at the plant and with each breath reciting 'He loves me, he loves me not,' until all the seeds had blown away and the last blow decided the result! [Worcester, October 1991].

Occasionally the seeds of dandelions are, like autumn leaves, considered to be lucky if caught.

The floating seeds of dandelions and similar plants are called 'fairies' by young children, and it is thought to be lucky to catch one. [South Ken- sington, London, November 1979]

As a child, evacuated to Elgin, Scotland, during World War II... Another 'taboo' plant was the common dandelion, it was supposed to make you wet the bed!... And yet, like all children, we didn't think anything of picking off the seed heads, which was supposed to tell you the time, according to how many tìmes you blew on it to release all the little 'para- chutes', We believed the flying seeds were fairies, and blowing them released them from capture! If you should catch a passing fairy, you would make a wish before releasing it, then let it fly away on the wind. [Stevenage, Hertfordshire, January 1993]

Particularly in Ireland, dandelions were used in the treatment of a wide range of illnesses.

The juice that comes from the danelion [sic] is a cure for every disease. [IFCSS MSS 550: 274, Co. Tipperary]

Dandelion: Boil the leaves and the water in which they are boiled may be drunk. It is said to be a cure for anything. The leaves can also be eaten raw. Mr Sheehan has used it for his stomach. [IFCSS MSS 313: 310a, Co. Cork].

Dandelion tea from the leaves [was] a general tonic. [St Osyth, Essex, February 1989]

Roots of dandelion boiled, and strained, and drunk is good for consumptives. [IFCSS MSS 200: 73, Co. Leitrim]

KIDNEY TROUBLES: the leaf of dandelion is chewed in the mouth and the juice is swallowed. Mrs Griffin told me that this treatment cured Nora O'Callaghan... of the complaint about thirty years ago. [IFCSS MSS 450: 162, Co. Kerry]

Dandelion wine is good for INDIGESTION and kidney troubles. [Portland, Dorset, April 1991]

People used to go out... and gather dandelion. They brought them in and boiled them, the juice of the dandelions were a good cure for weak HEARTS. [IFCSS 589: 205, Co. Clare]

[The dandelion] was a great cure for the JAUNDICE, boil it along with buttermilk and when it is boiled take out the weed and drink the mixture. [IFCSS MSS 717: 217, Co. Meath]

Dandelion Tea: First they put a knife under it and lifted it from the roots. They saved it in the sun until it got quite hard. Then they boiled the kettle and poured the boiling water on it, strained it, and then put it into bottles. Then they drank it, and it was very good for the NERVES. [IFCSS MSS notebooks 442c, Co. Kerry]

Herbal remedies for WARTS: squeeze the white milky juice of the dan- delion onto the wart and allow to dry. Repeat the application as often as possible. The wart will blacken and eventually drop off. [Langtoft, Hum- berside, July 1985]

Dandelion milk was used by my mother to cure WARTS on the fingers. [Histon, Cambridgeshire, January 1989]

Local plant names from an elderly friend in Porthnockie ... bum-pipes — dandelions, which were, like DOCK leaves, used to soothe stings. [Edin- burgh, December 1991]

To cure a sting of a NETTLE: look around and if there is a dandelion beside it you would rub the juice of it to it, it will cure the sting. [IFCSS MSS 50: 295, Co. Galway]

POULTRY-KEEPERS valued dandelions as food for turkeys.

Dandelion is very good for turkeys. It makes them strong and healthy. [IFCSS MSS 500: 238, Co. Limerick]

We used dandelion leaves a lot in feeding young turkeys which were very delicate and hard to rear. The leaves were chopped up and mixed with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs. [Piltown, Co. Tipperary, April 1991]

Rightly or wrongly, children considered dandelion leaves to be ideal food for pet rabbits.

Local plant names from an elderly friend in Porthnockie ... dainties or denties —both flower and leaves of dandelion, the leaves being picked to feed pet rabbits. [Edinburgh, December 1991]

Dandelion flowers are used in the making of a favourite homemade wine.

You should pick dandelion flowers for your dandelion wine on ST GEORGE'S DAY. [Wimbledon, London, November 1983]

In wine-making circles, traditionally, dandelion wine is made on 23 April. [Atkins, 1986: 37]”

—

Oxford Dictionary of Plant-Lore

by Roy Vickery

#Oxford Dictionary of Plant-Lore #Roy Vickery #Dandelion #plant lore

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otgw-net · 3 years

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Officially announcing…. (drumroll please…) the prompts for Gnome-vember 2020!

Here, compiled in one handy graphic, are the prompts for our inaugural week of creative prompts!

For those who missed the announcement post, this is a week of low-stress prompts (November 23-20) to encourage folks to make content for the show Over the Garden Wall. The prompts are purposefully super simple, so you take them and run with it! Whether your medium of choice is traditional art, digital art, gifs, writing, crafts, playlists, or anything else you can think of, we’d like to see it.

The prompts are being posted now if you’d like a bit of a head start, but we encourage you to post your work on that prompt’s day! Those are the days that we’ll be reblogging what you’ve made. And, of course, be sure to use our tag (#gnome-vember2020), as well as that day’s tag (for example, for day 2 it would be “#gnome-vember song”). We can’t wait to see what you all create! Be sure to reach out if you have any questions. Also, please reblog to get the word out!

(Prompts are also listed under the cut)

Day 1: costumes (Monday, November 23) Day 2: song (Tuesday, November 24) Day 3: Pottsfield (Wednesday, November 25) Day 4: family (Thursday, November 26) Day 5: darkness (Friday, November 27) Day 6: animals (Saturday, November 28) Day 7: ghost (Sunday, November 29) Day 8: winter (Monday, November 30)

#over the garden wall #otgw #cartoon network #wirt #otgw-net #over the garden wall fandom #jason funderburker #the beast #gnome-vember2020

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neverwinternighting · 2 years

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I posted 635 times in 2021

77 posts created (12%)

558 posts reblogged (88%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 7.2 posts.

I added 1,099 tags in 2021

#nwn2 - 306 posts

#nwn - 300 posts

#queue'd - 111 posts

#hotu - 94 posts

#valen - 69 posts

#sand - 54 posts

#motb - 46 posts

#cue the queue - 44 posts

#neverwinter nights 2 - 41 posts

#nevervember - 34 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and now that he's filling in the kc's role he takes on the tradition of buying a round of celebratory drinks like in the days of the shadow

My Top Posts in 2021

I am so fucking here for these tags @neverwintermuses

I think part of what makes Sand so appealing is the fact that he DOESNT constantly spill his spaghetti like some of the other romance options. I guess it means that part of what makes Sand such an attractive romance option to me is that you approach him, he’s not about to shove the KC into an uncomfortable position with unwarranted attention.

We were actually talking about it once before-

I love going back to read this because Sand would have been the perfect romantic addition. Like, seriously. But have it not be triggered until the KC says something clearly personal or flirtatious.

27 notes • Posted 2021-11-03 23:56:28 GMT

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Whatever you were expecting to see on your dash, it probably wasn’t this.

28 notes • Posted 2021-03-19 03:12:12 GMT

30 days of Never-vember!

It’s November very soon and I was thinking about posting a list of NWN/NWN2-centric general prompts for each day in November! (Get it? Neverwinter + November? Never-vember?) It’s tricky to figure out since not everyone has played both of the games and all the campaigns in them, so something more general you could choose from to create seemed like the best idea.

You can write the prompt. You can draw the prompt. You can do a combination of both. Comics? Hell yeah. Everything is welcome!

If you decide to do these, please feel free to tag me in each one you do so that I can give you reblogs.

This challenge is not in the least bit binding and it is by no means an obligation or a contest - you can do few, you can do all, you can even do only one if you want. It’s entirely up to you!

Prompts listed below (take artistic license in interpretation if you need):

Day 1: A typical day in your hero or knight captain’s life Day 2: Your character meeting your favorite party member for the first time Day 3: Your character meeting your LEAST favorite party member for the first time Day 4: Your character and chosen party members lounging about at camp or in a tavern Day 5: An embarrassing situation during an adventure Day 6: The most impactful event your character went through Day 7: Your character and/or party members in the modern day DMV Day 8: A character or party member’s birthday! Day 9: A party member finding a way to cheer up your character Day 10: The moment your character formed a (romantic OR friendship) crush Day 11: Something little-known about your character revealed Day 12: Your character or a party member is caught red-handed! (By whoever you like, doing anything) Day 13: Your character saying something they regret during an argument Day 14: How your character feels about Lord Nasher Day 15: Your party’s inside joke Day 16: A prank goes wrong! (Set up by and against whoever you want) Day 17: Your character being loopy after keeping watch all night Day 18: A moment in your adventure described entirely without dialogue Day 19: Your character stuck with the most annoying party member Day 20: If you and your character switched places for a day Day 21: Your character adjusting to a new role during their adventures Day 22: If your party had to work at a modern fast food restaurant Day 23: The story behind one of your character’s scars Day 24: Your party during a boss fight Day 25: A magical mishap affects someone or everyone in your party! Day 26: Your character reflecting on the gravity of the situation during their most difficult moment Day 27: How one of your party members views your own character Day 28: Your character’s relationship with their god, or gods in general Day 29: Your character in a frightful situation during the adventure Day 30: After their adventures are done, how are they/how do they live their lives?

29 notes • Posted 2021-10-27 16:49:20 GMT

Silas - half-dragon Red Dragon Disciple in black armor, whirlwind attack

33 notes • Posted 2021-06-27 05:59:45 GMT

Love Neverwinter Nights 1 and/or Neverwinter Nights 2? Never played it but you're curious about them? Have parts of the game(s) or characters that you're just dying to talk about? Frustrated that there's not enough fandom content for these treasures?

The Neverwinter Nighting discord server is open to any who are interested (or even want to be a fly on the wall)!

There is no special process or sign up or anything, just hop right in. It is recommended to clarify what pronouns you go by and whether you are 18 or older in order to access additional content and discussion.

Hope to see you guys there!

-Drackomancer

55 notes • Posted 2021-06-01 00:31:09 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #interesting #not nwn #i mean kind of

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