#Dragon's Reach [Petra]

[fademirrored]

top left: petra early in Inquisition top right: petra late in Inquisition bottom: petra around Trespasser

[artemismacaron]

Character Page for my OC Dustin Mercewood!

Character Details and Background:

Details:

Dustin is polyamorous and pansexual.

He enjoys writing letters to his friends, partners and lovers.

Dustin is a pacifist, not *completely* by choice. He doesn't enjoy getting into fights but he also doesn't care to learn magic more than making traveling easier for his job.

Dustin has to keep himself in shape, his stock is heavy. He carries his stock in a backpack, in addition to a cart in certain continents.

A former lover of his is who inspired him to take up trading.

Dustin currently works for the Covenant of Draconian Templars. He works as their trading liaison and as a Caretaker.

He is best friends with Petra and their sister LeNoire.

Background:

Dustin left his homeland to give his life a change of pace, his family being more interested in trying to climb up the social ladder. Their constant need for status eventually drove them apart. Dustin grew to disdain them and once he reached his adulthood, he cut contact and left.

Despite their differences Dustin did appreciate the socialization skills he developed due to his parents constant insistence of attending as many Elvish gatherings. Unlike his parents however, he always found pleasure in just meeting new people, going to new places, learning all the local gossip, and doing the occasional odd job.

After a century or two of wandering and heartbreaks, he found himself at the doorsteps of a secluded mountain covenant. Their sworn purpose is to protect dragons who chose a life of pacifism or need refuge from being hunted. His occupation there is as a Caretaker of hatchlings and older dragons.

[marie-12205]

After posting the drawing of petra with ardyn i wanted to make a futher introduction on this character and the dragon species she is which is the skytalon.

Skytalons are an extinct dragon species that is believe to have lived over millions of years ago,its unknown how they went extinct but theres a theory that says that this species was slowly kill by the deathshriekers which is a another extinct dragon species.skytalon live on rocky fromations in the ocean to build their nest and better protect them,their nest can be the size of a house but its only big not because of the eggs if not for them when they lay on the eggs.skytalon chicks are born with out their chest and wings scales so their basicaly a ball of feathers until they grow into juveniles and that's when they grow their scales and then learn to fly.these cretures have an amazing vision so they can see for realy a far even while they fly very,speaking of flying these dragons can reach very hight altitude where at somepoints that you can no longer get air to breath.the skytalon have a modern cousin call the skykiller which is way smaller than its ancestors.

Now talking about petra,she is the last of her species along side her chick.in my story the way ant met petra was the fact was that she had taken ant as food and had to taken him to her nest but before she could had killed him she sas interupted by deathshrieker who was call berserker and they mostly had a fight between 2 and berserker had knock out petra for a moment so he tried to kill both ant and petra's chick but ant saved both himself ant the chick from berserker but after he did berserker had hit him with its tail making ant collied into a rock and fall unconscious,but after that petra regain conscious and fought berserker once again,of course in this part berserker dosent die until the ending and just fluw away petra knuw it was no longer safe to stay in the nest so she tried to grab her chick to leave and find a safer spot she saw ant unconscious on the floor,at first she maybe thought of leaving him behind but she had seen that ant was just a kid and that without him her baby could had been kill by berserker so in the end she took him anyways.ant had form a strong bond with petra and was the one who named her petra.

[beyond-mortal-limits]

FFXIVWrite 2024 - Day 7: Morsel

(Warnings for gore and violence)

Out of all the things she’d expected, an inquisitor turning into a dragon really should have been higher on the list. The stupid bitch had transformed in front of dozens of witnesses, and now the only problem was how many people she’d kill before she was brought down.

The solution was easy, of course - hang onto her and be a fucking nuisance until she ran out of blood first - but Melisie was making it closer than it had to be. Petra felt her aether geysering out of her in multiple sprays, trying in vain to restore her body, and it was only a matter of time until she ran dry and started to die. She also felt a lot of fucking pain, and she was howling in hazy red rage as blood gushed from between the giant fangs partially embedded in her shoulder.

Melisie’s teeth were threatening to crush her pauldron, now. The bitch was trying to bite clean through her arm, and armoury plate was never designed to stand up to this kind of shit. Rolling around on the ground screaming in pain while she waited for her arm to grow back would give Melisie every opportunity to crush her - Petra had to get nasty first before it happened.

The longsword was... somewhere, but she still had her shortsword on her hip - and even though it made her vision flash colours to do so, she swung it up and around into whatever she could reach. Clear fluid splattered down, and Melisie made an anguished squeal while the plate began to buckle in her jaw - Petra looked up and saw she had burst one of her eyeballs. Scrabbling with her feet for purchase, swinging around off her ruined arm while large black circles danced through the air, she managed to swivel and swing and stab-

Melisie screeched, and finally opened her jaws. Petra fell to the ground with a wet clatter, fumbling to remove her crushed pauldron. Still having most of her arm, Petra only needed to roll around on the ground and scream a little bit until her shoulder re-knitted and the pain finally relented. With both eyes burst and leaking, Melisie could only scream and blindly flail in place, unwilling to move far lest she plunge straight over the fence and into the mists under Ishgard. The Watch and Knights began to inch closer, slowly closing in a wide ring around the thrashing dragon. All she had to do was revert to human form and she’d have eyes again. Petra screamed at her.

“TURN BACK YOU STUPID BITCH OR I’LL DO WORSE.” 

[berglietz]

the moment the horn is sounded and linhardt is declared loser, he's free to disengage completely from the fight.  he does so instantly, more interested in what happened to his missing friend than the rest of that mess.

they are, admittedly, a little disheartened to discover that caspar is also a faux-casualty in the faux-combat; though their friend was sent off to the med tent rather than dismissed for “not fighting well enough” (sorry for having a heart?) so linhardt is headed in the same direction.

he always feels some sort of way when he's in this situation.  he's by far not the only healer around.  he's not the only healer in the black eagle classroom, but when caspar is hurt, he wants to be the one to heal him.

maybe it's just a habit that's overreaching its boundaries.  certainly linhardt has a measure of entitlement when it comes to faith magic - their crest alone makes them “better” than many others at it - but they don't feel the same way about dorothea or petra or any of their other classmates.

just caspar.

it doesn't take him very long to find that familiar shock of sky-blue hair, and once he does, linhardt takes as straight a path to caspar's side as possible.

“i lost, too," they say, like it matters.  both of them know linhardt doesn't care; wouldn't have even been here if not for him.  “dimitri and a dragon.  i'll tell you all about her - but did they patch you up properly?”

without any other warning between them, linhardt's fingers are in caspar's hair, tilting his head this way while they lean the opposite way, appraising any bumps and scrapes they see.

satisfied that he's at least been taken care of, linhardt releases him and sits beside him on the cot, reaching over for a stool to prop their leg up on.  that's a good way to get another healer's attention.

he's sitting close enough that their hips are touching, and he leans into caspar, exhausted.  “that's exhausting.  i think they were picking on me, you know, since i can heal?”

he doesn't say i didn't even bring a weapon because caspar already knows that.

“did you at least have fun?”

Caspar's not necessarily happy that Linhardt lost, but he can't say that he expected his friend to put much effort into a mock battle. He also can't deny the bit of relief that comes from seeing him approach when he's battered and sore. "'Her?' So it wasn't Professor…" He trails off as Linhardt's fingers course through his hair, smooth fingertips grazing past bruised skin. They're gentle enough that it doesn't hurt, not any worse than the consistent ache he's dealing with anyway. Lin's got the touch of a healer. Even without any magic flowing through their fingers, they manage to soothe him. He'd failed in his battle. That disappointment still crawls under his skin. He leans into Linhardt in turn. "Ugh. I hardly got one hit in. My teammate rushed in to protect me and I still got clobbered." Lin really is exhausted, isn't he? Caspar's eyes drop to the leg he's propped up. He can't rush back out onto the field, but he can try to do something to support the people he loves. "…You got hurt too?"

He reaches across Linhardt's body to rest his palm on their knee. Healing doesn't come as naturally to him as it does to his best friend. He doesn't have the delicate hands that they do—he's a bit too rough even as he tries to be gentle, doesn't know quite where to place his palm to help guide the life energy that he carries in spades to help stitch wounds back together without disturbing them with his touch. He tries his best anyway.

Caspar uses Heal on Linhardt [Roll: 14; +? HP, Linhardt ?/5HP]

"I was hoping I'd be able to protect you out there. It doesn't hurt too bad, does it?"

[msweebyness]

Miraculous Barbie: Nathaniel as Rapunzel

Here it is, the first entry in my Barbie movie adaptation series, with Nath in the lead role! Enjoy! @artzychic27 @imsparky2002

"Love and imagination can change the world."

CAST:

Nathaniel Kurtzberg as Rapunzel

Marc Anciel as Prince Stefan

Alix Kubdel as Penelope

Petra Markov as Hobie

Cash as Gothel

Phillipe as Otto

Alim Kubdel as Hugo

Penny & Alyssa Anciel- King Frederick/Stefan’s Mother

Kiran Anciel as Princess Katrina

Aya Kurtzberg as King Wilhelm

And so our story begins…

In a manor deep in the woods, there lived a young man named Nathaniel, fair as they came with long, beautiful red hair that reached to the floor.

The manor was concealed from the outside world, not only by the dark and monster-filled forest, but by a magic wall that stretched high into the sky, so high you couldn’t even see the top!

It was here that Nathaniel lived, working as a housekeeper for Cash, a callous and cold nobleman who was skilled in dark sorcery. Nathaniel was expected to keep the house in perfect order, with every nook and cranny spotless and a boatload of chores every day.

Nathaniel had been told by Cash that he was abandoned at only a few days old in the woods, and had been raised by Cash as his own since then, and that it was for this reason that maintaining the house was the least he could do. (Cash also had his sleazy pet ferret, Phillipe, who was a constant nuisance.)

Nathaniel had lived most of his life as a servant, but at the very least he had his art supplies to pursue his greatest passion: painting! His room was filled with beautiful images he had created with his brushes, many of the kinds of places he wishes to see someday. He also wasn’t lonely, because he had his two best friends. Alix, a young dragon who would one day be bound to serve Cash as her father, Alim did. And Petra, an anxious but well-meaning rabbit.

Daring and restless as she was, Alix longed for nothing more than to fly over the top of the magic wall and soar over the lands beyond. But Alim forbade it, positing that his daughter was too young and too inexperienced a flyer, which frustrated Alix to no end. Petra would often use her sensitive hearing to alert Nathaniel when Cash is returning so he can put his painting away, as the man often derides it as a “waste of time”.

One day, while Nathaniel is preparing Cash’s tea, Alix, while trying to use her still developing fire-breath to assist, accidentally knocks into a statue, which opens a passageway to a secret lower level of the manor. Nathaniel goes down to explore it, followed by an eager Alix and a nervous Petra. While down in the foreboding cellar, they discover invitations to various balls addressed to Cash…and an old painting of him with a red-haired woman, whose face has been slashed out.

But their most intriguing discovery by far, is an old ornate box containing a gorgeous and intricate silver hairbrush. What’s most striking about it is the inscription on the back: “Constant as the stars above, always know that you are loved. To our dearest son, Nathaniel, on his first birthday. With love forever, Mother and Father.” This confuses Nathaniel as it conflicts with the story he’d always been told by Cash.

He’s interrupted from considering this further when Cash calls for him, vowing to return later and investigate the room, as Petra and Alix work to get the room back in order, placing things back where they found them. But Nathaniel takes the silver brush with him. It says it belongs to him after all!

When Cash lays down for his afternoon rest, Nathaniel returns to the secret cellar, still thinking about the message on the brush. But when Petra accidentally startles Alix, causing her to punch a hole in the floorboards with her foot, Nathaniel discovers a secret tunnel that seems to lead away from the manor! Assuring his friends he’ll return soon, he goes to investigate.

Emerging from the tunnel, Nathaniel finds himself just outside a lovely little village that sits by a beautiful castle. Deciding to explore, he meets many of the villagers and is surprised by how friendly everyone seems to be. He almost feels at home here, even though he’s never left the manor before, and he finds himself wanting to stay and see more!

Meanwhile, back at the manor, Alix and Petra are worrying about their friend, waiting anxiously for him to return. Alix is contemplating flying over the magic wall to go try and find Nathaniel, when Petra alerts her that her father has arrived and is looking for her. Alix goes outside to meet him, and the two have the same argument they have many a day about her being too young to fly over the wall, leading Alix to storm off angrily as she’s still worrying about her best friend.

As Nathaniel goes for a walk by the river, he happens upon three children playing in a grove, the young Prince Kiran, and his two friends, Chris and Manon. But when Kiran goes over to fetch some apples from a tree for their horse, he falls into a pit trap in the ground, dangling above a deadly tangle of briars! Nathaniel rushes over to help, while Chris and Manon ride to find help as well. Nathaniel gets ahold of Kiran’s hand and manages to pull him up, only to lose his balance and nearly fall in himself! But someone catches him just in time…

It’s then that Nathaniel meets Prince Marc, Kiran’s older brother, who thanks him for helping the boy. While the children ride off to continue playing, Marc and Nathaniel begin to talk. Nathaniel states that this is his first time in the village and it’s certainly been exciting. Marc then asks if he comes from the kingdom of Queen Aya, explaining to a curious Nathaniel that she was the one who had ordered the pit trap to be set, going on to explain the years-long feud between her and the rulers of this kingdom, Queen Penelope and Queen Alyssa, who Aya claimed had done something unforgivable to her. Nathaniel asks why they can’t just talk and clear the air, but Marc sadly posits that they seem to be long past the point that that’s a possibility.

Hearing the three children begin to argue, Marc goes to check on them, as Nathaniel hears the clock in the village chime and realizes he needs to hurry back to the manor! Marc returns to find that Nathaniel has already left, wondering if he’ll get to see him again and realizing they never even exchanged names, but unbeknownst to them both…Phillipe happened to be wandering the village that day, and spotted Nathaniel, ready to report to his master!

Meanwhile, back in the manor, Nathaniel tells Alix and Petra all about the village and how wonderful it was. He tells them about the man he met, but when Alix asks his name, Nathaniel comes to the same realization that Marc did…just as Cash enters, inquiring if he had a pleasant trip today. Nathaniel asks the man why he never told him about the village, and is told that it was for his own safety, to protect him from the ‘evils’ there.

Cash then demands the name of the young man Nathaniel met in the village, but when Nathaniel tells him he doesn’t know, Cash accuses him of lying. When Nathaniel repeats that he doesn’t know because he didn’t have time to ask, Cash uses his magic to demolish Nathaniel’s paintings and his art supplies. When Alix and Petra try to defend Nathaniel, Cash threatens to harm them with his magic until Nathaniel insists they don’t know anything, and quickly sends them away. He tells Cash that he can’t keep him locked away forever, and in response, Cash transforms Nathaniel’s room into a tower, with no door. He calls for Alim, who he instructs to guard the tower, and tells Nathaniel that when he returns, he expects to be told the name of that young man.

Back in the village, Marc is returning to the palace, promising to help Kiran with his archery once he finishes speaking with their mothers. He enters the throne room where Queen Penelope asks if he’s had any luck finding the young man who saved Kiran, as they would like to express their thanks. When Marc reveals he hasn’t seen the redhead anywhere, Queen Alyssa wonders if he could be one of Aya’s spies. Marc doesn’t believe so, or else he wouldn’t have risked his life for Kiran. It’s reported by a page that there was no sign of Aya’s forces. Alyssa prepares to lead her own raid and tells Marc to be ready. He agrees, but something is clearly on his mind…

Returning to the manor, Nathaniel is still trapped and is now suffering from nightmares. But as he wakes from one, he reads the inscription on the back of the silver hairbrush, and resolves that one day, he will be free. But as he’s sleeping that night, the hairbrush is magically transformed…into a paintbrush.

The next day, Cash visits the village in disguise and learns that there is to be a ball for the elder prince’s birthday, while the knights of the kingdom report to Marc that they still haven’t had any luck finding the young man with the long red hair. Just at that moment, Marc and his mothers ride into the village to discover the aftermath of a terrible attack by Queen Aya’s men. Unbeknownst to them, Cash faked the attack with his magic, wanting to hurry a declaration of war along.

Back at the manor, Alix and Petra are using berries, vegetables and leaves from the garden to make new paints for Nathaniel, while contemplating how they could possibly help him escape. They bring the new paint to Nathaniel, who is incredibly grateful and discovers the transformed brush. But when he goes to use it on the wall, he discovers that it creates the images in his mind, without him even needing paint! And when a butterfly flies out of the image he painted of the village, and then Petra seems to fall through it, that’s when he discovers that this magical paintbrush can create portals…

When Nathaniel passes through the painting/portal, he ends up in the same grove where he met Marc…who just so happens to be there eating lunch, and is ecstatic to see him again! It’s then that Marc finally learns Nathaniel’s name, but Nathaniel insists that it’s better if he doesn’t learn Marc’s just yet. The prince is confused but agrees.

Nathaniel then shows Marc the paintbrush, asking if he can help find out who made it, in the hopes that that person may know who his parents are. Marc takes him to the silversmith, who recognizes the brush as the work of his brother, who unfortunately lives in Aya’s kingdom and who he misses terribly, as no one has gone between the two kingdoms since the beginning of the feud. Nathaniel is disheartened, but resolves to keep looking.

Back at the manor, Petra hears Cash approaching, and Alix panics, knowing that it he comes to the tower to discover Nathaniel gone, her father will pay the price! Petra goes to stall Cash while Alix travels through the painting to find Nathaniel.

Back at the palace gardens, Marc gives Nathaniel an invitation to the Masked Ball in honor of ‘the prince’s’ birthday, and Nathaniel agrees to come. Just then, Alix appears in the garden, through the painting/portal, and Marc draws his sword, thinking she’s dangerous because, well, dragon! But Nathaniel assures him Alix is his friend. Alix pleads with Nathaniel to return to the tower at least long enough that Cash won’t punish her father, and Nathaniel agrees, promising to return for the ball. He paints a portal back to the tower, arriving just in time.

Now back in the tower, Cash demands once again to know the name of the man Nathaniel met, and once again is told he doesn’t know. Angry, Cash tells the boy he can rot in the tower for all he cares. Nathaniel tells Alix that they all need to leave that night, and Alix must convince her father to come too.

Back at the palace, Marc is taking a stroll with Queen Penelope, and hesitantly asks if he might be permitted to invite Queen Aya as a gesture of good will, a step toward ending the feud. Penelope refuses, telling him peaceful resolutions are impossible with all that’s been done. This was the answer Marc had feared, and he doesn’t know what to do.

Back in the tower, Nathaniel uses the magical paintbrush to create a beautiful violet gown for himself, with Alix and Petra presenting him with an intricate mask to match the dress. But just at that moment, Cash appears and compliments Nathaniel, only to cut his long red hair off, and destroy both the painting/portal and the magical brush. He then casts an enchantment on the tower: "Tower, tower, do your part, never release your prisoner with a lying heart! Here for as these words are spoken, this fearsome spell can never be broken!" Blaming Alim for allowing Nathaniel to escape once again, he chains the dragon to the tower with magic. He then leaves to attend the ball, disguising himself as Nathaniel using the hair he sheared from the boy.

Back at the palace, Queen Aya has arrived in secret and is planning to launch an attack to make Queens Alyssa and Penelope pay for what she believes they’ve done, once and for all!

It’s then that Cash arrives at the ball, disguised as Nathaniel, and is spotted by Marc. Marc follows him and is led into the castle’s hedge maze, only for Cash to reveal himself, letting Nathaniel’s long red hair fall to the ground. Marc demands to know what the man has done with Nathaniel, but Cash only fires at him with his magic, forcing Marc to flee.

Alix goes to visit Alim, and begs him to help her help Nathaniel, explaining how the boy came back to prevent Cash from killing her father for letting him escape. Alim theorizes that if Nathaniel hasn’t been lying to Cash about knowing Marc’s name, then the spell shouldn’t keep him in the tower. So Alix flies up to Nathaniel, and sure enough, he’s able to pass through the magical barrier. While Alim is still apprehensive about his daughter being ready to go over the wall, he understands it’s what must be done, and Alix flies over it for the first time, carrying Nathaniel and Petra to the palace to try and stop Cash.

Back at the palace, Cash continues to pursue Marc, being sidetracked by Kiran and the other children. He fires a spell at Kiran, only for Marc to pull him out of the way, stalling Cash by dropping a banner on him. Meanwhile, in the ballroom, Queen Aya arrives and engages in a battle of swords with Queen Alyssa, while Queen Penelope evacuates all the guests.

Cash then enters the ballroom, and Aya recognizes him, with Marc questioning this. Aya explains that she knew him many years ago, they had been good friends. This infuriates Cash, who proclaims that they were more than friends, that they had been in love. Aya states that she was never in love with him, she saw him as a brother, and Cash states that she will pay for this ‘once again’, which confuses Aya.

Instead of explaining, Cash asks Queen Penelope why she and her wife despise Aya, with the Queen stating that Aya attacked their kingdom and people without cause, which is furiously refuted with the claim that they had stolen her son, which Queen Alyssa angrily denies. Cash then reveals that Alyssa is telling the truth…he stole the young prince. A furious Aya demands to know where he took Nathaniel, with Marc immediately recognizing the name. Cash states that where he is doesn’t matter as she will never see him again.

Only for Nathaniel himself to arrive with Alix and Petra just as Cash is about to blast everyone with his magic, demanding that he stop making everyone suffer. Cash refuses and blasts the chandelier, setting the ballroom ablaze, with Marc helping Nathaniel to escape. The two, along with Alix and Petra, lead Cash into the gardens, tricking him into entering the painting/portal of the tower Nathaniel left behind earlier.

With Cash now imprisoned forever due to all the lies he has told, the battle has been won. Nathaniel reunites with Aya, who apologizes to Alyssa and Penelope for all the trouble she caused them. The Queens accept her apology, knowing they would have been just as distraught if Marc was stolen from them.

Speaking of which, Nathaniel and Marc got to know each other better and started a beautiful relationship that lasted for five years before they were happily married and moved into their own castle by the sea, with Alix, Petra and Alim all living the good life there.

And they all lived happily ever after!

Their love will be Constant as the Stars Above! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs, and watch for the next installment!

[wondereads]

Review of The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang

Genre: Fantasy

Age Range: Adult

My Rating: ★★★★★

(This is not the first book in this series, there are very light spoilers for The Poppy War in this review. If you'd like to read my review for The Poppy War instead, click here)

This is the second book in The Poppy War series, set directly after the events of the first book, and the war is far from other. Rin is a protagonist like no other. She is such an intensely flawed character, which only makes her more interesting to read about. Her struggle to carve out an identity for herself when she's been trained for years to be a good soldier is compelling, and her general unreliability always makes me wonder if it's really her convictions or something someone else has planted in her mind.

As usual, Kuang doesn't shy away from the horrors of war. Characters on every side of the conflict are ruthless and brutal in their efforts to control Nikan. The Hesperians are properly introduced in this book, and Kuang did a great job with them because, boy, are they fucking infuriating. Every scene with Sister Petra had me dying to reach through the pages and at the very least slap her. My one source of joy is the relationship between Rin and Kitay. Their loyalty to each other is so strong, and I would gladly die for them. When Nezha is added in later, I enjoy their adventures as a trio (for as long as it lasts), and it's very cool to see how their actions mimic that of the Trifecta.

[es46]

A carapaceon mixed between common prawns and snapping shrimps. The enlarged pincer is bigger than depicted. - BRINATAUR Title - Blastclaw crab Monster class - Carapaceon Known locales - Coastal regions, estuaries Element/Ailment - Blast Elemental weakness - Fire (3), Water (2), Dragon (1), Ice (1), Thunder (1) Ailment weakness - Sleep (2), Stun (2), Poison (1), Paralysis (1), Blast (0) Brinataur is a carapaceon native to saltwater environments, principally coastlines and occasionally estuaries. Unlike most carapaceons, it carries no makeshift shell on its abdomen, instead distinguishing itself with a more streamlined form. Brinataur has highly specialised limbs; one chela is slender and sharp for cutting, whilst the other is enormous and used for launching an explosive residue. The tiny second limbs are used for handling, whilst the third and fourth limbs are for walking. Its fifth limbs are used as paddles when Brinataur takes to water, working alongside the flexible abdomen's uropods for efficient swimming. Juvenile Brinataur are called Brinelings, whose sandy colours contrasts the adult's blue and red hues. These began life as tiny swimming forms in shallow waters, feeding on phytoplankton and detritus. On reaching their juvenile stage, they take to land, forming small creches in a Brinataur's territory; their chela are not fully developed until adulthood, so they rely on camouflage for defence. Altruistically, the Brinataur protects any Brinelings in its turf, regardless of whether they are its biological offspring or not. When the Brinelings are one moulting period away from adulthood, they will disperse and find turf of their own. Brinataur is herbivorous, grazing on seaweed and occasionally straying inland to sample fruits and flora. They stake out territory along the shores, marking their turf via dislodging tiny spines from their rostrum. Territorial disputes are settled by comparing their enlarged pincers; individuals with smaller chela retreat, while evenly matched individuals 'arm-wrestle' until one concedes. Between their acute senses and potent defences, Brinataur fear little. They are not known for aggression towards humans, though field workers must keep their distance in case the carapaceon is aggravated by close proximity. Brinelings are wary of humans, and approaching them is not advised lest they panic and provoke the Brinataur to attack. Against other monsters, Brinataur uses defensive tactics, preferring to goad the enemy into attacks then countering. The true key to its success is the enlarged chela. Internal cavities store combustible residues that are discharged and activated by snaps of the pincer. This creates an explosive blast with impressive distance, blowing away most rivals. It takes Brinataur time to replenish its residue supply, however, so it prefers to use this explosive snap as a last resort. Brinataur is a competent opponent for experienced hunters (Low Rank - 4, High/Master Rank - 3). Fighting the carapaceon is an exercise in caution, learning to outmanoevure its defensive tactics and be wary of the explosive blasts. Brinataurs are effective at combat both in land and underwater. While they cannot use their blasts underwater, due to the residue diluting before it can ignite, they are more mobile and adopt a faster attack pattern. While Brinataur fears little, it must be wary of apex predators like Lagiacrus, though those monsters tend not to bother when there are easier targets to consider, as Brinataur can put up a respectable fight. It is the Brinelings who are more cautious, as they are easy prey for the likes of Hyborlex. One notable enemy is the bird wyvern Petra Fowl, which gladly picks off Brinelings. So often do they prey on the juveniles that adult Brinataur will attack Petra Fowl on sight, even willing to use their explosive blasts at the first opportunity. - Thank you for reading and take care.

[pinkhairandpokemon]

———

[Attached: A video. It starts out glitchy at first, before you get a view from what’s likely Blake’s bedside table. They’re sitting up on their bed, the blanket halfway over their body as they stare off solemnly into nothing. The night sky is visible through the window behind them. Petra is nestled comfortably in their lab, in a position where her tusks won’t poke them, but she gazes up at them with a twinge of worry in her dark eyes.

Eventually, Blake reaches their good hand up and begins stroking her head. Your eyes are drawn to the layers of thick bandages covering the full length of their other arm… For the rest of their time on screen, they don’t say a word, but you wonder what they’re thinking. Their face looks so tired, yet so full of emotion.

In this quiet, yet heavy moment between the former grunt and their dragon, it feels like it’s just the two of them in the whole world.

….

Then the footage glitches again.

It goes to static. Some kind of white crystalline overlay takes over the screen, followed by a sparkling sound. You hear a voice- is that… a Rotom-phone?

“ZZZT! USER DISCONNECTED. TRYING AGAIN!”

“CONNECTING…”

“CONNECTING…”

“CONNECTING…”

“…”

“ZZZZT! USER RECONNECTED! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!”

…The scene changes. It’s a vibrant, pale blue sky, dotted with clouds.

There’s the sound of grass rustling. A strange little blue creature with crystals on its face pokes its head into view. It chitters, nudging the screen with its nose a few times, just enough for the camera to turn and show- Blake. They’re sitting on the grass, watching the little Pokémon play with a brow quirked in mild curiosity, though they seem pretty bored.

“Hey, little guy-” they reach out to gently urge the little Pokémon away from the camera with their hand. “Just because Florence put me on babysitting duty doesn’t mean you can mess with my stuff. Come on, put my phone back in my bag…”

The strange creature chirps, before gently pushing the phone back into Blake’s backpack with its small head. The screen goes dark as it falls into the pocket, and the video ends.]

———

[boltlightning]

8 & 21 for the writer ask game please!

8. that hurt my own feelings to write

ah. so much. everything and all of it. allow me a throwback to a niche destiny fic from 2022, safe harbor:

“And most of all,” [Petra] interrupts, her tone swift and true as a blade, “I’m sorry you have to bear this alone. You are not alone, but you might as well be.” [...] “It is my duty,” says Wolf. She reaches out a hand, then hesitates; she swallows her pride and tentatively cups Petra's face, brushing her thumb across her cheekbone. “As Regent-Commander is yours. I owe my people this. You must understand.” Petra rests a hand on Wolf’s arm. It is not a refusal of the touch, but a gentle acknowledgement. “I do. But it doesn’t make your circumstance any easier.” “Nor yours,” she agrees. Petra says nothing to that — there is nothing left to say.

21. that i liked but had to cut

the original first chapter of landfall was fully from jack's POV, long before i decided only dragon riders would be POV characters. reading it back now, this draft was EXHAUSTIVELY explanatory of the movie events, but i did enjoy parts of it:

“On your feet,” the green-coated man says, quiet but firm. The marines in his wake quickly surround Jack. No good deed, and all that, Jack thinks sourly, as he slowly stands. One particularly well-dressed civilian goes to help the drowned woman to her feet, and fussily puts his coat around her shoulders. Based on the wig alone, Jack figures he is important, but his profile is awfully familiar — he realizes, belatedly, this is the governor of Port Royal, Governor Swann. “Elizabeth!” Swann exclaims. “Are you alright?” “Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she says, almost impatiently. Swann looks at the stay torn on the dock, then to Jack, and says, “Shoot him!” “Father!” Elizabeth objects. She turns instead to the captain in green with the medal. “Captain Norrington, and — Tempest!” she calls, raising her voice for the dragon’s benefit. “Is this necessary? Do you really intend to kill my rescuer?” Everything clicks together, to Jack’s horror. It appears he has the wonderful luck to roll into town the day of a ceremony for the Caribbean’s premiere dragon captain and his fearless steed, and instead of traipsing through undetected, he has made himself a spectacle by rescuing the governor’s daughter from impending death. Jack gives Elizabeth a close-mouthed smile, if only to keep himself from screaming at the coincidence of it all. Tempest stops lashing his tail, but his eyes do not leave Jack. Norrington watches Jack with a similar sort of suspicion, though not the same scorn. He sheathes his sword, offers Jack a hand and no smile at all, and says mildly, “I believe thanks are in order.”

excerpt asks!

[fademirrored]

gamma: Inquisitor

“Can we get back to business, or should I fetch you a bucket to finish drooling in?”

Petrichor “Petra” Lavellan Herald of Andraste. Inquisitor.

Nonbinary. They/them. Pansexual. 17 Haring, 9:14 Dragon. Free Marches. Warrior; double-handed. Reaver.

Eyes: Very bright, almost neon aqua, initially. Large. Darken and go red around the outer iris after they specialize. Hair: Deep, dark red. Shaved around the sides and back. What’s left comes down past the middle of their back, and is done in a multitude of small braids which are gathered back in a tail. Skin: Gold-ish bronze-ish. Freckles easily during the summer. Height: 5'6". Build: Deceptively lanky and lean, but very sinewy. Very compact muscle. Flexible. Does not look like they should be able to heft the sword they use. Notable Details: Complex Elgar'nan vallaslin in black. Nick near the tip of their left ear. Several earrings in both ears, though none of them ever match. Nails become claws once they’re a Reaver, canine teeth get sharper and longer. Get more physically durable. Voice: This specific dragon.

Positives: Protective; as antisocial as they can come across, there are people they’re close to, and they’re going to do what they can to make sure those people stay as safe as can reasonably be expected. Durable, mentally and physically; they’re going to run into a lot of shit in their life, they’re aware of it, and they aren’t overly concerned about it or its lasting impact on them. Difficult to offend, beyond generally being unimpressed; being insulted isn’t going to ruin their entire day and they aren’t going to throw some sort of tantrum about it. Fair-ish; they’ll have their own preconceived ideas, obviously, but in general if they decide they don’t like someone it’s for a specific reason, rather than on a whim. Good at compartmentalizing, even if they don’t always actually do that; they can actually be diplomatic when the time calls for it, they’re just going to grind their teeth and develop an eye twitch. Negatives: Avoidant, of people and confrontation; they don’t dread confrontation, but it seems like way more of a hassle than it’s worth, and a lot of the time they don’t really want to deal with other people. Irritable and impatient, and prone to snapping because of it; from the moment they wake up in a prison cell they are in a different world that it seems like no one else has ever paid attention to, and they get sick of constantly needing to explain themself quickly. Bad at second chances; ‘fool me once’ is bad enough and they aren’t keen on letting it get to ‘fool me twice’ unless they’re suitably convinced. Impulsive; while they’re not impossible to reason with when they get an idea in their head, that does rather hinge upon someone getting a hold of them before they act on the idea. Selectively insensitive, mostly on purpose; if someone is going to have a problem with them, they don’t really see it as a hardship to give them a reason to have a problem, so they selectively erase ‘tact’ from their vocabulary when it suits them. Neutrals: Ambivert. Very talkative, but most of what they say is sarcastic, snarky, unimpressed, deadpan, or some combination. Surprisingly good with kids. Not overly sentimental, but doesn’t frown on sentimentality. Optimist vs. Pessimist: Cautiously pessimistic. Quirks: Does not like being confined in small spaces. Will carry on one-sided conversations with their dog. Once they become a reaver and can tank more damage, they can and do escape unwanted conversations by just vaulting over ledges around Skyhold. Prone to disappearing without warning and popping up with equally little warning. Would much prefer to be outside than inside.

Religion: Believes in the Creators. Likes: Vastly prefers animals to people. Fresh air. Being outside, and especially in the woods. Dragons. New stories. Venison. Fruit. Sweet wines, especially when they’re made from something more unusual than grapes. Dislikes: Templars. The Chantry. The Circle. Most people who are too loudly in favor of any of those. A little iffy on a lot of humans, but they’ll take them on a case-by-case basis. Being the center of attention. Being treated like an idiot. When people can’t take a hint about them wanting to be left alone. Cities. Favorite Colors: Sky blue. Hunter green. Golden brown. Hobbies: Hunting. Exploring. Riding. Sparring. Dog training. Judging the impracticalities of Skyhold and the people therein.

Family: Clan Lavellan. Younger brother is the clan’s First. Steed: Revas, a literal moose. Other Critters: Mi'durgen, high content wolf/mabari cross; worryingly clever. Romance: Josie. Friends: Dorian. Cole. Blackwall. Note: Mutual respect with Cassandra, but they didn’t actually like each other that much; worked well together regardless. Initially got on well with Sera and Solas, but those relationships deteriorated as time passed. *everything in this section can of course be tweaked or disregarded entirely for specific threads, if you’d rather.

[echoingvoids]

Not So Bad I Guess (Aidesse, special request)

Oneshot Masterlist Request a oneshot

<>

This is a special request for hercega on Wattpad.

I never really liked Aiden at all, not as a kid and not when I got older, either. Always thought he was a jerk.

 But what was kinda fun about writing this oneshot is that it let me look at him in a new light. Shifted my perspective. 

Modern high school AU

I always call female Jesse "Jess", for clarification (short for Jessica)

Word Count: 1780

TW: swearing

<>

"No human is so bad as to be beyond redemption."

Mahatma Gandhi

<>

Jess had never liked Aiden Magress. From the moment they met in first grade she knew he was no good. He had quickly proved her right, constantly hiding her stuff, stealing her crayons, and putting things where she couldn't reach them (how he managed to get them up there was beyond her).

But she was able to live with the...annoyances. Even when he added name calling to the list of things he liked to do.

But the nail in the coffin was in fifth grade. 

It was Take Your Pet to School Day for the fifth graders. Everyone had been looking forward to this special event since third grade, and Jess knew there would be all sorts of unique animals there.

She had her "unusual pet papers" ready and had brought her pig, Reuben, to school. Everyone in the school wanted to meet Reuben, and one person even made him a paper dragon costume. The day went fairly smoothly. Smoothly, at least, until it was time to go home. 

She was walking back, spotting Aiden and Gill lurking by the sign near the woods that separated the school property from the river. She planned to ignore them, as usual, but as she went by, she heard something click and suddenly--

--Reuben was on fire.

Jess screamed while Aiden and Gill just stood watching. Laughing. Laughing while her pig was burning. 

If it weren't for Petra, a girl Jess knew in the sixth grade, Reuben would've died that day. She decided then and there that she hated Aiden's guts more than anything else in the world.

Anything.

As the years went by, she'd get into fights with Aiden, flinging sarcasm back at his blatant rudeness. High school hit and became an absolute nightmare, with the two getting sent to the office multiple times, often forcing her college-age brother to miss a class or get called in from work to handle the situation, since their parents were no longer in the picture.

By the time junior year rolled around, he had clearly had enough. One Friday Jess and Aiden had gotten into a particularly bad fight, in which Aiden had brought up Jess' dead parents and she had called his mother a cheating hoe. They had both been given detention for a week starting the following Monday and Jesse had been instructed to drive Jess home.

She could tell he was seething. The car was deadly silent as she clutched her backpack to her chest, staring at how his hands gripped the wheel. Never had she gotten detention before.

She dared to speak. "I'm sorry."

"You better fucking be," Jesse snapped back. "I've had to do this for years now, Jessica, and every time, I hoped you'd stop fighting. Learn the lesson. But instead, you two keep going and now you've got detention!"

She tried not to let his use of her full name sting. "What would you have me do, Jesse? He starts it."

"I don't know, Jess! But making things worse is doing just that--making it worse!"

She bit her lip and looked at her shoes while he glared out the windshield. The rest of the drive home was completely silent, but as they pulled into the driveway of their two bedroom, one bathroom house Jesse barely managed to pay rent for, Jess felt a flare of guilt. She looked at her brother and noticed how dark the bags under his eyes were getting, how angular his face was becoming. She could still clearly remember what he had looked like when their parents were alive, with rounded cheeks and a blinding smile. Jess hadn't changed when she looked in the mirror, but he was definitely different.

Suddenly the fighting with Aiden seemed inconsequential. "I'll stop fighting with him. I promise."

Jesse just looked at her tiredly. "Try. I can't do this anymore, Jess. Now you have detention on your record...I just want...I just want you to have a good future and fighting with this guy is only slowing you down."

The flare of guilt again. Here her brother was, sacrificing for her sake. "I realize that now."

Jesse nodded slowly. "Get in the house. I have to go to work and you're going to need to arrange a ride back home after detention."

"I'll talk to Petra."

He nodded again, watching as she climbed out of his ratty old truck and made her way towards the front door. She knew she didn't have to like Aiden and certainly didn't have to be friends with him, but she could stop hating him.

If only for her brother's sake.

<>

She arrived for her first day of detention and found the room shockingly quiet. Aiden was already there, sitting in the very back, and one other student Jess didn't recognize sat in the very front. The detention teacher was, shockingly, Magnus, the rather explosive gym teacher. He nodded to Jess. "There she is. Come up here really quick, Jess. You too, green shit."

Aiden made an offended noise but stood anyways, not sparing Jess a glance as they stood in front of Magnus' desk. The balding man nodded slowly. "Right. I've been instructed to enforce three rules with you two. You must sit next to each other, no talking, and no cell phones. Other than that, I don't give a shit what you're doing."

"Can I use my laptop to write my essay?" Jess asked. 

"They only said no cell phones, so, like I said, I don't care. Because of you two and this third moron over there, I don't get to watch the Boomtown playoffs at home. So go sit down, and let's get this nightmare hour over with."

The two nodded and turned, not looking at each other as they went to the back row and took their required seats next to each other. While Jess set up her laptop to start on her essay, Aiden stared up at the ceiling, leaning back slightly in his chair.

So went the first day of detention.

The following day they didn't fight once during school hours. They barely even looked at each other. The second day of detention was mostly like the first, with Jess doing schoolwork and Aiden staring at the ceiling or scribbling on a piece of paper. 

The third day, however, Jess could feel him watching her screen as she worked on a story for LA. A few months ago she would've snapped at him, told him to mind his own business, but she had noticed he wasn't so bad when he wasn't flinging insults at her. Mostly.

She paused in her typing, thinking about what to do. What Jesse would want her to do. After a moment of contemplation, she glanced at Aiden, watching his gaze flash back to the paper in front of him. He didn't look up at her, but as soon as she looked back at her screen, she knew his eyes went back to scanning the paragraph she was working on. 

She got an idea. Moving her mouse to font size, she increased it, then typed on the next line, Any suggestions?

She looked over and his mouth hung open in disbelief. He then pointed to himself and she nodded, turning the computer slightly towards him.

Like a peace offering.

He hesitantly reached up and began to type something out. A few moments later, he nudged the laptop back towards her and she read the paragraph he had put down.

She smiled a bit. It was actually kinda funny.

She glanced at him again and mouthed 'thanks', earning a shrug from him. They both went back to their respective typing and drawing, and she saw out of the corner of his eye that he was smiling.

It reminded Jess of something Lukas had said to her back in middle school. "You know, I don't know why you and Aiden argue the way you do, but if that stopped, you guys could probably be great friends. You actually share some hobbies and Aiden can be pretty funny."

Of course, she hadn't believed him when he had said that. But now...maybe now she was getting a glimpse of just who Aiden Magress could actually be.

<>

The fourth day brought a big change around.

As always, Aiden sat in the back while Magnus sat at his desk trying to watch the Boomtown Playoffs on his phone. The third guy was nowhere to be seen.

Jess made her way to her spot, setting her backpack down and opening her laptop. Before she could start typing though, Aiden tapped her arm, making her freeze. He then offered her a piece of paper.

She took it slowly, watching him as he stared at her dead on. He nodded the tiniest bit and she looked down at the page. 

It was covered in little sketches. Sketches of her, her friends, and her brother. Magnus at his desk, their science teacher Ellegaard. There was even some drawings of Rueben.

She looked back up at him, eyes wide. He shrugged a bit and went back to drawing on the next sheet of paper. She stared at him a bit longer then typed something furiously and poked his shoulder, pointing at the screen. I'm sorry I called your mother a cheating hoe.

He snorted and typed something underneath. I'm sorry for talking about your dead parents like that. They're...well, dead, and I'd call someone's parents something nasty too if someone did that to me.

He paused and added, And you're probably not wrong about my mother.

Jess let out a disbelieving gasp, immediately looking up at Magnus as soon as the sound left her mouth. The man hadn't even looked up from his phone and Jess turned back to Aiden, jaw hanging open. He just shrugged. 

She scoffed and shook her head at him, and to her surprise, he smiled a bit. And she found herself smiling back.

<>

The fifth day went without any incident and the principle personally congratulated them on their obvious improvement. 

As the two left the office and made their way to leave the school, Aiden suddenly spoke up, "So...does this mean our rivalry is over now?"

"Yeah, I guess so. A permanent truce?" 

"Yeah. Permanent truce."

She sent him a serious look. "Although if you ever set my pig on fire ever again, I will have you jailed for animal abuse."

"Trust me, the guilt over that has been eating me for the past ten years. I won't do that again any time soon," he paused. "So...I guess Lukas was right after all."

"About what?"

He grinned. "I guess we're not so different."

She thought about it. "Yeah, I guess not."

[pennyofhighbridge]

Dungeons & Dragons & Dishcloths #3 - Petra

I decided to make crochet dishcloths for my friends inspired by their D&D characters!

Name: Petra 

Class: Fighter (Battlemaster), Level 4

Feats: Prodigy (L1)

Race: Earth Genasi 

Age: 28

Petra was born in Calimshan, but she only has hazy memories of that distant country. When she was only eight, decades of escalating tensions erupted into all-out war. Petra’s father was killed, and her mother Jordanna was forced to flee the country with three young children (and a fourth on the way). They travelled north to Waterdeep as refugees, in search of safety and a new start.

The family carved out a frugal existence in the slums of Waterdeep, with Petra watching over her younger sisters while Jordanna worked to keep them all clothed and fed. Petra’s older sister Tara found odd jobs to bring in some coin. Harvest time was spent in the farming community of Rassalantar, where Jordanna’s childhood friend Berapi was raising a family of her own.

When news of Berapi’s death reached Waterdeep, Jordanna fell into a deep depression. Unable to support the family alone, Tara started bringing Petra along to help with her “odd jobs”. 

Earth Genasi are rare in Waterdeep. Commonly stereotyped as “dirty” or “dumb as rocks”, they can face challenges finding honest employment. Less law-abiding types, however, have learned that having an Earth Genasi child along as a “good luck charm” helps things go smooth - well worth handing over a few silver to have Pass Without a Trace on your side during a heist.

At the age of 13, Petra learned to pick locks, speak in cant, and meld into the shadows, working alongside Tara and her friends in the underbelly of Waterdeep to bring in enough money to feed their family for the next three years. Until the day when everything went wrong.

A failed heist. A dead friend. An Earth Genasi teenager captured, and taken before a Magistrate. A choice: imprisonment, or training to serve in the City Guard. A second chance.

Petra embraced the rigour of the City Guard, finding mentors, comrades, and a purpose in protecting the City and its people. She reconnected with her childhood friend Panas, who was studying magic, and offered to serve as her guard on a two-year expedition, surveying soil conditions up and down the Sword Coast. 

With Petra keeping Panas on a strict schedule, they reached the southernmost point of their journey - the village of Taevsbridge - in record time. After helping the local cleric with some strange mushrooms, and picking up a few new travelling companions, Petra and Panas travelled together to Candlekeep.

After capably escaping an extradimensional space and saving a researcher in peril, Petra and her companions caught the attention of the Keeper of Tomes, and were asked to serve as the Keeper’s Hands - extending a planned tenday stay into six months of probationary employment, with free room and board, a monthly stipend, and library access. Not much of a reader, Petra has carved out a place for herself among the defenders of the library-fortress, honing her skills, and helping to train Avowed adjutants in the basics of combat. 

As a member of the Keeper’s Hands, Petra has acted in Candlekeep’s interests (and has gotten to meet and pet *so many* good dogs!) First, venturing north to Baldur’s Gate to confront a seller of dangerous books. Next, east to Elturgard, crossing into the Shadowfell, to help a girl trapped in the body of a raven. En route to the Cloud Peaks to investigate rumours of an abandoned village and platinum mine, Petra received an urgent message from home. With the aid of Candlekeep’s mages, she was transported to Waterdeep to help her family, and has since returned to the library and her friends. 

As winter sets in at Candlekeep, and we approach the end of the first six months of service by the Keeper’s Hands, it will be interesting to see what mysteries and further adventures the months ahead have in store!

[ohpollenpowder]

4 for any human who can answer it 👀

4] Do they have any particularly (in)famous or historically relevant ancestors? Does it matter to them?

Runa! We get some lore for her for a change!!! But alas, it's not going to be a lot in comparison to the others below. Her name is a Canthan name, the first part is, anyway, and so her ties link back to Empress Consort Tahmu—who became a dragon and the leader of the Celestials. [source] If she knows this information herself—which she probably does—she holds it very close to the breast as she does most things. Tahmu is aware of her descendant and since Cantha has reconnected with the rest of Tyria, has thought about reaching out to her. Especially during the Lunar New Year.

Gavin I covered in a Commander meme eons ago, but to regrab that one:

𝙶𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙸𝚗𝚗𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝙰𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊, 𝙽𝙿𝙲𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 "𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚔" 𝚋𝚒𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚢 𝚘𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙷𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚜, 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚗 𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗, 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎-𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚜. 𝙽𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚎; 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚊𝚍 (𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝙲) 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙶𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑.

So in his case, they are important to him. Very much so. Andrew practically raised Gavin seeing as his mother wasn't always around and his father had—ironically—been a sailor and died out on the stormy waters just before Gavin was born. Thus, Petra was often like an older sister for him, so he's rather protective over them both as well.

For the Konu-siblings… This sent me down a rabbit hole. And this is very link heavy out of all the lore bouncing from Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2.

Okay. So. They are so very distantly related to the first emperor of Cantha, Kaineng Tah, because the man had thirty-favored concubines and they had over two hundred kids. [source] Which. In a way makes them related to Shiro Tagachi… More on that later. One of these ancestors was a member of the Crimson Skull, which was what got the family out of Cantha and into Kryta. [source] This family member was a trained Ritualist and continued to pass this knowledge down the line, which probably lead to the eventual nobility-ing of the Konu family. This (Ritualist knowledge) also probably lead to Ryon and (somewhat) Shiori's ties with the spirits within the Mists as Necromancers (former and current respectively). [source]

There's also a tie to the Luxon's, also a rather weak one and to no one of note, but they also passed down the worship of the Three Queens—Alua, Elora, and Ione. [source] Which also makes the Alliance Stance for Revenants kinda "fun" for Ryon as well. [source] Oh so much fun having Shiro and Archemorus calling him "cousin" in his head, not to mention Viktor side-lining and egging them both on. [source] Back to the Three Queens, Ryon wasn't much one for worshiping them himself, that was more Yunru Ione and sometimes Shiori. Shiori is also researching "Weh no Su" in order to get more…information on her dearest older brother and maybe alternative cures. [source] This is at Monet's "discovering" of the information regarding Weh no Su in one of her books at the library and sharing with her dear friend, "you can find out what he's hiding~"

So…to the second part of the question. Yes. Kinda. Yunru Ione was named after (one of) the Three Queens and Shiori looks into their Ritualist roots to delve into Weh no Su. Ryon is more or less a…handmaiden to one of the patron gods the Luxons chose from the Six (Grenth) and is annoyed constantly by Shiro and Archemorus (and Viktor) when his own voice isn't in his head. (Since he channels himself as a Necromancer most times.) But they're all interested in learning more about the Luxon Leviathans. [source] And they all try their best to ignore the weak link to Shiro Tagachi...

[travel-to-jordan]

What you need to know if you want to dive in Jordan

Most visitors base their scuba diving in Jordan out of the ancient port city of Aqaba. This city dates back over 4000 years and, at one time, was the gateway to Egypt, India, Arabia, and China. Surrounded by mountainous deserts, Aqaba is not far from other famous Jordan attractions like the Valley of Wadi Rum and the ancient city of Petra. Thousands of tourists flock here yearly to see these famous archaeological sites. Still, the actual main attraction is the pristine coral reefs found underwater in the well-protected Marine Park’s warm, tropical waters. The 20 named dive sites in Aqaba are mostly easy and relaxing, offering various underwater encounters like coral gardens, pinnacles, and the famous Cedar Pride wreck. Jordan diving conditions are calm, clear, and warm year-round. The best time to dive in Jordan is April to November when air temperatures are milder than the hot summers.

Why Go Scuba Diving In Aqaba?

Year-round mild weather: The water temperature in Aqaba is about 26° C in summers and drops to nothing below 20° C in winters.

Ease of access: The prominent diving sites in Aqaba can easily be accessed by road. Located not very far off from these sites are a number of hotels & resorts.

Massive coral & marine life: The destination is home to 500 species of corals, 1200 species of fish, and over 1000 types of mollusks & other crustaceans.

Diversity: Both soft and hard corals can be found here. The sites too vary in shape and inhabitants; from slopes to drop-offs and canyons to flat bottoms.

Attractions at sea-bed: In addition to beautiful corals, divers will come across a tank and a Lebanese freighter at the bottom of the waters of the Red Sea.

1. Cedar Pride Wreck

One of the most popular sites for scuba diving in Aqaba is actually an artificial reef that came into existence after Cedar Pride – a Lebanese freighter – sunk in the Red Sea in 1985. Diving to witness the shipwreck, lying at a depth of 26 m, is something that divers with all levels of experience can enjoy. Lucky ones might even come across a couple of Giant Napoleon Wrasse or a majestic sea turtle.  Level: Beginner to Advanced

2. Japanese Garden

This is one of the most interesting dive sites in Aqaba. Not far from the site of the Cedar Pride Wreck lies the Japanese Garden that is known for its picturesque coral. A shallow dive in the waters here offers an opportunity to spot the Little Dragon Fish. Level: Beginner

3. Black Rock

What makes Black Rock such an amazing site for scuba-diving is the fact that it is located at a private beach club. The corals range from shallow ones too those over 40 m deep. And the Ornate Ghost Pipefish is something to look out for. Level: Beginner to Advanced

4. Seven Sisters

The Seven Sisters diving site is, without a doubt, one of the most popular sites for scuba diving in Aqaba. In addition to the huge coral formations that it boasts of, there is an American army tank lying at the seabed that the divers love exploring. And the Warty Frogfish and other marine animals that are present here only add to the delight of these scuba-divers. Level: Beginner

5. Paradise

Paradise is one most exciting Aqaba dive sites. Ashraf’s Grotto is another name given to this site. It can be reached by a short boat ride. The wonderful multi-coloured corals and a variety of fish makes it a great spot for underwater photography. Going deeper will bring you to a small wall and a cave which home to several rare marine species.

Level: Beginner to Advanced

6. Blue Coral

Blue Coral is a diving spot near Aqaba that can be reached only from the Tala Bay shore. The marine life has settled around the jetty with delicate coral growth. This spot is also known for its variety in sea creatures that include fish, turtles, sea horses, stingrays, and nudibranchs.  Level: Beginner to Advanced

7. Kiwi Reef

Kiwi Reef is home to a large variety of marine life. It is known for its wide coral growth. The initially you would see a lot of grass but as you dive deeper the sea unfolds its secrets to you. Stingray, octopus, turtles, and nudibranchs are found here. There are several other sea creatures that you may spot. This is also counted among the best spots for underwater photography.  Level: Open Water Diver and above

Planning for the trip?

Do you want to experience the luxury tours of Jordan like never before? Then look no further than YOLO Jordan Tours and Travel. We offer the best Jordan travel packages that will allow you to discover the enchanting hidden gems of this incredible country. From the historical sites of Amman to the breathtaking desert landscape of Wadi Rum, our expert guides will offer customized journey planning to let you experience an adventure you will never forget!

Click here to book your trip today!

[khawla-gfm2]

$11,600 raised !

[tagging people for reach]:

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📰Khawla's Family Campaign Update: 57📰

$11,295/$20,000 as of October 10th [10pm CDT]

Currently $705 away from $12,000 as a short term goal.

The next immediate target it $15,000 as a 3rd of the way to the fundraiser's initial goal.

Please consider donating even just $5, $10, or $20 to help the fundraiser further along to reaching it's goal. And remember that reblogging/sharing to reach more people can help a lot!

[for more information on the campaign: check my pinned post, the campaign page itself, or message me directly if you have any questions]

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