#left my old warband and now

[larperwithastaff]

happiness is knowing your character has a home now 💚

[thevoidscreams]

Let’s do another one, shall we? This one might be a little more…freaky.

(Any Chaos Astartes)

*Your Astartes been more affectionate lately. Slowly persuading you into his “nest” where he finally has you right where he wants you. Stuffing you full of his clutch.

*You don’t even realize whats happened until you’re whimpering out in ecstasy. Too drugged up on his scent/pheromones.

*Oh, you’ll make a wonderful mother to his brood.

(Too freaky?)

Day 16

I am frothing. I love oviposition.

Pairing: Pumpkin chaos astartes oc x reader

Warnings: oviposition, sex pheromones/ chemically induced arousal, space marine husbandry with full sized astartes

Making the warnings bigger so yall dont miss it. But I'm gonna say it's all consensual I'm going to make more for this in the future I think

When I'd found him out in the wilderness I hadn't expected to bond with him so strongly. I couldn't even really tell what legion or chapter he'd been a part of.

Chaos, that was what the apothecaries told me and I was instructed to move forward with caution. I called him Pumpkin as a sign of affection. It was the nickname my mom used to call me. He liked it alot. Answering me eagerly when I called for my Pumpkin. Perhaps I should have tried to learn his real name first, now he won't tell me what it is. He only answers to Pumpkin.

But I liked him. He was a good housemate, keeping tidy and he was affectionate for someone I found in the woods.

He took up the old room I gave him, and it quickly became a cozy place as he scrounged old furniture from curbs.

I made him clean them thoroughly before he could bring them in. But it became a really sweet set up.

After he was done with all that he seemed to shift. It was nearly imperceptible at first. Just more touches here and there. Going out and bringing back fresh foods he'd foraged with him. 

Checking in on me, marking dates on the calendar with little stars. As if he was tracking something but he wouldn't tell me what. He spoke in broken English, but he was still learning the language, and I had learned just enough of his High Gothic to communicate.

I thought about going out to acquire another astartes. The forums said if you could have more then one they learned new languages quicker.

When I brought it up with him, he absolutely lost it. Yelling “No” in more than just two languages.

I was shocked but dropped it. But he was oddly distant after that, taking his dinner to his room to eat alone.

That night I went to the forums and tried to find out more.

[Hey all. My chaos astartes is strictly against me getting another astartes. Why,]

NewlyChaotic: 

“Hey all, 

I ‘adopted’ my chaos astartes about five months ago and everything has been great so far, but I had been wanting to open my home to another perhaps. But when I brought it up to Pumpkin (it's what he likes me to call him, I don't know why)

He lashed out badly and wouldn't talk to me for hours and went to bed.

I only brought it up after reading that astartes learn and operate better in groups generally.

Even chaos aligned.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I feel so lost and just want my Pumpkin hugs back. ;^;

I wanted and soon my thread had a response.

Salamander_Sheila🐉:

Hey @NewlyChaotic,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. It happens sometimes that astartes grow bonded to their baselines and just don't want to share. He might feel like you'll replace him if you bring another astartes into your home.

As for the chaos aspect, what legion is he?

NewlyChaotic:

I'm not sure, his armor looks like it was scrubbed clean of paint and he has no livery that I can discern. He's normally very sweet and I love him to pieces, I could never replace him.

Salamander_Sheila🐉:

I get that. I love my boys to bits and wouldn't ever want to hurt them.

Maybe he left his chapter/warband.

Also my friend @ShadowyMistress has a few chaos boys. She might know some things.

ShadowyMistress:

I have been summoned?

Yes I have many different chaos astartes. They're really sweet when they actually like you lol. :p

NewlyChaotic: 

So is his behavior normal?

ShadowyMistress:

Seems it. However you should look out if he starts to make “nests”.

Some mutated astartes begin to take on more animalistic traits.

He might try to breed you. Which, I mean if you're down for that then Godspeed.

Salamander_Sheila🐉:

It's pretty rare, but romantic connections can happen.

I would know.

I let that digest for a minute. Turning to look towards Pumpkin's door.

My heart thumped harder at the thought and I felt uncomfortably warm.

My love life had been pretty lackluster. Hadn't had a date in a hot minute. 

I shook my head, I'm sure it wasn't that.

NewlyChaotic:

Thanks for all the help guys. I have a lot to mentally chew on with his.

Salamander_Sheila🐉:

Talk to him, as best as you can.

If he's not proficient at English it's okay. Astartes are good at sensing intent and feelings. 

Be open with him and if you mean it, tell him you don't plan on replacing him with anyone else.

Good luck with Pumpkin, and you can shoot me or Shadow a dm if you need. We're usually around at this time.

NewlyChaotic:

I will. Night guys.

I logged off and shut the computer down.

The side table lamp was on and I knocked on the door softly. He wasn't an early sleeper so I knew he'd still be up.

There was a soft “Yes?” From the other side, I cracked the door open and called in.

“May I come in?...Please?”

I waited, my chest feeling tight for some reason.

“Yes.” 

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding and stepped in.

Pumpkin was at his desk. It looked like he'd been watching a nature documentary on the laptop I'd gotten him. I was happy he'd been enjoying it.

The words of the girls on the forum flashed in my mind. ‘Just talk to him..he'll understand the intent.’

“Hey, I wanted to apologize about earlier, I didn't mean to upset you.”

He looked at me with green gold eyes that seemed to understand what I was trying to convey.

Perhaps he understood more of my language than he could speak.

He turned to me fully and put out his hand. I took it and shivered at the contact. His hands were so warm.

“I don't want you to think I'm trying to replace you, not at all. I care about you Pumpkin. I just read that you astartes tend to do better in groups. And I was worried that being here with me wouldn't be enough to make you happy.”

I hadn't meant to spill that fear to him, but it was out now and I couldn't take it back.

He pulled me into his arms. Hugging me with so much understanding and affection. It felt amazing to be held like that.

“You are…enough. I am.. I am happy with you.”

He had to think through his words as he spoke and I returned the hug.

“I'm so glad. I just want you to be happy and healthy.”

He nodded and kissed the top of my head, it made me giggle.

I let him go and he did the same. But he raised his hands and gently touched my chin.

“I love you.” He chirped on High Gothic and I wasn't sure what he'd said but I didn't press.

“Well, I'm gonna get to bed. I have more work to get done in the morning.”

I hurried out, feeling a tad bit light headed. His touch had left me feeling hot for reasons I couldn't explain.

I was going to need a shower. Probably a cold one.

I watched her go, my hearts pounding. Too little, I noted. My pheromones hadn't built up enough. I opened up the journal on the miniature computer system my beloved had gotten me. 

I needed to record this interaction. It would be important to show our sons in the future. After they were here of course. 

It hurt to lie to her. I loved her, but I couldn't risk her finding out I knew everything she'd said. 

And if she brought an intruder into our home, our nest. My cover would be blown and our children's safety compromised.

I loved her, but she could be so silly.

Standing, I shutdown the computer and chuckled. No incense needed, no fancy oils. I liked these little machines. 

It was late and I needed to finish touching up the place where I would make our family, my new warband of sons, a reality.

It was such a shame that the old one lacked vision. That they refused to accept the gifts of our patrons.

Our numbers would have grown and we would have been unstoppable. Able to take anyone we pleased to grow our numbers.

I had had to do it, to cleanse them from existence. They turned me away, called me disgusting. A shame to kill so many brothers and cousins.

But what if they told others? 

I'd rid myself of their colors, their symbols, their outdated ideals. I was my own man now. I would have a warband that was loyal and not full of naysayers and old ruins.

The prince of pleasure and the changer of ways had given me such wonderful gifts.

I just had to have my little darling here with me in my nest. My pheromones were the strongest here. And she'd been too busy to notice that I moved my couches to block in the corner.

This would be the most comfortable place to fill her with my clutch.

I rearranged the pillows again, and pulled more blankets I'd gotten into the pit.

Perfect.

Her door was never locked. A good thing really, she was so beautiful in the moonlight. Dreaming soft dreams.

Were they of me? I know what few dreams I had were of her.

They had been since I'd first seen her in the park. Plotting how I would find my way to her. The whispered promises of my patrons in my ears.

But then, she found me first. It was fated. Truly it could not have been any other way. I had to be hers. She had to be mine. They told me so.

I liked the new shampoo she used, it smelled like desert flowers….like home.

“I love you.” I whispered again. My fingers brushing over her still damp hair. I would feel it more when I took her tomorrow. I would let her work while I made ready our love nest.

She would be mine. And her body would hold our sons. The prey I brought for her to feast on had been nutrient rich and her cycles had proven that. Tomorrow was the perfect time, peak fertility.

Oh so many clutches would her body carry for me.

I kissed her lips softly and slipped back to my room.

Soon darling. Soon.

The alarm I'd set woke me and I stretched rolling out of bed.

The smell of food wafted to me as I stepped out into the hall.

“Pumpkin?”

There was an answering grunt from the kitchen and my astartes came into view. Cooking up a balanced meal, as was his habit.

“Anything fun planned for today?” I asked, knowing he likely wouldn't reply.

“Well I have to finish up that last chapter and get it sent in. My editor's been on my butt all week over it.”

I felt his eyes fall on me. But he didn't reply verbally, just bringing me food without asking for anything in return.

I smiled and took the plates.

“I don't deserve you. You're too good to me.”

I was surprised when he wrapped me up in his arms, hugging me and nuzzling the top of my head.

He'd been doing that more and more often.

“Thank you, Pumpkin.” “You are welcome.” He sighed happily. “You remembered the response. That’s great.” I looked up and our noses touched briefly. Just to be a stinker I kissed the tip of his nose. He shivered and pulled away to look at me, he looked a bit confused and oh so adorable. I giggled, I couldn't help it, somehow the towering mass of muscle was just too cute. “Sorry, it was simply too good an opportunity to pass up.” 

He nodded and leaned down to kiss my nose in return. I giggled again and he went to his chair. I told him about my chapter and the climatic finale I had planned and how those plot points would lead to the next book. He listened with patience and nodded, even if I wasn’t sure he understood all the details. He took my empty plates and put them in the sink. “Have a good day.” He hugged me and I hugged him back. “I’ll do my best. Just for you.” His eyes lit up at that. She was becoming more affectionate in return. My patrons must be right. It had been too hard to pull myself away. But I needed time to continue to make the nest perfect with the final rituals. I retreated to my room, several bags of snacks ready for the trap I had set. At around 1:30 I finished up my last edit and sighed, saving my document again for the thousandth time and sent it off to my editor. I heard Pumpkin’s door open and went to see what he was doing. WHen he saw me his eyes lit up and he waved me over. “Hey you, guess who officially finished their book?” I gestured to myself. “It’s me!”

I stopped at his door and he took my hand. The lights in his room were dim and comfortable. “What’s all this about?” 

He’d rearranged his furniture making a blanket and pillow bowl. He’d set up his laptop with snacks and the show we’d been watching together. The room smelled strongly of him and something sweet. I was going to question what he’d used but suddenly I just didn’t mind. And hell, I could use a break and a treat for all that work I'd done. I let him take me to his blanket pit and climbed over the couch. “So what’s on the menu today?”

“You my beloved.”

I pressed play and pulled her down into my lap. She obliged and I had to once again fight to simply have her then and there. She fit perfectly against my body and I could feel myself getting hard. I needed to calm down. To let her find herself naturally ready to mate. I could smell it on her. Her fertility. The episode was good, but I kept losing my focus on it and looking down at her. After an hour she seemed a bit woozy. Like she had been after that party. She’d worried me then, but now I knew what clouded her mind and it wasn’t any drink. I smiled, it must have looked deranged for as much glee and anticipation I felt. It was impossible to focus now, I was so needy now that I had half a mind to just leave and take care of myself. But I didn’t want to. I wanted to be close to Pumpkin. I wanted to pet him and kiss him deeply. He was so handsome, nothing like what those forums said about the chaos chapters. “Pumpkin?” I breathed, my head felt light as I looked up at him, his green gold eyes boring into me. “Yes?” Mmm, his voice, gosh I could listen to it all day. I turned in his lap and did something I never thought I’d do. I kissed him, full on the mouth. He flinched with shock and my brain shorted out. The world spun and I was under him. The blanket pile smelled like him and I buried my face in it. Something nagged at the back of my mind but I ignored it in favor of space marine smell. Pumpkin moved away and I whined, making grabby hands for him to come back. My body was being shifted, although I wasn’t sure why and I felt him return the heat of his skin on mine making me moan. His hands took hold of my thighs and something pressed at my entrance. I was too giddy to look down, the instinctual part of my brain hollered again and I knew what, but I found that I didn’t care. She yielded to me so beautifully, her body was ready and I slipped in with a groan and she let out a silvery little cry under me. Her hands clawed at my chest, trying to pull me down closer to her. I let her, and took her chin in my fingers, holding her as I pressed her down into the blankets, kissing her hard. The mother of my sons. Too perfect, too warm and tight. I wondered if she would accept me forever. I would happily make her my little wife. She could write her books while she tended to our sons. I pulled out, rutting back into her. My cock was perfectly tailored to allow me to push the tip into her cervix without hurting her. Just one of the design choices that the changer had gifted me. It would allow me to cum in her and not waste any of it. That cum would prepare her body for what came next. My clutch, those seeds that would mature and grow till she was able to lay them. It would only be a few of them. BUt soon I’d be able to fill her. Her body would grow accustomed to them. But for now, I loved her body with my own. It was like heaven, his body moving against me, and in me. The warmth of his body over mine and his lips stealing kisses. I cried out again as he pressed in deeper, every thrust was pure delight. His cock brushing over every spot conceivable that might make me see stars. My nails racked over his skin, leaving angry red scratches behind, he moaned and it made me want him even more. It was like candy to my brain, a sugarly sweet addiction.

“Pumpkin.” I squealed as he wrapped his arms under my back and hugged me tight to him, leaving barely enough room to breath. His hips jack hammered into mind, making cohesive thoughts impossible. But what should matter to me? It was an otherworldly level of pleasure. No one had ever made me feel this good. The force of his thrusts and the pure bliss sent me over the edge, It felt like my body was twisting inside as my eyes rolled back and my back arched almost painfully into him. The noise that came from me didn’t sound like one a pleasure i’m sure, but my body burned with even more need, the need to be filled. Her nails cut into my thick hide, drawing droplets of blood and I felt even more in love with her. So strong for someone so small. I could feel her loosening and the tip of my cock slipped an inch into her womb. The perfect place for my clutch. I came into her. The thick ropes of my love conditioning her for the final stage. The prince promised me that it would make her body accept my clutch, giving her the feeling of being pregnant. So her body wouldn’t reject my sons. They moved down from their place of holding in my abdomen and I groaned deeply as I felt them pass from me and into her. I petted her hair as she gasped and writhed under me as the eggs stretched her. “There, there. Soon my love. You will bring forth our sons.” I soothed her kissing her cheeks and temples while three lemon sized eggs were deposited into her. I stayed inside her till she fell asleep in my arms. A soft smile gracing her lips. “My love, you cannot imagine the joy you have brought to my life. And the joys you have yet to bring.” I rolled onto my side making her comfortable as she pressed into me. I placed a blanket over her. I had a journal entry to update. My Dearest sons, You were conceived today. And your mother was more perfect than I could have ever dreamed.

[kit-williams]

There's an odd decrease in the number of orphans in orphanages. It's something that was swept under the rug. No one truly takes note of it given how many of those children are... well.. forgotten by society. It wasn't until one of those human rights and welfare groups started looking into it that more people would learn of this. How orphans would one day just, disappear. They would leave the orphanage to go to school or hang out with friends only to not return.

Investigations would follow and then the truth would come out. Lone or even warbands and chapters of Space Marines were the reason for these disappearing orphans. This wasn't exactly news, there had been reports of Space Marines essentially taking neglected children. Them seemingly targeting orphans was new however. Many wondered what made them so compelled to take in these orphaned and neglected children. Then again, Space Marines as a whole... they tend to be good being don't they? Perhaps they just think they're doing good by taking in the children.

It wasn't as if they were mistreating the children either, if anything they were doing more than what some parents would do for their children. There was some debate if the children should be left with the Space Marines, a few voicing that they should grow up raised by humans. Those were in the minority. Space Marines are largely left to raise the children they took in, though maybe we should be looking into it more...

@wandering-writer-ha this also is in line with your ask

So first of all I'm avoiding chapter serfs even though I know (LIKE THE IRON HANDS) will take the failed aspirants and turn them into servitors and others will make them into serfs. I'm avoiding that because I want to keep this setting still light. Other point for this they wouldn't steal a child to give to their human for the most part... I won't say that they would never.

But I will agree with the 1st post is while some people are fine with space marines just taking interest and "adopting" children often times its behaviors in the 2nd post that make foster kids move around, which sometimes doesn't help because feral Astartes have wide ranges and have a knack for picking up on vulnerable children.

Hence why I started my AU before the foster care system really took off as Orphanages (more of the less scrupulous types) were willing to let a feral astartes take a child off their hands more often then not a warband or chapter would wander by a known orphanage and wait as sometimes children would come to them wanting to get away.

For the boys they would most likely be turned into Astartes/marinelings for the girls they would stay with the chapter/warband because there was usually an astartes that had bonded with them (Occasionally they were kept around to "trade" to another warband if an astartes bonded with them and it can be a way to get supplies/favors) and eventually those would become known paths all feral chapters/companies/warbands would take in an area because it was a recruitment/bonding ground.

Since the foster system took off feral astartes have had to get creative on "recruitment". Yes kids will still run away to join a warband or company but I do believe that kids will be moved around for their own safety when astartes show too much interest. Now this only happens to children in the system under 15 but sometimes they'll snatch some as old as 18 but generally by 18 years old they have outgrown the attention of the warband/company or have a space marine of their own. Which unironically falls in line with irl foster care stuff.

How miserable/vulnerable a child is would open them up to being lured away from their foster parents/orphanage. Now it always doesn't turn them into marinlings there's also often times an Astarte will bond with a child in a bad situation (whether that bond is genuine or not is up for debate) and more often kids will be removed from those situations by either an Astarte that has taken notice or their bonded one.

I hope this idea wasn't super rambly and actually makes sense

[matriarchofwar]

THE MATRIARCH OF WAR:

"an enemy of mine is an enemy of my family."

ambessa medarda was born into one of the most powerful families that resided within the expansionist empire of noxus. despite the medarda family not being counted amongst that of noxus' eldest noble houses, they had gradually gained an enormous amount of both respect and influence since it was founded.

ambessa's introduction to bloodshed came early. a past-time she favoured as a young girl was watching reckoners - warriors that fought each other viciously across the empire of noxus for the purpose of entertainment - brawl in arenas, risking their lives for a chance at glory. every match she eagerly watched was committed to her memory. filed away for the young girl to analyse the brutal, ruthless intricacies of each battle. every move, both good and bad, strong and weak, smart and stupid, were meticulously pulled apart inside her head - the outcome of every action internalised for future reference.

at ten years old, ambessa was taken by her father to the harrowing aftermath of the battle of hildenard. as far as the eye could see laid the mass of mangled bodies left by the noxian military: barbaric and merciless in their vicious ways. the sea of colours spanning the horizon were consistent with that of their enemies, the typical reds and blacks donned by the tyrants few and far between, for their skills made them a fearsome force to be reckoned with.

she was instructed to collect the blades that littered the gore-soaked battleground under the pretence of requiring the steel. however, ambessa knew it to be a lie. it was a lesson. an undeniable prophecy. she would one day stand amongst the battlefield, just as she did now. only she would not be the young lamb, tentative in its approach - she would be the wolf, unrelenting in its attack.

not once had her gaze averted from the death and carnage that filled the air with an acrid stench. every warrior she acquired a sword from was gazed upon by the young medarda, and she quickly found that death was not something to be feared nor scorned, but instead was something to be respected. sacrificing ones own life for a cause they believed so strongly in was a noble thing: for greatness demanded sacrifice.

it was inevitable that ambessa would choose the life of a soldier. throughout her childhood and early adulthood, she carried the lessons taught to her as though they were precious gems. she lived by them, breathed by them - for she would not bring shame to the medarda name. everybody she encountered was held to high standards, failure to meet them resulting in ambessa believing them to be weak willed and unfit - the ideals of familial honour and decisive action being beliefs she held to her very core.

she was an incredibly proud daughter of the medarda family, carrying the name with her head held high - and it was clear to anyone outside of the family that menelik favoured her greatly, for her strong will and fierce appetite for life meant her ambition was never satiated. never did she stop striving for bigger, better things. she brought honour to the medarda name in the masses and he knew that, ever since she was born, she was destined to become a warrior - and he was correct. ambessa flew through the ranks of the noxian military at a rate almost unheard of, soon enough becoming a general in command of several warbands whose loyalties lay with her and her prowess.

alongside all this, ambessa was so much more than simply a warrior - she was a woman, a lover, and a mother. her desire to grow, to experience, to live, meant she had experienced it all. love had been nice, she could admit. it was a time in her life she held dear to her. the love she both felt and received only went on to strengthen her desire to be an unshakeable protector. upon the first time she held her son, kino - and she stared into his eyes, innocent to the harsh reality of their world - she understood what it was like to devote yourself to something in your entirety.

ambessa did what she could to ensure her children would thrive within the empire of noxus, her unconditional love showing itself in the same way her father had raised her - but all that followed was profound disappointment. it was clear kino did not have the heart of a warrior, much preferring diplomacy over the necessary act of war. yet it did not make her love him any less - in fact, it only made her resolve stronger. it strengthened her need to protect her children, as they did not understand that harsh displays of merciless strength and power were the only way to ensure protection. if she had to protect them from that, then so be it.

fear was the greatest deterrent.

upon her near death experience defending her ancestral home of rokrund, ambessa was visited by death itself. stuck in limbo once its maw sunk into her, she was forced to fight the wolf of violent ends - who took the towering form of a powerful warrior. to survive and prove herself worthy of her life, she had to let go of everything. any semblance of peace and mercy were to be wiped from her mind, for there was no such thing. it was a weakness that would sooner see her dead than prospering. through sheer will and determination, ambessa defeated death and was raised from the dead by the wolf itself. her strength was rewarded with her life, and the life of the daughter she was pregnant with.

the slaughtered corpses of her warband surrounded her as she stared to the sky. defying death had been no easy task, and the scars that littered her body were a testament to her survival. removing the arrow lodged into abdomen, she rose to her feet. the intensity of her resolve and ambition had increased to unfathomable lengths at her brush with the other side, and ambessa vowed to break and bend the world to her every whim - for no weakness in herself, nor her children, would be something she allowed her enemies to seek out and exploit. they would be crushed beneath her before the thought could even cross their minds.

upon her return to noxus, ambessa's brutality increased tenfold. in every battle, she led from the front lines; staring death in the eye with no fear - for she had beaten it once before, and never would its attempts to make her bow to it be successful. it had failed once before, and it would fail forever thereafter. with every victory that lined her belt she only grew better; more resourceful, more daring, more uncompromising.

if they did not bend, they would shatter.

the death of menelik medarda caused chaos. with no heir named on his deathbed, several branches of the medarda family vied for the opportunity to be the head of the medarda's. it was futile, however. it had always been ambessa's destiny. ever since she stood on the battle torn field, she knew it would all be hers. there was nobody more worthy than herself - and that was proven through the defeat of everyone who attempted to oppose. remorseless as she struck down members of her own family who attempted to take what was rightfully hers, ambessa became the matriarch of war - vowing to forge a legacy worthy of the medarda name.

in all things, be the wolf.

weakness was something ambessa tolerated in no way, shape, or form. it was something she loathed to her very core, in herself and those around her. unable to do what needed to be done with the eyes of her daughter on her at all times, disapproving in every way of her every move, regardless of ambessa doing the only thing possible to ensure their safety, she had no choice but the banish her from noxus. mel had only ever wanted peace - a path that, in ambessa's eyes, had only ever resulted in death and destruction. it was not a viable option.

kino's demise sparked something in ambessa she hadn't felt for a long time. fear. her ambition had become too much - she had crossed something far more powerful than she herself could handle, and in return her son had lost his life. if the black rose could take him from right out beneath her, then mel would be no more difficult. the whisperings of a powerful invention - 'hextech' - being created in piltover only urged the warlord to depart from noxus and sail to the city of soft-spined idiots. both for her daughter, and to determine if the new technology being forged could be used to leverage even more power for the medarda family. their survival depended on it.

[ohpollenpowder]

💋🌹⚙️ for Astrella, Klea and Laviii (feel free to swap them out if stuff is not applicable to them)

This ended up being lengthy, so under a cut it goes! And apologies for the delay~♥

💋 First Kiss

Laviii - Her first kiss wasn't with her husband, much to his disappointment—he's just that sort and it makes her amused. It was actually to one of the other orphans in the orphanage when she was still there, probably about the age of nine. They both had just left the "ew, cooties" phase and were falling into curiosity. She remembers it was drizzling and they'd sought out shelter under one of the trees just before the skies opened. They had started laughing, they got drenched anyway, and his lips tasted like the cherries they'd had snuck out of the kitchen earlier. Laviii has always boasted of her memory and how good it is, but something always hazes over his name and his face. Honestly, probably some weird Mesmer magic which made her subconsciously suspicious of Tyki from the get go. His name was Cael though and he didn't really have anything remarkable about his appearance at the time. Nothing that would have drawn and kept Laviii's attention, but he was kind and didn't seem to mind her tangents and shared any apples he stumbled across in wanderings.

Klea and Astrëllä both haven't had theirs so… (randomizer) 1-21…and 4 comes up. So 📎!

📎 Siblings/Close Family

Astrëllä - Since she's my namesake, there are things that are similar about us, however family is not one of these. I only have one sibling—a younger brother—and Astrëllä… She was unblessed in that she's the middle child of five, not that she's close to her other four siblings. You'd think she would have been close to her twin, Aiar (M) who is older than her by five minutes, but it's actually the youngest, Dhianni (NB). They were the only one who seemed to actually be proud of Astrëllä and her academic achievements. Likewise, Astrëllä ended up being more of a mother to Dhianni than their actual mother; made sure they had access to anything they needed for their potion experiments. She didn't really understand the desire to go into that field but honestly…someone has to, she guesses. Though she has had to keep Dhianni from trying to test these potions out on their family. Rivals, yes. People who you've gotta sleep in the same space with? Nah… Dhianni, I think, is the only reason that Astrëllä would hesitate over actually joining the Ward. Mostly because she doesn't want to lose that connection to a beloved sibling.

Klea - Jazer Shadowsworn—her mother and Legionnaire—is someone she's semi-close to seeing as Klea has been raised as her heir to the Warband. (And honestly the rest of the Warband doesn't seem to mind the idea of it being handed down. They've seen her grow up, they know her and trust her. And she's not her mother, either.) But Klea would also say that they're not as close as others may believe, mostly because Klea has been quietly rebelling against the idea of becoming Legionnaire more and more the closer that time gets. Her closest tie belongs to a cranky old Thief who taught her stealth when she (and he) was younger: Kuudan Shadowdancer. He gave her glimpses of life outside the Warband as a core unit, that there was more out there. And she's still young enough that she's curious about it, enough so that she's willing to become a Gladium in order to step away from Shadow Warband and see what's out there for her own. But Kuudan keeps her where she is for now, out of her own choice. He's gotten a little more senile and slower in his older age and she's worried about him.

🌹 First Relationship

Laviii - It wasn't the boy she had her first kiss with, he wasn't enough her type for that, not to mention he had long since vanished by the time she got interested in relationships. That one would honestly go to her now husband, Tyki Mikkk. (And he'd hate to hear this, but he did/does remind her of that first kiss. We're blaming the mysterious Mesmer feeling…) She wasn't even going to date him to be honest, there was just something about him that made her suspicious and yet familiar as well. And honestly that alone made her even more suspicious, because where does he get off being familiar but she can't place it with her memory? (Again, damn Mesmer magic.) Tyki was very persistent, however, and somehow they kept getting partnered up for Pact work, so she couldn't escape him if she wanted to—at least not without getting in trouble. He was her first, because she didn't like or want any guy in Divinity's Reach, she also didn't want to end up stuck in the city with multiple babies while he was at the tavern. And that was the lifelong goal of a lot of those men.

Astrëllä - She did actually attempt a relationship just before she went into her first College, figuring it would be better to do it before and see if it was worth her time. Dasi was one of those oddballs that Dhianni worked with, an older Asura (closer to her age than Dhianni's) who made sure they weren't poisoning themselves as they concocted things. Dasi was a lot of what Astrëllä wasn't; very lazy in academia and not very driven in the sense that most Asura are. She was more than content to let others take the credit for her hard work, she was very much an extrovert where as Astrëllä chose to spend most of her time on her own or with a small few. They were on the verge of perhaps becoming something more steady than hanging out in the same spot close together and quiet little "meetings" to "discuss" work. (Not that their work was similar at all.) And the but here goes to Dasi deciding that relationships weren't something she wanted at that time, instead what she wanted was to go to the Jungle with the rest of the Pact. They tried to keep touch but by the time the Commander got to Tarir, they lost contact with one another. Astrëllä has, of course, feared the worst at this point since it's been years since any kind of contact but also no news of a body being found either… She hasn't gotten over Dasi, still holds out quiet and unspoken hope. Not even Dhianni knows about that what-could-have-been relationship. (Astrëllä was scared to speak about it out loud in case she jinxed it, but fate jinxed it already…)

Klea - Icilius Shadowstone—he was the world's sweetest and biggest (and floofiest) Necromancer in the Warband—and he also could creep up on absolutely anyone by accident. He awkwardly started to court her when they were fresh out of the Fahrar, having watched her (non-creepily) while they were there training. Klea was flattered by the attention since it was different than those trying to gain favor with her and thus her mother, this was purely for her. Icilius could've had her wrapped around his claw and did for a while, and he around hers, but we've got interfering parents on our hands. Jazer decided that he was too much of a distraction for her heir and cast him out of the Warband on fabricated charges. Actually had him "disposed of" as well, in that he was shipped off and told to stay away from the Citadel and from Klea. His current location is unknown, same if there's any remaining ardor for Klea considering a relationship with her lost him his Warband.

⚙️ Coworkers

Laviii - She gets along famously—perhaps too famously—with several of her Pact coworkers. Or at least she likes to think so, some of them only tolerate her antics. But she's gotten used to that and often plays into it when she's feeling mischievous. Outside of the Pact, she has a few reliable Priory coworkers that put up with her for good reason. She's incredibly smart and intuitive, often coming up with the solution before some of her Asuran fellows. Explorer Parrel often comes to her with puzzles trying to stump her but he also has great fun in working them out with her as well. Since they initially stumped him in the first place. Arcanist Sorley and Scholar Arthwr—both Sylvari—often tag along when she's doing the rare solo missions separate from her husband. They say it's for her protection but seeing as she's stronger than them both, they all three know it's because they're going to get into some sort of antics. Gixx dislikes them all working together just because it reminds him so of Sieran…

Astëllä - Wouldn't necessarily say she gets along with many… Dasi's Krewe always welcomes her in when she needs their assistance or vice versa, but a lot of the time Astëllä works on her own. After all, there's not a lot of teamwork to be done digging for knowledge sometimes. Most times. Astëllä is very resourceful and if she can't get what she needs by her own means then she's not above asking for aid. To that end, Yezzud has become her go to within the Krewe for at least headings to the information she wants. So honestly, Astëllä tends not to be very social, but she's not awkward like I tend to be. She's more along the lines of… "This isn't productive conversation so Imma just ignore you." But she'll also do it in a much nicer fashion, "Oh, that's interesting. Well, I have to go ponder about this. I'll see you later." By which…most times…she means never in a planned sense. Coincidences exist sadly.

Klea - Shadow Warband, of course, though honestly she's still never sure if it's nepotism at play. Though she knows she's more than earned her position if this wasn't her mother's Warband… Elarriza Shadoweye often pairs with her on missions and they work fairly well together despite Elarriza being a sneaksy thief. Oddly, despite being Ash Legion, Klea doesn't care much for sneaking herself and thieves seem to do it naturally. It's…more so trust? But Elarriza has slowly earned Klea's trust over the years and the former is a little over five years younger than her. And Klea also recognizes that it's a good thing to have someone she knows she can trust as a second hand; it might end up being Elarriza one day. So she's doing her best to set her own prejudices aside for that matter.

[couple-o-commanders]

1, 9 and 24 for my girl juuno 🥹

1. Do they fit well into asuran society or are they more at home with other races? How do they feel about fellow asura? Is it because of their personality or something else? Is there any deal maker or breaker?

Juuno fits in FAR better with Norn and Charr than she does other Asura! She's brash, forward, and HATES political and societal games. She's not against invention and innovation, or even friendly competition involving these things! It's the 5D chess most Asura play and the pretzels they tie themselves into to avoid being wrong that she hates.

9. What are their hobbies and pastimes? Do they have any natural talent or particularly strong interest that's not tied to their job? If nothing in particular, what do they do with their free time?

Other than still tinkering with golems (though she now protects their blueprints and parts with her LIFE), Juuno loves to cook! She LOVES exploring new flavor profiles, textures, and techniques, and often cooks for an entire army. Thankfully, between her, a Norn wife, and a Charr husband, this is usually taken care of (though if there's leftovers, it can go to any of the warband members living nearby).

24. Do they have any particular opinion on the Peacemakers and the Arcane Council (and Eye)? Do they have any direct experience with them?

BITING AND CHEWING AND GNAWING AND BITING at the Council and Eye. She is on TERRIBLE terms with all of them, with only a slightly more tolerant spot for Phlunt, of all people. Ludo is... also getting some ground back. Flax? Gave her a public (AND INCORRECT) scolding over the M.I.G., not to mention the entire Gorr thing. Vark and Zudo decided a war criminal was a much better ally than anything a Commander could give (stupid). Yahk's Inquest. And left in a room for more than three seconds with Haia and she will go for the kill (No one mangles HER Val-A golems!!!). Ludo is... Doing better. And despite just how much of a PAIN he is, Phlunt hasn't actually done anything wrong (while she GETS he was being harsh, Juuno understands why he's so upset about Taimi in.. most situations). The Peacekeepers are BIG FUCKIN' NERDS (They're fine. She has an old college buddy who used to be a Peacekeeper and she rags on them for this. Complete Cain Instinct).

[drakeheart]

Tell us about your cats that are in a relationship <3

sure, why not! also i lied, there's actually three, and they're all in relationships with characters my partner @full-of-skritt created, so check them out too! they got some good kids.

Felix (right) is in a tumultuous relationship Cole (left), a sylvari ranger who he met in Caledon after taking an accidental detour on a trip to Rata Sum. Cole offered to guide him to his intended destination, and by the end of the trek they were fast friends. they kept in contact, writing letters and occasionally visiting, too shy to admit their growing feelings for each other.

years later, the two were properly reunited when they both joined the Pact. they gladly worked together again, sticking side-by-side through Scarlet's uprising and all that follows, right up to the assault on Maguuma. then, of course, disaster strikes.

after the crash, Cole finds himself answering the call of Mordremoth, and Felix makes some difficult decisions that end with him saving Cole from total corruption, but losing most of his warband to the mordrem. they make it out alive, but their relationship is heavily damaged, with Cole traumatized and permanently changed by the dragon's influence, and Felix stricken with grief and guilt over the deaths of his friends that he can't help but blame himself for.

it takes a long time, but they gradually help each other come to terms with what happened and heal from it. in doing so, they finally admit to each other how they really feel, and begin a relationship in earnest.

Ranuk (left) is in a casual relationship with Speratus (right), an Ash legion elementalist who was placed on a "temporary" leave due to his stress-induced paranoia interfering with missions. Ranuk met him while exploring Southsun--or rather, ran right into him while fleeing from some particularly vicious karka, which Speratus promptly dispatched. the two got to talking, and Ranuk offered to try and help him work out his trauma "issues" through some Olmakhan methods, in return for Speratus providing him some extra protection on his journeys across Tyria. Speratus agreed, as anything was better than lying around on a beach with nothing to do. over the course of their travels together, they became good friends, and then a little more.

(and then the civil war happens, and Speratus is recalled to duty. we're still discussing exactly what that entails for them, as my partner hasn't actually gotten to play through IBS yet, but it'll probably be very sad and dramatic. charr do be going through trauma.)

finally, we have Sorex (right) and Vitalis (left), a pair of older gladium and fellow necromancers who both experienced the tragic loss of their respective warbands--Sorex to the Ascalonian ghosts, and Vitalis to the Flame Legion. feeling betrayed by charr society after their demotions, the two met and took solace in their shared experience, bonding fiercely. they decided to form their own secular warband, regardless of Legion approval--the Grave warband, functioning more like a family unit than a military one.

at some point, they adopt an orphaned female charr named Lexia and raise her as their daughter, teaching her important life skills such as how to properly scribe necromantic marks and which types of corpses are best for crafting a flesh golem. but with Lexia grown and on her own path, the two now spend their days adventuring together, chasing tales of ghosts and exploring ancient Ascalonian ruins, and generally just being a couple of feisty old coots--alongside their horde of well-loved undead minions.

[djpain619]

WIP WEDNESDAY

We'll be Ogre soon they said, Now they've lost their heads instead

So I've finished her. I'm Simultaneously proud and disappointed with how her face turned out. Proud in that compared to my previous attempts at painting faces, she's actually turned out spectacularly, I think she might be my best face yet. However as you can see thats not necessarily saying much. My skills obviously need improvement cause she's fukking atrocious compared to what I had envisioned in my minds eye.

In any case she's good enough for now.

So since my Old World OCs are set in The End Times/Blood Bowl, I've been formulating in my head a backstory for Totengrad during the Timeline of The Old World; the ending of the Time Of 3 Emperors, Mordheim, and the rise of Magnus the Pious. And what I have so far is that Totengrad has a succession crisis and a Usurper claims the Barony and the Tyrant's Throne. This is also the Time when Anker Brüggards starts his Brewery, and the turmoil of the Usurper's reign is why he starts the Grogstout Arsenal, to defend his Brewery.

Anyway after a long build-up and a mecifully swift yet bloody Civil War the Usurper is deposed and the true heir is made Baron in time for a surprise Vampire Count Seige, which gets cut short when they're obliterated by the forces of Magnus the Pious, whom have shown up on a recruiting drive for the war on chaos. The New Tyrant is then able to lead the Forces of Totengrad in battle as they Join Magnus's Crusade on Chaos.

So in this narrative I plan to use this model to represent Zerlina's ancestor, HELGA THE HORRID. Helga and her Ogre Maneater Warband come in as mercenaries hired to bolster the Usurper and his Tyrants Guard. But they get bribed by the Merchant Guilds to switch sides and join the True Heir's rebellion. Its Helga that starts the tradition of her tribe coming to Totengrad for reliable Mercenary work. This eventually sets up Baron Sigfried's marriage to Zerlina to make it a year round permanent alliance instead of seasonal temp work.

So on the left is Zerlina/Helga compared to Baron Sigfried Von Totenkopf's Blood Bowl model, & on the right is Zerlina/Helga compared to the newly base coated model of BARONESS Zerlina 'Gargantbreaker' Von Totenkopf (equipped with dual Ironfists)

[mouseinamushroomhouse]

@starfishlikestoread's Ezar quote board has actually infected my brain, and it reminded me I have this whole backstory timeline thing for Ezar that fits approximately 15% of actual canon about him (which is embarrassing considering how little there actually is, you'd think I could get it right) but I shall now inflict it on all of you regardless.

Part 1: First Cetagandan War Basically we pick up roughly a year into the war the Cetagandans. (Inaccuracy 1: in my brain the ninth satrapy's base of power was mostly in the southern continent (SC), and Dorca lived through/during the Cetagandan War. He also isn't fully emperor yet - he's building a powerbase and Yuri and Xav (and therefore the Betans) see him as the planet's independent leader, but the actual remaining Vor families of the Northern continent (NC) are … split, to say the least. He's got maybe 70% support among the Vor, and plenty of that is purely opportunist. Major holdouts include Fyodor Vorkosigan and most of the northern huntsmen, a rabble of anti-monarchist types led by eighteen year old Ezar [unknown].)

So a year into the war, most of the fighting is focused on the southern part of NC, with Xav off on Beta running weapons and Yuri leading guerilla attacks in SC. Shortly before Yuri left for SC, he formed a temporary alliance with Piotr Vorkosigan without Dorca or Fyodor's knowledge. Piotr is leading a warband of Dendarii hillmen and his thought process is basically 'well, I don't want this Vorbarra upstart's family pretending they control me, but this is the best chance we've had to throw off the Cetagandans in my lifetime, so fuck it.' Fyodor has thus far refused to commit any support to Dorca and most of the Vorkosigan loyalists have retreated into the mountain caves. Piotr splits his warband, sending half of them with Yuri to the satrapy and the others with one of Yuri's riders to rendezvous with Dorca, who is in hiding with his command squad and his younger children. (Xav and Yuri are essentially the weird older stepbrothers of other women, and no one's 100% sure whether Yuri or Dorca's new legitimate son will inherit, but that's not important right now ;). Dorca's family tree in my mind is a whole other can of worms.)

Piotr meanwhile takes a small group of hillmen and heads north to attempt to convince the huntsmen to join them in fighting the Cetagandans (very Nakia going to M'Baku for help, in my mind). He assumes he's going to negotiate with an old warlord, very like his own father, but instead finds Ezar the weird forest child.

Ezar things: he's not the blood son of the former leader. No one is in fact sure where he's from. The former chief, Xandor Borisovich, brought him back from a solo hunting trip on the ice sheets and no one was brave enough to ask. The huntsmen aren't big on social classes or standards, and Vor/prole social dynamics don't really apply. Ezar ended up as their unofficial leader after he hunted and killed the mountain lion(esque thing, ik it's an alien planet) that killed his foster father. Ezar uses Borisovich when he feels like it, but largely doesn't use a patronymic at all.

Ezar is a year younger than Piotr and has no interest in supporting Dorca or any sort of leader who outranks him. They go back and forth on this for a while, and Piotr probably ends up dueling Ezar's champion to prove himself. Eventually, Piotr convinces Ezar to join him, with the understanding that Yuri won't hold either of them to a true oath after the Cetagandans are thrown out. Also he promises Ezar a bunch of land that he definitely doesn't actually own, because like grandson, like grandfather.

The reason Yuri even wanted an alliance with Ezar is that Ezar's people had a better understanding of ships (the sailing kind) than anyone else on their continent. The Cetagandans have most of their power concentrated on SC, but they also hold most of the coasts of NC - the resistance is almost all inland. So Piotr and Ezar spend most of the next year working their way down the coast, liberating coastal cities - Ezar with his fleet, Piotr with his ever-growing calvary troop as farmers and merchants in the cities behind them join him. Piotr and his lieutenants train them to function as an actual calvary troop, and trains Ezar as his military apprentice, etc, and by the time they rendezvous with Yuri, they have nearly three times his numbers.

Yuri has been generally wreaking havoc in Cetagandan territory, and also has been stealing lightflyers, guns, and other technology he can get his hands on. Dorca is back in Vorbarr Sultana acting as supreme commander, and Xav sent a group of mercanaries to rendezvous with them and train Yuri's men how to operate spaceships.

Anyway, then some battle stuff happens, IDK that part because battle logistics are so not my strong suit.

Point being, when the dust settles, the Cetagandans have bombed Vorkosigan Vashnoi halfway to hell in retaliation for Piotr assassinating some higher-ups in their command and getting captured. This pisses Fyodor off so much he joins Dorca and swears loyalty to Dorca's 'empire.' Fyodor dies defending Dorca's family in battle, leaving Piotr the last man with the Vorkosigan name.

While this is going on, Ezar does something devilishly clever to get Piotr free and Yuri lets loose Betan bombs on SC in revenge for Vorkosigan Vashnoi, wiping out tens of thousands of native Barrayarans.

At some point after that (seriously I have no idea how battles or timelines work) Dorca, Yuri and Piotr bring the Cetagandans to a standstill, and Ezar uses Yuri's stolen Cetagandan ship and flies for the wormhole, threatening to the Cetagandans that he'll blow himself up and collapse it, cutting off any Ceta reinforcements. To be clear, Ezar has no idea this will work - he barely knows how to control a spaceship at this point. But the Cetagandans fall for his bluff, and accept Dorca's terms in return, leaving the planet altogether.

In the aftermath of all of that, Dorca rides a wave of support to become emperor in truth, although admittedly only of the NC. Piotr agrees to abide by his father's oath, and becomes Dorca's first official Count. Ezar, in the process of threatening to kill himself for Dorca's cause, finds to his own surprise that the idea of a unified Barrayar is actually something he believes in, and also swears loyalty to Dorca. Refuses any countship, but agrees to stay with Piotr and help define what kind of government the Imperium is going to be.

End Part 1.

[sesshy380]

you said your wow oc's have their own stories, can you share them?

I did a count, and I am currently at 44 characters. For now I'll just tell the stories I have for the 4 on my Warband screen, which are Sesshy, Kanika, Phillaria, and Salarii.

Posting below the cut to avoid dash clutter

We'll start with Sesshy.

Sesshy is an Enhancement Shaman that really loves her storm spells and elemental spirit wolves (each time she summons them to fight they appear as different elements, but when summoned for the pic they both summoned as storm). She also loves to run around in her Spirit Wolf form.

She was born in Outland and loved animals. One day, she got too close to a clefthoof calf and was attacked by it's very angry mother. A large cat sprang out of nowhere and saved her. The cat shifted into a tree after to heal her wounds, then into a pointed-eared humanoid (which she soon learned was called a Kaldorei, or Night Elf).

Awed by the fact that one could turn into an animal, Sesshy decided she wanted to become a druid like the elf that saved her. She managed to discover that there was a druid encampment in Zangarmarsh, and travelled there so she could learn how to become a druid.

It was there that her dreams of being able to shapeshift into a cat or bear met it's end, as she discovered that becoming a druid wasn't something the Draenei race was capable of. There was some hope for her, however, as the head of the Cenarion Enclave mentioned that she might have better luck speaking to the Prophet Velen on Azeroth to help her find her true calling.

So off to Azeroth she went. She thought for sure the Prophet would be too busy to bother with something so trivial and meet with someone of no importance, but she was wrong. The Prohet directed her to Farseer Nobundo for a test. It was here that she discovered that she was able to commune with the elements.

After a lot of training, she was finally able to become an animal like she always dreamed, and was able to take on the form of a ghost wolf. She also learned how to summon spirit wolves to fight alongside her.

Sesshy is very devout the Alliance, and was even granted the title 'Crusader Sesshy' very early on during the war against the Lich King. She did some extra training as a healer during this time, and she actually enjoyed it, but the call of the storm always brought her back to what she enjoyed the most.

Next up is Kanika.

Kanika is a Beast Mastery Hunter that loves her spirit kitties. On the left is Shadow (ghost saber) and on the right is Ice (loque'nahak). Ice likes to run around in stealth so they appear ghost-like like Shadow.

Kanika was a survivor of the Exodar crash. She was on Azeroth before her cousin, Sesshy. Like Sesshy, she always had a love for animals. The first time she encountered a cat on Azeroth, she was smitten. There weren't any cats back in Nagrand where she'd originally come from, though she'd heard stories of animals matching their description being found in other parts of Outland.

She'd been training to be a hunter back in Nagrand, so it only made sense to continue that training. In Darkshore she came across an old elven ruin and found a small cat figurine. She picked it up with the intent to take it with her on her adventures, but it summoned forth a ghostly saber. She had no animal companion like most hunters, so she decided to see if she could make this ghost her animal companion. It took a lot of patience, but in the end, the ghostly saber decided to follow her and fight alongside her.

During the war against the Lich King, she heard rumor of a rare cat in Scholozar Basin, and with the aid of her partner at the time, Đom (another Draenei Beast Mastery Hunter like Kanika and my irl hubby), she found the beautiful spirit beast, Loque'nahak, who quickly became another companion that she renamed Ice (because of the icey blue glow coming from it's spots and mouth).

Kanika could care less about faction. Her devotion is to the spirit side of nature. She would do anything to protect it.

She was known as Ambassador Kanika for a while, as she'd gained the highest level of reptation available with all the different races of the Alliance, but she now carries the title Kanika, Veteran of the Fourth War. She fights for Azeroth as a whole, and cares little about the petty squabbling of the Horde and Alliance. To her, both sides have committed their own fair share of atrocities.

Now on to Phillaria.

Phillaria is an Arcane Mage.

Phillaria is fairly new to the conflicts of Azeroth. She spent her years as a scholor in the Outland city of Shattrath. After the leader of Burning Legion, Sargaras, plunged his sword into the world of Azeroth, she was compelled to take her years of arcane knowledge and the aid a world she knew only about from books and passing adventurers. Adventurers fought to protect what was left of her home from the Burning legion, it only felt right to offer what she could for aid in return.

Little did she know that she'd chosen a bad time to come. The factions of Azeroth had broken out into an all out war over the power the blood of Azeroth, Azerite, possessed. She was quite literally thrown into the fray of the Fourth War.

Phillaria only shows allegiance to the great mage city of Dalaran, and only because of how highly the mage, Khadgar' spoke of it during his time in Shattrath. He was the one who inspired Phillaria to become a scholor of the arcane.

Khadgar often spoke of the gifted mages there, including the Quel'dorei prince, Kael'thas Sunstrider. While Phillaria never got to meat Kael'thas personally during her time in Shattrath, she heard many stories of him and how he was a formidable mage. During the Fourth War, Phillaria struggled against many of her opponents, and it irked her. She wanted to be just as formidable as Kael'thas.

She hesitated in joining the fight in the Shadowlands, but it was there where she finally found her strength. She got to not only meet Kael'thas, but also aid him in his quest for redemption.

And lastly, Salarii.

Salarii is a Retribution Paladin.

Salarii is a Lightforged Draenei, meaning that she isn't like most Draenei. She is a member of the Army of the Light, and that her body has undergone the process of having her body infused with Holy Light by the Prime Naruu, X'era. (The Naruu are a race of beings made entirely of light)

After adventurers from Azeroth helped them fight off the Burning Legion on the planet Argus, she (along with many other lightforged) followed them back to their homeworld and aided them in the Fourth War.

Salarii is devout only to the Light, and greatly respects the paladins of the Alliance due to her teachings from Turalyn, who was one of the original founding members of the Knights of the Silver Hand on Azeroth. She strives to prove that she was worthy of having learned from someone of such high renown.

[meeeeeeese]

Ok to turn it back: Rugan! any moment you would rather forget and gives you the urge to hide when anyone brings it up?

Rugan grimaces, thinking back. "Okay, before I tell you this, you have to swear you won't tell anyone. Don't want Rytlock giving me shit for this." Quickly glancing around to check for eavesdroppers, he continues.

"Anyway, I think my worst moment was way back when I was a cub, growing up in the citadel farhar. The warband and I had attracted the attention of another 'band who'd decided we'd be good targets for bullying and I'd come up with a plan to get revenge against 'em. I'd made some uh, essentially spring loaded mines using some scrap and spare parts that'd launch a payload of gunk over whoever stepped on them. Simple stuff by my standards today but I was pretty proud of 'em back then."

"Anyway, the whole warband pitched in to find the worst stuff we could to drench their fur with when they stepped in our little trap. We ended up with a horrid mixture of ooze gunk, cow manure, some of Dinky's dinner he'd stashed away a month ago then forgotten about, Maverick even collected his piss for a few days. By the time we'd mixed it all together it stunk worse than a week old carcass, thanks to the ooze gunk it was sticky too, to really get stuck in their fur. We waited until the other 'band had gone out on a practice patrol around the outskirts of the citadel, left our 'surprise' on their route and hid to watch our handiwork."

He leans back in his chair, rubbing his temple as he recounts the next part of his story

"So the good part was that it worked. They stumbled into the trap none the wiser and got covered muzzle to tail in our 'concoction' and then ran off crying. The bad part was… Well, look, once they'd ran off I climbed out of our hiding place first to inspect how the traps did."

He sighs dramatically, "the thing was I'd made eight mines in total, but unbeknownst to me they'd only set off six of 'em, so when I went over to inspect them… yeah. I set off my own damn mine and got drenched in a mix of gunk, shit and Mav's piss. I think I just stood there frozen for a moment and then burst into tears. My warband refused to get close and help me because they didn't want to set off the other mine, and besides they were too busy laughing at me. Still, it was a good lesson in explosives safety and I suppose it was better to learn it before I lost a leg to an actual explosive."

He momentarily gets a sad look on his face before smiling wistfully and continuing

"Now, Reeva's really the only one left who knows that story. Doesn't stop her from making allusions to it every time I work with explosives, at least she has the decency not to spill the details to the newer 'bandmates. Don't think I could show my face around them again if she did." He clears his throat awkwardly "not… that I really have the opportunity to do that much anyway of course."

[gobboguy]

Chapter 50: Together in the Dark

As dawn broke, Ulf and Hate found themselves skirting the edge of the Underking’s bleak domain. They treaded carefully, moving through the last traces of Sidhedark’s underground beauty: towering trees, lush grass, and a trickling river that seemed vibrant even in this shadowed world. But just beyond them, the landscape twisted, morphing into a sickly land where trees lay gnarled and lifeless, grass was decayed to a brittle yellow, and stagnant pools shimmered with pollution. The air itself felt heavy, reeking of rot and thick enough to turn her stomach.

At the heart of this desolate land, Ulf’s gaze fixed on the distant tower, its silhouette framed by a black flag with the green hand emblazoned proudly against the sky—the banner of the Orcs, now tainted under the Underking’s rule. She gritted her teeth, swallowing her disgust as she thought of how the flag, which once stood for unity and strength, now flew under this shadow.

They walked in silence for a time, but the grim mood lifted a little as Hate broke the silence with stories from his youth. Ulf listened, enraptured, as he told of the years he’d spent as a mercenary, clearing out dungeons for the Dominion. His stories were peppered with fierce battles, narrow escapes, and tales of the respect he’d won for his prowess. There was pride in his voice, a warrior’s satisfaction in each detail.

When he paused, Ulf shared memories of her own, speaking of her childhood in Cairn Doom, the holy city of the Orcs. Her voice softened as she spoke of being trained there, her calling as the Orc-Saint woven into her very being. She talked about her mother, Queen Ionia, the strength of her rule, and her own sense of duty to the people of Gelberg, where she’d been crowned princess.

With each tale shared, a warmth grew between them, woven out of shared histories and mutual respect. They spoke as comrades, each realizing how their pasts—so different yet bound by Orcish pride—had led them both to this moment, skirting the borders of life and death, as they prepared for what lay ahead.

As they walked along the twisted landscape, Hate cast a sidelong glance at Ulf, his brow furrowing in thought. “What’s it like, living as a princess? Trying to balance all the warbands—their needs, their pride. Seems a life full of honor, but no easy path.”

Ulf’s face softened, though her gaze was distant. “It’s… a challenge,” she admitted. “Each warband has its own heart. Some are eager for battle, almost restless for the next fight. Others live by the teachings of MOG, wanting to stay close to the old ways. And then there’s the seafaring warbands—like Sudbad’s—they look at things differently still. Keeping them all together, all on the same path, it can feel like trying to keep a fire from turning into an inferno.”

She hesitated, her voice lowering as she added, “Sometimes, I wonder if I’m the right one to hold them all in balance.”

Hate nodded thoughtfully, then asked with a hint of gentleness, “And your blood? You must feel the pull of both sides—being half-human. That can’t be easy.”

Ulf’s expression flickered, her gaze dropping briefly. “No… it’s not,” she said, her tone quieter. “I’ve always felt the Orc blood most. I carry the Orcish spirit, the devotion to our people. But there are times… there are times I wonder what that other side means for me, for my strength, and if it could ever make me… less.”

Hate raised his brows, his voice steady. “No one would ever see you as ‘less,’ Ulf. Least of all the warbands. They revere you—Gelbeg’s daughter, Ionia’s heir. Bloodline doesn’t get much stronger.”

Ulf managed a small, grateful smile but looked away, the weight of something unsaid in her eyes. “I wish I could have known him,” she murmured after a moment. “Gelbeg. He died when I was barely a babe, just after a battle victory. But it was a human’s cowardice that took him down—a poison dart from the shadows.”

She shook her head, a faint sadness in her eyes. “He left before I could ever know him, and sometimes I wonder what he might’ve taught me. How he would’ve guided me, shown me the way to keep the warbands united.”

Hate’s gaze softened, understanding the ache beneath her words. “Seems to me, Ulf, you’re already finding your own way. And that’s strength.”

Ulf looked up at him, something lighter in her expression, a glimmer of quiet hope. “Maybe,” she said, managing a soft smile. “But it helps… knowing I’m not walking this path alone.”

Hate nodded, his own smile warm, and they continued on in a comfortable silence, both feeling a little more assured for the journey ahead.

As the day wore on and the twisted trees cast eerie shadows, Ulf kept her eyes on the distant tower, her heart surging with fresh hope. If they could press forward, beat back the minions of the Underking, and take that tower, then maybe—just maybe—they could defeat the Underking himself. And perhaps, for the first time in a long time, a true future for the Orcs was possible.

Hate’s voice broke her thoughts, light and teasing. “When we get back to Gelberg, I think I’ll make it my mission to visit every tavern in the city. Been fighting far too long. What about you, Ulf? Any grand plans?”

Ulf chuckled, her eyes brightening at the thought. “For starters, I’ll help my mother recover—she’s got a long road ahead of her. And after that?” She grinned, already imagining it. “I’m going straight to the Orcish Hall to feast. I’ll have heaps of fire-roasted mutton, bog boar haunches, lard-braised root slaw, honeyed wildberries, and deep-baked blood pudding with marrow gravy.”

Hate let out a low whistle. “Now that sounds like a feast fit for a warrior.”

Ulf shrugged, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “Maybe I deserve one, after all this.”

Hate rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a casual smile tugging at his lips. “Suppose you wouldn’t mind some company?”

She looked at him, her tone just as casual. “I think I’d like that.”

They exchanged a knowing smile before turning their eyes back to the trail, their steps lighter, their spirits alive with anticipation. The promise of victory—and, perhaps, a shared future—was something worth fighting for.

Hate cleared his throat and pointed off to the east where a large auspicious grove of tree was growing on an isolated butte. Ulf could see a small trail leading up the southeast end, a game trail which allowed access up to the top. "I found that last night while scouting and found something amazing there. Care to check it out?" Hate asked.

Ulf, intrigued, smiled and nodded enthusiastically. She was always up for adventure.

As night descended over the Underkingdom, Ulf and Hate stepped into the grove, where the air grew hushed and thick with an ancient, powerful presence. Ulf felt her breath catch as she looked around. These trees were unlike anything she had ever seen on the surface, their trunks so massive and gnarled they could have been the very pillars holding up the earth itself. Towering high into the darkness, their bark had a strange, iridescent sheen—a deep, midnight blue with veins of silvery green that caught the moonlight from the glowing central pillar in faint, glimmering patterns. Their limbs were adorned with leaves of gold, like sunlight captured and transformed. Each tree seemed alive with quiet wisdom, as if they had stood there since the dawn of the world, witnessing centuries of forgotten history.

The bark was rough but intricately textured, covered with a network of spirals and whorls that resembled carvings. Ulf couldn’t help but reach out, her fingertips brushing against it; the bark felt cool, smooth in some places and coarse in others, with tiny flecks of what seemed like quartz embedded within, catching the light in a subtle shimmer. The air was filled with a scent she couldn’t quite name—a heady blend of rich earth, distant rain, and the faint sweetness of dried herbs. It was as if the very essence of the forest lingered here, undisturbed by time.

A soft babbling brook wound through the grove, its water clear as crystal and dancing over smooth stones in gentle, whispering currents. It wove through moss-covered banks, where tiny white flowers bloomed, their petals glowing faintly in the dim light. The sound of the brook melded with the occasional creak of ancient wood and the soft rustling of leaves high above, creating a symphony of quiet, reverent sounds.

Hate and Ulf moved slowly, reverently, as if any loud noise might break the spell of this hidden sanctuary. Hate, usually jovial and loud, seemed almost subdued, glancing at the trees with a rare look of awe. Ulf's heart swelled as she took it all in, her spirit lifted by the profound beauty and mystery of this ancient place. Here, under the towering trees that seemed to reach beyond even the Underkingdom’s stone ceiling, she felt a rare peace, a reminder that something sacred had endured through ages of turmoil.

Together, they walked deeper into the grove, feeling, if only for a moment, that they had stepped into a place untouched by mortal strife, a world where the very earth sang of its own quiet strength.

Ulf knelt beside the cool, clear brook, dipping her hands into the waters and bringing them to her lips. The first sip sent a surge of energy through her—more than mere refreshment; it was as if the very essence of Sidhedark pulsed within this grove. She closed her eyes, feeling a deep, almost visceral connection to the earth, to the roots that held it all together, and to MOG, the ancient spirit of the Orcs.

With quiet reverence, she raised her hand to make the sign of MOG, her voice low and steady as she offered her prayer.

“Mighty MOG, Lord of our strength, spirit of our blood, I give thanks for this sacred place hidden in the depths of Sidhedark. In this grove, you have revealed your power, the power that moves beneath the stone and holds the land together. Here, where the earth whispers and the waters run pure, we find the strength you grant to your kin. May this place forever bear witness to our kinship with the earth, a testament to the Orcs who came before and the ones yet to come.”

She paused, feeling the weight of her words settle into the air.

"By this sign, by this claim, I name this grove Ghâshlok—Sanctuary of Fire and Stone. Let it be a place of legend among the Orcs, a place where the blood of our ancestors runs deep in the roots and the strength of MOG lives in every leaf and stone."

Ulf stepped forward into the brook, feeling the cool rush of water as it rose to her waist, crisp and bracing against her skin. She knelt, lowering herself deeper, letting her armor slip to her knees in reverent, unhurried movements. She exhaled, settling into the water with a steady gaze, feeling a profound sense of connection to the grove and the spirit of MOG. With quiet purpose, she relieved herself, her actions marking the waters as distinctly Orcish. As the warmth spread around her, defiling the waters, Ulf marked this place in the ancient Orc way. This act, both natural and ceremonial, was her way of claiming the grove for her people, of imprinting an unspoken vow that this place would forever hold the spirit and strength of the Orcs.

As she turned back, she caught a fleeting look on Hate’s face—a shadow of something unspoken, some deeper thought or worry. He quickly masked it, his expression shifting back to his usual stoic pride, but Ulf sensed there was something he held back. For now, though, she chose to let it pass, letting her gaze linger on the grove that would carry the spirit of the Orcs forever.

As Ulf stepped out of the water, Hate extended a hand to help her up. She took it, but the slippery rocks betrayed her, and she stumbled forward—straight into his arms. For a heartbeat, they froze, close enough to feel the warmth of each other's breath, the cool night air charged with the tension between them. Ulf’s gaze locked on his; her heart pounded wildly as she took in the rugged lines of his face, his polished tusks, the devilish grin that softened the bulk of his sturdy frame. She swallowed, cheeks flushing. "Do you intend on letting me go anytime soon?" she murmured.

Hate’s voice was steady and low, a smoldering rumble. "I’ll let you go when the time is right."

A thrill ran down her spine as she bit her lip, trying to hold onto some semblance of composure. Her heart betrayed her, thundering in her chest. He was so…handsome, so solid. Everything about him—from his thick, strong arms to the wicked charm of his smile—drew her in. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to look away. "I can stand on my own, you know. I don’t need your help. Besides…going any further would just complicate things." She trailed off, her eyes darting back to his. But before she could finish, Hate leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss that was unmistakably Orcish—fierce and full of fire. Their tusks brushed and pressed together, adding a delicious roughness to the kiss. Her own tusks met his, a heady spark surging through her as they embraced.

When they finally broke apart, Hate’s voice was husky, his eyes searching hers. "Does this complicate things?"

Ulf’s breath was ragged, her words caught between exhilaration and inevitability. She hadn’t planned this, but as her heart pounded, she knew—she had chosen him. Laughing softly, she pulled him close again, her voice teasing, "Well, maybe I’m in the mood for a little complication." With a happy oink, she kissed him again, deeper this time, savoring the raw connection between them, the tension melting into something fierce and true.

[420thewritersroom]

Warhammer/Horus Heresy Kinktober 2024

Day 27: Warbands/Cultural Differences/Mind Control

Summary: I was today years old when I learned that Warband isn't exclusive to Chaos Marines or Orks

Introducing my unsanctioned Psyker turned Sanctioned Psyker, Narcos! Having a bad time as usual :D. He has recently upgraded to Inquisitorial duty, so figured I'd write about that. Not a heavy focus on cultural differences and it's kept somewhat vague about what that means, but I had fun writing this regardless. Just a couple more days before the end of Oct and I'll be finally done! Not that this has been un-fun for me! This has been incredibly fun, but I'm also kinda ready to shelve this event lol

TW: Noncon (this is mostly story based and not very noncon, but just wanted to mention this now)

Narcos keeps his eyes steeled and steady on the subject of his attention, maintaining a mindful grasp on the investigated suspect. The suspected heretic, with eyes as blank as the void that Narcos keeps their reasoning in, looks stupidly at his companion. Their minds intertwine as the sanctioned Acolyte, with a power that dwarfs the suspect's feeble attempts at defense, weaves his way into the person's subconsciousness. Psychic walls crumble with every ethereal step until there is none left to impede Narcos from taking complete control of the woman, body, and mind.

"It is done," Narcos whispers, his own eyes whitening as the suspected heretic takes the color of his Cadian eyes.

"Good. If all goes well," his partner, an Acolyte much like himself, although they mainly specialized as the muscle, glares at the possessed filth, a threatening leer meant for the suspect, but with Narcos being able to see through the woman's eyes; feels as though they are directed at him, "And it should, we'll be able to find their den of cultist and put an end to their existence."

Narcos's body does not utter a word. In his stead, the possessed woman meets his partner's scrutinizing gaze, uttering slowly, "It will."

The perks of dominating another person's mind is utilizing their memories and past connections. Narcos strutted through the city with the mnemonic sass and confidence she used to lure weak-willed victims into her cult's trappings. The memories do not lie; she definitely is in cahoots with the workings of the enemy. He's seen glimpses of her treacherous ways, blasphemous and stinking of heresy against the Emperor. But Narcos is careful to not submerge himself too deep in the waves of the subconscious. While he will excuse his reservedness as caution against any possible trickery of the heretical mind and the possible openings to the entities of the Warp, in actuality, it's a confidence issue. Being somewhat fresh out of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and, well, not really being graced with the most confident of personalities, Narcos dips further when he needs to. And right now, he needs the location and an easy way to get into the deepest sanctum of the cult.

Narcos walks the body towards the secret entrance of the cult, disguised as a small, out-of-the-way family diner. All he had to do was mutter the disgusting words, "little sparrow, plentiful house," and he was walking right into the lion's den. Down, down, the spiral staircase went, a haze-inducing scent messing with his senses as he delved deeper into the abyss. Narcos reserves his psychic energies to maintain his hold on the woman's mind. If anyone asks, his name is Gloria now.

Gloria did her best to confidently walk as they entered the den of depravity. The area was concealed with smoke caused by the ongoing machines that pumped out numbing gas, the people smoking from hookas, and the like. All made to loosen the mind and make one susceptible to other influences. The smell of food, exotic food, even for a former noble-born, made her mouth water, despite her best interest to stop herself from imagining the delicious texture in her mouth and ignore the rumbling of her belly. She traversed the narrowly crowded hallways with silent caution, trying to dismiss the occasional touch the writhing mass would give to seduce her into their charms.

Gloria had to stop after a certain point, her senses overloading when she entered a lounge room filled with loud, overly sensual music. Or, at least, it was trying to be alluring. She hides herself in a corner, looking for a way out or another entryway to a different room, only to be approached by a tall man.

"Hey there, darling. Good to see you again; I've been thinking about you."

Their breath stank of synthetic tobacco and alcohol, making Gloria's face contort in unveiled disgust. She tries to slide away from him, making it highly apparent she had no quarrel or business with this no name.

"Hey, hey, baby. Leaving so soon?" He blocks her way with his arm extending to the wall.

"I have other business to attend to; we can talk later," Gloria says plainly. Which, to anyone who knew the REAL Gloria, she'd be a bit more sophisticated than that.

"I'm certain they can wait, whomever you have business with. Can't imagine having a lot of important business that doesn't involve you spreading those legs."

The man slides his other hand down her waist and makes a slight grip on her hips. "Which is all you're good at anyways. And stealing from us, that too."

Gloria gives a confused look before wincing in pain as the man grabs her hair and pulls her with him. Fuck, fuck, did she, he, missed something? Gloria-Narcos-scrambles through their memories to find out what had transpired? Childhood memories of jumping from loose plank to loose plank, adult life trying to live a decent living for themselves, teenage pregnancy with a 2-year-old child, and an unsupportive mother. FUCK, what did he, she, do? Narcos thought he found the cause of this incident, anxious hands quickly trying to open a safe, possibly filled with valuables, but the context for why escaped him.

For the second he attempted to consider finding context, he, she, is thrown into another room, deprived of any necessities aside from a stained floor mattress and a couple of third parties. Narcos, Gloria, lands on the cold floor next to the bed, scrambling to her feet, but is rudely interrupted with a well-placed kick to her shoulder.

"Should've never came back, bitch. You could've gotten to the upper Hive cities if you were smart. Guess the greedy and the lustful never learn. Hold her down."

The other participants hold Gloria down, ripping at her buttoned-up blouse, sending buttons flying across the room. Fuck, FUCK! Gloria, Narcos, begins to panic. He refuses to go through this; he already got most of what he needed and seen what he needed to see for the most part. Narcos attempts to sever the connection, letting Gloria, the real Gloria, handle this situation herself and suffer the consequences, yet his vision is still crystal clear as he watches one of the men unzip their fly.

He tries to break away, not only physically but in spirit. Every attempt his mind made to slip out of Gloria's subconsciousness, it felt like chains held him in place. Was Gloria, the REAL Gloria, preventing his escape? He can't imagine so, she possessed no real presence in the Warp or psychic threat, he was able to dominate her mind with no problem. Unless it was a ruse? Or perhaps the sickening aroma of this Warp den? The effects were meant to numb the mind, maybe it had an impact on his psycher abilities? Maybe it invited someone into Gloria's being, and he didn't notice?

Regardless of the reason, Narcos was stuck as the people in the room were tearing off clothes and touching their privates, hungry, sinister looks of intent glaring down at him.

"Before we throw you to the boss, we might as well have one final round with you."

"Help! HELP!!!" Narcos, Gloria, screams, using their remaining strength to call for help, however foolish this attempt was.

"Howler all you want, love. No ones coming for you here. Probably should've thought of that before coming back here."

-

Narcos's partner, Abigail, puffed another cloud of smoke, her vox-caller giving static signals of life as her employer spoke to her. "It's been almost 3 hours now; how much longer will this take?"

Abigail looked to the side into the other room, Narcos's body twitching and flinching in pain, his eyes and nose bleeding. While his nails dug into the meat of his legs, leaving bleeding claw marks in their wake. She's seen this before, Psykers and their weird ass ability to dip into the Warp or whatever; fucking abominations. She takes another huff and puff before finally responding.

"However much longer he needs. I'm watching him, don't worry. If he was truly in danger, I would know."

-

"That's it, slut, swallow his cock like the good little cock-whore you are!"

Narcos had makeup, Gloria's makeup, he reminds himself, running down his face; mixing with his, her, tears and running nose. She, he, struggled to breathe, the one he was forced to suck the member of pinching his nose so that he couldn't breathe through his nose or mouth. He claws at the man's thighs and hips with her long fingernails as the other man rammed his cock into her aching pussy.

Fucking hell, when is Abigail going to wake him up from this nightmare!?!

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

Here's the Kinktober lists for anyone who wants to partake! Let's be extra horny this lovely October

[skrittkicking]

🎇🦊iovitus >

🎇 (sparkler) - If your oc had the chance to start their life over again, what would they change, if anything? How would this change them and the people around them? Would their lives be better or worse? Would they change anything in the first place?

i’ve answered a question similar to this in the past before, but i absolutely don’t mind retreading my tracks or elaborating on stuff! i think if presented with the opportunity to go back and change or start life over again, iovitus would not take it. it seems contrary to their entire being, seeing as they’re so stuck in the past and essentially refuse to move on, but iovitus does really love the people they surround themselves with nowadays and would not have met them had they still been in the legions. they have a lot of remorse and regret for the things they did, violence they committed, people they hurt etc but, well, that’s legion life! especially considering their specialty in the legions, they’d likely continue to hurt and be hurt ‘till the end of their days. now, though, free from the shackles of the legion, iovitus can do almost anything they want – all without putting themselves and the people they care for at risk. they learned a lot after their expulsion, and ssssort of became a better person? they’re a lot nicer, that’s for sure. they still fall into their old bad habits every now and then, and continue to lie to pretty much everyone around them.. but they’re not killing other charr in the name of the blood legion or whatever anymore so thats cool i guess

 its hard to say if their life would have been for the better or worse, because they left the legions at the height of the charr civil war. if iovitus had continued to stay and fight they’d probably end up losing more and more people around them. the war doesn’t last forever, however, and iovitus’ warband wasn’t involved with any of the orders nor did they spend any time doing elder dragon shenanigans, so they’d have nothing to worry about in that sense. so, like, things would still suck while the war was ongoing but then they’d suck less after it was over. i’m not entirely sure where iovitus would have ended up if they stayed with the legions – most likely, they’d work as a free agent and refuse to join another warband for a long time till their loneliness gets the best of them. regardless, though, the love they feel for their current friends & family would hold them back from trying over!

🦊 (fox) - How intelligent is your oc? Are they a mastermind pulling all the strings? Or are they more dim-witted with a big heart? If they are smart, what do they use their intelligence for? To create? To get ahead? 

iovitus is quite intelligent! they’re not super duper book-smart, but that’s not to say they’re stupid; they’re just smarter in different ways. before they were expelled from blood legion, iovitus’ warband was a spec-ops unit that served as a sort of jack-of-all-trades, meaning they had to be very adaptive and learn things quickly. they had to think on their feet very often, modifying themselves and their situation accordingly. iovitus enjoys problem solving and thinking things over, easily imagining themselves in the places of others and figuring out how they personally would work through the issue at hand. this eagerness to resolve problems falls short when it comes to iovitus’ own personal complications, though. they’d rather just ignore them till its too much to bear or rears its ugly head, literally or otherwise. they’re also very emotionally intelligent, more so than most charr are – they can read others and respond appropriately very well, though they don’t really think of themselves as an empath (for lack of a better word), it just comes naturally. iovitus’ smarts come in hand with their current occupation as a mercenary alongside their cousin, thinking up solutions for things and proposing new ideas where others might have not. they aren’t the type to use their intelligence against people and/or manipulate them, though they do lie often. it’s not something they actively think about, it just happens. iovitus is also good at altering their behavior/personality to mold better with others, though this takes a bit longer as they’ve got to get to know the individual(s) better first. they just want people to like them :(

[zmasters]

King Bloodfly

Part 1

Part 2

A lone figure starred up into the day sky. Izanagi II, Amaterasu as the locals call it, blocked out the sun for the small moon he stood on. The perpetual night was instead lit by the greenish-blue seas of the gas giant, highlighted by the glowing sun behind it.

A lone shadow cut across Amaterasu. A familiar ship landed a short distance away from where he stood. He stayed where he stood, lacking the bravery to speak with the one he lost so many years ago.

A group of men and women moved mechanical parts from the ship to the ruined castle, overlooked by an eight foot tall armored figure with metal tendrils lining his back. From the group, a horned creature left and slowly approached the lone man. Her hooves slowly shuffled in the dirt as a pair of wings hung from her back.

“Vera.” The man softly said, his sights still on the gas giant.

“Father.” She sighed, turning to look up at the planet.

The two stood side-by-side in silence, Vera not wishing to disappoint her father and he not sure how to address his daughter. The movement of parts from ship to castle was the only noise that echoed across the dark, feral moon.

“Lord Lupus.” A lone voice broke the silence. “The Hydra wishes to speak with you.”

Vera turned around to the familiar voice. Faintly lit by the turquoise light of Amaterasu was a woman. She wore an old maid uniform, her sleeves ripped off and a slight tear in her dress revealing her hooved leg. Black fur lined her body, with a pair of curved horns emerging from her brow. Her eyes glowed red in the dark night. “Zyn?”

“Lady Vera.” The maid blushed. “It’s been a while.”

“I’m going to speak with the old tech marine and his rust covered kin.” Lupus Hellebor interrupted. “I’ll give you two beasts some time to do… whatever you wish.”

The two mutants remained silent long after he left. Vera just sat next to Zyn, trying her best not to make eye contact. She hasn’t seen her since the day she was taken in by her Lord, but it was clear that they still cared for each other. They were a shared secret after all.

“So…” Vera awkwardly broke the silence. “How’s your mother?”

“She, uh, died six years ago.”

“I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be.” Zyn strained a smile. “You had no idea.”

“If I knew, I would have come sooner.”

“Don’t fret yourself.” Zyn sighed. “Your old nanny isn’t something that should distract you from your important work.”

“Just because she’s a servant doesn’t mean I shouldn’t care.” Vera said, her eyes locking with Zyn’s. She quickly broke eye contact. She would be blushing if she physically could.

Zyn softly giggled. “Two mutants, born to human mothers, and kept alive solely because of a promise. And now, here we are. Two enemies of the Imperium, hiding in some forgotten corner of the galaxy.

“We don’t deserve hiding for the rest of our lives.” Vera growled. “I promised you that-”

“We’ll forge a kingdom for our kind. How’s that going?”

Vera sighed. “We got some gors to join the Rust Hydras.”

“I’m surprised you got a space marine willing to help you out.”

“Lord Narvik is supportive, but he’s told me that I need something to either destroy or convince people to leave larger warbands before I could build a kingdom of my own.”

“So… Your experiment is this key to power?”

“Hopefully.” Vera was quiet.

The two gors stare off towards the glowing gas giant. Amaterasu.

“Why Amaterasu?” Vera asked.

Zyn turned to her friend, her hand slowly inching towards Vera’s. “It was your mother’s decision.”

In the old castle, five astartes in rust colored armor lead the small army of mortal workers as they set up the experiment. A throne was gently placed in the center of the room, wires connecting it to three knight war dogs, a blue and gold brigand, red and black karnivore, and a green and silver stalker. Hanging over the throne was the damaged torso of a teal and silver knight desecrator. A knight known as Unrepentant Misery, and its Throne Mechanicum lied having been removed and sitting right below it.

“Your daughter is a perfect subject for this experiment, Lord Hellebor.” Narvik the warpsmith explained, he and Lupus watching over the set up from an overlooking catwalk. “Her psychic abilities and her unique bond with Misery’s machine spirit is a combination hard to come by.”

“Yes, yes, but are her mutations necessary?” Lupus asked.

“I know you’re upset about having a beastman for a child, but the manipulations were only designed to increase the chance of Vera being born with psychic powers.” Narvik answered.

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“It is likely that Vera would have been mutated at birth regardless if Astrid agreed to the experiment or not. Whether the experiment caused Vera’s specific mutations or if she was always destined to become the Bloodfly is unknown.”

Lupus sighed. “Was I the only one in my family that wasn’t being puppet by your tendrils?”

“Lady Marianne wasn’t.”

“Asshole.” Lupus muttered under his breath.

“None of your family were agents prior to the initial experiment, and only Sari and Sven willingly joined.” Narvik explained further. “Your wife and step-son were members of House Khymere prior to your political marriage, and both held loyalty to their Household. They would naturally hold animosity towards the Imperium for suddenly and seemingly randomly declaring Khymere questor traitoris.”

“So you're saying that my wife and son willing sold House Hellebor to the Ruinous Powers?”

“The Rust Hydras and the Alpha Legion as a whole don’t serve Chaos directly.”

“You know what I mean!” He grumbled as he walked off.

“How is Bloodfly the normal one in her family?”

Back outside, Zyn held Vera’s claws in hers. “The locals tell of a warrior known as the Huntress. She was a hero who protected these feral worlds from the metal dragons. Your mother learned that these dragons were an exploration fleet from the Imperium, and this Huntress managed to keep the Imperium from discovering the existence of this system.”

“A great hiding place” Vera softly said. “A perfect spot to start building my kingdom.”

“It is, but that’s not the reason why your mother chose this system.” Zyn smiled as she stood up, pulling Vera up as well.

The two took a short walk, stopping at the top of a small hill. The hill looked over a small village of humans and beastmen. The village was built around a large, statue-like structure. What the statue was hidden by the darkness, the village sitting in the shadow of the hill.

“What a minute.” Zyn whispered.

Vera silently watched as the teal glow slowly raised on the statue, her eyes widening as the form revealed itself to her. Standing guard over the village was a woman with a tail, hooves, horns, and a pair of insect wings.

Villagers looked up towards the little bit of sunlight they get a year. They paused, the shadow of their guardian deity glowing in the light of Amaterasu.

“W-what?” Vera stuttered.

“It surprised me when I first saw it too.” Zyn smiled as she saw some of the villagers bow to her friend. “But I think your mother picked an appropriate place to build your kingdom.”

“I-I don't know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything, my king.” Zyn took Vera’s hands, staring deeply into her cybernetic enhanced red eyes as the sunlight faded back behind the gas giant.

Vera stared back into Zyn’s green eyes. “If I’m king now, then I need a queen.”

“I accept this royal duty.”

The two mutants embraced, their eyes closing as their lips locked in a deep kiss.

“House Hellebor does not let betrayal go unanswered.”

Vera and Zyn broke the embrace, glancing towards Lupus. He stood a mere meter away, his laspistol pointed at his daughter.

“Father?”

“Don’t father me you beast!” He spat. “I know the truth, the Imperium didn’t randomly decide to destroy Hellebor. Everyone is a traitor but me! But if I give the Inquisition your head, I can rebuild my family and House’s glory!”

“Bloodfly, would you like me to kill the traitor?”

Lupus froze as he felt a giant metal hand rest on his shoulder.

“Not yet Iska.” Vera gestured to the space marine to take his hand off Lupus.

Lupus shuddered as the astarte havoc raised his hand off of his shoulder.

“Didn’t think this through, did ya father?”

“I wasn’t being followed.”

Vera glanced past her father, up towards the eight foot tall suit of rust colored armor behind him. “You’re arrogant enough to think throwing my head at an Inquisitor would redeem you of your crimes, of course you’d think that.” She sighed. “Queen Zyn, what do you think I should do?”

The Queen leaned forward and whispered into her partner’s ear, “House Hellebor does not let betrayal go unanswered.”

“I’m not a traitor!” Lupus roared. “I’m the only one loyal to the Emperor.” He raised his pistol, only to have his arm broken almost instantly by Iska.

“You’re only loyal to yourself!” Vera roared back, her claws grabbing his face, her nails digging into his flesh. “If you cared for your so-called God-Emperor, you would have thrown me to his hounds the day I was born. If you cared for your family, this would not be happening!” Her eyes glowed with psychic energy.

“My b-beautiful daughter… please don’t do this…” Lupus beg.

“We’re past begging. You tried to kill King Bloodfly. And the punishment for attempted regicide is death.”

Psychic energy was channeled through her claws into her father’s skull. In mere seconds of agony, Lupus’s head exploded in a shower of blood, bone, and psychic electricity.

Narvik was finishing up the throne when Vera marched into the room, Zyn and Iska in tow. “Are you ready, King Bloodfly?”

“Didn’t know Iska had his vox on.” Vera sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

She took a seat in the Throne and let Narvik connect her mind and body to the machine.

Almost immediately, she was swarmed with curses and insults.

“Bloody beast!”

“Heretic!”

“How dare you desecrate this holy machine!”

Zyn watched in horror as Vera’s mood immediately dropped, all pride she held instantly vanishing under the endless tide of hatred.

“Vera,” Narvik’s voice broke through, “channel your powers into the Throne Mechanicum.”

“DON’T!”

“YOU’LL RUIN US!”

“Do it, little sis. No one can stop the King.”

Vera took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The voices slowly faded away. When she opened her eyes, she was in a dark room. Hundreds of eyes were watching her from the darkness, and she felt something standing in front of her.

“Well, my King.” The voice said. “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?”

“To prove yourself to the galaxy. To the people you care about, your ancestors, yourself.”

“I am.”

“Then channel your energy through me.”

Narvik held Zyn back from Vera. The King was stunned silent as electricity coursed from her body into the Throne Mechanicum. The electricity traveled from the Throne, through the wires, and into the knights connected. The eyes of each knight lit up with turquoise energy. The war dog brigand to her left began to move, its chain cannon spinning up. The karnivore ripped from its wiring, sparks pouring like blood from a wound. The stalker took a step forward, lowering its head down to its pilot.

Hanging above the scene, the damaged shell of Unrepentant Misery shaking the chains holding it to the ceiling. “It feels so good to have a body again.” It sang.

“I-It worked.” Narvik mumbled, his normally stoic nature vanishing. “It worked!”

“What’s happening?” Zyn asked.

“Vera’s mind is now psychically linked to her Throne Mechanicum.” Vera answered, the voice that emitted from Misery now escaping from her mouth. The head of war dog stalker leaned over her shoulder, which she petted.

“Everything this Throne is linked to, knights, computers, machine spirits, all now psychically linked to the King.”

“Thank you for saving my sister, Lord Narvik.” Vera said, her voice shifting to a more masculine tone.

“I am so proud of you,” her voice changed again, to an older sounding, feminine voice, “my beautiful daughter.”

The psychic energy stopped, and Vera slumped into her Throne. The knights froze as well.

Narvik finally allowed Zyn to run to Vera. “Are you ok?” She cried as she fell to her knees.

Vera weakly raised her claw, placing it on Zyn’s soft cheek. “I-I’m fine.” She whispered. “It’s just going to take some time to get used to this.”

Narvik looked up, towards the hanging knight. “Well Cyla. You held up your end of the bargain, it’s time we do our part.”

[scuffedclang]

May as well put that post I mentioned before in here since it fits! My bias is totally gonna be showing by the way. SO!

We sure do have a lot of fractal refugees claw machined into our Tyria now thanks to some silly wizards, one of those being DWARVES, like actual fleshy dwarves, oh.. And what's that? Some Rata Novans as well? Maybe we should just take them off of their weird lil' not even a mile long islands and actually give them a proper place to stay because the wizards screwed up and they just EXIST now and have nowhere else to go. Soooooo, while we are at it let's get our ancestral homes back for our dwarves and asura now that Primordus is gone! But! What if something else has decided to inhabit it during this time? The Stone Summit dwarves, they were pushed pretty far north, but it appears that they may have sided with something since the events of Guild Wars 1, with their benefactor Primordus gone the Stone Summit have regained some semblance of themselves and decided to gain control of a lot of not only dwarf territory, but also asura areas and well, maybe having some xenophobic crazy dwarves in charge of somewhere like the Central Transfer Chamber (what's left of it) could pose a few problems for the rest of Tyria.

Get us some Dredge allies in an uneasy alliance with dwarves and asura forces to take down the remaining Stone Summit. However it has been established that they bind demons and even djinn to use in their efforts, so stopping them may prove difficult, especially if they've decided to enslave anything else while they've been hidden away. Maybe throw some Stone Summit rebels into the mix that didn't want the whole deal with Primordus and actually survived the transformation and all that business. While all of this is happening underneath the Far Shiverpeaks, above ground there could be some Norn shenanigans, on the other side of things Rata Novus could be on its way to finally recovering, especially with the help of the fractal Rata Novans, and maybe giving us an underground asura area to call a guild hall in the process. (Or maybe due to the other stuff we get a dwarf ruin, either way I would be happy.)

Defeating the Stone Summit could end with releasing something they've bound deep underground that they were keeping docile for one reason or another and boom big actual bad for the expansion is unleashed! This could also be their excuse to give dwarves an actual model instead of the same body and shrunk down norn heads. Instead of newer unknown threats or completely new areas, I would prefer for things forgotten to be reclaimed and old foes that mysteriously vanished between gw1 and gw2 to get their time to shine. I sure hope the meager amount of Stone Summit in the Steel Warband vision weren't the last of them.

GW2 people - Pitch me YOUR idea for an Expansion!

What's the theme, where are we going, what lore threads are we picking up on, what's the story premise, what mechanics do you think it could have.

I love spitballing ideas when I'm talking with friends so I'm posing the question To Everyone because I know everyone has some pet concepts floating around. As self-indulgent as you'd like, as unrealistic as you like, just throw ideas around, I wanna hear them!

The One I think I have the most rounded ideas for would be an Underwater Expansion. Picking up on the threat of whatever is terrorising the deep oceans, having some exploration of the Largos and bringing back in the Quaggan and the Krait maybe!

I love the sort of depths we get in maps like Frostgorge sound, and underwater combat has badly needed a rework and a tune up - there's loads of skills which straight up don't work and break entire builds underwater, and this would be a perfect excuse to try bring it up to speed. Maybe even make the underwater weapon sets function on land, to satisfy those who're after more weapons. You could make the maps a mix of true underwater and perhaps giant air bubble caves so you still had some land exploration even in maps otherwise set deep under the ocean. A map meta split with land phases and water phases. Additionally as personal bias wish, I'd love map event/meta design more like HoT. A map-wide Story with a few chains with specifically Build into the actual true Meta. I also simply love the idea of having a bunch of enemy designs based of the ocean and the abyss, there's so much incredible inspiration and interesting marine life. and biomes too! Give me a hydrothermal vent section in one of the maps, hell underwater 'water' in the form of brine pool 'quicksand'.

The Turtle might get some more use out of it's underwater, and skimmer would absolutely get spotlight as a skyscale isn't going to get you too far here - hell maybe even some speedy new underwater mount could be a fun addition to the roster.

I can see a plot being around trying to work with the Largos, The 'Terror of the Deep' being a danger and learning from them about how to survive the hostile environment and also convince them work with you to Hunt the 'Terror'. Maybe you come to the area of the ocean with the Quaggans and it's convincing the Largos to take them seriously as allies against whatever you're fighting? A quaggan companion character would be really fun, and you could easily bring back Sayeh al' Rajihd from the personal story given Largos involvement. I think not only would it be something very different in terms of the maps, which granted quite a few people might not like (thalassophobia reasons, or general Dislike of Water Gameplay reasons), but I think a rework of the underwater mechanics would benefit a bunch of places and it's something that really doesn't get touched outside of base game and maybe like, the Leviathans in EoD. There's so much neat creature design inspiriation swimming around out there, and I know so many people love the largos and even if not playable getting to see more of them could be neat! Also - it'd finally make all those legendary full people happy. A Legendary Aquabreather :P.

And a new suite of legendary underwater weapons since the G1 set. (and not themed pretty please make them all Unique.)