Bloody Fox Crew

AO3 Link:

Still adjusting to a full time job and kinda learning how to manage that work/life balance. Getting a good handle on it now I think!

Did Pittyober 2023! Link below!

I finally got the "ground crew" (aka our speaking companions in P101) bios done! Since BFT is becoming more canon divergent, I wanted to get their bios done prior to the start of planning BFT.

On a related note, I got the "Heirs" (Originally called "Elite Minis" that I don't think I've mentioned on here at all :3) small bios and first version of their designs down. I'm now working on designs for Emily's Dreamwalker pack and getting very small bios for them as well.

Related to the above 2, I'm also working on a site to host all this info! I was originally using toyhouse but found out (after getting all of the ground crew's pages done...) that TH doesn't allow hosting canon or AU characters. So I'm putting my computer degree to use and making a github pages site and transferred the info to that site instead! Currently the Heirs, the "ground crew", and Emily's bios/pages have been moved over. There's more information I want to finish up before I share the link to the site.

I'm hoping to post a bit more in 2024 but with life, honestly who knows! Happy Holidays and Happy New Years y'all!

Life!

So as I mentioned in August, I started a new, full time job. This has been amazing and I enjoy it but, like I said in the original update, I'm still not able to work much on anything to do with BFT during my shift and afterwards, I'm a bit tired/have other things I gotta do.

BFT Pittyober & Whumptober Completed!

So I'm only almost 2 months late but both Pittyober and Whumptober were fully finished in October! Pittyober was completed with a word count of 10,796 and Whumptober was completed with a word count of 14,810, both I am very proud of! It certainly inspired me to work on Bloody Fox Tales more. Which leads into the next update...

BFT In General

Idk if I ever explained my writing plan for Bloody Fox Tales but I'll explain it here. Originally, I wanted to get the story, starting at W101 Arc 1 and ending at P101 Arc 1, roughly outlined before working on the drafts. This kinda got pushed back as I now realized I want to get rough bios done for the "ground crew" (aka the companions in game that have frequent dialogue), as their backstories have altered in ways that will effect story elements. So far I've gotten 2 out of the 13 done. Once I get those done, I'll be back to outlining and then, hopefully, to drafting.

That whole process if for my personal BFT "canon" writings though. I hope to do some more one-shots for BFT, including another month of writing prompts in February! Not to mention some more lore posts.

BTW thank you @apple-talk for constantly fueling me to keep working on BFT :3

So far I haven't missed a day yet (which I'm freaking surprised about)! Pittyober's total word count stands at 6090 words as of Day 15 and Whumptober's total word count stands at 7436 words as of Day 15 for a total of 13526 words!

This is also why I've been a bit dead here. Once these challenges are done I'm hoping to get back into posting more again!

The crew all have terrible habits of hiding wounds. No one survives this life by complaining about minor cuts and bruises. So of course they would brush it off! Some wounds though, you can't just brush it off.

Would the crew mate try to hide the fact the injury they sustained in their latest fight? They think it's not as bad as it looks or feels. It's just a bit of blood, right? So they keep it hidden, changing their own bandages or trying to stitch the wound themselves. They keep it hidden until they can't.

Maybe it's the blood loss finally catching up to them. Maybe, because they didn't properly tend to the wound, an infection has settled in. Whatever it is, they collapse around their crewmates. Best case, they're on the ship. Worst case...it's in the middle of another fight.

Either way, the crew rushes their injured friend to the infirmary, either abandoning their ship chores or fleeing the battle. Would our pirate captain stay by their side the whole time? Do they reassure their injured crew mate, either with words or gentle touches? Would the crew mate only hear or feel these comforts for a little bit before passing out?

While the crew mate is unconscious, how many of the crew start to realize just how long they had hidden the injury? Do they beat themselves up? They should have seen the signs, after all. The crew mate had been more sluggish, wincing at some movements, looking exhausted. How could they have missed that? Does the crew make sure their friend gets the best medical attention not only because they're their friend but also from their guilt?

Does the injured crew mate wake up in a warm medical cot, wrapped in blankets? Is it a crew mate or our pirate by their bedside, asleep while laying their head on the covers? How much of a scolding, born of concern, does the recovering crew mate endure? Does the crew mate take it in silence because they did worry their friends and family after all...

Does every crew mate show their concern and support for their recovery in each's own ways? Do some assist with keeping them company while bed bound? Would others insist on taking their chores so then the recovering crew mate doesn't over do it? Does it take a while for the now healed crew member to convince their crew mates they are, in fact, healed?

They'd probably all stick together while everyone heals from their wounds right? Separating now would leave them more vulnerable than if they sticked together. But after all their physical wounds have healed and nothing keeping them all together would they stay?

Does a week pass by of them sailing, then another, then a month? Does the crew slowly fall into a routine of piracy without the looming threat of the Armada hanging over them? Does the idea of going their separate ways kind of just...fade away?

Fade away until someone finally does leave? Maybe a family thing has come up and they can't be on the ship anymore? Maybe they just have grown tired of the sky? Do our pirate's make sure they're sure before they make plans to get their crewmate to where they need? And when they finally leave, is it with tearful goodbyes, promises of letters, and pockets full of coin from their captain?

And do they keep their promise of letters? Does the crew get excited whenever their captain announces they have a letter from their former crewmate? Does our pirate have to take over writing the letters or else the former crewmate gets dozens of letters from their crewmates?

Over the years, do more crewmates leave for various reasons but always kept sending their former captain and crew letters? Does our pirate eventually call it in because, as much as they've enjoyed this life, they're tired?

Does our pirate tell their remaining crew they're going on one last trip in Skull Island, which everyone full heartedly agrees (despite our pirate not giving much information)? Do they sail to a quiet corner of the skyway, near the edge of the world, where a single decently sized barren island floats? Do they anchor on a clearly newly built dock with confused looks?

Does our pirate finally turn to their crew, their family, and tells them that this is their island? Their home, if the crew wants to stay? That they had made a deal with Avery so this island would be a safe haven for the crew, where they could build their houses and settle down and rest?

Do the companions who join us before Cool Ranch realize in the little mistakes our pirate makes? In not knowing how to sail a ship or how to hold their new weapon properly? Do some of them start to get frustrated only to realize how could they know? At youngest, they are barely teens. At oldest, they are late teens, maybe considered "young adults". They don't have the experience their crewmates do. Would these companions soften to this fact, giving advice and guidance over angry words?

Do the companions who join us during Cool Ranch see our captain's youth while fighting Deacon? Perhaps they have grown since first escaping the Erebus, able to attack and defend well enough, but Deacon is still older with more experience. Is it while Deacon is a hair's width away from ending the captain does it sink into these companions that they're just a child? Do they get protective of their captain, even after Deacon is defeated?

Do the companions who join up until Marleybone not see it until middle of the war? When rations are tight and the battle is thick? Is it when they are figuring out food and notice their captain is small? Not just short but childlike proportions? Do they make sure their captain gets the food they need to still grow?

Do the companions become more protective of their captain as the realization settles over them? Do they take wounds meant for them, despite our pirate's arguments? Are they more willing to teach rather than judge?

HC

Aether:

Aether is a passive magic element that allows items within the Spiral to float. Different materials have different levels of Aether. The foundations of floating islands have levels between 75 and 90% while a tree on said island can have levels as low as 10%.

If a living creature were to fall into the skyway, they would have a short time to “swim” to safety. It’s certainly something people tend to avoid but falling into the skyway isn’t an immediate death sentence.

Ships and Aether:

Ships must have the right Aether levels for each specific part. Hulls must be in the 65 to 89% range else they have a high risk of sinking or even floating up into the void. Sails have a similar restriction but are a bit more forgiving if the levels are slightly too low or too high. It’s good practice, however, to keep sails within that range.

Timber for ship hulls can come from two sources, a specific family of trees with the required Aether levels or timber from other trees that have gone through a process to increase Aether levels. The treated timber is more widely used and “natural” Aether timber is having resource problems due to high demand.

Windstones, the Void, Stormgates, and Windlanes (oh my):

The void is the space between worlds and it exerts an immense amount of pressure that can and will crush unprepared ships that sail through. Many ships and crews were lost in the early years of sailing to the void until Windstones were discovered. 

Windstones, when activated, provide a bubble around the ship they are installed in. These bubbles are specified for what area of the void the ship is traveling through to reach another world. The right windstone is required due to the possibilities of the ship being crushed, either by the windstone’s pressure itself in low void pressure areas or by the void pressure if the windstone doesn’t provide enough protection from the pressure.

Stormgates are formed from the pressure difference between the world and the void. These storms create a tunnel of sorts from the world into the void to allow travel between worlds. At the formation of stormgates, a burst of wind and magic comes from the void and this burst forms windlanes. No one is 100% certain how they remain moving but it’s generally believed between the natural current of the wind in the world and the movement of ships is what keeps the windlanes moving and in the same general area to where they were first formed.

Thoughts/Thought Process:

In-Game Translations/Explanations:

Nothing really to add honestly!

Final Thoughts:

IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG SINCE MY LAST POST AHHHH! As I mentioned in a previous update, I started a new job this month and even in the the third week, I'm still adjusting and trying to figure out ways to plan posts!

Does it start small for our wizards? A little a cat, a snake, a giant beetle, or a teeny imp in Wizard City? Something small that they can keep within their dorm but tough enough to join them while they deal with the issues in the streets? Do their pet snuggle into their laps as they do homework for their professors?

Does it grow from there? Another cat or hellhound or other small mythical creatures? Eventually they do get a house. Would they promise themselves they would stop after 5 pets? And when they get their 6th, they say after their 10th pet? Does that "limit" just keep growing?

Do our wizards eventually bond strongly with one of their pets so much that they never leave their side? Helping in fights and providing a body to cry on when saving the spiral? Do our wizards throw themselves into their pets when returning home because their pets will always love them?

Does it start similarly for our pirates? Does it start with the little Ostrich that Trista Farnon insists they keep or is it another small critter they saved from the hands of an enemy? Do they find taking care of their new crewmate soothing? Would they be surprised when, in the middle of a fight, the tiny critter they once hand fed was now fully body attacking the same person that was just attacking our pirate?

Would our crew act like the pet is annoying but secretly adore them? Is it Ratbeard that breaks first, grooming the pets and sneaking them treats? Does Bonnie tease him despite doing the same thing? How happy would Scratch be to have an ear to listen to him as he speaks of mojo beyond any of his crewmates' understanding? The pets' big eyes watching him intensely despite the skeleton knowing they don't understand a single word he's saying.

When our pirates eventually get a house, do they move their pet(s) there, making sure someone feeds and tends to them? Would most of the pets find the house comfortable and live in luxury? All of them except our pirates' closest who still fights by their side (even when our pirate might not want them to?)

Does El Toro miss the dry heat of Cool Ranch? Does he love his new crew but miss the life of a masked vigilante and the freedom he had back then? (For Swashbucklers) Does he spend many nights talking with Sally, who tries her hardest but had moved past her own homesickness many years ago? (For non-swashbucklers) How many letters a day does he write Sally, asking for updates of how Santo Pollo was doing and telling her how much he loves her?

Does Bonnie have dozens of unsent letters to Guy? Letters asking how he was, pleading with him to leave the Radicals? Would our pirate gently push her to send them but she never does because she doesn't know if the brother she knew is the same one he is today? Does she breakdown when she sees the destruction of her homeworld despite her conflicting feelings about the social structure?

Would our Valencian companions keep little things from Valencia in a desperate attempt to keep the world full of culture and beauty (and not the Armada) they knew alive in some way?

Do our companions teach each other and our pirate their birth languages in a way to ease the pain of missing home? Does each week the ship's gallery is filled with smells of different worlds as a companion cooks a meal from their homeworld?

Is their first travel bag, when they still believe they would be visiting Ravenwood frequently, filled with only the basics? A change of clothes, their notebooks for school, some food (magically preserved of course) and water, maybe a bedroll if they know there might not be a place to sleep for a bit?

Does it evolve from there? Do they begin to pack more rations after they had run out and went hungry for a day or two in Krokotopia? Do they pack more healing potions after an injury in Marleybone that still bothers them because they had used their last potion a week ago? Do they end up leaving behind their notebooks and school work because that space could be used for more important things? Do they realize that the weight enchantments can only lighten their pack so much?

By the time the graduate from Ravenwood, does our wizards know to pack their travel bag with peak effenciency? Do they know how to make the rations last, even if it means eating less than what their professors would like? Can they now make healing potions on the road because it's more effective?