#infernaliscor. ﹙ karlach ﹚

[feuerwizard]

@infernaliscor asked: "for the first time in a really long time, i feel hopeful." // critical role sentence starters;; open

Karlach's words tumble from her lips and hang in the air like a weighty promise. He stands there in silence, his thoughts swirling with the careful warning Dammon had given them about her engine. It hums and purrs beneath her skin, a hidden force with fiery power and potential danger. This is a temporary fix. Temporary. He couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, unsure of how to respond. If only he could get his hands on Dammon’s research, perhaps he could find a way to understand the mechanism inside her however unlikely—this wizard is no expert in engineering and an arcane solution has yet to present itself.

Frumpkin, currently in the form of a tiny owl rather than his usual cat form, perches delicately on the tiefling's shoulder. His sharp talons gently grip the fabric of her clothing as he looks around with bright eyes. With each step, there is a soft pitter-patter of clawed feet against her shoulder, like a comforting massage. “Does it feel better? Your engine?” Caleb asks, blue eyes shifting from Frumpkin to Karlach’s.

[vigilant-cleric]

@infernaliscor

____

Right. He could do this. His training was very far away, but he could remember it. What to do in a situation where you were dropped in the middle of nowhere without memories of what dragged you there? Alright, well, it wasn't this exact wording, but there had to be something... Gather supplies, water, wood for a campfire, spot a place where you can see without being seen to camp at, and don't stay alone, don't stay alone, don't stay alone.

This part he knew. Hammered home by the sergeant.

Ashen removed his helmet for a brief moment, wiped at the sweat on his brow. Despite everything, he was gathered. Calm. Focused. This would not last for long.

As he made his way through the wilderness, he pushed the roots on his way with his boot, shoving them away. Enough of a lapse in concentration to find out that there was someone nearby, and that she had probably heard him before he noticed her.

A tiefling. Not an unusual sight, but something froze within him. For a moment, his rational mind shut off. His veins turned to ice. Something awoke within him that he had not felt in a long time, and he could not quite place it. His breathing quickened, his ribcage felt like an inescapable prison. Anxiety. Fear. Dread. Anger. All of this at the same time.

He felt like the best choice in that moment was to flee, but his body would not move despite giving the order repeatedly. Finally, he knew what was wrong. He could see them again in his mind. The inferno of Elturel, the smoking ruins, the snickering cambions.

"Great Guard help me," was the only thing he managed to mutter under his breath. He had stumbled upon one of Zariel's soldiers, or so he thought.

[radiaking]

+ memes / accepting!

@infernaliscor said: ❝ okay, rocky start. could’ve been worse, though. ❞

        There is dust and debris everywhere, bodies strewn here and there, mostly unconscious, some still groaning in pain. "Coulda been a helluva a lot fuckin' better."

[o-rusted-heart]

"So, what do you think? Reckon you could do something with Old Rusty here?"

The old synth had been gently pulled aside on his latest trip to Goodneighbor. Usually he'd take it as a threat considering the town, but... well, it was hard to deny the mayor a favor when he asked for one.

Just a look at his new bodyguard. Nick figured it was a way to brag up until he laid eyes on her, blinked, and then squinted at the indicated... thing.

A pulsing heat where her heart should be. Nick grimaced and dropped his hands to his hips. "I, uh... I dunno. I've never seen anything like it. I'm just gobsmacked you're alive and talkin' to me, doll."

"But, uh, clearly you are. So we're already on the right track, I suppose." A pause, and Nick seemed to remember he was staring at a woman's chest. He took a polite step back and bowed his head. "Name's Nick, but I assume our favorite Statesman already filled you in on that."

[heartsdefine]

@infernaliscor — lucy maclean starter call / accepting!

        “Thank you,” Lucy says, echoes of relief in her voice despite the wariness in her eyes. A few days ago, the dead ghoul this stranger just took out would have been enough to win her trust. Now, she's learned to be more careful. “Sorry, I just...” Lucy exhales a sigh. “I haven't met too many people up here who are willing to help each other out.” She swallows, trying not to think too much about how dry her mouth has gotten, or the taste of dust on her tongue. “I'm Lucy.”

[rubistella]

Throws Scratch's ball cause she knows it would get his attention AWAY from Astarion.

@spiderwarden || unprompted

Throws Karlach's head to get Minthara's attention away from Scratch.

[willofvlaakith]

"You should eat something, Lae. It's been a long day of travel."

🗡

Lae'zel cracks open an eye.

Something oddly, conflicted knits the gith's brow. Only for a blink of a moment, not even a heartbeat. The slits of her irises narrow, calculating, and cat-like. Were she some four-pawed beast, she would be judging you.

She had been at her tent, knees planted firmly, hands resting on the surface of her own thighs in an almost arrogant solemn. The fighter doesn't even much as lift her chin to face her companion, instead, staring nearby towards the dwindling flame marking the center point of camp.

"My body will decide for me when it hungers." A firm quip— It seems as if she's already made her mind up on the matter. "Not you."

🗡

[neverhangd]

‘ all the wealth within these walls will never buy the thing called love. ’

HADESTOWN SENTENCE STARTERS PT III

Anne glances back in mild surprise at Karlach, the gold piece she was inspecting still held in a loose grip between thumb and forefinger. The waves of heat radiating off of Karlach’s body makes the air around her dance, giving the mounds of treasure around them mirage-like quality. Anne glances back down at the gold in her hand and huffs through her nose, standing and turning to Karlach with a softer expression. She’s a hard-nosed bitch to most of them—the Blade, the wizard, the cleric, the gith—but Karlach has an indomitable spirit that Anne likes and friendly cajolingness to her that makes her hard to dislike to boot.

“That’s ’cause love en’t bought, big girl.” Anne flips the coin to her. “It’s caught. Like a fire catches, maybe, or like a trap does.” She should know. Twice now she’s been in love, and twice burned and captured—one each literally, all metaphors aside. “Money buys nice things, and love en’t a nice thing.”

[deathswcrn]

Starter for @infernaliscor || The Dogs of the Blood War

It turned out, training in the Cruicible - with the heat of the silver smelters blistering her skin as she fought fistfight after fistfight - prepared her well for the Hells. The cambion Conrad looked back at her, expecting the fires of Avernus to make her flinch. Instead, she smiled, closed her eyes, and welcomed the almost familiar smell of fire and ash. "Thought you said it'd be miserable?" she asked, opening her one good eye, amusement dancing like a spark there.

He growled and tugged on the magical leash attached to the metal collar at her throat - she stumbled, but recovered quickly enough for her dignity to remain intact. They were in some sort of temporary campsite, at the edge of a bloody battle being raged ahead. The latest skirmish of the Blood War. There were such a mix of characters around her - cambions, lemures, imps, demons and devils of a dizzying array, as well as those snatched like herself from Faerun, human, tiefling, elf, dwarf.

Conrad was interested in none of it, and brought her before a single-horned red tiefling standing on a lip of blackened molten rock jutting out from the ashen surface and threw her to the ground with the leash. She scrunched up her fists and tried to get back to her feet, but felt the leash holding her down.

"Say, Karlach," said Conrad, casually, "What do you think of my new warhound? Isn't she a beast. Took down a dragon all on her own." Fingers curled around her chin to show the tiefling the scarring across her face, still fresh and red and raw. "She's to fight with you. Zariel's orders. Do make sure she gets a good weapon before she goes out so she can survive the night - I like her bite."

Then the leash, and Conrad, was gone, leaving Breina swearing at a spot of ash that and eyeing up Karlach wearily. "Are all cambions dickbags like him, or did I get unlucky?"

[atomiqueen]

@infernaliscor — cont'd.

Lucy smiled brightly. She liked Karlach, already. And it was more than a little bit of a relief to meet someone else who seemed to care about other people. Not that she could always blame the rest of the surface-dwellers for doing what they had to do to survive. It was a lawless place up here, and she would have find some way to adapt without losing parts of herself in the process.

        “Bessie?” She leaned slightly, expecting to find another person behind her, but instead got a better look at the weapon strapped to Karlach's back. It looked to be at least as tall as Lucy, and she doubted she'd be able to heft it if she tried. “Oh! I get it. You named your ax.” Still smiling, Lucy nodded. “Oh, Moldaver's definitely a bad guy, but I'm hoping we can avoid too much smacking.” 

        “I just have to deliver this, er...package...to her.” Lucy gestures to the head tied in a bundle at her hip. “Then, hopefully, she'll give me back my dad.” 

[shadovan]

@infernaliscor

She was there again, the lich noticed. With several of his peers and buyers of wares consistently visiting the tavern in the evenings, it wasn't uncommon for him to be there. Regardless of what he was, Tareque still managed to cling to what remained of his sanity and mental stability by forcing himself into social situations, even if he occasionally dreaded it. None the less, he had noticed her for three nights in a row now, the Tiefling making acquaintances with what seemed to be great ease. Ah, how he envied that social ability. Journeying folk showed face from time to time and the novelty rarely went unnoticed.

Settling down in one of the chairs near her, he looked at the woman, curiously. "You are new here." More an observation than a question. "Are you traveling through the region?" He motioned to one of the drink-bearers to get her another one, on his own coin.

[lunawish]

❝ The fauna and wildlife here is not so different from the species of where I originated. It's ... It's comforting, I must confess. ❞ In her hand, she grasps the alchemical compendium that she borrowed from Gale earlier ( somehow, he knew titles of texts for every subject matter here ).

Gently, her gloved hand brush against the flower petals. A soft smile gracing her lips. ❝ Autumncrocus. It's beautiful. ❞ Edelgard decides to leave the flora standing, not wanting to pluck away its beauty. Slowly, she sits directly on the grass and casts her gaze towards @infernaliscor.

❝ Karlach, do you have a favourite flower ... or plant? ❞ / sc.

[apalestar]

📜

@infernaliscor from Send in 📜

Astarion: holding a bottle Is this whiskey or perfume? Karlach: chugs entire bottle Karlach: It’s perfume.

[waywardtavsanddurges]

@infernaliscor

"Over here, Karlach, these are the ones I was telling you about." Felyn said, motioning the fiery Tiefling over to a large, fleshy fungi that looked like a giant basket or barrel. Inside was crisp, cool, and clean water.

"Barrelstalk." Felyn said, cupping a hand and dipping it into the water, tasting the slightly woody-musky tinge the mushroom gave the liquid. "Still young. When these mature, the water because poisonous from the spores, but you can usually see that in the water before tasting it."

[rubistella]

@infernaliscor || continued from 𐕣

Astarion’s lips slanted, wry at every angle in cynicism and poise alike.

Spoken letters? To add insult to injury, of erotic calibre no less. 

It was hard not to break into fits of laughter at the absurdity of it all. A visceral, hoarse peal of sound characteristic of that riffing tenor the vampire would often carry. Fangs exposed and head falling further back. A high not so easy to come down from without Karlach’s face souring to cushion its landing.

“Ah, ha ha ha! You’ve got to be joking.”

No trace of mirth was found in the steep dip of Karlach’s frown.

Shit.

“Oh,” The vampire baulked, all melody and merry falling from his form. Brows low and leery. “You’re serious?” It took clearing his throat not to fall back into laughter, though nothing kept the spawn from secretly humming a private chuckle to himself. "Karlach- the fury of avernus, seeking to be touched by pillow talk and whispered obscenity?"

Astarion couldn't help himself when impulse took over. That impounded cruelty that came in frustration's tow was like a clot ready to be spewed. Karlach's condition, after all, manifested itself as a two-way street. Because he, too, couldn't touch her... Couldn't act on his usual modus operandi to secure one powerful ally. Couldn't drink from her either when the tiefling had been more than willing to let him share in her blood.

It was awful, really.

And it brought out the worst in him too.

"How the mighty have fallen..." Rather like his own predicament, none of it had been her fault. Not that it would stop him from rubbing salt to the wound, of course.

The hurt, the acrimony- the damage laced in her features, however, just might.

[immobiliter]

@infernaliscor sent a meme: “Every kicked buttock, another step on the path.” - for jaheira :D

       It was hard not to smile in Karlach's presence, at her peculiar turns of phrase; in spite of all she'd gone through, all she'd suffered and continued to suffer as a result of her infernal engine for a heart, the girl was so full of life. It was infectious, and warmed an old woman's heart to see such hope and resilience in the face of their odds. Jaheira needn't be concerned. Baldur's Gate still had heroes to protect it — they were stood right in front of her. “ And the closer we get to kicking the ultimate buttock. ” Street thugs lay dead at their feet; Jaheira stepped over to a nearby brick wall and swiped her blade along it, wiping off the blood. “ A brain looks sort of like a buttock, no? ”