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thecreaturecodex · 1 year ago

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Ulatra

Image © Bastion Press

[Sponsored by Soluman Blevins. The ulatra was clearly some author or editor’s favorite monster--they first appeared in the 3pp Minions book, and then became a major part of the Oathbound campaign setting, to the point of appearing on the cover of one of the books, Plains of Penance, and being a character in a novel in the setting. Their anatomy is frankly baffling, which is why I’ve changed them from a monstrous humanoid into an aberration. Here’s some sketches of their faces, which help make them make more sense. In fact, I think they’re downright cute.]

Ulatra CR 16 CN Aberration This creature is a bestial humanoid half again as tall as a human, with a chitinous exoskeleton that splits in places to reveal cables of muscle. It has four arms—two ending in clawed but prehensile hands, and two in mantis-like talons. It has a zipper-like jaw running down its throat, four long ears, and no fewer than 8 eyes—four set in its head, and four on the tips of cable-like tendrils growing along its back. Its two long tails each end in a nasty stinger, and spiny bristles grow along its back like a mane.

An ulatra is a one-monster army, its body covered in paralyzing spines and its every appendage a weapon. They are clearly a synthetic creature, and many sages suspect the aboleths of being their creators. This is supported by the utter hatred the two species have for each other. In their interactions with other creatures, ulatras are stalkers and trackers first and foremost, but they usually prefer to rob than to kill. These creatures have a magpie-like obsession for treasure, with some individuals collecting only very specific items at a time (red gemstones, for example, or just left boots), whereas others are more broad in their tastes.

Ulatras are intelligent enough to grapple spellcasters, paralyze healers, and otherwise choose their attacks carefully when fighting an entire party at once. Most ulatra attacks, however, involve an individual creature being paralyzed by a spine, robbed of whatever the ulatra finds most interesting, and then abandoned. If the victim of this robbery fights back, however, the ulatra will typically shred it to pieces. Ulatras expand their collections to body parts as well if they kill a victim, and their saliva has unusual preservative properties, allowing their trophies to remain fresh even if stored underwater or in humid environments. Ulatras will usually flee if they are losing a fight, unless their collection is at risk, whereupon they fight to the death.

Ulatras are very uncommon, and can be found in any environment. They breathe both air and water and are surprisingly fast swimmers. They tend to range from their lairs, which are often caves, crevices, hollow trees or rocky pools, hunting for days or weeks at a time and then returning to add their new treasures to their collection. Few ulatras focus on one collectible exclusively over their entire lives, and may have multiple “galleries” reflecting different periods of obsession. A few ulatras can be persuaded to part with older or no-longer favored items as part of parley, and might even trade for a treasure if they are suitably convinced they cannot take it by force.

Perhaps most rare, and most helpful, are ulatras that collect friends. On rare occasions, an ulatra will adopt a single person or creature, or even an entire adventuring party, herd of animals, or community as a part of its collection. These creatures it will defend as zealously as if they were material goods, making it a powerful if somewhat unreliable ally. Ulatras engaged in this behavior can become jealous of newcomers, and may shoot first and ask questions later if they feel that their wards are threatened.

An ulatra stands between eight and nine feet tall upright, but they are just as comfortable walking on four legs as two. Many aspects of their life history—lifespan, how and even if they reproduce—remain a mystery to humanoids.

Ulatra CR 16 XP 76,800 CN Large aberration (aquatic) Init +9; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., Perception +27 Defense AC 31, touch 19, flat-footed 21 (-1 size, +9 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural) hp 252 (24d8+144); fast healing 10 Fort +15, Ref +17, Will +18 DR 10/adamantine; Immune acid, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 27 Defensive Abilities evasion Offense Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 60 ft. Melee bite +25 (2d8+8/19-20), 2 claws +25 (1d6+8), 2 talons +25 (1d8+8/19-20), 2 stings +25 (1d6+8), eyestalks +20 touch (grab) Ranged 4 spines +26 (1d10+8 plus paralysis) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks mulitgrab, paralysis (Fort DC 28, 2d4 rounds), spiny grapple Statistics Str 26, Dex 28, Con 23, Int 15, Wis 18, Cha 17 Base Atk +18; CMB +27 (+29 sunder, +31 grapple); CMD 47 (49 vs. sunder) Feats Blind-fight, Combat Reflexes, Deadly Aim, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (bite, talon), Improved Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Step Up Skills Acrobatics +28 (+32 when jumping), Appraise +18, Climb +27, Disable Device +25, Knowledge (geography) +21, Perception +27, Sleight of Hand +25, Stealth +34, Survival +27, Swim +27; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +10 Stealth, +4 Perception Languages Aboleth, Aklo, Ulatra SQ amphibious, camouflage Ecology Environment any land, aquatic or underground Organization solitary Treasure double standard Special Abilities Camouflage (Ex) An ulatra can change its coloration at will, granting it a +10 racial bonus to Stealth checks. It does not need cover or concealment to make Stealth checks. Multigrab (Ex) An ulatra can grapple a creature using only its eyestalks at a -10 penalty. If it does so, it does not gain the grappled condition. Paralysis (Ex) A creature paralyzed by an ulatra can attempt to shake off the paralysis by attempting another Fortitude save as a full round action. Spines (Ex) As a standard action, an ulatra can fire four spines from its back. Treat this as a ranged attack with a thrown weapon with a range increment of 40 feet. A creature struck takes 1d10 piercing damage modified by the ulatra’s Strength bonus, and is exposed to the creature’s paralysis. An ulatra can fire up to 20 spines at a time; once these are used, it cannot use this attack, or its spiny grapple ability, for 10 minutes as the spines regrow. Spiny Grapple (Ex) A creature grappled by an ulatra must succeed a DC 30 Reflex save each round or be struck by the ulatra’s spines, taking damage as appropriate. If the ulatra is using its multigrab ability, this save is made with a +4 bonus. The save DC is Strength based.

#ulatra #D&D #pathfinder 1e #sponsored post #3pp #oathbound #aberration

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wickedsrest-rp · 2 years ago

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New Applications:

Beau Bueford - Magpie (Spriggan; Charlie Day)

Milo de la Vega - Helter-Skelter (Spellcaster; Sydney Mae Diaz)

Gael Córdova - Nile (Werewolf; Oscar Isaac)

View app count page

#app count

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astra2491 · 2 years ago

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Bladesinging as an art form has undergone many iterations in many hands. Swashbuckling bladesingers have developed a myriad of folk styles, often blending techniques from Tree Styles employed in the old root halls of the firbolgen and goblen. However, the first bladesongs were sung by kenku swordsfolk, in need of a defensive tradition that could protect a lone traveller both martially and magically.

The days of the greatest rookeryships may be long over, but it is still well known that those who remember the traditions of echoed song are fearsome beasts. Those who arent captains of famed and feared crews are amongst the most prestigious swordsfolk, known by name to all others on the Dreamless Sea.

Together, their strength lies in pure magical output. To stare down a heavy-laden crowvessel is to stare down several score spellcasters, each with a half-dozen cantrips and spells. All the while surrounded and drowned under force of numbers by cutlass and cristol shot.

Such crews are the bane of the Brazen League, their hold over the Wild Way is the biggest factor ensuring Pith's continued existence further into the Wilds. The genasi lords in Miter would like nothing more than to establish a foothold in the Far Lee, but remain unable to fight off raids from the Thunder Pirates, the Magpie Pirates, or the Black Flame Pirates, among many others.

#library canon #dreamless sea #the murmur

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whimsicaldragonette · 3 years ago

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ARC Review: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

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Publishing: November 2, 2021

Synopsis:

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He's struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents' excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what's been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he's always known. Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it--not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else. Robin's predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they've been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles--and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

My Review:

★★★★★

I loved this! It reminds me in a lot of ways of KJ Charles' The Magpie Lord series, but with a completely different relationship dynamic. I saw other reviews that described this as 'like top tier fanfiction'and 'a himbo and a librarian' and really I don't think I can top that. Because this is those things, and more. You know how sometimes a story has that indefinable characteristic that just makes you go "ooooooh this is gonna be good!" as soon as you start reading? That's what happened here. I picked it up because it sounded good; I read it in a day because it was excellent and sucked me into the world completely. Also the writing is just gorgeous. I love how Freya Marske took the 'secret society of magicians' trope and flipped it on its head. Robin has spent his whole life knowing nothing about magic. Then he finds out the dead-end civil service job he's been shuffled into is actually a magical liaison job that includes daily reports to the Prime Minister. Then he's accosted in the street and cursed over a missing object he knows nothing about... And things spiral from there. Edwin has always been the weakest magician of his family, forced to use actual string for his cradling as a crutch, bullied and laughed at and retreating into books his whole life, and now he's stuck with a liaison who is cheerfully oblivious to what the actual duties of his job are and comes across as a dumb jock. It doesn't seem like a promising start to a relationship, but it certainly is delightful. Ooh, and the cradling! First, a magic system built on cat's cradle is unique and genius. It made for such a visual experience of spellcasting, with the fluid (or clumsy) movement of fingers through positions, and a shimmering or color change of the air between the fingers. Having Edwin be forced to use an actual string (the horror!) was also great. But the inventive magic system doesn't stop there! Later they encounter a secret magic system developed by girls who were shut out of the traditional magic world, this time based on liminal spaces. And that is genius, really. Because liminal spaces are magic, and it makes perfect sense that one would be more open to magic while in one. The slow-burn relationship was lovely and I look forward to more adventures of Edwin and Robin in the future, as the ending sets them up for this perfectly. *Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing an e-arc for review

Favorite Quotes:

The only other woman was Trudie Davenport, the sharp-featured brunette with a da Vinci nose and an actress's high laugh, who even on ten seconds acquaintance gave off the air of a marble set loose in a bowl -- always trying to return herself to the centre of things.

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"Bel and Charlie surround themselves with people who are in love with them," said Edwin. It didn't sound like malice. It sounded like tired statement of fact. "They can't stand not to be loved."

-----

"I don't want to intrude."

"You're not. You can't It's extremely irritating." Edwin stepped close, very close indeed.

"What's irritating?"

Edwin said, "Every time you touch me it's exactly what I want."

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"One doesn't need to define the individual if the contract includes all of us."

All of us. Every living magician in Great Britain. Flora Sutton's words were the final piece; Edwin's mind shook itself like a tablecloth and laid the solution out, flat and clear and horrifying. If every British magician truly was descended from the Three Families, then it defined them all on the bloodline level; even more horribly, it negated the need to rely on an individual's consent, if you constructed the spell properly. A contract was consent, even if it was given on your behalf by your ancestors.

-----

Usually he'd have been tense enough to snap, standing this close to Walt, but his fear had washed out of him. He'd never outgrow it entirely -- he'd grown up with it woven into his nerves, a spell cast on a sapling -- but he also didn't think it would ever return to the same extent.

-----

Robin gave him his hands back. Robin gave a grin of open affection and pure relief that brought the sunlight back into Edwin's mouth for a fleeting moment.

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Something about that cracked Robin's heart into pieces and rectified it with the next beat.

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"You," said Robin. Every time it was easier. It was carving its own groove in his mouth. "I want you."

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And he paused, in the space between inhalation and exhalation, and invited magic in.

-----

#freya marske #a marvellous light #netgalley #arc review #shilo reads #this was amazing

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hawkepockets · 4 years ago

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Is Max Surana an Inquisitor also?? And do he and Morrigan reunite or what’s going on there. I feel like he would be a good parent for Kieran ;-;

max is the warden in fionn’s worldstate! he does reunite with morrigan, but not until 10 years after awakening, when he’s cured of tranquility and goes to the inquisition to offer up his knowledge on darkspawn magisters—he’s sort of a temporary fourth advisor. he sees morrigan again for the first time at halamshiral and they cause a big spectacle.

max is a VERY good parent to kieran, as soon as he’s able to be! he’s always known he wanted a family, even when he was young in the circle and it was forbidden to talk about. he was heartbroken when morrigan said he couldn’t help raise kieran or even stay with her through the pregnancy. missing the first 10 years of kieran’s life is his biggest regret. he works twice as hard to make up for it, and loves his son more than anything.

even though max was absent for a long time, kieran takes after him in politeness, love for mint tea, and spellcasting style—he has a knack for deconstructing glyphs and defaults to lightning spells, just like max. when he was a baby, his first sign of magic was sneezing out electrical sparks, which made morrigan break down in frustrated tears at how much she missed max.

(he gets his bossiness & magpie tendencies from both of them.)

#his timeline is a lil confusing bc it totally diverges from canon after awakening #sorry! 😅#morrigan #surana #kieran #oc: max #answers #anon #pocket talk

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wheezingwizardweasley · 4 years ago

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⧼ cameron monaghan, cis male, he/him / severus and stone by radical face + a gentle joke to hear mom laugh, angrily tearing off the hand of a clock erratically moving between “lost” and “mortal peril”, wearing your worn dragon leather jacket during the quiet, cool mornings of diagon alley when everything is still and lonely in weasleys’ wizard wheezes . ⧽ ━━ hey, isn’t that GEORGE WEASLEY? i read a daily prophet article on them, once ; the TWENTY-SIX year old pure blood WIZARD is a GRYFFINDOR alumnus who has gone on to be a SMALL BUSINESS OWNER . i’ve heard they can be quite WITTY & CREATIVE, but i don’t know… they came off very BRASH & IMPUDENT in that interview. it really is hard to know what to believe these days though, isn’t it? [ jess, 26, EST, she/her ]

“I am never singular; I was born a pair to walk alone. My mirror shows the things I’m not, but it helps me feel at home.”

Hey party people! Name’s Jess, I’ll be your resident jokester and “totally okay- no really I’m definitely fine” George Weasley! Will keep this to the point since we all know how this story goes, and I enjoy exploring things more through writing-

THE BASICS:

FULL NAME: George Weasley NICKNAME(S): Georgie, Your Holeyness BIRTHDATE: April 1st CURRENT AGE: Twenty-six CURRENT RESIDENCE: The flat above Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley SPECIES: Human OCCUPATION: Owner of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Hetero-romantic leaning, but extremely open-minded and down for whatever SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Heterosexual leaning, but extremely open-minded and down for whatever MBTI: ESFP - Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good HOGWARTS HOUSE: Gryffindor PATRONUS: Magpie AMORTENTIA: The earthy smell of a garden with fresh herbs, the heady essence oak, and the faint aroma of fresh spring tulips. ZODIAC: Aries FEAR(S): Loneliness, small spaces, confinement, death. HABITS: Injuring himself with failed experiments, accidentally (or not-so accidentally) insulting someone for the sake of a joke, fiddling with the space where his ear used to be, hexing assholes who “deserve it”. LIKES: Spring, strong liquor, Quidditch, inventing new products, fighting, using magic in unexpected ways, flirting, doing something dangerous. DISLIKES: Purists, slytherins, closed-mindedness, anyone who takes themselves too seriously, death, dark magic.

PRE-HOGWARTS:

Born as a set of twins with Fred Weasley on April 1st, the fifth child of the Weasley family.

Screamed and fought with Fred incessantly as toddlers, but also cried hysterically whenever they were separated.

Had a tendency to wreak havoc with magic even unintentionally, always finding it funny when something unexpected or destructive came as a result.

Did literally everything as a duo with Fred.

As if Dumbledore knew how linked they were - their acceptance into Hogwarts was combined as one letter.

HOGWARTS DAYS:

If he and Fred were dangerous before they even knew how to use magic, they quickly became a force to be reckoned with once they started to gain more control over their spellcasting.

Became popular for his and Fred’s charm, wit, hilarity, and eventual skill at Quidditch.

Found he loved being able to hit Slytherin’s in the face with a ball and be rewarded for it on the Quidditch pitch.

He and Fred were the ultimate force of chaos, one often working as a catalyst for the other’s ideas. During the most extreme scenarios, however, George was the one who would have to reign them in should things get out of control - but that was rare.

Fought anyone who insulted his family or made purist remarks in school.

Detention was always part of the schedule, unless something was off that week.

Left as legends, in ways that are still talked about in the castle to this day.

POST-HOGWARTS:

Opened Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes during some of the darkest times in history, when the world needed a laugh more than ever. Dared to openly mock and make fun of the dark lord himself through propaganda and poop jokes.

Sold defense against the dark arts items as a side business as a form of resistance.

Had to close the shop during the worst parts of the war, but continued to spread news and shed a bit of light on the wizarding community through the radio show Potterwatch.

Continued to fight the good fight and help those who needed it until everything came to a head at the Battle of Hogwarts, where ultimately, Fred died. He knew they were always risking their lives, but a part of himself foolishly assumed that one simply could not die without the other.

NOWADAYS:

George is a broken person, physically and emotionally. He has a theory he and Fred may have actually been magically bound in some unknown way, and has even done some research on the matter. Not that it matters. Half of himself is dead, buried, and forever gone.

Spends a lot of time and effort to try and convince everyone (and himself) that he is okay. He’s not.

Became particularly close with his mother since Fred has been gone. He feels she may be the only one that can come close to understanding his pain. He frequently goes out of his way to visit her, and do whatever he can to lift her spirits.

Is quick to anger when anyone gives him that look - the sad, far-away one, because his face is a mirror of the twin that didn’t survive and it can be so easy to pretend. But he is NOT Fred, and “don’t insult me by pretending I’m him.”

Will literally toss aside his wand and punch you in the face if you say anything purist after everything that’s happened.

But hey, at least he’s still pretty funny?

#nox.intro

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julianxwood · 4 years ago

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You saw GRANT GUSTIN in London recently? It was actually JULIAN WOOD, the two share a resemblance. Apparently HE is KNOWLEDGEABLE and RELIABLE but can also be CONDESCENDING and SNARKY. They are TWENTY-FIVE and were sorted into GRYFFINDOR. The PUREBLOOD works as a (RECENTLY RETIRED) CHASER FOR THE MONTROSE MAGPIES, lives in LONDON and is affiliated with NEITHER SIDE. (pat, 21+, pst, she/her).

open reference books, hastily drawn sketches, steaming mugs of Earl Grey, freshly carved wood, dim light of sunrise

Full Name: Julian Augustus Wood – It’s not that he doesn’t like his middle name. It’s good. It’s regal. It’s got that air of authority a Quidditch Captain should have. But he never uses his middle name really, unless it’s absolutely necessary on paperwork because he knows that his name is fucking July August

FC: Grant Gustin

Age: 24

School: Hogwarts

House: Gryffindor

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Current Place of Residence: Horizont Alley, London. He’s not far from Diagon Alley, but in a less busy neighborhood. He likes his quiet. As of right now, he lives alone—I do have a headcanon that he shares an apartment with his brothers (so this is definitely subject to change depending on if those wanted connections are filled and if the players are cool with this)

Please list any canon relatives:

Father: Oliver Wood

Mother: Oliver’s relationship with Julian’s biological mother was complicated, and they had split after their second child. Oliver had a relationship with Daphne Greengrass, who gave birth to the third and youngest of the Wood trio; Julian considers her his mother and developed a close relationship with her while he was still a toddler.

Career:

Current: Julian recently retired from his professional career. A rather severe Quidditch injury made it difficult to fly around crowds and loud noises, and despite his insistence on being perfectly fine—everyone deals with a bludger to the head every now and again—it was time to step down. He doesn’t like to admit that he retired from the Magpies because of a dumb injury. If you hear him tell the story, he’ll have some rehearsed lines on how Quidditch wasn’t for him. But Merlin does he miss the thrill of the chase(rs).

Next steps: A lot of his free time is spent flying; either by himself or helping his former teammates practice. The next part of his career will involve him spending a lot of time at Quality Quidditch Supplies and eventually working there. He’s got the Quidditch expertise to tell you which broom is best for playing, travelling, or just recreation—but certainly not the confidence to become an Assistant Coach for the Magpies. It was definitely about time Julian stepped away from Oliver’s meticulously laid out plans—and Julian feels himself becoming much less aggressive about the sport off the pitch.

Eventual: While Oliver didn’t particularly emphasize the importance of anything except Quidditch, Daphne was a much more reasonable voice as far as academics. Julian’s favorite subject was Transfiguration and he had gotten enough NEWTs to call himself a competent spellcaster, though he never thought he would need to ever have a backup plan should Quidditch go awry. Eventually, Julian would work as a broom developer for Ellerby & Spudmore, but he’s certainly not at that point where he’s even aware of this path—and who knows? Maybe something in the game will make him passionate about something else; the most I’m concerned with is that he’s got room to grow!

Affiliation: (subject to change after discussion with revelant players) Right now, Julian is neutral. However…

Possible DA plot: Julian probably played Quidditch with James Sirius, but he’s a bit older—two or three years—so I’m not sure if James would have invited him! However, if Julian did receive an invitation, Julian’s a bit of a overthinker and would need to consider the risks in joining—so I think this struggle would be fun to write! Even if he knows of the DA’s existence, he’s not about to go blabbing about it to other people, especially if he’s been told to keep it secret. And he will—so long as the DA continues to the work of keeping the peace.

Possible DE plot: Given enough motivation, there’s a chance Julian could even join the Death Eaters. While he does have a bit of bias being raised pureblood, he wouldn’t join to push the pureblood agenda—after all, his father fought in the Second Wizarding War! But are his brothers in danger? Is he being blackmailed or bribed? Have the Death Eaters offered him something that he won’t be able to get anywhere else? It’s possible but a little unlikely given that Julian doesn’t have any ties to any former Death Eater families (yet?).

Significant Other: None yet. Julian has a scattered dating history, and the relationships don’t last very long. He’s been so focused on Quidditch that he doesn’t realize that he’s not giving his partner the right attention and perhaps not giving as much effort as he should have. Now he’s off the pitch, he’s definitely much more emotionally available. I will say that I’m a sucker for reunion plots though—getting back together or hooking up and seeing something more or something new in this person he thought he knew.

Sexuality: He’s demisexual, though he wouldn’t know what the word means nor does he have the self-awareness to figure this out for himself even if he did know. He thinks having a slow burn relationship is just being a gentleman! I would say he’s mostly heteroromantic; Julian’s played around with both genders early out of Hogwarts but really prefers girls.

Any HC’s: l mean… here’s what I got… idk if these count and these will have to be updated as the game progresses!

Acceleration – the rate of change of velocity per unit of time. Oliver Wood expected his sons to have the same career trajectory he did. Therefore, Julian learned to ride a broomstick not long after he stopped crawling, learned how to handle a quaffle as soon as he could ride higher than five feet off the ground. Those skills did translate to the pitch at Hogwarts, becoming a chaser on the starting lineup as a second year, becoming Quidditch Captain by his seventh year, and recruited by the Montrose Magpies after finishing school. Oliver wasn’t happy with Julian’s choice—though not enough to abandon Puddlemere and coach with the Magpies instead.

Crest - the point on a wave with the maximum value of upward displacement within a cycle. Even in school, Julian was incredibly intense and competitive, only to be compounded by his success outside of Hogwarts--and clearly he didn’t give a damn who disliked him for it. The obsession--though any Wood will tell you that this is passion--was at its peak when Julian had gone professional. It was all he could think about and it’s all he wanted to do; he wore down the leather of his chaser’s gloves and smoothed down the handle of his broom.

Free fall – downward movement under the force of gravity only. His Quidditch career was short-lived: a particularly bad injury with a bludger during the season finals finally pulled Julian to the sidelines. Julian maintains that this was his choice; Quidditch wasn’t for him anymore! Part of it was the terrible press he received throughout the last few years, especially considering his father’s legacy that he had to carry. Still passionate about the sport, Julian stayed involved by supporting his brothers who are also still playing on professional teams.

Displacement - occurs when an object is largely immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. Julian has a few memories of his mother, but he was never at a loss for maternal affection; Daphne may have been inexperienced with children, but she certainly cared in the best way she could. She may not have seen eye to eye with Oliver on Quidditch--after all, she couldn’t tell the difference between a quaffle and a bludger when they first met! But she always supported her stepsons in soft but unexpected ways, even after she bore a Wood of her own--even if it meant what she had to say wasn’t about what the kids wanted to hear. She’s one of the few that Julian truly trusts and she was the one that had to advise him to walk away.

Friction - the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. Julian has a tendency to ignore his privilege. He has the advantages of being able to train for Quidditch before he’s even allowed a broom at school, and he’s been treated to the best equipment that the Greengrass family could buy. But he’s so certain that all it takes to get to the top is hard work. His fall from grace certainly challenges his perspective on this, and perhaps this is what drives him to say that he had chosen to walk away from his career. He didn’t want to be seen as weak--nor did he want anyone to think he didn’t try hard enough to stay there.

Equilibrium - a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced. Later, Julian will eventually start work as a shopkeep for Quality Quidditch Supplies; certainly he loved to help people find what a good fit was for them as far as flying. Not everyone played Quidditch and there were always variations of the sport that Julian loved to come up with. For someone who was such a stickler for the rules on the pitch, having a life off of it now made him much less aggressive about it.

Impulse - a force acting briefly on a body and producing a finite change of momentum. Julian was always destined, if not determined, to make a name for himself. At the very least, he was a competent spellcaster--Transfiguration in particular was one of his favorite subjects. He’s determined to make himself something more than just the Quidditch player.

Elasticity - the ability of an object or material to resume its normal shape after being stretched or compressed. Julian always has some sort of injury, usually bruises from falls—but he’s usually so quick to recover that it was actually such a surprise when he realized that the bludger incident really prevented him from playing to his potential. Once his brothers started playing Quidditch at school, he was already making sure he knew some basic mending charms—though it was probably more to Julian’s own benefit that anyone else’s!

Buoyancy - the ability or tendency to float in water or air or some other fluid. Julian doesn’t know when his coffee addiction started, but he certainly knew when it ended. A close friend of his kept calling him out on complaining about how disgusting coffee was and, as a joke, kept gifting him tea for any occasion she could think of--and it’s his morning, afternoon, and evening cups of Earl Grey keeping him afloat.

#serenum: intro #bio #info #archive #serenumjulian

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jasonhackwith · 1 year ago

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My review of Magpie and the Spellcaster, by Kelly (Opie) Benscoter

MY REVIEW: ●●●●●●ʘ | (7/7)

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am the designer and publisher of this book (through my business, Firewind Productions). I'm also a good friend of the author. Yes, I'm quite biased, but speaking as a lifelong lover of fantasy (especially fantasy involving animals), I really think you will enjoy this one.

Magpie and the Spellcaster is an action-packed foray into the world of talking animals in the tradition of Brian Jacques' Redwall and Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. Opie grew up on the Nez Perce Reservation near Lapwai, Idaho and was inspired by Nez Perce creation stories and the animals that frequently occupied them. In this first book of the Flights of the Magpie series, for example, Coyote plays an advisory role to the central protagonist Magpie, who is a guardian of his forest and the animals who live there.

Opie's dialogue is very thoughtful and contains all kinds of gems that will have you grinning and laughing out loud at times, while dealing honestly with very real pathos and tragedy as it comes. Without spoiling anything, I'll tell you that the animals of the forest come together in a way that reminds me very much of some of the best battle scenes from Brian Jacques' books, punctuated with a wholesome resolution that feels just a little bit like Aesop's Fables and sets up the characters for further adventures in the series.

Filled with Jon Dawley's quirky and engaging illustrations, Magpie and the Spellcaster is also peppered with really great original poems about some of the animals of the forest as well as wry glimpses into Opie's sometimes slightly twisted sense of humor. The end result is enormously entertaining and I highly recommend it!

View all my reviews on GoodReads.com

#magpie and the spellcaster #kelly (opie) benscoter

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rpgsandbox · 5 years ago

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Instagram of the week - The Griffon’s Saddlebag

https://www.instagram.com/the_griffons_saddlebag/

Regular updates, magic items. Details of the items are posted in the comments:

Splintershot Weapon (shortbow), rare ___

This shortbow can cause a nonmagical nocked arrow to magically shatter and unleash a devastating spray of shrapnel. On your turn, you can use an action to force creatures within a 15 foot cone to make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, creatures within the cone take 2d6 magical piercing damage from the splintered shrapnel, or 3d6 if it was within 5 feet of you. This ability destroys the arrow used when creating the spray.

Eye of Dendallen Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) ___

While you are attuned to this item, you can cast "see invisibility" on yourself at will.

𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚. When you attune to the eye of Dendallen, you are suddenly overcome with the urge to see what it sees. Make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. On a success, you're able to resist the enchantment and are aware of the curse's effects, but are not attuned to it. On a failure, you forcefully tear out one of your own eyes, taking 4d10 necrotic damage, allowing the eye of Dendallen to crawl into its place. If you are already missing an eye, you are simply compelled to allow the eye to crawl into the empty socket.

You can see normally while the eye of Dendallen remains in your socket, but can choose to close your other eye to see through its magically enhanced lens using a bonus action. Looking through the eye grants you darkvision of up to 120 feet, and are able to peer through both magical and nonmagical darkness using it. The eye moves slower than a normal eye, leaving slight trails and motion blurs behind it as you look through it. While looking only through the eye of Dendallen, you have disadvantage on any attack you make as well as ability checks that rely on depth perception. You can open your other eye and regain your normal vision using another bonus action.

𝘿𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧. The eye is a gruesome familiar. As an action, you can command the eye to crawl out of its socket and move independently of you. Use the abilities described in the "find familiar" spell when commanding the eye of Dendallen. The eye has five hit points, an AC of 12, a movement and climbing speed of 20 feet, does not require air to breathe, and has a +6 bonus to Dexterity (stealth) checks. If the eye is slain or you dismiss it, it reappears inside your open eye socket with a sickly sound. If it was slain, you cannot use its magical sight or command it as a familiar again until the following dusk.

Targeting the eye with the "remove curse" spell or unattuning to it causes the eye to pull itself out of the socket and crawl away. Slaying the eye while it is unattuned to a creature destroys the item.

Staff of the Magpie Staff, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster) ___

This magic stone staff weighs 10 pounds and has the bust of a magpie at its top. While holding the staff, you gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to search for treasure or a specific item you're looking for.

The staff has 10 charges. While holding the staff, you can use your action to cast one of the following spells from it: "fly" (3 charges) or "locate object" (2 charges). The staff regains 1d6+4 expended charges each day at dawn. If you expend the staff’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff becomes a nonmagical quarterstaff as the magpie springs to life and flies away.

Festerwood Vizard Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) ___

This dark wooden mask is strangely insect-like and magically conforms to fit the face of the creature that attunes to it. While wearing the mask, you gain blindsight out to a range of 10 feet. You can wear and remove the mask using an action.

In addition, you can summon a "swarm of insects" (beetles) that fly out of the mask’s mouth and obey your verbal commands as an action. You can command the swarm to move and make an attack as part of the action to summon them and then again on your following turns as a bonus action. If the swarm goes 10 minutes without attacking a creature, they dissipate harmlessly to seek food elsewhere. Once this property of the mask has been used, it can't be used again until the following dusk.

#RPG #instagram

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foegold · 5 years ago

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💅, 🎪, 🍑, 💉, and 😊 for Blu!!!

What are some things they have strong opinions about?

“be nice to animals and kids, my horse is not fake, what have you done recently to deserve your knees”

What would their favorite ride at an amusement park be?

something jarringly fast. thrilling and scary but like not in an actually dangerous way

Which emoji would they use the most?

a bunch of heart emojis, also 🐑 and 🔪

Which Deadly Sin do they most correspond to? Which Heavenly Virtue?

greed i guess but not for the sake of having things or resources of value. he’s got magpie brain he just likes to collect and keep things. ridiculously he’s also very generous, i think charity or humility probably fit best

What do they consider to be their best quality? What actually is their best quality?

he likes that hes physically capable of a lot and can generally rely on himself for physical feats, and that he’s becoming a more competent spellcaster. his actual best quality is probably his capacity to love, and persist in the face of terror for the sake of people he loves

#asks #c: blu #re: that last one: good example is that if he was alone in the caves rn he'd probably give up and lay down and die #instead of keeping at it with everyone else and trying to find a way out or thru all this mess

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indigoumbrella · 5 years ago

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Tagged by @valalaraptor (thank you!)

Rules: Answer these questions, then create 10 new ones and tag 10 people.

You’re about to be stranded in the year 1999! What single object do you bring with you? Honestly, the only thing I’d want with me is my child but he’s not an object. So my brain so I don’t make the same mistakes. Just as long as I get to keep my baby, I’m good.

What is your go-to comfort food? BAGELS

Art Deco or Art Nouveau? Art Deco is too shiny and “Everything is chrome in the future.” I love the organic nature of Art Nouveau. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

In your opinion, what was the best invention of the 2010′s? Idk... I suddenly can’t remember a single thing that has been invented this last decade.

You can only use one expletive for the rest of your life, the rest get censored The Good Place style. Which dirty word do you pick? Fuck. Idk who I would be as a person without it.

If you were a clown, what would your stage name be? Princess Noodleman

By chance, you’ve become a wizard/witch/spellcaster! What is your familiar? This is something I’ve definitely thought about and it would be a magpie for sure.

In your opinion, what’s the worst thing humanity has done to pizza? People can do whatever the hell they want with pizza. As long as I don’t have to eat it, you do you, baby!

You just got your necromancy certification! Which famous person do you bring back to life for a year? None of them. There are other people more worthy of an extra year of life. If I have to be selfish, I would pick my grandma. She’s not famous but I still have a lot of things to say.

If you could get rid of one household chore forever, by whatever means, which one would it be? Dishes. Period. I will gladly do all of the other chores as long as I don’t have to do dishes.

I’ve thought about this for a bit but I can’t think of a single question to ask. I’m sorry but I am very small and very stupid. HOWEVER I will tag my bff @jackson-dies-at-the-end and my sisters @alllthisbadblood and @emeraldumbrella if they would like to answer the questions you came up with because I’m incapable of thinking of my own. :X

#tagged #valalaraptor #thanks again!#your questions were very original #literally all i can think about right now is how badly i want a soda #so all of the questions i came up with were like ''if you could buy me a soda right now would you?''

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currycurrie · 6 years ago

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So I totally wanna hop aboard the Fjord multiclassing speculation. I just rolled out a new College of Whispers bard for myself and SWEET JESUS if this class wasn’t made for Fjord. Ya know, if Fjord takes a bit of a darker turn, and really leans into his high CHA. I’m sure someone has already mentioned this before, but I just wanna gush.

So first off, Bards use CHA for spellcasting so it’s a no brainer for multiclassing purposes. I’m sure he would approve of the additional spell slots too, even if they’re weaker spells than his usual.

Then we get the class feature Psychic Blades. This essentially is a paired down sneak attack. You spend a point of inspiration to add 2d6 psychic damage to a weapon attack. The number of dice go up as you level. It would really mix well with Hexblade, and he could do some crazy damage with the falchion.

At this point, if Fjord only took Bard levels from here on out he’d only get to a max level of 11. Meaning, he’d only get two more Whispers specific class features. Those being:

Words of Terror - You learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror. If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia in its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice.

This is already what Fjord does during any contentious negotiations. The guy creeping on Jester’s mom, the orcs messing with him and Caleb in the City of Beasts. Fjord relies heavily on intimidation tactics already, and this would give him a bit of extra oomph.

Mantle of Whispers - When a humanoid dies within 30 feet of you, you can magically capture its shadow. You can use the shadow as an action. When you do so, it vanishes, magically transforming into a disguise that appears on you. You now look like the dead person, but healthy and alive. While you’re in the disguise, you gain access to all information that the humanoid would freely share with a casual acquaintance. Such information includes general details on its background and personal life, but doesn’t include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass yourself off as the person by drawing on its memories.

I mean COME ON. I keep thinking back to when Fjord mimicked the awful guy in Nicodranas as an intimidation tactic. Fjord is already basically a magpie for personalities, why not take it to the next level? (Side note, really hoping he’s gonna take the actor feat at some point.)

My favorite Fjord moments are when he gets a little dark and terrifying, and I’d love to see him embrace that a bit more. Of course, this could mean some interesting and perhaps not so great things about his character arc should he choose this class. But then on top of all this you get all the usual great bard stuff like inspiration and jack of all trades etc. I think this could be a very fun option for Fjord, but also highly unlikely to me since he seems to be going a more godly route. Always fun to speculate, though!

#critical role #cr spoilers #long post

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