#chaieyestea

[troublewithvampires]

@chaieyestea said: 💐 (feral about Sal, feral about flower symbolism. puts them together in a blender and shakes it)

💐 BOUQUET - create a bouqet for them! what do those flowers mean? are any of the flowers their particular favourite?

//YEAHH YEAH YEAHHHH!!!! ok before we start i wanna just call out that a lil bit ago i started writing a short story about salvatore centering around flower symbolism, but i never ended up finishing it. i kinda wanna do that now but we'll see idk it's 2 am

so i am gonna interpret this prompt as just collecting a batch of flowers that have symbolism relating to salvatore and themes around him as a character--i'll only do five, but trust me i can keep going.

but i do also wanna say i just imagined someone actually *giving* him flowers and how flustered and embarrassed but flattered he'd be. he'd call them a dumb bitch and insist he hates them but then he'd hold the flowers close and refuse to let go of them.

now. the flowers. disclaimer: i am not an expert on flower symbolism and my research into these was very brief. once again under the cut <3

Persian Speedwell - travel, kindness, loyalty, protection.

the symbolism here is probably a bit obvious--salvatore is a character for whom loyalty is important above all else. he was taught from a young age to value loyalty and to *be* loyal, never turning his back on those who depend on him. this also extends into him being overprotective of those he cares about, especially post-vampirism.

i also think travel fits in well, because i imagine him and jason travel around for a while before they settle down with their daughter. for many years, it's just them against the world, really, traveling around in jason's shitty van.

and as for the kindness part... well, sal would argue that one doesn't apply to him, but it definitely does. he's not good at being compassionate, but he *can* be very kind.

Wolfsbane - misanthropy

once again, a bit obvious. though i wouldn't classify sal as misanthropic most of the time, it's undeniable that he has a lot of anger in his heart, a lot of deep-seated rage an despair at a world that he views as having abandoned him at best, and actively hurt him at worst. in many ways, sal is deeply angry and hopeless.

another reason i list wolfsbane here, though, is that wolfsbane in particular is a plant associated very strongly with the occult. while it's more heavily associated with werewolves, i think that's a fun connection to make for a supernatural character in general.

aaand lastly. well. wolfsbane is very poisonous, and it's a staple in both historical and modern fiction for that. (not to say that it's only ever been used as a poison in *fictional* settings, of course, but still.) i haven't found a specific correlation in terms of how it's been used throughout history, but i think it's interesting that in fiction, wolfsbane (or aconite in general) is sometimes used for assassinations of powerful figures.

salvatore was never, like, the leader of the gang or even particularly powerful in the mob, but he *did* have some power as one of nickels' most trusted men. arguably, his death was an assassination in that sense. (and it also later led to nickels himself being murdered, so. welp.)

Coltsfoot - justice shall be done

i'm tying this one to salvatore's desire for revenge against those who hurt him, especially victor. while i don't think salvatore is *completely* lacking in self-awareness about his craving for vengeance, i also think he sees it as dishing out justice more than anything. justice shall be done, starting with every person who contributed to salvatore's downfall and eventual murder.

but even for people who didn't hurt him, sal does not have a hard time at all justifying killing people. not to say he thinks he's always in the right for doing so and that he's always ~dishing out justice~ but... ok a big example that comes to mind for me on this front is like. so the vampires who turned sal.... sal fucking murdered them. all of them. and he justified it to himself because he figures... vampirism is a fate worse than death, and these things would've gone on to kill and turn dozens more people if he let them go. so, it's better to kill them all.

Mourningbride - unfortunate attachment, "i have lost all"

YEEEEHAW ANOTHER BUMMER ONE!! okay anyway-

i associate this flower with sal in the sense that, like... very few of the people he was close to pre-vampirism actually reciprocated that care and devotion he had for them. salvatore has been exploited and abused throughout his life, and he doesn't really have a good sense of healthy relationships with other people, and he's incredibly easy to manipulate if you know what you're doing. "unfortunate attachment" indeed.

the other symbolism thing is pretty self-explanatory tbh. sal loses everything, and then he dies, and then he's brought back as a vampire and has to pick up the pieces.

Dandelion - overcoming hardship

i wanna end this on a good note, but i think dandelions are a really good flower symbol for salvatore. because i think they embody a lot of who sal is and the person he became post-vampirism. he was put through a horrific traumatic experience and turned into a monster, and yet he persists. he keeps going and he's not going to stop.

i also really love to connect the fact that dandelions are considered weeds in many places to the general lack of regard a lot of people in sal's life pre-vampirism had for him. he was useful, yes, but as a tool rather than a person. the person was a weed, but the tool was useful sometimes.

i'm very tired rn but like. something something the imagery of dandelions growing in cracked concrete vs salvatore emerging from the smoldering remains of the warehouse he was turned in, covered in blood and ash.

--

and as for a favorite flower of sal's... honestly, one of his faves is forget-me-nots! not for any particular reason tbh, but he likes them a lot. if he received a bouquet of those he would be very touched. they're also his go-to flowers to give those he cares about--even if he doesn't really get flower symbolism, these ones aren't hard to figure out. it's one of many ways sal may try to express love for someone without really knowing how to.

[gas-stxtion-a]

@chaieyestea said: Weird question, but are any of your muses ticklish?

//hmmmmm.... alright, y'know, this isn't something i'd thought about before, but i think. some of them?

jack i imagine may be a little ticklish, but not to a super significant degree. probably mainly around his neck, if anything.

jerry isn't ticklish at all but pretends that he is because he thinks it's funny. if you try to tickle him he'll go along with it and then turn the tables on you the second you let your guard down. merciless.

rosa is very ticklish in general, and she giggles very cutely if you manage to catch her off guard and tickle her a bit.

amelia is a little less ticklish than rosa, but she definitely still can be at times.

spencer isn't ticklish--he may have been at some point, but being killed and resurrected has dulled a lot of sensation he experiences, so he isn't anymore.

aaaand tony i feel is a bit ticklish, but not like. *super* ticklish. just a little bit. just enough that if you catch him off guard you can get him to laugh.

sabine wasn't ticklish at all but *would* absolutely elbow you on reflex if you tried to tickle her.

[multi-lefaiye]

the sins you committed in life you carry with you in death. you can never escape the brand on your soul. so, what will you do now?

FINALLY FINISHED THIS FUCKING POSTERRRR... god i'm so excited about how it turned out. i feel like i learned a lot and tried some new things, and it was a lot of fun!!! and this labor of love was well worth it... i started this in april of this year, and i'm so happy it's finally done! <3

this is a gift to my fellow players into the 'into darkness we march' campaign, which i originally created my boy eden for. most of them aren't on tumblr lol, but <3 @skitzo-kero @moonflowerrss and @paradoxspir1t ily all <333

as a fun little treat, under the cut is the original sketch from back in april! the taglist is also under the cut :> fill out this form to be added <3 ty

original sketch:

@anexor @skitzo-kero @vacantgodling @invaderskoodge @albatris

@chaieyestea @corvus-rose @void-botanist @kk7-rbs @moonflowerrss

@paradoxspir1t @yourlocal-lichen @drawnecromancy @angsty-prompt-hole

[yewphoric]

Art Fight attack for @chaieyestea !

[thewoodstock-stock]

Some variated doodles from @chaieyestea Tftgs VS the World AU

Yes, I did draw Jack as Ramona, but I have a SLIGHT variety of the AU from Chais in which Jack is Scott (with Ramonas fits bc he deserves to SLAY) and Ramona is a mix of Sabine and Tony, Sabine while in slumber to help him move on with Tony through the whole subspace highway

Also Spencer is Envy and Kieffer is Todd and don't you know? Kieffer vegan. :')

[vacantgodling]

jack flowers for @chaieyestea

thank you so much for this huge commission! i really love how it came out and i’m so glad you do too 🥺

my commission queue is open so i have prices starting as low as $1 (pwyw) so check them out here!

[troublewithvampires]

@chaieyestea said: What are Salvatore's thoughts about himself in a parental position? Would he be a good father? A strict one? A lax one? Could he be there for a kid at all, physically and emotionally?

//chai i am giving you the biggest platonic smooch on the forehead right now. with tongue. thank you for this.

anyway this is something i think about a completely normal amount (<- lying through his teeth). this is going under the cut since it's fucking long lmao

What are Salvatore's thoughts about himself in a parental position?

so. fatherhood isn't something salvatore has ever really thought about or considered as a possibility for himself. i think when he was younger he might've idly fantasized about it, but it was less out of a desire to be a father and more out of a desire to be The Man Of The House.

baby sal didn't really understand the gender thoughts he was having, only that being told that he could be a housewife and a mom was *viscerally* upsetting to him, and he sometimes retorted that, actually, he'd never do that. he'd never be a *mom*, he'd be a *dad*, if anything.

(his mother interpreted this as him just being a little contrarian asshole as he was often wont to do, rather than it possibly being an indicator of something deeper.)

but, beyond that, sal didn't put much thought into it, and once he started working for the mob, he threw out any idle fantasies about fatherhood. it was never something he was super interested in, and after a certain point he figured he wouldn't be able to take care of a kid anyway. men like him don't have children, and that's fine.

(part of this also tied into sal's internalized ideas about gender and sexuality--he wouldn't be able to have children the "traditional" way for a man, so what was the point?)

then, when sal was with bruno, he actually began considering the idea of becoming a father again. bruno talked about it a lot, and he suggested several times that he and sal should run away together, have some kids, and just... be happy. and y'know, sal really liked that idea, up until bruno made it clear that he expected sal to detransition and be his wife in that scenario, tying sal being a *woman* to the fantasy of being happy and having a family. so sal threw it out again once things ended with bruno, and he decided that was it. he wasn't meant to have a family, even *if* he wanted to.

and then sal was killed and became a vampire, and he had much bigger things to worry about.

so, to finally answer your question: salvatore doesn't think of himself as a parental person. even when he considered it previously, he didn't take it super seriously. he isn't caring enough, and he's not a *good* man, so who would trust him with a kid?

(and then he ends up with a kid anyway, but this post isn't about izzy.)

Would he be a good father? A strict one? A lax one?

salvatore is actually pretty decent as a father! he's not so good at the emotional aspect, but he actually... treats kids as people. which sounds weird but in all verses where he ends up raising kids, he has a particular kind of gruff compassion for them where he doesn't like to talk down to them and instead tries to be like... honest and upfront and *listen* to them. he's not very good at it every time, emotionally stunted as he is, but he's actively trying.

he's the product of a household where he was treated as a burden by the adults in his life, and he'd never want to make a kid feel that way if he could do anything about it.

though, and i hate to say it, i think sal is actually a bit better equipped in many ways to care for a daughter than a son. not to say he's *incapable* of raising a son, but that would require him to deal with the toxic masculinity he was raised with *much* more directly or risk actually hurting the kid. (not to say he wouldn't have to with a daughter, but still! sal's got very bad internalized ideas about gender, and it's hard to drop those.)

in terms of how strict he'd be, i think sal would be pretty strict, but not overly so. he expects his kids to have their shit together and not slack off, but i also think he's not the type to just dish out abusive punishments in the name of discipline. again, he treats kids as people rather than little aliens or dogs he has to train and keep in line.

sal values loyalty and obedience, but not *unquestioning* obedience. he's the kind of dad who's completely fine with his kids calling him a dick and not showing him *respect* if they feel he doesn't deserve it. but at the same time, he wants them to understand that he's on their side. even if they disagree, he's on the same side.

so, overall, i think he'd be a pretty good dad by the time he actually has any kids. i'd like to mention tho that he does have previous experience trying to care for a child pre-vampirism, and it goes fucking horribly, but we'll get into that here in a sec...

Could he be there for a kid at all, physically and emotionally?

physically? yes. emotionally? it definitely depends.

salvatore struggles deeply with emotional vulnerability, and though he gets better by the time he ends up with any kids, he's still not *perfect* by a long shot. it's hard for him to be open, and it's hard for him to encourage that same openness in others. however, he's actively trying.

he encourages his kids to just... talk to him, and he can listen. he can't always offer good advice for tricky emotional or social matters, but he can listen and he can take their worries and struggles seriously.

(like in my plotting with teddy, we've talked about sal sitting down with stan and just hearing him out regarding his family and depression, in a way no one has before. actually listening to him and letting him vent. not just brushing him off and taking his struggles and concerns seriously. and in the end, sure, sal doesn't really have any advice to offer, but he can at least make it clear to stan that he's not alone and that there *is* at least one adult in his life who takes him seriously.)

(contrasting this, though, with a scene between victor and sal, when sal is in his mid-20s and victor is 14. victor comes to sal after a traumatic event and seeks out comfort, but sal shuts him down pretty brutally and tells him that he needs to *stop fucking crying* and get his shit together, or he'll be easy prey for any of the men around them. very much speaking from experience, because that's what happened to sal. but at that point, sal isn't capable of breaking the abusive cycles he's been trapped in, and it results in him *really* fucking victor up for a while. post-vampirism, he's much better about this, but pre-vampirism sal is a toxic little cunt with a chip on his shoulder.)

as for being there *physically*, oh, very much so. sal is definitely an overprotective dad in many respects, completely unafraid to throw down to protect them. he's always been an acts of service motherfucker, so the best way salvatore knows how to show affection is *physical* action and being there. no kid of his is gonna wonder if sal cares about them, if he has anything to say about it.

best example for this.. this post isn't about his daughter izzy, but on several occasions, izzy threatens her bullies by telling them that her dad's gonna kill them if they don't stop. and she's not wrong! sal definitely wouldn't just go be violent with a child, even a little *shit* of a child, but he's not afraid to put the fear of god into them a bit if they mes with his baby. sal backs up and protects his own, especially children.

and lastly. i just wanna share. salvatore's approach to parenting in many ways is, like... "no one protected me, and i'm not making the same mistake with you. i'll make sure you stand on your own, but i'll always catch you if you fall."

[gas-stxtion-a]

@chaieyestea said: Not sure if you've already talked about something like this, but what are your muses' (you pick who) sleeping traits? Ex, do they have the body temp of a radiator? Do they toss and turn in their sleep? Would they press their ice-cold feet to the back of someone's legs to wake them up?

//oooh yes yes!!! first of all. hello chai. second of all. i have talked about some of this in the past, but i'll go ahead and take the opportunity to ramble a little!!! :3

jack: so jack doesn't usually sleep in an actual bed and tends to kinda just... fall asleep wherever he is, occasionally while standing and working. he sleepwalks like a motherfucker.

but, when he does sleep in a bed, he tends to curl up a little bit. imagine a little cat except this cat is trying *not* to take up space. that's him. growing up with like at least eight foster siblings means jack is used to taking up as little space as possible when he sleeps, because that's what he did as a child. he also tends to stay very still when he sleeps, and he's a very light sleeper. it doesn't take much to wake him up in general.

in terms of body temperature, jack naturally runs a bit colder--i actually headcanon he has a lower body temperature than average, which actually makes it a bit dicey when he has fevers because "fever" for him is not the same as many other people.

jerry: jerry sprawls out whenever he sleeps and is a *heavy* fucking sleeper. he sleeps like a rock. i also don't think he tosses and turns that much--essentially the moment he's unconscious, he's dead weight, and that's your problem now.

the only time he doesn't sprawl out is when he's sharing a bed with someone, in which case he cuddles them. he wraps himself around them like a big gangly octopus and refuses to let go. if you need to piss in the morning, god fucking help you.

jerry also snores a lot! and due to the gap in his front teeth, his snores sound a little like. whistle-y. that's not a word but that's what i'm imagining.

jerry runs a bit hot, but when his feet get cold, he *does* put them on people he shares a bed with without warning to wake them up.

rosa: rosa tends to toss and turn a little when she sleeps unless she's sharing the bed with someone. i don't think rosa can sleep comfortably and soundly alone, which is part of why she got a cat! ricky sleeps in her bed and curled up next to her, and that helps her sleep better.

rosa has a bit of a hotter body temperature than normal and she's a goddamn furnace under the covers. at least, to other people. rosa feels cold pretty easily and loves to bundle up when she sleeps--get this girl a pile of blankets STAT.

when sharing a bed with someone, rosa loves to cuddle, and she's perfectly happy as both big and little spoon. just snuggle her, that's what she wants.

tony: tony struggles to sleep quite a bit. he has chronic pain as a result of his back injury that makes it hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in--usually on his side, and even then, usually on his left side (to avoid putting too much pressure on his head injury. he sleeps very stiffly, one hand under his pillow and kinda curled around himself.

(tony keeps a gun under his pillow, just in case. he never feels safe letting his guard down and he needs to be ready to pull it out at a moment's notice.)

when he shares a bed with someone, tony curls around them, usually arranging them so that he's between them and the door (if they're close enough, but if he's sharing a bed with them then i figure they are). he's a bit of a light sleeper, though, so it's not hard to wake him up if you need to move. he also runs very warm, though, and cuddling with him gets hot and sweaty real fast.

spencer: spencer can sleep standing straight up with his eyes open. and he often does that, though he doesn't sleep walk to as significant a degree as jack does. but yeah, spencer doesn't usually sleep in a bed either, and he tends to sleep very stiffly whenever he does. he doesn't toss and turn, and he's a super light sleeper as well. similarly to tony, spencer keeps a weapon on him at all times, and he makes sure to have easy access to it even when resting.

spencer runs very cold. he doesn't heat up easily, and though he'd never admit it, he does like to have a lot of blankets when he sleeps. only when he sleeps alone, of course--he'd never let anyone know he's *vulnerable* and wants *comfort* like a soft blanket. why would he do that? freak.

on the incredibly rare occasions that spencer trusts someone enough to share a bed with them, spencer kinda drapes himself over them. not really curling around them in a protective way, very much putting an arm over them in a possessive way. you can't leave, because spencer doesn't want you to.

amelia: amelia i imagine also tends to sleep pretty stiffly, but she's a muuuuch heavier sleeper than spencer or tony. when she conks out, she's out for the next eight hours minimum. however, when she cuddles with someone, she loosens up and likes to just hold them, often resting her head on their chest.

as someone who tends to be pretty dominant in a lot of situations (by necessity, not by choice), it's hard for amelia to let her walls down most of the time, even just to cuddle up to someone, but when she does she *melts.* absolutely amelia cuddles up to someone and loves to be their little spoon.

i also imagine amelia runs pretty hot sometimes, but not overly so. she's warm, really. a very comfortable body temperature to snuggle with.

sabine: as a bonus, sabine sprawls out when sleeping alone, but when sleeping with someone, she curls up around them, holding them close to her body and burying her face in the back of their neck. sabine isn't super comfortable as a little spoon must of the time, but god does she love being the big spoon.

(though, yes, on the occasions she's comfortable letting someone spoon up behind her, she loves it. just hold her gently and kiss the back of her neck pls <3)

sabine is a very heavy sleeper, though she struggles to fall asleep at time. girl often has to take a melatonin before bed, and that shit knocks her out cold for ten hours at a time.

[multi-lefaiye]

is something wrong, darling?

cannot believe i never posted this--this is a commission i finished back in april for my friend joey, of his oc azrael!!! i love this fucking guy. he's such a bastard. campy fun villain and also just such a bastard man. twice's new bestie who's encouraging them to think for themself and ditch the cult <3

(as a note, i am not accepting new commissions rn, because that doesn't feel fair at all to the people still waiting on me to finish theirs lmao)

tag list under the cut! (fill out this form to be added <3)

@skitzo-kero @anexor @invaderskoodge @vacantgodling @chaieyestea

@paradoxspir1t @moonflowerrss @corvus-rose @albatris @kk7-rbs

@drawnecromancy @yourlocal-lichen @angsty-prompt-hole @astral-runic

[multi-lefaiye]

did some art the other day of mazzakarr himself, the god of mazzakarranism and the deity my oc twice was indoctrinated into worshipping. aka, murder daddy!

i've been working on a lore doc for him for a little while, but maybe now that i've finished some art of him i'll be able to focus on it fjsdlka;jf

art taglist (please fill out this form to be added): @skitzo-kero @anexor @chaieyestea @vacantgodling @invaderskoodge

@paradoxspir1t @corvus-rose @moonflowerrss @drawnecromancy @yourlocal-lichen

@albatris @void-botanist @kk7-rbs @angsty-prompt-hole

[multi-lefaiye]

it has been a HOT fucking minute since i posted any tales from the gas station fanart, jesus christ-

anyway. y'all remember those icons i did a little while back when i was testing drawing with my mouse again? i decided to finish those up. and then redo all of them, this time leaning more on my color associations with each character.

in order: amelia o'brien (yellow), antonio / carlos (green), jack townsend (blue), jerry pascal (orange), rosa vasquez (pink), sabine (purple), and spencer middleton (red)

art taglist: @skitzo-kero @anexor @chaieyestea @vacantgodling @albatris

@invaderskoodge @void-botanist @yourlocal-lichen @angsty-prompt-hole @moonflowerrss

@drawnecromancy @corvus-rose @paradoxspir1t

[multi-lefaiye]

HELLLOOOO GAMERS!!! unfortunately my travel plans this week and an internet outage meant i wasn't able to finish all of my artfight attacks. whoops! but i did finish a couple more that i'm really happy with,,,, sharing one of them here with u now <3

this is an attack for the lovely @erythristicbones of their oc josie!!!! i've been so fascinated and excited by this character ever since i first saw them talk about her, and i was so excited to finally draw her <3 the idea for this piece is that it's, like. somewhere in the mid-point of her corruption by her dragon magic. girliepop's starting to grow scales... damn :(

art taglist: @skitzo-kero @anexor @invaderskoodge @vacantgodling @chaieyestea

@paradoxspir1t @corvus-rose @albatris @drawnecromancy @moonflowerrss

@void-botanist @yourlocal-lichen @angsty-prompt-hole

[multi-lefaiye]

And I believe that, yeah, Dad, maybe no one is perfect / But I believe that you were pushing your luck

was in a Mood so i doodled a moment from an upcoming eden short story i hope to have finished soon.... this isn't exactly how things go down, but it's the vibe.

(this is canon to both sunbringer's song and the campaign, as a note :3)

taglist under the cut !

@invaderskoodge @skitzo-kero @anexor @vacantgodling @chaieyestea @astral-runic @kk7-rbs @moonflowerrss @paradoxspir1t @yourlocal-lichen @angsty-prompt-hole @albatris @corvus-rose @drawnecromancy @void-botanist

[multi-lefaiye]

Go forth, Sunbringer. As our Circle grows, so shall your song--only listen, and you will hear it.

sunbringer's song art!!! come get ur sunbringer's song art!!! this started as a little screenshot redraw doodle but i decided to finish it :3

art taglist (fill out this to be added): @skitzo-kero @anexor @invaderskoodge @vacantgodling @chaieyestea

@paradoxspir1t @albatris @yourlocal-lichen @kk7-rbs @moonflowerrss

@void-botanist

[multi-lefaiye]

FINALLY.... my project for the week is finally done. over the past several days, i've been working on portraits for the player characters in my wednesday d&d campaign, 'into darkness we march,' aka the campaign my boy eden was created for. i wanna draw more art of this campaign in general, so i think this was a good start :3 i love these characters so dearly.

in order, we've got: barley the monk-warlock (played by my fiance @skitzo-kero), strata the fighter-paladin (played by my friend @paradoxspir1t), hyndrol the rogue (played by my friend @moonflowerrss), james the artificer-rogue (played by my friend joey, who is not on tumblr afaik), eden the artificer-warlock (played by me <3), and pevier the bard (played by my friend parker, who is also not really on tumblr.)

these characters mean the world to me.

taglist under the cut! ask to be added or removed <3

@skitzo-kero @anexor @jezifster @kk7-rbs @moonflowerrss @chaieyestea @albatris @whonsper @invaderskoodge @approximately20eggs @rosesandartss @midnight-and-his-melodiverse @presidentquinn @astral-runic @astonishednoodle @transmasc-wizard

[multi-lefaiye]

MAZZAKARR - THE LORD OF SLAUGHTER

HERE WE GOOOOO MAZZY BOY LORE DUMP!!! this isn't all the lore i've come up with for this character and the fictional religion surrounding him, but i figured this is the best general overview i can offer at this time.

CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THE LORE DUMP: child abuse, cannibalism, torture, and murder. all just mentions, but still, tread lightly if any of that bothers you.

art/writing/random lore taglist: @anexor @skitzo-kero @invaderskoodge @vacantgodling @chaieyestea

@albatris @void-botanist @kk7-rbs @moonflowerrss @corvus-rose

@angsty-prompt-hole @astral-runic @paradoxspir1t

--

(also, a lot of specific terminology and locations mentioned here are related to locations in d&d, but you don't need to know those to understand this i think)

Names / Titles. Mazzakarr, The Apex Predator, The Lord of Slaughter, The Master of the Hunt, The Father (many variations of these titles are acceptable)

Pronouns. He/Him

Domains. Death, Strength, Bestial, Blood

Home Plane. Mazzakarr is a prisoner in Carceri, specifically in the realm of Cathrys. Once, however, he was a spirit of the Beastlands.

Alignment. Neutral Evil.

Visage. Mazzakarr is a tall, broad being with a strongman’s physique, built of powerful muscle cushioned by body fat. He has burning hot, green-tinted skin and thick patches of dark brown fur on his body, including a mane down his back. Most strikingly, he has the head of a spotted hyena, with four glowing red slits for eyes and a grin full of jagged teeth. He wears no armor and minimal clothing, often just a pair of black trousers and heavy, adamantine-toed boots. As a prisoner in Carceri, Mazzakarr wears an enchanted metal collar around his neck, and a pair of gauntlets disguising the cuffs around his wrists. Though the chains holding him in place are invisible to mortals, he feels their presence weighing him down all the same.

Voice. Mazzakarr’s voice is a deep, booming growl, with a strangely melodic quality despite his animalistic demeanor and appearance. Many of those who hear his voice whispering to them say that it sounds almost like a lullaby, the Apex Predator’s song lulling them to embrace the ways of slaughter. Like the hyenas that share his face, however, Mazzakarr has a very distinct laugh, which echoes around the jungles of Cathrys as he stalks his prey.

Commandments / Tenets.

Fight for survival, and never allow yourself to grow complacent with what you have.

Cull and consume the weak-willed who do not fight for themselves. Only the strong must survive.

Kill or be killed. Adapt or die. Move forward or fall behind.

The First Hunter. Though his name has been lost to history, an important piece of mythos for Mazzakarrans is that of the First Hunter, the first mortal to hear the whispers of Mazzakarr and embrace the spirit of slaughter. He was a mere civilian lost in a hopeless, endless war, who had lost everything he had to an invading army. Before they could kill him, however, he fled from them, and for three days and three nights, they chased him through the wilds.

Then, one night, as the Hunter struggled to stay awake, terrified of being found and killed by those searching for him, he heard the voice of the Apex Predator.

If you want to survive, you must kill them before they kill you, Mazzakarr whispered to him. Devour those who would stand against you. Take what is yours. Fight, and you will escape.

And the First Hunter listened. When daybreak came, his pursuers found him, and he slaughtered them one by one. And then, he devoured them entirely--mind, body, and soul.

After the war finally came to an end, the First Hunter continued to spread the word of Mazzakarr, encouraging others to accept the spirit of slaughter into their hearts. Many modern Mazzakarrans see him as a prophet-like figure, the first follower of their god.

The Blood-Kin. Of Mazzakarr’s most devoted followers, none compare to the blood-kin, those chosen to share his blood and become his prophets.

At a very young age, the prospective blood-kin are selected to be taken and raised by acolytes of Mazzakarr to embrace his ideals. Each child is assigned one dedicated caretaker, who raises them in isolation from each other. It is this caretaker’s responsibility to feed and nurture the blood-kin, all the while training them to fight, to struggle, and to remain loyal to their Father, the lord of slaughter himself.

At some point in the prospective blood-kin’s youth, whenever they are ready to ascend, their caretaker will try to kill them. If they succeed in killing their caretaker to save themself, they earn the right to ascend and become one of Mazzakarr’s chosen. If they fail, they die, and their corpse is discarded to rot.

After proving themself, the prospective blood-kin is taken to the High Temple, where the ritual to bind them to their god is performed. The exact steps are kept a tight-lipped secret, but the blood-kin is to remain conscious and aware as their body is broken and reshaped by the high priests, and as Mazzakarr’s essence enters their blood.

If they survive, from that day on, they are Mazzakarr’s blood-kin. All that’s left is to choose their weapon.

As soon as the blood-kin is able to stand following the ritual, they are led to a secluded chamber, where they are presented with a wide selection of weapons from which to choose. They have only a moment to consider their choices, however, before another Mazzakarran attacks them.

Whatever weapon they instinctively grab for to defend themself is theirs from that day forward.

The Blood-Kin Trials. Once the blood-kin have ascended and claimed their place as one of Mazzakarr’s most faithful, the real trial begins. For the god of strength through hardship would never simply grant someone the title of prophet, regardless of what they suffered to achieve the rank. No, they must fight for his favor.

After their ascension, the blood-kin begin a lifelong manhunt of each other. They are compelled to hunt and kill each other, to cull the unworthy who do not have the strength to carry their Father’s blood. This is their life’s purpose, what every other trial they’ve passed has been building toward.

For the most part, anything goes when it comes to the blood-kin hunting each other. They are permitted to do nearly whatever it takes to hunt and kill their “siblings.”

There are only a few rules they must follow when hunting each other, so as not to draw Mazzakarr’s ire:

A blood-kin can only be killed by another blood-kin--they cannot seek outsiders’ aid in slaughtering each other.

They cannot fight each other in the high temple; only slaughters approved by Mazzakarr himself may take place in this holiest place.

When a blood-kin is killed, their unworthy blood must be spilled, and whatever their killer chooses not to eat must be left to rot.

When there are only two blood-kin left alive, they are compelled by Mazzakarr to return to the High Temple, where they will duel to the death under the watchful gaze of their Father. Whichever one wins will then become his sole prophet, having earned the title through the slaughter of their kin.

Origins and Ascension. All Mazzakarrans are taught the story of Mazzakarr’s rise to godhood. For he did not start his existence as a god.

Many lifetimes ago, he was one of two sons of a nature deity known as Kozmas, the goddess of the hunt and the endless cycle of life and death, of predator and prey. She created her sons to represent two sides of the same coin, two different perspectives on survival in a harsh wild.

One was to represent the lone hunter, the solitary creature relying on only its own strength to survive; the other, meanwhile, was to represent the pack hunter, relying on a community of its kind and working together.

The younger son, the spirit of the lone hunter, would one day become Mazzakarr. And so, for many lifetimes, the brothers shared the wilds, dutifully following their mother’s words and watching over the many beasts of the world.

Even in his early years, the younger son was very clever, and he recognized his own strength compared to that of his brother, who was much more passive and agreeable. The lone hunter thought it redundant to have two sons, when one would have done the job just fine. It was short-sighted of their mother to create them both.

He explained all of this to the pack hunter, and the eldest son understood. Only one of them was needed to watch over the world’s creatures. And so, he gave himself to his brother, and the would-be Mazzakarr devoured him--mind, body, and soul--until there was nothing left.

With this fratricide, two souls became one, and Mazzakarr was born. He ascended to godhood, almost surpassing even his mother. And with this ascension came an all-consuming hunger, a desperate need for bloodshed and death.

Kozmas saw what had become of her sons, and she was left furious and grieving, at least as much as a god is able to feel such emotions. She was unwilling to accept Mazzakarr’s ascension, and she cast him out of the Beastlands. He was no longer her son, but a savage wearing his skin.

For the sin of murdering his brother, Kozmas confined Mazzakarr to Carceri, sentencing him to an eternity of prowling the Scarlet Jungles of Cathrys. If he was so hungry for death, he could sharpen his claws on the mortal sinners condemned to his new realm. But he would never again see the hunting grounds he once called home.

Many, many years passed, and slowly, Mazzakarr grew in power and notoriety. Soon, he came to reign over Cathrys, becoming a king rather than a mere prisoner. And as his power grew, so did his hunger for more and more of it.

And so, Mazzakarr turned his hungry gaze to the material plane.

The Devoured God. Mazzakarr’s brother’s name is lost to history, and in Mazzakarran holy texts he is only referred to as The Devoured God. In much older times, the Devoured God had followers of his own in the material plane, those who revered him and the sense of community he fostered among his disciples.

Following Mazzakarr’s ascension, his followers nearly wiped out those of the Devoured God’s, erasing all records of him and killing those who believed him. To this day, the followers of the Devoured God have yet to return, as far as anyone is aware.

Freedom From Carceri. Mazzakarr’s ultimate goal is to free himself from Carceri and to enter the material plane. Everything he does with the cult of Mazzakarranism brings him one step closer to freedom.

And when he is free, he will drown the material plane in its own blood, and remake it as he sees fit.