* Thank you for asking about my beloved OC, who I have absolutely obliterated out of love <3. In the Ch 3 flashback, we see Noise as a child, same age or around Youngblood's age, training to be a bard in the bard's college. However, in the initial ch 3 fight scene where Noise is introduced, it is shown that Noise is a warlock, not a bard class. This means he serves under a pact with a higher power - and in his case, that power is the Bard King himself. This pact is bound by blood within his family line: generations sworn to serve whoever rules the Refrain. When the Bard King ascended the throne, Noise’s family pledged loyalty to him, and in return, their lives became bound to his service. From a young age, Noise was raised and trained to become a powerful bard within the college ranks. But while Youngblood excels at singing and music, Noise has never been much of a performer in those areas. Instead, he shines as a dancer. Noise enjoys much of his training, but over the years, he notices how it begins to take a toll on Youngblood. He doesn’t understand the depth of it until the flashback scene, when Youngblood loses control of his powers and accidentally burns Noise’s arm. It’s then that Noise realizes the extent of Youngblood’s suffering - that his training is pushing him beyond his limits, and he’s terrified of what he’s becoming. In response, Noise seeks an audience with the Bard King. He pleads for Youngblood to be allowed to rest and recover, expressing his fears that something is seriously wrong. But the Bard King does not take kindly to being questioned - especially by a servant bound to him by blood and pact. He finds Noise’s request insulting, even laughable. To teach him a lesson, the Bard King punishes him severely. In D&D 5e terms, a warlock who defies their patron pays a heavy price - and the Bard King inflicts his own a maddening pain upon Noise, giving him a thrall-like command to distance himself from Youngblood as punishment for his defiance. That is why he is initially unable to look for Youngblood when he leaves the college. He physically can not follow him. When Noise first sees Youngblood in Neon, he is not breaking his pact or fighting against it - as he was ordered to be there on a mission. However, when he lets Youngblood go at the end of Ch 3, and the Bard King discovers his involvement in Neon and with Youngblood, he is further inflicted by breaking pact again. The more Noise resists the pact, the stronger the corruption grows. Making it act as a full-fledged curse. This was meant to unfold starting in Chapter 5, where Noise’s curse begins overtaking him intermittently as he struggles against it - until the party can eventually find a way to free him in later chapters. *1st sketch art by erin -> rainydaysketch *2nd sketch art by me <3

If you remember anything from Virgil's concept process, was this ever pointed out? Or is it just a "well, it's fantasy, we can do whatever" moment?

It’s a personal decision for me to not genderlock any dnd races so I used that logic here. It’s fantasy and fun, ye.

Thank you for asking! <3 I have my own merch store for stuff based around my streamer-sona -> https://uwumarket.us/collections/beribrei

I also do commissions! I have a few slots left for this year but plan to re-open more in the new year -> https://vgen.co/breigrace

ss pppsare change.. zllease maybe even trivia..

:Oc are you talking about this guy ->

art by erin -> https://bsky.app/profile/rainydaysketch.bsky.social

sketch by me & erin This is Jockey (he/him), 2nd Chair in the Bard's College Court of Chairs and big brother (only in size) to Disc ->

art by me

This is Disk, 1st Chair in the Bard's College Court of Chairs. (she/her)

Together, they make the Disk Jockey duo that use rapidly changing tracks and hypnotic synth wave beats to fit any battle style. They're formidable, dangerous, but hot af and goofy.

They are actually both warforged characters who chose to have augmentations akin to their fav creatures - Disk being batlike & Jockey being doglike. lol.

Disk is ace & not incredibly interested in people - she's more interested in constantly improving her skills and music. She's kind, but very strict - though it's not always apparent by her mischievously dry attitude.

Jockey is Bi/Pan and ExTREMELY flirtatious. He loves attention and being in the spotlight. He gets a bit down in the dumps if people ignore him or don't pat his head. And his mood is often visible on his pixelated features and tail wags. This demeanor can sometimes lower people's guards though - which is dangerous, because he is incredibly strong and still very dedicated to "following the bard college rules" and enforcing them.

Here's a cute doodle of Jockey flirting with Cedar (player character oc of erin's) by erin -> https://bsky.app/profile/rainydaysketch.bsky.social

The royalties are a very recent development that I am pleased about and grateful for. Every little bit of support that I can get for my work will help me as I am still job hunting after being laid off.

I must admit, I was disappointed that this approach wasn’t taken, as I believe it limited the storytelling potential for both AJ and I, before I became stuck as the standalone writer for the series. It also seemed to create some confusion around the characterizations and expectations.

That said, I did my best to craft the campaign around the wishes of my players and employer to make something I had hoped would make them happy. I found joy in certain aspects of the story and character moments. However, I tend to prefer deeper, more thoughtfully crafted narratives in my DnD campaigns, and I felt somewhat constrained while working on RwR. I recognize that others may have felt similarly. While I’m grateful to those who enjoyed the series, I also acknowledge that my experience wasn't entirely fulfilling.

I continue to love writing DnD for myself and my friends, and I aspire to share my own campaigns through a podcast and comic format. My partner and I even hope to turn one of our campaigns into a video game. If you enjoyed even a portion of the story I contributed to RwR, I hope you’ll look forward to my original content in the future!

—

Also, I’m curious - what were your favorite moments in RwR (if any?)