#VanceLore

[marigoldvance]

VanceLore: Wil o’ the Wisps

He was lost, so lost, and afraid; alone in the dark woods with the cold and silence and nothing else. His fear, like tiny teeth biting beneath his skin, prickled all over, settling deep in the pit of his stomach. 

If he didn’t find his way soon, the others would be killed. 

From one breath to the next, it happened. Small speckles of light flickering to life in the air to his right, their path bobbing and winding into the heart of the forest. How far, he had no clue, but the sensation of rightness compelled him to follow. 

Soon, after many minutes of trampling along, the speckles of light the only thing he could see by beneath the dense canopy of leaves, he began to hear familiar noises. Close now. So close to where he needed to be. 

An orange glow up ahead alerted him to the camp he’d been searching for. 

He’d found them. They would be saved. 

Wil o’ the Wisps are guides, friends to those with good hearts and cruel to those with a malicious stain on their souls. To the latter who wander into their homes, they will turn them around; disorient and confuse until their enemies are driven mad. Sometimes they will conjure voices in the dark or living memories of an enemy’s deepest fear or regret. 

To those they sense are kind and honest, Wil o’ the Wisps will lead them to where they belong. They will take the guise of forest creatures or, more often, of glittering fireflies or small, bright flowers, in order to mark a clear path. 

Unlike their cousins, the Sprites, Wil o’ the Wisps resemble nymphs in terms of their size and appearance. Young, fair girls and boys with no voices who slip in and out of sight as quick as shadows. It is rare to see a Wil o’ the Wisp in their true form unless they choose to reveal themselves. 

[marigoldvance]

VanceLore: Harlequins 

“Then,” He glanced around, desperate for something to anchor him as the last light of his sanity threatened to go supernova. And then he had a thought: “What if I asked you to be free, huh? What then.”

The boy snorted, eyed him, then threw his head back and laughed raucously when he realized the genuineness of the question. When he finally settled a few moments later, wiping the wetness from the corners of his eyes, the boy said, “I’m a Harlequin, genius, not a genie. We can’t be freed. Unless you fancy blood on your hands.”

Harlequins are tricky, shifty, unpredictable creatures who obey orders but don’t necessarily do as they’re told. When given a task to complete, they’ll often find the most entertaining way to go about it - ‘entertaining’ being relative to the individual Harlequin’s personality. Some may take an artistic, elegant approach while others attack with fireworks and theatrics. 

Thankfully, they only submit to one person at a time - a Master - and aren’t able to bend to the will of anyone else as long as they’re bonded. Which they have to be otherwise they risk degenerating into nothing. A Harlequin’s sole purpose is to be used; to perform for an audience of one. A Master feeds the Harlequin life from the well of their own energy, sustaining their Harlequin through the bond that’s forged between them.  

While they possess features unique to them, a Harlequin’s appearance often changes subtly in accordance to their Master’s preferences. Everything from pale to dark, masculine to feminine; still recognizable as themselves just somehow morphed. Even their name isn’t entirely their own, a new one adopted to fit their new Master. 

Harlequins are morally ambiguous, often recklessly unhinged, childlike creatures who are made to serve and cannot, under any circumstances, hurt themselves or their Masters. They don’t express interest in bad or good, wrong or right; they simply answer their Master’s bidding without guilt or regret since that’s all they know, all they understand. They have no choice. 

It’s a mystery whether or not they recognize or can even acknowledge their subservient nature since they can never truly know freedom (perhaps some bastard impression of it, if they bond with a gentle Master but nothing more). 

If you find yourself in possession of a Harlequin, best of luck, because they’re very needy: touch-starved, demanding attention - like an exotic pet with a bible of special care instructions.

[marigoldvance]

VanceLore: Harbingers

(featured in Apprentice)

“Harbingers had a poor reputation, that was all. Known for their simple magic – cold breezes that dropped brooms, lining crows on branches – they weren’t revered for, well, anything. Some even referred to Harbinger magic as lazy; saved for those who didn’t aspire to much else.”

Portends-bringers, Wizard hailers of things to come; Harbingers aren’t known for much more than conjuring signals and signs to forewarn (or forewelcome) those who seek a little cosmic guidance. While their magic isn’t mighty, they are well revered by those who pay attention and heed their crafty omens. 

Harbingers are neither here nor there, neutral by nature. Whatever their magic foretells is entirely in the eye of the receiver. 

Their magic dips lightly into prophesy though Harbingers cannot summon visions of the future. No, their Flare is dimmer than that. They are prompted by intuition - empathy, reading the auras of those whose paths a Harbinger crosses.

They often travel with a Familiar (cats or owls or crows) for company but otherwise keep to themselves, always watching and waiting for the next task they must perform. 

[marigoldvance]

VanceLore: Rambling Fae 

They watched her fiddle and finick, hunched nearly in half over her work as she crafted what they assumed was another key. She hummed a rolling ditty under her breath, completely immersed, their questions going ignored.

           “How can we be sure this’ll work?”

Though his face was a mask of intrigue and confidence, Fíli could hear the fret in Kíli’s voice.

           “We can’t be.” Fíli admitted. “But Ramblers are reliable. We must trust that.”

Kíli nodded, casting Fíli a long, lingering glance. Fíli knew his brother would follow him for less; Kíli’s faith in him was precious and Fíli would be damned before he led his brother anywhere without being sure that they were at least moving in the right direction.

           “Aha!” She sprung up straight, smiling victoriously, the glittering, whimsical shape of the key held above her head. “All done, majesties!”

           “Brilliant,” Kíli said low for only Fíli to hear. “Now we just have to walk through a magical gateway and hope we don’t end up two-hundred years from now … ”

Fíli gulped. “Ramblers,” He repeated, using their mother’s words like a balm, “Are reliable.”

Rambling Fae (aka Ramblers) often hide themselves in plain sight, disguised as everyday people doing everyday things, contributing to the community and insinuating themselves in the lives of those who they believe deserve their friendship. And their friendship is a truly valuable thing for should something terrible in the lives of their friends need fixing, Ramblers are exactly the folk to fix it. 

They are the only Fae Folk able to enter and traverse the Cosmos - the center of all time and space; all layers and possibilities and offshoots. They can manifest portals using doorways, reflective surfaces, anything resembling an archway or entrance (the ‘twixts and ‘tweens). Heartier and more experienced Ramblers are able to summon portals from near-nothing: a knob without a door, a raindrop, etc. A very limited few Ramblers exist who are able to perform such complex magic however, the majority requiring their doorways and mirrors. 

Ramblers fashion keys from intention and thought to unlock a specific portal. Rarely do they craft their keys for anyone besides themselves; the risks are too many and Ramblers don’t trust easily. Though they will step into the Cosmos and journey where they believe they must in order to aid a friend. 

Remember, they are still Fae and Fae are known to be mysterious creatures who don’t always say what they mean or do what is asked of them. If a Rambler does decide to help, they may not accompany their friend to the time/place their friend believes they need to be. Instead, they could accompany their friend to the earliest stretch of their lifetime in order to show them something they need to remember; something that will, in the end, prove to be more important than changing whatever it is they desired to change.

Regardless, for all that they are Fae, Ramblers can be trusted. They are reliable and kind and honest. They may not take you where you wish to go but they will get you to where you need to be!   

[marigoldvance]

VanceLore: Soothsayers

(featured in Apprentice) 

He’d been a Master for all of twenty years, the youngest in the history of the University of Wizardry to earn an instructorship. Fíli was proud of his professing, known for his ability to captivate the most wandering minds. Not surprising, given he was a specialized Soothsayer, his twisty words and vocal magic excellent for a position such as his. After a decade apprenticing beside his Master, teaching in The College of Supernatural Knowledge, the Wise Wizard Gandalf – head of the University – had taken notice and offered Fíli a post guiding the University’s newcomers.

Riddles, poems, stories, melodies, summonings; a Soothsayer’s Flare manifests predominantly through their voice. They do more, however, than enchant those around them by speaking. Able to pluck the truth from a person’s aura - their twitches and tics and bearings - a Soothsayer can open the door to a person’s mind and read them as easily as anything able to be read. It is very difficult (almost impossible) to lie to a Soothsayer. 

Using their magic, a Soothsayer can hypnotize a subject. Can predict the outcome of their day, can influence them to do their bidding. Their magic can be dangerous, manipulative, when used darkly. Most, thank Merlin, are kind-natured and warm, choosing to captivate audiences, mesmerize them with entertainment; amusement had by all. Thus, most Soothsayers become performers, some advisers. Others mentors and guides. Kings appreciate their ability to pluck out the deceivers in their courts. Children enjoy their songs or storytelling. 

As with all Wizards with vocal magic, Soothsayers have the rare ability to cast spells without requiring the use of a wand, staff or other instrument to harness and focus their energy.

Since their magic can bleed into their voice whenever it decides to, Soothsayers tend to speak candidly only when they have to, choosing carefully those who they wish to befriend; people who recognize the difference between a Soothsayer’s true voice and their casting. 

Not just anyone will do.

[marigoldvance]

SOOTHSAYERS

[alternate version]

[original version]

[Note from Author] to my mind, Soothsayers are an amalgamation of Mentalists, Hypnotists, Mind Readers (without the telepathy: they simply read microexpressions, mannerisms, etc.). they’re expert compellers - mind-controllers. 

(think Allison Hargreeves but ... more and without the necessity of a prefacing statement.)

i’m sure there are dickhead Soothsayers out there leading cults ... 99% positive. 

[marigoldvance]

Ooo, Rambler Fae! I love this take on the Fae, how they can travel between dimensions and create things with ordinary objects OR NOTHING! So interesting! What would happen if ALL the Vancelores had to interact!!! This Fae sounds like a good friend to have, IF we were clever enough! Now, what would Fili and Kili need the services of this one for, hmm?

[i hope the “ps” was also from you!! 😅]

こんにちは Nonny!

thank goodness the VanceLores are, for the most part, from different universes XD it would be chaos if they all occupied the same space!! also, i have different ideas for each creature based on the universe they’re in so ... not that they would all appear in various forms in any other universe but their own but --

for example: a Rambler would be different in the Harley ‘Verse and vice versa. not as intense, not as strong. they would have trouble maintaining a portal. that sort of thing. and they would’ve been ironed in the 1500s when whoever-the-British-monarch-was decided that Fae weren’t to be trusted and had them all banded so as to significantly weaken the effects of their magic. 

... not that i’ve thought about it or anything *shifty eyes*

but that’s just an example. i mean, i have a different idea for Ramblers in another ‘verse but, fundamentally, what i shared is what makes a Rambler 🙂 but don’t forget, they can never summon a portal from nothing. the strongest of them still need something to use as a focal point, even if it’s almost microscopic. unfortunately, those Ramblers are extremely, extremely rare. like, so rare: maybe only one or two in the Cosmos. and even then, the second of the two is likely dormant, asleep under the roots of a Tree of Life in some quiet world where they won’t be disturbed.  

now - yeah - poor Fee and Kee definitely need a Rambler like the one i described, that’s for sure x) poor babes found themselves in serious trouble and couldn’t think of another way to mend things. which, truthfully, there is no other way! let’s just hope they’re careful - wouldn’t want to accidentally erase someone’s existence now would they? 😈

thank you so much for your interest, Nonny! it fuels me *slobbery kisses* 

xx

ps: Ramblers are totally self-indulgent. i mean, what fandomgoer hasn’t thought of themselves visiting every single ‘verse they’ve read about/watched? 😘

[marigoldvance]

Hello, Friend! Can I say once again how much I am intrigued by you Vancelores? The Harlequins one is so tricky! I had to read it again to really get it all! And Kili as Harlequin!!! YES!!! KILI AS A HARLEQUIN!!! ALL THE YESES!!! I am DYING to know how he appears to Fili now, after they bond! I mean, I want to see him Before, too, but AFTER ... Like, what did he change to become more 'pleasing' to Fili's eyes? Such an interesting universe!!!!

why, hello Nonny!! 

i am absolutely delighted (thrilled-to-bits ecstatic, vibrating, shrieking with glee) that you enjoy the VanceLores!! those lil’ bitesized folklore treats honestly plod around my creative brain on heavy feet and demand to be shared XD the muses want what they want and i am naught but their vessel hahahaha

it always makes me break my face with a smile knowing that there are others out there who enjoy the VanceLores as much as i do, so a thousand times THANK YOU!!! *glomp*

now: regarding Sweetpea Kee and how he presents himself to Fee (who - lemme just drop this tidbit - in this ‘verse is a detective, partnered, as he always is in my Precinct AUs, with Bard. lives alone in a stale apartment that offers nothing except the one luxury item Fee deemed worth splurging on: his king-sized bed ... and none of that is in any way relevant to what we’re discussing).

in my mind, Harlequins - when between Masters - sort of appear like paperdoll cutouts. practically translucent, lacking any color or overtly distinguishing features. but they are people (kinda, sorta) so they do look like something and those something-features remain as they build up from their template-selves and present a more pleasing image to their new Master. 

like altering an off-the-rack dress so it fits perfectly.

so Kee would’ve had fishwire hair, translucently pale skin, somewhat silvery eyes, etc. upon meeting Fee, before their bond was transferred and set. Kee’s height and basic build would remain the same, adjusting minimally (if his Master, say, liked straightbodied female angles or gangly legs, Kee would appear less muscular but not necessarily waif-skinny because his template doesn’t allow for that kind of drastic change). 

the shape of his eyes and prominence of his nose would change as well, depending on his Master’s preferences. if his Master prefers more feminine features, so be it: his eyes would be rounder, his nose smaller and his jaw softer. 

being that this is Fee we’re talking about, i imagine Kee presents himself as we, the fanhomies, already know his sexy self to be: dark hair, broody bedroom eyes, cheerful mouth. yanno? rendered as the dreamy Modern AU Kee babe we all recognize him as.

you’re welcome to imagine Kee any way you want :D but that’s how i feel Kee would present to Fee.

i hope that was to your satisfaction, Nonny! and THANK YOU SO MUCH again!

xx 

[marigoldvance]

Ooo, yaaaassss, I am so glad you went more into Harlequin Kili! I know all about those 'little bits' rolling through the Brain that Must Get Out!!! ( sometimes thats all I CAN get out - little bits, not even enough for a drabble ) And YES - all the Fili Details are NECESSARY and APPRECIATED!!! BARD! Always The Partner BARD!!! I ACCEPT THIS!!! And his King sized bed!!! ( oh ho ho, do I see that bed getting a Second Occupant * wink * ) I love the descriptions of the Harlequins, and how they -

RIGHT!? i often have this whole headcanon or ‘verse intricately developed but not enough story to string together a vignette or drabble. hell, not even enough for a haiku 🤣

i can only ever picture Bard as Fee’s go-to-hombre. i’ve played with others, no one else fits. in another ‘verse i have floating around (an A/B/O, Crime Family AU), they’re on a 2 day stakeout and Fee asks Bard if they’re friends (since they haven’t, in the span of their partnership, said more than a full sentence to one another). Bard replies that, well yeah, he thought they were best friends 😆😆

[Fee wholeheartedly agrees.]

the great thing about Bard and Fee is that they don’t require words to communicate. they have a whole language of micro-expressions developed over years of observation and partnership.

i’m squealing with delight at how much you like the Harley ‘Verse! it’s one of my more experimental ones and it gives me the happy goosebumps knowing that someone else wants to immerse themselves in it too!! *tackle hug* 

come chat any time, darlin’! i’m always very happy to answer questions or discuss ‘verses in a little more detail!! 

[marigoldvance]

Hey there Friend! So happy to see that things are going well for you so you can create again! I hope it makes you happy! I really love your Vancelore, and the things you made for it, and I can't wait to read your 'pron' ( i'm such a fiki girl! ) And isn't it fun to write the same thing for two different things? You go, Friend! I am wishing for more good days ahead for you!

bless you, Nonny!!

i am BUZZING! i’m so delighted that someone else enjoys the VanceLores as much as i do! i have all of these creatures/monsters/magicfolk suspended in their own little universes but who don’t all have a story to tell (content to simply EXIST). which is ace but i’m an attention-seeker and want to share XD

the VanceLores have been so much fun, as have the lil’ smaple-size ficlets 😃 i’m glad that you’re having fun along with me! *huggles*

you’re such a treasure, thank you so much for reaching out!!!

💕

[marigoldvance]

Hello!! Me again about Harlequin!Kee 😊 I actually got my answer from your Prompt 04 additional treat! You explained it so perrrrrrfectly (purring) in that one! So thank you!! It’s wonderful and I love this verse and these two characters! Wonderfully done!

🥰💕💝🥰💖💞🥰❤️

for those who are interested: Treat 04

VanceLore: Harlequins

Response to Anon's previous Ask (regarding "what are Harlequins")

i have to say, in reference to the last, that i may have overcomplicated things with my answer to sweet Nonny's Ask. i just reread Treat 04 and realized that i had, indeed, answered the question. so. forgive me if the two clash. i'm still getting back into things 😅

~ Mari xx