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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 2d

Ooh, I love it. The lineart is fantastic and gives Diamond a look of hard-earned experience in my eyes.

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 2d

Day 10 of the #ExaltedArtChallenge: Incarnations back to back

I found the final concept mid-writing, as I realised it could be about flashes of memories held within the Exaltation, carried through the ages.

Giving the Exaltation itself some identity felt like a fun, non-canon choice.

A short story on a beige background

A broad-bladed daiklave stabbed into the heart of a concept, its soul warped, yet strengthened by the exposure.
***
An impassioned speech in a gathering of your elders, a plea and a claim to a blade whose relationship with your exaltation is stronger than death.
***
An artistic ambition quelling the endless stirring of radiant essence in your soul, blood spilled on the floor of a palace inherited by your power.
***
Darkness. Lost beyond usefulness.
***
The thieves’ stench makes you twist and turn, you escape with others like you, reaching for the heavens, but so many are lost to the ever-foes.
***
A soldier of quick temper, the last defender of a village which didn’t do anything to earn its slaughter. A worthy soul to illuminate.

Two years pass. Memories resurface in flashes and flares.
‘The Mask is broken, but it worked. It was worth it’.

The Creation is different, but it can’t be all lost when the Unconquered’s champions roam it, can it?

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 3d

Day 9 of the #ExaltedArtChallenge

This time I wished I had more space, and while only I control the space I have, at least this one self-imposed rule I'll respect xD

A short story on a beige background

‘It should be somewhere here’ said River.

The expedition spent the last two weeks cutting through the forest, following the ancient shahan–ya’s directions, and now finally stood before...
‘Nothing more than a broken ruin, why are here?’, spat Emerald Rain, slicing the vines blocking their path.

‘We knew it was going to be, Em, but the old cat insisted.’

The travellers passed into a shadowed corridor littered in stained glass that once adorned its roof.
‘We could have been somewhere fun, but no, we’re in the middle of nowhere!’
‘See? Rima gets it! Why are we... oh.’

As if Fated by Mercury herself, the trio entered a perfectly preserved gallery, the orichalcum-latticed roof held against the centuries and now opened to the dance of lights in the Calibration sky.

‘It worked’ whispered Emerald Rain out of the blue ‘The Mask is broken, but it worked’, as starlight moved through a jade arch and the dancing shadows chronicled the war against Primordials, he cried unexpected tears, ‘It was worth it.’

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Reposted by Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin

Seth Skorkowsky @sskorkowsky.bsky.social · 4d

OK. Last time.
A D&D Stirge detaches after draining 10 HP of blood. Therefore HP are a measurable unit of blood (I estimate 200ml per HP).

Characters with high HP might have hundreds of liters contained in their bodies at high pressure. Even light nicks tend to spray anime-style.
It's science.

28 23 200

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 4d

Day 7 (God) and Day 8 (First Age Incarnation) of the #ExaltedArtChallenge.
I keep missing a day and having to make up for it. Oops.

A short story on a beige background:

‘It’s a prestigious position, you won’t get a chance like this soon.’
Rich aromas still wafted strong in Fruitful Endeavour’s presence, centuries since they oversaw spice trade.

‘It is true from a certain point of view, but I know what destinies they are planning for the city. I would be squatting on your patio within a hundred years.’
Olomaion of the Tides winced, even though Endeavour’s patio was famously gorgeous.

The two gods sat in silence for a while, smell of brine competing with spices for control over the cramped office snowed under sailing charts and tide schedules.

‘So what are you going to do?’
‘My job. They don’t have enough pull to remove me, and misjudged my ambitions. Whirlpool’s betters tried to force me out, and quickly learned that nobody know that knot of currents and tides better than I do.’
Tides’ voice took on the timbre of rolling waves.

A god of commerce and a god of seas sank back into silence, before Endeavour spoke again.
‘Do not drink the wine I brought.’

A short story on a beige background

It took centuries and more wasted material than she would have liked to admit, but Dancing Chisel was finally happy with all the carvings and every arrangement.

Rerouting of certain stellar paths to accomodate them for the new era were also a point of contention, but hardly something worth bringing up at the Deliberative.

No matter, it all worked out in the end. Come Calibration, it should be a shadow play for the ages.

‘Aren’t you worried, Opina?’ a voice rustled from the shadows.
‘Not anymore. My work is done, come heaven or hell it will stand.’
‘It’s the heaven that’s coming.’
‘As is their right. My elder peers brought this on us all. I will not have the memory of my predecessors’ deeds lost to the darkness that comes.’

Silver Roar stepped gently out of the shadows, moonlight exposing the lionine tuft of her Tell.
‘We could run. I know safe havens in the Wyld’
‘I know. And I need you to outlive me. Somebody needs to know it’s here.’ she put a sad kiss on her Lunar companion’s forehead.

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Reposted by Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 5d

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 5d

Tempered Lagiacrus in MH Wilds is fucking me up even when I have support hunters to help. It's not even a fun challenge anymore, it's just annoying.

Reposted by Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin

Chibdm @chibdm.bsky.social · 6d

Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 6d

Days 5 (Spell/Ritual) and 6 (Celestial Incarna) of the #ExaltedArtChallenge

A short story on a beige background.

'What have we learned today?’

Their words were met with silence and the creaking of broken wooden frames. For a brief moment, Glass Promise was unsure if that’s part of the spell or not.

‘We do not invoke the Skin of Bronze without checking the footing.’
‘Correct! What else?’
‘Gods are sometimes squishy’
‘Also correct!’

Promise reached out their hand and, with an Essence-infused heave, helped their pupil out of the rubble.

A lesson unspoken was of their own, and involved planning a different training for young Nailon.
The young woman took to sorcery with a startling ease, but broader picture kept eluding her, be it the filigree wood-and-paper floors or the flammable... the same, really.

‘Are you mad at me?’

The elder Joybringer took out their hankerchief and polished Nailon’s dusty forehead, eliciting a very amusing ring from the metallic surface.

‘Bah, nonsense. A little discorporation never killed anyone, and the repairs will come out of your stipend anyway.’

A short story on a beige background

‘Do you think they know?’
The hands traced the path of the sun across the sky, now dark and resting from its toil.

‘What do you mean?’
‘The ones above, in the sky.’
A sigh of hesitation. ‘I think they can’t. It must be too much, right?’

Grass shifted on his namesake, rustling quietly in the darkness lit by stars alone.

‘You think so?’
‘Seven Tides only hears from us in the bay, and she is already always tired.’
‘Hm. Maybe. Maybe who moves the skies hears too much good and bad to know.’
‘Mom says Luna knows, but she wouldn’t say how she’s so sure.’

‘Your mom says a lot of weird things.’

Trout grabbed a handful of leaves and chucked them at Grass. ‘She’s not from the bay, she saw places, you should listen some time.’

‘Maybe. I hope the moon comes back after the Calibration.’
‘They always do.’ replied Trout, adopting his dad’s unearned, sagely tone.
‘Race you to the pier?’
‘We’re avoiding the stones, remember?’

Golden stars glimmered in Grass’ eyes. ‘Of course I remember, stupid.’

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 6d

When I started playing Monster Hunter with World, I realised just how amazing its OSTs are for the way I run Exalted. Properly heroic, epic, and not at all subtle.

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 7d

Ambitne plany na ten tydzień:
- zmontować odcinek o Draw Steel
- nagraclć do niego B-roll w Tactical Breach Wizards i Midnight Suns
- zredagować i poszerzyć skrypt odcinka o Solarach

Jestem z pewnością w stanie zrobić przynajmniej jedną z tych rzeczy.

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Reposted by Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin

Mars is in Retrograde @shownomarcy33.bsky.social · 11d

#ExaltedArtChallenge day 1 complete! I wanted to do something that felt representative of a whole aspect, rather than just one person so... soviet style propaganda poster from autochthonia celebrating their champions!
@theuncrucified.bsky.social #exalted #ttrpg #art #minimalist #poster

Soviet style minimalist propaganda poster showing art of an alchemical exalted made of red jade, standing on a ledge and facing a bright light. There are gears in the foreground and he is holding a large piece of rubble above his head. The text reads:
Top: "JADE ASPECTS LEAD THE WAY TO THE FUTURE"
Bottom: "DON'T LET THEM DO IT ALONE! DO YOUR PART TODAY!"

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Reposted by Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin

Mars is in Retrograde @shownomarcy33.bsky.social · 10d

Day 2 of the #exaltedartchallenge and I... was laid out in bed as the plague reclaimed me. So, have some older exalted art of mine! Seo-Yun, the White Fox of Wu-Jian, and her bondmate The Forsaken Crow, in some Wu-Jian and Skullstone fashion. #art #ocart #ttrpg #exalted @theuncrucified.bsky.social

Art showing a pair of original characters for the Exalted ttrpg standing back to back in front of a dark background.
Character on left is a tall, thin woman who is holding a skull that is wreathed with red runes. She has a soulsteel hammer in her other hand.
Character on the right is a short fox woman with three tails, holding a pale yellow gem which radiates beams of light.

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 8d

Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it :)

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 9d

Shit, spotted a typo. Well, I'm too lazy to fix it and reupload.

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 9d

I missed the timing on #ExaltedArtChallenge yesterday, so I'm doing Day 3 and Day 4 all at once, with two connected scenes.

Fun fact: Arashi was my first Exalted character, and I still have a lot of sentiment towards him. I wonder what it'd be like to play him now, a decade and a half later.

A short story on a beige background.

"Arashi exploded forward, the storm of his anima only catching up as the jade-gauntleted fist thundered against the blood ape’s jaw, knocking the beast a few paces back.

‘Any minute now, Larin!’ he yelled toward his companion who was solemnly resisting the hail of gravel kicked up by the Azure Dragon’s charge.

If there was a response, it disappeared under the rush of air dragged by the demon’s massive fist, dodged by a hair. Arashi paid back in kind, taking blood ape’s breath with a fierce blow to what in a mortal would have been a sternum.

‘Hawk, soar!’ roared Larin’s voice and not a second too late, as the place he was ducking and weaving around erymanthus’ blows in erupted in an inferno and consumed the last of the fiend’s materialised form.

‘Took you a moment.’
‘One of these days you’ll know what it’s like. You powdered his fucking jaw before I even knew we were in a fight.’
‘Not my fault you are the slowest Burning Sword on the Isle. Try to keep up.’

A short story on a beige background
"‘I thought you Tepets were smarter than this’
‘We are, but I’m exceptional’
‘Technically correct, and yet we consider „an exeption” and „exceptional” to be different’
‘I thought you Cathaks were soldiers, not scholars’
‘Gallant officers, thank you very much.’

In a long silent minute that followed, both Hearthmates did their best not to laugh, but finally gave in.

‘I’ve hated these blasted things ever since Heptagram, you know.’
‘Still baffles me that you, of all people, went there.’
‘Makes both of us, one of these days I’ll tell you how that happened.’

***

Two Princes of the Earth walked into the magistrate’s office, and slammed the unconscious demonologist on the floor.
‘Here’s your runaway occultist, please keep a better watch over him next time.’
‘Or, just kill him and hire a proper sorcerer. They are nasty, but reliable.’

The magistrate tried stammering out an overstated apology, but the Dynasts were already on their way to their other Hearthmates.

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 9d

Didn't manage to write for the #exaltedartchallenge today, will have to write two bits tomorrow.

Or maybe merge the two prompts and do one 2k-characters piece, not two 1k ones?

Hmmm

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 9d

A meme showing three orangutans in a talk show studio, one asking "where tech, art, and human".

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 10d

Day 2 of the #ExaltedArtChallenge

I don't know the first thing about fashion, but I always like it when somebody who knows a lot about protocol has to manage a complete wild card, so behold, two Celestial exalts incognito in a nest of proverbial vipers.

‘Are you sure this will work?’ Undertow Heron prodded at the fabric construction sitting precariously atop their head.

‘Absolutely, they love the protocol dress!’

‘Not that’ the sailor glared at the elaborate headpiece in a mirror. ‘I can’t keep balancing this cursed thing.’

Perfect Scute’s voluminous sleeves whooshed as he reached out to help.

‘I’ve seen you manage worse, Down.’ the memory of his friend’s maniacal laughter during a Storm Mothers’ maelstrom made him smile.

‘That was for fun! This is work! Yours, specifically!’
Unphased by Heron’s exclamation, Scute ushered them out.

‘Shoo, I need to get ready too. Just try not to respire too much, the prince is still a believer.’
***
‘Impressive plea, master Scute, I might reconsider the Immaculates’ presence after all.’
The diplomat wished he could exhale in relief.

Instead he subtly scratched at the bamboo frame supporting his own headpiece and winked at Heron, who spent the entire event too focused on their own, unsupported, to interrupt.

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 11d

Jakbym był pamiętał o tagach to byłoby czadowo xD

#exalted #exaltedrpg #ttrpg #rpg

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 12d

Woof, rzutem na taśmę wyrobiłem się we wrześniu z nowym materiałem o Exalted, tym razem o tym ile w ceglastej podstawce jest mechaniki strasznej, a ile mechaniki fajnej.

Nie polecam oglądania, jest strasznie nudny i to nawet nie jest podpuszczanie z mojej strony xD
youtu.be/s9INOEWLHW4

Przewodnik po Stworzeniu, odc. 3 - Jak bardzo chrupie Exalted?

YouTube video by Erpegowa Grota Mongwarda

youtu.be

3

Reposted by Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin

Chloé Stawski (Spooky Edition 🎃🦇) @chlowski.bsky.social · 11d

princess of the underworld

fanart of Melinoe from Hades 2, wearing a modern outfit (dark jeans, orange top), she has a big tattoo on her right arm, and is about to tie her hair with a hair band (is this how it's called in english ?)
her eyes are closed, she has nice arm muscles and looks extremely lesbian

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 11d

First time participating in the #exaltedartchallenge let's see how long I last! xD
------
Day 1

Dragon Bloods have been my favourite splat forever, and I have a strong affinity for both Air and Earth aspects, so I figured I might as well do a warm-up with them.

A short story, plain text on a beige background, with two stylised dragons just behind the text. The story says:
"What would have elsewhen be nought but a casual pickpocketry, was clearly destined to become a duel, if only for lack of a word more fitting.

‘Your form is impeccable, you must tell me your teacher’
implored the woman, carefully moving through gusts to avoid tracking dirt on the robes.

‘Fuck off and leave me alone!’ answered the would-be thief, desperately tangled in a florid sash. Buffeted by his own treacherous power, dragged along the streets like a disrespectful Calibration kite.

The woman’s belly laughter rumbled on the cobblestones and burst into a blaze of shimmering sand.

The thief swore again, now the eye in the center of a frigid gale howling in defiant desperation.

The clash rolled over the district, dust kicked up in its advance, and luckless laundry carried on the winds of its wake.

‘We do not have the facilities for that’ whined the guard captain, roused from her sleep by the chattering of windowsills."

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Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 12d

Woof, rzutem na taśmę wyrobiłem się we wrześniu z nowym materiałem o Exalted, tym razem o tym ile w ceglastej podstawce jest mechaniki strasznej, a ile mechaniki fajnej.

Nie polecam oglądania, jest strasznie nudny i to nawet nie jest podpuszczanie z mojej strony xD
youtu.be/s9INOEWLHW4

Przewodnik po Stworzeniu, odc. 3 - Jak bardzo chrupie Exalted?

YouTube video by Erpegowa Grota Mongwarda

youtu.be

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 12d

Woof, rzutem na taśmę wyrobiłem się we wrześniu z nowym materiałem o Exalted, tym razem o tym ile w ceglastej podstawce jest mechaniki strasznej, a ile mechaniki fajnej.

Nie polecam oglądania, jest strasznie nudny i to nawet nie jest podpuszczanie z mojej strony xD
youtu.be/s9INOEWLHW4

Przewodnik po Stworzeniu, odc. 3 - Jak bardzo chrupie Exalted?

YouTube video by Erpegowa Grota Mongwarda

youtu.be

2

Mongward, the Grumpiest Paladin @mongward.bsky.social · 12d

My Writing Muse is very fickle, but maybe this will wake her up a bit, I do miss the times when I used to write more for my own enjoyment.

I could use the practice for future video scripts, too :D

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