#Winter Blackstone Lore

[moonstruckmoony]

So a long while ago @lamieboo tagged me in this post (I'm not reblogging bcs it'll be way too long sorry 😢) I made some art and wrote a whole one shot for it because it was the perfect opportunity for a Winter lore I've always wanted to make. Please be kind lol 💀 I haven't written in ages and I'm such a noob when it comes to writing, also English isn't my native language. I had to run my draft through multiple writing tools back and forth to find better phrasings and dictions that better express what I want to convey. Roughly ~1,000 words.

Green and Gold

She stepped forward as the wardrobe creaked open, the boggart slipping through the narrow gap in the door. Long, flowing golden threads emerged first, and Winter drew in a sharp breath.

The rest of the boggart soon took form—a woman in a pale blue dress, slumped weakly on the floor, her calf bleeding from a deep slash. Golden locks framed her worried face, and her piercing blue eyes, so much like Winter’s own, locked onto hers. Winter’s hand instinctively went up to the scar across her left eye. The woman’s chest heaved with silent breaths. The faint murmur of the students lining up behind Winter faded until she could hear nothing. Then, the woman’s lips parted, as if to speak.

“Close your eyes, snowflake.”

Was that truly her mother’s voice? Winter couldn’t remember if boggarts could speak. Could they mimic human voices? Or was it only mouthing the words while the voice echoed from somewhere deep within her mind?

Her hands went clammy. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her face. 

She knows what’s coming next. Behind her mother’s beautiful, tear-streaked face, a blinding green light appeared. Winter swiftly squeezed her eyes shut and raised her wand. “Riddikulus,” she whispered, her voice trembling as she kept her eyelids tightly closed.

· · ─────── ·❄ ❅ ❆· ─────── · · Sebastian went pale, even as the swirling Mallowsweet leaves spun into a twister before him, which without question, the most mesmerising form of the Riddikulus charm he had ever seen. It wasn’t a form he would laugh at, unlike most transformations of the charm. It was breathtaking. But no, what had truly gripped him was the green light that followed her mother’s appearance. He had never seen Winter like this—paralysed by fear, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. She was always so composed, so captivating. Full of life, curiosity, and wonder.

He hadn’t realised this was her deepest fear.

And it was the very same curse he had cast just last year. On his uncle. Right in front of her. What had she looked like back then? He couldn’t quite remember. The sound of her laboured breathing lingered faintly in his mind, and he recalled her standing frozen for a moment before following him as he fled the catacombs. But the look on her face—he had no memory of it. Was she shocked? Horrified? Traumatised? He had been too distraught, too consumed by his own turmoil, to notice. Merlin, how must she have felt? Watching her best friend cast the Killing Curse—the very same curse that had taken her mother’s life—right in front of her? His throat went dry. His insides twisted painfully. Clenching his hands into fists, he dug his nails into his palms.

Was this… was this the reason she had refused to learn the spell? Not that he had wanted her to; in fact, he had been relieved when she didn’t. But it left him with questions. She was his kindred spirit, after all, and he knew the Dark Arts intrigued her, even if it was purely out of curiosity and for the sake of knowing. She wanted to learn, and had learned the other two curses. He had thought, perhaps, she would eventually ask about the last one, even though he wasn’t sure if he could bear to teach her—not after what happened to Solomon, to himself.

To Anne. But she was adamant in her refusal to learn it. She had said so out of the blue, when they began speaking again after the catacombs—after weeks of silence between them. Now, he finally understood why. And his heart broke for her. “Sebastian? Sebastian, what just happened?” Ominis’ voice snapped him back to reality. His best friend’s face was filled with concern, surely anxious for not being able to see what’s happening. Just this time, Sebastian is glad he couldn’t. He wouldn’t want Ominis to witness her in such a state. He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He tried again, but his gaze drifted to Winter, who was slowly making her way towards them from the front of the line. Another student—Arthur Plummly, perhaps—stepped forward to face the boggart, but Sebastian hardly noticed. His focus was solely on Winter, her head bowed, arms wrapped tightly around herself, her body trembling slightly. “Winter…” She looked up at him, her eyes wide. They stood there for a moment, locked in each other's gaze. “I… I’m sorry.” He finally managed to speak. “What... what are you apologising for?” So much. Even though he’d already apologised to her and Ominis countless times, he hasn’t apologised for this one. “You—you know why.” He knew she understood. They’d always had a way of reading each other, and this was one of those moments. “That’s… It’s not—you shouldn’t…” She trailed off. And Sebastian was thankful she didn’t finish. Because he did feel like he should apologise. Even though hadn’t known about this, what he did that day might’ve stirred up memories she had buried deep down. Just like the cursed boggart had just now. Another silence passed before he slowly pulled her into an embrace. One hand rested on her back, the other gently cradling the back of her head. She froze at first, startled, but after a moment, her body softened into his arms as he tenderly stroked her hair. From his peripheral vision, Sebastian saw Ominis approached hesitantly. His alabaster hand tentatively found Winter’s smaller one, which still hung limply at her side, and she allowed their fingers to entwine. Sebastian could see the questions lingering in his best friend’s furrowed brows, but he’s certain that Winter would talk to him–she would explain everything to them when she’s ready.

He glanced forward, aware of the curious eyes from the students waiting in line—some watching with intrigue, others with quiet sympathy. It was a peculiar view, after all: Winter with her two best friends huddled together in such an unusual position. Up front, he caught sight of Amit ducking as his boggart morphed into harmless paper planes flying about after his successful Riddikulus. Sebastian hadn’t seen Amit’s boggart, but he imagined it was likely something ordinary, like a failing report card marked with a dreaded “T” in Astronomy or History of Magic.

None of that mattered now. The only person of importance was the girl in his arms, her trembling slowly subsiding, her once-laboured breathing easing into a soft, steady rhythm.

· · ─────── ·❄ ❅ ❆· ─────── · ·

[marimbachica]

About - Dyanna Winifrede (FFXIV)

{𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑠}

Name: Dyanna Winifrede, nee Dyanna Guinefrette Zulane, after marriage Dyanna Winifrede Fridenhopf

Alias: n/a

Gender: female

Age: 31

Species: Duskwight Elezen

Zodiac: aquarius / aries / cancer / capricorn / gemini / leo / libra / pisces / sagittarius / scorpio / taurus / virgo / unknown

Abilities/Talents: hunting, archery, marksmanship, drumming, cooking, history/lore, entrepreneurism

{𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙}

Alignment: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true 

Religion: She was raised in a deeply zealous Duskwight community that preached of wrathful Elementals and shunned everything to do with the “Aboveground”. Her father, a hunter, showed her the world was not something to be feared, and she left the faith when she moved to Gridania. She thinks the Twelve are bullshit.

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust  / pride / sloth / wrath

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: Eorzean Common, Elezen (Duskwight variant especially, and Wildwood/Ishgardian variants less fluently), basic Dunesfolk Lalafell (aka Ul’dahn)

Family: She was the first child of her parents Guillaume and Lisette Zulane. A younger brother passed away as an infant. Upon her father’s death she cut most ties with her mother (toxic and verbally abusive) and began to build a found family. She considers several of her closest friends as ‘found family’, but she feels closest to her husband, Vaas Fridenhopf, and her stepdaughter, Hannah Fridenhopf (age 8, Vaas’s adopted daughter)

Friends: Korr’lash, Red, Q’oha, Merrnryn, Estinien, Aymeric, Aurelia Blackstone (another OC of mine)

Sexual Orientation: heterosexual / bi-/pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / other (polyamorous - she is comfortable/open to this but it is not a requirement for her)

Relationship status: single / dating / married / widowed / open relationship / divorced / not ready for dating

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average / low / very low / non-existent (hoo boy is that woman’s love language physical touch)

{𝑃ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙}

Build: twig / bony / slender / average / athletic / curvy / chubby / obese

Hair: white / blonde / brunette / red / black / other (dark purple, and yes, it is natural, she gets comments on it all the time)

Eyes: brown / blue / green / black / other (purple)

Skin: pale / fair / olive / light brown / brown / very brown / other

Height: under 3 foot (90cm) / 3-4 foot (90-122cm) / 4-5 foot (122-153cm) / 5-6 foot (153-183cm) (~170cm) / 6-7 foot (183-213cm) (Max height for female Elezen ingame) / above 7 foot (over 213cm)

Weight: under 100 pounds (50kg) / 100-150 pounds (50-75kg) / 150-200 pounds (75-100kg) / 200-250 pounds (100-125kg) / above 250 pounds (125kg)

Scars: As an adolescent she stepped on a poacher’s trap. The action was old and weak so it did not break a bone but left a rather nasty gash across her calf.

Facial Features:  Two beauty marks, one to the right of her mouth and one under her left eye.

Tattoos: A pale swirling mark across her left eye, a social signifier from the Duskwight marking her as “Desousde”, an oral historian and guardian of the deep secrets of the tunnels. Her role is to carry the oral history of the Duskwight and Gelmorra forward into the future, and to protect the secrets of the ruins from influence by the outside world.

{𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒}

Dogs or Cats?

Birds or Hamsters? (Maggie, her chocobo, is as close to a baby as she’s had)

Snakes or Spiders? Both are deeply misunderstood creatures and she identifies with that.

Red or Blue?

Yellow or Green?

Black or White?

Coffee or Tea?

Ice Cream or Cake? Both

Fruits or Vegetables?

Sandwich or Soup?

Magic or Melee? Definitely a fighter.

Sword or Bow? Former Gods’ Quiver here.

Summer or Winter?

Spring or Autumn?

The Past or The Future?

tagged by: @elfyourmother​ - thank you, beauty! <3

[beyondmistland]

Westerosi Worldbuilding Wednesday: Hidden History of the Crownlands: Lost Lore (Part I)

 Letter #1: In certain eras the wealth and power of House Darklyn were so great that Duskendale was called the Eighth Kingdom.

 Letter #2: During the Age of Heroes the wandering warrior Denys I Darklyn built the Dun Fort, which was then only a castle by the coast made of wood. (The timber is said to have been obtained from the Kingswood with the blessing of the Storm King but which one goes unsaid to the frustration of Maesters.)

 Letter #3: Upon the completion of the Dun Fort Denys I handed over the kingship to his eldest son, Steffon I, so that he could resume his travels. Later, when the Dun Fort was destroyed by winter storms Steffon I ordered it rebuilt inland. (He was also the first of three Darklyn kings to wed a daughter of House Hollard, which was descended from Denys I's best friend, Red Alyn.)

 Letter #4: Alas, the Dun Fort was destroyed yet again when pirates out of Blackstone, Crow Isle, and Driftwood descended upon the castle with bronze and fire during the reign of Steffon's grandson, Gyles I Darklyn, who responded by rebuilding the castle once more, this time with a wooden palisade as well as a spiked ditch.

 Letter #5: Two generations later however pirates took the Dun Fort by storm, making off with dozens of smallfolk as well as King Hubard I, who spent the rest of his days (and reign) a hostage for his family's good behavior.

 Letter #6: When Hubard I died his son, Jaremy I, did not immediately seek vengeance but instead ordered the Dun Fort be razed and rebuilt, this time using stone rather than wood. The king's patience was rewarded when another attack by pirates was repelled during the time of his son, Symon I, who did not wait for them to return a fourth time. (It is said this final incarnation of the Dun Fort was built by Jym the Journeyman, who is said to have been the self-declared rival of Brandon the Builder. Unlike Brandon however Jym never became a king and his most famous works (Brightwater Keep, Starpike, Stone Hedge, Yronwood) never attained the same regard as those of House Stark's founder.)

 Letter #7: Having chosen to take the fight to them Symon I forged an alliance with Stokeworth, Rosby, Stonedance, and Tarth. (Whether or not the Storm King had sanctioned Stonedance's involvement is a matter of conjecture however.)

 Letter #8: The Dun Fort, Stokeworth, and Rosby would provide the men. Stonedance and Tarth the ships to ferry them across Blackwater Bay.

 Letter #9: Attacking in the dead of winter Symon I took the enemy unawares, seizing their ships and putting every last one of them to the sword.

 Letter #10: In the aftermath of this a quarrel broke out between the Darklyns and Masseys over ownership of the three islands, which was settled by the Treaty of Blackstone, which granted ownership of the islands to the Darklyns in exchange for the Masseys being granted free passage through the Gullet. (The King of Tarth on the other hand was simply given his choice of the war spoils.)

 Letter #11: Blackstone, Crow Isle, and Driftwood were then given by Symon I to three of his younger sons and thus they became known as the Three Sons. Their claim to the islands was not undisputed however given that Clawmen as well as pirates out of the Stepstones both sought possession of them in the centuries that followed. (As an aside I should mention that Houses Darke, Darkwood, and Dargood all descend from these younger sons.)

 Letter #12: During this epoch smallfolk, hearing of the Dun Fort's newfound wealth, began to migrate east, the trickle becoming a flood when Dontos I Darklyn offered free, untaxed land to an would-be settler, such that a new set of walls had to be built further out to accommodate all the people who took up his offer, which in the eyes of many a Maester marks the true beginning of the town known till now as Duskendale.

 Letter #13: Jon I Darklyn took Rosby and Stokeworth. His son, Robin I, in turn, extended his writ all the way to the northern shore of the Blackwater Rush, bringing House Darklyn to the zenith of its power prior to the coming of the Andals.

 Letter #14: With the ascension of Robin I's grandson, Roland I, however, the Darklyns fell into a decline, starting with three failed invasions of Crackclaw Point and the subsequent loss of Crow Isle, which was then followed by a long, ruinous war with Maidenpool that culminated in the Storm King, Monfryd I, seizing both towns. (This last conflict also led to the loss of both Blackstone and Driftwood, hence why today all three cadet branches of House Darklyn can be found in Duskendale itself.)

 Letter #15: Upon the death of Monfryd I the Darklyns drove his Stormlanders from Duskendale with the help of House Buckwell. (The founder of House Buckwell was Gawen Storm, the bastard son of Monfryd I, who chose to serve the Darklyns in exchange for legitimization despite having been made Warden of the Blackwater Rush by his father.)

 Letter #16: This triumph was short-lived though for no sooner had the Darklyns declared themselves kings again but House Hook descended upon them from the west, sacking first Duskendale, then Stokeworth and Rosby before being defeated by Jack Wendwater in a bloody battle that lasted well into the night, saving the Stormlands from any threats on that front.

 Letter #17: When House Hook began to founder a century later the Darklyns were the first to rebel and to that end allied with the Masseys of Stonedance, who had themselves just broken away from the Stormlands.

 Letter #18: Gormon I Massey built a new curtain wall around Stonedance. His son, Wallace I, in turn, raised it even higher when he became King of the Hook as the Masseys were wont to style themselves. Wallace's grandson, Justin I, on the other hand, improved the walls by making them smooth and sloped, the better to resist siege engines. A wise decision as it happened for when Justin's own son, Josua I, took up the crown he found himself besieged thrice by no less than two Storm Kings. Josua I later gave way to his grandson, Gormon II, who built watchtowers and holdfasts throughout Massey's Hook. (These would be instrumental in repelling future attacks by both the Storm Kings as well as their erstwhile allies, the Darklyns, who had upon retaking the Three Sons given them over to House Baratheon, an ancient house native to Blackstone.) Gormon II's son, Maldon I, would then take the unprecedented step of building a royal fleet to protect shipping lanes to and from Massey's Hook, a feat made possible by his Tyroshi wife's dowry of twenty ships. All three of his sons (Maldon II, Josua II, Adrian I) expanded the royal fleet such that his grandson (Maldon III) commanded more ships than even the Arbor upon his ascension. Maldon III's great-grandson, Triston I, saw more profit in using his forebear's ships for plunder however and so became the first Reaver King, the others being his son, Guncer I, his grandson, Maldon IV, his great-grandson, Gormon III, his great-great-grandson, Adrian II, and lastly, his great-great-great-grandson, Justin II Milk-Eye, whose son, Josua III Softspear was the last King of the Hook, at which point the Andals came. (Most Maesters claim that House Massey's loss of kingship can be traced back to the personal weakness of Josua III but a few argue that other factors played a significant, if not equal, role in the matter.)

 Letter #19: Whilst Crackclaw Point and Duskendale held out against the Andals when they crossed the Narrow Sea, the rest of the Crownlands, as those lands are now called, were not so fortunate.

 Letter #20: All the same, the Andals' coming was nothing short of a disaster for House Darklyn, which lost the Three Sons yet again as well as most of their lands to the north and south, leaving them vulnerable to the deprivations of both Crackclaw Point and Sharp Point. Thus, while Duskendale waned for centuries Maidenpool waxed rich and powerful.

 Letter #21: In the end it was events outside of Duskendale's control that brought an end to its decline. First, the Storm Kings, Borros I, Borros II, and Lyonel I slowly retook Massey's Hook, spelling an end to its independence once and for all. Second, Benedict I Justman seized Maidenpool, which for its defiance was stripped of seven-tenths of its wealth. (Borros I was known as "the Black" due to his infamous cruelty, which was said to include a love for burning criminals at the stake.)

 Letter #22: Far from the center of most conflicts Duskendale slowly recovered under the protection of House Justman such that when the line of Benedict the Bold was later extinguished by Ironborn House Darklyn was able to reassert its authority. In the age that followed the Darklyns reached the height of their wealth and power.

 Letter #23: No less than seven women have ruled Duskendale in their own right, the two most notable of these being Bethany I, who never married, and Meredyth III, who took up the crown when she was well over sixty years old.

 Letter #24: The Darklyns would often pit Highgarden and Storm's End against one another so as to maintain their independence. Other times they would ally with the Teagues or Gardeners to fight the Durrandons. A fair few would even cunningly offer to serve as neutral arbitrators between these three realms.

 Letter #25: Duskendale under some kings would likewise serve as a sanctuary for dynastic exiles. For instance, Gyles VIII hosted both Joffrey Durrandon, son of Robert II, and Renly Durrandon, son of Lyonel VIII, at different times during the generations long conflict known as the War of the Nephews. (For the sake of completeness I should point out that the War of the Nephews only came to an end when Princess Joanna Durrandon wed Prince Gowen Durrandon, with whom she had no less than seventeen children over the course of their decades-long marriage. (Princess Joanna was the last living descendant of Robert II whereas Prince Gowen was the last living descendant of Lyonel VIII.))

 Letter #26: The warrior-king, Denys XXIII, extended his writ north to Maidenpool and south to the northern shore of the Blackwater Rush. His son, Gyles X, in turn, would build castles atop the three hills overlooking the bay.

 Letter #27: During the time of Gyles X's grandson, Hubard IX, these castles would grow into small towns.

 Letter #28: To protect them as well as the trade they depended upon, Hubard IX's son, Steffon V hired a Myrish fleet with which he retook the Three Sons yet another time.

 Letter #29: The Darklyns had far less success whenever they attempted to conquer Crackclaw Point, which repelled thirty-three invasions and slew twelve kings if the chronicles are to be believed.

 Letter #30: Alas, all good times must come to an end and the same proved true for the Darklyns. When war broke out between Maidenpool and Duskendale the Darklyns made the mistake of reaching out to Highgarden for support, which caused Storm's End to take up arms on the opposite side instead. In the one-sided war that then followed the Crownlands were decimated and the three small towns overlooking Blackwater Bay utterly destroyed, leaving Duskendale powerless to oppose the Valyrians when they took the Three Sons for good and all. Before the Darklyns could even begin to recover from these losses, however, they found themselves conquered first by the Storm King, Arlan III, and then by the Iron King, Halleck Hoare, both of whose onerous taxes crippled Duskendale for a whole generation. (Many Maesters wonder to this day what might have happened had Duskendale reached out to the Eyrie for support rather than Highgarden but it does us no good to dwell on roads not taken so I shall refrain from repeating their arguments.)

As always, share, comment, and critique.

[moonstruckmoony]

Papa Blackstone featuring baby Winter ❄️🩵

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Sebastian Sallow: “He’s very knowledgeable. Despite lacking magical abilities, his deep understanding of our world puts us wizards to shame.”

Ominis Gaunt: “Ah, I think I see where your quest for knowledge came from, Winter.”

Winter Blackstone: “Well, back then when I still considered myself a squib like my father, all of my magical knowledge came from him.”

(Excerpt from “Sweet-scented Recollections Pt. 1”, a 3-part audio fanfic on my TikTok!)

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Name: William Jude Blackstone

Blood status: Squib

Marrital Status: Widowed

Spouse: Jane Frostine Blackstone (née Baudelaire) †

Occupation: Undertaker (Mortician)

William Blackstone was born as a squib, but despite lacking magical abilities he’s always fond of the wizarding world. Every chance he gets, he picks up any wizarding book he can gets his hands on, some from his family’s library or his sister’s school books, and others he obtained himself. This hobby follows him well into his adulthood. He held out hope that his daughter Winter won’t turn out like him, considering his wife is an excellent and talented witch. He had his suspicions about Winter because she doesn’t show signs of magical abilities in the age where she’s supposed to. Both him Winter were heartbroken when she didn’t get her Hogwarts letter at the age of 11, solidifying his suspicions that she’s also a squib, and he blamed himself for it.

A few months after, he took his daughter to the Guisachan in Glen Affric, Invernshire, home of the Marjoribanks, whom William was loosely acquainted with. (Disclaimer: this relationship is totally fictional) He wanted to get a dog to cheer Winter, as she was still saddened by the fact that she doesn’t have magic. She then picked a male puppy who has coats of fur unusually lighter than its siblings, took him home and named him Snowball.

When Winter turned 15, both of them were very surprised to receive an enrollment letter from Hogwarts, accompanied with the arrival of Professor Fig. As this is a very unusual phenomenon that he is very intrigued by, he kept in touch with Winter via Owl as she embarked on her magical education while he try to research if anything like this has ever happened before. Later he turned his research course into the mysterious ancient magic as soon as Winter sent him an Owl about her puzzling, newly-found abilities.

Headcannon: Winter urged Sebastian to stay in her home during the 5th year summer holidays as she can see that he feels conflicted about returning to Feldcroft and tagging along with Ominis to the Gaunts’ Manor doesn’t seem like a good option. He was about to stay in Hogsmeade and get a summer job but in the end he accepted her offer and spent the rest of his summer holidays in the Blackstone’s estate, where he got acquainted to William Blackstone.