#way of the shield

[effervescentnonsense]

Alright Book Lovers

I have a series recommendation for all of you.

If you like:

- Second World fantasy (as in, not our world)

- Magic

- Edwardian/Victorian aesthetics

- Complex stories that will have you cracking out the Red String Board

- Canonically/explicitly Queer characters (including Shield Lesbians, Ace detectives, Bisexual retired spies, healthy polyamorous relationships involving 7 or more people, and even trans characters!)

- So many female characters that one of the books even fails the Reverse Bechdel Test

- a wide array of sub-genres

Then may I present to you,

The Maradaine Saga

The Maradaine Saga is 14 core books that take place in the city of Maradaine, plus two novellas and one full length novel taking place in other parts of the same world. AND COUNTING (this series is still ongoing!)

The core 14 books contain Four main casts and their respective genres:

The Thorn of Dentonhill stars Veranix Calbert, magic student by day, vigilante hero by night, determined to rid his neighbourhood of efitte, the toxic drug sold by crime lord Willem Fenmere, who killed Veranix's father, and deliberately overdosed his mother. Aided by Kaiana, whose father also succumbed to efitte, and Delmin, his fellow magic student, and his cousin Colin, the street gang member.

A Murder of Mages follows Minox Welling, an inspector for the Maradaine Constabulary, a genius, if socially awkward, and considered a jinx around the station, because he is secretly an untrained mage. Assigned to be his partner is Satrine Rainey, mother of two, struggling to make ends meet with her husband who was gravely injured in the line of duty. Formerly of Druth Intelligence, she is 15 years out from her time as a spy, and forges her paperwork to get the only job she can do that will pay the bills- becoming the first woman inspector on the force.

The Holver Alley Crew- when Holver Alley goes up in flames, killing dozens of people and destroying the homes and businesses of many more, brothers Asti and Verci Rynax discover it was arson, and are determined to use their skills as thieves to track down who destroyed their neighbourhood. Asti, a former spy for Druth Intelligence, retired because of his recent escape from an enemy prison where he was tortured until it broke his mind, and Verci, husband and father and inventor of all sorts of gadgets. Recruiting old friends and new, they set to perform daring heists to make the arsonists pay.

The Way of the Shield- Dayne Heldrin is easy to spot in a crowd- towering at 7ft tall, and in his blue Tarian Uniform- he is a veritable Knight of the Modern era. He is a candidate in the Tarian order, a historic organization upholding values of Chivalry and Defending the Innocent, Shield on arm. He has just returned from being overseas, where his mentor was killed by the Gearbox Killer, a maniacal murderer who builds elaborate clockwork contraptions, designed to kill. Dayne barely survived, and his advancement to an Adept Tarian is in doubt. He befriends a young Initiate, Jerinne, and begins to mentor her, pushing her to be stronger, and uphold the values of the Tarians. Political Conspiracy is afoot, however, as a shadowy organization has fashioned themselves after the Grand 10, ten historic figures that helped turn the country of Druthal into what it is today.

All of these books take place in the same city, at the same time, and as the series goes on, recurring characters and crossovers begin to appear as these ragtag bunch of do-gooders find allies in each other.

I cannot stop talking about this series, its so good! The worldbuilding is immaculate (after all, the author, Marshall Ryan Maresca, is one of the hosts of the podcast Worldbuilding for Masochists), the pacing will keep you gripping your seat for dear life!

#maradaine saga #maradaine #marshall ryan maresca #holver alley crew #thorn of dentonhill #murder of mages #way of the shield #worldbuilding for masochists podcast #wfm podcast #books #reading #book reccomendation #book recc

[st-hedge]

To the temple in the woods

#loz #legend of zelda #twilight princess #loz tp #link #that’s where we are headed #the fucking temple of time #now I know this is not what the way looked like in the game #and at this point link has the Hylian shield and master sword #I spliced a whole lot of references for the vibe the journey had #not accuracy #the in game sequence to discovering the temple and entering it to the music made me so nostalgic #I definitely cried a lil

[neomel]

Hi sorry I need to do some more Pokemon posting bc this is the funniest shit. the cute-looking Pokèmon TCG series is making "TM10" part of its branding. Like, TM10 from the games - its the TM for the move Hidden Power, thats cute! Its reflecting the main character discovering herself in the same way the move works in the game, what a cute little detail!

Except uh. Just one problem.

Game Freak in all their brilliance removed Hidden Power from the franchise four years ago in Generation 8* and its still not able to be used in Scarlet and Violet. Its not just that you cant teach it to Pokèmon anymore, you straight up cannot use the attack even if you trade in Pokèmon from older games who know it. Its like a banned technique.

So then that begs the question – if the TCG show is gonna be referencing TM10 this much, but TM10 *isn't* Hidden Power anymore, surely that means TM10 is another similarly inspiring attack - Stored Power, or Calm Mind, or Smart Strike?

Well, depending on if its Gen 8 or 9, I hope the kids will have fun Discovering Their Own Magical Leaf and/or Discovering Their Own Ice Fang. Truly inspiring words. love how well managed this franchise is

#pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon path to the peak #pokemon tcg #pokemon cards #pokemon games #the funny #mel alphabet soup #those games gastrodon is from #hi for you reading the tags one small correction #yes hidden power WAS brought back in Brilliant Diamond Shining Pearl #BUT it was exclusively for that game bc it has Unown #and they dont know wtf to do with those guys otherwise #very funny either way #added alt text btw

[twinstxrs]

idk if this is accurate but i’ve felt like in previous seasons riz & gorgug have been one of the inter-bad kids dynamics we’ve seen the least of & this season has been so great in that aspect. gorgug having helped make some of riz’s magic gear. riz helping gorgug with his studies. the shared birthday party. gorgug’s gift to riz being something he himself made to protect riz. riz’s gift to gorgug being something he illegally grabbed to protect gorgug. gorgug who utilizes rage to put his body on the line for his friends & riz who will take deep levels of mental stress for his friends. even though it was within the context of a joke, riz calling gorgug an “absolute sweetie.” like yea they might not be in a band together or both part of a presidential campaign team or owlbears teammates, but they’d go to war for each other, because they’re best friends.

#riz gukgak #gorgug thistlespring #fantasy high #dimension 20 #fantasy high junior year #fhjy #fhjy spoilers #these kids are all so self-sacrificing but i do think riz gorgug are the most clear (& juxtaposed) self-sacrificers #riz will mentally tear himself to pieces and get lost in cases and take on ungodly levels of stress for those he loves #gorgug will use himself as a human shield. he will take hit after hit if it means his friends are okay. #and they’d both do the other thing too. riz would let himself get hit for gorgug. gorgug would pull all nighters & take stress for riz. #even if mechanically they can’t or it wouldn’t make sense. they would if they could. #also #the starstruck barry mechanic of being a guard is so gorgug. it’s soooo gorgug like that’s literally him #anyways love this tall green guy & this short green guy so much #especially because gorgug is tall & considered intimidating but protective in a deeply kind way #while riz is short & underestimated but protective in a deeply vicious way (affectionate) #i hope this makes sense but i think riz is primarily ‘i would kill for you’ & gorgug is primarily ‘i would die for you’ maybe #this does not mean gorgug would not kill for riz or riz would not die for gorgug. they both would. #but those are the primary ways their love manifests due to the nature of their strengths/personalities. To Me #idk this is all just me saying stuff when i should be sleeping 😭 #sorry if i missed a riz gorgug moment in the main post btw i’m tired

[notherpuppet]

#hazbin hotel spoilers #hazbin hotel #alastor #still mvp imo with the intel connections and the shield #but damnnnnn that Adam slice was brutal #the way I rushed to make this meme

[mythkitto]

Donnie roped his future self into helping him do stuff :]

This is a rough mini comic I made a coupled days ago after seeing Splinter react to the future gang in one of @somerandomdudelmao’s more recent Cass Apocalyptic Series updates. I feel like Splinter would’ve instantly written off and forgotten about the whole thing, and that he’d naturally assume all the future turtles were somehow p!Donnie’s doing (just like most of the future shenanigans were instantly blamed on Uncle Tello).

Also you can’t tell me Donnie wouldn’t take every opportunity to snatch info from the uncle quartet.

Bonus: Donnie sulking (+ doodle)

#debated posting this #especially since the way I draw the characters is so inconsistent #but eh #also yes #Uncle Tello did foresee a lab accident and shielded himself while leaving Donnie to fend for himself #cuz I feel like he’d definitely mess with him like that #rottmnt #cass apocalyptic au #cass fanart tag #rottmnt donnie #uncle tello #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #my art

[harbingersecho]

READY AIM FIRE

#rvb #red vs blue #lolix #locus #felix #sam ortez #isaac gates #felix mcscouty #mine #*24 #art #if you wanna know the vibes for this it's the aim is in your head by and one. had it on repeat a bunch lol #anyway felix's shield is such an interesting part of his character. like the manipulative selfish ch is one of the few to have a shield #its a small shield and he mainly uses it for himself but y'know. the shield itself is also his opposite not just from a selfish/protective #stance but in color too. i just came up with a dumb 'it could be that deep' theory symbolism thing re: felix locus + lolix lol. like its #v pepe silva/cornplate but y'know. his trust in the shield is part of what got him yeeted off the platform. using the shield offensively #bc someone already has his back. the shield + felix being a two-way barrier between locus and the world. them vs others. you get it. #the sketch i posted abt this was cursed tho bc as a thumbnail it looked like they were getting it on 🧍‍♂️ #STOP having sex in my notes I cant take you idiots anywhere

[bruciemilf]

One of my biggest pet peeves is the justice league being labelled as " The Avengers of DC" and its like. No? The avengers are law enforcement. The Justice League are volunteers

#its like -- captain america is the staple of US military and Superman is a public servant #the one avenger member who has no bounds or legal obligation is tony and its bc hes rich. you could argue that he actually lost #autonomy when shield recruited him because like. protection isn't necessary tied to 'good.' the avengers protect the planet bc sure #its what they believe in and feel like its their duty and yada yada but ultimately they're self serving and most of their #help is accidental. i say most of bc we've seen they abstain from getting involved unless they have a common interest #with dc its like. you have these people in a position of privilege (having superpowers -- which gives them a spot of advantage to ppl who #dont have it) who do the right thing because they WANT TO. and they can stop at any time because nothing stops them. #they COULD say 'yeah you're on your own. we don't really care anymore. duces!' but they Dont. #because through its many flaws dc realizes that goodness isn't only a choice -- its a responsibility #theres probably better ways to say this but. alas #batman #superman #wonder woman #green arrow #aquaman #the justice league #tjl #justice league #dc #dc comics #text #text post

[ryssbelle]

N2 au Brucey babe!! He really doesnt change much tbh, it's mostly just an outfit change plus his gropes about his brother would be a bit different in that they're extended to all of them and not just JD, theyre just mostly centered around JD.

Cuz from his side he knew all of his brothers were alive at least Floyd, JD, and Branch. He just couldn't leave Vacay island, at first due to fear, and then he started a family there (first kid was accidental).

He'd heard rumors about JD and the others due to JD traveling all over the place and hed sent put the postcard as a way of extending an olive branch and then nobody showed up :/

Also Bruce's outfit change is purely for me I hate drawing his canon vest lmao

#my art #trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls 3 #trolls bruce #n2 au #trolls au #not the only one au #bruce didnt really need to be changed #but i did want to add a bit to him #when he left the first place he went was vacay island #he only planned to stay for a little bit and then head back #but days turned to weeks which turned to months and then years #eventually he met and fell in love with brandy #they were planning on leaving vacay island together to visit his brothers #brandy had volunteered to essentially be his shield in case bergens showed up #but then bruce jr happened #and then the restaurant happened as a way to support the new family #so bruce felt stuck #so he was like if i cant go there ill bring them here #and sent jd a postcard which got very misinterpreted #so both sides thinks the other just doesnt want to see them #and then 20 years later his brothers do show up but only because they need something #and theyre doing it on behalf of jd who he assumes for like the first 30 sec was too much of a coward to say it himself #then he finds out the details and hes like oh shit okay- #and theyre fine but the anger and salt is still festering #idk if there would be a climatic argument like there was in the film #if anything it would just be them trauma dumping on eachother #i dont think theyd split up though #or what would spark it since jd isnt there to be bossy

[crystal-bytes]

MARVEL CHARACTER EVOLUTION

PHIL COULSON

#marvelcharacterevolution #marvel #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #phil coulson #ghost rider #captain marvel #iron man #iron man 2 #a funny thing happened on the way to thor's hammer #thor #the consultant #avengers #the avengers #agents of shield #agents of shield slingshot #flashing gif tw #gun tw #stabbing tw #fire tw

[turtleblogatlast]

[ cw: violence mention / death mention / ]

Will never stop thinking about how Leo, all alone in an endless void and being beaten again and again and again by the only other living thing around, still finds comfort in that space. The situation he was in was completely hopeless, and in any other circumstances he would not have escaped, at least not fast enough to save him from permanent (or even fatal) damage, be it physical or mental.

And yet, despite the bleakness of his situation, despite the agony and helplessness, all he needs is one glance at a crumbled photograph, one glance to remember his family, and that’s enough of a reason for him to smile.

Maybe that’s why his powers center around manipulating space - because no matter how much space is between them, no matter how dire his own situation may be, just the thought of his family, alive and okay, is enough to give Leo hope.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt leo #rise leo #the prison dimension is horrifying on its own #add in a monstrous being that towers over you and has vowed to ensure your suffering? #god I can’t imagine how scary that is #Mikey opening the portal was a miracle because if he hadn’t managed it there #it’s really up in the air what could have become of Leo #personally I subscribe by the theory that you straight up can’t die in the prison dimension #so it’s a prison in all ways #but the thought of a Leo who manages anyway who adapts and continues to have hope despite it all… #Leo saying he’s nothing without his family is a double edged sword really #because the thought of his family alone is all he needs to live. to hope. #to smile #nothing without them…but they’re EVERYTHING to him #and maybe he doesn’t realize it but…the feeling is mutual #one thing too is that hope that comforts Leo so much is not just that #should he think his family needs help - that hope can turn into determination #I’m unwell about this family #actually on my point of their powers - I truly do think the abilities tie in not only to their personalities #but to their relationship to family and love in general #kinda like love languages in a way #Mikey with his chains and time abilities values being around his family the most - he wants them to experience living in the moment togethe #Donnie is someone who is 100% a gift giver to show his love - his constructs are exactly that aren’t they? gifts of his mind #Raph is someone who willingly bears the weight of the shield - he protects his family like the best big brother possible #and Leo - he goes off on his own a lot but his mind is constantly on his family anyway #like a sailor at sea no matter how far he travels the compass always point in one direction - and for him that compass points home #even if he can’t make it back - it’s still there #and that’s enough

[smultronviol]

Ppl going "waaahh unpopular opinion but Alice is kind of annoying and obnoxious and I don't think I'd like be her friend irl" is so funny to me bc like.

God forbid a cast of characters be multifaceted and have actual flaws and unpleasant aspects other than "grr angsty hero" and "whoops i'm so clumsy". Sometimes character dynamics and arcs need to be prioritized above "who would i personally be niceys with irl"

2. bro just WAIT until you hear about season 1 jon lol

#the magnus protocol #tmagp #season 1 jon was obnoxious and sometimes a straight up ASSHOLE and you were supposed to find him kinda grating!!! #yes alice IS a bit annoying and too much sometimes (esp in the first episodes) and i love that <3 #like. its p obvious that she uses the over the top-thing as a shield (to push ppl away/as a defense mechanism/to avoid being vulnerable) #we see her drop the act sometimes w ppl like teddy and sam who she actually feels comfortable around (and who know and understand her) #but like. she's stuck in a job she hates and is kind of afraid of (she KNOWS smth abt the horrors and is keeping her head down to survive) #(shes obviously afraid of sam going to far bc she KNOWS its dangerous) #so yes her act gets too much sometimes and yes sometimes she crosses the line into straight up mean (esp against gwen) #(but their dynamic is a whole other can of worms) #but like. i'm pretty sure its supposed to be seen that way. the audience isnt supposed to just find her kooky funny #the facade is supposed to be dismantled by the viewer etc etc #kind of like SEASON 1 JON the obnoxious bastard!!!!!!! #like. if you ever think alice is too mean towards gwen pls listen to s1 jon again and how he speaks abt martin?? #from a position as his boss no less? ngl i wanted to throttle him sometimes #you kinda forget abt it in the later seasons and if you only engage w fandom content. but like. go back and listen to the shit #he actually says. jesus christ man. i remember kinda hating him in the beginning #and to be clear i love jon! i think hes a great character! #and like. its almost as if his early season personality and facade was an important setup for his character development #and relationships with the other characters??? #but anyway 'alice is kind of annoying' is not an unpopular opinion its literally the FUCKING POINT #and both her and jon are my sweet baby angels <3 #alice dyer #jon sims #(and obviouslyyy you're still allowed to dislike a character ppl can have their own opinions etc etc etc. i just personally find it funny)

[ganondoodle]

rough concept for the cutscene between phase 3 (beast ganondorf, design not final) and the final fight

(totk rewritten project)

(.. i really need to find an approach to painting these that i like, i dont think its very convincing .. and it wasnt very fun to paint either :( )

#ganondoodles #zelda #art #totk #ganondoodles rewrites totk #ganondorf #dare i say i actually kinda hate it fkrdnhfkdn #it looks way too flat and neither pretty enough nor convincing #there are some people out there able to paint in a really pretty stylized way and yet it looks like a real screenshot #i gotta figure out what im doing wrong #thank god these are just some concepts #i imagined this scene to be rly cool #at beggining of phase 3 he burrows throw the ground with them and they all fight on the surface #at the end of it zelda tells link to shoot an arrow at her #and the deflect it with her light shield #and it shoots off the stone on gans head #he goes down and zelda makes a run for the stone #but in a last desperate attempt to avoid being imprisoned again (despite not zelda nor link wanting that) #gan lunges forward and eats the stone #cue the final fight

[zeb-z]

I know it’s played as a bit at first, but Chip struggling to wield Destiny’s Blade in Gillion’s absence is so important, because that’s just it, isn’t it. The weight of his destiny is something so great, so heavy of a burden, but there hasn’t really been insight into that until recently, and now both Chip and Jay are getting a look into just how hard it is to carry such a destiny. To raise the sword that Gillion does seemingly with ease.

But despite its weight, Chip keeps it close. He uses it when he’s out of ideas, when he needs options. He holds it tight to summon water, so Pretzel will have something in her bowl. He lifts it up to summon a shield when he needs protecting from a thousand different blades that would otherwise kill him. And there’s something too about how it’s Gillian’s blade, left behind without it’s wielder, protecting his friends despite his absence. How the manifestation of this magic is an imitation of Gillian’s - the shield protecting Chip as a swirling sphere of water, the shape water spell a Gillion classic of course. Even when he’s gone, his influence, what he’s left behind in both possessions and memory, are protecting Jay and Chip.

Maybe there’s something there about how whatever destiny Gillion has felt the weight of, it will always include protecting his friends - his family. Or about how their destinies are now forever intertwined, because Chip is using this Destiny’s Blade to find Gillion and it’s now his burden to bear. And it’s hard, and it hurts, and he feels the weight of his own actions now more than ever - but Jay promises he won’t bear it alone. And even while he’s lost, and unable to protect himself - Gillion still has a hand in protecting them.

#the way he held it before going into the last room in the pyramid. a reassuring grip to calm him. I’m not normal about it #nor will I ever be #he being chip #and chip????? using summon water????????? holding Gillian’s sword????????????????? they make me SICK dude #ACTUALLY unwell #they need to reunite fucking asap dude I’m gonna lose my mind #just. Gillian still able to protect his friends chips magic manifesting the same way Gillian’s does the blade room made me fuckin crazy #he ran through with gils sword gils shield manifestation and it protected him and I’m not supposed to go crazy about the implications? #the symbolism man. or metaphor. whatever I barely graduated it’s all character analysis at the end of the day #jrwi riptide 79 #jrwi #jrwi riptide #gillion tidestrider #jay ferin #jrwi chip #z speaks

[carpp]

I noticed most of your Emilute content suggests a past relationship because Lute has her arm.

How about some post-trial angst in which Emily can't bring herself to even look at Lute after her actions in the courtroom or post-finale angst of Lute being so changed by the battle she is emotionally distant from Emily?

Sweet delicious angst.

its actually supposed to be a prosthetic!

I do agree that if they were close before the trial there would be some great potential for angst, emily would probably be crushed that both sera and lute kept such a horrible secret from her

#hazbin hotel #emilute #emily #lute #delusional rambling ahead #personally i like the idea of them getting to know each other after the events in season 1 #there could be some nice parallels #emily was shielded from everything that had to do with hell #while lute was made to go down there and slaughter sinners #both were taught that sinners are all horrible #but also to deal with them in different ways #basically for lute its 'slaughter them all they deserve it' #and for emily its 'whatever you do don't question anything or you'll become like them' #emily is already questioning things though #and maybe if she started spending time with her lute could too

[reds-skull]

I am thinking about yet another AU

#call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod mw2 #cod ghost #cod soap #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #call of duty modern warfare #cod fanart #call of duty fanart #so yeah thinking about a futuristic au #but its like. Knights. In the future. #they use swords and shields and instead of horses they have motorcycles. And ghost is a full on robot android thing #soap is just wearing a helmet... bc its cooler #gaz and price are also in this au but i. didnt have time to design them #so just to keep track i now have blood hunger to finish #rev au part two planned after it #and this. new. goddamn. au. #do i have time for all of that? no #am i still gonna do it bc i like all of those ideas way too much? probably #am i doing this instead of working on the shit i actually need to? absolutely #uhh also the working title for this au is #cyberknights au #and ill edit this if i decide to change that