#3E-Open-minded

[talenlee]

3e: Psychofeedback

In game making we’re often talking about feedback loops. That is the idea that when something happens, in a process, it influences that same process the next time it happens. Feedback in audio is a problem you want to avoid. Feedback in marketing is something you want endlessly so you can always make a new excuse for why you need more feedback before committing to an optimal strategy. Feedback is everywhere in every interaction because if you weren’t getting feedback, you weren’t interacting.

TTRPGs are in many cases built on feedback. In most story-run games, ie, anything with what we call a DM or GM interchangeably unless you’re really persnickety about rules language, the game is fundamentally a feedback loop where that story-runner provides a stimulis and the players respond to and incorporate that feedback. Feedback is not a problem, feedback is the whole experience.

Art Source

That’s not what this is about.

This is about a single specific power in 3e D&D, called Psychofeedback, which was so broken I may have gotten it errata’d.

The rules system is 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons. The book is Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Psionics Handbook by Bruce Cordell and I assume a lot of other people. In this book, we have the power Psychofeedback, and since you’re not in a position to get this book, here’s the relevant rules text, verbatim:

You can use power points to boost your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution modifiers as a free action. While the duration lasts, you can use power points on a round-by-round basis to boost any or all of your ability score modifiers (not the actual ability score) by a number equal to half the power points you expend for that round as a free action. For example, you can boost your Strength modifier by as much as 8 points (if you spend 16 power points).

That’s the important rules information. It lets you convert psionic power points to stat modifier at a 2:1 rate. Note that it’s not converting to stat points, but to stat modifier. Now, this means you don’t change things like your strength score (relevant for carrying capacity) but your strength modifier (relevant for single acts of strength like breaking objects or attacking people). This was a level 4 power, available for a Psion at level 8, or Psychic Warrior at level 10. It was also, largely, a completely unusable power, as designed, because the conversion rate didn’t really work out very well. It could be useful for a short burst of strength, but you couldn’t, for example, use it to temporarily inflate your hit points, because when your Constitution decreased, you’d lose those hit points you gained first. You could ge tougher, but you’d have to stay spending power points until you were healed. Neat effect but not amazing.

Interesting power, no real application.

Except.

In the same book we have the Mind Feeder weapon property. By level 8-10, it’s very reasonable to expect a character to have access to this weapon, whose rules state:

A mindfeeder weapon grants its wielder temporary power points equal to the total damage dealt by a successful critical hit.

How often do you get critical hits?

In this case, using core rules available items, a scimitar crits on 3 numbers (18, 19, 20). With improved critical, it crits on 6 numbers (adding 15, 16, 17). With Sharpness, it crits on 8 numbers (adding 14 and 13). That means that a mindfeeder weapon could critically hit just under half the time. What this could lead to was a character who dual-wielded small weapons like these and made five attacks a turn at level 10 (because of ubiquitous buff haste).

You can open with a Psychofeedback buff to your attack of, at that level, 26 power points, all you had. That means +13 to your strength modifier, meaning your attack would do something in the district of 1d4+your strength+magical mods+that extra 13 strength. There’s also this feat from the Player’s Handbook called power attack. Power attack let you exchange a penalty on hit for a bonus to your damage rolls. Remember how you spent those 26 power points for a +13 strength modifier? You have therefore, a +13 extra to hit. So without needing to change how likely you are to hit, you’re suddenly getting another +13 extra damage on that attack.

Now double it.

That meant that your first crit, which cost you 26 power points, is going to be like 2.5 dice-roll damage, +1 from the magical weapon, probably, +2 from a totally reasonable base strength mod, +13 from the new strength mod, +13 from power attack, doubled. That’s 63 power points. The next turn, you can turn those 63 power points into strength, for a +31 strength mod. Critting in that turn on five attacks is very reasonably likely, and that gets you 135 power points back. And that’s +67 Strength modifier. That would be equivalent to a strength of 145. While this is going on, your character is stronger than multiple gods of strength, combined.

You have ten rounds to do this, and every single high roll pushes you further ahead. And this is the thing at start; you don’t need to go much further for the wheels to come off this very fast. And this is level ten where you don’t have a lot of ways to build for ridiculous recovery, or forcing more chances to critically hit. Remember, this is a game system that’s meant to scale up past level 20 infinitely!

This is dumb. It’s also 3rd edition so you can even be mobile and do this, haste letting you make a partial charge to close on a new subject and then ginsu it with your full attack. But hey, at least those power points are temporary, so you can’t just spend all your time doing this in every encounter, right? At least you’re not ending every fight on full power points, after having a strength stat somewhere in the triple digits at some point, Right?

Art Source

Normally with these balance problems in the sprawling game system that is Dungeons & Dragons the problem is the intersection of systemic components that were not designed to necessarily know about one another. It’s usually about using parts from two different books, brought together in a way that resulted in something unintentionally powerful. This is different. This is using two things from the same book whose application to one another seems to be pretty reasonably obvious. This is almost as egregious as the problem of the Spelldancer, another 3e all-star with an internal feedback loop that worked with its own features in the most obvious way.

See, the thing is, now Psychofeedback says ‘temporary’ power points. When the book was new, it didn’t say temporary. It didn’t say that and I wrote a treatment on it for the Character Optimisation board showing how the whole thing broke with core material only, and then one of the website writers for the book showed up in the thread and said ‘oh, that shouldn’t work that way.’

Then we got an online errata for the rulebook, and then in the next edition of the book the rule was changed.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[anzulvr]

Hiii! May I request for some Hcs about Karma and a "famous" reader for something like acting/modeling related because her family? But actually her mother and brother are a little piece of shit with her, just like her internal environment. Her attitude at first is a bit dry, but she is a loving person (Plus if have a fear of knives and learn to deal with Karma and the murder thing in the classroom)

(Btw, english is not my first language, sorry if something sounds weird. Idk if this is very specific, I'M SORRY, it's been on my mind for a long time, I love your writing, it's the first time I ask for :( AAAAA I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF REQUETS, take your time💐)

Thank you for the request! Sorry it took this long, I’ve been busy :(

Karma Akabane x Famous reader

(more description in the ask!)

. ˚◞♡   ⃗ 🎐 ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

— If there’s one thing he makes fun of you the most it’s definitely the fame thing, anytime he sees you in a magazine or TV he snaps a pic on his phone and sends it to you like you don’t already know your on it😭

— Being kinda awkward at first isn’t something he minds he actually likes poking fun at you and trying to get you off guard.

— once you do let your guard down everyone is surprised Karma is the classmate who got you to open up, it’s an unexpected match but really fitting.

— sun x moon trope, (reader = sun, Karma = moon)

You both are inseparable and can talk about anything once comfortable enough, you’re also able to relate to each other, while your family issues come from different circumstances you guys are able to entrust in one another once you get comfortable enough and even find some relatable points in the conversation. (He’s the best secret keeper and gives surprisingly helpful advice when he wants to.)

— He finds your fear of knives and assassination in class endearing considering the knifes are more rubber like, he pokes fun at you for it but at the same time gives you advice and tries to help you get over your fear.

— if the fame is pushed on soely by your family and it’s not really what you want he’ll encourage you to just drop the whole thing and kinda rebel against what they want, wanting you to have control of your own life. (Parents wouldn’t approve of him whatsoever but it’s okay Karma for the win. This kinda depends on if he’s willing to put up a front for them and act like the “perfect” guy in their eyes or if they’re truly the worst and he doesn’t care enough to sugarcoat things for them, could go either way.)

— he acts like the paparazzi for fun, you’ll be sitting doing homework or something and his phone camera flash will go off (he purposely has flash on to annoy you)

— corniest nicknames depending on what you do, he’s also the one who picks your code name from class, something like “Hollywood”

Bonus note:

If you do Film, Kayano is mega jealous AND starstruck by you because the girl is a theatre nerd, definitely recognized you when you first went to 3E because she’s a fan and DEFINITELY asks you to hook her up with jobs in the film industry 😭 also depends what movies [name] acts in though because if it’s more action Nagisa would be second in line for that autograph (right behind Karma who asks for two because he wants to sell one on eBay)

MIMURA TOO OMG (the director student of 3E) he’s asking so many questions of the industry and is invested in everything you say.

If you do modeling, Rio is the first to recognize you when you walk in because she’s obsessed with your makeup/clothing brand. Also Yada whose into fashion and all that stuff, Yada is the type to make those cute little fashion inspiration boards and you’re on it of course.

Sorry for any spelling mistakes!! Please tell me if you catch any so I can fix! 🩷

[bleach-your-panties]

⚡mind (and body) fuck 🛸- d.kaminari x fem reader x h.shinsou

⇰n/sfw 18+. mdni. MAJOR dark content warning.

⇰written for @bastardblvd's house of slimy horrors halloween collab.

⇰warnings: gullible reader, mentally ill reader, drug use (weed), electrostimulation, hypnosis, alien abduction, NON-CON, body horror, tummy bulge, use of surgical instruments, instrument insertion, egg retrieval, time-traveling (between present day and 1970's), alternate timelines, trippy shit, misogyny, sexism, sleazy men talk, threesome ig, excessive cursing, slimeball!denki being himself and slimeball!fake!landlord hitoshi, who claims he's a licensed hypnotist. this is degenerate, psychological filth; who wrote this?

⇰(i got the title idea from shinsou's hero name. i think it's mindbreak, but i always say mindfuck lol.)

🛸inspired by the movie fire in the sky and betty and barney hill's accounts of their alien abduction in 1961.

🛸banner images from pinterest/pic collage

🛸banner/animated divider made by me with canva/pic collage.

🛸halloween divider by @/firefly-graphics

🛸4.8k words

▶️: e. t (remix). - katy perry ft. kanye west

▶️: phone home - lil wayne

"You sure you don't want another hit, pretty?" Denki turned his head to ask you as he held the lit blunt, which was quickly becoming a roach, between his long fingers.

Hitoshi, who was sitting to your left, made a small sound of amusement.

"I think she's had enough. Just look at her fucking face."

You're Denki's new neighbor, having just moved down the hall into apartment 3E. After finally securing a day off from work, he decided to do the neighborly thing and invite you over. To get to know you better.

He met you as he was preparing to leave for work one morning.

You looked so lost and gullible, easy prey for him, but if he hadn't have left then, Katsuki would have most certainly put his ass on bathroom duty for being late. 

He'd have to put his quest of getting to know you on the back burner until he had more time.

And now, the day has finally come.

He wasn't very impressed when Hitoshi insisted on coming over the same day to 'work on some maintenance issues'.

Hitoshi is a bastard, a smooth bastard, that always seems to be in competition with him when it comes to nagging hot, unsuspecting chicks and taking them home, filling them up with weed, alcohol, and dick, then giving them the boot.

They even have a scoreboard, and Denki is currently just one point behind Hitoshi right now. Just one measly point.

And Denki planned to use little ole, naive you to even the score.

"What even is in that shit? It smells horrible." The violet-haired man waved his hand in front of his face to waft the weed smoke away from his "delicate" nose.

"You know, I've never seen someone who smokes cigarettes be so sensitive about a little weed. Pussy."

"Pussy? Oh, so now we're name-calling then? If I'm such a pussy, then how come I'm ahead of you right now on the board?"

He pointed a long, black-polished fingertip at the board situated across the room in plain sight. 

The girls that Denki brought back here either had to be dumb, lonely, desperate, or a sad mixture of all three. Not to mention the ones with daddy issues.

“Because you use fake status and promises of discounted rent to get pussy, while I, on the other hand, use my charm and good looks. Not to mention I actually know how to fuck.” Denki smirked and crossed his long arms over his chest.

Hitoshi just snorted and Denki knew that he had won that argument.

A soft moan and a feminine hand on his jean-clad thigh made Denki jump in surprise.

"Shit, I almost forgot you were here, baby girl. Scared the fuck out of me." Denki cooed at you and then snickered.

A steaming hot box of pizza was open on the small coffee table in front of you, along with opened cans of beer and soda.

"You still didn't answer my question, pisshead. What is in that weed and why does it stink so fucking badly?" 

Denki leaned forward to grab a slice of pizza out of the box: Hawaiian-style pizza.

"It's called Pineapple Express." 

 "Oh you just fucking made that up."

"I swear I didn't, but okay." Denki reached across your lap to ash the roach. Your small hand shakily reached out, grabbed his wrist, and rubbed it all the way down to the crease of his elbow, meeting the flannel of his rolled-up shirt.

“What’s wrong, baby? Are you tired?” Denki asked you in a thick, honey-laden voice.

What he doesn't know, though, is that he's given you a dangerous mixture. 

A toxin that would soon have you spouting fairytales and complete nonsense.

You looked up at the zig-zag blonde confused, as if you were really seeing him for the first time. 

"Wait, where am I? W-what…what year is it?"

Shinsou raised an eyebrow and shot Denki a concerned look. 

"You're in my apartment, babe, and the year is 2023." Denki answered without missing a beat.

You were clutching his arm now in a panicked state.

"N-no, that can't be right. The last thing that I remember was walking home and then there was this bright, green light and…"

Both males leaned into you mechanically, them wanting to give you their full attention as well as them being eager to hear what you have to say.

"It was like a fire in the sky; at first it was merely a spark against the soot of the night, when all of a sudden, it was surrounding me, a blazing hot inferno, as if I had stepped onto the Sun's surface." You explained with a shakiness to your voice.

"If you even attempted to touch the Sun, you'd vaporize before you could even reach the surface." Shinsou retorted smartly.

Denki seemed perturbed by the story that you're currently spouting, but he also couldn't deny that it had sparked his interest. 

"Leave it to Denki to bring home a crazy bitch and try to fuck…" Shinsou mumbled and reached into his jeans pocket for a Marlboro Menthol Black cigarette.

Said blonde swatted at Shinsou, a silent message for the lavender-haired man to shut the fuck up lest he scare away the barista's latest conquest.

"Hmm, what are you babbling about, sugar tits? There's no such thing as aliens and time travelers." He chuckled gleefully and cradled you closer to him.

How cute and funny you are.

His dick began to stir in his jeans from having you lie against him like this. Your tits spilled over the neckline of your top and brushed his chest.

Shinsou rolled his periwinkle eyes as he continued to smoke his cigarette and watch the wispy smoke curl up into the air. The minty, smoky odor mixed with the fruity one of Denki’s weed.

Those eyes then moved to the floor where your open purse was sitting by his feet. Inside, he could see a couple of pill bottles peeking out.

While you were busy whining to Denki about how you’d supposedly been abducted by aliens in your past life, Shinsou leaned down and scooped the three bottles up to read their white labels.

‘Haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and trifluoperazine. Antipsychotics?’

He rolled the bottles over in his hand then shot another look over to Denki, who seemed to have forgotten that Shinsou was even there.

The blonde's nimble fingers splayed across your back while his other hand rubbed up and down your shoulder.

Your breathing quickened and Denki took that as your arousal coming out, but your chest was constricting; you felt like you might be having a panic attack.

Shinsou stood up off the couch and moved Denki's hand off of your shoulder. Honey snapped up to meet periwinkle.

"What the fuck, dude?" 

The pill bottles shook in his face, making Denki squint as he tried to read the small black writing.

"What is this?"

"Antipsychotic medication! This chick is seriously screwed up! You shouldn't have given her that weed; it's likely the only reason she's falling all over you right now!"

Denki scoffed and rolled his eyes. In his mind, Shinsou is just envious that Denki got to you first, and the lavender-haired man was afraid for Denki to take the lead over him.

"Now when it's my chance to finally get ahead, you want to be a man of morals? Spare me the bullshit, please."

"Forget about the fucking board for a minute! You-"

Denki swiped the bottles out of Shinsou's hand and brought them in front of your face. His free hand moved from your back to your belly and down into the waistband of your skirt.

"Did you remember to take your medicine today, huh, pretty?" He asked with a teasing lilt in his voice. This revelation doesn't change anything for him; he's still hard and still wants to fuck you.

Your eyes refocus on him, only slightly, and you give a faraway nod.

"I did…I think.." 

He leaned forward to set the pill bottles on the coffee table. "Good girl…" He purred like a fat cat with a bowl full of fresh tuna.

Denki grabbed your exposed thigh and used it to pull your leg across his waist. Shinsou didn't miss how your cunt gripped the chartreuse lace of your panties as Denki exposed you to his sunken eyes. He bit his lip.

"You're really going to fuck her while she's like this?" His voice was thick with apprehension. 

Denki didn't falter; he even smirked.

"Sure am...not like I haven't done it before. You got a problem, you can leave. There's the door." He nodded his head behind him to the metal door that leads into the hallway.

Shinsou's jaw clenched; his pride wouldn't let him be outdone by a dumbass like Denki. Not by a long shot. 

Shinsou had to think of a plan and think of one fast before Denki would have your spaced-out ass bouncing on his dick in this very living room. 

"Hey…I've got an idea. If she claims she was abducted by aliens, I'll hypnotize her. That way, we'll know if she's really telling the truth or if she's just a nut."

Denki laughed at the double entendre. "She is just a nut, but I'm interested now. Do you really know how to hypnotize someone?" He asked, looking at Shinsou while standing up from the couch.

"Of course, I'm a licensed hypnotist." Shinsou lied, trying to save face. 

Denki positioned you in a supine position and crossed your arms over your chest.

"I'm going to hypnotize her, not put her in a fucking tomb." Shinsou rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Just do it, before I get bored. Also, if you think you're going to trick me into giving her up, you've got another thing coming." Denki snapped.

His tone grew darker, possessive. He settled his long limbs onto the coffee table and pushed the cans and pizza boxes off to the side.

"Shut the fuck up." Shinsou mumbled. He walked over to the arm of the couch where your head is situated and stood over you.

Smoke-scented fingers caressed your cheek and jaw. You looked up into Shinsou's eyes and they turned dark like cold, jagged amethysts.

"I need you to relax for me, kitten. Breathe slow and easy, don't force them out. Just let them come slow and easy, just like that. Good girl." 

His hand moved to stroke your hair and your squinted eyes shut completely.

"Keep breathing and slowly begin to count backwards from fifty. Come on, do it for me, baby. I know you can." 

Denki's golden eyes watched with intent and arousal; watching you submit to Shinsou's whim so easily was making him even harder than he was previously.

"50…49…48…47…46…"

Your arms slumped by your sides as you drifted off. 

—--

1976

—--

The crickets' songs were melodious in your ears as you walked through your darkened college campus to get back to your dormitory.

The women's dorms were situated far from the main campus and the only way to get there was through a thick, wooded area.

"Silly me for not watching the time and ending up kicked out on my ass at 8pm at night. So not groovy." You chuckled.

Your platform sandals thumped against the ground, the material of your flared pants swishing over them with every calculated step that you took.

It was a bit of a chilly night, not unusual for your hometown, but tonight oddly seemed much colder.

The breeze ruffled your clothes and you looked up into the obsidian night sky. The moon was high and the stars swirled behind the dark gray clouds like a vortex, waiting to swallow up the wispy bits of condensation. 

"How beautiful…"

Suddenly, one of those stars began growing larger and larger. It seemed to be moving towards the Earth; a comet maybe?

No.

It's much bigger and much wider than a comet would be and it's…spinning.

Hot.

The heat was all around you at once and you were trapped. A mechanical whirring sound reverberated in your ears and drummed against your brain. 

Bright, green light emanated from the flying disk as it landed amongst the trees, crushing many of them under its massive weight. 

The sound of multiple tree trunks cracking and bending under it sounded like multiple whips cracking against flesh and the sound made you wince. You dropped your books and covered your ears. 

"What…this can't be happening right now…"

You whispered softly and clenched your eyes shut. The biting cold was now no match for the heat that had engulfed your entire being. 

You fainted.

—--

We are not the same. I am a Martian..

We are not the same. I am a Martian..

(Greetings from Planet Weezy,

We will begin transmission in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…)

Phone home! (Weezy)

Phone home! (Weezy)

Phone home! (Weezy)

Phone home! (Weezy)

And if you feel like you're the best go 'head and do the Weezy-wee and

Phone home! (Weezy)

Phone home! (Weezy)

—-

You awoke sometime later in a cold room with steel walls.

"What happened to me..I..what the hell?"

You tried to move your arms, but they were strapped down on either side of your head with thick leather straps.

"What the fuck?! Let me go! Let me out of here! Anybody! Somebody - help me!"

All of your racket must have alerted whoever else was on the ship with you, because the metal door opened, lifting up from the floor slowly.

Purple smoke filtered under the door and two white-robed figures walked in.

You looked at them and they looked back at you. Then they looked at each other and began speaking in a language that your puny human brain couldn't even begin to comprehend.

The two of them looked like regular humans, but you knew that they were anything but.

The shorter one of the two, a blonde with a black zig-zag stripe through one side of his hair, focused on you. 

He was wearing blue visor-like eyewear that shielded his honey-colored eyes from your vision. The man began to approach your bedside and only upon closer inspection did you realize that he was carrying a metal try with various surgical tools on it.

While the blonde situated himself on a stool beside your bed, the other, a much taller man with wild purple hair, matching eyes, and a black mouthpiece concealing the lower portion of his face sat down at the foot of your bed…table…examination table.

He said something else to the blonde, who nodded without looking up from the laptop that he was now typing on.

He moved a slim finger to press something on the screen - you couldn't read the text, it must be in whatever language they were speaking - and you noticed that his skin was a sickly-looking pale green color and his fingers ended in very sharp black talons.

Definitely not human.

—-

We are not the same, I am a Martian

And I'm hotter than summer rain like Carl Thomas

Lock, load, ready to aim at any target 

I could get your brains for a bargain like I bought it from Target 

—-

The purple-haired one seemed content with just watching you, but he began twisting the knobs on the sides of his mouthpiece.

Greetings, human.

The sound rang inside your head like a bell. It didn't seem to have come from his mouth, but since you couldn't see his lips, you really didn't know. 

"I-I…what do you plan to do with me? Please, just let me go home…!"

You pleaded to him, but your cries didn't seem to really affect him. He just continued staring at you, as if you were an insect under a microscope..

An insect that he could easily overpower and crush if you even tried to defy him or his partner. 

We plan to cause you no harm, if and only if you obey us and let us perform some examinations on you…

"W-What kind of examinations?"

The blonde, now finished with his computer work, rose from the stool and grabbed the metal tray.

He joined the purple one at the foot of your bed, having pulled the stool with him to sit back down on.

The purple one said no more, but the blonde reached for your feet and placed them into stirrups at the bottom of the bed.

This setup is one that you're quite familiar with…is he planning to… give you a feminine wellness exam?

Your thoughts on that were quickly diverted once you saw the tools that the blonde had actually picked up.

He wore thick blue gloves made of, what you assumed might be latex, but it had to be stronger or his claws would've ripped right through them.

"No…no no no no…please!" You pleaded, thrashing against the table widely.

In one hand he held what looked like a transvaginal ultrasound probe but on a much larger scale then what you'd find in any doctor's office on Earth.

The blonde spoke again to his companion, his tone coming across as annoyed. 

The purple-haired man slowly rose from his seat and walked over to you.

He placed his large hand atop your sweaty hair and began to gently stroke it in an effort to calm you down.

Hush now, if you don't lie still I'm going to have to sedate you.

Why couldn't you have just done that in the first damn place!?

You wanted to argue back, but thought it less than wise to do so.

The blonde continued on since you seemed to be distracted now. Deciding to not look at whatever he was about to do to you, you focused your attention on the purple-haired man.

He looked into your eyes and his own wrinkled at the corners, like he might be smiling at you. His sharp nails lightly skimmed over your scalp creating a tingling sensation.

Very good, pet. You're doing so well…

He reached behind his head and began to undo the contraption over his mouth.

The last thing that you saw was a wide mouth full of rows of razor-sharp teeth and a long, purple reptilian tongue.

—

We are not the same, I am an alien

Like Gonzales, young college 

Student, who done just flipped the game like Houston

I'm use to Promethazine and two cups, I'm screwed up

And you ain't shit if you ain't never been screwed up

Flow so sick, make you wanna throw your food up

—-

The blonde man pushed the large instrument inside of you and watched from a screen situated above your bed to make sure that he was maneuvering it correctly. 

The large instrument stretched the skin of your stomach so lewdly and the purple-haired man watched it maneuver inside of you, intrigued.

Then, with a very long and very thin needle, the blonde penetrated your belly in order to get to your ovaries and retrieve some eggs.

When he finished, he removed his gloves and washed his hands in a wide, oval-shaped sink made of what looked like pure white marble.  

Your face was covered in sweat and you were breathing heavily, but both men were cooing over you now, stroking your arms and legs while speaking in their strange language.

You didn't exactly remember it, but you somehow ended up back in the forest where you started.

Five days later.

Your roommate, teachers, colleagues, and parents were all worried sick about you, and finally, you were found on the fifth day, curled up in a ball in the middle of the forest.

They were scared that you might have been drugged and assaulted or worse, had a delusional episode and had wandered off by yourself and gotten lost in the forest.

You had no clothes on when they found you; the only thing covering you was a thin blanket made of a shimmery-metallic colored fabric.

The story became a big sensation in your town, but many were skeptical of you because of your schizophrenia.

You went on to finish college and live a pretty successful life, but that one night all those years ago still haunted you..

—-

I never had life and I never had fear

I rap like I done died and gone to heaven I swear

And yeah I'mma bear, like black and white hair, so I'm polar

And they can't get on my system cause my system is the Solar

I am so far from the othars, I meant others

I just eat them for supper, get in my spaceship and hover, hover

—-

Present Day, 2023

—-

"Damn, it really worked…" Denki said in awe as his eyes raked over your still body. "Isn't she supposed to like, talk, though? She hasn't said a word."

Currently, you haven't really said anything or moved much. Shinsou really had no idea what the hell he was doing, but he knew that he hadn't killed you, so all wasn't lost.

"She's so cute, I could give a damn about her stupid alien story." Denki got up from the coffee table and began unbuckling his jeans. 

"Whoa, you're really going to fuck an unconscious girl?" Shinsou asked, a bit taken aback.

The blonde scoffed, "Please, cut the nice guy act, will you? It really doesn't suit you. Besides, I saw her first, so I'm going to fuck her." He shrugged, uncaring. 

"Wait, stop. She just moved. She can probably hear us." Shinsou looked at your face, and sure enough your lips were moving and you were mumbling something.

"Please stop…hurts…let me go…help...someone…" Tumbled out of your Chapstick-coated lips.

"She's probably talking to the aliens, so she's not unconscious." Denki snickered. He elbowed Shinsou out of the way and straddled your legs over the couch. A zipper came down and he was now palming his hard cock in one hand while the other reached to pull your top down.

His hand then slapped your face and you jolted, but didn't open your eyes.

"With that weed, her psycho meds, and whatever the hell you just did, we just made her into the perfect little fuck doll for us to enjoy."

"Us? This is crazy…I can't…" Shinsou cut himself off as he looked at the board again.

If he didn't do this, he would be behind Denki.

He would lose to Denki.

He couldn't let that happen.

"Either we fuck her together or no one does and the board remains as is. So what'll it be, Hitoshi?"

—-

I got a dirty mind

I got filthy ways

I'm tryna bathe my ape (ape) in your Milky Way (Way)

I'm a legend, I'm irreverent, I be reverend

I'll be so far u-u-u-p

We don't give a f-u-u-uck

Welcome to the danger zone, step into the fantasy 

You are not invited to the other side of sanity

They calling me an alien, a big-headed astronaut

Maybe it's because ya boy Yeezy get ass a lot

—-

Shinsou situated himself back at the edge of the couch where your head was.

He pulled his own zipper down and let his dick flop right on out and rest against your soft cheek.

"So soft and warm…" His fingers curled into your hair as he began stroking himself. 

"Bet her mouth is much softer and much warmer." Denki sighed. He was jacking himself off with your pretty lace panties wrapped around his condom-covered cock.

—-

You're so, hypnotizing

Could you be the devil? 

Could you be an angel?

Your touch, magnetizing 

Feels like I am floating

Leaves my body glowing 

They say "Be afraid"

You're not like the others

Futuristic lover

Different DNA

They don't understand you 

You're from a whole 'nother world

A different dimension 

You open my eyes 

And I'm ready to go, lead me into the light  

—-

"Probably right…let's find out." Shinsou huffed breathlessly.

He leaned over you, parted your lips with two fingers, and spat into your mouth.

His cold, thin lips covered yours as he kissed you fully on the mouth, slipping his tongue inside.

—-

Kiss me, k-k-kiss me

Infect me with your lovin', fill me with your poison 

Take me, t-t-take me

Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction

Boy, you're an alien 

Your touch, so foreign 

It's supernatural 

Extraterrestrial

—-

After releasing his warm cum all over your pussy, Denki reached for a small box underneath the couch.

Inside were two electric nipple clamps.

"These will really give her the shock of her life." He grinned and attached them to your erect nipples. 

"Wanna do the honors?" He tossed the small, black remote to Shinsou, who was rubbing his swollen cock over your wet lips.

Shinsou pressed a button on the remote and your body jerked from the electric shock, making Denki giggle.

—-

You're so supersonic

Wanna feel your power

Stun me with your laser

Your kiss, is cosmic

Every move is magic

You're from a whole 'nother world

A different dimension 

You open my eyes 

And I'm ready to go, lead me into the light 

—-

"Fuck..!"

"S-shit.."

Both men moved in a rhythm; Denki thrusting into your cunt while Shinsou did the same action with your mouth.

"I'm going to…blow my fucking load..ahh shit, she's so tight for such a dumb slut." Denki groaned, his hips jerking faster and faster, making the couch scrape back and forth against the floor. 

"I'm close, too…fuck…so good…such a good kitten, take all of my cum, now. Drink it all up like a good bitch." 

Shinsou's head flopped forward and he grasped one of your tits while he orgasmed hard.

His cum flooded your mouth and spilled over the sides. The lavender-haired man tutted and used his thumb to push it back inside your mouth.

"Fuck!" Denki shouted and sunk his knees into the couch as he came hard into the condom. He had to catch his breath before he climbed off of you. Your panties were stuffed in his back pocket as he went to trash the condom and clean himself up.

Shinsou sank down onto the coffee table and pulled out another cigarette while he watched you.

It was now evening and the windows had darkened along with the changing sky.

Multiple stars littered the sky outside and the moon shone through the window where Denki had left the curtains open a smidgen.

When Denki came back, you were coming to with a shocked and confused look on your face. 

"It's you, again…it's you! You came back!" You cried. 

Without any care for how you might've looked, you sat upright urgently and wrapped your arms around yourself.

The blonde and purple-haired men just stared at you with bored expressions on their faces. 

They had gotten what they wanted and now had no use for you or any regard for your well-being whatsoever. 

That blonde and lavender hair, those sharp, cunning eyes…they were the same as those from all those years ago…how could you have not noticed it before?

"Stay away from me, you monsters!" 

You threw a pillow from the couch at Denki and he caught it. A smirk covered his lips as he watched you run out of the door with your skirt pushed up your hips, no shoes, no purse, and your hand haphazardly holding your breasts inside your top.

"Do you think she'll tell anyone?" Shinsou asked, smoke curling from his lips as he spoke.

Denki reached for another pre-rolled blunt that had been pushed off the side of the table during your activities. 

"Even if she did, who would believe a crazy bitch like her?"

—-

You ran completely out of the building, into the night.

You didn't know exactly where you were running to, but you knew that you had to get away from there.

Ahh, there you are. We've finally found you, again.

Your head whipped around behind you, where you could see two, tall, robed figures standing there. The moonlight reflected off of that tell-tale visor, while long, skinny fingers clicked and turned the wheels on the sides of a black mouthpiece. 

Our little test subject…

You screamed. 

—-

I know a bar out in Mars

Where they driving spaceships instead of cars

Cop a Prada space suit up out the stars

Getting stupid high straight up out the jars

Pockets on Shrek, rockets on deck

Tell me what's next? Alien sex?

I'ma disrobe you, then I'ma probe you

See, I abducted you, so I tell you what to do

(I tell you what to do, what to do, what to do)

Kiss me, k-k-kiss me

Infect me with your lovin', fill me with your poison 

Take me, t-t-take me

Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction

Boy, you're an alien 

Your touch, so foreign 

It's supernatural 

Extraterrestrial

----

*ʳᵉᵇˡᵒᵍˢ ᵃʳᵉ ᵃᵖᵖʳᵉᶜⁱᵃᵗᵉᵈ!

[skunts-own-truth]

Currently reading Hammers of Sigmar: First Forged, as my first toe dip back into AoS fiction after feeling a bit let down by the opening tonal shifts at the start of 3e. I’ll say, I do like this one! It’s got spunk, and does something many Warhammer novels don’t do often- the thing is just jammed packed full of named codex characters popping up to say hi. It makes the Mortal Realms feel more breathable and fun, knowing the Cryptborn may show up to your engagement feast or whatever.

It is a little clunky, perhaps longer than it needs to be, but I don’t mind that very much. It’s a work read, and I like those to go on a bit. The characters are… a bit mean? Not something I’m used to seeing in Stormcast, but I think it’s an interesting idea for where to take these immortals- now that they are forced to deal with a new form of mortality thanks to the Cursed Skies above.

I like it!

[vgdensetsu]

Sonic 2 development stories from character designer Judy Totoya

Yasushi Yamaguchi, AKA Judy Totoya, character designer and main graphic designer on Sonic 2, posted a few threads on Twitter for the 30th anniversary of Sonic 2:

About Tails: https://twitter.com/judy_totoya/status/1594372821794586624

“ A picture of him when he was just an admirer of Sonic. He's not chasing him yet. He imitated him and wore gloves and similar coloured shoes, but they were too big and he tied them up with a belt. “

The inclusion of a 2-player mode had already been confirmed and the American team submitted many ideas for creating this character, but the programmer, Mr. Naka, said he wanted to create a 1.5-player character that could be played with their sister (sic) and that even beginners could handle, so we created a character that was not a rival, but a sidekick character. Naka asked us to create a cute character like Urusei Yatsura's pure-hearted fox, and that's what I did.

At first, he only had one tail, but it didn't have enough impact, so I was inspired by Myau from Phantasy Star 1 and came up with the idea of using two tails as propellers. The first Sonic game was a huge success in the US, but not in Japan. So we tried to create a cute design with Japan in mind.

The characterisation and colours were designed to be symmetrical to Sonic's. His relationship with Sonic was determined with the image of Piccolo and the young Son Gohan from Dragon Ball in mind during the production of the game.

As you know, the etymology of the name comes from the word for speed (mph). The name Prower was coined by combining "per hour" and "power Bonus: Myau from Phantasy Star drawn by Judy Totoya for the 6th issue of Sega's official magazine, SPEC, published in September 1990. https://retrocdn.net/images/3/3e/SPEC_6.pdf 

About Super Sonic: https://twitter.com/judy_totoya/status/1594389198852993024

“Due to the main reference, the original story is, needless to say, a secret one, so it was a super secret that only those who cleared a special stage of high difficulty could see. In the first place, Super Sonic would not have been born without the existence of manga artist Sakura Tamakichi (Super Mario Adventures). During the development of Sonic 2, in Famitsu's column 'Shiawase no Katachi', Tamakichi played Sonic 1 desperately to see the true ending, but the result deceived him so much that we decided to give a reward that would definitely pay off in Sonic 2. The basic specification of all Sonic's items with a time limit on the consumption of rings was decided relatively quickly, but the problem was the graphics, as it was impossible to redraw all the patterns in terms of time and capacity. We tried various effects, such as a seven-colour glowing figure, but none of them were good enough. In desperation, I tried drawing the current Super Sonic, but it was not realistic to draw all the patterns, so I replaced only the basic pattern, the transformation pattern and the normal running pattern, and cheated with colour changes for the rest. High-speed running was solved with two flying patterns. This managed to reach a realistic level, so it was implemented as a super-secret only. The schedule was very tight and I started work on the ending picture at 1am on the day of master-up. The program had been dummy-programmed, so all that was left to do was to replace the picture of the final pose, but if we had been an hour short, the Super Sonic picture would not have been ready in time and it would have remained as normal Sonic.“

About Mecha-Sonic: https://twitter.com/judy_totoya/status/1594694031396999168

“Several of his attacks could not be integrated into the game due to time constraints: long laser shot from his eye, homing missiles from its fingers (10 shots in total), Super Gravity Smash (a gravity projectile that disappears after a certain amount of time, but sucks up the rings if it gets too close), which is launched when his chest armour opens.

Due to the schedule, the creation of the Death Egg zone map was cancelled and replaced by two consecutive boss battles in the dedicated boss room, but originally Mecha-Sonic was planned to appear as a mid-boss in the middle of the zone.

Its design concept was based on the image of Mechagodzilla and Gigan, with a strong and painful look. “

(note: the designers also took inspiration from Gamera for one of the enemies) 

“After the game's graphics were completed, the blades would be flown during jump-rotation attacks as an additional attack, but they were completely retrofitted, so it was not clear where they would come from. “

About Sonic's sprite: https://twitter.com/judy_totoya/status/1595403450845892608 https://twitter.com/judy_totoya/status/1595443192803266561

"Sonic 2 uses the same basic pattern as Sonic 1, except for the additional pattern (only the running has longer legs). There was one palette for one character in Sonic 1, while Sonic 2 uses one palette for two characters, so the blue gradient has been reduced." Note: on Megadrive, 4 colour palettes can be displayed on screen. A palette consists of 16 colours, one of which is used as a transparent layer to display the elements behind the sprite. Red has been reduced from 3 to 2 shades. The yellow used for Eggman, which has the same palette as Sonic, has been adjusted slightly to orange and used as the main colour for Tails. The shade of red that was removed has been replaced with a shade of orange. "I wasn't involved, but I think it was very difficult to control the palette in Sonic 3 because the number of characters increased even more. "By the way, the enemies and the user interface (UI) have the same palette, but the bosses lacked color, so I used the black of the UI shadow for them. That's why when you damage a boss, the black part of it and the black part of the UI shadow will flash."

[darklordazalin]

Azalin reviews: Darklord Bluebeard

Domain: Blaustein Domain Formation: 643 BC Power Level: 💀 ⚫⚫⚫⚫ (1/5 skulls) Sources: Domains of Dread (2e), Darklords (2e), Ravenloft Player’s Handbook (3e), VRGTR (5e)

Bluebeard is the Darklord of Blaustein within the Sea of Sorrows. His tiny island is made up of his castle (creatively named “Bluebeard’s Castle”) and a single village. 

Bluebeard was an ugly yet charming man with enough wealth to offset his repugnant features. Nowadays, I don’t believe his blue facial hair would really amount to such disdain, but one never knows. Though even if his beard was a more “natural” color, it is his personality, or lack thereof, that most truly distain. 

Bluebeard is from an unknown land and who’s distrust and pettiness lead him to kill every single woman who agreed to marry him. Why did they keep on agreeing to marry someone who’s wives continually died or went missing? Well, he was said to be a kind and just ruler, which led many to overlook his otherwise glaring faults. How could such a seemingly benevolent lord murder all of his wives? I imagine that’s what his people asked one another as they heard screams echoing down from his castle…

Bluebeard would marry a young woman and expect absolute loyalty and obedience from them. Trust me, regardless of how powerful you may be, this is not a realistic expectation to have in one’s spouse. To test their obedience, after a month of marriage, Bluebeard would go on a trip and give his wife a number of keys that opened various doors in the castle. He told them they could go anywhere they wished, except a small room on the top floor of a tower. This room was locked with a golden key and he forbade his wife to go within.

Each woman he married let their curiosity win over their obedience and used the golden key to enter the room. What they found within was a room stained in blood and the dead bodies of Bluebeard’s previous wives suspended on hooks hanging from the ceiling. Though, I suppose his first wife just found an empty room. That must have been very disappointing, though preferable over what the other wives found. The golden key, when used to open the door to this room, became stained with blood. No one but Bluebeard could remove the stain.

Upon returning from his trip, Bluebeard would demand the keys from his wife and upon seeing the blood stain on the golden key, he would feign disappointment, kill his bride, and hang her in the room with the rest of his dead wives. After eight or so wives, Bluebeard was claimed by the Mists. 

Our tormentors were so kind to gift him with some of the most ridiculous boons. He is no longer exceedingly physically ugly, he can erase his misdeeds from the memories of his subjects, and every single one of those subjects, including his dead wives, are fanatically loyal to him. Now, this ability of his to change their minds only works on those native to Blaustien, so it is no where near my own abilities and something I managed to achieve on my own. Oh and he’s a living lie detector. Handy. I’d like to have him interview a certain vampire someday. 

At night, his wives freely roam his castle as spectres and show their husband their devotion, but he rebuffs them, disgusted with their undead forms. Now whenever Bluebeard courts a woman from Blaustien, they take on the appearance of one of his wives in their undead form, a smirk always upon their face. No one else sees this and it seems to only affect women native to Blaustien...which, naturally, leads Bluebeard to seek out wives in other realms, though their fate is always the same. A golden key, a room of dead brides, and another murder.  

In Van Richten’s new guide, Blaustien is no longer considered its own Domain and Bluebeard’s wives have overthrown him and entertain him with endless torment. Perhaps the Dark Powers decided the woman had suffered enough at his hands and it was now his turn to endure a true punishment? I would venture that none of his boons exist any longer. Perhaps they have transferred to his countless wives.

Despite all of the boons the Dark Powers once granted him, Bluebeard was always just a petty, distrustful, mortal man. A mere insect to be swatted away and a Darklord who cannot even control the Misty borders that surround his so-called Domain. I am reluctant to give him a single skull.

[exsanguidus]

re headcanon: how do you think Astarion will go about marriage proposal? will he be nervous or smarmy. would he even want to marry at all?

This is going to be a long answer. Also, should note this is of course in reference to non-Ascended Astarion.

Since I headcanon Astarion as a Moon Elf, I think 3e and 3.5e lore on how elves view love, romance, and sexuality is probably pretty close to what Moon Elf culture practices, seeing as they're stated to be rather adventurous and tend not to stay in one place for too long.

3.5e Elves Reddit Citing 3e

This is also why I headcanon that Astarion is rather open-minded to the idea of Tav taking on another lover or having threesomes/foursomes together.

That said, I think that deep down he prefers monogamy, particularly because he's selfish in the sense he wants to have something of his own that he doesn't have to share. Especially after those 200 years he didn't have himself for himself and the fact he can't recall ever genuinely being loved just for being himself rather than what he can offer.

But so long as Tav reassures him that it won't affect their relationship negatively and he won't be neglected in love, affection, and care, he's not opposed. He trusts Tav enough to be responsible, honest, and communicative.

He also mentions, if you approach him about being with Halsin post-his quest, that while the idea of change has always sort of terrified him because it's an unknown, he's accepted that life happens and if Tav does end up falling for someone else, he's confident he'll eventually be ok because he has himself.

Now to get to the actual question at hand: how would Astarion go about a marriage proposal.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but he wouldn't. At least not in the sense that Humans think of marriage and marriage proposals.

He's definitely read about them in the sappy and smutty romance novels he's read, but he personally doesn't subscribe to the idea that he needs to showcase his true love for his partner like that because his partner would know through actions and words they speak to one another privately exactly how Astarion feels about them.

Astarion would really just start referring to his partner as his Wife/Husband/Spouse one day. And then after that, just start using their surname along with his own like that's what his name has always been.

For example, I ship exclusively with my buddy Vex's Tav OC Annette Harlow (@knivesong). So, in our post-game verse Astarion refers to himself as Astarion Harlow Ancunín as his completely full name. He wasn't asked to and he doesn't just going around announcing it randomly to everyone, but he decided that on his own and tells people when its relevant to do so because that's how he decided he wanted to show Annie's place in his life while still respecting both their individualities and unique personhoods.

I also recently put up a headcanon that elves traditionally wear wedding bands on their right hand, if they choose to wear any at all. I believe Astarion would wear the True Love's Caress ring on his right ring finger. He originally didn't until post-his quest, I imagine, but eventually would have just quietly moved it to that finger of his own accord.

I also recently wrote a headcanon that post-game, rather than claim and move into the Crimson Palace (Szarr Palace), he gets himself a nice spot in Baldur's Gate where he can live in the apartments above his own perfume shop. He would legitimately just assume Tav was going to live with him, at that point, and put in furniture to accommodate both of them and take into consideration Tav's tastes in his decor choices.

All that is basically my long way of saying that Astarion would basically just marry Tav via Common Law Marriage. Basically everyone just recognizes those two as married even if they didn't have some big solemnized ceremony.

Astarion doesn't believe in any of the gods anyway. Acknowledges they all exist, since they literally do and can be physically seen, but he won't worship any of them ever. So he wouldn't really think it's important to have their relationship solemnized by an outside source as long as they both solemnize it via consent and mutual understanding of the perimeters of their relationship.

He doesn't care how others view their relationship because, to him, his relationship with Tav is strictly between them and no one else's business.

Of course, if Tav ever brought up that they actually wanted an official marriage proposal and a legitimate marriage ceremony with all the bells and whistles, he'd be all for it because:

I. It's a reason for him to dress up and be Extra.

II. It would make Tav happy.

In that case, he would be the most Extra of Extra about it. Not nervous because he already knows the answer would be yes, but nervous because he wants to make sure he does it right in a way his partner would be pleased with. He'd make a whole performance out of it and it'd be this massive grand gesture. Mind you, that doesn't mean it'd be this huge public display with like releasing doves and hiring a troupe of bards or anything, but something elegant that feels expensive and intimately grand.

It'd probably be so Extra that Tav would facepalm, but he'd just remind them that they asked for it and he doesn't go halfsies on things like that because he has standards for the both of them.

[shifterglitter]

About Me

Greetings Shifters and curious minds alike. 

My name is Vi (“Vee”), I’m 30 years old and have been on Tumblr since 2009. 

Cancer Sun, Pisces Moon, and Sagittarius Rising

My main account is @purplepirateadventures, however, that is an 18+ account and I do post NSFW stuff on it. I will keep everything on this blog SFW and 15+ friendly (as I do curse a lot).

I identify as genderfluid/queer. I am comfortable with all pronouns. So whatever you perceive me as is correct. My favorite Pronouns if you are looking to butter me up are: It/Its, Ve/Vir, Fae/Faer, Bun/Buns, Spri/Sprout, Cubi/Cubiself, and Dem/Demonself.

I am Abroromantic and Abrosexual (Ace Spectrum)  https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Abrosexual (+ level 5 monster lover)

I recently started experimenting with Shifting and am using this platform to connect to others in the community and document my experiences.

When I am not shifting or working overnights at the local Airport I am watching Anime, Maladaptive Daydreaming to music, or reading Monster Smut. I am also a witch, a rock collector, a member of the TST, and an oracle reader. (If you’d like a DR Channeling, or other reading I could use the practice so please DM me.)

My Favorite Podcasts are: Myths Magic and Murder, Desert Skies, What Fresh Hell is This?, and Tower 4.  My Favorite Anime are: Yu Yu Hakusho, One Piece, and Trinity Blood. My Favorite Artists are: Ghost, Sleep Token, Dread Buffalo, Markiplier, Save a Fox, Hollow_VA, Momolady, and SiobhanKaufmanArt. My Favorite Books of last year are: Bloodshed, A Court of Wings and Ruin, Forget Me Not, Thrawn, and Iron Widow.  My Safe food is Potatoes. My Safe texture is Velvet. 

Some People you may hear me talk about:

I come from a very abusive family, however, in my adulthood my siblings and I have become incredibly close. I am so grateful for that. So I am the oldest of 3 children. The middle child is my brother, Joshua, who is obsessed with 3e DnD and THC products. While Wilhelmina (Willow or Mina for short) is the chosen name of my baby sibling (trans/questioning); their hyperfixation is miniature war games like WH40k and Battletech. We are all writers, painters, and neurodivergent. 

My best friend is a guy I met through boy scouts in middle school. His name is Nick and he is a pharmacist. 

My platonic soul mate's name is Harley. They are on tumblr, but I'm not going to out them because they aren't a shifter. I've recently reconnected with them after an extended falling out.

All of these important people in my life are not spiritual in any way so I don’t see myself opening up to them about all of this. 

I have an orange cat named “Abraham Delacy Giuseppe Casy Thomas O’malley”, or Mr O’malley for short. And an energetic little Blue Merle Corgi mix named “Tax-Evasion”, whom we all call Eevee. You will see pictures of them here as my millennial ass can not help but share my fur babies with the world.

How I discovered Shifting

My Favorite Shifting Tools

My DRs

Main & Active DR Waiting Rooms Distant Future DRs Original Creation

My Original Methods

The Stitching Method The Candle & Mantra Method The Traveler Method The Plasmoid Method

[justagirl-with-aphone]

Random prompt Generator pt.2! ~Karma Akabane edition~

Karma x Secret Agent reader! (reader is also in highschool)

You were sent by the government on a mission. All you had to do was pose as one of class 3E's students and collect information on Korosensei, and any info on how to kill him. That part was difficult enough, Trying to hide right under the noses of a bunch of trainee assassins, and REAL assassins? How the hell were you going to pull this off? It ended up working out since there was an influx of new students joining the class anyway. An AI, some other octopus kid, and a certain mysterious redhead coming from suspension...

Despite your classmate's attempts to make friends with you, you kept them all at a distance, you only got close enough to not seem suspicious, but you had one goal. Get intell, and deliver it to headquarters.

However, your lack of socializing caught a certain sadist's eye...

"You aren't the talkative type, are you? Or maybe you're just faking it. Do you like the attention you get from pretending to be a loner?" Karma sighed, leaning on your desk with a degrading stare. 'what's this kid's deal? He can't know anything, we've never spoken and he just got here.' You did have a second of doubt though. What if he was onto you? Your worries were erased when the redhead punched you in the shoulder playfully.

"Nah, you seem too stupid to try and pull that type of shit. Especially if you're here." He scoffed laughing and walking away.

You had a job to do, you didn't need to bring your feelings into this... But that didn't mean you weren't tempted too. It took everything in you to not follow after the boy, and hurl insults at him, but you didn't need to blow your cover. Nothing good would come out of blowing up at him.

At first, you thought this was obvious, but for the next few weeks, he made you question everything you were thinking about before. He was enjoying trying to make a fool out of you and giving you a hard time. But there wasn't anything you could do about it, you didn't need to blow your cover. So you kept trying to collect information. But he plagued your mind, eventually, you found yourself taking notes on Karma instead of the octopus, analyzing him and thinking of ways to piss him off. Giggling to yourself when you flustered him with your quick-witted comebacks, and packing extra of your lunch because you knew he was going to take some.

Eventually, you started to enjoy school and even began to open up to the people around you more and more, and Karma. Just the thought of him made your face heat up a little. So when you were taken out of the program because they collected enough info, you felt...upset? You have felt upset before, but never in this amount, you always prided yourself on being analytical and level-headed. So when a certain redhead showed up at your door, let's just say you were a little more happy than you let on.

You had one job, and while you tried to remain professional, you can't help what the heart yearns for.

[pyropsychiccollector]

do you have any nagisa ships other than the canon 3? ive seen hayami in the 3dmodel pics sometimes but not in any txt stuff, was wondering if you have anything of her and nagisa. Or just any other probably crackship, for me, i feel like nagisa could be shipped with almost anyone from 3e imo.

also a hc of mine is kayano feel a bit territorial of nagisa around yada anytime she even goes near, those 2 being 1st and 2nd place in bitchsenseis ranking isnt doing any favors, too big of a risk of them being paired to 'refine their skills & high talent', gotta keep him away.

XD.... Yukiko is SLIGHTLY a stretch to be lumped in with the "canon Nagisa ships".... Don't get me wrong, I enjoy dabbling in the potential with Nagisa x Yukiko, but I know that compared to Kaede and Rio, she can be harder to pin down for a concrete ship. That's just me musing out loud here, though. I'm still a die-hard for NagiYuki, NagiKae, and NagiRio. :3 I focus on them 'cause they're my favorites. And in the grand scheme of Nagisa ships, they're still pretty rare for being "mainstream"... Reason being that Karmagisa is very much celebrated in the fandom, and I'm just not a fan.

That aside, Vergilsama92 has certainly produced Rinka sprites for me. Though... only the two. XD I'm open to Nagisa x Rinka - she's got Mukuro Ikusaba's voice actress, so it's hard not to enjoy Hayami. For me, anyway.

(credit to @vergilsama922 for the sprites)

I suppose the only real reason I haven't dabbled in Rinka too much is because I'm not a particularly greedy shipper. For example, Fuyuhiko x Peko is one ship I support in spite of a buddy of mine being a die-hard Makoto shipper... XD I support both Fuyuhiko and Makoto 'cause neither of them is an abuser or anything bad. That's basically my condition for ships; as long as I'm not left with a bad taste in my mouth, I'll either support it or leave those shippers to their corner and just be "okay" with it. Hence, Chiba has my seal of approval 'cause he's not bad.... But much like Makoto, I don't mind dabbling in the Nagisa shipping possibilities. Nagisa's got some sharpshooter skills himself; he's not as specialized as Rinka and Chiba, and that's fine. Nagisa x Rinka would probably be along the lines of Naekusaba (Makoto x Mukuro), so I don't mind looking into them one of these days. :3

I don't particularly ship Nagisa with every girl in E-Class. Again, I'm not greedy. I do have my favorites, and I'm just comfortable with them. (Oh, I get lectured on for being "comfortable", believe me. (人◕ω◕)) But I suppose I can name the girls that I'm open to aside from the ones I usually cover. I like Rinka, Fuwa, and Yada. ... And I'm not opposed to Ritsu-chan, but... she is an AI, so I'll set her aside for the moment. It should be fine to appreciate Ritsu-chan whether you ship her with anyone or not. XD

Fuwa-chan is a goofball.... Nagisa and Kaede usually react to her fourth-wall-breaking antics, and it's just cute. :3 Nagisa likes Sonic Ninja, so I can see Fuwa sharing other series that he might like if she can hit the right buttons~ Moreover, she's usually casual - though she can definitely be dramatic at times. Nothing bad with having a dramatic girl in your life, though. Nagisa doesn't seem to mind, look at him~ (人◕ω◕)

Nagisa x Yada is probably my biggest "crackship" for him.... in the sense that these two hardly interact. Ever. XD But there's no animosity between them, and she IS besties with Kaede... even if Kaede has her reservations about chest sizes. :3 Yada is a physical, bubbly, even romantic girl.... And she brings something unique to the table with her negotiator skills. Can't say the other Nagisa suitors have that going for them~ Also.... Yada is apparently ranked #2 in terms of the best kissers of E-Class, so declares Irina-sensei. And that can be fun to look into later. ........ Kaede will kill me violently, of course, so we'll just keep this on the down-low, hmm? :3

(credit to @shinobisage09 for the cards~ :3)

[talenlee]

4e: The Unmindful Monk

Normally when I write about 4e, I do so trying to talk about the game in a way that doesn’t involve or introduce any particular changes to the game. It’s not useful for me to advocate for a game in terms of ‘here’s how cool this game is, if you accept my houserules.’ Typically speaking, I try to talk about what’s in the rulebook, even if I’m gleeful about pointing out the ways that we didn’t play 3e by the rules and probably nobody else did.

But it’s a bit of a challenge to advocate for something when you’re actually advocating for a connected idea in your head. Like, at that point I might as well point out that part of why I like 4e D&D so much is I get to play it with my cool friends who are great, and at that point: Who am I fooling, of course that game kicks ass. If I present new content for 4e, it’s discretely new; it’s cultures from my own world, new class feats or whatnot, but it’s not asking you to change anything in the game that exists. That makes this something new, and something I am doing with so much more thought than it really needs.

Anyway, hey, what if the Monk was Martial, not Psionic?

I’ve written in the past about how the Monk, the class, in 4e is a psionic class, and how that psionic flag on them is a strange exception. My ‘conspiracy theory’ is that it’s detritus from the ki power source that was ditched at some point, either for good reasons (‘is this a little racist?’) or mediocre reasons (‘we can’t think of three other classes for this’). To simplify, the Psionic power source represents four classes: Battleminds, Ardents, Psions, and Monks. Battleminds, Ardents and Psions all have a system of power points and feats that relate to them, and the Monk has a totally different system called Full Disciplines. And the Monk is Psionic, despite having nothing in common with the other Psionic classes. Weird, right?

It’s not even like ‘Psionic’ is a generic term lacking in a particular meaning in the context of 4e D&D. In one of the stranger beats in the rulebook, ‘Psionic’ power is power that stems from a contact with the Far Realms. That makes sense for the horror opened unnatural eyes and bending of reality of the Battlemind and Psion, but the Monk’s power is described as coming from within. They’re expressed as pushing the limits of the body, tapping into a greater spirit, and coming to understand something about themselves.

Look, who am I kidding: You know exactly what “Monk” means. It’s Kung Fu shit. It’s a class of Kung Fu shit and Kung Fu in the west has no association with psychic powers. Despite the way Kung Fu may be tied to a bunch of different kinds of mysticism, in the west it’s tied to mastery of the body, and typically is explicitly the opposite of magical powers. A kung fu hero is the guy who beats up some kind of wizard or talisman wielder, not a guy who can channel the power of his mind to change things across the world. Sure, you can argue that Kung Fu shit is about using the mind to power the body, but the Kung Fu Shit still punches things powered by the mind.

It’s not far realm Lovecraftian brain tentacles. It’s cool Kung Fu shit.

Accept if you will that the Monk doesn’t really belong in the Psionic power category. Just accept that I accept it, even if you don’t. If it’s not Psionic now, what is it? You could hypothetically have a power sourceless class – there’s no reason for it to have to have one, it would just be even more bogglingly weird than the Psionic power source itself was. But there doesn’t have to be a complete vacation from that source when instead there’s an existing power source that the monk could belong to, and I mean, as written, should belong to.

See, here’s the description of the Martial Power Source in the Player’s Handbook:

Martial powers are not magic in the traditional sense, although some martial powers stand well beyond the capabilities of ordinary mortals. Martial characters use their own strength and willpower to vanquish their enemies. Training and dedication replace arcane formulas and prayers to grant fighters, rangers, rogues, and warlords, among others, their power.

Training and dedication. Training and dedication. Training and dedication. You know, those things that we use monks and monasteries to shorthand and signify. It’s not magical weapons, it’s dedicatedly training endlessly to refine the body into a perfect tool for the craft of… well, again, Kung Fu Shit.

What though! What changes if this change is implemented? What does this house rule open up? What need of mine does it satisfy, as the person who is going to play with this rule at best?

Well, it means that Monks lose access to all Psionic feats, Paragon Paths, and Epic Destinies. Of which Monks have… zero meaningful interactions. Alright, that sets that aside. Anything that ‘requires’ a monk and a psionic background can be easily folded to just ignore the psionic requirement. It also means that Monks gain access to Martial feats, Paragon Paths, and Epic Destinies. What does that mean?

Uh Martial Practices?

Which includes flavourful things like being able to craft and repair objects, tracking people, being able to prserve a corpse, balance perfectly, recognise details in a space perfectly, faking an identity, slowing your heartbeat and – hang on this is more Kung Fu shit!?

It does mean that Martial arts get to do more things like throw flame and channel the spirit of a dragon and all that but that stuff is meant to be a metaphor for what the body can do! You might see it as a development of something in the Martial space that you don’t want it to have, but I might suggest that the limited vision of how Martial characters can’t do things like that is part of the problem that led to bad opinions on 4e in the first place.

I’m going to level with you, that as a designer, this is not an important or meaningful change. This is a change that tidies up the bookkeeping of an organisation chart that nobody actually playing needs to care about. Maybe you have a monk character who would really like access to Martial Practice, and that player gets one bonus feat now they don’t have to spend. It’s such a niche thing, I can’t imagine it actually matters.

But it kinda matters to me.

Now, as with doing your own appendectomy, if the Monk moves out of the Psionic pool to the Martial pool, then that cleans up the Psionic Power Source, we are now filled with courage and confidence and ready to reach over and start extracting other organs.

Like c’mere, Vampire…

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[old-antecedent]

Mysteries of the Dwemer pt. 4 (Final): A Collection of Null Pointers

The result of the Dwemer's grand ambition is well-known. Absence in all senses of the word. Several nations' worth of empty cities, perpetually active in expectation of residents who will never again see them. All as efficient and well-oiled as they were eras ago, despite the lack of any maintenance. Every single inch of emptiness hinging on one moment of total uncertainty. Mortals know the disappearance of the Dwemer as one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time.

You have likely come across several possible explanations. The Dwemer achieved their dreams of becoming a giant automaton's skin. A Dragon Break somehow vanished them all. Every Dwemer zero-summed at once. Like Alduin, they were thrown into the future. They have found a realm of their own in some obscure pocket of reality where no one has thought to check.

These are all common answers to the question of the Dwemer vanishing. I have cataloged them countless times over the aeons, sometimes pure and sometimes mixed among themselves. This along with hundreds of other versions of that fateful day's events and aftermaths. I will not tell you which is true.

Instead, I offer you the prize you do not know you seek: uncertainty. If the mystery were resolved, of what interest would the Dwemer be? A sure end to their tale would close the book forever. It has remained open for more than three thousand years, and the endless speculation is far more interesting to you than a definite answer could ever be.

I do, however, realize that closing with this would be unsatisfying. It would drive many scholars to contact me again despite all I have shared here. So I will leave you with an interesting theory. It was offered to me by a Nord named Jens Vebjørn Hülpft, who summoned me on the 5th of First Seed in 3E 431 only to tell me what he had "discovered" about the dwemer. He sought no boon for his information. What follows is an exact transcription of his words on this subject.

"The Dwemer are, well, no, they were, but they weren't. They are a kind of ex post facto rewrite of the Dunmer née Chimer who were culpable for the activation of Numidium. History was, not rewritten, but recontextualized with this new dwarven race in mind. See, the switching-on of Numidium created a dragon-break, the Red Moment, just like the Warp in the West and at Rimmen. So there's a pressure on the gods to resolve it and return to linear time. But they can't resolve it when Numidium is on. The Dragon Breaks involving Numidium always include either it turning off or being destroyed, so it's probably the cause of them. I'm getting off track. There's a House Dwemer in the scant ancient writings we have about the time before the First Council and its War. That and the continued mention of a tribe unmourned, an unmourned house, and an oath-breaking house (which I believe are all separate entities) in all the Nerevarine prophecies leads me to believe that the dwarves were in the process of splitting off from the Chimer, just as the Chimer had done by following Veloth away from Aldmeri heritage. They weren't fully split away yet, but they were almost there. We can know this because of both their close dealings with the other dark elf great houses through the histories, and Yagrum Bagarn. I met him when I tried my hand at raiding the Corprusarium before Dagoth Ur became too much of an issue. His skin is discolored and covered in abscesses, but it is undeniably not gray. Compare that to the coloration shown by the ghosts in dwarven ruins — just as ashen as a dark elf! Bagarn was the only dwarf to escape their fate, so he was the only one not cursed by Azura as well, because they were Chimer. The curse, of course, happening before the dragon break ended. Numidium being the dwarf Tower is the lynchpin of this whole thing. The way to resolve the dragon break was to tie all the chimer/dunmer who had been moving towards reason and logic, away from Chimer beliefs to Numidium as a Tower, and then get rid of all the new kind of elf you just made so they can't keep Numidium turned on. But in this, Numidium being a Tower defining the new dwarves means they have to be in the history of the world — the Towers are part of the structure of The Wheel, so you can't reframe what they mean unless you want to collapse everything, and there's usually no need for that. So the dwarves have to have existed for them to have made the Brass Tower, so they were always dwarves even though they only became dwarves the moment they were all removed from existence."

During the course of our conversation, Jens also mentioned a few interesting "theories" on prophecy, Sithis, and my sphere. Since then he has contacted me at least once every twenty years. He is currently a lich living in a crypt, pretending to be dead when people approach.

[no-more-tales-tavern]

Working up a sweat - 3E: Ruby hadn't been able to hit a bullseye on every target, which meant she received the penalty, being fucked by her elven instructor, who had endless energy, compared to her.

Working Up a Sweat: 3E

“You missed half of your shots this time, Ruby~” the elven marksman noted with a tone of disappointment, his hips bucking roughly down into the young ranger’s—holding her down by a hand to her back as he plowed down into her ripped open tights. “You’ve become such a disgraceful student~”

Beneath the handsome elven stud, Ruby moaned and arched in ecstasy, clawing at the grass of the archery field as she steadied herself against his assault. “I’m so sorry~! I know I’m a disgrace~! Mmm~! I just can’t help it~!”

The elven archer huffed at her tone and smacked her ass firmly. “You were such a promising student when you first came to me, Ruby~ so skilled and talented, but your talents have gone to waste~ and a ranger who cannot shoot is—”

“Just a whore in the woods~!” Ruby finished with a cry, licking her lips as she bucked her hips back into his thrusts eagerly. “I-I know~! I know~! I’m so ashamed~! I’m just a stupid whore in the woods~!”

“Yes you are~” the instructor nodded, though his tone turned curious, then confident as he bucked harder into her ass. “I told you that weeks ago, and it seems to have sunk in—yet you continue to do worse and worse~ almost as if you are trying to fail on purpose~”

Ruby gasped as she felt him press down into her, and a shudder ran through her as his lips brushed against her ear. “Could it be, my star pupil, just wants to be a stupid little woodland whore from now on~?”

Ruby blushed at his tone—but it was clear her mentor was making the decision for her, as he shoved her face down into the soil, a foot pressing down onto the back of her head as he rammed his hips down into her soft, doughy ass—fucking her harder than he ever had before, and making her cry out in ecstasy as she felt her mind start to unravel from the pleasure.

Making her the whore in the woods she knew, in her heart, she wanted to be.

[steelandblood]

67%. What's the worst injury they've ever gotten?

for anyone!

Thank you so much for the ask!

This is going to be a long one lol

Rauna - She wears heavy armor, but somehow managed to get stubbed in every possible opening in that armor multiple times. The first time was definitely the worst, just because she never experienced something like that before.

Calina - She is usually too far away and too hidden to get hurt, but she did take a very nasty arrow to the shoulder once.

Thancur - Though he does get hurt in battle, the worst injury for him was when he broke his arm as a kid doing something stupid. Not only because of how painful it was, but also because he couldn't do anything with his hand for awhile and that was true torture for him.

Adan - A tie between breaking several ribs in his first battle and breaking his leg as a kid.

Now fow Mirwen it's gonna be under the cut because it's a whole assay. Also warning for SA and some light gore.

Each story that I write is a separate timeline where she gets injured in a different horrible way, which include (in current and future stories): Having her right arm cut off at the shoulder, 3rd degree burns all over her whole torso, having her feet crushed by a Spanish boot (google it only if you don't mind reading about horrific torture), half her face ripped off by a Skin kite (yes that's a thing in 3e that some ppl modified for 5e, and yes it's as gross as it sounds).

As for injuries that happened before any of the stories, she has been in a lot of fights and battles, and suffered a lot of injuries, but the worst one was way before, when her father raped her for the first time. She was 12 and tiny and he was neither patient nor gentle.

[aladaylessecondblog]

The Limits of CHIM, pt. 3 "Dragon Break"

(Fic 1 in the Altered Amaranth series)

Summary: After sending out the Gift, Vivec finds things are not as they should be, or even WHEN they should be. He talks to an Ordinator and gives an order. The Nerevarine's course is not as clear as before.

-----------------------

Walking back into the Temple was a slow affair. Vivec looked at everyone he passed, eager to see any mark of change in their faces. And despite it being well within their previous states before--

"Lord Vivec." An ordinator bowed slightly.

There had never been a bow before, at least not from the ones on duty, and he couldn't help but speak further.

"Is there anything to report?" he asked, "My...meditations have had me ranging far in mind, and I would like something more nirnly to think on."

"Nothing of particular note, at least not in the city. Today, I mean." The ordinator replied with only a little hesitation, "The usual things have been happening. A few drunks were making trouble; one tried to jump off a canton and into the water below so we had to lock him up. But we've imprisoned those of our order responsible for the--the escape of Mehra Milo from Baar Dau."

"When did that happen? Today?" Vivec spoke quickly. His mind was already racing, and now--the Nerevarine had arrived, already? Was he to have no time to plan?

"No, it was a fortnight ago, my lord. We--as it turned out, the...the false Nerevarine had gained the trust of some of the other Ordinators, and so when she came to Baar Dau she wasn't stopped."

She. SHE? The Nerevarine I remember wasn't a woman...at least not THIS one...

Vivec took a deep breath and Paused. He immediately noticed two things.

The first was that the date was wrong, all wrong, for the Nerevarine to be present at all.

The 7th of First Seed, 3E, 410.

The second was that the world continued to go on around him as he was Paused.

He opened the command window.

player->coc "Vivec"

ERROR.

That was it. No explanation, no 'this action cannot be performed,' nothing but that one word.

What was SUPPOSED to happen was that either he would have moved, or the Nerevarine would have. But nothing. He tried again, and got the same response. Then he tried doing it with the Ordinator speaking to him.

ERROR

ERROR

Perhaps the Gift had removed his ability to use the console? He tried another command, one to give himself a few potions.

additem "p_restore_health_q" 2

And instantly, the potions were in his hands.

So the commands to affect others will not work, but the ones for items will.

...or so he thought, right up until he attempted the same thing with Sunder and Keening.

ERROR

It was frustrating, to say the very least, but he COULD work with it.

After the Gift, perhaps it made sense, at least when it came to dealing with people. It was distinctly annoying, but it could still be worked with...carefully. He would see what he could accomplish with Almalexia and Sotha Sil. Almalexia, perhaps, would not take direction, but perhaps Sotha Sil would be more amenable.

If things became desperate he could simply console in some attribute boosting potions and go collect the tools himself. A last resort, he thought, if things went ill--and it would be better if he could guide things without resorting to those methods.

He asked the Ordinator to keep talking, and gave nods now and then, and little confirmations he was paying attention. And as the man spoke, he went on to check what else might be broken.

With the world still going on around him he opened the Quest panel, and found he was able to look through what had been done by this Nerevarine so far. Sixth House base, corprus cure...the rescue of Mehra Milo, being declared the Nerevarine by the tribes.

He looked at the most recently taken quest.

Crosier of St. Llothis the Pious, the panel said.

There was mention of neither becoming the Hortator nor approaching him to retrieve Wraithguard. It seemed that the Nerevarine had gone to Ghostgate already, but WHY?

Did the Gift work backwards? Perhaps Akatosh and I caused a dragon break?

The Ordinator mentioned Crassio Curio and some play causing trouble, and Vivec realized at last that he had to start actually paying attention again. There was more he had to do but he felt the need to display some sort of politeness, and look more present. There was something else to think of, too...

"Back to the subject of the Nerevarine," he said, "I have reason to believe that they have gone to Red Mountain. Spread it among your order that should she reappear, I want her tracked down."

"Yes, my lord."

And perhaps, Vivec thought, I'll have had enough time to formulate a PROPER plan by the time this one returns or when the next one appears.

He half-hoped this one would die, simply to give him time to formulate a plan, or a series of plans, rather.

------------------------------

The sound of grinding stone stopped as the door closed slowly behind Sadara, and the stuffy heat of the air became absolutely oppressive. She took as deep a breath as she could and continued forward. The very air seemed to warp in this place, though whether it was the volcanic heat, the heart's power, or both was unclear.

It did not take long at all to see him. He stood there--in a flash, somewhere in the back of her mind, she had the feeling of seeing him here, before. A series of images flooded the mind. Thoughts, memories, fears--but she forced them all aside and kept walking forward.

"Dagoth Ur welcomes you, Nerevar, my old friend."

The way his head tilted back as he stared into nothing while speaking--a habit of his, the memories said. The voice, just like in the dreams. Strong in tone, clear of purpose.

He was as he had always been, if...amplified.

"But to this place where destiny is made...why have you come unprepared?"

As Dagoth Ur spoke the last sentence he turned to face her--despite being unable to properly meet his eyes she felt the weight of his gaze and stopped in her tracks. Still, silent, and waiting, she knew not for what.

"Until I see you better prepared, we have nothing to discuss."

"But--" Sadara found her voice at last, "You called me. Your ash ghouls, your sleepers, and your dreamers all said to come here, to see you. All I ask is that you speak to your old friend. There are so many things I don't understand, or don't recall...surely as an enemy of the Tribunal, you would be honest with me?"

There was a pause. Dagoth Ur turned away for a moment, before looking back--and up at her once more.

"Very well. I would be happy to grant you that before our battle. What do you want to know?"

[darklordazalin]

Azalin Reviews: Darklord Morgoroth

Domain: Avonleigh Domain Formation: 643 BC Power Level: 💀💀⚫⚫⚫ Sources: A Light in the Belfry (2e), Ravenloft Dungeon Master's Guide (3e), Secrets of the Dread Realms (3e), VRGTR (5e)

Morgoroth is briefly mentioned as a “villain necromancer” in van Richten’s latest guide. When I say briefly, I mean his name is called out in a list of villains in the good doctor's description of the Shadowlands and nothing more. He is also no longer listed as a Darklord. It appears that this disembodied voice was downgraded to a third rate villain.

Morgoroth was the omnipresent Darklord of Avonleigh. At least until someone decides to assemble the thirteen pieces of the broken mirror that contains his essence and bring him back to his full potential, which is that of a rather powerful wizard. Morgoroth was not an easy Darklord to find information on. The main source is A Light in the Belfry, which, I believe, is the only module in DND that features an audio CD. So, instead of box text for the DM to read aloud to the players, the text only includes “play track X”. Having no accompanying text in the module itself, the CD was a necessary component to track down some information on this elusive Darklord. But, I am nothing else but persistent when it comes to my research.

Avonleigh is part of the Shadowlands and in an eternal twilight, never experiencing true day or night. There are no settlements in Avonleigh, with its denizens being made up mostly of the spectral undead and various beasts that inhabit the Phantasmal Forest. The only building is Tergeron Manor. That is, if you consider an uninhabited, crumbling and decrepit estate a building. Though it is a suitable dwelling for our fractured Darklord.

Morgoroth was one of those love-sick fools that did a bunch of idiotic things in the name of “love”. Morgoroth was a powerful wizard and tyrant of a distant land who attempted to redeem himself by traveling to Avonleigh and putting aside his evil ways. If I could roll my eyes, I would be doing so right now. Naturally, the holier than thou Shadowborn family forgave him and the siblings, Ferran and Aurora, took him in. Ferran was a Paladin of The Circle, an Order of do-gooder knights formed by the Shadowborn clan.

Morgoroth developed feelings for Aurora but she was destined to join the priesthood, which required a vow of celibacy. Why do Deities and holy orders so often have this requirement? It seems like they’re just asking for trouble as such an easy vow to uphold often leads to highly foreseeable complications. Morgoroth, in an attempt to be a “nice” guy, didn’t tell Aurora about his feelings until he did...He decided to tell her the day she made her vow of celibacy. Perhaps he was waiting for the most dramatic moment to confess his love? And in a rare instance of Darklord lore, Aurora loved him back but was SO upset about him telling her too late that she fled from him. Morgoroth assumed she fled in disgust and quickly turned back to his evil ways. I’ve not experienced a loving relationship myself, but I do not believe sex is a necessity for romantic love, but frail mortal minds often blend love and lust into one confusing ball of emotions.

From Morgoroth’s actions, he killed Ferran and abducted Aurora. The Circle attempted to rescue Aurora, but as things normally go for The Circle, they were all destroyed in the effort. Sure way to win her heart...abduct her, don’t listen to her thoughts and feelings, and lock her in a tower while you kill every single member of her faith. This mass murder pulled Morgoroth into the Mists. To taunt him, the Dark Powers placed Aurora in a stasis within a glass coffin. Morgoroth attempted to escape his new prison by opening a portal in a mirror, but it backfired and instead he was shattered into 13 pieces. I cannot relate to this at all…

As Darklord, Morgoroth is fused with Tergeron Manor where he constantly bemoans his love for Aurora and attempts to kill any heroes that stumble into his Domain instead of, let’s say, attempting to influence them to piece together his mirror and bring him back? Morgoroth’s powers as a disembodied Darklord are rather underwhelming except that he can, if he wishes, prevent any Necromancy spell cast in his Domain. The other powers appear to be designed to give him a more spooky aesthetic - extinguishing all non-magical lights in the manor, conjuring a cold wind, annoying the living with his disembodied voice, manipulating reflections, and so on.

Morgoroth is a watered down version of the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, though quite formidable if you're foolish enough to piece together his mirror and bring him back into his full power...which, in all honesty, what Adventurer group wouldn’t do this? How does one rate a shiver up your spine created by a lovesick moron? I don’t know. Two skulls?