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Reporting In The Blogs *updated*
Blog Reporting
In the past, before the upgrades and the downtime, reporting things in the blogs was a complicated mess of PMing BlogAlert, linking the content, describing the broken rules, and hoping someone read the BlogAlert account in a timely manner.
NO MORE!
The "REPORT" buttons on comments and entries DO WORK. Before the downtine, they did not. Now they do! Hurray!
So, in short, if you have something to report, click that button, describe the offense, and a blog staff member will receive the report and an automatic link the the offending content. (Please do not use this to report signatures)
This is much easier on us, on you, the general populace, and also on kittens everywhere.
-The Blog Staff
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I Need to Get Me an Avatar
No, not Aang, or Korra, or the "Vultures Fly" guys.
Five years ago when I did this for my signature, it got me my hilarious cheese wheel, so I'm trying it again. Simply put, I don't want Scarecrow to represent me anymore (even though it's still one of the best character designs of all time), but I also don't want to go back either my old coat of arms or even that glatorian on the back of Strakk's canister.
(Also, it's so nice BZP lets you link to so many things in one post. Can't say that about the rest of the internet.)
ANYWAY, my only idea is a fictional character I really like. First option is Charmcaster from "Ben 10", but other favorites include Grand Admiral Thrawn, Luna Lovegood, Samurai Jack, Jhin, Izayoi Aki...I could go on.
I honestly don't know if I should go for something I like NOW or something I could be happy with forever if I decide I don't want to change it again.
Any thoughts?
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The Ranking
First: In case this breaks, here is a link to the google doc I pasted this from.
Happy Bionicle Day!
The last few years I have celebrated this joyous day by sharing some artwork from the Atama/BZPGOT series of games, but this year I thought I would do something a little different. Today I will officially rank all 24 of the games that we have played so far. I’ll highlight some of my favorite moments, some lessons learned, which player characters played the biggest roles, and more.
So without further ado… let us begin! Starting from the bottom…
–
#24
also known as: “where the metanarrative experiment went horribly wrong”
Ran from July 2022-April 2023
Tagline: Have Faith and Obey
Focus Characters: Richard Vaughn (Trijhak), Xccj/”X” (Xccj), “Sarah Rays” (Ehks)
Favorite Moments: Two. The first is Chapter 11, where the metanarrative, due to a variety of circumstances, suddenly became very real. We’ll touch more on this later.
The second comes from Chapter 6, where horror and reality blended together.
The Game: At the end of the day, something needed to be at the bottom of the list. The hard truth is this: I have some fond memories of An Azurial Dream, but at the same time, this is the game that derailed an entire arc. Players lost interest, players dropped out. Many of the ideas I incorporated into the game (both from original plans and from scrambling to make things work later) failed. This was game two in a four game arc, but games three and four never ended up running. It was only the second time I canceled games and wiped things away.
I still feel like the metanarrative could work - but not in a game so horror-focused, where the players need to buy into the world they are playing inside in totality. And it needs to be an idea brought forth before players ever sign on - for a few, its very presence ruined every bit of immersion and attachment they had.
The biggest mistake I made was scrambling, when one player exited the campaign last minute, to fully replace them. I should have instead just moved forward, adjusting plans to the lower player count, while searching for a more organic way to introduce a new fourth player. Instead I turned to the metanarrative elements (which had mostly been in the background or hinted at) and dragged them to the forefront to explain how the player would return, through the deus ex machina of a fifth person being pulled into the game. To say that it was a giant cluttered mess is an understatement.
#23
also known as “the one where spilled soup kickstarted the most iconic romance in the series”
Ran from July 2018-December 2018
Tagline: Set Sail
Focus Characters: Juke Bawks (Zee), Rassilon Oak (TTL)
Favorite Moment: It can only be the dinner with Telluris, where soup was spilled on the shirt of a PC by the name of Juke Bawks. Juke’s player rolled a NAT 20 for seduction as they removed the soaked shirt, and from that moment, it was love at first sight for Telluris.
The Game: It isn’t that The Odyssey is BAD, it’s just that… there really wasn’t much to it. It was a very experimental game, meant to do a few things. The first was to do a little worldbuilding outside the island of Okoto; the second was to prototype the concept of a pirate-adventure style game (we’ll get there); the third was to prototype a team-based campaign before fulfilling the concept more fully with The Final Season.
The Odyssey succeeded in all three aspects, in that the players drifted mostly aimlessly for about six months IRL while I figured out exactly what it was I was actually trying to accomplish. Some fun memories, certainly, but all tied together by the absolute loosest of possible threads.
#22
also known as “the oneshot that took longer than entire games”. thanks, burnout+covid.
Ran for all of November 2022
Tagline: A Special Presentation!
Focus Characters: None.
Favorite Moment: Tough call with this one - I was legitimately so burned out and sick (and then, when not sick, so exhausted) that just getting through this one was hard for me. The players likely had more fun with this one than I did, in that they must have all enjoyed at least a singular second of it.
The Game: I should clarify that I don’t necessarily think that The Abomination!! was necessarily a “bad” game, though I did make mistakes that I learned from for future games. First, I came into it without a proper idea of what anything after the beginning could look like, which destroyed any hope of pacing the adventure. The ending is very weak. I made efforts to tie it into the ongoing major story arc at the time, when the game would have been better off standing on its own.
But at the end of the day, the real reason that The Abomination!! ranks so low is simply that I cannot divorce the suffering I was undergoing at the time from the game itself. Immediately following this game’s end, I took a multi-week break from both hosting and my IRL job at the same time and spent the first several days just sleeping.
(This was all happening at the same time that An Azurial Dream fell apart, and when AetherGarde had its rough start. What a month).
#21
also known as “the roguelike with a casual disdain for sense or canon”
Ran from October 2022-March 2023
Tagline: There’s Only One Rule: Win or Die.
Focus Characters: None.
Favorite Moment: The boat.
The Game: We had talked for a long time about what a “roguelike” game might look like, and in 2022 I finally decided “let’s just try it and see what happens”. The resulting game had a very rough start as the players and I acclimated to all of the systems (and I acclimated to the need to hunt people down to actually perform actions). Then November 2022 hit, and then I took December 2022 off, and… that was that.
Just kidding.
When we returned in 2023 to finish the game, AetherGarde finally hit its stride. We leaned further into the inherent silliness of the concept, and streamlined some of the clunkier setups. It might be low on the list, but the second half was a lot of fun, and I think an AetherGarde 2 would have the potential to be fantastically fun.
#20
also known as “fire emblem: three houses”
Ran from January 2020-April 2020
Tagline: A Brave New World
Focus Characters: Eleshna Darkfire (Ehks), Quin Galum (Dane), Samson (Jakura), Vlora Crustallus (Voxumo), Giovanna Aodh (TTL)
Favorite Moments: A few. The first is the duel between Eleshna/The Flame Emperor, Quin, and Byleth Darkfire in Chapter 4. It was a frantic fight that took them from the second level of an inn out onto the streets at night.
The second is in Chapter 8, with the Black Eagles, as they finally uncover the answer about Efandril Darkfire’s whereabouts.
The Game: If ever a game was a mixed bag, this game is a MIXED BAG. You can probably tell by the dates above that a particularly stressful worldwide event started in the middle of this game, and it may well have contributed to the stress and attitudes of multiple players (and myself, even!). But there was a lot against this game from the start.
To begin: I had a detailed outline of a game taking place over the course of a year, but wanted the players to speed through each chapter over the course of an IRL week, meaning the pacing… well… it doesn’t exist. Major events are skipped over, as well as endless opportunities for genuine character interactions. An entire episode for character interactions set at a fancy ball was cut, for no other reason I can fathom these days except that I was attached to the idea of the game having ten chapters (we’ll get to that).
Too many factors to properly name (many of them my fault, and many of them not) led to the most vitriolic game I have ever hosted. Players were at my throat or each other’s throats more than they had ever been (and more than they ever have been since). Three players rage quit over the course of the game, another vanished without a trace, and I barely talked three others down from joining them. I cut an extra episode away from the second half of the game just to get finished with it faster. And half of the players that stuck it out were outright blood enemies IRL by the end of it all.
Not the greatest of times.
But it beats the games below it both because we did actually manage to finish it out, and because this is the second game in Edge of Dawn, my favorite arc, and so I have a soft spot for it despite everything. Also, it’s the origin of the Eleshna & Seiros dynamic, so bonus points.
#19
also known as “the first time voltex tried to end the series forever”
Ran from January 2019-April 2019
Tagline: Welcome to the Great Game
Focus Characters: Efandril Darkfire (Burnmad), Feli Sivr (Xccj), Ehks Glacies (Ehks), Nato Greavesy (Nato), Voxumo Ash (Voxumo), Anahera Abissm (Zee), Jakura Aodh (Jakura)
Favorite Moment: It comes from Chapter 5 - the midpoint of the game. Two groups of PCs confronted the game’s main antagonist, Miserix… and managed to kill him in the fight that ensued. Little did they know at the time that I had planned it, of course - the real main antagonists of this game were the player characters themselves.
Worst Moment: In a rush to get to some IRL event, I left the players mid-climatic event toward the end of the game, with about 30 seconds of in-game time available to them. I returned several IRL hours later to nonstop interactions that veered into the insane and canon-breaking - and not just because the players had been SO ACTIVE that they had played out several hours-long in-game conversations.
I deleted everything, and I am still not sorry. Also still not the worst thing a player has ever done (I’m looking at you, TTL, and having your players try to twerk).
The Game: The Final Season is a rather slapdash end to what was a rather slapdash arc. It introduced a brand new setup and playing style that contrasted against the focuses of previous games. The world was empty - and not even real for most of the game, besides. The game’s setup forced a premature end to the arcs of several PCs for no reason except that I had baked it into the mechanics of the game to force conflict. The “grand ending” to the series leading up to that point also introduced a bunch of new heroes, potential villains, and plot points. The final chapter ends on with at least two different cliffhangers teasing at future games. Not exactly an “ending”. Nicely done, me.
#18
also known as “the choose-your-own-adventure that was really just an excuse to lore dump at the end”
Ran in January 2017
Tagline: How It Began
Focus Characters: None
Favorite Moment: The title of Chapter 10, “United We Fall”. I felt so clever at the time, but have also kicked myself for wasting it so early in the series many times. The whole “United We Stand / Divided We Fall” is so cliche, I loved the idea of turning it on its head. Silly Voltex.
The Game: Not much to say here. This was strictly a CYOA game, where players contributed only be selecting 1 path of multiple options, and had to continue picking the correct path all the way to the end. There really isn’t much to this, and in fact it should probably be lower for it.
What I’m really saying is that I enjoyed this nothingburger more than all of the games ranked lower than it, which is just me hurling an insult at… myself????
Let’s move on.
#17
also known as “the game where everything falls apart at the very end”
Ran from January 2018-July 2018
Tagline: Everything Before was Just Prelude
Focus Characters: Ehks Glacies (Ehks), Quin Galum (Dane), Efandril Darkfire (Burnmad), Jakura Aodh (Jakura), Vinheim Maran (Voxumo), Rilgivi Nivis (Trijhak), Rassilon Oak (TTL), Isniel Lasang (FF)
Favorite Moments: A few. The first is Jakura Aodh’s death at the hands of Efandril Darkfire. The second is the trip through time that Ehks took. The third is the entire Battle of Fort Patrus.
Worst Moments: Also a few. The first was my co-host rage-quitting on me right in the middle of the finale. The second was a player rage-quitting right before the finale. The third was my co-host taking one player’s PC and sending them on an adventure one episode that was as long as the entire rest of the game combined that also took place in another dimension unrelated to anything else that was going on (seriously, what the heck am I supposed to do with that?!?!).
The Game: Look, as you can probably surmise, Season Three had a lot going on. A lot of it was really, REALLY good, and I’ll even list some of it right here:
-The House Darkfire plotline finally came to fruition with Efandril Darkfire, whose storyline through Season Three, The Final Season, and Theogony is one of my favorites.
-Jakura Aodh was introduced, kickstarting what might still be my favorite overall arc any PC has undergone.
-The worldbuilding was crazy intense. The planet suddenly had a name (Atama!). The nations on Okoto had names, and provinces, and actual cities. Those locations were all now filled with actual characters, with actual lives, and actual histories.
-Building onto Point 3 - the characters and lore and worldbuilding that Season Three set up are still having significant impact all these years later, with some of its characters still active all these years later (one - Sahmad - was the first character to break past 100 total appearances!).
-Season Three had what I personally felt were the first genuinely GOOD fights in the series - whether it was the small-scaled fight against Turahk in Chapter 1, or the Battle of Fort Patrus in Chapter 5.
But also, at the same time, a lot of stuff in Season Three was really not so good. To list a few examples:
-Each player had their own storyline, tied into the storyline of their specific nation. Some storylines had more going on than others, and this also isolated the various nations in a way they never had been before.
-Tied into Point 1 - Season Three removed a lot of the freedom that was so prevalent in previous games. This remains an ongoing point of contention. My personal POV is that the series would not last as long as it has if we had kept with the super-open PVP focus that the series had prior… but also, it means always making an effort not to railroad the players onto a specific narrow path.
-Certain setups or encounters were blatantly unfair. Several players were forced to hunt for the cure to a plague given to them during setup, instead of getting involved with plotlines they were more interested in. Many players found themselves reaping unfair consequences for their successes in past games. It was not that good, to put it lightly.
-This was the one and only game I had a co-host for, and the experience left much to be desired for every person involved in the game. We’ll leave it at that.
-The ending is just. It’s not good. At all.
So… that’s Season Three. There’s a lot to like from it, and the series would not have lasted as long as it did if it were not for this game. But a lot of it was less than stellar, and many of the returning players did not enjoy their time.
#16
also known as “the one that started it all”
Ran from May 2016-July 2016
Tagline: You Win or You Die
Focus Characters: Voxumo Ash (Voxumo), Nato Greavesy (Nato), Pulse Vatten (Trijhak)
Favorite Moment: Season One has a few iconic moments, but if I had to choose one… it would be the ending to Chapter 3. “I’m a Man of My Word”.
The Game: This placement might seem controversial to some who played it. Season One is the game that started this whole thing! And there is a lot to like here; it was totally open, meaning that almost every single bit of worldbuilding in this game came from the players themselves. They had total freedom of where to go and what to do. It crafted the skeleton from which the rest of the series has been built.
But also, outside of the iconic moments it has… not much happens. The entire game put together is smaller in size than most single chapters from future games. The conflict - entirely player driven - fizzles out into utter nothing at the end with near-zero interactions. The worldbuilding is lackluster at best outside of the immediate contributions of players; cities have no names, nations have no names, we’re lucky that the island even has a name!
So here it lands, at 16 out of 24. You did good, Season One. But we’ve done so much better.
#15
also known as “the blatant excuse to stretch out several play streaks”
READ IT HERE (note: this game is incomplete. i haven't done the writeup yet. my b.)
Ran in December 2023
Tagline: Learn the Meaning of X-Mas!
Focus Character: Balathumel (Voxumo)
Favorite Moment: The reveal of X-Mas.
The Game: This was a fun little game. I took much of December 2023 off again, to recharge after another year of running games - but I also thought it would be fun to let a bunch of players just have some holiday-related fun, and to stretch out Voxumo’s years-long streak of playing Balathumel (as well as conveniently stretch out the streaks for a few other PCs). So the idea of 12 Days was born: Voxumo would play out all twelve days, each day visiting another PC to learn a lesson about “X-Mas”. And at the end, he even meets Saint Nick!
I was not too involved with this, outside of setting each day up - but that was part of the point. To let the players have some holiday-themed fun with each other, apart from the major story arcs being played through elsewhere. I applied some of the lessons learned from The Abomination!! the year prior.
#14
also known as “the birth of everyone’s least favorite, most hated npc”. die, sierra. die!
Ran from October 2021-November 2021
Tagline: The King is Dead. Who Killed the King?
Focus Characters: None.
Favorite Moment: The fate of Ztolta Nares in Chapter 1. Thanks again, Taka.
The Game: I talked for a long time about wanting to do a murder mystery game - and The Mysterious Affair at Styles is that mystery game. Following the behemoth that was Verdant Wind, I felt it was the perfect opportunity to do a little genre experiment, and I think it worked out well for the most part. There were some interesting twists and turns that took place, with some implications for the games ahead.
I do feel that the mystery aspect ended up feeling a little weak, and while the game was running, I did struggle with providing proper clues for the players. I tried to set things up so that the players could reach a conclusive ending no matter which suspect they selected, but I don’t feel I quite managed to succeed. Like AetherGarde, this is a concept that I think could genuinely turn out great if I give it another shot.
Oh yeah - that most hated NPC. Sierra Darkfire. A classic case of a new character being made way too important way too quickly off the backs of legacy characters, inheriting all that made those older characters iconic for no real reasons that the audience/players can see at all. But just you wait, players, I did what you wanted and dealt her a terrible fate! And I’m not done yet! You’ll like her by the end, I swear! I did it with Sahmad before, and I’ll do it again!
*shakes fist at sky, continues shouting pointlessly at clouds*
#13
also known as “the game where the players were actually the antagonists all along”
Ran from May 2020-July 2020
Tagline: Danger in the Dark
Focus Characters: Hakma Populus (Xccj), Giovanna Aodh (TTL), Loche Lurrun (Zee)
Favorite Moment: Chapter 6, “A Snake Among Serpents”.
The Game: Azure Moon has one of my favorite single-game arcs for a PC - the story of Hakma Populus. It also birthed the idea of “solo episodes”, where only one player is involved. Like most other firsts in this series, “A Snake Among Serpents” is pretty rough around the edges, but it also remains one of my favorites, and I have enjoyed, every so often, continuing to pull a solo episode out of my pocket. Azure Moon also has some of my favorite darker moments, particularly in Chapters 4 and 5.
But why is it here, in the dead center? Because that’s just the sort of game it is. It is almost dead-even with Silver Snow in my mind, and Azure Moon just barely loses out due to its weaker finale.
#12
also known as “the game where the player characters all hated each other all the time and didn’t understand the value of teamwork”
Ran from May 2020-July 2020
Tagline: Two Worlds Collide. One Survives.
Focus Characters: Vlora Crustallus (Voxumo), Samson (Jakura), Mlavic Aodh (Unit), Nathair Greavesy (Nato)
Favorite Moments: Two. The first was the reappearance of Balathumel (his first appearance since Theogony) and the NPC known as Vatten (his first appearance since Season Two) in Chapter 3, with both characters joining the party.
The second occurs in Chapter 6, when the PCs earned Surtr’s loyalty and respect.
The Game: This game ran alongside Azure Moon, and edges it out for a few reasons. While Azure Moon’s highs are higher, its lows are lower; in particular, its first few chapters are pretty meh, and its finale is weaker. Silver Snow, on the other hand, is consistent the whole way through, and has some equally interesting twists and turns. For instance, take the NPC Vatten; he was a bitter but heroic figure back in Season Two who sacrificed himself for the greater good - re-introducing him here in the Underworld, having suffered in the Fields of Punishment, is one of the better tricks I have managed to pull.
The players choosing to allow Balathumel and Vatten to accompany them on their journey also directly led to the fan favorite NPC known as Metus Crustallus surviving Silver Snow… so that he could later be taken down by none other than Balathumel.
But that’s a moment to be discussed later.
#11
also known as “the game with the highest highs and lowest lows. best final battle question mark?”
Ran from June 2019-August 2019
Tagline: The Last Enemy to Be Destroyed is Death
Focus Characters: Ehks Glacies (Ehks), Tabek Umrik (TBK), Juke Bawks (Zee), Jakura Aodh (Jakura), Toru Sevoi (Toru)
Favorite Moments: A whole bunch. There’s the wedding in Chapter 1, the final battle in Chapter 6, the interactions in Chapter 5, the epilogues… the list goes on.
Worst Moments: Chapter 4 might be the worst in the entire series. And Chapter 3 is mediocre. And Chapter 2 is… it’s okay, I guess.
The Game: The Aenid was the conclusion to The Argo Trilogy, a trilogy where I ran the first and third games in 2019 and then waited until 2022 to run the second. Yes, the order was on purpose. No, I did not intend for the gap to be three years long. Yes, the trilogy does work well as a trilogy, if you ignore the fact that games 1 and 3 are bullet-point writeups and game 2 has full chapters.
Anyway.
The Aenid starts out strong with one of the best opening chapters of any game, and it concludes with one of the best battles in any game, and has some of the best interactions, fights, and hijinks in any game. But man, Chapters 3 and 4 in particular are so weak. Truly terrible. The biggest lesson I learned from this game? Don’t make the players do the exact same thing every single chapter.
The biggest lesson I ignored from this game? You can either determine chapters by an IRL time limit or by an outline with no time limit. Don’t do both. I steadfastly ignored this until Twilight Requiem blew up in my face.
Fun!
#10
also know as “the one that would be perfect… IF I HAD FINISHED IT”
Ran from January 2017-June 2017
Tagline: All Men Must Die
Focus Characters: Pulse Vatten (Trijhak), Vinheim Maran (Voxumo), Nato Greavesy (Nato), Onaku Greavesy (Onaku), Jed Corruich (Jed), Chloe Saryian (Blade)
Favorite Moment: Genuinely hard to think of one moment compared to any others; I am still of the belief that, had we ended up playing Season Two through to its proper conclusion, it would be my favorite game.
Worst Moment: Getting burned out, and shutting things down early.
The Game: I think that Season Two still has the best mix of player freedom and predetermined plots in the series. The worldbuilding was stronger than Season One, but the NPCs were not as crushingly omnipresent as they would be in Season Three. Players decided what they wanted to do, where they wanted to do it, who they wanted to do it with (or to), and when. The slow escalation of the broader threat from Season One to the end of Season Two would have been great if it had played out to completion.
I have ranked this game higher in the past for all these reasons, but alas, I think I must be fair: this game was never truly completed, and so I cannot give it a completing grade. A game that was never finished is certainly still better than most of the games (maybe that’s a yikes, maybe that’s just nostalgia talking, maybe it’s both), and it is good enough to kick off our top ten - but no further.
#9
also known as “the end of all good things” HAHAHA WASN’T IT FUN HAVING THAT SHOVED DOWN YOUR THROAT FOR A YEAR
Ran from October 2023-June 2024
Tagline: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Focus Characters: Olik (Oncertainty), Eleshna Darkfire/Sarah Rays (Ehks), Prevalar Rayne (Terrorsaur), Rhagre Cipactli-10002 (Xccj), Pohatu-2968 (Voxumo), Jukris (Zee), JUK-3 (Zee), Vashan (Valendale), Achro (Toru)
Favorite Moments: A few. The Dread’s first appearance and the subsequent fall of Telluris in Chapter 4; the binary choice made by Rhagre in the finale (more on that later); the Olik solo episode and his return in the Epilogue; the various reveals surrounding Eleshna/Sarah and Seiros.
The Game: Across the Argo-Verse is the hardest game to talk about on this list, because it is the latest game to have been completed. If the rankings on this list change, this is the game most likely to shift, as more time passes and my opinion on it potentially changes. But for now it is here, for a few reasons, despite what issues it has (and it did have a few). First is the binary choice: for the third time, I asked one player - Xccj - to choose between two options at the very end of the game, like Ehks in Verdant Wind and Burnmad in Theogony before him. There were also some great character interactions this game, and great rivalries between several of the PCs and the antagonists they were up against.
This game was originally just the second half of Into the Argo-Verse, but the campaign grew so large that I split it in two.
I think that’s all that I’ll say on this one for now.
#8
also known as “the game where characters die for real this time, i swear”
Ran from January 2022-July 2022
Tagline: One Last Stand.
Focus Characters: Rhagre Cipactli (Xccj), Rhagre Cipactli-10002 (Xccj), Jennir Nuan (Terrorsaur), Balathumel (Voxumo), Anaster Petros (Taka), Kortaq Maran (Trijhak)
Favorite Moments: Two. The first was the destruction of the Argo, before destroying it became a running gag of sorts. Is destroying a ship funny? Well, it certainly became a running something.
Second is death of Metus at the hands of Balathumel, and everything that immediately followed it, including the Battle at Styles.
The Game: Epigoni originated as me wanting to tell a small, contained story about a couple long-running characters fighting to the death against overwhelming odds to save the day. Somehow that got mixed in with wanting to do a game set in Karda-Nui, which got mixed into wanting to do a sequel to The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which mixed with wanting to do a space game, which mixed with wanting to do a multiverse game, which mixed with wanting to do another Argonauts game, and then suddenly we have the game with the highest number of chapters in the series.
Anyway, it was a fun time.
And yes, most of the deaths did end up sticking. Except for Kovant. He escaped the ship explosion because I wanted him to.
#7
also known as “efandril darkfire is so important she needs her own game”
Ran from August 2019-September 2019
Tagline: Many Faces. Many Names.
Focus Character: Efandril Darkfire (Burnmad)
Favorite Moment: If I had to choose one, it is the binary choice that Efandril makes at the very end of the game. It cannot be understated how drastically this shifted the course of the entire series moving forward.
The Game: If Season Three and The Final Season had a single main character, that main character’s name was Efandril Darkfire. After being absent for the Argo Trilogy, I wanted to design a game around her… so I did. I merged it with an adaptation of the greek underworld, and the resulting game was small but enormously important. She met a few new faces along the way - Balalthumel, Gragu, and Aion/Khron (played by Voxumo, Xccj, and Dane respectively) - who would all continue to crop up in future games. But some of the biggest moments here derive from the lore that Efandril uncovered, and the decision she made at the very end: to side with the gods against the mortals that would stand against them.
This decision changed the course of the Edge of Dawn arc, and in turn, everything that has followed.
#6
also known as “the happy-go-lucky adventure where nothing bad ever happens, i swear”
Ran from April 2019-June 2019
Tagline: It’s a Beautiful Day
Focus Characters: Ehks Glacies (Ehks), Tabek Umrik (TBK), Rassilon Oak (TTL), Xavi Sivr (Xccj)
Favorite Moments: Gosh, where to start? Maybe it’s the final duel where Rassilon and Mazeka fought Rassilon’s abusive, absentee father aboard a sinking ship. Maybe it’s the Kraken fight from Chapter 4. Maybe it’s when I suddenly killed off my own self-insert. Maybe it’s the house of horrors that the players explored in Chapters 2 and 3. Maybe it’s Chapter 7, where the players traveled back in time and created the very enemies they were fighting in the present. Maybe it’s one of the dozens of different shenanigans that happened along the way.
The Game: The Argonauts is tough to summarize. Even if the writeups were full-on chapters and not just bullet points, I don’t think anyone who wasn’t there and playing can understand the utter joy that this game was. It was our first game to receive official cover art. Players made doodles and fan comics and memes. It was more lighthearted than any game before, but that meant the tragedies and scares and brutal fights that did crop up hit harder than any game before too. It took us out beyond Okoto, giving us a proper picture of what the rest of Atama looked like for the first time (The Odyssey barely counted). It was the pirate adventure I had always kinda wanted to try running, even before I was running these games.
Ranking it at #6 almost feels like a crime. But when it came to these top six, one game had to miss out on the top five, and The Argonauts has some rough spots, courtesy of its age, that some of the games that ranked higher don’t have (or overcome).
#5
also known as “sorry not sorry but yes the black eagles are the main protagonists of edge of dawn get rekt losers”
Ran from August 2019-December 2019
Tagline: No More Tomorrows
Focus Characters: Eleshna Darkfire (Ehks), Meghana (Zee), Lyonesse Yue’yuan (FF), Anaster Petros (Taka), Samson (Jakura)
Favorite Moments: I will limit myself to exactly three, just for you:
-The end of Chapter 5 (and let me tell you, I regret spoiling the surprise ahead of time back when I was running this)
-The Meghana plotline in Chapter 6.
-Eleshna’s arc with Sahmad in Chapter 1.
-HAHAHA JUST KIDDING A FOURTH - the debut of the Hunter in Chapter 1. Iconic.
Worst Moment: The opener for Chapter 4, and the general setup of that Chapter. What a mess, I tell ya.
The Game: Take the Argonauts (my favorite faction) and the Black Eagles (also my favorite faction) and blend the two together. You get Crimson Flower. Just thinking about this game I almost want to rank it higher. Almost. For all of the highs of this game (which I will list shortly), it does have some lows. Chapter 4 is almost abysmally bad compared to the rest of the game; Chapter 7 is rushed, and honestly probably should have been spread out into at least one other Chapter (curse you, Past Me, for your arbitrary limit of seven chapters!); there were some issues with players that involved disliking storylines and significant miscommunications that made things messy at the time.
But even still, Crimson Flower is one of my faves. I mean, it has all the following:
-The Black Eagles sailing alongside the Argonauts
-The Argonauts getting a legacy sequel game
-The Hunter
-Samson & Metus showing up by surprise in Chapter 1 and sticking around the whole game
-Unit Ember & Gragu showing up to star in Chapters 6 and 7 (sorry to spoil the surprise here)
-More stuff i won’t spoil for you
Anyway, Crimson Flower is great, the Argonauts and Black Eagles are my two favorite PC factions, and the Black Eagles always were and always will be the main protagonists of Edge of Dawn.
#4
also known as “the game voltex waited four years to run”
Ran from March 2023-October 2023
Tagline: All for One. One for All.
Focus Characters: Rhagre Cipactli-10002 (Xccj), Prevalar Rayne (Terrorsaur), Olik (Oncertainty), Pohatu-2968 (Voxumo), Seqala-420 (Trijhak), Thulox (Unit), Gragu (Xccj), Terrorsaur Rayne (Terrorsaur), Pulse Vatten (Trijhak), Isniel Lasang (FF)
Favorite Moment: Aside from finally getting to run the thing? Gotta be TBK rolling a NAT 20 to oneshot a character that was supposed to be one of the final bosses. But also when Prevalar had a three phase duel to end the game in the final battle. But also when the Gragcrew became the main characters for a few chapters. But also when the epilogue of The Apologoi ended up leading right into this game. But also exploring an Incursion (what are those? Read and find out). But also every time Thokiller is onscreen. But also Kivoda Rayne. But also-
The Game: Listen, if I start talking about Into the Argo-Verse, we’ll be here all day. I’d been trying to run this game (or some version of it) since 2019 when The Argonauts ended, and four years later, it finally happened.
Let’s just say I was very happy, got very silly, and call it a day.
#3
also known as “that time voltex finally went back and ran the middle part of that trilogy”
Ran from August 2022-September 2022
Tagline: The Untold Tale of the Argonauts
Focus Characters: Ehks Glacies (Ehks), Tabek Umrik (TBK), Juke Bawks (Zee), Prevalar Rayne (Terrorsaur)
Favorite Moment: The moment that all of the time travel and multiversal spaghetti clicked for people. Assuming it did, in fact, ever click for them. Also Kivoda Rayne. He’s such a dirtbag, we love him.
The Game: Back in 2019, I had the thought that it would be very interesting if I were to follow The Argonauts up with a game concluding the story (The Aenid) and then run a third game set between the two after the fact, as a challenge to see if that middle entry would still be fun to both run and play. My first attempt failed, and we do not talk about it, because it was terrible and it delayed Into the Argo-Verse by four years (though it did mean I pivoted entirely to Edge of Dawn, so it’s not all bad).
But in 2022, I had run a poll, and the players voted to play AetherGarde next. Except I had nothing ready for AetherGarde, and I REALLY wanted to run Into the Argo-Verse… so I got a couple players together in secret, and then I ran The Apologoi instead as a stopgap. Little did the players realize, at the time, what my TRUE INTENTIONS WERE! HAHAHA!
#2
also known as “all of voltex’s horror hopes and dreams realized”
Ran from January 2022-July 2022
Tagline: There is Nothing to Fear
Focus Characters: “Sarah Rays” (Ehks), Dale Eisenhorn (Jakura)
Favorite Moment: Everything with the Watermill
The Game: Much like Into the Argo-Verse, I was inspired by The Argonauts. The idea of running a fully-fledged horror game would not leave me. Only a few small problems: not everyone is scared by the same things. Not everyone wants to be scared, either. Not everyone can sustain that mindset for hours at a time for a campaign. Some people will claim they’re good for horror, but does that mean they are good at crafting the horror, or experiencing the horror, because those are two very different skills!
Anyway, it took 2.5 years, but then Verdant Wind ended, and I got to thinking about a question:
Where do Vanished Things Go?
You see, one of my favorite PCs, Eleshna Darkfire, had recently erased herself. And one of my favorite NPCs, Seiros, had just pledged to find her. And so the mystery was born: I would lead a campaign adapting the cthulhu mythos and other horrors and mythologies into BZPGOT, and all of it would secretly be leading to the potential return of Eleshna Darkfire to the games, so that she could live out her happy ending.
A Midnight Requiem went, I think, about as well as I could have hoped for the first installment of such a series to go. The players were into it. I was into it. And though we all know now where it ended, I have come around to feel that it does not necessarily need to impact how I view this game. (Maybe it helps that the storyline started here with Eleshna and Seiros did end up getting its conclusion in Across the Argo-Verse).
Anyway, I feel like this game was pretty swell, even if the whole Glass storyline kinda just shriveled and died afterward.
#1
also known as “the magnum opus”
Ran from January 2021-August 2021
Tagline: The End.
Focus Characters: *deep breath* Eleshna Darkfire (Ehks), Tekmo Saryian (Toru), Tharkan Plast (Trijhak), Iyara Diurim (TBK), Meghana (Zee), Jakura Aodh (Jakura), Xavi Sivr (Xccj), Lyonesse Yue’yuan (FF), Anaster Petros (Taka), Vlora Crustallus (Voxumo), Nathair Greavesy (Nato), Mlavic Aodh (Unit), Giovanna Aodh (TTL), Veer Sanada (Dane), Efandril Darkfire (Burnmad), Kranan Crustallus (Kranan), Samson (Jakura), Feli Sivr (Xccj), Ehks Glacies (Ehks), Gragu (Xccj), Khron (Dane), Jennir Nuan (Terrorsaur)
Favorite Moments: The Game.
The Game: Let’s get this clear right out of the gate: Verdant Wind should not have worked. It had too many players. It had too many player characters. It had players playing too many characters. It had too many NPCs. It had too many locations. It had too many factions. It had too many conflicts. Too many plot points. Too many story arcs. Too many character arcs. Too many heroes. Too many antagonists. Too many reveals.
But it stuck the landing. Yes, there were one or two stumbles along the way. An event or two that could have used some more foreshadowing; a particular skip in time that maybe wasn’t necessary halfway through.
But it stuck the landing. The opener was great. The ending was great. The final battles - yes, both of them, at the midpoint and the finale - were great! The choice that ended it all was great. The characters were great. I loved that it came down to Eleshna & Seiros, that iconic duo, and how their rivalry and relationship evolved. We threw everything at the wall for Verdant Wind, and near all of it actually stuck on the thing.
Three years later, it still blows my mind.
I could run these games for another century, and I don’t think I’ll ever top this.
---
Anyway, that's my ranking of the BZPGOT series! Let me know if you disagree. Share your own rankings, those of you that have observed or participated through the years!
(and join the community here if you'd like)
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Hurricane Debby
This is BZP meteorologist Bambi, reporting live from the comfort of my home. Hurricane Debby has been hanging around my state (SC) for about a day now. Fortunately, all we've had in my area is rain so far.
We'll see how long this keeps up. All we're expected to get here is more rain for the rest of the week. Not exactly ideal, but knowing how destructive hurricanes can be, I'll take it. At least it makes for a happy dog!
Hope everyone stays safe!
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20 years later
Where are you now Conner??? Who did you become??? Did you get fed??? Do you still like Bionicle??? Did you ever think when you made that post, it would still be talked about 20 years later??? Did you ever expect someone to make magnets of your post???
I hope you have a good life!!!
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BrickFair 2024 T-Shirt Preorders
Shirt design is decided. Bad Guys Grill, with white ink on a blue shirt!
Files open until Monday 5pm EST. Don’t wait!Only order if you’re going to BrickFair!
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Fourfold of Fate
Hello, I'm planning to run a space-themed Bionicle RPG on Discord, and I'm looking for some additional players. If you're interested, let me know and I can send you an invite to the Discord server.
200 years ago, the Spaceship Artakan crashed into the desolate planet of Omega, stranding a population of Agori settlers. Even worse, when they woke up from their cryo-sleep, a malfunction caused them to suffer amnesia, forgetting their mission and their past. With no hope of rescue, they struggled to build a new settlement in the narrow Twilight Band, the only habitable zone of the planet. Currently, their population has grown, but there is unrest between factions of the Agori, and strange earthquakes continue to threaten their new home. A class of recently graduated students now have a chance to further explore their world, to uncover the mysteries of their past and the strange planet around them. This is… Fourfold of Fate: Legacy of the Starship Artakan.
Players will play Agori teenagers, recently graduated and ready to explore and put their talents to use. Players will have access to different mask powers, pets, and eventually all sorts of new tools and weapons, as they uncover mysteries, solve puzzles, and take part in occasional combat encounters. There will be four different routes the players can participate in.
Underwater Exploration: Professor Sufina Blanca has taken an interest in the unexplored ocean beneath the icecap on the Cold Side. She desires to lead a team with a submersible to explore the depths and search for signs of life. This will feature Exploration, Puzzle Solving, and Teamwork.
Underground Adventure: Eccentric technologist Fabarar DeepWood has discovered a radio signal that seems to originate south of the mountains. He wishes to travel beneath the mountains through the mines of Naxos to discover the source, in addition to scouting for new minerals and energy crystals to mine. This will feature Vehicular Operations, Technology, and Exploration.
Investigating the Maze: Esteemed Adventurer Huaju Dolostone wishes to map out a route through the rugged canyons of the Maze to reach the other side of the planet, so they can further explore for more resources. This will feature Combat, Teamwork, and Diplomacy.
Conspiracies and Politics: A lower class radical Eztli Aodh is seeking societal change, hoping to unearth conspiracies to turn the public against the ruling Orchids. She wants to lead a team to the wreckage of the Artakan and dig into the past. This will feature Politics, Investigation, and Espionage.
More details can be found in the Intro Game Documentation. Hope to see you there!
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AKA: Christmas Coming at Misfit Meadows. I’ve really missed it here! In the blogs where I’ve formed a habit of being a happy-bumbling open-dumpster fire about art and my life (I apologize, but on some level, maybe honesty makes others feel better about their own lives?)
I’m trying and failing at using IG embedding as the new Majhost. So here are IG posts written for this bitty BZP blog here, life from late last year. Copied, linked and screenshotted +copy resized in MS paint with undeniable professionalism. I also tend to infodump in creation batches in moments of extreme illness on IG, and never proof/reread so my captions later, so these musings here are likely mock-worthy.
Excessive pics in IG slides if anybody cares to click.
Sorry If I accidentally say something not welcome on BZP/religious content accidentally. I assure all that my mental, as well as physical capacity, is slowly but surely returning....on the last-ditch-doctors-didn’t-help-i’m-dying alternative treatments my mom got. It’s taking so much (non-presciption) just to get my glucose in the acceptable range even with insufficient eating. My doctor is surprised it’s working so well. "Not intended for humans" is a nice suggestion on some stuff. Team farm animals all the way. 5 months since starting. It’s still hours a day of issues (I am a slave to my enraged GI tract) but I’m in observable better health, and all 3-5 people who see/ know I exist can attest to this. My mom even just built me a swingset! So I wheel out there and enjoy as a “workout” now. Such fun! Finally just now seeing ever waitlisted endocrinology. So unexpectedly happy, because they are both local/nonDuke doctors, and male(Duke dude doctors were an extrta-awful experience for me), and are excellent in care/horrified by the overall medical neglect/misdiagnosis years at Duke. So weird, they actually believe instead of blame me. I feel like giving them each this mug:https://www.google.com/search?q=not+the+worst+dr+mug&client=firefox-b-1-m&sca_esv=55574f6ac650f86f&sca_upv=1&udm=2&biw=414&bih=693&sxsrf=ADLYWIJws-gBCbrZ7_aKTEWFo-vmurT-SA%3A1717370162667&ei=Mv1cZuSnKIK2wN4PyPSciAw&oq=not+the+worst+dr+mug&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIhRub3QgdGhlIHdvcnN0IGRyIG11ZzIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIESI0aUJ8PWM4XcAB4AJABAZgB4gGgAc0FqgEFMS4zLjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgSgAugEwgIGEAAYCBgewgIFECEYqwKYAwCIBgGSBwUxLjEuMqAHwQ0&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#vhid=eAf7W0V9Yt-l_M&vssid=mosaic It's great not driving to Duke 3hrs away as I could never travel so far now.
Hope to one day elaborate, too tired now, haha! But yeah I’m so grateful to be alive right now and nobody expected I would be beyond 2023!
“"1/4 The Christmas cards! Rushed like never before on the floor! With my paintings done for my mom last year. And two leftover laminated prints of a pup penciled in 2021? In my past posts. Didn’t get to mail any of the deer/moose/elk ones this year, so please attain amnesia if we ever mail you one, dear reader! Thankful my mom has humans to send them to, haha.
#Card construction times/quantities because recording it fulfills me, the slow Snaily! (per card): 1hr/girls. 1hr/deer. 1hr/dog. Quantity: 26girls, 16deer, 2 dogs. 44hrs/44cards total. Thank you to the floor and clipboards for sponsoring this. I drew the inner “Joy to the World” and bird wreath designs then printed copies and colored in by hand. Finally realized I could print designs on cardstock. Thanks mom for figuring out how to refill our inks!"
Rosy reds! Birch trees! Nordic nostalgia!The Reindog!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Efg-usAsI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3EgIJyMmqM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3EfwokMZd3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3EfMU8MGHg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
A drawing of our family friends N&W as a gift for Christmas . 20hrs, 5x7 on a clipboard, consciousness not at 100%! Thanks to mom for attaining a frame! Pencil, mech pencil, watercolor paper.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Emhuns7sw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Drew this on the week in Fall I was 100% sure I was going to die from the chronic hours of GI fluid loss+hyperglycemia and overdosed on my Plaquenil trying to survive. It reduced severity/time by 50% and I gave thanks for this bonus time. I have never felt…known I was dying so clearly in any other such time of illness.
Ornament Upcycling Extravaganza: ‘Xmas at Misfit Meadows. Christmas!The so longed for first real family Christmas in the new old home, fully renovated! Going to preface this with: We choose not to use a Christmas tree, so these are designed for shelves and misc. hangings. Was going for gingerbread theme. Most paint matches our home and was left from my 2022 renovations Unsure how to post all this discombobulated content, sorry for excess poorly edited photos and posts incoming of me trying, haha! This may take me multiple days or weeks, so sorry for bother in the feed. Perhaps a photo video would be more appropriate? In October I got very excited and blasted Christmas music, decided to undertake doing a “Real Christmas” this year in our new 101 yr old family home! Because 2023 was the year of “home/life setup/seasonal decor totes/wow normal moms have these things but mine never could”. So I started planning the holiday decor designs and working away on turning our old ornaments and junk in our Christmas trunk into things matching and new in her her honor( Made with more love than skill or supply!). I did a lot of ornament painting via the floor and a wooden trolley wagon while coping with aftermath of eating, haha. Broke myself physically but jolly grateful for projects so fulfilling!
*WOO TIME FOR RESIDENT HERMIT TO DRAG INNOCENT INTERNET PEOPLE INTO HER HOME AND MAKE THEM LOOK AT HANDIWORK*. #becausewhynot?
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3LeRDTuO3I/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
“The evolving by 1 exhausted elf with unhealthy enthusiasm! (And leftover paint from home Reno). I Pinterest planned and plotted colors, but didn’t finish ¾ what I hoped! Next year! First real Family Christmas fest together here! Went fully Buddy the Elf in the office on our raggedy remaining trunk trinkets. I cannot remember a time without these decorations, a scrappy discombobulation ( feel bad for mom, oh my goodness, what a mess). Was going for cohesive muted #vintage multi-color theme and lots of gingerbread joy. I sadly didn’t get to do the stockings sketched this season, but soon! I was cripple-cart dolly-trolleying these projects mid medical episode like a merry madman, haha. My plans and scheme.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Les56OP9F/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Lli0nvvrv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
“A snoopy from my childhood valentines candy box. PugBrother got into my room and gorged on all my candy that year, poor pup Snoop put up his best fight but got permanent war wounds (bites). Dipped in chalk paint and gingerbread detailed the Valentine’s veteran + my felt-plus-paper tree dipped in kitchen paint. Wire and pearl swirl.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3LiNMFOpTh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
“My cotton Didn’t-work-drafting-tester deer got adopted by me, Mother of the Misfit Manefesto, hohoho! Sewn at last closed, antlers on and hand painted.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Lh97gOOBU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
“My lil dino dude, Rodney! Heavy hard plastic? fellow originally orange. Dipped in dilute kitchen paint + detailed. His tiny toes and teeth delight me.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Lgx4Qubdx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
“Detailed the dreary-themed Duck Hunter to hopefully be more friendly. That ducky is his dog BTW, not dinner anymore! All nobs and swirls restyled in German-Christmas ideals . My grandma’s handmade/molded in kiln ceramic squirrel. Recolored. Art fixative to seal all these.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3LgQdfuIuV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
“My grandma’s handmade/molded in kiln ceramics repainted. To look like our late petite PugBrother, spike-but in gingerbread form!. Parking lot pup. 2009?-2022. Grumpy lil grandpa dog, if I’m honest with you, haha! Miss him. This one had Googly eyes and a Georgia Bulldogs white design prior. My mom and I cringe at sporting themes-as per they were valued and completely prioritized over family, sadly. So grateful not to be terrified/hide during crazed screaming at the TV, and someone for- snack steamrolling me, haha.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Lfhhlu8gI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
“Failed at fabric-from-pants-paper- mache-sleigh, so Strips of faux suede wrapped instead! Faux fur and thick padded fleece lining handsewn on top with leather thread. Hands only mildly bled, haha. Stevia got temporary holder from that scrappy saucer too. , haha. I saved the white sleigh tinsel from it for the winter-wonderland room decor. This was a sleigh my exdad got me in the hospital in Xmas 2017. Looking back, the weirdest part of those 3 months impatient was that he never once called. I didn’t even notice this until last year though, thankfully, haha.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3MxYZxM7VS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Recovering the cone head comrads. Fabric, twine and Elmer’s glue
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Mwp_csQS-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I’ve always adored the #vintage bunny bride and groom my parents were gifted by a neighbor. So I sanded off the recorded date of one of the worst mistakes made in bunny history and repainted their outfits a bit! Now a very hoppy couple. And repaint of a so-tiny wooden Angel from my grandma’s home.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3MwTaJsPQc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
2013 was a decade ago?! Baby-bear tones from former loud reds for this favorite forest fellow. And stocking stuffer sewn bun from before.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3MvxkQMRt8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Repainted metal orn’ with gingy good fellow on both sides +ikea pine cone-comrads thanks to the free forestry supplies found here. That glorious art is the back-a leftover mistake order print of a 2019 painting I crammed into a broken feather frame for filler, haha. Gingerbread color crochet garland because supplies were at-hand.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3MvL0VMmQm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
My ugly-to-me stocking stuffer gingy make from childhood. I temp sewed more decor matching details on his back, mild Halloween attack! And my scary skewered kidmade Marshfellow in the fake felt fireplace. #twofaced #donttrusthim
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3LmOr7P7TF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Also Plastic Eiffel and gingerbread deer my bro got proabably 20 years ago?. And some random progress/before photos?
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Mx1drsmZv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Matching accents on Sir Nuttingham. Blue dipped train in the leftover front door paint (appropriate as tint name was “night train”). My bro’s baby-made craft bear got bows, love, care and a fresh painted axe to swing in the air!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3MylpBsBNI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Repainted the lost/broken advent calendar mini orn’s to adorn a twine string for our mirror, will post pictures of decor in home later. Gingerbreads dancing through my head! All this brown is outdoor paint for the windows of the house!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3MzIpisoSH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Gingerbread engine!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Mzquosu2g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Gingerbread homey all paintbrush baked up.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3M0BG8sU9E/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Gingerbread engines again!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3M0RS9MqYH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Just again Gingerbread jazzed up.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3ROQ6qslti/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Blue blobs, and lots of dots on these dudes. Don’t understand how they survived the wild 2022 U-haul ride! For the sunroom Hummel shelf. Tan details and happy handmade bears. Mr Moosekins returns again, this time having swiped late seizure-Santa’s hat, haha.
The plaid sheet set from aunt Jane became the living room decorations, haha! I am basically a bumbling bird harvesting misc things to make nest messes from!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3RNY5CsxwP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Dipped the grungy glitter flakes + a few randoms into my DIY mix chalk chair paints. Actually worked, a grateful goof I am over it! Gold beads from grandmother’s bead box.
Twine twirls over the former feather bird balls, thanks to mom (twine tool store goodies!) attached with wood glue and pins. Laminated cardstock icesicles.
Ruffle is from a fitted sheet I cut up. Crochet chain snows. Laminated Star garlands. Feathers from church wing making in 2019?
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3RIZDUsb1k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
This doesn’t really count, but decor haha.) When I first started self-taught patternmaking sewing as a wee one, all I knew how to do was plushies so plagued my family with all these each year, haha. First time it occurred to me to use them as decor! Little leather bits and scarves to match decor.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Q2pF8LoBI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Entry mirror decor! Dot det’s and reinforcing backs on my 2017 leather reindeer. The advent gingy repaints as garland and impromptu pony bead string from grandmothers’ bead box . Enthroned in a wreath base made in September ‘23 from vines mom chopped down for me! And crochet chains. Socks are my brother’s, a gift from our honorary granny. ❤️
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3M0-l5udTE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Rocking horse adorned on every angle.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3M0ckhMJ9a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Gingerbread engines, cookie version
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3RQKCOMITJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Restyled the bulgy-eyed “Bean” deer to be more serene. Enthroned in a wreath base made in September ‘23 from vines mom chopped down for me! Ribbon from grandma gift once because we don’t waste anything, hahaha. Knit Star by Mom. Crochet tiny chains for color by me.
That’s all of the ornament-extravaganza, I have more Xmas decor/november/december making content I’ll cram into a later blog, hopefully! But yeah that’s where I was in November. On the bathroom floor for hours on end trying to stay alive. Painting ornaments like my life depended on it, haha. Grateful!
Virtual hugs to all, thanks to the few who still inhabit this bit of internet, I’ve quite missed it around here! Hope you had a great last year!
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I Can't Believe I Used to Be Such a Terrible Author
For the past few weeks, I've been revisiting the oldest fanfiction of mine still on BZPower. It's something that I always imagined I would do. Maybe it's some kind of compulsion, but I'm kind of obsessed with going back and constantly revising my own work.
I joined this site in 2007 and for me the "Golden Age" was from that time to the Dataclysm. Losing all the fanfictions I had written before that point really felt like the burning of the Library of Alexandria to me. I remember it as having been a vast corpus of work (though, when I look back at the fragments I could find on the Wayback Machine, the chapters are a LOT shorter than I remember, so maybe it's only in my childish memory that I wrote pages of pages of captivating stories).
When BZPower came back online, it felt like something of a resurrection to me. I thought to myself that maybe it was good to purge myself of the old so that I could stretch my wings as an older, wiser author. Looking back at what I wrote as an "older, wiser author," I realize just how cringy and unrefined my style really was.
It makes me stop and wonder, are my current writings that bad? I've spent the past 14 years writing things with the long-term goal of eventually being published professionally, and it scares me to think all of it, no matter how good it feels when I write it, I will look back on as immature juvenalia.
It's also hard to think about how the "Golden Age" of BZPower really only lasted for two or three years for me. The forum came back more than ten years ago, yet it still feels like "new" BZPower for me and my default impulse is that I am still getting used to it.
Anyway, pay no mind to my existential crisis.
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The comic lives on...
So my 12-year-old recently read through all the comics I made on here back when I was ... what, 16? My main reason for being on BZPower for quite a while.
It was a surreal moment, and sort of embarrassing... 😅 but hey, the half-or-so of them that he understood, he thought was funny - so I guess the comedy works for that age.
Here's to feeling old and decrepit, but also sort of cool.
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oh hey
look at that, there's no delete button for blog entries that you only uploaded to see if your blog still works
guess this one is staying up
oopsa doopsa
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Embers - Project Teaser
I was recently reminded that blogs exist, so I figured that this was as good a place as any to post the first official teaser for an upcoming project that will be releasing later this year.
___________________
Deep down, everyone’s afraid of the dark.
It’s a powerful, primal thing, an instinct born long before any of us were created. In the dark, anything could be waiting.
A ravenous rahi, a roving Rahkshi, Karzahni or Irnakk or Tren Krom or any one of the other nightmares of legend.
But now we know there’s nothing waiting for us in the dark.
Nothing at all.
And somehow, that makes it even more frightening.
___________________
In this alternate reality take on the Bionicle story, the Great Spirit Robot was mysteriously shut down shortly after Teridax took over. In the wake of this second Great Cataclysm, lightstones and heatstones begin to dim and die throughout the universe, dooming its denizens to a dark, cold demise.
Metru Nui – with lifegiving light still seeping through the sun holes overhead, and its cold streets heated by the fires of the Great Furnace – becomes the last bastion for the Matoran species. But when the city’s Toa depart to rescue Matoran still trapped out in the dark of the dying universe, they leave the populace vulnerable to the machinations of an unexpected enemy, and return to a city they no longer recognise…
Work on Embers began in August of 2022. During that time, I was writing for my Farewell To Corpus Rahkshi collaboration, which put me in a nostalgic, inspired frame of mind, motivating me to finally act on some story concepts I’d been toying with for a long time.
Embers was originally envisioned as a trilogy of three “books” that I expected to be ready for release sometime in 2023, but the story ballooned massively in size and scope as I began work on it, expanding to six instalments instead. Due to my nasty habit of starting projects, getting overwhelmed, and not finishing them, I was determined to fully complete a first draft before I began posting anything. I felt that being able to go back and revise the story as a whole would also allow for a more cohesive and consistent narrative overall. As I post this teaser, I’m finishing off the first draft of Book 6. While I’ll still need to carry out a few editing passes (and probably completely rewrite some parts I rushed through), I’ll absolutely be in a position to begin posting chapters sometime later this year.
This is by the far the biggest project I’ve attempted and actually followed through on, and I’ve already got ideas for a possible sequel trilogy if the story is well-received. Keep an eye out on the Epics forum for the official release in the coming months.
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The almost-but-not-quite-annual roundup
And/or the usual "hey world! I'm still alive!" post
So where have I been?
Mostly busy with life, and finally with a stable internet connection at my PC so expect some more activity from me, I guess. Occasionally, anyway.Other than that, I missed this place, a lot. And can't help but get nostalgic about the old times of lots of daily activity. Regular display name changes, especially around April 1st (my, what a coincidence) or with whatever tiny trend floated by. (On a side note, I'm delighted to see that the old emoticons are still around. Love these
)
Hope you're all doing well! I'll see you around. ^^
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I am not, and never will be ashamed of the cake puns in this blog entry title.
Anyways, it's been fun to look at milestones from the past 5-6 years of my baked goods journey. Please enjoy (vicariously) snapshots of gloopy sadness and glutenous glow-ups.My ego insists that I tell you about my natural dis-inclination toward exact measurements and the science-y part of baking (which is why I historically have had more success with cooking). But sharing sweet food with friends and family over the years has been a good motivator to improve, and there's nothing like a sporadic BZP blog post to share the progress
2018, for a sibling's birthday. This was back when I didn't know (or care) about pan sizes or icing consistency. My mindset was "It's sugar, flour, and more sugar. How bad can it be?" To be fair, it (probably) tasted good. I'm pretty sure we ate all of it, eventually. 😅
2019, for the same sibling's birthday. I had the vision, obviously not the execution. To be fair, it was a very hot summer that year, and I think this was my first attempt at homemade icing? But, yeah. ooof.
To be fair! It was eaten and did not go to waste!
2020, this sibling is very spoiled, and finally had a cake from big sister that stood up on its own!! Progress never tasted so good! (probably, I don't actually remember at this point what flavor this was)
2021, Valentine's brownie/cake. This is when I decided to care about form factor and presentation more. Boxed brownie mix and store-bought icing all around - two modern marvels that I will never cease to love.
2022! This is the year I stepped it up because suddenly there were in-laws to impress! Lemon raspberry cake, got my whole baking pan situation sorted and took homemade icing seriously. I've found the YouTube channels Binging with Babish and Preppy Kitchen to be the most helpful (educational, practical, and instructional), and you can probably tell!
But also, I found that I had more free time on the weekends with a job change. Moving from a physical warehouse job to a sedentary office job during this year was interesting - when I had a physical job, my hobbies outside of work were much more internal and sedentary. I got a lot of reading and writing done in these time period. When I changed to an office/teaching job, my hobbies almost immediately changed back to tactile and physical (knitting, cooking, baking, hiking). Funny how balance just kind of happens sometimes.
Pies, scones, muffins, cupcakes, and a few other desserts were also explored in this year. In a slightly broader scope, we also tried some fun international dishes at home, like pupusas, baozi, and spring rolls!
2023 cakes, and many other baking ventures happened this past year. Here are some of the highlights. It also helps that I changed jobs and had an office to share these baked goods with (as opposed to the old warehouse gig).
Apple Butter Maple cakes, from Preppy Kitchen. I actually broke a crock pot trying to make apple butter from scratch for the filling 😱
The small cake on the right is gluten and dairy free, and underneath the passable icing, was a DISASTER. Still learning the intricacies of the GF/DF world for the sister-in-law. Thankfully there are many box mix options now!!
Pink brownie cakes for niece's birthday. Had some fun with icing piping bags and nozzles, but have yet to actually get into decorating (may not actually happen. There's still that primal battle between "make it look nice" vs "it's all going to the same place", so there's a limit to my dithering.
Christmas Babkas! Technically not cakes, but after many attempts at sourdough that were meh at best, babka sounded like sufficient, sweet, and swirly compromise for a dough-based challenge.
2024 has yet to see large-scale baking productions - just some congratulatory oreo cupcakes to welcome a new nephew, and a batch of Hong Kong egg tarts that were a funky texture 😝.
Anyways, that's a slice of my life recently (wink!) and I'm always excited to hear suggestions, tips, or other tales!
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I did an art
Slinky through this linky on over to the comics forum to have a peak!
More to come maybe? Possibly? Who knows! The inner machinations of my mind are an engima. If I do continue it, I'm thinking of maybe having permanent guest stars positions, just for ol' times sake.
--Akaku: Master of Flight
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???
I just got accepted into graduate school. My dream program. I feel excited, and I also feel guilty for feeling excited because I'm also still mourning. None of this makes sense.
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2023 Was an Amazing Year
Welp, time to reflect publicly on BZP. I always like doing that. This year, I'll be trying something a little different and I'll actually be typing this up while reading my private thoughts from my journal I wrote throughout the year.
Starting with something that was a theme throughout the whole year: In December of 2022, as part of a musical Secret Santa exchange, I received the song Where Are You Now by Danny L. Harle. From there, I listened to the rest of the Harlecore album, and then discovered the whole musical world revolving around the PC Music label/collective. I realized I already recognized a lot of the names from the 100 gecs remix album. This really is my kind of music. I found so many songs I loved, but one artist stood out from among the rest: GFOTY. She's quickly become one of my all time favorites and over the course of the year, I've listened to her entire discography. Unfortunately, PC Music announced that they're ending new releases on the label with the end of the year, so I'm listening to some of their stuff on the last day, even as I write this. It was a great ride, even if I only caught the tail end of it. Oh, and going back to the gecs, seeing them live was the other big musical moment for me this year. Their new album was great too.
As I mentioned in my last entry, I finished college, moved out on my own, and got a job. I feel a lot more independent now. With that, I've been doing a lot more cleaning and organizing this year for a variety of reasons. I've also had more time for my hobbies though, getting a lot more lego building done and integrating myself into a local lug.
I got dental implants put in at the beginning of the year. Something I had forgotten about was that this prevented me from eating my favorite food for a month. I'm actually just now getting scheduled to have the crowns put on the implants. I'm honestly tired of all this stuff going on with my teeth. I'm so ready to be done with it.
Something I'm noticing is I was able to become much more social and confident over the course of the year. I even went out on a few dates! Nothing that led anywhere serious, but I'm very proud myself for handling it in a way that felt very natural. Ironically, I'm also much more comfortable being alone now than when I was in college. I think there's something about being surrounded by people that actually makes you feel more lonely sometimes.
I've started playing more seriously in @Voltex's BZPGOT games this year. I've only recently started getting caught up on all the previous story there, but before I started that, I decided to read/reread all canon Bionicle story material. This, combined, with another event I'll mention later, means I did a lot more reading than has become normal for me this year. Next year I'm hoping to get caught up on the BZPGOT write ups, maybe read some other Bionicle fanfic ( @Pahrak Model ZX?) , but especially start reading some non-bionicle books aimed at adults haha.
Brickfair was great as I also mentioned in the last entry!
There was one thing about Brickfair I didn't mention though. At one point during the con, I got a call from my father. He met up with my cousin. I hadn't seen her in 7 years, and we hadn't been able to spend quality time with each other in even longer. He wouldn't tell me what was going on until I got back and spoke with him in person. It wasn't instantaneous for us to reconnect, but we did it. Both of us were worried the other might have somehow become a completely different person in the interim, but we get along so well. We were able to have phone calls, texts, and finally meet up in person for Thanksgiving. This has made me happier than anything else really, and I think it's been so good for both of us to have the other back in our life. I've always looked up to her, we have a lot of fond memories together, and now we're making new ones. She's someone I feel like I can talk to like no one else, and she always has such interesting things to say.
So that's obviously not everything, but that's the biggest stuff. Thank you to each of you who have had even some small part in making my year so good! And a happy new year to you all! I know I already have some good things planned for it.
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20 Years Later...
Meant to stop by earlier this month for quick drop-in. I can't believe it's been 20 years since I first found this site. I rarely visit anymore, but I'm still alive and kickin', though I'm more active on other social sites.
The world has changed and so have I. Within the past decade, I got married and now have a kid.
So anyway, see you around. I may not visit much, but I haven't forgotten this place.
(C)1984-2023 Toaraga EAM
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more than meets the eye
So, i'm not sure what to put here anymore (spoilers: it won't be another movie review) but i may as well talk about some things
I'm Trans! (She/Her/Hers) It took me a few years to recognize it, but now i feel a lot happier than i used to- I feel like i'm the real me, for the first time in years.
I had been talking with my friends for a while and they helped me realize who i am, and i couldn't have done it without them.
i do intend to start HRT but the UK is pretty awful for this kind of thing lol, so i'm most likely gonna be waiting 5 years or so to just join the waiting list.
Until then, i've been thinking of posting some more things here, getting the use of my BZP account yknow? I have a lot of Mocs i've yet to share with you all (i dare say my skills have improved a bit since i last frequented these boards) and i look forward to interacting with you all once more!
-Bean
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Masks of Power
Checking out the new Masks of Power trailer made me really nostalgic for my old BZP days. I really miss the huge community we used to have. I always say I'd like to come back into the fold, but I haven't committed yet. Bionicle has always had a special place in my heart though. Not to be dramatic but I feel like it really shaped part of who I am. After everything that's happened to me, through life and work and new relationships and long gone relationships and the discovery of my true identity, I am still a Toa warrior 💙💗🤍💗💙
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Strange Bionicle Find
Recently I managed to find someone selling the Bionicle Quest for Makuta board game online. It was in pretty good condition. An excellent addition to my collection.
I also picked up a few other board games. Just something to do with the kids I work with. One of the games was Monopoly. What did I find inside the box?
A single Cordak bullet.
The evidence speaks for itself. Family game night turned violent, the Toa Mahri intervened, and there were no survivors. 😔
Open and shut case.
Bake him away, toys.
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I'm Building Lego on Twitch!
Hey, all! I'm still alive and kicking! I hope you are all doing well as I know it's been a long time since my last visit.
Life has been uh... or I guess continued to be crazy? But things are mostly pretty good right now, there is still a lot that could be better but I'm still here and trying to move forward. My last entry was 2019... so a lot has happened. I'm back in my house thankfully. It's not perfect but it's livable so that's a good thing. Housing was questionable for awhile from hotel to RV to another rental. I'm a manager at a pharmacy so that's unexpected and I guess interesting. On April 4, 2021 my father passed away so that's been tough especially as we just passed the two year anniversary of that so Tuesday was a hard day. But I met more new friends and people I care about and twoish weeks ago we hung out for the first time and that was some fun that I found was sorely needed as I haven't done something like that in a long time.
There have been ups and downs as that's life.
Lately though I've been streaming on Twitch! I've recently become a Twitch Affiliate and early in the year streamed some Lego Building.
And on Saturday I am going to be building a few sets on stream at 1pm ET!
We're building:
40581 BIONICLE Tahu and Taku
40516 Everyone is Awesome
... And a couple more but one of them is unofficial... but for Bionicle fans of 2004 should be very familiar.There is a whole tweet that announces it and hints at it right here.
I also plan to giveaway a few small sets I have during the stream. (It's nothing too huge but it's still free Lego.)
I also stream video games with a lot of friends. So if you like that kind of thing feel free to check it out.
If you feel like joining the Lego stream will be at 1pm over on my Twitch channel!
And I'll try not to be a stranger.
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