Blorbo of the year, 2024
Thank you for the tag @lemonsrosesandlavender, this is a super fun idea! I'll do my best.
I'll put some no pressure tags for @lizziemajestic @captainsigge @librivore42 and @tickitytockityrattityrottity and anyone else who wants to do this.
So, the thing is that people who know me know how many beloved blorbos I have. I've written 20+ microblorbos over about 570k words this year, and love countless more still. But my real answer was immediate, so, time for honesty.
My blorbo of the year: Donnick
I've spoken a little before about Donnick and my fic Sufferer, I Shall, and how much it means to me. Something I absolutely would not have predicted when I started it on the basis that I wanted to explore the rivalry between Loviatar and Ilmater through a pairing I thought could be a fun and interesting contrast.
Instead, thanks to Donnick, I found myself exploring and understanding my relationship with purpose and practice, with my chronic pain, the purpose to be found in suffering and what it is that makes me get up every day. I wrote a thing that I'm genuinely proud of and explored a mind that is as fascinating and deep as a particularly well made soup. Donnick is a joy to write, and has taken up residence in my mind in a way no other blorbo or character ever really has before. It is difficult to explain quite how much this character ended up meaning to me, but if I can't gush about him here and now in this, well, when can I? Thank you, fed up, sarcastic, wonderful soup monk. I promise I'll get you the happy ending with your soulmate you deserve.
The runners up: Geraldus and Klaus
Choosing one of the Rivington 3 was excruciating, btw; my trio of besties who I slowly drew together over the course of the year across my fics to fill Geraldus' life with friends and support.
Geraldus has been my most consistent muse throughout the year, he compelled me to write an 150k longfic romance I just finished last week, and I've so much more yet to write for him. The Bravest Man in Baldurs Gate has brought me a whole community of incredible friends and creators I never would have expected to find. I cannot tell you how hard it was to put him in second place. I can't wait to write more for the best Harper in 2025.
Klaus, my narrative can-opener and muse, has been a huge surprise. I just needed a guy for a circus scene and now here we are months later and he's so much more. Klaus consistently pushes me to do more; add more colour, more movement, to go bigger and bolder. He's a wonderful character, I hope more people come to write him and find that out too.
New OCs for 2024
So most people will know I don't have a lot of these; but, I do have someone who showed up very unexpectedly in Conductor Ringmaster so let's give her a shout out.
Estrella Redtooth - Night Hag, menace
Showing up as a fortune teller when the circus hit the feywild and immediately developing an infuriating little tug of war with Klaus, Estrella was a blast to write whenever she appeared.
Let's hope we see that tricksome fey again.
Red's bonus category: last minute scene stealer: Harper Bor
Arriving in November, a full year after the game took over my life and I found Geraldus, I found Bor.
In the 2 and a bit months since, I have entirely lost my mind over Bor and his adorable relationship with the tiefling kiddo Mirkon, his massive lumberjack axe and a Harper on Harper romance with Geraldus. This is the shape of my 2025, and I look forward to seeing him up in the top categories next year.
That is if I haven't fallen even more in love with like, Ethel's Door.
Honourable shout outs to the following blorbs:
Abdirak, Jaheira, Kar'niss, Rolan, He Who Was, Lae'zel, Halsin, Ethel's Door, Viola Silvertongue, Waiter Jaymes (and his beloved Sküna!), Tecothy, Moy, Olly, Lia, Professor Limeleech, Cal, Sorn and everyone else I've written this year.
Not you, Nere and Dhourn. Not you.
