#Fey realm calls for me

[party-skeleton]

Oh to be a wild man with a fern crown, riding on a unicorn across planes with no worry on his mind but the hunt

[uss-genderprise]

okay the new episode has people poking my sleeping special interest like a bear and it was about time to wake it from hibernation anyway so here are some fun facts about welsh fairies

it's spelled fairy. it's always spelled fairy. not faerie, faery, fae, or fey. fairy. please. or tylwyth teg if you want to be proper about it

fairies are not inherently malevolent. they work by their own rules that sometimes don't make sense to humans but there are rules, if you pay attention.

yes fairies will punish you for doing something they don't want you to do

they will also reward you for doing things they do want you to do

fairy rings are circles of green grass. they sometimes how up as a different shade of green than the grass around it and are generally markers of where fairies dance, as well as portals to the fairy realm. mushrooms aren't really a thing for that in welsh folklore.

string and bones and flowers are man-made and possibly supposed to bind or protect against fairies (though i haven't seen anything quite like what we see in the episode described in any of my sources) but generally breaking one of those doesn't immediately anger fairies, just lets them in to affect whoever put the ward up in the first place. that's not called a fairy circle.

changelings exist in welsh folklore. have fun with your theories.

fairies will generally let you leave the fairy world if you ask nicely. yes even if you've eaten the food and drank the drinks

however time moves differently so when you come back you might be super old and/or turn to dust the moment someone touches you

dancing is a different thing tho. they don't exactly want you to stay dancing with them until you die of exhaustion but like that's on you my dude get your friends to help you

if you broke fairy rules like kicking them out of their meadow to build a castle they will count eight* generations** and come back to turn that castle into a lake and drown everyone inside. you have been warned (repeatedly. usually by old ladies and/or bards and/or birds or sometimes just. A Voice™)

* the number of generations can and does vary but in welsh folklore it's generally 8 that's an important number, not 3 or 7.

** also the way generations are counted is. weird. idk if it's that i'm bad at math or bad at welsh or that the book i read explaining this is over 100 years old but i don't think i fully got how many generations this actually is.

oh and they only wait if you beg enough otherwise they kill you now

so basically. no getting trapped in the fairy world as punishment. they just kill you

personally i think the closest thing in welsh folklore to that old woman is a weird lady but even that isn't a great fit

yeah fairies bend time and space to always be far away from you if they want to but that's generally because they're trying to avoid you not following you at a distance

i am fully aware rtd probably couldn't care less about any of this. he definitely didn't do the work that i did to learn all this and incorporating this into your theories is probably shooting yourself in the foot as far as actually being correct goes. HOWEVER i do think it's more interesting and fun this way :) theories are gonna be wrong anyway might as well respect the culture that's inspiring them while we're at it yeah?

i will cite my sources if anyone asks but i doubt many people care to read hundreds of pages of edwardian non fiction novels just to fact check me. trust me on this guys

[deconstructthesoup]

I think the reason that Dimension 20 really scratches all those itches in my brain is that it really shows what you can do with D&D---and TTRPGs as a whole.

Fantasy High, by itself, is an incredibly compelling concept. What would D&D look like in a semi-modern setting? What would a high school that's all about teaching teens how to be adventurers look like? And the way it's done is beyond inventive, especially if you look at all the encounters in the first season---we've got a literal food fight, a high-speed road chase with tiefling greasers, a nightclub brawl with zombies, vampires, and werewolves, a skating match with a bunch of dwarven middle schoolers and a concrete golem, a high-stakes game of football (ish) with undead jocks that give off major teen slasher vibes, a fight done in an arcade where characters can get trapped in the consoles, and the final battle is done at prom. PROM! How cool is that?

And then we get to the Unsleeping City, which takes the urban fantasy elements that Fantasy High already had and elevates it. The way the D&D lore and magic is interpreted in a modern New York setting is excellent, as is the whole take on the "American Dream," magic literally coming from dreams, ideas, and the imagination. I know that I need to actually finish the UC saga, but from what I've seen and experienced, it is truly fantastic.

And the same energy carries through to the other seasons---my personal favorite outside of Fantasy High being A Court of Fey and Flowers, just because I'm a sucker for any Fey Realm content and I've been raised on Jane Austen---where the genre mashups shine through in the best way possible. I'll admit, I haven't seen A Crown of Candy, purely because I know how heartbreaking and devastating it is and I don't think I can physically handle it, but the concept of Candyland Game of Thrones is so beautifully bizarre that I totally get why people love it so much. Escape from the Bloodkeep hitting that workplace comedy vibe that we love to see in villains. Misfits & Magic being a love letter to the "magical boarding school" genre while also calling out all the weird contradictions inherent in it. A Starstruck Odyssey literally being an homage to Brennan's mom and exactly the kind of madcap and unhinged energy I need from my sci-fi. Neverafter perfectly encapsulating the true horror of fairy tales. Mentopolis hitting my noir-loving heart and personifying hyperfixation in the best way possible.

I'm not even kidding when I say that, if it weren't for Dimension 20... I probably wouldn't have even started my own campaign. I'd had snippets and ideas ever since officially getting into D&D and joining a game with some old friends (and getting back in touch with them in the process), but after I saw the Mentopolis trailer, I realized just how much variety TTRGPs had to offer. I could do a time-blending, history-meets-future campaign. I could go out-of-the-box. I could have endless amounts of options available to my friends and still tell the story that I wanted to tell. And when I sat down and watched Fantasy High---and when I got that Dropout subscription so I could consume whatever I wanted---it felt like the show was actually giving me advice. It's fantastic.

Also it helps that the episodes are usually only roughly a couple hours instead of being, like, an entire afternoon long. And that each season is 20 episodes, tops. No offense to Critical Role, but the sheer amount of content literally makes it impossible for me to get into it.

[starry-bi-sky]

changeling danny has his wretched little claws in me so here's some AU fey lore

Okay so, i've got a lot of ideas for the Fey Lore in this au. But to start out what may become a sling of posts: a simplified set up of the Infinite Realms. I think I mentioned it before in a reblog of the original changeling danny post, but the fey wilds exist in the IR. In most fanon I see the same scale as the rest of the realms, however i have a different idea for it.

In simplified terms, the fey wilds and the ghost zone are two different things. They both exist in the Infinite Realms, however, they exist on different planes of existence. In simplified terms, there are three separate planes in the Infinite Realms.

The Long Far: Highest realm in the infinite realms. Home to most, if not all, the Ancients. Beings that reside in The Long Far are eldritch abominations, gods, personifications of concepts, and other celestial-type beings. The only way to access the Long Far is through the Starflare Currents in the Feywilds. Which are a nebula of stars that work similar to the ocean currents in Finding Nemo. They are a rapid vortex full of stars that pass over the feywilds that can be seen at night. In order to reach the Long Far, one must fly up to the Current and latch onto one of the stars rapidly flying past. And then they must stay on the star until the currents begin to ascend rapidly upwards. This is harder than it sounds. Ever been indoor surfing? Where you lie on your stomach on a small board and try not to get flung off? Exact same concept. It’s basically the world’s most terrifying escalator to the gods.

The Fey Wilds: The Fey Wilds isn't exactly strictly home to the Fey, however for convenience sake I'm calling it the Fey Wilds. This is the home to fey and other folklore and mythological creatures that may not want to reside in the Ghost Zone. There are no Fey in the GZ. It's not that they hate being down there, but. well.. they hate being down there. They think the place is ugly. The Fey Wilds has ever shifting, expanding amount of biomes. These biomes range from massive redwood forests, to swamps, to essentially Pandora from Avatar. The place can look almost entirely human one moment, and then like a different planet the next. Fey and other inhabitants know how to navigate this easily -- but ghosts? Not so much. There are currently two known ways to reach the Fey Wilds from the Ghost Zone and vice versa: Lake Portals, and Cave Tunnels. Which I will expand upon in a moment.

Ghost Zone: Exactly how it sounds! The Ghost Zone is, well, the ghost zone! It's essentially the same as canon. Same looks, same everything. This is the home of mortal souls and the occasional mythological creature or two, as well as weaker concept spirits. By that I mean like, ecto-octopi. Concept spirits can manifest in both the GZ and Feywilds. Ghosts tend to stick inside the Ghost Zone and avoid venturing into the Fey Wilds because, well, they're still mortal souls. They're gonna get jumped by a fey looking for a new decoration or a new pet/servant/whatever. Best to honestly avoid the fey wilds as a whole.

Now, I just mentioned that there were two known ways to reach the Fey Wilds from the Ghost Zone: lake portals and cave tunnels. I made goofy little visual aides which I will attach below, and then I will explain how they work.

I'll start with the Lake Portals. They are, well, as the name suggests lake portals. Not every lake in the fey wild is a portal to the ghost zone, and vice versa. They're rather uncommon to find in both planes, but it's not like they're hard to recognize.

In the Fey Wilds, lake portals will have a sheen over the water like an oil spill. But instead of the regular rainbow-y colors, it will instead have the ghost zone's colors swirling in it; green and purple. The water will have that sickly green tint to it, and have a slight glow. The plant life surrounding the water are not typically what you'd find in the Fey Wilds, but might in the Ghost Zone. They look different from the regular noxious swamp bogs in the wilds, so its easy to tell that they're lake portals.

In the Ghost Zone, the lake portals will instead be shimmery and blue like a tropical ocean. And just like how there are GZ plants in the fey wilds surrounding the water, there's fey wild plants on the island where the lake is.

How these portals work is rather simple. You dive in and begin swimming down. It's a long swim down, but that's all you gotta do. It will get dark, as there are no plant life in these portals, and no aquatic life either.

It starts getting complicated when you reach what I like to call the border. The border is as the name implies; its a border between the planes. In the lakes it's not physical, however you will feel when you've reached the border and crossed it. Intense vertigo washes over you as your sense of gravity begins to shift and flip; up is becoming down, down is becoming up.

Your goal at this point is to try and push through that vertigo and discomfort and make it to the other side of the border, without getting flipped upside down and swimming back to the surface you came from. This is harder than it sounds as you become dizzy underwater, and since there's no light anywhere, you will try and instinctively seek it out and follow it. You're down too deep to know where that light is.

Once you've reached the other end of the border successfully, your gravity will have flipped without you needing to do anything. You are now swimming up to the surface, and once you do, boom! You're in the ghost zone! Lake Portals are faster to use than tunnels, but very disorientating.

Now cave tunnels are longer, but simpler. Essentially some caves have tunnels that lead into the ghost zone, similar to how in greek mythology there are random entrances to the underworld in the mortal world. I haven't exactly figured out what the tell is for when you're in a tunnel leading to the Ghost Zone, but I know that when it's the other way around it's rather easy -- as you start to climb up.

It's a less complicated explanation: essentially you are descending into the ghost zone through this tunnel. You are on your way down like Orpheus in search of his wife, or like Heracles doing his twelve labors. It can get claustrophobic and of course there is the border.

Unlike experiencing a shift in gravity, you're instead hit with the intense vertigo and an intrinsic fear to turn around. It's an instinctual response to your surroundings changing on a molecular level, and your body in response is telling you to Flee. Basically, you've taken a rip of the Cave Gasses and you feel like you're losing your mind. Once you exit the border its smooth sailing.

Sometimes you get unlucky and there's a Pit Drop and you're suddenly Alice in Wonderlanding your way down to the Ghost Zone. But hey! At least you're not swimming.

those are currently the only two ways i've come up with for traveling between the GZ and Fey Wilds. But all in all, it's meant to be very disorientating stuff; vertigo and nausea-inducing, with just a dash of Existentially Terrifying. Traveling between planes usually is.

[alpaca-clouds]

The Otherworld, Fea/Fey and what little we know about Celtic mythology

Okay. I was now asked more than once about this. Which is fair. What is the Otherworld? I have noted this word more than once in regard to Maria and her magic - and if you have read any of my writing on Castlevania you might have stumbled across the word as well, as I reference it fairly often there as well.

If you are one of those five people who came originally from Twitter to follow me here, you might also know that a friend and I work on a comic called Otherworldly. So, let me talk about the Otherworld.

The Celtic Otherworld

The general concept and name of the Otherworld comes from the celtic mythology. Once more we know most about it from the Gaelic mythology, because most of the oral tradition that has survived is from the Scots and the Irish. And you might even have heard at some point of Tír na nÓg, which was one of the names for the Gaelic variation of this myth. If you were at any point a fan of Lord of the Rings you might also be aware of the concept, despite Tolkien using another name for it.

Generally speaking the Otherworld is a world of eternal youth and beauty, in which the fae/fey, as well as the gods of this religion tend to live. But in some cases humans wander into the Otherworld as well. Maybe because they get invited into it by a fae of some variation of sidhe, or just because they get lost. In those cases we might have stories in which children get lost in the forest and years later stumble out of the forest not having aged a single day.

Something that is maybe specific interesting for Maria: The Gaulic mythology (so the one of the French celts) actually said, there were two Otherworlds: The White World and the Black World. The White World was a sort of heaven, the Black World a sort of hell - even though that is obviously just once more interpreting it through a Christian lense.

Generally speaking this was less of an afterlife. While the souls of the deceased would generally pass through the otherworld, most of them would then go on (possibly for reincarnation). Though we have some stories of heroes that remain in the Otherworld and become sorts of gods.

The Otherworld as a General Concept

This is the moment where I will once again talk about Indo-European mythology. As you might have heard: Pretty much all cultures that existed in Europe and around the Mediterranean and some part of Asia go back to one culture that originally lived in the area that is today's Ukraine, which in anthropology is called the Proto-Indo-European culture. And we are fairly certain, that the Otherworld at the very least goes back to the mythology that this culture has had - if not even further back, as similar concepts are even found outside of these connected cultures.

Basically, these cultures generally have a realm or parallel world in which the gods reside and at times all sorts of other paranormal creatures.

This is why some authors, like me, use this parallel in their writing. Of course we are well aware that anthropoligically speaking these parallels are there, because the cultures have the same root and have influenced each other. But of course, as a fantasy writer it is hard to not look at it and go: "Well, what if all these cultures have this concept because it is real?!"

Fae/Fey

Lastly we should talk about the Fae/Fey. Again, the wording goes back to the Celts. Fae/Fey is generally a word that is often used today as "fairy", though technically the fae in the mythology are usually not little humanoids with wings. Mainly they seem to have been a sort of spirit-like being, some of which showed as humans with otherworldly beauty and eternal youth. This is mainly where the elves in fantasy come from. Some could also appear as both animals or monsters of sorts.

The general thought is, that they probably anthropologically speaking fae probably go back to a spiritual religion, in which nature spirits were revered in different ways - and then got personified partly as fae or gods.

And if we are talking fantasy writers once more: Given those parallels with the Otherworld, especially Urban Fantasy does this little trick quite often, where pretty much all spiritual beings from all sorts of religions just get qualified as "fae", no matter from what culture they come. So Yokai from Shinto might also qualify as fae in this way of looking at it.

And that in the end brings us back to Maria, whose familiars obviously were originally based in East Asian mythology, while the way she summons them clearly is more linked to the celtic culture.

It will be really interesting to see (if the Netflix algorithm decided that it would be worth it for Netflix to let Powerhouse make another season) how this is going to tie back to Maria's backstory eventually.

[jimbodyson]

light legend of vox machina S3 spoilers (and campaign 1 spoilers)

was thinking about Bard's Lament earlier and I'm so eager to see how they change up Scanlan's speech with how differently things have happened.

for example, he says (paraphrasing) 'we travelled across realms to fix your (Vex/Vax) fucking daddy issues', but in TLOVM he obviously never went with them to the Fey realm. it's just interesting to think about how they'll go about it without those small pieces that he mentions.

however my gut does tell me that Vex interrupting Scanlan talking to Pike about Kaylie with the 'nobody gives a shit (...)' will play some kind of part in whatever speech he gives, and that more moments like that and the balcony scene from episode 3 are definitely gonna happen in the lead up to it.

also, slightly unrelated, to defend Vex there: Pike and Vax are the only ones that know Scanlan has a daughter. Pike is the only one that knows she's Kaylie. so it's highly likely Vex and everyone else (maybe excluding Vax if he can put two and two together but idk) thinks he's just talking about some random woman called Kaylie.

[aroaessidhe]

okay I was asked about fey books I’ve read that Do stick to folklore a bit more than certain popular books - and actually looking at what fey books I’ve read  it’s a bit like.... books that stick to folklore closely I sometimes Don’t Love, and there are others that don’t stick to it as much but I like the overall narrative more? or some mix of that. 

so here’s a list of a few - a range of how much they stick to folklore (which of course is an amorphous thing) and how much I like them, but it’s something!

YA

That Self-Same Metal - literally just read this, it’s about a Black girl who’s the stage blade expert for shakespeare’s company and can see fey, and they’re appearing more and more in the city. explores a bit of the midsummer night’s dream fey but also like “shakespeare was wrong” and general folklore. definitely the start of a series and has a lot going on but I thought it has some cool ideas!

all Holly Black’s books deal with them well! the Modern Faerie Tales companion/trilogy has maybe aged a bit by now, and I hate way the romance ended up together in The Folk of the Air (and the way the fandom is about it) but otherwise I do really like how it deals with fey and politics! also enjoyed The Darkest Part of the Forest. these are all intertwined/same world

The Buried And The Bound - a hedgewitch girl keeps fey away from her town, and gets caught up with two boys who are cursed. mostly deals with minor fey and a powerful hag

An Enchantment of Ravens - it’s been quite a few years since I read this, but I do remember enjoying it. It is a bit more of a romance focused story also, an artist stolen into the fey realm for painting a fey prince as if he was human(iirc?)

The Bone Houses - not directly dealing with fey, but like the aftermath of the ancient fey’s curses? welsh myth inspired. which I think is cool.

At The Edge of The Woods - about a girl in a religious/patriarchial village who starts to have strange dreams about a fey boy luring her into the woods. it’s not super focused on them, but they’re very much the classic ‘dangerous fey stealing people away for entertainment’ kind of thing

Adult

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries - I sort of have mixed feelings about this - I really enjoy how it dealt with fey and the creepier folklore creatures side of it! the handling of the changeling was a bit iffy and not sure about the romance

The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt - dark fantasy novella about a wolf-shifter made to join the wild hunt to save his qpr. focused on the unseelie/wild hunt area

Silver in the Wood - gaslamp fantasy novella about the keeper of a magical forest, dryads and dangerous fey

The Wind City - a bit of a mashup of fey folklore and Māori atua in a modern NZ setting

Sinners/Veiled - very classic but also with the element of a modern setting where human pollution is like a drug to fey (and the MC is a drug lord.) (so kind of dark but also not dark in the sexy way bc the MC is aroace)

Under The Pendulum Sun - this is a gothic fantasy that has a bit of a new take on a fey world, but also definitely has some of those creepy folklore vibes.

Siren Queen - this only partly involves fey but I thought the way that it mashed up old hollywood and fey (aka shady deals for fame themes) was interesting!

Sorcerer to the Crown/The True Queen - my memory on this is hazy, but I believe it’s regency fantasy, with its own take on a fey world/magic (moreso the 2nd book)

Malice/Misrule - adult high fantasy lesbian sleeping beauty reimagining, this is kind of doing it’s own thing I guess (I don’t remember if they’re even called fey?) but definitely has a bit of the creepy creature/court vibes in book 2 especially

In The Jaded Grove - I was just looking up books to see if there was anything I missed and found this, which seems interesting to me!

I also haven’t read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (but I watched the show ages ago) and I believe that has the vibe too

[ilanarose7]

Besides the general main plot of the Bells Hells campaign, there is a lot of catching up to do between Dorian, all of Bells Hells, and just generally with each other. Here are some of the things that they all need to catch each other up on:

SPOILERS BELOW:

Non-main plot things Bells Hells have to catch Dorian up on:

Nightmare King is kind of their ally now (depends on how they all feel after that mission), Fearne's biological dad is one of the bad guys, Beau and Caleb, Ashton did a thing and almost died so they had some group therapy with Fearne's grandma in the Fey Realm, Fearne and Ashton have Fire and Earth Titan abilities respectively, Orym saying during group therapy: "I really miss Dorian and sometimes I think that's okay and sometimes I think it isn't", all-things Delilah, the threesome, FRIDA+FCG, Imodna

Things Dorian needs to catch Bells Hells up on:

Everything that happened in EXU: Kymal, Morrighan (Orym and Fearne don't even know her), being on the run, the Spider Queen taking control and what happened to the Crown Keepers during that fight for the past two episodes (Dorian talked about some of it, but it seemed like Fearne and Orym still had questions)

Things everyone needs to talk about:

Calling FRIDA, Orym's new abilities (the deal with Nana Morri), just generally everyone processing their traumas and grief

Let me know in the tags/comments if I missed anything! Again, these aren't main moon-adjacent plot points, just general character things I think are worth everyone knowing that I can think of off the top of my head

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi! So I've been looking at some writing prompts in hopes of finally overcoming my current writer's block, and some of the ones that looked interesting to me start with something like "character a and b get separated and x thing happens". The problem is, no one ever specifies WHY or HOW characters A and B got separated, and I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with reasons on my own. I also haven't been able to find any "reasons why characters would get split up" lists anywhere and I'm kinda stumped. Do you have any tips to help?

Struggling with Writing Prompts

Well, writing prompts are meant to be somewhat vague. The point is to plant seeds that will grow in your own unique imagination.

It sounds like you need a refresher on how to brainstorm ideas like these. So, let's start there. ♥

The key with brainstorming is to dial everything back and break it down to its simplest point... "Character A and B got separated" is pretty broad and vague. How can we dial that back and break it down?

First, before we can figure out where they are and why, we have to figure out who they are. Who do you want A and B to be? Romantic partners? Love interests? Parent and child? Siblings? Best friends? Co-workers? Classmates? Teacher and student? Captor and captive? Prisoner and guard? Guide and client? There are lots of possibilities. Let's say you go with best friends. Flesh that out... are they adult best friends? Teen best friends? Child best friends? How old? What gender? Let's say they're a fifteen year old girl and and sixteen-year-old enby.

Next... we know they must be someplace together because they get separated. So, where are they? Where might a fifteen and sixteen year old pair of besties be, and what might they be doing? Are they at school packing up ahead of an early dismissal due to a freak snowstorm? Are they shopping in Times Square on a field trip to NYC? Are they walking home from school through a vacant lot? Are they hiking through the woods at summer camp? Let's say they're shopping in Times Square.

Now, we can look at how they got separated. Did they part ways voluntarily, each going into a different store and not finding each other again? Did one ditch the other for some reason? Was one taken by someone? Did one fall through a portal into another time? Did one vanish because they were called back to the fey realm they unknowingly came from? Was one arrested? Did one inadvertently get on the wrong subway?

Again, there are lots of possibilities. The point is to brainstorm them all, pick the combination that sounds fun, and let your imagination run wild! :)

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[darklordazalin]

Azalin Reviews: Darklord Silvermaw

Domain: Timbergorge Domain Formation: Unknown Power Level: 💀💀💀 ⚫⚫ Source: Dragon Magazine 207 article: Domains of Dread: Timbergorge; 2012

The Darklord of Timbergorge, Silvermaw, is a curious case of happenstance and what I speculate as the greed of our ever-present tormentors. Though Silvermaw’s title as Darklord begs the question – do our tormentors only trap those who have committed ultimate acts of darkness or are they more focused on tenacious minds prone to obsession and corruption?  

Before it was known as “Silvermaw”, it was an unnamed treant charged with the guardianship of a dense conifer forest within the Feywild known as the Green Quills. The treant’s lord was Aurusel, a fey of great power who oversaw the vast realm in which Green Quills was a part of. Aurusel charged the treant with ensuring no fey built within the Green Quills for the wilderness much remain pure.

As with many places in the Feywild, Aurusel’s realm was subjected to chaotic shifts and at times a part of his domain would seep into the material plane. Such a change pulled Green Quills into the material plane where it was soon discovered by a group of humans. Ignorant to the human nature, when they asked the treant to hunt in its forest, it agreed. The humans, after all, wore animal pelts and acted like beasts with a single-mindedness towards the hunt for their prey and the woodland guardian saw no harm in allowing them access to its grove.

The treant soon learned its own folly, for that same day the humans felled several trees and started a bonfire within the Green Quills. Why they could not settle for a small campfire is a mystery, but mortals do have the tendency to overdo things. Enraged, the treant attacked and chased the humans away, but in the struggle, it too caught fire.

When Aurusel attempted to bring the Green Quills back into his realm, he sensed the burning of the forest and ceased his attempt in fear of the fire spreading in the Feywild. Inadvertently, the fey lord left Green Quills in a state between worlds and it was swallowed by the Shadowfell (note: 4e is when Ravenloft lore changed to having all the Domains in the Shadowfell instead of its own separate demiplane).

Injured, the treant fell into a dormant state its mind twisting with thoughts of hatred towards the humans that destroyed its forest. The treant only wanted revenge and while it slept its hatred and malice seeped into the land. When the treant awoke, Green Quills became known as Timbergorge and a burning, smoking fire surrounded the forest, entrapping all within including the treant and the clan of humans that originally caused all this drama to begin with.

The treant soon discovered that the humans transformed into werewolves while it slept. To combat them, the treant stole some silver from a small human colony, melted it and poured it over its teeth. This is how the treant became known as Silvermaw.

Silvermaw’s only desire is to hunt down and kill all the werewolves in its Domain. Afterwards, Silvermaw hopes that Aurusel will forgive them and only then will Silvermaw rest. It should consider resting sooner as it is currently still burnt and in a state of half-decay after it was burnt, but well, I suppose I cannot judge…a state of half-decay never stopped me from continuing on.

Silvermaw often takes the werewolves it defeats and impales them on the trees in a grove it calls “The Spires of Lost Friends” as a sort of monument to the trees that were lost in the human’s bonfire and a warning to the werewolves in Silvermaw’s forest. I know a certain ‘falcon’ that may appreciate the treant’s fear tactics…

As for the humans and lycanthropes in the area, there are currently three mindsets on how to deal with Silvermaw. One believes that if Silvermaw is killed, the fires will cease and they will be able to leave the forest. Another believes that they can simply escape on the river that through the forest, though cutting trees to make a craft to allow for this is near impossible with Silvermaw’s constant vigilance. The last believe they can cure Silvermaw and return it the naïve, nature loving treant it once was.

[atamascolily]

Lily liveblogs: Thunderbolt Fantasy 4x09

Well, this episode certainly subverted my expectations!

The demon cop tries to murder Lang Wu Yao in the cocoon and it goes very badly for him.

Lang emerges as a full demon, complete with a longer horn (that's what she said) and a black outfit. Oh, and he also has lightning powers now! He's basically a dark goth Pikachu.

(yes, this makes Ling Ya an electric guitar now by lore logic--we already had an amp in the last episode!)

Lang wipes the floor with the demon cop, believing him to be Locust, then has a crisis when he realizes he's murdered someone (he's still not done dreaming, though - guess there's more angst next episode?)

basically, Lang was able to do in his dream what he couldn't do by actually going back in time, which was very neat on a meta level. so in that sense, Ansarto's power-up was actually very effective therapy (not that he's around to appreciate it, sob).

Shang, Tian Ming and the mech climb out of the demon realm - Tian Ming asks about Chao Feng, and shang's like, one, I hate that bitch, and two, she's with Lin, she won't die, and it's the most backhanded compliment ever, hahahaha.

reunite with Dan Fei and Juan Can Yun. There's even a tent with the Dan crest on it??!!!! Talk about glamping!

Dan Fei uses her life energy to FaceTime Bo Yang Hou with the news that THERE'S A GIANT HOLE LEADING TO THE DEMON REALM and then passes out. Shang's like, "yeah, okay, let's not do that again"

Juan takes him to a cave that he found and Shang's like, hey, remember that favor I asked? put your mask on and wait here.

turns out that portal Lin summoned last episode was real and not illusion because Chao Feng wakes up in her own bed and throws a temper tantrum because Lang isn't there

she then demands that they invade the demon realm

ThisIsFine.gif

how is locust going to handle his two identities being in conflict like this, I wonder? Or will he come clean to his daughter??

Wasp and Spider find "Mantis" and give him the seals and their magic swords--they are escaping the narrative while they still can. also, they're an item now

You know, when I said at the beginning that their fates were entwined, this wasn't what I meant....

UGH OKAY I HAVE SUCH MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THIS. On the one hand, it does fit their respective arcs, and also wraps everything up very neatly. On the other hand, it feels super-rushed, and Spider especially hasn't had the experiences I would need for this twist to feel emotionally satisfying for me.

I'm going to be charitable and say some of that was a casualty of this season's rushed pacing, but ALSO, when Spider says, "I want to protect this woman" and Ba Wang Yu says, "You called me a woman!!!" I just want to scream

like, it's supposed to be heartwarming that Spider recognizes Wasp as both a human being and more specifically feminine after spending the entire first part of the season comparing her to a wild beast, BUT all I can think of is, "girl, you deserve so much better"

like the romance feels both very heteronormative and also lazy on multiple levels. but they got a happier ending than literally any other villain in this show, so good for them, I guess.

anyway, while I was 100% correct that they would enter and leave the narrative together and their arcs were contingent upon recognizing each other's good points, my reaction is basically the same as Mantis: "thanks, I hate it".

Lin throwing a temper tantrum after they leave is very funny though

meanwhile, back at the cave: sure enough, a kid pops out of nowhere and tries to fight Juan Can Yun

and it's BABY SHANG

gotta admit, it took me a moment to recognize him because of the costume and different VA but he's got the wooden sword!!

but suffice to say he was just as an annoying little shit as Juan Can Yun used to be so this is PAYBACK

and also he wants Juan to be his master!

anyway, so all of Shang's kindness towards Juan Can Yun has paid off and come full circle and now also Juan gets to return the favor sflkgjflkgjflkgjlfkjglgkjglkg - they are BOTH each other's teachers!!!

part of me is sad that Shang actually was a kid once and not some mythic archetype sprung full-form into the narrative, but if it we had to do it, this was definitely the way to do it.

it hits different beats from what I was expecting but it still works out thematically: Shang is still a mythic hero, but we get to see the entirety of the hero's journey from callow youth to maturity

and it also highlights all of the parallels between these two EVEN MORE THAN THEY WERE ALREADY

given the fact that Juan keeps insisting that older!Shang rely on his friends for support and that mention of a Hu Yin Shi city to take care of the Index, I'm starting to wonder if Shang really will entrust the Index to Juan and the Hu Yin Shi at the end. One way or another, he's got to let go of it for the story to be complete... I feel like we had an entire season about why this was a bad idea, but we'll see if Urobuchi's changed his mind about this, I guess.

god this must be so embarrassing for older!Shang, though...

this episode is a great example of how I can see certain things coming yet still be surprised by exactly how they play out. structurally, it's all well done (albeit rushed), but I'm still working out how I feel about it emotionally.

like, I don't think all of the malewife Spider headcanons are enough to take the bad taste out of my mouth right now. I'll probably come around to this ship eventually, or at least accept it for it what is, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed by how this particular subplot played out. Sure, there's always fanfiction, but it's just not the same, sigh.

I will also be more accepting of Shang's backstory reveals if we get the ending I've been hoping for. also, while I still hold out hope for my pet theory about Lin not being fully/originally human (but also not a demon) I think it's likely we're also going to somehow see a bby!Lin to parallel this scene with bby!Shang, and that he is also human. I don't hate this twist the way I hate Wasp/Spider, but I still feel sad about it, even though it makes sense.

never a dull moment in this show, that's for sure....

[godsfavouritefey]

hello! I don’t really know what this strange device I’ve found it but it’ll be fun to play around with it! You may call me Vespera Memento Vivere

About

This is an ask blog for my dnd character Vespera! This is my first ask blog so please try to be patient as I figure things out! There isn’t really a plot for this blog just yet, but it’ll probably follow the plot of Vesperas Dnd campaign The Trees Have Eyes, which is Forgotten Realms adjacent so some things might sound familiar! Vespera is an unseelie fey (daughter of the Stag King), Cleric of the Queen Of Air and Darkness

Go check out my friends ask blogs as well for more campaign fun! @gods-favourite-soldier and @astronomerofherstars main acc: @lunermoon42 (you can find a bit more info on Vespy there)

Content Warnings

due to the nature of our dnd campaign this blog will contain themes of: Violence, murder, cannibalism, child abuse, neglectful parenting and a few other things I can’t think of right now

Boundaries

-no 18+/NSFW asks (It makes me uncomfortable to get those kinds of things from strangers)

-No spam asks please! I’m just one person

-I would LOVE in character questions but please don’t make them flirty/romantic, Vespera already has a fiancé and I’m just not comfortable with that!

DNI’s

the normal stuff mostly, no ableism, homophobia, transphobia, racism etc. I will not hesitate to block anyone who sends me hateful stuff/reblogs my things and adds hateful stuff

Other than that, enjoy!

[shions-new-blog-of-stuff]

"The Tiefling and the Sea" (OC/Named Tav)

"Well well well, my little rose. Looks like you've gotten yourself in a bind."

Kinsley stumbled to his feet, spitting out sand. He hears the familiar voice of his patron -- Lady Roisin. Not her true name, being a fey and all.

A little swarm of blue swallowtail butterflies circle around him. This was his patron's preferred method of communication in the mortal plane.

"Did you save me?" Kinsley asks, looking out to the bright blue sea.

"Oh no. Not my doing. In fact, my little rose, it's a force outside my power."

Kinsley walks along the shore, stepping over corpses and debris.

The butterflies briefly glow green.

"Something grotesque has infected your mind," the fey says half playful, half annoyed, "How dare they try to take my little rose from me?"

Kinsley scratches his horns, "Can you remove it?"

The butterflies glow orange, fluttering about.

"It's beyond my ability... unless you are able to travel to my realm. But I cannot let that happen...not yet. We still have our tasks to be completed."

Kinsley looks down, thinking of his village. It was once a vibrant place, but now it's all cursed. His family, friends, everything -- all mysteriously turned to stone.

"Guess I gotta take a detour and get rid of this thing."

To his surprise, the butterflies come together, shifting into a ghostly image of Lady Roisin -- tall, pale, solid green eyes, wearing a very loose, flowing dress. She wears a flower crown and a vine with thorns snaking down her arm and leg.

"Do see to this problem, hm? I am burning a lot of energy manifesting this, even though my physical body is safe."

With a wave of her illusory hand, a leather bound book with a rose motif appears, landing in Kinsley's hands.

"That is all I can gift you for now, my little rose. Keep it with you."

Lady Roisin's illusions fades away, leaving Kinsley alone to wander close to the forest. He hears someone calling for help.

Kinsley sees it's a kind of tall, white haired elf.

"Hurry," the elf says, "I've got one of those brain things cornered!"

@baldursbasics @mishwanders @darckcarnival

[monstersdownthepath]

Some cool First World locales

First World: Realm of the Fey came out in 2016, and yet every time I read over it I discover something new. A new bit of lore, a new strange thread to follow, a new bizarre bit of terrain, some new monster or deity to follow up on... But the one gift that keeps giving is the Gazetteer, going on for over 15 pages and listing strange locations YOU, yes YOU, the DM, can send your players to! Be it a fey portal, the whims of the Eldest, a questline taking them into the First World, or some other plot contrivance, there’s over 60 different vacation spots with varying levels of dangerous, curious, or downright weird for DMs to expand on and send players into!

Hopefully this post will motivate at least a few of you to pick it up, if for nothing else than the Gazetteer, which has lore you can’t find in the Archives of Nethys or the PF wiki! It’d be rude of me not to share at least a few favorites from among them under the cut below!

The Canyon of Faces: One of the most alarming locations in the book, the Canyon is a seemingly infinitely-deep cut into the earth filled with uncountable stone heads, each of them perfectly rendered and resistant to damage. Rumors abound about what happens when you find your own face, or someone else’s face; no one can seem to keep the story straight about if finding your own face gives you infinite power or slays you instantly, just as no one can say what sort of power (if any) you gain over someone else if you find their face in the cavern... or if these heads hold any power at all, and aren’t simply the trophies or creations of some grim collector or sculptor no one’s ever seen. And yet, finding one specific head among many is an exercise in tedium and futility, as no matter how far down one digs, there’s just more of these strange busts, which basically makes the quest of finding a specific face impossible. Perhaps that’s why there’s so many rumors about what happens if you find your face; because no one has.

The Chittering Tabernacle: Nestled in the amusingly named Plain of Leaping Stones (which, true to its name, is filled with rocks that just love launching themselves unexpectedly into the air), this tabernacle is staffed exclusively by a unique brand of arachnoid Fey called Chkchks (do NOT call them ‘nurse spiders’). The chkchks utilize healing spittle, silk casts, stitches made from their own coarse hairs, and the occasional spell to provide the utmost of care to all their patients, healing injuries, curing sicknesses, breaking curses, and even restoring life to any dead brought into their doors, regardless of the patient’s species, allegiance, or alignment. While in most cases this would be extremely suspicious, the chkchks operate are truly and purely altruistic and don’t even demand payment, though they gently offer the exchange of favors, talents, time, or the completion of specific questlines to anyone who wishes to pay anyway.

The only overtly sinister thing the spidery caretakers do is draw a small amount of blood from every patient that comes in, regardless of the patient’s treatment needs, taking this sample to the “Sagechoir” at the Tabernacle’s center for analysis. They do this because they believe in a prophesied messiah called the Deathender who will rid all worlds of all suffering when she is found, and they believe she will first come to them as a patient and that her blood sample will reveal her. Whether or not the Deathender--or her supposed promise to alleviate all cosmic suffering--is real and not a ruse by some other force isn’t said.

Earis Highlands: In opposition to the above, the blistered, naked, rat-like Earis Fey that populate these brush-filled lands are also called Fever-Drinkers. They extract high tolls from those who come to them to be alleviated of their illness, which the rat-fey do by physically sucking the illness from their bodies... and anyone else with the money to pay can buy the diseases themselves (typically by having the Earis containing it regurgitate it onto another target) for their own use, whatever that may be.

Dusking Hills: This one’s amusing to me for the simple fact that darkness itself is somehow farmed, bottled, and sold here for export to other areas of the First World. There’s also the significantly more worrying is the Gloaming Caves, giant crystalline mines where blackened crystals encase armored figures of dozens of different races for an unknown reason.

Endless Siege: This one’s fun, if only because of the potential to run it as an adventure again and again and again. There is a desolated stretch of the First World filled with mud, trenches, corpses, and abandoned siege weapons, at the center of which is a squat, ugly castle, which acts as the prize. The owners of the castle are the family of Boralas, a coalition of extremely powerful and sadistic soul-eating fey known as Vilderavn, and each one wants the castle for themselves and are willing to do whatever they need to in order to take it, even going so far as to conscript hapless souls from across the Great Beyond... like a party of player characters.

Why? For fun! The war itself is the point, and the castle itself is simply the objective they’ve collectively agreed upon. The Boralas family instead uses the constant battle as entertainment, to better their own tactical acumen and understanding of war, to find new creative ways to conquer or hold onto the castle... and to feed upon the souls of all the soldiers who fail them.

Harvester’s Deep: This one gigantic lake is enthralling for a specific reason. It has nothing to do with the titanic shrimp and nautili that dwell within the deep waters of the lake and everything to do with the mysterious Harvester from which it draws its name, a creature without any form of description, lore, or even a CR attached to it. It’s stated only to rise once every 20 years and go on a cataclysmic rampage which the citizens of the various surrounding towns either flee or hide to survive.

Palenhyr: When the gods abandoned the First World, many fey were hurt by the loss. Palenhyr is the result of this pain; a grand city of temples, altars, churches, tabernacles, and tombs all devoted to thousands upon thousands of gods (some real, most not) with followings everywhere from a single maniac to an entire organization. Faith of all flavor is welcome and available and niche religions abound, with all the mad drama such a thing could create. Notably, there is enough divine power flowing into Palenhyr that it’s a force people can feel, and the ruling council of the city is said to secretly be constructing a massive ritual to use this energy to pull a god from the Material back into the First World... perhaps even multiple.

The Moon Ladder: Constructed by First World Gnomes, this enormous machine for years projected a bridge of light into the heavens of the fey realm, allowing gnomish explorers to visit the many moons and planets circling overhead in the distance. Recently, however, the bridge has been shut off, the ladder and the research stations becoming closed off and restricted to any outsiders, and the researchers themselves recluses who rarely ever leave the lab. There’s whispers that something came back down the light bridge that’s caused the gnomes to turn from explorers into defenders, either studying the something or preventing it from getting out, but what that something could be is left unsaid.

Phasetree: A simple one: A massive tree is there every day, which the fey in the surrounding town in its roots climb up to harvest its fruits, leaves, lumber, and the various beasts that nest among branches as wide as roads. Every night, they have to climb back down as quickly as possible because the tree vanishes entirely. Where it goes, no one knows, but every time it reappears it’s changed somewhat; new branches, new fruits, new monsters twisted within its branches, new rune marks along its trunk, and sometimes it even brings a blast of weather from... wherever it travels, sending snow or rain or wind in every direction. No one who’s ever been caught on the tree when it disappears has ever been seen again, and no divination can reach them.

The Thrice-Tenth Kingdom: Baba Yaga came to the First World once. This is the kingdom she built by doing little more than telling the First World what she wanted, and it bent and folded itself in whatever direction she ordered to please her. She rarely visits and never stays, leaving her minions to hold it for her instead.

Vestige: The one I saved for last because it’s the one I like the most. Fey don’t die like most creatures, so the town of Vestige allows fey to experience what it’s like in varying ways; sometimes they hold mock funerals, sometimes they bury themselves alive, sometimes they record their names and deeds on headstones and place them in the city’s endless graveyard, and sometimes they go as far as to inflict terrible injuries on themselves to “get into character.” Fey study death alongside necromancers of every stripe, recording their research and discoveries in vast libraries for future perusal... and despite the oddness and pageantry of the town, it’s no less dangerous for mortals who catch the attention of the fey. They’re enamored with the idea of death and dying, and captured mortals are often subjected to hideous but coldly academic practices to help the fey understand the phenomenon.

ok there’s still a lot of really good ones but i’m restraining myself. please allow the names Plain of Doors, Stasi the City of Vaults, Tubehollow, the Riddle Sphere, Watchers on the Shore, Spindlewood, and the Sea Without a Shore sink into your brain. also pick up the book itself, it’s good stuff.

[tarithenurse]

I see fire

Fandom: D&D 5E/homebrew campaign. Word count: 2309 Contents: Still that questionable justice system, probation, new people, gross food. A/N: This is the first bit from the actual campaign. Any questions are welcome. Please comment and like and reblog. Let me know if you want a tag. Divider by @firefly-graphics

IV

Zilvra has been listening to the distant sounds of the city for several days, unable to get a glimpse of the sky through the bars in the window unless she were to stand on the shit bucket – not an appealing thing to do so she has refrained.

Then one day a couple of guards come with a finely dressed man in tow who explains that it’s time for her to work off her debt.

Silently, she follows them through the city, blinking in the sharp sunlight as she tries to get her bearings along the way to a large building with a sign hanging by the door. It’s adorned with crossed weapons (a sword and a mace) upon a shield and beneath it are the words “Adventurers’ Guild”.

She can’t help to hesitate for a moment, not having expected this but rather some factory or maybe work at the docks, but she’s only given a few seconds before one of the guards pushes her forward and across the threshold.

The room is big but also tightly packed with smaller groupings of equally excited and nervous looking people. Most of them are humans but there are a few elves too...and two very colourful individuals – a male and a female who appear to be feeling out of place judging by the way they are looking about.

The male is blue skinned with poofy white hair that he’s tried to comb. He’s well armoured but oddly lithe. Allowing her gaze to travel the length of his body, Zilvra notices that his leather armour appears to be fitted with extra nobs and switches and he has some unidentifiable items hanging from his belt. She is unsure what race he is.

The female on the other hand is elvish although she is far from the race of either drow or High Elves...even Wood Elves would look different although her green colour scheme might be well suited for a life in the forest. Long hair (a darker green) is loosely braided and pushed to one side, allowing a view of a light leather armour and flowy clothes that still seem practical.

That’s all Zilvra has time to take note of before she’s pushed in their direction.

“These are your new friends,” the neatly dressed escort explains, returning from a desk where a rough looking man with black beard and hair is sorting through stacks of papers.

Handing a key to a guard, the escort watches as Zilvra’s manacles are unlocked, freeing her of the chain and ball she’d been lugging around for a long time. Oh, it feels wonderful and the drow can’t help but relish the feather light feeling of freedom only to have it snatched away as the man steps over and conjures new bonds on her wrists and neck. Lighter and without the heavy ball, they manage to remind her of her current status just as well as the previous tethers. At least, though, her items are returned to her and she quickly dons them all.

“They will tighten with time, eventually killing you if you don’t check in with the right people to have them loosened once more,” the escort explains, motioning to the bonds, “we will arrange for that...but make sure to make it to your destinations in time.” Then he turns to the two colourful people: “You now have a full group. Take some time to get to know each other.”

Slinking off to join the guards, the wizard (or whatever he is) gives the three strangers a chance to greet each other.

It turns out the female, who is green skinned, is called Morella and that she’s an eladrin – a Fey elf. She’s a bit vague on some subjects of her life but Zilvra writes it up to nerves and the fact that you don’t tell strangers everything right off the bat. Goodness knows Zilvra won’t.

The blue male is an air genasi by the name of Anvindr Hayate and while he is from this realm technically, he has chosen to embark on a journey of knowledge and research to ultimately help his kin return to where they came from. He doesn’t go into further details but prompts the drow to explain who she is, looking pointedly to the bonds on her wrist and neck.

“My name’s Zilvra Shadowsong,” she offers truthfully, “I’m...also on a bit of an educational quest. I know this first impression is probably not favourable but I promise the wrongs I’ve been accused of are...” she hesitates, looking for the right words, “I just wanted to admire the stars and while I may have been trespassing to get to the roof to do so, I’ve done no harm.”

A discreet snort of either disagreement or incredulity makes the three look over, finding the wizard to be looking at them intently. Noticing that he’s been spotted (although he was obviously not trying to hide it), he steps over.

“Even if you hadn’t trespassed, Roof Walking is still a crime and, in fact, you’ve been let off easy,” he claims. Then his expression softens a bit. “I’m curious to see what the three of you will accomplish as the oddball trio that you are.”

“Excuse me?” Morella bristles at his words.

He just smiles. “Look around. You’re all...misfits compared to the rest and that’s why we’ve placed you in a group together. You’re group D now. Master Tio will explain further once you’re ready,” with that he motions towards the large desk and the bearded man there, “but fear not...I have a feeling you’ve got potential.”

Watching as the man strides off out the door, it takes a moment for the newly made Group D to gather their thoughts.

“D,” Morella mocks, “what a lame name.”

Anvindr shrugs. “Guess we can have it changed?”

“To what?”

He looks both women over. “The misfits? The...rebels?”

Both females perk up at the last suggestion and the trio decides to go with that. Then they approach the desk.

Master Tio is a stout man with clear eyes and several scars that probably can be attributed to a life of adventure for himself. Straightening from his hunched position, he looks over the odd trio with a crooked smile.

“So you’ve accepted working together? Good good.” He ruffles through one of the stacks of papers on the desk, eventually procuring two documents but then shakes his head at one of them before returning it to the stack. “I got a job for you, if you want it.” His eyes are on Zilvra, and she picks up on the unspoken meaning: she doesn’t have a choice. “I want you to head to Heartwell Shire – it’s three or four days’ travel from here if you head east to Oldgarde and north from there. In Heartwell, find Deputy Willem and Marshal McBribe, they’ll fill you in on the rest but I can say that it’s something about the mine up there.” He explains more about the trip: people who can help them with shelter and food in Oldgarde thanks to the way the system is set up with identifying tags (they’re copper rank), the fauna of the region which is unfamiliar to them all, and the time pressure that at least Zilvra is under. “You’ve got five days so you want to get there to get the bonds extended.”

The newly acquainted outsiders exchange glances, at least one of them having a clear preference to make the trip as quick as possible.

“One thing before we leave,” Morella asks sugary sweet, “while walking from the harbour I couldn’t help but notice the damage to the city?”

Something dark crosses Tio’s face. “Yeah...long story short, a rebellious group of masons went amok and caused quite a bit of destruction. It got so bad the king had to intervene and they killed him. It’s best not to talk too much about it for now.” He slumps back in his chair, staring fixedly on a bare spot on the desk. “Just know that the guilty have been dealt with under orders of the widower queen. Now git.”

Not daring to push the subject further, the trio exits the Guild House, finding themselves on a street that has truly woken up. Already having all they need, the three of them thankfully agree to set off towards Heartwell Shire along the route suggested by Tio.

As the group walks, they slowly begin chatting more openly. First contemplating the system for adventurers, they can’t help but wonder what it takes to rise in the ranks.

“So if we’re copper,” Morella contemplates, “and we already will get free food and lodging...what will we get at silver and gold ranks?”

“Actually paid?” Zilvra suggests, thinking of her empty coin purse.

The male nods. “I’ve been told, and I hope it’s true, that you’d get access to places like the library and such.”

“Why do you hope that?” the eladrin asks curiously.

“I need to do some research...” Sighing, it’s evident that he takes the moment to consider what to tell them. “I...my people have been forced to flee our home. We come from another plane of existence and...let’s just say it hasn’t been pretty. I want for us to take back our home.”

The women nod.

“I come from a different plane of existence too,” the colourful of the females admits to no one’s surprise, “from the Fey Wild.”

“Why’d you leave?” Zilvra asks.

“...I don’t know...I can’t remember.” Stunned silence forces Morella to elaborate: “I just...I know I was there one moment and the next I was on a ship in the middle of the ocean. The people onboard were kinda shocked at me appearing out of nowhere. They were nice though, told me we were headed to Stouvania.”

The two other share a glance.

Anvindr is the one to speak up: “So you need to get back home.”

“Nah, I kinda like seeing new things so this is exiting,” the Fey elf grins, “besides I wouldn’t know where to go there either so might as well enjoy this for a while. Maybe I’ll remember something eventually.”

“But won’t people be looking for you?”

She seems surprised at the idea as if she hadn’t considered that before. “Maybe?”Then she turns with a smile to the drow. “And you?

Zilvra doesn’t quite like the beaming attention. “Well...as I said: I didn’t intend to do anything illegal. Yeah, alright, I might have been trespassing but I just wanted to look at the stars! We don’t have them in the Underdark.”

“Underdark?” Morella wonders.

Explaining briefly about the world below ground where she’s from, Zilvra manages to avoid further questions about her past. For now.

---

They walk the entire day, arriving at Oldgarde by sunset.

The place is nothing more than a village, though, with only one bigger building – the inn which clearly has been expanded in recent years and bears the sign “Lion’s Pride Inn”. Several of the city’s guards can be seen strolling or loitering, making Zilvra slightly uneasy, tugging at her sleeves and hood to hid the bonds. As the trio is about to enter the inn, they spot one of the other newly formed adventuring groups.

They’ve barely stepped into the crowded place before a boisterous woman bears down on them, presenting herself as Malikka. Showing her their tags, she verifies that food’s on the house and that they can sleep in the basement.

Checking out the quarters, the trio is utterly dismayed (and grossed out). What once might have been a coal or root cellar has barely been cleared out and in one corner there’s still a pile of refuse with plenty of fat rats. Not to mention the half full piss pot.

It is free, though, and none of the trio has money to buy a room instead so they accept, returning to the main room of the tavern for the promised meal only to be disappointed once more by stale and moulding bread and ale gone bad. Thankfully, Morella has a few tricks up her sleeve and is able to create a tiny but filling meal of Goodberries.

While nibbling, Zilvra points out the other group of adventurers and eventually Anvindr walks over to them, the rest of the trio in tow, and suggests an arm wrestling match so he can test out something about his armour.

The group consists of three male humans called Owen, Hayden, and Adam. Owen, a strong guy who might be a fighter, accepts the challenge after downing his expired beer. The other two discreetly push their mugs towards their friend, too disgusted by the contents to want to drink it, making Owen beam happily. Perhaps that joy is what carries him to a hard earned victory despite the steam slipping from Anvindr’s armour as they compete.

“Where’ve you got that armour from?” Hayden asks, fidgeting with the rings of his own.

The air genasi smiles proudly while rubbing his hand where it got slammed into the table. “I made it myself. I’m a bit of a tinkerer.”

It turns out to be a merry evening. No one but Owen drinks the ale, making sure that nothing goes to waste, and eventually everyone finds their way down into the basement to get some rest – the two of elven kin taking turns to rest so someone is awake at all times...and good thing too because during Zilvra’s watch, Owen wakes up: sick from the beer he pukes in the corner before she can do anything, barely acknowledges her help with cleaning him up after (long live magic) and eventually falling asleep again.

The only other thing that happens during the night is a strange metamorphosis of the eladrin as she changes appearance during her restful trance: from verdant greens and pinks to flaming hues that could match the warmest fire.

[hulijingemperor2]

Yao Huangdi, busy sitting for a painting, done by our beloved hulijing Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan: almost done Huangdi! You know one of my ancestors was a famous painter, and hulijing too.

Yao: I see. You sound very skilled.

Shen Yuan: thank you, Huangdi.

Do you know that your fox spirits love you so much. The city lords had to collect their own share of positive reviews about their living conditions. The Mengs, team d and concubines are the talk of the town at tea shops. And one time, someone was carrying a little statue of you. It was so cute.

Yao: oh waw. That's so interesting to know. 

Shen Yuan: everyone feels safe, Huangdi.

Yao: you have so much insight on my people.

I guess you should work in the public relations department.

Shen Yuan: if you see me fit. I'll definitely do it. Thank you.

Yao: any problems in the realm?

Shen Yuan: the powerless Hulijings of Shang are bracing for winter. Without power they're susceptible to illness, Huangdi.

Yao: I'll let my sons deliver necessities for them.

They love to be out helping.

Shen Yuan: that's so sweet. Huangdi, I'll write a book about them! And maybe about you afterwards.

Yao: can you write on Meng History?

Shen Yuan: definitely!

Shen Jiu: *barging in* you could write?

Shen Yuan: obviously.

Shen Jiu: greetings Huangdi. You look beautiful.

If I know that Shen Yuan was here, I would have called the police.

Yao: Shen Jiu, don't be harsh. *laughing*

Shen Jiu: ah, trying to impress Huangdi huh?

Shen Yuan: Huangdi already loves me. Now tell me how it is. I'm finished.

Shen Jiu: it's a picture. *uninterested*

Shen Yuan: painting. Why are you so sour.

Shen Jiu: because I can paint Huangdi better. Anyways. *opens fan* Huangdi, I came here to ask if you manhandled dage well.

Where is he?

Yao: omg. Oh yes I did,

Hulijing powers and the collection of turmoil were definitely involved.

He's recovered now, but he would feel as if he has a hangover for a couple of hours.

Team dimple and some attendants are supposed to go attend to him.

Shen Yuan: *laughing* team dimple?!

Out of anyone?

Yao: team d pranked you. Plus  I love how they handle that Qinghe beef cake.

Shen Yuan: oh my!

Shen Jiu: may I bring medicine to him?

Yao: no.

Because I know you'll drug him.

Shen Jiu: Huangdi knows me well.

~~~

Mingjue: *curled up in bed*

Fuying: Nie gui fei.

Xiying: hi Nie gui fei.

Mingjue: what are you two doing here? How did you two get in? Wait, don't ask that. I forgot you were hulijings.

Xiying: we brought some soup for you.

Mingjue: that your emperor make it? I think he wants to kill me.

Xiying: the emperor would never want to kill you. And no, he didn't make the soup.

Fuying: but wouldn't it be divine if he wants to kill you?

Mingjue: you're more insane than team dimple. And why are you two everywhere?!

Fuying: we work in the palace, Nie gui fei.

Mingjue: stop calling me nie gui fei.

Xiying: ok Nie gui fei.

Fuying: us fox spirits are ready to die by Huangdi's hands you know.

Mingjue: then I'm not a fox spirit, thank you very much.

*moaning* aauugghhh. I feel pregnant.

Xiying: awwww. Congratulations!

Fuying: we'll tell Huangdi.

Xiying: and I'll examine you.

Mingjue: hey hey! Get away! I'm not pregnant! I just feel pregnant.

Xiying: you never know.

Team dimple: *enters*

Xiying: Su xiandu, Nie gui fei feels pregnant!

Su she: WHAT??

Xue yang: he got Jiggy's second Hensheng. What do you expect.

Mo xuanyu: why did you take advantage of Yao gege?!

Mingjue: xuanyu, it was the other way around.

Fuying: so you got Huangdi pregnant?

But he's not.

He's happily getting his portrait done.

Mingjue: how is he so powerful! He doesn't feel sore?

Fuying: because he's the emperor, Nie gui fei.

Xiying: let's go inform the empress then.

Mingjue: no! Huanghou would let me get examined. And right now, I want to sleep. And once again, I'm not pregnant.

Fuying: of course you're not. Because you know how illegal it is to hide a Meng baby. You wouldn't want to be thrown in prison or get a death penalty.

Mingjue: *sigh*

Mo xuanyu: anyways Dage, tell us how it went with Yao gege.

Mingjue: you didn't want to ask Minshan and xue yang.

And you were there too!! At some point.

Mo xuanyu: yangyang and I just tied you up with guqin strings. Nothing else.

Then we were on our way.

Su she: and I played the collection of turmoil.

Mingjue: you three were having fun, watching me suffer.

Xue yang: we were looking at Jiggy and his sexy self. Then he gave us the signal to get out.

Xiying: I'm pretty sure Huangdi had his way with him.

Xue yang: ah yes.

Su she: Dage was shouting and saying that he loves Huangdi.

Xue yang: right!

Mo xuanyu: he keeps hiding his love. Yao gege doesn't  deserve such a thing. *sobs*

Fuying: he got to confess to the emperor.

Maybe he'll get pregnant then.

Mingjue: why are you so obsessed with me getting pregnant??!!

Xiying: anything for Huangdi's happiness and the immortality of the Meng dynasty.

And taihou will give you gifts.

Mingjue: I see.

Su she: while I was playing the collection of turmoil and watching Huangdi's graceful manhandling. *blushing* think I got hard.

Xue yang: everyone would! I got hard too.

Mo xuanyu: I wanted to be tied up instead.

I'm so jealous of dage.

Xue yang: want to beg Jiggy to tie us up?!

Su she: omg yes!

Mo xuanyu: dage, get well soon. We're busy now, ok. Xiying and Fuying are here to tell you about Yao gege ok.

Mingjue: aren't you supposed to do acupuncture on me, or bring medicine?

Not that I'm upset. I won't let you three near me.

Mo xuanyu: why do you need medicine for?

Xue yang: Jiggy's magical d*ck is enough.

Su she: You're wasting our time, Nie gui fei.

We got to go beg Huangdi to take advantage of us.

Xue yang: team dimple sexy time!

Mingjue: you three are something else.

~~~~

Later on~~~

*team d confronts Ayao.*

Mo xuanyu: Yao gege.

Xue yang: Jiggy, can you give us the dage treatment.

Su she: *blushing* like the full works?

Yao: ah, team dimple. I would love to manhandle you.

What do I get in return?

Su she: our devotion and worship.

And total submission.

Mo xuanyu: you're pleasure.

Xue yang: all of the above. But you know I can rip out someone's heart for you. Maybe a liver. I know you hulijings love liver.

Yao: yangyang. No need to be brutal.

Xue yang: destroy me, Huangdi.

Yao: certainty. I will.

Su she: your assistants thought that Dage was pregnant.

Yao: oh goodness.

It's just his hangover symptoms.

Xue yang: and dage is just dramatic.

Yao: exactly. Now hurry up, simps. let's go to Fengfei mansion.

Mo xuanyu: where are the Shens?

Yao: shen Yuan is studying in the library and Shen Jiu is having tea with Huan.

Su she: why is he having tea with Lan lips? I thought Shen Jiu hates him.

Yao: probably interrogating him.

~~~

Fangfei mansion~

Mo xuanyu and xue yang: *kissing Ayao's neck and lips*

Su she: *kissing his feet out of submission* huangdi, would you wear your execution boots and step on us?

Yao: of course, Shanshan. *lifts his chin with his foot*

Su she: *blushing*

Mo xuanyu: he's so damn hot! *Kneels* lift my chin next, Yao gege! Trample over me.

Xue yang: of course Jiggy got to wear the boots to get some height.

Jiggy, when are we going to tie us up with the razor guqin strings?

Yao: *caressing xuanyu's cheek with his foot*

Call me short again, and I would do something much worst with my guqin strings.

Xue yang: omg Jiggy, is that a threat?

That's so hot.

Su she: *feeling hard again*

Mo xuanyu: *hugs him tightly*

Yao: ah, I'll tie you three up later. 

Give your emperor some gifts.

Mo xuanyu: Yao gege, I want to retrace your red dot.

Yao: lovely. Please do.

Su she: Huangdi, I got you a pendant. With Moling Su Lilacs.

Yao: awww. How beautiful. Shanshan, I'll treasure it.

Su she: the entirety of Moling is yours, Huangdi. So I just decided to give you a little gift with sentimental value.

Yao: *kisses* you're so sweet.

Mo xuanyu: *kisses Ayao*

Su she: I also got you a crystal dagger.

Yao: oh waw! Quite exquisite. Thank you, darling.

Xue yang: Jiggy, I got you a tongue in a little box.

Yao: as per usual, yangyang. Your antics always surprise me.

You just drag things here like a black cat.

Xue yang: yea. Black cats would always drag things to his master. *hugs*

Su she: who insulted my Huangdi? Don't they have respect for him?

Mo xuanyu: should we torture them.

Xue yang: some guy from the Jiang sect. He said that you usurped the Jianghu.

Su she: how dare they! I'll stab them!

Yao: then torture the treasonous fool.

He has the audacity!

And their clan leader is the protector of the two emperors.

Mo xuanyu: that doesn't look good for their sect.

And Jiang cheng is also a concubine.

Xue yang: we'll torture that pesky, tongueless clan member for sure, Jiggy.

Yao: I hope Jiang cheng doesn't throw a tantrum.

Su she: certainly not

Xue yang: we'll prevent that from happening.

Mo xuanyu: plus, it's our duty to punish your enemies.

Yao: how marvelous.

Su she: the Jianghu was already yours, before you became the emperor.

Yao: exactly.

Su she: but as xiandu, I assure you that 99% of the Jianghu love their emperor.

Especially the smaller clans.

Xue yang: and we're currently dealing with the 1%. They're only assholes.

Yao: ah team dimple. You're the best fit this.

Come. *pulls out some guqin strings* now to tie you up.

Team dimple: *trying not to go insane*

Yao: *chuckles a little*

Mo xuanyu: DESTROY ME!!!

Xue yang: tie me tightly, Jiggylicious.

Yao: *ignores*

Su she: Yao Huangdi is so beautiful.

Yao: *ties them up one by one*

Mo xuanyu: *cries* he's too gorgeous. I just can't.

Look at his gold eyes!!

Xue yang: I want to eat his dimples.

Mo xuanyu: I kinda want to lick him

Su she: Huangdi, everyone is under your feet. And I will kill for you!

Yao: *amused*

Shanshan, is it too tight? I'll adjust it for you.

Su she: it's perfect Huangdi. *blushing* I want it tighter.

Yao: tighter than that?

Su she: I want to bleed for your enjoyment.

Xue yang: we're ready to do that!

Mo xuanyu:  Yao gege, we already do it in our team dimple rituals.

Yao: bleed for my amusement.

No I don't like to see my team dimple hurt.

Mo xuanyu: awww.

Yao: Minshan, come with me.

Su she: *flustered* where, Huangdi?

Yao: to the bed. Team d will stay in the treasure room for now.

Xue yang: shanshan is the chosen one!

Mo xuanyu: I'm so jealous.

Su she: I don't think I can pleasure you, Huangdi. I'm so so mediocre. I always was. I'm a mere servant.

Yao: don't say that about yourself, Shanshan. You're amazing.

And you serve me well.

*strokes hair* Xiandu~

Su she: *red* I'm your xiandu.

Your Su gui fei too!

Yao: mn.

On his lavish looking bed, he untied Minshan and slowly opened his robes.

Yao: your hundred holes are healing.

Su she: thanks to your hulijing physicians. It's not poisonous anymore. But it bleeds a little when I get nervous.

I took some medication before coming, so that's the reason why it isn't bleeding.

Yao: I see.

Su she: I didn't want to be messy.

Yao: *kisses his neck* Shanshan, you know you're my favorite servant.

Don't tell the rest of team dimple.

Su she: *kisses the delicate strands of Ayao's hair* I'm so glad that I'm your favorite. It means the world.

And your secret is safe with me.

Yao: so precious. So obedient.

Su she: *blushing* 

*kisses his dimple*

Yao: *amused*

Tell me when you want team d to join in, Xiandu.

Su she: Huangdi, how can I say that? It's your wish.

Yao: *lifts chin* one of a kind.

Su she: only for you.

Yao: Shanshan, you're really perfect.

Su she: really?

Yao: mhm. *kisses his neck again*

How's Suyin?

Su she: in general? Or is he good at pleasing you?

Yao: in general, Shanshan! You think your cousin would steal me away from you?

Su she: nah, no, not at all. But he loves working for you though.

Yao: i want you and Suyin to inspect the clans. Not the main ones where their clan leaders are my concubines. Check the smaller clans.

Su she: as you wish! And you know Moling Su members are like assasins already.

With our masks and telepotation.

Yao: very good.

Su she: you giving me orders while we're intimate, would always be hot.

Yao: ah you think?

Su she: yea. But then you're always hot.

Yao: *laughing slightly*

Su she: *admires his deep dimples*

Yao: would you remember my order?

Su she: I would never forget, Huangdi!

Yao: delightful. I know I could count on Xiandu.

Su she: Huangdi, I think the rest of team d might explode.

Yao: you're right. *snaps*

Xue yang and mo xuanyu: *running in, while tripping over each other*

Mo xuanyu: we're here Yao gege! And definitely not trying to peep.

Xue yang: Jiggy you're so delicate with Shanshan. But can you go hard on me? It's just a preference.

Yao: *glares at him*

Su she: yangyang, behave. He's really delicate.

Xue yang: it's Jiggy we're talking about? He took down dage.

Mo xuanyu; don't forget he's a powerful hulijing emperor.

Su she: I know that team dimple! But Huangdi is so precious. Ahhh.

Yao: so team d wants me to destroy them?

Mo xuanyu: YES!!!

Xue yang: obviously Jiggy!

Mo xuanyu: Yao gege, dage is feeling pregnant.

Yao: *laughing* oh dear! Why is it always something new with him.

Su she: he's too damn dramatic! Anyways your attendants interrogated him and stuff.

Yao: he's always dramatic.