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ms-scarletwings · 10 months ago

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Dave the Diver: On Aberrations

Between a scattering of recently discovered islands rests a jewel of paradise, mystery, and a hint of exotic danger. The famous Blue Hole has found a name for itself among the most envied tourist destinations among the world, with a gorgeous view, thrills to experience, and rich natural resources… but on a day like this, the scene has become anything but recognizable as the bustling hub described. That is because a ponderous fog has decided to linger over the lagoon by the time my vessel reaches port.

Despite the warm weather, I could feel my hairs standing on end from the very moment the clouds had enveloped our ship. Aside from the occasional day like this, fog horns would usually be a rare sound to hear across the bay. Since the discovery of the area, vacationers have enjoyed a tropical climate punctuated by mild storms. It all paints a picture so drastically unlike the eerie one I have pursued to this end. By sunset, I know that the white mist outside will give way to a crimson haze. With it, begins the investigation into the unusual animals only spotted on previous fogged nights: What familiar aberrants have made their way to the region, what are they capable of, and to where they fit within the additional puzzle of Blue Hole’s astounding ecosystem.

The Fog Coast, Part One

The hour is roughly 10pm, and “Blue” Hole has turned to a sight otherworldly. Thick, red vapors and an eerie silence hang in place of what was a starlight sky over the whistles of dolphins a mere night ago. The locals claim that the lagoon is an inscrutable locale, whose underwater geography both hosts an impossible collection of species and undergoes rapid, unexplained changes every few hours. On a night of crimson fog, it has been made enigmatic even from the surface view. Rocks easily seen by daylight make sailing close to the shorelines a hazardous endeavor along a coast with no lighthouse or other navigational indicators. It is a coastal venture treacherous, but also rewarding, for much more hides under these waves than the rocks. A watery gyre is barely seen at the edge of shiplight, and at its core, I have heard there can be found treasures far more interesting than mere gold.

• Encyclopedia Entry No. 83, 84

[Testimony of a local fisherman]

“Now it’s not unusual for cod to happen up close to the shores at night. Obviously, I was hoping for it or I wouldn’t have been fishing in that stuff, but there was something else going on with these fish. Something not right. They weren’t taking to the bait, but they just kept coming up closer. Like they were trying best they could to get up on my ankles without getting stranded. Almost like they see someone standing on the beach and that’s all they’re interested in. Not that I let them, but they got close enough to tell something ugly about them. The only thing I managed to get hooked snapped my line before I could figure out what I was even looking at, other than big teeth and nasty looking eyes.“

Analysis: Our first descriptive cases of mutated cod corroborated with archived specimens from off the coast of Greater Marrow. Though there are instances where residents have managed to capture these codfish whole and live, no success has been found in attempting to keep them or any other mutated fish in captivity, due to their propensity to die shortly after they are harvested from the ocean. The two ‘flavors’ of tainted cod found here include the Fanged and Three-Headed variants, with no cases of hypertrophy. Their behavior has observed to feature heightened predatory behavior, to the point of stalking and testing large animals as oppurtunistic targets. They approach sluggishly at first, and lunge to close distances. They pose some hazard to swimmers, notably the unarmed, but can be reeled or netted as readily as any scrod. The three-headed cods are generally larger than the fanged variant, and both can be found close to the surface during a fog night.

• Encyclopedia Entry No. 79, 80

[We join the crew of a commercial trawler, company left unnamed to permit this revord of the onboard operations. As the ship coasts upon the outskirts of one of the smaller outcrops, fishermen gather at the fresh haul to do their work. Mackerel from all global ranges and climates incredulously line the deck of the vessel, meticulously sorted into an array of containers. One worker calls out as an unusual sight is plucked from the pile- a brown shiner with half a dozen too many eyes for an average fish. The bosun indicates for me a specific container the individual is packed into. What I find there is a collection of similar wretches, scales still twitching and mouths gasping wet with a shimmering fluid.]

“We don’t actually come across that many of them in the nets. One for about every hundred of the healthy ones. Their meat is considered tainted and has to be separated from the catch, but we aren’t allowed to return them to the environment either. They’ll stay on ice for now, later today they’ll be dropped off with a merchant who’s agreed to handle the… disposal.”

Analysis: In spite of the sheer diversity of mackerel to be seen at Blue Hole, these turned pacific mackerel are the only shared species between Greater Marrow and this living collection in such regard. Specifically, the Many-Eyed and Grotesque mackerels found in shallower coastal water. Like most aberrants, they are prone to agitation and exhibit territorial, if not predatory aggression at first contact. Like all aberrations, their blood runs a purple hue, and their sightings dry up once the fog has dissipated.

• Encyclopedia Entry No. 91, 92

[Shared anecdote from a lionfish diver]

“You have to really love a place like Blue Hole to do what I do. A lot of people don’t think of lionfish as an invasive species here, but they can do real damage to reefs where they’re not native, and ours are no exception. Worse still is that they’re far more aggressive here than anywhere else in the world, and not any less venomous. I thought if anyone was prepared to do a part in protecting local animals from these new pests, why not me? And yeah, I bagged a few. I speared things with a few too many eyes, a few too many heads, a few too many teeth. I found these great big ugly fish with no eyes at all that still would come right at you. And then I saw a… thing. The thing, Reason I don’t go night diving anymore. Came out of the dark like a ghost, black bones and green light. It didn’t look like something that should have even been real. I was lining a shot up and I felt like my arm had taken a lion’s barb. I didn’t even know what happened, that thing sparked, and I felt pure pain pulse through half of my body. Everything was panic after that. Panic to get back up and the hell out of the water. Fingers were still tingling almost until morning. All I know that I know is, I’m sticking to day hunting.”

Analysis: What’s to be expected was found in observation of the Tusked grouper. Despite their blindness, they show no hesitance to begin tracking and pursuing any nearby disturbance of water they sense. While their sole offensive boast is a strong mouth full of elongated teeth, the Voltaic variant wields a far less conventional weapon. When approached to a range of a couple of meters, it is capable of discharging a potent shock. Likely, this is utilized both as a defensive and hunting technique, similar to the currents produced by an electric eel. Similar accounts have attested to this stunning capability, reporting temporary paralytic effects from direct contact with the fish. Mechanism of this ability remains unknown. Especial caution recommended in presence of Voltaic grouper, not only for the risk of attack, but also from the drowning hazard posed by their stray arcs.

#aberrant fish #dave the diver #Dave the diver dlc #dredge game #grotesque fish #scarlet talks about things #grotesque mackerel #fanged cod #many eyed mackerel #three headed cod #tusked grouper #voltaic grouper #dredge fanfic #sorta kinda??????#long post

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grailfinders · 1 year ago

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Grailfinders #328: Mysterious Ranmaru X

today on Grailfinders, we’re combining gudaguda and the servantverse into one dangerous Mysterious Ranmaru X-shaped cocktail. she’s an Echo Knight to sword while you sword, and an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer to get some cool servantverse tech and a sword to ride around on.

check out her build breakdown below the cut, or aer character sheet over here!

next up: how to marry your dragon

Race and Background

for once we can ignore the “yeah they’re technically magical copies now but they used to be human” thing we deal with with every other servant since MRX comes from the Servantverse, meaning she’s 100% not a human at all! they’re from space, and xe has PTSD from Nobu’s actual death, which would make her at least 450 years old, so calling him an Astral Elf isn’t too far off. you kind of live forever, but more importantly for gameplay you learn Dancing Lights which uses your Charisma, you have Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, which helps against being charmed, Perception proficiency, a bonus action teleport thanks to Starlight Step for sick swordboarding moves, and you can fall into an Astral Trance instead of sleeping. it’s like normal trance, but you get a proficiency for the day when you do it. all that, plus you get +2 Dexterity and +1 Charisma!

also, you’re a Far Traveler (space edition), giving you proficiency in Insight and Arcana.

Ability Scores

first, Charisma. advanced sci-fi tech is normally intelligence, but servantverse stuff is just based on what sounds cool at the moment. like literally, the whole universe has seasons and episodes, their tech might literally run on phlebotinum. second highest is Dexterity. balancing on a literal sword’s edge is hard, let alone one that can fly. also, I hate to bring this up every time, but you don’t wear armor. third is Constitution. you don’t seem particularly tough, but you’re good at saving against flashbangs, and that’s usually constitution. your Intelligence is a bit lower than I’d like. yeah, you’re goofy, but you’re “hyper-advanced sci-fi universe” goofy. this means your Strength is only average. B rank strength is great, but it’s hard to get leverage while you’re floating, y’know? that means we’re dumping Wisdom. not only are you a gudaguda, but you literally half-blind yourself at all times.

Class Levels

1. Fighter 1: starting off, you’re a fighter. you have the eye of a ranmaru! this means in addition to rising up straight to the top, you can use a Second Wind once a short rest to regain some HP as a bonus action. you also get a Fighting Style, and Blind Fighting lets you get away with wearing an eyepatch in a combat zone. now you’re always aware of any unseen creatures within 10’ of you unless they’re hiding. I assume this is also why you were able to lead Guda out of the flashbang with no issue, but maybe that’s why you have an eyepatch?

you also get proficiency in Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Acrobatics and Athletics. being a 16th century warlord is a pretty physical job! and so is being a ranmaru, I assume.

2. Fighter 2: second level fighters get an Action Surge, so now you can make two actions in a turn once a short rest. now you can sword while you sword!

3. Fighter 3: I thought a lot about how to make it so you can attack from multiple angles at once, and also how to make a flying sword, and eventually I decided to keep things simple and go Kuroko mode with the Echo Knight. you can send your longsword off to stab people when you Manifest Echo, but it can only take one point of damage before coming back to you. that being said, there’s no limit to how many times you can send it out, so it’s no big loss. while it’s out and about, you can Unleash Incarnation Constitution Modifier times a day to attack an extra time as an attack action, as long as said attack is from the spot of your echo.

4. Fighter 4: fourth level fighters get their first Ability Score Improvement. Improve your Dexterity, and you’ll get hit less and do hit more! win/win!

5. Fighter 5: fifth level fighters get an Extra Attack every attack action, so now you can attack up to five times in a turn, using your action surge and unleash incarnation. that’s not quite the macross missile massacre you use in your NP, but it’s respectable!

6. Fighter 6: our last level of fighter is another ASI, this one to bump up your Charisma.

7. Sorcerer 1: you’ve got a floating sword, now you just need eye lasers, an NP, and the ability to ride it. and for that reason, we’re turning to spellcasting once again. as an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer, you get Spells you can cast with Charisma, but some of them are also Psionic Spells. these are bonus spells, and while we don’t use them too often, I’ll bring them up if they’re in-character. you can also replace the ones you don’t like with other divination or enchantment spells.

finally, you get some futuristic walkie-talkies via Telepathic Speech. mark someone nearby, and then you can speak to each other in your minds up to four miles away, and it lasts for a number of minutes equal to your sorcerer level, or if you hand a commlink to another person.

but, you still get spells normally, and those we can choose. grab Booming Blade and Sword Burst to space up your swordplay, Message for another walkie-talkie, Friends to be ranmaru-shaped, and Feather Fall because you’re already floating. finally, you get Ray of Sickness for your very first eyebeam! it’s not super strong, but it’s a start!

8. Sorcerer 2: second level sorcerers become a Font of Magic, giving you Sorcery Points that you can turn into spell slots and vice-versa. just know that you don’t get as many points from destroying slots as you need to make them, so right now this pretty much just gives you an extra slot to cast something like Magic Missile. while this fits the aesthetic of your NP, it’s not nearly the right power level yet, but again- it’s a start.

9. Sorcerer 3: third level sorcerers get Metamagic, two ways of spending sorcery points to add some flair to your spells. or remove it, in the case of Subtle Spells. with that, you can remove all external tells of magic- no verbal or somatic components, and you just need to have the materials on you to cast it. you can also use Extended Spells, doubling the duration of a spell for ease of use.

spells like Calm Emotions from your psionics to get in good with the ruling class, or Warp Sense. despite sounding like something that happens every gudaguda, this spell just lets you sense nearby portals. getting you out of the multiverse is a long-term goal, but finding a portal lying around would speed things up a lot!

10. Sorcerer 4: Fourth level sorcerers get their own ASI, and grabbing a feat like Telekinetic is cool. while you can’t attack easily this way, it does give you access to mage hand, so at least you can start lifting your sword yourself.

you can also cast Air Bubble now. it might be jumping the gun, but riding through space on a sword probably isn’t easy for people that need to. you know, breathe. now you don’t have to worry about that.

11. Sorcerer 5: fifth level sorcerers get Magical Guidance, letting you spend a sorcery point to get advantage on any skill check. but I’d rather spend points casting Melf’s Minute Meteors, which creates a bunch of swords that float around you, and every turn you can fire a few off to explode your enemies. still a bit slower than I’d want for your NP, but it’s getting there!

(also your psionic spell Sending is pretty good. it’s basically another walkie-talkie)

12. Sorcerer 6: sixth level aberrant mind sorcerers have Psionic Sorcery- now whenever you cast a psionic spell you can either cast it with a spell slot as normal or by spending sorcery points, with the latter removing all components for the spell as long as they aren’t consumed. you also have Psychic Defenses, giving you resistance to psychic damage and being frightened.

there’s not much else we want at level three, but we can still go back and grab a spell we missed. Alter Self is what makes a ranmaru a ranmaru, letting you change gender pretty much whenever you want.

13. Sorcerer 7: seventh level sorcerers get fourth level spells like Confusion! that one’s practically not even magic, it’s just the general effect gudaguda tends to have on people. if you hang on to nobu’s head you can also make mini nobus with Summon Aberration.

14. Sorcerer 8: eighth level sorcerers get another ASI, and this one makes you a Scion of Elemental Air. with this, you can cast Minor Illusion using your charisma for a hologram, but more importantly you can use the Wind’s Glide to fly for a turn. you’re a little shaky, but you’re finally riding your sword! you can use this ability proficiency times a day.

you also gain access to your penultimate eyebeam, Raulothim’s Psychic Lance! with this, you can target a creature you can see, or even one you can name within range- this forces an intelligence save, and if they fail they take psychic damage and become incapacitated for a round.

15. Sorcerer 9: ninth level sorcerers get fifth level spells, and for once we like everything we have- Rary’s Telepathic Bond is basically a group chat, and Telekinesis lets you lift up a sword with you on it. alternatively, you can use our chosen spell Freedom of the Winds to fly instead. with this you gain a flying speed of 60’, and you have advantage against being grappled, restrained, or paralyzed. you’re one of the few servants that can properly take on Tlaloc, and this is why. also, you can end the spell early by using it to teleport out of the way of an attack.

16. Sorcerer 10: there’s one last thing we need for this build to be complete- a way to get to the regular world. to train up to that, grab Far Step for some teleportation for up to a minute. you can also cast Distant spells to double their range, though that doesn’t help here.

17. Sorcerer 11: okay, I lied- one more eyebeam. I mean can you blame me? Disintegrate is pretty cool! it deals a ton of damage if it hits, and can instakill anything knocked out by it in a way that makes resurrection pretty hard to do.

18. Sorcerer 12: with this last ASI, you can round up your Constitution for more HP and unleashed incarnations and your Charisma for stronger spells.

19. Sorcerer 13: finally, with seventh level spell slots in hand, you can Plane Shift to go join your master in the regular world. I mean, right now it’s just a cue ball, but it’ll be regular eventually. probably.

20. Sorcerer 14: there is one more way to ride a sword I wanted to grab- the spells and feats are cool, but they lack longevity. once you learn the Revelation in Flesh, you can fly to your heart’s content! by spending a sorcery point as a bonus action, you can fly and hover for ten minutes at a time. you can spend more points for more bonuses, but those aren’t in character. I’m pretty sure, at least. I don’t remember ranmaru becoming a slime monster at any point.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

being able to fly is always huge when it comes to avoiding damage, especially when you’re playing a character with ranged attack options. flight completely negates the threat of a lot of enemies, and seriously reduces the danger of many more.

you have access to all sorts of instant communication options that work over extreme distances- being in contact with whoever just ran off and split the party can be super helpful! and when they inevitably die it’s entertaining as well!

you also come packing a lot of way to ignore or resist common debuffs used to neutralize casters. silence doesn’t matter because you have subtle spell. paralysis doesn’t matter for the same reason, taking all your gear won’t stop you because you have psionic spells, etc. the point is, if you want to cast something, it’s not easy to stop you from doing it.

Cons:

all sorcerers burn through sorcery points fast, but you’re burning the candle at both ends- you’ve got metamagic, sure, but you’re also eating most of your points in one go every time you use psionic spells. while you can cast anything anywhere, it’s best to practice discretion.

you also use a Sword, which negates your flight since you’ll have to enter melee range to do most of your damage.

you use your bonus action both for a ton of spells and to summon your echo knight, which dies real damn fast. that means you’ll often have to choose between using the spell you spend a high level slot on or keeping your distraction alive, and having to choose between features isn’t that fun.

#fgo #fate grand order #mysterious ranmaru x #dnd 5e #D&D #Fighter #sorcerer

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flybykime · 3 months ago

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The Last Night on the Moon

"My Dear Starlight, Long we have waited for this day - since the stars went awry on the Little Moon's birth. We always knew one of us would be called upon to ensure one of our colts would see another sunrise. You were right of course. The stars called too strongly and the gods were far too fickle. But oh, how brightly the young ones shine even now! I hope they can forgive me my impulsiveness one more time. I am so proud…. Curse the sky pin and think of me. ~ Enigrim"

From the last known writing of Enigrim Shadowander, Knight Seneschal of Bloodstone & member of the Companions of the Noble Heart

My aberrant/celestial sorcerer gnome/svirfneblin from the last campaign we finished. An adaptation of the 2E Bloodstone campaign that goes to level 100 because you need to kill Orcus. Enigrim was a strange from the jump and only got stranger the more time passed. He has extendo limbs and so many eyes and just wanted to reach the stars. Then he basically adopted a centaur and a pixie (who had been human), married a different centaur, and had a child who was marked by Selune.

Needless to say, a TIME was had. (lol)

Ultimately, he made it thru the fight with Orcus but sacrificed himself removing a wasting curse from his pixie not-son. He felt immense guilt over accidentally becoming supernaturally evil - the one thing he'd sworn to avoid since childhood - and was certain this was his duty. Trying to say goodbye in the last few hours before the rest of the party had to go wound Tiamet to ensure the death of Orcus led to some great RP with everyone else, including the short letter above which Enigrim handed to his best friend to deliver.

#dnd character #my art #art #gnome #space #yes i made myself sad #whoops

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blu3-1mp0st0r-v2 · 3 months ago

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more statuses of characters in the Blackening:

Max - uninfected - immune

Pretty Bomber - uninfected - not immune

Mighty - infected - Stage 1 and 2

Birdy - uninfected - immune

Shout - uninfected - immune

Ferabon - infected - Stage REALISM

Kaizokubon - uninfected - immune

Parakeebon - infected - Stage 2

Starlight Bomber - uninfected - not immune Aberrant - uninfected - immune the

Hige-Hige bandits - uninfected - immune

#bomberman au #bomberman jetters

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mysticstarlightduck · 6 months ago

Note

❗- What are the highest priorities to this oc (at a point in their life of your choosing)?

✨ - Tell something that makes this oc feel happy!

⚡ - Does this oc have any unusual or “irrational” fears?

- for OC of your choice (emojis OC ask game) 🙂

Thank you so much for the ask, @diabolical-blue! I'll answer for a few of my OCs namely Jack Tithus and Deimos Soll (Supernova Initiative), Kane Mylestrom and Orianna Whisperleaf (Song of Thorns), and Kyran Mavven and Eidan Delythen (Of Starlight and Beasts).

❗- What are the highest priorities to this OC (at a point in their life of your choosing)?

(Supernova Initiative)

Jack Tithus

Keeping his younger sister and his friends safe and happy

Rebelling against the Junction through his heists

Being free and fighting for a better future

Deimos Soll

Being rich and powerful so as to never feel neglected again

Redeeming himself to his old crew and friends

Getting far away from the woman who tortured him and tried to brainwash him

(Song of Thorns)

Kane Mylestrom

Perfectionism, never making a mistake again, being the best

Keeping his promise to his late best friend (of keeping said best friend's sibling safe)

Having revenge against the nobles who betrayed him

Orianna Whisperleaf

Seeing the world, learning new things, and having an adventure

Being a worthy apprentice and joining a druid coven

Making her adoptive mother proud and upholding her legacy

(Of Starlight and Beasts)

Kyran Mavven

Leaving his old self behind and having a new life far from the wrongs and mistakes he made

Having a perfect reputation and being an alchemist of renown

Being respected and admired

Eidan Delythen

Redeeming his family name and becoming someone better than the shadow of his relatives' mistakes

Running from his past and all the pain it caused

Hunting down the aberrations created by the Crimson Queen's curse and protecting the realm

✨ - Tell something that makes this OC feel happy!

(Supernova Initiative)

Jack Tithus

Watching movies with his little sister, and having fun together

Having a successful heist and being able to disturb the Junction's plans in some way

Drinking hot chocolate and flying his spaceship around

Deimos Soll

Reading a good book alone

Playing video games, especially when he can win

Training his sniper abilities and throwing darts

(Song of Thorns)

Kane Mylestrom

Winning duels/jousts and generally showing off his skill and battle prowess

Having free time to enjoy parties/taverns and generally be chaotic

Being complimented/praise for an achievement or be respected

Orianna Whisperleaf

Being around nature, feeling the magical energy that exists within it, playing with animals

Learning spells, potions, and hexes, helping her adoptive mother around her enchanted cottage

Seeing new places and learning more about the world and the people within it

(Of Starlight and Beasts)

Kyran Mavven

Working on his inventions, creating new gadgets, being in the vanguard of magical sciences

Memories of his past when he and his brothers were still friends with one another, before everything happened

Helping people with his inventions

Eidan Delythen

Being able to protect the common folk from monsters and war

Listening to good bardic music

Sewing and embroidering

⚡ - Does this oc have any unusual or “irrational” fears?

(Supernova Initiative)

Jack Tithus - Insectophobia (fear of insects)/Nyctophobia (fear of the dark, mild in his case)

Deimos Soll - Claustrophobia (fear of tight/small spaces)

(Song of Thorns)

Kane Mylestrom - Aichmophobia (fear of needles)

Orianna Whisperleaf - Autophobia (fear of being completely alone)

(Of Starlight and Beasts)

Kyran Mavven - Coulrophobia (fear of clowns)

Eidan Delythen - Thalassophobia (fear of the ocean and its creatures, mild in his case)

#wip song of thorns #wip supernova initiative #wip of starlight and beasts #ask games!#asked and answered #writers on tumblr #writerblr #writers #my wips #character writing #writing #my characters #my writing #writeblr

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moonlightrei · 8 months ago

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Cloud of Daggers Chapter 3 - Freezing

Chapter 3 is out now! Click here to read on AO3 or read below. You can find the other chapters on tumblr via the Cloud of Daggers tag.

Relationship: Astarion/Tav (or reader) Tags: Angst, Pining, Post-Canon, Aberrant Mind Sorcerer Tav, minor shadowzel, Fluff (currently in memories), others to be added Word count: 3.6k

Freezing. Biting cold swept through you, your skin cracking into splinters, your blood crystallising into slivers of ice that tore through your insides. You tried to cry out, but your lungs had frozen solid. Choking only threatened to shatter your organs into pieces, the pressure building within your hardened tissue as you struggled, your thrashing coming to a still as you were made thoroughly rigid.

“You return to us.” Bleariness left your vision, and you could see Halsin hovering above you as you shivered, concern etched into his brow.

You brought your hand up to your head to rub the ache that pounded behind your eyes, struggling at first as you worked the stiffness from your fingers.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” you croaked. With nightmares as intense as yours, it would have been of little surprise to learn your sleep was outwardly unsettled too.

“Nonsense,” replied Halsin, shaking his head. “I rise with the sun. But tell me - what troubles you, friend?”

You rubbed your hands together, eager to warm them from the chill that seemed to leak from your dream. The ring on your left hand shone softly with starlight, a sound focal point to stare at as you steadied your breathing and calmed yourself.

“You are learned,” you began, your stomach twisting in discomfort at the prospect of sharing. Perhaps Halsin could offer some insight into your problem. “What do you know of Sildëyuir?” The wood elf sat back a little, his gaze shifting away from you as he considered your words.

“The home of the Ruar'Tel'Quessir,” he said. “One half of your family hails from there, I would assume. I may be three and a half centuries old, but even I do not remember a time before the Nilshai invaded the plane. What relation does this have to your night terrors?”

“I don’t know,” you said truthfully. “I was there, in Sildëyuir, when I was a babe. I hardly remember it.” You slid the ring off your hand, passing it between your palms to keep your hands occupied. “I can’t help but wonder if my time there has any bearing on my troubles. On my gifts.” Halsin was looking at you steadily, taking in everything you were willing to divulge. He was a good listener.

“I would be lying if I said I had never wondered about your abilities,” he said gently. You thought back to the assault on Last Light Inn, the hushed murmurs between your companions after you had unleashed the power you had tried so desperately to hide, it being necessary to protect everyone present. Your head had tipped back, your skin, hair and remaining eye shining with magic as you tore open an aperture to the far realm, darkness and chill seeping out of it to take hold of your enemies. The cries of twisted creatures filled the room, whispers and screams all at once that only you could comprehend.

It had been the right decision to act, you were sure of it. Last Light remained a bastion of hope, and the tiefling refugees were safe once more. Yet the looks of fear from your friends had been difficult to ignore, a splinter of ice driven into your heart that made a fine reminder of why it was easier to ignore your so-called gifts.

You had sat alone at the campfire that night, knees pulled up to your chest as you recounted the events over and over. Perhaps sticking to fire magic would have been better, more acceptable.

Silently, Astarion had made his way over to you, seating himself beside the fire without a word.

The two of you had remained like that, in quiet company, for some time. You had stared at the flames as though they could have swallowed you up and taken you away, nullified the rejection that stung so much.

“You’re going to burn through your surviving retina if you keep that up,” Astarion had broken the silence. “I’m sure the replacement that fool Volo gave you is useful, but that’s no excuse to ruin your own. Besides, the violet is quite fetching.”

You had remained silent and tucked your chin in to rest on your knees, your gaze set on the ground to comply with his words.

“Come now, darling. If that bunch can deal with a Shar worshipper, a vampire, and a man with an explosive ball inside his chest, do you really think having some slightly unorthodox abilities is going to be an issue?” You had continued to ignore him. Their absence was indication enough of how they felt. He had stood up, to leave, you had assumed, but instead he had walked around to kneel on your other side, placing himself firmly in your line of vision.

“It was impressive. Believe me, we need all the help we can get with this Absolute nonsense. I, for one, am delighted.”

You wanted to believe him, desperately. If he was telling the truth, or even if he wasn’t, there was nothing to lose by indulging yourself in that fantasy.

“And what of this?” you asked, though your lips did not move, and no sound came from your throat.

“That... That wasn’t the tadpole, was it?” Astarion said steadily, his face betraying surprise for only a moment before he plastered on a reassuring smile. “But no matter. In a group of tadpole-infested people such as us, conversing through our heads is hardly special now, is it? Hells, if it’s only speech then it’s even less unusual than our current capabilities. Though I would wager people would prefer you stick to the boundaries we have in place already and not use it without asking first.”

You had nodded slowly, feeling a speck better.

“Personally, I have no issue with getting to hear your lovely voice more.”

“ Really? ” you spoke into his head once more.

“ Really. ” A telepathic reply. No one had ever responded to you using your link before. Children had run crying when you had asked them to play as a youth, townsfolk had screamed that there was something wrong with you, but not a single person had ever answered in kind.

Your companions had fallen back into the comfortable dynamic you had fostered in time, doubtless with a little persuasion from a certain elf. You had gotten more confident in using your psionic talents around others, though you were more careful in Baldur’s Gate itself. No one had to know that the telekinesis you used to rebuild the city was an aspect of something greater than simple sorcery.

As Astarion’s need for boundaries and choice became apparent, you had finally found a use for your shamed skill.

“ May I hold your hand ?” you would ask.

“ Of course ,” would come the reply, and you would interlink your fingers with his just as you had entwined your minds, the innocent touch a source of joy for both of you as you traversed the perilous paths of the shadow-cursed lands.

“I am no expert,” Halsin said, pulling you back to present day. There were no pale fingers wrapped in yours. Only your ring sat in your palm. “But I would not think it unlikely that your strengths and difficulties could be connected. However, I suspect there could be another reason for these nightmares, as I do not recall them being an issue when I travelled alongside you previously.” He was right. “Though your abilities are beyond my understanding, I believe there may be a simpler answer for your disrupted sleep. I notice a companion is missing from your side. Your magic does not make you immune to emotions.”

You sighed, slipping the ring back in place.

“If only it did,” you said. To your surprise, Halsin chuckled.

“You don’t mean that.” He smiled. “Shake off this icy exterior; it is not you. I am certain that if you dwell on your memories, although it may ache a little, you will find happiness. To have had that, and to miss it, is a privilege.”

Halsin was wise, you knew, having not been archdruid without reason. You would do well to heed his advice, of course, but you wanted to scream and cry, to shut out reason in favour of a fountain of the very emotion you claimed to detest. It would achieve little, but wouldn’t it be nice, be easy, to do the wrong thing for once? To care not for how you should behave and surrender yourself to heartache, to misery and to rage.

Lae’zel returned to camp, her wet hair indicating she had found a place to bathe. She gently picked up the night orchid, inspecting it carefully to check it was still up to her standards. Her face was soft, relaxed, a stark contrast from the aggressive githyanki you had once known. You felt the familiar pressure of tears bleeding into your eyes. Halsin was so right, it hurt. The beauty of feeling was all around, and you could continue in the bittersweet melancholy that held you too.

“I saw Withers before we met with you yesterday,” you told him. “His words did not fill me with hope. I think that I will be continuing with this privilege of missing my happiness permanently.”

“Withers is a being that I will not pretend to understand. What I have established, though, is that he speaks in riddles. I would not be so quick to assume you are doomed.” He placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, squeezing gently.

The information that Withers had bestowed upon you had seemed especially clear cut to you. You were certain that Halsin would agree if you repeated the words, but Astarion’s potential lack of soul was likely not the type of thing you should be sharing.

“Perhaps you are right,” you said, knowing it to be false.

You packed up your things and continued on your way. Time passed quickly, the city growing closer and closer on the horizon despite your urge to slow your paces. Maybe you would visit the palace today, you thought. The idea had your stomach churning, but you figured if you were going to worry about returning to the city anyway, you might as well tick off another task that you were putting off.

Perhaps your relationship was not as tattered as you thought, you dared to wonder. It could be that you had obsessed over it, as you had a tendency to do, and made it into something much greater and more terrible than it truly was. Maybe Withers’ suggestion that he was soulless simply meant that he was in low spirits. Maybe he spent his days yearning for you, pacing the halls and worrying that you had abandoned him. Maybe you would walk into the castle and be met with your love, eager to see you and comforting. You would embrace and share a gentle kiss, before he would take your hand and lead you to comfortable furniture on which you would recount your journey, telling him excitedly about Lae’zel’s affections whilst he gazed at you lovingly, hanging onto every word you said.

Yes, you resolved. You would go to him this night. You ignored the shiver that ran through your bones as you tried to convince yourself that you truly believed it would be good to be in his presence.

It was nearing dinner time when you reached Baldur’s Gate, so you and your party headed straight for the tents where you knew people would be gathering for food. Shadowheart and Gale were busying themselves distributing rations when you arrived, the portions appearing meagre compared to when you had seen them last.

Children skipped around you as you grew closer, enthusing about how impressive your armour looked and asking Halsin why he was so tall. Despite his reservations on the city, the wood elf seemed immediately at ease with entertaining the children and set himself up where you had played storyteller previously, commanding the attention of the gaggle of younglings as they waited for their food.

You joined Gale in serving the meals, allowing Shadowheart a break from her duties. Mae was absent, you noticed, though you were swiftly distracted by the sight of Lae’zel and the object of her affections chatting in a corner, Shadowheart with a great smile across her face as the warrior presented her with the night orchid. A deft kiss on the cheek was given in return, and then the cleric hurried off with the bloom, presumably to find a safe place to store it.

Lae’zel turned to look at you from across the room with a giddy grin.

The sun sat heavy in the sky as you collected scraped-clean bowls. The people remained absorbed by Halsin, and you looked over to the palace. You could just remain here until the refugees settled in for the night, then return home to take your potion and sleep, and gods was that idea tempting. Yet the picture you had painted of Astarion sitting alone, wondering if you simply didn’t care for him anymore, tugged at your heartstrings too violently to allow you to retire for the night, even if you were sure that it was just make-believe.

You slipped out from the gathering whilst your disappearance would go unnoticed, knowing that the longer you waited to leave, the less likely it was that you would follow through with your plan.

The path to the palace ran by your home, and you lingered outside your door for a moment, considering if entering to drop off some of your belongings would lead to you abandoning your objective. You stared at the wooden door, shifting your weight between your feet, and finally elected to go inside. You worked quickly, not wanting to lose your nerve, and placed down your equipment and bag, checking yourself quickly in the mirror.

Tired eyes met yours, but you had expected that. You slipped your armour off, worried it might give the wrong impression, and smoothed out the wrinkles in the simple shirt you had been wearing underneath. It would do, you concluded.

You paced along the path up to the palace, the red sky tinging the city rouge in the dying light.

Standing before the imposing entrance, you bit at the dry skin on your lips. You remembered the first time you had stood here, taking Astarion’s hand and gently reminding him that he didn’t have to do this, that you could all walk away now and never go near Cazador and his house of torture again.

You reached out and pushed. Unexpectedly, the grand door swung open silently, almost more unnerving than a prolonged, eerie creak would have been. You stepped gingerly into the abode, candlelight flickering as you shut the door behind you. The flames illuminated the atrium well, and you could see that not a soul was present.

You continued down corridors in search of your target, your footsteps disconcertingly loud in the hush of the manor. If it hadn’t been for the candles, you might have concluded that the dwelling was abandoned.

After wandering for what felt like a lifetime, you stopped in your tracks at a sound so soft you might have missed it had your ears not been straining to hear any sign of life.

You swallowed, your throat suddenly rather dry, and turned slowly to look behind you.

There he stood. The candlelight cast sharp shadows on his face, his lips contorting into something between a grin and a sneer.

“Darling,” he said, his voice echoing menacingly through the rambling halls. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.”

His hair had grown out a little, the curls snaking down past his ears to nestle at his nape. It was pretty, you thought, though it highlighted just how long you had left it without visiting.

He pouted, twisting his face into one of feigned hurt. “These halls are awfully empty without my precious treasure by my side.” With a flick of his wrist, every candle in the estate was snuffed out. Though your elven blood enabled you to make out some of the darkness, it was dingy and discoloured, and you felt the hairs on the back of your neck prickle as anxious gnawing bled into your stomach.

You stayed like that for a minute, the two of you still and silent in the pitch black. You cleared you throat and took a deep breath, almost expecting your voice box to fail.

“I’ve been busy,” you proclaimed, cursing inwardly at the wavering of your voice.

“Ah yes, saving the city.” You couldn’t place where exactly he was, his words almost disembodied. “I had rather thought you’d have grown bored of that by now.”

“There is still much to be done,” you insisted, balling your hands into fists and digging your nails into your palms to ground yourself.

“Yet there is time enough for you to gallivant off on a quick jaunt?” Hot fingers traced your throat and you flinched at the sudden contact. The alien sensation of heat that emanated from his skin would have once been a welcome reprieve from the ice cold that his flesh could so often be, but now it only served as more evidence that this was not your love. He ghosted over the bite mark that adorned your neck. Scorching digits on scar tissue felt like a branding to your skin, seething metal pressed to your form to twist the flesh into a permanent reminder that you were his. He tutted. “Did you really miss the wood elf that much?”

“It was for the people that I went,” you said, glancing down at his hand, the only thing you could clearly see in the gloom, before he snatched it away again, leaving you disoriented in the endless void once more. You wondered if he knew of your visit to Withers, if he could possibly even know of what the undead had told you. “I’m surprised you even know of my journey.”

“Of course I knew of it. Did you really think I wouldn’t keep tabs on you?” He seemed to be circling around you, a vulture scouting out its next meal. “I know all about those terrible nightmares that are haunting your pretty head.” He leant in to whisper directly in your left ear. “Poor pet. If you’d only join me, sleep needn’t be a worry any longer.”

“I am certain that they will pass in time,” you said, bracing yourself to stay still and not recoil from his closeness.

A laugh rang through the halls, everywhere and nowhere all at once.

“Decline my generous offer once more, and you may find I rescind it.” He stood before you, and grabbed your right hand, sandwiching it between his and giving it a few gentle pats. “Such awful night terrors. I only want to help you.” Your daydreams of intimate gestures felt ridiculous now you stood here, hand in his as you had hoped, yet feeling as though the blood in your veins was ice. After processing his words for some moments, you pulled your hand away. You wanted to question how he knew of all this, but you refused to be on such unequal footing any longer.

You cast light on your shirt, deeming it the most useful object to select. The cold glow lit up the room, but Astarion was nowhere to be seen. You tiptoed through several rooms for any sign of him, but there was nothing. Ordinarily you needed to see the object of your mental link to create it, yet this had ceased to be the case with Astarion, your connection becoming so frequent and comfortable that you could restore it with little effort. You attempted to reach out in this way, querying where he had gone, but you couldn’t feel his presence. It seemed you would be getting no answers today.

Not wishing to spend more time creeping about in the darkness, you hurried back to the door, unsure that your path was correct, though you reached it eventually. The sky outside was inky black and dotted with stars, and you dismissed your cantrip to go by the starlight instead.

Your thin shirt did little to protect you from the cold wind that rushed down the city streets. You slouched and hugged your arms around your body to try and fend off the chill, to limited avail. The city was still and quiet, a state you had rarely seen it in, the hush broken only momentarily by the flapping of a bird’s wings as it darted across buildings overhead.

Electing to utilise your body’s aversion to sleep to your advantage, you fetched some water from the nearest pump after reaching your home. You conjured flames beneath your large pot to heat the liquid whilst you undressed, discarding your clothing on the floor.

You dipped a toe into the bath to check the temperature and, satisfied, sat down in the vat. You took a deep breath and shut your eyes firmly, then submerged yourself fully, staying under the water until your lungs screamed for amnesty. Soap pressed with crushed violet removed the grime from your skin and hair, and you inspected your leg, which bore no reminder of the injury you had sustained on the road.

You remained in the water for long after it had grown cold, your head resting on the rim of the pot and your eyes closed. It was the closest you had come to a good rest in an age, yet surely you should have been beside yourself following your visit to your beloved. Withers’ words repeated in your mind. Perhaps it was you that was becoming the empty vessel.

With some effort you heaved yourself out of the bath, water streaming from your hair as you wrung it out. You removed your sleeping potions from your bag to line them up neatly next to your bed once more, then tossed your muddy clothes into the bath to soak them overnight, hoping it would make the task of washing them simpler when you found the time.

You climbed into bed and pulled the blankets up, recalling how your mother would have scolded you for going to sleep with wet hair, worried that you would become sick. Though you were tired, sleep would not take you. You were growing used to your nightly ritual, the warmth of the potion almost a loving embrace by this point. The screech of a creature outside of your window might have bothered you, had your eyes not become heavier than lead.

#Rei's Cloud of Daggers #bg3 fanfiction #astarion #bg3 astarion #astarion x reader #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #an ascended astarion fic for the spawn lovers

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chaotic-fey · 6 months ago

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Summer nights & starlight

- OC Art - Accolon - Changeling - they/them - Aberrant mind sorcerer/ Rogue -

#dnd5e #own character #dnd art #dungeons and dragons #dungeons and drawings #fey #oc #dnd #digital art #digitalart #d&d art #changeling

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elancholia · 2 years ago

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The Sun knew that it was the first thing in the cosmos.

(Nakrsh is the zeroth; Laneth is not in the cosmos; Erland is its contemporary, but it knows it not; Zaag-Ghvash cannot be seen; and the stars cannot be seen by day.)

In countless ages, it had never desired to change. It was one. It was complete.

Now, the Sun looks upon the World, and, from the fluttering things which near it in its heaven, its timeless unity and invariant fire hear, at last, of something new: something dark, beautiful, obscure; something hidden from it; something that its blinding light can never look upon. It realizes that there are things it cannot see--that things keep being even when it cannot see them. It hears of Night, hidden on the World’s other face. It desires to reveal and to know it.

Around this seed of doubt and expectation, there forms a pearl; a child; a mirror.

By degrees, the Moon is born, and by degrees it lives: a mirror by which the sun may see the night; may move; may change. In the Moon, the eternal is punctuated and becomes cyclical; Sun looks upon Night and Night upon Sun; time takes shape.

The shape of time is the Sky, Corobel, and the shape of the Sky is the iris of an eye, and the colors of the eye are many, and its crown is the horizon, and it is the crown of the world.

[Corobel rolls 2d6 = 8.]

The Moon dances with the World, and around the World, and the World must face it: thus, the World turns. In allowing Day to look upon Night and Night to look upon Day, it keeps the peace between them, and they may meet and mingle within it.

Thus, we know the Sky: who changes, who keeps time, who is repeated.

It has one promise, and one threat: that everything in the world is temporary.

It has one duty: to separate the visible and the invisible, and to contain the cycles of body and soul.

In it are contained all colors, and those which must not be shown it keeps in the secret mirrors of the Moon's last face.

It accommodates contradictions and cycles, but not the final end, which is Laneth. It is the reflection of the primordial skin of Nakrsh, which is the surface of the waters of the World, and of the World's inner fire, which is Erland. It breeds the dreams and omens which Omeara keeps. It is not starlight, for stars are beyond it, but it reserves the light of certain stars in the mirrored vaults of the moon.

The Sky separates and protects: day from night; one cycle from the next; the possible from the impossible; the World from the darkness beyond; the living from what lies behind mirrors. It is always present, and separates the future from the past. It is a skin and a surface.

The Sky is responsible for color, visibility, transience, the revelation of secrets, duality, multiplicity, the separation of wholes, things between, natural cycles. It is associated with faces, circles, mirrors, illusions, pearls, twins, ghosts, shadows, sets, moths, milestones, metamorphoses; and with prisms, eyes, crowns, butterflies, amphibians, and flowers. Its creations tend to have multiple faces, either metaphorically, concurrently, or in sequence; to be varicolored; to shimmer.

It has two heads: the Sun, the Moon, and the Night.

The Sun has one face and one name, and the face is visible, but the name may not be spoken until the last day.

The Moon, the most active (if not the most prominent) part of the sky, has 28 faces and 28 names, and they say many things, and are many things, and none may know them all at once and live. It is a creature of reflection and mingling. The Moon is terrible: for what keeps boundaries may cross them, and must contain transgression, and what it contains it may unleash; its beams kindle monsters, omens, madness, ghosts, and metamorphoses. It may admit the light of evil stars to shine upon the World. Its palace is a palace of mirrors, and therein are contained aberrations, monstrosities, and potentialities. On the last day, it will show all its faces.

The Night has no face, and no name, but its secret lives in the heart of the Moon, and it must never be revealed, not on the last day, not before, and not thereafter.

Corobel desires that things fulfill themselves through transformation, according to its strange designs and ideals; that boundaries and surfaces be kept, though it is willing to admit monsters to do so; that things find peace in change, and synthesis in multiplicity; that united things divide, and struggle, and find equilibrium once again. It desires that the world never end, but it, alone, of all things, knows the number of the world's days.

[Corobel uses Shape Land to create Mirrorvaults beneath the oceans of the Moon; 8-3 = 5.]

#world 02547 diegesis #the hypostatic names can be changed if they break the style

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tdiz-iztd-ficrecs · 1 year ago

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Tododeku, pro hero established relationship story. Shoto is enjoying a sleepy morning in bed feeling safe and in love ❤️ Super super sweet and fluffy one shot, such a heartwarming depiction of their love.

#fic rec #tododeku #fluff #english #pro heroes #au #short #established relationship #Todoizu

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coldblood-gardens · 11 months ago

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What power do you draw on, for thorn sorcery?

"Sorcery aberrations draw on sacrificial blood, and feelings of guilt... I have...had quite the growth spurt in power since Fyra left to pursue Perona. One with a heart free of guilt physically can not use these spells. As for their origin; the blood star is all my ilk sees in their eyeless sight. It's sheer luck I discovered the starlight sorcery allows me some degree of vision"

#hearing voices

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spacenutspod · 1 year ago

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7 Min Read Deformable Mirrors in Space: Key Technology toDirectly Image Earth Twins PROJECT: Deformable Mirror Technology development SNAPSHOT Deformable mirrors enable direct imaging of exoplanets by correcting imperfections or shape changes in a space telescope down to subatomic scales. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video d Finding and studying Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars is critical to understand whether we are alone in the universe. To study such planets and assess if they can sustain life, it is necessary to directly image them. However, these planets are difficult to observe, since light from the host star hides them with its glare. A coronagraph instrument can be used to remove the glare light from the host star, enabling reflected light from the planet to be collected. A deformable mirror is an essential component of a coronagraph, as it can correct the tiniest of imperfections in the telescope and remove any remaining starlight contamination. Detecting an Earth-like planet poses significant challenges as the planet is approximately 10 billion times fainter than its parent star. The main challenge is to block nearly all of the star’s light so that the faint light reflected from the planet can be collected. A coronagraph can block the starlight, however, any instability in the telescope’s optics—such as misalignment between mirrors or a change in the mirror’s shape—can result in starlight leakage, causing glare that hides the planet. Therefore, detecting an Earth-like planet using a coronagraph requires precise control of both the telescope and the instrument’s optical quality, or wavefront, to an extraordinary level of 10s of picometers (pm), which is approximately on the order of the size of a hydrogen atom. Deformable mirrors will enable future space coronagraphs to achieve this level of control. These devices will be demonstrated in space on a coronagraph technology demonstration instrument on NASA’s Roman Space Telescope, which will launch by May 2027. This technology will also be critical to enable a future flagship mission after Roman recommended by the 2020 Decadal Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics, provisionally called the “Habitable Worlds Observatory” (HWO). What is a deformable mirror and how do they work? Deformable Mirrors (DM) are devices that can adjust the optical path of incoming light by changing the shape of a reflective mirror using precisely controlled piston-like actuators. By adjusting the shape of the mirror, it is possible to correct the wavefront that is perturbated by optical aberrations upstream and downstream of the DM. These aberrations can be caused by external perturbations, like atmospheric turbulence, or by optical misalignments or defects internal to the telescope. DM technology originated to enable adaptive optics (AO) in ground-based telescopes, where the primary goal is to correct the aberrations caused by atmospheric turbulence. The main characteristics of a DM are: 1) the number of actuators, which is proportional to the correctable field of view; 2) the actuators’ maximum stroke – i.e., how far they can move; 3) the DM speed, or time required to modify the DM surface; 4) the surface height resolution that defines the smallest wavefront control step, and (5) the stability of the DM surface. Ground-based deformable mirrors have set the state-of-the-art in performance, but to lay the groundwork to eventually achieve ambitious goals like the Habitable Worlds Observatory, further development of DMs for use in space is underway. For a space telescope, DMs do not need to correct for the atmosphere, but instead must correct the very small optical perturbations that slowly occur as the space telescope and instrument heat up and cool down in orbit. Contrast goals (the brightness difference between the planet and the star) for DMs in space are on the order of 10-10 which is 1000 times deeper than the contrast goals of ground-based counterparts. For space applications total stroke requirements are usually less than a micrometer; however, DM surface height resolution of ~10 pm and DM surface stability of ~10 pm/hour are the key and driving requirements. Another key aspect is the increased number of actuators needed for both space- and ground-based applications. Each actuator requires a high voltage connection (on the order of 100V) and fabricating a large number of connections creates an additional challenge. Deformable Mirror State-of-the-Art Two main DM actuator technologies are currently being considered for space missions. The first is electrostrictive technology, in which an actuator is mechanically connected to the DM’s reflective surface. When a voltage is applied to the actuator, it contracts and modifies the mirror surface. The second technology is the electrostatically-forced Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) DM. In this case, the mirror surface is deformed by an electrostatic force between an electrode and the mirror. Several NASA-sponsored contractor teams are working on advancing the DM performance required to meet the requirements of future NASA missions, which are much more stringent than most commercial applications, and thus, have a limited market application. Some examples of those efforts include improving the mirror’s surface quality or developing more advanced DM electronics. MEMS DMs manufactured by Boston Micromachines Corporation (BMC) have been tested in vacuum conditions and have undergone launch vibration testing. The largest space-qualified BMC device is the 2k DM (shown in Fig. 2), which has 50 actuators across its diameter (2040 actuators in total). Each actuator is only 400 microns across. The largest MEMS DM produced by BMC is the 4k DM, which has 64 actuators across its diameter (4096 actuators in total) and is used in the coronagraph instrument for the Gemini ground-based observatory. However, the 4k DM has not been qualified for space flight. Fig. 2: The Boston Micromachines Corporation 2k DM that has 2040 actuators with 400 um pitch.Credit: Dr. Eduardo Bendek Electrostrictive DMs manufactured by AOA Xinetics (AOX) have also been validated in vacuum and qualified for space flight. The AOX 2k DM has a 48 x 48 actuator grid (2304 actuators) with a 1 mm pitch. Two of these AOX 2k DMs will be used in the Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph (Fig. 3) to demonstrate the DM technology for high-contrast imaging in space. AOX has also manufactured larger devices, including a 64 x 64 actuator unit tested at JPL. Fig. 3: The Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph during assembly of the static optics at NASA’s Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCredit: NASA Preparing the technology for the Habitable Worlds Observatory Deformable Mirror technology has advanced rapidly, and a version of this technology will be demonstrated in space on the Roman Space Telescope. However, it is anticipated that for wavefront control for missions like the HWO, even larger DMs with up to ~10,000 actuators would be required, such as 96 x 96 arrays. Providing a high-voltage connection to each of the actuators is a challenge that will require a new design. The HWO would also involve unprecedented wavefront control requirements, such as a resolution step size down to single-digit picometers, and a stability of ~10 pm/hr. These requirements will not only drive the DM design, but also the electronics that control the DMs, since the resolution and stability are largely defined by the command signals sent by the controller, which require the implementation of filters to remove any noise the electronics could introduce. NASA’s Astrophysics Division investments in DM technologies have advanced DMs for space flight onboard the Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph, and the Division is preparing a Technology Roadmap to further advance the DM performance to enable the HWO. Author: Eduardo Bendek, Ph.D. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. The research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004). ACTIVITY LEADS Dr. Eduardo Bendek (JPL) and Dr. Tyler Groff (GSFC), Co-chairs of DM Technology Roadmap working group; Paul Bierden (BMC); Kevin King (AOX). SPONSORING ORGANIZATION Astrophysics Division Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) Program, and the NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Share Details Last Updated Nov 20, 2023 Related Terms AstrophysicsScience-enabling Technology

#space #astronomy #news #science

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