#aubren speaks

[aubren]

One of the tough parts is that I'm just always prepared for misgendering, so I initially assumed "androgyny and genderfluidity a man and woman" meant "androgynous and genderfluid AMABs AFABs." So, my fault too. I sometimes forget that those words can be used for non-identity stuff

why is androgyny and genderfluidity for a man or woman nonconformity and breaking gender barriers, but its suddenly treated like some kind of conformity or upholding gender norms when a nonbinary person does it

[fingersinhisass]

kinoni campaigns for horny rights send post

[firelight-tales-of-exandria]

Firelight Tales of Exandria, Ch.16 part 2 - “Harmony in Dissonance”

When last we left off, our heroes had accomplished their mission and weathered the inquisition of the Margrave’s Westruun Shield, and been awarded the prize for the bounty they undertook. Amidst painful personal revelations, and no small amount of anxiety on their parts, they achieved everything they set out to, initially, only to be faced with a moral dilemma. The Margrave requested a private meeting with the party, revealing he was aware of the Clasp’s efforts to foment dissent within Westruun’s social circles against the Margrave’s rule. To this end, the Clasp enlisted a bounty hunter to apprehend Buddy, the Gnoll hunter the party saved, to act as a scapegoat to focus the city’s paranoia and xenophobic rancor upon, using their significant social pull to call for a public trial and , if need be, execution. The Margrave requested the group’s coucil on his course of action: acquit the obviously innocent bestial outsider and risk the wrath of the Clasp’s influence boiling over into open hostility, or continue with the sham trial and condemn an innocent being to death to quell the citizens’ bloodlust.

“Our heroes staunchly rejected both options, and instead proposed a third course of action: make contact with the Clasp, reveal that they had been manipulated by their own agent and his fey co-conspirator, and convince them to work together with the Margrave to stabilize the city’s tensions. The Margrave agreed to delay the situation until sundown the following day, before his hand was forced. The party, still without a concrete plan, retired to bed, and were suddenly woken by a vividly panicked Shadow, revealing a massive creature of living darkness attacking the Garrison. The party fled the Garrison, stalked by this creature, making their way to the Sloppy Satyr, where the party, assisted by Aeden and Dren, confronted the thing. Aeden fell in battle, and Dren stayed behind to tend his wounds, as the party headed out into the night, hoping to take Gortman by surprise.”

Shadow tries to make sense of the attack and process its consequences. Dren is in shock but stable, but the homeless bystander passed away during the attack. Shadow is plagued with guilt, but their friends try to comfort them and explain that none of this was their fault.

The party, convinced that Gortman was responsible for propagating Alma’s sickness within the townsfolk without the Clasp knowing, plan to capture him and use him as a bargaining chip to get the criminal organization to parley with the Margrave.

Shadow continues to beat themselves up, wishing they could immediately leave the city without being followed. Leaf makes a brief detour inside to inform Dren about the dead vagrant. Hoping to be done with this fiasco as soon as possible, Shadow bounds off toward the Bevy & Grub across the rooftops.

Leaf: “We are going to save the city now. Please take care of Aeden.”

Dren: “If it was coming from anyone else, I would think you were joking. Good luck.”

The rest of the party slink through the dark streets, all converging on the Bevy & Grub, Gortman’s home and place of business. Examining the storefront from the outside, Shadow sees the upper windows boarded up. Song believes there may be a secret entrance in the side alley, hidden under small mountains of refuse.

Ladryssa uses her new bond with her pseudodragon to scout the street from the sky. She sees Gortman approaching the tavern from the backstreet, and the party lays an ambush for him.

While laying in wait, the party tips their hand a few seconds too early and Gortman makes a puzzlingly hasty escape. Shadow and Leaf attempt to slow him with magic, which Gortman somehow counterspells.

Shadow manages to peg Gortman with an icy beam from a nearby rooftop, as the portly barkeep ducks down a cellar door in a nearby alleyway.

The party regroups before making their own descent into the cellar. Song, wanting to make sure though wouldn’t completely lose his trail, attempts to cast Locate Object to track Gortman via a rather personal body modification he is aware of, but gets no signal.

The staircase for this cellar is surprisingly long, and deposits the group into a dark section of the Underwalk Ward, in which Cezika notices faded Clasp signs.

Leaf spies a cold, soggy scrap of clothing on the ground, but it doesn’t seem to match the material Gortman was wearing.

Making their way down the tunnel in the direction of the scrap Leaf found, the party eventually reaches a dead end. Song, refusing to believe this is a dead end, pokes around the wall that Shadow and Cezika insist doesn’t have as secret door. Instead, Song finds a trigger that dumps the whole group down a stone ramp into a dark chamber below, directly into the knives of a Clasp ambush.

Cezika: “Anybody else reminded of their thirteenth birthday, or am I alone in that?”

Ladryssa: “You are alone in that.”

Song: “I am more reminded of my eighteenth birthday.”

The group finds Gortman, waiting for them in a dark alcove. As Song reveals the Clasp as being manipulated by the magic of the hag, Alma, Gortman’s voice rapidly shifts tone as he removes his own face. In its place is a roughly-stitched, two-tone ogre mask, and his body warps and shifts into a lanky frame, draped in rough canvas and leathers, hunkered down on a battered crate.

Song: “THAT’S WHERE THE DICK PIERCING WENT!”

The masked figure, identifying himself as Spireling Gholesh,  interrogates the party about their relation to Gortman and how they know about his connection to the sickness. The party, in turn, divulges their involvement with both the Clasp storehouse investigation, and fight in the farmland, and the bounty in the Bramblewood.

The masked figure asks one of his colleagues, Spireling Oalan, to verify the party’s claims. One of the black cloaked figures doffs her hood, revealing a grizzled dwarven woman’s scarred face and cold eyes. She holds Song’s genitals hostage as she asks a few pointed questions about the supposedly curse food Gortman is responsible for.

It seems the Clasp was not entirely aware of the extend of Gortman’s duplicity, only concerned with results. As they are all piecing things together, one of the Clasp cutthroats gets bit by a rat. A ghostly hand grasps the rodent, killing it, and the Spireling orders its brain to be examined, revealing it to be infused with the corrupting black ichor.

Song and Shadow propose that the Clasp and the Margrave work together to manage the city’s affairs, but without Gortman’s confession it would be hard for the Margrave to accept any claim made by the Clasp. At this, Gholesh dismisses his cohorts, after which he retrieves Gortman’s corpse from the crate and proceeds to question it using Speak with Dead.

The Spireling agrees to meet privately with the Margrave to parley for Westruun’s future, and sends the party away with instructions to prepare for the meeting. The group, exhausted and weary, makes their way back to the Margrave’s Manor.

Making their way back to the Manor, Margrave Brandon Zimmerset rushes down to meet the party in his nightgown. The group explains their encounter with the Clasp, and when Leaf explains one identified as a Spireling, that means they are serious. The Margrave passes on orders to prepare for their arrival.

The Margrave orders for his adjutants prepare quarters for the group for the night. Shadow insists on staying behind to speak privately with the Margrave.

Shadow later seeks out Nakiya and they talk about their mutual pasts of running from forces that sought to destroy them. Nakiya vows to stay by Shadow’s side if they are threatened again, which Shadow similarly pledges.

Leaf, wishing to sleep outside, is given an escort to take them to the Garrison parade grounds. Upon arriving, the firbolg sees the Garrison undergoing recovery operations after the dark spectre’s attack. A field infirmary has been set up in the parade ground where the dead and wounded are being tended to. Leaf insists on providing whatever manner of assistance they can. They have a brief heart-to-heart with their assigned guard, who in turn remarks that Leaf isn’t nearly as scary as he was lead to believe.

++PARTY LEVEL UP – LVL. 5++

When the party wakes the next morning, they are lured by the smell of hot breakfast from the dining hall, where they find the Margrave and Captain Aubren Sylvain taking breakfast with Spireling Gholesh and Spireling Oalan. The atmosphere is tense but apparently productive, as the two opposing powers have made headway in making arrangements to diffuse the hostilities in town and keep a tighter watch on smuggling and border patrol, as well as help form a political body elected by the townsfolk to help run Westruun.

Each party member is paid 20 platinum pieces each for their services in bringing this armistice about. Cezika retains Song’s cut of the party rewards, promising to give him an allowance, but both generally agree that he cannot be trusted with money.

Song asks the Spirelings if they know anything about a murder that took place in Emon ten years ago. Gholesh explains that Clasp cells that operate in different cities are fairly autonomous, so he can’t speak of the goings-on of other cells. However, as thanks for bringing this compromise about and pre-emptive gratitude for staying out of their way in the future, Gholesh gives Song a small pouch containing 10 chits that are vouchers for complementary lodging and board for a resort called “The Wishing Well” in Kymal.

Gholesh: “Those were given to me as a favor for doing something for someone out in Kymal. Why don’t you treat yourselves to a vacation?”

Cezika: “Oh good, I’ve wanted to go to Kymal.”

Song: “That’s really very generous of you.”

Leaf: “Are there fewer buildings in Kymal?”

Gholesh: “You could say so, but they tend to be busier.”

Leaf: “Oh no...”

Before the party leaves the Manor, Captain Aubren summons a Shield arcanist to remove the Arcane Marks that were applied to the group. The arcanist in question turns out to be Renault du Gaultier, who happily removes the marks and tells the party that Buddy is due to be discharged from the dungeon that afternoon.

As the party exists the gates of the Manor, Zeal is impatiently tapping her foot outside. Shadow rushes into a hug, and all of Zeal’s well-prepared and refined anger dissipates. She takes the group to the Satyr to check in on Aeden and Dren, leaving Renault with his wand in his hand.

The Sloppy Satyr is packed with haggard, scarred Shields, trying to drink away the events of the previous night, and Dren, who has never worked a bar a day in his life and knows next to nothing about alcohol, is overjoyed to see Zeal and her friends.

Downstairs in the cellar, Aeden is having a hard time holding it together, losing his composure when the party asks if he knows who the deceased vagrant is. Dren explains that Aeden tends to the lost and forgotten of Westruun, and he knows everyone who lives here or passes through, but he has no memory of this person. Leaf consoles Aeden, saying that the wind will remember them.

Aeden teeters on the verge of a breakdown, and Shadow has to excuse themselves, wracked with guilt. Song pleads with Shadow to make them see that none of this is their fault. Shadow is attempting to reconcile their long-seated sense of guilt with their friends’ desire to stay with them. Shadow also does not wish to go to Kymal, since the darkness they had been evading had nearly found them there once. Song is less concerned with fighting a living darkness and more concerned about what running from it all this time has done to Shadow’s sense of self.

Song: “I know you don’t want to ask, but we’ll be there, and just let me know if you need anything, or if you need to talk, or if you need to not talk, or if you need me to not talk (cause that’s very important), I know I definitely need to not talk sometimes.”

With the strife in Westruun behind him, Song admits that he is trying to be more optimistic about his prospects and the group of friends he has found. Shadow says it fits Song and they agree to stay for the time being.

Song attempts to reconcile with the still miffed Zeal by plying her with puns, and she assigns him cleanup duty in the bar.

Shadow checks on Aeden, who tries to get up and work, but the party insists he rests. Dren and Leaf take the dead vagrant’s body to the Temple of the Platinum Dragon to lay him to rest, while the rest of the party helps Zeal run the bar.

Nakiya and Aeden share a moment before she rejoins the group.

Zeal is mad that Dren made her stay behind when the attack happened last night. The party tries to assure her that she can help next time there is mortal danger. Zeal tosses her towel at Cezika and tells her to watch the bar and storms out. Leaf sees Zeal barge into the Temple and drag Dren into the rectory, and waits outside through the following five minutes of shouting. Zeal asks Leaf if they are going to stick around for a couple days and to pass along a note to the rest of the party.

Leaf goes back to the Satyr. Song asks if Zeal is still mad at him and when Leaf says she isn’t he immediately becomes worried. Cezika reads her note first:

Zeal’s Note: “Please come to the Temple in two days for the Oathbinding ceremony.”

Shadow: “I love weddings.”

Song: “WHAT?!”

[aldmerii-blog]

i was tagged by my dearest beloved aubren @fingersinhisass

Rules: answer these questions then tag 20 blogs you’d like to know better

Nickname: car, carcar, mom sometimes 

Zodiac: legally gemini but astrology is dumb

Height: 5′4.5

Time: 8:02pm

Favorite Band/Artist: regina spektor

Song stuck in my head: love is strange by mickey and sylvia

Last Movie I Saw: uhhhhhhh ocean’s eight with elena back in june. i never watch movies ajkfdls 

Last Thing I Googled: "reshade how to change the location screenshots are saved” 

Other Blogs: @devcrak is my arcana blog. @yuletiding is my christmas blog. i have a writing blog but i haven’t posted much there. 

Do I Get Asks: nottt really. 

Why did I choose this username: because elven supremacy is the only truth. 

Following: 145

Average amount of sleep: 9.5hrs 

Lucky Number: 27

What I am wearing: a really pretty dress! its uhhh a nude slip w/ black lace over it and it’s really well cut with a keyhole neckline. i was wearing nude heels w it but i took them off (i just got back from dinner fjdsa) 

Dream job: uhhh either author or a legal advocate for people seeking asylum in the us (if, like, i had the drive to go to law school fdjsakl)

Dream trip: i’d love to spend a few months traveling around the mediterranean!! just like visiting museums and eating food and stuff. 

Favorite food: oooh uhhhh crab rangoon. 

Play any instruments: i played the violin for eight years but i’m. not good at it. 

Hair color: naturally brown, currently bleach blonde, soon-to-be mauve 

Describe yourself using aesthetic things: chocolate milkshakes, a mid-afternoon summer thunderstorm, 2am in the dead of snowy winter when everything is muted, pinning old birthday cards to your bedroom wall, winning monopoly, the smell of yeasty bread, midnight mcdonald’s runs, skee-ball, distant swing music

Languages you speak: english, spanish

Most Iconic Song: take a chance on me by abba 

Random Fact: i’ve been to new york city twice and seen ten shows on broadway. my boarding school had an end-of-year period called “may term” where you either took super specialized courses (there was like crash course farsi and one that was building a replica egyptian tomb) but my mentor always took a trip to new york so i always went with him to help run it. 

i tag @henantier @bialoth @nightingalesseyes @asymmetra and also anyone else who wants to 

[aubren]

I came onto the internet to find my little chat icon at 99+. I just wanted to point out that I'm no longer into anime and haven't been since like...2008? I linked an article that contained information that I had vaguely heard of because I wanted to do the right thing and explain why straight women who like m/m might be topic.

I didn't comee here for an arguement. It was just a little by-note, like "hey btw, this is what they're talking about".

Having said that, shipping is a complex topic. When does it become toxic? When does is it alright?

Fyi most of these "younger fans" that I've heard of were usually the older ones, at least when I was in the fandom. When I was 14, most of the slash girls I saw were like, in their 20s or late teens. It must be trending with the younger crowd these days.

People are allowed to like m/m. Yes, even straight people. But, at least in my day, there was a noticeable toxicity. I had yellow fever back then, and the racial fetishization that I experienced (which I've since gotten rid of, thank god) seemed similiar to how "fujoshi" fetishize men. Except instead of trying to date them, it was more "override reality on what you do and how you feel and say uncomfortable shit to you". And openly expressing a desire to voyeur them.

That's gross. As an AFAB, I'd be very uncomfortable if some cisguy was overriding my feelings and explanations of what a f/f relationship is like. If he's 20 that's extremely uncomfortable. If he's 15 that's annoying and uncomfortable. If he's 12, it's annoying but also worrisome. When will the queer community get passed this?

I'm not going to excuse a straight teenager for fetishizing queer people. Why? Because I was a teenager myself and it was weird then too. Age isn't an excuse, it's only a part of the reason. Teens don't have all the resources to go exploring and learning. That's why we make these articles, like the one I linked, explaining why things people do - imcluding teenagers- can make others uncomfortable.

And lots of teenagers enjoy making others uncomfortable, by the way. In case you don't remember Middle School. Teens can get pretty passive-aggressive. "I like what I'm doing, so fuck you of you're neutral to it or dislike it". That's how I felt when I was a toxic baby activist yelling at people and correcting them all the time. That's how they feel when they litter instead of throw it away in a nearby garbage can. That's how that 8th grader felt when I watched him rape a 6th grader on the bus.

And of course, adults do that too, by the way. It's called being defensive. And it's okay to be a little defensive sometimes. But im my experience, being overly defensive means that the other person has a point.

Like, this post should have never reached 118 notes. I dropped in an articlr as an explaination, saying "hey this is why some ppl don't like fujoshi" and suddenly ya'll are up on my heels. Like, what? I'm not your enemy. I'm not an anime fan, I barely even ship. I'm not saying personally that all slash-girls are terrible. Like, all I said was that I understood why they were being insulted. In a sentence where it established that they were already toxic individuals by ~insisting on how gay relationships work~. Being top-oriented on names is toxic, hand down.

And yes, that is mostly a Japan issue. But this is anime. Many of their issues leak thru.

Because I've seen teenagers do some pretty fucked up shit while knowing it's wrong. Like raping a someone on a bus. Or bullying. Or littering. You might give excuses for teens "not knowing any better" but frankly, I don't. They need to be taught otherwise that that's not okay and get some kind of support to make sure they're okay. Because if they're fetishizing an entire people, something is not okay.

But yeah. In conclusion, this wasn't a big deal to me in the first place. Some individuals are toxic, oh well. This is why X people have a distaste for Y toxic individuals. But the sheer fact of how popular this is only makes me think that the Mary Sue article had a very good point. You know, the same way whenever a good feminist show or video comes out all the misogynists come out to insult it.

we’re on 2018 and that means that the one who goes first in the ship name is not there because they’re a top, they go there because that way it sounds better.

if you think otherwise, you’re a disgusting fujoshit who reduces a ship dinamic to what they do in bed.

[pots-potions-more]

Hello!

Today is supposed to be spirit Wednesdays where I'm supposed to speak with the departed with my pendulum, Luna. I personally don't believe that the pendulum is controlled by the deceased so I decided instead to do some readings with Luna. If anyone has any questions for her let me know! I can do a video asking her the questions or I can just document them and write them out, whichever you prefer. Have a blessed day.- mod aubren.

[serwynterwulf]

Aubrene for Braxis

✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ | Sexual Attraction

Threw his hands up in the air, in a rather defensive manner. “Bah, what I’ve admitted time and time again I got a weakness fer lasses who be proper warriors ‘n fighters. This lass clearly is, even more how oddly she is alike to those of me family in her thinkin’ in combat and honor.”

✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ | Romantic Attraction

“Bah, again I don’t even see why I would bother with somthin’ like this again. But if the lass ever tried she at least has a damn good first impression.”

✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧ | Crushing

“We had a good conversation over similar drinks. She expresses much of what I feel towards Ishgard, The Empire, those who live by and fueled from war. Not too bad lookin’ either. Interestin’ lass at the very least.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧ | Squishing

“She oddly seems...familiar. Like and old friend. Perhaps it is just how she brought up Isranne, my previous sister o’ battle, and former boss back on the Pearl. Perhaps it is her likeness in some ways, hatred fer Garleans, and bein’ able to rock plate armor and still look like she can split dozens of skull with her axe she reminds me of a lost friend. Pup seemed to trust them off the bat too, even Snow was calm enough to now show himself and growl at her...and odd sign but a good omen.”

✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ | Sensual Attraction

Shaking his head. “Perhaps sharin’ food as an act o’ friendship. But nothin’ outside of that.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧ | Aesthetic Attraction

“There is something about the woman I find pleasing on the eyes, not so in any way of desire or want. But just in general. She be a warrior, a fair lookin’ elezen to go along with it as well. From her mannerisms, way o’ thinkin’ and honorable speakin’ way. I would not shy away from her company if she wanted to speak about somthin’. Hells be damned more curious how the lass fights. Doubt the axe is fer show but curiosity be a strong thing.”

@rycasrose @scarred-fangs

[fingersinhisass]

all of them :) for alphonse :))))))

ALWAYS.

01. Full name: 

well he’s gone by lots of names so?? his birth name is laermeluion (lyre-mehl-wee-on) aeralinde, but for a while he went by horthien, and then he killed both of his old selves and for all intents and purposes is alphonse edmund mcallister. he chose that one himself.

02. Best friend:

i mean it used to be borem, but. that relationship is still kinda on thin ice

03. Sexuality:

(barely) functional bi

04. Favorite color:

any and all shades of purple

05. Relationship status:

currently? single. in the future? married as fuck.

06. Ideal mate:

someone he can utterly dote on, who finds his idiocy endearing rather than obnoxious and can see past that to his good heart. but also someone who will call him on his bullshit and act as his impulse control bc he has none.

07. Turn-ons:

competency and skill, tbh. he started to catch feelings for shaelle bc he was so utterly impressed by her magical abilities and just general ability to deal with situations that to him seemed difficult.

08. Favorite food:

soup!!!! he loves soups

09. Crushes:

one of the lumberjacks from the terrible christmas special but the big one, obviously, is shaelle. also a little bit borem when they first met, but that fizzled out pretty quickly into just a strong platonic affection.

10. Favorite music: 

anything people play in taverns and at public festival dances

11. Biggest fear:

being exposed as the monster that he is and having everyone he loves be repulsed and abandon him

12. Biggest fantasy:

that someday he’ll be able to balance the scales of his wrongdoings and that his good deeds will finally outnumber his sins. also maybe smooching shaelle just a little bit.

13. Bad habits:

uhhh not sleeping like AT ALL (i know technically elves don’t have to sleep but like. fuck that), making snap judgements about people and acting accordingly, responding impulsively to situations, buying every fashionable piece of purple clothing he can get his hands on, blaming himself for like. everything

14. Biggest regret:

LMAO. like. a good fifty to seventy years of his life. but i guess more specifically, the one murder that always haunts him

15. Best kept secrets:

how about the fact that he’s kind of a murderer??? although i guess people know abt that now but like. maybe his birth name. only he and his mom know it

16. Last thought:

he was thinking about what he was gonna eat for dinner. he wants squash soup.

17. Worst romantic experience:

oh yikes. there have been plenty of times where he’s just come on way too strong for some people and they don’t respond well, like, at all. he’s kind of an acquired taste romantically – very much the sort for grand romantic gestures and all that sentimental garbage. 

18. Biggest insecurity:

he kind of views himself as a terrible, soulless monster? but he’s working on it. physically, probably his ears. they’re just really pointy

19. Weapon of choice:

a rapier bc he’s a fucking. flowery ass bitch.

20. Role Model:

his mom (he’s a total momma’s boy) and probably like, every folk hero ever

[firelight-tales-of-exandria]

Firelight Tales of Exandria, Ch.16 part 1 - “Absolving the Scapegoat”

So, I’d like to thank you all for coming, and let’s tell some stories...

“History is replete with events that can easily be traced: events caused by other events; events that, in turn, cause other events. Some: innocuous, everyday, entirely unworthy of mention. Some: having profound consequences; events that reverberate though history. At first they may seem beneath notice, little more than a drop in a still pond, but as with the pond, the waves of that drop radiate outward forming larger and larger rings of causality.

“A people from a foreign land arrive to find an unspoiled continent; and then, ambitious raiders from across the sea seize that land and install a new empire. An emperor, iron-fisted, rules from an unshakable throne, sending his populace into dismay and panic; and then, a single dissenting voice speaks up, rousing a chorus of others to join them to depose the tyrant.

“A thousand years of peace, ancient dangers and threats long forgotten, banished from the history and minds of those who lead their contented lives; and then, tearing through portals in the fabric of reality, winged terrors scour the land, some acting upon primal impulses to feed and destroy, others enacting long-burning vengeance, with machinations to send the world into a thousand years of darkness; and then, small bands of resistance come together, disparate peoples from all walks of life rally around a cause, spearheaded by a small, seemingly un-noteworthy group, but their deeds become a rallying cry to inspire countless others to stand up and lay claim to their own futures, to depose the tyranny of the powerful and fulfill the promise of freedom.

“A tavern, tucked away into the dark corners of a city at a crossroads, where, one by one, disparate wanderers, some seeking, some running, but all manage to come together in the most unpredictable and unassuming of fashions, coming together out of common necessity, then of newfound camaraderie, and finally out of a shared purpose to set things right; and in a single moment, a decision is made, a course of action laid out, and the consequence yet to be played out...”

“And then...”

Cezika and Song return to the room after their long talk with Zeal. Cezika proceeds to push Song onto one of the barracks beds.

Shadow, whispering to Leaf: “Courtship ritual?”

Song: “This isn’t what it looks like: I am taking a nap.”

Song takes his lute in his lap and begins tuning it, claiming that it helps him sleep. The rest of the party watches as he absently strums for a bit, before lazily settling into a mellow lullaby. Eventually, Song falls asleep, but one of his arms continues to move in a steady rhythm, as if conducting an orchestra. After a few minutes, his movements soon become erratic and spastic, and his hand comes down across on the lute strings, sending out an unearthly, discordant tone that pierces the minds of the whole party like a dagger. When the pain subsides, they all see Song slumped on the bed, motionless, not breathing, and bleeding from the eyes, nose, and ears.

Leaf rushes to Song’s side, healing him and pulling him back from death’s door, and his eyes fly open. Song seems genuinely surprised that everyone else was affected.

Song apologizes for unintentionally hurting the party. It seems he has developed abilities that allow him to possibly peek into and affect the future through his dreams (possibly inherited from his mother), but he still has no idea of how exactly it works.

Song tries to explain that he was attempting to divine the true situation of Westruun and what course of action the party should take, and that manifested in the form of a spectral concerto played by the members of the party. Song changed the key of the piece according to which forces would bring about different resolutions: the Margrave, the Clasp, and Alma the hag. The key involving the Margrave and the Clasp together produced the most satisfying tune, tremulous but stable, but the last one that Song attempted was a key without any of those three factors, producing the otherworldly feedback that hurt everyone.

Ladryssa: “What did it feel like?”

Song: “It was mathematically perfect and existentially empty.”

Shadow: “What does that mean?”

Song: “I don’t know.”

Song says, as far as he understands it, their best bet is to somehow get the Margrave and Clasp to cooperate or at least coexist if they want any hope of saving Westruun.

Ladryssa: “We want the city to still be standing.”

Leaf: “It is weird and full of buildings, but it does not deserve to go away. There are people here that I like.”

The party tries to figure out how to show the Margrave and the Clasp that there is a sickness eating away at the city, without killing people and taking out their rotted brains.

Song thinks the Clasp is making a play for the Margrave’s seat of power, possibly using Buddy, or even themselves, as scapegoats. The how and why still eludes the group.

The curiosity Song’s visions comes back into play, so he produces the sheet music he has been writing in his sleep. It is a mess of notes written in various mediums (ink, blood, etc.), and it is incomprehensible to most of  the party, but Song can hear it in his head even without studying the measures.

After Song joking about the party dying tomorrow, Shadow floats the idea of running away again, but the rest of them remain unconvinced Buddy would survive if they abandoned him. The party agrees that they can’t do this alone, and they make plans to ask Dren and Zeal for help, and possibly warn Nellywicke to leave the city.

As the party ask the guards to let them leave to talk to their friends, they are summoned early to speak with the Margrave. The party is escorted to the Margrave’s manor, up to his private office.

Margrave Brandon Zimmerset waits for the party, accompanied by his adjutant, Captain Aubren Sylvain. The party is asked to sit, and the Margrave waits impatiently for them to comply. He extends the gratitude of Westruun to the party for resolving the encroaching corruption, but regrets that the troubles for the city remain unresolved.

The Margrave explains that the competing claims on the bounty, their link to the murder at the barracks, and the mounting civil unrest with regards to the long-standing martial law of the city have raised the suspicions of the Shields. Their own investigation has concluded that the Clasp are using this situation to stoke resentment against the Margrave’s authority within the city’s populace, and are using Buddy’s reputation as an outsider within the community and his status as a suspect to drive a wedge between them.

The party reaffirms the Margrave’s suspicions about Gortman’s role in the current tension and his arrangement with the Clasp. Zimmerset explains that the murder victim from the barracks was actually the one who brought in Buddy, and suspected to have done so under contract from the Clasp. The intelligence gathered by the Shields leads the Margrave to believe that the Clasp is attempting to set up Buddy as a scapegoat the city’s discontented can project their grievances on: a non-human outsider, a part of the “law-biding society’s” fringe, once who comes from the very parts of the wilderness that were threatening the safety of the city itself.

As preposterous as this is, the influence of some of the members of this movement within the community have lobbied for Buddy’s trial to be made public. The Margrave is then presented with a dilemma: let the trial proceed as normal, revealing Buddy to be innocent and setting him free, making the Masrgrave seem weak and unwilling to mete out “justice”; doctor the trial’s evidence to find Buddy guilty and unjustly execute him for treason and murder, sating the crowd’s bloodthirst and diffusing tensions at the cost of legitimizing their insular, xenophobic agenda.

The Margrave, sworn to uphold the sanctity of the law, yet knowing the long-term ramifications of such action, asks the party’s council. The party, in turn, vehemently rejects both options and instead suggests a third course of action: make contact with the Clasp and offer to work together to have them diffuse the fervor and establish stability in the region.

At first, the Margrave is outraged, wanting to concede nothing to the criminal element that was responsible for this mess in the first place. However, through their fight with Alma, the party has reason to believe that the Clasp was being manipulated as well and if it could be proven they may be open to negotiation. Captain Aubren concedes the point, making note of the Clasp’s role in saving Emon’s people during the occupation by Thordak, the Cinder King, and their subsequent aid in rebuilding the metropolis.

Speaking of the corrupting influence of Alma’s malady, Shadow raises the question of loyalty within the ranks of the Shields, makiong mention of the Margrave’s assistant. The Margrave assures Shadow that he trusts his life to Captain Aubren. The Margrave and his aid then produce keys that, in-unison, open a secure drawer of the Margrave’s desk; and some members of the party begin to wonder to themselves the history, circumstances, and true depth of their relationship (the kind that would be found in any cheaply-printed, tawdry, copper-dreadful romance novel, drafted out of context and wholly lacking any basis in truth, yet passed around in secret among tittering youths and gossip-mongering housemarms).

The Margrave produces stacks of golds coins to pay the party’s bounty, while regrettably rescinding part of it as compensation for their obstruction of the investigation. He then counts out several other small stacks of platinum coins, while bemoaning that he cannot officially charge the party with carrying out a clandestine operation to confront the Clasp to dismiss Buddy’s trial and bring about a peaceful resolution to the unrest of the city’s agitators. Getting the hint, the party agree but are told the Margrave can only delay Buddy’s trial so long, and a sentence must be reached by sundown tomorrow.

The group are returned to their barracks pad to plan and rest for the next day. They reach a consensus that Gortman is the key, as he has been present at the meetings that rile up the town, and his bar was guarding the storehouse that housed sickness-infested foods that were being distributed about the town.

Shadow is violently awakened in the middle of the night by the magic of their pendant, as they peer out into the night to see barely-visible motes of darkness descend from the moonlight sky. One of these shadowy apparitions lands in the barracks parade grounds and the Shield guards immediately confront it, only to be batted away, their life-essence drained amidst screams of agony.

Shadow loudly rouses the rest of the party, begging for them to flee. The party bursts out of their pad, running off amidst the chaos of battle. Shadow mounts the rooftops of the barracks and makes his escape over the battlements, Cezika climbing and sprinting after him. The apparition disengages from the desiccated mass of guards to follow them, and Nakiya breaks into the abandoned quartermaster’s office to recover the party’s weapons and equipment in the confusion.

Song, Leaf, Ladryssa, and Nakiya lose sight of Shadow and Cezika, but guess that it would be logical they regroup at a place they all know and feel safe at: The Sloppy Satyr.

As Shadow flees from the Garrison, they see the withered figure of an ashen-skinned elf, intently spying the calamity from a distant rooftop. As Shadow attempts to evade their spectral pursuer, they lose sight of the elf.

The apparition flies after Shadow, despite their efforts to lose it. Making a sharp turn near the Satyr, the roiling figure of darkness stops trailing the frantic tabaxi, only to turn its attention to a drunk vagrant outside the tavern’s walls. Shadow, seeing another victim at their pursuers mercy, decides to stand their ground, attacking the apparition as it makes to suck the life from the bystander.

The spectral creature is somewhat fazed by Shadow’s magic, and as it turns its attention back to them, a streak of holy fire descends from the sky to briefly envelop the spectre. Aeden, the owner of the Sloppy Satyr, comes to the petrified vagrant’s aid, only to be enveloped in the shadowy tendril’s of the apparition’s grasp. The rest of the party arrives on the scene to see Aeden brought low by the creature. As they make ready to pepper it with whatever feeble attacks they can muster, the party sees a flash of holy light pierce the creature as Dren banishes the darkness.

Nakiya and Dren take Aeden down into his bunk in the Satyr’s cellar, as the rest of the party tends to Shadow’s shock and fear. Leaf and Nakiya minister to the haggard barkeep, as he shivers and murmurs his dead wife’s name.

Shadow relates the horrifying history of his clan’s demise at the hands of a massive being or force of living darkness, whispered only as Sin or Oblivion, and their escape with the aid of their Mother’s Mother, who gave them the amulet which alerts Shadow to its presence. Shadow also reveals that their brief contact with the force/creature had bestowed some manner of its power onto them. After Mother’s Mother gave her life to cover their escape from Syngorn, Shadow has been running ever since.

Song asks Dren if he has any insight into what this darkness actually is, but he is at a loss, only saying that it reeks of death. The priest suggests that if they wish to learn more, they should consult either the sages of the Dawnfather (a god of light and life) or the acolytes of the Matron of Ravens (the guardian of the balance of death and renewal).

Dren: “Aeden... Now I know what you’ve seen... It’s why you couldn’t run. It’s why you wouldn’t.”

The party insists on protecting Shadow, in spite of their protests and refusal of their sacrifice on their behalf; whether they choose to run or stand and fight, they will stand by their friend’s side no matter what is searching for them.

Song says, even thought they are deprived of rest and wounded, they should make the best of the situation and go searching for Gortman in the middle of the night. Nakiya reluctantly leaves Aeden’s side, and Song and Cezika ask Dren to keep Zeal safe. Preparing to hunt a misanthropic toady of a menacing thieves guild, the party sets out into the cool night air.

[aldmerii-blog]

aubren @aggressivelyqueerdisaster offered to do one of my companion things for her dnd character if i did one for mine so here it is, my best girl,,

lady shaelle dasyra is a half-elf wizard noble and potential companion and romance option for a main character of any race and gender (although she shows open disapproval of humans, who start the game with a negative approval score from her, she is not averse to dating one)

shaelle generally likes diplomatic and measured responses to events (the exception being when you are betrayed by the warlock; attacking him gains the most approval). she will occasionally approve of particularly witty responses. asking her opinions on things, complimenting her, or doing favors for her are all surefire ways to gain approval. lastly, spellcasters have the ability to discuss magical theory with her; this yields a great deal of approval. 

she dislikes violence, deceit, and willful ignorance. insulting or belittling her will very quickly lower your approval rating. choosing to betray allies will incite her vocal protest and a steep drop in approval (you can lessen the drop with a high enough Persuasion score, but there is no score that mitigates it completely). 

an easy way to begin gaining approval is to do her early personal quests (called “courtly correspondence” in the quest journal), which entails bringing a letter to someone in the upper districts. you must complete at least one of these quests to proceed with her personal quests. each letter nets you +2 approval. the letters are delivered to lord camusil ni’tessine. he is cordial in receiving the letter, but if you try to speak to him further, he will dismiss or insult you. he has a total of sixty derisive comments to make. 

after your first letter delivery, you can ask shaelle about camusil (who she calls “cam”). she will explain that their parents run rival trading companies and hold rival positions in court, but that she is in love with him. 

when confronting camusil during the third demon exorcism, there are two ways to go about subduing him. shaelle will offer to placate him (+20) or you can duel him and knock him unconscious (-40). 

after successfully exorcising cam, a cutscene will trigger the next time you talk to shaelle. if you fought cam, she will berate you, though through the right dialogue choices you can regain the lost approval (choosing the flirt option “i was worried he would hurt you and unwilling to take that chance” will actually leave you with more ending approval than not fighting cam). afterwards she proceeds with the same concerns she approaches a MC who let her deal with cam with -- that she’s worried about him and wants to check in on him, but is too nervous to go alone. 

this triggers her main personal quest, “love in the time of demonic possession”. it involves breaking into ni-tessine manor, which involves no combat but multiple puzzles. once you reach the house proper, a cutscene triggers. shaelle leads you up to cam’s room and tries to talk to him, but he dismisses her, repeatedly belittling and blaming her for what has happened to him. the main character has two quicktime events -- first to punch him, second to come to her defense verbally. if neither are taken, camusil will berate her until she bursts into tears. no matter what happens, she leaves. 

you meet her in the street outside afterward, where she is crying and hyperventilating. if no action was taken inside, you have the option to agree with cam. shaelle will not respond, but the scene will end and she will leave your party forever. otherwise, after calming her down, you can either affirm your friendship or attempt begin a romance. if your approval isn’t high enough, she will decline to begin a romance and the friendship dialogue will trigger. 

flirting with shaelle after the friendship dialogue will cause her to approach you again and thank you for coming with her, and you have the option to initiate a romance again. she will only do this when your approval is high enough to do so, so there is no failing. 

after the fourth exorcism, the mc will receive a letter inviting them to dinner. this adds the quest “meet the dasyras” to the quest journal and, although it appears innocuous, shaelle’s romance cannot be confirmed without winning her parents’ approval. knowing your character’s strengths will help you succeed at this quest; a high-intelligence character will, for example, benefit greatly from choosing to discuss magic and politics with her mother. a high-charisma character will be able to charm the table with friendly banter. a highly dexterous character will do well at dancing -- so on. failing this quest will cause shaelle to break off the romance, so it is recommended you make a save before beginning it. 

after the romance has been confirmed, she has several repeatable cutscenes:

“tea?”  mc and shaelle lounge on a chaise under a gazebo, eating little cakes and drinking tea. there is no dialogue in this scene. 

“fancy a walk?” mc and shaelle stroll hand-in-hand through a shaded park. you can either ask for advice on the current main quest objective, which she will give, or ask about her -- she has many lines of dialogue for this answer, chosen randomly. potential topics include her schooling, family, and fashion. 

“i could go for a bath.” mc and shaelle take a bath together. you can choose to simply cuddle or to have sex with her.