4 Moms Flung Into The Forgotten Realms On A Quest To Rescue Their Lost Sons

Best friends

The Start of My Journey with Hekate

TW: miscarriage

This past Mother's Day has been another year of staring in the mirror wondering what could've been. It was heavy and unkind and exhausting. It was also the first Mother's Day of finally accepting and practicing my faith. I did a bit of research as we visited my mother-in-law and I snuggled the dog I came to call my sweet little girl. Not much came up in the line of searching for deities that could guide me through finally tackling years of repressed grief, but I found myself drawn time and time again to the thought of Hekate as I researched.

She is a deity I have been drawn to in the past. Her role of guidance of protection in The Rape of Persephone is something I always found comfort in. Magic is something I was pulled towards the first time I tried to come to terms with my faith in my teen years before unfortunately receding into myself again. Her reputation for taking in the strays is something I've resonated with growing up the black sheep of my family and my peers.

Now, perhaps a deity centered around motherhood would make more sense for most on this journey - and by all means, find who resonates and brings you comfort and progress. But, I find myself reflecting on my past with this long road and seeing all the bargains I tried to make, the promises to get myself right and be the best I can be. I see the way I take in those around me and care for them, protecting them the best I can and guiding them whenever possible. I find myself wiser and older for my experience despite my age. I find myself most at peace and able to explore my journey in the safety of night with the comfort of the moonlight.

Each person's journey with their faith is their own, and this is mine. I find comfort in my worship of Apollon, Persephone, and Hermes. I'm excited to work with Hekate through my journey, her torch keeping me warm and reminding me that I am not alone. The love of my deities fills me with love for myself and the patience to do this right and not rush my recovery.

I love that in Night in the Woods, you don't have a choice but to stick in your foot in your mouth. Yes, you have dialogue options, but it really boils down to "how do you want to fuck this up." We see it really clearly in Bea's storyline at the party when she's flirting with the guy and Mae's only dialogue options are blatant unintentional sabotage of Bea's attempts. It really emphasizes who Mae is as a character through the story, unable to control her thought-to-mouth impulses and chronically unable to read a room. You don't get to be a good friend, you have to experience her struggle and embarrassment and anxiety and regret. It makes the acceptance of her friends all the more touching, and it makes Bea's line about friends-by-proximity all the more heartbreaking.

I just fucking love Night in the Woods, man.

Realised that it's been more then couple of years since i've done my last Night in The Woods fanart, so decided to put more work into this one 'cause a game such as NITW deserves it

Mae being borderline is something that can be so personal

atrophy

Incredibly comforting to me..