bladewarde

[bladewarde]

𝐺𝑂𝐷𝑊𝑌𝑁𝐸 — ❛ the heavens & earth are united in gold ! ❜

an independent & private multi of humble size. featuring both original and canon characters from the 𝐃𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐒 & 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐒 and 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 franchises.

curated most carefully by killi, and illuminated by the light of 𝐺𝑂𝐷𝑊𝑌𝑁 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑂𝐿𝐷𝐸𝑁 — grace-given; prince of the erdtree capital; hero of leyndell.

[bladewarde]

❛ hand . hold out a hand for my muse to take. ( from radagon! ) / @fadedpath

Stories of Radagon's prowess in war were known to her; often shared between huddled sorcerers when the subject of Rennala's mysterious husband were brought up. Radagon fought Rennala's armies to a standstill — twice — and the rest was known to anyone who lived under the belled rooftops of Raya Lucaria. As his knight, it was expected she perform to a standard befitting of himself, and that of the Queen Eternal. It was also expected that during the times Radagon was called away with the queen, she would oversee her own training, a task that she had admittedly fallen behind on.

She suspected her liege knew. When he would catch her reading over one of thousands of books in the great library — more recently Sorcerer Eralla's Conquering of the Stars — he'd make no comment, but his silence was telling.

She lingers on this thought, even while lying in the dirt of the training ground. The canopy of the Erdtree spins around her centre vision, her heart beating wildly in her chest. The parry was beautifully executed; even against the heft of Radagon's sword, it bounced off her own blade, but the follow up was where she failed. Her attention is diverted to something other than an incoming sword strike. The focus Radagon was possessed of… She could catch it in his eyes… His eyes —

The force of his next blow near knocks her off her feet, landing on the ground with a hard thud. Her liege is kind enough to offer his hand, effortlessly yanking her to her feet, as if she weighed nothing. ❝ Are you trying to kill me? ❞ Laera can barely get the words out in between breaths, pressing the back of her hand against her cheek. Her hair sticks to her face; her cheeks impossibly red as her nerves recover from the sheer strength behind his sword strike.

[bladewarde]

@chmarva and i are doing a duo druid run (which was originally an honour mode save but it got downgraded to tactician for mysterious reasons...) and we've literally killed every trader we've come across. :sob:

[bladewarde]

dont wanna spoil the surprise i am doing things

......leaning more into the structure of illuminated texts and borders bc if u didn't know, laera was responsible for maintaining and transcribing the abbey's records. 😌

[bladewarde]

ANNA KARENINA (2012) dir. Joe Wright

[bladewarde]

Returning to the city feels like entering into something she doesn't want, but needs, albeit reluctantly. The Guild has connections, information and while Lae'zel and Astarion see to their own private affairs, Laera feels the phantom pull of the Guild's hooks dragging her back to the Guildhall. Since the Netherbrain, they've cleaned up the city, and since the Zhentarim were broken under Keene's fist, the Black Network is tentatively at peace.

Laera spots the colours of Zhentarim agents in hall — the easily recognisable gold and black — stitched into padded armours or draped over shoulders. They huddle in small groups while the bursar watches on, literally and figuratively under the many knives of Nine Fingers Keene.

The faces are familiar, all sprawling the expanse of the Undercity's Guildhall, propped up with the foundations of an underground structure long forgotten, and shoddy carpentry. As she makes her way through the hall, brushing shoulders with people whom she considered colleagues ( never friends ), she missteps, and her shoulder makes contact with the platemail of someone's back. ❝ Excuse me, ❞ She mutters, giving the victim of her own metal-clad shoulder a passing glance, stopping when she looks again. ❝ Florence? ❞ The fighter pauses amongst a throng of people, fully turning around as she recognises the other. ❝ You're not wearing any colours. Nevertheless, I didn't think I'd ever see you prowling around my former place of work. ❞

@saintsdawn / starter call!

[bladewarde]

🌺 send this to ten muns you think are wonderful 🌺

TY EVIE. that's so kind of you to say! 😭🩵

hoping we can get writing together soon!!

[bladewarde]

happy noid year my friends. let's hope it's a good one! 🎉

[bladewarde]

so the dream visitor was the illithid tadpole attempting to deceive you into consuming more tadpoles. you had several dreams where the subject was basically whittling down your defenses and tempting you with sex and ultimate power (!!!!).

the companions also went into slightly more detail about the people they saw in their own dreams, usually a prior lover (unnamed, no description, but the context was there). in astarion's case, it was cazador; lae'zel saw vlaakith.

and if you consumed tadpoles, each companion, as well as yourself, would get unique illithid powers, which was also tied to your class. in current release, only the player character gets survival instinct, which used to be a clerics' illithid power. astarion got inkblot, which allowed you to hide and create a cloud of darkness (reused on the justiciar's greatshield); wyll got misty step; lae'zel got a longer reaching thorn whip essentially; gale, i think, got shield of thralls or something similar to a shield.

i can't lie; i really do miss the original concept of the dream visitor, but i can see how it might not go nearly as far, narratively, if you consistently refuse to accept what it offers. 😩 i also miss the illithid powers... as a fighter, having that 18m yoink was amazing. esp when pulling people off high ledges lmaoo

looking at my time played for bg3 (it's over 9000 1200 hours) and then i'm reminded this game has had me in a chokehold for 4 years.

[bladewarde]

looking at my time played for bg3 (it's over 9000 1200 hours) and then i'm reminded this game has had me in a chokehold for 4 years.

[bladewarde]

𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃  &  𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄    (a  series  of  nonverbal  prompts .   mature  themes  present ,   ‘ my ’  muse  belongs  to  the  one who  posted  the  meme  -  send   “ + REVERSE ”   to  reverse  the  prompts .)

→     𝐈 .    GENERAL

❛   hush .   raise  a  finger  in  a  gesture  to  silence  my  muse . ❛   sit .   gesture  for  my  muse  to  sit  down . ❛   door .   hold  a  door  open  for  my  muse . ❛   tap .   tap  my  muse  on  the  shoulder  to  garner  their  attention . ❛   hunger .   give  my  muse  something  to  eat  /  drink . ❛   cook .   present  my  muse  with  home - cooked  food . ❛   brush .   work  a  brush  /  comb  through  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   read .   silently  read  a  book  alongside  my  muse . ❛   hand .   hold  out  a  hand  for  my  muse  to  take . ❛   dressed .   help  my  muse  put  on  an  article  of  clothing . ❛   note .   give  my  muse  a  note  saying :   [ content ] . ❛   amplify .   turn  up  the  music  in  the  car .

→     𝐈𝐈 .    ANGST

❛   patch .   help  my  muse  patch  up  a  wound . ❛   night terrors .   hold  my  muse  after  they  wake  up  from  a  nightmare . ❛   company .   silently  sit  with  my  muse  to  comfort  them. ❛   hospital .   my  muse  is  told  that  yours  is  in  the  hospital . ❛   revelation .   show  my  muse  evidence  of  a  lie  they  told . ❛   indulge .   find  my  muse  drinking  to  cope . ❛   downfall .   find  my  muse  collapsed  on  the  ground . ❛   console .   comfort  my  muse  as  they  cry . ❛   nurse .   give  my  muse  company  in  the  hospital .

→     𝐈𝐈𝐈 .    AFFECTIONATE

❛   wink .   wink  at  my  muse .  ❛   wrap .   wrap  an  arm  around  my  muse’s  [ shoulders  /  waist ] . ❛   caress .   gently  caress  my  muse’s  face . ❛   tousle .   mess  playfully  with  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   chest .   place  your  head  on  my  muse’s  chest .    ❛   comb .   comb  fingers  through  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   grasp .   run  to  my  muse  &  jump  into  their  arms . ❛   lean .   lean  on  my  muse’s  shoulder . ❛   tender .   kiss  my  muse  on  the  [ forehead  /  cheek  /  nose ] . ❛   abrupt .   kiss  my  muse  out  of  the  blue . ❛   chaste .   chastely  kiss  my  muse . ❛   good morning .   kiss  my  muse  the  morning  after . ❛   volumes .   gaze  at  my  muse  in  a  way  that  silently  says  ‘i love you’ .

→     𝐈𝐕  .    VIOLENT

❛   strike .   [ slap / punch ]  my muse in the face . ❛   gun .   wield  a  gun  at  my  muse . ❛   twist .   twist  my  muse’s  arm  behind  their  back . ❛   throttle .   aggressively  wrap  your  hands  around  my  muse’s  throat . ❛   parch .   burn  my  muse  with  a  hot  object . ❛   take down .   forcefully  bring  my  muse  to  the  ground . ❛   gouge .   wield  a  sharp  object  at  my  muse . ❛  shunt .   shove  my  muse  backwards . ❛  stickup .   yell  at  my  muse  to  put  their  hands  in  the  air. ❛  shoot .   [ fatally  /  non-fatally ]   shoot  my  muse . ❛  stab .   stab  my  muse with a  [ knife / other object ].

→     𝐕 .    NSFW

❛   surprise .   send  an  unexpected  nsfw  image  to  my  muse . ❛   pin .   push  my  muse  against  a  [ wall,  table,  other ] . ❛   go down .   go  down  on  my  muse . ❛   choke .   intimately  wrap  your  hands  around  my  muse’s  throat . ❛   belt loops .   pull  my  muse  closer  by  their  belt loops . ❛   skinny dipping .   go  skinny  dipping  with  my  muse . ❛   rip .   tear  a  piece  of  clothing  from  my  muse’s  body . ❛   mark .   leave  a  mark  on  my  muse’s  body  [ specify where ] .

[bladewarde]

laera + hair & armour combo

[bladewarde]

Another item acquired with still others to go; where each small victory doesn't feel so victorious as it does foolish. Raphael proposed a solution - an easy one, at that - in exchange for the very thing that gave the former Elder Brain its new form: The Crown of Karsus.

Laera remembered it well, through the thick miasma of the mindflayer colony, the very air around them all shifted and surged with a magic that amazed her and terrified her all the same. On top of the Elder Brain, it was clear then that Karsus’ forgotten artifact wielded power that no man should attempt to harness. Man, or in this specific instance, fiend. It was a decision that divided the camp, none more against it than Lae’zel, and Laera understood completely the place where her vitriol arose from. Her freedom - her people’s freedom - hinged on the liberation of their saviour, and she lent her voice in that decision to take that opportunity away from her.

In the pouch she pockets is the coin imprinted with a devil’s face that serves as one of the keys into the House of Hope. Herein lies the foolishness of their task: to intrude upon a devil’s home and steal away what he covets most. No sane person would ever make the attempt, but Laera considers it to be the best compromise for cooling Lae’zel’s anger, and for a future she's uncertain will come to pass.

❝ Why send ‘im to meet Raphael before ‘is time? Besides, it isn't ‘is life we want… just what's in ‘is pockets. ❞

What Lae'zel is true and Laera smirks at the comment. Astarion would have trivialised their item collecting, and less importantly, given him something to do. Rushing into the Hells, though, would absolutely end in their fiery demise. ❝ We should think more about this… Aye, we know about the diabolist, but beyond that, we ‘ave no knowledge of what we’d be walking in to. Which is why, ‘opefully, Gale comes back with something useful. Thar poor sod isn't the only one to tangle with Raphael, and I don't doubt there's someone - or several people - that know ‘im a little more intimately than what ‘e shows us. ❞

continued from @bladewarde.

 whenever the devil comes to play, the path is already paved ⸻ raphael’s demands are loud and clear as the daylit skies of toril or the newly green grasses of the once shadowcursed lands : the crown for the orphic hammer. a solution to a problem that extends past the absolute when all is said and done. the vermin offered an immediate line to orpheus, to the liberation of your people! you could haven taken it – so close was it in your grasp – and begone with everything ; save yourself the trouble. but no. everyone shot you down when it was most obvious, when you were most ecstatic, specifically from gale [ 'i need the crown of karsus,' he says ] and karlach [ 'i refuse to sign devilish contracts,' she argues ].

 “ oh, how everyone enjoys testing my mettle... ” what are you if not a toy for their amusement?

 with each acquisition to complete the sigil to the house of hope, you remark to whomever holds it. unfortunately, laera is your ill-timed victim. “ the devil will come for their due with this fool. should have ended their miserable existence than knocked them unconscious. ” you step over the man without batting an eye, sheath the sword behind your back, following after your companion out of the barren room. “ your lover's sticky fingers would have equally sufficed—steal the materials from the diabolisk and already would we would be in the devil's house. ”

[bladewarde]

“To know my mother // is to memorize / a labyrinth of longing.”

— — Angela Narciso Torres, from “Recuerdo a mi Madre,” What Happens Is Neither

[bladewarde]

❝ unhand me ! i do not need your help. ❞ / @moonache

Shadowheart's voice cuts through Laera's determination; the cleric's arm wrenched from her gloved hand and for a moment, they stand off against each other. Swivin' clerics… The thought passes through a torrent of other curses, practical strategies and behind both, an increasing swell of anger. Her scarred brow twitches as the fighter heaves a quiet breath. The silence stretches on longer than what would be deemed comfortable, and she wonders if they're about to come to blows. While knocking some sense into Shadowheart would be welcome, it would only add more difficulties to their already dire situation.

❝ Aren't you supposed to be the pragmatic one, Shadowheart?! You aren't acting like it. ❞ Laera questions, her voicing raising to meet her companion's. ❝ Insisting you can go it alone because your faith in us is wavering; it's reckless, and it will get you killed. ❞ She can feel the heat crawl through and up her breastplate, the back of her neck beginning to sweat. ❝ So, is that what you want? Do you really 'ave a death wish? ❞

[bladewarde]

laera's whole epilogue is killing for coins with her vampire bf; destroying githyanki establishments; getting reeled back into guild shenanigans; and going to jail (again).

[bladewarde]

❝ You're not easy to get 'old of. Is that on purpose? ❞ Her question comes with a hint knowing, recalling how little it is that Vyke makes an appearance within the capital. Only on his future lord's order will he be summoned, and just as quick — as not to linger — he vanishes. His presence is phantom-like, and when he wanders back out into the plateau, the Dragonknight carries on with business only he knows.

Within the capital, Vyke is their future Elden Lord, but outside of it… She suspects there is more to him than merely that of ' knight '. In one of the few places they meet to exchange civilities shared among their stations, she had left a message. Predictably, the response was brief, and while he could have ignored her, it gladdens her to see him crest over the hilltop, adorned in his silver armour.

Between her gloved hands, she pulls at the head of a frayed stalk of grass, the seeds passing on the gentlest of winds as the Erdtree's light illuminates the dusken sky. The next words she speaks are pointed, firm.❝ I need your 'elp, Vyke.❞ The stalk is snapped between her fingers, flung to the side. The glintstone of her longsword catches in the light before her palm smothers with, tapping at the inlaid hilt. ❝ My liege won't call greater attention to the problem 'e's uncovered. And I understand why: It's a problem best solved with fewer people. Do you know of the town of windmills? There's been news of concerning… activity. My lord says the villagers flippantly attack the soldiers on the roadways, and leave nothing. Not even the bodies. There's a road that goes into the ravine, where there's a collapsed ruin. I think… something 'orrific is going on there, where they gather. ❞

@lrdvyke / starter!