#Extinct Magical Beasts

[thecreaturecodex]

Viskithrel

Image © Paizo Publishing, accessed at Archives of Nethys here

[Sponsored by @vonbaghager. Of the various Paizo APs published since the change from 1e to 2e, Extinction Curse is definitely the one I'm most interested in. I might even end up running it, although I would probably back-convert it to 1e. So the excuse to retro-convert its monsters is one I am happy to have.]

Viskithrel CR 15 NE Magical Beast This mammoth-sized creature is a strange parody of a reptile, its entire body covered in natural weapons. Its jaws are long and filled with needle-sharp teeth, its four limbs all end in three clawed digits, its tail is tipped with a bony club and eight tentacles grow from its back. It has a dozen nostrils, irregularly scattered along its snout like the tubes of marine worms, four beady eyes, and a short tentacled beard.

Viskithrels are strange Abyssal predators native to Gluttondark, the layer controlled by Zevgavizeb. Their anatomy combines features of multiple species of lizards, dinosaurs and cephalopods, with extra eyes and extra nostrils thrown in for good measure. Their extra nostrils and strangely chambered sinuses give them one of the best senses of smell known to sages—they can follow a trail by scent that has been cold for weeks, partition a stinking cloud spell into one nostril and out the other unharmed, and pinpoint creatures by their aromas. They are extremely, aggressively social creatures. A lone viskithrel will attempt to find others of its own kind via scent for days.

Viskithrels rarely bother with stealth, using instead their endurance and pack tactics to run down victims and tear them apart. Their tentacles are covered with short sharp thorns, like the rasp of a cat’s tongue, and they leave shallow bleeding wounds. Their saliva is acidic, and their stomach contents even more so, and a viskithrel will happily swallow a smaller enemy whole. Viskithrels have a strange psychological compulsion and will only swallow enemies whole if the viskithrel is fighting in a group. A viskithrel refuses to eat unless it is in proximity to another of its kind, or another creature it recognizes as part of its pack. Viskithrels summoned alone to the Material Plane have been known to go on violent rampages, killing without eating until they drop dead from exhaustion and starvation.

For such aggressively violent monsters, viskithrels are remarkably benevolent to their own kind. They are excellent parents, will adopt unrelated individuals into their packs with little resistance, and avoid other packs or engage in intimidation displays rather than fight each other to the death. A viskithrel can be convinced that other species belong to its pack, although they are not known to accept creatures other than reptilian monsters in such roles. Some powerful troglodytes and other worshipers of Zevgavizeb have been able to convince a viskithrel to accept their organization as a suitable pack, and thus have recruited a deadly ally.

Viskithrel CR 15 XP 51,200 NE Huge magical beast (extraplanar) Init +10; Senses blindsight 100 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Perception +20 Defense AC 30, touch 15, flat-footed 23 (-2 size, +6 Dex, +1 dodge, +15 natural) hp 220 (21d10+105) Fort +16, Ref +18, Will +11 Immune inhaled poison, olfactory attacks, sickened Defensive Abilities evasion, predatory leap Offense Speed 40 ft., swim 20 ft. Melee bite +27 (2d6+8 plus 1d6 acid plus grab), 2 claws +27 (1d10+8), 2 tentacles +25 (1d8+4 plus bleed), tail slap +25 (2d6+4) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with tentacles, 10 ft. with claws) Special Attacks bleed (1d8), swallow whole (AC 17, 22 hp, 2d6+12 plus 2d6 acid) Statistics Str 27, Dex 23, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 18, Cha 9 Base Atk +21; CMB +31 (+35 grapple); CMD 48 (52 vs. trip) Feats Bleeding Critical, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Dodge, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Toughness, Vital Strike Skills Acrobatics +18 (+22 when jumping), Climb +16, Perception +20, Survival +9 (+17 tracking by scent), Swim +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +8 Perception, +8 Survival (tracking by scent) Languages Abyssal (cannot speak) SQ impossible scent Ecology Environment warm forests and swamps (Abyss) Organization solitary, pair or pack (3-8) Treasure none Special Abilities Impossible Scent (Ex) A viskithrel is immune to any inhaled poison or olfactory attack. It gains blindsight 100 feet through its sense of smell, which can only be disabled by magical means such as curses. A viskithrel gains a +2 to the skill check DC to follow tracks by scent every day, not every hour. Predatory Leap (Ex) As an immediate action when it is about to be struck by a melee attack, a viskithrel can make an Acrobatics check with a DC equal to the attack roll. If it succeeds, it negates the attack. Regardless of whether it succeeds or fails, it can then move up to half its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity. If its movement ends near a creature suffering from a bleed effect, it can make a bite attack against that creature as part of the same action. When a viskithrel uses this ability, it is staggered for its next turn.

[jeweled-blue-eyes]

Headcanon that memory stones are made from wizard bones, that's why they are so expensive. Any magical artefact contains body parts of wizards or magical beasts. If you infused a normal ring with magic the magic will evaporate faster depending on the material used. Wizard bones hold the magic longer than common materials because their bodies were made to house magic.

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 55

(Malleus is a large beast, but is still growing due to the way Dragons age. Despite being an adult, he still has at least half a millennia to continue growing in size until he is considered fully grown. It is due to this size and his magic ability that Malleus is not often challenged by others even when he is in the wrong during a situation.)

Warnings; yandere, multiple yanderes, platonic and romantic yanderes, stressed yanderes, chill human having a chill time, pining, depressed behavior, buddy sour equine species, everyone processes things differently, anger, hurt, obsessed behavior, possessive behavior, Selkie, Dragon, Vampire Bat, Raiju, Cervitaur, Shinigami, Harpies, Drider, Alicorn, Unicorn, Kelpie, Satyr, Fawn, Genie, Naga, Nemean Lion, Gnoll, Werewolf, by selecting 'view more' you consent to view content and are of age to view content (MDNI).

~~~~

Despite how unusual it felt to be in a kitchen not your own was unusual, but it was no more unsettling than the room you were placed in. It was a shared room with Divus who insisted on giving you and Grim the bed, choosing a cot of his own near the foot of the bed. The room itself was right next to Azul's and you knew it was a choice Azul had made.

Part of you wondered why this extravagantly decorated room was kept empty and if it was a coincidence your trio of guards were so keen to offer it to you. The room itself was filled with the best quality furniture money could buy, a plush bed, high thread count sheets, an overstuffed blanket, countless pillows. Even the carpet that the bed rest on top of was of high quality that was akin to luxury. The bathroom attached had a luxury Jacuzzi with a towel heater and massaging water jets. Even the soaps felt divine against your skin.

Such high quality goods so freely and eagerly given to you the moment they were requested. It made you wonder if they prepared this room in advance for you. You wouldn't be surprised if it was set up for you or if the other dorms had something similar set aside for you.

Divus' cot seemed almost out of place among the expensive and pearl encrusted furniture given the difference in quality. Despite how rough the temporary accommodations looked, Divus insisted he was happy to sleep on the cot and keep you safe while you stayed in Octavinelle. He would leave to teach classes and would stay in the cot late into the night grading, always making sure you were safe and none of the others had a chance to bother you.

In those few days of rest, the potion you unwillingly took finally wore off, leaving you Human once more. Part of you genuinely missed being a Seal and cuddling up with Divus. A stronger part of you realized that your quick temper with the others in the recent past had been born from instincts you didn't know how to handle from the transformation. What comforted you about the situation was that your lovely rainbow fur stuck around after the potion wore off.

It was still somewhat off color from the blot you absorbed, but it was becoming lighter rather quickly, as if your return to your Human form burned off the heavier impact of blot. Despite the fur not being a second skin to you anymore, you still felt immense comfort from it. For now, Divus was taking the time to care for the fur and ensure it remained safe. Selkies were always quite obsessive about the state of their own fur, of course he would be obsessive about your fur.

As you reflected on the past few days spent in the rather comfortable accommodations of Octavinelle, you took note of how quiet things had been. There were no fights, no sudden bouts of aggressive behavior from anyone- not just those who had been your guards- and an unsteady peace had fallen over the school. Even regular students seemed to have heard of your threat to leave and were now on their best behavior. Some students had gone as far as dropping off expensive goods with Azul for you to have. They were likely purchased from the main thoroughfare of Sage Island's primary coastal city or even from their home towns.

Everyone was keen to keep you at Night Raven College. If you kept this up long enough, they may even be willing to answer your questions with minimal lies.

~•§•~

Malleus was an inconsolable Draconic blizzard. Still laying dejectedly in Ramshackle and refusing to budge from where he had taken up vigil the night his precious Treasure left his protection. Lilia and the rest of the Hoard were now able to approach the Dragon who whimpered and sang a solemn lament. The three had been switching off who would sit with the Dragon, spending their evenings curled up against the large stomach of the reptilian beast.

No amount of soothing words were enough for the dour prince who refused to return to his more 'tame' form. Even Lilia showed a clear dejection at having been denied the right to cuddle the beloved Human they all vowed to protect and adore. Sebek spent his time praising Malleus in an attempt to get the Dragon to perk up, yet he knew he was floundering for soothing words the longer Malleus spent laying in one place on the floor.

Silver had been more productive with his time away, spending his time creating a rather lovely saddle for himself that you could use next time you needed him as a steed. The saddle itself was rather lovely with black leather and green accents to it. The metal working was a sterling silver, decorated with spinning-wheels and spools of thread. It had taken him some time to acquire the right materials and shape it properly to fit himself, but he was extremely proud of the lovely saddle.

Despite the fact that the Dragon was still present in Ramshackle, the elder Shinigami had not dared approach the beast. It was his fumble with the intensely obsessed Dragon that led to this question of safety and the general mistrust that precious Human now showed. Every other way he could have handled the situation ran through his mind on endless loops, wishing he had thought to approach the situation differently. He had drastically underestimated the extent to which the Dragon would go to keep his claws on that soft Human.

Truly, the elder should have known better.

He had known Dragons of many different makes and lifestyles. Hades even knew the line Malleus came from very well. Malleus was more subdued and tame than the other Dragons of his lineage and Hades had foolishly believed this behavior would persist even when presented with his own wrong doings.

Idia was keeping close to Hades, his own parents and little brother doing the same. It was unnerving for the group to see how quickly the revitalization of the mournful elder had been ripped away with the mistrust of (Y/n) due to the recent events. They all knew the addictive nature of Humans well and they had seen some of the worst days the ancient elder had endured when it came to withdrawal. Even after five hundred years, the elder had been beaten down by his lasting addiction.

The Shinigami knew the addiction and the subsequent withdrawal were permanent effects that would one day plague them as well. All they could do was try to ease the elder with whatever artifacts of yours they could give to him. Even as he held his own shawl of trapped starlight close to him, his suffering was obvious.

~•§•~

"She hates me."

"Non, Roi du Poison, Mademoiselle Trickster couldn't possibly hate you."

Rook tried to comfort the Harpy that lay curled up in the Human's empty nest. Ramshackle had always felt so shoddily put together compared to Pomefiore, but it felt so horribly empty without you present to keep the nest warm. The simple possibility that you may never return to warm it only made the Harpy's heart weigh even heavier in his chest.

"Chin up, Vil. I may have only recently gotten to know (Y/n), but even I can see how much she cares about you. She spoke from a place of pain, not genuine dislike."

"She hates me."

Eric was also attempting to get Vil to perk up, but the Harpy refused to entertain anything remotely comforting. The only thing he even deigned to consume were the- admittedly not as delicious- attempts at smoothies both Rook and Eric had tried to recreate. Beyond those few paltry offerings, the Harpy couldn't bring himself to do more than cuddle the pillows of the nest close to his chest.

Vil was slowly letting himself waste away as he mourned the distance you chose to put between yourself and the others. He was a harpy with Hummingbird heritage, he needed food more consistently than others to maintain a proper weight. This pining and refusal to eat only made the lovely Harpy begin to wither.

As proud and vain as Vil was, he knew he contributed to you wanting to get away. If only he hadn't been so keen to try using a blot potion to get your attention. He had been leaning on you for his own emotional stability for long enough that it felt like he had his world torn up from under him with your displeasure.

How could he do such a short sighted thing that pushed you so far away from him?

~•§•~

Alistair and Riddle had yet to move from where they curled up together in the Alicorn's temporary room in Ramshackle. Both equine species leaning together for comfort in their time of need. Where the two would often be at ends when it came to most things, their guilt was equal in measure.

Trey had done his best to get the two downcast stallions to relocate to Heartslabyul, but they refused to budge more than a few steps in any direction before collapsing together. The pair of horned centaurs had become buddy sour without the Human they both cherished in their Herd. Riddle had faced this isolation before, but the isolation paired with Alistair's new experience and pain left the two stallions seeking comfort in their shared pain.

They were both miserable, and misery loved company.

Trey- ever the mature one- stood watch over the distressed pair, ensuring that they at least got their classwork brought to them. It wouldn't do to have Riddle or Alistair fall behind due to their sudden sorrow. He also had to ensure that Cater got some time where he wasn't sedentary for too long as he was still prone to extreme bouts of guilt.

Even Ace and Deuce had been far more subdued than normal. Where the pair often butted heads together in a figurative and literal sense, they barely even had the energy in them to argue more than soft complaints that fizzled out just as soon as they began. None of the usual zest for life could be found in the two typically rambunctious Goats.

All of Heartslabyul had dulled to a kind of funeral march type energy. The once lively and rule-driven dorm had withdrawn to extreme muted behaviors and forlorn expressions. This behavior clearly shown even the numerous students that were not official guards for the Human. Everyone in the dorm was taking the potential loss of the Human as if it were already a decided fact.

~•§•~

You moved around the dorm kitchen, cooking various meals for yourself and your guards. As quiet as things were, you couldn't help but find yourself wondering how the others were getting on without you. It was very likely that those who had caused you stress or discomfort in the past were blaming themselves for your sudden coldness towards others. There was also a good chance that the other students were blaming them as well.

Your eyes trailed over to the tablet that Idia had given you to virtual attend classes. According to him, he had cameras over most of the school grounds. Perhaps you could check in on the various groups to see how they were surviving and make your plan from there?

Azul had left you up to your own devices in that quiet corner of the kitchen. The other students who helped as staff of the Mostro Lounge avoided bothering you in fear that you would take their intrusion as the last straw. Jade hovered around the kitchen, occasionally checking in with you or trying to see what you were cooking, but mostly left you to choose for yourself.

Grim was being kept busy in the VIP section of the Lounge, watching the fish swimming by the glass windows that looked out at the oceanic setting. Divus was enjoying spending time with the young kit and almost took a grandfather type role for the little fur ball. He was currently watching Grim as he tried to clean the remaining substance out of your Selkie fur.

It couldn't hurt to take a quick peak, right?

Besides, the more you knew about how the others were reacting, the more likely you could form a plan. Perhaps you could even get your answers without having to coax them out of the hesitant males directly. This moment of isolation would be good for you to check in on your innumerable guards and what they did when you weren't around.

~•§•~

Kalim had been downcast for days and this unusual behavior from the typically cheerful and excitable Genie was unsettling the rest of the dorm. Seeing the Human who he had finally had a chance to interact with suffer from blot had emotionally wounded him. He finally got the chance to talk to her and tell her why he believes he can grant wishes for her, only for her to fall so ill so quickly.

To some extent, Kalim understood that he was not the cause for your sudden illness, but that didn't stop him from feeling responsible to some degree. He had granted your wish and sent you ahead to face a near Overblotted Dragon alone. How could he not feel like the threw you to the metaphorical wolves when you were ultimately hurt as a result of that behavior?

Jamil had been working on trying to cheer Kalim up despite the quiet he got to enjoy while the Genie was downcast. It was uncomfortable and unusual for Jamil to have so much peace in the handful of days that had passed. The Naga had grown used to the cheerful antics of the Genie, so the lack of such behavior set him on extreme edge.

"Kalim, I'm sure (Y/n) will come around soon. We could even throw a party for her in Octavinelle if you really wanted, she only said she wanted peace from danger, not for all of us to stay away from her."

"The last party we threw for (Y/n) ended in her being hurt."

"We didn't hurt her. She was hurt because Malleus almost Overblotted. We had nothing to do with that."

"..."

Kalim's silence was more unnerving than his loud and boisterous behavior, leaving Jamil feeling as if he were somehow failing the Genie he spent his life serving. The Viper family was well known for serving the Al-Asim dutifully for generations upon generations. To feel like he was failing at the one task he was taught to do from the day he hatched was poisonous feeling and painful.

"... I will contact Azul."

~•§•~

Leona refused to lay down. His anxious pacing and ill temper unsettled the others in his dorm as they watched their typically calm and lazy leader snarl in fury. He had not stopped pacing since your hasty retreat to Octavinelle.

Usually it was a miracle to see Leona showing any kind of active or anxious behavior in almost any situation. He was a lazy Nemean Lion who enjoyed lounging and napping in the warmth of the sun. This was not his typical behavior.

Jack and Ruggie had been trying and failing to get Leona to fully settle down, no words they could say having any impact on his foul temper. They were similarly upset and riled by your declaration of wanting to leave Night Raven College for just a bit of peace, but Leona was the one taking it the hardest. It was often said that a Nemean Lion caged was a Nemean Lion plotting, but he wasn't calm enough to plot.

His anger lay with Malleus.

The Dragon had long been a thorn in Leona's paw, but the near Overblot pushing their precious Mousey away was what set the rage burning. Were it up to the Lion, Malleus would be banned from guarding that treasured Human. But it wasn't up to him, so his anger only grew.

Ruggie was back to the dandelion diet, but his appetite was near non-existent. Even if there was a perfect recreation of the Human's 'donuts', Ruggie wouldn't have the appetite to actually eat any of them. If his favorite friend (Y/n) didn't make them, he didn't want them.

Jack was stressed and found himself pacing near the mirror to the Savanaclaw dorm, looking up with every dorm member that came in. Each time it was not your face he saw coming through the mirror only dashed his hopes further than they already were. A Werewolf without a pack was a dead dog walking. His pack consisted purely of himself and that soft Human, loosely including the several first-years he had begun to befriend outside of Savanaclaw.

~•§•~

The Crow Headmage sat still as a statue in his nest. His dark wings limp by his side and his body slowly rocking in an attempt to comfort himself. Despite the many different things he had collected over the years, he felt like none of them mattered if you were gone.

Even the false eggs that occupied his nest- beautifully decorated gemstones of dark blues, purples, and blacks- seemed so cold to him. He got those eggs to he could work out his own brooding behavior when his desire to be a parent became too much for him to handle. Now his precious Chick- his most treasured egg- was threatening to leave him and his school.

Those brats that inhabited his school were pushing away his one chance at redemption in his heart. In Crowley's eyes, you were his child and the others were invaders upon his nest. To think that he had ever allowed them to get so close to you and hurt you only made the shame weigh heavier in his heart.

How could he claim to be your father if he couldn't protect you from the beasts around you?

~•§•~

You frowned as you stared at the screen, flicking through the innumerable video feeds and watching the males who longed for your company lash out at one another. Some fell into sorrow, some fell into rage, others seemed to have become numb to the world around them. All of them seemed to be suffering to some degree.

Where you knew this would happen- having been informed of the sheer impact your presence had on them- it was still unnerving to see it happen in real time. The once lively and odd beasts were acting as if their lifelong mate was dying. They truly couldn't see the light through the trees anymore unless you were present to show it to them.

It hurt more than you expected it to, seeing these beasts reduced to nothing more than lost souls mourning your absence. Where you had known your aura was addictive and had a deep impact on them, it was another thing entirely to see how deeply it affected them. They had lived their own lives without you present and made something of themselves. Now they couldn't even pick up the pieces of who they once were in your absence.

You never asked for this.

Truly, you didn't ask to be brought into a world by forces you didn't understand. To be put upon an unreachable pedestal above the others that only wished to bask in your presence. You never asked to be the crutch that could undo the very fabric of their existence in the mere presence of your absence.

What would happen if you actually left? If you managed to take Grim and flee, would these souls you have unwillingly touched flicker out like a candle? If the ghosts found a way for you to escape into the world you once knew, what would become of those whose lives you have uprooted by simply existing?

... What would you do if you had the chance to leave, but had to leave everything- Grim included- behind? Could you leave Grim- begging and crying for you to come back- behind to find the world you came from? If he screamed that "you promised to take him with you, always" while you fled, could you really leave it all behind?

Maybe you should stop spying through the looking glass in your hands. It was all far too heavy for your heart to handle.

You hoped you would never have to leave Grim behind, even if you had to leave the others.

[bitter-me]

Hello ! Can I ask Savanaclaw with a first year student (platonic) that is like LingYang from Wuthering waves pls ? Ignore it if you don't want to write it !!!

Have a good day !

Another Lion?

Savanaclaw | M. Reader as Lingyang [Wuthering Waves] (Platonic)

----------

"It's like a mini you!"

----------

The day [Name] arrived at Savanaclaw is the day where Leona get's another headache. Such an energetic guy.. honestly where did he got all that energy from? It's annoying. Like a child who's still learning the world around him, believing how being kind and sincere is a good thing. Meanwhile Jack and Ruggie is incredibly happy. [Name] is just such a nice guy, always willing to help, it's a nice change from how many rotten eggs are in Savanaclaw, believing that they're the "strongest."

It's even more interesting how [Name] appears to also be a lion like Leona but turned out way different. Ruggie would always joke how [Name] is the version of Leona if he was kinder. Which earned him quite the death glare. When [Name] offered a private lion dance performance. Boy is it a sight. Watching someone showing their culture and traditions are always a nice experience and seeing him go from pillar to pillar with such swift motions is quite mesmerizing. [Name] is more than happy to teach them lion dancing if they asked.

With how swift he is, [Name] instantly made his way on to the Magical Shift/Spelldrive team in Savanclaw. He's just so agile, perhaps being a lion dancer makes him quite nimble.

Leona still finds him annoying though but after some interactions, [Name] makes a wonderful sleeping buddy. How? Well somehow he always without fail found the nicest and seclusive spots for naps. [Name]'s senses are surprisingly sharper than his, which throw Leona off the loop for a moment, and just like that [Name] had officially become Savanclaw's younger brother, who ever dare lay a single finger on him will answer to the Housewarden.

Ruggie and [Name] bonded like brothers, playing pranks here and there, enjoying life. Jack is like the more responsible older brother. Ready to help, and tries to get the two of them out of trouble, he may seem mean, but he's a big softie.

----------

Spoilers to those who haven't done Lingyang's companion quest

----------

Leona, Ruggie, Jack, and [Name] were at the Savanaclaw's dorm, Leona is napping like always, while Ruggie and Jack told stories of from their hometown as [Name] listens eagerly, happy to learn new things. "Oh? So it's like a folklore? Jinzhou also had one. It's called the Jingle Beast." [Name] says casually, looking out at the horizon with a faint smile, remembering it well how people use to fear such a "beast."

"They say that there's a beast somewhere out there and that when it hunts, you could hear the sound of a bell jingle. It's as simple as that really." He explains casually with a chuckle in the end. Such a silly rumor.

"Kishishishi! Really now? A Jingle Beast?" Ruggie can't help but laugh at such an interesting folklore. "Some say it's just a Suan'ni. A mystical creature that has amazing abilities. Some were skeptical though, since Suan'ni's are practically extinct now." [Name] added, looking down at the ground where they sat. This caught their attention, even Leona as he opens one eye and glance over to the three of them.

Ruggie thought about it for a moment before nodding in response, his face became more serious. "I don’t blame them. In ancient times, the world used to be a very brutal world. Suan‘nies were hunted and killed by humans for their own profit and desires. It was cruel and not fair."

[Name] remain silent for a moment, thinking back on those times. "In my own option…" He began slowly.

"The last Suan'ni might have yearn to become a human… it yanked out all of its fur, filled down its claws, twisted its bones, and learn how to stand upright." [Name] explains in a soft and melancholy tone, his gaze never leaving the ground, his ears occasionally twitched as he says those words.

"Anyway…" He paused, adding with hesitant in his voice. "It.. never really became a human in the end.."

Pure silence. Nothing but pure silence follows after that.

Ruggie and Jack look at [Name] with widened eyes, heck, even Leona had gotten up, sitting upright and looking at the other with a dumbfounded expression. They immediately picked up on what the other is implying.

Of course the Suan'ni never became a human in the end... because at the end of the day.. it is still a Suan'ni.

Through out the centuries... animals evolved and that's how they could now stand on two feet, talk, and etc etc.

But what about those who are older? Before such evolution could even be achieve? Suppose...

[Name] had answer that question.

[elodieunderglass]

i love killie's horse ghost, does he have a name?

Your Man Over There! Weird Little Ghost On A Weird Little Ghost Horse! Haunter of Any Given Greggs! World’s Leading Breed Enthusiast Of the Irish Hobby (Extinct.)

the Celt, or the Hobelar, or Your Man Over There, is a ghost of indeterminate appearance on a greyish Irish Hobby. He doesn’t give a name, possibly as part of a lifelong and afterlifelong policy of doing absolutely nothing helpful. He kind of talks, but you usually can’t hear him, and it’s usually in an incomprehensible dialect. His historical origins are utterly, possibly deliberately, unclear (although I love to think of him as being The Iyrysch Man who swiftly ran at the Siege of Calais.)

Killie believes there are some rules to his appearances and behaviour, including that he “can’t touch the ground” (which complicates when he wants to play with bits of rubbish like discarded coffee cups; to make things interesting, he often picks them up with his toes.) This rule sounds a bit like legendary figure Oisín, who went to Tír Nan Og on a magical horse and spent several lifetimes there; he was warned that upon returning to the mortal world, he could never dismount the horse or touch the ground. Oisín obviously got off the horse, and upon touching the ground, aged 300 years at once, and died of it. So while he isn’t Oisín, he may have had a similar conditional arrangement, and is adhering to it.

The horse is a mare and generally named variations of Bastard, but also, in opposition to O Holy Thunder, could be called Whoa! Unholy Lightning. Or Obann (Swift) or Robert (just to be funny) or God Forbid Women Have Hobbies. Or something like Bastardous Pocket Lint. She’s the loveliest and sweetest-natured beast in existence, and doesn’t appear to mind ambling for eternity through all of time and space, even if she appears to spend an awful lot of it doing impromptu equitation routines in carparks. It’s a hobby!

[bluegekk0]

Finished designs for the FPK Dragon AU! Very happy with how they turned out, I'm definitely going to draw more art for this side AU in the future

Some short info and close-ups below

General AU stuff:

I don't have many story or world details yet, but in general it would be quite simplified and changed in a lot of ways

The vessels are not a thing, though The Radiance does exist and the infection would still happen in some shape or form (I haven't thought of the details yet). Holly's purpose would still be to put a stop to it, but the whole aspect of emotionless void beings is not included

Humans don't exist in this world, so the one above is simply to get an idea of their scale. The dragons in that world are sapient and live in communities, a lot of them can use magic and similar powerful abilities

More info to be added as I brainstorm it, and I might design more characters for the AU in the future

Character specific stuff:

Vyrm - a lot of his backstory is very similar to the main AU, his kind is considered extinct (the reason would most likely be different), though he never changed his form to be smaller, which means his large wyrm form does not exist here. His relationship with WL was also basically the same, as was his journey of discovering his love for Grimm. And just like in the main AU, he ended up losing his status as a leader and hibernating. Unsure whether he would also lose all his powers, since I want to keep his workshop hobby and I like the idea of him having powers that he learned specifically for that purpose (not to mention, doing any kind of precise engineering would be difficult with his dragon anatomy). So we'll have to see.

Grimm - once again a very similar backstory to his main AU counterpart. He is one of the most powerful dragons to exist, and The Radiance is still his sister in this AU. He was banished from his homeland and stripped of many of his powers, losing his status as a higher dragon as a result. I'm still brainstorming how NKG comes into the AU, as of now my idea is that it would be closer to a god-like beast form than a being in another realm, but it may still change. And I'm still thinking how to reconceptualize the ritual to fit this version. Even though he's much weaker than in his prime, he's still more powerful than an average dragon, especially in the NKG form (if that is the direction I take with him).

Lewk, Asta and Milo - basically the same as in the main AU. Lewk and Asta can fly just fine, Milo however is incapable of it (and will likely remain that way even as he gets older, with his wings being too small and weak for flight).

Hornet - in most aspect she's the same, though her half-spider origin would be changed to something else; Herrah is not a spider in this AU, though she would still be quite beastly and unique in her appearance. She has two pairs of wings, which are a trait inherited from her mother's side. She knows silk magic, which she learned as a young dragon.

Zote - he's the most unique here body plan wise, I based his design on pterosaurs. I loved the mental image of him being this annoying, bird-like dragon. In basically all aspects he's the same as his main AU counterpart, though being a dragon I imagine he would have a more impressive lifespan than an average bug in the main AU. He's a herbivore dragon, his mouth resembles a beak, and he has no powers, only a nasty attitude.

Holly - as mentioned before, they are not a vessel in this AU, nor a void being. Instead, they're a hybrid of Vyrm and WL, who is a powerful higher dragon, and were trained to stop The Radiance and put an end to the infection from the day they hatched. Though they did end up learning void magic to aid them in the fight, I think that would be a nice way to preserve at least some of that aspect and it would explain the color of their body in this version. They have a mouth, though they are still mute, likely as a result to battle damage. Like in the main AU, they lost one of their eyes and a limb, and I'm considering designing a prosthetic wing for them at some point to mirror their counterpart.

[anomalousdata]

One of the things I really love about the codex Mementos in Veilguard is that they answer a question that Solas must also have been asking himself as he woke up from his accidental magical siesta: why does modern elven mythology paint Fen'harel as an enemy? Why is he a liar and a trickster specifically? Someone has to be trusted before they can be considered a betrayer or treacherous. Why were the ugliest parts of the Evanuris forgotten while only the ugly parts of Fen'harel were remembered? Well...

My favorite touch is that the first permanent, purely physical objects that elves created were made in the aftermath of this terrifying alteration of reality itself as a form of comfort. For the elves living through the creation of the Veil, mortality and the physical world were inextricably tied to terror, pain, and the instant, widespread collapse of everything familiar. If a giant meteor came out of nowhere, slammed into Earth right now, and caused a mass extinction event that blotted out the sun for years, that would probably be on par what the elves of the time experienced.

But amid all that confusion and panic at the end of the world, there was one well-known fact: Fen'harel did this.

The Archivist from Inquisition's Tresspasser DLC records the last thoughts and words of the elves who ended up trapped in the pieces of the Shattered Library. Some highlights:

“How could the Dread Wolf cast a Veil between the world that wakes and the world that dreams?”

“The Evanuris will send people. They will save us!”

“When have you last heard from the gods? When the Veil came down, they went silent!”

“What is this Veil? What has Fen’Harel done?”

“If we get out of here, I will end Fen’Harel!”

“After he held back the sky to imprison the gods, the Dread Wolf disappeared.”

“You’re wasting your time. Fen’Harel’s Veil has turned our empire to ruins.”

Even Felassan, who was truly a ride-or-die for the Dread Wolf, was struggling with feeling abandoned in the aftermath:

All this to say that the first unimaginably terrifying years of mortality for the elves came with the knowledge that Fen'harel had completely destroyed the world they knew and then abandoned them to face it alone. The fact that the ritual went haywire and Solas never intended to go into a magical coma? That probably would not have been much of a consolation to the people dying of hunger and disease.

The story of the slow arrow that Felassan takes his name from is a much more accurate portrait of Solas than he wants to admit. He killed the great beast, after all. The children of the village could live without cowering under its shadow. And if it came at the price of all their elders, of everyone who came before them, even if that was a bargain they would have never willingly made? Well...

"'When did I say that I would save you?'"

[stuck-in-jelly]

The Human Mages of The West

"A cruel queen once ruled Duren with an iron fist. Anyone who crossed her was banished to the icy north, where she expected them to die. But the people she banished found each other, helped each other, and survived together. Soon there were so many banished—so many people the queen had declared her enemy and doomed to die alone—that they realized they were a small army. Arm-in-arm they marched back to Berylgarten to overthrow the cruel queen and return peace to all the land." - Tales of Xadia | Gazetteer of Xadia. pg. 35

"Though he was the largest and strongest creature in Evenere, the eon-mawed megagator wasn’t satisfied. One day, he encountered a traveling mage and stole a magical artifact, hoping it would grant him great power. The megagator swallowed it… and to his delight, he began to grow. But as he grew, his stomach ached. The artifact had bled strange magic and poison into his body. Cursing his mistake, the giant megagator perished. His body became a hill in the middle of Evenere and his toxic blood entered the waters. To this day, few things survive where the megagator fell—not much can thrive once greed takes over." - Tales of Xadia | Gazetteer of Xadia. pg. 36

"Centuries ago, the largest mountain in Del Bar was devoid of people, and its slate-cliffed confines contained the lair of a vile dragon. Del Barians say their first king slew the foul beast and hurled it down the mountain. The dragon fell to the earth with such force that it left a rift in the land itself. The rift flooded and became the Serpentongue River./ Their tales differ from those of Hinterpeak: they tell a tale of a clever hunter who stroked the ego of an ancient dragon and pulled out its tongue to make the Serpentongue river." - Tales of Xadia | Gazetteer of Xadia. pg.32,33

"Generous and loving beings linked to the Star primal, they’ve been hunted to extinction by dark mages eager to poach them for their horns." - Tales of Xadia | Gazetteer of Xadia. pg. 59

"Of course not all humans could stomach the cost of dark magic, but all humans were punished for it nonetheless. As they built new civilizations from nothing, humanity began to tear itself apart. Humans struggled for control of the region’s resources, from food to wealth to safety from Xadia’s wrath. Through the chaos, the practice of dark magic became instrumental: kings and queens offered riches and prestige to dark mages in exchange for their power—and, more importantly, their loyalty. Eventually, though, the dust settled, and five powerful kingdoms emerged from the ashes of the conflict: Katolis, Del Bar, Duren, Evenere, and Neolandia." - Tales of Xadia | Welcome to Xadia. pg.11

[theheidfox]

Do you guys remember when I said, in my UPG, cockroaches are Loki's creatures?

I got his take on it:

"Ah, so you’ve noticed. The little beast that scatters when the light comes on. The one they try to crush, to poison, to burn out— and still it scuttles. Still it thrives. They hate it for surviving. They call it dirty, but what they mean is: resilient. What they mean is: too hard to kill. That’s one of mine. The cockroach is a creature of fire and endings. It dances on the edge of extinction and laughs. It lives in the cracks—between walls, between rules, between what should be and what is. Doesn’t that sound familiar? They want gods to be pretty. Polished. They want magic to smell like sage and silence. They want order. But I come like the cockroach: when everything breaks down. When the rot sets in. When the empire crumbles and the pipes burst and the kitchen is full of chaos. I come when they scream and call it unholy. I come anyway. We come anyway. Every time someone tries to clean the world of filth, and ends up scrubbing out the wild, the queer, the broken, the different— cockroaches remain. They inherit. Because survival isn’t always noble. Sometimes, survival is spiteful. Survival is loud. Survival is ugly and laughing with blood on its teeth. And that, flameheart, is sacred too." ---

It just...

it makes a lot of sense to me.

[tk-duveraun]

Cw: some unintentional but really messed up transphobia on SY's part

Cumplane AU where they live in a modern with magic world and PIDW is presented as a historical fantasy power fantasy

SY is a magical teacher turned researcher turned homebody as his body deteriorates due to magical illness. But this means he very much knows how magic works and gets very heated in the comments making corrections.

(airplane desperately wanted to study extinct magical creatures but the specialized classes were too expensive)

SY is extra infuriated bc airplane knows so much about magical creatures and lost habitats but then turns them into set pieces for porn!

At one point, airplane posts an AN about how he's entering the lottery for non-magical people to be granted a wish. Most people get their houses fitted so they don't have to pay utilities or so that they're bigger on the inside, or link their lifespan to their beloved pet.

SY who is both rich and has connections sends airplane a private message asking what he wished for. SY is planning to leverage this into special chapters just about the setting.

Airplane knows that while SY is a hater, he's harmless. People have doxxed SY and he only went on insane copy pasta level rants about not talking online stuff too seriously. So airplane admits he put in for magical gender affirming transformation.

SY is extremely disappointed by airplane's lack of creativity and ambition with his wish and airplane, reasonably extremely offended, blocks him.

Airplane doesn't win the lottery and continues to post chapters as usual but leaves out any and all AN's because he's still reasonably hurt by it.

SY obliviously continues ranting as normal in the comments.

Only, a few weeks later, airplane gets contacted by this semi-underground group that does magical gender affirming transformations for free, sent his way none other than sy

SY wasn't meaning to be transphobic, he just thought airplane would ask for his cat to be made into a hulijing or something.

Anyway cue airplane trying to get in touch with sy and thank him but SY bring a brat bc airplane blocked him "for no reason"

Airplane, very reasonably, blows up at him about it. SY complains to his sister, who is just like "OMG you're so stupid"

Eventually they reconcile and meet up IRL, airplane learns how sick sy is and after hearing the details is like "...I swear I've heard of this before" and sy rolls his eyes bc he knows how rare his condition is, but they become "very good friends"

(airplane: I knew he was in the closet but wow

SY sister: I know right)

Airplane with his kind of sugar daddy starts up correspondence courses on the side and finally remembers where he heard about SY's illness before! It's a magical virus only carried by an extinct creature that most humans were immune to already, but guess whose family has a taxidermy of said magical beast in their main house

This information finally leads to a cure and SY's family make a huge ordeal about accepting their new son in law

"I'm not gay!"

Eye rolls

"We're not together!"

".........."

"we kind of are, bro"

SY makes a noise like a teakettle and stomps off.

[ronqueesha]

How about some more 40k facts for the Rogue Trader mutuals!

The Aeldari are not a naturally evolved species. They were engineered by the Old Ones over 60 million years ago to act as psychic warriors against the Necrons and C'tan.

The War in Heaven ended with the extinction of the Old Ones, and the Necrons sort of "won" after they shattered and imprisoned the C'tan. However, the sheer scale of the violence and psychic monstrosities birthed during the war almost rendered the galaxy lifeless. (every big fight you see in 40k is a tiny fraction of the violence seen in this war) Somehow, just barely enough Aeldari survived the aftermath to build a new civilization without their creators, and dominate the galaxy for millions of years after.

Rogue Trader mutuals know about drukhari and craftworld aeldari, but there is a third section of their population that the game glosses over: exodites. When the aeldari civilization collapsed during the birth of slaanesh, the tiny handful of survivors were mostly in 3 groups. Those that fled into the webway and refashioned commorragh into the heart of a new society. (the city itself was an outpost of the ancient aeldari empire, which is a cool fact on its own) Those who had fully rejected Aeldari society already and lived a severe and disciplined life on the various craftworlds. And those who chose instead to colonize distant worlds and restart civlization from the ground up.

The exodites are aeldari who live on worlds that are largely unsettled and untamed. And they live in scattered societies of various technological development. They still have connections to their craftworld brethren, have soulstones and other cultural icons of their past. But other than that, they live in a largely isolated environment. The most famous artwork of exodite aeldari depict them like medieval knights riding alien dinosaurs and space dragons. And that's just cool.

Orks were also engineered by the Old Ones as a bioweapon against their enemies. However, the orks we see today are a pale and pathetic shadow of the Krorks that originally dominated the battlefields of 60 million years ago. Every now and then, orks gather in sufficient numbers and their bosses grow in such power that they begin to resemble ancient Krork super-soldiers. The War of the Beast happened 8,000 years before the current setting and almost destroyed the Imperium in its relative infancy.

There are memes that the orks possess a powerful psychic field that can alter reality to anything they believe is real. This is SORT of true, but internet gossip has massively warped the power of ork WAAAGHs. They can subtly influence things related to fighting, because fighting is all they care about, but not much else. An ork can't pick up a random piece of pipe and call it a gun, then have it magically shoot bullets. They can, however, have a shoddy and terribly-built gun made by their mekboys work perfectly in an ork's hands, but jam and/or explode if a human uses it. Red vehicles do go a little faster when orks drive them because they believe red is the color of speed, but it's not a reality-shattering change.

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 36

(Ortho made the shell casing for his limbs to match the Knight of Roses outfit given to him. He is very proud that he got it done so quickly and he loves that it stands out for him. Unlike Idia, he doesn't have to have an intense emotion to change his hair color, but the magenta does have little hearts burning in his hair as well.)

Warnings; yandere jealousy, yandere characters, platonic and romantic yanderes, fem pronouned and bodied reader, what is to come next for our intrepid Human, plans for research, plans for culinary classes, harpy, pegasus, unicorn, merman, dragon, drider, shinigami, alicorn, nemean lion, hellcat, selkie,

Chapter Links

~~~~~~~~

The inky blue sky swirled pleasantly above the dour prince, his attention on this cosmic dance of beauty and wonder. Even as he observed the rolling nebula and swirling stars, his mind was elsewhere. What he wouldn't give to hold the one he loved and embrace her beneath these stars of untold beauty. To peel away that bothersome clothing and worship what lay beneath.

The prince was not the only one- or even the only prince- interested in such a treasure. Countless eyes trailed after such a soft and lovely creature that could be found nowhere else in the land. Someone who could see the darkness in others and purify that shadowed and tainted blot of emotion.

Were dreams not meant to be pleasant? If they were supposed to be pleasant, where then was his treasure? The most soothing and comforting presence remained out of reach, even in his swirling thoughts and desperate dreaming.

He could not stop himself from searching, even as the cosmos continued the ever enchanting dance. Once his eyes began to look in earnest, however, he noticed how painfully alone he was. She wasn't here.

Where was she?

~•§•~

Malleus' eyes snapped open, the darkness of the evening still shrouding this temporary room in the gentle embrace of shadows. An embrace he was familiar with.

The Dragon prince slowly rose from the bed, glancing to the web on the far side of the room where the Drider slept peacefully. They were still in the Queendom of Roses and Malleus was not pleased to have to share with anyone other than his adored treasure (Y/n) and her kit. Not even the Drider proved to be equal or comparable company to the great beast.

Instead of lamenting in morose displeasure, Malleus chose to seek out his treasure. She was only in the room next to this one, so he was sure to find comfort in the continued affirmation of her sleeping form. It was true, he would have to be careful to not disturb the three occupants of the room, but it would calm him more than anything to see that resting expression.

The Dragon slowly slid out of the room, using magic to quiet the doors as he slid into the room of his most prized treasure. Laying in the bed with both adopted young was Malleus' Human. She seemed lost in deep sleep, one hand laying over the Hellcat Grim and the other arm loosely wrapped around the smaller form of the Shinigami Ortho. Both young beasts were clearly peaceful and lay close to the soft Human so many adored.

Ortho's head was resting on (Y/n)'s shoulder, his oxygen mask still covering his face as it fogged with his breath. Grim was laying halfway on top of her stomach, his little paws tucked beneath his chin as his whiskers twitched happily from a gentle dream. Both were given a gift Malleus craved almost violently but the Dragon couldn't bring himself to be angry over the affectionate display.

If anything, he only saw how wonderful a mother the soft Human would make for his Hatchlings. Such a warm heart that cared for others in a way no one else seemed to. Everything he could find to adore about her was filed away in his mind as reasons she was his favorite treasure.

There was a certain fondness in the Dragon for her Kit as well, having first seen him as an unfortunate add-on he needed to protect for the sake of (Y/n). Now, he couldn't help but imagine the young kit acting as an elder sibling to the future Hatchlings, teaching them to stalk and climb. A kind of affection warmed the beast's chest as he realized the Human and her kit were already family in his eyes. He just needed the kit to see him as a father and then things would be perfect.

While the night carried on, Malleus found himself unable to return to sleep, instead he summoned a chair to sit at the bedside until dawn. He would disappear before that soft Human awoke to find the beast in her room, not wanting to cause undue stress. Until then, the beast would be a watchful guardian that protected his dearest from all harm.

~•§•~

The slight disturbance of sunlight against your eyelids roused you from sleep, slowly coming to in the comfortable bed you shared. Ortho was still fast asleep, but Grim was slowly rousing as you began to move. You slid out of the bed, gently moving Grim and Ortho to cuddle so they could keep sleeping while you took some time for yourself.

Your limbs popped and cracked from use as you stretched, getting dressed and vaguely wondering what the next week would bring. You were to be headed back to Night Raven today and wondered how those still at the school were faring in your absence. Though you felt no obligation to the many who were obsessed with you, you also didn't want to return to the school to find it in shambles.

As you emerged from the room, you noticed several others were also already awake. Divus and Crowley stood talking to one another in hushed voices, the Selkie seeming less than pleased with whatever the Crow was telling him. Crowley did not seem happy either, but it was clear he was saying something to soothe the Selkie before he noticed you.

"Good morning, my little bird. Did you sleep well?"

You shrugged, still somewhat disoriented from sleep as you approached the pair. Divus was thrilled to see you awake and gave you a gentle smile as you walked over. It was hard to resist the temptation to cuddle into the Selkie's fur and he clearly did not mind as he let you lean into his side. The one who seemed the most upset about the affectionate and domestic gesture was one clearly jealous Harpy who ruffled his feathers.

Somewhere in your sleepy brain, you laughed at the way the teachers all seemed to fight over your affection and attention. All of them wanting to be the one you went to for comfort, angry when they were not chosen.

Thus far, you actually had a preference for Divus given the fact the Selkie seemed most attuned to your emotions. Crowley was still last as your favorite given his prior disregard for your wishes and the fact that he collared you like a dog. Though he was improving and seemed to actually be able to understand your hesitance, he was still not your favorite.

Hell, Papa Hades was higher ranked than Crowley in your eyes despite the limited interaction you had with him. He was higher ranked than a lot of the others you were dealing with.

"Puppy," Divus started, "we need to discuss what your next week will look like and what will happen."

"Is it more traveling?"

"No. But you will have more than a few visitors this week. Perhaps even the whole month."

You frowned at this, looking up at the patient seal-man who cooed gently upon seeing your pouting expression. He had been the most gentle of the staff towards you, closely followed by Trein, so you didn't feel belittled by the sweet behavior.

"Why?"

"Your ability to absorb blot is nothing short of astounding, Puppy. Blot kills. Those who become Feral rarely ever recover, yet here you have successfully gotten three to recover, and one of them you actually absorbed the blot from directly. The fact you survived, didn't Overblot, and have burned away the blot in your own body has drawn attention. Lord Hades will be returning to Night Raven to study this behavior and to do that we need your cooperation and two of the three Overblotters."

It made sense to you, of course. You had been told about the awful effects of blot and even saw how Alistair and Riddle were impacted by their own blot. A kind of happiness wormed inside of you at the idea of seeing Papa Hades again, but you worried somewhat about which Overblotters Divus was talking about.

"I refuse to allow that slimy fish Erikír anywhere near you, so he will not be permitted to return to Sage Island until his trial. That means Riddle and Alistair will be the primary test subjects, as they both are still impacted by their Overblot. Queen Helena has requested that Alistair be allowed to attend Night Raven College for now as you directly aided in his recovery and stopped him from falling to blot. Given Riddle is Housewarden of Heartslabyul, we have decided that Heartslabyul should be in charge of guarding you."

It made sense, especially if Riddle was supposed to be around you more due to the research Papa Hades wanted done. The close proximity of the Shinigami also had you wondering if he could work on fixing Grim's wings. You also wondered if Idia would be staying over at Ramshackle, given it was his ancestor who would be conducting these tests.

Beyond just that, you also worried about how the ever possessive Dragon would handle this news. He had stipulated that Riddle would have to forfeit his turn as guard to Diasomnia, but that wouldn't help you or them seeing as Riddle was needed for the research.

"I'll have to tell Tsuno myself. He won't be happy, especially since he banned Riddle from being a guard until he is forgiven for what he did during his Overblot," your hand rest against your scar left by the axe, "but Riddle and Alistair are needed if Papa Hades is going to do his research."

"Lord Hades is not the only Shroud who will be arriving. I hear Idia's parents are keen to aid Lord Hades in his research as well, so Idia will likely do the same."

You nodded to this, having figured as much yourself when first hearing about the plan for the next week. Where you were somewhat miffed at the idea of being told- yet again- that things were already planned out for you, you still figured that this new blot oriented development was significant. Hopefully Malleus wouldn't take it too hard.

~•§•~

"... Me?"

"Lord Hades has requested both you and prince Alistair be present for these tests. As you both are recovering from Overblotting, it would make sense the two of you are the ideal subjects to test blot accumulation and absorption."

Riddle thought about these words, knowing that he was actually getting the chance to guard this blessed Human because of his Overblot. Part of him wondered what would have happened had he not Overblotted. He would still have his full horn, but be trapped under his mother's control. He gained more from his Overblot than he lost.

"I am inclined to agree regardless. Lord Hades has taken over payment for my schooling and continued education after... After my Mother's refusal. It would be foolish to bite the hand that keeps me comfortable and fed."

Malleus was pouting, as was Floyd, and Rook. Malleus didn't want the Unicorn or Alicorn near his most valued and precious treasure. Floyd had been convinced that Octavinelle would be next to be chosen, given their assistance at the Spelldrive Tournament against Erikír. Rook knew Vil would have increasingly intense and drastic meltdowns over not being selected yet again.

"You have already agreed to forfeit your turns until you are deemed no longer a threat."

You sighed at this and frowned at Malleus who was clearly still pouting over the decision. Though he had agreed when you told him, it was clear he was not going to let this go without yet another scolding from you.

"Malleus, stop."

"He isn't safe around you. Neither of them are!"

"Malleus!"

The Dragon went quiet when he realized he was testing your temper, now refusing to look at you to maintain his own annoyance. You knew he would act this way, you just had to make sure that he wasn't going to actually fight the decision. This meant you had to give something of value to the Dragon to soothe his almost childish behavior.

"Papa Hades needs Riddle and Alistair for his research. I want to know why blot doesn't affect me as much- if not more- than he wants to know. I know you have your reservations and they are formed from educated experiences. However, it is still ideal that Heartslabyul guards me this next week, though I know that idea displeases you. If it makes you feel better, you can stay in Ramshackle for the week, just as the Shrouds and the Heartslabyul students can. Yes, that also means we can share a nest so you don't worry in the night. Is that amenable?"

"... Yes."

"Good. I don't want to hear you fight against this decision again. There is far too much that still needs to be looked into and understood. It will be easier to do all of the above if you aren't fighting every step of the way, okay?"

The Dragon didn't respond, but he also seemed less angered than he had been prior, instead he just nodded and went along with the idea. At least with Malleus calm, you could focus on more than tiptoeing around the sensitive feelings of the Dragon.

Crowley was exceptionally pleased at this agreement, looking over to Queen Helena and Alistair who were also present for the conversation. Queen Helena was thrilled Alistair would be able to be seen by the leading minds of Twisted Wonderland, hopefully able to aid her son in his healing journey. Alistair just seemed thrilled that he was going to get to spend more time with you.

"Headmage-"

"You can call me Crowley, little bird."

"... Headmage, I was thinking about that cooking class suggestion you made a while back. Maybe I could actually get that started- with a small test group, of course- but perhaps next week or even the week after? Especially if this research will take more than a week, a quick start up of the class may be beneficial."

"Perhaps... We will need to iron out logistics, though I am aware Azul has voiced his interest in hosting the culinary class in the Mostro Lounge. I will see what can be done come next week."

"I appreciate it."

"For now- because I am so kind as to host a student from Royal Sword Academy- we should all return to Night Raven College soon and get young Mr. Heartsqueen set up in a room in Ramshackle. Though this week did not go as expected, it was still yet another learning experience that we can take lessons from going forward. Hopefully this has been an educational experience for you all!"

[dragon-curse-au]

Been thinking about different cookie species within the AU and their differences/similarities a bunch lately, so I figured I'd share some cool facts!

While humanoid is the most common appearance a cookie can take, there are several subspecies across Earthbread that take on more animalistic traits, some ranging from minor details such as pointed ears and fangs to being a full-on centaur. It's how modern day dragons blend in amongst cookies in their smaller forms, given that reptilian cookies like Carameleon exist.

Coffee cookies will be the most prominent ones you'll see in this AU and they share many traits with other cookie species, such as flower cookies and moon imps. They're relatively humanoid with cat-like features, such as large pointed ears, fur patches, paws, thin tails, and slitted pupils, though not many of them remain from the original tribe in the Dark Cacao Kingdom. In fact, the only coffee cookies that remain to this day happen to be hybrids. Espresso and Affogato are siblings and are part cream wolf, though they present more coffee cookie than cream wolf - Affogato having thicker fur than Espresso an easier tell. Prune Juice is also half coffee cookie, though his other half is Parfaedian, which gives him less animal traits than others.

Coffee cookies are well known for their expertise and prowess with their own unique form of magic, but Prune Juice was born with that trait dormant, marking him as a disappointment in his family's eyes. Prune Juice often tries to hide his coffee cookie traits so that others don't view him as a freak.

Every larger region of Earthbread has their own coffee-adjacent cookies. The most well-known are flower cookies, sphinx cookies, and moon imps. Flower cookies are more elf-like in appearance, lacking the fur that coffee cookies have save for the tufts along their jawlines and their tails. Sphinx cookies are the most feline of all, though the only surviving members are Golden Cheese and her daughter, Rich Cheese. Moon imps are also unfortunately nearly completely extinct save for Shadow/Blueberry Milk and Eclipse Wizard. Moon imps used to occupy the City of Wizards and southern Beast Yeast, though evolution either snuffed them out of existence or caused them to evolve into something else.

Moon imps are relatively unique with their digitgrade hooved feet, barbed tails, and pointed ears. Most have horns as well, but there are a few who do not. Their primary flavor is blueberries, though the ones that occupy southern Beast Yeast have more milk in their dough than others.

I want to bring up Clotted Cream and Camellia since they're half flower cookie as well; Light Cream is vanillian while their father was a full-on flower cookie. Clotted Cream passes as purebred vanillian save for hair tufts on the jawline and tail, which he was raised to keep hidden under Elder Custard's orders and was told that they were mere genetic defects. No one can mistake his faint floral scent, however. Camellia is on the opposite end of the spectrum, presenting as a pure flower cookie.

Honorable creature-like cookies would be from the Licorice Tribe (aquatic traits), Spice Swarm (centaurs or almost entirely animal more than cookie), and whatever Mystic Flour is (insectoid).

If you have any questions feel free to ask! I like yapping about this stuff :]c

[thenightmistress]

Prologue: A Godless Thirst

Hello everyone, here is a sneak peek into the story. I hope you enjoy it, for there will be more to come.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

The world had died. 

Plagues scavenged for new hosts. 

Humanity had lost.

It was only a matter of time until the inevitable end when death would rule once again, and yet no one could have quite pictured it this way—the rise and fall of empires to the death of a republic to the rise of a democracy, all just to crumble under a single fungus, how the days grew longer and quieter. All so quiet. 

The food supply is dwindling, and many are desiccated like mummies in those abandoned museums. For humans, their death impacted all. Mother Nature had a sense of humor when it came to us. For we rely on humans for sustenance; perhaps our greed led to their near extinction once. Now, we hunt with caution for those who survived, both humans and beasts alike, now on the tip of a double-edged sword. Each bite we left had to be calculated, for hardly anyone traveled alone. The humans traveled in packs, and those found alone often lost souls or ones whose minds were taken over by a host far greater than the monster who once ruled the night. 

We sensed in our bones long before it happened that something was amiss. The witches gathered in their sacred grounds, covens from all over flocking back to their ancestral strongholds; the animals became restless; the werewolves who turned strayed farther and farther away from civilization after every full moon; the undead could feel a shift in the air as if a warning; our senses were on high alert as if an impending doom was upon us, but no one could have prepared for what happened. 

You should have known when you tasted the blood.

He was a factory worker — grain, flour, the kind that always smelled faintly of dust and steel. He’d fed you many times before, and you had never once flinched. But that night, something changed. The blood was warm, but underneath it, wrong. Sour, like metal that had soaked in rainwater too long. There was a weight to it — something thicker than it should have been. Something alive that wasn’t human. He smiled, oblivious, wiping his neck like it was any other night. “Been baking again,” he said, “flour from the mill.” He offered a loaf with pride.

You couldn’t speak. Your body rejected it. Your magic flared like it sensed rot in the roots. It wasn’t poison. It was worse. It was evolution—not ours, but something else's. A new kingdom rising in blood and silence. The beginning of an empire and the fall of another.

How could you know it was the beginning of the end? For the world did not end in great balls of fire as prophesied, but rather in the cries of the innocent who have yet to learn that their blood feeds the earth, quenching its thirst. Only the damned knew it had. 

Their gods had fallen, and the devil was slain. 

For Mother Nature had won, restless and thirsty, and there was no room for mercy…. Except for the damned.

The very beings she’s tried so hard to kill, but she doesn’t forget.

For how do you kill the dead? 

Take away the living.

This war was not theirs but ours. Our lesson. And yet we’d be the solution. 

[millietalksra]

Something I’ve thought about a lot in terms of the Magic Is Real au and NEED to talk about asap is this:

Dragons once roamed Araluen and preyed on other magical creatures like Wargals and Kalkara.

Now it’s been a looooong while since I’ve read the books so I can’t remember if Morgarath created the Kalkara or not but I do remember that he used mind magic or something to control the wargals which were already existing creatures that he made into his army. I also remember that the wargals were terrified of horses and the Kalkara were vulnerable to fire. So In my version of the Magic Is Real au, the wargals are terrified of horses because it is ingrained in them to fear large, 4 legged, long faced animals.

I’m being very biology brained about this but I love the idea of dragons going almost extinct, from being hunted by humans or out competed by other predators or whatever, and the wargal/Kalkara population going unchecked allowing Morgarath to create his army, but also dragons themselves become a thing of legend by the time of the series. Like sure there are legends, brave knights slaying fire breathing beasts, but they’re just stories. Until someone (maybe our favorite rangers??) finds a real live dragon

[justaz]

the tomb of ashkanar being a tomb of the dragons. created when the prophecy of emrys and the once and future king was received by seers all across albion. in response to the lines of returning magic to the land, they assumed that magic would have to be wiped first so they created the tomb bc if somehow dragons and dragonlords went extinct, at least there would be one last egg for emrys to find and raise the dragons.

when merlin, arthur, and the knights are headed to the tomb of ashkanar to stop whats his face from stealing the egg, (set in my au of arthur knowing merlin is a dragonlord) (maybe post magic reveal but this also could BE a magic reveal so who knows) dipshit doesn’t poison arthur and the knights and instead all of them arrive to fight off dickhead. when merlin (emrys) steps into the tomb and finds the dragon egg on its pedestal, something happens when he grabs it. his hands are stuck fast and his magic is tugged free as it pours throughout the tomb

its a bit painful considering his magic was just snatched and is being used for something he has no idea about. the tomb rumbles and shakes around them as gold spreads through the cracks in the stone. the tomb stops rumbling and merlin’s magic returns back to him and he’s able to pull the dragon egg off the pedestal and into his arms. arthur and the knights are confused and concerned but flee at merlin’s insistence.

when they arrive back out in the open, the earth begins to rumble, shake, and crack open. they panic as huge beasts burst from the ground. massive, scaly, winged creatures take to the skies. what had to be thirty or forty if them fly around, roaring and breathing fire as they soar higher and higher.

the dragons are back