#like sooooo there's this half orc...

[demenior]

He showed up, showed his tits, got identified as Hot, was confirmed Super Romantic by his fiance, was a bitch with his bestie, killed something spooky, and showed off his sword. Perfect Fjord episode.

[everchased]

considering how many of my friends are talking about being shot down by npcs i really think playing a romantically nervous paladin who politely waits for people he's crushing on to come on to him was the way to go

[colorquest]

~☆~

...

D(ebbie): HEYYYYYYY SAMANTHA!!!!!! V(ilmr): Hiiii!

S(amantha): Hehe, hi Debbie, hi Vilmr. S: Can you see me alright? D: Yeah I can see you, and that smelly boy behind you too. V: I can smell him from here. D: YEAH bleuch! We can smell him from here!!! M(ichael): --Oh! M: Oh jeez, when you said you were gonna call I didn't think you meant like, right away-- D: SAMANTHA can you see us? S: Yes, we can see you too Debbie.

M: Hey you two! M: What's up? D: Oh my gosh he doesn't even know what's up!!! D: Don't you know what day it is?! M: Oh, uh...! M: The... eleventh? V: The twelfth actually, on the other side of the world. D: Yeah DUH. M: I-- I didn't think that was relevant? D: Omfggggg nnnnnnnOTHING. D: You. D: Know. D: NOTHING............... V: It's the twelfth where it's happening right now! V: That's the whole reason we're calling! S: Michael, there's a full eclipse happening soon, remember? S: It's all we've been hearing about for weeks now. M: Oh! M: Shoot, that's tonight? D: Um, uh-durrrr? M: The sun's already setting though :/ M: Too bad we won't be able to see it... V: Aht! D: YEAH AHT AHT! D: That is where you are wrong! S: Michael, Debbie says she's found someone who's streaming the eclipse, all the way from Wootosh. M: Woah, what? M: How did you even manage to access something like that? D: Yeah I mean whatever, you know? D: Only took me all day to find but whatever, like, I have my sources, no big deal. S: It's very exciting, Debbie.

M: Actually Vilmr, I'm surprised you aren't with Maja right now while this is going on. M: An eclipse definitely sounds like it'd be important to her, right? V: Guuuhhhhhh, don't remind me. V: She has been trying to get a hold of me for nearly an hour now. D: Yeah and she can live, it's not like you're the one who believes in that junk. D: Literally no reason for you to be over there. V: Yeah but... it could be one of those times where it's really serious for her. V: She is going to be sooo mad when I get home. V: Maybe I really should get back soon. D: UMMM??? D: No, you're basically an adult now, you're like 18 you can do what you want. S: I don't even think you could make it in time if you left now, Vilmr. S: That's a pretty long walk... D: Yeah it's a long walk! D: So literallyyyyyy, just stay here. D: Don't stress your head all up about what she might or might not be thinking. V: Buh... D: ANYWAY.

[[ Debbie sends a link to the livestream ]]

D: There's the stream Samantha. S: yey -v- S: Michael, are you gonna watch with us?

M: Heck, why not. M: As long as this isn't illegal or anything, right? M: Haha... M: ...Right? S: I dunno about that. M: S: *yawn* S: Debbie? D: Okay Wootosh doesn't own the eclipse, first off. D: So freaking WHAT if it's an orc who set it up or whatever. D: And second, I dug deep to find this stream and NONE of you are gonna chicken out about it. D: And nobody's gonna FALL ASLEEP BEFORE IT HAPPENS EITHER, SMUMANTHA... S: Michael's here to make sure I stay awake, don't worry Debbie. M: Haha, yeah. D: yeah okay sure. V: Hey actually, it sort of doesn't make sense for me to even be here? V: I just realized this? D: Yes it does IT DOES MAKE IT SENSE. D: IT'S THE MOOD. D: IT'S THE VIBES. D: Even if you can't see it you still get to say you were there......... V: But... I'm literally not? D: FIGURATIVELY. D: Open your mind Vilmr. D: Or your third eye or whatever Maja would want you to have open-- whatever! D: You're STAYING HERE DOSH GARNIT. V: I don't plan on going anywhere, I'm just saying!!! V: Åh, Maja förlåt mig...

M: So um, is it supposed to be so grainy? D: Yeah I guess. D: I dunno. D: That's just how I found it. S: It looks like it still has a little while before it starts. V: It starts at 7:15 tonight. D: Sooooo we got like half an hour to kill then. V: Killing the hours away is what we do best, is it not? D: So true. D: That being saiiiiiid...

D: Samantha! D: Michael. D: What are you guys up to, huh? V: ...? D: What's up. D: Over at Michael's place to day huh? D: What's that about? D: Huh? M: Oh, I invited her over, she was home alone and...-- S: ......... M: Samantha, hey, don't fall asleep just yet, haha... D: Samantha I see you falling asleep. D: Samantha. D: MICHAEL WAKE HER UP BETTER SHE'S GONNA MISS THE-- S: *snort* S: mh-- S: Sorry, I'm here... S: What did you say, Debbie? D: Nevermindddddddd, just like-- D: BRRRBBRBTGGRRNGHBRRR....... D: Come on, let's just chat. D: Like let's just keep ourselves occupied, okay. D: Like we gotta see this, when is the next time we're ever gonna see something like this??? V: Uh like, four or five years from now I'm pretty sure. V: If I remember what Maja told me at least. D: And what about it??? D: That's like. FOREVER from now. D: WE COULD BE DEAD BY THEN. M: Oh jeez, I hope not...! D: LIVE IN THE NOW!!!!!! S: Debbie you're getting me so hyped up, hehe... D: GOOD! D: LET'S GET HYPE ABOUT IT AND STAY AWAKE ABOUT IT AND STUFF!

~☆~

You can dictate the flow of these four friend's conversation. Find out how by clicking here.

🔆

[cielcreations]

Husband From Another World (Rancher Duo DND AU)

Credit to @rainbowchaox​ and their Roll Initiative AU! It's also a DND AU and I just want to give them credit as their story is really nice so make sure to check them out! I'm well aware of their story and we have similar ideas but theirs was first, so SHOUT OUT TO THEM!

This wasn't suppose to happen and he wasn't sure how it happened.

Jimmy Moon, youngest of the Moon siblings, was Grian's little brother. The two went to the same college (the same college their sister, Pearl, went to as well) and shared a dorm room together. They had a living room, a mini kitchen, and they each got their own mini room. This was good, because Grian was a DM for a DND campaign and Jimmy wasn't a fan of the game. So, he got to spent time studying in peace in his room as Grian and their friends played in the living room, and later get free pizza for dinner (Grian and Jimmy took turns cooking/buying dinner)!

However, one day, Grian had come into his room, laid on his back, and began his pesky bird antics (an inside joke between them).

"Jimmmmmmmmmy! One of our players bailed last minute and everyone is going to be here in like 20 minutes and we neeeeeed a new player!" Grian whined.

Jimmy sighed, "G, you know I don't really like DND!"

"I knooooooow but pllllleeeeeeease? Just, like, ONE session! Just try out one? Please?"

"Gri-"

"I'll make dinner for the next three days! And I'll do dishes!"

Jimmy hesitated. That sounded like a good deal, "...And I only have to do one session?"

"Try out one session and, if you like it, stay!"

"...Okay, fine! I will try it out!"

"YES! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" Grian hugged him tightly, "YOU'RE THE BEST LITTLE BOTHER IN THE WOOOOOORLD!"

Jimmy groaned as the other pinched and pulled his cheeks, "G-GRIIIIII!"

Grian let go and left, calling out for him to follow. Jimmy got dressed and made himself look somewhat presentable. Grian helped him make his character. He made a human rouge, thinking it would be the easiest to play. However, he begged Grian to have canary wings, just for aesthetics.

Grian hummed, "...I will give you them, but you can't fly and you have to roll at a disadvantage for stealth because those things are gonna get in the way."

"That's fine!" 

Grian smiled, I'll give him an advantage in acrobatics.

Someone knocked on the door, Grian going to answer it. In walked Joel, Ren, and Scott, all waving at Jimmy as Grian explained the situation. They sat down and got set up and the game started. Grian began the story, introducing the characters. Solidarity, an Avian, a nearly extinct race (in the game universe), rouge whose family were all killed by human hunters, who had become a mercenary out of necessity, not because he wanted to. SmallishBeans (Joel), a Half-Orc Warrior who was employed by the king to take care of the BBEG. Smajor (Scott), an Elf Cleric who had found Solidarity and, after realizing how unlucky and hurt (and somewhat desperate) he was, became his friend and became partners to earn more money. Finally, Rendog, a Changeling Druid, who came to the kingdom to help them fight the BBEG. Both SmallishBeans and Rendog teamed together and eventually found and paired up with Smajor and Solidarity when the two fought and killed some monsters outside of the kingdom.

The game continued and, after about 2 hours, they ended the first session. Grian got pizza, the group laughed, talked, watched some TV, and eventually the others left.

"Sooooo?" Grian asked, sitting beside him, "Wanna join next session or am I making Solidarity an NPC?"

Jimmy hesitated, "Well... I don't mind playing another session..."

Grian cheered.

Jimmy continued joining in on the sessions, enjoying the game, having fun with the group. Jimmy tended to play Solidarity as someone who started off trying to first talk things out rather than immediately fighting. He wanted to help people and you didn't need to always fight to solve a problem. It worked about 10% of the time, but no one at the table seemed to mind. Especially since Joel had roleplayed flirting and getting intimate with three different nymphs (they all had a fade to black moment to not make anyone uncomfortable).

As the game progressed, Jimmy learned more about the BBEG. Tango, the demon king who had a base in a volcano. He had opened up the world to release all the monsters/demons that were attacking the party and everything else. Jimmy had seen the art Grian commissioned and he couldn't help but stare. Tango was hot, really, really, really hot (no pun intended). His hair was as bright as the sun, able to turn into actual flames when he got angry, his eyes a blood red. He was super confident, sassy, snarky, and completely adorable. Jimmy loved him. Especially when he learned about Tango's backstory.

Grew up alone, his parents died when he was young and he had to become king. He had to grow up quickly. He tried to form a peace treaty between the humans, but they nearly killed the young king. That's why he despised humans, thinking they were nothing but savage killers with nor remorse who banished "monsters", simply because they didn't like/couldn't understand something that was different from them.

"Jim." Grian said one night after one of their games.

"Yeah?"

"You like Tango, dontcha?"

The dirty blonde nearly spit out his drink, blushing darkly, "HUH?!"

Grian laughed, "Well, in game? Your character is the only one who knows about Tango, his backstory, and his motives. Also, I've definitely seen you staring at the commissioned artwork of Tango. I can give you the artist's at so you can request a comm~"

Jimmy blushed at the other's teasing before shaking his head, "I-It's not like that... Just... shut up."

Grian laughed but dropped it.

The game went on for a few months before they got to the very end. The final battle where the party had to confront the BBEG. Everyone rolled for initiative and Jimmy rolled the highest with a 17.

"Okay, Jim, what do you do?" Grian asked.

Jimmy hesitated and looked at the others. He then looked back at Grian, "Um, can I try to talk to him?"

"Do you want to talk or flirt?" Ren teased, making Jimmy blushed.

"...Flirt."

"JIMMY!" Grian teased as everyone laughed.

"JOEL SLEPT WITH THREE NYMPHS, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO FLIRT WITH THE BBEG!"

"Joel is the reason we can't have nice things!" Scott yelled, "I've been trying to go on ONE date with Owen and couldn't because I would roll a 15!"

"Not my fault I rolled a Nat20 with the nymphs!" Joel exclaimed.

"IT IS YOUR FAULT!"

Grian just laughed, "GUYS!" Everyone calmed down, chuckling. He hummed before he shrugged, "Honestly, you've been rolling kind of low, so I'll let you try. Roll for persuasion."

Jimmy nodded and rolled it. He jumped up, screaming, "NAT20!"

Everyone burst out laughing as Jimmy cheered, Grian groaning and yelling, "HOW CAN YOU FLIRT WITH THE BBEG AND SCOTT CAN'T GET ONE DATE WITH A RANDOM NPC SHOPKEEPER?!"

Jimmy sat down, smiling brightly. Grian rolled his eyes, chuckling, "Okay, Timmy, you managed to roll a Nat20. What do you say?"

The dirty blonde blushed, "Okay, so I step forward and tell Tango that we're not here to fight. I tell him that I've read and learned a lot about him and his history. I know about his loneliness, how he had no one basically his whole life, but it's okay now! I'd like to be his friend-"

"Boyfriend!"

"Shut up, Ren! B-But, yeah..." Jimmy blushed, "U-Um, I also say that a cute demon shouldn't be alone and that I really want to help him..."

Grian rolled his eyes, "You are awful at flirting." He then cleared his throat, "Anyways, Tango blushes and looked away, embarrassed by your words. He says 'No one has ever spoken to me like that before. People usually just want to kill me. I'm just a disgusting demon.'"

"Noooo, he's not disgusting-"

"ROLEPLAY DUMMY!" Scott teased.

"O-Oh, right! Uh, I say 'No, you're not disgusting, just misunderstood! I can help show you how amazing you are!'"

"Tango blushes more and goes, 'You're quite... strange. But also really nice... and handsome. Um, what's your name?'"

"Solidarity!"

"'Solidarity... It's nice to meet you. You're... very bold, aren't you?'"

"Only when it comes to handsome demons!"

Grian gagged playfully before he hummed. He was silent for a moment before he smiled, continuing his narration, "Tango laughs shyly and faces Solidarity with a smile, 'You say you want to help me? You want to show me I'm amazing? Then... Solidarity, will you marry me?'"

Jimmy gasped, "WAIT REALLY?!"

Grian shrugged, "You rolled a Nat20 and, honestly, I think it's fitting that the campaign that has Joel sleeping with 3 nymphs, Ren marrying a fae, and Scott constantly trying to get one date with one guy, ends with the BBEG getting married to a party member. So, do you accept?"

"YES!" Jimmy nodded, everyone else laughing.

Grian rolled his eyes playfully, "Okay, so Solidarity and Tango get engaged and Tango undoes everything, putting the world back in order. SmallishBeans goes back to the forest to live with Lizzie, Sausage, and Etho. No, I don't care what headcannon you make up, Joel, I'm not roleplaying another flirting session. Anyways, Rendog goes back to his tribe and, of course, his husband Bdubs comes with him and they live happily ever after. And finally, Smajor goes back to town to continue flirting with Owen and, this time, he actually does get a date because I am merciful, thank you very much."

Everyone laughed and helped packed everything up. Jimmy offers to buy dinner tonight, even though it's Grian's turn, ordering some pizza. They ate dinner, played a small drinking game (small as in they did do shots, but didn't get super drunk), and watched TV. It ended up becoming a sleepover, simply because no one wanted to drive home. Scott got one of the couches, Joel and Ren shared the other couch, Grian went into his room, and Jimmy simply laid on the floor after falling asleep during the movie they chose to watch.

***

Jimmy woke up with a small gasp. He blinked, rubbing his eyes, confused, why did he suddenly wake up? He wasn't hungry, he didn't have to use the restroom, he doesn't ever just wake up randomly. He sat up, rubbing his eyes more before hearing a weird noise. It sounded like a crackle of flames, making him confused. He looked around, his head turning towards the DND table. He blinked, seeing it glowing, making him confused. Was he seeing things? He rubbed his eyes, as if trying to wake up more.

Nope, the table was still glowing.

He stood up and walked towards it, entranced by the way the table simply glowed. It was so weird but so amazing, it was surreal. He stood over it, confused yet intrigued, reaching out and touching the glowing table.

At first, nothing happened.

However, suddenly, a hand seemed to grab him, making him scream. He pulled back, but the hand holding him was stronger. He screamed again as he was pulled towards the table.

"JIMMY!"

His brother's scream made him falter and he was yanked towards the table, his vision going black.

The next time he woke up, everything was sore. His eyes fluttered open, groaning as he looked around. He slowly noticed how he was in a different room. Above him was a chandelier, the place decorated with a crimson and black wood interior. Lit candles illuminated the giant room, tons of fancy gold trimmings everywhere, making him extremely confused. He wasn't in his living room anymore, he was in some sort of mansion. Nothing he could ever hope to afford, especially as some young college student.

"Are you okay?"

He turned his head and widened his eyes, being face to face with... Tango.

The demon king smiled, "Oh good, you're okay!" He gently cupped the other's cheek, "The gods weren't lying. You are way more attractive in person! Welcome home, Solidarity!"

The dirty blonde blinked and sat up, about to say something until he got a glance of himself in the mirror. He wore a white button up shirt with a brown cardigan, blue skinny jeans, and brown boots. Two big golden yellow canary wings rested on his back as well, fluttering a bit as he stared at his now light blue eyes. The dirty blonde blinked before looking back at Tango, his face turning red as he did so.

He's so much hotter in person! He thought.

"Are you okay...?" Tango gently put his hand on his forehead, concerned, "You didn't hit your head, did you?"

"You're pretty." He blurted.

Tango blushed before he chuckled, smiling, "Charmer, aren't you~?" He winked, making the dirty blonde blush more. He giggled, "Come on, let's get up. After all, we have a wedding to plan!"

Ji- Solidarity nodded. He took Tango's offered hand and stood, noticing he was a few inches taller than the demon king.

Tango smiled, "Let me give you a tour of your new home." He wrapped himself around Solidarity's arm, "I'm sure you'll love it."

Solidarity simply nodded. He was really confused, but he went along with the weirdness. He could figure this out later. Preferably after the wedding.

AN: There will be more chapters but they will only be posted on my AO3, as they will have more mature/explicit scenes and Tumblr don’t like that too much sooooo ye. Anyways, hope you liked it! :D

[seahagart]

I CANT BELIEVE I FOUND THE AMAZING ARTIST I FOLLOW ON TIKTOK ON TUMBLR IM SO OBSESSED W YOUR HALF ORC OC SHES SOOOOO <3333333

Onsgshsh THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LIKING HER!!!!!!! I’m so happy you enjoy ! And thank you for joining me here as well! I am shadowbanned on TikTok so I’m been posting on tumblr 🥲

[halfelven]

Arwen, Elladan & Elrohir for the character bingo? :D

Love the way you write the peredhel and your thoughts on them generally!!

- main of @olorinestel

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

repeating i do not have a saviour complex i do not have a saviour complex i do not have a saviour complex (< lying)

okayyyyyyy sooooooo. let’s start with arwen. when i first heard the goes to lie down alone in an empty land to die story i didn’t speak for several hours and i was still feel the pain of it and can taste the scent of fallen pine needles and see the golden sun on the warm bark of the shaking trees. i’m screaming and crying and throwing up. she is not like me. i do not get the falling in love thing. i’m checking mommy and daddy issues bc of what happened to her mom and the whole separation thing with her dad. i do think they were great parents

also she is insane. and it’s so good. especially with piercing gazes striking little hobbits and all that. close connections to her insane grandparents. whatever the hell is going on with her and aragorn. obsessed.

look elladan and elrohir came out the same but i’ll go with elrohir first

here’s where i do NOT have a saviour complex comes in. i did not read about them at five years old and dream of knowing violence and loneliness and peril to save people.

anyways babe gets mommy reasons for obvious reasons. daddy issues bc of the immortality or not reasons. do i think he would actually punch me? doubtful. but he’d probably stop me if it were the wild and he didn’t know if he could trust me. i didn’t choose my name partially bc it’s similar to his btw. i didn’t pretend i was elrohir and my sister was elladan and still have our nicknames set from theirs in my phone btw.

i don’t give a fuck what tolkien says!!! his name is star-rider!!! and it’s a tribute to earendil. tolkien can fucking fight me!!!!

god riding through the wilderness to tell aragorn hey daddy says we should go through the paths of the dead. elvish wights. dark magic and a fucking ghost army. i’m sooooo normal about him. i can’t picture every detail of his clothes and i have never pretended hallucinations were him until i wasn’t scared of them anymore. never had dreams about him that don’t even feel like dreams either. i’m so sane and normal. i don’t hate him because the self imposed pain he takes to protect the world hits too close. don’t relate to saving my mother from torments but not being able to save her either.

on to elladan

same mommy and daddy issues. again he probably wouldn’t actually punch me but maybe he would under certain circumstances.

i included a lot of the insanity when talking about his brother because they go together in a lot of that. also never had super weird dreams about him that took too long and had too much reading in them. only normal dreams.

but seriously i think the immortal thing with half elves goes a bit to their head. like the being able to live for thousands of years but you could drop it? insane.

also gonna fight tolkien bc i swear all three of them were kids at the same time. like seriously fight me tolkien. (i think i could take him)

again i’m soooooo normal about him. nothing about throwing everything aside to make my life about a singular purpose (or maybe not singular. protection and revenge. also you have to look at orcs as metaphors for this to work*)

stopping now or this will be too long. have to put it under a cut as is

*i like my ideas of what orcs are better than tolkien’s. i actually much prefer a few of my systems in fantasy to his. and i prefer my own fantasy world to his over all

thank you for the ask and for liking how i write them!!! they are some of the characters that got me through a lot of things and i will always love them even if i also write them suffering

[necromancy-enthusiast]

I was reading stuff about creating your character in Baldur's Gate 3 and all the class guides are like 'there are sooooo many sub-classes! You shouldn't pick too hastily!'

Like gee I wonder what subclass I, tumblr user necromancy-enthusiast, will pick? Gee I just don't know... What would possibly be appropriate and enjoyable for me?

Anyway I was tempted by drows and githyanki but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a half-orc. She's heard every single joke that could possibly be told about a half-orc wizard/necromancer so don't bother unless you want her to dislike you.

[a-midnight-rest]

After watching a walkthrough of Warcraft, Warcraft 2, and Warcraft 2 The Dark Portal, I have officially decided that Warcraft 3 and beyond is non canon.

Like, sooooo many things are different. The elves are a snow people from the northren regions, humans are a maritime power first wich is how they came to dominated the continent in the first place, the dwarves lives not in caves but on the mountains... It”s difficult to know exactly how the Horde works, beyond that they are led by a Shadow Council which more or less pick the leader of the Horde (they had Blackhand assassinated when he got outplayed by Doomhammer), and they are locked in a permanent fight for more power. We do know half orcs exists, and that they have a place in the Horde. We also know that they are willing to ally rather than conquer, as they did with the trolls, the ogres, and the human nation of Dalarac, so it seems the only thing standing between getting killed or recruited by the Horde is you proving your strength and willingness to follow the Council.

The maps, the politics, the cultures, the magic... Warcraft 3 feels like a fanfic.

[rudesheep]

have i talked to you all about our new campaign???

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

Sooooo I had a thought this morning:

We all assume Thorin’s goldsickness started at Laketown, where he’s gazing upon the mountain, but what if it was sooner than that? What if it started back on the cliff-face when he was staring Azog down?

Okay here me out on this. Thorin was so assured that Azog was dead. This dwarf who vehemently believed his father was out there somewhere was absolutely certain that Azog was gone from this world. Sure, there’s probably a solid dose of optimistic denial there, but I think it’s more than that. Thorin earned his epithet of “Oakenshield” from his victory over Azog. Symbolically, he needs Azog to be dead, so his people can look to him as a symbol of strength. A beast who had taken his grandfather and (supposedly to the public) his father, but Thorin prevailed...

Yet there he is. Taunting him from the back of a white warg. I think there’s more than just grief here, I think Thorin was mentally shook by this encounter, and even MORE SO by what happened next. We just listened to Balin wax poetry about Thorin’s defense at Azanulbizar, so Thorin grabs his “Oakenshield”, grabs his sword, rushes to his foe...and gets his ass epically handed to him. Would be dead if it weren’t for Bilbo (I’ll circle back to this in a moment). How can Thorin not immediately be plagued by a crippling moment of self-doubt? Remember his words to Dwalin in the throne room? As if he “were still Oakenshield” said with shame? What if this were the true curse of the line of Durin? What if this shaken moment of self-disgust is what allows the “goldsickness” to seep into their minds?

More on why I think this: So let’s consider for a moment, Thror. Thror became goldsick long before the dragon came, and there’s lots of theories as to why. Remember that Thror survived his own dragon attack on his home in his youth that led him to Erebor. There’s A LOT of trauma there to unpack, but you’re talking about another “became king overnight” type of scenario here. (Lowkey I LOVE the parallels between Thror and Thorin and could write a whole ass essay about that as well.) He would have to have doubts. Especially when he and his brother split up their people, Gror leading half to the Iron Hills. Surely, that had to have shaken him! Whether mutual decision or not, Thror’s last surviving family member left to rule somewhere else. And what is Erebor rich in? Gold. So he starts to fill in the void, the doubt with the fact that he got the better kingdom, the better end of this deal, he doesn’t need him. Greed corrupts, and honestly it makes total sense that the Arkenstone, this rare beautiful gem no other kingdom has would be the catalyst to make it INFINITELY worse. SO DEPRESSING to consider Thror was actually goldsick for all of Thorin’s life, but it seems TOTALLY plausible, and if the dwarves have never encountered this type of mental illness before a name like “goldsickness” would probably stick even though the gold is really just a substitute.

Okay, now let’s circle back to Bilbo and Thorin. So if Azog appearing again and defeating Thorin is the trigger for the goldsickness, it makes total sense why Thorin trusted Bilbo above all others whether you ship them or not. Bilbo saved him. Not his kin, even the warriors among them. This unassuming hobbit who he has doubted at every turn managed to get to him in time and use his little sword he had no training in to kill the orc about to behead him. There’s a bit of projecting going on here if you catch my meaning. All the doubts Thorin has about himself is now being magnified in all the trust he puts in Bilbo, following them even into the height of his goldsickness. So when that trust collapsed by Bilbo revealing he had given away the Arkenstone, Thorin was forced to confront himself again. MAKES SENSE, right?? And if Azog is the trigger, he was also the release. Thorin never truly shook the weight of the curse, of the goldsickness until he finally, finally killed Azog.

[elizabethemerald]

Fall Anniversary at the Soltryce Academy

Caleb walked into his classroom at the Soltryce Academy with the immediate instinct that something was wrong. He had been teaching Transmutation theory and application in this same class room for the past twenty years, so anything that seemed different set off alarms in his head. 

He mentally checked the wards on the class room and found them intact. There were a few students in their seats, a few more filtering into the lecture hall, by the second. None of them seemed alarmed. Whatever was different today did not appear to be an immediate threat. 

Still just to be safe he subtly cast Detect Magic as he set his bag down and took off his coat. Immediately a few points were highlighted in his mind. Of course his own magical items, the amber around his neck and the amulet beside it, the ring on his finger, the chalk he had enchanted to help him lecture. Nothing off there. 

There were a few points of magic around the rest of the room, each quickly analyzed and dismissed. Transmutation magic on a small pile of coins near the wall, a low level student’s practice project. Abjuration magic in the wards along the walls. Divination magic in a button, another spying device Astrid had tried to sneak into his class room to keep him from teaching against the school’s policies. 

It was the illusion spells that caught his attention. A few of the students were covered in the same, linked illusion. Their appearance normal enough to blend in, but also entirely too normal for a real student. And there, a student he didn’t recognize even with his keen mind, covered in an illusion spell. Several other magical objects of varying power, hidden under the spell. The Vestige appeared to be within its pocket dimension, so at least they hadn’t brought a weapon onto campus. 

After setting down his things and greeting his class he squeezed past a few of the students to grab Astrid’s enchanted button. He quickly dispelled it and slipped it into an envelope to return to her later. As he returned to the front he gave the cat sitting on his desk a brief scratch. 

“Hello Jester.” He said. Of course he didn’t need Detect Magic telling him of the cat’s aura of Transmutation to know his friend. She was bright blue after all and staring at him far more smugly than even a magic fey cat would. 

“Now class, I know we were discussing transmutation principles as applied to effecting the elements around you, but I am afraid that lesson will have to be postponed. It would seem that it is the anniversary of the Mighty Nein getting together and they have decided to invite themselves to my class.”

There was a muttering around the class room as the students looked at each other, before one of them near the front stood up, the illusion dropping off her form as she did so. 

“I told you he wouldn’t fall for it!” Veth said in her high voice, She looked mostly unchanged from when they first brought her back to her proper body. A few more laugh lines, but nothing more to show the passing two decades. “Lebby, is an amazing wizard, he wouldn’t fall for something simple like that. You students better appreciate the skill of your teacher.”

Caleb smiled fondly as Veth walked up to the front to give him a hug. Interspersed through the seats a few more illusion spells dropped. A half elven man walked up from the front row and kissed him on the cheek. Essek’s own illusion lasting even as he dismissed the Seeming on Kingsley and Yasha. 

“How did they rope you into this?” Caleb whispered to Essek. 

“Oh you know I can’t resist a practical joke.” Essek maintained his deadpan delivery for only a few seconds before a small smile graced his lips. Caleb knew quite well that Essek looked as ageless as ever, under his illusion. His elven blood would keep him looking much the same for the next few centuries. Caleb returned the kiss, to the muttering of his students. They weren’t ever a 100% sure who Caleb’s rotating cast of elven boyfriends were, and Caleb was more than happy to keep them in the dark. 

“Well you can’t fault us for trying!” Kingsley said. They were wearing a scandalously low cut shirt, a pair of plain black pants, and a pair of thigh high boots. His purple hair was fading to a less vibrant shade just a bit near his ears and he had a larger collection of scars, as one would expect from years of piracy and being a bloodhunter. They were also wearing their sword much to Caleb’s disapproval, which was apparently not magical. 

“You can’t expect me to hide this glorious look without magic though can you?” He said, sliding his hands down to his hips then back up his torso. Then he grabbed Caleb’s chin and kissed him full on the mouth, with tongue for several seconds, while his students lost their collective minds. Caleb smiled against Kingsley’s lips right before the tiefling stepped back. He was sure the rumor mill of the school would go wild about that for a few weeks. He wished he could see the look on Master Beck’s face when the news came across her desk. “Here’s to another twenty years, magic man.”

Yasha and Caduceus walked up next, each giving Caleb a tight hug. These two showed their age the least of the non elven members of the Nine. Cad could have been just stepping out of the temple doors in the Blooming Grove, saying that he had only three cups, if it weren’t for the increased presence of lichens and mosses of all kinds on his clothes and armor. Caleb was fairly certain there was an actual bird’s nest in his pink hair. Yasha of course looked as badass and muscular as she had when they first found her. Her hair was completely white, done up in an ornate braid. Home life seemed to suit her well, she looked genuinely happy and relaxed like she certainly hadn’t when they had first gotten together. 

Fjord’s spell dropped as well. The half orc’s hair had large stripes of gray in it, he had crows feet at the corners of his eyes, and his salt and pepper beard had significantly more salt to it now. He still looked good, life at sea, despite its hardships, keeping him fit. He laughed at something over Caleb’s shoulder as he approached and he found himself lifted bodily into the air by a pair of muscular blue arms. 

Jester having dropped her polymorph spun him around briefly in the hug before setting him back on his feet. She would never fail to look divine. Her horns now curling in on themselves, almost like her mother’s had when they first met her. Her hair is pulled back into a pony tail, poofing out behind her head from the salt air. Her sailing days were certainly not hurting her in anyway. Her smile was still just as wide, her eyes just as sharp, and her arms just as strong, if not more so. 

“Happy anniversary Caleb! Twenty years ago you were a stinky wizard. Now you are here teaching!” Jester’s happiness in her voice carried to every corner of the lecture hall. 

“What happened to our plan of drinks in Nicodranas this evening?”

“I just couldn’t wait Cay-leb.” She pouted. “Fjord and I got into port early, and I was so bored.”

Caleb smiled at her, then looked around at the rest of the Nein, pretending to count. 

“We appear to be one short. Where is my sister? Couldn’t drag her away from the Cobalt training pit? Or did she get lost in a book like some kind of nerd?” Caleb said with a smirk.

“Mother fucker!” 

He looked up towards the voice above him, just in time to watch Beauregard drop from the ceiling, to land on his desk with a perfect three point landing. She hopped off the desk and punched his arm, before also grabbing him in a tight hug. 

“I am not a nerd, Widogast!” She snapped, a wide grin on her face. 

“Beauregard, please do not land on my desk. It was a gift and I don’t think it could bare too many impacts like that.” He stopped to look up at the vaulted ceilings of the class room. “Also, how did you get up there?”

If she had been invisible she would have tripped the wards on the class room. And if she had gone in the brief break between classes one of the early students would have noticed her and caused a stir. 

Beau took her turn to smirk. 

“I have been waiting up there for four hours so we could surprise you. It’s surprisingly comfortable. I could have gone another couple of hours without breaking a sweat.” She paused to flex, causing several students, and Yasha to blush at her muscles. 

Beauregard’s monk training meant that she looked like she hadn’t aged a day since Aeor. And she could still easily out fight everyone else in the room if she wanted to. She was also the one member of the Nein that Caleb saw the most frequently. Their work to root out corruption among the Cerberus Assembly, and other bodies of power in the Empire often kept them up together late into the night, until Yasha would intervene and throw her wife over her shoulder to carry her to bed. 

“Can I finish the lesson, or should we depart immediately?” Caleb asked, already guessing the answer. 

“Cayyyllleeeb.” Jester groaned, pulling at her face. “I’m sooooo bored. I want to drink and party already!”

Caleb turned back to his class of students. He was sure most of them had heard rumors about Professor Widogast and the wild adventures he got up to with the Mighty Nein back when they first got together. He wasn’t sure how much they actually believed, but he was sure that even the most widely blown out of proportion tale didn’t even begin to cover the truth of what they had done together. 

“In honor of the anniversary of this group of arschlochs finding each other, consider this to be a free day. Keep up on your readings, and if you have any questions I will be at my regular office hours tomorrow morning.” 

The students immediately started buzzing as they stood and packed. No doubt during tomorrow’s class he would have to field a whole host of questions about the Nein, and that was just the way he liked it. The day after the anniversary was the one day he would talk about what his family had done. As the class filtered out, with many a lingering glance thrown at the colorful group at the front, Caleb turned to Essek, setting the envelope with Astrid’s button in it on the table top to deal with later. 

“Would you like to teleport us to the beach, or shall I?”

Essek put up both hands. 

“I already used my spell slots getting us all back together again. You can bring us to the coast.” Essek said, his smile a mix between smug and fond. 

Caleb rolled his eyes before pulling him into a soft kiss. Then he turned to address the rest of the Nein. The family he had made for himself. 

“Are we ready?” After a series of nods, he pulled an ancient clay turtle from his pocket and gave it a squeeze. “Then let’s go!”

And they were off, to a night of drinks and celebration and stories told, and memories shared. And of course many toasts, “To another twenty years.”

[kimmkitsuragi]

WELL HELLO to my new tav who will absolutely make astarion worse <3

i tried my best to make her look like cazador !!! honestly im happy w it so far. she's a high elf, storm sorcerer. my first time playing a sorcerer so im excited for that as well <3

i like this shot a lot here hehe. also i like the character portrait a lot too (dont know how well it will look on tumblr since it's tiny but sdhfdfs) :

weeeeell i made her a storm sorcerer bc fuck cazador spamming call lighting on us !! lol and the starting dress of this subclass looks soooo good i love it (and im playing on explorer this time so it might all be a little easy anyway but it looks like combat will be very fun w sorcerer)

also, if i was astarion i would be like are u fucking KIDDING ME after seeing lucilla like ???? oh i know for sure now gods really do hate me huh 😭

i just realized i never explained my thought process behind this btw: i LOVE the take on cazador's "favoritism" of astarion being because astarion looks like vellioth. this is an insane crazy punching walls chewing glass kinda take if u ask me. like cazador being calculating and cold to the other spawn (wrt his ascension plans too), but him turning astarion being a crime of passion for him....... because he looks like his old master......... insane ! so i was like, what if astarion has a similar experience with his "dark consort". he may start manipulating lucilla for his usual reason (protection) but later it turns into a similar obsession. obviously post-game (perhaps even a century later or something) lucilla will be the vampire lord after being fed up with astarion's bullshit treatment and killing him. cycle of violence etc,, but in the beginning, she thinks that she's the one in power over astarion (and perhaps it's true to some extent), which is why she agrees to ascension and becoming a vampire. bc she thinks ultimately it will grant her power too. but well obviously she ends up as a spawn to ascended astarion............ for him, she's the one "with the sweetest screams" now <3

i could probably write more but well if anyone's reading this, im sure u guys get it :3 also im so mind foggy as always lol sooooo tldr i will enjoy this playthrough VERY MUCH i feel like :^) whenever i get around to playing it lol

side note: after lynn (who i will continue as my main run i think), playing with lucilla a little bit felt so !!!! bc playing an actually good character feels so hard to me lol. like lou was good too, but he was also not the hero-type selfless good. he was very much looking out for himself first, and also wasnt against manipulation when necessary lol. lynn is the selfless hero-type... meanwhile lucilla will be absolutely chaotic and power hungry yayyyy

(rip to my other 2 durges laila and llywelya,, they aint dead but i still havent played w them for more than 1 hour or so lmao)

(also i think i might romance gale with llywelya. i can see him being down bad for the hot barbarian buff half-orc lady. i have the vision now i understand it) (this means i have new other ideas for a laezel romance obviously...) (also cant wait to be absolutely evil w laila for minthy because i STILL havent even met her properly lmao) (maybe i should side w minthara in my lucilla run hmm) (welcome to my twisted distracted mind w all these parentheses lol)

i just created yet another tav BUT hear me out... i made her have cazador's features (as much as i could, without mods) and she will have the ascended astarion romance route. obviously .

[bloodied-hunters]

Dragon Age Origins characters as dnd classes. Gonna probably make this a series. This’ll exclude the player character warden since they can be anything the player wants them to be. This has been edited.

Alistair- Half elf paladin. I would’ve chosen fighter but Grey Wardens (and also templars) come off as paladins to me. Also, there’s a reason he’s a half elf. If you know, you know.

Morrigan- Someone replied with her being a multi class of Druid/archfey warlock.

Leliana- I want to say bard because obvious but also rogue who has the assassin route. Sooooo, bard with points in assassin rogue. Also, she’s a human.

Sten- Goliath fighter. I would’ve added the three options of half orc, tiefling or Dragonborn like Iron Bull, but unlike Bull, sten has no horns.

Zevran- Someone said in the hashtags that he could either be rogue fighter or rogue ranger for the dual wielding. Also, gets nat 1’s on all his lockpicking rolls while Leliana gets nat 20’s on hers. Though I’m unsure what kind of elf he’d be since dnd has multiple kinds. I’m just going to say High Elf but he could probably also be a dark elf.

Wynne- In Dragon Age, healing spells and sorcery are the same. In dnd, they’re not. So, she’d be a human cleric.

Oghern- Dwarven bear totem barbarian.

Shale- Warforge barbarian that for some reason uses her fists.

Dog- a war dog and good boy.

Bonus:

Loghain-Human fighter.

Edit: Since I had some tell me, I’m changing some of the characters (this isn’t meant to sound mean. I’m glad y’all gave some of your opinions). Also, added Loghain since I forgot him.

[sekhisadventures]

Sekhi on the Songs of the Shadowlands

Sekhi can hear the songs of the world, whatever world she’s in there’s an ever-present form of music  that she picks up on as the voice of the elements… and she wishes she could help others hear it too. There is a ritual she was able to work out to allow her friends to share her ability to perceive it, but it takes time to do and the reagents aren’t easy to come by. So far only Nitika has been able to try this with her once.

Instead, Sekhi has taken to trying to write down descriptions of the music she’s hearing from each realm so others can at least get an idea of what it sounds like to her.

Bastion’s Song

“Bastion’s song is like… well… I’ve heard some songs from that human religion thingy… When I was still in Vol’dun there was an Alliance base up on the north-western shoreline and me, Nisha, and Meerah went to spy on ‘em and maybe… um… maaaaaaaaybe take any extra supplies they had lying around. What?! We were hungry!”

“Anyways, I saw a bunch of soldiers sitting around a campfire and one of them was wearing long robes and holding some weird sorta totem. It was carved out of metal and looked like a stick put through a circle… or two half circles? I didn’t get a good look at it, but anyways, he was singing something to ‘em and the soldiers all looked like they were praying or meditating or something. I guess he’s their version of a shaman?”

“Anyway, Bastion sounds a lot like what he was singing… but with bells in the background. I noticed that chimes and bells and stuff are really super-important to the Kyrian, maybe that’s why? The lyrics are all about duty and courage, serving the needs of something bigger than yourself… pretty inspiring really.”

Maldraxxus’ Song

“Maldraxxus is… um… an interesting place isn’t it? I’ve never been somewhere with ground that looks so… skin-like… ehehehe… um… a-anyway! Their song!”

“Sooooo… after Kiro and the rest of us joined the Horde I’d sometimes hang out near the training yards and watch the orcish soldiers marching, and the lead orc would sing some sort of song that they all stepped in time to, the others all joining in for the chorus. Stuff about victory, honor and glory, that kinda stuff. I think the point was that it taught them to move in unison in battles? I dunno.”

“Anyways, that’s how Maldraxxus sounds… but with a lot of drums. The drums are just a constant boom-boom-boom sound though, like its just keeping the beat. But yeah, Maldraxxus is a bunch of soldiers, warriors, and stuffs… so that’s what it is. A soldier’s song.”

Ardenweald’s Song

“Oh wooooooooooow… I was crying the first time I heard Ardenweald’s song… I hadn’t felt stuff like that since the night I first became a shaman.”

“Imagine if all the animals in a forest, from the tiiiiiiniest bugs to the biggest bears, could all talk like we do… and then that they all sang together at once. They’re singing of death and loss (their song refers to this as ‘the winter’) but also of renewal and hope for a new beginning (the song calls this ‘the spring’)”

“I really REALLY wish I could describe it better… but the lyrics are hard to write down properly. I can understand it, but its not really in Orcish or Vulpera or really any language. You more… feel the song than really hear the words.”

“Maybe one day I’ll get everyone together in Ardenweald after I’ve gotten all the stuff for my ritual together, then we’ll all hear it together. Its just… I’ve heard lots of Azeroth’s songs, but Ardenweald… mmmmmmnnn! W-well, once we get all this sorted at least I won't be afraid to die right? (... wow that was grim, why did I say that?!)”

Revendreth’s Song

“Revendreth is… um… well, the song is really unusual. Like, its scary… but exciting-scary. Makes a shiver go all up and down my tail. Its really dark and creepy, the song goes on and on about sins and suffering that people do to others… but it also sings of hope and redemption and atoning for those sins. The song says few sins are truly unforgiveable and that you can make amends if you really really want to.”

“The instrumental bit sounds a lot like fiddle or violin, but being played slowly like at a funeral…”

“Its weird, normally a song like that would make me kinda uncomfortable but there’s a really odd thrill about being there… kinda makes me think of when I was a kit and I’d swipe snacks from the cooking tent or such. Like, I knew I might get caught, but that was half the fun of doing it. I dunno… Nitika is better at describing this sorta psychomologically stuff than I am.”

The Maw’s ‘Song’

“… y-yeah, the Maw has a song too… b-but its not really a song. Not really… its… a scream… an endless horrible scream of pain and agony. Crying, begging, yelling, pleading… the whole time I’m down there… I…”

“L-look, I REALLY don’t wanna talk about this one. Its BAD. Really really incredibly painfully bad. Just being in the Maw really makes me feel sick, my head and my stomach start hurting just being down there even for a little bit…”

“Um… o-okay, a bit more… the River of Souls is the worst part… I… I can’t remember exactly how it sounded though. Nitika and Mola’raum and I were down there looking for something a while back ‘n… um… one of those big giant Mawsworn things started chasing us. We got to t-the bridge over the river and Mola’raum had his ghoul jump and grab the thing’s face while all three of us jumped into the river and…”

“… I… I kinda blacked out there… when I woke up I was on the floor of a cave, Nitika was standing over me looking like she had some kinda panic attack and kept praying to An’she to heal me while Mola’raum guarded the entrance… they thought I was gonna die…”

“Nitika said I looked like I was having a fit or something… I started shaking all over and drooling and my eyes rolled back in my head and I couldn’t breathe and… I-I don’t remember any of it, but t-that’s what the song I heard in the River of Souls did… I… I stay out of the Maw now, I’ll do stuff for Ardenweald, help them with the Drust or with the Gorm or even just cleaning out cocoons from the trees but… not the Maw… I can’t…”

[grasslandgirl]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

thanks so much for sending in this ask anon!! bc you didn't specify what fic you wanted me to talk abt im gonna use this opportunity to talk abt my baby, jamie @gilears and my figgorgug fic; you could have my heart (and I would break it for you)

this fic is just something sooooo dear and important to me. its one of those stories that just came together organically and perfectly, jamie and i literally wrote 90% of it in a single sitting one night on a whim. i usually don't write either 2nd person pov OR present tense fics but this one flowed really naturally from a pov message i sent to jamie based on a conversation we were having about the figgorgug dynamic and the whole fic kind of grew from there!!

i love cowriting and collaborating on fics w people but i don't do it often bc i feel like you really have to A) know and understand your partner's writing style and they yours B) be on the same page about the form and the shape and the rhythm of the story you're trying to tell and C) be able to balance your different styles and narrative voices to try and make a cohesive story and im really proud to say i think jamie and i did a CRAZY good job at it for two people who hadn't ever written anything together before and who wrote this mostly on a whim!

i think it helped that we took different povs and alternated sections (me the gorgug sections and jamie the fig sections) so we both could really dig into the different perspectives and characterizations without it getting muddy or one pov overwhelming the other! it was SO fun to see them writing things and changing their fig sections based on things i had written in my gorgug sections and vice versa! it really felt like a collaborative creative effort and we were on the same page almost the whole time without discussing it- the few times we DID talk about our Ideas and Views on the fic was for the confession scene/s at the very end, which ended up being really fun bc we both took a couple big swings to shape the narrative and it was so fun to run with the ideas that the other one had!!

favorite lines/moments from the fic:

your name is fig faeth and there is a half-orc that is gentleness and rage wrapped up in a single sweater, a baffling realization that you can be all of it at once. [jamie]

you love her because she's something like a god onstage, screaming her heart out in lyrics that feel like spells without the magic, and she lets you see them before they’re done. [sav- but only true jamie sulfuric fans will understand the reference, though <3]

the repetition of <<you’re in love with your best friend, and your adventuring partner, and your bandmate. because how could you not be?>> in both povs multiple times over the course of the fic

(you know he does not love you but you are not so selfish to think he doesn’t love you), but you are removed from it. he doesn’t have to manage the fig of it all (you think, guiltily, that he is often stuck managing the fig of it all) [jamie]

you want to show him every song you’ve ever written about him and scream, i’m talking about you! [jamie- they added this line after i wrote a section about gorgug realizing one of fig's songs was About Him and aaaaaaaaaa it makes me crazy]

your name is gorgug thistlespring and the song playing is from the first album you and fig released. she named it significant. you sit on the bench alone, tear tracks drying on your face, and you listen to the words. you start to realize why ragh played this song. [sav- she named it significant :) and its about HIM :) ]

you never noticed how often she looks back to you onstage, even though she has to turn her back to the audience to do it. you never noticed how many of her songs refer to you in everything but name. [sav]

your name is fig faeth, and when you open the door, gorgug thistlespring is stepping forward and pulling you into a kiss. [jamie- the way i YELLED when she wrote this]

a quiet moment of stupid pride in the back of your head—how many other people can do this? can kiss fig, without the masks and without the disguises, soft and warm in her pyjamas and fuzzy socks. [sav- loooove this line. love it]

anyway. this fic makes me crazy. and its INSANE the number of kudos and comments we've gotten on it like AAAAA i never imagined that much positive wonderful response so tysm to everyone who read it and commented/kudosed mwah mwah i am kissing u on the forehead xoxoxo

send in a fic and ill give you some “director’s commentary” about it!!

[joyfulsongbird]

sooooo. I wrote a Thing. all credit to @defilerwyrm for the concept of the mighty nein getting consecuted based on their connection to the beacon and credit to @mightymightynein for coming up with the idea that because molly died in proximity to the beacon, he would then come back in another body. none of these ideas are mine, I just couldn't resist writing out a little thing!! thank you both for your great ideas <3

ao3 link!!

*

Mollymauk Tealeaf wakes.

Not quickly, not all at once, but he wakes nonetheless. It does not feel like coming to, nor is it really the idea we all have of snapping awake one day and coming to the realization that you are not where you belong. He is born again, and born with the name Enna. He is a purple skinned drow, which pleases him that even in the next life he still has a lavender hue to his skin. He looks at himself in the mirror, once he comes to the realization. He looks at his features and tries to rearrange them into something he knew years ago, he imagines this face with horns, these brown eyes with red ones. It is strange, to look at what he knows is himself and it feels correct but at the same time, like something is missing. He grows used to the idea: his name is Mollymauk, he was a member of the Mighty Nein, he died and now he lives again. He does not know why but it takes time in order for him to fully come back to himself.

One night, after he is able to differentiate which memories are from his present life and which ones are from the last, he disappears. He had not been very attached to the family in this present life, they were distant as many parents were and even before his realization, he looked forward to the day he got to spread his wings and leave the nest. This just… pushes things forward a bit. He wraps an enchanted cloak around himself that would protect him from the sun (one that he had stolen months ago, old habits die hard), as that is something he has to worry about now, and sets off into the first adventure of his second life.

He walks and sorts through the memories in his head. Remembers their faces, their voices, the things they did, the way it sounded when they all laughed. On his travels, he purchases a deck of tarot cards. They are not his cards, not as elegant or artistic as the ones he used to own, but they feel good in his hands. His fingers slowly remember how to shuffle the deck, how to flip them between his fingers, and make them disappear, then reappear as if he had snatched them from behind somebody’s ear. He remembers, and it feels wonderful to be able to be a whole person.

His travels are long, he is only going on foot, and he only has so much money. To earn some coin, he gives tarot readings in bars and on the street just like he used to. People goggle at him, differently than they used to. Drows are not all that common, he finds, and it is especially not all that common to find a teenaged drow sitting in a bar with a grin on his face, telling an old man his future with as much confidence as somebody triple his age. As is his nature, people are drawn to him. He had forgotten the electric feeling that buzzes through his whole body when he is surrounded by life like this. It’s a wonderful thing, to feel alive even when you have died twice. And since he has experienced being lifeless twice before (only one of which he can remember his last breath leaving his body), he wants to experience it all again. Nothing wrong with that.

Months go by and he finds himself in Port Damali. He does not know where he is going nor does he have a destination but hopes that someday, fate will shove him near the Mighty Nein again by chance and he will be able to brush sleeves with them in this life too. He sits in a tavern, like he does every day, and tells a young woman that someday her spine will stop aching and that she needs to work less and that she’ll have at least three children. She grins at him and he grins back, already scooping up the three cards she had picked out and is waving his hand absently for somebody new to sit down.

“Do you read tarot cards ‘cause I really, really love tarot cards and I can read them too, you know? You read mine and then I’ll read yours, okay?” it takes him a moment, as he looks at the tiefling sitting across from him. She’s older now, wiser around her eyes but still just as bright in her smile. She’s dressed for the area, in what one could only ever describe as classic pirate garb. Molly smiles at her, his chest aching. It almost pains him to see her again, in this way where she does not recognize him. She leans forward eagerly, legs kicking back and forth under the table. She hasn’t changed.

He clears his throat, not prepared to let his thoughts get the better of him. “Of course! Here, pick whichever cards call to you. Three of them, if you please.”

She happily chooses three, placing them face down on the table all nice and even. Before he can turn them over, she leans in very close. She narrows her eyes at him, “do you know my name?” He laughs, loud and clear. “Let’s see if the cards tell us that, hm?”

Satisfied, she leans away, watching as he flips over the first card. He considers the card for a long time, and Jester watches, enraptured. “You’re a kind soul, aren’t you?”

She nods vigorously. Molly taps his chin in faux thoughtfulness. “You love to draw, am I correct?”

She gasps, “how did you know that? I do!”

“The cards told me.” he says, as means of an explanation. He flips over the next card without further analysis. “Ooooh, interesting. You should not let doubt plague you, you’re far too important to those around you to let those skills go to waste. Don’t hold back, let your chaos run free, my dear.” “That’s what I always say!” her voice rises in excitement and they get several odd glances from surrounding patrons. “You’re so good at this, oh my god!”

He simply smiles, before flipping over the final card. He forces a frown and Jester leans forward again, glancing rapidly from his face and back down to the card. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“You’ve lost things,” he says. “But don’t worry, you will find that not all is lost forever. Jester.” She jumps to her feet, her face alight with joy. Joy. He grins. He had been right, then, when he had named her card that.

She runs a small ways over to another table and grabs somebody's arm, dragging a familiar half-orc all the way back to Molly’s table, her words nearly incoherent out of excitement.

“Fjord, look, look! Tell him what you said, tell him what you saw in the cards- I told you, Fjord! It was the coolest thing, he knew my name, he knew it! I swear, look! Look at the cards!” she bounces up and down, her words strewn together as she points at the three cards laid out. Fjord looks down at them, then glances up at Molly who shrugs as he gathers up his deck and slips them back into his bag, finished for the night.

“I don’t know what they mean.” he says helplessly. Jester rolls her eyes, grabbing Fjord’s hand and then grabbing Molly’s.

“I want you to teach me! I’ve been practicing for-ever and I can’t get that good.” She grabs him and Fjord back to the corner table that Fjord had been sitting at by himself. She forces them both to sit.

“Jester,” Fjord says before she can get comfortable. “Could you grab me a drink from the bar?”

“Okay!” she doesn’t seem to question why, just bounces over to the bar and leaves the two of them in silence.

“How did you know her name?” Fjord asks gruffly. “I know it’s not because of the cards. Are you a spy of some kind? Seem a little young to be a spy.”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.” It takes him a long stretch of quiet before he can even come up with the words. It hasn’t quite felt real up until this moment, up until he was faced with the ghosts of his past who aren’t actually ghosts. They are very much alive, only aged and more weathered than he knew them last. As he explains, as briefly as humanly possible, he watches Fjord’s eyebrows raise higher and higher. His eyes grow wide and fists clench on top of the table. Mollymauk knows it sounds insane, it doesn’t sound real, by anybody’s standards. There’s an uncomfortable pause after he’s done speaking when neither Fjord nor him know what to say. They are interrupted (maybe “saved” would be the correct word) by Jester returning with Fjord’s drink.

“Why so quiet guys?” she asks.

Fjord opens and closes his mouth, his face paler, “we need to go see Essek.”