#Ersa vanguardsman

[steelsartcorner]

Art Practice of The Day: Meme Time

(so like. Avad totally did Ersa’s carja noblewoman makeup before the escape right? I mean it’s not super likely that she did it ….)

bonus oblivious Erend telling this totally hilarious, whacky, and definitely platonic story about his king and sister to Aloy

[missmrah]

Thanks @souls-that-have-senses​ for such a lovely commission request! It was an absolute joy to draw Erend and Ersa just being the best siblings ❤️

My sketch was heavily influenced and inspired by her gorgeous fic, which everyone should check out immediately!

 Legacy, Malady, Kith and Kin by SoulsThatHaveSenses

[horizon-of-fel]

Ao3 Fanfics

With the encouragement of a few friends, I have decided to start posting here on Tumblr my Ao3 Horizon fandom stories that I write. I'm fairly new to these parts, so please let me know if you see any way I can improve how I put these up. I also would love to hear from you guys so feel free to send me any Asks or messages!

My Works

Stories in Progress:

Road to Mainspring - Aloy/Erend In the weeks after the Battle of the Alight, Aloy is recruited to escort Dervahl to Mainspring with Erend Vanguardsman - a journey neither of them expected to go the way it did. Set after Zero Dawn, before Forbidden West. Rating: Mature/Explicit (for eventual smut)

Blood and Sandstone - Aloy AU re: Carja Red Raids An alternate narrative following the 'what if' of Aloy being kidnapped during the Red Raids for the Sun Ring instead of living her life peacefully in the Embrace, and what her life might've been like during that time. Features: Ersa, Erend (eventual Ereloy), Rost, Helis, Avad, Jiran and so many others... Rating: Mature/Explicit (for dark themes, violence, eventual smut)

Echoes of Enduring Hearts - Aloy/Avad Aloy and Avad navigate a complicated relationship before and after the events of Horizon: Forbidden West. Rating: Teen and Up (for now, who knows, will update if it changes)

Completed Stories and One-Shots:

A Breath of Fresh Air - Aloy/Kotallo (maybe completed, tbd) Set just before heading to the mission to the GEMINI cauldron. Kotallo notices Aloy getting antsy being cooped up in the base as they wait for Beta to prepare herself for the merge and finish the 'rig', so he invites her for an outdoor excursion. Rating: Teen and Up

Embers of the Past - Aloy/Erend Prompt for two minutes Oseramtober 2023 - "Ember" Aloy takes a friend's advice for some downtime and ends up coming face to face with a messy part of her and Erend's past. Will they be able to finally move past it or will it burn everything they'd built to embers and ash? Rating: Teen and Up

[livingwrite-andrepeat]

Erend Vanguardsman Headcanons

• This man loves snuggles, he doesn’t care about being the big spoon or small spoon as long as he gets his snuggles

• He will literally pout if he doesn’t get physical attention

• He might seem confident but if you say anything flirty he will turn red

• If you were dating before Ersa died you know every embarrassing thing about him

• He’s a romantic at heart

• He takes you on romantic dates and always finds you the nicest presents when you two visit different places

• Forces teaches you to play Strike

• Gets clingy when jealous, constantly worried you’ll leave him for someone begged

• To which you’ll kiss him and tell him he’s the only guy out there for you

• He loves you and makes sure you know it every day

@ceo-of-sloppy-men @deviantstormtrooper @the-chocoholic-writer

[mantis-on-a-table]

Multifandom doodle dump🕳 (mostly Hollow knight djfufjrjfuuf)

[felrend]

Here's a cozy ask UwU What are Erend's hugs like/what kinds of hugs does he like?

(btw I don't mind you posting my asks publically please go ahead!)

Erend's hugs are like wrapping yourself in a blanket that's just been in the dryer. They are warm and comforting. Each hug is a little different for him.

Of course for those people that are special to Erend like Ersa and Aloy, they get get the big and loving bear hug. He engulfs you and holds you tight to him, and with Aloy he loves when she nuzzles her face into his chest or neck. He'll also give little forehead kisses.

With dear friends like Varl, they still get the big hug but also some pats on the back for reassurance so they know he's happy to see them.

Kotallo and Zo get the side hugs where he nudges them enough into his side to let them know he's happy they are there. Of course Zo get's the soft gentle hugs because he knows what the Utaru is capable of and could strike at any moment. Typically Erend would wrap his arm around Kotallo's shoulders, always mindful of the Tenakth's arm. Even though he doesn't seem to mind, Erend still wishes to be respectful.

Alva and Beta get the warm hug where he will rock them back and forth to get a laugh out of them. He's found new sisters and some times it makes him a little emotional. So he plays it off this way as well as lifting them off their feet in victory or when it's been too long since he's seen them.

Sylen's gets a nod of the head. There's no way Erend is hugging that guy. Mostly because he would be too tempted to just toss Sylen's to the ground for being such a dick to Aloy. But Erend wouldn't do such a thing. Not without Aloy's approval first.

This turned in to one big fluff post and I love it. Thank you for the ask my dear!!! It made me all warm and fuzzy. Like Erend!

[sheigarche]

Parallels 🥺

[echoechowhiskey]

[sunsetofdoom]

[commission by @stormytitan)

How do we feel about YET ANOTHER Ersa Lives AU

(This time with love tokens and Aloy being mystified by social interaction!

She turned around, and there was Erend; kneeling on the ground in the filthy rushes, his thick gloves working at the ropes on his sister’s ankles. Glyphs showed up in the corner of her vision, unobtrusive white text reading Ersa Ersa are you okay can you hear me why didn’t you take me with you it’s gonna be okay.

There was a blindfold cast onto the floor, sawn jagged by a clumsy cut from his dagger, and Aloy’s eyes followed the line of fabric up to Ersa’s face. Her cheeks were sunken, one eye swollen black and her lip split. Her hair was matted with blood. 

But her dark grey eyes were staring straight into Aloy with a terrifying ferocity. Aloy rocked back on her heels- like hiding right in front of a Watcher, waiting to see if it had noticed her, she wondered if Ersa was registering her as a threat, or if she was lost in pain and delirium.

She shifted backwards, and those steel-grey eyes followed, tracking her from where Ersa lay prone on the floor. Like a wounded animal, Ersa’s lip curled up to show her teeth.

[anyathebloodshell]

I'm curious as to what are your headcanons on why or when Erend decided to shave his hair into a mohawk! I like to think he did it in solidarity seeing as Ersa had to shave all her hair to join the freebooters

That's such a nice Headcanon!! However mine Is quite different.

-When Erend and Ersa decided to join the Freebooters, Ersa had to shave completely her hair, but Erend has shaved his hair too for support on his older sister. Since he knows that the Patriarchy in the Claim is stronger than in other regions and Erend doesn't like that.

When his hair had began to grow back, he decided to shave into a mohawk. To remember a bit their first days with the Freebooters.

[disgruntled-welshgirl]

14/15

[melikochan]

Horizontober Day 18: Alike

“They’re… so much alike,” whispered one of the Vanguardsman to one of his companions, eyes flicking over to where Aloy and Beta stood clustered over a table, going over a map with the Blameless Marad. Both clones dressed in Carja armor, opting to blend in more while in Meridian.

Erend chuckled, slapping the soldier’s back. “They look alike, sure—and lemme tell you, they’ve both got a temper to rival a Thunderjaw!—but they’re as different as Ersa and I were.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. Aloy’ll just kill ya outright. Beta? She’ll make it look like an accident.”

He laughed when they blanched.

[justahorizonsideblog]

Name: Erend Vanguardsman Family: Ersa (Sister) Relationship: - Household: HFW Crew CC: SimnificantWonder’s Viking Inspired Braided Hair , Necrodog‘s Muttonchops beard, Right Side Focus Facepaint by Me

[finrays]

18. Disability

I am having a hell of a time getting anything written today because my roommate has a million questions about how to use a computer, and I’ve turned into in-house tech support :T

If we're bringing back other characters then why not Ersa too?

-

The tension in the chamber is so thick that Aloy feels almost as if she could slice through it with a spearpoint.

Erend is pacing back and forth, clenching and unclenching his fists, while Avad is relatively still, seated on one of the low settes with his fingers laced together, knuckles white with tension. She's a leap removed from the situation, but their anxiety is catching, and she finds herself perched beside the Sun-King with her knees drawn up to her chest.

The stress reaches a fever pitch when the royal physician finally makes an appearance. The man looks utterly weary, shoulders slouched as he ascends the stairs into the audience chamber. But there’s a little smile on his face, alongside the exhaustion.

Avad rises to his feet, one hand fluttering out toward the healer.

"Is she...?"

The man dips into the requisite bow before nodding, the smile deepening as he meets each of their eyes in turn.

"Yes. And I believe she intends to stay that way."

All three of them let out an explosive sigh, almost in unison, exchanging grins, and looks of relief. It takes the healer several pointed throat-clearings to call them back to order, and he removes his headdress as he speaks, mopping at his shaved pate with a cloth that he pulls from inside the sleeve of his robe.

"We weren't able to save her leg. And there's still no telling what the long-term effects of prolonged exposure to Dervhal's sonic device will be."

With a little shake of his head, Avad drifts across the chamber to stand by Erend’s side. The conviction on his face is as hard as machine-steel.

"It doesn't matter. If she’s going to live? We’ll figure it out. Whatever it takes."

Erend gives him a clap on the shoulder that staggers him forward a step, and knocks his headdress askew. Several of the guards, stationed at the entrances to the pavilion, start in alarm. But Avad just grins, nudging it back into place, and returns the gesture, clapping his own hand over the Vanguardsman’s.

"We damn well will!"

-

When she next returns to Meridian, there's a new presence in the palace.

Aloy has no doubt as to who she is, from the moment she lays eyes on the woman; she has the same square jaw and strong shoulders as Erend, and when she looks up, setting the leaves down on the table in front of her, and smiles, the resemblance becomes even more clear.

"Let's see; red hair, Nora garb, and a warrior's eyes... you must be Aloy."

Approaching the table, Aloy leans forward, resting her elbows on its surface and givng a little nod.

"That's me. And you're Ersa, right? Glad to see you back on your feet."

Raising a brow, the Oseram woman gestures to her single boot, stretched out beneath the table. Her other leg, ending just above the knee and still swathed in bandages, is propped up on a low, cushion-topped stool.

"Feet? Nope. You've got one too many in there."

The joke catches Aloy off guard, and she lets out a little chuckle before she can stop herself. Judging by Ersa's grin, though, it's just the reaction she was hoping for.

"Not really on them, either, per se,” she continues, “I've been having trouble keeping my balance. Something broken in here, courtesy of Dervhal."

She indicates the side of her head with a vague, sweeping hand motion.

"We're still working on a way for me to move around the place without having to be upright and dizzy. Until we do, though, I'm... trying to stay in one place, as much as I can."

“Marad says you’re working as a military advisor, now... got any ideas for the defense of the Spire?”

Picking up her sheath of leaves, Ersa gives it a little flap, sending them rustling together.

“A couple, yeah. I tangled with some of these bastards during the Liberation. Getting to put them in their place a second time is a treat. It’s not the same as having a hammer in my hands, but it’s good work. And with any luck, I can help keep you all safe out there. ”

As she sets her work back down, she glances about, before beckoning Aloy in closer with a conspiratorial little wave.

 “Still... crack a few Eclipse skulls for me once the fighting starts, will you?"

Aloy favors her with a wicked little grin.

"Oh, it would be my pleasure. I'll tell them you sent me."

Leaning back in her seat, Ersa barks out a laugh.

"Hah! I think we're going to be good friends, Aloy. Come back alive, so we can make that happen?"

As she straightens up, Aloy gives the Oseram woman a firm nod; she’s definitely looking forward to that prospect.

"I'll do my best."

[felrend]

Erend really said "I know the focus doesn't look as good on me but at least I can be helpful" and I wanna say to him sir you are GORGEOUS and your existence is a gift 🥺

Absolutely!!!

As much as I love the compliment that Erend sneakily gave Aloy, he really needs to think more highly of himself. He needs to see his worth.

I'm hoping in the next game we can get a fully realized Erend and be given a better story arch that doesn't revolve around Ersa or drinking. I do understand that Ersa will never leave Erend, and it's only been six months (or maybe a bit longer) since she passed. That's not a very long time at all. But he deserves to thrive and find his own place in the world. Whether that's as the Captain of the Vanguard or with Aloy. Hoping for the latter lol.

Guerrilla better not do him dirty for the DLC or Horizon III.

[dawnfromzero]

We can all agree that a modern HZD au would definitely involve Erend and Ersa being ex-marines that got out and opened up a pub called ‘The Claim’ where Erend bartends and Ersa runs the kitchen, right?

And Aloy would be a P.I./bounty hunter Erend falls head over heels for when she comes in one day tracking a perp? He serves her a drink and they get to chatting a little while she’s waiting to make her move, and when Aloy vaults a table catches her guy with the most perfect knee bar take down he’s ever seen, well... it’s game over for Erend Vanguardsman.