Roma - Blog Posts
POSTS TWEETS HERE BC I DELETED THEM AND I GOTTA REMEMBER THEM FOR SESSION NEXT TIME
SESSION TODAY
SESSION TODAY WAS FUN..!!! Roma did his interview to get into Vallaki and it was interesting because despite the fact that Roma didn't know common and could really only answer with yes/know/a scattering of words, the guard was able to sus out enough that the reason questions like "are you here to commit ACTS OF SEDITION" or "ARE YOU CONTRACTED WITH ANY MALIGN ENTITIES" didn't raise any red flags with the Lie Detector Spider was because Roma's value system didn't align with the one in place in Vallaki... or in place in Barovia in general.
For better or for worse, Roma also was very forthright and in some ways generous with his statements, since its in him to be honest not just because of his nature, but also because he doesn't yet believe in the value and power of words, and doesn't feel like what he says can be turned against him in any literal, meaningful way... at least, not like in the Fey Forest where he grew up, where words are literally Binding and here its like, whatever. It makes mse SO nervous and its hard to not Not say things bc I as a player Know the consequences but ROMA.. DOESN'T CARE..!! HE'S GOTTA SAY OUT LOUD HOW STUPID HE THINKS STRAHD IS AND ALL THESE PEOPEL
Thankfully when he said he was visiting a girl here ("What reasons bring you here?") the guy thought he was. visting his girlfriend and not trying to rescue Our Fated Ally SDKJOGIJ
answering questions from that meme that popped out at me (aka the ones i can answer quickly)
2. what was your original concept for this character? how did playing them change that concept?
roma's original concept was a gentle person who desperately wanted to be loved/liked (VERY VAGUE CONCEPTUALLY) and this photo
His name used to be Amata to reflect this. Roma's current concept started with that "I was, in fact, raised by wolves" backstory snippet from DM's Guide, and that's still currently one of the cruxes of his character.
4. what one person, place, or thing do they love more than anything else?
van wicky c:
7. there’s a magic item (or technological innovation, or special resource) made just for them—what is it?
a pouch that dispenses little trinkets that he can give away, usually nature-y things or sparkly trinkets... things fey generally like
8. what songs remind you of them? if there are specific lyrics or movements, list ‘em!
this section from phoebe bridgers' graceland too
and that era of really high energy petty early 00s pop punk, paramore's misery business and olivia rodrigo's good 4 u type vibes
13. what are some motifs you associate with them? did you intentionally bring in those motifs, or did it happen over time?
Deep forest greens (intentional), shadows intentionally and also unintentionally thru campaign events, pinecones and pine trees (unintentional)
20. what attracts them to someone—platonically and/or romantically, anything counts.
i described roma's type to a friend of mine and they said "so someone who looks like they'd survive natural selection?" and that's pretty much it
23. in what moment did they consider themselves to be “grown up”?
When he could keep up with pack hunts without physically struggling. When he got taller.
24. are they close to any family members?
He was actually very close to his (dog) mom and pretty close with the rest of his (dog) family.
29. what feelings do they internalize?
Pain! Mostly physical, but on the occasions he can't dispel it mental as well. He's pretty good at hiding it in that, wild animals hiding their wounds way
35. when did they feel loneliest?
Dying after Strahd killed him, and having to broker a deal with Osybus to live again.
39. are they insecure about their appearance? how about their personality? what aspects specifically worry them?
Not normally (at least not for long) but currently their biggest worry is that Osybus is going to change Roma into someone he currently would hate, but after transformation he simply wouldn't realize.
Generally, he is worried about coming to hate the people he currently likes, because the deal he has with Osybus seems to mean that every time he makes a wish in the future it'll continuously change Roma as he knows himself until unrecognizable
48. do they relate to anyone in their group? conversely, which person do they relate to the least?
In the party, when they were still around Roma connected with Elle the most, and for the most part Roma's felt fundamentally opposed to Vice.
52. how would they dress themselves up for a formal event?
Unfortunately they wouldn't go to a formal event ): But I imagine if they went they'd dress in a simple black linen dress, square shaped neckline, narrow sleeves that go over his knuckles, and a Really bushy flower crown made of pine leaves and smaller pinecones. Pine perfume. Barefoot.
53. do they keep their plans close to their chest?
No, he infodumps if people care to ask
56. who would they trust with their life, unequivocally?
van wicky
58. how often do they swear? do they mind when others swear?
Doesn't swear, doesn't mind if others do though!
63. what’s a meme or tiktok or vine (or whatever) that you associate with them?
a doodle of my most forbidden au, which is just imagining roma learning medicine from van richten post-strahd
some old man design iterations
THOUGHTS
me: (doodling and minding my own business) brain: what if in modern day au osybus was roma's long term and shitty older boyfriend that he had a bad relationship with abd after they broke up that's why roma decided to clean up his act and go into training for search and rescue
me:
ME:
a small animatic for a scene from my curse of strahd campaign! roma (my pc) rants about his troubles; ez provides an ultimanum
i'm so depressed i feel sick, is that the most ridiculous thing you ever heard?
more thoughts under the CUT
One of roma's deep core beliefs is that the world is full of Beasts, and when Beasts are hungry, they Hunt. All Beasts Hunger, without exception. When Hunting, the strong crush the weak and then then everyone who isn't strong must Struggle or Die.
It's very defeatist, and he believes in this in both a neutral and negative way, in that while he's accepted many ... systems isn't the word he'd use, but that's basically what it is, in the world operate like this, roma is still sometimes Soooo bitter about it because. he doesn't consider himself one of the Strong, and while struggling is an Option, Struggling Sucks Ass. Being Prey Sucks Ass. Being Weak Sucks Fucking Ass. And he carried SOOO much anger and bitterness about it because he Knew there weren't folks who weren't struggling and being a person who Used To Be A Part Of A Human Family, roma Knew things didn't have to be this way But They Were And No One Was Helping Him.
I dont think that anger is gone when he talks with VR, but I think that his anger is part and parcel with how much he loves VR. Roma adores VR because he has a certain understanding of how shit and hard things can be and he's SO happy VR does actions that go against the weird cycle of the world, so if VR were to abandon the morals that roma Assumed VR had and loves so much, I dont think it'd be hard for roma to key back into his anger and be So reckless about it, bc the origin of love and anger are the same thing in him
WAIT i can talk about secret character lore bc none of party is on tumblr
one thing i Do Think About is that roma's big backstory secret is tl;dr that he was a cannibal for a little while, like hunting and killing actual people, and then VR saved him and he stopped being a cannibal and awful person bc the rescue was so affecting, but recently the party came across a diary where VR was talking about. killing All The Vistani bc he was aggrieved over his dead son and inwardly roma was like :) you're not allowed to do this and then yelled at vr to not do this
but if there ever came a point where VR didn't back down on doing that i imagine that roma would spiral So Hard... like mileage may vary but roma would do his best to Be The Monster Van Richten Told Him Not To Be
WAIT i can talk about secret character lore bc none of party is on tumblr
one thing i Do Think About is that roma's big backstory secret is tl;dr that he was a cannibal for a little while, like hunting and killing actual people, and then VR saved him and he stopped being a cannibal and awful person bc the rescue was so affecting, but recently the party came across a diary where VR was talking about. killing All The Vistani bc he was aggrieved over his dead son and inwardly roma was like :) you're not allowed to do this and then yelled at vr to not do this
but if there ever came a point where VR didn't back down on doing that i imagine that roma would spiral So Hard... like mileage may vary but roma would do his best to Be The Monster Van Richten Told Him Not To Be
gift giving / some stuff that happened in campaign
took illyeria to the abbot to be revived and she had a tough time of it
slowly reposting twitter backlog to tumblr... some arknights au designs for roma and ez!!
(CUT)
(underlines the 'more sex' option under blorbo meme) Just Kidding I need roma to have Way more sex so i can fill out that Bad Sex meme with Every Faux Pas roma would commit
Van Richten is also SOOOOOOO nice to Roma. Like stupid nice. He's so crotechy all the time and says shit like 'Perhaps you should have considered your action was really inadvisable before you doomed yourself (rubbing salt in other person's action)" or "(justifying killing an old person) It's the cycle of life for old people to die" and roma gives him ONE LOOK or complains for ONE SECOND and van richten concedes and stops.
Last session the party was like "VR please travel with us" and VR SPECIFICALLY looked at roma to check his reaction bc he clearly didnt want to stay and after roma was like (pleading) he STAYYYYEEEDDDD
Still thinking about earlier tweets. Scenes that happened between Van Richten, Roma's mentor and pseudo father figure:
Roma being brought back to life and tended to after dying
Exchanging of spells and healing/buffing during battle
Van Richten pulling Roma aside to A) break the news that he won't be here forever and B) informing Roma of his actual name all the while referring to Roma with his name rather than "boy"
Roma telling Van Richten literally everything about his life ever since he's last seen the guy
One time Roma had a screaming crying meltdown over his deal with Osybus and the whole time he was just crying about how he wants to be near VR and not Where He Was
Hunting with Van Richten one morning and asking if he can travel with VR after Barovia is over and VR begrudgingly conceding and then admitting that he has a GREENHOUSE THEY CAN VISIST!!!!!!!!!!!!
holy shit i just realized my dm doesn't follow me here so im free to post my Cringiest Takes