#Viper the shadow walker

[wellcome-to-chaos]

*leaves a bouquet of rainbow roses for Mystery and Viper with a little note*

Note: Happy Pride Month!!

(Ooc: I saw this earlier(few days ago at this point), was just waiting for Mystery to get out of the infirmary before answering this)

*zey pick up the flowers and reads the note* thanks :)

*Viper looks at his and raises an eyebrow from behind his mask*

What is the point of these?

*zey elbow him*

Don't be rude

[wellcome-to-chaos]

*out of the shadows a man wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and a white mask with a creepy smile painted on it*

*the man has red, shoulder length hair*

You're friends with the runt, aren't you

*the room visually looks normal, nothing/no one there, nothing out of place, but there's a sense of someone's presence*

*along with that is the scent of cigarettes*

- 🦊

. . .

... who's there? you here to arrest me for something...? ...getting the feeling there's some kind of noir detective or something nearby...

[searchingforserendipity25]

post-reembodiment finrod befriends the snakes that live in the green forests of lórien.

he is technically not supposed to be there. in fact elves very much not supposed to be there, in the dark places where dreams and memory and wild whimsy come together in strange guises. and especially not newly-returned finrod, the first of the exiles to come back and still very getting his bearing back.

they meet because the snakes actually set out to be the ones to do a first-contact conversation with him. they have been patient, and thought on the matter at great length - for snakes, of course, are philosophers at heart, as well as hunters.

the smell of rot and freshness clings to the silent walker that crosses the aildes of the ancient trees with nary a sound. it brings them near; it calls to kinship, and inquiry. they have so many questions. what does rebirth feel like to elves? does finrod remember his change? does he feel his discarded skin rotting far away? does he remember all that came before, and in-between? how much liberty does he have to choose the glint of light on his new fur, is he made for camouflage or has he decided to develop a more potent poison?

finrod does remember, in time. not much, then - barely his own names, barely his own languages. but to speak of the lack of memory is to gain memory anew, and never more so when it is done in a new language, cautious, couteous hissing, while long vipers curl around each other and move with laughter at his accent.

the snakes of lórien, finrod learns, have a beautiful and very simple language with a very vast syntax, and death is not a word in it; only the twelve variations of terms for change, and alteration, journeying and discarding. the aching first growth of the shacking away of the past skin. the joyful slithering through the moss with the new skin, when every sense prickles and every discomfort is a small glory, and all things are new, new, and the inside renewed and full of long memory.

are they ainur? are they just long lads? unclear. in valinor, the difference is less than it might seem. the important thing is that they are snarky companions and very invested in looking amazing draped all over his shoulders.

they are friends, the first finrod makes in valinor, this time around; and they remain friends, for all the long ages to came. for the snakes of lórien never do die; sometimes they shake out their old selves in the rain-sweetened shadows of the forests. they leave themselves to be food for the ants and roots of the orchids and the thick ferns, and invent for themselves new skills and dangers and wisdom - but they do not die.

finrod learns a great deal, from the snakes of lórien.

[crusherthedoctor]

He was in the same mini Egg Walker throughout SA2, so I swapped it out with the SA1 Egg Walker since it's the final boss of Tails' story.

[daisychainsandbowties]

@kchzndrvh​ oops

oh no bestie but i HAVE been thinking about dishonoured au for the past hour

Shannon as the Heart. As the empress who death sets everything in motion. Mary, the Lord Protector of Dunwall, standing on that windy parapet while a flickering of dark shapes spread over the roof of the boathouse. 

Mary with her folding sword and her pistol fighting these assassins, tossed aside by an infamous assassin and watching her run a sword through Shannon’s body, watching her her curve around the injury like a question.

Mary tortured and freed from Coldridge by an Admiral, Vincent, who tells her that they will put Shannon’s daughter back on the throne if only they can find her.

Dreams of another place. A void in between death and nothingness, filled with whalesong and excised pieces of the world, turned strange and shapeless in their loneliness.

And in the midst of it stands the saddest girl in all of time. Dark hair floating around her, wreathed in shadow, dressed in her death. 

The Outsider, who admits that her name is Lilith, who puts a warm heart into Mary’s hand. A soul suspended, a revenant, a voice to hear in her ordinary dreams. 

Lilith whose voice is anger and dread and pity and joy and despair, pressing two fingers to the back of Mary’s hand, sending her to her knees with the pain, watching a dark pattern form underneath the skin, wrapping tendrils through her body.

“I am the Outsider, and this is my Mark. use it well, or don’t; it hardly matters.”

Mary as Corvo Attano who runs a bleeding line through Dunwall, sword and pistol and a burning mark on the back of her hand. Using the city’s rats as her allies, tearing at her enemies with tendrils of shadow. She is death incarnate, slipping from shadow to shadow or duelling stilt walkers in plain daylight, a ricochet of shadows plunging her hand into the whale-oil canisters on their backs, watching from balconies as they stumble and fall and explode into chunks of metal and man.

Mary who hunts the assassin - a killer who hides behind the name Daud - missing the moment when her apprentice, Camila, known as Lurk, is banished from her sight. Through the flooded district, through an army of killers, Mary reaches the heart of darkness. A killer whose name is Suzanne, or was, before she became the Knife of Dunwall.

(Sparing her. Making her the first to touch Mary’s blade without dying on it since Shannon’s death)

Mary as Corvo Attano in her mask, with pistols on both hips and a sword like a clever tongue in her hand. Consort of an empress, Lord Protector, saviour of the heir to the throne - a little girl whose mother named her Beatrice.

Years pass. A plague comes to Dunwall. It sweeps through the islands, and out in the bay the whales suffer and sing, and Mary watches (her daughter) Beatrice grow. 

She teaches her to fight, to climb, to think, but the tower is a pit of vipers and she does not see the end coming.

Beatrice, who is the Empress. Beatrice, with her bodyguard at her side; a girl called Ava, who lived in Karnaca until Solkolov found her there and screwed shut the bones in her back. (yeah she’s Alexi) 

Captain Silva, with an easy smile, who insisted on following Beatrice in her nighttime sprints over the rooftops of Dunwall, who sat with her in the gloom and the mist rising up off the water. A strange magnetism between them that Beatrice had to ignore, because she is Empress and her hand in marriage is worth more than all the whales strung up on all their scaffolds, bleeding money down onto the decks of enormous ships.

And then the prodigal sister. A woman called Delilah. In her youth she was called Crimson. 

She tears through the throne room. She freezes Mary in cold carbon, even as Mary unsheathes a decade of carefully controlled rage, exploding into shadow and blood. Suddenly Beatrice understands what power really is: an illusion. A breath of dark magic is enough to tear her kingdom down. 

They lock her in the study, but then a knock comes at the window and it is Ava, blood on her face from fighting her through a squad of her fellow Tower guards. Ava, helping Beatrice out of the window, the pair of them crouched looking down at the coup unfolding in the city below, the ring of the trams through the perpetual damp of a city whose blood is oil, and whiskey, and the shine of metal.

Down through the Tower like a pair of clasped hands. Down to subdue the traitor who took Beatrice’s ring. 

And they don’t kill him. Beatrice would have - like Mary taught her - but Ava gives her a look and she dumps the unconscious man in the safe room atop the Tower. Takes her pistol and her sword and as much currency as she can carry.

They fight their way through Dunwall. They are a pair of gold coins minted in the pattern of two terrible cities, carving a path of quiet chaos through the streets, spilling blood where they have to, but choosing mostly to slip by unannounced. Opting to creep over rooftops, helping each other to scale chimneys and buildings, hand over hand and hand-in-hand. Ava silva, her one loyal friend, a piece of driftwood to cling to in the ruin of her life.

They reach the Dreadful Wale, and find a girl missing one arm, who calls herself Camila. And together, crammed into the belly of a lumbering metal whale, they cross the sea.

In the night Beatrice is visited by a woman, an Outsider who offers her power. A strange and beautiful woman who passes her a heart. It throbs in her palm and whispers into her ear.

“You are softer than the Lord Protector,” the Outsider muses, shadows splitting the lines of her body, twisting her into a non-euclidean presence. An interruption of air.

Her eyes black as pools, pupil-less. Black as the harbour water in Dunwall, and deeper.

“Ah, I see. You are in love with your bodyguard, aren’t you? How sad.” A sly smile when Beatrice shakes her head. “Don’t bother to lie. You do. The Void is a place of astonishing truth - it knows you, even if I do not. Yet.”

“Tread carefully, Beatrice Kaldwin. The road ahead is paved in blood, but you need not take every step on it alone.”

[wellcome-to-chaos]

*a masked man wearing all black(aside from the mask, which was white with a painted-on smile), had red disheveled hair, and reeked of cigarettes stepped out of the shadows*

*a person is lurking in the shadows, if you look around the area there's nothing out of the ordinary, but those who are attuned to such things know there's a presence there*

- 🦊

…

*squints with a mouthful of brown sugar*

What in the seven? Hello????

[thecloudybookshelf]

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

HOFAS was my least favorite of the Crescent City books, and that is such a disappointment because I was looking SO forward to this book. That being said, I still really enjoyed HOFAS; it just didn't quite live up to my expectations. I was expecting Bryce to do more in the Night Court besides just wandering through tunnels with Nesta and Azriel. However, I really adored seeing Nesta from an outsider's point of view and her friendship with Az. The info dump with Silene was blah…it confirmed everything we already theorized, and it seemed too convenient. Bryce traveling through worlds also felt really easy? idk. Maybe it is because she is a "world-walker" or whatever, but in HOSAB, it was so dramatic. Bryce, in general, really irked me. IDK what was up with her treating Hunt like shit, but I didn't like it, and it was totally out of character for her. However, I did appreciate that we were more in the know about her plans, unlike in HOSAB.

The pacing was typical for a Sarah J. Maas book, especially a Crescent City one, as most of the big stuff happened in the last 100 pages or so. It was strange because I found myself getting into reading slumps throughout this book, which never happens for me with Maas, but that is why it took me so long to read. At one point, I found myself skipping ahead just to read Lidia's POV (oops).

This book definitely sets up characters for a spin-off because so many people were just not important at all. Aridane? Hello, I forgot about her for about 400 pages. Sigrid? Baxian? Sathia? The Viper Queen? There is a lot more that Maas needs to tidy up before she is completely done with this world, and I don't think she is.

Lidia, my love. She ended up being my absolute favorite character in this book/series. I just adore her and Ruhn, and I was SO GLAD that I bought their bonus chapter because it was really important and should have been included in the actual book.

Anyway, I have so much to say about this book, but in short, it just wasn't as epic as I thought it would be. But it was fun for the most part, even if the middle was kind of slow. It was definitely not Maas' best, but it was a decent enough conclusion to Bryce and Hunt's story.

[otomes-world]

His Treasure

I planned write a love letter but you know i just sat and went with the flow. Enjoy <(￣︶￣)>

f. Friendship, Broken Glass, Smiling Stranger

It is always cold in the Coral Sea regardless of the time of day and season. Of course, piercing frost isn`t something to fear if you were born and raised at the bottom of a reservoir. If you can call the ocean home.

However, life there isn`t as bad as it might seem at first glance. You can get used to the semi-darkness, to the coldness of the water and the views. You can find an occupation or, better to say, a hobby to your liking. This is exactly what Jade did, from childhood searching sunken ships for forgotten, abandoned valuables. While picking up this or that trinket, he wondered more than once: what did the Princess feel while collecting strange curiosities from land. Did she experience genuine joy from finding a new thing? Did she try to guess the purpose or history of the item?

Jade wasn`t interested in the culture of the walkers on the ground, there were enough interesting events under the water. Until the illustration in the book that caught his eye. Even then, he still couldn`t understand why people put fish in a glass prison and disguise it under the seabed. The idea itself turned out to be surprisingly original, so without noticing, he began to pick more and more sparkling, shiny things from the land.

Moray took this unusual hobby with him to College. Here he received great freedom in the choice of materials for creating aquariums. It was no longer necessary to conduct hourly, and sometimes useless, searches in order to find at least something worthwhile among the silt and algae. Now he could give free rein to his imagination.

However, like any collector, Jade was soon fed up with simple things. Like any sophisticated critic, he wanted something new, something worthy to become a part of his collection.

What is the point of rushing from one extreme to another for the sake of what everyone has in abundance?

*

*

*

To get into the world of villains from fairy tales.. perhaps for some it was a lifelong dream. However, without a shadow of a doubt, Yuu would call everything that happens a bad dream, from which she has long dreamed of waking up.

In a world where magic is common, not wielding it is like being an exotic, defenseless animal. The one that everyone looks down on. The one whose life passes under the crosshairs of unfriendly gazes. However, inside the viper's nest, you must be a viper, too. Therefore, rolling up sleeves, the self-proclaimed prefect put on a mask and began to pave herr way of survival.

If you take the mockery too close to your heart, you will break.

If you allow yourself to relax, you will hurt.

If you let someone get too close, you will condemn yourself to suffering.

Three simple rules, nothing could be easier. However, people need communication, support. With friends, it was easier to forget about pressing problems, briefly push fears into the background, allowing yourself to enjoy the moment. For a moment, close eyes to the danger, which is getting closer with each passing second.

Without Ace and Deuce's intimidated reaction, Yuu sensed that something was wrong with the Leech twins. Jade's unchanging smile and Floyd's unpredictable mood swings were great reasons to avoid both of them. However, fate always had its own vision of things, because the girl often began to notice two bright multi-colored eyes in the shadows.

Not to notice them is admitting that you are blind.

What calm, but no less frightening, vice-leader of Octavinelle found attractive in her, she didn`t know, but intuition dictated that it wouldn`t end well anyway. Therefore, when the young man finally approached her with an invitation, Yuu was already mentally prepared for the battle.

"Is this... what you wanted to show me?.." Having heard the rumors about the clandestine activities of the top of the Sea Witch's dorm, the prefect was ready for anything, but for the various aquariums in Jade's room.

However, despite her mistrust, Yuu couldn't help but acknowledge the quality and the amount of time spent on them. With different shapes and fillings each tank has a small world bounded by glass. Without noticing, the prefect began to look curiously from one aquarium to another. In one of the materials at hand the building of the College was recreated, in the other the Sea Witch's cave.

Jade was silent all the time, giving the girl the opportunity to slowly enjoy the fruit of his hard work. When she reached the last empty bowl, he allowed himself to speak.

“The world is full of unusual, attention-grabbing things. For some, a simple fork is nothing special, but for others it is a curiosity that carries a rich history behind it. I guess, this is the beauty of any thing,” Moray allowed himself to laugh. “Nature reserves the right to be the main creator, but it is merciful, allowing us to try ourselves in this difficult task. So, any person can bring something of their own into this world, so any sea inhabitant is able to recreate his own universe in a glass."

"What are you mean?" Yuu didn't like how far away the Leech started the conversation. "I didn't think you would decide to give me a lecture on philosophy."

“Like any connoisseur, the climax overtook me,” the young man continued his thought, as if nothing had happened, gradually closing the distance and forcing the prefect to retreat. “The moment when you understand that you have reached stagnation in creativity. When simple materials cease to cause joy and you want to create something that no one else in the world can do." For every step Jade took, the girl took one step back. "Replenish your collection with something that others absolutely do not have"

"You c-crazy," realizing where the Leech was leading, Yuu shivered. Colliding with the table, the girl inadvertently touched the empty aquarium, which with a loud crash shattered into small fragments. However, the sharp glass at the moment worried her least of all, because the prefect didn`t take her bewildered gaze from the tall figure, who remained calm despite the hype. "I will be damned if I'll let you stuff me into one of your t-toys!"

A moment and moray appear very close. The moment and back of the head pierces a sharp pain, depriving consciousness. Finally plunging into darkness, Yuu thought she heard a voice:

"Of course not. There was always something great in my thoughts."

*

*

*

Somewhere at the bottom of the Coral Sea was a cave hidden from prying eyes. The cold stone bends curiously, forming something like shelves inside. At the very top, there was a small hole that allows crumbs of light, like spotlights, to illuminate the treasures inside.

Silver shimmering cutlery stuck in an antique chandelier just like candles. Oil painting of a girl in a long dress leaning against a wall. Broken mirrors, fragments of expensive porcelain dishes, carefully laid out around.

However, who, if not the owner of the collection, knew better that this will never happen.

In the center of the cave was a handmade pedestal made of stone, on which sat a girl in a dress made of airy flannel, swaying with waves. The arms and legs are fixed and suspended by subtle threads. The view seems so serene as if a stranger was about to wake up from sleep and open her eyelids.

[wellcome-to-chaos]

What has the runt gotten themself into this time?

What are you doing here, if you're here to hurt Mystery, I'm calling the guards

🙄as if they'll be able to stop me, you do realize I can't be killed, and I can't feel pain, remember?

Doesn't matter, I won't let you hurt my older sibling, especially while zey're injured as bad as zey currently are

[wellcome-to-chaos]

*a masked man wearing all black(aside from the mask, which was white with a painted-on smile), had red disheveled hair, and reeked of cigarettes stepped out of the shadows*

*a person is lurking in the shadows, if you look around the room there's nothing out of the ordinary, but those who are attuned to such things know there's a presence there*

- 🦊

thank you for visiting the therapist!

*mid turns towards the presence, though its not visible since she's still a ghost*

...is there another student-ghost here?

[hope-to-hell]

Dream State: Theater. August Walker x Reader. Smut, angst, descriptions of wounds, knives, blood, bodily fluids, masturbation. August returns in dreams. A fleshing-out of the first part of Dream State.

This, all of this, is August’s doing. He says hey, melancholy and he opens up the door. He opens up the door and treads the boards, and you will follow. You will follow because there’s nothing else for you to do; you follow because there is an ethereal line between your wrist and his that tugs you after him. Resisting is like arguing with the tide; it gets you nowhere.

He is cruel and ruined but his coldness isn’t for you; it’s never for you, not even when— but oh that’s a raw wound, air licking right against your nerves: the one time you said I can’t and that was that: the one time when he left and you wished you’d followed after.

(Could’ve saved him, says the viper.)

But he understood, and that’s the worst part. He understood it couldn’t have been otherwise, that a one-way trip wasn’t in your stars.

(Could’ve witnessed, says the lark)

He understood and more than that, it’s what he wanted: to either come back a man triumphant or to leave you with a memory of him at his strongest, fierce and virile and with blood that wasn’t his splashed up his shirt, his hands broad and scarred and steady, opening you sweetly on his tongue.

So why’d you come back?

I haven’t. Not yet. Not really. But here—

Here the veil is thin; here the waking and the dreaming worlds collide and he’s been lucky (he’s been clever); here the grand theater creaks and rustles in its many wings and alcoves, here when he walks there’s almost the sound of footsteps.

And when he turns he isn’t quite the same; he’s all fire and thunder but his face— his face— it weeps and writhes in strips of red; he has those lines around his eyes, tight with pain, taut like the time you saw him in the mirror with his fingers in his wounds. But this time there is no pleasure, no release: only the inescapable crawling burn of open flesh.

Pet. This is a dream.

What?

Remember. None of this is real.

And the knife bites deep. He takes from you your blood and breath; he says when I fell and no more words come out. But the meaning crosses to your mind and in the way of dreams the wounding is a gift; the silver in your lungs is merely cold and with it comes a winter wind that sweeps through the theater and makes the limelights flicker. And on that wind comes a word: the word is kneel.

August up above is cast in shadow; his writhing wounds cast lymph down on your face, tissue fluid, little beads of blood. It is a benediction, holier than holy, the gift of his secret flesh. I have been cast out even from death. And here, by all the grace that we possess, I’ll rise. But first. Be still.

And he strokes himself with a fevered grip; his fist is tight and shiny on his cock, wet with precome and the licks you gave before he eased you back. Why can’t I?

It isn’t how this works, much as I’d like to. This is— this is a consecration, more or less. Restraint and deprivation fire the engines of this place. This place? A theater? It’s hardly where you’d think to act restrained, and yet. And yet it makes a kind of sense, the way those rustling winds seem to be listening. They hear it all and pass their judgements; perhaps you’ll earn their favor.

And then in the manner of dreams, you recall the knife, still lodged between your ribs; the bite of it is cold and deep and yet it somehow doesn’t hurt. Of course it doesn’t hurt. I bore the cost.

And so he has: upon his shirt there blooms a wet red stain, and how he hurts: he swipes his fingers through the blood and returns them to his cock, stroking now with fevered urgency, with the need to finish this while he can still stand. He strokes his cock and grits his teeth and spits his venom and August— August— I don’t understand.

None of this is right, pet. But none of this is real. I will mark you thus, and in the way of dreams you’ll be a beacon.

(A sacrificial pyre, condemns the viper.

A candle flame, implores the lark)

(It’s the last best hope he has)

And when he comes it’s warm upon your face, mixed up with all the rest of it; he makes his mark with sticky thumbs and none of this is pleasure; every drop is the product of grit and pain, the end result of the determination that he shows in everything. And like he says, it’s wrong and foul and cruel; by rights you should tend to his wounds or hold him close. You should make use of the paths you find in dreams and bring him to your bed all whole and strong, and yet. And yet there’s something else here, something that’s beyond a dream, something sharp and dangerous and

August. I still don’t understand.

You don’t need to understand it, pet. You only need to bear it.

But I miss you— Christ, I miss you— are you coming home?

I’m trying, pet. With everything I have, I’m trying.

[glitch-in-space]

Fear & Delight: a macdoc playlist

I’m trying to work on 3 different MacDoc fics at once whilst juggling a hellish amount of revision, so I thought I’d share my MacDoc playlist with y’all, since it’s began to haunt my dreams with the amount use it’s gotten.

I’ve split it into categories for an easier read, but ofc the songs can be interrupted however you want. It’s all below the cut (hopefully) so there’s no long posts to disturb anyone!

Uncategorised MacDoc Songs:

A-YO by Lady Gaga (Note: if they didn’t want people to ship MacDoc, why play this when they catch their first glimpse of each other?)

A Love Like War by All Time Low

Animal by Neon Trees

bad guy by Billie Eilish

Bad Romance by Halestorm

Believer by Imagine Dragons

Better Than Me by Hinder (Note: angsty, post-break up song)

Blind as a Bat by Meat Loaf

Bloodsport ‘15 by Raleigh Ritchie

Bloody Valentine by Machine Gun Kelly 

Bruises & Bitemarks by Good With Grenades 

Cannibal by Tally Hall

Carve a Name by Mother Mother

Centuries by Fall Out Boy

Dangerous by David Guetta, Sam Martin

Don’t Stop the Devil by Dead Posey

Enemy Fire by Bea Miller

Every You, Every Me by Placebo

Fear & Delight by The Correspondents

For Crying Out Loud by Meat Loaf

For The Departed by Shayfer James

Fortress Around Your Heart by Sting (Note: idk why but I personally prefer listening to the Tom Chick cover)

Game of Survival by Ruelle

Human by dodie, Tom Walker

Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran (Note: the Glee cover also works if you prefer how it sounds)

I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) by Meat Loaf (Note: the Bat Outta Hell Musical version also works)

I’m Free (Heaven Help the Man) by Kenny Loggins

I’m in Love With a Monster by Fifth Harmony

I Said Never Again (But Here We Are) by Rachel Stevens

Jason by BONNIE PARKER (Note: possible high school au?)

Killer by Plain White T’s (Note: possibly criminal au)

Little Monster by Royal Blood

Little Pistol by Mother Mother

Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men

My Boyfriend’s Back by The Angels (Note: theme for an epic scene of Murdoc rescuing Mac from captivity)

Never - from “Footloose” Soundtrack by Moving Pictures

Party in My Head by JAYDA

Pit of Vipers by Simon Curtis (Note: potentially unhealthy or vamp au)

Problems by Mother Mother (Note: the theme for my fic, No Place To Go)

Savin’ Me by Nickelback

Ship in a Bottle by fin

Skeleton Appreciation Day in Vestal, NY (Bones) by Will Wood and The Tapeworms

Social Climb by I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These) by Marilyn Manson

The Devil You Know by I Fight Dragons

War of Hearts by Ruelle

We Can Take Our Time by Hayden Calnin

Where Does the Good Go by Tegan and Sara (Note: the cover by Alex Blue Davis also works)

Unhealthy & Borderline Unhealthy Relationship:

Addicted by Saving Abel

Animal by Sir Chloe

An Unhealthy Obsession by The Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra (Note: anyone else craving an au where they manage to both stalk each other?)

Better Than I Know Myself by Adam Lambert

Criminal by 3 One Oh

I Can’t Decide by Scissor Sisters

Irresistible by temposhark

Kiss With a Fist by Florence + The Machine

Like Lovers Do by Hey Violet

Little Red Riding Hood by Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs

Nemeses by Jonathan Coulton, John Roderick

Obsessed With You by The Orion Experience

Obsession by Animotion

Paparazzi by Kim Dracula (Note: this & the following 2 r all covers of the same song tho the lyrics to this 1 r slightly different)

Paparazzi by Holly Henry

Paparazzi by Sinxi

Rock Bottom by Hailee Steinfeld, DNCE

Skullcrusher Mountain by Jonathan Coulton

Stalker’s Tango by Autoheart

Starkiller by Bear Ghost

Sticks and Stones by The Pierces

Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge

The Devil You Know by Kovacs

The Dismemberment Song by Blue Kid

This Is Love by Air Traffic Controller

This Means War by Marianas Trench

Under My Skin by Jukebox The Ghost

Criminal!mac AUs:

All About Us by t.A.T.u

Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace (Note: works for dark!mac or murdoc)

Become the Beast (Predator Remix) by Karliene

Go Get Your Gun by The Dear Hunter

Hit and Run by LOLO (Note: wlw criminal au, anyone?) 

Partners in Crime by Set It Off, Ash Costello

Vampire AUs (depending on how literally you interpret the lyrics): 

Dracula by Bea Miller

Dracula by Mystic Prophecy (Note: not the same song as above) 

Dracula Teeth by The Last Shadow Puppets 

DRACULADS by Salem

[cardest]

Sweden playlist

Goodness! The Swedish Chef is deliriously pleased with this Sweden playlist. Det här är otroligt! It’s not far off 350 songs. Can we get there? I think so. (I tried to get songs by Retaliation and 10,000 years, but maybe later when someone puts up those songs on Youtube). This is epic!

What songs and bands have I overlooked for this? I bet there’s plenty. Sweden is just oozing with so much talent and so many great bands. Listen to the playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-HqTl9SJKkER2dKbR2NWkE Add your songs and suggestions. Tack! SWEDEN

001 The Muppet Show - Swedish Chef goes bezerk in the kitchen 002 Grand Magus -  Fear Is The Key 003 In Flames -  Pinball Map 004 Entombed - Like This With The Devil 005 Soilwork - Figure Number Five 006 The Divine Comedy - Sweden 007 Bathory - Reaper 008 ABBA - Take a Chance On Me 009 Therion - Gothic Kabbalah 010 Moloko - Indigo 011 Katatonia - I Break 012 Opeth - The Baying Of The Hounds 013 Sabaton -  Carolus Rex 014 Europe - Scream Of Anger 015 Jean-Louis Aubert - Stockholm 016 Blues Pills -  Jupiter 017 Amon Amarth  - The Pursuit of Vikings 018 Triakel - Alla Gossar (Swedish folk music ) 019 Arcana - As the End Draws Near 020 Kenta  Guldkorn  - Stockholm 021 Tiamat - Whatever That Hurts   022 AVATARIUM - The Starless Sleep 023 Spiritual Beggars  -  Star Born 024 Dismember - Dreaming In Red 025 Lasse Berghagen - Pomperipossa 026 In Solitude - Sister 027 Sahg III - Baptism of Fire 028 Ebba Grön - Mona Tumbas Slim Club 029 Nightingale -  The Dreamreader 030 Roxette - Dressed For Success 031 Ghost - Rats 032 Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Far Beyond The Sun 033 Candlemass - Crystal Ball 034 Bathory - Under The Runes 035 Orup - Stockholm 036 Katla - Embryo 037 Pugh Rogefeldt - hog farm 038 Trees of Eternity - Gallows Bird (feat. Nick Holmes) 039 Paatos - Shame 040 THE STRANGLERS  - SWEDEN 041 Katatonia - Brave   042 Brighter Death Now - No Salvation 043 Nationalteatern - Livet är en fest 044 Meshuggah -  Bleed 045 Sir Douglas Quintet  - Meet Me In Stockholm   046 Ulf Lundell - Stockholm City 047 In Mourning - Fire & Ocean 048 Dark Tranquillity - The Science Of Noise 049 Blue Swede - Hooked On a Feeling 050 Clawfinger - The Truth 051 John Coltrane - Dear Old Stockholm 052 The Hellacopters - In The Sign Of The Octopus 053 Hypocrisy -  a coming race 054 Carola - Mig Var Du Står 055 Bloodbath - Let The Stillborn Come To Me 056 Vapnet - Stockholm sett snett uppifran 057 Mercy - Im Your Pervert Priest 058 The Spotnicks - Hava Nagila 059 Vanhelgd - Allt Hopp ar Fobi 060 Mammoth Storm - Fornjot 061 Vomitory - redemption 062 Entrails - No Cross Left Unturned 063 Virna Lindt - Attention Stockholm 064 Night - Fire Across the Sky 065 Dungen dar -  Har du vart i Stockholm 066 The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So 067 Sabaton - Gott Mit Uns 068 Svante Thuresson Och Totta Näslund - Stockholm Sweetnin' 069 Lake of Tears -  To Blossom Blue 070 Scott Walker - The Seventh Seal 071 Garmarna - Vänner och fränder   072 Stockholms Negrer - Det förlovade landet 073 Thåström - Ballad om en gammal knarkare 074 The Haunted - Godpuppet 075 Ordo Equilibrio - The First Harvest 076 Therion -  The Dreams Of Swedenborg 077 VINTERSORG - Fjällets mäktiga mur   078 Aeon - Aeons Black 079 Arckanum - Trulmælder 080 Edge of Sanity - Enigma   081 Scar Symmetry - The Illusionist 082 Tribulation -  Melancholia 083 Witchcraft - It's Not Because Of You 084 At The Gates - At The Gates 085 Unleashed - The One Insane 086 Candlemass - ancient dreams 087 Hasse Andersson - Guld och grona skogar   088 Crucified Barbara -  Electric Sky 089 Evergrey -  The Grand Collapse 090 Lord Belial - Bleed on the Cross 091 Hedningarna - Räven 092 Dismember - Pieces (with intro) 093 Entombed  - Sinners Bleed 094 MUSE - Stockholm Syndrome 095 Bathory - Valhalla 096 Gösta Berlings Saga - The Shortcomings Of Efficiency 097 Tiamat - The Ar 098 Oz - Turn the cross upside down 099 Grand Magus - I Am The North 100 Soilwork -  Light The Torch 101 Spiritual Beggars - Fools Gold 102 Stuck In Motion - Moon 103 Cult of Luna - Receiver 104 Arcana - A Cage 105 Memento Mori - The Seeds of Hatred 106 Wolfbrigade - Barren Dreams 107 Dr Zeke - Jag Ska Aldrig Dö 108 Yngwie Malmsteen - gimme gimme gimme (your lust after midnight) 109 Arch Enemy - Pilgrim 110 Torch - Watcher Of The Night 111 Magic - Vi drar på disco 112 Refused -  Elektra 113 Grave - Into The Grave 114 Lädernunnan - Ensam I Natt 115 The Orchard Enterprises - Fear Might Harm Self 116 Suma - Swordlord 117 Kulning - Ancient Swedish herdingcall 118 Bob Hund - Ska du hanga med Na 119 Dark Funeral - As One We Shall Conquer 120 Disfear - Get it off   121 Ghost -  From The Pinnacle To The Pit 122 Morbus Chron - Chains 123 Heavy Load - Traveller 124 Therion - Tuna 1613 125 Entombed -  Left Hand Path 126 Hearse - Mountain of the Solar Eclipse 127 Monolord - The Last Leaf 128 Night Viper - The Wolverine 129 Agrimonia - A World Unseen 130 Jonathan Hultén - Nightly sun 131 Diabolical Masquerade - Blackheim's Quest To Bring Back The Stolen Autumn 132 Army Of Lovers - Crucified 133 Dissection - Where Dead Angels Lie   134 Noctum _Liberty in Death 135 Europe - Open Your Heart 136 Darkane  - Secondary Effects 137 Candlemass - Codex Gigas 138 Bathory - Enter Your Mountain 139 ABBA - Ring Ring (Bara du slog en signal) Swedish Version 140 Watain - Malfeitor 141 Louise Lemón - Devil 142 Cult Of Luna - Vague Illusions 143 Diablo Swing Orchestra -  Black Box Messiah 144 Opeth - Nectar 145 Hills - Milarepa 146 Ceremonial Oath - The Book Of Truth 147 Dark Tranquillity - Silence And the Firmament Withdrew 148 Göteborg Sound - Björn Borg 149 In Flames -  Reflect The Storm 150 MESHUGGAH - Demiurge   151 Expiremental Pop Band - Gothenburg 152 Millencolin - polar bears 153 Hedningarna - Pornopolka 154 Ratata - Ogon Av Is Liv Utan Spanning   155 OBSCURITY - Roses With Thorns 156 Nifelheim - Sodomizer 157 Soilwork - One With The Flies 158 Gardenian - Netherworld 159 Cemetary - Sundown 160 Månegarm - Hemfärd 161 Garmarna - Herr Mannelig 162 YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS - First Night Back In Port   163 VINTERSORG - Svältvinter 164 SNOWY SHAW - Nachtgeist 165 Moloken - The Titan Above Us 166 BEWITCHED - HARD AS STEEL (HOT AS HELL) 167 The Night Flight Orchestra - Green Hills Of Glumslov 168 Vanhelgd - Gravens Lovsång 169 Marduk - Christraping Black Metal 170 Garbochock - Streberbarn 171 Negative Self - Back On Track 172 Nightingale - Sleep 173 Iggy Pop - Five Foot One 174 Owe Thörnqvist - Varm korv boogie 175 Candlemass - Elephant Star 176 Tiamat - Cold Seed 177 Dismember - Shadowlands 178 Hypocrisy - Penetralia 179 Therion - Melez 180 Yngwie Malmsteen - You Dont Remember Ill Never Forget 181 Woven Hand -  Swedish Purse 182 Roxette - Joyride 183 Wolf -  Skeleton Woman 184 Europe - Seven doors hotel 185 ABBA - Me Knowing Knowing Youse   186 Opeth - Ghost Of Perdition 187 Katatonia - I Am Nothing 188 Sabaton - Uprising 189 Bathory - Total destruction 190 Cult Of Luna - Owlwood 191 Cortex - Warrior Night 192 Trettioåriga Kriget - Krigssång 193 Lee Hazlewood A House Safe for Tigers 194 Dead Sleep - Back to black 195 Greenleaf  - Tides 196 The Crimson Shadows - When I'm Going Away 197 The Night Flight Orchestra - Transmissions 198 Anekdoten - Nucleus 199 Enhet För Fri Musik - Det Finns Ett Hjärta 200 In Flames - Jotun 201 Dungen - Ta det lugnt 202 Ghost - Ritual 203 Witchery - A Paler Shade of Death 204 Landberk - Tell 205 At The Gates - Blinded By Fear   206 Anna von Hausswolff - Epitaph of Theodor 207 Uran - Mr Piggy 208 Runemagick  Remnants of the Old 209 SKÁLD - Flúga 210 Sacramentum - Far Away from the Sun 211 Dawn - Malediction Murder 212 Nifelheim - No more life 213 Craft - The Cosmic Sphere Falls 214 Solitude Aeturnus -  Waiting for the Light 215 ARCH ENEMY - War Eternal 216 Nasum - Worldcraft 217 Insision - No Belief 218 The Oath - silk road 219 Shining - Förtvivlan Min Arvedel 220 Burst - I Exterminate The I 221 Bloodbound - Stormborn 222 Puissance - Love Incinerate 223 Electric Boys - All Lips 'n Hips 224 Exgenisis - Embers 225 Don Cherry - GamlaStan - The Old Town By Night 226 Raison D'etre -  Sub Specie Aeternitatis 227 Bloodbath  - Weak aside 228 Therion -  Opus Eclipse 229 Cult of Luna - I: The Weapon 230 Marduk - The Sun Turns Black as Night 231 Ragnar Grippe - Symphonic Songs: Part 1 232 Unanimated - From a Throne Below 233 Entombed - Hollowman 234 Grande Royale - Royale 235 PAGANIZER  - Soulless Feeding Machine 236 Bathory - Woman of Dark Desires 237 Paranorm - Critical Mass 238 Refused - The Deadly Rhythm 239 Golgata - Med din kyss kom mörkret 240 Ett Dödens Maskineri – ‘Låsta dörrar 241 MÖRK GRYNING - Fältherren   242 Daughter Chaos - The space born 243 BLUES PILLS - Rhythm In The Blood 244 LUCIFER - Ghosts 245 November - Mount Everest 246 Dissection - Night's Blood 247 Tøronto - Lights Out At Bedlam 248 ICE AGE - Breaking The Ice 249 Sweven - By Virtue of a Promise 250 Ghost-  Year Zero 251 TRIBULATION - Strange Gateways Beckon 252 Drain S.T.H. - Crack the Liar´s Smile 253 Horisont - Odyssey 254 Witchcraft - Snake 255 Kirstie Sarboe - Ein Student Aus Uppsala 256 Sodomisery - Reapers Key 257 Opeth - Under The Weeping Moon 258 Olle Adolphson - Gustav Lindströms visa 259 Therion - The Wild Hunt 260 Bloodbath - Bloodicide 261 Bathory - The Golden Walls of Heaven 262 Soilwork - Follow the Hollow 263 Magnus Härenstam - Huddinge, Tullinge, Tumba 264 OBSTRUKTION - Hopeless Path 265 Amon Amarth - The Way Of Vikings 266 Anguish - When the Ancients Dare to Walk 267 Palme sköt först - Spiders 268 Totalitär - Allt Är Inom Dig 269 Vassago - Sign of Vassago 270 Larma - Elitens Eskapism 271 ENSNARED - Anti-Prophet 272 Third Storm - Forgotten Deity 273 Chronic Decay - Ecstasy In Pain 274 Transport League - Man Sized Drain 275 Nasum - mass hypnosis 276 Inevitable End - Memento 277 Candlemass - Dancing in the Temple (Of the Mad Queen Bee) 278 Gadget - Remote 279 Sayyadina - Nothing 280 Coldworker - The Contaminated Void 281 Katatonia - Teargas 282 In Flames - Dead God in Me 283 Trial - Motherless 284 Watain - Satan's Hunger 285 Bewitched - Rise Of The Antichrist 286 Shining - Jag Är Din Fiende 287 In Solitude - Witches Sabbath 288 Comecon - The House That Man Built 289 Marduk - The Black Tormentor of Satan 290 Lifelover - M/s salmonella 291 Naglfar - Enslave the Astral Fortress 292 Sacrilege - Sweet Moment of Triumph   293 Spiritual Beggars - Monster Astronauts 294 Massgrav - Det Här Är Stockholm 295 IRON LAMB - Backstabbers 296 The Hives - Tick Tick Boom 297 Candlemass - Dark Reflections 298 Megatomb - Forbidden Altar 299 Entrails - Condemned to the Grave 300 Katatonia - Gateways of Bereavement 301 Träd, Gräs och Stenar - Sanningens Silverflod (Djungelns Lag) 302 Hammerfall - Let the Hammer Fall 303 Obnoxious Youth - Mouths Sewn Shut 304 GRAND MAGUS - Wolf God 305 Dark Funeral - Unchain my soul 306 Entombed - Say it in slugs 307 Amon Amarth - Runes to My Memory 308 Ghost - Absolution 309 Hypocrisy  - Dominion 310 Edge of Sanity - Darkday 311 Orbit Culture - North Star of Nija 312 Cemetary - Caress the Damned 313 DOZER - Through The Eyes Of Heathens 314 Grave - Now and Forever 315 ARCH ENEMY - Bury Me An Angel 316 Skraeckoedlan - Universam 317 Cult of Luna - I remember 318 Doris  Svensson - Did You Give The World Some Love Today, Baby 319 Svard - A Rift in the Green 320 Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse 321 Lightbringer - Lightbringer in Sweden 322 Bastard Priest - ghouls of the endless night 323 Westkust - Cotton Skies 324 Maggot Heart - sex breath 325 Abruptum - De Profundis Mors Vas Consumet 325 Raised Fist - Flow 326 Makthaverskan - Antabus 327 Eternal of Sweden - Heaven's gate 328 Wolfbrigade - Fire Untamed 329 Fyfan - Intrangd Och Instangd 330 Opeth - Svekets prins 331 Martyrdöd - Hexhammeren 332 The Haunted - Liquid Burns 333 Dismember - Override of the Overture 444 Bathory - Under the Runes 666 Dark tranquillity - A Bolt of Blazing Gold

Play the songs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-HqTl9SJKkER2dKbR2NWkE

Next edition of Sweden playlist will have tracks from: God Macabre, Deutsch Nepal , Retaliation, In Slaughter Natives and 10,000 Years.

[wellcome-to-chaos]

*a masked man wearing all black(aside from the mask, which was white with a painted-on smile), had red disheveled hair, and reeked of cigarettes stepped out of the shadows*

And there he is....

Shut it runt

*a person is lurking in the shadows, if you look around the area there's nothing out of the ordinary, but those who are attuned to such things know there's a presence there*

- 🦊

Oh Trickster fox cat welcome back

[iviin-855]

Current hyperfixation: ace attorney brainrot has returned

Current projects: restructuring my entire life, learning tarot, learning mando'a, read pathfinder books, trying desperately to not fall into arasuum, why is driving so complicated

Playing: disco elysium, provided half light let's me actually play it

put a copy of my oc list under a read-more because you cant see the original on mobile

OC List

All are subject to change

most used (nick)name/full name/lit. translation [translated name]; alternate name (the mostly used name still applies)

Roleplaying games

Pathfinder

Naidara (half elf, Ranger)

Tybalt (Human, Storm-Druid)

Kela (Goblin, Ranger)

Daofeng (Nagaji, Paladin)

Li (Nagaji, Alchemist)

Tirik (Kobold, Monk)

Shahkah (Slithrak, Cleric[Wadjet])

Runa (Human, Shaman[Mammoth-Spirit])

Starfinder

Sheza (Kasatha, Envoy)

Ikrani

Videogames

Guild Wars

Commander Nahrillia (my canon commander, Sylvari, Ranger/Soulbeast)

Kyra Irongear (Human, formerly Engineer, Revenant/Renegade)

Toni Ironhide (Charr, Warrior)

Sahana Desertwalker (Ohlmakan Charr, Sunspear, Guardian/Firebrand)

Dahmani (Azura, Necromancer/Reaper)

Vallaswind (Norn, Elementalist/Weaver)

Go Hu (human [technically], Warrior/Barbarian)

Atria Guidestar (Revenant)

Keiko Sureshot (not yet made [hopefully])

Elder Scrolls

Argonian line

Ahi'Nar/Gah'ixtaxh'krona'reel-ka [holds-focus-in-battle]/basket exact big warrior];Tah'ixtaxh'krona'reel-ka [house exact big warrior] i tried to find words that shorten to her name

Mist-walker/she-who-walks-in-the-mist/vaporous swimmer [Hej'tsona]

Blade/War-sting [Ka'jeke] closest i could find to blade

Lee'na/Vimleel'krona [speaks-of-many-things/bigtongue]

Pyra/fire/sun-sting [Vakka'jeke];bright-sting [wasseek'jeke]

Bosmer line

Kela av avrentia

Milan the Hunter

Starbound

Kana

blank name

Stardew Valley

Ren

Okaaz

SWTOR

Ganii Tal'orar [bloodthunder] (bounty hunter)

Kyrass Zaada (jedi Knight)

Nittu [Night] Skytrail;Startrail [Ekkriya] (smuggler, not yet made)

Zexuun Kha (sith inquisitor, evil fish man)

___ (Trooper, not yet made)

Fandom

BNHA

Hú Gō (Goblin) [Oni]

Hirano Chihiro (Hexabee) [Beeshield]

[BLANK] (Helping Hand) [Multihand]

[BLANK] (Crusader) [Blessing]

Mechanisms

Vyn the Fin

Transformers

Greenshot

Cricket

Trip

Flyaway

Puncture

Silverstag

Starseeker

Non-Fandom

Scraps

Cear

Nyx

Nate/Thomas/whatever

Athena

Kyle

Jahra

Night-Stalker

Blackheart Prophecy

Brianna Blackheart

Nilo Windweaver

Eiko Whiteheart, historian

Superheroes

Young Defenders

Leo

Raveneye

Plasma

Heaven’s Arrow

Velocity

Frostbite

Foxfire/Fenec

Defenders/chaos Brigade

Tianorc

Shadow Wolf

Commander

Waraxe

Jet

Bannfist

Silver Shield

Runeblade

Soaring Sabre

Mythics

no names yet

Hawkdragon Detective Agency

Mystic Dragon

Hawk

Misc

Green Flare

Iron Viper

[rogue-hammer]

ENTRY #2: ELDAR (PART 1)

“I watched the Forging of the Widow Makers, the 12 swords of Kaine, I watched as one was stolen and hidden far away.”

Eldar. The ancient Race, one time masters of the Galaxy and Seers without equal.

ELVES IN SPACE! SPACE….Space….space…

Believe it or not there is quite the history to this race outside of the typical hum drum of being the most powerful psykers, or, dumbasses who gave birth to Slaanesh. The history of the Eldar and their varied kin goes all the way back to Rogue Trader, and their lore has seen many an interesting tale told. The question is, do you have what it takes to make something out of it all?

Will you follow the Path of Asuryani?

Become a Exodite?

Mayhap an Outcast?

Or have you followed the path of Damnation?

#1 Study the history and model scope of the Eldar

As much as I love poking fun at any Knife ear, and their fans, I admit to a love of how otherworldly GW have made the Eldar over the years.

Going all the way back to the RT era, when the eldar where mostly but Corsairs and Enigmatic Xenos who seemed to materialize from the ether and sow discord for some unknowable reason, to the Golden Era of GW where these space elves where given a giant and truly inspiring background of triumph, a fall, loss, and desperate measures taken to keep their now dying race alive in the face of a hostile Galaxy.

For this reason I suggest to anyone interested in Eldar as a faction, to go back in time and visit some old books and codexes, as well as the classical ranges of minis.

Eldar once looked the part of eerie and almost frightening Alien creatures from a time before man crawled forth from his birthworld.

#2 Throw out the meta

First things first. Many of us probably grew up knowing the Eldar in their Post 2nd ed form. From 3rd ed’s chopped down Codex, to the easily abused expansion, and finally culminating in the 4th/5th ed incarnation of what has basically been the Eldar mold in modern times.

Hordes of Aspect warriors, spam grav tanks, spam Wraith-units, Spam Psykers and yes now a days, Spam Wraith Knights.

Or if you lean to the dark side, ummm Spam Raiders. Yeah just, Spam Raiders.

To put it blunt, Eldar meta is probably the most boring of all git-tastic play styles in the game of 40k, challenged perhaps only by Tau.

Throw it out. Read the lore. Apply it.

Eldar don’t have Hordes of ravening Aspect warriors to send in waves at their opponents.

Raiders are cool, if you can afford to have them and risk losing them in a raid. And your not likely to toss your most veteran Kalabite warriors into an attritional grind against Mon’kei gaurdsmen.

Wraith constructs are a nigh unthinkable resource to ever waste, and oh yeah did we mention not every fucking Eldar Force takes an Avatar of Khaine as it requires a heavy cost in order to even summon one of those things?

The Aldaeri have an interesting and sophisticated way of waging war, and they have highly advanced tech and powers in order to over come their foes, even if your actually trying to put some theme into it.

Lets discuss some interesting ways to look at your Eldar, seperating them into the 2 official factions, as well as ways to whip up an Exodite army or Corsair force.

#3 Craftworld Eldar.

Craftworld eldar are the main stay of the Aldaeri race, and the one lots of people tend to flock to when it comes time to game. And why not? Aspect warriors? Wraith Constructs? Tons of psykers and Autarchs? Whats not to like?

So how does one go about making a CW Eldar army worthy of a true hobbiest?

First things first, find a theme that digs deep into the lore. Are you;

-A Craftworld Defense force, using the might of your titanic space fairing world’s militia forces to fight off attackers. Squads of Guardians/Storm Guardians, backed by mobile weapons platforms and War Walkers. Your troops sailing into combat aboard Wave serpents and Viper Attack craft, all under the covering fire of punishing Heavy weapons platforms? Remember that all Eldar serve in the defense of their CW, and guardian and basic military based tech in an Eldar army is still some of the best around ( The best in certain editions).

-A Specialized Craftworld force, highly trained in a certain area of combat? Crack open the old 3rd ed Codex Craftworlds sup. And find some excellent ways to theme an army based off the major worlds, or perhaps mix and match certain styles in order to create your own world, with a unique color scheme, heraldry and history streching back to the fall, or even farther. House rule in the various advantages and limits of the old CW sup. And enjoy playing with the different styles of balance. (Just do your friends a solid, don’t abuse it.)

-A Doomed host heading into the Eye of Terror? Many CW Eldar have made the perilous if not downright suicidal journey into the Eye. Within that hellish realm, the Crone Worlds lay, the ancient now consumed home worlds of the eldar. Within them are many secrets, Spirit stones and other relics the Eldar greatly desire to have returned to them. Is your army such a quest? A brave Warrior Autarch, or Visionary Farseer having gathered those warriors of the Aspect temples to fight through the horrors of Chaos and retrieve something of unimaginable value?

-The Fist of Asuryani mayhap? The biggest and most powerful weapons the Eldar can bring to bear, hammering their opponents into submission by sheer might of their advanced fire power? Fire Dragons and Dark Reapers scorching the earth and slagging enemy armor, while Prism tanks and War Walkers streak and sprint ahead unleashing salvos of lance and Shuriken firepower into the enemy ranks. Batteries of Heavy Platforms annihilating units from a distance all the while the ground infantry providing cover support to your valuable aspect squads.

-Perhaps the Quick Death is all you need. After all what is more fast and fleet than the Eldar? Eldar on fast moving grav vehicles of course! Jetbikes and Vipers, Falcon tanks combined with the Shining Spear Cavalry and swift Swooping Hawk and Shadow Specter Aspect warriors to run circles about your slower more primitive opponents, cutting and blasting them to pieces before they have a chance to react.

-Maybe you watched Predator one too many times and have a thing for Stalking and killing your enemy from the Shadows or from unexpected angles. The hidden strike is a component suited to the crafty Eldar race, able to hit opponents with Striking Scorpions and teleporting Warp Spiders. Speedy hard to hit Harlequins and deep striking Autarchs and Hawks can be used to to tie down valuable enemy units while Rangers pick off targets of value from the safety of range and cover.

However you manage it, always remember that the eldar war machine is a finely crafted tool, with all units having a value within the force, not just the big OP units that so many others enjoy spamming.

Choosing a backdrop for your army is an easy way to find what units to select for thematic purposes, from Militia, to Seer guardians, Maiden World security forces to simple insertion armies meant to retrieve something stolen by lesser races or eliminate a target of future threat seen by the visions of the seer councils or Lost Wraith Engines on a distant barren world, awakened by a roaming warlock and his followers. Any unit in your army can become a core idea for your force’s history and reason for fighting. Thats the beauty of an army whose whole design is one of unique characteristics and fighting styles.

#4 DARK ELDAR

The Dark Kin, The Damned Path, The Drukari.

Dark Eldar are certainly a far cry from their CW kin, yet they have lost none of the potency and ancient power of their race, and indeed are far more arrogant and vicious.

However, different as though they may be, finding a unique concept in the Dark Eldar may come with a bit of a challenge.

In the earliest days of 40k, the Eldar where a unified faction, and in so much where a bit of a melting pot of all of what we see today across their various sub armies. The Dark Eldar seem to have been born out of GW’s need to mirror the High/Dark Elf style of WHF, and so sliced away the more destructive and often times treacherous and debased acts of the RT-2nd ed Eldar and formed a faction that, while having its own unique character is a bit on the smaller and often mashed together side. But there is unpicked fruit in the thorn covered garden of ideas for Dark Eldar. Lets have a look at ways you can theme and structure your own Kabal, Coven or Cult, or an unholy alliance of the three.

-A new Kabal rises: An excellent theme often over looked by most players is the concept of a new and young Kabal, lead by an aspiring Archon, only just starting to take his/her place in the dark city. This lends an interesting way to re-model an army and veer away from the typical spam of Elite warrior units and raider craft and focus more on the unique character of each unit. Basic Warriors making up the core of your force, backed up by the toughened meat shields of Wracks, sent into battle by a Haemonculus that has attached himself to this rising star. Meanwhile your Archon sits secure in his own personal Raider the only one at first in the army, directing the flow of battle as he sends in payed off Street gangs of Hellion riders and Scourges to do the work he himself would not dare put himself at risk for, waiting until the enemy is bruised and bloody before descending down from his craft to feast on the pain, guarded by alien mercenaries kept for ease of their greed and less ambitious minds.

-Mayhap you enjoy the idea of just going full gang? An entire force of wild eyed crazed Reavers, Hellions and Scourges mounting up on wings and craft, screeching across real space in thuggish raids to secure flesh and power to rise about the lower scum of the city streets. The various elements banding together for mutual greater gain before fighting over their spoils giving rise to powerful Leaders that take the street alliance higher and higher into the spires of the Dark City.

-If lowly gangs and young archons don’t suit, then perhaps Highborn power and elite warrior code is more the poison of choice. Few can match the ferocity and skill with a blade that the dark kin possess. An army that worships the blade, made of Incubi, Veteran Wyches, Succubus’ and maybe even a powerful Archon, much a Swordsmen in their own right as any proud member of the Incubi Temple. Holding to a code of seeking out the greatest challenge to sharpen their blades against, engaging enemies head on with raider and Venom craft to quickly close and slaughter their way to infamy and higher praise in the ranks, shunning the pathetic court intrigue and power plays of the  other Kabals and cults, seeking only gain and perfection through bloody handed combat and death. A good alternative to the often typical Wych cult raid.

-Or the More Esoteric route? Haemonculus covens are all well and good, but do even these twisted flesh shapers come close to delving into the darkness that lies within the heart of the dark city? From the depths may rise an even more infernal and mysterious force for you to command. Born of the Beast masters who bend the creatures of the warp to their will, and the dreaded Mandrakes, sinister daemonic dark eldar who creep from the shadows and snatch their victims away. Truly an army lead by a Coven leader, so immersed in the dark arts of arcane science and flesh would be a terrible enemy to all sane life. Unleashing webway portals in the hearts of peaceful worlds, or worse, the middle of crowded hive cities for the vile things of the dark kin to reap bloody carnage on, dragging victims back to the benighted realm for sacrifice and experimentation too horrible to consider.  

-Take to the air perhaps and rule the skies above worlds who fear the dread shadow of your lightening speed craft as it passes over. An army made of Raider, Ravager and Fighter/bomber craft, even it’s troops never setting foot on the ground except to reek carnage in it’s aftermath, once all has been pulverized by shockwaves of horrifying munitions and bombing runs, the enemy position reduced to smoking craters of gore and blinded wreck. Their ears ringing with the echoing screech of your craft’s engines as they sore across the grim skies.

-Or maybe the final and most deadly of all weapons. Fear. Does your army not even dine to soil its hands in the proud defenses of your enemies? Do they instead send forth the most hideous and perverse works of the dark kin to shatter the mind, and break the soul before the body is even touched? Floating Talos and Chronos pain engines, their sanity blasting bodies shrouded by the dark wings of Shrikes and raider craft filled with wracks and beastial creatures ready to be unleashed once the damage is done. Medusae and other strange contraptions born of the Dark Eldar’s crazed intellect striding alongside Archons wielding the most horrifying weapons to inflict the worst possible trauma on a foe.

To quote the 3rd ed. Dark Eldar Book. The Dark Eldar are not nice. Not nice at all.

When considering the theme and characteristic of your army, not unlike your CW Eldar, ask yourself, what is the history of each unit on the table? Then consider what perversity and malign goals have brought them forth. Then, multiply that by something ten times worse. Are even a thousand Imperial souls merely an appetizer for your Archon who has fallen to such depths of need he must draw out even the most simple act of pain infliction to its most perfected measure?

Does your haemonculous make it a private goal to break and torture Astartes? His ambition to see the very limits the super enhanced minds and psychologies that a Space marine have can endure? Do they prefer the sweet meat of psykers, or the flesh of their more noble kin? Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is bellow a Dark Eldar and their arrogant quest for self sustaining torture and arrogant aggrandizement.

To be continued in PART 2 (Exodites and Corsairs)