iarollane

[iarollane]

Why does this feel like something a hobbit would do?

#not da #not writing #lotr shitpost

[iarollane]

IT’S NOT ‘PEEKED’ MY INTEREST

OR ‘PEAKED’

BUT PIQUED

‘PIQUED MY INTEREST’

THIS HAS BEEN A CAPSLOCK PSA

#not da #writing advice #english #sometimes English is weird

[iarollane]

Woo congrats!!!

Follower Art Giveaway

Hi everyone! To celebrate reaching the 900+ follower milestone, I'm doing a raffle where I will select two winners and will draw a full-color bust or half-body of the character(s) of their choice (limit is two characters per winner).

Please read below the cut for details:

What I can do:

OCs or canon characters (I am most familiar with Dragon Age so I'm going to be limiting it to that)

Simple backgrounds

Tattoos so long as you have a clear reference

Armor as long as you have a clear reference

Weapons as long as they are not too complex

Jewelry

Screencaps

What I will not do:

Nudity/NSFW

Furry/gore/mecha

Complex armor/clothing/backgrounds

Animals

Anything disrespectful to a character, including erasing queerness, whitewashing, degradation, etc.

Please note that I reserve the right to use my work in portfolios (but we can discuss it if you have a preference on social media posting), and it is not to be traced, sold (no NFTs), or used for anything other than personal use with credit.

🎊 How to Enter 🎊

Requirements: Must be following me (via my main blog, @/oxygenforthewicked), and you must have your DMs open so I can contact you.

Please leave a comment on this post to enter (apparently tumblr is weird about that), but reblogs are greatly appreciated! Only one entry per person.

I will be selecting two winners on January 20th, and will DM both winners. If I don't hear back from each person within 24 hours, I will select a new winner.

Once a winner has been selected, please provide me with the following:

A basic idea of what you'd like me to draw (I'm okay with bust or half-body, so please let me know which you would prefer).

References:

This can include screenshots, face claims, color palettes, clothing/armor references, weapon references, mood boards, songs, small snippets of writing, descriptions, backstory, etc. The more the better, I love getting to know the characters I draw 🥰

Please allow three weeks for completion, depending on the complexity. I will let you know if that changes!

Examples of my work:

If you have any questions, let me know!

#gin draws #dragon age fanart

[iarollane]

I've been watching this train wreck and alternatively laughing at the shitshow and crying at the sheer stupidity and waste.

As far as I'm aware, as of Wednesday Jan 11th at 7 am there is still no real response from WotC. They went from two tweets a day on all their major accounts to radio silence, with a halfhearted "Please stand by," message bring sent out a couple days ago.

Either they really didn't anticipate this much backlash, and are now scrambling to rewrite the 1.1ogl into something better, or they're hoping that if they're silent for long enough we'll all forget and let them do whatever they want.

My dearest, fondest hope for this right now is that there is a mutiny happening in Hasbro right now, that there are people with contracts that are unwilling to allow this and are stonewalling the companies efforts to spin this as a good thing. I know it's not likely, but hey, a person can dream right?

Alright, guess it’s time to address the apocalyptic legal elephant in the room:

For those who might not know, WotC plans were leaked to “update” the OGL in what is basically a scorched earth policy with regards to 3rd party material/creators in the hopes of cutting out the competition and forcing people to use their new products. 

As someone who lived through the 4th edition/pathfinder schism, the situation is laughably similar:  D&D is flourishing more than it ever has (thanks primarily to the OGL) but the execs at Hasbro want more of the money spent on the hobby to wind up in their pockets. Oblivious to the fact that the opensource nature of the game is what draws people to it,  they task the design team with creating a proprietary virtual tabletop through which they can sell d&d content without having to worry about books or pdfs being pirated. This rightfully outrages the fandom and burns every scrap of good will they had towards WotC, resulting in a dead edition that’s maligned years afterword as folks hop to the newer, easier game system. 

The thing that’s different this time is that the d&d playerbase has grown exponentially since the days of the first OGL, with 5th edition being the easiest version of the game to run/pick up and so many resources online, there’s almost no barrier to entry besides finding a stable/accommodating group.   Hell, with the explosive popularity of liveplay series you don’t even need to be actively playing in order to be in the fandom.  All of these people are networked together in a fandom hivemind spread across twitter/reddit/youtube and WotC just made an enemy of every single one of them with its shameless and destructive cashgrab.  No streamer or 3rd party publisher wants to give Hasbro 25% of their revenue, to say nothing of having their project “cancelled” if WotC sees it as a threat to any of their current projects ( see the huge number of spelljammer materials published after the company dropped the ball). 

It took about two years after the announcement of 4th edition for Paizo to come out with pathfinder, and I have no doubt the OGL leak kickstarted every major 3rd party publisher brainstorming some legally distinct version of the 5e ruleset. In the coming months I expect to see a number of these surrogate systems floating around the internet in much the same way that the onednd playtest content, but spurred on with the added “fuck you Hasbro” energy. After that, it’s only a matter of time till one of the big streamers picks up one of these systems and popularizes it, not wanting to pay the 25%tithe to WotC. Personally my money’s on Critical Role: they were one of the major factors in popularizing 5th edition and they’ve got the fandom pull to legitimize any claimant to the throne. 

To step away from playing oracle for a bit, I’d like to finish up this post by dunking on WotC:  

*ahem*

HOW FUCKING DUMB TO YOU HAVE TO BE TO TURN YOUR ENTIRE CUSTOMER BASE AGAINST YOU IN ONE NIGHT? This is some new coke/Reynolds pamphlet/invading Russia in winter levels of shooting yourself in the foot. Wizards was on shaky ground to begin with given that they’re coming off a series of notably disappointing products AND trying to launch a new edition/virtual tabletop/battlepass system, but to follow that up with a retroactive rules change that lets them outright steal from or shut down creators? It’s laughable.  Maybe, MAYBE they could have made this work if they were knocking it out of the park with new releases every year and cultivating a base of diehard WotC loyalists, but the fact of the matter is that aside from the brand name, the hobby has largely passed them by. Everything that Wizards does, from player options to settings to monsters to rules modules, someone else does better because they’re willing to take risks and put in the effort. Aside from the elegant simplicity of 5e’s base system, I can count maybe two pieces of actual game design (piety from Theros, ship combat from Saltmash) that I consider usable at my table, which is SAYING SOMETHING considering we’re nearing the end of the game’s ten year golden age. 

I know we’ll weather this storm, we always have, and regardless of what happens I still know my friends and I will enjoy gathering around the table and slinging dice even though we might not be playing “dungeons and dragons” in a couple years time.  I’ll keep my eye on the horizon, and let you know where I find safe harbour.

#not da #not writing #d&d #open D&D

[iarollane]

OK but like... in Encanto, when Maribel is singing right after her little cousin's ceremony and she says "I'm fine. I'm not fine I'm NOT FINE" and her voice cracks just a little on that second I'm not fine?

It gets me. Every time. I sing along and every time i have to stop singing and clear my throat cause of how much it hits me

microdosing on catharsis by watching a fictional character or persona i relate to have an emotional breakdown until my chest starts to ache from the amount i've repressed

#okay glad we’re all doing this to ourselves #previous tags #Encanto #maribel madrigal #waiting on a miracle

[iarollane]

Short answer? No.

do you ever form close relationships with people in your dreams and then feel a little sad when you wake up

[iarollane]

Sunday Snippet

Actually wrote something recently, so enjoy a Despair fueled nightmare.

Talana sang, smiling sweetly at a sea of faces. It was a masterpiece, a song of her own composition, and everyone loved it. She could see her parents, clapping in the crowd and beaming with pride. Kiredan was next to them, whooping. Everyone she'd ever met was gathered in the concert hall, cheering for her as she played.

She frowned. Josephine was sitting next to her brother, eyes shining with admiration. But how-

She faltered. Cullen rose at the back of the crowd, his face set in stern lines. Behind him, Leliana stood with her arms crossed, as her shadowy spies fanned out to surround the crowd.

"What is all the cacophony?" Cullen asked crossly, his voice echoing through the hall.

The spies started weaving into the crowd, closing in on Talana's family.

"No," Talana tried to call out, but it came out as a whisper. Her feet were rooted in place, ignoring her attempts to run forward. "Don't. Don't hurt them!" The lute disappeared from her hands.

Helplessly she watched her family, passively sitting with their eyes on her, as the spies slit their throats. She was screaming, reaching for them as they slid to the floor. Her knees gave out, the spreading blood reaching her and soaking into her pantlegs.

Their eyes, still trained on her, were now glassy and lifeless. She sobbed. The concert hall whispered away into shadow, the audience and the spies disappearing.

Finally, she could move. She crawled forward on hands and knees, tears and snot streaming down to drip off her chin as she reached the cooling bodies.

"Why didn't you stop them?" A voice cried out. Talana looked up. Zavala was there, looking furious and heartbroken.

"I- I couldn't, I tried-" Talana sobbed.

"Not hard enough," Zavala hissed. "Just like always. You didn't try hard enough when you were learning that transport spell. You didn't try when we searched for our parents. You didn't even try when the mountain exploded."

Talana flinched back, curling into herself. She looked down, seeing the glow of the mark on her hand.

A whip, snakeheaded and writhing, appeared in Zavala's hand. "Pitiful. Useless. Weak!" With each word, she lashed out with the whip, its fangs sinking into Talana and ripping out. "You've never done anything except get in the way!"

"Th- that's not true!"

"Isn't it?" Zavala said cruelly. "Without you, I could have been accepted by Qilué. Without you, I could have found Mama ages ago. Hells, without you, she probably wouldn't have even left!"

Talana noticed that there was no matching mark on Zavala's hand. Cracks splintered the darkness surrounding them. Dimly, she could hear howling coming through.

She heard a whisper, the voice too low to recognize, say, "Good. You've begun to recognize the nightmare. You can banish the despair demon, if you try. Use the mark."

Fangs ripped into her again, but this time she snatched her marked hand out and wrapped the whip around her arm, pulling Zavala towards her. "Liar," Talana hissed. "You *dare* to wear her face? To speak as though you know us?" The thing wearing Zavala's face sneered back.

Talana sent a pulse of magic through the mark, willing it to travel through the snake whip and into its wielder. Green light exploded, ripping away the mask and exposing a twisted, hunched figure. It screamed as the green light continued to rip through it.

It fled, and the cracked darkness shattered.

Talana shivered. She was alone, kneeling in a snowy expanse, the light of the Breach giving it an eery glow. A short distance away, pawprints led down. From here she could just barely make out the top of the Chantry and a few whisps of smoke rising.

She staggered to her feet, arms wrapping around herself, and began following the prints.

"Well done," came a whisper on the wind.

Tagging @mogwaei @roguelioness @pikapeppa @fiadhaisteach and anyone else that wants to share their WIPs

#dragon age #d&d #d&d crossover #writing still in the editing phase #sunday snippet #potentially triggering #TW: bloody death

[iarollane]

The Importance of Mary Sue

When I was in Ninth Grade, I won a thing.  

That thing, in particular, was a thirty dollar Barnes & Noble gift certificate.  I was still too young for a part-time job, so I didn’t have this kind of spending cash on me, ever.  I felt like a god.

Drunk with power, I fancy-stepped my way to my local B&N.  I was ready to choose new books based solely on the most important of qualities…BADASS COVER ART.  I walked away with a handful of paperbacks, most of which were horrible (I’m looking at you, Man-Kzin Wars III) or simply forgettable.  

One book did not disappoint.  I fell down the rabbit hole into a series that proved to be as badass as the cover art promised (Again, Man-Kzin Wars III, way to drop the ball on that one).  With more than a dozen books in the series, I devoured them.  I bought cassette tapes of ballads sung by bards in the stories.  And the characters.  Oh, the characters.  I loved them.  Gryphons, mages, but most importantly, lots of women.  Different kinds of women.  So many amazing women.  I looked up to them, wrote bad fiction that lifted entire portions of dialogue and character descriptions, dreamed of writing something that the author would include in an anthology.

This year I decided in a fit of nostalgia to revisit the books I loved so damn much.  I wanted to reconnect with my old friends…

…and I found myself facing Mary Sues.  Lots of them.  Perfect, perfect, perfect.  A fantasy world full of Anakin Skywalkers and Nancy Drews and Wesley Crushers.  I felt crushed.  I had remembered such complex, deep characters and didn’t see those women in front of me at all anymore.  Where were those strong women who kept me safe through the worst four years of my life?

Which led me to an important realization as I soldiered on through book after book.  That’s why I needed them.  Because they were Mary Sues.  These books were not written to draw my attention to all the ugly bumps and whiskers of the real world.  They were somewhere to hide.  I was painfully aware that I was being judged by my peers and adults and found lacking.  I was a fuckup.  And sometimes a fuckup needs to feel like a Mary Sue.  As an adult, these characters felt a little thin because they lacked the real world knowledge I, as an adult, had learned and earned.  But that’s the thing…these books weren’t FOR this current version of myself.   Who I am now doesn’t need a flawless hero because I’m comfortable with the idea that valuable people are also flawed.

There is a reason that most fanfiction authors, specifically girls, start with a Mary Sue.  It’s because girls are taught that they are never enough.  You can’t be too loud, too quiet, too smart, too stupid.  You can’t ask too many questions or know too many answers.  No one is flocking to you for advice.  Then something wonderful happens.  The girl who was told she’s stupid finds out that she can be a better wizard than Albus Dumbledore.  And that is something very important.  Terrible at sports?  You’re a warrior who does backflips and Legolas thinks you’re THE BEST.   No friends?  You get a standing ovation from Han Solo and the entire Rebel Alliance when you crash-land safely on Hoth after blowing up the Super Double Death Star.  It’s all about you.  Everyone in your favorite universe is TOTALLY ALL ABOUT YOU.

I started writing fanfiction the way most girls did, by re-inventing themselves.  

Mary Sues exist because children who are told they’re nothing want to be everything.  

As a girl, being “selfish” was the worst thing you could be.  Now you live in Narnia and Prince Caspian just proposed marriage to you.  Why?  Your SELF is what saved everyone from that sea serpent.  Plus your hair looks totally great braided like that.

In time, hopefully, these hardworking fanfiction authors realize that it’s okay to be somewhere in the middle and their characters adjust to respond to that.  As people grow and learn, characters grow and learn.  Turns out your Elven Mage is more interesting if he isn’t also the best swordsman in the kingdom.  Not everyone needs to be hopelessly in love with your Queen for her to be a great ruler.  There are all kinds of ways for people to start owning who they are, and embracing the things that make them so beautifully weird and complicated.

Personally, though, I think it’s a lot more fun learning how to trust yourself and others if you all happen to be riding dragons.

#writing #mary sues #fic tropes #not da

[iarollane]

Endless Bells Hells

#not da #not writing #critical role #cr spoilers #bells hells #the way he paused and thought for a long long moment #thinking 'is there any way?' #and he comes to the conclusion that there's not #and he just nodded so gently #don't mind me i'm just having a moment

[iarollane]

Pro Tip: The Way You End a Sentence Matters

Here is a quick and dirty writing tip that will strengthen your writing.

In English, the word at the end of a sentence carries more weight or emphasis than the rest of the sentence. You can use that to your advantage in modifying tone.

Consider:

In the end, what you said didn't matter.

It didn't matter what you said in the end.

In the end, it didn't matter what you said.

Do you pick up the subtle differences in meaning between these three sentences?

The first one feels a little angry, doesn't it? And the third one feels a little softer? There's a gulf of meaning between "what you said didn't matter" (it's not important!) and "it didn't matter what you said" (the end result would've never changed).

Let's try it again:

When her mother died, she couldn't even cry.

She couldn't even cry when her mother died.

That first example seems to kind of side with her, right? Whereas the second example seems to hold a little bit of judgment or accusation? The first phrase kind of seems to suggest that she was so sad she couldn't cry, whereas the second kind of seems to suggest that she's not sad and that's the problem.

The effect is super subtle and very hard to put into words, but you'll feel it when you're reading something. Changing up the order of your sentences to shift the focus can have a huge effect on tone even when the exact same words are used.

In linguistics, this is referred to as "end focus," and it's a nightmare for ESL students because it's so subtle and hard to explain. But a lot goes into it, and it's a tool worth keeping in your pocket if you're a creative writer or someone otherwise trying to create a specific effect with your words :)

#not da #writing advice

[iarollane]

Temples are built for gods. Knowing this a farmer builds a small temple to see what kind of god turns up.

#not da #i will always always always reblog this #arepo

[iarollane]

Spaces

Picture: Lavellan trying to pretend that Solas’ absence doesn’t bother her. She takes extra time each morning to dress herself, smiles a little too hard at everyone who crosses her path, sings a little too loud to the songs in the tavern. “Solas?” she scoffs when she’s asked. “No, I’m not upset. Why would I be? He’s the one missing out.” The edges of her lips are blade-sharp, and are effective in preventing any further questions.

Picture: Solas listening to one of his scout’s reports, trying to pretend he doesn’t care about what Lavellan is up to. He’s just a little too interested in the activities at Skyhold, posts more guards than are needed whenever Lavellan leaves the stronghold, grips the parchments that have details about her a little too tightly. “She seems to be happy,” his scout reports cautiously. “She’s always smiling.”

Picture: Solas and Lavellan in the Fade, together, but apart, each watching the other with fists clenched at their sides (all the better to keep from reaching out), lips pressed too-firmly together (all the better to keep the words in), but their eyes speak of heartbreak and yearning and want. And in the space between them plays out the sum of all their dreams - a home that’s filled with love and warmth and happiness, a future spent together, children with his eyes and her mouth and perfect in every way.

Picture: Lavellan and Solas opening eyes blurred with tears each morning, a gaping emptiness beneath their ribs, their tongues and lips sore from the strain of silence. Solas lets the tears fall, a moment of luxury he cannot afford, and whispers to the wind, hoping it will carry. Lavellan rolls out of bed, shoulders especially heavy, when the faintest of words drifts through the open window.

Ar lath ma.

#ROLO OMG #dragon age #sollavellan #if i were a better artist i would draw each of these as mini vignettes

[iarollane]

This first thing I thought when I woke up from surgery was I am so hungry and I need ramen right now! but the second thing I thought was Oh my god, I'm safe.

I was safe.

I thought about having kids someday, but the thought was always divorced from the concept of having to grow them in my body. Whenever I thought about it, I would either start screaming or my mind would shut down. My worst nightmares featured discovering I was pregnant, and realizing I would have to keep it, and go through childbirth. I was terrified.

I got the surgery, and realized I was safe, and I never had those nightmares ever again. It was like finding out I was bulletproof.

Later, I looked at the broken condom, and I didn't see my life flash before my eyes. I didn't see my hopes and dreams turn to ash as I pivoted all my energy into a child I didn't want. I didn't see a possibility of starvation or homelessness because my already modest income went to a child I couldn't afford. I didn't see my disabled body becoming further disabled, or killed, by a pregnancy that I didn't want.

Read more between the pages commentary: https://www.patreon.com/posts/68216364 (free post, no paywall)

#what a good curse #pregnancy #medical procedures #options #not da #surgery

[iarollane]

You’ve been sentenced to 400 years for multiple murders. It’s been 399 years and your jailers are starting to get nervous.

#not da #short story #this is amazing #and i need more #what happens next??? #the monster of Sentan

[iarollane]

A head’s-up to all my fellow writers (fan fiction and original fiction)

So last night I get an email about a new comment on one of my fan fics. I read the email, and the comment seemed shady as hell to me. But given it was late at night, I didn’t look into it until this morning. 

The comment, screen-capped from my email:

I was able to confirm that this is in fact spam–and a possible phishing scam–on this Reddit thread. The OP on that thread got similar messages on their fanfiction.net account, with the links included being identical to the ones in my comment. 

So just to make y’all aware, if you got this on one of your fics, make sure you’re reporting it as spam to whatever hosting platform you’re on. 

[iarollane]

This feels like the start to a horror movie and I love it

#not da #not writing #😂😂😂😂😂

[iarollane]

WIP Wednesday

I think I'm writing so slowly that there's less of this chapter i haven't posted than what i have 😅 oh well. Enjoy a little espionage from Zavala's point of view.

Having been essentially abandoned in short order, Zavala toyed with the idea of slipping out without her sister. She turned the thought over as she sipped her ale, idly watching the tavern goers. The table she was sitting at was, mercifully, slightly more shadowed, so while Talana and Maryden played not much notice was paid to the quiet drow.

It allowed Zavala to examine the interactions, watching more closely than she'd be able if she'd been in the middle of everything. She noticed a scout, casually chatting up a couple off-duty recruits, who was carefully keeping Talana in their line of sight at all times.

Another was supposedly passed out drunk a few tables down, but Zavala noticed the glint of eyes squeezing shut but trained right on her. She sighed; the little bird didn't know when to quit.

The elven maid who had taken Solas's coin was whispering to someone else, another elf with odd tattoos curling across their serious face. They nodded, slipped something into the maid's hands, then nonchalantly stood and left by the side door.

The door that, conveniently, Solas had left by as well. Zavala hummed quietly to herself, her fingers tapping thoughtfully on the mug. After a moment, she drained what was left, took the mug to Flissa with a murmured, "Thank you," then left out the front door.

She turned as if to head back to her cabin, but ducked into shadows to the side as soon as she was clear of the wall. She didn't wait to see if anyone followed her, just pulled her cloak close and placed her hands on the wooden tavern wall. One foot, then the other, left the ground to stick to the wall. Quickly and quietly she climbed the wall, reaching the roof in moments.

She shook the feeling of the spider climb spell off her fingers as she picked her way across the roof. At the opposite edge she crouched down, peering out towards the path that led to the cabin Solas slept in while he was in Haven.

Besides a few small bushes, it was a clear view into the cluster of cabins. Adan was busy sweeping some sort of ash out of his doorway. Lights were on in the other one, with shadows moving back and forth inside: someone preparing for bed, no doubt.

At Solas's cabin, it had a stillness to it. Careful to avoid looking directly at the torches, Zavala studied the heat patterns she could make out. She cursed softly under her breath. Someone used this path as part of the patrol route, which muddied any traces left by the inhabitants or their visitors.

So this being a D&D crossover, I want to add a bit of the random chance in. Anything that's not part of the main Inquisition storyline (and who knows, maybe a few things that are) I roll for it and if it fails, then it fails.

Zavala absolutely rolled terribly for that Perception check 😂

I'm gonna tag @mogwaei @fiadhaisteach @pikapeppa @roguelioness @cobaltash @buttsonthebeach to show us your creative works! If you want.

#dragon age #d&d #dragon age inquisition #d&d crossover #wip wednesday #drow #twins in thedas #my writing