#Eternal Alliance worldbuilding

[makode-name]

Alliance Flying Creatures Headcanon

comic relief in 3...2....1.... Are you feeling a little lack of creatures living on the Odessen?

Have you ever wondered if it's strange, that during the establishing of Odessen's Alliance base staff didn't stumble upon any notable creature living in the mountains? Well so did I And came up with The birb -----------------------------------------------------------------

Sa'hau/Sahau (from broken catharese "sky arrow" or arrow bird), also known as fish bird is a reptavian native to the Odessen. The name comes from when the creature was first observed, diving under the water of one of the mountain lakes. Diving creature bears close resemblance to an arrow with it's sharp beak and feathered tail. Despite nesting in the caves high above the ground, sahau do find themselves occasionally hunting in the forests for smaller creatures. Sahau coats come in various shades of green, brown, yellow, gray and blue with different stripe and dot patterns. Their beak "ring" spot on the other hand comes in all known colours. They have sort of feather "mane" resting along their neck and are capable of raising it as an umbrella. Such "mane" serves as an attraction attribute during mating time and a warning or a threat display when sahau is confronted or is feeling uncomfortable.

Soooo ofc cause of Palladi's love to all sorts of animals absolutely not catching them by himself for his own Force bonding expirements's sake (how terrible) and because of the need to traverse Odessen's land fast and relatively safe he's just been like

and so the domestication of flying Odessen dinosaurs began

or better to say, a prolific partnership.

Tho the birbs look like they will eat you and all your family in one turn they turned out to be prone to learning and further training.

here I have Palladi to show off his Toruk Makto riding skills

Being quite social, sahau made up themselves a reputation of loyal companions, assisting locals in fishing and sometimes even hunting, serving patrol duties along side with their riders and in general being fast and furious mounts.

Birb is helping, not stealing! no no.

Ah, the riders! Due to this whole bonding idea a dedicated Alliance force was established consisting mostly of Force-users and Force-sensitives who have been trained to create special bond with creatures.

ye I just slapped the rifle on, I didn't even pretend

Judging from the name they are, well, armed with special spears, that, upon being thrown, open its "claws" or "jaws", puncture target's armour with its middle needle (hehe) and release a shock charge.

Oh look! This mirialan made himself tattoos alike sahau wings, each "feather" is achievement with his flying buddy.

They come in white and og black (I guess), and some jewelry prefered by a rider (just examples).

Thank you!!!!💜

[astralcentralstation]

Worldbuilding H/C: Soulmates

So this will be just be the general head-canons about how the different cultures in HSR would be structures in a soulmate AU (alias how soulmates influenced laws and cultures), and how the playable characters view them. I will later add a image for each character. When we are induced to new cultures in the game i might add a part 2 to this.

Soulmates are general confirmed and accepted, nobody is really denying that they exist. But depending on who your soulmate is you might find stark differences in how they will view you and what is expected of you. For given that soulmates are confirmed for centuries, this knowledge shaped societies -some in culture, some even in law. Each planet has they own way of doing this.

Overall it is believed that the soulmate marks where blessing send out by the Aeons, a gift that all of them send out in junction. These soulmates have three parts; The first is Sign -a physical mark on the body -each match have a tattoo that both of them have since birth, absolute matching one-another in shape and placement. Second is Recognition -there is a instinctive bond between soulmates to protect and trust. Not enough to control once actions, but enough to sway the undecided. Hereby it doesn't matter if they even know their soulmate is involved -if for example a ship is in danger, and a soulmate has a match on that ship without knowing or any indications, the soulmate will lean towards protecting the ship. The last is different for each race; Protection will give what a match needs to stay together. If one soulmate ages slower than the other, their match will age normally till they reach the physical age of their soulmate, then have their aging slow down to the same space. If a soulmates race has a special ability like breathing under water or immunity to fire, then that will carry over.

In Belebog soulmates rarely found each other, what with the Eternal Freeze and later even with the ban between Under- and Overworld. Therefore people will be pretty open to marry somebody who is not their soulmate. That is if you haven't meet or have already lost their soulmate. If someone were to pursue someone else while their match is right next to them it would still turn some confused heads. But it isn't unheard of. Still, finding your match is considered special. The Landau Siblings, Gepard and Serval are a bit out the norm, wanting to wait for their soulmates. They haven't mentioned it to their parents, neither wanting to deal with the backlash and pressure to continue the family line -in fact they haven't even told each other. As for Bronya a romantic partner had not even been on the table till her soulmate shows up. From there on she feels lost, she doesn't want to let go of this possibility, but she also have no idea what to do with a soulmate. Others who would be blindsided by a match showing up where Natasha and Seele. Nat doesn't think she deserves a soulmate, her match has to convince her to give them a chance. Seele meanwhile had regarded finding a match as a fairy tale scenario, highly unlikely -even if she claimed to wait for them to stop her admirers. It was only a line, you know. Sampo is open-minded to finding a soulmate, but isn't searching or waiting. Pela used to believe she would find her soulmate and was ready to fight for that. Then she was sent to the frontlines of the Eternal Freeze and decided to give up and focus on reality.

(Characters: Gepard Serval Bronya Natasha Seele Sampo)

People of the Xianzhou Alliance are the complete opposite. They believe that matches are scared and married from birth. It is not only outlawed, but unthinkable to be with anyone outside the Bond. Soulmates are often refers to as Kindreds. Found matches will usually move together that very same day. Exceptions are made for kids, in which case they will have constantly alternating sleepovers. Xianzhou and Foxians share they longevity with they matches, while Vidyadhara share they reincarnation-cycle ability. One would think that make it easier to find their match, and really each ship has they citizens register their Signs and there is open communications to help everyone find their spouse. But there is also a danger in that; matches are thought to be one of mind. Which means if a crime is committed, both soulmates receive the sentence. So if your aging acts up be careful, you don't know what your soulmate was up to. 'You didn't know' will not hold in front of their laws. However if you are the soulmate of Jing Yuan, Fu Xuan or Yukong, it's up to school with you. As their Kindred you are considered their second in command and must learn their people's law and train in combat. Yanqing's soulmate will face similar, but as he is still in training himself, it will be more relaxed. Each of them will of course be with you every step of the way. Sushang is currently searching for you. Tingyun is content to wait for you, she collets trinkets over the years to gift you when you finally meet. Qingque has only just returned from a Search so she is currently focusing on her own life, but she has diaries about her searches she plans to gift her soulmate. Loucha is more a nomad, so he doesn't consider you his spouse yet and fully plans to woe you off your feet, but he has high regard for the soulmate traditions of the Xianzhou and might be quickly influenced by them. Just keep in mind to set boundaries early with any of them, they respect you to much to overstep even if those boundaries are things they are unfamiliar with.

(Characters: Jing Yuan Fu Xuan Yukong Yanqing Sushang Tingyun Qingque Loucha)

Space-Nomads have an interesting case where either each member of the group stays true to their home world's culture or a group has developed their own soulmate culture while traveling together. Other space nomads go with a mix of the two. But overall they experienced enough other cultures that they will have no problem adjusting to their soulmate's culture.

The Nameless mostly go by their home-world's culture, mainly since the culture that Pom-Pom says used to exist on the Express died before Himeko rediscovered said train. Still there are things they picked up from the conductor. Like calling Soulmates 'Soulcompasses' or just one's 'Compass'. Also, Pom-Pom considers each Nameless' match another guest of the Express and will cry if they don't board and travel with them. March 7 pretty much adopted his approach since she has no homeworld-culture to fall back on; in her mind a couple could take as long as they wanted to get together, as long both trailblazed together. Himeko is close to this ideal as well, but she wouldn't pressure someone into coming along. She can always visit with stories and souvenirs in tow. Her homeworld-culture teaches that no relationship is to be taken for granted, you don't own your soulmate, and sometimes they don't work out and that is okay. Welt is undecided on the tropic of soulmates, he has seen a lot. A soulmate is kind of unreal, but he won't push you away. The people of his world believe soulmates always work, but sometimes they don't work out right away. People are shaped by experiences. This means that at times matches can know each other for before they klick or even like each other. That being said he would never let anything happen to you if he could prevent it. Dan Heng has no problem connecting his heritage with the Express traditions, but from his experience traveling different worlds decides to give his 'Kindred Compass' the control on how fast the relationship goes. That said he is desperately hunting for his soulmate. Who knows what happen if they go to Loufu searching for him? He has to find them to at least warn them. The Trailblazer meanwhile, having no culture to remember, just adopts everybody's culture. Soulmates confuse them, but finding one's compass is good, yes?

(Characters Himeko Welt Yang March 7 Dan Heng Stelle Caelus)

Then you have the Stellaron Hunters. These guys are okay to play around or even marry prior to meeting their soulmate. But once they do, whatever relationship they had prior is over. No buts. Given how much they deal with the 'script', they will know when they will meet you and be ready a day or two early. They call the day of the meeting Destiny Call. Kafka confused everyone by bringing flowers to a fight the day she was to meet you. Silver Wolf thinks that is coming on too strong, but still makes sure to look her best on her Destiny Call. In contrast Blade will try to get a rise out of his soulmate the first time you meet. In his mind, his Fated One should know what they are getting into. They do take their other half a tad for granted, but that doesn't mean their aren't prepared to woe you for years to come.

(Characters: Kafka Silver Wolf Blade)

Now the crew of Herta's Space-Station all exclusively go by their home-world traditions. Except Herta herself. Herta has a pop-quiz ready that she will jump at you the moment she knows that you are her soulmate and make a plan based on your answers. Asta's world is neutral towards soulmates, but you only ever gift pearls or chocolate to a soulmate. So a relationship with her would be pretty normal. Except she won't stand for anyone giving you chocolate or you giving cholate out, not even to kids. Arlan has a plan on how to woe his soulmate -it goes flying out of the window the second he meets you. At his home planet you place your soulmate first before everything. There are laws against hurting one's soulmate, so he takes this very serious. Also, unlike some planets, Signs are thought as intimate, usually covered up. So if his soulmate were to show them off, he would be a blushing mess.

(Characters: Herta Asta Arlan)

[thedragonchilde]

Going back and making notes for the first dozen episodes, since I downloaded the series! Here I have 1-6

"Gundam Fight Begins! The Gundam That Fell to Earth"

-some prime worldbuilding opportunities already!

-Domon’s first smile of the series is toward a child :)

-I wish we'd gotten more of Rain’s gadgets

-if these kids lost their parents in the last Gundam Fight, Sophia would've had to be just a baby. These boys raised a baby!

-we never get more on how the KoH title (and by extension the rest of the Shuffle Alliance) is actually known to belong to an elite fighter

-it's a shame that Michelo is such a hate sink because he's regrettably quite fashionable

"Roar of the Winning Punch"

-second episode, second instance of Domon in a bar. Is that whiskey?

-when the hell did he have time for 100 bouts? Even if you fudged his age, that doesn't make sense. They have to be counting practice or something

-Chibodee does NOT take embarrassment well

-and this is why they're rivals - that was a solid punch!

-ah, the shady government officials, who assassinate rival fighters and… hypnotize/brainwash people?

-little Chibodee!

-why is Mount Rushmore on the colony?

-the phallic sword positioning makes its debut

-”we'll eliminate you as well!” Damn, okay

-how can she know what Domon's suit-up sequence looks like and call Chibodee the showoff

-“Oh yeah”

-”why don't you just finish me off/I bet you pity me/my dream is now over” shit, the “Star of Hope” isn't very optimistic, though I guess that appellation was given to him to live up to rather than him choosing it

-he doesn't get why the crowd is encouraging him, let alone Domon. Oh honey

-”you're one of the good guys” hee :)

"Beat the Dragon Gundam"

-Sai, why are you sleeping in the road

-you little shit

-lol Chinese Gundams and water

-there's a lot of moving parts in this plot so I feel like I don't have much to say

-besides various versions of “you little shit”

-a draw! Nice to see Domon not winning handily

"Challenge! The Red Rose Knight!"

-They actually designed a Sand family crest

-ah, early installment weirdness, Raymond (or his lookalike) is with the princess

-DAMMIT DOMON

-is George psychically interfacing with his Gundam? Like, he's not in it, and he doesn't have a remote. Voice activation? And he's able to stand on it while it's moving, that's some A+ balance

-what is that bottle? Booze again?

-is he gently shooting her down or is he just oblivious? Probably the latter, since he's confused that she didn't want to listen to him wax poetic about his Gundam

-Marie-Louise how did you come up with this

-okay Domon going along with the plan is actually pretty funny

-who makes a toilet with an outside lock

-”I see nothing before me with the exception of this man” das gay

-he's not going to finish you, George, because that would mean you'd let go of the tower

-the French in that letter actually kind of sucked. And with @amplexadversary's headcanon that Domon is a polyglot, I wonder if he theoretically could have written it

"Great Escape! A Captive Gundam Fighter"

-“Why are there names of countries on this?” How do you know how to read Japanese?

-oh, this will be a huge scandal when it gets out

-for someone his size, Argo is quick as hell, being able to knock Domon out of the sniper's way

-okay, is Nastasha military or law enforcement?

-the eternal question: are suit-ups usually like this and just truncated for time, or is it only that difficult for Domon?

-Nastasha is a little turned on by being talked back to

-is it an asylum or a prison??

"Fight, Domon! Earth is the Ring"

-Kyoji shows more outright attraction to Rain than Domon does :P

-Domon gushing about Master is adorable

-saved by the mom! I'm guessing Domon didn't want to talk about the science stuff he could never get into

-so the finger snap activation is a Kasshu trait

-more early installment weirdness, with evil!Karato and an alternate explanation for Ulube’s mask

[urabrask-the-hidden]

Xalior

Xalior is my own little custom plane in the multiverse of Magic: the Gathering, my beautiful baby worldbuilding project ready to be shared to the wonderful world of tumblr dot com. It is a three-color faction plane, where all ten shards and wedges are present. As well, the primary color of each faction is the last color in WUBRG order, much like how in Khans of Tarkir, the wedges were centered in the first color. 

The factions, called “Domains”, are regions shaped by the magic of one of Xalior’s dead gods, with which they share a name. The Domains of Xalior are as follows:

Khelos, Domain of Domination

Morax, Domain of Destruction

Rystan, Domain of Survival

Adient, Domain of Radiance

Ebrius, Domain of Enlightenment

Zalsu, Domain of Eternity

Igovic, Domain of Invention

Nyduul, Domain of Mystery

Orathir, Domain of Conquest

Venhi, Domain of Imagination

The Domains are led, in one way or another, by ancient, powerful beings known as the Chosen, favored by their god in life. 

There is no peace on Xalior. While some Domains are friendlier than others, and alliances are often a necessity, such relations are tenuous. The Domains are, as a rule, enemies.

A HISTORY OF XALIOR

Countless ages ago, a mighty planeswalker named Qol of Five Spirits breathed life into the Blind Eternities, and Xalior was born. Ten stewards they created, tasked with overseeing this infant plane and building upon it as they saw fit. But Qol did not depart into the Multiverse; for reasons yet unknown, they remained, binding themselves to Xalior as its Worldsoul. 

For millennia, Xalior was a simple, unremarkable plane, humbly occupying its small corner of the Multiverse. There was peace then; conflict, too, but it did not hold sway. The gods lived, and mortals were free. 

THE DIVINE WAR

This peace did not last. Could not last, some say. Centuries before the Mending, war broke out between the gods of Xalior. How or why it began was unknown even then, yet that did not stop the war from spilling into the mortal realm. None could escape this most dreadful of conflicts. 

Most modern myths and legends are set in this time, recounting the acts of the gods and their champions. Few tales from the Domains agree with one another, and each has their own story of how their god met their fate. Perhaps they died steadily over the course of the war. Perhaps it was all at once. All that is known is that they started the war, and paid the price. 

THE GREAT RESHAPING

Gods are not meant to die. They were an integral part of the world, and so when they fell, they essentially became the Domains, changing leylines and geography, forming these physical regions of the mortal realm which embodied some version of what each god stood for. The Chosen came to take power in their respective Domains, guiding its people in accordance to their god’s- or their own- will. 

And so Xalior has been rendered nigh unrecognizable, its lands shattered and people divided. It sits now at what many see to be a tipping point; time shall tell if hope remains, or if it shall succumb to the doom of its pantheon.

Xalior/Khelos/Morax/Rystan/Adient/Ebrius/Zalsu/Igovic/Nyduul/Orathir/Venhi/Hinterlands

[polutrope]

End of Year Fic Recs

Thanks @sallysavestheday for starting this template, and for the tag!

Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023).

Recommend up to 5 single chapter fics/one-shots (long or short) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Recommend up to 5 fics NOT from 2023 that everyone should read (oldies but goodies).

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.

This was so hard. I need time for ten more rec lists because I read so much good stuff this year. If you are not on here but I commented on your fic this year, know that I sincerely wanted to put you on here. If you are not here and I didn't comment on your fic this year, please help me find it next year!!

Multi-Chapter/Other

Such a Marriage by DifferentSong (M, 29k, WiP). f!Maedhros/Maglor. Beautiful and unique treatment of these characters and relationship in the years after the second kinslaying. If you’re uncertain about this ship but curious, I highly recommend giving this story a try. 

Droit du Seigneur by destinedatoms (E, 6.4k, WiP). Various elven kings hook up with their mortal vassals. Each chapter is so funny and hot, and features povs from very underwritten female characters. 

Loyalty: A Tale in Three Voices (not rated, 10.1k, WiP) by @grey-gazania. Caranthir, Uldor, Easterling OFC. Compelling story, characters, and incredible worldbuilding following three unique POVs as an alliance is forged between the Easterlings and Feanorians. Great use of first-person. 

Price of Eternity (series) by Encairion (E, 1.83 million, WiP). The novels and stories in this series are not going to be for everyone. They tackle basically every difficult topic you can imagine. They include takes that would probably make some of my mutuals torch the swanships. But Encairion does it all so skillfully. She’s like an artist who has mastered the techniques (i.e., the canon) and then does something radically original that only works because she has that foundation down. Some of her characterisations rewired my brain. I’m still far from done reading the series, but it’s truly a monumental achievement and so worth diving into with an open mind.

Celegorm by @dawnfelagund (reference work). Dawn’s bio of Celegorm for the Silmarillion Writers’ Guild is meticulously researched and engagingly written. Definitely worth a read for any fans of the Fëanorians or just how Tolkien’s characters evolved over the course of the legendarium’s development.

One-shots

The dining room by @ettelene (T, 8.8k). Ettelene kills it with group scenes and dynamics and this riotous fic about a Feanorian family dinner at Formenos from Celebrimbor’s POV showcases it beautifully. 

Against His Wisdom by @melestasflight (M. 3.7k). Fingon/Fingolfin. A stunning, insightful look at the complexities of this relationship. Melesta handles the nature of the relationship so artfully. As always, their prose is so satisfyingly economical and impactful. I know the pairing may make some wary but I really encourage people to give it a try.

stardrop by @welcomingdisaster (T, 0.7k). Daeron/Maglor. I almost wept when I read this fic because it's so perfect. Lena somehow managed to get everything I love about this ship into 700 words. Doom, deceit, cultural misunderstandings, telling the narrative of your own life, immortality/mortality… if you want to know why I love Daemags, read this. 

As Little as Might be Thought by @imakemywings (T, 2.9k). “Kidnap fam”. Rocky is a master of the argument and this spat between Maedhros and Maglor over the peredhel’s upbringing showcases it. So much characterisation and complicated relationship dynamics packed into this short piece. 

Memories, Like Grains of Sand by @cuarthol (G, 1k). Elrond & Elros. cuarthol wrote some beautiful, complex works this year but this short piece stood out for me. The peredhel twins return to Balar and try to piece together their memories of Sirion. Showcases cuarthol’s talent for little moments of intimacy that will make you cry, not because they are particularly tragic (though they may be), but because they feel so real.

Oldies

Maglor and Daeron Sing the Blues by Voidflower (G, 5.6k). Maglor and Daeron meet in the Mississippi delta in the 1920s. I want to pour this fic in a crystal glass and sip on it on a rainy evening. Gorgeous prose and deeply satisfying character dynamics. 2018.

Dancing with my punchlines by LiveOakWithMoss (M, 321k). I know this Modern AU is fandom-famous already, but by god there’s a reason. I could not put these dramamonsters down. It was funny, it was touching, and it was spicy. I want to rip this fic open like a bag of chips and shovel it into my mouth in great handfuls. 2016. 

What We May Become by @naryaflame (M, 8.8k). Caranthir/Finrod. Narya’s prose is delectably crisp and sensuous and I just loved reading this well-constructed nonlinear story of a fascinating rarepair. 2020.

The Redemption of Daeron by Rhunedhel (T, 7.3k). Daeron/OFC. I actually just found this and have not actually finished it, but I’ve read the first two chapters and it’s such a beautiful alliterative verse poem (!!) and original story of Daeron among the Avari. 1997.

An Education by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor (M, 49.4k). visitor has some of the most scrumptious, clever prose and most memorable characterisations I have read in the fandom and this first installment of his Elrondverse covering the early years is bursting with peredhel coming-of-age delights. 2021.

Mine

Scorched (E, 4.9k). Elrond/Maedhros, Maedhros/Maglor, Elrond & Elros. A psychosexual unfamily drama on Amon Ereb. Really enjoyed the experience of letting this tale unravel as I dipped into the minds of all four characters. 

First Contact (T, 2.7k). Daeron/Maglor. Post-canon (they both sail). Daeron meets Fëanor. It’s a silly bit of sitcom, but also it’s about healing. 

Who By Fire (M, 4.9k). Amrod/Fingolfin. A deep dark dive into the psyches of two hurting men in the early days of Fingolfin in Beleriand. 

If You Are the Healer (E, 4.6k). Maedhros/Maglor. Liege/vassal dynamics and heaps of angst surrounding Maedhros’ decision to abdicate to Fingolfin. It’s fucked up, but they love each other. 

Everlasting Darkness (E, 10.2k). Earendil/Maedhros, Elwing/Maglor (also Elwing/Earendil, Maedhros/Maglor). Canon divergence shitshow where Maedhros and Maglor are released from their oath on condition that they serve Eärendil and Elwing. My first fic of 2023, and it set me careening off the rails. No regrets.

[Bonus fic under my pseud: Played (E, 12.1k) by disastrousexpense. Maedhros/Maglor, Fingon/Maedhros. Absolutely off-the-rails smut between two asshole brothers in Valinor. It was SO FUN to write.]

Tagging the people tagged already and @curufiin @elentarial @lightqueer @searchingforserendipity25 @ladysternchen @tethysresort if you'd like to share your recs!

[teeth-cable]

One last note on worldbuilding issues.

If there's a threat of assassination pushing Hellborns to reproduce why is Charlie an only child? Like I remember reading that Lilith can't have kids except in a few weird specific legends where she mothers the succubi or has a kid with Asmodeus in Abrahamic lore but i will need to double check but if that's what Vivziepop is going with that checks out on her end.

But Lucifer in pop culture is meant to be hot and this stems from ancient people trying to decide if Lucifer after he was cast out if god would punish him by taking his beauty or if his beauty remained and that's how he tempts people. The issue with the latter and a source of debate was why would god allow Lucifer to tempt people easily and not punish him?

Lucifer is also seen as a root of all sin if you don't count the forbidden fruit and would probably cause people to violate the 10 commandments.

Like I can't see Lucifer no matter how much he loves Lilith being loyal to her. Like it doesn't make sense for a being who lost everything because if his refusal to accept humanity to have similiar morals especially when he is surrounded by the worst of it for all eternity. Why would Lucifer choose to uphold any of the commandments written by his father and not cheat on Lilith.

Also if Lucifer needs a backup heir in case Charlie dies, is a disappointment or to forge alliances he has an option.

I am still confused about Viv saying sinners are infertile but Lilith and Lucifer had Charlie? To be fair, maybe they didn't make her naturally and she's a doll but Charlie as far as we know is the biological child of Lilith and Lucifer. Another thing I'm confused about is the assassination of royalty Hellborns. I might be nickpicky here but why can angelic weapons kill royalty Hellborns too? Those weapons should only kill sinners because they were tailored for them. I'm having a hard time believing angelic weapons can kill royalty Hellborns too when they are a different rank from sinners and have some sorta of magic power and blood type that would make it hard to kill them with an angelic weapons meant to kill the average sinner. Plus why would Heaven even need weapons to kill royalty Hellborns? As far as we know royalty Hellborns just stay in Hell and only cause chaos in Hell. Also why is there a Hell supply of angelic weapons and who is suppling them? Even if the Arc Goatias are keeping and suppling them, how would they even get the angelic weapons in the first place? I doubt the angels they stole them from wouldn't be protective or can be easily kill or harm to steal from either.

Honestly I don't mind Viv's portraying Lucifer as this loyal husband who loves his wife and daughter. I can understand why people will find this portrayal of him annoying and out of character but Viv's Hellaverse is a reimagining of Hell and the character from those religions and she has made it clear she does not plan to stay faithful to the original source material. Lucifer being this guy is the tamest writing sins she was written. At least you can play with the idea and still make it work with Lucifer's character without breaking the lore and worldbuilding. Lucifer can still be this guy who is the root of all sins but now he has somewhat of a soft spot from when he was an angel in Heaven and struggles to keep it a secret. Maybe that's where Charlie get her kindness from and it's a point of conflict for Lucifer. He has worked all of his life to be known as the ruler of Hell who is rude and malice to separate himself from his heavenly roots but he will alway have a part of him refused that title because he is still the son of God. Charlie is just a reflection of the angel he once was and it's hard from him to deal with because his daughter is the manifestation of that hidden part of himself and they both are opposite in so many ways. Lucifer wants to keep Hell a punishing place for sinners while Charlie wants it to be a second redemption for them. Lucifer wants to protect Charlie because he knows the reality of who Charlie is, Heaven, and Hell will break her but she isn't ready to listen to her father and believe she has a chance.

[shadow--sims]

Eternal Bloodlines: Vampire Nobility Legacy Challenge - the premise

The modern vampire aristocracy has come a long way, and is now predominantly a female-dominated society. Vampire children are a rarity and a blessing, and in a world where bloodlines and lineage matter more than physical strength or speed, female vampires are respected for their ability to bring new life forward. 

The rules of inheritance are clear: the new generation has until their young adulthood to learn governance, politics, negotiation, running the estate and family businesses before they become the new family head, and a male only inherits if no female children were born before he has reached young adulthood.

As much as children are adored and celebrated, the world of shadows has no tolerance for bastards - every heir will have to be married before starting their family, and cheating on one’s spouse is a sure path to becoming an outcast in this society with centuries-old morals.

The bonds between families are as vital as the blood that flows through their veins, with young family lines fighting for scraps of attention and recognition from ancient dynasties. Marriages are carefully arranged to strengthen alliances and consolidate power, and intrigue is a constant, with families vying for influence and control. 

Social events are more than just gatherings; they are arenas where reputations are made and broken, and where the very future of their world is shaped. And every decade, the noble and most ancient house of Remington - the embodiment of the closest the vampire world will ever come to royalty - hosts an elite banquet. Climbing the ranks is hard in the world where your origin is valued above your accomplishments, but as far as opportunities go, this event has the most.

Will your line ever be worthy enough to secure an invitation?

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Hi, I'm Shaena, and this is a regency/aristocracy inspired legacy challenge for the sims 4 centred around vampires and the ideas of bloodlines and legacies of sims families. I am currently working on an extensive set of rules for this challenge that both sets goals that are easy to follow (though not necessarily easy to achieve) and also provides a lot of lore/worldbuilding for this challenge.

I have a particular vibe in mind that I would very much like to manage to communicate through the rules/guidelines - it will be a very storytelling-focused challenge and I can't wait to share my own play through of it!

More lore and screenshots are coming your way. Stay tuned!

[wc-adventure-game-35e]

Warrior Cats Cosmology

So I began looking into 3.5e mechanics and rules, had a headache, so I'm deciding to focus some time on worldbuilding. And starting off by creating a system of afterlives, planes of existence, and laying the foundation for the workings of things like spirits and deities, which will be written and posted next.

I have decided on using the basis of the Forgotten Realms Cosmology system. There will be 12 different planes of existence and 3 different afterlives.

Planes of Existence:

Living World - This is the plane that all living creatures inhabit. Spirits may not actually visit this plane of existence.

Dawn Dreams - This is a realm between the Living World and StarClan. It looks the same as the Living World, but in a constant state of newleaf dawn. Living cats with a strong spiritual connection, like leaders and oracles, can visit this plane in their dreams. StarClan cats may visit this plane at any time. Since this plane is so close to the Living World, StarClan cats in this plane can speak to living cats not in the Dawn Dreams. This would be how some cats that may receive visions or prophecies from StarClan.

Dusk Dreams - Functionally very similar to the Dawn Dreams, but this plane exists between the living and the Dark Forest. Dusk Dreams exist in a permanent chilly leaf-fall dusk.

The Veil - This plane is similar to Dawn Dreams and Dusk Dreams, but is not in between anything. The Veil is the end place for any cats that are True Neutral and do not believe in an afterlife or have a patron deity. They wander endlessly among a world almost exactly like the Living World.

The Green Hills - A plane of existence for Chaotic Good StarClan cats. This plane exists as a eternal greenleaf with rolling green hills, just warm enough to bask in, but not too hot. As such, this plane is also in eternal daytime.

The High Sky - A plane of existence for Neutral Good StarClan cats, a world of endless clouds and peaks of mountain tops poking through. Cats here are free to "fly" around and enjoy the eternal leaf-fall breeze. This plane is in an eternal day as well.

The Flowering Forest - A plane of existence for Lawful Good StarClan cats. This is an eternally newleaf forest, full of beautiful flowers and occasional light rain. The sun never sets here.

The Soft River - A plane of existence for Lawful Neutral StarClan cats, a world of green grass cut with many rivers of chilled water. While it does often snow in this plane of eternal leaf-bare, the rivers never freeze or get too cold. The rivers are gentle streams as well. This plane is eternally daytime.

The Deep Swamp - A plane of existence for Lawful Evil Dark Forest cats. They live in a swamp filled with dark sticky mud and stuffy air from the eternal greenleaf. It is always night here.

The Endless Cave - A place of existence for Chaotic Evil Dark Forest cats. They wander in a cave with no way out, occasionally drowning in the new-leaf rain. While no one can see the sky here, it's always nighttime.

The Raging Storm - A place of existence for Neutral Evil Dark Forest cats. With no trees or brush, cats are forced to be exposed to constant storms that rage on all throughout the eternal night.

The White Woods - A place of existence for Chaotic Neutral Dark Forest Cats. This plane is nothing but an eternally leaf-bare forest, constantly deep in snow.

Afterlives:

StarClan - While StarClan is an afterlife, the actual StarClan territory is an alliance between the Green Hills, High Sky, Flowering Forest, and Soft River. In those 4 planes, prey is abundant and cats are at peace. Upon coming here, cats take the form they were most happy with in life, meaning cats that were disabled may choose to keep their disability or not. StarClan cats of the 4 planes may meet at Dawn Dreams to hold gatherings and share tongues with cats of any other StarClan planes.

Dark Forest - Similar to StarClan, the Dark Forest consists of the Deep Swamp, Endless Cave, Raging Storm, and White Woods. However, these planes of existence contain no prey and instead house horrid monsters. These monsters are incredibly hostile and will fight with spirits sent here.

The Unknown - This afterlife only hold the Veil. Prey is not abundant, but does exist. Monsters may lurk in the shadows here as well, but are very much uncommon.

Clanmew Names:

Clanmew is a language from @bonefall, I used the Clanmew Lexicon for these translations.

The Living World: Huffwapappa "Life Walk"

Dawn Dreams: Awhafaen, coming from Awhaffaeln "Dawn Dream"

StarClan: Shaiafehao "Star Peace"

The Green Hills: Lokroob, coming from Lololkroob "Green Hill"

The High Sky: Wamoyaawrl, coming from Waymoryaawrl "Tall Sky"

The Flowering Forest: Ponayaog, coming from Ponmayaog "Flower Forest"

The Soft River: Afsbass, coming from Afissbass "Soft River"

Dark Forest: Loerrborrl "Dark Forest" (Clanmew Official)

Dusk Dreams: Awmuen, coming from Awmunfaeln "Dusk Dream"

The Deep Swamp: Byokolf, coming from Byyokolpf "Blood Swamp"

The Endless Cave: Yoshoken, coming from Yoshomken "Midnight Cave"

The Raging Storm: Hissanbaho, comin from Hissabahahao "Angry Haster" (Haster is a violent storm)

The White Woods: Oskakossa, coming from Oskarrkossa "White Woods"

The Unknown: Ostapap, coming from Ootss'hapappa "Unknown Walk"

The Veil: Nefkohuffwa "Different Life"

[breezytealy]

6, 9, 17 :D

The questions!

6) Which saga is your favorite? 

UHMMM Right so - The Great Saiyaman Saga is my favourite because of the low-stakesness of it, and seeing Gohan interact with the rest of the world, I love all the worldbuilding snippets! But, I don't think it would work as a standalone series, as I feel you need the rest of the show to really understand why it's a good breather? It's the eternal conundrum of loving slice-of-life fantasy, really hard to pull off without knowing the full stakes.

So if I was going to pick standalones, I'd pick the standalones that I did watch, which was The Saiyan and Namek Sagas. I hadn't seen Dragon Ball when I started watching DBZ but picked it up quick, and I thought the arc of Goku "suddenly you're an alien and dead", and the Vegeta/Goku battle, and how Vegeta grows into the main cast and is against Frieza making this complex set of alliances, I thought that was smashing! Plus Frieza was great to hate!

9) What is your favorite fight?

If I had to rewatch or reread, I'd probably go for Cell Saga Gohan fight, as it's so gut-wrenching. But if I have to pick one that's stuck with me, it was Trunks' entrance in "Another Super Saiyan?". Imagine watching that at like, 12 or 13 with no idea who Trunks is, just this cool dude with a great haircut (for the time) who shows up and one shots the guy they barely took out in the previous saga? That sword slash is iconic, and it blew my fucken mindddd

How it was summarised at "real speed" in SuperHero really gets it across, too - that cut cut cut lull - BLAST - yea! So it's fave for being so out of nowhere :)!

17) Which anime ending is your favorite?

I don't recall the DB/Z/GT ones, I'm not sure what we had in the UK as we'd have to be dragged out of my grandparents' house a few minutes before the show ended so no nostalgia there!

So my love is with the Super ones! I love the video for Hello, Hello, Hello by Good Morning America the most - that beginning montage (though I can never work out Goku's neck at the end? I think his chin makes his neck look h e n c h haha)This song is also super uplifting to me? Very hopeful.

But an equally good banger is Forever Dreaming by Czech no Republic :) Can bop bop bop along to this one

[wyvernsoup]

Worldbuilding a Fantasy World With Me: humans and elves 🌁🌦🏞🏕🌲🌿

Humans are a rare and endangered species. Notable for not being specially good at anything, they are still capable of magic and make "ok" warriors. They struggle to survive scattered across all nations and some kingdoms, ghosts of powerfull empires. Most are atheists, a fact that contributes to the distrust from other species as it is said that "humans kill gods" wether it be their own or foreign ones, and they have a tendency to worship their ancestors as saints and prophets, adding to this distrust as the only human-centered religion that is still alive is used as a nationalist and xenophobic tool, the Theocracy of the Order of The Finite Flame.

Even rarer than humans are their hybrids. Tieflings, half elves, half orcs, aasimar, vampires, werewolves...

Elves govern most of the western lands as different sovereign nations. There are different species of elves that, perhaps due to their low birth rate, can't interbreed. Bio-magical differences have also been described as determinants of their subspecies.

The Floating Islands, the mountainous High Lands and the Eternal Valley are nations of mostly "High Elves". Imagine Solar-punk cities powered by celestial magic. The Floating Islands and the High Lands contain a similar culture of elves that are cultural, religious and magically attuned to the sky and everything in it (the sun, the stars, the moon, the rings, the clouds...). Below the Islands is the Eternal Valley, they are still High Elves (sometimes referred to as the Nomad Elves) that follow the winds and seasons across endless grass planes.

The Wood Elves live in a sacred and murderous forest. Gigantic flora and fauna make the forest a very dangerous place. Since everything is titanic in scale, these Elves seem to be tiny when they are as tall as a human, and they live in colonies like insects. They keep all the nasty creatures inside the forest while also keeping all nasty dangers from stepping inside. If you're stupid enough to set foot inside, maybe searching for rare medicinal plants, you'll prefer to be taken out by a quick arrow than to be eaten alive by an enormous squirrel.

Dark Elves (Drows) come from a schism where they followed Arachne, a primordial elven deity that fell from the sky to teach them various arts. She became ill and went underground to the Erebus, a huge cavern system below the elven nations. Arachne died, leaving giant sentient spiders behind that are part of Drow society as much as them. Having their connection to their goddess severed, these Elves are totally incapable of magic but are also resistant to direct magical effects. They can see in the dark and what they lack in magic they make for in the form of science and arts. They are the few cultures that first constructed firearms, and their ability with blades make them known across the whole world. Their main city-state, Rette, just survived a cataclysm (part of the ceiling of the caverns of Erebus has collapsed) and they have made an interterritorial alliance with the rest of colonies of the Erebus formed by Duergar, Deep gnomes, and the United Colonies of Mycelium.

[fromdustwecome]

Greetings @doyouknowhowtowaltz !

"Jeez, here was some really creepy and weird shit for a children's show", my friend said after I showed him OTGW. "Do you really like that horned dude? His voice send shivers down my ass! And I'm glad that there was like three minutes of this pumpkinhead guy, he scares the freak out of me! How can you ever like them so much?"

"I can show you the way", I answered mysteriously, opening your profile on AO3...

So... We spent most of the day reading (rereading in my case) almost all of your OTGW fiction :D

We were astonished and impressed, we laughed and cried together, we were arguing until we were hoarse - that was quite an experience, if I may say!

We ended by making kind of rating table of it and then we eventually decide to share it with you like some sort of summarizing response or review to your works!

We read ~60 of your fics that included Enoch and the Beast (except Human AUs and Role Swap ones) and ended up with 40 (+1 bonus) in our table (we didn't include works we have completely different opinions about).

Hope that you will not find this insulting or something; hope that the fact that two goofballs once sat and dove headlong into your works, arguing and discussing, will make you smile a little :)

(By the way, sorry for all possible grammar mistakes that I've made, for that is not our native language :D)

Behold: our ratings of FromAnonymousToZ's fanfiction!

Amazing Worldbuilding

1. Of Swords, Ravens, and Alliances

2. Come in to My Parlor Said the Spider to the Fly

3. Winter's Warden

4. Hunger

Amazing Narration

1. Curiosity and the Cat

2. Old Wooden Fence

3.Accords To Last An Eternity

4. Kittenskin

5. Play With Fire

Amazing AUs

1. Scheherazade’s Gambit

2. The Ties that Bind

3. Collateral

Small and Sweet

1. Blooming

2. A Small Kindness

3. Fondness

4. The Name of Death

Funny and Sweet

1. Chasing The Flavor Across Your Lips

2. Innuendos

3. Wedding Band

4. Sweet Nothings

5. Candle Lit Schemes

Lovely and Sweet

1. Migration of the Moth

2. Willfully Distracted

3. Serene Saltation

4. Eternity Ahead

Sweet AF

1. I Offer At Your Altar

2. Doomed To Repeat the Future

3. Solstice Cookies

Romantic

1. Now Kiss

2. Patient is the Maypole

3. Untill the Stars Fall From the Sky

4. Serenade

Intimate AF

1. A Great and Terrible Union

2. Lo! and Behold

3. Just A Taste

Bittersweet

1. Once More

2. Hemlock Bowl

3. Rooted Deeply (Rooted Sweetly)

HEARTBREAKING

1. The Fleeting Eternal

2. Mourning A Monster

Not-beastnoch-bonus:

Disturbing and sweet

Blood is Thicker than Water

SPECIAL AWARDS

"Showing the Way" - to "Hunger": first one of OTGW fics of yours (in your AO3 at least). Immediately setting the mood to newbie reader; we never met something like this before and now we are intrigued and ready for exploring!

 "Godlike Fantasy" - to "Come in to My Parlor Said the Spider to the Fly": for fantastic description of deities of the Unknown

"I Take it for the Truth" - to "I Offer At Your Altar": for the brilliant (and sweetest) interpretation of Beast's tasks from the cartoon

"Pure Epicness" - to "Of Swords, Ravens, and Alliances": it's just Epic. Can you top something that epic? Also - one and only work, where the Beast is really in strong/dominant position compared to Enoch, and he is beautiful in his actions.

"We Take a Step Deeper" - to "Just A Taste": it is unexpected, it is choking, it is intoxicating. We love it.

"On the Edge of a Cliff " - to "Scheherazade’s Gambit": truly amazing AU with Enoch-who-has-not-forgotten-his-Warlord-past, but what a cruel cliffhanger!

"Sweet as Cookies" - to "Solstice Cookies": a pinch of tease, a pinch of laught and a whole handful of love

"Master of Words" - to "Old Wooden Fence": your skill of playing with words is unbelievable!

"Whirlpool of Emotions" - to "Once More" : how can you fit sadness, pain, acceptance, hope and love in 1k words? That's how!

"I Feel It in the Air" - to "Now Kiss": ...and they said that relationship between a walking tree and a maypole can't be romantic at all!

"Drowning in It and Loving It " - to "Curiosity and the Cat": truly masterpiece of narration! And unique point of view - Lorna's vision of Enoch, that was outstanding!

"Do You Want Me on My Knees" - to "Lo! and Behold": ...and they said that relationship between a walking tree and a maypole can't be erotic and hot as depth of Hell!

"Poetry of Bleeding Heart" - to "Doomed To Repeat the Future" and "The Fleeting Eternal": obviously it wasn't meant to be a dilogy, but... The Beast is accidentally traveling through Time to meet Enoch in the past, giving him a chance to see the Love of his life for the first time, and than doing it again, giving Enoch a chance to hold him for the last time? If this is not Absolute Heartbreaking, we don't know what is!

It is clear for us that you have changed your characters and preferences through time a lot and you don't like some of themes or even fics anymore, but we beg you to not delete them (like some other authors do), because it is real history now and someone there deeply fond of it!

We wish you tons of inspiration! Looking forward to your next work!

Sincerely, Nathalie and Alexander :)

[favoriteginger]

Empires Worldbuilding

The Empires brainrot is real lately, so here, have some worldbuilding that came to me when I was trying to make angst:

The Empires world is filled with a bunch of different types of nature spirits. These spirits tend to stay in certain areas and tend to do their own thing for the most part, but they are willing to help the people living in the world with certain things if it benefits them in some way. I don't really have any specific ideas for Joel, Pearl, Joey, and Gem, but I have ideas for the rest that I'll go through in some detail. Idk much for the jungle yet, and I'll have to see how Joey's series progresses, but the jungle is full of life, full of growth and death and rebirth, which is why spawn is there, why it still has the bones of an old civilization that is once again starting to be populated by people.

(this one is kinda iffy imo but) the ocean spirits are generally happy with the ocean as it is, but they also kinda desire the ability to change and grow and adapt. When Lizzie comes along and starts setting up the beginnings of her kingdom, the ocean spirits see the opportunity available. They can use the infrastructure that Lizzie has put together to grow and change, in return offering Lizzie citizens to fill her realm and warriors to protect it (the villagers, the axolotl golem, her axolotl knights).

I'm thinking that the spirits can also change people over time too, so as the ocean spirits get closer to Lizzie and help her expand her kingdom, she begins to take on some of the same appearance as her citizens, the ocean spirits sometimes deliberately helping it happen so she can more effectively rule her realm (axolotl Lizzie go brrr). The main spirit in the flower forest is the Overgrown (or maybe it's more a collection of spirits that exists and acts as one being). Katherine settles in the area and is called by the spring, a slightly lesser spirit, to protect the Overgrown and help it prosper. in return, she is able to use some of the bountiful life that springs from the Overgrown, using it to make her kingdom look more beautiful and to forge and maintain peace with the lands around her.

As time goes on and Katherine becomes more familiar with the overgrown, the animals and plants become almost attuned to her. She tends to have flowers and vines woven through her clothes and hair, and it isn't unusual to see her surrounded by various animals while tending to her lands. (I also want to incorporate some sort of faerie type lore into Katherine's area but I'm still working on that)

(warning for mentions of death in the next paragraph or two, for any who want to avoid it. nothing specific, and it's not any of the empires members)

(adapting some ideas a friend had here) The swamp doesn't really have any major spirits inhabiting it, and I'm still figuring out what the ones that do live there are like, but it is full of the spirits of the dead. All of these spirits died at different times and for different reasons, but they were all drawn to the swamp and reside there long after any trace of their previous homes is gone. These spirits don't want much, mainly just company and peace for as much of their eternal lives as possible. When Jimmy first settles in the swamp, it seems to be empty of any sentient life, but as time goes on he begins to see the ghostly forms of people long dead and he begins to be able to hear their voices. The first spirits he's able to fully see are a group of children playing in the water with the cod. As more and more spirits appear to him and he gets to know them, he starts working to help them. He does his best to stay on peaceful or friendly terms with the other kingdoms so his land and the people in it can live in peace.

As time goes on, Jimmy starts to look like part of the swamp in a way. It isn't unusual to see him covered in slime and seaweed after playing with the children in the water, and sometimes he has vines woven into his hair, or a crown made of sticks and mud atop his head.

The spirits of the desert are quiet and unmoving, happy to stay where they are and watch the world change around them. Pix is one of these spirits, though he took a more human form long ago because he was curious about the people living in his land and watching from afar wasn't enough. Now, the people he used to be a part of are long gone, and he's left alone in the remains of their once great empire, watching over the world as it changes and keeping vigil over the other empires, still occasionally venturing out to get a closer look at the surrounding lands, and bringing goods to help them when he does.

Now, Pix is also a dragon (because dragons are fun), and though he exists in his human form more often than not now, he still occasionally stretches his wings to fly over the desert, stirring up sandstorms in his wake. He still burrows under the sand sometimes, looking to nap in the warm dunes, and he still hoards copper and emerald ore, using them to ornament his buildings when he isn't able to ornament himself with the treasures as he once did.

(I gave Scott a bit of a corruption arc because they're fun I guess idk) The mountains tend to be populated by wind spirits, forever moving and forever free. Their main desire is for more land to fly over and explore, and they see a way to achieve that though Scott. They offer him the freedom of the wild mountaintops, away from people and connections that could tie him down and cause him pain. As time goes on and Scott starts to hear them more clearly, they begin to tell him that having too many connections would be bad. According to the spirits, alliances are good, since they would mean that other empires wouldn't encroach on the mountains, but actual close friendships would just trap Scott in obligations and promises and do nothing but hurt him down the road. They tell him to expand the borders of his empire and give himself more space to roam free and do as he wished, as well as provide a buffer between him and the people who could hurt him. (I'm thinking that 3rd life ties into this, and after loosing Jimmy in that series, he's afraid of being hurt in that way again, which is why he listens to the spirits)

As time goes on, Scott becomes more cold, both in personality and physically. He extends nothing more than basic pleasantries to the people around him, maintaining alliances but that's it. His skin grows paler and cold to the touch, and his hair grows lighter, starting to look more like frosted ice than the rich cyan it had been before. His fingers and ears also grow kinda blue at the tips and he finds he's sometimes able to manipulate the flurries of snow falling around him or ride the winds across his growing empire.

Fwhip settles in a plains biome and not long after, he comes across the spirits of the stone and darkness, who tempt him with glowing redstone and promise him all the riches held underground and the power that could come with them. Fwhip, having spent most of his recent time alone in a hardcore world, is maybe a tad bit paranoid, and takes these spirits up on their offer, thinking he can use the riches underground to build himself and his people a beautiful city, and to make armor and weapons and trade offers and alliances to protect himself. However, in agreeing to the deal, he gave the spirits a connection to work with and they began corrupting him, making him treasure the dark deepslate and shining redstone even more, convincing him that the heads he mounted around his base were his citizens and friends, that he had to expand his empire and gain more power, or it would all be taken from him. Over time, the corruption starts to take a physical form, and not just in the land that grows darker as redstone-laced spires emerge from the ground, deepslate making it's way through the grass. Fwhip's eyes begin to take on a red tinge, glowing slightly like the redstone he cherishes so much, and his skin starts to appear grey in patches, matching the darkstone consuming his land.

So yeah, worldbuilding

Feel free to add on or whatever if you want I guess

[rainofaugustsith]

100 Days of Writing Thank you for this project @the-wip-project! Tell us about ideas you have floating around. Worldbuilding snippets, or ideas for new stories. Just a few bullet points. My biggest thing right now is figuring out how Viri is going to weave in and out of the game canon in The Galaxy's Wrath, which is the sequel to The Eternal Wrath. The game has sent all of our characters back into their factions (or sabotaging them) to partake in yet another endless vicious war, and at this point in time, Viri's not having any of it. She's not going back to that. She's not going to subject her Alliance to that. She will support the Empire in the sense that she does not want the Sith to be exterminated, but that is where it ends. In that respect, in my headcanon Viri participates in Ossus - driving the Jedi away, but not massacring them - because of Gnost-Dural's statements about wiping out the Sith. She participates in destroying the Meridian Complex because it's making machines of war. The non-Imps vs. Pubs stuff like Echoes and Spirit of Vengeance, sure, she would be involved completely. But the events of Onslaught? No way. The endless Imps vs. Pubs war? Not a chance. Instead Viri will be pursuing other goals in Gree space, with Rakatan ruins and ghosts, and additional things that have nothing to do with Imps vs. Pubs, but there's also the background of needing to step in when Ossus and Echoes happen, so I'm working that all out.

[egelantier]

Yuletide Recs

Having had two days of more or less nothing but reading fics, I come bearing recs!

First of all, my amazing gifts:

The Goblin Emperor

For Thy Principles

The nohecharei of Edrehasivar VII were unparalleled in their defense of his person, but there were limits to even their prowess. When Maia first developed the fever, Cala quickly determined that it was not the end result of a magically-based assassination attempt – and from there it had to be left to the court physicians.

Maia falls ill, and Csethiro protects him as best she can.

Beautifully gentle Maia sickfic, with Csethiro holding him together. For me all for meeee.

Benjamin January Mysteries

Dry as a Bone

“Oh. Well, I’ve been better, maestro, been a hell of a lot better to tell truth.” Shaw stared at him for a long moment, and he was stunned to see honest to God grief in his eyes. Even when Shaw had just lost his brother he had been so much more himself than this lost man currently standing before him. “Not that I mean to put anything extra on your shoulders, I’m sure you’ve got enough of your own shit going on at present moment, but it seems like I’ve just lost my job.”

Shaw loses his job, and finally confronts Ben about trust (and lack thereof) between them. It’s GREAT.

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards

A Distraction Worth Losing

They may never be together, but the gods would have to move heaven and earth to split Rune and Brand apart.

Brand, Rune and The Kiss incident. (Poor messed up babies, somebody save them.)

And fics of the collection:

17776, Astreiant, Raksura, Frederica, The Gentlemen, The Goblin Emperor, Hades, Innkeeper Chronicles, Jeeves, Kate Daniels, King Arthur the movie, My Next Life as a Villainess, Nirvana in Fire, No. 6, Psmith, The Secret Garden, The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, Swordspoint, The Tarot Sequence, Teixcalaan Series, The Temple of the White Rat verse

17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future

so far, so fast

When Manny gets a craving for some fancy meal he had once, over ten thousand years ago, Nick decides he’s gonna fulfill that craving, no matter how hard it is. Because real romance is about making the impossible happen for his husband.

Goddamn transcendental.

Go Get It

Sometimes you start out just planning to get some groceries with your husband, and next thing you know, you’re committing to join the most hopeless team in college football.

Nick and Manny decide to play. It’s perfect.

Afterlife

A young man dies six months before the end of human death; his loss saves five lives, which end up much longer than anyone expects. (A series of worldbuilding vignettes about original characters in the 17776 setting.)

Made me cry, in a very cathartic way.

Astreiant Series - Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett

April dressed in all his trim

A quiet evening in spring.

Sweet little slice-of-life with lovely sensory details.

Books of the Raksura

The Second Consort

“When Glow arrives, be friendly and welcoming,” Ember said. “Not scary.”

“Why does everyone think I’m going to scare him?”

Chime said, “They can see your face when you look at him.” He paused, glancing over at Moon. “That face, that’s the one.”

Ember sighed. “I remember being in his position. It’s pretty nerve-wracking coming to a new court and not knowing what’s going to happen to you there - whether they’re going to welcome you or shun you, whether you’ll make new friends, whether a queen is going to claim you…” He came and put a sympathetic hand on Moon’s shoulder. “Glow is probably worried about all of those things, and missing his home and clutchmates, and it’s our job to try and help him relax.” For a moment Moon thought he was just being soft-hearted, until Ember added, “He won’t open up and tell us what’s really going on unless he’s relaxed.”

Jade takes in a new consort, on Moon’s permission, and everybody is delightfully adult about it.

Frederica

Lady Alverstoke

Frederica commences her first Season as a married woman by planning a ball, promising most straitly that her husband will have nothing whatsoever to do …

Sweet and funny slice-of-life post-happy-ending for canon.

**The Gentlemen (2019) **

Even

The week after he intercepts Fletcher, that squirrelly little cunt, outside the London Miramax office, Raymond reluctantly ventures down to Brixton.

Under normal circumstances, Raymond tends to give this part of Brixton a wide berth, but he has unfinished business that needs attending to. Of course, that doesn’t mean he has to like being accosted by the overwhelming smell of greasy fish and chips when he pushes the car door open, doesn’t mean he has to be pleased about stepping into a piece of chewed-up gum the moment he sets a foot on the kerb.

But then, he can always take a shower after an errand in Brixton. The deep-seated discomfort of unfinished business doesn’t wash off that easily.

Raymond tries to pay Coach back for saving his life, and it doesn’t quite go as planned :D

The Goblin Emperor

The Archduke’s Discovery

Prince Nemolis goes on a journey, and learns a bit more than he wanted to know.

Really great point of canon divergence, and true and precise character voices.

Hades

all the spaces between us

For a place full of the dead, crammed with ghostly shades and nothing but the endless lull of eternity unchanging, gossip sure travelled fast in the Underworld.

Or, Zagreus mulls over his relationship with Thanatos while the rest of the Underworld get overly invested.

Slow, slow, slowest of burns.

Innkeeper Chronicles - Ilona Andrews

A Quick Trip

“It’ll be a quick trip,” Maud said, more to herself than to Arland. “No one will even notice we’re gone.”

Pirates are plaguing an ally, just outside of vampire space. Maud and Arland don some aesthetically beat-up armor and try to get more information from the pirates themselves. Of course, plans only last until you meet your enemy. Or your enemy’s giant alien attack boar.

Excellent canon voice, action/adventure sprinkled with badassery and hilarity.

Jeeves & Wooster

August Thirteenth

Discovering that this is not the first August thirteenth that he’s lived through, that certainly was a head scratcher. Luckily Bertie has the stalwart presence of his man’s man, Jeeves.

Very, very great and satisfying use of the time loop.

Kate Daniels - Ilona Andrews

lookin’ like a snack (cake)

It took Barabas a while to figure it out, because he wasn’t used to not being taken seriously.

Barabas considered several ways to phrase it, and finally settled upon, “Do you have a thing for twinks?” Christopher knocked his head back against the headrest: once, then again. “Is that a yes?”

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

When Goosefat Bill finds himself in a difficult situation, the last thing he wants is the King to show up and “help”, in his own unique and unexpected way.

Goosefat Bill does not need to be rescued by his King. But he might just enjoy it a little.

My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime)

All I Have To Bring Today

Catarina and Sophia had been discussing the latest in the Devilish Count series, and Sophia had mentioned how romantic the surprise picnic the count had planned for his lover was and how she wished for someone to surprise her like that.

“What about you, Catarina? Have you ever wished for someone to sweep you off your feet?” Sophia had asked.

Catarina makes a choice! As sweet and as hilarious as the canon.

Nirvana in Fire

Adverse Event

What a pitiful man must he have become, if the only thing he could provoke in bed was a monologue on his character flaws.

: or, the famous strategist mei changsu plays xanatos speed chess against truth serum: the fic.

Mei Changsu gets hit with an accidental truth serum; it doesn’t stop him from lying to himself, but it does buy Jingyan a clue.

Records of the Land of Xiang

There was something of Xiao Jingyan there, in the firmness of his jaw, the unforgiving slash of his brows, and most clearly in the eyes that neither saw nor conveyed deception. But Long Zhan was not Jingyan, could never be, no matter how much Changsu might wish otherwise, because Jingyan was dead.

In service to a very-much-alive Prince Qi, Jingyan dons a Jianghu-typical disguise and infiltrates the Jiangzuo Alliance to suss out this Mei Changsu fellow and see if he might be useful in helping them re-open the Chiyan conspiracy case. Basically, a slightly ridiculous premise where everyone is running around the Jianghu with masks, multiple identities, and secret agendas.

Fascinating and fun AU scenario that delves, among other things, into Mei Changsu the jianghu chef, not Sir Su the court schemer.

suffering as I suffer you

The first time Jingyan stays the night at Su Manor, he discovers an uncomfortable truth about Mei Changsu.

Excellent extrapolation of Mei Changsu’s illness into his nightly routine - with Jingyan watching…

Here, In Our Arms

With the world put to rights, however briefly, Xiao Jingyan and Mu Nihuang take the opportunity to make a fuss over their beloved Lin Shu, and will not take no for an answer.

Sweet moment of comfort.

Find the Coals Amid the Ashes

Despite Changsu’s assertions, Lin Chen is a well brought up person. He would never violate his host’s privacy during a social call. It would be inexcusable, for example, to break into a marquis’s private alchemy lab in the middle of said marquis’s birthday party, in order to search said alchemy lab for certain hard to find medicinal herbs, which one has reason to believe can be found therein. These would be the actions of a man without honour, of a man who has only desperation to his name.

Lin Chen crashes a party and makes a new friend.

The best team up ever :D

Dead Letters

Mei Changsu isn’t the only schemer in Da Liang.

Fei Liu fixes things, in the most Fei Liu way imaginable, and it’s great.

No. 6

All Good Things

In the midst of a crisis for No. 6, Nezumi returns to Shion’s side.

A reunion! And cuddling.

Psmith

The Psky Is The Limit

“As this ship’s Orator, my mission is still as it was in the beginning and shall ever be, world without end. It is to hail any message sent by comrades from outer space and pass it on to you verbatim. Well! The hour, I say, has come. The Word has come into being. Here comes Psmith, bearing news of great mirth: the intercom has spoken.”

(A Mike and Psmith Space AU)

Psmith in space! Hysterically funny Psmith in Pspace, at that.

Psmith Pops In

Psmith reached over and solicitously loosened Mike’s scarf, his fingers brushing the skin of Mike’s neck, and that young man, to his horror, felt heat creeping up from where gloved fingers brushed his bare skin. Really, this blushing nonsense was getting out of hand. Ever since Psmith had tried to take the blame in the case of the painted dog, Mike had developed an inexplicable habit of turning hot and cold around him, and these odd responses had become more and more frequent.

Very funny! And then very tragique! And then jussssst right.

The Secret Garden

The Space Garden

When Meri La Nix was sent from the Mars colony to live with her aunt at Missiles Wait Manor, nobody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. But some of them thought it.

Beautifully inventive space retelling - with gardens, still.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

The sky spinning above him

In which there’s a jewellery thief on the loose, Tang Fan plays dress up, gets a mild concussion and also a boyfriend.

Frothy, sweet, well-grounded and hot. Also hilarious (check the end note!)

truth in fiction

Three days after Wang Zhi leaves the capital, bits and pieces of his extensive library begin arriving at Sui Zhou’s house.

Sui Zhou is really committed to research and accuracy in Tang Fan’s porn. It’s delightful.

Time don’t fool me no more

“The electrician is a Tang dynasty spy,” he says, dumping some of his eggs in Tang Fan’s bowl.

Tang Fan nods, shovels more food in his mouth, and starts talking again.

Past or future, Tang Fan has Priorities. And Sui Zhou is weak.

Meeting at the End

Sui Zhou knew he never should have let Tang Fan go alone. He knew he should have gone with him.

Really, really great and desperate whump. Super satisfying.

clever boy

Tang Fan never spares a smile for any of the girls at Wang Zhi’s establishment, he’s noticed. That’s alright, though. It means Wang Zhi gets his attention for himself.

Wang Zhi falling, falling hard; it’s delightful.

a bold and brilliant sun

“You’re sure you didn’t do something to it? They don’t usually stall out,” Sui Zhou says. He looks away from Tang Fan, out the windshield at the endless rust-red of the planet.

Tang Fan pouts at this, and slumps down on the edge of the console, feet propped up at an absurd angle against the pilot’s seat. “You think I’d fake a mechanical issue just so that they’d send a sexy Fleet crewman out here to rescue me?” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he giggles. “Okay, I would do that, but I promise that this time the problem is real.”

Space AU! Most excellent space AU condensing all there is to love about the canon in one perfect package.

Blind Taste Test

Wang Zhi invites Tang Fan to evaluate Joyous Brothel’s chefs — but it’s Tang Fan and Sui Zhou who are really being tested.

Wang Zhi, ever helpful :)

Authorial Intent

Sui Zhou and Tang Fan end up in hot water yet again. Kinky sex ensues.

Hilarious, kinky, heartfelt, and in character.

Swordspoint Series - Ellen Kushner

Chrysopoeia

It struck Alec that this would have been much easier if their positions were reversed. Richard would have known what to do if he’d been dragged back here with a hole in his gut. He was quite simply not supposed to be the one on this end of the equation. In fact, it was possible he had done something very bad to deserve this.

Richard is wounded, and Alex is coping. Excellent h/c and excellent bloodplay and sharp, painful slice of Alex’ POV, excellently rendered.

At first — this was just like him — he thought he was hearing god. But it was only the man in the bed, whose face had turned toward him on the ragged pillow.

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards

Third’s a Charm

Addam asks a favor of Brand.

Addam asks Brand for help, which ends up being exactly what Brand and Rune need.

Pretty good

Five times Brand crawls into Rune’s bed and one time Rune crawls into Brand’s.

Brand and Rune, through the years.

Teixcalaan Series - Arkady Martine

Also in the Act of Reaching

When Three Seagrass arrived at Lsel Station, she was, officially at least, traveling as a private personage. She had missed Mahit and the possibilities they’d both chosen to turn away from. She also had– would always have– a gaping hole in her life where Petal had once stood.

It was simply that, left on her own, Three Seagrass wouldn’t have let either absence drag her to the ass-end of beyond.

Reunion, metaphors and realigment. Subtle and clever and just right.

The (concept of the) World Was Wide Enough

Yskandr Aghavn comes to the world like a drowning man comes to shore, but he is living on borrowed time. Teixcalaan has so many wonderful things to choke on.

Teixcalaan has had his heart for all of his life, has elevated him, corrupted him, and discarded him.

It is Lsel that he thinks of as he dies.

Temple of the White Rat Universe - T. Kingfisher

If Grace Is Too Much

Zale is given a case by Bishop Beartongue which turns out to be more complicated and personal than a holy advocate-priest would prefer.

Clever and sweet and carefully shocking, but in a very right way.

Outreach

“We don’t generally assess the… cursédness… of objects, trees or otherwise,” Beartongue said.

Utterly delightful.

[drthrvn]

worldbuilding wednesday tuesday that nobody asked for 

BASICS

full name: Rhaevi Daas

gender: female

sexuality: bisexual

pronouns: she/her

OTHERS

parents: Dalon Daas (father, deceased), Nayra Daas (mother, deceased)

siblings: -

children: -

birthplace: Raider’s Cove, Rishi

job: commander of the independent Alliance, formerly battlemaster of the Jedi Order

phobias: let’s say that Jedi philosophy never really cured Rhaevi’s fear of dying

guilty pleasures: back in her full on Jedi days, sex seemed like her biggest guilty pleasure but nowadays… it’s mostly playing sabacc

MORALS

morality alignment: chaotic good

sins: lust/greed/gluttony/sloth/pride/envy/wrath

virtues: chastity/charity/diligence/humility/kindness/patience/justice

THIS OR THAT

introvert/extrovert: she’s the life of the party, always open to meeting new people.

organized/disorganized: thank the stars Rhae has advisors who are way more organized than she is.

close-minded/open-minded

calm/anxious

disagreeable/agreeable: it depends - Rhaevi doesn’t really enjoy sparking conflicts but she tends to be quite stubborn.

cautious/reckless: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

empathetic/unempathetic: although her empathy ends when it comes to douchebags she’s been meeting while fighting with Sith Empire of the Eternal Empire. she always protects the innocents but she ain’t afraid of kill a man.

patient/impatient: even years of Jedi training didn’t help her with that.

outspoken/reserved: she’s never been afraid of speaking her mind, that’s why there were times when the council and republic officials had enough of her. and that’s one of the reasons why she decided that her Alliance should stay neutral after all.

leader/follower: Rhaevi feels comfortable as a leader and she’s charismatic enough for others to follow her. she prefers to lead by example, rather than just to give orders and to make use of others.

optimistic/pessimistic: Rhaevi always faces her opponents believing she’s going to win and guess what - it usually works.

traditional/modern: she’s never particularly understood or liked traditions of the Jedi Order. let’s just say that following traditions is against her free spirit.

hard-working/lazy: it’s most apparent when it comes to Rhaevi’s work outs - she never skips them. in other areas… well, she likes to take a shortcut from time to time but she’s not afraid of hard work.

RELATIONSHIPS

otp: Theron Shan

ot3: -

brotp: Lord Scourge, Lana Beniko, T7

notp: Kira Carsen (they’re too stubborn to admit that they have a lot in common and this might be the reason why they don’t get along)

[chaoticspacefam]

OC Worldbuilding Tag Pt 2!

...electric boogaloo! I’m sorry I know this joke is old now but I cannot help it, it’s ingrained in my brain XD

I got another tag for this from @a-master-procrastinator , thank you! :D

I think all my friends & mutuals have already been tagged for this one? But I’ll throw a couple out here if you want to, no pressure as always!: @mercurypilgrim​ , @actualanxiousswampwitch and @sleepswithvillains maybe?

Some more Saarai, because I love her. Some very slight spoilers for some of the differences in the Subterfugeverse plot points but nothing major! ;3 Long post warning again, as well as some brief mentions of Valkorion being a dick and causing a mass-genocide but all on the same level as the presented game canon.

- Saarai is psychometric and has been since she was pretty young, a Force power she inherited from D’leah’s mother, Saa’thri, because it “skipped” D’leah and Saarai got it instead. Though she didn’t realise it at the time and it wasn’t until she brought it up to her mother and D’leah went “oh yeah, your grandma had that too :)” that she realised it was actually A Thing.

- She’s not always good at recognising when a vision is from the Psychometry and when it’s just “her imagination”, particularly when she’s younger (which gets her into some trouble, see: the whole Tsâhis thing). Even after she gets used to it, sometimes it still hits her out of nowhere and if it’s a particularly nasty vision she’ll sometimes lose her footing and hit the deck - thankfully, because of their Force bond, Ni’kasi can usually figure out what’s happening and react fast enough to catch her before she smacks her head on something.

- Nathema was...not fun for Saarai thanks to the Psychometry. She’d wanted to go with them to protect them and ended up having to be dragged back to the ship and wait there because the moment she tried to touch anything there the Force went “Oh hey!! would you like some Detailed Flashbacks About What Happened Here!!” and yeah...she did not have a good time. Going to Nathema was kind of a mistake for her. Woops. (She gets through it though, Lana gets her back to the ship and she gets a handle on things but definitely doesn’t go all the way into the facility with Vano and Lana. Probably a good thing, too, if she’d picked up that toy of Vaylin’s I think she would’ve found those visions quite upsetting to watch, too.)

- She and Lana don’t share a Force bond, only because she has one with her sister, Ni’kasi instead. Neither of the twins are exactly sure when it formed, but they’ve had the connection for as long as they can remember. When they’re separated while Saarai and Ty are on Rishii, it’s harder for them to communicate because of the distance between them and Kas putting up barriers “just in case” the Sith tried to interrogate her at any point, she didn’t want to give Saarai away. They knew enough to know the other twin was probably still alive, but not to know exactly what was going on with each other until they finally reunite with the first Coalition on Yavin IV. That was the final relief for the twins, actually getting to see the other one standing there and definitely very much alive, there were hugs and a lot of tears, absolutely. <3

- Saarai is very much a “reluctant leader”, she never wanted to be a figurehead in the Alliance nor did she want to be telling people what to do, but circumstances “forced” her into the role and she had to stumble around awkwardly and adapt. With Vano gone and stuck in carbonite, somone had to step up and make sure the people that were working with Vano stuck together and didn’t fall apart (Not all of Vano’s crew disperse, Broonmark, Pierce and Jaesa always remain with the Alliance. Quinn ends up in jail after the Quinncident and Vette goes missing during one of their attempts to search for Vano’s whereabouts only to reappear as in canon later ;)) With Marr dead and the rest of the Dark Council under Zakuul’s heel or missing, that left Lana, Ni’kasi and Aria as alternative “leadership” figures. Lana lacked the ambition for it and was more tooled to be an advisor and while both Ni’kasi and Aria are bossy enough to delegate tasks, they’re abrasive and people don’t like them. But they like Saarai and they listen to her. So everyone kinda went “Okay cool you’re in charge now :)” I’m sorry, Saarai, you’re symultaneously the most and least qualified for this job but you got it anyway :P She settles into it eventually, though, but will be the first one to adamantly insist that it’s a team effort between not only herself and Vano once they have her back, but Lana, Koth, Theron and all the other trusted members of the Alliance acting as advisors in their respective fields of interest.

- In Subterfugeverse, I headcanon that Vano and Saarai share the command of the Alliance once Vano returns. Vano has the Commander title and handles most of the battle tactics and strategy, whereas Saarai handles things like conflict resolution and public relations, as well as controlling the Eternal Fleet. Things work very differently in Subterfugeverse in terms of the Throne so I’ll try to keep it brief but essentially:

Valkorion “took over” the Sith Empire from the Ahaszaai, Saarai’s ancestors. It was a very hostile takeover and currently Saarai, Ni’kasi, Ty, eventually Ni’kasi’s kids, and their uncle Vowrawn are the only four Ahaszaai left in the entire galaxy.

While they didn’t technically have claim to the Zakuulan throne, the original Sith homeworld before Valkorion’s bullshit was Medriaas (which is canon, I’m just borrowing this part because it fits in nicely ;)), which became Nathema after Valkorion did his whole “planet eating” thing.

Vano is initially the only one who can control the Throne and the Fleet via the whole “Valkorion is in her head” loophole. However, that loophole becomes defunct once Valkorion gets yanked out of her mind since it was Valkorion that gave her the ability to control it in the first place.

I’m assuming for the sake of plot flow that it’s based upon two specific “checks” and that’s 1) direct blood ties to the Emperor(ess) in power and/or 2) said Emperor(ess) currently controlling the throne directly and willingly passing their authority over the throne to a successor - which is how Valkorion is able to give the Outlander/Vano control of the Fleet while he’s in her mind, even though she’s not blood related to him.

They’re able to, with some research, deduce that they can exploit this apparent loophole in the system, to avoid losing control of the Fleet entirely and risking any of the GEMINI droids turning into another SCORPIO; and Vano essentially rescinds control of the Throne/Fleet to Saarai, everyone (including Ni’kasi herself) agrees that Saarai is the responsible choice because she’s not going to get a bee in her bonnet and with an errant thought accidentally set the Eternal Fleet on the Jedi or something of the sort.

Since Saarai has direct blood ties to the original ruling Sith before Valkorion userped the title from them, and Vano willingly gave the Throne up to her, the Throne can’t throw a tantrum about it and just has to deal with it. XD

- Once they do manage to track down where Vano is, before Lana and Koth head to Zakuul to actually break her out, Lana comes to Saarai for help with that. Ni’kasi has to stay to watch Ty and also try and keep a tenuous line with the other Sith thanks to her position on the Dark Council, Aria’s too emotionally charged to think straight and Lana is rightfully worried she might make a mistake that puts the whole rescue mission in jeapordy, so they ask Saarai instead. It’s kind of awkward and she and Koth rub each other the wrong way at first, they bicker for two thirds of the entire trip there and Lana almost throws them both out of the airlock for it, but eventually do find a way to bury the hatchet before they actually arrive at Zakuul to rescue Vano.

- By the time they find the Gravestone, Saarai and Koth have made up and though they are not yet involved with eachother at that time, have both agreed that fighting over Lana is stupid and they can make this work without making things difficult for anyone else, so the whole interruption in the Gravestone’s cargo hold, for Subterfugeverse, is genuinely an accident. Saarai heads up to check on him afterwards and they have another amicable and productive conversation and end up growing a little closer. Their side of the relationship is a little slower to form, but they do eventually end up developing deeper feelings for each other, though it’s strictly non-sexual between Rai and Koth and they are both 100% happy and okay with that.