syca's sketches

Sweet tea fueled, perpetually tired, tech person and fantasy addict. I draw things, too.

[sycamorre]

nothing has made me want to be a min-maxer more than my DM boyfriend going "hey at some point down the line I want the big villain's protégé to fight your bardlock in one of our deathbattle sessions as an experiment" and getting permission to make him level 20 if that does get to happen

now I just need a surefire way to make sure that bladesinger regrets everything

[sycamorre]

palia released the horse girl update to bring me specifically back to the game

[sycamorre]

(chinhands) I'm sending this to the gang because I'm curious. How do you think your D&D characters would be misinterpreted by a fandom?

Finally getting around to answering this, oops. I'll stick with the three main ones I've played so far.

Oriana —

I feel like people are either going to despise Ori because they think she doesn't have a personality just because she's quiet, or will only see her as some kind of religious symbolism in the story due to her faith (and eventually becoming a cleric) to Lathander and connection to celestials as an Aasimar. Those are definitely themes and plot points that were explored, but I just feel like if our campaigns were actually seen as a fandom, she would be boiled down to something incredibly shallow.

Then there's her relationship with Ranna, which I think people would again either despise because they find their particular style of romance annoying or would immediately dismiss every other character development moment Ori has as a result once it is confirmed or hinted at. I could see all the discourse moving immediately from "oh Ori doesn't have a personality or is only this one personality trait" to "her only personality is her partner" which makes me mad to think about.

Ledo —

I have a bit of a harder time guessing what specifically would get mischaracterized with Ledo. She has two very different sides to her, from the very serious and logical side when she's working, to her more laid back side once she's comfortable around people. Hilariously, I feel like she would be the kind of character who, if our campaign suddenly became a movie or tv series, would just become a different character when written by someone else because there would have to be one side of her personality that they focused on. She'd either become 100% serious and no fun allowed, or would become a sailor stereotype. Her status as a noble would be more a fun trivia fact than an actual part of her character.

Something I think people would do though is try to over-emphasize her trauma or desire for revenge. Yes, I've definitely put her through the ringer, but there are reasons for it. Does she want revenge? Sure, but not at the cost of the ones she cares about. And yeah, she has to deal with a physical disability and the loss of her family, but like I was talking to our DM about the other night on the way home, she's level-headed enough that these things are not the main things she focuses on while they're in a literal crisis.

...You know what else I think people would get wrong with her? Drache. Yes, he's her dog. A mechanical drake-shark-dog, but a loyal companion and protector, yes. And she's very fond of him because of that, but more so because he's the literal embodiment of some of her greatest engineering achievements. If nothing else, I fear that people would make her character all about her connection to Drache. And while I joke about it sometimes, that's definitely not the case. If Drache were to be gone tomorrow, she would continue on as a character.

Grim —

Fully, fully expect people to look at Grim, see his favored appearance, and go "oh ok yeah he's just another horny bard huh" and be completely wrong about him. Is he charming? Yes. He's a bard and a performer. Will he compliment and flirt? Yes. Sometimes it nets him extra coin if he butters people up, even if they're hiring him to kill someone. Is his ultimate goal to sleep with anything that moves? Nah. If anything, he likes the journey more than the destination. He thinks flirting is fun sometimes because he gets a chuckle out of how different people react. But unless getting in bed with someone has some additional long-term benefit, he couldn't care less. We joke about the Grim and Hünta ship fanfiction, but I could absolutely see people making them seriously and arguing about their ships for Grim. I could see them writing him as pining and lovestruck just because of how he presents himself in a charming and sometimes flirty way, forgetting that he is doing it for his own amusement or for ulterior motives. Sure, he may have an honest comment here and there about someone being attractive or not, but those comments come from a very different place than an actual desire for romance.

Not to mention people over-emphasizing his trauma as well with his adoptive father or making him some angsty emo sad boy. There would also likely be some people trying to make excuses as to why the evil things he's done are actually good things. No. He's a terrible, selfish person. He doesn't deny it and doesn't make excuses for himself. He'll just shrug and tell someone to get over it, because he's enjoying the self-indulgent lifestyle that he's living right now. It's not to say he doesn't feel some empathy, he's at least loyal to a few and may even consider one or two of the mafia party as friends to some degree, but he's not going out of his way to do the "right" thing or sacrifice something if it's not going to get him something else in return.

[sycamorre]

Ledo and Killian. 8, 16, and 45

[ - ship asks - ]

8 - are they naturally compatible or do they make an effort to try and understand the other

At first, they absolutely were not. They do not become romantic quickly in any sense, it takes them a year or two at the very least. It took them time and effort to grow into not only their relationship, but also into entirely new people in a way.

Their very first interaction was Killian "borrowing" Ledo's tools to try fixing something incredibly minor for their ship's quartermaster while Ledo was focused on other repairs. When she found him, not only was she furious by that time, but he responded to her reprimanding with a bit of sass. Technically not a good move on his part, as even by that point she was a higher rank than him, but in his defense he thought they were just the ship's tools, not her own personal ones. So they were not off to a good start from the get go. Fortunately, Killian felt bad about it later on and brought her his ration of rum that evening to smooth things over, and things got significantly better from there.

While there were definitely moments early in their relationship that pointed to them having some natural compatibility, it still took a significant time for them to really find it. Ledo had to go through a lot of growth as she was experiencing a lot of realities of the world for the first time during those first few years with the navy, and Killian ended up being a major part of that growth. With his help, she was able to connect better with the crews and other regular sailors (as well as learn to relax and not be so serious all of the time), while she in return was able to give him the tools to help him advance his own career by helping him to learn the expectations of other officers. Both of them grew from who they were when they first met, and it was during this growth that their compatibility really started to show. No doubt that was part of the catalyst that would eventually spur on the romantic feelings they began to develop for one another.

There is definitely a few things they clash on, but at this point they're in position where they recognize the differences for what they are and know that they have to talk it out and work with those differences instead of fighting each other, and they know each other well enough to understand the decisions the other is making so that's definitely helpful for the future.

16 - how accepted is their relationship by their community and loved ones

AHAHA. Aha. Yeah, let's just say it's complicated.

While it helps that Ledo is not from a super, major, influential noble house, it still would not stop people from looking at them strangely. People already looked at Ledo oddly because she was not really interested with any of the people her great-aunt tried to hook her up with early on, and even more so when she made it known that she was focusing on her career first and foremost once it was apparent that she was accepting her role as the heir to her house. If it came out that she was planning on marrying someone without any house connections at all, even if he did have a full officer's commission by that point, there would absolutely be all kinds of rumors and talk running amok. Ledo's prepared for it at this point, and was why she was adamant that she get as high of a rank as she could by the time she was ready to make things official. It would at least make people think twice before fanning the flames too much. And if the admiralty put up a fuss about them potentially compromising their work, well at that point Ledo could probably take a job at the shipyards heading up projects while keeping her rank, and that was going to be the long-term plan anyway.

On a positive note, the people who do care to Ledo and Killian and actually are aware of their relationship accept them. Other friends among the sailors for one, especially ones they would go out to taverns with while in port, absolutely caught on when things started getting serious and were very vocal (mostly to Killian) about their support. The housekeeper that basically became a second mom to Ledo after she moved in with her uncle Halthor also specifically became their biggest supporter (she definitely caught Killian one morning before he could sneak out, oops). And even once Halthor caught on to what was happening and confronted Ledo about it was supportive after he saw how earnest she was regarding her feelings and plans for everything, only giving her a warning that she would have to be the one to deal with the rest of the family if they did not approve.

45 - how are they different when they are with each other than when they are with everyone else

Killian's easy because he's not too different around others as he is with Ledo. He's a bit more charismatic than she is, better at talking to people all around, and he's more of a go-with-the-flow personality than her. Sure, he's serious when he's on duty and is respectful of other officers, but when off duty and around friends he's much more relaxed. If anything, when he's alone with her, he gets to be a bit more soft and even sentimental with her than he does when he's around the other sailors. He came from a rough background where he had to be street smart and keep his wits about him, and a lot of that he brought into his work in the navy as well. Being around Ledo lets him relax in a different way and really drop his guard because he knows he can trust her at this point, and he appreciates that more than anything some days.

Ledo, on the other hand, is significantly different around him than she is around others, and that's mostly because of the expectations put on her. When she's in any kind of naval setting, even when off duty, she's expected to be responsible and collected. She has to pay much more attention to her public image. She was trained from a much younger age that she has to be respectful and follow proper etiquette. It's exhausting. So when she gets to be alone with Killian, all the walls get to drop. She laughs openly. They crack jokes. Etiquette gets thrown out the window for what feels right in the moment. She treasures those moments. She becomes affectionate, bold, sometimes even acting on whims and impulses. And he never bats an eye, enjoying every moment of it, which just encourages her to keep going.

While Ledo does not have the same level of reservations she did as a young adult, you can definitely see in her early interactions with the party how she tends to fall back into that serious personality when she's not comfortable around people. It's coming out a bit more now that she's got some people she actually considers friends (Lehala and Dral being examples) but Killian will always be the one that gets to see her full personality without any reservations.

[sycamorre]

Your turn for OriRanna! 3, 7, 13, 26 to you, and of cooooourse 36

[ - ship asks - ]

More for these two! 7 and 13 answered here!

3 - is their relationship related in any form to their individual character arcs

I really do think they did end up integral to their individual arcs! For Ori, Ranna was a big part of her confirming the identity of her celestial guide that led her to the group in the first place as Sharaea. She was able to find out more and more about herself as time went on because of Ranna's research and knowledge. And even beyond that, Ranna was someone Ori was able to look at as a bit of model of what confidence could look like, and accepting yourself as you are. Post-campaign, she is still using Ranna as a guiding light in that way, until she finally does feel like she has the confidence and acceptance she's always wanted.

Meanwhile for Ranna, I think Ori not only became someone she could admire, but someone who enjoyed her company and could call a true friend (alongside Riven as well, I'd say). Ori was her protector when things got dangerous, and was someone she was to trust in when she realized she had reached her limit right at the end while her hopes of seeing the fight to the bitter end were dashed due to the potential dangers. And beyond the campaign, Ori was the one who stood by her when she saw her family again for the first time in a long time, and I like to believe helped Ranna restore some of her own confidence in a new way.

There is no way I can see these two being the same as they are without each other at this point, and that is what I think is the core of how devoted they are to one another. They are the embodiment of fates intertwining, fortunately for the better.

26 - what is the definitive moment of their relationship and what's their most romantic moment ever

I love so many of their interactions, both early on and later when they do start to become romantic, but I think the biggest relationship-defining moment is their talk after the fight with Cobalt. With Ranna patched up after the fight, realizing how close she had come to death twice since making it to the mountain, and Ori trying so hard to gently convince her that she needed to stay behind where it was safe because she couldn't bear the thought of something happening to Ranna. Ori immediately giving in to her own emotions while comforting Ranna was something that felt so new to her at the time, she'd been trying so hard during most of their journey to seem calm and collected, but that was the big breaking point. And the moment that turned the fight with the Prince following that from a "I have to do this because I must be destined for this" to "I will do this to protect both my people and especially for her" instead.

Their "most romantic" moment is a harder one to pin down. Not because of the lack of options, as there are definitely plenty to choose from at this point between the bits and pieces of writing we've done, but I don't have an absolute favorite yet. I still want to see the seaside confession written out (we should absolutely do that after this btw), I also like to imagine various points where things start to get more serious between them and things really start to feel romantic (please consider a moonlit stroll and swim around the small waterfall close to the sun soul monastery during the fall where the leaves are turning gold and red and the fireflies are dancing around them)... but for some reason, I keep thinking back to this bit that you wrote where Ranna was tending to a sick Oriana for Whumptober. While I know this was written before there was really an inkling that they would be this devoted couple, I really do think this is such a core memory that was the first real spark of "oh there's something there" in my own mind.

36 -do they believe they are worthy of the other's love or not and why is that

I definitely don't think either of them do, at least at the start before they settle into things.

Ranna I believe very clearly thinks Ori should be with someone "better" in a general sense or that she is too much for someone like Ori. That much was clear from some of the writing we've done: Ranna is pining but thinks there would be no reason for Ori to find anything attractive about her, whether it be from looks or personality.

Meanwhile, Ori thinks she carries too much baggage and it wouldn't be fair to make Ranna have to deal with that. The fact that her own powers can be volatile if she's put in a bad position only adds to that. Any time she accidentally burns Ranna while in a fight or even just trying to protect her brings Ori so much shame. Not to mention, Ranna's from nobility and Ori's just the weird half-elf from a working class family that has no business inserting herself in Ranna's life. Ori got swept up in this big, crazy, world-saving adventure because she got some celestial "blessing" that led her to it without really understanding things. Ranna was all for it early in the adventure, being the kind of bard that loves grand, heroic stories and studying histories, but Ori fully expected her to wash her hands of the group and continue on with her life after the fact.

Ori would have let her, too, if Ranna had made an excuse not to keep in touch. But the moment Ranna seemed eager to continue traveling with Ori, and with a little encouragement from her older brother (aka Hester telling her she better not miss her shot while she still has it), she built up the courage to push those thoughts away and try.

[sycamorre]

Ori and Ranna! 7, 13, and 31

:3

[ - ship asks - For my Oriana and @editoress's Ranna ]

7 - how much time did it take each of them to notice their feelings for the other and how long did it take for them to act on those feelings

I can really only speak for my gal but I think for Ori the first inkling of "oh I really like Ranna" was during one of the times they were researching Sharaea back in the Arnor mansion, but it was quickly brushed aside because well... we had a world to save. It became a lot harder to ignore during and following the fights with the Frost Prince and Cobalt. The Prince calling her Ori's "favorite" and targeting her just immediately made her realize how badly she'd let herself get attached. And just how dangerous it was in that moment. And man did it hurt for her to have to acknowledge how much she wanted to make Ranna feel important while also keeping her safe during that time. But I think those feelings did empower Ori through that final fight in the campaign, even if she was still actively trying to ignore things.

She didn't act on those feelings at the ball because I think there were still some doubts, though their little private dance in the garden was definitely her first feeling that there could be something. And at that point was when she started planning.

I know that Ranna was also feeling things as well based on the post-campaign writing that we'd done, at least post-ball, though when things specifically happened I can't say for sure. However, what Oriana ended up doing was making plans to travel with Ranna a few months after things calmed down, taking her down to see her family on the coast and get a proper vacation for the both of them. During that time, Ori brought Ranna to a very private sea cave that she considered one of her favorite places growing up and actually asked Ranna if she would be interested in being her partner. And fortunately, her plan was a success and these two are hopelessly devoted to one another now ♥

13 - what is it that they need the most from their partner and do they find it easy to ask for it

For Ori, I think it's primarily reassurance that she's actually a good partner, which Ranna gives her in spades. While Ori's is in a much better place now in regards to her past self-esteem and anxieties, she still does have days where she just needs a bit of extra encouragement. I think at first she'd have a hard time asking for things like that, but Ranna can read her like a book and has no hesitation in speaking up and doing what she can to remind her how much she loves Oriana. After a while, Ori stops trying to hide things and just goes to Ranna when she needs that reassurance and encouragement.

Likewise, I think Ori knows Ranna well enough and is insightful enough to tell when she's struggling with her own thoughts. Ranna has a tendency to hide her own struggles behind the cheerful mask of a performer, but Ori has learned how to tell when she's being honest and when she's playing a part to try and keep others from fretting over her. It took a bit of time as well before Ranna would openly come to Ori to talk over a worry or concern she had, but I do think eventually they get good at knowing when they need to talk something through with the other and tackle an issue as a team. A skill that I'm sure they had already strengthened before from when they were working together in the campaign party.

I think long-term, however, the biggest thing they end up needing from each other fairly equally is support for the other's work. Ranna continues her research and often goes to see Riven and the others in Aerenth for it, and Ori tries to help her with that as much as she can, even if it's mostly providing company and protection on the road. Likewise, Ranna supports Ori in her continued work at the Sun Soul monastery, eventually becoming a teacher and even being a representative of the Lathander church when she's ask to perform duties as a cleric. They both try to be involved while letting the other still pursue their passions, and I do think it takes time to find the right balance, but they're dedicated enough to each other to make it work one way or another.

31 - what can be considered the worst thing they have done to each other

I mean in my opinion the worst thing I did was second-guess myself as soon as I got confirmation that Oriana and Damak were honestly not gonna work out and not set up some kind of confession during the ball. I like what we ended up deciding on, but man that would have been a great way to cap off Ori's story right at the end.

While I do think they will obviously have a few bumps in the road for their relationship, especially early on, I don't have any specific examples right off the top of my head. I do think there may be a bit of unhealthy, almost obsessive dedication to the other in the beginning, what with Ranna viewing Ori as this grand hero that Ori does not see herself as, and Oriana naively seeing Ranna as this selfless, perfect individual* that she owes so much of her success to, that I think for a while things are a bit awkward and a little too formal during the "honeymoon phase" until they finally really get to learn more about the other and get more comfortable. Once they're at that point, things mellow out and they start taking steps towards a healthier point in their relationship.

*As a note, because there's not a good way to word this, but I consider this particular view of Ranna as a bit influenced by Ori's own Aasimar heritage and her connection to Sharaea. Just like how Sharaea became incredibly attached to the mortals of Tyados and gave her life to protect them with the Frost Prince attacked, Ori becomes overly attached to Ranna in the same way. Almost obsessively until either Ranna becomes uncomfortable with it or Ori realizes it for herself. It's a bit of a parallel to Sharaea's story, though fortunately with a lot less danger involved. Just some very strong emotions that have to be understood and worked with.

[sycamorre]

Finally made something I was happy with featuring my bardlock changeling (not his "natural" appearance but his preferred appearance). To keep this brief, he was made for an "intermission" in our main story for our dnd campaign, where we were all playing as basically an "evil" party hired by the big crime boss in the setting. Those sessions have now officially concluded and he's pissed because he's now unemployed after their boss got potentially yeeted off of this plane :)

His name is Grímr Dain (most people just call him Grim, unless you're one of the goblins he works with, then he's Grimbo), and he's a College of Whispers Bard/Hexblade Warlock multiclass. Most people know him as a lounge singer/violin player at big lavish parties. But his main role in a party is infiltration and social manipulation, with a little bit of assassin thrown in. He is not nice. This man will kill you in the dark and make it a nightmare experience for his own enjoyment.

[alslamalskenaalraha]

SHIP ASKS 🩵💙

1- what do you think is the appeal of their dynamic

2- how do they weaken and strengthen each other

3- is their relationship related in any form to their individual character arcs

4- are they better in concept than in execution

5- what visions or hopes do they have for their relationship

6- in what ways do they complement and complete each other

7- how much time did it take each of them to notice their feelings for the other and how long did it take for them to act on those feelings

8- are they naturally compatible or do they make an effort to try and understand the other

9- do they consider the other a big part of their life and how inclined are they to plan it around the other

10- how vulnerable are they with each other and when are they the most open with e/o

11- is there anything they keep hidden for themselves and refuse to share with the other

12- would you consider them to be functional or dysfunctional

13- what is it that they need the most from their partner and do they find it easy to ask for it

14- did they ever have to sacrifice for their relationship and what was their sacrifice

15- how would you describe the rhythm of their relationship

16- how accepted is their relationship by their community and loved ones

17- what made them choose each other and what was the decisive factor

18- how do they disturb or challenge each other

19- where do their morals and ideals align and where do they diverge? are they attuned or in conflict ethically

20- how did the relationship change them individually

21- are they both on equal footing in all aspects or is their imbalance within their dynamic and if yes how so

22- what is the one thing they would change about their partner and the one thing they would keep

23- is there trust between them? where does this mis/trust stems from

24- is their relationship characterized by continuation or separation

25- how would they fill in the blank in the sentence "my partner is my ---" if they are not allowed to use the word 'lover' or anything of sorts

26- what is the definitive moment of their relationship and what's their most romantic moment ever

27- what is the most extreme thing they have done in the name of love

28- would you want to be in a relationship like theirs

29- does their dynamic emulate any other dynamic in their lives or within the story

30- in what ways do they inspire one another

31- what can be considered the worst thing they have done to each other

32- is there happiness between them and in which way does being together bring them happiness? is there more happiness than sadness or less?

33- do they give and take from each other almost equally or is there an inequality

34- what are the external and internal obstacles they face in making the relationship succeed

35- how do you think their childhood or the relationship they witnessed while growing up affect their own relationship

36- do they believe they are worthy of the other's love or not and why is that

37- what is the base on which their relationship is built on

38- how does jealousy manifest in their relationship and how do they usually handle it

39- what are they the most grateful about in their partner

40- imagine them in their best state as a couple what would that look like for them

41- what do you believe is the metaphor of their relationship

42- how intensely are you consumed by this ship, from casual to way past the point of help

43- how gentle, soft and considerate are they with one another and how do they show up for each other

44- do they handle separation well? can they withstand being apart or is it difficult? and is it harder on one more than the other

45- how are they different when they are with each other than when they are with everyone else

46- in what ways does their relationship fall within the norm and in what ways does it stand apart

47- what are their fights like? how intense is it? how do they go on about apologizing

48- where does their relationship mostly exist: in public or in private

49- what is the most difficult thing they had to go through together and how did that affect them

50- which room do you think they would use most if they lived together

51- what is a boundary in the relationship that they would never cross

[sycamorre]

spent most of my evening sitting around brainstorming ideas for an assassin/spy group that this new dnd character USED to be a part of... and said character is only gonna be used for a couple of sessions tops during an intermission in our main campaign....

why am I like this

[sycamorre]

very tempted to rant about this character and his sarcastic ass before he gets shelved for who knows how long after our campaign intermission is over

[sycamorre]

spent most of my evening sitting around brainstorming ideas for an assassin/spy group that this new dnd character USED to be a part of... and said character is only gonna be used for a couple of sessions tops during an intermission in our main campaign....

why am I like this

[artyypartyy]

’kill them with kindness” WRONG. Rohirrim‼️🐴 🛡 ⚔️ 🐴⚔️🛡🐴🐴⚔️🛡🛡⚔️🐴⚔️⚔️⚔️🐴🛡🛡🐴🐴⚔️🐴🐴🐴⚔️🛡🛡⚔️🐴🐴🐴⚔️🛡🐴⚔️🛡🛡⚔️🐴

[peppermintquartz]

[sycamorre]

I liked the sketch enough from this little comic from the other day to actually color it in a bit. I am so sorry that Ledo is all I post when I can actually make myself draw something.

[sycamorre]

made the observation the other day that my tiefling artificer seems to have a tendency to talk a whole lot more around other high-intelligence characters, so I had to get this out of my head

[sycamorre]

Me, seeing a video about a naval game for the age of sail that isn't focused on pirates and on actual, historically accurate sailing and combat: (◕‿◕)

"the combat is primarily pvp and it will eventually become a mmo with a player-based economy"

Me: (╥‿╥)

I would like to see this project succeed because it looks seriously dedicated to historical accuracy, but dang... not again.

[sycamorre]

trying so hard to resist the horse girl urge to download the anime horse girl racing gacha game

[sycamorre]

......I am weak and downloaded the game now I'm invested in anime horse girl racing

[sycamorre]

I'm in too deep, I caught myself looking for a Symboli Rudolf figure

[sycamorre]

trying so hard to resist the horse girl urge to download the anime horse girl racing gacha game

[sycamorre]

......I am weak and downloaded the game now I'm invested in anime horse girl racing

[sycamorre]

trying so hard to resist the horse girl urge to download the anime horse girl racing gacha game