#mod letter

Thank you!! Mod Letter made the design and I basixally just gave it the ok hdjsvdj

We never really liked the og Henry design so it was fun to make something new!

Also yess!!! Batim 2026!!!

We are so glad people are liking the story so far and are actually engaging!!

- Mod 💠Noir💠

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TYSM!!! 🥺🥺🥺

There's like, 3 other drafts of Henry's design probably sitting in my recycling bin from when we were figuring out what to keep and what not to keep from his canon design. This was the one with the least clothing layers ANDNDJDJD. (Seriously tho why does he have an undershirt, button up, undone tie, overalls, and a suit jacket??? 😭)

The glasses and chain always stayed tho because I liked it too much lmao.

We were actually a tad worried no one would find our blog cause it's batim in 2026 but WE WERE WRONG 👍

Dear Inferno,

Thank you! The parallels are uncanny, for certain.

Just like the real Phoenix, I have proteges to do all the work while I get all the credit. I just hope I can keep from footing the burger/noodle bill.

Dear Certainly Bobby Fulbright,

The tag to send mail directly to me has been returned. Sorry about the slow response to that!

The mods who handled things in my absence certainly did a good job. I’m very appreciative of what they’ve done here. Of course, I’m just a helping hand myself now. Gone are the days of me running things solo. They’re the real team here. I’m just coming back to enjoy the occasional letter because I can.

(Previous Letter)

(Link in Letter)

Dear Guquis,

Emperor of the Universe? That’s a way better title than Mod. I got ripped off.

(Song in Letter)

Dear kichu200211,

I’m not that terrifying.

I’d like to thank everyone who had encouraging and welcoming words in the inbox for my return. It means a lot. Things won’t be like before, but that’s how it goes. The world keeps turning and we must turn with it.

Hello HL fandom!

Happy Holidays! Quick reminder, for those who have a Secret Santa, friendly reminder that you have until the 31st of December to give your secret santa to your partner! If you will have trouble with your deadline, please contact us.

Also please tag your gifts as "hl secret santa" so we can compile them easier. Thank you for participating nd have a wonderful vacation!

Dear C Ranked Gouken,

He definitely looks like an action hero.  I’ve never seen Phoenix look so “cool” before.  I’m not sure how to handle it.  We need more art of him being a dork ASAP.

Wait, here’s a better representation.

Dear Anonymous,

I think this is another case of people interpreting any female in the game as Maya.  If you’ll recall, people were scared the body that turned out to be Candace Arme was Maya because she had black hair and bangs.  Now’s not the time to be jumping at shadows.

So here’s what was gleamed from the scans:

This time, the game is set outside Japan. Naruhodo has come to the unnamed country for a reason, but luck has it he gets involved with some case. The people in this country seem to believe in the spirits of the dead. In their courtrooms, there's a big Water Mirror (mizukagami) set in the floor. On the upper 3DS screen, we see images and words floating in the water, while in the lower screen we see what appears to be part of a testimony and the option to present something.

The boy is called Bokto Tsuani (bokuto tsuaani -> Boku to Tour ni -> On a Tour With Me) and he is a monk-in-training, who works as a tour guide to make some money. Once he starts his tour-guide-talk, he can't be stopped.

There's also a screenshot of a mysterious girl. According to the text, she is not a prosecutor, witness, nor the judge.

We aren’t in Japanifornia this time.  However, there are very Magatama-esque markings, particularly around the new boy’s neck.

Yet it’s not the Magatama we know.  It’s squiggly at the bottom like a flame.  Actually, it’s a flame like shape similar to how Japanese spirits are portrayed.  You’ve also seen them in Ghost Trick.

This leads me to think this place could be home to a new channeling community.  After all, the Kurain Channeling Technique being specified as “Kurain” means there has to be another type, right?  Actually, the screenshots make this place look so grand, it could be a giant spirit medium hub world.  With the mountains in the back, it could even be where Maya went to train as mentioned in her letter in Dual Destinies.

Whatever the case, this whole setup screams Maya at the top of its lungs.  We have spirits, we have Magatamas, and we have Pearl’s constant reminder that Mystic Maya’s almost done with training and will be returning.  If she’s not actually a character in this game with all these spirit themes I’m just shutting down the blog and leaving.

Now then, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at this partial screenshot:

She has bangs and black hair, much like our favorite medium, but I don’t believe her to be Maya.  Her aesthetic doesn’t match, what with the face paint and that little headdress in the back.  That’s not to mention how her staff (or whatever that is) doesn’t have the traditional Kurain Magatama or how her hair is styled as a pair of handles.  They wouldn’t reveal Maya’s return in some random screenshot anyway.  She’ll have a larger feature, like Edgeworth and Pearl did for DD.

So perhaps this other lady’s another medium?  Perhaps she’s another channeling technique’s Master?  Does Maya have a rival character of her own now?  I suppose we’ll find out more at TGS.

Dear Followers,

I'm putting my thoughts below the cut because there will be spoilers.  Let's face it, I can't tell you my thoughts on the game without discussing that ending.  You know what I mean.

Spoilers below the cut.  Don't read them unless you've finished the whole game.

Dear Anonymous,

Nope.

Right now.

Before I get to the letters addressed to me, I would first like to address each and everyone of you.  Yes, you, sitting right there.  Time permitting, I would type all of your names individually.  This is that critical.

Something very important happened at E3.  The focus on it was extremely brief.  In fact, I'm sure many of you didn't notice it or did not truly understand its impact.  That is why I have typed this preface.

Yes, we finally got our PLvsAA release date of August 29th.  We also got the 3DS Smash Bros. release date of October 3rd.  Both are big; huge in fact, but there was something else before Nintendo even took the virtual stage.

What I assumed impossible, what I have wanted for many years now, is coming true.  I had thought it only a silly dream.  I was long beyond imagining the world could ever house such benevolence.  I had already mourned gaming's peak back in 1998 and had resigned myself to riding the out the tides as mankind fumbled in futility to reclaim the perfection achieved by one man and his team.

That man was Tim Schafer.

That perfection was Grim Fandango.

You can take Citizen Kane and burn it.  You can take the collected works of Shakespeare, stuff them in a bag, and drown them in the river.  Those were not but practice as humanity worked its way towards the pinnacle of entertainment that Lucas Arts unwittingly released upon the world 16 years ago.

Unable to surpass such glory, the gaming industry was at a loss.  Yes, we've have many excellent games both before and after Grim Fandango, but its combination of dark comedy and film noir, its blend of art deco and calaca inspired characters, remained unmatched.  So there was only one thing that could possibly be done.

It has been announced that the game is being remastered.  The technology to fully represent the impeccable style of Grim Fandango simply did not exist at its release.  Now, they are trying again.  The one flaw in the title, its dated graphics, is being removed.  There has never been a better time to be alive.

The remastering is currently being developed for PS4 and the Vita.  A PC release has heavily been suggested.  That is the game's home, after all.  Adventure games belong on PC.

Finally, after all these years, my dream is coming home.  As a personal favor, not to me, but to yourself, purchase this title.  Thank you for your attention.

Dear Anonymous,

I probably have to go with Adrian's infinite glasses supply.

Look at her go.

Dear Anonymous,

I probably am, but that's one of those things that just sort of developed more on this blog than in the games, much like how Protective Dad Phoenix came out of a single line about Trucy not being allowed to wear makeup.

People write in regarding those things a lot and, admittedly, I just think they're funny so I'll use them as punchlines a lot.  Apollo has a real short temper at times, and mocking his height is just an easy way to get a rise out of him.

I'll keep an eye on it.  I try not to over do things, but making fun of Apollo is a weakness of mine.

Dear Nameless Face,

The rerelease has the "HD" sprites like the iOS version, but with actual animation this time.  I think they fied some (but not all) typos too.

I think they might be adding bookmarks like in DD so you can jump into any case in the middle, but I'm not positive.

Dear AceSchlagsahne,

Negative, I am a meat popsicle.

(Original letter)

Dear Readers,

None of that general outline was set in stone or completely thought out.  It was just a skeletal idea that still required a lot of work... work it probably won't ever get.

It started out with me wanting to tie up loose ends and have certain conversations that weren't had.  It just started fleshing itself out until I wrote myself into a corner which is generally how it goes.  Getting out of that corner, even if you have to smash through a wall, is the real trick.

So in that regard, I don't really have more answers about the whole thing.  I never even had solid methods or motives.  I had Morgan Fey waiting in the wings to be a quasi-helpful character in regards to Kristoph's black locks, but I had no idea what I was doing with her.

That said, if Capcom took anything from this blog, they're more than welcome to it and I'd be super honored.  I'm pretty sure the chances are nil, though.

-The Mod