#nalvia tag

[hellebore-petall]

A comic about my Frostmaiden Warlock turned Paladin. Inspired by this post.

[hellebore-petall]

As a goodbye to the Rime of the Frostmaiden party, I drew the party dancing, inspired by a scene where they had to dance their way across an illusory ball in order to cross the room.

Pictured first is Al and Nalvia. With Al's upbringing, she knows how to dance properly, and guided Nalvia across the floor.

Pictured second is Larch and Shachi. Neither of them know how to ballroom dance, so I drew them more uncertain and watching their feet.

Pictured third is Vellynne (The DMPC) and her shield guardian. Her shield guardian picked her up and spun her around as they went across the room and she was not very thrilled about it.

I already miss this party a lot, this campaign meant a lot to me, so it was fun to draw them out in such a moment of joy.

[hellebore-petall]

Last night was the final session of the Frostmaiden campaign I've been playing in for the past 2.5 years. It was a beautiful finale to such an important campaign for me.

This piece of art depicts a conversation my character Nalvia had with their childhood friend/crush once they reunited. Nalvia named one of the sled dogs after her early in the campaign.

[hellebore-petall]

DnDtober Day 18: Dragon

The day my Frostmaiden character almost died because the dragon we were fighting was killed right above then while they were making death saves will live on as one of my favourite moments ever in a DnD game. (The Ranger, who killed it, felt so bad)

[hellebore-petall]

Let it be known I am down for any shenanigans pitched by my DMs. So far, in different DnD games, I have:

- Had my character replaced by a doppelganger when I returned from a scheduling-conflict-induced hiatus from one of my games

- Played a character who worked for one of the BBEGs (they later got a redemption arc)

- And today, when I let my DM kill me in a session I couldn't make it to (note: this particular campaign has death as really low stakes and we have 3 characters we rotate through whenever we die so my character isn't even necessarily gone forever if I die enough times).

I had way too much fun after I got home from my event and the session was done, sending this in the chat.

Anyways, I am excited for any future shenanigans that come up in my various games. I eat this sort of shit up, it's my absolute favourite.

[hellebore-petall]

DnDtober Day 12: Secret

Shoutout to my Nalvia, my Frostmaiden PC who worked for one of the major bad guys of the campaign (at least until the rest of the party dragged them into a redemption arc by being so damn likable).

[hellebore-petall]

DnDtober Day 11: Meal

A campaign that takes place in the frigid and unforgiving north needs a lot of warm, cozy soup!

[hellebore-petall]

DnDtober Day 3: Tea

Last Frostmaiden session involved a pretty significant conversation between Nalvia and Aletea, where they told each other that they are each other's best friends and discussed the guilt they felt over their respective pasts. So, in honour of that conversation and Al's past: Al's teacup!

[hellebore-petall]

Apparently I have a thing for playing short DnD characters. Rarely have I ever played a character above my height (I'm 5'5").

[hellebore-petall]

For your Spotify wrapped, 69 (nice)

(nice)

Like most of the songs on my Spotify Wrapped playlist, this song is on my Frostmaiden PC's playlist! I chose this song for Nalvia because they have trouble connecting to people and as a result throw themselves into their missions and goals, sometimes to the point of bowling over other people.

[hellebore-petall]

Why a Hug Would Fix Nalvia

An essay about my Frostmaiden PC. I made a post about this earlier, but I have had more time to stew on it and make the words sound nicer.

I am struck by the notion that Nalvia has never had a hug in their life. I mean, walk through it with me. Their parents had too many children to hug, even if they had been the hugging sort to begin with. Their siblings were too busy fending for their own lives and attention in the Rocksnapper family to hug each other. As soon as a Rocksnapper could hold a pick-axe, it’s off to the mines to earn your keep, earn your survival, earn a place in this bitch of an earth.

Maevwaen may have hugged them, she and Nalvia were friends after all, but the more I think about it, the more I think their friendship was a hug-free friendship. Maevwaen wanted to hug Nalvia, and often, but Nalvia is prickly. Both figuratively and literally. I chose their spiked cloak as a cool aesthetic, but I think in a lot of ways it is unintentionally symbolic of how everything about them is designed to scream “go away” and “don’t touch me.” I think as much as Nalvia appreciated Maevwaen’s company and warmth, they never truly learned how to let it in, and any time their friendship got a bit too soft, Nalvia would pull away, leaving no chance for hugs.

Sunblight definitely is not the hugging sort. Neither is their patron. Nalvia found acceptance in their pact and in their job, they found a purpose, something far bigger than the family mines, but much like their childhood, everything was earned. Nalvia learned that acceptance was something you fought for, something you showed with actions, and not with touch. It’s only natural, of course, that Nalvia now shows their new friends their affection through dangerous maneuvers in combat. It’s a double edged sword. It is driven by the guilt of almost betraying and killing the very people who taught them how to love, and it is also the only way they know how to show their friends they care. There has been no other way their entire life. From the mines to Sunblight, action was all there was. Action was acceptance. Action is love.

Which is why I think that Nalvia needs a hug. Not a short hug, not one that would be done in a second and easy to brush off as nothing more than a friendly pat on the back. But a long-five minute hug, where they are forced to actually stop, push past the cynicism and eye-rolling (after all, what good would touch do? They’ve been physically touched before, in combat. The sting of damage, the yanking of friends pulling them to safety). Then, it would click. Their brain chemistry would be rewired. They would learn of the softness of love, that there are more ways to show appreciation than throwing themselves to the brink of death. They would learn there is more to the world than the harshness of ice and stone and cold. They would let others in, let themselves be vulnerable. And maybe a hug would not be an immediate fix, life is far more complex than that, but I think it would be the straw that changes the tide.

[hellebore-petall]

I'm now making myself sad thinking about how my Frostmaiden character has probably never had a hug in their life.

Their parents certainly never hugged them, and neither did their siblings. Their one friend growing up, Maevwaen, may have hugged them, but Nalvia is a prickly person (both figuratively and literally, their cloak has spikes) so she likely just respected their space. The party has been too busy trying to save Icewind Dale and not die to even think of hugs, not to mention they've only been travelling a short time all things considered and only became friends not that long ago. Nalvia probably scoffs at hugs anyways, why would anyone need to be touched? What purpose would that serve?

Nalvia has never been hugged.

That poll is right. A hug would fix them. A hug would do a whole lot for them I think.

[hellebore-petall]

DnDtober Day 24: Oath

When Nalvia started taking on levels of paladin, their special glowing dagger turned into a rapier!

[hellebore-petall]

17 for spotify wrapped!

This is from the Frostpunk soundtrack! The reason why this one, and many others from the soundtrack, ended up so high on my Spotify wrapped, is it made for the perfect atmospheric music for both my Frostmaiden PC's playlist, and my Glacerian Trail playlist, and I listened to both a lot this year. It's also how Piotr Musial ended up as my top artist for the year lksjlkfsjdfklsdjklgsd

[hellebore-petall]

44 (Spotify wrapped)

This song also is one on my Frostmaiden PCs playlist! I chose this one to represent the underground mining settlement Nalvia grew up in, it was not a very pleasant place to grow up. It also is about their boss, who's details I can't get into because it's spoilery for fellow party members.

[hellebore-petall]

I was tagged by @ancelineonline and this seemed super fun so here we go!

Rules: When you get this, post 5 songs 🎵 you actually listen to. Then, tag 10 of your favorite people on here. ✨

I tag @muninsthought @mothghhost @loudobjectprincess @wall-e-gorl @jimbothy-magma @bisexualcharmanderenergy @bat-kili @seafarersubmerged @winter-changeling @simple-sheep