#must buy all the magic arrows

[steelwoolcardigan]

Just some self canon stuff once more

*My Tav donates to the refugees, then plays them a song.*

Gale: How considerate of you!

Astarion: Ugh, why do you have to be so nice?

Wyll: Perhaps we could give them some more supplies.

Lae'zel: tsk'va!

Karlach: You're awesome soldier!

Shadowheart: You're bleeding heart will be the end of us.

*Tav proceeding to pickpocket the shit out of everyone afterwards. Even innocent bystanders.*

(partial) Rest then repeat

[shirecorn]

Your reindeer designs give me such childish joy I can't wait to see the rest. What's your process (aka any advice) for designing from scratch with something like just a name or concept?

Redbubble (buy reindeer swag) || Patreon (see all early!) || Ko-fi

See more free tutorials!

You can see my process unfold in real time by joining any tier of my patreon discord. Which doesn't even have to go through patreon! If you want, you can just pay me $20 and let you in for a year (and then lose track and probably keep you anyway)

Here's a preview using comet! (nevermind the preview thing I wrote you a whole lecture lol)

initial sketches in 2021:

Revisited in 2022 and 2023

I was constantly asking which design was the weakest, why, and how to fix it. Whenever I tested without the magical comet behind it, people could only guess who comet was by process of elimination.

I didn't want to rely on throwing icons into the design. I wanted each one to communicate through shape and silhouette alone. It would be like drawing a little cherub with a bow and arrow floating along with cupid. If you have to include a nametag to communicate, your design can be improved.

So I tried a few different strategies to say "comet" before I realized I could twist the antlers into any shape I wanted. I was worried I would have to discard the drawing and restart from scratch! Which is what I did for rudolph about 6 times before I had a breakthrough.

Then I gave my patrons a brief lesson in antlers to explain where and why I was placing the tines. When I stray from the caribou structure, I do so knowingly in order to achieve something that cannot be achieved within the caribou shape, like dancer's tutu. Know the rules before you break them. My goal is to make animal nerds (myself chief among them) happy when they see species-specific anatomy instead of cop outs.

I tried a few things before figuring out antlers could become comet

Another thing that often caribou have is an unsymmetrical "spork" that comes forward off only one antler. I figured this out by looking at hundreds of reindeer pictures and saving them to my reference folder. A few of my designs have this, that's what the little spiral is in the final comet antler design.

When I put comet in my lineup, I realized that the antlers I drew were way more stylized, chunky, and "tribal" than the others. I had already changed the proportions on one of my designs to match, so then I had to hack away at the basic comet rack to make it look natural.

I already knew that comet's colors would be easy because a basic reindeer already Has the big comet on the shoulder. But here's a peak at all the reindeer images I posted for my patrons to look at.

As you can see below, I chose reindeer markings for all my designs instead of other deer or animals. Even vixen is tied to actually possible reindeer patterns rather than copy-pasting a fox. Almost all of my designs have light-colored anklets on dark colored legs, which is very common with caribou of any color. This is the sort of thing no one tells you; you have to observe it yourself.

Ft cupid's early design! I was continually testing out my reindeer silhouettes and colors on new people, taking their feedback, and fixing what wasn't clicking.

I know I could have made vixen sexy and curvy to play into a recognizable trope, but I really wanted them to be scary and fox-like. Sometimes you gotta do what you want and not what you think will appeal to audiences. Reindeer Days is a purposeful exercise in audience resonance. Most of my art is 100% me and what I feel like doing with no regards to anyone else. So it was a fun challenge!

My patrons also got to see me making fun of corporate designs for recognizably/cliches at the expense of literally anything good

One of these is going to get a lot more "that must be vixen!" results from people who aren't constantly thinking about animal colors, markings, hunting strategies, and teeth.

And one rocks.

Vixen changed the least from the initial 2021 concept!

A Vixen is a female fox. In english slang, it means a cunning, fierce human woman, and sometimes sexually attractive or promiscuous. Quite often an insult to someone because she won't date you!

But to me, a vixen is an animal. A predator.

When designing to reference something, I like to hit it at multiple angles, referencing obscure trivia about something to delight and educate. This is done by researching a topic deeply, far below surface level and beyond what you think you need to make your design. Or in my case its just knowing a bunch of animal trivia already.

After researching/dredging your knowledge, sit there and Think. Don't draw anything. Come up with several ideas and then throw them all in at once for the ultimate trivia design.

Trivia about red foxes:

They have Long bushy tails

They have teeth that include large sharp canines, flat incisors, triangular premolars, and chunky molars with points on them that slide scissor-like with the molars above to cut meat via chewing

They hunt rodents in burrows under the snow by jumping into the air, arcing, and slamming down with their face through the snow

They are orange

They have a dark vertical stripe on their snout

They have black legs, with the backs and bottoms being orange

Translated into the design:

Pose based on a fox jumping, about to land in the snow

Antlers twisted to resemble teeth

Long (for a reindeer) bushy tail

black mark on snout

Some adjustment to the pose to be at the top of the arc and flow better.

Tinkering with the design to make it recognizable but not 100% copypasta fox

I was finally happy with a design that absolutely showed "fox" while still being creative and plausibly caribou shaped. This would absolutely communicate who it is! I thought!

The most obvious one of the bunch! After all, everyone knows what a vixen is!

Nope! No they do not

Want to be part of the design process, help me with WIPs months before everyone else, see exclusive doodles every day, and join a funky little community?

(you also get to see photos of my dog)

Connect your discord to your patreon and join any tier to automatically get added to the server. Not a fan of patreon or monthly subscriptions? message me here, on ko-fi, or via email (shirecorn.art@ gmail.com) and ask if you can pay $20 to get put in the server for at least a year and longer if we work it out later!

This was supposed to be a preview to get you to pay me but instead I wrote an entire lecture for free because I can't help myself.

Want to thank me for the free info? Tag me when you use what you learned! Comment and give feedback! If I could pay rent with attention I would never need anything else in life.

You can also thank me by tipping my ko-fi! I use it to buy pens since I die if I have caffeine. But could you imagine??

[cloaksandcapes]

Anywhere Bow

Magic Artifact Weapon for Dungeons & Dragons 5e

We here at Cloaks & Capes are BIG fans of the @wildermyth-blog game, and following its recent DLC Omenroad, and the official wrapping of the game, we wanted to give it homage.

So we took Elthiar's Bow, the Anywhere Bow, and made it into a Vestige of Divergence for 5th edition. We hope you like it, it took some work to make all the mechanics and rules feel good, and fit them on the card!

If you use this in your campaign, we would love to hear how it went! Also, go buy Wildermyth on Steam. :)

Anywhere Bow

Weapon (any bow or crossbow), artifact (requires attunement)

“This mythical weapon has a history shrouded in mystery. Even the most learned wizards are baffled by the magic it holds and its ability to fuse the consciousness of the wielder to ordinary items. The structure of the weapon seems naturally occuring and not something made by the hands of mortals.”

Interfusion. Using a bonus action, you can use the magic of this artifact to interfuse with an object that you can see within 30 feet (trees, rocks, furniture, etc.) In order to interfuse with something it must be considered a small, medium, or large object, that isn’t being worn or carried. If an object is destroyed or picked up, the interfusion ends. Interfusion lasts for one minute, unless you dismiss it as a free action. If you move more than 30 feet away from an interfused object, the effect ends.

Dormant

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon, and you can interfuse with one object.

When you hit with a ranged attack using this weapon, your interfused objects launch a magical arrow at your target if it is within 60 feet of them, dealing 1d6 force damage. You can only trigger this effect once per round.

Deep Interfusion. As an action, you can interfuse with an object you can see within 60 feet and concentrate on it for 10 minutes. You can see and hear through this object with your own senses. During this time you are unable to use those senses with your body.

Awakened

You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon, and you can interfuse with two objects.

You can make your ranged attacks through interfused objects using your attack and damage bonuses. Attacking through an object deals force damage. The object making the attack does not deal its additional damage, but other interfused objects do. As long as the object has line of sight on your target, you do not need to be able to see it.

Exalted

You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon, and you can interfuse with three objects.

Traversal. You can use a bonus action to teleport to an interfused object, appearing in an empty space next to it. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses after a long rest.

Open Mind. While interfused with an object you can use an action to send out a pulse of energy from it. Every creature within 60 feet of the object must make a DC 18 Charisma saving throw, or you learn its location. The creatures do not sense this effect. This property can't be used again until you finish a long rest.

Join us in Discord or on Twitch every Mon\Wed\Fri to create new D&D Homebrews like magic items, monsters, or subclasses. If you want to support Cloaks & Capes check out our Patreon for 629+ magic items, monsters, tokens, maps, and more for just $3\month.

We add over 30 new items a month.

[writing-perhaps]

When Sataa first meets The Iron Bull it’s on the battlefield. Of course, it’s not a difficult battle; her party comes across The Iron Bull and his Chargers while they are fighting a small band of Venatori. Solas slings spells and Varric sends arrows flying into the fray, Cassandra and Sataa charge right in, swords swinging. The fight ends quickly, The Iron Bull’s Chargers are already a capable group, and the added help of the Inquisition's best doesn’t hurt.

Sataa sheaths her swords, they hang heavy on her hips as she approaches The Iron Bull. It’s easy to tell who he is, the messenger who first asked her to come meet him had mentioned a Qunari, and there is only one Qunari in the group. He calls out to who Sataa assumes is his second in command, “Chargers, stand down! Krem! How’d we do?”

A young man with short black hair, who Sataa now recognizes as the messenger who notified her about The Iron Bulls offer responds, “Five or six wounded, chief. No dead.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” The Iron Bull smiles, “Let the throatcutters finish up, then break out the casks.”

Sataa observes the large man as he turns to her. His skin is a light gray and his horns are wide, similar in shape and size to a bull’s. He wears a short beard that is little more than a week-old scruff. His face is scared, most notably he wears an eyepatch over his left eye. He is big, obviously, but even for a Qunari he is hulking. His shoulders are broad and his frame is bulky. He greets her with a grin, “Hot damn, it’s true!” he chuckled, “Oh, the Chantry must love you. A Qunari mercenary is the Herald of Andraste. Who’d’a thought?”

Sataa dips her head politely and greets him in Qunlat, “Shenedan, Sten.”

His face turned a bit more serious, “Yeah, let’s try to keep that to a minimum. Makes the boys twitchy.” The Iron Bull led her a few paces down the beach before settling on a rock, gesturing to his second in command, who Sataa then recognized as the messenger who brought her word of The Bull’s Chargers in the first place. “I assume you remember Cremisius Aclassi, my lieutenant.”

“Good to see you again. Throatcutters are done, chief.”

“Already? Have ‘em check again. I don’t want any of those Tevinter bastards getting away. No offense, Krem.”

“None taken. Least a bastard knows who his mother was. Puts him one up on you Qunari, right?” Krem jokes as he begins to walk away.

The Iron Bull turns his full attention back to Sataa, “So… you’ve seen us fight. We’re expensive, but we’re worth it… and I’m sure the Inquisition can afford us.”

Sataa tilts her head curiously, “I’m sure we can, but how hefty will the cost be?”

The Iron Bull laughs softly, “It wouldn’t cost you anything personally, unless you wanna buy drinks later. Your ambassador- what’s her name- Josephine? We’d go through her and get the payments set up. The gold will take care of itself. Don’t worry about that. All that matters is we’re worth it.”

Sataa considers that before continuing, “The Chargers seem like an excellent company. I’ve seen more…” Sataa looks over his crew as they clean up the battle, her companions helping them, “Cohesive groups that performed much worse.”

The Iron Bull chuckles at that, “Have you know? Well, they are a good crew. But you’re not just getting the boys. You’re getting me. You need a frontline bodyguard, I’m your man. Whatever it is—demons, dragons? The bigger the better. And there’s one other thing. Might be useful, might piss you off. Ever hear of the Ben-Hassrath?”

Sataa tenses up, “I have. My parents told me of the Ben-Hassrath, they are Qunari enforcers. Spies.”

“Yeah, that’s them,” He paused, “Or, well, us.”

Sataa recoils slightly at that, expression quickly turning guarded, “You- what do you want with the Inquisition?” she demands.

The Iron Bull just chuckles before continuing, “The Ben-Hassrath are concerned about the Breach. Magic out of control like that could cause trouble everywhere. I’ve been ordered to join the Inquisition, get close to the people in charge, and send reports on what’s happening. But I also get reports from Ben-Hassrath agents all over Orlais. You sign me on, I’ll share them with your people.”

Every bone in Sataa’s body is screaming at her to get away, all of her instincts crying out for her to run. Her parents have told her enough about Ben-Hassrath for her to know they are bad news. Sataa has no desire to have any involvement with the Qun or its subjects, but now one of their spies is looking her in the eye and offering her help. She can’t quite wrap her head around it. Sataa wrestles with her thoughts for a moment, “You’re a Qunari spy, and you just… told me?”

“Whatever happened at that Conclave thing, it’s bad. Someone needs to get that Breach closed. So whatever I am, I’m on your side.”

Sataa flounders for a moment, “You still could have hidden what you are.”

“From something called the Inquisition?” The Iron Bull chuckles, “I’d’ve been tipped sooner or later. Better you hear it right up front from me.”

Sataa hesitates, it’s clear this isn’t an easy decision to make. “What would you send home in these reports of yours?”

“Enough to keep my superiors happy. Nothing that’ll compromise your operations. The Qunari want to know if they need to launch an invasion to stop the whole damn world from falling apart. You let me send word of what you’re doing, it’ll put some minds at ease. That’s good for everyone.”

“What’s in these Ben-Hassrath reports you’re offering to share, then?”

“Enemy movements, suspicious activity, intriguing gossip. It’s a bit of everything. Alone, they’re not much. But if your spymaster is worth a damn, she’ll put ‘em to good use.”

“She?” Sataa tilts her head, eyes narrowing.

“I did a little research. Plus, I’ve always had a weakness for redheads.” The Iron Bull laughs softly.

Sataa knows this is dangerous, especially for her. For her family. For her company. But she would be a fool to say no. They needed soldiers, especially skilled ones. A trained mercenary band could boost their man power, and having a skilled Qunari warrior on their side couldn’t hurt. She would be a fool to say no. Sataa breathes heavily through her nose, clenching and unclenching her fists. “You run your reports past Leliana before sending them. You send nothing she doesn’t approve. If this turns out to be a trick, or if your reports compromise the Inquisition, Cassandra will eat you alive.”

The Iron Bull just smirks, “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

So now, Sataa sits sullenly on a log beside the fire. The Bull’s Charges mingle with her small party, exchanging stories and asking about the Inquisition. The Iron Bull watches Sataa with his single, intelligent eye. “So,” he begins, voice smooth and low, “You’re Vashoth?”

Sataa looks at him for a moment, The Iron Bull notes how clear and sharp her eyes are. “Yes.”

“Ah. Where were you raised?”

She looks at him with distrustful eyes, “Keep your prying questions to yourself, Hissraad,” she all but growls. The Iron Bull hadn’t mentioned that that was his name under the Qun.

The Iron Bull holds his hands up placatingly, “No need for that, Adaar, I’ll behave.”

Sataa looks at him flatly before gazing back into the fire. The light reflects off her golden horn-caps, the jewelry dangling from her horns and ears twinkles delicately in the fire’s glow. The Iron Bull takes in her unique appearance, wickedly curled rams horns, dark gray skin, and snow white hair done in neat braids. There's a tattoo on one hand that he can see, a dragon curled around her thumb. Some sort of design seems to be crawling up her neck as well, but he can’t quite make it out. He notes the slight tremor in her hands. It may be the freezing rain. It may not.

This is my first fic! I hope you liked it :)

Also huge huge thanks to @daitranscripts for the dialogue transcripts here 🙏🙏

[millenniumfae]

Dragon Age Demons vs Real-Life 'Inner Demons'

Way back in the summer of 2015, my symptoms got so unbearable I was bedridden. 20 years old and experiencing psychosis, quasi-hallucinations, and actual, unending panic for the first time. It marked the start of a condition that has never stopped since.

My aunt (and other relatives) helped me develop proper mindfulness skills based off of our homeland's folk Buddhism - the 'second arrow'. The meaningless of forgiveness. Devaluing control. And something that struck me as a new Dragon Age fan … 'Possession'.

Well, when translated to english, you'll find texts using the word 'insight' rather than 'possession'. But that's the word my mom translated from off the top of her head, and it immediately resonated with me.

"Imagine your panic as an inner creature. Something that is also you, but is acting independently. Treat your panic with kindness and mentorship, not antagonism. The more you struggle in the spider's web, the worse things get. But if you nourish what's hurting in you, let them tantrum, then come back in to nurture."

Up until the 2010s, the most acclaimed mental health books you could buy written in the english language would most certainly be christianity-influenced. Maybe not overtly, (but you'd be surprised how many have a chapter about "insert-book-topic-here and Christ") but there's little hints like how the reader must have left home at 18 to avoid mooching off their parents, or how to 'turn guilt into something productive' (???), the use of the word 'gamble' as a bad word, etc. But these books tend to include a chapter that would be some weird bullshit like "The Dark Souls Of Respawning?? What Daoism Says About Immortality" and take a brief moment to talk about the radical, never-before-heard-of methods from across the pacific that Will Turn Your World Upside Down.

Behavior therapists (of the 1950s) were aware insights about the origins of the problem usually weren't helpful. Exposure to the thing the patient feared was often curative. -When Panic Attacks by David D. Burns MD, Chapter 18, "Taking a page from the Tibetan Book of the Dead"

Now, it's no secret that the Dragon Age serial is very. Um. Christian. Catholic, specifically. Faith is written to be an unequivocally redeeming trait. Attempts at inventing fake elf/qunari/Tevinter 'religions' still have them be belief-based, colonialist, and conversion-heavy, while also at the same time implying that the 'Maker' of Chantry faith is the single actual true god.

So it's no surprise that the demons and spirits of DA are very seven-deadly-sins. Party banter and side-quests do point out the euro/christian-centricity of this demon categorization (Merrill, Solas), but that doesn't mean shit if, in overall story and gameplay proper, Pride is the most powerful demon while Faith is virtue at all.

So here I am, lying in bed and only capable of just riding the waves of panic day after torturous day. You bet I'm gonna try to geek-erize my symptoms. If people do it with Jesus, then I can do it with Dragon Age.

Enter Vigilance the Spirit. I was an at-risk young Rivani mage, so their Magic Welfare Government helped me join their クサビ-依り代 program and matched me with a spirit to induce possession. Can't boil two skulls in one pot, so to speak. I could have chosen to do their hemispherectomy program (I am made Tranquil but carry around a piece of the Fade like a pacemaker that keeps me perfectly lucid, only turning off when I sleep), but that comes with its own risks.

But it doesn't take much for a spirit of Vigilance to do a 180 and become Panic. They're still Vigilance, and I am still me, but the taste in the mouth is different. Our life will need to adapt.

I will not kick myself for 'failing' my friend. Vigilance has turned to Panic, yes. But they have always been one. Now, so are me and Panic. Such is the nature of spirits.

If I am kind to my spirit, then I am kind to myself. It's what we both deserve.

[spacenut334]

Shadowheart's Capture

Summary: Captured by Minthara in the temple of Selune, Shadowheart must please Minthara and Rugan until help arrives

Pairing: Shadowheart x Rugan x Minthara

Rating: 18+ Minors DNI, Dub Con

POV: 3rd Person

Words: 5400

Notes: Inspired by this artwork by Poar Art

Read On AO3

“Run!” Tav was shouting as they rounded the corner. Tav had a frantic look in their eyes and the party stirred from their hiding places at the sound. 

Goblins began spilling around the corner behind tav, four, ten, fifteen, Shadowheart lost count but there were easily thirty in the group. 

“Ruuun!!” Everyone prepared their weapons, and reached for their packs frantically, preparing for an escape. 

Laezel quickly notched and loosed an arrow. A whiz, plunk, and scream let her know it had found its mark in the leading goblin. But there weren’t enough arrows or enough time to stop them all. 

Shadowheart said a brief prayer and channeled her energy towards the now nearest goblin to Tav. Its eyes widened as its skin sizzled then burst into flame. “May Shar bless and keep you!” 

Gale had quickly flipped through his spellbook, found what he was looking for, and after some terse muttering and hand waving, a series of magic missiles erupted from his fingertips, shooting towards Tav, then flowing around them like water. Each missile found its mark center mass in six different goblins. They were bowled over, but quickly replaced by more. 

Tav was almost to them, but the goblins continued to gain ground. There was no way they were going to make it out of this camp and into the wilderness like this.

Everyone’s packs were on now and they ran through the winding passageways to the exit of the temple. A light pain in her hand made Shadowheart wince, but it was the least of her worries. She had nearly forgotten her weapon in the rush, but quickly grabbed the bladed mace and fell in behind Tav, Laezel, and Gale. 

They had decided to only bring a small scouting party to avoid attention, but Shadowheart was missing the huge flaming barbarian and her warlock companion right now. They ran slower than her and would provide one more chance at escape. 

The goblins had bows and throwing weapons but were showing remarkable restraint in not using them. Likely their orders were to capture alive if possible. It seemed they were anxious for any information leading to the grove. 

The exit doors were still open and they came closer and closer to freedom. If they could get out and shut the doors, Gale would be able to magically lock it and buy them the time they needed to get scarce. 

Gale was first out, then Laezel, and Shadowheart close behind. Tav’s foot caught on a rock they went careening into the ground just short of the door. Shadowheart’s first instinct was to leave them behind, but the device had chosen Tav, and she couldn’t allow it to fall into the hands of the goblins. 

A rock whizzed by her head as she ran back to Tav to help them up. There was no time, the goblins were too close. She grabbed Tav by the neckline and belt-loops and tossed them through the opening. She slammed the heavy metal door and shouted at Gale to lock it, before turning to face the coming mob. 

Tav screamed at Gale to stop and re-open the door, but Shadowheart could already see the faint magic lines and the clicking of the ancient locking mechanisms by unseen hands. 

“You’d better come back for me!” There was a muffled yell from the other side, but she couldn’t tell what they said. 

When she turned around the goblins were upon her. A crude wooden club bounced off her plate armor, she replied with her mace. There was a satisfying crunch where metal met bone. No time to savor it though, another wooden club hit her shield. She crouched to absorb the blow and swept at the legs. Breaking ankles and tearing tendons. 

The smell of burning hair hit her nostrils as a familiar burnt goblin rushed at her with a dagger. Clearly their restraint only extended so far. In a quick upswing, mace met groin and goblin met ground. 

The goblins hesitated, clearly expecting less of a fight from the slight pale half-elf. Shar didn’t raise a weakling, and they would pay in blood for their underestimation.

The tunnel provided a perfect chokepoint, as perfect as one cleric versus dozens of goblins can be. Four goblins gathered in a semicircle a few steps away. A slightly larger goblin with a gashed scar across its milky eye motioned to the group and in a guttural voice said: “aw’right ye gobbos! Let’s do this all at once! She can’t take us all!”

The hollow sound of a horn blew, there was a brief moment of silence and then they rushed at her. Her mace met one head-on, spraying black blood on its friends, but the others had closed the distance. 

She felt a club meet her thigh and dropped down, putting the weight on her other leg and holding her shield high to protect her head. Blows rained down on her shield, numbing her arm and distracting her from the scarred goblin’s carefully aimed blow at her sternum. Her vision blacked out briefly as she gasped for air, dropping her arms to recover. 

Two pairs of small but muscled arms grabbed her shield, two more her mace. She struggled but could hold them off no longer. The shield and mace were tossed aside as goblins moved in to subdue her. 

Wrong move. As one reached out to take her by the shoulder, she lurched in and met its soft pointed nose with her hard forehead, resulting in squeals blood flow. 

“Careful now! She’s still dangerous and the drow wants her INTACT!” 

The scorched goblin was standing up again, holding the shattered remains of his manhood in one hand and his knife in the other. 

“Tell that to my shattered knob!” He screeched. 

Shadowheart whispered one last prayer to Shar and the goblin went from a toasty brown to charred black. A scream caught in his throat, and face twisted in shock at the final moments of his life. 

She could feel she was drained now, and would not be able to pull that off again, at least not until she had time to meditate and recover. “Seems like your friend needs to cool off.” She uttered dryly. 

Apparently the humor was lost on the scarred goblin, she saw a mailed fist come for her temple and then blackness. 

As Shadowheart came to she felt rough rope bindings tying her wrists behind her back. Leather collar was being put around her neck and a rope weaved through. 

“Did the gods’ favorite little princess have a nice nap?” The scarred goblin sneered, and then yanked her to her knees with the rope. “Get up! The boss will want to see you”

Shadowheart stood and followed the goblin down the crowded hallway. Keeping her eye out for any opportunity to affect an escape. None presented itself though. 

The hallway spilled into a large open room with vaulted ceilings and Selunite iconography everywhere. There was dirt smeared on every statue and artwork from goblin head-height down. At least the goblins have some taste, she thought. She felt fear starting to work its way into her throat and she pushed it down. They needed her, and a high value prisoner with information would be treated with respect as long as she cooperated. 

Most of the group split off and watched some obscene branding ritual happening in the center of the hall, but a decent sized detachment of guards stayed with her to continue the journey. She felt a yank at her throat, she had slowed down to view the ceremony, but the goblins were still moving. 

Shadowheart saw a beaten and bloody man being pulled down from a metal torture device, they passed by a room with a pale man gently self-flagellating with a leather lash. Tight knots were at each end of the lash, and there was a lifetime of fresh wounds and old scarring. She recognized some images belonging to Loviatar, The Maiden of Pain. 

They passed by a skinny man in a cage getting slapped around by a very entertained female goblin, and then a series of tunnels leading to a library. Shadowheart spotted a thin yet regal female drow leaning over a pile of maps and documents and a goblin was whispering in her ear. 

“Apparently his body gave out before his mind.” She said in a low husky tone. “Brave, but foolish.” The Drow turned to shadowheart. “Is this the one?” 

“Aye mistress, she put up quite a fight. A few of our best are down because of her and her friends.” The scarred goblin said in an as deferent of a tone as he could muster. This drow terrified him. 

“Saying ‘some of the best goblins’ is like saying some of the smartest dung beatles, nothing of value was lost and I’m sure your kind are already replacing them.” Her tone was mocking, but there was a surface of icy death running beneath it. 

“Yes mistress.”

“Get out of my sight, I can handle this from here.” She motioned for the group to leave, after a brief moment of hesitation they did. 

“I am Minthara of House Baenre, I doubt that means anything to you, but just know I am exceedingly important and hold your life in my hand. And you are?..” The icy undercurrents were still there and Shadowheart chose her words with great care. 

“Shadowheart, just Shadowheart, I would shake your hand but…” She made a motion towards her tied wrists. 

“Ahh! An unfortunate but necessary arrangement for now. Now tell me just Shadowheart what brings you to us on this wretchedly sunny day?” 

Shadowheart shifted her weight from one leg to the other, testing the strength of her bindings before saying, “I haven’t the foggiest, I must have taken a wrong turn-”

A slap stung her cheek and she saw stars. “Do. Not. Waste. My. Time. Elf, tell me what you know about a druid grove, or a small hexagonal device, and mark me, I know when someone is lying.” 

Shadowheart hesitated, why should she care about some druids or tieflings? but a deep pang of guilt built in her throat when she thought of giving them up. I may lose the artifact if they find Tav in the grove, she thought. There was more to it than that, but Shadowheart didn’t have time to dig into the feeling. 

“I haven’t the foggiest.” She put on her most dismissive tone, and tried to look hurt that she’d be asked such a question. 

Minthara’s eyes narrowed. “I see you’ve chosen the hard way.” A smile curled at the edge of her lips. “Know this, just Shadowheart, I will take my time, I will enjoy this. You will know awesome pleasure, and extreme pain, but in the end, you WILL tell me what you know.”

Shadowheart could tell that Minthara believed every single word she said, a flutter of fear tickled her stomach again, Tav is already planning a rescue, I just need to hold out a little while longer.

Minthara Led Shadowheart by the neck back to the cleric of Loviatar. “Abdirak!” The cleric looked up, “I have a new toy! I may need you to keep her alive, she knows something and I don’t want a repeat of last time. I’m bringing the Zhentarim trader with me.

A tall human clad in leathers, and a yellow and green tunic stepped out from the shadows. His hair was pulled back tightly and fastened with a small leather band. He looked young but signs of stress and battle marked his features. He had piercing blue eyes, almost too kind to be with this group. 

“Rugan, at your service.” He reached out a hand to the one Minthara called Abdirak. The cleric sneered at the hand. “Ahh, Rugan at your service” This time he reached towards Shadowheart, but removed his hand awkwardly, noticing the bindings. 

“I’m Shadowheart, and I will be the last person you see before you die, if you lay a single hand on me.” 

Rugan’s eyes narrowed and hardened. “Don’t think because you’re a beautiful woman that I have qualms about this task.” 

Her heart skipped a beat, maybe this one isn’t too kind after all. 

Minthara pulled Shadowheart at the neck to the room with the torture device. She saw Shadowheart eyeing it, “Oh don’t worry, we’re not ready for that quite yet.” 

“Let’s get rid of this worthless armor.” Minthara motioned again to Rugan. 

This was the armor gifted to her from her dark mother, Shadowheart swore under her breath a few threats if the armor was misplaced. 

Rugan approached, Shadowheart feigned helplessness, when he was within arms reach, she aimed a fast kick right between the legs. Like a flash he caught the foot and lept to the side chuckling. “I expected as much.” 

He slipped behind her and one by one various clasps, knots, and buttons keeping her hefty armor on were undone, un-knotted, and unbuttoned. With a resonant clang her breastplate fell to the floor. 

When the first layer of armor was off he went to Minthara and whispered in her ear. She smiled and shouted. “Skrag! Bring some of your boys over, we need a hand!” 

The scarred goblin, Skrag, came around the corner with eight companions.

“Strip her!” 

For the first time since being captured Shadowheart felt the reality of the situation slowly sink in. Tav wasn’t coming, she was in the middle of enemy territory, and there was no escape. 

The goblins licked their lips and approached. She was wrestled to the ground as rough clawed hands pinned her arms and legs. She struggled against the arms but there were too many. One boot was torn off, then the other. 

A flurry of hands grabbed her mail and pulled it over her head. Shadowheart was now only in her torn camp clothes, skin tight leather trousers and a leather shirt with a plunging neckline she was beginning to regret more and more. 

The hands stopped. 

Minthara looked down at her. “I told you to strip her did I not?” 

A look of lust and delight filled the circle of goblin faces. “Yes, Mistress.” 

“Strip ALL of her!”

Shadowheart strained, “You filthy wretches!” 

They didn’t remove so much as tear apart her shirt. Two sets of hands on either side tore the shirt from the neckline to the waist, pulling away and revealing the milky white skin and her tender swollen breasts. A deep purple bruise was left where Skrag had knocked her over.

Claws dug into the legs of her trousers and the goblins yanked down, exposing a bounty of thigh and calf. Shadowheart held her knees together to prevent the trousers from proceeding further, but green hands grabbed her knees and thighs, pulling them apart and allowing the trousers to be pulled off. 

Shadowheart felt her last bits of dignity torn away as one of the goblins ripped off her smallclothes. 

She was completely naked, the goblins pulled apart her legs to show off the soft pink lips beneath. She felt herself lifted and more hands spreading her ass and the snickering and sneering as goblin, human, and drow viewed her most intimate spaces.  She felt hands pawing at her breasts, saw tented trousers and more hands working their way across her rump. She felt fingers moving towards her cunt and tried to roll away- 

“That’s ENOUGH!” Minthara’s voice cut through the lustful growls. The goblins looked almost pained, from Minthara, to Shadowheart’s exposed body, and back. But their will to live was stronger than their desire to fuck, and they quickly backed away as Minthara went to grab her wrists. 

“Goblins, such blunt instruments, but I use what the absolute provides. Why waste a fine wine on a common rabble?” With one hand Minthara held Shadowheart’s wrists behind her back, and with the other she slowly traced her breasts in concentric circles to the nipples before leading her hand down towards the space between her legs. Minthara circled her entrance, as Rugan watched. 

Shadowheart stifled a moan, and tensed as she grew wet. 

Minthara quickly removed her hand, bringing her fingers to her lips. Shadowheart felt herself being led by her wrists.

“We have all the time in the world, and I want to savor you. Or you could tell me what I want to know, and you can leave now with your dignity… mostly intact.” 

Shadowheart held her head high “Do your worst! I am the chosen one of Shar! Scum like you are unworthy of even looking at me!” 

“Defiant even now?” Minthara chuckled. “Well we will do much more than look.” Minthara and Rugan were both looking now. Shadowheart was unable to cover herself. 

I can’t show weakness, they can’t think they’re winning. She stood tall and proud. She would escape, she would return, and she would slaughter everyone here who had wronged her. 

Minthara produced more of the silk rope. She bound Shadowheart’s with a silken harness, looping and curving, over her shoulders, around her breasts, arms, stomach, and looping twice on her inner thighs, on either side of her cunt, leaving the impression of wearing clothes that covered none of the pieces they were supposed to.

Minthara threw a loop of rope over a hook above. “I’m not an unreasonable woman, I believe in the carrot and the stick. We shall begin with the carrot, and if you still prove to be unreasonable, then I will have to get.. Unreasonable” Minthara’s eyes cast over the metal torture device, and fiery bowl filled with red hot weapons. 

A small cloaked goblin rapidly approached Minthara, and she bent over to hear the message. 

“I must leave for now, but don’t get too comfortable.” She spun around and quickly walked back towards her quarters with the goblin trailing behind her. 

Rugan smiled and settled into a nearby chair, “I guess we wait.” 

Rugan stared at Shadowheart, naked, helpless, her soft supple breasts bound tightly by the rope. Shadowheart saw the length in his pants grow. “Don’t look at me!” Her face and chest flushed, but Rugan had already stood up and began to pull down his trousers. 

Rugan had his cock in his hand and was slowly stroking it while circling Shadowheart. She strained to keep him in view but he made his way behind her, and  she could feel his eyes on ass and her spread hole. She felt herself growing wet from the attention. 

Tav would never have looked at her the way Rugan was. She was a purely sexual object to Rugan, and the thought of that excited her to slickness.

Rugan was in front of her again,  Cock at eye level and twitching. Shadowheart’s curiosity got the best of her and she leaned out towards him. He met her mouth halfway and slowly swirled his head against her soft lips. 

She could bite it off, but Rugan saw the desire in her eyes and knew that wasn’t going to happen. He leaned down and rubbed himself against her erect nipples, pulling her breasts together with both hands and sliding his length between them. 

Shadowheart let a long bead of saliva drip down from her tongue to help lubricate the process and her insides hummed at the thought of being used by this man. Rugan brought himself back to her mouth, and she opened. He slid his length against her lips and tongue and she brought him in.

Rugan gripped Shadowheart’s hair and began gently thrusting, Shadowheart gagged initially but then slowed her breathing through her nose and accepted his length. She was a receptacle for pleasure. Rugan’s breathing grew ragged and his knees began to buck. 

He let out a sharp groan and Shadowheart felt a spew of hot salty seed covering her lips and tongue. She opened her mouth wide, catching as much as she could. She looked Rugan in the eyes and swallowed. She suckled on his tip, gathering the last bits of seed before he shuddered and dismounted. She felt, helplessly, as his hot liquid dripped down her chin and onto her chest. 

Rugan pulled up his trousers and returned to the chair. Leaving Shadowheart gasping. He pulled his cloak over his head and leaned back, feigning sleep, but Shadowheart could see the glimmer of eyes from underneath and knew she was still being watched. 

Shadowheart pouted silently, as her cunt pulsed with unsated desire.

Shadowheart felt the minutes pass to hours. The sun was gone, and broken beams of moonlight came in through the shattered rafters of the temple. She felt moonlight pass across her naked skin, and her hand began to sting again. 

Even Seluna has come to mock me, she thought bitterly. A cool breeze passed over her and goose pimples formed across chest, back, and legs. The heat of a nearby fire pushed back the cold though. There were jagged and sharp instruments amongst the coals, waiting to singe flesh and break bone. Shadowheart prayed that Tav would return before things got that bad. 

The sharp echo of approaching footsteps on stone brought Shadowheart to attention from her stupor. From the confident gait she could tell it was Minthara even before she had rounded the corner. 

“You should be pleased to know we’ve found your friends.” Minthara waited for a response that Shadowheart refused to give before carrying on. “One of our scouts spotted their fire and I dispatched a company to eliminate them. After all, why would I need them if I have you.” Minthara’s words were laced with venom, but her eyes were unabashedly exploring Shadowheart while she spoke. 

Shadowheart felt her face flush and hoped Minthara interpreted that as anger. She remained silent. 

“What’s the use of continuing to hold out? No one is coming, and the only one who can show you mercy… is me.” After more silence Minthara sighed, “Very well, let’s begin.” 

Abdirak emerged from the shadows with his leather flail in hand. “Mistress may I?” Minthara nodded and he approached cautiously. “We’re not so different, you and I, after all the Maiden of Pain and Mother of Shadows are kin.” 

Shadowheart felt as Abdirak slowly reached and dragged the leather lashes across her skin. She tensed where every knot met skin. She felt as he moved each individual lash across her breasts, tensing on her nipple and then passing over, they grew erect and sensitive at the pale human’s deft touch. Shadowheart felt herself flush again and Abdirak noticed. An amused look passed over his face as he continued. 

The cool leather moved down her abdomen and she tensed, body rippling in the moonlight. He lowered it further, past her curls, passing from thigh to thigh and rolling over her exposed lips with each pass. Shadowheart felt herself trying to move in, trying to feel more, the urge to fill her emptiness grew. 

Abdirak kept teasing, moving back to her chest and then down again. Shadoweart felt the blood rushing to her face and to her clit, and shivered from an equal mix of cold and anticipation. She felt herself leaking and running down one leg. Minthara and Rugan saw, and seemed  to grow anxious, or maybe aroused. They weren’t immune to desire themselves. 

Abdirak flipped the whip over and brought the hard handle down to Shadoweart’s knees. Slowly bringing it up and meeting at the apex. He moved the leather handle around her folds, and Shadowheart ground against it. She needed this, despite Minthara and Rugan being in the room, maybe because they were here. 

Minthara had moved her hand inside the breast of her plunging neckline shirt as she watched Abdirak preparing Shadowheart. Such a body blessed to a non-drow. What a shame. 

Shadowheart continued to grind on the leather handle, trying to introduce her bud to the gentle vibrations of the whip, but Abdirak knew that’s what she wanted and deftly moved to avoid the one spot she wanted touched most. 

She shook with frustration letting out a small whine, “Please?” Abdirak chuckled but continued to deny her. 

“Step aside” Minthara motioned Abdirak away, he pouted like a puppy having its toy taken away but conceded and stepped back, whip in hand. 

“Rugan, hold her for me” The rogue stepped behind Shadowheart, lifting by the thighs and spreading her legs to the awaiting Drow. “good boy.” Shadowheart felt Rugan’s hard bulge jutting into her back, and wished it could fill the growing pulsating emptiness inside her. 

Minthara drew some loose strands of silver hair behind her ears as she knelt down to offer a prayer to Shadowheart’s quivering folds. 

Shadowheart drew in a sharp breath as warm tongue met aching lips. Minthara was slow but deliberate and quickly moved to Shadowheart’s dripping clit. Shadowheart couldn’t hold it back, “Fuck!” She moaned as the drow drew her in, sucking, and swirling her tongue. 

Shadowheart felt the pressure inside her building like a pot about to blow over, “Stop, if you don’t stop I’ll-” The drow sucked harder and Shadowheart burst. Her body was wracked with spasms of pleasure and the drow refused to stop, Shadowheart was dripping down her chin. The waves continued and Shadowheart let out a scream. “FUUUUUUCK!!!” The goblins in the center of the building stopped to stare at the scene unfolding. 

With a few last weak spasms, Shadowheart went limp, the drow stood and pulled her into a kiss, “Taste yourself, pathetic human.” Minthara grabbed the Shadowheart’s hair tightly and forced her mouth open, going in for a fierce kiss. Shadowheart tasted the sweet musk of her pleasure on the drow’s lips. Lightly spasming once more. 

“What do you think, Rugan, would you like a turn?” Shadowheart felt him twitching against her, he was an uncontrolled fire on the inside, but outside he just said: 

���If you wish, mistress.” 

“I do.” 

Shadowheart hung like a ragdoll from the rope as Rugan let her down and started unlacing his leather jerkin. Minthara moved in and  led Shadowheart to a table where she was roughly pushed down by Minthara. 

Rugan had flung aside his leathers now and pulled his tunic over his head. He had broad tightly muscled shoulders. A faint scar ran across his abdomen, and he had light curly hair running from his chest and trailing to his tented trousers. Shadowheart bit her lip in anticipation.

Rugan looped his thumbs in his trousers and pulled them down. He was already hard at the sight of her, and the friction of Minthara’s actions. Shadowheart traced his length with her eyes, beckoning him to come closer. 

“Gods you are beautiful.” He nearly moaned.

“I know.” was her only reply. 

Rugan slowly pulled on his cock while he looked from Shadowheart’s eyes, to her heaving ample breasts, to her dripping  cunt. He stepped forward, wrapping one arm around Shadowheart’s back, and the other he reached around to grab a healthy handful of rump. Rugan pulled Shadowheart to his waist and she felt his hardness throbbing against her. 

She ached to be felt, to be seen, to be filled, Rugan could do all of this at once, and she wanted him. Rugan rocked back and forth, coating himself in her juices and using his hand to swirl the head of his cock against her folds. Shadowheart gently moaned, and felt her face flush again. 

Rugan held his member and worked himself slowly inside. Shadowheart gasped, and scooched in to meet him. He throbbed inside her and held for what felt like an eternity before thrusting. Stars twinkled in Shadowheart’s vision and she moaned again, desperate for him. 

Rugan had both hands on her ass now, gripping so hard she thought it may draw blood, and ramming into her again and again. Shadowheart arched her back, grinding her pelvis against him. Rugan’s breathing grew ragged as he kept up the pace. 

Shadowheart’s attention had been so focused on Rugan that she didn’t see Minthara had stripped down. Her lavender cheeks were flushed and her small breasts rose and fell heavily. She had her legs spread gently and was feeling herself as she watched Rugan entering Shadowheart. 

Shadowheart welcomed the attention, and gave Minthara a look that said, come hither. Minthara approached, one hand still on herself as she walked. Rugan kept his tempo, but was flushed from the effort of holding back. Minthara reached in and caught Shadowheart’s mouth in hers. They breathed eachothers ragged breath. 

Shadowheart felt the heat from Minthara’s lips, and the previously unfelt desperation to have and be had. Minthara tapped Rugan motioning to switch places, and Rugan complied. Minthara moved in and mounted her thigh, cunt spread and already soaking wet. Shadowheart felt her knee and thigh slicken as Minthara rode her, then Soft fingers plunged into her darkness, and they both grew closer to Climax. 

Rugan came to the side of the table. He cock was slick with Shadowheart, and it was twitching from uncompleted pleasure. As he stood next to her, Shadowheart shifted positions and caught him in her mouth. Rugan groaned in pleasure, it was met by a groan of Shadowheart’s as the drow introduced a new finger and a deeper push. 

Shadowheart brushed her tongue against him, sucking and drawing Rugan’s length further in. He wanted to thrust but she toyed with him. Pulling back to prevent it. She still had a little control of the situation after all. Shadowheart swirled her tongue right at the base, and felt the small bundle of nerves contract and his member engorge even more. She tasted drops of his salty pleasure, but held him on the edge until she had hers. 

Minthara’s pace lost its pattern, as she began to spasm to completion. Shadowheart was close behind. Her walls closed in around Mintharas fingers and she arched her back more. Minthara’s vibrations became her vibrations. 

Minthara slid off, one hand still on herself, and Rugan took the opportunity to go back between Shadowheart’s thighs. Rugan’s desperate cock entering her sent renewed vibrations of pleasure through her body, he thrust desperately for only a few strokes. 

Shadowheart felt as Rugan exploded inside her, his hot sticky seed filling her and moans of “You’re beautiful.” On his lips. She felt him leaking out of her and onto the table below. 

She panted back: “I Know.”

Minthara hooked Shadowheart’s leash over a hook in the ceiling and left her there, limp. Rugan’s seed slowly drained from her dripping wet cunt. 

While she bathed in the afterglow, another goblin had approached Rugan, something about a delivery. Rugan made his excuses, but quickly redressed himself. He gave Shadoweart’s bare body one last longing look and then hurried away.

Minthara walked over to the now much more subdued Shadowheart. “First a taste of pleasure, then a taste of pain. I have you here as long as I need-”

There was a commotion coming from further in the temple and unmistakable roar of an enraged animal. A bloodied goblin came sprinting in and shouted. “It’s the adventurers, they escaped our patrol and freed Halsin.” 

Shadowheart saw Minthara go pale, and without a word sprinted, still naked out of the temple in the opposite direction of the approaching clatter. 

Tav had come back, and the whole crew was there this time. There was a chorus of screams, grunts, cracking bones, and cries for mercy, they were always cut short by a roar and then crunch. 

A heat and smell of sulfur grew stronger before Karlach poked her head in the room. 

“What the everflaming fuck happened here?!” She gripped the rope above Shadowheart’s head and it fell to pieces from her raging fire. Shadowheart had to quickly step back to avoid being scorched. 

She quickly gathered her scattered belongings while the flaming giant stood guard by the door

Shadowheart was dressed and hurried out the door to find Tav and company finishing off the last screaming goblin. A huge bear stood beside them and then shrank slowly into the form of a large elven man. 

She ran up to give Tav a hug and gently mouthed, “Thank you.” Tav nodded, and the group began scrounging for whatever loot they could carry back to the grove.  Karlach didn’t say the state she had found Shadowheart in and neither did Shadowheart.. Karlach because she thought Shadowheart was traumatized, but Shadowheart stayed silent because thinking of what had happened in that cell sent chills of pleasure down her spine, best not make Tav jealous. She still thought of Rugan and Minthara inside her and thought to herself I will repay this indignity and more quietly with a fuck they’ll never forget.

[sonsofbal]

IV. The Mist Festival pt.1

As Morthal prepares for the Mist Festival that day, Alicent is swept up not just in the village's preparations but in her feelings for Seth, the charming newcomer. While helping her mother with the flower offerings, every glance from him deepens her emotions. With the fog season about to begin, Alicent prays not only for the village's protection but for the courage to face her own heart, hoping this festival marks a new beginning.

That afternoon, the Thaumaturgist's Hut was an obligatory stop for the people of Morthal. They'd come to the outdoor garden to buy a flower arrangement to offer to the gods to ask for their protection during the hardest months of the year. Soon would be the start of the fog season. During the cold months, the fog would fall over the Hjaal region. It would deprive its inhabitants of the warmth of Magnus, the sun, during the day, and hide the stars at night.

The garden had a welcoming feel. It had a magical feel to it with the bright colors of the flowers they had planted. At that moment, while Alicent took a short break from the hustle and bustle of the day, Lami was encouraging Thonnir, who was lamenting spending his first Mist Festival without his wife Laelette. She was chatting with Benor, leaning against the inside of the garden fence. Benor was a Nord on the cusp of adulthood. He sold himself as a mercenary, though he aspired to become part of the hold guard one day. Alice had known Benor for as long as she could remember, and she especially liked him. Although strong and rough, he was always close to her. He was like a big brother.

“That cloud looks like a rabbit”, he said.

Alicent lifted his head to the sky where his finger was pointing, but in spite of his efforts he could not see the animal.

“I see it," she lied.

She often felt unable to disagree with those around her, and she was not sure why. She felt others might think she was stupid or not worth their time if she spoke her mind.

It was then that Alva came out into the garden and walked up to them. Alva and Benor were a few years older than Idgrod. Between them, the age difference was barely noticeable. But with Alicent, it stood out. Alva had a fair complexion, dark straight hair, and her emerald eyes were the perfect complement to her elegant features. She was the prettiest girl in all of Morthal. Although she denied having any kind of relationship with Benor, Alicent always saw them together and suspected that they must be secretly in love.

"You still haven't bought the bouquet for the offering?" She asked in a scathing tone, raising her eyebrows.

Benor responded by snorting sharply without looking at her. Then he lovingly stroked Alicent's hair.

"I worked on it. Ali, why don't you bring me those flowers you were telling me about?" Benor asked, winking at her.

With one look, the newcomer paralyzed Alicent. The very presence of Alva was intimidating. Alicent spun around. Feeling that Alva's eyes were on his neck, she hurried to the back entrance of the building where the various offerings for the celebration were displayed.

Alicent took a few minutes to choose from the remaining floral arrangements for Alva's offering. She chose a combination of lavender, purple flowers, and freshly cut symphocarpium.

"These flowers are from our garden," she explained proudly, offering the bouquet to Alva. "This mixture is offered to Mara and Dibella to ask for their blessings of beauty and love."

Alva accepted the flowers complacently. Alicent smiled broadly at the realization that her choice had been a wise one. Benor snorted, though.

"Love. Haven't you had enough of this, woman?" he growled with a mocking smile.

Alva rolled her eyes at Alicent with a look of complicity. Even standing still, she had a magnetic way of unwinding.

"Men. If it were up to them, they would be offering a bouquet of arrows to the gods," Alva replied.

Not knowing what to say, Alicent forced a smile at the look on their faces. She hated decisions that required her to position herself. At that moment, surprising Alicent and freeing her from the awkward situation, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Alva, if I were you, I'd buy this bouquet as soon as you can. When Alicent sees who's coming, he won't want to part with those flowers," Idgrod greeted her, a broad smile on his face.

"Idgrod!" Alicent exclaimed as she turned around in her arms.

She greeted Idgrod with a warm embrace, but her eyes were on the garden entrance in search of the only person her friend could have been referring to.

Seth walked toward them. His neat appearance contrasted with Morthal's coarseness. It made him the center of attention. She saw the neighbors, hovering in the yard, turning their heads to comment on Seth's unexpected arrival.

Alicent left the group and approached her guest.

"Seth, you've come!" she exclaimed excitedly.

He narrowed his eyes. His head tilted to one side.

"I promised you, didn't I?" he asked, smiling casually.

Once again, she felt the heat on the top of her cheeks. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. On impulse, she took his hand and pulled him toward the group. Seth's expression was one of surprise at her boldness.

"Come, meet my friends. You already know Idgrod." Idgrod held up her hand to say hello to him. "This is Benor and this is..."

"Alva," Seth stepped forward. He was surprised.

Alva bowed slightly.

"Lord Athan, our paths cross again," she said charmingly.

Alicent felt her stomach tighten. She had felt something similar when Alva had tried to get closer to Joric, but this time it was much stronger. Unlike Joric, Seth was in no hurry to be out of her sight.

"Ali, I haven't got my bouquet yet!” Idgrod exclaimed suddenly, grabbing her by the arm. We'll be right back," she apologized.

Alicent let Idgrod lead her away. She walked to the side of the hut where the bouquets were laid out on a table.

"Are you all right?" asked Idgrod as soon as they were far enough away from the rest of the group. "You should see the look on your face, Ali. You look like you just had a kick from a goat," she commented with a smile.

Alicent looked at her reproachfully. She was hurt.

"I'm..., I'm okay. It's just..."

"You're jealous." Idgrod finished her sentence.

Alicent frowned. She crossed her arms in front of the table and stared.

“I don't... Well, maybe I do a little…,“ she admitted with dismay. “It's just... Why do they know each other? Do you think they...?”

"Listen, Ali." Idgrod cut her off. Her friend shot a sly glance at the group before turning back to her and lowering her voice. "Alva's family was close to Seth's family, as far as I know. Her family was killed by the Renegades, as was Seth's father.

"The Renegades?" asked Alicent before looking back at Idgrod with wide eyes. "Seth's father is...?"

Alicent had no need to finish the question, as Idgrod nodded as she examined a couple of flower arrangements.

"It's complex politics. Alva came here to live with her uncle after that. Seeing each other after such a long time must be difficult for them, I imagine.”

Alicent felt a terrible sense of guilt for having been so wrong in the first place. Idgrod had been right, and she understood that. She was well aware of what the loss of a father was like and how difficult it was to face the memory of that loss. Seth was taken aback; if it had been her, she would have cried.

Idgrod took a bouquet of bluebells with a blue yarrow for himself, and held out another of the same kind to Alicent.

"This will do. Let's go," Idgrod urged.

Alicent looked at the flowers in her hands with a thoughtful expression. It was the same offering they made every year. This year, however, she had something else on her mind. Alicent stared at another bouquet, identical to the one she had given Alva. Idgrod read her intentions.

"Absolutely not. Ali, if you keep being so obvious, you're going to scare Seth away."

Alicent, embarrassed, looked across the garden to where Seth and Alva were still talking. Benor stood off to the side, looking unfriendly as Seth and Alva chatted. Idgrod started walking in their direction.

"Idgrod," Alicent called. Idgrod stopped with a look at her. "Thank you," she said softly with a sweet, intimate smile.

Idgrod returned the gesture, and the two of them bridged the distance that separated them from the rest of the group. They were in the midst of a conversation about the festival when they were at their destination.

"You all seem to be pretty excited about this event," Seth commented. "Is it really so important?"

"Even caravans of Khajiit come to Morthal this time of year," Alva replied with some cynicism.

This made Seth laugh, short and dry. Then he turned his eyes back to the girls.

"I really don't know what you're celebrating," Seth admitted.

Alicent replied quickly.

"The Mist Festival is our village's most important, because when the fog comes, Morthal becomes dangerous," she explained, suddenly nervous but glad for his attention. "The light of Magnus doesn't reach here during the day, and at night you can't see the stars or the moon. Today we ask the Eight for protection until the flowers are in bloom again.

Seth nodded and looked at the bouquets with curiosity.

"And what are the flowers for?"

"We use them to ask the gods for certain favors," Alva answered. I, for instance, am asking Dibella and Mara for beauty and love.

She said the last one in a flirty tone and Alicent's stomach twisted. Seth, though, seemed amused. He laughed, which annoyed Alva, who frowned.

"You don't seem to need any more of that," Seth remarked, trying to make it go away.

The look he gave to her and to Benor was a silent hint.

Alva opened her mouth to reply, but changed her mind at the last moment under Benor's watchful eye. Noting that their offers were identical, Seth turned to Idgrod and Alicent.

"And what is your request? "

"May Stendarr protect us from my brother's brilliant ideas," Idgrod replied without a moment's thought.

Alicent burst out laughing and Seth raised both eyebrows.

"Joric is an avid hiker and has no fear of fog," Alicent explained. "Truth is, it's great to get out of Morthal, even for a bit. And Stendarr has always protected us in our escapades, even though the region is dangerous in the cold months of the year."

Idgrod rolled her eyes and looked at Seth in search of his complicity.

"Two against one, as you can see. Maybe you can help me balance the scales this year."

Seth smiled.

"I'll have to hear those suggestions first," he said. Then he turned to Benor. "What about you?"

"I'm going to put an arrow on my plate so that Talos will give me strength to fight," he replied with challenging pride.

Idgrod looked uncomfortable and Seth raised both eyebrows for some reason. Alva nudged Benor. He gave both a stern look.

"Skyrim belongs to the Nords," Benor said proudly.

He said it in such a confident way that he seemed to be making something clear. Something that everyone there could understand. Everyone except Alicent, who had a confused look on her face. All of a sudden, the atmosphere had become tense.

"Seth..." Alicent began, in an attempt to calm the atmosphere. "Is there anything you would like to ask the gods?"

All eyes turned to him. He thought for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders.

"Not really. Perhaps new knowledge... or luck in my business."

"Ah, then you should offer a few coins to Zenithar," Alicent replied.

"Or a scroll to Julianos," added Idgrod.

Seth clicked his tongue after a moment's thought.

"I'll see what I can do. Anything else I should know about the festival?"

"Not much. After the sacrifices, there will be dinner and dancing. The usual," Idgrod replied.

Seth froze at the mention of the dance and gave Alicent a quick look that made her heart race.

"You didn't tell me there was going to be a dance," he protested. He was looking directly at her now. This abruptly brought her down.

"I didn't have time", was her defense. She was instantly sorry for the tone of her voice. "I'm... I'm sorry." She stammered.

Idgrod raised both eyebrows and Alva let out a laughing sound.

"Maybe you should offer an arrow to the gods as well", Alva said. “When her boyfriend hears about this, he won't be too happy". She had malice in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Alicent's jaw dropped and she was at a loss for words. With frowns and pursed lips, Idgrod and Seth had adopted a similar expression, but only Idgrod was looking at Alva. Seth had his eyes on Alicent.

"You didn't tell me Joric was your boyfriend either," he grumbled.

"We're not..." Alicent began, not knowing how to go any further. In the face of such a gratuitous attack, she had gone blank. Her eyes were on Alva, in search of an explanation for her words. The woman gestured sufficiently.

"Sure, sure. Nor me and Benor, right?" she asked, holding her gaze. Obviously, Alva was having a good time.

Alicent lowered her head. Her eyes fell to the ground and she clenched her fists in anger. Alva could be devious when she wanted to be. She did not know why Alva was acting so out of line with her. Fortunately for Alicent, Idgrod came to her defense.

“You are the exception to the rule", Idgrod said matter-of-factly, in a tone that was conciliatory yet sharp.

Alva gave Idgrod a look of challenge, but Benor grabbed her hand before she could reply.

"Woman, you're daedrical. Don't disturb the child," he ordered grumpily. Alva's game seemed to have exhausted Benor's patience. "We're leaving now."

There was a sigh and a roll of the eyes from Alva, but a nod.

"What a bore you are, Beni. See you at the festival, kids.”

Alva and Benor walked away, leaving an aura of unease in the group. Though what had just happened was getting on Alicent's nerves, she couldn't help but think about Seth's reaction. Did he really have a problem with the idea that Joric and I were boyfriend and girlfriend?  She looked up and met the boy's gaze. He was still earnest.

"I'm not dating Joric. I don't have a boyfriend." Alicent hurried to explain in a shy tone.

"And not because Joric doesn't want to," Idgrod concluded, slapping Seth's shoulder, who tensed without Idgrod noticing. "You can ask Ali to dance with you if you want to. I give you my blessing."

Seth's expression suddenly relaxed, although his first reaction had been to frown. Averting his gaze from Alicent, he raised both eyebrows. He opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't have the time. Lami, who had just finished serving the last customer, was on her way. She was disheveled and had a tired, but satisfied look on her face. There was a smell of herbs and potions on her.

"Are you still here?" Lami asked in a motherly tone, her hands on her hips as she looked at Alicent and Idgrod. "Ali, change your clothes and go out and have fun. I'm going to lock up the shop."

Alicent looked up at the sky; it would not be long before the sun set. She smiled and nodded.

"Thanks mom!" Then she turned to her friends: "Will you wait for me? I won't be long," she promised.

They both nodded, and she ran off in the direction of the hut, leaving Idgrod behind with her flower arrangement. Alicent put on the dress she kept for special occasions: it was yellow and green, unpatched, with a brown belt that cinched her waist and a beautiful heart-shaped neckline. She made an effort to comb her hair as best she could. The orange hue of Magnus' rays announced the end of the day as she left the house.

They were waiting for her on the porch. Seth was leaning against a wooden pillar and Idgrod was sitting on the top log of the fence. They were in the midst of a lively conversation when the sound of the door interrupted their talk. They both looked at her. For a moment, Seth looked stunned, but he quickly regained his composure and took on the expression that had driven her crazy since they first met.

"Nice dress," he commented, as if it were nothing, after a sweep of his eyes over her.

Alicent blushed again and smiled broadly. Next to Seth, Idgrod gave her a complicit grimace.

From where they stood, they could hear the hubbub of Morthal's people, who had already gathered on the other side of the Hjaal River. It did not take long for the ceremony to begin.

"I think we should go now," said Idgrod, who jumped to the ground and took the lead, leaving the couple in his wake.

Alicent appreciated the gesture. She knew that her friend was trying to give them some privacy. Seth offered his arm to walk alongside her, and Alice gladly accepted.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

Are you still doing reverse unpopular opinions? How about: Ram (the album as a whole), Seaside Woman, Friend Of Dorothy, Magical Mystery Tour (the movie)?

But, wait! There's more: Yoko Ono's musical career, Skywriting By Word Of Mouth, In The Family Way, Back To The Egg.

Okay, but I won't make these super long each.

Ram: love the album cover, really good flow, 3 Legs is underrated, incredibly fun album that's super fun to listen to in stereo. I really like Linda's vocals on it tbh.

Seaside Woman: cute! it's been stuck in my head a few times, actually. The melody really matches Linda's vocal style. She slays in the music video. It's fun to hear how much Paul is also having fun on the song. I like the little beeping at the beginning. Also, not what you ask but everyone should go listen to Linda's cover of Mister Sandman

Friend Of Dorothy: I think I'd only listened to this once before (this is the version I listened to just now). the little chatter with Yoko right at the start is 🥹. but also. wtf must have been going through Yoko's mind he sounds really good tbh and I like the piano accompaniment! (John got so good at piano towards the end :( ) Also "art deco decadent" is a great line.

Magical Mystery Tour: I really think all the music video portions of this movie hold up and show real cinematographic creativity. The way Paul points at Ringo at the start of I Am The Walrus. Their outfits are on point. The audacity of John wearing the dumbest fake moustache imaginable in that ticket buying scene. The wizard scenes are unironically charming.

Yoko Ono's musical career: this is hard because I just don't know all that much of it. I have advocated for many of her Double Fantasy songs before, which I find inspired and match her singing style super well. I also don't know if this counts but I find what she did with Milk And Honey deeply compelling. Also Season Of Glass is a harrowing album, and I highly recommend it.

Skywriting By Word Of Mouth: I haven't read the whole thing yet, but what I have has been at least entertaining if not very interesting! A lot of bits of the passages I've read sometimes just drift into my brain. I really like that bit where he did basically predictive text, like linking up words where two successive ones are common phrases but the entire thing is incoherent. I find John's wordplay really fun, generally, and his perception of phonetics fascinates me (linguistics is like a minor interest of mine)

The Family Way: think I only listened to this like once before. It's nice and I enjoy it. I like the changes in vibe throughout the main theme, and I like the more "pop"-esque percussion. I don't know the movie at all, but I'm picking up on some type of push and pull, possibly between present and past, which is cool!

Back To The Egg: excellent album cover, again. It's got a fair share of bangers. Again And Again And Again is my favourite Denny-penned Wings song and possibly my fave off the album. Arrow Through Me is soooooooo harmonically strange it's very cool. After The Ball is so sweet :(

[canonical-transformation]

"why do they let characters die to a 2% crit in the tutorial maps?" [A'lear part 2]

So it turns out the dragon is Queen Lumera, ruler of Lythos and A'lear's mother. Lumera is overjoyed to see her daughter awake again after her thousand year slumber, and despite the latter's missing memories, it's a happy reunion.

A'lear takes a moment to admire a pigeon (wow, a pigeon!) and grab some acorns from the ground. It's possible this is just instinctive dragon hoarding behaviour. It's very adorable.

Queen Lumera turns back into a giant dragon and offers them all a ride on her back. They head to her castle.

Exposition time: there are five nations in Elyos. The four human nations, arranged in a ring, are Flowers, Mountains, Snow, and Desert. (Or spring, autumn, winter, and summer, if you prefer. The world map animates falling leaves over the mountain biome.) In the centre of the map lies, Lythos, home of the Divine Dragons — well, the Divine Dragon, singular, last of her kind right up until A'lear woke up this morning.

(oh and there was also a huuuuge landmass where the Fell Dragon ruled, but that's sealed beneath the waves, never to be seen again, never ever.)

A thousand years ago, the Fell Dragon Sombron appeared out of nowhere and fought the Divine Dragons for control of the Twelve Emblems. Once every thousand years, the Twelve Emblems can combine their power to do Plot Device Magic. Last time, they were used to seal the Fell Dragon Sombron away.

Isn't this just the plot of Shadow Dragon and The Sacred Stones?, wonders A'lear.

No, not at all, says Lumera. You see, the Emblems aren't just magic gems; they're magical glowy avatars based on Lords/protagonists from prior Fire Emblem games. It's kind of like cross-marketing — Sigurd fans will want to buy this game to see him, and others meeting him for the first time here will be hyped for the inevitable Genealogy of the Holy War remake.

Who's Sigurd?, asks A'lear.

We'll get to him soon, my child, says Lumera. He's really fun to use in this game, you're going to love him.

So... this is like Fire Emblem Heroes?, asks A'lear.

Well, not exactly like FEH—, says Lumera.

Oh, of course. It's like Fire Emblem Heroes but there's no gacha?

Good gracious!, it's time for training!, says Lumera.

Chapter 2

It's time for training! Lumera summons some Fabrications — glowy humanoid figures with empty eyes, who, she hastens to explain, are totally not like the Corrupted because they're blue instead of red. They're here for a mock battle.

On my first attempt at this level, an archer scores a 2% critical hit on Clanne, instantly felling him. He bleeds out before a distraught A'lear, whimpering garbled nonsense, while Lumera stands nearby and kindly tells her daughter that she must learn to face her fears, even the fear of those under your care dying in your arms. The real enemy, after all, will not hold back.

Anyway, I reset the chapter.

The second time round, the archer does not crit, and merely sticks an arrow through Clanne's ribs, which his sister immediately heals with magic staff magic.

This map is designed to introduce two key mechanics for this game: Break and Chain Guard.

Break is this game's take on the classic Weapon Triangle, which now uses the same coloured icons as in FEH and looks great. Landing attacks with weapon advantage (sword < lance < axe < sword; daggers/bows/tomes < martial arts) will break the opponent's guard(*), letting your next attack on them go uncountered. It's great for seeing up your glass cannons — let your high-dodge swordmaster chip down the big Handaxe beserker, then your own zero-defense mage can fling a few fireballs safely.

Chain Guard is only available on certain classes: Martial Monk (generic healer), Martial Master (generic healer plus master seal), and Dancer (dancer). These "Qi Adept" units can go into a guard stance, blocking a single hit on behalf of an adjacent ally, and losing 20% HP in the process. Often this is not worth it, but sometimes having your healer go down to 15/25HP saves their 45HP allies from fatal damage.

In my opinion, the coolest thing about Qi Adepts are that these dedicated healer classes can occasionally pull their weight via damage prevention instead—explicitly with Chain Guard; implicitly when they're roundhouse kicking an enemy mage in the face—making them more flexible.

The second coolest thing is that enemy healers are now an active concern on player phase, often standing in the right position to prevent damage — or even a break! — against a boss.

Framme and Clanne help take care of some Fabrications, leaving most of the EXP to A'lear, who handily reaches Level 3. Lumera takes the field, but is defeated with the power of teamwork.

So then she sets up a second drill, in which she pulls out all the stops.

Meet Sigurd of Grannvale, from FE4: Genealogy of the Holy War. When equipped, Emblem Sigurd grants Mov+1 and Canter(**). When Engaged, Sigurd grants an additional Mov+5/6/7 depending on class. That means that if you're playing this level for the first time and you're not counting carefully, the UI will be telling you that Lumera's attack range ends waaaaay over there, and then Lumera will suddenly sprint eleven tiles — ⅔-way across the map — and take out most of Vander's HP with Ridersbane.

Luckily, this is my second run on the game, and I am counting carefully, so Framme is ready with a chain guard.

"Wow, what a powerful Emblem!" Vander says sycophantically, as Lumera's attempted 20 damage to him becomes a very underwhelming 6 damage to Framme.

Then Clanne sets the Queen on fire, Vander whacks her with an axe, and A'lear finishes the job.

Lumera offers A'lear a ring. It's the gift she promised A'lear as a birthday present, one thousand years ago. A'lear refuses the gift for now: she doesn't remember anything from back then, so it feels like receiving a gift meant for someone else. Perhaps if Lumera waits until A'lear gets her memories back?

Okay, it's a promise.

Lumera is so proud of her daughter. She's so happy to be reunited. They're going to have so much time together now, and make so many happy memories.

And on that note, with her most important wisdom imparted, and promises made for the long future they'll have together, Queen Lumera gifts A'lear her own sword, and says she's so proud of her and she'll see her in the morning.

She then monologues to herself about all the idyllic times she and A'lear have ahead of them. Then proceeds to leave Sigurd with mysterious instructions offscreen.

Truly, all of Queen Lumera's affairs are in order. I guess she's going to bed, and will see A'lear in the morning?

Idk, something feels off here.

-----

(* Was considering Photoshopping a FEH trailer image for the following wall of text, but can't be bothered. The new mechanics work approximately as follows.

When a unit initiates combat with weapon advantage and damages foe, foe cannot counterattack, and after combat, inflict [Break] on that Foe until their next action.

[Break]: "Unit can't counterattack. Remove [Break] at end of combat."

Chain Guard: When a foe initiates combat against an adjacent ally and would hit that ally, instead unit loses 20% HP and ally is not damaged by that attack. Activate only at full HP. Chain Guard ends when it's triggered, or when unit loses HP, or when unit is next active.)

(** Canter — move up to two spaces after acting — is almost universally a safe pick for skill inheritance, regardless of unit or class. However, it costs 10 levels worth of SP and occupies one of two skill slots, so it's not always the best choice, especially in the early game where SP is scarce. (Disclaimer: I'm not an expert. Feigning certainty makes for more succinct writing.))

[cagemasterfantasy]

Ranger (5.5e)

Far from bustling cities, amid the trees of trackless forests and across wide plains, Rangers keep their unending watch in the wilderness. Rangers learn to track their quarry as a predator does, moving stealthily through the wilds and hiding themselves in brush and rubble.

Thanks to their connection with nature, Rangers can also cast spells that harness primal powers of the wilderness. A Ranger's talents and magic are honed with deadly focus to protect the world from the ravages of monsters and tyrants.

Primary Ability: Dexterity and Wisdom

Hit Points at level 1: 10+ your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at future levels: 1d10+ your Constitution modifier

Saving Throw Proficiencies: Strength and Dexterity

Skill Proficiencies: Choose 3: Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival

Weapon Proficiencies: Simple and Martial weapons

Armor Proficiencies: Light and Medium armor and Shields

Starting Equipment: Choose (A) Studded Leather Armor, Scimitar, Shortsword, Longbow, 20 Arrows, Quiver, Druidic Focus (sprig of mistletoe), Explorer's Pack and 7 gold pieces; or (B) 150 gold pieces to buy yourself starting equipment

Level 1 Spellcasting: You have learned to channel the magical essence of nature to cast spells.

Spell Slots: The Spell Slots below shows how many spell slots you have to cast your level 1+ spells. You regain all expended slots when you finish a Long Rest.

Prepared Spells of Level 1+: You prepare the list of level 1+ spells that are available for you to cast with this feature. To start, choose two level 1 Ranger spells Cure Wounds and Ensnaring Strike are recommended.

The number of spells on your list increases as you gain Ranger levels, as shown below. Whenever that number increases, choose additional spells from the Ranger spell list until the number of spells on your list matches the number on the table. The chosen spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you're a level 5 Ranger, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of levels 1 and 2 in any combination.

If another Ranger feature gives you spells that you always have prepared, those spells don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare with this feature, but those spells otherwise count as Ranger spells for you.

Changing Your Prepared Spells: Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace one spell on your list with another Ranger spell for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability: Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Ranger spells.

If a spell requires a saving throw the DC is 8+your Proficiency Bonus+ your Wisdom modifier.

Spellcasting Focus: You can use a Druidic Focus as a Spellcasting Focus for your Ranger spells.

Your proficiency bonus is +2 at level 1 +3 at level 5, +4 at level 9, +5 at level 13 and +6 at level 17

Spell Slots

Level 1 Spell Slots: 2 at level 1, 3 at level 3 and 4 at level 5

Level 2 Spell Slots: 2 at level 5 and 3 at level 7

Level 3 Spell Slots: 2 at level 9 and 3 at level 11

Level 4 Spell Slots: 1 at level 13, 2 at level 15 and 3 at level 17

Level 5 Spell Slots: 1 at level 17 and 2 at level 19

The number of spells you can have prepared is 2 at level 1, 3 at level 2, 4 at level 3, 5 at level 4, 6 at level 5, 7 at level 7, 9 at level 9, 10 at level 11, 12 at level 15, 14 at level 17 and 15 at level 19.

Level 1 Favored Enemy: You always have the spell Hunter's Mark prepared. You can cast it twice without expending a spell slot, and you regain all expended uses of this ability when you finish a Long Rest. That number increases to 3 at level 4, 4 at level 9 5 at level 13 and 6 at level 17. (Spell Description is at the end)

Level 1 Weapon Mastery: Your training with weapons allows you to use the Weapon Mastery properties of two kinds of weapons of your choice with which you have proficiency, such as Longbows and Shortswords.

Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change the kinds of weapons you chose. For Example, you could switch to using the mastery properties of Scimitars and Longswords.

Level 2 Deft Explorer: Thanks to your travels, you gain the following benefits.

Expertise: Choose one of your skill proficiencies with which you lack Expertise. You gain Expertise in that skill.

Languages.: You know two languages of your choice.

Level 2 Fighting Style: You gain a Fighting Styles feat of your choice. Instead of choosing one of those feats, you can choose the option below.

Druidic Warrior: You learn two Druid cantrips of your choice (See the Druid class's section for a list of Druid spells). Guidance and Starry Wisp are recommended. The chosen cantrips count as Ranger spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a Ranger level, you can replace one of these cantrips with another Druid cantrip.

Level 3 Ranger Subclass: You gain a Ranger Subclass of your choice: Beast Master, Hunter, Fey Wanderer or Gloom Stalker.  A Subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Ranger levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass’s features that are of your Ranger level or lower.

Level 4 Ability Score Improvement: You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another Feat for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at levels 8, 12, and 16.

Level 5 Extra Attack: You can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Level 6 Roving: Your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren't wearing Heavy Armor. You also have a Climb speed and a Swim Speed equal to your Speed.

Level 9 Expertise: Choose two of your skill proficiencies with which you lack Expertise. You gain Expertise in those skills. (For those who don't know Expertise you add half your Proficiency Bonus)

Level 10 Tireless: Primal forces help fuel you on your journeys, granting you the following benefits.

Temporary Hit Points: As a Magic Action, you can give yourself a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to 1d8 plus your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You can use this action a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Decrease Exhaustion: Whenever you finish a Short Rest, your Exhaustion level, if any, decreases by 1.

Level 13 Relentless Hunter: Taking damage can't break your Concentration on Hunter's Mark.

Level 14 Nature's Veil: You invoke spirits of nature to magically hide yourself. As a Bonus Action you can be Invisible until the end of your next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Level 17 Precise Hunter: You have Advantage on attack rolls against the creature currently marked by Hunter's Mark.

Level 18 Feral Senses: Your connection to the forces of nature grants you Blindsight with a range of 30 feet.

Level 19 Epic Boon: You gain an Epic Boon or another Feat of your choice for which you qualify.

Level 20 Foe Slayer: The damage die of Hunter's Mark is a d10 rather than a d6.

Spells

Hunter's Mark is a level 1 Divination spell unique to Ranger. Casting Time is a Bonus Action Range is 90 feet Requires a Verbal Component Duration is Concentration up to 1 hour.

You magically mark one creature you can see within range as your quarry. Until the spell ends, you deal an extra 1d6 Force damage to the target whenever you hit it with an attack roll. You also have Advantage on any Perception or Survival check you make to find it.

If the target drops to 0 Hit Points before this spell ends, you can use a Bonus Action to mark a new creature you can see within range.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot: Your Concentration can last longer with a spell slot of level 3-4 (up to 8 hours) or 5+ (up to 24 hours).

@doodl3

[theautumnpicker]

Fortunately, Gale is able to shield Astarion from his magic, else he may have gone toppling over the edge as well. Astarion fires a second of his enchanted arrows, biting deeply-- but not so deeply as he'd hoped. Cazador's regeneration is powerful, and he's still positively gorged on blood. He must have drained half the guests at the party the night before.

Cazador, for his part, has resumed his recitation of the ritual. His ghoulish minions have by now destroyed Astarion's own, and their strikes paralyze Shadowheart, leaving Lae'Zel to defend them both against the threats.

He has another sentence or two, no more. In desperation, Astarion grabs a different arrow and fires it; it only grazes Cazador this time, but that's enough for the magic to take effect and silence him, buying them a moment's more time. The next one flies truer, making him stagger, but it's not over yet. He'll recover in a moment. "If he finishes that ritual, it's all over." He's loud enough only for Gale to hear him.

Gale strikes out with a counterspell of his own, halting the undead servant the moment it attempts to lull Lae'zel into a magical slumber. They would need every one of them active to see this battle through to the end.

Gale tosses out a meek fireball, splitting it off to singe the tails of their wolfish foes. It is better to keep them away from Shadowheart. The beasts turn towards him and howl their bone quaking fury, backing Gale against the edge of the platform.

It is the precise setup he desires. As swift as a dance he mistysteps behind them, casting a wave of thunderous force to push them off the edge of the platform.

His grin is cut short when he turns to see a cloud of bats descending. How many beasts did Cazador have at his disposal?

[saving-word-crawls]

Minecraft Word Crawl and Challenge

By: IndoorOtaku1

I really liked making the simplistic Minecraft Challenge, but I thought maybe mixing up actually playing the game with a word crawl might be a sort of interesting experiment in perspective. How it will work is as follows: You’ll play for a specified amount of time, and have certain tasks to do that will require certain writing tasks in response after the playthrough to earn points to use in the store for things you’ll then be allowed to use later in game.

Just remember not to write during the game, but after the given amount of times with the accompanied tasks. You will start with 500 points

Store: pickaxe: 250 points per pickaxe axe: 250 points each hoe: 100 points each shovel: 100 points each sword: 200 points each Bow(25 arrows to start): 250 points each -every extra arrow is an extra 5 points. skip a task: 400 points each.

Alright! Here we go!

Event 1: The Blocky New Frontier (20 minutes of play before doing these tasks. If you want to use a tool listed in the store in game, you must buy it with points from the store first.)

You’re minding your own business when you come across a land made of blocks. Only to realize you yourself are now a blocky version of yourself. You take 5 minutes as you read a few paragraphs from a chapter for a story you’ve been working on, and notice 50 shiny points on the ground next to…is that a floating egg? You look around to see that the land of blocks is lush in grassland with plenty of oak trees and lots of chickens. The chickens glare at you the same way you stare at chicken nuggets and you back away slowly. You trip over the foot of an angered pillager! You sprint to the nearest 200 as he shoots 12 arrows worth of points at you. You catch your breath long enough to realize that you’ve come to a ravine. A few more steps and you would’ve fallen down it! Oh oh! The pillager is still coming after you, and he’s brought friends. They are showering arrows down on you! You gulp as you try and come up with a plan, maybe a three headed hydra could do something about the 100 points worth of arrows that are all aimed right for you. Unfortunately, you are no such creature, and decide to run around the ravine, sprinting to the nearest 100 as you do so, and collecting 25 points from a rather impressed wandering trader whom helps you stay invisible long enough for the pillagers to lose interest and cease chasing you. The wandering trader tries to speak with you, but his language seems to be a series of strangely guttural “Hmms”. You thank him for his help and write a whole paragraph of the story you’ve been working on while you catch your breath again. As your’re resting, the trader offers you another 50 points for one of the papers you weren’t using to write on. You write the first three sentences of your next paragraph, only to discover 13 points were hidden inside your writing journal…beneath a map that hadn’t been there before.

Tasks for this event:

5 minutes to read a couple of paragraphs from the chapter you’re working on: 50 points

Sprint to nearest 200: 12 points

Three headed Hydra: 100 points

Sprint to nearest 100: 25 points

Write a paragraph: 50 points

Write 3 sentences of next paragraph: 13 points.

Total points possible so far (including starting points): 750

~

Event 2: The Map (Play first for 15 minutes)

You decide to follow the map, thinking it will give you some clue to where you are in this new world. There is writing on it, but it is in a language you don’t understand. However, with every step you take, it seems like something new appears on the map. Magic is nothing new to you but seeing it in this world is amazing. You take 100 points for yourself as a pat on the back while you attempt to write 300 words in ten minutes. It looks like you’ll be able to use your spells in this world! Still, that isn’t going to help if you have no supplies. Thankfully, it seems like there’s a mountain village just a few miles up ahead. You take a leisurely sprint to the nearest 500 as you stroll though the meadows leading to a mountain in the distance, picking up 100 points along the way.

Tasks for this event:

Write 300 words in 10 minutes: 100 points

Sprint to the nearest 500: 100 points

Total points possible: 950

Event 3: The Mountain (Play for 10 minutes)

When you finally reach the mountain, you realize the village itself is about halfway up to the top. You sigh and start making the climb, only to realize that the glaring chicken from before has been following you. You have to turn back and write 15 sentences as you collect both eggs and 30 points dropped by the bird. All the while, it’s glaring at you. You mutter to yourself under your breath as you make your way back to the mountain with the chicken in tow, writing another 8 sentences and collecting 15 points you missed as you do. You finally start climbing up the mountain, but aren’t used to the rocky and blocky terrain compared to the more diverse texturing of your world. You take a 2 minute break as you consider what to do and reward yourself with another 15 points when you come up with an idea. The chicken tries to fly ahead of you, dropping more eggs as it does so. Unfortunately, the terrain is too tough for it as well and it instead hops onto your head. You shrug and try to shake it off. It drops 10 points worth of 5 sentences, but doesn’t budge from its new stoop.The trek is made more difficult by the chicken feet blurring your vision. Thankfully, the pair of you come across a maneuverable dirt path just as the chicken lays an egg on your head. You carefully take the egg and place it into your backpack with all the other eggs. At least you know you won’t go hungry. There’s got to be at least 80 points worth of 20 sentences mashed in there with the eggs too! Your stomach growls but imagining the look the chicken is giving you makes you think twice, zipping up the bag and deciding to eat when you get to the village. Surely there must be food there! Write for 5 minutes as you drool over 100 points worth of food.

tasks for this event:

Write 15 sentences: 30 points

Write 8 sentences: 15 points

2 minute break: 15 points

Write 5 sentences: 10 points

Write 20 sentences: 80 points.

Write for 5 minutes: 100 points

Total possible points: 1200

Event 4: An Empty Village! (Play for 5 minutes)

You finally come to a village, but it might as well be a ghost town. You don’t see anyone around any of the homes spread around its portion of the mountain. You knock on one door, but nobody answers. You step inside to find a well-made green bed and an old wooden chest. The chicken hops off of your head and makes itself comfortable atop the green bed’s pillow. You stretch and glare longingly at the chest. You write for 5 minutes while contemplating stealing from the chest. Unfortunately, the growling of your stomach is too much. You finally crack open the chest to find not only some potatoes and a bucket of milk, but also a few gold nuggets and 150 points spread out throughout it. You leave the chicken to rest, stealing food from other chests in each of the houses until you come into what looks like an alchemist’s tower. You’re not very impressed by the divets in the cobblestone flooring, but the alchemy set nearby seems barely used. You’re already a thief now, so you go ahead and put the item into your backpack’s inventory. It could help later. You walk outside, only for a strange green being to run up to you and growl as it starts flashing. Before you know what’s going on, all you can see is red around you. Then, just as quickly, you find yourself suddenly upon the patch of grass where you started your journey. Miles away from the mountain and its empty village.

Tasks for this event:

Write for 5 minutes: 150 points

Total points possible: 1350

[3xm-draconic]

Bloodline of the Last Dragon.

Season 1/Episode 3: Whiterun.

The Riverwood Trader looked like it had been robbed…and from the argument between the store owner Lucan and his sister Camilla it sounded like they had been.

Despite Lucan’s misfortune he still had some things left to sell, some traveling rations, a torch or two and even better a spell book.

Last night Mattilda had read and memorized the tome she had taken from the skeleton mage in the cage back in Helgen, it was a tome of oakflesh, a spell of magical armor, a very useful spell to have since she couldn’t wear physical armor as a mage, it would be too cumbersome.

Amongst the tomes she could buy there were only 2, both were in bad condition but still legible, an illusion tome of clairvoyance and rather unique one a conjuration tome of conjure fire atronach.

That was a very rare and supposed to be a very expensive tome, why he was selling it for only 70 gold was beyond her, perhaps it was because he had it in such poor condition?

The atronach spell was also a little advanced for her, but she would never master it if she never tried it.

After picking some things up from the trader, she stopped by Alvor to buy a few whetstones off him. She knew the wisdom in keeping a knife on hand in case she ran out of magicka to use in a fight, nobody expects to get shanked by a wizard.

Hadvar wished her luck and again thanked her for helping him escape “you should go to Solitude and join the Empire, you can help us put the land back together and fight back against the Thalmor” he told her as the headed to the bridge out of Riverwood “and I hope you make it into the college, you’d make a fine battle mage” he smiled.

The road to Whiterun was beautiful, the tundra stretched out for miles in large flowery meadows and rocky scrub brush, the scent of tundra cotton and lavender in bloom was strong on the wind, butterflies dancing in the air as she saw the magnificent City of Whiterun com into view.

She passed the roaring river full of jumping salmon, a meadery that smelled divinely of honey and lavender, “ooh this must be this Honningbrew place, mmm I might stop by and get myself another bottle of that stuff” she hummed.

She passed by a few farms when suddenly the ground shook like an earthquake...

Up ahead Mattilda saw a sight to behold, a group of warriors fighting a Giant!

Mattilda saw them go at the creature ferociously, the giant swinging its great bone club left and right.

But then it switched its attention to the poor farmers who were trying to escape from the battle, Mattilda felt a rush of adrenaline and fear take hold as she charged forward and shoved the farmer out of the way of the giant’s rampage.

It came around again and swung at her, nearly tossing her into a stone, she retaliated and shot a jet of flames right at its face blinding it, Mattilda then got behind it and slashed at the tendons in its heels causing it to topple over. The final blow came not from her but from an arrow loosed by a tall auburn haired woman that shot it’s way past Matti’s shoulder and into the giant’s brian.

“You are pretty strong, you should come to Jorrvaskr and be a Companion” a strong warrior with dark hair said to Mattilda as he helped her up “a companion?”, “we are a group of warriors who honorably protect Skyrim,” the red haired woman said “and it would be nice to have a mage around, magic is as much a useful skill as a blade is” she turned to Mattilda “name’s Aela the Huntress”.

“It’s nice to meet you Aela, I’am Mattilda Viddarson” she waved “hey if you don’t mind me asking have you seen a Khajiit caravan with an elf man pass by here?”, Aela paused “yes I have, sadly they just left, why do you know them?”, “I know the man they brought with them, he’s my father” Mattilda answered.

Passing by the sables Matti heard a strange conversation, “by Ysmir it’s true, a jester funny suit and all, the fool had a coffin in a cart with a broken wheel, I’d like to see him laugh his way out of that one! Hahahaha”.

“A jester in Skyrim? There hasn't been a merryman here in over 100 years” Mattilda thought to herself as she approached the gate “still if he’s in trouble maybe I should help him out after I find my father, poor fellow must be having a rough time in skyrim”.

A guard approached Mattilda with his sword drawn “city’s closed with the dragons about, official business only”, “I’a, from Helgen and Riverwood seeks aid”, “Riverwood is in danger too? Come on in then but we’ll be keeping an eye on you” he grumbled.

The city of Whiterun was bustling and very open, the way the city flowed and was constructed felt like the grassy plains outside the walls, breezy open and free.

Mattilda hurriedly looked for Dragonsreach but also for the temple of Kynareth.

“Do you get to the cloud district very often, oh what am I saying of course you don’t” a rather snooty man scoffed at Mattilda as he asked around for directions, she glared at him as he walked away “jackass” she quietly mumbled.

She wandered around and found a courtyard area with a wilting dead tree in the middle. She looked around and up the grand steps was Dragonsreach…but just aways to her left was…

“THE TEMPLE!” she excitedly cried, she rushed forward but was stopped by a priest.

“Visiting hours are closed, you must come back tomorrow” he sighed, “wait, please, just tell me if a man by the name of Markus Viddarson is in there” Mattilda pleadingly looked at the priest, he looked at her “Viddarson? You wouldn’t happen to be Mattilda would you?” the priest pondered, “yes, yesI am!” she squeaked, “your father is alright but in serious condition, he will need a lot of time to heal and a lot of rest, don’t worry he is in good hands” the priest nodded.

Matilda sighed and felt a wave of relief wash over her, her father was safe…but for how long? And healing would be expensive, she would need to start doing work in order to pay for his treatments.

But there were other matters to attend to now, she needed to help Gurder and Alvor now by warning Balgruf.

Inside the esteemed halls of Dragonsreach Mattilda saw hanging above the Jarl’s throne was the skull of a massive dragon, as she approached the Jarl a dunmer woman took out her swords and threatened her. “What is the meaning of this interruption?”, “I’am a survivor of Helgen and I have come from Riverwood, they seek the Jarl’s aid, they are defenseless against a dragon, “your a survivor? Well that explains how you got in, come on then the Jarl will want to speak to you personally”.

Mattilda spoke with Jarl Balgruf and the man was horrified by her story and he immediately sent out a troop of soldiers to Riverwood, “but there is a more personal matter I could use your help with, come let’s meet Farengar my court wizard, he’s been looking into these accounts of dragon sightings”.

Farengar looked Mattilda up and down “ah a fellow mage, yes you could help me, I need someone to go into Bleak Falls Barrow and retrieve the dragonstone”, Mattilda tilted her head “dragonstone what’s that?”, “yes the dragonstone, it’s a map of dragon burial grounds, now off with you!” Farengar huffed.

Mattilda saw that it was getting dark so she headed over to the tavern, The Bannered Mare, she wanted a nice warm bed…but that would cost money.

Matti instead made her way back to the area with the dead tree and slept on the benches there…she needed to save every septim for her father.

.

.

[diaryofomellas]

Tag Game: Your Writing Education

Tagged by @late-to-the-fandom and ooh boy here we go.

This is where I SHINE! Research is my absolute favourite thing to do.

I’ve bought a bunch of Warcraft books for the specific purpose of learning as much about the lore as possible. Some I couldn’t find so I printed them myself like Durotan and Paragons. Printed some short stories as well. I also have a literal Warcraft library on my google drive to keep the stuff I couldn’t afford to buy or print, as well as a bunch of the audiobooks. It’s more organized than literally anything else in my entire life ever was. (If anyone wants the link, let me know. I’m happy to share my hoard)

In all my physical books you can find handwritten notes on the margins (both comments to what is being said and theories/headcanons), underlined passages for important stuff (personalities, character quirks, worldbuilding stuff, details I might be able to borrow for my own fics) and a fuckton of sticky notes. I also keep track of relevant questlines and NPCs/NPC lines in a notebook (or three). 

I swear there are always a minimum of five wowpedia pages open on my browser at any given moment. I’m also slowly (very slowly) building a wiki of my own series to keep track of everything in a single place.

So apart from all this lore, I also waste spend a lot of time doing research on other things.

Did research on how fast several animals can walk/run/fly so I could come up with the equivalent speeds for Azerothian creatures. On that same note I also spent an ungodly amount of time trying to figure out how far some important places are from each other and how long it would take for various creatures to go from one place to another using different methods. I don’t math, so it was hell.

I once spent over half an hour reading articles and watching videos on YT about how to steer a horse and make it go faster/slower so I could write one (1) sentence about it. 

I learned where are the perfect places in the torso to get stabbed/shot and not die immediately. Asked an actual doctor about it.

Did research on first aid, how to properly clean and bandage wounds, how to tell old bruises from new ones, how to treat several minor diseases with plant/herb/homemade remedies, etc. On a related note I also did research on using certain types of medication for torture purposes and I can’t even remember what the point of that was now).

Did a disturbing amount of research on the various states of decomposition for corpses.

Due to having an impaired sense of smell I continuously do in-depth research about the smell of different things including, but not limited to, different types of plants, the earth right after it rains, smog, burning human flesh, leather, death and the different schools of magic. (one of those is not like the others, I know, but I do believe magic must have a smell of some kind!)

One time I learned how to make bread in an orange peel in them middle of the woods. Also learned how to desalinate and purify water using common everyday items as well as build a fire without “modern” methods.  Rexxar would be so proud.

Spent SO MUCH TIME doing research on armor, the names of stuff, what people would wear underneath, how to keep warm in cold weather wearing armor.

How to fight and everything to do with combat. Fistfighting, daggers, swords, archery. Parkour and movement. Military vocabulary, strategies, ranks. Jousting tournaments. How long it takes for a grenade to explode. So much archery. Proper stance, vocabulary, types of bows and arrows, how to build your own arrows, how to catch arrows with your hands, my god the research on this never ends!

One time I spent over an hour learning how to skin animals properly. With videos. I did not have fun but my stupid character is a skinner.

Learned how to track different animals and how to tell them apart by the prints of their pawsies.

Wolf and horse sounds and behaviour! I have lists!

Had to do research on what snow sounds like and the different types because it never snows where I live.

... Should I go on? Because I could. xD

Tagging @thereeness​ and @brisaveloz​. What have you learned during your fic research?

[halt-kun]

Hunter x Hunter Chapter 171 - Three way Struggle (2)

Genthru is already passive agressive really bitchy

I didn’t know Tsezguerra missed Blue planet

I thought he only missed 75

Let’s goooo

I wonder what was the point of gaining the few minutes they needed to check their binder ?

To prepare an ambush if they followed ?

So Maybe it was for Goreinu to have the time to buy a bunch of cards

+6 accompany is nice

having a guy behind to get cards is pretty useful too

I’d love to see Tsezguerra again, back to his trained self

He can be pretty resourceful 

Hand grabbing training

I’m sure Biscuit is able to react pretty fast too to being grabbed when she isn’t expecting it

just in case

she can definitely switch to elsewhere if she needs to

During the Ryu training they couldn’t even see her fist and her aura is probably as fast as that.

Relying on other senses is key indeed

using your small aura shroud to detect attacks even without En can definitely help too

I trust Biscuit’s judgement so much 

she knows what is needed and what to work on

I find this so cool

Learning to levitate with emission would be on my to do list

too bad I’d probably be a conjurer but just in case I’m a manipulator

Her skirt is magic too

About 1 meter off the ground ?

Well Gon can’t succeed on the first try

Killua’s hands must hurt so bad

I wonder if it’s the first level 2 they reached, I hope not, at least in their main category they must already be at 2 or 3

Good luck Gon, this will need a major breakthrough

Yep I agree but then again will this suffice to propel someone several meters away when the prerequisite to succeed at this level is to reach about 1 meter ?

Having more options is always better.

I also want all steps on a paper for every category

HERE IT COMES

Biscuit’s sex doll ! She’s definitely bisexual

hearts on her necks ? Is that a mole or a mark

I would love to have a personnal masseuse

Especially now that I know the average relief power from one of her massage

Good Luck Gon

Bara with his trident tattoo is standing guard

Is that a hand thrown javelin ? Dart ?

Oh no it’s an arrow, it was Bara’s hand I’m dumb

Those three are the worst throuple

Well, are you mad they are trying to kill you ? You killed like 50 guys and didn’t care at all ?

It could be a lot of other abilities but it’s true no aura has been affixed to you but it could be a lot of other things

like drones for example

You must have had a pretty nasty idea

Final CARDS

91 - could be fun to have an ikea boat/car/plane

92 - BODY SWAPPING

93 - OH YES THANKS MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY

94 - Annoying sword

95 - Probably a cool cloak, Did we see anyone wearing it

96 - SNAKE PET, barfs cards when you give some to eat, nice bin

97 - 3D camera, also nice

98 - silver doggo, probably a good boy

99 - The famous panda people theorize kept care of Gon

Well I’ll follow with another chapter for today !

[rpgsandbox]

25 Volcanic City Adventure Seeds

by Robb at readytorole.com

Below the city, magically protected boats cast fireproof nets into the lava to try and catch some of the small creatures that dwell within. Just yesterday a boat capsized dumping the crew into the lava while those on another vessel claimed they saw a large form rise out of the lava and push the boat over.

The magic that keeps the city habitable has been slowly wearing down over time and the citizens are beginning to suffer from the extreme heat. The city is desperately seeking adventurers need to go to plane of fire and harvest some phoenix essence to restore it.

Within the city is a blacksmith renowned for his magmaforged armor using a secret method. In his old age, he has begun a contest to find a suitable apprentice to teach his methods to.

Small fire elementals keep appearing and causing mischief in the city, from burning food to scorching graffiti into the rocks. These have begun getting more serious with people suffering burns and other harm but the fire elementals disappear back into the lava before they can be reprimanded.

The lava levels in the volcano have been lowering steadily over the past few months and some have been afraid that the goddess of fire is upset. The lava has gotten so low that the entrance to a mysterious cave below the lava is now visible.

The chief export of the city, obsidian, has been booming lately as more uses for it have been found. Ogre thugs outside city who also want it are now blocking trade routes unless they get to buy it discounted and before anyone else.

Due to the magic inherent to the volcano, a mage college specializing in teaching pyromancy has opened. Many aspiring spellcasters have come from all over, including some brutish types who are stirring up trouble with the natives.

The three large chains that hold the main platform of the city up and stable are starting to show age and need some repairs. The problem is that if even a single chain is removed to be fixed the city will swing wildly and dump the people into the lava.

The land outside of the volcanic city has been growing greener with time, and this actually has the druids of the magma upset. They are at odds with the other druids who are ushering in this growth and are planning on doing something drastic.

Miners underneath the city accidentally sprung a leak into the lava that is quickly filling the tunnels. It must be rerouted to prevent further damages to the mine, but the only two places it can go are to the forests outside the city or to a grouping of small settlements at the base of the volcano.

Natural and manufactured hot springs have become a go to destination for travelers who are seeking to relieve some stress. Some of those who indulged have begun noticing some side effects, from suddenly being able to cast firebolts to getting hypothermia in anything but the hottest of places.

The clerics of the city maintain a magical lock on a portal to hell that would otherwise let in all sorts of demons and devils. They’ve now caught three magical rogues attempting to break in and undo the lock.

A week ago the lava in the city began slowly rotating underneath the city. Now, it is a whirlpool of flame and sounds of otherworldly screaming can be heard at all hours throughout the city, unsettling the citizens.

A rare fruit that only grows inside volcanoes and within the city is facing a shortage. Its main property of giving those who eat it temporary resistance to fire is a hot commodity as two warring nations vie for the supply to protect from flaming arrows and boulders employed by both sides.

One of the noble families, the Firebloods, have a ritual to prove their bloodline by stepping into lava unharmed. The matriarch was challenged by her daughter to be an imposter in her mother’s place and reluctantly took the challenge, dying upon taking the challenge. Now the main question is, where is the real matriarch?

As a means of protection, the treasury of the city is stored in a lava-proof vault that is magically submerged and hidden in the depths of the volcano. Upon retrieving it to deposit some money, it is discovered that it has been cleaned out entirely and all the of mages used to retrieve it have alibis.

The volcano used to be surrounded by forests, but slowly over time the magic from the city inside the volcano destroyed them. Now a few treants known as the Barkcharred, tainted by the fire magic, roam the forest remains swearing vengeance on all who they come across.

Days after an imprisoned necromancer swore revenge on the city, zombies filled with lava began a slow ascent up the walls of the volcano, spewing the molten rock at the guards who have tried to stop them. It is only a matter of hours before they reach the city.

A gnomish tinkerer has debuted their newest invention: a crossbow-like vessel that spews a spray of lava out of a nozzle. The city’s armory has already placed a large order for these lavaspewers, but the design is still in a dangerous prototype stage likely to blow up.

An embassy for the elementals of the fire plane resides within the city as a place for them to meet with mortals. A heated argument has ensued over the placement of a direct portal within the city with those in the city fearful of what horrors could step through.

The city woke up to find a layer of ice forming over the lava as it darkens and cools down. The mages are frantically trying to find cause and cure for this change, especially as many in the volcano are also becoming ill as a result.

A lava mill transfers lava down a shaft to a pool where it is sold to other cities for moats and other uses. Recently someone has been buying much of it anonymously and reports of lava attacks on small towns has caused the sell of lava to cease until the attacks stop.

Gems known as firestones grow around lava and create a powder that can be used in potions to become immune to flames. The stores of powder are depleting and the seeds that grow into the gems must be harvested from the closed down depth of the mines under the volcano.

The top of the volcano has been sealed for safety after wyverns have been seen attempting to nest there. Now they swoop down at the entrance, ridden by bugbears who demand they reopen the top and allow them to live there or they’ll attack the city.

After days of rumbling, a gargantuan skeletal dragon has climbed out of the lava, breathing fire and speaking in the dragon tongue of taking over the world. He is immediately confused by both the fire resistance that protects the city that renders his breath harmless as well as his inability to fit around the city to get out.