#i mean this works for any caster in any ship

[nephriteknight]

someone should write a caster!tav x lae'zel fic about lae'zel training tav to hold concentration despite... distractions ;) and title it "War Caster" and if none of yall do it that someone might have to be me.

[wazzappp]

FINALLY. FUCKING FINALLY FINISHED JESUS CHRIST.

Ok so. Heres the general breakdown for attack types:

Basic attacks: These attacks just use the weapons that manifest during their magical girl transformation. Theres no limit to using these. They don't utilize all that much magic but are still effective because the weapons are technically MADE of magic.

Ult attacks: Utilize more magic and have a recharge time of about 5 to 10 minutes (which is a pretty long time in a fight). They can only be used after quite a bit of practice, as they require the ability to channel a lot of magic in a short amount of time. A familiar and their person must be able to work together in order for it to be effective. The familiar has to be capable of funneling the magic to the caster, and the caster has to have experience CASTING it.

Specialized spells: Each one of these attacks is different from person to person. These don't necessarily have to be attacks, they can also be defenses or evasions. These are usually the most difficult for a caster to master and take even more magic than the Ult attacks. A magical girl typically uses it the first time on accident, during the heat of the moment where they are desperately drawing on more magic to defend themselves. After that it is a concentrated effort to cast these spells. It's usually a signifier that the magic is starting to settle in them and that they're ready to cast more. The recharge time for these spells is 10 to 15 minuites.

The recharge time for casting spells will decrease the more a caster is composed of magic... which is a post for later lmao. As much as I would love to get into the fun ship of Theseus glitter body horror in this post it would just take to long lmao but its COMIN EVENTUALLY I PROMISE.

Johnny is an excellent fighter because of his POWER and his RANGE. He's best suited to fighting merged ghosts because it's one big target to aim a lot of power at. His Ult spirals out from around him and can help prevent him from getting caught if a bunch of separate ghosts try to swarm him. The downside is that its harder to direct, and he's in danger of hitting teammates if they're in his range (which I said earlier is pretty large). His specialized spell conjures essentially a cannon of fire, which he can aim wherever he pleases. His magical recharge time is slightly shorter than he norm, and he strikes me as the type of person who would use them IMMIDIETLY after he recharges.

Johnny has trouble if he doesen't have enough room to move his Scythe around. He works best in big open spaces. Hallways and elevators and the like are a BIG nope.

Robbie is unique among the other ghost fighters because 1. He's the least experienced and 2. He probably has the MOST trouble getting along with his familiar (I cant see him and Eli getting along in any fuckin universe tbh). Because of this he's not as adept at channeling large amounts of magic. When he does try at an Ult attack it usually has a much smaller effect than the others (see top right with him swinging his hammer). This means he focuses mostly on non magical attacks; having two modes to use his hammers (regular and on the end of chains to give him range). He's not as powerful so he has to be more CREATIVE. His magical recharge time is about what I described at the top.

He fights best at close range and can use his chained hammers to drag enemies that are usually too far away closer to him (GET OVER HEREEEE fuck yeah mortal kombat). His big weakness is that his smaller weapons dont allow him to block as easily, so he needs to focus on dodging or using his specialized spell, teleporting, to get out for the way (mostly dodging though. he's not great at teleporting). He HAS to stay aware of his surroundings or he could get surprised very easily.

Im gonna need. A whole nother post to try and figure out how the charger fits into all this lmao.

Dannyyyy!!! His funky moon staff was so fun for me to think about. One idea that I thought of after getting everything drawn is him sticking it around a ghosts neck and using it to guide them around and use that ghost as a shield. He has similar weakness to Johnny in that he needs space to move and cast spells. His arm guards make him just the littlest bit more able to block attacks but he still primarily uses his staff to stop attacks from going through (most of the others do. Yayyyyyy spinny capabilities).

@moosemonstrous made the WONDERFUL suggestion of his specialized spell being THROWS ACID ON YOU THROWS SO MUCH FUCKING ACID ON YOU REDUCED YOU TO YOUR BASE ELEMENTS GET FUCKED NERD GET ACIDED cause of his green era lmfao. He really REALLY does not enjoy this and uses it as little as possible. His magic recharge time is also just a little shorter.

@rokhal YOUUUUU. You mentioned Frank having time manipulation like Homura from Madoka Magica and it spawned this whole class of spell I blame you for this.

Frank has the most experience with magical girling by FAR and its very apparent in his fighting style. He sometimes uses the magic manifested by preparing his Ult without actually COMPLETING the spell which is like. Fighting with RPG backblast in magical girl world.

Franks staff is more infused with magic than the other fighters weapons, which allows him to manipulate its length (Robbie does something to a similar effect with his chains at the cost of his magical attacks not being as strong. Frank has no such limits lol).

His specialized spell stops time for about 5 minutes. If he extends himself he can sometimes push this time longer but it is VERY tiring. He also has to be REALLY careful of his team mates movements. Positioning some metal shards for a ghost to fall onto is all well and good, unless Robbie manages to teleport directly onto it. His recharge time is much MUCH shorter than the others, it usually only takes him 2 minutes to recharge an Ult and 7 minutes to recharge his specialized spell (though that time does increase the more he uses it, so there are still consequences for expending that much magic)

ALSO CREDIT TO MOOSE AGAIN for starting the idea to have all of them be. Sort of afraid? of their specialized spells. Johnny is terrified that he will somehow manage to literally burn the, surprisingly sort of happy, life he's built to the ground. Robbie is scared one day he'll just pop out of existence entirely. That he'll just go to teleport and get stuck in the weird inbetween space of being composed of magic and thought without real form forever. Danny is almost too afraid to go near people while his spell is active because Please Jesus Christ don't get dissolved please please. Fuck this acid ability fuck it fuck this. Frank's is a nightmare and a dream in one. What if he finds a time so nice, so happy, that he just freezes it and gives everything he has to stay there forever? It's been so long since he's had a family. What if he cant bear to let this one go?

[chiililisatoo]

My take on gilgamesh's obsession with Artoria's ideals and conviction

this is a GilgameshxArtoria theory / headcanon post , if you are not into this pairing this content may not suite you so i recommend you skip it but you are free to read through and share any criticisms /thoughts you may have on it :

So gilgamesh finds artoria's wish to redo the past be it her rule or to not become a king at all naieve which it is and her full dedication to such an ideal is amusing as rewriting her own rule as a king is both naieve and a very anti-god dream , he too in his life after enkidus death searched for immortality and found it and lost it and just as Artorias mountain of losses and regrets he was on one too metaphorically but since he was alive and could live on he moved on ammended himself his outlook on life and adapted and thus died with no regrets while artoria was mortally wounded and thus desperate on her mountain of regrets and losses and had to make the deal with the world in her desperation as else she would just die without being able to do anything

Meaning Artoria is Gilgamesh after snake ate his herb of immortality and chose to go back and get the herb and this time consume it immediately or some other direct , not through legacy or achievements but literal way of achieving immortality , gilgamesh in that moment became wise and focused on his rule which flourished and approved his decision but had gilgamesh still stuck on immortality would be have been able to attain it how would his life and his legend progressed then this what if was always on his mind and artoria is the living what if

So gilgamesh has wisdom no heroics , while artoria is mostly heroics with little wisdom but gilgamesh as he states to artoria does not put one over the other though he considers artoria's choice much harder than his own so when artoria's defeats casters abomination with excalibur that beauty and power is an approval of artorias choice and her her conviction and her ability to achieve her naieve but real ideal , this spurs on gilgamesh to reconsider him being a HS in silly war to take it more seriously as now he sees a reward to it - artoria and the continuation of his own dream of heroism which are same in nature to artorias dream of redo/reset , he wants them both to achieve their dream together and feels some inferiority/rivalry to artoria and wants to test his conviction against her own but he does want to continue his/her dream together with her as he pines for her and proposes to her before he is aware of the true nature of the grail and grail mud or current modern age and has no incarnated human body but he still proposes to her "marriage" - i do not know how a marriage between 2 HS would work out but since they are magical being there has to be some ritual that is considered marriage ,

so gilgamesh wants to continue his pursuit of greatness/immortality/heroism with artoria the HS but what is his dream which he wants to continue as we are well aware of artoria's but not gil's dream I think eventually in the nasuverse in seraph / extraverse / extella we will see gilgamesh as a HS produces his own noble phantasm which is a true grail a true wish granting device to enforce a living human beings will on a very great being like an outer god cause he lacks his own title NP weapon this could be his but to produce something that powerful he would be deleted from throne of heroes and this would manifest his NP,

since I lowkey ship artoria and gil due to above take o it as i find them somewhat similar having reached different conclusions due to different choices due to circumantances being different

so this is my head canon gil wants artoria as his queen/vassal but she would never be that so his best bet to team up with her is to be her Merlin and provide her with weapons with which she can charge their enemy , so gilgamesh creates this uber powerful will enfocring NP and loses his HS form and disappears and then since this NP requires alot of power artoria would create an opening using avalon to their enemy and then pour her energy into it to charge it and ready it for use and this usable NP on the now open to take strike enemy would be taken downby their living human master who enforces their will on this powerful enemy outer god or something and both artoria and gilgamesh are deleted from the throne of heroes thus concluding their dreams would that not be very romantic ?

this is my interpretation / theory / headcanon on it , thoughts ?

[mehoymalloy]

I’ve been thinking about sending you an anon for awhile! I wanted to say that when I first say your Otohan/Imogen fics i was really confused on why- but then one night I was bored so I began reading them and absolutely fell in love with your writing. The way you write Otohan to begin with and the relationship you’ve conjured up is kind of insane in a really good way. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I’m very happy I gave a ship I was very against a shot because you are very incredible.

I’m looking forward to more information on the judicator au! I know you’re working on it with someone else (I’m pretty sure I remember seeing that) so I wish you both the best with it. And cant wait for any updates you have on… like… anything. (No but seriously I really am stoked for the judicator au anything you say about it I will eat up like someone starved in the desert please feel free to share more- :) if you want to ofc)

Wow, talk about making my morning (day, week, month, year)! I honestly cannot thank you enough for not only giving my writing and this ship a chance, but also taking the time to send me such a kind and wonderful message to let me know. Messages like this seriously mean the world to me, so genuinely, thank you so much.

The one thing about planning a fic in full like this before publishing it is that every snippet I could share feels like a spoiler. So instead, please accept these random scraps of worldbuilding details and tidbits!

First and foremost, I truly would not be writing this AU without @inomakani. She encouraged me to go wild in our DMs talking about it, helped me solidify a lot of the plot details, and offered her own ideas whenever I got stuck deep-diving into the nitty gritty details (as I so often do). For example, she helped conceptualize Imogen's pseudo-permanent dorm room with a very cool and cozy layout. Here's just a tiny piece of the amazing floorplan she made that she'll likely post in full when the fic is published.

To further emphasize how awesome this whole project of hers was (because she really did plan ALL of Imogen's room; I simply gave the final 'ok'), here's my far simpler layout of the Aydinlan Seminary's campus:

Furthermore, Ino has contributed immensely to the wider worldbuilding (something she truly excels at). As a sort of silly but no less brilliant example, here's one of the cantrips she came up with for the in-universe encyclopedia of kink, Mistress' Magical Manual of Kink (mentioned in this snippet of how Imogen finds the book to begin with):

Conceptus Interruptus Level:: Cantrip Casting Time:: 1 Action Range/Area:: Touch Components:: S Duration:: 7 days School:: Abjuration Attack/Save:: CON Save Source:: Apocryphal Reproduced In:: Maya's Magic, Maladies, and Medicine Reproduced In:: Mistress' Magical Manual of Kink Reproduced In:: Wizard Sex-Ed at the Aydinlan Seminary A spell seemingly as old as time itself, this cantrip has no confirmed source. Rumors abound that it originated in the days before the calamity in the once-great city of Aeor, but nearly as many claim it came from the earliest days of the plane-hopping elven city of Syngorn. Considered to be a crucial part of any sex-education course, it is taught to magic practitioners as a matter of practice. Similarly, magical items with the spell cast on them can be found in most self-respecting magic shops. The spell subtly changes the recipient's physiology to destroy gametes in the body for the duration of the spell. This makes it an effective form of period protection as well, though this was not discovered until the sexual health work done by Maya Ayad in Maya's Magic, Maladies, and Medicine. The spell may be dismissed by the caster at any time, but gametes must subsequently be regenerated by the body, which may take up to a month.

I would also absolutely be remiss if I didn't give Imogen glasses in the "Imogen is a Huge Nerd AU" (they're round, bronze-colored, and wire-framed, attached to a matching chain she wears around her neck because the bridge is just a little too wide and frequently slips down her nose; Professor Kai gave her his old pair when her and Liliana first arrived at the Seminary, and at this point it's a sentimental quirk Imogen can't bring herself to fix). The frames and temples are etched with teeny glyphs that provide Darkvision as well as the ability to magnify (and yes, please imagine that Imogen's eyeballs appear comically large when that spell is activated lol).

And finally, while I can't share much about Otohan themself and all the theorizing we've done on judicators in general, I can share this little detail about one of the more passive abilities they have, since it's mentioned in the opening of the fic.

Again, thanks so much for sending me such a kind message! I hope this absolute overload of random headcanons can feed you while we work on the main course!

[ryuichirou]

Replies

Mostly the ones related to our latest posts and that office worker Lilia comic.

Anonymous asked:

Oh is there more prison warden au infos?

Yes! Here is the post with the main info about everyone, but there is a lot of stuff on the prison warden au tag. It’s been a while, I gotta reread it hehe….

irregardlessly-tish asked:

Slowly but sure you have turned me into an OruVil shipper ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Tish! It means a lot to hear that from you hehehe <3

These two are wonderful, I’m happy that more people consider these two as a ship and enjoy their dynamic in general.

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

TWST OFFICE AU TWST OFFICE AU

YES!! It’s a one-off thing for now though, because we just really liked the idea of Lilia messing with everybody at the office, but maybe we’ll end up with mode stuff for this AU at some point…

Anonymous asked:

Lilia, keep it up. Someone will put your office supplies into jello molds and serve it at the next company picnic.

If there is anyone who is fun/bold enough to do it, it’ll make Lilia very happy lol Finally, at least some of these youngsters know how to have fun.

Anonymous asked:

Lol Lilia holds the record for highest number of HR complaints filed against him. He just never gets in trouble because he also plays in a band with the CEO. "Ahahah! Lilia is just playing pranks! I think it's important to have some fun in the office! It... uh... how was it...? Oh, right! It boosts morale in the workplace! Did I say that right?"

Oh gooood OF COURSE, OF COURSE HE IS THE CEO, THIS IS WHY LILIA GETS AWAY WITH EVERYTHING, HE JUST BEFRIENDS THE RIGHT PEOPLE 😭  And this is 100% truth, Lilia boosts morale tremendously, because now all everyone in the office is united by this feeling of being both slightly annoyed and kind of freaked out by Lilia and some of his pranks.

Sexy secretary Jamil when? I’m asking myself

Anonymous asked:

Office worker au makes me think of them being police officers or news casters. Both can work like some kind of twisted sitcom.

Honestly, Anon, the cast of twst is so good that any type of activity would be fun with them. Police officers, news casters, anything – they have such fun personalities that it’s always perfect for either a sitcom or a thriller, depends on how you look at it lol

They would make such fun news casters though…

Anonymous asked:

When I think of Lilia as a general, this is what comes to mind: https://pin.it/g6i4SPn5C. I’m sorry but this had to happen at least once…

Oh nooo poor Lilia lol His hair just keeps getting attacked… with Malleus setting his bangs on fire once too…

Anonymous asked:

Sorry about the curse asks! I’m told I have a cursed mind 😀

Don’t worry, Anon! I don’t even know which asks are yours so it’s all good lol

Anonymous asked:

I thought his middle name was Leslie 🤨 (Points to anyone who gets this extremely dumb joke.)

Ah yes. Yes, culture… Lilia Debauchery Leslie Vanrouge.

[tnc-n3cl]

C, project 47 👀👀👀👀👀

Thanks for the ask!

"Project 47" is the code name for a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid story derived from really, really, really old Final Fantasy/Legend of Zelda crossover ideas I had. Somewhere along the way, I dropped the Zelda stuff and it was pure FF (though I did salvage some ideas for "LoZ: The Realm Walker") and a few years ago I decided to cut the overt FF references from it and spin it off into an original work. Using Hollywood "High Concept" terminology, it's like The Expanse meets Final Fantasy (tones and vibes and aesthetics wise). The idea runs on tropes such as Anachronism Stew, Schizo Tech, Magic A is Magic A, and Minovsky Physics.

This is going to be long so I'm going to put it under the cut. Also here's a link to my DA gallery for Project 47, which contains not only drawings but lore (some of it is also in my "Scraps" folder cause I was going to go back and edit some of it before the Zelda brainrot took over).

So it's set in a fictional star system called the Kerasik System, namely focusing on the third planet Calisku. Calisku is a gas giant twice the size of Jupiter orbiting Kerasik at what would be exactly in between the mean orbital distances of Earth and Mars in relation to our own solar system, or 192,464,437 km. Around Calisku are five moons, two of which are Earth sized and inhabited.

The outermost moon, Taklara is where most of the main cast would be from, while the third moon from the planet (Serov) is where most of the action takes place. One of the nations on Taklara develops an intersystem space craft, named the Korus after one of the local deities (which is in fact an energy being known as a Scion), and sends it off on an eight year, two part mission. Mission A is a long term survey of Serov (think how in Star Trek they send disguised people to pre-Warp civilizations), while Mission B, is a trip to the edge of the solar system to investigate the wreckage of an aerospace ship (fantasy airship tech that can also go into space, like the Korus) that one of their probes detected. Before the probe detected this BTW, it was a five year mission and the ship would be there to support the ground team on Serov, now they're on their own and the three years was to cover the travel time to the edge of the system and back. Ship crew is going to be running on fumes by the time it's all over.

Taklara as at roughly a modern/near-future level of tech, supported by fantasy physics/magitech. The Korus itself is a joint project between the Takara Alliance Air Defense Force (TAADF or AADF) and the Takara Alliance Space Administration (TASA). So it's like if the USAF and NASA built a spaceship together. So there's a military crew operating the ship more or less, while the civilian researchers are in charge of the overall mission.

Serov is tidally locked with Calisku, so one side always faces the planet. This is the "dark side" and they're at a roughly modern level of tech. They don't use magitech much cause Serov's magnetic field interacts with Calisku's magnetic field to interfere with the fantasy physics that govern magic. (Specifically, there's something called aether which can be manipulated by any living being with sufficient intelligence. Not just humans and other sapients, but animals like dolphins and parrots and ravens and maybe even octopus and the like. The most common form is Geomancy, manipulating the physical realm, so a parrot might alter wind currents behind it to knock an attacking hawk off course for example. Humans and Sapients can do Elemancy, which is more like classical magic but lasts only as long as the caster is focusing on the effect (so I guess it's also kinda like sci-fi mind powers, complete with nosebleeds etc. if you do it to long). There's also Blood Magic, which involved manipulating the body, but that's a lost, forbidden art in the time frame I was working on. Healing magic did branch off from it, but it's so difficult to master that experts are rare and so people rely on conventional medicine.

Non-living things don't really interact with aether except for gravity attracting it, and some types of radiation and electromagnetic fields manipulating it. This is how the magitech works.

Anywho, the "day side" of Serov is at a more or less iron age of tech, but one country in particular is advancing shockingly fast. Which is obviously a major plot point. The Serov survey team bumps into one of the locals and is force to reveal their identity because of discoveries leading to an unexpected link between the peoples of Taklara and Serov and artifacts dating back to The Celestial War. The Celestial War being a mytho-historical event in which the Scions fought with another group of energy beings called Gureri, while mortals were stuck in the middle and picked sides fighting for their "gods." Legends say that whole worlds burned, etc. etc. It ended with an armistace between the Scions and Gureri and the mortals were taken from their dead and dying worlds and settled in the Kerasik System (Kerasik translating into "The Light of Hope")

I do have some teasers I was going to post on DA, one of which I took down cause it wasn't what I wanted it to be and the other I just never finished. I'm going to post what little of that bit I wrote, "The Opportunity of a Lifetime."

A Human woman with light skin and black hair wearing a black business suit sits in the back of a car, reading something on a tablet with an open briefcase on the seat next to her.  She has a name tag and picture ID on her suit that reads “Dr. Jiwoo Byon, Takara Alliance Space Administration, Project Lead”.  An inhuman voice, like a parrot mimicking Human speech, breaks her concentration, “We’re almost there.”  She looks up at the source of the voice, the car’s driver, a humanoid bird glancing back at her, an Avestren.  The Avestren has a yellow, eagle-like beak and head, gray feathers on the top of its head and white feathers on its throat.  The gray feathers are a clear sign it is female.  She has green eyes and a stripe of dark blue feathers around the eyes and extending back and running down the sides of her neck, the skin around the eyes are the same color as the stripes.  The Avestren turns her focus back to the road, the steering wheel looking much the same as a regular car, but with acceleration and breaking controls on it.  This is because Avestrens do not sit as Humans do, the chair is but bar on the floor for her to perch on with a backrest and head rest attached.

[whysamwhy123]

For the word prompt: grin 😁

Hoo boy, buckle up, because this appears in a looooot of my WIPs! You're about to get a whistle-stop tour into my mind - and it ain't pretty...you have been warned...

First up, from the VERY weird portion of my life where I wrote half of a MaxSquared fic 😬 It gets even worse after this point, so be glad that this snippet ended...

‘’Fuck off,’’ Maxwell spat at him before taking off in the direction he’d been going. Max followed right after, like any good boyfriend would.

MJF made it into the elevator before glancing back at him. He frantically hit the button but fortunately, Max was able to slip inside before the door could close.

‘’Going up?’’ Max asked, with a grin.

‘’We’re on the ground floor, the only way to go is up!’’ MJF barked. His beloved looked so mad, it was insanely cute!

Caster wagged a finger at him. ‘’You’re right! You’re always right, about everything! You know, I think that’s the secret to how our relationship works so well.’’

Secondly, from the inexplicable Daniel Garcia/Julia Hart fic that I started writing. And, uh... *nervous laughter* My shaaaaaame...

‘’Wait…you mean you’ve…done it before?’’

Ricky grinned over at him. ‘’Of course I have.’’

Daniel couldn’t believe his ears. Not even just because of what Ricky was saying, but how casually he was willing to admit it. Like it was no big deal whatsoever.

‘’You’re serious? I swear, if you’re messing with me…’’

‘’Now why would I mess with you like that?’’ Ricky said, placing a hand on his chest in mock-offence. ‘’And why on Earth would I deny a woman the honor, the privilege, the luxury, of claiming Absolute Ricky Starks’ sweet, perfect - ‘’

Next, from... *heavy sigh* A sequel to the first Daniel/Julia fic because I am the kind of person who writes sequels to fics I haven't even finished yet AND they're about pairings that literally no one else on Earth ships...shame.

The man grinned down at Julia, face full of malice. ‘’Yeah, that’s what I thought. Dumb bitch.’’

Oh, that was it! Daniel was about to charge forward and punch that grin right off this asshole’s face. But he never got the chance.

Black mist emerged from Julia’s mouth and coated the man’s face. He screamed and clutched at his face, stumbling back and falling to the ground.

Daniel watched, mouth agape as the stranger convulsed on the ground, a mess of incoherent screams and groans of pain. A crowd had formed around them, people watching on, petrified.

Next up, from my first attempt at ever writing Hookhausen, one that I never got around to finishing. I'm a sucker for trapped-in-a-room fics so *shrugs*

The pit in Hook’s stomach had been replaced by a pleasant warmth. The feeling of a second chance.

‘’Thanks.’’

Danhausen grinned and Hook’s heart felt heavy in his chest.

He cocked his head to the locker room door and the two of them set off. Hook grabbed the handle and pushed but the door barely budged. He raised an eyebrow and tried again, feeling the same resistance. He leaned all his weight into the third attempt, really trying, but still the door wouldn’t open.

‘’What the…’’ he muttered.

‘’The door is stuck?’’ Danhausen asked.

And now we arrive at the last two - my most recent WIPs. First, from a very silly, goofball of a fic where Hook and Danhausen go to the beach -

It was just now that Hook suddenly realised the bag on the ground next to Danhausen was unusually big. Long, too. There had to be more than towels in there.

Hook raised an eyebrow and nodded his head in its direction. ‘’What’s in the bag?’’

Danhausen grinned, his eyes alive with mischievous excitement. ‘’Beach things!’’

Hook wasn’t buying it. Usually he wouldn’t mind Danhausen’s antics but today, he really just wanted to have a nice, chill day at the beach.

Danhausen must have been able to read the uncertainty on Hook’s face. ‘’Hook should not worry - Danhausen is only bringing conventional beach supplies for our beach trip. Perfectly acceptable beach things, he assures you.’’

Uh oh.

And FINALLY, a complete 180 from wacky beach day antics... *even more nervous laughter* This is from the very dark, very messed up Dead Dove fic I've been working on. You may know a little something about it yourself... *wink*

‘’You really can’t do anything, can you? I could do whatever I want and you’d have to just…sit there and take it.’’

Hook’s entire body went still, fear overtaking him, icy coldness shooting through his veins. No. This can’t be happening. He can’t be serious. There’s no way Jack would…

‘’Jack…’’ Hook said. It was supposed to be a warning but his voice was so unsteady, it felt more like a desperate plea.

Jack grinned at him. ‘’What? Don’t act like you don’t want it. Isn’t that why you let him tie you up in the first place?’’

[beek33per]

Fioralba (chapter 11)

Asa healed Cory’s bruises and scratches while easing Fallon’s scrapes.

He dealt with Kabuki’s wounds then, carefully picking out the teeth embedded in the flesh with tweezers. The demon barely grimaced, maintaining a serious expression as Asa did his work. “We appreciate the blow you took for Cory.” 

“I am your bodyguard, it is what it is expected of me.” The young man replied. One by one, the teeth clinked as he dipped the tweezers to fall into the vial. With the pieces he had collected from Kabuki, Asa would have enough to use in his mixtures.

Haruna had regretted the decision to cross the sea by boat, but Asa found it to be a productive journey, if not an enjoyable one. For his first encounter with the swarm of Den Moder, that went pretty well. He was thankful that none of the party lost a limb, as regeneration of a whole-body part would’ve been taxing. 

Mermaid's teeth were hard to come by in large quantities. He understood what it took to get them now, and appreciated Ms Cabbage’s efforts to keep supply well stocked. He hoped the banknotes he transferred to her would keep the Golden Mantle Apothecary running for many more years. Their journey would be lengthy, and Ms Cabbages guidance in areas besides the procurement of materials was going to be very useful. Echoes of an old conversation between him and the giantess rang in his mind.

He settled the thread and needle into his bag, finishing his stitch work on a specific cut. Asa turned to Haruna before she spoke. Kabuki had been thinking to himself what a bloody mass he would’ve been if Asa hadn’t helped him.

”We’ve nearly reached the isle.” the sorceress said. The tone of Haruna’s voice was cautious, hushed despite the distance from the still far shores of the isle. However, she did not seem afraid. “ I’ll wake Cory and Fallon. It won’t be long until we’re received by patrol ships. We’ll have to make our way past their outposts.”

Asa nodded looking back to Kabuki’s puncture wounds. He rubbed them clean once more with an unstained bandage and proceeded to heal it. Supplies were going to be scarce, and Asa made sure to ration them. Kabuki remained stoic, feeling the strange magic pour over his skin. The demon was watching the little blood he could see scab over, the threads that sealed one puckering wound unravel, weave and freshen to smooth healthy skin. This was the last of the wounds Asa laboured over, at least for the early morning.

”How do you do this?”

Asa smiled beneath his mask, jovial over the prospect of such a question. “With patience and utmost care.” 

Kabuki stretched in front of him. Just enough to make himself comfortable, turning and shifting far enough for Asa to miss his grumble. It was the demon’s way of dismissing a talk, Asa knew this.

Kabuki had seen many healers. With the reputation and hazards keen to a mercenary, such visits were necessary. Being in shape was highly important for this job, and he wasn’t complaining about the treatments Asa gave him. However, despite receiving an answer from the mysterious doctor, the red coloured demon would have preferred the more technical aspect of the response. Preferably how he did such magic, how the doctor came by it.

Kabuki was not surprised. Magic in Nenas was not rare. Sorcerers, witches, warlocks, and anything to do with magic was rather rampant. Overflowing in methodology and principle, affecting everything in any way that the caster directed.  Individuals learned in specific arts and skills, gained powers influenced by professions they held in their past. Whether their past was on Earth, Nenas or any other world did not matter. Whatever the person devoted their life to, would determine the kindling of their magic. Blessing it with strength, especially so if it was their passion.

Indeed, the doctor’s magic was not of mortal means, it had too much divinity in its touch, in its mannerism. Though Kabuki did not decide to pester the masked man with questions and instead thanked Asa...

Yet the demon wondered, what made Asa Lee’s magic so potent? What past did Asa’s memories hold? What past did the sorceress hold? Was it filled with as much strife and pain as his? Or was it peaceful? Uneventful except for experiences of the mundane sort?

Fallon’s waist-length green hair lightly brushed over his healed shoulder. Fluttering wings flapping near his ear. She had been hovering over him. The fae watched him groan. “Why do you invade my personal space?”

”I’m not even touching you. My hair slipped.” Fallon’s fingers gathered the tendrils of loose hair. As she combed them onto her shoulder, her wings reflected little of the morning’s pale light like stained glass, littering the ground with various colours. 

Asa had gone with Haruna to make breakfast. Both of them had been assigned to watch the horizon for the time being. They let the winds drift them towards the predestined course as they sat together. 

Fallon uncorked a spare stash of the alcohol Ms Cabbage had given her, offering Kabuki a sip from the leather jug she kept slung in her underarm. After the mutual enjoyment of the beverage and the silence, Kabuki’s mood lightened and a tidbit of his curiosity came through. 

“Does he always keep that mask on?”

Fallon guessed Kabuki referred to Asa. Her breath whispered in his ear. He leaned closer ever so slightly. “I’ll let you in on a little secret.” She paused “I don’t know.” 

Laughter erupted from Fallon at the young man’s expression. Kabuki was fed up with her already. The demon smoothed out his hakama, gripping the sheath of his weapon with a weak façade of patience. ”I’m going to eat breakfast.” 

The fae was still laughing, peeking her head through the trapdoor to Cory’s puzzled face. A delicious scent wafted from the kitchen.

A while later, everyone was up the deck. Cozi and Moon had snuggled in the hull, littering the area with themselves. They rolled on the floors and climbed cabinets, chairs and shelves. Every time Kabuki checked in, the cats had moved from one place to another. The game had been amusing, until the very moment the ship jostled with weight and Kabuki bumped his head against the border of the doorway...when the wood of the ship had come into the grips of the tall (fifteen to twenty ft) giants stationed at the shallows.

The Quebracho had been dragged from the sand. Set in a barracks that acted as a holding port for ships, merchants and their goods.

Giant silhouettes stretched on a small part of the shoreline fortifications that decorated the sea forts. Sentries consisting of pairs of armed giants and goblins were stationed at the top of the wall. Overlooking the shorelines’ further defence.

Hands of all sizes held spears, knives and slingshots. Their facial cues varied from expressions of neutrality to threatening glee. Cory had noticed several stoic giants standing tall, along with their partners of contrasting stature: impish goblins, baring their sharp teeth.

Full daylight had not set foot on the isle yet. Sunlight had yet to linger in on every rock, building and creature. Though that did not deter the speed at which each of them was snatched from the transformed carriage. Cory had been the first to meet a tight compressing palm. 

Cory had been set down in a cage that opened to a separate pen, crowded with people in colourful clothing. She had been locked in, but many people in the other room had nearly squeezed to the edge of the door. Haruna, Asa, Kabuki and the cats had been set down into the cage next.

“Where’s Fallon?” The intricately woven net that acted as the top of the cage slammed the fae to fall into Kabuki’s arms. Asa turned his beak to the “umph”, ready to tend to injuries. 

“Are your wings okay?” Cory asked.

“Those damn boggins are lucky they are.” Haruna opened the cage door as the fae discarded her spite. 

“Thanks.” She said, winking at Kabuki as she slipped upright from his catch. 

Kabuki nodded, turning his horns upward to the cage top. Cory is about to ask the same “What’s going to happen to the carriage?”

Asa with his cane in one hand placed the bag down and tapped his coat. “Right here.” 

“Wonderful!” Haruna remarked, “Let’s go.” They stepped into the room, closing the cage door behind them. The chaos of the crowd seemed to mould into lines, starting from the centre and spiralling chaotically to several booth stations embedded in the walls.

”New arrivals!” One booth-man greeted, hardening his posture behind the glass of a booth. 

“Gods, creatures, and humanoid-folk, welcome.” Another advertised, waving flamboyantly ruffled sleeves showered in inexpensive jewellery at them. Haruna led the group, Fallon yanking Cory from the clutches of a, particularly shady person. She shoved Cory in between Haruna and Asa, while she and Kabuki watched their rears. Moon sat by Cory, mumbling about how he missed the carriage as Cozi rolled her eyes.

“Paperwork to fill out...for whom?”

“Disciples of Disease,” Asa said sliding gold at the goblin. 

The goblin bit the coin, resuming formality and addressing Asa as “Lord.” 

A voice blathered more announcements through a P.A system in the background.

”I see.” The goblin paused, rather grim. “Now, your pass and permission slip?” 

“None,” Haruna said. The goblin grinned enthusiastically enough for Cory to feel discomfort.

“Right this way.” A switch flip and mechanical whirs opened a door layered with several bars and mechanisms. An elevator opened, revealing its well lit and polished interior. 

Moon invited himself into the elevator, flailing his tail impatiently as footsteps approached him. He jumped as the bars latched closed. Layers of shutters lapped onto each other. The room went dark, and the light flickered on again. A sign just above them blinked a set of random letters until they cohesively jumbled together to read:

 “Dungeons?” Moon said, almost displeased. Cozi groomed the grey coat of a paw, in the same manner, one would roll their eyes.  A clank, then a whir and an abrupt drop... 

Cory’s fingers were gripping the railings behind her. And the cats had scrambled to grip at Kabuki’s legs. She moved into the corner where the elevator buttons should have been. “Why are they taking us to the dungeons?” 

“This is exactly what we want. “ Fallon tuned her lute and strummed as she flapped her wings enthusiastically. She leaned against the railing and played a skilful string of notes. “It’s how we gain membership in the isle of Jewels. “ 

Kabuki tensed his shoulders. “I know what’s in the towers, but how are we going to get to them from the dungeons?”

The sorceress slipped folded parchment into Cory’s hands. “The dungeons are connected to underground tunnels and catacombs.”She pointed, gesturing to the layout of the map. It was a wrinkled picture.

”The network is vast, so extensive that all the prisons are connected.” Asa paused, continuing “ We’ll roam free, for the most part.” 

Cory eyed the map, a section reading “torture chambers.”

“So I guess people steal a lot…cause um, security is tight.”

“Quite a thief’s haven,” Kabuki added sarcastically. The elevator opened. Moon stepped out, paws in a puddle...

It was a dark, damp chamber enclosed by stone walls, scented bitterly by sea salt. The hall extended far, light emanating from white crystals embedded in the walls. Helmets loomed over them, shading the faces of many stone guards who rose to the arched ceiling. “How welcoming,” said Cozi, not fond of the damp smell.

The hall echoed with a sound of translucent thrashings, possibly from the waves crashing on the rocky shores. The lights inside of the elevator dimmed, and the crystals beckoned them with brightness. Cory held Cozi, Moon leading the group further into the hall.  

”First we have to get past the outer ring. The sooner we leave the Merchant hovels, the sooner we can begin our journey into the real labyrinth.”

The group noticed there were many other elevator doorways dispersed throughout the walls. The high ceiling went even higher, further into the hall where there were blurs of noise.

The passengers of Quebracho, presently needless of their carriage; had walked into the underground towns of the Isle of Jewels. And briefly perused through its crowded alleyways and hovels until the tumult of their residents had faded away.

No one dared stroll past the edges of ghost towns. 

To begin with their official journey into the labyrinth, there were lots of stairs. So many stairs Cory’s legs hurt. The screams of the tortured didn’t help anybody feel better. 

Fallon did as best as she could, and played music to distract herself. Her companions keenly listened. 

 Everyone walked to the sound of their footsteps, and eventually to Fallon’s focused but fluttery tune. She played the lute/instrument as she had in the elevator when a dissonant note broke the ambience. 

Why did she stop playing?

“That’s some pungent mould.” The fae sniffed. “And that’s blood.”

The group looked at their feet.

Asa inspected it more closely. “Yes. That would be the point of no return.” 

The P.A system rattled as Asa spoke. Now they were on the other side of the line. “Be not afraid disciples, for I only punish those who bestow harm upon my beloved sisters and send the foolish back to the darkest pits of the tower." She declared with a voice of confidence. "Many dared to leave this bitter and wretched place, but they were only proven to be fools once they've been defeated." The harpy explained as her voice becomes more serious a tone. “You had a choice to live out your lives before entering this labyrinth. You consider yourselves brave enough to escape this place.” She continued. “Brave enough to challenge the lord of fire and blood who lies beyond.”

Haruna’s ears heard from the top of the walls, and lead her eyes to a screech of gears; cranking upward to reveal darkness gaping with a drain. A vent, from which something was supposed to come out from.

Fallon stepped back, bumping into Cory. To which the human girl said. “Okay. We still have some time, it’s just leaking a little water.” Even more foaming liquid gushed out.

“What the hell is this a death box?” 

Immediately a message chimes in as if being spoken through very poorly maintained audio equipment. “Flooding will begin in T-minus—“ A woman’s voice continued to blare on the system.

“Move!” Haruna yelled, slamming her fists into the ground. Pillars of sharp blue spiralled from the edges of the water solidifying into a thick frost of ice. Easily, shards of ice began to fall, crashing onto the floor as pressured streams of water sprayed through.

As more water still flowed, more walls materialized before them, so many that they had been pushed to retreat to the end of the hall. The sorceress’s skin was inflamed with power, the ice pulsing with weight as she lined the final wall with her spell. 

“Moon!” Cory was already swimming. Kabuki’s horns would soon poke out of the water, Cozi laying on the demon’s shoulder as Moon paddled. 

Fallon fumed as she started flapping her wet wings and arms closer to the end of the hall. Asa let himself sink to the bottom and began running with his bag and cane, to the end of the tunnel. He jumped up for air.

But they were trapped, the surroundings perfectly displaying their skills. Cory had nothing to show for it. 

The human could only stare. Discerning the form of the statue avidly...beautiful, elegant and entrancing with its curving veils and crescendoing crown. 

A'marie Aladyah. But something was missing. 

Behind the statue was an emblazoned mural, displaying intricate designs and movable parts. Holes and switches covered the back wall. 

”It’s a dead-end!” Kabuki exclaimed in frustration. The fae zipped around sticking her fingers in any crevices and holes desperately looking for a switch. Nothing worked.

The strain in Haruna’s voice made itself apparent. ”Look harder!” Cory continued to scrutinize the statue for the missing detail. 

Fallon began searching the statue’s details. The fae’s lips parted in the translation of Nena's script. “Hold this answer, till a circumstance true...Lady A'marie Aladyah will bring safety or rue.

Beseech your plea to her eye...

The goddess of wishes, in goodwill with all eyes open, shall grant desires not greed. Let her sight be your guide, in this battle against the tide.  Open them, to our advice. “

As Fallon recited the writing, cracks ruptured through the air, indicating the walls of ice were about to burst. Haruna materialized the water surrounding her feet higher to form a freezy barricade: a temporary platform, preventing any further distractions. “Wait—“

Pressure slammed them underwater. Cory swam upward, instinctively looking for air, only to find a stone ceiling. She met the face of the statue. Cory’s fingers gripped the crown as she pulled herself closer to the statue’s face.

 Two gazing eyes overlooked the area below and in the middle of its forehead, was an eye, closed. 

Here goes.

Cory tapped the eye. She blinked. The statue blinked. And Cory ingested the sudden burst of fresh air lingering at the surface. The human sank with the receding waters, finding herself at the base of the statue, again. 

“Thank you. “ Fallon coughed stretching her draping wings and looking at them in dismay. Asa was prim, nearly perfect as if nothing had happened, but wet. Kabuki held the two soaked cats. Haruna, nearly exhausted of her magic, regained composure.

The statue beheld them, emanating radiance from its newly opened eye.

“We have to enter the labyrinth.” Haruna sighed, worn. “Turn the levers.”

Fallon ran her hands through her hair and wrenched out the water she could. She shook her wings again as Cory started breathing more steadily. “I’m not going to be able to fly high enough. I have to let my wings dry. Sorry.”

Kabuki’s eyes glowed momentarily, he snarled and leapt to the untouchable levers in an instant. The demon landed on all fours by the time the doorway peered from the ceiling above them.

A rope lowered from the opening. Cozi stretched, licking her wet fur in disgust while looking upwards. It tasted like saltwater. The cat stepped in thin air and began to float upwards like a balloon. 

The wall of levers shrieked a mechanical clamour, emitting a cranking sound to a deafening point.

“Well, go on and climb people!” the grey cat demanded. Kabuki dismissed the claws that embedded themselves to his back, moving quickly but being careful not to let Moon fall. At some point, Asa tossed his bag and cane to the demon while he hung onto the rope with each pull upwards. 

Haruna dashed a spell of levitation to Cory, allowing the girl to dangle near the top of the rope. The hatch was closed, water gushing.  Cory pulled through, adrenaline excitedly pumping her veins. 

Asa steadied himself, setting down wet parchment on the floor, his beak pointing to Haruna... to the hatch, that shut with her below. 

Cory only realized it now. 

“We have to go back for Haruna.” Kabuki pounded the hatch, attempting to break or pry it open.

”We’re on our own.”

”Don’t you mean she is on her own?”  Kabuki remarked.

Fallon snickered. “She’s the toughest woman I know. Listen to Asa.”

 “Ms Cabbage warned us of the dangers she could, but this labyrinth is constantly changing. We’ll have to move fast. It changes every few hours, and if we’re not in a safe zone—“ 

”Our death is guaranteed.” Kabuki noted.

”Except mine.” Asa added cheekily.

”Either we’ll be dead or prisoners. “

Cory shifted her stance, her eyes detailing the scratches and indentations in the wall... The traps...“How do we identify the traps? More importantly, how do we survive?” She asked, almost in a tone of panic.

”The overseers are mostly kind enough to give the margin of changing times. We’ll be hearing their voices soon enough.”

“Wasn’t that one of them?” Kabuki questioned.

”Yes.”

“Overseers so there’s two?”

”Three. Law, Order, and Enforce.”

“Sounds like a procedure. Heh. Three harpies.” Kabuki chuckled.

Fallon stretched, flailing the water off her wrists. “I’ll go on ahead. Kabuki stays in the middle with Cory, Asa will cover the rear.” To which, they all agreed.

”Remember, you can’t just walk off. This is a dungeon.” 

Fallon’s wings fluttered as she turned to Kabuki.  “I know, I’m inspecting this trap.”

”Without this map, the chance of your survival drops significantly. Unless you find a goblin.”

Similar to the previous room, the hallway was hollow and long...adorned with statues, the accompanying wall crystals. Empty, except for the voices of a strange wind, weak and mingling with their breathing. Cory could see her breath as she sent her shivers down her spine.

Someone in the distance wailed, as best they could through muffled walls. The very shadows entombed a presence. Everywhere they stepped smelled keenly of death like a tomb.

The black cat squirmed in Cory’s arms. Moon’s ears flicking, listening to tripping, disabling, and maneuvering of the traps. The cat was trembling, but not from fear as Cory thought. Moon was just cold, like everyone else. “I hope Haruna will be okay.”

The girl nodded.

 In the last few days alone, Cory had experienced the hospitality and danger of Nenas. She was not even close to learning how to defend herself. Magic didn’t look like a feasible option and that ‘skill’ that Cory had demonstrated at the bridge against Kabuki was pure luck. “The grace of the gods.” as Fallon complimented her many times when the subject was brought.

In the distant foreground, Cory’s ears grasped to Fallon’s words ahead. ”Watch the arrows. We have to disable the trap.” Asa guided and followed Cory at the rear, switching his glance forward to back.

 Cory despised being the only one standing around during a battle, the only one with doubts about defending herself. Her cat contributed more to a situation than she could have. Moon was stealthy to evade her for two days. He was competent enough to leave his victims with a clawed eye and torn fin! Cory didn’t want it to be that way. 

Cory exclaimed. “Asa!” The girl’s elbows scraped stone while she was kneeling, stinging from the recovery of a push to the floor. A stout pole of wood, sharply cut, had nicked the small of her back... Asa’s gloves, which had interfered with the direction of the pole suffered a rip from the slash; revealing a slit of red underneath. The plague doctor hissed below his breath.

Further along, Fallon yelled. “Is everyone alright?” The fae had advanced quite a distance. 

The same P.A. system blared in everyone’s ears. “ Changing time will be in five minutes!” 

Moon dusted off his fur by shaking and complained. “I hate this place.”

“Were good!” Cory caught a glimpse of Asa: his black beak mask nodded. He was quick.

“Sounding off!” Kabuki grimaced. A pit plummeted in front of them, the red demon’s claws grappling the edge. 

Cozi was happily floating above him, she was looking down past Kabuki’s gold horns. “Shit.”

Cory and Asa pulled the young man out. Both of them spotted a red-tipped spike in the pit. Cory noticed the streaming blot on the floor. “Your foot’s bleeding.”

Asa voiced his assessment. “But it’s minor, not that deep, just a puncture on your sole.” 

“I know,” Kabuki growled, then hollering to Fallon. 

 She ducked an incoming spear. Splintering and blocking another with her rapier. “Don’t take Cory through here!” The statues that stood parallel to each other with their spears, activated. Hulking in their stature in the likeness of giants, they shot light from their spears. ”Lasers!” Fallon indignantly screamed.

“Find a safe zone! Look for the eye motifs, anything to do with sight, regroup.”

The same, alien voice wailed again, clearer in tune, alone and longing…humming in wait in the present echo, much like the one Cory heard earlier. Everyone could hear it now. But they had no time.

“Cory!” Kabuki snapped.

“Follow the statues with the fully opened eyes!” Asa looked upwards, squinting his eyes to see under their helms. “Look where they’re looking.” This way.” he said.

Asa’s directions were getting them somewhere!

Kabuki kept looking back to see if Fallon followed them. She had not. 

“Why do you keep running your hand on the wall?” The demon asked. Asa had been doing so for a while. The frequency of traps lessened, much to Cory’s pleasure.

Asa nearly tripped. “Because...” the plague doctor gestured, “illusions.” His hand was deeper in the wall, had phased past it.

”How did you know?” Cory gasped.

”The overseers have certain preferences. We happen to know about a few, thanks to Ms Cabbage.” Kabuki escorted them, keeping an eye on their rear. ”She has more to hide than we do.” Asa spoke. “ Ms Cabbage is one of the six champions.”

Cory bit her lip and shrank closer to Asa.        ”Guys, I’ve been hearing—“

Cozi hissed, hovering over them like a grey cloud. 

Kabuki felt something too. A presence of the in-betweens, much like his own foul curse. “Eyes sharp. Feet light. And quiet.”

Pound. Pound. Each batter, the walls were setting off a crumbled dust. A statue toppled. A mist of dirt storming over the figure that arose...nearly to Kabuki’s colossal size. High above its huffing breath, rested a crest of polished horns, tainted in some parts by gold. Gleaming on its shoulders, on the ornamentation of its head.

Kabuki’s yellow eye and his blank one, locked with the Minotaur...

An eldritch face, somehow gaunt despite the bulging strength. It had white hair and ruby-clotted eyes, the head of a bull: one that was craving, hungering. As if it had waited years to eat their group specifically.

 Slowly the creature approached, tasting the air loudly in search of flesh. The creature had but one intent for them.

Nourishment—  in the form of blood and the warmth of prey. 

That scent that it sought for, was on the demon that shadowed over the smaller things. Over a thing that smelled so human, a scent it hadn’t tasted in years until now— 

The bull staggered in its charge, Kabuki’s right shoulder ramming into the wall from the force. Kabuki’s muscles strained and he yelled, roaring at the Minotaur. He was firm, projecting his vigour to heave it to the side. 

 But one horn slipped at full force as another was caught in Kabuki’s hands. Cozi flew above them, sweeping downward and up again just in time to avoid the second Minotaur’s clutch. Asa slashed it while Cory ran. Moon hopped beyond the sharpness of its reach, to the statue helms.

 Cory was on the verge of its path, tripped by its clutch and immediate release when it had been blinded...by dust and the sudden slice of a blade. The bull had blocked the metal slice with its ivory crown.

She ran and ran, but still, she could hear its bellow and the hoofs pounding close behind.

The human girl ran back to the narrow passageways that they came from. Past a gallery of tapestries, a nest of rats and a jail full of rowdy prisoners. 

A goblin knicked her leg as she turned a corner, biting her viciously, until she kicked it’s scraggly teeth out of its mouth. 

Her lungs hit the floor.

Cory snatched a broken string, snapping a trap that Asa had deterred into its delayed detonation. Spears sprung from the walls, staking organs, limbs, scraping the bones. Covering its eyes with blood. 

The crimson bathed fur that had seized her, unfurled its palm weakly, groaning, huffing in pain as it looked at the human with pleading, disfigured eyes.

Cory crawled under the mangled form staked on the spears. The Minotaur breathing deeply, desperately trying to wiggle out despite the pain. There was a cracking snap as its weight broke one of the many spears stabbed into its body. Then another as its fury echoed through the hall.

She snatched a sharp stick. Her legs practically flailing at the speed which she ran. Heading left two times and then going right again. The goblins, minotaurs and other jailed denizens perused the wholly unexpected sight around their bars. 

Murmurs and laughter ensued as she passed them. And she stuck close to the wall, remembering the incident with her leg.

“She lives!”

”Lets give you some more scratches champion.”

“Come on, give us the secret to getting out!”

“That’s one lucky human.”

It was all a blur until Cory heard Kabuki scream again.

Arriving to see a downed Minotaur and an exhausted demon before her: Red drooled from the bull’s teeth and wounds, onto the floor and back to the horn-skewered wound. Splinters of its broken horns littered the ground next to its carcass. The Plague Doctor found himself promptly picking up the splinters of the horn, storing them in a transparent bag.

Kabuki nodded to him, signaling he was fine and he pointed to Cory. “That was—good. I thought you weren’t going to live.”

The shock in Cory’s was just settling in. She dropped the sharp stick.”Thanks.” 

Asa propped his scythe-morphing cane against the wall. The masked plague doctor gave Cory a quick examining glance, dismissing the blood on the human girl. Then he saw the teeth stuck on her calf.

”Get off that foot. Sit down.” 

She saw the full wound now. An oval like etching in her skin, decorated with a few blood, soaked goblin teeth. She was starting to feel the cut on her back.

“How did you escape so cleanly from that goblin?”

”How did you escape as the cleanest from that Minotaur?” Kabuki laughed, patting the floor next to him.

“Goblin was poking out from a jail. It wasn’t loose.” Thankfully, she thought.

“The thing was hungry.” Kabuki said. Leaving Cory to wonder whether he meant the goblin or Minotaur.

”We need to check up on Fallon. What time is it?”

“A fifteen minute break, so I can check your wounds.”

…

“Damn it all!” Fallon yelled. “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” The fae punched a wall she had gone through. She was in cramped hallway that was about half her height. And she made herself crawl. 

She sighed. At least this was better than wing destroying lasers. ”Goblins. I just have to find a goblin. No map, just get a goblin.”  She continued following the eye inscriptions in the walls, letting the light of a few crystals guide her way. 

The silk carpeted stone floor eventually turned to wood, and through its cracks orange light illuminated the dimness of the tunnel. The air had a stuck and cloying fragrance. Fallon sniffed.“Rot. Rotten? Blood?” The smell was enough to wrench her stomach out of itself.

The crystals above had seemed dimmer as she crawled closer to a trapdoor: to a ladder that seemed lead down a stairwell. The trapdoor slammed against the wall, causing her wings to flutter in surprise. As Fallon pushed herself out the trapdoor, her hands touched the floor. The ladder only had 4 steps. Half her height. 

Creeping down, the smell only got more pungent until it merged with the scent of fresh blood. The fae followed it.

Unlike the cells Fallon had seen elsewhere in Isle of Jewel’s these were cleaner, with marble floors, sturdier looking cells. The bars and locks were polished and within the room there were seven cells, one of which was not empty.

She noticed that after flipping the light switch. 

The prisoner was laying prostrate on the floor; hands and ankles bound tightly to force them into that position. He was covered in bruises, as well as deep lashes, clothed in not much of anything besides his wounds.

 Fallon spoke to break the silence.

”Your not a goblin…”

”Dullahan.” He grunted. His wrists wriggling in an exhausted attempt to loosen his bindings. “I’m a Dullahan.”

He looked half dead, in the way that his vigor easily did not fail to come out in the red of his blood.

 “Well. I guess you’re in jail.” The fae said.

“No shit Shergoblin, now free me.”

“You must be someone really dangerous.”  

The light made the red of his hair glow more potently. His stare worn, tired evidently, from the circles which darkened the skin under his eyes, somehow still captured the spirit of his will.  “I'm wrongfully convicted.” 

“Aye.” Fallon rolled her eyes. “Because people who break the law, break it cause they usually don’t believe they’ve done anything wrong.”

Fallon ignored him. Leaving him to mutter more obscenities.

There was a desk full of drawers and her attention came to be entertained by its confines. Mostly paperwork. She pulled a drawer out and disregarded it immediately, eyeing a group of files held down by bottle. With dissatisfaction upon finding it empty of alchohol, Fallon eyed a specifically mistreated file. With a picture of the dullahan and a name:

“What do we have here? Cystenian?”

He grit his teeth. “You’re obviously not with Enforce.”

”How do you know?” Fallon teased. She flipped through the file, clicking her tongue.“You have nice armor.”

”Don’t even think about stealing it.”

”Wouldn’t even wear it. I’m clearly fae.” 

Cystnenian “hmmphed” at the reply Fallon spat. Then he added nonchanchalantly:

“Is that bottle empty?”

”Yea…”

”I know where she keeps the wine. If you get—“ “Which way’s the wine?”

The air became colder, drier as the atmosphere blackened to complete darkness. Eyes looked on them, glowing faintly in illumination. The white crystals, humming with a voice spoke: ashen, tinged with a sprite of venom. 

”Hear me.”  A voice said fiercely, the echo enclosing them. Frost crept up the walls and blood-covered skin shivered with the gnawing wind.  “Disciples of Disease, you have travelled far.” The crystals farthest from the shivering group gleamed. “Further you shall try.” 

Where the group stood in the dark was guided with each step, forward, to a grand door, emblazoned with the luminescent stones. Ice had paved the way, crawling up past the cracks and into a gargantuan room. To an arena of unbelievable size...

Light caught the glow of the low hanging ice; which were like chandeliers from which jewels and golden riches were encapsulated and dangled over them, additionally decorated with ribbons of strange-looking plants. 

Asa, Kabuki, and Cory wandered in intrigue, astray from the main path. Ancient writing sprawled the path, denoting the carved words in Nena's script.

Trial of Stamina.

Amidst the air so full of ornaments, tinged so sweetly from cloying fragrance was the harpy herself. Her face was covered in gold by a mask, blending otherwise perfectly into the landscape, if not for her brown feathers; which draped from bare shoulders in the manner of which one would think to be a thick cloak. 

Underneath the creature’s wings, Cory spotted her gangly snatching grip, quietly choking something on its perch.  One being crushed and writhing, another grovelling in admiration. The harpy’s fingers tapped the shiny metal on her head.

Pan: her mask, which in its style was contorted to an exaggerated expression seen commonly in Greece…bore an elaborately embroidered headband designed with motifs of nature. It rimmed the sprouting decorations that mimicked the pointed horns of satyrs of old.

“I shade thine expression.

Or preserve one’s emotion. 

Worn, I am stoic regardless.” 

Order hummed, her victim choking beneath her. “Answer.” She said rather forcefully, dousing her words with powdered sweetness.

Her grovelling servant exclaimed in praise. “A mask, oh most feared mistress!”

”Indeed.” The harpy’s mask glared menacingly, a toothy smile sneering through its taunting gape. Cory wanted to yell; to say something! 

But the lash was too quick. Unseen by the rest of the group until a corpse unravelled in a plummet to their feet. The goblin bleeding from his neck...splayed before them in blood.   

“Disciples!” The harpy’s voice called. “ Find the mask, for there is only one among these treasures!” She whipped the air, causing the goblin beside her to scramble to the nearest corner. The cracks rebounded and flayed, summoning her very own cacophony of controlled chaos.

The icicles above them were dropping in masses. Shatters of ice pierced walls, lodging themselves in any skin they could find. Crystal spikes revealed their points—while parts of the floor fell to harsh pitfalls and Minotaur’s emerged by her command.

Cozi dodged many of the projectiles, flying upwards to safety. Asa had stuffed Moon into his bag, which floated beside him as he slashed at the falling ice with his scythe. 

Kabuki hunched over Cory, grimacing as he shielded her from the sharpness that rained above them.

”How the hell do we find that mask?” Cory yelled. 

“I’ll locate it!” Cozi assured. “Five Minotaurs are closing in on your position!”

“Follow the Nenas script!” Asa said, holding his scythe above his head, hacking at the obstructions in his way.

Minotaurs barged in where they could, tracking Cory’s scent. Three had landed in the traps, others wandering the maze of falling icicles and piling treasure. Cozi searched and searched to no avail, there could be no obvious place for a mask. Too many masses of trinkets, gold, jade and pearl covered the arena in mounds frozen in ice. 

It was madness. More so after Order flogged the remaining Minotaurs in the direction of the disciples. Lashing at Cory whenever she could. 

The harpy’s cunning had separated them, detaining Cozi in a bejewelled cage as she trapped Asa and Moon. The demon remained, jumping, dodging, and at times protecting the human girl when he could.

Cory had lured several Minotaurs into the traps, leaving only one to hunt them. Kabuki followed her. Their attention had been freed and both of them attempted to focus on the harpy—except they could not. 

Now, there were too many Minotaurs in the room. Too many to survive. A sharp sting curled up Cory’s leg, her hair dangling as she was launched upwards into the grasp of the harpy. She screamed, listening to Kabuki’s draining strength as ten Minotaurs pulled at his limbs.

Fallon rushed into view and howls were let off by lacerated Minotaurs. A whip strong, bulky and hard had sent flesh flying. Carving indentations with each strike that landed. Blood splattered, bathing the already stained whip red with a drip. 

“Cystenian!”

The figure threw the tip of his whip in Cory’s direction. It tapped the skin, sending a searing sensation down the harpy’s leg and Cory was caught in Fallon’s arms.

The lash of the Dullahan’s whip tangled with the harpy’s own. And below, Kabuki regained ground as Fallon ran her sword down the backs of several enraged Minotaurs. She sprayed spit in their faces, taking the chance to slash their eyes. 

As the demon branded his weapon towards the Minotaurs, Fallon addressed the Dullahan she called Cystenian.  “I’ll help you!” She kicked a Minotaur into a pit, finishing the job by gouging her sword into its neck.

A heavy, but young Irish voice answered. “No. This is personal! ” He turned in a charged rage as flares of incandescent wisps dashed to the whirling harpy’s whip.  

Cory finally saw the person. A crimson cascade of hair donned over obsidian shining armour. His weapon hallowed, and made of a string of fading bones.

”Hey!” 

Cory was spooked for a moment and just realized that she had been set down where Order caged Cozi. The helpless human rattled the door to the cat's kennel. “Thanks, but she has the key,” Cozi stated. “Did you see the mask?” Cory questioned, checking containers for a key, a weapon. She tumbled a stack of coins and treasure in her scramble. The coins were cold and her fingers were starting to get numb.

Below one Minotaur slammed into another Minotaur. “What the fuck Richard!” 

They heard Cystenian’s ranting. “You have goblins who worship you, giants that hate you, minotaurs who don't care and you still picked a headless man to torture!”

“No. But—“ The grey cat was interrupted. Cory jumped. Asa cracked and burst through the ice prison the harpy had made.

His hand squeezed out of the small hole and back in. “It’s the one she’s wearing. That has to be the answer.” He hissed, rubbing his irritated wrist. “We’ll be here forever if we search for it in the piles.” Asa looked at the cat. “Moon, it’s big enough for you.”

”I know.” The male cat replied. “I’m not going out there.” 

“It’s really cold.” Cory shivered.

Asa cracked more of the ice and crawled through it. The human girl composed herself. “We have to tell them.” She said.

“Go on,  tell them!” Cozi reaffirmed, fiddling with the cage’s lock to the best of her ability.

“We don’t know how the harpy will react. We have to think——“ Asa.

Cory blinked her eyes in disbelief and leaned over the balcony, screaming the message. “Get the mask on her face!” The Dullahan began attacking closer to the harpy’s head and Fallon had killed the last of the Minotaurs. 

“Avoid the whip!” Asa grimaced, shoving Cory out the way and catching the leather string with the handle of his scythe. The harpy was dragging him and darted upwards as Asa dangled from her whip. Cory began tossing coins at the harpy. “Watch it!” He said, and swung side to side, trying to weigh the harpy down. Order slammed Asa into several icicles and the doctor held on, only tighter.

The harpy was flapping in a frustrated manner, and Cystenian managed to hook her leg with his whip. It sent Asa down, arm scraping into place as his scythe now embedded into the wall had his hand hanging on… along with the harpy’s now limp whip. He almost yelped.

The harpy expected him to and so that was where she was looking. She felt a tug and her leg further sting at Cystenian’s spine whip dug into her feathers.

Fallon yanked the woman’s hair, kicking her neck as she took the mask, revealing the harpy’s somewhat deranged and delighted expression. Fallon cast the golden mask onto the floor, hitting all the priceless junk and making a mess of it. Asa picked it up. 

Order smiled at Cystenian. “That was—“ The harpy laughed. “A step! You beat me. I’ll let you have it, take it to my sister.”

With a gush of air, Order vanished, away in the translucent blue of the ice that was above them. Cystenian had cracked his whip one last time before hanging it on his belt.

Cory felt her leg now. It stung, badly and she saw the marks the whip had left her. Kabuki was covered in scratches and thinking. Both, quietly recovering from what could’ve easily been their execution. Cozi spectated above and Moon from below as Cystenian observed them, admiring the fact that he avoided any strain against the harpy. Admiring the fact that he was free…Quitting his job.

“Still haven’t found Haruna?” 

Cystenian saw the red-headed demon nod his head. A growl came off his shoulders and Fallon laughed. Cystenian puffed his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. 

Fallon patted the dullahan on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

”Care to show me the way out as you promised?” The Dullahan said, his Irish accent heavily coating the syllables of each word.

”That’s what we’re doin’ right now.” Fallon stated back, in the manner of her Scottish habit. “We have to track down the next harpy.” The green-haired fae examined a chip on her rapier before sheathing it again and began to strum her lute for a tune. She jumped down several steps after she zoomed across the room. “This way!” The fae hummed, indulging in the pleasant plucking of her stringed instrument. 

Fallon’s music echoed through the cavernous room, deep chords resounding against the walls as she led the way. She led them safely, past the monuments of carved ice into the tall tunnels guarded by the sentinel statues.

Asa quickly began bandaging the most accessible of cuts on himself as they travelled through the main labyrinth. 

“Is this allowed?” Kabuki murmured.

Asa kindly replied. “Fallon can usually tell the good from the bad. If she trusts him, we can.” 

“ I mean is the official? As a part of the group?” Kabuki clarified. “We should keep him.“ 

”Aye!” Fallon nodded, making it clear she was eavesdropping on their conversation. “We can all hear ya whispering just let the lad join the team, he hates his job anyway.” 

“We’re all ears to your ‘secret’ words back there,” Cystenian added.

Kabuki retorted almost teasingly “I wager you’re a worthy opponent to spar.” “So... are you, yes,” Cory said awkwardly.

Asa happily obliged to include both Fallon and Cystenian in the conversation. “Who are you then? We’ve been intrigued.”

The Dullahan presented himself as the group walked. “My name is Cystenian, born son of Niamh. I'm a dullahan. I've been saying people's names out loud for the past 500 years in Ireland. And I want to change that.” 

“ Pleasure. I assume Fallon has already taken the liberty and introduced us?”

“Yes, Failure has told me about all of you.”

“Failure?” Cory repeated, puzzled.

”It’s an eke-name he’s given me.” Fallon said. Cory’s face held visible confusion.

Asa chimed in. “ Eke-name—old English for nickname. 

“Any other mislabels?” Kabuki sighed.

The masked doctor snickered, not at all afraid to delve into delinquency. “I could be Ass.” 

Cory let a chuckle slip from her pent and tense throat. Fallon at this point was hysterically laughing, zooming above Kabuki while patting his thickly maned skull. “You could be Kabitch!”

Cozi pushed Fallon off to rest on the demon’s head. Participating in the conversation in the cutest manner a grey cat could. She curled up. “ I am still Cozi.”

“I am Moon and I am a boon!” The black cat nearly tackled the human girl. Cory laughed, cradling her black cat in her arms.

The dullahan smiled, eyeing the container Fallon drank from. He politely gestured to it, indicating his want. Fallon dropped it into his hands. “Failure I think this would be a terrible idea to join your party,” Cystenian said sarcastically.

“Oh, it’s not my party.” 

“ I fund this party,” Asa said, watching Fallon take her bottle back. “Everyone gets an allowance of 10,000 jewels.” The plague doctor’s beak turned at the sound of his zipped open bag; from which he pulled out as instantly as he plunged, a pouch heavy with notes and coin.

And they were merry. Joking and laughing and getting to know each other. It was fun! Cory was comfortable, less talkative with Cystenian but relaxed for the most part. The “disciples”,  as the harpy referred to them, were silent for a while after. Their path made them uneasy as they travelled.

They were making no business of conversation, the topics were sparse enough to spare distraction. Kabuki spoke of the obvious in an annoyed tone. He was anxious. “These traps are too easy.” 

“This area is too ornamental.” Fallon grimly agreed. “And it’s been a while since we last encountered a serious one.” 

“That’s an odd door,” Cory said. Her finger pointed down the east tunnel of the intersection they were in… towards a sun gleaming room.

A colossal door opened within it many other doors; comprised of circular shapes made of wood, carved into the wall at varying heights. Fountains adorned with delicate vines, protruded from the left and right walls with their trickling water at either side. The group flooded into the chamber, admiring the indoor courtyard.

”It’s a garden.” Fallon murmured.

”It’s a wall of doors.” Asa finished.

Cystenian plopped onto the furniture, scoffing as he dusted some feathers off it. Cory tried to count the entrances in the wall.

“Twenty-seven doors. Who the fuck needs that many?” Fallon swore. 

“Someone flies into them,” Asa observed, prying one open with a pull to its handle. Inside was a dimly lit room that extended farther, obviously echoing the sounds of a strong current of water.

Cory sighed and sniffed the flowers. All of the doors were presented with clear instructions on their frames: Pick me. Once.

“Quite peculiar, if I didn’t already know.” The doctor said. “I’ll go first since I can’t die.” Asa slipped in, the wood slamming shut into its frame despite his wish. He groaned. “ Ah well. At least I’m not dead.” The words above the frame changed: Fourth. Chosen.

“Do we break the door?” Kabuki yelled. 

“No!” Asa answered. “Choose one. Each of you! Give Cory the safe door!”

”Oh, gods! Snakes!” Fallon stabbed one, more slithering by.

“Number eight!” Asa yelled at the top of his lungs.

“You’re going up,” Fallon said, stuffing Cory into a particularly high placed door. 

“Wait!”

Slam! Cory slid down somewhere in the dark as cold water splashed on her head. She yelped as she landed in a moderately shallow collection pool. Order’s Mask glared back at Cory as she saw that Fallon had tossed it in too.

She was going to wrench her hair out but remembered it was short. Her footsteps were quiet next to the noisy water and she hoped not to attract anything that way. 

Then: The woman’s cries. Her lamenting singing. Cory was even closer to the sound than before. But was it wise to follow? She had two options.

Wait and allow something to find me.

Or move and find something on my terms. 

Courage had gotten the best of her. Cory would go on to find doom on her terms, be it quick or slow in these next steps. The human reached the tunnel's end, with only a raft and oar to welcome her. Cory took it. She manoeuvred in the half-dark, crystals occasionally shining across the way.

Cory latched her hands on the edge of the raft. Mask loose and about fall. “No!” The raft had hit the wall and she let the oar sink, but she had the mask.

Eventually, after drifting for a few minutes she saw a lever to the right side of her path. Cory managed to wedge the raft in the corner and flipped the switch. A passage creaked open and she jumped to it.  Cory had unintentionally made it to the source of the singing. It was a big room, with a dangerous harpy like the previous one before. Except this harpy did not consider hiding.

Everything about her was crumpled, somehow withdrawn, her figure slumped over. Gold shimmered starkly against her black sleeved garments, the metal of her mask and course, her beautiful brown feathers. Like Order, this harpy possessed a whip in her reach…

The wail the poor creature let off almost knocked Cory off her feet. She stayed quiet for a long time, wincing every time the harpy sang and sobbed idly. Every once in a while, she would strum a note on the lire beside her. Though from what Cory could hear, they were random, dissonant notes too far apart to be a coherent melody. Cory’s ankles were soaking in the rising water. Though it was less cold, that did not stop Cory from shivering. She was crouching at the bottom, suffering from terror and chills.

Order’s “boss room” must have been loaded with gold, but the lack of ice seemed to make the amount a lot more obvious. Cory assumed she did not hide well in the mounds of treasure. Her hair stood out too much amongst the trinkets. To add to her frustration the water kept rising, to the point where she was swimming. She was far from where the harpy was, but if she waded through the water loud enough. She’d be spotted. The acoustics of the room didn’t help. The mask seemed to her heavier.

Her legs and arms started to get tired, and she had no choice but to inch closer to the harpy. The human cradled Order’s Golden mask in her arms. In the hurry to rest her limbs Cory let a volley of coins splash loudly into the water.

The harpy’s voice ceased, stagnant now as it devoured Cory’s gaze. Ancient King Midas, with his lips, parted in woe…

The bird-woman had flown over. “So you are to be the safe one?” She whispered, her voice sad but in a beautiful tone. She hummed faintly, tracing the finery of her sister's mask. Cory hadn’t even seen her snatch it. “This mask is of my sister Order. Dear, dear sister…Is she dead?”

 Cory simply stood there, looking down away from the harpy. Her heart was pulsing through her veins, loud enough that the harpy made an abrupt pause in her ramblings, till they continued again. “Oh, they’ve sent a child. A poor little human girl.” the harpy sniffled. 

There was a silence. The harpy had gone off to stare at plant near her resting place. Above it she had accommodated an altar: a shrine in which a plant bathed in golden, iridescent light.  The plant was unlike anything she’d ever seen on earth, but at the same time it looked as if it had come from the roots of the ground.

Law stroked the harp with a wail.

The harpy pulled out a chest from under her feathers. Placed Order’s mask inside, only for the box to vanish again under her wings. Cory’s chin looked upward, claws guiding her head while she shut her eyes. “Shhh.” The harpy’s siren-like voice said. “You’ll be safe, come now Concordia.” 

Something went wrong.

Afterwards, Cory had felt everything swell, she felt her innards warped whole. She shrank and saw her skin become gilded. She only saw herself as part of the harpy’s collection, being placed amongst the other necklaces. Merely something to be looked at…

“Bummer that it’s a safe door. I wanted to test out that new technique.” Asa sighed.

”Fucking snakes! Get off!” Kabuki thundered. The demon had clamped his hand on its jaws.

Fallon stabbed another snake nonchalantly.  “I thought that saint patty guy got rid of them.” 

Cystenian also flicked his whip in turn at a remaining snake. “He did but Lord Cernunnos still has his snakes.” 

“Have you found another door yet?” Asa enquired from inside his door. “ And are you guys trying to follow it chronologically?” He crossed out the number twelve on the list of doors checked, tapping the door again to ask in confirmation. He began mumbling to himself. 

“Kabuki bit down a copper bird.” 

Asa groaned. “Open door number five.” 

“Opening door number 5,” Fallon repeated.

”Go through and find Haruna.”

The doctor heard a door shut. “Cystenian door number nineteen. Kabuki door number four. Take the cats with you.” 

“I will protect you with my life.” Cozi and Moon nuzzled at Kabuki as he said so.

Asa stuffed the list into his bag and moved further along, leaving behind the door. It was dark now that the candle wax he kept had gone out. Everyone would be on their own merits.

Asa shuddered as rats scuttled past his ankles. The doctor straightened his mask, cane and bag in hand. 

His tapping echoed in the narrow tunnel, in places that lacked a significant portion of light. The path that he took kept shrinking in size, and he crawled through it. 

A waterway had welcomed Asa as expected, and naturally so did a boat. It was stout and spacious aboard, Asa took to it easily. He was bound to run into Cystenian and Fallon and Kabuki.

Ms Cabbage’s notes managed to describe the labyrinth in a fairly detailed manner. They had been reliable for the most part in describing the inconveniences the group would find in general passages. Her notes would give recommendations on how to get past traps. The expected pressure triggers were just the beginning. Punji sticks, snake pits, slamming spike studded doors, bamboo whips, grenade and cartridge traps… and a bunch of others were mentioned.

 Some parts of the manual could be dismissed as wrong but Asa knew better. The labyrinth was engineered to change and a manual could only do so much. Precisely why it was refreshing to encounter a route that was familiar to Ms Cabbage’s notes. He was on the main waterway to a harpy’s lair and he expected everyone else to be too, in time.

Asa thought about Cory then. He questions if he had made the right decision: to send her in first. He had. He just needed to trust it with confidence.

Best not to think about it now.

Asa simply cruised until he found Cystenian about to drown.

The company was helpful. Cystenian’s whip latched onto switches that needed to be flipped as Asa steered. The man-made river drained into a set of bars that led to God's know how deep. In summary, the waterway was a dead end. The dullahan’s charm convinced Asa to abandon the boat. 

They were treading through a dark hallway, following the crystals embedded in the wall….and then they weren’t. Cystenian couldn’t describe the feeling exactly, but there was something else at work. Either the walls manipulated their path or this hallway had morphed into the fog.

Asa adjusted the beak of his mask, as one would shift the glasses farther up the bridge of their nose.

”Who—who is that?” Cystenian breathed.

Haruna sat cross-legged, meditating while swirls circled all around her. She was drenched in water from head to toe, not a scratch on her head. A strained expression on the sorceress’ face. 

“More guests.” Law hummed as she dropped someone in front of them. Cozi, Moon and Kabuki were unmoving. 

The centre of a stadium revealed itself behind her, with treasures and riches bursting. Red curtains, blue ribbons and flowers bloomed; under the griffin horde that perched over its high ledges. 

“It’s that humming Cory was talking about earlier,” Asa said. 

Law chipped a wing piece off Fallon’s unconscious body, lumping her in with Kabuki and the cats. “Moon, Cozi, Kabuki, Fallon.”

“Concordia,” Asa said as the golden chain slipped from the cracks of the harpy’s claws. The mask glowered at the locket, then at them.

“Wretch.” The dullahan hissed.

“You.”  Law put a finger to her mask’s lips. Her voice was soft, ghost-like and ethereal in texture. Somehow haunting the air in each word before she spoke.

“ You have presented to me the mask of my sister, Order. To have come this far you have done well. And in the unlikeliest event that you should be on your way...Heed. Evils were far worse than the epitome of our wrath prowl beyond these lands. Dragomir.” 

The harpy let the name simmer in her mouth with distaste. “He has taken much and should you fall a victim to his magic…It shall be a fate worse, than the respite of death.”

Cysyenian whipped his arm out suddenly. And the dullahan’s whip went limp the opposite direction before it struck, lashing his face instead. He found Law hovering across from him and his skull throbbed. 

 “It’s not potent enough!” Law hissed. The fingers at the edge of her wings curled in anger. Asa looked to the previously unconscious group.

Cozi rolled off the black cat, awake. “Get up Kabuki! Before she drugs us again!”

“Suffer!”

Asa dodged an incoming fireball. Kabuki leapt to absorb another. The red demon, tearing through the harpy’s wings, spun onto his side as Law knocked him to the floor.

Law’s whip writhed as she flew: wriggling as if it were a live snake, summoning the griffins towards Asa. He struck them down.

Enraged screams escaped Law’s throat at the sight before her. Gold materialized in front of Haruna; the coins compressing into one metal surface: a shield to stop the harpy’s onslaught. Lash! Lash! Lash! It dented the metal and the shield shattered to a million pieces that cut the harpy.

Fallon charged her rapier past Law’s side, Cystenian’s whip dragging in her other hand. The dullahan tackled the harpy, embedding a knife into her shoulder.

The harpy flailed her wings against the floor. She hurled the golden locket and let off a shrill scream. “Give it back! ” Laws nails were swiping inches from Cystenian’s face. She sobbed, now completely paralysed from Haruna’s spell. Law looked at her mask in Cystenian’s hands, looked at the blood running down his face.

Asa kicked a griffin off its side to get his cane and bag. Haruna surveyed the group, worry finally showing on her face. “Asa? Where’s Cory?” 

“You can ask her.” Fallon pointed to Law, wiping blood off her rapier. The plague doctor handed Haruna the locket. Kabuki huffed as he smoothened Moon’s black fur. Cozi smacked her chops. “I will eat you.” The cat hissed.

“Turn her back.” The sorceress commanded, slamming the harpy’s knees to the floor. 

 Law let more tears stream down her face while looking up at the locket with her unmasked face. She concealed it in her claws and let the locket morph back into a human girl. “Go away.” the harpy whispered, waving her feathered arm to the exit.

Cystenian’s boots echoed as he left the room.  Moon yowled sharply behind him. They all left to wait outside until Haruna and Cory were left alone in the room with Law.

Haruna glared at the harpy, supposing the awful things Cory had suffered at Law’s magic. 

“Can I hug you?” Cory muttered.

 Haruna hugged her tightly as any mother would to their child. Cory held her posture stiffly, expressionless in everything but her stare. 

Law winced.

Cory’s voice trembled into a whisper. “It’s not her fault.” 

Cory’s eyes were glassy. She looked at Law, in her crumpled form and doleful cries. The words of sympathy for the harpy nearly fell out of her mouth. 

Cory only managed a whimper amongst her sniffling before Haruna led her away.

Eventually, the group was back to wandering in the tunnels. However, it was only for a short time that they travelled through torchlit darkness. 

Reunited once again, all six of them witnessed the stairs of an ancient and worn tower, covered in cracks and moss. The cackles of the last harpy rained down upon the disciple’s ears, her shrieks getting louder as they stepped closer to a large stone door where the final challenge will soon begin. With only a simple push by Kabuki opened the heavy door with ease, the rest following behind.  Once entering the final stage, the arena rained with ribbons of Aegean blue and soft shades of purple.

Upon the centre was once of many keys to open the isle of the sun back to the world. 

It formed in a cluster of blue, both dark and light shades providing light to a grand sphere of similar colours to its small counterpart.

Only hovering in the air barely touching the curved pillars to support its weight. The last floor was surrounded by stars and exposed to the cold winter air.

An ear-splitting shriek came falling from the sky as a woman ascends to the ground, arms covered with grey feathers with a blue shrine to them. Her face is covered with a mask that dons the face of the youthful Dionysus, set in gold and amethysts, emeralds and stain-glass pearls adorn her hair styled to form a crown of grapes and ivy.

"Be not afraid disciples, for I only punish those who bestow upon harm upon my beloved sisters and send the foolish back to the darkest pits of the tower." She declared with a voice of confidence. "Many dared to leave this bitter and wretched place, but they were only proven to be fools once they've been defeated." The harpy explained as her voice becomes a serious tone, raising her arm in the air, piercing the air with a cracking sound of her whip. She continued her warning. "Are you brave enough to escape this place with what you seek for your journey? Dragomir, lord of fire and blood sends fear to those who live far and wide in Nenas. He has everyone's eyes and ears, no one is safe." She began plucking a handful of glass grapes from her hair, holding them in her palm briefly before striking them to the cold ground. From the broken vessels, erupted fog. 

Enforce’s wings spread at their full length, and withdrew upwards, fading; until purple smoke enveloped her to obscurity. Laughter encircled them. Mocked the disciples tauntingly in its manner…as the tail of her whip slithered into the thick fumes.

The disciples huddled, coughing as they maintained their ground. Cory was pushed to the centre with Moon still in her arms. They had lost clarity of the room to muddled depths of the smoke. The sky which was once clear above them became thick. Cystenian’s armour clattered, he grimaced, hunched over, more so than the rest of the group. It was affecting him drastically.

Kabuki tried to swat it away. “This is no natural fog!”  

Enforce’s laughter continued to echo throughout the room as the disciples brushed their shoulders closer together. Both cats stuffed themselves within Asa’s bag.

Fallon grimaced, her shoulders readjusting back in the strain as her battered wings fluttered weakly.

Haruna breathed out heavy gusts to keep the smoke away. “Stay close to me. I can’t clear all the smoke out. It’s going to take time.”

“Why? Why are we here?” Cystenian groaned. “I don’t—“

Cory squealed: the harpy’s whip had just missed Fallon, flailing back into the purple fog. Fallon’s rapier frantically pointed to the smoke. “You’re lucky you had both your sisters soften me up before getting to you! Else you’d be facing me at full power!”

“Fallon don’t separate.” Kabuki snapped.

“I won’t!” Fallon said and dodged the attack again.” The fae’s eyes were beginning to water. She grits her teeth, looking at a massive chunk of her wing on the floor. Fallon began cursing. 

Asa swatted the fog in the air. “Fallon Viramoth where in the 7 Hells are you going?  “A bitch cuts my wings and I'm gonna cut a bitch's life short.” 

“Cut me, Then we’ll see if we truly live by the same creed!”

The dullahan couldn’t see any of the group. 

A crack of Enforce’s whip came from within the smoke, as she strikes Cystenian in the back, he gasped at the pain unaware he was inhaling in her smoke with fear flooding his mind.

“Augh!”Cystenian ran his fingers onto his scalp. The dullahan’s eyes were bloodshot from the gas. 

Kabuki rubbed his eyes. Fallon dug her nails into her hand. “How on Nenas does this bird wench manage so many whips?”

Fallon was busy keeping back a stray griffin. She finally poked through its wings, into its chest. She didn’t have enough time to dislodge the sword before Cystenian’s whip curled with sting on her forearm. “Oi! Stupid quack-brained—“

“You’ve delivered me to the overseers!” His whip bounded again.

“This the only way out you—“ 

Cystenian knocked the fae back. Fallon rushed to hit him in the jaw, but fell prey to his whip.

Kabuki assumed Cystenian’s whip was misguided, only to be proven wrong yet again. Blood sprinkled the floor next to him, matching the red of his skin. 

Cory held onto Fallon. “This— this is too much blood. Asa!”

”I’m fine!” Fallon began coughing. “It’s the smoke. It will overwhelm us.”

The plague doctor slashed at the incoming whips, while dodging. “Just a second!” 

Cystenian lashed his whip in every direction trying to strike his new allies. In his eyes, they have been replaced with what fears.

”Get your damn dominatrix fetish sorted, Cystenian.” 

“Really Fallon—“ The dullahan fisted the ground beneath him when he saw that he had missed Cory. The fae had zoomed and yanked herself and Cory behind Kabuki. 

Fallon knelt, clutching at her sword getting ready to block incoming whips.

“So the smoke is manipulating you now?” He guessed.” The demon stepped forward blocking Cystnenian’s off from the human and fae pair. Asa moved in, silently tending to the attack coming for Fallon.

The dullahan ignored the comment, knocking his elbow into Kabuki’s teeth. Cystenian’s armor dented.

“As enjoyable as this is,” he dodged “Stop fighting me.”

”No!” Cystnenian’s whip nipped the edge of Kabuki’s shoulder, only for the oni to shove him back, further away.

“We are getting you out. “

“If that were the case you would have gotten me out already…and it wouldn’t have been through them.”

A harpy’s voice chimed in. “Oh—but it should be. This is the only way out.” 

Kabuki’s roar filled with pain, and fell flat against the symphony of cracking whips. His feet dragging, he yanked and snarled, now farther away. 

Smoke floundered in the air with each of the Harpies’ wing beats. Haruna was tied in.

As Kabuki screams in despair, Haruna is trying not to inhale the hallucinogenic smoke, with her eyes watering. Collapsing to the ground, her hand over her mouth and nose, rolling onto her back she can faintly see the stars through the purple smoke, she was hit with sudden realisation. Haruna moved her hand, taking the risk of inhaling the smoke she exhaled a large squall of wind. Knocking the harpy and Kabuki off their feet. 

With the smoke gone and Haruna coughing, she slowly gets back on her feet. Animosity poured over Kabuki’s expression, over his judgment. His being responding only as a feral, wild demon.

Obey me Kabuki.

Haruna noticed the spell. Anger running through her veins, she flounces her way towards Kabuki, pulling his hair and punching him in the face. Shoving him to the side, Haruna makes her way to the warden, gripping onto her glass grape headpiece.

"What kind of fool doesn't have a roof for their dungeon!" The sorceress yelled at the harpy, ripping off the Dionsian headpiece. Smashing the grapes on cracked tiles, and immediately casting a spell to transform their smoke to a liquid.

“Enough games!” The harpy snatched the mask back from Haruna. The three overseers don their masks and face her without fear.  Shadows emerged at the edges of the sorceress’s eyes, ready to let loose; to defend and retrieve what they needed at all costs.  Only, severe magic compels the harpies to still. Whether it was from Haruna’s magic or their contract, Enforce did not know, but she sensed something as ancient and unmistakable as those who had helped to forge their bond to the goddess of the wishing flower.

Cystnenian was lashing just beyond the corner of the sorceress’s eye. “Get out of his reach!” Haruna’s warning came late. He whipped Cory and Fallon.

Order revealed herself to Kabuki, and liquified the floor beneath him. Causing the demon to somehow plunge into hard stone. His eyes stung as he submerged and stretched his limbs into the air.

“Asa!” Moon meowed. He threw his bag, Cozi flying with it. The harpy moved to confront Haruna, her whip dragging behind her carelessly, until it was gone.

A whip snared Kabuki’s wrist and Order exclaimed in frustration. The demon found himself clutching at it, like some makeshift rope!

She willed it to strangle Kabuki’s  neck, but it only tightened in Kabuki’s horns. The demon snarled, yanking his neck and arms away once Asa had pulled him out. And he let himself fall limp, except for the deep breaths his chest heaved.

And the harpies realized the cats had stolen the keys. Nothing more could be done. Their enemies were now champions.

Everyone breathed in silence for a moment. Cory held her arms. “Where Cystnenian?” 

“Right here.” Order huffed.

Cystenian gasped, on the verge of being choked to death. The Irish-man clutching at the tightening whip, allowed his fingers to slip in between his skin and the leather. 

The joints of his left gauntlet pinched into his skin, straining his neck—

His body fell to the floor as the harpy’s fingers pulled the hairs on his head. Throwing itself on the floor to scramble for its own out-of-reach whip. Cystenian suddenly lost feeling of everything below his neck. His senses snapped free.

”Let me go.”

Cystnenian’s body, lying motionless on the ground began to tremble and convulse: neck suddenly bleeding red fog.

It twitches as it rises to back his feet. All but one harpy watched in silence, as a spear materialises from his hand.

“What—what is this?” Order had dropped the dullahan’s head, backing up between her sisters. 

The seemingly possessed suit of armor walks towards the disoriented head, grabbing a hold it. Fallon knelt in the fog as Asa treated her wounds, chuckling to herself about skunks. Asa observed dullahan with his own speculation.

Law flapped her wings, then again, and again until her mournful visage faded and only two harpies were left. Order growled.

Enforce spoke to them. “Disciples…I decline to your victory.” She bowed.

She bit back the harshness of her tone when addressing her sister. “Order, it is time to leave them. The next prisoners shall escape if we dwell on this defeat.”

”I don’t care to torture them anymore: their pain is useless to me. I want him—he needs to pay!“ 

Enforce crossed her wings as if closing a cloak.

Order pointed a finger at Cystnenian.    “ It was my money and he damn well knew it— headless chook-hair bastard…”

Cystnenian jeered. “Is that all you can throw at me? Your bad insults and pitiful self-worth?…You're the one who is the headless chook here. You know damn bloody well, that dried up olive was drunk.”

“What hell did you just call me—”

Fallon stood next to Haruna, grimacing as she attempted to snicker at her own statement. “These two fight more than Mr and Mrs Paterson.” Haruna resisted the urge to crack a smile, the corner of her lip and her eyes brightening in demeanor for just a second.

Enforce pulled Order back, eyeing the disciples. A door revealed itself, appearing in the blink of an eye. “Take your leave, we are tired and do not care to entertain you.”

Glares were exchanged and  the disciples all went through the door, knowing  little of what awaited them next.  

A'marie Aladyah, seer of everything that can be

[evokersapprentice]

The Art of concentration

In a recent post I daydreamed about the advantages of an Artificer/Wizard build, as a pure-bred wizard who spends every combat sweating anxiously about my concentration.

At this stage in the game, having just gained access to fifth level spells, all of my most expensive and impactful moves are reliant on me keeping focus. Whether you choose Animate Objects or Bigby's Hand or Hold Monster or Wall of Force, you can't afford to get distracted from it. The cost is too great - having only one slot a day - and the benefit too pivotal to lose.

People who start off with a level of Artificer are instantly more comfortable. I'd have a +6 to CON saves, which would see me saving concentration on a 32 damage hit on average. I'd effectively have the same buff as a Bladesinger, via INT rather than proficiency, but alas, I was born a simple Evoker, and have +2 CON alone to fall back on.

Dipping my toes

I still think that dipping a level of Artificer now makes a lot of sense. It's not as optimal as starting there, but there are other benefits other than the CON proficiency. Medium armour and shields take my resting AC to 19 from 13 (or 15 with a spell slot). With Shield, I'm suddenly as secure as our tank - and from watching him work, that seems to mean effective immunity from enemy minions, their tiny attack bonuses bouncing off your armour.

I'll also gain two cantrips from a different list, plus Magical Tinkering, and four additional spells prepared, also from of a new list which I can peruse and choose from every day. They're limited to first level, but even just re-taking Absorb Elements and Feather Fall frees a couple of spots to prepare higher level wizard spells, and the new ones are just a bonus. I would actually 'learn' a dozen new spells this way. With no loss of higher level spell slots, delaying learning a couple of wizard spells feels like a very reasonable price.

Double jeopardy

But after that... I'm left with a terrible temptation.

I'm still vulnerable to attack. A hearty AC doesn't help much with that, given that I'll be hanging out of melee and slinging spells from range anyway. It'll be the magical-style attacks with DEX and CON saves that get me. Against a high level foe like a dragon, beholder or enemy mage, when I need my big concentration spells the most, I'll lose them if I'm hit. That's a leak I need to patch.

The standard solution to this weakness, looking to make the best out of a non-optimal hand, would seemingly be to take the Resilient feat at level 13 (Wizard 12), giving me proficiency on all CON saves as well as +1 to my ability score. That would leave me with an odd CON score, but I could eventually round it out at level 17 (Wizard 16) for a boost to HP and another +1 to CON saves. Of course, there's no guarantee the campaign will last that long, and at those levels Wizards don't need to worry so much about being fragile.

Some prefer War Caster, but that gives advantage only on concentration saves and without any ability score increase. I suppose you could double up on the feats - wizards having limited decent options compared to martial characters - but that ship has probably sailed for me, having reached level 9 without either of them.

One alternative, as someone already planning to take one level in Artificer, would be to take a second. This is the temptation, but it's by no means an easy decision. I'm convinced by the one-level dip for all of the reasons above, but doubling down comes with more than double the cost: not only a second level delay in learning higher level spells, but no spell slot progression either. Permanent damage to your wizarding ability.

What you get for that is a mixed bag. The first level traded two wizard spells known for a whole list of artificer spells known, plus four spells and two cantrips prepared, plus AC, and Magical Tinkering. The second level trades two wizard spells known and one or two high level spell slots for... two infused items per day. As a conversion, each of those items has to be worth your marginal spell slot and spell. In effect, they need to offer the benefit of a fifth level spell that you would want to use every day.

I think that one of them meets that high bar. Mind Sharpener sounds incredible: turning a concentration fail to a save four times a day. No reliance on the luck of the dice, like a sort of spellcasting Legendary Resistance. You're not going to fail four concentration checks a day, or at least you'll die first, so you just don't need to worry about it. Concentration stops being a factor. The effects of your higher level spells are here to stay.

If I had this as a spell (i.e. 24 hours, no concentration), I can definitely see myself using my marginal spell slot on it. If a) all of my highest level spell slots are going to be used on concentration spells anyway, b) they're only going to be needed in one big encounter per day, and c) I can only use one of them at any one time, I can get by with one fifth level slot as well as I would with two. The only reason I need the second is to hold in reserve, in case the first attempt doesn't stick, but I now guarantee that it will. I'm guarding the first slot from being wasted. That seems like a fair trade.

Perhaps I'm overly anxious about losing my concentration, but for me the peace of mind would be worth it alone. It's stronger than getting both of the feats above. If you already had one or both of them, or start with Artificer, this might feel like overkill, because you'll have a good chance to pass the save anyway. But I have nothing but my +2 CON, and I'm vulnerable. This is the soonest that I can protect myself, and the best protection I can possibly get.

Or maybe it's not about me. Another wonderful benefit is that the Mind Sharpening object is transferable: this is something the Artificer's infusions have over most self-focused class features. Usually this would make no sense, but in my case I have a Ring of Spell Storing which I'm trying to keep charged for my martial colleagues to use. Ideally, because they don't otherwise use their concentration, this is a way to beat the action economy and have two big concentration spells going at the same time.

The current biggest problem with this plan, using the Ring, is that they often get hit, and so that concentration won't last for very long. A Mind Sharpening helmet will sort that out. Suddenly we can have two of my big spells in operation at once, and I can be Bigby's Hand pushing enemy into a Wall of Fire and cackling. Rather than framing this as losing one of my high level slots, it could be more like I've shared them out, so that two can be used at the same time. Or, if I want to spare my own slots, I can be polymorphed into a Giant Ape and join them in melee.

I will be weaker without a sixth level slot, yes. But question is whether the party benefits more from having (in effect) two fifth level spells in action, rather than access to one sixth, and I just think that it might.

It's only sad that the same infusion can't be used twice at once, so I can't keep the concentration protection for myself too. I have to pick something else for my second infusion, and unfortunately the other options aren't quite at the same level. Most involve creating a +1 wand or weapon or shield, which in our case (thank you DM!) we are able to access fairly regularly. My martial colleagues already have magical items. There will probably be somebody who can still benefit from a +1 somewhere, but I'm not sure that it's worth the cost.

The Homunculus Servant (13 AC, 7 HP) isn't really strong enough at this stage. Wizards have access to various summoning spells, including Find Familiar at first level (11 AC, 1 HP), Tiny Servant at third level (15 AC, 10 HP), right up to Draconic Spirit and others at fifth level (19 AC, 50 HP). It can't communicate with you telepathically, and won't attack without using your bonus action each turn, which stops you using an Animate Objects or Bigby's Hand.

This is a problem with multiclassing: these features might be good for a level 2 Artificer, but they're not up to the standards of a level 11 Wizard. Other than Mind Sharpener, I'm probably not going to be able to infuse a magical item that raises my ceiling. But the good thing about the Artificer infusions is that you can give them to other people. For me, low level magical abilities are useless. But to my martial friends, they count for so much more.

As a spellcasting supremacist, I'm of the view that adding more casters to the party is always good. My friendly Fighter and Rogue are not using their concentration. They may not even be using their bonus actions! Giving them even a first level concentration spell raises their ceiling in a way, and gives us another dimension as a party. Letting the fighter cast Bless and gain +2.5 to each of his three weapon attack rolls, for example, would be pretty worthwhile.

Replicate Magic Items seems to allow this. It may not be in the spirit of the rules-as-written, but one of the common magic items that can be created is a 'spellwrought tattoo' needle, which allows anyone in the party one use of any first level spell or cantrip. It's a weaker version of the Ring of Spell Storing above, but allows access to spells that even I don't know, of which Bless would be a good example.

That versatility is pretty handy: effectively granting me access to all first level spell lists, like one of the Magic Adept feats. The actual spell might not be worth sacrificing my marginal spell slot, as above, although it would certainly take one of the lower ones. But the real benefit is that this can be transferred. It's like the whole party gets a Magic Adept feat to share. I can give any first level spell and a spell slot to anybody. At the very least, the Rogue can abuse Silvery Barbs with me. Together with the Ring, we can all be doing it.

Triple threat

If I do find those infusions tempting - and they are - the danger would then be of staying to level three, which is when Artificers actually get their snazzy subclass features. At first glance, this was the level where things get exciting. A free companion, most notably: from the outside, one of the most attractive features of the class is the advantage of getting a summoned ally (Steel Defender for the Battlesmith and the Eldritch Cannon for the Artillerist) without having to concentrate or use up a spell slot.

I love my remote control toys as a player, so that feature was very attractive to me. Unfortunately, I think that these pets have the same downsides as the Homunculus Servant above - I'm sure they're great for pure Artificers (and scale to Artificer level), but they're too weak to join me at this stage in the game (the Defender only has 15 AC and 21 HP, the Cannon 18 AC and 15 AC), and eat a bonus action which I might want to use for more powerful summons.

On the other side of the common consensus, the option of Alchemist feels unfairly maligned. It may be something of the opposite of the other subclasses: weak for pure Artificers, because it doesn't upscale with Artificer level, but decent for curious Wizards, because it doesn't rely on Artificer level at all. People don't seem to have any time for it at all, but I think it may genuinely be my best option if I did decide to go to Artificer 3.

Healing Word is a decent spell to pick up (without taking up a prepared spell), but for Alchemists it's all about the Experimental Elixirs: the ability to brew one free random potion a day, and then use spell slots to choose to make others, some of which are actually excellent. For a first level slot, I can produce an Elixir of Flight (concentration-free flight for 10 minutes!) or an Elixir of Boldness (effectively a single-target concentration-free Bless!), either one of which would be a really great buff for a teammate - and I get a chance each day of getting one of them for free!

The criticism seems mainly to be that the Alchemists don't get a pet, and therefore lose use of their bonus action, but that isn't a concern at all for me. I can find my own pets - what I can't do is generate healing potions for fun, which this would allow. Interestingly the potions last until my next long rest, meaning that by having a short rest soon after I wake up (as an elf, I don't need to sleep as much as others anyway) Arcane Recovery would allow me to produce four each day and then regenerate the spell slots. So it's basically a free buff for everyone.

As above, this would make me weaker, but it's about the party as a whole. I'm not sure the +2.5 buff for the Fighter is worth it, especially if I can give him a Bless tattoo already until he loses concentration, but giving everybody flight would certainly be fun. It taking an action to drink means it's limited to situation where you can see combat coming, but those situations do exist, and in a melee only combat you could possible afford to waste a turn flying to safety... and ensuring your opponents waste their turns as well.

I'm not convinced. The cost is too great. But... I do see the appeal.

[pepsi-maxwell]

hi!!! i was wondering if you would maybe discuss what wips you're working on (am v curious but no pressure!)

adjflshsjk yeah absolutely aaaaa!

they're pretty much all cmjf save one cody/mjf fic because i will resurrect that ship if it kills me, and one max² fic because max caster deserves more reading material this is a joke if he ever references any of my work i'm moving to greenland

going to put brief summaries of the most plotted out ones in, under a cut to save the dash because it got looooong 😅

so there's the max² semi meta fic i've posted snippets of previously, max caster starts writing the fic he wants to read, but mjf is reading and critiquing them, until caster gets it just right, mjf gives some begrudging praise, somehow identities are revealed and it turns out they've both been reading fanfic about each other to cope with some fucking weird feelings they're having about each other awww bless them!

and then the cody/mjf borderline sugardaddy fic where max really needs to learn to say what he wants instead of bratting and getting annoyed when cody can't read his mind which i have also posted a snippet of and i'm still working on it dammit!! but my brain is having trouble with the angst required augh

and on the cmjf side...whoo boy *wipes brow*

the bodyguard au where cody hires punk to look after his "business partner" for his protection, but it turns out max is really acting out because he wants cody to stop hiding their relationship, until he catches feels for the idiot with the tattoos who sees through his cutesy doting lover act and actually kinda likes the storm rolling beneath the calm exterior

and then the transmasc mjf fic because the fucking firefighter outfit photo makes him look like he had top surgery and i got ideas that Certain People encouraged lmao sadly he does not have a burberry binder in it but just think about that for a moment!

finally the most complete one is the third part of what we are behind closed doors which kills me because i wrote pretty much all of it last night, barring the main sex scene; includes fairly heavy D/s, cockwarming, facefucking, references to dacryphilia, shame kink, daddy kink, aftercare, max being an obnoxious lil shit post-orgasm, all the good stuff!

it's set in some nebulous future period after max returns and wins the championship off punk, they're still fucking, and they've also actually had the discussion about limits and safewords which is something i'm also going to write up at some point because. why not?! maxwell jacob "i don't need a damn safeword" friedman and cm "you are a fucking idiot, pick a word, why do i still want to fuck you" punk <3

snippet below because I'm too excited to post this one

"You really can't help yourself, can you?" He says, stroking his hair this way and that. Messing it up, but Max doesn't care at this point. "Are you that desperate for it?"

He doesn't know if Punk wants an answer for that, but he nods his head anyway, one of the few gestures Punk has allowed him.

"Use your words. Say, 'I'm a desperate slut for daddy's cock.'" Punk's smirking like he's almost expecting him not to, which only serves to engage that dormant part of his brain that doesn't like to back down from a challenge.

So he chases that icy cold feeling of shame in the pit of his stomach, and says exactly what Punk has told him to say. Forces himself to keep looking at Punk while he does, which means he catches that little indulgent smile that makes it a little bit worth it.

[maydaymadier]

So I’m gonna ramble about cr3 party (we’re literally only 3 episodes in, I don’t expect to be right abt any predictions made here, though I would be pleasantly surprised)

- I don’t think this is gonna happen but I do really like my little pet theory that FCG (and his other robo-siblings) were all humanoids at some point that Dancer saved from mortal injuries/generally dying when she figured out how to magically download consciousnesses into automaton bodies.  And maybe for good measure these humanoids were all citizens of Aeor.

- Ashton, oh Ashton, you totally got disowned or kicked out from something, I can feel it in my bones.  You were too much of a problem for someone so they shipped you far away so they didn’t have to deal with you anymore.

- Magic biology so anything goes, so consider, the roots of their ‘hair’ are crystals but maybe if it grew out long enough it would transition into hair hair so he’s got crystal roots and his whole situation is essentially cutting curly hair short so you don’t have to deal with the curls.

- Laudna’s a dhampir this, Laudna’s one of the Sun Tree corpses that, I think her general Creepiness™ means the casual mention of the voice in her head slips through the cracks, is that voice her patron?  I need to know.  

- Imogen can have some muscle, as a treat, she worked on a farm/ranch of some description, she did farm chores, sheered sheep and stuff.

- I have a feeling Orym might end up multiclassing into a caster, call it a hunch, he really seems to like magic but isn’t all that confident in his magical ability.  I get the feeling he might encounter something that’ll inspire him to pursue it seriously.  Maybe a multiclass into paladin?  Who knows.

- I am going to shake Dorian Storm out like a cluttered purse being dumped onto a kitchen counter and rummage through all his secrets

[holdmecloser-gandydancer]

44. “I’m not afraid.” w magnus :O?

Magnus sat in the stuffy waiting room, bouncing his leg restlessly, trying to free some nervous energy. It didn’t seem to be working. He tapped at arms of the chair he was sitting in. It felt like he’d been waiting for hours, thought the very patient tiefling receptionist assured him it had only been about ten minutes. He was just ready to get the interview done and over with.

Honestly, Magnus was surprised when the letter came a few weeks ago, inviting him for an interview. He’d worked as a general security officer for a while when mention of a new, exciting position was made at a meeting for all already involved at the Institute. Something enticing about journeying beyond our planes. Magnus was interested but uncertain if he really fit the bill for the two month mission. His moms had encouraged him to apply for one of the spots.

“The worst they could say is no, baby,” Ma Amada had said one night when they were all in the kitchen, prepping dinner.

“And if they do, then they’re fools,” Ma Arabella said, giving Magnus a cheeky wink and tasking him with setting the table.

So Magnus applied. He skimmed over where the listing said “Knowledge of Casting highly encouraged.” Surely enough other casters would apply, right? Besides, he thought to himself, it couldn’t hurt to try.

That’s precisely how he found himself on the top floor of the Institute, in itchy pants Ma Arabella insisted made him look handsome and professional, ready to start crawling up the walls just to do something.

“Burnsides?”

Magnus’s head whipped around. He was so caught up in thought that he didn’t even hear the door open. He stood up gave an awkward wave.

“Present!”

The gnomish man sent him a bemused look before waving him through the door. Magnus followed behind him and sat in one of the vacant chairs in front of the large oak desk.

“Do you want anything to drink? I have water but I could also procure some tea if that’s more your style.”

Magnus shook his head. “Just water is fine, sir.”

The other man let out a the barest huff of a laugh. “Son, please, you don’t have to call me sir. Davenport is fine.”

“Understood,” Magnus said, reaching for the cup of water Davenport handed him. He took a long sip, trying and failing to avoid spilling some on his nice green shirt. Silently, he cursed his stupid professional clothes. They were the best choice for the interview, he knew that, but they made him feel like some kind of caged animal.

He watched Davenport carefully as he inspected a small stack of papers in a folder. Magnus noticed his mustache twitch a few times; Davenport seemed to be amused by something in what he assumed was his file. He hoped that was a good sign.

“Forgive me, I’ve been at this all day so my brain is a little fried. So, you’re Magnus Burnsides. Human. Currently working as one of the Institute’s security officers, yes?” Davenport asked, finally looking back at Magnus.

Magnus nodded. “That’s right! I’ve been in that job for almost a year.”

“And you have no casting experience?”

“Nope.”

Davenport frowned. “You do know that the listing did say that we preferred casters, right?”

“I do. I also know that I’m still in this interview so there must be something you like about me,” Magnus said, not fully processing his own words as they flew out of his mouth. Rein it in a little, he thought to himself.

Davenport laughed a little. Good to know he seemed to have some sense of humor.

“You do have a point. Yeah, I gotta say, you intrigued me as an applicant. I have a ton of questions I have prepared but honestly? I’d prefer a more casual interview if that’s alright with you.”

“Oh man, I’d love that.” Magnus took another sip of water. He pulled at the collar of his shirt; it was a touch too tight and itched.

“So, tell me why you want to join the Institute’s Planar Exploration mission.”

“Well, I gotta be honest. It just sounds really fuc –“ Magnus caught himself. Not that casual of an interview, he thought. “Um. It sounds really cool. I’ve spent a lot of time looking up at the sky and the stars and stuff and the thought of actually getting to go up there? I mean, you’re the captain of this mission, right?”

Davenport nodded.

“Well, then you get it. There’s this idea that our lives could be meant for something bigger than us. I dig that.”

Magnus watched as Davenport wrote something down in his notes. He was writing for a while, actually. Magnus felt that nervous energy come back.

“I like your answer. Now, I do need you to be honest with me on this next question. What skills do you think that you can bring to this scientific expedition? Because while it’s true that what we’re doing is cool, this is still a research mission at the end of the day.”

“Okay, hear me out. I’ve thought about this a lot. I know you’re all going to be mostly casters and scientists and that’s cool. But uh, aren’t you worried that most of you are going to be pretty squishy?”

Davenport furrowed his brow. “Squishy? What do you mean?”

“Well, think about it. You don’t have any idea of what you might find out there. Could be something awesome, that’s what we’re hoping for. But it could be something that wants to attack, right? If everyone on the ship is busy with science, there’s gonna be no one who can protect the group.” Magnus crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders a bit. “I can be the one to do that.”

“Magnus, you do understand that we have one of the most talented evocation specialists coming on this mission, right? I believe she has us covered when it comes to defensive magic.”

“Sure, but I don’t need any spell slots to do what I do.”

Davenport blinked and nodded before pausing to write some things down.

“Okay. Okay. Fair point. Now, remind me, son, you’re 20?”

Magnus nodded. “Yup! Birthday was two months ago.”

“Right. Alright. Well, I have one last question for you. Obviously we don’t anticipate anything going wrong but we have to always plan for the worst-case scenario. You have the rest of your life ahead of you. Are you prepared to potentially…throw that away? I’m not trying to scare you but with a mission like this, we can never be certain of what we might face.”

For the first time the entire interview, Magnus sat and thought for a moment. He shook his head. “That’s a mighty big question. But I’m not afraid, sir. You’re right, I do have the rest of my life ahead of me. This would be one hell of a start to it, don’t you think?”

Davenport smiled and nodded. He set his pen down and stood up. “Well, this was a very illuminating interview. Thank you. I’ll be in touch very soon.”

“Wait! Can I ask you one question before we wrap this up?”

“Oh, of course. What is it?”

Magnus grinned. “Can I call you Cap’n’port?”

A rich belly-laugh fluttered out of Davenport’s mouth. “Knock yourself out, son.”

[shofics]

For the rqg ask game part 3: Number 3 with Wilde and Ed

Okay, first of all, YOUR MIND.

LOLOMG are going to go into the broken gate spell. Ed is there too. They’re counting up, because Eldarion says she can only bring back nine people, including herself. It’s enough for each member and the hostages, but not enough for Einstein and Ed.

“Perhaps if this will, erm, have some… temporal effects,” Hamid says, looking nervous, “Professor, you could take Ed back with you and he could find Wilde, and let him know? You know Oscar Wilde?”

They agree it might be a good idea, and Ed has a Quest, so he’s raring to go.

Einstein teleports him back into Curie’s office, drops him in a chair, gives her a cheery salute, and pops away again. Curie rolls well on her Knowledge Nobility. Curie is suddenly babysitting an Ed With A Quest, and is having a great time.

“You mean the Meritocratic agent, Mr. Keystone? Why on earth would I know where he is? No, don’t run off, you- no- sit there, Ed, please-”

Meanwhile, Wilde has just successfully (he hopes, oh, gods, does he hope) escaped the Meritocracy. Hoping to get more information, he tracks down the Damascan Harlequin cell that arranged Grizzop’s transportation to Rome and I’m sorry, the high-level caster you got to transport him was Eldarion, that Eldarion? Yes I know who she is, every person who’s studied magic at any point within the past thirty years knows who Eldarion and Marie Curie are-

He’s going to have to go to the top if he wants to find out why his team didn’t come back.

He knows Zolf went back to Earhart’s ship after leaving the group in Prague- what kind of a spy would he be if he hadn’t done a little spying? He’s working with the Harlequins now, and if the man doesn’t drown him the moment he shows up, maybe Wilde will be able to convince him to take him to the Harlequins too.

Curie and Ed are not in Prague. Curie and Ed are in Budapest. Ed fills Curie in on where her wife has gone, what Eldarion is doing; she’d gone to Damascus first. Curie contacts the Harlequin cell there, and yes, Wilde was here, he was asking about you. He said he was trying to defect. If the man is smart then he’ll go to Prague first and track her trail from there, and he is, so Curie sends Ed to Prague to meet him.

Wilde and Zolf arrive in Prague. Wilde and Zolf meet Ed. Wilde rolls well on his Knowledge Nobility, and he’d be caught off guard that Edward Keystone is here to greet him, but honestly, much weirder stuff has been happening to him recently. It’s a drop in the bucket, by this point.

Ed takes them back to Budapest, back to Curie, where they make an exchange of information that turns the tide of a war that hasn't even begun yet. Wilde and Zolf learn about the broken gate spell, about the temporal effects, about everything that’s happened to the LOLOMG since Wilde first clipped the anti-magic shackle to his ankle.

It’s more information than either Zolf or Wilde could have hoped for. They know where the others are, they know what’s happened to them, they know what they have to do. Unfortunately, what they have to do is wait, and neither can bear to do that for long.

So they will continue to chase leads on the Simulacrum, and Zolf will continue to track the weather patterns, and Ed-

Will also come along, why not? Wilde doesn’t have his magic, and they can always use another caster. So Ed joins the team.

Zolf and he butt heads at first, due to Ed’s blind optimism and boundless, unwavering faith- but he learns to like the kid. There’s something about him that speaks to Zolf’s own Not-Too-Happy Childhood senses. He couldn’t not watch out for him if he tried.

Wilde finds Ed fascinating, as a character study. Every single pun he levies goes directly over his head. It’s not even annoying, it’s just intriguing. Zolf has to tell him to back off, stop treating the poor kid like a linguistics experiment.

Ed doesn’t deal with quarantine well. He says he can still feel Apollo with him, but it’s fainter when he can’t reach back.

It reminds him of being locked in his room at home, when he was younger, when he’d be punished and asked to shut up and be good when no one would explain to him what it was he’d done wrong.

“He reminds you of her, doesn’t he?” Wilde asks one night, when Ed isn’t in the room. Zolf glares at him and stomps out, which he knows by now means yes.

Ed calls down Smite Evil as Zolf hauls a stunned and bleeding Wilde to safety. Neither cleric nor paladin can heal him magically, not with the cuffs on. Ed is desperately upset about this, and becomes more upset as Wilde completely stonewalls him for the first time. Has he done something wrong? Why won’t anyone tell him when he’s done something wrong?

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Zolf tells him. “Just… let him deal. ‘S not worth it.”

Okinoshima is grey and wet. Apollo is still with him, even if the sun isn’t.

[basilisklist]

severitus

“An Unlikely Family” by slythermallow

(100k words)

severitus

“When Professor McGonagall falls sick Professor Snape reluctantly goes to check on Harry but nothing could prepare him for what he finds and soon he finds himself looking after the teen for the summer. But things only grow more complicated when a traumatised Slytherin and the Weasley's get involved and the past begins to catch up on them all.”

Fanfic: An Unlikely Family Ch 1, Harry Potter | FanFiction

“Arms of A Dark Angel” by Snapegirlkmf

(232,468 words) complete

severitus

“Neglected by his caregivers, little Harry would not have survived were it not for the mysterious dark angel who helped him. Harry never knew his name, until he went to Hogwarts and discovered a certain professor bore a remarkable resemblance to his savior.”

Fanfic: Arms of A Dark Angel Ch 1, Harry Potter

“In Care of “ by Fang’s Fawn

(47k words)

severitus

“During the summer before sixth year, Harry finds an injured bat in the garden and decides to try to heal it...and an unwilling Snape learns just what kind of a person Harry Potter really is.”

Fanfic: In Care Of Ch 1, Harry Potter | FanFiction

“The Runner” by Nayeri

(46,423 words) complete

severitus

“Harry is a runner of drugs, but becomes addicted to alcohol along the way. Severus finds out, and tries to help him.”

Fanfic: The Runner Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Closing In” by Morning Elegance

(64,942 words)

severitus

“What if Lupin had been unable to teach Harry the Patronus charm, and the job had instead fallen to Snape? How would their relationship have grown as Snape came to care for Harry and discovered the secrets of his home life?”

Fanfic: Closing In Ch 1, Harry Potter

“I Never Knew” by sincerityessential

(140,800 words)

severitus

“Everyone knew that Harry didn't grow up in the most loving home, but no one knew the extent of the abuse he suffered. If he is ever going to escape the abuse and learn to heal he needs someone to help him, but who can he trust?”

Fanfic: I Never Knew Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Acceptance” by enb2004

(92,531 words) complete

severitus

“Snape rescues Harry from the Dursleys, only meaning to save the boy. But when they become emotionally attached, they find themselves in a constantly changing world, where acceptance and love are the only means to survival.”

Fanfic: Acceptance Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Nobody Cared” by etherian

(360,041 words) complete

severitus

“Harry is 11 years old and looking forward to attending Hogwarts. Why, then, does he miss the Welcoming Feast?”

Nobody Cared - Chapter 1 - etherian - Harry Potter - JK Rowling

“Saving Harry” Casyn

(59,210 words)

severitus

“Does Harry need saving? Or does he have to save himself...from himself?”

Fanfic: Saving Harry Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Where Do I Go From Here?” by The Ivory Raven

(90,553 words)

severitus

“After a difficult summer, Harry returns to Hogwarts and keeps his homelife a secret. But the new DADA professor leaves him with an even bigger secret to hide. How will he cope, and what does Snape have to do with it all?”

Fanfic: Where Do I Go From Here? Ch 1, Harry Potter

“On the Flip Side” series by MusicMelis

- On the Flip Side (113,166 words) complete

- On the Flip Side II- Uprising (84,159 words) complete

- On the Flip Side: Glimpses (27,674 words) complete

harry/daphne

severitus

“After Harry runs away from his relative's during the summer and gets in a fight the first day of school, Snape argues that he needs to be watched more and have more guidance. His argument backfires when Dumbledore suggests Harry be in Slytherin for a term. Will Harry see another side to the Slytherins? And will Snape finally see the real Harry?”

Author: MusicMelis

“The Taming Of Harry Potter” by Mel J 1701

(65,758 words)

severitus

“For young Harry Potter, a cupboard under the stairs was luxury compared to the conditions he has been kept in since he was seven years old…”

Fanfic: The Taming Of Harry Potter Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Sudis, Clavus, Corpus” by SaukaraSnape

(51k words)

severitus

“Harry Potter ran away at ten years and has been living on the streets. What happens to Harry Potter at Hogwarts? A Slytherin Harry Potter?”

Fanfic: Sudis, Clavus, Corpus Ch 1, Harry Potter

“Blood Protection” by Sheankelor

(61,520 words)

severitus

“Always Protector does just that, it protects from anything and everything that the caster thinks of as a danger at any time, no matter what. Severus cast it on the Potter family, but it could only protect one.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13830762/chapters/31809225

“One of Those Days” by Anthezar

(143,255 words)

severitus

“One strange spell. That's all it took to alter the course of Harry's life - and everyone else's life around him. Bound to stay within ten feet of each other, Harry Potter and Severus Snape have to learn to get along or die trying. But in the hardest of times, one can learn things never imagined possible. After all, the past doesn't define the future.”

Fanfic: One of Those Days Ch 1, Harry Potter

“A Change of Fate” by Arathin

(98,064 words)

<<no ships>>

severitus

“Sirius wasn't sent to Azkaban. Harry receives a pet snake that is more than it seems, and adopts Severus as his Father. Torture and Torment ensue for the Gryffindors. There is a new Dark Lord in town, and his name is Harry.”

Fanfic: A Change of Fate Ch 1, Harry Potter

“A New Place To Stay” by DebsTheSlytherinSnapefan

(344,130 words) complete

severitus

“Harry Potter is called up to Dumbledore's office and told he was being moved elsewhere to keep him safe. He no longer has to stay at the Dursley's, but Dumbledore tells him he has to stay with Severus Snape. For a few days it seemed like a bad idea. Until Severus Snape uncovers the truth of who Harry Potter really is and what he's been through. Watch as Severus does as nobody else has done before him. He takes care of Harry. Watch him flourish into who he was meant to be, a boy with the heart of a Gryffindor and smarts of a Slytherin. The Dursley's, Umbridge and Dumbledore had better watch out Severus is out for revenge. Spy or no spy, Severus is not allowing anyone to get away with hurting Harry.”

A New Place To Stay - Chapter 1 - DebsTheSlytherinSnapeFan - Harry Potter - Fandom

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #192

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're building the enchanting Caster of Okeanos, which despite her name doesn't actually show up in Okeanos, but rather the fourth pseudosingularity, Salem. She's also one of the last servants in the game (so far) to have her true name hidden, so pretty soon I can stop pointing out how her character build below the cut has true name spoilers. Specifically, this build also includes spoilers for the Salem pseudosingularity, so read at your own peril.

If you'd rather just check out her character sheet, you can find that over here.

Next up: The equal to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, so just, equal to heaven, I guess.

Circe is a Transmutation Wizard, because she is a witch, and Transmutation is where they stuck polymorph.

Race and Background

Like her protege, Circe is an Elf, but if we want kindasorta falcon wings, that might be tricky. Just kidding, for some reason WotC thought winged elves were a priority, so we got Avariel Elves from an unearthed arcana. This means you only get +2 to a single stat, but we can make that Intelligence thanks to Tasha's for a brain blast. Your subrace gives you 30' of flying speed as long as you don't wear medium or heavy armor (not an issue), as well as the standard elf kit: Darkvision, Fey Ancestry to protect against charms, Trances instead of sleep, and proficiency in Perception thanks to your Keen Senses.

Circe lives on her island alone (if you don't count pigs) so that makes her a Hermit, privy to the secrets of the universe as well as Medicine and replacing the other proficiency (which we'll get back as a class proficiency) with Deception. Tricking men into turning into pigs is kind of a hobby for you.

Ability Scores

Your strongest score should go into Intelligence, that's how you cast spells, and also you're clearly more intelligent than the men who show up on your island. Speaking of, Charisma is next- you're a witch in the middle of a witch hunt that somehow never got caught, and there's also that whole Pig Island thing. Your Dexterity is also pretty good, it's hard enough to cast spells while walking, let alone flying. Also those heels, oh my fucking god how have you not broken an ankle yet. Your Constitution is above average mostly because I'd feel bad putting it any lower. That means your Wisdom is pretty low. You publicly introduce yourself as a witch in the middle of the Salem Witch Trials, and you're pretty flighty in general. Finally, dump Strength. You're a wizard, and you're clearly not that buff.

Class Levels

Circe is a wizard, meaning she starts off with proficiency in Intelligence and Wisdom saves, as well as Arcana and Religion. When you worship the goddess of magic, there isn't much of a difference, tbh. Speaking of magic, you can cast and prepare Spells using your Intelligence. Your spell slots normally only recharge on long rests, but once per long rest you can get a couple slots back on a short rest thanks to your Arcane Recovery, giving you back slots of a total level equal to half your wizard level rounded up. So when you hit level three, you can get back one 2nd level slot, or two 1st level slots. The thing about wizard is, they get a lot of spells. Six now, and two each level, plus whatever they can scavenge from other wizards. Since Circe's whole power set is "good at magic", there really isn't a set of spells that fit- any spell you could cast would be applicable. So rather than try to boil it down myself, we're just giving a rough guide here. There's a whole ass list on the character sheet, and we'll bring up the super important ones here, but really there's three qualifications: if a spell fits into one of these categories, Circe would probably have it. 1. Is it useful? The most open-ended, but just fill in spaces left by the other 2 with spells you want. I'm not a goddamn baby sitter, pick spells you like. 2. Can it turn one thing into another? Men to pigs, You into Medea, whatever kykeon is made out of into kykeon, this one's pretty easy to spot. 3. Can it help someone sail a ship? A bit specific, but helping the sailors she doesn't turn into pigs is also Circe's thing. Skill empowerment, weather control, that kind of thing. With all that out of the way, the big spells you'll probably want at first level are Mage Armor for not dying, Magic Missile for caster balls, and Sleep to knock out the sailors while you go around turning them to pigs. True Polymorph takes an hour per sailor and you need to recharge with a long rest, so this’ll take a while.

At second level, you become a Transmutation Savant, giving you all sorts of bonuses, like how copying transmutation spells into your book is cheaper and faster now. You can also make Minor Alchemy, turning 1 cubic foot of wood, stone, iron, copper, or silver, into another material on that list over the course of 10 minutes. You're not strong enough to shatter wooden chains either, but hopefully someone on your team is. This transformation lasts up to an hour or until you lose concentration, then it turns back to its regular form.

Third level wizards get Cantrip Formulas, letting you swap out one cantrip you know with a cantrip you don't know at the end of a long rest. You also get second level spells, like Alter Self to turn into Medea (among other benefits), and Gust of Wind to help out with sailing.

Use your first Ability Score Improvement to get a Keen Mind- always knowing which way you're facing and the angle the sun should be at are both really useful on the open sea. It also rounds up your Intelligence for stronger spells, and you can make your DM's life hell by remembering things up to a month after they happened.

Fifth level wizards get third level spells. Feign Death will help fake Mata Hari’s hanging later on, and Bestow Curse is super useful, since it can give a creature disadvantage on one kind of save. Like, say, wisdom saves. I wonder if there's a spell you like that requires a wisdom save coming up?

Sixth level transmutation wizards can create a Transmuter's Stone, a tiny object that gives its holder one of several benefits. When you make the stone, and if you're holding it while casting a transmutation spell, you can choose its beneft from the following: Darkvision, increased speed, proficiency in constitution saves, or resistance to one of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. You can only make one at a time after 8 hours of work, so don't try to stack them.

Seventh level wizards get fourth level spells, and you could get polymorph now if you really want, but you can also get that spell later for free, so if you're patient, you can get another spell now. If you do go for polymorph, it forces a wisdom save on a creature, and if they fail the save or they're willing, you can turn one creature into a beast with a CR equal to or less than the target's CR or level. All of the creature's stats are replaced by the new creature's, outside of alignment and personality. If it drops to 0 HP in this form, and hour passes, or you drop concentration, they turn back to normal. You can also cast other fourth level spells, like Control Water for sailing, Fabricate to turn... barley, just looked it up, into kykeon. Or any raw materials into a finished product that is Large or smaller.

At eighth level, you get another ASI that'll let you max out your Intelligence for super strong spells. That, plus your curses, will make your polymorph super hard to resist. When you get it.

Ninth level wizards get fifth level spells, like Control Winds and Skill Empowerment, as well as Scrying.

A tenth level transmuter is a Shapechanger, giving you the polymorph spell for free. You can also cast it on yourself once per short rest for free, but only if you turn into something CR 1 or lower. Sadly Medea isn't a beast or CR 1, but it doesn't hurt to practice. Also, yeah! You can now turn pretty much anyone into a Pig (CR 0, so there’s no excuse) or if you want to weaponize it, a Giant Boar (CR 2). Just promise to turn them back if they do your bidding. Still only lasts an hour, but they don’t have to know that.

Eleventh level wizards get sixth level spells. There really isn’t anything specifically Circe-like I want at this level, so just grab whatever your heart wants. There will be time for specifics later.

At twelfth level you get another ASI, and since your intelligence is maxed out we can diversify. Grab the War Caster feat for advantage on concentration saves (very good for pigmaking), the ability to cast spells with your hands full (not applicable), and best of all, you can cast spells as opportunity attacks if that spell as an action casting time and targets a creature. Oh hey, guess what spell fits that description?

Thirteenth level casters get seventh level spells! Again, not necessarily anything you need from here, but Plane Shift is always cool. Maybe you can stumble onto the pig dimension or something.

Your last goody from the transmutation specialty is to become a Master Transmuter, burning your transmuter stone in one go for a burst of magical power. Afterwards, you can’t make a new one until you take a long rest. You can use this for a Major Transformation, permanently changing a medium or smaller nonmagical object into another of similar size & mass (you also can’t cheese value out of this) over the course of 10 minutes. Alternatively, you make a Panacea, removing all curses, diseases, and poisons from a single creature, while also healing it back to full health. That’s some good eating. Going even further, you can Restore Life to cast Raise Dead without a spell slot. Death is a pretty hard line in the Nasuverse, but if anyone could do it it’d probably be Circe. Finally, you can Restore Youth to reduce a creature’s age by 3d10 years without extending their lifespan. You’ve clearly used that on yourself a couple times, but I can’t blame you.

Fifteenth level wizards get eighth level spells, and for once there is something I want to get. You might not use Scylla in-game, but hey, giant sea monsters are cool, so use either Summon Greater Demon, Dominate Monster, or Illusory Dragon to get one, depending on your preferred method.

You get yet another ASI, so bump up your Constitution for better concentration and more health- remember, health gets added retroactively, so that’s 16 extra this level, not one.

At seventeenth level you finally get ninth level spells, giving you access to Mass Polymorph for a proper pig banquet. This one is limited to only half the targets’ levels, but a pig is still CR 0, so it shouldn’t be a big issue. However, if you’re feeling really cruel, you can use True Polymorph for a more... permanent solution. If you keep concentration up for a full hour, the change lasts until it is dispelled. You can also turn objects into creatures, or creatures into objects, but none of those are particularly in character.

Eighteenth level wizards get Spell Mastery, giving you a 1st & 2nd level spell that you can cast for absolutely free, no restrictions. You can always change it later, but I highly suggest Magic Missile so you always have some damage on standby, and Alter Self for the versatility of it.

Your penultimate level grants you your ultimate ASI, so bump up your Charisma for an easier time tricking sailors. It doesn’t do much for the build, but at this point it doesn’t need to.

Your final level of the build gives you two Signature Spells, 3rd level spells that you can cast once per short rest without spending a spell slot. Sadly polymorph is a fourth level spell so it isn’t in the running, but Bestow Curse and Tidal Wave are good runners up. I never said you had to be nice to sailors, just help them out occasionally.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Polymorph is one of the easiest ways to utterly shut down an enemy if it hits, at the very least buying you an hour to run away and regroup. It’s also very funny.

The Transmuter’s Stone is a very powerful support tool, protecting you and giving you healing options wizards don’t normally get. You also come loaded with tools like Skill Empowerment, which is just flexible enough to be useful even when you’re not on a ship.

You get concentration free flight, which is incredibly useful for a spellcaster. Being able to completely avoid an enemy’s front line and turn their back line into pigs is very useful.

Cons

The reason your flight being concentration free is such a big deal is because a lot of your spells use concentration. Honestly, your saves aren’t that bad (esp. with war caster) but it still limits your options, especially when your signature move requires concentration.

While your stone is powerful, it has a huge recharge time to contend with, requiring a long rest followed by an extra 8 hours of work, and the entire time between now and then you might as well not have a subclass. It’s a pretty harsh penalty for actually using your class feature.

It takes a while for this build to go from level one to casting polymorph, so if you want a build you can jump right into and feel like the character, this build definitely isn’t what you’re looking for.

[saphirered]

Late Night  Caleb Widogast x reader

*You got in the splash zone of a fireball and have a good post battle talk with the caster assuring him it’s not his fault you got hurt*

The fight was turning and not in your favour. Two away from the main fight. One down. You use your staff to swing at your opponent and deflect a blow from another with the other end. Behind you you saw Fjord looking between you and the unconscious wizard on the docks. 

“Go! I’ll be fine!” You shouted swiping the legs out from under one of the crew members. Within a second Fjord teleported away and started making his way toward Caleb. You started going the same way too but on the gangplank you were met with the Captain herself. She came at you with her rapier and you just managed to avoid the first hit but the second one cut into your arm pretty deeply. You’ve had much worse though but with the ship behind you and Avantika in front you couldn’t really go anywhere. She kept attacking you but you managed to hold your ground landing some good hits yourself but the fight seemed far from over until a red light shot out from the far docks hitting the ship. The heat of a fireball burned at your side and you were flung off the gangplank barely making it onto the docks. Avantika seemed to be fine and just out of range but now you were far enough away from her. Grunting you got up, your entire left side of your body tingling, scorched red and bleeding. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been had you been at the centre like some of the unlucky crew members but it still hurt a good bit. You ignored the pain and as the Captain looked behind her to see you get up with a smirk and a wave taking a sprint as far as you could until you were stopped by guards. You held up your hands in surrender and just followed along with the others. 

From your position you could see Caleb standing frozen in place eyes glazed over arm stretched out as the guards grabbed him. Though from what you could see, the wizards wouldn’t be in the right mind to cast spells any time soon. Everyone went along and you were begging the gods the plan worked out and Beau and Jester got the book to the Plank King.

——————————————————————————

Everything had worked out fine in the end… at least as well as to be expected and the Nein now had ownership of the Squalleater and were back on sea with their crew, all banished from Darktow. The sun set a few hours ago and you took watch as you felt like sleep would not come to you easily anyway. Jester and Caduceus had been able to heal your injuries but you still felt like you had taken a dive off a cliffside onto the rocks. You stand on the deck watching the sky, the sails blowing in the wind and into the vast darkness of the never ending sea, Darktow now far behind. Stuck in your own world you don’t hear Caleb getting onto the deck and pick a spot far away from you staring into nothingness. Deciding it’s time to try and get some sleep you get up but seeing the wizard sitting at bow of the ship looking at the partially scorched masts and deck fiddling with something between his fingers you decide against it after all. You walk over and sit down next to him. He doesn’t respond beyond the brief pause of his motions let you know he knows you are there.

“If you want me to leave you alone I can go.” You look at him expecting some sort of a response, words or not but you got none. Waiting a little bit longer you eventually get up. Half up a hand wrapped around your arm so you sit back down in a comfortable silence. You know, to an extend what he had been through and what happened in Darktow triggered some bad memories. Caleb would talk if he felt like talking so you’d wait patiently and you stay with him night and day if it means he’d utter even a single word. He’s suffering and sometimes someone just being there can make even the tiniest difference. At least, for you it had in the past. Hours pass and you gather from the sky you are but hours away from dawn though only Caleb can confirm your estimate more precisely. Your mind starts wandering again looking at the sky, the endless seas ahead but you are pull out of your thoughts by the wizard speaking. 

“How?” Caleb breaks the silence. The word came out raspy and ridden with guilt and pain, eyes still trained on the scorched ship. “How can you still look me in the eye let alone sit next to me knowing what I did to you?” A pitied frown creeps onto your face as you tried to formulate an answer. You feel bad for him but that doesn’t change the way he’s feeling. 

“Because it was never your intend. Because sometimes accidents happen. Caleb, you might be one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met but you can’t know everything. You can’t control everything no matter how hard you try. You didn’t know I was there and to be honest, if you hadn’t cast that spell I’m sure I’d be dead right now with my head on a spike or weighed down by some rocks at the bottom of the sea.” You turned to face him. “I’m alive aren’t I? I’m still here and I’m still kicking. That’s what counts.” You softly put you hand on the side of his face and turned it away from looking at the fading burn marks now no more than a bad sunburn thanks to the clerics. 

“I don’t want to lose anyone else. I don’t know why even the thought of losing you hurts so much. I can’t afford to lose someone else.” He’s conflicted. Caleb never truly cared about who lived or died. Sure he’s grown attached to the Mighty Nein but wouldn’t hesitate to run should it come to it. At least, that’s how it had been. He’s changing, experiencing things he hadn’t felt in a long while. A sense of belonging, friends maybe even family. He’s not alone anymore and while that comes with many perks, it also came with risks and downsides to the way of life he has grown so accustomed to.

“It hurts because you are a good man, Caleb. It shows you have a heart and care for those other than yourself.” You reach for his bandaged hand but don’t touch until he places his hand in yours. You give his hand a squeeze and guiding him slightly to the side so you can see his expression.

“I’m anything but a good man. The things I’ve done, I’ll never be a good man.” He looks down at your hands and you bit your lip. Despite his hunger for learning and broadening his mind he is stubborn and changing his mind is as difficult as getting Nott to give up alcohol.

“I’m only going to tell you this once so listen carefully.” You encompass the hand you’re holding and move to unwrap the bandage. To your surprise he doesn’t stop you and turns his arm to make it easier for you to do so. “You feel that pain? That guilt and regret and heartbreak tearing at your soul? Don’t wallow in it for it will not serve you well. You carry your mistakes and regrets with you and they will weigh you down like bricks. You use your bricks to build but your actions will determine whenever you are building a palace or a prison. Only you can make that decision but know you have the potential to create a better tomorrow for everyone.” You remove the bandages from his left arm and moved on to the right. Caleb keeps his focus on your hands as you work. While your hands may be weathered and show the years of labor and harsh circumstances  your touch is soft, careful and deliberate like a porcelain painter, delicate and precise with fragile material. 

“These scars? They are part of you but they are not all you are. You are so much more than your past, Caleb.” You trace the scars on his arms. His eyes focus on your every movement.

“You want revenge on those who wronged you and hurt you like they did and continue to do so many others and I swear, if that is what you desire, what you need I will help you do so but do not let it be your undoing. You use your guilt and anger and mistakes and you use them to drive you but do not forget your compassion, kindness and desire to right your wrongs and remember why you are on this path. You are not alone anymore. Empires rise and fall by the actions of one. Imagine what a bunch of assholes trying leave a place better than they found it can do to the world.” He finally looks you in the eye and you can see the turmoil trying to calculate and process what’s going through his mind. The Caleb always quick witted and charismatic seems to have problems finding words.

“Thank you… For everything.” He trails off. You start picking up the bandages to wrap his arms again. “No leave them… For now at least.” He traces over one of the more prominent scars. 

“Only told you what you undoubtedly already knew but are just to stubborn to accept, you idiot.” He musters a smile at your comment and breathes in deeply.

“A bunch of assholes changing the world? I like the sound of that.”