#ft. taliesin

[adrasian]

closed starter for @taliesin-mistry

Privacy, always, was the real rarity in a place like the Undercroft. What windows of opportunity there were were brief and had to be seized quickly -- Adrasia, it seemed, was not the only one attempting to take advantage this time. He had succeeded first in the showers, scrubbing away the lingering malaise of his transfer until his skin would have pinkened, had he been human. His clothes he wrestled into while the room was still thick with humidity, then slipped down the hall like a shadow. Just within the door of the dormitory though, the celestial halted.

Someone else was already inside: only one, alone, tucked far from the door.

They were crying.

Adrasia took one automatic step forward, then stopped, his lips parting around words he hadn't even chosen yet, his hair still hanging in damp curls around his face. The sound was a wretched, painful thing -- this was the first time the celestial had heard it in this place, but he knew suddenly with a dreadful intuition it would not be the last. When he moved again he approached not-so-quietly, so not to scare the other before he spoke, soft and encouraging: "We're alone, it's alright." Adrasia stopped a bed away, not wanting to corner the other in such a state. "May I sit? You may pretend I'm not even here, if you like."

[gwyndolence]

for @taliesin-mistry

"I don't think they should be too high. You've worn heels before, haven't you, darling?"

Gwyn squinted down at the contents of the makeup bag he'd dumped over his bed, posing the question casually over his shoulder as he rifled through the phenomenal amount of eyeshadow pots he'd totally forgotten he owned. Taliesin had been banished to the bathroom almost as soon as the guards had delivered him to try on his costume before the sith got his hands dirty doing the pretty human's makeup. Dair would be joining the party eventually, but seeing as his costume involved little more than a shiny pair of gold shorts and his own good looks, Gwyn had thought it all the better to pat the nephilim on the ass and give him the early evening to himself.

For now, they had the suite to themselves and Gwyn could properly appreciate the sight of Taliesin wiggled into the skimpy pink one-piece he'd be wearing for the night, grinning and giving him a wolf whistle as he patted the bed beside him. "What do you think? Leave the shoes off for now, actually, let me make you gorgeous first."

[ravisurendra]

Soren's flurry of annoyance with the cat's frankly unreasonable insistence on hating someone who only wanted to help her was very efficiently disarmed by Taliesin's obvious delight -- these tears, at least, seemed to be happier ones. He stood back and let the two have their little reunion, honestly relieved that the Missus seemed to recognize her master instantly and was as happy to see Tal as his brother was to see her. He wasn't sure the younger would be able to take it if all the sudden his pet turned on him too. And Taliesin was good with her, even in this state, the sight bringing a wistful smile back to Soren's face even as his brow pinched watching the two.

It dropped when the little gremlin hissed at him, Soren sighing heavily and crossing his arms over his chest. "She's got enough fur on her to pull a dog sled in this wilderness without a shiver, if she got it in her mind to do so. But no, no, I wouldn't let her out. Just trying to figure out what, exactly, will make her be satisfied with being in here." He turned over one hand with a mild grimace, showing Taliesin the shallow scratches on the back, "I'd take an instruction manual, if you wrote me one. I'm not up to snuff for caring for royalty."

Taliesin nodded and obliged, wiping his face on Soren's hoodie sleeve. It got rid of the snot, thought it only seemed to move the glitter and makeup around. He drew his legs up to sit cross-legged on the sofa, making his lap a larger surface area. He leaned to watch where Soren was going, his face breaking out in a huge beaming smile as he spotted the white streak of fur bounding down the hallway. It was always funny to watch her move at such speed, like watching someone click a tank into high-gear. As she rounded the edge of a table, she stopped and stared at Taliesin, watching him pat his thigh with the flat of his palm, shocked. Then she hopped up onto the sofa and into Taliesin's lap, her front paws up on his chest so she could butt her head against his face.

"Hello. Hi. Yes, hi Baby." Taliesin was crying again as he stroke her fur, scratching behind her ears as she meowed, loudly, repeatedly, as if she were yelling at him. Where have you been? Where did you go? Don't scare me like that again, he imagined her saying. She bapped him on the nose, gently, he claws tucked away. Mrs Robinson could be downright mean to other people, Soren included, but she'd never so much as scratched Taliesin. He only ever got a dirty look if he accidentally trod on her or tried to give her medication or a bath. He'd had her since she was a kitten, five or six years now. When he was home, and without company, she'd sleep in the bed with him, spend most of the day sitting on him or beside him, when she wasn't on important cat business like yelling at birds outside. "I'm sorry. I know. I know. I'm here now. I missed you so much." Taliesin was getting glitter in her fur as he showered her in little kisses.

Mrs Robinson was emitting a great, rumbling purring noise, like a jet engine taking off. After a few minutes of fussing at Taliesin, she turned around and settled in his lap, facing outwards. She glared at Soren, hissing at him as if the entire situation was his fault, while Taliesin scratched under her chin. "Is the climate okay here for her? She's not cold? You don't let her outside, do you? There's all sorts of things roaming around. Someone might hurt her."

[azures-grace]

screaming into the void

A very quickly thrown together basic refsheet of Iriae.

In the actual file, the hair is interactive! I drew like 5 different hairs, it was great.

by basic refsheet I mean colors.

[kreinvulon]

oh

[m-herra]

I need 2 draw the cuddle pile thoughts in tags

[cloudprincesslady]

(for real tho they should absolutely have brought their friend the grave cleric and their friend the dunamancer along to this fight)

[bitterkarella]

JK Rowling: hello children Rowling: i want you to sssay hello to Rowling: graham lineham Lineham: [wearing foil hat] free masons run the country Rowling: he'sss got sssome great ideasss you should hear

Poe: joanne you don't need to bring him here Poe: like, you really don't Rowling: he hass thingsss to sssay and you're ALL going to hear them Poe: this is really kind of off topic for us here Rowling: EVERYONE will hear them

Rowling: ssssee, yearsss ago i disssmisssed graham lineham'ssss babble as the bad opticsss ravingsss of a lunatic Rowling: but now that the overton window hass sshifted Rowling: i'm proud to sssay thessse bad opticsss ravingsss are quite good actually!

Rowling: go ahead, graham, tell them what you told me Lineham: trans people produce no great films, no music, no art Lineham: they're incapable of doing this basic human thing because they're subhuman Lineham: untermensch, if you will Rowling: isssn't he great?

Lineham: trans books are always universally panned because of their incoherence Billy Martin: Hailey Piper: Eve Harms: Gretchen Felker-Martin: Joe Koch: M. Lopes da Silva: Arden Powell: Lor Gislason: Julya Oui: LC von Hessen: GE Woods: Michelle Belanger: Rain Corbyn: SA Chant:

FT Catulla: Viktor Athelstan: Meagan Hotz: Ziggy Schutz: Rose Sable: WN Derring-Judith: Charles Maria Tor: Devaki Devay: Dayna Ingram: Ori Jay: Ai Burton: Gabriel Valentine: Cosmin-Mihai Birsan: Jei D Marcade: Rhiannon Rasmussen: Max Turner: Taylor J Pitts: Vincent Endwell:

Bri Crozier: Theo Hendrie: Derek des Anges: Briar Ripley Page: Winter Holmes: gaast: Maya Deane: Charles-Elizabeth Boyles: Layne van Rensburg: Amanda M Blake: May Leitz: Alison Rumfitt: Rivers Solomon: Lillian Boyd: Torrey Peters: Taliesin Neith: Daniel M. Lavery: Joss Lake: Aubrey Wood: Jonah Wu:

Daphne du Maurier: Patricia Highsmith: Franz Kafka: Kafka: wait Kafka: why did the camera pan to me

Barker: oh you know why haha Poe: clive Kafka: why Kafka: [hugging blåhaj] i don't know what you mean

[atridie]

turned my elf tallir into a human for disco elysium au purposes. meet taliesin aka tally

ft @sadeggsforbreakfast’s fanfic

[adrasian]

Adrasia on: Taliesin🍵

@taliesin-mistry

[dynamite124]

how tall is Taliesin? I am curious because my Dragonborn is around 6' 7 ft.

Taliesin is 6'4''.

[oneshimaru]

Commission for @adhdsonic (ft. their and @heretic-saint-taliesin's ocs)! I also made a speedpaint for it :>

🌻 commission prices | kofi 🌻

[heartxshaped-bruises]

FIVE SONGS I ASSOCIATE WITH MY MUSES !!

TAGGED BY: @myriadxofxmuses (( thank you <3 )) TAGGING: @alwaysanangcl @lxvefrxmthextherside @ask-thedepressedkidatthetable @fantasystrangers @murdercapitxl @brokenblondeprincess

★  ⸻  JOE

My Bloody Valentine by Good Charlotte

The Horror Of Our Love by Ludo

Evil Side by The Dirty Nil

Obsessed With You by The Orion Experience

Friends In Low Places by Worthikids

★  ⸻  EMRY LILLIS

Lemonade by Wheatus

Anything, Anything by Lucky Boys Confusion

Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows

Rock & Roll Queen by The Subways

I Quit by Donots

★  ⸻  TALIESIN

Throne by Saint Mesa

Let Yourself Go Wild by Jasmin Tabatabei

Feral Love by Chelsea Wolfe

Seven Devils by Florence + The Machine

Altay by Ummet Ozcan ft. Otyken

[captainsspnanon]

C2E64 - A Dangerous Chase - rewatch reaction

I think I’m ready for some journey to Bazzoxan tonight!  Definitely won’t get it finished, but ready to jump in.

(also I just bought a crap ton of dice.  I already have 10 sets.  I only play dnd once a month.  I am a full goblin at this point.  This was honestly one of the reasons that I was scared of getting into dnd, because I KNEW I would go goblin.  I tried not to for like, a year, and now I’ve given in.)

….So.  I also watch an Australian pokemon go youtuber, ProPlanty. …..I just want to know how he would react to this ad bit from Sam.

THAT’S a shirt that’s never been restocked!  Wonder what it looks like up close.

*removes a whole bunch of math in regards to locate object with the realization that the problem is not distance in dnd being bs, the problem is me and my failure to conceptualize any level of ‘higher’ math now that I’ve been out of school for ages.  I used to take calculus!  Now I use a calculator for everything.*  Well, one legit piece of info I did get is that when they sensed Obann at the edge of the 1000 ft spell, it would have taken one of them only just over 1.5 minutes to dash to get there.   ….wait.  *does more research*   World record for a 300 meter dash (which is 984 feet) is 30.81 seconds (Wayde van Niekerk from South Africa on June 28, 2017).   ….I am reminded of many posts online talking about how you really shouldn’t try to relate dnd to real life.  I am learning that lesson for myself.  (Beau with her movement of 45, using dash and step of the wind, would run 1000 feet in 44 seconds, so that’s at least

No I’m not going to continue that thought.  I am backing out of that tangent that ended up being useless and getting back into the episode.  I’m still only in the Last Time On!

For what it’s worth, I fully recognize that Laura and Taliesin both being in the black and yellow outfits means that I’ve seen clips or gifs from this episode for SOMETHING, but I can’t think of what it could be!

Ah, the discussion about “Orphanmaker”.  I still have quibbles with the reasons for the name, because it just plain confuses me.  I suppose it’s indicative of the attitudes of the tribe, that they give each other tough sounding names despite not living up to it, but it always ends up muddling how I feel about the name.  I also suppose that this is the point of the name though, that it ISN’T some narratively clear cut “Yasha earned the name through her actions with Obann but since she can’t remember it she doesn’t know how she got the name and thus how she would relate to being called it”. Instead it’s “Yasha was given the name by her tribe, basically just considered it a nickname/title, then actually ended up earning it under Obann which she doesn’t remember, which now adds a layer on to how she may feel or relate to the name once she knows about her past again”, which isn’t bad don’t get me wrong!  But it doesn’t slot easily into a story beat, which I guess is why I struggle with it at times (which says more about me than anything). To be fair, a reason for it may have been Ashley choosing the name to 1) sound badass and 2) give Matt something to play with during her amnesia times.  Does Ashley ever actually clarify out of campaign? (I also wish we knew what Zuala’s tribe name was.  As it is, I think we only ever know Orphanmaker and Skyspear?)

I love how Matt will present Option Safe and Option Cool and the group ALWAYS goes for Option Cool.  Travis’s delight at going through the Barbed Fields, the “ground zero of the calamity” is so palpable.  It also makes me even more happy that Travis was in the Calamity one-shot, he deserves it!  LOOK HOW EXCITED HE IS.

(I also love how Matt will sometimes take a joke and play it super straight – Sam asking Maruo if she’s seen Stranger Things and Maruo responding that she’s only seen half of the first season [hey me too], such a well balanced joke that throws everyone off)

Pike spoke Undercommon?  I did not know that!  Then again, I thought Yasha DID speak Undercommon.  No, critrolestats has her with just Common and Celestial.

Aw man, they never do get to Charis.  To be fair, I’m not surprised that Caleb doesn’t know what it is on a 26, I’m assuming it’s just a regular place in Xhorhas.  *looks at the wiki* Okay, a sweet little place, but not devastating that they didn’t get there.  Not worth a one-shot either.

I do love when this group is just all on different pages but all focused towards the same objective.  I think this is the most obvious moment of it playing out, with Maruo even referencing the mixed messages several times.  I don’t think any other group was this Messy, but it works when it’s the Nein.

I love the moorbounders so much!!  I think they’re about to lose them though, yeah?  Don’t they leave them in Bazzoxan and never get them back?  SAD TIMES.

I’m really glad that Ashley rolled high for Yasha to be able to share information about the Barbed Fields.  Because of where she’s from, she’s not really a PC created for infodumping, especially because the areas of Xhorhas that they have gone to are outside of her travels.  But being able to give a good chunk of info about the Barbed Fields has to feel good.

Ah, maybe this is the moment why I recognize the outfits?  Beau needing a short rest but refusing to ask for one, so Caleb immediately telling the group how weak he is and how much he needs a rest.  These two are SUCH a great pairing.

I don’t know if I remembered the joke before it happened, or if I just got it before they did it, but after Jester and Caduceus indicating to use spells at the end of the day, I did the little les mis singalong too XD

Ah no.  This is the Canon episode.  So far we’ve got “don’t shoot the messenger”, “don’t beat a dead horse”, and golf. Edit from later – and ravioli!

Slight spoilers for campaign 3, but I miss the sense of travel and exploration we have from C2, which doesn’t make SENSE because there IS travel and exploration in C3!  But for whatever reason, it doesn’t resonate as much with me like journeying through the Barbed Fields and stuff, and I have no clue why.

WAIT THIS IS WHERE YASHA GETS THE SKINGORGER???  I 100% forgot and thought Obann gave it to her!!  Maybe he only gives her the breastplate.

Fun fact!  I have no clue if this is just me or not, but I haven’t felt like any of Yasha’s swords actually FIT her, you know?  The Magician’s Judge, Skingorger, the Holy Avenger, Scaldsaber, they all SOUND cool AF, and apparently cleaver-style swords are her thing, but I dunno.  Maybe it’s because the fact that she did use so many swords that it ended up feeling like there wasn’t one that fit her well.  Unlike Fjord, where he has the falchion which just absorbs different characteristics, and then gains …. gains…. Hold on…. wiki help me….the Star Razor.  And both of those swords feel so strongly like they FIT, and the changeover has strong significance and character impact.  Whereas Yasha is just a little more like a videogame, swapping out one weapon for another when it’s better suited for it.  I suppose not everyone needs an Iconic Weapon though. How many weapons did Grog end up using?  Wiki shows EIGHT different weapons!  Plus just whatever normal axe he used at the beginning of the campaign which doesn’t even look like it’s on his wiki page so NINE?

For what it’s worth, cool combat!  Just not much to say.

Have I mentioned that I’m super mixed on the nickname Jessie for Jester?  Like, it’s a completely legit nickname that fully makes sense in context, and it’s cute that they all start having a nickname for her, so I do love that.  On the other hand, it’s just kind of a regular name?  Fjord, Yasha, Caduceus, Nott – all insanely unique names.  Beau/Beauregard?  Uncommon and rarely a female name.  Caleb is a normal enough name, but I feel like that 1) works with this concept, and 2) I mean, Bren Aldric Ermendrud is so not a normal typical name, and I feel like adding Widogast helps make it more unique.  And then “Jessie”.  *shrugs*  It’s a pretty stupid whine on my part, but it’s the bit of mixed feelings for the nickname.

Fjord giving Jester a kiss on the cheek, causing her ALL sorts of confusion!!  Honestly?  I’d love to know the out of game conversations that Laura and Travis had in regards to in game romance.  We know the bits said on Talks, but I’m assuming that those are exaggerated for humorous effect.  If I had to come up with and submit a question for the tower on 4SD, it would probably be ‘what is an example of some out of game conversations you have had with the other players or DM that you would feel comfortable sharing?’

Caleb uses Magic Missile more than I remember him doing so.  Then again, I think I underestimate this spell.  I remember being, not annoyed, but feeling like Matt wasn’t have Essek be super efficient during the Lucien fight when Essek just kept using Magic Missile. Probably just my own biases against the spell.  It IS automatic damage, no roll to hit or saving throw, so that is beneficial. Critrolestats says cast a total of 20 times, so it’s not like it was one of Caleb’s high use spells.  I think I think of it like Chromatic Orb – good for very early campaign and that’s all.  Can you tell I don’t play too much dnd yet?  (to be fair, also just played a druid, messing around a bit with a rogue now)

(looking at critrolestats, I’m sad that they didn’t track the spells that Essek did, but it makes sense because they don’t track NPC spells.  Essek is a PC in my heart, okay???)

I don’t know if this is the first time that Nott gets a nat 20 immediately followed by a nat 1 on the auto-firing, but I know it’s not the last!  I feel like this happens at LEAST three times.

Ooo, nice!  Obann name drop AND the Angel of Irons in the same questioning of the head!  Smart plays, good deception checks, and well picked questions.

I do wonder if this plot thread of the cult was always meant to be a sort of open closed plot revolving around Yasha, or if Matt has/had further ideas for Tharizdun.  It honestly could go either way.

I forgot that we got a canon reference to Marion’s agoraphobia before it actually came up for the party.  I like that!  I’d misremembered and thought that the party was the first time. Probably just the first time we clearly see it from her.

It’s very interesting seeing Caleb pushing so hard to stop Luc from being brought to the Chateau, because he’s so sure that Marion is now under suspicion.  Liam pushes it in many episodes, and while it’s discussed, it’s also discarded and Luc is still brought there.  In reality, it’s only in episode 128 that Marion is ever in danger, and it’s because of the break in at the sanatorium that the party do, nothing to do with the letter.

I love the games where they don’t want to stop playing and beg for more time.  This time it was an option!  But Laura needed to stop for health/baby reasons, and that takes priority.

[pridepages]

Tenderness: In Deeper Waters

I just finished In Deeper Waters by FT Lukens. I have thoughts...

Here there be spoilers!

Last year, I discovered the High Fantasy, Low Stakes genre. Authors create fantastical sandboxes for their characters to play in--full of magic and adventure--but keep the scope of their trials tighter and more intimate. The effect is like stepping into a slightly more grownup version of your favorite childhood fairytale. But make no mistake: wrapped within these cosy blankets are precious treasures for us to keep close to heart.

Many of us are familiar with the fairytale prince: a dashing figure meant to slay dragons and rescue princesses. In Deeper Waters gives us Taliesin, ‘Tal,’ fourth born prince of his kingdom who has been hidden behind castle walls all his life for fear of his magic being discovered. Despite being all powerful and having every reason to resent a world that would shame and fear him, Tal is a gentle soul. He is frequently mocked by his elder siblings for being tenderhearted. But Tal insists: “The world isn’t kind. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be.”

Tal is so refreshing because the typical fairytale prince is a paragon of hyper masculinity. As a model of manhood, the Prince is meant to conquer, to win by violence, toughness, or ego. Instead, Tal approaches the world with empathy and compassion. An act of mercy is what introduces him to his love interest--Athlen. 

Tenderness can mean two things. One meaning is to show gentleness, concern, or sympathy (as Tal does when he sets Athlen free from his chains). But tenderness can also mean easy to cut--the opposite of tough. For all his unwaveringly cheerful demeanor, Athlen is the kind of tender that is vulnerable. 

To Athlen’s knowledge, he is the last of his kind. He is a merman who was raised among a community--and a family--from whom he was separated by a natural disaster. Though he says he keeps faith that there may be another survivor, that they may find each other someday, Athlen still suffers from the wounds of his trauma. When Tal tries to separate from Athlen in order to protect him, Athlen won’t hear of it. He is terrified of being abandoned or left behind by anyone he loves. He typically holds the world at arms’ length, not allowing even his dearest friend, Dara, to have the intimacy of seeing his home or his true form. 

Tal becomes Athlen’s exception, the one person Athlen wants to let into his heart. But once Athlen has someone to lose, he finds out that letting someone in means risking pain and loss. As the saying goes: no man is an island. Luckily, Tal is his perfect match, able to meet Athlen’s pain with gentle care. “We’ve felt alone,” Tal says, “But we could be alone together.” To which Athlen feels safe enough, cherished enough, loved enough to take the leap and agree: “I want to be alone together with you.”

Tal and Athlen’s journey is one of tenderness. They don’t prove their worth through battle, power, or conquest. Their strength comes from their ability to face their feelings and communicate them with honesty and understanding. Waters is a refreshing new twist on a fairytale: one that shows us the need for men with tender hearts.

[ludinus-is-a-bitch]

rewatching the aeor arc because it's slightly cold outside!