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studentinpursuitofclouds · 11 months ago

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How would the SVE adventurers and mages react to the fact that the Farmer gave peace to the shadow people by bringing the souls of their loved ones to them? We see Magnus and Marlon be very confused about why the shadow people are acting so weird (I.E not attacking anymore), so how would they and the others feel about getting the news that the Farmer just... casually brought peace between the shadow people and humans just because they could? (Also, sorry if I'm flooding your inbox too much I just really like your content-)

Please don't ever feel like you're flooding here. I'm always happy to see you and others in my askbox ☺️💕 Thanks so much for the question, hope you enjoy it!

Be warned - this post is so, so long....

_________________________________________

Absolutely everyone has noticed a change in the behavior of the shadow people..... In the mines of the Stardew Valley, in the Highland caves, even in the Crimson Baldlans. Everywhere this civilization resided, great changes had taken place.

A topic that became a furor for all the inhabitants of the magical world. The young monster hunters in the recent reports that the shadow shamans, instead of their usual aggression towards them, had simply... retreated. Where? Why? Mages have been discussing for days now that they have stopped noticing shadow people at all in their raids.

All of this did not go unnoticed, and the Ministry of Magic along with the Order of Pythagoras became very worried because of such a drastic change in the monsters' behavior. The Guild heads and the First wizard and witches already called several secret meetings in a row to find out who or what caused this event.

Farmer's friends and acquaintances were also there, puzzling over whether this was a dark plan by a renegade mage to gather an army of shadow people to storm the Crimson Badlands, or an initiative by the shadow people themselves in retaliation to humanity for past wrongs?

Few people realized later that it was enough to ask a young and chaotic farmer to find out the truth about all this...

_________________________________________

Aside from his complete willingness to protect people at the cost of his own life, Lance admits that all the fuss has sparked a genuine curiosity and desire to capture all the details in his book. He still considers the shadow people to be something more than a bunch of mindless and ruthless monsters and hopes that he won't have to spill anyone else's blood. If the pink-haired adventurer is lucky, maybe he can figure out what's going on with shadow people and finish his book.

Whatever the top wizards and adventurers accept, Alesia prepares for a fight. The battle sniper will start training the young warriors of Castle Village even harder, check all the positions of the main wall protecting the settlement, give orders to replenish the arsenal with all weapons, organize shelters in case of irreparable situation.... All hard work, for the sake of saving the people Alesia swore to defend to the last drop of blood.

If the adventurers under Alesia's command had a hard time with the increased training, then for those with Isaac as their boss, the following days became a living hell. No rest, no indulgences. "The monsters will not give you a second to rest or to be weak. Focus!" - was a phrase that had become imprinted on young minds during the training. But Isaac can be understood: he does everything he can to ensure that his charges can defend themselves and others. He doesn't spare himself either: training - sleep, training - sleep. That's his schedule for now.

Jolyne was serious about training her Guild members not only in the use of weapons, but also in battle magic. She has no doubts about Lance's ability to defend himself, but the wise woman worries for the safety of the younger members of The First Slash Clan. Especially if the source of the threat turns out to be the Gotoro Empire, it will be her Guild that will receive the first and most powerful blow from the enemy on the other side of the Gem Sea... So Jolyne can't afford to relax.

While everyone is making a fuss about the shadow people, Camilla has been using all her connections in the magical and non-magical worlds to find out what happened and where. Since the head witch doesn't want to cause any more panic (and also doesn't want the conservative old farts in the Ministry to get in her way), she has quietly begun her search for the cause of the monsters' behaviour. While her own search for the truth began, Camilla quietly poured herself some tea and snacked on sweets, smiling and pretending to take it lightly again so that she would be left alone.

Jadu will sit in the front rows of the meetings and listen to every word of the magicians of the highest rank. He is excited and intrigued - it has been a long time since such a large-scale event, covered with mystery, has taken place in history. And the young mage promised himself to be the first to solve this mystery! Naturally, people's safety is paramount, but Jadu, if possible, won't miss a chance to learn something new about monster behaviour or maybe even a new spell.

Magnus and Marlon were not as excited as the young Castle Village mage. Old and wise, they know for a fact that none of this can bode well. The one-eyed adventurer has sunk even further into depressed thoughts after the day he discovered in the mines that the behavior of the shadow people has changed drastically. Marlon is also worried about the young Guild member, lest they get into trouble because of all this. Magnus, on the other hand, is fully immersed in theories about what this could mean and who might be involved, but also supporting Marlon's concern for Farmer's safety. They're also worried about Krobus's safety, and wondering how to discreetly hide them from the Order when-

Krobus! Of course! And why didn't they immediately realize to ask their shadow friend?

_________________________________________

Leaving the meeting unnoticed, Marlon and Magnus instantly teleported to the sewers beneath Pelican Town, accidentally scaring poor Krobus in the process. After apologising, the purple-haired wizard and the one-eyed adventurer began to ask about what had happened to the shadow people?

''Oh, didn't the Farmer tell you? We made peace. Can you believe this? Peace, finally... With the humans. I didn't think I'd ever see it, but my people are no longer fighting your people. We have a chance to become friends, all thanks to the kindness and endeavour of our friend Farmer. How happy I am!"

Except that it couldn't be said that after hearing this, the old men's faces directly shone with joy. Of course, they both breathed a sigh of relief at the realization that there was no secret conspiracy here, and peace in general after years of confrontation between humans and shadow people. But the fact that Farmer hadn't told anyone about it made them angry. Very angry.

Oh, here comes the culprit of the celebration and all this chaos! Farmer had deigned to come down to the sewers, wanted to treat Krobus to a pumpkin. Except that the young troublemaker didn't expect to see their mentors.... with furious expression. In a moment, Marlon had grabbed Farmer by the collar of their shirt, while Wizard with a snap of his fingers, had moved all three of them into his tower, leaving a confused Krobus with a pumpkin alone.

When Magnus teleported in the tower, he had time to call all the people he had decided to tell for the outcome of the incident. Marlon let go of the frightened Farmer, and barely suppressed the urge to lightly slap them upside the head. He was proud of his apprentice and fellow Guild member's achievement, but not to tell anyone about the peace while everyone else was pissing themselves from stress and training. Even though Farmer didn't know what was happening in Castle Village and elsewhere, it didn't negate the fact that it was their duty to report such important events.

Farmer's familiars teleported over to them in a little less than a minute: first Camilla, as always the first to learn about the news, followed later by Lance and Jolyne, and then Alesia, Isaac, and Jadu.

Magnus decided not to feel sorry for the Farmer this time:

"Well, young one. Is there anything you want to tell us?"

Everyone turned their eyes to Farmer, who craned their head into his shoulders from the scrutiny. Sighing tiredly, the Farmer began their story..... The only difference, though, was not to mention Krobus, so as not to expose their friend to danger, and Magnus and Marlon were grateful for that. But outwardly they didn't show it.

_________________________________________

When Farmer finished their story, there was a heavy silence. With an indignant half-cry of "What?!" Isaac was the first to break the silence. It didn't take long for the profanity to be hurled in the direction of the careless adventurer who had taken their duties so lightly and failed to report for peace with the shadow people. Isaac was angry, furious. So many days of training to learn such truth? Sure, he wouldn't want unnecessary violence and blood, but what the fuck does the Farmer allow themself!

Alesia was more well mannered, but also spoke out with annoyance at Farmer's lack of seriousness about their duties. They should have immediately reported to the head of the Guild or other senior adventurers first. But they didn't think it was important. A serious lapse in discipline.

To be honest - Jadu wasn't as angry as he was intrigued at what the Farmer had done. Peace? With shadow people? That's so exciting! A whole historical event, and when the others are done with their scolding Farmer, Jadu is sure to ask Farmer so many questions about current event.

Lance breathed a sigh of relief as he realised that there was no dire danger. At least not yet. The only one of them to smile sympathetically at Farmer as they blushed under the onslaught of scolding. He, like Jadu, is very interested in asking Farmer questions about how they were able to accomplish what people in the past couldn't. Farmer is a true peacemaker, and Lance bows to the heroism and bravery of the young adventurer. But praise will come later, now it is scolding, for this could have ended in injury, or even death, for Farmer.

Jolyne, on the other hand, decided to cross her arms and watch Farmer blush with a predatory smile. Camilla joined the head of The First Slash and silently watched this funny situation. What was interesting was that both Jolyne and Camilla had guessed Farmer's involvement even before Magnus and Marlon left the meeting, back then. Camilla's connections pointed to Farmer having become suddenly involved in soul gathering at Crimson Baldlans more recently. While Jolyne had seen Farmer leaving the Mines the day the shadow people's behaviour changed. She had been visiting Marlon then, and hadn't paid much attention to Farmer. She should have. Well, all is well now, and she and Camilla are enjoying the comedic situation.

Magnus and Marlon have the last word, as the official mentors of the most chaotic Farmer in the entire world. Farmer were the most unpleasant to listen to their chastisement, with a face the colour of a tomato.

But after the heavy scolding, both mentors thanked Farmer for their exploit, not forgetting to say how proud they were of them. This made the Farmer's mind go even further into a stupor. Even though Farmer had not intentionally created this chaos, and the fact that it could have ended badly for them, none of the people present dared to deny the fact that Farmer had once again done the impossible and that they were grateful for this peace. Everyone agreed with Marlon and Magnus's words, even the grumpy Isaac, and asked that in the future if anything happened, to let them know.

So much for the life and adventures of the disaster Farmer...

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classiqals · 5 months ago

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{thomas doherty, 27, cismale, he/him} we are so glad to see you safe, KING ROLAND STUART of SCOTLAND! it’s dangerous out in the world these days, but i hear that you are RECKLESS and LOYAL TO A FAULT enough to handle it. just don’t let your DEMANDING NATURE bring you down! stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out YOU THINK YOU ARE BEING HAUNTED BY A GHOST AND IT'S GIVEN YOU INSOMNIA.

BASICS;

nicknames: ro

sexuality: bisexual

relationship: devoutly single

date of birth: july 22nd

zodiac sign: cancer/leo cusp baby

moral alignment: chaotic good (?)

hobbies: gardening, writing, hiking, camping under the stars, horse riding, fishing, swimming, anything to do with the outdoors, archery, storytelling, folklore.

dislikes: ghosts, witchcraft, conflict, excessive rain, broken promises.

politics/loyalty: he was not raised to think as a leader, for a nation... so instead, his loyalty, politics, and decisions are most guided by his heart. he is loyal to his loved ones above all else.

inspirations: tba

DETAILS;

as a child, roland clung to his mother's leg and listened to her tales of dark fantasy with wide, dreaming eyes - taking to the moors before lessons, and never able to sit through a full reading. he would take to his journals, inspired by the folklore of the highlands, creating new tales from his own mind, and dabbling in a world of gruesome fantasy.

he was able to get away with such whimsy for a spell; the youngest of four, when was he to ever lead a kingdom? it was not by his parent's urging, but that of his peers, to finally grow up into a young man rather than a boy with his head in the clouds.

so he did; he grew, becoming a fine rider, a fine hunter, a fine dancer. a son that the stuart's were proud of, even if his habit of journaling fantastical thoughts && stories never quite left him. stolen afternoons up a tree could be kept secret, scribbling away in a world far from his own.

there was much to be said for the childhood he lived; he was not unlike his siblings in any way, each one as full of life as he, and he aspired to be like each one of them in different ways. always he felt close to their mother, her beautiful mind, and would trust anything she told him.

even if it involved the mythical. maybe she believed her stories more than she let on - she taught roland of special herbs, of ways to prepare them, secrets for curing illnesses and heartache. she taught him songs to recite when he was afraid, shapes to draw in the dirt for protection. he never told a soul. it was their secret, something for the two of them to have alone.

but now - she is gone, and he is king. it was never meant to go this way; he was never meant to find a seat of power, and he was not trained for this. his mother taught him love, and love oh, how it was a fearful concept now. love could tear apart everything his parents had built; it could be their downfall, but he cannot help it. if the siblings choose to make a vow against love, then he would honor it, for them.

for their safety, roland would do anything. he did not ask for this life, nor did he want it; but he rose to claim it. a promise was made to his mother, and he intends to keep it.... keep them together, roland, no matter what. in this world, all you have is your family. if they work together, everything will be fine. but can they work together?

since his mother's passing, with the sudden pressure of the duties of a king, roland has taken to sleepless nights and sleeping potions when desperate. dreams haunt him; he sees shadows in the corners of rooms; it feels he is watched from afar. his mother taught him to believe in spirits; and now, roland fears they dabbled too deeply in the mythical. perhaps he was being haunted - or hunted - by something int he beyond? perhaps the promises he gave when their hands were in the soil, meant more than he knew.

#theopulent.intro #;; introduction > roland s.

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es46 · 5 months ago

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Essentially, if a newt was also a turtle and an ankylosaur -

NIDAR-ARONA

Title - Coral frog Monster class - Amphibian Known locales - Terrestrial coral systems Element/Ailment - Mucus + Confusion Elemental weakness - Ice (3), Water (3), Dragon (2) Fire (1), Thunder (1) Ailment weakness - Paralysis (3), Stun (2), Blast (1), Sleep (1), Poison (1) Nidar-Arona is an amphibian endemic to the specialised environments of terrestrial coral systems, usually located near ravines or mountain highlands. Recognised by its cyan colouring and lustrous sticky coating, Nidar-Arona is a stockier amphibian compared to its relatives, boasting a firm shell, sturdy limbs, and a tail ending in a bony club. Adding to its defensive integrity is bioluminescent patterns strewn along its underside and throat patch, which the amphibian can confuse foes with by rearing onto its hind legs. A dedicated omnivore, Nidar-Arona uses its powerful beak-like jaw to break upon hard plants and corals, using its long flexible tongue to siphon all the softer parts and fluids. Occasionally supplementing its diet with nuts, minerals and the occasional bone, Nidar-Arona will affix the hard casings of its food to its own body, using a specialised mucus secreted from the thick leathery shell on its back. Though it may seem docile, Nidar-Arona can be quick to anger if it feels its space is encroached on; researchers should keep a safe distance and pay attention to its warning signs. If the amphibian turns aggressive, simply run and wait for it to lose interest. As expected, a combination of Mucus, extra armour and the thick bony club at the end of its powerful tail make Nidar-Arona a challenging foe for most predators. Even its softer underside has defensive utility; bioluminescent patterns extend from a large throat patch all along its belly and limbs, which light up with mesmerising displays should the amphibian rear up to bare its underside. Combining its sturdiness with Confusion usually repels most other monsters, but as a last resort, Nidar-Arona cna pressurise the pores that release the mucus and essentially launch all of its makeshift armour outwards like a burst of shrapnel. This will leave it vulnerable, however. Nidar-Arona relies on water to reproduce, as do near all amphibians, and so it will seek out secluded streams when it is ready to mate. The larger males decorate their turf with shells and minerals to entice females. If successful, a male can coax several females to lay eggs in his chosen spot; after fertilising them, the male will remain in place to guard his brood. When they hatch, he will diligently attend to their needs, collecting food and defending them from predators. Only when the young are old enough to metamorphose and adapt to a terrestrial lifestyle does their father finally leave them to their fate. Nidar-Arona is a respectable challenge for hunters (Low Rank, High/Master Rank - 2). Naturally, attacks should be aimed at its softer underside, but be mindful of its confusing colours. If a hunter is coated in Mucus, the fragments of Nidar-Arona's armour can stick to them and impede movement or even deal damage. Use water or ice to ruin the composition of its mucus and counter-attack should it turn and swing its weighty club. Keeping to the more secluded regions of its environment, Nidar-Arona avoids the attention of most other monsters. While it may encounter the occasional Tzitzi-Ya-Ku or Odogaron, its myriad defences usually convince them to back away. However, the amphibian lives in fear of the carapaceon Metamor-Deca, who perceives it as a rival to its precious mineral feeding grounds and will attack on sight.

#fanart #monster hunter #amphibian #sketch #monochrome

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sayitwithsarcophilus · 10 months ago

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Why do I still have Marvel (not necessarily even MCU) OCs rattling around in my brain?

I don't know if I should try to file off the serial numbers off or just keep them on the back burner in case Marvel does something to revive my interest.

Wiseguy, Osiris, Final Grrrl: Deadpool alternates.

Wiseguy: Wade Wiseman, Jewish WWII veteran who was a subject of yet another "let's try to recreate the Super Soldier Serum" experiment. Aspiring standup comedian before the war, Nazi hunter after it. His adventures are pulpy two-fisted tales with plenty of dieselpunk mad science weirdness.

Osiris: Wade Walker, Black Vietnam War vet, also the subject of a different series of shady military super soldier experiments. During a secret mission in the highlands of Laos, he got blown up, left for dead (to be fair, these were not the kinds of injuries an unenhanced human had a chance in hell of surviving), and rescued and reassembled by a local woman (who would later become his Gal Friday/mission control). Looking back to his childhood interest in ancient Egypt, he renamed himself Osiris the Undying. His adventures feature Cold War intrigue, blaxploitation swagger, and a touch of wuxia.

Final Grrrl: Wilhelmina "Mina" Wilson, early 21st century trans woman, perky goth, and involved in zero dubious military experiments. Mina was a private investigator who was half-turned by a Nosferatu-type vampire (giving her a weaker but still useful version of most vampiric powers while still being alive and lacking most vampire-specific weaknesses, with the side effect of looking like a bald snaggletooth cave goblin) in the course of one of her investigations. Her adventures are urban fantasy.

#more ocs

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morsrattus · 1 month ago

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Chen Gar, the Snow Peak Hunter, the White Cloud's Shadow, the Silent Cat

The Cult of Chen Gar (COLD BEAST DEATH)

Chen Gar is one of the Cat Brothers, the mighty sons and daughters of Fralar Flesh-Eater. His grandfather is the Universe Dragon, his grandmother is the Brown Earth. Of all the Cat Brothers, he climbed the highest, higher even than the wind. He is the father of the Chen Ga, the Snow Leopard People, and their greatest god.

Mythos and History

When Fralar set the world before his many children to divide into territories, the Cat Brothers stuck together. They saw no need to fight each other for territory, not when they could hunt different prey and be strong together. Chen Gar made pact with his brothers, Hsa and Manurl, and they settled in the mountains and steppes of Pent and the Shan Shan.

Manurl chose the grasses and shrubs, for he was the smallest of the trio, and claimed as his prey the rabbits, the rats and the gophers. He made an enemy of Gord, but he prospered by trapping. Hsa chose the mountain lowlands, the river basins and the northern taiga, for he was the largest, and he preyed on the deer and yak, and even the mighty Damal and Lo Fa feared his strength.

Chen Gar took to the highlands and the snow peaks. He explored the lands above the clouds themselves, and in the sky he found a new creature - a fluffy creature, unlike any of the beasts of the land. It was white and gray and rumbled with thunder.

In those ancient days, Dark had not yet come to the sky. There was nowhere to hide in the blue-stained sky realm, save for on the mountaintops. Chen Gar had black fur then, for he had planned to hide in shadow, but there were no shadows in the sky. He could not hunt these new creatures.

Chen Gar needed new fur - a cloak to wear about himself as if it were darkness. And so he went to the Snow Woman, who lived on the mountain tops. "You are ever cloaked in white snow, Snow Woman. Tell me what I must do to wear such fur."

Snow Woman did not trust Chen Gar, for he was new to the mountains. "Go to my father," she said. "He is named Winter. If you can survive his tests, he will give you a white cloak."

Chen Gar honored Snow Woman with a freshly killed marmot and went to the north, where Winter lived. There, he met Freezing Wind, who also sought the might of Winter. The two traveled together for a time.

The two both spoke of their shared enemy: the Cloud Beast. Chen Gar told Freezing Wind about how it danced around the mountain tops, but could not be hunted. Freezing Wind told Chen Gar of the things that lived above this beast - the cloudcats, who could teach him their secrets if he could make them think he was a cloud, and of the Beast's true name: Uroth, the Blue Ram, whose children are called sheep. In thanks, Chen Gar taught Freezing Wind how to hunt in the cracks, how to tear flesh from bone and seek every prey, no matter how small. This is why the icy winds can chill anything.

Soon, they reached the throne of Winter, the icy peak. Winter received them both as honored guests. He met with each alone, and Chen Gar told Winter of his desire for a white cloak. Winter set many tasks before Chen Gar, to prove his strength.

Chen Gar hunted great beasts of the ice and snow. He tracked tiny rats in the ice caves. He showed again and again that his cunning was great and mighty. Winter was proud of him, and treated him as a son. Often, Freezing Wind helped Chen Gar in his tasks, a mighty warrior whose brute strength was match to Chen Gar's cunning. At last, Winter gave Chen Gar a great white cloak, which faded into the snow and ice with ease.

However, Winter told Chen Gar a terrible thing. "I have been seeking to give up my throne to a worthy khan. I do not want to be Winter's ruler, but only my true self, Himile, the Cold. I have been testing you to see if you are worthy. You have passed every test - but so has one other. I must see which of you bears the true heart of ice. You must slay Freezing Wind."

Chen Gar refused. "I have no desire for a throne. I am here for only one reason: to be able to hunt Uroth the Cloud Beast, who is my prey."

Winter became angry, and he grabbed Chen Gar and hurled him out. This tore the white cloak, leaving holes and damaged patches, which is why snow leopards have spots. Chen Gar twisted in the air, landing safely, and fled from the castle. Freezing Wind took up the throne of Winter, but that is another story.

With his new cloak of white, Chen Gar returned to the mountains of his home. He stalked his prey, watching as Uroth danced through the sky. This time, however, he was hidden in the light itself, cloaked in white atop the mountains. When Uroth was not ready, he leapt.

The battle is in the blood of all Chen Ga. In that moment, Chen Gar truly became the Snow Leopard, and Uroth became his prey. Uroth fought like a demon, but Chen Gar was greater. He knew when to fight and when to retreat, and forever after have the Chen Ga and their leopard kin fed on the sheep and goats that are Uroth's children.

The Chen Ga themselves emerged after the battle with Uroth. Chen Gar retreated to tend his wounds, and some of his children came to lick his wounds with him. Their wisdom was greatest of the snow leopards, for they saw that they had as much to learn from Chen Gar in his weak times as his strong, and that by tending to him, they could learn as well. Therefore, he taught them his great secret: how to remove his cloak and stand as Freezing Wind had, the trick of turning human.

Their descendants are the Chen Ga - snow leopards who can walk as humans. They know the powers of Winter, of Freezing Wind and Cold and Snow Maiden, and they know the ways of the Cat Brothers. This is the legacy of Chen Gar.

Nature of the Cult

The cult of Chen Gar is the dominant force in Chen Ga society. Almost all Chen Ga, male or female, belong to it. It is the cult of the snow leopard and the hunter, the exemplar for basic life as one of the Chen Ga. It sets forth the virtues by which the Chen Ga strive to live, and its rituals order their gatherings. When the Chen Ga gather together, it is the priests of Chen Gar who teach them how to live. Survival is the primary goal of the cult, teaching the virtues of hunting skill, stealth and endurance.

Depiction

Chen Gar is depicted as a very large snow leopard, or as a man with the head of a snow leopard. When in four-legged form, he is shown as sleek and with his black spots in swirling patterns. In two-legged form, he has dark skin and wears a large but somewhat tattered white cloak whose holes form the same patterns.

Runes

Chen Gar is associated with the runes of Cold, Beast and Death. Initiates who possess either the Air or Darkness Rune will have it converted into the Cold Rune at equivalent rating.

:COLD:

Chen Gar's Cold Rune manifests as his power over his snowy domain in the high mountains. He has relatively broad control over the Cold Rune in the context of snow and mountains, but has relatively little control over other cold weather or more esoteric applications. Initiates have been known, among other things, to use the Cold Rune to withstand cold weather, move unseen and without trace in snowy areas, cause or prevent avalanches, blend into snow, ice or taiga, call snow squalls, create crude tools or weapons from ice, preserve meat, fight during snowstorms or cold snaps, freeze things, make shelters in snow or ice, or safely traverse frozen landscapes. Those strong in the Cold Rune tend to be stoic, dedicated, and distant.

:BEAST:

Chen Gar's Beast Rune is focused on the snow leopard, and all of its powers manifest through his nature as the father of snow leopards. Initiates have been known to use the Beast Rune to transform partially or completely into a snow leopard, to fight with claws and fangs, to track prey by hearing or scent, to move unseen and silently, to see well in dim light, to climb and maintain balance across snow or unstable surfaces, to leave messages with claw marks, urine and feces, to stay warm, to strike down prey swiftly, or to safely move through their territory. Those strong in the Beast Rune tend to be cautious, cunning, and suspicious.

:DEATH:

Chen Gar is a predator, a hunter of great skill who kills calmly and efficiently. He wields death to produce food, and his command of the Death Rune is practical, that of a stalker and silent assassin of prey. Initiates have been known to use the Death Rune to kill silently, to preserve a corpse, to fight, to remove a victim's ability to make noise, to kill prey instantly, to prepare meat, or to terrify scavengers and competitors. Those strong in the Death Rune tend to be direct, honest, and ruthless.

Opposed Runes

Chen Gar is opposed to the Runes of Fire and Life.

Particular Likes and Dislikes

Chen Gar's closest allies are his kin among the Cat Brothers, most notably his elder brother Hsa and his younger brother Manurl. The Cat Brothers and their children rarely fight each other, respecting and sometimes even sharing territory.

Chen Gar is also a sworn friend and brother to the Freezing Wind, who took up the mantle of Winter's Khan. The two have a long respect, and Chen Gar helped Freezing Wind fight his enemies during the Darkness. He is friendly with the Snow Woman as well, but more distant. The god Himile, also called Cold or Winter, is also a more distant ally, who still somewhat resents Chen Gar for rejecting the throne of Winter without even thinking about it.

Chen Gar's greatest enemy is Uroth, the Cloud Beast, who is the father of all rams, sheep and goats. Chen Gar eternally stalks this creature, hoping to devour him. This has also made Chen Gar an enemy of Uroth's friends and allies, such as the West King Wind.

Lastly, Chen Gar opposes most of the Pentan gods, who take issue with his hunting, and the Kralori gods, who are ancient foes of his ancestor, the Universe Dragon. Neither can be trusted, and Chen Gar teaches his followers to avoid them where possible.

Cult Organization

Chen Gar's cult is only loosely organized, built around maintaining the clan ties of the Chen Ga despite their solitary nature. Most Chen Ga are members of the cult, which provides the education and training needed to survive in the dangerous mountains where the Snow Leopard People make their homes. Each clan maintains an independent cult, and each claims descent from a specific breed of snow leopard, each the child of one of the original Chen Ga that tended to Chen Gar's wounds and learned from him.

Rank within the cult (and thus within Chen Ga clans) is largely built around demonstrated hunting skill and ability to provide meat for the people. Typically, the entire clan will only gather at specific hunting festivals in which rank and prestige are determined by successful provision of large amounts of meat.

The cult's priests are its leaders, teachers and judges. They resolve disputes between Chen Ga, judge the quality of meat in hunting competitions, and teach the young how to be proper members of the clan. They are not, however, considered to rule the clan. Instead, the cult's duty is to name the clan chieftain, whose duty is to lead the clan in times of danger. (In normal times, the chieftain is merely given more respect than other Chen Ga and the right to choose the best part of the clan territory to live in.)

Priests

Chen Ga priests are chosen by other priests. Each priest may raise an apprentice priest, though they may only train one at a time. Most end up raising several over the course of their lives. A child or adolescent chosen as an apprentice priest is given over to the priest that chose them, who is considered to be their parent now. They are trained in the rites of the priesthood, and are given full priest status only after passing a test set forth by them from their priestly parent. However, a priest may only take on an apprentice after succeeding at one of the cult's rites of challenge, which demonstrate ability and earn Chen Gar's favor.

Rank within the priesthood is based on hunting skill and completion of various challenge rites. Each clan maintains slightly different traditions around the challenges, and a priest has authority only within their own clan. The highest ranking priest of the clan is the high priest, and may overrule the judgments of the others.

Priests traditionally wear white wool cloaks as a sign of their rank. These cloaks are cut with hole patterns that denote which challenges the priest has successfully completed.

Priests are required to spend much of their time traveling between the homes of clan members. They keep track of where everyone is living, maintain communications between families, and ensure that children are provided the education and training they need to survive. Priests are not given hunting grounds or homes of their own, but instead are hosted by the members of the clan and must be permitted to hunt in the territory of whoever is hosting them.

Center of Power and Holy Places

The holiest site in all of the world is the lair in which Chen Gar lived after his first battle with Uroth. It was here that the first Chen Ga were created, when they served and tended to their father and were granted wisdom. However, the location of this site has been lost to time; if it were discovered, the various clans would likely fight over who got to control it.

Other holy sites mark various deeds of Chen Gar, including several battles against Uroth or hunts of great beasts and monsters. The Chen Ga clans sometimes come into conflict over control of these sites, which are used for sacred hunts and other rituals and also tend to have particularly good hunting throughout the year.

There are a number of holy sites in the distant north, which mark the locations of great deeds carried out by Chen Gar when he was staying in the lands of Winter. These places are not controlled by the Chen Ga, but are sometimes the sites of pilgrimage, particularly for those undertaking divine challenges or preparing for heroquests. The most distant of those lie in the far west, across the White Sea, on the Glacier, but the Chen Ga are able to visit these distant lands only very rarely and so speak of them mostly in legend.

Initiates

Initiates of Chen Gar must have one of the Air, Darkness, Beast or Death runes at 1W or higher. Any initiate with the Air or Darkness Rune will have it replaced by the Cold Rune at equivalent rating.

Holy Days

On the first Freezeday of each season, the cult holds a gathering festival to bring everyone in the clan together for a feast. The priests provide the food, and it is used to check in on the clan and their needs in the coming season as well as to perform sacrifices to Chen Gar in thanks.

In addition to these seasonal holy days, the Windsday of Death Week in Fire Season is the Hunter's Kill, a celebration of Chen Gar's first victory over Uroth. That week is considered the most auspicious time for organized raiding, and the Hunter's Kill is celebrated by a competition for who can bring in the largest prey, preferably a sheep or goat. Massive sacrifices to Chen Gar are performed.

The Firedays of Death Week, Movement Week and Truth Week of the Dark and Storm Seasons are minor holy days. The priesthood gathers up the clan on these days to distribute meat and celebrate survival in the cold times. Those who provide meat to others are given special regard and are considered blessed by Chen Gar.

Finally, the Godsday of Fertility Week in Sea Season is the Birth of the People, a great holiday celebrating the granting of wisdom to the Chen Ga by their patriarch. On this day, all people are considered to get one year older, and it is the traditional day for children to be given names or to undergo initiation into adulthood. It is a day of solemn meditation on the true nature of life.

Sacrifices

All sacrifices to Chen Gar prominently feature meat, preferably the meat of lambs, sheep or goats. Offerings of wool or bone goods are also acceptable, as is anything of value taken from outsiders by theft or raiding, unless it is made from snow leopard fur or bones, which must be given sacred burial. Chen Ga are forbidden to use the bodies of their four-legged kin for any purpose, and must bury them with full mourning rites when a body is discovered. Likewise, they may never harm a snow leopard.

Subcults

There are many subcults to Chen Gar, most of which are dedicated to the ancestral heroes who founded the clans, or to great heroes in the history of those clans. These tend to be highly localized to specific clans. However, a number are more widespread.

Irbis, the High Seeker (COLD)

Irbis was the most adventurous and boldest of the first Chen Ga. He sought to climb higher than any other, and he made friendships with the cloudcats and storm tigers, not only so he could better hunt cloudsheep but so that he could learn the ways of flight. He is said to have traveled to the White Glacier in the far west, to even train under his father's old friend, Freezing Wind. His followers may use their Cold Rune to glide during snowstorms or to walk on snow as if it was solid ground. Irbis grants access to the Cloudcat's Shadow Feat.

Unciar, the Kinminder (BEAST)

Unciar was the most fecund of the first Chen Ga, the mother of many and the grandmother of even more than that. She helped establish the first territories, traveling with her children and showing the Chen Ga how to depend on each other without infringing on each other. She taught children how to hunt, young leopards how to court, and elders how to lead by example. Her followers may use the Beast Rune to heal snow leopards (including Chen Ga), sense territorial claims, or bless snow leopard kittens and Chen Ga children. Unciar grants access to the Herbal Healer Feat.

Idor La, the Princeslayer (DEATH)

Idor La was the most ferocious of the first Chen Ga, vengeful and unforgiving. She recalled to her kin the depredations of humanity, who took too much from the land, and worst of all, of the Son of Dragons, who had turned his back on the Universe Dragon in order to conquer the world, which could belong to none. She even slew the Son of Dragons' own son, the Prince of White Jade, and fashioned his skull into a gauntlet she wore over a wounded claw. Her followers may use the Death Rune to evade the sight of foes on the battlefield, to paralyze the followers of those they kill, or to make enchanted weapons from human bone. Idor La grants access to the Slayer of Princes Feat.

Devotees

Chen Gar Devotees must have one of the Cold, Beast or Death Runes at 11W or higher, and are forbidden the use of magic from any other source, as normal for devotees. They may belong to only one subcult.

Common Chen Gar Feats

Cloudcat's Shadow (COLD): Irbis sought to climb higher than any other, to enter the sky itself and dance with the cloudcats. When the snowstorms raged at their highest, he would climb upon the snowflakes and head into the air, disguising his spots so that he looked like a cloudcat, all in white. So long as the snow raged, he could fly like they did, though not so high. He danced in their shadows, up and down the storm, stalking through the raging winds and snowbursts. As the snows ended, he would follow them down, landing in the snow drifts and forced to land once more.

Herbal Healer (BEAST): Unciar revealed to the snow leopards, both four- and two-legged, the secrets of herbs, of eating plants to gain their strength. When one of her children became sick, she went into the wilds and sought out the secret herbs. She knew all the secret herbs, and she would find the herb whose secret heart warred against the evils of disease. She would take it into herself, chewing the herb and returning home. Then, she would release her soul from her body, combining with the herb's spirit to stalk and fight the disease within the body of her kin. Armed with the herb's warrior spirit as claws and fangs, she would fight against the evil disease and slaughter it, burning it away in a hot fever that she cooled with mountain snows.

The Hunter Unseen (BEAST): When Chen Gar took to the field to find prey, he would draw his white cloak of snow around him. He would seek out the greatest prey, the most delicious enemy, and would traverse the mountains invisible. Anyone that saw him saw only snow and dirt and shadow, for his cloak made him one with the mountains. No avalanche could touch him, for he climbed above them all, and no foe could find him, for he was the snow and the brush. He would stalk his prey for days, waiting for it to weaken and tire. He did not know cold, did not know fatigue. At last, when his prey was alone, he would pounce, shattering the spine of his prey in one swift movement. He would feast, then place the body in the ice, where it would last the season. In this way, the greatest of all hunters would never starve.

Slayer of Princes (DEATH): While Idor La was out hunting, her favorite little brother was slain by the Prince of White Jade. His pelt was taken and worn as a trophy, but his bones were cast aside like dirt, and his soul cried out in torment. This filled Idor La with a terrible rage, and she swore not to rest until the Prince of White Jade was repaid for his crime. Idor La stalked through the cities of men, unseen by all. When she passed the camps of soldiers, she was as a shadow in the night, her claws tearing their throats. She did not eat them, but left them as a sign of her fury, taking a bone from each one. As she traveled, she bound the bones together with sinew, making of them a claw. It took ten camps and ten bones before she was done, but it brought her to the Prince of White Jade's palace. She snuck inside, slaying any servant she met and marking the walls with their blood, that all might know her rage. At last, she entered the Prince's chambers, and she woke him from his bed, setting him to flee like prey. She hunted him through the palace, slaughtering any who came to defend him, and when he hid, she pulled him from his hiding place and lifted him to be seen by all. She tore his throat out with her teeth and pierced his heart with the bone claw she made. Then she tore his head off and stripped it of flesh, taking his skull and making of it a cestus to fit her claw. Thus was Idor La's brother repaid, for his killer was made prey, and he was honored by the bones of the dead.

Divine Retribution

Any Chen Ga who kills a snow leopard, four-legged or two-legged, will be cursed as a kinslayer. They are spiritually marked, causing a bad smell which makes them unpleasant to be around and which alerts prey to their presence. This smell also attracts nasty and cruel spirits in the form of biting flies and nightmares, which will both assail the kinslayer frequently. This curse can only be removed by performing a great rite of atonement requiring a pilgrimage to a holy site and the sacrifice of a great prey beast, along with the blessing of a priest of Chen Gar.

#glorantha #gloranthaposting #pent #rpg #secret history of the horse sun #heroquest #questworlds #chen ga #hsunchen

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wylanzahn · 6 months ago

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OMG two posts in one day?? What are the odds? Anywho this is a sort of OC storyline set within Alfarwind, my homebrew/original D&D setting which is epic high fantasy, mostly the bland Western type with a couple, highly, notable exceptions. For this (monthly?) LitRPG series is going to be set in the southern coasts of the continent of Dulgren, specifically in the Kingdom of Galadinor which was one of the first Princedoms to rebel against the Empire of Concordia. Now, 138 years later, many in Galadinor live in hardship against the rule of a thick bureaucracy which is corrupted by much darker forces; and whilst the bureaucrats argue the lands of Galadinor are ruled by bandits and rebellious barons.

However, this is no tale of lords or of princes or even of kings, for we fall in line to the adventurers of Galadinor, aka the lowest of the lows, and the King of those paupers? Why of course it has to be, without a doubt...

The Grape-Smashers.

Follow the adventures of Det. Alastair Netherwaste (Lvl 3 Celestial Warlock), Travelle of Bregoncourt (Lvl 3 Ghostslayer Blood-Hunter), Lidryn Firetongue (Lvl 3 Draconic Sorcerer), and Godzimir of the Halny Mountains (Lvl 2 Oathbreaker Paladin, and Lvl 1 Barbarian). Classes probably won't be super important but I thought it would be fun for y'all to have! (*wink*)

I won't go super in-depth because I want to leave secrets but Alastair (He/Him) is an ex-convict before his run in with the paladin Ser Kithola Luelrift (She/Her), whom forced his repentance. Alastair is now a lowly-paid detective who travels alongside his cohorts. Alastair is Bi.

Travelle of Bregoncourt (She/Her) was a travelling street performer and the daughter of a famed mystic before her and her family's caravan were attacked. Ever since then Travelle has had a knack for not only seeing ghosts, but hunting them as well. Travelle is Straight and Trans.

Lidryn Firetongue (He/They) unknown. Assumedly a prince of some sort due to his ancestry of magic. Lidryn is a Demimale.

Godzimir of the Halny Mountains (He/Him) born in the Halny Mountain range within the Kingdom of Ardrezenskia (or Ardrezenium in the west), Godzimir is a part of the highland Rumiany tribe before they were decimated at the Battle of Godor's Keep. Godzimir was then raised by an evil cult known as the "The Eye of the Sparing," however, he has since moved on from then... we think. Godzimir is Pan.

Anywho I hope you guys enjoy and stay pumped because the first little text will come soon! This should be like a monthly thing so hopefully I can pump out something epic for everyone to enjoy!

Also for attribution {the squiggly borders} Image by Freepik, the rest is by me.

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sunnyrealist · 7 months ago

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Chapter 43: A Legacy of Love

The Sun, the Moon, and All Our Stars

Summary and Details…

Previous Chapter Recap/Context: Sebastian and Kate are on a trip in the Scottish Highlands, exploring the mysterious Blackfold Castle. Protective wards, set by a queen who took her own life, have kept curious treasure-hunters away for centuries. Somehow, Kate and Sebastian are able to enter the palace with very little effort. The great hall of the castle provides much information - a piece of parchment somehow interacts with them, asking them to view the memories of Queen Eilionoir through a Pensieve and promising a great reward for doing so. The memories tell the tragic story of Eilionoir Aitken and Neacal Brody, childhood friends turned lovers who planned to marry but were thwarted when a prince asked for her hand. Her family was destitute, and her father saw the marriage as economically and socially advantageous, agreeing to the match without a second thought. The night before her wedding, Neacal and Eilionoir met in secret and completed a magical ritual for reincarnation. Trapped in a joyless marriage, Eilionoir only found reprieve in writing letters back and forth with Neacal, but Prince Luthais eventually discovered their correspondence and deemed Neacal a traitor to the crown, executing him while Eilionoir watched. Shortly after becoming king, Luthais was assassinated. Still miserable, the queen dismissed the entire castle staff, placed protective wards over the castle, set up the great hall for her future visitors, and, presumably, ended her own life. Sebastian and Kate realize, finally, that they are Neacal and Eilionoir.

Pairing: 25-year-old, post-Azkaban Sebastian Sallow x 24-year-old Kate Mayflower (my OC), the Hogwarts assistant librarian

Content warnings: In general, this is rated 18+ - minors should not read or interact with this story. This chapter features discussion of sui/cide.

The full chapter is available below the cut; it can also be found on AO3 (link is posted below). Please leave some feedback if possible, especially if you like what you read! 🥰

Chapter 43: A Legacy of Love

Kate touches Sebastian’s arm to halt him. “Wait, Sebastian.”

He turns to face her, wide-eyed and determined.

“Sebastian… Before we write to Eilionoir, we should take a moment. That… that was a lot to process.” She pauses, then smiles. “My love… Do you understand…?”

He gazes upon her for a long moment, grinning brightly. He takes her hands in his. “It was us. Kate… that was us.”

Kate squeezes his hands. “I never knew it was possible. Never. I thought reincarnation was one of those fantastical things people like to believe in.” She moves in closer, looking up at him. “But we did it. You did it.” She chuckles. “Of course you did it! If anyone could, it would be you, Sebastian. Your mind… your passion for learning… creating a spell that endured centuries, that defied death.”

Sebastian speaks warmly. “Don’t discount yourself. Look around, my sun. You did all of this. Your magic was so powerful! You could create protective wards that stood the test of time. You planned and left this here… I think you left this here for us… only us.” He gestures at the table and the Pensieve.

Her mind spins, considering his idea. “No one could ever come into the castle except us…” She trails off, then contemplates it more. “Is it even possible to set wards to only allow specific people inside?”

“Yes,” he replies quickly. “It is possible. I don’t know how, but I know it’s possible. And I’ll find out how you did it. Just give me time - I will research.”

She smiles at him, breathless, then embraces him.

“Sebastian… It all makes sense now,” she whispers, pulling slightly away from him to look in his eyes. “It’s why we have always been so drawn to each other. It’s why I felt… complete… the first time we kissed…”

“You did?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“Yes. Have I never told you that?”

“No,” Sebastian replies. “But I felt that way, too.” He pauses, suddenly realizing another clue. “And Kate - we met on the night of a full moon!”

“That’s right!” Kate gasps. “Good gods, it was all destined! We were meant to meet. To find each other.”

Sebastian presses his forehead to hers. “Kate, we were born for each other. This was always the plan.”

“It was. It really was,” she murmurs, her face filled with wonder.

Their lips press together in a long and serious kiss. When it ends, they spend a full minute in silence, simply searching each other’s eyes. Sebastian eventually pulls Kate back in, desperate to physically connect once more. Both smile and chuckle as their kiss ends. Neither can fathom that the first true case of reincarnation ever personally witnessed consists of each other.

Kate feels so light, as if her soul is being carried towards the sun by lacewing flies - the impossible is, in fact, possible, and achieved because of their love for each other. There is a great comfort in knowing that her gut feeling, the one that insisted that this man was exactly who she was meant to be with, was not just a hunch. It was real and fated - and now they would continue a legacy of love that was once cut short.

“We will do what they never could,” Kate muses. “We will get married. We will grow old together. Spend our entire lives in each other’s arms.”

“Oh, Kate,” Sebastian whispers, clinging to her. “If it’s even possible, I love you even more now. There’s no question, no doubt left for us.”

“No,” she replies, still grinning. “None at all.”

After some more kissing, giggling, and giddiness, they finally make their way to the table, hand in hand, breathless with excitement, their faces filled with pure joy. Sebastian cannot stop looking at Kate - his one true love, his soulmate.

Sebastian immediately dips the quill into the pot of ink, then writes in Scottish Gaelic, translating it all for Kate.

Queen Eilionoir, we have finished viewing your memories.

She replies quickly. I am glad to hear it.

May I ask how it is possible that you are communicating with us?

Ever the curious one. This parchment is enchanted to contain my conscious memory from the day I departed this world. Now, may I ask a question? Do you both know now why you are here?

Sebastian chuckles a little. “That’s kind of a loaded question.”

We, Kate and Sebastian, are Eilionoir Aitken and Neacal Brody, reincarnated. And we were meant to come here to make this discovery.

Yes. You would never have made it into the castle otherwise.

So, it is true. You set up the wards in such a way that only you and Neacal could enter.

Yes. I knew it was risky to do such a thing, but I was certain that Neacal’s soul would carry his adventurous nature and that someday it would lead him here. I trusted Neacal more than anything in the entire world. If he believed his spell for rebirth would work, I would never doubt it.

How did you set up wards this way?

There is so much to tell that I believe it a poor use of time to discuss enchantments at the moment. Besides, you will learn on your own. I know it. Now, ask a more important question while I still have time.

Kate glances and grins at Sebastian. He really must be so much like Neacal.

Why? Why did you do such a thing?

It takes a moment for her next message to appear on the parchment, as though she is thinking and choosing her words carefully. I must tell you first that there was no sadness in my decision. I was overjoyed to shed this body and meet Neacal once more in the great beyond, and for us to have our next chance. I did it all for us. For love. I desired to give our future selves the best chance possible to succeed and to not suffer like we did.

How is that? By giving us this information?

Yes, but there is more. I promised a reward. You will find it as soon as we end this communication. I did not wish for either of you to have your lives - and love - determined by money. I have thought long and hard about this, and, indeed, your reward will ensure that your economic status shall have no role in your relationship. I hope that this reward will allow you to reach your dreams - to live life without worry.

Sebastian and Kate look up at each other, wide-eyed.

“I wonder what she means,” Kate whispers.

You have our attention.

I cannot communicate much longer. You will understand. Just wait and you shall have a surprise. And do not forget to look at this table before you leave.

We have so many more questions for you. May we take this parchment with us so that we may speak to you anytime?

No. I do not have enough strength left to enchant it any further. My time with you is running out.

Neither of them seem to know what to say. How many more messages could Eilionoir last?

“Sebastian, we should end this discussion positively. I would hate to be in the middle of a conversation with her only for the magic to run out,” Kate suggests.

Queen Eilionoir, thank you for all that you have shared. We are sorry that you and Neacal did not have a happy end.

Ah, but we do have a happy end. It is both of you.

Kate and Sebastian smile at this. Before they can begin writing another message, Eilionoir continues.

This shall be my final message. Blackfold Castle stands only for you. Once you have read this message, time shall move quickly - twenty minutes will be the extent of your time here. Then, Blackfold will crumble forever. Sebastian and Kate, know this: You carry all of our hopes and dreams. Remember us. Honor our memory by living well, standing together, and loving each other with everything you have. Truly, the most powerful magic in the entire world is love.

Farewell, Queen Eilionoir. We wish you a peaceful rest. Thank you for all you did. We promise to live a life filled with love.

Sebastian and Kate are silent for several moments, contemplating all they have learned. When Kate sighs, Sebastian stands up straight and brings his girlfriend into his arms for a long embrace. She melts into him, closing her eyes in satisfaction. He kisses the top of her head.

When they pull apart, they immediately see three things.

Queen Eilionoir’s correspondence is on fire, burning up.

The table now holds two rings and a much smaller piece of parchment.

Behind the pensieve, items materialize out of thin air, as if they had always been there, just invisible. A chest filled with coins. Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, pearls. Crowns set on pillows. Necklaces, earrings, and rings. A bronze handheld mirror, along with a golden comb. A scepter. Large shields. Several ornate swords. Breathtakingly bejeweled wand holders. A pair of golden slippers. Gorgeous pieces of fabric - silks and furs. An embroidered purple cloak. Dresses fit for royalty. Dragonhide boots. A large stack of old tomes. An antique lute. A huge banner bearing a coat of arms. A bronze compass. A marble bust of a woman wearing a tiara. Incredibly rare and exotic ingredients for potions.

Kate blinks several times, then rubs her eyes. How could this be? She turns to Sebastian, who wears a similar dumbfounded expression as he faces her.

“Is this really all for us?” Kate says in a hushed voice.

Sebastian nods. “I think so. Eilionoir said… she didn’t want us to worry about money. She didn’t want it to determine our future, like it did hers.”

Kate imagines what must have taken place. The queen must have gathered as many valuables as she could before exiting the castle for the last time, leaving the artifacts for the future Eilionoir and Neacal to discover. She must have carefully thought it all through. The trust she had in Neacal and his spell for reincarnation must have been positively limitless. Kate smiles, realizing it is a trait she carried on - absolute and unconditional faith in the man she loves.

“Kate,” Sebastian says, interrupting her thoughts. “Eilionoir said we would only have about twenty minutes until the castle is destroyed. I know there’s a lot to process and discuss, but we must hurry if we are to take this all with us.”

She nods in response, coming to her senses. “You’re right. Yes.”

The two of them easily work in tandem. Inside her extendable bag, Kate waits for Sebastian to levitate the items and direct them to her, where she waits at the bottom of the ladder. She then works to organize and stack the items as carefully as she can. The small space, really, not much bigger than a walk-in closet, is quickly filled. She hurries up the ladder when they have finished packing, closing the enchanted bag. Then, she shrinks it and places it inside a pocket in her trousers.

Sebastian and Kate are about to exit the castle when she suddenly remembers what they saw on the table. She takes his hand and rushes to it. Unfolding the small piece of parchment, she shows it to him, since she cannot understand Scottish Gaelic.

He breathes out, smiling. “It’s the spell. The reincarnation spell.” He carefully slips it into a pocket within his cloak.

Then, there is nothing left on the table but two beautiful rings. One is dainty - the band is gold and twisted, leading to a gold setting that surrounds an oval moonstone. The other is weighty and masculine. A square moonstone sits in the center of the wide, green ring, bordered by golden leaves.

To put these rings on would be momentous. Kate’s breath hitches, uncertain of what might happen. Sebastian weighs it in his mind. They are undoubtedly bound to each other, but placing the ring on her finger would feel like an engagement or marriage. Kate once told him that she wanted him to propose purposefully, after meeting her family. As he looks into his girlfriend’s bright blue eyes, there is no doubt in his mind that these are special items - beyond special - that will forever symbolize their connection and infinite loyalty to the other. As much as he wants to place the gorgeous ring on her finger, to impatiently propose here and now, he has learned his lesson. He knows this isn’t the right time.

“My love, we should save these for each other. They are so precious,” Sebastian murmurs, opening her hand and placing the green and gold ring in her palm. Speaking so quietly, he is barely audible when he asks, “My sun, will you keep this ring safe for me?”

Kate closes her hand around it, nodding slowly. She does the same with the other ring, gently leaving it in Sebastian’s hand. She speaks softly as well. “And will you keep this safe for me, my moon?”

“Always,” he replies, touching his forehead to hers, “As long as is necessary.”

#hogwarts legacy fanfic #hogwarts legacy sebastian #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x oc #post azkaban sebastian #aged up sebastian sallow #hufflepuff x slytherin #hogwarts legacy oc #hl oc #hogwarts legacy original character

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unknownmusing · 1 year ago

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Torchwood Fanfic: 'The First Tale of the Immortal Storyteller'

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Summary:

Hidden away in a small, undisturbed village located in a valley, a person called Javin Boeshane - a simple, book-keeper and writer, plus Historical Document Collecter - doesn't expect when they went to work that their peaceful, calm life would be shattered by the arrival of.....

....Torchwood and the person called Captain Jack Harkness.

So, begins a series of events all leading to a deep, dark secret which has been buried for some time and waiting to be told.

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Notes:

- An idea that came to mind after watching the last episode of Season 4 of Torchwood, where the learn about the thing called 'The Blessing' - Slight episode diverging, but will be including episode moments etc - Title refers to how Javin records information in Tales which can be spread to generation to generation or be for ones he closely considers family or friends. - In this Cristopf is the Ninth Doctor from parallel universe, where will explain more in further chapters as fic progresses.

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Prologue - 'The Immortal Storyteller'

Location - Scotland, Scottish Highlands - Hidden Alien Refuge Village, Hidden Valley - The Boeshane Cottage - Early Morning

Javin Boeshane's P.O.V:

The steady chime coming from the large Grandfather clock located downstairs in the hallway, brings me out of trying to finish the manuscript for my next book on the typewriter leaning back in my wooden chair to look out the study window at the white, wispy clouds rolling their way across the skyline.

In the place where I live, built for an important purpose is an alien refuge village for various species of aliens who over millennium have chosen to land or crash-land on planet Earth seeking somewhere to survive - away from what has happened to them in their solar systems.

Precise location of The Boeshane Cottage - my home - situated above the hidden valley helps in protecting the place from being discovered by UNIT or any other mysterious, hidden organisations who might came to investigate the strange, anomaly they might detect with their equipment or they learn about it from a Witness - referring to ordinary, human beings who accidentally stumbled upon the area, most of them minority being:

Hikers, who'd gotten lost exploring the Highlands; Tourists or Archealogists curious in rumours about a hidden village and finally, UFO Hunters who assisted aliens existed and had spotted some in the Highlands.

Dragging both of my hands down my face, I decide to put the manuscript I've been typing up on hold for now. There is no point in procrastinating over it, when my mind is distracted by something else - probably to do with said 'guest', if he could be called that, staying in the second bedroom of the cottage.

Pushing my chair back from the study desk, the half-typed manuscript placed in the typewriter waiting to be finished and the blank paper placed to one side, I head out my study to step out onto the top floor landing.

"Writer's block with the manuscript?" A voice interrupts me, making me turn slightly to face to the source of the voice asking me the question

Seeing my 'guest, Captain John Hart, stepping out of the other bedroom wearing his fashionable crimson miltary, styled jacket - which is not from the 21st Century and more suited to his style - along with his weapons and other stuff.

Seeing I'm eying the open bedroom door, he closes it behind him - even though I've caught a brief glimpse of the ruffled bedsheets on the bed, clothes scattered about on the bedroom floor and the scent of strong, sex pheromones lingering in the air.

"You could say that." I reply to his question.

Internally noting 'From his appearance - the well-coiffed hair, a faint scent of shampoo coating his body covered up by a cologne and a slight limp in his step - this indicates last night he had a good time with the person he brought back' until realise he's right beside me, waiting for me to either move or head down the stairs.

Not wanting to hang around on the landing, I turn myself around to descend the stairs with him following close behind me.

Neither of us say much, though no doubt he's itching to ask questions or wants to tell me some important information.

Reaching the first-floor hallway leading to the front door on my right and kitchen area towards the back, it's a sudden thunk - Dammit, I thought Cristopf had fixed that dodgy step - forcing me to turn slightly to catch him.

Though I've underestimated the momentum of his combined weight and mine, along with how I've got a foot placed on the second last step to lean myself up to catch him.

Causing for both of us to fall straight down onto the hallway wooden polished floor to land with a heavy, muffled combined thud.

"Javin? Hart? Is everything alright? You're not hurt are you?"

Cristopf, I hear calling out to the both of us lying on the wooden, polished hallway floor from the kitchen area, with a muffled, pained groan of "Fuck, why didn't you say about the step. Goddess, this is embarassing that trip up on it again" coming from John.

Shifting his body to lift himself up off me so I can either get up myself on my own or he can help me get up off the floor.

Or would have, it hadn't been for him stiffening in a way he's discovered something, his head lifting up to look down at me - in particular where his face had been buried when he fell into my arms - with unexpected, shocked surprise.

"Everything's fine, Cristopf. John, just tripped on the dodgy step, again." I reply back to him, realising the other man above me is looking downwards at my heaving chest.

Realising the special binder, holding my breasts flat against my chest to give the illusion I'm male, must have slightly, loosened to reveal the mounds showing underneath my black shirt

Exposing a secret about myself - the fact, I was 51st Century human who been born male, but had a female body instead and is hiding the fact from people.

"Does he know?" John queries, flicking his eyes up to Cristopf, standing by the kitchen doorway followed by back down to me.

Cristopf must have sensed both of us need some breathing space, so heads back into the kitchen to finish off cooking the breakfast he'd been making, leaving me and John alone.

My mind debates on what to say him, opening my mouth to speak only to find I really know what to say to him - What can I say? Tell him the truth? Both of us know I can't trust him - with him giving 'Hmm...' getting up off me, holding out his hand bearing the Vortex Manipulator to me.

Taking hold of his right hand, I allow him to haul myself up the wooden, polished hallway floor onto both of my feet leaving me to compose myself.

"You realise both of you can't hide for long. Soon this very, sweet peaceful life you've built may become shattered, Javin Boeshane."

John states, the back of his knuckle stroking my right cheekbone lightly to soothe me when visibly flinch at his tone of his voice - it's callous of him.

He's right.....He's right.

Both of us know it.

It will happen, this sweet, peaceful life I built with Cristopf will be shattered at some point...

But when?

Now?

A few weeks time?

In the future?

When.....will...it happen?

-----------------------------------

Notes:

- Set before Season 1, Episode 2 Day One which will be worked into next chapter. - This chapter deals with more introducing Javin to Captain Jack and the Torchwood Team

-------------------------------------

PART 1 - 'An Ordinary Morning becomes Something Else'

Location - Scotland, Scottish Highlands - Hidden Alien Refuge Village, Hidden Valley - The Boeshane Cottage's Driveway- still Early Morning

"Did John say something to affect you, Javin?"

Cristopf asks, noticing how subdued I'm in not answering his question at first and refusing to look at him because I don't want to admit the truth.

"Just something which irritated me. Nothing to be worried about." I reply to him, unlocking the driver's side to enter the vehicle which use to get to work. Cristopf, wearing his faded jeans, leather jacket and simple, plain green t-shirt underneath steps close to me to place a hand on my waist and other tilt my chin upwards to look at him.

Looking at his gentle, sweet face and those eyes that have seen so many things – Universes forming and dying; life on planets never heard of and so many things that an ordinary human could only imagine – I find myself being pulled into a soothing, reassuring kiss.

Oh, how this reminds me so much of our first kiss we shared.

I’ve missed this…. Missed his kisses and touch.

For a short time, I become lost in our kissing – lips softly moving against each-other’s and his hands moving to hold me closer to him like he’s afraid to let go of me in case I disappear from him. – until both of us pull back, one hand moving off my waist to stroke my cheekbone lightly with his thumb.

“I better…. umm….head off…” I state to him, breaking the tender moment between us, slipping into the driver’s seat and leaving him to close the driver’s door for me giving a look of ‘Will talk later about this.”

Stepping back to allow me to start the engine, where driving down the gravel driveway look at his reflection in the wingmirror getting smaller and smaller until turn to take the winding road out of the hidden valley to reach the M6.

Due to the trip to get Cardiff taking precisely 9hrs 39 minutes and distance is about 882km, I would have time to mull over stuff that been swirling it’s way around my head during my journey to the city.

-------------------------------

Location – Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay – The Boeshane Bookshop – Mid-Morning

Javin Boeshane’s P.O.V:

Hanging up my leather black great-coat on the wooden coat-hanger, I begin to open my Bookshop called The Boeshane Bookshop by going around checking the light sconces are working – it was old Historic building so the electricity wires still held hints of the past – and the small kitchen behind the counter is well-stocked and finally, stepping out onto the Mermaid Quay overlooking Cardiff Bay to pull the shutters covering the windows up.

Outside people are going about their daily lives: school children heading to school; mothers pushing prams or walking with their child or children; teenagers talking amongst themselves, listening to music or on their phone texting or scrolling through social media.

Un-padlocking the first shutters, I go to push one of them up or would have if it weren’t for someone knocking over me with such impact, I fall onto the pavement seeing a person wearing a blue RAF great over-coat chasing something with another person following close behind them.

“Fuck, bloody idiot. A bit of warning…. next time…” I swear out, trying to haul myself up using the flowerboxes on the window for stabilisation only to cry out when one of my leg’s gives out on me drawing the attention of people passing and two other people.

“I apologise. He’s a bit of a handful.” The medical-type person of the two people helping me up from the pavement to back into my bookshop over to red leather high-backed chair to sit down. A heavy wince forms on my features, bones which have shattered beginning to quickly heal due to my immortal healing factor is kicking in.

“Handful? More like menace. You do know there’s law about running about like that.” I grit out, seeing the woman I’ve overheard being called ‘Gwen’ heading into the kitchen-area behind the bookshop counter to get a glass of water.

“Well, uhhh…..he’s in a hurry…” the medical-type man states, his eyes studiously avoiding looking at me and hiding what he nearly about to say in case his colleague overhears him. “Now, can I see your leg. I need to make sure nothing is broken…What!?....I’m a medically trained professional.”

He begins to protest at me, while tries to check my leg, when I place my hand on his to push it off not wanting him to discover it’s already healed – though albeit still sore.

“It’s fine. I have a partner who can look over it.” I state at him, using the armrests of the red leather high-backed chair to haul myself up seeing how he gets up as well – it seems he only comes up to my chin – with a glare on that harsh, yet vulnerable face – Something happened to him. He shows on his face a haunted look of someone who’s experienced loss of a loved one. – and arms crossing over his chest.

Going to the kitchen-area, the bell above the shop-bell indicates someone else coming in a reflection in an ornate mirror embedded into the wall shows they are an older man wearing a RAF blue or grey greatcoat with a younger man wearing a suit beside them.

“Owen, is everything alright? We lost sight of the Wee….ummm, Pickpocket.” He asks the medical-professional, correcting his sentence when gets an elbow in the ribs by the young man in the suit making ‘Owen’ grumble something under his breath.

“Stubborn patient refusing help you mean.” Owen – He reminds me of her so much, right down to the mannerisms and look – replies, not really answering the question asked by his ‘Boss-man’ who comes up him with the ex-policewoman Gwen, appearing at the doorway of the kitchen-area going to interject with something.

Hmm, interesting team ‘Blue/grey greatcoat’ has brought together. One, stubborn and medically trained and hints may have done the danse macabre; the female Gwen an ex-policewoman by her stature and presence and other looking like he’s some kind of archivist.

Blue/grey greatcoat must have noted I’m taking in his team’s appearance, because he steps in front of the young man in the suit to block him from my line of sight. Pursing my lips, I brush past Gwen to go into the kitchen-area taking the glass of water off her to bring up to my lips to take a sip – one taste telling me what’s been placed in it.

“Next time you try and drug me, use a better memory replacement sedative.” I tell her, seeing how she looks at me with her widened, panicked eyes at my words with myself moving to go over to the sink where go to pour what’s in the glass down the kitchen sink to get rid of the contaminated water.

A hand grabbing hold of my wrist holding it tightly, makes me stiffen at it. I decide not to turn my face to look at the ‘Boss-man’ keeping myself looking at the calendar where important events are dated hearing him commanding one of his teammates.

“Gwen, lock the front door.” Blue/grey greatcoat orders, his hand moving to my trouser pocket for the key it makes me slap it away first, using my other hand to slap him across the face or would of if it hadn’t for his name being called out.

“JACK, LOOK OUT!!?”

My whole body goes completely numb, forcing me to wrench free from ‘Jack’ allowing the glass of water I’ve been holding still to fall onto the polished kitchen-area floor with a tinkling smash I only distantly hear.

It’s not possible!!!? He cannot be!!!? He can’t be…..Jaketh-Javic Piotr Thane, my sibling!!!?

Memories flood into my head, overwhelming me so much it’s like a dam which holds back tonnes of water breaking apart to allow torrent of water to cascade down into the valley below, swamping everything in it’s destructive path.

“Hey, we’re not going to kill you. Listen to me, we’re not going kill you.” A voice breaks through the haze of rushing water, forcing me to lift my head up to look straight at the very concerned face of my sibling, Jack/Jaketh-Javic’s face.

His team-mates who have come into the kitchen area are looking at me with various signs of concern written on their face – one protective; another medically trained and one empathic by the way he’s trembling at the doorway – with Owen, checking my pulse.

I try to speak, but the rush of water within my head begins to get louder again it blocks out everything around me.

My body must be seizing uncontrollably because can distantly feel someone's hands wrapping around me to stop my body thrashing about until finally the distinct prick of a needle silences the water, allowing me to go limp in the arms of the person holding me.

Maybe for the better.

--------------------------------

#Part 1 of 'The Tales of a Immortal Storyteller'#Part 1 of 'The Untold Torchwood Stories Collection'#emotional angst alert #jack harkness/ianto jones #slow-burn romance #dealing with emotions #owen harper/original character #torchwood #Everyone survives #Slight episode diverging #wip #Deals with lot of issues #additional tags to be added #post will be updated with new chapters as progress in typing it up

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burnwater13 · 1 year ago

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Concept Art by Christian Alzmann

Grogu mentioned to his dad that he would like a pet. Every time he mentioned that to his dad, Din Djarin replied with a very simple word, ‘no’. According to Grogu’s running tally, his dad had told him no approximately one thousand, two hundred and forty two times, give or take. He sometimes asked so many times in a row that he found it hard to keep track.

The Mandalorian had all sorts of reasons that he would trot out when Grogu got annoyed or upset with him over the subject. The N-1 wasn’t big enough for Grogu and a pet. They didn’t have time to spend training a pet. A pet would make messes and create problems that they weren’t suited to fixing and on and on and on.

Grogu’s answer to those objections were pretty straightforward. Step one, get a bigger ship. Step two, train the pet during hyperspace jumps because there was nothing better to do. Step three, have a dedicated pet area on the new ship, so it didn’t matter what the critter did. Step four, learn to relax because a pet was the best thing ever to help you do that.

His dad said that they were in the wrong order and until Grogu could figure out what order they should be in, the answer was still ‘no’.

Dank Farrik! Why did Mandalorians have to be so focused on their work? Why couldn’t they just have some fun? Why not take the time to figure out the solution to the problem with his son, instead of just saying ‘no’. ‘No’ was not a solution. It was just an attitude. A bad attitude as far as Grogu was concerned.

It wasn’t like Grogu wanted a rathtar as a pet. He didn’t. He didn’t even want a barghest or a massif as a pet, at least not yet. He just wanted something small like that critter Cara Dune had found down in the abandoned Mandalorian covert on Nevarro. Was that really asking too much?

The critter was small enough to find a small crate satisfactory. It didn’t eat a lot. It knew who its friends were. It didn’t smell bad. And as far as Grogu had been able to work out it had only bit Cara a couple of times. That wouldn’t be a problem for them because his dad always wore gloves and Grogu could heal himself. Easy peasy.

He supposed it would help if he learned more about that critter, like what it was called as a species and what its habits were and stuff like that. He’d thought about asking Cara but she was off doing some sort of super secret special mission thing and was unavailable.

That meant he just needed to go to the new Nevarro City library and civic engagement center. Greef Kar… High Magistrate Greef Karga really wanted Nevarro to be a successful, well respected, not-founded by pirates and bounty hunters, kind of world and was adding all the features and attractions that you might expect to find on Chandrila or Coruscant, while still having a couple of spots that were more like Canto Bight tucked away in the highlands.

Whatever, Grogu just knew that the library was the place to go to learn about things that he didn’t know about already, particularly when you were trying to avoid going to school or having another argument with your dad about critters and the state of cleanliness of your room. Din Djarin never said no to a trip to the library.

Grogu waited for the opportune moment to ask his dad to make the trip and that just happened to be right after the Mandalorian left the ‘fresher, but hadn’t had his caf yet. He was always eager to get back into his armor and all that and Grogu knew he could be relied upon to agree to almost anything (just not the acquisition of a pet).

“The library? Sure. We can go there. After we have breakfast and you clean your room.”

Well, he agreed, right? You had to make some sacrifices for knowledge.

Grogu trudged off to get a start on cleaning up his room while the Mandalorian went off to get dressed. Grogu knew, based on vast experience, that Din Djarin would take his time getting dressed so everything was just right. Then he would take even more time making his caf because that was a thing every Mandalorian worth their beskar was taught to do at some age and then they never cut corners doing it because Mandalorians. Eventually they’d have something to eat and then they could take the speeder bike into Nevarro City.

It would probably be lunchtime by the time they got there, Grogu thought, annoyed at his dad and at the amount of cleaning he had to do in his room. But, even if it was lunchtime, Grogu could go straight to the information desk at the library and ask the library droid to help him out. Then, once he came back from lunch, the information would be ready and Grogu could bring the data card home with him and peruse it at his leisure.

Things worked out pretty much that way. Grogu ate his breakfast as fast as he could and then helped clear the table and wash the dishes and utensils.

“Buddy, thank’s for the help, but they don’t sell pet’s at the library.” His dad thought he was being either funny or accurate, but Grogu didn’t agree.

The library held the knowledge that would give Grogu the advantage in the battle that he was waging with his dad over what kind of pet Grogu was ready to manage. That his dad didn’t recognize the trip for what it was gave Grogu a good deal of pleasure, and made up for how annoyed he’d been cleaning his room, mostly. Grogu collected his goggles, his own bag of holding and his datapad and was ready for the journey to begin.

“Is the library holding a special event I don’t know about?” His dad asked with a laugh. “You never move that quickly unless there’s a frog in view.”

Ha ha! So funny. Not.

Grogu chirped at his dad that he just wanted to get to the library to acquire some new reading materials. He wanted to practice his Gal Basic more.

“Okay, buddy, but you could just start attending the school. I know it’s not as much fun since the droid learned about your powers and keeps the snacks away from you, but if you really want to improve your Gal Basic that’s one way to do it.”

Grogu dropped the subject and headed for the door. His dad made that suggestion anytime Grogu commented that he wanted to learn about something. As if Grogu didn’t know enough about piracy, smuggling, and the arts of dodging the law.

“I just hope you’re not thinking that you’ll trick me into getting you a pet when you learn everything there is know about the care and keeping of rancors. It would just be easier to visit Boba Fett and spend sometime with the rancor keeper.”

Grogu sighed and shook his head. He had no intention of having a rancor as a pet. Even he knew that he needed to work his way up to a critter like that. He had a hard enough time managing one Mandalorian!

Only Fennec had the patience to manage a Mandalorian and a rancor and she did that while basically running Tatooine. Maybe he should have asked to go to Tatooine and then he could have consulted with his friend? He bet that she could convince his dad to let him have a fire weasel as a pet, if anyone could.

Grogu chirped a question to his dad as the Mandalorian started up the speeder bike.

“You want to go to Tatooine now? I shouldn’t have said anything about rancors, should I? Maybe next week. I have somethings to work on here. That’ll give you all the time you need to conduct your research on rancor care and feeding.”

Din Djarin was laughing again and this time Grogu laughed as well. Let his dad think that’s what he wanted to do on Tatooine. It was all for the best. If the bounty hunter had realized that he wanted to consult with Fennec on a strategy for acquiring a fire weasel, Grogu was sure that his dad would have said ‘No!’.

#calendar prompt a day #the mandalorian #grogu #din djarin

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chrislaplante · 7 months ago

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🖊 — any tattoos?

🧶 — any non-writing hobbies/interests?

📺 — favorite movie(s) and/or tv show(s)?

🤔 — what genre(s)/theme(s) do you struggle to write the most?

💯 — share three random facts about yourself that your mutuals may not know about you.

⟩ any tattoos? nope. plenty of ideas, tho. problem is, with this kind of thing i'm indecisive as hell - and, get easily bored of looking at something/the same thing for a long time (my hair is proof of this, i recently chopped it all off). but anyway, been thinking of finally getting around some of those ideas i've had for over a decade.

⟩ any non-writing hobbies/interests? traditional art. i.e., sketching, drawing, yadda yadda yadda. i'm currently struggling with making the transition into digital art... i'd say music, too, but, i haven't touched my guitar in ages.

⟩ favorite movie(s) and/or tv show(s)? ok so, bc of the 9 movies meme you sent me, i'll name different ones on here. the lost boys, beetlejuice, edward scissorhands, donnie darko, into the wild, split, first blood (rambo), school of rock, the sixth sense, the terminator, the sword in the stone, bambi, dumbo, alice in wonderland, the land before time, awake, rosemary's baby, psycho, the exorcism of emily rose, brainscan, i am not a serial killer, the craft, foxfire, jeepers creepers, secret window, candyman, sinister, insidious, the texas chainsaw massacre (remake), salem's lot (remake), rose red, gus van sant's last days, my soul to take, carrie, primal fear, misery, veronica, hannibal rising, the silence of the lambs, serial mom, natural born killers, death proof, kill bill (1 & 2), constantine, hell fest, the addams family (both 90s flicks), hard candy, the cabinet of dr caligari, twisted nerve, paranormal activity, the blair witch project, the watcher, empire records, behind the mask (leslie vernon), twister, scream (franchise), pet sematary (1 & 2), child's play (franchise), friday the 13th (franchise), a nightmare on elm street (franchise), halloween (franchise), and gone girl. shows. sons of anarchy, tales from the crypt, criminal minds, dexter, the mandalorian, obi wan kenobi, book of boba fett, andor, hannibal, ahs (first two seasons), bates motel, freakylinks, the x-files, sabrina the teenage witch, ranma 1/2, sailor moon, fullmetal alchemist, death note, renegade, highlander, 21 jumpstreet, bob's burgers, the simpsons, south park, catfish, hoarders, intervention, true life, the crow: stairway to heaven, ghost hunters, ghost adventures, seinfeld, friends, the glory, the girl from nowhere, dinosaurs, the toys that made us, the movies that made us, ju-on: origins, the end of the f**king world, being human (uk), six feet under, buzzfeed unsolved, the exorcist, etc. as you can see, i've too many.

⟩ what genre(s)/theme(s) do you struggle to write the most? smut. lol

⟩ share three random facts about yourself that your mutuals may not know about you. hm. i've a congenital heart condition and have had three open heart surgeries for it. english is my second language so, the occasional grammatical error will occur (in? on? english is stupid). aaaaand, true crime hits a lil too close to home (long story, maybe another time lol).

#🕯 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔 👁 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖇𝖞𝖊 𓏴 munday.#🕯 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔 👁 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖇𝖞𝖊 𓏴 ooc.#🕯 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔 👁 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖇𝖞𝖊 𓏴 inbox.#freakarus #belated but whatevs lol

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studentinpursuitofclouds · 2 years ago

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Do you think it's possible for the farmer to join The First Slash? 🤔 Like the farmer has been through a lot, slaying Apostles and undead mummies in the Badlands, not to mention saving the entire underworld (is that what it's called??) for Raeriyala and Belinda.

It seems to me that the Farmer may already be running for the member of the most famous Guild in Castle Village, because they alone can do much more than many seasoned adventurers cannot - the Farmer is just like a diamond that you want to take for yourself. Also, Lance has repeatedly expressed the desire of the Farmer to join The First Slash Clan. Considering how the Farmer successfully coped with growing monster crops, destroyed Bully (a dinosaur bitch in the Highlands), freed a dwarf from captivity, which even Lance did not know existed (although he patrols there), catching many Torpedo trouts from ocean waters and just protecting civilians - and all this on pure enthusiasm. Imagine what the Farmer will then be capable of if given a clear goal and unlimited possibilities!

Although, on the other hand, just the giftedness of the Farmer can play a cruel joke with them and not allow them to join any other Guild. Because the Farmer causes the leaders of these Guilds... fear and suspicion. A youth who came from nowhere and became such a wonderful adventurer, + hidden potential in magic, with an all too sincere desire to help everyone and always pry into other people's business. Moreover, the Farmer is already a member of Marlon's guild, why did they suddenly want to join them? What are they up to?

I had a headcanon about where my OC Farmer Julian gets invited to the Castle Village Guild for his services in fighting monsters and rescuing some adventurers from the Crimson Baldlans. However, he politely refuses, saying that "his body and soul belongs to Stardew Valley forever" and that he will not leave his first teacher and friends in his life as an adventurous mage (referring to Magnus, Marlon and Gil). Besides, “no matter how beautiful and luxurious the walls of other Guilds are, a cozy wooden cabin at Adventurer's Summit will always be sweeter to my soul." Julian added that if they need his help, he will never refuse them.

Pretty cheesey headcanon, I know, but I love fluff. Even though I didn't want to talk about it before 2.0 came out, I've been running this scenario over and over in my head.

And so... The Farmer has every chance to join any guild, but again, such a talent can, on the contrary, become an obstacle to joining The First Slash or Castle Village. Although, if Jolyne decides in matters of accepting newcomers, then the chances will be much greater. After all, as for me, she sees a gifted, but still too young person who needs to be trained and kept an eye on them, and not as an agent sent by apostates who wants to find out weak points in the defense of the Guild.

I'm not sure, however, how Farmer's help in freeing Ridge Forest from dark magic will affect the introduction, since this, as far as I understand, is kept secret from everyone, even from Farmer's close friends. It will also be fun to see the reaction of monster hunters and wizards who find out that the undercover adventurer was Farmer's grandmother. Will it be positive, because the Farmer, one might say, "has the blood of an adventurer", or vice versa, due to the secrecy of the cult of the Lady with the Red Tail? Can't say for sure until I know the whole Ridgeside Village lore.

#this is pretty interesting topic to discuss #thanks for the opportunity dear anon ❤️#stardew valley expanded #sve #stardew valley #sdv #ridgeside village #rsv #sve headcanons #rsv headcanons #sdv headcanons #farmer julian

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triviareads · 2 years ago

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can you recommend good enemies to lovers hr like TVWLM and It Happened One Autumn

Yup! I've organized it from cutesy enemies to would-kill-you-if-needed enemies.

The Viscount Always Knocks Twice by Grace Callaway: If you liked TVWLM and IHOA, you'll love this: Violet is a sporty, spirited gal who doesn't like Richard because he's uptight and a killjoy (Viscount Killjoy, that is), and Richard dislikes Violet because he thinks she's a shallow flirt who's trying to entrap his brother. The high point in their enemy era was her shoving him into a dyed-red champagne fountain at a ball after he taunted her spelling skills. But like 4 chapters later, they can't keep their hands off each other. In priest holes. In magic cabinets. In rando's rooms after discovering nipple clamps. Classic Grace excellence.

Sutton's Surrender by Scarlett Scott: Pretty similar in vibes to the previous rec actually: Penelope is friends with the hero's brother Aiden, who wants to marry her just to piss his aristocratic family off (her family runs a gambling hell). The hero, Garrick (aka Lord Lordly), is a deeply repressed uptight man who basically storms into Penelope's house and calls her a slutty fortune hunter. Scarlett, as per usual, more does an excellent job of writing a man just getting so unhinged over the heroine, and and that moment that *breaks* them is always a pleasure to read.

Sidenote: Garrick has a KITTY. Her name is Rosebud and she's ADORABLE and it's hella hot of him to have a cat tbh.

His Countess by S.M. LaViolette: Gideon unexpectedly inherits the earldom that Alys's husband once held. Gideon is a slutty slutty man, so obviously he thinks Alys is a prudish thin-blooded aristocrat (he just calls her a bitch; I'm being nicer), and she dislikes him because, well, he's a slut and disgustingly nouveau riche. If you wanna see a hero banging a lot of women who are not the heroine (obviously before he bangs the heroine a lot), here's the book for you! Alys does a loooooot of voyeuring (he catches on real fast and pretty much puts on a show for her lolol) before they actually go at it.

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase: Jess thinks Dain is a debauched man leading her brother astray, and Jess's voice gives Dain Etonian trauma-induced flashbacks. The (sexual) tension between them is so insane all of Paris is waiting with bated breath, and it does come to a head: He ruins her and refuses to marry her. She shoots him. Then she tries to make the police arrest her so she can spill every dirty secret about Dain (for example, his habit of saying really simpy shit in Italian— "baciami Jess, abbracciami" haunts me to this day) in a court of law. The extent this woman is willing to go to ruin his life is FABULOUS.

Heartless Duke by Scarlett Scott: Okay, we're veering into actual political enemy territory from here on out. This is Victorian England. Leo leads a secret branch of the Home Office in charge of rooting out Irish "insurrectionists". Bridget is an Irish insurrectionist. He shoots her in the arm (to be fair... she did turn a gun on a 10 year old), and when she wakes up, he's chained her to a bed. He does bathe her at some point. He calls her "banshee" (affectionate). And eventually does tie her up for real. A+

The Ghost by Monica McCarty: This is set in Medieval Britain. Joan Comyn is a Mata Hari-esque spy for Robert the Bruce in England (as in, she "seduces" men for information). Alex is ordered to root out this spy. On top of everything, Joan's reputation kinda precedes her because of her (fake) seductions so Alex thinks she's a bit of a slut, but obviously that doesn't stop him from going for her. I'd strongly recommend reading the rest of the Highland Guard series (especially because Joan's mom Bella is a pretty badass heroine herself) before getting to this one.

The Viking's Concubine by Caitlin Crews: If you'd like a more detailed summary, see here. The gist of it is, Ulfric and Ethine have an M/s relationship, but Ethine is Ulfric's literal slave because this is Viking Britain and slavery was practiced back then, so there is... a natural enmity, if not very dubious consent here (to clarify, he doesn't physically force her, but the very nature of their relationship is dubious). On top of that, Ethine ran away from Ulfric prior to the start of the book, and now that he's found her again, he is... not happy. It's very well written, and very erotic.

The Conquering of Tate the Pius by Sierra Simone: This is a part of the Villain I'd Like To F... anthology. Tate is the abbess at Far Hope Abbey during the time of the Norman invasion of England. Adelais is a Norman warlord (warlady?) come to take over the abbey, and Tate offers her three nights of sex in exchange for leaving the abbey and its inhabitants alone. They do veer into rough sex, some consensual non-consent, oh, and a dagger hilt is employed. It's beautifully written, which is on par for Sierra.

#historical romance #book recs #grace callaway #scarlett scott #s.m. laviolette #loretta chase #monica mccarty #sierra simone #caitlin crews #bridgerton #lisa kleypas #julia quinn

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kittyt-hexxed · 2 years ago

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Grayson's True Prodigy (Sevika × POC!Reader) - Ch.10

Masterlist

Next Upload Date: March 7th

Act 2: Chapter Ten - Life in Ionia

Warnings: Crushes, Flirting, Teasing, Monster Hunting, Killing Monsters, Demons (Mention of murder)

Summary: You’ve left Piltover behind to start a new life in Ionia. One full of adventure and chaos with people who love you… and your mama in the back of your mind.

You let out a small grunt as you pull yourself over the edge of the cliff. Your family had arrived in Ionia yesterday and you wasted no time getting out into the wilds. The cliffs you decided to scale are the ones bordering the Qaelin Highlands. It was an attempt to feel closer to Grayson in some way. It was a few hours of travel by boat so you left early in the morning. There was nothing like watching the sunrise from the top of the cliff.

You sit down at the edge and look out over the land. If there was one thing Ionia beat other countries in… it was beauty. There is something captivating about the red-leaved oaks and the way the land seemed to beckon you closer. ‘It’s beautiful and deadly.’ You think as you see an ogre stomp through a distant tree line. Monsters are common in Ionia, but they weren’t always hostile to humans. They were initially protectors of the land until a Darkin did something. Now, monsters destroy villages looking for humans to kill and consume. It’s monsters like that which remind you why hunters like Cardin and Orum are needed.

“Hey there, little fae!” You hear Cardin call from below you. You look down to see him and his crew scaling the wall.

“Hey there, monster bait! Watch your feet!” You teasingly call down to him. You hear him laugh and go back to observing the area. Being out here brought you a sense of peace you haven’t felt in years. You were excited to see what the place had in store for you. It was no secret that Ionia brought change to those who allowed it to.

“Did you see that huge ogre to the southeast? What do you think it’s protecting over there?” Leah says as she comes up, “I kinda want to check it out.”

“I don’t know, but I don’t want to find out.” Landen sighs and drops his bag to the ground.

“You’re a monster hunter and you don’t want to find out?” You raise an eyebrow at him, “Shouldn’t you be dying to go over there?”

“Monster hunter in training.” Cardin snorts and sits next to you, “Besides, Landen’s a scout. He doesn’t get in on the action unless one of us screws up.” Leah sits close to you on your other side. You can’t help the small blush that comes to your face as she does. ‘She’s so pretty. I hope she and I can be better friends now that I’m here permanently.’

“And we never screw up.” Leah smirks and rests her arm on your shoulder, “I didn’t spend most of my life studying monsters to fail at killing them. Do you know how embarrassing that would be? My brother wouldn’t let me live it down.”

“It’s also a sweet gig. The ladies are all over you once they find out you hunt monsters for a living.” Landen smiles teasingly.

“If you’re doing it for the women, this is the wrong path, buddy.” Cardin laughs, “The only women I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with are banshees.”

“Don’t forget that nest of harpies.” Leah points out, “I’m still finding feathers in my gear.” The boys wince at her words as they visibly shiver.

“What happened with the harpies?” You raise an eyebrow in interest and exchange a glance with Leah.

“Nothing. Nothing happened with the harpies, Y/n.” Cardin rushes out and stands up, “Who’s ready to go jumping?” You snort as Leah laughs but get up anyway. You grab your bags and head into the forest until you emerge near the edge of a crater lake. You crouch down and take a deep breath before letting your magic go. It pulses through the ground, sending feedback to you about the flora and fauna in the area.

“It’s safe.” You open your eyes and stand up, “Nothing that can hurt us. There aren’t even any water nymphs nearby.”

“Perfect!” Cardin cheers and starts undressing. The rest of you follow and you approach the edge of the cliff. The water is thirty meters down, safe enough to jump into without worrying about injuries.

“Y/n and I will set up the climbing rope.” Leah announces as she grabs your arm, “You boys take a test dive.”

“Fine by me!” Landen grins and nudges Cardin, “Last one to hit the water does the other’s chores for a week.”

“You’re so on!” Cardin accepts as you two grab the gear and turn away. You toss Leah the rope and head over to one of the trees. Placing your hand on it, you let your magic wash over it and you feel it warm.

“It’ll let us tie the rope.” You turn to Leah, “Just be gentle because there’s a bird’s nest in its branches.” You hear distant shouts from the guys, assuming that’s them jumping in.

“I think it’s so cool that you can communicate with nature. That must make so many things easier for you.” Leah grins as you start to wrap the rope around the tree.

“It does, but it took a lot of practice to keep myself from being overwhelmed.” You shrug, tying a knot, “I can hear everything. Not just one tree. If I really let my magic go, I could hear all of Ionia.”

“Woah.” Leah breathes out in shock, “I stand corrected.” She flashes you a smile and you feel your stomach twist. You focus on your task as a blush rises to your face. It takes another minute before the rope is secured and you carry it to the edge of the cliff. Peering over the edge, you see the boys splashing around in the water. With a shake of your head, you toss the rope over and watch it hit the water. You nod in satisfaction and take a few steps back.

“Ready?” Leah throws you a smirk and holds out her hand. You feel something flutter in your chest with her actions.

“Ready.” You grab it with a grin and nod. You take a few more steps back, counting to five before running forward. You leap off of the cliff, feeling weightless for a moment before you drop. A scream leaves your lips as you fall and you vaguely hear one from Leah. You let go of her hand and brace yourself for the water. You find out that it’s pleasantly warm when you’re submerged. You swim up to the top and laugh once you’re clear of the water.

“That was awesome!” Leah cheers as she swims over to you, “We're doing that again!”

“Well look who decides to stop flirt-!” Landen gets cut off as you jump on him, pushing him under the water.

“Sorry, what was that Landen? I can’t hear you because of the- waaaater!” You shout as Cardin lifts you up and tosses you in. You sputter and shake your hair out when you come back up.

“Cardin!” You gasp playfully, “That was unfair!”

“Not as unfair as this!” Leah smiles mischievously and points into the air. You blink and follow her indication before you feel your nerves set in. ‘WHEN WAS SHE ABLE TO CONTROL WATER?!’ You think, staring at the large balls of water above you.

“Uhhh, Leah?” Landen laughs nervously, “What are you gonna do with those?”

“This.” Leah grins as the water balls come falling towards your group.

“LEAH!” You all scream in a panic and cover your face as you’re pelted with water. You all laugh and splash around for a bit longer before you decide to jump off again. Cardin tags along with you and you grin at him as he reaches the top.

“So, you and Leah.” Cardin says casually as you walk to the edge, “You’re into her, huh?”

“What? No. Leah and I are just friends.” You deny but the butterflies in your chest say otherwise.

“It’s alright, I know what you see in her. Tall, dark hair, lean muscles, a monster hunter, and a fiery personality.” Cardin smirks at you, ruffling his black hair on purpose, “Sounds like you got a-” You scoff and shove him off the cliff.

“-TTTTYYYPPPEE! SHIIIIT!” Cardin screams before you hear a loud splash.

“I don’t have a type.” You huff and cross your arms.

You hum to yourself, swinging the basket back and forth in your hands, as you collect some fruit. The forest around the monastery has a small orchard that the monks had created. It contained all of the fruit that could grow at this elevation and was constantly in need of maintenance. It’s your favorite spot in the monastery to practice your magic and talk with the spirits. In Ionia, there was a small ritual to everything if you didn’t want to upset the land. Picking fruits from a tree required that you replant the seeds from one of the fruits you take. If they’re not planted before they go bad, then a dryad would mark you as tainted and you wouldn’t be able to eat fruits again.

“Hello, sweetie.” You coo at a strawberry bush and gently stroke its leaves, “I’m only taking a few from you today. Just enough to make some jam.” The bush perks up and reveals the ripe berries to you, pushing them close enough so you didn’t have to search for them. You let out a soft chuckle and use your clippers to cut the stems of the berries. Once you have a handful, you thank the plant before moving on to the nectarine tree. It reminds you of Leah since they’re her favorite fruits. ‘I wonder if Leah is doing okay. She came by a few days ago with her mentor to talk to my grandmothers.’ You found yourself crushing on the young hunter and it made you so flustered around her at times. You shake your head and refocus on the tree, but before you can place your hand against it, you hear a throat clear from behind you. You pause and turn to see Elder Abe giving you a kind smile.

“Elder Abe.” You bow to him, “I’m pleased to see you out of bed. Is the wheelchair to your comfort?”

“Ah, nothing feels quite the same anymore, young fae.” Elder Abe chuckles, “I am pleased to see you home, even if it’s without our lion.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t bring her home.” You frown, feeling the grief rising. The days were challenging without mama around. It has only been a few weeks since her funeral and sometimes you find yourself crying out of nowhere. The grief would choke you, forcing you to bend over and gasp for breath as the tears fell. The spirits of the monastery would come to comfort you when you did, whispering stories of mama’s childhood self to make you laugh. Some of them took to following you around the place saying that you made them feel less lonely. It made you happy to hear, so you welcomed their company.

“That was not your fault, young fae. Do not blame yourself for the mistakes that others made. Grayson had a bright light and whoever dared to kill her will get what’s coming to them.” Elder Abe says fiercely before clearing his throat, “I came to get you for Gem. She said that there’s something you might want to see.”

“Something I might want to see?” You tilt your head curiously, “Let’s go then.” You hum and hand your basket off to one of the monks. It broke your heart to see the scarring that covered the Elder’s legs, but he showed them off proudly. You had questioned him about it and he admitted that he felt remorseful for what Lee Sin had gone through. He was even starting to advocate for his return to the monastery so he could continue teaching him.

“Thank you for coming here with me, Elder Abe.” You smile at him as you reach the wall of the archive.

“It was my pleasure.” Elder Abe nods, “Enjoy, young fae. Come tell me what you find?”

“Of course.” You nod before heading down into the archives. Gem was there to greet you when you reached the bottom. She immediately guides you to the back of the room where there are some tables nestled against the wall. Laid across them are a handful of opened scrolls that catch your attention.

“We found these scrolls while looking through some personal items from past Hiranas. It took a bit of time to make out the handwriting, but we believe these were written by Master Iyana. Since you are the new owner of her staff, I thought you might like to look at them. You might be the only one to make sense of the words, as none of us can understand them. It’s not ancient Ionian or any known language, so I’ll leave you to read them.” Gem pats your shoulder before walking away from you. Curiously, you take a seat at the table and tug one of the scrolls closer to you.

‘As the youngest daughter of the Hirana Clan, I was taken care of greatly by all of my siblings. They included me in everything that they could if it wasn’t restricted. Yet, I felt different from my family. Although I have my parents' facial features, that’s where the similarities ended. My hair is a deep green and although my sisters bear a similar skin tone to me, it is a touch deeper than theirs. Another puzzling factor is my profound connection to the spirit realm. I can see spirits without having to invoke my spiritual sight. This has made the monks wonder how I am so close to the spirits and they chose to test me.

I was sent into the First Lands to find an object using my connection to the spirit realm, but I found something else… I found a spirit portal. I was enthusiastically invited in by the fae when they caught wind of my essence. Confused and intrigued, I followed them in, and I can not put the marvel of this realm into words. The things I was shown made everything I questioned about my existence make sense. To whoever reads this, know that the spirit realm is calling to you. This scroll is only legible to those who are like me. I cannot explain it, for it is something you must experience on your own. Go. Go into the wilds and learn about what makes you different.’

You fall back into your chair as you stare at the scroll in shock. ‘Master Iyana… sounds like me.’ A moment passes before you scramble to grab the rest of the scrolls. You immerse yourself into the writing of the previous master, reading about her life and her experiences with the spirit realm. It wasn’t until you got to the last few scrolls that something started to feel strange about this woman. The scrolls detailed her decision to leave the monastery and Ionia behind due to her yearning for adventure. So her middle name became her last name so people wouldn’t immediately recognize her. ‘Daya… Her middle name is… Daya? But that’s…’

“Papa, can you tell me about your family?” You look up from the Piltover House family tree you were trying to fill in, “I just realized that I don’t know much about them… and I know way too much about the upper-class ones.” You sigh.

“Ah, well my family took a bit of a backseat to your mother’s.” Your papa puts down his book and comes over to you, “We aren’t a high family like your mother’s, so it wasn’t as important for you to learn about.”

“Can you tell me? I really want to know now.” You beg him and he gives you a fond smile. He pulls out the chair across from you and takes a seat. You let out an excited squeal and snap the book in front of you shut. You move your chair closer and give all of your attention to him.

“Well, I should start from the beginning… My great-great-great grandmother came to Piltover from another country when it first started to be created. The great Matriarch of the family… Her name was Iyana Daya. From her painting on the wall, I can see many similarities between the two of you. I’ll have to take you to the house someday, but back on track. Grandmother Iyana came to Piltover and ended up settling down and having four children.” Your papa carries on his explanation of the family.

Everything suddenly clicked into place and your hand flew up to the clip in your hair. ‘I’m directly related to Master Iyana?! That means- That means I am a Hirana by blood!’ You gasp and shoot up out of your chair. You run from the table, intent on finding Gem and telling her and your grandmothers of the news.

“Miss Gem!” You shout as you slide around a corner, “Miss Gem-!” You let out a grunt as you collide with someone. You fall to the ground, hearing the other person fall as well as the books they must’ve been holding. Embarrassed, you snap your head up to apologize when you see Leah. You’re unable to stop the blush that covers your face as she looks at you.

“Leah!” You squeak out before shaking your head furiously, “I-I’m so sorry. I thought I was the only one down here.” You ramble as you help her collect the books from the floor. Leah doesn’t say a word as you do but you can see a blush on her face.

“That’s okay.” Leah clears her throat, “I just got clearance to be down here.” She gives an airy laugh that dies out quickly. She brushes her hair behind her ear as she counts the books to make sure they’re all there. ‘I can’t believe I just did that.’ You think, mortified.

“W-What’s the clearance for?” You question with interest. ‘Maybe that’s the reason they came by a few days ago. It has to be for a hunt, but what would they need to research?’

“We’re hunting some kind of demon that uses water as a way to trap its victims. It… might be similar to the demon that… killed my mom.” Leah hesitates, “And if that’s true then it might be the one that cursed me.”

“Cursed… Your water abilities?” You tilt your head. This was the first time you’ve heard about her curse. She’s talked about her mother a bit and how she was consumed by a demon when Leah was a toddler.

“Yeah, those. My father said it’s a curse for living through the attack or something like that.” Leah shrugs, “The Guildmasters disagree with him though.”

“We do have something about water demons in the archives.” You give her a reassuring smile, “Hopefully it’s one of them! Good luck on your hunt.” You wave to her, still wanting to go find Gem. She waves to you as you leave before you hear her call your name. You pause and turn back to her with a questioning glance.

“After my hunt, go on a date with me to the lotus river festival.” Leah says strongly. You blink before giving her a bright smile. ‘She likes me back?! She likes me back!’

“I’d love to.” You step forward and give her a kiss on the cheek, “I’ll see you then.” You giggle at her surprised face and go back to searching for Gem. ‘Today has been an amazing day, mama.’ You smile to yourself.

The ogre roars in rage as you all scatter away from his hit. You launch yourself up into a tree with the others as it looks around for your group. Your heart is racing in your chest from your narrow escape from the beast. You had been asleep when the trees woke you up, warning you of approaching danger. You woke everyone up and buried your camping equipment in a hurry. You had enough time to anticipate an attack before the ogre came crashing into the small clearing.

“What happened to being the scout!” You hiss at Landen as the ogre locks onto you. It lets out another roar, tearing a boulder out of the ground and hurling it at you. You grab Leah and jump into the tree next to you as you hear the loud cracking of the tree snapping in half. Your girlfriend growls and pulls her katana out of its sheath as she scowls down at the monster. You had decided to go into the wilds on a search for the spirit portal. To your surprise, Cardin and Leah had followed you stating that it was dangerous to go alone. So, it ended up with your small group traveling through the forests on your search. Landen was supposed to be on the lookout for tonight but you found him fast asleep at his post.

“Thanks for falling asleep, Landen!” Leah grins ferally, “I was getting bored!” She leaps from the tree with a yell that has you shaking your head.

“Your girlfriend is feral!” Landen shouts, making Cardin laugh. Your spirit brother has an electrified grin on his face as lightning crackles around him, “Her brother is too!” He shouts before following after his teammate. Landen gives you an exasperated look and you just smirk at him. He’s the only one that didn’t like to jump into the action. You launch yourself off of the branch as Leah lands a blow on the ogre, slicing its ear off when it moves at the last second.

“It’s moving too much!” Leah shouts, “I can’t get a proper hit on it!” She dodges its hand when it tries to rip her off of its shoulder.

“On it!” You respond and throw your hand out, “One immobilized ogre coming up!” Large roots tear their way out of the ground and twine around the monster’s legs. As it goes to take a step, its foot gets caught causing it to fall over. It lets out an angry bellow as you laugh and fly out of its reach, “That’s for the tree!”

“You’re the best!” Cardin cheers as he cleaves off one of its arms. It shrieks in pain, thrashing around in the roots but they only tighten around it.

“Agreed!” Leah cackles as she whirls around and slices at its thick neck, blood spewing from the wound. It weakly swats at her and she flips out of the way as Cardin rushes in. You watch enraptured as they methodically move around and kill the ogre. You grab Landen as the ogre falls limp and lower him to the ground. You hold your hand out and the blood soaks into the ground with the roots growing to cover most of the body. ‘They might want to harvest the teeth to sell, so I’ll leave it above ground for a bit.’ Leah comes over to you and gives you a sweet kiss that makes you blush. You weren’t used to affection in front of the guys yet, especially when they loved to tease you two.

“That was a huge one.” Landen says as he observes the carcass, “Orges only get that big when there's a large source of magic nearby.”

“Then let's go find out what it's been feeding off of.” Cardin sheaths his sword and motions to you. You nod and pull your gear out of the ground before returning the roots to how they were. Leah approaches the ogre and gets to work on taking out its teeth. Powdered ogre teeth were used in some topical medicines or even some weapons. Poor Landen got roped into it while you and Cardin grabbed your things.

“I’m surprised it only took a month for a monster to find us.” Cardin muses as he secures his tent.

“I’m not.” You shrug your backpack on as your fairy form dissolves, “I may have deflected a monster or two during our travels.” Cardin stops and stares at you before pouting.

“They better not have been good ones.” Cardin whines, “You know I love fighting!”

“You and Leah.” You chuckle and head to the others. Leah now has a large bag tossed over her shoulder with what you assume to be the ogre’s teeth. You clench your hand into a fist and the ogre gets pulled under the ground with the roots. You hold your palm out and whisper a small prayer for the ogre's body to nourish the earth.

“You ready?” Cardin asks as you come to a stop next to them. Leah nods and Landen takes his things before you head off in the direction the ogre came from. You let the trees guide you until you could sense powerful energy radiating from in front of you. You’re forced to stop when you hear giggling come from in front of you. Wearily, your group looks around as the giggling sounds again. ‘That sounds familiar.’ You squint into the forest, looking for an indication of something. Suddenly a very familiar butterfly flies past you, making you gasp. It’s very quickly flying away from you and you find yourself chasing it before you can stop yourself.

“Wait!” You cry out, stumbling over the terrain as you keep your eyes trained on it.

“Y/N!” You hear your friends shout from behind you, but you can’t stop. Even though you were aware that you needed to, you couldn’t. Your legs felt like they were moving on their own and that made you nervous. Yet, you could sense that you were getting closer and closer to the magic source you came looking for. You see something shimmer in the air before you when the butterfly vanishes. ‘What?!’ You gasp, but you still can’t stop moving.

The air is heavy with magic and you feel something ripple across your skin as the world around you brightens. You shield your eyes as you finally come to a stop and squint into the light. Your breath is stolen from your lungs as your vision adjusts and you can see your surroundings clearly. The sky was swirling with various shades of blue and purple and everything seemed more vibrant than normal. You take a step forward as you take it all in. Plants and animals that you’ve never seen before, two suns shining in the sky, and the sheer amount of magic in the air left you dumbfounded.

“It’s about time you’ve reincarnated again, Priestess.” A sugary voice says from above you. You look up to see dozens of faeries fluttering above you. Your eyes widen at the display. ‘I’m in the spirit realm… but… how?’

“And it looks like you’ve finally managed to perfect your form!” Another faerie squeaks happily and lands on your shoulder, “Although, you appear quite young.”

“I… what?” You breathe out in shock.

“Oops, I forgot you don’t remember. Silly me!” The faerie giggles, “Don’t worry! We’ll explain everything.” You just stare in disbelief as the faeries continue to speak.

You stroll through the marketplace with a mild interest in what’s being sold. Your first mission from the monastery was to scope out a Vastayan village that had been claiming to be haunted. So you were walking around and trying to see if you could find anything indicating unrested spirits. The village wasn’t too far from the spirit portal you stumbled into a few months ago, so it could be likely there is an issue. It also made you happier that you killed that ogre, but the information didn’t line up. They spoke of missing crops, waterways getting blocked, items going missing and even a fire breaking out at one point. While those are signs, the energy you were getting from the area was peaceful and not hostile. Since your shocking visit to the spirit realm, you felt the connection to the realm all of the time. It felt like a spark within your chest that crackled with power. You’ve been in Ionia for about six months now, and you couldn’t be happier. You’ve risen within the ranks at the monastery, made friends, figured out who you are, got a girlfriend, and left your life in Piltover behind. You even made regular visits to Sav’ven and his cluster!

So far, you couldn’t sense any unrested spirits but that didn’t mean there weren’t any here. It could be timing or even based. ‘I should probably purchase something to support this village. While Vastaya are widely more accepted here in Ionia, there are still humans who treat them horribly.’ You frown to yourself.

“Excuse me? Um… miss monk?” A childish voice calls to you. You pause and turn to your right where you see a young bear Vastaya and his caretakers. You give them a friendly smile and approach them, clasping your hands behind your back as you do.

“Hello, young one.” You say pleasantly, “What can I do for you?” The young child glances at his caretakers and they gently encourage him to continue. He nervously steps towards you and you crouch down so you’re not standing above him.

“Are you here to kill the Yirlaj? My momma told me that you’re here to get rid of it.” He asks nervously, almost scared for your answer. Your eyes flick up to his parents and back to the young cub.

“No, young one. I am not here to kill the… Yirlaj. I’m here to send it back to sleep.” You soothe him, “Ghosts do not die.”

“The Yirlaj isn’t a ghost! It takes the form of an animal!” The child shouts and stomps his foot, “It’s a God!” He insists right before his father snatches him up. ‘A God? Does this mean he has seen this creature before?’ He hurriedly walks inside the tent with his child as his mother approaches you with a worried look.

“I’m so sorry, miss! My son is troubled after he was attacked by the creature a few months ago. He didn’t mean any disrespect by what he said.” The mother pleads with you, and you place a hand on her shoulder.

“Ma’am.” You say softly, kindly, “I took no offense at all. What your son has said may help me on my mission. Everyone else insists this creature is a spirit, but I haven’t felt any unrest nearby… can you tell me what happened?”

“My son and I went into the forest to gather some mushrooms, but he ran away from me. I lost sight of him and couldn’t find him when I heard a loud, terrifying screech. My son screamed right after that and I raced in his direction. When I found him, he was mumbling to himself about the Yirlaj and white as a sheet. He hasn’t been the same since.” You nod slowly, thinking about what she said. You reach into your satchel and tug out a map of the area.

“Can you mark where you were?” You politely ask her and she nods, marking an area north of the village. You study the area before thanking her and handing her a handful of ruby cowrie shells as payment. Her eyes go wide at the amount of money you handed her.

“I-I can’t take this. All I did was give you information.” The mother stutters and tries to give them back to you. Your eyes soften and you delicately clasp her hand in yours.

“Save it for a rainy day. You may never know what happens within the Lands.” You inform her and she nods. With a smile and a wave goodbye, you head for the forest.

You didn’t want to waste any time figuring out what was going on. A lot of the Vastayas in this village are terrified of whatever is plaguing them. Bringing them some form of clarity is what you are focusing on, and that starts with going to the only place there had been a sighting. Things began to feel off when you got to the entrance of the forest. The energy radiating from the land is sad and depressing and it made your mood drop. You take a moment to still yourself before heading inside. From your first step, the forest rushed to tell you what has happened. You listen to them carefully as they show you flashes of a creature. With a whispered thank you, you trekked to the area marked on your map.

It was an area dense with trees and large boulders that seems perfect for an animal to live. You stop to transform and let your magic pulse through the area. The depressed feeling is even stronger here and it takes your focus so you don’t notice anything approaching you.

You shout in alarm when something rams you in the back and sends you barreling to the ground. You slam into one of the boulders, knocking the breath out of you, and fall to the ground. Groaning in pain, you get up off of the ground and look around you. You could sense the confusion and hostility in the air but you couldn’t see what it was coming from. There’s a flash of a shadow across your vision and you hurl an energy ball in that direction. ‘Why can’t I sense what’s here? There’s no presence of a spirit or an animal.’ You fly up into the air to get a better view and catch a glimpse of something trying to run behind you. You whirl around and summon some vines, willing them to catch whatever is attacking you. Frantic snarling has you flying in that direction and your eyes widen at the creature before you. Large antlers adorn the creature's head, while its face appeared to be of a lion… but its body was that of a dragon. Confused, you watch it struggle a bit more, snapping in your direction before you move closer.

“Hey, there.” You whisper gently, getting low to the ground, “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here to help you.” It focuses its angry eyes on you but stops struggling in the vines. The energy radiating from it is hostile, frightened, and confused. Your heart clenches when you move closer and it flinches away from you. ‘Something happened to this creature, and that’s what affecting this part of the forest. But, I’ve never seen it or read about it in the archives. Nothing with this description before.’ You chew on your bottom lip before slowly sitting on the ground. The vines fall away from the creature and its first instinct is to pin you down. Its antlers press against your throat as it growls in warning but its reaction makes you relax. ‘It reacted the why I knew it would. Good. That means it was not imprisoned.’ The creature seems confused by your reaction and wearily backs up.

“As I said, I’m not here to hurt you. I just want to know what happened to you… You seem sad.” You mutter but don’t move from your place on the ground.

“I am sad because this land is unfamiliar to me. I do not recognize anything here.” It vocalizes, making your eyes widen, “One moment, I am home. The next, I am here. I have been surviving off of what I can find, but it is not enough for my magic stores.”

“The portal!” You shout and throw yourself into a sitting position. The creature snarls and you raise your hands in surrender, “Sorry. I think I know what you mean. Your home… were the skies painted in blue and purples. Did it contain two suns?” The creature perks up and knocks you over.

“MY HOME! Do you know it?! You’ve seen my home?!” It interrogates you and you nod your head with a laugh.

“I do know it and I can take you there… but first I need to know your name. And, preferably… what you are.” You smile at it.

“My siblings call me Naveen. I am a proud member of the Yirlaj.” The creature boasts, raising its head in pride, “And you… I’ve sensed you before.” It tilts its head curiously. ‘A Yirlaj? That’s something I’ve definitely never read about. We don’t have anything on them in the archive.’

“I’m pleased to meet you, Naveen. I’m Y/n… a… nature fae.” You think about your answer. ‘I think that’s the best thing to call myself until I can speak to the faeries again.’

“Hello, young fae. I felt your magic course through the land. I thought you were going to attack me… My apologies for knocking you out of the air.” Naveen says sheepishly and uses his antlers to pick you up, “You will take me home now?”

“Yes, I will take you home.” You dust off your dress, “But, I’ve never heard of your kind before. Could you tell me about them?” That question seems to make the Yirlaj puff up.

“My kind is a powerful group of shapeshifters. I can change into any form I wish, other than human, although we retain our antlers as they are a sign of our power. Hiding your antlers means that you are ashamed of them.” Naveen wrinkles his nose at that prospect, “We are one of the guardian species of the spirit realm, out of hundreds.” You tilt your head in interest. You don’t know much about how the spirit realm runs on the inside. So, you take this time to find out how the realm runs from a creature that lives there. ‘I need to tell the village their ghost is gone.’ You muse to yourself. Naveen cheerily talks about his pack and you can’t help but smile.

#sevika x reader #sevika x y/n #grayson's true prodigy #sevika arcane #sevika fanfic

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