#silence+ranged arts damage?

[dungeon-strugglers]

✨New item!✨ Coldhand Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

This iron band is ringed with frost and embedded with milky blue uncut larimar. The hand upon which you wear the ring is pale and ice cold to the touch. The ring has 3 charges, and it regains all expended charges daily at dawn. You can expend 1 charge while wearing the ring to do one of the following options:

Chilling Blow. When you hit a target with an unarmed strike or a melee weapon attack, the target takes an extra 2d6 cold damage and it must make a successful DC 13 Constitution saving throw or it can’t take reactions and its speed is halved until the end of its next turn.

Ice Javelin. When you take the Attack action, if your ring-wearing hand is free, you can replace one of the attacks with a special thrown weapon attack. As part of the attack, you summon a javelin made of ice and throw it at a target that you can see within range. The ice javelin uses the damage die and weapon properties of a typical javelin. Hit or miss, the javelin then explodes. The target of your attack and each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 cold damage. If the attack hit, the target has disadvantage on this saving throw.

The cloaked ranger rode into town on a reindeer, and a pall of silence fell upon the villagers. Icicles hung from its antlers and the fringe of the traveler’s mantle was stiff with frost. A young stablehand stepped forth and feebly offered to lodge the beast for the night, but the ranger’s only response was to hold out a frost-blackened fist. The stablehand instinctively responded, and a ring was dropped into his cupped hands… - 🖌🎨 Like our work? Consider supporting us on Patreon and gain access to the hi-resolution art for almost 200 magic items (wow!), printable item cards and card packs, beautiful creature art and stat blocks, and setting pdfs with narrative hooks and unique lore!🧙‍♂️ Thank you so much for your support! 💖

📜 Credit. Art and design by us: the Dungeon Strugglers. Please credit us if you repost elsewhere.

[cerastes]

Are there any notable supporters you reccomend? I kinda ignore the class except for gnosis (and I do use scene and deep color in IS a bit) and I wonder if I'm actually sleeping on some fun units.

YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD, MOTHER FUCKER, I LOVE SUPPORTERS.

Suzuran - 6* Decel Binder. The moral of Arknights is that children make excellent soldiers, and Suzuran proves this. Her two Talents are really good, as she serves as an incredibly potent SP accelerator for Supporters (+0.4 extra SP per second, so Supporters will charge 40% faster, herself included), and all enemies suffering from Slow (the actual status effect Slow, not the movement speed reduction effects one can find on Manticore or Chung the Hung, for example) in her range are also inflicted with 20% Fragile (so, they take 20% extra Phys, Arts and True damage from all sources). It doesn't have to be Slow inflicted by her, any Slow will do, so Angelina's S2 machinegun Slow will render an enemy vulnerable to an ass kicking quite effectively, as will Podenco's S2, and any source of Slow additional to Suzuran herself. S2 gives her an extra target on every attack, 2 extra targets with Masteries, alongside a minor Attack buff and, more importantly, infinite duration, meaning she can control more enemies at once and better prevent Slow Dilution (what I call when you Slow an enemy, then the next enemy passes them, making them the next target, and so on, diluting damage and clustering them; this isn't necessarily bad but it can be undesired depending on you strategy). Her spotlight stealer, however, is her S3, which expands her range, provides strong passive healing (so unhealables can be healed), doubles her Fragile Talent (40%), and Slows everything in range. Gnosis Fragile is bigger (50%) but he only maintains it in comparatively shorter bursts, Suzuran's S3 last 35 whopping seconds, and enemies that are Slow-immune are far fewer than Freeze-immune. This section is particularly big because, yeah, Suzuran just really does that much, she combos VERY well with other Supporters, can be slotted in any team, and just generally works, I'm not even a Suzuran fan, she's just that jacked.

Podenco - 4* Decel Binder, real name GODenco, also slots easily into any team, can switch to healing on her S1, or provide bursts of Silence, AoE Arts damage and Slow on good upkeep with her S2. She also provides a minor passive buff to other Supporters. If you need to Silence things, you think of the best Silencer, Lappland, but sometimes you need to Silence a LOT of things, enough that Lapp might get overwhelmed, well, that's when you use GODenco S2 and suddenly that entire cluster of 8 exploding spiders won't go boom no more. She's really good for Slow Dilution because of her single target into AoE skill, so she combos really good with AoE hitters like Artillerymen, Fortresses, Chain Casters, Qiu Bai S2, etc.

Shamare - 5* Hexer, a good execution support, as she applies 30% Fragile to enemies in range under 40% HP. Her main hat trick, however, is her S2, her signature Cursed Doll. At S2M3, the Cursed Doll, which you deploy on the field and it affects its tile and the 8 surrounding tiles, will provide an absolutely ungodly debuff of -50% ATK and DEF to all enemies in said range. One of the rare ATK% debuffs in the game, and in my opinion the best, it'll make even Gopnik hit like a wet noodle. What's more, since it's not an active skill, the moment you drop your Cursed Doll, Shamare will immediately begin charging the next one! With a charge of 30 and a doll timer of 15 seconds, her true charge time is 15 seconds. Basically, you can cycle 15 seconds of regular enemy stats and 15 seconds of halved enemy stats. This is legitimately insane. Since Shamare's stats are also unimportant, you can just leave her at E2Lv1 (unless you want her Module, which imo is not worth the lv2+ and I'd only get the lv1 if you really like her) so she can be a cheap and powerful investment.

U-Official - NUMERO UNO CAMPEAO DA PENTA

Quercus - 5* Abjurer. I'll keep it simple here: Her healing with Module is bonkers, and she provides Shelter (damage reduction%) to units in range above 70% HP, 60% with Module Lv3. S1 is her permanent Healer mode, toggable on a long cooldown, while S2 is her burst healing window skill, notable in that it provides SP to healed units throughout its duration. Quercus is sleeped upon, she's a REALLY strong Supporter that provides SP, healing and bulk.

Orchid - 3* Decel Binder. I include her here if you want to play Integrated Strategies, because she's always a good free pick there. She's the Slower that Slows.

Roberta - 4* Artificer. I include her here because my stream audience will disembowel me and chain my flayed corpse outside the Museum of Modern Arts if I don't, she's my meme unit. THOUGH, her Shield-providing, DEF enhancing tools can come in handy.

Valarqvin - 5* Ritualist. The IS4 free unit. Significantly stronger in IS4 due to built-in Necrosis Damage on autoattacks, but even outside of IS4, she can be useful for bursting or key enemy elimination with S2, as Necrosis is a strong effect with a built in, decaying ATK% debuff (again, rare) and unmitigated DoT (total of 12000 damage over 15 seconds, 800 dmg per second). Nothing so far in the game resists this, so go ham.

Angelina - 6* Decel Binder. Angelina's whole thing is that she's not a standout unit in any regard, but she can support practically every team, can so strong sustained damage and Slow against single targets with S2, strong multitarget Slow and reduced Weight for Shifting with S3, and passively increases party ASPD and gives them passive healing (works on unhealables). Angelina is kind of like a crowbar or a length of rope in that she's as useful as you can be creative with her, never as a stand out, but as a good brick in the overall house.

Ling - Limited 6* Summoner. Kind of an obligatory mention, but basically, God Mode. One of the gamebreakers, as she can produce 4-Block replenishable immensely powerful summons with multitarget equal to block, Arts damage, and damaging auras. Yeah. Even without that monster of an S3, she can sub Burst Damage and crowd control really well with S2. Her applications are insane, she's so strong that we can be here all day, so we won't do that, she's a very well documented unit.

Skadi the Corrupting Heart - Limited 6* Bard. Again, another well documented unit, but she can basically E3 your units with the sheer stat heft she provides through her S2 buff, can deploy an extension to this range with her Seaborn Summon, and if you really want to go ham, she can enter Microwave Mode with S3 so True Damage cook the shit out of anything, in addition to providing a really big Attack bonus to units in range while at it. Well documented unit so I'll keep it brief but yeah, godlike unit.

There's a few more, like Proviso and Scene, but that's enough for now. "Your forgot to mention--" I didn't forget, you do it.

I hope this helps, anon!

[demontonic]

Could you possibly do a WandaNat x FEM daughter reader where reader comes home with bruises from being bullied and tries to hide them but fails? And also that the reader is being cyberbullied please? Thank you!

Mothers Know Best

WandaNat x GN!Reader Mothers Know Best

WandaNat

tw: bullying

word count: 845

The air seemed to still once you entered your home, your legs sore and beaten as well as your hair tangled and ratty. You make a feeble attempt to smooth your hair down in the mirror by the front door, anyone who knows you however could tell you were shaken. Your arms were scratched all the up to your elbows from when you shielded your face. Mama Nat always suggested that she teach you basic combat to which Mother Wanda always declined. They both wanted to give you a normal household, keeping their abilities to a minimum to ensure regular development. In hindsight as Wanda begins to feel your overwhelming emotions, she starts to doubt her decisions.

Quietly sitting in your room, changed into a shirt with long sleeves and pj shorts, you try to process everything. Why has it always been so hard? Why was it always you? What was wrong with you? When would you stop feeling like this? Would you stop feeling like this?

“Of course you will love.” That sweet voice that had always been there when the monsters felt too real, or when you fell and hurt your shins. Her red hair came into view and the smell of vanilla and everything sweet filled your senses. You’re old enough to know about their enhancements without babbling on to everyone. Of course sometimes you hated the mind reading, but when you couldn’t face up to reality like now, it was a godsend.

“Just mean kids, a bad day, long walk home… I’m okay.” Lying right in front of Wanda was a stupid decision for anyone who dared. So when her hands grabbed your wrist and pulled your sleeve back you simply trembled. No argument or excuses to be made once her eyes zeroed in on the damage done to her precious baby.

“Who the fuck layed hands on you?” A voice you grew to both fear and respect rang like alarms in your ears. Your eyes catching on Nat’s fierce emerald pair, dread filling your stomach.

“I fell on my shortcut thr-“

“Through the creek.”

“Through the creek.”

Clearly they were tired of you defending your assaulters, it was common now. You believed that if you stopped caring they’d pick on someone who would give a reaction. Now being halfway through the school year your Moms have decided otherwise.

“Is that why you cry after getting phone calls? Are they bothering you at home now?”

“I don’t know who makes the-“

“You know the group who’s capable, that’s enough for me.” Nat took a seat behind you, cleaning off the thin scratches with a warm damp towel. Wanda sat in silence, hearing your mind race a thousand miles an hour. Her fingers brushed over your legs as she began to notice bruises, both old and some still forming.

“Tell us what happened, you know I don’t like forcing this information out of you.”

“It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“I either hack into the accounts that contact you and find their addresses, Wanda reads your mind, or you can tell us what happened.” Nat’s voice was stern, you could hear it falter as she tried to remain gentle but she succumbed to her instincts.

“It was a group of people from my art class, the teacher really likes my art so everyone calls me a teacher's pet. It only got worse when they found out I’m adopted. Today was just out of nowhere, I didn’t know they were following me. They kicked at my legs and shoved me into the bushes. That's why there’s… so much.” You ended with a hushed voice, gesturing to the visible marks.

“Those children are just that, children. They’re far less intelligent than you, emotionally and intellectually, you are different and they don’t like that.” Wanda brushed hair out of your face in order to lock eyes with you, cementing every syllable that came out of her mouth.

“So don’t let them work you up this much kid, in a few years you’ll laugh at them because they’re stuck working in fast food places.” Nat rested her hand on your shoulder while offering you a kind smile. You loved these moments, relished in them to be exact. You felt safe within their presence because you knew they’d do anything to maintain your happiness.

“You’re right, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it like that before.”

“Sometimes you just get caught up in the moment, just know that we’re always here for you- and! We love you, always.”

“Always.” Nat added as she kissed your forehead before standing and heading towards the door.

“Now I made some really good cookies that should be ravished while they’re still warm.” The three of you smiled as you followed Nat into the kitchen, the evening following as normal. A snack, tv shows, dinner and a movie. Tonight however Natasha and Wanda spent a few minutes finding the parents of these kids to make sure you’d never have to deal with them again.

I know it’s really short however I thought it best to keep this as like a drabble/scenario. Anyways I hope you enjoyed this cute little work, I am hopeing to produce better pieces in the very near future! In the meantime please do not be afraid to send requests and look through my masterlist!

[lunachy]

New Limited 6★ Caster: Lapland the Decadenza

Mech-Accord Caster

Illustrator: 幻象黑兔

Trait: Controls a Wolf to deal Arts damage to an enemy; When the Wolf continuously attacks the same enemy, its damage will increase (up to 110% of the operator's ATK)

Talent 1 - Alpha Wolf

After Decadenza remains on the battlefield for X seconds, gains following effects in turn:

Wolf damage cap increases

Wolf's attacks Silences enemies

Decadenza gains +1 Wolf

Talent 2 - Siracusa's Honor

When Decadenza is in the squad, increases the initial SP of all [Siracusa] Operators.

Skill 1 - Lament of the Lazy

Passive: Wolves +1.

Activation Effect: Can switch between the default state and the following state: ATK increases. Decadenza releases all her wolves, who randomly target idle enemies on the battlefield.

Skill 2 - Hunting Spree

Wolves +3, Attack Range expands, ATK increases. Decadenza releases all her Wolves, who randomly target enemies within Attack Range, Wolves have a chance to inflict Fear when attacking.

When an enemy is killed by a Wolf, it locks onto another enemy. When the skill ends, all Wolves return to Decadenza.

Skill 3 - Finale: Catastrophe

Wolves +2, ATK increases. Decadenza releases all her Wolves that spread across the battlefield and chase after the nearest target respectively, their attacks inflict Fear upon reaching the target and locks onto the target; Enemies around the Wolves have decreased movement speed and take Arts damage every second.

When an enemy is killed by a Wolf, it locks onto another enemy. When the skill ends, all Wolves return to Decadenza.

[maximwtf]

“Sticking your hand where it doesn’t belong?”

Art by: ggracee (Tumblr) (pls yall go check them out, their art is the coolest !!)

Elias Bouchard x Reader

words: 1400

google docs pages: 3

Warnings: A burn, I think Elias should be a warning too, he’s kinda mean but that’s why I like him :"D

opening: You crawl back to the institute after trying to get a follow up on a statement, and ending up with a pretty bad burn on your hand. Hopefully it’s late enough so Elias shouldn’t be in his office so you could patch yourself up…

AN// Any pronouns for reader! I’m quite certain I’ve read almost every Elias fanfic out there and I’m getting desperate, so I’m writing some myself. (Also, any requests for Tim and I’ll be at it at the speed of light)

    “Sticking your hand where it doesn’t belong?”

Maybe you had miscalculated something or perhaps preparing for getting the follow up would have been a good idea, but pondering those topics was no use anymore. The damage was done and all you could do was try and fix it. 

Whoever it was that you had met, had most definitely not been the same person from one of the statements that had been assigned to you. If you could even call the thing that had burnt your hand a ‘person’.

It was hard to keep your thoughts away from the sheering pain that was coming from your right hand. Your left hand shook as it fiddled with the keys before finding the right one for the institute door. It was rather late, so you assumed no one should have been working anymore. At least no one from the archives, and that was enough to ease your mind. 

You knew the closest first aid kit must have been in Elias’ office, remembering when you had been an assistant to him, your office hadn’t had one. Not that you had the original keys to his office anymore either, after being transferred to the archives. But you had gotten a spare made before that, which you had ‘forgotten’ to return. Whoops? But also because you never came across a time when you would have needed them, before now of course. 

You climbed the stairs to his office, finding it hard to look for the old pair of keys from the bottom of your bag but there they were. Your shaky left hand reached to unlock the door in front of you, a sigh of relief escaping at the sound of it clicking open. With a gentle push the room behind the door opened up and even with a quick look inside you could spot someone. Elias Bouchard sitting at his desk, leaning on the familiar wooden table ever so slightly. “Ah, Y/n. A surprise to see you here so late?” His voice rang out, the expression on his face almost impossible to read. He was talking as if he had known you’d be coming. 

You didn’t say anything at first, not even sure as to what to do. Run off? It honestly almost felt like you couldn’t, and even if you did…how could you bring yourself back to work the next day? “Elias.” You nodded politely as if to greet him, every muscle in your body trying to hide how uncomfortable you were. “Do you have a- uh-” You stammered with the words, feeling awkward as it was but the knowledge that he had basically watched you break into his office was making the feeling worse. “A first aid kit? Yes.” He finished the sentence for you, raising his eyebrow slightly at your expression. You didn’t even know why you felt so surprised that he seemed to know what you were looking for, surely he had just seen the state of your hand… “I- yes, that. Could I have it?” You asked, taking a careful step into the room. “Could I have the key you used to break into my office with?” He asked, seemingly calm but still so hard to read. Elias stood up and with his back turned to you, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and kneeled down a little to pick up the kit from a drawer. You bit your inner lip, placing the keys on the table. The silence in the room made the sound of the keys hitting the table feel like it was echoing. “Y-yes. Of course.” You could have just gone home and all of this could have been avoided, you thought to yourself while watching him turn back to you. “What happened?” He asked, but his voice seemed to be filled with something other than any real concern or interest. You wish you had an answer to his question, but even you weren’t sure as to what had happened. All it took was one handshake and it had felt like the blood inside of you had been boiling. “Not sure if I’m being honest. I’m going to talk to Jon about it tomorrow.” You sighed, struggling to open the red bag Elias had placed in front of you but managing to do so in the end. “Sticking your hand where it doesn’t belong?” Elias’ voice asked, but it sounded almost mocking. As if he was making fun of you for getting injured? Either way, you didn’t say anything of it, not that you even could. The burning pain from your hand was keeping your full attention on it.

Elias’ presence was always intense, but it felt even more so now. Now, that he was watching you pull out a bluish bag from the kit, snapping it against the table and watching the motion cause the chemicals inside form into ‘ice’. He didn’t say anything, not until you started to struggle placing the bag on top of the burn properly. A sharp sigh left him and you could have sworn he rolled his eyes at you. “Let me.” He said and almost instinctively you let go of the bag and allowed him to do it for you. While Elias’ other hand was holding the bag in place, his free hand took a cotton pad and a bandage from the kit. You had thought about doing that yourself later on, but doubted you could have done it with one hand so you had already dropped the idea. Was he doing it for you? Without him even giving you a look, he began to open the bandage. “I’ll be fine without it- I mean, I can do that at home. I was just looking for an ice pack or something.” But even this comment didn’t seem to bring his gaze upon you, he kept his focus on the bandage. “From the state of your hand, I highly doubt you’ll make it home without injuring it further.” He sighed again, but to your surprise he didn’t seem too bothered. As much as him not looking bothered said anything about his true state of mind. 

Elias took the bag from your hand, making you miss the cooling effect it had given you, easing the pain. He leaned on the table a little while pulling you closer by the wrist, making you stumble. But you let him, no use in telling him no either. At least that’s what you told yourself was the reason for allowing him to do so. You felt almost dumbfounded, maybe from the exhaustion the day had caused but also because on top of all that, the last thing you had expected was having Elias, Elias Bouchard, your boss treat a burn on your hand. 

He placed the cotton pad on the spots he had deemed as the worst, and wrapped the bandage around it all, covering it to keep it safe. “There. Perhaps next time, do a little more research on the people you meet, hm?” He said, tone still oddly calm. You had questions burning at the back of your mind, but the hand still hurt enough to keep you from asking any of them. “I-  yes. Thank you.” You stuttered out before picking up your bag again. “I’ll…see you tomorrow.” You added, not quite sure what to say. Why was he so calm about all this?

No, none of that mattered now. The intense feeling around him had grown even worse from the start of this interaction, and you wanted away from it. “Good night, Y/n.” Elias’ voice rang from his office and down the first steps of the staircase as you descended away from him. 

AN//I’m sorry if this sucks, I’m studying for my matriculation exams and wrote this in a hurry :”D

[arkiwii]

ARKNIGHTS Rhine Lab AU - Role Swap

A Role Swap AU is an Alternative Universe were the characters roles are swapped! It can be just swapping the roles around, or two characters roles with each other, while keeping their personalities. In the case of this AU, I did the second, finding it way more interesting in the context of Rhine Lab. So I'll present the characters swapped, and what they became!

Saria <--> Silence

Saria now takes the role of the new and basic researcher of the Structural Department. She is now Infected - which does not have much relevance outside of the fact that her Arts are much stronger -, and joined Rhine Lab with the goal to seek a cure for Oripathy. A born leader who seeks to help and protect the weaks, she is much more colder as she has spent the most of her life alone.

[Gameplay] Saria would be a 6* Dualist Defender, with a move pool moreso based on healing and buffing herself, as well as debuffing the enemies.

_____________

On her side, Silence became the co-funder of Rhine Lab, as well as the Director of the Structural Department. She is very appreciated by the company for her optimistic behavior and love of science, although she may appear naive. Uninfected, she is more lively, and possesses strong Arts that she uses with the mean of her drones.

[Gameplay] Silence would be a 5* Mech-Accord Caster, with the unique ability of being able to heal with the drones she unleashes during her skills.

Ifrit <--> Rosmontis

Ifrit has became the subject of Williams Loken's experiment, with the goal to recreate a Diablo with the shard of their remains. It caused the Loken Watertank incident, where Ifrit destroyed the laboratory and was found by the Maylander Foundation. Sent to Rhodes Island for treatment, she became an Elite Operator for her dangerous fire Arts, as well as a very close friend of Amiya and Blaze with her strong personality.

[Gameplay] Ifrit is now a 6* Phalanx Caster, with the talent to lower the resistance of all enemies in her range when off-skill, and to cause destructive Arts damage when using her skills.

_____________

Rosmontis is now the child of Parvis' experiment, with the goal to create a Chimera. The experiment gone horribly wrong, Rosmontis has destroyed the Haydn Laboratory, and was found by the Columbian Military, before being sent to Rhine Lab where she will be under the care of Saria and Silence. Amnesiac, Rosmontis's strong post traumatic stress disorder has caused her to lock her emotions and to show little to no emotional responses, unless when stressed, where her destructive powers show up.

[Gameplay] Rosmontis is now a 6* Arts Guard, her playstyle taking a lot of inspiration from Saria, her powers allows her to debuff and deal enormous amount of damage to enemies.

Magallan <--> Mayer

The member of the Engineering Section Magallan is a simple researcher with the dream to explore the world, but the unfortunate fate of being constantly busy. Her most prided creations are drones taking inspiration on the fauna from places she has dreamed to visit when she was younger, with quite some freedom in their appearence.

[Gameplay] A 5* Summoner Supporter, Magallan can summon drones that will debuff and give invisibility periodically to nearby units, making her a really good support.

_____________

Mayer is considered a mystery by most employees of Rhine Lab, and it's mostly due to her weird explorations to Iberia and its surroundings... Very praised explored, Mayer specializes in submarine explorations, and studies the Seaborns as well as their biology very closely, feeding particularly interesting data to Rhine Lab. She posseses robots, courtesy of Magallan, her close friend, who are more opted for battle and protecting her against the Seaborns.

[Gameplay] 6* Summoner Supporter, Mayer possesses melee summons who can deal significant damages, especially against Seaborns type of enemies, as well with their auto destruct when defeated.

Ho'olheyak <--> Muelsyse

The last member of the Kul'kuk'an has joined Rhine Lab with the hope to find the answers behind her race and achieve truth. Throughout the extensive knowledge of her ancestors, particularly on the subject of stars and constellations, she became a very close assistant of Kristen and a strong asset for her to achieve her dream. Director of the History of Sciences Section, she learns about the story of Terra as a whole to gain knowledge.

[Gameplay] Ho'olheyak became a 6* Mystic Caster, who can apply weightless and Levitation based on the amount of stored attacks, with skills that emplified these abilities.

_____________

Muelsyse was one, if maybe not the only friend Saria had during college. An Elf with a cheerful attitude, her search of her race as well as engagement for children's protection, herself an orphan, as led her to meet and be recruited for the Maylander Foundation. Her ability to sneak around, spy, create clones and harvest previous information make her an extremely good asset, and she has been able to help many cases, as well as discovering the projects Rhine Lab has been hiding.

[Gameplay] Muelsyse is now a 6* Ambusher, with the fun ability of being able to place a clone of herself on the battlefield, with skills tuned to this one.

Astesia <--> Astgenne

Opposite to her sister, Astesia decided to follow the paths of science to discover the truth behind the stars and most of all, behind the false sky. She is a calm, elegant woman who joined the Originium Arts section under Dorothy Franks, with who she became a close friend. However, her unprompted Infection after a failed experiment had caused Astesia to lose faith in her researches, and she had become more reserved, but thankful for her sister and her friend for supporting her no matter what. Astesia left her family after these ones rejected her views, and has found her new place at Rhine Lab.

[Gameplay] Astesia is a 5* Splash Caster, using her Arts to attack the enemies. Her attacks have a light chance on stunning the opponents, and her skills will cause great crowd control AOE damages.

_____________

Astgenne followed the path of her family's heritage by learning their traditional sword techniques with the usage of the astro globe. Energetic, full of promises, she has an optimistic faith and belief in the stars and astrology, as opposite to her sister with who she might often debate. But both cares a lot about each other, and after Astesia got infected, which infected Astgenne as well due to their nature of twins, Astgenne has gave a lot of support to her sister, and places her hopes in her, believing that the stars will save them. She currently manage an occult society around the stars, in collaboration with Rhine Lab.

[Gameplay] A 5* Lord Guard, Astgenne will use her Arts to launch ranged attacks at the opponents. Her melee attacks turn into Arts damage upon the activation of her skill, and will stun everyone in her range the moment her skill is activated, her damage emplified on stunned enemies.

Robin <--> Kafka

Desesperate after her dad's company, BlackCloud Trade, went bankrupt from a competition against Simon Co., Robin seeked for help everywhere to make money and pay the medical bills for her father. When the situation seemed lost and Robin was close to give up, she met with Saria, who were able to bring her back on the tracks and give her a reason to fight. When Saria found out about the involvement she had with Simon Co., she proposed a deal with Robin; to help her infiltrate Mansfield's Jail and save Anthony Simon, the man Robin despise the most, so Robin can see if he's a good person who deserves to be forgiven, or someone who should be guilty for his family's actions.

[Gameplay] Robin is a 5* Agent Vanguard, able to use ranged attacks with her throwing knives. One of her skills will boost her attack on deployment, while the second will place mines around her, dealing damages while generating a good amount of DP upon explosion.

_____________

An orphan from Columbia, Kafka always had lived in criminality and gang battles. While she is not entirely found of this life, she made herself a reputation in the grey zone of Columbia, despite her claims to be a simple gardener. When Anthony Simon's head was given a price, many criminals went to try and kill him, unsuccessful. Kafka would had not paid interest if Jesselton did not employed her to help him kill Anthony. Kafka accepted, the price of his request being a non neglectible one, but had no actual intentions on killing Anthony on her own, but rather try to pocket the promised money with no harm involved.

[Gameplay] After joining Rhodes Island, Kafka applied to become a 5* Dreadnought Guard, with the talent to become invisible when unblocking enemies for enough time. Her skill causes Arts damages, hitting everyone in range with her large shredders.

Unchanged roles

Kristen remains the founder of Rhine Lab, and still pursue her dream to carry on her parents' goal, with the strong support of Silence. Both have lost contact with their time at Rhine Lab, but they keep good terms... Until Silence finds out the horrifying projects she agreed on, that is.

Ptilopsis is still a subject of Dellareed's experiment, which has failed, but without any care from the Structural Department, she has been deeply conditioned to behave and act close to an artificial intelligence. While Silence deeply wishes to give her proper care, her busy schedule rarely allows her to, and it's as an assistant of Parvis that Ptilopsis found her role, under the trust of Silence. Thankfully for her, Saria disagreed deeply with the views Parvis had on his "assistant", and brought her to Rhodes Island for help. Silence feels deeply guilty for not having noticed it sooner.

Dorothy remains the Director of the Originium Arts section. Daughter of two pioneers who lost their lives in a Catastrophe, Dorothy strives to create an ideal world where everyone can live in equality, and where she can protect the pioneers. Helped by Astesia, she gives value to her assistance, and hope to help her as well with a dreamed world where infection would not exist anymore.

Parvis is now a simple assistant of Silence at the Structural Department, who acts more as an executive assistant than anything. Silence being horribly busy, she entrusts him for most cases, which turned being a horrible idea when Parvis saw this as an opportunity to carry his researches on the chimera project. He took on the role of Director when Silence left.

Jara, Nasti, Ferdinand, Justin Jr., Loken, Tin Man, Jesselton, Domma and Mountain have no noticeable change in their characters.

Summary of the timeline

At the young age of 10, Kristen Wright learned the horrible news of her parents' death in a flight incident, which led to the dishonor of her family to the scientific community. Helped by Jara, she continued her education and met the young Olivia Silence during high school. The two young women had originally nothing in common, but their love of science and search for the truth. It did not took long for the two of them to become best friends, and for Olivia to turn into an important person for Kristen; dreaming of achieving what her parents had failed to achieve back then, she found hope to continue to go forward with Olivia's optimistic nature and support.

After both graduated and finished their studies at Trimounts' Institute of Technology, they decided to found Rhine Lab together, a promising future for the two rising stars of the scientific community. While the first year was rough between the struggles against concurrence and the little financial help they had, they got nonetheless joined by bright minds like Ferdinand Clooney, Ho'olheyak and Dorothy Franks.

As time went on, Rhine Lab has became one, if not the biggest scientific company in the span of ten years. However, Silence, who became the Director of the Structural Department, and Kristen, as the CEO, both fell apart of each other with their busy schedule. It's until Silence got to hear about an incident happening at a nearby laboratory, and got the sole survivor transfered to Rhine Lab with the help of the DOD, that things got a turn. The young surviving girl, named Narcissa, has been deeply infected and bear heavy traumas, and with the help of Saria, a Rhine Lab researcher who agreed to help her, she gradually unpacked her locked memories. Silence, trying her hardest to be there for the girl, also insisted on investigating the truth behind the event, with the help of Ho'olheyak.

She soon disvovers the horrible reality, and how Narcissa happened to be the subject of a human experiment, and that Ho'olheyak was sent with her to make sure none of the secrets would be undiscovered. Silence fought her way out of it, with the help of the Maylander Foundation, and tried to warn Saria about it. However, she arrives too late, and Narcissa lost control in yet another treatment phase. Saria manages to calm her down, but blames Silence, herself having learned the truth and realizing that Silence has been part of it, maybe even hiding it from Saria to continue the experiment, and she leaves Rhine Lab with Narcissa.

Silence tried to face Kristen, and swear to stop her, leaving Rhine Lab. She finally joins Rhodes Island, to seek help from them, but soon meets with Saria and Narcissa, now codenamed Rosmontis. Saria, scared that Silence followed them, refuses to have her approach her or Rosmontis, firmly keeping her distances. Silence struggles to hide her fear, and is left alone to fix her own mistakes.

I couuulld say more but, hey, I am cooking! All the events that follow, so Mansfield's Break, Dorothy's Vision, Lone Trail, they will greatly change and I could give a quick summary, but hey, surprise!! (I'm lazy)

I will eventually make designs of the swapped versions, but I'd love to explore the characters' new dynamics. Like how Saria's hard nature ends up having a negative effect on Rosmontis, how Silence tries to help her and bring Saria to realize what she's doing, while also struggling with her own powerlessness. Or about Ptilopsis, how this one is struggling more deeply with her issues, but tries to help Saria and take care of Rosmontis a lot, both relating to each other. I could also talk about Ifrit, now an Elite Operator, with all the shenanigans she has with Blaze and how cool she is, but also how she will try to help Rosmontis later! Or even this absolutely cool Mayer who would be an amazing character for IS3, cause hell yea deep sea horrors!!

Anywayyy, it's a lot lot, I sometimes think about this new timeline and I think there can be something really cool to be done with it, maybe a series of fics, who knows! It's just a project for fun, simply playing around with the characters, there might be a lot of flaws and things missing, I'll try my best to make everything make sense.

So hum, yay! feel free to give me opinions, for fun :]

[dlamp-dictator]

Okay, I know it's been awhile since I've been into Arknights, but I gotta' talk about this real quick, because it really does feel like some actual insanity that Lappland has something like this. I know the developers tend to make some weirdly cracked modules, but this is some madness that's almost on par with Eyja having Res-shredding on her first module.

But first, a not-so-quick disclaimer. It's recently come to my attention that Lappland's name is a known slur in some Scandinavian circles, and while I've read a handful of things that imply her name is meant to come from a specific location/region in the Nordic/Scandinavian area I will play things safe and refer to her as Saluzzo from this point on in this little analysis/discussion out of both recognition of the above and to be mindful of others reading this as I believe this is still a hot-button issue in some areas of the fandom. With that said, I'll only be doing this in deeper discussions like this, as... well, frankly, I've neither the time nor energy to police people on the internet and until Hypergryph actively changes the name themselves we'll all be very confused if I suddenly start talking about a character named Saluzzo off-handedly in a random post I make.

With that said, onto the craziness.

So, Saluzzo here's a Lord, a sub-class of a Guard, which specializes in (usually) physical DPS, High HP, and some minor laneholding depending on the archetype. Lords specifically deal physical ranged damage on ground tiles, which tapers off the further away the enemy is. But that's not important. For Saluzzo, the main thing is her talent: Spiritual Destruction, which silences enemy abilities. This disrupts a handful of the more annoying quirks that some enemies have like exploding on death, having some sort of passive shield/resistance barrier, passing through blocking units, stopping those damn Artificers from summoning the artillery shell, so on and so forth. Combine this utility with her already good damage and stats has given Saluzzo a very vital role in almost any new event or chapter. Namely, neutering some of the more... interesting quirks that come into certain chapters and event maps and made her a cornerstone for any new content.

And I feel I should mention that Saluzzo is a game launch unit. She's been here since the start and still has a place in modern Arknights' meta. The only other units I could say are comfortably in this position are Ejyafjalla and Saria, and those are Six-Stars.

Her module, by extension, is just as nutty. Combined with her already good physical damage, she can now deal a minor amount of arts damage with her base attack. This makes her ability to already shred through physically tanky enemies even better. But the true nuttiness is that additional fragile debuff along with her silencing when upgraded, letting enemies take an additional 8% of damage from all sources.

Including true damage.

For six seconds.

In a tower defense game.

Oh, and her Skill 2, her main skill, can attack two enemies at once to inflict the debuff.

Yeah, this chick is insane, both in lore and in game. She's so cracked that the only way to powercreep her was to make an alter of her even nuttier.

But yeah, that's Saluzzo. Looking forward to the coming 5.5 storyline. I don't keep track of Arknights' story nowadays, but I do keep up with the handful of extra chapters that focus on characters I like, and I like Saluzzo and the Siracusa storyline a lot. Here's hoping things keep moving up from here.

Now to finish Chapter 14 this week... and catch up on Wuwa afterwards.

[thecreaturecodex]

Div, Apaush

Image © @chimeride

[Sponsored by @crazytrain48, based on the "sun demon" from Arduin. Why these are sun demons is somewhat obscure to me; their scales and boluses suggest they should be iron demons, right? The art does an excellent job making it more sunny, with the solar disk head, which I love. I leaned into it by giving them the name of one of the Zoroastrian daevas of drought, and some of their spell-like abilities.]

Div, Apaush CR 9 NE Outsider (extraplanar) This creature is a vaguely avian humanoid, with a beaked head ringed by a structure halfway between a sunburst and an owl’s facial disc. It has fan-like wings, metal talons on its hands and feet and a long whip-like tail. Its body and wings are covered with overlapping metal scales that screech horribly as the creature moves.

The apaush are sometimes known as “sun divs” or “sun fiends”, as they are devotees of drought. They are native to the hottest, driest parts of Abaddon. An apaush on the Material Plane makes sure to use its weather controlling abilities to keep things sunny and hot, and the droughts they provoke lead to widespread starvation and thirst. The head of an apaush resembles a solar disk and some apaush work with clerics of evil sun gods and archfiends. An apaush constantly emits a rasping, screeching noise from the metal scales on its body and wings. Like all divs, the apaush have a psychological weakness; in their case, apaush hate silence. They make noise almost compulsively in quiet places, and in the area of a silence spell are edgy and uncomfortable.

Apaush are incredibly fast fliers, and prefer to attack from the sky. They make hit and run attacks while airborne, spitting boluses of molten iron that entangle and scorch enemies, casting destructive spells, or merely tearing into foes with their claws. An apaush’s metal scales provide it with supernaturally powerful protection against ranged attacks, and the screeching of its metal body is so loud as to be painfully distracting up close.  If forced to land, they usually cast defensive spells like fire shield and wall of fire, to punish melee combatants as much as possible.

An apaush is tall for a Medium creature, being taller than seven feet tall on average. Their whip-like tails are often that length again, but too weak to be used in combat.

Apaush               CR 9 XP 6,400 NE Medium outsider (div, evil, extraplanar) Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +15, see in darkness Aura screeching (30 ft., Will DC 19)

Defense AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 21 (+2 Dex, +11 natural) hp 114 (12d10+48) Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +8 DR 10/good and melee; Immune fire, petrifaction, poison, sonic; Resist acid 10, electricity 10; SR 20 Defensive Abilities fiery body,healing petrifaction

Offense Speed 30 ft., fly 120 ft. (average) Melee 2 claws +15 (1d10+3 plus 1d6 fire), bite +15 (1d6+3 plus 1d6 fire), 2 wings +13 (1d6+1 plus 1d6 fire) Ranged molten bolus +14 touch (3d10 fire) Spell-like Abilities CL 12th, concentration +15 At will—detect good, dimension door, heat metal (DC 15) 3/day—cup of dust (DC 16), empowered searing light, stinking cloud (DC 16) 1/day—control weather (cannot cause precipitation), fire snake (DC 18), wall of fire

Statistics Str 16, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 17 Base Atk +12; CMB +16; CMD 28 Feats Empower SLA (searing light),Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack Skills Bluff +18,Fly +17, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (geography, planes) +16, Perception +15, Stealth +9; Racial Modifiers -8 Stealth Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.

Ecology Environment any land and underground (Abaddon) Organization solitary or flock (2-6) Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Fiery Body (Ex) An apaush is so hot that it deals 1d6 points of fire damage to any creature touching it or striking it with a melee touch attack, natural weapon or unarmed strike. It deals an extra 1d6 points of fire damage with all of its natural weapons. Healing Petrifaction (Ex) Any attempt to petrify an apaush heals it of 1d10 points of damage, plus 1 per HD of the creature for supernatural petrifaction effects, or caster level of the effect for spells and spell-like abilities. Molten Bolus (Su) As a standard action, an apaush can vomit up a blob of molten metal. Treat this as a ranged touch attack made with a thrown weapon with a range increment of 15 feet. A creature struck is entangled for three rounds, takes 3d10 points of fire damage, then takes 2d10 points of fire damage the next round and 1d10 fire damage on the third round. The blob can be scraped off by dealing 10 points of damage to it with a slashing weapon, or cooled down with a chill metal or quench effect (but the entangling still lasts the full duration). An apaush can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. Screeching Aura (Su) Whenever an apaush moves more than 5 feet in a round, it produces an awful noise. All creatures within 30 feet of the apaush must succeed a DC 19 Will save or take a -4 penalty to attack rolls for 1 round from distraction. This is a sonic mind-influencing effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Wings (Su) The wings of an apaush are lined with razor sharp scales and deal slashing and bludgeoning damage on a successful hit.

[doahaesunshine]

Chapter 7

Chapter WC: 2573

Tags

Chapter kinda hurts

Master List | Prev | Next

You know it’s killing you right? This sadness.”

Seungcheol wasn’t judging his friend, and it was never his intention either, but he couldn’t help feeling like trash for trying to force himself into his friend's thoughts. He just wished he could go into their mind and pluck away at all the bad memories. 

A loud scoff resonated through the room, forcing Seungcheol back into reality.

“Cheolie. I’m fine.” 

Their words came out weak and a piercing silence followed after their sentence. 

“Seriously, don’t worry about me. I’m still truckin’ along.” 

The words were hollow. Just silly noises to distract Seungcheol from his concerns. The worst thing was that it almost worked.

Seungcheol wanted so badly to believe his friend, he really did. The desperation for things to be good threatened to overwrite any rational thought. If he needed to pretend, so be it. He would be happy to oblige.

But when he saw the too-dark under eyes and the terrifyingly prominent lines of cheekbones, he knew make-believe was impossible. His friend was eroding and if he didn’t intervene it was going to eat them alive.

“You need to listen to me. Sooner or later this isn’t going to be something you can joke about. You stopped going to therapy into the first year of grieving. You gave yourself no time to heal. It was straight to business, class, work, responsibilities.”

He regretted it. The words came out too harsh and Seungcheol felt like an asshole. The only response he received was silence. His friend avoided eye contact and remained silent. 

“I-uh.” They stuttered over their words as they stood. “I gotta go-”

This was it, this was the moment his childhood friend realized they didn’t want him around anymore.

“Y/N, wait!” 

December 29

Seungcheol’s phone blared through his bedroom. For the past four days he was waking up to his ringtone and a list of missed call notifications. Rolling over, he ignored the phone as he pressed his face into his pillow. After finding the bag in the river he shut himself in his room.

He used the excuse of needing to think so that he could stay awake late at night, hoping that his friend would call or text. It was a fantasy that he knew he had to throw away, but he didn’t have the willpower to bring himself back to reality. 

His phone rang again and with a groan he swiped it off his nightstand and answered.

“Hello?” His voice was rough and in desperate need of water.

“Hi. May I speak to Seungcheol Choi?” The voice was feminine and unfamiliar.

“This is he.” He replied.

“My name is Gywnn Harris, I’m a detective working with the local police department.” Her tone was polite and calm. “I’m calling to inform you that I am leading the investigation of the disappearance of your friend, Y/N L/N. If you’re able I would appreciate it if you could give me any information before their disappearance.”

Seungcheol sat up in his bed and leaned against the headboard. “I’d be more than happy to give anything that would help with the investigation. Should I see you at the station?”

“That would be ideal, anytime before noon is best.”

“Alright, I’ll be there shortly.” Seungcheol stood from his bed and hung up the call after exchanging goodbyes.

There was a moment of hesitation as he turned his attention to a water damaged, leather, messenger bag. After his brother found it in the river, Seungcheol took it upon himself to deliver it to the police. But upon seeing its contents he decided against it.

He unlatched the flap of the messenger bag and fished out a small sketchbook. The pages were filled with sketches of nature: trees, flowers, and animals, specifically birds. Among the drawings were entries, poems and short stories. 

Memories. 

Seungcheol flipped to a random page and read one of the poems.

My shoes feel like they are made of cement. Every step is heavy and slow. One misplaced step and I’ll sink Into the undertow

Both of the friends he lost had an interest in the arts, a painter and photographer, but the one art they had in common was poetry. Seungcheol could never bring himself to pick up a pen to draw or write and he only took pictures of food and his family. He was always more of an observer. He read his friends poems, studied the paintings and admired the photos. Now that both of them were gone there was no more creativity. 

The world was growing gray around him and it was suffocating. 

Seungcheol closed the journal and tucked it back into the bag. 

“This is ridiculous.” He muttered to himself as he hid the evidence under his bed.

The police department wasn’t far from his family’s residence, just a short drive into town. Life had returned to the buildings as Christmas had ended, no reason for the shops to be closed anymore. Thankfully the police station wasn’t busy. 

As Seungcheol entered the station, he observed his surroundings. Everyone was working at a steady pace, mingling or organizing stray papers. He wasn’t surprised, a stolen bike or simple vandalism was the most exciting thing these small town cops were offered. Even then, those incidents only happen once every few months. 

He approached the front desk where an older woman with mousy brown hair and wire framed glasses sat, looking over some papers in her hand. She perked up when he noticed him before her.

“Good morning. I’m looking for Detective Harris?” Seungcheol kept his tone friendly.

The woman took note of Seungcheol’s question and after filing away a paper, she stood, pointing to the back of the room.

“Detective Harris is usually at her desk, it’ll be on the left side of the room, dear.” Her voice was pleasant but raspy with age.

Seungcheol gently smiled and nodded as he thanked the woman. He swiftly made his way in the direction of Detective Harris’s desk, not wanting to waste any time. As he scanned the name plates of the desks he stopped at one that read: Det. G. Harris

The woman sitting at the desk had her nose nearly pressed to the monitor, a blue glow reflecting off of her skin. Her black hair was choppy and tied back in a messy bun, a few pieces sticking out and obscuring her face. She looked up from her screen as Seungcheol approached. A smile spread on her lips as she stood.

She held out her hand. “You must be Seungcheol Choi, nice to meet you!” There was a brassy quality to her voice that the phone wasn’t able to pick up, she sounded older than she looked.

Seungcheol reciprocated the handshake. “Please, just Seungcheol. Cheol if it’s too hard to pronounce.”

“Nonsense! My grandmother is Korean, I’m familiar with the language.” She pointed to a chair behind Seungcheol. “Pull up a seat. This will just be a few questions, shouldn’t take too long.”

Seungcheol did as he was told and obediently dragged a chair toward Detective Harris’s desk.

“Alright.” She started to say as she pulled out a notebook and pen. “We’ll start simple. When was the last time you saw your friend?”

“Christmas Eve. I spent most of the afternoon with them. I’d say it was around four in the evening when I last saw them.” Seungcheol was detailed in his response. “We didn’t talk after that, I sent a text at midnight, but they didn’t even open it.”

When Seungcheol’s speaking faded into silence the only thing that was heard was the scribbling of pen on paper. After another moment of writing Detective Harris met Seungcheol’s gaze again.

“Did they say anything odd when you two were hanging out?”

Seungcheol had to think about his answer. It was the usual banter and Christmas Eve isn’t usually a happy time for the two of them so anything would appear bleak.

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” It was a half truth. His friend was usually on the gloomier side, but nothing they said alerted him to anything dangerous.

“Okay.” Harris responded as she continued writing. “Was there anyone in Y/N’s life that had a want to harm them?”

The question took Seungcheol off guard. He thought about the people that surrounded his friend’s life. There were coworkers, but not many friends and the only family they had was their father.

“They uh- didn’t have many friends. It was really only me and their father. A few people they worked with at the local cafe, but other than that, there weren’t many people they talked to.”

More scribbling followed by a moment of stillness. Detective Harris took a breath before she spoke.

“I spoke with Y/N’s father yesterday. He said his child struggled with depression, did you know this?”

Seungcheol sighed and pinched his nose bridge as he felt a dull ache in his forehead. “Yeah- Yes, I knew about that. I spoke with them about it often.”

He was hoping to keep his friend’s mental health hidden from the detective, but daddy dearest soiled that plan. 

“Were they contemplating their life?”

Seungcheol snapped his eyes back to Detective Harris, his expression must have been a sight to behold because even the detective appeared as though she regretted the question. 

“No.” He spoke in an even tone, voice low. “They may have had their ups and downs, but they were never suicidal.”

Another lie, but Seungcheol didn’t care. He wanted to make sure that the police would search for his friend, not a corpse.

The new year brought no new evidence and no closure to Seungcheol. Every day passed with more anxiety and less sleep. Detective Harris had no new leads and each conversation between himself and her had the continuous connotation that his friend committed suicide. 

 He took each day with a grain of salt and a heavy heart. Working behind the counter of his family’s hardware shop became mundane, he had no enthusiasm or energy to help his father and brother with any in-home repairs that needed to be done. His friend’s father hasn’t been much help either. Seungcheol had been visiting, bringing food his mother made over to feed the man but the conversations were bland and many things were left unsaid. 

Sitting at the dinner table, nearly two weeks since losing them, his family ate in relative silence aside from utensils hitting the plates. Though his family could be loud during dinner, bringing up old stories or things they heard around town, these days it was hollow. Most times as of recently Seungcheol brought his food to his room, eating as he read over their journal night after night. 

There was no way his friend would have killed themself, he had no doubt that they didn’t. They had only lost their spark, lost in the grief that they didn’t let themself process and instead pushed it aside to busy their mind and body. 

His mother had turned on the TV to fill the void tonight, letting the local news play without much thought. 

“ Tonight, we tell you with heavy hearts that evidence regarding the missing person’s case for Y/N L/N has surfaced.” 

His heart stopped. His family visibly paused hearing the broadcaster’s words. 

As he raised his head, tired eyes locking on the screen, he watched the scene change to Detective Harris standing along the river, much further down than he was with his brother those two weeks ago. 

“Hello everyone, this is Detective Gwynn Harris. I have been the lead investigator regarding the L/N case and tonight I bring not so great news. At 6:30 tonight, the department received an anonymous call stating that they found a bag belonging to the victim with an empty bottle of prescription painkillers and a series of poems that it seems they wrote themselves. Upon further investigation when the team arrived, there were pictures folded within the pages of Seokmin Lee who was a close friend to the victim.” Harris sighed, her face clearly showing despair yet she held it together. A second camera was zooming in on the bag in question. Seungchoel had seen it days prior on the floor of their room.

 “ The department and I will be taking this evidence and releasing it back to the family once everything is collected. With this new evidence, we are ruling this missing person’s case a suicide. I send my condolences to their family, friends and loved ones, thank you.” 

The scene changed once more, the news reporter sitting up straighter and reading off the papers before her. “ Two years ago we reported on the missing person Seokmin Lee. The case was a town tragedy seeing he was said to be a sunshine to everyone he met. No body was recovered however a vigil was held for him and tonight we heard from Detective Harris where the circumstances were similar. That is all we have for-” 

He couldn’t hear it any longer, his blood was boiling. He needed to see their father. 

“Cheol wait-” His mother’s words fell on deaf ears, barely getting his shoes on before grabbing his keys and wallet. 

Speeding was the least of his concern when he reached his friend’s childhood home. The lights in the living room were on, he had half a mind to bust the door down and demand to know what was going on. He had been at their house that week and went through some of their things. He knew that bag was kicked under their desk since the strap had snapped over time and it couldn’t be worn outside anymore. 

Seungcheol marched up to the door and banged his fist against it, jaw tense, muscles rigid. When the door opened, his friend’s father was shocked to see him, words barely seeming to sputter out. 

“Oh- Cheol. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I just got the call-” 

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Venom laced his words, chest raising and falling in deep breaths to keep the anger within him at bay. “What did you do?” 

Bewildered, the older gentleman took a step back, “I don’t know what you are talking about, Seungcheol.” 

“I asked; what did you do?” He repeated, staring daggers into the other. “You and I both know they haven’t used that bag in years, even before Seokmin- Even before everything happened. It was tossed aside in their room and I even pointed it out to you in some sorry attempt at a joke that they never threw it away.” 

Seungcheol was outraged, so much so that he was calm. Deadly calm. 

He stepped inside and shut the door behind himself, watching as their father stepped back. 

“Do you think I’m an idiot? Do you think I would just believe that crap that Harris spouted about on TV?” His nostrils flared in anger. “What are you trying to play at?! What kind of parent purposefully makes it look like their child killed themselves?!”

The yell caught the other man off guard. He held up his hands in defense. The facade he put up faltered. 

“Cheol, you don’t understand it all, it's complicated.” 

“Complicated? Complicated?! That you are faking their death?! You planted that and called it in yourself! Don’t even try to lie to me!” 

“You don’t understand the forces at play, Cheol! I didn’t have a choice!”

To join a tag list, please comment on the Fallin' Flower Master List!

@reiofsuns2001 @shinwonderful @starstrawb

[all-things-skylanders]

Custom Skylander: Prismystic!

(Art and Concept by: @duckduckhjonk)

Prismystic: Water and Light Twin-Type Skylander

Catchphrase: “Over the Rainbow!”

Concept: A rainbow based eastern dragon. In Water form, it's hidden away in a fog of mist, but in Light form, they learned to accept themselves and become a sparkling spotlight

Origin:

Prismystic, in both timelines, was born a powerful rainbow dragon, able to control light and water. However, depending on the events within their lifespans, the two ended up very different.

The Prismystic who centered their magic on Water grew up shy and ignored, hiding away in a cloudy fog of mist, fighting evil with stealth, refusing to be seen.

But in the world where they focused on the Light, Prismystic had been given the love and acknowledgement that all children deserve, and grew happy and joyous, taking pride in their skills. While they can be a bit egotistical, they always still seek to protect above all else.

Now, combined as one, thanks to King Kaos' machinations, the two are a perfect balance of humble silence and self loving pride, able to keep their emotions in check and fight with both stealth and strength!

(As usual, if you would like to take part in the Twin Skies project, just DM me or join the discord through the link provided in my pinned post!)

Stats and Upgrades under the cut:

Stats:

In Water Form:

Health: 320 (Level 1) 960 (Level 20)

Power: 40

Speed: 38

Armor: 60

Critical Hit: 50

Elemental Power: 25

In Light form:

Health: 320 (Level 1) 960 (Level 20)

Power: 60

Speed: 50

Armor: 38

Critical Hit: 40

Elemental Power: 25

Water Form Upgrades:

Core Abilities:

Primary - Mist Claw: Prismystic makes a quick, medium range slash, extending their claws with mist.

Secondary - Mist Cloud: Prismystic summons a large cloud of mist that obscures everything inside of it. While inside of the cloud, Prismystic (and other Skylanders) will be invisible, but not invulnerable. If they attack while in the cloud, they will become visible for a few seconds. The cloud will last for around 10 seconds, before it shrinks into nothing. Only one cloud can exist at a time.

Upgrades (ordered by cost to purchase, Twin-Types get less upgrades per path):

1200 - Tertiary: Echoed Ripples: Prismystic creates a ring of water that burst out from their current location, slowly expanding, while dealing more damage the bigger it gets.

1700 - Extended Echoes: The Echoed Ripples will now create three ripples, the first one being smaller and weaker, the second being the same as the original Echoed Ripple, and the third one being larger and stronger.

Upgrade Paths:

Path 1 - Smokey Wallflower: Prismystic shrinks in on themselves further, living within their fog cloud near constantly

2200 - Extended Fog: The Mist Cloud lasts for 50% longer

3000 - Misty Echoes: When Prismystic uses the Echoed Ripples, the rings will generate a small fog cloud that works identically to the Mist Cloud, but lasts for half the time.

Path 2 - Water-Cloaked Assassin: Prismystic is a master of stealth and espionage, putting their sneaking skills to use with powerful, sudden attacks

2200 - Steaming Claws: Hold down the primary button to turn the Misty Claw into the Steaming Claws. Release for a medium damage double claw swipe. The Steaming Claws does double damage when an Enemy hasn't seen/can't see Prismystic.

3000 - Silent Echoes: The Echoed Ripples no longer turn Prismystic visible when used while in the Mist Cloud.

Soul Gem:

4000 - Lingering Mist: Prismystic will remain invisible for a time after leaving the Mist Cloud, but will become visible after using an attack.

Light Form Upgrades:

Core Abilities:

Primary - Rainbow Tail: Prismystic spins in a circle to do a medium range tail slap all around themself.

Secondary - Bursting Rainbow: Prismystic fires a bright laser forwards that deals high damage and pierces through enemies. The laser will get the attention of nearby enemies, causing them to notice Prismystic faster (Risk reward dynamic of high damage VS. more enemies)

Upgrades (ordered by cost to purchase, Twin-Types get less upgrades per path):

700 - Tertiary: Flashing Rainbow: Prismystic teleports a set distance in any direction in a burst of light, creating a bright explosion when reforming that deals low damage.

1200 - Rainbow Wraparound: The Rainbow Tail leaves lingering light around Prismystic that will deal minor damage to any foes close by.

Upgrade Paths:

Path 1 - Elongated Warrior: Prismystic is a bit of a show off, and they love to spin their whole body at top speed to show just how proficient they are!

2200 - Rapid Rotations: Hold the Primary button to have Prismystic begin to rapidly spin. Prismystic can still move while doing this, and leaves a trail of damaging sparkles in their wake. The spinning will deal rapid amounts of low damage as it repeatedly hits everything in range.

3000 - Rainbow Reversal: Hitting a projectile with the Rainbow Tail will bounce it back, causing it to be reflected. This only works on proper projectiles, so it can't reflect lasers and similar attacks.

Path 2 - Seven Colored Artillerist: Take any notion of secrecy and throw it out the window! This path is for Prismystic to go all out with brute force rainbow lasers!

2200 - Blazing Rainbow: The Secondary button can be held to have Prysmistic continue firing the Bursting Rainbow, with it glowing brighter and brighter as it deals more damage. Once the laser hits maximum charge, it'll remain in that state, with Prismystic taking 10 damage every two seconds it's held.

3000 - Rainbow Explosion: When the Bursting Rainbow attack is concluded, it will explode, with the explosion being more powerful the larger the charge was. This will attract enemies in an even wider range than the laser does.

Soul Gem:

4000 - Rapid Flash: The Flashing Rainbow travels twice as far, now making two explosions. One at the halfway mark, and a second one at the destination.

[dungeon-strugglers]

✨New item!✨ Misty Shiv  Weapon (dagger), rare (requires attunement) 

A chilling mist wafts from the blade of this dagger. The misty shiv has 3 charges, and regains all expended charges daily at dawn. As a bonus action you can expend one charge to cast the misty step spell from the dagger. Upon reappearing, the next attack you make with this dagger before the end of the turn deals an extra 1d6 cold damage on a hit. 

The duchess sat on the plush leather bench seat of her carriage, her head resting against the window as she lazily watched the countryside roll by. The duke had long since given up any attempt at conversation when he realized she would rather sit quietly than make small talk. He contented himself with a platter of fine pastries while they rode in silence.

Outside, the sky had grown overcast and a thick fog began obscuring the farm houses, fields and hedges, until it muddied into a hazy blur. The duchess yawned, and in the moment when her eyes were almost shut, she noticed something in the fog. A man, running full speed, directly towards her. She snapped out of her daze, fully alert, but the man had vanished.

“Are you alright my lady?” 

“Yes, I- I thought I saw someone-” 

A shout rang out suddenly, and the carriage jerked to a halt. The duchess craned her neck to see what was happening. Confusion had broken out among the retinue. She turned to say “I can’t see anythi-”, but froze in mid sentence.

Sitting in front of her was a man who had not been in the carriage but one second earlier, grinning coldly as she stared in shock. He slowly held a finger to his lips, in a silencing gesture. The duchess had no choice but to sit still, paralyzed with fear. The man casually removed a handkerchief from his front pocket and began cleaning the knife in his hand. Thick crimson blood came away to reveal a gleaming steel blade. He smiled, flicked the dagger through the air, and vanished.

The duchess’ screaming eventually alerted her retinue to the duke’s body, slumped over his pastry tray, and the assassination that had just occurred beneath their noses. - 🖌🎨 Like our work? Consider supporting us on Patreon and gain access to the hi-resolution art for over 180 magic items, item cards and card packs, beautiful creature art and stat blocks, and setting pdfs with narrative hooks and unique lore!🧙‍♂️

📜 Credit. Art and design by us: the Dungeon Strugglers. Please credit us if you repost elsewhere.

[cerastes]

Would you happen to have recommendations for good, all purpose or simply just worth it 5* operators to raise in Arknights? For someone who has levelled none of them except Amiya, Cantabile, Kroos, Rockeock and Shamare

Going into detail for each and everyone one of them is unfeasible but let's start with the ones I consider really, really good and would always recommend:

Specter - Strong laneholder with self-sustain, best immortality staller in the game for the longest time and still arguably is, benefits from long-term investments in the form of Abyssal Hunter buffs, can be pseudohelidropped with S2M3. Very high HP lets her deals with Arts damage better than in-class equivalents.

Texas - Good DP generator with crowd control and above average damage. Extra starting DP from talent can enable entirely new openers, especially in endgame content. Not exceptional in anything, very reliable in just about any situation to open maps and cover light lanes.

Blue Poison - Strong AA Sniper with constant minibursts and ability to thin lanes thanks to multihits that don't compromise her single targeting, making her a tactical tool that circumvents Taunt to some degree until you can deploy your actual solutions to the Taunt source. Has one of the most famous M3s in her S1, with a charge of 2 attacks.

Warfarin - Versatile unit and easy M6, a lesser known property of her S1 heal is that it is instant, meaning she's a very reliable healer to keep someone under heavy damage alive. Rare Attack Up buff for others, which is what most people know her for. Good SP cycling and can help charge others' SP with her Talent.

Lappland - Best Silence-user in the game, as well as a solid, reliable unit in most maps thanks to her multitarget and Arts damage. You'll hear people claim she's fallen off or some other lie. She is still very solid outside of her Silence (which comes back into relevance every other Thursday anyways).

Ptilopsis - Strong, low investment unit, does not need Masteries at all in order to perform, powerful constant strong heals with S2 and has the best universal Skill Aura Talent that will speed everyone's SP charge by 30% just by existing on the map.

Elysium - One of the best utility units in the game, easy M6 with great SP production, DP reduction and ASPD buffs for Snipers, and a very strong S2 that reveals invisible units, reduces their speed significantly, and gives them a DEF debuff that stacks with other debuffs.

Cantabile - Lightweight assassin that can produce DP per attack while assassinating. Has a short timer to redeploy, so she can be an on-demand miniburst on a troublesome boss or lane, while making DP.

Any of the two Berries, Honeyberry or Mulberry - Handles Elemental Damage buildup, Honeyberry centers more on Elemental Damage, Mulberry has stronger HP heals, both are great. Honeyberry came free with your XBox, no excuse not to raise her. They also have very useful wide ranges that allow for unique safe set-ups.

Projekt Red - Lightweight assassin that can be used as a stunbomb or as a killer for light key targets. Nothing else needs be said, she gets the job done.

Firewatch and Andreana - Heavy duty shooters with wide range and unique targeting rules that specialize in dealing large amounts of damage one way or another, all useful. Firewatch can also use camouflage for fun strats, while Andreana can reap great benefits from long-term investment due to her status as a nominal Abyssal Hunter.

Asbestos - Strong Arts Guard, her S2 can target air, and is just in general very useful in balancing lanes that also need damage when you're spread thin elsewhere, or just as a fun, good unit to use.

La Pluma or Highmore - Both play very similar. Handy, self-sustaining middleweights with potent minibursts and unique three-frontal tile AoE ranges. They can get up to some truly wicked positioning strats.

Manticore - Heavy single hits with either Slow (truly constant with S1M3) or Stun and a large range with true AoE (actually hits EVERY unit in range). Straightforward use and can be used very creatively on chokepoints.

Platinum - S2 gives her extra range and strong single hits, letting her do things no other AA Sniper can do and giving you some ease of command on maps with inconvenient, distant ranged tiles. This is more valuable than you think.

Kazemaru - Middleweight laneholder with explosive bursts and ability to keep herself alive. Can hit air during Doll Form. Allows for various advance deployment strats thanks to her Dollkeeper nature, and has high constant damage during S2 uptime.

Silence - Her drone's healing is actually very powerful, a burst of healing that can actually enable some unique strategies and sustain that you'd otherwise not be able to achieve for cheap. Like her friend Ptilopsis, does not need Masteries to perform at a high level, but of course, welcomes them.

Liskarm - Very sturdy Physical damage tank that can cycle her S1 VERY quickly and has an S2 with good utility for when you need it. Can function as an SP battery for other characters as well, enabling some goofy meme strats (that carry a lot of potency).

Kjera - Great Caster with Freeze on S2. Nothing much needs be said, she's simply lovely, a caster, and can deal good damage with crowd control. Straightforward and simple.

If a 5* isn't here, it doesn't mean they are bad, there are plenty of good ones out there like Iris and Bibeak to name a few, but I consider this list a pretty integral "core" roster, from which you can then expand towards your preferences.

[ofduskanddreams]

Reputation to Damage

For @itsthedoodle and @cassianappreciationweek day 4. The prompt: Nesta & Cassian know that there is a rumor among students about a relationship between a professor and a TA – what they don’t know, is that the rumor is about them.

Nessian ✦ Rated M ✦ 591 words ✦ on AO3

The locker room air is soupy with steam, smelling of mildew and a head-aching range of freshly applied deodorants. The combination always fills him with a familiar nostalgia. Truthfully, he doesn’t miss the non-stop life of juggling classes and a spot on Prythian University’s D1 hockey team. These weekly recreational games with his fellow grad students and a few members of the faculty are more than enough to scratch his itch to be out on the ice.

Cassian’s in the middle of tying his shoelaces when Rhys slumps down on the bench beside him.

“Have you heard the rumor going around about the liberal arts college?”

He has to resist rolling his eyes. Despite Rhys’s frequent protests to the contrary, he loves gossip.

“Rhys, as a member of the college I hear many rumors—you’ll have to be more specific.”

Though he’d initially planned on getting his undergrad degree in business, a required liberal arts credit and a class on the prehistoric evolution of weaponry had changed the course of his future. Now he is on track to do his dissertation as an interdisciplinary historic-anthropological exploration of East Asian weaponry in the middle ages.

“Apparently,” Rhys lowers his voice and leans in, “One of the professors is in a relationship with their TA.”

Cassian shrugs, a little disappointed in his best friend. “Every single semester there’s a rumor about a professor and a TA, man. That’s not exactly news.”

“The way I see it,” Rhys drawls. “With how frequently this rumor goes around, one of these times it must actually be true.”

“Sure,” Cassian indulges, zipping up his bag and standing.

Rhys follows him. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t believe me?”

Cassian leaves the locker room laughing.

✦ ✦ ✦

“Do you think anyone knows about us?” Cassian murmurs, lazily carding his fingers through Nesta’s hair.

He’s spent the whole day replaying Rhys’s words.

“I haven’t told anyone. Have you?” He feels Nesta stiffen slightly as she speaks, half-draped across him.

“Of course not,” he answers. 

Nothing that they’re doing is technically against any rules, it’s just rather frowned upon. Cassian doesn’t care about that—what other people think of them if it were to get out. Nothing that feels this right could ever be wrong.

When Nesta doesn’t relax at the assurance, he goes on. “It’s just that silly rumor going around again. Rhys mentioned it earlier.”

Her responding hum vibrates up his sternum, then the silence stretches between them like a rubber band but Cassian doesn’t know what to say to cease the building tension.

After a long minute, Nesta sighs and pushes herself up on an elbow to look at him. “I’m not ashamed of us, you know. I care about you. If people found out, you would come under scrutiny. Academia is too small of a world and you’re just starting out. I don’t want to damage your reputation.”

“That’s kind of hard to do when I don’t have a reputation to damage,” Cassian huffs, but Nesta’s steely eyes narrow.

“But you will. Believe me. You need to give yourself more credit, Cass.”

And the way she’s looking at him like he’s worth something—worth believing in—like she feels the same things for him that he does for her, it’s enough to steal the breath from his lungs. But oxygen is mere frivolity compared to the feeling of Nesta’s lips parting in pleased surprise against his own, to the feeling of her palm over his too-rapid heart as she pushes him down into the mattress.

✦ ✦ ✦

tagging: @c-e-d-dreamer @moodymelanist @damedechance @iftheshoef1tz @areyoudreaminof @thelovelymadone @ablogofsapphicpanic @moonpatroclus @panicatthenightcourt @octobers-veryown @krem-does-stuff @talons-and-teeth

I had to guess when making this tag list because I've never actually posted a Nessian fic before lol. Please let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the tags :) I have another Nessian drabble coming later today.

[iincogneeto]

What does violin breathing do?

Also hiiii I really admire your art!!!!!

Hello!!! :D (thank you sm!!)

I don’t really know how exactly to explain, but I’ll try my best!! :-)

Violin breathing is designed to utilize sound and vibrations as powerful tools in combat! :D Xiaocheng kinda uses his breathing technique like a speaker sometimes and makes his violin SUPER loud lmfao

1. First Form: Resonance Slash

- **Description:** Xiaocheng plays a strong, resonant note that sends a wave of sharp sound vibrations forward, slicing through anything in its path.

- **Technique:** The bow’s movement mimics a powerful, deliberate stroke, creating a straight-line attack that can cut through obstacles and enemies with precision.

2. Second Form: Harmonic Echo

- **Description:** A series of rapid, high-pitched notes create an echoing effect, disorienting the enemy and making it difficult for them to pinpoint Xiaocheng’s location.

- **Technique:** By alternating between different notes, Xiaocheng generates a confusing array of sounds that seem to come from multiple directions, masking his movements.

3. Third Form: Serenade of Silence

- **Description:** A soft, tranquil melody is played, inducing a temporary state of calm and paralysis in weaker demons or distracting stronger ones.

- **Technique:** The soothing notes have a hypnotic effect, momentarily pacifying enemies and giving Xiaocheng an opportunity to strike or escape.

4. Fourth Form: Crescendo Blade

- **Description:** Xiaocheng plays an ascending scale, building energy with each note until it culminates in a powerful sonic blast.

- **Technique:** The final note releases a concentrated burst of sound waves that can cause physical damage and push back or stun enemies caught in its path.

5. Fifth Form: Vibrato Shield

- **Description:** Using a rapid, vibrating motion, Xiaocheng creates a barrier of sound waves that can deflect projectiles and dampen incoming attacks.

- **Technique:** The rapid oscillation of the bow produces a shield-like effect, distorting the air and creating a protective buffer against physical attacks.

6. Sixth Form: String Requiem

- **Description:** Xiaocheng plays a melancholic, yet beautiful piece that summons an array of cutting sound blades, each attack varying in direction and intensity.

- **Technique:** The haunting melody draws out multiple attacks in a single sequence, overwhelming the enemy with a barrage of sharp, slicing sound waves.

7. Seventh Form: Symphony of the Night

- **Description:** An elaborate and complex composition that utilizes the full range of the violin's notes, creating a large-scale, multi-directional assault that envelops the battlefield.

- **Technique:** This form combines elements of all previous forms, producing a symphony of attacks that can target multiple enemies at once, creating a mesmerizing yet deadly display of sound and light.

Thanks for the question! :D

[changelingsandothernonsense]

Can I ask 17, 19, and 20? For Josh and anyone else you feel inspired to answer for. :D

Hiii! Thank you so much for the ask. I'm on a huge Joshi roll again so here goes.

17. If they can, what’s their fighting style? If they’re a mage, how do they handle being silenced or running out of magicka? Josh would describe himself as a spellsword. He's always had a talent for swordplay and favours fire based destruction magic whilst he's fighting. Having said this, Josh notoriously has damaged magicka reserves so he loses energy a lot quicker than your average mage. He's also short-sighted and refuses to wear proper corrective lenses so his ranged attacks are absolutely awful. Josh has had to adapt to this set of circumstances and gets around this by summoning his Flame Atronach, Molag'tear to deal with anything at range whilst he cuts through anyone dumb enough to get within range of his blade. Josh spends a lot of his downtime training, he's got experience with a few Dunmeri versions of the Khajiiti martial arts that he picked up when he was recovering from Corprus. He's folded that, his Morag Tong training and a few Urshilaku and Redoran techniques into his swordplay. So if he does run out of magicka, which is a guarantee, he's still got something he can confidently fall back on. He would still rather turn himself into a walking torch just for the intimidation factor. It's just not always the best strategy.

19. Do they have any quirks or hidden talents? Josh doesn't mention it much, but he's got some drawing talent. He doodles a lot when he's bored and can get a pretty accurate depiction of his surrounding down if he's so inclined. Mostly you'll see this on his armour, which he draws on a lot when he's bored and because he thinks it looks fun. He's also very well-educated, and researches Tonal Architecture, the Dwemeri Language and puzzle locks in his spare time. Which means his fucking about with dwemer constructs a lot.

20. If you took their bag and upended it now, what would you find in it?

Joshi's bag is full of junk. Plain and simple. He's not really sure what he needs when he's travelling so he usually grabs everything that comes to mind and shoves it in his pack with little thought given to organisation. Having said that, the main things are. - A waterskin - Daggers (5) - Journal - Writing implements - Coin purse (might not be his) - Mysterious fluff - Food? (may be forgotten because he wasn't hungry that day) - Matze (as much as he can carry) - A pillow (forgot to take it out) - Potions (stamina, magicka, healing) (as many as he can carry). - A wrench - screwdriver - filters for his breathing device (for ashland travel) - Tobacco and papers to roll it with - Cigarette tin - Mysterious dirt - Ubara amulet

[dailycharacteroption]

Malice Binder (Investigator Archetype)

(art by raynnerGIL on DeviantArt)

When one thinks of “witch hunter” in relation to Pathfinder, one typically thinks of some variant of the inquisitor class. I mean, it does have at least 3 anti-mage themed archetypes, among other things.

However, inquisitors, with all the baggage that comes with the concept, are not the only ones who may have beef with malicious practitioners of the arcane arts (or any, depending on their disposition). Indeed, some folk steeped in ancient traditions but with a keen mind, such as those living in rural communities, may learn enough of the old ways to fight back against those that would use them against them.

These so-called “Malice Binders” utilize old folk magic and the power of sympathetic magic as a weapon against magically-inclined foes, and if that sounds familiar, you’ve probably read about the 2E thaumaturge class, which sort of grew out of the inquisitor and occultist classes while managing to have magical folk power without ever casting a spell.

This archetype taps into two related concepts of the expert who deals with evil witches and mages, but also the “inquisition’s pet witch”, which can range in relationship from one of respect to one of abuse, these mage hunters (or perhaps a true mage in their company) being treated little better than a reviled but useful animal. Again, it really depends on the disposition of those involved.

Regardless, however, these hedge mages have what it takes to recognize the signs of magecraft and hitting mages where it hurts, so let’s take a look, shall we?

Rather than focus purely on knowledges, these investigators can apply their inspiration for free on skills associated with witch hunting, from recognizing magic and spells, tracking, and, most relevant to their skillset, the ability to steal from others with ease.

Indeed, the core ability of these hunters lies in their ability to acquire and recognize trinkets from their mark. Locks of hair, small baubles, scraps of cloth, and the like. Whether they steal it directly or find them in places where their prey has been, they can use these tokens in their own form of sympathetic magic.

Such effects include using an opposing holy symbol to instill dread, placing it between coins in the mouth to ward against the mage, soot to deafen or silence, rotten meat to repel them, literal salt in the wound to ward against further attacks, shackles to restrain, incense to fascinate, a compass to locate them, and an iron nail to inflict pain, all of which they must choose as they grow in skill.

Eventually, their skill at stealing such tokens from their marks becomes faster and easier, often leaving them shocked when they are missing even important items.

Alternatively, rather than learn a new fetter, these investigators can learn more traditional mundane or magical traps to help them literally ensnare their prey, not just ensorcell them.

This archetype is a clever idea for how to do a relatively nonmagical anti-mage, though the fact that these abilities don’t work on non-casters can be sometimes limiting, which is why the traps are a good alternate option. The fetters offer good defensive and offensive options for bringing down mages, and if you plan on taking traps too, I’d recommend those that deal continuous damage or inflict distracting conditions to help prevent spellcasting whenever possible. Beyond that, I recommend options to help disrupt in combat as well as better observe their environment.

I mentioned it earlier, but this archetype does remind me a bit of some things I’ve seen in fantasy fiction which toe the line between dark and even erotic, which might be inappropriate for some tables, so be careful where you draw inspiration from here. I imagine most characters will be simple witch hunters seeking to stop evil magic wherever they can, but even still, keep that in mind.

By inflaming anti-mage sentiment, the renegade chapter of the Sun God’s Faith known as the Unforgiving Eye has been gaining a lot of power and influence in recent years, and now they’re seeking to recruit malice binders from the hag-haunted lands of Ligos. However, there are plenty in Ligos that recognize the difference between good and evil practitioners, leading to something of a polarization among the populace.

Her family slain and her soul marked by a div cult, Vikari began learning all she could about the various weaknesses of magic and witchcraft so that she could destroy it wherever she found it. The young kasatha never expected, however, that she would find love among those she swore to destroy, however.

War is horror, and perhaps no war is more horrible than those where mages choose sides, leading to terrible destruction and survivors bearing curses worse than death. Seeking an edge, the party is sent to escort a malice binder seeking whatever scraps they can to cripple the enemy’s magical regiments… However, while scouring the battlefield, the party runs afoul a memitim psychopomp, who mistakes the occult arts of the binder as necromancy.