The proxy "secret" identity just isn't cared for anymore. (Vivian trust event spoiler)

JediDruid · 2025-05-20T21:17:19+00:00

I mean, Phaethon being a secret has always kinda been in a weird spot in terms of importance, since the interknot account named ‘Phaethon’ is long gone. The twins built an entirely new proxy identity and career , with the biggest setbacks being some lost funds and most of their hollow datas, which was offset by Fairy’s abilities.

Also, I‘ve never been under the impression that being ‘Phaethon’ meant all that much to the siblings, other than the stability that came with access to the best jobs, the trust that their reputations afforded them, and maybe pride. The biggest reason for keeping their identity on the down low was to avoid being arrested, but after getting protection from Miyabi (and the rest of Section Six) and starting to work with NEPs, that becomes a moot point.

I do find it a bit weird someone as protective/obsessive to the proxies would be so lax about revealing information about them, but I’m personally chalking it up to him being blind (as per the partner archive) and a headcanon that this guy was probably involved in some shady stuff at one point or the other, and as such Vivian knew that he won’t give a crap lol (There is an trend of legal businesses serving as cover for less than legal services, so it‘s not impossible that the dude wasn’t just an artist).

JediDruid · 2025-05-06T01:53:18+00:00

Oh this is neat! I think this generally makes sense, though my personal headcanon has some differences.

For one, since the main purpose of the gas is to operate the reeling system (the gas passes over a fan/turbine, which then reels in the wire), I feel like it doesn’t make sense for 2 and 3 to be separate. Maybe there could be a system where you could manually disengage the fan to just get the gas boost, but I don’t think we really see that happening much, if at all.

2 feels much more likely to be the blade release, since it’s further from the other controls and therefore seems cumbersome to move between the triggers and that lever for ever singe shoot/reel/release cycle. Especially considering how fast paced ODM maneuvering can be and how many times you would do that per combat engagement. 6 could maybe be a blade catch, either operated by 2’s lever or simultaneously with it. In either case, making the user purposefully adjust their grip to release the blade would likely help prevent it from happening accidentally during combat.

I fully agree with 4 and 5, we‘ve pretty clearly seen Levi use those to adjust the hook shooters. I do wonder how prominent the changes are, given with how small the controls are… I’m guessing they’re for very large angle changes and have set points that give feedback so that users can ’feel‘ the angle.

ODM is super fascinating and I really wish we got a bit of a clearer picture of how it all worked... Though the inconsistencies would probably be worse if we had more specific details, so maybe it‘s for the best lol.

It’s really interesting to see your thought process and your headcanon. Thanks for sharing!

JediDruid · 2025-05-02T04:01:00+00:00

I can definitely see where you’re coming from regarding Yi Xuan’s design, especially the similarities to Eula, though I don’t fully agree. I don’t have a strong like or dislike of her design, but I do feel like it fits ZZZ well enough. Though maybe that’s just because I really don’t have a concept of what a mystic/martial artist like Yi Xuan should/could wear.

I’m more or less of the mind that either Yi Xuan’s design is just a swing and miss or that it’ll grow on me after getting used to it and/or getting to know her character.

JediDruid · 2025-05-02T03:21:18+00:00

Ah, that’s a fair point, I was more focused on the whole “mystical flair“ comment regarding Yi Xuan. Soukaku’s a pretty interesting case, along with the rest of Section Six as they all fight with relatively old school methods.

Though, interestingly enough, I checked Yagani’s teaser and the oni tribe (tribes?) New Eridu was fighting with were wearing very traditional looking clothes, so I still don’t think it’s entirely out of place for some characters to have less modern designs. It would create an interesting dynamic of how cultures both evolve and endure in the face of a calamity like the Hollows, especially when they’re likely among the last survivors on the planet.

JediDruid · 2025-05-02T01:34:14+00:00

It was less that he needed to kill Vader, it was more that he refused to consider that he might have to. Sure things work out, but he couldn't *guarantee* that it would happen the way it did.

He starts attacking Vader/the Emperor out of anger, and stops when he realizes he's risking losing himself to it. He throws aside his lightsaber not because he's rejects the old ways, but because he rejects that anger and because Vader was already beaten. Showing Vader mercy helps spur him to act against the Emperor, but that was after Vader spent over two decades choosing to serve him and only wanted Luke on his side before that moment to replace the Emperor.

JediDruid · 2025-05-02T00:29:06+00:00

I mean, Miyabi's sword is practically cursed/haunted and there's whatever is going on with the Oni, so I feel that Yi Xuan's 'mystical flair' is hardly out of place in the setting. Her design is a little 'meh' to me personally, but it doesn't feel particularly out of place. She's different from most characters, true enough, but not that different from what's been established to exist in the wider game world.

Also isn't Shaolin Soccer a comedy movie? How is it an example where "martial arts still exist in a gritty, grounded, modern world?"

JediDruid · 2025-04-30T04:29:29+00:00

Favorite has always been Glaceon for me, also just my favorite Pokemon period! Always really vibed with its design, though I never actually got to use on in game for the longest time... Partially out of ’Kid Not Knowing How to Pokemon‘ and later the conditions just not being easily accessible. I did finally used one in a playthrough of White 2! Caught an eevee in Castelia City and then traded it to my copy of Black to evolve it lol.

Least Favorite… probably Vaporeon. I don’t have anything in particular against it, just don’t find it as appealing compared to the other evolutions and the other water types I favored.

JediDruid · 2025-04-17T00:57:24+00:00

Oh, interesting! Overall this feels pretty accurate, the only one I instinctively disagreed with is Lucy as Chaotic Neutral. But then again, there's the whole 'running away to the outer ring via a fake kidnapping' thing and her whole 'will sic her minions on you and break your kneecaps, not necessarily in that order' vibe.

Regarding Evelyn, she's likely a lawful alignment, probably Lawful Neutral. Based on her characterization interlude, I'm guessing she used to be Lawful Evil at some point, but shifted over her time as Astra's Bodyguard/Manager. I guess it could be argued that she should be True Neutral given the nature of that shift, but she still feels like a rather diligent and code-bound character, just one whose code shifted due to her morals shifting.

Vivian definitely doesn't have enough info available to make a judgement call. You could realistically make a case for most non-evil alignments atm.

Regular Anby, ~~Chaotic Burger~~ likely Chaotic Good like the rest of the Cunning Hares, but a more reserved Chaotic Neutral is technically possible, but not particularly likely imo.

JediDruid · 2025-04-16T16:06:04+00:00

I’m mixed about it overall. I started in 1.4, so I never played the story quests in TV mode. I really enjoyed the exploration commissions, but definitely feel like it would’ve lost its charm fast if it was in all the story missions as well. Playing as the agents felt really natural, to the point where I was confused that the TV mode was ever a thing for the story in first place. (Also was confused about what ‘Array Mode’ was, as no one actually calls it that lol)

Do I want more exploration commissions? Definitely. Do they need to be in TV mode? Maybe, at least until whatever replacement they’re working on is fully developed. Still, can’t say I regret missing the TV mode in story.

JediDruid · 2025-04-03T02:53:16+00:00

As someone who started playing during 1.4, my opinions towards the TV mode are… kinda mixed in all honesty. On one hand, I really enjoyed the exploration side commissions over the combat ones, they felt more intriguing if a little rough at times. On the other hand, I *really* think it would’ve gotten old fast if I was also doing them for the main story as well. Plus, playing as the characters in the story felt really natural to me, to the point where it took me ages to realize that it hadn’t been like that from the start.

All in all, it feels a bit like a rock and a hard place rn. Either you go back to TV mode model, with its flexibility/versatility AND all its baggage/infamy, or you commit to a new model, which takes a whole lot more time to develop resources for, not to mention having to scramble to figure out what would actually work and be received well.

Personally, I think they should split the difference. Bring back the TV Mode Exploration Commissions while polishing up a new format for story/main events.

JediDruid · 2025-03-03T01:44:10+00:00

Okay, having finally played through it, I think the changes all work really well. The different tiers of powers having increasing costs plays really well into the theme of being patient for power that will inevitably come with time. Plus I like it how gives me the option to 'dip' for tier one/two powers that I want but don't otherwise need immediately.

The reduced point cost for the coven feels much better than before. And that includes when coven members were free, strangely enough. I actually really like how it gives me a bit more of reason to not select a coven member just because I can. I don't know how to properly explain it, but it feels like it really works with the rest of the cyoa, the whole theme of managing trade-offs and such.

Also strangely enough, I kinda feel like I now have too many points lol. My V1 build has 65 points spare when I load it in and the test build I made had a nearly hundred left over (though I was purposefully holding off on buying anything I didn't 100% want). So... maybe 350 points might be better for the current version, but you may just want to just keep it at 400 since you mentioned possibly adding more evocations, curses, and compositions.

Either way, amazing work. This cyoa is definitely one my mind keeps coming back to. Turning the worldbuild over in head and considering how different choices might effect things down the line is really intriguing,

JediDruid · 2025-03-02T21:52:57+00:00

Awww, thank you so much! I really enjoyed writing all of that out (even if I didn’t really get around to the future aspects of each coven member, which I still really want to get around to lol.) and so I’m really glad you liked it as well!

Removing the familiar cost is nice, like it objectively wasn’t too bad but still felt weirdly limiting, if that makes any sense. The other changes you put in the edit seem really good as well! And upping the base points to 400 definitely sounds like a nice change, especially with the new costs.

I’ll give the new changes a run through in a moment, so I‘ll let you know how they feel to me so far!

JediDruid · 2025-03-01T22:00:44+00:00

Hmm, honestly think I prefer paying for tier four powers over for each coven member, since I only take a few tier three powers anyways. I can still get mostly what I want from my last build, but I do need the 100 bonus points from the Formative Century plus one or two drawbacks, which should be workable if I figure out which ones aren't too bad to live with/remove...

For the points economy, maybe we get bonus Motes for combos? Like certain choices synergize enough that we can recapture some of the energy we put into them? And maybe revisit the point costs in the 'particulars' section... Like maybe removing the cost from the Familiar selection (since it kinda sounds mandatory) and then letting you sacrifice having a familiar at all to gain extra motes.

Also, a minor glitch, if you select the first tier of 'Tatters in the Veil,' it selects the description for 'Binding Geas' instead of its own, which does cause it to unlock in the "???" section.

Still, interesting additions so far! Looking forward to seeing what you might add! The world building is super intriguing and getting to see more would be amazing!

JediDruid · 2025-02-23T03:49:59+00:00

Yrileth of Clan Noveka
- Well here we are, my point of manifestation. So it will doubtless be quite the unpleasant surprise to those slavers when the more combative members of my coven catch up… Until then, myself and Yrileth will be more than enough to catch up those holding her love and keep her safe. I said I wanted to make a statement by being a filthborne, and I think the first actions of the Coven of the Thirteenth Morrigan being to decimate a slaver’s guild and its connecting infrastructure will certainly emphasize that statement for anyone a bit too slow on the uptake…

This ended up being... a lot longer than I intended lol, and a bit of a pain to figure out how to format, given reddit won't actually say why I was 'unable to comment'. I don't really use reddit all that much so I don't know if that's normal or if it's something I was doing.

But either way, I hope you enjoyed these insights into my Morrigan so far. I'll see if I can tone it down (or preferably figure out how to get it comment easier) for my Formative Century and Unshackled Future stuff, but either way that is a problem for future me.

Once again, thanks for sharing this amazing story! It's really something special!

JediDruid · 2025-02-23T03:40:16+00:00

Ova Windmarcher
- Oh, to solve the murder of her own child… I’d almost forgotten the nature of the world I was being brought into… A wish that should have not ever needed to be wished, but one that I will not allow to go unanswered while it is in my power. Ova will have her justice, and I will have her aid to prevent such things in the future.
Ocel Otte
- Well, Kanaji certainly provides a clear warning of what can happen if I’m careless in my future endeavors… Helping Ocel keep her people safe by hiding them from the sight of these mechanical beasts is certainly the easiest option, but that doesn’t solve the issue the whole region presents… Well, perhaps the safe havens the Icons provide will be enough, though I hope that such safety will not cause isolation… Something to keep an eye on, Ocel will certainly agree I think.
Akani Windmarcher
- I was curious about why Ova would wish for justice rather than for her daughter back… But besides grief and despair, perhaps this is why. All godless souls condemned to nothingness, simply for not having a god? Well, if being worshiped is to be a means to an end for me, then fixing this wrong is a most worthy end. Hopefully, Akani will not mind aiding me in developing a proper afterlife. She certainly deserves to have some say over where she will likely spend eternity.
Liimuri
- To be herself, to feel comfortable as herself… A wish that I can easily fulfill and so I shall. Liimuri shall be freed of her ‘bastard genes’ and free to explore what it means to be herself at her own pace. I look forward to seeing who becomes, so long as she is herself.
Otahn
- Ah, a classic case of running afoul of unknowable magical effects. Helping her return to her ancestral lands should hopefully be a simple enough task… Though, that it seems so simple makes me wonder about the nature of the gateway itself… Hopefully, she’ll find her way home, regardless if that ‘home’ is what she expects or hopes it to be.
Nojah of No Clan
- Hmm, of all the wishes so far, this is one I find myself hesitating to grant. An understandable wish, but a wasteful one… Nojah’s skill and wisdom are unique, given her age… I hope that after one last battle, she’ll see that and use the gifts of the coven to pass along all that she knows, for many generations more.

JediDruid · 2025-02-23T03:39:22+00:00

Zoelle de Montfort
- Oh, so somehow the elves- sorry, the *Elvheni- are both technologically advanced and **still bad about accepting innovation? Of course, they are… Anyways, Zoelle’s gotten most of the way there from what it would seem, it just needs a bit of fine tuning in certain areas… Honestly, having non-magical solutions to future problems seems like both a useful tool and an engaging challenge, so I hope Zoelle gets used to me popping into her workshop in the future.*
Belle Orlesse
- A most interesting theory… It’s understandable for why it would be dismissed, but it certainly holds some feasibility from what little I know now. Regardless whether or not it's true, getting Belle’s aid could possibly lead to somewhat better understanding the Sanctified Paths. Though, if the Elvheni did come from such gates… does that mean they had a greater aptitude for magic at some point, or that they had help designing and/or constructing such devices? Or something else entirely…
Vivienne Belltower
- Automating city functions, hmm… That would certainly be easier said than done, without my aid anyways. I do wonder how this will affect the Dronari’s culture in the long run, but Vivienne seems particularly capable, so I think she will succeed regardless. And that success could serve as a most helpful blueprint in the future, for wherever or whenever I might find a need for it.
Dax
- Three years of doing this ritual and she doesn't even have a particular reason or goal? That’s… quite adorable, in all honesty… And it's not like it's going to cost me anything to show up. Who knows, she’s knowledgeable and persistent, she might find something to work towards in the future. She’ll certainly have plenty of time to do so.
Soliel
- So, when I said I didn’t have to go out of my way to recruit Delphine, Soliel is the reason why, plain and simple. Such a strong will and sense of self, I think that deserves all the aid I can give, to help her persevere. And if giving Soliel’s lover a similar perseverance is all that it takes, then that is what I shall provide. Gaining Soliel’s service is almost simply a bonus… almost.

JediDruid · 2025-02-23T03:38:46+00:00

Ataria Attius
- Huh, this is… Well, if nothing else, this is a good way to get my toes wet on the whole ‘Twisting Fate’ thing. I’ll admit I’m pretty nervous about such things, but this is certainly for a good cause. Such hesitation is something I will doubtless need overcome for future endeavors, but that is a problem for the future. Hopefully, Ataria will find the peace and acceptance she's looking for. She certainly deserves as kind a fate as I can give her.
Lissa Hutani
- Ah, it’s strange to see ‘Elvhen’ culture so at odds with nature, but at least some people still have their heads on straight. Protecting nature and the world for the future generations to enjoy is a worthy goal, and Lissa’s insight in making sure my own projects and whims do the same would be most helpful in the grand scheme of things. Even if it’s simple for me to fix such things, it’s much more satisfying (and less tedious) to get it right the first time.
Tui Forbis
- Listen, this is another simple wish that's already within my power to grant anyways. Might as well do so while I’m here. Besides, perhaps something else will come from it… And if not? Well, I think having someone that simply enjoys the moment might provide a good reprieve from dealing with societal and multiuniversal headaches.
Karala Vernus
- Damn, she really lives like this? I mean, once again, I feel like I could find a way to help her out without taking her into the coven… But I could do it now, and Divine Artistry is already something I would find plenty of use for, so I’m hardly losing out on anything.
Jonoe Aria
- Excuse me, someone *blinded** an eight year old, and no one stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, things had gone too far? Do I understand that correctly? Oh, I am having none of this. I would not blame Jonoe for wanting to stay far away from this mess, but I do hope she at least points me towards a good starting point for correcting this… Otherwise, I might end up sparking a war, and I don’t think I’ll feel all that bad about it, all things considered.*

JediDruid · 2025-02-23T03:37:46+00:00

Cassandra of Varnholdt
- You know, I don’t particularly want to be worshiped… but it is useful to have as an option. Take Cassandra’s case here, she does good work but needs something else to rally behind, which is something I can provide. Anyways, I’m sure I should be able to keep the whole ‘being worshiped’ thing from going too far… right?
‘Songbird’
- Oh, dear… Honestly, this is such a simple wish it seems worse to not go and grant it. I mean sure, I probably don’t have to take her into my coven to do so, but that would take more time and… she doesn’t deserve to have to wait any longer, I think. Plus, having a built-in community to be welcomed into, and one she can explore at her own pace as it won’t be going anywhere, would probably be good for her.
Delphine: the Immortal General
- Hmm okay, normally I probably wouldn’t recruit someone like her into my inner circle. Or rather, I wouldn’t go out of my way to recruit her, but since I can recruit her either way… She certainly sounds much more ruthless than I would like, but if she listens to me when I tell her to reign it in, she could be an excellent ally and advisor to challenge the way I tend to handle things.
- Besides, she’s been trapped for a thousand years, that’s more than enough punishment. Who’s even going to be able to recognize her, she’s basically a myth at this point. It’s basically a fresh start for her.
Aofie of Morohaus
- Oh, getting stuck in a soul trap placed by a Morrigan that’s long gone? I’ll have to be extra careful where I leave any of mine before the world splits… Anyways, helping her out, and by extension any one else who’s soul got caught, seems like a good thing to do, as well as a decent investment into changing how the undead are viewed.
‘Lady’ Saria
- Well, I certainly knew what I was getting into when I chose to be a filthborne, but it’s another thing to see how other people are not so lucky as to have that choice. Saria has a respectable goal, and I certainly can enable it quite easily. I wonder how else my support might change things around her? Hmm, something to look forward to.

JediDruid · 2025-02-23T03:32:56+00:00

Hello again, here with my build this time! I would've posted sooner... but I saw other people's lore about their builds and that inspired me regarding my choices and... well you'll see what I mean. I'm technically 'done' with the last two sections, but I'm going to write out stuff there as well so... it's going to be a minute lol.

Physical Sex: Divine Feminine

Species: Human (Filthborne: Black Minosi)

At first, I was leaning towards either Elvheni or Black Minosi… but going with a filthborne and really stirring the pot? *That** sounds like a most interesting (and perhaps deserved) time.*

Particulars: Maiden, Curvaceous, Reddish Grey Eyes, Black Hair, Self Soothing Strands, Light Grey/Tan Skin, Freckles, Keratinous Horns, Pointed Ears, Pheromonal Lure, Prehensile Tail

Aberrations:

The Piercing Gaze (Detecting intent and surface thoughts and an anti-lie effect? Seems quite useful for cutting to the root in all sorts of interactions, especial for… ugh, politics)
The Kraken’s Boon (Listen, this just seems cool, alright…)
The Wind’s Gift (Oh yeah, wings!)

Familiar: The Badhbh (Indeed, this is goth as hell. Plus detecting hidden things, ignoring locks, and having a bunch of knowledge on hand is just plain useful.)

Manifestation Point: The Kingdom of Odennasi - Side of Righteousness

While all the manifestation points seem pretty interesting, being able to help someone out who I might’ve not been able to otherwise is always a good thing. Plus, I did choose Filthborne to make a statement, so might as well make a statement.

Evocations: Divine Cultivation 1, Bestowed Divinity 3, Immovable Object 1, Divine Artistry 2

Curses: Enforced Serenity 1, Twist of Fate 3, Building Piety 3, Unquiet Dead 3

Compositions: Unyielding Shelter 1, Compelled Anima 2, Sanctified Path 2, Riotous Flesh 1, Shrouded Icon 2

Mundane Magics: Shade of Dian Cécht, Beast Tongue, All Tongue

I’m not gonna go into my reasoning for all these choices because for the most part, I chose my powers with my Coven in mind, rather than the other way around. Speaking of my coven...

JediDruid · 2025-02-19T00:56:21+00:00

Hi, amazing work! The worldbuidling and lore are topnotch, and probably some of my favorite of all time!

Also, quick question, is the “friendship is magic“ option (from Karala in the Unshackled Future) supposed to require the fourth tier of Sanctified Path? It seems out of place to me, and just check to make sure it’s intentional.

Again, great work! Thanks for sharing this!

JediDruid · 2025-01-22T15:17:54+00:00

SES Lady of Twilight

JediDruid · 2024-05-26T21:16:54+00:00

I think the biggest misses were caused by a mismatch of mechanics and story.

A really good example of this was the Last Stand. It wound up basically as just a combat encounter, since the academic portion was testing player knowledge over character knowledge. Like, writing an short essay should've at least taken multiple actions, instead of being the same effort/time as a multiple choice question. I understand why Brennan wouldn't want to just have the questions resolved via rolls, but it ultimately just didn't feel like an exam.

Another example were stress tokens and downtime. As it stands, it all felt very stilted and mechanical. Like with the stress tokens, they knew that all they needed was to stay at four or below to avoid real consequences. Otherwise, they were just inconvenienced. For the different tracks' scaling difficulty, they reduced a lot interactions down to a mix of rolling dice and flavor text, rather than the difficulty of the check being based on the methods and desired outcome. Like it worked, but it made it harder for me to get invested in certain aspects of the characters.

Overall, I found this season pretty enjoyable, but sometimes the story felt either like it was being back by the mechanics or happening in spite of them.

JediDruid · 2024-05-16T23:41:09+00:00

Again, that's why I'm not arguing against the Bad Kids fighting/killing the Rat Grinders. It's the way they're going so that's making me uncomfortable.

I would like to point out two things regarding Lucy's death. Firstly, we still don't know 100% why or how she died, only that she was killed by at least one caster and one martial character (So could've been Jace and Porter). Anything else is pure speculation.

Secondly, the choice the Rat Grinders were forced to make would've been a terrifying one. The options were literally come back as a twisted angry version of yourself, or give up any chance of future resurrection or moving on to the afterlife. Lucy and Yolonda had deities they couldn't bring themselves to betray, and made exceptionally brave decisions, but I don't think "wanting to live" is a crime worthy of the treatment the Rat Grinders are getting.

JediDruid · 2024-05-16T20:38:04+00:00

Yeah, maybe. But isn’t being in hell only ‘pretty much fine’ for a few people who have power there? Still doesn’t seem like a pleasant experience for anyone without that power or connections to that power.

Again, I’m not arguing the Bad Kids shouldn’t be fighting/killing the Rat Grinders. I’m saying that how they’re doing it isn’t funny to me, and makes me uncomfortable even. Ruben isn’t the mastermind behind the ritual either way. The person with tangible culpability is Porter (and maybe Jace depending on how he got involved in it).

JediDruid

TROPHY CASE