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kobblefort · 2 years ago

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Rushsly: Into the Depths 2

Clean-up time starts with the retooling of our marksbold squad, and on the plus side, we get a bunch of steel and iron back, if the kobbles can be persuaded to actually give up their bows. We sort of just let the caged ratfolk sit in the trap hallway and think about what they've done for now. Are we really going to kill them? well I mean probably, right, they killed some of our birds. I love birds. Blood will be repaid in blood and all that. In the real world I actually really like rats, but I hate mice - rats are basically dog software running on rodent hardware, but mice are skittering little freaks that will run into your room in the middle of the night literally just to suddenly roll over and die on the fucking floor. I do not live in a place with mice anymore and I hope to never have to deal with mice again (and I do everything in my power to make any environment I reside in completely inhospitable for them) but when I had to deal with mice they made me so violently angry that, had I ever owned a firearm, I would have just started fucking blasting. I know I'd probably miss, they're upsettingly fast and have the devil's luck. But it's the principle of the matter. However, in the greatest simulation game of all time Dwarf Fortress I really quite detest these ratfolk, especially because whenever they're spotted it plays a really fucking loud and scary alert sound. I ultimately want to do something funnier than "just dropping them down a pit" but worst comes to worst I am not at all opposed to "just dropping them down a pit." Forcing them to scout the cavern for me could be useful, but sounds inefficient and risks their necromancer turning some actually powerful monsters to their side. Digging a little "arena" for captured invaders to amuse the kobbles is another idea that feels at least worth considering, but I don't know how much the kobbles would actually like that. Well, we're in no hurry.

Alsrta, our caravan voice, is suddenly elected clan leader by the kobbles, requiring the construction of some new lodgings for her. Something I forgot to mention is that, besides the triplets she had while drunk, she had a fourth child, a peasant. When I try to click over to them in her "Relations" tab...

...it turns out he was the peasant crunched up in the bridge by the first were-beast attack. Uhh, fuck, sorry dude. In spite of it all, she's actually in the best possible mood. Maybe it's just the bump from getting elected, but she hasn't showed up on my radar of "kobbles in shitty moods" at all. I'll admit it's a pretty low-quality radar, and I am a pretty low-quality radar operator, but like it's there, and she hasn't really pinged on it.

Checking a random engraving in her room reveals that the kobbles worship a deity of deformity, disease and death named "Tulrac Dungsgalls." That's so fucking metal

On the other side of the spectrum, our most unhappy kobble is Zil Dentedleaks, who doesn't seem to actually be having a very bad time or any serious current issues. I mean like sorry about the trauma and shit but pretty much everyone has that at this point.

Speaking of trauma, the first bird tower gets its windows, but nobody particularly wants to get this dead peachick out of it, so uhh... I guess it's staying... This isn't related but just now at 288 hours of playtime on the Steam release I have just fucking now figured out how to get my kobbles to gather fruit. People have told me "you're so smart" for a lot of my life and I've always been dumbfounded by that, because if they saw how many obvious and simple things I miss they would probably not say that. I'm not sure what causes me to make problems 1000x more complicated in my head than they actually are but I've basically always been that way, I could read before I could tie my shoes, I can grasp the theoretical stuff in algebra just fine but actual basic arithmetic like making change is completely impossible to me, and when I play puzzle games I often flounder around trying absurdly overcomplicated solutions for entirely too long because some part of me just does not believe the solution can be simple and so unconsciously overlooks the most basic and obvious options. I don't know if this is an autism thing or what - yes I am autistic if you somehow couldn't tell - but it has made my life impossibly frustrating at times. You should see me play Zachtronics games, I like them but the kind of solutions I come up with on my first pass are fucking efficiency nightmares.

I like that this gets announced via the combat log for some reason, lol. Relax lil buddy we have literally no interest in any facet of your existence. We're just building some bird windows. The bird towers all have windows now and I find myself suddenly wondering if we'd have been able to just wall them in and carve fortifications, but oh well. Glass is free, baby!!!

Steel is most assuredly not free, but we have it now, and besides some iron pieces they've grown attached to, all the kobbles get some sweet-ass upgrades. There's also been some more personnel shuffling...

Kody, Ris, and Iltos were all in terrible moods, so I figured we might as well give them positions of authority, because, well, I don't know. I don't know what my reasoning was there. Zil was also made into the first squadron leader basically just as a lark.

Huge day for it/its bitches. No gender no problem. Well actually they're all fucking miserable. Agender, aproblem. A man, a plan, a canal: Paizuri! Uhh, wait, that's not quite right. Panama. Not paizuri. But whatever. You can't win them all. Sometimes you do everything right and you just lose anyway. Sometimes the person who goes through your entire 3 year history of Instagram posts and makes you really feel actually special and not just like another little bug in the world and makes you realize you're perfectly able to thrive in a polyamorous relationship isn't actually polyamorous and just wanted to enlist someone to tank a bit of emotional abuse from their clingy obsessive self-deprecating and wildly insecure partner. But I said I wasn't going to talk about David Cage. When success is impossible, what's important is to fail in fun and interesting ways.

Continuing the trend of boring artifacts, Roron Lastmelt creates a sheep wool cap with absolutely no distinguishing features.

Again, huge day for it/its bitches.

Moods are bad enough to make me consider building a mist generator, but I'm probably not going to for two reasons. First of all, levitating water around all willy-nilly like that can do some serious damage to the framerate, and it's already starting to struggle a bit outdoors even at just 50 kobbles. Second, it just sort of feels like cheating, and I understand that this seems insane considering I literally cheated to make the magma furnaces and wells, but I am literally dialing the difficulty level to my exact desired specifications and if you can't appreciate that I don't know what to tell you. Not having to run up and down 100 z-levels to make metal stuff, good. Putting kobbles in perfect moods for basically free after 5 mins of investment, bad. That's the game at least it's the way I see it you're free to see it some other way. You don't like how I play it's only like $30 on Steam and the ASCII version is literally free. Sorry I keep getting defensive, I just really need to win the argument against the demons that detract from everything I do residing inside my own head.

While the thought occurred to just gift them to the visiting Dwarven traders, it was ultimately decided to just throw the ratfolk prisoners (and their undead dog) in the dungeon and have them stripped of all their weapons and armor. And suddenly I decide, you know what, it would be funny to force them to fight in an arena, but just as I start digging one out:

Hey remember how I said we'd be fine as long as no forgotten beasts who can fly don't show up? Ok well something really funny just happened.

It must've smelled kobble blood, because it heads straight for the exit of the caverns, where I immediately stationed both squadrons. Unfortunately, it sunk its teeth into a civilian before they were able to stop it.

Susle loses an entire fucking foot, but under the full might of our expertly-trained steel-armored kobble army, the forgotten beast Murlu is not long for this world.

As the kobbles pile on, the beast is barely able to retaliate, and Ace Steel wins the killing blow, slicing the monster's head clean from its body. While she may have started out as kind of a mean-spirited joke about pro wrestling, she has won a great victory today. And so, she deserves a slightly less stupid title, even if I'm going to keep the name.

Shislik "Ace Steel" Trimgleeful - the Beast Slayer. Hell of a first kill to put on the record

Interestingly enough, the corpse is spattered with some ratfolk blood it must have spilled on the way here - too bad the enemy of your enemy really isn't your friend. It's a catchy saying, but sometimes the enemy of your enemy is also your enemy. Sometimes trying to see things in binaries will get you into real bad fucked up situations. But we are most assuredly out of this particular real bad fucked up situation.

I think the entire military has earned themselves a little vacation, at least for a time. Even Zil's mood has improved from the victory, though Ris is still in the absolute worst possible mood - his work is just about to begin. Or... well... it should be?

Susle basically refused bedrest, and while he's still faint, he only laid down long enough to be evaluated and given a crutch, then immediately got up and went to get drunk and have a bath. He headed back to the site of the battle to pick up the sock and shoe that once belonged to his now-dismembered foot and put them away in his bedroom cabinet, in case he ever needs them again or something, and now just wanders. We'll have to check back in on him later, but for now...

We're making progress on our second tavern and the ratfolk arena. The randomly generated name The Tooth of Midnight is very fucking cool and appropriate, and in just a bit we'll be able to toss the rat bastards down that hole to duke it out with whatever other nasties we can capture. The necromancer might just need to take a magma bath, though, I don't like thinking about the kind of cascade he could cause with those powers. Everyone else, though? Well they came here looking for a fight, and damnit they're going to get one - but we're keeping their weapons and armor, lol.

But that will all happen later, because I am being asked to play FPS games with my Gang, and would never deign to Leave my Gang Hanging, even if it means having to peel myself away from the greatest simulation game of all time Dwarf Fortress for a few hours. So that's all for now, next time we'll throw some rats down a big hole.

Oh, real quick before I go, I just got psychically assaulted by the thought "PawgChamp" and I'm dumping it on you instead of making my friends have to hear it. Sorry! Bye

#dwarf fortress #kobblefort

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nightly-sun · 1 year ago

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A history of a story in the making

Since October of 2018, I have been weaving a vampire tale, titled Nightbound. I wrote an early incarnation of the story then, inspired heavily by Tribulation's song of the same name. Its premise is simplistic — telling as it does of a vampire seeking out its prey — and the story has its flaws, but I must say that I am far from ashamed of it. Since then, I've tried to write it under several different names, using several different inspirations. One of its earlier incarnations, I wrote during the height of COVID-19. Unbeknownst to me, I ended up ripping off the video game Vampyr, and under the title Unclean. Unclean concerned a young nurse named Alicia (loosely named after someone I met in college and thought of pursuing a relationship with, but didn't, and after a while, she just disappeared), who was recently turned and began using her blood to "cure" patients of COVID, which, of course, transformed them. It would lead to a war between her and militant religious zealots and an elder vampire and his hordes.

The next attempt, I returned to the title of Nightbound, where she would have squared her off against a gang of neo-Nazis, led by a vampiric white supremacist from the Old West, who ended up being too cartoonish and over-the-top in his backstory for my liking. Yet another iteration, inspired by my reading of Underworld: A Practical Guide to Necromancy, featured Alicia (who I at one point renamed Aria) as a young necromantic witch who entered a graveyard and performed a ritual to enter the underworld, where she released a vampire's spirit that had been lurking there. This same spirit would go on to kill her roommate but leave her alive. She'd check herself into a mental hospital, where the vampire would kill everyone and turn her at the end.

My second to last (or should I say, second to current) effort retained the underworld element, which is actually something of a relic from the prime incarnation. I gave it the subtitle of "A Necromantic Tale of Horror". It would take place in — where else — nineteenth century Romania on St. Andrew's Feast. Our now nameless anti-heroine would make her way through a village in Transylvania, where she'd meet up with the mother of an aspiring necromancer, to whom she would recount her tale, before mercy killing the old woman before some angry villagers could find her and burn her alive, and making her way to a shrine where she would find true immortality. I also had a whole plethora of lore behind vampirism and its different strains.

Finally, my current attempt to weave this fable drops the subtitle, but retains most of the elements from the previous one. Our heroine remains nameless and resides in lands unknown, but perhaps is at her darkest in both her history and her willingness to make certain sacrifices. She once was a beautiful and kind woman, who was so unlike her father, a cruel and iron-fisted feudal lord. When her father caught her in bed with a peasant, he sent her off to his sister, a wicked countess with a vile taste for torturing young virgin girls, and whose deplorable husband would "protect" her under certain degrading conditions, until she was one day found out by the countess. If you suspect that their family name is "Bathory" or "Tepes", I can assure you that it is not, nor are they vampires. The countess would take her to the outskirts of the village to offer her as a sacrifice to the vampire rumored to reside there, in the hopes of being granted immortality. But the vampire is disgusted by the couple and their inability to comprehend what he could truly desire, and grants them a painful death as a reward, ultimately taking the young woman under his wing. And thus begins the death of her flesh, her journey into the underworld, her rebirth as a demonic spirit hungry for life, and her quest to perfect her condition. I have said more than enough already, and shall leave it to the reader to discover how this tale will end.

While my latest effort does, indeed, take heavily from the music of Tribulation, it also derives from the concepts explored in their lyrics. Specifically, the process of individuation, and the stages of the alchemical magnum opus. In previous attempts, I may have been a little too unsubtle in my symbolism, and too openly derivative of other tales of gothic horror and vampirism. While those remain an influence, I am attempting to dig deeper. To write from the soul. To explore vampirism not as a metaphor for class warfare or for sexual perversion (although the latter does play somewhat of a role in this draft), but as a symbol for necromantic and alchemical empowerment.

#gothic horror #vampire horror #occult horror #vampire #gothic #occult #alchemy #necromancy #left hand path #nightbound #tribulation band

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flowersdaggersviolasandblood · 1 year ago

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Assassin with a Heart of Gold

Name: Admaer Daeneiros (He/Him)

Race: High Elf

Class: Rogue (Assassin)

Background: Criminal

WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD

So moving on! Let's finish up with Admaer since nearly all my characters are at a narrative check point where we'll finally get to see new things!

So last we left this little bastard, We finally got Halsin as a companion and helped He Who Watches (HWW) with getting their knockers off. After doing this, I attempted to break my way to the top of Moonrise towers. I already dispatched the Half-Orc lady and the woman with the skeletons, along with a few other individuals who would've been a pain in my ass. When we reached the top of the tower, we were advised to come back until we were worthy of gaining ascendency. So I initially thought I was locked out (foolish of me) and had to go after the Nightsong then come back. Problem being that I killed the essential NPCS that would help me get up there with no problem once I completed the quest...So let's go find the Nightsong :D

On our way to the Gauntlet of Shar, we meet with Raphael and go an alternative route after completing the puzzle to enter the temple. So I decided to go through a path that wraps around to a kitchen area that's near where we can find Balthazar. This gives us a different cutscene and a friendlier introduction with the necromancer as he compliments Admaer for taking the back route instead of going through the usual temple run route.

This time around, I decided to go all the way with Balthazar and left Shadowheart at the alter as I temple ran my way through the Gauntlet of Shar. Admaer and the gang was able to kill the devil so that Astarion would learn what his scars were, and Admaer, in a less sappy way, reassured him that he'll assist with getting rid of Cazador for him bby.

After going through the trials of Shar, because I didn't get rid of Balthazar, homeboy just decided to float into the Shadowfell with the crew and meet us at the heart of the area where the Nightsong resides. This is also time first time, in game, where we hear portions of the Nightsong's true name, Aylin. Being the ruthless asshat that he is, Admaer allowed Aylin to be taken by Balthazar and was promptly given a talk to by Shadowheart lol. She expresses her anger that we went into the Sharran temple without her and took her chances of proving herself to her Lady Shar. In which, Admaer promptly goes:

"Lol. Lmao even"

After doing this, I went straight for Moonrise Towers and tried to meet with Ketheric after doing the deed, only for me to be told that the next piece to the puzzle would be going after Isobel and bringing her to Moonrise. Not wanting to go back there and potentially damn the innocent lives and backup there, Admaer opt to go with Ketheric's first option and attempt to ascend. This resulted in a big ol tentacle monster to emerge and attempt to grasp at us, but our little box companion protected us from the creature.'

Thus, we are landed back into the mystery flesh pit and trapped in alien like pods. Though this time around, we will need to escape quickly because Balthazar has been tasked with forcefully removing the prism from us. That's where we'll leave Admaer as he and his friends are about to be fighting for their lives the next time we wrap back around to them

#baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #bg3 spoilers #tav: admaer daeneiros

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flavoracle · 11 months ago

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“Yes everyone, I am aware that Volthaug the Relentless is just a few days south of here,” the necromancer said, “but we have a separate committee for tackling that issue. Now we really need to focus if we’re going to get through everything on the agenda for today’s staff meeting.”

“I know you all think I probably sound like a repeating parrot hydra, but I’m going to say it again: We have got to reduce the time it takes to get to these hall lights, OK? These are people who rely on us to get their needs done, and we can’t make them wait five minutes for someone to respond. Even if it’s just poking your head in the door to let them know you’ll be a couple minutes, that can go a long way towards reassuring our residents.”

“Also, it has come to my attention that there is a rumor circulating among some of the staff that I secretly give out bonuses to whoever has the most deaths in their unit. Let me be clear that I have never given anyone so much as an extra lunch break for their death totals. We’re not here to hurry our residents into their graves people, right? We’re here to make them as comfortable as possible for however long they’re still with us. Now I believe this same rumor circulated last year as a kind of prank on some of the new hires. I thought I was already clear that I didn’t find it funny then, so let me be extra clear. If I find out anyone spreads this rumor in the future, you will lose your job immediately. You have been warned, do not test me on this.”

“Now, moving on to mealtime. Please remember everyone that it’s your job to get them to the dining area at mealtimes, but it is not your job to pressure them into eating. They know their own bodies, and it’s our job to be prepared and give them options when they are hungry. Also, when it comes to thickening potions to use for people on a liquid diet, remember to check the chart regarding…”

Story Idea: Set in a fantasy world, a necromancer uses their magic to provide laborers in the town to build walls, maintain roads, harvest crops, and more.

With the all the profit they earn from hiring out their undead workforce, they fund a private nursing home with incredible elderly care. The nursing home is absolutely free, as long as residents agree to let the necromancer have their body for reanimation if they die while at the nursing home.

Maybe at some point a warlord comes and the protagonist has to protect the town with everybody’s reanimated grandparents? Honestly, who needs a big bad when you can have protagonist instructing their employees on good end of life care, and how to show proper respect for the dead, amiright?!

#my writing #fantasy story #undead workforce #end of life care #cna experience #necromancy

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reallyexists · 2 years ago

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I have played five hours of Dwarf Fortress every day for the last four days. It’s probably the greatest video game ever made.

My first two forts, Minefountains and Metalpulleys, were both on adjacent map tiles and both destroyed after slightly over a year by hordes of undead. This probably had something to do with the fact that I started a shitty militia of five dwarves approximately a year in, without constructing any defensive architecture or traps, both times.

Anyway, my third fort Bowloar (that’s “Bowl Oar”, which I guess could refer to like a giant ladle) is on year five and going strong, with no undead in sight. It is located on a tile adjacent to Metalpulleys.

To what do I attribute this success? Is it a total lack of militia, which the local necromancer could see as non-threatening? Is it the steady stream of visitors to our two bustling taverns, both filled with burly mercenaries, monster slayers and (primarily) naked foreign dance troupes? What about the airtight system of drawbridges over three-story pits ringed with weapon traps okay probably it’s that.

I mean, I don’t know that that’s a deterrent. I understand fortress wealth and notoriety is a factor in being besieged, but I don’t think it checks if there’s a single easily-pathable, easily-destroyed doorway protecting every suckling dwarven babe. Although knowing this game, maybe it does. It seems more likely that I’m 10 meters further away from the tower, and therefore outside of its Zone of Terror (tm).

Although Bowloar hasn’t been grabbed by ghouls, its defenses have been tested by the appearance of a giant.

This asshole is named Nikot. He has lived for 370 years (since before the dawn of civilization) doing nothing but fuck shit up. Today, he decides, is an excellent day to come fuck up some shit in the dwarven fortress of Bowloar.

I might be giving myself too much credit, actually. Probably this prehistoric ABDL enthusiast has literally just been wandering aimlessly since the dawn of time, and my shit is just in the path of today’s fuck-upping. Anyway.

The alert sounds that a Big Fucking Guy is here, and I immediately activate the emergency burrow and order all the drawbridge levers pulled. I take special care not to fling anybody haplessly walking over the bridge to their untimely demise or maiming, as has happened two (2) times upon activating the main drawbridges in the past. This is my third time activating the main drawbridges.

Nikot proceeds to kill a bunch of stuff in my walled-off outdoor pen (they used to be in an enclosed pen, but they ate all the grass and started fighting each other). The two adult yaks in there manage to wound him, and he wears himself out wrestling all these animals, but the fucker has a bottomless well of stamina and durability. He just takes a nap and keeps trucking.

While he’s napping in the pen I consider flooding it with water to try and drown him. I had just learned to route water underground to an indoor cistern just as he attacked. But that kind of engineering project is something you have to plan for, apparently. He hops over the wall and goes to meet one of my many visitors.

He wrestles a lady to the ground, gets her shield and greataxe off her, but succumbs to exhaustion before he can finish her off. She’s lying there bleeding out, and uses the last ounce of her strength to bite the shit out of his head over pages and pages of the combat report. Just a drop in the bucket for this fucking guy.

Nikot gets back up and spends all of autumn killing every visitor to the fort, including this year’s dwarven trade caravan. Just days of killing guys with his bare hands until he passes out from exhaustion and pain, they whale on him until they pass out as well, then he wakes up and slaughters them. The alerts above are from the second wave; all told he kills like 10 people, including exactly one unlucky fort resident. Everybody else is locked up inside, spending most of their time partying and hanging out like usual.

At this point Nikot has breezily wheeled around the fortress twice, killing scores of dudes and being uninterested in breaching my defenses. Finally he goes to cross the outer drawbridge after being baited by a cat, he dodges a weapon trap, Kirk-rolls into the pit and a rock falls on his head and he dies.

This is probably the kind of thing that just kills you no matter how big you are, but I feel like it helped that he got worn down by a solid three months of constant wrestling.

Somehow a baby yak and two geese evaded his initial onslaught on the pen. The geese maybe hid in the water, or else they didn’t piss him off for some reason. The baby was probably able to hide while he was passed out. He “didn’t feel anything while in conflict”, but is “indignant after being forced to endure the decay of a mother”. Which is fair enough, sorry about that little dude. He literally just got born, and then his mom explodes into a pile of viscera and hooves and he has to sit by the corpse while it rots.

It’s clear from this experience that combat can be a bit of a crapshoot, especially against a guy from the dawn of time (and this is probably one of the weaker, less crazy ones!). It’d still be nice to get a militia going soon, though, if only so I don’t feel so helpless.

Aaaand there’s another one. Good thing I rearmed those bridge traps!

#dwarf fortress #dwarves #dorf #giant #dwarf fortress stories #bowloar #this isnt even mentioning the werelizard child(!) that attacked right when Nikot showed up #she just killed two dudes turned back and left #I was really hoping for a Godzilla vs Kong situation but oh well

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iviarellereads · 2 years ago

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Gideon the Ninth, Act One, Chapter 1

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For detail on The Locked Tomb coverage and the index, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Ninth House skull icon) In which Gideon attempts escape.

Our story opens in the ten thousandth year of "our Lord"(1) on Gideon Nav, indentured servant to the Ninth House, who is trying to escape the Ninth House with only her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines. She cleans her cell, unlocks her security cuff, and leaves the stolen key to it on her pillow "like a chocolate in a fancy hotel".(2)

She passes her mother's catacomb niche, which has been unoccupied since she was little,(3) and heads up to the pit where the shuttle will arrive in two hours. She scouts out the pit, walking the perimeter, then kicking every loose bit of dirt, looking for... something unnamed. She even tries to dig her steel-toed boot into the floor, but is satisfied that it's improbable anything's been hidden in it. Then she checks it all again when the lights come up for the day.(4)

Eventually, the skeletons in the planter fields get to work, and Gideon can hear the clicking. Then the first bell calling the residents to prayer sounds, and she sees activity in the lower tiers of Drearburh. The first bell sounds again, a muster call pattern. Very unusual.

Gideon picks up her sword and a polishing cloth and continues to wait. She doesn't even look up when Crux, the marshal of Drearburh, an ancient man in rusting armour, comes and starts accusing her of exactly what she did to get this far. She reminds him that he hates her as much as she hates him, so can't he just let her go? But no, Gideon has wronged the Ninth House.

Crux starts to fight, Gideon evading him not entirely easily, but without ever drawing her sword. She quips, and he says she talks too much for chattel. She belongs to the Ninth, and after he knocks her dead, "the Lady has said that you will come to her." Gideon says his Lady can go to hell. He offers many threats of what he'll do with Gideon's bits one day, and Gideon tells him he can go to muster and tell "her" that Gideon's already gone.

Crux leaves, grumping, without another word. This doesn't make Gideon nervous at all.

With fifteen minutes to go, a voice from the entry to the pit says Crux is decrying Gideon to all who will listen. Aiglamene, the captain of the House guard, is almost as old as Crux, and has many scars, but is still quite lively. Gideon recounts some of the thirty-three times she's attempted escape before, trying to join the Cohort. This time, this time it's going to work. Gideon is allowed to apply for the military, even as an indentured servant. And she's of no other use to the Ninth. Nevertheless, Aiglamene continues, there's House business and Gideon's presence is requested. Gideon suggests that it's a lie, and the Lady of the House would do anything to stop Gideon from having any joy.

Aiglamene slaps Gideon and asks if Gideon will disgrace her by not answering the summons today. Gideon thinks about how Aiglamene was the closest anyone had ever come to loving Gideon in the House of the Ninth,(5) and she'd done many things to avoid disgracing her in the past... but enough is enough, and the shuttle is almost here. It'll have to be disgrace. Aiglamene expresses her disappointment, her failure to teach Gideon properly that the Ninth House holds stronger the more you struggle against it. She leaves, with eleven minutes to shuttle landing.

An aside, now, where Gideon ponders how she doesn't know where she was born.(6) The planet where she lives is home to the Ninth House stronghold and the tiny prison for the worst criminals of the entire Dominicus system. Eighteen years ago, Gideon's mother had tumbled down the main shaft of Drearburh in a spacesuit with a parachute, and her life support diverted to the day-old Gideon. None of the most experienced necromancers could restore her mother's spirit to explain herself. She only cried, "Gideon!" three times, and her spirit fled again.

Gideon was one of about two hundred children when she arrived and was "taken as a very small bondswoman". Less than two years later, there would be only Gideon, a teenaged boy, and the infant heir of the Ninth House. She knew early that she'd never be a necromancer or a proper nun of the House. She started trying to run away when she was four years old, and her attempts numbered eighty-six by the time she was eighteen.(7)

=====

(1) Really getting the Catholicism in from the first sentence, huh, Muir? You gotta respect it. (2) I highlight the fancy hotel chocolate line in particular because, given the context of Gideon living in a cell and being an indentured servant… how does she know about hotel pillow chocolate? Must be the dirty magazines… somehow. (3) Necromancers, amirite? Why let bones sit in a crypt when you can put them to use? (4) What do we think Gideon is looking for here? On a scale of one to ten, how wrong do you think she is about there being nothing? Incredible setup. (5) Gideon has had The Most Unhappy Childhood. This is a given, otherwise why would she be a protagonist? But nevertheless. HECK that's a gut-twister. Along with the disappointment Aiglamene feels shortly after the thought. (The old "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed." Classic.) (6) And yet more messed up childhood. (7) Presumably, those 86 include the 33 attempts to join the Cohort, but who's to say?

#the locked tomb #tlt #gideon the ninth #gtn #gtn spoilers #gideon the ninth spoilers #gideon nav #crux #marshal crux #aiglamene #captain aiglamene

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lunarcovehq · 2 years ago

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I-I-I got this feeling, yeah, you know, Where I'm losing all control, ‘Cause there's magic in my bones, I-I-I got this feeling in my soul, Go ahead and throw your stones, 'Cause there's magic in my bones...

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - HALLOWEEN PLOT DROP #3

As the night draws to a close, a wave of relief begins to wash over the residents of Lunar Cove whom have almost made it through the night. But, with an hour left until sunrise, it is becoming abundantly clear that not all have been so lucky.

The dead may have been brought back for one night only to visit the town that they used to call their own, but in order to stay, there were given strict instructions- they would have to kill another, so that they can live on in their stead- and some of the dead chose to take the mysterious person who brought them back up on the offer.

Now, there are new residents in town. One of the resurrected is known by the name of Park Binna and is one of the 13 who were brutally murdered back in 1992. Another is Jonah’s cousin who died just over a year ago. And there are many more who made the choice to stay, by any means necessary. You may not realize in the coming weeks who is a resurrected and who is someone who recently moved to town. They will try their bests to hide their identities and avoid the council’s eyes and the consequences of breaking the accords. But, they are hiding in plain sight among you and are here to stay.

REMINDERS

This marks the final plot drop for the event, but rather than end the event today, we have decided to extend the event so that people can have more time to create event starters and play out their event threads.

This means that we will not be reseting the starter rule. Please continue to respond to event related starters and post your own. If you would like to resume your normal threads and create new ones that aren’t event related, feel free to do so, but we do ask that you avoid making any non-event related/aftermath of the event related open starters for now. We will check in later in the week to see when you’d all like us to reset the starter rule, but for now, we want the current starters we have and event starters to receive as much love as possible.

We will still be accepting and if you would like to bring in a new character in the midst of the chaos please feel free to do so. Just know that as we mentioned before, it is Halloween and so acceptance may be delayed by a few hours until all three admins can review all of the apps.

With this plot drop, there is also an opportunity for all of our current players to apply as a resurrected from this specific event. They can be one of the thirteen or they can be connected to another character’s backstory etc. and unlike our typical resurrected that can be found here who are brought back from a typical necromancer, these resurrected were brought back by an ancient spell dating back to that of the Reapers meaning that they will have all of the same abilities of a typical resurrected (be able to see the dead/anyone in the astral plane at all times without being able to communicate with them etc.), but these resurrected can also be vampires as well as any other species. Their lives will still be tied to the witch who brought them back (who they do not know nor would they be able to recognize - more to come on this in future events). And they will also have the added ability of death empowerment meaning that these resurrected will become stronger when being around any recently deceased or after having killed.

We know there will likely be questions on the above, so feel free to reach out if you are interested in applying as a resurrected and have fun!

#lunarcoveevent #lunarcoveevent3

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nerdythebard · 4 years ago

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#9: Sypha Belnades [Castlevania]

Happy Castlevania Day, everyone!

We continue our little special with everybody's favourite Speaker, a self-proclaimed enemy of God, and all-around nerd – Sypha Belnades. Wielding magic, knowledge, and somehow keeping Trevor and Alucard in check, it's going to be fun to have her in your D&D game.

Next Time: ...I mean, y'all know who is left. The Cool Whip Man cometh!

So, what do we need to start shooting some spells (besides a lovely Spanish accent)?

Big Brain Time: Sypha is a Speaker, a collector of knowledge, and a walking library with expertise ranging from magic, history, and probably anything you can think of. And even more, because "we know all the words".

A Song of Ice & Fire: These two seems to be Sypha's weapons of choice. We've seen her do other feats of sorcery, but it's usually fire bolts or ice walls we see the most.

Limber! Loose! Rubber Goose!: Sypha doesn't wear any armour and is able to keep up with Trevor and Alucard, both obviously Dexterity-based fighters. If we can't give her some Hit Points, we'll make sure she can avoid danger.

---

Sypha is a Human (hooray, our first Human!) and her magic prowess gives us a good excuse to make her a Variant Human. We get a +1 to two abilities of our choice, let's pick Intelligence and Constitution. We also know Common and one other language, and we get to pick one skill proficiency, let's get Investigation. Variant Humans can also get one feat from the start; War Caster is a great idea for any spellcaster who finds themselves in the heat of battle. We have an advantage on Constitution saving throw to maintain our concentration, we can use somatic components of the spell with just one hand, and when we get to make an attack of opportunity, we can cast a spell instead of making a melee attack.

For Sypha's background, I don't think we can do anything but Sage. We're smart, we've been studying history and arcane arts our entire life, and therefore we get proficiency with Arcana and History. We get to learn two languages of our choice, and we get the Researcher feature; we have a rough idea where a piece of information we're looking for could be located, whether it's a library, archive, or somebody's residence.

ABILITY SCORES

It goes without saying that Intelligence goes first here, we need the smarts for the spells. Next up is Dexterity, we are good enough to keep up with both Trevor and Alucard, and not get easily surprised by night creatures. Constitution is next, every spellcaster needs those precious Hit Points.

Wisdom is next, we're much more the book-smart type, but we've certainly picked up some street-smarts while travelling with our whole clan. Follow that up with Charisma, it's a little lower than I would like it to be, but we occasionally get to make Trevor do what we want to. Finally, we'll be dumping Strength.

CLASS

I think nobody will be surprised if I say this is a pure build. We're going Wizard start-to-finish.

Wizards are the squishiest of squishy bois in D&D, as their Hit Dice is a d6. We start with [6 + our Constitution modifier] Hit Points and no proficiencies with any armour type. We are, however, proficient with daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, and light crossbows. Our saving throws are, of course, Intelligence and Wisdom, and we get to pick two class skills; let's get Insight (to better spot shady activities in towns we visit) and Religion (God may hate us, but you know what they say - know thy enemy).

Level 1 - We start with Arcane Recovery, which is a useful trick to recover spell slots. Once per day, when we finish a short rest, we can refill our expended spell slots. The combined level of the spell slots must be equal to or less than half of our Wizard level... which means for a while we'll be only recovering 1st-level spells...

Since we're a Wizard, we start off with Spellcasting. We know cantrips, ritual casting, and regular spells. Intelligence is our spellcasting ability, and we learn two new spells each time we level up. We start this arcane jamboree with three cantrips:

Fire Bolt lets us hurl a mote of fire at one target. Simple. Effective. On a successful hit, the enemy takes 1d10 fire damage (damage increases as we level up).

Ray of Frost is similar, the basic ice spell. On a successful hit, the target takes 1d8 cold damage (scales with level), and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of our next turn.

Shocking Grasp sends a jolt of electricity through one target we touch. If a target wears armour made of metal, we make the attack roll with advantage. On a successful hit, the target takes 1d8 lightning damage (scales with level) and cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.

Wizards start with two 1st-level spell slots and six 1st-level spells:

Burning Hands creates a 15-foot cone of fire. All creatures within range have to make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 3d6 fire damage (half damage on a successful save).

Detect Magic lasts for 10 minutes (concentration) and shows us all magical effects within 30 feet of us. We see the magic as colourful aura around objects or people, and we can distinguish which type of magic the effect belongs to (we cannot identify the spell itself).

Frost Fingers creates blasts of cold coming from our fingertips. Each creature within a 15-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw, or take 2d8 cold damage (half damage on a successful save).

Ice Knife creates a shard of ice that we can throw at one target, dealing 1d10 cold damage on a successful hit. Hit or miss, the shard then explodes, forcing every creature within 5 feet of it to make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 2d6 cold damage.

Mage Armour makes our defence better. Touching a willing creature (or ourselves), we create a layer of magical protection that makes the AC [13 + Dexterity modifier] for 8 hours.

Shield is used as a reaction when we're being hit. The spell adds +5 to our AC until the start of our next turn.

Level 2 - It is here that we pick our subclass, our Arcane Tradition, and since Sypha is such a powerful necromancer, I think it's only natural to–

Yeah, we're obviously picking School of Evocation, as it's the one focusing on the elements. Everything that burns, freezes, and shocks are here, and we need all of it.

We start this subclass with Evocation Savant, which halves our time and gold needed to copy evocation-type spells into our spellbook. I know Speakers don't believe in the written word, but Sypha always valued books, so she would probably have one in D&D.

Sculpt Spells lets us protect our allies from our own spells if they happen to be in their range. When we cast an evocation spell, we can select a number of creatures we can see equal to [1 + the spell's level], make them automatically succeed on a saving throw (if required), and take no damage at all.

For this level's spells:

Feather Fall protects us and our allies from taking fall damage. We choose up to five creatures within 60 feet of us and slow down their descent rate to 60 feet per round for 1 minute. If the creature lands before the spell end, it takes no damage.

Jump triples the jump distance of a creature we touch for 1 minute.

Level 3 - At this level, we get no new class features, but we do unlock 2nd-level spell slots:

Agnazzar's Scorcher creates a 30 feet long and 5 feet wide line of fire, emanating from us in the direction we choose. Each creature within the line must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 fire damage (half damage on a successful one).

Gust of Wind makes a strong line of wind (60 feet long, 10 feet wide) blast from us in the direction we choose. Creatures that start their turn in the line must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away from us. As a bonus action, on each of our turns, we can change the direction of the wind.

Level 4 - We get our first Ability Score Improvement. Rule of thumb for any Wizard player: maxing out your Intelligence should be your priority, therefore we're putting +2 to our Intelligence now.

We also get a new cantrip: Dancing Lights create up to four globules of light, floating in the air. We can move them around, and they last up to 1 minute (concentration). The lights can also combine into a Medium-sized glowing humanoid, for purposes of distraction.

We get two more spells:

Scorching Ray creates three bolts of fire, which we can hurl at up to three targets. We make an attack roll for each bolt. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 fire damage.

Snilloc's Snowball Swarm forms a flurry of snowball-like projectiles in a point of our choice within 90 feet from us. Each creature within a 5-foot-radius sphere from the point must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 3d6 cold damage (half damage on a successful save).

Level 5 - We don't get any new class features here, but we do unlock 3rd-level spells:

Dispel Magic ends any spell of 3rd-level or lower. If a spell is of 4th-level or higher, we must roll a check for our casting ability (DC = 10 + the spell's level). If we use a spell slot of 4th-level or higher, the spell ends automatically, provided the spell slot's level matches or is greater than the spell's.

Fireball is a no-brainer, we had to pick it. Select a point within 150 feet from us. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 8d6 fire damage (half damage on a successful save).

Level 6 - We get our first subclass upgrade, Potent Cantrip. If a creature makes a saving throw against our cantrips, they instead take half of the damage. Unfortunately, it's not helpful to us yet. Let's take some more spells:

Fly gives a willing creature flying speed of 60 feet for the duration (10 minutes, concentration). When the spell ends, the target starts falling. We can target more than one creature if we use spell slots of 4th-level or higher.

Lightning Bolt fires off a bolt of electricity in a 100 feet long and 5 feet wide line. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 8d6 lightning damage (half as much on a successful save).

Level 7 - Time to unlock 4th-level spell slots:

Control Water lets us manipulate a body of water within 300 feet of us. The spell lasts for 10 minutes (concentration) and we get to select from four different effects (Flood, Part Water, Redirect Flow, and Whirlpool); we can use our action on our turn to change the effect or repeat it.

Wall of Fire creates, well... a wall of fire within 120 feet from us. The wall can be up to 60 feet long, 20 feet high, and 1 foot thick. It lasts for 1 minute (concentration). We can select which way the heat from the fire is facing. When the wall is forming, creatures in its way must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 5d8 fire damage (half damage on a successful save).

Level 8 - Time for another ASI. As per the rule of thumb, we need to cap our Intelligence ASAP. So, let's put +2 into it right now. As for our spells at this level:

Dimension Door creates a small spatial opening, which teleports us up to 500 feet in a direction of our choice we can visualize or describe. We can carry objects with us, as long as they don't go over our carrying capacity, and we can bring one willing creature with us.

Ice Storm creates a localized hailstorm in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder at a point within 300 feet of us. Each creature in the cylinder must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 2d8 bludgeoning damage and 4d6 cold damage (half damage on a successful save). Hailstones turn the area into difficult terrain until the end of our next turn.

Level 9 - Nothing new class-wise. We unlock 5th-level spells:

Cone of Cold creates a 60-foot cone of biting cold. Each creature within its range must make a Constitution saving throw, or take 8d8 cold damage (half damage on a successful save). Creatures killed by this spell become frozen statues.

Hold Monster forces a Wisdom saving throw on one non-humanoid creature within 90 feet of us, and inflicts paralysis on a failed save. It lasts for 1 minute (concentration), but the held creature can keep making saving throws at the end of each of its turn to shake off the effect.

Level 10 - Halfway through the build, and we get another subclass upgrade. Empowered Evocation lets us add our Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of every evocation spell we cast. Since most of our repertoire is evocation-type spells, we now have a huge damage boost. For spells that create multiple projectiles (e.g. Scorching Ray), we add our Intelligence modifier only to one projectile.

We also get our final cantrip of this build: Frostbite makes numbing cold appear on one target's skin; they have to make a Constitution saving throw, or suffer 1d6 cold damage and have a disadvantage on the next weapon roll they make before the end of their next turn. Because of our Potent Cantrip feature, this spell always deals damage.

For this level's spells:

Counterspell... yes, I know it's 3rd-level, but we really do need it. Sypha is powerful enough to shut down Dracula's magic. It works similarly to Dispel Magic, but this time it's a reaction to somebody casting a spell, instead of a pre-established magical effect.

Immolation chooses one target within 90 feet of us and deals 8d6 fire damage, provided they fail their Dexterity saving throw (half damage on a successful save). On a failed save, the target is also set on fire for the spell's duration (1 minute, concentration). They shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and must keep making Dexterity saving throws at the end of each of their turns, or take 4d6 fire damage. On a successful save, the spell ends. The fire is magical and cannot be extinguished by non-magical means.

Level 11 - We unlock 6th-level spells here:

Chain Lightning creates an arc of electricity, which hits one target within 150 feet from us. It then splits into three bolts, which hit three closest creatures within 30 feet of the original target. All targets must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 10d8 lightning damage (half damage on a successful save).

Disintegrate works in a similar manner to Dispel Magic or Counterspell... except it's much more lethal. The spell targets a creature, an object, or a magical effect (such as a barrier made via the Wall of Force spell). A targeted creature must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 10d6+40 force damage. If their Hit Points are reduced to 0, the target is disintegrated to dust and cannot be brought back, unless via the True Resurrection or Wish spells.

Level 12 - Time for another ASI! Since our Intelligence is already maxed out, let's get our two points into Constitution, for those Hit Points we desperately need.

We get two more 6th-level spells:

Otiluke's Freezing Sphere is basically the ice version of Fireball. It creates a small ice ball in a point within 300 feet from us, which then explodes in a 60-feet-radius sphere. Each creature within the area must make a Constitution saving throw, or take 10d6 cold damage (half damage on a successful save). We can also use the ice ball to freeze a body of water up to 6 feet deep and 30 feet square.

Wall of Ice does exactly what it says on the packaging. It creates ten 10x10 ice panels, which we can shape as we wish as long as the panels touch one another. Each panel as the AC of 12 and 30 Hit Points, and even if they're destroyed, they leave freezing air in their place. Creatures moving through the air must make a Constitution saving throw, or take 5d6 cold damage (half damage on a successful save).

Level 13 - Once again, we get no class features, but we do unlock 7th-level spells:

Delayed Blast Fireball is the hand grenade option we need. We can select a point within 150 feet from us and plant a Fireball spell to be activated after 1 minute or if our concentration is broken. The spell creates a fiery explosion within a 20-feet-radius sphere, with the base damage of 12d6 fire. If by the end of our turn, the spell is not detonated, the damage increases by 1d6 each turn.

Prismatic Spray creates eight colourful lights and sends them out in a 60-foot cone. Each creature within range must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, we roll a 1d8 and decide which colour hits the creature. We have a choice between 10d6 elemental damage, blindness, paralysis, or two effects at once.

Level 14 - Here we get our final subclass upgrade, Overchannel. Once per long rest, when we cast a spell of level 1 through 5, we can decide to deal the maximum amount of damage that spell allows. If we choose to use this feature again before finishing a long rest, we suffer 2d12 necrotic damage per every level of the spell. Each time we use it after the second, the necrotic damage increases by 1d12.

We continue with 7th-level spells:

Teleport instantly teleports us and up to eight willing creatures (or one object) to any location we specify, depending on the degree of familiarity we have with it. The certain success is if there is a permanent Teleportation Circle in the location we want to appear, or if we have something associated with the location.

Whirlwind creates a violent wind storm in a point we can see within 300 feet of us. The whirlwind is a 10-foot-radius, 30-foot-high cylinder. Until the spell ends (1 minute, concentration), we can use our Action to move the whirlwind up to 30 feet in any direction. Creatures that begin their turn in a whirlwind must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 10d6 bludgeoning damage (half damage on a successful save). In addition, a Large or smaller creature must make a Strength saving throw or be restrained inside the vortex.

Level 15 - Time for 8th-level spells:

Antipathy/Sympathy works as a repellent or... whatever the... opposite of a repellent... is. Attractor? It draws or pushes from us creatures of our specification for 10 days.

Control Weather changes weather patterns in 5 mile radius from us for up to 8 hours (concentration). We must be outdoors when performing the spell, and we can select precipitation, temperature, and the state of winds.

Level 16 - For this ASI this time, we'll put two points into Dexterity.

As for this level's spells:

Incendiary Cloud creates a 20-foot-radius sphere of smoke and embers in a point within 150 feet of us. When the cloud appears, creatures inside it must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 10d8 fire damage (half damage on a successful save). The same saving throw must be made by a creature who enters the cloud, or who ends its turn there.

Power Word: Stun work on creatures with 150 Hit Points of fewer and stuns them instantly. All those months of travel with Trevor turned us into quite a sailor-mouth, even night creatures are shocked.

Level 17 - Since Wizards are the Apex of the Arcane, we unlock the most powerful spells in the game right here!

Foresight gives a creature we touch a limited ability to see into the future for 8 hours. For that duration, the target cannot be surprised, and has an advantage on all rolls (attack, skill checks, and saving throws). Additionally, other creatures have a disadvantage against the target on all rolls for the duration.

Imprisonment requires a lot of materials, but it creates a permanent magical confinement that holds a one creature that fails its Wisdom saving throw. The imprisoned creature is being kept in suspended animation, and no Divination-type spell can locate it.

Level 18 - Here we get the Spell Mastery feature. It lets us choose one 1st-level spell and one 2nd-level spell, and cast them at will, without the need to burn a spell slot. Shield and Scorching Ray would be my picks.

Meanwhile, in the 9th-level spell section:

Gate is a portal spell, which creates two linked portals; one in front of us (within 60 feet), other in a location on another plane of existence. It lasts for 1 minute (concentration). We could also name a creature we know is on another plane, and yank it through the portal to our current location (for example, a certain Vampire Lord from Hell).

Meteor Swarm makes it rain fire from above. Choosing a spot within 1 mile, lets us cover a 40-foot-radius sphere in Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire! Each creature within the sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 20d6 fire damage and 20d6 bludgeoning damage (half damage on a successful save).

Level 19 - For our final ASI, we increase our Constitution.

As for the spells:

Prismatic Wall creates an opaque wall 90 feet long, 30 feet high, and 1 inch thick. The wall sheds bright light for 100 feet and a dim light for additional 100. Creatures within 20 feet of the wall must make a Constitution saving throw, or be blinded for 1 minute. The wall is composed of seven layers, each with different properties that affect creatures attempting to pass through it (see: Prismatic Spray for comparison).

Invulnerability makes you immune to all damage for 10 minutes (concentration).

Level 20 - Our capstone is the Signature Spell feature. We choose two 3rd-level spells, and make it so we always have them prepared. We can cast them once per short or long rest without burning a spell slot. Fireball is an obvious choice, and let's add either Dispel Magic or Counterspell. Both provide good support.

For our final spells:

Blade of Disaster creates a planar rift shaped like a blade. When we summon it, we can make two melee attacks on creatures or objects within 5 feet of the blade. On a successful hit, the target takes 4d12 force damage. This spell scores a critical hit when rolling 18, 19, or 20. On a critical hit, the blade deals extra 8d12 force damage. Think of the weird glass-like blades from Doctor Strange

Wish... Yes, we're getting Wish. Why wouldn't you get Wish? If used safely, it's the ultimate spell. It replicates the effect of any spell of 8th-level or lower, no need for material components or class affiliation. Alternatively, it can do... well, anything you desire, but keep in mind if it's used for something else than replicating a spell effect, there is a 33% you'll never cast it again.

---

And that is it. Sypha Belnades, the Avatar Speaker Magician. Let's see what we've got:

First of all, we've got damage. Damage on top of damage on top of more damage. We're very battlefield-oriented spellcaster. Unfortunately, most of our spells are fire and cold, two very common resistances or immunities. We have a lot of concentration spells, so we need to pick what we want to do. With 131 Hit Points on average, we're also squishy. Luckily, with Shield as our at will spell, we do have a pretty good AC.

---

And that is it! Join me next time, for the last member of the Castlevania OT3!

- Nerdy out!

#d&d #dnd #d&d 5e #dungeons and dragons #castlevania #castlevania season 4 #sypha belnades #sypha #character building #wizard #school of evocation

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officialleehadan · 4 years ago

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Ambivalent Amethyst

Today's story was brought to you by Wistfulmemory! Darling, you always have such interesting prompts for me. Thank you for your support!

Prompt: Computer Science 101 with Ambivalent Amethyst

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“I left him.”

Adrienne wasn’t sure how to come at the problem, so she decided to go for the direct approach and hope for the best. It wasn’t always a successful method, all things considered, but Nathan deserved to know the truth.

“Who?” he asked as he joined her at the prow of the boat, a pair of mugs in hand. He passed her one, and she discovered that they were full of hot cider, with the hint of something alcoholic. “There’s rum in the cider. You looked like you could use it.”

“I can,” Adrienne admitted. She had her new cloak around her shoulders against the chill, and he was bundled in a heavy winter robe. The days were still warm enough, but the nights on the water could get punishingly cold. Her dress was deep, amethyst purple, edged in silky-soft white fur, and made her feel like a winter princess. It was also, much to her relief, both comfortable and warm. “You know the guy I’m always complaining about? Patrick?”

“The one who made that ridiculously offensive ‘Girls worth your time’ list?”

“That’s the one,” Adrienne said bitterly. She missed the time when that was Patrick’s worst offense in her world, but she had seen enough of his true colors while they traveled together. “He’s here. In this world.”

She wasn’t sure why it took her so long to tell Nathan about Patrick. They had talked a little, about how she met up with another necromancer who she thought was him, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to name names. Maybe it was because she was embarrassed at her own stupid naivety. Maybe it was because she was still so angry at Patrick, and at herself.

“The necromancer,” Nathan murmured, smart enough to put the pieces together for himself without her having to explain. “The one you thought was me. You mistook us, because you knew he was from our world.”

“Yeah,” she mumbled into her cider, grateful for the warmth and for the rum easing the way. She wasn’t a lightweight to be getting tipsy on a single drink, but she appreciated a little shot of liquid courage. “He’s… he thinks the people here are just programs that he can kill and abuse. I snuck away when I realized who he wasn’t, and I haven’t heard anything about him since.”

“Did he hurt you?”

Adrienne looked up at Nathan, surprised and taken aback by the sudden, carefully controlled fury in his question. Magic wove around his hands, moon-glow pale and threatening. The silent threat on her behalf left her almost speechless.

“No,” she promised him, and reached over to take one of his hands in hers. His magic rolled over her skin and she shivered a little. She expected it to sting, but it was more like running her hands through cool water. “No, he didn’t hurt me, I promise. He didn’t hurt anyone who wasn’t… who didn’t attack him first.”

“Why did you run?” he asked quietly and made a surprised noise in the back of his throat when she eased over close enough for him to put an arm around her, and for her to share the warmth of her heavy cloak. “I know you. You don’t leave people behind unless you have a good reason.”

This part was harder, and Adrienne fiddled with the amethyst-studded clasp of her dress while she tried to find the words.

“You don’t stay with someone who thinks you’re an enemy,” she said finally, since it seemed like the easiest way to explain without having to go back through the hellish weeks of traveling with Patrick and seeing what he did to anyone who crossed him. “He has one of those pendants that keep an enemy from summoning backup. It blocked the message scrolls. It’s why I stopped writing to you after Forest Hall. I just didn’t realize, because I thought he was you, and you wouldn’t be writing to me if we were together, anyway.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Nathan told her, his cheek resting against her hair as she leaned into him. “So his pendant blocked our scrolls because he thinks of you as an enemy? He was the bad star the Coda told me about, isn’t he?”

“I assume so,” Adrienne said. She took a careful sip of her cider and closed her eyes. “But I left him. He’s just as lost in this world as us, and I’m the only person he knows, and I just vanished on him. If he didn’t hate me already, he does now.”

“You can’t know that, either,” he said gently and set his cider aside to tilt her head up until she met his eyes. “You have proof, good, solid, proof, that he thinks of you as an enemy, and you’ve seen what he does to enemies. You did the right thing.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I know that I would be lost without you,” he said, a little shy to admit it. Adrienne went back to hiding her face in his shoulder, since the conversation was significantly easier without eye-contact. “And I know what I could do to someone if I wanted to. If he’s got the same character-build I do… there’s a reason people fear necromancers here. People die badly when there’s an angry necromancer in the room.”

“You aren’t like him.” Of that, Adrienne was completely certain. From the flower in her hair, which still hadn’t shown any sign of wilting, to the way he slipped a bite or two of his supper to the river-boat’s resident cat, she knew he was good all the way to the heart. “You wouldn’t… you wouldn’t kill someone who was trying to run away. You don’t short the merchants. You’re here, talking me down just because I’m weirdly ambivalent about leaving someone behind.”

“I’ve killed people while we were here,” he told her seriously, the shame in his voice enough to make her sit up, if only so she could face him properly. “Bandits who tried to jump me on the road, you remember? They startled me, and I blasted them before I could try and talk them down. I have nightmares about the way they screamed… and about how long they screamed.”

“Hey,” she said, and cupped his cheek lightly. He tried to smile for her, but it came out as more of a grimace. “There’s a difference between that, and hurting people because you can. I traveled with Patrick for two weeks, and I promise you, he didn’t have nightmares about what he did.”

They were quiet for a while as the sky darkened and the stars twinkled into sight one by one. They weren’t the constellations that Adrienne knew from home, but they were still stars, and stars were always soothing. After a minute, Nathan shifted to wrap his arms around her again. Adrienne sighed at their shared warmth and leaned back against his chest.

“We can send him a message, if you like,” he said when the last of the light faded from the sky and their only light was the stars and the boat’s lanterns, glittering over the dark river as they sailed onward. “He’s probably got a scroll like ours. Find out how he got here. We know what quest we’re doing, but unless he’s got a wife in-game who’s also here, he can’t possibly be doing the same one as us.”

“I like that idea,” Adrienne admitted, suddenly tired, but too comfortable to move. She looked down at her hand, and the ring she wore that matched Nathan’s. “I should apologize for vanishing on him, if nothing else, and maybe we can help him with his quest, too.”

“It’s a plan,” Nathan agreed warmly. He freed a hand so he could reach her discarded cider, and his own. “Now, let’s finish our drinks, and stumble off towards bed. It’s getting late, and we’ll need our sleep for whatever comes next.”

+++

Cybersecurity 101

Adrienne is one of her server’s top players, but the game is more than a game, and she will have to face love, and betrayal, to survive.

Cyber Finals

For the Experience

A Quest Never Completed

Reorienting Home (Subscriber Only!)

Skills Already Known (Subscriber Only!)

Finish Them! (Free on Patreon!)

Down the River Boat (Free on Patreon!)

Lily Shine (Subscriber Only!)

Mage-Market

Green Fire

Cobalt Coda (Free on Patreon!)

Guide By Stars

Hazel Hoodwink (Subscriber Only!)

Chime and Check (Free on Patreon!)

Glowing Spiral Interlude (Subscriber Only!)

Vagabond City

(Subscriber Only!)

Side by Side (Free on Patreon!)

Viridian Vigilance

Tavern Tales

Share and Spar

Heartfire Festival (Subscriber Only!)

Ambivalent Amethyst

+++

More Stories!

+++

11 notes · View notes

seokoloqy · 5 years ago

Text

A Hunter’s Mark | knj (m)

➳ PAIRING: hunter!namjoon x hunter!reader

➳ GENRE: fluff, f2l, Nevermore universe

➳ WORD COUNT: 2.3k

➳ WARNINGS: nothing too freaky, just making out, tiny bit of thigh riding action, yes I wrote c*ck, yes I wrote p***y but nothing else too detailed, implied smut, a little blood and injury

➳ SUMMARY: While Namjoon, the pacifist, has always been reluctant to kill beasts, you and him have officially been marked as hunters. Your first assignment doesn’t go as planned and it leads to confessions.

➳ A/N: you’ll be seeing a lot more of Namjoon in my necromancer fic, Nevermore! This is just a short little drabble expanding on the universe and Namjoons character ENJOY~

—

“Stop crying about it, Namjoon!” You shout, tugging on the back of his collar to get him out of bed. He’s been lying face down for hours and whining about the mark you both just received.

Today was your initiation as hunters. One of the rites included having a priestess sear a mark into your left eye that grants you the ability to see invisible supernaturals. It’s meant to aid you on hunts.

“I never even wanted this,” his muffled groan comes after you release his collar.

Namjoon has always been vocal about his disdain for hunting supernaturals. Despite his entire family being hunters, he refuses to follow the same path. He votes for living peacefully among vicious beasts instead of slaughtering them. He’s always had a weak heart. If he had seen the things you’ve seen—monsters tearing apart the innocent without mercy—he’d never hesitate.

“Everything is okay.”

He drags his face out of his pillow to look at you. His left eye, newly marked, is now a deep amethyst and where his pupil once was now in the shape of a pentagram. The pentagram represents protection from evil. It matches yours and all other hunters who’ve been marked.

“I saw a reaper today! She had this white veil on a-and scissors. How is that okay? I don’t want to see that!”

You’re starting to get frustrated with his whiny attitude. He needs to start seeing reality the way you do. Creatures like vampires and demons that prey on the vulnerable, sirens who seduce sailors to their doom with tempting songs, even mischievous fae that hide in the forest and lure victims in from town don’t deserve to live. They’ll never change like he wants to believe. All they do is destroy lives like yours.

You’d still have a family if they weren’t slaughtered by demons all for the fun of it. Experiencing tragedy like that is something Namjoon has never known and it’s exactly why he’s so naive to it all. You don’t want his delusions to end up killing him if he hesitates.

You don’t know what you’d do without him. Living a life without Namjoon is something you don’t want to imagine. It’ll be hard not to have his dimpled smile and warm hugs to comfort you or his intellect to get you out of trouble with the priestess. He’s always there to comfort and listen to your troubles, especially when dealing with the stress and fear that comes with being a hunter.

“Reapers won’t bother you unless they’re going to kill you. So please get up, Joon, I need you.” You grab one of his pillows and swing it at his head to motivate him.

He only glowers and buries his face back into bed.

“Come on! We have our first assignment,” you groan. “There are rumors that a vampire is staying at the inn.”

Namjoon grunts, shifting further away from you.

You settle yourself on the bed beside him, sighing dramatically. Your hand reaches up to card through his dark hair, leaning in closely to his ear. He can feel your breath on his blushing cheeks.

“If you don’t come I’ll go by myself without backup. And if I die I’ll ask the reaper to let me stay and haunt you.”

Namjoon visibly stiffens and finally turns his head back to you with a glare. He pushes himself out of bed and begrudgingly gets his things together.

—

The two of you walk towards the inn where the vampire is rumored to stay. At night the town of Nevermore becomes a quiet eerie place. The citizens never wander around at night in fear of being captured by anything lurking in the dark. Their biggest fear being so close to the ocean is the seductive siren’s song that is known for luring people out of their homes while they sleep.

You’re used to the emptiness at night with nothing but the ocean waves to calm your nerves. You glance at Namjoon who has been shuffling his feet behind you the entire time.

“Don’t be so mopey.”

He finally speaks up, “We don’t even know if this vampire has killed anyone.”

You roll your eyes. “Even if this one hasn't killed before, it will eventually. We need to stop it before that happens.”

“They don't have to kill,” Namjoon mutters. “If they find someone willing to give blood.”

You click your tongue, already knowing where he’s going with this. The kingdom to the North and its controversial vampire army that survives off the blood of volunteers.

Somehow they’ve managed to tame a whole group of vampires to serve them, but as a hunter, your instincts tell you those vampires are just waiting to attack unsuspected.

That kingdom doesn’t allow hunters, so it remains a mystery to you whether or not they use volunteers or sacrifice up their citizens as lambs to slaughter. You vote for the latter.

But there’s one thing that’s for sure. On the battlefield they’re the ruthless monsters you’ve always known, ripping apart the enemy and dancing victoriously in their blood. Their army is an unstoppable beast that is too dangerous to exist.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” you groan. “As if anyone is insane enough to offer their blood to a blood thirsty vampire. Now come on. We still have a vampire to hunt.” You extend your hand out to him which he reluctantly takes, allowing you to drag him along. Your fingers curl around his hand, feeling the pulsing warmth.

“Right,” he sighs, following after you towards the inn.

—

Your first hunt isn’t going as well as you’d hoped.

Your body collides with the wall, knocking all the air out of you.

You both arrived at the inn and found the room where the vampire was residing. It seemed startled when you entered, pretending that it wasn’t going to harm anyone and that it only wanted a place to rest.

You didn’t believe a word of it, but Namjoon hesitated, giving the vampire the perfect opportunity to lunge at you.

Namjoon rushes toward you instead of drawing his weapon to kill the vampire.

“No,” you cough, scrambling to pull yourself off the ground and find your blades. You see them across the room, too far to get to in time. “Kill it! Forget about me.”

Namjoon ignores you, kneeling next to you to check your wounds. The vampire scurries out the window, dropping down five floors, a feat not too difficult for a monster.

“You’re letting it get away!” You push yourself onto your feet and dart towards the window just in time to see the vampire run off down an alley. You moan, palming your face, “the priestess is not going to be happy about this!”

The priestess at the hunter’s sanctuary may have a kind hearted and innocent facade when she’s sitting on a cushioned throne giving advice or caring for injured hunters, but when she snaps at those who allow beasts to get away, they’ll be lucky to walk away unscathed by her wrath. However, you two being brand new hunters, she might be lenient with punishment.

She’ll have to send another hunter to deal with your incompetence. You wonder which hunter will have to deal with this mess.

“It’ll be okay,” Namjoon tries to say, attempting to calm you down.

“Our first hunt,” you mutter dejectedly.

“It’s fine,” he brushes off, “let’s just go back to my house.”

—

“Don’t touch me!” You hiss, slapping his hand away from the scratch on your arm. You’ve had plenty of time to simmer over your failed hunt.

“I said I’m sorry,” Namjoon repeats, “I should’ve jumped in before he could grab you.”

You scoff, “that’s not why I’m angry. I’m angry because you let that vampire get away.”

He shouldn’t have run to you and you shouldn’t have let him convince you not to chase after it. By not pursuing the vampire and finishing the job, it already breaks the hunter’s code of fighting till your last breath. You're afraid of what the priestess will say most of all.

Namjoon crosses his arms. “I’m not sorry about that.”

You ball your fists at his words. How can he say that? Even if the vampire seemed to beg for its life it was all just a rouse to lower your guard. Now it’s free to go tear apart families because you two couldn’t kill it tonight. Namjoon had the chance to kill it but rushed to you instead.

“I can’t take it anymore, Namjoon! You can’t keep convincing yourself that these monsters will ever change!” You cry out, finally letting all your frustration flow. “You’ll get yourself killed one day and then I’ll have no one!”

Namjoon is the only person you have left. If he dies it’ll be one more person taken from you too soon.

Tears well up in your eyes as you stare at his shocked face. You move closer to him, almost blinded by the tears in your eyes as your shoulders begin to shake.

“Don’t leave me, Namjoon… I can’t lose another person I love.”

You love him and his tender heart, his sympathy, his selflessness. He’s the last person in this world who you love and trust. You’d do anything to protect him.

“You won’t.” His arms encircle you and he hugs you tightly. “I promise.”

“Then stop being so stupid.”

You rest your head against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart, shutting your eyes as a hot tear runs down your cheek.

He’s always so selfless, running in front of others to protect them whenever there’s danger without thinking of what kind of consequences would come from it. And the unwillingness to believe in the cruelty of monsters paired with that recklessness will only get him killed. He can promise that he won’t leave you all he wants, but you’ll never be able to believe it.

He holds you closely until your body stops shaking and you’re no longer crying. You sit together on the bed, thighs and shoulders touching.

“Namjoon?”

“Hm,” he hums, staring down at his intertwined fingers.

You dab your damp cheeks, a shy smile creeping onto your face. “Should we pretend I didn’t just confess my love for you?”

You’re not sure how he’ll react. He must not want to say anything that’ll upset you further. He doesn’t feel the same way, you think. He sees you more like a sister he grew up with.

“Why? I-” Namjoon swallows, feeling his hands get clammy, “I love you too.”

“Like a friend or sister, right?”

“No, I’m in love with you.” He emphasizes in love, trying to get you to understand how he truly feels. Namjoon stares into your eyes, his shy hands coming up to cradle your face. “I love you, ___.”

For a second time tonight, tears begin to well up in your eyes. This time you’re overjoyed.

“Swear by the gods!” You want to hear it again. You want to savor his words for as long as you can. Living the life of a hunter doesn’t guarantee a long, virtuous life. There is only one rule a hunter lives by: slaughter as many monsters as you can or die fighting.

For as long as you have left, you want to hear the words I love you.

“I swear by the divine gods above, that I am in love with you, ___,” he laughs, looking down at your smiling face.

Without hesitation you push your lips onto his, throwing your arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.

Namjoon, stiff and unsure at first, gradually relaxes and cups your cheek, returning the kiss.

Both your hands move at their own volition to eagerly strip each other of their shirts. You run your hands over Namjoon’s toned chest. Despite his reluctance to hunt, he maintains a nice physique to keep up with you during training.

His hand glides over your bare stomach, leaving goosebumps in its wake. His lips latch onto your neck, sucking and licking a perfect mark on your heated skin. From your neck to your shoulders, down between your breasts, he leaves evidence of his desire.

Your legs rub together, creating friction to barely satisfy the throbbing between them. Need builds up in you, threatening to explode, the longer he’s not inside you. Now, now, now, your body cries out for him. You need him so desperately, but…

“Namjoon,” you moan, pulling his attention away from your neck. “Can we do this?”

Should we do this?

Crossing the boundary between friendship and lovers is a big step. You’re afraid of what will happen if you both hand over your hearts to one another especially now when you’ve both become hunters.

“I’ve wanted you to be mine since the day we met.”

His mouth returns to the spot on your neck he favors, allowing his hands to wander again. Gently, he coaxes you to lay against his bed. When he pulls back from sucking bruises on your neck, his thick thigh presses against your core, sending a shock through your body.

Your hips move to grind against his flexing thigh, hungry for stimulation. It’s not enough to satiate the throbbing though. You can feel your underwear beginning to stick to your pussy from all the arousal.

Your arms are thrown around his shoulders when he dives back down and his hands begin to remove your restricting pants. They slide off without much struggle after you raise your hips and are discarded somewhere in the corner of his room.

Cupping your cheek to bring you close, Namjoon captures your lips in another heated and passionate kiss with tongues exploring each other's mouths. Your hands, craving for something to do, begin to wander downward, trailing down his toned back. He shivers under your fingertips raking over his skin. Your hands move down the waistband of his pants, working quickly to get them off and his cock free so you can see all of him.

“So eager,” he teases between uneven breaths, hissing as your hand wraps around him and teases his tip.

“I just want you right now.”

“Then go ahead and take me. I’m all yours.”

#bts #bts smut #namjoon smut #namjoon fanfiction #bts fanfiction #bts fluff #namjoon fluff #bts fanfic #namjoon fanfic #bts drabble #bts scenario #i hate tags

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changeling-mama · 4 years ago

Text

Cheeky Chickens 01

@ice-demigod-skrael, @flamekeeperbellroc

Are you sure she is here?

She must be. Where else would such strong magic reside?

And she will not suspect our presence?

Not in the least.

Jane had brought Lady Blanche Rabbit and The Good Dragon to school. It was their turn out of the toybox, after all, and she had two whole empty seats next to her. After kissing her mother bye-bye for the day, she spent a good many minutes arranging a few books on the chairs so that The Good Dragon could see over the desk. He was even shorter than Jane, after all, and even the smallest, fluffiest student deserved to see the board.

Through the bustle and chatter, a bell tinkled, signaling the start of class. Obediently, the students quieted down and faced the front where Miss Lenore stood besides her own grown-up sized desk.

“Good morning, little farm animals!”

The class answered in a variety of animal sounds. including Jane in her own little voice. She was the smallest in the class by far, but she’d at least try to keep up with the others.

“Whoa, that’s a lot of animals out on the farm today! Let’s see.” She raised a hand as if to shield her eyes from the sun, making a show of counting the number of students. “Let me check. Are all my grumpy goats here? Hello, grumpy goats?”

A table of five children sat below a laminated drawing of a goat. The children baa’ed.

“Good job. Now how about my captivating cows? Are all my captivating cows present?”

Another table moo’ed and lowed.

“And my pleasant piggies?”

Oinking from the respective team.

“All right, looks like everyone is here but -- wait. Where are my cheeky chickens?”

Jane in the back pulled Lady Blanche Rabbit into her chest, unsure if it was really necessary to cluck out loud. She was the only one at the table, even though there were other empty seats at the other three locations. It was clear she was present.

Miss Lenore, however, seemed to decide that it wasn’t good enough. She raised a hand to her ear, and raised an eyebrow. “Huh. That’s strange. I didn’t hear any cheeky chickens, and I know we have one. Where’s my last chicken hiding?”

Jane flushed, and buried her face in the rabbit. She inhaled, half-wishing to disappear before Miss Lenore said anything else when --

“We were not hiding! We were simply late.”

All eyes shot to the front, including Jane’s. There stood two taller kids, one with a shock of white hair and blue as can be, and the other one had hair so rad that it made her think a little bit of a volcano.

Neither of them had backpacks, but the blue one handed Miss Lenore a slip of paper. “I do beg your forgiveness,” he said. “We got lost on the way here from … um.” They looked to at the red one, who seemed to be busy scanning the classroom to help.

Then, after a moment, the red one realized, and piped up, searching for words. “From...the office.”

“Yes -- yes the office. We are new here.”

“Yes. New students.”

“In your class.”

“This class.”

“And we are cheeky chickens indeed.”

Miss Lenore said nothing for a moment. She looked at them both. The blue one, with their heavy black coat, and the red one with their thick, dark glasses. She had never looked so lost, and Jane found herself wondering if these were even kids at all. They looked almost like cartoons brought to life, with how brightly they were colored. Within moments, however, Miss Lenore collected herself and nodded. “It says here your names are Bellroc and Skrael?”

The pair nodded in turn. Bellroc was the red one. Skrael, the blue.

“Do you have a last name?”

“Foolish mortal,” Bellroc declared. “Those are our names. First, last, and only.”

“Well!” Miss Lenore gasped, just as Skrael elbowed Bellroc in the side. “I don’t know what your parents taught you, but we don’t use insults here.”

“What?” they hissed, eyes on Skrael, then, realizing their mistake, they turned back to Miss Lenore with gritted teeth. “Oh. Excuse me. Our … parents … told me I have to learn to be nicer.”

“Which is why we are here,” added Skrael.

“Yes. We are here. To learn.”

Miss Lenore fumbled. “Right. Of course.”

“Now, good instructor, teach us to be, as you say, cheeky chickens.”

Miss Lenore coughed, and nodded, suddenly turning bubbly and bright once more and turned to the class. “Excellent. We do actually have some space available in our chicken coop. Do I have a volunteer to help these two find their seats?”

At the table, the other two kids looked pointedly away. Jane found herself the only one still facing forward, if half-hidden behind a stuffed rabbit. She still struggled to speak, but, with more strength than needed to push a mountain, she managed to lift one of Lady Blanche Rabbit’s hands.

Miss Lenore clapped. “Excellent job, Jane. Kids, why don’t you two go over there and let Jane help you get ready. I have to, um. I have to go ask a few questions. Can you all sit tight for ten minutes?”

The class all nodded.

“Great job! Now, you two go get your seats and I’ll be right back.”

“We can see the chairs clearly ourselves,” Bellroc announced.

“Of course. I see you're two very clever kids.”

And with that, Miss Lenore made her way out one door. In came a high school student, decked out in dark colors and countless bracelets.

“All right, animals. You know the drill. No noise, or else I tell. Okay?”

“Okay, Sam,” the kids intoned.

Sure enough, Sam dropped into Miss Lenore’s chair, slapped a pair of headphones on, and began to bob their heads to music. Skrael made a note to inspect their music-making device later, but Bellroc was already on their way across the room. He rushed to catch up.

All eyes were on the pair as they made their way to the table furthest from the board, backed by a bookcase and a row of cubbies with children’s names on them. Jane, afraid of being teased for having two stuffed animals that day, stood up to clear off The Good Dragon’s seat of books and hide him carefully away in her little cubby.

“I’ll see you at lunch. Be good, and I love you,” she whispered, and kissed his forehead before turning back to see the two new kids standing over her chair.

“What’s that?” Skrael asked.

“It looks like some sort of child’s toy,” said Bellroc.

“This is a child’s place of work. Everything here is a child’s toy.” Ignoring the stares, Skrael reached out to grab the toy by the ear, but he’d barely reached it when --

“Don’t touch her!” Jane darted over, scooping up the rabbit and squeezing her tight. “She doesn’t like being touched by strangers.”

Skrael chuckled, but Bellroc leaned forward, inspecting the rabbit. “Does she? This toy has feelings and preferences?”

“Yeah.” Jane nodded, looking down to smooth out the rabbit’s fur. “Her name is Lady Blanche Rabbit. She’s kind of shy, but she likes to brush her ears, and her favorite food is star-shaped sprinkles, and her dad is the king of a secret forest. She came here to save her people, but she has to do it in disguise.”

“Fascinating.” They stood up, pulling Skrael in close to whisper. “Do you know what this means, Skrael?”

“That this is going to be hilarious?”

“No-- you fool. Focus. This child has trapped the soul of a noble in her toy.”

Skrael’s eyes lit up, and he turned to Bellroc. “An infant necromancer.”

Bellroc grinned. “Or a warlock.”

“Either way, useful.”

“Indeed, and --”

“Excuse me,” Jane said, finally drawing their attention back to the room. “We’re not allowed to tell secrets in class. It makes people feel left out.”

Skrael put on their best smile. “Of course. You must forgive us, we are still new to the ways of this world.”

Jane nodded. “I understand. My mom’s from Europe. She says it’s hard to get used to new places. Are you from Europe?”

A pause. Then, Bellroc nodded. “Yes….we’re from Europe. How clever of you to know.”

Jane smiled. “That’s so cool. I bet you know a lot of languages. Um. You can sit next to me, if you want. There’s two chairs right there.”

In fact, there were four. Bellroc and Skrael chose the ones directly across from Jane, and grinned. “You probably know a lot about this place, don’t you, Jane?” Bellroc asked.

She nodded. “I know a little bit, yeah.”

“And, seeing as we are new and From Europe, you would not be against teaching us, would you?”

Another nod, more hesitant. “If you want, I can teach you.”

“We promise not to touch your Lady Blanche,” Skrael added.

“Lady Blanche Rabbit,” Jane corrected. “She likes her full name to be used.

Skrael snickered. “A more than understandable request. Lady Blanche Rabbit, it is a pleasure.” He inclined his head into a mocking bow.

Jane manipulated the rabbit’s hand to make it wave back. “She can’t talk, but I think she thinks you’re cool.”

Another snicker. “Lady Blanche Rabbit, you have no idea.”

#fic #jane #jane ic #drabble #ice demigod skrael #flamekeeperbellroc

9 notes · View notes

at-the-exd-of-everythixg · 4 years ago

Text

Memes! Part t h r e e

@awkward-snake-girl / @blind-mutant

Red: Does violence have to be the last resort. Can't it be like third

******

Samuel: You call it a "heinous violation of legal and ethical rules" I call it "creative problem-solving"

******

Rhys: You call yourself evil but you can't even stand up without getting dizzy

******

Rhys, talking about Sal: Stop messaging my bf bud

Mahogany: our boyfriend

******

Mattie: Do you have a self care routine?

Pascal: "Keep going bitch!" Said to myself in different accents

******

Morde, with Abby balls deep in him: Demons are usually depicated as red to indicate that they are heavily seasoned with paprika and chili pepper, like a chorizo

******

Finn: If I am sensitive. Why I gotta stop being sensitive? Why can't you just be a little nicer?

******

Pascal: Feeling cute today. Might commit acts of hubris.

******

Mattie: Why don't you plant some lavender and when it blooms you can squeeze a leaf or two between your fingers and the smell will calm you down. How about you do that. Bitch.

******

Rick: Well I don't want to be silly anymore. I want to engage in hoaxes and schemes now

******

Pascal: Any other unsettling promotions you'd like to share with the class?

******

Red: Could you be any more annoying

Rhys: Easily

******

Sal: Sorry for saying that you're "such an idiot" I'm actually "in love with you"

*******

Iris: It's not the most ethical move in the world, but in a pinch you can hand off a cursed object to basically any baby

******

Ava: Witches in old fairy tales had the idea. Living alone, unmarried, in the middle of the woods, and if a hero stumbled across their cottage theyre like "maybe I'll give you a magical token to help you out. Maybe I'll fuck up your entire life. Depends."

******

Dae: I am not going to unleash my bitterness on you because I am trying to become a better person. Have a nice day

Rhys: what were you originally going to say bitch omg

******

Lace: Why did my last two braincells have to be a sad one and a stupid one

******

Finn: You should have never doxxed the rabbit community

******

Sal: I'm glad we only live once cuz I cannot do this shit again

******

Pascal: HAVE YOU EVER TOUCHED A dog

******

Rhys: As your goth husband I will adorn you with cursed artifacts and then die mysteriously leaving you to be the most feared widow/er in the village

******

Edith: Some of you are simply not cut out to be the resident mean gay person. And that's okay, because I am. And I will be mean. And gay

******

Samuel: God complex this, victim complex that...I have an underground complex, it's where I perform my evil and fucked up experiments

******

Skaar, living by the sword: Haha! Fuck yeah! Yes!

Skaar, dying by the sword: well this fucking sucks. What the fuck.

******

Mahogany: I don't think my boyfriend, the 12 foot Halloween skeleton from Home Depot, would be too pleased to hear about this

******

Mattie: check in on your nemesis! Make sure they're doing poorly in these times!

******

Hulk: The hardest I've ever laughed was when I saw my dad cry. It was my moment of realization that I'm better than him.

*******

Ava: Knifehack

Ava: Just stab the problem

*******

Sal: What is wrong with you

Rhys: I will try to be brief (1/456)

*******

Mimi: One of the only downsides of actions is consequences. But it's a big downside.

*******

Samuel: I've done nothing wrong. Except for all the atrocities. Besides that I'm innocent.

******

Jen: After a thorough medical assessment, the doctors have described me as "a lot. Just like a lot to deal with."

*******

Lace: Necomancer that doesn't know they're a necromancer and thinks they're just a really good emt

*******

Pascal: Y'all ever want a pretty girl to just...boss you around a little bit

*******

Rhys: sorry I'm bisexual and easily distracted

******

Mordecai: Whenever I say "we" I am referring to both myself and the mental illness

******

Mattie: Date a girl who is a home and an adventure all at once

Rick: Date a girl who doubles as a haunted house

*******

Pascal: wlw what is your wisdom

Mimi: World hard and cold...tiddy warm and soft

Edith: girl hot

Mattie: Watch Naurto

******

Sal: No I'm not flirting I was only bothering my gay friends in a homoerotic way

*******

Mattie: You can be positive and break a bottle over someone's head though. Multiplicity of identity

*******

Edith: I wish men would stop having opinions about women. Honest to gog shut the hell up

*******

Wulf: tell your girl she's hot or I will

********

Mattie @ Samson: I'm gonna be honest I hate you and so do my friends

*******

Rhys: I am dying to see you topless

Dae: Then die

********

Sal: Money isn't real so don't worry about paying for stuff. Just take things for free. Nobody can stop you

#awkward-snake-girl #blind-mutant #memes #the living stardust (sal)#the leather bound angel (ava)#he has a heart made of cotton (finn)#ocean powerhouse (mimi)#he speaks of holy fates (pascal)#she was a rose with soft thorns (edith)#diamond of the rough (dae)#riding the wild winds (wulf)#dusk filled head (mordecai)#the monster of forgotten midnights (mahogany)#last one!

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bigdickfartsapolka · 4 years ago

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D&D STORY TIME!

So! Me, Korak Roh, a 6th level Lizardfolk Druid of the Moon circle, traveling far to the North with an adventuring party that has some questionable morals/ethics and a good deal of power who have made no bones about using "the loud approach" and fireballing folks sometimes when we could have been quieter or tried to talk things through first. Korak has made several successful attempts to defuse situations before amd has had good luck with his 18 in wisdom, even though he has only a 7 in Charisma. Anyway, now that you have the character. Here's what happened today that was so wildly impressive...

Tonight's game we made it to a town that was said to revere the nearby Frost Giants, who control the weather and are somewhat scholarly and are happy to share their knowledge with the small folks. Except they weren't there... Instead, the entire town had been taken over by a necromancer cult of orcs who we talked to and got some information from. Well. Korak being a druid is not much of a fan of necromancy, as it breaks from the natural cycle of life and death. We learnthat they want us to kill the frost giants and they'll help us kill the white dragon that we actually came here to seek from the beginning. We left them and went to meet with the Frost Giants. We talk to them and learn that the Giants are guarding the tombs of their ancestors, whivh also happens to be where the dragon has recently taken residence. They won't let the orcs get past them, but they can't get rid of the dragon either because their numbers are too few and they know that if they attack the dragon the orcs will get them from the rear. They are caught "between a hammer and an anvil" the Giant told us...

Korak said: "then we must break the hammer. The anvil won't give first." And we set to planning.....

Korak casts pass without a trace on the party. Our cleric casts silence on the 2 with heavy armor. Our lowest stealth roll is a 24. We are practically invisible as we slip back into town. We sneak into the town hall, whivh has a jail in the basement. 1 guard down below, 4 on the first floor but not near the door, 6 more are around a different corner and the other door where the bed chamber of the necromancer leader is sleeping for the morning. Now, because the Frost Giants are able to control the weather, we told them to make a big fog cloud for cover against the dragon being able to see us, and then they began to blow up a big blizzard as we started into the town. We had good cover and most people were staying inside. We were able to sneak past the first floor and into the basement. Now, Korak has been collecting poisons and has a dagger of venom from the DMG as well, so he's got a good instant-kill sort of ability if he is able to be sneaky enough. This has yet to ever really come up in this campaign much, but he has a plus 7 to stealth checks. I sneak up close, along with our party's rogue (DM given NPC who stays with us so that we don't all die/get stopped by doors) we both stabbed, he dropped immediately, never even got out a scream. 45 total points of damage between the 2 of us (and I did 30 of it!), And then we shush the townsfolk and get our paladin up there. He's the guy we cast silence on, and he weilds a great big hammer. He smashes the doors open, magically silenced, and we then herd them together. Now to get them out...

I wildshape into a gnat so that I am a tiny tiny little bug. My pass without trace is still active. I fly down the stairs and into the main room so that my stealth bonus can be given to everyone as we get them out the door and our wizard casts Major illusion to make the room look like it is empty that whole time/area. We slip back out and the villagers are not the most stealthy, but instead of rolling for 37 individual civilians the DM does a best 2 of 3. Rolls a 7(which because of me becomes 17) then a 14 (now 24) and then. A Natural. 20! We sneak all 37 of the townsfolk out of their town right under the noses of the entire orc necromancer clan. We had a Frost Giant sled waiting for us outside of townthat we brought with us for any elderly or infirm, and we loaded up and snuck everyone out of town. True mission impossible style D&D superstealth.

And then! The whole point of sneaking them out: I cast call lightning and start bringing down bolt after bolt upon the guards and lookouts, which was the signal for the Frost Giants. To then turn the blizzard all the way up and cause an avalanche. We bury the necromancers and their raised dead and the whole town of snowhollow under a couple hundred feet of snow. We'll help fix things back up with the Frost Giants later, and when we got back tothem I told them: "Today, the hammer. Tomorrow, the anvil." And we had a feast and took care of resting and the folks and then finished the adventure by heading for the Giant's catacombs, and the Dragon's Lair.....

I thought/hoped you would enjoy that. I just really freakin' loved that I got through saving a whole town of people with only 2 attacks and 5 total spells. We're level 6! Boo! Freakin' YAH!!!

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