The First Blade: Balaraw - Winged Dagger

The First Blade: Balaraw - Winged Dagger

I realize I haven't been explicit about it on here yet (mostly because I'm not the best at keeping all my social media profiles up to date), but I am involved in the development of a Tabletop Roleplaying Game It's called Gubat Banwa- a TTRPG based around tactical grid combat, contemplative war drama, and high-flying martial arts, all of which taking place in an unapologetically Southeast Asian-inspired fantasy setting, developed by @makapatag with art direction by @villain-returns. Initially I developed the script that is used in the gamebook and diegetically in the setting- called Kasuratan- but I'll talk about that elsewhere.

With the Kickstarter launch imminent, I thought I'd do a bunch of Twitter X threads on a bunch of weapons I've drawn for the game counting down the final week before the launch. Then I thought: "Why aren't I posting these on tumblr also, at least I wouldn't lose my mind over character counts over here"- so here we are. These were supposed to be posted as Swordtember drawings, but then the KS launch got moved to October. Most of these blades are of Philippine make, since that is where my knowledge-base is and what I'm comfortable enough to share knowledge about. I thought it'd be nice to share a bit of blade knowledge from some of the cultures that inspired the setting. Without further ado, let us begin with the BALARAW.

Also known as a "winged dagger", it is characterized by its unique shape, consisting of a short leaf-shaped blade driven with the tang out into a hilt with two distinct protrusions, creating three prongs on the back with the tang included.

(Photos from an exhibit at The Met)

They may be held at the hilt like a regular knife, or they may be held in a manner not too dissimilar from how our neighbors in Southeast Asia hold keris. One may imagine it like a "push dagger" for lack of other reference points. It might be likened to the katar as well, in some sense.

(Sketches by the Gubat Banwa Art Director himself) Nowadays, the blade is frequently attributed to the People of the Upstream- the Mandaya group of peoples- though they would have seen much wider use in their day, likely also spanning across what is now the Visayas region of the Philippines.

(Modern rendition by Panday Keiven Tolentino of Itak Mindoro, Photo by Ramon H. Bathan) Something I've noticed from looking at Philippine blades all the time is that symmetrical, double-edged blades like these are rare, here. Blades that lend themselves more to stabbing than anything else aren't very prevalent either, and blades that do not- at first glance- appear to be made with tool use/foliage clearing/farmwork in mind don't make up the majority of specimens. The balaraw is unique in several different respects, and any self-respecting warrior Kadungganan of Gubat Banwa's Sword Isles would do well to mind its bite. The weapon makes an appearance in Gubat Banwa in the hands of the Beast Hunter- one of the many Disciplines ("character classes") whose techniques your character can learn in-game.

The Gubat Banwa Kickstarter launches in 7 days! Check it out here:

Kickstarter

Coming soon: Gubat Banwa - SEAsian Martial Arts Tactics Fantasy RPG

A Drama and Martial Arts Tactics RPG set in the Sword Isles: a Fantasy setting inspired by the refulgent history of Southeast Asia.

We'd appreciate any and all help in getting the word out. Support an independent TTRPG made by a team from the global south, looking to make waves through a fantasy setting where the Southeast Asian inspirations takes center stage!

The time has come. Raise the sails, sound the horns, bang the gongs! Glory awaits. It's time to sail the sky and seize heaven's thunderclaps! 

Gubat Banwa's KS is LIVE NOW!

Kickstarter

Gubat Banwa - Southeast Asian Fantasy Tactics RPG

The War Drama Martial Arts Tactics RPG set in the Sword Isles: a Fantasy setting inspired by the refulgent stories of Southeast Asia.

Seven Blades Until Glory

Gubat Banwa launches on Kickstarter TODAY! Just a few more hours before the highly-anticipated launch of this award-winning, SEA fantasy-based, tactical martial arts TTRPG. Godsfuck, that's a lotta adjectives.

I've been posting the weapons I've drawn for the game to count down the final week before the launch. These were supposed to be for Swordtember but we had to move it back a little bit.

Below are links to all the individual threads, providing details on each of these individual blades, including which cultures they belong to and how they might have been (and still are) used.

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The First Blade: Balaraw - Winged Dagger

I realize I haven't been explicit about it on here yet (mostly because I'm not the best at keeping all my social media profiles up to date),

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The Second Blade: Diplata - Extinct Bolo

Continuing the countdown to the launch of the Gubat Banwa Kickstarter coming up on the 10th of October- 6 days to go! Gubat Banwa is a tact

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The Third Blade: Hinalung - Handheld Speartip

Five days left to go before the launch of the Gubat Banwa Kickstarter campaign! Gubat Banwa is a TTRPG that allows you to play as warrior K

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The Fourth Blade: Panabas - "For Chopping"

Four days to the launch of the white-hot lightning that is the Gubat Banwa Kickstarter! Gubat Banwa is a TTRPG supported by the twin pillar

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The Fifth Blade: Kampilan - Warrior Made

Down to the last three days before Gubat Banwa launches on Kickstarter! Moon-eating titans, sword-souls and bullet devils, giant flying cro

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The Gubat Banwa Kickstarter launches in 2 days! Check it out here:

Forging onwards! It certainly doesn't help when blades are found far from home and are labelled with confusing specific terms or useless ge

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The Seventh Blade: Kalis - Bleeding Edge

And so- in the end- the wheel must turn, and a new day must usurp the old. Perhaps then, these long-fallen flowers will feed the soil, and

The Gubat Banwa Kickstarter launches in a few hours! Check it out here:

Kickstarter

Coming soon: Gubat Banwa - SEAsian Martial Arts Tactics Fantasy RPG

A Drama and Martial Arts Tactics RPG set in the Sword Isles: a Fantasy setting inspired by the refulgent history of Southeast Asia.

Off-hand tangent that I feel is related enough to mention: If you're doing professional work, you deserve professional pay, even if you personally don't count yourself as A Professionalᵀᴹ

"I don't really count you know since I'm not formally trai-" Shut up and price your art what it's worth.

"But it's not fair to those people who actually do this as a source of livelihood-" What's not fair is you setting a precedent for clients lowballing artists, by letting the same clients lowball you. Demand fair compensation.

"I mean it's not like I'm an expert or that I actually know what I'm doing or anything-" If they are HIRING YOU to do something, they clearly recognize your expertise relative to them. You know enough, fucking own it.

"I can just do this for free, I only do this as a hobby anyw-" A hobby? Fine- a hobby is still pieces of yourself expended; how little do you value your own time and love and labor? Are you nothing?? Do you cost nothing to trample underfoot like a ragged threadbare rag of wet lies and filthy insecurities??? Take the pay, goddammit.

There's got to be some merit in formal and professional training in the pursuit of the arts, but formal and professional training is no less "real" than the beauty of a random child of any age picking up a pen or a brush or a stylus for the first time and finding so much joy and wonder and catharsis to explore in what they allow themselves to create that they just- keep doing it, and eventually blunder ass-backwards into competence that they can't seem to fucking accept just because they don't have a degree for it. Enough of that, now. Do not ever lose sight of the fact that art should be accessible to everyone, in consumption and creation both.

art tips

don't call what you create "content". regardless of what it is. that's the devil talking. call it art, call it writing, call it music, call it analysis, call it editing, literally just call it what it is

I was going to put other things but oh my god please just don't call yourself a "content creator". you are a person you are making art / writing / music / etc you are an artist an author a musician

you are not an Image Generator For Clicks And Views. please. allow yourself to connect with your work by naming it properly and acknowledging yourself in kind

So- um-

How do I put this...

This humble rock-stacking game of mine has recently won an award!

Specifically, it is 1 of 20 winners of The Awards (2023), coordinated by Nico MacDougall with a panel of several lovely judges.

I'd love to say I'll be putting the game on sale to celebrate, but it's already free (or pay-what-you-want, technically). If you want to see for yourself whatever the judges saw in it that's fit to be remembered, you can go ahead and grab it right now for the cost of only the few megabytes of memory it takes to store it. The itch link can be found in the post above. Be sure to check out the other winners in this Twitter thread! My entry may be among the most wistful, but it is not the most exciting, nor the most mysterious, nor the most thought-provoking, laser-shooting, word-twisting, cyberpunking thing on the list by far. Every single one of these wonderful creations deserves their time in the spotlight.

Congratulations to all the winners, and my heartfelt gratitude to everyone behind The Awards 2023!

Hello again! I know this account is mostly my art and weapon designs, but I think it's about time I actually post about the games I write (since Tumblr allows me to make long text posts, as opposed to the burning bluebird site).

I designed this little game built around memories some time ago. You play with one (1) other person, working together to build a stack of rocks, and recalling your past together.

You take turns recalling your memories of each other, and adding a rock to your stack. The more it grows, the more precarious things become.

It's a bit of a wistful one, for those who like to lounge in daydreams, and those who lie bothered by small heartaches at night.

Is it- strange to say that it's a game that I, myself, am afraid to play?

River, mountain, field, or sea- no one knows where a rock may have come from or where it may end up, before and after it crosses your hands.

I don't- I can't- know where I reside in the memories of those I hold dear. Do we hold the same things close to heart? Do the memories we share, which I cherish in my mind, languish and fade in theirs? What is it that keeps people together? What is it that "we" are built upon?

What would it take to break things apart?

You can get it for free (it's pay what you want) on my itch page, here:

itch.io

i remember you. by R- (Tawen)

a game of memories, relationships, and falling apart.

Bisan's recent post. I think it's important for you to read it. Tonight 03.12.23, journalists in gaza share their last messages. There are no words to describe the horrors unfolding in gaza right now.

I no longer have any hope of survival like I had at the beginning of this genocide, and I am certain that I will die in the next few weeks or maybe days. I have been sick with severe viral infection for days and cannot move from the mattress!

I suffer from nightmares that are so closely resemble reality that I no longer differentiate between reality and dream.

I live in a world other than the one I claimed to be building! I am a community activist who lived on the fantasy that the world was free and just, and I sought to bring rights not only to my people, but to many men and women in third world countries!

I was shocked that I was not from the third world! Indeed, we are the most humane and moral! Yes, because the world approves, supports, and finances the genocide we are being subjected to, legislates it, and gives reasons for for 58 days! While we are a people who have been living on occupied land for 75 years and are still searching for our rights and communicating our voice to the world!

My message to the world: You are not innocent of what is happening to us, you as governments or peoples that support Israel’s annihilation of my people. We will not forgive you, we will not forgive you, humanity will not forgive you, we will not forget, even if we die, the history will never forget .

A Message to friends: Thank you and the supporters around the world. You have been compassionate and very strong. We ask you not to lose hope, even if the world seems completely unfair and your efforts have not yet resulted in a ceasefire.