#Elenchus adventures

[m-siecle]

Have some Blorbo's from our dnd game for the ship meme:

Hlin/Agatha the Banshee

Raisa/Emily

Everard/Escher

✨~distraction~✨

Ooooohhhh excellent questions!

Hlin/Agatha:

what made me ship it: I am obsessed with Hlin's character development in the last few sessions (hi @pioup-pioup): getting more and more daring and every now and then just woosh decimating enemies like nbd (dashingly saving her cousin!!). It feels like she's really growing into a hero as the adventure progresses and I am so here for that... And do you know what this hero needs? An only-mostly-deas but handsome (all things considered) wife who knows everything and instills fear in everybody's heart... except little Hlin's 💖

My favourite things: could be the ultimate and most improbable power couple

Unpopular opinion: we should go back to the banshee so hlin can shoot her shot. Unless you agree with me, in which case it is no longer unpopular, it becomes mainstream bc it's 2/3 (assuming elenchus stays neutral) 😌

Emily/Raisa:

what made me ship it: initially it was just because Emily being oblivious to her own subtext was funny, and then I got the feels

my favourite thing about it: I like that they need each other emotionally but also they make sense textually, bc it's literally a damsel in distress and a knight in shining armour. And the idea that they have found each other within that narrative but given it new value is so nice

Unpopular opinion: hmmmm I have no idea... I liked that they ended up in a sort of limbo between platonic and something else, but I think you agree with me on this one

Everard/Escher

What made me ship it: are you kidding me you could cut the sexual tension with a knife when Escher gave him that ring

My favourite thing about it: they are both so charming and their survival kind of depends on that, and they are both kind of vain and obsessed with beauty (our Escher is), and they both have a complicated relationship with mortality, and they are a mess. I think because they are similar in that way they can kind of get at all the hidden rawness in each other. Also Escher is bite-y, which I always appreciate

Unpopular opinion: I think everard should have gotten in even more trouble about it 😌

[aporeticelenchus]

So far, the party for my new Curse of Strahd campaign includes:

Fantasy Lord Byron, a bard who is currently trying to figure out how to seduce a ghost.

The naive and innocent Gothic heroine ingenue rogue who learned how to pick locks from all the times she’s been kidnapped by wicked uncles.

A paladin who is very worried that any given NPC may be a fiend and/or undead, and will loudly announce their findings when their divine sense reveals someone is not either of the above. This has included a group of people telling stories around a campfire, two children, and a dog.

A soldier who is really hoping that someone, at some point, is planning on paying them, and that this isn’t all a ~for the sake of the good and right~ type quest.

A half-orc hermit who accidentally joined the group and is too embarrassed to ask what they’re all supposed to be doing.

I’m having a very good time as DM.

[aporeticelenchus]

Now I’m just picturing Raisa as a big scruffy cat leaving dead mice in S-A’s dreamspace xD

Someday when the campaign is over I’ll tell you all about the flashcards I had prepped for the first character death. (Now that I’ve reviewed some of the combat rules, I think if I was playing the vampire spawn grapple rules right Clara might have died after all.)

@aporeticelenchus and @ratheralark were talking about how much our curse of strahd campaign would have changed if another character had died instead of Everard. And then I couldn’t stop thinking about how everything would be so different if Everard hadn’t been the one to die and get revived so early. So here’s some thoughts I had if it had been someone else:

Keep reading

[shitpostingfromthebarricade]

for the fic asks: 7, 14 and 15

7. What’s your favourite fic genre to read?

I...don't actually know? God, I'm having a crisis and am getting all weird and existential about genres again.

You know those really specific AUs that center on a really specific subject but in the background the relationship is also gradually building? That. And also those canon era adventures that are tell the most absurd adventures with a deadpan voice (elenchus has a really great one, and so does sath).

I also really enjoy the general genre of "well-written fuckery" where the author is just playing around with tropes.

14. What kind of plotline are you always here for?

Enemies to friends to lovers? But also healthy relationship fluff (platonic, familial, romantic, whatever) ft Shenanigans™.

(yes that's a whole plotline no I'm not accepting criticism at this time)

15. What can an author do to make you love them?

Write a well-written and cohesive piece that still surprises me! I tend to hyperanalyze and overthink all content that I consume, so fics that step outside of that are really great. :) And I love a fic I can learn from.

[bootsselbst]

Boots’s Courfeyrac/Marius fic recs: Canon-Era

I’ve been meaning to make an updated fic reclist for these two for ages, but I am a lamentable ship captain.  Finally, here it is, thanks to Fic Recs Week!  Some of them are more platonic than shippy; some of them are sad.  This is probably not surprising.  The fics are in chronological order by when they were originally posted.

Ao3 fics:

I Have Come to Sleep With You by Hammie "Only Marius Pontmercy sneaks out furtively in the dead of night to go sit in a regular garden!” Courfeyrac is as obnoxious as possible and Marius is bad at things. They smooch.

A Matter of Taste by StripySock (Ch 1 is Courf/Marius) (NSFW) Courfeyrac does not know where this need within him comes from but he is not ashamed to fulfill it and his friends do not begrudge him.

Bed of Four by rrueplumet Friends are made.  Marius is jealous.  Courfeyrac helps.  [Successful post-barricade AU]

In Which Old Men Rediscover Passion by dorian_fey Written for the Les Mis Anon Kink Meme on LJ. For a prompt in which Courf and Marius alone survived the barricades and have both moved on in life, losing a lot of their former passion. Fic takes places years later when they meet again.

wrap my love around you by stripedjumper Courfeyrac dresses Marius in his clothes, for fun. In an unexpected turn of events, Marius looks really good in Courfeyrac's clothes.

In Which Courfeyrac Resolves Henceforth To Keep His Clothes To Himself by magnificentbastards '“Why, yes,” Courfeyrac says, frowning a little at an unintended crease in the fabric of his necktie and setting it aside in favour of a fresh one, “you know, curling my hair in the mornings means it takes me nearly an extra hour to get ready! Fashion is a cruel and beautiful mistress, and I bear her boot-marks all down my spine.” Through the doorway, Marius coughs (Courfeyrac would certainly not be so uncharitable as to refer to it as a splutter).'

What Kind of Fairytale Is This? by emmaliza (NSFW) Marius is nervous, and Courfeyrac reassures him that he is going to have the perfect fairytale wedding. And then makes it very much otherwise.

Grounded by fightingthecage After the scene at the Gorbeau tenement, Marius has only one place to go.

To Love And Be Loved (orphaned work) Post-barricade fic; Marius remembers time spent with Courfeyrac.

Mops, An Adventure by sath Pt 1: As a dastardly plot involving marriage, Freemasons, and pug substitution emerges, Marius realizes his feelings for Courfeyrac may not be entirely uncomplicated. Pt 2: After a Prussian Baroness steals Courfeyrac's dog, Courfeyrac and his loyal friend Marius undertake a long winter's journey to her Westphalian estate in order to retrieve their own pup. Along the way, they encounter inadequate lodgings, women in trousers, and moments of sexual tension. The Baroness, however, has her own plans for the two, involving marriage and perhaps even a murder in order to inherit her grandfather's estates - and her grandfather has his own grievance with the Courfeyracs...

A constant friendship in all other things by longhandnotebook (NSFW) "Well?" Marius had his hands in his pockets, his shoulders up, and said sheepishly, "I passed." "Marius!" Courfeyrac clapped him on the shoulder. "This is excellent news. We must get drunk immediately."

Open Doors by satb31 (NSFW) Marius is concerned about passing the bar exam, and Courfeyrac tries to help him relax.

Fast Friends by within_a_dream Courfeyrac is one of Marius's dearest friends, and Marius has been wondering if he might be in love--until a conversation is overheard, Marius jumps to conclusions, and things go wrong in the way they so often do when he's involved.

Irreconcilable Sartorial Differences by Elenchus Marius Pontmercy purchases a new hat. Courfeyrac finds he cannot approve the decision. Haberdashery disaster ensues. Guest-starring all of Courfeyrac's extremely unhelpful friends.

Having Confidence in a Fine September Sun by kjack89 "Once, having confidence in a fine September sun, Marius had allowed himself to be taken to the ball at Sceaux by Courfeyrac, Bossuet, and Grantaire..."

To Sleep With You by kjack89 Four times Marius has come to sleep with Courfeyrac.

Of Misfortunes and Miscommunications by within_a_dream Courfeyrac makes the mistake of leaving Marius in the care of Grantaire, Joly, and Bossuet for a night, and disaster ensues.

Shed More Warmth by temperamental_mistress “What you need is a mistress to distract you,” Courfeyrac suggested, setting his hands on the younger man’s shoulders, gently kneading at the knots he found there. “I know several charming young ladies who I’m certain would be more than happy to oblige a handsome fellow like you.” Canon-era magic AU.

A Heart Full of You by pwnmercys A collection of short Courfeyrac & Marius stories.  Mostly fills written in response to tumblr prompts

Tumblr fics/Prompt fics: (If a fic did not have a title, I used the prompt or the first line as the title.  If I couldn’t find the post on the OP’s blog, I linked to a reblog.)

“I’ll never unsee that” by @cheesethesecond

Respirer by @bootsselbst​

candle, wistful, never by @thecoffeetragedy​

aftermath by @ratheralark

“Marius does something nice for Courfeyrac to thank him” by @aporeticelenchus​

"Marius, over the month, had taken to come back to Courfeyrac’s lodgings...” by @somuchbetterthanthat​

“We can never be together” kiss by @aporeticelenchus​

“It’s been a long time since I laughed this much” by @takethewatch​

one character adjusting the other’s clothing by @oilan​

sharing a bed by @thecoffeetragedy​

“a minor disturbance“ by @somuchbetterthanthat​

“I’ve missed you” kiss by @aporeticelenchus​

[aporeticelenchus]

@ The Vampire Crew

RIP Baron V u_u

[aporeticelenchus]

D&D people!

How’s this coming Sunday (5/3) at 10am Pacific/1 pm Eastern for everyone?

@badassindistress @grand-r-siecle @guineamaina @ratheralark @ghostplantss and anyone else who wants to join!

[aporeticelenchus]

I did 6 hours of D&D today and boy am I sleepy.

(It was good! Just...a lot. And so many things to keep on brain while trying to DM, which was the first 4 hours.)

[aporeticelenchus]

No - Argynvostholt is somewhat remote and largely forgotten, but it was never deliberately hidden. There’s still remenants of the road leading there, and it’s on old maps. You could have dug up info through research (or asked Vasili to do research for you), asked around, or even tried to track the road from the mimic signpost.

But having a revenant guide you there was certainly faster than any of those, and a revenant companion sure discourages a bunch of the other random encounter possibilities from showing up.

[aporeticelenchus]

Hi, D&D folk! I haven’t had the spare brains to actually assemble a group in a few weeks, but I’d really like to get back to playing. I’ve also been thinking seriously about running one of the official published adventures, so that I have something ongoing and consistent to work with for a bit.

Would any of you players be interested in playing either Waterdeep Dragon Heist or Curse of Strahd with me? Probably on a weekend, when we could find a good regular time. You can send me a message, leave a reply here, or put your info down on this google doc (totally optional, but useful because tumblr makes things hard to find. Just keep in mind that it’s public.).

A few considerations about each campaign, based on me reading through the source books and chatting with people:

WDH:

Urban setting, with limited movement around and somewhat linear plot. Less dungeon crawling and combat, more running around trying to find things in the big city.

Relatively light tone, from what I’ve read through.

(You don’t do an actual heist and the dragons are coins; just saying that up front.)

CoS:

GOTHIC VAMPIRE HUNTER ADVENTURE

Longer campaign; designed to run from level 1 or 3-10. (If we start at level 3, in theory my players who already have characters at that level could keep using them). So there’s more content to play around with, but less chance of actually getting to the end with everyone.

Darker tone and higher stakes, because gothic vampire hunters.

Much more open world/sandbox style than WDH

You could make me do terrible fake accents, probably.

[aporeticelenchus]

Hey folks! I haven’t been doing D&D for a bit, because I got a very bad cold and then overwhelmed by end of quarter stuff. But I’d like to start back up!

Anyone interested in doing an adventure next weekend, likely on Sunday starting around 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern?

[aporeticelenchus]

So I maaaaay have gotten super excited about my cleric and ran out and bought spell cards and a tiny spell book to hold them. It’s so cute though. I’m totally charmed. It even came with blank cards to write extra spells or magic items or character notes on!

[aporeticelenchus]

ratheralark replied to your post “I did 6 hours of D&D today and boy am I sleepy. (It was good! Just...a...”

i just want to know what happened!!!!!

:) :) :)

[aporeticelenchus]

ratheralark replied to your post: So far, the party for my new Curse of Strahd...

he’s gonna figure it out

I was going to reply “Unless he dies first,” but actually I suppose that would simplify the task.

[aporeticelenchus]

Oh, I hadn’t realized that Odyssey of the Dragonlords was out and available converted for roll20.

That is...very tempting......

[aporeticelenchus]

While I’m on the topic of D&D, would anyone be interested in joining a one-shot (i.e. a story that lasts for just a session or two) run by me this weekend or next weekend? My main group is on pause for the moment, but I have several mini-dungeons burning a hole in my proverbial pocket and I’d like to try some things out!

Total beginners welcome - I can help you make a characters and explain basic rules - and we don’t have to be mutuals or anything; just looking for some folks who might enjoy trying out a dungeon and/or dragon!