#Extinct Magical Beasts

[brotherslayer]

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.

[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. But only if it is fighting in a group. As they have a strange psychological compulsion. A viskithrel cannot eat unless it is in proximity to another of its kind, or another creature it recognizes as part of its pack. Viskithrels summoned 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.

[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.

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct- (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 11

(Lilia can hear extremely well and can be rather sensitive to loud noises. He often covers his ears or magically deafens himself if Malleus' temper ever causes thunder.)

Warnings; yandere, Yandere behavior, platonic and romantic yanderes, multiple yanderes, threats, blood, injury, poachers, drama, talk of eating Humans, attempts made, near-death experiences, violence, a few time skips, Shinigami, Vampire Bat, Dragon, Cervitaur, Raiju, Kelpie, Unicorn, Drider, Harpy, Genie, Naga, Merfolk, Cecilia, Nemean Lion, Werewolves, implied unnamed character death,

~~~~~~~~

Everyone moved quickly through the forest, eyes keenly searching every tree for any signs that could lead them to their quarry. Not just Housewardens were looking, a veritable army of students all searching high and low for their lost treasure. The staff were also keenly looking, the last location having been searched with a fine-toothed comb. When they found the Human's bloodied and broken collar next to Grim's ripped collar, it was not a good sign.

To think, one of Night Raven College's own students would commit such a crime. The crime of harming and stealing away such a precious creature was nigh unforgivable. The student accused of such a crime was equally unforgivable.

Many had seen him slip away into the forests shortly before the attack, all recounting the way his eyes glowed with danger as he slid from view into the underbrush. At the time, no one had known what he was planning to do and so many had even begun to believe he was harmless. Looks like they were wrong.

Ortho scanned frantically, wanting to find the Human he had befriended and hoping the terrible Beast had not harmed her. Lilia's words echoing in his mind after the chilling analysis of the blood left behind.

"It's (Y/n)'s blood. This... This is too much blood for someone of her size to loose and be able to recover from without aid. If we don't find her soon, she will die from blood-loss."

Malleus was raching through the trees, leading his Hoard in their search for the soft Human that had been attacked. He knew he couldn't trust the other Housewardens with his treasure, and all this did was prove him right. There was no pride in the realization that he had been correct, there was only white-hot fear that he was possibly too late.

Riddle and Trey galloped through the paths, leaping over fallen logs and searching the riverbanks for any sign. Riddle was beside himself with worry as he knew he couldn't trust that Beast that called himself a student. Trey was worried to be the one to find the Human's broken body and what that would do to his friend whose sanity hung by a thread. Riddle already overblotted once, who knew what finding the Human dead would do to the still recovering Unicorn. Who knew what it would do to any of them.

Rook carried his poisonous Harpy over and through the woods, both keenly looking for any sign of the lost treasure. As a hunter and a skilled tracker, Rook was the best bet Vil had to find the Human and hopefully find her alive. Should they stumble across the monster that committed such violence first, well, Vil was of the mind to attack first and question later.

Kalim soared above the trees on his magic carpet, watching his faithful Naga Jamil weave through the trunks and search from below as he searched from above. The Naga keenly followed the scent trail left behind, as faint and muddled by other scents as it was, his tongue tasting the air for any sign of the soft Human or the Beast that took her. Kalim wished he could use his own wishes to find the Human, but had to trust that himself and the others would find her in time.

Jade and Floyd searched the streams and rivers, following the waters into the depths of the forest and swimming at incredible speeds. If the Human were taken through the water, they would know about it and be ready to fight for her return. Jade was furious with himself for ever suggesting he take the Human along on a foraging trip. If he had only kept his mouth shut and never asked her to accompany him, maybe she would still be safe. He would never forgive himself for the tragedy that took place, or for leaving her and that cat of hers unprotected in that clearing while he ventured into the cave. He thought he was keeping her safe by preventing her from joining him in the underwater channels of the cave. He was wrong.

The Beast's own dorm had been placed on lockdown and none were allowed to leave through the mirror. It was a precaution given the fact their own Housewarden had been the offending party. Though many wanted to aid in the search, they were under scrutiny due to the actions of their leader and to many, that meant they were all guilty.

It was Malleus who came upon the scene first, smoke billowing from his mouth as he saw that wretched Beast's golden hide gleaming in the sun. The blood that flecked his fur only angering the Dragon further. What pushed him past his sanity was the way the Beast was positioned above his precious Hoard member.

The Beast was straddling the limp body of the little Human and looked over at the Dragon in surprise as he came thundering through the trees. Every scrap of evidence Malleus could see was more than damming and the Dragon was not keen to ask questions. This Beast had obviously killed Malleus' precious Human, and for that, could not be redeemed.

"For the crime of harming my Hoard and killing my Human, I- Malleus Draconia, Prince of Briar Valley- hereby sign the death warrant of Leona Kingscholar and consign his soul to oblivion."

~•§•~

Earlier that day.

You were slowly becoming more and more excited as each class passed, eager to get back to your dorm and play the promised Videogames you missed so much. Even if it was not the games you were used to, they were still games and should still prove to be a good mental distraction. Hopefully Malleus wouldn't be too upset that he was no longer your guard, the Dragon occasionally peaking into the classes you attended in a not so stealthy attempt to keep track of you.

Every time the Dragon appeared in the doorway, he would leave as soon as he caught sight of you smiling in amusement at his clear protective behavior. Even Silver appeared in the halls as you changed classes, walking with you and glaring at those who got too close to you. Grim was happy to have an extra set of legs to carry him around, hoping up onto the Deer-man's back and lounging between classes.

Perhaps you would invite one of your four Diasomnia guards to spend the night. All it could do was make them feel better about the situation and let them see you were safe. The question was who you were going to invite as one showing up typically meant the others would show as well.

All sorts of things fought for attention in your mind, but you were unable to give them much focus. Though you and Grim weren't really students or held to the same standard the other students were, you did want to know what you could about this world. You weren't native to Twisted Wonderland and so the many classes actually gave you a good look into the world you found yourself in and allowed you to learn.

Grim saw himself as a fully fledged student and was eager to remind others of that fact whenever they gave him odd looks in class. Despite how some of these other students seemed annoyed with the feisty cat-beast, most refused to upset or refute his claims as that meant upsetting you. Most students knew better than to mess with you by now and simply avoided conflict all together, as not even the dumbest among them were willing to anger Malleus.

It was during one of these passing periods between class that a familiar tall figure approached you. Silver rest his hand on his sword as the merman walked up, watching with untrusting eyes and a wary gaze. Jade politely approached, nodding his head in greeting as he held his hands in front of him to show he was not armed or seeking to attack.

"Hello, (Y/n), good to see you again."

"Hey, Jade! Haven't seen you since you and Floyd last came over for some dinner. How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you. I had a question for you- more of a proposition- since you are quite new to the campus. Would you like to come foraging with me today after classes? I don't expect this trip to take long as there is a nearby cave I was hoping to gather mushrooms from."

"Sure! I would like to know where you find a lot of the mushrooms you gather, so it would be helpful to have someone experienced guiding me along."

Your words and praise made a deep blue blush fan over the Merman's cheeks, dusting the blue-tinted flesh with a deep color. Jade was quite taken with your culinary skill and was keen to learn from you, so he saw this trade of information as a good way to gain your trust. Perhaps he could show you some gathering spots and you could teach him to make your fantastic meals. It certainly seemed like a fair trade to him.

"Wait, is that okay for us to go though? Crowley doesn't want me going into the forest, but if I'm with you, it should be alright, right?"

"Perhaps we should ask the Headmage just in case your collar prevents you from entering the woods? It should be safe enough during the day to forage without trouble."

"Well, I do have time until my next class, why don't we go ask him now?"

"If you're sure? Nothing would make my heart happier than the chance to forage with you."

"Yeah, may as well!"

You reach out and grabbed the Merman's hand, not seeing the way his blush darkened at the physical contact or how he seemed to cherish the feeling of your hand in his. Silver was less than pleased, but he was also not about to dampen your happiness and excitement, even for his own sake.

"Hooman, does that mean I'm coming with?"

"Of course it does. I'm your Hooman, and you're my Grim! We have to go together, or not at all. Right?"

"Yeah! No one can take my Hooman anywhere without me coming too!"

Grim leaped from Silver's back and onto your shoulder, snuggling close to you happily. The soft purr coming from the little beast made a smile pull at your lips as you chuckled and kissed his soft forehead, happy Grim was so sweet to you. It would be a lot harder for you to navigate the school and the students without your fluffy companion by your side.

"I'll check in with you after lunch, okay, (Y/n)?"

"Alright! See you soon, Silver."

~•§•~

"Absolutely not."

"But-"

"No. The forest is far too dangerous for a soft Human to be roaming around. My answer is 'no'."

"Jade and Grim will both be with me! And it isn't like I don't have a collar on that tracks my location. Even if my collar stopped working, Grim has one too. We won't even be going far from campus!"

Crowley frowned at your insistent begging, not keen to let you go anywhere with anyone, let alone the woods around campus. It was still daytime so there weren't too many threats so long as Jade stayed by you, but there was still danger in the form of poachers. Could he really trust this merman student with your safety?

"What if something happens?"

"It won't!"

"But what if it does? You are Human, (Y/n), and that means-"

"I'm sick of being reminded of that fact every damn day!"

Crowley was surprised by your outburst, not expecting you to be so upset by his casually stated fact.

"Every day it's 'you're Human, you're too fragile' 'you are the only Human left' 'you aren't strong enough to protect yourself' and I am so tired of it! I'm not a child to protect, I'm not an idiot that can't recognize danger, and I am not a pet to keep indoors! You said yourself that almost everyone at this school is willing to keep me safe, so why is it such a problem that I want to see what lies beyond the campus? I refuse to spend the remainder of my life in one place, never allowed to leave and never allowed to experience something new. How am I supposed to be happy or find my own purpose in life if I am kept locked away like some glass figurine?"

He sighed and looked away from your intense gaze and the heated argument. You were right of course, and he was terrified of that fact. The last Human in his care had been taken from him because he just couldn't let her be free and he kept her away from everyone except himself. He saw firsthand how devastating isolation is on the Human mind, to the point that Hades himself had arrived to take the Human away from the unfair treatment at the hands of Crowley.

He couldn't let you be taken from him too, not when you were his precious chick just fledged and seeking to see beyond the fence of Night Raven College. Crowley couldn't blame you for being frustrated with him either as he knew you would get restless being cooped up on campus. The college was large and held many secrets to discover, but it felt so very small when compared with the rest of the world. Surely he could allow one measly venture off of school grounds?

"Mr. Leech, will you be with her the entire time?"

"Yes. I swear it."

"And you'll protect her should any danger present itself?"

"With my life."

"... Fine. Don't go too far and make sure you have your phone and Grim with you. I will make sure the Housewardens and the rest of the staff are on standby. If anything seems amiss, come straight back, understood?"

Your frustration melted away at Crowley's eventual acquiescence to your request, happy to be leaving the campus even if for only a little bit. There was still your displeasure at the overall dehumanizing treatment, but this was a step in the right direction. Hopefully this would prove to the Crow that letting you explore- albeit with a guard- was something that could be good for you.

"Thank you!"

You hugged the surprised Crow as he finally agreed to allow you to go foraging with Jade. The Crow was stiff for a few moments before melting into the hug and returning it in kind. He really did struggle saying 'no' to you and it only made it more difficult for him when you responded to his agreement with such affection. Truly, the Crow saw you more and more as his own young with every day that passed. It was hard not to.

"I'll make sure the others are aware. But I am being quite serious, (Y/n), there has been an exponential rise in visitors to our little island here and it would be foolish to assume they are not here for you. Promise me you will be careful."

"I promise."

"Alright. Don't hesitate to return or call at even the slightest worry that something is wrong."

~•§•~

The forest during the day was vastly different from the forest at night and you couldn't be more thrilled. At night it seemed like every shadow was alive and looking hungrily towards your direction. During the day those shadows were driven back to their dens and bird-song could be heard through the trees. Sunlight streamed through the branches and gave the forest an almost fairytale feeling as crickets and grasshoppers chirped pleasantly around you.

It was less of a foraging venture for you than it was an educational lesson on mushrooms from Jade, who happily pointed out every fungi and plant species he knew. Luckily, Jade had the foresight to bring a second foraging bag with him for you to use and even seemed bashful when gifting it to you. Maybe mermen just had a shyness about giving gifts to others? Regardless of what it was, you were thrilled with the venture and Jade was happy to split the spoils with you.

"So where is this cave you were talking about? Looks like we have most mushroom types I'm familiar with already."

"Not too far now. It is the only cave I have found Agaricus Bisporus, which you really seemed to like in the soup you made for Azul, Floyd, and I that day."

"Oh, so this cave is where the Button Mushrooms grow?"

Jade chuckled slightly at the cute name you gifted to the mushrooms he enjoyed on a regular basis. They were certainly useful and clearly edible to you, so he just found it all the sweeter that you named them after buttons. Such odd creatures Humans were, but he was certainly not complaining as he found himself quite endeared by the uniqueness of the soft individual before him.

"Yes. It can be a little tricky to get where they are growing tough, so I think it would be best for you to wait at the mouth of the cave for me."

"Why is it tricky?"

"It requires some swimming to get to where they grow, and I am fairly sure you cannot hold your breath for that long. But there are still some Pleurotus Ostreatus mushrooms on the felled trees around the cave you could gather."

"Okay. So long as you're quick, I'm sure we both can gather up enough of both mushrooms and trade when you come back out of the cave."

Jade smiled at this, happy to see you seemed to be enjoying the little jaunt through the woods and keen to gather enough mushrooms for the both of you. Maybe after your joint venture he could even help you set up terrariums to grow some of the rarer mushrooms he has found deeper in the woods.

Grim didn't seem half as enthused as you and Jade were, laying across your shoulder as he watched the birds in the trees. He grew up in this forest and suffered at the claws of the other beasts that called the woods home, so he wasn't really interested in the things you and the merman gathered. That certainly didn't mean he was opposed to snacking on several of the edible plants, however.

"Didn't the big Crow say you couldn't be left alone though? Kinda seems like this Eel-guy is fixing to leave us alone."

"Well, I'm not alone because you will be with me, and you won't let anything happen to me."

"Of course I won't! I'm the Great and Powerful Grim! I'll always protect my Hooman."

"Exactly, so there's nothing to worry about, right?"

"Right!"

Despite the way Grim now seemed alright with the situation, you also vaguely hoped that nothing bad happened while Jade was in the cave. You trusted Grim to watch your back, but he wasn't the best mage and you knew there were likely poachers who could overpower your little friend. Naturally, you still intended to be on guard in case anyone tried to approach while you were waiting for Jade.

The three of you came up to what seemed to be a large hole in the side of a large hill, hearing the sound of rushing water from deep within. Jade paused at the cave entrance, removing his phone to give to you for safekeeping as the item did not work beneath the water.

"Alright, I will be back in a few moments and then we can head back to campus."

"Okay. Don't take too long," you gently teased the merman, "or I might have to come in looking for you."

"I'm sure you would."

The merman gave you a final smile of reassurance before heading into the cave, quickly swallowed up by the darkness. A faint sound of splashing met your ears before going quiet and you figured you could look for those other mushrooms Jade mentioned. Grim hopping off your shoulder to go bother some birds that were chirping rather loudly nearby.

Along the many fallen trees, you could see several mushrooms growing from the rotting trunks. They looked like oyster mushrooms to you, which meant they were likely the ones Jade had been talking about. Though you weren't overly familiar with the names Jade used for them, you did recognize several by their appearance.

As you crouched down to start picking the mushrooms, something odd occurred to you. The forest was silent.

Moments ago there had been birdsong and the sounds of bugs going about their little lives, now there was nothing. The only sound that met your ears was the wind in the trees. Something about the sudden quiet made a long forgotten instinct within you stir as the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end.

Where was Grim?

It was as you stood up to look around that a sudden force slammed into your side, throwing you to the ground beneath a much larger figure. You didn't recognize the beast man above you though they seemed to be some kind of heavily scarred wolf man with grey and black fur. His short whiskers were broken and his teeth were the same as he sneered down at you like a predator taunting his prey. The man on top of you was quick to slice the collar from your neck, nicking you in the process as he threw it away and to the side.

"Those fools just let this juicy treat walk right through their fingers. Idiots, the lot of them."

"Ow! Alpha, this stupid cat is more a nuisance than he is worth!"

You looked towards the second voice and felt your heart jump into your throat as you saw an unfamiliar Wolf-man with brown fur was holding Grim by the neck. Your devoted friend was struggling valiantly against the Gnoll but even you could see he was quickly running out of air and energy. Even as you tried to struggle to help Grim, a sudden stabbing pain forced you instead to return your attention to the one on top of you.

He had sunk a rather large hunting knife into your leg to hold you still and the pain made a harsh cry escape your lips. You couldn't reach your phone or Jade's phone as the bag you carried had been knocked out of your hands before you could react. With a quick motion the man ripped the knife from your leg and positioned it over your throat as if he intended to gut you with it.

"Quit your bitching! Break the damn thing's neck if it is that difficult to hold onto. I'll slice the Human up and we can scram before those students even realize-"

A sudden knobbed club seemed to fly from the forest, cracking against the lead wolf's skull with a sickening smack. The force of the club knocked the wolf off of you and for a moment you tried to get yourself to your feet, only to find your leg struggling to support your weight. In your dazed and panicked stupor, you barely realized there was a familiar golden Lion wrenching Grim out of the second wolf's grasp, throwing the wolf back into a tree. That same Lion was quick to hoist you up over his shoulder, breaking into a dash away from the wolves who were still reeling in pain and surprise.

"Damn it, hold on, Mousey!"

The gruff voice of Leona was a surprising comfort to you as the Lion swiftly ran opposite of the wolves. There must have been more wolves you didn't see as it sounded like an entire pack was chasing after the three of you. From your position over Leona's shoulder, you saw several wolf-men running on all fours after the Nemean Lion that had wisked you away. Despite how fast they seemed, Leona was faster and wasn't even slowed by your added weight.

Over felled trees and through the whipping underbrush, Leona was heading through the forest with far more grace than you expected from the temperamental and lazy Lion. Though it did seem like the school was getting further and not closer, he was still taking you away from the wolves and that was good enough for you. The pain in your leg sent shooting agony up from the wound and only hurt worse with every jostle or sharp turn the Lion had to make. Despite the fact that he was helping you escape, you still wanted to scream out to beg Leona to stop and give you a moment to address your wound.

You felt the trails of blood that ran down your soft flesh and you started to worry about how much you were losing as your leg was already fairly soaked. Only when you began to become lightheaded and started to lose track of the forest did Leona stop his sprint. The howling and barking of the wolves had faded away into the forest which meant Leona had a chance to slowdown and assess what kind of state you were in.

With a surprising gentleness you didn't expect from the Lion, he maneuvered you off of his shoulder and onto the grass. Judging from his grim expression, you were more injured than even you realized. The slight sound of ripping met your ears and you vaguely realized he had torn the leg of your pants to access your injury easier.

"Gotta stop the bleeding..."

Leona muttered as he worked, removing his belt and securing it above your wound. A loud cry left your lips as he tightened the belt and he visibly winced in response. Both Lion ears were angled back on his head as he used the torn fabric of your pants to apply pressure to the wound.

"Don't let my Hooman die, Lion-guy. Please- please, help her."

"I'm trying, you damned overgrown cub! How about you be useful and use your wings to go get help?"

"I can't use them to fly anymore!"

"Then run or something! We won't stay ahead of them for long, so use your collar to call the others before they catch up."

"That wolf-guy tore it off when he grabbed me, I don't have it anymore!"

"Fuck..."

Leona cursed angrily as he continued holding your wound. He could theoretically outrun them, but a lone Lion, even a Nemean Lion, was at a disadvantage when running from a pack. He had the element of surprise but had to throw his Knobkerrie to get the first wolf off of you. That meant he was without his Magestone, his phone- which he had left in his room that morning- and to top it off the one thing that was supposed to keep track of you and your cub had been removed.

The distant sound of howls made Leona's decision for him as he picked you back up, scooping up Grim and taking you both deeper into the woods. He couldn't make a wide circle to get you back to the school, he had no idea how many wolves there were in the pack and they could have spread out to cut him off if he tried. Staying still was not an option with the wolves already on your trail. Trying to signal to the others of Night Raven would also expose your position to the poachers. Leona would have to take you to the town in the valley beyond and hope you didn't lose too much blood in between or the wolves didn't catch you first.

~•§•~

Leona was getting tired. He couldn't keep up the pace forever and eventually he had to stop just to take a breath. Though he no longer heard the wolves, that didn't mean much as they were likely still in hot pursuit. No hunter would give up their greatest quarry that easily, and the soft Human was certainly a prize to obtain.

The problem was that your breathing had gotten shallower and you had fallen unconscious despite his best attempts to keep you awake. Your heartbeat was faint even to his ears and it was clearly upsetting your cub as Grim began to cry.

"No! Wake up, Hooman. Please... Please wake up, (Y/n)! We gotta go home..!"

"She can't. She can't wake up. She's lost too much blood to stay conscious."

"Help her!"

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder!"

"I am! I am trying to keep you and her alive! What do you think I was running for? Maybe shut up and let me think, damn it!"

Grim's ears went flat, the tears only falling faster now as Leona immediately realized his mistake, trying to reach out to the cat who only sobbed and fled into the trees. He couldn't pursue the little cub as he had to make sure you were safe, but it was beginning to seem like you weren't going to survive the trip. Feeling helpless and angry with himself, Leona tried to at least keep you warm and perhaps stave off the cold approach of death. If the wolves came, he would fight until you both no longer drew breath as he refused to leave even your body for the scavengers.

He was ready to fight to his last when he heard the forest rustling with the sound of approaching footsteps, what he wasn't ready for was Malleus Draconia to erupt from the woods. A fair bit behind him rushed in his usual lackeys who also seemed to be out for blood, but none moreso than the Dragon. Smoke billowed from deep within the enraged Dragon as a heavy magical pressure slammed into Leona.

"For the crime of harming my Hoard and killing my Human, I- Malleus Draconia, Prince of Briar Valley- hereby sign the death warrant of Leona Kingscholar and consign his soul to oblivion."

"Wait!"

The loud yowl that interrupted from the woods distracted the Dragon just enough that the bolt of lighting crackling from his form barely missed Leona's left ear by a hair. Grim, with tears streaking down his little face, ran out in front of Malleus to put himself between the Dragon and Leona. His little ruined wings flapped frantically despite giving him no lift or speed.

"Wait..! He didn't- he didn't hurt her! He helped us, but she isn't okay. Please, help her!"

"If it wasn't Leona, then who-"

"It doesn't matter who did it if she dies! Help her now! She's dying!"

The pleas of the little cat moved the Dragon, agreeing to solve blame later and solve the problem at hand. Malleus couldn't hear your heartbeat and that was concerning as he rushed forward to render aid. Lilia was quick to join his draconic lord as his sensitive hearing picked up on the faint sound of your heart.

"She is alive, but she has lost a lot of blood and is going into a coma," he removed his jacket and pulled up his sleeves, "Malleus, use your magic to pull the blood soaked from the wrap, it will have to be enough for now."

The Dragon took orders easily and Leona vaguely wondered who the true leader of their group was as Lilia directed the great mage. They only really took a quick breath of relief when your heartbeat had returned to a steady rhythm in your chest. It was still weak, but not nearly as quiet as it had been. Lilia had done enough triage to know what spells would work best and by directing Malleus he allowed the Dragon to be the primary instrument in saving your life. He had his own reasons to encourage the bond between you and Malleus to flourish, but mostly the Dragon needed to be the one to help you and Lilia knew it.

"Explain quickly what took place. I am ready to listen and deliver punishment to the offending party-"

The howling on the wind was loud and almost sudden, as if intended to startle as the pack of wolves emerged from the trees all around the group. It was clearly a pack of poachers as they all eyed the prize laying between the men. The alpha, clearly bloodied and angry, wielded Leona's Knobkerrie like a sword, threatening the group that dare get between his pack and their feast.

"Hand over the meat-sack. My pack has rights to that kill and I'll fight every one of you prissy ass mages who gets in my-"

The sky went black in seconds, as if night had suddenly fallen over the woods, but instead of stars only rolling storm clouds could be seen. Lighting leaping between the masses of black oily cotton in a sickening green that churned the stomach of the foolish wolves. Hunters now turned hunted as power electrified the very air and stones began to quake in the very presence of rage defined.

Words were not needed, not anymore. They would only be wasted on fools such as this. Filth that sought to take what was not theirs and dare call Malleus' beloved (Y/n) something as demeaning as a 'meat-sack' and a 'kill' as if they had rights to feast upon you like savage Ferals.

No.

No, Malleus would not stand for such blatant disrespect to his Hoard and himself. Punishment would be delivered and it would be by Malleus' hands. They were going to wish he had used his magic.

"Wha-"

"You will not speak. We are leaving the area immediately. Walking, not running. We don't need to draw his attention."

Leona was silenced by a hand over his mouth as Lilia gathered up Grim with his wings, covering him with his jacket and handing the little cub into Silver's arms. Sebek was quick to get the wounded Human up onto Silver's back, climbing on himself to keep her secure on the Reindeer. Lilia spoke in a hushed tone to the Lion as his fellow dorm members worked as quietly as possible to not earn the ire of the beast before them.

Leona found himself unable to disobey the enigmatic old Fae and knew he must have used some kind of magic to hold the Lion to his commands. The ground rumbled as the sound of a true terror escaping their secondary skin to show the beast that lurked beneath. Many of Malleus' features hinted at his true Draconic form, from his long tail to his twin horns and wings, the full Dragon was still a very different beast.

The pure magic in the air was almost as difficult to breathe in as smoke. Once confident snarls turning to yelps and whines of genuine terror as the foolish wolves realized just how outclassed they were.

Lilia stayed alongside Silver as Leona took up the other side, moving with them even as he craned his neck to stare behind him at the Dragon in the flesh. Black scales glinted in the light, green lightning spewing from the sky as the elongated fang filled maw of the beast snapped around the fleeing figures. Maybe he was considered one of the most powerful mages in the world for a reason, and he wasn't even using magic at that moment.

"Lilia, what if his majesty needs us-?"

"We need to get her back to Night Raven, then we can work on calming Malleus if his temper tantrum doesn't burn him out before she wakes. She still isn't okay and we need to let the others know what happened. All we can do now is leave for our own safety and hers."

[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.

[kraviolis]

WHY does no one think camila would be super active in her kids' lives!!!!! that she would just immediately dip from the demon realm and not go back unless necessary!!!!! she's not gonna pull a greg universe and step away from one of the most important parts of her kids' lives just because she's uncomfortable with magic!!!! shes a Noceda!!!!!

she would become good friends with all the adults in luz & vee & hunter's lives. she visits the boiling isles several times a week and hosts big family dinners at her house where she invites all of her kids' friends and parents and teachers. her home is always open to any of her kids' friends or parents, whether they need a shoulder or a friend or a break or a hot meal or even just homework help. she babysits king whenever she can find the time to and he starts calling her "mamila" and no, it doesnt make her choke up every time.

she makes a penstagram account with a cosmic frontier reference for her username to keep in close contact with her new friends and she actually knows how to use it better than hunter does. she's the first person alador goes to when he needs advice about being a parent. she has a permanent offer to stay at the owl house or at alador's home whenever she needs. she meets with gilbert, harvey, perry, steve, and raine for brunch every sunday morning.

she and principal bump meet and he is absolutely honored to meet her and he gives her the opportunity to give extracurricular after school lessons at hexside about the human version of beast-healing. she does a single lesson once a month, but does open up the chance for one or two older kids at a time to shadow her at her vet clinic for a day as a little field trip (viney always gets herself at the top of the list and becomes well known around the clinic) and she is lovingly teased by her co-workers for always picking up "strays".

she is one of the people on scene during the gathering of the guards who had all been murdered by their own creator and left to rot in the dark for decades. she doesn't have the strength in her to be one of the ones collecting the remains of all these men and boys who once had her son's face, but she stands by hunter's side and keeps him from falling to pieces and they help make sure all the golden guards all finally given a chance for peaceful rest.

she helps gus with preparing the curriculum for his classes on the human realm in eda's new school. she is there at all of the emerald entrails' flyer derby matches and wears green face paint to every single one and cheers the loudest. she's the one who takes amity to her meeting with the dean of the university of abominations when alador gets fireflu and is stuck in bed. she is the one who figures out hunter's never had a proper birthday party and quickly remedies that.

she meets the elder clawthornes and absorbs every piece of wisdom they give her as if they were her own grandparents. she learns palisman care from dell clawthorne so she can better take care of stringbean whenever luz leaves her palisman with her mom. she gets roped into learning how to carve wood by hunter during the start of his apprenticeship under dell & the bat queen.

her name ends up in the history books of the boiling isles, and not just for being known as the mother of luz the human. she becomes known for being the reason of the sudden boom in witches who focus in beast-healing and the reinvention of the entire industry on the boiling isles. she is known as one of the first people to rediscover and establish contact and fight for the protection of all the basilisks scattered across the boiling isles, who were previously thought to be extinct.

she would NOT just stand by and watch her children come and go between realms with her house serving as the port but not the embassy. she was once that very child, caught between what felt like different worlds, feeling as if she might be forced to choose one or the other because her parents were too uncomfortable with what felt like half of her soul. she would refuse to let luz, vee, or hunter feel as if they have to angle those halves away from her so they dont have to watch her wince at them.

camila noceda would make an effort to make the demon realm a part of herself, too, so that no matter where her kids settled themselves down in the future, they would still always feel at home with her.

[nolongerapileofashprobably]

Botw/Totk Zelda is so precious to me. She’s been through SO much.

From being the heir to the throne, her image tarnished by the fact that despite daily rigorous training, she is unable to access the sealing power that is her birthright. Her mother died before she could be taught and her father was not magical in any way, so all he could do was continue to order her to train. When she tries to expand her research in order to help in some other way, since her magic is stubbornly kept locked away, she is berated, constantly gossiped about, and is referred not as the Princess of Hyrule, but rather the ‘heir to a throne of nothing’. No one had faith in her. No one believed in her.

King Rhoam couldn’t understand and had to act as a King, causing Zelda to suffer even more. These are the reasons Zelda doesn’t like Link in the beginning. Not only can she not figure him out, because he won’t say anything, but she thinks he despises her. And she can’t stand to think about how Link accomplished his goal as a mere preteen by being chosen by the sword. Whereas she has struggled daily to access the sealing power.

And then she finally realizes Link’s own determination matches his own and his dedication is one she can relate to with her own life. So she apologizes. She gets to know Link. She asks why he doesn’t speak much and he trusts her enough to confide in her. They bond through the shared fate to seal away the darkness. And then get to know each other as just Zelda and Link.

It’s the first time either of them can truly relate to someone and they find comfort in each other.

So while she did have the support of the Champion’s and Link, all of whom see her commitment and how much she truly wants to help and despised herself for her inability to access her power, Zelda is still trying to handle the rest of the kingdom and her father’s scrutiny. And that’s an insane amount of pressure on someone who already has an entire kingdom worth of pressure already placed onto them from birth. Imagine knowing that your kingdom not only talks down on you but has no faith whatsoever in you. And it just bogs you down as you hate on yourself and continuously blame yourself for shortcomings not in your control.

That’s what Zelda was going through. And guess what? Link failed. The Divine Beasts failed. Zelda failed. Everyone. Failed.

And the reason was because Ganon had far more influence and power than they anticipated.

People go and paint Zelda as a privileged know it all who is completely stripped of any flaws in ToTK— which is completely ignorant of the canon events. It’s an opinion founded on the fact that Zelda’s development in this game is not focused on the flaws of a teenage girl with the weight of the entire kingdom on her twicefold. Instead, ToTK is focused on Zelda’s growth as a leader which is a concept some people cannot understand, as they are stuck on the flaws Zelda worked on as she matured and embraced her new life (aka she isn’t miserable and stuck in the past).

Zelda is a leader who has, in the span of half a decade, put in place new survey teams, a new military, an education system, and drew in more people to repopulate the desolate land of Hyrule. It’s implied that the Sheikah tech was completely cleared from the land for fear of it being manipulated again (if you go on top of Hateno Research Lab the Guardian is legitimately chained down rather than just placed atop the building with minimal support). Zelda traveled and visited the land of Hyrule, met with various people and began to relearn her kingdom through the sparse population that still existed.

Zelda went around Hyrule and did what she could to strengthen the culture of Hyrule and truly make it a kingdom rather than a loosely strung together ghost of a kingdom. She placed monuments with silent princesses. A flower now described as: “This lovely flower was said to have been a favorite of the princess of Hyrule. They were once feared to have gone extinct, but it's not uncommon to spot them growing in the wild.”

And to have a kingdom that actively adores Zelda, who has grown so much as a person and tries so so hard is finally having her effort seen and appreciated by all. Zelda is loved because the entire point of totk is to show us Zelda having everything this time. She was adored by the people. She was finally in a place with herself and her people that she never had before. She had Link, who never left her side and made themselves a home in Hateno (this isn’t even a shipper goggles moment, this is the basic interpretation of the original game and canonical evidence).

Zelda, even back in the past, was given a supportive father figure and a teacher who also represented a mother figure. She continued to be her nerdy self and research Zonai tech, finally gaining the answers of the Imprisoning War that she so adorably gushed about when they found the ruins beneath the castle in the beginning of the game. Her research wasn’t put down nor her theories dismissed. It’s everything Zelda was deprived of in botw. Everything.

*spoilers for totk ending below*

And that’s the reason her sacrifice is so devastating. Because she chose to give up her life, her mortality, everything she has fought to achieve, just to ensure Link, who she has complete faith in, had the Master Sword to finally rid their Hyrule of the darkness. Zelda made that choice thinking there was no possibility of her coming back.

So to completely dismiss Zelda because she is saved by the two parental parents is absurd? Zelda made a choice that would end life as she knew it just to save the home she built back.

There’s also people blaming Zelda for not putting Ganon and Ganondorf together but the thing is that she did have a theory? And she did speak out about her uneasiness of Rauru reaching out to Ganondorf? Which, btw, is an echo of OoT Zelda warning her father of Ganondorf’s evil intent, only for it to be ignored by the king (who dies for his mistake). That sounds familiar, right? Because it should. The Zelda universe is pretty much founded upon reoccurring factors each age that ultimately lead up to a catastrophic event or other tragedy.

Yes, this is rather dull when you look at it from a broad perspective— but that’s the case with a ton of media. It’s in the details and the differences that draw us into the fictional universe of Zelda. People don’t need to love it— nor do they have to abide by these reoccurring factors. In fandoms and such, you can explore different possibilities, swapped roles, darker circumstances, softer fluffier moments, and so on. That’s the beauty of fandoms.

But warping stories and character actions to fulfill a narrative completely opposite of what the canon implications (and actual facts in some cases)… it usually serves the purpose of hating a character. Now, everyone has the freedom to do this. That’s 100% true. But the insane amount of takes I have seen, particularly regarding Zelda in ToTK, led me to write this post that explores her actions and developments from a pretty strict canonical perspective. Obviously, I am biased and not everyone will agree with me. That’s okay.

I simply find comfort that my interpretation of Zelda in ToTK is supported by the narrative, development, and all the characters (including Link). Because everyone adores Zelda. They all see how much she cares and it’s even said by Manny in Botw that everyone is thankful and grateful for the Princess, because she’s the reason everyone (atp) is still around. Zelda is adored by the survivors not only because she kept the Calamity at bay for a century, but also because she spent time and got to know them.

Which is why it’s so hard for everyone to believe that the puppet Zelda causing mayhem was intentionally being malicious. It’s completely out of character. And because of Zelda and Link’s travels between games, they all know who she is at heart. And that is a healing, compassionate Princess who just wants to know the people of Hyrule once again. This isn’t to erase Zelda’s flaws. It deliberately shows us the stark difference between Hyrule before the Calamity and after it. One looked down on her and made her feel incompetent.

This one now cherishes her and sees her for the hard-working girl she is.

It’s all about giving a character everything they were deprived of and then ripping it away from them. It’s a new sort of growth for Zelda’s character. And yet, she has not lost who she is: a nerd who must ramble about her findings. (To link specifically, but like we all know that)

And that is why I absolutely adore her. She’s phenomenal.

[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

[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

[0lshadyl0]

Let's talk about Umbratras Part 1/?

All this is a reference to this post where I published this idea in case anyone was interested in knowing, and seeing the positive responses from people, well here we go.

In this post I will leave the basic information (that I have invented) about the umbratra species (basically the alien version of vampires) so that when I name them in future stories or requests we are all on the same page and no one gets lost wondering what is an umbratra? Ok? With that clarification in place, let's begin

Tenebrae Prime, the planet that does not know the light

We begin by talking about a planet located in the most remote parts of a dark galaxy that humanity has not discovered, which is why it has no name in human language. The only ones who more or less had knowledge of this place were those from the planet Krypton, who in a stroke of overwhelming originality they called it that place the dark zone, (honestly, I wouldn't complicate my life by giving names, there, I'm with the Kryptonians, good job Kryptonians), they were doing research to explore this mysterious galaxy before its inevitable destruction, (at least they managed to give the planet a cool name before they died, again, good job Kryptonians)

In this galaxy where the stars never became so big or bright to be considered suns like the sun that illuminates our planet, so at most there were only red suns and their light did not reach the planet we are going to talk about, which is the one the Kryptonians named Tenebrae Prime, the only planet with signs of life in that entire dark galaxy; but it is a very old world reaching its moment of extinction, where it is mostly jungle and mountains, where instead of technology there is magic, in this place two dominant species inhabit

One of these species were baptized as the Abyssale Deinos, enormous monsters consisting of a large mouth with rows and rows of sharp teeth, beings that were a type of black rubbery mass, (let's say they were a physical manifestation of darkness itself), with tentacles, of reduced intelligence, almost primitive that act under instinct, these ferocious beasts feed on all other species that inhabit the planet and can even eat each other, after all, only the strongest among them survive, this species was mostly male since the females being a little weaker were eaten first, the few survivors were raped for reproductive purposes and usually died giving birth to several litters where most were born males (because they ate their sisters at birth)

The other species was called Noctis Arcaiver, these individuals unlike the previous ones, had more intelligence so much so that they developed magical abilities, they were harmonious and beautiful beings (by the standards of Tenebrae Prime that honestly were not very high those standards, at least the Kryptonians found them somewhat pretty), extremely connected to the nature of the planet, since they depended on it to feed themselves, especially on certain trees from which the Sanguivium flourished, some flowers that stored the precious red liquid from which the Noctis had as their main source of food, this species was mostly female since they were a species that reproduces through magic and the females were more receptive to absorbing enough magic to be born, but the most notable thing about this species was their way of speaking (it was basically like listening to flutes) their voices were melodious and their songs very enchanting

These two species at some point began to relate and (because previously each species was on its side of the planet) when they saw themselves in imminent extinction since there were no beings of the opposite sex in each species to continue reproduction (that is, all the females of the Abyssale Deinos had already died or were devoured and no more males of the Noctis Arcaiver were born)

Basically the Noctis Arcaiver hypnotized the other species using their melodious voice to basically kill them and absorb their life energy to transform it into magic and thus give birth (to make it clear right here from now because I don't know when I will explain this in depth, in Tenebrae Prime, morality does not exist, neither do the concepts of rape and those things that we see as bad okay?, is it clear? Okay, let's continue)

But oh, surprise surprise, from that encounter no more Noctis Arcaiver were born but a new species, those who would later be called Umbratra.

[mochinomnoms]

I come with dumb thought: Twisted Wonderland has animals that are extinct or close to extinct in MC's world. If MC is a biology or nature nerd I can see them freaking out and crying tears of joy to know these animals or any other organism is alive in twst.

Also, do you know if zoos exist in twst? And if they do is it like... there's an event in obey me I may be remembering wrong but there was a popular aquarium but all the first were like... I think this was a vacation spot for them or a job I don't remember fully but they had a home they'd return to after a while. I imagine zoos in twst may be like that? Now I'm just imaging an animal getting paid in cash like a wolf or something and taking it to a store to but meat.

This calls in the question about how sentient animals are in TWST and the morality of keeping sentient creature in things like zoos and aquariums.

The main purpose of zoos and aquariums are conservation and rehabilitation, with the added bonus of education for the public. They are also valuable for researching the behaviors and habits of animals that might not be safe to do so in the wild. But like, our animals obviously aren't sentient to the level they are in TWST. Like dolphins and ravens are some of the most intelligent animals, able to use tools to a certain extent, from what I'm aware their interactions with us are the equivalent of interacting with a child. They also don't have senses of morality, and we can't really apply human morality to animals because they're animals and they only truly respond to their instincts and environment.

Like, animals in TWST have to have some level of sentience but is it equivalent to a child? Like, Lucius has some sentience, he asks Ruggie to get him tuna knowing that Trein doesn't let him have any, but is he able to really process why? Also, he's a familiar, so does that mean he's more sentient? Grim is also considered Yuu's familiar, but even with him being able to speak and use magic, he's still regarded the same way you would a child, and we wouldn't consider it ethical to keep him in a zoo.

There's also the fact that the King of Beasts and Simba's pride in Sunset Savana are regarded the same way you would a beastman, but does that mean that those animals that had just the right about of sentience developed into beastmen? The way they're discussedd, they're on the same level as like a god or hero from a myth or religious text (or as religious you can get in twst). This question is incredibly distressing to me and I don't know why it is each time it comes up.

Anyways, to answer your question, I think that there are some animals that are extinct here that are there. The wooly rhino, spix's macaw, and pinta giant tortoise are a few that I can think of that might exist in TWST. To be frank, the reason most of them are extinct are because of climate change, overhunting, deforestation and urbanization, but those issues haven't really come up in TWST I believe? Maybe those aren't issues in TWST? Magic probably negates the need for a lot of our industrialization, so I would say that there are for sure animals that are extinct in our world that still exists in TWST.

Anyways, pls no questions about animals and zoo in twst for a while it distresses me for some reason...

[bunchashapes]

as per your previous ask -- what's your favorite idea for a "twist" on conventional fantasy tropes/races/etc. either in a setting you're working on or just as a one-off thought that has entertained you.

this question is from a while back and i keep forgetting to answer it. i will happily take this opportunity to soapbox about my own setting so allow me a moment to talk about elves. or more specifically, dragons.

Dragons are basically extinct in modern times, but people still recognize them as they appear in legends; big scaly guys with regal wings, covered head to toe in scales, capable of exerting overwhelming elemental power. While this isn’t untrue, dragons are actually more legend than beast. “Dragon” more accurately describes a power that supersedes biology or even life itself. The very IDEA of dragons is an interminable force of nature. As such, anything can BECOME a dragon. A city-shattering hurricane with enough momentum can become a dragon, as can say, an exploding star (even a particularly angry swarm of bees, given enough determination, can become a dragon).

So what happens when ancient humans attempted to attune to draconic magic themselves? That’s where you get Elves! Long-lived, elegant, and intimately familiar with magic, the first elves were the result of an attempt to ascend to dragonhood, some more successful than others. In fact, especially long-lived and powerful elves can grow even closer to dragonhood, taking on any number of dragon-like qualities (this is where you’d slot in dnd-style dragonborn, except these would be EXCEEDINGLY rare) and under the right circumstances, an elf can even pass the threshold to dragonhood…

In terms of visual design, elves are pretty standard fare with the long ears and all (they tend to have long necks like elves in divinity) but also have the potential to have tails! The more “true” an elf, the more unnervingly slender and draconic they look, but in the context of say, a ttrpg, this just means you get a lot of little options for what type of elf you want. anyway that’s elves :)

[kiame-sama]

Can you give us some Human Lore related to the Great Seven? As you mentioned how the Queen of Hearts is very strict about Humans being protected, even making a bunch of rules to protect them (So no doubt if Reader gets bullied while Riddles’ around he’ll instantly collar the perpetrators)

I’m curious as to see if there are any myths about how the other Great Seven treat or view Humans

This AU has me in a chokehold and I can’t wait for more parts! I love every part and your art of the characters is amazing!

I kinda wrote a little idea for the Righteous Judge and how he felt about Humans (You can ignore or change it if you want! Since this IS your AU)

The Righteous Judge was known for being fair towards Humans as he believed they should be treated equally, as he’d saw how Humans could not only adapt, but even help Monsters settle their differences, and they could do it all without magic

As such he made laws to protect Humans as he thought highly of Humanity being the key to improve civilization, as while they didn’t have any magic, their bonds with each other and other Monsters helped accomplish any task or threat thrown at them

He believed Humans were pure because they weren’t born with the savage instinct like many Monsters have, as he saw Humans more likely to show compassion, mercy, kindness and empathy, unlike Monsters who are more prone to use violence, aggression and pure power to get what they want

Legend has it the Righteous Judge wept in sorrow when Humanity went Extinct, as he believed Humanity could’ve helped Monsters learn how to better themselves

It’s also believed that the Righteous Judge’s son was a Human, which could explain why he was so devoted to defend and help Humans

Maybe because of this Fleur City is known for their rituals, celebrations and festivals to honor the legacy Humans left behind, to honor how the Righteous Judge strived so hard to help Humans

Sorry, my brain went ham as I’m prone to overthinking because of my Autism (I love your Autistic Works as they’re incredibly relatable, like with Floyd and his squeezes since I love extra tight hugs)

Absolutely agree for the Righteous Judge and this would no doubt translate to Rollo's own infatuation and obsession with this little Human. I would bet that if Human MC from the AU visited Fleur city during the Topsy Turvey Day, they would be automatically crowned and honored in the festival as even the Righteous Judge loved the Humans he wept so heavily for.

The Queen of Hearts was known for her love of Humans and had several Human pets that she cherished deeply. She was known to only pardon her Humans from being beheaded as they were such an endearing little species and she couldn't stay angry with her Humans for long. There are no less than 50 rules regarding the proper treatment of humans as The Queen wanted to ensure her beloved pets were kept safe no matter what. All Humans were declared as a protected species in the Queendom of Roses, and harming or abusing one was punishable by death. These laws are still in place despite Humans being extinct for centuries just in the event that a Human could possibly still be alive somewhere.

The King of Beasts doesn't have any mention of humans in any of his stories, hence why many beast men were content to treat Humans as cattle and regarded humans as a delicacy to feast upon. Over the years as Humans became more and more endangered, the Black market for Humans became more than a little cut-throat. Humans were food for so long, that when they were declared extinct, literal riots broke out and what small remaining meat sold for millions. Knock off meat was popular for a while, and Sunset Savana (and various other locations with high beastman populations) admitted to being somewhat at fault for the rapid extinction of Humans. Now there is a global ban on the buying, selling, or trading of Human artifacts/remains.

The Sea Witch's story is deeply intertwined with the presence of Humans, as it was a Human the princess wished to see and marry, leading to her making a deal with the Sea Witch. Many merfolk regard Humans as the peak standard of beauty as a result of this story and see Sirens as merfolk who have been blessed with Human blood. Since sirens look very close to Humans- minus their ever present gills and abnormal aquatic forms- sirens are believed to be the step between merfolk and Humans. Many Human-like monsters are treated with the same kind of awe by merfolk for being so close to a Human in form.

The Sorcerer of the Sands had many tricks and was very knowledgeable, so of course he knew about humans in great detail. Some stories even claim that the Sorcerer sought the council of Humans for their unusual ability to resolve conflict in warring species. Despite their lack of Magic, humans were admirable enough to be in the council of the Sorcerer and were considered to be quite wise for their continued persistence among stronger species.

The Fairest Queen- the most beautiful of all and a wickedly powerful Harpy in her own right- liked the featherless bipeds known as Humans. Though they were clumsy and sometimes pig-faced, she viewed their ambition and tenacity in high regard. Such creatures that held on so tightly to their place in the world despite the other species beating them back certainly earned the respect of the Fairest Queen.

The Thorn Fairy was known for her many boons granted to Human kind. As Humans did not posses magic, they needed all the aid they could get and the Thorn Fairy was all too eager to aid. It is said that any Human the Thorn Fairy blessed became a member of her court, if not in title than in spirit, as the Thorn fairy adored the ignoble little species despite their fragility and flaws. Though she is the spirit of nobility and power, the Thorn Fairy herself smiled kindly upon her little Humans and offered aid to them when she could.

[thefaithfulnightwriter]

Dracontine - Chapter Zero

[^ the gif above i found on Pinterest so rights go to rightful owner ^]

❝ She is very rare. She is what you call a Dracontine. Meaning she belongs to a dragon. But in her case, she does not belong to one but three. ❞

Summary - In which a young female hides who she truly is from everyone and stays to herself. Keeping to her chores as a servant. Staying hidden was her main task while taking care of her three dragon eggs that were bound to her. But many things change when she has to stay Under the Mountain with many others. What she didn't expect was that she would meet her mate. Who happened to be the powerful High Lord of Night Court. Then soon later on she would find she has another powerful mate. The Spymaster of Night Court who was a Shadowsinger. She soon finds herself having to break out of her shell with the help of her mates and their family. Along with finding out how to navigate two bonds with two powerful mates. Also, while taking the title as Dracontine. Being she is the one who belongs to not one but three dragons. All while trying to survive a war.

Pairing - Rhysand x Female!Oc/Mc/Reader x Azriel

Universe - pre acotar - acowar [it may go into an au after acowar not sure yet though]

Series Warnings - DRAGONS (yes that is a warning lol), Gore, Death, Characters may be a bit OOC, Mature Themes, Semi Smut, Violence, Language, Mention of Past Abuse, War, Things Will Be Changed, Fluff, Angst, Some Sensitive Subjects, Mating Bonds, Poly. Relationship MxFxM (Side Note - Rhysand & Azriel are in a relationship or are mates to my Mc they will not be together), More Will Be Added If Needed. (Please do not read if these are triggers)

Disclaimer - I do not own the series ACOTAR - ACOWAR. I do own certain characters, and I own my mc. I do own somethings that are made up. And i own my writing and whatnot you get where im going and what i am saying lol.

Authors Note - hi hi! you guys this is my first time posting a acotar fic on tumblr. ekkk so nervous but excited to be here lol. but yeah i just wanted to warn that it will be a moment until the mc and rhysand meet then azriel. i gots ta world build lol. so yeah just give it a moment and it will happen lol. but yeah please let me know your thoughts i'd love to hear them.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Long ago there was a time where large beasts flew above in the sky. Flying high making vast shadows on the ground below them when the sun arises. But were hidden in the dark night sky the only warning giving them away was the mighty roaring that escaped their throats. Roaring loudly showing no fear. A roar that warned others of their presences. With their immense bodies that grew to be the size of large buildings. Large claws that they used to swoop down and grab their prey. Their skin covered with scales rough to the touch. While having snake-like eyes that could hold so many emotions. While being able to breath out fire that could melt anything.

These beasts were called dragons.

These creatures made many fear them. Causing many to stay away from such terrifying creatures. But there were ones who were filled with fascination, wonder, and awe as they watched these beasts fly above. These fae who were fascinated with the beasts were little.

But the ones filled with amazement stayed banned together. They would watch the creatures from a distance. Taking notes sharing their knowledge with one another. Going on many quests to see such creatures. But these few fae would also protect these beasts from others. From fae who wanted them dead. Because as time went on the creatures were dwindling in numbers.

They were being killed. By the ones who feared them. But also by ones who wanted them for a trophy and for power. Being that dragons held a tremendous amount of magic and power dead or alive. This caused fae to want such power and magic. They became filled with greed in their want. And in time the creatures were soon going extinct. Causing many dragons to flee and stay hidden.

The ones who were amazed by the creatures seemed to dwindle as time went on. But there were still few. Still few who were filled with fascination and awe. Still few who told stories and passed down their knowledge on to their young.

One family in particular was enthusiastic and took pride in their knowledge. They were proud to be part of the ones who kept the dragons safe. Standing by the marvelous beasts side. They lived all over in all courts not knowing one place as home. They were seen as an eccentric family. But they did not care.

Dragons were a part of them.

They knew that their lineage would be important. Because the Mother had sent a vision to a descendant of their family. Showing a vision of their bloodline being tied to such powerful creatures. They would be called a Dracontine. Dracontine having the meaning of belonging to a dragon.

Which led the family to have hope and keep passing their knowledge down the line to their children and so on. Telling them of the name Dracontine and letting them know of the vision that was given to them by the Mother. Letting them know any one of them could be tied to such marvelous creature. Along with telling them of the power that would be bestowed upon them.

It was true because one day a descendant of said family became tied to that of a dragon by the Mother. Turning him into something powerful, a Dracontine.

His name... was Cade. He was a kind and caring male. Helping anyone he could and taking care of his family. But Cade had a fascination with Dragons just as his family did. He would listen to the old stories his family would tell him, read the old journals his family passed down, and he would constantly dream of dragons.

In time Cade felt like there was something within him that was waiting to burst into flames. It was very intense what he was feeling and was experiencing. He always wondered why he had these feelings and more. It would never leave him. It would lead him to become frustrated and become filled with sadness. Because there was a feeling of longing. But he had no clue what he was longing for.

That is until one day he was answered. One day while traveling Cade found himself having a normal day. Until he was engulfed by darkness while on his walk. He then found himself waking up in a cave. Soon after wondering where he was. Cade soon felt something within him guiding him somewhere in the cave. Walking in the dark cave with nothing but the flame of a touch lighting his way. He followed the tug within him and he was led to something in the vast dark cave. He was led to an egg. Not just any egg... but a dragon egg.

Cade was overjoyed.

But when he touched the egg for the first time something happened to him. His pointed ears grew longer, he grew small fangs, he gained a burn mark of a dragon on the back of his shoulder, and he felt more powerful than ever. He knew then and there what had happened to him. He was turned into a Dracontine. Knowing from the stories he heard from his family. Soon after he made his discovery he was off and telling his family.

His family was ecstatic and felt proud of him. Cade felt honored that the Mother chose him to be the first Dracontine.

After though Cade took the deep red egg everywhere with him. Never letting it out of his sight. Keeping it warm with his new found abilities and keeping it close. When the day came for the egg to hatch which was years later Cade was beyond happy.

He had tears of joy fall down his cheeks. Seeing such a small precious beautiful red dragon coming to life. He soon named her Crimson. And from that day the flame within Cade burst to life. Then a bond between the two solidified. Then and forward the bond that Cade and Crimson had grew and grew. Just as Crimson did. Growing into a fierce, lethal, and gorgeous crimson red dragon.

Cade and Crimson were inseparable. It seemed they would fly all the time. Day and night. Through all the seasons. As Crimson flew Cade would sit upon her back. Both content and at peace together. Cade's family would visit as did others. But as the word got around that there was a dragon and Cade was bound to it. Things seemed to take a turn for the worse.

Especially once their High Lord found out of their existence. The High Lord of Autumn Court. The Court where the family had settled at the time. When the High Lord found out there began to be attacks executed on taking Cade's and Crimson's life. The attacks were beginning to become brutal. Which led Cade to come up with a plan with his family.

Cade soon knew what he had to do. He had to flee to another Court. He was going to fly Crimson all the way across Pyrthian to the Illyrian Mountains. Then he would come back for his mate, unborn child, and family. All wanting to migrate to Night Court. To get away from Autumn Court.

It was on the night that Cade was saying farewell to his family for the time being. When it happened. When there was another attack on his and Crimson's life. They were unsuccessful in taking down Crimson. The dragon breathed streams of blazing red fire on their attackers. But while Crimson's back was turned they were successful in killing Cade.

Who was trying to protect his family. There were too many and he lost his life by an arrow piercing his heart. With his demise came Crimson's as well not long after. The dragon falling to the ground with a loud echoing thump motionless when Cade took his last breath. Not long after Crimson lifted her head one last time releasing a roaring cry and soon her head fell to the ground and she took her last breath. That day they found that if you take the life of the fae bonded to the dragon both will fall. Because of their bond together. Their lives were tethered together.

That day the family mourned for both their lost family members. Mourned for both Cade and Crimson. But they all were soon taken and turned into slaves and servants for the High Lord of Autumn Court. They were taken away while kicking and screaming. All not wanting to be taken without a fight. They tried their hardest but it was no use.

It was many years later when Cade's child had a vision. A vision that the Mother gave her that her grandchild would become a Dracontine. That her grandchild would be the one to free her family to give them hope. To give many hope. Which led her to cry and smile. She would keep the vision close to the family only telling only a few.

The ones who knew would keep the secret safe would keep her safe. Keep the child safe. Because she would be the chosen one of not one but three dragons. She would bring back hope to so many people and would save many. Because dark times were coming to Pyrthian. Not many knew but said family. They just had to be patient and wait. Wait for the new Dracontine to be born into their family. Wait for the birth of another Dracontine.

───── Dracontine tag-list ─────

blackgirlmagicforever

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

[sepublic]

TL;DR at the bottom... Even before the decision to include the Collector, I have to wonder if the writers always intended the backstory of a great war between the Titans and a group of celestial beings that descended from above, who smote each other and left only King behind as the survivor. The Season 1 finale alludes to other Titan corpses, with the Boiling Isles being the only fully intact one discovered; So there’s already that implicit question of What killed the Titans?

Likewise, there’s the angelic imagery surrounding Belos, that we also see introduced in S1. And while this could just be a reference to actual Christianity in-universe, I do recall speculating there having been a war between the Titans and divine beings from above during that time in response to this... Not to mention!

The Elsewhere and Elsewhen storyboards have Philip seeking a Song of Stars instead of the Collector, and we know there originally would’ve been three figures that cornered the Owl Beast in Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door’s storyboards. Sounds like...

I’ve speculated on these three as a motif since S1, with their first appearance being in Young Blood, Old Souls, where we first learned of the other Titans and their butchered state. Obviously, we must keep in mind that the crew changed the story after writing Eda’s Requiem, in response to the show’s shortening (this was told to them the week after Agony of a Witch aired, production takes a while), so K3oHD and EE’s storyboards may not mean much in regards to the pre-shortening plans.

But storyboards could’ve been written concurrently; They may have always intended an Angels vs Demons war between the Titans and visitors from the stars, that resulted in a mutual extinction. And the Collector and their backstory wasn’t totally made up in response to the shortening, either; Dana said they were a character concept the writers always wanted to explore.

So it could be that the shortening convinced the writers to make the Collector the face/representative of that extinct species, rather than a more conventional Archivist. And/or the Collectors would’ve remained purely posthumous characters in the backstory, the way Caleb and Evelyn are. The Collector was suggested as a kid of this celestial species to flesh them out, only to be truncated into just the trio; But with the shortening, the crew chose to actualize them as the lens through which we learn of their people’s genocide against the Titans, since they had so much fun with their concept.

Even before the show was shortened and the story changed, the writers might’ve always intended for the Titans to have been wiped out in a war against some celestial beings from space. They entertained the idea of a kid of that species, just as King is for the Titans; And when the shortening was announced in Summer 2020, Dana went F it and decided to elevate this cosmic child from the backstory and into the main story for our protagonists to actually deal with. Instead of an adult trio being this species’ representatives, the writers settled for the Collector.

Even if we didn’t get the Collector, that trio may have taken their place anyway. The background of their species’ genocide against the Titans would’ve remained; Philip’s plan would’ve been to use a leftover spell from that war, the Song of Stars, to enact a genocide upon witches as it was used for Titans (he may have mistaken the Collectors for literal angels whose mission he was finishing; Not unlike how he gets people to project divinity onto the Titan).

And since S1, he was always intended to be aware of and inspired by these celestial beings, who may have come in the form of a trio; Hence the Petrification statue, with the Owl Beast scroll as another hint. The curse is also red magic, which I compared to Belos’, and since he learned from the Collector...!

TL;DR I don’t think the Collector’s inclusion in the story changed it that much, since they’re just an extension of lore that was always planned, possibly filling a role originally intended for others of their kind anyhow; And it sounds as if Dana always considered the Collector, and thus might’ve gone through with them even if TOH hadn’t been shortened. Not that it really matters, because I find the Collector a legitimately compelling character in their own right, who in addition to their contributions to the themes, story, and other characters’ arcs, has justified their inclusion.

[slowthypiglordblr]

Toh Theory: Will the Titan aid Luz in the Final Battle, and has he been helping her?

Throughout the course of the Owl house (especially after the revelations from S2b) a question has been in the back of my mind. Has the Titan of the Boiling Isles been secretly helping Luz this whole time?

A major element of season 1 and early season 2 was Luz’s uncanny ability to discover and utilize glyphs, something witches and demons didn’t know existed until then. In a matter of weeks, Luz had mastered all four glyphs, and would eventually learn to combine them in only a few months. While this also stems from her artistic ingenuity (and reading some of Philip’s journal), it’s almost like the Titan itself had been guiding her as a sort omniscient second mentor. On the opposite, it took Belos/Philip Witterbane years to figure out the gylphs even requiring Luz to teach his past self the light spell (her first glyph). He even speculated that Titan would have such knowledge to begin with and was actively sabotaging him to prevent him from threatening the people of the isles. It’s fitting that the self-proclaiming “Humble Messenger of the Titan” was actually a false prophet despised by the being he claimed to serve where as Luz was unknowingly the Titan’s true champion.

Another interesting thing in “For The Future” of all the Hexsquad, Luz was the only one to stuck in the rift (a place she had previously visited in Yesterday’s Lie). The spiritual figure (who I presume is the titan’s soul) is desperately trying to reach, even waving at her to get her attention. Whatever the reason, the Titan clearly wishes to speak with Luz specifically as if he needs her for something important. 

This is mostly just a guess on my end, but I’m starting to wonder if Dana has been hinting this connection from the beginning. During the countdown for the season 2 premiere, Luz is shown resting inside the skull of a giant beast which seems to greatly resembles a Titan’s head. Another art piece shows Luz playing with a massive paper mache King’s skull, wearing it and even sitting inside of it. 

In the show proper, in the episode “Thanks to Them”, Luz and Hunter adorn themselves with a King and Owl mask respectively to face what they think is Belos returned. While this was mostly helped to give Hunter a much needed confidence boost, it might also serve as a symbolic function in the narrative. Hunter is revitalizing a part of his former identity as the Golden Guard whereas Luz wears the likeness of someone she views as a younger brother for emotional support. It also may foreshadow Luz drawing strength from the Titan itself in order to be on par with the Collector as what Lilith mentioned in “For the Future”, Titan’s magic can negate Collector magic. (Makes you wonder if instead of a CollectorLuz, we got TitanLuz, but that’s probably just me.)

.Before we get into Titan’s plans for Luz, we need to take reflect on elements on the small tidbits of information revolving around the Titans in general. As we can recall, the Titans were once the ruling species of the Demon Realm for an unspecified amount of time. One day, the Collectors arrived on their crusade of capturing and taking over other planets for their own agenda. The Titans stepped forth to oppose the Collector and drive them back, with the latter alongside the witches and demons who worshiped them and sought their extinction. This would lead to a long and bloody war which ended in both sides wiping each other out, save a youngster from each opposing species (King and our Collector). 

During this period of time, it helps to shed a small light on the Boiling Isles Titan likely as a person. While we don’t know much about King’s father, it’s in the face of the war and the slaughter of his kin, a he sought to protect his son (the last Titan) at all costs. He created an island hidden away from the Collector through a protective sigil inside a massive tower which King’s egg would be nurtured. As a last line of defense against any intruder seeking to harm his son, the Titan created an army of golems made from flesh and bone to protect and care for King. This proves to us that regardless of circumstance, King’s father loved and cherished his son more than anything in the world, even before his own life. 

This leads into the reason for the Titan seeking out Luz, the answer is as simple as it is profound, to be there for King. Ever since Luz arrived on the Isles, she’s had a massive positive impact on the island and it’s inhabitants (despite her believing the contrary). She helped Eda reconcile with her curse and her sister, she helped Willow, Gus, Hunter, and Amity overcome their personal struggles, reforge their friendships and come into their own, as well as play an important role in stopping the Day of Unity. But one of major accomplishments was with King, at the start of the show, he was self-centered attention seeking child lost in delusions of grandeur who often caused a lot of trouble her and others around him. But thanks in part to Luz, King not only learned that actions have consequences and to appreciate what he has, but also resolve his own identity crisis and discover his nature as a Titan. If not for Luz’s influence would’ve never become the mature, responsible, empathetic boy he is by season 3. Through that, it’s easy to see why the Titan would see Luz as the perfect person to watch over King, as well the world he created in his own death. 

While the idea of prophecy and chosen ones does not fit the themes of the owl house, but take away the Titan’s preconceived divinity to the witches and demons of the BI and a new picture is formed. A father who in death left behind a world for his son to call home and a family to cherish, with Luz serving to guide him into becoming a good person in a way he could not.