i truly believe the cosmic mother has made herself known to me and i am truly blessed. all this soon after i talked to my sister about reconnecting to our west african roots spiritually and becoming in sync with nature and the universe ♥︎
OK, first and foremost, a quick update on TGG: I plan to have something ready for at least one of the major anniversaries coming up, and hopefully will resume slightly more regular updates from then forward. Thanks to everyone for your continued support, it’s been a rough year so far for me personally and for everyone in in the current pandemic situation. The anniversary of both STH and Mama Star seemed like a fitting time to get some things off my chest, both good and bad, so I’ll do that now and get it out of the way to focus on bigger and better things in the future.
Fair warning, this is gonna be long and rambly and personal more than it is any sort of serious show analysis. If you’re looking for fun, feel-good celebration of what definitely were some of my favorite moments in the series, I’m not so sure this is gonna be the post for you.
It goes without saying that Star vs the Forces of Evil, for better or worse, is incredibly important to me and has been without fail for years. How are you supposed to feel when something that important lets you down so hard? Is having such strong, mixed emotions and attachment better than having nothing you care about at all? The past year hasn’t answered these questions for me, and this post certainly won’t either. There’s no thesis or likely any kind of closure here, just me baring a bit of my soul here on tumblr dot com.
It’s been a rough year or two for me. I don’t want to get too much into the specifics, but let’s just say I hit a crossroads where the entire path I’d envisioned for myself in life came into serious question, and I had been spiraling into depression and paralyzing anxiety over a complete lack of any fulfillment in my “professional” life for months before I even recognized it for what it was. Season 3 finished airing around the last few months of my undergraduate degree, which (while obviously it significantly emotionally impacted me) was a generally happy and stable time in my life. As things started to change and get worse for me, SVTFOE S4 was my ray of hope. I’m not kidding when I say that some days in the hiatus leading up to it, the thought of S4 delivering on its potential for emotional fulfillment and Starco goodness (consistently, not just at the end) was the only thing that got me out of bed in the morning and the only positive thing I could see in my future.
When we got the S4 we got, it shattered me, utterly and completely. This isn’t an attempt to dunk on S4 in some “objective” manner - hell, I even like a lot of the things about it that the fandom despises (the ending prioritizing character closure over lore, the upheaval of the political structure rather than just having Star become the Goodest Queen, etc). I’d still make the argument that a lot of the character development was very flimsy and poorly paced, a very clear effort to force the relationship resolution to be delayed until the end at all costs, but that’s not the point here. Life felt dull and lonely and warm fluffy Starco was my vicarious escape from that, and the season we got left me so completely hollow insid that it felt like I couldn’t breathe for its first more-than-a-dozen episodes, and I was so burnt out that I couldn’t even properly enjoy the parts that were genuinely good.
Even earlyish on, I was already fearing that things wouldn’t be resolved till the end and that there’d be almost none of the content I actually longed for from the show. As I’ve mentioned before, The Greatest Gift was born the morning after Lake House Fever’s late night release, out of salt and spite and a need to give myself something good to look forward to, even if it would be something I’d be making myself. I completely removed myself from even passing conversations with my best friends in the fandom because it hurt too much to even think about. I even had Seddm give me summaries of episodes before I watched them so I could take some time to emotionally prepare (at least until the 2nd to last week). And to the show’s credit, its last few weeks of episodes (with some exceptions) tried their absolute damnedest to right the ship (pun intended) and bring back the sorts of things I wanted with a vengeance. I was smiling like a complete fool for 12 hours straight after Here to Help. The ending didn’t fix my issues with the show, not by a fucking long shot, but it at least left me on a positive enough note that there was a feverish enthusiasm to continue it further on my own.
But it’s been tough. Have you or a family member/friend ever gotten bad food poisoning from a restaurant you really liked, and the smell of it makes you queasy afterwards even though you do really like it? That’s probably the best analogy I can draw to a lot of my relationship with SVTFOE since it ended. PLEASE NOTE I’M IN NO WAY TRYING TO EQUATE THE MAGNITUDE OF MY IRE WITH A CARTOON WITH SERIOUS DISORDERS THAT PEOPLE SUFFER FROM, but I’d almost be tempted to liken it to PTSD. Seeing reminders of the painful parts can put me in a bad mood for hours, and on some days even just dwelling on the show in any way will invite creeping negativity and “why the fuck couldn’t it have just-” types of thoughts taking over. There have been some days writing TGG where having to draw inspiration from or reference events/dialogues in S4 was so emotionally taxing that I had to stop writing for the night. I blocked Seddm’s entire askbox tag because I’d find my own emotions frothing into a rage over things in the show people would bring up. I’ve lost acquaintances and potential friendships over my bitterness. I instantly block anyone who posts even a hint of Tomstar/Kellco content in the Starco tags on any site because it induces such palpable negativity in my heart - I think I’m up to 1000 accounts blocked on Instagram right now, which is why Toxic runs the TGG page over there. If you’re one of the people out there that tried to strike up a conversation with me over a shared interest in the show and I vomited bile into your DMs, I sincerely apologize. And to anyone who got wrapped up in the brazen high hopes I put forth here every day as S4 approached and came crashing down with me as a result, I’m sorry for that too.
And yet... I can’t say there’s not a genuine love I still have for a lot of it. I still have my little shrine of stickers and pictures that I’ll sometimes just get let myself get lost in. There was a recent postcanon fic started by someone who just caught up on the show that brought such a depth of warmth into my chest that I’m smiling like an idiot just now thinking about it. I haven’t watched even a clip (let alone a whole episode) that Star and Marco’s voices in my head feel distant and abstract, but when I’m writing chapters I can still get emotional imagining them saying and doing things out of their devotion to one another. I’ve made no secret that I (to put it very very very lightly) have a strong distaste for the vast majority of this fandom, and yet the joy of knowing I could make people’s days or lives brighter gives me a satisfaction I can’t put words to. Don’t get me wrong, writing quickly just isn’t my thing normally anyway - I’m not trying to suggest that the sole reason for TGG downtime is that I’m driving knives into my own heart and pouring my blood onto the page. Just that that’s part of it, and it takes its toll.
The last few months, although I have missed the joy of brewing up fluff ideas and seeing them come to life, have admittedly been a welcome reprieve just not having to think about this stuff so much. In the last few weeks I’ve finally been coming around to a bit of a better place where the good bubbles up without bringing as much of the bad with it. It will likely still wax and wane, and I can’t guarantee if or when TGG will fully finish. And this isn’t my entire life - I have MMOs and card games and all kinds of other hobbies that suck up lots of my time, so don’t worry about me just lying in bed sobbing over S4 for 12 hours a day. I don’t know if the day will ever come when I can truly be at peace with it all, but I don’t want to toss out the good with the bad. All I can ask is for your patience as my own journey evolves alongside my writing, until the day comes when perhaps this story can finally come to a close. Thanks for reading, and stay safe.
Disclaimer: This list is largely curated to my own personal preferences (minimal feelings angst, minimal AUs, character development >>> plot) and has a fairly high bar for quality in characterization, etc. There will likely be many popular/beloved fics that I really don’t think highly of at all and therefore don’t make the cut. Feel free to DM me things you think I should consider adding, but I make no promises.
And of course I’d be flattered if you gave my own works a chance - stop by my About Me section for links! Thus far I’m particularly proud of the post-canon series I just started in collaboration with an awesome team, The Greatest Gift.
(Updated 9/26 - I decided to redo the list since people might appreciate seeing it in the tags again. To anyone whose own work is featured here that I haven’t personally responded to - I’m a tough critic with a lot of strong personal preferences so PLEASE do not take my gripes as condemnations of your skills - if they make the list at all, I think they’re worth a read!)
See below for the very thorough list!
Bolded titles indicate must-read.
Italicized titles indicate work is incomplete (in the case of continuous stories).
Asterisks indicate new additions from last update (3 for brand new, 1 for status update).
I’ve VERY loosely organized the categories by personal priority order this time around, but read the descriptions and decide for yourself!
Must-Reads
Forevermore - A Starco wedding story (with a bit of Jantom as well). Simply one of the best fics I’ve read in the fandom. I have no meaningful criticism to give it, and that’s the highest praise I can possibly give something.
Monarchs of Mewni (+ Traditionally Lovingly Yours) - A series of chronologically disconnected oneshots set years after the show. The backstory is very dated given how long ago it started (Jarco was kinda serious for a few years, Tomstar v2 never happened, etc) but overall it’s lovely. Has a bit of plot, a bit of Jantom, a lot of other character interactions, and a boatload of Starco - plus a Starco kid who is a decently developed character but also doesn’t just take over and crowd out Star and Marco themselves! That alone deserves merit.
Ruined - Aftermath of a hypothetical return of Monster Arm. Angst with a happy ending (and one of the few angsty fics that gets my seal of approval), so read this extra early if that’s more your schtick than mine.
study buddies - Y’know what, fuck it, I’m putting this here. It’s a short ball of Starco fluff but it’s one of the sweetest and fluffiest fluffballs I’ve seen in a long time and it’s very emotionally immersive and y’all needa read it.
*When Two Worlds Collide - One of my favorite postcanon series thus far. I admit I’m really not big on “magic returns!” plots in postcanon (which this has), and the sections that focus on that are hit or miss for me, but overall it has some of the funnest and cutest characterization and gags I’ve seen in any SVTFOE fic, ever. Absolutely worth following (and it has a fair amount of art to go along with it!)
***Star Chef - Oneshot (two chapters, so twoshot technically?) set in the same universe as Starlight Justiciar (see below) and is just a day in the life of Star and Marco. Goes absolutely above and beyond at emotional immersion and little nuances and details to bring the world and characters to life, which elevates it to something special to me.
Light of the Sun and Stars - (Promoted to Must-Read!) One of the few heavily divergent AU fics I care for. Marco is an orphan raised by monsters, and meets Star after running away. Just finished its “first season” and I've loved the recent chapters, am very excited to see where it goes.
*Don’t You Let Me Go - Wonderfully fluffy post-Cleaved Starco, one of my favorite oneshot “epilogues”.
i want to tell you (but i don’t know how) - Post season 3 fic detailing the growth of Star and Marco’s relationship. It’s spectacular writing and shows off a lot of the true depth of Starco beyond just being cute.
Adult - NSFW warning, non-explicit (aged-up characters). It’s a story about the journey towards Star and Marco’s first step into adulthood together - it’s not graphic and way more focused on the emotions involved, but it still is definitely more explicit than your average FFnet rated-T fic. If sexual themes ain’t your thing, I totally respect that, but this is a charming and funny piece of writing.
Lawchan’s various oneshots - There isn’t a great compilation for them right now so the best I can do is give you her tag for it and you can comb through it yourself. I like some more than others here, but they’re all very well-written - my only gripes with some of them are my own tastes in subject matter, so have fun perusing this on your own.
I Will Always Be There For You - A really pure and wholesome Starco oneshot. Very well-written.
Post-Canon Series to Follow
I figured with the show being over, and so many people starting their own series, I should include a lot of them here even if I’m personally not the biggest fan just to help gather them up so people can decide for themselves. Little bit looser on judgment here.
*Life on Earthni A to Z - Non-chronological postcanon slice of life oneshots, Starco and some Globclipsa and Jantom. Overall really good so far, one of my favorites in terms of direction.
*When Dimensions Cleave (sequel - Unforgettable Getaway) - Another postcanon series hellbent on bringing back magic queen lore, but it has some solid Starco fluff still. Credit where it’s due, the “Star constantly freaking out over what a horrible person she was” bit that I called preachy in the prior rec post gets somewhat less preachy and does end up actually going somewhere as part of character development, but I’m left scratching my head at how they all act sometimes. The good parts are certainly good, though, and in terms of quantity of lovey dovey Starco, it really can’t be beat (especially the sequel) and that’s worth something by itself.
We’re a Miracle - Extra adorkable postcanon fluff. Lighter on the “but ACKSHUALLY MAGIC IS BACK” stuff compared to the others, but it’s there, like almost every postcanon fic in existence.
Star vs the Sands of Time - Heavy politic/lore postcanon fic, not my fav but if that’s more your thing then great. Has some casual Starco too.
Goodbye Isn’t Forever - More POV dives into Cleaved.
Fake Proposal - Some decent jokey but cute fluff
The Stars Above - Some exploration of Earthni
New World - A bit over-the-top meta, but fun fluff
The Starlight Justiciar - Four years after canon, some social change plot stuff and some decent Starco. Not the biggest fan of some of the plot stuff but check it out for yourself!
Starco vs the Forces of Evil - Another collab fic/art thing. Fair warning, I really am not personally a huge fan of a lot of the characterization and plot decisions here (see my notes on Sign of the Moon waaaay down below) but decide for yourself, don’t let my pickiness dictate your own preferences!
Ready For The Future - Technically a oneshot (with some Starco) but sets up some Mina plot, if you’re interested in more give it a follow/review.
Worlds Together - Some Starco and exploration of Earthni.
Epilogue - Some Starco and exploration of Earthni.
***A Dark Horse - Has a few really nice lovey dovey Starco bits but also lots of superdrama with politics stuff. There’s a lot of fics here that I honestly just windowshop the scene I like for a quick fix of dopamine every now and then and skim at most otherwise, and this is one.
Revolution - end of canon AU where Moon is as anti-monster as Mina, dark as fuck. Only putting it here cuz some of y’all angstlords might like it.
Shorter Works/Oneshot Collections
I’ll Carry Your World - Big ole’ ball of wonderful Starco fluff with an important moment between them (written before end of show so a bit divergent).
***LoveIsTheStrongestKindOfMagic - Very short and basic fluff.
Starco Week 5 (Hugs Included) - Some of it is postcanon Earthni oneshots and others are from the Light of the Sun and Stars AU (see above). Great author, fun as hell writing style.
Fragile - Star worries about keeping her boyfriend Marco safe.
Complete - An older Star reflects on her past and present. Short and sweet.
Knighthood - Simple fluff piece on if Star and Marco got together after Storm the Castle.
Too Hot to Move - Star and Marco try to survive a heat wave on Earthni. Also funny fluff.
Marco Make-out Mayhem - Star really likes kissing Marco. Funny fluff.
Cleaved Together - NSFW warning, non-explicit (aged up) - Star and Marco’s first time. Very very overly focused on the whole purity/sacredness of first time thing, but still pretty cute.
Like Us - Really nice, sweet casual reflection on her life with Marco from a future Star’s POV.Toothpaste Kisses - Short fluff about its title.
A Friend’s Memento - Starco fluff with some reflection on the results of destroying magic
Plum Pie - Some goofy antics and hurt/comfort.
Not Losing You - A little dive into Marco’s POV at the end of Cleaved. Also adds a kiss.
We Belong Together - More speculative slightly angsty comfort/fluff.
Enough - A nice study of the emotions and thoughts during the last scenes of Cleaved, adds some depth to it.
Heartless - A bit of angst over magic going away with some sweet Starco comfort.
Together - Post-Cleaved Starco megafluff.
My Prince - Starco fluff set in a world where they were together before Cornonation.
Dancing with a Star - Starco fluff from alt S4.
Love in the Time of Pancakes - Written hours after my last update of the list, another little ditty based on the pancake promo.
Pancakes - Fluffy S4-promo-based little oneshot.
Hers - Hurt/comfort/confession-y fic, has some really nice moments and shows off a lot of how much they care about each other. Nice to see after such a drought.
Someone to Stay - Another hurt/comfort fic, nice and simple.
A Viola, a Violin, and a Butterfly’s Sword - some nonlinear oneshots about Starco. Some kinda weird directions gone in with the “plot” but it’s pretty good overall.
Falling - One of many, many fics from throughout the fandom’s history about Star and Marco getting together. Short and sweet.
forget about white horses & once upon a time - Drabble collection of various moments scattered throughout Star and Marco’s lives. Cute fluff.
The One Where I Thought I Lost You - Post-BFM fic where Marco realizes his feelings for Star earlier. Very wholesome.
christmases when you were mine - Established relationship fluff.
lightning in your veins, thunder in your heart - Post-season 3 established relationship fluff (slightly divergent, written before 3B).
once upon a december - Established relationship fluff.
Flags - Alternate rendition of the episode “Flags” with Starco.
Spells and Hot Chocolate - Wintry fluff.
5 Ways to Say ‘I Love You’ - Post BFM with some events in Star and Marco’s lives.
You’re My Wish Come True - This is just indulgent Starco trash. I won’t even argue for the characterization/writing quality, this is just a straight-up guilty pleasure.
Wands and Nachos - ^
The Princess and the Safe Kid - ^
A Day in the Life of Starco - ^
A very Starco Xmas - ^
Could It Be -^
All the times Star wore Marco’s hoodie - ^
Protect Me, Squire - ^
Crushed - Star and Marco both get turned down by their respective crushes and find comfort in each other.
Stay - Cuddly fluff. There’s another Stay out there which I frankly can’t stand with will-they-won’t-they melodrama out the wazoo, so don’t get confused.
Longer Series
*The Inescapable Us - Really tropey miscommunication will-they-won’t-they type of thing. Not my fav, especially now that the show is over and finished that leg of Star and Marco’s story once and for all (I’m personally WAY less interested in things that redo something canon already did). However, where it’s at now has some really good Starco moments. Fully admitted that I hella skimmed most of it until the parts I enjoyed, but And if you’re more fine with that type of thing then you’ll probably really like it, it’s well-written otherwise.
Together We Fall - Throwback S2 AU fic where Star and Marco go to the dance together instead and Toffee makes moves earlier. Gets kinda dark but has a lot of nice Starco along the way.
Safer, Sorrier - A recent rewrite of an older fic, Better Safe Than Sorry, where Star has to leave early to become queen and Marco is alone for a few months before they reunite. A very dated premise (post season 1 ish) but quite good.
Sugar and Spice - NSFW warning, non-explicit (NOT aged-up characters). In this fic, Star and Marco have gotten together after BFM, and a spell gone wrong leads to Mewberty relapses with obvious consequences. This fic has adorable Starco moments, but what I love this for above all is the other character interactions (especially Glossaryck and Star’s parents). This is probably a controversial add-on to the list, but I stick by my decision - if the subject matter isn’t your thing, then by all means avoid it.
Beyond Dimensions - Plotfic + established Starco where some ancient sorceress has to trap Star to escape and try to take over Mewni. Maybe y'all are more into plot stuff than me but the Starco that’s there is quite good regardless.
Starfall - NSFW warning, explicit (aged-up characters). Probably the most popular one to make the cut. Star and Marco are forced apart and have to find their way back together. Very old fic, lot of dated stuff here, and the narration and plot itself can get kinda questionable sometimes, but it has a lot of good Starco and some interesting plot elements that make it, in my opinion, worth a read despite a lot of flaws. A few epilogue chapters contain rather explicit sexual content, so be wary of that (and the epilogue itself after Ep 6 kinda transitions into a nextgenverse, so maybe just skip that entirely).
The Star Butterfly Effect - The sole fic on the list that is purely plot-based, with very little actual Starco development whatsoever. I can’t even really explain it, just give it a shot and see what you think; I was rather engrossed by the plot, and that’s rare for me.
The Princess and her Knight, Return of the Empire The former fic in this series is way more character-based, while the latter is very heavy plot stuff. Pretty decent character writing with some fluff. There’s a third that I honestly can’t recommend because I completely dropped it because it was just a nonstop war story.
Experimental - REALLY heavy, dark AU where Star and Marco are tortured and corrupted. It’s pretty decent.
Blood Moon Blitz - Alt BFM fic of Marco going to fight Toffee with Star. unfortunately dropped without completing, but what’s there is pretty solid.
Read at Your Own Risk…
The Sign of the Moon, The Dance of the Stars - Starts post-3A, involves the growth of Star and Marco’s relationship as they take on foes in and out of the castle and learn more about the Blood Moon. This series is rather… melodramatic, and there were some chapters and character interactions I flat out did not enjoy reading. But some people aren’t as strict on character interpretations as I am and would love such a long plot-based Starco fic, so overall I still will at least list it and let you decide for yourself. There might be a third entry in this series now, but I dropped it before then.
Photos - I hesitate to include this one here because the “Tom is a perfect angel who must sacrifice his love for Star” thing pisses me off. But just skip all that (and ignore the random “a part of me will always love Tom” line) and it’s a really nice post-s3 confession fic.
Sup. This is my Starco blog, by which I mean my only blog, because who needs anything else? Mostly reblogs, occasional content asks, and once in a blood moon I’ll actually make something original.
Things I do:
Write, rarely. Find me at AO3 and FFnet, I publish everything to both so choose at your leisure.
The Greatest Gift (SVTFOE Postcanon Series) - Star, Marco, and their whole interdimensional extended family celebrate a special event with a stroll down memory lane.
Just Enough (AO3, FFnet) - Star and Marco reflect on their past, explore something new in the present, and look forward to the future while celebrating a special occasion.
Forever (AO3, FFnet) - After the battle with Meteora, Eclipsa is in charge and Moon is still missing. Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz have a lot of work to do, and they’ll learn a lot about themselves, each other, and their futures as they work together with their friends to tackle it all. (spiritual successor to original Forever)
And Ever (AO3, FFnet) - A general oneshot collection (mostly lighthearted, mostly Starco) that also doubles as an extended universe companion to Forever. These are my newer writings, and ones I’m way more proud of overall.
Forever (Discontinued) (AO3, FFnet) - A longer Starco story starting a few years after the current point in canon, as they move through the hurdles of their relationship and look to the past for help with the future. Being totally honest here, the early chapters were my first creative writings in close to a decade and I think it shows. Haven’t worked on it in months, but I hope to edit the earlier chapters to my satisfaction and then pick it up again.
Please don’t expect super frequent updates, I already struggle to find motivation to write quickly even during downtimes and grad school is exhausting. But I hope you enjoy anyway!
Things I’ve done:
Did a comprehensive analysis for Star’s arc (tying together her princess role and relationship with Marco) and a prediction for Season 4.
Brainstormed, edited, and directly wrote a teeny tiny bit for Seddm’s season 3 masterpost to end all masterposts, Heart vs the Forces of Mind.
Brought my dear friend Char’s idea for a Starco gifset to life.
Banner image cobbled together from the season 3 outro + a still of Marco in Lobster Claws + me attempting to enforce my will onto my image editor at 4 AM one lonely night.
Arthur Chase is a Professional Tag athlete, something not many know to be an official sport. Certainly because of his background, when random individuals were granted the peculiar abilities known as Territories, Arthur, naturally ended up developing one that simulated his profession. The people at NASS, which are always looking to employ individuals with all kinds of supernatural abilities, were confident they could put his peculiar power to good use, offering him a job with them and eventually coming up with a clever way to work his Territory in one of their security packages.
Age & Appearance: 31. Athletic build. Short brown hair. Athletic attire.
Base Attributes:
Physique 8, Martial 4, Spirit Level/Demonic Force 3, Capacity 1, Constitution 1, Intellect 0, Sensory 1
__
HP 39, Energy 3, Sense 4/40ft., Potency 4, Initiative 8, Movement 55ft.
Unarmed
Standard Attack 12, Energy Imbued 16, Damage Output d10, Full Attack 3
Feats:
Tornado Kick:
Using a Standard Action, you may do a single Unarmed Attack, a Tornado Kick, which threatens all adjacent foes. All targeted subjects pin their respective Defensive Actions against the attack’s singular result.
A Tornado Kick can also be used as a Trip attempt on multiple targets.
Savior:
You may use Defensive Actions, not only for yourself, but also in response to allies being targeted.
Guard and Deflect may now be used to to take on an attack or Technique targeting an ally adjacent to you.
Counterfire and Counterfield can be attempted to defend an ally from a Technique, as long as it crosses within your own Technique’s range.
Improved Guard:
On a successful Guard check, you block all damage.
Techniques:
Name: Seeker's Boon
Base: Hasten
Technique Type: Support
Performance: Full Round Action
Delivery: Selective
Range: 20ft.
Effect Type: Lingering
Duration Tier (DT): S
Duration: 3 rounds
Upgrades
Greater Haste:
Movement/speed is tripled instead of doubled.
2 additional attacks with Full Attack instead of 1.
3 rounds of effects and Channeled Techniques instead of 2.
Defensive Actions benefit from +4 bonus.
Territory:
Name: Seekers and Marks
Theme: Tag
Rule: [Game/Challenge]
A big, yellow warning sign is located on the wall between a Red Door and a Blue Door. It states:
"[Tag Game] Those who enter through the Red Door are Seekers. Those who enter through the Blue Door, are Marks. In a single group, there must be at least 1 Seeker and 1 Mark.
Two teams with an equal number of players will engage each other in a game of tag: those crossing through the doors versus this game's owner and his conjurations.
Seekers, whose clothing turns red, must make physical contact with all of the opponent's Marks. Marks, whose clothing turns blue, must look to outlast the opposing team's Marks.
Opposing Seekers can interfere with each other's objectives. Opposing Marks can do the same.
Marks, upon being touched by an opposing Seeker, are completely unable to act until the game ends.
The goal of the game is to be the first team whose Seekers are able to make physical contact with all of the opponent's Marks.”
Damage and injury have been stripped out of all Attacks and Techniques, but they can still be performed, and will still have other physical consequences (such as knockback). Any Techniques or natural abilities that grant intangibility do not function within the Territory. Techniques that don't allow you to target others, such as Taunt, also do not function within the Territory. All other Technique effects function as usual. Mechanically, attempting to make contact with a Mark is calculated with an Unarmed Attack, even if it isn't being done in an attack-like manner. The teleportation and flight restrictions of Noel's Territory, which overlaps with Arthur's Tag Territory, are cancelled for the duration of the game.
After the first player in a team crosses either of the colored doors, the Start Countdown begins, a 1 minute timer in which all other players in that team which also intend to partake in the game must cross as well. Players that have not crossed through either door are unable to enter the zone after the game has begun. Individuals are unable to cross through a door unless they have the minimum amount of players present (2).
Anyone leaving the designated game area before the game is over is knocked unconscious for the duration of the game. If all the players in a team are knocked unconscious in this manner, it is counted as a loss.
Once the game is over, every player on the loosing team falls unconscious for 24 hours, regardless of any resistances to it.
___
In-game, Arthur himself typically plays the role of a Seeker. More often than not, he prefers to keep a balanced number of Seekers and Marks on his team. His conjurations are humanoid marionettes, all of which have abilities that prove to be particularly useful for the game being played. Each puppet has its own designated number, starting with #2, which is used to distinguish between them and also mark their join order. I.e., if the opponent will enter the game with 4 players, marionettes 2, 3, and 4 will join Arthur.
Arthur's feats are very beneficial in his game of Tag. More so than all other seekers on his team, he he will often guard the Marks on his team with the use of his Savior feat in conjunction with the Improved Guard feat. Split Kick he will use to either target 2 of the opponent's Marks if they happen to be next to each other, or as a way to simultaneously disable a Seeker and take out one Mark.
#2, Positioning Mark
Conjured Creature
Base Attributes:
Physique 5, Martial 0, Spirit Level/Demonic Force 0, Capacity N/A, Constitution 0, Intellect 0, Sensory 0
__
HP 10, Energy 1, Sense 0/0ft., Potency 0, Initiative 5, Movement 45ft.
Unarmed
Standard Attack 5, Energy Imbued 5, Damage Output [N/A], Full Attack 1
Physical Trait:
Echolocation: You are able to pinpoint someone or something’s location using your echolocation senses, up to a range equal to your Sense’s, provided nothing is interfering with it. Being very sensitive to sounds, you take a -10 penalty on Resistance checks pinned against sonar effects.
Techniques:
Base: Teleportation
Technique Type: Specialty
Performance: Movement
Range: 40ft.
Effect type: Instant
__
Base: Swap
Technique Type: Specialty
Performance: Standard Action
Delivery: Selective
Range: 20ft.
Effect type: Instant
Saving Throw: User’s [Potency] vs Target’s [Willpower]
__
Base: Displacement
Technique Type: Specialty
Performance: Standard Action
Delivery: Selective
Size: 30ft radius.
Effect type: Instant
Saving Throw: User’s [Potency] vs Target’s [Willpower]
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Base: Tag In
Technique Type: Support
Performance: Standard Action
Delivery: Selective
Range: 20ft.
Effect type: Instant
#3, Illusory Seeker
Conjured Creature
Base Attributes:
Physique 5, Martial 0, Spirit Level/Demonic Force 0, Capacity N/A, Constitution 0, Intellect 0, Sensory 0
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HP 10, Energy 1, Sense 0/0ft., Potency 0, Initiative 5, Movement 45ft.
Animated: The illusions conjured up are now animated, granting a +4 bonus to the user’s Cunning check. The user may also control the sequence manually as a Standard Action, granting an additional +4 bonus to the Cunning check.
The Illusory Seeker supports the Marks on his team by making illusory copies of them and spreading them out in opposite directions.
#4, Flying Mark
Conjured Creature
Base Attributes:
Physique 5, Martial 0, Spirit Level/Demonic Force 0, Capacity N/A, Constitution 0, Intellect 0, Sensory 0
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HP 10, Energy 1, Sense 0/0ft., Potency 0, Initiative 5, Movement 45ft.
Unarmed
Standard Attack 5, Energy Imbued 5, Damage Output [N/A], Full Attack 1
Physical Trait:
Speedy: You have an additional 40ft. of base Movement.
Techniques:
Base: Charge
Type: Combat
Performance: Full Round Action
Delivery: Contact
Range: Up to 30ft.
Effect Type: Instant
Damage: Energy Imbued Unarmed Attack (see description)
#6, Evasive Mark
Conjured Creature
Base Attributes:
Physique 5, Martial 0, Spirit Level/Demonic Force 0, Capacity N/A, Constitution 0, Intellect 0, Sensory 0
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HP 10, Energy 1, Sense 0/0ft., Potency 0, Initiative 5, Movement 45ft.
