#aetherstorms

[unsunderedphoenix]

Continued from here

@aetherstorms

Opsiános sighed, just as exasperated. Take your eye off a creature for five seconds and it was gone. He supposed he really couldn’t complain much given his own creation, that was currently being reviewed was like that. Granted, his spriggans were likely a little more adventurous.

“ Let’s go find your lost creation.” He stated a soft smile on his lips. Best to do it together and have some fun with it.

[minarcana]

@aetherstorms // mean to him.

Ker is unperturbed, staring down Emet-Selch with his usual inscrutable sort of bemusement. "Would you have asked? Even if you needed my advice desperately, which you do, I doubt you'd ask. I'm simply saving you the trouble by offering it unsolicited."

He realizes that he's largely speaking nonsense, but delivers it with confidence and authority befitting a professor. Ker's own hair is of far too long a length for any rule-abiding Amaurotine to take his advice. "Anyways, you should part it differently. Or something with your bangs. It really is a crime that having your hood down is so frowned upon, but you can at least try to look decent underneath al the boring featureless outfit." Spoken like a true mage who keeps 'forgetting' to put on their mask.

[valiisthea]

Are there any AU’s you’d like to explore but haven’t had the chance to yet?

Munday Meme!

@aetherstorms

Oh so, so, so so many. Most of them can be found under my AUs link on my pinned post, but some new ones recently I've tagged as wishlist or mentioned in passing.

Specifically, there was a modern AU where Clive was kicked out at 18 and moved into a cheap complex owned by Cid. Elwin foght Anabella to let Clive stay but Clive left as to not complicate things. Joshua is sick in this verse. It's pretty much a sandbox!

There was also a medical/ER AU where some 16 charas worked as paramedics, some worked as ER nurses, some were ER doctors.

There's the thread I want to write where someone comes to let Terence have some closure on Dion.

There's the Dion survives mess I wanna write.

And then everything under that AU link.

I freaking LOVE aus more than anything.

[bladeshowers]

Rhea heaved a sigh and gazed wistfully at him. A small smile quirked the corner of her lips as the fondness she had for him appeared in her eyes. "I do and I don't." In truth Azem had many conflicting feelings over it all. "My heart both yearns for the unknown, to aid the people, but also for those I love and care about. I cannot have both at the end of the day. As much as I've tried, I cannot justify dragging you, or anyone else that I care about around the world with me." It was true that she could summon them whenever she wanted - and they consented - but it simply wasn't the same. A part of her did yearn for that level of normalcy that others had and took for granted. Sometimes it was hard for her to not feel bitter.

Rhea squeezed his hand sympathetically. "I assumed as much. We'll handle everything together. Perhaps that at least will help to soothe your nerves?" It wasn't a foolproof plan, like he might have wanted, but it was better than nothing. Surely having the - admittedly sometimes chaotic - Azem at his side would be some comfort? Lover or not? "Of course. I'll always be here for you." (Until she wasn't.)

Ah, birds. Hopefully that meant it was working. "We'll have to keep our eyes and ears peeled for them. Do inform me what to look for. Birds were my weak point until you began tutoring me in their nature and that of flight." She'd even help him catch them if he so desired. Whatever he wanted, he would have. (There was a certain irony of this thought that would be lost to her.)

Hermes blinked. “You’d…prefer to be in the city? But I thought you enjoyed the adventuring?” He had to admit, this took him a bit by surprise. He had thought she was like Venat, who had loved traveling so much that she had kept it up even after retiring. Loved it so much that he was surprised she had retired. But Rhea didn’t?

He shook his head slightly afterward. “Yes….I am imagining the worst.” He made himself relax his fist and turn his hand over to grasp hers, take comfort in her company and the knowledge that she would be with him. “Thank you, Rhea.” He had been invited, and he adored this cousin, so he would go. It would be fine, because he loved his cousin and because Rhea would be there.

“I hope I can catch one of the birds.” He murmured. “I would love to take a good look at it.” Now this was a much nicer thing to imagine than the things his other relatives would say. If it was a swallow, then it would have certain characteristics, but it had to be different somehow or there wouldn’t be a reason for it to have been released. He wanted to find out what made it special.

[sheepwithspecs]

i hope devs realize that having carvallain and rhoswen show up as starlight npcs doesn't mean they're allowed to skip them at valentione's bc at this point it's tradition--

[trysta-rider]

FEBHYURARY 2025: Day 13. Storm.

Flying through an aetherstorm.

Click on image for higher res. I'm not sure why the preview images are always low res. :/

[spotofmummery]

Confess Your Secrets to Me and I'll Tell You What You Need to Hear

The Sun Will Not Set on You

Whatever you are looking for, it can be found. It is waiting for you. This fear has no place in your home. No matter what shape your grief comes in, there will always be a place for you in this world.

-Take Quiz Here-

Tagged by: @aetherstorms (Thank you!)

Tagging: @pinxli @mimble-sparklepudding @roguestly @scholarlostintime @lettersnorth @briar-ffxiv ...and anyone else who wants to try it!

[reassambled-dragoon]

12: Quarry

   She was a hunter, and she was tracking her prey through unfamiliar terrain. Not just unfamiliar, but hostile, with massive protrusions of overcharged elemental energies thrusting outwards everywhere she looked. Additionally, there was yet another aetherstorm, a phenomenon the Mor Dhona locals called Gloom, sullying the air and tinting everything purple.

   Everything made her teeth feel like she was biting down on a live wire. It was painful, but she had lived through far worse. And she still had her quarry to find, and a reputation to uphold. 

   Stasia knelt down to inspect a scuffed stone. The faintest trace of a boot could be seen: too large to be hers or Alisaie’s, too small to belong to Storm or Star. In fact, the trace looked about right for a human. Hyur. At this moment, focused on the hunt, Stasia did not give a damn about the distinction.

   She focused for a moment and made a tiny gesture, drawing on the ambient magics swirling around her. In a heartbeat, she became well-nigh invisible and eerily silent, her glowing eyes also dimmed. She slipped past Saint Coinach's Find unseen, then climbed to a rocky perch and studied the researchers.

   No. Her prey wasn't among them.

   Stasia moved on, patient and focused. She found another trace, this one backtracking slightly. With a flick of an ear, she ghosted along the rocky trail, her senses alert. The crystal formations became flame-hued, and the air audibly crackled and hummed, making her skin crawl. She had to fight to keep from being overwhelmed, and cast about for another trace.

   Above.

   The hunter found a hint of a path, more like a natural way through the rocks and crystals. The climb made her head throb, but she managed to maintain her stealth spell just long enough to silently stalk up behind the man in white and tap a finger to his temple. Her stealth spell dissipated, revealing a wicked grin. 

   “Hello, Thancred. This round goes to me.”

[horademagic]

Roca da Tempestade Etérea/ Aetherstorm Roc

Tipo de criatura: Ave

Custo de mana: 2 brancas + 2 de qualquer cor = 4 no total

3/3 de Poder e Resistência

Por que ela é interessante? Essa criatura tem voar, vantagem sob oponentes sem voar ou alcance para se defender. Toda vez que essa criatura ou outra entrar no campo sob seu controle, você recebe um marcador de energia. Toda vez que essa criatura atacar, você vai poder pagar 2 marcadores de energia, se escolher pagar, então coloque um marcador de +1/+1 nela e vire até uma criatura alvo que o jogador defensor controlar. Aqui a única questão é que precisa de um deck que realmente gere energia para que nunca falte recurso para tornar ainda mais forte.

Preço da carta: em torno de 0,20 até 10,00

Disponível em Português

"Essa carta tem algumas edições disponíveis, o preço pode variar a depender da edição que escolher adquirir"

Link: https://www.ligamagic.com.br/?view=cards%2Fsearch&card=Aetherstorm+roc&tipo=1

Até a próxima postagem, Ulli e Thiago

[hugsloves]

I can't wait when this map will be finished. I'm so hype for it

[unsunderedphoenix]

Continued from here

@aetherstorms

Aurora hummed as she looked up at him. The collar that suppressed her powers slowed her healing factor, but did not eliminate it. In the and she would be free of scars. There was also the fact that she would never forgive herself if he died when she could prevent it in some way. If any of them died by this bastards hands really. She also knew her defiance, as small as it was, gave many of the other slaves in the house hope. Hope that something would happen to free them of the Master torture.

“ The beatings do both bother me. Better me then one of you, you are all much easier to kill.” Aurora hummed and gave him her signature soft smile. Even her voice was soft and carried an almost etherial quality to it. But then, her entire presence could be described at that.

[socialpoison]

The Phyrexian Arc where my ocs are concerned:

-Traenor went on a revenge quest for the friend he thought he lost to Jin-Gitaxias, Endry.

-He enlists Klaus and Andra to help him out.

-Traenor and Klaus went to New Phyrexia and helped the resistance for a bit.

-They investigated Kaldheim, then Kamigawa, where they met Avon, who was investigating consortium leads that led her to Tezzeret's trail.

-They try to follow up on leads that bring them to Elspeth's homeplane, New Capenna. They meet walkers from the Order of Heliud , Lys Ora, Vanya, and Constance. Lys Ora blames Andra for initiating their homeplane's eventual destruction (andra is unaware) and she chases Andra off. Vanya joins the gang.

-They go to Dominaria, after reports of Phyrexians invading. Vanya takes them to the Serran Order of Grace, her order which had been infiltrated by Sleepers. Avon helps root them out, until she accidentally mind melds with a sleeper, and turns against them, nearly destroying them all. Avon is captured and left to recover, though they do manage to save the Order.

Around here, Ellidus is captured and compleated, and the Order's listening post on New Phyrexia now monitors planeswalker travel for New Phyrexia.

-In BRO they meet with the Gatewatch formally. They prepare their homeplanes for invasion. Traenor finally gets his second knighthood.

Around here, after months of the Listening Post being used to stop planeswalkers from messing with Phyrexia, the Order hires a certain Metathran to take it down. Ellidus is punished for losing it, and to try and make up for it, they help augment the Phyrexians' new anti-planeswalker field, with their body as a component.

Also Ora discovers Andra never intended to kick off the growing of Axin's aetherstorm, and would have stopped it if she could. They return to the gang.

-In ONE, the gang go to New Phyrexia to try and run interference for the Planeswalker Strike Team, and achieve a secondary goal, which is to try and find how the Phyrexians are compleating planeswalkers.

But Klaus is separated on arrival and captured. His immunity from Melira is bolstered by some Halo he takes, so he isn't compleated at first. However they do put him into a pod to access his memories and magic. While he's under, he dreams a journey through the layers of Phyrexia, where he sees people he knows being either captured or compleated. He's rescued just before he dies or gets compleated.

Ellidus is probably separated from Realmbreaker, left helpless.

[bladeshowers]

"Amon," Amara complained again, beginning to suspect that he was doing this purely to get a reaction out of her. And it was unfortunately working. The brunette pouted at him. She knew sometimes men liked to refer to their wives as ‘the old ball and chain’, but this was a little much even for him. The scent of the food he made was heavy in the air and she’d prefer to be eating rather than arguing. “I wasn’t exactly alone back then either.” She’d had help. “He just pales in comparison to everything else I’ve faced after him.” Including both men she was currently speaking with.

“We all crave oblivion every once in a while. He just went further than most people care to.” She glanced at Amon and raised an eyebrow in amusement. For being a loyal follower of his Amon had gleefully taken up his mantle in a while. Amara didn’t voice it out loud, though Amon might be able to glean her thoughts simply from her expression and what little she’d said on the matter.

Amara fell silent to allow the previous Ascians time to discuss the whole ‘soul’ thing. Amon was rather temperamental over it and anything to do with Fandaniel. The last time they’d discussed it, they’d become increasingly volatile until others had to interject to stop them from doing anything stupid. It was better to allow Themis to discuss it with him from a more neutral standpoint. Her green eyes moved back and forth between them while casually beginning to eat. She was pleased with the level of spice and the burn that it bought. It was only when she was acknowledged did she give a hum.

“Emet is busy sorting out matters with the nonsense I did in the aetherial sea. But yes, I’d much prefer you be here and won’t allow anything else.” Her idea was more just…pulling Fandaniel out of Amon entirely but she wasn’t sure how that would end up going. “The food is delicious by the way.” Not that it surprised her any. Amon was quite the talented chef.

Amon smirked at her and tucked his hand under his chin briefly. "Oh no need to be so offended! I’ve been owned by someone since the day I was born in my mortal life. Emperor Xande was simply the Master I’d chosen and what a glorious time it was indeed.” He sighed wistfully before he shook his head with a rueful smile. “Ah, but that is over. You slayed him quite handily. My clone simply wasn’t strong enough to stand against you, sliver of my soul as he was and weakened from a long hibernation besides. No hard feelings when he craved his end regardless.”

His gaze shifted to Themis, who was just sitting quietly, listening and watching with polite attentiveness. “I know I don’t have to go anywhere.” He said, addressing Amara even though his attention remained on Themis, who arched a brow at him. “But I heard mention of Emet-Selch, and if there’s a chance he’s going to be here, I’d rather not be.”

Themis lifted a hand in a shrug and smiled slightly, even that small shift warming his expression in a way that for some reason made Amon wrinkle his nose. “Well when I mentioned him it was simply stating that he knows far more about the nature of souls than I do, but maybe you would benefit from listening to a lecture. You’re having some issues of your own, aren’t you?”

Amon’s lip curled slightly. “Yesss….and he would likely want to draw out the whimpering idiot than put him back to sleep. Ardor or not, Hermes is the easier one to deal with no doubt.”

“It isn’t his problem. He doesn’t live here.” Themis replied. His gaze shifted to Amara. “She seems to like you well enough,” His gaze returned to Amon. “and I have no issue with you at present either. You have been long wounded, so give yourself a chance to heal. Maybe the discord in your soul will settle, but if it does not, Emet-Selch might be able to help you.” He put a hand to his chest. “I will help you convince him if it comes to that, as I am sure will Amara. Worry not.”

Amon pursed his lips and picked up his utensils to start eating without answering, though Themis seemed satisfied with this and picked up his own to follow his lead, though cautiously in case it was too spicy.

[valiisthea]

Munday Survey !

Name/Alias: Jess! But I've taken an affinity to being called 'Diehards' (a play on my twitch username).

Age group: Erm...old lol. I'm 32.

Pronouns: She/her

Favorite color: green or blue, don't make me choose.

Favorite food: ugh, pasta. Particularly alfredo pasta. Im an alfred-hoe.

Tattoos/piercings?: Mhm, I have six tattoos (both shoulders, forearm, wrist, foot, chest/over my heart) and then 11 piercings (5 in right ear, 4 in left ear, septum, right nostril).

Current song stuck in your head?: Actually, none. BUT. Yesterday it was "all the things she said" by Tatu LOL.

Pets?: OH boyyyy. Five cats, 3 dogs, and a mouse. Yes a pet mouse, not a house mouse lmao.

Favorite book?: Sheesh, In The Heart of The Sea or The Martian.

Do you have a 'prized possession'?: yeaaah. My uncle passed away when I was 5, he gave me this silly little robot toy when I was maybe 2? It's in the barn right now, but I'll never get rid of it. My dad appreciates it too. That was his little brother and one of the only physical things we've got left of him.

Dream job: ok don't laugh at me, but I've wanted to be a paleontologist since I was 5 years old. I'm obsessed with dinosaurs, to the point where I've been caught physically crying looking at bone casts in museums before and taken online classes to learn more about em.

Tea or coffee?: both my friend. Both.

Hobbies: I stream on twitch!! That's really all I do aside from work and RP. Yall can come hang out with me and my twitchfam any time! www.twitch.tv/forthediehards

How long have you been role-playing?: Since I was 18, so 14 years?

Who is your most active muse: Mm, any of the FFXVI ones right now. Most specifically Dion. I've also got a lot of muse for Roche from 7 remake.

Significance behind your url?: hm, well, it just means there's a surplus of hearts. Because I have an assload of muses, and they've all got hearts. So many, many many hearts lol.

Tag some partners!: @lightxrampart @mediciina @pheoniks @sagefired @madrites @carrotsaversion @havfayth @aetherstorms @legendaryplayer @eifri @levinstrike @kihel-sorcas @oifrit @rosfieldj @lightwxrden @creatrix-mea @ofdiamonddust @ultimaleus @holyguardian @rosxrian @waloedrex @waloed-steed @stellarisen @poeticphoenix @spiras-summoner @txnichtgut @diions @ofdragonslight @firevow @wingedturmoil @tsckcyomi @knightxvowed @swerte @owyrmtail @gillionaires @of-mythos @wyvern-flames @oultima @floscaedis @rosfeild @eikonshiva @poppydedicant @yinjiyang @inproelia @ifritmade @lionheartedscout @equescaeli @adenial @phoenix-flamed @flamesofrebirths

[xanican-exile]

"This world is dying."

A wizened old man stood up from his chair, stacks of papers detailing various experiments, expeditions, and vivisections in front of him, lit by flickering candles. Primitive, but it was all he had at the moment.

"Its death blow dealt over a millennia ago, since then it has limped on, its wound festering and draining its vitality." Slowly, made his way over to an open window where his telescope stood, aiming at Talak. The old man gazed upon the larger of the twin moons and the swirling aetherstorms that yet raged on its surface, their shifting colors visible even to the naked eye. Once those energies has saturated the earth, pure and calm. Now they raged above, violent maelstroms that crashed into each other far away; the result of gods and dragons squabbling like children over this world. And where were they now?

"Gone, lost. Abandoned us after breaking their toy." He turned away from his telescope in disgust and looked down at the land below. To his sight the old leylines ran with streams of magic, filled temporarily by what aether trickled down from the moons above, only to be washed away every day with the rising sun. Once, they had been rivers of light, power that sustained the creation of wonders scarcely imagined today. Not bound to journey of the sun and moons, orphaned far above, but anchored to the earth where it naturally belonged. "They've lost so much, and they don't even know it..."

Even diminished, it was beautiful, thin lines of liquid light rushing and swirling across the ground. He longed to reach out and grab it, to fill himself with its power as he had so many times. The effort would have been futile, in his current state only the merest trickle would answer his call. He had wasted far too many nights over the centuries trying for more. Perhaps I am dying a slow death as well.

The thought made the old man shake his head. No, no he could not allow himself to die. Not with so much still to be done. Works unfinished, plans to set in motion.

He would not abandon this world as its gods had

[autumnslance]

“My Character Is Smarter Than That!”

OK. So is mine. But let’s use my earlier topic as an example.

I am playing a game, sitting nice and comfy in my computer chair with snacks and a warm drink, watching events through a screen. The most I’m doing is hitting some buttons to make the numbers go.

I can see story tropes, narrative angles, “meanwhile” scenes, and have the ability to replay scenes, replay fights, and otherwise analyze a situation in this interactive drama.

My character on the other hand, has been empowered by a great wyrm’s Eye. She’s taken multiple Ahk Morns to the face and experienced Stardiver for the first time. She’s burnt, bleeding, bruised, and scraped from dodging breath weapons, claws, tails, wings, and fangs, while rolling over a broken stone bridge.

My character is desperate to save her friend, to not lose another person in the trauma train that this adventure to the north has been. While still under another Eye’s influence herself, she and another friend are grabbing at the Eyes that don’t want to be removed, that are still fighting and lashing out with their own inherent magic even after the wyrm’s spirit has vanished.

My character sees her dead friends, and isn’t sure if it’s real or wishful thinking or an illusion or what.

My character, weary, in pain, on an aether high, adrenaline still pumping, angry magic Eyeball in hand, hears a command on how to get this thing as far from herself, her friends, the other wounded, as possible. IF she is thinking at all, then she may vaguely recall the aetherstorm under Ishgard is a roiling mess of ice, water, and wind. It may destroy the Eyes, as nothing living can survive in there.

My character has no time or mind to think of a better plan. Just pain, emotion, and a single suggestion in the heat of the moment and a need to act now.

I can see the tropes, can guess the story beats, can see the scenes rolling in the epilogue. My character does not have this outside view.

I know that a lot of people consider me very smart, and I have a good deal of education, but I also know that I have made some dumbass snap decisions in moments of pain, confusion, high emotion, high adrenaline. And I haven’t done anything nearly as intense as fighting an ancient dragon possessing my companion.

I can set aside my meta knowledge as a player and consider how it looks from the characters’ perspectives as they live the story. And remember that most people don’t make the smartest, wisest, or best decisions when under pain and stress and desperation. Much as we’d like to think we do or would.

Something to chew on and think about when criticizing any of the characters or storybeats in many of the high-adrenaline scenes. I guarantee the writers were considering it--that we ourselves even consider such things when in our own Roleplay and Fanfics!--so reserve a bit of grace not just for the NPCs, but your own WoL when the story makes them act impulsively in moments like this, when they’re in hell while you’re at a desk watching their story play out.

EDIT ADDENDUM: For the record, I do think throwing the Eyes into the abyss WAS the right decision. Could the Eyes possess someone else with Nidhogg’s fury, like a primal avatar such as Odin? Would someone else steal them if locked away? Could they be destroyed by anyone not named Estinien (who was in no shape to do so after that fight)? Too many variables. Aymeric made the right call, and he himself and the fanbase have been too hard on the decision since.