#only two eggs survived- a fire dragon and an ice dragon

[fedoraspooky]

Heck with it *tosses AU where he was developed in the lab as a dragon hybrid onto the massive pile of AUs as well*

Don't look at me, blame @mysticdoodles for this adorableness XD

[untilmynextstory]

Elia Week 2024

Day 4: Elia x Rhaegar, Betrayal

SUMMARY: Bruised and battered, Elia Martell watches as Rhaegar returns victorious from the Trident.

This piece was inspired by  Crooked Kingdom by @martellspear

In the early days of her marriage, Elia harbored a hopeful belief that love, though not a currency in her union, could still find a place. She yearned for friendship, respect, and perhaps a love that would be reciprocated. A love that may not burn hot and bright but hopefully steady. She understood that survival in the treacherous realm of King’s Landing necessitated a way to love her husband. 

After all, the Crown Prince should have been easy to convince herself to love. She remembered him from before when he had visited Dorne. She couldn’t deny the strange beauty he possessed, a beauty that seemed to have faded with time in her eyes. He was quiet, bookish, and respectful, traits that had once endeared him to her. He had treated her with respect and as an equal, a memory she clung to when her mother had informed her of their marriage, a memory that now seemed distant and elusive. 

Even during the first year of marriage, she had thought they formed a friendship. They could be companions. Love would come with time, as she could recognize the outside pressures, as his father would never allow them a time and place to nurture something distinctly their own. 

It was after the birth of Rhaenys that Elia's hope for love in her marriage was shattered. The love she once believed could grow and flourish had been petrified like elusive dragon eggs. This painful realization left her with a sense of profound sadness and resignation. 

She foolishly thought her husband had not inherited the Targaryan madness. She spent plenty of time with Rhaella, and despite the cage Aerys had her in, she was always very level-headed. She knew how to play the game of thrones better than the King and her son. 

Yet, she ignored the first tint of it from her husband. She had been recovering from Rhaenys birth. She remembered the comet and Rhaegar’s mutterings about a prince. She was so tired and hurting, but she had wifely duties. She remembered Ashara helping clean up the blood afterward, and she felt that was more prophetic than the scrolls her husband buried himself in. 

Any fondness had been hard to grasp, scattered like wind. She no longer felt the fire from his gaze or the warmth of his touch. Everything had turned to ice, colder than she imagined the Wall to be. By then, she didn’t know if she was even upset at what happened at that tourney. 

Sure, she had her pride. She expected her husband to have a mistress at some point. No matter how discreet he could be, the walls talked in the Red Keep; she had prepared herself for that as a wife of a Prince and soon-to-be King. She couldn’t stand the cloak of pity and embarrassment his actions had bestowed on her. He forced her into the role of being the meek, spurned older wife. She already heard talk about how a Dornish woman couldn’t keep her husband.

Then she became pregnant with Aegon, and she regretfully thought she might die and Rhaegar could be happy with the wolf girl. Elia was not a fool to believe the two were not keeping in contact no matter how much he caressed her belly and played with their daughter. 

Then Aegon was born, and Elia felt relief that he had his heir. Then, relief turned to anger once she woke to find her husband gone from Dragonstone without a word. Their child was barely a week old. Ashara told her what the maester had said about the prospect of a third child. 

The dragon must have three heads. 

All Elia could do was laugh. Yet, her laughter turned to rib-cracking sobs as she mourned what would never be. Her husband didn’t care for her as his wife. She was only a vessel to be used for his prophecy - their children were just pieces to the prophecies he needed to fulfill. He only loved them for what they could do for him, not because they were part of him. 

She was truly on her own, both for herself and her children. 

The princess wasn’t surprised when word reached the island of the Stark girl disappearing with her husband or Aery’s summoning. His insults about her heritage and useless womb barely stung anymore. 

Nothing really hurt her anymore when it came to herself. The only hurt she felt were potential wrongs that may or could happen to her children. 

Elia looked at the desolate Red Keep. The sun was setting, cloaking the city in colors reminiscent of her house colors. When she could, she clung to any reminder of Dorne. It was Dorne who gave her strength. 

Elia didn’t know how the Crown would recover from this. She didn’t know how she would work to secure her son’s reign. The taint of his grandfather and father would forever stain him. 

She took a shaky breath, and she felt the wound on her head bleeding again. She moved to the small table that contained fresh water and cloth. 

She could still feel Ser Gregor's hands on her. Her dress was torn to shreds by him. She was surprised by being in his grip; she wasn’t crushed, and maybe the Gods were on her side that he was too slippery with blood. Grateful that Oberyn had shown her how to poison small knives. It was because of her brother she was alive. She remembered laughing and being dismissive when he had given her the knives, but she remembered the look in his eyes that made her go quiet and take him seriously. 

Oberyn had always been the one to treat her like everyone else - an equal despite her gender and health. He didn’t let her sickness hinder her despite all her scares throughout her childhood. But for the first time, she saw her brother fear for her being in King’s Landing. 

She hissed as she touched the sensitive wound, and at the same time, the door to her room opened with no preamble. She jumped, startled; her husband stood frantic in the doorframe.

It had been nearly a year since she saw her husband. 

She recalled thinking that when the raven arrived from the Trident with the words, he had survived his battle with Robert Baratheon. She recalled darkly wishing he was dead.  

Her eyes moved behind him, and she glanced at Jaime Lannister's apologetic gaze next to Arthur Dayne, the Sword of Morning. She thought his actions hurt the most. 

She wanted to tell Jaime to keep the door open, but Arthur closed it. 

She didn’t realize Rhaegar’s lips moved until he approached her. His hands encased her bruised and swollen face, and her gaze locked with his violet ones. She thought she was beginning to detest the color purple, but she was surrounded by them in the eyes of her children and her best friend. 

Her brown eyes appraised him. She thought bitterly that he didn’t look like he had gone through battle despite the dry blood flaking on him and his armor missing rubies, dented, scratched, and stained. Yet, his face showed no trace of a battle. 

“Elia?”

The sound of her name broke her out of her trance, and she winced. His touch burned. She realized he was like his father’s dreaded and beloved wildfire—all-consuming and only leaving ashes behind. 

She created space between the two of them. She could have snorted at him, looking hurt from her rejection. 

“Your Grace,” she replied hoarsely. She had only begun to be able to talk as the bruises on her throat faded. The Maester had been concerned they would have to fasten some type of neck brace due to her injuries. 

Rhaegar winced; she didn’t know from her address or realize the extent of what his actions caused her. 

She pondered the man she married. Everyone hoped this man wouldn’t be his father, but she thought bitterly that he was the same or even worse. 

“Elia…you don’t - you don’t have to address..we’re in private...”

She thought bitterly there was no such concept of privacy in the Red Keep. And now, with his actions, everyone would dissect their every move. 

She didn’t reply as she stared at him with unblinking eyes. She cursed her son for being saddled, being the image of his father. At least Rhaenys had only been given his purple eyes. 

“What happened?” He asked. 

“The Keep was attacked,” she replied succinctly. She could tell he wanted more, but she had nothing to offer him. He clearly didn’t care about her well-being the year he was gone. 

His eyes flickered around the room. There was no crib or children's toys strung about. Gregor had destroyed Aegon’s crib while looking for him, and during the clean-up, the maids had placed the toys away. 

“Where are the children?”

Elia walked back to the window where she could hear the cries of widows, children, and broken people from Rhaegar’s heads being in the cloud. 

“Not here.”

“Elia -”

Her eyes narrowed into slits. “It’s not like you cared the year you were gone. They are safe.” Away from you is implied. 

“I thought you would be in Dragonstone,” he argued weakly. 

Elia snorted. Her husband - king- was a naive boy, and she didn’t feel like arguing. 

He was quiet, and she prayed he would leave, but he didn’t. “I’m still their father.”

Elia hummed but didn’t comment further. 

Instead, she walked over to the letter she had received from a rider from Starfall. She passed the missive to her husband. She didn’t miss the shaking of his hands. 

“Your lover and her son are dead. Her Lord brother found her,” she sneered. It was one thing to have a mistress but to defile her homeland. She would never forgive him for what he has done to their children and the Realm. 

Those violet eyes became teary-eyed. Her once tall, lithe, strong husband looked pitiful in her eyes. 

“Elia, I didn’t - I just needed the third head,” he explained. 

She eyed Rhaegar and contemplated how she would spend her days—years—in his presence. She knew nothing would change with him and would prefer not to have him around moping about his life decisions. His family was a prophecy of what not to do. She wished he would have gleamed that in his studies, but hubris always seemed to get in the way. 

He flew too close to the sun, and she would burn him. 

“I would like to be left alone.”

“Elia, please, we need to talk.”

“It’s way too late for talking, your Grace.”

“Elia -”

“LEAVE!” she shouted at him for the first time in their marriage. They both seemed startled at her outburst. The door slammed open in response. Ser Jaime’s eyes were frantic as he assured her safety.

“His Grace is leaving, Ser Jaime,” she told him, leaving no room for argument. She didn’t look at her husband again as he reluctantly left her room. She didn’t glance at the other pleading purple eyes following her husband. 

Instead, she picked up the second letter that Ashara had sent in their secret code, promising to raise the boy as the twin to her newborn daughter in Winterfell with her husband. 

She burned the letter and inhaled the flames. 

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere Woolly Howl(Pet-like)

Sure! I'd love fo write for the neat looking ice dragon :) I researched what I could for this as it is a game only dragon.

Yandere! Woolly Howl Concept

Pairing: Animal/Pet-Like

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Overprotective dragon, Stalking, Violence, Possessive behavior, Jealousy, Territorial dragon, Kidnapping, Clingy behavior.

Woolly Howls are dragons that are built to survive blizzards.

This gives them an advantage as they can now use their speed and the camouflage from the storm to ambush prey.

These dragons are stealthy and can be dangerous like most Strike Class dragons.

Instead of using plasma or lightning of some kind for a breath weapon, these dragons use a breath that resembles hail.

Similar to other dragons in its class, the Woolly Howl is intelligent and learns quickly.

I can think of a few scenarios where you meet this dragon.

Maybe you're given an egg to take care of? That's the easy way to get this dragon to trust you.

Then there's the possibility of one saving a lone viking from a snowstorm.

These dragons share a similar structure to the Night Fury and Skrill, two other Strike Class dragons.

Yet these dragons are better fit in snow rather than lightning storms.

These dragons appear to have fur, giving them their name.

Although these are mostly comprised of small scales.

Not much is known about these dragons but we can assume they act like Night Furies in nature.

Although they appears to be larger than a Night Fury despite their similarities.

To a rider a Woolly Howl would be a fast and agile dragon and a good dragon to train.

A Woolly Howl may not listen to their rider at first but will warm up to them with training.

Since not much is known about their personality I can only imagine they are a seemingly "furred" counterpart to the Night Fury in terms of behavior.

Except for the bat-like characteristics.

No matter how you meet the Woolly Howl I don't doubt they'd be loyal and protective towards their rider.

If you live somewhere cold your Woolly Howl would thrive.

I'd imagine they have a way to keep warm despite being based on ice.

So, if they saw their rider was cold, they'd try to warm you up the best they could.

Woolly Howls may not be easily attached to a human, but when they are they most likely refuse to leave your side for long.

I'd imagine they'd be playful with their rider, too.

Maybe they'd playfully pounce around you in the snow or something.

They seem like a dragon who likes to play in snow.

As with most dragons, they'd be possessive.

While they do not use fire as a weapon, the hail they spew is still a threat.

Ice hurts when when it hits you at high speeds, plus there's the sheer cold the blast assaults onto your skin.

These dragons either feel nice or strange to cuddle with if they wrap around you.

When a Woolly Howl is attached to you, they will want affection.

They will probably enjoy being rubbed on the belly and under the chin if anything.

I'd imagine a Woolly Howl would live with their rider or preferred human for the most part.

Although if they feel their human is threatened or they don't like the area, I can see them moving you.

You may not like the idea but they aren't entirely asking you.

You can see signs of this.

If your Woolly Howl starts getting territorial towards other dragons around you, you could easily say that's normal dragon behavior.

While normally this is true, if they stick close to you it could show they are possessive.

Especially if you feel the "furred" dragon wrap their tail around you.

They don't like the idea of sharing their human with other dragons.

They hate it, actually.

The next step from this is when they show hostility towards humans around their rider.

Maybe there's moments when you're in conversation and your dragon knocks you over onto their back before rushing off.

When a dragon gets attached they tend to get either protective or possessive with their rider, that or both.

Dragons that are more wild and not as trained tend to lean more into possessive and territorial behaviors compared to fully trained dragons.

Things get out of hand when your Woolly Howl starts getting violent.

First it's challenging other dragons to get them to back down.

Then they begin aiming to kill.

Soon, they see humans as threats to their rider too.

People know to back off, or at least they should, when a Woolly Howl charges their ice breath.

There's times your Woolly Howl will sit in front of the door to your home.

Either by sleeping in front of it in the inside, blocking you in with their body.

Or they stay outside like a bodyguard, snarling and growling at whatever steps near your home.

If they want to hunt fish to give you, they may just freeze your door closed with their breath before rushing off to hunt.

Woolly Howls can get dangerous and quite the handful if not properly trained.

They would even stalk, bright purple eyes keeping an eye on not only you... but other dragons/riders.

The final stage of the Woolly Howl's obsession is taking you to a nest.

These dragons tend to live in snowy and mountainous areas.

Your Woolly Howl would start by disappearing for a few days to a week to hunt down a potential cave/nest.

Then they come back with one goal in mind.

Taking you to your new home.

You'll be relieved to see your dragon, maybe they got their behavior out of their system?

Only for them to toss you onto their saddle and take off.

To take you into such a freezing climate could kill you.

They don't mean it but they do try to prevent it.

Your Woolly Howl would wrap around you to keep you warm.

They'd also try go feed you fish and other food they find.

Better get used to snow life as this is where you're staying now.

Who knows, if you ask your dragon they may able to help build a winter base for you with a fire and everything.

Despite the strain this puts on you, the Woolly Howl is happy with themselves.

Now their human is away from other dragons and humans...

They'll take care of you like you do them.

If they see you getting too cold or low in supplies, they help find warmth and things to use.

They may even be stealing.

It'll be hard for other riders to find you.

Constant snow storms make it hard to find you...

Plus, your Woolly Howl may get to them first as it has the advantage.

It understands you may seem unhappy with this arrangement...

Yet that doesn't change their mind.

Here... there's no one else...

Just you, your dragon, and the wintry isolation.

[stormcloudrising]

Why are the Others Back?

What is everyone’s thoughts on the Others? Why are they back? How are they connected to the Starks?

The Others are the ice to the dragon’s fire, and the two are the great existential threats looming over Planetos. Yet, we know more about the dragons and dragon lords than we do the Others. They and their connection to the Starks, the core family of the story, is at the heart of the great mystery of the books.

They are presented as a great threat that needs to be contained, but there are also a lot of obvious contradictions in what we’ve been told about them…starting with the Night’s King and Corpse Queen. What do I mean by contradictions?

Well, if the NK and CQ were the leaders of the Others and they are a destructive force, why is the Hades/Pluto and Persephone/Kore myth so baked into their legends? At its heart, the legend of two Greek/Roman gods is a fertility myth. 

Hades, the chthonic ruler of the underworld was a fertility god. The planted seeds were his bounty which he stored and nourished in the earth until they bloomed in the spring and were harvested in the fall to feed the populace before the process started over again with the planting season. His abduction of Persephone ties into this myth with her descent for three months representing winter and her yearly return to be with her mother Demeter a signal of the start of the spring and harvest seasons. 

Hades/Pluto was the Lord of the Underworld, but he was also the god of the hidden wealth of the earth, from the fertile soil, which nourished the seed-grain, to the mined wealth of precious metals. Also, he is the god who welcomes all, whose realm is full of guests. He does not cause the death that brings men to his realm, because death comes to everyone, and all are welcome in his realm. 

So, my question is why George has so closely associated a renewal myth with the legend of the leaders and likely progenitors of the Others. Another contradiction has to do with what is implied in the Qarthian myth about two moons in the sky. 

"He told me the moon was an egg, Khaleesi," the Lysene girl said. "Once there were two moons in the sky, but one wandered too close to the sun and cracked from the heat. A thousand thousand dragons poured forth and drank the fire of the sun. That is why dragons breathe flame. One day the other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and the dragons will return." —AGOT Daenerys III

The name of the series is A Song of Ice and Fire. By the way, I think it’s interesting that George reversed the order of things in his series name. Instead of Fire and Ice as in the Frost poem, he went with Ice and Fire, which I think was a deliberate choice with meaning behind it on his part, but that a discussion for another day.

My point is that the two moons in the sky represent the two factions in the story…ice and fire. The fire moon cracked and symbolic fire dragons likely black meteors were born into the world. The destruction of the fire moon likely was the main reason for the Long Night and the great floods legend tells us about. That left one moon in the sky…the icy one. We know this because George drops one of his plays on words with “one day the other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and dragons will return.”

 These dragons that will return aren’t the fire breathing ones, but the icy Others as they represent the ice moon. They are not the animalistic type of dragons like the fire breathing ones, but they are George’s version of ice dragons.

However, here is where the contradiction comes in. What saved Planetos from destruction previously is that only one moon was destroyed. The ice moon remained in the sky. If the ice moon were to be destroyed as well, it would spell the end of Planetos. 

That ice moon in the sky is a type of balance. It can possibly survive a slight cracking, but it can’t and shouldn’t be destroyed or else, that’s the end of all life on the planet. Thus, maybe part of the reason the Others have returned is to prevent the destruction of the ice moon, maybe by the actions of the fire faction whether knowing or unknowingly…especially Euron whose goal is to reshape all life in his image.

So that’s a second contradiction in the legend of the Others. A potential third one is not about them specifically, but it could tie into their myth. This third possibility has to do with the confusing myth of old northern warriors going out into the frozen cold to hunt, but basically it was to commit suicide. 

Legend tells us that this was done because of the scarcity of food. Leaving their families and going out into the cold meant there was one less mouth to feed, their families could survive on rations a bit longer. 

Now this story seems a bit off for a couple of reasons. First, legend also tells us that the White Walkers were roaming the land, hunting maids and everything with hot blood. They were also known necromancers who brought back the dead to be their armies. So why would warriors leave their families to go out and basically become a weapon of the White Walkers to be used against their loved ones. They had to know that’s what it meant when they went out into the cold.

However, there is possibly another explanation that may make more sense and the legend of old warriors going out into the cold may just have been put out to cover up the actual truth. 

With a winter lasting several years…if I had to guess, I would say about 13, there would have been an extreme shortage of food. Cannibalism is hinted at throughout the text, and it’s likely something that will be practice throughout Westeros when the Long Night falls again. The old warriors may have simply volunteered to be food for their family or forcibly used in this manner. The legend of them going out to hunt could have arisen to hide this truth.

If this was not the case, and the old warriors did indeed go out “hunting” as the legend states with the implication being they knew they wouldn’t return, one can argue that they knowingly went out to join with the Others. The question then becomes why.

EDITED SECTION BEGINS.

It is popularly believed that Dawn, the famous sword wielded by Arthur Dayne and other past Daynes as “Sword of the Morning,” is in fact the ancient house sword of House Stark that Catelyn mentions in her first chapter of A Game of Thrones.

"I am always proud of Bran," Catelyn replied, watching the sword as he stroked it. She could see the rippling deep within the steel, where the metal had been folded back on itself a hundred times in the forging. Catelyn had no love for swords, but she could not deny that Ice had its own beauty. It had been forged in Valyria, before the Doom had come to the old Freehold, when the ironsmiths had worked their metal with spells as well as hammers. Four hundred years old it was, and as sharp as the day it was forged. The name it bore was older still, a legacy from the age of heroes, when the Starks were Kings in the North. —AGOT, Catelyn I

The current familial sword of House Stark is just about 400 years old and is not the original. It is instead named after a sword from the Age of Heroes. Now what sword in the story could that be? Possibly one forged from the heart of a fallen star that landed at Starfall.

House Dayne, or more specifically their house sword will be central to the final events of the story. However, they are as mysterious as the Others. Not much is known about them as George says it would spoilery to reveal more. Nonetheless, we do know some things, like they are a First Men house.

At the mouth of the Torrentine, House Dayne raised its castle on an island where that roaring, tumultuous river broadens to meet the sea. Legend says the first Dayne was led to the site when he followed the track of a falling star and there found a stone of magical powers. His descendants ruled over the western mountains for centuries thereafter as Kings of the Torrentine and Lords of Starfall. —The World of Ice and Fire-Dawn: Kingdom of the First Men

We also know a little about their famous sword. It’s very similar to Valyrian steel except for one aspect.

The Daynes of Starfall are one of the most ancient houses in the Seven Kingdoms, though their fame largely rests on their ancestral sword, called Dawn, and the men who wielded it. Its origins are lost to legend, but it seems likely that the Daynes have carried it for thousands of years. Those who have had the honor of examining it say it looks like no Valyrian steel they know, being pale as milk glass but in all other respects it seems to share the properties of Valyrian blades, being incredibly strong and sharp.  —The World of Ice and Fire – Dorne: The Andals Arrive

We have a sword made from the heart of a fallen star and that is described as pale as milk glass unlike Valyrian steel, which is described as almost black, but is also made from a mysterious metal.

Tyrion wondered where the metal for this one had come from. A few master armorers could rework old Valyrian steel, but the secrets of its making had been lost when the Doom came to old Valyria. "The colors are strange," he commented as he turned the blade in the sunlight. Most Valyrian steel was a grey so dark it looked almost black, as was true here as well. But blended into the folds was a red as deep as the grey. The two colors lapped over one another without ever touching, each ripple distinct, like waves of night and blood upon some steely shore. "How did you get this patterning? I've never seen anything like it." A Storm of Swords, Tyrion IV

When you consider the two opposing factions of the story symbolized by the two moons in the sky, one ice, and the other fire, it makes sense to assume that the fallen star Dawn is said to be forged from was likely a piece of the icy moon that fell to earth in Dorne. On the other hand, Valyrian steel blades, including the first ever blade, which was likely the one used to kill Nissa Nissa, and which I believe to have been Blackfyre, are made from shards of the fire moon. 

The Qarthian myth tells us that many pieces of meteors from the fire moon fell to Planetos, which makes sense if that moon was destroyed or thrown out of orbit. Thus, it also makes sense that there are many more Valyrian steel blades around and likely hundreds more lost during the Doom of Valyria. However, the only meteor from the ice moon we’ve told fell to Planetos is the piece at Starfall.

As the quote up thread shows, Dawn is described as pale as milk glass several times in the text, one famous instance being the mysterious battle at the Tower of Joy that Ned remembers in his dreams.

"And now it begins," said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milk glass, alive with light. A Game of Thrones, Eddard X

Do you know what else in the text is described as pale as milk glass and or alive with light? You guess it…the Others and the swords they carry. Here is the description of the one killed by Sam.

Sam rolled onto his side, eyes wide as the Other shrank and puddled, dissolving away. In twenty heartbeats its flesh was gone, swirling away in a fine white mist. Beneath were bones like milk glass, pale and shiny, and they were melting too. Finally, only the dragonglass dagger remained, wreathed in steam as if it were alive and sweating. Grenn bent to scoop it up and flung it down again at once. "Mother, that's cold." A Storm of Swords, Sam I

And here is the description of the sword wielded by the one who attacks Waymar.

A shadow emerged from the dark of the wood. It stood in front of Royce. Tall, it was, and gaunt and hard as old bones, with flesh pale as milk. Its armor seemed to change color as it moved; here it was white as new-fallen snow, there black as shadow, everywhere dappled with the deep grey-green of the trees. The patterns ran like moonlight on water with every step it took. Will heard the breath go out of Ser Waymar Royce in a long hiss. "Come no farther," the lordling warned. His voice cracked like a boy's. He threw the long sable cloak back over his shoulders, to free his arms for battle, and took his sword in both hands. The wind had stopped. It was very cold. The Other slid forward on silent feet. In its hand was a longsword like none that Will had ever seen. No human metal had gone into the forging of that blade. It was alive with moonlight, translucent, a shard of crystal so thin that it seemed almost to vanish when seen edge-on. There was a faint blue shimmer to the thing, a ghost-light that played around its edges, and somehow Will knew it was sharper than any razor. A Game of Thrones – Prologue.

Like Dawn, the Others are described as pale as milk glass and their swords are alive with light. What does all this information have to do with Dawn and the contradiction I mentioned about the Others?

Well, if Dawn was made from a piece of the ice moon, and is indeed the ancient familial sword of House Stark, who wielded it in the ancient past?

The Starks have a mysterious connection to the Others in their ancient past. Now we see the sword that potentially is the ancient blade of their house, might have been made from a piece of the ice moon, and has icy connotations in that it is described exactly as the Others are in the text. 

So again, who wielded the sword in the ancient past? Might it have been the Night’s King, and leader of the Others, who I’ve argued is the male progenitor of House Stark? I think the answer is quite likely yes…especially as it’s foreshadowed in the text that Jon will bear the sword in the future.

Now here is where the contradiction comes into play. The Others are said to come during the night. Some have even argued that they bring the night, but I don’t think that’s the case. But what happens to milk glass in the dark? If it was not clear to you in the alive with light references, George spells it out for you with Jorah’s words to Dany while they are in the Dothraki Sea.

"Here and now," Ser Jorah agreed. "You ought to see it when it blooms, all dark red flowers from horizon to horizon, like a sea of blood. Come the dry season, and the world turns the color of old bronze. And this is only hranna, child. There are a hundred kinds of grass out there, grasses as yellow as lemon and as dark as indigo, blue grasses and orange grasses and grasses like rainbows. Down in the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai, they say there are oceans of ghost grass, taller than a man on horseback with stalks as pale as milk glass. It murders all other grass and glows in the dark with the spirits of the damned. The Dothraki claim that someday ghost grass will cover the entire world, and then all life will end." That thought gave Dany the shivers. A Game of Thrones, Daenerys III

Now there is a lot of symbolism at play in that passage such as who are the spirits of the damned, that I will be exploring in a future essay. For now, I just want you to see how with Dany’s shiver, and description of the ghost grass, George wants pale as milk glass to be associated with the Others. And what does milk glass do in the dark, it glows.

This raises the question of why, if the Others are this destructive force to be overcome, George is positioning them, and their Night King leader, and the sword he quite likely bore as what one could call, beacons in the dark. 

Because that’s what Dawn is. It’s a herald in the dark. So why was a sword that heralds the end of the Long Night and the start of a new day wielded by the Night’s King, and leader of the icy Others? And why is it called Dawn and not say, Night, or maybe even Blackfyre? See what I mean about contradictions in the legend of the Others. 

Why was Dawn, the sword foreshadowed to be wielded by the leader of the battle for the dawn previously wielded by the Night’s King, because that’s what’s implied in George’s description of the sword and him comparing it to the Others.

So, what are your thoughts about the Others? Why do you think they are back and what is their role in the story…especially if they end up being led by Jon as I’ve proposed.

[ackermental]

what did you mean you're not really a fan of rhaegar x lyanna?

Well, that's a complicated one. I'm more neutral towards them, let's say.

From the fanon point of view I do enjoy this version: a dashing, handsome prince kidnapping a young lady that he fell in love with. True love from the first sight, supposedly unhappy matches for both of them, running away together to have happy sex, resulting in the birth of THE CHOSEN ONE, who will save the world from the ice zombies, etc. Tragic ending for both of them, but the child survives to make their parents proud! Fire and Ice elements, referance to the title!

It checks out all of the boxes, when it's presented this way, how can you not like it? And I do myself enjoy reading some fanfics about those two, I'm not going to pretend that I don't. Also, I think it's absolutely fine if you believe that this version is canon, if you enjoy this part of the asoiaf fandom, if you love those characters, you name it.

But while reading the story, I must addmit that it was never how I saw their reletionship. Like, I know that for some reason this is a particularly touchy subject for most of this fandom, but let's stop pretending that GRRM writes some tragic Snow White stories. He's a sci-fi story writer, and a horror sci-fi at that. And it just so happens that I've read a lot of his books, before I've ever looked at GOT. So you may or may not believe me when I say this, nonny (since it's not really my purpose to change your mind, I'm just trying to show my point of view), that this whole fairy tale presented above is the most removed thing from Martin's writing style.

Ok, I'll just get it out of my chest: book!Rhaegar gives me fucking creeps! Any time when I actually start thinking about Tower of Joy and what transpired there, I find it hard to fall asleep. Again, I'm not exaggerating, I have nightmares about this shit.

Now, before any of you 'Rhaegar was a pedo, Rhaegar cheated on his wife, Rheagar forsake his duty so that he could rape a child' enthusiasts jump on this wagon, let me halt you where you stand.

No. I don't believe that Rhaegar found abandoning his realm, mother, brother, friends, wife and children to fuck a girl he only met once a year ago very pleasing. Actually, nothing less than madness could be responsible for such a thing to even accur, and yeah, that's what I believe: that Rhaegar went mad. Mad as in mad mad or mad as in obsessed, that I'm still not certain about.

The question is, if it was because of the fact that his parents were siblings or was it because someone was messing with his mind? Well, again, based on a long list of Martin's works, it was obviously the later. Either Children or Bran made Rhaegar absolutely obsessed with eugenics. Obviously, not in the way that we understand eugenics now. I'm pretty certain that, like always, he was presented with some bullshit prophecy, just like 90% of the characters in those books were, or he was convinced that this was the way for the House Targaryen to reclaim dragons. After all, Rhaegar was connected to this quest since his birth (Summerhall).

And like, a lot of things connected to Rhaegar and Lyanna story brings to my mind things like: breeding people for the specific set of genes, the repeating themes of roses, crown, young lady and Harrenhal (Sansa storyline), hatching of dragons, fire and blood (more specifically: a blood sacrifice).

We know that there needs to be a specific set of genes in order for a person to hatch a dragon. But maybe there is something else as well that is needed after almost two centuries.

So yeah, with the canon we have access to now, I'm, unfortunately, of the mind that somebody was sending green dreams to Rhaegar about the return of the dragons, same dreams many Targaryens had before (Egg to name one). He was convinced that Lyanna had the right set of genes, maybe thanks to her skinchangin abilities. This was probably done after something went wrong with Elia (who I believe was also picked for this purpose, but maybe hadn't had the right bloodline after all) or (and it is my baised opinion as a huge Martel fan, so take it with the same huge grain of salt) Rhaegar felt more comfortable with sacrificing a girl he didn't know, rather than his wife of many years. Which makes this whole thing even more ironic, because we know what happened to her. (Although was it his fault, or was the rebellion inevitable and Rhaegar just decided he didn't have to or even couldn't wait anymore?)

To whom even is the Prince who was promised actually promised? The world? The gods? Is it an exchange? That is, if we look at this whole thing from Rhaegar perpective, because none of the prophecies or the gods in GRRMs works are actually real. They are always false, always sent to manipulate human kind, to bring catastrophy and a hive-minded civilisation about. Did the Children of the forest, a hive-minded race, convince Rhaegar through false dreams that he needed to produce an heir with a very specific bloodline? Did they sold him some bullshit about three heads etc. after he failed with Elia? Did they convince him that he needed to kill the mother in order for dragons to hatch: a life for a life? Or was it about killing/sacrificing the child? Or both. Or maybe neither should have died according to some old texts about Dragons, but then at least one did anyway?

As for the whole legitimization and wedding and all of that... I don't think that Rhaegar was really concerned with those things 🤣. Sorry for laughing, I swear I'm not trying to be waspish. I just honestly find the idea of Lyanna and Rhaegar wedding hilarious, and the presence of the Kingsguard as a justification for this idea even more so.

Were the Kingsguard there to protect the child, or to make sure that nobody gets out? Dayne was a great friend of Rhaegar and he probably had no love for Lyanna as a Dornishman. Whents were lords of Harrenhal (which is strongly connected to blood magic), where this whole thing had began. And since we are at Harrenhal, I always did wonder if crowning Lyanna was planned beforehand? (which would mean that Rhaegar did his research or he had a sudden, one might say, gods sent urge to crown Lyanna, both versions equally disturbing). And Hightower element might be why the whole thing went to seven hells. They did couse an entire war in order to get rid off the dragons. Why would it change? Hightowers do like getting their hands dirty with dark magic, so who knows, maybe Rhaegar did ask them about some rituals. Espacially if they have a copy of Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History from the time of the Dance. Maybe even the same one that Alicent was reading, who knows. And maybe they've changed the recipy a little bit, tricking Rhaegar in the process.

So yeah, the Tower of Joy in my opinion was some really creepy, twisted mix between Summerhall (hatching dragons), Duskendale (kidnapping and raping - because yeah, Serala did rape Aerys, only this time it was a Targaryen doing the kidnapping and probably raping too) and Danelle Lothston shenanigans. Not very romantic, even in a tragic way, if you ask me.

Anyway, like I've said, I have nothing against the version most fans believe in, it's just that my perspective makes it sometimes very hard to talk about them as a star-crossed lovers when discussing things in canon.

But you do you, nonny.

[bohemian-nights]

What are your predictions for HOTD season 2?

Erm disappointment 🙃 🤣🤣🤣

Okay um, I’m hoping that after Blood & Cheese plays out(which should happen by episode 2) we see more of the Alicent from episodes 6 and 7 I’ll do whatever to protect my children and myself Alicent rather than I don’t know what the hell is going on Alicent from episode 8 and 9. I need to see politically competent Alicent.

House Hightower will be great(I just really want to see the inside of Hightower. That’s all I ask for).

The Lannisters get to show off again that they are rich b*tches💰(Jason will show how much of a lovable idiotic flop he is).

Daeron will be the new it boy(still won’t overtake Aemond or Daemon, but he’ll give them a run for their money).

Dumbnyra will be away from each other for most of the season from what I’ve heard(and as their #1 hater outside of Ryan Condal that is music to my ears🎼).

Daemon will be trying to prove himself because finding out his brother dearest didn’t trust him/never saw him as his heir is a crushing blow for him, but he’ll be better than ever once he meets his Netty 😏 He’ll acknowledge that Rhaena exists and they’ll have a heart to heart 🙏🏽(Ryan have him talk to his only daughters 🙃).

Rhaena will get a dragon egg and realize that she was a cool girl all along😎

(Or she’ll pull a Mulan, dye her hair, and become a nurse for the Green camp. At the end of season 2, she meets Gwayne/Garmund/Daeron in disguise who is injured the two fall in love. She nurses him back to health as the world around them falls apart. Eventually, they marry in secret, comfort each other as their family members die by one, and survive the war together. They are each other's glue, they have lots of babies, and recently hatched Morning approves🐉. This isn’t fanfiction guys. Ryan Condal leaked this to me himself😎).

Aegon will become a sad hoe(literally).

Helaena will just speak in prophecies(I mean she already does this, but she'll really amp up predicting stuff, including everyone's death).

Criston finds out about the situation(🤢) and beats and/or threatens Larys creepy a** for Alicent(that nasty foot hoe deserves it 🤷🏽‍♀️).

Aemond feels the burden of his responsibilities when Aegon is injured and he becomes regent(setting the stage for him finding comfort in Alys for season 3).

Rhaenyra will be a more active participant since they want to make her into a #girl-boss feminist(Seeing Nettles claiming Sheepstealer will shake her up a bit).

Mysaria will say her involvement with Blood & Cheese was revenge for the children in the fighting pits(still doesn’t make sense but they made her into a “child activist”).

Baela will want to go with Rhaenys to Rooks Rest, but she’s held back because of the danger. She breaks down when Granny dies 😔

Corlys will continue to be an idiot until wifey dies then he finally gets it.

Addam and Alyn are Ser Vaemond’s sons 🤞🏽(Let him get the last laugh).

Lots of Dragonseed deaths during episodes 5-6(I’ll probably laugh at half of them especially when Alyn is almost ended by my baby’s baby).

From the looks of things, Addam Velaryon claiming Seasmoke will be a pretty big deal. There’s a leak that Laenor is dead and Rhaenyra finds this out by Addam claiming Seasmoke.

A little flirtation between Alyn and Baela (Again Ryan Condal personally told me Alyn will be good, kind, and loving to Baela. He’ll sweep her off her feet. Jace who? Jace what? He’s like the perfect future husband guys trust me. He's not a hoe. That's just Green propaganda 🥲).

Sara Snow will be there. Come on it’s too messy to scrape and Jace is less interesting than watching paint dry. He needs this and Baela needs an real man🤐

Something something pack of ice and fire convo between Cregan and Jace something.

I know some people have reservations about Gayle now, but I wholeheartedly believe that people are going to fall in love with her portrayal of Alys(and Alysmond will rightfully overtake Pukemond as Aemond’s #1 ship). Hopefully, Alys roasts Daemon like how she did in that leaked audition tape 🤐

Judging by how much they are keeping Nettles under wraps, her claiming Sheepstealer will be absolutely epic. This is my most anticipated moment for season two. I want all the stops pulled out. I want Nettles to make the connection that dragons will accept food for rides on her own or hear something in passing on how the first Valyrians claimed/tamed their dragons and then figure it out from there.

(Daemon will be upset to hear about Nettles at first/view her as a threat because she shouldn’t exist in his Valyrian supremacist mind, but then he sees her and is like 😍).

There was a “leak” that allegedly stated Netty and Daemon meet sometime during the latter half of the season. They take a liking to each other and at some point, they go off together but come back to help in the Battle of the Gullet(BOTG). I’m not too crazy about this leak since I want Netty to be very wary of him at first instead of just jumping to be with him. He needs to really work for her affection.

The season will probably end on news that the Triarchy is attacking the Gullet(ending the season with them preparing for the BOTG). However, one of the “leaks” did say that allegedly the Blacks will take Kings Landing before the BOTG so they may plan their attack from there(hence Daemon and Nettles coming back to help them).

Not really a prediction, but I hope we see Johanna Lannister(seriously if HBO cuts her I’m considering it a crime). She’s like my favorite minor character during the Dance(and what happens to the Westerland women shows once again how Queenie doesn’t care about women except for herself). Now she’s what I’d call a bada** woman 🙌🏽

Anyway, I hope these fairytales are sufficient ☺️

[venusintheblindspots-blog]

Comparing Two of My Favorite Characters :

Sasuke Uchiha

Daenerys Targaryen

PARALLELS

Questionable brother figures who became victims of their circumstances and eventually their abusers…

The loss of their family all together, with Daenerys never meeting most of hers, being the ‘last’ of their bloodline…

Being responsible for the restoration of honor to their family name,-Targaryen and Uchiha…

Secret family members, with questionable intentions…

Connecting with people who were/are in similar positions as them/they were…

Now as for where they diverge, the perception of their family, and how much it is bound to change.

Rhaegar Targaryen and Itachi Uchiha are one in the same to me. Both elder brothers with good intentions but terrible execution of their plans.

Sasuke spends the majority of the Naruto series believing that his brother was a power hungry, deranged and narcissistic man who committed genocide on his own family in pursuit of a stronger dojutsu.

He learns from Obito Uchiha later on, after he kills his be, that his brother was a victim of the adults around him,-that convinced a thirteen year old that the only way to retain peace was to wipe out his own people.

Sasuke then declares vengeance against the Hidden Leaf village, and abandons his brother’s intentions of restoring honor to the Uchiha.

Relating this to Daenerys, she hears of her family mostly through her elder brother, Viserys, and knights like Ser Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selma. The memories they share of Rhaegar, Aerys and Rhaella are often hear-say or second hand information. The stories usually paint Rhaegar and Aerys as noble, while in canon, a lot of their actions (especially Aerys’) are horrifying. Daenerys herself serves as the antithesis of House Targaryen, she’s everything but nothing like her ancestors. I reckon that after finding out the works of Aerys, Daenerys, unlike Sasuke, will continue to rewrite the wrongs of Old Valyria.

To touch on another similarity between the two,- they are both the narrative heirs of the two ancestors that came way before them, The Amethyst Princess, and Indra Otutsuki.

Amethyst Princess - Dany

Bloodstone Emperor - Viserys

Indra Otutsuki - Sasuke

Ashura Otutsuki - Naruto

Sasuke and Daenerys’ approach is very different when opposing these two characters.

Naruto is the protagonist and the hero of the story, whereas Sasuke is deuteragonist. Daenerys is the arguably the protagonist of a Song of Ice and Fire, and Viserys exists in her story.

After her marriage to Khal Drogo, Viserys’ rage towards Dany stems from jealousy of her status and the agency she now has as Khaleesi. She grieves his death, yes, but had he survived, her dragon eggs would’ve never hatched. She wouldn’t have become Azor Ahai, the Mother of Dragons, etc. Daenerys does what the Amethyst Princess and even Targaryens before her couldn’t do, by restoring the balance between ice and fire magic through the birth of dragons, thus creating a new era.

In Sasuke’s case, Naruto had good intentions for him. Naruto’s jealousy for Sasuke was merely boy-envy. His pursuit of Sasuke comes from a need to understand his grief and loss. Sasuke does what Indra Otutsuki and Madara Uchiha couldn’t,-he moved pass his need for vengeance, and ended the cycle of hatred for the Uchiha Clan.

[breathe2-fr]

Lore: The Shifting Wing Caravan

Life in the Shifting Expanse is vastly different from the clan's early days. Under constant paranoia of attacks from the Shade and falling back on Wind instincts to keep moving, Spelldancer led the clan as a caravan through the Charged Barrens. The desert being the most volatile and dangerous of the land, the Matriarch hoped the rolling lightning would naturally deter anything from following them. That said, the clan itself must survive the same hardships, and developed methods to do so.

The clan operates in two states: lairing and caravan. All dragons in the clan earn their keep by working in some way, but the way they work varies depending on the clan's state.

Lairing

The clan uses temporary lairs for shelter. The clan chooses to lair when the Shifting Expanse's storms are too severe to travel through, there are a high number of eggs incubating, or their scouts sense danger and need to hide. The ultimate goal of lairing is to give dragons a much needed rest and protect the dragons from attacks, as the lair will have only one exit, which is guarded.

These lairs are caves deep below the sands of the desert where the earth begins to harden, allowing for structure to form. The clan's lair building workers, known as the Carving Team, work quickly to construct caves to serve the entirety of the clan for lairing. The Carving Team is split into specialties by element: Earth dragons make up the Carvers, Lightning dragons make up the Grounders, and Fire dragons make up the Smiths. Carvers dig directly into the ground and use their Earth magic to shape it to their desires. Grounders maintain and run cables throughout the caves to provide electricity to power lights and other comforts. Smiths help construct metal beams and any forging needs the Carvers and Grounders need. Corycia (#61707542) leads the team and inspects their work across all work groups. Corycia also makes the final call on when the clan will lair, as she will not allow lairing to begin without finding a suitable location.

The Carving Team is widely respected in the clan, being the hardest working dragons who server the most basic need of everyone: shelter. When they finish, Carvers spend the rest of the lairing state resting, as their work is the most laborious. Grounders and Smiths, however, have other tasks to attend to, such as engineering and smithing respectively.

While lairing, other working dragons take the opportunity to craft. Artisans will create new goods from their supplies. These items will be sold later when the clan caravans. Some dragons' tasks have them tending to the population in order to maintain good mental health and morale. For example, there are lair decorators who are in charge of beautifying the lair, as living in underground caves for several months with limited surface time can be depressing. Relaxing areas are maintained, such as saunas and game rooms, and some dragons run events. Stylists maintain the coats of furred dragons to prevent overheating in the desert, and fire and ice dragons work in tandem to maintain comfortable temperatures throughout - though in some cases, some rooms are much hotter or colder to accomodate dragons whose element/grooming require such.

Dragons who wish to nest will often wait for lairing to do so, though this is not the case for every pair. The tasks of hatching eggs and rearing young are not the parents' job, however. The clan employs nannies that wrap eggs in metal coils, which are topped with clamps and can be hung from cables suspended from the ceiling. These coils run the natural electricity eminating from the eggs back over them to maintain a warm temperature. After hatching, the hatchling will be raised by the nannies.

Currently, Pajamas (#55529581) is the only nanny. As the task of corralling hatchlings can be overwhelming the more of them that there are, lairing is sometimes initiated at her request. (Note: in my canon, spirals are larger, so she is large enough to carry most hatchlings.)

Housing caverns give individuals and pairs their own privacy while also keeping living quarters nearby. Dragons can put in special requests for their units and the Carvers will note them and attempt to meet the dragons' needs the next time the lair is built.

After some time lairing, the clan will pack up and abandon the lair. The clan switches to caravaning when it's determined the coast is clear, or contrastly, leadership has determined staying in the current lair is no longer safe. Switching from lairing to caravaning is done very quickly; within a few hours of notifying all clanmates, they leave. Dragons need to be ready to leave as soon as possible, and any items not carryable must be left behind. Carvers will destroy the lair by causing cave-ins. Lairs are destroyed to help prevent aggressors from finding the remains and determining where the clan has been. Grounders and Smiths will do their best to collect their cables and support beams to carry with them for the next lair.

During lairing, dragons only leave the clan under special circumstances, or if they have a job that requires it. Hunter/Gatherers are allowed to leave at any time to stock the food supply, as is the War Party to maintain the safety and security of the clan.

Caravan

The caravan state is when the clan is traveling. The clan employs a team called the Spellshields; these are Arcane dragons with high mage proficiency that maintain protective shields at all times while exposed to the desert's topside. This prevents rogue electrical waves from running through the clan, which wouldn't affect the Lightning dragons too much, but could devastate other members of the clan. The shields also protect from harsh winds and sands buffeting them as they travel.

The Spellshields are not constantly maintaining the shields themselves. They use compact devices designed by Delwen (#54524815) to store their magic, which then generates the dome of pink magic over the clan. This allows the caravan to travel for months if needed without wearing down the Spellshields.

Dragons are expected to be able to carry their own possessions, but in the cases of dragons who have many items for their crafts, they may employ the help of Carriers. These are often Wind dragons who use their magic to lift heavy items along with the clan as they travel, but can also be large/built dragons who can simply handle the burden of the items when packed onto them. Due to their heavy loads, the clan mostly walks during caravan time, rather than flying through the storm. Maintaining spell shields would be too difficult during flight as well. Some dragons have built sled-like carts that can be pulled by large dragons, which give them a place to store their wares as well as act as a market stall when visitors come by.

When not directly traveling, dragons will hunker down in the sands, under the protective shields. During this time, they often run trade stalls in a bazaar. Dragons traveling through the expanse will often notice the large spell shields and stop in to rest from the storm, and many times they will trade. There are often dragons coming in and out of the clan because of this, and these visitors help maintain the caravan's livelihood by bringing new supplies and treasure in.

Artisans will trade for money and for supplies to make more of their craft. Making a profit is important, as it allows them to replenish their stock for their next sales, but also aquire necessities for their own lives and the lives of their fellow clanmates.

Any eggs that are laid during travel will be carried by large dragons wearing special harnesses. These harnesses allow the incubator coils to be clamped to the dragon, allowing for clawless carrying.

Dragons who wish to leave the clan for some time, for trading or for indepentant travel, are allowed to do so at this time. However, it's difficult to return to return during lairing times, as individuals are not informed where the clan will to travel or lair. This knowledge is only known to the leaders of the clan. So many dragons will try to return as quickly as possible, or plan on searching the desert for the sign of their spell shield and hope for the best.

Though hope is not lost for dragons who unfortunately don't make it back. The clan's Star Readers, Apollo (#56410277) and Nautilus (#70670034), spend most of their time flying directly through the storm clouds of the Expanse in order to reach the stars above. These two can serve as a touchstone for anyone who is lost, as they always know where the clan is and can give guidance to anyone they recognize. If someone they don't know comes asking for directions, however, they may be unwilling to help without a good reason.

With Nautilus' intense speed, the pair has a sweeping view of the desert around the clan, and also keep an eye out for any suspicious activity on the horizon. If they notice anything, they report back to leadership and the War Party. Otherwise, they help offer insight to leadership on where to navigate based on weather conditions and astrological readings.

When the call goes out to begin carving, visitors are quickly warned: "you may stay with us, but we'll be underground for who knows how long. If you do not wish to stay, leave now." The clan will then immediately pack up their stalls as shallow pits are quickly carved out, and the clan goes under the sands. Once in the pits, the spell shields are snuffed out, and the Carvers work quickly to get the basic structure for the lair started.

[laskume-dragon]

After going through all my Dragon AU posts to make my masterpost i noticed that I've never actually talked about any specific characters. I dropped some tiny bit of general lore once....but that was about it.

So now that I've doodled Alucard, i decided to drop some general AU lore about him!

Species:

Alucard is a so-called Iceling and would be classified as western dragon.

Icelings are quadruped, two winged, of a very lean build and tend to show a lot of resemblance to wolves. They're generally covered in white fur and have feathered wings. Their paw pads, skin and nose are black while their eyes and tailfeathers tend to have bluish tones.

They're native to high mountain ranges and very cold regions.

Their fur then helps them to stay undetected in snowy areas, while the black skin has the same use as for polar bears, to stay warm.

Even though they're dragons, Icelings aren't reptiles. They're warmblooded mammals and their evolution is thus analogous to reptilian dragons, sharing a lot of the classic characteristics of a dragon, without sharing the same ancestor. Though birthing living young has a lot more advantages in cold areas then it is to lay eggs. At least for dragons that spit ice instead of fire and don't have as specialized breeding techniques like penguins. Though in general they're quite immune to freezing. A layer of natural antifreeze (i think glucose had that ability??) right under their skin, shields them from frost. A minimized bloodflow to the extremities and the skin also keeps them from loosing too much heat, making them probably very cold to the touch, while in their core they're warm.

Character appearence:

I said Icelings are usually white but Alucard isn't. What's up with that?

Long story short: gene variation and mutation still exists in this AU. So the magic term is ✨Melanism✨

Or more like pseudomelanism, cus Alucard is not entirely black. The degree of this varies with each form.

Vladcard: probably most black form of all with a few lighter patches of fur on his chest and belly.

Usual Alucard: left frontpaw and two primary feathers on each wing white, rest black

Lady-/Girlycard: mostly white with black patches scattered across her body. Ladycard & Girlycard are basically the same form, only differentiate in the age of appearance (if you know what i mean. Language is hard), depends on what Alu is in the mood for lmao

Backstory:

Has vague similarities to canon but at the same time its very different. Its kinda of patchy and probably things will change in the future but here's a summary of what i have so far:

Alucard was born into the leader family of a pretty big Icelingpack, which was having quite a lot of problems with neighboring packs and defending their territory and shite. So... environment was tense when he grew up and finally took over the pack. At some point there was a big attack on the pack and their territory, catching Alucard by surprise. The attackers, partially Tainteds, were ruthless and killed who they could, including Alucards mate and cubs at the time. He too then fell as he got attacked by another rogue Tainted. But bc they didn't really care what they were doing, they didn't notice that they hadn't killed him completely. Instead the tainting curse befell Alucard. His turn was rough, only driven to success by his own desperate want to stay conscious and alive.

So now he was an accidental tainted, with no master or guidance, no pack and unsure what the hell he even was. For a long time he stayed on his own as he struggled with bloodlust and powers he did not understand.

At some point he stumbled upon a demon (Baskerville) who was for some reason locked out of and unable to return to hell. On his own the demon wouldn't have survived on the mortal plain, but since both had something the other needed at the time, they formed a bond. Alucard needed guidance and company, which Baskerville could provide. In turn he received protection from Alucard and a body he could possess and reside in.

After gaining control over his tainted aspects, Alucard traveled north in search of new territory. He came across a piece of land that was under the rule of the Hellsing pack, lead by a strong goldheavic with the name Abraham (wink wink nudge nudge). Ofc as a stranger hanging around in some other packs territory and also injuring some residents there, when he needed to feed, (in opposite to canon he did not kill all kinds of random people just bc he needed a nibble lmao) Alucard quickly pulled the Alphas attention to himself. Since Alucard wasn't very keen on wrecking the same kind of havoc he had pretty much just survived, he formally challenged Abraham to a duel. This served as a matter of damage control, cus it would keep uninvolved dragons out of the fight and would still provide him with a pack and territory should he win.

Turns out he severely underestimated Abrahams strength and firepower, cus he got his ass KICKED. Still, Abraham was very impressed by Alucards strength and willpower and instead of killing him or driving him out of his territory, he took him in and let him join the pack, providing him with a new home.

And thats pretty much it.

Ofc i could keep going with Alucards life in his new pack but i kinda wanna make it a post of its own, so I'll stop right here.

If you actually took the time to read this absolute rollercoaster. Thank you! Have a cookie and, if you want, a hug!! I appreciate it very much. And if there are questions...pls ask.

I'd love to rant more about my AU lmao!!

[Masterpost]

[talesfrommedinastation]

Sudden realization on why I loved 'The Outpost'

This episode of 'The Bad Batch', in a way, was terrible.

Terrible because...how do you follow a masterpiece like this?

How do you do anything but re-watch that episode, over and over again, wondering how something this sublime can come out on Disney +?!

How do you come close to the drama, laconic humor, brilliant animation, character development, and grim, Dosteyevskian outlook on life after that?! In 30 minutes?! Gah.

This is a thesis that matched the argument, just so wonderfully done.

Not to mention, I'm from icy climates myself. I'm a settler on the historic homelands of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe nation, in a lovely mix of prairie and forest. Our winters can be brutal, sometimes hitting -40 C. I've been snowed out of track meets, often ski and snowshoe up until April, and have gone both trick-or-treating and Easter egg hunting in the snow.

I love it.

The rushing sound of cold wind, the feel of ice on your cheeks, the comfort of a fire and a friend. The feeling of darkness and cold, with the quiet of the snow and the howling of endless force outside your door.

God DAMN was this episode everything.

It also reminded me of my favorite parts of one of my favorite series of all time.

All of the Wall scenes from 'Game of Thrones'.

(Part of me wants to draw terrible fanart of Jon Snow and Crosshair running into each other, lol. I guess they can just huff at each other?).

Dragons and political banter and knights are fun, but the scenes involving the Wall and the Night's Watch are my favorite, and it made me realize what I loved so much about 'The Outpost'.

I love the sense of foreboding dread that winter can bring, endless ice and chill. The ongoing sense of a white horizon, the blinding brilliance of the sun on snow. Long dark nights, short, bitter days. The feel of your skin as the wind and the cold hits.

The necessary comradery that only survival in an intense, unforgiving wilderness can bring....whether you are a clone or a brother of the Night's Watch.

The dead of winter is the same for us all, especially if we are understaffed and under siege.

(And I won't go into how Mayday and Jeor Mormont were so much alike in their stoicism, dedication, and tragic devotion to protecting against horrific odds. Maybe I'll do some equally mediocre fan art of those two drinking by a fire, making smores, I don't know)

We can never have enough winter scenes in media, especially in stories of brutal heroics. Because when they are done correctly, they are projected deep into building a character's true nature and mettle.

[clanoffelidae]

Now that I’ve mentioned it I wanna infodump about my alien dragons bc I haven’t talked about them in a long time and mentioning them just activated the neurodivergency

Doing everything in brief bc I’m on mobile and also have to work on moving today which I. Haven’t done yet. But I WILL-

Anyway. The basic premise for them is I wanted to tell a story about aliens living on Earth for so long people didn’t realize they weren’t originally from Earth. The fact that their biology is similar enough to an Earth organism to be mistaken for one by people without genetic sequencing or looking through the evolutionary lens at things (not realizing they seem to have no common ancestors) is the whole point.

The fact that they can breathe Earth’s atmosphere, the fact that they can consume the food that grows on Earth to meet their dietary requirements, the fact that they have surface level similarities to Earth life is all intentional! Because their story is that a ship crash lands towards the end of the last Ice Age, enough survive that they manage to gain a foothold on Earth, but soon enough they themselves have forgotten their own history, and now both humans and dragons believe that they have always shared this planet. Dragons have their creation stories, they say they were born of a giant, metal egg that flew in the heavens and spewed fire; that’s why they’re scales are as tough as that metal egg’s shell, that’s why they fly just like the egg, and that’s why they can spew fire as that egg that bore them; but those stories are the only remnants of their history.

But I also wanted them to still be alien, to still be such that a reader would look at them and the assertion that they are from Earth and start to see that things aren’t what they seem, it’s just the characters who never question it, because that’s the way it’s always been. Dragons have been here as long as human history recalls. But the reader can start to see that things might not be what they seem. (But neither side is hiding the truth, because neither side knows.)

And so we have the dragons. No special name, no special words to refer to them, they’re just dragons. In this world the mythos of dragons isn’t mythos, they’re right next door and you can go talk to them. Stories of dragons aren’t of mythical beasts, they’re stories of heroes of legend, just like humans.

Of course, the reader would quickly notice that they don’t quite line up with our classical ideas of dragons.

For one, they’re human-sized. They typically walk on four legs, but will often stand up on two to work with objects or even just have conversations. Standing up on two legs has the same social connotations as standing up from sitting; you might hang out on four legs with your friends, but if someone you want to be respectful towards approaches you you will stand up on two and straighten up unless invited to return to four. Of course, there are exceptions. It is not unheard of for groups of solely dragons to walk on all fours even in formal settings, though it is not the norm. Not the majority, but not unusual either. With humans present, however, it is considered quite rude to remain on all fours in a formal setting (barring, of course, obvious physical maladies necessitating it).

Dragons have opposable digits like humans, although they possess six rather than five, having a thumb on either side. They have similar ranges of dexterity and so both species are fully capable of using one another’s tools and machinery. Dragons also have lips dexterous enough to allow human speech, and so can speak human languages with no issue. Their digestive systems can also process human foods, including dairy; dragons themselves nurse their young.*

Their eyes are often noted to be exceptional, one of the most blatant indicators of their non-Earth origins to those looking. Their eye structure doesn’t match that of any known species.

In a way they could almost be likened to proto-eyes, for the whole organ is dark and light receptive, functioning similar to a pupil. In order to adjust focus and reduce the amount of light let in dragons have thick, dark membranes around the outside of the eye, that constrict to a circular opening like a drawstring bag. This opening moves and changes sizes, the eye itself remaining fixed in the dragon’s skull. The ocular membrane is not distinct from the rest of the eye’s color, the best indicator of where a dragon is looking being where their eye has a reflection rather than matte, as the matte black indicates the presence of the ocular membrane rather than the eye underneath. Many common nicknames and pet names used by dragons for humans they love; be it platonic, familial, or romantic; often involve the eyes. ‘Jeweleyes’ is the most common, akin to ‘sweetheart’, for the first dragons who grew close enough to look into a human companion’s eyes long enough to truly observe them likened them to precious gems for their multitudes of colors, both across the species and within the individual.

Dragons have three sexes, not two, and quite differing familial structures as a result. Dragons have males and females, akin to many Earth species, with the males having similar ranges in overall size to human females and draconic females conversely matching human males in this way. This, along with their scaled hides, is why many believed they must be related to reptiles in some fashion when draconic origins were first being investigated.

However, dragons have a third sex, known as nesters.

Nesters are non-reproductive, bearing no genitalia. Their size ranges are double that of the average draconic male, and they are so heavy that few are able to sustain flight after puberty. They have a front facing horn from the center of their foreheads akin to a unicorn, although it is curved like a blade. This horn sheds from time to time much like claws shed their sheathes. Nesters also grow a mane of hair-like fibers around their shoulders and upper chests akin to a lion’s mane after reaching puberty.

Nesters are the primary caretakers of draconic young, with their evolutionary purpose in times long past being to guard the children while the males and females hunted. Males and females produce eggs, but once the eggs are laid, it is the nester who takes over and broods over them, later raising the hatchlings who come from them in time, nursing* them when they are newly hatched and caring for them until they are adults. As such, they are what would be considered a dragon’s parent, with many dragons sharing the same parent, but with many different biological ‘parents’. The term ‘guard’ is used akin to ‘mom/dad’.

Long ago, dragons had only males and females, but lines that produced nesters produced more successful offspring, although the nester did not directly contribute genetics. In time, nesters became a commonplace part of draconic biology, and dragons grew to have three sexes as opposed to two.

Nesters were archaically considered the leaders of their clans, being the strongest as they were. Nesters would fight for clans not unlike male lions might fight for prides, their front facing horn being used for combat against both predators and other nesters. Thankfully, unlike lion prides, nesters did not kill any offspring present upon defeating the previous guard, as they themselves are non-reproductive. The reason they had to fight for a clan is because they require a lot of resources, they need a lot of food to remain healthy. A clan could only afford to have so many nesters before the resource consumption outweighs the protection provided when every day is a fight for survival.

Thankfully, this was long ago, and there is more than enough food to go around in the modern day. Many dragons still live in clans composed largely of males and females with a few nesters, but many also choose to live their own way, and many also intermingle with humans and their families. Gender stereotypes have also diminished, with nesters no longer being upheld as natural leaders and the voices of males and females rising to prominence. (Dragons never had much stereotyping or equality differences between males and females, only between those two groups and nesters.)

Common nester stereotypes include a mixture of those attributed to male and female humans, with nesters being seen as both child-rearers while also being ferocious combatants. To be weak is seen as undesirable, and a nester who doesn’t want to raise hatchlings might often be told they will change their mind later, especially by older generations. They are expected to be strong and brave, the last line of defense but the most powerful one of all. Thankfully, time lessens the strains of these expectations, but they have still shaped draconic society and influence it to this day.

There’s so much else I could say but I mostly just wanted to pick up nesters and show them off. Non reproductive third sex twice the size of the others whose ‘role’ is to raise the children, lead the clan, and absolutely annihilate threats that get too close.

Dragon kid to human kid on the playground: my guard could beat up your dad >:(

Human kid who’s never actually seen a nester: nuh-uh >:(

Elementary school teacher who knows nesters are like 10 feet tall at the shoulder and can lift entire cars: I have no doubt about that sweetie how about you two talk about something else-

* = Dragons produce a milk-like substance from glands in their throat that is fed to hatchlings orally similar to birds. To make it easier for them to feed without spilling it is first curdled internally to create a cheese that is then deposited into the hungry mouthes of young hatchlings. Dragon mouth cheese is my favorite form of psychic damage :)

Instead of pre-filled baby bottles there’s mouth-cheese charcuterie boards

God bless the unknowing human who thought to snack on their nester friend’s weird cheese plate

[saelrum]

Hello, I just wanna say that your own Tabaluga adaptation is very amazing! I especially love your own designs for the characters.

If your AU is still around, I would like to know on what you have in mind for the Dragons and even the Worldbuilding between Greenland and Iceland. Also, I kinda would like to know, is Lilli (Arktos' creation who was supposed to be Tabaluga's love interest) involve in this Story as well?

First of all, thank you very much! I'm glad someone is interested in this, since it seemed to be a really good story.

This AU will always be around, I just don't have a lot of time do draw anymore, so there's not a lot of content done for anything.

My friend and I though about... A LOT of things for world-building.

Let's start with the planet itself.

When the world was created three wind were born with it:

Boreus - the northern snowstorm;

Notus - the southern dry wind;

And Zephirus - the western hurricane.

They were clashing with each other, semi-conscious, almost mindless forces of nature that could not be stopped or tamed.

Hovewer, in the heart of the storm, a tree was born. This tree was the one to create life on Earth, shielding it with its branches from harm.

The three winds saw this and decided - whoever can break this tree will be the strongest of them all. They started blowing, one by one, destroying life with every step taken closer...

But The Tree knew what to do. It planted a seed, and from this seed grew a dragon's egg. When the egg shattered, the first dragon was born.

He flapped his mighty wings three times to blow each wind away. From that moment, the life itself was saved, and all dragons became guardians of The Tree of Life and the Green Land below it.

This story is something of a legend told by oldest of creatures. The dragons themselves are very interesting creatures.

After The First Dragon, a lot of them vere born to guard the land and save it whenever winds dared to return. Each dragon was unique: their breath was not just fire. It was a Gift of nature to create and sustain life. One could breath water to create rivers, the other's breath created leaves on the trees, third one could call on lightning to light up the path during hailstorms...

Basically, each dragon had a unique force of nature in its breath. Whatever The Tree needed at the moment, like water or soil or protection, was created in the form a dragon.

But why have all of them disappeared?

Well, the answer is easy. Death.

Dragons can live for hundreds of years, but they are not immune to being killed. And what is a better weapon against nature than a human mind.

There is another legend, of how the icy, barren fields of Boreus became an advanced kingdom.

A strange humanoid creature appeared there once. It's desire for power and control was so strong that it was able to tame one of the three winds, striking a deal. And this is how Arktos was born - power-hungry, cold and cruel, a mix between a force of nature and a living being with only one goal in mind - to destroy The Tree and to conquer the Green Land, turning it into one of his frozen lands.

But first, he needed to destroy the guardians.

The dragons were powerless against Arktos. His ability to destroy life was beyond their ability to create. So they fell, one by one, until only a few was left.

Some dragons decided to join Arktos to save themselves and their loved ones. The cold of Ice Land either killed them, or made those, who survived, into ice dragons, who's breath was cold and deadly, destinied to destroy whatever life they touch. Something of a curse, a terrible price paid for their selfishness.

When all hope was lost, from The Tree was born what was thought to be the last dragon - Tyrion. His breath was so scalding hot it rivalled the sun. It was created... To destroy. But that was the thing The Tree needed - to get rid of the threat before it ended all life.

Tyrion and Arktos clashed in a battle of two deadly forces. Fire against ice. And Tyrion, with every ounce of his power, was able to beat Arktos, sending him back to his kingdom. He brought a lot of harm to Arktos, taking most of his power and sealing it into a crystal. But Tyrion was also mortally wounded himself.

He passed away at a place that later was called the Dragon Mountain, his spirit stayed there to guard the crystal with powers of Boreus.

Tyrion was the one dragon everyone remembers the best. The legendary hero of the Green Land.

So when Tabaluga was born, people expected him to be just like Tyrion... But he never grew into those expectations.

His fire was not nearly as hot, and he couldn't understand his purpose for a long time, not knowing why he was born so 'weak' and 'useless'. But later in the story Tabaluga will find his own purpose, the reason he was created.

It's to heal. The Tree saw how much pain and destruction the fight between Arktos and Tyrion has caused, so it was able to call on the nature and creat a dragon, that could not only heal, but create life itself - Tabaluga.

His healing flame could even revive those frozen by Arktos, essentialy freeing them from the comatose state they entered in the ice.

And this leads us to a long confrontation between the Green Land and the Ice Land.

You see, Arktos was partially human once, and this is why he knew how to make technology. He basically created his own kingdom, ruled by fear, but also really advanced in terms of technological progress and society.

Green Land and Ice Land is like a village being compared to a megalopolis (lmao)

Greenlanders are in a defensive position, because they are weaker, but Arktos is also not strong enough to conquer them while Tabaluga is still around.

I'd say it's like a game of chess where only the white pieces are making attacking moves. Arktos always sends in his goons with new machines to cut down forests and expand his territory, while Tabaluga and his friends break said machines and try to stop whatever plan is in motion.

Also, I'd like to mention that between Green Land and Ice Land there is a place called Red Forest. It is, basically, a maze where time is alway stuck at autumn season, so the trees are always red, but they never shed their leaves. It's something of a border between two lands, like a border between summer and winter.

And yeah, about Lilly. There is no Lilly, sorry xd

There is an arctic fox character called Lilly, but she's just a friend of Happy from the Ice Land.

The character of the original Lilly was replaced with Blizzard - an ice dragon, who Arktos found and took in, because he hoped that if whoever would be able destroy Tabaluga, it's another dragon.

Blizzard is, in no way as friendly as Lilly. She was treated and raised to be a weapon, hateful and cold. Untill Tabaluga showed her, that she can be a good person and is not destinied to only bring death and destruction with her breath.

She's not his love interest in this story, but is like a sister to him, basically. I know that original story came from songs and has a different meaning, but I think that it's good to re-imagine as a story about finding yourself and being someone you want to be in spite of what others tell you you are.

My arm hurts from writing so much xd

But that's the gist of it. If you have any more questions, please let me know in the comments, I'll answer)

[kingangelosi]

Got a Song of Ice and Fire AU for Gilart cooking...

Basically Gil was the first King of Targaryen, with the blood of the red god, he united the seven kingdoms and created the Targaryen Dynasty. Gil foresaw the distant future when an army of dead will march from the north and destroy all lives on Westeros, so he hatched the first dragon eggs and proclaimed that dragons are the key to mankind's survival because they can defeat the white walkers. He also built the great wall for defending the north until the final battle comes. Altria and alter were his two sisters, who were also the first dragon riders along side whom he chosen as wives. Later in present time, Altria reborn as a bastard of the Starks and Targaryens and shared a destiny similar to Jon, except that after being betrayed and killed by her knights at Night's Watch, she reborn with the power of the dragon's core and the bloodline of the red god, relinquished her role as the commander of the Night's Watch and took the responsibility to united the North as the King of the North with the support of her round table, who had been following her from Night's Watch, and Merlin, a wandering magi who happens to be the master of spies. Merlin was Altria's personal tutor since childhood and the only person who knew about her actual identity. Alter took the role of Daenerys but with a darker path. She struggled to survive as a exiled princess in a foreign land, alone, desperate and under assassination all the time. She arose to power with her own iron will and domination, and gathered a enormous army of dothrakis, former slaves, sellswords and various noble supporters across the narrow sea. Unlike Altria, she lost her innocence and trust after numbers of betrays and misfortunes and enforced a form of tyranny to rule people in the way that she thought is best for her people. Merlin also helped Alter in many subtle ways. In addition to helping the two Altrias, Merlin used their blood to summon the legendary king gilgamesh with his threee dragons in order to stop the imminent doom. Disappointed by how divided and corrupted the kingdom had become and the distinct of dragons, Gil was going to let humanity end, but eventually he was amused by his sisters' futile struggle to unit the nations against the common enemies when it was inevitablly falling apart. He commended their bravery and offered them his help to defeat the white walkers but left them to unite and rebuild the kinddom themselves along with two dragons and a son(?) Mordred as heir. Altria maintained her appearances as male and married Alter as Queen. They took the throne together and ruled Westeros as King and Queen.

[vladtepesthedragon]

Nymor letter

This theory about Rhaenys fate and everything is based on the theory that the date of birth of Quicksilver is not 7 AC, but 13 AC on Dragonstone after Aegon reads the famous letter.

About Quicksilver The Sons of the Dragon discusses Aenys's health in the paragraph discussing his birth, ending with the fact that his poor health sparked rumors about Aenys being Rhaenys's bastard instead of Aegon's son, and with the fact that these rumors ended only after Aenys bonded with Quicksilver. Yet next, we also read that Aenys deteriorated when he was three years old, when Rhaenys died. However, it is not stated that Aenys deteriorated afterhaving been given Quicksilver.

In fact, The World of Ice & Fire tells us that "But though his father and brother, Maegor (who was Visenya's child), were both warriors born, Aenys was made of different stuff. He had begun life as a weak and sickly infant and remained so throughout his earliest years. Rumors abounded that this could be no true son of Aegon the Conqueror, who had been a warrior without peer. In fact, it was well-known that Queen Rhaenys delighted in handsome singers and witty mummers; perhaps one of these might have fathered the child. But the rumors dampened and eventually died when the sickly child was given a young hatchling who was named Quicksilver. And as the dragon grew, so too did Aenys." Especially the bolded part implies that Quicksilver was actually born a few years after Aenys's birth, as he "remained [a weak and sickly infant] throughout his earliest years". Only after been given Quicksilver, did the sickly child thrive.

So the sentence from The Sons of the Dragon(which I think that the 7 AC was based on), "And the prince was slow to grow as well. Not until he was given the young dragon Quicksilver, a hatchling born that year on Dragonstone, did Aenys Targaryen begin to thrive." is not saying that Quicksilver was born the same year as Aenys was born. All it says is that Quicksilver was given to Aenys in the same year that his egg hatched (which says nothing about how old Aenys was at the time).

The theory what happened after Meraxes died

Aegon euthanized Rhaenys on Dragonstone as Daenerys did to Drogo, from the pyre Quicksilver hatched. Now the dornishmen used something like the lingchi to torment the captured knights. Rhaenys fell in Hellholt, and Arianne stated that the Ullers are dangerous when in wroth, those are maybe explosive sadists. So the Ullers held captive Rhaenys and did to her the same treatment they gave to the captured knights. Now the Martells found out that the Queen was alive and they hired assassins to free her, 4 consecutive Lord Ullers died and not as a result of the ransom strategy of Aegon that only killed Lady Toland and Lord Fowler, in fact it is stated that only two assassins hired by the Iron Throne survived to gain the money, I don't think that assassins and sellswords are so mad to go into a desert to catch the Ullers, that are able to hide from a Tyrell army, so the Martells killed them. They found a Queen in agony, if she had the lingchi treatment she would be in a terrible state. The Martells took the queen and Meraxes skull from the Hellholt. After the death of Meria, who was hesitant to free the mutilated Rhaenys not to enrage further Aegon who was already in wroth, Deria delivered the letter written by Rhaenys who was shipped to Dragonstone. Quicksilver saved the life of Aenys who was starving himself to death. So Aegon signed the treaty for eternal peace with the Martells, because they gave justice to her wife and allowed her to save the life of her son. This explains the feast for peace in Sunspear, the good relations with the Martells, the bisy that disappear and the date of birth of Quicksilver.

[fuzzy-oooze]

my current idea specifically:

-there are four elemental pillars; one of earth at earth’s axis mundi, one of fire serving as the caldera of a realm-shaking volcano, one of frost atop a snow-capped mountain, and one of air that floats in the eye of a mighty eternal hurricane. Of these, only the pillar of air has survived to the modern age with all the others having been destroyed from war, natural disaster, and the simple passage of time and the universe has suffered for it as the lost elements begin to be warped and twisted into unstable, corrupt forms. Only by rediscovering the lost and indescribable elemental cores contained within the pillars can a ritual be done to bring them back and save the lost elements.

-The main cast, each representing one of the elements (loosely, not a hard-and-fast rule), are sent by a wise and learned (if unprofessionial) sage in the Eternal City of Ronice, the economical and cultural capital of the world, to find and bring to him the lost pieces. 

-The adventuring party in question was not aware of how important this job was as they are still mostly amateurs to which the sage response in not the best way by kind of nervously explaining that, well, they had hired several teams to go and find them as to not have all their eggs in one basket and so can’t really afford to hire the best and he thought that it’d be thematically makes sense and also since they’re just kinda Guy’s they’d be beneath notice and such. He does state, however, that as a sage, he has limited precognitive abilities that not even he is fully aware of and so they might be more skilled for the task than they think.

-two of the party, either siblings or close friends and the air and earth representations, are goat men (this is because I only have one character design) with earth(name pending) being a unyieldingly determined friendly but sardonic survivalist and spelunker who boasts of being able to survive any environment and often jokingly claims to be able to single-handedly win any and every fight with everything, from dragons to the sun, alongside being a hard-worker and warrior with a axe and matchlock pistol.

-After the expedition to the ruins of the pillar of frost, the group descends into a cave into a mountainside to search for the elemental core. Early on, the encounter caverns full of ice that spontaneously bursts into white cold flame, proof of the growing corruption of the elements.

-They go deeper down, eventually cracking open a caved-in section of cave to discover a vast and brightly-lit cave made entirely out of candy and desserts with hills made from cake, rivers of melted chocolate, cotton candy, lollipops, and candy canes growing like trees, and giant fruits sitting atop enormous freezing mounds of ice cream. This was clearly a highly magical place, though it’s so utterly bizarre and artificial seeming that it being corrupt in origin seemed unlikely.

-After a while of exploring, they encountered a hostile faction of peppermint samurai welding candy cane swords and rifles alongside heavy mint gum cannons. As the surreal warriors fight the party, earth gets separated and eventually falls into a chocolate river, being swept away.

-The other three escape before the cannons cave in the entrance once again, only for at that moment the party realizes that they left earth in there. Air intends to rush back in to save them but Frost stops them because the samurai are just on the other side and that since Earth is a survivalist now trapped in a cave made entirely of food, they should be fine. This doesn’t comfort Air in the slightest but they begrudgingly agree that they can’t go back in that moment.

-it then cuts back to Earth dragging themselves out of the river, realizing that they’re lost, and stopping to account for what they have down there. Most of the food is useless in the long term but the giant fruits and nuts should be enough to keep them going.

-The party moves on to something else.

-The next we see of Earth in an after-credits scene, they’re sitting side one of the cake-hills in ragged stained clothes with white streaks in their horns and the ends of their fur turned blue. They talk to themself about needing to get out of there because all the candy is starting to make them sick and giving them headaches and they’re in need of a shower since their fur has gotten all sticky.

-Eventually, the party returns with explosives and blows the entrance back open and goes inside to try to find Earth. After a while of searching, Earth emerges from a field of candy corn, realizes that the party came back for them, and runs up to give Air a hug. Earth’s horns have turned to peppermint swirls, their fur to light blue cotton candy, their hooves to some kind of nutlike substance, and their once-soft eyes have turned black with hot pink pupils that stare piercingly and hardly. 

-The party welcomes them back and celebrates for a while before they start to notice how their time down in the candy cave has… Affected them. Other than the material changes, they’re behavior has been warped too, turning from unyielding and spirited to saccharine and hedonistic. Instead of working hard to set up camps and relishing in their skill, they instead lay on the ground and stare up at the sky. Sardonic remarks and dry wit are replaced with overt joviality and near limitless, unnerving, but not manic joy. Sometimes their voice will crack and turn high-pitched and childish as they say something truly insane before hacking and coughing back to their “correct” voice and sanity, apologizing for the "break".

-They take him to the sage (or another sage) to find out exactly what happened to them to see if it can be reversed. They sit on their cot kicking their legs and smiling like nothing’s wrong as the sage reveals that the candy seems to be some kind of self-replicating, possibly corrupt, matter that appears to have become one with their anatomy and that the only way to save them would be to bet on it being corrupt in origin and work EVEN HARDER to find the elemental cores to reform the pillars and end the corruption which should undo their curse but do not tell them for if you do, they’d likely oppose you in order to stay like this forever and, god forbid, spread it to others.

I have so many ideas for animated serieses all the time but I can't do anything with them because I'd talk too long to learn and I'd move onto something else in that time or forget the idea or get stuck in a loop of learning how to do one thing but then forgetting how to do a different thing and have to relearn it and I'd bet a webcomic or something would be easier but most of the same problem still apply and ALSO I just plan lack the attention span to put much meaningful thought into something for a long period of time

and also I No Draw Good.

Well, actually, I draw fine, it's just that draw take several hour or day and hurts my hand and comes out above average which just doesn't feel worth the time. I'm at this weird point where I can draw robots and other nonhuman humanoids in static poses and have it look actually pretty good but any form of movement or just Being A Guy will decrease in quality by quite a bit.

If you'd like, here's some of my drawings for context.

[sylverwxngs-wp]

12 Days of Gifmas!

Day 4, December 16th: Your OC in Another Universe/Fandom

ASTRID EIRA in A Song of Ice and Fire

So, I struggled to figure out who I would want Astrid to be in the ASOIAF universe, so I ended up deciding to show all of the possibilities! Astrid Eira is my super-powered anti-hero OC from my MCU series, The Woes of Heroes. In it, she is the love interest of Loki Laufeyson and is a supervillain turned anti-hero. She has various psionic powers, as well as snake-like physiology and the ability to produce deadly venom, hence the green aesthetic and the sigil and words of the made up “House Eira.”

Her faceclaim is Kathryn Winnick, and given how she looks, there are many possible characters Astrid could be in the ASOIAF universe. Here are the ones I chose and a little blurb about the OC:

Game of Thrones:

Lady Astrid Eira, Lady of House Eira in the North. - Lady Astrid Eira is a fierce woman and even fiercer warrior. Heiress to the great House Eira, she is a very close ally of House Stark. Lady Astrid has always and will always defend the North and fight for freedom and liberation from the rule of whoever sits upon the Iron Throne. She is merciless and will uphold the laws of the North as well as honor the Old Gods. She takes no shit from anyone and will not hesitate to kill someone if they disrespect or threaten her. She has a very fierce reputation. The sigil of House Eira is a dark green serpent on a field of black, and the house words are “Strike with Venom.”  - Initially, Lady Astrid was betrothed to Lord Robb Stark, but her betrothed betrayed her and Lord Frey to marry Talisa. Astrid mourned his death and took over his campaign against the King after his murder. As the war rages on, Lady Astrid traveled to the Wall in order to seek possible aid from Jon Snow. During her time at the Wall, she falls in love with Jon and is exposed to the truth of what lies beyond the Wall. When Jon is declared King in the North, Astrid is very bitter about this, as she was the one who avenged Robb’s death and has been leading the war efforts against anyone who dared to threaten the North. This creates a rift between the two. - Astrid travels with Jon to meet Queen Daenerys when she arrives in Westeros and refuses to bend the knee to the queen. She ultimately loses her life at the hands of Daenerys for refusing to submit, but even as she faces certain death in the throat of a dragon, she remains strong and utters her house words before she is lit.

Princess Rhaenyra II Targaryen, sister to Queen Daenerys, Prince Rhaegar, and Prince Viserys, and daughter to King Aerys and Queen Rhaella Targaryen. - Princess Rhaenyra was nothing like her sister, who was kind and compassionate. Rhaenrya was favored by Viserys for her willingness to do whatever it took to secure their birthright back in Westeros, which is why it is ultimately Daenerys who is sold to Khal Drogo, as Viserys intends to save Rhaenyra for a more suitable husband/alliance. Rhaenyra is horrified and very bitter when Daenerys allows her husband to kill Viserys and parts from her sister after the murder. Unable to survive on her own, she reluctantly returns to Daenerys only after the death of her husband and birth of her three dragons. Rhaenrya is motivated by the return of dragons and attempts to hatch her own dragon egg, which she was gifted at her sister’s wedding. After a year of trying, she finally manages to hatch the egg. - Rhaenyra finally hatches her dragon and names her Syraxes, after her namesake’s, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, golden she-dragon, Syrax. Syraxes is a pure white dragon with silver accents and pale blue eyes. She grows at the same rate as Dragon because she too fled from captivity when Rhaegal and Viserion were caged. Syraxes remains alive throughout the series. - After seeing how her sister is growing into a stronger, more hardened ruler, Rhaenyra pledges her support to her sister’s campaign and becomes her right-hand woman. Throughout the series, Rhaenyra pushed Daenerys to make tough, violent decisions to squash her opponents and remain victorious. Rhaenyra and Syraxes are crucial in Daenerys’s efforts to liberate and conquer Essos, as well as conquer King’s Landing. After the death of Rhaegal and Viserion, Syraxes and Drogon are the only two dragons left and together, they lay various clutches of eggs. Syraxes is crucial in the destruction of King’s Landing. - Daenerys’s murder destroys Rhaenyra, who ascends the throne and executes Jon Snow for his treason. Now claiming two dragons as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Rhaenyra forces the North to surrender and conquers all of Westeros, easily squashing any attempts at rebellion. She is a tough but respected queen.

House of The Dragon:

Princess Visenya II Targaryen, sister to Queen Rhaenyra, twin to Prince Baelon, and daughter to King Viserys I and Queen Aemma. - Princess Visenya was the last surviving child of King Viserys and Queen Aemma. She is a lot like her sister, except she is far more volatile and commanding. She doesn’t allow anyone to talk poorly of Rhaenyra, especially after the birth of her 3 bastard children, and she is especially cold to the Hightower-Targaryens. Visenya loathes her uncle Daemon and fractures her relationship with her sister after Rhaenyra secretly wed Daemon and didn’t invite Visenya. - When Aegon usurps the throne, Visenya agrees with Daemon that they need to kill Alicent and her children and take back what is theirs. She believes that Rhaenyra is far too passive. After the death of Lucerys, Visenya goads Rhaenyra with vengeful thoughts and spurs her sister to act violently and mercilessly.  - Visenya’s dragon egg never hatched after her birth, which many people viewed as a result of the death that had surrounded her from the moment she was born. Around the age of seventeen, Visenya claimed the wild dragon The Cannibal as her own. This was the same year that her twelve year old nephew claimed Vhagar. The two bonded over their achievements, which King Viserys saw as a sign from the gods that they were intended for each other. Initially, Visenya hated being betrothed to her nephew, for she loathed Alicent and her entire family. For several years, she refused to acknowledge the betrothal and it wasn’t until Viserys died that Visenya reunited with her betrothed and was forced to wed him. After the wedding, Visenya eventually did fall deeply in love with Aemond and produced three heirs during the Dance of the Dragons. Aemond was the only Green that Visenya couldn’t bring herself to harm, as she loved him dearly. She and Aemond were perfectly matched for one another and died together in the battle, leaving behind only one surviving heir.

Based on Astrid’s personality, she would obviously be the most similar to Lady Astrid Eira in GoT, however, I think that exploring other OC possibilities while keeping true to Astrid’s personality was pretty fun :) Kathryn Winnick works really well as a Targaryen faceclaim or as a woman from a Northern house faceclaim! Some of her other gifs can work really well for a Lannister fc too, but I opted not to venture down that route.

As always, this wonderful idea is credited to @vividparacosm​ and @timotheechalamats​!!!