#FORTUNE-FEATHER.

[grief-worn]

me, a sopping wet cat wailing outside of age's tent: DON'T BE MAD. PLEASE.

[grief-worn]

Throughout his explanation, his vulnerabilities, Shadowheart does not speak. She dares not interrupt, fearing he may change his mind if she disturbs what is already so difficult to express. His voice may be steady, a rigid vessel amidst stormy seas, but his body language is coiled. Tightened like a spring.

He assumes the role of instructor, and diligent as she is, she listens, playing her role as student. He provides plenty of context, but his tale stirs a memory. She … knows these beings. Or, she thinks she does. Back in her sanctum, members of her church shared whispers. Hushed conversations passed quietly between sessions of worship. One such conversation speculated the existence of extremist groups that vanished without a trace. Some claimed they offered their lives in a mass sacrifice, others believed they went into hiding, honing their faith in complete privacy.

Shadowheart thought little of it at the time … but now …

"That must have been … awful." she quivers, the very idea of imposing blindness on a mere child is a disturbing concept, even for her. "Age'ian, I am truly sorry." There is no doubt she means this. The usual haze of her eyes clears, offering a look of honest sympathy.

To lose yourself to viciousness, even in Shar's name, is a regrettable fate. He is, undoubtedly, a victim of her doctrine, and suddenly everything makes sense. Shadowheart lets his confession settle, another lapse of silence, before talking again.

"… it was a favor, though." Her chest tightens. "They showed you something few have ever had the honor to see. True dark. True loss. Do you not realize they were trying to help you? Guide you?"

She has no past with which to align her morals. No life she can remember that wasn't shaped by Shar's influence. Every mirror she has ever stared into took away all it reflected. Maybe there is something within her worth knowing, worth saving, but the woman who speaks to Age now is nothing more than a puppet who envies tragic devastation.

"It's a shame you had to meet her power in such a way, but it's true what they said. Your sight was a sacrifice for the sake of truth. I do not disagree with what happened."

He's quiet another moment, mulling over her words as she speaks them and not interrupting. He was also very still, holding his teacup aloft and not sipping it. Even Era gave him a concerned look before he took a breath.

"Deep in the Underdark, there are creatures that are said to have once been elven worshipers of Shar. They became obsessed with this Absence of her teachings, going so far as to believe that sight itself was a burden to the very soul. So witness the pain of the world caused a weight that would drag them down through their lives and prevent true enlightenment. So... they delved into the darkness of the underground, losing themselves in the void of lightlessness."

Despite his tone being that of a teacher, or someone reading a story, his body was... tense. He'd told so few people about this, and done so much research to try and learn what he could.

"Their bodies adapted; their ageless forms became pale and shriveled in the dark, eyes turning wide and white, faces turning almost bat-like and inhuman. And their belief only grew stronger as their minds were twisted by the dark, soon believing that everyone should be like them..."

He reached up and removed his glasses, resting them against his chest, his moon pale eyes on full display as he turns to look in her direction.

"I encountered them as just a child. I'd just turned six a few weeks prior. They told me they were doing me a favor, that they were taking my suffering away. They were the last things I saw with my own eyes."

[thecoolerliauditore]

beauty of the divorce quartet actually is that no matter where you draw the relationship lines you get a fun and fucked up dynamic to think about

[pretentiouswreckingball]

Friday snippet!

ty for the tag @ninety-two-bees <33

So this is from something I’m going to post either tomorrow or Sunday, still not sure. anywaysss

A crease appears between Harry’s eyebrows, mouth pouting a little in discontent at being disturbed in his sleep. Draco has to suppress the urge to smooth the frown with his thumb but as he watches Harry’s face, looking like he is about to wake up, isn’t even a decision.

Draco knows Harry needs to rest, he also knows he will do anything to prolong it, for as long as he’s able to. A quick glance around ensures him no one is paying them any mind, and ever so slowly, Draco raises his hand, his thumb over the crease, smoothing the frown away.

Draco is a weak weak man.

no pressure tags: @static-radio-ao3 @spacexcowgirl @frank-lilac @whorerific @fruityindividual @drowninginthoughts27

[bloodyarn]

@bloodtwin / @fortune-feather / @muunsick

Somebody should help Eden, guys...

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

happy Lunar New Year, too all friend & oomfies🎵 Happy Wood Dragon🪵🍁 ~~Lucky times for us all ~~ wear Red & Gold today❤️for extra luck boost⭐️🌙⭐️

[3ver3mber]

"Just this once more..." Arya whispered under her sharply exhaled breath. She knew all too well the cost of casting such a spell, or rather, she understood there were dire consequences. She may have been in Mystra's favor, but even a goddess' grace had its limits.

" 'Only when absolutely necessary'..." She quoted her patron's warning as she calmed herself, already feeling the taut threads of the Weave around her quivering in anticipation for her next words.

"I wish-.." Arya began, her very voice imbued with magic. She hesitated but for a moment, considering if perhaps she was making a mistake.

No, of course not - after all, this entire endeavor was to further her progress on a mission Mystra herself assigned. A test of faith, perhaps...

With her nerves steeled for the time being, she continued, brow furrowed in determination.

"I wish to find Luthen's Library." The statement pulsed through the room with a violent thrum of energy, the rippling wave in the Weave carrying on for miles. Any spellcaster worth their salt was sure to have felt the disturbance, though not much more than an off tingle in the back of their mind. In an instant, though, the blast reversed with the same force, this time entirely channeled into Arya. The impact knocked the small sorcereress onto the floor, her body writhing in pain as rapid-fire visions assaulted her mind.

The vast expanse of sand and sun, a sight she had never laid eyes on. The vision stretched itself thin, reaching as far as it could toward the object of her desire before failing.

Something was shielding the location from even a mastery level spell.

Too quickly to even process, the spell changed direction, attempting to fulfill her wish another way. She was given the aerial view of a neighboring city she had flown over before, a peculiar looking violet tent, an inquisitive raven, and... stars?

Before she could make sense of it, the visions ceased, feeling to her almost as if the very air was drawn out of her lungs. She rolled over onto her front and retched, face twisted into a grimace as she waited for the pain to subside.

Finally, she rose to her feet, albeit shakily, panting in an attempt to catch her breath. She had no time to waste- not only was her goddess counting on her, but the use of such an illegal spell had surely garnered her some unwanted attention, and she wasn't one to simply wait for trouble to find her.

Slipping her necessary belongings into her pack, Arya ducked out into the night, heading for the stables. While she had never been particularly adept at stealth due to her heritage, she did not find a need for it this night. Her short jog to her steed's stall was uneventful, other than the waves of exhaustion and nausea that persisted in the aftermath of her spell.

"Icarus, come on-" she beckoned in a hushed command, clicking her tongue a few times. The large, flame-lapped griffin sauntered out of his pen, his beak extending in a wide yawn.

"I see you've maintained your sense of urgency, hm?" She chided him with sarcasm before exhaling a small chuckle.

"Come then, we've not much time before -" It was as if her unspoken words had manifested, prompting a frustrated hiss as a guard rounded the corner on patrol.

"Go, go, go!" She whisper-yelled, hopping onto the griffins back as it began its takeoff gallop. The thumping of it's footsteps alerted the guard, but as he called out to the pair, they were already in the air, soaring away from a place Arya had once dreamed of being. As she watched her post disappear into the distance, Arya couldn't help but reflect on how quickly a dream could change and how oft they turned out to be nothing more than a fantasy.

Even still, as the wind whipped her hair and all within her vision was sky, the buzz of cautious excitement was palpable. The thoughts of her position and the consequences of desertion were left behind with the barracks. All that remained to her now was the future and what it might hold.

-----------------

After flying through the night, a familair sight sprawled out below- the city she had seen in her vision. With a sharp whistle, Arya directed Icarus downward, and the two began their descent. The blazing duo appeared to the few waking onlookers like a streaking comet against the dark cobalt sky, the sight certainly conspicuous.

Arya could not mind the stray looks any less, entirely honed on finding the blur of purple her vision had promised. It wasn't long until she spotted it, circling the area a few times before finally landing.

She slid from her steed's back with a practiced grace, heavy boots sounding with a thump against the dirt. She did not approach the tent, however, opting to simply stare at it. It was funny to her, the fact that she had just spent hours trying to find it, amd yet, now that she was here...

"...Hello? " Her mouth spoke before her brain gave it permission, and she instantly cringed at the choice of word.

'Hello? Really? A good hundred kilometers and all you could concoct in your addled mind is-' she thought to herself, though the stream of consciousness was again rudely interrupted by her far too eager mouth.

"Pardon the early intrusion, but might I speak with you?"

'Well... At the very least, that one was polite...'

{ @fortune-feather }

[shrikespeare]

Reminiscing about the old D&D campaign, laugh/cry react. However, there was some top tier memes to come out of it. This one is among my faves, featuring Age'ian { @fortune-feather }

[feuerwizard]

@fortune-feather asked: "Look, I'm okay! I've pulled all nighters before." // lack of sleep starters;; open

“Ja, I am not sure that is quite as reassuring as you think it is.” Caleb let out a deep, weary sigh as he rummaged through the pages of the book. The weight of exhaustion pulled at his eyelids, but he persevered, driven by his insatiable thirst for knowledge. Despite the constant dangers they faced on a daily basis, he could not resist delving into the treasure trove of books they had brought back to their campsite. He knew it was a risky move, pushing themselves to stay awake for another all-nighter, but the allure of new information and stories was too great for him to resist.

As he turned each page, he could feel his mind beaming with excitement and his thoughts racing with new ideas. The faint light from the lantern flickered across the pages, casting intricate shadows that seemed to dance and come alive in the dim campsite. “When have you stayed up all night before?”

[muunsick]

( dude, just buy melatonin. it's like 15 copper at your local apothecary... @fortune-feather )

[celestialdetected]

Arawn cursed every god that led him to the Shadow Cursed Lands, including his own. Especially his own. And all Lathander gave him back was a rush of warmth and the vague sense the god was laughing at him.

Laugh it up, he thought viciously, doesn't change the fact that I'm going to die being ripped apart by a shadow beast. The aura of light that the Blood of Lathander gave him was doing a decent job at keeping them back, but he still was getting swarmed.

He backs up until he bumps into a warm, solid figure. Another living person, thank the gods.

"Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?" he calls, summoning a bolt of divine magic to dispel one of the shadows. "Bit heavy on the undead for my tastes, but you know."

@fortune-feather

[grief-worn]

@fortune-feather sent ✍ for hopeful closure.

Conflict resolution was not something they taught young, aspiring Sharrans. She had the social tact of a newborn calf, and even approaching something like an apology felt entirely unnatural. Especially faced with her circumstance. There wasn't any doubt on whose fault it had been. After hours, and hours, and hours (and hours) of restless circling inside of her own head, she had come to the indisputable conclusion that she had been, in a very plain way of speaking, a total arse.

Unpacking all she had said and all she had done thoroughly exhausted her, and it was an entirely separate endeavor to formulate even the simplest expression of sorry.

Lady Shar did not say sorry. A world under her reign did not have a place for sorry. The annihilation of all that is good and all this is light couldn't exist with sorry.

But Age'ian needed sorry. And it was impossible to ignore this any longer.

He had seen fit to gift her a book just a few days prior. Left it silently at her tent. No note, no fanfare, just a poignant gesture attempting to bridge peace. Guilt didn't allow her to turn even one page of its contents, but she kept it. Traced a thumb pad over its spine as she steeped in somber rumination. He had made the first move, and she'd not allow herself to so blatantly disrespect him more than she already had.

The following morning, just as the weakest shades of pink lit the dawning sky, she left a folded message for him to discover. Tucked just to the side of his canvas flap, weighed down with a bundling of flowers, newly gathered from the nearby meadows.

He'd find it, one way or another. Era would surely notice. She's always been smart like that. Shadowheart missed her company, just as she found herself missing his, despite how much she'd deny this.

The note said more than she'd ever be able to speak out loud, and with any bit of hope, he'd take the time to read it. What he did after that, she'd leave up to his domain; fate.

𝘼𝙜𝙚'𝙞𝙖𝙣. 𝙒𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨. 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨. 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙖𝙢. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮. 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙤𝙣. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙤𝙣. 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙩. 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩. 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙎𝙃

[grief-worn]

Shadowheart faltered. His own library? The instant she felt the surprise, she cursed herself for not expecting it. Why was there any doubt that Age'ian, whimsically annoying as he was, coveted his own private selection of filthy parchment?

"I won't so readily hand over my own possessions, but I might as well take a look, if you're going to offer." It was not excitement that lifts her voice, perish the thought, she was just doing what was right. Enrichment was necessary, after all. It kept up morale, or whatever.

"Go on then. Let's get a proper assessment."

Right right, he'd definitely left the book there on accident. He also definitely hadn't noticed Shadowheart eyeballing the cover when he'd been reading it before...

"Well, I'll make sure to exchange it next time we're out and about. Though, if you wish it, you could always look through my own library and we could make some exchanges that way. Less hassle, I believe."

He sips his tea before motioning to the front opening of his tent, which was propped open to let in the cooler morning air.

[paintingdragonfeathers]

We’re in th final coutndown for the Umbral Wings tarot Kickstarter, so I got the green light to share the full glory of the Wheel of Fortune dragon I did for the Major Arcana!

You can find more info on kickstarter.

#art #dragon #artist #wheeloffortune #tarot #tarotdeck #umbralwings #fantasy #art #illustration #goldfish

[thatwasntlikeridingabikeuasshole]

AHEM! STARLESS SEA FANS!

I HAVE AN INVITATION FOR YOU!!!!! please keep reading, god, if you love the starless sea enough that you're even seeing this we want YOU!!!! are you a long time starless sea fan who has never found anyone else who wants to talk about this book as much as you do? have you always wanted to write/see starless sea fanfic or fanart but didnt think there was a fandom? or have you just finished the starless sea like twenty minutes ago and have been scouring tumblr for anything you can find? WELL I'VE GOT THE PLACE FOR YOU!

WE HAVE A STARLESS SEA DISCORD SERVER!

LINK

reasons why you should join and why this server is the best:

we are all literally just obsessed with the starless sea

and the characters

we draw fanart and write fanfic and even have events with prompts to inspire you to do the same

we have a super cool minecraft server with the inn at the edge of the world and a cherry blossom forest around it with honey and candles and shit

we do storytime where we read to each other in vc from tss, fanfic, or other books and it happens all the time and its really lovely and soothing and fun

we have movie nights and movie afternoons and random impromptu movies but theres a movie every weekend

we have endless headcanons

and a whole channel dedicated to dorian hurt/comfort

i co-run it with @boogleboot who is just the coolest and if you havent met her youre missing out

and theres a bunch of other cool people there too who i love so much

we have a limericks only chat (for which i blame mod boogle its so fun you have to talk only in limericks there)

YOU LIKE THE STARLESS SEA. WE LIKE THE STARLESS SEA. COME JOIN

go click that link girl (gendy neuch). we're so excited to have you. see you in the harbour!!!!!

[accultant]

He pulls The Moon. "This card is about illusion, a sign to trust your intuition. If any hunches or gut feeling arise, trust them. Situations may be more complicated than they appear, so dig deep to discover the truth and avoid deception."

Iago's mouth quirks up a fraction as they peer at the card.

"Pleasant enough, I think. I usually get called 'paranoid' so 'intuition' is a nice rephrasing," they say, their tea left untouched beside them like an example. "Interesting bit about deception. I consider myself a good judge of that," - comes with the experience of being on the deceiving end of such a conundrum - "but I suppose a bit of extra vigilance could do me some good."

Perhaps this warning would best serve those around Iago. The thought briefly makes them want to snatch up the card and toss it into a fire or perhaps rip it up before anyone else sees. As if it could singlehandedly expose the truths and deceptions that they themselves like to bury. Like it could rat them out. Then they remember that it is simply a card and they have no reason for such tense shoulders and the sudden urge to hide. The smile comes back to their face with a miniscule twitch. Ah, right, yes, that must be the paranoia intuition.

"All in all, not so frightening of a read. These do tend to cut deep to some, don't they? How fascinating."