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Published:
2025-12-28
Completed:
2026-01-05
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4,669
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2/2
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765

manofprogress/themachineherald relationship speedrun any%

Summary:

Making the Perfect Creature Corner Island
TheMachineHerald 1M views 5 years ago

Description
The path to perfection lies in hitting, bullying, trafficking, and jailing your villagers. This is known.

@manofprogress ✔ 5 years ago
herald, I think we need an intervention

▲ 2 replies

@TheMachineHerald 5 years ago
Your mind has become clouded. The Glorious Evolution is destined.

@husk_huck 5 years ago
@manofprogress for what

Smacking TheMachineHerald With a Net Until He Accepts an Ugly Villager
manofprogress ✔ 1.6M views 5 years ago

Description
yes uggos

@TheMachineHerald 5 years ago
You won the battle, but not the war.

▲ 290 replies

@manofprogress ✔ 5 years ago
smack

@husk_huck 5 years ago
urg… i accept the herald’s judgement but it’s so ugly

 

AKA: Jayce is a video game challenge player and modder. Viktor is a speedrunner. This is incredibly self-indulgent.

Notes:

Please make sure to click Show Creator's Style. This is formatted using CSS, so the formatting will completely break without Creator's Style on. The formatting might look terrible in general, especially on mobile (if it looks terrible, zoom out until it looks good). Please let me know if it's still terrible after zooming out and I'll try to fix it.

Speedrunning Explainer

Speedrunning is the act of playing a video game with the goal of completing the game (or a certain objective) as quickly as possible. Speedruns typically come in four categories*:

  1. Any%
  2. 100%
  3. Category%
  4. Meme runs

Both any% and 100% speedruns end with the completion of the game — typically defined as when you roll credits. However, in any% you get only as much as you need to roll credits, while in 100% you must complete everything in the game before rolling credits. Also note that I said “when you roll credits” specifically, not “when you end the game.” This is exploited like heck in any% runs.

Category% and meme runs do not require the completion of the game. Category% involve finishing one level of a game as quickly as possible. Meme runs usually involve doing something funny as quickly as possible — for example, in Stardew Valley, one meme speedrun is mayo%, where you make and drink mayonnaise as quickly as possible. Technically meme runs are category% speedruns, but the official speedrun leaderboards classify them differently so I just follow that.

Speedrunners often use glitches, so runs may also be separated into ‘glitched’, ‘no major glitches (NMG)’, or ‘glitchless’ runs. None of these categories are inherently better than the other. They just require different sets of skills.

As a note when reading the fic: any% will always be labelled as any%. 100% may be referred to as “perfection” or “true ending.” If you see a percentage higher than 100%, that replaces a 100% speedrun. Everything else is a category% run*

*obviously this is much more complicated than what I've explained. Each game has a different way of tracking completion and a different definition of complete. There's absolutely no reason to go into the details in this League fanfic. The broad categories I introduced will do fine.

Please go to the End Notes for credits, explainers, and further reading.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: ManOfProgress

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

manofprogress ✔

@manofprogress • 480K subscribers • 98 videos

Challenge runs, mods, and lore for Neverwinter Nights 3, Sundrop Vale, and more!

twitch.tv/manofprogress and 3 other links

Subscribe

Home Videos Shorts Live Playlist 🔍︎

LatestPopularOldest

Finding My Bog Witch Wife
651 views • 6 years ago

Trying to Speedrun Sundrop Vale
21 views • 6 years ago

Sundrop Vale But You Can Romance the Mage
15K views • 5 years ago

Critiquing Every Blacksmith in Heaven's Edge
12K views • 5 years ago

Making a Sundrop Vale Mana Mod

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 102 👎 0

25K views 5 years ago

I made a mod that gives you a functional mana meter in Sundrop Vale! Please check it out


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6 Comments≡ SORT BY

@TheMachineHerald ✔ 5 years ago
This is impressive.

👍19  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 3 replies

@manofprogress 5 years ago
Whoa, thank you! I’m a huge fan of your speedruns.

👍 1  👎  REPLY

@manofprogress 5 years ago
Actually, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about speedrunning?

👍 1  👎  REPLY

@TheMachineHerald 5 years ago
Find me on the discord.

👍 1  👎  REPLY❤️

Sundrop Vale Speedrunning Explained

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 71K 👎 0

2.8M views 5 years ago

Sundrop Vale has a huge speedrunning scene with loads of wonderful, unique categories...


Show more

714 Comments≡ SORT BY

📌 Pinned by manofprogress

@manofprogress ✔ 5 years ago
Thank you so much for the views! I definitely didn’t expect this to get the attention it got. If you liked this video, please go check out TheMachineHerald’s channel. He’s the top runner for this game and was indispensable in the making of this video.

👍5.4K  👎  REPLY

▲ 20 replies

@TheMachineHerald 5 years ago
You did a nice job.

👍 5.0K  👎  REPLY❤️

@Wharfloops3 5 years ago
was tje blacksmithing video the first with tit?

👍 1K  👎  REPLY

▼ 15 replies

Blacksmithing in Sundrop Vale vs Real Life

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 169K 👎 0

5.2M views 5 years ago

We all know that gold isn't stronger than iron, but how else is the blacksmithing different in...


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15,482 Comments≡ SORT BY

@Wharfloops3 5 years ago
IS THAT YORU REAL LIFE CHEST AND AB

👍6.9K  👎  REPLY

▲ 54 replies

@manofprogress ✔ 5 years ago
yeah :( what's wrong with them?

👍 6.1K  👎  REPLY

@Wharfloops3 5 years ago
NTHING???

👍 4.2K  👎  REPLY

@eefa1982 5 years ago
you did not just ask what’s wrong with them

👍 2.6K  👎  REPLY

@TheMachineHerald 5 years ago
...That cannot be OSHA compliant.

👍 2K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 15 replies

@manofprogress ✔ 5 years ago
Since when did you care about OSHA?
(Also, I got curious and checked: 1) the forge isn't a workplace and 2) technically I *am* wearing PPE as specified in 1910.218(a)(1)(iv) (gloves, goggles, aprons (sometimes), etc). So we're good!)

Read Less

👍 1.5K  👎  REPLY

@weefer1234 5 years ago
cool scars. where u get em?

👍1.6K  👎  REPLY

▲ 3 replies

@manofprogress ✔ 5 years ago
hopital

👍 2.5K  👎  REPLY

@husk_huck 5 years ago
he doesn’t look impressive at all idk what everyone’s on about

👍10  👎  REPLY

▲ 1 replies

@eefa1982 ✔ 5 years ago
found clint's alt

👍 645  👎  REPLY

Sundrop Vale Anti-Perfection Run

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 51K 👎 0

2.5M views 5 years ago

In speedrunning, a Low% run is a run where you try to complete the game while getting the lowest amount of collectibles/achievements/objectives as possible - the opposite of a 100% run. Low% is an incredibly unique category because it prioritizes avoiding percents over time, which means some low% runs are very long (over multiple days!)

Sundrop Vale has perfection runs - runs where you collect everything and get almost every achievement. But what would its opposite look like?


Show less

1,512 Comments≡ SORT BY

@TheMachineHerald 5 years ago
Anti-perfection? I helped you and this is how you repay me?

👍 5.4K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 55 replies

@manofprogress ✔ 5 years ago
😭😭😭 I’m sorry! cupcait did a low% run in Bug Souls and I thought it looked cool!!

👍 4K  👎  REPLY

@TheMachineHerald 5 years ago
Unforgivable.

👍 2.1K  👎  REPLY

@cupcait ✔ 5 years ago
save the bees

👍 2K  👎  REPLY

@husk_huck 5 years ago
it is really hurtful to come up with something like this when the machine herald is all about reaching and achieving perfection. i hope youget the chance to sit and reflect on how you went against his … Read More

👍10  👎  REPLY

Smacking TheMachineHerald With a Net Until He Accepts an Ugly Villager

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 55K 👎 0

1.6M views 5 years ago

yes uggos


Show more

1,815 Comments≡ SORT BY

@TheMachineHerald 5 years ago
You won the battle, but not the war.

👍 5.2K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 290 replies

@manofprogress ✔ 5 years ago
smack

👍 4K  👎  REPLY

@husk_huck 5 years ago
urg… i accept the herald’s judgement but it’s so ugly

👍8  👎  REPLY

Trying Out Bug Souls Happy Couple %

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 687 👎 0

95K views 4 years ago

happy couple % is a bug souls speedrun category where you get the smith and the painter together. See the leaderboards here: speedrun.com


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241 Comments≡ SORT BY

📌 Pinned by manofprogress

@manofprogress ✔ 4 years ago
guys, bug souls is HARD. i'm going to cry. herald made me do this because he hates me.

👍 134  👎  REPLY

▲ 10 replies

@TheMachineHerald 4 years ago
You did well, all things considered. Most speedrunners have thousands of hours in the game.

👍 92  👎  REPLY❤️

@imannoying2 4 years ago
git gud

👍 1  👎  REPLY

@eefa1982 4 years ago
but what is your opinion on his smithing

👍41  👎  REPLY

Exploring Sundrop Vale’s Magic Lore

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 39K 👎 0

991K views 3 years ago

We know about the mage, the witch, the elves, forest magic... how are they connected? How does magic work in the Sundrop Vale universe? What do the villagers know of magic?


Show more

751 Comments≡ SORT BY

@TheMachineHerald 3 years ago
I didn’t know about half of this.

👍 2.8K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 28 replies

@imannoying2 3 years ago
speedrunner brain smh

👍 108  👎  REPLY

@husk_huck 3 years ago
i’m sure you don’t need to know about any of this.

👍 11  👎  REPLY

@Wharfloops3 3 years ago
are you ever going to do a face reveal?

👍 882  👎  REPLY

▼ 11 replies


The Magdala DLC is HARD!! (With TheMachineHerald)

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 15K 👎 0

650K views 3 years ago

TheMachineHerald asked me to play the super hard Magdala DLC because, as we've established, he hates me. Luckily he also likes me enough to do most of it for me :D


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561 Comments≡ SORT BY

📌 Pinned by manofprogress

@manofprogress ✔ 3 years ago
basically you have to do a cassowary fwooper off the beckys and use the momentum to launch yourself three screens and end with a delayed down ultra

👍5.4K  👎  REPLY

▲ 37 replies

@bumfuzzle123 3 years ago
are you fr or is this a joke

👍 1.2K  👎  REPLY❤️

@TheMachineHerald 3 years ago
Yes.

👍 1.9K  👎  REPLY❤️

@TheMachineHerald 3 years ago
You did pretty well for a first attempt.

👍 5.1K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 10 replies

@manofprogress ✔ 3 years ago
That's high praise from you (and thank you for the speedrun showcase! You're the best)

👍 1.9K  👎  REPLY

@weefer1234 3 years ago
wait how is magdale going through spikes?

👍 3  👎  REPLY

▲ 1 reply

@aardwark 3 years ago
Magdala* is the mountain, the protagonist is Ciel

👍 6  👎  REPLY

@imannoying2 3 years ago
git gud

👍 2  👎  REPLY

Let's Play Neverwinter Nights 3!!! (Part 1/8)

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 88K 👎 0

2.5M views 2 years ago

I think I'm in love
Part 2...


Show more

5,121 Comments≡ SORT BY

📌 Pinned by manofprogress

@TheMachineHerald 2 years ago
Oh no…

👍1.2K  👎  REPLY❤️

▼ 5 replies

@bumfuzzle123 2 years ago
does he only romance mages

👍 2.3K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 13 replies

@eefa1982 2 years ago
i think he also romances gods

👍 1.7K  👎  REPLY

@Amphimixis 2 years ago
“if you are the elven god of trickery, you should be bisexual.” youre so right

👍 1.5K  👎  REPLY

▲ 597 replies

@shart_stan9000 2 years ago
why did people want to romance the egg tho 😭 he’s so ugly

👍 980  👎 980  REPLY

@Wharfloops3 2 years ago
You should play as yourself

👍 453  👎  REPLY

▼ 2 replies

@imannoying2 2 years ago
this is a dating sim, not a game

👍 2  👎  REPLY

How is the Blacksmithing in Neverwinter Nights 3?

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 111K 👎 0

3.5M views 2 years ago

Grading Dannar's performance


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511 Comments≡ SORT BY

@Wharfloops3 2 years ago
no demonstration this time? :(

👍 5.6K  👎  REPLY

▲ 63 replies

@Wharfloops3 2 years ago
wait why did herald like this???

👍 4.3K  👎   REPLY

@Amphimixis 2 years ago
RPF girlies going insane rn

👍 1.9K  👎   REPLY

Neverwinter Nights 3 But All Party Members Are Magical Girls

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 142K 👎 0

4.9M views 2 years ago

Yes, all of them. Double the magic, double the fun! Mod on my Nexus.


Show more

4,152 Comments≡ SORT BY

@eefa1982 2 years ago
you may not like it, but this is peak content

👍 5.4K  👎  REPLY❤️

▼ 3 replies

@TheMachineHerald 2 years ago
I am fascinated by your mind.

👍 5.2K  👎  REPLY❤️

▼ 6 replies

STOP! HAMMER TIME (Playing Neverwinter Nights 3 as a Hammer Wizard)

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 96K 👎 0

2.6M views 2 years ago

As a child, I've always wanted to be a wizard with a giant hammer. Unfortunately, hammer wizard isn't the best build. Let's try to beat the game as one anyway.


Show more

5,121 Comments≡ SORT BY

@TheMachineHerald 2 years ago
Presenting mop’s favorite topics: magic and hammers.

👍5.2K  👎  REPLY❤️

▼ 2 replies

@imannoying2 2 years ago
um actually you should be dipping into hexblade warlock bc it alloes you to make Weapon attacks using your spellcasting ability modifier… Read More

👍  👎  REPLY

▲ 3 replies

@eefa1982 2 years ago
1) Hexblade isn't in the game 2) he said WIZARD

👍 2  👎   REPLY

What is the Chasm in Neverwinter Nights 3? The Spellplague Explained

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 62K 👎 0

1.8M views 1 years ago

The chasm is a pretty big part of the plot (and landscape) in Neverwinter. We've seen it. We keep hearing about it. I spent an entire video stuck in it. Here, I'm going to summarize all the lore surrounding it and the Spellplague in Neverwinter Nights 3, plus discuss some supplementary information from other sourcebooks.


Show more

1,451 Comments≡ SORT BY

📌 Pinned by manofprogress

@shart_stan9000 1 year ago
0:00 Intro
14:05 Karsus and the fall of Netheril
48:45 Mystra’s Death
1:15:20 The Spellplague and the Chasm
2:25:30 The Weave and the Shadow Weave
3:51:22 The Abolethic Sovereignty
4:20:11 NN3
4:43:38 Outro
Read Less

👍5.2K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 109 replies

@elfluver 1 year ago
Thank god. I forgive you for the egg comments now

👍 800  👎   REPLY

@shart_stan9000 1 year ago
I'm right and I'll never apologize

👍 801  👎   REPLY

Trying out Neverwinter Nights 3 Any% Speedrun! (5m 29s)

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 9.5K 👎 0

445K views 8 months ago

This is an incredibly stupid speedrun. I love it.
Check out the current WR holder here


Show more

2,158 Comments≡ SORT BY

@TheMachineHerald 8 months ago
Horrific. 10/10

👍6K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 9 replies

@manofprogress ✔ 8 months ago
Hey, I only started speedrunning because of you!

👍 5.4K  👎  REPLY

@TheMachineHerald 8 months ago
A terrible burden for me to bear.

👍 5.1K  👎  REPLY❤️

@shart_stan9000 8 months ago
STOP KILLING MY WIFE SHE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG

👍 2.5K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 3 replies

@manofprogress✔ 8 months ago
I’m sorry… she has to go fast

👍 3.1K  👎   REPLY

Can I Beat Neverwinter Nights 3 as a Bunny?

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 81K 👎 0

1.5M views 3 months ago

Cons of being a bunny: can't talk. Can't attack. Can't cast. Can't commune with Xxiphu.
Pros of being a bunny: cute. A good distraction. An almiraj is a bunny. Werebunny form.
No, harengons don't count.


Show more

6,348 Comments≡ SORT BY

@TheMachineHerald 3 months ago
You make a cute bunny.

👍69K  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 56 replies

@elfluver 3 months ago
WHAT

👍 5.1K  👎  REPLY

This One’s for the Bisexuals (Underworld 2 First Playthrough)

manofprogress✔
480K subscribers

👍 856 👎 0

65K views 4 hours ago

Watch my livestreams at / manofprogress



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92 Comments≡ SORT BY

@Amphimixis 4 hours ago
PLACE YOUR BETS EVERYONE WHO'S HE GONNA ROMANCE. they're all gods but not mages so y'all can't be lazy this time.

👍516  👎  REPLY

▲ 2 replies

@elfluver 3 hours ago
Anyone know what happened last game?

👍 263  👎  REPLY

@Amphimixis 2 hours ago
throuple lol

👍 333  👎  REPLY

@eefa1982 4 hours ago
Oh boy, my quarterly manofprogress video upload!

👍 416  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 3 replies

@manofprogress✔ 1 hour ago
😭I’m sorry, real life is busy!

👍 422  👎   REPLY

@elfluver Just Now
you've literally been in the comments of every herald video tho???

👍 15  👎   REPLY

@TheMachineHerald 1 hour ago
Yes, who *will* you romance this time?

👍 411  👎  REPLY❤️

▲ 2 replies

@manofprogress✔ 1 hour ago
[nervous laugh]

👍 300  👎   REPLY

@Wharfloops3 Just Now
what 👀

👍 2  👎  REPLY

 

Notes:

WORKS CITED (CHAPTER 1)

Sundrop Vale But You Can Romance the Mage: Inspired by the Romanceable Rasmodius mod (see Nexus Mods)
Sundrop Vale Mana Mod: Inspired by the many mana mods for Stardew Valley (see Nexus Mods)
Sundrop Vale Speedrunning Explained: the fictional version of this video
Sundrop Vale Anti-Perfection Run: the fictional version of this video
‘save the bees’: Caitlyn comments this after Jayce mentions seeing her do a ‘Bug Souls low% run’. This is the run
Bug Souls Happy Couple%: link in (fake) video description
Neverwinter Nights 3 Any% Speedrun: link in (fake) video description (it is no longer the world record, but it has the most views)
Can I Beat Neverwinter Nights 3 as a Bunny?: the fictional version of this video

Bonus: The Chasm. It’s real and I knew about it because I DMed a D&D game set in Neverwinter (a city on Faerun's Sword Coast, much like Baldur's Gate). I included it to make a Jayce chasm joke, but upon further research I realized it had a connection to the aboleths! Aboleths are fish-like eldritch horrors (aberrations) that dwell in the Underdark, which makes for a fun parallel to Baldur's Gate 3.