weekly bundle

trying something new! i want to post a weekly collection post for you lovely people, a sort of digest of sorts as i will try to devote more time to ouro, and less time on stressing over what to post on patreon-- at least through this period of high focus i seem to be entering. i think both of us will enjoy the result of that!
[i also haven't recieved any q's for yor/yana's q&a, so i'm optimistically taking that as a sign that you're here to support me even when i bumble around with my priorities, heh. there's a long road to consistency, paved by fumbling hands.]

devlog 23, 20th november, 2023

i have been so scattered this week, it's getting ridiculous- i've had the page open for this post all day [and it's tuesday. i got so busy yesterday!] and i have just thrown strange sentences at it to see if it amounts to anything understandable. for the past week i've been flitting between rearranging rooms [post-flu zoomies], running errands, meeting friends, writing ouro and bracing for the incoming year through... arts&crafts [yay!]

in an october devlog i told you that i was excited to make my planner from scratch with bookbinding and the whole ordeal, and, weeell, the flu knocked me on my ass and i never finished it. i abandoned that idea but, i spent a very respectable amount [do not look at me] on stickers and stationary to rejuvenate my already existing planner system. i rarely spend money on things like these, so i have to say it felt very mischievous and invigorating. i also got clay. >:3

stickerssssss :>

usually, my planner is not used for writing stuff, but now with work out of the picture... i want to make an ouro bible and track ouros progress in a more analog format that allows me a fun sensory element-- and, ofcourse, something pretty to look at. hopefully.  i'm crossing my fingers it will help me with my graphic design skills, lol. so! i will be spending this week immersed in crafting, and i'm just so excited! i'm absolutely open to sharing some spreads once they are done, if that is something you want to see [lol. there will be nothing stopping me from shoving this in your face whispering lookit anyway, so. keep an eye on this space ig]

writing has been lovely for the past few times i've sat down to spend a day with it; i wrote a lot of auryn content, or rather, threw my new ideas about them on the paper to see if they stick. the priest/ess version of them is very ominous which gives an entirely different vibe to their arc than their original character, and truthfully, i'm battling some indecisiveness on that topic. i've decided to move on with other things, until my brain comes to a conclusion.

some of the other writing adventures i've had have been in the town of hirswreath, between oakwerth and riven, where the pathfinder spends a fair bit of time piecing together information and plotting the path forward. a peek of that below the spoiler banner, too.

i can't really place what it is about going into winter that is so rejuvenating to me, but it has been a consistent thing that i go through every year. the darker hours are a blessing for a light sensitive person like me [until it swallows my soul and i yearn for nothing but sun], the dusting of snow on the ground is so pleasing to the eye, and the crisp in the air grounds me in a very specific, wholegrain kind of way. though my days are so stimulating, i go very quiet at night, enjoying the cozy atmosphere the season brings; allowing myself to live in my little bubble, doing precisely what i feel like. i hope your days are similarly comforting, but if not, better times are ahead, i'm sure. i'll see you soon. x

the coding is more indexing than functional, as i'm keeping all my writing in one place- scrivener - to avoid going down coding rabbit holes until jan/feb when it's time to compile the demo and finish it up. hope it's okay to read anyway 👍

let's start with some auryn sneakpeaks:

Darkness flickers over ahis lips, some subtle wrangling of emotions, yet a smile settles there- gentle, knowing. Your eyes squint with suspicion. “And you? What on ouro are you doing on this mission?”

Auryn gives in, a pointed tooth peeking out from a fuller smile. “Presumptuous of you to think that a priest cannot weather a pilgrimage- I am not made of fragile things.” ahe pauses. “A representative from Oakwerth is necessary on a mission of this caliber. My word will travel alongside your actions.”

-”why?”

“you better keep up- I will not let you slow us down.”

-“Your word? … “Oakwerth is a rot. And you wish to spread it?”

-turn to yor. “a babysitter? and a priest, no less? Is this a joke?

-mouth at idren-- ‘what the fuck’

-”sene is Oakwerthian as well. Why isn’t sehe enough?” (s takes great offense to that last question. lol.)

[auryn also gives the information that they are coming along to visit a specific temple that was lost to the forest]

--

hirswreath:

The tavern's hearth crackles, casting shadows that dance like memories across the walls. Tracing the rim of your empty glass, you lose yourself in the shadowplay, and the imperfections of your glass, impossible to smooth or make sense of. It must have been hours now, or so it feels, yet no sign of Keila. You shift / in your seat, leaning further into shadow, drawing your hood lower over your eyes / your gaze to the patrons of the bar /, deciding to walk out for some air.

[return]

[...] the air is thick with the scent of stale ale and worn-out stories. The laughter around you is muffled but earnest, [*varx /your drink stiff- coating your thoughts in a pleasant sheen, making them gentler. | your awareness warped and floating. | not precisely relaxing, but homely, calling memories you have no clue where to place on your timeline.

“Fog is rolling in,” says [x], voice weathered like ancient parchment. They take a seat opposite you.

You hum in reply, casting a long look out the window. They're right- you either waste another day on this hunt, or get back on the path. [dialogue choice]

Armored boots make their way to your table. “Fog is rolling in.” idren states, and falls into a chair, the creak and clank /like a welcome melody. “It is. Keila has not shown up. /shrill and annoying. “I know,” you growl. “I'm making a decision.
Where are the others?”

--

and a goofy idea i had while writing even further into the story:

i'm taking name suggestions, if you have any :>

that's it in terms of semi-presentable writing. the rest is truly an abyss of personal notes and unhinged paragraphs that i must hoard to myself until they are done baking<3