#plus i just love Lizzie and shrub!

[tacom-literatureu-blog]

@hermitadaymay Day 24! Friends of Hermitcraft! This time it's two for one, with Lizzie and Shubble! - Patton

[prismadog]

guess who just finished the refined line-art for their Jimnoth au...that's right, it's me, I got the character concepts drawn. they're still uncolored (and they'll probably remain that way for a long time, but hey, I got them drawn at least)

I also plan at a later date to make some posts regarding the characters' backgrounds, not seriously long posts like this (hopefully), but kinda just the basics like their family or empire - there is SO much that's locked up in my brain that needs to be spilled.

there's several images below - the full height chart plus close-ups - and I'm going to include some details below each image. this is going to be a bit of a long post, but hope y'all enjoy!

[from left to right] row 1: Shrub, Katherine, Joel, Fwhip, Gem, Joey, Sausage row 2: Pixlriffs, Pearl, Scott, Xornoth, Jimmy, Lizzie

Shrub - 4'3" / 129.5 Katherine - 5'4" / 162.6 Joel - 5'8" / 172.7

Shrub

Shrub has many scars from her childhood because she grew up in the Nether in a crimson forest. she was raised as a farmer but knew a good deal about fighting because a close friend used to be a warrior.

the piercings she has on her ears are made of gold - gold keeps piglins calm, though her earrings wouldn't have been enough. before coming to the Overworld, she had gold bands on her wrists.

the mushroom hat and boots are just for aesthetics because of where she grew up [these may be colored like the crimson mushrooms later on]. the gnomes of her village had mushroom accessories to help them blend in with their surroundings.

she has a very distinct lack of breasts due to her being a part of a very androgynous, "sexless" race - they still have the concept of gender but they don't have the male/female sexes. this means that Shrub essentially has pecs instead of breasts, very muscled ones because she is a tiny strong boi who could bench press an average man

Katherine

Katherine is a faerie with cat features - it is very common for the faeries of the Overgrown to have features of some sort of animal.

she walks around barefoot because she likes the feel of the grass on her feet, but also because it makes her feel grounded - she will wear shoes on occasion, specifically when she's going to other empires

Katherine has several piercings, something that was influenced by her childhood friend Scott - some are silver and some are gold.

the bands she wears are engraved with blessings from her people - long life, love, good will, strength, and courage. this is a common type of gift from one faerie to another.

due to her cat-eyes, she can see very well in the dark, and she has exceptional hearing thanks to her large ears.

Joel

Joel is a very chill guy who wears light, but very detailed clothing - those of Mezalea live in a hot and humid area and believe it would be suicidal to wear heavy clothing (like the real King of Mezalea on the youtubes)

he doesn't care much about shoes because he likes the feel of the clay and moss on his feet - he will however wear shoes on occasion if he's traveling to any cold biome (ie Scott's empire).

the symbol of his people and his empire is the Mother Tree [design was inspired by the Celtic tree of life] and he wears it proudly - it was the Mother Tree who allowed Mezalea to blossom and it was also the Mother Tree that breathed life into Joel himself [more on this later in a future post]

he is a bit on the thicker side due not only to how bountiful the food is in Mezalea - their main food source is horse - but also because he works a lot with large, heavy blocks of clay and moves statues around near-daily. [not shown] his hands and clothes are often stained with clay because he likes to sculpt figures and statues.

Fwhip - 5'10" / 177.8 Gem - 5'11" / 180.3

Fwhip

Fwhip is a mischievous guy that wears quite a bit of clothing for not only aesthetic but also out of necessity because of his work in the labs - the scarf was made by his (and his siblings') mother when he was little.

he, like his twin Gem and his little brother Sausage, have some form of dragon features because while their mother was human, their father was not - however, for much of Fwhip's life, he only had the horns, the wings came later on when the Grimlands blessed him with power when Xornoth tried to corrupt the land.

Fwhip broke his right horn in a lab accident when he was a teen - he thinks it makes him look badass.

[not pictured] he has some scarring in multiple places - burns and cuts - from various incidents during his experiments.

Gem

Gem wears thicker clothing because the Crystal Cliffs can get quite cold - any hats she may wear all have holes made in them to allow room for her horns.

unlike her twin, Gem does not have wings, but instead she has a near-endless supply of magic, something that neither of her bothers naturally possess - this was a point of contention between them all in their younger years.

the moon and stars she wears represent her empire of the Crystal Cliffs

she carries around a Wither Rose that's been preserved with magic - it's something that she and her brothers share, though they have their roses in safe-keeping in their homes.

Joey - 5'11" / 180.3 Sausage - 6'0" / 182.9

Joey

Joey is an avian with multi-colored wings [not shown] - his family is the only one in the Maztec empire that is avian, everyone else is a cat-person.

he is also fairly light, not bird-light, but just much lighter than the average person due to being an avian.

he wears very little, very loose clothing because 1) it makes him look hot as fuck and 2) the jungle he resides in is hot as fuck

the bands and other jewelry are common-place in the Maztec empire, as well as tattoos - tattoos are seen as a sign of strength and beauty, strength because it takes a strong person to endure the tattooing process and beauty because they're just into that.

the symbol that adorns all of Joey's clothing represents everlasting life - something his people worship unconditionally. the other symbol that sometimes accompanies the symbol of immortality [the flame/heart thing on the sash] represents the Eternal Flame, the Heart of the Maztec empire.

Sausage

Sausage, like his siblings, has dragon horns, though his are much smaller than theirs' because he's several years younger than they are - the three hellions of the Wither Rose Alliance are a few years older than one would assume.

the scar on his face was given to him in a training accident when he was a child - he almost lost his eye but thanks to the clerics and mages in Mythland, they were able to heal his eye.

he's a bit heavier than his siblings because Mythland loves their feasts and festivals, also he has quite a bit of muscle from how hard he trains with a sword.

the symbols on his gloves are a sign of his contract with Xornoth - he gave up his soul to the demon just as the demon gave their soul to Exor.

Pixlriffs - 6'0" / 182.9 Pearl - 6'4" / 193.0

Pixlriffs

Pixlriffs looks older than the other rulers, but that doesn't mean he's the oldest by any means, or does it? he plays the role of father to not only Pixandria but also his family/alliance members - Joel, Lizzie, and Jimmy.

he has lightning markings from his right hand down to his left foot - these aren't scars or tattoos but actually a blessing from the thunder gods marking him as their Champion. he is also blessed by the Goddess of Death and is Her prophet, though, he doesn't have any markings to represent that, not that he needs any. She instead gives him visions and a deep connection with the Vigil.

the clothing of Pixandria is simple, lightweight, and usually colored in neutral tones, specifically in the range of white to sand-colored. the designs are embroidered by hand and many include the symbol of Pixandria - the Death's-head Hawkmoth.

each of the charms and symbols on his clothing, minus the star on his headpiece and the copper symbol on his bands, are designs taken from the Death's-head Hawkmoth itself.

[extra fact] as well as beekeeping, Pixandria is home to Death's-head Hawkmoths and vultures, and both are seen as sacred creatures.

Pearlescent Moon

Pearl was originally a scarecrow built from cloth and straw, made by a lonely farmer who wanted to protect his crops. she spent many years protecting his fields and wished desperately to return the love the farmer had shown her through his tributes and gifts - the most extravagant being a simple pearl that he fashioned into a necklace.

the God of the Sun and of Life, granted her wish and she became the Guardian of the Harvest. from then on she watched over the farmer's fields, and later the fields of anyone who settled nearby. the people gave her the title "Queen" because they saw her as the protector and ruler of Guilded Hilanthia.

she has large golden wings that grew over time due to the magic in the land and the blessings of the Harvest. they, like the rest of her, are speckled from being under the sun for countless hours.

her clothes are very simple and light for ease of movement, whether she's strolling through the fields or protecting her lands and people from danger.

her symbols are the moon for the pearl around her neck, and sunflowers for her loyalty to her people and because it symbolizes the harvest.

Scott - 6'9" / 205.7 Xornoth - 6'9" / 205.7

Scott

Scott is an elf with large snowy owl wings, something that is fairly common in his family - there are other elves that have wings but they are the minority. unlike Joey, he is not an avian, he's just a winged elf.

the symmetrical golden antlers are a blessing from Aeor and mark Scott as His Champion.

beauty and fashion are very important to the elves of Rivendell and many will wear as much jewelry as they can. Scott is no exception - he has multiple piercings with glittering diamond charms, and to match his earrings, he had charms and jewelry crafted for his antlers.

the clothing of Rivendell is thick and trimmed in fur because while the elves are a hardy people, they can still get cold from living high up in the mountains. for most outfits, there are symbols of Aeor and Rivendell stitched into the clothing.

Scott, while being on the thinner side, is actually quite toned beneath the layers of warm clothing - he needs to be in order to support his large wings and fly with them.

Xornoth

Xornoth is currently a demon, though, they once were an elf just like their younger twin Scott. and like their brother, they once had snowy owl wings, but those were stolen by the God Exor - [not shown] there are ragged scars on Xornoth's back where their wings used to be.

Exor also blessed Xornoth with their own set of antlers, though unlike Scott's, their antlers are twisted and covered in thorn-like spines. after they were blessed by the dark god and became His Champion, their body twisted as well and transformed into that of a demon.

they have several piercings, a product of their previous life as an elf of Rivendell, though the jewelry they wear is far from fancy - it's just simple silver and gold. the bands they wear are engraved with their contract to Exor. the rings on their fingers are the only thing they kept after becoming Champion - the one on their left index finger is actually a gift from their brother.

Xornoth has many scars due to the hundreds of years they spent in exile in the Nether. they literally fought to survive, but was eventually able to become a force to be reckoned with that no resident of the Nether wanted to fight, save of course, for Shrub who's village was terrorized by the demon.

there's not many options to get new clothes so they wear a simple, stitched together skirt that they made with their own hands, not that they really care that much anymore about modesty. [I didn't wanna draw demon dick, hence, skirt]

Jimmy - 7'4" / 223.5 Lizzie - 8'0" / 243.8

Jimmy

Jimmy is one of two eggs remaining from a batch of hundreds - their parent was a mighty eldritch beast blessed by the Deity that ruled over the Ocean and the singular batch of eggs was a sign of their bond. sadly, the war between the gods Aeor and Exor killed their eldritch parent and crushed their seablings' eggs. he was raised by his elder sister, Lizzie, who hatched several years before he did.

[not shown] his hair is colored yellow to better fit in with the cod people but his actual hair color is a soft pink (much like Lizzie's minecraft skin), which goes well with the pearlescent pink scales that cover his body.

like his sister, he has quite a few scars gathered over the years from fights against the salmon, the worst one being the spiderweb scar over his left eye. this scar was one of the first he got, during the first salmon war when he was still a child, and because of it, he is actually blind in his left eye.

he's fairly muscular because swimming around in the ocean for hundreds, if not thousands, of years can really build up a person's body. though, he does actually have a bit of fat because the ocean is also a very cold place and fat is a natural defense against the cold.

his outfit is simple and lightweight, and fairly loose because he has the ability to transform his legs into a tail. he also has the ability to change his size, though it really only happens when he takes on his merfolk form [more on this in a future post]. he wears rain boots because 1) he thinks they're fashionable, 2) they're easy to take on and off, and 3) he lives in a swamp. as for his leggings, those were specially made for him and are designed to represent the Cod Empire.

he doesn't wear many accessories but what he does wear mean a lot to him - the cloth bracelet is stitched with symbols of his family/alliance - Lizzie, Joel, and Pixlriffs. the pins on his top and the buckle on his belt are gifts from the cod people, and the gold circlet on his head is a sign of his being the Cod Empire's ruler. the circlet is a direct replacement after the cod mask and helmet were stolen from him.

Lizzie

Lizzie is the eldest of the two remaining eggs from their parents, and has deemed herself Jimmy's guardian and caretaker - she did raise him from a hatchling afterall. she is actually the healthier of the two because during the destruction of the batch of eggs, Jimmy's was damaged and her's was not.

[not shown] her hair is sort of two-toned where soft pink gradiates into a soft blue. the scales that cover her skin are a pearlescent blue instead of pink like her brother's.

she's covered in scars from all the many years that she's lived in the oceans and fought off any dangers that would threaten her or her brother - the dangers in question are mostly from battles with the salmon that terrorize the ocean, but also fisherman and pirates.

because she's a merfolk, she doesn't have breasts like a human female would - there's no need for breasts, nor nipples to that extent, because merfolk hatch from eggs. she does, however, have what is essentially a nice set of pecs because she's very strong and gets quite the workout from swimming around the ocean.

her outfit is very loose and quite revealing because she, like many merfolk, doesn't really care much about being modest - they usually have tails anyway instead of legs so there's not really anything to hide. she really only wears shoes when she visits other empires, specifically those with more extreme biomes, ie, Rivendell, Pixandria, the Maztec empire, etc.

she doesn't wear much for jewelry but she does have a few pins - an axolotl and one from the Cod Empire. she also likes the fishing lures that she finds in the ocean - the hooks on the lures are filed down to a point where they're no longer dangerous. she does, however, have one main accessory that she cherishes and that's the cloth bracelet stitched with the symbols of her family/alliance - Jimmy, Joel, and Pixlriffs.

[grimaussiewitch]

Empires Eggpire:

I’ve said it before how I think hermtis would react if the egg from the dream smp came to their server. A classic egg empire arc because I love that arc so much. Just the concept of an alien esq egg coming to a server and seeing how a character reacts to it is so cool to think about. So a course I had to do empires smp!

It should be noted that I���m talking about season 2 empire characters but if you want season 1 please do tell.

Pix: He is 100% getting possessed. I’m sorry that man would want to research the history of the egg and how it ended up on the server, you’re telling me he wouldn’t be interested in it’s offers? He would want to take a piece of it to his museum and then feel pain from trying to chip away a few pieces of the egg. He’s a curious man. Maybe a leader too.

Scott: Too big to bring it to his black market business and probably feels unease or indifference about it. Would definitely step in if it starts taking away colour from his empires though. Colour man needs his rainbow palette, black, white and red won’t do.

Lizzie: There needs to be a possessed cat in every eggpire, it’s the lore. Anyway, Lizzie feels 50/50 to me. She gives the vibes that she’ll turn away from the egg or she’ll follow it because it offers chickens.

Jimmy: On one hand Jimmy feels like the Puffy or Sam type that would arrest the egg because it’s a danger to the server. On the other hand this is Jimmy we’re taking about. I’m not too sure if he would get possessed but the corrupt sherif troupe is readily available, just saying.

Shubble: She is throwing every single potion she has at the egg. Shubble wants to help her friends with her magic and potions, she cured a possessed Cub before so she can do it again. I do think she might be getting a bit possessed in canon right now so sorry to Shrubs but I don’t think she would be immune to the egg. Perhaps there’s promises of safety, love and friendship.

Joel: He’s either staying completely out of it because he’s indifferent, joins out of spite to the law or hates the egg because it called him mean names. However Joel would not be able to stop the egg on his own. We’ve seen in canon before that a god of lightning and thunder had no power in the egg’s domain.

Joey: That man will either try to steal the egg or get possessed trying. Joey will either follow the egg’s doing if that means he gets what he wants. Or he will scoff at it because that’s just a big dumb egg, it can’t boss this pirate around.

False: Very unease by it. She’s not having a great time with it. However, I think she can murder for the eggpire, as a treat. I need to catch up to false lore but maybe she wants stability or strength so she accepts the egg’s promises. I’m not too sure how False would react.

Sausage: The vibe I’m getting is very terrified and not trusting at all. I can’t really see him joining the eggpire, I can’t think of a good motive to why he would. Plus Bubbles would not approve. Also some blood red sheep that he can talk to wouldn’t be the best conversation.

Katherine: She’s already planning on attacking the egg as we speak. She already has enough problems in her empires, an evil egg is like any other monster. She’s up for the challenge!

Fwhip: Hmmm, this is a tricky one. I can’t picture Fwhip getting possessed unless it has something to do with the sherif’s badge. But at the same time he has the toy shrine so I don’t think the egg would want to touch him.

Oli: For a treat I think he would be immune. You know how the eggpire hated Tommy and wanted him dead? Yeah, that but it’s Oli. He’s out hearing singing his silly little bard songs in his silly little bard outfit. Meanwhile the egg, fed up and annoyed, is planning on ripping Oli limb by limb. Can’t tell if Oli would have balls of steel and mock the egg or would end up terrified of the egg.

Gem: Oh hell no, she already has her own cult, there’s no way she’ll abandon praying to bdubs for a giant egg. Gem wouldn’t be interested in the egg until it starts to breach and infect all of the empires. She’s seen it before with a new corrupt force (*cough cough* rentheking) so she’ll join forces to stop the egg. However, if Gen was to get possessed and can still travel between worlds, we could potentially have patient zero. Spread the eggpire’s message to other servers.

I would go to my hermit eggpire post for ideas on how the egg spawned in the first place but here’s some more little headcanons:

Depending which empire the egg resides in, the leader on that area would call Pix in to observe this strange object. Most likely areas are as follow: The Ancient Capital, Cogsmeade, The Evermore, Goblands and Tumble Town.

Empires would take the egg as a more serious threat compared to the hermits because lore.

The Egg would most likely appear after the hermits go home or sometime during their stay. This is due to the rift maybe being a bit weird and wonderful.

Speaking of the rift, it would be so very angsty if Gem disappeared from hermitcraft because she got stuck dealing with the egg-apocalypse. The hermtis wondering where their friend went because she didn’t leave any information behind. Maybe she returns the same. Maybe she returns a bit strange. Who knows…

Also what if the hermits could return to empires, only to see a desolate landscape full of red vines, a red sky and tense, uneasiness in the air. Not one in sight. For miles and miles they travel, more vines more of the colour red. The bridge is over taken by the egg and is near crumbling down. They finally see some familiar faces but my lord, they’re not them. They’ve changed. Nothing about them screams safe. Empire members are a shell of themselves with red eyes and ready to serve.

Depending how much of a connection each member has with the previous season, wouldn’t some feel familiar with the growing red vines and blood red sheep? Imagine how sausage would feel about the sheep and Joey feel about this strange memory.

Anyway, that’s all I got so enjoy.

[floweroflaurelin]

So as some of you know, I was commissioned by Scott Smajor a few months ago to create this insanely fun painting of the Rivendell Festival!!!

He was absolutely fantastic to work with and we worked together to create this Vanity Fair-photoshoot style Royal Portrait featuring my designs for all 12 rulers. It was painted back in November and it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had working on a job 😁😄💖

My main goal doing this piece was to make sure everyone looks hot as hell confident and fierce! I researched a number of photographers for fashion publications and went through their portfolios to figure out the general poses I thought different characters should have. Adapting everyone’s MC skins in my style was such a fantastic challenge and I loved every second of it!

And now under the cut we have my favourite part: the details!! I spent hours on each person adding jewelry and embroidery and different materials to complete each look. I cannot overstate how much fun this was! Plus the banners are all based off my own banner designs I did a while ago, and peep the faces—they’re all the same designs as my portrait series in a new context :D Feel free to zoom in, I put a lot of work into these 😁⬇️✨

First off—3/4 of the Wither Rose Alliance! As the most martial Rulers I put Pearl and Sausage on either end with their swords framing the whole set. Note Sausage’s massive hands I alluded to earlier…

And the twins!! Gem’s got her grimoire and her curly hat. Fun fact: fWhip’s face is actually Gem’s face with a beard painted on :P

Then we’ve got everyone’s favourite couple! This was painted way back before Joel was official declared a Short King so he gets to be tall one last time 💜 I had a lot of fun detailing the sash and designing his double breasted coat. Not to mention Lizzie looking like a queen with her scales and her wedding ring!

Up next, Scott and the Codfather! I had SO MUCH FUN designing Scott’s feast outfit. I love love love painting gold and I just went all out. Those epaulettes, man!! Jimmy’s outfit is less ornate but still formal for the occasion and… wait, what’s that in his hand?

Oh, would you look at that. 🥰

Up next, Pixlriffs with his channeling trident and a tiiiiiiny Shrub! Initially I was gonna put her up on the table but then I decided that the height difference would be funniest this way. At 4’3 she’s a whole half a foot shorter than me!! (I am very short.)

Plus, my Copper King design has eyeliner and earrings now. You’re welcome 😌😘

And at the other end of the table, Pearl, Joey and Katherine!! 🌸 Much wider crop because I feel like Pearl’s outfit needs to be appreciated in full.

Katherine’s dress is layers of semi-translucent fabric for that maximum swish, embroidered with flowers and sparkles. Joey’s lounging in what I think is my favourite pose of anyone. And Pearl’s flower crown has been replaced with a laurel wreath to celebrate her part in the victory over Xornoth!! The embroidery and the flow of her skirt were so much fun to adapt from her skin 🌻✨

Thank you so much to Scott for reaching out and giving me this amazing opportunity! Empires has been such an inspiration to me (as I’m sure you can tell from the contents of this Tumblr 😜) and getting to paint this for the Empires crew was such a delight. Seeing my baby all framed up in their studios is just so surreal :’’)

I’m so glad I get to share this with you all on Tumblr—let me know what you think!!!

[salty-sweet-ren]

Sometimes my brain decides that if I get into a new series or fandom, I absolutely have to assign the characters a Kingdom Hearts theme... But with Empires SMP, I thought it’d be fun to assign the actual empires themselves themes. So... this is what I came up with:

SEASON 1:

Rivendell - Frozen Wonderland  (+Eternal Winter version for obvious reasons) -Elsa from Frozen vibes, something befitting a prosperous kingdom. Eternal Winter is also a theme of Rivendell later on and the dark version fits Scott's isolation and self loathing

Mythland - The Silent Forest -Like something out of a fairytale, a song that feels like a dark fantasy you need to wake up from

Grimlands - Hollow Bastion/ Reviving Hollow Bastion -Vaguely steampunk vibes, also the Grimlands always made me think of Hollow Bastion anyway, especially when building the workshop

Crystal Cliffs - Radiant Garden -Griandiose with a sort of glimmering crystaline sound sprinkled throughout, also the sister song to the Hollow Bastion themes

Overgrown - Peaceful Hearts -Sounds exactly like something you'd hear stepping into a world of fae and flowers

Undergrove - Welcome to Wonderland -I hear this song and think Mushrooms. Also the cheerful melody that fades into a violin instrumental bit feels fitting for Shrub

Lost Empire - Adventures in the Savannah -Percussion and instruments that feel exactly in place in the jungle

Ocean Empire - Isn't It Lovely? -A water theme that makes you feel like you're underwater, with a few measures later that feel longing in a way

Mezalea - The Promised Beginning -Grandiose and epic, befitting a truely massive kingdom whose emperor has a Huge ego

Pixandria - Scala Ad Caelum -A sadder song befitting a more ancient civilization whose ruler has a heavy burden to bear

Gilded Heliantha - Sunshine Dancer -Tavern/farm vibes, that later becomes something energetic and fast paced with a chorus befitting Pearl

Cod Empire - A Walk in Andante -A humble song with a chipper warm feeling

Xornoth's theme - Xehanort -The Early Years- -evil villain theme with Attitude

SEASON 2:

Goblands - Traverse Town -A darkly lit town with huge light-up signs pointing out where to go plus tourism vibes I guess?

Animalia - Monstropolis Now -A very slightly goofy song that sounds grand and befitting for how Lizzie narrates the story of her empire

Dawn - Before the Daylight -A slightly sad but hopeful song that sounds befitting of dawn- both the time of day and the Empire. The song title even fits.

Tumble Town - You've Got a Friend In Me (KINGDOM HEARTS III Version) -Look, I wasn't gonna use this song, but I couldn't find any other songs with a wild west vibe. The instrumentals used are even perfectly fitting.

Stratos - Olympus Coliseum -The Shining Summit- -The theme of the realm of the greek gods high above the clouds. A grandiose theme also befitting Joel's ego.

Sanctuary - Destiny Islands -A cheerful theme that fits the tropical jungle that Sanctuary is nestled within. The slower version also works for the more peaceful moments. It's also the closest I could find to having the right sort of instrumentals though it's not perfect...

Eversea - A Pirate's Adventure / A Pirate's Freedom -A theme fit for an adventure on the High Seas, with a bit of a dark melody mixed in

Glimmer Grove - Happy Hair Day (+Into the Forest Deep for the curse) -A song with two versions, one that's bright and beautiful and cheerful, and one that's dark and gloomy

The Evermoore - Secret Whispers  (+The World Within) -The first song sounds exactly like sort thing you'd hear meeting a cheerful but powerful witch who lives in a haunted swamp. The other is a much darker reprise of the first song, and when you hear it in-game you also hear your character's voice echo from somewhere telling you things like "Just let go of everything and sink into the darkness..." "Are you really worthy of being called a master..?" "Nobody is coming to save you. And no-one wants to." And Shelby says you can hear voices in the fog that lead you astray....

Chromia - Link to All -An energetic song with an adventurous spirit. It's beautiful, and it also makes me think of Scott in a way

Pix's Archaeology Site - Heroes' Gathering -It feels more fitting for Pix than the actual ruins, but like pix said, he doesn't have an empire. The song feels fitting for him though, and it makes me think of how he talked about his "character" using a technically advanced tool that shows him how the structures were once placed.

False's Empire - Treasured Memories -It's a nostalgic song, it makes you long for home, it feels like home... but it's not home. Something is off, something is missing...

Oli - A Date With Fate -A triumphant upbeat song that fits the very little I know about Oli

Skeletron - Night of the Cursed -A dark pirate themed song that sounds like you have to sneak to avoid being detected

[thebetterariadneslashpersephone]

empires smp characters if they played classical instruments, or just classical instruments that represent them idk

katherine: flute, just the fairy vibes, it’s such a pretty, light and sweet sounding instrument, i feel like it really fits her general aesthetic

fwhip: intense percussion, probably timpani cause they’re so cool, they make such lovely, intense sounds, also can be kinda foreboding, idk

scott: viola, i don’t have much of a reason for this other than it just feels right

pix: harp, idk if that actually counts as a classical instrument but i don’t care, it’s a beautiful instrument that produces a haunting, delicate sound, very fitting with the vibes of pixandria

gem: clarinet, it’s an elegant instrument that fits with her aesthetic nicely, very mellow, sophisticated idk

shrub: cello, another elegant instrument plus it would be funny since she’s so tiny and would be playing a comically large instrument, but also i think it fits her aesthetic pretty well, also i feel like she’d have a bunch of wind chimes in her area

jimmy: violin, it’s a youthful sounding, warm instrument that i think is just perfect for him, also kinda matches with scott’s bc flower husbands

lizzie: marimba, i feel like she’d really enjoy percussion instruments, and the marimba is very under-appreciated, also i’m biased cause i play marimba

joel: either a tuba to make up for his lack of height, or a trumpet, which is, like him, small and angry, plus brass instruments just fit with him, they’re quite regal and loud

sausage: bassoon, it’s a deep, melancholy, but also dramatic instrument, quite regal and impressive, it just fits his vibes

pearl: oboe, it’s an underrated instrument (also it sounds like a duck and her banner has a duck on it) and it’ makes a very good sound

joey: i genuinely have no idea

[storytellerofuntoldlegends]

an icarus and his sun: chapter 8

A/N: hello i have returned!! this chapter was weirdly difficult for me to write, but from here on out i think the writing will go much smoother! but unfortunately i do have classes to be worrying about soon, so who knows how much time i will have to write. but still!! very excited about this fic and how you guys will react to upcoming events >:) (plus i added some implied nature wives (katherine and shelby) to this bit so this fic is basically turning into me making empires smp gayer) also check out this stunning art of chapter 5 by @artanogon! and if you wanna make art of this fic, you absolutely can, just be sure to tag me so i can see it!

Warnings: depression of the heartbreak variety, past violence

AO3 Link - Tumblr Masterpost

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Jimmy was trying his hardest to not be mopey as he helped Katherine with rebuilding. He knew that he had promised that he would help her- but his own confusing feelings about Scott, his lack of building know-how, and the dejected look Katherine had as she looked at the slight crater where her castle used to be had Jimmy feeling far out of his league. But he put on a brave face- he needed the distraction, after all.

They began with filling in the crater, mostly silent as they moved dirt over with their shovels. Then once the ground was level, they could begin with setting up the framework of the castle. They spoke more to each other then- but it was mostly Katherine telling Jimmy where to put the support beams. Jimmy wanted to say something, anything to break the tension and melancholy air- but he couldn’t think of a single thing to say to Katherine that didn’t lead back to the tragedies they had experienced. Jimmy wished that Joel or Lizzie were there- but they were off gathering more materials for Katherine’s castle, and probably wouldn’t return until nightfall. So until then, it was just Jimmy and Katherine, silently stewing in their respective sadnesses.

Luckily- or maybe unluckily- someone much more chipper than either of them came along. Jimmy almost didn’t recognize her at first- but quickly realized that the figure approaching them was the mushroom gnome queen, Shrub. Or Shelby-she had said they could call her that too. She was dressed far more casually than she had been at the ball, a polka-dotted red kerchief tied over her head, brown overalls over a green shirt, and red boots with white polka dots. She had a bag slung over her shoulder, and Jimmy could see the tops of mushrooms peeking out of it.

“Um- hello! I- I wanted to offer some gifts from the Undergrove, maybe they could help with rebuilding! Or they could just look pretty- or just be a peace offering- or a gift of sympathy for what happened,” Shelby rambled, seeming just as skittish as she had at the ball, but was less afraid and more excited. Katherine set down the beam she was holding, and gave Shelby a small smile.

“The gift is much appreciated, thank you. It was nice of you to stop by- I apologize for the appearance of the Overgrown. Usually it’s prettier here,” Katherine said, looking over her lands for a brief moment before focusing back on Shelby.

“Oh! Well, what I saw of it at the ball, your empire is lovely! I’m sure it will be back to its former glory soon… if you’d like, I can help! I’m good with plants and I’m not a bad builder!” Shelby offered with an encouraging smile. Katherine practically glowed at the praise of her empire, and smiled back.

“I’d love to have your help- it’s just been me and Jimmy working all day, and most of our time was spent filling in the crater. Some extra hands would definitely help things go faster,” Katherine replied, gesturing at the land around her. Shelby beamed back at her, setting down her bag of mushrooms.

“Then I’m more than happy to help! We gnomes are small but mighty, just tell me where to lug these beams around and I’ll do it!” she chirped. Katherine blinked in slight surprise at her eagerness, but looked over to the stack of beams beside them.

“Well, there is one that needs to go across those two over here for the entrance. If you’re as strong as you say, then maybe you can help Jimmy with getting it up there- I’ll set some scaffolding up so you guys can reach it,” Katherine explained, going over to where two beams were upright and doing just that. Jimmy watched her set up the scaffolding for a moment, until he felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned and looked down to Shelby, who quickly looked away once she realized she had been caught staring.

“Is everything okay? You seem jumpy,” he asked, brows furrowed in confusion. Shelby chuckled nervously.

“Oh. Well- you see, gnomes can’t swim. And I’m kind of afraid of the water and water related things because of it. But you and the ocean lady seem like really nice people! So… sorry for being jumpy. It’s a habit,” she admitted sheepishly. Jimmy let out a good-natured laugh.

“I mean you’re right to be spooked by Lizzie, she can be scary when she wants to be- but most of the time she’s very nice! And trust me, there is not a single threatening thing about me,” Jimmy said, tone turning a bit rueful at the end of his statement. Shelby frowned.

“The guy with the goggles and his friend sure seemed to think otherwise, why else would they bother you like that?” she asked. Jimmy blinked in surprise at that.

“You… you think Fwhip and Sausage are afraid of me?” he asked in disbelief.

“Well… not afraid, but definitely threatened. I’ve seen it before, back where I came from. You’re someone who won’t bow to people easily, and people like them don’t like that,” Shelby explained with a shrug. Jimmy considered this for a moment.

“Huh. I guess… I never saw it like that before,” Jimmy said, a small smile coming to his face.

Their conversation was ended by Katherine waving them over, and Jimmy and Shelby picked up one of the beams to carry over to where the scaffolding had been set up. Shelby was surprisingly strong for her stature, and carrying around the beams and placing them where they needed to be was much easier than before she had arrived. It was less quiet with Shelby around too, as she cheerfully asked questions about their empires, as well as sharing some things about her own empire. But then there was one question that caused Jimmy’s blood to freeze in his veins.

“So you said that Joel and Lizzie were getting more building materials, but what about your partner? Is he with them too?” Shelby asked, and for a moment, Jimmy was confused.

“My… what?” he asked.

“The elf guy you were dancing with at the ball! You’re very cute together, by the way,” Shelby continued, completely oblivious to the tension in the air her statement created. However she soon noticed Jimmy’s pained expression, and it was her curious smile changed to a concerned frown.

“We uh. We were never together. And he betrayed us,” Jimmy said stiffly.

“Oh- oh I’m so sorry. You guys had just looked so happy together, I had just assumed- I’m sorry,” Shelby rambled, and Jimmy gave her a weak smile.

“It’s alright. I guess I was kinda happy- but it was never real. Not for him, at least,” Jimmy replied, throat feeling tight. He hadn’t really meant to burden all of his issues onto Shelby, but his mouth was moving a little faster than his brain was at the moment, and he couldn’t hold back his words.

“Well- well then that guy is missing out! You seem great, and he gave you up for what, tactical gain or political advantage or something?! He doesn’t deserve you!” Shelby declared, hands on her hips as she smiled up at Jimmy confidently. If someone he barely knew had so much confidence in him, then why shouldn’t he? Jimmy smiled back at Shelby.

“Maybe you’re right,” he conceded. Shelby gave him a half laugh, half playful scoff.

“Of course I’m right! Now c’mon, this castle isn’t gonna rebuild itself!” she chirped, heading over to the stack of beams. Jimmy could only stare after her for a moment, dumbfounded. Katherine seemed just as amazed by the gnome’s boundless positivity, a smile growing across her face.

“She’s spirited,” Katherine murmured. Jimmy chuckled.

“Yeah, you two are like birds of a feather,” Jimmy murmured back.

"We both are definitely nature-oriented," Katherine added with a chuckle. She looked at Shelby fondly for a moment, until her expression turned into a frown as she noticed something in the sky. Subconsciously her hand started reaching for Jimmy’s, and he took it as he looked up to the sky with her. Two figures were flying in- and the tension in Jimmy’s shoulders relaxed ever-so-slightly when he recognized them as Pearl and Gem. But he still gave Katherine’s hand a gentle squeeze all the same.

“What’s going on? Are we under attack again?!” Shelby asked anxiously, coming over to stand beside them and look up at Pearl and Gem flying in.

“Don’t know yet- they weren’t directly behind the explosion… but they are allied with the people who were,” Katherine said apprehensively. Shelby looked down from the sky, frowning in concern- and upon noticing Jimmy and Katherine’s joined hands, she grabbed Katherine’s other hand with a comforting smile. Katherine flushed slightly, but smiled back at Shelby gratefully.

“Please don’t be alarmed!” Gem shouted as she came in for a landing. Frankly, that didn’t make Jimmy feel any less alarmed.

“We aren’t allied with Fwhip and Sausage anymore. We don’t want any part of what they’re up to,” Pearl clarified, landing beside Gem.

“Really?” Jimmy asked warily. Gem looked to Jimmy with an open, pleading expression.

“I meant what I said when we told you that we didn’t know what Fwhip was up to. He left myself and Pearl completely in the dark, while Sausage and Scott were the only ones who knew about the full plan. But even then, I don’t think those two had the full picture, they looked surprised that we hadn’t known about the TNT. The point is- Pearl and I were tired of being part of an alliance that lied to us, and lied to us to hurt others! Katherine- if I had known what was going to happen, I would have never gone along with it and would have tried to put a stop to it,” Gem explained, turning her focus to Katherine as she spoke.

“So… you two are… on our side then?” Katherine asked slowly. Pearl gave her a gentle smile.

“If you’ll have us, yes. We also figured you could use our help rebuilding,” Pearl replied. Katherine looked to Jimmy, as if she was asking for his opinion. Jimmy blinked, and looked at Pearl and Gem. They seemed… candid, at least. But after Scott… Jimmy wasn’t sure who he could trust anymore besides his steady allies. However, they weren’t Scott. And furthermore, it really wasn’t his call to make. It was Katherine’s.

“It’s your empire, Katherine. If you don’t want them here, then just say the word. But you won’t get a fight from me if you do want them to help,” Jimmy said gently. Katherine smiled, and looked back to Pearl and Gem.

“I would absolutely appreciate your help. We’ve almost got all the framework for the castle set up- but having someone with wings help us out with some of the taller parts would be lovely,” Katherine said. Pearl beamed, and Gem clapped her hands excitedly. Gem came closer and Katherine let go of Shelby and Jimmy’s hands to talk over building plans with Gem, Shelby following after her and listening as well. Pearl, however, walked over to Jimmy with a mildly timid expression.

“Pearl?” Jimmy asked.

“There’s something I think you should know,” she blurted. Jimmy blinked in surprise, tilting his head to one side in confusion.

“I… okay,” Jimmy said semi-apprehensively. Pearl took a deep breath, like she was unsure of how to continue.

“Gem and I just came from a meeting with the Wither Rose Alliance. Well… it wasn’t much of a meeting, Gem and I broke off ties with the alliance pretty quickly and then left. But… there’s a… there’s something about Scott,” Pearl explained slowly. Jimmy tensed, swallowing nervously.

“Oh?” Jimmy asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

“Like I said, Gem and I didn’t stay long so I don’t know for sure- but there was something off about Scott. He just… didn’t seem himself. I think he was just as unhappy with Fwhip as we were with him. I… I just know he meant a lot to you. And I think you meant a lot to him too. I just… I don’t want to get your hopes up, but maybe… maybe you should give him a chance,” Pearl continued. Jimmy’s mouth fixed into a firm line.

“It’s a nice thought… but I don’t think I can trust him anymore. Not after everything that happened,” Jimmy said, throat tight as he tried not to cry. Part of him really wanted to hope that maybe there was some sort of misunderstanding, that Scott really did care about him- but Jimmy couldn’t afford that kind of hope. Pearl nodded in understanding.

“That’s fair. Like I said… just thought you should know,” she said, before walking over to join Katherine in her discussion for the build. Then Jimmy- only feeling ever so slightly useless now that Katherine had so much more help- swallowed the tears that thinking about Scott caused, and joined them.

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[shyrose57]

Hewwo, I heard a lot abt the Responsibility esmp au and.... Well, first of all, I love it, actually reading it and not just having it be recapped by my one friend who likes empires... Good. Two other things tho: 1. While reading back I realized that Fwhip's reaction to getting stabbed by Shrub was "ow" and I find that to be a very mild reaction to being stabbed. Secondly. Just saying but Scott mentioned being centuries old before he knew he's Xornoth's sibling... What's your take on that?

I'm glad you like it!

1: I imagine just in general they have higher pain tolerance, but Fwhip in particular-he does mess around with explosions quite a bit. Plus, it was a mild stab wound. More meant to annoy than seriously injure.

2: I'm just gonna...sweep that under the rug?? Kind of aligns with the Jimmy and Lizzie ask, I don't see how it'd work in this AU, so I'm just gonna ignore it. They were all children at the same time here-although I guess maybe Scott could have been born a lot later than canon, to possibly fit it? Would that work?

[andieperrie18]

OSIRIA ROSE: KUROSHITSUJI FANFIC (MANGA BASE)

This is just a sample

• o n e •

OSIRIA FOUND HERSELF at the same spot in the hallway where she stuck her ground as she had once watched her brother's small fragile frame fade and the sound of running neared to her left ear. The difference with this one was it is unbelievably peaceful though she didn't give any mind. But she knew it wasn't long before the small chaos would come uninvited by the Phantomhive manor.

"They are now scouting around the house miss Rose." she turned to Tanaka who stood by her side right at the moment. She nodded her thanks as before turning her view back to where it was.

"HAHAHAHA!!!"

The butler stared at the laughing circus hostbefore him and his master. Joker, who cackled like a mad man as he laid sprawled out on the cold concrete in the of his own crimson liquid. His maniacly laughter bounce on every wall and pillar of the large torture hall.

"However, you will also have some important things stolen from you from you tonight." the cackling mad man quoted as he waited for the smuggness on the their discombombulate to pieces. And when they did and it only brought up Joker's confidence more.

"My fellow circus members are paying a visit to you manor tonight." he continued

The two servants stood side by side under the light of the moon as they waited. The maid's onyx orbs shot open as she heard the rustle of shrubs from across the estate's yard.

"Mister Tanaka, please be on guard by Lady Elizabeth's room. I'll take it from here." the said butler bowed before ushering away. After a good distance, the maid pulled out a red hard-bounded book with the words 'Danse Macabre' embedded on the front portion. It revealed pages of writings and pictures with a stamp that quoting "completed" on every page. The flipping came to a halt as it landed on a blank page. She stared at it from for a good minute before a set datas appeared on the once blank pages.

Five new victims.

A smile crept on her lips, she loved the idea of how her victims likes coming to her web unknowingly and making her job easier to collect their precious memoirs. Ever since she entered the business of being a fairyman or woman of death, she hadn't have the need to obviously chase the souls assigned to her. They would always be aroung her ten meter radius.

She closed the small diary and waited for the perfect time.

| • | • | • | • |

"My servants?" the young earl trailed as his butler bursted into a small fit of giggling after finding such an amusing intel. The poor man's turn to be morphe in disdain, he turned to the two gentlemen.

"what's so darn funny?"

Slamming the metal tip of his cane to the ground, the earl stood with a fierce complexion. His worry completely thrown out the window and his butler by his side smiling maniacly.

"Just who do you think your dealing with? They are Phantomhive servants."

A cheshire smile was etched on Osiria's face as she watched the gardener give the large bald man a harsh blow sending him flying to the walls of the stair case of the front porch.

She could feel her hands itched with the need to pull a heavy object but she mustn't intervene with the cause of a human's death.

"How unfortunate souls~" she breathed.

The brawl continued as the young gardener came face to face with two trapeze artists. He was a bit out numbered at the moment, Osiria took the liberty to make the numbers fair as she now stood by the roof with the once clumsy maid by her side. Surrounded by a number of riffles and loaded with ammo. The raven haired maid whisked to the sniper's back and her lips neared her left ear.

"What is a maid's duty Mey-rin?" her tone etched with somewhat playfulness as she eyed the sniper's targets as the bullet was released to the air aiming a perfect mark.

"Always follow the young masters instructions, welcome the master every day with a manor that is spotlessly clean." the sniper dressed in a maid's outfit voice transitioned from a muffled voice to a sly tone.

"Very good, now what do we do with filth?" Osiria inched away as she let the femme before her do her job.

Little Elizabeth sat up from the bed's comfort as she was woken by the sound of some glass shattering from outside her door.

"what was that sound?" the door of her quarters opened to the old butler with a candle lit. Asking what was the matter to the young girl.

"Wasn't their just a huge sound by now?" she asked with curiousity and confusion for she was sure there was a sound since it was very loud.

The butler spoke with an unmasked tone of calmness as he assured her that there was no such sound was heard. Finding assurance from the words of an old man young lady descended to the comfort of her bed unknown to her that behind the frame of the old man and her door laid the bloodied body of one of the manors threatening visitors.

"Yo! I was waiting for you. I gotta tell say that you're both lucky to come face to face with me because if you had to face Miss Rose. It would probably messy."

Bardroy rested himself by a frame of the staircase as he eyed the two circus perpetrators before him. He continued to blabber until one of the two threw a set of knives towards him.

"Hey! That was dangerous! I was in the middle of talking!" the chef was now being attacked by woman with a whip. He continued to dodge until he called the aid of a familiar blonde gardener. The said gardner replied by throwing countless statues towards the infiltrators.

The two unwelcomed guest dodged every rock. It was a bit tricky to create diversion for the two but once they did, they dashed out.

The sound of chaos got louder and louder as every second passes. A figure sat restlessly from one of the roofs of the manor. Along it was a figure of a long scythe the it owned. The shadow revealed a pair of bright green orbs staring down at the three servants that stared down a hole that they created with the unwelcome guests were. The climax has been reached as the shadow stood up and swung the huge modified garden tool to the air.

| • | • | • | • |

"My servants, those are actually private soldiers hand picked to guard my manor."

The look of terror shook Joker to his core. He had sent his family to their unknown doom. He sent them armee with baby knives in a war. He could only mutter one word as he stared at Ciel with disbelief.

"They'll protect Phantomhive secrets and Phantomhive pride from any thing."

The moon was the only witness to the horror. The amusement on head maid's face remained as she watched the chef throw a lit match to the whole, leaving no evidence of murder.

Osiria had finished cleaning up the other messes around a few parts, meaning disposing and leaving no traces as well.

"After all, thats what makes a Phantomhive servant."

| • | • | • | • |

"WAAAHHH!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH MISS ROSE!!!"

"WE COULDN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THIS!!"

"MISTER SEBASTIAN WOULD HAVE KILLED US IF HE FOUND OUT!"

"HOHOHO!"

The mayhem of last nights events may have left a big mess on a portion of the mansion. The three servants would have to face the wrath of the head butler but then came Osiria to their aid.

"Don't worry, I just had a friend come by last night to fix the mess. We don't want miss Elizabeth worrying now won't we?" the maid quoted as the three servants fervently nodded to the sweet lady. It's been a long while since the woman came to the Phantomhives and they never felt so thankful in their life. They often compare her to Sebastian as they both carried perfect qualities of a servant but a plus side to her since she always helps and covers for them at all times. She was much kinder than Sebastian, much like the indian prince's servant but a female one.

She had become the big sister of the manor as despite of her height. She was a lot older than what her looks give out.

"Now I'm sure that you all are hungry from last night's events so I have prepared breakfast for all of you at the kitchen. Go get yourselves stuff then proceed to your jobs." as she said the words breakfast, the more their eyes sparkled in delight and they ran inside the unscratched manor to receive their prizes with a skip in every step.

"RIA!!" a high pitch lively voiced call from behind her. The maid spun to greet the young fiance of her master as she was glomped on the process. The lively blonde nuzzled into her embrace.

"WHEN IS CIEL COMING HOME!!?? TELL ME! DID HE TELL YOU?? WAAAHHH!!" the sweet child cried to her as she could only chuckle.

"Don't fret now my lady, he is already here." she cooed as the girl spun to see her beloved fiance stepping off of the carriage with his butler. Lizzie got off the maid's arms and ran to the small boy to glomp him. Smiling, she met the innocent eyes of the butler. She nodded to him as he did aswell. Sebastian had no doubts of leaving safety of the Lady Elizabeth's to her and the other servants for she was extremely different like him.

"Oh Ciel! I've missed you so much! Let's get inside! Ria made us teas and cakes!"

| • | • | • | • |

Mey-rin sweeped the remaining rubbles that was left on the floors as she hummed in delight after a wonderful meal. Then came a knock on the door, running to attend it the maid greeted the guest but only to be cut off to find out who it was.

"Ca'va!" the tall woman dressed with the most flamboyant clothings as it screamed different seasons to every eye.

"Miss Nina!" the said woman jumped on the poor maid kissing her cheeks in delight for seeing her again. She was the one who designed the maid outfit the Meyrin had found quite handy in times of need like last night. It allowed her unrestricted movements from any type of brawl. For it was only crucial for the home of the Queen's guard dog to have a well guarded household. If he can't protect his own household, it will quickly reflect to what might happened if he serves the queen. The tailor fumbled around the maid's frame as she was overcomed by delight from having the people she dresses find comfort and a sense of exploitable to any type of situation.

"Ms. Hopkins, what a delight to finally see you again." the tailor gasped and turned to the person who greeted her. She removed herself from the poor maid and launched herself the girl, purposely ignoring the other two male servants who have been calling for her attention for quite a while now.

"Oh how cute you look!! Why don't you lead me to where Ciel is while share to you my new ideas that are inspired by you!" the woman said in delight as the raven haired maid happily lead the woman to the stair case.

"Your clothes are in the horse carrige." she ushered to the two males as one of them seemed to have had enough of her rudeness.

"What with this different in treatment!!?" the chef claimed.

"Miss Hopkins." Sebastian's voice echoed around the hall as tailor and the head maid stared up to find the man by the upper wing of the stairway. The woman grumbled in disdain to find the familiar butler. "I believe I told you many times that merchants are to come in through the back door." he said coldly. "So you've come out huh.. Mr. Stiff." the woman muttered under her breath.

"Mr. Sebastian please do calm down. I'll escort Ms. Hopkins to drawing room while I speak to her about going to the back door. Would that be alright?" Osiria politely intruded as she placed a hand behind the Nina's back. The tailor completely sweeped off her feet with the maid's sweet voice, "what an angel you are Osiria!"

With that, they head off their way to the said room with the maid letting the tailor babble.

"Young Master and My lady, Miss Nina Hopkins is here." the maid slide the door to the side to reveal the said woman to the couple.

They went along with their greetings and discussion about the what the young lord would like to add in his line of outfit at the moment. Sebastian who came in a five minutes after they entered started to state the demands of what the Ciel would like to have.

| • | • | • | • |

[pigeonpedigree]

Ooh, this is something I can get my hands on, and something that I am uniquely suited for, (ive already actually done this myself, im a DM and I get ideas for important npcs from media my players don't watch, my players must never know how many mcyters are in my campaign) Actually alot of these are exactly the classes I picked too, let me go through and sorry for the long reply

Pix- you are 100% correct, this man is a grave cleric, nothing more to say it fits so perfectly.

Scott- I was originally looking at cleric for him, power backed by his god is kinda what that class just is, but his story is such a classic sorcerer concept so i pretty quickly switched to divine soul as well. (Plus I like balanced parties and I didn't want two clerics)

Jimmy- Paladin is an interesting option, and one I quite like, but I had actually settled on a college of Valor bard. I actually don't have much of a reason for this other than, like u said, vibes, but I think it's very funny to make him a bard. Plus everyone seems to like him? Even the people who bully him? Scott, joel, sausage, even fwhip at the end. everyone loves a fish boy, so high charisma is super necessary. Also I know Valor bard is not like, a super optimized subclass, but that's so not the point, AND I think it's even funnier if Jimmy's picked one of the least useful subclasses for bard. Like he should be support and magic and all that but he plays like a fighter and gets his ass kick for it. Just *mwuh* chefs kiss.

Joel- so I didn't realize this when I started writing it, but our Jimmy and Joel classes swapped. That's right, Paladin joel. Again, I super love the reasoning for a creation bard, but I just tapped into a different aspect of the character. Rather than gaining power from creation, gaining power from love for Oath of the Crown Paladin. He swears an oath to lizzie and by god do those subclass features let him protect her (not that she *actually* needs it). Plus being a tankier character helps with…

Lizzie- being a swashbuckler rogue. You wanna be a rogue who's the face of the party, swashbucklers the way to go. Both the rakish audacity and panche subclass features let her use her charm and charisma in battle. We may be dropping her magic plot line but we are leaning further into the Ocean theming. Plus I do like the idea of Paladin joel facing an enemy to let the rogue flank them. Just the synchronicity and teamwork are swoon worthy.

Shrub- my one multiclass pick, I know everyone is gonna jump to the circle of the Spore Druid and I agree that it doesn't fit her as well as barbarian. But does she know that? What if she starts as a Spore Druid and then when everything starts to go down and the wolf pack thing happens… boom path of the beast barbarian. I liked Beast barb because why use the wolf spirt, when u could *be* the wolf. (But that's just a personal choice, obviously either works well)

Katherine- now making Shrub a Druid is gonna set off a bit of a chain reaction cause again, I don't want to repeat classes, so my thought for Katherine was Fey wanderer Ranger. This one may borrow more heavily from fanon, as I haven't actually watched her videos, but I did like the fairy or fairy- adjacent head canons for her. Plus I think the neutrality is very fae like, as is killing things for decoration purposes (the heads). Plus u can still get some healing ability. You get the best of both fae and Druid as a Ranger.

Pearl- this is also correct, she deserves to be buff and protective and hit things good. And who would deny her that?

Sausage- now this may be obvious but blood hunter. And order of the Profane Soul. It's just. Almost self explanatory. But I will explain anyway cause that's the kind of person I am. This class works so well with sausage no matter what arc you're in. Pre xornoth, u got the blood sheep. Xornoth Era, u got the warlock like powers that Profane Soul grants. Post xornoth, u get into what the blood hunter was originally intended for, using your experience w dark powers to protect people from dark powers. Still proficient in melee fighting like a rogue but w an extra layer of extra-ness. And doesn't that feel right for sausage.

Gem- is there. Is there really any other choice.

Fwip- these two are just. They embody these classes so well.

Joey- I mean. You know those warlock jokes about having a magic sugar daddy.

in the spirit of this d&d talk, let me suggest: the season 1 empires crew as 5e character classes!

pixlriffs. grave domain cleric. if we don’t do the dm joke -points- that man is a cleric. like. oh my god. that man is a cleric. he absolutely casts holy magic. the grave domain is also just absolutely perfect for this. they’re all about the balance between life and death, properly respecting the dead, and also just absolutely demolishing undead things. it just… this fits him so well.

scott. divine soul sorcerer. i went back and forth a LOT on this one. almost went paladin. however… he gives me more sorcerer vibes. he was born with this power, whether he likes it or not. it’s not entirely under his control. unlike, say, a cleric or paladin, it doesn’t come from worship or a code, it’s just… something innate to him. went divine soul because of the source of the power - he was born into aeor’s power.

jimmy. oath of the ancients paladin. okay so listen. jimmy just… gives me paladin vibes i have no better explanation. but we can make this work with the codfather thing, right? like, okay, listen, so what if the codfather head and what makes him worthy of it is his paladin oath? wouldn’t that be cool? i think that would be really cool, and looking at the various oath tenants i think oath of ancients fits jimmy best? idk i’m willing to change my mind on this one.

joel. college of creation bard. okay let me explain this one. i like… really associate empires!joel with building, and creation, and craftsmanship, but he doesn’t have artificer vibes. he has bard vibes. and this bardic college has this whole thing with a song of creation, used for creating things, and i just think that fits joel’s energy? the idea that he sings this song that changes the fabric of the universe, to make grand things - doesn’t that feel a bit joel to you too?

lizzie. arcane trickster rogue. i think she’d be a very face-y kind of rogue, one of the high charisma ones. this almost inevitably makes her and joel the faces of their party which i think is very funny. but also… the scam artist lizzie deserves to get to be a rogue, i think. arcane trickster is a nod to her own magical plotline, and the abilities that come from that. (if you don’t need that reference, swashbuckler works too.)

shrub. path of the totem warrior barbarian. look she gives me more totem warrior vibes than druid vibes, personally. her totem would be the wolf spirit, obviously, and she fights with ancestral power and a totem animal spirit that adds to her might. also i think she would do a MEAN barbarian rage. small gnome… big punch. (for the record i also considered ranger before ultimately going nah, barbarian fun.)

katherine. circle of dreams druid. the druid class that’s associated most with the feywild, the mysterious, the dreamy. it’s also a very heal-y sort of druid class, and i think that katherine strikes me as “would play someone who can heal”. don’t be fooled though especially at low levels druids can and will kick your ass.

pearl. battle master fighter. look - sometimes you just gotta have the guy who is really fucking good at hitting things five times a turn. and that’s pearl. simple, but so, so effective. i went fighter over barbarian because she never really struck me as having a ‘rage’? she struck me as the disciplined kind of martial class. also struck me as far more fighter-y than monk-y.

sausage. horizon walker ranger. this wasn’t just because we needed a ranger; rangers make good assassins if you aren’t the rogue (and the rogue is lizzie here), but also, horizon walkers are all about traveling between planes and visiting other world, as well as protecting this plane from the horrors found in others. later arc sausage stuff feels like that fits him well, honestly? also bubbles is his animal companion.

gem. order of scribes wizard. this one wasn’t hard i don’t think i have to justify it, other than “went order of scribes because that one’s the most wizard-school-y of all the wizard schools”.

fwip. artillerist artificer. i also don’t think i have to justify this one, other than “artillerist because make weapons go boom”.

joey. fiend warlock. on the one hand, i didn’t necessarily want to give him warlock just because of the xonorth thing. on the other hand… yeah i really wanted to give him warlock. i mean. come on now. come on. if you want him as a non-warlock though i think he also makes a good bard (college of glamour i think).