As The Years Of Study Wear On, The Mind Clutters

HOUSE PARTY

answering questions from that meme that popped out at me (aka the ones i can answer quickly)

2. what was your original concept for this character? how did playing them change that concept?

roma's original concept was a gentle person who desperately wanted to be loved/liked (VERY VAGUE CONCEPTUALLY) and this photo

His name used to be Amata to reflect this. Roma's current concept started with that "I was, in fact, raised by wolves" backstory snippet from DM's Guide, and that's still currently one of the cruxes of his character.

4. what one person, place, or thing do they love more than anything else?

van wicky c:

7. there’s a magic item (or technological innovation, or special resource) made just for them—what is it?

a pouch that dispenses little trinkets that he can give away, usually nature-y things or sparkly trinkets... things fey generally like

8. what songs remind you of them? if there are specific lyrics or movements, list ‘em!

this section from phoebe bridgers' graceland too

and that era of really high energy petty early 00s pop punk, paramore's misery business and olivia rodrigo's good 4 u type vibes

13. what are some motifs you associate with them? did you intentionally bring in those motifs, or did it happen over time?

Deep forest greens (intentional), shadows intentionally and also unintentionally thru campaign events, pinecones and pine trees (unintentional)

20. what attracts them to someone—platonically and/or romantically, anything counts.

i described roma's type to a friend of mine and they said "so someone who looks like they'd survive natural selection?" and that's pretty much it

23. in what moment did they consider themselves to be “grown up”?

When he could keep up with pack hunts without physically struggling. When he got taller.

24. are they close to any family members?

He was actually very close to his (dog) mom and pretty close with the rest of his (dog) family.

29. what feelings do they internalize?

Pain! Mostly physical, but on the occasions he can't dispel it mental as well. He's pretty good at hiding it in that, wild animals hiding their wounds way

35. when did they feel loneliest?

Dying after Strahd killed him, and having to broker a deal with Osybus to live again.

39. are they insecure about their appearance? how about their personality? what aspects specifically worry them?

Not normally (at least not for long) but currently their biggest worry is that Osybus is going to change Roma into someone he currently would hate, but after transformation he simply wouldn't realize.

Generally, he is worried about coming to hate the people he currently likes, because the deal he has with Osybus seems to mean that every time he makes a wish in the future it'll continuously change Roma as he knows himself until unrecognizable

48. do they relate to anyone in their group? conversely, which person do they relate to the least?

In the party, when they were still around Roma connected with Elle the most, and for the most part Roma's felt fundamentally opposed to Vice.

52. how would they dress themselves up for a formal event?

Unfortunately they wouldn't go to a formal event ): But I imagine if they went they'd dress in a simple black linen dress, square shaped neckline, narrow sleeves that go over his knuckles, and a Really bushy flower crown made of pine leaves and smaller pinecones. Pine perfume. Barefoot.

53. do they keep their plans close to their chest?

No, he infodumps if people care to ask

56. who would they trust with their life, unequivocally?

van wicky

58. how often do they swear? do they mind when others swear?

Doesn't swear, doesn't mind if others do though!

63. what’s a meme or tiktok or vine (or whatever) that you associate with them?

VIKTOR CHANGED ME

Some doodles of our fated ally we finally got a glimpse of, Stella Watcher. DM gave a description of her being tormented by skeletal cats, which I thought was just SO evocative.

more thoughts under the CUT

One of roma's deep core beliefs is that the world is full of Beasts, and when Beasts are hungry, they Hunt. All Beasts Hunger, without exception. When Hunting, the strong crush the weak and then then everyone who isn't strong must Struggle or Die.

It's very defeatist, and he believes in this in both a neutral and negative way, in that while he's accepted many ... systems isn't the word he'd use, but that's basically what it is, in the world operate like this, roma is still sometimes Soooo bitter about it because. he doesn't consider himself one of the Strong, and while struggling is an Option, Struggling Sucks Ass. Being Prey Sucks Ass. Being Weak Sucks Fucking Ass. And he carried SOOO much anger and bitterness about it because he Knew there weren't folks who weren't struggling and being a person who Used To Be A Part Of A Human Family, roma Knew things didn't have to be this way But They Were And No One Was Helping Him.

I dont think that anger is gone when he talks with VR, but I think that his anger is part and parcel with how much he loves VR. Roma adores VR because he has a certain understanding of how shit and hard things can be and he's SO happy VR does actions that go against the weird cycle of the world, so if VR were to abandon the morals that roma Assumed VR had and loves so much, I dont think it'd be hard for roma to key back into his anger and be So reckless about it, bc the origin of love and anger are the same thing in him

WAIT i can talk about secret character lore bc none of party is on tumblr

one thing i Do Think About is that roma's big backstory secret is tl;dr that he was a cannibal for a little while, like hunting and killing actual people, and then VR saved him and he stopped being a cannibal and awful person bc the rescue was so affecting, but recently the party came across a diary where VR was talking about. killing All The Vistani bc he was aggrieved over his dead son and inwardly roma was like :) you're not allowed to do this and then yelled at vr to not do this

but if there ever came a point where VR didn't back down on doing that i imagine that roma would spiral So Hard... like mileage may vary but roma would do his best to Be The Monster Van Richten Told Him Not To Be

a small animatic for a scene from my curse of strahd campaign! roma (my pc) rants about his troubles; ez provides an ultimanum

design for new non canon insane woman my dm just dropped into our game

stumbled on these doodles and realized i never posted them!! party busted into khazan tower late at night because we were desperate and interrupted ez and vr's beauty rest

intermission ✦ izek + victor

--- ko-fi // creator commentary

DRABBLE CHALLENGE 2024: DAY 3 / UNHEALTHY Stella Wachter eats a rat.

Stella could no longer take it. 

The rat squirmed against her fingers as she pinned it to the floor. Dirt and debris shed off its fur, no doubt from the attic above her room where it was so loudly skittering around. It was curious, Stella was sure, for her mother had taken great pains to isolate her room in particular from the outside world--part safety, part shame, part real desperation for her condition--and it must have noticed the oddness of it all. Strange meows from a room within the house of the oh-powerful Fiona Wachter that appeared to have no door or windows to the outside? Of course it would take notice. Of course the Devil would care. 

Normally, Stella could steer herself away from these sort of harmful distractions, but the skittering. The squeaking. The cat in her body remained awake at night, tip-toeing on the corner of her bed where it could reach the ceiling and claw at the boards with its blunted, human fingernails. Exhaustion seeped into the sanctuary of her broken mind. 

The best Stella could do was stop her body from eating it--her disgust was enough for at least that--but the hunt that preceded it? Her mouth closing around its dusty, fuzzy body? The crunch of grit between her teeth and snap of bones in her ears? The hot blood on her tongue and the alien silence that followed? 

There was a dull thud as Stella forced her jaws open and the now dead rat tumbled out. She could pray to whatever gods still listened that her mother would not notice, but the irony of her condition was that her mother always seemed to notice the things she wanted to hide away the most. 

In the dark, Stella could see its broken silhouette. Part of her was grateful her mind could retreat to a place where the senses posed no threat. 

I’m so sorry mother.

--

ez should be allowed to use the symbol of ravenkind