#it's audric. i mean audric

[anneapocalypse]

Thinking about the fact that we've had a spirit companion in every Dragon Age game, they've just gotten progressively more talkative.

Faith was silent, but present! Justice had opinions. Cole said a lot of things people would rather he Didn't if they're being honest.

So it would fit the pattern if in Dreadwolf our spirit companion was Curiosity, a friendly spirit with a special interest he's eager to tell us all about.

[bleaksqueak]

And his brother, who was scary... but also very hot.

Special omake comic by @elanorpam

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Support artists and the production of this comic

[vault81]

torn between the grey warden background and mourn watch... would be nice to play a warden again... or I could be a little freak found in a tomb as a baby by undead then raised by necromancers..

[felassan]

DA:TV spoilers/long post under cut. This post is a continuation of [this post] and [this post].

Reminds me of Crom Cruach. fitting for an Avvar :) where Rian the Red was a hero of the Fourth Blight, this Cruach the Wolf was a hero of the Third Blight.

A Dalish elf and former Keeper named Ifean who became a Grey Warden. sounds like they used they/them pronouns. :> I wonder if the Dryden here was Sophia Dryden, former Warden-Commander of Ferelden?

After First Days and Last Days come New Days. the Blighted Black City.

Clan Ersallae. New Dalish clan name dropped.

This environmental art of the tree-person coming out of the broken eluvian was so cool and beautiful and eerie, it goes really hard

The prop for the Executors Mysterious Circles codex points is exactly like the art of the same set of symbols in the secret ending :D

doing this with the art on those 'cards' was rly cool too. :)

Clan Sabrae reference! My lil Mahariel-loving heart is thrilled.

Deep Roads places which smell of seawater/ocean/sea/salt/brine - like in Horror of Hormak and the smell of the Executor in the last story in TN.

It strikes me that while "storm" is used in "Devouring Storm", which is connected to the Executors/enemies or those across the sea/the mysterious substance, here those very entities [?] are using storm language in reference to.. Ghilan'nain? Because here the storm that has been quelled is them saying "lol Ghil is ded now". The sun dimming is Elgar'nan's death obviously and wolf defanged is self-explanatory. this is ? - sun and wolf are obvious imageries for Elgar'nan and Fen'Harel respectively but "storm" isn't.. the first thing I would use for Ghil. yknow? Curious 👁️👁️ especially when it was Ghil's monster labs in TN that had the pools with the salt smell.

Adding this to my "pics of this damn thing" collection.

These halla-horn instruments sound so beautiful :') does Antiva standing strong with the Dales refer to this one?

This reminded me of [this] codex where the team are debating which Evanuris=which Old God, they suggest Urthemiel for June and Dirthamen for Dumat, and Neve adds that Dumat liked toads, asking did Dirthamen too? this memento seems to associate frogs with June.

We try to lead despite the eventual failing of our markings. To the inevitable and troubling freedom we are committed.

This reminded me of two things (I know that in the world it echoes the Titans'/lyrium's song, isatunoll etc): - the Stone-singers and Stone-singing in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - this excerpt from the Book of Taliesin: "The Awen I sing, From the deep I bring it"

Dumat's toad again.

Or... beyond it? "Forbidden" could refer to the Forbidden Ones, and the Fade is the land of dreams ofc, but it also sounds Cekorax-y, Cthulu-y, Voidy. (if not Beyond it, maybe a creature that's neither demon or spirit - things "past the Veil of our world, neither demon nor spirit".)

Satina mention ( ๑ ˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و ♡ Thedas's Second Moon And Related Conspiracy you will always be famous.

Crows from one house can join another, if they get permission. there's also dialogue from Lucanis which says that the Houses sometimes try to steal promising Crows from one another.

Fun reference to one of Davrin's quests :>

Lucanis' attempt to woo Viago in days gone by.

Lucanis on having his first relationship.

lmao

New lore [?] - Crow Houses apparently sometimes recruit from armies or the trades.

Tarot/divination card decks with major and minor arcana including ones like Death and the Fool exist in Thedas. "We do not talk about Fight Club."

Shartan lore and also I am still desperate to know what "Glandivalis" / "Glandival" means.

Horror of Hormak reference q.q

Luck in the Gardens reference

Audric and Down Among the Dead Men ( •́ω•̩̥̀ )

Bellara and Harding discuss Ir sa tel'nal and isatunoll. Codex entry: Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 3 from DA:I -

Many of these pages are filled with sketches of elven statues matching the ones found in the area, along with notes and what look like attempts to practice Qunlat: Trying to remember that old bedtime song about Mythal. My mother sang it the night before the darkspawn came for my clan. It's the last time I ever heard her voice. Ir sa tel'nal, Mythal las ma theneras. Ir san'a emma. Him solas evanuris. Da'durgen'lin, Banal malas elgara. Bellanaris, bellanaris. Written beside each elven line is a corresponding phrase, likely a translation: I am empty, filled with nothing(?), Mythal gives you dreams. It fills you, within you(?), Making our leaders proud. My little stones, Never yours the sun. Forever, forever. Hahren said we had lost some of the old words. What if they have changed? Durgen'lin from durgen'len? Little dwarves, never yours the sun? What did Mythal do here?

Bellara on another meaning of this song.

[belladonnadawn]

A Dinner for Two

To show his love and devotion, Xanthus decides to prepare a romantic dinner for you. Xanthus Claiborne x Reader Content Warning: mentions of cannibalism. (I miss him so much, I need my husband back fr. First fic of the year, yay!)

The first thing that Lawrence saw once he regained consciousness was a bloodied blade placed on the table. He winced at the tender flesh on his chest, healed, but not quite yet. His doctor only stared at him, indifferent to what was unfolding.

Before he realized it, he awoke to a new life.

The world became his oyster. He watched the tides shift and the pendulum swing. He found the fascination of it, especially with his newfound abilities and hunger. He lost count of lovers and foes, enemies and friends.

Everything was in the palm of his hand, but immortality made everything seem monotonous.

He, instead, became an observer, sometimes as a participant. Either way, he accepted the role that life gave him. There was no use resisting what fate handed to him.

He had lost count of the lives and the names that he had. Until he became…

"Xanthus."

Ah, the way you spoke his name; like a hummingbird singing softly at the day, like the aria of the most talented soprano at the opera. His name fits your lips. He was alive again.

To you, his name became a synonym for warmth and safety. A haven from the chaotic life you once knew. To him, your name became synonymous with peace and sanity— his long-awaited purpose.

Both of you found solace in each other's embrace. For once, he indulged himself at the thought of the future of you and him: with you growing old or choosing immortality with him. Either way, he's glad he has you.

It was then that you knew that cherished moments were often fleeting, just a mere brush in the hand before they slipped away.

Since it was not too long until the wind shifted its course, the storm that was brewing had now decided to strike down. Xanthus knew its arrival, anticipated it even, but no amount of preparation would save both of you and he knew that.

War is cruel— striking and unforgiving. An epitome of destruction and grief. But his lack of options and the dire situation presented it as a means to an end that he's been reaching for. So it commenced.

Adrenaline filled your veins as you ran around the labyrinth looking for your allies. You were fortunate to escape from Audric and now, it's time to find Xanthus. Being under the lake, everything felt damp and suffocating as if the labyrinth would break and swallow everything whole.

That was the least of your worries.

Taking a turn, you finally found him. All the worries and fears that you both felt disappeared with the touch of each other's skin. But war only has victors and losers.

Xanthus watched as it ripped your heart out, taking you right in front of him.

Out of sheer luck, Xanthus was able to save you from its cruel hands before it caused more damage. He came home cradling you like a fragile flower as if you'd crumble into different fragments.

Dontis only looked at him with a solemn expression. There was nothing he could say to give him comfort. He only gave him an empathetic look and reminded him of his open doors.

Xanthus would only nod. He'd board home with you after.

The room was dim, candlelight was the only source of light in the room; perfect for setting the mood. Red and two-toned chrysanthemums were perfectly arranged, decorating the table with such beauty. Silverware adorned with floral carvings that perfectly matched the ambiance of the dinner table.

Everything was meticulously arranged and designed to his liking. It was time to eat.

His hand reached the silver cloche, revealing a sweet supple meat, cooked to perfection. Xanthus closed his eyes as he inhaled its scent, the decadence of the food filled him. He was beyond exhilarated.

The flavor of meat along with the richness of wine stained his tongue. All the worries and burdens were gone as he indulged himself. Xanthus was lost in paradise. He was lost in you.

Gone were the days of the war. Gone were the grief. Gone were the tears.

It doesn't matter anymore: the blood lost, the lives taken, the injuries sustained. At the end of the day, you have his heart and he has yours. That was enough for him.

As long as he lives, you live. As long as he breathes, you breathe. The stars finally aligned for both you and him. Now that he has you in his heart, in his mind, and on his plate.

Divider: firefly-graphics

[zsakuva]

I Had a random thought and decided to ask questions about it :3

So if a bond is made by a vampire giving a human blood to heal/save them, and over the generations the blood mixes with the human blood making it one. Than the Vampire finding a person from the ancestry and drinking their blood. IF THAT MAKES A BOND RIGHT?

what about audric than???

Since audric turned xanthus into a vampire xanthus had audrics blood with his and than xanthus giving his blood and stuff happends boom love -> dosent this mean audric should have some part of the bond aswell? Not exactly have the bond but idk like SOMETHING if its basically part of his own blood aswell?? IDK IF I EXPLAINED THIS RIGHT 😭🙏

sorry for the long ass texts LMAO

That is a very good theory!

[niofo]

i see ppl worried about lucanis being possessed if that means he's actually dead, and i get that, i have the same issue with the theory that emmrich is actually a skeleton pretending to be a human. but to me there's a big difference between the plot twist that a character died and got replaced by a spirit (like cole or audric) and character being mortally wounded but surviving while being possessed (like anders or wynne). i still like cole and audric, but in case of lucanis, even if he's perfectly copied by a spirit, i still don't like the idea of lucanis being dead - bcos it's not really about the interactions i have with them, but their story, and if lucanis was killed before he had the chance to gain some happiness or meaning in life apart from what caterina dictated it would be super sad no matter if i can then interact with a perfect copy. what i actually want from this possession idea is that lucanis is still there and can still have his own life - like anders or maybe even connor or fiona (if it's a full on demon - we saw possessions reversed). not sure if i'm making any sense. with emmrich i mostly just want him to be a regular old man bcos we never get companions past 50 in these games, and besides, an undead necromancer is such a low hanging fruit, bw can do better.

[shadowuserannie]

grabbing a red pen (my destiny is in my hands)?

So the basis of this AU is essentially a world where all the characters are humans, and characters with labeled "powers" under a certain category are officially "anomalies" unofficially "freaks". It's a human superhero AU.

It begins with Fitz and Dex, respectively 12 and 10, and Fitz having had his telepathy for a while but stuck in Sophie's situation of being unable to control it. Because his father/Alden is the police commissioner of the capital of the United Cities, Eternalia/Shangri-La, Fitz is constantly exposed to the thoughts of criminals and trying his best to keep his powers hidden because he's scared he'll be arrested.

One day he runs into some trouble and meets a tiny kid who in no way should be running around the streets in a vigilante costume, but a kid genius's gotta kid genius when he figures out his mom is part of the Black Swan's Collective.

One thing leads to another, and flash forward to present/plot REALLY kicking off two years later, with Team I-Need-Help-Naming (working title so far is Team Rebel) rounding out at a quartet; co-leaders Techno and Mentalis, members Silvem and Reign, and gaining a new guy who for some reason that's got to be totally unrelated to the Neverseen, picks the alias "Lodestar" because it feels right.

Hmm.

That can't possibly mean anything bad, right?

Bonus excerpt below;

Team Rebel: Gala Infiltration

‘Linked up now. Everyone in position?’ transmitted Fitz. His eyes scanned the guests flowing inside the ballroom of Everglen Manor, trying not to twitch. Biana was right next to him, and his sister was nosy and smart-a combination he absolutely did not want to deal with on a mission this precarious.

‘I’m watching the guests coming in. On the gates.’ Techno replied.

‘Already inside.’ Tam stated, and Fitz finally spotted him-in the disguise.

Biana narrowed her eyes as her brother suddenly started to snicker, covering his mouth as he tried to stifle his laughter. “What’s so funny?” Was there something on her face or messed up? Biana glanced down at her dress, resisting the urge to pull out a mirror compact. They weren’t supposed to play pranks during galas, but it’d been a full week and still no retaliation from Fitz for her ‘chandelier ghost’.

“Just remembered something.” Fitz replied, grinning innocently. Biana’s eyes were practically slits. That wasn’t a ‘prank’ smile. But if it wasn’t, then what was it?

‘Tam, are you-’

‘If Keefe is already here then shut up and don’t find me.’ Tam transmitted. To his and Dex’s credit, Fitz wouldn’t have recognized him if he hadn’t been able to trace thoughts and finally found where Tam’s mind was.

‘No, he’s ETA in two. Reign?’

‘Here, in your banisters.’ Fitz’s eye promptly twitched from the effort of not looking up. He didn’t notice the suspicion in Biana’s eyes. ‘Also, you look amazing, anh.’

‘Don’t.’

“Hey.”

Fitz didn’t notice Biana had spoken until she’d elbowed him. “I’m going to find a better conversation partner.” Fitz winced as she strode off.

‘Biana’s mad at me now.’

‘Your sister?’ Techno asked.

‘Yeah-oh no.’

‘You’ve spotted the Neverseen?’ asked Reign.

‘No. Tam.’

‘What?’

///

Dempsey Pemberley, 18. Tried to flirt with her last time when his mother was talking to Mom. Biana gives him a wide berth.

Audric Aiken. He’s nice, but boring. Biana has heard about him being a supposed gossip but considering his behaviour when she’s around him makes for a dull evening.

Shayda Adel. Biana is not going near her with a ten-foot pole.

Then Biana notices the handsome girl.

A sparkly, black dress fading to a flounced silver skirt with layers of satin falling just above the knee is complimented by silver heels, with netting sleeves showing off her strong shoulders. Simple silver jewellery along with a pendant necklace pulls the look together well-which Biana appreciates. Her short hair has been styled back and pulled into a small Japanese knot style with a silvery butterfly hairpin coiling it all together, which doesn’t quite reflect her Vietnamese features but who is Biana to judge? She looks stunning. There’s no way Biana could’ve missed a girl looking this good.

“Hi, new here?” She greets, like an absolute omnisexual-blind fool.

She startles, silver earrings sparkling, and turns abruptly to face her. A blush spreads across her creamy skin as she takes in Biana, and she absolutely basks in the attention. Her aquamarine jewellery should compliment her eyes well, along with her own pink, one-shouldered dress.

Biana takes the opportunity to check her out-she means look over. Yup. Totally. Her front bangs have streaks of silver, shining too brightly to be dye, and the light bounces off her pendant. The shadows shift just a moment, exposing a distinctive curve of a symbol before it vanishes again.

She flashes the other ‘girl’ a smile that makes her blush harder.

“Can I get you a drink?”

“Uh-sure.”

‘Her’ voice is nervous but doesn’t crack and is distinctly feminine. Biana keeps her smile on as she waves down the waiter tending the gala bar. “Sparkling cider for the two of us, non-alcoholic, please.”

Biana steps a little closer to the ‘girl’, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

No matter the gender, the reaction proves that tonight's gala she’s going to make sure one of Team Rebel’s members comes away with a crush on her.

And maybe she’ll get answers on their agendas if she plays the game well.

[aestheticpearl]

— 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

[𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫] xanthus claiborne

a/n: once again this is my different style of writing and just be aware there is no feel good ending in this one, it also leans towards more of the horror aspect of xanthus

xanthus never thought he would ever lose control like this, he can’t remember the last time bloodlust had taken over. a blindfold was secured around his eyes and once he was placed in the dark room and caught a whiff of the intoxicating smell, he was blinded by pure hunger and he simply couldn’t stop his predatory instincts.

his sharp nails dig into soft flesh, blood smears all over his face. the hunger he feels is insatiable, no matter how much of the sweet blood he drinks it isn’t enough for him. xanthus isn’t in control anymore, he’s unaware of what’s happening in the crimson soaked moment. the only thought in his mind is to drink.

the animal’s muffled cries fall on deaf ears till xanthus practically shred its jugular to finally silence it. the dark room is filled with the disgusting sounds of flesh being torn and blood dripping.

it’s hard to keep track of time in a dark, cut off from light, place like this. it had to have been months based on how he was acting with his food. everything is a blur, he remembers being kidnapped by his maker and he remembers his lover was with him. he can feel his heart ache for them, he feels it now more than ever. he prays for their safety to any sort of god that will listen.

he hopes that they’re not as hungry as he is right now. he hopes they are being treated better, not like a wild animal like him; but that’s what he feels like anyway. he doesn’t feel in control of his own actions, he is running on pure instinct alone.

the animal has ceased its struggle against him and falls limp. xanthus hears the heartbeat of the creature stop, he knows it’s dead. xanthus pulls away and sits up as he slowly regains his composure. the sense of dread hangs over him and he doesn’t know why. could his love be in trouble? have they been in trouble this whole time and he was too lost in the bloodlust to notice the feeling?

xanthus reaches to take off the blindfold before a voice echoes through the room.

“are you sure you’re ready to see the mess you’ve created lawrence?”

audric.

xanthus hesitates. what did he mean by that? the question makes his skin crawl and he decides against his better judgment to take off the blindfold.

he wishes he didn’t.

there before him laying on the cold, blood covered cement floor was his love. their body almost unrecognizable, their sparkling eyes that were once filled with life now dull.

xanthus felt sick. he couldn’t hold it back and ended up emptying his stomach’s contents on the floor beneath audric boots. his head was spinning, he had just killed the only person who truly knew him and loved him as he was.

“i did ask if you were ready, clearly you weren’t.”

he was in shock, unable to look away from the mangled body of his lover. he killed them, too blinded by hunger to realize.

he was a monster.

“how does it feel lawrence? your weakness is now gone, but you were the one to get rid of them. now you have to live with that for the rest of your life.”

tears fill xanthus’ eyes as he moves closer to the corpse. his hand strokes their face unsure of what to do, a broken sob escapes his lips and he cradles their dead body in his arms.

their blood stained on his face and hands. his lovers blood will forever be on his hands, no matter how hard he scrubs.

he is a monster, but he is a monster that feels sick.

please reblog to show support ✧·˚ ༘ * ༄

the song i choose is literally about a girl being cannibalized by her lover so i thought it was appropriate :)

(also let me know if you guys like this writing style)

.love always <3 pearl

.masterlist

[kaija-rayne-author]

DA 4 Veilguard predictions

Okay so I wanted to get a whole ass post about what I think is likely to happen in DA 4 done before the reveals but I haven’t had the time between work and life.

There are MASSIVE spoilers for every Dragon Age game, book, comic, and most internet theories in this post. Proceed with caution.

Also I swear like the truckers I grew up around. So CW on language.

First and foremost, I’m going to warn you all that I’m a die-hard Solavellan. If you don’t like that? Don’t bother reading this. And for gods’ sake don’t bother arguing with me about it. Depending on my mood, I’ll either first roast your face off and then eat it with bbq sauce or if I’m feeling generous, I’ll just block your ass. You like what you like about games. I’ll like what I like. I don’t shit in your porridge, I ask you to not do it to me. As I’m writing this, I’m 47 years old and I’ve been gaming since I was 9. Which means I’ve been gaming longer than a lot of you have been alive. Stop yucking on people’s yum. There’s far too little joy in this world. Go find your own.

So, this is just a partial post (albeit, in true to me fashion, an incredibly LONG one XD). It will cover stuff I think we might see revealed in things this weekend at either SGF or Xbox whatever (I have no idea why they’d bother with the Xbox thing since they hold such a small share of the gaming market these days but whatever.) We’re seeing something between Friday and Monday. Hopefully, enough to give hope to the masses.

Depending on how much time I have before I have to serve dinner I might add some more of my theories.

It’s a bit silly of me to be so obsessed about this game because my computer definitely won’t be able to handle it, and because I’m a disabled, neurodivergent author with a family to support… well… the likelihood of me being able to buy both a computer able to handle it and the game itself any time in the near future isn’t good. So, I won’t be able to play it. I am going to add my links and a go fund me to the bottom of this post (which has taken me hours to research and write so if you would like to donate to the cause I would be so deeply appreciative. Dragon Age is one of my AuDHD special interests, and it’s killing part of my soul to know I can’t participate when it comes out. I promise I’ll write all sorts of interesting stuff about it!)

But I can’t help myself. Letting my research-oriented, lore-obsessed brain noodle about Dragon Age is one of my very favourite special interests. So, without further ado… here goes!

CLASSES

I think we have a good chance of seeing some of these as playable classes.

Knight-Templar ❌

Lord of Fortune ✅

Antivan Crow ✅

Mortalitasi (Nevarran necromancer) ✅

Grey Warden ✅

Shadow Dragon ✅

Shaper/Carta/Kal-Sharok/Sha-Brytol Dwarf ❌

Veil Jumper ✅

Fen’harel Fanatic (not his usual people, the fanatical ones detailed in Tevinter Nights) ❌

Companions

A lot of these ideas come from the supplementary material that I’ve read at least three times each. I’m obsessed. What can I say?

Qunari: ✅ Tal-Vashoth Sarrebas, maybe Qwydion? ❌

Rivani Lord of Fortune: ✅ ‘Hollix’ maybe? That would be fun, plus they are canonically non-binary! Please please please? With sugar on top? ❌

Tevinter Mage/Magister: ✅ Maevaris Tilani ❌ would be so cool, but I’d be equally as happy to see Neve Gallus. ✅ Honestly, they both have benefits for me. Mae is trans and Neve has a prosthetic leg. Alternatively, I liked Myrion ❌ well enough that he’d be a cool companion too. And he’s canonically bisexual from what I read between the lines.

Grey Warden: ✅ Please let it be Antoine! ❌ (Antoine absolutely has ADHD and I would love to see more of that rep in a AAA game.) Evke ❌ could be fun too.

Templar Knight-Commander: Rana Savras ❌

Spirit Companion: I really hope it’s not Audric. 1. He’s not really a spirit, he’s a higher undead, which is a Zombie by any other term. And all the poor guy wants is to organize his library. I’ll be quite disappointed with the writers if they go this route.

So, we’ve had Faith/Wynn, Justice/Anders, and Compassion/Cole. There are two other widely known benevolent spirits in Dragon Age canon. Valor and Hope. Given what I think is gonna happen in DA4, my money is on a Hope spirit. ❓

Antivan Crow: ✅ Illario Dellamorte. ❌ (I really really hope it’s not Lucanis Dellamorte. 💩 He’s so damned annoying and gods that is NOT how an assassin operates. Here's my professional editorial opinion of why Lucanis is an absolutely terrible character.

Veil Jumper/Dalish/City Elf: ✅ Strife. ❌ Please please please? He’d be so awesome as a companion character. He’s not young! I want an older companion character. (And it would let them get away with the white hair on a darker skinned character without it being racist as fuck.) I just really hope he looks better than he did in the comics. The art style in those was just fucking terrible.

I am hoping that we can somehow romance Lace Harding. ✅ But I just don’t see how she could fit in with the reported likely classes and things I’ve personally considered.

That gives me 8 even though reports say we only get 7. But did you notice in this picture that there are 8? So either we’re gonna get a ‘secret’ companion like Loghain Mac Tir. (Three guesses who that will be and the first two don’t count.) Or they have a surprise for us. Or the art is off.

I could also see Kieren ❌ as a companion. (Morrigan’s son) He’d be just about old enough if we get the time jump reports are saying we will. He was roughly 12 in DAI. + 2 for Trespasser puts him at 14. Ten years minimum between Trespasser and DA4 puts him at 24. So, it’s possible. I could also see Vaea as a companion. But I’m not exactly sure how she would fit with classes.

Potential Advisors

Some of these I’ve got as potential companions as well because I could see them fitting either.

Dorian Pavus for Tevinter Magisters (I think this is very likely given Tevinter Nights.)

Maevaris Tilani (Same as above.)

Charter (I think we’ll see Charter stepping into Leliana’s place as Spymaster given what we saw in Trespasser and Tevinter Nights.)

Myrna/Audric (Mortalitasi)

Ramesh (Grey Wardens)

Genetivi (Scholar) (given what happened in Tevinter Nights I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him again under a new name)

Viago De Riva (Antivan Crows)

Andarateia Cantori (Antivan Crows) I’d love to see Zevran again but considering what he was up to in DAI I think it’s unlikely. Although something did happen in Tevinter Nights that might make it possible.

Lavellan: With how the story in DAI ended and what we saw in the end scene of Trespasser, I think they’ll be important in some way.

Fenris: (Wandering Warrior)

Cameos we might see:

Fenris

Isabela

Arishok Sten

Antaam Rassan

Kieren (Morrigan’s son)

Zevran

Vaea

Sebastian Vael

Viago De Riva

Andarateia Cantori

Lavellan

People I don’t think we’ll see or if we do it won’t be for long.

Cassandra (thank gods)

Morrigan

Leliana (sads)

Most of the cast of DAI and the previous games.

Bosses we’re likely to fight.

Solas. He’ll be a mini-boss and maybe one you can talk out of a fight.

FleMythal

Elgar’nan ✅️

Ghilan'nain ✅️

Andruil. She and Ghilan’nain often go together.

Critters/bad guys we’re likely to see.

Bone creatures from the necropolis.

Changed darkspawn/humans from Ghilan'nain’s labs. ✅️

Tentacley sea creatures from Minrathous and other ‘experimented upon by mages’ monsters.

Werewolves may make a comeback.

Antaam.

Venatori. ✅

Fen’harel Fanatics (these are different from Fen’harel agents).

Whatever or whoever the people across the sea are.

Carta dwarves

Titans

Sha-Brytol dwarves

Antaam Rassan

Antaam

Things I think we’re likely to see.

We’re going to see trans/non-binary rep. ✅ I deeply believe this is happening. I will be so sad if I’m wrong.

Sad as I am to say it. Varric is gonna die. The writing has been on the wall in drippy red marker since they fired his writer. I hate this, personally. I grew up listening to Brian Bloom (Varric’s VA) and he’s just one of my absolute favourites. But I don’t think Varric is gonna make it.

The how? I think, narratively, they’ll do it in a way that hurts Solas a very great deal. In DAI, Varric is one of the few people that Solas listens to. Apologizes to and actually talks to with a sense of respect in his tone that he rarely does with anyone else. Given events in the comic The Missing where Solas saves Varric several times… yeah. ✅️

If I were writing it? It would be an angsty as fuck scene where either something Solas does accidentally kills Varric in a friendly fire isn’t friendly sort of situation or that Solas can’t get there in time to save one of the few people he actually probably considers a friend.

So, the pain of Varric’s death will be what in the writing/editing trade we call a pinch-point for Solas’s character arc. How the player decides what happens will likely be one of those crucial choices matters points that will turn Solas down a darker path or possibly toward a redemption arc.

Flemythal isn’t dead. I’ve talked before about how she is not the happy fluffy bunny version of a mother goddess. Sure, she might be a mother goddess. But she’s the type that reminds us that mother nature is often more red in tooth and claw than nurturing.

And the lady is bent. Bent on revenge. Bent on using people to get her revenge. Just… if she ever was the good and kind person that Solas remembers? She definitely isn’t anymore.

I have a feeling given one of the stories in Tevinter Nights that FleMythal has infected Solas (vs sharing her power in a simple power up to help him save people move) with the dragon soul. Which could have been part of Mythal's soul even before the dragon had it, if some theories are correct. There’s been a lot of imagery and description of a dreadwolf like creature that is half lupine, half dragon. So, something is going on there.

And honestly, I think that’s going to be Solas’s breaking point with mommy dearest. (Please, please don’t let them have been lovers, that will squick me out so fucking bad.)

“Betrayal is always worse.” Is one of Solas’s really heartfelt lines in DAI. If I’m right, and FleMythal somehow manipulated that dragon soul she got from Kieren (talk about fucked up action right there) so that it’s gonna change Solas into a half dragon half wolf demon thing… welp.

I think FleMythal will find that Solas has a bit more backbone than he ever had in the past. He’s not alone now. He knows he’s not alone. He’s got friends. He’s got someone who deeply loves him in a romanced Solavellan playthrough. I don’t think Solas is going to be very happy with his dearest ‘best of them’ Mythal.

Best of them? Yeah. It doesn’t mean she was actually good.

So Mythal isn’t dead. I think she’s likely to be one of if not the BBEG along with whoever that voice was at the end of the teaser. My money is on Troy Baker ❌️for the VA and I’m really curious if I’m right. I’m thinking that’s probably Elgar’nan. God of Vengeance. Perhaps Mythal and Elgar’nan patch up whatever divine argument they’ve been having via celestial couples therapy or something. Who knows.

I think we’re going to see a split path depending on the choices of the player for Solas. Depending on our choices, he could go really dark, or he could have a redemption arc. Patrick Weekes tweeted to me that ‘there’s a possibility of a happy ending for Solavellan’ so I still have hope. I trust Weekes to write a satisfying conclusion to the Solavellan Romance. (I just don’t trust Bioware as far as I can throw them.) Weekes was the lead writer on this game, so I think it’s a good possibility that that’s how it’s going to be structured.

I think the game will very possibly be a multi-act structure like DAI. The first act is possibly going to be like the Hinterlands leading up to Coryphyfish blowing the hell out of Haven. I think the veil coming down is going to either be what starts off the game ✅ (like the explosion of the conclave in DAI) or will be the final ending situation of Act 1. Again. Player choices will likely affect this to some extent.

But y’all? That veil is coming down. ✅ And yes. I’m aware of that silly new name for the game. I don’t like it. (That ‘the’ was a mistake. Veilguard by itself would’ve been much better linguistically.) But if you’ve been following my ramblings about Dragon Age for a while, y’all will know I have issues with their linguistic usage and editing already.

Dumped Drunk and Dalishious did a fantastic piece on her blog about the veil. It’s here if you haven’t read it. Firstly, the veil was never meant to exist in THEDAS in the first place. If you deep dive the lore (and trust me, I really have. A LOT.) It’s obvious that the veil has been the cause of more problems than it has fixed. It’s been slowly killing magic in THEDAS since its creation. It has to come down. It’s also as holey a granny’s doilies anyway. Solas taking it down in a controlled fashion is very likely going to prevent far more deaths than if it keeps just falling apart piecemeal like it’s been doing forever. It’s unfixable and it really really needs to go. ✅

So once that veil drops… I don’t think it’s going to be as horrific as everyone has been bellyaching about forever. Solas’s often misquoted and wildly overblown lines from Trespasser (seriously do y’all even know what the word genocide means? You make me doubt.) are very likely a red herring at best. People are being willingly misled. ✅ I can’t really blame y’all.

Weekes is an absolute Master at playing people’s expectations and assumptions off of their preconceived notions, then throwing a bomb of ‘oops you were all wrong and it was right in front of you the entire time’. They’ve even said they really love to write things like that. I want to write as well as Weekes does when I grow up.

Humans existed before the veil. Why wouldn’t they afterward? Given some of the lore, Qunari also existed before the veil. Why wouldn’t they continue to? Will there be chaos? Yup. ✅ But change is often painful. And if anything needs change it’s the world of THEDAS. (Both for story reasons and for gameplay reasons.)

One of the changes I think we’re likely to see is the implosion of the Chantry. (I am absolutely hoping for this. I’m not a fan of organized religion on a grand scale like that and the Chantry has soooooo damned many skeletons in its closets and atrocities under its belt that I will absolutely celebrate when it burns to the ground.)

Which will happen if it comes out that Solas put up the veil in the first place and took it down too. The Chantry either outright claims or strongly insinuates that the maker put up the veil. It’s the cornerstone of their entire faith. Also, in the story Genetivi Dies in the End in Tevinter Nights, Genetivi is absolutely wrecked by the discovery that everything he’s ever written as a travelling Chantry Scholar has been a lie. The Chantry is going down.

So, there’s gonna be some chaos there. And that’s not going to be Solas’s fault because that veil is coming down anyway.

And can you imagine the absolutely hilarious chaos that’s gonna happen when word leaks that an elven god-mage was the one who is technically the ‘maker’ by Chantry doctrine? With all the horrific racism and sheer awfulness the Chantry has done to elves over the centuries? I’m popping popcorn.

I think we’re gonna see Felassan again. ✅️ Cause that elf isn’t dead. And no, Solas didn’t kill him. Please trust me, I’ve combed through all the lore, I’ve read The Masked Empire where it supposedly happened several times, and there is not a shred of actual proof that Solas was the one who did the deed. It’s a Weekes misdirection again. They've got the nickname Tricksy Weekes for a reason.

The actual facts about the 'murder'.

It was someone Felassan worked for.

Someone he knew.

Someone who he knew wouldn't listen to his reasoning. (Solas has been shown to actually listen to his friends and let them change his mind.)

Someone who could very likely have been female because Felassan likens the murderer to Brialla.

It was someone who could fade-walk or move in the fade.

Mythal can do that.

A Somniari/Dreamer can also fade-walk.

Probably most of the still extant Elvhenan can do it (which there were quite a few of in Mythal’s temple).

And we know from DA2 that at least one modern born Somniari/Dreamer exists in the world.

Point being, there’s no actual ‘Solas killed Felassan’ spelled out anywhere. No, not even in Cole's lines in Trespasser. Those lines only indicate that Solas knows about Felassan’s ‘death’ and that he’s sad about it. Cole talks in riddles and references to modern TV shows all the time. I have no idea why people take him even remotely literally.

I have a few theories about this.

IF Felassan’s spirit actually was killed in the fade (possible) his body wasn’t. His body would’ve been just lying there in the woods breathing like any other Somniari. Possibly made tranquil (which we know can be reversed).

What if Solas lost his original body in putting up the Veil?

What if he had a deal with Felassan or maybe came to Felassan to help him get back to his body after the attack and Felassan decided he was done and wanted to move on?

They're said to be friends. Never said to be employer/employee.

If Solas was awake and in the fade and sensed an attack on Felassan, he'd certainly have gone to help.

What if he gave his body to Solas?

Felassan's 'death' chronologically lines up to when Solas 'woke up'.

Felassan has purple eyes. So does Solas.

Felassan has fade-green magic. So does Solas.

Felassan is incredibly powerful. Stares at Solas.

Felassan knows far more about Fen'harel than even a scholar would.

Felassan knew far more about Eluvians, ancient Elvhenan, and The Forgotten Ones (Imshael is a Forgotten One) than anyone would reasonably expect any elf to know.

Felassan let Imshael see into his head about what was coming in the future. Which Imshael almost got off on. Imshael loves destruction and chaos.

I can make a list as long as my arm on similarities there. So, either Solas didn’t kill Felassan and the old? Felassan will be in the game once the veil falls, or it will be revealed that Solas has actually been wearing a (voluntary because a soul cannot take a body involuntarily) Felassan suit the entire time.

Probably blew some minds there, huh?

So given that Weekes has said that if Felassan was a popular enough character they would consider bringing him back… I think it’s likely we’ll see something to do with him again.

Also? The sheer hilarity factor of elves who do not want magic (Fenris anyone?) getting magic returned to them is going to be sweet.

I think we’ll see blood magic as a much bigger mechanic than in previous games. (And I hope they did some work on it to make it make more sense this time.) The game is going to have a lot of Tevinter content. Blood magic is a big deal there. Ergo… it’s likely.

Given some of the things that happened in Tevinter Nights, which honestly really feels like a teaser book to DA4 (I really hate the Veilguard name) I think it’s likely that we’ll see the Templars again. They’ve been in every game and book so far. I doubt they’d get rid of the useless bastards in this one.

Given some of the things in Tevinter Nights, I think it’s possible we’ll see just as many puzzles as we did in DAI, if not more. I’m hoping for more. I do love puzzles in these kinds of games.

I believe it’s highly possible that whoever drank from the Well is going to be completely fucked. Especially, if they follow a ‘kill Solas’ route. Remember who the well binds you to in Trespasser? Bingo.

I think it’s very likely that someone close to the main character is going to be a dual agent of Fen’harel. And it will not be someone we expect. We’re all gonna be side eyeing the mages after the last three games. But what if it’s a warrior or rogue who hides their magic? There was at least one character that completely hid their magic in Tevinter Nights.

We’re going to see more of the Evanuris and The Nameless/Forgotten ones. I base that on Imshael being in DAI and in Masked Empire and some of the dialogue between Felassan and Imshael.

Titans. We’re going to see the titans waking up and being royally pissed off. This is going to cause so much chaos for the dwarves. Who will also regain magic and a kinda creepy hive-mind thing, too. Again. That’s not going to be Solas’s fault.

We’ll have at least one Gala event. Very possibly in Minrathous or Vyrantium. Hopefully with better clothing.

Finally, for things I think likely… The Grand Necropolis in Nevarra is gonna burn. People seem to forget that Solas doesn’t just fight for the freedom of the Elves. He fights for the freedom of spirits too.

In case you haven’t read it… the Nevarrans imprison spirits in the corpses of their dead using mages called the Mortalitasi. I really don’t think that is going to sit well with Solas. In fact, I know it doesn’t. It’s spelled out in Tevinter Nights.

I think it’s probably going to be a quest line for the main character to go and save the necropolis or let it burn to free the spirits. This, of course, will be one of the choices that matter and likely another pinch point on whether Solas goes dark or gets a redemption arc. It will also deeply affect Nevarran politics and the way the country is run. The Mortalitasi basically rule the monarchs of Nevarra sooooo. It’s gonna cause chaos there too.

We’ll obviously see a lot of chaos with the Qunari. Their culture is splintering already. The Antaam have decided to go off the rails and attack anything and everything. Maybe the Ben-Hassrath will be able to rein that in. Maybe not. I don’t have very many predictions on the Qunari to be honest. They’re at war with Tevinter at the end of Tevinter Nights so that war will figure heavily in the game, most likely. But how that’s going to play out I haven’t a clue.

Some mechanics I think we might see.

Fade-touched weaponry that can stop mages.

Elemental interactions. (IE: Magic lightning x water = lots of zap)

Magically treated arrows. ✅️

More magical bombs and poison effects. (I might be just wishfully dreaming there because one of the things I miss from DAO is the poisons and traps mechanics. They felt like an afterthought in DA2 and DAI. I want to be able to make cool traps and set up ambushes again.) But there was that story with Dorian in Tevinter Nights where several of those things were used, so maybe? It would be cool.

I think it’s likely that we’ll see the Despair Demon from Tevinter Nights. And I’m still so mad that they fired the writer of that story. It’s one of my favourites.

Some things that are very possible? But I’m not sure of and could just be wishful thinking.

I think we might see Abelas again. (Abelas romance? Pretty please? ❌😭) His story does have one of those endings that kills him so it’s possibly just wishful thinking. But they brought Leliana back for DAI, so I don’t see why they couldn’t with Abelas too. And also, I have a voice kink and love his VA Matthew Gravelle.

We might see non-linear storytelling. I kind of hope we do because I love non-linear storytelling. Perhaps one storyline will be Arlathan (through dreams or time travel perhaps?) and the fall of it so we finally get some answers to all of this lore. (Please let us get some answers!)

We may see some problems from a rather irrational faction of people who say they’re working for Solas but are using methods he would never approve of. They may be sort of like the Venatori in the last game. Though I do think it’s likely we might have to fight a few more of the Venatori too. ✅ They’re still out there having really messed up rituals and stuff to destroy things.

I think it’s possible given a few clues in the lore and in Tevinter Nights that we’re either going to see not just a double blight (regular darkspawn and red lyrium darkspawn) but a triple blight with the green/yellow lyrium found in Ghilan'nain’s labs. Remember that Ramesh only destroyed one of them. There are eleven more. I think that’s going to very possibly be a big part of this game.

Settings/Levels/Areas I think likely.

So, we already know that the game will be taking place in the north of THEDAS. That’s a no brainer after the map reveal in the teaser.

But where exactly will they take us?

In Tevinter, I think it’s very possible we’ll see Minrathous ✅ and Vyrantium. We may see the Black Divine’s/Archon’s palace.

We’ll see Arlathan Forest. ✅ That I’m almost certain of. We’ll probably also see ancient Arlathan somehow. (Dreams or barely used time-travel mechanic from DAI?)

We’re going to be spending a lot of time in the deep roads and even farther below the deep roads. And dear developers please let me have some answers to all this lore.

We may spend some time inside a Titan again.

Pre-veil drop, we may spend some time in the fade. I actually hope that with the veil dropping we get to rescue whoever got left behind in DAI. That would make my heart so happy.

We’re likely to see the crossroads at least a little bit.

Antiva! Gods I’m looking forward to seeing Antiva.

Anderfels/Weisshaupt. We have no idea at the end of DAI or Tevinter Nights or Last Flight what the hell is going on up there, so I think we’ll have to find out in the game. Also… more chaos that is most definitely not Solas’s fault.

Rivain?

I think we’ll see the Golden City. And the Black City. Which is likely the same place.

And I don’t think it’s up in the sky. I think it’s deep underground below the deep roads.

Ships! I think we’re going to see some more ships. That’s based on a story in Tevinter nights and some of the splash art. But gods I really want more ships. Especially in a place like Minrathous or Antiva for fuck’s sake!

I think we might see some underwater levels for various reasons. And I hope we do.

These next things are honestly my hopes and dreams that would make me so happy, but I have little to back them up with as far as lore or books/comics and supplementary materials.

Polyamory options. PLEASE give me polyam romance options. BG3 did it. It’s 2024 and only 30% of dating people are monogamous. Get with the times! ❌️

I want CC body sliders so bad. ✅ Give me the ability to make a fat player character please! Not just because a lot of gamers tend to be on the heavier side but honestly? Because a fat adventurer is going to be able to go farther than any skinny twig. Real strong men/women/enbies do not look like gym bunnies and models. They have a good layer of fat over that muscle for stability. Guess what fat is? It’s energy storage. A fat adventurer is going to be able to survive longer than a twig. I could go on… but come on Bioware. Be brave. Let me have a fat adventurer. ✅️

Decent. Fucking. Hair. ✅ Please let the CC have decent hair options. LONG hair options! Let me have my long haired elfy prince dude!

Isabela cameo. She’s one of my favourite DA2 characters and some of the early splash art makes me hopeful we’ll see her again. ✅️

I’m hoping for DAO origin style stories for the Main Player Character. But ideally? We’d have something like BG3 where we could play one of a number of origin stories or make our own blank slate character. ❌ Given the gossip going around the gaming community I’m thinking this is unlikely, but damn do I want it.

Useful. Mounts. Please let us have actually useful mounts. And GRIFFONS. ✅ Give me flying mounts you cowards!

Prosthetic using characters. ✅ Bioware has the worst track record when it comes to ableism, but gods please. They’ve got it set up perfectly with Inky losing their arm. There’s a prosthetic leg user in Tevinter Nights. PLEASE LET ME HAVE PROSTHETIC USING CHARACTERS.

Better Crafting Options. The crafting was okay in DAI. Especially if you mod it in so you can buy the stuff to do so easier (I really hate killing dragons but it’s the best crafting material!). But it also often felt more like an afterthought?

Better. Clothes. Seriously. Give me some razzle dazzle with the clothing. ESPECIALLY since we’re going to Tevinter where how you dress is absolutely important!

I know this is sniffing the genie smoke here, but could we have actually attractive armour options? With BRIGHT colours? Research shows that a lot of historical armour was 1. Gorgeous and well fitting. 2. Brightly painted! Let me have bright colours! (And please not the yellow plaid. Ugh.)

I hope for more gardening options in whatever base we end up using. I loved the gardening options in DAI, but they weren’t big enough for my plant loving heart.

I really want to see Solas in flying Wolfie form. We see him like that in Tevinter Nights. So, I really hope we get to see him like that in game.

Finally… and I know I’m high on my own hopes here… I really hope we get the gifting options back. Completely unattached to approval is fine. I just want to be able to find the perfect gift for my companions like I do in real life with my friends. It brings me so much joy.

Things they’re likely to fuck up.

Sadly, I think there’s some things Bioware is very likely to fuck up. This could just be me being too pessimistic, but they’ve screwed these things up throughout the entire series and to my knowledge they didn’t hire any diversity consultants in the making of DA4 sooooo…

Ableism. Bioware has a terrible record when it comes to ableism. ✅ (the demon design is going to cause visual strain and possibly bad effects for epileptic gamers).

White-washing. The North of THEDAS is like the South of Earth. If they make most of the people there have light skin I will probably boycott the fuck out of Bioware for the rest of my life. ✅️

No fat character ability in CC.

Really fucked up hair options. Seriously Bioware. It’s bad.

And I think they’re going to be in trouble when it comes to the Lords of Fortune. Look. I love the idea of the class and I even love how a lot of them are described in the books. But it’s absolutely glomming onto the stereotype of the Romani, and I don’t think that’s going to go over well at all. It won’t for me with my Romani heritage, and it really shouldn’t for anyone. Cause you know what that stereotypical usage is? It’s Racism. Bioware also doesn’t have the best track record regarding racism either.

As more thoughts come to me I’ll either append stuff to this post or do others (probably the latter.)

And here are my links if you want to toss me a buck or two as a tip. I'm recovering from a pulmonary embolism (do not recommend) and every penny helps because I'm the sole income for my family.

And if you're in Canada like me you can use Interac. Kaija.rayne.author@gmail.com.

As always, thanks for reading my rambles!

[profoundfics]

Tertiary Opinions I/III

Unorthodox Introductions - III: The Spitefilled Assassin

Rating: Mature - Canon Typical Violence and Sex

Pairing: Rook Ingellvar x Emmrich Volkarin (Neve Gallus x Lucanis Dellamort | Lace Harding x Taash)

(A03 Chapter Index) | (Tumblr Chapter Index)

-- --

‘These doors are powerfully warded,’ Emmrich announced, frowning as he manipulated the magical eddies around the door the wisps had displaced themselves from. ‘But someone passed through them recently.’

‘The Hand of Glory?’ Rook asked, glancing up from where she was studying a shimmering representation of ward over empty wisp receptacles.

Emmrich nodded. ‘Or by some other malevolent force.’

‘Is it wise then? To return the wisps and open the door?’ Lucanis asked as Rook wove a spell that warped around the receptacle then created a thin trail across the room.

‘The wisps act as the final layer of protection to the room, but also the means to unlock it. Very specific wording has to be used on each wisp to achieve that,’ said Emmrich as Rook got to her feet.

‘And you know that wording?’ Rook asked.

‘I will simply ask,’ Emmrich replied, as he followed the trail from Rook’s spell.

‘You can talk to Wisps?’ Lucanis asked.

Emmrich was aware he wasn’t talking to him but to Rook, who remained silent. A cursory glance over his shoulder allowed him to observe the slight shift in Rook’s shoulder for a shrug. He had already observed that her communication with wisps caught glimpses of intention, as was normal for a Watcher, but little more.

Rook followed him, watching quietly as he spoke with the wisps before assisting with returning them to their receptacles for recovery. Each time he spoke the unlocking charm, Emmrich noticed Rook watched the ward’s weave as it changed, head tilted to the side with her lips pressed together in contemplation.

‘I’m trying to see if the weave gives any indication as to what is actually behind the door,’ Rook explained when she caught him watching. ‘The bulwark of weave is relatively modern, but the shifting inscriptions are positively archaic.’

‘So, something ancient?’ Lucanis asked.

Rook shrugged before leaning in closer to the shimmering representation of the ward she had conjured. ‘There can be a lot of power in old invocations when the emphasis is on how something is said rather than what. Of course, it could be ancient and the wardweaves were renewed where possible before this portion of the Necropolis was lost.’

‘I do not feel reassured,’ Lucanis ground out.

‘I can probably guarantee that what’s behind there isn’t as bad as the Elven Gods,’ Rook remarked sardonically. ‘Let’s see what the last wisp tells us.’

‘I wish I’d stayed up in the library with Audric,’ Lucanis muttered mutinously, referring to the offer the Library attendant had extended him in a bid to find out if there was anything within the Necropolis’ archive about spirit possession in non-mages.

‘We’ll go hunting for the Venatori in the side chambers after,’ she replied brightly, patting Lucanis’ arm in a comforting gesture before she turned her attention back to Emmrich. ‘Let’s get this finished.’

As the door finally opened, Rook took point, the magic imbued in her shield charging as she whispered the invocations that gave it the ability to bounce off enemies and return to her. In the dim light, Emmrich could see dead bodies on the floor below them. Judging by the smell, they were relatively recent deaths. But something stilled the air around them suggesting they were not alone. Beside him, he could tell that Rook had the same feeling. She had taken a defensive stance. Even with her full set armour on, she moved with catlike elegance, eyes alight in the faint green glow of the magic she was still weaving around her; wards for added protection that she extended to him and Lucanis.

The spirits had barely manifested before Rook launched her first attack, turning in an elegant spin more akin to a dancer than fighter but for the roar of effort as she threw her shield. Emmrich had found himself watching her train on a number of occasions in that last week. She moved with a liquid fluidity that suggested her technique was finely honed and not just the result of her Reaper training.

She threw out her crystal blades after returning her shield back into the fray with a spin that maintained the momentum of her attack. Emmrich followed up with a ghostly, skeleton summoning that reached out to the deadly crystals. The spirit exploded in a burst of necrotic energy and the summon turned its gaze on a second spirit, exacting a smaller but no less devastating attack. At the same time, Lucanis brought his blades downward into the equivalent of the shoulder blades of a spinning envy spirit as Spite hissed loudly. Rook brought her shield down on the spinning entity before turning, pointing her sword’s ruby and jade pommel at the remaining spirit and using a wardweave to prevent a flanking attack.

As the spirit bounced off the ward, Emmrich responded with a vine of necrotic tendrils, wrapping themselves around the spirit and dragging it further away.

‘Thanks, Emmrich,’ Rook managed above the din, slamming her blade into envy, hollering an evocation as she twisted so she held the sword correctly.

Envy died on her word and blade. Rook stumbled back, having to stopp herself from falling over the remains of a Venatori foot solider. Straightening she looked over the remains of their battlefield, eyes lingering on the dead bodies.

‘They certainly got more than they bargained for,’ she muttered.

Emmrich moved towards the door at the far end, pausing when he was level with Rook as she sheathed her sword.

‘Any ideas?’ She asked.

He’d never seen this chamber or the door before but Emmrich knew he had only really seen the merest fraction of the ever growing Necropolis. He shook his head, but he could sense something ancient beyond the wards.

‘Perhaps there is something on these bastards that could indicate what they were hoping to find down here,’ Lucanis suggested.

‘There was a note on one of the bodies we found in the upper chamber making note to something powerful enough to sway the whole Necropolis,’ mused Rook, pulling free a note from a pouch on her belt and looking over it. ‘But I was assuming it would be something further down.’

She stepped around Emmrich as she folded it away again. Beside him, she held out her hand, palm forward. ‘Nochdaidh na h-uile.’

It was an old spell, and not one Emmrich heard often used because it was unspecific in its request. He wouldn’t have ever suggested one of his student’s use it, but Rook turned her hand, manipulating the currents of the Fade around them. Then he saw it; a dark stillness that suddenly rushed them.

He and Rook were blown off their feet, hurtled backwards while Lucanis stumbled, protected by being further away.

‘Get back,’ a voice growled from the door as he pushed himself up.

Rook had already managed to get to her feet in a swift acrobatic motion that started with her rolling onto her back. Her sword already drawn and shield up.

‘Are you Venatori? Other sniffing rats? What form have you all?’ The voice continued. ‘This vault's riches are mine. I tore them from the dead, and with me they will remain.’

‘Make it. Stop,’ Spite hissed through Lucanis before the assassin wrestled back control. ‘Has to be a demon.’

Emmrich brushed off his robes. ‘And a powerful one, to have been kept behind such ancient locks instead of simply banished.’

Rook frowned, her eyes on the tombscript sigils above the door. ‘These are holding, but for how long is anyone’s guess.’ She looked at Emmrich. ‘This door isn’t particularly old. Certainly wasn’t built for specifically holding back an ancient powerful, malevolent spirit.’

‘Just because that door isn’t,’ Emmrich pointed out ‘doesn’t mean there isn’t an older one behind it that arrived at this location in an earlier reshuffle.’

‘Right,’ conceded Rook, dropping her shield arm a little but not fully slipping out of her defensive stance. ‘Fair point. Why don’t we see what these guys knew? Lucanis?’

‘I don’t know,’ he said quietly. ‘Spite is urging us to leave.’

‘We can’t just leave without understanding what could be back there - lives,’ said Rook emphatically, ‘and unlives are at risk if that thing gets free. The Necropolis itself could be in danger, depending on what it is.’

‘Rook is sadly correct on that front,’ Emmrich agreed. ‘Let’s search these bodies.’

He found the note on a particularly mutilated corpse. Lucanis pondered aloud on what had happened down here but the answer was painfully obvious; whatever lay behind the door influenced the Venatori one by one, wearing down their mental defences with its whisperings until they destroyed themselves.

‘This says that there are magical loci projecting into the upper world,’ he informed the other two. ‘Demons spawn on the locations and once all three are killed, the door will become unsealed. But until we kill what is within, those demons will continue to manifest.’

Again Rook was frowning. She’d sheathed her sword but still held her shield.

‘Loci wards are incredibly difficult spells to weave,’ she said, walking towards the door then lifting onto her tiptoes to try and get a better look at sigils. ‘These weren’t done in a hurry.’

Emmrich knew how they worked but his own studies had rarely brought him into contact with them. Not only were they difficult, locus spells were also unreliable if they were not properly maintained. Judging by the note in his hand, that had been the case here if the spirit beyond was capable of projecting itself at the spells’ anchor point.

‘So,’ Rook continued, no longer on her tiptoes. ‘We’ve got a two massively intricate wardweaves, possibly more beyond, that take a lot of work to break, holding back a spirit that managed to convince a dozen Venatori to mutilate themselves, and each other, and has reversed the flow of a loci wardweave to project demons across the world.’ Her gaze levelled on Emmrich. ‘Surely something like this would be in the annals?’

‘While no one can profess to know about every entity within the Necropolis,’ Emmrich replied, straightening to his full height. ‘This does strike me as something senior members of the order should be aware of. If only to check that all the safeguards remain effective.’

‘Well, those ones were,’ Rook said, pointing at the open doors to the Belfry. ‘But these haven’t been touched since they were first inscribed.’

‘So, what do we do about it?’ Lucanis asked.

Rook crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot with her lips pressed in a thin line. ‘We could try and track down the locus points, destroy the demons and then whatever is behind that door or we could seal it back up and hope it never escapes.’

‘Neither of those seem to be a particularly attractive solution,’ said Emmrich solemnly. ‘Not without knowing what it is in the first place.’

Rook bristled as if there was censure in his words. Her gaze became hard, steel grey solidifying over the blue.

‘We should speak to Myrna and VORGOTH,’ she decided, ‘once we’ve cleared the rest of the Venatori from the surrounding chambers.’

She stalked off towards the entrance to the Belfry. Rook still held her shield and while her arms were covered in metal and robes, Emmrich had the distinct impression her biceps were likely bulging from the way her fingers clenched over the handle. Lucanis was eyeing her appreciatively and their eyes met for a brief moment before Lucanis looked away with colour high on his cheeks. Emmrich understood the appeal; Rook was intelligent and beautiful, commanding a presence that was difficult to look away from.

‘As a spirit mage,’ Lucanis ventured as they returned to the Belfry Chamber, ‘are you able to sense Spite the same way you sense wisps?’

‘Yes,’ he replied, grateful a line of conversation had started to pull him from his musings on Rook. ‘And I’m sorry that you two came together in such unjust circumstances.’

‘Unjust? I was pulled. Dragged. Forced.’

Emmrich nodded, listening to the spirit, its own voice different to what he sounded like when he took over Lucanis with a pulling undertow of sadness. ‘You have my sympathies.’

Lucanis paused, staring at him. Rook had also come to a halt turning enough to observe them over her shoulder.

‘You can hear Spite? Even when he doesn’t take me over?’ Lucanis asked with surprised incredulity.

‘This close? Yes,’ he replied simply.

Lucanis turned to Rook. ‘Can you?’

She shook her head, lifting her shield. ‘Shield slinger, remember. I’d have to cast a spell to do that as my attunement to the Fade is slightlydifferent to that of a Spirit Caller.’

Emmrich frowned at her use of the derogatory term for Reapers. It was used by those who considered themselves pure mages. Before he could remark on her language, she turned and continued into the side chamber that spiralled around the Belfry to the upper levels. A barrier had been erected and Rook looked at it with a sardonic kink to her eyebrow.

‘You’d think they’d have stayed away after the last clear out,’ Rook mused. ‘Or that they’d have at least thought twice about returning.’

‘They did,’ said Lucanis sardonically. ‘It’s why it took them ten days to return instead of a mere five. You gave them pause. And you will do so again.’

‘It would be preferable if we didn’t need to give them pause,’ Emmrich said. ‘Outright preventing them from entering the Necropolis would be preferable.’

Rook hummed in agreement.

‘Perhaps you could speak to some of the captains?’ Emmrich suggested.

She spun around, her expression dark and incredulous. ‘And give them an opportunity to arrest me so they can finish their court martial? No thank you.’ She spat the last words out before smashing the crystal holding up the barrier, marching towards their new enemies.

[literary-motif]

Audric… write him dead. I need xanthus to kill him.. BUT ALL OF THEM SURVIVED… SO NO ANGST PLS I HAD ENOUGH ANGST… !!!

This is mostly fluff, I promise. Mostly. Maybe more hurt/comfort.

The Red River

Xanthus Claiborne X Reader

The origin of Xanthus' name.

Xanthus sighed contently, settling onto the sofa you had moved in front of the large window. He handed you a steaming cup of tea which you took with a smile, kissing his cheek in thanks as he leaned into your side. “The stars really are the most beautiful thing in existence,” you said into the silence of the night. 

Dontis’ residence in New Orleans, although close to the city center, had a peculiar position that minimized the light pollution so drastically that you could see the multitude of stars twinkling happily in the sky as if you had been in the country, far away from civilization and alone with infinity stretching out before your eyes. 

The blackness of the night sky was not truly darkness. If the light of the stars were stronger, you would be able to see all of them and most of the devouring darkness would disappear, instead filled with little points of burning white that would light up nearly the entire sky. There might be an unfathomable, empty distance between you and the sources of that light, but you were still overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of matter in the universe — the stars and planets and comets and who knew what else. 

“I know a very cliché answer to that,” Xanthus smirked. 

It took you a moment to realize what he was referring to, your thoughts still on the infinitely expanding universe. “The most beautiful thing, right after you, of course,” you said, beating him to the compliment. 

He laughed, leaning in slowly to kiss your lips. Xanthus’ lips were always soft against yours, his kisses tender and calm as if he wanted to pour as much of his affection for you into them as he could. He always took his time, cherishing the moment shared between you. 

Only once had he kissed you in desperation, terror and relief cursing through him as he held you in his arms after the disastrous mission to take down the Trimedian. You were still recovering from that. Dontis was gone on vacation with his hunter friend, the others had dispersed to live their lives, free from looking over their shoulders quite as much as before.

Xanthus was struggling, to put it mildly. What had happened had left a deep scar in his heart that could only heal with time. Sometimes when you awoke during the night, you saw him scrub at his hands compulsively as if trying to wash away Audric’s blood that he could still feel clinging to him. 

“I can’t—” he had choked after waking from a nightmare, your arms firmly wrung around him, holding him together, “I can’t escape it. I can’t get it off of me. I can’t forget how he felt under me as I— as I—” You had never heard anyone sob as brokenly as Xanthus had that night.

His laugh was a welcome change to the sorrow clinging to him. You beamed at him as he broke the kiss, and placed your head on his shoulder to stare at the sky alongside him. 

Taking a sip of your tea, you hummed in appreciation as you tasted the sweetness of honey Xanthus had taken care to add. “You remembered,” you laughed fondly, placing another kiss against his neck. 

“Of course I did, my love,” he answered, moving his arm to stroke along your side. “You told me you preferred your tea with honey only yesterday. Did you expect me to forget?”

“I mentioned it in passing.”

“So? It is important to me all the same,” he said, tilting his head to rest his cheek at the top of your head. “It really is breathtaking,” he whispered after a while of gazing at the stars. 

You hummed, taking another sip of your tea. “Why ‘Xanthus’?” you asked suddenly, breaking the silence beginning to settle over you again.

“Why what?” he wondered.

“Your name, I mean,” you clarified, “Why did you choose ‘Xanthus’?”

“Oh,” he chuckled, “I— no one’s asked me that before.” He paused as if contemplating something.

“You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to.”

“It’s not that, love,“ Xanthus reassured you, moving his hand to hold yours, “It’s just very poetic in a way, and I never thought I would get to reveal that part of myself to anyone.”

The stars had lost their sway over you, and you glanced at Xanthus, seeing him blush. It was an adorable sight, but you did not dare tell him, choosing instead to kiss his lips. “I’d like to hear it, if you’re willing to share.” The look of pure adoration in his eyes made your breath hitch for a moment. 

“I’d love to,” he said, clearing his throat nervously. You moved to rest your head on his shoulder again, absentmindedly tracing small circles into the back of his hand with your thumb. “Have you read the Iliad?”

Despite yourself, the question made you laugh. “‘Rage — Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles.’ Only in translation.”

“Well, there is a river flowing outside the city of Troy, the one who tried drowning Achilles in book twenty-one it was, I think. The river-god was angry at him because all the Trojans he killed were clogging up the river, tainting the water red with blood. It was called Scamander by the mortals and Xanthus by the gods, according to Homer. And I believe it was Seneca—”

“The stoic philosopher?” you asked.

“Exactly. He said in his Troades something like ‘He — Achilles — choked rivers with corpses, and Xanthus, seeking his way, wandered slowly along with bloody stream.’ I always thought the name was fitting,” Xanthus concluded, his faraway gaze remaining fixed on the stars that had stopped being of interest to you long ago. 

You squeezed his hand, raising it to your lips in a small gesture of comfort.

“I have done horrible things,” he whispered, clenching his jaw and blinking away tears that started to gather in his eyes, “and although I try to leave the past behind with every new name and identity I take, I never quite succeed to wash the blood off of my hands. I think it’s fitting. My past has never stopped tainting me, but opposed to Achilles’ Xanthus, I filled the river with corpses myself.”

You set down your cup on the windowsill in front of you, gathering Xanthus into your arms. “My love,” you began, running your fingers through his hair and peppering soft kisses on his face until he broke into a small smile, “my beautiful, kind, adorable love.” 

Xanthus blushed, trying to hide his face in your shoulder, but you tilted his chin up instead, making him look into your eyes.

“You’re everything to me,” you said earnestly, “the kindest being I have ever encountered, the most relentlessly hard-working to assure the people you care about are safe, the most inexhaustibly generous, the most loving, my love. I have never felt so adored, Xanthus, and I love you with all my heart — every part of you, present, past, and future — no matter what was and will be.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly, pulling you into a crushing embrace before the two of you got comfortable on the couch once more, stargazing until the morning sun hid their twinkling light from view again.

[bleaksqueak]

lol due to the pose of this tarot card i'm being forced to draw the front facing panel of the reaper uniform completely by hand for the first time in (probably two years now...hahahaha) oh, assets, you are great and wonderful and save me so much time Until not even Warp and Transform can lift you high enough. Then I must replicate these complicated designs Wholly Anew. like some sort of "art" "doer" (I hate that I have to add this disclaimer but this is the hell world we live in: the assets in question are ones I painted by hand at flat angles with the intent to be used over and over again. like a shoujo transformation sequence. it's not Aye-Eye BS or anything of the sort) with that disclaimer out of the way.... at the very least it means I can save the flats for this specific pose and thus it can then be re-used later when the comic will inevitably call for it. WORK SMART! WORK ART SMRT

[c-t-r-l14]

HEADCANNON TIME!

TW: Discussions of BLOOD. Read at your own risk!

Do ya’ll think—in the world of the Sakuverse—vampires cry bloody tears?? I feel like it’d make sense, because all they consume is Blood, because thats what gives them sustenance.

I mean, just think about it: Human tears are made of water because more than half of our bodies is made up of water. Water is one of the biggest things we need in order to keep ourselves alive. If we go too long without it, our body will eventually dehydrate and die.

So, with that being said: would it not be the same for vampires? They don’t need water as their main energy source. Blood gives them all they need to survive—which probably means that more than half of their body is made up of blood. So, instead of their tears being made of salt and water like us, their tears would be made of blood and iron.

I thought of this because I’m a really big fan of Castlevania (which ya’ll should totally watch by the way), and in many instances, when the Vampires cry, their tears are bloody, and I never realized it was because all they ever drink is blood. Not only that—but when they fight—in order to reach their full strength, it seems like they let all the blood they consume go to every single part of their bodies—but where you could see it visibility—is in their eyes—because their scleras’ (the whites of the eyes) turn a haunting bloodshot red.

Like this:

Like—can ya’ll imagine it??? Xanthus somehow gets outta his enclosure and starts throwing hands with Audric and both their eyes turn bloodshot red because all the blood they’ve consumed is pumping through every vain in their body?? And it makes them even stronger??? I think it’d be pretty badass.

I’ve had this headcannon for a while now. I dunno—I just thought it’d make sense.

This is to hold ya’ll over ‘till I post a Xanthus drabble I’ve been working on, teehee

[throuple-tournament]

Throuple Tournament Info

Rules

Submissions are closed.

Polls will run for a week and I will give you at least a days notice.

I will not answer asks while a poll is up unless it's propaganda or a question about the polls.

I will not answer asks about discourse. I might think about what you said but I don't want discourse on this blog.

I will also not respond to rude or mean asks.

Please send asks that are propaganda. Also, please send asks with your fan art or your favourite screenshots that you wouldn't mind me using for polls.

Please send in a description of your favourite throuples if you want to; these will be used in the polls.

Please do not be rude about other people's interests or the other throuples in the tournament. You can talk about your preferred throuple without talking badly about the other/s.

Please don't jokingly threaten others or joke about suicide. I've noticed that some polls I follow have had this issue and I don't want this to happen on my blog.

I don't know when I'm going to have the first polls ready as I'm going to be getting busier from this week onwards but I'll let you guys know.

Match Ups Under Keep Reading

Group 1

Marco/Star/Tom vs Marco/Janna/Jackie from Star vs the Forces of Evil

Adaine/Fig/Ayda vs Em/Sofia/Dale from Dimension 20

Kala/Wolfgang/Rajan vs Lito/Hernando/Daniela from Sense 8

Willow/Luz/Amity vs Willow/Hunter/Gus from The Owl House

Raz/Lilli/Dogen vs Ford/Lucretia/Otto from Psychonauts

Finn/Rey/Poe vs Rex/Anakin/Padme from Star Wars

Makoto/Sayaka/Kyoko vs Hajime/Nagito/Chiaki from Danganronpa

Ryunosuke/Barok/Kazuma vs Clay/Apollo/Klavier from The Great Ace Attorney

Jason/Roy/Koriand'r vs Dick/Barbara/Koriand'r from DC Comics

Marius/Ivy/Raphaella vs Orpheus/Narcissus/Eurydice from The Mechanisms

Group 2

Selina/Harley/Ivy vs Tim/Bernard/Kon from DC

Sam/Tucker/Danny vs Vlad/Jack/Maddie from Danny Phantom

Rose/Lissa/Natalie from Vampire Academy vs Bonnie/Caroline/Elena from Vampire Diaries

Jay/Nya/Cole from Ninjago vs Red Son/Mei/MK from Lego Monkie Kid

Rilla/Arum/Damien from Penumbra Podcast vs Howard/James/Cel from Rusty Quill Gaming Podcast

Haru/Legosi/Louis from Beastars vs Ranpo/Poe/Mushitarou from Bungou Stray Dogs

Adrien/Marinette/Kagami from Miraculous Ladybug vs Anne/Marcy/Sasha from Amphibia

Ichika/Nene/Kanade vs Rui/Mafuyu/Tsukasa from Project SEKAI

Parker/Hardison/Elliot from Leverage vs Neal/Peter/Elizabeth from White Collar

Yamato/Ace/Deuce from One Piece vs Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere from Arthurian Legend

Group 3

Ichigo/Minto/Retasu from Tokyo Mew Mew vs Hikaru/Lala/Yuni from Star Twinkle Precure

Kyle/Rogelio/Lonnie from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power vs Pearl/Rose/Greg from Steven Universe

Rapunzel/Eugene/Cassandra from Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure vs Zuko/Sokka/Suki from Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Doctor/Rose/Jack from Doctor Who vs James/Bones/Spock from Star Trek TOS

Nancy/Steve/Jonathan from Stranger Things vs Merlin/Gwen/Arthur from Merlin (2008)

Rachel/Chloe/Max from Life is Strange vs Thanatos/Zagreus/Megaera from Hades

Vincent/Victor/Albert from Vincent: The Secret of Myers vs Rinne/Himeru/Niki from Ensmeble Stars!

Jack/Kirtash/Victoria from Idhun's Memories Series vs Qibli/Winter/Moonwatcher from Wings of Fire Series

Ludivine/Rielle/Audric from The Empirium Trilogy vs Vlad/Nathan/Ursula from Hunger Pangs:True Love Bites

King Kelp/Lord Cabbage/Bagel from Cucumber Quest vs Camilla/Nyra/Dendro from Muted

Group 4

Neptune/Uranus/Pluto from Sailor Moon vs Aira/Rizumu/Mion from Pretty Rhythm

Mickey/Goofy/Donald from Disney vs Pepe/Sylvester/Penelope from Looney Tunes

Draculaura/Clawdeen/Frankie from Monster High vs Ruby/Weiss/Penny from RWBY

Nathan/Annalise/Gabriel from The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself vs Quentin/Eliot/Arielle from The Magicians

Leon/Claire/Ada from Resident Evil vs Jaskier/Yennefer/Geralt from The Witcher

Abigail/Sam/Sebastian from Stardew Valley vs Candy/Sapphire/Zack from My Sims

Sweet/Capn/K_K from Deltarune vs Shiver/Frye/Big Man from Splatoon

Chris/Millie/Conrad from Chronicles of Chrestomanci vs Sadie/Walt/Anubis from The Kane Chronicles

Rah'oxah/Legzi/Ryjnah from Drawga: Dungeons and Drawings vs Grendan/York/Rose from Drawtectives

Jean/Scott/Logan from Marvel Comics vs Wu/Li/Gao from Iron Widow

Group 5

Yuji/Megumi/Nobara from Jujutsu Kaisen vs Misa/Light/L from Deathnote

Lucy/George/Anthony from Lockwood & Co vs Louis/Lestat/Armand from Interview With A Vampire

Chel/Tulio/Miguel from The Road to El Dorado vs Manolo/Maria/Joaquin from The Book of Life

Henry/Charles/Ellie from Henry Stickmin Collection vs Steve/Alex/Herobrine from Minecraft

Soldier/Demoman/Zhanna from TF2 vs Susie/Magolor/Taranza from Kirby

Morgana/Launchpad/Drake from Darkwing Duck vs Yoo/Han/Kim from Omniscient Readers Viewpoint

Isabela/Merril/Hawke from Dragon Age 2 vs Dorian/Orym/Fearne from Critical Role Campaign 3

Vivi/Arthur/Lewis from Mystery Skulls Animated vs Aizo/Yujiro/Hiyori from Honeyworks

June/Dave/Karkat from Homestuck vs Trevor/Sypha/Alucard from Castlevania

Elizabeth/Jack/Will from Pirates of the Carribean vs Cyrano/Christian/Roxanne from Cyrano (2021)

[belladonnadawn]

My Tears Ricochet

“And I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want; just not home. And you can aim for my heart, go for blood, but you would still miss me in your bones.”

After the war, Lawrence (Xanthus) went back to his home, only to be a witness of his own wake.

Dark clouds enveloped the skies as the rain continued to pour. Lawrence’s clothes soaked and wet, he shivered at the cold breeze that came along with the weather. But that was the least of his concerns. 

Standing by the tree, he watched it all– a witness to his own wake. Lawrence observed intently, still unable to wrap his head on the absurdity of it all. Everytime he asks himself what has happened and what occurred, he was answered by the spear that pierced his chest. The memory was fresh, the torment won’t seem to end sooner. 

To rub the wound with salt, his heightened senses made him hear everything: the sobs, the quiet utterances filled with condolences, and the heartbeats. It was overwhelmingly painful, as if he was being punished for a sin he could never atone for. He wanted to tell himself that it was a dream, but it's hard to lie to himself when the truth was right in front of him, rubbing it in his face. 

Audric was one of the guests, muttering condolences and wearing a sympathetic look on his face. Lawrence could laugh at the situation, as if it was a sick and twisted joke hurled to him. Nevertheless, he was amused at how Audric got along with the crowd, blending in perfectly and concealing their lies. Any questions about his corpse or casket, Audric would answer it swiftly: “I found the poor young man’s body in a ghastly manner…. in a way that’s beyond me. Even so, we all know that he died with honor, let us leave it at that.”

His eyes scanned the crowd, some faces were familiar, some faces weren't. Baron, count, viscountess, duchess; his ear picked up their titles. Lawrence wasn't surprised, his father was a noble before he was a father. That didn't stop the disappointment and hurt knowing where his priorities truly lies. He went with his orders, he obliged to his commands no matter how much he opposed it just to be in his favors. But even in death, he was just a mean to the end.

“Oh, Lawrence! My son! My poor son!” 

His eyes widened recognizing the voice. “Mother…” Lawrence spoke gently, his voice cracked hearing his mother’s wail. He watched through the open windows how his young brother came to her aid. Nathaniel tried to console their grief-stricken mother while he cried with her– but to no avail. He understood her grief, to know that someone that you deeply love was taken away in a gruesome manner– in a fight that he never chose to be in. There was a deep regret in her heart, she wished she stood up against her husband’s order, she wished she had stopped her son from leaving, she wished she hugged him a little longer. Now, their Lawrence was nothing but a memory. 

Nathaniel tried his best to act tough, but his facade was not strong enough. Lawrence’s heart ached further at his brother’s situation, knowing the pressure and challenges he might experience– but his brother’s concern was far from that. Nathaniel reminisces at the times where he’d talk about his dreams and adventures, how his brother listened to his stories and rambles no matter how nonsensical it is. He’d remember the times where he’d go along with his newfound hobbies, encouraging him to explore and be whoever he desired to be. 

And now that his brother was gone, who was going to listen to his stories? Who will join him in his make believes? Who is he going to run to when the horrors of reality come after him? Nathaniel wiped his tears, a bitter feeling on his mouth as his brother’s absence left an empty hole in his heart. 

So long to the adventures that Nathaniel and Lawrence tried to make, it was merely a dream never bound to come true.

The weight of his death slowly engulfs him, he finds himself in a state of turmoil. Was it grief? Was it anger? Was it regret? Lawrence felt his emotions crash into him, it resonated to his heart, his body, everywhere. He was just a young man, a son, a plebe. Forced to face the atrocities of war to fight for his honor– his father's honor. Only to be met with fate worse than death. He choked on his sobs, begging to God to bring his life back, to wake him from this nightmare. But would God listen to a mere vampire like him– does God even consider him as their child?

He could only pray– pray that the path he was led to was worth the suffering, that at the end he won’t look back filled with regrets. Lawrence felt a small tap on his shoulder, interrupting him from his thoughts. He composed himself, wiping the tears as he faced him. 

“If you’re going to stay here, you’d blow your cover.” Audric spoke. It was time to go. 

He only nodded as he began to walk towards his new residence. Lawrence left the wake, with a heavy feeling in his heart. In the casket was the body that was never his– along with the life that he has left behind. The tomb will be etched in a name that he’d soon abandon. 

Farewell Lawrence Claiborne, you were a doting brother and a loving son.