shutter stroll ~ daily island of 2024/09/27

this island is not quite tearjerker like september 10 was , but this is ... so special and beautiful .
not able to see very much in this picture , but also have tall monoliths with pink symbols all over . this is place to come and just ... think .

random moth visit

just save little moth from path of certain squish . 💚
wonder how bugs must conceptualise things like this ... when big creatures use big hands or strange containers to scoop up and just , move . 

sort of think about that because , there is this post on tumblr somewhere about hunt urges in humans , and inability of runaway domestic chicken to understand that these people did not mean to hurt , when act as predators act .

some people discredit ideas that bugs could think about or understand anything at all , but ... think not really fair . think should give more chances , first .
but also think , even if fail to find ... not necessarily mean none is there . sometimes failure is indication in look for wrong things ... doubt bugs would quite feel and understand in ways that humans see these concepts , but maybe there is some other way .

and honestly even if there was nothing … still would like to be nice , and rescue where possible . 

dream journal ~ again

dream about take notes for changeling the dreaming - something which work on these last 2 days in preparation - but then ... suddenly , words all move around and shuffle into ascii art of bill cipher , then see forest scene , then wake up … at 4 am .
hmm . everything is normal here ! 

(no subject)

very deep and meticulous head scritches today . shower assistance is not so bad . :P

(no subject)

everyone should have someone in life who can ramble about genuine horrors of faeries with bright spark in eyes . :3

changeling the dreaming ~ echoes , echoes , echoes ...

really dig into merits and flaws system now .
wish could have echoes . in real life .
this would be so inconvenient ! but many faerie things inconvenient anyway . and euphoria is great reward .

echoes vary from mild to extreme levels , and detail various ways in which changeling hold to superstition and folklore . in order from mild effects to extreme , all of which cumulative :

• anyone who throw bread crumbs or salt over shoulder is free from effects of changeling magic
• anyone with knowledge of full name can command 3 tasks from changeling - however , changeling only need carry out to letter , not to spirit
• can not enter home without either carry out favour for owner of home , or invitation - from anyone , not necessarily owner .
• cold iron and religious symbols will bar entry even if gain invitation .
• any mortal who wear religious symbols is immune to changeling magic , and even physical attacks .
• cold iron and sound of church bells will physically pain changeling .
• any mortal with four leaf clover is immune to changeling magic .
• that in mind , four leaf clover also grant changeling luck for as long as all leaves intact . must personally pick , and then wear on person .
• any mortal who wear coat inside out is invisible to changeling .
• unable to cross running water without bridge .
• religious symbols actively repel changeling .
• to stand under shadow of cross will chimerically hurt changeling .
• any holy ground will chimerically hurt changeling .
• mushrooms will bloom in formation of faerie ring , anywhere that changeling is present - even indoors .
• mortals will clearly remember existence and magic , where mists usually hide away .
• there is no longer distinction of chimera or physical in regards to this changeling . chimerical weapons of changeling can hurt mortals physically , but , chimerical creatures can also physically injure changeling .
• people will feel compulsion to follow in daze upon request , blissfully ignorant to danger .
• magic is easier to cast , but as before , will have no effect on anyone who wear cold iron or religious symbols .
• require willpower to enter holy ground , and injury is now physical .

this is huge set of effects , clearly , most of which bring some kind of inconvenience . but ... euphoria ? euphoria please ? :P

genuinely consider might give kossai character progressive echoes - start as mild in childhood , to become more extreme with age . not exactly within balance of game , but whatever . rule book say do whatever with rules anyway !

kossai is unusual in that , well , real kossai always aware of nature ... did not go through single period of realisation like chrysalis and saining , even if go through periods of deny , hide , then crack back open .
in that sense , think would be fair to play game kossai with tenuous relationship to mists , never fully conceal .

changeling the dreaming ~ flaws and representation

various character flaw suggestions in changeling certainly do display ... 90s-ness .
disabilities and facial or body differences make show as flaws , and members of sidhe house dougal must choose one . word choices can certainly alienate : mute , lame , disfigured - and very fact that game categorise these as flaws .

feel like ultimately this design choice encourage creation of disabled character not for sake of represent - especially to represent self - but to earn back freebie points for use on cool traits .
know this is not really exclusive to changeling , or world of darkness in general , but just . bah .

in some ways , yes this is better than not allow opportunity at all , better than shoot down idea that disabled characters even could exist in these places . in other ways , these words and frames do hurt - and encourage world to continue see people as broken , rather than confront cruel realities of systems which serve to break , that each person must have something extremely worthy to contribute despite flaw .

changeling the dreaming ~ oops .

start out with prelude to test some things , between some tweaks , tiny bit of custom stuff , and just general systems ...
seem to turn into impromptu therapy .

well , TTRPG probably would not be weirdest therapy .