Official Sketches

WLC 2.3: Must Love Gods

The chamber for Vanessa is as white as the rest of the shrine, but with a splash of color upon the pulpit coming through the stained glass window depicting the goddess' most common appearance: six winged eyes encircling a larger one, all wreathed in golden flame and squished as if concealed by unseen eyelids. A stack of prayer mats are tucked in the corner by the door. The altar stands less than a meter in front of the pulpit; it's supports resemble a bed frame decorated with engravings of the goddess' eyes with inset jewels for their pupils.

As Maraja approaches the altar, Ling slips up to the pulpit and stares into the window. Maraja and Kalyani begin praying and the eyes of glass give a brief twinkle.

L: Weren't really listening to what they were saying. It didn't look like it was working anyway, so, after ten minutes or so, I joined in as respectfully as I could.

"Oi, ya heavenly b*****d!" yells Ling, "Your girls need your help. Get down here!"

Kalyani gasps in shock.

"Hold your tongue," says Maraja, "You can't act like that here."

L: Though, my wizardly ways were less than appreciated.

Ling pounds on palms onto the pulpit persistently. "Ya dumb b***c," she yells again, "We came to see you."

L: And maybe the drink had its say too.

The blessed women grab Ling and attempt to pull her from the room. She clings on, yelling at the window.

"Thhiss behaviour iss unaccceptable," says Kalyani, "You are more likely to incur divine wrathh thhan aid."

L: But it worked.

A bright light fills the room as the goddess Vanessa emerges from the glass, her eyes and wings shimmering and a weaving of colors spirals behind her.

L: I'll never forget what we first said to each other. I told her, "Your radiance is blinding."

"Hey, ya glowing c**t," shouts Ling, desperately covering her unblinking eyes with her hands, "The room's white as snow, ya drongo!"

The goddess looks down on the three pained mortals and says, "Oh, I am so sorry! Let's turn that down to a soft glimmer." Her radiance dims down and the women regain their sight.

L: I doubt any mortal's said anything like that to her.

"Now, what was I doing? Ah, yes." The eyes surround Ling and glare at her. "You dare to enter holy ground and behave thusly? I am more than aware of your life and deeds, Kun Ling. Moving across the world may hide you from mortals, but you cannot escape my gaze."

J: You expect to believe she knew you already? L: Why wouldn't she? Of course, the Love Goddess'd heard of me. J: And you're proud of that? D: What are you talking about?

"Are ya going to help her or not?" asks Ling, her voice as flat as someone investigated by a blind elephant.

"Did you not hear me?" asks the goddess, the eyes spin around Ling, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I heard ya," says the wizard, "Ya can deal with me after ya help your champion rescue her girlfriend." She licks her eyes and resumes staring into the largest of Vanessa's.

Maraja resists correcting this statement, too afraid to speak in the presence of an angry god.

L: Angry's overselling it; irate, maybe?

"Why are you so concerned about them?" Vanessa's eyes narrow, "What do you stand to gain?"

L: It's an odd question, right? Took me a second to get it. Why wouldn't she just strike me down without being there?

"Ah, I see," says Ling, "This is a trial, right? Gods love trials. Ya already said ya knew me."

"Yes, I did," says Vanessa, "And I shall test your worthiness of my aid."

L: So we did a trial and I passed. D: What was the trial? L: Oh, uh, it was just some questions to prove... that I understood- understood... the concept of love. J: ... L: Shut up, Jevoi. That trial took several hours. Several long, glo- I mean, long, tedious hours.

WLC 6.3: Clueless

"I assume ya've checked with the few dwarves in town already?" asks Ling, pulling a pair of chairs out of the ground.

"Yeah," says Tanglepork, "None of them were hiring kobold kids for anything." She sits down. "So, it doesn't help."

"It does," says Ling, "At minimum, this dwarf comes near town every couple days. Likely lives nearby."

"That could still mean anything," says Tanglepork, annoyed, "Woodsman, hunter, bandit, merchant."

"So who'd hire a pair of schoolgirls?" asks Ling, "And for what?"

"Why are you so focused on this one?"

"If we know where this dwarf is, then we have a direction to start looking," says Ling, rubbing her temples, "Those two are the only clue ya've given me."

"We can't even confirm if this dwarf is real, Ling," says the deputy, shaking her head, "We've narrowed it down to only one possibility: the kids walked out of town. No magic residue, no un-alibi-ed adults, no signs of violence, nothing."

A: What's the point of this? If the wolf was killing kids, just say that. L: Who said she did? J: The story of us meeting on an eldritch cruise started with me doing a drug deal in the woods; give her a chance to set this up right.

"So why'ren't ya searching the bush then," asks Ling, "Why is the most secure exit being blamed? Something magical obvy happened to those kids, we just need to find where."

"We've already asked all of the parents," says Tanglepork as she sets her notes aside, "And none of the other kids are saying anything either. The only thing we could do is search blindly."

The two sit in silence for a moment.

"What if the culprit came to us?" asks Ling. As Tanglepork's eyebrow raises, Ling asks, "Any other kids leave town on the regular?"

"Tanglepork flips through her notes. "There's a little lycan who visits her grandmother every week," she says, "But we've told her parents not to let her while we're investigating."

J: Why would the sheriff bother if you're being blamed? L: Because if she went missing in the woods, that would mean... J: Understood, not the Underdank. Town would force the sheriff's hand. L: Town would've the sheriff's head.

"Does Nana Lycan know?"

"...no..."

"Then I've an idea."

WLC 5.1: Into the Woods We Go

J: It was about twelve years ago. L: After that cult nonsense. J: Yes, Mum. One story at a time.

A lanky black-cloaked figure walks alone down a dreary forest path. The path is old and seldom used. The sun overhead shines upward illuminating the other side of the world, reflecting back down far dimmer and weak enough to blocked by the few clouds. The noises of the forest sing: the breeze through the trees, the chirping of bugs, the hooting of an owl, and the howling of wolves in the distance. The figure marches forward, boots stomping on dirt, as her mind wanders.

L: I figured. It's when you ran away from home again. J: Let me tell the story, Mum.

The trail leads to an abandoned home. Years of neglect have let nature tear it down. It's roof has largely collapsed, it's door broken open, and the tell-tale signs of animals litter the property.

A figure cloaked in red waits by the broken door. As the other figure approaches, she growls, "Are you looking for trouble?"

"I have seen enough of it," answers the first.

The figure inside leans her muzzle out and says, "Set them down there."

"Tome first," says the one outside.

"That's not how this works," growls the one inside, "You put them down and I'll tell you where your d**n book is."

"I'm not putting it down," says the one outside in a matching tone, "Until you prove the tome is here."

"Maybe you can just give them to me then?" asks a dainty, third voice from the trees.

"Were you followed, d******e?" yells the voice in the house.

"You really think I didn't know about your granny's old house, Luminița?" asks the voice in the woods, "You, in the black, let me see what you've got there. It's nothing illegal, is it?"

"Of course not," says the black-cloaked, "There's nothing illegal in these woods, Sheriff."

"True that," says the voice in the woods and then a gunshot rang out. The black-figure fell to the ground. "Shame your mommy couldn't bail you out tonight, Jevoi."

D: GASP! Is that how you died? J: I didn't die. L: Tanglepork? Hmm. J: Yes, Sheriff Tanglepork.

Jevoi remains still on the ground. Gank's ghastly hand gently places the bullet onto the ground and her eyes envelop Jevoi's. She can see the soul of a gnome hiding amongst those of the trees, sneaking toward the house.

"You want to run~, Loomy~?" asks Tanglepork, singsongly, "You can try~eye~!"

Jevoi can see the soul of a large bipedal wolf lurking in the house, poised to strike.

Story Mode (English)

In Bushido Blade 2's Story Mode, the starting six characters (including Mikado) have different outfits than they use in the rest of the game.

I know how to switch it back, though. I said I was a dirty little hacker.

This video is every scene she's in. Video is my own; made it a while back. Her English VA is Wendee Lee, who also voices Jo.

The first part of the video is her role in other characters' stories. First as an enemy, then as a friend. The second part of the video is her own story route. The Narukagami crew only have one ending each in this game, while the Shainto have a choice at the end of theirs.

WLC 1.3: Say, "The Princess?"

The wizard's daughter loosened her posture as she stared into the dark backroom. "Please, come out here," she says, her eyes aglow.

At the sound of shuffling behind the wizard, the old gecko sighs, "Fine, do it."

A smaller gecko in a ragged brown dress scurries quickly next to, and hides behind, the wizard. "Nana Ling," she whispers, "Who is that?"

"Don't act like ya weren't listening," says the wizard Ling, her focus still on her own daughter.

Said daughter takes a few steps forward, around the fire, and leans down. "I'm Jevoi, your mother," she says, smiling for the first time in months. "What's your name?"

The little gecko leans out from behind Ling and looks at her nana. Upon seeing a faint nod, she says, "Dalini. My name's Dalini."

"Dalini," Jevoi repeats, "What a beautiful name: Princess Dalini." Dalini tilts her head in confusion. In response, Jevoi stands tall again. "That's right," she says, "I am the Dead Sun Empress, ruler of the Inner Dark." She pauses, looking over her little doppelganger. "And that makes you-"

Ling scoffs. "Still trying to rename Inner Glow?"

"It hasn't glowed in eight years, Mum," says Jevoi, her eyes darting to the wizard's bone-infused hat rim which masks her.

"And whose fault is that, Jevoi?" asks Ling, leaning back so that Jevoi could see her face again, the face they share.

WLC 3.8-1: Intermission

The three geckos remain sitting around the old brick house. The empress on her conjured throne, her daughter on the conjured stool, and her mother, the wizard, on her molded dirt chair.

"So, what happened next?" asks Dalini, "What did Gank do?"

Ling tips the brim of her violet wizard hat up to eye her daughter. "Yeah," she asks in a mock tone, "Who can continue the yarn?"

Jevoi rolls her eyes, "Oh, that would be-"

"ME!" yells a specter bursting out of Jevoi's body. The ghost of a four-armed lizard woman leaps into Dalini's face.

"A GHOST!" shrieks Dalini, running out of the room, crying.

"Gank!" yells Jevoi, "You said you were going to do something cool."

"That was cool," says Gank, floating back to Jevoi, "Look."

The adults peer over to Dalini hiding behind the doorframe. The young gecko is shivering in her tattered brown dress.

"No, Gank," says Jevoi, "What would have been cool was you saying, 'Hey,' from the doorway or while sitting next to her. Walking up from the wrong angle. We've been over this."

"I saw an opportunity and I took it," says Gank, crossing all of her arms smugly.

"Gank?" asks Dalini, slowly sneaking back to the group, "You're her friend?" Dalini looks the ghastly charda up and down. "Are you dead? ...Are you my other mother?"

"Yes. Yes," Gank says with a nod, "And NO." Firm head shake. "Your mom's already told you where she is. D'ya forget?"

"Why were you in my mum?" ask Dalini.

"That's where she lives now," says Ling. She waves to Gank, "How's unlife in my daughter treating ya? Speaking of, how's the missus feel 'bout it? Sharing her wife's a**e?"

"This is not an appropriate topic," says Jevoi, raising her hands in offense, "For several reasons, Mum."

"Same old, same old, Doc. Ling," says Gank, "And that's not a problem since-"

"STOP!" says Jevoi, clamping Gank's ghost mouth shut, "We're not talking about this!" She points at Ling. "You are the worst."

"So, what happened when you beat up my mum?" asks Dalini, now on the stool again.

"Yes, continue the story," says Jevoi, sitting down, "Please, anything else, right now."

Does that make the twins a pair of sneasels?

Sneasler + Hsien-Ko

WLC 4.6: Tonight, We Dine, In Hall

The dining hall is a grand display: many lengthy tables, elaborate chandeliers, fancy crystal 'candles', and cushioned chairs. Jevoi sits at the head of the table with Angustias on her right. Dalini sits on the left with an unimpressed Ling beside her.

Ling looks down the table into the empty room. "Where's the rest of them?" she asked.

"We're eating earlier than usual," says Jevoi, "I don't want to overwhelm Dalini."

"Don't want to be seen with me," accuses Ling, "Or want my eyes on ya?"

Before Jevoi can respond, a chime rings out and four covered plates float to the table.

"Eh, what's this display for?" asks Ling, "Why not some bloke?"

Jevoi pauses, as if realizing something, but disregards it.

The group uncover their food: Angustias has massive steak, Jevoi and Dalini have fruit salads with snails, and Ling has a large insect.

"Dire roach!" says Ling, "Ripper, the lobster of land." She breaks off a leg and begins sucking the meat out.

Dalini begins scooping fruit into her mouth by hand.

"Use a spoon, please," says Jevoi, pointing to the by Dalini's bowl, "It's rude to use your hands like that, Dalini."

"Okay," says Dalini, picking up the spoon and carefully trying to pick up the pieces.

"The fork may be more useful," says Angustias, cutting up the meat before her.

As Dalini stabs a strawberry, she asks, "So how did you meet?"

Jevoi swallows a bite of food and coughs. "That's- that's a bit of a story."

"We got time, Jevoi," says Ling, cracking open the roach's carapace, "And we got a third witness here too."

Gank briefly flickers behind Jevoi with a malicious grin, as Jevoi sighs. "I suppose we shouldn't keep it a secret."

WLC 7.1: Accidentally Posted Early

With dinner and the stories over, Empress Jevoi rings a phantom bell. "Let us retire then," she says, "As promised, I have agents ready to accompany you to bed, Mum."

Ling feels arms grab onto hers: lithe arms, yet a firm grasp; two people, nearly identical. Ling turns to see one then then the other.

They are a pair of vrow, but subtle traits in the eyes, brow, and ears hint at orc descent. They have a slight green tint to their violet skin,long raven hair, and shimmering yellow eyes. Both are clad in leotards with long gloves and boots and masks covering their mouths. One is in purple, the other pink.

"G'day," says Ling, "Didn't think ya were real."

"I made a promise," says Jevoi. She gestures to the ladies. "You know what to do."

"G'night, Dalini," says Ling as they haul her away, "Got some wizarding to do."

"G'night, Nana," yells Dalini, lifting her face off of her plate. "Have fun with your friends." She resumes sucking the plate clean.

After Ling has been removed from the room, Jevoi sighs. "This was a terrible mistake."

"It's not going to work," says Angustias.

"No," says Jevoi, alert again, "I mean the cake." She points to Dalini jittering about, now trying to eat the plate.

WLC 3.A: A Fishy Ending

Outside of the tower, Ling begins praying, "I humbly call upon ya, OH GREAT DAGEXTAN!" The others chant the name behind her. "Bless this land to feed this world, guard this land from those beyond death, and," Ling points at the wormsworn, "Accept this offering!"

The ground rumbles, harder and faster than the worms and spells had made it prior. It bursts open under the what remains of the undead pests. The massive fish-headed avatar of the agricultural god devours the monsters in one sucking bite.

"Return to Samsara, ya wiggly b*****ds," yells Ling.

The avatar leaps out of the ground, flailing his elven-looking limbs as he dives back into the ground. His splash is a healing wave across the battle-scarred land.

"We are so lucky that worked," says Oighrig, finally landing, "Your divine connections have saved us all."

"No worries," says Ling, "'Sides, ya'll did most of the work."

"I would never have thought to use the corpses themselves as the runes, Your Darkness," says Oighrig, "A most impressive display."

"Thank you," Melandria says with a bow.

"That's nice," says Ling walking into the tower, "But I got to check on my kid. Gash, you're still responsible."

Before Ling can get to far, Melandria's shadow hand stops her. "I know a faster way," she says. She pulls the group into the shadows and to just outside Gank's room.

Gash opens the door without knocking. Inside the room, Jevoi lies asleep on Gank's bed, with the charda sitting on the floor reading her tome. She shushes the adults as they enter.

"See, nothing to worry about," whispers Gash.

"Ya're lucky," whispers Ling, "Ya got a responsy kid here." She walks up to the bed. "Good on'ya, kid," she says to Gank, before picking up Jevoi, "And time to get ya back to bed."

L: I'd take it back, but... G: It's funny, now.

"Can I hold her?" asks Melandria, "No, I'm sorry. Ignore me."

"Go ahead, Mel," says Ling holding Jevoi up for the Shadow Queen to grab, "Sorry, I was... acting like that down there."

Melandria gently scoops Jevoi from her mother's arms and rocks her slowly. "You've nothing to apologize for Ling. The circumstances were... difficult."

"Struth, that was a stressful five minutes," says Ling, "Just glad she's okay. I was ready to end one of ya."

J: You did not say that. L: Yeah, I did. G: Was there, can confirm: she did. J: Your memory's wrong. G: Ghosts have perfect memory; I can't forget even if I try. L: I'm a wizard; I don't forget anything I don't want to.

"Mom, stop," says Gank, swatting one claw at Gish who is rubbing her head.

"Gank, was it?" asks Ling, "How'd you like a little job?"

G: One of the worst decisions of your life, right? L: Not even top ten.