Sketches Of The LADS!!!

I have … a tip.

If you’re writing something that involves an aspect of life that you have not experienced, you obviously have to do research on it. You have to find other examples of it in order to accurately incorporate it into your story realistically.

But don’t just look at professional write ups. Don’t stop at wikepedia or webMD. Look up first person accounts.

I wrote a fic once where a character has frequent seizures. Naturally, I was all over the wikipedia page for seizures, the related pages, other medical websites, etc.

But I also looked at Yahoo asks where people where asking more obscure questions, sometimes asked by people who were experiencing seizures, sometimes answered by people who have had seizures.

I looked to YouTube. Found a few individual videos of people detailing how their seizures usually played out. So found a few channels that were mostly dedicated to displaying the daily habits of someone who was epileptic.

I looked at blogs and articles written by people who have had seizures regularly for as long as they can remember. But I also read the frantic posts from people who were newly diagnosed or had only had one and were worried about another.

When I wrote that fic, I got a comment from someone saying that I had touched upon aspects of movement disorders that they had never seen portrayed in media and that they had found representation in my art that they just never had before. And I think it’s because of the details. The little things.

The wiki page for seizures tells you the technicalities of it all, the terminology. It tells you what can cause them and what the symptoms are. It tells you how to deal with them, how to prevent them.

But it doesn’t tell you how some people with seizures are wary of holding sharp objects or hot liquids. It doesn’t tell you how epileptics feel when they’ve just found out that they’re prone to fits. It doesn’t tell you how their friends and family react to the news.

This applies to any and all writing. And any and all subjects. Disabilities. Sexualities. Ethnicities. Cultures. Professions. Hobbies. Traumas. If you haven’t experienced something first hand, talk to people that have. Listen to people that have. Don’t stop at the scholarly sources. They don’t always have all that you need.

Chain OC time

Name: Smoke Race: Human Class: Cleric Height/Weight: 5′5″ish/180 lbs Bio: One of the few clerics for the Greenboots, he marched under Red’s command and now King’s. Wielding a spear and a shield, he’s more used as fighting retreat or to hold a position as other Greenboots rush in to defend him. Nicknamed Smoke due to his first day with the Chain, coming in with a short wooden pipe, and insisting on setting up the camp fire. He was there for most of the Alloy campaign, but joined right before the Chain left for Alloy. Heavy drinker.

hey I LOVE watching the chain of acheron

bonus, a reference to the worldbuilding streams:

“Finish it, Slim.”

When we say that Ada Lovelace was arguably the world’s first computer programmer, that “arguably” isn’t thrown in there because of questions of definitions or precedence – she definitely wrote programs for a computer, and she was definitely the first.

Rather, the reason her status as the world’s first computer programmer is arguable is because during her lifetime, computers did not exist.

Yes, really: her code was intended for Charles Babbage’s difference engine, but Babbage was never able to build a working model – the material science of their time simply wasn’t up to the challenge. Lovelace’s work was thus based on a description of how the difference engine would operate.

Like, imagine being so far ahead of your time that you’re able to identify and solve fundamental problems of computer programming based on a description of the purely hypothetical device that would run the code you’re writing.

Chain OC idea (again)

Fetter

Vanirman Monk (subclass tbd)

She’s on the taller side (not for a Vanirman but sure compared to the rest of the world), and fit af. Honestly though, she’s pretty average for a Vanirman, the only variation being her somewhat darker hair.

A woman of few words, she almost exclusively uses Chain Sign - theories vary as to why: can’t speak common, doesn’t have a tongue, is just fucking with everyone, etc. Nonetheless she manages to be plenty expressive and get her point across. 

She is a very big fan of the general adage: better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Independent by her own nature and her upbringing in the north, she respects rules that come from a place of strength and wisdom, but doesn’t care for authority for the sake of authority.

While no stranger to a fight, she’s slow to provoke with a generally easy-going attitude. She prefers to prove herself against forces far beyond her - nature itself.

Along with her general martial prowess, she’s well known for being an adept mountain climber and spelunker, having learned on the harsh glaciers of the north. She can often be found free climbing whatever happens to be around: cliffs, chasms, castles, and whatnot.

Unusual for a Vanirman, she favors fighting with her fists and improvised weapons. She’s particularly fond of using chains and pitons (which she has on her for scaling particularly intense slopes), and has frequently been known to use the chains as wraps to make her strikes that much more devastating.

She also doesn’t wear armor, but exclusively wears long sleeves (but you still see hella muscle definition tho). Rumor is that she has intense tattoos twisting up her arms that she’s hiding, but most people think that’s ridiculous.

Joined the Chain to see more of the world. She particularly respects the variety of skills the various members of the Chain display.

(Probably an Advancer/Green Boot cause I think she’d make for a good scout in addition to assailant).

The Chain of Acheron, Helltrooper Bark

Tiefling

Glamour Bard

Traveler, Author, Mercenary. Prior to joining the chain, Bark hitchhiked and drifted the timescape, writing and spreading tales of “his” exploits. He’s fond of his guitar for spinning his tales but will use the harmonica to cast a quick spell.

He decided to join the chain after what happened in alloy, seeing opportunity for adventure. After encountering Ajax with the rest of the chain, Bark feels closer to his company than anyone from his previous lives. Given the name Bark for his surprising lack of skill in combat. Despite being a less than average fighter, Bark keeps morale up among chain members and has made many friends.

a character design i came up with

Tolkien sketches ! Vala and Maia duos : Melkor and Sauron, Varda and Ilmarë, Manwë and Eonwë, Nienna and Olorin, Yavanna and Melian.

living islands