#rooftop necromancy

[essektheylyss]

I am feeling great hearing that Keyleth's intel is reporting that Rexxentrum sounds like it's about to devolve into chaos with Dwendal evidently on death's door and the Assembly is about to eat itself from the inside following the Vanguard's movement, considering I was presuming that was going to be some significant fallout, but also, rip Caleb and his virtuous idealism for the Empire lmao.

[therookandthecrow]

I can't sing the praises of the dynamic of my Mage Mourn Watch Rook and his significant other, Lucanis. It's utterly brilliant. I anticipate that my Rook, Lethanavir, will learn more about communicating with spirits and being able to hear them, just as Emmrich does. He is the sort of person to want to learn such a skill out of love for Lucanis, and for Spite.

More under the cut, because I can't shut up about them

Lethanavir has been nothing but kind towards Spite, and who better a partner for him than someone who has grown up around spirits his entire life, even if he doesn't have the same skill set as Emmrich does, yet. Another thing that I love about their dynamic is Lucanis' discomfort with the Necropolis and his finding necromancy a waste of hard work.

I can see Lethanavir (and their mutual friend, Emmrich) helping Lucanis to appreciate and to understand the Nevarran approach towards death and to help him to become more comfortable with his spiritual 'passenger'. While it'll take a while for Lucanis to feel anything less than discomfort in the Grand Necropolis, he'll grow to appreciate it.

It was only fair that he'd embrace his lover for all that he has to offer, from being an infant found in a crypt, to becoming a highly knowledgeable, competent necromancer who focuses more on the spiritual side of the practice, but nonetheless, giving Lucanis a new appreciation for it. He'll grow to love the Grand Necropolis, mostly because it had been his lover's home for most of his life.

If Lethanavir could fall asleep with ease there, so could he, because he'd always sleep well with him by his side. While Lethanavir is enamored with Treviso, and honestly had fallen in love with the city from the first time he went there, the Nevarran Grand Necropolis will always be his true home - his first home, at the very least.

Lucanis grows to become comfortable in the presences of the numerous spirits, wisps and other beings who populate the place, as well as the other people who are members of the Mortalitasi. The cultural exchange goes both ways, from a Nevarran Necromancer to an Antivan Crow. Lethanavir considers Treviso his second home.

He enjoys sitting under the stars with Lucanis on one of the many rooftops of the city, not always just Villa Dellamorte, as Lucanis finds any excuses and loopholes he can in order to spend time with Lethanavir, instead of making his role as the First Talon his entire life. He admires how Lethanavir's silver-white hair looks under the moonlight.

Eventually, Lethanavir who has been notoriously bad at navigating cities remembers each of the turns of the map of the city of Treviso, and Lucanis doesn't need to go out looking for him after he'd inevitably got turned around and ended up on the opposite side of the city he'd intended to go to. They'd share many, many more cups of coffee together at the café at which they had their first date.

[lakemojave]

Tonight at 6pm Pacific: The Direct Actors, A Baldur's Gate 3 "Adventure" pt. 21!!!

After a nice relaxing day at the circus and a HELL of a chat with our divine overlords, the team is ready to hit the pavement and work their way towards Baldur's Gate! Come see @radiofreederry as Dhudlei Durite, Elf paladin, @mayflowers429 and Nana as Leviathan, Dark Urge monk, @caputvulpinum as Micah Harper, Tiefling wizard, and myself as Delilah "Mama D" Harper, Halfling bard!

Character art by @bijillion, recap under the cut!

LAST TIME: After a troubled rest the night before, the day began with Leviathan calling Micah to sit down and talk. What at first began as an admission of his status as Bhaalspawn would turn into a genuine heart-to-heart between the Dragonborn and the tiefling, with the former finally opening up about aspects of his past life as a performer, orphan, and member of the church of Elistriae to the boy. Additionally, Levi pointed out that Micah Harper had been using him as a "human shield" against The Green Knight for the past few days, keeping the lizard between the teenager and the Champion of Ilmater. He offered to continue playing this role, but suggested that the younger Harper be wary of the consequences.

Meanwhile, Mama D was gathering her suspicions about the Green Knight's behaviors, but seeing how much of the group were tired and overworked from a long journey to the Gate, suggested they relax and let loose, enjoying themselves at a circus. While Micah and Dhudlei were initially opposed to the idea, one glimpse of the circus' gates quickly had the former changing his mind, having never known that circuses might incorporate undeath and necromancy to such an extent. Between mummies, the dark arts of cheesemancy, cheating a djinni at his own game, statues of their favorite bard, assorted wonderful performances, and--of course--finally succeeding in preventing the deaths of innocent children at the hands of the Cult of the Absolute--the group reconvened back at camp, with Micah expressing that, for what might have been the first time, having a good day.

However, storm clouds had been brewing on the horizon as Mama D worked with Micah and Leviathan to determine the true cause of The Green Knight's strange behaviors, confirmed on a highly dramatic, cinematic showdown on the rooftops of the camp, with the goddess Shar gloating at her ability to take control of Ilmater's Chosen's body, taunting the rest of The Direct Actors the entire time. With Mama D striking the final blow, Dhudlei Durite remembered his name, purpose, and place in the world, and immediately attempted to apologize for what he had done. Before actually accepting this, Micah prompted Mama D to banish Dhudlei to the realm of Martyrdom so that the paladin could instead confront his god and let everyone begin to soothe the raw edges of everything that happened.

After Dhudlei's return, his subsequent apologies and renewed devotion to his oath, and Lae'zel confronting and swearing off her former god-queen Vlaakith, the party spoke as a group together, affirming to Leviathan that they believed in him and his ability to be a good person in spite of the coiling influence of Bhaal wrapped around him. And after a brief private discussion between Dhudlei and Micah--where they both confirmed that, whatever they each might have felt for each other when this journey began, such feelings had left them--Leviathan had a long, meaningful talk with Mama D about the nature of her impending death, expressing sympathy and concern for her even as she attempted to brush it off. In the end, they both reached a better understanding of each other as friends and companions in their own right, rather than by necessity and circumstance. However, Micah returned from his talk with Dhudlei with frustrations and skepticism, telling Leviathan that while Dhudlei expressed atonement, Micah's own wounds would need more time and effort to heal...

Will the party's camaraderie continue to hold? Will we learn more about Leviathan's past, when he's held it so close to his chest for so long? Will Mama D memento mori? Will Micah Harper ever have another good day? Will Dhudlei be able to mend the rifts his actions have caused? Will the mysterious "Mister Yellow-Eyes" finally be brought to the surface, now that we begin to close the noose around his wayward sister Orin? Find out in another exciting installment of Baldur's Gate 3, starring The Direct Actors!

[iizven]

Fun Facts About Your Tav!

Thank you for the tag @yennefer-of-vengerbergs! ❤

Took me a while to muster up the courage to actually do this tag. Posting about my girl Iizven is so scary. Help! 💀

~Is your character good, evil, or neutral (makes some good decisions, some bad ones)?

She is chaotic neutral leaning more towards good. Very much chaotic though. She's always up to some shenanigans, preferably together with Astarion.

~What hobbies do they partake in?

Climbing! She's been climbing every rooftop she could reach since her early childhood. As a draconic bloodline sorceress, Iizven has the ability to fly, but she prefers the physical challenge of climbing and the satisfaction of reaching the top with her own strength. It helps her clear her head from time to time.

She also enjoys singing, but only in private. She loves to sing for Astarion though.

~Do they own any heirlooms from their family or ancestors?

She owns a necklace that belonged to her mother, whom she always believed to be dead (she isn't 😂). She also has a family sigil ring from her late aunt, who raised her. Although Iizven refers to her as her aunt, she was actually a close friend of her mother.

~ Can your character cook?

She can cook but that doesn't mean she should. 😂 Iizven was raised at her aunt's estate just outside of Athkatla. While she had a very comfortable upbringing with servants to attend to her needs, her aunt ensured that Iizven didn't take that comfort for granted. She taught Iizven to appreciate the hard work of their servants, which included teaching her basic life skills such as cooking. Unfortunately, cooking is not one of Iizven's strengths; she may have the necessary skills to survive on the road, but she definitely prefers to dine at a cozy inn with a proper cook.

~Does your character have a best friend?

Shadowheart. They've been vibing right from the start and quickly became best friends. They both share a preference for dramatic emo make-up and often help each other to apply it. They also enjoy sitting together with a nice glass of wine while sharing the latest gossip.

~Their biggest fear?

Iizven isn't very fond of necromancers. When she was younger she was held captive by a necromancer for a whole year until she was able to escape. He tortured and experimented on her, and Iizven has had an aversion for necromancy ever since.

~Name one of their red flags.

Since she is immortal, much like Dame Aylin, Iizven lacks any kind of survival instincts. As a result, she tends to be quite reckless, and treats her life as a disposable resource. She often puts herself in danger to protect others, much to Astarion's dismay, who sometimes has to remind her that, while he knows she's immortal, watching her die isn't a very pleasant experience.

No pressure tags: @anacdoce @bloodlessdarling @spite-made-me @midnight-musings-of-nyx

[kyurilin]

2: Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

26: Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

There is a severe lack of planning in my fanfic writing with the exception of the Shabby AU ideas and mostly since I don't write in chapters UNLESS I decide to post it early to gain interest (ie Stray and Love Is Just Like That, Sometimes) I really don't even know where chapters are gonna end. Mic's BS Life is FAMOUS for not having been planned at all with exception for the ending, while Crumbled Rooftops actually has an outline. Stray is MOSTLY unplanned and was a Follow The Vibes type thing with some talking it over with Shabby to nail down plot points I wanted to get down. Ironically the lack of planning is why stray chapter 3 has hardly gone anywhere as of yet but I also like not planning so that I can follow the vibes and figure out if something works naturally or not as opposed to stressing over how something SHOULD be going (crumbled rooftops chapter 5 suffered from this strongly since I knew what I wanted to do but several iterations didn't feel right).

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

I gotta say Present Mic's Totally Bullshit Life in EVERY sense of the word wild. It started from Aizawa's POV but I wasn't used to writing him yet and switched it to Mic's. Then that vibed so well that almost 4 years ago TO THE DAY I knocked out every bit of the beginning up until Mic and Aizawa meet up again for the first time in years in the span of a few hours. By January/February of 2021 I had until the AWARDS CEREMONY done (and that's about 48k into the story!). This story was not intended to be posted- I was solely writing it for myself as a fun little thing because I'd fallen really hard into MHA and wanted to write it. Stray and a villain au for an OC from Mic's BS Life were started between the time I started this and when I hit the 48k mark. I wasn't interacting with the fandom at all at this point beyond obsessively reading erasermic fic, so my first real foray into interacting with anyone was to join an erasermic discord. Met @purekesseltrash, told them I loved their Rooftop Necromancy fics, formed a friendship, revealed my still in progress story and Bellsa convinced me I HAD to finish it and post it.

It took me till May to finish it (had to cut a smut scene because I wasn't comfortable posting it as is), figured out how to end it, then knocked out the HAPPIEST ending the week my great aunt iris passed because I needed something to distract me (Aunt iris was one of the most iconic people in my life and I looked up to her very much so writing my silly fanfic was a very welcome distraction). Almost posted the story from a McDonald's drive thru.

Even more wild is that this fic STILL gets comments and kudos. I literally just got a new comment yesterday. So many comments have told me that they stayed up all night reading it. @shabby-blog was commisioned by Bellsa to do fanart for it and now me and shabby are buddies because of that. I've been writing since I was 13 but not until I posted this story did I have a story that was a real 'hit'. And LITERALLY all because after consuming all of Vigilantes and as much erasermic fanfic as I could read and the entire anime and manga at the time in 2021 I looked at Mic and Aizawa's friendship and went "okay but what about the two of them healing from the loss of Oboro together and actually showing how it affected them and their friendship".

I owe it nearly entirely to the single panel in vigilantes where Mic tells midnight to call him Mic instead of his name, and now here I am 4 years later (3 and a half since posting) still hearing from people that they love how I wrote the characters growing over the course of the story and that it means a lot to them. Which is something I never expected to see in a comment on a fic I wrote.

[did-you-fall-for-a-shooting-star]

ahhhhhh!!! Tag game!! Thank youuu @pluggedintosaverockandroll

coffee or tea | early bird or night owl | chocolate or vanilla | spring or fall | silver or gold | pop or alternative | freckles or dimples | snakes or sharks | mountains or fields | thunder or lightning | egyptian mythology or greek mythology | ivory or scarlet | flute or lyre | opal or diamond | butterflies or honeybees | macarons or eclairs | typewritten or handwritten | secret garden or secret library | rooftop or balcony | spicy or mild | opera or ballet | london or paris | vincent van gogh or claude monet | denim or leather | potions or spells | ocean or desert | mermaids or sirens | masquerade ball or cocktail party

Tagging (no pressure) @dumbass-prince-of-the-skies @chilipowder9 @unorthodoxsavvy @radio-ghost-cooks @enbyhawk @necromancy-savant

[a-drama-addict]

1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 22, 25, 31, 36, 44, 46, 49 SABRI BLAST!! SABRI ATTACK!!

SABRI BLAST! SABRI ATTACK! [ask game]

1. How old is Rook?

Sabri is 28!

3. What was Rook’s life before their faction?

didn't have one SHOUTOUT CRYPT BABY! no i guess she's always just... been in the Mourn Watch. She was raised with them and doesn't remember anything prior to it.

5. What was life like for Rook before joining the Veilguard?

Pretty... tame? She spent a lot of her time just. Researching. She definitely cleansed the occasional haunting and restless undead, which is WHY she became a warrior. A lot of studying and reading mostly. She spent a lot of time researching necromancy in theory, even though she could never actually perform the magic herself. Also she likes studying insects. SHE GOT THAT WHIMSY IN HER !!!!

9. What is Rook like on the battlefield?

She's strong and pretty good at anticipating where and when an enemy would strike. She's spent a lot of time observing how different armies, factions, types of people fight. Of course that can't give you everything, but she's pretty good at thinking ahead like cornering an enemy to the edge of a cliff/rooftop/etc and kicking them off. SHE WANTS TO PLAN EVERYTHING OUT SO BAD

10. Does Rook know their history? Do they know of the HoF, Hawke, the Inquisitor?

SABRI HEARTS THE HERO OF FERELDEN EMIRA TABRIS!!!!!! no but seriously she knows of them. She thinks Chloe also rocks because like "Woagh a blood mage became the champion of kirkwall? That's cool I wonder if the public knew" then asks varric and varric lies bc he's protecting hawke 5ever.

She knows of the Inquisitor too but. Less. Mostly heard about his alliance with Cassandra because OooOoOoh did you know a PENTAGHAST is helping the inquisition? Crazy

12. Does Rook have any family? Do they keep in touch?

Not that Sabri knows of. No family ties by blood she's ever met

13. Did Rook bring any trinkets/sentimental items to The Lighthouse?

She has an emblem in the shape of a beetle. Beetles are prized in Nevarra and allegedly brings good luck. She always keeps it on her

18. Their fondest childhood memory:

When Sabri was around 7 or 8 years old she tried talking with wisps for the first time. She was too shy at first, having been told that dwarves can't do magic so it might be more difficult to summon or communicate with them. One night she was feeling very brave and asked one of her mage friends to help her find and connect with wisps.

After a long trek to find them in a room, Sabri sat down on the floor and started talking to them. She spent that whole night talking the (metaphorical) ears of those wisps who very eagerly flew about around her while she rambled.

19. What is Rook’s love language? What love languages do they respond best to?

I'd say quality time and physical touch definitely. she's a cuddle bug that wants to spend time with those she loves damn it! in terms of reacting i would also words of affirmation. she goes real well on that

20. What’s it like to see them smile? Their laugh?

Sabri's smile is very warm, always genuine. If she doesn't have a reason to smile she doesn't, every time she smiles or laughs she gets a crinkle in her nose. Her laugh is loud and shameless, she isn't afraid to let you know she is happy, and it's definitely infectious.

22. Most embarrassing memory as a teenager:

Oh man trying to invent some kind of mechanical entrapment that would give dwarves the ability to mimic necromancy when she was 17. She spent months, almost a full year, trying to build a skeletal set of armour that would have necrotic magic infused in the palms of it's hands so it would deal necrotic damage, and hopefully be able to raise and speak with the dead because of the magic.

Loooong story short, after the help of a professor to mimic the spellcasting, the necrotic powers in the palms overloaded and exploded. Her hands hurt like hell for weeks and she was too embarrassed to walk out of her quarters for two weeks straight.

25. How does Rook like to spend their free time?

Reading! Researching! She loves learning things and reading stories!!! SHE WANTS IN ON THE VEILGUARD BOOK CLUB NEOW!!!!!!

31. What specialization does Rook pursue? What called them to it?

Reaper! Because MOURN WATCH FOREVER AND ALWAYS!!!!! RAGHHH. No but seriously she was kind of already training for this as an apprentice in the necropolis anyway, it just seemed... right.

36. What would Rook say are their flaws?

Sabri believes she is too soft. Not as willing to fight or kill as she should be. She would also feel herself too... dwarf-y. She loves being a dwarf, the traditions and cultures from Orzammar, definitely believes in the Stone. But she feels so inadequate to be part of the Mourn Watch. Even the non-mages at least can dream, she can't even do that. No connection to the Fade. What good is a Mourn Watcher with no connection to the Fade?

44. What is Rook really good at?

Sketching! It's mostly mechanical sketches, studies, that she usually does. She keeps a journal where sketches everything that catches her eye, and if she's lucky she can take it with her and study it up close.

46. What does it take to earn Rook’s trust?

Helping people, honouring the deceased in ways appropriate to the deceased person (respecting different costumes from different cultures in that front), being nice to insects and animals.

49. What will always make them laugh?

Assan. Also dad jokes and puns (That whole segment with the giant stone hand.)

[teddybearsims]

oc(s) as obscure associations - august milan

thank you for the tag @raiiny-bay 💖

ANIMAL: jaguar  COLORS: pink, purple, and cyan (full rainbow tbh) MONTH: october SONGS [leave me alone - kaytranada] [father figure - george michael] [drugs - upsahl] NUMBER: 1 PLANTS: venus flytrap SMELLS: overly expensive cologne, menthol cigarettes and weed GEMSTONE: opal TIME OF DAY: 10pm (aka when his goblin streaming hours begin) SEASON: fall PLACES: rooftop overlooking the city, the smoking area outside of a club, early morning diner FOOD: a big beefy burger with a side of boxed mac n’ cheese or poutine DRINKS: coconut water, cold brews ELEMENT: earth ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: scorpio w/ leo sun + gemini moon SEASONINGS: chilli oil  SKY: cloudy WEATHER: stormy night MAGICAL POWER: necromancy WEAPONS: gold plated .50 caliber pistol SOCIAL MEDIA: twitch, twitter, & tiktok MAKEUP PRODUCT: soleil lip blush from tom ford CANDY: jolly ranchers or rainbow strips METHOD OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL: private jet ART STYLE: urban  FEAR: abandonment  MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: caught between a phoenix and a pegasus PIECE OF STATIONARY: glittery pen THREE EMOJIS: 🐻 💥 🧁 CELESTIAL BODY: sun I tag: @piconoodlez @zinxsims @madfeary @simulation-machine @meoanii @intramoon @theosconfessions 💖

[wisp-of-chaos]

Meet the OC - Ruannskr

Alright, I know I just did one of these earlier but I feel inspired, so have another one! This time featuring Ruannskr – my ulitharid illithidilich aka what happens when you tadpole Ritari.

Deep down, Ruannskr is still Ritari, although far calmer and more collected; literally how I imagine Ritari to be like when fully matured and aged into a wise old and very knowledgeable woman.

Instead of giving you nasty glares and throwing sharp remarks your way, Ruann gives you the creepy silent stare. It is very unnerving and sends a cold shiver of doom down your spine; feeling like icy fingers stroking down on your bare skin.

She has an overall very calm and obscure demeanor and the only people able to read and interpret her are Limeleech, Kelmvor and Mar’reen. Everyone else is left guessing and wondering.

She still very much practices necromancy and now wields even more power than during her mortal lifetime, making her a formidable and frightening foe.

Ruannskr suffers from partialism but is able to separate herself from her host and her memories, viewing herself as some sort of evolved form of Ritari; superior in every aspect.

She kept Ritari’s horns as a trinket and keepsake and fashioned them into a veiled headdress which she almost always wears, both to honor the sacrifice of her host and to further unnerve the people around her.

Just like Ritari, Ruann prefers the secluded solitude of her home – a hut somewhere in the woods; overgrown with ivy and a brittle rooftop. And at first glance, nobody would suspect anyone living there, but when night falls, light can be seen flickering and dancing behind the windows.

She runs a little shop from her home; selling and mixing potions and other alchemistic reagents while donning her Witch of the Woods disguise, which consists of a long veil and a large cape that fully cover her body and hide her tentacles.

Now and then she also hires mercenaries or adventurers to gather rare ingredients for her; not because it would be too dangerous or hard to do so on her own but because she has much better things to do with her time than herb picking. And if anyone gets burned by a dragon … well, at least it wasn’t her.

Ruann isn’t outwardly hostile towards anyone, unless they threaten or disrespect her first. She still thinks that everyone is stupid and below her and most of the time, she’s right – now more than ever in her illithid form.

Unlike Ritari (or Rerki, on that matter) she isn’t short tempered and it takes a long time until she truly gets angry, but if she does – nothing will be able to save you from her wrath. Especially if you decided to wrong one of the very few people she holds dear.

She doesn’t have qualms or second thoughts about her new diet and will eat whenever an opportunity presents itself – no matter what this opportunity might look like.

I furthermore think her mind would feel like a forest shrouded in a thick, deep fog with bone pale trees without leaves and ghostly wisps dancing between the brances. And instead of garlic and vanilla, she smells of sage and other herbs. (I headcanon that each illithid has their own signature psionic feel to it and also an unique smell)

And, once again, a few amazing visuals of her by the talented and wonderful @unaarista who I simply can't thank enough for taking a liking to my terrible girl and taking her time to draw and bring her to life <3

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Chimney Troll

CR 2

Chaotic Evil Large Humanoid

Daughters of Fury, pg. 52

Don’t be fooled by their scrawny appearance, these creatures tower over the average human, though most of their size is just for show. One of the smallest and weakest breeds of troll, these isolated beasts are considered outcasts and pariahs by their own kind, shunned and hated from birth because of their Wicked Blood. Their origins are not elaborated on, only that some form of fiendish magic, necromancy, or curse has tainted their entire lineage, causing them to lose the incredible regenerative powers that their brethren enjoy. In fact, their Wicked Blood means Chimney Trolls cannot heal naturally at all, relying on magical healing to keep their wounds from piling up... or relying on a strange magical quirk that unnerves other trolls.

Most of them are driven from the wilds their kin call home and into urban areas, where they must learn to survive or perish. Their long, gangly limbs and unusually light weight in spite of their size allow them to move across rooftops with deceptive silence (+8 Stealth in urban environments), they can climb 20ft in a single round, and they can contort their bodies in distressing, unnatural ways to cram themselves into spaces they have no right to. Nocturnal by nature, they spend days crammed inside any structure that can hold them, but--as their name suggests--prefer to nest inside the chimneys of occupied structures in order to have easy access to life-sustaining fire.

Any troll would balk at the appetites of the Chimney Trolls, as the very same substance which causes irreparable harm to their uncursed kin instead restores their health and vitality (though ironically they’re not immune to fire, but their 10 Resistance is enough at low levels!). They can inhale any nonmagical fire within 30ft as a standard action, be it candlelight or campfire, ingesting the flame and gaining Regeneration 3 for three rounds regardless of the fire’s size. It is only this method that allows them to overcome the curse of their bloodline, the fire in their bellies rapidly restoring them from the most terrible of injuries, even restoring any lost limbs and damaged organs. While perfectly capable of creating their own fires (and will do so if they have the time), they much prefer stealing it from active chimneys, the torchlight of patrolling guards or travelers, or from the fire pits of campers, because that means they can also grab a quick meal.

While not plagued with the endless, maddening voracity found in most other trolls, Chimney Trolls still prefer proportionately enormous meals, not only stealing whatever food may be cooking on the fire but having zero qualms with devouring the screaming occupants of whatever home they infiltrate. While it’s possible to reason with them and bribe them with a hefty meal, it’s unlikely they’ll take it; they’re actually among the smarter troll breeds out of necessity (meaning their Int is 8 instead of 5), and they know witnesses to their presence will likely draw the attention of guards or adventurers. Thus, most meetings with a Chimney Troll start with horrified screams as the beast unfolds from a supply closet, ventilation shaft, or chimney, and ends with silent chewing as the troll slaughters everyone within a home and squats in the space until authorities investigate or the food stores run out.

Their inability to heal without fire or magic makes them hesitant to engage in any combat they don’t get the surprise round and quick to flee if their enemies outnumber or overpower them too greatly. Don’t let this trick you into thinking they’re weak, though; their bodies are much frailer than a normal trolls, but they still have a CCB attack (1d6+1 and 1d8+1) and a 10ft space/10ft reach that lets them put it to good use, making them a formidable threat to low-level adventurers and guards alike, especially in the cramped urban spaces they nest in. If they’ve recently consumed fire or see that they have access to more they become much braver, unable to be killed for a short time unless exposed to Acid or Cold damage.

Thanks to their appearance, a foolish attacker may believe it to be a normal troll, which is the creature’s greatest danger. Someone raising a torch in the hopes of scaring it off may just empower it as it sucks the flame from the stick and rapidly begins to heal... but each time they consume a fire, they also gain the ability to exhale a cloud of choking, burning smoke. This Soot Cloud deals 1d6 Fire damage and nauseates a single creature within 30ft of the troll, though a DC 13 Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the nausea. It’s a little bit of insult AND injury, really, to see the weapon you thought would give you an advantage eaten and then regurgitated straight into your face, leaving you helpless to the incoming savage beating.

That’s the luckiest thing that can happen. The unluckiest is that the creature swats the torch from your hand and into a pile of kindling it built in the home it infested, sending the entire structure up in flames. The troll can take the heat--and in fact will thrive in it--but everyone else is likely to just go up in smoke.

You can read more about them here.

[elvenbeard]

BOLD the FACTS

RULES: BOLD what applies to your OC I was tagged by @wraithsoutlaws @pinkyjulien @chevvy-yates and @wistereia thank you so much!! :D

▞ ▟ PERSONAL ▙ ▚

Vince's life was always a rollercoaster and will continue to be one for the foreseeable future. He went from Charter Hill's rooftops to Kabuki's back alleys, from Arasaka's Counterintel department to a landfill... and then back to the top of Night City's seedy underworld and beyond. His parents probably didn't imagine he'd use his several-thousand-eddies-a-month education to one day run the city's most infamous bar and criminal hangout... and be fucking good at the job!

Financial: wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty

Medical: fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / non-applicable

Class or Caste: upper / middle / working / unsure / other

Education: qualified / unqualified / studying / other

Criminal Record*: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

*but nothing has come of it so far because he either makes sure the records "disappear" or no one would dare to do something about the smaller stuff

▞ ▟ FAMILY ▙ ▚

An only child of two people that should have never become parents, Vince never had the healtiest rolemodels when it comes to family and marriage.

Children: had a child or children / has no children / wants children*

Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased

Affiliation: orphaned / abandoned / adopted / disowned** / raised by birth parent(s) / not applicable

*he is actually very good with children and he never fully excluded the idea from his life, a "maybe one day" scenario... but he's smart enough to know that with his current job and situation having kids would be the worst move imaginable - mostly for the hypothetical kids

**his father died when he was 13, and he has no idea what became of his mother, but they haven't been in contact for 7+ years and counting by 2077

▞ ▟ TRAITS & TENDENCIES ▙ ▚

One thing Vince learned from a young age is that showing your true emotions and intentions will get you nowhere but into trouble. His cold, calculating, corporate mask has become his protective armor that he only drops around people he'd trust with his life, that he knows will not use his vulnerability to their advantage. None of his behavior is an act - he is the bold and self-confident bastard the world has turned him into while he always fought to never fully lose his humanity.

♦ extroverted / introverted / in-between

��� disorganized / organized / in-between

♦ close-minded / open-minded / in-between

♦ calm / anxious / in-between / highly contextual

♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in-between

♦ cautious / reckless / in-between / highly contextual

♦ patient / impatient / in-between

♦ outspoken / reserved / in-between / highly contextual

♦ leader / follower / in-between

♦ empathetic / vicious bastard / in-between

♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in-between

♦ traditional / modern / in-between

♦ hard-working / lazy / in-between

♦ cultured / uncultured / in-between / unknown

♦ loyal / disloyal / in-between / unknown

♦ faithful / unfaithful / in-between / unknown

(a lot here is "in-between" or "highly contextual" because he's always a bit torn between what he wants to show to others and what he wants. he's a professional killing machine and netrunner, but also an adrenaline junkie that sometimes dashes headfirst into a gig without properly thinking it through)

▞ ▟ BELIEFS ▙ ▚

There are no gods, but with a universe so vast it's unlikely that there's no other life out there - just no Techno-Necromants and the likes please...

Faith: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic

Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking

Belief in an Afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking

Belief in Reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking

Belief in Aliens: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious

Philosophical: yes / no / highly contextual

(Not really mentioned here but it fits the category: Vince does belief in fate to a certain degree, even though it goes against his usually rather logical approach to things. There were just too many coincidences in his life - happy and unlucky alike - for him to not believe in some kind of red string leading him somewhere. And that idea of "somewhere", a goal he's led to, whatever it may be, is what kept him going through his darkest moments.)

▞ ▟ SEXUALITY & ROMANCE ▙ ▚

When he was younger, Vince really struggled with his sexuality, negatively impacted by dysphoria. Later on sex almost became some kind of mechanical stress relief that he first had to connect an emotional aspect to, but that made it even better. He crushes hard and fast, but he doesn't love easily.

Sexuality: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual

Sex: sex-repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless

Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naive and clueless / romance suspicious

Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious

Potential Sexual Partners*: male / female / agender / other / none / all

Potential Romantic Partners*: male / female / agender / other / none / all

*Vince had exactly one girlfriend once when they were both teenagers. And both agreed that nope, the other is not what they want after a very shortlived yet eye-opening relationship xD

▞ ▟ ABILITIES ▙ ▚

Excellent schooling and his training at Arasaka paid off. Yet, while he is alright with guns, he still prefers to remain in the background and shadows.

Combat Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor/ none

Literacy Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

Artistic Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

Technical Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

▞ ▟ HABITS ▙ ▚

Smoking is disgusting, Vince tried it but cannot see the appeal. Alcohol he actually doesn't mind, but it makes him very sick very quickly due to a genetic predisposition. During his last year with Arasaka he developed a drug addiction to cope with increasing stress and a traumatic incident. While he's going through phases of being completely clean for a few months at a time, it is a continuous battle and he's relapsed here and there.

Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions / rarely / sometimes / frequently / alcoholic / former borderline alcoholic turned sober

Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / chain-smoker

Recreational Drugs: tried some / never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict

Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed* / frequently / to excess

Unhealthy Food: never / special occasions / rarely / sometimes** / frequently / binge eater

Splurge Spending: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic***

Gambling: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gamble

*most of it Relic-related

**more out of convenience or if things get stressful; he doesn't really like junk food or most street food that much

***he's not completely irresponsible with his money, but fashion, tech, and cars are biiiig weaknesses and all come with a certain price tag

▞ ▟ ▉ ▙ ▚ ▞ ▟ ▉ ▙ ▚▞ ▟ ▉ ▙ ▚▞ ▟ ▉ ▙ ▚▞ ▟ ▉ ▙ ▚

Thanks for reading, I know this was a very long one, but I really love these types of tag games and cannot stop myself from writing xD

Also played around a bit with some more colorful formatting (cause I love particularly what @pinkyjulien always does for his posts in terms of formatting *__* not sure yet if I'll keep it up exactly like this, but it was a fun exercise nonetheless! :D)

I'm tagging @cherryrockpops @peaches-n-screem @imaginarycyberpunk2023 @seeker-of-truth @dani-the-goblin @rindemption @brujebutch @swearingcactus @humberg aaaaaand you if you're reading this. Completely without pressure as always ofc!

Again, thanks for reading!

[hanakihan]

okay since brainrot is real here's some howl's moving castle au things

jinwoo comes from a completely normal family of middle class, his mother owns a bakery in busiest street. his father isn't absent but he with other men works in steppe. jinchul is an orphan that was smart enough to pass an entrance test so he got his education that allowed him to have a decent paying job as an accountant for gunhee's mechanical factory. jinchul is grateful to gunhee for hiring him back when he was still a student which ensured he won't end up on streets and with a tuion debt on his back. because of that jinchul is dead set to work hard to be able to repay gunhee's kindness even if man himself says that there's no need to overwork himself like that.

it's rare for people to develop magic affinity, and while jinwoo was confirmed to have it, his own mana resources were ridiculously small which closed any way to apply under tutelage of country's leading Wizard. jinchul never had any magic affinity but he's the rare case of being magic sensitive - while unable to control and cast it, he has extremely high sensitivity to it, hence why he's one of few to know that gunhee is a powerful wizard.

country's power is decided by how much ranked wizards it has, jinchul has suspicion that gunhee is one of them even if man supresses his insane mana reserves. aside from country-bound wizards and witches there's also 'rouge' ones that roam around lands and are usually a sign of bad omen - people call them Rulers and Monarchs. they can be hired but they're generally hard to track down and when they cross country's borders they're objects of really strong observation. they're wild force and card and no one is happy when one of them roams in their country and not in wastelands. people theorize that both fractions search for something - or rather someone - for completely different reasons.

jinchul is usually a busy man running errands so he doesnt notice at first when shadows around him started to twirl in unnatural way. he does finally notice something is off when his senses go wild with magic signature around him and he finds himself surrounded by shadows in a twisted alley. surprisingly, fearsome 'necromancer' guides him out and helps him to get on meeting spot in time by hopping on rooftops. contrary to belief, necromancer isn't cold and ruthless but a reasonable and calm man. jinwoo later returned to that alley to erase one of monarch's mana signature that took root here and wondere how a human was able to wander into patrial shadow realm.

later that night when doing accountant work jinchul ended up face to face with unknown man who somehow got into his office unnoticed. man demands to know what connections jinchul has with shadow monarch to bear fresh traces of his mana. jinchul tries to get this man out only to learn that it's one of monarchs - Antares - that tries to hunt down shadow monarch. antares leaves but before that curses jinchul - eating away 2/3 of his destined time and leaving jinchul with maximum of a year to live in old man's body unless he somehow manages to break this curse.

jinchul, realizing that he's been in contact with a monarch, decides to silently leave to wastelands so townsfolk and gunhee won't suffer from it. he leaves only a note saying he has urgent business and will try to return. despite initial panic, jinchul isn't too afraid or stressed about his new existence. after all there's not many people to miss him when he's gone.

when wandering wastelands jinchul encounters a really energetic turnip scarecrow that keeps following him. he isn't annouyed but after encounter with both nercomancer and antares he's vary of magical things. he does however catch that scarecrow is also cursed and when it helps him to find an old looking mansion on a rock hill, he asks if scarecrow is willing to follow. screacrow (cursed jinho) agrees.

turns out it's famous wizard of necromancy's mansion and they're on fact not on hill but on dragon's back. inside jinchul feels similar presence as in that alley back then and notices shadows staring at him. then he meets annoyed ashborn, who was a great help and both strike a deal to break each other's curse.

despite jinwoo having a family he rarely visits them - not when he's hunted by both Monarchs and Rulers. he lives a loner and is quite surprised to see jinchul in his mansion only to realize that man suffered for contacting with him so he allows him to stay. later on jinwoo takes jinchul to see S rank wizards and a witch to see if any of them can lift curse. here jinwoo orders special lantern from jongin to contain ashborn when he needs to be moved around because last time jinchul did it with log to clean place, ashborn slightly burned him. jinwoo was alao surprised to see new addition - a screacrow that prefers to hop around on mansion's rooftops and balconies.

while jinwoo keeps house clean, jinchul still cooks and cleans occasionally just not to feel like a burden. he catches shadows being curious on what he's doing so eventually he bonds with them teaching them things while they show him mansion's secrets. jinchul is surprised to learn that some of jinwoo's servants are able to talk and eventually jinchul finds himself arguing with ashborn and kamish the most.

when returning from one of raids jinwoo finds jinchul asleep while man was clearly doing some paperwork. when he wanted to move him to his sleeping place under stairs, jinwoo noticed that jinchul is youthful again - even more so when he isn't frowning. ashborn watched with great interest while snacking on one of logs jinchul left for him.

upon jinwoo's summon to royal palace to meet with royal wizard - the one under whom all S rank gain titlage - jinchul ends up visiting. to his absolute shock royal wizard - strongest one in country and technically is a king of their country despite there being an actual king - is gunhee himself. jinchul is confused and so is gunhee who never expected to see him missing apprentice like that. gunhee mistakenly assumes it's jinwoo who cursed jinchul (because of his mana signature lingesring) but jinchul, unable to tell about his curse, feels frustrated at this misunderstanding. just when gunhee wanted to attempt to lift the curse (which potentially could harm and even kill other wizard because it's antares) jinwoo appears to snatch jinchul into his shadows.

when later things go to hell - jinwoo becomes acrively pursued by all other monarchs - jinchul learns that jinwoo almost died years ago in wastelands only to be found by ashborn and strike a deal with him. essentially, jinwoo lives only because he's bound to ashborn (who fears his mana will eventually consume poor boy), all mana and shadow summons belong to ashborn as well (and kamish is alive also thanks to him) - at this point jinwoo is a vessel that unleashes ashborn's mana and hence why antares approached jinchul - because it wasn't jinwoo's mana that got attached to him.

jinchul feeds ashborn his white streaked hair that he kept in low ponytail because he didn't bother to cut it after turning into an old man. ashborn eats it because it has good chunk of various mana signatures attached (hair is a good magnet for mana signatures and after meeting so many wizards it all got attached to him same way it was when jinwoo helped him out of alley. strong wizards can cleanse themselves but normal humans don't)

upon ashborn's request jinchul gives jinwoo ashborn's heart - which makes jinwoo a monarch that inherited everything ashborn had. ashborn isn't dead but he also isnt bound and decides to simply stay. jinchul's curse got lifted by ashborn and jinwoo as his succsessor was able to lift a curse from jinho (only a monarch can counter monarch's curse) who turned out to be country's missing prince.

jinwoo still high from ashborn's inheritance touhes jinchul's messy slightly burn white streaked hair and says he's beautiful, to be beloved and protected by so much colorful mana. jinwoo later clears misunderstanding with gunhee who officially grants him a title of a national wizard every other S ranks has.

[blackjackkent]

Rakha is heading towards Aylin to speak with her, but Isobel calls to her from across the room first - and immediately the aasimar seems to forget there's anyone else in the room.

"Aylin!"

"Isobel!"

Rakha watches, bemused, as Aylin strips off her helmet and darts across the room to fall onto her knees at Isobel's feet. The implacable warrior from the battle on the rooftop and in the fleshpit is gone; Aylin's wings have vanished and she is trembling all over, her eyes wide and locked on Isobel as if she is the only thing in the world.

"My love... you were dead," she gasps out. "I saw your body..."

Ah. Rakha remembers that moment on the rooftop. Ketheric spoke of his daughter and Aylin, for the first time, faltered - enough that she was struck by one of the Absolute's tentacles and recaptured. This is why, then.

She loves Isobel. And Isobel, judging by her expression, returns the feelings utterly; there are tears in her eyes as she cups Aylin's chin with her fingers, then pulls the taller woman to her feet.

"I'm here," she says shakily. "And... and so are you. And my father, he--" Her voice cracks and she grips the front of Aylin's armor to steady herself. "He can't hurt us any longer."

Their embrace is fierce, fervent - desperate. "I dreamt every night that you'd come back to me," Aylin murmurs, barely loud enough to hear, against Isobel's shoulder. "That somehow it was all a nightmare dawn would undo..."

"I had no dreams at all," Isobel answers, with a tinge of bitterness. "Nothing but darkness. And when I awoke... my father said you were dead."

Her fingers drift over Aylin's face, along her neck. It's a gesture Rakha knows well. She has touched Wyll in the same way, reassuring herself that he is alive before her, true and solid, not destroyed by the darkness in her.

"His soul was poisoned by the god of death," Aylin answers. "His sick devotion ruined him. But for all his sins... he brought you back to me." She kisses Isobel again, and then again, on her lips, between her eyes. "Are you all right?"

"I will be," Isobel says softly. "And you?"

Aylin smiles, wraps her arms around Isobel and lifts her in a spinning embrace.

"In this moment," she says, "I want for nothing." And the joy in her voice equals the misery of all the years she spent in darkness.

-----

Rakha does not move to interrupt this reunion, just watches it in silence. She is conscious of their joy and relief at seeing each other - and also conscious that this is not a scene she is meant to see. She is out of place here, an intruder in their happiness.

All of this does, though, fill in some small gaps in her understanding of the situation. Isobel is indeed Ketheric's daughter - and died. Ketheric's necromancy brought her back. She and Aylin were lovers, torn apart by fate and cruelty. Rakha has - accidentally - been the mechanism for reuniting them.

It could have been different. I could have killed them both. Even now she looks at the paladin and cleric and the beast growls in her head, hungry... It's not too late to try. The thought makes her scowl.

No - this moment of their reunion is a victory for her as well. Isobel lives. Aylin lives. Rakha did not slit their throats and watch their blood spatter out in service of the beast in her mind. She held on, despite all the pain it caused her. She held on. She will keep holding on.

A small victory. Hidden to anyone but herself - and perhaps Wyll and Lae'zel. But a victory nevertheless.

Eventually Aylin and Isobel pause their kisses and embraces for a breath, and Isobel notices Rakha standing at the side of the room.

"Ah! There you are!" she says eagerly, tugging Aylin by the hand towards her. "This is Aylin. Aylin, this is--"

Aylin's eyes flare with eager recognition. "Ho, but we have met!" she says. Her voice rings like a gong in the empty room. "This is the soldier that freed me most valiantly from the Shadowfell," she tells Isobel. "They watched my boot crush the very brain of villainy - and fought well against your changed father."

Isobel frowns, looking down. "May he rest in peace at least, now that he's dead..."

A pause. Then she shakes herself and turns towards Rakha with a wide smile.

"I have more to thank you for than I knew," she says eagerly. "And we have much to discuss. Perhaps we could join you in your camp later?"

Rakha goes still as stone. Her heart starts to thump in her chest with fear. Panic, almost. No. Isobel lived this long because Rakha held on... but to take her into their camp...

The beast uncurls itself and growls in her head, hungry and eager and bloody. Yes. This pretty child of the moon... bring her within arm's reach and we shall slice and slice and slice...

They took Alfira into their camp and that was how Alfira died.

"No," she says, far too sharply, squeezing her fists at her sides. "If you have something to say to me, say it now."

("Rakha..." Wyll murmurs, frowning. "Easy..." He doesn't know what just happened or why it evoked such a response - but he knows the signs by now that Rakha is battling a slip. He shifts just slightly, lets his knuckles rest against her forearm.)

Aylin flares at once. She doesn't understand the cause either - but there's no question she sees the flash of sourceless danger in Rakha's eyes. "Do not speak so abruptly to the mate of Dame Aylin," she snarls. "Daughter of the Moonmaiden, paladin of--"

"Ahem--" Isobel clears her throat hastily, grabbing Aylin by the arm and tugging her back a step.

Wyll is now holding onto Rakha's arm as well, because she has gone even more still and has her eyes squeezed shut, breathing rapidly through her nose. A strained silence stretches between them all.

Finally, Rakha's eyes open again as the beast's flare of rage recedes. Isobel looks between her and Aylin cautiously for a moment before going on.

"Listen," she says carefully. "We need time to figure out what the hells has happened. I thought Aylin dead. She thought the same of me. Let us join you later. I'm sure we'd have much of interest to say to one another."

Rakha's jaw works. Damn it.

Isobel certainly has information she wants - and so does Aylin, who needs to explain herself to Shadowheart. But if they come to camp...

She will need to have Wyll tie her up again, that's all. She will not be responsible for their deaths, not after all the misery she has gone through to keep them both alive.

"Fine," she says tightly. "I'll see you at camp."

"Very good," Isobel says, relaxing. "We look forward to it."

Aylin is still watching Rakha with a certain amount of wariness, but she just shrugs. "Now, you will leave us," she says curtly. "We must take succor in one another's bodies and words."

Rakha blinks. Behind her, Wyll chokes on a soft laugh. Isobel blushes. "Aylin," she mutters, elbowing the aasimar in the side. "We'll see you later," she tells Rakha sheepishly.

Rakha nods wordlessly and turns away. She takes perhaps a small amount of pleasure in allowing them their time for reunion, but certainly none in knowing of their impending visit. If she had hoped for rest tonight, that hope is now dashed.

I hope your answers are worth it.

[danceswithdarkspawn]

Denerim Pyre for the WIP game? 😄

Hi!

So this is an odd one that will probably get reworked eventually. This one is essentially a plot bunny I had so I wrote it down quickly.

It happens in the Denerim arc of Broken Bird (so not written yet). There are some spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins (and Broken Bird obviously) so I'll put the rest under Read More.

So to explain this a little for those who might be unfamiliar, alienage elves can be subject to purges basically whenever governing humans want. Sometimes this is in response to elves killing humans (overwhelmingly in self-defense) or simply to display power. Elves are killed right down to women and children.

Canonically, a purge happens in Denerim's alienage and the Warden is barred entry until the later part of the game. This purge is done under the guise of a recent "murder" of a nobleman's son and to put down an elven riot. Later, once Blight-infected refugees enter Denerim, the sickness is spread to many of the remaining elves. "Healers" arrive in the alienage to tend to the sick. However, this and the purge is a front for Tevinter slave trade; those healthy enough were sold and transported to the Tevinter Imperium.

Funeral rites in Ferelden (as well as other parts of Thedas) typically call for the burning of bodies to prevent possession, necromancy, etc.

Basically this WIP is after Ariel breaks into the alienage and puts an end to the slavers. Later that night, she sits on the rooftops and watches the pyres burn the dead, and blames herself for the purge as she's the one who killed the nobleman's son.

The pyres burn on into nightfall, the smoke drifting heavy across the alienage and into Denerim like a miasma. The smell is stark, pungent, almost sickening; sooty and vile with death. Perched from above, the fireglow through the curtains of smoke illuninate those that are left, those that watch the flames and weep. I would be there with them, if I still felt I belonged. An ache seizes my chest for a countless time; my heart squeezes into my throat, and the figures in the smoke blur and warp until I can blink away my feelings. [...] Eran finds me sometime later, still stuck to the rooftop of our old apartment. He collapses on the ledge next to me, and for a long while we say nothing. The air feels so wrought and heavy, and there are words at the back of my throat, but I can't bear to break what little silence there is. "Are you okay?" And I can't help but laugh, but it comes out more of a wail. I smudge my hand against my eyes. "No." Without hesitation or complaint, he wraps an arm around my shoulders. I crumple into his side. "None of this had to happen," I choke out. Maker, the sound of my own voice is vile; wrought and growling and not me. But Eran, stubborn man that he is, squeezes his arm and shakes me a little. "You know this isn't your fault."

[tenuuchlegch]

"alt!"

Muses of Past & Future

🌍~ Humanity, ever rising and falling like tides across shore. Yet water waned rock over time, as it expanded territory. How fascinating it was, to witness them reach heights many of their ancestors could only dream about, or decline into new lows they could not fathom. Throughout all her centuries of living one fact of them remained constant- that man was both a marvelous and monstrous species.

Alkebu-lan was a creature which existed outside of their perception of time; an almost entirely unknown variable to this generation now. She was an observer of them, keen on carefully remaining an enigma to all mortal and immortal alike. Unlike the two, most infamous individuals of her kind, mystic monkey was content to have history forget visage and exploits. Yet the roots of deep, muddled past would occasionally quiver and call, moving concealed simian to action.

On a building's rooftop in Megapolis, did a portal of purest white, encircled with crimson open, allowing a seemingly human woman to slip through with ease. The stench of a busy, modern city overwhelming once pure, clean air she took in, dark-skinned one wasted no time to scan area. Alkebu-lan would not say she was in a rush, but shape-shifter often found any attention drawn towards her troublesome and if certain creatures were encountered countless questions would be inquired. Golden optics now illuminating with a red hue, searched the port thoroughly until finally stopping at one crate being unloaded from a ship. Twirling her finger once, previous portal closed and a smaller one next to hand appeared. Reaching in did palm find itself inside wooden box as it was being hulled. For a moment she felt around it, pulling out various and valuable items. At last, disguised baboon found what she was looking for and brought out a book with an ominous cover- its leather bindings decorated with carvings of skulls.

"There you are. Mortals really should know better, than to mess with your ilk. But, I suppose I cannot fault a new generation for their lack of understanding," she sighed. Abruptly, did the communication device in ear ring. Tossing the book of necromancy back into another portal behind her, her once stoic countenance portrayed a smile.

"Beatrix! Do not tell me I am missed already~"

A woman's voice came on the other side, her tone clearly fearful but restrained. "Alkebu-lan, would you mind explaining why there is a... unicorn... goat thing in my office?"

"Ah, that would be an abada," shape-shifter replied, scratching her chin. "Hmm, stay there. I will be right over." Hanging up and falling back through another portal, celestial primate soared across an empty, white expanse for some minutes before her head popped up out of floor behind a mortal, dark-skinned woman.

"So, is the abada still here?" she chirped, evoking a surprised jump from the human.

[benadryltarantula]

The Nechronica campaign wrapped up! They beat up the badguy after his anime speech. They made good friends with the former religious zealot girl. No one got annihilated. They decided to pursue the potential secrets of necromancy later. Someone put an enemy's head on their body and lost it. A coinflip decided this person was not malicious and gave them a mew smaller body. They enjoyed a nice emotional fade to black on a rooftop during sunset.