#Valley of the Unfortunate Undead

[juddgeeksout]

Three d6 Tables for Books in the Mörk Borg World

I read over the Bare Bones Edition, rolled up a character and liked what was made. I am intrigued, bought the book and an adventure called Regicide because I liked the name of it. During a lunch break I jotted down three d6 tables for creating fast books from the world. Art assets below by Perplexing Ruins. 3 d6 Tables for Mork Borg…

[anantplayingdnd]

Oh Hellos' songs and what Curse of Strahd Characters I associate with them!

Oh boy they are my favorite band of all time and boy do I have things to say.

Also this does contain spoilers, so if you're a player, maybe get your DM's permission before reading through this.

Ireena: "Trees" "Notos" "Dear Wormwood" "Exeunt" "Boreas" "Lay Me Down" "On the Mountain Tall"

Oh boy, it's quite a few, if I'm being honest. "Trees" is about her relationship with Izmark, obviously. "Notos" is largely vibes based, but it's a lot of freedom and being willing to fight against the circumstances you find yourself in, which is a major theme for her. "Dear Wormwood" like... come on. Do I even need to say anything about this? Strahd has been controlling so much of her life, and now she's realized who he is and how bad he is. The whole song is about rebellion against an abuser and making your own way, without their influence. Similarly, "Exeunt" is about... leaving. Running away. Saying you've had enough of the treatment you've endured and getting the hell out of there. "Lay me Down" picks up right where that leaves off, bold and determined to get away, if not in life than in death. It's her hope of one day not being trapped in the soul snowglobe of Barovia. "Boreas" and "On the Mountain Tall" are both a little more abstract, but I think Boreas relates to the periods of depression she's been through as a result of.. you know. Strahd. And as for "On the Mountain Tall" like.. tell me you can hear the line, "I know you want me to be afraid, I know you want me to love you," without thinking of her and Strahd.

Izmark: "Trees" and "Soap"

"Trees" is there for symmetry with Ireena, being a song about their childhood and how, for a little while, they were happy. "Soap" is one I just like, can't explain properly. Frankly it came to me in a vision, and sometimes I know a song fits a character long before I figure out why. I think what initially drew me to associating it with Izmark is the lyrics about having a softer side, but needing to become tougher to survive in the world, and trying to figure out how to make who you want to be compatible with who the world says you have to be.

Rahadin: "Pale White Horse"

I feel like there's little to say that isn't obvious. The Pale White Horse is the coming of death, something twisted and horrible that makes even the bravest cower in fear, and if that isn't Rahadin, I don't know what is.

Doru: "The Valley"

Doru hates being trapped in Barovia (I mean, they all do, but Doru really hates it). And because of how much he hated everything about the place he was raised, it made him very eager to follow someone who said they would lead him into something better. Unfortunately, that individual bit off a little more than they could chew in this brilliant attack on Castle Ravenloft, and that's how Doru ended up undead.

Strahd: "Like the Dawn"

One of my favorite things to do with Strahd is take things that are super cute and wholesome, like Adam seeing Eve for the first time and realizing how wonderful it is to have someone who understands him, and making it about how horrible and fucked up Strahd is. This song is normally really romantic, but I dare you, just go imagine Strahd singing this about Tatyana and come back to tell me how icked out you are.

Sykane (OC): "Eat You Alive"

I'll talk more about her one day, but you know that weird Dark Power who can let you reanimate the dead if they've only been dead for a few days? Yeah, she's the Warlock/Necromancer's patron :)

Ezmerelda: "Thus Always To Tyrants"

A song about bringing life back to a dry valley by overthrowing the corrupt tyrants that have destroyed it? Yes, obviously it's the most badass Vampire Hunter out there. (I also think that some of it, especially toward the end, that's in reference to Van Richten).

Ludmilla: "Rose"

My Ludmilla has been hiding who she is from everyone, including Strahd. She was once good friends with the party Druid, but under a different name. Also, the lyrics about appeasing your leviathan groom? Love will get you slaughtered? Ugh. I love her.

Kasimir: "Rounds" and "The Lament of Eustace Scrubb"

"Rounds" is a song I personally use a lot to help myself get out of depressive slumps, due to it's slow building and references to taking in deep breaths, learning how to speak again. In his playlist, this song comes just after everything Rahadin does to the Dusk Elves, and is him slowly trying to pick his life back up after unbelievable pain. "The Lament of Eustace Scrubb" is honestly a bit of wishful thinking on my part, since our Kasimir hasn't quite realized that he has the ability to change and grow from the many, many mistakes he's made. But one day, maybe he'll realize that he can be set free.

BONUS ROUND WITH NO EXPLANATIONS

Escher: "Danse Macabre"

Abbot: "Smoke Rising Like Lifted Hands"

Lady Wachter: "Hieroglyphs"

Volenta: "Torches"

Sergei: "Grow"

[monsterkin-culture-is]

zombie song list ?? :O

10 Fave Zombie Songs 🦴

Thank you for requesting this one! I'm revenantkin (similar to zombie) so I've been thinking about this one for ages. I think a lot of the songs from my Grim Reaper Songlist would also be fitting here due to the common themes! There are definitely a couple I wished I'd saved for here. I'm not sure what your taste in music is so I've just gone through my Spotify as usual! All song names link to Spotify.

10. Nothing Matters by The Last Dinner Party. Actually not a huge fan of The Last Dinner Party but I like this song specifically. Even zombies deserve to get freaky! No but the song's themes of nihilism fit perfectly with the undead themes of immortality. The lyrics about the partners' isolation from others can read very kin4kin and also add to that living vs the dead vibe. If you like this, you might also like Lovers In The Dark by Sophie Morelli. Not zombiekin vibes but a worthwhile mention.

9. Am I Awake? by They Might Be Giants. The themes of dissociation, superstition, surrealism and a general detachment from humanity are a goldmine for any undeadkin playlist. I love They Might Be Giants, there really is no band quite like them.

8. Bones by Imagine Dragons. I'm an unironic Imagine Dragons fan unfortunately.... This is genuinely one of my faves and it just fits the more lively side of a zombiekin songlist. A lot of the picks later on are quite serious in tone so I thought I'd shake it up. My actual favourite Imagine Dragons song is Lonely.

7. I Cannot Sleep At Night by K.I.D. One of the less explicitly zombie related songs, but I feel like insomnia & undeadkins/monsterkins go hand-in-hand thematically. It's indie pop-rock (more pop I think), a little tongue-in-cheek and all too relatable. If you like this I also recommend Great! Big! Party! by eyeamki which actually also has plenty of undeadkin vibes!

6. Piledriver Waltz by Arctic Monkeys. I guess this is focusing more on the kin than the zombie part of zombiekin. It's one I associate with a lot of my personal experiences with several kintypes and how they relate to my life. It's got a lot of the themes of monotony and misery associated with undeadkin, but also the absurdism linked with the supernatural as a whole. It has got a warm place in my heart.

5a. Maneater by Hall & Oates. Oh come on, it's a good joke!

5b. Doomsday Blue by Bambi Thug. Definitely have to put a scream warning on this one! This was my favourite song from Eurovision this year and it's an absolute blessing to be able to put it on this playlist. Bambi is such an incredibly talented vocalist and I also love their song Egregore!

4. Ain't No Grave by Johnny Cash. I'm a huge dark country & country rock fan so another Cash song was inevitable! This is straight off of my revenantkin playlist. If you like this, I also recommend Dead Man Walking by WAR*HALL. I would've listed that as a separate song on here but I already put it on a different songlist.

3. Eyes Without A Face by Billy Idol. I found this from a tiktok comment saying it was a great mental breakdown song and honestly I've found that pretty fitting so far. I'm a fan of Billy Idol, though more of a casual listener. On the zombiekin note, I could definitely see an interpretation of the lyrics relating to the uncanny valley affect and lifelessness in a person.

2. The Angry River by Father John Misty, The Hat & S.I.Istwa. This is the epitome of human horrors & sins meeting the wrath of nature. It was made for HBO's crime show 'True Detective' so it has all the morbid themes to earn its place on a zombiekin playlist. It's sinister but softly spoken. I'd try and convey a genre to you but the best I've got is Johnny Cash meets Lana Del Rey and that means nothing. If you do like this, I can fully recommend the rest of Father John Misty's work!

1. Dead Man's Bones by Dead Man's Bones. Another Dead Man's Bones song I know, I know - but this album helped form my revenant kintype! This song in particular is macabre but comedic! I'd also like to add to this list My Body's A Zombie For You which is a dark love song. The choir is soo amazing on this one. Perfect for an undead slow-dance! Honestly I recommend the whole album for undeadkins, there's at least 2 more Dead Man's Bones songs I want to add on there already... I wanted to add Creep by Radiohead, I really did, but it felt immoral (/j). Hope you guys liked this! Feel free to make your own additions in the notes and send suggestions.

[goawaypopup]

Here's an AU I've had in my mind ever since reading the side books.

When he sets out into the continent in the original books, Lief is almost completely unprepared. The Shadow Lord's regime has cut off information flow between population centers, and Del's recorded history is almost all in the off-limits library, so there really wasn't a lot he could have done to avoid this. All he has is his memory of his father's copy of The Belt of Deltora, a vague little pamphlet that he keeps forgetting at bad times, and which helps not at all with dealing with the dangers of the continent itself.

Unless... Jarred chose a different book to steal from the palace library all those years ago.

Secrets of Deltora, an in-universe guide to Deltora's locales by Doran the Dragonlover, was also hidden away in that library. It was far more richly detailed and practical than The Belt of Deltora, and in its writing Doran expressed his distrust of the advisors and his fear that the Shadow Lord was preparing to strike - also containing a hint at the location of Withick's Belt of Deltora booklet in one of its illustrations. And it has a similar narrative recounting of Deltora's founding, the powers of the seven Belt gems, and their combined ability to ward the continent against the Shadow Lord. It would be an entirely plausible choice for Jarred if he had had some extra time to find and read it, and conceal it about his person (seeing as it was, in fact, extremely forbidden to touch).

If, growing up, Lief or his father managed to decode the secret message in Secrets, he would have lacked no information from not having The Belt, up to the urging to ignore the tradition of keeping the Belt locked up. Indeed, he would have a distinct advantage, knowing that the complete Belt was capable of waking and summoning the dragons, as well as all the travel advice and recorded dangers found elsewhere in the book.

What does this mean for him when he finally sets out to recover the gems?

This time, considering the question of which hotspot to visit first, Barda and, ahem, Lief's father are confronted with a very different picture. The elaborate, detailed descriptions of all the ways plants, bugs, snakes, and wild animals can kill you in the Forests of Silence, and the terrifying undead telekinetic armor guy, plus the sheer scale of how many places a gem could conceivably be in the three forests. Versus: nothing at all in the guide for the Valley of the Lost, which was the only site formed AFTER Doran's time. Just some rumours of a valley cloaked in mist. So it seems clear that Barda's bravado will not prevail with better information at hand - the entire journey is going to be in reverse.

Starting at the Valley may be for the best, as it is comparatively harmless for a party with their wits about them. Forewarned of the region's Grippers, they do not fall victim to any embarrassing incidents, though they might be shocked by the Jalis' absence.

Unfortunately for Lief and Barda, they will not have the aid of Jasmine or any mind-clearing gemstones this time. And god knows whether the Belt is still capable of burning the Guardian with 0 gems present - let's hope it doesn't come to that. But honestly, I think they could pull this off, with the assistance of their usual excellent luck. Especially if they manage to guess the name without completing the clues. This does mean... they're going to be thinking that Endon was a corrupted traitor the entire time. Oh boy! Time for Deltora to buck the bonds of monarchy entirely?

The diamond is an excellent first gem. Its courage will probably do at least as well as the topaz did at suppressing Lief's burgeoning PTSD, and its added physical strength will come in extremely handy for the fights ahead.

The Maze of the Beast will be much, much more straightforward with the Shadow Lord's forces not yet on alert. There will be far fewer Ols in the area and any that remain will be much less on guard against the duo. The whole ordeal with Tora and Dain and the Resistance and the pirates probably won't happen either, so rather than being shoved into the Maze, Lief and Barda can adequately prepare for it. They could ideally leave a rope ladder or something and avoid having to leave though the blowhole.

The Dreaming Spring is clearly described in the guidebook, along with its status as a much-needed source of scarce water in the north, so they're quite likely to visit it on the way to Dread Mountain. The incident that gained them the Kin's assistance, however, is unlikely to play out the same (the Rithmere Games have probably not occurred yet, Doom has not freed the Karn pod's captured finalists, and the Grey Guards do not pass this way for another while yet.) They might have to trudge through horrible cold woods for weeks instead of being carried by warm women.

Unless they had their own incidents with Doom, they won't glean anything in particular from the Kinrest and Dread Mountain writings. Despite Doom having been swept up in the changes in this timeline, it seems likely he's still in similar places at the same times. He could have been near Amethyst territory in books 1 and 2 prior to visiting Tom's shop.

Dread Mountain is where I'm going to leave it as having too many divergent possibilities to make a solid prediction. Jasmine and likely Prin are absent, the Lily nectar is absent, the Ruby is absent, there may or may not be Spring water for the using. If they happened to take the exact same path up the mountain, Lief is dead at the bottom of the very first gnome trap if nobody tripped him before he could step in it. There are roughly twelve hundred deadly poisonous arrows killing alternate timeline versions of them left and right. It's pretty rough.

From there, if they live, they're probably going all sorts of exciting directions away from canon. Perhaps the illustration of the Belt of Deltora in its proper order will clue Lief off that he's doing it wrong sooner. Perhaps Lief drops the book in Glus water, or didn't bring it with him, and has to start using his exceedingly unreliable memory for many more, more vital pieces of information. Perhaps the perceived perversion of the monarchy that Barda served so early on in the quest causes him to snap and throttle Lief with his bare hands. Perhaps, at some point, Doom will receive a smack upside the head and regain his memory, and remember about the kid he left in the deadly, deadly jungle over a decade ago.

But most importantly, this time they will have dragons at their disposal immediately if Lief manages to assemble the Belt correctly.

[c0rvidbones]

hello I love your art a whole lot!! tell me more about Wit (he's hot and evil and I require more juicy details) and Ruby (his design goes so hard) please?

oh my god hi i did not expect to come back to 20 notifs. (/pos) youve given me a much needed ego boost tonight thank you. is it bad i cant remember having ever posted ruby art?? ive only ever gotten One comm of him which is a crime, my violent martyr son should rly get more love than i give him 😔 but thank you for asking! buckle up this is gonna be a long fuckin post ♡ everything under the cut including relevant character art

WIT

behold, all art of wit i have including one i havent posted here bc i never actually finished it and the wip of him being a silly giggly boy. pls know i came up with him like MAYBE a month ago. two, tops.

SO wit is actually a what-if au of another oc of mine, his name is doodle. doodle (seen below) is a very robin-hood-esque oc, honorable thief and kindhearted, swashbuckler rogue that dual wields rapiers bc hes insane. but hes insane in like a normal way. he was a horrible child but he did grow out of it and its rare to see him w his hair down so pardon me making him look absurdly pretty in that one.

as you can see there are some (but not MANY) differences between the two. kid wit does have the starry hands/peets im just forgetful dont @ me about it djdjdj

ANYWAYS so the what-if of the au that wit is, essentially, little singular things didn't happen to people in that au world. it goes like so;

wit: never met his childhood best friend when he was a freshly injured orphan. was alone from the (elf) ages of 0-16. ended up studying magic (illusion wizard) since he didn't have someone to lean on for that sort of thing.

laika (wit's mom): never truly broke out of an archfey's madness curse. stuck with a very twisted version of the spell Tasha's Hideous Laughter burned into her mind. everything is funny and if it's scary? even funnier. she died briefly. shes back now, but still madnessed.

perseverance (wit's dad): never saved his mother from a death blow in the be-all end-all fight to save his home. was held back by someone who he thought was a friend, killed that person and then ultimately spiralled so hard that he became a lich. may or may not have accidentally killed laika.

something something one decision can change your whole life, me and my friend loved playing with that concept.

okay now that you know a lil lore/history i can dive into what wit is like.

as a kid (drawn with the short megafloofy hair) he's very mischievous and bastardly, almost always smiling or grinning but it's more to lean into the uncanny valley effect his eyes cause than out of any actual joy or anything. he doesn't Blink and he knows it unnerves people because he also has a freakishly high insight (i think its like a +9 or smth??? at level 9??). he loves to come up with fucked up spells, like. for example i saw a silly post on here the other day that was very jokingly having a wizard cast a spell of "10000 bricks until you die" but then i was immediately aware wit would (1) come up with that spell, make it functional, and have it unfortunately obliterate everyone that gets hit with it, and (2) he would call it Wit's Bricks which i think is fuckin funny. he would also come up with spells of like. cause heatstroke. boil all fluid in your body. FREEZE all fluid in your body. he's a little freak with extremely low empathy for those he isn't connected to with blood ties. that said, he's kind to his family (albeit very blunt and will call them out if theyre being stupid) and inquisitive. he DID look his dad in the eye when he met him for the first time and went "are you dead?" which. again, hilarious, but BRUTALLY blunt. he then called his dad cool because yes his dad is now a lich and therefore undead. he's a little freak but he's still a kid and that is ultimately his saving grace, what small child isn't a little freak.

as an adult (long ponytail) i get a feel of him being aro and using romance as a way to manipulate people. he's definitely still not a good person and far more stoic than he was as a child. also he most definitely maintains a constant illusion to make it seem like his eyes are always closed, which lends an air of mystery to the strange elf that seems to always be standing right behind every throne in every kingdom of faerun. i say this because i like to think he would become what's called a King's Wit, which is like a combo of royal advisor, court mage, and "guy the regent has insult other nobility since insults are beneath the reigning royal". he uses all of that to his advantage, gaining the ear and trust of every single person of noble blood that is part of any royal or ruling court, and he will bend and twist their choices so subtly that they won't realise he led them to ruin until it's already too late. which is his ultimate plan. he's STILL somewhat a robin hood style of character, but he takes it a bit further and with far less kindness to the nobility. he guts their coffers completely and every hoarded coin down to the last copper inevitably will land its way conveniently into the lap of the common folk. he does take a healthy chunk for himself - did you know being a wizard was EXPENSIVE in dnd btw? i didnt until i made wit - but most of it is for the local citizens. he does this everywhere he goes if he sees that it needs to happen. fucker topples kingdoms For Fun, because he never gets caught or credited with the ruin he leaves behind himself. he's awful. he probably still comes up with fucked up spells and he manipulates his way into wherever he wants to be. i love him.

---

RUBY

behold! @polterpumpkin drew my (not very) little guy for me! this is part of a greater set but this is the fully coloured one and arguably my fave bc it captures the absolute batshit energy ruby brings to the table.

ruby is a tiefling that was born in a lab. voluntarily, his parents participated in a sort of study that wanted to eval why it is tieflings could be born to non-tiefling parents. (both his parents are half-orcs, interestingly!) he participated in it up to a certain point, before he got sick of being poked and prodded and Watched. that's when he demanded to be released and, when he wasn't, both his parents helped him escape, unfortunately leaving his other two tiefling-born siblings behind in the process. both parents Died helping him escape, and he was embittered as is by the whole study bs, and then to have his parents die Saving him? it left him with this sort of hole he didn't know how to feel.

so he fills that hole with every vice he finds agreeable. he drinks, he fights, and he drinks again. he's a drunken monk, and one full of unbridled rage and a death wish. he isn't my happiest oc but he isn't my worst off (that would be talisman bloodhunter). he's constantly seeking a grand and worthy cause to die for, literally. he's a wannabe martyr, because he doesn't think he has anything to live for. no lovers, no friends, no allies, MAYBE a coworker or two on the occasion he's needed (he is so not needed most of the time, because it isn't often any job needs an angry monk tief to glare around the place). he has just those two sides to himself - party animal and underground drunk brawler - because he doesn't want to think about the pain underneath them both. he's tragic in a very human way, hilariously enough, but he's not a bad person. even if he's being dragged by the tail to do a job, he's ultimately going to be helpful and he ALWAYS keeps his team alive. he'll grumble about it but he'll do it, and if you thank him he brushes it off, muttering something or other about how it's just his job, don't Thank him for that. i think having a friend would Fix him but fuck if i know what would get past his thick skin 😔

i dont get to play or write ruby really, not for any specific reason other than the dnd games im in have been going for So long, and that i havent really been super inspired to write him. but i love him! literally my car is named after him! i have so many feelings for him and i hope one day i get to play/write him so he can be more fleshed out.

[roselyn-writing]

When a rose turns black chapter 12

A/N: Hello! Gorgeous people! It’s been a while since I didn’t write wartb, This Chapter is centered around Raqoul The demon of desolation, the chaos bringer, so here is chapter 12! Hope you like it 🖤🖤✨

“Our deeds”

In Malrūn city there is a place called Barhout Valley, where there is a well called also Barhout In it, Raqoul was standing there looking inside the well of Barhout. He knew that it would be very dangerous for him to look inside the well because it is so dark that you can’t see anything inside the well. There is only one case when you can see inside the well, that is where the sun is directly above the well.

“Well, well, well” Raqoul started looking at the well. “If it isn’t the infamous Barhout’s well..” He continued, he has mixed emotions for Bahrout well, One of his ancestors is being tortured in this well, as well as the vilest souls of humans and demons alike.

Legends say that long ago King Yadae had hidden all his treasures and possessions in this well, and he commanded the strongest genies to guard it. Therefore, It had been guarded and dangerous for other people who want to have his treasures.

“Well, I’m not that dumb to believe in a legend!” Raqoul spat, with a wave of his hand he commanded the dark arts of chaotic energy to dwell into the well further and unleash a strong force that freed the vilest of souls as undead revenants.

“Go forth my minions! Spread chaos in the cities!” Raqoul barked at the undead army of revenants.

Surprisingly, they obeyed Raqoul, the one who freed them from this hellish nightmare, and In gratitude, they pledge their allegiance to serve him.

“Good,” Raqoul smiled in pure satisfaction.

They marched to the cities to spread chaos as their leader ordered them to, and the unspeakable horror and chaos they caused into these. unfortunate cities.

All this chaos, blood, and pain, increases Raqoul's powers, After all; He is the demon of chaos.

“Ahh Chaos! My birthright!” Raqoul mused, He is so content with the undead army of revenants.

“They. Have potential~” he Marvelled.

As always there is certain “someone” who loves to spoil his mood, and that is the annoying succubus of Malrūn, She is Vamonessyia.

“Greetings Brother of mine~,” Vamonessyia says Lustfully.

“Ugh, Go away gnat!” Raqoul spat at her.

“Awwh~ Still trying to make me leave you alone? Ha! No!” She mused as she gives him her known “love you” smile.

“Ew, Go away!” Raqoul Snarled at her, he didn’t want to hit her, not because she is a female, but because she is half Lucifer- half Souma blood, he doesn’t want his hands to get dirty with her “Lucifer blood”. He hates Lucifer and his children with all his heart, He remembers how he betrayed the godfather of all demons and genies.

Most of the genies and demons didn’t give a crap about the death of Souma, But to Raqoul it is very personal, the news shocked him, shook his core, and changed him forever. Although that Raqoul was a child back there, from the moment of his birth he has a room of respect for Souma in his heart.

His half-brothers didn’t care about their godfather's death either, Mammon the demon of greed didn’t give a damn about his death, and neither Belphegor nor Beelzebub care about their godfather's death, If anything, they only loved and fear for their lives. As for Asmodeus (the demon of lust), He Secretly cared, but didn’t show it, because he is a stoic demon.

Surprisingly, The only demoness who showed sadness is Vamonessyia herself; That alone shocked Raqoul, because there is no way that she shows emotions, not for her victims or lovers. But.. he was shocked, he rarely shows emotions. Either than anger and harshness.

Raqoul left his room to go to his favourite place in the castle, a room, a room where he hid the most valuable possession of him, it was a full portrait of his godfather Souma, the first demon, the father of all demons, even Lucifer himself. The latter killed Souma.

“O Godfather Where art thee now?” Raqoul started, As he gently touched the portrait.

It was the only thing he has of Souma, if he hadn’t saved the portrait from being destroyed by Lucifer's orders, he would have lost it forever,

Thankfully, he was smart enough to steal before they had the chance to destroy it.

“I missed thee” Raqoul conceded in a sincere tone, it was one of those rare times where he confessed something; but only to himself!

He quickly moved his hand away from the portrait and left to see what Lucifer had been up to.

Raqoul will have his revenge no matter what!

Hadi Aepel couldn’t contain his happiness when he went to his house gates, he is so happy that he can’t wait to see his family, his parents, his brother and sister, and his wife and daughter.

“Finally! I’m home” Hadi muttered softly and happily.

As soon as Hadi passed the gates, His brother Massoud saw him and greeted him

“Salam! Brother!” Massoud Greeted his brother

“Wa Ealaykum Alsalam Brother, Glad that I’m back!” Hadi greeted back and hugged his brother.

Moments later, their parents Alii Aepel and Salwa Aepel came to see what was happening. They are greeted by the sight of their son in front of them and he is hugging his younger brother.

His father said happily “Son! Thank god you returned to us safe and sound!” Then he hugged his older and firstborn son.

Salwa shed tears of happiness, as a stoic woman she can’t touch or hug her son in public, she has a great image to maintain. But it is enough with smiling and shedding tears of joy.

Then Farrah and Aliyaa Came “Darling!” Farrah Called and she hugged him.

“I missed you all,” Hadi told in a soft tone, he looked at all of his family, gathered and they were happy that he is back, except for one that is looking in the shadows, his sister, Novelyn. She hated her family and seeing them happy. And she will have her revenge on them. But she faked her happiness when Hadi saw her and greeted her, and she faked other things too.

“Salam brother!” She greeted with a fake smile.

Then all in the town knew of Hadi’s Homecoming and they have a reason to celebrate and share their neighbors, The Aepel family happiness.

After all, all Virginian people Were and always will be one hand.

Ashure... There is little what people know of him, other than; he is a mage, a terrible, evil mage.

Many people tried to find him and hunt him, but as always he always survived and scurry away from them, formerly he lived in a city called Al-tunor, and now he lives in Omenvalley, the paradise of mages and evildoers.

No matter how Ashure and his alikes felt safe, what goes around comes back around, Karma; Is gonna come to them.

“Screw it,” Ashure cursed loudly,” Life is always gonna screw me around,” He continues.

Some people either changed for the good or stay and get even worse, Ashure is the latter type, he didn’t change, Because he didn’t want to, Someday... He will feel the pain that he caused others.

The news of the undead army conquering other cities spread like wildfire in the superior halls and other cities of Virginia.

“Sire Aham!” Kilam Called,” Sire Aham! The City of No’arah is in grave danger!” He continues as he took a breath.

“Kilam! Speak!” Aham ordered, His tone shows concern.

“An undead army attacked the city of No’Arah!” Kilam whimpered that the violence and the destruction he saw is too much for his sensitive soul, although he is a strong superior, he is still a sensitive and caring person.

“That’s abhorred,” Aham uttered, But he quickly take action.

Aham wore his war garments and the others followed suit, Sire Russell, Sire Mervyn, Sire Noah, and Sire Malcolm, Norman. All dressed in their war garments to protect the cities from the undead army of revenants.

“Sire Aham... There is something I didn’t tell you..” Sire Kilam conceded, and he awaits Sire Aham's response.

“And what is that?” Sire Aham questioned.

“The undead army.. the reek of Barhout energy..” Kilam replied dryly.

“Oh no…” Aham gasped in utter horror.

Both Kilam and Aham Cringed at the mention of Barhout, They know from old tales, it is a place where the vilest of souls live there tormented eternally.

“Embrace for a battle!” Aham Ordered again.

All the superiors marched to Al No’arah, The superiors carry the holiest light and the purest of magic. Aham uses his strongest light magic to eliminate the undead army of revenants that wreak havoc upon the city of No’arah.

“Holy Light Orb!” Aham shouted as he used magic to create an orb of holy light that easily eliminated the undead army of revenants. He witnessed as their skeletons and skulls were shattered and scattered then burned down as they wail in pain and agony.

With a quick movement of his hand, he undid the damage that the undead army of revenants did. No’Arah now is destroyed and a land of destruction. He watched as his holy magic return the life of this dead land, now No’arah as it was before, the green flourishing, the homes are back and the air is clean.

Aham returned to earth and he prayed for mercy for the lost pure souls of Virginians who died protecting their land, and mercy for these vile souls that dared to wreak havoc upon peaceful lands and lives.

“O Remained One please grant mercy,” Aham prayed.

His answer was a light that cut through the darkened skies and made a way for the sun to shine.

In these times one can only pray for peace and mercy.

It’s been a long time since I wrote a chapter this amusing! I hope you like my writing! Xoxo ❤️❤️❤️💋💋💋💋

[helpfandom]

Helpfandom ask Rules:

Also includes things that may be important if you request.

NO smut / smutty asks. I am not willing to write that.

I don't write gendered pieces unless it is specific to the character. Ex: Handsome Jack. He puts Angel's gender onto you. Otherwise, it's gender neutral.

No real people. It's okay if it's a Live-action Character (Such as April O'Neil from TMNT 90's movies. Catwoman, Anne Hathaway version. Truman from the Truman show. Robotnik from the Sonic Movie.) But I don't like writing for REAL people, I don't see the appeal. It's only okay to write and read fanfiction, to analyze or to transform the person, even simp over (I recognize that some people do that) IF IT'S FICTIONAL.

If there is a team-up, they need to have interacted at least once (1), IN CANON for me to write them. For example, Leonardo (TMNT) and Karai (TMNT) is allowed. Harley Quinn and Joker is allowed, but Handsome Jack(Borderlands 2) and TK Baha (Borderlands 1) isn't allowed. Catwoman (Nolan Trilogy) and Joker (Nolan Trilogy) isn't allowed. My personal opinion on Team-up is that it provides a great exercise in studying the psychology of the characters.

I am an almost entirely Platonic blog, but I may do some Romantic.

I almost explicitly write Yandere, for the Psychological aspect of it, but maybe if I really know the character I will write them as a Non-Yandere. Something that y'all should know is that I LOVE psychology, and studying the psychology of characters, which is why I write fanfiction.

Y'all please tell me if you want a scenario, an analysis or headcanons! If not specified I will assume headcanons.

What I write for under cut!

TMNT. The series I write for are 2007, 2012, ROTTMNT, and Mutant Mayhem. I, unfortunately, have not seen the 80's television series, the 2014 movies, and I have not recently watched the 90's trilogy.

Batman: Batman the Animated series, Christopher Nolan Trilogy, The Batman 2004.

Borderlands: Borderlands 1, 2+ Tiny Tina's DLC, 3+ All DLC, Tiny Tina's wonderlands, Tales from the Borderlands.

Barbie: Only accepting Platonic currently. The barbie movie only as well.

Stardew Valley: There's no DLC or sequel as far as I am aware.

Portal: 1 and 2.

What Remains Of Edith Finch. (NOT writing fanfiction for, just enjoy it. I may write about Molly though.)

Glitter Force: I know it's a niche community.

The anime 86. It's about the military. iykyk.

Girls and Panzer. iykyk.

Overlord: The anime and Overlord the Undead King Oh!.

Demon Slayer: I haven't finished yet though, so I will reject them until I am finished.

Tinkerbell: The movies only. Neverbeast broke my heart. :'[

Jim Carrey CHARCTERS: I have seen almost all of his movies and dear lord I love Jim Carrey. :]

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Suits [Television]

Steins; Gate. (And Robotics; Note)

[liiacfleur]

The Undead Highlands

contains spoilers for unpublished chapters 6/7/8/9. don't read the indicated spoilers if you don't want to be spoiled about certain places and (vague) references to events that take place later in the story. ones that I would consider larger spoilers are labeled as (MAJOR SPOILERS) and the text has been crossed out. this will be updated again around chapter 9/10.

Capital:

Moonstone

Capital of the Highlands. A major port city carved into the sea wall with an affinity for mining, sheep herding, and artisan materials. The first established city within the Highlands, and the home of their leader, Kas the Banished. In the time of the Ancient Kingdom, it was the only city south of the wall that was able to hold off the Undead King's seige. Unfortunately, its residences subsequently starved to death trapped within the city, their bones only found by Kas and his army many centuries later.

Major Towns/Cities:

Moonsmouth Sanctuary

The first attempt at settling in the Valley of the Vanquished. With a population of several thousand, they were able to build homes in the trees around them after forming a spiritual connection with the sentient plant life. The village initially specialize in wood exports across the fledgling kingdom, and made occasional trades to established merchants from Hawkins. Eventually, they became a sought out trading post, and their economy expanded to include a variety of merchants and goods.

By 207 GC, they became the first established city outside of Moonstone, joined by a second later in the year, and a third on the west coast in 209 GC.

Loch Hellfire

(Minor Spoilers)

Built in the remains and rubble of a city from the ancient times, Loch Hellfire was built along the coastline at the outer reaches of the Bog of the Dead. Beginning as another outpost such as Moonsmouth, it was officially established by the Byers siblings when they went to study old tombs preserved inside the rubble. More resources were allocated to its construction thereafter.

By 207 GC, it consisted of nearly six thousand residences, specializing in magic, apothecary, and the training and soul tying of monsters found south of Moonlit Wall.

Dragon's Peak

(MAJOR SPOILERS)

Originally an abandoned ancient city on the western side of the continent south of Denfield and the Crescent Tower. After an expedition led by Robin and Steve in spring of 209GC, it was later established as a major city in the following years, culturally mixed between those of the Undead Highland and a flood of citizens from Denfield who possessed old magic. It became a sea trading port, specializing in mining, and held the most impressive military for centuries afterwards, consisting of not only highly skilled soldiers, but dragon riders as well.

Lesser Locations:

Cabin Near Mirkwood Tower:

(Minor Spoilers)

The site of Eddie's death in 202 GC. Sometime after the war, a single cottage, a water well, and a small orchard were constructed by Kas the Banished and his Arch Mage. In the summer of 208 GC, it was established as a small farming village, accompanied by a militia to guard the border after the court rebellion in Hawkins. They specialize in farming gourds and wheat, but eventually became the main exporter of cider south of Mulberry.

Cave in the Bog of the Dead:

(MAJOR SPOILERS)

Where Steve and Kas found shelter after Kas was injured fighting a Nightwalker in 208 GC. Location where Steve learns the more about Kas' undead nature and their ally-ship is officially established.

[entropyvoid]

OCs be upon ye

NIMUE

The old residents of the Withering Woods sometimes tell tales of the kind and giving Lady Nimue, the naiad of the lake that lies at its heart. This is a misconception - Nimue is more correctly labeled the naiad of the aquifer that lies beneath, connected through a twisting system of underwater caves. She is able to traverse them nigh instantaneously and emerge through any opening pool, and the elders nowadays warn others to stay out of the woods, and in particular, away from the waters, lest Nimue drag you down to the depths and drown you, at least, if you’re a normal person, and not some other variety of evil and malefic creature, they say. As the last surviving member of the woods’ former fae court, many blame her as the source of the woods’ present inhospitableness and anomalous state of eternal dying - although, no one can really recall what happened or how things came to be this way. Not even Nimue herself.

HAZEL

It’s far from uncommon for necromancers to turn themselves into undead when the time comes - but usually they take the form of something like a lich, or if failed, some lower grade variety of zombie. Hazel, however, had always wanted to be a vampire, and after many horribly failed attempts at convincing them to turn him, attempted to take matters into his own hands with a specially-crafted one-of-a-kind curse. His success was… middling. He has all the perks of vampirism, but at a reduced strength and at the cost of spending a lot of energy, with very few relatively mild drawbacks. Unfortunately for him, other vampires won’t go near him with a ten foot pole, which makes him feel a bit self conscious about his weakness as a pseudovampire. Hazel somehow manages to live a life of relative luxury in the abandoned village in the Withering Woods, and he likes to make scented candles, bath bombs, and sweets, and takes a nearly ridiculous amount of bubble baths. Though often sarcastic and sardonic, those who pass through the forest have found him to be a friendly and inviting host.

Abilities

- Immortality

- Night vision, heightened senses

- Faster and stronger than the average person

- Telekinesis

- Levitation

- Shadow manipulation

- Gets to eat normal food instead of blood, which isn’t really a power except in the eyes of other vampires, who are generally very jealous. He does need to consume extra iron and protein though, and he is particularly susceptible to anemia.

Drawbacks

- Sunlight makes him feel ill

- Thinks garlic tastes and smells nasty

- Zombies hate vampires like dogs hate mailmen. Like, uncanny valley mixed with competition. Which is a hell of a problem for a necromancer to have.

[dandelion-jester]

Rat Bastards Character Intro 1/??: Sepulcrave

Sepulcrave is the narrator of my project 'The Legend of the Rat Bastards' but not the main character, as it is based on a Curse of Strahd game I was a part of and is therefore a group effort. His intro is below the break :)

History

Sepulcrave was born Eliot Graves, the son of grave digger Edmund Graves in the small, sad village of Mirestone. He hated it there and when he was only 11 years old he ran away from home to find a better life. He changed his name as soon as he left.

For six years he wondered through Faerun, taking odd jobs as a common labourer and learning the ins and outs of petty crime. He slept in doorways, sewers, stables, and prison cells. He also acquired a large, black greatcoat which became his favourite thing he owned. At last, with an interest in wizardry, he made his way to Waterdeep to apply to medical school. He was admitted and so began a new era of his life.

He attended medical school for ten years. He was a brilliant student, always top of the class especially in surgical matters which he was most interested in. He also became friends with his roommate Beren Oak, a cleric of Lathander. Despite their differences in morality and interests, Beren and Sepulcrave became the closest of friends.

However Sepulcrave had a secret. He had become interested in necromancy. Despite its illegality in Waterdeep, he had become a talented grave robber and sold bodies from The City of the Dead (Waterdeep's massive necropolis) in exchange for writings on the subject and aid in his studies. Obviously, he had to keep this completely secret, even from his best friend because if there's one thing Lathander hates, it's the undead and necromancy.

Unfortunately, Beren wasn't as oblivious as Sepulcrave thought and although he didn't know what, he could tell that something was up with his friend. So one night, about a month before graduation, he followed Sepulcrave to the city of the dead and saw him rob a grave. Horrified, he told the city guard and Sepulcrave was arrested for grave robbing and suspected necromancy.

The university didn't want a scandal on their hands, so they bailed him out of prison and promptly expelled him. He was forced to leave the university without the doctorate he had earned. He did not know it was Beren's fault until Beren apologised to him. Needless to say, they had a fight and Sepulcrave stormed out determined that they would never see each other again. In the heartbreak of losing his only friend he decided that friends were not worth the pain they caused and he would never have one again.

Sepulcrave disappeared into the criminal underground of the large cities of the sword coast, never in one place for long but scamming and robbing people wherever he went, and slowly learning a little more necromancy. He only got more bitter as time passed. Until, ten years after he left university, 36 year old Sepulcrave attended a party, intending to help the host rob the guests. Instead, he ended up sent on an accidental quest into the valley of Barovia...

Description

At the start of the story, Sepulcrave is about 5ft 8, skeletal in appearance due to his constant proximity to undeath, with pale skin and long dye-black hair. He wears all black, most importantly his big black greatcoat and he wears a necklace with a silver crow skull on it (given to him at university by Beren). Imagine just, the shittiest goth you can. He also barely washes so he's disgusting, so like a crust-punk, but a crust-goth. Now add to that the worst personality, just a miserable, rude, bastard of a man who doesn't want to get along with anyone, until he turns on the charm and you start trusting him for some reason, even though you know its a bad idea. I hate him. He's horrible. Also he has no morals (he does really, he just hides them).

Themes, arcs, all that nonsense

Sepulcrave's story essentially revolves around him being forced into being a better person and also healing along the way and learning to trust people and love people again. He finds a cause worth fighting for, finds a group of people worth caring about, and a reason to try harder. He also gets really fucked up along the way, just supremely brutalised.

His identity also changes, which normally wouldn't be a big deal but because he's my dnd character he ended up going through the same experience I did. At the start of the story he is Aroace, although he doesn't really think about it, but later on he falls in love and becomes homoromantic asexual - the same change I experienced whilst playing him, so it's near and far to my heart.

So, that's my narrator. I have such big feelings about him and about his story, I hope you like him even though he's awful and weird and disgusting.

Tag list

@skyderman @withlovefromthecrowss

[ivuul]

CREATURES OF THE VALLEY PART 1: COMMON CURSED HUMANS AND YOU.

Creature Entry #1: Lesser Lycanthrope AKA Wolfman Habitat: All over the valley. Class: Cursed Human Threat: 2/10 "Lycanthropy is the most common form of Cursed Human, and comes in stages. Stage one: You feel a headache, and find yourself having a hard time focusing more often. Stage two: Your teeth begin to shift and even fall out, sharper yellowed fangs begin to grow, and you swear you hear a voice every now and then. Around this stage, you begin to grow more than usual body hair. Stage three: Your eyes begin to change into weird yellow glowing eyes, a common trait in Cursed animals. You feel pain all across your body as your bones begin to shift inside and even grow new portions, large claws rip out from your fingerbones. Stage Four: Your thoughts are no longer yours anymore, you hear another voice trying to and most likely will fully take over, you can't even remember the names of your loved ones, and even your own name starts to fade, Your own mind is nearly gone, and all that's left is an animalistic husk that only knows base instincts to hunt, kill, survive. Lesser Lycanthropes also show pack-like behavior similar to wolves, and will often hunt alongside a single Greater Lycanthrope if possible. Lessers are sluggish during the day, but are capable of sprinting around the average human run speed during the night. Unlike most cursed humans, Lessers are not weak to silver, could it be due to them still holding onto some humanity? Jasper's extra note: The stage descriptions came from what may be the only currently known "intelligent" Lycanthrope in the valley. Hans's Extra Note: Weak when alone, more dangerous in packs, but still on the weaker side as far as Monsters go, Aim for the head or Heart.

Creature Entry #2: Greater Lycanthrope, AKA Werewolf Habitat: All over the valley. More common in regions with less human presence. Class: Cursed Human Threat: 5/10 "The mighty Werewolf is a fearsome beast, they are considered the next stage of evolution over the lessers, but the time it takes for one to be created seems to be entirely random. Lessers have gone to Stage Five in a few hours, a few days, and even several months. Werewolves have rather sharp claws and can tear through armor with ease, Touching anything silver is enough to leave 3rd degree burns on the beast. They often lead groups of lesser lycanthropes, but can also often be found all alone. They rarely group together with other Greaters, the reason why isn't clear. They also prefer to hunt things that want to run. Jasper's extra note: They communicate through a series of strained howls, they definitely don't sound like normal wolf noises… Oddly enough, they have many different fur colors that seem dependent on the hair color they had when they were still a human. Hans's Extra Note: They know what silver is, and will do everything they can to evade it, its almost like they have a sorta danger sense for the stuff. If you can get at least two silver bullets into one, it will turn into a howling fireball and melt to death.

Creature Entry #3: Skeletal Lycanthrope AKA Wereskeleton Habitat: Drighlands, Graveyards sometimes, The Ash Caverns Class: Undead Threat: 6/10 "Sometimes a Werewolf just refuses to stay dead, and so the Wereskeletons stalk certain areas. It appears a werewolf's skeleton has a higher chance to reanimate if they had died from non-silver heat-related sources. Such as basic fire or heatstroke from the drighlands. They still produce human-wolf-like screeching noises despite the lack of vocal cords. they are considered only slightly more dangerous than the average Greater on account of them lacking any flesh to cut or shoot, and as such, lacking a weakness to Silver… They move rather slowly in the drighlands for reasons unknown, which makes them easier to outrun than their alive counterparts, Unfortunately they hunt during the day where they try to use the desert heat to slow down their prey." Jasper's Extra Note: Despite the creation of these abominations, the church refuses to halt the burning pits, the Ash Caverns below the farmlands are an infested den of Skeletal horrors. Its both fascinating and deeply upsetting that it appears to have a doubled skeleton, the werewolf bones just simply grew out of and in some cases, right over the human skeleton. The inside of its skull is filled with extra teeth, mostly human teeth, that seem to serve no actual purpose. Hans's Extra Note: Silver is no longer an option, but bones are easy enough to break if you have a strong enough weapon and can put your strength into it, This is actually easier than it may be, as it appears becoming a skeleton has caused them to lose a lot of speed Werewolves are known for. Smash them to bits before they can claw your eyes out.

Creature Entry #4: Dire Lycanthrope: AKA The Brutewolf Habitat: Primalgrove, Dreadwood Forest, Rarely in the mountains. Class: Cursed Human Threat: 8/10 "Considered the rarest form of Werewolf and also the physically strongest form of werewolf, the Dire Lycanthrope, sometimes called the Brutewolf by Fairgrounders, are an absolute abomination. Theorized to be the final stage of evolution for Lycanthropy, they are rarely seen and are also considered one of the largest reasons why no one tries to exit the valley through its Near impassable mountains. Dire Lycanthropes didn't start showing up into the valley until a full year after the curse started to become "normal" for the Valleygoers. They no longer make any noise that sounds anything like a human or wolf, instead just gurgling-like noises. They no longer eat and seem to starve to death after several weeks to a month. They seem to only exist to kill." Jasper's Extra Note: I've once heard a theory passed around by Fairgrounders about if the Curse is somehow "Alive", or at least somehow "sentient" and while i can't say i fully believe it, It disturbs me to think that these things could be potentially some sort of "response" to us Valleygoers learning how to overcome and kill the Cursed beasts… They are powerful enough to stand their ground against most of the valleys Apex Predators, their arms have become enlarged and clublike, they try their best to crush anything they see into mush, never eating any of it. Hans's Extra Note: There is very little i have to say about these Abominations, Run like hell, Its not worth trying to fight one.

[ccsven]

I got Mork Borg. Reading through and thought of a sick headcanon for the Valley of the Unfortunate Undead, in which the air is so thick from the reek of death and the soil is blackened from body rot, turning into a sludge similar to the sticky mud in swamps which makes it seem as though when one falls in, the soil is eating them. 

Note: yes this is taking things straight from the book but I added some extra world building detail

[serenabeaniesims]

at the start of 2021 I began an occult themed legacy challenge I designed 👽💀🧛🏽🧙🏽🧜🏼

I’ve been tweeting about it regularly but I thought I’d also post about it here ! I’m on gen 7 currently but this blog is going to start at the beginning and catch up from there.

spoilers I guess, but here are the legacy challenge rules I’ve been following (subject to change after playtesting):

TS4 Occult 10 Gen challenge

the goal is to playthrough ten generations of occult and occult-oriented sims with family dynamics

I would suggest at least doubling the elder lifespan with MCCC so that you can have generations interact a bit more.

I'd encourage you to fill out the worlds (or find a save that has) and stay within the sim's home world for each generation

feel free to do multiple aspirations in addition to the one listed for those sweet reward store points

each generation has: home world (and a population suggestion), aspiration to complete, career, and skill focus

Gen 1: Non-occult sim infected by the Mother

Must have trait: male/can impregnate

Live in Strangerville and/or oasis springs (populated by aliens)

Strangerville Aspiration

Scientist Career (save inventions for future gens)

Build a servo

Max Logic Skill

Associate frequently with aliens on & off Sixam

Become abducted by aliens and have at least 1 alien baby via abduction

Gen 2: Alien

Live in Del Sol Valley (populated by famous people)

Chief of Mischief Aspiration

torment non alien sims

Criminal Career (Oracle Branch)

maintain a negative reputation; try to get famous

Max Mischief Skill

Romance a fellow alien; have at least 1 alien child

Gen 3: Assimilating Alien

Live in Newcrest or Brindleton Bay or somewhere normal (populated by non-occult sims)

Big Happy Family Aspiration

Astronaut Career (Space Ranger Branch)

Max Rocket Science Skill

Hide your alien form from friends & family

dont get along w parents

Romance a non-occult sim and get married without them knowing you're an alien (you can reveal your true form on your wedding night)

Have children until you get at least 1 non-alien sim, and enough total (at least 3) to fulfill the Big Happy Family aspiration

Gen 4: Selvadoradian Occultist

Live in Britechester (populated by non-occult sims), but vacation frequently to Selvadorada

Academic Aspiration -> Jungle Explorer Aspiration

Education Career (Professor Branch)

Attend University for the Education Career, taking elective courses in Archaeology & Selvadoradian Culture.

Max Selvadoradian Culture Skill

After meeting a temple guardian, add a skeleton to your household (you used to be able to shift+click a skeleton to do this, now I think you have to get one off the gallery)

Collect & Use Selvadoradian relics

Romance a Selvadoradian native and get married on vacation in Selvadorada (unfortunately you cannot romance the skeletons)

Have at least 1 child

Gen 5: Family Vampire

Must have trait: Family-Oriented

Move to Forgotten Hollow (populated by vampires) as a teen

Vampire Family Aspiration

Painter Career (Master of the Real Branch) or photography freelancer (with fellow vampires as subjects)

Max Painting Skill or photography skill

Romance the same vampire who turns you

In addition to creating the 5 vampire offspring for the aspiration, have at least 2 vampire babies with your vampire partner

Gen 6: Master Vampire

Must have trait: Evil

Live in Willow Creek or Forgotten Hollow (populated by vampires, which can include the offspring of the previous generation)

Master Vampire Aspiration

vampire weaknesses -> uncontrollable hissing/undead aura

maintain a negative reputation

Writer Career (Author Branch)

Max Vampire Lore Skill

Romance a fellow vampire

Have at least 1 child

Gen 7: Vampire Slayer

Must have trait: Good

Live in San Myshuno (populated by whomever)

Good Vampire Aspiration

Doctor Career & Vampire Slayer

Max Fitness & Vampire Lore Skills

'Slay' at least 5 vampires, which can include their family members (to make slaying a greater consequence, feel free to immediately age up the 'slayed' sim to an elder or outright kill them)

Must cure themselves of vampirism before having children.

Romance a non-occult sim or a former vampire

Have at least 1 child

Gen 8: Unambitious Spellcaster

Must have trait: Lazy

Move to Glimmerbrook (populated by spellcasters) after an uneventful childhood

Successful Lineage Aspiration

Any Career

Max Parenting Skill (if you have Parenthood)

Romance a spellcaster; sometime before you get married, become a spellcaster yourself.

Have at least 2 children.

Gen 9: Competitive Spellcasters

Child 1 must have trait: Loner

Child 2 must have trait: Outgoing

Live in Windenburg (populated by spellcasters)

Child 1 has the Purveyor of Potions Aspiration

Child 2 has the Spellcraft & Sorcery Aspiration

Child 1: Gardener Career/Potion Store

Child 2: Paranormal Career

(hard mode: don't get any of the perks that decrease death by overload)

Have 1 child per sim for the next generation or have 2 children from one or the other.

Gen 10: Mermaids

Child 1 must have traits: child of the ocean; evil

Child 2 must have traits: child of the islands; lazy AND/OR freegan

Live in Sulani (populated by mermaids/sirens)

Deny your spellcaster heritage and become mermaids/sirens as teens

Child 1: Eco Innovator Aspiration

Child 2: Beach Life Aspiration

Child 1: Conservationist Career (Marine Biologist Branch)

Child 2: Civil Designer Career (Green Technician Branch)

Child 1 becomes a siren who lures non-mermaids to their deaths or outright kills them in an attempt to protect the oceans

Child 2 is a mermaid beach bum who believes non-mermaids can live in harmony with nature like mermaids do

Play through the Sulani Conservation storyline while making your neighbourhood 'green'

[anorlondoarcheryclub]

Dark Souls 1 shows the undead as exiles. Thrown into the Asylum to go hollow, they seek their fates only upon escape. Reviled and mistreated by the living, at least one finds it a relief to continue his existence in Lordran. 

It's actually quite nice here, you know? The Hollows don't care for a skinny old twig like me. I've got Yulia... And nobody pelts me with stones anymore. You're Undead, you know how it is. I was treated worse back at home.

It’s not that the living humans in the equation are acting without reason. Undead go hollow, sometimes without warning. Hollows attack anything and anyone more lively than they are. The repeated tragedy of losing a friend to hollowing is central to the game.

Dark Souls 2 takes it further, with a pattern of punishing the undead. Some of the cruelty is laid at the feet of the Iron King, whose domain seems to stretch at least from the eponymous Iron Keep through the Earthen Peak and Harvest Valley, at least as far as the Huntsman’s Copse. Some too belongs to the Baneful Queen.

In the Copse, the Iron King appointed both the Skeleton Lords to capture undead, and the Executioner's Chariot to punish them. The Chariot’s boss soul has a tidbit: 

The chariot was created only to torment undead, and it took the form of a horrendous mad steed, a window into the soul of its master.

The ambiguous reference to a ‘master’ could point to the Chariot’s driver, or - more likely in my opinion - it could refer to the Iron King himself. 

It’s easy to imagine that the origin of these cruel policies may have been a futile reaction to an outbreak of undead that wouldn’t stop. Exile has been used as punishment for centuries, and it’d be easy to read the exile of undead as punitive even if it didn’t start that way. While it’s not helpful to escalate the punishment in hopes of deterring further transformations - after all, very few of them chose the condition - it’s also very human to see something going badly, try to change it, and then try harder by the wrong means when the first attempts fail.

Huntsman’s Copse

In any case, the Copse is full of hollow prisoners and their equally hollow tormentors - the whip-wielding executioners, the fearsome sickle-carrying huntsmen, and the guards who keep them all from escape. 

It leads me to think they have to be fleeing from somewhere, and the game doesn’t disappoint.

Moving closer to the Keep, we find out more about the Iron King’s hatred of the undead.

Harvest Valley and Earthen Peak

The player character opens a door that may have been closed for centuries, and descends into poison-filled mines thronging with hollow miners. Here too, the sickle-wielding huntsmen* arrive to inflict punishment. It seems the miners may have been trapped in their toxic labyrinth - was the Baneful Queen who ruled this region from the equally poisonous Earthen Peak using them for forced labor in the mines? For certain, if an undead is poisoned, they will eventually die - and eventually hollow, and eventually be unable to return even in that state. But what does the living queen care, if the undead still work the mines? 

Iron Keep

The Bearer of the Curse finds the Iron Keep transformed. That beautiful castle is awash in lava and filled with hollowed guards, who still keep their posts despite the wrath of their king.

The Old Iron King is horribly transformed into a massive demon. It would certainly fit DS2′s pattern of people becoming monstrosities out of their own desires, visible with the Covetous Demon and Baneful Queen. Why should a king be different? It isn’t longing or jealousy that motivated him, but perhaps his punitive wrath.

I’ll refrain from speculating more until I have his soul.

It’s easy enough to imagine the journey in the other direction - a servant of the Iron King turned undead, enslaved under the Earthen Peak or forced into the mines of Harvest Valley. Escaping, the unfortunate may only flee into the Copse where they are pursued by hunters, who will at best return them whence they came. At worst, they’ll be hunted for sport or given to the vengeful Chariot, sent to Undead Purgatory to face destruction.

Perhaps an escapee or two may make it to Majula, which seems safe enough from the wrath of the Iron King. After the harrowing flight, what a relief it must be to find only an exile, a mirror of the original fate of the undead.

-

* Curiously enough, the huntsmen of Earthen Peak are described as being artificial undead; twice as curiously, they seem to be able to hex without a catalyst. I’m not sure what to make of that.

[clovermunson]

hphl character sheet

11/?

moots who may be interested: @camillejeaneshphm @cursebreakerfarrier @praetoring @catohphm @unfortunate-arrow @endlessly-cursed @that-scouse-wizard @gaygryffindorgal

Name: Colten Nathaniel Glazier

Nicknames: Colt, Cole, Nate

Birthdate: August 1st, 18–

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Personality Type (MBTI): ESFJ — the Consul

Blood-Status: Pureblood

Nationality: British

Physical Appearance

Hair: brunette (brown)

Eyes: blue

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 187 lbs.

Body Type: tall, athletic

Skin Tone: light, easily tans

Distinguishing Marks (scars, birthmarks, etc.):

from childhood

scar on left shoulder blade from a fence post

feint scar on right forearm from falling on rocks

acquired in teenage years/adulthood

small burn mark on right index finger from a potions cauldron

small scars along both arms from multiple missions

long, feint scar on back/side from a mission involving a chimera

Background

Hometown

Brentford, England (birth — age 11)

London, England (ages 11 — 18)

Lower Kingswood, London, England (ages 18 — ?)

Family

Mother

Cordelia Briar Glazier née Hightower, second born daughter of Eveline and Hugh Hightower. Hufflepuff alumni, freelance herbologist and stained glass painter. at the age of 19, she would marry Edison Glazier, and at the age of 20, she would give birth to their first son, Colten. at the age of 26, she opened her own shop in Diagon Alley, with the help of her husband, selling her stained glass creations to help support her family.

Father

Edison Claude Glazier, first born son of Harlan and Vera Glazier. of house Hufflepuff, excelled in potions and defence against the dark arts. legislator for the wizengamot and dedicated philanthropist for any good causes he could find. he would later help his wife open her shop in Diagon Alley.

Siblings

Colten has two younger siblings. his younger brother, Jack, and a younger sister, Arabella. both of his siblings would also be sorted into Hufflepuff when they attended Hogwarts.

Hogwarts

House: Hufflepuff

Best Class: charms, defence against the dark arts

Worst Class: arithmancy

Quidditch: Keeper for the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team from 2nd—7th Year

Clubs: Dueling Club

Boggart: any of his loved ones dying, or being in an undead state

Riddikulus: the boggart turns into a giant chocolate frog

Patronus: Saint Bernard

Patronus Memory: his first quidditch tryout, when the team captain was impressed with his abilities as a keeper

Mirror of Erised: himself, as a cursebreaker with his own family

Amortentia (what he smells like): leather, hint of broom polish, cedar wood, sugar, honey

Amortentia (what he smells): lily of the valley, vanilla, citrus, almond, TBD

Career

Ages 11–18: Hogwarts Student

Ages 18–49: Cursebreaker for Gringotts

Ages 50–retirement: Art Therapist

Personality & Attitude

Priorities: family and friends

Strengths: loyalty — empathy — optimistic — witty — reliable — generous — brave — caring

Weaknesses: worrier — impulsive

Stressed: he’s rarely stressed, only truly showing signs of stress during o.w.l.s. and n.e.w.t.s.

Calm/Comforted: during quidditch practices and matches, when surrounded with his family or friends

Favorites

Colors: red, blue, yellow, black, and gold

Food: full english breakfast, pastries

Drink: tea, coffee

Weather: cloudy/overcast, rainy

Hobbies: quidditch, art, herbology, journaling, studying muggle artifacts, reading

Fashion: Colten grew up in a rather wealthy family, so he was usually expected to at least look presentable, though at home he opts for comfort as he’s usually helping tend to the creatures or helping his mother at her shop.

Relationships

Significant Other/Love Interest: Sidonie Lewis (@cursebreakerfarrier)

Friends

(Colten is currently open for friendships with others’ ocs, feel free to message me or reply to this to let me know if you’d like for your oc to be friends with him!)

Galen Stagg (@cursebreakerfarrier)

Basil Keaton (@cursebreakerfarrier)

Lyle Astor (@cursebreakerfarrier)

Benji Gerhardt (@cursebreakerfarrier)

Stella Farrier-Seabright (@cursebreakerfarrier)

Persephone Gould (@cursebreakerfarrier)

Zelda Cairncross (@cursebreakerfarrier)

Danny Gibson (@catohphm)

Gareth Farr (@whatwouldvalerydo)

Maxwell Pembroke (@unfortunate-arrow)

Rivals

TBD

Trivia

though the Glazier family vault at Gringotts is loaded with money, Colten never brags about it and often spoils his friends with gifts

his least favorite season is spring because he suffers from allergies

his favorite season is autumn

in his fifth year, he successfully cast the patronus charm

his patronus takes the form a Saint Bernard because, much like Colten, the Saint Bernard breed has the same temperament

he was recommended to be a prefect by his head of house, but he respectfully declined

his family had muggle dogs as pets, two black Labrador retrievers, an Irish setter, and a Pointer, as well as one cat, a playful tortoiseshell

as an adult, Colten would also go on to have muggle dogs, such as a golden retriever and a chocolate Labrador retriever

[primrose-fr]

WHY THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL AND COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED PROMPT KIND STRANGER!

Ahem.

"Far off in the Northern oceans of Sornieth lies a peculiar land.

Like all land in Sornieth, this caldera known to it's inhabitants as "Mother's Cradle" generates ambient magic that flows through all life in the valley. From growing the foliage that blankets the land. To imbuing the native creatures with fantastical abilities.

Once upon a time, magic flowed as naturally in the Cradle as it did anywhere else in Sornieth. But that was before the arrival of the beast. An Emperor. Who sustains himself on magic, and bleeds the land like an open wound.

Not the largest nor the strongest of world's Emperors. The Whispering One was none the less a significant threat to life in ancient Sornieth. But one day this threat suddenly vanished. Dragons rejoiced! As surely one of the Gods had slain the beast and freed the land of his tyranny.

But we now know the truth. Whether by purpose or accident, he has made his home in Mother's Cradle.

A being of eternal decay, he mindlessly wanders the caldera. Imprisoned within it's high rocky walls. Now drawn to the rich wellsprings of primal magic within the caldera.

Unfortunately, that has come to the great detriment of the clans native to Mother's Cradle.

And not just in the form rampant undead swarms. For you see, centuries of his presence has rendered the land almost completely magicless!

Now you maybe thinking: "Aren't Dragons inherently magical beings?"

And you'd be right. Except not for these dragons, not anymore at least.

From stories passed down by the elder of the native clans. We gathered that when The Whispering One first arrived. He laid waste to the native dragons of the land. He consumed them en masse. We believe he gorged himself specifically on the individuals with the greatest magical talent.

Now after doing this for generations the dragons who've grown in his wake are nearly devoid of the elemental magics that once linked them to their deities.

These now "Neutral" dragons are the main inhabitants of the Cradle. The vast majority appear to be Wildclaws. With very small, scattered populations of Fae and Mirrors. I've listed below some noteworthy observations on the cradles inhabitants:

While not much bigger than the respective breeds of the mainland. It seems without magic their bodies developed much stronger physically. I'd hate to tussle with any of them!

The Fae of Mother's Cradle seem to have adapted to cave living. Their bodies having obtained a natural bio-luminescence.

The Wildclaws have settlements across all terrain of Mother's Cradle, the largest being situated near by the main lake.

The Mirror clans seem to prefer sticking to the wastedlands in the caldera. Perhaps it's instinctual.

Lastly is the topic of nests. For those who don't know a dragon's egg needs magic to hatch. And this appears to remain true in Mother's Cradle. The survival rate for dragon offspring in the caldera are astonishingly, appallingly low! What little ambient magic the land generates going to feeding it's own regrowth.

I've posited to one of the inhabitants. That perhaps if they were to build their nests in certain locations with primal springs of magic their hatch rate could be improved.

But they just asked if I'd gone mad with hunger.

It seems magic in Mother's Cradle has become little more than a talltale to it's people. Perhaps that is why the creatures of the caldera have so much to fear from the Emperor and his swarms.

As magic is the only thing known to slay the undead."

-Excerpts from the journal of an unknown explorer.