#and the champion amulet is from chosen

[smallboyonherbike]

@btvspolls :))

(i know this isn't comprehensive i'm doing this off the top of my head bc i can't sleep. pls feel free to re run this differently would love it)

[albentelisa]

Romeo and Juliet

Toby and Mary Dating Advices.

and time and Space as well.

For my favorite moment from Trollhunters, it's a draw between the kiss after Jim comes back from the Darklands (the picture for this ask game) and when Claire touches half-troll Jim's cheek in Jimhunters.

Dating advice for Jim? Be more confident in yourself and your relationship with Claire. And for Claire, it's to be more open to Jim about her struggles as she definitely tends to believe that she can do everything herself.

As for Aus... Oh, I have so many Au ideas in my notes, and there's still so many in my inbox, but well, I pick three AUs I love (because picking one is too difficult, LOL):

The first one is a variation of my Mirrorred convictions AU, but with Jim being full on the bad guys' side (as Kanjigar defeated and killed Barbara when Jim was small, and Jim grew up with Bular as his only family). Jim is the one who kills Kanjigar here (as an act of revenge) and Claire is the new Trollhunter. The thing is that Jim meets Claire before that (and gets a crush on her). Why do I like it? Because it's full on Romeo and Juliet story.

The second AU features grown-up and married Jlaire. Jim has been Trollhunter for years in this one, but Claire knows nothing. At some point, things become more complicated (and Merlin happens), so Jim is forced to forsake his humanity and disappear. Claire refuses to accept it and tries to find her husband, discovering trolls' existence as a result. Why do I like it? Because it's about Claire saving Jim from his tragic hero complex (and Merlin gets punched in this one)

And the third one is Two champions AU where there are two amulets (Merlin's and Morgana's), Gunmar has never been sealed, humans are confined behind the city walls without progressing beyond medieval technologies, and both Jim and Claire are chosen by respective amulets. Why do I like this one? Because it has rival vibes and secret identities, and it's rivals-to-lovers, LOL

[angelbroad]

"You're the smartest person I know."

Type: Fanfiction

Fandom: Mortal Kombat

Characters: Lui Kang, Raiden

The crackling fire felt warm on Lui Kang’s skin. He had his eyes closed, enjoying the peace of the Fire Temple. A soft smile unconsciously crossed his lips, alone in the quiet comfort of this New Era.. At least...until recently.

 He was brought out of his trance by a knock on the door. He slowly blinked his eyes open, turning his head at the door’s direction slowly.

 “You may enter.”, he spoke, giving the person behind the door permission to enter. 

 The soft smile on his face remained as the one knocking revealed himself.

 “Raiden, my friend. How have you been?”

 The younger man walked further inside. Lui Kang got up from his sitting position as Raiden finally stopped a little further away from him, giving a respectful bow.

 “Lord Lui Kang. I hope this isn’t a bad time.”

 “It is not, Raiden. Though my plate is almost always full, I can always make time for you.”

 Raiden nodded.

 “I wish to consult with you, Lord Lui Kang.”

 This brought back memories of the Raiden from the previous timeline, which made Lui Kang both fond of the memories of his old mentor, and saddened by their distance. Nevertheless, he smiled and nodded back.

 “Of course. What would you like to talk about?”

 Lui Kang knew Raiden would not ask advice about the Tournament, that already happened. It could not be about his issues with his emotions either, he usually confides to Kuai Liang for that. So that left few possibilities for what his Chosen One would want to ask him.

 “Sit with me.”, Lui Kang asked, him and Raiden sitting in front of the burning fire at the center of the room.

 Raiden’s breathing eased at the warmth of the flames, exhaling deeply as he closed his eyes.

 “You have been training excessively.”, Lui Kang commented.

 “I feel like I should be prepared, Lord Lui Kang.”

 The god nodded in understanding, “With General Shao and the sorcerers running rampant, I could not blame you, Raiden. It is perfectly normal to be stressed about this situation.”, he turned to Raiden, “But is that why you truly came here for?”

 Raiden looked to the flames, their dance reflected in his eyes. He then looked down at his amulet, his fingertips feeling the slight shock of the lighting trapped inside.

 He sighed, “It’s.....everything, I suppose.”

 Lui Kang stayed silent, letting Raiden continue.

 “It’s not just the Outworlder rogues, but the Lin Kuei as well. I grow even more worried by the day from the thought that people like Fujin, Madame Bo, Kung Lao, Ka-”, he stopped himself before he could finish the last name on the list, earning him a slight eyebrow raise from Lui Kang.

 It must have been more obvious than Lui Kang thought, because Raiden turned his head away from him, staring at either the wall or the floor.

 “The threat of the Lin Kuei should not worry you.”, Lui Kang said, “Bi-Han might be an incredibly skilled warrior, leading an equally capable clan, but I have faith in both yours and your friends’ abilities. Your sister and Madame Bo included.”

 He placed a hand on Raiden’s shoulder, prompting the mortal to look at the god once more.

 “As Fujin would say,”, Lui Kang continued, “have faith.”

 Raiden smiled at hearing his sister’s words from Lord Lui Kang. The young man felt more calm after this, openly expressing his worries and bottled up stress. Lui Kang could have sworn he had seen a bit of himself in his champion. Is this how it felt like for the previous Raiden?

 “-and it’s just...too much! I can’t understand how anyone could handle this!”

 “You are Earthrealm’s champion, Raiden. One of the reasons I had chosen you was because of your strong spirit. I know that you are a good person, and emotions like anger and stress are perfectly normal, long as you control them. After all, your range of emotions is was makes you human.”

 Raiden exhaled. Not in annoyance, Lui Kang understood, but in relief from getting his frustrations out of his chest.

 “Thank you for listening, Lord Lui Kang.”

 “Of course, I am always here if you need to consult a friend.”

 They stayed silent by the fire for a few more moments before Lui Kang spoke again.

 “Though, do allow me to ask, why come to me to talk about this? I have though you would have gone to Scorpion.”

 “Well, I know Kuai Liang is mostly busy with the Shirai Ryu, and I wouldn’t wish to disturb him and well.”, Raiden turned to him, “You’re the smartest person I know.”

 Lui Kang actually chuckled a bit at that.

 “Well. I am no person, Raiden.”

[mcgnagallsarmy]

My 5 favourite Spuffy fics set during/around Chosen

It has been 20 years since the show has ended so here are my favourite fics that fix the end of S7.

A Place to Call Home by all_choseny [NC-17]

Buffy and Spike have beaten The First, and the Hellmouth is closed for good. Now, at the precipice of a new beginning, the pair must decide to finally give love a chance or walk away from each other for good.

The Blue Eye of the Storm by MaggieLaFey [NC-17]

Instead of the Scythe, what Buffy finds under the vineyard is a portal to another dimension. Spike has followed her there, and it’s the two of them that will cross the portal… and remain trapped on the other side for far longer than they’d expected. What will happen when the two of them—plus a local guide—are away from the stress of Chez Summers? Will they find some peace in the eye of the storm?

Her Champion. by Loup Noir [NC-17]

As Buffy wanders the chaotic Sunnydale, she is struck by a sudden epiphany about her friends. Realising that only one person stood by her unquestionably, even when she made mistakes and stumbled on her path, Buffy decides that for once, she is going to fight for what she wants. After fending off an attempt on her life by The First, she storms back to her house to confront the friends who betrayed her. With only Spike standing by her once again as her friends floundered, Buffy heads off to fight her final battle. And along the way, she finally opens her heart to the vampire who fought to be a Champion. To be Her Champion.

Rock Solid by Passion4Spike [NC-17]

Buffy comes to some realizations about herself, the nature of her love, and her feelings for Spike on the eve of the biggest fight of her life, but will it be too little, too late?  Spoiler Alert: No, it won’t.

You Think You Know What's to Come by deedo [NC-17]

Buffy handled things a bit differently after she gave Spike the amulet.

[cloudninetonine]

Okay, so I been rewatching a show from my childhood called Trollhunters where a teenage boy named Jim ends up getting chosen by a magic amulet to become the next Trollhunter and now has protect both humanity alongside trollkind from evil trolls. Now I got the image of Player being the Trollhunter.

They are completely unfazed by this isekai magic nonsense and only reason they haven't helped fight alongside the guys cause accidentally they left their magical Amulet of Daylight at their home. Now the amulet can return to its wielder when called upon but since Player is stuck in a different dimension... you can imagine how insane the waiting time is.

Does the Guide mention anything about their Trollhunter status? No mainly cause nobody asked and it be pretty embarrassing to not have their chosen magic arsenal around other Champions. It's only when the Villain Chain ambush Guide plus Mecha did the Amulet finally appear.

Player: YOU TOOK YOUR SWEET ASS TIME! Now I can finally get down to business!

Mecha: What are...

Player: For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!

No one expected the sudden magical armor and clearly powerful magic sword to appear on the supposedly defenseless Guide. Or for Player to be much stronger than they thought as not even in ten seconds does Wane find an armored foot between his legs. Guide grabs Mecha and flees by stealing a few Deku Nuts from the downed Link then toss it at the Villains. Rather not have the animatronic get badly damaged.

Mecha: WHAT WAS THAT?!

Player: I may have not mentioned that I was chosen by a magical amulet to protect mankind and a secret world of trolls after the last one died? And that kicking someone in the nuts is the third rule of being a Trollhunter?

Mecha: You gotta be shitting me.

Player: Nope to both. Been doing this since I was fifteen and the third rule is literally 'When in doubt, kick them in the gronk-nuks.' which is what I did. Gotta love magic alongside chosen one bullshit.

Mecha is probably done with everything magic at this point. Although Player now being able to properly defend themselves makes it a easier and bearable. Though Mecha did learn the random gibberish they said when mad had been swearing in Trollish/Troll language.

Isn't this the show with mpreg-

NO, BECAUSE MECHA WOULD BE SO SULKY ABOUT PLAYER NOT NEEDING HIM THO- also him meeting a troll and immediately going to throw hands because what the fuck is that-

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for getting everybody killed?

So, this is gonna be a long one. Basically, for some background, I'm the protector of Earth, and I have a group of champions that I selected for this specific purpose that fight in this martial arts tournament. We were on the tenth of these tournaments, and if Earth's champions lost this specific tournament, then the entire realm would be lost.

During this tournament, I received a vision of the future from my past self that depicted armageddon itself and the end of all things for us and my amulet started to crack, but it was really vague about how I should stop it. I eventually decided that the message meant that my main champion and the chosen one should be the one to win the tournament, but then my amulet cracked further because I was wrong. So, then I decided it should be the chosen one's best friend that should win, but when he did, he got his neck snapped and died.

After this, I didn't know how to solve the problem we had, so I eventually decided to go consult with the elder gods and left all of my champions (barring the chosen one) at the mercy of this really angry former empress that was resurrected from the grave in order to allow an invasion of Earth, and all of them barring two of them died while I was gone, and I still had no answers. Eventually, I decided to go to what is basically Hell and try for some new allies, offering the souls of all of my dead champions as payment. Long story short, their souls were already claimed, but I did figure out who was supposed to win.

When I came back, I told the chosen one that we have to let our worst enemy, an emperor from another realm, win, but he decided that I was wrong and tried to fight and kill me, but I accidentally killed him instead as a result. I did eventually save the Earth by letting the emperor win, but now everybody's dead.

Am I the asshole here?

[marvellousimagines]

Requested by oransvillage

You didn’t think, you just acted. You could’ve reached for any of the amulets you had on your person and summoned any of your usual titans, but they were out of sight in your pocket and the Willblade was right there on the table from when Dante, Lok, and Sophie were puzzling over it. Now it was just you and Lok in the library, Sophie was probably fighting more Organization members in another room, and Dante and Zhalia were out.

“Get. Out!” you shouted at the Organization members that had broken in. They weren’t the usual goons, clearly the Organization sent a couple of their elite this time, bonded with stronger titans than their usual.

You swung the sword down at one of the titans, though it nimbly dodged, jumping back out of the way. However, a wave of energy emerged from the blade, connecting with the Titan and causing it to reel back.

You felt a connection form with the blade, a Titan’s name forming on the tip of your tongue.

“Help me out, Pendragon!” you shouted, lifting the blade into the air.

In a flash of light, the legendary Titan appeared behind you with a roar, before effortlessly defeating the titan that had been weakened by the blade’s energy. It then turned its attention to a titan that Lok was struggling with, making short work of that one too.

The Organization members wisely fled, though you still had a death grip on the handle of the blade, Pendragon still invoked and apparently patrolling the room to make sure that was it.

“You… you bonded with Pendragon?!” Lok asked in surprise now that the threat was gone.

“Apparently,” you replied, bringing the sword close to look at where the amulet was held. “I didn’t expect it either. I was just panicking.”

A door opened and you jumped, Pendragon also turning his attention quickly to the door, ready to defend. But it was only Sophie, and you and Pendragon both relaxed.

“Everyone alright?” she asked, seeming out of breath herself.

You nodded, but Lok pointed at the legendary Titan. “Y/N bonded with Pendragon!” he told her.

“Wait, what? Even I couldn’t! It was one of Lord Casterwill’s Titans, said to bond with only his chosen champion,” Sophie said.

You thought for a moment as you studied the blade. Finally accepting that the threat was gone for the moment, Pendragon returned to its amulet within the hilt. “You know… I never knew who my father was. My mother implied he was from a powerful family,” you commented. “Maybe that powerful family was Casterwill?”

[biinarysttars]

Making a quick masterlist of all of my TES OCs so that if someone feels compelled to ask me about them they have the names to do so :)

Arena

Evelara Wicking, the Eterenal Champion - a smart, stubborn, and dedicated member of the Imperial Court. She is a Breton Nightblade. Her parents both died following her unjust arrest-- so her desire to eliminate Jagar Tharn is borne not only out of loyalty to the Empire, but out of pure, unadulterated spite and hate.

Ivyrandil Athaere - a sexual deviant Altmer Healer cast out by his noble family after literally being caught with his pants down. He likes making potions and being a cunt to people (and loves being knocked down a peg.)

Ereld - a 16-year-old Bosmer Barbarian who was adopted by a small Nord village. He spent his whole life trying to make his village proud before opting to travel with Evelara and Ivy.

Daggerfall

None yet ;) I will add them when I play the game!

Morrowind

Travlse, the Nerevarine - a carefree Dunmer Withchhunter. He can find the silver lining to any situation, and while he seems completely self-serving, there is nothing he wouldn't do for someone if they asked.

Vivyne Faewatch - the future Queen of Morrowind, following the events in Tribunal. She is kind of a hopeless romantic, and is stubborn and patient beyond measure. She has a good heart and knows right from wrong, and she doesn't care who she pisses off about it.

Alavesa Faewatch - a baby that Vivyne found abandoned close to the end of the initial plot of Morrowind. Alavesa spends her first year or so of life travelling with Travlse and Vivyne.

Oblivion

Ko'Yana, the Hero of Kvatch - an ex-slave Khajiiti woman hailing from Morrowind. She was completely fucked over by the new Queen's sudden and poorly-implemented anti-slavery laws, and forced into a life of crime. She was arrested promptly following a hit she took out on a member of the Imperial Court. Usually I design a custom class with a focus on unarmed combat & destruction magic for her.

Everlara Wicking - a close friend of the late Emperor, and wife to his second-born son. She'll wring Mehrunes Dagon's neck herself if she has to, and she'll protect Martin with everything she has.

Skyrim

Etheara Reverie, the Last Dragonborn - an empty-headed manual labourer that travelled to Solstheim in a last-ditch attempt to revive Raven Rock Mine. In doing so, he encountered a Daedric force far, far beyond his mental ability to grasp, and he pays for it.

Vanyarintil Korothaeus, a False Dragonborn - a strong and silent chosen of Hircine. He was travelling to the Imperial City and overshot by a good bit, and ended up stumbling into a raid at the border and was arrested. He has a natural talent for learning Dragon Shouts, so it was thought for a very long time that he was the true Last Dragonborn. Also I may be making him transfem but I'm not sure how that impacts the story, or whether it impacts the story so we'll see.

Melanarto Korothaeus, a False Dragonborn - a passive and quiet priest of Mara. He travels Skyrim preaching her word, always returning to Windhelm to stay with his close friend, Revyn Sadri. They are very close. When he was a child, he happened upon a dying dragon that gave him an amulet. This amulet has the ability to absorb and keep dragon souls, so it was thought for a very long time that he was the True Last Dragonborn.

Kyryi Orah - a Maormer man that was somehow stranded off the coast of Winterhold. Because of the historical tensions between the Maormer and the Altmer, he assigned a keeper: Ancano. Somehow, his circumstances are simultaneously a dream come true and his worst nightmare; all he has ever wanted was to study magic-- but why did it have to cost his family and whole world?

Terarae Isevryn - a commanding officer in the Imperial Legion. She is a Snow Elf, but her family clan (which was large at one time) adored travelling and adventure-- so they were on the other side of the continent during the conflict with the Dwemer. Now, she is the last member of her family, and had returned to Skyrim with the hopes of being embraced by her people. But since the Falmer had become what they did, there was no place for her-- so she threw herself into the easiest work she could find: the military.

Aster Reverie - an innkeeper on Solstheim. He didn't want to let Etheara travel alone at first, so he and his fiancee moved with him and set up an inn near Tel Mithryn. He seldom hears from his twin anymore.

Anira Mirlayn - an innkeeper on Solstheim. She never had many plans for the future, so when her finace suggested moving to Solstheim to be close to his brother, she agreed. She is bright and friendly, able to draw any recluse from their shell.

[animeftw10]

AnimeFTW10 Watches and Reacts to Mortal Kombat 1’s Story Mode

The title is self-explanatory. Spoilers under the cut.

Yeah, Madam Bo is dead. Ain't no way an old person, who is also a smoker, can survive that. That test could have gone seriously wrong.

I like how Johnny's first fight foreshadows Nitara. Also, is Katara Vala supposed to look like original timeline Havik?

Bi-Han and Kuai: [silently judging Johnny]

… Liu Kang. You couldn't have just combusted to prove you were telling the truth from the beginning? That would have saved a fight! And Johnny's Hichuli.

This proves that the story is written around the fights, not the other way around. And this chapter system still needs to go.

Bi-Han's face has me thinking that he's pissed that he (and Kuai and Tomas, I guess), who is Lin Kuei, who have been Earthrealm's protectors for centuries, are never chosen as champions, while two farm boys, a Yakuza, and an actor, all who know nothing about anything, are getting a shot. So I can see the frustration building already.

Why do I get the feeling Kung Lao won't see Bi-Han again?*

Also, is that dark-skinned Shaolin supposed to be Kai? I'd like that if that was true.

Why that slo-mo between Johnny and Kenshi?

I think you paved the way for Raiden to win, Liu Kang. I also think that you would have been disappointed if Kung Lao won.

At least Kung Lao can swallow his pride. It also helps that he doesn't have family pressure on him in this timeline.

Sun Do is Outworld's capital now?

I feel like that amulet should be made so that Raiden and Raiden alone can use it. Too much of a risk in the wrong hands otherwise.

Johnny's phone having his name on it is so him. I love details like that.

Mileena, Li Mei is doing her job! Leave her alone!

"Stock villain," indeed. Also, Shao's an Outworld supremacist. Lovely.

That only sounds impressive when Shang Tsung says it.

Okay, I get it, but Sindel, that's being passive-aggressive. I'm beginning to feel sorry for Li Mei.

So Reiko has a reason to follow Shao over Outworld.

Johnny successfully flirted with Kitana? Never thought I'd see the day.

Role reversal!

Which sorcerer, I wonder? [sarcasm]

Mileena went off to see Tanya, and that's how she got Tarkat, didn't she? That's my guess.

Yeah, this is blatantly teasing Raiden/Kitana.

Earthrealm wins. Never would have guessed that. But their victory is a good thing.

Kung family jade jaguar statue! I love details like that!

"May the Elder Gods protect you?" Did you bring them back?**

"Cage Con?" You're that big of a deal? How are you facing money troubles?

I like this Baraka. I wish the circumstances weren't what they were, but he's cool.

Johnny, shut up. Not the time or place.

Once again, all of this could have been avoided if anyone knew how to communicate.

At least it wasn't Shang Tsung's fault Kenshi got blinded this time.

Is… is Quan Chi the Outworld equivalent of Indian? Or South Asian, at the very least?

Quan Chi was a miner before being contacted.

I feel like if Liu Kang gave him and Shang Tsung Bob Smith lives (average, but happy), none of this would be happening. Or at the very least, they wouldn't have jumped at the call right away.

No, Baraka. That's NRS, as no one would want to see you before Tarkat, apparently. Even though I would.

So part of Johnny's outfit is Kenshi's blindfold. That's actually really nice. Keep proving you're a good guy, Johnny. I like it.

Shang Tsung, you dick.

I'm so sorry, Syzoth.

Why are Johnny, Baraka, and Reptile the best-written characters so far?

Sisterhood of Shadow, is it?

Yeah, this is basically an info dump. They couldn't have found a better way to do this?

Megan Fox sounds awful.

Johnny's the best.

Johnny's the one who comes up with the names Flesh Pits and Soulnado?

We actually get to see Ermac's creation!

"That was unexpected," indeed. A bit too easy for Sento to do that.

So that's how Quan Chi gets his skin color in this timeline. Huh.

Hi, Jerrod. I remember that detail about your soul being in the Living Forest.

At least Ashrah gets a happy ending.

Johnny, the movie references are starting to get old.

At least it's not just Mileena that Tanya cares about.

No hammer for Shao? Disappointing.

New lore: Once killed, Titans can't come back. So that can't be Kronika.

Bi-Han, what is your damage? And why do you sound like that unmasked? You smoke ten packs a day?

*Never mind, he did. And he didn't thank Bi-Han for the inspiration.

Bi-Han, are you suffering from boredom, due to a lack of real fights?***

Going by the look on Bi-Han's face, this wasn't intentional. It's the "rock falls from a cliff to show how much of a drop it will be" trope. But the cut back to him leaves it ambiguous.

***So that's a yes.

… They only stayed hidden for TWENTY-FIVE SECONDS! YOU IDIOTS!

Why the slo-mo on Bi-Han hitting his head against the shield? Trying to imply that he now has a concussion?

Using the same words from the prologue? Clever.

Terracotta Army inspiration!

This is happening way too quickly.****

Bi-Han, you're an idiot for revealing that.

Kuai, you really didn't need to do that.

Ah, the inverse of that infamous line. Clever.

Bi-Han, you betrayed Earthrealm, admitted to letting your father die, and you just scarred Kuai. Do you really expect Kuai and Tomas to listen to you now? If so, you are an idiot.

Li Mei and Sindel were friends?

At least Liu Kang knows his limitations.

Shinnok's Amulet!

**Well, he made Shinnok powerless, so the answer is yes.

So did Jerrod and Sindel adopt Rain?

So Ermac's MK9 ending is canon here. I'm glad we actually get to see Jerrod, but this sucks.

Liu Kang didn't mention Bi-Han's betrayal, so Kuai and Tomas didn't bring Bi-Han to him. Did… did they bring him to the Lin Kuei Temple? That's so stupid.*****

Ah, Deception reference. Clever.

Talking needs to stop being a free action. Attack him while he's monologuing, damn it!

I feel like this fight is meant to be NRS's apology to those who didn't like evil Sindel.

RIP Sindel. At least your soul resides with Jerrod now.

*****So that's a yes.

Why not go there and bring Shang Tsung, the guy Bi-Han betrayed you for, with you, so he can explain to Bi-Han what's happening, and how the Lin Kuei needs to help Team Earthrealm? Or has he served his purpose in the narrative, so goodbye? That happened with Baraka, so that's probably it.

Geras is the best. He's improved so much between MK11 and MK1.

So that explains why he likes the jade jaguar. Clever.

The Elder Gods won't protect anything, Liu Kang. You should know this by now.

Gotta love setups and payoffs. I don't think anyone expected the drone to actually show up.

Good plan, Kuai.

Shang Tsung, don't give that look. Like anyone would ever trust you.

Armageddon name drop. Check that off the list.

Did Kenshi level grind offscreen? He just learned how Sento works.

I feel like that dialogue between Raiden and Shang Tsung was meant to be a Mythologies reference, but with better writing.******

This moment is so unearned, and I don't ship it, so I don't care for it.

Because this ship is going to get milked for all it's worth, Kitana.

One of you attack Titan Shang Tsung, damn it!

This is literally Armageddon's opening, but bigger and stupider.

RIP Titan Kitana.

RIP Good Shang Tsung.

Time skip!

Very humble of you, Johnny. No, that's not sarcasm.

******Guess your "good deed" wasn't enough to avoid prison, Shang Tsung. How surprising.

****And now we know why. It's to speed run the Lin Kuei vs. Shirai Ryu rivalry. They just couldn't let that go.

Havik, no.

So that was story mode. Lots of stuff got rushed through, but it's not all bad. Baraka, Johnny, Kenshi, Liu Kang, Mileena, Raiden, Reptile, Scorpion, and Shang Tsung got all the best writing. Everyone else is either fine or isn't. The chapter system needs to go.

As a Lin Kuei fan, I am not a fan of the Lin Kuei subplot. It does what it's intended to do, but I personally do not like it.

[mjrkime]

I love TES series. Especially Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim.

Cyrodiil is comfy. Almost fairytale-like.

Warning: a long and unreasonably emotional post about a videogame

I always find myself being quite bitter whilst coming back to TES IV: Oblivion despite being overall nostalgic. Morrowing felt different and it still does. The emotional baggage that I have for TES III usually relates to my unbearable wish for an escapism which this title provided. Yet, TES IV has a significant flavour to it.

The home of pristinely clean streets, white towers, wine and beautiful pastoral scenery, it hides and nourishes bloody cults, horrific murderers, undercover intrigues and tragedies. Vvanderfell is grey and it's grey in every sense of the way. The morals, the people, the story. It's hard to be and feel heroic when you find yourself amidst a thousand years-long intrigue. Skyrim is bloody. It shows its guts to you because it can. It wants you to bathe in blood while crossing this cold and harsh land.

Oblivion doesn't want you to bathe in blood, it doesn't throw you into the web of intrigues. It gives you a simple story about a hero who finds themselves at the end of the old man's wish. Emperor Uriel Septim gives you his amulet before his inevitable demise. And after that it just goes as it always does.

Cyrodiil hides its very essence under everyone's nose. It pretends to be an idyllic place. In fact, I can absolutely feel the need to slow down and take a stroll through the beautiful cities. Together with the soundtrack, the atmosphere brings you a taste of Tamika's fine wine. Going through the vast landscapes I felt like I finally understood why sometimes we just need to stop and just stare at the sky while the sun sets. Everything feels perfect But it's oh so far away from being perfect. There's, in fact, a necromancer living under that hill. A dangerous cult of ritualistic murderers prospers under the guise of Night Mother, housing their cozy hideout in the middle of the city. A menacing entity is plotting against the mages guild, the mercenaries and bandits watch the roads, thieves are spreading their curiosity amidst the city streets. There are dark mysteries in the ancient ruins and ugly secrets among the people of Cyrodiil. The daedra shrines await their chosen puppet to fulfill their sinister purposes. Also, there's a gate to the literal daedra hellish realm right there.

The realm of Mehrunes Dagon feels like a cruel joke, an attraction in the house of horrors. There are spikes everywhere, the small islands of soil are surrounded by lava, the blood of countless victims soaks the walls of menacing towers and even the damn flora wants to murder you. It mocks the heavenly peaceful land of Cyrodiil perfectly.

What's that? Oh, a sudden realisation.

Cyrodiil seems... Stereotypical. Oae wae!

But the stereotype or not, I quite enjoy this heroic fairytale which is, in fact way darker than it may seem at first.

Every time I come back to this land I can feel the underlying bitter sweet feeling. I know and love these characters, this story and this land. But also I know how each string ends. And it hurts. Sitting in front of Martin while he reads inside the Cloud Ruler Temple, training next to Agronak in the Arena, resting and enjoying the stay inside the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. It all brings me as much misery as it does joy, because I KNOW that the ending is inevitable. I might delay it, I might never become a Champion of Cyrodiil, Arena Grand Champion or a Speaker, but it's only a fool's relief. Reading the interpretation of what might've happened to the Hero of Cyrodiil, honestly clicks to me. In my mind, my protagonist lost a good chunk of people she cared about no matter where she tried to go and what she tried to do. Strolling through Cyrodiil after the main plot always felt excruciatingly lonely and bitter. It's only logical that she would lose herself to a maddening corruption.

Every time I ride through the Colovian Highlands or stroll through the Nibenay Valley, I feel at ease and comfortable. But something inside me aches and feels like crying. Alone.

P.S. I know this feels too melancholic and d33p for a game that's basically a meme now, but I'm a person who cherishes videogame experiences way more than the real ones. Also I can't deny the emotional baggage that I have attached to it. However, I genuinely think that people kind of forgot how nice it felt to play this game. The memes are funny, yes, but I genuinely feel that the province of Cyrodiil holds way more depth than just that.

[thelorehold]

The Aurora's Lament: Whispers of the Valkyries

Objective: Recover a stolen artifact, the Valkyrie's Helm, from a band of marauding barbarians before they unleash a monstrous blizzard upon the land and disrupt the delicate balance between mortals and the gods.

Quest Giver: Freya's Chosen, a weathered seer cloaked in furs and adorned with intricate silver jewelry. Her eyes hold the wisdom of countless winters and the power to glimpse fleeting visions.

Details:

A mesmerizing aurora dances across the frozen night sky, its vibrant colors masking a growing unease amongst the villagers. The party encounters Freya's Chosen, a respected seer with a troubled expression. She reveals a dire prophecy – the Valkyrie's Helm, an artifact imbued with the power to control the winter winds, has been stolen from a sacred temple.

Without the Helm, the elements rage unchecked. Freya's Chosen fears a monstrous blizzard, capable of burying entire villages, will soon descend upon the land. Worse, the theft disrupts the delicate balance between mortals and the gods, potentially angering the Valkyries and jeopardizing the flow of souls to Valhalla.

Freya's Chosen, blessed with limited foresight, can offer cryptic clues about the barbarians' movements and the location of their hidden stronghold. However, the perilous journey through the frozen wastes and the potential wrath of the barbarians fall upon the party. They must retrieve the Helm before the blizzard unleashes its fury and appease the Valkyries to restore order.

Reward:

The party earns the eternal gratitude of the villagers and the respect of the local tribes. They are hailed as champions who preserved the balance between mortals and gods.

Freya's Chosen grants each party member a temporary blessing, enhancing their strength, resilience against the cold, or offering a glimpse into the near future.

The recovered Helm, returned to the temple, calms the raging winds and restores the aurora's natural beauty. The Valkyries, appeased, may even offer the party a boon – a magical weapon, knowledge of forgotten battle techniques, or safe passage on their journeys.

Optional Hooks:

One of the party members possesses a mysterious amulet that resonates with the aurora's energy, hinting at a connection to the Valkyries or the stolen Helm.

The party witnesses the devastating effects of the disrupted winter – crops wither, livestock falls ill, and the biting wind threatens to freeze anyone caught outdoors.

Rumors circulate about a hidden cave rumored to be the barbarians' base, but access is guarded by a fearsome beast or a series of deadly puzzles. The party may need to acquire the help of a skilled tracker or a scholar of ancient runes to navigate the dangers and reach the Helm.

[albentelisa]

Hi! Here's an interesting or slight angsty ask.

What if Barabra was chosen as the Trollhunter when Jim went back in time, but she and Strickler both regained their memories when she picked up the amulet?

So, much like in the canon, Jim planned for Toby to pick up the amulet, but the thing is that by the point Toby goes under the bridge - there is nothing there (and Toby thinks that Jim has pranked him or something).

The thing is, that instead of having a healthy nap after the night shift, Barbara wakes up and decides to drive to buy some groceries while Jim is at school. Her car mysteriously breaks down when she is crossing the bridge and when Barbara is out, she hears the voice calling for her.

When Barbara picks up the amulet, she gets a surge of memories from the different timeline. The same simultaneously happens to Strickler (who is lucky not to have any lessons at the moment, because that's too much to process even for him).

The thing is that neither Barbara nor Strickler has any idea that Jim has time-traveled (Barbara wasn't there and Strickler was, well, dead by this point). Both believe it to be some kind of miracle and that they are the only person who knows about the possible future.

Barbara's plan is to shield Jim from all the painful experiences while keeping all the pleasant things that came from trollhunting for him (like his bonds with trolls). She also plans to talk Walter into switching sides as soon as possible.

Strickler, on the other hand, plans to assist Jim (who he thinks is still the Trollhunter) from the shadows, working as a double agent. He genuinely believes that everything should be the same as in his memories, so he waits for anxious Jim coming to get his advice - only to get Jim who obviously tries to set his first meeting with Barbara (not that Strickler minds, but still it's highly suspicious). So Strickler starts to suspect that Jim knows too, which would perfectly explain everything.

Strickler still goes to meet Barbara - and learns that she's both the new Trollhunter and remembers everything. Together they start to plan how to reach a happy future for everyone. Strickler also reveals his suspicions about Jim.

Meanwhile, Jim discovers that Toby hasn't picked the amulet and panics as he has no idea who is the new champion. He goes home only to encounter both his mom and Strickler who want to hear the truth from him. There is no point in denying the obvious, so Jim tells everything about the time travel. He hopes that Barbara will let him help her (after all she knows that he is capable), but she is deadset that her son should take it easy this time.

Jim is rather upset to be sidelined as even without the amulet he still has his knowledge and battle experience. Barbara isn't convinced - until Jim comes to help during her escape from Bular and accidentally summons his armor from the future (apparently both new amulet and Excalibur time-traveled together with him).

Barbara finally realizes that Jim's calling doesn't bring him suffering only and apologizes to Jim.

Jim decides to start assembling the old team. He brings Toby first, then Claire (once they are on friendly terms), then approaches Douxie and introduces him to Claire. Douxie tells Claire about magic and starts teaching her.

Meanwhile, Strickler works as a double agent, preventing many troubles that could possibly happen to the trollhunters (including not switching Enrique with NotEnrique - he simply brings him to Arcadia as an assistant). Even though he tries to be discreet, other Janus Order members and even Bular start to suspect him. Strickler manages to escape accusations for a while (insisting on staying an insider even though Barbara tells him to get away asap). He manages to recruit Nomura and NotEnrique too. However, his luck isn't unlimited, so Strickler ends up captured, and other changelings propose using him as a hostage to lure Barbara.

The team frees Strickler, but much like in the canon, Killahead is still open. Strickler risks to close it and ends up trapped in the Darklands.

Unlike Jim, Barbara spares Bular, believing that he can get a chance at redemption. Bular now lives in the basement.

Otto unseals Angor Rot, but unlike Strickler, who eventually switches to his own goals, he is scared to betray Gunmar and uses Angor to get the amulet and recover Killahead fragments. Otto also contacts Usurna and makes an alliance with her.

Barbara is deadset on going to the Darklands and saving Strickler. Jim thinks that recovering triumbric stones should be easier this time (as they know their locations) until he remembers that Strickler gave him the last one and currently he's in the Darklands. Douxie and Claire try some search magic together, locating that one hidden in the Janus Order headquarters.

Jim decides to make a deal with Angor - to help him get free in exchange for his cooperation. After all, he knows how to use Kairosect now (and they recovered it just in case). Angor steals the triumbric stone, and Jim gets Inferna Copula.

The entire team travels into the Darklands - and discovers that Gunmar has control over Strickler's mind. It's the distraction that gives Gunmar the opportunity to escape the Darklands together with his army and march right into the Trollmarket.

Barbara is deadset on liberating Strickler (and surprisingly gets the most vocal supporter in the form of Angor Rot). Jim is also on her side, and he remembers how Draal was freed from the control in the old timeline. As much as both he and Barbara hate the idea, it seems that they need to lure Gunmar together with Strickler to Merlin's Tomb (though, Barbara doesn't intend to let Merlin ruin anyone's life this time).

There's also the situation with Morgana as in this timeline she has no chance to possess Claire, and Jim remembers that in the past she used to be kind, so he wonders if he can convince Morgana to come back to the good side (even though she has to atone for all the evil she caused).

As for Bular, he is the most conflicted as living with Barbara and Jim taught him a lot about humans, making him reconsider his old ways. Bular hopes to convince his father to stop the war and live peacefully, so he heads to the Trollmarket in secret from the team. Obviously, Gunmar isn't interested in listening to his son and is enraged. He imprisons Bular, giving him the last chance to change his mind.

Meanwhile, Morgana contacts Gunmar through the changelings, proposing an alliance once again. Gunmar goes to search Merlin's staff, unaware that he actually acts the way that Team Trollhunters want.

Strickler is finally free, but both Barbara and Jim underestimate Gunmar, and he gets away with Merlin's staff. Besides, this time Gunmar still hasn't killed off the Janus Order, so he has no obstacles in freeing Morgana.

Merlin, who wakes up, has a lot of information to process (starting with Barbara as the Trollhunter and ending with the second amulet from a different timeline). He isn't happy with the time meddling though as he believes that it may lead to disastrous results. Not that Barbara, Jim, or Strickler is listening to him.

Jim seeks Angor's assistance and they go to meet with freed Morgana. Initially, she is hostile, but Jim shows her Excalibur and asks if she has given up on humans entirely. Morgana agrees to give Jim a chance to demonstrate that a different solution can also work.

Morgana breaks her alliance with Gunmar and helps her changelings to escape. She also frees Bular.

Without Morgana's support, Gunmar loses the fight with Team Trollhunters. Morgana also liberates all the trolls who fell under Decimaar's control (Angor decides to give her a chance after that, even if he is far from fully forgiving her).

Morgana doesn't become a full ally as her relationship with Merlin is extremely complicated, but she agrees to assist Jim and Barbara and show some magic to Claire.

As the fight was at the Trollmarket, Arcadia is still mostly unaware of trolls or magic. Besides, despite some ruination, there is no need to travel to New Jersey.

However, it also means that the Arcane Order can attack while the team is in Arcadia.

Jim goes to meet with Aja and Krel, forming an alliance with them and telling them about the time travel stuff. He promises to help to deal with Morando and asks them both to help with defending Arcadia.

Green Knight attacks earlier than in the first timeline. He targets Merlin, who barely manages to escape. Meanwhile, Bellroc tries to recruit Morando (without any success), and Skrael contacts Morgana, reminding her that she's still the Arcane Order's champion (she also refuses to cooperate).

The Arcane Order attacks while everyone is distracted because of Morando. They capture both Nari and Merlin (the latter to get the location of Genesis seals from him).

Jim is conflicted about whether he should tell everyone about Green Knight's true identity (especially Morgana) but ends up deciding against hiding the truth. As he suspected, Morgana doesn't take it well as she wants to reach out to her brother once again even though Jim tells her she failed in the first timeline.

Morgana encounters the Green Knight, but much like Jim has warned her, her words fail to reach her brother. Morgana is injured by the obsidian shard but manages to escape.

The Arcane Order tries to get the information about the Genesis seals from Merlin's mind, but it's something he actually predicted so they fail to get anything from him, despite all the measures used.

The team makes a plan to save Nari and Merlin. Jim has a clash with Arthur. Two Excaliburs is the time paradox, but it turns out that Jim's is the more powerful one as it is powered by rightful ideas. Arthur's Excalibur shatters and Arthur perishes.

Douxie saves Merlin and Merlin finally admits that he has lost his way fighting against the Arcane Order. Merlin decides to seal Bellroc and Skrael with the cost of his life this time, finally stopping to sacrifice everyone else and putting his own life on the line. However, his own magic seems not to be enough. Douxie is willing to join his master, but Morgana, who arrives just in time stops him (as she believes Douxie still has much to do for the new world) and joins Merlin in sealing instead. The seal takes all of their magic and life force.

It's not a permanent measure though. Nari tells everyone that Bellroc and Skrael simply don't believe that peace between different kinds is possible, so they decide to build a happier world while the seal is still intact.

[unrepentantcheeseaddict]

Little something I wrote:

“Ow!” I yelped, skidding across the pebbly sidewalk.

Cursing under my breath, I scrambled to my feet, glaring at my magic portal as it faded out of sight behind me. Being a hole in the air shimmering with prismatic light, it didn’t return my stink-eye. I quickly checked myself over for any serious injuries. Nope, just a few minor bruises and a skinned knee that stung like hell.

“I really need to work on getting that spell stabilized.” I grumbled.

As the last traces of the portal blew away on the wind, I pivoted on one heel to try and get my bearings. Thankfully, I had landed right in front of the maternity wing of the hospital. I was lucky to have gotten this close to my destination, given how tricky portal magic can be. All I had to do now was find which room the newborn Chosen and their mom were in. If I couldn’t manage that, then I wasn’t much of a Champion. I couldn’t really protect the Chosen if I didn’t even know where they were.

Slipping out of the concealed corner I’d appeared in, I was about to step through the nearest door when a man’s voice called out, “Hey!”

(more under the cut)

I spun to find a uniformed guard of some kind trotting towards me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He demanded, taking in my swords, leather armor, and the collection of amulets around my neck.

“Going inside, what does it look like I’m doing?” I retorted, annoyed.

The guard glared down his nose at me. “You can’t bring weapons into hospital grounds. Hand’em over or leave.”

This guy was clearly going to be a problem. I was about to try to push past him when I heard sirens start blaring. Looking up to find the source of the sound, I saw several formless gray shapes dash along the skybridge towards the maternity wing. I cursed again. “Dustmen. This day just keeps getting better.”

The prophecy had been clear that the Chosen was going to be a monster magnet, but I hadn’t expected anything as nasty as dustmen. The guard pulled out a flat, glassy rectangle from his pocket and started frantically poking it. It was probably some kind of weapon, and I had no time to waste now. I swept his legs out from under him and sprinted for the door.

People around me were starting to shout when I burst through, wondering what the problem was. I saw cars with flashing lights on top pulling up outside, spilling out more uniformed people. I shoved through the crowd and grabbed the woman behind the reception desk. She yelped and struggled.

I sighed. “I’m sorry, okay? Please just tell me which room this baby is in.”

I pulled the sketch our seers had made out of my pocket and showed it to her. She glared at me. “I don’t know! Let go of me, you maniac!”

“And that’s what I get for being nice.” I muttered, letting go of her.

I raced through the hallways, barely breaking stride to dodge around panicking doctors. In a few places I saw thick smears of gray dust on the walls and floor. The dustmen were ahead of me. I sped up, channeling a little magic into my legs to ease my burning muscles. Hopefully I’d get there in time to stop them. Finally, I skidded to a stop in front of a locked door. I could pick the lock, but that took time, the one thing I didn’t have right now. So I cupped my hands around my mouth and hollered, “Stand back!”

I held my hands out palm down in front of me, concentration fixated on the spot between them. I funneled all my anger, worry and frustration into that single point until a ball of bluish-purple light formed there, buzzing and crackling with raw power. Carefully, I picked up the ball and lobbed it at the door, which was instantly vaporized in a booming flash of light that left my ears ringing and useless.

Then I was running again, this time just slowly enough to scan the door numbers as I went past. Finally, finally, I saw the dustmen, the last one just slipping through an open doorway. It turned and saw me, if you can call it seeing when they’ve got no eyes.

“Oh, no you don’t.”

I snapped my fingers, sending a bolt of swirling orange fire straight through its chest. The gray dust of its featureless human-shaped body erupted into flames, drifting to the ground as ashes after it was consumed a second later. Luckily I was still mostly deaf from my explosion, so I didn’t have to hear its death screech, which I knew from experience sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I darted into the room and shot a few more fire bolts, taking out the other three dustmen.

Then I spun slowly, surveying the room for any other attackers. All the other humans were knocked out by the dustmen’s soporific dust. Nobody was coming at me, but a fifth dustman was leaning over the plastic bassinet near the center of the room.

I dashed over, drawing my swords. And stopped my blades just in time to keep them from slicing a squalling newborn baby, held up one-handed by the dustman as a living shield. The dustman punched at me with its other mitten-like gray hand. I barely ducked in time, its fist ruffling the top of my curls. In the same motion I brought one sword around in a sweeping arc that cut the dustman’s legs from under it, straightening to grab the baby as the dustman dropped them.

Praying I hadn’t jolted the baby’s tiny neck too much, I held them close and ran for my life. You can’t kill dustmen by cutting them up, just slow them down a bit. With my hands full, I couldn’t make any spell gestures without dropping something. I needed a bit of quick protection.

Stumbling to a stop in front of an elevator, I slammed the button with my swordhilt and ducked inside as the doors dinged open. Thank all the gods, it was empty. I leaned the elbow holding the squirming baby on the railing, breathing hard. Hopefully I’d be able to get another portal open before the dustman reattached its legs and caught up to me. Feeling mentally for the spell, I slashed the sword in my free hand through the air in a circle. Nothing happened. Three more frantic attempts later, the air split into a shimmering tear in the fabric of the universe. I bounded through and snapped it shut behind me, not caring at this point what was waiting on the other side.

As it turned out, all that was on the other side was the woodland clearing where I’d left my horse, comparatively serene after the mess I’d left behind on Earth. I sheathed my swords and cradled the baby in both arms, rocking them gently. Probably a girl, I decided, judging by the disgustingly pink outfit she was dressed in.

“Well, that could have gone a damn sight better.” I said, keeping my voice low and soothing. “But at least you’re safe, so I haven’t failed yet.”

The baby kept crying, tiny mouth wide open as her fragile fingers clawed at thin air. I sighed. “Alright, you need milk.”

It was hard to concentrate on my magic with all that noise, but finally I got the spell working well enough that I could nurse her. She seemed a little confused at first, but latched on to me anyway and calmed down pretty quickly after that. I cuddled her close, studying her tiny face. It was the first time I’d taken a good look at her.

She had the wrinkled, goblin-like features and squished-flat nose that all newborn babies have, with creamy brown skin a few shades lighter than mine. I didn’t know what I’d expected the baby who was going to grow up to save my world to look like, but it wasn’t this. She seemed almost disappointingly ordinary, other than the swirling black markings on her hands that I’d been looking for. Just then, she opened her eyes to stare up at me. Her irises were bright, gleaming metallic gold.

I smiled. “I guess you’re not so ordinary after all. You’re a pretty cute little goblin, aren’t you?”

She made some kind of squeaking noise, which completely melted me. It finally sank in that I’d be the one who did the bulk of raising her, preparing her to save the world. I don’t know why it had taken this long for me to realize that. I’d been training for this my whole life, but somehow it hadn’t felt real until now. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I’m Erys, sweetie. You’ll be getting to know me a lot better, pretty soon. Oh, right, you’ll need a name.”

I mulled it over for a while before deciding on Siani. After I burped and changed her, I tied Siani to my chest using the sling I’d brought and mounted my horse. She nestled against my collarbone, gurgling contentedly.

“We’re going home now.” I said to her. “You’ll get to meet my family, my friends, all the rest of the Order.”

The Order was the group I’d been raised by, the one dedicated to finding the Chosen and training them for their destiny. It wasn’t easy. We were always on the run from somebody or other, usually one of the warring factions that our world was broken into now. But somehow we had managed to get this far, and with a sleeping baby on my chest and the woods we rode through full of birdsong and sunshine, it was pretty hard not to feel hopeful about our cause.

As we neared the part of the woods where our latest temporary camp was, I saw plumes of dark smoke drifting up from the treetops. My breath caught in my chest. That was way more smoke than any normal campfire would make. Something must have happened while I was gone. I nudged my horse into a trot, nightmare scenarios playing out in my mind. That’s the problem with having a vivid imagination: it picks the worst possible circumstances to start working overtime.

“Calm down, Erys.” I muttered to myself. “It’s probably just that one of Leon’s experiments exploded again.”

Leon is our resident artificer, a mage-inventor who crafts new weapons and potions to give us an edge. His experiments tend to have very interesting side effects. About half the time that includes some type of explosion. But when I arrived at camp, all my attempts at calming down went right out the window. Our tents and treehouses had been completely destroyed, and the ground was churned into bloody mud that in a couple places had been baked stone-hard by magical fire. The smoke I’d seen earlier hung over everything in a thick, foul-smelling haze. Its source was in the center of the camp, a gigantic pile of half-burned corpses. Even at this distance, I could see that some of them were my friends. I dismounted on shaky legs, scanning the clearing for any wounded that I might still be able to save. There were no signs of life left.

“No. Oh gods, no, no, no.”

My stomach churned, threatening to spew my breakfast everywhere. I swallowed down the bile and tried to think, tried to analyze the situation and figure out what to do, but my brain wouldn’t snap out of shocked denial. Tears stung my eyes.

“I knew you’d come back eventually.”

My head whipped around, trying to find the source of the smug voice.

“I must say, you took long enough about it. Were my dustmen too much for you?”

An older woman stepped out of the trees, her unnaturally pale skin and opulent gown in stark contrast to the carnage around us. She was smirking. The grief inside me turned to white-hot rage as I spun a quick magical shield.

“Actually they were pretty easy to blast. I think I’ll do the same to you.”

She sighed. “Oh, Erys. Don’t you know who I am?”

“I know you’re a cold-hearted murdering pus-face, and that’s about all I need to know.” I snarled.

I decided not to waste any more time talking and slung a sonic explosion at her. She lazily flicked a hand at it and it disappeared. Another hand-flick and my shield spell crackled out of existence. My eyes widened. She was using antimagic. That type of power is rare, and mastering it without dying in the process is even rarer. Whoever she was, this lady was a force to be reckoned with.

I could feel my power draining away sickeningly fast and tried to cut my magical connection to the shield, but it didn’t work. My head began to swim and I could barely stay upright as a wave of pain and exhaustion hit me. My vision started to go dark. I was going to die, I knew that with complete certainty. Then suddenly, the feeling stopped. I was still sore and a bit woozy, but I could function again.

The mystery woman raised one immaculate brow. “Listening now? Good. My name is Lastoria, and I have two options for you.” She held up a manicured finger. “One, you can give me that disgusting little lump of a baby, leave now, and start a new life for yourself. You wouldn’t have to worry about this pointless struggle ever again. You’d be free of your destiny.”

I rolled my eyes with as much snark as I could muster.

“Yeah, right. Or what?”

“Or you can both die here and join your friends.”

She said it as lightly and casually as if she was talking about trying a new hairstyle. Slowly, I walked towards her, mind racing. I wouldn’t be able to defeat her with magic, probably not with conventional weapons either. I needed to play for time. Everyone has a weakness, but what was hers?

“Okay.” I said. “But what if I joined you?”

She looked slightly confused, then laughed.

“What, hoping to infiltrate my organization?”

“No. I mean, I hate you for what you’ve just done, but you’re obviously the better side to be on if you’re this powerful. I’ve got a sense of self-preservation as much as the next guy, I’m not going to sacrifice my life for what’s obviously a lost cause.”

She was wearing makeup, I noticed, trying to cover the beginnings of wrinkles around her eyes. Taken along with the rest of her appearance, it could mean that either she was trying to seem younger, she was vain, or both. Either way, playing on it might be my only chance.

Lastoria’s voice jolted me back to reality.

“You’d be willing to sacrifice the child instead?”

I shrugged, trying not to show my revulsion at what I was about to say.

“Yeah. She’s not mine anyway, and you do what you gotta do, you know?”

I knelt down at her feet, gathering up a ball of mud in the hand she couldn’t see.

“And I bet you could use someone like me.”

She smoothed her velvet skirts, thinking. Which was when my mud ball hit her square in the face. Lastoria shrieked, spitting mud as she tried to claw it out of her eyes. I yanked her skirt and she went down with an incredibly satisfying splat. Then I ran to my horse, mounted up, and kicked him into a gallop. As we tore through the woods, I could hear Lastoria’s wails echoing behind me.

“Do you know how expensive this gown is? I’m going to kill you for that!!”

I couldn’t help but smile a little at that through my tears. I guess I was right about vanity being her weakness. I hummed softly to baby Siani as she started to squirm and whimper.

“It’s going to be okay, little one. I’ve got you, we’re going to be fine. We’ll find a way.”

That last bit was more to myself, honestly. I knew we had to find a way, a way to keep Siani safe until she was old enough to do what she was born to do. We hadn’t gotten off to the greatest start together, to put it mildly. But if I couldn’t fix that, then I wasn’t much of a Champion.

[writes-occasionally]

WIP: Dragonheart

In the fantasy world of Smyrin, an unfit tyrant has claimed the throne of Graesille, the kingdom of Men. King Darian and Queen Illivia are dead, and their infant son Prince Avenor has vanished. In the absence of an heir, the king’s steward Ragrath Hearkenstone has claimed power and waged war on the rest of the world.

Twenty years in, much of the world has been crushed, with only the elves of Briestenna still meaningfully holding out against the onslaught. Only the northernmost continent in the world has been spared, and it is here that Carden Stel, a human adoptee of the peace-loving Isenborn, has been brought up without fear or worry.

Carden’s happy years come to an abrupt end, however, when he stumbled upon an amulet hidden in the frozen wilds. He had inadvertently claimed the amulet, only to find it had claimed him back — and shoved him down a path he never would have chosen.

Finding the amulet has brought a horde of enemies down on Carden who will stop at nothing to take it from him — his only chance is to move fast, stay ahead, and hunt down four artifacts of great power, all united by the power of the amulet. With the artifacts in hand, he may be able to take Ragrath head-on and end the war that has plagued Smyrin for twenty years; if he survives the journey. With a handful of champions selected from the resulting nations, Carden embarks on the most dangerous journey of his life — with a frightening battle for the throne looming ahead of him.

[phantom-rambling]

King Pariah Dark.

There’s no way that’s his real name.

It sounds like a Sith lord name. Then again, lots of ghosts have edgy self-chosen names, don’t they?

But there’s also no way he’s anybody’s actual king.

Maybe when he was alive, he was a king. A really bad one. So bad that the people revolted and exiled/executed him. He calls himself “Pariah” out of self-pity.

I’m probably not the first to say this, but I don’t think the “ghost king” actually has any political power over the Ghost Zone. It seems that ghosts are kind of ungovernable by nature. Even those in positions of relative authority like Walker or Aragon only seem to be so as part of the mechanics of their unique purposes as ghosts, and they only “rule” over those in their own domains. They may vie for more power, but it’s more of a scrappy turf war kind of thing. Greater bodies like the Watchers and Clockwork seem to be the closest thing to formal organization, but it hardly seems related to the King. And Danny consistently struggles to wrangle any number of ghosts to do anything under one banner, so clearly nobody sees the Ghost Zone as a kingdom. It’s more like the wild west. Law of beasts. Every specter for itself. Yadda yadda.

So then, why is there a crown? Why is Fright Knight there to serve it?

Here’s my theory.

The Ghost Zone is memetic, right? Its entities and architecture are born from consciousness, impulse, and intent that reflect the living world. Including objects (the Infimap, Fright Knight’s Sword, dragon amulets, etc.). Call them cursed objects.

What if the crown is a cursed object that reflects a desire for power and control based on fear. The crown feeds on that potent emotional energy from its wearer to sustain itself. In exchange, the wearer gets a massive power boost. (I bet Pariah wasn’t always that big.) the Crown is conscious enough to want to exist, so it’s motivated to keep generating that fear. It deludes the wearer. Makes them hallucinate. Whispers to them. Tempts them with powers that could eliminate all their problems with force. But it’s never that simple, is it? It only ever creates more conflict. More enemies. More fear. More power.

The crown is the embodiment of man’s need for dominance. Every entitled insecure thought and action that justified taking an ounce of control or capital from someone else. And the absolute terror and anguish at losing it all. A beacon of power and a vacuum of loss. A prize claimable by taking down the biggest dog in the yard. (The crown can’t be worn by anyone except its paired champion—the wearer must be destroyed to pass it on. The change is instant the second the old King is gone.) I guarantee there’s no shortage of dead rulers and aspiring egomaniacs in the Ghost Zone desperate to have that kind of security and agency… and scared angry people who just want some peace. I bet that’s why they built the coffin.

Fright Knight might have once been a captain who followed his king into tyranny. He refused to question his orders to avoid facing the meaning of his actions. In death, without the enforcement of command, he was lost. So he went looking for something to help reassure him. Rather than taking the Crown from its wearer, he swore his ghostly soul to it. He became the Crown’s executor—physically unable to resist its will. Why would he want to? As far as he’s concerned, fear is how the world works.

Pariah is only the latest King, and others will follow. My money’s on Vlad… But in the wrong moment of a heroic action, it could be Danny. I wonder what the Crown would whisper to either of them.

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Index

[onze-the-chosen-one-of-vecna]

Link to Google Drive

Onze, The Chosen One of Vecna: [11]

Onze has lived a poor, miserable life.

At the age of 6, she lost her mother and father to bandits breaking into their home to steal the little amount of gold they had gained from selling vegetables. When the townsfolk came by to buy their daily crops, they found a thin and pale girl sobbing in front of the corpses of her parents. For a while, she was begging for loaves of bread or fish heads to eat for supper, but it was never enough to fill her empty stomach, constantly hungry for a bigger meal. The bugs and worms on the ground never satisfied her, and rodents always made her ill with diarrhea and vomit.

One day, near the brink of starvation, a necromancer who was a servant of Vecna, the Undying King, passed through the town and spotted the pale, famished child. Piting the poor thing, he picked her up, and took her to a cult where he was worshiping the Whispered One. She was nursed back to health, barely avoiding death.

They taught Onze everything she needed to know about Vecna, and spoke of the Eye and Hand. For five years, the young girl studied the lore about her patron, and decided to become his servant.

During the ritual, Onze had her back tattooed with the symbol of Vecna and ritualistic runes, and was forced to shave her scalp clean of her black hair and applied with acid to keep her hair from growing back. As she stepped up to an alter of the Godly Lich, with no one but herself, Vecna spoke to her from The Citadel. He stated that, since her birth, Onze was his chosen champion, that he sensed the potential within her soul. The anguish she suffered throughout her childhood would not be in vain. Vecna granted her his Hand and Eye.

In response to his kind gesture, Onze used a bone of a dragon and fused it with the Hand of Vecna to create a semi-sentient warlock staff that Vecna could control, and placed the Eye of Vecna into an enchanted glass container to create an amulet that Vecna could see through.

With these items combined, Onze fused her soul to them, binding her being to not only the staff and amulet, but to Vecna himself, placing her soul at his mercy.

Pleased by this, the Lich God granted her extraordinary powers that she could use to the best of her ability, but she must remain loyal to her patron. He also gave her a Pact of Time to use the spells within for her benefit.

And so begins her lifelong journey to free Vecna from his prison...

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Onze is 4"11 ft. tall, and weighs around 100 pounds. She wears a dark purple dress that is ripped and tattered at the bottom, and on top of it an equally ruined black cloak. Black boots cover her feet, but they're not enough to warm her.

She suffers from high metabolism, constantly needing to feed herself. Onze will beg for food if she doesn't have enough money or an item worthy to trade with.

The girl is naive and innocent, despite the horrible events that she witnessed in her life, as if something or someone is preventing her from going insane...

Despite the whispers that Vecna says into her ear, Onze can't bring herself to steal or murder. Even a white lie will send her crying for forgiveness.

She sees Vecna as a father figure, and views the rest of the cult as her twisted family. Unsurprisingly, the child has no close enemies.