#eldritch tales: inheritance

[darielivalyen]

Eldritch Tales: Inheritance [WIP]

Eldritch Tales: Inheritance is a game that blends elements of psychological, supernatural, and cosmic horror with a good dose of drama, investigation, and romance. You and your high school friends are reunited after five years by a mysterious letter, and through this letter, you inherit an old Gothic manor and a substantial fortune.

There is only one condition: you must live in the manor together.

As you arrive at Blackthorn Manor, strange, unsettling events begin to unfold. Shadows move on their own, nights are unnaturally dark, and the atmosphere grows increasingly tense. The manor is full of secrets, and the more you learn, the less you seem to understand.

Play as male, female, or nonbinary.

Customize your appearance, personality, and sexuality.

Romance or befriend a wealthy and carefree playboy, a no-nonsense scientist, a disciplined and protective ex-soldier, or a sweet and free-spirited artist.

Manage your relationships, or face unforeseen consequences.

Pay attention to your sanity and health, or…don’t.

Search for clues, solve puzzles, and learn the truth behind your inheritance.

Discover hidden rooms, secret passages, and eldritch artifacts.

Confront moral dilemmas, and be careful as they may have far-reaching consequences.

Face randomized events that will keep each playthrough unique.

Experience multiple endings based on your choices and actions.

What darkness does Blackthorn Manor conceal, and how will it affect your fate? Can you uncover the truth and survive, or will the manor’s sinister influence consume you all?

TYLER REYNOLDS

Background: Born into wealth, Tyler has always enjoyed privilege and opulence. While his party-going ways have quieted recently, he still likes to boast about his family’s status.

Personality: Tyler has a confident, carefree spirit that can be both alluring and unnerving. He enjoys living in the now and isn’t too concerned with the future.

Physical description: Tyler is tall and lean with an athletic build. He has dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a preppy yet sophisticated style. He is fond of loafers and owns over two hundred pairs.

Smell: Blend of citrus and sage.

CALEB MITCHELL

Background: A former soldier, Caleb has spent the last couple of years doing different security jobs. He’s very protective of his younger sister Julia, with whom he shares a close bond.

Personality: Caleb is disciplined and protective, with a dry sense of humor shaped by his military background. Despite his rugged exterior, he dreams of a peaceful life.

Physical description: Caleb is tall and muscular, and has an overall rugged appearance. He has a dark brown undercut, deep brown eyes, and a bit of stubble. His style is mostly casual.

Smell: Cedarwood with hints of amber.

JULIA MITCHELL

Background: Julia has a deep passion for science; she excels in engineering and physics. Her career and research define most of what her life is about.

Personality: Julia is a no-nonsense individual who values efficiency and clarity. She’s methodical in her approach to problems but can get puzzled in overly emotional moments.

Physical description: Julia is of medium height with a lean physique. She has neck-long black hair, deep brown eyes, and wears stylish glasses. Her style is Parisian chic.

Smell: Paper and ink, with hints of lavender.

LUNA HARPER

Background: An artist first and foremost, Luna’s whole world revolves around her paintbrush and palette. She embraces all forms and aspects of spirituality and loves crystals.

Personality: Luna is a free spirit, and her vibrant personality is reflected in her artwork. Her optimism is infectious, her humor innocent, and her soul seems to be untouched by cynicism.

Physical description: Luna is petite and has an ethereal presence. She has long platinum-blonde hair with pink highlights, green eyes, and loves the bohemian style.

Smell: Patchouli and sandalwood.

FORUM | DEMO | PATREON | PINTEREST | TUMBLR

[thebarontheabyss]

This tale starts with your death.

Read WIP here

(Current wordcount: 240k!)

You remember only the moth, carrying you through the cosmos.

And so, the Abyss beckons you.

Now, you are a spirit, immortal. After a meeting with the Grim Reaper, Death, you were gifted with a peculiar inheritance: a bar.

This mysterious establishment and the Abyss around it serve as a nexus, connected to every realm in existence. It's a haven where spirits and deities, devils and angels, converge to drink and revel.

Yet, beneath the surface, an unease stirs. A voice calls out in your dreams—a loneliness that echoes through the Abyss. Why does it seek you?

A motley crew of spirits and immortals, each hailing from distant corners of the realms, stands with you. Bonds are waiting to be formed, or even love that transcends death itself—perhaps even with Death themself.

Manage your bar, where serving a drink to a god or an eldritch entity is just another day's work. Unravel a cosmic mystery, go on a date in infernal Hell, witness the universe's creation, or unlock the arcane secrets of magic.

Your new afterlife awaits.

A narrative-driven experience focused on character development and storytelling.

Play as any gender or none.

Shape your personality through meaningful choices.

Engage in deep and complex relationships with a diverse cast of characters.

Romance mortals and immortals alike - if you want poly, purely physical, or asexual - they will respond in kind.

Explore the afterlife, visit realms of immortals and gods, and uncover the dark secrets of the bar.

M\F\NB (Poly or Monogamous paths) Death reveals a surprising warmth beneath their eternal duty.

Is there room for love within their everlasting embrace? Read more >>>

M\F (Poly or Monogamous paths) This devilish being, a powerful magnet of desire, seeks more than power in the bar’s shadows.

Who dares to pursue the heart behind the flame?

Read more >>>

M\F (Poly or Monogamous paths) The Witch, with their feline companion, seeks a lost soul, their magic stirring trouble and passion alike.

Can a mortal love thrive in the spirit realm?

Read more >>>

M (Monogamous path)

A mercenary turned security guard, Hastur carries an immortal burden, guilt born of past battles and sacrifices.

Will your love heal his wounds?

Read more >>>

NB (Monogamous path) The spectral diva enchants with their voice, their performance a dance of beauty tinged with the sorrow of eternal life.

Can your love find a new song for them?

Read more >>>

M\F\NB (Monogamous path) A shade keeps the bar’s order, and his silence holds the weight of cosmic secrets and the tapestry of existence.

Will your heart fall for the being behind the shadow?

Read more >>>

With feathers dark and wit sharp, The Raven’s history is as rich as the bar itself. He offers piercing insight beneath a layer of humor.

Read more >>>

The stern soothsayer-turned-accountant Yaga guards the bar’s fortune while wrestling with her own spectral regrets and wisdom.

Read more >>>

Shelly, the bar’s assistant, brings life-affirming warmth but seeks a new family to fill the void of her lost one.

Read more >>>

Welcome to the cosmos: the tapestry of existence, a complex weave of ever-changing realms. Each domain is a thread in the grand design.

Read more >>>

Feedback on any typos, grammatical errors, or other textual issues.

Notes on any continuity errors to ensure a smooth and logical progression.

Thoughts and opinions on the plot, characters, and overall narrative experience.

Don't be shy about sending your feedback - as small as it may be. I'll be answering and taking each into consideration. You are very welcome to post your reviews here!

The game explores themes of Death in various forms, including suicide.

Alcohol indulgence and its various side effects (hangovers, vomiting, etc.)

Sexual themes (currently only non-explicit)

[sepublic]

What if we reimagined all of the other non-Teridax Makuta as eldritch horrors, just as Teridax was initially presented in the early years of Bionicle? What if we used each Makuta as a prompt of sorts; What if THEY were the big villain terrorizing an island, their individual name unknown so they’re just THE Makuta to the local Toa and Matoran? Make each one feel worthy of the title of Makuta, with their depictions in Karda Nui being akin to physical, humanoid avatars meant to interact with others, just as the scheming Teridax is like for the vortex from MNOG?

Like for example, Chirox! You have this swarm of spiders known as the Visorak, led by one massive spider, known as Makuta. The Visorak mutate their victims, before dragging them back to their master.

Makuta is a spider-like entity that emerges from a cave, using his spindly limbs to grapple with and analyze his victims... Potentially drawing upon them for inspiration, before tearing and prying them apart into their base pieces, adding them to his massive collection. From these recycled parts, Makuta creates more Visorak, or dreaded Rahi creatures that wreak havoc on the ecosystem. Like Makuta, they are poison, destruction incarnate; They always inherit his twisted spirit that destroys.

That’s all Makuta does, even when he does create; He inevitably just destroys. Instead of coming up with new things on his own, he relies on Fate to mutate the living into something random, hoping chance will eventually grant him a working design for Makuta to copy. You could say Makuta has no real ideas of his own, and is a gambler, a parasite, betting something will come along for him to take. 

But isn’t destruction the same as creation, isn’t destroying his victims necessary to make things? That’s where the imagery of the spider comes into play; Its long, spindly limbs? They’re fingers. Makuta is not just a spider, he is a hand; The same hand that reaches into the parts bin to make new creations, plays with MoCs before tearing them apart to make something new. Just as Teridax represents the parts bin, Chirox is the builder’s hand, like in the Lego Movie, or Super Smash Bros. 

Each Visorak is like a hand of its own, grabbing victims, reassembling them randomly with mutation. Dragging them back to Chirox, whose hand motif is also inspired from the fact that he is the only Makuta who can fully control his Shadow Hand. And Makuta’s spider-like form? It’s attached to something much, MUCH bigger... It is not just a hand metaphorically, it is a literal hand and when Makuta’s lair collapses around him, it reveals the massive figure he is attached to; His whole, true self, a titan more resembling the Chirox we are familiar with.

The others are different angles and facets to approach the myth, the legend of the Makuta; Different re-imaginings, just as people came up with their own G3 and their own take on Makuta. Just like the Makuta contest we had for G2. Vamprah can represent the animalistic side of Makuta; The raging, kicking, screaming beast he was once described as by Vakama. The apex predator, for if his minions are the Rahi beasts, he is the greatest of them all.

Or Bitil! A temporal entity, haunted by his past selves, constantly summoned by his future self. Always going through different iterations, just as a MoC is frequently edited, redone, rebuilt; You can track his transformation, his evolution across his many selves; Makuta represents the existential horror of the timeline, of the way things change. A ghost of the past, and also a vision of the future. If the Vahi is central to the tale of Bionicle as the Mask of Time, what about Makuta as someone who constantly exploits and distorts this force?

Those are some of my initial ideas. Makuta needn’t always be this faceless force of nature, they can be a humanized figure, like Krika, who can be a sympathetic, tragic villain doomed by the narrative, consigned to his role and aware of it as part of a meta discussion; Miserix is the mighty dragon our knights must slay; The Makuta of Stelt, a land of merchants and commerce, the all-consuming force of corporatism that stifles creativity, or a bargaining devil. Gorast is a fanatical priestess hoping to bring in a new age, Mutran the quintessential mad scientist who played god and flew too close to the sun in his obsession.

Spiriah is a corrupt lord seething over his failures, who transformed and resents his people the Skakdi and must be rebelled against; Tridax is a multiversal collector providing commentary on adaptations; The Vortixx hope to harness the ultimate weapon that is Antroz; Kojol is the arcane keeper of knowledge like Lucifer, who stole the Light of enlightenment from the land of thinkers and is burned for it; And Icarax? A completely straightforward dark lord to conquer, as he always intended to be. Each plays the role of Makuta, as the final villain, the ultimate evil who started this conflict, whom our protagonists must rise to eventually vanquish.

[hauntedwizardtree]

Fanfic Master List

Figured I might as well make one of these. Links to the published stories on my ao3 account ~ hauntedwizardtree ~ have been added.

Unlocked my fanfics. So long as there isn’t another scraping incident or people feed them to AI I don’t intend to lock them again.

Published Works:

Lucifer TV Series:

Heaven’s Problem Child is Not Lucifer LINK

Summary:

When Lucifer’s youngest brother Michael shows up unexpectedly in the LAPD precinct looking for him, he sets into motion events that have the potential to destroy the life Lucifer’s created for himself on Earth, but hopefully will heal the fractures in his family before it is too late.

That is if his siblings and Parents don’t mess up his plans first.

Chapters: 13/? In progress

Tales of the Gemini: Twin Flames LINK

Summary:

Michael and Lucifer are Twin Flames—one soul that lives split between two separate bodies. Their separation was a matter of survival, for their powers—when they were still physically one—battled inside them to the point of self-destruction. Their family has never forgiven them for it.

Chapters: 8/? In progress

Tales of the Gemini: Deleted Scenes LINK

Summary:

Deleted Scenes for the different stories in the Tales of the Gemini series. May not make sense if you haven't read the other stories.

Chapters: 1/?

Encanto:

The Seer and His Mother LINK

Summary:

When Mirabel Madrigal's Door disappeared, it wasn't because she didn't get a Gift, but because she already had a room that had been waiting for her for decades. Also known as: thanks to time-travelling on the night of Antonio's Gift Ceremony, Mirabel Madrigal is the biological mother of Bruno Madrigal. This would be fine, except that Mirabel's secret Gift turned her into an eldritch creature with a hunger for humans…and Bruno inherited her inhuman nature in addition to his own Foresight.

Chapters: 13/? In progress

Coco:

Hymns for the Missing: A Broken Harmony LINK

Summary:

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife...or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 20:17) ...Ernesto de la Cruz was never good about not stealing things that didn't belong to him. But that doesn’t mean that his crimes can continue to go unpunished.

Chapters: 10/? In progress

Note: Hymns for the Missing is mainly a gender-bent series of male!Imelda (Ismael), female!Hector (Harmonia) and female!Miguel (Micaela). There is one story planned with a male!Coco (Carlos). My Original Characters, Damario Estrella and Ana Caballeros will also feature in them as Hector/Harmonia's parents.

Future Fics (Titles and Summary are subject to Change):

Lucifer TV Series:

Tales of the Gemini: Children of a Lesser God

Summary:

A story detailing the trials of the twins Mikael and Samael if Amenadiel had not interrupted his mother's attempt to be rid of them as infants.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians:

Trojans Reborn AU

Summary:

Luke Castellen is the reincarnation of Hector, prince of Troy. Thalia Grace is was the reincarnation of his wife Andromache. His plans of destroying the gods who neglected him and allowed Thalia to die, whose pride caused Troy to burn are sent to Tartarus the night Percy Jackson enters Camp Half-Blood...a boy who is the reincarnation of Hector and Andromache's infant son, Scamandarius.

Odysseus Redux: Fic Name to Be Determined (Odysseus Redux is looking to be a series of one shots and long-fic where Odysseus is Reincarnated into the Percy Jackson Universe)

Summary:

The Fates are cruel, and Styx is even crueler: Thalia Grace was cursed because her father broke his oath. Percy Jackson is the curse.

Or: In a world where your soul walks alongside you, Percy Jackson is plagued by nightmares of monsters and death, and haunted by the ghosts of six-hundred dead Ancient Greek soldiers, who know him by the name Odysseus. (Daemon AU)

Untitled Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase genderbent AU

Summary:

Odysseus Chase meets Penny Jackson the night she slays the Minotaur. This would be completely unremarkable—if it weren’t for the tiny fact that Odysseus is the reincarnation of that Odysseus, and Penny is the reincarnation of his wife and queen, Penelope—and now Penny is being blamed for the theft of a lighting bolt.

Trials of Apollo:

ToA: Apollo kidified version

Summary: Wherein something goes wrong when Zeus sends Apollo down to Earth as a mortal after Blood of Olympus and he winds up in the body of a seven-year-old (when in doubt, blame the fates).

Coco (Movie):

Hymns for the Missing: The Vampire Wife

Summary:

On the night of the destruction of their outlaw companions, Damario Estrella and Ana Caballeros and later their daughter Harmonia are spared from death and turned into monsters. Over a hundred years later, Harmonia gets caught up in a death curse along with her great-great granddaughter.

Hymns for the Missing: The Ghost Whisperers of Santa Cecilia

Summary:

In a world where the ghosts of those who suffer violent deaths, those whose bodies were never put to rest properly, those who have unfinished business in the land of the living are trapped on the earthly plane, unable to move on to the land of the dead. The job of a ghost whisperer is to help the ghost to move on before they inevitably become dangerous and start to kill. Ismael Rivera and his granddaughter Victoria were the best of the best…until the day Victoria was killed on a job, and soon after Ismael died of a heart attack from the news.

Unfortunately for everyone, Harmonia Rivera's ghost was never put to rest before she started killing.

Godfather Ernesto de la Cruz

Summary:

Miguel Rivera has known all his life that his no-good great-great grandfather abandoned his family, only for his Mama Coco's godfather, the now world-famous musician Ernesto de la Cruz to step up and make sure that the man's family were taken care of. He intends to be just like the man who, even after death made sure that Imelda's family lacked for nothing.

This belief is challenged and upended one fateful dia de los muertos.

(Or, Ernesto felt so much guilt over what happened to Hector that he did everything short of confessing to the murder to make sure that the wife and child Hector loved so much were taken care of.)

Moon Knight (TV 2022)

Ideas cooking. Will post a summary for any fanfics I decide to go through with :)

Crossovers:

Percy Jackson & Harry Potter Crossover:

The Sea Witch Chronicles (possible series)

Summary:

The tale of Morgana Jackson (fem Percy), the monstrous daughter of Poseidon and Sally Jackson, starts with a girl named Ursa Black, daughter of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Black. A girl who was presumed dead until Sirius finds her name on the tapestry, alive and with no death date, with the names of two young girls just under hers.

Twice Born/The River Maiden

Summary:

Poseidon never meant to break his oath on the Styx, not after seeing what became of Zeus's daughter. But when the woman carrying his newest child died two months after their encounter, he was driven to save the unborn child, leaving the elder wizard half-brother to his own fate.

No one was ever meant to know the true origins of Poseidon's newest naiad daughter, Lorelei Jackson (fem Percy) and how she came to be in her mother Sally’s care, until a resurrected Lily Potter takes an identity test which reveals that she has a second child.

Harry Potter and the Son of Zeus

Summary:

Instead of meeting and being wooed by Poseidon, Sally Jackson, daughter of Voldemort and the reincarnation of Danäe, meets Zeus that fateful summer at Montauk beach. She gives birth to the reincarnation of her own son Perseus, slayer of Medusa and son of Zeus. Unfortunately, Voldemort is the reincarnation of Acrisius, long dead king of Argos and Danäe’s father.

And he has a score to settle with Sally's son.

Mortal Son of Immortal Gods

Summary: Harry Potter gets the shock of his life when he learns that his parents were the mortal incarnations of the god Zeus and Titaness Leto. Shenanigans ensue when Artemis and Apollo, Zeus and Leto's divine children decide to step out of the shadows and take a much more active role in their baby brother's life than they had previously.

The Order of the Phoenix and Why you don’t anger a god.

Summary:

“Once upon a time the man who would one day be known as Lord Voldemort had a granddaughter. Said granddaughter ran away from the magical world after becoming pregnant with a non-magical hybrid of man and god, and was never seen again.”

When the Order of the Phoenix learn that Sally Jackson is Voldemort’s granddaughter, they come to forcibly collect her, her children and husband to keep them “safe” from Voldemort. Percy disagrees with this.

And perhaps more alarmingly, so does Poseidon.

Coco & Monsters, Inc. Crossover

Hymns for the Missing: Edwin and the Terrible Day at Work

Summary:

A small one-shot I cooked up for an au where Damario and Ana survive and get to raise Harmonia. Which is very unfortunate for a poor scarer employed by Monsters Inc. in Monstropolis.

[starryknight-dragonarts]

Anastasia "Polaris Northstar" Blanche Leacroft the Sin of Gluttony

Anastasia Blanche-Leacroft preferring to go by her nickname Polaris, was raised single handedly by her hardworking mother Sonia Blanche, while her absentee father Herman Preston Leacroft; also known by his writer name "H.P Leacroft" abandoned the both of them before she was born and then passed away from illness before Anastasia would ever officially meet him, she would only really know her father through the books he wrote. It would be inaccurate to describe Herman Leacroft as a pokemon with issues, more like he was a shambling mound of issues in the approximate form of a Cat. He had various mental and social issues: chronically depressed, hypersensitive to criticism, prone to horrible nightmares and nervous breakdowns, along with many strong biases from growing up in the old noble house of Leacroft which had long been in a state of decline long before he was born and was already starting to fall apart, but still held onto their archaic belief in Blood Purity and Superior Breeding. Herman did what his family considered a major fopaux by marrying Sonia Blanche an author like him but was not born to a noble house, rather she was a self made business woman. She had given him a semblance of peace and sanity and the ability to start a new life, the two of them could have been happy together, but thanks to machinations of the Leacroft family Herman was separated from his wife and fell back into his old hateful biased mindset renouncing his love for Sonia and isolating himself in the family manor till he would eventually die of illness never knowing that he had a daughter.

Anastasia would eventually inherit the manuscripts of her father's horror stories; The tales of incomprehensible monsters and unknowable gods from beyond our own known reality, the nightmares that had horrified him and haunted his mind had become the dreams and passion of his estranged daughter. She was not only not scared of these creatures, but became enthusiastic about learning more about them. In many ways she is similar to Herman but also the opposite: They both lacked the ability to express themselves normally around other pokemon but where Herman had hatred and fear everything he didn't understand, Anastasia loves and accepts all things for their differences and uniqueness, especially things that other pokemon consider weird or creepy.

She got herself neck deep into learning all she could about the occult being a hyperfixation of hers trying to seek out beings like the ones in her father's books from beyond our reality in the spaces beyond space and imagination wanting to meet them and understand them despite being claimed to be incomprehensible. Unlike most Warlocks who have an exclusive contract with one powerful entity and then lose all their power should they break that contract, she is has become almost an eldritch entity herself capable of her own bizzare otherworldly powers, but is still limited by her physical body so she will act as a freelance warlock jumping between contracts between various Otherworldly patrons making deals with them in exchange for power and secret knowledge. Many of these deals can be considered dangerous but Polaris has become cunning when it comes to negotiating deals and she is more than willing to take risks because power and knowledge has become something of an obsessive addiction to her, earning her the title of the Sin of Gluttony.

She is also capable of eating vast amounts of food even though she no longer requires food to function as one of her eldritch abilities. She can consume almost anything: Matter, Energy, Light, etc...but it serves a different purpose than just giving her the energy to sustain herself, she can also transport the contents she devours to patrons who need it for sustenance as part of their deal. She has worked for many of the Ultrabeasts feeling Light to Necrozma, various nonspecific matter to Guzzlord, Electricity to Xurkitree, Vital Energy to Buzzswole, and Mental Energy to the swarm of Nihilego. The downside to this deal is that ironically Polaris no longer possesses the capability to taste anything so she can't enjoy food anymore.

Polaris joined the Seven Deadly Sins because she thinks the other members of the team are fascinating and leads her to interesting places. Her main weapon is a two bladed rapier called Brainbiter which appears to be made out of clear glass, but is somehow flexible. This blade can stretch and bend like a tentacle under the control of the wielder maneuvering around weapons and armor to pierce or cut the enemy. A single cut from this blade is enough for it to inject a Neurotoxin that within mere moments of being introduced to one’s body is able to give them vivid hallucinations. She also has a power called Uncertainty, allowing her to be where she isn't when not being observed, so the moment you take your eyes off her she could just be somewhere else entirely but only places where she has at least seen before making her very good at escaping places.

[s-aint-elmo]

on your post about how destiny actually works in ever after i wanted to share some of my thoughts!!!

firstly, (ive had this one in my mind since i watched the show as a kid) they introduce the characters as "abc, daughter/son of xyz" and their stories are continued through the generations, so, for some, wouldn't their forever after partner's parent, be their parent too??? like okay there's apple white, daughter of snow white and daring charming, son of king charming LIKE HOW DOES THAT WORK???? when snow white was fulfilling her destiny wasn't it king charming that woke her up???? like how does that work

also, it's only daring and apple who are (at first) set for each other, everyone knows daring will wake apple from her sleep but the rest of the princesses don't have their princes what about briar? ashlynn?

then, it seems only the first born has to follow in their parents' fairytale footsteps like in the case of holly and poppy so what do the younger siblings do? what's their destiny like dexter charming, he had a page in the book of legends but had no story to go with it

this is a lot but im really awestruck with how destiny is such a fickle thing, apparently your destiny can be taken away from you just by signing in the book of legends, it's not even confirmed i suppose, it can change like how daring ended up with rosabella and not apple, etc etc

destiny in ever after high has so much untapped potential i love rotating it in my mind so thank you so much for this ask!

first off, eah has confirmed that there are four unrelated charming clans from which fairytales draw their sundry heroes so it's logical to assume that all current kings charming serving as their famous fairytale wives' arm candy come from different clans as the princes charming slated for their daughters' destinies. briar's prince i always assumed to be unknown due to the fact that she won't meet him in another hundred years. apple's prince being determined from the beginning i've always chalked up to the snow white tale being so important that grimm, snow and co. all felt the need to lock the details down as early as possible. pair the most eligible princess in the land with the most eligible prince in the land and chain their destinies together before fate gets other ideas and all that.

also YES, the birth order aspect of fairytale inheritance itches at my brain soooo hard. does the destiny go only down the line of the eldest? if the protagonists of the tale are siblings, are the next protagonists their respective firstborns and thus cousins? or does the destiny lineage go to whoever in the birth order has the most important role? can you be chosen randomly for a tale that wasn't in your family? and it's made even more confusing bc eah canon says "both! all! yes!" the rapunzel destiny falls to the eldest twin. the current hansel and gretel destiny falls to cousins. the dancing princess destiny goes all the way down the line of the youngest daughter. the charmings are all expected to fill in as either heroes or damsels for whatever tale needs them. it's WILD.

my personal interpretation is that just to cover all the bases, grimm keeps the school open to all descendants of the major players until they know for certain who destiny has the most affinity with. case in point: justine dancer only being confirmed as the twelfth princess when she started sleepdancing in the webisodes despite all eleven of her older sisters having been chosen beforehand. it makes one wonder if there's a method to knowing which sister needs to have the full dozen (the eldest? the youngest?) or if ALL the madames try to get all the way to twelve Just In Case. could you imagine the family gatherings? hell.

(i love thinking of the dancing princess eldritch nightmare family orchard. one of my eah ocs is the seventh daughter of the seventh dancing princess who's only here bc it would have looked unsporting if nobody from their branch came, despite all signs pointing to justine, and she didn't really have alternative plans. she's just chilling. at least until miss mabinogion crashes into her life and she finds herself playing co-conspirator to a certain flower-faced adulteress's Operation Goodbye Earl.)

i think bc of the sleepdancing there's a lot of flexibility in the line-up of the twelve princesses, so they can be siblings down the line of whoever married the soldier, or they can be firstborn cousins, or they can be first daughter of the first daughter, second daughter of the second, etc. etc. no matter how hard grimm et al. try to hammer down destiny, every retelling still finds a way to veer off the rails. so every contradictory version of every fairytale you've ever heard? probably happened at one point. it was never gonna be science.

another thing i'm really interested in are destinies where the protagonist has to become their child's villain. you ever think about how the juniper tree cycle would necessitate the butchered child eaten by their father to become the parent that eats their child? eah never went that hard but i can. i will. (miss juniper tree rounds out my eah oc roster and she is appropriately furious about it.) cyclical destinies where happy endings don't mean jack are sooo good.

also yes!! that whole thing where destiny doesn't even play by the rules of the people who try to corral it (darling is apple's prince, daring is the beast, raven is one of the seven dwarves, etc. etc.) even when the Book is in play is just !!!!!!! really makes it feel like destiny is a much larger and more powerful force than anybody can really reckon with.

[rosemaidenvixen]

Merging the magic systems of Tales of Arcadia and the Owl House

Ever since I added the Owl House in alongside Tales of Arcadia as one of my blorbo shows, I’ve wanted to do a crossover between the two. The trouble is I’m coming up empty with plot ideas, zero, nada, zilch. I want to bring these characters together but I’ve got no idea of what would bring them together and what they’d do when they got together. I still want to write a crossover, but right now I’m waiting for the right inspiration/idea to strike.

Since I have no idea when the right inspiration will strike, let alone when I’ll have anything written. I’ve decided to share my ideas for how I’d reconcile the magical systems between the two shows.

In the Owl House it is repeatedly, explicitly stated that humans cannot use innate magic; and in TOA we have multiple humans using innate magic. So how to make these two incompatible systems mesh without completely throwing out one or the other?

First step is to flesh out the world(s) the stories take place in, using some interpretation and a lot of my personal headcanons. To begin the Demon Realm isn’t really another world so much as another plane of reality to the Terrestrial Realm (aka Earth). If all of reality is a house, the Terrestrial realm would be the first floor and the Demon Realm would be the basement. Another universe would be a whole separate house. The Demon Realm isn’t the afterlife, but humans falling into the Boiling Isles and bringing stories of it back did give rise to myths about the underworld.

Now the two magic systems in these show as they are are completely incompatible, so to make them compatible I’m doing some heavy tweaking to the magic system in the TOAverse. I chose the TOAverse to alter because the Owl House has a lot of in-universe explanations for how the magic system works, while TOA is incredibly vague about it.

What I came up with is this.

Witches can practice innate magic because they have a gland of magical bile on their heart that serves as the source of their magic power. They have these bile sacs because they evolved from the decomposing carcass of an incredibly powerful eldritch god and inherited some of the Titan’s innate magic. Humans did not evolve these bile sacs and therefore have no innate magic. But what if there was a way to bypass the evolutionary middle man and get magic directly?

Because while mature titans may be some of the most powerful deities in existence, they are far from the only ones, and the terrestrial realm has plenty, the Arcane order and many others.

So while humans have no innate magic, by making a deal with a deity they can get some of their powers to use as their own.

Quick aside, in this verse deities aren’t all knowing/all powerful/pure good/pure evil. While they’re immensely powerful magical beings, deities aren’t omnipotent, and have their own struggles and limitations, just like mortal beings. There are almost no deities that are pure good or pure evil, and they often make contracts with mortals for their own reasons or their own gain, ranging from noble to petty.

And a deity giving a human some of their power doesn't lessen the deity’s power. It’s like lighting a torch from a bonfire, the bonfire isn’t reduced by lighting a torch, and it gets to spread its influence without leaving its confines.

The conditions and stipulations that go into such a contract with a deity, and what powers the human gets out of it, varies from deity to deity. An honest person making a deal with an honest deity would get an equivalent exchange, but a foolish person making a deal with a trickster deity might soon find themselves in over their head and little more than a slave. Of course there are plenty of mortals who wouldn’t mind feeding a bloodthirsty god all they desire if they come out more powerful for it. In rare cases if the mortal is clever enough they can trick the deity and come out on top of the bargain.

Every deity is unique and they all have different risks associated with making contracts with them. But making deals with ancient, primordial deities is considered especially dangerous, because while these elder beings are no more pure good or evil than their younger counterparts, their minds are much more alien. And this lack of understanding of human morality can lead to blessings that look like curses, gifts that are more like punishments. One should exercise extreme caution when making a bargain with one of these elder beings.

Now what would this look like applied?

Let’s start with Merlin. I can easily see him being clever enough to trick a deity and a lot of Arthurian myth has him being the son of the devil. So based on this, I imagine in his youth he was able to trick a very powerful, sadistic trickster god, I’m not sure how the specifics of this trick go down, but it ends with Merlin getting all the power he desires and the deity being left with almost nothing. The deity is furious but is bound by their own word.

For Douxie I imagine that a few thousand years down the line Merlin’s trickster made a deal with Douxie as a young child, giving him power with the intention of grooming him into causing Merlin’s downfall. But Merlin outsmarts them again, taking Douxie as his apprentice and teaching him all that he knows. And Merlin’s not immortal, if one day after he dies Douxie steps into his shoes that is just fine with him. Again the trickster is super pissed, but can’t do anything about it.

Now Zoe. There’s pretty much nothing in canon about her powers but I’ve seen a lot of cool fanart of her with electricity powers, so I imagine she made a bargain with Thor, god of thunder, to get lightning based magic. Thor really didn’t ask for much in this bargain, as he likes giving mortals power just because he has fun seeing them running around kicking ass and taking names.

Claire actually did what few dared to do and made a bargain with one of the oldest beings in existence, Nyx, goddess of the night and primordial darkness. No one’s sure what exactly Claire promised in exchange for power over shadows and darkness, only that Claire herself goes gaunt whenever asked and refuses to say.

Rather than being a human that made a bargain for power, I see Morgana as being a demigoddess with innate magic of her own, the child of Uther Pendragon and a powerful fae and Arthur’s half sister. Being a demigoddess makes her incredibly powerful, and killing her…complicated.

So contracts are how “typical” human magic users get their power, but when Luz goes to the Boiling Isles she discovers the glyphs, the titans’ language, and a way to use the titans’ power without a contract or a bile gland. Speculating down the line, once King learns of his true heritage and the Collector enters the scene, this opens up the possibility of Luz making a contract with one of them, but this has its own set of risks. While King and the Collector are friends and allies, the two of them are children, and while they might never intend to harm Luz they could easily end up making a contract with devastating side effects without even trying to. They’re so young they simply don’t know or understand all the subtle intricacies that go into making a bargain with a human.

That’s all I’ve hashed out for now. Like I said, any crossover story will stay in limbo until I get a good idea for a plot. And if anyone wants to incorporate any of the ideas I wrote about here into your own stories feel free. Thanks for reading my rambles!

[dancingafterdark]

a messy compilation of haphazard summaries for all my original horror wips

because they’ve been stuck in my head for way too long and i’d like to subject them to the unsuspecting masses-

(i’m terrible at summaries; don’t bully me pls)

and part-way back; or, an american gothic

an anthology of interconnected horror stories set during the 1920s, primarily inspired by the stories of lovecraft and his pulp fiction contemporaries and folklore; essentially, it’s a love letter to gothic american horror, with all the monsters and messy queer themes that entails. such tales include the story of a pinkerton agent hunting a wanted murder suspect who had seemingly vanished into thin air inexplicably, surrounded by a series of unusual events; a young, brooding girl who returns home from her studies upon the sudden death of her father, only to find a mysterious summon for her to collect her inheritance at a notorious ghost town suspected of occult activity; a former wwi medic reluctantly joins a fishing crew to help support his struggling family, only to find himself in over his head when they stumble across a seemingly abandoned ship in the pacific with all her crew members dead, and yet there’s no trace of the murderer; a journalist scraping by on sensationalist pulp magazine articles who sees her neighbor suddenly jump to his death right in front of her, and the strange events that soon start to haunt her; a father detailing his first time meeting his in-laws in their strange little seaside town and coming to the daunting realization of the horrible fate awaiting his unborn child; a recently widowed Norwegian woman translating her late husband’s journals documenting his fateful final sailing trip and discovering horrible secrets that may cost her her life; and a struggling p.i. with an elusive past, a fake name, and strange preternatural abilities of his own takes up a case regarding a missing family from a mysterious client — and discovers some crucial things about himself as well in the process. 

sweetest tooth

a collection of dark fairy tale retellings, such as this gothic rendition of snow white and rose red:  a young, troubled woman struggling with insomnia, rosalie “rose” hofmann works night shifts as a mortician for family friend, prestigious funeral home operator, vincent de ingram, and is trying to cope with the suicide of her mentally-troubled older sister. while working on the body of an unidentified female murder victim, she suddenly blacks out and after waking up in the hospital, she begins to notice strange things happening in the world that don't seem to make any sense. these peculiarities all comes to a head on the third day when her childhood best friend and first love, bianca de ingram, shows up on her doorstep one cold, winter’s night, beautiful as ever. rose never expected to see her ever again, let alone standing right in front of her, alive and well. bianca had been found dead in an abandoned mineshaft in the spring following her fourteenth birthday. rose was there. she touched her cheek the best she could through the thick plastic of the body bag, saw her naked body on that familiar silver table, watched her marble casket be lowered into the ground… nothing, however, could prepare her for this, let alone the first three words shared between them after seven long years:  “I killed someone.”

amusement

the harrowing tale in which two teenage runaways with a dark secret stumble across a travelling carnival seemingly stuck in time — and soon find themselves trapped within its eldritch grounds. now, in order to escape with their lives, they must survive, alongside the other hapless guests, the many perilous acts awaiting their gleeful participation; they must give a good show, lest they be devoured by the mysterious carnival’s unquenchable appetite for the next dazzling act. 

all the interesting people are missing 

this is the story of franklin “frank” zachariah wallace: an unremarkable middle-aged man with a dead end job, no children or significant other, who lives alone with his mother in the old house at the end of the street right next to the creek and hasn’t been to church much lately — he’s killed four hitchhiking teenagers in the summer of 1976, and he just murdered his mother. fully aware that his days are numbered, frank stuffs his mother’s corpse in the boot of his beat-up cadillac and makes a break for his late grandfather’s cabin in the mountains of the pacific northwest where he can die by his own hand; along the way, he abducts seventeen year-old miranda carlyle: honor’s student, captain of the cheer squad, and darling homecoming queen who wants nothing more than to die young and beautiful under tragic circumstances, and seizes the opportunity when she finds herself trapped in a car with a serial killer, much to frank’s bewilderment. this kidnapping soon turns into an unconventional road trip from their podunk virginian town to washington sees the unlikely pair pondering their circumstances and helping each other confront their demons the only way they know how. 

doublewalker

eve meyers, a traumatized homicide detective, investigates a series of abductions and murders occurring around her small town. the latest victim is a stripper who happens to not only look exactly like her, but also shares significant details with her such as their birthday and a distinct birthmark on their shoulder — despite this, they are not biologically twins and have never met. meyers soon realizes this is the work of an unidentified serial killer who specifically targets these “twin strangers” and had kidnapped and tortured her to near death a year ago and is hoping to finish the job.

i also have more than a handful of short stories, and one-shots in the fanfiction sphere, in progress, but my (likely undiagnosed) adhd can only handle so much lol; all of the above are at various stages of development, and i never linger on one idea for too long despite my best judgement.

i may make another post like this detailing all my fanfic wips and ideas, i dunno~

[runawaymun]

🗡️&⚓, if you please!

🗡️ Defend your favorite war criminal (or make them worse - I'm not your mom)

I'm a Maedhros apologist for so many reasons. Chief of which is because I love him. But in all seriousness, while he is a war criminal and he is a mass-murderer, I think out of all the The Sons of Fëanor, he displayed the most restraint and regret.

Like sure the narrative tells us that Maglor deeply regretted his actions explicitly -- but he comes late to that realization after the end of the third kinslaying. Out of all the sons, Maedhros props up my idea that the Oath is something Eldritch and Outside of Them -- a compelling Force (which doesn't absolve them of their actions, but does explain things a lot) the most. He seeks the peaceful, least-violent solutions first, nearly every time.

Maedhros didn't participate in the burning of the ships.

Maedhros repeatedly tries to protect others at risk to himself - taking up the most dangerous/at-conflict lands in Himring, and trying end the conflict with Morgoth with the least bloodshed possible - at risk of his own life by going to treat with Morgoth. Is this his smartest move? No. Is it perhaps his most selfless? IMO yeah. I'm sure he knew he was walking into a trap, but he was offered an opportunity to end things with the least amount of bloodshed and risk to others, so he took it.

Maedhros does a lot of political (and familial) work in healing all the division his father caused over the Silmarils via the Union of Maedhros, but is happy not to be in charge and doesn't seem to need/want recognition. He doesn't have a huge ego. He relinquishes kingship to Fingolfin even though his brothers don't want him to.

The second he felt that his brothers might cause conflicts with others, he moved them out of Hithlum.

Celegorm had to convince Maedhros to attack Doriath. This was after Maedhros attempted to simply ask Dior to hand over the Silmaril - Dior may have inherited the Silmaril from Beren & Luthien, but IMO stolen property, even inherited, is still stolen property. Does this justify the sack of Doriath? No. But I personally do not believe that Dior had any moral right to the Silmaril either. Maedhros was well within his rights to ask for it, and while I understand completely why nobody handed it over, and the Oath may have compelled kinslaying anyway due to the "he who hideth/hoardeth/in hand taketh etc etc" clause -- Maedhros still asked first. and IMO that's a sign of, again -- the fact that he seeks out peaceful solutions first. And it was only after the Oath had awoken and after a great deal of "stirring" from Celegorm that Maedhros agreed to launch an assault.

Maedhros canonically hated what happened to Elured & Elurin. It was done without his knowledge and he also canonically tried to save them.

In a repeat of what happened at Doriath: Maedhros sent messages to Sirion first, and while again -- I don't blame Elwing for withholding the Silmaril because nobody at Sirion had any reason to believe that M&M wouldn't take the Silmaril and kill them anyway (especially after Doriath) -- he still tried. And it was only after they refused to hand it over and the Oath was awoken & in some versions of the tale the Ambarussa urged him that they launched an assault on Sirion.

Maedhros doesn't send anyone else on the fool's errand to try and retrieve the last two Silmarils. He goes alone with Maglor. There is no assault. No battle. He does it in secrecy and kills the least amount of people he possibly can. It really feels to me like the goal was to sate the Oath/save his family from eternal darkness with the least amount of bloodshed possible.

⚓ Pick a Silm ship to go down with. What is compelling about their dynamic?

I'm gonna have to go with Brimbrond, obviously. I love me some Russingon and some Gilrond but I just am clenching Brimbrond in my fists. They're so good. And the tragic end makes it better for me because Elrond's the one Gil-Galad sends to liberate Eregion and he fails. And when you add in the ship background it makes it even worse. Just...the THEMES. THE THEMES.

Elrond and Celebrimbor are both friendship-focused and people-oriented.

If you're a kidnap fam stan then they have a lot of bonding to do over stories of M&M. In my head, Elrond has to deal with a lot of weird/rocky political fallout due to being a "Feanorian fosterling" -- people are mistrustful at first. And he has to deal with his complicated feelings about M&M and like, no actually, he doesn't hate them -- which no one else seems to understand. But Celebrimbor would.

Both have to deal with the crushing weight of family legacy & trying to forge their own path & in a way choose their mother-names over their fathers' legacies. Celebrimbor chooses to go by Telperinquar rather than Curufinwe III. Elrond chooses "Peredhel" over "Earendillion"

Something something echoes of Elrond's attachment to "silver" lovers who meet untimely and horrible ends thanks to Sauron.

there's more here because I could ramble about them for ages but I just really love them together.

silm ask meme

[skyedancer2006]

Pokémon ScarVi x Murder Drones AU Masterpost

Links

First Idea Post + Deisgn Drafts

Drone!Kieran Colored Doodles

Eldritch Drone!Kieran Ref Sheet

Artfight Attack by @/ofowlsdinosaursanddragons!

Art: Hologram. (Horror Warning)

Drone!Kieran and Juliana Ref Sheets

O.G.E.R. Ref Sheet

Fanart by @/wispcandle! (Kieran)

Fanart By @/wispcandle (Juliana)

About The AU

Kieran and Carmine are Worker Drones living on Copper-9. Their parents passed years ago at the hands of Disassembly Drones, and the two have been living on their own ever since.

Within the colony they live in are tales of a dangerous robot called O.G.E.R.; said to be a merciless drone-killing creation left behind by the humans, even before the arrival of the Disassembly Drones. Kieran is fascinated by the stories of O.G.E.R. and wants to see it one day, despite the threat it poses.

One day when the two are part of a scavenging party, their group is attacked by a Disassembly Drone and the siblings are the only ones to make it out. They’re cornered by the killer drone, but Carmine manages to decapitate it with a well placed swing of an old stop sign.

As Disassembly Drones do, it regenerates its head while the two are celebrating. From here it goes similarly to the first episode, with the DD (Serial Designation J, later dubbed Juliana) having temporarily damaged functions and semi-befriending the two workers before they flee back to the colony.

J’s squadmates N (Nemona), A (Arven), and P (Penny) eventually find her and get her back to normal, after which she shares with them a theory the Worker siblings did. That the company doesn’t have their best interests at heart, and that ruthlessly killing the Workers may not be the best move. They’re skeptical, but do eventually agree (unlike in the original show).

The other three aren’t keen on going to the colony and trying to talk things out, so J goes alone and meets Kieran and Carmine again, apologizing for the incident and telling them about the developments within the squadron. Of course they’ll still have to kill some to survive, due to their oil dependency, but she promises her and the other Dissasemblers will do their best to survive off of scavenging and kill as little as possible.

Carmine is still wary of the Disassembly Drones but Kieran quickly hits it off with J the more she comes by to visit the colony, the two becoming friends and Carmine eventually warming up to her as well. J, who knows what O.G.E.R. truly is, doesn’t tell Kieran about it, fearful that doing so will damage his love for it.

J and Carmine one day stumble upon O.G.E.R., and it is nothing like what the Workers imagined. Instead of a terrifying, murderous robot, it’s a small, ball-like droid that seems to only have scavenging tools and an emp built into it, and isn’t aggressive in the slightest. It runs away before they can do anything though.

Kieran finds out that the two encountered O.G.E.R. without telling him, and that J knew the truth about it all along, and is furious, running off to where they found it to try and see it himself. He does find it, only for O.G.E.R. to suddenly become aggressive and attack him with its EMP.

In reality, O.G.E.R. was created to function alongside the Sentinels in eliminating drones infected with the Absolute Solver. And Kieran was unknowingly a Solver host; one of his parents was an escapee from Cabin Fever Labs, and he unluckily inherited the Solver while Carmine did not.

This incident with O.G.E.R. attacking him, combined with the stress of the events leading up to it, causes the Solver to activate, and when he wakes up after the attack, he starts experimenting with learning how to use the Solver every chance he gets, when nobody is watching him.

Over time he starts developing control over his abilities, and other Solver-infected traits. Remote manipulation of objects (eg. levitation and destroying them), teleportation, an oil dependency and almost predatory instinct, and biomechanical wings and tail.

As the Solver develops he switches many times between being excited and determined to use it, and scared of what is happening to him. As the Solver takes more and more control, however, he stops fighting against it, and it gets to the point where he almost merges with it and becomes part of it. This eventually results in an Eldritch form of sorts, and him going on a killing spree within the colony.

The rest of the story is still a WIP, and likely will be until the show wraps up.

Gallery and Special Thanks

Huge thanks to @angelabsol for coming up with the concept and design for O.G.E.R.!

[skylarynns-1870]

Roll Call: 1870s Adventurer Edition

Josephine "Josie" Doyle, Old West Gunslinger

Player: Skylarynn [Yours Truly] Mark of Handling Human Outlander background Level 7 Gunslinger Fighter

Born on the Western Frontier to an American cowboy and a Mexican senorita, Josie grew up a bit more rough-and-tumble than other young 'ladies' her age. After a monster attack that cost her her eye and her family their lives, leaving Josie irrevocably changed in more ways than one, she finds herself called to battle the eldritch under the guidance of someone - or something - that calls itself Damocles.

Basil Morgan, Victorian Gentleman Thief

Player: Sage Mark of Finding Human Noble background Level 1 Rogue/Level 7 College of Eloquence Bard

Born in the more refined upper crust of Victorian society, Basil has become a remittance man - a younger son with no hope of inheritance sent away to America and paid a small allowance to stay out of trouble. Basil being Basil, however, tends to walk headlong into trouble anyway, and when he meets a one-eyed lady gunslinger [Josie] haunted by danger at every step, Basil does exactly what his family would forbid and runs headfirst into peril by her side.

Kojiro Mori, Disgraced Former Samurai

Player: Kai Mark of Sentinel Human Haunted One background Level 9 Samurai Fighter

Raised in the hallowed traditions of the Japanese warrior caste, Kojiro's world is now falling apart as the Meiji reign takes over, making the caste - and Kojiro himself - obsolete relics of an older time. Then, when crossing the Pacific to request aid from samurai descendants in Mexico goes horribly wrong, Kojiro spirals into an existential crisis as he questions the futility of his original quest when something as unstoppable and unforgiving as the Sleeper in the Deep exists.

Lafayette Chastain, Elderly French Pirate

Player: Lawrence [Sage's dad] Variant Human Sailor background Level 15 Swashbuckler Rogue

Decades ago, Lafayette was a charismatic young privateer at sea in the Caribbean, adventuring with fearless abandon in a world of excitement and opportunity. Now, he spends most of his time in various bars and saloons across America, regaling fellow patrons with embellished tales of his exploits as he seeks one last adventure; a man who has outlived his destiny.

Dominique Escharra-Romero, Spanish Catholic Priest

Player: Damien Mark of Passage Human Acolyte background Level 6 Celestial Warlock

Charismatic, devout, and ambitious, Dominique was a rising star in the Church of his homeland Spain - which may be why his contemporaries shipped him overseas to serve in Mexico where he was no longer a threat to their careers. Ever-unflappable, Dominique took the transference in stride and immediately began thriving in his new position; though perhaps that has to do with his newfound powers of healing that he ascribes to the divine.

Izel Maria Torres, Aztec-Descended Druid

Player: Iris Plane Shift[?] Human Courtier background [might be wrong on that one] Level 4 Circle of the Primeval Druid/Level 2 Grave Domain Cleric

Born first a daughter of the people and baptized a daughter of the Lord, Izel is as much a child of the native Nahua of Mexico as she is a child of God. Despite the struggles of living in two very different worlds, Izel has successfully bridged the two cultures in her life, reconciling her 'pagan' attunement to nature and the wild with her faith in Christ under the proud tutelage of Father Dominique.

Gideon Ross, Union Veteran Sniper

Player: Gavin [Matt's older brother] Plane Shift Human Marine background Level 12 Renegade Fighter

Already a veteran of the Mexican-American War, Gideon was not eager to fight again until his only son Jesse died for his country in a Confederate ambush. Once the war was over and the Confederacy crushed, Gideon migrated westward, roughing it out in the wilderness.

Boris Starkov, Russian Cossack Deserter

Player: Barry Variant Human Soldier background Level 3 Cavalier Fighter/Level 5 Oath of Devotion Paladin/Level 1 Great Old One Warlock

Boris has always trod the path of the loyal and faithful soldier, but that was shattered when his superiors left his unit to die while they fled. Forever changed, Boris hunts eldritch things wherever he travels, pushed ever onwards by the mysterious Pythia.

Carmen de Oliveira, Brazilian Escaped Slave

Player: Cameron Variant Human Urchin background Level 7 Way of the Capoerista [Drunken Master] Monk

Life on the Brazilian plantations was arduous, exhausting, and abusive, but Carmen has finally broken away and escaped to freedom. Fleeing bounty hunters and slave catchers alike, Carmen makes her way to Mexico to start anew.

Alina Reiter, Austrian Noble Refugee

Player: Alison [Cameron's younger sister] Variant Human Courtier background Level 6 Phoenix Soul Sorcerer

Scion of an ancient and powerful family of shadow sorcerers, Alina's potent and blinding magic is unique, to say the least. But now that her brother Aleksander has taken his role as leader of the family, Alina has absconded into the night, knowing that she cannot let her magic remain in their hands.

[darielivalyen]

Eldritch Tales: Inheritance | Nov 22, 2024 Update

Hello, hello! The first part of Chapter 3 is here, and that means we’ll SOON be moving from the reactive mode to the proactive one. Since my last post, I've also updated the demo with an edited version of Chapter 2. Fewer typos and better punctuation!

This update includes the first portion of Chapter 3, which is about 6.500 words.

This portion mostly moves the main story forward, while also including more personality and sanity checks than before. We'll have only more of those in the future.

The next portion will be longer, and it will feature more romance, including proper romantic and/or sexual encounters with the love interests. Also, there'll be a sanity-focused scene sequence...

From semi-related news, I recently sat down to think about the endings for the game, and I somehow already wrote two of them. While there will be “good” endings, I think more than half will be pretty grim. And when I say grim, I mean death or madness.

I hope you enjoy the update! 💚

FORUM | DEMO | PATREON | PINTEREST | TUMBLR

[thesirenisles]

The sordid tales of the dark zodiac.

What is the Dark Zodiac?

The Dark Zodiac is an eldritch take on the western zodiac with dark archetypes of each sign, which are shown in "Thirteen Ghosts" (2003).

In the film, a twisted millionaire has found and trapped 12 Earth-bound spirits (ghosts stuck on Earth) in a lavish mansion basement. An unsuspecting family inherits and moves into the mansion, thinking they have struck gold. But, the ultimate goal is to acquire God-level power.

Each spirit captured by the millionaire has their own creepy backstory to match the archetype. In this post, we will explore those spooky stories & learn some shadow traits! 🎃 TW: Death, Self-Harm, SA⚠️

Let the spooky stories begin...

aries

“The First Born Son”

Life was all about gunpowder clouds and sunlit horse rides for young Billy Michaels. The shadow traits of Aries are depicted in a literal child for the “child” of the zodiac. Billy was a very proud Texan, enamored with the bullet-riddled tales of Cowboys and Indigenous peoples. He would play pretend all day long with his toy gun, truly believing he was a real cowboy with a real gun. An only child, his family allowed the delusion. One day, Billy was challenged by a neighborhood boy to an Old Western style duel. Unbeknownst to Billy, the boy had recently discovered a real bow-and-arrow in his father’s closet and perhaps saw a rival in Billy’s cowboy persona. In a bid of childish innocence, Billy steps up to shoot.

Tragically, Billy was shot in the head. The boy was sent to juvenile detention center. This archetype can be compared to the sacrifice or loss of the first born son in scriptural texts or Icarus who flew to close to the sun. We can see the comparison to shadow Aries traits of being a daredevil, bully, reckless, and one-track minded. Youthful arrogance and immaturity. Probably the least frightening of the ghosts, but pretty sad ):

taurus

“The Torso”

The shadow traits of Taurus are cleverly depicted in the form of an actual torso. This particular torso belonged to a New Orleans man named Jimmy "The Gambler" Gambino. A money man through and through, he was about his bucks. With a keen business mind, he opened his own booking operation, which flourished amid the abundance of the Roaring Twenties. Unfortunately, Jimmy was also a compulsive gambler, addicted to the thrill of fast money.

These traits highlight the shadow aspects of Taurus, such as greed, laziness, materialism, and a reactionary nature—much like a bull seeing red. One day, scheming mobster Larry "Finger" Vatelo approached Jimmy with a hefty bet on a boxing match, having heard of his reputation. Greedily, Jimmy accepted the bet, but his fighter lost, and he found himself unable to pay up, as expected. It had all been a setup, just like a bull charging in anger. Vatelo had his men take care of Jimmy, chopping him up and disposing of him in the ocean. This serves as a cautionary tale about the cost of succumbing to carnal desires.

gemini

"The Bound Woman"

The shadow traits of Gemini show up in a popular teen with the gift of gab. Susan LeGrow was the beautiful daughter of the wealthiest family in town, a cheerleader, and the most popular girl in her school—an '80s It-Girl. Having met little adversity in life, she garnered tons of friends and admirers, earning a reputation as a "heartbreaker." It seemed almost destined for her to pair up with the captain of the football team, Chet Walters, during her senior year. However, Susan's yearning for attention prevailed, and Chet was not her "one and only."

This portrayal obviously pulls from the shadow traits of Gemini being deceptive, a trickster, opportunistic, and an eternal adolescent, etc. Tragically, Chet would discover Susan with another guy on their prom night. In a fit of rage, he bludgeoned the young man, bound Susan's hands, and strangled her with his prom tie… breaking her neck. Chet would bury Susan underneath the 50-yard line on the high school's football field. A cautionary tale of entertaining just one too many guests...

cancer

"The Withered Lover"

Cancer is depicted as maternal spirit, of course. Jean Kriticos is a wife and mother of a family that does not fully appreciate her until she’s gone. Her husband is overworked and her children are disconnected. But, she is the glue. On a fateful December night, a log rolls out of the fireplace and starts a blaze that claims her life. Her husband saves the children, assuming his wife made it outside. Her archetype embodies maternal energy, sensitivity, and protectiveness. Jean is probably the least malicious spirit, with her death being an actual accident.

She also guides her family to safety throughout the film, protecting them while they are stuck in the "home," similar to how the moon guides one through a dark night. However, the shadow side of Cancer here is the smothering mother and the invisible man. She spoiled those she loved, gave all of herself, and was unappreciated until she was gone. The weight of her loss can be felt in the script, as the protagonist must almost instantly hire a live-in nanny. Upon her loss, the family is broken in a way that can only inspire transformation. Perhaps her love was hindering this.

leo

"The Torn Prince"

We have probably all seen the tragic fall of a "Golden Boy." The shadow side of the prideful Leo is depicted in a harrowing tale of arrogance and pride set in the '50s—James Dean vibes all the way. Royce Clayton was an exceptional high school baseball player, gifted in every way. He was born into a well-off family and had a prized hot rod that only added to his social status: the big fish in a small town. His baseball skills attracted college offers from all over the country, guaranteeing him a ticket out of his humble hometown. He felt like a god amongst men and could taste the glory. Unfortunately, his gifts also fueled his unchecked and developing narcissistic complex. This plays into the shadow traits of arrogance, pride, and megalomania.

An envious and shady greaser named Johnny challenged Royce to a race, baiting him through Royce's obvious inflated pride. Royce knew he would win, but he did not know that Johnny had cut his brake line. Upon a sharp turn, Royce's car went airborne off a cliff, flipping three times before bursting into flames. His face is torn (part of his pride), and he can also be seen with his favorite baseball bat in the film. The prince who never was.

virgo

"The Angry Princess"

The shadow traits of Virgo are depicted in a sordid tale of perfectionism and sorrow. Dana Newman was a stunning beauty, even considered one of the most gorgeous women in the world—a model in the business capital of the world. She was surrounded by fast living and even faster trends. Tragically, she lost sight of her own beauty. A slew of abusive partners fueled her secret addiction to "finding" her flaws. I think of Eve, the maiden who was content before the serpent insinuated that she was missing something. Dana sought the friendship of a plastic surgeon, undergoing several facial and body operations to "fix" her perceived flaws.

She even went as far as working for the surgeon as a form of payment for her unnecessary operations, trying to obtain perfection. On one tragic night, Dana flew into an anxious frenzy and attempted to perform an operation on herself. This left her blinded in one eye and permanently disfigured, which was unbearable for poor Dana. Her self-loathing consumed her and she sliced her entire body wildly with a blade while in the bathtub. These shadow traits clearly reflect the Virgo qualities of perfectionism, martyrdom, hyper-fixation, and an insecurity that stems from the mind (Mercury) but does not actually exist.

libra

"The Pilgrimess"

I cannot help but think of the Ancient Egyptian goddess Ma'at (of Libra) when analyzing the story of "The Pilgrimess." Not to mention, Libra is a cardinal sign and the exalted placement of Saturn (Osiris). This archetype is incredibly threatening to a patriarchal society. Enter Isabella Smith, a woman just arriving in New England in 1686. The locals did not welcome her and did not take kindly to her presence. After the livestock of the colony falls ill, they use this as an ignorant excuse to accuse Isabella of witchcraft. The preacher also fell ill while she tried to plead her case. This makes the townspeople form an anrgy mob. She flees into a barn for safety, but they set it aflame.

Unbelievably, she emerges unscathed, and they are convinced she's a witch. Isabella is imprisoned in the stocks, stoned, and left to die of starvation. It is not confirmed whether she was a witch, but my analysis of the story would say yes. This underhanded power move of vengeance, fearlessness in coming to a new land as a single woman, and surprising knowledge of magic screams shadow Libra. Libra placements are also often victims of the negative side of pretty privilege, with rumors spreading like wildfire concerning their romantic nature.

scorpio

"The Great Child"

Scorpio and Sagittarius are depicted as a duo: child and mother. The raw energies of these archetypes are embodied here. The Great Child is Harold Shelburne. A product of sexual assault, he is born to a little person within a traveling carnival. There, he does not receive the proper social conditioning of a developing child. He never learned how to take care of himself properly, still wearing diapers into his young adulthood. This creates an unnatural attachment to his mother. Harold also does not develop a proper understanding of consequences, making him a very spoiled and clingy soul (think: Dandy from AHS: Freakshow, isolated and clinically insane, meets Twisty the Clown).

One fateful day, some of the carnival workers cruelly kidnap his mother. Harold panics, searching for her until he finds her lifeless body—having accidentally suffocated in the bag they held her in. He goes into an unbridled rage, slaughtering the workers and others who laughed at him in the past. As a final note, he places the bodies on display for paying customers, prompting his seizure and execution. Harold embodies the Scorpio shadow traits of emotional immaturity, complacent stagnation (fixed sign energy), possessiveness (of his mother), and primal rage (Mars). One must know when to separate from emotional connections when they are hindering the soul's expansion.

sagittarius

"The Dire Mother"

Harold's mother, Margaret, is chosen to depict the shadow side of Sagittarius. Margaret was a little person who worked as a sideshow attraction for the carnival. She was sexually assaulted by the carnival's Tall Man and left to raise her child, Harold. She is a very active mother, but almost too active. She coddles her son, spoiling him in every way, while also neglecting to teach him to be independent.

I think of the Jupiterian energy of abundance, hyper-optimism, idealization, and overbearingness. It would appear she did not have a clear grip on reality. I also see a shadow trait of control. I think of Zeus, king of his pantheon. What kingdom would you have without subjects? She hindered his growth, intentionally or subconsciously… We may never know. But, she also chose a life on the road instead of settling down to build stability. A cost of seizing the day and living in the moment.

capricorn

"The Hammer"

Hands down, the most visually frightening spirit (in my opinion) is that of "The Hammer." It is also the saddest story (also, in my opinion), which isn't surprising, given that this is the shadow of Saturn-ruled Capricorn. George Markley is a melanated man living in the racist South of 1887's United States. (Slavery was out in 1865 on paper.) Already, the limitations of race and systemic delays give off Saturn vibes.

George is an exceptional blacksmith, making an honest living while supporting his wife and children. George's success angered the bigots in the town. A white man named Nathan accused George of theft, threatened him, and demanded that he leave town. George fought the accusations, maintaining his innocence. In return, Nathan gathered a gang of imbeciles, ambushed George's home, and hanged George's wife and children. GASP. This is an accurate reflection of the disgusting underbelly of American history & culture that prevails quietly today—horrifying and repulsive.

George flips out, hunts them down, and murders them with a sledgehammer. Equalizer style. In a haunting turn, the townspeople formed a mob, seized George, and brought him to his store. Tied to a tree, they pounded railroad spikes into his body with the sledgehammer, sliced off his hand, and replaced it with the literal hammer (thus the name). This dark archetype plays into the darkness of an underworld god like Osiris while also hinting at the "power-tripping" tendencies of Capricorn that led him to his demise.

aquarius

"The Jackal"

As an Aquarius, this one is just like… WTF lol. Enter Ryan Kuhn, born to a single mother and sex worker in 1887. No known father, no stability, and surrounded with sketchy characters. Exposure to this lifestyle definitely had an effect on Ryan's ability to fit into society later in life. He grew to be a TOTAL psychopath, attacking, sexually assaulting, and murdering unsuspecting women on the streets of London. Most often, he targeted sex workers like his mother figure. Jack the Ripper vibes. Ryan's animalistic nature scared him the most, and he committed himself to an institution for help.

Unfortunately, mental institutions often fall short of actually helping the human condition. What he needed was love, but he got machine. I think of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein". Isolation, heavy medications, and "cutting-edge" treatments only made things worse. Within the cruelty of the asylum, he lost every ounce of humanity and morphed into a literal monster. He soon became a high-risk inmate after attacking a nurse. He was placed in an ever-tightening straitjacket that contorted his limbs, and as punishment for biting, he was forced to wear a dehumanizing head cage.

In the end, the asylum caught fire, and Ryan was believed to have burned within it, forgotten in the bowels of the mental healthcare system. This is definitely a part of the Aquarian shadow: rebellion, extremes, and rejection of popular culture or society at large because one sees its faults. At what point does the rejection of humanity lead to its complete diminishment? Beware of cynicism. The god complex evident here teeters on the serial killer spectrum, whether you see it or not...

pisces

"The Juggernaut"

Speaking of serial killers… I save the most dangerous for last! The combination of the isolating primordial waters of Neptune and the ever-expanding nature of Jupiter clash to create a very dark archetype: The Lost One. The Addict. THE JUGGERNAUT. Dun Dun Dunnnnn! Abandoned by his mother and raised as a single child by his father, Horace "The Breaker" Mahoney never had much in his early years. He was teased for his abnormal facial features and lanky limbs, spending most of his time alone. His father gave him a job in his junkyard, chopping and crushing old cars, and that was all he knew. When his father passed, Horace was left with no one and went criminally insane. Standing 7 feet tall, Horace felt like an alien on Earth; he felt like he did not belong. Anger and rejection consumed him.

Horace fell into the habit of killing unsuspecting hitchhikers and stragglers. He would lure them in under the guise of a ride or kind gesture. (Like a piscean siren’s lure) He'd take them to his junkyard, tear them apart with his bare hands (like the car crusher), and feed the parts to his dogs. This method earned him the name "The Breaker" among law enforcement. His killing spree continued until he picked up an undercover police officer.

SWAT ambushed Horace's junkyard and he was able to kill three officers before five finally gunned him down. He is probably the most violent and vengeful spirit. The shadow traits of Pisces are evident in his addictions, delusions stemming from extended isolation, and feelings of helplessness or disconnection from humanity entirely.

Thank you for reading.

👻 I hope everyone is enjoying spooky szn & that you guys enjoyed. One of my favorite campy horror films. Halloween is also my favorite time of year. 👻 The thirteenth ghost is a surprise. You must watch to find out.

🎃 Happy Astrotober!🎃

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[xasha777]

Under the eerie glow of a crescent moon, the neighborhood lay quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the brisk night breeze. But within the walls of a decrepit old shed at the edge of town, an uncanny glow shone through the slats of a broken window blind.

This shed was home to Mr. Whiskers, a cat with fur as striped as the shadows cast by the moonlight and eyes like molten gold. Abandoned years ago, the shed had become Mr. Whiskers' domain, a place where oddities did not seem so out of place.

On this peculiar night, Mr. Whiskers sat poised on the windowsill, his gaze intense, fixated on something beyond the corrugated metal walls. Two cans of "Catnip Delight" — a rare treat — lay beside him, and from his mouth dangled a cigarette, an affectation left behind by the shed's previous owner.

But the true horror lurked in the darkness outside, where the dead had begun to stir. The town's cemetery, overgrown and long forgotten, pulsed with an unholy life as the earth shuddered and moaned. Corpses, their limbs twisted and gnarled by decay, clawed their way to the surface. The night air filled with the groans of the undead — zombies emerging from their graves with a ravenous hunger for the living.

The townsfolk, deep in slumber, remained oblivious to the nightmare unfurling just beyond their doorsteps. But not Mr. Whiskers. His heightened senses had alerted him to the approaching danger long before the first rotting hand had broken through the soil.

What was a mere house cat to do against such a supernatural threat? Yet, there was more to Mr. Whiskers than met the eye. His ancestors were not of this world, and Mr. Whiskers had inherited certain... abilities. The glowing eyes were but a hint of the arcane power he possessed.

As the zombies shambled closer, Mr. Whiskers' eyes blazed with an otherworldly fire. With a flick of his tail, the two cans of "Catnip Delight" spun into the air, swirling with a spectral energy. They transformed into glowing orbs, pulsating with eldritch light, and began to orbit around Mr. Whiskers as he prepared to defend his territory.

With a thunderous hiss that shattered the silence of the night, Mr. Whiskers leaped from the window, the orbs spinning faster, casting a protective barrier around him. The zombies, mindless and driven by hunger, stumbled towards the glowing feline, only to be repelled by the force of his arcane might.

One by one, the undead creatures were flung back to the dark recesses from whence they came, their bodies dissolving into the earth as Mr. Whiskers' powers purified the tainted soil.

By the break of dawn, the zombies were no more, and the town remained blissfully ignorant of how close they had come to doom. Mr. Whiskers, his duty fulfilled, returned to his perch, the cigarette still hanging from his mouth — a symbol of his vigilance and a warning to any who dared disturb the peace of his reign.

And so, the legend of the guardian cat, Mr. Whiskers, spread in hushed tones among the few who witnessed the night's eerie events. But whether they believed it to be a horror story or a fantastical tale, none could deny that in the quiet shed at the edge of town, there lurked a creature not to be trifled with — a sentinel between the living and the damned.

[crimeronan]

as an Irish person reading trc/tdt what do you think of Maggies characterisation of the Lynch family??

oh i LOVE this question. anon so kindly giving me permission to infodump....

the short answer is: i love it?? i love it. i have varying quibbles about how niall's "redemption arc" is done and stuff like that, but purely on the irish side of things, i love it

further necessary context: i'm irish-american a few generations removed from ireland (who happens to have a hyperfixation on irish myth), my closest familial connections in the country are some distant cousins that my great-aunt traced recently. direct relations to her, but given that she is like 96, much less direct to me. so my perspective is very different from that of an irish person raised n living in ireland, & most of what i love most about the lynch family is directly related to diaspora and intergenerational trauma stuff

i said i was gonna infodump and then couldn't decide where to start. waow. okay so i've talked before about most of the worldbuilding in the dreamer trilogy being based in irish myth - ronan being from the otherworld (eldritch god, fairy, same thing), fintan mac bochra and the hawk of achill, not giving your true name/address to people at the fairy market, etc. these stories are woven through the whole fabric of the series

then the concept of irish storytelling itself is Also woven through the whole series, on both a meta and in-canon level

traditional irish storytellers will take a myth and make it their own, you can trace the origins of different tales back dozens or hundreds of years. the goal isn't to tell the story the way it's been told in generations past, but instead to tell it how You'd tell it. so there are these books repurposing irish myth in this unique way, but also these characters who are all so in love with storytelling in their own ways

you can see it in how niall and aurora tell their stories, how niall's always have a focus on action and tragedy and grisly death while aurora's are more focused on the love and the feelings and the soft fade-out of a tragic hero

you can see it in how declan has inherited niall's propensity for storytelling (the twitter confirmation of his middle name being "tadhg" still makes me Big Eyes Emoji) and also inherited niall's propensity for reckless idiocy, Geis Of Bullshit indeed.

then there's the way that declan and ronan both find themselves playing out different parts of niall's worst traits, how intergenerational trauma seems inescapable, how every damn person in the family is So Mentally Ill. this isn't necessarily the case for every irish-american family but it sure is for kitkat's. hoo boy we love giving chronic pain, psychosis, and inescapable depression to our offspring

that greywaren quote about "diaspora always idealizes the homeland" has stuck with me for a while because there's this kind of muted longing in the books' depiction of ireland itself, but also in the books' depiction of the barns, a place that niall and mór Made ronan's homeland. and more than that i see it in declan's views on his parents themselves, how he's able to reconcile with mór Because she's so distant and unfathomable and never personally fucked him up, so it's easier to forgive and forget everything she's done... how niall is dead and gone and can no longer change his behavior or grow or learn or fuck declan up any worse, so it's easier to accept his love as uncomplicated and good. child idealizing his distant homeland because that's what he's Supposed to have

truly don't know if that was the authorial intention but. it's the only way declan's arc makes any sense to me. that one line does a shitload of heavy lifting

and on a less theme-heavy note i love little details like. the brothers being so in touch with irish culture as second-gen immigrant kids, love that they play the uilleann pipes and attend the fleadh, love that ronan can do an irish accent on command, love that declan keeps photos of ireland in his bedroom but they still don't quite reflect his True Self like his attic does, love that mór is a gaelgeoir (irish speaker), there are other details i'm forgetting now

this post is ungodly long so i'll leave it here. these r my thoughts. it's good shit o/

[dwellordream]

because i wanted to drop some expanded folklore/retelling/alternate interpretation recommendations:

the mere wife by maria dahvana headley: inspired by the epic Beowulf, the mere wife centers around dana, a traumatized young veteran who returns to her rapidly gentrifying mining home town to raise her son gren. mistrustful of society and humanity in general and terrified of losing gren, dana raises him in near total isolation in the mountains bordering herot hall, the first of many shining new suburban expansions.

as gren grows, he becomes curious about the world outside their cave dwelling and eventually befriends dylan, the troubled son of willa, a neurotic socialite with her own baggage. gren and dylan’s unlikely friendship becomes an increasing risk as they age into teenagers, as gren is everything the pampered, bigoted and fearful residents of herot hall have trained themselves to hate.

the mere wife is an extremely compelling tale of two scarred mothers as it switches perspectives between the privileged and dissonant willa and the hardened but loving dana, both of whom are trying to protect their children from the abuse and trauma they suffered as they grew into adulthood.

also a pretty searing look at police violence, the intersection of racism, classism, and homophobia, and the military industrial complex’s exploitation of impoverished black and brown youth to fight its wars.

i, tituba: black witch of salem by maryse condé: i, tituba is a satirical in one sense but deadly serious in another take on tituba, the slave accused of spreading witchcraft to the young puritan girls of salem.

it tells the epic life story of tituba, from her conception aboard a slave ship headed to the caribbean to her childhood as an orphan raised by her foster mother mama yaya, who teaches her the power of healing and communion with the dead.

while tituba grows up technically a free woman, living in the shadow of the plantations but without an owner, she willingly enters slavery again to be with her beloved john indian, and winds up sold to the cruel and tyrannical reverend samuel parris and transported to boston and then salem massachusetts alongside his terrified family.

i tituba systematically unpacks ‘the protestant work ethic’ of the ‘upright and noble pilgrims’ who carved out their existence on the backs of the enslaved and the indigenous population.

tituba suffers just about every abuse and humiliation imaginable but refuses to allow herself to be dissuaded from practicing her own spiritual practices and actively seeks to show compassion and care towards her captors, despite it repeatedly backfiring.

ultimately she survives the witch trials and finds herself back in barbados, where her final fate as a devoted rebel against the plantation system that killed her parents awaits.

the bloody chamber by angela carter: probably carter’s most well known and popular set of short stories, the bloody chamber is a series of original takes on the most gothic and disturbing of european folklore, from bluebeard and his murdered brides to beauty and the beast to all sorts of werewolf and vampire mythos.

carter’s language is as lush and purple prosey as ever, and she vividly paints a series of terrifying and alluring pictures of decrepit castles and manor houses, unhinged inbred aristocrats preying on the peasantry, vampiric maidens and girls raised by wolves, men turned into beasts and beasts turned into men, and lots of sex, gore, ghostly music, and rustling taffeta.

deathless by catherynne m. valente: yes, endlesssly overhyped by tumblr but still a very compelling take on the russian folklore of koschei the deathless and his mortal turned goddess bride, marya morevna, this time set in parallel with the unfolding of russian history in the 20th century.

valente gives an absolutely merciless look at the spiteful and selfish whims of gods and what it means to give up your humanity for love, as well as a tortured narrative surrounding power and control in intimate relationships and questions of gender roles and sexuality.

deathless is probably a most capital R Romantic romance, mostly because both marya and koschei have heaps of charm and beauty and passion... and heaps of obsession, jealous violence, and power hungry ambition.

wide sargasso sea by jean rhys: should be required reading for everyone who has devoured Jane Eyre, rhys’ novella tells the take of the reviled and scorned first wife of rochester.

born to a plantation owning family whose fortunes are crushed when the british empire bans slavery, antoinette grows up a lonely and emotional child, rejected by her grieving and closed off mother and longing for a family and place in the world.

as a young woman her stepfather arranges her marriage to rochester, who wants what’s left of her inheritance, and antoinette finds herself caught between her island home where she is still seen as the hated daughter of slave holders, and england, where she is seen as an impure creole woman who will never be able to conform to victorian propriety.

although initially hopeful of a loving marriage, antoinette quickly realizes that rochester’s passion for her is propelled by fear and insecurity, which quickly makes itself known as he turns against her, labeling her ‘bertha’ after her ‘insane’ mother and treating her as a mentally unstable invalid and then as little more than a prisoner.

lovecraft country by matt ruff: lovecraft country both skewers and embraces the eldritch abominations of hp lovecraft, and tackles his own inhuman racism head on, through the perspectives of the courageous and clever atticus turner and his eccentric and loyal extended family. their adventures take them all over america and into a series of increasingly horrifying encounters with cults, monsters, and white supremacy - sometimes all three at once.

circe by madeleine miller: not nearly as discussed as its predecessor The Song of Achilles, Circe tells the story of Circe, daughter of the arrogant sun god Helios and by some accounts, the ‘first’ witch and sorceress to walk the earth.

exiled to her own desolate island kingdom after defying the gods, Circe becomes a powerful and infamous enchantress, painted as a villain while the gods, who amuse themselves by tormenting and impulsively rewarding men in turn, are honored and venerated. circe quickly realizes her growing powers make her a threat to mortals and gods alike, and must decide what her legacy will be and if she cares at all.