life blog of life bloginess

Baby those dried herbs need to sit in that jar with high proof alcohol for at LEAST a month!

That’s why before the use of calendars ppl use to prepare their tinctures either on the new moon or full moon. A a full moon cycle is usually 28 days or so. And they would give the moon names so it’s easier to remember when/what month said tincture was bottled.

This is also why herbal medicine is prepare in small batches. You have to take your time preparing your bottles. Making sure everything is clean so you don’t end up with mold. Diluting your grain alcohol. Heckkk knowing when to pick your herbs for max potency! Drying your herbs! That takes a lot of time too!

[ID in alt]

Tutorial on drawing characters/OCs who have some sort of facial paralysis. It doesn't cover all possible variants because I was using mirror as my main reference lawl

Keep in mind that this is an introductory drawing tutorial and has some generalizations in it, so not every “X is Z” statement will be true for Actual People 👍

Compiled some basic information I know about drawing fat characters for beginners since I've been seeing more talk about absence of really basic traits in a lot of art lately.

there are different types of bilinguals

the All Around: speaks, reads, and writes both languages pretty well

the Conversational: one language is stronger than the other; can speak the other language a lot better than they read/write it (a lot of kids of immigrants are this type)

the High Schooler: understands what’s being said to them in the other language, can’t really speak it

don’t have your characters randomly drop words from their other language mid-sentence around people who don’t speak it lol

languages are a mindset thing. like personally if i’m around english-speakers, i’m speaking english and i don’t really switch to my other language (which is portuguese)

so like if you’re writing a bilingual character who speaks spanish and have them say something like “hey chad let’s go to the biblioteca” to an english speaker i’ll probably spend 5 minutes laughing and then close your story lmao

exception: the character is speaking in their weaker language and forgot a word (”where are the…? uh… llaves…. keys! keys, where are they?”)

otherwise really the only time your character should be randomly switching languages mid-sentence is if they’re talking to another bilingual

like i don’t speak spanish but i’ve legit never heard a spanish speaker say “ay dios mio” to gringos lmao

conversations between two bilingual people can take a few different forms:

Pick One: they pick one language and kinda stick with it for the whole conversation (a conversation i might have with my portuguese-speaking mom: ”you okay?” “yeah, i’m good. how’re you?” “i’m fine, but your dad-”)

Back-and-Forth: someone says something in one language, the other person replies in the other (”tudo bem?” “yeah, i’m good. how’re you?” “tou bem, mas o seu pai-”)

Combo: they speak a combo of the two languages, a popular example being spanglish, though basically every bilingual has their own combo language (”tudo bem?” “sim, tou bem. how’re you?” “i’m fine, mas o seu pai-”)

me and my cousin (native english speakers) speaking our portuguese/english combo sounds a lot different than my mom and my godmother (native portguese speakers) doing the same thing

the kids of immigrants usually come up with their own unique way of saying things that are different than native speakers

if you’re writing a bilingual family the older kids’ll probably be more bilingual than the younger ones

also, to clarify: bilingual characters might say words in another language on purpose in front of non-speakers

either to fuck with them or just ‘cause the word captures what they’re feeling more (i use “caralho” a lot)– basically the point is that accidental switching is relatively uncommon

i know earlier i said that people will forget words if they’re speaking their weaker language but tbh i do it with my stronger language too so really it works both ways

filler words are weirdly universal

so like while bilingual people don’t usually switch languages around people who aren’t bilingual we’ll throw filler words in

“ele me olhou e, like, eu juro que eu quase deu um soco nele-”

a lot of languages borrow words from english so it’s not too weird to have a random english word in an otherwise non-english conversation (my aunt @ my mom: “lilian você viu meu post no Facebook?”)

also sounds in general are just kind of a language transcending thing

you wanna find out what someone’s first language was?? break one of their bones lol

legit me when i cracked my rib: “AIIIIIII JESUS CHRIST TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL”

so if your character gets hurt they might make a sound of pain associated with their native language but will probably still speak in the language of the people they’re surrounded by. probably. it depends on just how much pain they’re in

That said, this website provides very simple instructions on how to do everyday tasks such as making your bed, using a washing machine, cooking different foods, washing dishes, taking a shower, etc. All you have to do is use the search bar to find the task you're struggling with, and it'll come up with what you need + other related how-to's:)

If you're having trouble navigating it, let me provide you with some examples:

How to clean dishes by hand

How to make your bed (with visual demonstrations of each step!)

How to fold clothes (with visual demonstrations of each step!)

How to take a shower & dry yourself off (also provides ways to shave beards, armpits, legs and genitals)

How to shave legs, armpits, beards, pubic areas, etc. (a more in-depth guide)

How to mop the floor

How to sweep the floor

How to swallow pills

How to make small talk

How to make eye contact in different situations (or how to avoid it while still looking natural)

I'm going to start off with a fair amount of introduction here, but this guide is mostly aimed at other writers, who are presumably not put off by long block of texts.

Why write this guide? Mostly because no one else has (that I've seen) (yet.) I've seen no end of guides to writing, and a fair amount on the topic 'how to leave a comment,' but I have yet to see one aimed at replying to reader comments.

Why should we take advice from you? Well, I've been a fanfic author in fan spaces for twentysomethingplus years, and through that time I've seen pretty much every configuration of positive and negative interactions between fans, fan authors, and fan readers that you can imagine. Mostly through trial and error in that time I've worked out my own system of when and how to respond to readers in a way that will make them feel welcomed and encourage them to come back. You can try my methods, or you can develop your own, whatever suits you! But if you've been looking for ways to deepen that connection, and find yourself at a loss, maybe these suggestions will help you.

Why bother to reply to reader comments at all? Because we fanfic authors are (with some exceptions) of the opinion that we're here for community and conversation! A fanfic by itself stands alone; a reader, commenting, has started a conversation. That puts the ball back in our court if we want to keep that conversation going and foster those warm social connections!

Also, it's been my twentysomethingplus years of experience that if you reply to comments, people comment more.

OK, well, I've either convinced you or I haven't. So let's get into some broad principles.

Principle 1: Don't be afraid of repeating yourself.

I've seen this comment repeated a few times: "I feel stupid saying the same thing over and over again, but I don't know what else to say!" Don't worry about that! You are replying to each reader as an individual; they aren't actually part of a hive mind. Very few readers are going to read the entire comment section, and the ones who do are usually dedicated fans who are not here to criticize you! If you get twenty comments that are all some variation on "great story," then don't hesitate to reply twenty times with "glad you liked it!"

(Personally, I have "Thanks for reading!" hotkeyed.)

Along the same line, you can repeat longer responses between commenters if it's relevant -- if more than one reader has asked a similar question, feel free to copy-paste your response from an earlier comment thread rather than typing it all out again. Nobody is plagiarism-checking here.

Principle 2: Match the specificity of the reader's comment.

If all a reader has to say is "great chapter" or "more kudos" or a line of emojis, then a simple thank you is all that's required. If they have more to say, then maybe you have more to say in reply. If they comment on a character's behavior, you can give your own thoughts on blorbo's behavior. If they liked some passage particularly, you can say that you are proud of that passage. If they wail and cry over a sad part, you can offer tissues; if they post a string of LOL's, you can crack another joke. If they went into a mini-essay about blorbo's motivation and how this ties into the canon, then you are being given a blank check to gush about the same! And if they ask a question, then it's probably a good idea to answer it -- even if the answer is "you know what, I didn't even think about that" or "you'll find out later. :)"

(Personally, my stance is that suspense is only for the sake of the reader's enjoyment; if a reader asks a question that would be a spoiler for a later development, I will assume they don't care about suspense and usually answer them truthfully. Your own personal philosophy may vary.)

You gotta manage your own time and spoons but in my opinion, even short comments are worth replying to. It is still an indication that someone engaged with your story and wanted to reach out.

Principle 3: Stay positive.

This is just a principle I keep for as many fannish interactions as possible, really, but the comment sections of your fanfic are not a good place to get into arguments. If a comment is positive, match it with positivity. If a comment mixes positive comments with some kind of cold takes or bummers, you can reply to the positive parts and just ignore the rest. And if a comment is downright nasty, don't get drawn in; it's your AO3-given right as an author to delete or freeze it and go on with your life.

Principle 4: So long as you both want to be here, you can both be here.

I definitely know I've seen, and lived, variations on 'I let the comments pile up unanswered and now it's been months! I'd be mortified to respond to them now!' I won't say it's never ever too late to reply, but I will say that as long as you the writer and they the reader are both active in the same fandom, it's still appropriate to reply. That may be days, weeks, even months after the comment was left. Maybe not years. Case by case.

Also, if it's a chaptered fic, the best time to reply to the comments on the last chapter is right before you post a new chapter -- what better time to remind readers that your story exists? :)

Principle 5: Remember the regulars.

If the same readers regularly comment on chapters or on multiple stories, remember their names and icons and try to get to know them! A regular reader has made an investment in you; it's worth making an investment in them. With regulars, you get the privilege of being a little more informal with them -- you can let down the customer-service level of positivity and vent a few complaints about how much of a fight this chapter gave you, or crack off-color jokes, or the like.

Regulars who leave only very brief comments are still worth cultivating. The more you reply, the more likely it is that they will return and, over time, they may open up to more interaction. I had one regular who commented with a single emoji on every single chapter over the course of several stories and then, on the second to last chapter of my last fic in the fandom, left a long comment about how much my work meant to them.

----

For SVSSS Fans and Writers

Since I wrote a post about potential misunderstandings about golden cores and demonic qi, I figure I ought to make a post about common sect-related misunderstandings too.

Be aware these details are based on a combination of the particular novels I have read, and what information I've found by searching. There is a definite possibility I have missed things, or made incorrect assumptions based on limited information!

First, Head, and Succeeding Disciples

One common area of confusion among SVSSS fans relates to the differences between a ‘First Disciple’, a ‘Head Disciple’, and a ‘Succeeding Disciple’.

A lot of people (including my previous self) automatically assume characters referred to as da-shixiong by their peers are all head disciples, and that all head disciples can expect to be the next sect leader or peak lord. Neither of these are true!

First Disciple (大弟子 Dà-dìzǐ):

A first disciple is the first inner disciple recognized by a peak lord or sect leader. If there are no inner disciples, they are instead the first disciple of their generation admitted to the peak or sect. This disciple is generally referred to as da-shixiong by their sect siblings (or da-shijie if female).

It is fairly common for a first disciple to later become a head disciple, but that seems to be related to the peak lord already having an affinity for the person (since they did decide to take them on as their very first disciple) and the disciple in question being the one who has spent the most time building a relationship with the peak lord (a natural result of the whole “being first” thing).

If there is no official head disciple on a peak, the first disciple does seem to take on many of the responsibilities one might expect from a head disciple.

Head Disciple (首徒 Shǒu-tú):

A head disciple is the disciple given the most authority over their fellow disciples by their peak lord or sect leader. It doesn’t appear to be a permanent title like “elder” or “master,” nor does seem to come with an increase in rank, rather it is a specific job that a disciple can be given.

What a head disciple is or isn’t in charge of depends on the peak or sect in question, but generally speaking their role is to organize and mentor their fellow disciples, and to act as a liaison between said disciples and the sect leadership.

To use terms that might be more familiar to a U.S. audience: They essentially act as a combination Class President, Resident Advisor (RA), and Peer Tutor or Teaching Assistant (TA). Assuming their peak lord or sect leader is fairly attentive (and not off in secluded cultivation all the time) they might also act as their Personal Assistant or Student Intern.

While SVSSS might lead you to believe the head disciple is always the most talented or favored disciple (with Gongyi Xiao, Su Xiyan and Luo Binghe as examples), that’s not necessarily true.

Some peak lords or sect leaders will select head disciples based on their administrative talents rather than their cultivation prowess. Still others will intentionally select disciples with only modest cultivation talent, that way their top talents can focus on cultivation without being distracted by other duties.

Whether or not a sect or peak's head disciple is actually expected to take over as sect leader or peak lord depends entirely on the sect in question. In many cases, it seems as though the presumed successor is given the head disciple role more as a test or an opportunity to learn.

In the case of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect specifically, ordinary head disciples are not expected to take over as the next generation of peak lords.

Succeeding Disciple (首席弟子 Shǒuxí-dìzǐ):

On Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, if a head disciple is expected to take over as the next peak lord, they receive a slightly different title and a generational name.

While the title used for future peak lords in SVSSS is still translated as Head Disciple in the official translation –‘Shǒuxí’ (首席) and ‘Shǒu’ (首) can both be accurately translated as ‘Head’ or ‘Chief’– I recommend following the lead of svsssfanonarchive and calling this position ‘Succeeding Disciple’ for clarification purposes.

For anyone writing or brainstorming a canon compliant SVSSS story, regardless of whether you decide to use ‘Head Disciple’ or ‘Succeeding Disciple’ to refer to future peak lords, remember that successors get generational names before they ascend as peak lords.

Indeed, “Great Master” Airplane could now be referred to as Shang Qinghua.  That wretched reprobate from the stallion novel he had written with his own two hands, that treacherous spy who toiled assiduously for Mobei-Jun all his life, only to be thrown aside by his coldhearted and unfeeling boss as soon as he lived out his use. That cannon fodder, that logistics guy—that Shang Qinghua. Although, at this time, he was still an outer disciple who could be pushed around by everyone on An Ding Peak. He wasn’t yet head disciple, and he hadn’t changed his name to join the Qing generation.

SVSSS Volume 4, Chapter 26

If the Head Disciple hasn’t been given a generational name, they are not the successor.

Inner, Outer, and Personal Disciples

Something that SVSSS doesn't really explain is the distinction between inner and outer disciples.

Inner Disciples:

As with everything else, what constitutes an ‘inner disciple’ as opposed to an ‘outer disciple’ depends on the work, and which sect or peak you are talking about.

In many cases, inner disciples are the personal disciples of sect leadership. They might only be the personal disciples of the sect leader and any peak lords, or they could also include the personal disciples of elders and other senior sect members too.

In other cases, a disciple’s master (or lack-thereof) doesn’t matter, and inner disciples are simply those who have achieved a certain level of cultivation. Inner disciples can also be those who have proved their merit in some capacity, for example by completing a certain number of missions or ranking high enough in an intrasect tournament.

Outer Disciples:

Outer disciples can be the personal disciples of masters or other adult disciples, or they can simply be disciples that belong to the sect or a specific peak without being anyone's personal disciples.

When outer disciples don't have a specific master, they are typically admitted by a test of some sort. In SVSSS, Bai Zhan admitting anyone who can successfully climb the peak is an example of admission via test.

Many works are vague about what the tests entail (particularly when the main characters are already sect members), but when it does come up, touching some artifact or stone capable of determining one's cultivation aptitude or "spiritual roots" is a common part of it (or having some sect official evaluate you if there is no such artifact).

In some instances where a sect has separate peaks or schools, outer disciples might actually belong to the sect generally, rather then any individual peak. The sect might have separate housing for such outer disciples to stay in until they prove themselves to their peak of choice, or they might be immediately distributed to whichever peak they wish to study at so long as it has openings. (Think of the latter as staying in a student dorm associated with your intended major, before you’ve actually officially joined the department).

Core Disciples:

Some sects actually have a third rank of disciples referred to as "Core Disciples" who are higher ranked then even inner disciples. Unfortunately I haven't read enough works with core disciples to be certain exactly how core disciples differ from inner disciples.

If I had to guess, core disciples are probably those who have achieved even higher levels of cultivation, or who have contributed even more to the sect then their inner disciple sect siblings. There are also more jobs for disciples then just "head disciple" so it's possible core disciples are those trusted with important duties.

Kneeling. (It’s not popular for no reason.) Ordered to kneel as punishment or as a show of deference. Shoved physically to the ground by hands on their shoulders, maybe a kick to the back of the knee. Picking themself up off the ground but only getting as far as hands and knees. Crawling because they haven’t got the strength to stand any more. Dropping to their knees from exhaustion, or despair.

Personal space. Casually invading it. Uninvited touch - from the deeply creepy to something as simple as a firm hand on the shoulder. Standing too close - especially if taller or otherwise physically stronger. Conversely, hurrying to get out of someone’s way.

Eye contact. Staring someone down. Who is first to look away? Averting eyes for one’s social superiors. Insisting that someone maintain eye contact while you’re talking to them. Insisting that someone never look you in the eye. Trying to de-escalate by avoiding eye contact. Singling someone out just by looking at them. Too frightened or ashamed to look someone in the eye.

More generally, attention. The room falls quiet when they walk in. Who cuts in, and who gets talked over. Ignoring those who are beneath your attention. The excited attention given to the object of respect and idolisation. The careful, wary focus given to a potential threat. Deliberately attending to something else to appear less threatening. Deliberately burying oneself in something else to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

Codified status behaviours. Bowing to one’s superiors. Bonus points if there are differentiated kinds of bowing for different status differentials. Soldiers coming to attention when a superior officer comes in. Saluting. Who greets whom first? Serving food in a particular order. Standing up when a respected person enters the room.

Non-verbal threats. Just resting a hand on a weapon, or perhaps even just near a weapon. Cracking knuckles or rolling shoulders. Clenched fists. The little come-get-some-then lift of the chin. Stepping from a conversational stance into one that’s balanced for fight or flight. Pointing a weapon at someone. Casually brushing aside a weapon.

Conversely, de-escalation and surrender. Open hands, spread in front of them. Hands above head. (Raised slowly, transitioning from the simple woah-calm-down gesture to full on surrender as the situation gets tenser.) Going still. Slow, careful movements being sure to keep hands where they can be seen. Laying down weapons. Hands on head. Getting down on the floor. Deliberately making oneself vulnerable to prove non-hostile (or non-resisting) intent.

Alternately, deliberately showing “vulnerability” to demonstrate how little of a threat you consider the other person. The slouch of villainy. Casually putting weapons away or turning one’s back, confident that they won’t do anything. Open posture, casual, relaxed in the face of apparent danger.

Signs of fear. Flinching. Trembling. Closed, defensive posture. Tension. Backing away. Fidgeting. Lip-biting. Arms hugged close to chest. Or refusing to lower defences. Checking for escape routes. Trying to insist that they don’t come any closer.

It’s possible to do power plays without getting near to or directly acting in the direction of the person you’re playing at, and one great way is by claiming pieces of the set.

A character can vastly expand their area of influence by laying a hand on a table, for example. If you’re standing on opposite sides of a large table, and one of you puts your hand down, that can symbolically take you up into the other party’s personal space in a much subtler and more deniable way than actually getting up in their face.

there are a lot of fun ones listed here and here but for the most part, they were made years ago and are now a dying breed. i get why. there's no money in it. factoring in the cost of web hosting and servers, it probably costs money. it's just sad that it's a dying art form.

anyway, here's some of my favorite browser-based interactive projects and games, if you're into that kind of thing. 90% of them are on the lists that i linked above.

A Better World - create an alternate history timeline

Alter Ego - abandonware birth-to-death life simulator game

Seedship - text-based game about colonizing a new planet

Sandboxels or ThisIsSand - free-falling sand physics games

Little Alchemy 2 - combine various elements to make new ones

Infinite Craft - kind of the same as Little Alchemy

ZenGM - simulate sports

Tamajoji - browser-based tamagotchi

IFDB - interactive fiction database (text adventure games)

Written Realms - more text adventure games with a user interface

The Cafe & Diner - mystery game

The New Campaign Trail - US presidential campaign game

Money Simulator - simulate financial decisions

Genesis - text-based adventure/fantasy game

Level 13 - text-based science fiction adventure game

Miniconomy - player driven economy game

Checkbox Olympics - games involving clicking checkboxes

BrantSteele.net - game show and Hunger Games simulators

Murder Games - fight to the death simulator by Orteil

Cookie Clicker - different but felt weird not including it. by Orteil.

anyway, here's all of the recommendations from the reblogs. not all of them are text-based, but it's a great mixture of styles. also don't forget the links in the second paragraph of the OP which will take you to FMHY where there are a bunch more games listed.

Games

A Dark Room - text-based science fiction role-playing game.

corru.observer - science fiction adventure web game.

Improbable Island - old-school text adventure game.

Candy Box 2 - incremental clicker game that evolves into RPG.

Arcanum - open source wizard clicker game.

sandspiel, Powder Game, Powder Game 2, The Powder Toy - more sand physics games.

Orb.Farm - fishtank simulator.

Façade - experimental game with a real-time interactive narrative where you try to fix a failing marriage.

The Catacombs of Solaris - trippy art game.

Yume Nikki Online - online version of the surreal classic plus fangames.

The Barncle Goose Experiment - combine element/alchemy game based on antique theories of abiogenesis.

Fallen London - free-to-play text-based open world RPG.

Nested - very unique text-based universe expanding game. described as possibly @orteil42's favorite thing he's ever made.

The Process of Elimination - interactive web novel (by @hypertextdog)

Discworld MUD - multiplayer, text-based, online game (a MUD, or text MMORPG) based on the Discworld books.

Horse Master - surreal text game about training a horse.

EYEZMAZE - flash (RIP) or HTML5-based puzzle games.

You Are Jeff Bezos - text game. spend Jeff Bezos' fortune.

The Password Game - challenging puzzle game where you have to meet password requirements (by neal)

Universal Paperclips - incremental paperclip making game.

Half-Earth - planetary disaster planning game where you try to save the world using socialism.

ChooseYourStory - community-driven website centered on CYOA style story games.

PhD Simulator - random event based text game. make your choice each month and see if you can graduate on time.

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup - open source roguelike.

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead - turn-based survival roguelike set in the modern day.

Nethack - open source roguelike originally released in 1987.

FarmRPG - simple, mobile-friendly, text-based farming RPG.

Kingdom of Loathing - browser-based community MMORPG.

PokeRogue - browser-based Pokemon roguelike

Tools

Text Game Builder - works in your browser, with just a little bit of Python (by @grumpygandalf)

Twine - great (free!) tool for making text-based games quickly.

Ink - scripting language for interactive fiction (also free)

Flashpoint Archive - a community effort to preserve games and animations from the web.

PICO-8 - fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games and other computer programs.

Non-Games

Library of Babel - interactive illustration which attempts to simulate what it might be like to browse The Library of Babel.

Superbad - technically not a game, sprawling website full of secrets.

17776 - serialized speculative fiction multimedia narrative about football in the far-future. beautiful, creative, legendary. created by Jon Bois, a legend and one of my favorite writers of all time.

Choice of Games - text-based, choose-your-own-adventure games (interactive fiction). some free-to-play, others can be bought like an ebook.

The Deep Sea - scroll to the bottom of the ocean. encounter the humble squid and his friends (by neal)

Space Elevator - like The Deep Sea, but up instead of down. you can equip your avatar with a scarf (by neal)

Internet Artifacts - an interactive history of the early internet (by neal)

If The Moon Were Only One Pixel - scroll through an accurately scaled model of the universe.

r/incremental_games - reddit community for incremental games.

r/WebGames - reddit community for web games in general.

Disclaimers - If your resource is here and you would like for me to remove it or change something related to it, just lmk and I will do so as soon as possible! I did as well as I could to make sure these resources are reliable, but if you notice something is off, please lmk! Feel free to add other resources in the reblogs :)

1. The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System Timeline by VagabondDawn on ao3

2. svsss canon log by allpiesforourown on Tumblr/Google Doc

3. [Guide] The Scum Villain's Self Saving System by Jin_Mitel on ao3

(^^ An Index of Jin_Mitel's other guides, many look useful for this purpose/others are scum villain focused! Find them at A Guide to Fictions)

4. Guide of Locations in Scum Villain Self-Saving System by misfitmonarchy and stardust_falling on ao3

5. A Partial Beastiary for Chinese Mythology and Folklore by PyrrhaIphis on ao3

6. Guide to Writing Scum Villain (or XianXia and XuanHuan in general) by velveteentuzhi on ao3

7. Stallion Novels: A Guide by ibex_ascendant on ao3

8. Chinese Names + Naming Resources by lingxhr on Tumblr (Useful for OCs!)

9. Chinese Naming Basics for Fanfiction Writers by miqqumi on ao3 (Danmei/SVSSS Specific! Useful for honorifics! Contains a long list of resources for this subject)

10. How to Name your Chinese Characters by drwcn on Tumblr (Useful for OCs!)

11. ziseviolet on Tumblr (For hanfu fashion history, explanations, and inspo! A lot of helpful history and cultural information/resources as well! Extremely helpful, see their masterposts on their blog to start)

Ziseviolet's masterposts one and two

12. peekofhistory on Tumblr (Really incredible history/arts/crafts/guqin making and lessons(!!)/culture resource! Highly recommend to check them out!)

[by Mark Cookman / Tribality 1, 2, 3]  @we-are-pirate, @we-are-scarlet-corsair

Officer Roles on a Pirate Ship 

If you are running a game with pirates in it, then you should know what the job entails. It’s not all boarding ships, counting booty, and drinking rum like you might think. A great deal of hard work is required to run a sailing ship with a law-abiding crew, let alone one populated by pirates. In this essay we are going to examine the five principle officers on board a pirate ship, their duties, and their responsibilities. This is part one of a three part lesson. In the next lesson we will examine the duties and responsibilities of other officers and crew members with special duties. In the final lesson, we will look at one very special group of crew members that are almost always overlooked. Read on to learn what pirates expected of their primary officers.

The principal officers of a pirate ship were the captain, the quartermaster, the pilot, the boatswain, and the master gunner. On some ships these positions were all elected by an equal vote of the crew and on others the captain picked the crew members he wanted to serve in the positions. The captain on a pirate vessel was almost always elected by an equal vote of the crew. On a privateer vessel this was not very often the case. Privateer captains were often the owners of the ship or were given commission by their monarch to take a vessel to sea. So it follows with the other officers. If the captain was elected, then generally all of the officers were elected. If the captain was appointed or held his position by means of ownership, then generally he picked the officers. In either case, an officer on a pirate ship served at the whim of the crew. Even a man picked by the captain would be booted down to a simple crewman if he could not do his job. For the most part though, a person elevated to serve as one of the principle officers did so for life. The title of this article refers to the fact that most often the authorities that captured, tried, and hung pirates concentrated on the five principle officers of the ship. These officers were generally the most intelligent and skilled crewmen on board the pirate vessel. They were people that everyone else on board the ship admired for their ability to do their job. Diligent action is the mother of respect on board a ship.

Captain

The captain, however he came to his position, was chosen for his leadership, bravery, and cunning. The captain was responsible for the ship and everything aboard her; every item and every man. He was responsible for the overall decisions affecting the ship and her crew. The captain decided where to sail and what to attack. He was the voice of his crew to all beyond the ship. He often led his crew in battle. In terms of daily duties, the captain kept a log of the voyage, managed the affairs of the ship through the officers, and generally served a four to six hour shift at the helm. The captain stayed in power by being successful. As long as there are prizes to plunder, rum to drink, and food to eat, the captain will not be voted out or mutinied against. It is when things get lean that the captain must worry about crew voting him unfit for command.

Quartermaster

The quartermaster (or first mate on a privateer vessel) was the number two man on the ship. He was responsible for enforcing the ship’s articles and administering punishment when necessary. The quartermaster was the trustee of the ship and her crew. He directly represented the crew to the captain. It was his responsibility to serve as a counterbalance to the captain in decisions that might be hazardous to the ship or the crew. A wise captain made no decisions that his first mate didn’t support. The quartermaster took responsibility for prize vessels and picked the treasure that the crew would take from a prize. He was also responsible for counting the booty and splitting the shares. Each day would find him working with his subordinate officers the boatswain, the master gunner, and the master at arms to effectively run the ship. The first mate also served a turn at the helm, generally a four to six hour shift.

Pilot

The pilot was the number three man on the ship and often the most educated. He served as the ship’s navigator and was generally the best all around sailor aboard the ship. He was responsible for plotting the ship’s course and maintaining that course. The pilot maintained all of the ship’s charts and maps as well as the tools of navigation. He was charged with keeping a daily log of every event relating to the sailing of the ship. He recorded the depth, the currents, the wind patterns, the ship’s location, the locations of reefs and sandbars, and the state of the rigging. He reported directly to the captain. The pilot oversaw the work of the sail-master and almost always had at least one assistant (a pilot’s mate) to help him with his duties. The pilot and his mate both served separate shifts at the helm in addition to taking readings from the moon and stars to plot and maintain the course.

Boatswain

The boatswain was the number four man on the ship and often the most feared by the crew. He was in charge of the provisions for the ship. He maintained the stores of food, water, rum, gunpowder, shot, sails, rope, wood, and tar required to keep the ship and crew fit for action. The boatswain also directed the loading of cargo into the hold to maintain the proper ballast to ensure level sailing. He was in charge of keeping the watches on the ship and maintaining discipline among the deck crew. He was responsible for the ship’s longboats and for picking a crew to man the sweeps when the longboats were used. The boatswain was charged with maintaining the ship’s seaworthy status. He oversaw the duties of both the carpenter and the cook. The boatswain generally had a mate to help him with his responsibilities. In general, his duties were to make certain that all the work of running the ship was done. He reported to the quartermaster. The Boatswain was often the most feared man on the ship because his obligations often made him uncompromising. It was his responsibility to keep everything “ship-shape”. Leniency was something the quartermaster might give to the crew, but it was not something the boatswain was in the position to give. Day and night, the boatswain would drive the crew to do whatever work was required. He maintained the watch log and reported any problems to the quartermaster.

Master Gunner

The master gunner was the number five man on the ship. He was responsible for the care and cleaning of all firearms, culverin (deck guns), and cannons on board the ship. He was also responsible for training the crew in the use of both firearms and ship’s weaponry. The master gunner picked and ran the gunnery crew. He reported to the quartermaster, but was responsible to the entire ship to make certain that the cannons hit the declared target. He was also responsible for maintaining the inventory of powder and shot for all of the guns on the ship. The master gunner was the only crew member besides the captain and the quartermaster entrusted to carry a key to the ship’s powder magazine. Additionally, the master gunner often led or picked hunting parties when they were called for. His day to day duties mainly consisted of drilling the gunnery crew and maintaining the guns.

The Next in Line to Hang – More Roles on a Pirate Ship

In this second part of a three part lesson dealing with the crew positions aboard a pirate vessel, we are going to look at the responsibilities of the Sail-master, the Carpenter, the Cook, the Surgeon, and the Master at Arms. These were all lower officer positions and were either voted upon or assigned by the captain as discussed in the first part of this lesson. The sailors who served in these positions were skilled laborers and, as such, their skills were always very much in demand on a ship. They were almost always offered a greater share of the treasure because of their skills. These were definitely crew members that a pirate ship could not function without.

Sail-master

The Sail-master was the most experienced crewman in the rigging and usually one of the best sailors on the ship. He was responsible for maintaining the sails and the rigging. The Sail-master knew every knot, line, rope, block and tackle in the rigging as well as how to repair them all. He was also responsible for training and running the sail crew as well as overseeing the making and patching of sails. The Sail-master took orders from and reported to the pilot.

Carpenter

The Carpenter was a skilled wood worker, often with some shipwright experience, who did all of the woodworking required by the crew. He was primarily responsible for repairing damage to the wooden portions of the ship and for plugging leaks that got too bad. (Ye should understand right now, before ye go to sea, that all ships leak, mates. It’s just when they really leak badly that you have to worry about it.) The Carpenter was also responsible for the construction of barrels and crates, as needed, to store cargo, as well as maintaining the tools of his trade. He took orders from and reported to the Boatswain.

Cook

The Cook was one of the most important of the lower officers. He was in charge of all matters relating to food on the ship. He made certain there was enough food, water, and rum on board for the planned cruise. He cooked the meals and suggested rationing when it was necessary. The Cook butchered the meat brought back by hunting parties and was the only man trusted to light a fire below decks. He maintained the necessary tools for both cooking and butchering. The Cook took orders from and reported to the Boatswain.

Surgeon

The Surgeon was likely one of the toughest men on the ship. He served as the barber/doctor/emergency surgeon for the entire crew. He was equally capable of shaving your beard and cutting off your damaged leg. The Surgeon dealt with not only the sick and the wounded, but also the dead. He, like the other lower officers, was responsible for maintaining the necessary tools of his trade. The Surgeon took his orders from and reported to the Quartermaster. It was rare for a ship to have a real doctor and it was common for the carpenter or the cook to fill this role as needed.

Master at Arms

The Master at Arms was often the most skilled warrior on the crew. He was responsible for training the crew in hand to hand combat. He also led the ship’s boarding parties and hunting parties when they were necessary. The Master at Arms position was not a separate position on every vessel and often these responsibilities fell to the Quartermaster. When the Master at Arms position was filled on a ship, he took orders from and reported to the Quartermaster.

These 5 core positions represent the Non-Commissioned Officers of a pirate or privateer ship. These men all commanded other men on work details and so their words carried great sway with the crew. It was often from among these men that the next captain was chosen when a captain lost his position through a vote of no confidence. Thus, these were the men that the captain had to keep loyal to him to stay in command of the ship.

And Hang the Musikers, Too – Even More Roles on a Pirate Ship 

In this article, we will be looking at the makeup of the crew itself. Remember that the only rule with pirates is that there are no rules; no two crews of any two pirate ships were exactly the same. Even so, we can narrow down some roles common to pirate/privateer crews based upon the jobs that must be done aboard ship. Most simply put, pirate crews are a mixture of brutes, gunners, swabbies, and musikers. Let’s examine each category in turn.

Brutes

A great deal of hard work and heavy hauling is involved in just sailing a tall-masted ship. In strong winds the canvas sails must be man-handled by a deck crew that is stronger. Loading and unloading supplies, most especially cannons or chests of gold, requires a number of strong backs. This is why every ship has its share of brutes – big, strong men capable of handling themselves no matter the work or the fight. In addition to the tasks already mentioned, brutes would be key men in hunting parties, ship boarding, and raiding groups as well. Keep in mind that not all brutes need to be hulking bruisers. A wiry-tough and dexterous hunter, skilled with both blades and long rifle, could be a brute as well. Brutes, no matter their size, do not shrink from a hard task. Men of this sort make up perhaps as much as ½ of a pirate crew, but they will be mixed among the gunners and swabbies, not a stand alone corp. Most of the men on a pirate or privateer ship were probably gunners.

Gunners

Depending upon the size of their shot, each cannon required a crew of either 3 or 4 men to load and fire it. So a sloop carrying 4 small guns per side would require a minimum of 24 men to fully maintain them and that does not include the officers directing the cannon fire. On a large ship, like Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, a full gun crew would be 160 men dedicated only to firing the cannons. (It is important to note here that Blackbeard had a total crew compliment of 125 on board the Queen Anne’s Revenge.) These crewmen would have to be available 24/7 to do their job whenever required, but otherwise might have no duties on the ship. There was double-duty in most crews though. Most pirate ships didn’t keep a full compliment of gunners like warships of the time did because fewer crew members meant fewer shares and that meant more money for everyone when the treasure was split. Gunners could make up between 1/3 to 2/3 of a crew.

Swabbies

Swabbies, or actual trained sailors, are the crew members responsible for handling the rigging and the sails to keep the ship moving. These are the guys and gals who climb the ratlines into the rigging and walk the spars that jut from the masts. Swabbies sometimes fight from the highest position that they can get to on their own ship and then leap into the rigging of the enemy vessel when boarding. Often dexterous fighters, swabbies are known for leaping into the fray, but sometimes they hide in the rigging as deadly snipers. It might be surprising to discover that skilled sailors usually comprised less than 1/3 of the total crew compliment of the ship.

Musikers

It is difficult to prove that “musikers”, or musicians as we call them, were ever a stand-alone part of a pirate crew. However, two excellent examples from the pirate period demonstrate that they have been a common part of most ships of war, pirate and privateer ships included. The first example is from the early Seventeenth century. In Captain John Smith’s advice concerning how to conduct a one-on-one naval engagement he remarks when preparing to board one should, “… sound Drums and Trumpets, and Saint George for England.” The second example comes from the early Eighteenth century. In the articles of Captain Bartholomew Roberts it is stated: “The Musikers to have Rest on the Sabbath Day, but the other six Days and Nights, none without special Favour.” When thinking about the musicians on board a ship in the 16th to 18th centuries, one must not think of a band. That would be far too organized a concept. There is no way to know how many crew members may have been musicians, but one assumes that the number is not large.

It is likely that ships of this period had crew members who owned musical instruments as varied as brass horns, mouth harps, fiddles, bag pipes and accordions. Furthermore, sailors could gather numerous instruments from the various ports of call their ship made. Examples here are numerous: cowhide and goatskin drums from Africa, dried gourd maracas from Cuba, bamboo drums and flutes from Hispaniola, and even tambourines from Morocco. Pause a moment and consider the combined sounds of all of the instruments mentioned here. Now you know why a band is not the idea you want to have. The musicians were popular with the crew, as they were entertainment as well as a valuable battle element. The musicians played during meal times and during work breaks allowing the crew some entertainment to break the monotony of long hours of tiring work. This boost in moral was welcome at anytime, but was perhaps the most effective when used in battle.

How bodies decompose

Wilderness survival skills

Mob mentality

Other cultures

What it takes for a human to die in a given situation

Common tropes in your genre

How bodies decompose

Wilderness survival skills

Mob mentality

Other cultures

What it takes for a human to die in a given situation

Common tropes for your genre

Howdy newbies and welcome to Tumblr, it takes a bit of setup to get this site running well so here’s what works for me. One of the neat things about this site is that its a different experience for everyone, so tailor these settings towards what you want from this site. 

An Intruder is just someone who isn’t supposed to be here. An Interloper may be an Intruder (I think it’s possible for an Interloper to not be an Intruder depending on context), but they are very different vibes. Interlopers are actively interrupting something, something focal and probably important.

I accept payment in trillion-cut black diamonds.

it doesn’t have to be a “punch line” as in the end of a joke. It could be the part that punches you in the gut. The most exciting, juicy, shocking info goes at the end of the sentence. Two different examples that show the difference it makes:

doing it wrong:

She saw her brother’s dead body when she caught the smell of something rotting, thought it was coming from the fridge, and followed it into the kitchen.

doing it right:

Catching the smell of something rotten wafting from the kitchen—probably from the fridge, she thought—she followed the smell into the kitchen, and saw her brother’s dead body.

Periods are where you stop to process the sentence. Put the dead body at the start of the sentence and by the time you reach the end of the sentence, you’ve piled a whole kitchen and a weird fridge smell on top of it, and THEN you have to process the body, and it’s buried so much it barely has an impact. Put the dead body at the end, and it’s like an emotional exclamation point. Everything’s normal and then BAM, her brother’s dead.

This rule doesn’t just apply to sentences: structuring lists or paragraphs like this, by putting the important info at the end, increases their punch too. It’s why in tropes like Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking or Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick, the odd item out comes at the end of the list.

Subverting this rule can also be used to manipulate reader’s emotional reactions or tell them how shocking they SHOULD find a piece of information in the context of a story. For example, a more conventional sentence that follows this rule:

She opened the pantry door, looking for a jar of grape jelly, but the view of the shelves was blocked by a ghost.

Oh! There’s a ghost! That’s shocking! Probably the character in our sentence doesn’t even care about the jelly anymore because the spirit of a dead person has suddenly appeared inside her pantry, and that’s obviously a much higher priority. But, subvert the rule:

She opened the pantry door, found a ghost blocking her view of the shelves, and couldn’t see past it to where the grape jelly was supposed to be.

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May I present to you, nationalclothing.org?

Online, sometimes you can find seamstresses and tailors of cosplay or larp costumes, who do historical dress. The makers live or die by the authenticity of their work as a point of competition. So sometimes they link to the sources they used. try insta and pinterest.

You may also want to try “history of fashion,” “historical dress,” “history of costume,” etc search terms. You might get links to book publishers of huge historical dress tomes from publishers like Phaidon, Rizzoli, Taschen, the Metropolitan Musem’s Costume Institute (X).

Or try the most important fashion universities’ publications: Parsons (X), Central St. Martin’s (X), The F.I.T. (X) etc.

Some book options:

My personal favorite that I own:

Fashion History, by The Kyoto Costume Institute

(only goes back to 1700s tho)

And the all-important