#liya al amundi

[shardssystem]

WIP Ask Game

We got tagged in an ask game! Joy! Thanks for the tag, @brasideios! Always love having a chance to ramble, but feels weird to do it unprompted.

At the moment, I’m caught in a three-way dance, to use the wrestling parlance. In one corner: the long-awaited (I hope!) 5th chapter of A Planeswalker Story, the MTG/OC fanfic that’s been nearly 10 years in the creation (oof) In another corner: part 8 of Holiday In Eorzea, our MTG/OC/FFXIV crossover… thing. Look, it’s a bit tricky to describe. 😅

And in the third corner: that dastardly heel tag team of Mental Health & Writer’s Block. (boo, hiss).

But despite that, I still do my best in writing whenever I get the chance.

So first, we have A Tale Of Two In The City, which is the next part of APS. In the last chapter, we follow Liya’s travel to the plane of Ravnica, as she escapes imprisonment on Innistrad. This rewinds time a bit to introduce a couple of important characters, and tell some events from their point of view. Here’s a snippet of the latest part written:

“Boy, girl, whatever! It’s all made up anyway. You want to be a boy? Bam! Magic; you’re a boy now, it’s as easy as that.” He waggled his fingers in a dramatic flourish.

Zoe looked at herself; nothing had changed. She was still a girl.

“Nothing happened?”

“Exactly!”

It’s a careful line to walk, because it shows a character grappling with dysphoria and what it means to be transgender as they age. Especially because it’s a transmasc narrative, and it’s not an experience I share, so I’m trying my best to be faithful and respectful. Hopefully it’s a good piece!

Next, we have Holiday. Given that it’s a retelling of the main storyline (MSQ) of the game, it’s easier to source the material. The challenge is to personify a typically mute/blank slate player character in a way that still works with the existing work. Another issue is that although a different story, it’s still tied into the main APS “canon”. So there’s chapters and chapters of character development that lives only in my head, but is supposed to be already known at the point shown. The next chapter tentatively has the title of Back In The Saddle, and continues with Liya recovering from a shattered ankle from a fight to the death. Here’s a piece from that:

Try as I might, my musical ability was lacking, so trying to memorise one particular song I had fallen in love with, a sad flute piece named "My Home, Sweet Home" was a challenge by itself. I had also discovered a fictional tale within the collection entitled "Refraction", where a man has to face up to different versions of himself to solve some kind of mystery; I hadn't finished it yet. And, true enough, T'sutu's promotion of the chocobo races was indeed as exciting as her claim. A little overwhelming to the senses, but exciting nonetheless. Just before a midday meal was delivered, I watched a Miqo'te woman by the name of Rin Chalko bully her way to victory with a chocobo as black as night named Optimal Shield. Her tactics were normally something I would be against, but for some reason I felt myself cheering her on.

References are fun to sneak in, but it’s not something you can do too often without it being disruptive. Still, managing 3 in a paragraph is pretty good!

But that’s what I’ve got in the tank at the moment, thanks for following along! You can follow the written works on AO3, or here on Tumblr. And to finish off, I’ll tag (with no pressure to participate!) @writer-raven, @kosmosxipo, @cyndakip, and @leafdrake-haven! Yay, games!

[holiday-in-eorzea]

Blade Of Night

Upon entering the Quicksand, the source of trouble was hard to miss. Another of the Lominsan marauders, though this one wore a covering on his head, and appeared to be more solidly built than his comrades. I assumed they signified him to be the leader of the troupe. Typical; leave the subordinates to do what they will outside in the heat, all while relaxing and drinking in shade and comfort. Although, it seemed something had riled him up, as he towered over the Lalafell waitress, shards of glass and remains of ale staining one of the nearby walls.

"Me poxy arse this is yer best brew! I’d sooner drink a pint o' me own piss than this swill!” the charming individual bellowed at the girl.

“I- I’m sorry! Just l-let me...”

The marauder raised his hand, as if to strike her. I called out. “Hey! What are you doing?!”

He paused, and turned to face me. “Just who the 'ells do ye think yer speakin' to, maggot!? I'm Pfarmurl the Driven, an' me an' me Bloody Marauders've been reavin' so long, mothers scare their children with tales about us!”

“It doesn’t matter who you are! I won’t allow harm to an innocent person, especially not over something so idiotic!”

The marauder scoffed, and stretched in an attempt to intimidate me. “Don't believe me words? Then I'll let me axe do the talkin'!” Sure enough, he began to reach for the wicked axe strapped to his back. In response, I moved towards my blade’s scabbard and prepared to draw.

Suddenly, a voice called out from a table behind us. “Oho, this is lively, even for the Quicksand. You two going to put on a show for us?” Both the marauder and I turned to see a rough looking man finishing a drink, dressed in a billowing red shirt, and loose pants; a long blade strapped to his hip.

“What's this? Another godsdamned fool? Show some respect when ye talk to...” the marauder started to say before the man in red cut him off.

“Pfarmurl the Driven, leader of a troupe of bloody mummers or some such. Aye, I heard you the first time - your voice carries quite well.” The man waved away his own interruption with a relaxed, casual air.

Pfarmurl, the marauder, took clear umbrage to the attitude. “Then unless ye want me to split yer skull with me axe, ye better-” He paused mid-sentence, taking a more measured look at the man’s sword. It was certainly imposing; wicked black spikes were worked into the shaping of the false edge, with runic lettering down the flat. My knowledge of languages failed to provide a translation.

“Th-That sword!” Pfarmurl stammered. “It couldn't be... Frenzy!? But only the Sword of Nald would - Bloody hells, it's you!”

The man in red smiled, but it was a predator’s grin; there was no joy in those eyes. “You know, I've never been one to stand back and watch. Mind if I join the fun?”

Pfarmurl held his hands out in defense, scared stiff. “B-B-Beggin' yer pardon, sir!” was as much as he got out before turning tail and running as fast as he could muster.

The man in red just sighed, and scratched at the back of his head. “Why do they always do that...? Looks like it's just you and me.” I once again reached for my sword, as he laughed, face softening. “No no, I didn’t mean to suggest we fight. I merely wanted to compliment you. Standing up to that Lominsan was quite brave of you—and quite foolish.”

“I was simply doing my duty; one that I would hope anyone would do likewise, but I know many don’t.” I replied, relaxing my posture; noticing how much I had been tensing only as the muscles released.

“I think I like you, gladiator. Name's Aldis, and I'd buy you a drink, but I'm afraid I just spent the last of my coin.” The man gestured to his now empty mug.

“That’s alright. I’m not much of one for drink, but thank you for the offer regardless. I’m Liya.”

“Liya, huh? I used to be a young gladiator like you. Back then, I...” Aldis trailed off, as if lost in a memory, but quickly returned to the present. “Ah, but that hardly concerns you. These days I'm just an explorer of the unexplored, a seeker of as-yet-unknown experiences...” Aldis sighed wistfully and looked towards the ceiling. “...Like that beautiful stranger keeping my bed warm right now. Gods, I've missed this city; this wonderful desert jewel of debauchery and sin. Now, if you'll excuse me.” Thankfully, he either didn’t notice, or at least didn’t call attention to the reddening of my cheeks as he made his way towards the interior stairs.

I took a brief moment to compose myself, and made my way over to Mistress Momodi, the proprietor. “Is everything alright now, M- Momodi?” I had to catch myself of speaking out of habit before inadvertently insulting her again. Using one’s title was customary at home, but she had already indicated her preference.

“It’s fine now that seadog’s been run off. I swear, if I hadn't seen Aldis with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it was him. Everyone here thought he died years ago.” She let out a dejected breath. “Listen, Liya. Do me a favor and don't tell Mylla about meetin' Aldis, alright? She doesn't need this sort of drama.”

“Why? Is there something I should know about? He’s not a threat, is he?”

Momodi shook her head. “Well...let's just say some folk ain't good for one another. If you catch my meanin’”

“Ah, like that. Well, in that case, I don’t think I need to include that detail when I return to Mylla about the job.”

“My thanks about that. I suspected the guild would be quick to dispatch someone, and I had even money on it bein’ you. Those mercenaries occasionally keep the peace in these parts, but their patrols seem to come round as they feel. I’ve sent a runner ahead to Mylla about your performance here and from what I could gather from outside. It’s good to have someone that cares handy.” She smiled and gave a cheeky wink. “Now, you must be thirsty, havin’ to lug that armor around in this heat; how about a drink?”

I was instantly reminded of the cracking of my lips, and the rasp of my throat. It had been far too long since I wore my own skin, and I considered myself lucky to be relieved of the need of arms and armour in my life. Even if it meant needing to become acquainted with them after the fact. “A cup of water would certainly be appreciated, I admit.”

“No freebies this time!” Momodi called over her shoulder, already pouring the cool, clear liquid from a jug. She said it with the tone of a teasing joke, so I chose to take it as such. She passed the cup across the counter, and I returned the favour with a small pinch of coins from my pouch, still unsure about the currency and its value. Momodi took one and pushed the others back. On inspection, I noted she had effectively charged 3 of their “gil” for the water, though I wasn’t sure if that was a reduced price, inflated, or simply the standard rate. As I had no reason to argue, I accepted the fare and returned the remaining coins to their place.

Though the respite from the heat was welcome, I still had my duty to accomplish, so begrudgingly I exited the cool interior of the Quicksand, to traverse the streets of Ul’dah back to the Gladiator’s Guild. I passed the returning messenger on the way, exchanging a brief look of acknowledgment as they went on their way.

Mylla was in her customary position, overseeing the guild members training with their wooden blades. I gave a salute, but she was quicker than I in starting the conversation.

“I've already heard of your exploits at the Quicksand, Liya. You did well to send those marauders packing. I wish I could say we've heard the last of them. Alas, we've received reports of axe-wielding raiders assaulting merchants traveling through Scorpion Crossing.” She shook her head lightly in disgust.

“They move quickly then. Did they already have this planned as a distraction?”

A frown crossed the guildmaster’s face. “It seems words will not suffice. after all. I want you to finish what you've begun, Liya. Head to westem Thanalan and see that Pfarmurl fellow and all those who have shared in his crimes never trouble the people of Ul'dah again.”

“To what end, guildmaster?”

“I trust your judgment, and your ability. Should it come to it, I have arranged for your prior allowances with the Brass Blades to extend further, under my authority. No crime would be decreed if it were a necessary step.” Our eyes met, as if the full meaning of her statement was conveyed through vision alone.

“I will do my best, and hopefully it does not come to that.”

Mylla nodded, a grim demeanour colouring the expression. “Good. Then, be off. The trade outpost of Scorpion Crossing is the nearest settlement in the area. I advise asking there for more precise information.”

I gave a crisp salute, the habit still forcing itself from my training, and exited the guildhall. The western gate, identified as the Gate of the Sultana was not far from the guild, as I passed through the streets into the afternoon sun. The weather was cooling, but still warmer than I would typically prefer. The more temperate climate of Ravnica had caused more of an adjustment than I thought. I exhaled as of to chase the heat away, and set off.

Everywhere I looked as I walked reminded me of home, of Melenas. Though the climate here was harsher, the wildlife and greenery had adapted well. Farming had always been somewhat of a struggle; trying to find suitable groundwater sources to feed our crops and what livestock could manage. I could imagine the soil here would handle thoumfruit and jazar in greater abundance. I shook my head; Kolya was insistent on my learning the proper names of things, least of all for his understanding; garlic and carrot. The words still felt foreign in my mind, but to his credit, the names he used seemed to be more common across a number of planes compared to my own. Of course, getting the seeds here was an entirely separate issue; while inorganic materials traveled the Blind Eternities without issue, the same could not be said of more natural things. I had tried to retrieve some herbs for baking, only to find handfuls of dust on my arrival.

By the time I had made it to the outpost, the sun was all but swallowed by the horizon, as dusk swiftly approached. Asking around, it seemed that accommodations could be found, as it was a popular trade route, and merchants were often passing through. It was dangerous to continue in the darkness of the open road, with unknown terrain, strange wildlife, and even knowing that my quarry was out there somewhere, so I opted to ask about a bed for the night. Much easier to seek people by light of day, and if they wanted easy prey of merchant caravans, they’d be unlikely to move on. Though, that would also solve the issue. The beds were rough cots, clearly sourced from military surplus despite the wealth of the city and surrounds. Not much in terms of comfort, but there was a lot to be said for the relative safety and security offered by the fortifications made to the outpost, and by the Brass Blades stationed by the gates on regular rotation. Memories of having to do much the same in prior lives came to mind, as I felt a touch of guilt of not envying their position. 

The night was still early, so folks had gathered near the center of the outpost to share tales of the road, both tall and mundane, and to come together to share meals, showing more of a community than I had gotten from just a general impression of the city proper’s populace. On one side, there was a merchant complaining about misplaced packages from his shipment, asking his compatriots to assist in locating them overnight and subsequently being laughed off, with assurances that there was plenty of time in the morning for that. On the other, one of the established traders of the outpost told tales of living plants, whose blood had such apparent power as to keep a person from appearing to age. I nearly scoffed myself, before remembering that I knew practically nothing about this plane, so for all I knew, it could very well be true. I’d certainly experienced enough things I had thought mere stories if I thought about them at all prior to my execution. Soon though, the merriment wound down, as caravan leaders took to rest for the day ahead, and others made themselves weary; from the day’s labour or drink, I do not know which. I found my way to my allotted cot, removed the heavy chain coat and highboots, and allowed what I had come to appreciate in the gentle ache of a healthy exertion take my mind in slumber.

Another morning, and another push against my spark. And unfortunately, another nullified response. Not that I would necessarily abandon people in need, but it was always useful to know whether you had a backup plan if required. I sourced a light morning meal from one of the departing caravans, and had managed to eat most of it before a yell could be heard from the gates leading away from the city.

[niuttuc]

“Tell Me About Your Characters” post:

Liya al-Amundi

Human/Spirit — White > Colourless > Variable — Born -2840 AR (2669 ZC), Died -2813 AR (2696 ZC), aged 27.

Plane Of Origin: Melenas

First Planeswalk: Jund

Currently residing on Ravnica

Main Abilities: Possession of potential, unsparked individuals; access to host’s abilities.

Oooh, quite an old soul. Do they typically spend their time possessing another or do they spend more time outside of any host? Is it generally long-term possession or something that only last a short while to resolve a matter?

[shardssystem]

Liya in Final Fantasy XIV? It’s more likely than you think!

As for how she fares; just have to wait and see!

The last character you drew/wrote about is now stuck in the last game you played. How screwed are they?

[shardssystem]

It was only a matter of time before I sent this ask around... What kind of animal would your oc turn into on Bloomburrow?

Had to do a bit of a dive into what’s available; not just what’s represented in the set, but what constitutes a “woodland animal”. Not a lot of woodlands in Australia. 😅

Liya, I feel, would become a rabbit. She has the sort of personality that lends itself to the form, and I remember watching (and reading) Watership Down, so there’s a non-zero amount of childhood trauma to tap into.

Yri is showing up as a hummingbird. Needing to fly and be zippy is a large part of her moveset, as it were, and I strongly get the impression she has the energy to pull it off.

Vasil, I see as a hedgehog. But leaning more Hellraiser than Sonic. Pain and keeping people away are also core elements of his being. Now if he could be a skeletal version…

Caidi, even for their genetic makeup, would be a frog. It’s a Simic staple animal, and I also just love the image of seeing a slime-style frog. No solid skin or bones, just a translucent jelly.

Kolya would become a badger. He has the temperament and feeling of being able to represent himself well in that position.

The Coterie is interesting. Would they all become identical creatures, or would there be enough variance between them that they would be a diverse group? For my vote, I think they would be practically identical weasels. The popular interpretation of the characterisation of a weasel really fits their vibe.

Thanks for the ask, @little-red-rabbit!

[shardssystem]

Now that March of the Machine story has been fully released I can ask, how did your ocs weather the Phyrexia invasion of the multiverse?

Liya, still being held in an unknown plane against her will, is completely unaware of the Phyrexian invasion, and got off scot-free. Maybe even better than that, considering what could've happened on Theros, and what that means for her bond with Erebos...

Yri helped manage some of the communication and logistics as the mechanical forces descended upon the city-world of Ravnica. Her size and speed kept her safe, and still able to continue her job, though for more important reasons than pure income.

Vasil fought against the wishes of the Mother of Machines to join the frontline, and instead returned to his homeland, in hopes to awaken the Old Phyrexian sleeper cell deep in the heart of Melenas. When that proved fruitless due to a conflict of ideology, he attempted to assail the keep of the Knights of the Hallowed Order, knowing them to be the true seat of power on the plane. Caught on the back foot, the Knights had hell's own time keeping the warrior at bay, eventually dealing a near-lethal assault, forcing a retreat. But not before Vasil had done a reasonable amount of damage to the integrity of the Order.

Like Yri, Caidi assisted from the back, aiding where they could with telepathic communication, and mental projections designed to disorient the occasional Phyrexian. There were a couple of close calls, but luckily Kolya was around to bear the brunt of things.

Speaking of; Kolya helped marshal the Sixth District, using his precognitive abilities to the point of exhaustion to allow the native Ravnicans to gain the upper hand where possible. Unfortunately, that exhaustion proved problematic when a previously expected force showed up in an unexpected place, throwing off his expectations, and leading to a potential crisis, ultimately leading to the loss of Kolya's left leg. He's currently being attended to by physicians, but his field days may be at an end, even with the prosthetic assistance.

The Coterie, surprisingly, backed their homeland of Plin in defense, though still from the shadows, and through subterfuge. Couldn't be too careful in revealing their full identity when too many people remembered the triplets from their pre-ignition days. If Phyrexia were to take the plane, there wouldn't be any solid way for them to take their revenge, and that was not allowed. Enemy of my enemy, and all, but never a friend on either side.

Thanks for the ask!

[shardssystem]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let's spread the self-love 💞

Luckily, I have written at least five things! <sigh of relief>

In no particular order:

Once Was Lost - The start of it all. I still “enjoy” the feeling that the inevitable approach to the gallows gives.

To Tame A Tiger - We are all miss Blaseball, RIV, and all that. I wasn’t as active as I would’ve liked, but I’m still proud of this piece, and how it gives a bit of character to an underrepresented player.

Future Past - While Once Was Lost is the start of things, this is where a little of the meat of the story starts coming into play.

Pulling Loose The Threads - Escalation is the name of the game here, and shows a solid link to the established canon, which I’m always wary about doing.

Holiday In Eorzea - Not just a Dead Kennedys reference! This is easily the most ambitious thing I’ve written to date, and it’s far from over. The sad thing in my mind is that it comes after a lot of other parts that are yet to be written. But sometimes, stories have their time and demand it.

Thanks for the ask, @brasideios! I’ll leave the floor open for anyone else who would like, but I’d like to hear from @kosmosxipo , @mossy-kit, and @cyndakip - Talk some Spit!

[shardssystem]

Who says they’re still alive? 😉

why is your oc still alive? 

[shardssystem]

This was inflicted upon us by @kosmosxipo, so now I get to inflict it on you all! Yay! It’s the WIP post!

RULES: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

A Tale Of Two In The City

Downtime

Learning To Forgive

Going The Distance

Countdown

Into Dust

Perchance To Dream

The Spirit Of Man

Dearly Beloved

The Ties That Bind

Spoonful Of Sugar

Of Sand And Ruin

Deus Ex Arcanum

Silver Tongues

The Coming Storm

Heart Of Darkness

Dead Man's Hand

Within The System

The Long Walk

Something Borrowed

Lock Ourselves In

As for tagging, I never have a good idea about who would like to do these, so I’ll leave it off for now, but consider this an open tag and/or invitation!

[shardssystem]

So I saw a post about this concept and thought it would make for a interesting ask. Magical damage, like a necromancers fingers slowly turning black and losing sensation or a wizard with lighting bolt scares across their arms. What dose it look like when your oc's push their magic beyond what their bodies can handle?

Sorry for the delay!

So for Liya, like most cases of magic, it mostly depends on her host. Outside of a host, she becomes anchored to the ironwood tree that makes her grave on Melenas, or to the former heart of the Selesnya conclave in the 10th District on Ravnica, where the leylines meet. The more she fights against it, the more transparent she gets, and the foggier her mind becomes. It’s like a slower acting anaesthesia.

Though Yri’s magic is small to match its user, she can still push herself too far. Her hair starts losing its fight against gravity, and it becomes harder for her to fly. Less obviously, food (especially sweets) loses its flavour.

Vasil’s magic is basically what’s keeping him alive, so using too much means he starts drying out, as it were, and his bones start weakening their connections. Like Liya, he starts getting fuzzy around the edges before becoming a temporarily inanimate pile of bones.

Caidi’s magic powers her telepathy and projection, along with their shapeshifting. They remain sentient, but become unable to communicate effectively.

Kolya unfortunately finds himself in this position too often. Utilising precognition puts stress on the brain, so he develops nosebleeds and sharp headaches as a warning sign to avoid damage from continuing. He’s pushed himself into a coma before, and could risk death.

Conversely, The Coterie rarely push too hard, being able to channel power through all three of them. Unless in a literal life or death scenario, they don’t tend to fight together, meaning there’s at least one of them in reserve. If it comes to it, they collectively start weakening and aging, their shared mind generating screams internally. This heals over time with rest, but leaves the triplets vulnerable in the interim.

Thanks for the ask, @little-red-rabbit!

[shardssystem]

🍲🍥

🍲When did you start writing and why?

In general, it would’ve been maybe 1990 and because of a school assignment. Shameless ripoff of pop-culture elements at the time, but enough that teachers were minorly impressed.

A more relevant answer would have been 2015, when a random inspiration from a question of “Can MTG Planeswalkers become planeswalkers from positive experiences, or is it only trauma?”. This was the inception of Liya as a character, and I basically started writing and designing from that day on. (Also, I cheekily suspect it may have also inspired the creation of The Wanderer, so I fully accept credit for that 😅)

The post in question, from @dougbeyermtg’s blog:

🍥What's your favorite fic you've written?

So while To Tame A Tiger is far and away the most popular work I’ve written, I consider Future Past my strongest writing to date. It’s really helped set up a number of plot elements, but beyond that, I don’t think it’s all that bad either.

Thanks for the ask, @yrael!

[shardssystem]

Always interesting to think about characters in different ways! Here’s Liya:

Just saw this cool D&D/OC character development chart by @ cparrisart on Twitter. Instead of a regular Fan Character Friday post, I figured I would post this so anyone can try it out also! I’ll probably try to do some this weekend :D Happy new year everyone!

[shardssystem]

Doing the WIP thing that @cryinginblaseball, @polkadotpatterson, @luckyowl21, and other friends have done, and hoping this also kickstarts a couple of them. 😅

RULES: Reveal the titles of the documents in your WIP folder and tag as many people as there are documents. Let others ask questions about the ones that interest them and post snippets or explain the contents as you see fit!

A lot of these are not final titles:

A Tale Of Two In The City

The End Of Things

Learning To Forgive

Countdown

Going The Distance

Into Dust

Perchance To Dream

The Spirit Of Man

Dearly Beloved

The Ties That Bind

Spoonful Of Sugar

Of Sand And Ruin

Deus Ex Arcanum

Silver Tongues

The Coming Storm

Heart Of Darkness

Dead Man's Hand

Within The System

The Long Walk

Something Borrowed

Lock Ourselves In

I honestly don't know if there are that many people on Tumblr (I think most of the blogs are sideblogs upon sideblogs for like 5 people having fun), so if you feel like doing this too, feel free!

[shardssystem]

seeing as it is the spooky season I thought I would ask about the time your OC was the most afraid.

For Liya, it would’ve been her first planeswalk after the Mending. Freshly freed from the Helvault, just discovering that her possession ability had changed, immediately confronted by her new phobias of confined spaces and angels as the PTSD kicks in.

Yri’s moment of greatest fear was actually her spark ignition. Faced with the threat of a memory-erasing remnant Aurora wave, she planeswalked to avoid it, leaving Liya behind.

The time that Vasil was most afraid was also the last time he felt an emotion other than anger. Having condemned Liya to her death by his actions, he believed he was free and clear of retribution from the army he had fled from. He didn’t reckon on the mob justice of Liya’s friends and neighbours.

For Caidi, it would have been their first moments of sentience, pre-sapience. Trapped in an enclosure, being experimented on by an insane goblin, it’s little wonder they broke out and fled to the sewers of Ravnica as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Kolya is tricky. I feel it’s a tie between coming out to his parents, unsure of their reaction, and the time when, still a child, he was assaulted by bullies who didn’t understand the difference between precognition and causation. He’s had hard times since then, but any fear was tempered by a sense of duty and pride.

Though you might think that for the Coterie, it would be when they faced an entire town bent on their destruction according to their beliefs, but the answer is simpler: having to face the imminent passing of their mother and the subsequent life without her, all owing to the accepted belief that only children in a duo should be allowed to live properly. Single children are to be pitied, and three or more are a sin.

Thanks for the ask, @little-red-rabbit!

[shardssystem]

What is Countdown? That sounds ominous...

Countdown is where Liya meets Yri, and they work together to stop or escape a memory erasing wave headed in their direction. Notable for Yri's introduction, and her spark ignition.

[shardssystem]

A Planeswalker Story - Overview

I recently asked for advice on how I should approach an ongoing writer’s block and drain of enthusiasm, and collating the results suggests that people want to see the overall plans I have for going forward, and hoping I can get to a point that I feel engaged to continue. So with that in mind, let’s go from the top: 

First, the published pieces:

Chapter One: Once Was Lost - Set on the plane of Melenas, common farmer Liya al-Amundi runs afoul of a deserter in the ongoing war between two nations, ending up being falsely accused of unlawful use of magic and condemned to death by hanging. At the instant of her demise, her spark ignites, severing spirit from body and allowing her to persist past death. She uses her new-found possession ability to watch over her now orphaned son as he lives his life and gains a family of his own, using his passing as her cue that her time to remain on her home plane had come to an end, and ventured forth to explore the Multiverse with eternity ahead.

Chapter Two: Dream A Little Dream - Liya travels to Theros, inhabiting Myka, a terminally ill child with a connection to Nyx. She gets noticed by Erebos, due to her undead nature, and enlisted into service to usher souls to his domain across the planes. She uses the opportunity of a renewed youth to learn to read, making friends with another child, Spiros. The two learn of a plot to assassinate the king, which Liya sacrifices herself to disrupt, knowing that Myka would have been dead already if not for her possession. As she dies for a second time, she reveals that Spiros has he skill of magic within him as Myka did. In the future, Spiros, a now renowned warrior hero, is visited by a mysterious individual seeking information.

Chapter Three: Future Past - Liya travels to Tarkir, possessing Chaka, an outrider scout of the Abzan house. A spokesperson of the Temur summons Liya to attend a vision ceremony after one of their seers foresaw her arrival. She receives a prophecy cryptically concerning her personal future and how she might overcome the dangers ahead. Liya pretends to be magically weakened to cover for her lack of combat ability to train. As predicted, a Sultai force presses into Abzan territory, as Liya is given command. She encounters a fearsomely skilled foe who recognises her by name. Confused, she doesn’t notice as a dragon descends to blast the Sultai. The mysterious combatant melts into an oily-substance before disappearing in a similar, planeswalking fashion before Liya’s eyes. Before she can investigate, the dragon condemns the Abzan for engaging with necromancy, sensing Liya’s spiritual presence and using that as evidence before obliterating the entire troop, and reporting to the Dragonlord Dromoka, potentially setting the future of the clan in jeopardy. Liya attempts to apologise as her spark pulls her home.

Chapter Four: Pulling Loose The Threads - Further honing her combat skills, Liya trains on Melenas until an eclipse signals her need to planeswalk. She travels to Innistrad, finding the body of Claude, a hunter, an experiences the opposite side of the gender divide for the first time. She returns Claude to his home in Gavony and spends time with Claude’s wife Cynthia, culminating in her first shared sexual experience since her death, and first time ever as a male. Upon waking, Liya learns that she had spoken in her sleep, revealing names of people from other worlds. She attempts to confess her existence to Cynthia, but is thrown out of the house instead, the names believed to be women in other villages. Liya takes a young boy, Derrich, on a hunt as an excuse to be out of the home situation. Unfortunately for Derrich, nightfall reveals Claude to be a werewolf, and losing control, Liya kills and devours the boy. In the morning, her form reverts to that of Claude, and she respectfully buries the boy’s remains. Still needing to know the next step of the prophecy, she retreats into the woods, away from town. Liya learns that by accepting the transformation, she retains control. She also encounters Nahiri, the shaper mentioned in the prophecy, and follows her to witness her confrontation with Sorin Markov. Liya gets cornered by Avacyn, and confined to the Helvault alongside Nahiri in her spirit form, causing 1000 years of soul-rending pain as her spark fights to recall her to Melenas while the Helvault fights to keep her contained. When the Helvault is destroyed, Liya returns home, finding her magic changed. No longer able to choose a host at will, she is now placed into one at random; a fact she discovers inadvertently by traveling to Ravnica, and taking over an aspiring Rakos entertainer Jasen. She is overwhelmed by the sudden situation and runs into the streets, her new-found claustrophobia and fear of angels causing her to faint at the sight of a Boros guard.

Now we get to the unfinished pieces:

Chapter Five: A Tale Of Two In The City - Damzak, goblin tinkerer experiences a strange event causing her to pass out, but awakens with her mind racing with new thoughts and ideas that eventually get her a position with the Simic Combine as a biomancer, specialising in Ooze metaphysiology, and begins work in constructing a serum of immortality based on the ooze’s ability to reproduce, to many failing attempts, leaving herself immutably morphed into half-ooze. Meanwhile, Zoe has trouble dealing with her burgeoning abilities of precognition. After a sharp impact to the head, she encounters a strange boy who looks after her. As they spend time together, he reveals his name to be Kolya. Zoe recognises the feelings of gender dysphoria as she grows, without knowing the cause, an Kolya helps her on a path to transition, teaching her, now him, what it means to be a boy, and taking him to a therapist that helps Zoe fully realise his intent. The two grow closer as friends. Zoe asks his parents to help with the medical/physical side of his transition, but they refuse, denying his rights. Zoe runs away from home, intending to live alone. As he tells Kolya, Kolya reveals that he is nothing more than a hallucination caused by the injury combining with the precognitive powers, and is essentially his own future self guiding him along the path to where he could be happy. Zoe eventually accepts this, and changes his name to Kolya as he recognises it to be the name of his own grandfather, an a name he had been considering anyway. The newly minted Kolya signs on with the Azorius guild; his precognitive abilities useful to them. Struggling on his wage to afford transition, Kolya enlists the help of an underground Rakdos-aligned surgeon to handle his top surgery, but is unable to o further. The surgeon guides him towards Damzak, who is still working on her theory. In return for providing a sample of genetic material for transitioning hormones to be synthesized, Damzak would provide Kolya with what he felt he needed to become a man. Secretly, Damzak also used this sample in her project, getting results for the first time. However, the project goes awry as the ooze awakens and kills its creator before fleeing into the sewers. Though his supply of hormones had been secured through Damzak’s will to maintain progress on all her experiments, Kolya feels he owes the goblin closure, and seeks out the escaped ooze. He encounters it in the sewers, awakening to its own sapience. It reaches out telepathically, recognising Kolya as its genetic donor and introduces itself as Caidi, an alteration of the project designation “KD”. Unwilling to slay the creature, Kolya takes them home, and learns more about them and their abilities. One day, Kolya encounters a screaming elf in Rakdos colours being questioned by an angelic Boros Legionaire, and takes him away to a nearby doctor.

Chapter Six (Ravnica) - Liya awakens on Ravnica, being assisted by one of the Azorius, Kolya. She tries to explain, but ends up sounding mentally unwell. Not heartless, Kolya takes Liya to see the therapist that had helped him in his dark times, Ji’maz. In confidence, Ji’maz reveals himself to Liya to be a planeswalker like herself, using telepathy so she can communicate as herself, not through her host body. Liya recalls that upon possessing Jasen, she heard his voice whisper that he “just wants to be accepted”. As time goes on, Liya adjusts to her new understanding as Ji’maz helps her get over the accumulate traumas of her planeswalking life to date. Liya gets set up with a job in a bakery, utilising her homemaking skills, under the guidance of former Selesnya guildmember Elnaya, who is also brought into the circle of people who know Liya’s true identity and planeswalking situation. Liya makes friends with Kolya and Caidi, eventually using Caidi’s skill in telepathic construction to form a more serious relationship between the two and they become lovers on a mental level. Liya gets Jasen accepted to the Selesnya under Elnaya’s recommendation after finding out that’s what his goal had been before she had possessed him; he was too nervous to go against his family’s wishes to join the Rakdos. Feeling Liya had reached a level of comfort with her abilities, Ji’maz suggests she take a planeswalk for her own mental health, to prove that it’s not all bad out there, and to emphasise that imprisoning people against their will via possession might not be the healthiest thing. Liya agrees, and resigns herself to being less connected each time she visits a plane for her host’s sake.

Chapter Seven (Kaladesh) - Liya inhabits the body of Elra, a skilled Dwarven pilot and racer recovering from a near-fatal crash leaving her with an artificial arm and leg, imparting Liya with a desire to “just win one more time”. Liya uses Elra’s inherent magic to modify her racing engine with the help of her pit crew, and sets her up to race in an upcoming tournament by qualifying on Elra’s behalf.. Following her win, Liya is congratulated by a pale woman with an odd accent before leaving the plane, her adventure successful.

Chapter Eight (Lorwyn) - While possessing the form of Galumvol, a treefolk, Liya encounters Yri, a faerie who is curious about her friend’s sudden movement; Galumvol is apparently known for being a stationary figure, and self-proclaimed defender of the forest. Thinking this has something to do with her request to “warn everybody” that the treefolk left her, they team up to investigate the potential problem. The pair discover that a lingering remnant wave of the Great Aurora is soon to pass over the land of Lorwyn; not changing it back to Shadowmoor, but acting as a refresh, erasing the memories of all the residents of the plane, save those in the palace of the fae. Yri and Liya try to save as many people as they can in the time they have, but get caught outside as the wave approaches. Yri freaks out, not wanting to lose her memories, and her spark ignites, catching the slower-moving Liya in its wake. She “awakens” still in Galumvol’s body, but the whisper tells her that her job is done; she can go and he can rest as easy as he could. Confused, Liya planeswalks away.

Chapter Nine (Equilor) - Immediately following the events of the previous chapter, we follow Yri as she experiences her first planeswalk, exploring the deceased plane of Equilor. She meets the only other living being on the plane, a pale man with an odd accent who is studying the plane to learn about its existence, and why it seems to be at the end of its life. He explains what being a Planeswalker is to the faerie, how it works, and introduces himself as Neris. Together, they explore more and learn the history of Equilor that is left to learn. Seemingly disappointed he didn’t get what he was seeking, Neris departs, but tells Yri of a place where she might “find a friend or two to help her”: Ravnica.

Chapter Ten (Ravnica) - Liya inhabits the body of Zoda, a Loxodon cleric of the Orzhov. She meets back up with Kolya, who is untrusting at first, until Caidi’s magic reveals the truth. Kolya recieves reports of a troublemaker in the markets, and Liya follows to find Yri trying to steal food, not knowing about the concept of money and trade. A small spark of memory flashes in Liya’s mind as she recalls Yri’s name. After a brief questioning, Yri learns about Liya and is brought into the inner circle using Caidi’s telepathy to show her true from and learn of their adventure on Lorwyn and Yri’s first planeswalk. Yri gets a job as a messenger with the secretive Dimir syndicate owing to her illiteracy and tiny size. Though Liya is enjoying her growing relationships in her home away from home, she starts experiencing nightmares of hurting people, culminating with a belief that she had planeswalked in her sleep, until she realises she’s possessing the body of the deserter that invaded her home on Melenas, leading to her own death. She learns that the man���s name was Vasil Iashvili, an orphan from the neighbouring country that her husband had been drafted into war against. Whenever Liya tries to avoid interacting with her past self, she reverts to the beginning. She tries a variety of methods to change her own fate, all of them unsuccessful. She finally gives in, and reenacts the memory as it originally happened, and learns that the intruder was killed by the townsfolk after her past self was taken away to be hanged, but he possesses a similar power to Liya. Instead of being a spirit though, he remained in his own body; a living corpse. Not lonog after this discovery, she is taken by a force of creatures hidden beneath the earth of Melenas, learning that they are Phyrexians attempting to reach their home. They torture and maim Liya’s host in a process they call “compleation”, causing the man’s spark to ignite properly. Liya learns the man ended up traveling to a Phyrexian stronghold on Dominaria; information that is imparted to her host, and subsequently her, during the remaining compleation process and mental domination. Liya is flung out of the memory to learn it was just a dream engineered by a shadowy figure who simply laughs at her pain. The figure reveals that they had gotten this information from the man himself, and thought it would be fun to deliver more than his warning that he was coming. They also show Liya another nightmare; the man believes that if Liya hadn’t managed to planeswalk away when she did, she would’ve been the victim of the Phyrexian’s research, and the figure shows what could have been: Liya, Herald Of The Phyrexians. Liya wakes up screaming.

Chapter Eleven (Ravnica) - Still shaken by her nightmare, Liya tries to calm down. She brushes Kolya, Caidi, and Yri aside and tries to walk it off. Out of nowhere, she is knocked down by a tackle from behind. The assailant reveals himself to be a cloaked skeleton, dripping a thick black ooze. As soon as her calls her by her real name, she recalls the voice: the Sultai fighter that vanished before the dragon attack on Tarkir. He goes on the mention that she is the cause of his pain, and the pieces fall into place; this isn’t some random assailant, this is Vasil out for revenge. Vasil mentions that he felt the pull to Ravnica, following Liya’s travels but alsoo from an external source. Liya apologises to the dormant Zoda in her own mind, and attempts to planeswalk away to save herself and seek help, only to find her ability blocked by the appearance of the Immortal Sun. War had come to Ravnica. The two undead planeswalkers struggle for a moment before they feel a calling. They slavishly follow it, walking together, finding the dragon Nicol Bolas and the necromancer Liliana Vess summoning an army of zombies. Curious as to their appearance, Liliana learns of both of their true natures, stops Bolas from killing them right there, and commands them to join join the Dreadhorde on their mission to find planeswalkers and harvest their sparks. They would of course sacrifice themselves too, but after they were useful. Between Vasil’s natural combat abilities and Liya’s borrowed clerical healing, they proved an effective team. Unable to control her own body, Liya meets Ji’maz, and throws him to the metaphorical wolves, as Vasil takes his spark and life. They encounter the trio of Kolya, Caidi, and Yri trying to help civilians. They were pleased to see Liya was okay until Caidi tried to reach out, warning the others of the danger. Before Liya and Vasil could catch Yri, their spark-wielding target, the compulsion was broken. While the chase had been going, the Gatewatch had succeeded in ending the threat. Vasil took his opening to escape, not fancying his chances against Liya with her friends to back her up. In the following cleanup, Jace Beleren senses Liya’s domination of Zoda, and reads her mind, learning of her role under Liliana. She is given a chance to explain herself, and reveals her true name and nature to the mind-mage. Apologetic that she had gotten caught up in their conflict, Jace asks the elementalist Nissa Revane for a favour. Nissa entwines Liya’s spirit to the leylines of Ravnica, granting her a proper home on the plane which would counter Melenas’s ownership of her soul and restoring her magic-borrowing capabilities. In return, as she fades back to Melenas, temporarily unable too be heard, she swears a her version of the Gatewatch Oath, overheard from a conversation between Jace and Gideon.

Chapter Twelve (Ecruna) - Liya travels to the plane of Ecruna, a plane of endless daylight. She discovers that she is in her own form, not possessing anyone. This is due to the nature of death on the plane; direct sunlight destroys the dead, but they otherwise continue to live normally. Liya learns of a ritual designed for people who no longer wish to linger as one of the shadowkin, and witnesses one such event as a person is conveyed to a cave and engulfed in light. Some people go missing, and Liya assists in the search. She discovers a secret tunnel in the cave and finds that the people who seek their final end aren’t being given that at all, but kept prisoner by a mad scientist trying to research how to reverse the effects of the plane, and allow him to walk in the sunlight without fear. Liya tricks the scientist into standing in direct light and he is destroyed. Before she can free the others, she finds them already freed, but mostly annihilated. She asks a survivor what happened, and they tell her of a place stranger who wanted to talk to the scientist, and lashed out when they discovered Liya’s intervention. She departs the plane, mulling over the new information.

Chapter Thirteen (Ravnica) - Liya takes time to rest and spend time with her friends, and try to overcome her fear of angels as she possesses the body of Brakne, an angelic Boros legionnaire. Yri shows her some of her favourite spots around the city, usually all but impossible to access without flight. The two bond as Yri talks about her honest feelings regarding her spark.

Chapter Fourteen (Sym-Po) - Liya travels to the plane of Sym-Po, having to adjust to life without sound due to the plane’s effects. She learns rudimentary sign language, and enters into the Harvest Festival, choosing cooking as her specialty, but is outclassed by the aesthetic styles of the competition. Liya picks up some tricks to improve her technique for her part-time job at Elnaya’s bakery.

Chapter Fifteen (Dominaria) - Vasil recovers and plans, as he recalls his life. We learn that time moves a lot faster on Melenas than other parts of the Multiverse, and that Vasil played a significant role in the Phyrexian conquest of Mirrodin, as well as other nameless worlds.

Chapter Sixteen (Amonkhet) - Liya travels to Amonkhet, and assists with the restoration efforts. The surviving god of the plane, Hazoret, senses Liya’s presence and asks for an explanation. She explains herself, and has a discussion about the nature of deific entities, as it relates to Erebos’s deal with her.

Chapter Seventeen (Arcavios) - Liya travels to Arcavios, to visit Ji’maz’s homeland. She has to balance her host Aavai’s study schedule with her own desire to explore and learn from other departments. While there, Liya meets the pale woman she last saw on Kaladesh, who gives her name as Syren. She is interested in necromancy, but is drawn to Liya after Liya lets slip that they’ve met before.

Chapter Eighteen (Mercadia) - Liya travels to Mercadia and gets embroiled in a plot between rival merchant families.

Chapter Nineteen (Plin) - Yri gets bored and begs Liya to take her on a planeswalking adventure. She agrees, and the two arrive on Plin and have to adjust to the dual-bodied nature of the plane’s magic. They discover the history of The Coterie, and the dangers they represent.

Chapter Twenty (Alara) - Liya travels to Alara

Chapter Twenty-One (Fiora) - Liya travels to Fiora. A confrontation with The Coterie is teased, but the three escape before Liya can seek aid.

Chapter Twenty-Two (Dominaria) - Liya travels to Dominaria and ends up in the body of a Sliver, corrupted by an external hivemind. Struggling to make sense of the alien sensations, Liya ends up completing the sliver’s mission to betray its entire colony to the other hivemind. Liya feels terrible that this seemed necessary.

And this is what I currently have, even as my brain attempts to spin more. But at least now anyone who was every interested in Liya’s story is roughly on the same page I am, stuck as I am on Chapter 5.