#eldritch creatures in a small town

[maxlequeer]

Watched it all in one night. I'm laughing at myself. I saw the trailer, wasn't interested, saw the first episode and thought, I think this isn't for me. Returned to the series after seeing this tumblr post and... Holy shit.

1. I really really love weird town vibes - not the everyone in town wants to kill/sacrifice you vibe but the ancient gods and creatures living side by side ordinary people or under the seas type of vibe. Again if you've read the Whyborne & Griffin series, you'll know what I mean. "Horrible murder town."

2. Just overall interesting characters. They're dead. You'd think that makes the stakes low because they don't have to worry about dying during a case, but you'd be wrong. Edwin is afraid of going back to Hell (he escaped it on his own! - first time anyway). Charles doesn't want to move on and leave his best friend behind. Edwin is a "stuffy" Edwardian ghost. Charles is a one-earring, bat-wielding 80s ghost.

Crystal is a powerful medium fighting against a douchebag abusive demon ex-boyfriend. Niko is a legit fujoshi lmao and she's probably the kindest, most sincere character there. Jenny the landlord slash butcher shop owner is so so hot and cool. The Night Nurse is hilarious.

3. Themes

Dealing with your past. Histories of abuse. Learning to let new people in and finding a new purpose for yourself. "You never know when the good you do may come back around."

What Edwin went through in life and death is actually pretty sad and traumatic. Charles' life and the events leading to his death was really tragic. There was so much injustice with these boys' lives that it makes sense their detectives.

I know Edwin said something else to the Cat King and that was his confession about why he's doing what he's doing but I also believe him during that outburst at Crystal when he said that their deaths didn't matter. No one back then cared enough about them to investigate their deaths and bring their killers to justice, so now they're going to make sure that the souls who need their help will be able to move on and be at peace.

4. I did not expect Edwin, the stuffy Edwardian lad, to be the It Girl everyone wants for some reason or other. I'm down for it honestly. Everyone's trying to get him but he only has eyes for one person lmao.

5. I love the friendships and found family in this show.

6. This show is actually creepy. I mean it's horror yeah but with the major characters being teens, I thought they'd tone down the gore but not exactly. I mean sure there's comedy here but it's like in the Fear Street trilogy, you see blood and people getting slashed or stabbed or whatever. And the ghosts are not ectoplasmic. They're humans with blood pouring out of their wounds. Also, that Misery Wraith was so freaky to look at.

At this point in my life, I'm watching shows with older characters, but if this thing had come out when I was younger, I probably would have gotten obsessed. But I do love this show honestly. I wish it will have a season 2. I won't be surprised if it won't because I honestly do not expect anything from Netflix. But it's such a good damn show, and it would be a shame not to see these characters again.

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES S1 + TUMBLR REACTIONS

[theveryworstthing]

SpaceDancer's request for parasitic roses and Camille Alexander's request for unicorn fops created Angelique.

i now present my newest Charming Little Freak ✨

Angelique is one of those beings that isn't cleanly classified as a fae or a demon. he/it/whatever (roses are perfect plants and so it mostly goes by the pronouns common for the additional sex of his host body in human society because they couldn't care less) is a Rampant. a type of sapient parasitic rose that, over time, transforms the body of their host from a simple quadruped beast to bipedal humanoid (kinda) monster. every Rampant seems to mold themselves into unique forms, and designs often carry over if they somehow manage to get "uprooted" without dying and have to start over with a new flesh body. if Rampants stay rooted then they're borderline immortal even though their hosts are...dead? it's unclear. the Rampant certainly carries memories of what it was like being an animal and their flesh and blood is altered, but alive. the body keeps the score whether they like it or not. but the beast itself, its mind, dies quickly after a Rampant takes root. either from the trauma from becoming a Flowerbed or from the Rampant purposefully putting a thorn through its brain. whether fae or demon, Rampants take. they do not possess. they do not imprison.

Angelique currently lives in a small dying village, spending his time checking in on the aging population as a kind of town housemaid/caretaker and tending to his flower shop/apothecary. most people would say that having a creature like him around isn't a great idea, but this eldritch horror has basically been adopted by every lonely old person in town so good luck getting rid of him.

Fun Facts:

he loves nice soft clothes, meat (blood sausage is his favorite), and (in spite of his goth everything all the time) sunlight.

buzzing sounds make him flustered while prolonged exposure to cut grass smells and cold weather make him anxious.

he's an scary good climber and will forgo a door if he knows someone is on a higher floor of a building and he sees an open window.

always well hydrated. carries around a flask of water at all times and likes to sit outside naked when it rains.

he has many little leafy assistants which are also just him. he's like an octopus. the people in the community assign them all little names and give them unique decorations and he thinks it's really cute.

what is he getting out of staying in this village? none of your business.

he's currently in a weird situationship with 2 local gravekeepers from rival graveyards/religions and the recently widowed agnostic town doctor. everyone in this polycule hates everyone else but him. he's also friends with benefits with my character Brooke, who finds all of this hilarious and is eager to hear about the latest disaster every time he passes through town.

[alienzil]

DP x DC Prompt/notion # 4

So Danny has the classic reveal gone bad scenario and the Fentons try to capture him to "tear him apart molecule by molecule".

Danny escapes into the ghost zone with the help of Sam, Tucker and Jazz but he's in bad shape.

What Danny had never been told is that newly formed ghosts like himself are considered babies until they're at least a century old. Baby ghosts generally either have parents if they're born in the realms or get adoptive parents shortly after forming and are highly dependent on their guardians until their core is fully matured. Every ghost can sense a baby and has the instinctual urge to protect them (especially if they haven't been adopted yet). Every baby ghost has the instinctual urge to find a compatible parent or parents. A baby won't imprint on just anyone and will hide or run from most ghosts until they find one that they can imprint on. The majority of the ghosts that have met Danny never knew he was a baby, both because he already had his living parents and his emotional connection with them was close enough to satisfy his ghostly need for a parental bond and because, with his abnormally high power level, it never would have occurred to them to think he might be an infant. A newborn ancient is exceptionally rare and your average denizen of the realms will have never seen one. Basically, to your average ghost, Danny feels like he's eons old and any hint of "baby" they get from him mostly just ticks them off because they think he's mocking them and pretending to be less powerful than they know he is. The other ancients knew of course, but they also knew that Danny's human guardians were satisfying his needs for now and most assumed he would be adopted once they passed. Half a century or so isn't very long to wait after all and the new baby is half human so it's probably best to let these things happen naturally.

Knowing none of this, when Jack and Maddie rejected Danny it severed their connection and the backlash of losing that bond caused his Phantom self to naturally revert to a smaller form that more closely matched his actual age as a ghost. Still in shock and operating almost entirely on instinct and emotion, Danny started to search the Realms for what he had lost. He needed to find his parents.

*****

Meanwhile, John Constantine had a problem with an upstart cult that had summoned an interdimensional...something. He really didn't care. Whatever it was, was behind a barrier they'd thrown up that he couldn't breach. He'd be perfectly willing to leave them to their own mess except their whole damn town was behind the barrier so now it was his problem to fix.

Interdimensional problems call for interdimensional solutions so he'd called Bob. Bob wasn't really his name (nor was he really a he) but he hadn't objected to the moniker or the pronouns John had given him so Bob it was. Bob was an eldritch nightmare of a creature who kept the bulk of his true form politely out of this dimension and only just barely inched in for a quick visit every 20 years or so. Constantine had worked with him before, he was a pretty nice bloke for an unknowable monstrosity.

Bob fed on energy and his usual diet consisted largely of the background energy of the cosmos but he liked a special treat now and then (who doesn't?). So John made a deal with him. Bob took care of his little cult problem and John spent a very... ahem... "energetic" evening with Bob in exchange. Not really a hardship on John's part, Bob wanted more energy, not less, and knew a thing or two about how to get it.

*****

The creature known as Bob was preparing to withdraw the small portion of his presence that was currently on Earth with the human called John Constantine when another part of him noticed something. Bob smiled to himself (as much as Bob could smile that is). What a wonderful coincidence that the Constantine human's energy would be so perfectly matched to this other beings and that Bob was here at the exact right moment to assist with their meeting!

"I thank you again for sharing your energy John Constantine. It was delicious as always."

"Don't mention it mate. Look me up next you're in town and feeling a bit peckish. Always happy to oblige." John replied with a smirk.

"I will heed your words John Constantine and seek your presence upon my return. As a token of my affection for you, a small gift that you might enjoy until we meet again." Bob briefly opened a portal between the Infinite Realms and the House of Mystery as he left. He hoped his human friend would enjoy the gift. Bob had never spawned himself but he'd heard parenthood was one of life's great joys.

"Gift?" John had just enough time to say as he was hit in the face by a chirping, wriggling, excited creature.

"Oi!" John stumbled back a step as he reached up to try and pry the thing off his face. He managed to grab ahold of the damn beast and held it out at an arms length to get a look at it. Deprived of his face, it wrapped its body tightly around his arm and nuzzled its head into the palm of his hand.

John stared at the creature. It was the roughly the length of his arm, mostly black with white markings and white floating hair on a human shaped head and face, complete with glowing green eyes. It was vaguely snake shaped...or... one might say...tentacle shaped...

John gulped and pictured Bob. Bob's appearance, or what little bit of his appearance John was able to perceive, was a writhing mass of black tentacles that glowed a bright, luminous green.

So, the "gift" Bob had left him mostly had Bob's coloring and was kinda Bob shaped. Except it had small human arms and hands and a tiny mostly human head and face and... was that his nose?!

"Oh bollocks, I'm a dad!"

[bluerosefox]

Daughter of Phantom, Lady Gotham.

I love Lady Gotham stuff in the DCxDP stories, like a lot, so what if, hear me out (Long post is long, I rambled again)

Lady Gotham is Danny's daughter.

How? How about Danny is hurt (his parents? GIW? Vlad?), like badly, to the point even his core is damaged and the time needed to heal would take years, like a lot of years. Like it was bad that even his Rogues were shocked and shaken. They eventually get him to the Realms but are unsure what to do next. So they're scrambling trying to figure out how to save him.

So when CW appeared he asked to handed the Core because he knows what to do, where to hide him so he can heal they don't question it, everyone in the Realms know CW, the Ancient of Time itself, has a soft spot for Phantom. He opens a portal to a different world, not Danny's he can't run the risk of GIW finding him, to a just beginning world, the new world will help speed up his healing, and with Frostbite's help they set up a healing chamber deep, deep in the ground. Once they made sure everything is set up and safe, they place his core inside the healing pod and return every so often to check on him.

Over time though, above on the surface of that world it's timeline starts. Animals, creatures, humans, aliens, magic users, etc etc begin and with it, because even as a half healing core, Danny's power and ectoplasm starts effecting the area he's resting in (Ghost King Danny? Young/New Ancient/Eldritch Being? Or just an OP Danny?) (Clockwork and even Frostbite showing up every so often doesn't help either, it explains why Gotham is so cold sometimes or why time seems... off)

Anyways due to Danny's power (along with bits of Clockwork and Frostbite), magic of this world, and people beginning to build a small town on top of the land it gives birth to the namesake of the town.

GOTHAM.

CW foresaw her 'birth' and finds her sitting in front of Danny's healing pod. He always knew Gotham would eventually form, the belief/love her people have in her would had given her a form eventually he just wasn't expecting her to form so soon (this is why Danny remains his favorite person, he always did something CW never really see's to often) nor was he expecting her to become Danny's daughter. Gotham looks a bit like Danny, dark hair, blue eyes, pointed ears, sharp teeth, glowing star like freckles, but she also reflects her people, the ones that call Gotham home so her image shifts sometimes. But he can see small hints of maybe himself and Frostbite in the shifts.

She is 100% Danny's daughter via spirit/ectoplasm. If anything CW and Frostbite are like many times removed family members when it comes down to ectoplasm.

She's silent for a moment before she asks if "You and the other come here often to see him... The one sleeping is he my father?" Which CW does confirm, he explains why Danny is healing and who he and Frostbite are and why they show up to make sure he is doing better. How his healing will take many, many years. She goes silent again before saying "Teach me how to protect him. I am new and young compared to others... and yet I already know if anyone desires him for the power he gives, they will stop at nothing. He is my father and I am his daughter, I need to keep him safe just how I know he would keep me safe. This much I know."

CW agrees.

She learns, from her father's allies (CW, Frostbite, Pandora, etc etc) how to defend and fight. How to protect what she loves. She watches over her father and fights off demon's, monsters, sometimes an alien that senses the slumbering power, evil magic users. Etc. She watches over the town and people who named her as well, falls in love with the humans who call her home as well and defends them as well.

She even gets the blunt force of a curse a powerful old entity that tired to place it on her father after she had just banished it from her lands. It's an old powerful curse that CW or Frostbite can't rid of because it would weaken her far to much that they run the risk of her fading, the only way to get rid of it is if she had a family member feeding her ectoplasim to help sustain her. (Her aunts can't because Jazz isn't ghostly enough and Danielle can't because hers is limited due to being a clone (like she has enough for herself but does need to visit the Infinite Realms during her travels to get more ectoplasim to filter in and out). Danny is their only chance because he's constantly filtering ectoplasim in and out and even creating it because of how he died with a portal opening up at the same time)

The curse slowly starts eating away at Gotham, makes it hard for her to have a solid corporeal form because pain (when she has to use this form to fight off others she has to bare through the pain), her appearance starts changing (eyes turn from sharp ice blue to glowing yellow, skin turns deathly sickly pale, her star freckles slowly blinking in and out, hands become inked claws, her dark hair is unkempt and spills like an oil sludge down her body and face) and because Danny is still healing himself he can't help her and she can't see him all too often anymore because she doesn't want to run the risk of the curse effecting his healing core, she does get updates from the other ghosts that visit him and then her. She still defends him though, outside of his healing chambers should on the rare chance something finds it way down to him.

Eventually due to Danny's and Gotham's natural ectoplasim filtering on the lands, visiting and powerful ghosts, Gotham fighting off powerful beings trying to use her father for power, and the curse on Gotham herself, the town that had been built on the ground above by humans becomes the very city we all know.

Its a whole mixed bag do to so many factors, that's why Gotham is the way it is.

Gotham does her best to keep her people safe from well... everything but due to the curse and the fighting off another person/entity/demon/magic user/etc coming for her father's power, she can't always do much by the time one crisis is over and a new one pops up, she's slowly breaking down the longer it takes.

That's why she has a soft spot for her Dark Knight and his family and allies, they help her from the pain from the curse by trying as both the Wayne's and as the Batclan to fix up her city self, its not enough to really fix her fully but it helps with the pain that eats at her.

She does her best to give them tiny blessings though, but due to her duty of protecting her father she can't always do much (she wept when news of Jason, her second Robin, her rough around the edges bookworm, had died came to her. She couldn't protect him because he was out of her reach. Its why when Joker returned she made it very hard for him to really gain his foothold in her again but had to stop because CW told her if she kept making it too hard for the clown he'd go running off to 'play' with a different hero and that... that timeline would lead the world to ruin. She begrudgingly stopped but when Joker had taken her third Robin, her tiny Tim the one she loved watching shadow her knights, she did everything she could to keep him sane from the pain he had been put in, and lead Batman to the warehouse to save him. Also it turns out her heartbreak over Jason's death, her curse acting up, and her ectoplasim sparking off at the same time it helped bring him back from his grave not fully but somewhat, she was so shocked that she didn't have time to send hints to Bruce to get him when he was taken by Talia and once again out of her reach. She tried hinting it to Bruce that Talia had taken him but by the time he would check on the League, Talia would had moved him)

Gotham, depsite being young in the eyes of many other powerful beings and entities has held her own and kept those that wanted to use her father for power packing. Despite being cursed that is slowly eating her alive she still holds onto the hope her father will awaken and she will finally get to meet him. (She hopes she made him proud, he is a protector spirit core after all and she had been steadfast with keeping him safe all these years).

Things however take a turn for the worse when Gotham awakens from some sort of powerful slumber (she doesn't know what happened?! Did something knock her out?! When did she fall asleep?! Was it magic? Did the curse do it? Did someone or something-) And discovers someone or something had managed to steal her father slumbering core. (So close to healing, so close to awakening according to Frostbite, just a few more days he says. Just. A. Few. More. Days)

She tries to go find him but is suddenly hurting more, her curse has progressed even worse, she can barely stand, let alone fight whoever had her father. And she knows her father's friends won't be back to see her until far later.

And then all of Gotham shakes and shudders when her rage, panic, and terror are felt that early morning.

-×-×-

Deep in the Batcave, Batman and the others are searching for whatever caused that strange almost magical but not (ectoplasm) shudder that morning.

They were expecting a full scale attack. Magical, alien, maybe even all the Rogues in Gotham working together. An all scaled war. They were looking for any signs of it, maybe to by some miracle stop it before it becomes to late.

They however weren't expecting a strange sick looking woman with yellow glowing eyes, oil ink like hair covering her face and body, clawed hands like they had dipped in ink as well, star like freckles blinking in and out on her body and face, sharp ears, breathing heavily and coughing every so often to appear in the cave. Like she had sunk out from the shadows in pure silence. (Even Cass did not hear her)

Nor were they expecting her not to even flinch when they trained their weapons onto her. Instead all she did was laugh, a raspy low laugh, but it held warmth and mirth.

"Now, now my knights... No need for that. I come needing help and you are the only ones I will ever trust with this mission..." her voice was soft but harsh, talking seemed to hurt her though for she had to take deep breaths and suppress a cough. Her eyes trailed across them all, despite her sickly look her eyes gleamed with a motherly warmth in a strange sense, something all of them could feel "I can not hold this corporal form for long. Long story short I am cursed, have been for a very long time and whatever happened to me earlier this morning has aggravated it even more and thus I can not stay in the world of the 'living' to do much. My father, the one I have been protecting since my creation from all sorts of terrible and dangerous things, for should they get a hold of him it could spell the end of life itself for he is that powerful, has been taken from his healing chamber. I do not know who or where but I know he still remains in the city, that much I can sense."

She coughed and took a shuddering breath "But alas I can not go to his aid as I once has been able to, this is where you all come in. I need you to find my father, find his core. Bring him to safety. I had fought so many to keep him safe, to make sure he heals in peace for so long, and he... So close. Just a few more days he needed... then I could had finally had met him."

She lightly muttered those last few words, eyes looking lost for a moment before coughing hard.

"Who are you." Batman, Bruce Wayne, stonely demanded but for some reason he couldn't help but feel like he knows her, like from a foggy memory, and by the looks of his family they all could sense the same thing.

The woman, or whatever she was, merely smiled, sharp teeth bared in it as she looked him right in the eyes and said.

"Gotham, my dear Dark Knight. I am Lady Gotham herself. Its wonderful to finally meet you despite the circumstances."

[transbookoftheday]

Trans Horror Podcasts

My post about trans horror books last year was much more popular than I expected, and since I've recently fallen in love with fiction podcasts and audio dramas, I thought I'd make a post about trans horror podcasts as well.

If you like trans horror, please give these a try - especially if you enjoy listening to audiobooks!

Hello From The Hallowoods:

Come walk between the black pines! In this award-winning queer fiction podcast, an eldritch narrator follows the increasingly connected residents of the forest at the end of the world. It's a bittersweet story that explores queer identity, horror genre tropes, and finding hope in humanity's last moments.

Hello From The Hallowoods is my absolute favorite podcast! If you only listen to one podcast from this list, please make it this one - it's so beautifully written and super queer! Also: season 4 starts today!

Trans main characters include:

our nonbinary eye-affiliated podcast host

a nonbinary "Frankenstein's creature"

a transmasc ghost

a genderfluid storm witch

a trans woman who can visit other people's dreams

multiple characters using neopronouns

Camp Here & There:

Good morning, campers! Camp Here & There is a weekly horror comedy podcast tuned in to the loudspeakers of a small midwestern sleepaway camp plagued by supernatural terrors and natural disasters. Sydney Sargent, resident camp nurse, cheerfully reports on all the terror we must face with a big smile. Let’s hope there’s nothing weird about that!

Sydney is a trans man.

Dos: After You:

Things have changed. Deck has fallen in love with someone who isn't human, and leaves a hungry house behind to see him again. Will he be waiting for you? The world has changed… but what about him? Dos: After You is a queer urban fantasy/horror audiodrama available in both English & Spanish

Deck is a trans man.

Jar of Rebuke:

Follow Dr. Jared Hel's journey as he works to re-discover his forgotten past and finds his place within the small Indiana farm town of Wichton and the cryptozoological organization he works for called 'The Enclosure'. These audio journals, and other recordings, dive deep into Midwestern US cryptids and folklore while also telling a mystery about identity, queerness, neurodivergence, and community.

Jared is nonbinary.

Spirit Box Radio:

Spirit Box Radio is an award winning, horror audio drama podcast about a radio show for enthusiasts of all things arcane. Follow Sam Enfield a former postboy with no experience in the arcane arts, who finds themselves forced to take over running the show, following the disappearance of the previous host. Sam soon discovers there are more than ghosts haunting the show, and finds himself amidst a mystery which threatens everything he knows about the world beyond his tiny basement broadcast studio, and maybe even himself.

Sam is a trans man.

The Silt Verses:

Carpenter and Faulkner, two worshippers of an outlawed god, travel up the length of their deity’s great black river, searching for holy revelations amongst the reeds and the wetlands. As their pilgrimage lengthens and the river’s mysteries deepen, the two acolytes find themselves under threat from a police manhunt, but also come into conflict with the weirder gods that have flourished in these forgotten rural territories. This is a world where divine intervention takes place through prayer-markings scratched into stumping-posts, and offerings are left squirming to die in the flats of the delta. This is a world of ritual, and hidden language, and sacrifice. This is folk horror, and fantasy, and a dark road trip into the depths of unusual faith.

Faulkner is a trans man and Paige is a trans woman.

The Magnus Protocol:

The Magnus Archives 2: The Magnus Protocol is the prequel/sequel/”sidequel” to the internationally renowned Magnus Archives podcast. The Magnus Institute was an organisation dedicated to academic research into the esoteric and the paranormal, based out of Manchester, England. It burned to the ground in 1999. There were no survivors. Now, almost 25 years later, Alice and Sam, a pair of low-level civil service workers at the underfunded Office of Incident Assessment and Response, have stumbled across its legacy. A legacy that will put them in grave danger. If this intrigues you then it is our pleasure to welcome you to the Office of Incident, Assessment and Response. Make sure you pick up your badge at desk and report to your line manager before sitting down. Oh and stay away from I.T., seriously.

Alice is a trans woman.

[in-search-of-an-exit]

Hatchetfield, Continuity, and Eldritch Horror

So, Nerdy Prudes Must Die just came out and it reminded me how much I love the Hatchetfield series and I want to talk about one aspect that makes it so unique and interesting. Continuity.

If you don't know Hatchetfield is a series of stories by Starkid that has three stage musicals and a series called Nightmare Time and a short film. It is a horror anthology series where in every story some different supernatural or other horrible event occurs where characters die or the world ends in different ways. But that is kinda of not true because anthology isn't quite the right word.

The characters stay the same as the inhabitants of the small town of Hatchetfield but each story focuses on different characters at different times and the interesting part is that while certain individuals will act differently because of something related to the horror or supernatural elements mostly they always stick to canonical personalities and histories, and it is heavily implied that the events all actually happen and there is some wider story where there are multiple timelines.

This creates two really cool effects.

One is that you slowly start to learn more about the characters as you encounter them in various stories, and different things come about depending on how the current threat affects them. It also gives more information than any length single timeline would because we get to see what pushes them to different points. From NPMD for example, the story takes place two years after The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals in which the world ends and Paul and Emma fall in love, but we see in NPMD that Paul for the first time gives Emma his number perhaps hinting at what the timeline would be for Paul and Emma's relationship to mature without the intervention of a world ending disaster.

The other thing is about Eldritch Horror. Hatchetfield's core story revolves around the Lords in Black a group of Elder Gods who orchestrate most of the events. In most cases Eldritch Horror has difficulty truly selling the concept of creatures outside of our dimension who are not bound by time and space, and even if they demonstrate their power to the characters, as an audience it doesn't have a huge effect. But with Hatchetfield, because as an audience we are aware of the multiple timelines, we take on the role of the eldritch beings and see the stories from their perspective. In NPMD they make references to other stories implying that it is the same Lords in Black everytime with Tinky talking about having "another Spankofski" for his collection(an episode of Nightmare Time.) They also play with having the audience being the perspective of these Eldritch beings with the stagecraft like in Black Friday where entering the Black and White has the president move in from the audience, or in TGWDLM the ending has the audience clap for the end of the show with Emma screaming for help and unsure why the audience won't help her.

Its a really cool format that I personally have never encountered before and really sells the horror and makes you more invested in the characters.

[100skyforge001]

I’ve been watching a lot of fantasy anime lately and because of that I’ve been casually drawing up a fantasy based au of dandadan for fun.

Said anime: Black Clover/Wistiria/Mashle

This au is based in a magical world full of mages, warriors, and explorers alike.

⚠️LONG ASS AU EXPLANATION AHEAD⚠️

❤️or you can skip to the art down below ❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^

Ken Takakura is a student unwillingly attending a well known mages school, signed up by his parents who happen to be very popular mages themselves. Unfortunately he wasn’t gifted his parents amazing magic and was looked down upon by both his peers and classmates alike. Seen as a failure among the masses he often keeps to himself, any attempt of making friends only gaining him more attention from bullies. The only thing that keeps him going is his incredible addiction of learning all and anything about Alchemy.

Young Ken has always found a keen interest in the art of Alchemy, admiring those great minds who’s intellect has lead them to find the mysteries of the world that know one else dares venture. In the many books he has read there has always been the great mystery of Homunculus and the The Philosophers Stone, which are both thought to be stories made up by madmen who have lost there minds long ago. There have been many stories and folklore around the country of strange creatures and humanoid entities that are thought to be one of these Homunculus made by those who delved to deep in the twisted magic of Alchemy. Many of these people have been known to have lost something or someone precious to them, and in there grief tried to bring this precious thing back to the living through wicked practices. Well, as the story’s have claimed anyway…

Stricken by a crippling loneliness and a desperate need for a friend, Young Ken has many times wondered into these local areas around his home town in search of one of these Homunculus in hopes of gaining a friend. Unfortunately all attempts of finding them have been fruitless and have only gained him strange stares from people wondering why this skinny boy is wondering around a creepy abandoned building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^

Momo Ayase is a young elf who lives with her grandmother who claims to be a witch that studies the dark world of Eldritch horrors and the disasters they bring. Stories of her grandmother being a witch caused many children to make fun of her and adults to look down at her. She never truly understood why her grandmother was seen as a curse amongst her people because to her, her grandmother was a noble and kind hearted women who raised her as her own after the mysterious death of her parents. Moving from there homeland for reasons she didn’t understand as a child, young Momo was enrolled in a popular human mage school by her grandmother to help her learn to use her magic.

Being of the elven race Momo had a hard time fitting in. At first her classmates would give her odd looks and preferred to keep there distance. Some tried to test her even but quickly found that she was more then capable of defending herself. As the year progressed she started gaining the favor of her teachers who took an interest in her elven magic, which in turn made her classmates less wary and more curious. Not being one to want all the praise and attention, Momo mostly kept to her small friend group keeping most away with her short temper and hot headed attitude.

Growing older Momo started questioning her grandmother, wondering if anything she even studied was real. She deeply missed her old home and silently resented her grandmother for her decision to move to this human town. Even with this resentment though her love for her grandmother was and will always be with her. Getting used to human society she found her own interests and hobbies, her biggest one being a huge fan of the famous and powerful mage Ken Takakura.

(In this au famous mage Ken Takakura is Okarun’s father..which makes Okarun a Jr. lol)(but he doesn’t like being called a Jr because he’s not close to his parents at all)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^

Okarun and Momo eventually end up meeting each other through similar events in the anime. The only difference is they both end up going to the same location, a location that holds scary rumors of a dark and mysterious entity. The dark and murky forest they enter ends up separating them through some strange force. Momo is almost killed by Homunculus being controlled by this powerful and evil entity(Turbo Granny). Her near death experience awakened a powerful magic within her that only a few of her people have wielded which she used to beat the living hell out of her attackers. She then ran to try to save her new friend (Okarun) but was too late. The awful Eldritch monster twisted him into something as equally terrifying right before her eyes. The dark twisted beast that was once her friend viciously lunged at her with a terrifying blood lust in his eyes. The evil Eldritch being watching the show with delight and amusement.

Fortunately with her new power, Momo was somehow able to temporarily seal the curse put on her friend before he could kill her. Making a very close escape out of the Eldritch entities territory before they could both be harmed any further. (Let’s be real Turbo Granny let them go out of her own curiosity) Now Momo seeks help from her grandmother to try and break the curse on her friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^

I’m so sorry this ended up being much longer then I wanted it to be. 😅😭

This au may change but so far this is what I’ve come up with.

Character designs may also change. I still haven’t come up with a concrete design for them.

*Note: I had to go back and fix the word “Eldritch” because my grammar is absolutely awful lmao 🤣 😭

⚠️NOW HAVE AN ART DUMP⚠️

[whereserpentswalk]

There was a cult that worshipped their own self hatred. Like how some people believe souls are created to go to hell, except the members of this cult all believed that they were the ones who deserved hell.

Their rituals would all surround hating themselves. Members would spend weeks hurting themselves, or just wallowing in their own filth. The cult tended to recruit people who were already the type to want to self sabotage that way, but once you believed that your soul was to blame, that you were created to be doomed, then that type of self destruction became much much easier. Tons of people from all walks of life would join in, those who felt like failures, those who thought that they weren't enough, people who made mistakes that they felt they could never fix. And they would be in a community of people who would do nothing but confirm their worst insecurities, and work only to make them worse.

The cult began to grow, as more miserable people joined. You'd see them in subway stations, with signs that say "do you ever feel like you're worthless‽" or "are you worse then everyone else‽" hoping to find those who think the answer is yes. They'd have online groups who'd recruit remotely, and there were even a few small towns upstate that were fully taken over by the cult. Some would go extremely far, mutilating themselves in public rituals in temples made from garbage and abandoned buildings. But most followed a more simple path of self destruction, they stayed in dead end jobs, didn't pursue their dreams, didn’t stand up for themselves, and cut off any friends who were nice to them, or who told them they were worth anything, or who told them they should be happy.

And as the cult got more powerful they began to let the world of magic take them on. They'd let demons and ghosts and other spirits possess them, as they didn't feel they deserved their bodies. They'd let vampires and ghouls feed from them, because they felt their blood was better off not in their cursed veins. And they let the faeries and eldritch things play with their minds and bodies because they thought such things deserved their entertainment more then they deserved their boundaries.

And one day the leader of the cult, the most miserable person of all, chose to begin a ritual to summon a goddess of purity and light. People had summoned gods and goddesses before, but never for the reason that this cult wanted. For they thought that if they were so damned, that surely a creature of light and power would choose to give them only pain and misery, and be their most perfect punisher. And they bled all together, and stood in a circle, and the goddess rose, a glowing naked being with seven arms and seven wings, and a beauty that surpassed the mortal world.

But instead of punishing them, the goddess told them, "you are loved." And she told them "you deserve happiness." And she told them "you deserve kindness." And she told them, "you deserve to live better then this." And instead of cursing them, she blessed them.

And the cult disbanded. Most people left, and tried to live better lives. A few split off forming new sects. But never would a cult of misery be that powerful again.

[ashlusteredstars]

Poolverine Fic

—

From: Unknown

An unknown entity is killing residents in a small town located in Valentine, Kentucky. If you accept this mission, you must contain and exterminate this creature by any means necessary. There is no telling the damage it may do if left to fester. The Timedoor will open in your apartment living room approximately 24 hours from now. I will send more detailed information upon acceptance of the mission.

Pack warm.

Reply to this message if you accept.

Regards,

Time Variance Authority

---OR---

The life of Logan and Wade and how they navigate their new relationship, whatever that means to them, together.

Oh yeah, and if attempting to navigate a new relationship between two emotionally constipated immortals wasn’t bad enough, throw an eldritch being in the mix to which Logan nor Wade has ever had the displeasure of facing before, let alone beating, and we’re in for one hell of a ride.

—

i posted my first poolverine fic! go check it out pls and thank youuu

[p-artsypants]

The Pale Rider (2) Something of a Routine

The Isle of Berk is cursed. Like, extremely cursed. It has been for generations. The extent of the curse has been forgotten over time, but no descendants of the original village are able to leave the island, lest they suffer a gruesome fate.

Three years ago, the Blacksmith invited the Pale Rider to town. He’s a creature that’s haunted the forest and childhood campfire stories for centuries. Now, he arrives every day at noon. One day, Astrid Hofferson decides to be brave and talk to him. He’s actually really nice…for an eldritch abomination.

A Beauty and the Beast AU.

Ao3

It was a bold decision, in retrospect. 

Since the Rider had started coming to town, all merchant carts had moved a good distance away from Gobber’s shop, and closed right before noon, not opening back up until after he left.

This had included Astrid’s floral cart. 

But now, emboldened by her encounter with the Pale Rider, Astrid moved her cart closer to Gobber’s shop and waited. 

“An ill move, I’d wager,” a woman declared as she bought some herbs. “What are you thinking, lass?” 

“I’m curious,” she explained. “Gobber’s been safe this whole time. Why can’t I have a regular customer like that?” It was mostly a joke. 

The woman didn’t think it was funny and scoffed at her. “What does your mum think about all this? You’re killing the poor woman.” 

Astrid tightened her jaw. “This has no effect on my mother’s condition. Besides, I didn’t tell her.” 

“You should!” 

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. You can tell her though. I won’t stop you.” 

The woman awkwardly looked away, feeling very small. 

“That’s what I thought. Enjoy the sage, Mrs. Ingunn.” She smiled that persistent customer service smile. 

Mrs. Ingunn just shook her head and walked away. 

“Astrid, Astrid, Astrid,” a smarmy voice spoke from behind. “Darling, when are you going to learn to control that anger of yours?” A hand rested on her shoulder. 

Astrid twisted away and glared at the interloper. “You know I don’t like it when you touch me.” 

Dagur smiled at her. “Oh but Sweetums, you’re so feisty when you play hard to get.” 

“I’m not your Sweetums.” 

“Oh, but you will be.” 

She scoffed. “Are you here to do business? Or just stand in my way and block paying customers?” 

“I’m here for business, of a sort.” He moved in front of the cart and rested his arm on the wooden surface. “I’m going to have to ask you to move your cart back over by the Baker’s.” 

“Why?” 

“Because Mrs. Ingunn was right. It’s too dangerous to be over here.” 

“That really isn’t a good excuse, Dagur. If it’s the Rider you’re worried about, I’m not in any danger.” 

“That’s the other thing,” he spat. “Rumor is that you spoke to him. You were in the forge when he arrived yesterday.” 

“So what if I was in the forge when he was? Who said I spoke to him?” 

“Well, it’s a given, isn’t it? I can’t get anything out of Gobber. That old goat is so strangely damn protective of the devil. But you’ll tell me, won’t you darling?” 

Astrid shrugged. “Nothing to tell. Now stop calling me your darling.” 

His face darkened as he shifted his jaw. “You know, I own this cart.” 

“Your father owns this cart.” 

“Same thing.” 

“It says in my contract of lease that I’m allowed to park it wherever merchant carts are allowed to park. Bring me a letter from your father that says otherwise if you want me to move.” 

Dagur grit his teeth in rage, then started laughing. “You’re so funny, My Sweet!” He pinched her cheek a little too hard. Then his face hardened again. “I’ll be back with that letter.” 

Astrid shivered. Dagur was unpredictable, and his emotions had him swinging from one extreme to the other, seemingly without reason. 

“Is this man bothering you?” Another man’s voice asked. This came from one of only a handful of guards. The obnoxious, but harmless Snotlout. 

Astrid scoffed. “Not you too…” 

“Move along, Snotman! Can’t you see I’m speaking with the lady?” 

Snotlout, despite being quite a bit shorter than Dagur, sized him up and puffed out his chest. “Looks to me like you’re loitering. I’d say move along, Mr. Berserker.” 

“Fine, I will. But not because you told me to, but because I was done talking and I have better things to do.” He stuck his tongue out at the guard and departed, stomping away in irritation. 

“Am I the best? Or am I the best?” Asked Snotlout, wiggling his eyebrows.  

Astrid rolled her eyes. “You’re certainly something.” 

He became serious. “No, but really, you okay? Dagur’s been awfully persistent with you for a while.” 

She sighed. “Yeah, he just…has an interest in me.”

“I mean, so does every man in town. Why is he special?” 

“He’s not. He thinks he has a chance because his father owns everything in town. So he’s being persistent.” 

“But really,” Snotlout rested his elbow on the cart. “He doesn’t have a chance because you’re hopelessly in love with me, right?” He made a kissy face at her. 

“Ew, Snotlout, don’t be such a creep.” 

He laughed. “Deny me all you want, you know you can’t resist the Snotmaster!” 

Astrid rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile slightly. While Snotlout was annoying, his flirtations always came off more of a friendly banter, whereas Dagur’s felt like a threat. 

“Okay, Snotmaster. Are you going to buy anything? Or also just block traffic?” 

“I’m hurt, Astrid, that you think I have anything other than noble intentions for being here.” 

“And those would be…?”

“Scaring Dagur off…and trying to catch a glimpse of that lovely smile.” 

She smiled briefly, with her teeth, but it looked extremely fake. “There, happy?” 

Snotlout chuckled. “Yeah, I sure deserved that. Okay, I’ll get out of your hair. Oh, you up for coming to the Grand Hall tonight? The Twins and Fishface have been asking about you.” 

Astrid’s face fell. “I…it depends on how my mom feels. It gets worse at night—I should be at home with her.” 

He nodded in understanding. “I get it. We all do. Uh, we’ll save a seat for you anyway. Even if it’s for a little bit.” 

She smiled genuinely then. “Thanks Snot.” 

He gave her a friendly wave and went on his way. 

She had a few other customers that morning, mostly for herbs. A man bought a bouquet for his wife. A little girl bought a daisy. 

And then she heard the slamming of doors and windows shuttering. 

Noon.

The streets emptied quickly, but Astrid remained calm and stayed right where she was. She was preparing for this afterall. The whole goal of setting up here was to talk to him again. 

He crested the sloping road, lurching in that inhuman form. 

It was like her brain refused to remember what he looked like, because every time she saw him, she trembled in fear. He trotted down the cobblestone path, not in any rush, just making a beeline for Gobber’s. 

When he was close enough, she called out, “interest you in some flowers or herbs, Rider?” 

Perhaps she wasn’t as visible as she thought as Toothless became startled at her call. He reared up and let out this awful whinny, but it sounded more like a roar of a lion. 

The Rider quickly got him under control, and guided him over to her stall. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare him,” she rushed, coming out from behind the cart. 

The Rider dismounted, but held the leather reins in his hand as he approached. “Miss Hofferson…you sell flowers?” He asked. 

He seemed to not hold her scare against her and she retook her spot behind the cart. “That’s right! Flowers, herbs, and spices! Wildflowers picked from the island, and many more grown in my garden! Can I interest you in any?” 

Toothless seemed to take the choice away as he chomped down on a bouquet. 

“The Wolfsbane!” Astrid cried. 

The Rider, despite having his face completely hidden, sighed in exasperation. “We’ll take those, I suppose.” 

“You don’t understand! Wolfsbane is extremely toxic! You need to make him throw up!” 

He shook his head. “Doesn’t bother him. Rather, that’s likely why he ate them.” 

Astrid glanced at the horse, watching as it chewed the flowers slowly, and then swallowed them. 

“Miss Hofferson?” He asked again. 

“Astrid is fine,” she replied. “And that’ll be three copper pieces, please.” 

He set a silver piece down instead. “I have nothing smaller.” 

Astrid started a little at that. “Alright, well, for that price, you can also have these.” She handed him a small bouquet of foxgloves, daisies, and white honeysuckle. 

He took it in his large hands, staring at them for a while. 

Toothless swooped in and attempted to eat the flowers, but the Rider just shoved his face out of the way.

“I like them,” he finally confessed. “Smells nice.” 

“Oi!” Gobber yelled from his forge. “Hofferson! What do you think you’re doing? Poaching my best customer?”

“I’m not poaching anything! I don’t offer the same goods as you!” She laughed back. 

“Bah!” He waved her away and hobbled back inside. 

“I guess Gobber is waiting for you. Feel free to come back any time.” 

He still lingered, holding the flowers, before carefully putting them in his saddle bag. He was much more delicate with them than he had been with the chicken the day before. “Your dress,” he said. 

“Huh?” 

“Your dress. It’s blue. You wore a brown one yesterday.” 

“Oh, haha yep. I like this one the most. I like light blue alot.” 

“I like it too.” There was warmth in his voice that had suddenly appeared, which had been missing up until now. “It makes the starlight in your eyes shine.” 

Astrid felt her face flush bright red, as she stuttered out, “w-what? Really? Starlight?” 

He nodded, then started to head to Gobber’s shop. “See you again, Astrid.” He said, and then left. 

Astrid felt her heart doing somersaults in her chest. Fear, flattery, disgust, happiness? It was all in there, all a big stirring pot of emotion. Of all the flattery she received that day, his was the only that sounded genuine. 

Is that how much she despised these boys? That she’d prefer a compliment from the boogeyman?  

Nevertheless, she was more grateful for what he left behind. A silver piece may not be much to many, but it was just what she needed today. 

Knowing that the rest of the shops would be closed for another hour, Astrid made her way  up the hill, to the old medicine woman’s house. She never closed her doors. Rumor had it that the woman never felt fear. 

Astrid knocked at the open doorway, “hello? Gothi? It’s Astrid Hofferson.” 

A little old woman toddled out with help from a cane. She waved at Astrid and went behind her counter, retrieving her order. 

“She’s been coughing a lot,” Astrid began. “More than usual. Does she need to take more?” 

The old woman shook her head no. She set the paper bag on the counter, and then held out her hand. 

Astrid gave her all the money she had made this morning. “Thank you, Gothi. I hope this covers what I owe.” 

The woman looked at the coins and nodded in agreement. 

Feeling light as a feather, Astrid started skipping back home. As she passed the main road, she almost skipped right into the Rider, on his trip back to….wherever he came from. 

She came to a halt, smiling at him. “Hello again!”   

He glanced down at her, slowing Toothless down. “Hello Miss Hofferson. Did you need something?” 

“No no, just, on my way home. Thought it would be rude not to say hi.” 

He considered this a moment, then said, “would…you like a ride home?” 

“Oh!” She felt her face flush, but also a great sense of dread at the prospect of riding on that horse. “That’s a very kind offer, but I live right there.” She pointed at her house. 

She told the Pale Rider, the boogeyman, the hunter in the night, where she lived. Where she slept. Where her frail, sick mother laid. She suddenly felt very faint. 

“I see. Some other time then. Farewell.” And he trotted off, unbothered and unaware of what info he now had. 

Or maybe he knew.

Either way, Astrid hurried home. “Mother! I’m home! I fetched your medicine!” She took the package to the kitchen, and began to brew some tea. Her mother’s medicine was a powder to be mixed and drank, and Phlegma Hofferson preferred her blackberry tea. 

While waiting for the water to boil, she climbed the stairs to the loft. That’s where her mother lay, face ashen and blonde hair sprawled over the pillow. She turned her bloodshot eyes towards her daughter. 

“Hi my darling.” 

“Miss me?” 

“Everyday.” 

Astrid kissed her mother’s cheek. “Busy day today. I made some good profits.” 

“Any cute boys come by?” Her mother said with a smirk. 

Astrid sighed. “Yes mother. Dagur and Snotlout both came by. Didn’t buy anything…” 

“You sound so exasperated, my girl.” 

“I am. I hate Snotlout, and I loathe Dagur. The only other boys my age in town are Tuffnut, which ew, and Fishlegs, which ew, but not in an offensive way.” 

Phlegma laughed. “What do you mean ‘not in an offensive way’?” 

“I mean, I love Fishlegs. He’s a great friend and he’s wonderful to talk to, but he’s sooo not my type. He’s like…like a brother. Besides, I think he might like Ruffnut.” 

“I could see those two together,” her mother nodded sagely. “Who else did you see at the stand?” 

“Oh Mrs. Ingunn, Eivor…” She listed off her interactions, and then paused and added, “...and the Pale Rider.” 

Phlegma did not react the way Astrid thought she would. She merely raised an eyebrow. “And he bought something?” 

Astrid laughed. “Yep! His horse ate my wolfsbane, and all he had was a silverpiece to pay for it, so I gave him an extra bouquet.”

“Better hope his horse has an appetite every day he walks by.” Phlegma smiled. “Did you speak to him?”

“Yes…”

“What’s he like?” 

“First of all, up close, he’s ten times more terrifying. He’s very stilted in speech, like he hasn’t talked in a long time, which I guess could be true if he is three centuries old. But…he’s polite. He said his horse’s name is Toothless.” 

Phlegma chuckled. “Toothless? For that beast? Is it an ironic name?” 

“That’s what I said!” She laughed. “Anyways, I don’t want to talk about boys anymore. I know why you do, and I won’t stand for it.” 

“I know, I know. I just want to make sure—” 

“That I’m well cared for when the time comes, yes yes.” Astrid rolled her wrist. “But none of these boys will take care of me, mother. I’m better off on my own.” 

“Dagur is very wealthy, Astrid. And Snotlout’s family has wealth too.” 

“I’m not talking about wealth, I’m talking about me. None of those numbskulls know how to care about a woman’s heart.” 

“Maybe not now, but one day.” Phlegma then started coughing. 

“Let me go fix your tea,” Astrid declared, standing. 

Once the tea and a light lunch were prepared, Astrid ascended the stairs with a tray. “Here we are.” 

“Oh that smells wonderful, my darling.” 

Astrid smiled, setting the tray on her lap. “I’m glad. I’m not sure if I’m as good of a cook as you are, but I’ve been practicing. Heather gave me a few recipes.” 

“I’d eat anything you’d make for me.” 

“Because you don’t have a choice?” Astrid smirked. 

“Hey, you aren’t giving yourself enough credit! You’re doing very well.” 

“Thanks mama.” 

“Now, my girl, I have a favor to ask of you.” 

“Anything!” 

Phlegma smiled knowingly. “I want you to go to the Grand Hall and have a drink with your friends tonight.” 

Astrid could only gape and wonder how her mother knew about Snotlout’s invitation. “B-But–!” 

“But nothing! You’ve been sitting up here with me every night for a few months! You’ve neglected your own social well being, and as your mother, I won’t stand for it!” 

Astrid hung her head, knowing her mother was right, but still feeling rather sick about it. “But…I don’t feel right leaving you alone…” Especially since everyone else in the village, her mother’s old friends included, were too afraid to sit with Phlegma due to her mysterious illness. 

“Bah!” Phlegma waved her off. “I’m so close to finishing this book, I’d really like the evening to finish it.” She touched the book at her side. “Then tomorrow, you can fetch me a new one from Fishlegs.” 

Astrid nodded. “Okay, yes, I’ll go and I’ll pick his brain for recommendations!” 

Phlegma shook her head in fond exasperation. “Don’t think about me tonight. Just have fun! Maybe see if you can change the way you think about Snotlout!” 

“Again with the boys?!” Astrid groaned. “Fine, I’ll go and shirk my responsibilities. But I will come home first and make sure you’re well taken care of.” 

“You always have, my girl.” 

“Now…I’ve got to get back to my cart. I’ll see you later.” 

—

That evening, true to her promise, Astrid came home to care for her mother. Phlegma was not kidding about having Astrid leave, and straight up ignored her and pretended to read her book after she had finished her dinner. 

Astrid took the hint and left. 

She entered the Grand Hall, feeling a strange sense of longing from all the months she had been away. 

There wasn’t much to do on Berk after dark for fun. It was quite dangerous to be out, even in the village. But the Grand Hall was always a safe and warm place to go. While she and the others were under eighteen, there was a restriction on drinking from the tender. Ale and mead only, no hard liquor, and a three pint maximum. He said it encouraged good drinking habits while ‘putting the hair on the chest’. The teens were just excited to be able to actually drink something instead of sitting in the corner with tea or water. 

The Grand Hall was warm. The summer night outside was pleasant, but the soft light of the lanterns above gave the room a certain quality that invited conversation. 

“Astrid!” Ruffnut called from the back table, the usual spot. 

She waved and came over, greeted with wide smiles from her friends. Unfortunately, the chair that was saved for her was next to Snotlout. But she was also by Heather, and so she’d live. 

“It's good to see you here!” Heather chirped, giving her a brief hug. “Mom okay?” 

Astrid chuckled. “She kicked me out of the house! Something about neglecting my social health or something.” 

“Well, we’re not complaining,” Snotlout tugged on her arm and pulled her into her seat. “Can I please buy you a drink? No one deserves it more than you.” 

“Snotlout…” she chastised. 

“No no, this isn’t a flirting thing, this is a friendly drink. Now tell me what you want before I pick myself.” 

“Mead is fine.” 

Snotlout pumped his fist as he staggered over to the bar. 

Astrid watched him go, fondly. For all his faults, she knew he actually cared for her, and that’s why she tolerated him. 

“How’s the garden?” Asked Fishlegs, a tall, rotund boy who would probably rather be reading right now than out in the Grand Hall. 

“It’s good! Gobber saved some bones for me and ground them up into fertilizer. Usually the other farmers get those. It was a huge boon this spring.” 

“Ew, bones in the garden?” Sat Tuffnut, one of two twins that worked as the village tailors. 

“Sure! Bones, blood, it’s all great for the soil! Like when an animal dies in the forest, the plants get nutrients from it. The old circle of life.” 

“Guess I never thought about it before,” he blanched. “And I kind of never want to again.” 

Snotlout returned with a round for the table. “Here we go! One for you, you, you, you, you, and you.” 

The table shared their gratitude before lulling into silence. 

She could see it in their gazes. Suspicion, curiosity, fear, wonder. They all wanted to ask, but none were brave enough. 

“Alright, spit it out.” She demanded. 

“Snotlout told us he saw the Pale Rider come to your stall today,” said Heather. “Are you…okay?” 

Astrid barked a laugh. “Completely fine! He’s harmless!” 

She saw everyone exhale in relief. 

“His horse ate some wolfsbane, so he paid me for it. Overpaid, actually, so he got another bouquet to go.” She said nothing about the ‘starlight’ comment. 

“Isn’t wolfsbane super toxic?” Asked Fishlegs. “Is his horse…okay?” 

Astrid shrugged. “Rider said his horse likes poisonous plants. Not too surprising…” 

“Good!” Said Snotlout. “Cause if his horse died from eating your flowers, you’d totally be up a creek!” 

“Yeah, he’d rip you to shreds!” Said Ruffnut. 

“Or turn you into a frog!” Said Tuffnut. 

“Or maybe just curse you?” offered Fishlegs. 

“Wow, we really don’t know anything about this guy, do we?” Astrid chuckled. “For all you know, he could just be a normal guy cursed to look like that.” 

“Or,” Snotlout suggested, wiggling his fingers ominously. “He’s a master of dark magic and the reason why the curse exists on this island! We’re all his prisoners!” 

It was one of many variations on the story of the Pale Rider. Many believed he was a dark sorcerer that lived up in the castle ruins and did horrible deeds to those that crossed him. Astrid had believed it when she was a girl, but stopped thinking it was true when he started his daily trips to town. 

If he was regularly walking past people, why hadn’t he cursed anyone? She was certain plenty had given him looks of scorn. Wouldn’t that incite a lesser wizard? 

Astrid really didn’t want to think about how it was likely he was responsible for her father’s death, in one way or another. She’d rather prefer that he was a victim of the curse, same as the rest of them. 

But maybe that was only because he had been kind to her and she reciprocated.

Astrid shared a little more of her interaction with the group, telling them what he sounded like, how he didn’t carry copper pieces, and how he hadn’t let his horse eat the other bouquet he got. 

They held onto her words with rapt attention. Fascinated by how mundane the encounter had been. 

“Maybe he’ll come again tomorrow?” Fishlegs wondered. 

“I mean,” she began, “he comes every day. But Trader Johann will be here, so my cart will be closed.” 

“Ugh, you actually trade with Johann?” Asked Snotlout. “He just talks so much.” 

“That’s why I close my cart,” she said, shrewdly. “If you stay and listen to his stories, he’ll often cut you a really good deal. You basically pay with time.” 

“Oh, she shares her secrets!” Tuffnut wiggled his fingers. “Johann has really good, uh goods. But I don’t know if I have the patience for his stories.” 

“It’s taxing,” Astrid sighed. “But worth it for those spices!” 

They moved on, gossiping about all the other happenings in the small village. Meanwhile Astrid hadn’t noticed Dagur arrive and sit at the table directly behind her. He had listened to everything she said.

[likethe-month]

Slenderman x Reader - Short Oneshot

-Hi everyone! This is going to be part of my Slenderman fic collection I'm calling "Static and Shadows." I have lots of stuff for him already written so please let me know if you'd like to see more! >:3 Oh also I would label this as Yandere in the title, but his behavior isn't quite there yet(?) I'll think of this as Dark! Slenderman x Reader for now-

-

Retreating to your childhood room, you slunk through your parents’ house, preparing for a verbal confrontation to break. With final exams done you could finally relax, or so you thought… You had forgotten about your highly-confrontational sibling who liked to pick fights whenever and wherever they could. They were still in high school, so you were both in the same house over break.

It was easier to forget about why you moved to a different town whenever you had your peaceful and quiet room, devoid of anyone else. The fights back at home weren’t so bad, but you didn’t handle loud noises well, so you would shut yourself in your room until it was safe to come back out into the living room.

Laying in bed for a small nap, a thought suddenly popped in your head. Didn’t the tall man say that you could change your reality with your thoughts? If you thought about him hard enough, maybe you would see that big mansion in the woods again. Well… it was worth a shot…

Filling your head with thoughts of the tall creature, his home, the static, and the misty woods, you shut your eyes, quickly drifting off. You woke up standing in what seemed to be the entryway of the mansion. Peering around, you were surprised at how elegant and pleasant the home seemed to be. Deep reds and mahoganies filled your vision, accompanied with warm lighting.

Suddenly, a couple of people walked into the room, coming from a door to your right. One of them had a white mask devoid of eyes with black painted lips. The other male figure wore a yellow hoodie over his head, and his face was also covered with some sort of dark mask.

“Hello,” you offered with a nervous smile. “It’s nice to meet you… My name is-

“Y/n,” the one with the hoodie interjected, rendering you surprised. “Yeah, we know who you are. He told us about you.”

“Oh, right… Speaking of him… where?…” you began, trailing off, suddenly unsure of yourself.

“He’s in the room back there,” the one with the white mask said, nodding to a door beyond the grand staircase in the middle of the entryway. “That’s his ‘office’ or whatever. He’s usually in there after dinner.”

You gave them your thanks and approached the door, knocking gently three times.

“Come in,” the chilling voice uttered.

You took a breath and complied. You stepped into the office, taken aback by the sight. Books lined the walls, enclosed in cases that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and an elegant desk sat in the middle of the room. Slenderman was not sitting at the desk, however, but instead standing in front of the tall windows, his back turned to you.

“It’s me,” you croaked nervously, knowing that he was well aware.

“Dearest Y/n,” he said, walking over to you. “It’s quite a pleasure to receive a visit from you.”

You swallowed as he drew nearer, having to tilt your head up to look at his blank face. “You have a lovely home,” you said, unable to think of anything else to say.

“Thank you, my dear,” Slenderman replied, his tone of voice oozing with the pleasure of your arrival.

You paused, taking the moment of silence to look at the office. The woodwork consisted of a deep mahogany that seemed to be well-polished. You supposed even eldritch beings liked to keep a clean household.

“I hope I’m not intruding or anything, but I just wanted a small break from… my world, I guess,” you said, glancing down at your feet.

“You could never intrude; you are always welcome. Think of this place as your home as well.” After the tall creature said this, you heard a loud thump and some laughter come from another room.

At this, his demeanor became slightly annoyed. “I’m sure the others will be delighted to meet you.”

“Oh, right…I met two boys on my way in. Why do they cover their faces like that even when they’re inside?” You asked. You wanted to ask more about the strange people scattered throughout the mansion, but you would try to find out more gradually.

“Sometimes their actions are a mystery to even me. They often galavant around the house and prefer to be masked while doing so. At other times, however, they all show their faces.”

Suddenly anxious, you wondered just how many other people were in the house. You also wondered what they were like.

“They may seem different and even frightening at first, but I assure you, they mean you no harm. I will make sure that you remain safe,” Slenderman said, and you froze when a black tendril gently brushed against your arm as he strode past you. When he reached the door of the office, he turned his head back to acknowledge you. “The others have already all eaten dinner, but I would like to invite you to stay for a drink.”

Taken aback by the invitation, you agreed. “That’s fine with me,” you said, allowing yourself to smile slightly despite your nerves.

You walked alongside him to the dining room. When a shadow whisked by, you found yourself drawing nearer to the tall being beside you as if he would provide protection from whatever lurked in the dark. You caught yourself and reestablished some distance, embarrassed and unsure.

He then said your name quietly, prompting you to explain your jumpiness.

“I don’t understand any of this. I’m not sure how I was able to get here just by thinking hard enough about it. Can anyone else do that?” You asked breathlessly, desperate for answers.

“I have given you a special ability that no other human possesses. I wanted to make sure you could reach me at any time, so you have been given the ability to transport yourself here whenever you please,” Slenderman explained, his nonexistent gaze still focused on the hallway that lay before you.

You stopped yourself from asking why you of all people had gained his attention. You made the mistake of asking this once, and he had provided a most terrifying answer. The frightening being was enamored with you for one reason or the other, and he had devoted time and effort into learning everything he could about you. Your schedule, hobbies, sleeping patterns: he had been there, watching and observing. You fought back a shudder as you walked. Hearing about how obsessively you had been stalked and preyed upon was not on your agenda tonight.

The two of you reached the dining room: a massive room complete with a large table and fireplace on the wall. The decor consisted of blacks, golds, and reds. You had to admit that the room was incredibly elegant, as was the rest of the house, or at least, what you had seen so far. You took your seat next to Slenderman, and to your surprise, there were two glasses already placed at the table. Besides the glasses was a pitcher of water and a bottle of wine.

“What would you like to drink?” The tall man asked you, taking your glass in his large pale hand.

“Water is fine,” you said, your throat suddenly dry. Engaging in conversation with him suddenly seemed more intimidating, even though you had endless questions you wanted to ask.

You were both sitting now and you hesitantly fiddled with your glass.

“Your water is completely untainted. I assure you I mean you no harm,” your companion said gently, as if sensing the fear that coursed through your body.

With a skeptical glance, you took a sip of your water. “Can you tell when people are afraid?” You asked curiously.

“I can usually tell through body language and facial expression, but I also possess the ability to sense fear in a way that is unfamiliar to humans.”

After another thoughtful drink of water, you continued. “How does that work?”

“I sense it through the chemicals that you give off in your frightened state. You might describe the sensation as… sweet,-tasting” he said darkly, taking you by surprise.

Fighting back every instinct to leap out of your chair and flee, you swallowed thickly. “Oh… Is that why you want me to spend time with you?” You immediately regretted your question. You had just sworn to yourself not to give him another reason to explain his obsession with you. He could make anyone scared. Hell, some of the bravest people you knew would whimper and flee at the sight of this monster.

“I think you already know the answer to that, (Y/n),” he replied, his tone of voice neutral.

You averted your gaze and looked at the fireplace absentmindedly. “Yeah, I do.”

There was a pause, and Slenderman raised his glass to his featureless face. Somehow, there was less wine in his glass when he set it back down.

“I was wondering… Is this place real? Could someone traveling through the woods come across this mansion?” You asked.

“No. I am the only one who can allow people to be here. Coming here in your world is possible, but only through me. If someone happened to stumble into my domain, I would have the ability to permit them to see the mansion.”

“I see. But I can travel here whenever I please just by thinking about it?” You said, hoping to learn more about your situation.

“Correct. And you also have the ability to leave at your will.” After a moment’s pause, he continued. “I must ask, my dear, why in particular did you choose to travel here tonight?”

You sighed before beginning. “I’m on break from my classes for a few weeks, and being back home with family has been… a dramatic change from what I’m used to. I love my family, of course,” you countered quickly, “it’s just that I thought I could use some peace and quiet.”

“And you chose to retreat here. To my home,” Slenderman replied, and you could hear how pleased he was at this. You hated it when your words gave him that sick sense of gratification.

Gritting your teeth, you opened your mouth to reestablish your sense of pride. “I’ll admit, part of it was to test if I could truly come here through my thoughts, but, yes. I did choose your home,” you admitted, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of your decision, but it was probably futile to lie to him. A part of you thought about transporting back home, just to test yourself. You decided to stay for a bit longer instead, hoping to get more answers.

“I’m so glad you did,” Slenderman replied, his voice sending shivers down your spine. “You’re always welcome to spend the night. I have set aside a bedroom for you whenever you need to stay. I could show it to you if you’d like.”

Your heart thudded painfully in your chest. He was trying to lure you in. You wouldn’t allow yourself to be trapped. “That’s alright. I don’t need to spend the night here,” you countered, feigning politeness as best as you possibly could. “I’ll need to be returning soon-“

As you spoke, you heard something that seemed to be coming from the back of your head. You froze, recognizing the sound. The static that sometimes appeared in your head was all too familiar, and you remembered the time it made you pass out. Slenderman’s eyeless gaze hadn’t left your face, and the longer you looked at him, the stronger the static became. You started to panic, realizing you needed to get out before you fell unconscious here. Away from home. At his mercy.

You stood up from your chair hastily, the chair leg dragging against the wooden floor. “This was nice-I have to go now,” you blurted, walking as quickly as possible to the entrance. Concentrating your thoughts, you thought about your home as hard as you could as the static rose in volume. Out of the corner of your vision, your eyesight began to blur, and your heart continued to pound.

Suddenly, it stopped and you found yourself in your bed back home. With a soft cry of relief, you sank down into your sheets and wiped away the small trickle of blood that had begun to fall from your nose. Staring at the smear of blood on your hand, you shut your eyes and concentrated on the feeling of your head being clear once again. Strangely, things felt almost too quiet now without the faint static. - Slenderman watched you stumble out of the dining room, his gaze focused on your frightened form. Suppressing a growl of frustration, the being formed a fist with his large white hand. He had to remember you were easily spooked in the future.

Leaning back, he then realized that your desperation to flee did not bother him as much as it usually would have. You chose to come to the mansion. You chose to come to him in your time of need. It would only be a matter of time before you returned. He couldn’t help but imagine desperation painted on your face as you begged for his assistance with something. The thought alone nearly drew a rumbling purr from his throat.

He allowed you to scamper off this time. Giving you a sense of power and freedom was all a part of his plan. Once you became brave enough to try and ignore him or act out against him, he would reclaim his power over you as quickly as you could imagine.

Still, you had managed to fight his static more potently than he expected. You were growing stronger, as most people would have collapsed from the amount of static you endured. He so desperately hoped you would have been tired enough to stay here in the mansion tonight, but the mere mention of it sparked fear into your heart.

No matter. He had time. He had all the time in the world you convince you of just how much you needed him.

[nuggetofthesea]

Chapter: "The Dark Witch's warning"

The Dark Witch, they called her. Known throughout Hyper city for many reasons. Transformation services, potions, her eerie appearance, the tower in which she resides, but more importantly, her affinity for monsters.

Creatures of the night, eldritch horrors, spirits, the witch has a fascination with them all. Often labeled as dangerous just for existing, sometimes actually dangerous, but always interesting.

That witch is Iris. Iris is hyper city's transformation witch and has a Fondness of all things supernatural and arcane. One of the darkmage nugget system, famous for running a studio that houses a lab underneath. Years before Animal HRT hit hyper city, It was when the original owner of the body, Ashe offered herself as an experiment to the lab owner, the witch appeared. And the rest of us.

Ashe, the original host. Former human. Now kitsune. Runs the darkmage nugget studio. She now has the ability to change her shape at any time. Uses it to be a fox.

Iris, the dark witch with a skill for energy manipulation and transformation. Needs her magic to transform unlike Ashe. But now owns the body after Ashe couldn't feel connected to it.

Aqua, an elf with strong connection to the sea and a desire to write. Trapped in nightmares for 15 years before the experiments. Leaving her a walking shadow at times.

Chaos, a destructive gremlin hellbent on causing mayhem. Trouble find us and she is the first to step up to the fight.

Mira, A crystal fairy construct capable of multiplying herself up to 30 identical copies. Organizes things in our head.

Aria, former strong silent type, now basically a puppy with muscles. Sweet, but still willing to protect everyone.

We were always a presence in Ashe's head since she was young. But the experiments brought us to the front. 6 souls inhabiting the body of the dark witch. When we aren't in the studio, or around town, we reside in Iris' tower just off the park in hyper city. a round tower that sits in the middle of a small yard fenced off with stone. A witch hat made of bricks covers the top of the tower, that overlooks the city and the surrounding woods.

Iris in particular though, found herself with a curiosity she needed to satisfy. The monsters and mysteries of hyper city. Is there more too them? More than meets the eye? In some instances, she also found herself weirdly attracted by the monsters that roam the city. Finding beauty where the rest of the world shuns away. This led to her often interacting with those cast out. Those who aren't human. And hyper city was the perfect place to satiate that desire for the unknown.

A city in the center of realities, in the middle of all possibilities. Iris soon was going to make the possibilities hers. She was often seen making deals or helping out the various creatures and horrors she came across. Earning her the title of… "The Dark Witch" as most humans began to fear her. At least until they know her. Then they realize, magic aside, She's actually very friendly when she wants to be. And even helped in making the animal HRT her friends have utilized to transform their bodies to their will.

This though was the move that led to this encounter.

One particularly stressful day, Ashe had left the studio to head home. But was on her way to stop for some food and anything heavily caffeinated. (Required for all the things we do).

As she turned a corner she found her heart suddenly sinking. every nerve in her body in shock. Frozen in fear as the fur on her paws and tails stood on end. Something was coming. Quickly, Ashe began to call to Iris. This was her specialty after all. Iris quickly came to front. Taking a moment to make the body hers again as she wasn't used to using Ashe's paws or her tails. Summoning her staff, she questioned what was around that corner.

Only to see a sad looking eldritch creature. Keeping an ear out, she could hear people around calling the being a freak or hiding in fear. they looked ready to cry. A quick read of her energy and Iris knew she wasn't a threat. But to everyone else, She looked like the most horrifying thing they could see.

Not iris. iris had the ability to read aura's by concentrating on a person's energy. And hers was all over the place. But Iris recognized a small hint in the overwhelmingly powerful aura of fear. Some of that energy, was hers. Twisted and distorted by some outside forces, but this definitely the result of the Animal HRT tablets. But wherever she got these ones, they had very little of the original left, and it was extremely powerful.

"FREAK! MONSTER! get out of here!" was shouted at her from those she passed. And iris was growing quite tired of this. using her staff, gem glowing on the end strongly, she called on a circle with a single word.

"Mute" Iris said as the spell was cast. Suddenly, the sounds of the crowd were drowned out. All went silent. Though they still moved. A temporary effect, but just enough for them to take notice of Iris just there. A glare from the glowing yellow eye piercing the gaze of the crowd as they pieced together what had happened and ran.

"Hey. You okay?" Iris asked the horror before her.

No response as she was a bit confused as to what was happening. What was with this witch? even magical beings tend to fear her.

"Don't know where you are heading. But that had to get pretty annoying. I'm Iris. your name is?"

…

She began to speak up. Looking to figure this situation out.

"Mars. Alright. What's your angle."

Not even realizing the distortion she was doing with her face and the accidental piercing stare with her eyes.

"I'm a witch who can see into your very being past the admittedly strong fear aura you emit. But beyond that, I have a pretty big interest both in what you are, and where you got your humanity removal treatment."

"WHAT!? How do you-" "My energy is all over that fear aura. but you definitely got that from somewhere i haven't given that info to. you don't have to talk here, especially with others watching.. But know I am someone you can turn to and want to support you."

Iris reaches into the air and snaps her fingers. in a small flame a card appears in her hands.

"My tower is just past the woods in the park. if you ever need help, look me up and use that card to come to my tower."

"I'll consider it. But for now, I need to get going. I'm running late as is." Mars responds. not knowing what to make of this conversation and wanting to leave it as soon as possible.

"That's fine. But I do need you to know…" Iris' eyes turn to mars her one eye showing more piercing than ever. "Something latched on to a spell i created."

Perhaps you know what happened to make it so, but there are probably eyes on you. The tower is blocked from all outside eyes. No matter how powerful. If you need help, Do not hesitate to seek it."

Iris then begins to walk away. Leaving more questions than answers with Mars. Iris did always like being a little cryptic. Not many know what is going on in her head. But one thing she always takes seriously is when someone messes with her spells.

End Chapter

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I wanted to do more to establish Iris. And Mars' ( @dawning-mars ) latest page brought a few ideas I've wanted to write down for a few days now. One moment of "Why would ancient texts spawn a modern pill bottle" thoughts later, this story was born. Had fun writing again as usual. ^-^

[saintlethanavir]

✨ Hey you! yes, you 🫵✨

✨Do you like getting monthly drawings of your blorbo?✨ Maybe some stickers in the mail? ✨How about your name in a game or even full early access to the whole process of said game?✨

✨Boy have I got a place for you! ✨

If you've read this far, hi! I'm Lev, local eldritch horror who draws silly little guys and I've got a deal for you! My husband @thecoffeerain and I run a patreon/Kofi where you can support our household and visual novel game just by giving £1 a month or more (if you are so inclined)

✨ The Fun Stuff ✨

Our Visual Novel in development is called Beyond Blood and it's all about supernatural creatures finding love in a small town + some vague apocalyptic events possibly. By becoming a member you can get full updates of the project all the way up to voting on characters and story elements, and get bonus content you won't see on social media!✨ You also get optional access to the equivalent patreon tier, if you'd like to see our non Beyond Blood content or even get more goodies!✨

(below is concept art for the game and only one lineup of many for Romance Options)

Beyond Blood Kofi✨

(click to view tiers in full res)

We also have a generic patreon filled with fanart, oc content, a sticker club, exclusive drawings, monthly requests, and voting on lots of different things! Even from just £1 you get access to sketches, full wips, early access to full illustrations, and voting on collabs between myself and Jack!

(ex. Of monthly sketches for patrons. On the left is Ellinor for @bitchesofostwick done by me and the right is an oc for @anonbea done by Jack!)

Patreon link ✨

(click for hi res! Here are the descriptions of the patreon tiers)

✨Not so fun stuff (why I will be queuing this every other post for a bit)✨

Both of us work grueling jobs that we are severely struggling with. We are both disabled, trans, and Neurodivergent. I work 8-9 hour days on my feet constantly to the point I've developed a need for a cane just to be able to get by. I'm also AUDHD and have begun to experience symptoms of severe burnout but I cannot stop working retail. Currently the NHS has decided I'm too high functioning/not bad enough to qualify for CBT or other therapies for my PTSD as well, despite the fact I've recently undergone traumatic events and have had multiple breakdowns. So if I want to treat these things I have to pay for it out of pocket and I cannot afford that.

My husband is in a job that has him constantly exhausted from early days and late night shifts, and the environment is not only discriminatory towards trans people but also to those with mental health issues. But again he can't leave his job.

Both of us are at our limit and we need something to change.

Anything helps, even just a reblog.

[maxlequeer]

Charles: Is that your left or my left?

Edwin (wanting to pull his hair but his other hand is back in Port Townsend): WE HAVE THE SAME LEFT!

-----+

I didn't think I'd be into this show because the main characters are younger but it's actually really my vibe! It's small weird town with eldritch creature residents. It's like the town of Widdershins in Jordan L Hawk's Whyborne and Griffin. It's gothic and weird supernatural and I just love the atmosphere of it, down to the cool butcher shop owner and her badass look.

[quadrantadvisor]

Monster of the Week Mystery: Shadows in Unity

(I didn't see a better place to post the custom MOTW mystery that I ran, so onto Tumblr it goes.)

In the small town of Unity, Iowa, two teens mysteriously disappeared. More than one person in town has been messing with forces they didn't understand, and now the local corn maze is home to a being of great and terrible power, a Shadowling. This mystery works best in a campaign dealing with eldritch beings and cults.

Hook

The sudden and unexplained disappearance of two teenagers, in a town with hardly any crime to speak of. Their identities were kept out of the news, but it's the talk of the town that young lovers Aimee Schaffer and Ben Torello have either skipped town together, or had something horrible happen to them.

[My version of this mystery started with a scripted scene of the hunters overhearing a conversation about this between waitresses Maggie and Sharon at the Sideswipe Diner.]

Countdown

Day: The Shadowling possesses Ben's corpse to lure in new victims. It is spotted in town overnight.

Shadows: Farmer Neadbaum enters the corn maze in an attempt to perform a ritual and trap the monster. He is killed.

Sunset: Masha Torello stays up overnight to keep an eye out for her son. She spots him and follows him back to the cornfield, becoming another trapped victim of the Shadowling.

Dusk: Aimee is drained of all life and dies.

Nightfall: Sharon Maat and three of her friends, other teens from the local high school, plan to hang out in the cornfield at night to drink without getting caught. Sharon is killed and her friends are captured.

Midnight: The Shadowling's activity has garnered the attention of Nelson Neadbaum's former cult, the followers of The One Who Waits in Shadows. They catch the creature for their nefarious purposes.

Threats

Shadowling

Monster: Parasite (motive: possess, control, devour)

The Shadowling is a being from somewhere beyond this world, and it should not be on this plane of existence. It's form cannot be easily seen nor comprehended, more of a silhouette of shifting tentacle-like shapes. It is not an especially intelligent being, operating largely on instinct to attract more prey. It claims a space as it's own, a den of sorts, and that space becomes warped by it's very presence. In this case, that space is the corn maze, where it fled to after being summoned in Neadbaum's barn. The Shadowling is a timid creature, and uses it's den and the forms of other creatures to hide itself away from possible threats. Above all, the Shadowling's presence is a herald of a much greater evil.

Powers:

Intangible: Cannot be harmed by attacks that don't involve magic or one of its weaknesses.

Taste of Madness: Can alter a victim's senses to induce disorientation or panic.

Possession: Can inhabit the form of a human, a corpse, or another humanoid shape.

Attacks:

Life drain: 3-harm, ignore armor, hand

Armor: none

Harm capacity: 11

Weaknesses:

Fire and bright light can be used to force it to leave a host, to corral it, or to contain it.

A magical ritual can be used to banish it from this realm

Takes two days to research

Takes three people to cast

Must be cast in the presence of the monster

Takes 10 minutes to perform

Scarecrow (Possessed)

Minion: Assassin (motive: to kill the hunters)

A scarecrow made of burlap and denim, with a wide brim straw hat and no face. It hangs limp in front of the entrance to the corn maze. It moves with an unnerving swiftness and smoothness. It can be destroyed by fire.

Attacks:

Shears: 2-harm, hand, quiet

Strike: 0-harm, intimate

Harm Capacity: 5

Ben and Aimee (Possessed)

Minion: Renfield (motive: to push victims towards the monster)

The shadowling is using Ben and Aimee to lure more victims to its lair. Ben is clearly already dead, with two large puncture wounds in his torso that were inflicted by the shears. Aimee is filthy and covered in blood, but has no visible injuries. She is wearing a leather jacket that's a bit too big for her, presumably given to her by Ben before his death.

Attacks:

Unarmed strike: 0-harm, intimate

Harm Capacity:

Ben's corpse: 6

Aimee: 7, but has already taken 3 harm

Nelson Neadbaum

Minion: Guardian (motive: to bar a way or protect something)

Farmer Neadbaum is an older gentleman, perhaps in his 60s, and his hair and long mustace are beginning to grey. He is gruff with the hunters, but not openly hostile until he feels they are coming to close to his secrets. He wants to keep the hunters away from the Shadowling and out of his barn. He summoned the Shadowling in an attempt to communicate with The One Who Waits in Shadows, not expecting an unintelligent beast. It quickly escaped his containment measures, and he lost any control of the situation he may have had.

Neadbaum was once a member of the cult of The One Who Waits in Shadows, but was excommunicated from their ranks for having lofty ideas about using the god's power for himself, rather than serving it. He has been studying on his own ever since, and stewed in his solitude and self-righteousness, until meeting a sympathetic ear in Aimee, to who he tried to teach his ways.

Neadbaum's farm is the location of an annual corn maze, and this year, Aimee was volunteering to help run it as an after school activity.

Attacks:

Hunting knife: 1-harm, hand

Shotgun: 3-harm, close, messy

Harm Capacity: 7

Locations

Corn maze

Location: Den (motive: to harbour monsters)

The maze was poorly constructed/cut, making it difficult to tell what is meant to be a path and what is poorly spaced and/or trampled corn. If the hunters approach during the day, the light that falls over the corn wavers like a heat mirage. During the night, the shifting of the corn creates strange figures in their shadows.

Move: Navigate the Maze

If a hunter/the hunters would like to navigate the maze and the Shadowling is present within it, it uses its Taste of Madness to confuse and disorient the hunter(s).

Have a hunter roll +Weird. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1. Use a hold to mitigate one of the following effects.

Lose track of the exit

Lose track of your companion(s)

Discover nothing of consequence

On a 6-, the hunter who rolled is fully controlled/taken by the Shadowling.

Sideswipe Diner

Location: Crossroads (motive: to bring people and things together)

(The following is the start of a scripted scene written for the beginning of my own session, and may not be entirely applicable to yours. I've kept it here, in case it helps inspire you as to the tone of the mystery.]

"You are in a roadside diner. The outside looked a little run down, but when you entered you were pleasantly surprised to find the interior clean and lively. Your party of 5 [the number of hunters in our session] were seated easily together in a booth, with an extra chair on the end, of course. You're now enjoying the hot, greasy flavors of hometown America. It's a nice respite after miles and miles of nothing but Iowa cornfields. It's around 11 AM, and the sunlight through the windows is bright. It doesn't fool you, though. It's October, and you know that the wind chill bites."

Unity Police Station

Location: Fortress (motive: to deny entry)

The station is on the small side, but it's also the most modern building in town. You get the feeling they may be compensating for something.

Unity Library

Location: Hub (motive: to reveal information

An old schoolhouse that's been converted. It's got old, cracking paint, but the windows are clean. The interior is cramped and stuffed with books.

Schaffer Home

Location: Hub (motive: to reveal information)

The lawn is trimmed and green. The house is older, and is one of the only ones on the block with a second story. The interior is open concept, with plain white walls and modern knick-knacks. Aimee's room is on the second floor. It looks like a mundane girl's room at first, but hunters may investigate hiding spots or check her computer to find out about her interest in the occult or her connection to Neadbaum.

Torello Home

Location: Crossroads (motive: bring people/things together)

A trailer home on the other side of town from the Schaffer home. It is propped up on cinder blocks. There's a small dog tied up out front, and a garden.

Neadbaum Barn

Type: Hellgate (motive: to create evil)

From the outside, this is a classic red barn. The inside is similarly unassuming. Light shines in from the wooden slats in day time. The floor is matted with hay, and there's a cot up in the loft.

Neadbaum's animals do not choose to stay in the barn if they are not penned in, and if they are penned in, they are agitated and uncomfortable.

There is a book in an unrecognizable language hidden beneath the cot, and if the hay is cleared away, the summoning sigil for the Shadowling can be found.

Bystanders

Aimee Schaffer (student)

Bystander: Witness (motive: to reveal information)

Aimee is a high school student with light skin and straight brown hair. She is pretty, chubby, short, and normally well put together. Aimee felt stifled by her parents, their expectations, and their rigorous schedule for her. She began acting out in subtle ways, such as by reading up on the occult at the library and becoming involved with Ben.

Working with Neadbaum on the corn maze was a way to talk to someone in town who shared her interests while working on community building, something her parents would approve of. Aimee's occult research is generally benign, and she did not know just what horrors Neadbaum would get her involved in.

Aimee had left Ben a note that told him to meet her in the cornfield after she and Neadbaum concluded their ritual, unfortunately bringing him into the situation as well.

Aiden and Maria Schaffer (Aimee's parents)

Bystander: Busybodies (motive: to interfere in other people's plans)

The Schaffers are community leaders in Unity, who want the best for their daughter. They are very proud of Aimee for taking an interest in community events. They believe that Ben has done something to her, and are extremely distraught that she is missing. They do not acknowledge that Aimee was seeing Ben of her own free will. The Schaffers are suspicious of outsiders, unless they're authority figures.

Carla Torello (Ben's mother)

Bystander: Victim (motive: to put herself in danger)

Carla is a tall, thin woman, with a large straight nose and black hair. She wears a long brown coat.

Carla doesn't like Aimee, because her parents are elitist. She is certain that Ben is in some sort of trouble, but doesn't trust the authorities to help her. She'll do anything to find her son, and is relatively open to strange explanations. If she hears something ridiculous, though, she'll think she's being made fun of, and shut it down.

Maggie Watterson (Waitress)

Bystander: Gossip (motive: to pass on rumours)

Maggie is a pale woman in her 50s, with curly red hair pull back into a bun.

She is very worried about Ben and Aimee, who frequented Sideswipe Diner on their dates.

Sharon Maat (Waitress)

Bystander: Skeptic (motive: to deny supernatural explanations)

A high schooler with brown skin and black hair. She's tall, and looks consistently bored. She thinks that Ben and Aimee ran off together, and that everyone is making a big fuss over nothing. She goes to the same school and Ben and Aimee, knows that Aimee was helping organize the corn maze, and knows where both Ben and Aimee live, if the hunters ask.

Gordon Deep (County Sheriff)

Bystander: Official (motive: to be suspicious)

Sheriff Deep is a large man, both in gut and in build. He's in his 40s, and has a trim moustace and salt and pepper hair.

He's very no nonsense, and doesn't care for children. When things start to go terribly wrong, he becomes desperate to find a culprit.

Hank Devon (Deputy)

Bystander: Innocent (motive: to do the right thing)

Deputy Devon is a young man of average build. He's dark skinned and bald.

He's incredibly concerned about the disappearances, and very eager to find solutions. If he thinks the hunters have any sort of lead, he'll want to talk with them.

Mikki Watterson (librarian)

Bystander: Gossip (motive: to pass on rumors)

Mikki is a young person with short curly red hair and freckles. They are wearing a they/them pronoun pin. Waitress Maggie is their mother.

Mikki is involved in the community, and is very familiar with the Schaffer family and their library habits (especially Aimee, who comes by herself looking for occult books).

Layout

Here is a very simple drawn layout of Unity, which was filled in as our hunters discovered locations.

Additional Notes

In our session, the hunters immediately clocked the scarecrow as a threat, and destroyed it before it could be used. It's up to your discretion if you want to leave it vulnerable outside the cornfield as a freebie for your hunters, or if you'd like to hold that idea back as a surprise while they're exploring.

Our party included an initiate, which allowed this mystery to have some very fun cult politics. I highly recommend it.

If you end up using any of these ideas, I'd love to hear about it! MOTW is a great game, and I want to know about other people's experiences.

@freemotwresources @tabletopmonsteroftheweek

[tewwor-moving]

sea creature affairs starter call — i won't lie.. got a hankering to rev up some new content with these goons. everyone resides / at least calls harborview their home. just a small coastal town that's 10000% normal and not inhabited by strange things from the nearby sea. creatures of which that were made or in the very least influenced by some lone god found beneath sea foam and abyssal depths.

More sea creature lore here!

like and/or specify who you'd like from habrorview's very own! if you previously liked for a starter ( and/or i already made you one ) and you want another with a different character — please comment and let me know!!! i'm more than happy to have multiple threads with these silly strange creatures

adal — werewolf / sea creature hybrid . carpenter that's just trying his best, so soft and guilt ridden he'll help thieves clear out his own home, designated scout for any trouble brewing on the horizon as he sails most often

altan — basilisk . angry hermit trying desperately to live in solitude, keeper of a barely functioning lighthouse, usually the first point of contact for oram when he waddles his sea monster ass back to land, immediately beams super mean things into orams head to help him remember how to speak the human language before kicking him out.

amant taylor boudreaux — human . just a guy that's been obsessed with harborview's happenings, he's dedicated his life to accurately detail not only it's citizens but also the mysterious people that return from the sea, would 1000% try to get nasty with someone just to lowkey research them, brainrot on god ( oram, even if he doesn't know that weird soggy man is the sea god responsible for all sea creatures )

dane — sea creature . marine biology professor & totally not the son of the alleged sea god, oram, is known to throw the occasional hissy fit if a traveler starts to get too nosy, ignorance is the only thing keeping his father immortal

danny — sea creature . pirate smoted humbled by another god's wrath, runs a pub and very uncanny valley if you look close enough, thinks sitting by him while he soaks in the tub counts as a romantic date, probably eats people

hugh — sea creature . unofficial babysitter of newly turned sea creatures, just wants to run his restaurant in peace but is usually in pieces instead, don’t ask questions if you see him throwing things off the pier

joel — human ( for now ) . ooooo the sea creatures want him so bad, retired saturation diver, plagued with trauma / #1 harborview conspiracy theorist, main character syndrome & literally at his wits end

lior — siren / sea creature hybrid . prior criminal ties, current fashionista, embodiment of 'i told you so', weirdly misses needing souls as sustenance

oram — hunters want him, joel fears him, he barely knows wtf is going on at any time of his unfortunately long life, often found as a wet and soggy man wandering the beach, eldritch vibes all around and does little to hide it

tatsuro watanabe — figurehead come alive . the newest of harborview’s bestiary, still trying to grasp how humans act and why, will try anything once, underestimates his strength often, lowkey something intimidating about him

vincent — imugi . founder & #1 fan of the oram hate club, town-locked against his will, would love nothing more than to never talk to anyone but they love to bug the hell out of him, only cares about joel because he's.. struggling pathetic