#AND THEN i put on armour that heals me when i gain an advantage

[veilkeeper]

ive done something REALLY funny

[nerdythebard]

#27: Athena, Goddess of Wisdom

She had to make her appearance eventually, Gods and Goddesses.

Athena is probably one of the most famous deities. Daughter of Zeus, born despite his schemes, ready to defend the people and Olympus. Contrary to Ares's bloodshed, she represents strategy, military wisdom and careful planning. Spoiler alert: we're not making her a Battle Master ;)

Next Time: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE JAGUAR CRY TO THE BLUE CORN MOON!?

Let's see what we need for the SMITE version of Athena to appear in our D&D game:

Ultimate Defender: Even bigger protector than Artio, Athena is a Guardian with High Crowd Control and High Defence.

Reach for the Sky: Athena uses long-reach attacks and her Ultimate allows her to appear by her companion's side for some extra protection.

You and what Army: Athena can summon the Defenders of Olympus to form a shield wall around her, as well as taunt and goad enemies into fighting her.

---

I know I've done this before many-a-times, but I really have no choice here. Athena is a guardian, she has the divine blood of Zeus in her veins... I have to make her a Protector Aasimar. We get a +2 Charisma and +1 Wisdom, 60 feet of Darkvision, resistance to necrotic and radiant damage, ability to speak Common and Celestial, the Light cantrip, and Healing Hands, which lets us recover Hit Points equal to our level once per long rest.

We're going to take the City Watch background, which gives us proficiencies in Athletics and Insight, two languages of our choice, but we're actually going to customize it and replace the Watcher's Eye feature with Legal Authority from the Inquisitor background. This allows us to become a representative of the law, pass judgments and sometimes even carry out the sentence. Basically, we can now tell those who attempt to invade Olympus

ABILITY SCORES

Strength will be first, our weapon is a spear and those are not labelled as finesse. Next is Constitution, we need to be able to take hits. Follow that up with Wisdom, it's kinda our thing, especially when it comes to strategy.

Charisma will be next, it's important for a good leader (and a proud crafter). Dexterity is a bit lower than I would like it to be, but in SMITE Athena is not the quick-and-nimble type. Finally, we're dumping Intelligence. We really need other abilities more, plus it wasn't a smart decision to punish Arachne for winning a competition.

CLASS

Once again, I'm putting a small twist on the prediction and I think this is the first time on the blog we're doing this.

Level 1 - Paladin: We start with the divine warrior. Paladins get a d10 Hit Dice, [10 + Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, proficiencies with light armour, medium armour, heavy armour, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons. In the artwork, we see that Athena is not turtled-up in armour, so giving her a half-plate in addition to a spear and a shield seems like a good option. Our saving throws are Wisdom and Charisma, and we get to choose two class skills (Intimidation and Persuasion).

We start by getting Divine Sense, which informs us of any celestial, fiends, or undead within 60 feet of us. We know the type, but not what the creature actually is.

Lay on Hands is similar to our racial ability, Healing Hands. We have a pool of healing energy, equal to [our Paladin level x5] which restores itself at each long rest. As an action, we can touch a creature and restore its Hit Points by whatever points we have left in the pool. Alternatively, we can spend 5 points to remove one disease or poison from the target.

Level 2 - Paladin: We get Divine Smite. Whenever we hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, we can burn a spell slot to add extra 2d8 radiant damage (+1d8 for each spell slot above 1st-level to a maximum of 5d8). Damage increases by 1d8 if the enemy is a fiend or an undead.

We also get to pick a Fighting Style. To fulfil Athena's role as a guardian, we're once again going to pick Interception. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of us is hit by an attack, we can use our reaction to reduce the damage by [1d10 + our proficiency bonus]. We must be wielding a shield or a simple/martial weapon.

Paladins also get Spellcasting. Charisma is our casting ability, and we do not learn cantrips or rituals. Paladins have access to their full spell list and can each day prepare [Charisma modifier + half of Paladin level rounded down] spells. We start with two 1st-level spell slots:

Divine Favour bathes us in divine light and power, allowing our weapon attacks to deal extra 1d4 radiant damage for 1 minute (concentration).

Heroism increases your allies' morale. Until the spell ends (1 minute, concentration), one willing creature we touch is immune to being frightened and gain Temporary Hit Points equal to our casting ability modifier at the start of each turn.

Shield of Faith surrounds one creature of our choice within range (60 feet) for 10 minutes (concentration), granting it a +2 AC bonus.

Level 3 - Paladin: With Divine Health we are now immune to disease. We also get to pick our subclass, our Sacred Oath. Athena is a devoted protector of her city and the gods, so making her take the Oath of the Crown, to uphold the spirit of the nation and service to law seems fitting. We start by getting some Oath Spells; those are always prepared for us and don't count against the total number of spells known:

Command forces a Wisdom saving throw onto one creature within 60 feet of us, as we utter a single-word demand. On a failed save, the target is compelled to execute that command to the best of their ability at the beginning of their next turn. The command cannot force the target to harm themselves.

Compelled Duel forces one creature within 30 feet to turn their attention towards us and fight one-on-one, provided they fail a Wisdom saving throw. For the duration (1 minute, concentration), the compelled target has a disadvantage on attacks made against targets other than us and must make a Wisdom saving throw when attempting to move more than 30 feet away from us.

We also gain access to the Cleric's Channel Divinity. Once per short or long rest, we can use one of the two effects listed below:

Champion Challenge acts similarly to the Compelled Duel spell, as it prevents creatures who fail a Wisdom saving throw to move further than 30 feet from us. The difference is, this ability affects every creature within 30 feet radius.

Turn the Tide lets us use our bonus action to bolster the injured. Each creature of our choice within 30 feet of us regain [1d6 + our Charisma modifier] Hit Points, provided they have no more than half of their Hit Points.

Level 4 - Paladin: Time for our first Ability Score Improvement. We will, however, take the Spear Mastery feat instead. We gain a +1 to attack rolls made with our spear, the damage dice of the spear change from a d6 to d8, we can use our bonus action to extend the spear's reach by 5 feet until the end of our turn, and finally, we can prepare ourselves for a charge. If a creature that we can see within 20 feet of us gets within our spear's reach on its next turn, we can use a reaction to make an attack against it that deals additional 1d8 damage. If the creature used Disengage before, we're not getting the opportunity.

We can also grab another spell: Protection from Evil and Good grants one willing creature we touch protection from aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. Attack rolls against the target are made with a disadvantage, and the target cannot be charmed or frightened by the aforementioned creatures.

Level 5 - Paladin: With Extra Attack we can now attack twice instead of once during a single Attack action.

We also unlock 2nd-level spells and gain two spells from our subclass spell list:

Warding Bond ties up to one target within 60 feet of us. For 1 hour the target gains a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws, and resistance to all forms of damage. Additionally, whenever the target takes damage we take the same amount of damage.

Zone of Truth creates a 15-foot-radius sphere at a point within 60 feet of us for 10 minutes. Creatures inside the sphere must make a Wisdom saving throw or become unable to lie as long as they remain within the sphere's boundaries. They are not compelled to answer, however.

Level 6 - Paladin: We get our first Aura option. With the Aura of Protection, whenever a friendly creature within 10 feet of us must make a saving throw, it gains a bonus equal to our Charisma modifier.

We also get another spell: Magic Weapon transforms our non-magical weapon into a magical one, for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities. Until the spell ends (1 hour, concentration), we also get a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls done with the weapon.

Level 7 - Barbarian: Surprise! I believe it's the first time we jump into the rage machine. I can already hear you saying 'Ares should've been a barbarian!'. Maybe. Maybe not. Hear me out, though: Athena's rage is cold and calculated. Precise and bottled up, to be unleashed only when necessary.

Multiclassing into Barbarian doesn't give us any new proficiencies or skills, but we do get the Unarmoured Defence. When we're not wearing armour, our AC equals [10 + our Dexterity modifier + our Constitution modifier]. Unlike Monks, we still get this benefit even if wielding a shield.

We also get access to the Barbarian's key feature...

As a bonus action, the Barbarian can Rage and gain the following benefits (provided they're not wearing heavy armour):

Advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws

Bonus to damage rolls (+2; changes as we level up) for weapons that use Strength

Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage

The rage lasts for 1 minute (unless we dismiss it earlier, are knocked unconscious, fail to attack a target on our turn or taken damage during such) and while it's on, we cannot cast spells. For now, we can Rage twice before taking a long rest.

Level 8 - Barbarian: We gain Danger Sense, to better detect hostility. If we're not blinded, deafened or incapacitated, we have an advantage on Dexterity saving throws for effects we can see, such as traps and spells.

We can also forget about defence when making a Reckless Attack. When making our first attack on our turn, we can choose to do it recklessly. This gives us an advantage on melee weapon attacks that use Strength on our turn, but until the end of our next turn, all attacks made against us also have an advantage.

Level 9 - Barbarian: We can now Rage three times per long rest.

We also get to pick our second subclass, our Primal Path. And this is the moment where we get our Athenian warriors with the Path of the Ancestral Guardian. With Ancestral Protectors, we can call upon spectral warriors of the past which hinder the attacks of the first creature we hit while Raging. Until the end of our next turn, the target has a disadvantage on all attacks that aren't against us and when other creatures attack the target, they gain resistance to the damage type of the attack they make.

Level 10 - Barbarian: Halfway through the build and we're getting another ASI. We're gonna raise our Dexterity by 2 points.

Level 11 - Barbarian: Normally, we would've gained Extra Attack here, but we've already got it from our Paladin levels and they do not stack. We do, however, get Fast Movement which increases our movement speed by 10 feet provided we're not wearing heavy armour.

Level 12 - Barbarian: We can now Rage up to four times per long rest.

We get a new subclass upgrade. With Spirit Shield, our ancestral spirits now provide aid to those we defend. While we're raging, and a creature we can see within 30 feet of us takes damage, we can reduce the damage by 2d6.

Level 13 - Barbarian: At this point, our Feral Instincts are so sharp we have an advantage on our Initiative rolls.

Level 14 - Barbarian: Time for another ASI. Let's round up our Strength and put the other point into Dexterity.

Level 15 - Barbarian: Our additional damage while raging now becomes a +3.

We now get a Brutal Critical. Whenever we score a critical hit (Natural 20), apart from doubling our weapon damage die, we roll one more of the same die and add it to the score.

Level 16 - Barbarian: At this point, our Spirit Shield reduces the damage dealt to our allies by 3d6.

We also get another subclass upgrade. With Consult the Spirits, we can now use our ancestral warriors to cast either the Augury or Clairvoyance spells without a spell slot or material components once per short or long rest.

Level 17 - Barbarian: With Relentless Rage, we can now fight despite death. If we drop to 0 Hit Points while raging (and don't get damaged enough to insta-kill us), we can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw and gain 1 Hit Point on a success. Each time we use this feature after the first, the DC raises by 5 and resets after we finish a short or long rest.

Level 18 - Barbarian: We get the final ASI of the build and we put two points into our Dexterity. We can also now Rage five times before rest.

Level 19 - Barbarian: Our Brutal Critical increases to two additional dice when scoring a Natural 20.

Level 20 - Barbarian: We end with Barbarian 14, which ends with another subclass upgrade. With Vengeful Ancestors, we can truly pull the Uno Reverse Card. When we use our Spirit Shield (which now reduces damage by 4d6), besides just reducing damage, the spirits now deal force damage to the target, equal to the damage prevented.

---

And that is Eda Athena, the Owl Lady! Let's see what we got:

To start off, we're a tank with many protection options for both us and our allies. With increased movement, advantages on initiative and damage-dealing rolls, plus some protection spells, we can easily lead and strategize.

With a half-plate and a shield our AC is 17, we have a +2 to our Initiative, 40 feet of movement, and an average HP of 175.

Unfortunately, our spell repertoire is not great, negative modifier to our Intelligence (if you want to fix that, be sure to hunt for the Headband of Intellect), and no ability maxed to 20.

---

Okay, I think this is not a bad build. As always, treat these as suggestions and modify your own builds as you please. I hope you've enjoyed yourselves and I'll see you in the next one!

- Nerdy out!

[himbodjarin]

LUNAR; CH8

18+ ONLY Series Content: Graphic descriptions of gore and smut. Din Djarin/Third Person POV.  Chapter Word Count: 8263 (im sorry) Pairing: Din Djarin/F!Reader - no use��“y/n”

The Mandalorian is a driven warrior — traversing the galaxy in search of the ancient Jedi — but everyone has their weaknesses, and he’s no different. The Bounty Hunter possessed three in fact. One he’s discovered—The Child. The remaining two, though, he wasn’t aware of their existence. At least, not until he meets a valorous Sharpshooter underneath a moonless night sky; then he’s plummeting down a dark mission of self-discovery, questioning his morals and his Creed while the moon taunts him, the phases of the satellite corresponding to his personal revelations. However, the Girl has a dark past that may come to inflict hardships on the Mandalorian and the Child; it's up to the Bounty Hunter to decide her fate.

Read on AO3 / Series Masterlist

CHAPTER EIGHT: BLUE MILK PANCAKES

Mando still can’t grasp it actually happened—that he’d been so fortunate to experience such a jaw-dropping night with the Girl, with no ulterior motives no less. Back in his youth, when he was naive and desperate, it wasn’t exactly infrequent for a fling to take advantage of him; spend a quick few minutes so that one may eliminate him in his distraction or gain intel on private matters. The Girl didn’t try that—didn’t want that. She sought to provide him with sweet relief and nothing more, not even her own relief.

He felt so fucking worshipped.

Mando is the first of them to wake in the early rise of the sun. He sits there for a moment, savouring the gleaming rays shining through the viewport to warm his beskar and, consequently, his rigid body underneath. The Crest is coated in a layer of ice, corroding the durasteel beneath and, accompanied by the packed snow resting atop, it’s refrigerating the inside of the spacecraft. Mando slips on the discarded glove from overnight—a warmth surfacing his cheeks upon the reminder of last night’s events—and supplies friction to either hand in the prospect it’ll produce warmth. It’s wishful thinking. 

Granting him the opportunity to adjust to his surroundings, Mando stretches in his chair and virtually moans at the pulsations ranging through his limbs. It starts at his shoulders and travels through his core, nudging against the wound on his back and easing the tension out of his muscles, and reaches to the bottom of his toes which practically curl with delight. 

Mando considers removing the helmet to rub his eyes—the crust in the corners a botheration—lift it a tad in the least, but he doesn’t get the chance. The Child coos beside him, his little arms reaching up for assistance.

 “How did you get up here?” he asks, placing him on his knees. The Child doesn’t answer—why would he—and concentrates on balancing across the joints to tinker with deactivated buttons of the nav controls. “Where to, kid?” Mando scans the system’s database for a paragon planet to hunker down for a few days; spend some time with the kid—and the Girl, of course—before being ripped away from the semi-domestic life and continue on his unwritten path of planet-hopping.

There’s a planet not too far; small population, plenty of wilderness for the kid to explore, and there’s not much traffic that passes through. It’s good, perfect almost, and Mando is hesitant to accept the temptation. The Child’s head rotates to look at his guardian, his large green ears twitching curiously. He sighs and sets the coordinates for the planet despite his better judgement. It’s too fortunate; the last ‘safe’ planet they visited ended up in him protecting an entire village and the kid almost being killed. Although, he’s made a trustworthy ally who’ll assist if something were to go down. He glances behind him at the Girl, raking his brown eyes across her contorted body in the seat.

“Hang on, kid.” Mando lifts himself out of the pilot chair, leaving behind a monitoring toddler in his place, and kneels beside the Girl in the passengers. She’s sleeping peacefully and he doesn’t disturb her, despite the positioning she’s managed to get herself into. It’s unpleasant on his eyes and it couldn’t be comfortable. With a tremble in his back muscles, he reaches behind his neck and peels the cloak from his armour to drape it across her figure, relying on it to provide at least a small portion of warmth to her. She clasps the garment slightly and a smile surfaces his lips, his leathers coming up to brush a stroke across her cheek faintly—only lasting a second or two before detaching from her like an uncooperative magnet. Once she’s finally soothed back into position, Mando retrieves the safety belt from beside her and secures it across her waist before grudgingly tearing away from the Girl. “Looks like you’re with me.”

The Child squeals with enjoyment as the Mandalorian returns to his seat.

“Shh,” he instructs, glancing back to see the Girl motionless. He sighs with relief.

Mando joins the buckle’s latches together and wraps an arm around the Child to secure him against himself. The thrusters wake with a roar and quake the craft’s hull, the ion accelerator chamber thawing the thrusters nozzles of their icy barricade—shit, the ice. It’ll pose a threat, a handicap at the minimum if it doesn’t defrost soon enough. He cringes as the Crest whines against the glacier's dominance on his landing gear, but with the newly-maintenance thrusters, it’s no match against the craft. It rips from the ice and retracts to the hull’s underbelly, allowing Mando to manipulate the ship through the sky and out of the atmosphere; slabs of ice and snow descend to the ground beneath them. 

The feeble bumpiness fades into a smooth flight and Mando activates the autopilot controls. “Not so bad, huh?” He disconnects the buckle from his belt and slips out of the chair, letting the Child sit in the warm leather. “Don’t go touching things—and don’t wake her up,” he quickly adds, noting the Child’s inquisitive staring as though he hadn’t genuinely noticed her earlier. 

Mando sighs and hopes he’ll listen to his request just this once.

The Crest’s hold had been cleaned, just as the Girl promised to do, hardly even a speck of dust surfaced the floor. She’d been busy—and he had just been preoccupied with himself. Mando sighs to himself and browses through his reserved clothing. It mostly consists of bunking apparel—a couple of loose shirts and favourable pants—that he hadn’t had the opportunity to put to use since he fostered the Child. He’s expected—required to remain on the defensive at all times with the Guild breathing down his neck. 

He sorts through the articles and grabs the spare flight suit, his only other. It would be ideal to purchase another, especially now with this one having been ripped, but it wasn’t a necessity presently. The fabric in his hands smells of dirt and grime, residue from the lake he attempted to clean it in all those weeks ago, but it’s better than his current—tattered, bloody, sweaty, and cum-stained. What a combination.

Perhaps he should invest in a refresher for his Crest. That way he wouldn’t be hunched over in the dark corners of the hold, stripping the beskar steel from his body for anybody to stumble across. It didn’t provide much assurance being within eyeshot of the cockpit ladder and with the lack of places to conceal himself, his hurried movements advanced. Then again the sheer thought of the Girl seeing him like this—and joining him—isn’t unpleasant; it would make the situation a whole lot less embarrassing. 

He peels the last of his beskar from his body and stacks it against the wall, reorienting himself to slip out of his boots. It’s been a while since he last stood without any armour, excluding the helmet, and it feels refreshing in a way. But it doesn’t feel right.

Mando wasted no time in replacing the flight suit, smoothing the fabric out with his gloves and reapplying the ensemble of beskar; each patch of steel fitting snugly where it belongs. It’s slightly more bearable, not having to feel his own mess rubbing against him on the inside of the fabric, and he shoves the dirty flight suit in replace of the clean. He’ll get around to washing it when he has the time—or burn it by virtue of the rip across the arm. 

Speaking of arms, the bacta patch on his bicep had aided the wound significantly and within the next day or two, it should be healed. The lesion on his back was a different story. It’s still sore, somewhat better with a night’s rest, but it’ll be a while before he’s out there firing blasters with that same authority. It could cause jeopardy if he’s not cautious.

The Razor Crest abruptly rumbles and falls into a fit of tremors, hurling the Mandalorian against the stationary carbonite pods with fury. “Shit,” he growls and grips his bicep, pleading he won’t bleed through the fresh clothes so soon. It pulses again and the engines’ whining travels through the ventilation, discharging a high-pitched shriek followed by a low hum of a whistle.

“Man-fuck, Mando!” the Girl beckons from upstairs. Mando is quick on his feet up the ladder, clinging desperately to the rungs upon another spasm. “I was sleeping a-and the kid…” She doesn’t need to finish for him to understand, for the Child is sitting underneath the nav panel with colourful cords in his hands; wire coverings peeled away to expose the electricity hazards sparking in his fists.

“Kid, no!” Mando scolds and snatches the cables from his stubborn claws. He babbles a complaint to his guardian as he’s being relocated far away from the electricity. He’s completely dismantled it—Mando will need to implement an entirely new wiring system for the navigation controls alone; a job he’s not suited for. He turns to the Girl for support.

“Don’t look at me,” she raises her hands defensively, “I only know bits and pieces.”

Innocently burbling besides the Mandalorian, the Child watches as leather gloves track across the navigation controls urgently. He’s unbothered by the predicament they’re in—just glad that his guardian had returned to the cockpit’s cabin, it appears. Mando groans in annoyance, fumbling with the nav and fighting against it’s constant glitching. “We’re in luck. There’s a planet on the way. Tatooine. Someone can help us there.” 

“Yeah. Heard of it,” she mutters, regrettably, and he wonders what that is all about but it can wait. It wasn’t the time to sweat over the small details. “We’re not going to crash, are we?”

He contemplates, glancing over the system’s diagnosis and dismisses the electrical yammering it erupts. “Shouldn't—there’ll just be a lot of turbulence.”

That there is—turbulence and a great deal of it. There’s too much to maintain an uncoiled stomach throughout the remainder of the short flight and they’re both surprised when they’re successful in their landing, especially without the contents of their stomach having been dumped over themselves. Peli Motto—an innovative mechanic but a bit too communicatory for the Mandalorian’s preference—stands in her hangar with two greasy hands on her hips, eyes squinting through the viewport to gaze up at Mando. Better have my credits ready to go this time, he can already hear her say and he sighs. Credits he did have, but they weren’t exactly his, and there wasn’t much to spare.

“I’ll see to her,” Mando announces and retrieves the Child, “would you care to join?”

The Girl seems hesitant and peers out the viewport curiously. “Do you trust her?”

Mando takes another glance outside. Peli’s droids are nearing his ship to begin operations but with one stern look from the woman, they back away from the craft. “I do.”

The Girl sighs and peels herself from her seat, fiddling with the cloak that had been laid across her body earlier. “This, uh-”

“Clip it on for me,” he instructs and turns, waiting for familiar hands to run across his shoulders. It takes a moment and he considers retrieving it himself, but he’s patient and it pays off—her fingers playing with the neck covering to manipulate the cloak into place, her digits stroking against the back of his neck underneath all the thick fabric. It’s therapeutic somehow or other. He doesn’t quite understand it himself, but feeling the Girl’s pressure against him relaxes him; eases his eyes closed until all he wants to do is sleep, in her arms preferably and with his head on her chest—his head, not his helmet. Mando wants to press his ear against her flesh and listen to her heartbeat, her breathing, but most of all he just wants to be touched and to touch another.

The Girl smoothes her hands out across the cloak, running her palm down his back and ending just before it reaches the curve at the bottom. “There you go.” She smiles. Fuck, her smile. It makes him want to say something stupid, something embarrassing just to get the same reaction out of her; he wants to be the cause of that smile on her face. She adds, “Thank you.”

Mando twists to face her again, his head tilting. “What for?”

“Buckling me up and, uh, giving me the cloak,” she confesses, a timid hue of pink on her cheeks—she was blushing. “You could have given it to the kid or just kept it yourself, but… you didn’t. So, thank you.”

He swallows and reaches his hand up—for what, he doesn’t know. It’s not until his digits touch the soft padding of her cheek that he notices he’s making a move, his strokes transforming into uncertain shakes. The Girl’s blush deepens at the contact and she places her hand atop his, giving a quick squeeze of reassurance.

With that, his head is back to sorting through indecent thoughts and actions—but none are related to those they had been previously; they’re not obscene nor lustful. It’s his Creed that they’re unethical towards. He imagines the Girl reaching for his helmet, her slender fingers brushing against his chin as she does so, and lifts the steel to unmask the face that’s been sealed away for a long, long time. If she tried to do it right here, right now, he’s not positive whether he would stop her.

“We shouldn’t keep her waiting, it’ll be rude.”

She can wait, is what he wants to say, instead, he murmurs a simple, “Right.”

The Child appears satisfied in Peli’s arms, a large smile on his face as he glares up at the Mandalorian ahead of him. He’s receiving every ounce of attention he can muster out of the woman. “You telling me this little one did all that? Maybe if you gave him a little more attention he wouldn’t be tearing out your cables!”

“What do you mean?” Mando ponders. She runs a finger across the kid’s batwing ears and gestures behind him in the distance where the Girl preoccupies herself tending to their blasters. “What are you getting at?”

“Oh, come on! Do I have to spell it out for you? Are you that oblivious?” She sighs and soothes the Child, “You’ve found yourself another lifeform to harbour—probably spending an awful lot of time with her, aren’t ya?”

He’s not oblivious, not in the slightest; he’s just trying to avoid coming to terms with the thoughts in his head. However, he hadn’t noticed his lack of bonding with the Child and he mentally scolds himself. Of course, the kid wants attention, all kids do, and he’s probably becoming rather frustrated at the inadvertent neglect as a by-product of Mando’s fantasies. 

“I ain’t saying ya shouldn’t indulge a little,” Peli chuckles and wags her hairless eyebrows at the visor, “I don’t blame ya for that. It must be hard adapting to having a girl like that on board your ship.”

Mando quietly sighs under his helmet but a blush lines his cheeks nonetheless. He’s relieved she can’t see it. He grumbles, “Get to the point.”

“Point is, you can’t ignore a child like that,” she explains, “he’s an impish little critter—smart, too. It wouldn’t surprise me if he did that on purpose to get your attention.”

“He’s costing me a lot of credits for attention.” Black-brown eyes observe the looming figure of beskar and Mando softens slightly. Peli watches with interest and returns the toddler to his arms. “The Girl-”

“She’ll be fine,” she assures, “if she wants to help, I’ll be sure to give her a real workout—don’t worry she won’t be too drained.”

The Mandalorian commits a final leer at the mechanic, enough to cause her to pull her lips tight into a smirk, and he returns to the Girl’s side to exchange his goodbyes, “I’m going to head into town and see if there are any jobs available.” 

The Girl raises an eyebrow in question and pauses polishing the blasters, “I’m not coming with you?”

Does she want to come with him? The vocoder emits a hum of thought but ultimately he knows she should stay behind this time, “Peli reckons I should spend time with the kid. Shouldn’t take too long—I’ll just head in and grab the kid a meal, look around for intel… I’ll be back before it’s dark.”

She nods, understanding. “I’ll—just wait here then.”

Mando reciprocates her nod and hesitantly steps back, but the Girl’s fingers loop through his belt and draws him in close to her once again. He steadies himself with a hand on the dip of her waist, digits unconsciously poking into the flesh deeper, and he angles the helmet to her eye level in disarray. 

The familiar weight of his blaster slips into position against his thigh but he doesn’t tear his eyes away to look, he doesn’t want to move at all. “Might need it,” she explains, her tone hushed, “it’s good to go.” She lightly taps the blaster with her free hand and he stiffens when her palm comes to rest atop it, the tips of her fingers brushing against the outside of his thigh.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” Her lips curl into a cunning grin and she tries to hide it by lifting herself onto her toes and breathing through the fabric surrounding his neck. Mando’s muscles flex involuntarily and the hand on her hip slinks a path to the curve of her back, where he fists a bundle of poncho fabric in his leathers. She whispers, “How’s your back feeling?”

“It’s - it’s better.”

She exhales softly and he swears he can feel it through the cloth, warming his jugular with her gleaming words, “So, you won’t be needing my help tonight?” Mando groans as she weakly pats the lesion deep underneath his cloak—it doesn’t hurt, more or less stings like a Droch crawling through his skin and draining his energy, but that was the Girl’s disposition more so than the wound’s sensitivity. 

“Well,” Mando clears his throat and steps closer—if that’s even possible—so his lower-half is pressing against her waist, evoking a hitch of his own breath from the contact. She’s so soft against him. “I might need a hand…”

She chuckles into his neck, sending the vibrations from her throat into his and it makes a beeline to his heart. It vortexes around the organ, a current so strong it’d be fatal to terminate the stream. Not that he wanted to stop it. It’s such a pleasant feeling, the phantoms of sunshine-esque tendrils applying a pacifying pressure that feels like that of an embrace; warm hands clasping his heart and delivering delicate kisses across the muscle. He can almost sense the cushioning of lips against the pulsing organ.

“Ya know, I’ve got more than just hands.”

“Fuck,” he whispers, practically drooling at the mere suggestion—he’d be so sluggish to drag it out as long as possible, every single touch of his deliberate to commit all her curves, bumps, even bruises, to memory. Store it away for a gloomy day, like a breach in the clouds; sunbeams breaking through the overcast and introducing a warmth like none other. 

Mando cranes his neck to the side slightly and she takes the invite to burrow deeper. The blood in his neck is hot and the air in his helmet sultry. He wants to do nothing but drag her back to the ship and lock themselves away for the remainder of the day, but the irritated child on his hip is starting to get antsy. Mando gasps, “Need to - to take the kid out.”

She hums her sympathy against his neck, “Take your time. I’ll be here.”

Well, time was indeed taken, or however the saying goes.

The Mandalorian had been forced into conversations all day courtesy of the Child; he just couldn’t seem to stop touching things or feeding on display products of each stall they’d pass. Mando’s entire vocabulary had been decreased to continuous sorry’s and kid, no! It doesn’t just end there. The Child was inquisitive of all his surroundings, particularly places Mando couldn’t fit himself—it made for some awkward dialogue between him and the kiosk attendants when he’d be on his hands and knees rummaging around for a loose alien baby.

“I’m not stealing!” He’d reassure but it’d have the opposite effect and turn heads, people eyeing him with curiosity; a Mandalorian, like that in folklore, frantically chasing a little green toddler with something half-alive dangling from its mouth. He’s made a fool out of himself enough for a day. The Child, on the other hand, is still persistent—giving him somewhat of the silent treatment until Mando bargains a promise of food. 

The Child attentively watches his food in the arms of the server, streaks of steam and a tender fragrance wafting in his direction as it settles onto the table ahead. “Thank you,” Mando nods and leans back in his seat, unequipping a small bag of leftover credits he could spare for the day and sliding it across the wooden surface, “do you know of any employment opportunities?”

“Regrettably not, sir,” the waiter replies and exchanges final pleasantries before returning behind the buffet to assist an unruly patron.

Mando sighs and returns his guard to the Child—who grabs a spoonful of scalding liquid and squeals in delight—and chews on the inside of his lip in thought. Tatooine is just as detestable as the last time he was here—the hustle and bustle never-ending. One would think that the Mandalorian could blend in with such an immense and diverse population, but his outright existence drew attention to himself; it’s becoming a ritual each time he steps foot inside a cantina. People’s discussions quickly cease as they scrutinise the warrior upon his entrance, contemplating whether they could neutralize him and pry the beskar steel from his body to sell in the black market. Some have tried and failed, of course. In his youth, Mando thrived off the sensation. It was empowering to have others tremble in their skin at the sheer sight of a Mandalorian, but he’s matured and those days are long since dead. He’s travel-worn, too exhausted to concern himself with people’s thoughts regarding him, so long as they weren’t orchestrating his downfall. 

“I ain’t never seen a thing like this before,” a disembodied voice mutters from behind the Mandalorian, the shoddy cantina lighting casting a shadow across their table. Mando doesn’t tear his attention from the Child but reaches for his blaster nonetheless, the leathers fiddling with the hilt in preparation. “Where’d you get it?”

When he doesn’t reply, the figure shifts to come between him and the Child—a trandoshan with wide-set eyes and sharp pointed teeth, sneering at the man underneath the beskar. She’s got yellow-brown scaly skin and dons a protective piece underneath an unbuttoned shirt, with a hunting rifle across her back and a carbine strapped to her belt. She steals a chair from the closest table and swings it around to join the pair, placing her elbows on the table and looking back-and-forth between Mando and the Child.

“We’re looking to raise a youngling like this, maybe something a lil’ bit more competent than this one.” The Child’s green ears perk up at the stranger but just as quickly dismisses her, plunging the spoon into the womp rat stew for seconds or thirds—Mando wasn’t keeping track. She glances behind Mando and waves a hand and calls, “Bookoo, what d’ya think?”

Bookoo—a Wookiee decked with nothing more than a dual bandolier across his chest and a small satchel at his hip—appears into view, soaring over the accumulated individuals and extends a welcoming smile at Mando underneath the shaggy rug of his face. “Muawa, ur oh.”

“No? What, you think we’re gonna get anything better?”

Mando interrupts, tired of the banter, “He’s not going with you.”

“We have credits,” she taps the satchel on Bookoo’s hip, they clash against one another inside the leather.

“He’s not for sale.” Mando tears himself from his seat and shepherds the Child into his arms, ignoring the burbles and whines he emits as he tries to grab hold of the bowl. Mando turns for the exit, intently listening to the whispers of the pair behind him, but stops when called for.

“Uh-sir... Mandalorian, sir?” He turns on his heels and eyes the waiter who places two small packages stacked together atop the counter. “Your dessert, sir.”

The Trandoshan eyes the Mandalorian as he awkwardly balances the boxes in one arm and the Child in the other. She steps forwards once his hands are far from his blaster to make her claim, “I promised my group I’d bring back an apprentice, ya see? With a lil’ bit of training, that thing should be good to go. Ain’t that right, Bookoo?”

Bookoo steps back defensively, “Mu waa waa.”

“Stupid Wookiee,” she mutters and rises from her stool, her bare feet tapping against the cantina’s duracrete flooring. She places a claw on the counter in an attempt of intimidation, but she only sustains a pathetic reaction from the waiter. “What’s a Mandalorian need a child for anyways? You raising that thing to become one?”

“We’re done talking.”

“Aw, come on. We’re just having a small chat. No need to run for the dunes.”

The Mandalorian denies her the satisfaction of retaliation and continues outside. The familiar crunch of grit a welcoming sound through his filters—he never thought he’d be comforted by such a sound. The Trandoshan yells one last remark before he steers a corner, “If you change your mind, we’ll be here!”

He’s suspicious of their intentions—and uncertain whether they were tailing him—so he weaves through the night crowd, bumping and pushing the drunkards to and fro. Once he’s scampered plenty, and positive they hadn’t been stalking his footsteps, he returns to Peli’s hangar with a drowsy Child and now-cold dessert. Optimally, the kid will be tuckered out for the rest of the night but it was never a certainty—he just hopes he’ll give him some privacy for at least a few hours.

Peli wipes grease on a rag hanging from a belt hoop of her coveralls and offers Mando a smile, “I assume you got yourself a job?”

Mando shakes his head in defeat and delivers one of the takeaway boxes in her hands.

“What’s this?” She opens the box and her eyes practically light up with joy but it’s short-lived as she eyes him suspiciously, “Is this a bribe?”

“Just a nice gesture. I thought.”

“Hmm,” Peli hums and closes the box, nodding her head slightly. “Well, ‘bout that ship of yours… It’ll be two thousand.”

Two thousand. It’ll bleed their funds dry, but the Crest needs repairs. Without them, they’d be stranded here on Tatooine for the unforeseeable future—something Mando really couldn’t accommodate. There’s too much sand. Too many people. His calloused hands aren’t for sitting on; they’re created to work, and he won’t allow himself to leisure around a planet without performing some act. 

The Girl won’t be pleased to hear he’s gone and spent a large sum of her earnings—not to mention how she’ll react when she ultimately comprehends she will be required to stay a little longer than expected. Mando feels his lips curling and he tries to smother it with reasoning; tries to tell himself he can’t keep her detained alongside him forever, but he’s obstinate and doesn’t take heed of his own advice. There’s a leap in his heart and a twisting in his stomach at the thought she’ll remain beside him for a little while longer—at least until he has the credits.

Perhaps the Child was onto something when he went and ripped all those wires out.

“That’s with a discount,” Peli adds.

“I should buy more of those.”

Peli scoffs at his jesting comment and tosses the takeaway parcel atop a flat surface. “The Girl. She’s good with her hands.”

If only she knew.

Something within the mechanic suggests that she does, in fact, know judging by the speculation written across her face; her squinted eyes waltzing his figure and her teeth chomping on the inside of her cheek to avoid voicing a sarcastic comment. The shield of beskar may disrupt his facial expressions—concealing them to only his cognisance—but his mannerisms are increasingly heightened to others and he’s gradually realising he’s not as proficient in masking them as he originally thought. 

Mando swallows a thick lump in his throat and shifts his weight to one foot, his hip cocking out vaguely. “Is the maintenance finished?” he asks, shifting the topic to something he can reduce the awkwardness with.

Peli clicks her tongue and rolls her eyes, “Oh, you mean the replacement of the entire navigational controls? Yeah, did it all by myself in a matter of a few hours. No help from my droids. No, it’s not done! Do you know anything about spacecraft restoration?”

“I typically leave that in the hands of...professionals.” Mando chooses carefully. “When will it be ready?”

“Me and your Girl are done for the night.”

His Girl?

Mando’s cheeks flush mildly, a faint tint of pink lining across his nose accompanied by a heat tackling the inside of his visor. Those two little words sound exceptional as the settle surrounding him, fogging his head with the seven letters—seven letters that he couldn’t relate to. They don’t belong to him; wouldn’t belong to him.

But he lets himself fantasise they could—they are.

His Girl. 

Mando’s lips ghost underneath the beskar, mouthing the words to himself as though to test the waters; dipping his toes in the substance and sampling the texture before sinking into it, letting it engulf him. He thinks of His Girl’s lips and how soft, how gentle, they looked. Her lips are the sandy borders of a beach—sand he wouldn’t mind if it were to wedge its way through his flight suit to abuse his body— and her tongue, her saliva, are the waters; refreshing but salty, leaving him thirsty for more.

Peli drags him out of his daydreaming without realising it, “But it should be up and running before the suns’ at its peaks. So you better have my credits ready! I’m not free labour, ya know.”

“Don’t worry,” he groans, “you’ll get the payment.”

She crosses her arms taut over her chest and squints at him suspiciously, probably wondering how he’s going to manage to pay her, but her determination fades into moderate compassion with a deep exhale. “All right, gimme the kid.”

“What? Why?”

Her earthy eyes flick up to the cockpit’s viewport and Mando twists his body to observe. The top of the Girl’s head can be seen from his perspective, her arms raised high above her in a stretch and then just as quickly disappears out of sight. Peli teasingly shoves Mando’s shoulder and laughs, “Go on, I’ll take the kid for the night. I’ll even do it for free; reimbursement for the dessert.”

She’s a blessing in disguise—who’s he to decline such a persuasive offer? 

“Just-” Peli stabilises the weight in her arms, the Child placidly dozing off in one, “I better not be hearing all that, okay? If you wake either me or the kid up-”

“Thank you.”

She watches him, stunned, and then shakes her head and mutters something under her breath. Mando doesn’t even feel tempted to know what she’s whispering to herself, he only has one thought on his mind: His Girl.

The Mandalorian reunites with the Girl in the cockpit’s cabin. She’s sitting on the floor tinkering with loose cabling with a craned neck to accommodate for the low-rise control board. Mando’s unsure whether he’s delighted to see her down there or disappointed; something within him expecting her to be somewhere less uncomfortable, awaiting his return—it’s a selfish thought and a very hormonal one at that. He sighs to himself and sits in the passenger’s seat, his elbows leaning on his knees to peer over her shoulder. “I thought Peli said you were finished?” Mando queries.

“She’s finished. I’m not.”

Mando breathes her name, introducing it to the cramped cockpit and it’s stale air, and she pauses a moment to turn her head and look into the magnetising visor. Now he’s the one pausing. It’s comical how he’s so easily conquered by a single glance. She doesn’t look at him like that in holoplays—where her eyes gleam in the low light hanging above and her mouth twitches when she’s restraining a smile—so why does his heart flutter and his blood surge through his veins? Rather, her eyebrows are crinkled with discouragement on account of uncooperative cords and there’s a streak of oil across her forehead—she looks just as gorgeous as ever. 

Mando’s voice softens as he talks to her, “Take a break. It can wait until morning.”

She dismisses his recommendation, “It’s fine, I can keep going.”

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

“Quoting me to myself now, are we?” 

He shrugs his shoulders. “You’re persuasive.” She chuckles some and he delves into the rumbles, enveloping himself in the bubbliness of it. “I brought food. You can have some if you stop working.”

She quirks an eyebrow and eyes the package in his leathers. “What is it?”

“Come here and look.”

“Are you having some?”

Mando contemplates, but he already knows his answer. “I’m not hungry,” he lies.

“Neither am I.” She deceitfully smiles and returns to her labours—it’s arduous, her fingers firmly twining the wires together and unravelling others apart to reconnect to a bundle loosely hanging underneath the panel.

The Mandalorian had completely forgotten how stubborn she can be, especially with his thoughts distorted by the events of last night; she had been so adaptable and willing to aid him. It’s ridiculous to think they’re the same person. Jaw clenching with defeat, Mando sighs heavily and fiddles with the takeaway box. It’s lid lifts from its fastenings to expose a small stack of fluffy cobalt-coloured pancakes. They’re slightly soggy from the absorbed condiments and stone-cold, having been outside for far too long, but they’re a Tatooine delicacy he had yet to try before. 

Mando glances at the Girl and rips the pancake into sections, simultaneously watching her exhaust herself. She groans dramatically and readjusts her position, practically laying on her stomach with her torso hoisted by her elbows. It allows for her to maneuver underneath the control panels—and allows Mando to drag his eyes lower. 

His leathers slide underneath the bottom of his helm and dislodge it from position, the beskar expelling a sharp hiss of air. He freezes at the reminder but the Girl doesn’t seem interested in the newly discovered noise; he continues, elevating the hindrance just above his mouth to slot in a slice of torn pancake.

They’re soft like her hands and he lets himself imagine they are—pretends the sweetness of the syrup is actually his cum on her fingers or, better yet, her own slick. He’s reluctant to even chew, not wanting to shred the impure fantasy he’s created upon himself, so he doesn’t. Mando sits there with the pancake in his mouth just holding it there, letting his tongue flatten underneath it and suck the syrup out to relish in the bittersweetness. 

It’s only once he’s drained it of its flavour that he finally devours the cake in hunger. It’d been a while since he last ate, but he repeats the process with the other sections he had torn apart—struggling to contain his self-control as he savours the sweetness and imagery of the Girl writhing underneath him. 

Mando plops the tips of his leathers in his mouth and absorbs the residual syrup before aligning his helmet in place yet again, his hunger reasonably quenched—his thirst for the Girl, not so much. It doesn’t help matters when she reaches for a cord and her poncho rides up, unmasking the curves of her backside and revealing a splinters-worth of skin above the hem of her pants. He indulges at the sight of taunting skin and licks a drop of syrup from his lips, imagining his head between her thighs lapping at something sweeter—tangier. Mando feels so fucking undignified around her like his honour has been squeezed out of an over-absorbed rag; dripping through the gaps in his fingers and there’s nothing he can do to catch it before it vaporises before his eyes hardly leaving a trace in its wake.

It’s wholly improper how his eyes attack her unclothed skin, obsessing over it like a glass of water in the outskirts of Tatooine. Now that he thinks about it, his mouth is significantly parched and he’s forced to bite his lip to avoid reaching out for the temptation. Still, he hungers to run his fingers across the bare flesh and explore her bumps and curves with his tongue, dragging it over her neck and feel the rumbles of her moans as he sucked on a pulsing vein. Her moans—what a magnificent sound that must be.

The unspoken promise between them plays with the dark crevices of his imagination.

I’ve got more than hands.

Mando’s unsure if she meant it; she hadn’t indicated anything to him since his return. Is she expecting him to make the first move? If so, that’s torturous in itself.

Coffee-coloured eyes battle against the azure cakes and he confronts a moral dilemma. He has an inclination to satisfy the building arousal in his pants but it doesn’t align with his traitorous voice, “Eat.”

The Girl glances over her shoulder and Lord, he could get used to that view especially with him atop of her. She reverts her gaze to the opened box in his lap. “I’m not-”

“I’ve had one,” he confesses and tilts the box to show a stack of three remainders, “two each, but you can have my other.”

“When did you… Did you take off your helmet? In front of me?”

“Behind you,” he corrects.

She doesn’t find the humour in the situation, though, which surprises Mando. “What - what about your Creed? Fuck, Mando. You can’t…”

His expression softens underneath the visor and he sinks to his knees on the ground so he’s eye-level with the Girl, clasping one of her hands in his leathers. “Don’t concern yourself with that. I didn’t remove it entirely, just enough to eat. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Not that big of a deal? Mando-”

Mando impolitely interrupts her by pushing a torn slab of blue through her parted lips—his digits lingering longer than necessary—and he chuckles at her shocked grimace. 

She swallows and slaps his pauldron, “Rude!”

“Sit down and eat.” 

The Girl conforms to his invitation and settles beside him, her back firmly planted against the durasteel wall of the cockpit. Mando awkwardly lowers to sit as well, the beskar clanking against the wall behind them but he doesn’t take any notice of it. It’d be like herding a group of Nexu—utterly impossible—if he tried to concentrate on anything but her thigh against his or her hand digging through the box on his lap. 

She munches on a blue cake beside him and it takes everything in him to give her privacy and not drool over the sticky syrup running down her fingers. It’s like she can read him though, her unsoiled hand hooking two fingers on the underside of the helmet and dragging it to look at her. “What about you?”

“I’ve...had one.” 

“One. I don’t want you passing out on me. Here, I’ll look away.” 

Mando eyes the divided dessert between her fingers and the drop of golden syrup slowly making way to her third knuckle. She’s not looking at him and can’t identify whether he’s accepting her offer or not, but she doesn’t dare retract her hand; it just hovers in the air waiting for his leathers to grasp the food from her—they don’t. Something so much softer does, though.

Mando licks a long stripe along the underside of her fingers, tearing the pancake from her clutch with his tongue and reserving it in the cheek of his mouth for later—too preoccupied with the sugary concentrate coating her fingers. She tenses at the sensations. It’s overwhelming, consuming her thoughts and spitting them out in a pile of goo. It’s almost irresistible to not look at him, to not watch as he sucks on her fingers so fucking desperately, but she’s respectful of his Creed even if it kills her.

“Mando,” she whispers because it’s too quiet, too real. 

His tongue is persistent, parting her fingers from each other and lapping at the syrup in the crevices of her knuckles. It’s so sweet and he moans around her fingers at the taste on the back of his tongue. Mando doesn’t concern himself with the potential of humiliation—he ought to look downright laughable right now—because she’s so sweet and soft in his mouth, far superior to the pancake he relished earlier. There’s a puny attempt to pull away on her behalf but with a firm grip on her wrist, she holds her position inside his mouth, especially when his teeth lock her digits in place, while her other hand finds the plate of thigh armour and hooks the fingers underneath.

“Shit,” she breathes and leans into him.

The Girl’s palm flattens against his chin and he stiffens his jaw, his movements slacking behind now that he’s focused on the warmth on his face. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched him so tenderly, no - he could but he didn’t want to; didn’t want to ruin the moment with the imagery of blaster fire and his mother’s last loving touch.

Her reassuring strokes against his cheeks with her free fingers urge him on and he sucked the final of the syrup from her digits before freeing them from his lips, placing a peck on the tips. Once the helmet is resealed, he finishes the neglected pancake in his mouth.

“You’re not as reserved as you act,” she chuckles, “where was that last night?”

Mando smiles. “Come here and let me show you.”

Where was all this confidence coming from?

He doesn’t care—he’s making a fucking move while he can.

The Girl contemplates him with a raised brow and a small smirk toying at her lips. It makes him want to know what she’s thinking—formulating—in that head of hers, but he’s not left in suspense for long. She braces a leg over his lap and straddles him, constricting her inner thighs against the outside of his and tilting his helmet back to look up at her. 

Mando nearly stops breathing, his organs refusing to cooperate in unison with such an unknown weight atop of him. All that confidence from earlier completely obliterates with just one roll of her hips—maybe it wasn’t confidence but arrogance, he thinks. She’s devious, he can see the pleasure in her eyes at his unfolding below her.

“Are you looking at me?” she asks, a hand on either side of his helmet to steady his head.

He nods because he doesn’t trust himself not to whine if he opens his mouth.

She looks back at him and for a moment, just a second, he feels as though she can see him, and then she grinds down and sketches the outline of his stiffening cock below her heat—and fuck if it isn’t one of the friskiest things he’s ever beared witness to. There’s just something so unique about the eye contact when she’s unravelling him like a ball of yarn; he wants to gaze into her eyes without the guard ahead of him and break her apart. “F-fuck, you’re,”-she rolls her hips again, faster-“ah, you’re too - too good to me.”

“I know,” she quips.

Daunting. It’s so fucking daunting being so paralysed with arousal underneath the Girl, stripped down to an accumulated pile of whimpers and twitches as she takes her sweet time tormenting him—and he fucking enjoys every second of it. He’s fatigued from years of bounty hunting, years of being shot, stabbed, beaten, and it’s stimulating having somebody touch him so languidly and voluntarily care for him in such a way.

“Tell me what you want, Mando.”

He swallows.

It’s so fucking ironic. He’s never had more than a few thousand credits to his name at a time and yet, pinned below the Girl with her being so provocative, he feels like the richest man alive—because it couldn’t be luck; he’d never been so fortunate to as receiving a simple bounty commission, a beautiful girl extracting every drop of arousal out of him no less.

He moans her name and inches his fingers under her poncho, “Want - fuck, I need-”

Mando’s pleas are interrupted by a suspiciously familiar disembodied voice shouting, “Come on out and nobody gets hurt!” It’s a gruff, hoarse sound that oils the cogs in his mind. The Trandoshan. She must’ve followed him here…but he took precautions…

He can’t find it within himself to tear his hands away from the Girl to survey the threat outside, so she takes it upon herself to clamber off his lap leaving him cold and hard in his pants. Molten lava rises in his chest as he raises to his feet, staring out the viewport with such vengeance it almost surprises him. The Trandoshan firmly stands with Peli Motto beside her, the barrel of her carbine pressed against her temple, and the Child squirming in her adjacent limb.

“Shit!” he growls and slams a pair of closed fists against the nav controls. It whines upon impact and blips a malfunctioning screen at his outburst.

“Hey, calm down,” she soothes, a hand slipping into his.

“They have Peli! ...The kid.”

The Trandoshan leers at him through the viewport. “Leave that blaster of yours on the ship and get down ‘ere. No funny business either! I’ll fire a hole through her head otherwise. Then the Kid’s.” She accentuates her point by thrusting the barrel against Peli’s temple harder.

The Girl fishes his blaster out of his holster. “They haven’t seen me,” she explains. “I’ll wait until you get close enough to them but don’t try anything without me.”

It could work. It could fail. He didn’t have an alternative plan.

“Okay,” he agrees, understanding the moment between them is long gone.

With one final gawp outside, Mando pries himself away from the nav controls and heads downstairs, bare. It’s not as though he’s completely defenceless; the flamethrower in his vambraces had enough fuel to get him out of a pinch, the whipcord could serve a purpose if essential, and he still possessed his vibro-knife in his boot. None of that can compare to the comfort of a blaster in his hand though.

The Child and Peli Motto’s safety is his priority, so he’ll comply with the Girl’s strategy and get as close to the Trandoshan as possible. He’ll use brute force if necessary.

They’ve relocated to an open region in the hangar where it’ll be near impossible to shield everybody if a blaster fight ensues. Preferably, it won’t come to that. The Trandoshan flexes her finger against the trigger when Peli fidgets with her hands beside her. Mando vaguely shakes his head in her direction and examines the Child’s wellbeing in the yellow-brown scaly arms.

“I’m here.” He raises his hands to demonstrate his compliance, “Let them go and we’ll talk.”

She sneers at him, laughs. “No.” The blaster reels back and whips Peli over the head, knocking her unconscious in a piled heap on the ground. Mando moves forwards, his fists tightening with each step. “Hold it right there.” The Child whines against the cold barrel pressing into his wrinkled forehead. Mando stops hastily, his eyebrows twitching with rage.

“What do you want?”

“I’ve already told you.”

“What do you need a child for?”

She smiles hauntingly, her sharp teeth locking together through her open-mouthed grin. “We don’t need one, but this one’s got a pricey bounty on its head,”—she aims for the flesh above his heart plate—“as do you.”

Guild members. Just his luck they’d be situated on Tatooine at the same time as he is.

The Mandalorian’s visor tilts to the Child in her arms, his eyes narrowing on the outstretched green claw. The kid’s eyes shut and his forehead wrinkles as he desperately tries to concentrate on something, and then it clicks in Mando’s head. His powers. The Child hadn’t used them since they took down the Mudhorn and Mando was beginning to think they had vanished, but they mustn’t have—he’s too focused on the air ahead of him.

The Trandoshan hasn’t noticed his fidgeting and Mando takes it upon himself to keep the barrel focused on him by stepping forwards, providing the Child time to figure out his abilities. “You won’t leave here alive,” he taunts.

She seems unfazed by his remarks, too confident in her plans. “Ah, what do we have here?” The Trandoshan asks curiously, peering over the Mandalorian’s figure and he whips his head to follow. The Girl is subdued in the arms of the acquainted Bookoo, who must’ve been anticipating resistance and remained obscured from their sight. 

The Girl fights against his grip but he’s far too strong for her to overpower and she limps in defeat, glancing up behind her at the Wookiee; eyes enlarging and her mouth falling agape underneath the face-covering she donned for the occasion.

Then—the last thing the Mandalorian expects to hear—the Trandoshan exclaims her name in a greeting, “It’s been a while!”

_______________________________

“Muawa, ur oh” - no, thank you “Mu waa waa” - please leave me alone

A/N: Good lord I am so sorry for an 8k chapter, I really didn’t want to split it into two. However, with this one being so long the next might not be out until the middle of next week (if I can manage to actually concentrate for long enough to write). Let me know how you enjoyed it and if you want to be added to the taglist! PS I’m running of gifs...please help...what do yall search for such hd gifs?

taglist: @ohhersheybars​​, @greatcircle79​​

[buckleyirondad]

viii. stab wound 

Infinity War AU inspired by this amazing fanart by @cottoncandyofterror​

Thanos pushed Tony down into a sitting position and with a firm hand cradled his head, “You have my respect, Stark.” He spoke with an unwelcoming gentle tone, “When I'm done, half of humanity will still be alive."

Tony coughed violently, blood trailed down his chin, as he struggled to force air back into his shocked lungs.

Thanos stood up, “I hope they remember you.” He proclaimed with a sneer, he held out the gauntlet, ready to go for the kill. “Stop!” Peter’s small but valiant voice screamed as he charged across the planet’s surface. Tony’s stomach twisted violently, he didn’t care if he died. So, what if he got stabbed by his own armour? Screw it, he always knew Iron Man would kill him in the end. Now, that’s fucking poetic, isn’t it? If that was the universe’s plan for Tony, so be it. He’ll take it. He would willingly go gentle into that good night if it meant Thanos didn’t get his grubby fingers on another stone. Thanos did not gain anything from killing Tony. He wouldn’t get the stone. He didn’t win. He would be stuck in the same place he was before. Peter was a different story. Yes, Tony was happy to die for this, but that was before Peter came charging into the jaws of hell. Now, Tony knew he couldn’t die. He had to save his kid. Peter was strong, one of the strongest people Tony knew and loved, but not for this. Never for this. “Peter…” Tony choked out a mouthful of blood, “No, don’t!” Peter’s mask was deactivated, so they could see his face. Tony swallowed the lump in his throat because he knew why Peter wore a mask. It was a way to hide how he scared he was. So, if he didn’t have his mask on, it only meant one thing. It wasn’t working. The suit must have malfunctioned in battle. Peter skidded to a stop, near Thanos. Surprisingly, Peter didn’t falter. He didn’t even cave and look over at Tony. Tony knew that Peter wore a bravado, he’d seen him crumble under the weight of his responsibilities many times but he had never seen him like this before. This was unprecedented. Peter looked determined, unphased by the challenge in front of him. Almost as if, he was sure that he was going to win this fight. It was a facade, yes. Peter was terrified, no doubt about it, he could tell by the way the kid’s hands were shaking by his sides, but he still applauded his guts, even though he didn’t want to see this scene unfold. Thanos turned, clearly also impressed by Peter’s strength, “Little insect.” He greeted, with a smirk. “Actually…” Peter tilted his head to his shoulder, “I’m an arachnid.” Peter leapt up and spun mid-air, kicking Thanos in the jaw. Tony tried to move but he was met by a wall of pain. His vision blurred, and he reluctantly dipped his chin to his chest as he fought to stay awake. He could hear the fight but he feared not being able to see what was unfolding. Everything happened so quickly, that Tony hadn’t had the time to unpack everything wrong with the fact that Peter decided to educate Thanos on the difference between insects and arachnids.

“Stark.” Strange’s voice said warily, “Don’t move.” He pressed a hand against Tony’s shoulder. Tony shook his head and pushed him away, “No, help Peter. You gotta…” He stopped pleading when he looked up at Strange, whose face softened. Tony shook his head when he realised what the look meant, “This is it, isn’t it? The one…” The one in fourteen million. The future Strange had seen where they won and Thanos lost. “If I tell you what happens…” Strange breathed, “It won’t happen.” Tony fought against his grip, “If my kid dies…” He hissed through gritted teeth, “It’s on you.” He didn’t mean that, not really. He understood that Strange was trying to do what was best for the universe. But in Tony’s eyes, damn, the universe, if the only way to save it, is to sacrifice Peter Parker. Tony would watch the universe burn, or be the one to destroy it if it meant he could save his kid. With that, Strange left, probably to locate the absent Guardians. Peter was still fighting Thanos, and he was doing exceptionally brilliantly. He was using the planet’s dodgy gravitational pull to his advantage, swinging out of harm's way whenever Thanos went to grab him.

Tony quickly patched up his wound using a serum from his suit. He’d only looked away for a second, and that’s when Peter yelped. Tony’s heart thudded, heavy in his chest, as he looked up. Thanos’ hand was wrapped around Peter’s throat, he held him up high as if he were a trophy, Peter kicked his chest, trying to break free. Tony leapt to his feet but doubled over, “Kid…” “You’re brave, little one.” Thanos praised, “But you’re weak...” Peter kept kicking, standing his ground, “No…” He cried out, "You're..." “Hold still.” Thanos quipped, “This will be quick.” Tony's focus shifted onto Peter's frailing arm. Thanos was using his non-gauntlet wielding hand to choke Peter. This meant, he was vulnerable, and too caught him in his monologue that he was letting the gauntlet wielding hand swing freely by his side. This gave Peter, the perfect opportunity. The kid was putting up an act by kicking and screaming. It gave Thanos the ego boost he craved, watching someone squirm under his thumb; Peter webbed up the gauntlet, now all he needed was the right pull. The first rule, all new superheroes should learn. One of the first Tony lessons taught Peter. Never watch the mouth, always watch the hands. It was obvious that Thanos had failed on that one. Tony let out a strained breath as he forced himself up onto his feet, “Hey, Barney!” He bellowed. “Don’t worry, Stark.” Thanos turned to look at him, “Your time will come.” Peter used this moment of distraction to swing his arm back. It was almost effortless, how the gauntlet slipped off and soared through the sky. Quill flew down, and caught it, he tossed it down to Strange, who was waiting underneath. Thanos was almost foaming at the mouth when he turned his attention back to Peter. The sixteen-year-old who’d foiled his plans. Peter was still in a chokehold. Thanos could easily kill him if he simply tightened his hand around his throat. Tony didn’t have long, “Peter!” He charged, ignoring the pain he was in, for Peter. Peter, though, had a plan. He grabbed onto Thanos’ arm, and span, kicking the Titan’s jaw with both feet. Thanos was caught up in his anger at his defeat and didn’t have time to retaliate. Tony watched as Peter lifelessly crashed to the ground, rolling on his side a few times, before he stilled. “Peter…” Tony started to run, muttering his name, like a mantra. Before he could get to him, Nebula careened forward, she swung her sword and with a single swoop, beheaded Thanos. It was over. Just like that, they won. Tony didn’t get caught up in celebration, he dropped by Peter’s side. The kid was out cold. His skin was devoid of all colour, and his breathing was uneven. Up close, Tony saw the damage Thanos had caused. Peter’s neck was an art gallery of bruises. Peter had fought back and got the gauntlet of, all why being choked to death. Tony didn’t care what had been said in the past, Peter was the strongest Avenger. Sixteen years old, and he did it. He was the one in fourteen million, helped by Nebula. They’d go down in history books together. Yes, Tony wanted Peter to go down in the history books, years from now, but what he didn’t want was to read an obituary. “Kid?” Tony pressed his hand against Peter’s cheek, “Hey, can you hear me?” His voice wavered as he gently shook Peter’s shoulder, “Come on, kid. You did it.” He leaned down, brushing his fingers back through Peter's curls, “Imagine what Ned’s gonna say about this, hey? We’ll never shut him up.” He blinked away tears as he shook him, “May’s gonna ground you, you know? She’ll probably ground me too, don’t you think?” Peter didn’t flinch, and with that, Tony’s defences crumbled, “Kid, come on, please.” He pleaded as he tugged Peter closer, “Wake up!” Peter bolted upright, gasping for air. “Hey, hey.” Tony caught his wrists and held them gently down against Peter’s chest, “It's me. You’re okay, it’s over.” Peter let out a shaky laugh. Oh, only he could laugh when he’d just come face-to-face with death, “That was scary.” He coughed out, as he closed his eyes, and let out a slow pained breath. “Yeah. We won, kid.” Peter blinked his eyes open, “We did?” “Yeah, kid.” Tony smiled proudly, “You saved us.” “That’s awesome.” Peter grabbed onto Tony’s wrist and pulled himself into a sitting position, Tony wasted no time in dragging him into his arms, holding him as tight as he possibly could, “...Mr. Stark?” “Yeah?” “I thought…” Peter muttered, a ring of sarcasm in his tone, “I thought we weren’t there yet.” Tony rolled his eyes, as he held on tighter, “We’re there, kid.” He pressed a kiss against Peter’s cheek. Tony had been stabbed, he hadn’t even healed yet. He knew one thing though, the pain he was in, would never amount to the agony he felt in those few moments where he thought he had lost Peter Parker.

[mysmashplaythroughs]

Jigglypuff Playthrough (Fire Red)

Fighter: Jigglypuff

Game: Pokémon Fire Red, Game Boy Advance. First Released on January 29th 2004.

Fighter Bio.

Jigglypuff is known as the balloon Pokémon, being the evolution of Igglybuff and evolving into Wigglytuff with the use of a Moon Stone. With its nature as a balloon Pokémon it can increase its size by inhaling air and in some cases deflate itself becoming almost flat. It can use its large eyes to mesmerize opponents and when it has their attention then inflates its lungs before singing a melody. The melody varies from place to place with it even in some cases simply sounding like it’s shouting, however it is very skilled at putting opponents to sleep with its voice. It is often found in lush green plains and grassy meadows. There have not particularly been many notable specific Jigglypuff in the game series with the only one that really sticks out being one which sits in the Pokémon Centre in Pewter City. If talked to it will sing its song, which matches the theme from the anime. An NPC nearby will say how when it sings he feels sleepy and in Pokémon Yellow, if Pikachu is following and Jigglypuff sings it will fall asleep.

Enemies/Rivals: Honestly, this barely counts as a rivalry, but in the anime, which aspects of Super Smash Bros have been inspired by when it comes to Pokémon, there is an episode where Jigglypuff seems to have a rivalry with Clefairy. The two species tend to live in the vicinity of each other when it comes to Kanto with Jigglypuff living on the route leading to Mount Moon and Clefairy living within Mount Moon, however nothing beyond an episode of the anime has been specifically stated, still I wanted to mention it at least.

Crossovers with other Smash characters: Similar to Pikachu and most other Pokémon, Jigglypuff hasn’t really had any crossovers with other Smash characters outside of its series. There was a cameo of the game Mario & Wario in the Kanto games, appearing on the tv in the character Copycat’s house, but that is the closest there has been to an actual crossover. With Jigglypuff being far less prominent than Pikachu it has also not had as many appearances overall.

Why this game?

I was going to say this was a fairly simple choice before, however very recently I have considered instead doing a separate game for Jigglypuff, specifically due to a new release, but because this release was so recent I decided instead to stick with my original game for Jigglypuff being Fire Red. I will get to the other game down the line, but I feel as it’s still so new I’d rather give it some time before talking about it. I will mention an aspect why I considered that game later on in this post, and if you look at my list of games I’ve completed you’ll probably be able to work out what game it was I considered. As for why Fire Red, well as with Pikachu, it’s simply that I consider Fire Red and Leaf Green as the definitive Kanto experiences when it comes down to it, and when I can, I like to play either the game generation where a Pokémon debuted or in some cases where they gained a significant feature, such as a Mega Evolution.

My past with this Pokémon.

So, unlike with Pikachu, I don’t feel there’s an awful lot I can say about Jigglypuff, despite me having been with the series since Gen 1. When it comes to the games, Jigglypuff is somewhat interesting to me, it’s a fairly unique Pokémon that only shows up uncommonly in one location in Kanto. As such, compared to a lot of the other Pokémon you find on that Route Jigglypuff stands out a fair bit being sort of a similar novelty in my mind to Pikachu in Viridian Forest. Of course, the bigger role for Jigglypuff and most likely why it was chosen for Super Smash Bros was its appearance in the anime, with a specific Jigglypuff being a recurring extra who would sing to people putting everyone there asleep. Jigglypuff then would get angry that everyone slept through its song and draw on their faces. This role seemed to make Jigglypuff somewhat popular back in the early days of the series, however over time Jigglypuff stopped appearing in the anime (which is understandable as it would outlast its welcome, like some other running jokes could in the anime) and overall faded somewhat in prominence, with other Pokémon from the first Generation overtaking it’s popularity in recent years such as Charizard and Eevee.

It’s due to this people for some time, myself admittedly included tended to think if any character would likely get cut from the Super Smash Bros roster it would be Jigglypuff, but I’m glad they’ve not. Jigglypuff is an unconventional character, being just simply a regular Pokémon and not one who’s been promoted really heavily like Lucario for example, so I appreciate its presence all these years. As for past Gen 1, Jigglypuff has only really had two notable changes. The first was it gained a pre-evolution or ‘baby form’ in Igglybuff, which is one of those Pokémon I tend to forget exist sometimes. (This isn’t to say I dislike it, just that it, Cleffa and Happiny are Pokémon I’ve not really had on one of my teams before, and I’ve only in recent years started really using the breeding mechanics in the games.) The second big development for Jigglypuff is one which happened for a few older Pokémon in Gen 6, that being the introduction of a new Pokémon type, Fairy. With this new type introduced, some older Pokémon gained this as a secondary type, with Jigglypuff in this case becoming a Normal Fairy type. As a Pokémon, Jigglypuff’s evolutionary line tend to have fairly high HP. I’m not an expert really on how good certain Pokémon are comparatively to others etc, so all I can really say is in my experience I remember Wigglytuff being able to take a few blows similar to Chansey and Clefable. With that said however, I believe out of the three it’s the one which can take the least hits as its defence isn’t particularly good, it just has a lot of HP. With it gaining a fairy typing it got a few more advantages with access to better moves, its main strength being special rather than physical attacks overall.

My Smash Playthrough.

At the end of my playthrough of Fire Red my Jigglypuff was at level 57 with the ability cute charm and a calm nature, having been caught on Route 3 at level 5. The moves Jigglypuff has are Sing, Double-Edge, Pound and Rest. In order for Jigglypuff to use rollout in this game it has to be bred and inherit the move as an egg move, however breeding in Fire Red is only available in the post-game, therefore I decided for this playthrough to go for a move at least close to it. I decided on Double-Edge due to the risk rollout holds in Super Smash Bros since you can easily go off the stage with it if you’re not careful. I felt this matched Double Edge damaging the user. Honestly, when it came down to it, Jigglypuff was the weakest member of my team alongside Squirtle. I feel like Wigglytuff would likely have stood more of a chance, although only perhaps in the sense it could have survived maybe an attack and respond, but Jigglypuff, other than with regular Pokémon Trainers and wild Pokémon, would only really be useful taking a hit so I could heal up other team members. I believe earlier in the game it managed to pull off one or two victories, mostly only being able to get the final blow on an opponent my other Pokémon had weakened already, however Jigglypuff’s low speed meant this was still risky. There was one occasion where Jigglypuff stood out in my run, with a lot of luck against Agatha. Jigglypuff was able somehow to avoid hypnosis 4 times and put Gengar to sleep with sing, allowing me to recover my team and take them down. That run of the Elite 4 was unsuccessful, but it was probably Jigglypuff’s shining moment. Overall however there weren’t many memories I really had with Jigglypuff specifically in my playthrough and they ended up being one of the team members I had to spend the most time trying to keep up with the rest of the team in levels. I do have to give Jigglypuff credit on one front however, its sing move was very useful in catching Pokemon without having to switch to a weaker team, it could take the hits of weaker wild Pokemon and just keep going until they were put to sleep, not to mention its low attack stat often meaning it could use pound without knocking them down in one blow.

Specific aspects about the game relating to Jigglypuff in Smash.

So, as stated earlier, I mostly kept the same moves for Jigglypuff as in Super Smash Bros, with Pound, Rest and Sing, however Rollout was unavailable until the post-game for Fire Red. With this said, in later games I have put together teams of the Pokémon from Smash with all the moves they need, so I have a Jigglypuff with Pound, Rest, Sing and Rollout. I did have this Pokémon in Pokémon Ultra Moon which was originally where I was going to leave this, however, with the Isle of Armour update in Sword and Shield, I was able to get Jigglypuff in that game. The reason this is something I was particularly pleased for relates to the final aspect of Jigglypuff in Smash, that being its Final Smash. In Super Smash Bros, Jigglypuff will use Puff Up, a move where it inflates to a giant size, pushing all others off the stage before reverting back to its regular size. This move wasn’t based on anything specifically from the games, beyond Jigglypuff being described as the balloon Pokémon and having a great lung capacity. What’s funny is that in Sword and Shield, Dynamaxing was introduced, where Pokémon will grow to a giant size. Jigglypuff wasn’t available in the base game, but with the update adding it to the game however, it gained access to Dynamaxing, being very close to it’s Puff Up Final Smash. It was for this reason I considered playing Sword and Shield as the game for this Pokémon, however in the end I figured I will cover that game later (and there’s a lot to say on it) and for now I would stick with Fire Red for Jigglypuff. Finally, I caught Jigglypuff in a regular Pokeball, matching the regular Pokeball thrown onto the stage in its entrance animation in Smash.

Credits.

For information on this game including dates of releases I must give credit to Bulbapedia.

The screenshots in this post are taken by me using Pokemon Ultra Moon’s Photo Club feature and the screenshot feature on the Nintendo Switch.

[tygrmule]

The Thunder’s Roar - Volibear Top

This article considers Volibear in the Top lane.

In my quest for a new champion pool, I find that picking just one champion has been hard. I like different champions for different reasons. Tanks, Fighters, Assassins, Divers, Protectors, etc.

While going through my search, I recalled the days of playing 'olde Warwick' and how, when I decided to main him top lane for a bit after I had played  Rengar top, that playing old Warwick with simple to no mechanics made me learn more about the game. As such, it made me determined to find a simple champ that I could play to help me continue to learn about the game while playing in lower elos.

As I looked for that more mechanically simple champion, I came across Garen, Pantheon, Wukong, Shyvana and Volibear, amongst a number of others.

Enter Volibear, The Thunder’s Roar.

I admit, At first, I wasn't too familiar with Volibear. He would come on my radar from time to time when playing vs him in Bots games and getting surprised by his Bite (W) execute. It would often catch me off guard. Other than that, he didn't seem interesting enough to play.

That said, recently, I decided to try him out and see how he would fit into the game and how he would match my play style.

So join me as I have a closer look at Volibear.

Volibear is a mechanically simple champ. No skill shots involved. Just a point an click Q and W execute, some area effect with his E. Playing him leavs room to focus on decision making. He is a melee champion. In terms of delivering damage Volibear relies on his auto attacking primarily, with his abilities providing some secondary source of damage.

Let's look at his abilities. His passive allows him to heal up after having his health reduced down to a certain level. His Q is a movement buff and an empowered attack. The movement buff is furthered increased in movement speed if you are running at an enemy champ. If your Q autos an enemy, it flips the enemy behind Volibear. His W buffs his auto attack speeds. In addition, after 3 auto attacks it unlocks the ability to 'Bite' which is an empowered attack. This ability scales with Volibears bonus health and can execute a low health target as it's damage also scales with how low the intended target is. His E is a form of CC that has different effects depending on if it impacts enemy champions or minions. For enemy champions, it acts as a minor knock back and delivers some damage. If the enemy champion is diving towards Volibear (which I will refer to as diving in) they suffer more damage. For minions, his E acts as a fear which forces the minions to stop auto attacking and forces them away. His R is an empowered auto attack that has a chain effect causing magic damage to up to 8 enemy champions and minions.

His role? Based on my analysis, I feel that Volibear can serve as a classical peel tank. His E could be used to prevent dives and interrupt channels, his Q could be used to peel an attacker that dove in on a champion you want to protect. His passive allows Volibear to absorb more damage.

Volibear could be used as an initiator. He could run towards an enemy and flip he/she back. IF, his team can follow up and attack that enemy with sufficient enough damage, the enemy will likely be out of the fight. This type of play needs more thought and some coordination with your team. They need to be able to follow you and, the moment you flip an enemy behind you, to start damaging that champion so that he or she are killed or severly damaged and need to exit the fight. If Volibear is left with enough health or HP of his own, he should be able to rejoin your team and create a 5 vs 4 situation so that you can use that advantage in numbers to get an objection from the enemy team, like a tower or a dragon.

Items to build on him. In league of legends, you can build any item on a champion. Nothing prevents you from doing so other than needing Smite as one of your summoner spells in order to purchase jungle specific items. That said, for each champion, there will be some ideal ways to build the champion. Remember, you earn gold over time and by last hitting minions. So it's best to use that gold as efficiently as possible. Defensive items. When in lane, you will likely be taking some damage from your lane opponent and the others champs that try to gangk you in line (e.g. the Jungler, Mid laner, support). Based on how the lane is going, purchase defensive items that helps you absorb the damage much better. Some suggestions. Sunfire Cape, because he tends to stand in the middle of fights a lot, building this item gives Volibear an additional damage source to enemies standing near Volibear, and the health add more value to Volibear's W scaling and his passive. Additionally, in lane it will help Volibear push waves or clear waves more easily. If against AP damage, Spirit Visage. Not only does this item help with providing you more Magic Resistance, Health and some cooldown reduction, it helps you recover health more quickly when out of combat or when you passive health regen activates. Keep in mind, in League of Legends, it's always best to build per the situation. If you are facing a top laner that deals physical damage, build health and armour. If you are facing a top laner that deals magical damage, build health and magic resist. In the laning phase I find that playing defensively and focusing on safely farming cs is very important to my strategy with Volibear as the ideal state for Volibear in the mid to late game is for Volibear to be tanky enough to absorb damage, for him to be able to enter a team fight and fight with the enemy team, to zone out a threat, to disengage a diver, to be able to initiate a fight. Lastly, Volibear's passive and his W's Bite damage scale well with health. Use that knowledge to your advantage when choosing what to build on Volibear during the laning phase.

Even though Volibear has his Q that allows him to rush at an enemy, I find that he can be poked out or kited. Watch out for this in lane and when grouping for a team fight. This is where surviving the early game and building items to be able to better avoid and absorb the poke is better as Volibear needs to get within melee range to do damage so he needs to be able to take punishment while playing his role.

Tips Laning phase, I find it's best to play safe. Stay in lane to absorb experience (xp), try to get as many last hits on the minions (cs) while being safe and paying appropriate respect to your lane opponent. Don't die. It's better to miss some cs and just absorb the experience than to try to get all the cs, get damaged while doing so as you put yourself in a bad position when trying to get that cs, and to be stuck under tower or to be dove or gangk and then to lose the laning phase of the game. For Volibear, you want to develop the skill to survive the lane as well as you can, and to use that skill of staying decent in lane to maintain the same levels as your lane opponent, to use the cs gained to buy defensive items to help you stay competitive in lane and to be able to impact the mid to late game where you can join your team to fight and to secure objectives and push side lanes.

Mid to late game, remember to use your tankiness to your teams advantage. If I and or my team had a poor laning phase, it may mean I am weaker than the poke I will receive from the enemy team. Therefore I take on a peel role, trying to avoid being poked, trying to keep my health regen passive up, trying to prevent dives with my E, using my W and R for straight on brawls, for using your Q to peel any person diving your team's carries or to grab their damage dealer and toss them into the team. If I had a decent laning phase and my team can do some decent damage to a target, I could look to initiate more often, trying to position myself so that I can zone the enemy away with the threat of me charging at them, with me (hopefully) being able to safely absorb damage so that my team can force objectives.

Playing Volibear has been fun. I'm not sure if he fits my style of play, but I've had fun playing him in top lane and truly understanding my role, how to lane, when to team up, when keep a side lane pushed, how to exert some pressure on the map, how to roam, etc. For that reason alone I am adding him to my champion pool while playing in lower elos.

If you are new to league, if you are looking for simple champion to main in the top lane for the new season, I recommend that you give Volibear a try.

Here are a few videos that talk about or demonstrate Volibear that I felt were decent references.

Jay Sea - VERY STRONG & EASY TO PLAY | Volibear Top | Depths of Bronze to Diamond Episode #77 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_4k4ywi074

Dong Huap - Why Volibear is Finally good after 3 years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1q081Gz4Y4

domisumReplay - VOLIBEAR vs JAX (TOP) | 3 early solo kills, KDA 6/0/0, Dominating | Korea Challenger | v8.24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq1l18CqQJ4

[star-trekkin-across-theuniverse]

Fallen Valkyrie, pt10

Word Count: 1861 Tags: @outside-the-government @distinguishedqueenofbooks, @anyakinamidala @dirajunara @anotherotter @youdonebeengarthed @auduna-druitt @samaxraph99 @rayleyanns @sistasarah-sallysaidso @feelmyroarrrr @kitchenwitchsuperwhovian @little-study-bug @graysonmalfoy @rampant-salamander

The war field was mired in muck. The skies had opened early in the battle, showering cold, icy rain down on the combatants. Lightning cracked across the skies, followed by peal after peal of thunder. Eira could hear the fervent prayers of both sides of the battle praying to Thor to deliver them, to stop the raining sleet. For whatever reason, Thor was raging.

She huddled with her shieldsisters for warmth, awaiting the battle’s end. They had heard the call early in the conflict, and ridden out in anticipation. But the battle was dragging. The weather was not the least of the reasons it continued, there were other factors at play. The men seemed determined to annihilate one another, and every time one side gained the upper hand, something would set them back and the other side would regain the advantage.

From Eira’s vantage point, on a hill above the fighting, she could see lightning strikes, and could hear Thor’s battle cry, calling the thunder. The earth shook when he struck it with Mjolnir, throwing men off their feet and momentarily ceasing the fighting. All eyes looked to Thor, who appeared every inch the god the mortal men thought he was. He was soaked to the skin, covered in mud and carnage. His armour flashed with the lightning that still crackled above his head. He held Mjolnir aloft to keep the attention of the men surrounding him.

“Enough!” His yell reverberated across the field. “There has been abundant slaughter this day, and for what?” He pointed Mjolnir toward the banner of one of the chieftains leading the assault.

“This man had his wife stolen by his kinsman! He seeks vengeance for the loss of his pride more than the loss of his woman. And that vengeance has led you all here, to die for his cause. I will tolerate it no longer. Bring forth his wife, that this might be over. The Valkyries have work to do!” Thor laid Mjolnir on the ground to emphasize that he had called a truce.

Eira looked to the opposite side of the war field, and saw the woman in question being led out of a tent against her will. She was fighting, and reaching, screaming to not have to return to her husband. Eira took a step forward, but Brynhildr grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Do not get involved, Eira. You do not know the story,” Bryn warned her. Eira stepped back into the huddled warmth of the other Valkyries, but her heart ached. The poor woman clearly did not want to return to her husband. It was no wonder that the other chieftain was willing to fight a war for her. Hogun stepped over to Thor and whispered something in his ear. Thor looked to where Eira’s gaze was fixed, and watched as the woman flailed ineffectively against the soldiers carrying her toward her husband. He stepped forward and stopped the men. A hand on the woman’s arm stilled her, and Eira watched as he spoke to her, not hearing. Her spirit lifted, thinking that surely Thor would not cause her to go somewhere she didn’t want to be. Thor removed his winged helmet and wiped his hand across his brow as the woman gestured toward the side she had come from. Her every movement was pleading. She fell to her knees and clung to Thor’s boots. He gently assisted her back to standing and shook his head. Eira strained forward, desperate to hear what was happening.

The woman screamed again and grabbed a dagger from the belt of one of the men who had been carrying her. Before Thor or anyone else could react, she slit her throat, dropping in front of him in a gout of blood. The spray of her blood covered his face, dripping through his beard. Without any emotion that Eira could see, he pulled the tail of his red cloak up and wiped his face before replacing his helm on his head and turning away from the woman’s dead body. Eira pulled away from Brynhildr, desperate to save the woman.

“Eira, no!” Hrist grabbed her around the waist and spun Eira to face her.

“She is dying! I can heal her!” Eira cried. Hrist held her tight as she fought, punching and kicking wildly at her friend, trying to get away.

“Eira, no! Eira!” Kara slapped her, and Eira stopped fighting, stunned momentarily.

“You cannot save that woman. She is gone,” Brynhildr spoke, her voice like steel. Eira’s face was wet with hot angry tears and she shook her head.

“No. I can save her!”

“To what end, Eira? That she might go back to a husband she so plainly doesn’t love? So she can run away again, and cause another war? Eira, let Hel have her. As awful as it may be, she will be free from a man she wanted so little to be with that death was preferable. Show her mercy.” Brynhildr held Eira’s face in both hands, and stared deep into Eira’s eyes. Eira blinked away the tears, realizing her friend was right. She hung her head in resignation. Hrist’s restraining arms loosened and became a comforting embrace.

“This life weighs on you too hard, with your healing gift. But we are the only truly immortal, Eira. Death comes to everyone else, eventually. She was brave, and chose her own time.” Hrist’s words were soft in her ear.

The horns sounded the retreat of the armies, and the women waited for their turn to glean the field. The skies began to clear, and the sleet that was falling slowed, and the ceased, signaling Thor, and his companions, had departed.

Eira woke with a start, sweaty and uncomfortable. She looked around her room, but saw no reason for her to have wakened so abruptly. She blinked to clear her mind, and scenes from the battlefield came flooding back to her, the fighting, the sleet, the woman killing herself. She knew sleep would be a stranger to her for the rest of the night. She slipped from her sleeping quarters across to her mother’s workshop and was surprised to see Halla sitting at a bench by the light of a candle.

“Mother, what keeps you awake?” She lowered herself onto a stool and poured some ale into a cup.

“I would ask you the same, daughter,” Halla yawned. “I find my back is aching more. What is your tale?”

“I am haunted by the war field,” Eira admitted. Halla placed a hand on Eira’s, rubbing her thumb across the back of her hand. It was comforting.

“Jarni used to slip in here for the same reason after battles. He would drink all my good ale, and I would find him sleeping under the table in the morning,” Halla laughed.

“Thor was there today. The battle was so drawn out, and he put a stop to it.”

“He will be a good king someday,” Halla spoke.

“The reason these Midgardian fools were fighting was over a woman. She had been taken from one man by another. Thor demanded she be returned,” Eira explained.

“That is sound judgment, Eira. What haunts you about this?” Halla’s brows knit together in concern.

“She did not want to return to her husband. She fought two soldiers, kicking, and screaming. She was terrified to return to her husband; you could see it on her face, even from across the field. Thor stopped her, spoke to her. I thought he would hear her reason, allow her to return to the man she preferred. He must have condemned her to return to her husband, as she stole a dagger and slit her throat to spite his commands.” Eira shuddered, remembering the image of the blood spraying into Thor’s face, and the callous way he wiped it away and turned his back.

“Eira, you know not the whole story. The prince has always been kind and generous to me, to your brother. And now to you, he pays fond attention. He is not a cruel, indifferent man,” Halla reassured her. “Go now, and seek rest. She is at rest, away from the man she feared. Is that not what is best?”

“I cared not for the way he chose her path for her,” Eira murmured as she stood. She passed her mother, and dropped a kiss on her cheek before returning to bed.

“I have brought you a plant from Vanaheim, Eira.” Loki placed a small round leaf into the fountain. “It is some sort of lake weed. The Vanir say it cures blindness.”

Eira looked up from the leaves she was grinding in her mortar, and placed it and the pestle on the lip of the fountain beside her. She lifted the plant and saw the waterborne roots. The leaf was shiny, almost waxy with protection from becoming waterlogged.

“Blindness? What is it called?” She gently released it back into the fountain, careful to keep it from the spray.

“Hothr’s Redemption.”

“Thank you, Loki,” Eira smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Loki’s own eyes narrowed in perception.

“Something troubles you.”

“It is just something from the last battle on Midgard we attended,” Eira shrugged. “I have been reassured that I fret for no reason.”

Loki sat down on the ground at her feet, and looked up at her.

“The woman,” He stated. Eira nodded and went back to grinding the leaves in the mortar.

“Her death haunts me.”

“She is safe, Eira. Free from the abuse she suffered at her husband’s hand. He would have killed her himself, eventually.” Loki’s deep timbre was unmoved.

“Then why would Thor have sent her back?” Eira questioned.

“Because she belonged to him. And so that was where she should dwell,” Loki shrugged.

“Did she not have a choice?” Eira was stunned.

“She did. She chose to end her life.” Loki looked as puzzled by Eira’s questions as she was by his answers.

“Should she not have had the choice to live, away from her husband?” Eira could hear her voice rising in agitation.

“That is not the way of men and women in Midgard. They rarely marry for love, Eira. She was probably promised to him to seal a political agreement, or to improve the standing on her family. Or to improve his standing, depending on who her father was.” Loki was indifferent in his lesson.

“Another reason to see my calling as a blessing. I will never be used as a political pawn,” Eira spat. Loki smiled.

“You are courting the crown prince of Asgard, Eira. You are already a political pawn,” he smirked and Eira felt the urge to smack it from his face.

“Did you only come to bring me the plant, Loki? I have much to do today.” She raised an eyebrow, attempting to dismiss him.

“I hope that magic lessons are in your plans. I’ve ensured we have the afternoon free of my brother’s interruptions.”

“Then let’s talk of magic instead of political intrigues.” Eira’s smile was filled with relief and she noted that the returned smile from Loki was without the disdain he so frequently displayed.

[giftofshewbread]

The Weapons of Spiritual Warfare

 By Nathele Graham   Published on:November 5, 2017

How do angels fight? Have you ever wondered about that? They’re created beings and are immortal so arrows won’t affect them. Some angels rebelled against their Creator and this rebellion is the root cause of the evil in the world today. God doesn’t turn a blind eye to rebellious angels or to rebellious people. Though angels exist in a different dimension than the one we occupy they can cross into ours. Daniel saw an angel who told him that he had just done battle with the prince of Persia and would do battle with the prince of Greece.

These princes are what Paul in the New Testament calls “principalities” and are an evil power that influences nations. When we read of the horrors that happen at the hands of Kim Jong-un you can be sure that he is under the influence of the evil power of the prince of North Korea. Still I wonder, how do angels fight. When Daniel describes the angelic being he saw, no weapon was mentioned. The weapons used must be of a different sort than we’re familiar with. They must be spiritual in nature. The same is true for Christians. Our real battle is spiritual and must be fought with spiritual weapons. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12. Guns, tanks, and fighter jets won’t help in this battle.

The influence of the demonic dimension can be felt and demons are sometimes seen in the physical realm in which we live. We must do everything we can to fight against this evil force and that means to arm yourself spiritually. Spiritual warfare needs spiritual weapons. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13. Just as we need weapons to protect and defend ourselves in the physical world, we need weapons to defend and protect ourselves in spiritual warfare. God hasn’t left us defenseless but you must learn to use the weapons available for this fight. An army that isn’t familiar with the weapons of war cannot win. Christian soldiers need to become familiar the each piece of the armor and learn how to use it properly.

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;” Ephesians 6:14. The first instruction is to stand. In a battle a soldier must be alert but if he kicks back and gets lazy the enemy has the advantage. So, Christian, stand and stay alert. Be sure your loins are girt with truth. A girt, or belt, will hold the weapons in place so be sure your weapons cling to truth. Don’t be confused by propaganda spewed by the enemy. The only truth that’s real is God’s truth and if you dilute that you have no truth. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” John 14:6.

If you put man’s ideas above God’s truth then you’ve compromised your battle gear. Without truth what can you believe? Do you believe one plus one is two? Can someone convince you it’s three? You need to be as certain of God’s truth as you are of basic math. Next you need to guard your heart by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. Not your own righteousness, which is nothing more than filthy rags, but Christ’s righteousness. How do we learn to use this breastplate of righteousness? As with every item listed in this armor of God, truth and righteousness are found in God’s word. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3:16. Study God’s word and mold your life to fit His truth. Don’t pick and choose the parts of Scripture you agree with, but correct your ideas to agree with God’s truth.

What good is a soldier without proper shoes? When out on the battlefield you must be prepared to march so make sure you’re prepared. “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” Ephesians 6:15. The Gospel of peace. Jesus paid a huge price for that Gospel and we need to share it. Isaiah prophesied of this Gospel “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” Isaiah 52:7.

You won’t be able to share the Gospel of peace if you aren’t prepared. Study. That’s how you prepare. People all over the world have questions about Jesus, but if you aren’t certain of what you believe then how can you answer questions from other people?  “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”  1 Peter 3:15. Whether you preach the Gospel of peace in Zion or in your own neighborhood, be prepared. A soldier’s shoes need to be cared for and comfortable. If you aren’t comfortable with the Gospel of Peace then get comfortable with it by studying. Then spread the Good News.

Is your faith in place? “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Ephesians 6:16. Having faith in something means that you know it to be true and trust it. The fiery darts of the wicked are thoughts of doubt that Satan plants in our minds to break our faith. If a loved one is ill and you pray for healing but God’s answer is to take that person Home, do you doubt God’s existence or question His love? You might go to school and are being taught the lie of evolution and you begin to doubt the truth found in God’s word. Satan has just hit you with a fiery dart. Solid faith will shield you from those darts of doubt. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews11:1. The shield of faith will protect you from doubt and protect you in times of testing.

Salvation is a free gift but it cost Jesus a huge price. He left Heaven to die on the cross to save sinners from eternal death. When we accept Christ’s shed blood as the sacrifice for salvation we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and salvation cannot be lost. Our salvation should never be taken for granted nor should it be doubted. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17.

A helmet covers the head. That’s where the brain is located and where thoughts originate. If you listen to the fiery darts from the wicked one you may begin to doubt your salvation and weaken your position in the battle. Keep that helmet of salvation securely in place and keep your thoughts on Jesus. Take your thoughts captive and gain victory over temptation and don’t yield to sin. When you’re tempted to sin, remember the price Jesus paid for your salvation and choose to follow Him rather than the way of the wicked. Every piece of this armor is for protection and defense.

Only one piece is for active use against the enemy and that’s the sword of the Spirit. Every word of the Bible in the original language is inspired by the Holy Spirit. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.

Don’t stray from the truth of Scripture. If you begin to re-interpret God’s word or “modernize” it to fit current sinful attitudes then you’ll have a dull sword that’s unfit for battle. The word of God is God’s truth. Study God’s word and let the Holy Spirit guide all your thoughts, words, and actions. Keep that sword in your hand and be ready to fight.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds:that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:18-20. In battle it’s important to communicate with the leader. A Christian’s Commander in Chief is Jesus Christ. Prayer keeps us in touch with Him and helps us to follow Him more obediently. Paul also asked prayer for himself. He didn’t ask that his battle scars be healed or that he could live more comfortably, but asked them to pray that he be more bold in his witness for Christ. “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” Colossians 4:3-4. If you have your armor in place and in good working condition then you can march boldly through doors which Christ has opened, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. Pray for open doors and boldness.

Think about the young David who found King Saul and his army hiding in the rocks and hills rather than fighting the giant Goliath. Saul’s army had the weapons of war but were afraid to use them. These men who should have been ready to fight were afraid and their weapons were useless. Goliath hurled curses against God Almighty and David couldn’t put up with that. He refused the carnal armor offered to him, but went to face Goliath armed with a slingshot and the armor of God.

David won that battle. We can win our battles too if we put on the armor of God. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6.

Many people say that Paul was being guarded by Roman soldiers when he described the armor of  God. This may be true, but are we supposed to conform our life to a pagan guard? Jesus is our example. The prophet Isaiah described the coming Messiah. “For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloke.” Isaiah 59:17.

Follow Jesus and conform to His ways. No compromise and no wavering but be determined to follow our Leader. Christian soldiers, be armed for battle. Remember that soldiers are stronger when they troop together and the same is true for Christians. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25. We need each other and joining with fellow Christians will help fight this spiritual battle. Fellowship needs to be more than a Sunday morning gathering.

The armor needs to be kept in good working order…the sword won’t sharpen itself. We’re told to put the armor on, but nowhere are we told to take it off. Keep your spiritual weapons ready for fighting spiritual warfare.

God bless you all !

[lykegenia]

The Things We Hide Ch. 24

Chapter 1 on AO3 This chapter on AO3 Masterpost here

The arrival of the Kyoshi Warriors at the Northern Air Temple caused a stir long before they crested the path mounted on a flock of dusty, footsore ostrich-horses. Fresh from victory in the southern Earth Kingdom, they brought a sense of hope with them that the rebellion was finally gaining ground against Ozai, but it mingled with the same weariness that was starting to infect the rest of the troops, because only three of them made up the party - the rest were still mired in the countryside, fighting, and could not be spared. That even three came told the guards watching them ride into the courtyard that something was going on, some new plan that might see the end of the war. Just as well. There were rumours that the Water Tribe was readying itself to pull its forces, to better consolidate their defences and prepare for the Fire Nation’s inevitable spring offensive. 

 Sokka waited in front of the main doors to greet the three warriors as they arrived, arrayed in the ceremonial armour that marked his rank as the General of the Third Fleet, and betraying the air of solemnity he was trying for by bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet. 

“Suki!” he cried when the Kyoshi leader dismounted and he could no longer contain himself. He rushed forward and gathered her into a hug. She returned it, squeezing so hard his lungs constricted, even under all the layers of padding. 

“Hello you,” she murmured into his shoulder. “It’s good to see you.” 

“Likewise.” He cleared his throat and pulled out of the embrace, squashing down all the feelings trying to spill from his mouth. ”Commander, on behalf of Grand Master Iroh, welcome to the Northern Air Temple. Once you’ve rested, he would like to see you as soon as possible.” 

Suki nodded. “Of course, General.” 

“This way.” 

He glanced at her sidelong as he led the way through the now-familiar corridors of the temple, with her two fellow warriors following at a polite distance. She limped, and favoured her left side, and beneath the perfect lines of her warpaint a slight pinch at the corner of her mouth betrayed her otherwise calm expression. He would have to ask Katara to check in on her later for some healing. 

“How are things?” he ventured when the silence stretched too far for his liking. 

“Terrible.” She grimaced. “The Fire Nation commander started using prisoners as battle fodder. She has their families working in factories under guard, with the threat that they’ll be killed if their loved ones don’t fight. The royal forces are almost as bad. The requisition gangs sent into the countryside are little more than bandits – they take everything from the peasants, and we spend half our time trying to stop them. If something isn’t done soon there won’t be anything left to fight over.” 

“I’m sure there’s a plan,” Sokka reassured. “The grand master knows none of us can hold out much longer.” 

“How are your people?” Suki asked. 

“They know how to survive on the ice, even without waterbenders, but many won’t make it, and when the spring comes they’ll have no defence against the Fire Navy. This is you,” he added, as they stopped outside an ornately painted archway. “You’ve got bedrooms and a living��area, and you’re free to go anywhere in the compound. If you get lost there’s always someone to ask for directions.” 

Suki nodded to her warriors to send them ahead, but hung back, rubbing at a knot in her shoulder. “I should go straight to the grand master, get everything straightened out.” 

“No you don’t,” Sokka replied. He stretched his hand out for her arm. “We’ve waited this long for a plan, we can wait another hour for you to catch your breath.” 

For an instant, Suki looked like she would argue, but then her shoulders slumped and she huffed a sigh that ended in a tired chuckle. ”And when did you become so serious, General?” she asked. 

Startled by the sudden teasing lilt in her voice, Sokka rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “Well, uh...” 

“And come to think of it, when is it the duty of a general to escort visitors to their rooms?” 

“Maybe I just wanted an excuse to talk to you,” he replied, smirking. “And I wanted to ask you... uh, do you want to do something later? I have something to talk to you about.” 

“Alright, mystery man,” came the reply. Stifling a giggle, she leaned up on tiptoe and pressed a brief kiss against his lips, then smiled wider at the impression of red paint left behind. “I’ll see you after the debrief. 

With a final wave, she retreated into the apartment, leaving Sokka standing in the corridor, face split in a broad, slightly dazed smile. He fumbled in a fold of his tunic and pulled out a small disc attached by tiny threads to a band of woven leather dyed black with maple acorns. The colour might not be traditional, but the images on the betrothal necklace, carved around the tooth of a vanquished unagi, illustrated stories as old as the ice – he had whittled what felt like half a forest trying to get them right – and when he presented it to Suki later he hoped she’d stick around long enough to let him tell her what they meant. He had duties to see to before then, things to distract him from over-worrying about the details of his plan, so he wound the leather cord around the tooth and tucked it away again, already turning his mind to the next problem of his day. 

Zuko stepped out into his path. 

“Gah!” 

The fire prince’s scowl, impressive as it already was, deepened. In the past few days, the healers taking care of his face had declared the wound healed enough to take off the bandage, and the exposed scar, wrinkled and puckered with livid pink flesh, gave him a foreboding, uneven appearance. He had been allowed free rein around the temple by the grand master – some complicated family relation Katara had only half managed to explain – but other than Aang and Haru, nobody had made any particular effort to be friendly. He hadn’t tried very hard to be friendly back, either. 

“Do you mind not sneaking up on people?” Sokka demanded now, as the prince’s arms folded across his chest. “Spirits, I know you’re Fire Nation, but there’s no way you’re being this creepy by accident.” 

Zuko’s lips thinned. “I didn’t know the Southern Water Tribe was polygamous.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Maybe it’s just you, then,” the prince pressed. “How many women are you stringing along?” 

“Keep your voice down,” Sokka snapped, with an uneasy glance towards the Kyoshi warriors’ quarters. “And I’ll repeat – what are you talking about? I’m not stringing Suki along.” 

“I’m not talking about her.” 

“Now I’m completely lost.” 

“Katara,” the prince ground out. “She cares about you.” 

Still confused, Sokka shook his head. “Well of course she does,” he tried. “I mean, I know I used to put seaweed in her hair but I’m sure she’s forgiven me for...” 

The pieces clicked. He burst out laughing. 

“I wouldn’t say this was funny,”��Zuko growled, drawing himself up. “It’s dishonourable to toy with her feelings –” 

“I’m not –” Sokka wheezed. “I’m definitely not – ew.” He held up a placating hand, doubling over to catch his breath. “Dude, katara is my sister.” 

“Sister?” the prince repeated weakly. 

“I don’t know what it’s like where you’re from, with all those fancy nobles, but in the Water Tribe sibling relationships are not like that.” 

Zuko seemed to be barely listening. His gaze, so sharp before, softened as he turned his mind to this new puzzle. “She’s your sister...” 

The change in tone was not lost on Sokka. “Why do you care, anyway?” he asked, stepping closer. “From what I’ve seen you two pretty much hate each other.” 

“I don’t care,” came the snapped reply. “And if she’s your sister it’s a moot point anyway.” 

But Sokka noticed the uncomfortable shift of the prince’s shoulders, and the way his arms folded across his chest. He narrowed his eyes. “You know,” he ventured, “She’s never told me what happened while you were holding her hostage.” 

Zuko looked up sharply, as if to contradict the phrasing, but there was too much truth in it to be denied. 

“Sometimes she gets this look in her eye, like she misses it, but she never says anything.” 

“She was only there as a spy.” 

“Riiiiiight.” Sokka shrugged, and in a flash of compassion, pointed at the scar. “You know she can heal that, right? You should let her.” 

Zuko only glared at him as he turned and headed to find his lieutenant. 

“Master Katara, do you know who disfigured my nephew?” 

Iroh peered at the young waterbender over the rim of his teacup, his brown eyes sharp and clear despite the rheumy edge around his irises. It was not the first time the pair had spoken in confidence; they shared an appreciation of the arts, which was a rarity in such a remote part of the world, and though Katara might not admit it to anyone else, spending an hour or so with someone who did not hold the Fire Nation in complete contempt was an outlet she sorely needed. This, however, was the first time they had spoken since Zuko’s arrival.

“I can imagine who did it,” she growled. “But even I didn’t think he was capable of something that cruel.”

“Are you truly surprised?” Iroh asked. “After everything my brother has done, or has ordered done, what is one more victim?”

“But he’s his son!” She tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear and stared down into her cup. “I can understand him punishing Zuko for being the Blue Spirit, and spirits, even exiling him makes sense in a way, but that burn was deliberate, to the bone. I know he’s your brother but Ozai is a monster.”

Iroh hummed. “And this might be his final mistake.”

When Katara looked up, scowling at the idea that Zuko’s scar might be nothing more than a tactical advantage, he held up his hands to forestall the accusation. With a grunt, he rose from his seat and paced to the window, and looked out over the barren collection of pale spires and halls that had once housed an entire people. His joints creaked as he sighed.

“You must understand, the Fire Lord is a man who mistakes fear for respect. Where respect flourishes like a tree given care and allowed to grow, fear is like water boiling in a lidded pot that will eventually either spill over or be entirely consumed. People cannot live on fear, they get used to it, and so tyrants like my brother must escalate their actions again and again to maintain what they see as control.”

“But that only works so far,” she finished for him. “There’s a point where people won’t take anymore, and they’ll fight back.”

The old man nodded. “An equilibrium, where the consequences of not fighting are worse than the fear of punishment. By burning Zuko’s face, the Fire lord proved he is incapable of any mercy, and that will make them restless for a new voice.”

“You want Zuko to be that voice,” she guessed. “He won’t do it. He’s too hung up on regaining his honour – he thinks Ozai is right.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Iroh replied gently. “He has suffered greatly, and been thrown from everything he has ever known.”

Katara bit her lip, stifling the desire to argue; the old resentment was still there, the disgust drawn from the comparison between her own people, who had suffered so much, and the Fire Nation nobility laughing in a perfumed garden while they sent their soldiers to die for almost no reason at all. It no longer lanced so deeply, however. Her mind drifted back to those times Zuko had been kind, had shielded her from his sister, and had spared the war veteran punishment because she asked it of him. She had kissed him first during that thunderstorm because he had worried about her, and on that last terrible night he had unmasked himself because he refused to hide his true motives from her.

That part still left her confused, angry, wondering how differently the past few months might have gone if they had trusted just a little more and revealed themselves – would he have turned her over, or could they have found a way to work together and make things better for both their peoples? Not that it mattered now; Zuko hated her.

“If you’re hoping to turn him into some kind of rallying point to stand against his father, I don’t think he’ll be very cooperative,” she huffed. “You’ll have to come up with another plan.”

“No. You know as well as anyone, I think, that the best hope for lasting peace is to break the cycle of violence.” Shaking his head, he returned from the window. “If the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe conquers the Fire Nation, then it will just be another invading army, another imbalance of power to be exploited. Even if I go, the world will see it as nothing more than a jealous struggle for the throne. Zuko, fighting alongside the avatar, is the only one who can overthrow Ozai without appearing self-interested.”

“Only if you can make him agree to do it.”

Iroh didn’t reply. He merely looked at her over the rim of his teacup, his gaze patient as an owl-fox, and her stomach sank into the floor as she realised just what he intended to do.

[thomasroach]

Divinity Original Sin 2 Builds: Occult Flamewielder (Mage)

The post Divinity Original Sin 2 Builds: Occult Flamewielder (Mage) appeared first on Fextralife.

Last updated on January 6th, 2019

Divinity Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition has been out for several months now, and with it came some interesting changes to the game. While most Builds remain largely the same, there are some differences that impact the way you play. Because of this players have been asking me to not only update these Builds, but also create new ones. In this guide I will be introducing the Occult Flameweilder, which is long overdue, and explaining just how it works.

Un-gearded stats on my Occult Flamewielder (level 10). From this point on I’ll take Warfare and Pyrokinetic up to 10 each alternating, only stopping to place 1 more point into Necromancer for Silencing Stare.

Occult Flamewielder – Mage Build

The Occult Flamewielder is a Mage Build that utilizes both the Pyrokinetic and Necromancer Skill Lines to deal two types of damage: Physical and Fire. Most Mage Builds will be able to max out at least 2 schools of magic, and because they share a common Attribute (Intelligence), they lose very little effectiveness. And, what they miss out on in Critical Damage, they make up for in flexibility of damage types. This is true for all Mage Builds, no matter which schools of magic they choose, but there is are solid connections between these two in the forms of Corpse Explosion and Mass Corpse Explosion.

Torturer is what makes this Build work. Because you can debuff enemies to your attacks for 1 AP with Ignition, you can deal substantial damage for many turns.

I have made other such “hybrid” Builds with the Terramancer and Crystalline Cleric, but neither of those Builds relied on the Torturer Talent to be good. This is simply because Torturer was changed with the Definitive Edition, and before this change Earth/Necro and Water/Necro were more effective than Fire/Necro. With the Occult Flamewielder we take full advantage of this Talent to set enemies Burning, reducing their Fire Resistance through their Armour, increasing the overall performance of our Pyrokinetic Skills.

The best way to start this Build is by picking the Wizard Class, and changing Geomancer to Necromancer. Then select the Ignition, Searing Daggers and Mosquito Swarm skills. This will give you access to an early game Wand, but you will need to keep an eye out for a Shield. As far as Races go, Elf (or Undead Elf) is always great when you play a Necromancer because of Flesh Sacrifice, but you can play this Build with a Human as well, for the increased Critical Chance and Critical Damage.

The way I begin an Occult Flamewielder.

Occult Flamewielder Attributes and Equipment

As far as Attributes go, you’ll want to pump Intelligence to max as quickly as you can, only putting points into Memory to gain Skills you need, and Constitution to use a Shield if you decide to use one. Once Intelligence is maxed out, you’ll focus on Wits to increase your Critical Chance.

Weapon-wise, you can go three completely different directions if you wish. You can use a Staff, Wand and Shield or Dual Wands. All will work, but they come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Of the three, I suggest using a Wand and Shield for added Armour, and to be able to use the Bouncing Shield skill. Bouncing Shield helps with your Physical Damage output, and that helps to keep the Occult Flamewielder’s damage more balanced between Physical and Fire. Your Wand would ideally be Fire Damage, and would have Critical Chance, Intelligence and a Rune Slot if possible.

Bull Rush scales with Intelligence when using a Wand or Staff, and does the damage type of those. This makes it perfectly viable for a Mage Build, and provides some mobility.

Armour-wise you will be using Intelligence-based Armour, as that is where the majority of your Attribute points will lie. This will give you high Magic Armour, which is great because Pyrokinetic Builds tend to send Fire everywhere, and that will usually hit you now and then. Prioritize Intelligence, Pyrokinetic and Warfare, but Critical Chance and Wits are also good.

Occult Flamewielder Abilities and Talents

Occult Flamewielders will begin the game with 1 point into Necromancer and 1 into Pyrokinetic. They will then place 1 point into Warfare to obtain Bouncing Shield, followed by a point into Polymorph to get Bull Horns and Bleed Fire. Then it’s 1 more point into Pyrokinetic to gain Fireball and Spontaneous Combustion. Now place 1 point into Necromancer to gain Infect. From here on out you will alternate between Warfare and Pyrokinetic until they are maxed out.

As far as Talents go I’d recommend the following:

Torturer – This Talent should be taken first by all Pyrokinetic Builds because it allows you to Set Burning from your very first attack, allowing subsequent attacks to deal increased damage. Take this one during Character Creation.

Elemental Affinity – This Talent allows you to cast many Necromancer Skills if you use Flesh Sacrifice or Raining Blood, and many Pyrokinetic Skills if you are standing in fire (which happens). Take this one second.

Savage Sortilege – This Talent will allow your Pyromancer and Necromancer Skills to critically strike, in addition to Bouncing Shield. Consider taking this one when your Critical Chance hits about 20% around the beginning of Act 2.

Executioner – Because you deal two different damage types you will be poised to “finish off” enemies no matter what Armour type they have the most of. This makes Executioner a great choice for this Build and should be considered later on in the game.

Far Out Man – This Talent works well for this Build because it increases the range of Infect, Mosquito Swarm, Bouncing Shield, Bleed Fire, Fireball, Corpse Explosion, Laser Ray, Spontaneous Combustion and Bull Rush. If you find yourself not gaining the Executioner bonus AP often, then use this Talent instead.

Occult Flamewielder Skills

Occult Flamewielders will use a mix of Pyrokinetic, Necromancer, Polymorph and Warfare Skills. While this may sound like a broad investment of stat points at first glance, many of these Skills have overlapping requirements. This actually makes them fit together rather well, which you can see from the list below.

Character Creation

Ignition – This skill will set Burning on enemies in a large AoE, with the Torturer Talent. It also avoids friendlies and deals modest Fire Damage, so it’s a good utility skill for 1 AP. You’ll use this first to debuff enemies you wish to purse with Pyro Skills.

Searing Daggers – A decent skill that allows you to Set Burning on many enemies, if not struck already with Ignition, or focus fire 1 down. This skill is also good for giving yourself Elemental Affinity.

Mosquito Swarm – Deals decent damage and Sets Bleeding through Armour with the Torturer Talent. It has very good range (13 meters) and heals you for a decent amount of Vitality, which is nice.

Character Levels 1-3

Corpse Explosion – A great Crafted Skill that deals insane Physical Damage for 1 AP, and one that very few Builds are poised to take full advantage of. Can hit multiple enemies, just be sure not to hit your party members!

Bleed Fire – This Crafted Skill is a great way to further reduce the Fire Resistance enemies have, allowing you to deal even more damage with your Pyro Skills. In addition, it places Fire beneath enemies, prompting them to waste AP moving.

Bouncing Shield – This skill works really well with this Build because it doesn’t scale off of Strength, only Warfare, which you will have a lot of. You can also increase the damage by upgrading your Shield, which you will be doing periodically.

Bull Rush – This Skill may seem like an odd fit here, and you would not be wrong. However, with the Torturer Talent you can Set Bleeding through Armour, and it scales with Intelligence and deals Fire Damage if you have a Fire Wand equipped. This allows you to deal more Fire Damage, Set Bleeding and gives you some mobility if you need to move out of a bad situation.

Character Levels 4-8

Fireball – A great AoE that deals decent damage and can help control the battlefield. This will be your main source of burst Fire Damage until you gain Laser Ray later in the game, so make the best use of it you can.

Spontaneous Combustion – A great ranged skill that not only deals decent damage, but also consumes the Burning and Necrofire Status Effects of an enemy into instant Fire Damage. Since you can Set Burning again easily with the Torturer Talent, use often to deal burst single-target damage.

Infect – Deals substantial single-target Physical Damage at long range, but has a hefty cost of 3 AP. Use this one only when you have Elemental Affinity, or would gain the Executioner bonus for doing so to maximize AP efficiency.

Character Levels 9 and Up

Laser Ray – A great damage dealing skill that can hit multiple targets in a straight line. You will use this skill and Fireball for the majority of your Fire Damage with this Build. Bull Rush can be used to position yourself for maximum effect.

Mass Corpse Explosion – This skill is hard to use effectively but when you can it deals devastating damage for 1 AP and 1 SP. Try to use when corpses are grouped on your target. Can one shot enemies if done right.

Bone Cage – A great skill for buffing up your Armour and the more dead bodies around the better. Try to save this one for mid fight after at least 1 or 2 enemies have gone down for maximum effect.

Silencing Stare – This skill is a great way to strip Magic Armour of enemies that are highly Fire Resistant. Use this to help out your other party members who deal Magic Damage types when your Fire Damage will not be helpful.

Deflective Barrier – A great skill for buffing your Physical Armour and also dealing some damage to enemies. I like to use this turn 1 or 2 of any engagement to get the best results.

Challenge – This skill costs 0 AP, increases your damage and boosts your Armour. What more could you want? You won’t get it until level 16, but make sure that you do!

Final Tips

Because the Occult Flamewielder can do either Physical or Fire Damage, it is advised that they go after the first Physical Damage dealer and Magic Dealer in your party. This will provide them the opportunity to see how the first few turns play out, and allow them to make judgments on which targets to prioritize based on remaining Armour/Vitality values. This should be no problem if you are playing with a Wand and Shield, since you should be able to withstand damage until you reach your turn no problem. You can Delay your turn if needed.

When placing a Occult Flamewielder into your party, you’ll want to put them in a mixed damage bunch. Ideally you’d have another Physical Damage dealer, another Magic Damage dealer and perhaps another split damage type (such as an Archer or Summoner). You’ll also want to avoid placing them with any Water Damage based characters, since these two damage types do not work well together.

Elemental Affinity can be difficult to achieve, particularly if you are not an Elf. Seering Daggers is a great way to gain it for fire, if you fling one dagger at yourself. Consider adding Raining Blood because it not only will give it to you, but it will Set Bleeding through Armour because of the Torturer Talent.

Lastly, this is a more advanced Build. This is not only true because of the split damage types, but also because Fire Damage can hurt your party members very easily, and you have no CC to speak of whatsoever. If you have a Warrior out front swinging away, he’s not going to be thrilled if you drop a Fireball on his head. This means you will have to calculate and plan accordingly, and I highly advise keeping your melee unit(s) on the outer edges of combat, so that the middle is open for AoEs.

Be sure to check out our other Build Guides! Good luck Sourcerers, Rivellon is counting on you!

The post Divinity Original Sin 2 Builds: Occult Flamewielder (Mage) appeared first on Fextralife.

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[haughtgayverlyearp-blog]

KingsRoad Tool

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[nerdythebard]

#8: Adrian 'Alucard' Tepes [Castlevania]

Surprise!

Told you I can do any fictional character. Feel free to send me your suggestions!

By the time I'm writing this, season 4 of Netflix's Castlevania shall hit our screens in two days. Because of that, I decided to do something special and build the main trio in D&D. We'll start with everybody's bundle of daddy issues - Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes aka Alucard. This half-vampire swordsman uses his charm and nimbleness to overpower his foes.

Next Time: Never tell this woman beer is better than sex with her, my man... see what happens.

Now, let's see what we need to bring Alucard into our D&D game.

Errr... besides that.

Half-Blood Prince: Alucard is a half-vampire son of Dracula. He's quite an accomplished scholar, orator, and all-around high-class fella. His strength, speed, and intelligence are obviously above that of any mortal, but I'm afraid this is D&D, not anime. We have to balance it out.

Floaty Sword: Alucard's weapon of choice is a longsword he controls telekinetically. We don't see him doing much in terms of magic and spellcasting (besides occasional quick stride akin to teleportation), so we shall focus on this one weapon.

Tough: I mean... my dude fights either shirtless or in a trenchcoat and he still can take more Punchables™ than Mama said. What I mean is, we need some good AC on him.

---

The issue of Alucard's race is pretty much non-existing; he's a half-vampire, there is a half-vampire option in D&D that is about to become official with the upcoming release of Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.

Alucard is a Dhampir. We get to pick a +2 and +1 to two different stats of our choice, let's get +2 Dexterity and +1 Constitution. We get both walking AND climbing speed of 35 feet, 60 feet of Darkvision, and we get to speak Common and one other language of our choice. Most importantly, we get Vampiric Bite, which lets us use our teeth as natural weapons. We can add our Constitution modifier to both attack and damage rolls of our fangs, and the bite deals 1d4 piercing damage. If we're below 50% health, we have an advantage on the attack roll. We're not ourselves when we're hungry. If the creature we bite is not a construct or an undead, we can choose one of the following benefits:

regain Hit Points equal to the damage of our bite;

gain a bonus to the next ability check or attack roll we make (bonus equals the damage of our bite)

We can use those bite benefits the number of times equal to our proficiency bonus, and we regain all bites after finishing a long rest.

For Alucard's background, I feel like going with Noble is most fitting. We get proficiency with History and Persuasion, proficiency in one gaming set, we learn one language of our choice, and we gain the Position of Privilege feature; much like Shelter of the Faithful or Military Rank from previous builds, this one grants us ability to secure an audience with a noble, or use our status to gain entrance to more secured locations. Nobody tells the son of Dracula what he can or can't do!

ABILITY SCORES

If you ever seen Alucard, you know he's scoring 18 in every single thing right away. That makes him almost anime protagonist-level of awesome. However, once again, this is D&D. We must be fair and adhere to the rules:

We start with Constitution, as we're pretty difficult to hurt (our only weakness seems to be attractive Japanese hunters). Dexterity is next, it is our primary fighting ability, and we need it to be able to go shirtless into battle. We follow that up with Strength, we are nimble but we can still punch a full-on vampire in the face hard enough to make him feel it.

Intelligence is next, we've had Dracula's entire library to kill time, and we're pretty educated. Wisdom is a bit lower than we need it to be, but we did get outsmarted by two Belmont wannabes. We'll work on that. Unfortunately, we have to dump Charisma.

H-hey! For my defence, he's been described as a teenager in an adult's body! He is educated and eloquent, but apart from that, his charm comes from how inept and awkward he is... err... it doesn't work, eh?

YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!

CLASS

Level 1 - Fighter: No big surprise there, we're not a caster or a tank, this is a damage-dealer build. As a Fighter, we get a d10 for our Hit Dice, [10 + Constitution modifier] starting Hit Points, proficiency with light armour, medium armour, heavy armour, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons. We don't need armour for this build (we've seen Alucard using a shield in S4 trailer), and I think his sword is long and thin enough to count as a rapier. Our saving throws are Strength and Constitution, and we get to pick two class skills: Athletics and Acrobatics seems stereotypical, but they're really useful in this build.

Fighters at 1st level get to pick their Fighting Style, and if you remember Alucard's fight with Trevor, you know we're going with Duelling. This gives us a +2 to damage rolls with our weapon, as long as it's the only one we have in our hands, so we're dropping the shield. We also get Second Wind, letting us heal [1d10 + our Fighter level] once per short or long rest.

Level 2 - Fighter: At this level we get Action Surge, which lets us take one additional Action once per short or long rest.

Level 3 - Fighter: This is the level where we get to pick our subclass, our Martial Archetype. Now, if this build was done earlier, I would've picked Eldritch Knight (as Weapon Bond is especially tempting feature), but thanks once again to Tasha's Cauldron of Everything we have something that fits Alucard much better.

Alucard is a Psi Warrior. He uses much less magic than Sypha, and his main tactic is to use his sword telekinetically. This subclass has everything we need. We start with Psionic Power, which gives us a [our proficiency bonus x2]d6 of Psionic Energy Dice, which can be used to perform special effects. We regain all Psionic Dice after finishing a long rest, but once per short or long rest we can also regain one dice as a bonus action, which is useful in a pinch. We begin with the following psychic effects:

Protective Field: when a creature within 30 feet of us takes damage, we can spend 1 Psionic Die as a reaction to reduce the damage by [the result + our Intelligence modifier].

Psionic Strike: Once on our turn, when we successfully deal damage to a target within 30 feet of us, we can spend 1 Psionic Die to add extra [the result + our Intelligence modifier] force damage.

Telekinetic Movement: As an action, we can select a loose object that is Large or smaller (or one willing creature other than ourselves), and move it up to 30 feet into an unoccupied space. Alternatively, we can summon a Tiny object directly to or from our hand. Our rapier is definitely not Tiny, but moving it as close as 1 foot and using a free action to pick it up is absolutely possible. Once we use this effect, we have to wait a short or long rest, or use a Psionic Die to use it again.

Level 4 - Fighter: It's time for our first Ability Score Improvement! Instead, however, we will pick a feat. Mobile feat along with a Dexterity-based character is truly a DM's bane. Our walking (and climbing) speed increases by 10 feet; when we use the Dash action, we are not affected by difficult terrain; when we make a melee attack against a creature, we do not provoke attacks of opportunity for the rest of the turn, regardless if we hit our target or not.

Level 5 - Fighter: At this level we get Extra Attack. During our turn, as we take our Action, we can now attack twice instead of once. Combining that with Action Surge lets us attack four times on our turn.

It is also here that our Psionic Dice increases from d6 into d8.

Level 6 - Fighter: We get another ASI. Let's raise our Wisdom by 2 points. We need it to multiclass later.

Level 7 - Fighter: Our subclass gets upgraded with Telekinetic Adept. We now get two additional effects to pick for our Psionic Dice:

Psi-Powered Leap: As a bonus action, we gain flying speed of [our walking speed x2] feet until the end of our current turn. Once we take this effect, we cannot do it again until we finish a short or long rest, or spend a Psionic Die to do it again.

Telekinetic Thrust: When we use our Psionic Strike, we can force a Strength saving throw on our target (DC: 8 + our proficiency bonus + our Intelligence modifier). On a failed save, we can either knock the target prone, or move them 10 feet in any horizontal direction.

Level 8 - Fighter: Time for another ASI. Once again, we need to raise our Wisdom, but this time only by a single point. We'll put the other point into Strength, and let's get ready to multiclass into...

Level 9 - Monk: We shall now address Alucard's questionable choice of body protection... and by that I mean lack thereof. As a 1st-level Monk, we get Unarmoured Defence; when we're not wearing any armour, our AC equals [10 + our Dexterity modifier + our Wisdom modifier].

We also get our hand-to-hand combat upgraded with Martial Arts, which is going to be useful if we're somehow separated from our sword. While we're unarmed (or wielding monk weapons) and unarmoured (and with no shield), we gain the following benefits:

We can use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack and damage rolls of our unarmed strikes and monk weapons;

We can now roll a d4 for attack and damage rolls of our unarmed strikes (instead of our Strength or Dexterity modifier) and monk weapons;

When we Attack using unarmed strikes or monk weapons, we can spend a bonus action to do additional unarmed strike.

Level 10 - Monk: Halfway through the build, and we're getting access to the Monk's most important resource, the Ki energy. We start with 2 Ki Points, which we can spend to fuel some extra Monk abilities. Right from the start, we know three of those:

Flurry of Blows: Immediately after we Attack, we can spend 1 Ki Point to deal two extra unarmed strikes.

Patient Defence: We can burn 1 Ki Point to take a Dodge action as a bonus action.

Step of the Wind: For 1 Ki Point, we can take a Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action. Our jump distance also doubles for the turn.

We also get extra speedy here with Unarmoured Movement. While not wearing armour or a shield, our walking speed increases by 10 feet.

Level 11 - Monk: At this level, we shall learn how to Deflect Missiles. Whenever we're hit by a ranged projectile, we can use our reaction to reduce the damage dealt by [1d10 + our Dexterity modifier + our Monk level]. If we manage to reduce the damage to 0, we can catch the projectile with a free hand and, using the same reaction, make a ranged attack (20/60) with the same projectile.

This is also the time to pick our second subclass, our Monastic Tradition. Now, originally I wanted to do Way of the Shadow to get some more of that vampiric sneak, but then I realize it's not exactly what Alucard does. Instead, we'll go Way of the Open Hand, to enhance our unarmed combat. With the Open Hand Technique feature, we gain a boost to our Flurry of Blows. Every time on of our Flurry strikes hits, we can apply one of the following effects:

Target must make a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone;

Target must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet;

Target cannot take reactions until the end of our next turn.

We also get Wholeness of Body to double-down on our vampiric regeneration. Once per long rest, we can use an action to regain Hit Points equal to [our Monk level x3].

It is also at this level that our Psionic Dice get upgraded to a d10.

Level 12 - Fighter: We return to our Jedi Psi Warrior, just in time to get the Indomitable feature. Once per long rest, we can reroll a saving throw we fail, but we must use the new result.

Level 13 - Fighter: Our subclass gets upgraded with Guarded Mind. We are now resistant to psychic damage. Additionally, we can spend a Psionic Die to shake off the charmed or frightened effects if we start our turn under influence of those.

Level 14 - Fighter: Here, our Extra Attack gets improved; now, we can attack three times when taking the Attack action.

Level 15 - Fighter: We get another ASI. Let's raise our Charisma by 2 point, to get rid of the negative modifier.

Level 16 - Fighter: We now get an improvement to our Indomitable feature. We can use it twice per long rest.

Level 17 - Fighter: For another ASI, we shall raise our Dexterity by 2 points.

Level 18 - Fighter: We get the final upgrade for our subclass in this build. By using Bulwark of Force, we can protect ourselves and others. As a bonus action, we can choose a number of creatures within 30 feet that we can see (ourselves included), equal to our Intelligence modifier. The chosen creatures gain the benefit of half-cover for 1 minute, or until we're incapacitated. Once again, we can use it once per long rest, unless we spend a Psionic Die to use it again.

Level 19 - Fighter: For our final ASI we shall raise our Wisdom and Intelligence.

Level 20 - Fighter: Our capstone is Fighter 17. We get three uses of Indomitable per long rest, and two uses of Action Surge, which effectively gives us ability to perform nine attacks on a single target.

---

And that is my take on Alucard from Castlevania. Let's see how he presents himself:

First of all, we're a very speedy boi, with basic speed of 55 feet, with Step of the Wind giving us ability to double that movement. We also have a solid Hit Point base, 181 on average. We can make multiple attacks with Action Surge and Extra Attack, and even if we get disarmed, we can handle ourselves with bare hands.

On the other hand, our Charisma makes those particular saving throws a bit difficult. Same thing with our Intelligence, which modifier fuels some of our subclass abilities. We also have a relatively low AC (16 unarmoured), but we do have several skills attributing to avoiding getting hit (the Mobile feat, Patient Defence, etc.)

---

Anyhoo, that's it for Alucard. Next time, it's everybody's favourite tomboy wizard!

- Nerdy out!

[thomasroach]

Divinity Original Sin 2 Builds: Occult Flamewielder (Mage)

The post Divinity Original Sin 2 Builds: Occult Flamewielder (Mage) appeared first on Fextralife.

Divinity Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition has been out for several months now, and with it came some interesting changes to the game. While most Builds remain largely the same, there are some changes that impact the way you play the game. Because of this players have been asking me to not only update these Builds, but also create new ones. In this guide I will be introducing the Occult Flameweilder, which is long overdue, and explaining just how it works.

Un-gearded stats on my Occult Flamewielder (level 10). From this point on I’ll take Warfare and Pyrokinetic up to 10 each alternating, only stopping to place 1 more point into Necromancer for Silencing Stare.

Occult Flamewielder – Mage Build

The Occult Flamewielder is a Mage Build that utilizes both the Pyrokinetic and Necromancer Skill Lines to deal two types of damage: Physical and Fire. Most Mage Builds will be able to max out at least 2 schools of magic, and because they share a common Attribute (Intelligence), they lose very little effectiveness. And, what they miss out on in Critical Damage, they make up for in flexibility of damage types. This is true for all Mage Builds, no matter which schools of magic they choose, but there is are solid connections between these two in the forms of Corpse Explosion and Mass Corpse Explosion.

Torturer is what makes this Build work. Because you can debuff enemies to your attacks for 1 AP with Ignition, you can deal substantial damage for many turns.

I have made other such “hybrid” Builds with the Terramancer and Crystalline Cleric, but neither of those Builds relied on the Torturer Talent to be good. This is simply because Torturer was changed with the Definitive Edition, and before this change Earth/Necro and Water/Necro were more effective than Fire/Necro. With the Occult Flamewielder we take full advantage of this Talent to set enemies Burning, reducing their Fire Resistance through their Armour, increasing the overall performance of our Pyrokinetic Skills.

The best way to start this Build is by picking the Wizard Class, and changing Geomancer to Necromancer. Then select the Ignition, Searing Daggers and Mosquito Swarm skills. This will give you access to an early game Wand, but you will need to keep an eye out for a Shield. As far as Races go, Elf (or Undead Elf) is always great when you play a Necromancer because of Flesh Sacrifice, but you can play this Build with a Human as well, for the increased Critical Chance and Critical Damage.

The way I begin an Occult Flamewielder.

Occult Flamewielder Attributes and Equipment

As far as Attributes go, you’ll want to pump Intelligence to max as quickly as you can, only putting points into Memory to gain Skills you need, and Constitution to use a Shield if you decide to use one. Once Intelligence is maxed out, you’ll focus on Wits to increase your Critical Chance.

Weapon-wise, you can go three completely different directions if you wish. You can use a Staff, Wand and Shield or Dual Wands. All will work, but they come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Of the three, I suggest using a Wand and Shield for added Armour, and to be able to use the Bouncing Shield skill. Bouncing Shield helps with your Physical Damage output, and that helps to keep the Occult Flamewielder’s damage more balanced between Physical and Fire. Your Wand would ideally be Fire Damage, and would have Critical Chance, Intelligence and a Rune Slot if possible.

Bull Rush scales with Intelligence when using a Wand or Staff, and does the damage type of those. This makes it perfectly viable for a Mage Build, and provides some mobility.

Armour-wise you will be using Intelligence-based Armour, as that is where the majority of your Attribute points will lie. This will give you high Magic Armour, which is great because Pyrokinetic Builds tend to send Fire everywhere, and that will usually hit you now and then. Prioritize Intelligence, Pyrokinetic and Warfare, but Critical Chance and Wits are also good.

Occult Flamewielder Abilities and Talents

Occult Flamewielders will begin the game with 1 point into Necromancer and 1 into Pyrokinetic. They will then place 1 point into Warfare to obtain Bouncing Shield, followed by a point into Polymorph to get Bull Horns and Bleed Fire. Then it’s 1 more point into Pyrokinetic to gain Fireball and Spontaneous Combustion. Now place 1 point into Necromancer to gain Infect. From here on out you will alternate between Warfare and Pyrokinetic until they are maxed out.

As far as Talents go I’d recommend the following:

Torturer – This Talent should be taken first by all Pyrokinetic Builds because it allows you to Set Burning from your very first attack, allowing subsequent attacks to deal increased damage. Take this one during Character Creation.

Elemental Affinity – This Talent allows you to cast many Necromancer Skills if you use Flesh Sacrifice or Raining Blood, and many Pyrokinetic Skills if you are standing in fire (which happens). Take this one second.

Savage Sortilege – This Talent will allow your Pyromancer and Necromancer Skills to critically strike, in addition to Bouncing Shield. Consider taking this one when your Critical Chance hits about 20% around the beginning of Act 2.

Executioner – Because you deal two different damage types you will be poised to “finish off” enemies no matter what Armour type they have the most of. This makes Executioner a great choice for this Build and should be considered later on in the game.

Far Out Man – This Talent works well for this Build because it increases the range of Infect, Mosquito Swarm, Bouncing Shield, Bleed Fire, Fireball, Corpse Explosion, Laser Ray, Spontaneous Combustion and Bull Rush. If you find yourself not gaining the Executioner bonus AP often, then use this Talent instead.

Occult Flamewielder Skills

Occult Flamewielders will use a mix of Pyrokinetic, Necromancer, Polymorph and Warfare Skills. While this may sound like a broad investment of stat points at first glance, many of these Skills have overlapping requirements. This actually makes them fit together rather well, which you can see from the list below.

Character Creation

Ignition – This skill will set Burning on enemies in a large AoE, with the Torturer Talent. It also avoids friendlies and deals modest Fire Damage, so it’s a good utility skill for 1 AP. You’ll use this first to debuff enemies you wish to purse with Pyro Skills.

Searing Daggers – A decent skill that allows you to Set Burning on many enemies, if not struck already with Ignition, or focus fire 1 down. You won’t use it much later in the game, but it’s useful early on.

Mosquito Swarm – Deals decent damage and Sets Bleeding through Armour with the Torturer Talent. It has very good range (13 meters) and heals you for a decent amount of Vitality, which is nice.

Character Levels 1-3

Corpse Explosion – A great Crafted Skill that deals insane Physical Damage for 1 AP, and one that very few Builds are poised to take full advantage of. Can hit multiple enemies, just be sure not to hit your party members!

Bleed Fire – This Crafted Skill is a great way to further reduce the Fire Resistance enemies have, allowing you to deal even more damage with your Pyro Skills. In addition, it places Fire beneath enemies, prompting them to waste AP moving.

Bouncing Shield – This skill works really well with this Build because it doesn’t scale off of Strength, only Warfare, which you will have a lot of. You can also increase the damage by upgrading your Shield, which you will be doing periodically.

Bull Rush – This Skill may seem like an odd fit here, and you would not be wrong. However, with the Torturer Talent you can Set Bleeding through Armour, and it scales with Intelligence and deals Fire Damage if you have a Fire Wand equipped. This allows you to deal more Fire Damage, Set Bleeding and gives you some mobility if you need to move out of a bad situation.

Character Levels 4-8

Fireball – A great AoE that deals decent damage and can help control the battlefield. This will be your main source of burst Fire Damage until you gain Laser Ray later in the game, so make the best use of it you can.

Spontaneous Combustion – A great ranged skill that not only deals decent damage, but also consumes the Burning and Necrofire Status Effects of an enemy into instant Fire Damage. Since you can Set Burning again easily with the Torturer Talent, use often to deal burst single-target damage.

Infect – Deals substantial single-target Physical Damage at long range, but has a hefty cost of 3 AP. Use this one only when you have Elemental Affinity, or would gain the Executioner bonus for doing so to maximize AP efficiency.

Character Levels 9 and Up

Laser Ray – A great damage dealing skill that can hit multiple targets in a straight line. You will use this skill and Fireball for the majority of your Fire Damage with this Build. Bull Rush can be used to position yourself for maximum effect.

Mass Corpse Explosion – This skill is hard to use effectively but when you can it deals devastating damage for 1 AP and 1 SP. Try to use when corpses are grouped on your target. Can one shot enemies if done right.

Bone Cage – A great skill for buffing up your Armour and the more dead bodies around the better. Try to save this one for mid fight after at least 1 or 2 enemies have gone down for maximum effect.

Silencing Stare – This skill is a great way to strip Magic Armour of enemies that are highly Fire Resistant. Use this to help out your other party members who deal Magic Damage types when your Fire Damage will not be helpful.

Deflective Barrier – A great skill for buffing your Physical Armour and also dealing some damage to enemies. I like to use this turn 1 or 2 of any engagement to get the best results.

Challenge – This skill costs 0 AP, increases your damage and boosts your Armour. What more could you want? You won’t get it until level 16, but make sure that you do!

Final Tips

Because the Occult Flamewielder can do either Physical or Fire Damage, it is advised that they go after the first Physical Damage dealer and Magic Dealer in your party. This will provide them the opportunity to see how the first few turns play out, and allow them to make judgments on which targets to prioritize based on remaining Armour/Vitality values. This should be no problem if you are playing with a Wand and Shield, since you should be able to withstand damage until you reach your turn no problem. You can Delay your turn if needed.

When placing a Occult Flamewielder into your party, you’ll want to put them in a mixed damage bunch. Ideally you’d have another Physical Damage dealer, another Magic Damage dealer and perhaps another split damage type (such as an Archer or Summoner). You’ll also want to avoid placing them with any Water Damage based characters, since these two damage types do not work well together.

Elemental Affinity can be difficult to achieve, particularly if you are not an Elf. Seering Daggers is a great way to gain it for fire, if you fling one dagger at yourself. Consider adding Raining Blood because it not only will give it to you, but it will Set Bleeding through Armour because of the Torturer Talent.

Lastly, this is a more advanced Build. This is not only true because of the split damage types, but also because Fire Damage can hurt your party members very easily. If you have a Warrior out front swinging away, he’s not going to be thrilled if you drop a Fireball on his head. This means you will have to calculate and plan accordingly, and I highly advise keeping your melee unit(s) on the outer edges of combat, so that the middle is open for AoEs.

Be sure to check out our other Build Guides! Good luck Sourcerers, Rivellon is counting on you!

The post Divinity Original Sin 2 Builds: Occult Flamewielder (Mage) appeared first on Fextralife.

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