#-> verse: the lady of whitestone

[fenthrasandbluefeather]

∗ 14﹕ sender places their head in receiver’s lap . (from gwen)

The Lady of Whitestone sighed. It had been a long day and an even longer night as she returned from a diplomatic meeting in Syngurn of all places. She gently closed the door to her and Percivals suite within the castle of Whitestone he would already be asleep and she wanted nothing more then to strip off her armor and join him for the night, though as she hung Fenthras on it's place, stood her quiver next to it, and started opening the buckles of her bracers and dragonscale armor pieces, a flash of red caught her eye and a small smile pulled on her lips.

On the sittee infront of the dieing hearth lay a little Tiefling, curled up around a pillow with bleary eyes as if just waking up. "Did you wait up for me, little love?" Her voice was soft as she abandoned the harnish and leg bracers along the rest of her armor pieces, not bothering to clean them up but rather wanting to be with her youngest daughter.

Vex sat down, inviting Gwendolyn to curl up to her and gently ran her fingers through her dark curls. "Did you escape your Nanny again?" She chuckled, voice tender. "You should be long since asleep. You need all your energy if you want to raise hell around the castle again tomorrow."

[fenthrasandbluefeather]

"Don't get me wrong, Master Widowgast. I quite enjoy the trials and tribulations required by political mindgames, especially because I usually am quite excellent at maneuvering through them but tonight I feel like friendlier company is in order. There will be plenty of time to outsmart other dignitaries in the morning." She unraveled her legs, putting them both straight on the floor as he stood and offered a drink. "I would graciously except your offer." Vex smiled, a bit of giddy excitement as he offered to show her his tower. "Do you think your tower could offer a warm fire to a bear? I don't like keeping him cooped up in his talisman for too long." Of course if he would oppose to Trinket within his space that was alright with her and she would just release and take him for a walk after returning from this little stint into a magicians tower. And it would be a lie to say she wasn't curious. "I would be happy to host you and Essek within the castle. You will have plenty of things to explore and clash heads with my husband about the advantages of magic over technology or the other way around. But you are always welcome to summon your tower if it's your preferred home, though the city does hold quite a few marbles. Gilmore might enjoy meeting you as well." Vex chuckled and stood. "Shall we?"

Caleb's eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned back in his chair, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Ah, the joys of diplomacy and political maneuvering. I have had my fair share of experience navigating those treacherous waters, and I can certainly empathize with your desire for a respite from the tedium and the mind games." He stood, his fingers deftly adjusting the cuffs of his well-worn coat as he moved around the desk to stand before her. "Well, Lady Vex’ahlia, if you're in need of a drink and a respite from the tedium of diplomacy, I may have just the solution."

He paused, his head tilting slightly as he regarded Vex with a knowing look. "If you are feeling adventurous, I could summon my tower. It is a magnificent feat of arcane engineering if I do say so myself." Within its walls, she would find a library that would make even the most learned scholar weep with envy, a laboratory filled with the most curious and wondrous of magical artifacts, and, of course, a well-stocked bar that puts even the finest taverns in Tal'Dorei to shame. And so, so many cats. The imagination is a very powerful source.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of depriving you of the opportunity to play hostess in your own city. Whitestone is a marvel, and I have no doubt that you have a plethora of hidden gems tucked away within its walls that would put my humble tower to shame. The choice is yours."

[everlightblessing]

                    tag drops: cassandra!

[mintywolf]

A Long Road Home - Page 102 Author's Notes

Page 102

I wanted Pâté to come into the world singing. Between his proudly declaring “I can sing!” among the things he can do when he’s resurrected along with Laudna, and her having named herself by singing, it felt important.

I meant for this song to be a Whitestone folk song of the (very old) “Froggie Went a Courting” genre, which feature the animal protagonist proposing marriage, typically to a Miss Mousie, and then usually working out the wedding details over subsequent verses, ending with either a happy marriage or the wedding party being devoured by a larger animal, depending on the version.

In particular it was inspired by Cécile Corbel’s French version, “Le bal des chats,” in which the animal in search of a wife is a cat who is summarily turned down by a mouse (who says she does not wish to marry at all but instead run through the wheat fields, a relatable sentiment).

Since it’s Laudna singing I decided that it should naturally be about a rat instead and taking place in the vicinity of the Sun Tree, as a lot of Whitestone folk songs probably are. However, when I started doing some more research into the origins of the song to avoid basing my version on one specific interpretation, I found out that the variant with this particular tune and lyrical structure isn’t originally French at all, it’s Irish and it’s about a rat. (Although this version seems to be from the perspective of the frog asking Uncle Rat for permission to marry Lady Mouse.) In trying to make an Exandrian version I accidentally arrived back at the original, haha.

On this page she is wearing the apron/dress seen in earlier in the spring when she was playing with her dollhouse, the (too-big) chemise she was wearing on the previous page, and the brown skirt that she died in. So to give a vague sense of chronology this is still only about two years after she became undead.

[southern-gothic-comic]

Page 17

Next 💜 Back 🖤 First

(Author Notes)

Panel 1: Later that day. They are walking through sun-dappled early autumn woods, carrying a picnic basket and a blanket, peaceful in each other’s company. Laudna’s shoulder begins to creak from the weight of the basket between them.

Imogen: What was that song you were singin’ earlier? It was real pretty.

Laudna: Oh, just some old folk song Pâté and I sing sometimes. I think I must have learned it back in Whitestone, but it’s been so long I’d forgotten some of the verses and we had to make up our own. I could teach it to you sometime, if you’d like.

Imogen: Yeah, I’d like that.

Laudna: If you don’t mind my croaking, that is.

Imogen: No, your voice is . . . lovely. I mean that.

Panel 2: Continuing on through the woods. Laudna reaches up to brush her hand through the hanging leaves as they pass.

Imogen: You said it’s been a long time, since you left home? How long’ve you and Pâté been travelin’ together?

Laudna: Oh, it’s been . . . several years now, I think. I’ve sort of lost track. We go way back, Pâté and I.

Imogen: That long? You must’ve been awful young when you started out.

Panel 3: The scene fades briefly into a memory, still framed by the trees in the present-day woods. A nameless, newly-Hollow girl is sitting on the floor in the broken remnants of a farm shed, which she has decorated with branches of pine needles, pine cones, and winter berries. There is a small collection of objects displayed on a shelf: a satchel, a length of frayed rope, a smooth stone, a raven skull, a pair of scissors, and in the corner a bed made of a thin pile of pine needles with a blanket and a rough, handmade bugbear doll. While physically the same age as in the present, there is a sense of childlike uncertainty in her mien. She is wearing the tatters of a blue tabard. Nestled in what remains of the fur trim on her shoulder is a live rat, whom she is petting and singing to in a drifting, absent kind of way. Not remembering all the words, she fills in the blanks with nonsense syllables.

Hollow One: (singing) ♪ “No king’s daughter, nor a lady am I . . .” No. “No king’s lost daughter am I, nor a lady . . . la la la, My finery’s all in tatters, and . . . la lulla, la la la . . .” ♪

Laudna: (VO) Yes, I . . . suppose I was.

Panel 4: Laudna returns to the present as Imogen continues.

Imogen: Doesn’t your family worry about you?

Laudna: Oh, they’re long dead.

Imogen: Oh. I’m sorry, Laudna, I shouldn’t have . . .

Laudna: No, don’t be. They’re not here to be offended.

Panel 5: Imogen startles as Laudna’s shoulder pops from its socket, but she doesn’t seem to notice.

Imogen: I don’t mean to pry. I’m just real curious about you.

Laudna: Well, if you have any questions, you need only to ask. As to my age . . . I feel I’m somewhere between “too young to understand everything that keeps happening to me” and “ancient beyond reckoning.” Often both, at once.

Imogen: Well, that’s . . . quite an age.

Laudna: What about you?

Imogen: Uh. Well, I turned 26 a few weeks back.

Laudna: Oh, many happy returns! I’m sorry to have missed it.

[whisker-biscuit]

To Gag a Gagster

Fandom: Critical Role, Legend of Vox Machina verse

Rating: T for Kidnapping, Violence, Threats of Mutilation, Mild Sexual Fantasies (AKA Scanlan Being Scanlan)

Summary: When Scanlan wakes up at the mercy of kidnappers looking for a quick ransom, he's not overly concerned - until he's threatened with losing his greatest (and only) weapon.

His voice.

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Scanlan comes to in a daze, head pounding and body stiff. This isn’t unusual for him depending on the kind of night he’s just had, and the lack of memory from the last several hours doesn’t particularly concern him, either. He moans; the sound is muffled by a thick strip of fabric in his mouth. That’s pretty par for the course, too.

But then he tries to lift his arms towards the gag in his mouth and finds he’s unable to. They’re tied behind his back, pressed up against a hard, flat surface. That is…a lot more unusual than the rest. Scanlan’s eyes flutter open to find himself sitting on the floor of a completely empty room, propped up against a wall. His feet aren’t bound and he’s fully clothed, which are both pluses. He barely has the time to process that maaaaybe this isn’t what he’d thought it was before a flat voice on his right side makes him freeze.

“Gnome’s awake.”

Scanlan turns his head only to lock eyes with those of a stout half-elf who is squatting nearby. She wrinkles her nose with disdain when their gazes meet and elbows something behind her that he can’t see. From the “oof” sound that comes out in response, it’s another mystery person.

“Wake up! I said the gnome’s awake!”

“Fuck do you want me to do about that?” The other stranger stands and stretches in one fluid motion. This one is pure human; incredibly lanky in a way that might remind Scanlan of Keyleth if Keyleth wasn’t a treat to look at.

“You’re the spellcaster. Put him back to sleep.” Half-Elf Lady reaches forward to grab Scanlan by his chain necklace. He lets out a choked noise through the gag when she yanks him forward with it. “I heard rumors that he can use magic. I don’t want any trouble while we’re waiting.”

“What is he going to do tied up like that? He’s harmless,” Human Guy scoffs. “I’m not wasting any energy until we hear back from the de Rolo.”

Scanlan’s throbbing head spins with a hundred different thoughts. In order, the first twenty or so are “what the hell is going on?”; the next eleven are “what does Percy have to do with this?” and the final sixty-nine (nice – shut up, idiot, you’ve been kidnapped) are all different flavors of “I need to get the fuck out of here right the fuck now.” He starts trying to get his feet under him but the half-elf scowls and pushes him back against the wall with enough force his brain rattles in his skull when he hits it.

“Stay still if you know what’s good for you,” she hisses, pointing a threatening finger in his face. “We’re waiting for your nobleman friend to pay ransom to return you alive, but we didn’t say anything about unharmed. If you get annoying then we’re going to have a problem.”

It’s a damned good thing they had the foresight to gag him, then, and not because he’s a caster. Scanlan rolls his eyes to accompany the acknowledging nod he gives her. She shoots him a dubious glare but doesn’t start manhandling him again, which he counts as both a win and a loss.

Listen, the trip to Whitestone and back is the longest he’s gone without a lay in a while. Not his fault he’s got needs.

Seemingly satisfied, the half-elf stands up and heads for a door on the opposite side of the room. The click of the lock when she closes it behind her has him audibly groaning; he did not sign up for wrestling with a door without A Vax on top of the rest of this bullshit. The human still in the room pulls out a book, crisscrosses his legs onto the floor, and starts reading. Instead of giving any more thought to the impossible barriers in his future escape plans, Scanlan slumps backwards against the wall in the perfect picture of defeat.

But here's the thing about binding someone’s hands: there are three factors you have to consider when doing it. One, the material you use had better be solid enough not to fray or snap against pressure. From the feel of the ropes around Scanlan’s wrists, these are well past their prime. Two, the knot you tie better actually be tight and not easily pulled apart at the slightest tug. This part, at least, his kidnappers seem to have a decent handle on. There aren’t any quick-release strings from a quick run through with his fingers on the ends he can reach.

And then there’s three: you better be fucking sure you haven’t kidnapped an expert escape artist. As far as Scanlan’s concerned, decades of bondage experience – both professional and really, really amateurish – has pretty much made him the second-best thing to that.

All that to say that it takes about eight minutes for him to get his hands free. Closer to nine if he feels like being generous to his captors, and he’s really fucking not.

The human is still reading, completely oblivious as Scanlan flexes his fingers behind his back to get the blood flowing back in them. Taking down the Briarwoods and their asshole cronies is a new and prideful notch in his belt, but he’s not about to let it get to his head and think he can easily ditch these clowns without all his tools in place.

He’ll let it get to his head after he gets out of here. Both heads, actually, preferably accompanied with at least two partners and a shit-ton of wine. Maybe that one elderly nobleman who loved his after-dinner performance has friends who are just as repressed as he was.

Scanlan starts working the knot to the gag at the back of his head, trying not to drool at the fantasy already growing in his mind. An entire country club of old folks all clamoring for his attention as he makes them feel young again, experiencing things that never would’ve crossed their minds before he arrived to show them the light –

The human looks up just as he gets the gag out of his mouth. There’s a single moment where they lock gazes, both wide-eyed and startled by the other, before the man’s hand raises. The hairs on the back of Scanlan’s neck prickle and he barely starts to scream the first syllable to Scanlan’s Hand when a sickly familiar muffling smacks into his entire body. He gasps as Silence overtakes him, a looping mantra of fuck not again fuck not again, and the spell on his tongue disappears before even a whisp of purple can manifest.

Scanlan doesn’t think. He just runs.

He gets his fingers on the doorknob before much bigger hands grab him around the waist and tear him away. Scanlan screams an inaudible scream, half in frustration and half in fear, flailing and kicking for all his little limbs are worth as his captor picks him up. The muted scream cuts off in a wheeze when he’s slammed back-first onto hard floor, wind knocked completely out of him.

“How the hell did you get loose?!” The man exclaims, incredulous and furious. He wraps one hand around Scanlan’s throat to lift him partially off the ground and begins shaking him. “What did you use? A knife? A spell? What the fuck did you use?!”

Those deceptively strong fingers tighten enough that Scanlan starts gasping for an entirely different reason. He claws desperately at the grip cutting off his air, babbling excuses and pleas and word salads that never get farther than his paling lips. Nothing he does weakens the hold; nothing he says even has a chance at helping as his only real weapon has been silenced.

His captor finally seems to realize that he’s not going to get answers from a Silenced, choking hostage. He releases his hands and Scanlan gulps for breath beneath him, blinking away the black spots in his eyes without much success.

“Partner warned me you might be trouble,” the man grumbles to himself. He starts rummaging in his pockets, still keeping the gnome pinned under his knees. “I don’t want to keep wasting spells if you keep finding a way to get out of your bonds.”

Scanlan’s faculties return to him just in time to see a knife pulled out. He freezes, unblinking as he stares at the weapon hovering uncomfortably close to his face. The human makes a contemplative face like he’s considering what to make for lunch instead of whatever he’s thinking of doing with that knife.

“Hey!” He suddenly shouts towards the closed door. “You still have that healing potion with you? I wanna cut the little fucker’s tongue out but I don’t want him to bleed out.”

Scanlan’s heart stops beating.

He goes limp out of sheer shock for a single moment; so wholly stunned by the very idea that his brain almost can’t process what it would mean. But then the world comes back into focus by the glint of the knife right before it presses against his closed lips.

No.

His struggling renews with a fervor unmatched by anything in his life.

No. No. No.

A body so much bigger than his pins him down with its weight alone. His fingers claw and scratch against the ground until every single one is bleeding.

No! No! No!

He wants to scream against the horror of what he’s facing even though it would condemn him, but he doesn’t dare. He’s still Silenced; he wouldn’t even get the luxury of hearing his own voice one last time before his very existence shatters.

The hand not holding the knife grabs him by his jaw. Starts to force it open.

NO NO NO NO NO

The door swings open suddenly, silhouetting the form of the half-elf standing in the doorway. She takes a single step forward before a bullet smashes through her skull from the back, exploding out of her forehead. She’s dead before she even hits the ground.

“What the fuck?!” The man yells, jumping to his feet only to be met with a simultaneous arrow and dagger to his chest. He keels over, landing back on top of Scanlan who loses his breath for a third time in ten minutes.

Someone – maybe Grog, maybe an angel, maybe the fucking devil at this point – hauls the body off of him while smaller hands glowing a familiar gold are immediately at his side. Scanlan sees Pike above him, her lips moving in what must be reassurances, but he can’t hear anything through the static in his head. Maybe the Silence spell fucked with his ears, too. Maybe he’s just dying.

Dying would almost be better than –

He gasps as if possessed and throws a hand up to his mouth. The feel of blood against his fingers nearly sends him spiraling again but it’s just his bottom lip that’s been nicked; he finds his tongue safe and untouched within his mouth.

The relief that hits him is so powerful he loses all ability to hold himself up. Scanlan sags against Pike so thoroughly she squeaks out a surprised little “oh” that he finally hears now that the nightmare he was facing has passed.

“Scanlan! Are you still hurt? Are you okay?” She suddenly grips his arm as if noticing something on his shirt. “Oh, you’ve got some kind of effect all over you – are you Silenced?”

He gives a haggard nod. For the first time in his life, he’s grateful not to have to use his voice. He doesn’t know what would come out of his mouth right now but he knows none of it would be good.

“Hey, Scanlan, hey, it’s okay! It’ll fade soon, I’m sure.”

She brushes a tear from under his eye and – huh. When did he start crying?

Best not to think about it. The danger is over, the threat is past, and the last thing he needs to do is make his team think he’s crying over a stupid Silence spell.

Scanlan meets Pike’s worried expression and manages to smile. It’s shaky at the edges, wobbly and wet, but it’s enough to make her shoulders relax. A pathetic substitute that is still more potent than what anyone else in Vox Machina could ever do.

Everything’s fine, it says for him.

I’m fine.

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A/N: This was half a spur-of-the-moment idea that sounded fun to write, and half a way for me to practice Scanlan's voice because Critical Role (and this little bastard in particular) has had me in a chokehold for about 8 months now.

Please send help.

[moonsmourning]

! * must list.

my carrd is a hot mess atm and i add muses and remove some way too often to remember to update my carrd. so for the time being until i get to fix up my carrd and character bio's my muses will be listed here.

live action.

tangerine. bullet train, 31, heterosexual, contract killer for hire. * marvel verse available.

eric brooks. blade/marvel, 36, heterosexual, half-vampire & half-human vampire hunter. testing.

aleera. van helsing, 100+, polyamorous, vampire & one of dracula's brides. testing. * marvel verse available.

ani-manga.

ieiro shoko. jujutsu kaisen, 29+, pansexual, jujutsu sorcerer & doctor for the tokyo tech school. * other verses are optional. * this muse is headcanon based.

iori utahime. jujutsu kaisen, 31+, bisexual, jujutsu sorcerer & kyoto tech teacher. * other verses are optional. * this muse is headcanon-based.

fushiguro megumi. jujutsu kaisen, 15+, asexual & heteroromantic, jujutsu sorcerer & tokyo tech student.

nanami kento. jujutsu kaisen, 27+, heterosexual, jujutsu sorcerer. * alternative ending main verse. yes, he lives!

todo aoi. jujutsu kaisen, 18+, heterosexual, jujutsu sorcerer & kyoto tech student.

panda. jujutsu kaisen, 17+, inapplicable sexuality, jujutsu sorcerer & cursed corpse.

gojō satoru. jujutsu kaisen, 28+, heterosexual, jujutsu sorcerer & the chosen one. testing. * alternative ending main verse. yes, he also lives!

kanroji mitsuri. kimetsu no yaiba, 19+, pansexual & poly, love hashira. * modern verse available. * this muse is headcanon based.

haruno sakura. naruto, 12 - 33, bisexual, kunoichi of konoha & best medical ninja. disciple of lady tsunade & wielder of the byakugou seal. * modern verses available. * this muse is based loosely on the manga.

bachira meguru. blue lock, 17, demisexual, trainee in blue lock. * this muse is headcanon based.

kozume kenma. haikyuu!! 17 - 25, demisexual, former setter for nekoma & now a university student, stock trader, pro-gamer, youtuber & CEO of bouncing ball corp. testing.

semi eita. haikyuu!! 18 - 24, heterosexual, former setter & pinch server for shiratorizawa. now a civil servant & musician. testing. * this muse is headcanon based.

suna rintarō. haikyuu!! 16 - 25, heterosexual, former middle blocker for inarizaki & now a professional volleyball player for EJP raijin. testing. * this muse is headcanon based.

yachi hitoka. haikyuu!! 16 - 24, heterosexual & bicurious, former manager for karasuno's male volleyball team. now a university student & design intern.

video games.

letta. path to nowhere, 13, inapplicable sexuality, young a-rank sinner imprisoned by the MBCC. heiress to the devonshire family business & known as the ghost of sloane street.

gekkabijin. path to nowhere, 24, bisexual, a-rank sinner & member of the garden, imprisoned by the MBCC.

bai yi. path to nowhere, 26, bisexual, s-rank sinner & creator of whitestone industries. former agent of parma.

luvia / ray. path to nowhere, 24 & 26, heterosexual, a-rank sinner & actress. due to trauma, the sinner luvia developed dissociative identity disorder which gave birth to ray, her protector alter. * this muse is headcanon based.

horo. path to nowhere, 16, demisexual, a-rank sinner & member of the legion, now imprisoned in the MBCC.

juno teo minh. overwatch, 19, bisexual, human born & raised on mars, now living on earth to find a way to save her home and family back on mars.

odessa stone. overwatch, 31, lesbian, former wastelander & now the queen of junkertown.

ana amari. overwatch, 62, heterosexual, a founding member of overwatch & once known as the best sniper in the world. travelling the world to help overwatch from the shadows.

yuna lee. overwatch, 23, bisexual, known more by her gaming handle d.mon, yuna is a member of the MEKKA squad. pilots her mech called beast and helps fight against the omnics.

original characters.

roselle swanson. 27, bisexual, french moon witch on the run from her coven, cursed by death itself to live until her purpose is fulfilled. face claims: carlsong young & phanora kristoffel. * marvel verse available. * jujutsu kaisen verse available. * haikyuu!! verse available. * pinterest board.

dalila montalván. 26 ( 100+ ), pansexual, half-witch, half-vampire hybrid, cursed by her former fiancee for something she didn't do. she owns a jazz club for supernatural beings where she sings and reels in clients. face claim: sabrina claudio.

autumn fitzgerald. 23, bisexual, an experiment went wrong, an artificial atlantean created by a mastermind. face claim: abigail cowen. * dc based.

amachi sana. 24 - 28, bisexual, a tall & mysterious bartender who has a lot more to him than meets the eye. face claim: tatsuomi ban. * jujutsu kaisen verse available. * kimetsu no yaiba verse available.

nakada reina. 24 - 28, bisexual, a young and energetic social media influencer and blogger. face claim: misa amane. * jujutsu kaisen verse available. * kimetsu no yaiba verse available. * tokyo revengers verse available.

petra müller. 17 - 26, bisexual, a jujutsu sorcerer & heiress to the imada clan. known as the fairy tale sorcerer. the angel, the kraken, and the demon warrior. face claim: emma nakazono & nana komatsu. * jujutsu kaisen based. * marvel verses available. * blue lock verse available. * haikyuu!! verse available. * pinterest board.

harmony. unknown, pansexual, a young budding planet, the daughter of venus & mars now walking on two feet and travelling earth to try and save it. * goddess verse available. * rebirth verse available. * cosmic witch verse available.

[deathturned]

general statistics.

FULL NAME Vex'ahlia Vessar. NICKNAMES Vex, Stubby (only to Vax). TITLES Lady Vex'ahlia, Baroness of the First (formerly Third) House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, Champion of Pelor, Coinmistress of the Tal'Dorei Council. AFFILIATION Vax'ildan, Vox Machina, Slayer's Take, Dawnfather, Chamber of Whitestone, Council of Emon.

BORN Spring 783, Byroden. GENDER Cisgender woman. PRONOUNS She/her/hers. SEXUALITY Bisexual. HEIGHT 5'9". HAIR COLOR Black. EYE COLOR Hazel. TATTOOS None (yet). SCARS Several, mostly general wear and tear from adventuring. Most notably, a brand on her upper right arm marking her as a member of the Slayer's Take, a burn scar over her heart from her death in the Sunken Tomb, burn scar along her left side from her death battling Vecna.

RACE Half-elf. RELIGION Eventual devotion to the Dawnfather.

POSITIVE TRAITS Adventurous, charismatic, compassionate, outgoing, pragmatic, self-confident. NEGATIVE TRAITS Deceitful, distrusting, obsessive, resentful, vain, vengeful. ALIGNMENT Chaotic good (formerly neutral good/chaotic neutral).

PHOBIAS None. MENTAL HEALTH Relatively healthy (situational trauma).

skills & abilities.

EDUCATION Trained by private tutors in Syngorn at her father's instruction. PROFESSION Mercenary, adventurer, Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, member of the Chamber of Whitestone, member of the Council of Emon. LANGUAGES Common, Undercommon, Elvish, Draconic, Abyssal, Thieves' Cant.

HALF-ELF ABILITIES Darkvision, Fey ancestry, skill versatility. FEATS Observant, sharpshooter. PROFICIENCIES Skill—Athletics, deception, insight, investigation, persuasion, survival; Expertise—Acrobatics, perception, stealth; Tools—Thieves' tools.

BLESSING OF THE DAWNFATHER Natural resistance to necrotic damage, ability to channel the light of day into her being.

ranger.

FAVORED ENEMIES Dragons, demons. NATURAL EXPLORER Forest, mountain, Underdark. SPELLCASTING Wisdom-based. FIGHTING STYLE Archery. ARCHETYPE Beast Master—Ranger's companion (Trinket, brown bear), bestial fury, exceptional training; primal fury. ABILITIES Primeval awareness, extra attack, land's stride, hide in plain sight, skirmisher's stealth. SPELLS Cure Wounds*, Hail of Thorns*, Hunter's Mark*, Speak with Animals*, Lesser Restoriation**, Locate Object**, Pass without Trace**, Protection from Poison**, Spike Growth**, Conjure Animals***, Conjure Barrage***, Lightning Arrow***, Grasping Vine****, Conjure Woodland Beings****.

rogue.

EXPERTISE Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth. ARCHETYPE Assassin—Assassinate, bonus proficiencies (disguise kit, poisoner's kit). ABILITIES Cunning action, sneak attack, Thieves' Cant, uncanny dodge, evasion.

connections.

PARENTS Elaina (mother, deceased), Syldor (father, estranged), Devana (stepmother, estranged). SIBLINGS Vax'ildan (twin brother), Velora (younger half-sister), Cassandra de Rolo (sister-in-law, main verse).

SPOUSE Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III (husband, main verse). CHILDREN Vesper Elaina (daughter), Wolfe (son), Leona (daughter), Vax'ildan (son), Gwendolyn (daughter).

Note: While I am happy to ship Vex with other characters, Percy is her main ship & her relationship with and eventual marriage to him is her default. This will be her canon unless we have discussed a different ship.

VOX MACHINA Vax'ildan, Percy de Rolo, Keyleth of the Air Ashari, Scanlan Shorthalt, Grog Strongjaw, Pike Trickfoot, Taryon Darrington.

character intro.

Like so many half-elves, Vex'ahlia has spent most of her life suffering the cool reception of a people who don't fully accept her.

Born of a human mother and an elven father—who only later in life took an interest in their existence—Vex'ahlia and her twin brother Vax'ildan quickly realized the only people they could truly rely on in this world were each other.

It was at the age of ten when the two were taken from their mother, and brought to live in Syngorn, the isolated elven city for which their father was an ambassador. He quietly took them in, but always kept an icy distance, and after too many years of disdainful looks, the pair decided to leave his indifference behind, and set out on their own.

Vax took to the cities, stealing small trinkets and learning the ways of the thief, while Vex kept to the woods. She preferred the isolation. Always the keen observer, she learned to hunt and to track, to spy, and to shoot. And through a series of fateful events, earned herself a companion in the form of a bear—her own stolen Trinket—to fight alongside her and protect her fiercely. Also, he is adorable—and gives expert massages.

[flyingupward]

@everlightblessing​ said: “You left me no choice but to stay here forever.” -- cassandra to delilah!

     ❝ you say that as if it’s a PUNISHMENT to be allowed to stay in your home. ❞ delilah tuts disapprovingly. ❝ honestly, cassandra, after all we’ve done for you.. ❞ she takes a moment, feigning hurt, before bright eyes turned towards the young woman, sympathy SCHOOLED onto her features. ❝ then again, it’s not your fault, is it ? you’re lashing out. after what your family did to you... i understand. it’s easier to BLAME ME than it is to accept the truth. ❞

[fenthrasandbluefeather]

💐 from wolfe hehe

Vex looked up at the knock on her door and smiled as her oldest son peeked inside. She was seated behind a dark, wooden dest and sunlight fell through the open window. "Come in, Darling. What is it?" She asked and put her pen down. Vex'ahlia always made sure to make her children feel seen. She wouldn't multitask when they came to talk to her like her own father had done. They would be listened to and made to feel understood and cared for. When Wolfe fully stepped into her study her eyebrows raised at the boquet of flowers he was carrying. "Did you get those for me?" She asked and stood, walking over towards Wolfe to meet him half way, deeply touched at the gesture.

[halcyon-writings]

— back again with the herald!verse, but this time with special guests

nav.

!! major c3 spoilers !!

(also implied poly wooooo)

you enjoy the cool breeze that always seems to linger about whitestone. although perhaps that was due, in part, to your preference for longer sleeves and sweaters. but hey, after everything you’ve done and been through, you deserved to splurge on comfy sweaters.

an idyllic life was not one you had believed were in the cards for you. (a far more grim part of your mind thought you’d perhaps die a puppet like delilah briarwood, and by extent, vecna had intended.) but alas, now here you were, occasionally working at the slayer’s cake with some old friends and enjoying a simple thing like lounging around with a book in one hand and a warm cup of tea in another.

only when you sense a person, persons, that is, outside of your home, you know that something will change. you don’t like the way the comforting breeze settles into an ominous chill.

taking a simple cloak hanging off of the rack near the door, as whitestone itself was a bit colder than everywhere else, you brace yourself for whatever awaits you outside.

well, it wasn’t a random assortment of adventurers that you were expecting. in front of them, percy, without his cane and instead a long rifle slung over his back. immediately you’re concerned.

you step out, door shutting behind you as you raise a hand and place a simple charm to lock it.

“percival, what happened?”

he swallows deeply and begins to explain.

you considered yourself a rational person. especially now that you matured and seen and experienced many things. nothing could break that reason you believed you had.

except when they mention delilah briarwood, your palms feel clammy, your hands tremble. ringing begins in your ears.

you hear your name being called. sounds muddled as you step forward.

"you brought her here? of all places?" your voice sounds like your own, but also doesn't. familiar red wisps curl around your fingers, your breathing quickens.

there's a woman with lilac colored hair, her expression desperate, "we had no other choice, she's-"

with a flick of your wrist, she's bound by the red wisps that had been curled around your fingers, your nostrils flared as you all but stomp in her direction. the other members of her party had their weapons raised.

"there is always a choice," you snap, your glare stops her midsentence, "you should've left her as she was. and let the scourge of delilah briarwood die with her."

a fireball is launched in your direction, and your features turn confused for a moment as you hear some animal screech, your other hand keeping the woman in place while the other redirects the fireball.

the momentary confusion gives you clarity, and the holding spell is dropped, your heartbeat rings in your ears. a hand on your shoulder almost makes you jump.

you turn to percival, and he almost flinches, before remembering the company of strangers, when his expression schools itself into the usual collectedness. your own expression is wounded.

the group before you senses the need for privacy at least, and you readily ignore their hard stares, a green haired woman assisting the one you captured.

vex'ahlia takes your shaking hands, giving them a soft squeeze, which you return in an almost instant. (damn, when had she arrived?, you think)

your breathing begins to slow.

"i know this might be too much to ask of you, especially considering the risks" he begins, "but if possible..." trailing off when you inhale sharply.

"they will not be receiving any of my help," you cross your arms in front of your chest, your shoulders squared, "but if she makes a reappearance because of what they are going to do, i will do all in my power to destroy her."

percival and vex'ahlia share a look, before the lord and lady of whitestone accept your answer.

you bite your lip, "after everything that delilah briarwood did to you, to me, everything, you would risk such a thing and for what? what of the children?" your silent question follows 'what if they were next?'

percival stiffens, "I know."

with a wave of your hand, your plain clothing changes to familiar armors and leathers, your eyes trained on the group some feet away knowing that they were attempting to listen.

"then you know why in good conscious that I cannot help," you adjust the gloves on your hands, "but I will protect whitestone."

percival reaches for your hand, which you allow, placing a kiss to your knuckles before brushing his thumb against them, "and I will forever be indebted to you for it."

[msommers]

sword knuckles and whip for meredith and elena!!!

thank youuuu 💜💚 // choose your weapon ask game

Sword - Have they ever broken an oath?

MEREDITH — she never technically voiced such an oath, but she definitely broke the vow that most grey wardens make in swearing that stopping the darkspawn is their sole goal after the joining. meredith never surrendered her titles and actively called on them during the fifth blight, and though she did her duties as warden-commander for years,,,everybody knew that she was far more devoted to politics and ruling.

ELENA — not that i can think of. she's the type to take her word seriously and only commit it to something she truly believes in, any oath would be the utmost responsibility in her eyes.

Knuckles - What is their health like?

MEREDITH — she's in good health, much to the dismay of the haters. she's a warden but she rarely encounters darkspawn, and as a rogue has no access to any magic that would accelerate the progression of the taint. of course it's still there and in time will take its course, but she hopes to cut off that potential before the first inkling appears.

ELENA — she's golden. she's insane. girlie has a +4 constitution score, she's in peak condition and will nearly always be that way given who and what she is.

Whip - Who/What are they tied to? Relationships? Obligations?

MEREDITH — the cousland family and denizens of the highever teyrnir, the kingdom of ferelden as a larger picture, her positions of power, alistair. she has always felt a deep connection to people, especially those who are in her charge such as the folks of the teyrnir when she was a lady, and then the fereldans during the fifth blight and after. she was born into a position of power and privilege, has always known this and felt obliged to use that position justly and responsibly. (and alright, yes, maybe, she enjoys it quite a lot.) has been bound to alistair since the battle of ostagar, still true in alt verses when somebody else is her LI but incredibly so in her default state where they become partners then royals and start changing the kingdom together. i can’t find the words to explain it at this moment but like. some kind of tie to nathaniel as well, strange as it may seem given the circumstances of their reuniting at vigil’s keep. they bond over the course of awakening and then maintain a close friendship long after.

ELENA — has been tied to whitestone and the zenith since birth. she came into this world with a whole ass divine miracle and was expected to continue to do great things as the sunblessed child of pelor, and she took that on as an obligation as she grew. she has a big tie to the citizens of whitestone in general because she loves them, wants to protect and aid them with the abilities that pelor grants her, but she doesn’t have any specific ties outside of one true friend. hasn’t really bonded with anybody else outside of that lmao

[everlightblessing]

@cleverarcana​.

"That's exactly why you must be the leader, darling. Those who crave power, far more often than not, are the ones who abuse it. You will be an excellent leader because you're not doing it for yourself, you're truly looking out for your people and their best interests. There's far too little of that in the world these days."

                 Fidgeting, Cassandra listens and nods along to herself. Her words make sense, she knows, but she can’t shake off the feeling that something is off. “Can’t I just...” she takes a deep breath, her parents taught her well, they trained her to lead Whitestone one day, but that day wasn’t supposed to come so soon. Inhale, exhale.

“What if I just, uh, perhaps... what if I can’t do that? I mean, Julius and Vesper, they were meant to... I wasn’t... not for a long time.” Cassandra shrugs, wrapping her arms around herself and feeling her usually perfect posture curl down into herself, head feeling light. “I-I know you’re right, I do, but sometimes it feels like the castle walls are closing around me here, but if I go outside I remember the arrows and Percy leaving and...”

[stormlit]

while tairia is technically an entire world, i think by default just for ease of rping with my 6000 cr mutuals it’s just going to be an extra continent in exandria, originally known for its fair monarchy and druidic magic but now isolated by its closed borders, terrible authoritarian leadership (that massacred said monarchy), and the fact that the second adventurers get there, all their magic is dampened down and they have little power. plus teleporting out is a huge problem. this is done through the use of anti-magic siphons (akin to the spinning orb of death beneath whitestone) that are heavily guarded and also extremely secret. there are ways to get there! but it’s more likely going to be rue going to tal’dorei or whitestone and eventually bringing her new friends back to help.

and for her br*dgerton/regency verse, think anastasia. people still talk about the massacre of the tairian royal family, as they visited london often and were friendly with the queen/the ton, and now there are rumours that the lost princess, the one who everyone lost track of while her siblings made it to family in england; they’re searching for her decades later. but she has no memory of her life before, and is currently working as a seamstress for a popular modiste in london, while also thinking that perhaps there are answers to her life before if she follows these rumours, because she looks like she could be her, if she pulls off a little con against the rich people she’s tired of following the whims of. but the ton know her, especially the ladies!

[everlightblessing]

trickrydomain​.

@everlightblessing​ / Cassandra / meme.

“I know in my dreams, I’ll see them there.”

          While he couldn’t ask her to remain in bed to heal from her wounds, Kynan could attempt to have Cassandra take it easy - being shot full of arrows would take a toll on one’s body. He sat near her desk, sharpening one of his daggers until she spoke. Conversations with her were never what he expected, especially if they concerned family.          “ Well, ”          His words were slow, attempting to put together something comforting.          “ As long as you remember them, they’ll never really be gone. ”          He let that hang in the air as he sheathed his dagger and looked to her.          “ Do you want to talk about them? ”

                     She’s tired, still, and everyone in this castle knows very well that she’s not recovered completely just yet-- but they all know better to try to stop her, too. Arrows were something her body had somewhat grown used to by now, after being attacked a second time with them, knocked out of consciousness by the sheer force of puncture wounds and blood loss. It had almost killed her twice, both times Cassandra was sure she’d at least get to see her parents and siblings again.

“That’s very true,” she nods softly, deep breath as she takes another step in the picture perfect dress she’d put on, ready for her duties as a lady of Whitestone if her presence were to be required, though the blanket draped over her shoulders says otherwise. “I don’t know... maybe. But what about your family? Can you tell me about them first?” Cassandra smiles, sitting down with a hiss and moving to make room for Kynan, “If you want to, of course! You’re not required to tell me anything you don’t feel comfortable with, that’s not part of the job. I don’t know what my brother told you, but don’t listen to him.”

[luxnosvocat]

everyone’s talkin’ modern aus so let’s get the lowdown on some MODERN DE ROLOS! (this information can also be found in a slightly condensed state in my verse page.)

(also note that this is different from a specifically high school au I’ve thrown around before.)

BASICS:

the de Rolo family rules over a small nation-state (think Liechtenstein or the Vatican) nestled in the Alps, where France, Italy, and Switzerland all meet. Whitestone has existed as a nation for hundreds of years, despite attempts to assimilate it into Italy or France.

there are four official languages: English, French, German, and Italian. The de Rolo children are expected to be completely fluent in at least two of them, with competency in all four.

Whitestone was an absolute monarchy up until the aftermath of WWII, where, after seeing the atrocities absolute leaders committed across Europe, King Wayland stepped down from the position and rehauled the government structure, creating something more akin to a constitutional monarchy -- the Chamber of Whitestone is elected every four years, and works in tandem with the hereditary leader, who now holds the title of Lord or Lady.

his son, Lord Frederickstein de Rolo, is the first lord to inherit the position. The rest of the de Rolo family receives the titles of “Lord” or “Lady” as courtesy titles, replacing the title of “Prince” or “Princess”

through Johanna de Rolo, the de Rolo children are descended from Queen Victoria of England. Johanna is the great-granddaughter of Princess Charlotte of Connaught*, the youngest daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathern and Princess Margaret Louise of Prussia. Prince Arthur was Queen Victoria’s second-youngest son.

SPECIFICS:

Julius and Iseult are based in Whitestone, preparing to become the next Lord and Lady of Whitestone, as well as raising their son, Wayland II.

Vesper is a diplomat and envoy of Whitestone, and is frequently found abroad.

Percival lives in London with his best friends after completing a degree in mechanical engineering. (He usually deals with mental health issues and some addiction issues.)

Whitney studies in the Netherlands for botany and plant science.

Oliver goes to school in Ireland and mostly dicks around being gay.

Ludwig is undergoing an intensive violin performance curriculum in Austria but is as much of a homebody as he can be.

Cassandra underwent a horrifying boarding school experience in the last few years of her high school life, where the abuse she went through was hushed up by the proprietors of the school. After an extended legal battle and investigation spearheaded by Percival, she was eventually removed from the school and it was shut down. She now is starting her first year of university in America.

VARIANTS:

there is a version of this verse where Whitestone castle is bombed by insurgents, killing the entire family except Percival and Cassandra, who were both out of the country. The two of them then have to figure out how the nation will be governed while dealing with their personal loss. The timeline on this is a little squidgy. Pretty much, if you want some modern de Rolos with their usual angst, come talk to me about this one.

in any university aus, everything is the same except everyone’s slightly younger and in school. In university aus with the rest of VM, the de Rolos are probably dead, but we’ll talk about it.

* (who I made up. Her parents are real, though. I just gave them an extra daughter.)