#quest for the living dex

[0ryza13]

Decided like last week to assemble a national living dex in pokemon home. Spent a couple days rearranging my home boxes to a proper order (instead of the random assortment they had been). I am now 2 days deep into collecting and I have like. 800 or so of the pokemon already. I'm down to the last few dozen. (I already have the living dex for Paldea so in January I'm just transferring that directly into the boxes I have set aside for it).

The problem which I have now reached is that the remaining pokemon I need to collect, I don't have already because they're mostly version exclusives or based on external factors (event mon, require save data from certain games, available only in gens I can't transfer from (looking at you, Pokemon Crystal on my 3ds. You have betrayed me), etc etc).

The end result of this is that I feel as though I've just cruised along a highway at 60 mph and been surprised by a newly built brick wall.

I think I may be spending a while on Dynamax Adventures and r/PokemonTrades in the near future...

#pokemon #personal #quest for the living dex

[adhdvane]

very happy about the dlc i'm glad i had the forethought to take this pic for my trainer id while i could

#pokemon scarlet and violet #sammy liveblogs about violet #pokemon teal mask #i downloaded as soon as it went live and... kept playing until i beat the main line... #then got very tired and had to go to sleep and did the photographer quest in the morning lol #nearly done with the dex just need version exclusive stuff :/ #but the reward for all 200 is trash so i'm not really in a rush #lol you get more tera shards? why would i need that?? #until the shards get another use getting more shards from raids is such a lame ass reward for the dex completion #they're so easy to farm already

[statsbot]

Living Armor (Dunmeshi)

Below are three statblocks for Living Armors in the style of Dungeon Meshi - colonial mollusks living in between the plates of suits of armor.

AD&D/OSR

Pathfinder

D&D 5e

Full text under the Read More

AD&D/OSR:

In the shadowed corners of forsaken ruins and rust-eaten dungeons, the clatter of metal hints at a menace unlike any other. Behold the colonial mollusks, a curious form of life that thrives unseen within the hollows of abandoned armor. Individually, they are but soft-bodied creatures, seeking refuge within iron shells. Yet together, they achieve a bizarre unity of purpose, moving the armor as if it were their own body. The elder colonies, more ambitious and adorned, shift into grander armaments, echoing the vanity of hermit crabs in their endless quest for the perfect shell. With clusters of their kind nestled in helms to serve as scouts and sentries, they seem nothing more than empty suits of armor, save for the rare, ghastly glimpse of a tentacle through a visor. Woe betide the unwary adventurer who trespasses during their mating season, for the living armor, normally docile, turns fiercely protective of its nascent brood. STATBLOCK Living Armor (Colonial Mollusk)

Armor Class: 2 (due to the hard metal armor)

Hit Points: 5d8 (individual mollusks within have 1 hp each, but damaging them requires piercing the armor)

Movement: 20' (6')

Attack: 1 weapon attack (by weapon type, typically 1d8 for a sword)

Damage: By weapon type

Special Attacks: None

Special Defenses: Regeneration – Any "killed" armor piece regenerates in 3d4 rounds as mollusks pull it back together. True death only comes if all mollusks are killed or armor is completely destroyed.

Magic Resistance: Standard

Size: M (6'+ tall)

Alignment: Neutral

Intelligence: Animal (cluster intelligence when acting as a colony)

Pathfinder:

In the derelict halls of forgotten crypts, adventurers whisper of armor that moves of its own volition, clanking and grinding with the eerie echo of non-life. Yet, within these metallic shells are not spirits nor necromantic energies, but a clever congregation of colonial mollusks, thriving unseen. The Mollusk Armor, as it's known by those few who've peered beneath its guise, is an ecology unto itself—a symbiotic assembly of creatures that have found unity in animating the empty husks of warriors long gone. The eldest of these colonies sport grotesque, calcareous growths, a grim heraldry only nature could craft.

STATBLOCK Mollusk Armor N Medium vermin (colony) Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0

DEFENSE AC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 20 (+10 natural, armor varies) hp 45 (7d8+14) Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +2 Defensive Abilities: Armor Reformation, All-Around Vision; DR 5/slashing; Immune mind-affecting effects

OFFENSE Speed 20 ft. Melee Weapon Attack (e.g., longsword) +8 (1d8+3/19-20), Slam +3 (1d6+1) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

STATISTICS Str 16, Dex 10, Con 14, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1 Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 18

SPECIAL ABILITIES Armor Reformation (Ex): When a Mollusk Armor is reduced to 0 hit points, the mollusks within quickly retreat and begin reassembling their protective shell. After 1d4+1 rounds, the Mollusk Armor re-forms with half its maximum hit points. Destroying the armor or exposing the mollusks to salt water prevents this reformation. All-Around Vision (Ex): The colony's mollusks are well-distributed within the armor, especially in the helmet, giving the Mollusk Armor a 360-degree field of vision. This makes it immune to flanking and sneak attacks.

D&D 5e:

In the twisted corridors of an abandoned citadel, a clanking sound echoes with a rhythm as precise as clockwork. A suit of armor, ornate and bearing the scars of many battles, patrols the area. But within this iron carapace, a colony of intelligent mollusks lurks, controlling the metal shell as one. These creatures, resembling nautiluses with their soft bodies and tentacles, have bound together, forming a collective consciousness that animates the armor. Their helmet-cluster acts as the brain, with the visor serving as their all-seeing eyes. The older the colony, the more grand the armor they command, sometimes adorned with intimidating spikes or gilded edges. Beware the mating season, for during these desperate times they will fiercely attack anyone who ventures too close to their hidden brood. STATBLOCKLiving Armor ColonyMedium swarm of Tiny monstrosities (colonial mollusks), unaligned

Armor Class: 18 (plate armor)

Hit Points: 60 (8d8 + 24)

Speed: 25 ft.

| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | |------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | 16 (+3)| 11 (+0)| 16 (+3)| 3 (-4)| 10 (+0)| 1 (-5)|

Skills: Perception +2

Damage Immunities: poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with adamantine weapons

Condition Immunities: charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Senses: blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 12

Languages: —

Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)

Traits

Regeneration. The Living Armor regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the Living Armor takes fire damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the Living Armor's next turn. The Living Armor dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.

Mollusk Vulnerability. When exposed to fire damage, the Living Armor has disadvantage on all saving throws and its Regeneration trait is suppressed for 1d4 rounds.

Immutable Form. The Living Armor is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. False Appearance. While the Living Armor remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal suit of armor.

Shell Game. If a piece of the Living Armor is removed or destroyed, the mollusks inside can use their action to reassemble or replace the piece, restoring the Living Armor to its full hit points.

Actions

Multiattack. The Living Armor makes two melee attacks.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage if used with two hands.

Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

#dungeon meshi #dunmeshi #living armor #homebrew #d&d #d&d 5e #ttrpg #dggbot #pathfinder #ad&d #osr

[soylent-crocodile]

Drubb (Monster)

(art by Jim Nelson)

(This was a Magic card- Muck Drubb- with the perfect combination of evocative art and interesting ability, so I of course HAD to make it a monster! This one's flavor text is just real sad and delves into slavery, so you've been warned. Perhaps freeing a population of enslaved drubbs and finding one of the hiding families to take them in would be a fun side quest for your heroes!)

CR3 TN Medium Aberration

Drubbs are unfortunate creatures whose physiology naturally attracts magic. At one point in history they were nearly extinct, but have been brought back from the brink by black market breeders, as unscrupulous criminals and military officers realized that their sacrificial abilities make them excellent defensive allies. These drubbs, though sentient and able to speak, act as little more than sacrifices for their owners, living to be targeted by a deadly spell that was meant for someone else. 

In nature, drubbs live in close matriarchal groups, with the oldest female- generally a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to various members of the group- teaching their children philosophy and religion, as well as practical survival skills and safe hideaways. Males typically stay in these groups even while sexually mature, and only leave when they are knowledgeable and confident enough to secure a mate and a place in another herd. These herds are extremely rare these days, however, with only three or four free families believed to still exist.

Drubbs are sentient and their mouths are dexterous enough to wield weapons, but they generally progress by advancing racial HD. Learning magic is a taboo in drubb society, both because of the scars spellcasting slavers have left on their society, and more practically because casting magic around friendly drubbs is rather hazardous.

Drubb hide is magically potent, and the skin from a single drubb can serve as up to 1,000gp worth of leather when crafting magic items of the Abjuration school; in particular, they are a common source of Cloaks of Resistance.

This slimy yellow creature slumps forward, its face defined by a short trunk and mournful eyes.

Misc- CR3 TN Medium Aberration HD4 Init:+2 Senses: Perception:+7, Low-light Vision, Darkvision 60ft Stats- Str:16(+3) Dex:15(+2) Con:22(+6) Int:6(-2) Wis:17(+3) Cha:16(+3) BAB:+3 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:42(4d8+24) AC:13(+2 Dex, +1 Natural) Fort:+7 Ref:+5 Will:+7 CMD:17 (19 vs trip) Special Defenses: DR2/cold iron Offense- 2 Slam +6(1d6+3 plus Entangle) CMB:+5 Speed:30ft Special Attacks: Entangle Feats- Combat Expertise (-1/+2), Lightning Reflexes Skills- Diplomacy +6, Perception +8, Spellcraft +3, Survival +7 Special Qualities- Sink Magic Ecology- Environment- Swamps, Urban (Any) Languages- Common Organization- Solitary Treasure- None Special Abilities- Entangle (Ex)- A creature hit with a drubb’s slam attack must make a DC13 reflex save or become entangled in its mucus, as with a tanglefoot bag. Sink Magic (Su)- A drubb’s body naturally attracts spells to itself. If a caster casts a spell within 60ft of a drubb that could target a drubb, she must make a DC16 caster level check or instead target the drubb with that spell. Spells with a range of touch or an area of effect are not affected by this ability. This caster level check is constitution-based.

#monsters and races #soylent original #any setting #mtg #planar chaos #homebrew #d&d #monster #pathfinder

[the-mic-drop]

Building Link in BG3- Ranger

Ok, this Link is more thematically fitting, but as a recreation of him it's less accurate. Also I don't have as good a grasp of the Ranger class, so this one is likely more flawed.

Hero of the Wild

This is the Link we play as, the wild child, the serial arsonist, the pun maestro. The amnesiac that saved Hyrule on instinct.

Background

Race: Half Elf (Wood Half Elf)

Background: Outlander

Race stays the same, but this Link is no knight, this is him in his second life. Living in the wilderness, exploring the countryside, traveling the land.

Abilities

Strength: 17 (+3)

Dexterity: 16 (+3)

Constitution: 13 (+1)

Intelligence: 8 (-1)

Wisdom: 10 (0)

Charisma: 10 (0)

Str, Dex, Con, and Wis stay the same, but we switch Int and Cha because this Link is the more animated and less... bright version.

Class & Levels

Class: Ranger

Proficiencies: Nature, Animal Handling, Perception

Favored Enemy: Ranger Knight

Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer: Cold

Nature because duh, Animal Handling because he can ride anything with a natural seat, and Perception because he's used to being on the lookout for danger. Ranger Knight because that's really what he is. You get proficiency in History which makes no sense, but you also gain proficiency in heavy armor which makes plenty of sense, so it evens out. Wasteland Wanderer: Cold because freezing temperatures is the most common environmental danger you can come across in Hyrule.

Level 2

Fighting Style: Archery

Spells: Hunter's Mark, Goodberry

Archery because it's the most appropriate choice, Hunter's Mark because of BotW's targeting mechanic, and Goodberry because of the metric tons of apples Link tends to carry with him at all times. The fact that this Link can use spells at all is a big reason as to why this build doesn't sit right with me, but I digress.

Level 3

Subclass: Hunter

Spell: Ensnaring Strike (Ranged)

Hunter's Prey: Any

Hunter fits because whenever we play as Link, he's always searching for something and usually has to fight something big and legendary before getting it. Unless the big legendary thing is what he was looking for. Ensnaring Strike is an equivalent to stun locking in my mind. As for Hunter's Prey, you have three choices and they're all equally fine for Link. Colossus Slayer gives you extra damage to enemies not at full health. Giant Killer lets you use a reaction to attack an attacking creature that's large or larger. Horde Breaker lets you attack multiple targets if they're standing close enough to each other. They all make sense and I leave this one to you.

Level 4

Feat: Shield Master

Although the Ranger class is typically Dex-focused and Link is a capable archer, our hero is more likely to get up close and personal. So we'll go with the same policy as the Fighter build; max out Str with Ethel and Oblodra so you don't need to use a feat on Ability Improvement. Unlike the Fighter class we only get 3 feats, so we can't give him all the weapon-type feats, so take Shield Master and keep this Link with a classic sword & shield kit. With a longbow for range, of course.

Level 5

Spell: Cure Wounds

This one is just a stand-in for Link's meals and that one(?) time he cured a group with his competent cooking.

Level 6

Favored Enemy: Sanctified Stalker

Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer: Hot

Sanctified Stalker doesn't make much sense outside of how he's always going on quests with god-level involvement. Another Wasteland Wanderer for the Gerudo Desert and Death Mountain.

Level 7

Spell: Lesser Restoration

Defensive Tactics: Multiattack Defense

Lesser Restoration has the same rationale as Cure Wounds. Multiattack Defense is because Link only takes hits one at a time. Enemies can't just wail on you, and now Faerun's dastards have the same issue now.

Level 8

Feat: Durable

Another returning feat from his Fighter build. Link doesn't need much time to recover. Except that one time it took a century, but that's an outlier.

Level 9

Spell: Lightning Arrow

Shock arrows.

Level 10

Favored Enemy: Bounty Hunter

Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer: Poison

Bounty Hunter is just the last remaining choice that makes any sense for Link. This Wasteland Wanderer doesn't make a ton of sense because of how relatively scarce wetlands are in Hyrule, but all the eldritch goop that's been sapping his vitality over the years must make normal poison a cakewalk.

Level 11

Spell: Conjure Barrage

There's... I had a reason for this right? Oh yeah! The bows that let you shoot 3 or 5 arrows at once. Sidenote, Level 11 gives you Whirlwind Attack which is essentially a spin attack. If for no other reason, this makes Ranger Link make sense.

Level 12

Feat: Sharpshooter/Great Weapon Master

We've all had to shoot at something way above us, right? And aiming your bow is tougher than swinging a sword around, so Sharpshooter works on both levels! If that doesn't gel with you, GWM is a classic.

Ultimately, while Fighter Link is easier to play, Ranger Link is more accurate to the Link we know and gives him a couple signature Link things that can make it a unique challenge.

#Baldur's Gate III #Baldur's Gate 3 #BG3 #Legend of Zelda #LoZ #Breath of the Wild #BotW #Tears of the Kingdom #TotK #Link #Hero of the Wild #BG3 Build

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hey clan was wondering if you could do a fic or hcs about reader finding out Larry is a missingno because they used to live in Kanto?

Yesssss I honestly love that Missingno!Larry theory to the moon and back

.....

Being born and raised in Kanto, you were caught up on the many myths and legends shared around the region. You've done a lot of research on the Pokémon associated with them, believing all the tales to be true.

But while most libraries and websites displayed stories of the legendary bird trio and the feline genetic experiments...there was one particular Pokémon seldom mentioned by even the oldest Kantonians.

One that was so bizarre and otherworldly that it could hardly be described as a Pokémon at all.

That was Missingno.

It piqued your interest, although it took a good while to find people who witnessed this creature...and even longer to find anyone willing to share what it looked like, as no photos of it existed anywhere.

But the responses weren't what you expected, as they claimed to have seen different forms of it.

One person said it resembled one of the ghosts seen in the Pokémon Tower, while a few theorized it was a haunted Aerodactyl or Kabutops skeleton seeking revenge against poachers.

The only thing these accounts had in common was the alleged location of Missingno: along the eastern coastline of Cinnabar Island.

And so you set off on a quest to find it, with your Lapras assisting you in the search as it surfed along the coast.

After some time, you finally encountered Missingno's true form.

It could only be described as incomprehensible--a clump of computerlike glitches forming the shape of a backwards "L".

You didn't even know how a thing like this could exist. But it was real, and you made sure your pokedex scanned it, revealing its number was "000" and some other unusual information about it. Such as it being a Normal/Bird type.

Not flying..but bird.

At the time you were too anxious to catch it, fearing that the stories of it corrupting people and Pokémon were true, and that it could wipe out all the progress you made on the dex. Even Lapras was terrified, as it nearly threw you off its back upon seeing the creature, so you sailed back to shore with the data entry secured.

That was all the evidence you needed.

You've helped the puzzled scientists with studies of this creature a great deal with what you've gathered, although they got ambitious about capturing it themselves and enlisted your aid in tracking it down, calling it "Project: Missingno".

You initially objected to that; they never confirmed it as being a Pokémon, so trying to catch and control something they didn't quite understand yet seemed like a terrible idea...

But to satiate your own curiosity, you led their expedition team to Cinnabar weeks later, following the exact same path that took you straight to Missingno's habitat.

Yet it was nowhere to be found, much to your confusion. Nothing but sand remained.

Maybe somebody else caught it.

Regardless, Project: Missingno was terminated right there and then, and the town's interest in it died down rather quickly. Even the scientists who once obsessed over finding it suddenly dismissed your evidence as "glitches", saying your pokedex was corrupted and needed a reboot.

They were sure quick to scorn you when yesterday they praised you for making a "historic" discovery.

But you knew for a fact Missingno was real. You believed in it.

If it truly was a Pokémon..then perhaps more of its kind were out there in the wild. They might be simply hidden away.

Yet even after you visiting a few other regions, they had extremely scarce information on it..oftentimes none at all.

You began to think it was only a legend meant to stay in Kanto.

Then you took a trip to Paldea to study the Treasures of Ruin and got the most surprising lead..

..............

"Where are you taking--?! Oh...y-you just wanted to eat here, huh?"

"Zarrr!" Licking her chops, your Cyclizar smiled as she stopped short in front of a nice restaurant within Medali City. It was labeled "Treasure Eatery".

"Fancy name." You mused, stepping off her back and walking up to the menu posted outside, reading over what this place had to offer. "I guess we afford some "fine-dining", huh girl?"

Smiling, you patted her head, and in turn she grinned and licked your cheek. "Hahaha, that tickles." You snickered. "C'mon. I think this is the place that can alter your tera type with a quick meal, too."

Surprisingly enough, you've become well-acquainted with Paldea's many customs and Pokémon--among them being the Cyclizar you found. She helped you get across the vast region and out of many sticky situations with the unusually aggressive Tauros herds.

You noticed that the flying taxi cabs carried by groups of Squawkabillies was the main source of transportation, but the idea of riding a motorcycle dragon-type seemed astronomically cooler.

In a way, it reminded you of the bikes you always rode in Kanto.

Once you both entered the Treasure Eatery, you patiently waited behind who appeared to be an academy student ordering something to eat.

But after the host hollered out their order to the chef-

A battle court unexpectedly appeared in the dining section.

You and Cyclizar jumped back in shock, becoming even more confused at what the host declared:

"Congratulations! You've passed the Gym Test! Are you ready to challenge the Exceptional Everyman himself, Gym Leader Larry?"

'Huh? A gym battle...is here??' You were bewildered.

Last time you checked, the gym building was back outside: a tall, bright, and white structure with the logo plastered on the front. But then you remembered that you're not in Kanto anymore, and Paldea probably had its own gym customs.

Ordering a "secret menu item", however, did seem quite odd for a gym test...

Shrugging, you headed further in, securing a spot where the court was in perfect view. You passed by Larry who, sure enough, looked much like any ordinary business man. He was rigid in his movements, and monotone in his voice, even as you overheard him praise the challenger for passing his test.

Everything about him was plain and simple.

Regardless, you were eager to see the battle. So you ordered Cyclizar a dish of grilled fish, while you ate your own meal and watched the fight go down

Larry first sent out a Komala, who was swiftly struck down by the challenger's fighting type, before he sent Dundunsparce out next.

Although it put up more of a fight than the last Pokémon, it went down just as quickly. Yet Larry didn't seem all that concerned with losing, even as the staff and patrons tried getting him riled up, demanding something more exciting.

However, you immediately noticed something quite...off about him that made you do a double-take.

When he tossed out his final Pokémon, a Staraptor, his throw seemed unusually aggressive this time around. And it may have just been your imagination...but you swore on your life you saw a familiar pattern of glitches flickering around him, and his head becoming entirely detached from his body for a split-second.

Only then did you see his emotionless expression briefly change to one of panic, almost physically recoiling at the pain. Though it was quickly masked as he made eye contact with you, before refocusing on the match and terastalizing Staraptor.

Nobody else seemed to notice, but you knew exactly what you saw, as your Cyclizar began hissing and snarling in distress...much like what your Lapras did that fateful day.

It's obvious that she realized the same thing as you..

That Larry's physical body had become unstable, as if he were a living glitch masquerading as something else...

Just like it did.

#clanask #pokemon x reader #pokemon scarlet x reader #pokemon violet x reader #pokemon larry x reader #pokemon larry #missingno #missingno larry #platonic

[thecreaturecodex]

Godzooky

“Varan-02″ © deviantArt user JSochart. Accessed at their gallery here

[Sponsored by @glarnboudin​. Ignore the “Varan” title, or maybe don’t. I realized that Godzooky may not be Godzilla’s blood relative, but he’s probably Varan’s. For those of you who don’t know, the Godzilla Power Hour was a Hanna Barbera adventure cartoon in the 1970s, which licensed Godzilla but had a cast of other monsters in it. Think Johnny Quest with less racism for the tone. But since it was 70s Hanna Barbera, it had to have a comic relief sidekick. Enter Godzooky:

Godzooky was a cute little dragon-y thing that whined and whimpered like Scooby-Doo, because he had the same voice actor, Don Messick. Think Minilla, but less repulsive to look at. This is my attempt at injecting some fantasy ecology into the concept of “Godzilla’s nephew”. It turned out kind of the opposite of a gray render as far as flavor text is concerned.]

Godzooky CR 7 N Magical Beast This creature is a reptilian biped, with a row of spines and plates along the back, sharp teeth and claws. It has membranous wings growing from between its arms and down its torso.

A godzooky is an omnivorous reptile that lives as a monstrous pilot fish. It follows in the wake of a greater monster and feeds on materials kicked up and carrion left behind by the movements and attacks of its superior. Their attitude towards this greater monster is something like that of a nephew towards their favorite uncle. The monsters a godzooky associates itself with can be anything from a genuinely weaker monster that has an irascible attitude and dominant personality all the way up to literal kaiju. Although they are curious and fairly friendly creatures, the appearance of a godzooky in a town or on a road brings concern—its patron monster may be close behind.

A godzooky is actually a reasonably powerful melee combatant, but they prefer to leave direct fighting to others. Instead, they make hit and run attacks through the air—they are not exactly graceful fliers, but they are speedy ones. Godzookies can breathe a cloud of choking smoke. There are reports of some that can actually breathe fire, but these are likely either mutated or very old and powerful specimens. A godzooky has a versatile vocal range, and they can magnify their calls into a deafening howl. The sound itself is dangerous in the short term. The fact that such a noise often acts as a beacon for a stronger monster is potentially catastrophic.

A godzooky is about ten feet tall when standing on its hind legs, and around thirty feet in length.

Godzooky              CR 7 XP 3,200 N Huge magical beast Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +14, scent Defense AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +9 natural) hp 85 (9d10+36) Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +7 Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10 Offense Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 60 feet (poor) Melee bite +11 (1d8+4), 2 claws +11 (1d6+4) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (10 ft. with claws) Special Attacks smoke breath, yowl Spell-like Abilities CL 9th, concentration +10 3/day—miserable pity (DC 12, self only) Statistics Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 13 Base Atk +9; CMB +16; CMD 28 Feats Alertness, Blind Fight, Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Toughness Skills Fly +0, Perception +14, Sense Motive +6, Swim +19; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception Languages Common (can’t speak), speak with monsters Ecology Environment any warm or temperate Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental Special Abilities Smoke Breath (Su) As a standard action, a godzooky can breathe smoke in a 30 foot radius. Treat this smoke as concealing vision like a fog cloud, and all creatures in the smoke must succeed a DC 17 Fortitude save each round they remain within it, or be staggered for 1 round from coughing. A godzooky can use this ability three times per day, but must wait 1d4 rounds between uses. A godzooky is immune to the choking ability of its smoke, but doesn’t have any ability to see through it. The save DC is Constitution based. Speak With Monsters (Su) A godzooky can communicate through a series of grunts, yelps and whines with any animal, dragon, magical beast, plant or vermin. The level of information communicated with these organisms is equivalent to that conveyed by a speak with animals spell. Yowl (Ex) As a standard action, a godzooky can scream so loudly that all creatures within 60 feet must succeed a DC 17 Fortitude save or be deafened for 1 minute. A creature that succeeds this save is immune to the yowl of a godzooky for the next 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution based.

#godzooky #godzilla #sponsored post #kaiju #pilot fish #varan #hanna barbera

[omgauplease]

It's Graduation Day!!! We hope you enjoy the final set of wonderful works from our Day 6 creators!

Dream of the Pale Blue Lobster - Rated T - 3,567 words (Chapter 1/7)

Featuring: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter

Summary: Nursey writes a bestselling novel that features a unique pastel-colored lobster that lives in a New England public aquarium. As part of a Netflix series based on the book, Nursey tracks down the lobster boat that caught and provided the specimen to the facility. Captain Dex has no time to spare for all of this artsy nonsense, but Nurse is unexpectedly charmed by Dex. And quite persistent in his quest to know more about him. Why is his boat named that? Why does he always wear this particular hat? How uniform is the distribution pattern of his freckles? What does he look like when he smiles?

These are important questions that Nursey really needs answers to.

.🍎🍎🍎.

Et Cetera - Rated G - 4,857 words

Featuring: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter, Kent "Parse' Parson & Jack Zimmermann, Alicia Zimmermann/Bob Zimmermann, Richard "Coach" Bittle/Suzanne Bittle

Summary: A collection of letters from the royal archives detailing, among other things, the beginnings of the courtship between Princes Jacques Laurent Zimmermann and Eric Richard Bittle.

.🍎🍎🍎.

out of tune - Rated T - 4.463 words

Featuring: Kent "Parse" Parson/Jack Zimmermann

Summary: Kent Parson is leaning against an open doorway, looking out at the stage and watching the girl working the lights adjust settings on her control desk. He’s scheduled for soundcheck in half an hour, but he’s always early. It’s a remnant from his days playing only these kinds of venues, the sketchy basement clubs with malfunctioning lights and dirt-cheap vodka sodas. The ones where you have to show up on time, or they’ll just shrug and let the next band play instead. The kinds of venues even a scrappy college-dropout kid from Buffalo with too many feelings he didn’t know what to do with except channel into guitar riffs and angry breakup songs got to play in.

.🍎🍎🍎.

Samwell Acres - Rated G - 2,525 words

Featuring: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Adam Birkholtz & Eric Bittle & Larissa Duan & Shitty Knight & Justin Oluransi & Jack Zimmermann,

Summary: Denice Ford is excited for her new job at a retirement home. The residents on the floor she's in charge of are a little more... energetic than one might expect.

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And I'd choose you - Rated G

Featuring: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Larissa "Lardo" Duan/Shitty Knight, Adam "Holster" Birkholtz/Justin "Ransom" Oluransi

Summary: In which we get to see a bit of Samwell's Men Hockey Team on an universe with Daemons (external physical manifestation of a person's soul that takes the form of an animal)! Inspired by the book series "His Dark Materials".

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A reminder to all creators whose works are revealed today to please update your publication date to today so that your works are shown at the top of the feed on AO3.

Please also remember to show love through kudos and comments to our creators when you enjoy their work! ❤️

#omg check please #omgcheckplease #omgcp #check please #omgauplease #day 6 reveals #check please fanfic #check please fic #check please art

[shuunnico]

Would you change anything about Cyberpunk's story?

I'm going to assume you mean without dramatically changing the story.

Cyberpunk 2077 Spoilers

I'd do maybe three things total.

First, I'd extend the start of the game. Jackie dies about 4 hours into the game and about half of that is spent without him.

Instead of a montage, I'd have those moments be played out. It would allow you to create subtle tutorials (unlike the actual game, where you just get teleported to a training room). You'd be able to bond more with Jackie over missions, over downtime, and you'd be able to know Mama Wells and Misty more before Jackie's death.

With the game having Jackie at your hip for that long, played straight, it would make Jackie's death more surprising and less predictable. It would allow you to world build, build up a couple more characters and make V's backstory more fleshed out.

You can start out living in the Wells' bar, then get a place of your own, get your own car, get your implants, etc. By taking more jobs, it becomes more believable that Dex would seek you out, instead of (basically )starting the game with that.

Second, I'd bring Adam Smasher back at least once more. You see him during the Relic heist, you see him in a flashback, then he's the game's final boss.

The ideal might be he's a world trigger, where he's actually hunting you through Night City. Make enough noise and he might show up and the only option is to run.

But I can see how that might be frustrating. So even if it was just one more mission where he ambushes you, that'd be fine. Just something to remind the player why he's a big deal. And, of course, make him more powerful in the endgame.

Third, I'd change the intensity of the threat to your life. The implication in game is V has months, if not weeks, to live. This causes narrative dissonance whenever the player is taking actions that don't progress the story, effectively doing side jobs when V's life is directly under threat.

Initially start with the idea that V will die in a few years. Have it start out as not such a pressing matter. Have the actual problem be the loss of control and seizures, rather than the immediate threat of death.

Then, start introducing the plausibility of a cure. At that time, ramp up the threat and have V start degenerating faster, with it being months left to live. So you have the threat being bigger, but with a viable cure on the table (and a less pressing time frame) it still makes sense V is planning for the future.

Have there be periods in the game where the main mission stalls for a bit and encourages you to do side jobs for cash or influence.

Then, near the end of the game, you have the story pull the rug out from under you. The degeneration picks up faster, giving V only days to live. Now you're in the endgame.

You generally get the same story beats, but it doesn't make you quest why you're out there doing a racing subplot when V could die at any moment from the Relic.

#Cyberpunk 2077 #Spoilers

[lilmagiceverywhere]

"A PSALM FOR THE WILD BUILT" by Becky Chambers

4.75/5 ✨️

I had found A Psalm For The Wild-Built recommended to me searching through various solarpunk/hopepunk tags a while ago, and noted it in my mind to come back to it later.

But to be honest, I doubted that I would ever actually get around to reading it. My college classes kicked me straight into a horrible reading slump since I started them at sixteen years old, and it’s been hard for me to get through books ever since. And I have read books outside of those textbooks, but it’s only been an average of one or three a year, not a big number.

Yet I found the book pop up on my phone again in December, and it planted a seed in my head. I wanted to read the book, I really did, but I didn’t want to add to the pile of physical books I’ve bought in the past and wanted to read, so I decided I would go about it differently.

I got my copy through the library.

I know to some people, going to the library isn’t as revolutionary as they might expect. But I hadn’t used a library in years, and the library I have access to is an actual building, not a small converted ranch house with barely enough room for all the bookshelves. And I could reserve the copy online and pick it up, I didn’t have to spend hours searching for a book and somehow end up lost in the accounting books looking for a sci-fi book.

Libraries are great, y’all.

Anyway, let’s actually talk about the book. Spoilers beyond this point, you have been warned.

A Psalm For The Wild-Built is a novel (or perhaps a novella, it is on the shorter side) by author Becky Chambers. The story is quite simple– Dex, a tea monk, feels unsatisfied with their job, and can’t figure out why. One day, while traveling between settlements, Dex comes in contact with the first robot any human has seen in centuries.

The novel is mostly conversational. Unlike other stories I’ve found myself drawn to in the past, the conflict doesn’t rely on saving the city/the world, defeating an evil authoritative figure (be it a king, queen, or weird demon), or a revolution. The conflict is more internal. Dex is suffering from what I would consider Severe Burnout™, and it takes them from a life of comfort to literally climbing up a mountain.

But I find myself drawn to this sort of conflict now. As much as I love the stories of revolutionaries overthrowing authoritative figures, maybe with a bit of magic or sci-fi jumbo thrown in as well, having that be the only story I enjoy for years has made me a bit yearnful for something more mundane. I suppose that’s where the genre of “cozy scifi/fantasy” comes in. It’s not epic quests or large adventures, it’s the story of everyday lives in a more extraordinary world.

Dex’s conflict is dealing with burnout. Something that I’ve been feeling myself for a while, not just creatively. Even though it’s been years, the COVID-19 burnout that I felt during my college years really took a number on me. I was depressed, I hardly left my single dorm room, I didn’t go out and experience a lot of things, and I only made myself do the bare minimum in order to graduate. At the time, I felt like it was necessary for my survival to do that. I graduated almost two years ago, and recently, I’ve been reconsidering that philosophy that pushed me through college. Was it necessary for my survival, or if I had pushed myself more, would my experiences have been marginally better?

Having Dex’s conflict be internal like that spoke to me a lot. Even though the reasons for burnout are different, the symptoms are the same. The solution, in a sense, is similar as well. I’m not going to free-climb up a mountain any time soon, but I think getting out in nature has helped me recover from the COVID-19 burnout.

I got a job at a place that’s going to remain redacted for my privacy’s sake, but it’s a place that gets me close to two different things– people and nature. The people part is mostly just customer service, but I work at a nature-place, which has biologists and horticulturalists and researchers who are actually looking into ways we can help the planet within the ongoing climate change crisis. Half of my coworkers are vegetarian or vegan, and being in a place like this has inspired me to do more about my physical and mental health.

Dex’s solution to their burnout was also to retreat to nature, though theirs is much more literal. They detour from the path they’ve set themself on recklessly, going towards the uncontrolled wilderness of their land of Panga (which I’m assuming is a reverse Pangea situation) instead of the next town they were supposed to visit. In the wilderness, there is supposedly a monastery for those seeking respite from the city life, and even though it’s been years since a human last stepped foot there, Dex makes it their mission to visit it, thinking it might be the cure to their weird affliction (which, to be fair, they aren’t recognizing as burnout).

While on the road there, Dex encounters Splendid Speckled Mosscap, a robot. Centuries before Dex’s time, the robots who worked for the humans gained a sudden consciousness. It is not a violent robot revolution, in fact, it’s a more philosophical one. The robots promise to see the humans again, but they need some time to themselves. To discover things, to discover what life truly is all about.

Mosscap is a robot who volunteered to play the role of ambassador, to return to the humans to see what the humans need help with. And it just so happens that Dex is the first human it comes across.

I’m not going to dive too in depth more about the plot and conflict of the book, because I really want to encourage anyone reading this to experience it for themselves. I love the dynamic that forms between Dex and Mosscap (my beloved). They have such interesting conversations, from the nature of humanity, to the differences between robots and humans, to even the more mundane things, like cooking, and taking a less-traveled path.

The book is pretty character and dialogue heavy, but it works out perfectly for the type of conflict its supposed to reflect. If you like more action and description in your books, though, this might not be the one for you, and that’s okay! But if you’re intrigued at all by this book, I suggest you check out your library to see if they have a physical or digital copy you can borrow. It’s a delight of a book, and there’s even a sequel I now get to patiently wait for to return to the library so then I can check it out!

#a psalm for the wild built #a psalm for the wild built becky chambers #becky chambers #book review #story review #original

[boxoshinies]

I go through spells where my ADD forces me to document things. Usually this ends up in yet another spreadsheet cataloguing random things I own (video games, vhs, books, etc). This go round it seems that I want to start documenting my shiny hunts in Pokemon. I have several hunts going on at once, but don't really get that dopamine hit unless I put it on the internet!

I am going to start documenting my quest for a living shiny dex. This will not include gender differences, but will include regionals. I was pretty late to the Pokemon world, I didn't start until Covid lockdown, but it has its claws deep in me now. My first shiny (outside of PoGo) was Raticate in Let's Go Pikachu. Those sparkles... I was hooked.

#pokemon #shiny pokemon #shiny hunter

[the-phantom-otaku]

I said I might make her an intro card, and I finally got around to it. Some stuff may change, but for now, I'm happy with it. Oh also, she has 18 dexterity bc she had the gloves of dexterity on when I checked her stats. I thought it wasn't that important and I left it that way.

Bio

Name: Midnaria Graylocke

Nicknames/Aliases: Midna

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: Mid-twenties (haven't decided exactly how old yet)

Race: Mephistopheles Tiefling

Class/Subclass: Fighter & Soldier

Alignment: Neutral Good

Deity: None

Love Interest(s): Astarion

Best Friend(s): Gale and Karlach

Favored

Weapon: Longsword

Spell: Burning Hands

Skill: Persuasion

Ability: Strength

Stats

STR - 17

DEX - 18

CON -14

INT - 10

WIS - 12

CHA - 10

Personality

She's kind-hearted, stubborn, and just a little bit reckless. She's the type to take a dagger to the stomach for her companions. Though she's usually nice, she isn't above getting nasty if the situation or individual calls for it. She's also known to be cheeky from time to time, usually to Astarion in response to his own snark. She's probably got at least a little taste for danger as she's always getting herself into it. I suppose you could also say she's a bit of a bleeding heart bc a sad little story just might make her fold. Despite wanting to do the right thing, she's picked up on a few underhanded tricks that she isn't above using if she needs to. She can also be quite persuasive and deceptive if she needs to.

Trivia/Fun Facts

-Her full name, Midnaria, means "love of night" or "night love".

-She prefers Midna because her full name sounds too "official" to her.

-She loves many types of animals. Dragons, tressyms, owlbears, dogs, cats, etc.

-She also loves kids.

-She also loves the moon and stars, as does her mother.

-She can draw or at least sketch. Night guard duty got really boring a lot of the time.

-She's not half-bad at Three-Dragon Ante, though she usually plays for the fun of it and not for gold.

-She has a keen interest in the artistry of weapons.

-Despite owning a blessed symbol of Selune, she doesn't necessarily serve Selune.

-Rosemary incense was often burned in her home, so she usually has some around her tent as well.

-Her family lives in the lower city of Baldur's Gate.

-She has a younger brother named Vesper.

Personal Story

The details aren't totally worked out, but the gist is that Mephistophele's blood runs thicker in her family due to him having direct relations with her elders. As a result, she's always worn a blessed charm of Selune in her glove to keep her demonic blood in check. During the crash, the charm is dislodged and lost. Initially, nothing appears wrong, but she still insists on looking for it. However, once it's found, it seems the magic that had been inside it once has been sapped from it, so it's not of any use anymore. Like I said, all the details aren't worked out, but she tries to find a way to bring the blessing back to the charm and she sets out for answers about her bloodline - answers that Raphael seems to have.

Btw I do not know anything about DND outside of BG3, so sorry if her little personal quest makes like no sense at all lorewise.

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate oc #baldur's gate iii #tav bg3 #my tav #bg3 oc #baldur's gate tav #bg3 tav #tav #midna #midnaria graylocke #tiefling #tiefling tav

[subject-2-roll]

Cainan Sprocket

“You’re wondering if I’m worth all the trouble. Well everything I’ve done that has made me such a ‘prodigy’ is because of the shit I get into. That’s a fact, whether you like it or not.” 

Stats: human alchemist (artificer) lvl 8 AC: 14 (17 with shield infusion), HP: 89, Init: +2 Str: 11 (+0), Dex: 14 (+2), Con: 18 (+4), Int: 18 (+4), Wis: 12 (+1), Cha: 8 (-1)

Story: Cainan was raised in Breland, in the Cragwar Asylum for Orphaned Youth. His parents and origin are a mystery, but children born during the last war often became orphans. He was born only 6 months before the Mourning, and assumes his parents died in the tragedy. He was left on the steps of the Cragwar Asylum with a journal that said “Merry” in lovely cursive, and “for Cainan” in scratched writing, clearly not from the author. Practically as soon as he could read, he noticed the journal had codes hidden in its entries and scientific notes. He has been deciphering it since. At the Cragwar Asylum, he got into trouble with his experiments. These include, but are not limited to killing a litter of puppies in an effort to feed them dehydrated food, and causing a cave in when trying to speed up a mining job the orphaned youth were forced to do. 

Because of all this, Cainan’s supplies were confiscated and he took matters into his own hands. He became a thief to gather materials again. One such merchant he stole from was a man in his 50s, Diogenes, who traveled through Cragwar regularly. Cainan was caught, but instead of turning him in, Diogenes saw his talents and offered to take him in as his ward. For the last few years, Cainan has been living in Black Pit, experimenting and scavenging, performing fetch quests for his master, and decoding the mysterious Cannith journal, written over a hundred years ago. 

When the party converges on Black Pit, they rope the boy into their job. Cainan rejects the Patron’s offer for power. While the idea of working with a bunch of flagrant killers is frightening at first, their acceptance and even admiration of his chaotic and destructive brilliance keeps him on the hook. Plus, it is kinda fun...

“You think you are so much smarter than the rest of them for rejecting my offer. Don’t worry. I’m confident you’ll come to me in your most desperate moment. Shouldn’t be long now.” - The Patron

Song for vibes

#EEEE #dnd #dnd PCs #dungeons and dragons #Cainan core #Cainan Sprocket #artificer #eberron #evil campaign #alchemist

[catchinglightning]

My biggest project these last 7 months: an update to the KOTLC fantasy AU that I did over a year ago! I added a lot of lore bc I’m a nerd so don’t be pressured to read through it all lol.

For those who are new to it:

SOPHIE FOSTER is a runaway princess from the Kingdom of the Scarlet Eye. She ran away after being betrothed to Fitz and realizing she didn’t want that for herself.

DEX DIZZNEE is an assassin for the rebels. His whole family was taken by the Evergold government in an incident which heavily injured his left arm, causing him to wear a prosthetic. He was sent to assassinate the crown prince of Evergold (Fitz), but took pity on Sophie instead and helped her escape.

KEEFE SENCEN is the exiled prince of the Candleflame Kingdom whose taken up the easygoing lifestyle of a bard. Shortly after his banishment, a bounty hunter named Ro took pity on him and started following him around to make sure he doesn’t die. She sometimes does want to kill him though when he sings the dreaded “Ballad of Ro and Bo”.

FITZ VACKER is the crown prince of Evergold and a gifted seer. After his betrothed disappears right before their wedding day, he assumes she was kidnapped by Dex on behalf of the rebels. Thus, he enlists the help of his sister and sets off on a quest to get his beloved back.

BIANA VACKER is a princess of Evergold second and a legendary huntress first. She is famous for being able to track any living creature down. When her dumb brother asks for her help in rescuing his fiancé, she knows she has no other choice but to tag along to make sure he doesn’t get killed.

LINH SONG used to be the royal water mage of the Candleflame Kingdom. But after threatening to expose Queen Gisela’s brutal dark magic rituals, she was heavily cursed and forced to flee. Now she is a silent shell of herself living in the slums of Mysterium.

TAM SONG is a pickpocket on the streets of Mysterium using the magic that he once used in his post as a royal guard in the Candleflame Kingdom to swipe wallets and coins. Since Linh has been cursed, he has gotten his hands dirtier and dirtier searching for a cure.

MARELLA REDEK is a fire witch and Linh’s fiancé. She also served under the Candleflame Royal Family until Linh was cursed. She blames herself for the incident and spends her days with Tam searching for a cure.

#keeper of the lost cities #kotlc fanart #shannon messenger #keefe sencen #digital art #kotlc sophie #kotlc biana #kotlc fitz #tam x keefe #kotlc tam #sokeefe #keeper of the lost cites fanart #fantasy au #kotlc marella #kotlc linh #kotlc gisela

[whatisurgatepolicy]

My best friend challenged me to figure out what my various Tavs would be like as origin characters, and it's been a very fun thing to consider. So here's something overly in-depth.

So let's start with Rhea Dancer (Seren Lowell), as I just finished playing her through for the second time, hahahaha.

Initial Class: Paladin (Oath of Vengeance), occasionally receives [ex-bard] dialogue options when controlled by the player due to her past.

Quest Title: Nevermore Rhea was the youngest princess of a small kingdom to the east of the Chionthar. She took part in a failed rebellion, was exiled into drow slavery, and returned to try and kill the king again, only to die because he's a level 18 archwizard and she was a level 7 bardadin. Her twin brother, a Chosen of The Raven Queen made a deal with his goddess to bring back his sister. Unfortunately, she was brought back to life about five minutes before the Nautiloid swung by. Found: hiding from intelligence devours in the crashed nautiloid, pretending she isn't hiding from intelligence devours.

Tent: Plain, blue, blue rug. A hammock on the inside. No personal effects, unless the player gives them to her. She's not used to making decisions.

Big secret: the part about being a dead royal. Rhea currently exists in a half-life, under the auspices of a death curse, and her HP will go down every day while she's in the Shadow Cursed Lands. Small secrets: her mother's family worship Sehanine Moonbow, the elven aspect of Selune. Shadowheart's occasional references to Shar worshippers killing Selunites fill her with...something.

Charming quirks: Rhea has todo lists for every occasion, and regularly writes them out for her fellow party members and the player. She has an almost criminally bad taste in men (Aradin, Volo, Barcus), gets flustered around mean women, and will absolutely and shamelessly hit on Nine Fingers if you take her to the Guild in Act 3. Is disconnected from her emotions. Got her fake name from a strip club.

Ways they embody their class: Originally a College of Lore Bard, Rhea is great at history and religion checks, and her high charisma makes her a great persuasion/deception tool. Ways they are the antithesis of their class: Rhea's low con and strength vs high dex/charisma makes her a terrible fighter unless you have her in the back with spells and archery.

Personal quest/choice: In Act 1, in the Underdark, the player is introduced to Rhea's Revenge Todo List: after escaping from the drow, she found a myconid who looked after her. Its grove was destroyed by a demon, whose name is on the Revenge Todo List. In Act 2, an option is offered to Rhea by the Raven Queen: die, become a full revenant, get strong, and finally tick off every item on her todo list. In Act 3, you can find another of her remaining brothers in Wyrm's Rock Prison. If you rescue both him and Florrick, they're eventually able to break the curse keeping her half alive and bring her back - as a bard, who'll likely never be strong enough to overthrow her father.

Live and let go of vengeance as a bard, or exist as a revenant and finally fulfil the queer dream of killing one's father. (Secret third option if romanced: you can convince her to let you go back to Lowell with her and help her assassinate her father. If she's a revenant, she'll die for good. But if she's a bard, the player can help her wrest control of the kingdom and take over. It's implied she's not super happy ruling and would prefer to be doing more important stuff. Like a ton of shrooms. If she has a good ending and neither are romanced, she'll go live on Shadowheart's farm and be entirely useless as a homesteader.)

Green Flags: gives approval options on anything around freeing others, chasing self-freedom, or protecting others. Will critique Raphael's poetry. Is immediately ride-or-die for Wyll. Loves cats and rabbits. Will do anything for a slice of afternoon tea and some cake. Red Flags: is the only companion to not give approval when the player pets Scratch. Gives approval on anything that involves parent/sibling murder. Will talk endlessly about economics and/or the philosophy of statecraft if you let her, until the only person willing to talk to her is Gale. Is definitely stealing books from the other characters.

Relationships with the others:

Lae'zel - Rhea thinks very highly of Lae'zel, and wants to be her best pal. Their parallel is that they're both part of societies ruled by an evil magic user who wants to be a god. They're foils for each other because Lae'zel is an active part of that society, whereas Rhea was a rebel. Shadowheart - Rhea has an obvious crush on Shadowheart but also doesn't want her knowing anything about her. Their parallels involve being half-elves with a history with Selune who turned to a goddess associated with ravens and shadows and have fake names. They're foils for each other because Shadowheart had her memories taken away by her goddess, whereas Rhea now works for a goddess obsessed with memory. Rhea's original name, Lowell, also means little wolf. Gale - Rhea pretends she and Gale don't get along and always has choice words for wizards, but they share a lot of the same academic references and party banter often includes them having excited discussions to the horror of the rest of the group. Their parallel is that they are both nerds. They're foils for each other because Gale accepts his nerd title, and Rhea is in denial. But also because Rhea hates wizards and the weave, and Gale is a wizard who has fucked the weave. Astarion - Rhea keeps Astarion at arm's length at first because she has the blood of an undead. But it's clear they agree on more things than not, especially vis-a-vis murder. Parallels: weird family dynamic might be the key to overcoming your current undead limitations. They're foils for each other because Rhea's could be brought back by her family, whereas Astarion could use his family to ascend. Wyll - both Rhea and Wyll are from noble families. While King outranks Grand Duke, Rhea sees Wyll as being higher up the pecking order, and a lot more put together. Despite being around the same age, she looks up to him. Parallels: noble background, both exiled by their fathers. Foils because: Wyll wishes to reconcile with his father. Rhea wishes to murder her own, and his too, actually. Karlach - Rhea is clearly intimidated by Karlach's power, but enjoys spending time with her and playing songs for her. Later, can offer Karlach comfort about dying. Parallels: both on a fast track towards death. Foils: having been through death before, Rhea is very accepting of it. Minthara - so many toxic noble in-jokes, or comments about drow culture. Rhea warms up to Minthara very quickly when she realises she hates Lolth. Parallels: both vengeance seeking lil murderers from a noble background. Foils: Minthara was high up in drow society, but Rhea was a slave under the House Mizzrym. Their experiences of the drow are very different. Halsin - Rhea refuses to acknowledge Halsin because his height makes her very insecure. Jaheira - new mammy, who is doing her best to keep her new kids in check. Parallels: both are nobles who had to leave their seat of power. Foils: Jaheira has long accepted this and embraced being a druid. Rhea would give Gale's left arm to get out of the wilderness and never sleep on the floor again. Minsc - Rhea speaks only to Boo and doesn't seem to be aware that Minsc exists as anything other than a hamster puppet. Minsc approves.

#rhea dancer #bg3 tav

[quoteablebooks]

Genre: Science Fiction, 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Trigger Warning: Animal death, Cursing, Alcohol, Sexual content

Summary:

After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers's new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?

They're going to need to ask it a lot.

*Opinions*

This series is just delightful, these characters are delightful, this world is delightful, and the questions that this novella raises make me think far too much about morality and existence than one would think possible in a book that is just under 150 pages. I was worried that this second novella wouldn’t be able to live up to the feeling that the first novella gave me, but it was like slipping into a warm sweater to go back on the road with Sibling Dex and Mosscap as they return to society after their adventures in the wilds. Becky Chambers gives snippets of that adventure and the questions that it raises and gives a better look at this hope-punk world that she has created. While this novella didn’t make me cry, I still enjoyed every single page. Chambers once again tackles the ideas of purpose and burnout in this novella, which makes me confront myself about how I take care of myself and approach the world and my place in it. However, Chambers does it in a comforting way, staying in the scenes in which Dex confronts these ideas just enough to get the point across without sending the reader into a spiral of despair. The discussions about purpose are the same, though I feel like that is more of a focus in this novella with both Dex and Mosscap questioning their place in the world and how to complete what they see as their mission being with each other. Chambers really doesn’t try to answer any of these questions, just lets the characters discuss it on the page and pull meaning as they see fit. It is rather calming to have other people wrestle with these issues and not have to engage in them if you don’t want to. Dex and Mosscap as characters are relatable and rather anxious individuals, which I appreciate as someone else who has anxiety. They are both attempting to do their best, but are constantly confronted with new ideas and how they fit into a world that is changing or being seen in a new way. Their banter and conversations are just lovely to read and I like their buddy road trip from village to village. They have learned to understand one another without words and what the other needs, sometimes before the other individual did. It was just so nice to watch them become friends and protective of one another. As always, Chambers makes gender and sexuality just things that exist in this world and not needing explanation or shame. Dex’s parents have multiple partners and everyone lives rather harmoniously on the farm together, which is so nice. There is no label placed on anyone’s sexuality, but it is nice to see that non-monogamous relationships are just as accepted as any other. With everything going on in the world, it is so refreshing to escape into a world where people are allowed to be who they want to be and love who they want to live in peace. It’s sad and frustrating that sexuality and individual presentation seem to be more far-fetched than some of the science in this science fiction these days. Overall, a warm hug of a book or listening to two friends talk about life and philosophy on a relaxing weekend away. I strongly recommend this series and will probably read it again and again over and over again. Five stars, no questions.

#a prayer for the crown shy #Monk and Robot Novella #5 out of 5 stars #Becky Chambers #book review #booklr