#AU: Owain

[fademirrored]

minor AUs: companion AUs: the Inquisitors

Owain & Aneirin

they continue to be a package deal, even if Owain's not the Inquisitor. honestly, their backstory is entirely unchanged. they're still nobility from the freemarches. Nye still saved Owain from the Ostwick circle as the hierarchy was collapsing. they made the trip to Haven together. the only change is that Owain didn't get yoinked into the fade, and they instead showed up at Haven together after the Conclave, like everyone else who joins the Inquisition. for Adaar, Lavellan, and Cadash Inquisitors, their last name continues to be Trevelyan. for Trevelyan Inquisitors who are open to distant relatives, they are also still Trevelyans. for Trevelyan Inquisitors who are not open to having relatives, their last name is Kendrick. (this is more of a, like, hypothetical gameplay note, but they're also a package deal in the field. Owain and Aneirin are essentially one companion unless seriously pressed.)

Oleander

for Trevelyan Inquisitors who don't mind relatives, Oleander is explicitly the Inquisitor's cousin. he intercepts the group during the first trip to Orlais, having been sent to lend a hand when news of how far out of hand everything was getting made it back to Ostwick. for Adaar, Lavellan, and Cadash Inquisitors, along with Trevelyans who aren't open to having relatives, Oleander shows up at the gates of Haven with a gaggle of apprentice mages in tow. he's been acting as an escort for them after they fled the Ostwick circle. how friendly Olly is to the Inquisitor depends on how safe he thinks those apprentices are. (and for Trevelyan Inquisitors in this case, Olly's last name is Meyrick.)

Petrichor

Petra is a Lavellan regardless. for Lavellan Inquisitors, Petra was sent a bit after them to make sure they hadn't died. (canonically, Petra's younger brother is the clan First. I'm perfectly happy to work that into a thread.) they swan up to the gates of Haven sometime after the initial kerfuffle. for Cadash, Adaar, and Trevelyan Inquisitors, Petra wound up in Haven for basically the same reason they did in their canon timeline; they were sent to see what the fuck was going on, but in this case they didn't stumble into the fade and didn't get apprehended, and instead revealed themself by helping to kill demons after the Conclave explosion. they sort of reluctantly hang around Haven after that in order to get a better idea of what's actually happening, and then later to help with the situation as best they can.

[cabeswaterdrowned]

There’s more I could add but some of those things aren’t set in stone / could change and these I’m 100% committed to (I’m unsure of Who the lavender marriage drama happens between but there is definitely lavender marriage drama in the fic)

[darkness-in-the-face-of-the-deep]

I, as a good parent, of course celebrating my son's birthday

Even if they are OC and fankid of some game characters

So. Asterius is 5 years old now. Wow. How long ago a created him. At least in the real world they are five. In the story of course is older

All celebration in the my afk arena au

Orthros and Zolrath of course can't stop argue, Ansiel baked the cake, and Owain just standing here with present for his best friend

And maybe some redraw of the old old (from 2020) designs and human disguise for them

So, what are going to do? I love them, I'm going to do it every year. My son deserves it. Love him so much

Technically, I'm late, coz his birthday is at 4th of November, in my time zone it's already 5th, but... I don't care. I was celebrating, drawing and feeling bad today. As my friend said, "Astir wouldn't mind if you decided not to torture yourself"

Of course they wouldn't mind.... of course

[thedivergingpaths]

Time is Not Linear

Lucina and the other children are split apart further than they could have imagined, but they still do their damnest to make a good timeline.

Lucina and Laurent are the only ones who make it - Laurent is still thrust five years prior to Chrom and Robin finding each other, ans he hides in the desert, and Lucina emerges as Marth with the Risen invasion.

But the pair begin to see traces of their friends in an already altered timeline.

Cynthia was flung far into the past, further than the rise of the Grimleal, but after Grima's released. To the current citizens of Ylisse and surrounding kingdoms, she is a fable.

Oh, she hunted for the dark dragon, to find who he was ensnaring. She never did, but she was remembered fondly through song and story, and she was a tale of hope to sleeping children.

Inigo landed in Valm a couple of decades before Lucina lands in the past. Ylisse has not invaded Plegia - this invasion is still a few years away - and Valm has not yet been re-consolidated under the conqueror Walhart.

Inigo finds his way into Walhart's inner circle, creating a Valm that is strong but not on a tenuous thread of fracturing and being blinded by the Grimleal. Inigo had Walhart's ear - Walhart knows Validar is a threat who is bringing Grima back.

The Grimleal murdered Inigo a couple years before Lucina landed. Laurent is distraught they missed him, because Laurent could have tried to find any others (and gods, his feelings get worse when they discover the fates of other comrades).

But Inigo created a Walhart willing to be an ally to Ylisse, to Chrom and Robin, in the shadow of a coming monster.

But there are more travelers, more children missing. Where have they gone?

Not all were flung far enough into the past to be on the same path as Lucina. Lucina barely made it to the right timeline, because their lives have splintered the coming future.

Owain landed in a peaceful Ylisse, where he is but a baby without dreams of heroism. He takes the name Odin, and bears the burden of prophecy.

The Grimleal start tearing apart the world with Risen and their workings to fully revive Grima, but there is a hero who knows what they want. A hero who will do anything to prevent the dark future.

His story branches on its own. He is alone. He never finds his family and comrades - and they never learn he is the past and the future. Odin is a name remembered forever when the ashes settle and flowers grow again, however.

Yarne is flung far enough back that there are other Taguel, and he has a choice. He could join them, and possibly die when his mother is a sole survivor of a genocide. It could be peaceful for a time. Or he could hide with his head in the sand, away from Taguel and people. This is a crueler time to be a Taguel, after all.

Yarne could also decide to save his people. He could be brave like his friends have encouraged him to be. He could do it - for the honor of Taguel, for his own pride, and to show his mother long gone he can be a brave rabbit boy.

Lucina and Laurent are dancing around Ylisse in preparation to fight Grima, and Valm has sworn to fight the Grimleal on Ylisse’s - Chrom and co’s - side when a small but mighty army appears made entirely of rabbit Taguel. Yarne could not save his mother’s nest, and Panne had believed she was alone in the world, but Yarne emerges a man leading an army of Taguel ready to defend the Exalt with their lives.

Yarne weeps when he sees Laurent and Lucina, and they embrace him. There is still a chance to find their other friends - they can do it together.

They can kill Grima once and for all.

Morgan appears, amnesiac and from another, darker timeline. They join the fight, and Robin begins to plan how to end Grima once and for all. Robin may also be amnesiac, but they know in their bones they are the key to Grima’s awakening and Grima’s slumber. Even if it is just one timeline, one place in the greater universe, Robin could turn the key the other way.

(In secret, Naga confirms Robin’s musings, and they begin to plot behind Chrom’s back when the fire emblem is restored to glory).

When Grima revives with the soul of a future Robin, Lucina thinks the fight is over. When the future Robin releases three thralls to keep the army grounded during Grima’s flight, Lucina knows they have lost.

Kjelle, Gerome, and Severa are bound to Grima now. Chrom and Robin, and a select entourage go to fight Grima. Lucina leads the fight against her thralled friends, even as it breaks her heart.

Severa is the first brought down by Lucina’s sword. There is a moment of lucidity. Lucina had been convincing herself that they were Risen, they were dead and gone.

But they’re not, and Lucina just killed her friend.

“Thank you,” Severa sighs as she dies. Lucina stops in the fight.

What sort of future is worth doing this?

Kjelle is taken down in a pile of Taguel, and Yarne hears her last words. She begs to remembered for her strength, for her mother to know she didn’t choose this. Yarne holds her as she dies as herself.

Gerome goes to strike down Lucina, when Laurent brings him down with wind magic. Bones crack and shatter. Gerome’s body is tangled with Minerva the wyvern’s. His last words are not heard, but his face isn’t twisted in the pain Laurent would have expected for such a violent crash.

It is not peaceful but there is almost a satisfaction there. A release.

Grima falls from the sky. Robin turns to ash on the wind. The Grimleal fall apart.

Chrom, shoulders heavy, leads the world into a new era of light.

Yarne takes his new Taguel family and disappears into the woods. His mother and her human lover follow.

Laurent and Lucina disappear from the public eye, and then the historical records.

Nah reappears generations later to make sure history remembers what they sacrificed to bring down a monster once and for all. And then she disappears again, fading into her own myth.

Brady and Noire never fall out of the time stream. They clasped hands, and they are desperately afraid to let go. It may release them back into existence, or they will be alone in the endless fall.

They fall, and fall, and fall.

--

Check out my previous post, Macedon’s Twist of Fate, if you like these “what if” scenarios

** DO NOT USE AI ON MY WORKS **

[onyxedskies]

firm believer that owain morgan and lucina rope severa cynthia and inigo into a dnd campaign

[felikatze]

thinking abt my garbage modern day fea au. so much.

[zorua-adorable]

Direct sequel to this. This is still modern au like the last one. Out of all the second gen characters, Owain felt the most likely to say “I’m gonna rule hell” but like in a ‘he’s doing a roleplay thing’ type of way.

[runawayballista]

ugh. i love morgan fireemblem sooo much

[larluce]

Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU

Tagging @aceauthorcatqueen , @fallenxjas , @smileytrinity ,@lucifertookmyshoe , @an-entity-i-think , @thecornerofbelu , @griffonskies , @odinjm , @cinnabon-sweetroll-tiramisu , @thelady-mary , @bennedict , @nightninjaboy , @st8-of-grace , @star-rie , @error-username-not-available , @dogberryrowan , @jamieweasley13 , @tansyuduri , @tercais , @robynnemrys , @evadne01 , @serasvictoria02 , @hairdryerducks , @hopeaha , @curiously-lazy , @ harriettesthings , @andrealux16 , @wacko-weirdo , @greatdonutenemy , @yougottobekittenme , @anxiousosaurus , @kinkforwings , @someweirdassnamee , @impracticalantlers , @miyriu , @hobipabo

LINKS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS AU HERE: PART 1 , PART 2 , PART 3 , PART 4 , PART 5 , PART 6 , PART 7 , PART 8 , PART 9 , PART 10 , PART 11 , PART 12 , PART 13 , PART 14 , PART 15 , PART 16 , PART 17 , PART 18 , PART 19 , PART 20 , PART 21 , PART 22 , PART 23 , PART 24 , PART 25 You're here , PART 26

[Welcome to: ✨breaking the fourth wall space✨

Knight 2 and 3: (marching around with signs that say "NO TO NAMELESS CHARACTERS" and "WE DESERVE NAMES")

Me: What on earth are you doing?

Knight 2: We are going on a strike! 😠

Knight 3: Yeah! We refuse to act until we are given names. 😠

Me: You can't do that! You are my characters!

Knight 2: Then why won't you give us a name!

Me: Cause you are also extras.

Knight 2 and 3: (Gasp and bring a hand to their chest, very offended)

Knight 3: That hurt ☹️

Knight 2: But Innprudence has a name!

Me: Yes, but it's basically a gag and he hates it.

Sir Innprudence: (In a corner, lying on the floor and looking at the sky) Is my existence a joke?

Knight 2: Well, you can start searching for a Knight 4, 5 or 6 if you want, cause we are not going to be part of this play until we are given an identity. I think it's the least we deserve.

Me: (sighs) Fine. You (points at Knight 2) will be Sir Ewan and you (point ar Knight 3) will be Sir Owain.

Sir Ewan: We have names! 😃

Sir Owain: Yay! 😄

Sir Innprudence: I hate you 😒

End of ✨Breaking the fourth wall space✨]

In "The Labyrinth of Gedref"

Arthur, Merlin and some knights hiding behind bushes while hunting.

Arthur: (calls quietly) Merlin (urges to come closer with a head gesture)

Merlin: (Comes closer and whispers) What is it?

Arthur: I don't know. We'll surround it.

Merlin: (feels the presence of the unicorn, thinking) Oh, no! (says) Got it. I'll go in there to flush it out. (makes a gesture to go)

Arthur: (stops him by the arm) Are you insane?! we don't know what it is. It could be dangerous!

Merlin: (smirks) Good think you have my back then. (frees from his grasp)

Arthur: (tries to grip his arm him again, but Merlin moves before he can and goes in there) Damn you, Merlin.

Merlin runs as fast as he can until he finds the unicorn. It is as majestic as he remembers, but there's no time the admire the creature.

Merlin: (urges) Go! They're going to kill you! Please, go!

Unicorn: (moves closer to Merlin and neighs happily, so Merlin pats him)

Merlin: ... Okay, this is cute, but there's no time! You have to go!

Arthur: (in the distance, puts down his crossbow, whispers to himself, surprised) The unicorn...

Merlin: (desperate, puts himself infront of the animal) Don't shoot!

Sir Innprudence: What the hell is he doing?

Arthur: (seeing the knights still have their crossbows pointing at the unicorn, but more importantly, pointing at Merlin) Put down your crossbows.

Sir Ewan: But sire-

Arthur: (sternly) I said put them down!

Knights: (put down their crossbows)

Arthur: (goes to Merlin) Merlin-

Merlin: (hugging the unicorn by the neck, closely) You can't kill it, Arthur! (eyes starts shining with unshed tears) You can't! Please!

Arthur: Alright, alright, I won't! We won't.

Sir Ewan: (comes closer) Incredible!

Sir Innprudence: (comes closer too) I thought they were extinct!

Merlin: They almost are. There's very few of them. (caresses the unicorn's head fondly) Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures.

Sir Ewan: Of magic. Which means it's dangerous.

Merlin: Only if you harm it. There is a legend that says that bad fortune will come to anyone that slays one.

Sir Innprudence: Yeah, I heard of that legend too.

Sir Ewan: So we are not hunting it because of some legend?

Arthur: Legend or not I'm not going to risk it. With creatures of magic you can never be sure.

Merlin: (gives Arthur a thankful smile)

Sir Ewan: We don't have to kill it. We can capture it and bring it alive for the King-

Merlin: (shouts) NO! 😡

Arthur: We are not going to do any of that, Sir Ewan.

Sir Innprudence: So... we are just going to... let it go?

Sir Ewan: Oh, come on! It's a fucking unicorn! Of course we are not just going to-

Arthur: Yes, we'll let it go.

Sir Ewan: But-

Arthur: It's an order! And no word of this to my father. Understood?

Knights: Yes, sire.

Unicorn: (smells Merlin and moves so Merlin also pats its back)

Merlin: (giggles) I think he likes me. (continues to pat the unicorn fondly)

Arthur: (watches Merlin in awe)

Sir Innprudence: (lets a burst of laughter)

Arthur: (turns to Sir Innprudence, serious) What's so funny, Sir Innprudence?

Sir Innprudence: (composes himself quickly) Oh, nothing, Sire. I just...

Arthur: You just what?

Sir Innprudence: I just find it quite curious that the unicorn it's so attached to your servant, sire.

Arthur: And why is that? (thinking, worried) Does he suspect Merlin has magic?

Sir Innprudence: Well, when I was a kid I used to read a lot of bestiaries and, from what I remember, unicorns feel atractted to the smell of... virgin maidens, sire.

Arthur: ...

Sir Ewan: ...

Merlin: (turns to them, confused) Why are you looking at me like that? 🤨

Arthur and Knights: (burst out laughing)

Merlin: ... Are you alright?

Sir Innprudence: (stops laughing) Wait... does this mean they haven't done it yet? 😨

Sir Ewan: (hits him) Don't be disrespectful! 😠

Sir Innprudence: Ow! I'm just saying! If he is not giving the Prince THAT, then what is he-OW!

Merlin: (to Arthur) What are they talking about?

Arthur: (puts an arm around Merlin, smiling to ear to ear) Just of how virtuous you are. (To the knights) I'm no ignorant of the rumors regarding my manservant and I hope this is enough prove to you that Merlin is nothing of what they are saying. He's an honorable man and I expect you to always remember that.

Knights: (nod) Yes, Sire.

So they let the unicorn go and come back to the castle. Merlin is so relieved a catastrophe was avoided than he couldn't see the new one coming.

At the horse field. Merlin's mare is chasing around a nobel that tried to ride him.

Nobel: (running) Help! Somebody help! 😭

Princess: (neighs furiously while going after him)😤

Stable boy 1: We warned him.

Stable boy 2: Yep.

Stable boy 1: Do we feel bad for him?

Stable boy 2: Nah, he was an ass.

Stable boy 1: True. Did you send for Merlin?

Stable boy 2: Yeah, he should be here in a sec.

Merlin: (arrives running to his mare) Princess! (puts himself between the nobel and his mare) Princess Eboni Lily Plum Pendragon, that's enough! 😡

Princess: (calms down and lowers her head)

Nobel: (stands up and brushes the dirt from his clothes) Pendragon? Is this a horse of the royal family? I wouldn't have tried to ride it if I knew.

Merlin: (frowns at him while patting Princess' head) No, but she's mine.

Nobel: (looks Merlin up and down) Yours?

Merlin: Yeah, an the stable boys have especific instructions to not let anybody but me ride her. Let me guess, you didn't give a damn, did you? You just wanted to do as you pleased.

Nobel: Who do you think you are to speak to me like that?! 😠

Merlin: The Prince's manservant, you dickhead.

Nobel: (Open his eyes wide) The Prince's manservant?

Merlin: I can call The Prince if you don't believe-

Nobel: Oh, you are the maidman!

Merlin: ... No? 🤨 I'm his manservant. What does maidman even mean?

Nobel: (realises his slip up) Oh, forgive me. Uh... I won't touch your horse again.

Princess: (neighs at him) 😡

Nobel: (gives a very masculine scream and runs away)

Merlin: (Turns to the stable boys) Why did he...

Stable boys: (look away, very nervous)

Merlin: You know what he meant 😑.

Stable boy 1: Uhm...

Merlin: Spill it out. Now.

Stable boy 2: Well, as you know, maid can be short for housemaid or maidservant.

Stable boy 1: However, it's also the way some nobels refer to women that... warm their beds at night.

Stable boy 2: But you are a man, so...they call you maidman.

Merlin: ...You must be joking.

Stable boy 2: No. And that's the most polite nickname you have.

Stable boy 1: Yeah, you don't want to know the others.

Merlin: But that's absurd! I don't have that kind of relationship with Arthur!

Stable boy 2: We know, of course. We do not distrust your word.

Stable boy 1: Or the one of the unicorn.

Merlin: (incipient fear) What unicorn?

Stable boy 2: The unicorn that appeared before you.

Merlin: (now very scared) How do you know that?! 😨

Stable boy 1: Everyone knows, they're telling it everywhere.

Merlin: WHAT?! 😱

Stable boy 2: Yeah, there's even a song about it.

Stable boys: (start dancing and singing in harmony)

🎶Ooooh!

In the woods a unicorn

Wandered around with his long horn

So lonely and without a friend

Until one day he sense a smell

It was the most exquisite smell

Of a beautiful young man

So pure in body and in heart

It was the Prince's manservant.

(Chorus)

The Unicorn Catcher

No one is more innocent than

The Unicorn Catcher

No beauty is more deadly than of

The unicorn catcher🎶

Merlin: Okay, I take it back. Now you must joking.

Stable boy 1: Wait, there's more! 😃

Stable boys: (singing and dancing)

🎶Marveled at the majestic creature

The man approached and he figured

That he could stroke his back

Afraid of scaring it, he does

The animal neighed with pleasure

Put his head closer without measure

Enchanted by the pure scent

He let him ride him on his back.

(Chorus)

The Unicorn Catcher

No one is more innocent than

The Unicorn Catcher

No beauty is more deadly than of

The unicorn catcher.🎶

Merlin: That never happened. 😒

Stable boy 2: Last stanza! 😄

Stable boys: (singing and dancing)

🎶The magical being was so attached

He follow his human friend in glee

The man told him, brokenhearted

Your home is in nature, not with me

They said goodbye, the servant went

Back to the castle, back to his prince.

The unicorn cried and he knew.

He'll never sense that smell again.🎶

Stable boy 1: (giving himself air with his hand,unshed tears in his eyes) Gods, I love the end. It always makes me emotional. 🤧

Satble boy 2: (puts an arm around Merlin) Don't worry, Merlin. While there are people who try to tarnish your name calling you maidman, there are very others that defend The Unicorn Catcher's honor til the end.

Stable boys: (throwing a fist in the air and shouting) Long live The Unicorn Catcher!

Merlin: ...

Stable boy 1: Merlin?

Stable boy 2: Unicorn Catcher?

Merlin: (composes himself and smiles at them) If you excuse me, I must go to the Prince inmediatly. (leaves at a furious pace)

Arthur trainning the knights in the Training field.

Arthur: Enough! What kind of sluggish reactions are that? Is this how you pretend to protect your kingdom? Your King and Prince? 😡

Sir Owain: Sire-

Arthur: Did I tell you you could talk? Silence!

Knights: (cower in place)

Arthur: You tend to forget who has the authority here. No one, listen to me, no one but the King is above me! And you dare to raise your voice at me? No body can disrespect the Prince!

Merlin: (arrives, yelling furious) Arthur! 😡

Arthur: What?! 😡 (turns and his face changes) Oh, Merlin. What is it?

Merlin: We need to talk.

Arthur: Alright. Once I finish-

Merlin: Now, Arthur. It's important.

Arthur: (pointing to the knights) Merlin, I'm in the middle of training. Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait-

Merlin: NO! It cannot wait! 😡 What part of "it's important" you do not understand?! You think I would interrupt your training just because? Do you ever listen to anything I say?!

Arthur: (in shock) Uh... (Thinking) What's gotten into him?

Merlin: No, of course not. I'm just a servant after all. Why would my problems ever be important to you? Is not like you are the one who is a joke in the mouth of all Camelot!

Knights: (watching interested and amused the scene, murmuring between them)

Arthur: Alright, we'll talk. (makes a move to go to his knights)

Merlin: (stops Arthur by the arm) Where do you think you are going?! 😡

Arthur: I was just going to dismiss the knights-

Merlin: You dare to ignore me when this is all your fault?! Am I a joke to you too?! 😡

Arthur: (tries to calm him) Okay, I can see That you are upset-

Merlin: I AM NOT UPSET! 😤

Arthur: (sweats)

Sir Innprudence: (to Sir Owain, mockingly) Nobody can disrespect The Prince? 😏

Sir Owain: Shut up.

Merlin: (sighs) Never mind. Go back to your stupid training. (Makes a move to leave)

Arthur: No, no, no, wait! (Stops him by the arm) Look, I'm here, not moving. You have my full attention. Now tell me what is the problem and why do you think is my fault.

Merlin: Because it is! Thanks to you now everybody knows me as "The Maidman" and "The Unicorn Catcher"!

Arthur: ...

Arthur: (burst out laughing) Maidman? Unicorn Catcher?

Merlin: It's not funny! 😠

Arthur: (stops laughing) No, no. Of course is not. (Coughs) I mean, you do have some maid chores, but-

Merlin: It has nothing to do with that. "Maidman" is a very polite way to say I serve you in bed at nights and not to read you poetry precisly.

Arthur: Oh... (Turns to his knights) 😑

Knights: (scared, at the same time) We never called him that! I swear! 😰

Sir Innprudence: Yeah, it's mostly the visiting nobles who do that.

Merlin: Oh, but you do call me "Unicorn Catcher", don't you?

Arthur: Yeah, about that. Why "Unicorn Catcher"?

Merlin: (turns a bit red) Uhm... Well somehow they found out about the unicorn.

Arthur: I figured. But we didn't hunt or capture the unicorn, so where is the word "Catcher" coming from?

Merlin: It's a long story.

Sir Innprudence: It's not a story, it's a song! 😃

Knights: (start singing) 🎶 Oooh!-

Merlin: You keep up with that and I'll cut off your tongues! 😠

Knights: 🤐🤐🤐🤐🤐

Arthur: They did a song?

Merlin: That's not important. What's important is how did everyone find out!

Arthur: Well, the only ones that were there were you, me and...

Sir Innprudence and Sir Ewan: (looking very guilty)

Arthur: (notices) Something you want to confess? 😑

Sir Ewan: We didn't meant to, Sire.

Sir Innprudence: But we got drunk at a tavern and there were people talking very ill of your manservant.

Sir Ewan: Calling him things worse than "Maidman".

Sir Innprudence: So we defended your manservant's honor, but in the heat of the argument we might have let what happened with the unicorn slip.

Sir Ewan: And some minstrel heard it and decided to make a song inspired on the event.

Sir Innprudence: And since the song became so popular, every tavern began to play it, so...

Arthur: Now everyone knows about the unicorn. (Sighs) I still don't get the "Catcher" part though.

Merlin: It's not important.

Sir Innprudence: It's because he attracted the unicorn with his virgin smell, Sire.

Merlin: Innprudence! 😠

Arthur: (laughs)

Merlin: Stop laughing! This is serious! What if your father finds out? He probably already knows!

Arthur: I don't think my father cares about your chastity, Merlin.

Merlin: Not that part, you idiot! 😡 The unicorn part! He'll know I encountered a magical creature in our last hunt and that you let it escape!

Arthur: He won't believe you encountered a unicorn just because there's a song about it. Especially a tavern minstrel song. (To the knights, warnly) Because that's what it is. Right? Just a song. None of that happened.

Knights: Of course not, Sire.

Arthur: The training's canceled. You're dismissed.

Knights: (start leaving)

Arthur: Except Sir Ewan and Sir Innprudence.

Sir Ewan And Sir Innprudence: (stay while the others leave, nervous)

Arthur: For divulging confidential information, I send you to the dungeons indefinitily.

Sir Ewan And Sir Innprudence: (hung their head with shame) Yes, Sire.

Silence.

Arthur: So? What are you waiting for?

Sir Innprudence: (confused) Uh... We are waiting for you to call the guards, Sire.

Arthur: Don't you have legs?

Sir Ewan: Yes?

Arthur: Then go to the dungeons yourselfs. Just tell the jailer I sent you. And go straight ahead. If you dare to stray from the path or stretch the time I will know.

Sir Ewan: But Sire, that's quite...

Sir Innprudence: Embarrasing.

Arthur: That's part of the punishment. Now go.

Sir Ewan and Sir Innprudence: Yes, Sire 😞😞 (leave)

Arthur: (to Merlin) There, I solved it. 😊

Merlin: Solved what?

Arthur: I arrested the ones responsable for your predicament.

Merlin: And how arresting Sir Ewan and Sir Innprudence is going to stop people from believing I actually encountered a unicorn? In fact, with what you've done, you are just confirming that it happened! 😠

Arthur: ...

Arthur: Alright, I guess I can order for the song to be banned inmediatly.

Merlin: No! That's just going to make things worst.

Arthur: Then what do you want me to do?

Merlin: (lifting his arms, exasperated) Nothing, Arthur! 😡 You can't do nothing! (Leaves)

Arthur: (sighs) Well, at least he still calls me Arthur. (to a servant passing nearby) Hey! Do you know where I can hear "The Unicorn Catcher" song?

Time skip. In Gaius Tower. Merlin benting with Gaius.

Merlin: They even made a song. A song! Can you believe it? If I'm not a whore, then I'm a prude. Everyone especulates about my sex life like they don't have one theirselfs. And each rumor is always related to my relationship with Arthur. And he doesn't help! With his jokes about me being a girl and making everyone believe we actually have something. This is all Arthur's fault!

Gaius: I understand why you are so angry, my boy, but... Is it really all just Arthur's fault?

Merlin: ... What?

Gaius: I know you and Arthur are close and there's confidence between you two. But Arthur is still a Prince and sometimes you forget that. Yes, Arthur is at fault for favoring you too much, but that Arthur lets you push the limits doesn't mean you shouldn't have them.

Merlin: Arthur does not favor me.

Gaius: Yes he does, and you also abuse of that favor. Maybe not consciously, but you do. You proclaim you are nothing but his servant, but then you do things like complain to him in public. Infront of his Knights! You can't do things like that and expect people to believe there's nothing of other nature going on between you.

Merlin: So it's my fault then.

Gaius: I didn't say that.

Merlin: No, you're just saying people is right to think that way about me! That I given them very reason to!

Gaius: Why are so defensive, Merlin? You have never let what people say about you get to you before. From what Hunith told me, you've been called worst things back in Ealdor and you've never bother. Yet this particular comments about you and Arthur angers you to guts. Why?

Merlin: Because they talk without knowing! At least people in Ealdor weren't telling lies. I'm indeed a bastard. My mother had me out of marriage, that's true. They called freak. I could do magic since the day I was born and that's an anomaly in itself so that's true in a way too. Here my nicknames are based on falsehoods!

Gaius: So it's not that you hate what they're saying. You hate that what they are saying are lies

Merlin: Exactly!

Gaius: And why is that?

Merlin: What do you mean? Isn't that reason enough.

Gaius: Merlin, you don't hate rumors because they are lies. You hate them because they are not true.

Merlin: (backsaway due to the low blow) I... I don't know what you mean.

Gaius: Merlin-

Merlin: I have to go. "The Unicorn Catcher" has chores to do. (leaves)

Gaius: (sighs, to himself) He surely inherited your temper, Balinor.

Guard: (enters)

Gaius: Oh, how can I help you?

Guard: The King requests your presence at the throne room immediately.

...

CHAN CHAN CHAN! What do you think Uther wants to talk Gaius about?

And, yes, Merlin is being too insolent, but lets remember series 5 Merlin was way more insolent than series 1 Merlin and since this Arthur is more permisive with him he's taking more liberties than before and that might get him in trouble (spoiler?)

Did you like the unicorn catcher song? I'm sorry if it was to long, but I'm a theater kid I couldn't help myself.

Tell me in the comments ;)

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

owain/odin would be a fanfiction writer in a modern au and you cannot convince me otherwise

.

[fushigidane]

Personal skills for the awakening kids

i wish awakening had personal skills SO BAD it's not even funny.

anyway. i thought up some personal skills for the 2nd gen. these are all made within the context of 3h as that's the au that's been swimming about in my head for several weeks hence any reference to those mechanics but pls enjoy :) :)

lucina

gee, lucina, how come mum lets YOU bring the overpowered game mechanic to other games--

basically just the engage chain attack feature as lucina there is The Chain Attack Emblem. killassisting killstealing left and right. would serve really well with 3h's love of chunky hp monsters. the weapon durability aspect is kind of incentive to always have her equip falchion (3h regalia should NOT have limited durability and in THIS essay i will--) or a forged training weapon as the damage is fixed.

this probably could transfer to fateswakening where this would proc on top of normal dual strikes, but another option i thought up for her would be the ability to dual strike for anyone as long as the targeted enemy is within her movement range (i.e. she can dual strike without being adjacent to an ally)

owain

i wanted to make the fateswakening trio's skills distinct from their fates counterparts... though i wouldn't be able to use aching blood in a 3h setting anyway as it has no weapon naming feature. truly tragic.

this is probably self-explanatory: owain does extra damage when using any attack that has a name bc He Gets Excited. it would apply to each individual strike rather than the total damage number, and part of me wonders if this would make 3h-astra actually viable.

also, rip to like half the crests in 3h which have this exact effect but separate and worse since they're a non-guaranteed proc. we honour your sacrifice so owain could rise

inigo

3h's authority makes rally skills pretty easy to get, but the fact they only affect one unit means i barely use them and it makes me sad. inigo deserves his funky little rallies and he will GET his funky little rallies.

this skill would also apply to the stat boost from special dance (though not the dance effect itself).

not much else to say. i just think this skill is neat

brady

this is basically the skill stealth, which is otherwise exclusive to the thief/assassin/trickster classes in 3h. it puts the unit at the bottom of the priority list for enemy attacks so they will only be attacked if there are NO other viable targets.

great for a healing brady. i always put him in a support role so this is perfect for me. less great if you want brady to be a combatant as it limits what you can do on enemy phase, but you could still use it to your advantage

i just have this image of enemies seeing a healer on the battlefield, going to attack them, and then being hit by this Stare of Promised Violence that makes them back off and decide to attack,, idk. fucking dedue instead. and brady is sitting here confused bc he didn't do anything (it's just his normal face)

kjelle

She Will Not Be Knocked Over. armour too strong. 10/10. truly a GET DOWN MR PRESIDENT skill of all time, as she has earned

this skill means she takes the damage but doesn't get movement sealed or debuffed or anything after being hit by a gambit. Not Even The Force Of Ten Dozen Men Charging Will Faze You.

a fateswakening equivalent i considered would be preventing specifically armour-effective damage i.e. from hammers or armourslayers, so they just deal normal damage instead (or, in fates' case, the weapons get hit with the non-effective target debuff).

cynthia

basically a stronger but more situational variant of elise's and flayn's lily's poise. all about protecting the vulnerable, plays into her more sensible (read: comparative to owain) idea of heroism.

i personally like this a lot bc i always always go falcon knight cynthia (it feels better) and cynthia with a healer flavour... mwah.

i'm generally a massive fan of aura skills (i.e. buffs to allies within a certain range of a unit) and this is the type of skill that could definitely save your units after an unfortunate mistake

severa

THE COUNTERPART TO BERUKA'S PERSONAL THAT SELENA SHOULD HAVE HAD. NO I WILL NOT TAKE CRITICISM they did her SOOO dirty with her fates personal--

aside from being perfect personality-wise (she WILL prove she is better than others--), this also syncs well with most classes severa will find herself in. swords are pretty much wholly 1-range weapons, so are usually facing a counterattack, except the levin sword...but nobody is rushing to give her that. (she has a 10% MAG growth in awakening, which is quite literally the lowest available...)

i wanted to name this competitive but apparently that's takumi's personal skill name. so rude of him

gerome

local teenager fixates on dragons, more at 6

he's studied dragons + minervikins so hard he knows how to fight beside them in a way that lets them fight to the fullest. also he gets so secretly happy (and it is secret do not tell a soul) to be next to a dragon that he too fights better.

this would apply equally to wyvern units and units that are dragons in non-dragon classes e.g. a mage nah.

gerome <3

yarne

the original name of this skill was sudden brevity until i realised brevity does not mean what i clearly thought it did when i wrote it.

an improved version of strong riposte from fates. poor yarne spends so much time wanting to hide on player phase that any damage he is directed to deal is only mediocre, but when enemies attack HIM on ENEMY phase, he's like oh shit gotta survive--

DONT MESS WITH A BUNNY indeed :)

laurent

3h's limits on spell learning means this basically has a cap of +10 in the late game, but even that is still mega broken. this skill would serve as a really strong incentive to train his reason/faith in the early game and the extra power you get from learning spells would scale well as you progress further.

now that the meta is out the way, this skill is like when a character (not necessarily a fe one) gets a new skill in a game and there's this super exaggerated powerup sound effect and a victory quote, and you're just like... 'all you learned was how to wear heavier armour' but with THIS skill it's actually VALID

knowledge = power and also justification for laurent joining the cast of fodlan characters found near exclusively in the library

noire

it's a little criminal that awakening wasn't able to give us something that reflects noire's blood and thunder state in combat aside from her crit quotes, so this is what i came up with.

the more she fights, the more BLOOD AND THUNDER she gets.

it makes the most sense that her offense would be the one boosted, and even though she's an archer she can fill a good role as a mixed attacker (i WISH awakening had a shining bow), hence STR/MAG being boosted. i briefly considered SPD, but noire has one of the best base speed growths in the game anyway (before growth inheritance; she's on par with lon'qu and a speed-boon robin, and weirdly only beat out by PANNE with 55 base speed for some reason) so it'd be a little redundant when she already doubles everything

nah

this is based off that odd quirk of nah's where she always forgets she can turn into a dragon. i think of her support with f!morgan all the time, where she spends ages trying to learn how to catch a wyrmslayer and in the end realises it was a wasted effort bc she doesn't even fight in her human form and her dragon arms are too small to do what she learned.

"until engaging in combat" applies to combat initiated with nah on either player OR enemy phase. you'd have to have her avoid combat completely for this skill to build up. it would apply to offensive non-damaging magic e.g. silence, but wouldn't apply to healing, so nah could spend her time doing that.

this is a skill you need to dedicate yourself to using yourself, but in the hypothetical scenario where she's a boss, this skill is absolutely terrifying. especially if you took all the limiters off. it would actually make for a very fun map i think--the best fe maps are those that make you go on the offensive IMO, but that's not exactly what this post is about, so i'll move on.

f!morgan

i've made separate skills for the morgans because their supports are different enough that they feel like different characters to me, even if just slightly. it's why i always like them as twins.

what i wanted with the morgans is a skill that hints at what they were before losing their memory and joining the shepherds. for this one, though she is a wyvern lord in future past 2 she is a malig knight in my heart. they just hadn't yet invented malig knights when they made her. this skill is based on its lvl15 skill, savage blow. (to be clear, the 5 extra damage would also apply after combat).

this is a fun one that's good for crowd control and mopping up large groups of enemies, especially with the existence of 3h canto where you can just swoop out of enemy range after obliterating their movement.

it's a very fitting skill if you have morgan in, say, a wyvern class or even dark flier. but if you put her in a dainty little base pegasus knight class... the image of a fragile little pegasus that will fall to like two axes hunting people down is kind of hilarious. sorry morgy

m!morgan

last but not least, the son himself... likewise to f!morgan, i wanted this skill to reflect who he was before the shepherds. he's a sorcerer in the future past 1, which is why i wanted this skill to be dark magic based. both morgans having skills that debuff enemies is another intentional choice.

it's loosely based upon the -taker skills. this skill isn't as powerful as them (you get less stat per proc and the cap is smaller) but you can gain the boosts without delivering the killing blow and you have more variety in what boosts you can get. morgan tends to be a jack-of-all-trades like robin, so an all-round boost is good for him.

past morgan was probably pretty scary with this, but present morgan without a hint of memory now just goes around Yoinking enemy stats. Morgan Says Teehee Mine Now. as he should :)

[queer-ragnelle]

Since you're interested in Arthuriana as horror, I'm guessing you've read the wonderfully dopey-sounding Knights of the Living Dead and King Arthur vs Dracula?

Nope! I haven’t read either. I’m not a serialized comic book person at all. Nor am I really into crossovers.

What I’m truly yearning for from Arthurian horror are medlit focused retellings (ie: novels or films that take place in magical medieval times, not a reincarnation or loosely inspired au). I’m interested in survival/cosmic horror monster stories that elaborate on eldritch creatures like Twrch Trwyth or the Questing Beast, and supernatural horror with any fay-adjacent characters like the Lady of the Lake or the Green Knight, and psychological horror following a mad Lancelot or Tristan or Owain, and body horror Ragnelle’s curse, and definitely want Grail Quest with a variety of horror in it.

Sometimes these things do pop up—I’ve definitely encountered horror elements in Arthurian retellings many times before. No doubt the Grail Quest in Excalibur (1981) counts. Percival (and Arthur and Lancelot for that matter) didn’t go through all that to be overlooked.

But since those things are few and far between, (and often undercut by other narrative issues that sort of ruin any positives from the story), I’m doing it myself in my book series, Elegy of an Empire. It’s not strictly horror but it wouldn’t be misleading to refer to it so, particularly in certain pov. Different characters experience their existences in unique genres. Gawain is in an action adventure with a romance subplot, but many others are suffering through a psychological thriller populated by horrible eldritch monsters inducing existential crisis and resulting madness.

So anyway I really like the genre but I’m picky lol I was disappointed by The Green Knight (2021) and wish elements from that had been better handled. Oh well.

Take care!

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

FINALLY IT'S FUCKING DONE OH MY GOD

it took over 100 layers

and is apparently so big I can't upload it to tumblr. welp

it's all of our guys look at them

For those who haven't been here from the start, this is the full (excluding like three characters who never got a ref sheet afaik) list of characters for the Frankenstein sequel AU called From The Ship Logbooks that me and some of my mutuals have been playing around with for...

...three years in about a month.

And now for the first time I finally kicked myself into actually finishing a full reference sheet for the entire crew

Morten Bakken, Pierre D'Aboville, André Montmorency, Finn Olsen, Claude Roussel and Émile Doisneau belong to @pixelmuppet, Tristan Booker and Øyvind Pedersen belong to @mad-scientist-in-theory-2, Jack Corbyn, Lynx and Cadieux Auclaire belong to @the-gay-prometheus, Owain Rhys belongs to @aimless--jack, Winston Atkinson belongs to @dippydots, Tadgh Farrell belongs to @you-are-constance, Elias Golubev, Guy Renoir, Gustave Doisneau belong to @hermes-left-nut, Fintan O'Heaney, Martial Scott and Pierre Capret belong to @casual-owl, Nicu Boamos belongs to @hypo-critic-al, Valentine Laurent, Alexander Ivanov and Pierre Naudé belong to @severedfeetpics, Jacques Renoir and Johan Federssen belong to @corvidiss, Rune Hermansen, Mittens and Pierre Bellavoir belong to @twistedtriptych, Nikolai Antonov, Andrey Morozov and Enok Johansen belong to @a-model-of-propriety, Jens Aaberg belongs to @lordbrezel, the remaining characters were created in collab by me and @scarlet-being, and ofc Ernest Frankenstein, Robert Walton and Margaret Saville were created by Mary Shelley

*a single, quiet and exhausted wahoo*

[inkabelledesigns]

Here's the second part of my art fight attacks! I had such a fun time drawing all of these lovely characters, you guys have some great designs, and everyone was such a wonderful muse!

Coriander Mace @reanimationstation

Quill Quigley-Culicidae @ollietreetime

Vela @anju-ds

Mara @random-friendly-1ntrovert

Grant Cohen (Ghost AU) @bobzanotto

Owain ab Anwen @himochiart

Manny Richards @stopboorider

Prisma Knight @startistdoodles

Quinton @youronlydrpepper

Atlas Ranger @toby-ko

[onyxedskies]

tangled au where owain is rapunzel and cynthia is eugene

[dpsisquared]

HOPES verse awakening au

Future blue lion’s children making deal with Sothis to change the past before the TWSITD give the final strike to Faerghus.

Future crown prince taking the moniker Loog and working with his multiple siblings and other blue lion’s future children behind the scenes with the might of a TOKT speed runner to defeat Thales.

The plan was going back home after TWSITD was defeated permanently.

But after Thales is killed for good and they are patting each other in the back preparing to go back to their reality, they realize that they have bigger problems because while all the other blue lion’s parents are already planning their weddings and engagements Dimitri still has a middle schooler level of rizz.

(Dimileth children who are still masquerading as another regular family of mercenaries in the Faerghus camp watching King Dimitri pathetically pine over the ashen demon while she devours 12 steaks by herself.)

“Loog”: Why is he like this?!

Dimileth child #2: How did they have 7 children?! We are NEVER gonna be born.

Dimileth child #3: Do you think mother would share some of her steaks if we ask nicely?

“Loog”: THAT’S IT!! I AM GETTING UNCLE SYLVAIN INTO THIS!

Oh man A+++ idea nonny! I'm not great at OCs so I started assigning awakening kids to the blue lions but I ran out and went off the rails with the Dimileth kids 😂 I had to dip into my List of Welsh Names that I overuse.

Alexandre/Sasha - Dutiful Heir™️, holy knight, crest of flames, has the sword of the creator with the crest stone put back in

Morgan - (can't decide on a class, trickster? Assassin? Sniper?) wants to eat 12 steaks with mom, constantly gets older bro in trouble with his schemes. Somehow inherited Sothis

Sophie - pegasus knight, crest of Blaiddyd, breaks everything, desperate to impress dad even though he already thinks she's perfect, develops a crush on Ingrid (who is mortified)

Twins - Rhys (bishop) scholar/healer, doesn't understand why everyone is always training, maids find him asleep in the library, and Rhiannon (used royal clout to get certified as a female war master) weapon fanatic, always looking for a fight, kicked Felix in the balls to win a fight once (he was proud)

Ellis (El) - has never done anything wrong in his life, his feet have never touched the ground, accidentally followed his siblings into the portal and now Jeralt and Seteth argue over who gets to carry him around Jeralt: he's my grandson! Seteth: your daughter is feral, I raised a damn saint!)

And the other kids, assigned by mom like in awakening so it would be ship blind. For slash ships, either they have two or one is born by surrogacy for a couple that can't have their own!

Ingrid - Severa

Annie - Laurent

Mercie - Owain

Byleth - Morgan

Lysithea - Noire

Marianne - Cynthia

Hilda - Inigo

Petra - Gerome

Flayn - Nah

Shamir - Yarne

Catherine - Kjelle

Constance - Brady