#Tales of avantris

[131-vr]

Someone help me, I just can't get them out of my head.

[aroacesetitoff]

not romantic not platonic but a secret third thing (in the same adventuring party)

[apolaskiart]

Get yourself friends who will support your ironic relationship through the medium of marketable plushies

[taylorfromthestars]

I'm starting to listen to Legands of Avantris (OUAW) and as someone who was introduced to dnd podcasts by TFTSD I don't know how to listen to 2 - 3 hour episodes I'm too weak

[embrose]

So...

Guess who fell into a new dnd podcast hole~

A very stinky hole, this time. I thought tftsd had very LoA kinda vibe about them based on the shorts, maybe bit more lighthearted, so I checked them out, and I'm invested now. I love the Grotethe campaign, it's really fun and I love the dynamics of the party. Chip is my favourite~

Imma work on the Infinight Interns campaign next tho, since it's so much longer and I really wanna see all the hijinks the shorts are about.

[variksel]

ok but this is like an entire genre of Guy right

like. personality, looks, humor, the way they all make darker jokes and/or content, even the way they talk and their cadence is so insanely similar i feel like im going crazy which factory are they popping these motherfuckers out of

[explosiv-glasses]

[rpgsandbox]

The Crooked Moon is a 400+ page tome that brings Folk Horror to 5E, drawing inspiration from eerie Folklore, legendary Horror Films, classic Halloween Aesthetics, and more. Evoke true terror with malevolent Monsters and Mechanics in a Campaign Setting of eternal night, or equip yourself with numerous Player Options to brave the dark wood. 

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Terrifying Adventure for Levels 1-13 

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Halloween-Themed Races

Rise again as one of 13+ Lineages of Druskenvald, mortal souls reborn in the land of endless night and changed forever. Choose between the pumpkin-headed Harvestborn, the rat-like Plagueborn, the murk-dwelling Deepborn, or any of the other Race Options inspired by Halloween pop culture.

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Folklore-Inspired Monsters

Face off against creatures of the night with 66+ Folkloric Monsters that require more than basic combat to defeat. Investigate local Myths and Legends, discover Secrets and Superstitions, and Perform Rituals in thrilling encounters beyond just rolling for initiative. 

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Chaotic Curses

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Kickstarter campaign ends: Thu, November 2 2023 4:00 AM UTC +00:00

Website: [Legends of Avantris] [facebook] [twitter] [instagram]

[thefallenangelsgang]

The Avantris Fam Discord got this a few days early, but, in a burst of academic energy I haven't felt in weeks, I wrote a 2k word Literary Analysis on Marius from Edge of Midnight in 4 hours (complete with citations and sources)

What you are about to read is the culmination of an 18 day hyper fixation (I averaged more than a session* a day) (*each session being about 3 hours in length). It has only been slightly edited for better Tumblr consumption. It is legitimately almost 2k words. It starts VERY academic (as I get to flex my knowledge on an obscure Arthurian legend I love) and then immediately drops off in quality as I traverse some "dubious psycho-analysis" (my own words) and try to wrap up a half finished thoughts that should be thousands of words longer.

If you want to see my active descent into madness or the original google doc this was written in, join the discord (linked above!). I've got massive Legends of Avantris Brain Rot and will for a very long time I fear.

TW for Sexual Assault Themes (please tell me if my tw tags are not extensive enough)

CW for my insufferable academic attitude, literary analysis where no one wanted it, "dubious psycho-analysis", half finished thoughts, DnD, vampires, and my sailors mouth

Marius: An Analysis on Chivalry and Chastity

Break to save your dash

To get the literary shit out of the way, Marius’s seduction is a parallel of the Arthurian Legend “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” intentionally or not. I have a sneaking suspicion perhaps The Duchess scene is also based on the “Tale of Sir Galahad” bit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail BUT that bit draws inspiration from Gawain’s story. So no matter which way you cut it, Marius is connected to Gawain to SOME degree.

Attempting to be brief, I’ll sum up Gawain as briefly as I, someone who loves this tale a ridiculous amount, can.

Gawain is King Arthur’s nephew, a knight of the round table, young, chivalrous, pious, but itching to prove himself. He loves the aging Arthur and Arthur loves him like a son but he feels restless in his station because he has not gone on a great quest like many of the other knights. 

Serendipitously, during the New Years celebrations a strange man enters Arthur’s great hall. He is green and carries a great axe in one hand and a bough of holly in his other. He challenges anyone in the room to hit him with the axe and he will return the blow in a year and a day. No one takes the man up on the challenge. Arthur is about to do it when Gawain takes his chance to prove himself. Thinking he can outsmart the Green Knight, Gawain cleaves the man’s head from his shoulders. Unexpectedly the Green Knight picks up his detached head, leaves the axe for Gawain as a trophy, and strides out of there with the reminder that he will return the blow in a year and a day. Gawain has effectively doomed himself.

Attempting to put off his fate, Gawain waits to seek the Green Knight until All Saints Day (November 1st). He is sent forth with all of the pomp and circumstance a Knight of the Round Table and favorite of King Arthur can get. He spends nearly two months seeking someone who knows of the Green Chapel where the Green Knight resides and is fruitless. Winter sets in and he begins to suffer exposure when he is greeted by a beautiful castle that seemingly appears out of nowhere. He meets the Lord of the Castle and the Lord's beautiful wife. In the spirit of Christmas the Lord challenges Gawain to a game. The Lord will be hunting the next three days, anything he catches is to be Gawain’s. In return Gawain is to give the Lord anything he receives during his stay.

Well what Gawain receives is a lot of unwanted attention from the Lord’s wife. She attempts to seduce the ever pious Knight. Gawain, minding his promise and his tenets, only allows her six kisses over the course of the three days. All of which he returns to the Lord. But seeing as she can’t sway him with the sins of the flesh, she tempts Gawain with magic. The same day she convinces Gawain to receive three kisses she offers him an enchanted sash that will keep him from harm. Gawain accepts this knowing it will save his life in the coming days. He breaks his promise to the Lord and does not divulge this gift.

Gawain keeps his appointment with the Green Knight who admonishes Gawain when he flinches at the first swing, holds back on his second, and finally drives home the third, only wounding Gawain slightly. Gawain now must confess his temptation to the Green Knight who tells him that it is not Gawain’s fault. This has all been a plan by Morgan le Fay to attempt to ruin Arthur. Gawain only fell to part of her plan and so it has been thwarted. He should learn from this stumble on his path. And learn he does.

Monty Python takes this tale and guts it for “the Tale of Sir Galahad” segment. Galahad is instead searching for the Grail when he stumbles upon a mystical castle with a grail shaped beacon. His temptress(es) are the “8 scores” of young women of Castle Anthrax. He too enters the castle sick from exposure and wounded and thwarts unwanted advances until he learns that the grail is not there. Before he can fall to his temptation Lancelot, Ector, and ironically Gawain rescue him from his “peril” judging it to be “too perilous” for him to face. (It is really important to note that the actual Sir Galahad in Arthurian Legend doesn’t have a story that even resembles this one. Galahad is supposed to be an emulation of good ol’ Jesus Christ and the perfect chivalric Knight. He literally ascends to heaven in his tale. The only reason Gawain’s Tale is used is because it is the perfect setting to test “Sir Galahad the Pure” as long as you fudge a few details.)

These are both humorous stories with happy endings. It is important that Marius’s story is not.

Marius is searching for the Grail much like Sir Galahad in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (a parallel Mikey brings up often by singing “Brave, Brave, Brave, Brave Sir Robin Marius”). 

Like both Gawain and Galahad his quest leads him on a lengthy adventure that causes him to suffer from exposure to the elements. A fate he is saved from by a mystical castle that appears out of nowhere. 

Much like Gawain and Galahad, this Castle is the home of a seductress. 

And all too much like Sir Gawain, the Lord of this Castle is away on a hunting expedition. 

But here is where Sir Gawain, Sir Galahad, and Sir Marius’s stories diverge. Because Marius’s story partially is a story of sexual assault. 

We see in the ritual that Marius’s “head is filled with exhaustion, wine, and a strange perfume that feels almost magical in its enchantment” (Nikkie’s narration, 2:32:00, Chapter 17). There’s literally no other way to say this, Marius cannot consent to the acts about to take place in The Red Duchess’s bedchamber. He is too sick, too drunk, and, on top of it, literally charmed. 

His affliction is also another facet of this assault. While his transformation is not a direct result or part of the sex act, it follows quickly on the heels of it. Nikkie even notes Marius is still naked and that the shame of what has just happened is beginning to bubble up.

(Now this is where I get into the dubious psycho-analysis)

Perhaps attempting to swallow that shame, he accepts the Faux Grail and drinks from it, not questioning the appearance of the so-called Grail of Dawn. If he can just get through this night he can bring it back to Victor and all will be righted. He can live with the shame if it saves his kingdom. 

But that isn’t the Grail of Dawn he is drinking from and the woman who has just taken something irreplaceable from him is not just a beautiful woman looking for the comforts of the flesh on a cold, lonely winter’s night. And he is going through something so much more horrible than being assaulted like he has been.

And so he ends up back in the cold, irrevocably changed through no fault of his own, and he hates himself for it.

It’s heartbreakingly common that Sexual Assault survivors blame themselves for being assaulted. Marius’s conviction that he was at fault, that if only he was stronger, smarter, less feeble, he could have found a way to say no. He could have escaped her clutches. He wouldn’t be a Dhampir. He wouldn’t be haunted by her noxious perfume. He would still have his clear connection to Lathander. 

None of it is really his fault. The Duchess took advantage of him. There was truly nothing he could have done to change his fate that night.

At this point I am trying to articulate some of the things @middycat_ @zer09851 and @purpledinosaurdnd were talking about here https://discord.com/channels/223485292449890305/892828741900849182/1182483200505815153 

I think I want to jump into my High Inquisitor thoughts because they tie so closely with the novel I wrote above. This section is admittedly a little more scatterbrained. 

The High Inquisitor is a perfect example of both Marius’s self loathing and the way abusers seemingly can sniff out who has been abused before. From the second we meet her she singles Marius out. While yes, Marius is the most “normal” out of the EoM cast, Jericho is a MUCH easier target. He is touch starved and his sin is literally Envy. Jericho would have bent immediately at the first hints of affection and then she has an actual demon under her control. But Marius, though a tougher catch, is a much tastier meal so to say. (Not in that way you freaks /j) 

By answering to the High Inquisitor’s beckoning is how we end up with Marius as the Crimson Abbot. His self hatred would make him spiral and he’d turn to his Wrath to compensate. We’ve seen it before, especially recently when he thinks Lathander has abandoned him. He gives in because it's so much easier. She wants me? Fine. Let her have me in all of my broken glory. I’m too wrong to serve Lathander. Etc etc. 

Man, I wish I could string these thoughts together better.

AHA! This was the thought I had that I felt needed more context! 

@middycat_ brought up “hoping beyond hope that it’s not lathander’s choice to leave him”

I think the severed connection between him and Lathander is both a subconscious self-sabotage and a direct result of the ritual binding him to The Red Duchess. 

Most of the binding rituals I was pretty comfortable with. Lethica, Briggsy, Farryn, and somewhat Yorgrim were simply binding themselves to their gods/patrons. (I’m still not entirely sure what the Maiden of the Mists' whole deal is about but she seems mostly benevolent for now. Mr Crossroads didn’t really make Briggsy that way, he kinda was a bastard from the start. The zombification was a result of “fuck around and find out”). The ones I felt least comfortable with and that are reaping the most consequences are Jericho and Marius. Jericho’s character analysis is another similarly sized tome that will have to wait but he is having a harder and harder time keeping Virgil in check. Marius has bound himself to the woman that literally raped him. 

No wonder Lathander has found it hard to commune with him, The Duchess is practically breathing down his neck, whispering in his ear that he is not worthy of Lathander. He has been debased, ruined, made unloveable in the eyes of that god. And at least up until Chapter 22 he has been pushing back against that. Not any longer. He’s given in. As @middycat_ said “he’s a tired old man, a jaded old soldier who should have long since given up this fight to someone else.” 

I am afraid we are about to see the beginnings of the Crimson Abbot

And the only thing that can save Marius are his friends.

But I am also afraid they may not learn their lessons in time. Many of them tried to encourage him to fuck or made fun of him for not fucking the High Inquisitor when he was clearly triggered by something. 

Jericho will have to quash his envy. 

Briggsy and Farryn will have to admit they were wrong.

Lethica and Yorgrim will have to speak up.

Inaction hurts as much as action

And Marius needs all the help he can get.

[If you stuck this out A) you deserve awards and B) check out my other 2k word research essay on a niche topic: Why Ghouls Look Different Across the Fallout Games (Not because of Stylistic Differences) ]

This is fucking insane but here are the sources i used

Sir Gawain

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knight https://www.yorku.ca/inpar/sggk_neilson.pdf (Translation PDF if you want to read the tale)

Sir Galahad

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galahad (for the one time i reference his actual arthurian legend)

Monty Python (I really can’t believe I cited this)

https://montycasinos.com/montypython/grailmm2.php.html (This is a script I was quoting from) https://montypython.fandom.com/wiki/Sir_Galahad (I was looking for other info on him in the movie but ended pulling the list of knights from this)

Pretty basic article on why victims blame themselves

https://www.throughthewoodstherapy.com/sexual-assault-survivors-blame/ (In case you want to do some light reading)

EoM Episodes

17 + 22 Definitely Anytime the High Inquisitor shows up

[theatrical-child]

Yo Yo Yo what’s up fazgang

This is just a “ here’s what my blog is” that I did on my last blog that I am now doing on this one.

Getting some things out of the way, I’m lgbt, I’m a minor, I’m mixed ( fun fact ) and I’m a theatre kid ( shocker )

This blog is kinda “for the people” in a way, I want to be able to hear what others what to say, whether it’s a head cannon, an oc, a fanfic, or just another fandom idk yet, I’m down to know.

Everyone has their opinions and I wanna be the one who listens ( just don’t send anything weird or gross, or offensive, which falls under weird and gross )

Fandoms I’m apart of so far are:

Good Omens

The Lego Movie

Ruby Gloom

Ramshackle

TADC

Duck tales

Any AU by elmushterri

Hugo’s mind palace ( current interest )

Nimona

Legends of Avantris

NATM

Parkour Civilization ( I liked it before it blew up 🤓)

Mr. Plant and Argos

Super Mario Bros

The Magnus Archives

FNAF

Clone high

Spongebob

The Muppets

Thanks for reading and feel free to chat!

[131-vr]

[bloodenkids]

I know I haven’t done this before but I figure I should. This is my main blog, but you can find me other places! I follow from here for my sideblogs:

@petpsycho (John Doe / A Nightmare on Elm Street)

@allexandrianrejects (CR oc multimuse)

@horrorcomeshome (HHN oc multimuse)

@childrenfromthecrypt (Tales from the Crypt OCs)

@legendsofthewitchlight (Legends of Avantris multimuse)

@hatchetmen (Starkid's Hatchetfield multimuse)

@moreinterestingtimes (BG3 Tavs and Durges)

@ddarkroomm (Adam Faulkner-Stanheight / Saw)

[hamcatspamacc]

Heyo, Hamcat/ Ham here! (⁠=⁠^⁠･⁠ｪ⁠･⁠^⁠=⁠)

I go by they/them pronouns but if you yell 'Oi, stupid!' in any direction I'd probably answer to that too.

My art acc is @hamcatburger go follow me there if you want to see shitty doodles of my OCs and whatever fanart I chuck out when I'm feeling like it lmao.

I mainly reblog things into a black hole of doomscrolling here and sometimes (rarely) put thoughts on here!

ALSO I LOVE CATS if you have any cat photos please send them!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE i am on my knees...

Under the cut is my fandom list and tags if you wanna look through them or block them or anything!

Re hams - for reblogs (block this one if you don't want random spamposts on your dash)(sometimes i forget to tag my reblogs tho)(whoops)

Ham spams - for random thoughts/text posts

OC and stories tags (ill add more if i ever do post art or write about them)

Thrys and Jing (two guys just running around doing stupid shit while not trying to get involved in a war)(Jing is by @mirikthepoet)

Away ham ver (man escapism is sure one hell of a interdimensional trip, isn't it?)(ham ver so that it doesnt get confused with other away tags)

The Revue of Syzergy (starlight revue OC stuff)(still thinking up of a better name lmao)

I'm pretty multifandom, but some things I'm interested in is:

- Dndads

- DND (in general)(like critical role/jocat's campaigns/legends or avantris/dimension20 etc)

- Ace attorney (specifically the Great Ace Attorney but all is good :)

- Vocaloid!

- The Magnus Archives

- BanG Dream Girls Band party (retired player but still a fan)(Kasuari my love)

- Rythm games in general

- Minecraft (Hermitcraft/life series/whitepine/parkciv etc)

- Good Omens

- Revue Starlight

- Welcome to Nightvale

- The Owl House

- Musicals in general

- Hamilton

- Cats (the musical)(casual enjoyer)

- Cult of the Lamb

- Fnaf

- ATLA

- OMORI

- Disco Elysium

- The Stanley Parable

- Will Wood

- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (casual enjoyer rn)

- Professor Layton

- OFF

- Arcane (casual enjoyer)

- Legend of Zelda (mostly Botw and totk)

- Pokemon

- (Some) Gravity falls

- Genshin Impact (retired player but still somewhat casually enjoying the stories)(not the blatant whitewashing and cultural appropriation tho fuck you mihoyo)

- Most anime in general

- (Some) Danganronpa

- Loads of indie games (esp those with banger stories)

- Wandersong

- Chicory a colourful tale

- Stardew Valley

- Slay the Princess

- Dungeon Meshi

- Undertale/Deltarune

- (Some) My Little Pony

- (Not much anymore) Warrior cats

- Murder drones

- The Amazing Digital Circus

- Hololive (not too much anymore)

There's more that I can't quite remmeber right now but I'll update if there are any!

Stinker jumpscare

[hamcatburger]

Heyo, Hamcat/ Ham here! (⁠=⁠^⁠･⁠ｪ⁠･⁠^⁠=⁠)

I go by they/them pronouns but if you yell 'Oi, stupid!' in any direction I'd probably answer to that too.

/⁠ᐠ⁠｡⁠ꞈ⁠｡⁠ᐟ⁠\ I yeet doodles and the occasional proper art into the void here, I draw mostly my OCs tho! (Perhaps some fanart as a treat when I feel like it who knows?)

You can find all my art under the (hamcat draws) tag!

/⁠ᐠ⁠｡⁠ꞈ⁠｡⁠ᐟ\ Socials!

Side/spam blog @hamcatspamacc (but it's mostly me just reblogging things and occasional rambles...)

Bluesky: @/ hamcatburger

Artfight: Hamcatburger

Toyhou.se: Hamcatburger (i have not touched it much so its p empty...)

/⁠ᐠ⁠｡⁠ꞈ⁠｡⁠ᐟ⁠\ I also do doodle requests, (good if i know the character but if I don't you can send in some refs as well)(but they'll probably be simple sketches or something) art trades, collabs, bring it on i love collabing with other artists!

/⁠ᐠ⁠｡⁠ꞈ⁠｡⁠ᐟ⁠\ You can reuse my art for headers and/or icons as long as you credit me! (I don't think anyone would because it's mostly characters like one person other than me knows)(But still good to put a precaution here)

ALSO I LOVE CATS if you have any cat photos or just want to talk about cats please send them!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE i am on my knees...

Under the cut is my fandom list and tags if you wanna look through them or block them or anything!

re hams - for reblogs

hamchats - for random thoughts/text posts

OC and stories tags (ill add more if i ever do post art or write about them)

Thrys and Jing (two guys just running around doing stupid shit while not trying to get involved in a war)(Jing is by @mirikthepoet)

Away ham ver (man escapism is sure one hell of a interdimensional trip, isn't it?)(ham ver so that it doesnt get confused with other away tags)

The Revue of Syzergy (starlight revue OC stuff)(still thinking up of a better name lmao)

I'm pretty multifandom, but some things I'm interested in is:

- Dndads

- DND (in general)(like critical role/jocat's campaigns/legends or avantris/dimension20 etc)

- Ace attorney (specifically the Great Ace Attorney but all is good :)

- Vocaloid!

- The Magnus Archives

- BanG Dream Girls Band party (retired player but still a fan)(Kasuari my love)

- Rythm games in general

- Minecraft (Hermitcraft/life series/whitepine/parkciv etc)

- Good Omens

- Revue Starlight

- Welcome to Nightvale

- The Owl House

- Musicals in general

- Hamilton

- Cats (the musical)(casual enjoyer)

- Cult of the Lamb

- Fnaf

- ATLA

- OMORI

- Disco Elysium

- The Stanley Parable

- Will Wood

- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (casual enjoyer rn)

- Professor Layton

- OFF

- Arcane (casual enjoyer)

- Legend of Zelda (mostly Botw and totk)

- Pokemon

- (Some) Gravity falls

- Genshin Impact (retired player but still somewhat casually enjoying the stories)(not the blatant whitewashing and cultural appropriation tho fuck you mihoyo)

- Most anime in general

- (Some) Danganronpa

- Loads of indie games (esp those with banger stories)

- Wandersong

- Chicory a colourful tale

- Stardew Valley

- Slay the Princess

- Dungeon Meshi

- Undertale/Deltarune

- (Some) My Little Pony

- (Not much anymore) Warrior cats

- Murder drones

- The Amazing Digital Circus

- Hololive (not too much anymore)

There's more that I can't quite remmeber right now but I'll update if there are any!

Stinker jumpscare

[a-weird-cryptid]

I hope im not being stereotypical for asking this but... have you listened to ttrpg podcast like adventure zone, critical role, and legend of avantris?

Don't worry about stereotyping me.

I tried to listen to ttrpg podcasts, such as the ones from Critical Role or Tales from the Stinky Dragon (which my friend recommended to me).

However, when it comes to podcasts my mind tends to wander around more than when reading or watching something. Which leads to me not paying as much attention and needing to listen to the same parts over and over again.

This doesn't matter as much if the podcast is more "episodic", where it won't make a difference if I payed attention to every detail. But it really gets in the way of listening to podcasts with longer, overall plots, like ttrpgs tend to have. It's why I prefer to play DnD instead of listening to others doing so. :)

Hope this answers your question!

[legendsofthewitchlight]

WENT DOWN IN HISTORY- Your muse’s story is passed down through the ages, sometimes being stretched or exaggerated in places until it becomes a legend told in storybooks and campfires as poems, tall tales, etc.

For Marius (he is a knight after all, and Jericho did offer to write stories and songs about Marius 🥺)

Brave, brave Sir Marius was not afraid to die. He was the man who took a succubus head on after his virtue had been tested. He was righteous and virtuous, never to stray from the path of light.

But perhaps he was afraid of love.

Yes, the brave knight was among the undead, a bloodthirsty vampire (though, so the legend goes, he was maintained on spiritual food and prayer alone, due to his righteousness), but he was always handsome. There were many who loved him. The evil succubus, his best friend from childhood who went on to rule a great kingdom, a gracious and beautiful priestess of Shar, a lowly peasant put into the body of a scarecrow, like the Tin Woodsman of fairy tales. Each in their own way sought the knight's hand. Marius was kind, yes, but he was much too humble to see himself through the eyes of others. For years and years he kept himself focused on his quest to find the Grail of Dawn, the holy relic of Lathander. He did not allow himself the time to experience love.

Not until the world around him began to collapse, and for the first and only time, he was helpless. The King who once loved him was long dead, and Marius shunned the help of the succubus... but the scarecrow and the priestess gave him their help, lifted him up, and gave him the love and support he needed for so long.

The story goes that once the evil was defeated, Marius had grown confident in his ability and forsook the light to not change back to his human self; a human would be lucky for 100 years, and his dearest friends and lovers were much more eternal, with the priestess being a drow who would likely live 400 more years. Yet, his pure heart had him sustained and in Lathander's light all the same, with him able to live as a human, but now with the strength of a vampire and the lifespan of one.

The scarecrow was the poet of many of these stories, and in his songs, he hardly mentioned himself beyond love and admiration for the paladin. Some theorized the two loved each other dearly, but others seek to keep the narrative that they were merely close friends, and the scarecrow wished to be like Marius. He did not, however, forget to tell in his songs that the priestess and the paladin were in love, with them becoming a story of love despite the odds in centuries to come. They had children together. They lived full any happy lives. For all anyone knew, as they aged, they simply walked into the mist, never to be seen again.

Marius' legend persists. The legend goes that one day, when Avantris is in great need, at the edge of midnight, a man in gleaming golden armor and eyes as red as roses will emerge from the mists and fight for all those in need.