#i take a hammer and fix the canon

[thecreaturecodex]

Rokurokubi

"Yokai and Kami" © ArtStation user "Mamslick", accessed at his gallery here

[I didn't much care for the Pathfinder 1e version of the rokurokubi. Not that it's a bad monster; it's a fun take on the rokurokubi as a hag. But it's not a good representation of the actual folkloric entity. The rokurokubi is one of many yokai that seem to exist as a way of entertaining male anxieties about women, particularly in the context of a society as patriarchal as Edo period Japan. So many yokai look like beautiful women... but then they getcha! And a lot of them getcha because you deserved it. These yokai start as humans, and then form from the abused, the neglected and the downtrodden. These people don't have a real voice in society, but turning into a monster lets them act out. Sound familiar?

Which is why, even though the Paizo's 2e rokurokubi has acceptable art, I'm not using it. Because it's a man, and rokurokubi are women in the stories nine times out of ten. Plus, I'm posting this for Monster Girl Summer.]

Rokurokubi CR 3 CN Monstrous Humanoid This woman is beautiful, but clearly monstrous, as she has a neck that is twice the length of the rest of her body.

A rokurokubi is a cursed creature that represents the adage “turnabout is fair play”. The misdeeds of a person, particularly a wealthy, egotistical and stingy one, can cause their child, lover or other person close to them to become a rokurokubi. This especially occurs if the person to become a rokurokubi is abused, as it empowers them to strike back at their tormentor. Rather than sleep, the newly formed yokai begins to play pranks in the night, anything from drinking all the lamp oil to startling people by peering around corners to inflicting bloody wounds. They prefer to ruin lives and reputations rather than kill, at least initially. Most rokurokubi end up quite enjoying their new state, and move around in society after having dealt with their initial oppressor.

Many rokurokubi live their lives as uninhibited and hedonistic people most of the time, revealing their monstrosity in order to get something they want or to lash out at someone who is rude to them. Their necks can be as short as that of an ordinary (albeit willowy) person, or as long as a constrictor serpent's whole body. Their teeth are sharp and inflict bloody wounds, and they are experts at scaring people. Perhaps the strangest ability of a rokurokubi is its ability to drink oil and heal from it. Even alchemical bombs can be swallowed safely, if the rokurokubi manages to catch them in their teeth.

Rokurokubi can form from any type of humanoid, although most of them are human. In patriarchal societies, women more frequently turn into rokurokubi than men, but any sex and gender is possible. They have the lifespan ordinary to members of their original species. A few rokurokubi reject this, making pacts with shadowy powers for immortality—these are the universally sinister rokurobabas.

Rokurokubi           CR 3 XP 800 CN Medium monstrous humanoid Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +8 Defense AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+4 Dex, +1 natural) hp 25 (3d10+9) Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +7 Immune sleep Defensive Abilities drink oil Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee bite +6 (1d4+3 plus bleed), 2 claws +6 (1d3+3) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite) Special Attacks bleed (1d4), threatening lunge Statistics Str 16, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 19 Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 20 Feats Combat Reflexes (B), Deceitful, Persuasive Skills Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +9, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (local) +4, Perception +8, Stealth +9 Languages Common, Senzar, one cultural language SQ adjust neck Ecology Environment urban Organization solitary or circle (2-5) Treasure standard Special Abilities Adjust Neck (Ex) As a move action, a rokurokubi can dramatically change the length of its neck. If it reels its neck in, it loses its reach with its bite attack, but gains a +8 racial bonus to Disguise checks to appear as its original species. If it extends its neck, it gains an additional 10 feet of reach with its bite attack, and can ignore cover when making a bite attack. Drink Oil (Su) As an immediate action, a rokurokubi can attempt to catch a thrown flask of oil, alchemist’s fire or alchemical bomb in its mouth. It makes a Reflex save with a +2 racial bonus against a DC equal to the attack roll made with the flask. If it succeeds, it takes no damage and instead heals 1 hit point per die of damage that would ordinarily be dealt. Threatening Lunge (Ex) If a rokurokubi extends its neck and makes a bite attack in the same turn, it can make an Intimidate check to demoralize the opponent it bites as a free action with a +2 racial bonus.

#rokurokubi #yokai #monster girl #monster girl summer #japanese folklore #pathfinder 1e #pathfinder 2e #if i ran the zoo #i take a hammer and fix the canon

[foulmouthdc]

Mmmmmm 6’4 batman and 6’2 superman my beloveds

#i take a hammer and fix the canon #when ur boyfriend is mad at you and you have to float (just a little) so you are both on level ground #superbat #bruce #batman #superman #clark

[edorazzi]

I finished Season 2 of Loki this month!

I'm so happy he and Mobius fixed the sacred timeline, got hitched at a fully beige wedding, and moved into that nice neighbourhood to raise two kids while Mobius runs the jetski emporium and Loki terrorises the rich suburban moms. Exactly as it should have been! 💖

#loki series #loki laufeyson #mobius m mobius #josie's art #being able to draw whatever i want is such a power #also most of these poses are closely referenced from 1950s advertising for that glam housewife aesthetic #once again i take a hammer and FIX the canon #thor got a kid at the end of his last movie; naturally loki has to outdo him with two kids AND a husband

[pollyannawog]

Hear me out. Beastars but it’s super queer (thx @moodlesmain)

#polly draws #beastars #legoshi #haru beastars #louis beastars #juno beastars #I take a hammer and i FIX the canon #for clarity Juno and Legoshi are out but Louis is specifically trying to Not get clocked as trans #For appearance/social reasons

[pinkiepiebones]

hey I'm writing a sequel to Freaky Chic and Fly !!!! More silly Monster High x Renfield (2023) writing

here's a preview

let's gooooooooooo!!!

Rebecca recited what she was going to say as she climbed the rusted metal stairs of the Sunrise Apartments. No one had seen or heard from Robert for a few days and the worries were quick to begin, because as well-adjusted Robert seemed to be now, there was always a looming threat of relapse.

"I was with- um, I was his servant for, God, at least a century," he had explained once during a Dependent Relationships Addicts Anonymous Group meeting. "And I don't know if it's all that time, and, and what I experienced in that time, but part of me..." He trailed off and slumped in his folding chair, looking at the gym floor.

"Part of you still misses him," Mark, the group facilitator, concluded gently. Robert nodded, not looking up.

The other members of DRAAG didn't begrudge Robert for his feelings. They had all been embroiled in toxic relationships at some point in their lives, and each of them knew, at least to a very small degree, how Robert felt. Well, Carol muttered something about 'but he's Dracula,' but she was quickly shushed by Caitlyn.

"But," Mark added, "missing him does not mean you're going to try and resurrect him. That would undo all your progress, and it probably wouldn't be good for, um, well, humanity."

Robert nodded. Rebecca glanced over at him as the meeting moved on. Robert kept his eyes on the floor, occasionally offering a word of agreement with something said in the group. Then just before the end his phone buzzed and he checked the screen, startled, and stumbled outside with rushed apologies as he answered the call.

That was the last anyone saw of him.

Rebecca steeled herself. The Sunrise was mostly vacant now, a good deal of the tenants having moved after the police/Lobo gang assault on the complex. Those who remained regarded Robert as a hero and listened to him; there were no Welcome mats anywhere, and the doors were adorned with wreaths made of garlic flowers and wolfsbane. 

Her eyes landed on the plastered over bullet holes in the wall near Robert's door. She thought about everything they had been through. She thought about Robert's progress. She thought of her own progress, too- in the past she would have been enraged at a friend ghosting her, now concern was her primary emotion.

With maybe a tiny bit of anger. Just a bit.

Rebecca raised her hand to knock, then hesitated. She leaned close to the door and listened. Music. Lots of movement. Robert saying "oh, I'm so sorry, let me fix this..." So he was with someone. Someone ordering him around. Someone with the wherewithal to play loud music to drown out sounds of violence. Rebecca took a deep breath and knocked on Robert's door. 

The door was thrown open by very tall, greyish-green teenager with mismatched eyes. The teenager grinned widely and grabbed Rebecca's hand and shook vigorously.

"Hiya!! I'm Frankie Stein, pronouns they/them, I'm six months old, and I'm super happy to meet you!"

Rebecca blinked. A second teenager- smaller, mostly blonde, skin more like pinkish fish scales- popped up beside Frankie. She glared at Rebecca.

"This is not the pizza human" she growled. She had small, sharp teeth.

A third teenager, looking incredibly normal save for the twitching wolf ears on her head, shoved the other two away from the door and gave Rebecca a serious look. "I'm really sorry, I'm gonna have to ask you to stand there a sec so I can throw some memory wipe potion at-" She stopped and adjusted her glasses. "Wait, you're Miss Rebecca!" The wolf-eared girl grabbed Rebecca's wrist and pulled her inside and shut the door behind them.

#renfield #monster high #I take a hammer to the canons and I FIX THE CANONS

[secondratefiction]

Solicitous

Sometimes help and safety come from the most unexpected places...

[CH 1: Tech & OC, wc - 643 w/ author's note at the end]

Eriadu

Roughly 200 standard feet. That is how far the average person could fall, into water, and reasonably survive. Always the over achiever, Tech would later estimate he’d fallen approximately 230 standard feet. And survived. If that’s what you could call it.

He’d hit the water with such a force that it stunned him and he’d sank quite a bit below the surface before he’d slammed back to himself and tried to kick his way back upwards. Everything hurt, muscles and joints screamed at him for every movement, but the burning need for oxygen in his lungs won out. Tech broke the surface, yanking his helmet off and gasping for air as he tried to float for a few moments.

He wasn’t sure how long it took for him to get to the shore, but he was completely exhausted, in pain to the point it was hard to focus, and barely managed to pull himself out of the water. He struggled to crawl his way up the bank before he collapsed face first into the sand…

Tech was disorientated when he woke up, even more so than he was expecting to be. He was laying flat on his back on a hard surface, he assumed to be a table. He had to blink several times to get his eyes to focus before being able to take in the fact he was inside a ship. A small ship’s infirmary.

Had he been captured? Abducted?

He still had his goggles and he was unrestrained on the table… so if he was , he was unsure who would have taken him. With a groan and a grunt of pain, Tech managed to roll himself over and sit upright taking quick stock of himself-

He was still sore, surely bruised over most of his body, He could still move though so it was unlikely anything else was broken. The clone hissed as he slowly eased himself off the table and back onto his feet. He needed to find his gear and find out where he was.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

The voice from behind him and the lights of the infirmary suddenly coming on made him flinch. Tech, still bracing himself on the table, turned around to look at the woman in the doorway. From her general appearance and facial markings, he would venture to say she was Kiffar… though that was about all he could gather about her at the moment.

“Back on the table, Goggles.” She demanded, coming around and pushing him back against the table, “You are nowhere near ready to be up and moving.”

“What…”Tech struggled for a moment trying to wrap his head around everything, “Who are you?”

“My name is Nori Das.” She said, pushing him to sit on the table again, “You’re on my ship.”

He frowned, but let her help him lift his legs and lay back across the table again, “Why?”

“Perfectly honest?” She looked at him and raised an eyebrow, “I was looking for someone else, and found you passed out on the beach. Fortunately for you, my karking conscience wouldn’t let me just leave you there… So here we are.”

Tech sat quietly, watching her warily as she prepared a hypo of something and coming back over to him. He was hesitant, but there was also something about her that made him feel like he could trust her, “... Who were you originally looking for?”

The Kiffar woman hesitated, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, “... a friend…”

She gave him the injection as gently as she could and seemed to compose herself, “So… you got a name, Goggles? Or is that actually what your brothers call you?”

“Tech… My name is Tech.”

“Tech.” She nodded, stepping back from him a bit, “Well, welcome aboard the Solicitous, Tech.”

-*-*-*-

A.N. - This is the first part of an idea that I've been kicking around for a while. I have a vague idea for a couple more snippets and I've had Nori and her friend in developments for a very long time - if anyone is actually interested in hearing more of this please let me know

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb tech #star wars oc #take a hammer and fix the canon #i have more plans for this but it'll take a while to get there

[iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid]

in other news: i am having entirely too much fun with this

#i'm taking my two biggest criticisms of TLAT and fixing both #1. thor and valkyrie should have gotten together and 2. loki should have been there #it helps that i am not beholden to IW or endgame #i take a hammer and i fix the canon #me #twll

[rabid-roach]

sometimes you write things and are just... Wow, I Wrote A Thing

#[final pam voice] i will take a hammer and FIX the canon! #no one understands grace chasity the way i do <3 #i wanna tear her apart at the seams #dig into her brain like a child making a garden potion #npmd #nerdy prudes must die #npmd spoilers #nerdy prudes must die spoilers #starkid #hatchetfield #roach rambles #i got inspired by this Dead Grace AND Max fic on ao3 #shoutout to fallinginaforest and jeffpunzel for continuing my brainworms

[banyanas]

i fear the fe16 brainworms are returning

#it’s the ‘I NEED TO TAKE A HAMMER AND FIX THIS THING’ spite + longtime #love of the series combo. the worldbuilding team didn’t talk too much to each other it seems #(and also said ‘canon is what you want it to be’ which is fine in a fan context but OFFICIAL GAME SETTING SHIT WHAT) #and also the world and setting was obvs written by a bunch of dudes #anyway. dragons. making the worldbuilding consistent with the pope the high saint and God being women #bañana post #my condolences but fe has been a huge interest since LONG before most other things i’ve written for here

[midnight-in-paris9]

Thats it.

I’m rewriting the Teen Wolf Movie.

#i will take a hammer and fix the canon #teen wolf #scott mccall #stiles stilinski #derek hale #allison argent #teen wolf movie #this just cannot go on in my brain #it was so bad #holy fuck #(also there will be no st*rek plz do not reblog or ask abt that) #we will find out who Eli’s fking MOM is tho #eli hale #fic planning #jeff davis can fight meee

[borealtwilight]

why yes, i don’t ascribe to every aspect of halo canon. why do you ask?

and no, i don’t just refer to game canon ( see: halo 5, halo infinite ), but canon that comes from the novels or other tie-in media ( such as the lore books )

#natty rambles #halo #sometimes things in canon make 0 fucking sense to me #so i take hammer and fix the canon

[thecreaturecodex]

If I Ran the Zoo: Bestiary 1 Humanoids

Pathfinder 1e did a much better job keeping its monsters on an even level of balance between products than its progenitor, D&D 3.x, did. But even so, there was some room for improvement. One of the most notable gaps, I feel, is the power level of classic D&D humanoids compared to other monsters of their CR. The power discrepancy between a gnoll and an orc is a well known example, where the orc has a lower CR on paper but is a much nastier combatant. But compare across the same CR and you’ll notice similar patterns. Look at a boggard, a bugbear and a morlocks, for example, and it’s pretty clear that the bugbear is rather less powerful than its supposed peers. I suspect that’s for reasons of backwards compatibility.

I don’t care about backwards compatibility.

So here’s how I would alter and augment some of the classic D&D humanoids to be more in tune with their Pathfinder flavor text, and to be more challenging to your players. Many of these are just adjusting mental ability scores upwards, but there’s a few more complicated changes in store as well.

Bugbear

Boo! (Ex) A bugbear can make an Intimidate check to demoralize a single target as a move action. If it takes a standard action instead, it gains a +2 bonus.

Tools of the Trade (Ex) Bugbears count saps, light hammers, warhammers and earthbreakers as simple weapons, and treat one exotic weapon of their choice as a martial weapon for the purposes of proficiency (bolas, garrotes and lassos are popular choices).

Drow

Fueled by Spite (Su) As a standard action once per day, a drow can grant itself temporary hit points equal to their Hit Dice plus Charisma modifier (minimum 1 temporary hit point). These hit points last for 1 hour, or until expended.

(Yes, I know that PF2e is writing the drow out as part of them continuing to cut ties with D&D. I have my own ideas of how to handle that).

Giants

Greatclubs are simple weapons, so any giant with Martial Weapon Proficiency (greatclub) can trade it for a different feat. A suggested feat for hill giants is Dazzling Display or Toughness, and a suggested feat for stone giants is Combat Reflexes or Improved Initiative. Fire giants gain weapon familiarity with greatswords and longswords, treating them as simple weapons. Suggested replacements for Martial Weapon Proficiency for a fire giant include Greater Sunder, Greater Overrun, or Improved Critical (greatsword). Frost giants gain weapon familiarity with battleaxes and greataxes, treating them as simple weapons. Suggested replacements for Martial Weapon Proficiency for a frost giant include Improved Initiative, Iron Will, or Vital Strike.

Gnolls

Bite Attack: All gnolls have a bite attack as a primary natural weapon that deals 1d4 points of damage. The Snapping Bite feat still exists; it increases the bite damage to 1d6, and allows the gnoll to make bite attacks while wielding weapons at a -2 penalty, as if it had the Multiattack feat.

Weapon Familiarity (Ex) Gnolls treat flails and heavy flails as if they were simple weapons, and nunchaku and flindbars as martial weapons.

In addition, there are two subraces of gnolls, the Carrion Crewe and the Packmasters. Carrion Crewe gnolls tend to be chaotic evil in alignment, whereas Packmaster gnolls tend to be neutral. Each has an additional unique ability modifier, and its own racial ability.

Carrion Crewe Gnolls: +2 Con

Plague Born (Ex) Carrion Crewe gnolls gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, and becoming nauseated or sickened.

Packmaster Gnolls: +2 Wis

Hopeful (Ex) Packmaster gnolls gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear effects and emotion effects such as despair, grief or boredom. They do not gain this bonus against rage effects, or other types of emotion effects, such as an unnatural lust or overwhelming presence spell (GM’s discretion).

Goblin

-2 Str, +4 Dex, -2 Wis: Goblins are fast, but physically weak and prone to foolishness

Hobgoblin

Spurn Elf-Magic (Ex) Hobgoblins gain a +2 racial bonus to all saving throws against arcane spells.

Kobold

-4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Cha: Kobolds are physically very weak, but have agile muscles and strong personalities

Ogre

+10 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, -4 Int. Ogres do not have a penalty to Charisma, as they are very good at jug playing, dancing, and terrifying their victims.

Orc

+4 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha. Orcs are in tune with their senses and surroundings, even if they do tend to fight first and think later.

Troll

+10 Str, +4 Dex, +12 Con, -2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha. Golarion’s trolls are not as stupid as their cohorts in other versions of reality. They are stubborn, and have the keen senses of a predator.

Vegepygmy

A vegepygmy is as it appears in Pathfinder Bestiary 1, but is a CR 1/3 creature. Their endonym is a succession of short popping sounds. If you dislike the word “pygmy” in the name (which is fair, and I’ve had people discuss in my notes before), consider calling them “russetoids” or “stemons” (named after the brown slime mold genus Stemonitis)

#if i ran the zoo #pathfinder 1e #orc #ogre #troll #goblin #goblinoid #kobold #bugbear #drow #giant #hobgoblin #vegepygmy #age of monsters #i take a hammer and fix the canon

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

having thoughts about nine, and i think one of the biggest things i would personally do to fix him and his role in the story (without making him a flat out villain) is to change the core theme of his character from 'missing stair will not and should not ever be held accountable for their actions,' to:

cruelty and defiance are not the same thing. existing out of spite is not an evil thing; refusing to lay down your weapons under the guise of being small and soft and palatable is not evil; defending yourself and others from being wiped out or made less than you are is not evil. it is not cruel. making good on 'fuck around and find out' can be one of the most important things you will ever do.

and because it's not cruel, it does not excuse cruelty. 'kind does not mean nice' doesn't mean 'cruelty is acceptable as long as it's for a Good Cause'; it also doesn't mean that cruelty in some instances and kindness in others balance each other out. if anything, the latter just ends up becoming part of the former with a different face. it doesn't matter how soft or palatable or loud and rough-edged you are: either your worldview is built on kindness or it isn't, and that will show in how you act on it no matter how hard you try to quarantine one philosophy from the other.

there are lots of other things i'd change; a major one being to pull the fuck up on said cruelty by a LOT, holy shit. as well, don't make him abusive, whether as a) a tactical abuser who pretends his trauma took out the filter he absolutely still has, or b) someone whose trauma has taken out their filter, and left them a disoriented, barely functioning wreck with no idea what the hell is going on inside or outside their own head; whose confused flailing manifests as lashing out in abusive ways, and who wants to do better, and would actually improve with both help and accountability for their actions. that last one has worth as a narrative, but it requires pulling on the sensitivity gloves so far up your arms that it's just a whole spandex suit, and these writers have well and truly proven they are just not fucking capable of that lmao

but in the end, one of the things that does absolutely have to change is that his character has to have a point other than getting away with being a missing stair. there might be other ways to write him as a static character and still a good one; they do have their place! but given that the conventions of the genre would generally involve a growth arc for a character like him, i feel like this interpretation is one that probably falls closest to what they were actually going for.

(or at least, what they wanted to trick the audience into thinking they were going for. lol)

anyway yeah, i have a piggy bank full of cents about this and that is two of them. tl;dr justice for nine, we could have had it all

#lorien legacies #LL number nine #LL crit tag #LL tag #the crit files #take a hammer and FIX the canon #which i think is going to start being my tag for that to differentiate it from just Screaming #bc the other half of the awfulness of recognizing Bullshit is the joy and satisfaction of using that knowledge to create something better #also re: the 'two types of abuser' thing i am planning on going into that in its own post; but the tl;dr is that abuse is a learned skill #the inclination to do it isn't; but the process of putting it into practice /is/ #sometimes people are looking to meet a need and find an easy button to mash to fill it; because unskilled or not #Abuse Works :') #but the patterns of control and manipulation that nine use are ones that require practice; observation of people; and gathering a toolset #even if they haven't had a victim they've managed to Trap yet; they've spent a lifetime developing that skill passively #testing what they can get away with; how people react to things and the effects they have on them; taking notes from other abusers #fine-tuning What Works #post-escape nine is both inclined to be abusive /and skilled at it;/ the first in a way we don't see him at all inclined toward beforehand #and the second in a way he absolutely /could not have learned/ in the circumstances of his life pre-capture; he was completely isolated his #entire teenagerhood; a 30 second exchange about climbing safety was 'one of the longest conversations he'd had with a kid' before maddy #the only place he'd have been able to pick up a toolset like that from would be to lift it wholesale from sandor; and as abusive as sandor #was; & much as you can see some seeds in there of nine's later BS; it's not anything like as much or as blatant as nine would need to copy #and like. tactical abuse vs button-mash abuse is very much a spectrum #but if nine came out of captivity inclined to abuse people it would /absolutely/ not look what we ended up with #it would be HARD on the button-mash side of that spectrum #and what we got was on the same level as him being a bullshit unbeatable charming-and-debonair death machine #and fck y'all writers for portraying trauma and mental illness as magic wands to turn someone into an abuser #to try and force people to like your godawful edgy obnoxious creator's pet; by pretending it makes him sympathetic and complex 😒 #lmao anyway. will probably repeat a lot of this tag rant when i type up The Post about it but yeah

[bumblerhizal-art]

Parsing design ideas for Commander Tabris and the mabari + having your pets participate in cultural traditions with you

None of these are canon to him yet and still in their early iterations. Notes below the readmore

Novhen’s outfit here is from a drawing i’ll be including in my next sketch dump whenever that will be. Primarily, i’m trying to design a leather Warden Scout armor, since metal is so loud. The general pattern is based on some of the Fereldan armors from the other games. It makes most sense to me that the different branches would have some degree of variation between their uniforms. It’s more obviously Warden when he doesn’t have that tartan on top (as will be seen in the sketch dump)

I’m undecided if he wears his kippah in everyday life or just for certain occasions. Given the setting, the elves probably mirror a more Orthodox community, so atm i’m starting to lean more everyday. But also there’s a question of what parameter the kippahs should be associated with. It’s the city elves who are the most Jewish-coded, but they mostly practice the human religion of Catholicism-with-extra-steps, even if they still infuse it with some of their own traditions. I have headcanoned a few pockets of elven religions within the alienages. Novhen does belong to one of them, and while not strictly monotheistic, it is monolatrist (or henotheistic? I always mix the two up). Problem there is that single deity is Fen’Harel. Maybe not the best deity to be attaching too many Jewish customs to. For now, i’m tying it most to the alienage culture rather than elves as a whole or any specific religion

This tartan is the “official” one (insofar as i just made it up) of the Grey Wardens. Calenhad has a tartan in his art, so i think they should be more commonplace in Ferelden. Most are just regional patterns based on local materials, but the different noble houses and certain organizations (such as the Wardens) also have their own. He also has one to represent his position as Arl of Amaranthine, but only wears one over the armor if the occasion demands it. He’s not a fan of ceremony (Might change if i can find a better-looking way to incorporate it. This is what iterations are for after all. Also, tartans in his casual clothing are another matter. Oh god, am i going to trick myself into making another outfit sheet D:)

I am inexperienced drawing animals (those eyes...), but what i am trying to do is draw a kaddis pattern for the Grey Wardens. Something griffony. I think i remember something about different kaddis patterns indicating loyalties. If i’m making that up, i’m keeping it regardless. Definitely will have to give it a few more passes though, probably will paint over official art or a screenshot at a better angle

#dragon age #novhen tabris #griffon the mabari #i catch a single glimpse of the canon culture of thedas and the ''i will take the hammer and fix the baby'' instinct takes over #i hope it's fixing at least #it's less bland if nothing else #the focus was on the designs not the grand sum of the piece be nice #only i'm allowed to criticize my art #also this was a cooldown piece over a couple days so polish was decidedly not an endgoal

[emeraldcreeper]

Someday I’ll learn my lesson and not fuck around with my draft of a chapter. Today? Not that day. Tomorrow? Does not look any better. My workflow is absolutely awful

#however! I love how good I am at snappy back and forth conversation #like flirting and committing hard on a bit #also insults but I’m writing fun #it’s hurt comfort stuff #a fix it because I am taking a hammer and Fixing the canon #by making it worse then better #my drafts are like 3 word docs and 30 one note notes #which is incredibly stressful to work out and piece together #I have slowly cobbled it together and I think it’s done? I don’t know anymore I’ve stared at it for like two months now

[marieadeledracherambles]

Buying Hope: Intro

A couple months ago, Tapas recommended to me the webtoon Yongsa High: Dungeon Raiders, which is an infinite flow/dungeon raider story about a school for adventurers. Yoo Jaryong is a smuggler/poacher paying for his retired adventurer dad's medical bills. On one of these missions, he runs into a student of Yongsa High, Jin Saerom, who hires him to get into YH and be part of her party. (She's a Rich Girl.) Jaryong needs the money, so he accepts. Season 1 is about his getting ready for the transfer exam and meeting his dad's old colleagues... the ones who didn't betray him and leave him penniless, anyway.

I figured I'd give it a shot, since I'm a fan of BNHA and My S-Class Hunters.

And I fell in love.

Yongsa High (also known as Warrior High: Dungeon Raid Department, if you like me got hooked and couldn't wait for the official translation any longer) is SO GOOD. The characters are likeable and/or have motivations beyond the needs of the plot. The world is interesting. The plot is layered. I sped through all the free episodes, then spent two days looking for the unofficial translation. After I'd finished it, I went looking for fanworks on AO3 and found...

nada.

There are no works for this comic on AO3 and five posts about it on Tumblr, even once you use the more well-known name for it.

I decided then to write fic for it. And I already had an angle.

There are two things that really bother me and keep the comic from being perfect: the fact that there are very few female characters at all, and the fact that the overarching plot being set up is "dragons wanted to rule the world, got beat back, so they started infiltrating society to destroy it." The first is typical of genres aimed at young men, but still not okay. The second skims way too close to "lizard people are controlling/destroying society," which for those who don't know is an antisemitic conspiracy theory meant to make people target Jews for existing.

The first thing I'm taking the hammer to is the dragon conspiracy theory. In Buying Hope, there are two villains! The first antagonist, which is the canon Big Bads, is instead of being dragons in human guise a group of anarchists who got their abilities from equipment and magic. They want to take down society because it's corrupt. The second is the dragon who poisoned Jaryong's dad and sent him to the hospital in the first place. The dragon believes that if he bides his time until humans lower their guard, he'll be able to take over.

The second change I'm making is that Jin Saerom Is More Than A Sexy Wallet. (Upon rereading, that was a slightly unfair appellation. She does stuff! Plot relevant stuff, even! She just also is a font of cash money who stands in a corner and looks upset while her upperclassmen/cousin's friends harass her and Jaryong.) The title comes from Saerom's belief that money gets her almost everything she wants, and how she's simultaneously proven right and disillusioned. Buying hope isn't usually possible, unless your dad runs an incredibly profitable company.

Jin Saerom is probably my favorite character because she has depth. She wants to be an adventurer, but she's not very talented. She works hard until her cousin shows up, at which point she turns into a shrinking violet. And yet another YH guy describes her as "never lowering her head," and she's still persevering despite some pretty intense social ostracization. She's slightly naive and tosses money around like it's nothing, but also she genuinely wants to be helpful, it's not a flex. I want to braid her hair and educate her on class disparity. So, naturally, she's the main character of Buying Hope.

There's also hefty amounts of teenage chaos, because there's five teenagers in this friend group and they're all outcasts/really weird. So when Saerom and co aren't terrorizing the large-scale antagonists or whatever poor dungeon their teachers unleashed them on this week, they're terrorizing the school bullies.

And a mecha-Toothless battle mobility aid.

This is gonna be FUN.

#my writing #buying hope #the basics #i take a hammer and i FIX the canon