#and making sure the little tiefling kids don’t go rob her

[moghedien]

It’s so funny that Jaheira straight up admits that she knew Isobel is Ketheric’s daughter the whole time while Isobel clearly doesn’t realize she knows. Because it 100% makes sense for Jaheira to know if she was around and fought Ketheric when he was Sharran and she says she went into the Thorm family mausoleum herself back when Isobel would still dead and buried in it.

And like right when you’re having trouble with undead and Shadow Curses and Ketheric again, a random half elf cleric of Selune named “Isobel” who refuses to give a last name comes to help and spends all her free time yelling at a bust of Ketheric and also just doesn’t know anything that happened in the last 100 years and won’t say where she came from, you might suspect something is going on there. It’s like so funny that Isobel would probably have heard of Jaheira’s history and still be like “no one suspects my secret…”

like she’s so bad at being discrete, you probably coulda guessed without knowing Ketheric had a daughter or being around 100 years ago and Isobel would never know everyone knew. Jaheira probably casually called her “Isobel Thorm” once or twice just to see if she would notice or react and Isobel never fucking did other than to be like “oh you need something, Jaheira?”

[lyzelky]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Tagged by the lovely @atsadi-shenanigans! A pleasure as always!

A snippet in which Tav shows mercy, and Astarion can't understand why.

When she returns to the others, she finds that not only has the campfire been lit, but that Wyll has already started on dinner. “Least I could do,” He says when she thanks him, “I’ve always heard the quickest way to people’s affection is through their stomachs, and I had some leftover provisions that were going to go to waste, otherwise. I hope you all don’t mind some mushroom and rice porridge?” As Gale wanders over to offer his advice on cooking, Tav finds that Mattis, the tiefling child from earlier, at her elbow. “ ‘Scuse me miss,” He says, grinning, “I think you owe me a coin.” She blinks down at him, then remembers. “Oh!” She laughs, “You lit the fire first then, I suppose?” His tail swishes eagerly as she reaches for her coin purse. “Sure did!” He says, “Wyll saw me and everything. Honest!” “Don’t worry, I believe you…Hold on,” She frowns, “What in the…?” Her purse, having been bolstered after their escapade in the Wither’s temple, now barely has two coins to scrape together. “Something wrong, miss?” Mattis asks. She’d figure it out later— she did promise the kid a gold, after all. “Nothing,” She lies, and goes to hand him a coin, “Don't spend it all in one—“ Mattis holds out his hand, beaming, but before she can drop the coin in his palm, a pale hand reaches into view to snatch him up by the collar. “Astarion!” She gasps, “What in the hells are you doing? Put him down!” “Get off me!” Mattis screeches and flails about, but Astarion shakes him roughly and says, “I was going to let your little ruse go, sloppy as it was, but going back a second time? Now, that’s just greedy.” Mattis stops flailing and glowers up at Astarion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He says, petulantly. “Astarion,” Tav pleads, “Put him down, whatever it is, we can talk about it.” “Not a chance,” He sneers, “I put him down and we’ll never see him again. Here.” There’s a flash of a steel as Astarion brandishes his dagger, and a coin purse falls from within Mattis’ vest to the ground. Several dozen coins tumble from the bag’s opening, along with three very familiar orange gemstones; The gems Astarion had given to her just this morning. Tav picks up the pouch and feels her face flush with embarrassment. Tricked by a child— How stupid could she be? “See?” Astarion gloats, “Nothing but a dirty little pickpocket. This is why— What are you doing?” He goggles as she carefully returns the stolen coins and gems to her own pouch, and holds out the remaining amount to Mattis. “Let him go,” She says gently to Astarion, “There’s no harm done.” He stares at her. “You can’t be serious.” She lifts an eyebrow. He scoffs and incredulously and drops Mattis to the ground. The child stumbles, regains his balance, then eyes her warily. “Go on,” She says, holding the coin purse aloft, “I figure you’re doing this to look after your sister, so I’m not mad. Though, might I suggest a different avenue of business in future?” Mattis shoves the coin purse back into his vest and cracks a tentative smile. “Sure, I’ll uh, keep that in mind. Bye!” He takes off up the path without another word, and vanishes into the gathering darkness. “You know he’s going to rob the next person he sees, don’t you?” Astarion sniffs, “Letting him go won’t solve anything, miscreants like that need discipline—“ “It’s fine,” She says quickly. She has an idea of what he means by discipline, and it makes her chest tighten strangely. “And anyway, you seemed pretty chuffed over Arabella stealing the Druid’s Idol. Why the change in attitude?” “Oh yes, well, that was entirely different,” He smirks, “That was funny.”

Thanks again for the tag! Now I tag... @again-please @starryheavenstos @dwarfsized @gilded-glitter @kittenintheden and anyone else who wants to join in!

[just-call-me-the-intrusive-thot]

Soulmate September - Day 8

Day 8 - The temperature of your chest gets hotter when you are closer to your soulmate and colder when you move further away. (D&D AU)

Pairing(s): Romantic Roceit, Romantic Background Analogical

TWs: Swearing

–

“Oh I adore being made out to be the bad guy here.”

“You robbed the lair of the Dragon Witch! It’s literally your fault that we are mired in this bog of despair!”

Roman’s accusation rang loudly within the wagon as they made the long ride back to Amoresse to rest for the night. Janus rolled his serpentine eyes, 

“You, dear delusional knight, are totally not the one who went and killed said Dragon Witch, thus leaving her treasure for the taking.”, the half Yuan-Ti hissed, appropriately, “Besides, you can absolutely take the moral high ground here when you stole her crown at the first opportunity.”

The pristine elven knight gasped dramatically, clutching his figurative pearls at such an accusation! 

“This is an outrage-!”

“Both of you shut the fuck up or I’m driving this wagon off the nearest goddamn cliff!!”

Roman and Janus both immediately quietened down at the threat issued so casually by their wagon driver as the dhampir hissed curses under his breath. The two in the back glared at each other back and forth, avoiding looking towards the wrecked fabric of the canopy and the splintered wood. In Roman’s defense, he hadn’t known that grabbing the crown specifically would cause the Dragon Witch’s castle to fall to ruin around them. He’d realised his mistake almost immediately when he felt the dark magic radiating off of it. However, he couldn’t bring himself to admit that was the case. Especially not around Janus, the damn snake wouldn’t let him live it down. 

Being careful to pick his moment, Roman hazarded a glance over at the reptilian rapscallion eyeing up his spoils; Janus was an enigmatic entity to Roman, showing such sophistication and poise while also being prone to stumbling over his words or his own two feet in the same breath. Unabashedly, he displayed selfishness unrivalled by even the most aristocratic nobility, but in a pinch, was fully able to toss aside even the most valuable of artifacts to save a life. 

Roman had tried not to think about it. The noble and chivalrous knight, Roman of Sandaria, being saved from the jaws of death by a conman who, by all accounts, he had fully expected to leave him to die. The elven man wasn’t sure where his resentment lay; perhaps Roman thought he should’ve been able to save himself, perhaps he felt guilty for misjudging Janus but couldn’t find it in him to admit it, or perhaps it was an underlying prejudice from his training days. Yeah, he really  didn’t want to think about it.

Instead, Roman made his way to sit up front next to the moody wagon driver, making light conversation,

“I should be the one manning the wagon, your highness.”

“Roman, I’ve told you before, you can just call me by my name.”, the dhampir met Roman with piercing silver eyes, “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t understand my- Virgil,”, he corrected at the last second, “Nothing’s wrong. Aside from the fact you refuse to allow me to call you by your title-”

“That’s horseshit and you know it, Roman.”, Virgil kept his eyes on the road, anxious over the possibility of a crash if he kept his gaze averted too long, “I’ve known you since we were kids, I can tell when you’re lying. Besides, being called ‘your highness’ feels wrong as it is. Coming from you? It’s even fucking weirder than this whole marrying into royalty thing...”

Roman rolled his eyes but sat closer to offer Virgil a one-armed hug. The latter gave it a moment before accepting the gesture, “Virgil, you’ll be fine. If any one of us was suited to princedom, I cannot think of a better candidate. And your future husband is unreasonably attractive, so I don’t see what you have to complain about-”

“Oh my god, shut UP!”, Virgil chuckled and shoved Roman playfully. “I mean, you’re not wrong but the last thing I need is to think too hard about Logan and crash this stupid fucking shambles of a wagon!” 

The lighthearted banter did wonders to distract Roman until Virgil managed to get things back on track unfortunately, “Now, stop deflecting and tell me what’s got you so gloomy, Sir-Sing-A-Lot.”

Roman rolled his eyes at the old nickname, “I’m fine, Virge, really. I merely wish our cascading castle adventure had been a little less…ruinous.”

“.... Was that a fucking pun-”

“Ahem.”, Janus cleared his throat from behind the two of them, “I do so loathe to interrupt.... whatever this is,”, he gestured between the two of them, “But I believe that’s our stop up ahead. Wouldn’t want to go destroying that as well.”

With that, the serpentine rogue slunk back into the wagon. Roman muttered something under his breath, inaudible to Virgil, before reluctantly joining the scaled nuisance bagging up his wares. The elven knight made sure to keep his crown tucked into his rucksack, just in case thievery was something to be wary of in Amoresse. The town’s reputation, however, gave Roman hope that their visit would prove more helpful than hindering; the rumours told of a town renowned for helping wayward, lonely souls find their soulmates. As a single, disaster gay, Roman sure hoped the rumours were true. Truly he could think of nothing sadder than turning up alone to his best friend’s wedding.

Getting booked into their rooms at the tavern was a far easier ordeal than having to endure the overly chaotic gate guard to the city. The bizarre tiefling had spent so long rambling on and on about the most grotesque topics that by the time they had successfully secured a wagon bay, the moon now shone in all her celestial beauty. Virgil had suggested resting for the night, and despite Roman’s urging that they stay together, Janus had been insistent on checking out the nightlife. The knight had been content to let him do so while he guarded the prince, but the tired dhampir insisted he too take the night to enjoy himself. Roman would have argued further had Virgil not issued the suggestion as an order after his first protest.

And that was how Roman found himself sitting at a small outdoor bar tended by a rather friendly dwarf. Said dwarf, Patton as he came to learn, was quite the chatterbox while Roman was content to take in the night air in spite of his earlier worries. 

“Say kiddo,”, the dwarf broke from his pleasant rambling, “you’re looking a little lonely there. You got something on your mind?”

Roman hadn’t expected that. He pursed his lips in thought. 

“I suppose I may as well be honest with you. I’ve been wondering if-”

“If the rumours are true?”, Patton finished, “Well, luckily for you, they are!”

He ducked down behind the counter and pulled up an ornate crystal bottle that contained a marvellous prismatic liquid inside. Roman watched with great interest as the dwarf pulled out a goblet and began to mix a sweet, fruity smelling drink before dropping in three drops of the colourful elixir.

“Anima Venenum”, Patton informed him, “Our town’s alchemist created it by accident a couple of centuries back, and ever since, we offer some to tourists who look like they need a little guidance in the ol’ world of love!”

Roman was mesmerised, “Really? You mean, I needn’t pay you for it?”

“Nope! Our only rule is to never hand it out to anyone who doesn’t ask us for it. It’s up to you if you wanna accept this, so no pressure. I just figured you looked like you might be in need of it.”

The knight had so many questions swirling around in his brain, but by the time he had settled on a single one, his hand was holding the goblet to his lips. The taste was citrusy like sweet clementines, but with a mixed berry and almost floral taste that reminded him of a rose wine. As the last of it slid down his throat, Roman noted a soft honey-like taste as he thanked Patton, 

“That tastes wonderful! I’ve never had an elixir that tasted so good.”

Patton chuckled, “Actually, the elixir itself is tasteless. People just take better to it when it's mixed with a good drink, otherwise the texture weirds ‘em out.”

“Ah, I see.”, Roman let out a gentle chuckle. He didn’t feel all that different, truth be told, and so he asked, “How will I know it’s working?”

“The effects are instantaneous, don’t you worry! It might be hard to notice at first, but when you’re near your soulmate, your heart will feel really warm- In a good way! Not like heartburn, so don’t worry about it feeling unpleasant.”, Patton assured him.

Roman nodded, making a note of it as he got up to leave before quickly asking, “Oh! How long will it last?”

Patton waved him off, assuring him, “It’ll last for as long as you need to find your soulmate, guaranteed!”

With the night reaching its peak, Roman found himself strolling along the cobbled streets back to the tavern when he felt it; a flicker of warmth in his heart. Soft as the beating of a butterfly’s wing but very much there. He followed the feeling until he came upon a narrow street, hardly lit by the lamps stationed at it’s opening. The street itself was largely empty bar a silhouette in the dark leaning against the stone bridge that arched over the shimmering water running beneath it. 

His heart raced as Roman approached the figure, the flames licking at his heart until he arrived about a foot from the entrance of the bridge. The figure turned to Roman, smirking a familiar smirk,

“Come to join me, oh loyal guardian of our beloved prince?”

Janus. His soulmate was Janus?! Roman couldn’t believe it, yet no matter how thoroughly he scanned the immediate area, not a single other soul revealed itself. The half Yuan-Ti raised a bemused eyebrow at Roman, “Please, do keep ignoring my question so you may continue to look like a fool.”

Roman scowled. Maybe the kindly dwarf was just teasing him? No, he didn’t seem the type. But this conman? His soulmate? Perhaps Roman would indulge it, see where that led him. Worth a shot anyway. 

“My apologies.”, was all Roman offered as he took a spot on the bridge next to Janus, the flames of his heart undeniably soaring to life at the close proximity. Janus gave Roman a puzzled glance which let Roman take in his features; a half scaled face and body that, the more he watched the moonlight dance along the scales, made Roman want to gently reach out and touch them. In fact, he had subconsciously been doing just that when Janus had held his wrist in place, “It’s not completely rude to just touch someone’s scales without permission. What’s gotten into that underbaked brain of yours, Roman?”

Flustered and embarrassed by his lack of tact, Roman uttered quietly, “Soulmate cocktail.”

“Pardon?”

Roman panicked, “So many cocktails. Is what I said. Like, 14 whole cocktails.” 

Great. Excellent save.

“..... You’re expecting me to believe that? Did you forget that I’m rather adept at being able to tell when someone’s lying to my face, Roman?”

End him. Just end him now. Roman wished a stray lightning bolt would smite him where he stood so he wouldn’t have to face his own stupidity. Quick, say something to help ease the situation.

“Okay. I had 16 cocktails.”, he stammered with a laugh, “I’m absolutely drunk. You got me, you clever reptile you!”

Roman of Sandaria you are a certified idiot. 

“.... Alright then. Prove it.”, Janus goaded him, locking onto Roman’s crimson eyes with his own citrine snake-like eyes. 

“Prove-?”

“Let me smell your breath.”, Janus clarified, getting closer. Each inch set Roman’s heart aflame all too literally. “If you’re as inebriated as you claim to be, your breath will absolutely stink.”

Shit.

“Uuuh, personal space-”, Roman began to move back, but Janus grasped the front of his tunic.

“Don’t give me that, Mister Personal-Space-Is-A-Societal-Construct, I’ve seen how often you get in your dear prince’s personal space...”, Roman could’ve sworn for a split second that Janus sounded resentful, or perhaps envious, before his tone took a more curious route, “... or perhaps could there be another reason you don’t want to be so close to me?”

The knight became aware of the burning within his chest threatening to rage out of control, the distance between them barely a couple of inches now. Roman wasn’t sure what to do, but the lure of Janus’ eyes and the way his ribcage radiated with a heat he’d never felt before spurred him to act; he leant forward and pressed his lips to the serpentine man before him.

It surprised Roman just how pleasant it felt, though he prepared himself for harsh retaliation from the half Yuan-Ti when he felt Janus take in a breath against his lips. However, Roman was pleasantly surprised to find that Janus, not only didn’t issue him a well-earned slap and spend the rest of the night cussing him out, but instead kissed him back even harder. Not that Roman was complaining. By the time they pulled back for air, Roman didn’t even notice the fire in his heart subsiding to be replaced with a more natural warmth as Janus’ hands softly caressed Roman’s cheeks. “I’ll be the first to admit, I totally saw the night heading that direction.”, Janus mused in surprise.

Roman let out a hearty chuckle, hardly even noticing that he’d subconsciously wrapped his arms around Janus.

“Care to tell me what brought this on, Roman of Sandaria?”

Just hearing his name spoken in such an enticing dulcet made his knees feel weak; how had Roman never noticed how beautiful Janus’ voice was? His mind was too busy latching onto every octave, every syllable, that he nearly forgot to answer him. He took Janus’ scaled hand and pressed his lips to it in a gentle gesture his soulmate clearly wasn’t used to if the flustered way he averted his eyes was anything to go by,

“I suppose you could say I did a little soul searching.”

----

Have some straight up Roceit fluff, this came out so cute.

@tsshipmonth2020

Taglist: @somehow-i-got-an-account @cateye-glasses @lavender-mochi [I know you love your Roceit so I figured I’d tag you incase you needed this] @fandomsofrandom [I nearly missed the reblog where you asked to be added I’m so sorry]

[at-the-exd-of-everythixg]

Ok uh DND HEADCANONS aka welcome to fantasy queer eye

Ava: A tiefling paladin. Bonar Fidea ("BONER?" "Shut the fuck up Sal.") Is sworn to her mission to protect the group of travellers she's met. Especially when faced with a particular half orc,,,ahem, Bonar is intent on doing good, not for the cost of gold, but to perhaps wipe her hands of bloodshed left over from a suffocating war that she refuses to talk about....just a shame that the rest of her party doesn't agree with the motives.

Mimi: Dwarf fighter named Viet Clearwater ("'Cause she drags her enemies through the fucking mud!"). Dwarf milf -

("wait," Lace squints and Mimi grins. "How is she a milf??" "WELL. You know that thing where a woman gets out of the fire and shakes her head? That's that." Everyone waits for a moment before nodding appreativatevly.)

- who worked in a blacksmiths for many years before meeting Sal's character and ending up joining his kid onto becoming fantasy bounty hunters for a few months before meeting the others. Viet's personal mission is to get a beach day yet each plot ends up derailing her from it each and every time.

Finn: Druid Elf called Roisen-Mae Maylar who worked in fantasy Greggs before Bonar robbed them and Roisen-Mae was the one who was sent after her due to him being "the new guy". Long story short, Roisen-Mae realised he was underpaid and joined Bonar in her avenging for justice, quickly realising that "justice" was conceived of breaking into places and killing people in order to free others. Roisen-Mae kinda wishes he could go back to Fantasy Greggs but...he likes the feeling of adventure in his blood, likes helping people in such a freeing manner.

Sal: Elvish Bard named Chester. Out here playing the top hits of "I want thy love" and "I was created for loving thee." With the backups of Wulf's character. Realised that he could get more cash and that there was...fuck, there was something magic about his voice that struck the monsters and mysterious assassins often sent after the party for some reason.

("Wait so you're some sort of siren?" Pascal had begun to laugh as Sal sqwuaked in indignation. "No! Its- its magic! Shut up you solar piece of shit!")

Sure, murder wasn't was Chester was expecting. But fuck if it ain't gonna be fun (skksks ngl I'm...half wondering if Sal would let his dnd character be in love like I am with him and me being ace sksk)

Mahogany: No character since they struggle with grasping the game but they usually have someone sitting on their lap while they watch everyone play and suggest actions. Sometimes they're allowed to be monsters but often Mahogany is just there to get some cuddles.

Pascal: Orc rogue named Solgrindr The Rugged. 100% he's here to get jacked and each mission allows him to gain One Ab. His guns are huge but his heart is even huge-er and Solgrindr speaks with a fiery passion to sell his training regime and to collect a million fantasy numbers. Since. U know. Solgrindr has earned these by now.

("So you're a Chad?" Mimi squints and Pascal lifts up a hand in offense before Sal interjects. "YEAH PASCAL YOU AN INCEL?" Pascal cried a minute later. He just wanted to be ripped, was that too much to ask?)

Solgrindr is but a man of his whims and what's a bigger whim than a fiery battle and an even hotter romance? ("His sole goal is to romance Chester." Pascal says, smiling viciously when Sal chokes from across the table.) Its just a shame he hasn't been able to live up to his full power yet...

Edith: A half-orc paladin called Yanag Broifstïgnäh who is...basically a carbon copy of Edith but no one's gonna exactly argue with a 6'something Norse angel who everyone excluding Wulf and Dae, are attracted to her. Yanag fights with the same ire and power anyone else would have done to protect her party entirely. She gets a magical axe that apparently washes her into an entirely new and powerful form only once every game.

(Finn frowns, tilting his head curiously. "You made Edith into a magical girl?"

Doe blinks and for a moment, Finn shudders when his own eyes meet his. "Yeah. Is that what that's called? Coolio.")

Yanag saves and romances a woman with every town they go to, but it raises questions when she seems to deny their affections, just as its suspicious how black tar-like veins seem to spread on her the more she uses this power.

Wulf: A human ranger called Bob Greenson. Your average, typical human man who just so happens to believe in fate and adventure! He shall charm everyone and fight the good battles!

("So." Ava squinted and Edith tried to not smile. "He's playing as himself...but a human man?" Her question seemed to get a rough snort out of Edith and a slight nudge of the shoulders. "Aye, but 'tis what makes the man happy I suppose.")

Of course, Bob is on a strict mission to product review as many weapons as he possibly can for his company, Weap'n'throw, while perhaps finding a few good spots to camp out for the ol' family? How's it goin' neighbour? Sure there are some sale issues, what with everyone wanting to murder Bob, but what sales pitch doesn't come with a bit of haggling, hm? With his mighty band of sales assistants, please speak to Chester on aisle three for magical trumpets!

Adonai: Dungeon Master! It's a relief to be themselves and to still be able to interact with the games and everyone else. Doe was worried at first that they would have been left out while everyone got to be something different. They would have joined, but the idea of yet again forming a whole new identity, trying to find the balance and shifts...it sounded exhausting. They couldn't handle it.

Ava patted them and told Doe that they didn't need to be someone. They could think up the scenarios and risks and Joys. It wasn't often that they got an opportunity to take over and simply have fun with risking Mimi's life or trying to create romantic scenarios between Edith and Ava. Doe takes great pleasure in being the DM and it isn't uncommon for them to modify their body for certain campaigns.

Lace: A half-elf wizard named Elvish Presley (Everyone groans. Mahogany weeps. Edith demotes her Valkyrie ways. Sal becomes a nun.) Elvish is interested in learning all sources of magic and why their world works. Is there anything connecting them all? A reason for them being here? Elvish is determined to find out, no matter what the cost...mostly of himself though.

Whether he admits that he wouldn't allow his team to get hurt or not, that is entirely Elvish's thoughts and feelings alone. Quick! Put that healing spell away! We can't let these people know that we feel and yearn! But little does Elvish Presley know, everyone is aware that he is a giant nerd with a giant heart that weeps when Bonar rescues him from the angry orgre who's wagon dealership they ruined in a quest.

Dae: A dragonborn ranger named Torpa Armani who dreams of becoming a famous writer-

("Th-that's bas-basically what y-you do anywh-anyway." Morde squints as Wulf grins while Dae flushes and shakes his head. It's a weak argument, to hear your clone try and deny the elaborate romance novels he writes about his friends.)

-But! Sometimes you just get whisked away onto wild and heart melting adventures. Its hard to ignore how good it deeps to help other people with their problems. It seems that Torpa may just be finding out that there's more to life than romance or tragedy books for them. Especially if they seem so insistent on carrying a weapon and being willing to put their trust and faith within other people once more after being outcasted for who and what they are.

Peach: A tiefling ranger named Puddles Skipclear. Puddles was once a water nymph, but had been cursed into a more physical form that didn't allow her to touch water. She is bound to dry lands until Puddles is able to break her curse. Unfortunately, Puddles doesn't even seem to know what curse bounds her and changes her for possibly forever.

(Morde is quiet for a moment, not meeting his clone's eyes guilt makes his eyes and body dim and slouch. Dae does the same towards Mordecai and everyone tries to ignore the guilt that isn't there's suddenly shifting around the room.)

She likes the people she has chosen to travel with. They're silly and their quests don't always work out, but they're honest in helping Puddles and she wants to trust in them when they say that they will help her remove her curse. They're all rather different from her water sisters that faded away and slipped out of Puddles' too physical fingers, but she's begun to have high hopes about what this mission could mean for her along the way.

Mordecai: Orc rogue named Vecivus Brogun, who is a well renewed theft despite his size. Parties could only dream of having him upon their sides. It's easy to steal things from countless people, but it's harder to steal the secrets. Especially when such a strange party seems to hold so many of these secrets. Some of them have simple ideas and wants, but others?

Oh, there's mystery to them and contrary to what others believe about orcs, Vec is far more easily aware and shifty than most. If only the others would realise these and help him out with a few gigs...after all, is it so bad to steal from a dragon if said dragon had so many riches that he would have hardly noticed if a few went missing?

[purralyth]

How have things been going with Chariot and crew? Maybe I missed some things, but it feels like it's been awhile since I last heard of their shenanigans! Has the gf been helping out? Any crisises? (In the world around them or emotional?) What is the DEALIO I am ready to hear it!

haHAHAHA i’ll be honest i don’t talk much about their emotional/world crises because they are happening All the time. our dm wants to see us suffer. but let’s have a small summary shall we, i’m actually going to put this one under a read more bc we’ve done That Much

so first things first, the gang got shunted into the feywild, i talked about that much. that’s where we picked up our lovely little tiefling monk Fuarthas (Silence, back then) from his awful hag grandmother rosie, found chariot’s masked mom, and then got taunted by a fey demigod in his Hell Maze and he proposed to fuarthas and now they’re engaged because he’s a warlock now it’s fun shit. anyway. we get back to toril with the crew (and chariot’s masked mom’s ship, lovingly dubbed Eri’s Chariot after her daughter and her dead boytoy, that we thought we might have to leave behind) and we find out that in the MAYBE month-long period we’ve been in the feywilds, 2.5 years have gone by on toril. meteors have fallen from the sky, which is now a permanent blood red, people are chanting at these meteors embedded in the city like possessed cultists who attack anyone that threatens to take them out, and the worms coming out of the meteors are like kind of sort of turning people undead?? it’s messed up. Cool Stuff. but chariot’s aunt mom Serenity and uncle dad Patience opened up an orphanage so that’s cool

So we got some magic tattoos in some downtime (Chariot got 2, one on the back of her neck that lets her understand Undercommon, and another on her chest that gives her a free use of Mage Armour per day) and met up with some new NPCs, one of  which is traveling with us now as our cleric-fighter and is dating(??) our big tiddy big heart half-orc barbarian Lockjaw, and left our aasimar monk’s kickass wife behind to run her tavern bc she’s expecting. we go to look at some funky stuff going down in the town cemetary. first thing we do is go see erran, our moon elf friend we took into the feywild and hates us now for it, and he takes us into this portal and shows us this weird temple thing his supervisor or something had just discovered. there’s these murals on the walls of meteors striking the earth, and a flood, and some figures sailing on a ship through the sky, and then 7(?) figures, that like kind of seem like Us but not quite on par, so fun stuff, and these two HUGE statues in the main chamber. somebody presses a button and this fantasy Alexa bitch floats down from the ceiling and is like oh shit presences detected. and starts listing these titles, like Sufferer, and Guardian, and Exceptional, and then locks onto jia and is like ABERRATION DETECTED FUCK THOSE SHITS and tries to kill her so she has to run. basically without making this too long we find out that we (chariot, frazier, lockjaw, fuarthas, and frazier’s daughter) are descendants of some ancient heroes that saved the world once, and we grave rob just a little and get some cool magic items, and there’s this prophecy that we’ll stop the apocalypse or something?????? shit’s wack. we go back out to see jia and chariot’s trying real hard to cover for her but she’s like well i cant rly hide it anymore. hey guys i have an illithid tadpole In my brain and it didn’t develop so now i’m also part of a separate prophecy that i’ll wipe out all the illithid. but look at this i can float but chariot and i did some research and the only way to not have it be a problem anymore is to destroy my skull and then resurrect me. so that’s a lot of fun!!!!!

still in that cemetary, we find a trail of meteor worms. follow them into a secret passage that leads to the lair of Sunshine, masked mom’s dead assistant that chariot one-shot, but it turns out she’s a necromancer! she kicks our asses to unconsciousness even after chariot polymorphed into a t-rex and sells us to Neogi in the underdark, which if you don’t know what they are, google them, they’re fucked up spider giraffe eels that are evil incarnate and basically were slave trading us & psychically torturing Jia the whole way!! which made chariot throw cantrip after cantrip at them to try to hurt them so they just mind-control enslaved her over and over so that’s fucked her up good :)

we get sold to some drow after a week. beefy boys were sent to work manual labour til they die, and the rest of us were set to be sacrificed to Lolth, so we go haha we have to get out of here asap. chariot disguise selfs into a drow guard (a man bc i was very stupid) and gets caught 2 seconds out the door by a cleric of lolth, who sets up some mix between a dick appointment and an ass kicking for later bc chariot didn’t like. idk acknowledge her. fuck drow. she and fuarthas (who she was pretending to transport) skedaddle into a side chamber and a drow guard captain comes in. she goes to beat up fuarthas so chariot attacks her and a wild magic pops off and they fall mutually head over heels in love and lust with each other, which is MESSY. chariot convinces her to help round the gang up, but everywhere they look everyone’s gone missing (frazier and lockjaw got into a fight down at the manual labour camp and jia turned into a fish and shrieked so she’s gone) so chariot ends up wined and dined and tries desperately not to let this drow captain Do Her and does not take a long rest bc she has to stay awake and make sure this woman doesn’t wake up and see she’s not actually Erran the Drow Guard. but when everyone wakes up a shadow dragon is attacking this drow camp. cool. yes. awesome. fantastic. hell breaks loose, chariot and zarra (the drow captain) find frazier and jia in a stairwell, zarra kisses chariot goodbye and runs off to do stuff after a hefty persuasion check, jia gets Understandably Angry, we run like hell to find our magic items they bought with us and get the hell out of dodge With Lockjaw’s new orc army he’s recruited and the drow dude we found that’s a part of Frazier’s old order. shadow dragon finds us, holy shit she’s frazier’s adopted mom, she offers us a ride back while chariot very desperately tries to tell jia she doesn’t know what’s going on and why zarra kissed her and why she feels like this (she didn’t know it was a charm !!) and generally feeling Very Shitty. we get to frazier’s old monastery and the charm wears off, chariot and jia have a very long talk and chariot breaks a couple times, chariot steals a bottle of wine to try and feel better, she gets in shit for it and frazier takes the fall, he gets whipped as a punishment which just breaks chariot even more, she puts herself on house arrest for a full week, jia finally starts talking to her again 3 days into that, they do some drugs, chariot makes a deal with shadow dragon mama to split the cost of a teleportation circle and the gang blows up at her but she’s like nah it’s cool. at this point she is using her +9 deception to pretend she didn’t just break for a whole week and nothing happened and she’s totally good now guys dont even worry about it.

side tangent from All That, we go to deal with a giant problem for the monastery and there’s corpses strung up with the symbols on chariot’s palm all over. lots of combat yadda yadda, trap one giant in a room and ask her questions through the door, get some cool insight on chariot’s magics that she still has no idea how it works. turns out there’s a third queen of the feywilds, the queen of night and magic if i remember correctly, and she was shunned for her beauty and her and all of her subjects were made to be ugly and misshapen or some messed up stuff. chariots like oh fuck we were just there and no one said shit about a queen that apparently everyone hates that she has the symbols for on her Hands and honestly on her cape as well half the time. but ok cool that’s some new info sweet.

jia’s still guilting chariot for kissing zarra (even though it was a CHEEK KISS and she didn’t do it) because chariot’s been feeling awful that jia got into a romantic relationship (WITH FRAZIER��S DAUGHTER WHO JOINED JIA’S CULT, FUNNY ENOUGH) on her like 10 month leave bc she assumed she’d never get to see chariot again, but that’s a whole can of worms. lots of emotional fuckage though, chariot feels even worse that that happened bc jia hadn’t even been charmed, etc etc etc. but she’s never gonna say any of it bc she’s terrified jia will leave a second time and bringing any of that up might be what triggers it So!

we get told the neogi are selling slaves to jia’s old god, Ool’zakgothool the Aboleth who has been the Big Bad since like session 3-5, so we need to go stop that shit so we can go take down this aboleth and get frazier’s daughter back. but first we have literally no money bc we got sold and had all our shit stolen so we have to sell the like 700lbs of elven armour and weaponry we stole from a navy outpost place thing in the feywild. so we get to solve a little murder mystery in a gnome town so that’s fun. go back to the monastery, pick up some stuff, get some cool magic items made by our new artificer friend Jokk who’s part of the same prophecy we are, and head out again to fuck up these neogi. but on the way jia suddenly sprints ahead and gets like hug tackled by 5 kids who she apparently raised in her cult, and we get lead back to the marketplace where we plan on staking out the neogi and following back to their camp, but uh oh there’s 100 cultists here who swarm us and there’s some midsommar shit and we just fight the neogi right then and there and that’s basically where we’re picking up now. they enslaved lockjaw who oneshot chariot bc she’s a weak little bitch so jia kicked him in the ribs it was fun. and now we’re holding the elf that threatened to cut chariot’s tail off from our Neogi Cage Days hostage to tell us where the shiny gold head hauncho went bc he dimension doored out while chariot was paralyzed and couldn’t counterspell and we want him Dead. to be continued

[thepetulantpen]

Modern AU/Kindness

(Hey I know this event is literally over but I finally finished day 6 of @mollymauklivesfest so I’m posting it now. Better late than never?)

Molly’s general rule of thumb is to leave the world a little better than how he found it.

And a little more chaotic.

Typically, he’s found, in order to achieve both of those things, one will eventually be on the run from the cops.

Which he is now.

As he nearly gets run over for the third time that night, diving across traffic and into an alley where he leaps onto a dumpster and scales an apartment complex, he takes a rare moment of reflection to think about how he ended up in this position.

It either started with the kids who tried to rob him or the racist elven lady, depending on how much faith you put in Molly’s moral code.

...

When a bony hand reaches into his purse, Molly stops and fidgets with his phone for a bit to give the kid a better chance. He may not be the most observant person, but even he saw the three dirty, skinny children sneaking up behind him.

He’s not exactly made of money- he reads fortunes, for gods’ sake- but he can spare something to give to people even less fortunate than him. Whatever they can swipe, they’ve earned.

When Molly dies in Crossy Road, he moves on and the kids scatter, back to whatever alley they crawled out of. He wishes he could help more, but they’re just three of many in this city.

It probably won’t keep him up at night, but it does distract him long enough to not look where he’s going, long enough to trip over an older elven lady. Old enough to look old, which means she must be ancient.

“Sorry-“

Molly cuts himself off at the look on her face, needlessly shocked and disgusted. He knows what that means.

There’s no major freak out, which is nicer than previous encounters of similar types, but she does mutter “demon” as she crosses the street in a hurry. She’s dramatically rubbing at the front of her shirt, as if Molly might’ve gotten a bit of his Infernal on her.

He’s gotten it before, gotten it far worse. It probably won’t keep him up at night.

That might’ve been the end of it, if Molly wasn’t Molly.

The shiny pearls around her neck and the gold bracelets on her wrist give him an idea.

And that is what’ll keep him up at night.

...

Caleb wakes at 3:34 am to the sound of his phone buzzing violently against his nightstand. He grabs for it blindly, wondering which of his dumb friends could be calling at this time of night.

The screen lights up too bright in the dark, washing over his face and making his eyes squint to adjust. ‘Robin Hood’, Molly’s chosen nickname on Caleb’s phone, is calling, which would’ve earned Caleb money if he’d bet on it. These sorts of calls are Molly around 80% of the time.

He lets it ring for a few seconds, pretending to debate taking the call. He promises to himself that if this isn’t an emergency, he’ll kill Molly, but it’s an empty promise, one he never keeps when Molly calls him high or horny or just bored.

He answers the call.

“This had better be good, Mollymauk.”

There’s a huff, some shuffling, and the sounds of a busy street on the other end of the call before Molly finally speaks, out of breath.

“Yeah, yeah it’s an emergency, actually,” he grunts and Caleb hears something slamming against metal, “Are you still friends with that guy in Nicodranas?”

Caleb sits up in bed and rubs his eyes. He really doesn’t need this, at 3:36 in the morning.

“Friends is a strong word.”

Caleb can practically hear the eye roll on the other end of the line, but he ignores it because Molly has no right to be annoyed with him, when he’s calling at 3:37 in the morning.

“Associate, acquaintance, whatever. Will he still help you cross the border?”

“Molly, what-“ Caleb sighs and shakes his head. He’d been fine when they talked last week. “What could you have possibly done in the last few days that makes this necessary? No, no, don’t tell me, I want plausible deniability. Just, how soon do you need to leave?”

“Well-“ Molly starts but is cut off by the blare of police sirens and his own footsteps against the pavement. When the noise fades a bit, he asks, “Does that answer your question?”

Caleb groans, standing to grab his coat and books. It’s going to be another long fucking night.

“Unfortunately, yes. Can you hold out till morning?”

He can imagine Molly grinning on the other end, feels the sharp energy of it through the receiver.

“Have I ever given you reason to doubt my skills?”

...

After about the third rich person party he’d robbed, Molly starts to think he’s getting in a little too deep.

But he’s got a bag full of jewelry and other useless expensive trinkets and he’s driving to yet another pawn shop, so he’s committed for now.

Emerging with a wad of cash is pretty satisfying and spending it on a car full of non perishable meals and blankets eliminates all doubt and conflicting feelings from his mind.

This whole scheme has gotten pretty ridiculous and is starting to take way too much planning- he’s had to research parties and fake identities and pawn shops. It shouldn’t have been this elaborate when the premise seemed so easy: steal from the rich, give to the poor. But bullshitting your way into parties without a plan is risky, and selling hoards of jewelry to the local pawn shop every week is a sure way to get investigated and arrested.

It’s a lot of work, more work and planning than Molly typically participates in, but it’s worth it. The people who attend these kind of parties are the perfect sort of uptight that provides endless entertainment, and pretending to be rich (or even royalty, on one occasion) is not only fun but empowering. Nobody dares question guests at these parties, he could tell them he got banished from a pirate island and they’d nod politely while sipping champagne.

Some people would say it’s exhausting pretending to be someone else, but not Molly. For him, it’s exhilarating to weave lie after increasingly ridiculous lie- and it’s not hard either. Rich Molly is just Molly but worse and more shiny.

He will say that the best part isn’t the parties or the lies. It’s now, as he rolls up to one of the dark alleys in the worst part of town and finds the sad little camps of boxes and torn blankets.

The kids don’t approach him, watching warily as he sets down his offerings of food and other supplies from Dollar Tree. It’s the most he could get with the money he made, plus his efforts in bargain hunting and buying in bulk. They’ll eat and be warm for months, hopefully.

This camp is just one in a series of stops he’ll make today, grim reminders of the desolate conditions the poor of Zadash live in. He’s determined to keep up this act until every one of the kids in this city has gotten their share of its wealth. Or until he’s arrested.

One of the bigger kids comes out first, opening up cans of fruit for the little kids and passing out blankets. He waves to Molly, a small gesture of thanks before he turns his attention to his charges.

Molly waves but doesn’t stop long, heading back to his car before he gets wrapped up in a conversation. He has more work to do, if he’s going to make this city better.

...

Caleb rubs at his eyes again, trying to make them focus on the map through the haze of his exhaustion and shakiness of Molly’s shitty driving.

They almost go airborne on a bump in the road and Caleb scrambles to keep hold of his books.

“Scheisse, Molly. Easy on the gas pedal, I need to make sure we’re going the right way.”

Molly nods absently, eyes darting in between the windshield and rear view mirror, watching fervently for any sign of authorities. Caleb’s contact in Nicodranas has outlined the fastest, most discreet route over the border, but these things can change so fast that there’s never any true guarantees of safety. At least he has Caleb here to navigate and steer him out of trouble. If anyone can bail Molly out of a jail cell, it’ll be Caleb.

“Left here.”

Moly turns the wheel too hard, taking the turn as sharp as he can. Caleb is holding onto the armrests for dear life and staring at Molly in disbelief. It’s a wonder to Caleb that they haven’t died yet, with Molly being as impulsive in driving as he is in life. He should’ve called Fjord and made him give them a ride.

“You’re just going to attract more attention if you drive so fast,” Caleb pauses as he watches the meter lower a little closer to the speed limit, he’s got to find a way to distract Molly from the high speed chase he’s envisioning, “Finish telling your story, I’m dying to know how your flawless plans could’ve been outsmarted.”

...

Picking pockets is not a terribly difficult art. Some can do it masterfully, some are abysmal at it, but most can do a decent job and grab a few things without trying their luck.

Molly falls into the last category, but he’s too stubborn for his own good. He just has to get that last bracelet.

The woman he’s robbing, a respectable, no nonsense businessperson, looks down at Molly when his hands slip. He manages to not only screw up his extraction of the bracelet, but also drop the rest of her jewelry to the ground with a loud series of clinks.

Molly only has time for an abashed smile before he’s leaving a tiefling shaped cloud of dust behind him and utilizing his other talent: running.

There’s an broken window, a two story climb, and a crash through some overly manicured hedges, then he’s hitting the pavement and diving down the nearest alley as sirens wail in the distance.

He stops to heave in a few breaths, preparing for a chase, and that turns out to be a mistake as the guards for the party are smarter and faster than he thought. There’s shouting and uniforms so he makes a quick decision, jumping up—

“I can’t believe you. We had to leave the country because you suddenly became a bigger kleptomaniac than Nott?”

“Technically,” Molly smiles at Beau across the table from him, “you didn’t have to leave. This is just your excuse for a vacation.”

Beau crosses her arms and returns the shit-eating grin. “But I couldn’t leave my best friend to fend for himself in his run from the police.”

Molly is going to fire back, maybe bring up the time they had to evacuate a town because of something Beau did (they can never go back to Trostenwald) but Jester walks in carrying a tray of cookies and he’s sufficiently distracted.

“Look what my mama had the cooks bake!”

Jester giggles as Beau and Molly immediately pounce on the plate, competing to build the biggest cookie pile. She grabs a cookie from Beau’s pile and sits down with them, smiling with crumbs in her teeth.

“Since we’re sort of trapped here until the police forget about Molly-“

“Trapped is such a strong word.”

“-then we’ll have to plan a bunch of beach days to fill time. We’ll get to drag Caleb out there and we could invite Nott’s family, I’m sure Yeza would love to see the ocean!”

Jester’s words become indistinct as Molly zones out, happy to enjoy this moment with friends despite the circumstances that landed him here.

It’s a happy ending really, and some good karma from the world at last. He did something good by doing something bad and now he gets to hang out at the beach with his friends- his family.

Gods, he can’t wait to goad Caleb into buying swim trunks in the most atrocious pattern possible.

[oneandahalfwolf]

Benkai'l.

Ben to some. Kai to few. Mutt, mongrel, half-breed and other slurs to many more.  Loyal pet and favourtie toy to an evil woman. Platonic soulmate to a small half-elf mage. Brother to a devilish tiefling rogue. Just a grumpy puppy who really wants to be loved but doesn’t feel like they deserve it.

Ben is a tall and skinny bean pole who’s skin is pale as snow. Their eyes are a pale grey, like the moon’s light - unless that light causes them to glow a bright yellow, a sign of the other wolf that lives inside them. Their hair is black as night, the same black that covers the fur on the wolf ears atop their head and the tail at the bottom of their spine.

They identify as nonbinary, mismatched by birth and genetics, but fool you if you ask what’s in their breeches. Also fool you if you try to flirt with the aroace pupper, for if they don’t set you alight you’ll have a rather angry array of people on you when their pack gets wind of it.

Being wolf-kin meant Ben always had heightened senses, better strength and endurance, and a greater healing factor than most humans. Their species was always evident what with their wolf ears and tail, and the fact they could naturally shift their form into a wolf; slightly larger than an average one with black fur and their normal grey eyes.

However once bitten by a werewolf they had another Wolf inside to contend with. One who wanted to rip and tear and kill. In moments of anger their eyes would change from grey to yellow, already sharper than average teeth growing into fangs as their canines lengthened, and their nails extended into hard and sharp claws.  Their senses grew even sharper. Strength and stamina increasing still. Their healing improved with wounds that would take humans days and them formally hours, could now be instantaneously mended.

Under the sway of the full moon their bones would crack and break, their clothes would rip and tear, as a new and monstrous wolf broke free; taller than even their human form with long limbs and large paws, but the same black fur and skinny frame, though their eyes were now bright yellow, pupils showing whether they had control over their form - small pin pricks that were barely there meant their mind belonged to the other Wolf.

Their early transformations were agonising and long. Skin hot and feverish as their senses became hypersensitive. Shoulder blades moving as their spine cracked and rib cage snapped out of place in order to grow, night air filled with their screams that grew into howls. They would loose time to the black outs of the transformations, waking naked and sometimes covered in blood.

They slowly gained control over the Wolf, their natural half-beast nature being a boon as it allowed the two to merge much easier, which in turn allowed them to control their shift at will as well as mean they could retain their mind during the forced full moon ones. The transformations also became less painful and wouldn’t last as long. Their sense of loyalty and connection with nature only grew, though the added werewolf attributes could exacerbate some of their wolfish tendencies for the worse, such as their rage and impulse to fight and hunt and run.

Originally abandoned by their pack due to superstitious elders, they were found as a sickly newborn in the forest outside of a village by the local blacksmith and his wife, the owner of the general store. The couple took the baby puppy home and nursed them back to health before deciding to raise them as their own.

However the townsfolk didn’t take too kindly to a wolf-kin in their midst, but couldn’t exactly say much since they were reliant on the forge and the shop to sustain their town. So Ben grew up with loving adoptive parents while still being ostracised by the town. On the one hand they were taught how to swim, how to build and tinker, how to use weapons of many kinds and other normal childhood things. While on the other hand they were bullied by the children in the village, had sharp rocks and cruel words thrown at them, all while the adults ignored them or belittled them too.

Their mother would tell them to ignore the hate of those who didn’t want to understand them and their nature, their father telling them to be strong and rise above it, but as they grew it became harder. When they hit puberty at 11 their emotions changed along with their body, inner wolf developing along with them. They were now quicker to anger than they used to be, picking fights with the other kids that taunted them, coming home with scrapes and bruises much to their mother’s dismay. She would always patch them up and soothe them with a lullaby, despite her worry over them.

Their actions caused even more strain between their family and the rest of the village, the adults calling for the runt to be exiled. Their parents fought the townsfolk, reminding them of their value to the village, but eventually tensions bubbled over.

When they were 14 there was an explosion in the forge which lead to a fire that trapped Ben and both their parents. Ben was able to escape through a small hole in the rubble by shifting to their wolf form at their father’s insistence, suffering only mild smoke inhalation and minor burns. Their parent’s weren’t so lucky, perishing in the fire. To this day Ben doesn’t know whether it was an accident or sabotage by the townspeople.

They weren’t able to take the time to mourn as the village descended on them even as the fire still burned behind them. The inhabitants blamed them for the fire and used it as their excuse to finally drive them out of town. With no parents left to defend them Ben was forced to run. They had enough time to sprint home and fill a small pack with some provisions and clothes, grabbing a waterskin and their important items; the dual swords they made with their father, the lucky gold coin their mother gave them, and the grey fur half shawl that had been with them as a baby - the only thing connecting them to their biological family. With all that collected they left the house without even bothering to lock the door and ran.

They lived off the land, hunting in the forests and bathing in the rivers. Every so often they would venture into towns in an attempt to get hot food and a warm bath but would often be chased out or beaten due to their species, repeatedly on the receiving end of racist triads and slurs. Eventually they resorted to stealing and pickpocketing at every opportunity, taking coins from passers-by and wares from stalls. They also used their hood to hide their ears and tucked their tail away to try and get into taverns, enough gold usually buying suspecting owners silence. However with both these gambits they ran the risk of getting caught, regularly being left bruised and bloodied on the town’s outskirts.

At 17 they, almost literally, ran into a young mage fleeing the Circle Tower she had been forced to call home. After a brief bit of banter the two were forced to face the small pack of werewolves that had been chasing Ben. The brutish male alpha grinned as he approached the growling pup as they tried to stand in front of the stranger they just met. He thought it was cute how they tried to be a ‘real wolf’ when all they were was a mongrel, his cocky cronies laughing. When Ben shot back that they were more wolf than him he snarled and decided to teach them a lesson.

Ben tried to fight them off, tried to protect the stranger, but despite their valiant attempt the leader of the pack ultimately bit them. In the end the young mage was the one to scare off the pack, using her magic to force a retreat. She tended to Ben's injuries, apologising for her subpar healing magic, and finally introduced herself as Ileyra, a half-elf with a kind smile and sweet laugh that seemed familiar and comforting. She stayed with them through the fever of the change as they travelled, refusing to leave their side and helped them overcome the pains and trials of becoming a Werewolf, as well as aiding them during their first full moon, using her magic to make sure they couldn't hurt anyone, especially themself.

Iley still didn't leave after all this and the two ended up adventuring together. Their first year or so was quite eventful. They stumbled upon Ben's biological pack where they managed to reconcile with their estranged family with a nudge from Iley. Circle mages caught up with the pair and took Iley while poisoning Ben magically with silver, forcing the werewolf to go on a rescue while slowly dying, a fate which was avoided by their mage friend having to literally remove their heart from their chest to slow the poison enough to get them an antidote; a feat neither would wish to repeat, and marked Ben with a dent in their sternum. They crossed paths with a disturbing Queen and her dolt husband, reluctantly taking in their hospitality after saving them - during which time Ben was forced to pretend to be a familiar with a collar and all - eventually escaping once her actions became even more uncomfortable, despite her attempts to get them to stay or at least have Iley sell Ben to her, the pair robbing the castle and fleeing during a full moon. Ben also lost their right arm below mid bicep in a vicious ogre attack, Iley managing to save the severed limb with a stasis spell before the two went on a mission to reattach it, if a little sloppily, before going on a second to create a haphazard gauntlet for their forearm so the limb will work again and cause them less pain – along with a few enhancements including the limb adapting to their changing forms.

About a year and a half into their adventuring the two ‘bumped into’ the same Queen from before, her husband now dead by mysterious circumstances and she now sole ruler of her land. Her infatuation with Ben had only grown worse over time and the two continued to be creeped out, vowing to leave town at dawn. However she ambushed them in their tavern room that night, and after a brief altercation where she overpowered the pair, she stole Ben’s heart right out of their chest – having done her research and knowing with that in her possession she could have complete control over the puppy, making them her ‘willing’ pet. Iley lost all fight and the two were dragged back to her castle, the half-elf shoved into a bedroom and trapped behind a magical barrier while the Queen figured out how to take her heart too, as well as spending time playing with her new toy.

Ileyra barely slept as she worked tirelessly to break out and free her best friend, delving deeper than she ever had before into blood magic in her attempt to escape. She used a coup of the kingdom’s people and castle servants to her advantage, bargaining with a half-kin trying to save his sister that in exchange for removing the barrier, she would kill the Queen. On her release from her imprisonment she made her way straight to the Queen’s bedchamber finding her and Ben - the wolf-kin collared, half-naked, and looking extremely worse for wear. After barbs were thrown and the Queen tried to have Ben kill Iley, the mage retrieved the werewolf’s heart and threw the evil ruler out of the window.

Not sparing the woman a second thought Iley rushed to Ben’s side and returned their heart, though the damage was done as the time spent without their heart permanently dropped their skin temperature to constantly freezing and tinged their lips blue. Iley was quick to remove the collar and drag Ben away from that awful place, helping them through their internal trauma even as the physical marks healed. She dealt with their inability to speak unless it came to screaming from nightmares, as well as the sudden bouts of shifting to their normal wolf form when being human was too difficult.

Ben was just starting to get better when the two were approached in a new land by the area’s King. Despite their reservations they went with him to his castle, thinking they could at least rob him if nothing else. However they should have listened to their instincts as the man had ulterior motives. He had plans to drug Iley and marry her so he could siphon her powerful magic to keep himself young and powerful. Ben discovered this when they stumbled upon a hidden dungeon full of skeletons of drained mages, but were locked inside by the Captain of the King’s Guard, unable to tell Iley what they discovered.

The wolf-kin tried to escape by many means before resorting to changing to their natural wolf form to tunnel out of the dungeon. Once free they sneaked through the castle to retrieve all of their’s and their best friend’s things, hiding them at a small camp they’d made, before returning in werewolf form. They exploded through the castle wall into the throne room with a roar, interrupting the wedding much to the King’s anger. Iley struggled through the spells and potions clouding her mind but eventually, after a stand-off involving a gun at the end of which the werewolf slashed at the cruel tyrant, recognised Ben and allowed them to rescue her, riding on their back to their far away camp.

After this the two tried to stick to the forests and mountains for a while before finally venturing into a town when they felt confident they were far away from the monarchs who used them as they were in great need of a drink. However half-breeds in this kingdom must be court approved. They were approached by guards and told they needed to see the kingdom’s Queen. Given their intense distrust of royals now the two refused and ended up getting into a bar brawl before being carted off to the castle anyway. Things took a surprising turn when it transpired this Queen was Iley’s true mother, the woman recognising her child as soon as she laid eyes on her. Ben convinced Iley to give her mother a chance, must like she did for them and their pack, and the two remained at the castle, getting to know the family and getting some help over their traumatic events.

Soon enough however the two decided to get back on the road, heading to see Ben’s pack again since it had been a while and they were feeling family nostalgia. The two promised to write on their way but the letters stopped abruptly when the pair were ensnared by the Queen and King, the rulers having survived and teamed up to claim their respective prizes, using the fact that the siphoning of Iley’s magic had weakened the protective spells around the pair’s hearts to their advantage. The two were separated and taken by their individual captor.

Ben was taken back to the Queen’s new castle where she first removed their arm – ripping the tubes that provided the magic that made it work before pulling out each stitch and staple holding the limb on, relishing in their cries of pain – and then removed their heart. Their Mistress enjoyed torturing her pet, using her control over them to warp their mind and make them question their very existence. She took great pleasure in returning their heart, often at the worst possible times, and witnessing their distressed suffering that was just as delicious as their blank obedience. Ben started to skate the line of sanity as they were forced - either literally since she had their heart, or with coercion, manipulation, false promises and ‘rewards’ or punishment and pain – to do and take part in horrible and unspeakable things; including killing people and unwanted sex as the Queen used them as her own personal weapon and toy.

Eventually after many long months Ben was rescued by Iley’s family and their pack, the families having teamed up to save their children. The Queen forced Ben to fight – a brutal battle despite the pup missing an arm - before trying to crush their heart when the tide of battle changed out of her favour, stating that if she couldn’t have them no one could. The group stopped her from following through, their pack tearing her apart, but not before Ben had fallen into a coma. They were taken back to the family’s castle whereupon an already rescued Iley, who demanded to see them as soon as she knew they had been brought in, was able to return their heart to its rightful place.

They didn’t wake up until the next full moon, Iley remaining resolutely by their side as they lay still on the bed the whole time. When they did wake they were distraught and confused, tumbling out of bed as they freaked out over their missing arm and wondering why they had their heart back, dreading the implications. Iley tried to talk them down from their heightened state even as they begged and pleaded a phantom Mistress, disbelieving their freedom and searching for their missing collar, only finding heavily scarred skin. It wasn’t until they were forced to change that Ben finally calmed down, their nose and ears unable to deny their best friend’s, their sibling’s, scent and voice.

The two remained at the castle to recover, barely leaving each other’s side day or night as they both attempted to return to normal and put their imprisonment, torture, manipulation, and rape at the hands of those monsters behind them. They helped each other through the nightmares, flashbacks and other symptoms as they always had; quick to reassure each other that things were okay. They slowly eased into a routine and despite the numerous physical and mental scars, they felt somewhat better as time went on.

During this time Ben designed and created a new arm for themself with the help of necromancy, alchemy, enchantments, runes and other magics along with their own forging and building skills. The limb was much sleeker and tidier than what had essentially been the prototype since they hadn’t had the time nor money to create a more perfect model – that not being a problem now since Iley’s mother and step-father bank rolled the new one – but it looked mostly the same and kept a lot of the original features such as a foldable shield, the ability to shoot fire, and shifting with them as they changed form. Soon enough the pair decided to go adventuring again as they were becoming stir crazy in the castle, heading off into the sunset.

However their adventuring together couldn’t last forever, no matter how much they wished it to. Iley had to return to her family as she wanted to further her magical teachings and knowledge, as well as get to know her extended family and learn about her deceased biological father. Ben was happy for her and encouraged her to follow her heart, while they remained on the road. Their internalised trauma reared heavily without their sibling around, her presence having helped chase away their demons for a time. Their nightmares and such returned with a vengeance all while they descended into dangerous and reckless behavior.

Before they could do irreversible damage to themselves they were luckily discovered by a tiefling rogue named Orianna, a woman they had happened to meet in a bar some months back while adventuring and stumbled into again. She recognised and perceived their internal suffering; immediately greatly concerned with their seemingly suicidal attitude, unhealthy coping strategies and serious trauma symptoms, as well as their frail and skinny frame hiding under werewolf strength - looking more malnourished and skeletal than even the last time she saw them only a short time ago in the grand scheme. She decided to stick around them and help, whether they wanted her to or not; eventually becoming something of a sister to them and another trusted pack member, part of their inner circle even - which had only ever consisted of Iley before.

Benkai’l’s story does not end there however. Fate had already conspired to join them and Iley together, their lives and destinies tied together by an invisible red string. The pair would find themselves reborn in many lives together of varying realities and worlds and realms, however with no memory of their previous ones. Ben could take many forms during these lives – human, lab experiment, hellhound, superhero, werewolf – though still looked mostly the same. Pale and cold skin, tall, grey eyes and black hair. These lives would often hit the same beats as their main life - though some would not be as long or as harsh while others would be worse - with their strong connection to Ileyra always being present and consistent.

For no matter what life they would lead, she would always be there. Their platonic soulmate bound by red string.

[if you managed to read all of this and make it here to the end, then i hope you enjoyed my baby’s backstory and you deserve a medal, a cookie and a hug from the mun, perhaps a rare one from the muse too.]

[mathes0n]

what order where these kids adopted? who was first and how did that all go down?

!!! NICE its BACKSTORY time!!

SORRY for this long post I am very passionate abt these kids 

Charlie was adopted first; the group discovered him when they entered this Alaranni fighting competition for some quick cash (and probably out of boredom). Being so clearly unhuman, Charlie was sold at a young age to a mob boss who sent him to fight in these fighting circles for money. When the group figured out what was going on, they immediately changed plans and took Charlie and ran away. The intention wasn’t to straight up adopt Charlie; just take him in until he could go off on his own. However, Markus and Kyr grew very attached very fast, and Charlie’s a traumatized kid who pretty much becomes attached at the hip with his new dads. There comes a point where they don’t ask ‘so how long until Charlie leaves?’ and everyone kinda accepts that

Isadora (or Dora) was adopted next; no one really knows what the poor kid went through, but she is very clearly traumatized by something. When the main group found her, she lashed out at anything that came near her, screaming loudly. Markus and Kyr desperately wanted to help her, but they couldn’t seem to get through to her that they were just trying to help. However, when an imp just so happened to approach Dora, she was very trusting and open with them. Dora spoke to the imp in impish (something I assume all tieflings know at birth??), and through the imps, she started to trust the others. She still never talks in English/Free, only communicating in impish or ASL. She ends up adoring her dads, and though Charlie is very jealous of her at first, they develop a very close bond too

Lynx was adopted next; she was a young girl living in the streets of some small city. She first approached Markus with a big grin and a peppy attitude, offering to play him a little tune in exchange for a few gold coins, and Markus adored her immediately. He eventually learned that Lynx was orphaned, and fending for herself in the woods near the city. After a quick conversation with Kyr, they very quickly took her into their little family. (Some little funfacts about Lynx; 1. her real name isn’t Lynx, she doesn’t know her real name but she named herself after her favorite animal; 2. She grows up to be a bard)

Rudy/Elliot were next; they were found when Kyr caught them pickpocketing him while he was in Ohnorant. They were terrified of this big guy beating them up for robbing him, but instead, Kyr grinned wide and offered to buy them dinner. From that point on, the two boys just kinda kept following Kyr from there, until he showed up to his friends like “hey so uh we just might happen to have these new sons”. Ruby and Elliot don’t seem to get along, but they are very protective of each other; they’ve had to look after each other in the streets for a long time

Mitzi was next; she was already on the verge of adulthood when Markus and Kyr discovered her. They happened to be scooping out an orphanage when they found Mitzi; she was a lone tiefling in her orphanage, and acted as a sort of guardian to these kids, even though she was treated like absolute garbage. Markus and Kyr barely hesitated in adopted her, but Mitzi has trouble seeing them as her ‘dads’. However, Mitzi is great with kids and her foster siblings end up adoring her. Through Kyr, she starts learning to invent new things, and through Markus, she becomes in tune with her creative side, helping her to realize that she’s a very talented sculptor

Last but not least, Billy; the family was just visiting a simple fun circus when Markus and Kyr spotted this young tiefling clown as apart of the act, which was a red flag to them already. After the show, they got backstage and asked around and pieced together what happened; some years ago, Billy ran away from an abusive home and joined the circus. She rather enjoys being in the circus, but is constantly mistreated by the circus members around her. Markus and Kyr immediately do whatever they can to remove Billy from this environment, which more or less ends up in them “””buying””” her off the ringleader. It took Billy some time to adjust to this new life; after all, she LOVED the circus, and wasn’t quite sure that she was being mistreated. However, she starts to realize that her new family really does care for her, even if they are a bit weird. She still dreams of making her own circus, and being the star clown of the show (she just loves clowns a lot)

AA THIS GOT SO LONG but I hope you enjoyed!!!