#hourglass gauntlets

[xkuja]

Desert Palace/Desert Empress Concept Art (with my rough translation)

[crappy-writings]

Keeper of Shadows

Wanda MaximoffxReader // Series

Series Summary: An odd series of fatal attacks in Upstate New York piques your interest, especially when they seem to be related to the strange powers you received when you were 10 years old. By some stroke of luck or misfortune, the Avengers too are investigating the case, and you are their number one suspect. In a temporary alliance, you work together to discover why people are dying, unraveling a line of love, secrets, and betrayal.

*Image is not mine, credit to the creator

Chapter 1: The Agent, The Witch, and The Sword

(Chapter) Summary: With a strange rise of murders in the outskirts of New York, Natasha and Wanda are sent to investigate. While scouting the scene, they meet a rather curious figure, one they have not determined if they are friend or foe.

Trigger Warnings: descriptive murder details, crime scene details, guns, blood, injuries, cannon typical violence, I think that's it

Word Count: 3,714

A/N: This has been on the backburner for about 2 years, I think, and only now got around to writing it. Like, there’s a whole 10 page doc about this idea. I don't know if its any good but hopefully it makes sense.

Also, there’s a line here that feels topical and I wanna say Free Palestine.

Chapter 2 →

KoS Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Reblogged Fics

Wanda’s room at the Avengers Compound still felt rather… uncomfortable. She had spent months trying to find authentic Sokovian trinkets, crafts and cultural items to remind her of home, but they were hard to come by out here in the states. She filled it with other things, generic room decor like blue candles, and blue shaded lamps, a small hourglass with red sand, and a globe that she had added red push pins to, marking the places she had been to. A guitar with a stand and sheet music laid beside her bed.

She has a pin board that hangs over her desk, salvaged photographs of her family reminding her of a life short lived. One was a family photo, her mother carrying a four-year-old Pietro while her father carried a four-year-old Wanda, bright goofy smiles over the children’s face. Another, an image of her mother holding a baby Wanda and baby Pietro,  as well as a photograph of a young Pietro, a mess of toys and household objects scattered about.

She hoped that keeping mementos of home would bring her comfort. Instead, it brought waves of bittersweetness and nostalgia. Although there was comfort in home, she was also reminded that she would never return there. There was nowhere to return to. Where once stood a war-torn yet proud country remained a pile of ash, and rubble, and death.

She sighs deeply, dropping her clothes in her hamper, having had swapped it out for a somewhat loose fitting, black, repurposed S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. She finished adjusting the standard issue gauntlets and belt, before sitting down on her bed to put on her boots. A soft knocking came from the door.

“Come in,” Wanda’s accented voice calls out as she laces up her boots. “You ready?” Natasha asks as she poked her head through the door. 

“Yeah,” she replies as she stands from her bed.

“Alright then, let’s go, Hill’s contact is waiting for us,” the red-headed assassin says as Wanda approaches her. Natasha also wore a similarly fitting S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, except she wore her own customized gauntlets and belt, along with her usual weapons. 

“Why exactly did we get called in by the FBI?” the brunette asked as both women walked through the corridors of the Compound. 

“Well, one of Hill’s old contacts called in a favor. They’re working a case that seems to be… more aligned with our type of work,” Natasha says cryptically. “You mean aliens, godly beings, Hydra experiments and genocidal robots?” Wanda asks at an attempt at humor.

“Yep, just about sums it up,” Natasha gives her a small smirk as they walk towards the garage. 

“Is there anything we know about the case?” Wanda asks as both Avengers approach Natasha’s Black-colored Corvette.

“There’s been a series of murders at one of the national forests. Fourth body was found about three hours ago. Here’s the file,” Natasha opened the driver’s side door, and handed Wanda a yellow file folder as she sat in the passenger’s seat.

“Since when do we investigate murders?” Wanda asks curiously as she takes the file from Natasha’s hand.

“You’ll understand once you read the file,” she sighs as she begins to drive out of the Compound. 

The file details a series of gruesome attacks, most of them having taken place just a few miles away from the Finger Lakes National Forest, the investigation being led by Special Agent Gregory Miller. All of them had happened in the span of the last four months, each body was found approximately 25 miles away from each other. The file included the postmortem reports of three victims, detailing blackened scratches and long cuts throughout the victim’s entire body, as well as odd, swirl-patterned burn marks along the upper body. Bruises circled the victims’ necks and one of the victims had a sprained ankle, believed to have occurred as they attempted to run from their attacker. The file included forensic photographs of the victims, much to Wanda’s discomfort.

Interviews with the victims’ kin all described them to be acting angry and erratic, before leaving without notification. No victim was known to take any illegal substances, nor were they diagnosed with any ailments that could potentially cause their sudden change in behavior. 

Forensics reports that the attacks seem to be almost animalistic. The blackened nature of the wounds was not due to decay and were not consistent with regular burns. They did not exactly understand what it was. The official determined cause of death for all the victims was strangulation.

Lastly, the report included newspaper clippings describing the attacks to the general public:

Bear attacks or murder? Odd series of fatal attacks in Upstate New York confound authorities

Concerns among citizens of the Upstate area rise as another body is found near the Finger Lakes National Forest. 

The body of Elijah Brown, a 46-year-old accountant from the Upstate area, was found 10 miles away from the outskirts of the National Forest. This is the third victim to be found in the area.

Local law enforcement informed investigators that the injuries and cause of death for the three victims are consistent with bear attacks. Citizens voiced their concerns over the wild creatures making their way to residences and potentially hurting them, their loved ones or neighbors.

Despite this, private sources indicate that authorities are considering it may be due to a new potential serial killer, despite the allegations of the deaths being caused by bear attacks. All three bodies have been found within approximately 25 miles away of each other, all within a four-month time period. 

When confronted with the allegation that it may instead be a serial killer, officer Davis stated, “We are currently waiting on the coroner's report of the victim to determine whether this was a tragic accident or a potential murder. Our investigation team is waiting on these results before determining what is going on.”

Investigators learned from the victim’s son that Mr. Brown was not known for hiking or hunting, putting into question why he had been out in the forest in the first place.

As the community waits for answers, Park officials and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife department advises hikers to remain on clearly marked paths when out and to wear bright or reflective clothing, and hunters are urged to take every necessary safety precaution, including staying in designated hunting areas, avoid refuge areas, and to make sure your certifications are up to date.

“This is…” Wanda interrupts the comfortable silence they had been riding in the last 30 minutes.

“Yeah,” Natasha says, her lips pressed tightly.

“I can see why he called in the favor,” Wanda comments as she closes the file, “do they have any leads?”

“Don’t think so, they would’ve included it in the file,” Natasha answers with a slight shake of her head. Wanda watched as they zipped through a winding road, a lush, autumn-colored forest stretching both in front and behind them. Up ahead, she notices a large “Finger Lakes National Forest” sign, along with other road signs nearby.

“Do you have any idea what it could be?” Wanda presses tentatively.

“Honestly? No. I’ve never seen anything like this,” the Widow replies.

Wanda hummed in acknowledgement. Both women carried on a pleasant conversation, talking about Wanda’s training progress before settling into a comfortable silence as they approached their destination. 

Natasha begins to drive off the main road, following a marked-out path into the forest. The car hit a few bumps as they drove through the beaten path. “I should've taken one of Tony’s cars,” Natasha muttered, earning a silent laugh from Wanda.

After about five more minutes, both Avengers saw the FBI trucks, agents spread throughout the forest in front of them. Natasha pulled up behind one of the trucks, leaving a generous amount of space between them.

“Here, put this on,” Natasha tosses Wanda a navy-blue jacket with yellow letters spelling “FBI” in the back as they get out of the car. “Hill’s contact wants us to blend in as best we can when we get here. Doesn’t want the public finding out that they had to call in the Avengers.” “And the S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform?” Wanda questions as she puts on the jacket. 

“Won’t stand out as much among the other uniforms, and Tony isn’t really funding clothes for missions. We make due with what we’ve got,” explained Natasha as they leave the car and head towards the crime scene.

Bright yellow police tape was wrapped around the trees surrounding the victim. Evidence markers were scarce, whatever evidence of who or what did this was near non-existent. People in white hazard suits investigated the body, taking samples and photographic evidence of the area and victim. Outside the police tape, some agents checked the perimeter, others were working away on laptops. Other forensic investigators seemed to be preparing to transport the body.

Natasha spotted Hill’s contact, a tall, brown-haired man with pale skin and a lean build. His hair was combed back, he wore black framed glasses, and he wore a large jacket, similar to the ones Natasha and Wanda had on. “Perfect timing. Special Agent Gregory Miller, thank you for offering your help,” the man introduced himself with a pressed smile, extending a warm hand to both women, “forensics is finishing up their investigation and sending the data to base as we speak.”

The man subtly cocks his head to the side and lets out a short chuckle. “What’s so funny?” Natasha asks, cocking an eyebrow at Gregory.

“No, no, it’s just,” he gestured to the Avengers’ uniforms, “if S.H.I.E.L.D. was still around, this case would’ve been taken off our hands a while ago.”

“Based on the information you sent us, definitely,” Natasha agrees.

“Yeah, well, anyways, this is James Gutierrez, age 34. A group of hunters went off the designated hunting area and found him. Wounds are consistent with what we’ve seen on the other three victims. Burns, bruises, scratches, all of it. We’ll still need to wait for the coroner’s report to establish the cause of death, but it will most likely be strangulation, just like the rest.”

Wanda was supposed to be listening to what Gregory was saying, but she was not. He repeated everything that had been in the file and although he was discussing the details of the fourth victim, they had still not gleaned any new information. 

Wanda looked around the scene as Gregory continued to talk. She saw the forensics team discuss something between them, and a few were putting away some equipment. A different forensics team was preparing to bag and transport the body. Other agents stood outside the bright yellow tape, discussing things Wanda could not hear from this distance, while others seemed to continue to verify the perimeter.

There was one agent that caught her eye, though. She could not see any distinguishing features from this distance, but she noticed they wore a black hat and jacket, printed with big white letters spelling “FBI.” She tilted her head to the side curiously as she observed the figure that simply stood there, alone. 

The figure seemed to be observing the crime scene, before pulling out a notebook from inside their jacket and writing something down. 

“Who’s that agent, the one in the hat?” Wanda asks out loud, interrupting Gregory from his monologue. “I’m sorry, what?” he asks, his eyes landing on Wanda.

“The agent up there. Their uniform is black and white, not blue and yellow,” Wanda explains.

Natasha follows Wanda’s gaze and clocks the figure immediately.

The figure approached the yellow tape but did not pass it. They subtly craned their neck, observing the victim, before writing something down again. 

“That’s the incorrect uniform,” Gregory says, furrowing his brow.

The figure looks up and accidentally makes eye contact with Wanda. A sudden rush of cold runs up Wanda’s spine, making her shiver involuntarily. They stare for a few moments, their head subtly cocking to the side in curiosity. 

Until something pulls the figure’s attention away as they suddenly look off to their right. Wanda follows their gaze but sees nothing. 

No, not nothing. The trees to the figure’s right were oddly distorted, moving from side to side in small, short waves. Best Wanda could describe it would be that it resembled heat waves radiating off hot pavements and cars. Wanda furrowed her brow in both confusion and curiosity.

But in the blink of an eye, the distortion disappears, the trees standing still behind the crime scene.

“That’s not one of my agents,” Gregory states. 

Wanda watches as the figure quickly puts away their notebook and begins to back away, their eyes never straying from whatever they saw to their right. They turn around and begin to hike up the small hill in front of them. Wanda saw out of the corner of her eye as Gregory reached for his communicator.

“Wanda, go from the right, I’ll take the left,” Natasha commands easily as she begins trailing the suspect.

Wanda nodded as she began running, circling around the right side of the yellow tape. The figure was already up the hill by the time they began their pursuit. Wanda found it odd, though, as the figure did not seem to be running away from them. Their faces gave away no signal of being caught, instead, they had looked at her in curiosity. Their focus was entirely placed on something beside them, beside the crime scene. They did not seem to be running towards something either.

No, they seemed to be leading something away.

Natasha and Wanda ran as quickly as they could, doing their best to avoid tripping over tree roots and rocks, the loud crunch of dead leaves sounding off with every quick step. The figure was fast, maintaining a good distance away from Natasha and her. That was before the stranger came to a sliding stop, staring at something in front of them. They stood quickly and backed up a few steps, their head raised as they stared at something slightly above them. 

Wanda herself began to slow down as she watched the figure do a subtle hand motion, followed by a bright light. A white light flashed in the figure’s hand, a sword magically appearing in their grip. The same cold shiver settled at the base of Wanda’s spine. 

The figure swiftly raises the sword as if to block themselves from something. She watched as the sword was met with brute strength, making it swing to the side forcefully. The figure backed up once more, before throwing an uncoordinated strike at something Wanda could not see.

Wanda tried focusing on whatever the figure was fighting, and suddenly the odd distortion, similar to the one at the crime scene, reemerged. The distortion was large, seeming to be at least three feet taller than the stranger they were pursuing. It moved swiftly, as it seemed to take a swipe at the stranger that stood in front of it, but the figure jumped out of the way just in time.

A low, bellowing sound resonated through the trees, but it sounded faint and far away. Wanda turned her head towards Natasha, “did you hear that?” 

“Hear what?” Natasha looked at Wanda with furrowed brows.

“There was this sound, and there’s something, over there,” Wanda stammers through her words as she turns back to watch the figure. They swing their sword again, and this time, it looks like it made contact with the odd distortion.

“I don’t see anything,” Natasha replied, giving Wanda a confused look.

Wanda continued staring as the distortion seemed to rise and come crashing down over the figure.

They yelled as it fell on top of them, knocking them onto the ground forcefully, their weapon falling out of their grip and their hat falling off their head. Whatever was on top of them had them pinned down as they were struggling to get up. They placed their feet firmly on the ground, attempting to squirm out of the distortion's hold to no avail. They begin kicking up into the air, as if hoping to get the mostly invisible creature off of them.

Wanda hears as Natasha takes out her gun and sees her point it forwards. Her finger hovered over the trigger but did not shoot.  

The figure suddenly screamed in pain, but Wanda could not exactly see what was happening. She watches as they struggle to reach for their sword, the weapon a few inches away from their fingers. The figure still kicked their feet up onto the air, but the distortion would not budge from place. 

Another faint, bellowing noise was heard, followed by the figure’s pained groan. Wanda’s irises flash a dark red color as she extends her hand out, urging the sword to fly into the stranger’s hand.

The figure’s head turns towards the sword, before gripping it tight and stabbing it into the air above them and twisting the blade. The figure kicked up into the air once more with a forceful yell, digging their weapon deeper into the creature’s presumed wound.

Wanda hears the creature roar again, this time louder and clearer than the other times. For a split second, Wanda swears she saw something. An inky black mass that almost resembled a giant canine, but as quickly as she saw it, it disappeared. She almost assumes she imagined it.

The distortion seemed to bob upwards, no longer pinning down the stranger. They crawled backwards quickly, sword still in hand.

“Shoot,” Wanda said suddenly, glancing between Natasha and the odd display in front of them.

“Shoot what? I can’t see anything,” Natasha said, a mixture of confusion and frustration subtly ringing in her voice. 

“Straight forwards, about 5 feet over the suspect,” Wanda instructs, her eyes staring sharply at the scene before her. Natasha shot off two bullets and Wanda watched as the bullets disappeared into thin air. “Hit,” Wanda reports.

The figure jumped up to their feet, not looking back at the two Avengers that stood a couple of feet behind them. They slashed their sword twice into the distortion, and Wanda can only assume that they hit it.

The distortion moved and Wanda saw as it was about to come down on the stranger once more. They swung their sword upwards, the blade facing up to defend themselves from whatever was about to hit them.

The creature made an impact with the sword, the force strong enough to make the figure scream and buckle under the pressure. The same bellowing sound came again, this one louder than the one before. “Shoot, two feet above the suspect’s head,” Wanda commands, watching as the figure rightens themselves and backs up a few steps.

Natasha aims and takes a few seconds before shooting, taking the necessary precautions to not hit their only potential lead. 

She shoots off three more bullets, and Wanda sees as they ricochet off of the distorted creature. The stranger then charges, sword at the ready and seems to stab at the creature. They yell as they try digging the sword in deeper, and then forcefully drags the blade to the side. The figure did not stop until the blade no longer felt any resistance and cut freely through the air. A low, guttural sound reverberated through the forest and the distortion suddenly fell with a hard thud, the figure swiftly moving out of the way before impact.

The two Avengers watched as the figure breathed heavily, staring off into nothing. After a few moments, they groaned loudly, their free hand flying over to their shoulder, their sword in their other hand. Wanda could see as crimson began seeping through the stranger’s fingers. They turned and stared down at where Wanda last saw the distortion on the ground and nudged it with their foot. 

Oddly enough, Wanda could no longer see it, the ground and the trees of the forest remaining as still as ever. 

The figure continued to stare down at the ground, lowering their sword, the tip of the blade touching the dirt and leaves of the forest floor. With a sudden flash of white light, the figure drops the sword into the ground, the blade no longer visible. For the third time, a familiar cold shiver ripped through Wanda’s body.

The figure slowly turns and makes eye contact with Wanda and Natasha, fatigue evident in their face. They continued to breathe heavily as they stared. Without breaking eye contact, they extended their free hand off to the side and made a subtle circular motion. Once again, a bright flash appeared and both Avengers watched as the figure took one step to the side and dropped entirely from their view.

Natasha and Wanda looked at each other, before running up to where they last saw the stranger. Natasha bent down to the ground, running her hand over where the figure had been last, trying to find some explanation of how the stranger disappeared.

Wanda, in turn, approached where she last remembered seeing the distorted figure. She reached out and her hand came in contact with something. She startles and backs away slightly, not having expected to feel anything. 

She shakes her head, throwing away the nervousness and hesitation, before feeling around again. She feels it again, an odd, slimy, sticky texture that makes her grimace. “Natasha, there’s something here,” Wanda announces as she retracts her hand from the invisible creature. 

“What is it?” Natasha asks as she approaches the young brunette. “I-I don’t know, it’s sticky,” Wanda replies, cringing as she rubs her thumb over the rest of her fingers, still feeling the gross texture on her hand. She forcefully waves her hand downwards, trying to get any of the excess goop off of her hand.

“Today keeps getting stranger and stranger,” Natasha mutters, her brows furrowed together, having reached out with her index and middle finger to touch the invisible creature herself. 

“They left their hat behind,” Wanda comments as she notices the piece of clothing laying on the ground.

“We’re gonna need forensics over here,” Natasha announces as she backs away from it.

“And find that person with the sword,” Wanda adds. 

“I know just the right person who can help us with that,” Natasha replied as she pulled out a phone and made a call.

Chapter 2 →

[m3dieval]

If one was looking for armor, not just for the look, but for jousting and fighting. How would someone go around and do that? You seem to be more knowledgeable than most about these things and I’m lost on what to get. I’ve foolishly gotten pieces that were really for decoration rather than practicality.

This is going to depend on what sports/activities you plan in doing with your suit. Buhurt and balsa jousting for example will have different requirements. But the main things to look for are: material and fit.

Spring steel (properly tempered) tends to be the gold standard for combat sports. But mild steel (for more historical) and titanium are also used. Some groups/leagues have specifics on minimum thicknesses of material based on what it is and where it's protecting.

Stainless steel is generally not recommended if you plan on doing anything with metal weapons, but I have seen it used in some older jousting suits.

Chainmail is the one easy answer I have: if you want it to hold up to any of the armoured combat sports you need riveted mail. No butted mail!

For buhurt armour, which has a reputation of being made of good material but having a questionable fit, Buhurt Tech and Medieval Extreme are the shops that come to mind. One of the reasons I think buhurt is popular, is because they've made armour relatively affordable. You can get a full suit for as little as $3000 USD at Medieval Extreme and it will hold up to buhurt hits. If buhurt is popular in your area, you might also be able to buy some secondhand pieces.

Buhurt style suits are generally teased by the historical community for the fit. They're made to be more heavily padded, so they usually fit a little too big. They're made to be easier to fit, so often there is basically no shape at the waist. And there are other sport-specific adaptations that aren't based on history. But that's okay, most people in buhurt aren't trying to pass themselves off as reenactors. When looking at armour it is helpful to be able to spot the difference (look at the fit and proportions):

For historical armour used in jousting, harness fencing, and reenactment battles: either find a reputable armourer or buy a secondhand suit. Finding an armourer can be challenging. If you're part of a group (jousting, medieval society, etc), ask around about where people got their stuff. The United League of Armourers on facebook might be able to help you locate someone (even just reading the discussions there can be educational).

Sometimes there's a decent local armourer who you doesn't have an online presence (usually they are found though said group). This unknown hobbyist armourer is going to be significantly more affordable than a well established armourer who's getting international clients (and their waitlist should be a lot shorter) but there is a bit of a gamble on quality. If you find one, make sure you see what they've already made first.

Armourers whose work I've seen in person and can vouch for the quality (just looking at their portfolios should give you an idea of what quality looks like):

Jeffrey Wasson:

Eric Dubé:

TBH I usually forget to ask who made someone suit 😅 But if you're on the market for armour it's a good habit to get into asking that.

My helmet is made by Jeffery Hedgecock (he makes the armour at Historic Enterprises). My suit is made by Marc Hamel (he doesn't take online commissions). These were both bought secondhand from a jouster I met when I was working as ground crew years ago (it was over $600 CAN just to get it shipped from Quebec to Alberta).

My gauntlets are the worst part of my suit, they're these hourglass ones from Armstreet. They don't fit will enough for jousting, but they have protected my hands for sparring with synthetic swords. I am looking to replace them soon.

Armstreet is hit or miss. Definitely do your own research before you go browsing there.

The secret third option is to do a massive amount of research, get some mild steel and tools, then make your own armour. I'd start with watching videos about this (I recommend Greenleaf Workshop). Some armourers also sell classes, like Eric Dubé.

And we haven't even gotten around to discussing arming garments! We'll save that for another post.

Long story short: I probably can't make better recommendations than whatever group you join to participate in the activity you are requiring armour for (there are many types of jousting, there are many types of foot combat). But hopefully these resources give you somewhere to start looking.

[kv-actual]

New Messer with ring-guard and thumb protection 16 gauge stainless hourglass gauntlet hype.

[valyrra]

NAURETH // MK 9-11 timeline

Name: Naureth

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Birthday: 23/03

MBTI: ISTP

Ethnicity: Netherrealmer (Scottish heritage)

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Tarot card: The Hanged man

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Appearance: Tall, hourglass shape figure, hip dips and strong arms and abs. May have skipped the leg day so her thighs aren't that muscular. Naureth has a "long" face structure, big eyes with dark eyelids and green iris with a small dotted pupil. Her nose is long and slightly crooked. Small and wide lips are often spread in a smirk or scowl.

Height: 178cm / 5,9 ft

Eye Color: Green, if she uses necromancy they glow with mint color. Later looses right eye.

Hair: Straight black, lower back length

Voice Claim: Diana (League of Legends)

Prominent Features: Her left arm and right leg are covered in black tattoos with asymmetrical patterns, missing right eye [picrew link]

Talents: Speaking with the dead ones, demon taming

Strengths: Loyal, practical, creative

Weakness: Private, reserved, reckless

Fears: Dying, Losing her pet, betrayal

Weapon: ✨magical✨ sword [picrew link]

Combat style: Sorcerer style combat. Tries to distance herself from the enemy, uses summoned flying swords and skeletons. If enemy is closed she fights with a sword.

Combat moves: [LINK]

Pets (?): Demon cat Moz [picrew link]

Casual clothing Style: Silk lower face mask, dark robes

Combat clothing style: Eyepatch. Chest armor that resembles skeleton ribs, long loincloth, over-knee boots, metal gauntlets and metal pauldrons [link1] [link2]

Friends: Shinnok, Sareena, Jataaka, Kia, Noob Saibot, Quan Chi

OC friends: Ombra and Falkus @theelderhazelnut + Lydia the Zatteran @esolean, Moz, Ghost

Rivals: Ongran (OC), later Raiden, Scorpion (Hanzo), Ashrah, "Good" forces

Love interest: Shinnok, Ermac

Short lore: Necromancer and a summoner with a split heart and stolen life time, adept of Shinnok.

Bio: Naureth comes from a secretive family of hereditary witches from medieval Europe who long ago found a connection to the Netherrealm. For decades, the women of the family fed their powers from there, in exchange for sacrifices and loyalty to demonic forces. They have, for the most part, kept their blood pure, remaining human. If necessary - they were infiltrated into politics and the church, at the behest of the Netherrealm demons and the current ruler.

Wanting to live longer than the rest of their family, the aging high witch of the cult - Ongran decided to sacrifice her granddaughter in order to get a longer life. Naureth was about seventeen years old at the time. She had inherited the ability to see the souls of the dead who had fallen in battles on Earthrealm. After performing a ritual, half of Naureth's heart was desiccated and forever chained to Netherrealm, transferring half of her life time to Ongran. Deeply hurt and maddened, Naureth decided to run away from her family, in search of greater powers, so she can get revenge on her Grandmother.

Fueled by rage, Naureth travelled the Netherrealm for 5 years. Looking for artifacts, trying to find anything that can fuel her powers, until she met Jataaka, who brought her into the Brotherhood of Shadows, where Naureth found her sorcery mentors.

After Naureth joins the Brotherhood of Shadows, she becomes a follower of Shinnok and apprentice to Quan Chi. After several years of training, she masters necromancy, decay magic, and undead mind control. When Shinnok decides she is ready, he sends her on a mission to dethrone Ongran as supreme witch, get revenge and lead the cult to serve him and Quan Chi.

With the help of Jataaka and Sareeena and Kia, Naureth kills the witch, but the life forces do not return to Naureth, leaving her with half of her life still shortened.

Dying, her grandmother remarks that she is proud of Naureth, but Naureth is outraged. The cult joins forces with Quan Chi's army, and she marches off to Shinnok.

Shinnok, says that only under his command will she be able to live longer, and bestows the black crown of Ongran, powers that can extend her life, making her life almost infinite as long as the crown is on her. Of course this was a lie, he could give her life back, as it was sealed in Netherrealm. Without knowing it, Naureth simply stays in the brotherhood. Quan Chi appoints her captain of the undead squad along with the witches from her cult.

Playlist: [link]

Inspirations: The Knight (DBD), Kel'Thuzad, Lich King and Death Knights (WoW), Mannimarco (TES), Bwonsamdi (WoW), Vergil, V (DMC), Kylo Ren (SW), Hela (Thor)

[hybbart]

I want to ask, for your Guide Jimmy, what are some of your favorite things about his design or just overall your rambles about anything relating to the au lol

Well, I'm a little obsessed with the concept of Jimmy in a gas mask- if you couldn't tell. So that was a no brainer. Honestly part of it was because Tango has his hood to obscure his face but I didn't want to just give Jimmy the exact same outfit and I think the shock of his hair and wings is important to the design, plus his face is a bit too friendly to be spooky. It fit with the cave theme too, I think, and gave the appearance of a silent mysterious guide without a hood. Mostly though it's cause I love the idea of Jimmy with a gas mask. Lol

The bird cage lantern felt like a no brainer but I wanted him to have a counterpart to Tango's keys (my brain saw the lantern as a counterpart to Tango's gauntlet I guess) so I thought at first to give him his own keys on a chain around his neck, or possibly a necklace with a soulfire in it but that seemed better suited for the lantern. (I think the light in the lantern is probably his soul and when he's killed it returns to the cage and picked up by Tango until he's summoned again) In the end

I thought a compass would be a cool item for a guide and then I remembered there was a new type of compass that was the perfect colour (my first idea was a lodestone connected compass, like when the card is played he is summoned from the compass itself and becomes it) and really, a cursed spirit whose death will be its summoners undoing who is wearing an ominous necklace showing exactly where the last summoner failed seemed very fitting. (Also Tango uses it to find him probably) very grim reaper vibes, and I love the concept of Jimmy as an alternative grim reaper who summons death with his own.

The outfit kinda came together on its own, I wanted it similar to Tango's but not the same, so I gave him shorter robes (longer ones didn't suit his gangly bird legs) and longer gloves. Made it fit his usually more top heavy design basically.

I thought it was a shame and a bit awkward that the design ended at his hips essentially and I didn't want this same cinched fur waist Tango had since he doesn't have the hourglass shape, so I though a sash would look cool, especially with the long trail, and it made him almost raptorish. The yellow was because it balanced the design a bit better. The frost on his wings was similarly for balance and the emphasis the cold since he wasn't as fluffy besides his collar.

The makeup was to match Tango's but I ended up going wild with it despite having covered up most of his face lol. And the diamond pupil was just to make his a little more fae/inhuman, since he still has the white sclera unlike Tango. Overall the deepfrost citadel has very femme vibes to it too so I try to capture that in both their designs. (Compared to tumble town which has more masc vibes and DL which is quite neutral in a dreamy/nostalgic way... if any of that makes sense I just realized this probably sounds like nonsense to anyone else)

Basically, I really wanted him to look like some sort of fae that lives deep in the dungeon, or like the human form of the dungeon master's familiar. Um, basically if you ever read the (tragically incomplete) fanfic Lay My Curse Down to Rest? I'm kinda sorta mildly obsessed with the Jimmy in that fic and I wanted to give him similar vibes, but deepfrosty. He's otherworldly but you can maybe probably trust him.

I also just wanted him to look like he might shatter away if you try to touch him, like he might not actually be there and you could mess things up very easily by interfering with him and his task. Like he's doing you a favour and he has somewhere else to be after this. Very unobtainable, he will leave you behind if you don't follow and he will stare at you like a judgmental ghost until you do. If any of that makes sense...

And lastly of course I wanted him to look good beside Tango, like he naturally belonged there, and something is missing if he isn't.

I also have concepts for other players as people in the dungeon, hence why I decided to call it the deepfrost cast au. It would be empires and traffic people specifically because the hermits are the ones actually running the dungeons. They aren't all cards, actually if you want a sneak peak my concept for Joel is like a ghost pirate boss fight on the ship. Pixl was going to be a creature related to the crypt room too, or maybe the loot cards' manifestation.

[birb-boyo]

I want you to ramble about LU Time. Please. He's the best.

:D

I know you said LU Time but I could rant about 90% of OOT Links put there💀

Sacred Realm Time? ( @/zelda-the-sacred-realm)

Recalled Time? ( @/recalled11 )

Linked Maze Time? ( @/linked-maze )

AoG Shifter? ( @/trippygalaxy )

Shifting Sands Time? ( @/vaathnaos )

House of Heroes Time? ( @/houseofheroesau )

I could rant to you about EVERYONE named😌

But you want Linked Universe Time? I got you.

Long post👹

Now, I could make this a solely simping post but idk of you want that so I’ll put that at the end.

While, yes, he’s very hot and pretty and I made a slideshow about that, that’s not all I like about him!

I kinda kin him in a way. I usually end up taking the lead in things. Like group projects and stuff

Which is weird considering that I’m an introvert but school kinda forces me into the leader role🤷🏽‍♂️

He also had chubby cheeks as a kid(I still do tho) like I just wanna s q u i s h

He’s also very caring and protective of his boys/brothers/friends. And when the time comes to protect them, trust that Time will do it fiercely without question. That’s not me saying that the others wouldn’t protect their brothers at all, but what does set him apart…

Is that he looks damn good when he does it

Speaking of looking damn good HAVE YOU SEEN HIS WIFE?!

SHE SHOULDA PICKED ME?!?!?!

And the fact that he preposed to her with some weird magic ring will always be peak humor to me! It’s adorable but…sir💀

And the way he looks at her makes me feel like love is real and I appreciate how Malon wasn’t reduced to a housewife SO MUCH because that woman can AND WILL judo flip Time. I love strong women😌

AND AND AND

LOOK AT HIM SMILE😭😭😭

HEAVY ON THE YOUNGER VERSION OF HIM AND IDK WHY I CUT MALON FROM THAT PICTURE-

(I’m getting all of these pictures from one album🥰)

I think that I can start with the simping-

A FULLY GROWN WOLF???

(I know about the gauntlets)

AN HOURGLASS TOO?!?!?!

I rest my case😌

[medievalsnippets]

Armour of the English Knight: 1440 - 1450

Source: Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450

Great Bascinet: Neckplates now quite closely shaped to the chin and throat, more closely resembling a bevor.

Cuirass: Skirts continue to shorten after 1440, especially with the introduction of the new Italianate tasset form. The english variation of the style usually includes sidetassets often of the same size as the front tassets. Hind-tasset design uncertain, but probably similar to those observed on Iberian and Italian export armour of the same period. Because of the shorter skirt, more of the mail skirt is visible, and is generally shown to be drawn down into long dags at the front, back and sides.

Pauldrons: Asymmetric fluted designs introduced, the right having either a large or small cut-out or "mouth" to accomodate couched weapons, the left fully covering the shoulder and upper arm, offering greater protection especially at the front. Arming points and underarm straps assumed to be present, although not depicted on the effegies.

Vambraces: The side-wings now take on a deeply fluted, shell-like form. Upper cannons closed with straps, lower cannons perhaps with loose-pin hinges or straps.

Gauntlets: Older hourglass form illustrated coexists with the newer type having an extended metacarpal plate.

Leg Armour: Introduction of diagonal flutes on the thigh-plates, new side-wing design to match the vambraces, and cusped uppermost poleyn lane and demi-greave.

Sabaton: Articulation lanes starting to be drawn out into points along the top of the foot. Continued and consistent use of downward lapping construction indicating use of internal leathers.

[dalekofchaos]

Mortal Kombat 11 Koncept Sareena by Jack Meng Kirkman

Story: In events that were now a lifetime ago to Sareena, she was saved from Quan Chi’s vile manipulative magic by Bi Han. She was told to live among the poor of outworld for a time, concealing herself to the watchful eyes of the powerful throughout the realms. Bi Han promised her that he would find her and offer her sanctuary in the Lin Kuei. Then the Mortal Kombat tournament begun and Bi Han was invited to represent Earthrealm by Raiden. It was the highest honour in Bi Han's eyes, fighting the forces of darkness once again, like he had done when he saved Sareena. He found Sareena and told all of this. Sareena saw the tournament as her chance of redemption and asked Bi Han if she could represent Earthrealm by his side. Bi Han told her that joining the Mortal Kombat tournament was too dangerous for her. Quan Chi would be there with his allies, and they would surely take the opportunity to kill her, or worse, put her back under his control. He told her that she need only to remain incognito until after the tournament, then after Earthrealm's victory, Bi Han would come back for her. He explained to her that she could also not come back with him to the Lin Kuei temple during this time, as he suspected there was a sinister poison infecting their order. He had suspicions that the grandmaster himself and his son, Sektor were behind it. Sareena, while frustrated, saw the wisdom in what Bi Han said. He left her and promised that he would come back for her and that she would be safe. Before Bi Han left, Sareena said to him, "Be careful Bi Han... The very thing that allowed you to escape the Netherrealm, is the thing that will lead you back there." To which Bi Han responded, "I am still a mortal..."As Bi Han foretold, Earthrealm won the tournament, but he did not survive to see it. Now Sareena lived in a torn and broken Outworld, chaotic and divided in the wake of Shao Kahn's death and no one was coming for her. There was a power vacuum, and many vied for control. Earthrealm was no better she had heard, Shinnok had returned and his Netherrealm army were invading. The realms seemed to be closing in around her and she knew it was only a matter of time before her former allies tracked her down and submitted her to brainwashing. She would not live in this squalor and wait for that day. Admist the chaos, it turned out that her skills as an assassin and a spy were of great use to many in this race for power and she quickly found work that paid exceptionally well... She had lived with the Tarkatans for years and even knew a Tarkatan assassin named Karbrac, who apparently had taught the famed Baraka kombat techniques. She admired their blades, the perfect concealed weapon she thought. Sareena commissioned a gauntlet with a retractable blade sheathed within it, just like those wielded by the Tarkatans. She called this weapon "Demon Fang".In Mortal Kombat 11: After the time surge that brought individuals from past timelines into the present, Sub-zero was called to meet with the Special Forces to consolidate their knowledge on threats to Earthrealm. While they were briefing Sub-zero, he took notice of a particularly barren file, the name at the top read, "Sareena". This triggered a memory from a time before he was turned into a revenant. Bi Han, his older brother had told him of a woman lost in Outworld. He told Kuai Liang, that if anything were to happen to him, that he would honour his promise to her and give her sanctuary in the Lin Kuei. Unfortunately, Kuai Liang had to deal with Sektor and the Tekunin kidnapping his comrades. The Lin Kuei would make a poor sanctuary at the moment. After Kronika's defeat, time continued as normal for those who were outside of the hourglass. With the help of the Special Forces, Kuai Liang was able to find her whereabouts. It was clear by her recent movements that she was on the run. But from what, he could not deduce... Over the last few months, Sareena had been hunted by her old ally, Jataaka, who had also enlisted the services of the mercenary Erron Black. Jataaka was a master tracker and hunter. Sareena knew that Jataaka was wearing her out. Allowing her to run, and then catching up to her at perfect times. Sareena was largely without rest and she knew her time was running out. She endeavoured to use the energy she still had to confront the two. Sareena prepared outside an abandoned, ruined temple. She set up a multitude of traps. She knew that both Jataaka and Erron were no strangers to these tactics and she knew they would have little effect on them, but buying herself every second she could would be her best chance at survival. The two arrived as Sareena had anticipated. Jataaka made quick work of spotting the preliminary traps while Erron disabled them with expert precision. They entered the building and after much scouring, shadowy smoke burst out from around a corner, Jataaka swung her wakizashi, startled by the sudden movement, but her blade found no purchase in the amorphous cloud. The cloud materialized behind Jataaka, revealing Sareena, she swung her leg backwards at Erron, her heelblade slicing across his chest in the process. Fortunately for him, his armour saved him from the wound, but the kick knocked him down nonetheless. As he landed, he drew his firearm and shot Sareena. Sareena dematerialized into smoke once more and the bullet sailed passed her, nearly hitting Jataaka in the head. "What did I tell you about doing that!" Jataaka screamed at him. Erron sheathed his gun and got up. The smoke materialized once more. "We both know, you can't maintain that form forever Sareena", Jataaka said, a grin creeping across her face. The battle that ensued was hard fought, but ultimately, the combined prowess of Jataaka and Erron proved too much for the worn Sareena. Jataaka pushed her heel into Sareena's knee and an echoing snap and a cry reverberated through the torn building. She got Sareena into a rear naked choke. Erron watched as the life began to leave Sareena's eyes, but his ears pricked up. He turned around to see Sub-zero skating towards the building on a bed of ice with blinding speed. "Time's up", he muttered, realising that the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei would turn the odds against them. Erron pointed his gun at Sareena and fired... Sub-zero rushed into the entrance. Erron was gone. He moved over to the bloody Sareena laying on the floor, as he approached, he noticed Jataaka, also bleeding out. Jataaka started to crawl away. He turned to Sareena, her eyes were half open, looking at him, she tried to speak, but nothing would come. Sareena's vision was blurry and though she was still alive, she could feel herself fading, the man in front of her felt like something from a distant memory, or was it dream. Perhaps it was a mirage. Right now, it was the only thing tethering her to life... Sub-zero sealed her wound. She passed out, but would live. Sub-zero stood up and walked slowly over to Jataaka, who hadn't made it very far. The trail of blood in her wake told him that her wound was fatal. Hearing the footsteps, Jataaka turned around and laid on her back, coughing. "M-Mercy, Grandmaster". He stared into her hateful eyes and said, "You are right, I cannot leave you like this..." He held out his hand and a jet of ice burst forth, freezing over her entire head. He raised his boot and smashed her skull into tiny shards of blood. Unbeknownst to Jataaka, Erron Black had another contract on Sareena from a mysterious benefactor. They told him that Sareena must die, at any cost.Sareena awoke weeks later in the Lin Kuei temple. Sareena explained her story to Kuai Liang and how she was indebted to him for what his brother had done for her. Kuai Liang explained that he too was indebted to her by a promise to his fallen brother. Kuai liang granted her sanctuary within the Lin Kuei, protecting her from assassins of the Netherrealm as his brother before him had promised. Sareena also joined the clan as a protector of Earthrealm. During her healing process, Sareena spoke of a plan to save Bi Han from the clutches of the Netherrealm and Quan Chi’s lingering magic. Kuai Liang was not confident his brother could be turned, but Sareena was persistent. She would never give up on Bi Han. The two set out and eventually learn that Noob Saibot had fled to the Chaos Realm. The travel there through a portal that the Lin Kuei found many years ago, though it was forbidden to use it without the Grandmaster’s permission. Their journey led them to a ruined temple of order. There they found a Cleric. He was heavily cloaked and his features obscured. He openly confessed to aiding Noob Saibot and claimed that he knew that they would come looking for him. But he had another confession. He had helped another individual, who would purge the realms of any demon that dared to breathe the same air she breathed. He muttered a spell and before Sareena and Sub-zero could react, green soul magic erupted from the ground before the cleric. A woman emerged, carrying a lantern with the caged souls of Ermac and a kris blade. She dressed in full white with gold trim and a wide brimmed hat with a ghostly veil. Sareena noticed instantly from her demonic left arm, that she was like her, a demon of the Netherrealm. She thought it strange that this demon was fanatical in their desire to kill their own kin. "Ashrah", the cleric exclaimed. "There is the demon I promised you", he gestured at Sareena. Ashrah lunged her weapon forward, as if her arm was compelled by the kris blade itself. The souls from the lantern lashed out at Sub-zero snaring him. A fight ensued and the cleric stepped quietly into the shadows…

[nixalegos]

14. what is the worst injury your muse has ever received? 

I'm going to exclude death, as Nixalegos despite suffering the indignity of death multiple (too many) times has also recovered from such with the abuse of soul stones, dark regeneration, and multiple contingencies and bargains. The worst injury he's received, is one he did to himself. He obtained 'green fire'. For context, he'd just survived the Purge of Dalaran, and despite what the Bronze and Infinite Dragons meddling may yet 'correct', Jania Proudmoore and the Silver Covenant had turned on their erstwhile fellow citizens and elven cousins and had been killing them. Events he could not alter, people he could not save, incapable of even approaching those who dealt such judgement onto others. He fled the floating city via the sewers and a busted goblin glider attachment, clutching the ice lance still in his stomach and hoping the ensured infection was treatable as he flung himself into the night air above Crystalsong Forest. He preferred the rush of cold air to the stale taste of it in the Violet Hold. Anything, even death, would be preferable to being put back in those cages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time passed. He needed more. He needed to catch up to the inexplicitly powerful. While he'd come to aid along the events at the Isle of Thunder, his real attention was elsewhere. He sought the dead and banished. He was hunting the Illidari. One was found. Desolate. Mannoroc Coven. A mad Kal'dorei who either could no longer tell mortal and demons apart, or simply didn't care to bother. They specialized in shadowy doubles and simulacrum, and used the techniques to run the gauntlet of every trick of recovery the warlock had. Ultimately, Nixalegos only survived because of the intervention of the demons, who'd poured out from their hiding places and swarmed them both, the distraction enough to tip the scales in Nix's favor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Black Temple had long since been looted clean of anything of real value. The lions share of demon hunters would not be freed from the hidden Wardens Vault until the Legion returned for a third time, years later. He worked with what he had. Forewarned is forearmed, and had he any tutelage in the matter of demonic flesh binding that wasn't the demon hunters corpse, he'd never of taken the sacrificial knife to his arm.

He did not know that the glyphs seared into their flesh had been arcane locks. He saw them as fel channels, conduits to disperse demonic influence evenly. He did not know how they consumed the infernal and undying souls and embraces it into themselves. His adjustments to the ritual were experimental, outlandish, unheard of even years later. A wholly unique subjugation of a demonic soul via compartmentalization. A demon whos very thoughts could not be pulled together, could not know how to resist. He poured the demon a grain of dust in at a time. Salt in the wounds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's been years since he made the mistake, but the cost of it grows worse every year. What was once ritual scarification and glowing seething runes along his left forearm have spread, claiming his hand, twisting the fingers into sharper angry greedy talons. Rising up along the elbow, higher towards the shoulder. Skin the color of a bruise, the texture nearly scales. He suspects the shoulderblade he replaced with felslate might be the root cause. Like calling to like. Nibbling and replacing his flesh an iota at a time. A grain of sand falling one at a time in an hourglass. But don't worry. The right arm isn't doing much better. Consistency is key.

Thanks for the ask @phyghyver!!

[sanddall-asy]

[Image Description: A drawing of Garrett, a man kneeling and holding a floating hourglass with golden sand in front of him with a distressed expression. Blood is dripping out of his gritted mouth, and there’s a golden aura around both the hourglass and his head. Garrett has beige skin and short windblown brown hair with greying at the temples. He’s wearing golden chest plate with a sun insignia on its chest and gauntlets, chainmail underneath, brown leather pants, brown leather shoes, and a red cape. The background is a rounded rectangle composed of golden lines. End ID.]

Art from last year’s Art Fight of @/cobalt.studios on Instagram’s OC!

[swan-of-sunrise]

Endgame (Chapter Nine-Part II)

Summary: The epic conclusion of the Battle of Earth sees (Y/N) and Steve doing whatever it takes to save the universe from Thanos once and for all.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Reader

Word Count: 4.8k

Warnings/Disclaimers: Disclaimer for battle/combat violence  

A/N: And now we’ve arrived at the second half of the Battle of Earth! As many of you long-time readers know, I do my very best not to deviate from the films in this series and when I do change something, I have a justifiable reason for the change; that being said, there’s a small section of the battle that I’ve rewritten to better suit the story I’ve crafted thus far, and I thought I’d mention it here before you start reading so it doesn’t come as too much of a shock. Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Nine (Part II) (Previous Chapter)

Although they’d successfully taken Thanos by surprise with the remarkable size and unprecedented ferocity of their forces, it seemed as though their slim advantage was beginning to wane; the Black Order had rallied their troops and regained control of the battlefield, summoning wave after wave of Chitauri, Sakaarians and Outriders from the Sanctuary II. The bodies of dead Asgardians, Wakandans, Ravagers and sorcerers lay strewn atop the smoking rubble and crumbling ruins populating the massive crater and the many still standing were struggling against the enemy’s onslaught. The grim sights surrounding (Y/N) only encouraged her on as she fought her way to Clint; she barely paid any attention to her attackers, efficiently disarming and defeating them with well-placed baton hits and piercing Widow Bites before continuing on.

When (Y/N) finally spotted Clint fighting only a handful of yards away and noticed the garrison of fighters heading his way, she urged herself to speed up and shouted into her comm, “Hey Sam, I could really use some help from Redwing right about now!”

An explosion forced Clint into a somersault and after expertly rolling onto his knees, he fired a stun disc at his Sakaarian opponent but quickly found himself surrounded by Chitauri soldiers and roaring Gorillas. Before they could swarm him, (Y/N) jumped down from a pile of crumbled concrete and attacked; she dodged and parried their blades and avoided their blaster fire as she slammed and jabbed her electrified batons into the unarmored sections of the aliens’ bodies, and just as both Chitauri Gorillas charged at her, Redwing swooped down from above and took them down with two projectile missiles to their throats.

(Y/N) flashed the stealth drone a small smile. “Thanks, Birdbrain.”  

“Don’t thank me, Booksmart, thank Redwing!”

She rolled her eyes at her best friend’s exclamation but relented. “…Thanks, Redwing.” Noting the shortness of Clint’s breath and the way he clutched the stitch in his side as he approached her, she sheathed her batons and held her empty hands out. “Give the gauntlet to me, Clint. I’ll make sure that it gets to Scott and Hope.”

Clint’s eyes flicked down to the red hourglass-shaped buckle affixed to her belt before meeting her gaze with a firm tenacity reminiscent of their mutual best friend. “Give ‘em hell, (Y/L/N).”

The archer handed over the sizable gauntlet and (Y/N) held it close to her chest as she sprinted through the horde; she ducked to avoid blaster fire and twirled away from swinging blades, firing Widow Bites at anyone who dared to try attacking her as she worked on getting the stones to the Quantum Tunnel across the vast battlefield. She only made it about fifty yards when a blurry figure plowed into her and knocked her onto the hard ground, only a heartbeat before a large double-bladed sword sliced through the air where she’d just been standing.

“Are you all right?” T’Challa asked as he tugged her to her feet, but her reply died in her throat the moment she looked across the clearing and saw the double-bladed sword return to Thanos’ hand.

The Mad Titan’s face was illuminated by a bloodthirsty smile and his gaze was transfixed on the gauntlet lying several feet from where they stood; he charged forward but was halted by the sudden appearance of Wanda Maximoff, who dropped down from above and landed in the space between them in a blinding burst of scarlet-hued energy. Her hands were still glowing and her body was tense with barely-contained rage as she snarled, “You took everything from me.”

“I don’t even know who you are,” Thanos scoffed.

“You will.”                                                                                                 

(Y/N) could hear the cold smile in Wanda’s voice and as she watched the younger woman levitate herself and two massive piles of wreckage into the air, she couldn’t help but wish that she’d make her revenge on Thanos just as painful as how it felt to destroy Vision for nothing. As Wanda and Thanos viciously battled one another, T’Challa hurriedly pulled (Y/N) along to where the gauntlet lay and scooped it up into his vibranium-clawed hands. “I’ll keep going, (Y/N)!”

T’Challa vanished into the ongoing fight with the gauntlet tucked under his arm while (Y/N) unsheathed her batons and ran over to assist the only human member of the Guardians of the Galaxy; he was pinned down by a small squadron of Chitauri and unable to return blaster fire as he crouched behind a wrecked S.H.I.E.L.D. Jeep to avoid being shot. (Y/N) attacked from behind, kicking the blaster out of one alien’s grasp and electrocuting it with her baton while taking down another with a Widow Bite to the neck. While she distracted the Chitauri attackers, the Guardian was able to fly over the Jeep using his rocket-boots and shoot down the rest of them for her.

“Hey, thanks for the help, She-Ra,” He huffed out in exhaustion and gave her a sort of salute with his blaster. “The name’s Peter Quill, by the way. You’re not…are you that bad-ass writer chick Thor was talking about when we rescued him from that shipwreck?”

“Mm-hmm, I’m (Y/N) (Y/L/N). It’s good to finally meet you; Rocket’s already told me a lot about you, actually.” Quill’s brow shot up in surprise at that, so she decided to elaborate. “He mostly talked a lot of shit, to be honest, but it wasn’t hard to see how much he missed you and the rest of the Guardians.”

While Quill absorbed her words, a crackling bolt of lightning illuminated the sky and struck one of the remaining hover tanks a hundred yards away, dissipating as Steve appeared and slammed the broken shield against its cannon. “Wait, is that seriously the Captain America?” He eagerly asked, watching the super-soldier single-handedly dismantle the hover tank with wide, almost childlike eyes. “You know, the ass-kicking super-soldier who took down Nazis in World War II? The-Star-Spangled-Man-With-A-Plan? That Captain America?”

“Yep, but I just usually call him my husband.” (Y/N) chuckled in amusement at the stunned expression written across Quill’s features. “You’ve seen Return of the Jedi, right?” He nodded mutely. “Well, Steve was frozen in 1945, sort of like Han Solo in the carbonite, only it was entirely accidental and he wasn’t discovered until 2012.”

Quill shook his head and sighed. “Man, you leave Earth for a couple of decades and look at all the cool shit that happens…”

Before she could reply, the battlefield around them began erupting with explosions and filled with the sounds of cannon fire as bright blaster beams shot down from the Sanctuary II above. Allies and enemies alike were blown back by the powerful force of the steady barrage and although sorcerers created wide orange protection shields overhead, there weren’t nearly enough of them to cover the entire battlefield and all their forces. Across the crater, the earth was crumbling away and water from the lake was beginning to flow down onto the battlefield, but Doctor Strange quickly used his magic to funnel the water into the air and held it back. Quill ignited his rocket boots and flew off to assist a nearby Dora Milaje battling a Sakaarian fighter and (Y/N) hurried towards the area where she’d last seen Steve, keeping a careful eye on the cannons firing down as she ran.

“(Y/N)!” Steve exclaimed, and his dirt and sweat-covered face filled with worry when his eyes scanned her appearance. “Shit, you’re bleeding, baby, are you okay?!”

She fastened her batons together into a staff and cautiously touched the oozing cut running along her collar, wincing a little at the sting but giving her concerned husband a small smile. “I-I’m fine, sweetheart-”

“Help! Somebody, help!”

They both looked over across the clearing to see Peter Parker struggling against a growing swarm of Outriders and gripping the gauntlet tight as he fought them off. “Hey, Queens!” Steve called out into his comm. “Heads up!” The super-soldier threw Mjolnir as hard as he could, and they breathed sighs of relief when the teenager shot a web and allowed the hammer to pull him out of danger. “We need to find a way to take out those cannons or else we won’t last much longer.”

(Y/N) slammed her staff into an attacking Chitauri soldier while Steve kicked a Sakaarian across the clearing. “Maybe if Tony, Pepper and Rhodes fly up and use their lasers to burn through the hull?”

“No can-do, Austen, even the three of us combined don’t have the power to get through that steel.”

“Well, what if we hijack one of those Chitauri cruisers and-?”

“Watch out!” Steve shouted and tackled (Y/N) to the ground just as the earth around them exploded under a powerful cannon blast; his muscular body covered hers and his arms cocooned her head, protecting her from the onslaught of dirt, rubble and debris raining onto them. While more and more cannons fired down onto the battlefield below, (Y/N)’s eyes squeezed shut and she buried her face in Steve’s neck, unable to think of a way to stop the unending barrage raining down on them.

All of a sudden, the cannon fire ceased and an unsettling silence descended over the battlefield. (Y/N) pulled away far enough to frantically search her husband’s gaze for any signs of injury and when she found none, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Why’d they stop firing?”

“I have no idea.” An equally-baffled Steve shrugged and helped her stand on shaky legs, and their questions only compounded when they saw the Sanctuary II swivel its cannons up and begin firing on something hidden within the dark clouds of smoke high above.

“What the hell is this?” Sam asked into the comms as he took to the skies nearby.

(Y/N) and Steve both watched in awe as a blinding light of thundering energy broke through the clouds and, entirely unaffected by the heavy barrage of cannon fire, flew straight through the Sanctuary II; Thanos’ enormous flagship imploded as the comet traveled a devastating path out the opposite end, the light briefly dimming to reveal Carol Danvers before she burst through the hull and out the top in a fiery blaze of cosmic energy. Grinning, (Y/N) watched the decimated Sanctuary II fall from the sky and crash into the lake, sending a powerful shockwave rippling across the entire crater. “She really knows how to make an entrance, doesn’t she?”

Steve lowered his broken shield and smiled. “Our cosmic friends seem to all share that trait.” He brought a hand up to his comm link. “Danvers, we need an assist here.”

“Sure, Cap, whatcha need?”

“We need to get the stones to the Quantum Tunnel across the crater and send them back to their original timelines before Thanos can rally his troops,” (Y/N) replied, squinting as she tried to make out where Peter was through all the piles of earth and debris littering the battlefield. “The tunnel’s inside of a brown van, and a teenager named Peter Parker has the gauntlet with him.”

“Ah, I see the kid. He’s at your eleven o’clock, about half a click away.”

The super-soldier nodded. “We’ll meet you there.” He squared his broad shoulders and turned to (Y/N) standing beside him. “You ready for this?”

She ignored the twinging cut along her collar, the dull ache settling into her arms and the blood dripping down the side of her face from a fresh scrape as she flashed him a confident grin. “I can do this all day.”

Steve smirked in amusement and together, the two of them ran through the battlefield to where Peter and the gauntlet were, the knowledge that they were one step closer to thwarting Thanos’ plans renewing their optimism and reigniting their burning defiance. They reached the rocky crevice that the teenager was hiding in just after a faintly-glowing Carol landed before him; he jerked in surprise but mustered up a nervous smile for the captain as he continued to clutch the tarnished Infinity Gauntlet in his arms. “Hi, I-I’m Peter Parker.”

“Hey, Peter Parker,” Carol’s lips curved into a smirk and she nodded down at the gauntlet. “You got something for me?”

“Y-Yeah.” Peter grabbed (Y/N)’s outstretched hand and allowed her to help him stand. Although the teenager was covered in bruises, sporting a bloody nose and looked visibly exhausted from the fierce battle, he stood on his own two feet as he handed the gauntlet over to Carol. “I don’t know how you’re gonna get it through all that.”

The four of them turned and stared out at the stampeding horde in the distance. The Children of Thanos lead the charge, followed by Chitauri ground troops and four bellowing Gorillas, Sakaarian soldiers and several packs of Outriders; in the clouded sky above them, three Leviathans slithered through the air alongside Chitauri-manned cruisers and half a dozen hover tanks were scattered in amongst the throng. It would’ve made for an intimidating sight if not for the small but formidable band of fighters that were assembling alongside them; Tony, Wanda and Sam gracefully descended from the sky while Thor appeared surrounded by tendrils of lightning as a clap of thunder shook the ground, Okoye twirled her spear in anticipation and Nebula – the real Nebula, not the 2014 version who infiltrated them and hijacked their Quantum Tunnel on Thanos’ behest – tightened her grip on her blaster’s hilt, and both Clint and Bruce wore matching looks of obstinacy on their faces as they stood beside the couple.

Looking around the group and realizing in a shocking instant that each of them had deep personal ties to Natasha Romanoff, (Y/N) exchanged a knowing glance with Steve and watched as he turned his attention back to Peter. “Don’t worry, kid. She’s got help.”

(Y/N) twirled her batons and fixed the approaching army with a vengeful stare. “This one’s for you, Nat.”

Thor’s booming battle cry accompanied their charge, each of them launching themselves into the fray to avenge Natasha and to end, once and for all, Thanos’ plans to destroy the entire universe. Tony, Thor and Sam took to the skies and each took on a Leviathan; the Asgardian called down a bolt of lightning to electrify the creature and sliced its head off, Sam fired missiles and his guns at another until it fell from the sky, and Tony flew straight into its mouth and blew it up from the inside. Wanda threw two swirling balls of scarlet energy at a hover tank, instantly exploding it and the blast decimated a sizable number of nearby Sakaarians. Okoye rammed her vibranium spear into Corvus Glaive’s chest and flipped him over her shoulder before throwing the spear at a cruiser speeding overhead. Nebula took out enemy after enemy with her precise blaster shots and brutal hand-to-hand combat skills. Bruce and Clint worked together to take down a Chitauri Gorilla, the scientist’s good fist and the archer’s razor-sharp katana making for a deadly combination. (Y/N) and Steve fought side-by-side – her electrified batons and Widow Bites and his hammer and broken shield working beautifully together – taking down Proxima Midnight with expert ease and fighting through a swarm of Chitauri soldiers.

While they battled the enemy, Carol flew through their hastily-formed blockade and the resulting explosion, flying faster and tightening her hold on the gauntlet once the van came into view. Thanos charged at the captain with his double-bladed sword raised high but Tony, Thor and Steve were faster; their repulsors and lightning blasted the Mad Titan down and away from Carol as she shot past him. Before any of them could react, Thanos rolled to his feet and threw his sword straight at the activated Quantum Tunnel, which was instantly decimated in a blinding explosion; the shockwave blew allies and enemies alike down to the ground and rolled across the entire battlefield.

(Y/N) was knocked off her feet and thrown into a pile of debris, the side of her head instantly erupting in pain and her vision blurring. Wincing, she brought a hand up to her temple and gently prodded the tender flesh, swallowing thickly when she lowered her hand and saw the blood coating her fingers; she blinked hard to try and clear her vision as darkened figures rushed by, but it wasn’t until she rolled over onto her knees that her eyes could finally begin to focus. Thor and Steve were both struggling against an enraged Thanos, with the Asgardian using Mjolnir and all his strength to force Stormbreaker’s cackling blade closer to the Mad Titan’s neck and Steve latching onto his back and pulling on the battle axe to aid Thor, but Thanos’ strength proved to be impossible for them to overcome; he sucker-punched Thor in the stomach and head-butted him away before flipping Steve over his shoulder and slammed his fist into his face.

The overwhelming horror of seeing her bloody and bruised husband lying motionless at Thanos’ feet was compounded the moment she realized that the tarnished gauntlet was less than a yard away from him. She staggered for her feet and after hastily scanning the ground for her batons, she reached down and withdrew one of Loki’s daggers from her boot before charging towards him; Bruce appeared and attempted to hold Thanos back, but he grabbed the scientist by his wounded arm and flung him into a pile of crumbling concrete, and then (Y/N) and Clint reached him at the same time. The archer swung his katana and managed to slice a sizable cut across Thanos’ exposed bicep while (Y/N) slid past them and reached for the gauntlet.

Just as (Y/N)’s fingers grazed the tarnished gauntlet, a large hand wrapped around her arm and hurled her aside; she slammed into the rocky ground and rolled several times before finally stopping several feet away from an unconscious Clint. A stinging pain erupted across her stomach when she first tried to move, making her grit her teeth and hold back an agonized groan as she flipped herself onto her side; the dagger she’d been gripping in her hand clattered onto the ground, its blade splattered with her own dark red blood, and she pressed a hand against the gash to stem the bleeding. Through the haze of pain, she looked across the clearing and watched Thanos and Carol grappling over the gauntlet, which the Mad Titan had already managed to put on. Despite the captain clearly having the upper-hand in the fight, all it took was Thanos snatching the purple Power Stone from the gauntlet and punching her across the battlefield for him to win and stand unopposed with his prize.

“No…” (Y/N)’s breathing was erratic and she attempted to push herself off the ground a second time as Thanos placed the Power Stone into its setting and bellowed, the cosmic energy of the six Infinity Stones coursing through his body; her vision blurred around the edges and she cried out when the movement tugged at her sizable wound, so all she could do was watch in horror as Thanos prepared to snap his fingers.

Out of nowhere, Tony rushed towards a distracted Thanos and grabbed hold of the glowing gauntlet, but his final act of desperation was foiled by Thanos kneeing him in the abdomen and backhanding him across the clearing. The billionaire lay sprawled on the ground and after adjusting the gauntlet on his hand, Thanos smiled coldly at him, unabashedly rejoicing in his imminent victory and their devastating loss. “I am…inevitable.”

Thanos’ fingers seemed to move in slow motion as (Y/N)’s eyes found Steve’s all the way across the clearing. Her husband was still disoriented from his failed attempt to kill Thanos, but the fear in his usually steadfast gaze told her that he understood exactly what was about to happen and that there was nothing any of them could do to stop it. I love you, Steve mouthed to her and (Y/N) gave her beloved super-soldier a teary smile before mouthing back, I love you, too.

The tell-tale metallic clink of the gauntlet’s two fingers connecting made (Y/N)’s heart jolt in her chest but after a long moment, her brow furrowed in confusion; there was an undoubtable snap, but nothing had happened. She followed Steve’s sudden awestruck gaze to see Tony kneeling across from Thanos, and her jaw dropped as nano-particles shifted the six Infinity Stones into place on his suit’s red and gold hand. The cosmic energy of the stones flowed throughout Tony’s body and left burning trails in its wake, putting immeasurable strain on him and shortening his breath, and while a shocked Thanos looked on, the billionaire smirked through his labored breaths and fearlessly addressed the Mad Titan. “And I…am…Iron Man.”

Tony snapped his fingers, and the world was engulfed in the brightest of light.

When the light faded away, (Y/N) watched in awe as Thanos’ formidable army began turning to ash all around her, just as her daughter and friends had five years earlier; Chitauri soldiers, Sakaarian troops and packs of Outriders all disintegrated into nothing while Leviathans, Gorillas and every single enemy transport crumbled away atom by atom and were scattered to the wind. We did it, she thought with a breathless laugh, we actually won.

“(Y/N)!” She turned her head to see Steve hurrying across the clearing, a panicked expression written across his features as he dropped to his knees beside her and firmly pressed a large hand against the oozing cut across her stomach. “It’s not deep, thank God, a tight bandage’ll stem the bleeding until we can get you to a medic. You’re gonna be all right, sunshine.” Her husband attempted to flash her a teasing smile, but the worry he still felt prevented his smile from reaching his eyes. “I thought I told you to stay safe.”

“In my defense, I didn’t plan on being chucked into the air like a baseball and landing on my own damn dagger,” (Y/N) chuckled but hissed in pain when Steve’s hand shifted over her wound. “Did we do it, sweetheart? Did we really win?”

Steve nodded. “We really won, sunshine. We’re gonna be with Carina again in no time.” The hand not applying pressure to her wound cupped her cheek and his thumb swiped a stray tear away before he pressed a soft, triumphant kiss onto her lips.

After Sam appeared and both men worked to secure a long strip of gauze around her waist, they helped her stand on unsteady legs and she took the opportunity to study their surroundings. Wounded Wakandans, Asgardians, Ravagers and sorcerers staggered to help one another stand and watched with obvious relief as Thanos’ army – including their dead and their wrecked equipment – all reduced to ash and slowly dissolved away, and faint rays of sunlight started to break through the smoke-filled sky above. Peter Quill hugged an elated Groot and then Rocket, who pretended to be annoyed but couldn’t quite hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, before pulling Nebula and the remaining Guardians into a group hug. T’Challa and Shuri embraced while Okoye fussed over a scratch on the princess’ bicep. Bucky helped Wanda to her feet and the pair immediately went to help Brunnhilde, Korg and Miek extract the Valkyrie’s whinnying but unharmed horse from beneath several sizable pieces of debris. Scott and Hope held each other tight as they kissed beside the smoldering remains of their Quantum Tunnel. Wong clapped Stephen on the back and helped his fellow Master of the Mystic Arts create a temporary dam using large chunks of concrete from the destroyed Avengers Facility. Everywhere she looked, (Y/N) saw her friends and allies coming together to celebrate their unbelievable triumph over Thanos and his universe-ending plan but just as Steve’s lips pressed a kiss onto her brow, a sharp gasp tore from her throat and her jaw dropped in outrage.

“Oh, son of a bitch!”

Both Steve and Sam’s heads snapped over to her and their hands hovered over her numerous wounds as their panicked eyes searched hers. “What is it, (Y/N), what’s wrong?!”

“Is the pain getting worse, Booksmart? Screw it, I’m gonna go find that smart-ass wizard-doctor guy and see if he can’t patch you up-”

“I’m fine, guys, but my baby isn’t!” Both men exchanged a perplexed glance and she rolled her eyes before pointing across the crater. “My baby’s wrecked!” Amongst a mound of twisted metal and crumbling rock lay the smoldering remains of (Y/N)’s yellow 1976 Volkswagen Bug, the car she’d owned and cherished for over fourteen years. As sad as the sight of its mangled and scorched frame made her feel, she couldn’t help but correlate its wrecked state with the state of the world post-Snap; bringing back millions of living creatures in the blink of an eye would undoubtedly throw the already unstable Earth into chaos but while it wouldn’t be easy, they’ll all find a way to rebuild so that they’re stronger than they ever were. “Oh, well…nothing lasts forever, does it?”

Instead of answering, Steve gently nudged her arm and nodded towards the opposite end of the clearing; Thanos looked on as his troops disappeared and the Black Order dissolved into nothing with an expression of numb acceptance on his face. His eyes flicked over to them and they stared back, a surge of satisfaction filling (Y/N) as she watched the Man Titan seat himself on block of concrete and lean heavily over his knees. Thanos slowly began to turn into ash and once his entire army was gone, he too was erased from existence.

The sound of metal collapsing caused the both of them to turn and (Y/N)’s heart dropped when her eyes landed on Tony. The billionaire was slumped against a pile of wreckage, his Iron Man armor broken and scorched while the right side of his body – where the brunt of the Infinity Stones’ energy had resided during his Snap – was entirely covered in blackened burns. She was aware of Steve’s arm tightening around her waist as he helped her cross the clearing to him and she could see Clint, Bruce and Thor beginning to gather in her peripheral vision, but all of her focus was on her dying friend; his labored breaths were the only sounds to fill the clearing, until the familiar thwip of a web reverberated through the space and Peter Parker swung down.

“Mr. Stark! Hey, Mr. Stark?” The teary-eyed teenager brushed past a somber Rhodes to kneel before Tony and his voice shook as he continued. “Can you hear me? I-It’s Peter. Hey, we won, Mr. Stark. We won. You did it, sir, you did it…” All Tony could do was stare unseeingly at Peter as he finally broke down into heaving sobs. “I’m sorry…Tony, I-I’m…”

The crowd surrounding Tony parted to allow Pepper through and with gentle hands, the older woman guided Peter to his feet and into (Y/N)’s open arms. Their eyes briefly met and an understanding passed between both women; having a romantic relationship with an Avenger wasn’t easy by any means, but the hardest part was living with the constant fear that someday, they’ll be a fight that they won’t return home from. Pepper Potts’ worst nightmare was unfolding right in front of them, and all (Y/N) could do was convey her deep empathy and condolences through a single, silent look. However, the look they shared seemed to give Pepper the strength to turn and kneel in front of her dying husband, and (Y/N) blinked away tears as she comforted the teenager sobbing into her shoulder.

Pepper rested a hand against his suit’s arc reactor and gave him a tearful smile. “Hey.”

“Hey, Pep…” Tony murmured back, the corner of his mouth barely twitching upwards as he rested his left hand on top of hers.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”

“Life functions critical.”

Rhodes and Bruce bowed their heads in grief while silent tears rolled down Clint and Thor’s faces, and Steve’s shoulders shuddered with suppressed sobs as his hand squeezed (Y/N)’s tight. Tony’s eyes watered as he glanced away from Pepper, but she pursed her lips and shook her head. “Tony. Look at me.” His dark eyes flicked over to meet hers and she gave him a trembling but sincere smile. “We’re gonna be okay. You can rest now.”

The regretful look on Tony’s burned and bloody face seemed to melt away at Pepper’s words and for one brief moment, his expression was overcome with a peaceful calm. The moment quickly passed and as Tony took his final breath, his hand slipped away from his wife’s and his suit’s arc reactor flickered off for the last time. Pepper finally gave into her tears, bowing her head and crying while the rest of them mourned their fallen friend. Tony Stark, one of Earth’s best defenders and a selfless hero right to the very end, was gone, and as (Y/N) struggled to come to terms with the tragic loss of another friend, the sunbeams beginning to break through the thick clouds of smoke dimmed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I cried while editing this, and I already know that I’ll cry the entire time I write the next chapter lol thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5L6MERx3PIydW3FyNPqYvl?si=ad6c46de8e954c11

Chapter Ten

“Endgame” Masterlist

Tagging: @mrs-obrien​​​​​​​​​​ @lahoete​​​​​​​​​​ @awkward117 @cminr​​​​​​​​ @natdrunk​​ @momc95​​​​​​​​​​ @savedbystyle​​​​​​​​​​ @miraculouscloud @awkwardnesshabitat​​​​​​​​​​ @marinettepotterandplagg​​​​​​​​​​ @mangosandmimosas​​​​​​​​ @supersouthy @benakenalove​​​​​​​​​​ @brooke0297​​​​​​​​​​ @hufflepeople​​​​​​​​​​ @becausewelie​​​​​​​​​​ @outoftheregular​​​​​​​​​​ @junipermurdock​​​​​​​​​​ @ladydmalfoy​​​​​ @mads-weasley​​​​​​​​​​ @username23345 @crist1216​​​​​​​​​​ @capswife​​​​​​​​​​​ @lilmschild​​​​​​​​​​​ @avngrsinitiative​​​​​​​​​ @crowleysqueenofhell​​​​​​​​​​​ @y-napotat​​​​​​​​​​ @mary1raven​​​​​​​​​​​ @groovy-lady​​​​​​​​​​​ @ljej95​​​​​​ @innersublimefury​​​ @prettysbliss​​​

[xollii]

hourglass gauntlets with paw pads

[gravekeeper-anna]

I know they're undead, but are they caked up? Got the dough? Hips wider then a gravestone?

Sinday Time

"A strange turn of words, to be sure..." the Gravekeeper uttered with some sign of quizzical amusement, sinking her spade with a strong strike into the giving soil. Gauntleted hands spread outward as she presented herself in all her armored, funerary glory. "I am told I was given premium parts when I was 'redressed', surpassing a 4th generation Dreadblade. I do find this shell to be quite solid, suitable. Now, I don't quite think I was made with hourglass appeal, but..." Her haunting tones deepened with a darkly playful retort. "I'll gladly step on you if you wish it, little voice."

[wetbloodworm]

OKAY DONE i may or may not make a more detailed version with actual like. features and stuff. but time will tell. the heads really seem so small to me and i’d struggle keeping them that size fhsdkfj the necks i’m realizing are probably all too thin but i already put my tablet away

quick sketchy height and general body comparison of some of my PCs (and future PCs in temerity’s case). i’m not very good at drawing consistently so past drawings of these kids might not match these proportions completely but this is the intent at least.

notes...

nothing super notable about zenith, he’s just tall. which he’s not fully aware of because he feels tiny compared to his other body. all humanoids seem small.

syrus is skinny and angular with long limbs. i just like their proportions! fun to look at! i forgot their strength is 12 so maybe there should be just a bit more muscle on them but they’re just lanky, man.

temerity is 5′9″ minus the horns, 6′6″ with the horns. he’d LIKE to count the horns when conceptualizing his height but in his heart he knows. he knows they don’t count. anyway he’s built pretty solidly, his strength is 18 at lvl 10. strong boy.

being hourglass-shaped runs in the kotov family. i’m trying to think of more comments to leave here but that’s all i got. other than i like asya having generally rounded/softer edges.

toby’s got a fairly average build aside from being on the shorter end of the scale for half-orcs; they take more after their mom on that front. i’d also like to point out that without their gauntlets of ogre power their strength is 8 so there is like no muscle in that kid. i know at one point in ariknauts 1 i made a comment about toby being a little excited for the bounty hunter fight because it was the first time they’d ever actually been in a fight, because even with magic they avoided physical confrontations when possible. magic is great and all but if someone gets close enough to grab them, what are they gonna do about it? what are they going to do with their 8 strength?

started drawing niamh at 5′3″ and immediately knew that was wrong. scooted her down a bit and 5′1″ is perfect. little, but she’s an archer so most of her strength is in her arms.

[spewagepipe]

Dungeon23: The Room List

Well folks, this has been one hell of a journey. I am not entirely happy with all 365 of the rooms that ended up here, and I was forced to completely abandon the proper goals of mapping and keying that, in theory, were the entire point of the challenge. So in the formal sense, I failed #Dungeon23 several months ago. But! I made it out of the year with a complete list of unique room/encounter concepts (staggeringly few of which are simply "empty"), and that's nothing to sneeze at.

I'm going to throw up another post (hopefully) soon to talk about the next steps with the project. As for now, keep in mind that I've had to do tons of reorganizing to complete the list, so a lot of chambers have been renamed and/or renumbered and won't match up with when they were originally published on the blog. Also, fair warning that a lot of them have "placeholder" names that will seem either absurd or meaningless (but they work for me as far as finding the relevant info in my own notes). Oh and, uh, yeah, major spoilers, of course.

SPOILERS BELOW

I) SACRED SHRINES

Shrine of Incarnation

Riddle Antechamber

Mirror Antechamber

Shrine of Sustenance

Shrine of Radiance

Shrine of Remediation

Shrine of Recall

Shrine of Meditation

Giant Fire Beetle Nest

The Ratcatcher

Sunken Arena

Yellow Mold Room

Rotating Bridge

Seesaw Bridge

Chasm Intersection

Secret Tunnel

False Snake Shrine

Green Slime Room

Lonely Goblin Lair

Lonely Ogre Lair

Fireball Statue

Pit Trap

Greased Ramp

Archer Statue

Skeleton Tomb

Clay Golem Room

Crushing Walls Trap

Brown Mold Room

Museum Display

Imprisoned Genie

Carbuncle Nest

II) THE LABYRINTH

The Labyrinth

'Theseus and the Minotaur' #1

Portcullis Maze

Mirror Maze

Tilting Maze

3D Maze

Skeleton Keys Maze

Knights & Knaves

Musical Maze

Fractal Maze

Relative Gravity Maze

The 'Minus Cube'

Klotski Room

Spinner Maze

Sliding Tile Maze

Trapdoor Tunnels

Rotating Statue Maze

Pit Zone/Piston Doors

Flipping Wall Traps

Hamiltonian Maze

Knight's Tour Puzzle

Switch Corridors

Teleportation Maze

Runic Maze

Fungal Razor Maze

Tangled Thread Puzzle

'Theseus and the Minotaur' #2

Treasure Chamber

III) FOUNDER RUINS

False Tomb

Mummification Chamber

Obvious Rot Grubs

Mummy Tomb

Green Slime Chamber

The Whispering Throne

Catacombs of Reanimation

Yellow Mold Chamber

Hieroglyph Wall

Dry Mold Mummy

Emerald Tablet Chamber

Sator Square Puzzle

Golden Scarabs

Congelation Cube

Reverse Trap Gauntlet

Giant Hourglass (Upper Chamber)

Giant Hourglass (Lower Chamber)

Sokoban Chamber

Groundhog Day Puzzle

Inverse Groundhog Day Puzzle

Haste Time Puzzle

Slow Time Puzzle

Erect/Collapsed Wall

Spore/Growth Gap

Ancient Broken Machine

Ancient Gem Puzzle

Carrion Crawler Nest

Combination Time Puzzle #1

Combination Time Puzzle #2

Breached Wall

Glix's Hiding Place

IV) SHINING DESERT

Sun-Capped Pyramid

Hot Sands

Mirages

Hidden Light Shaft

Lightning Sandstorm

Snake Pit

Gigantic Skeleton

Torn Envelope

Abandoned Ballista

Abandoned Wheel

Abandoned Engine

Dry Mold Patch

Antlion Larva Pit

Phoenix Nest

Manticore Lair

Sphinx Lair

Oasis

Assassin's Bazaar

Spice Patch

Assassin's Treasure Cave

Grand Gallery

Force Shield Puzzle

Efreeti Bottle Chamber

Magic Carpet Chamber

Tunnel of Howling Winds

Tunnel of Blinding Lights

Tunnel of Terrible Fear

Solar Staff Puzzle

Invisible Bridges

Laser Maze

V) FAERIE FOREST

Glowing Garden

Enchanted Tunnel

Fairy Ring

Giant Vine Gulch

Lonely Troll Hole

Giant Berry Bush

Sap Trap

Giant Spiderweb

Platypus on a Stump

Giant Trapdoor Spider Burrow

Mantrap Plant

Frog Bog

Giant Mold Cluster

Faerie Court

Dining Hall

Tinker's Workshop

Rumplestiltskin Puzzle

Chained Owlbear

Ruined Hookah Den

Changeling Nursary

Chrysalis Grove

Hag's Hut

Imprisoned Myconid

Shrunken Lock Puzzle

Gold Nugget

Rope Bridge

Red-Light-Green-Light

Hive Entrance

Storecombs

Broodcombs

Queen's Chamber

VI) VOLCANIC CAVERN

Magma Basin

Lava Flows

Dragon's Den

Dragon's Hatchery

Hot Springs

Dragonkin Camp

Dragonkin Mine

Shrieker Alarms

Claustrophobic Tunnels

Labyrinthine Tunnels

Big Chasm

Violet Fungus & Shriekers

Ropers & Piercers

Moldy Troll

Cave-in Trap

Black Pudding Pit

Displacer Beast Den

Basilisk Burrow

Eyeball Lair

Stirge-bat Colony

Myconid Defenses

Myconid Colony

Cave Paintings

Boulder-Sealed Vault

Blue Mold Farm

Shadow Door Puzzle

Founder Camp

River-Flooded Crevice

Submerged Air Pocket

Planar Boundary Tunnel

VII) EMBATTLED FORTRESS

The Mead Hall

Dragonkin Guard Post

Dragonkin Barracks

Dragonkin Armoury

Dragonkin Headquarters

Dragonkin Infirmary

Dragonkin Prison

Teleportation Chamber

Undead Guard Post

Undead Barracks

Undead Planning Room

Undead Headquarters

Undead Armoury

Undead Repair Room

Undead Prison

Goblin Guard Post

Goblin Barracks

Goblin Armoury

Goblin Infirmary

Goblin Chief Camp

"Trophy" Room

Food Cellar

Founder Guard Post

Founder Barracks

Founder Armoury

Founder Headquarters

Founder Infirmary

Founder Prison

Founder Forge

Amphitheatre

Door Golem

VIII) FLOODED GROTTO

Flooded Shaft

Upper Sluice Gate

False Beach

Cursed Lagoon

Docks

Hydra & Crab

Shark-Infested Lagoon

Vortex

Siren Island

Middle Sluice Gate

Grey Ooze Trap

Jenny Greenteeth's Lair

Twin Gate Room #1

Electric Eel Tank

Pouring Puzzle

Alchemy Lab

Pipe Puzzle

Ghost Leg Rapids

Flooding Room Trap

Lower Sluice Gate

Twin Gate Room #2

Echinoderm Menagerie

Deep Ones Guard Post

Deep Ones Living Quarters

Temple to the Kraken

Boiler Furnace

Sunken Galleon

Water Wheel Puzzle

Floating Bridge

Flagon Golem

Watertight Vault Puzzle

IX) CLOCKWORK HALLS

Main Cog Control Room

Main Cogs

Tower of Hanoi Control Room

Small Disk Chamber

Medium Disk Chamber

Large Disk Chamber

NOR Gate Cube #1

NOR Gate Cube #2

Splitter Cube

Transducer Cube #1

Transducer Cube #2

Array Cube

Generator Cube

Empty Cube

Baguenaudier Chamber

Automaton Foundry

Rust Monster Nest

Cog Sliders

Cog Bridge

Pulley Bridge

"Hedgehog" Cage

Elevator Controls

"River Crossing" Puzzle

Thinking Dots Puzzle

Inverted Train Math Puzzle

Puck Puzzle

Train Shunting Puzzle

Triangular Compass Puzzle

Geomagic Square

"Zebra" Puzzle

X) VAMPIRE'S ESTATE

Stygian River

Hedge Maze

Desecrated Chapel

Mausoleum

Gallows

Drawbridge & Gatehouse

Haunted Armoury

Main Hall & Staircase

Parlour

Menagerie

Cabinet of Curiosities

Library

Dining Hall

Ballroom

Pipe Organ Balcony

Guest Rooms

Seance Chamber

Throne Room

Haunted Dollroom

Solar

Phase Spider Lair

Belfry

Kitchen

Larder

Servants' Quarters

Flesh Golem Lab

Torture Chamber

Dungeon Cells

Bewmarue Cauldron

Otyugh Pit

Undercroft Vault

XI) PLANAR HUB

Glyph

Twin Demon Guardroom #1

Twin Demon Guardroom #2

Founder Camp

Mortuary

Astral Projection Room

Instant Fortress

Orrery

The Snowglobe

Sojourn Gate

Room of Doors

Seven-Sorrows' Plane

Belial's Inferno

Astral Spire

R'lyeh

Gib Bagûl's Plane

Heavenly Plane

Nightmare Plane

Mephistopheles' Plane

Isle of the Dead

Demonic Web Plane

Mezzernimb's Plane

Pride Puzzle Plane

Invidicus' Plane

Ashen Heath Plane

Pestilence Plane

Durin'ehtar's Plane

Body Snatcher's Plane

Hecatonchiries' Plane

Starry Void Plane

XII) DEATHTRAP DUNGEON

The Harbinger

Three Fake Doors

Crushing Room Trap

Acid Pool Trap

False Keyholes Door

Multi-Bluff False Doors

False Door Trap

Electrified Chamber

Soul Jar Trap

Black Pudding Trap

Lantern Golems

Hands & Sockets Room

Winch Trap

Demonic Idol

Monster Arena

Antimagic Generator

Frictionless Room

Cloudkill Passage

Reverse Gravity Trap

Scorching Chamber

Sphere of Annihilation

False Lich Throne

Mimic Treasure Chamber

Alchemy Lab

Cloning Lab

Hall of Pools

Planar Apparatus

Magical Forge

Game Room

Tiny Passages

Lich's Study