#styx: shards of darkness

[snarksandsarcasm]

Felt like drawing Styx, after what are probably years of abstinence. I drew him from memory entirely, so forgive me mistakes in colours, missing scars, gear and clothes... 😅 And yeah, he's got 5 fingers, of course.

[diversegaminglists]

Currently free on gog.

[pinkpoodlewoof]

Some Helledryn pictures (there were over 40) by One Three Photography

Costume by Aria's Done Designs

[unpleasant-ghoul]

So. About Shards of Darkness again. Just one chest left! One! But there's two or three guards in the room with it. And I have one dart.

And I'm shittiest shit to ever shit when it comes to stealth. Not sure how I'll get it, so for now I'm taking a break.

And here's some more screenshots (mostly of post-death cutscenes)!

"What's your excuse" he asks. Styx, dear, my excuse is that I am, in fact, stupid. Dumbest of assess. Stealthy as a bucket of rocks rolling down a marble staircase and about as smart, too. But I'm the one playing this game so stupid deaths is what you get.

[mysteamgrids]

Styx: Shards of Darkness

[mtibbs89]

I might have learned something about myself but idk.

[tench]

Wait, that's it? That's where you decided to end this game????

I'm so puzzeled by their narrative choices.

Anyway, I finished the goblin series and I think, that I'd rate them as such:

1 - Of Orcs and Men is my favorite storywize (it has characters that have arcs! And fashion!) . Also found family (I'll die on this hill). Again, problem with abrupt ending (and so many gay jokes..), but other than that pretty straightforward road trip with unlikely allies to friends to "you know what you are". And horrendous fighting. But still very unique and very atmospheric setting.

2 - Styx: Master of Shadows. Honestly? I liked it! Very pretty game, very atmospheric. I love the character study of Styx in it. I was absolutely lost all the way from very beginning to the very end. I have questions to the way they tell the first half of the story (and the rest too tbh), but maybe it's a design choice, so you'd feel as confused as the main character. Would be improved significantly if the npcs were more than plot devices. But still, good game.

3 - Styx: Shards of Darkness. I would put it lower if it was an option. If you come into it not as a fan of the series (not where I expected to find myself in the beginning of 2024 but here I am) it was a solid stealth game. I feel like they lost pretty much most of the unique atmosphere, but maybe it's because they decided to sacrifice the whole character of the protagonist to some very low quality 4th wall breaking jokes. And I do like that Styx as a character can't shut up to save his life and very bad at humor, but leave it at least canon-adjacent. You can't put a player into one of the two boss fights in the whole game and put a lotr one-liner as the line of dialogue! Have some respect for yourself? For your story?? Also your players, what the hell were these death cutscenes? Still the story feels like a very rough draft. But! We finally have other characters! Two of them! Unfortunately their motivation is not very clear especially in the story that is all over the place, that doesn't know how properly end. Speaking of it, I am very confused by this storytelling move when they clearly set up the villain, but at the last second we fight some henchmen and the story ends. It was in several games of different studios and I can't say that it's a setup for a sequel because the main characters just don't acknowledge this in any way? It's odd. What can I say.

Anyway, Happy New Year, I was planning on staying late playing the game but I guess I'll go to bed early!

[kaminari-taimei]

Styx detained

[lmaverick123]

Top 15 Games that Need a Remake (2023 Edition)

I saw that GameBolt made a video about this topic, but I found it kind of dull to watch.  It had ALL of the usual suspects on there from videos that other channels have made.  I made a list like this about 8 years ago, and I thought to myself – why not actually look at this topic again?  Find games that aren’t just a few years old to ask if we could get a sequel to them.  Especially since some of…

[spiffygreen]

[nemospecific]

I didn't realize episode 6 of Willow fully turned into a level out of Styx.

[pinkpoodlewoof]

Helledryn in a truck

[unpleasant-ghoul]

Done with stealing guards' pay! One dart was enough. Shot the dude through the window, went around, killed the sleeping one, the one with a hammer, and the one right by the casket. Only the one near the casket was even suspecting anything. Guess I'm getting good at (lowest difficulty) goblining.

Finished the quest, started the next, judging by Styx's comments I chose the right path. Now taking a break, and here's more screenshots!

Styyyx, you green rat! Did you HAVE to blink when I was making a screenshot?

[chronosdawn]

A little drabble based on the Hades!Wriothesley x Persephone!Reader idea I mentioned.

GN!Reader, warnings for discussions of kidnapping and imprisonment (but I feel like that comes with the territory with this AU ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯) and mild descriptions of gore.

Word count: 1.5k

The lord of the underworld stood before you in all his imposing might, the heavy sole of his boot tapping slowly against the stone floor as he cast his gaze over you. It couldn't have made for a terribly pretty sight. You sat sour-faced, trying to ignore the way the cold metal of your chair was seeping through your thin robes. The soft peach fabric—the only bright colour in this cursed place save for the sliver of red on your captor's clothes—now marred with sprays of dark ichor from your ill planned venture.

"I thought I told you to stay away from the lower levels?" Wriothesley said finally, his eyes narrowed—twin shards of ice freezing you in place.

You refused to meet his eyes. "I don't see why I should have to listen to someone who kidnapped me."

He let out a heavy sigh, like you'd already had this argument a hundred times and he was tired of it—probably because you had and he was. "Well, you'd better start to learn. This isn't the sunny fields you're used to; this is the underworld, it's dangerous. I might have brought you here but I have no intention of hurting you, although that relies on you sticking to the rules. You're lucky I had Cerberus keeping watch down there."

You flinched at the mention of the three-headed beast that had jumped out of the shadows the moment the first of the wraiths had reached you. For a few brief seconds you'd wondered if that was the end, whether Wriothesley would come looking for you only to find your blood running down the dark stone steps and into the Styx, but then the beast had leapt over you and the bone white hand was ripped away, it's claw-like nails a hair’s breadth from grazing your leg.

It had been complete carnage after that, skeletal limbs with sagging skin ripped from emaciated torsos one after the other as more wraiths clawed their way towards you, scrabbling over each other to reach the sole living thing in the room. It was only when they'd sensed Wriothesley's impended arrival—trails of frost creeping along the floor as he approached—that they'd finally stopped coming out of the water, the few with limbs still attached dragging themselves back down the steps.

"Maybe if you'd actually told me what was down there, I might have taken the warning a bit more seriously."

"Oh? So, if I gave you a description of everything gruesome thing the underworld has to offer, then you might be more inclined to listen to me? That's a long list, sweetheart."

You scowled at him, folding one leg over the other as you crossed your arms in front of your chest. "You don't have to be a dick about it."

"Because playing nice with you has worked so well thus far?" His lips started to twist into a sardonic smile but froze as his gaze narrowed in on where your robe had shifted with your movement, revealing a couple of extra inches of skin. Before you could think to move away, he was kneeling on the floor in front of you, his large hand curled around your calf as he scrutinised the exposed part of your leg.

"Hey, what are you doing?" You tried to bat his hand away but his arm might as well have been made of marble for all the good it did.

"Were you going to mention you got injured, or had you not even noticed?" Wriothesley's tone was oddly flat as he spoke, his eyes narrowed accusingly.

"What?" You leaned forward to see what he was talking about and caught sight of set of scratches running across your skin, the blood seeping from the wound shimmering in the light of the wall sconces. “When did—ow!” Reaching down to probe at the injury, you couldn’t help but wince as your finger grazed the edge of the torn flesh, pain flaring up your leg.

Wriothesley let out a deep breath and you suddenly became aware of how your current position had brought you far closer to the ruler of the underworld than you usually allowed, how from this distance you could pick out the individual strands of grey in his hair, the light scruff on his chin.

“It doesn’t look like it’s too deep at least. You got lucky, a serious wound from a wraith will scar even a god.” He kept his gaze on your injury, a faintly faraway look on his face and, not for the first time, you found yourself thinking of what could scar someone like Wriothesley. Whether it’d been a wraith that had carved its claws down his throat or something else—something worse. Maybe you should start paying more attention to the areas he said were off limits to you.

“Does it hurt?” You went to shake your head only to reconsider. It hadn’t hurt, or at least not enough that you’d noticed, but now as you focused on it, you became aware of dull but persistent throb in the area around the wound.

“It didn’t earlier but it’s starting to now. It’s not because the wraiths are um—poisonous or anything, right?” It was an effort to keep the panic out of your voice and you didn’t think you managed it entirely but Wriothesley simply chuckled at you.

“No, they’re not. You probably just didn’t notice the pain earlier because of the shock.” He ran his thumb down the side of your leg and though his touch was gentle, you still grimaced as it sent a flare of pain up your shin. “Healing magic isn’t really my forte so I’ll send for someone more qualified to come and take a look. In the meantime, this should help with the pain.”

A gasp escaped your lips as frost blossomed over your skin, an intense cold spreading over the area around the bloody scratches before being replaced by a heavy numbness such that you could only barely feel a faint pressure where Wriothesley’s fingers were still curled around your calf. You couldn’t feel the injury at all.

“That’s um…”

“What? Not even a thank you for acting as your rescuer and tending to your wounds?” He looked up at you from beneath dark lashes and you felt the words sitting heavy on your tongue. You’d thought before about how easy it would be to give in. Putting aside how you came to reside in the underworld, Wriothesley had never tried to force anything from you even if there had been a teasing comment here and there. You knew what he wanted though, could see the loneliness that clung to him like the fur-lined coat he favoured, that drove him to commit the act of stealing away a god, and no matter the temptation, you refused to give it to him.

“Considering that it was your beasts I needed saving from, I’m not sure a thank you is truly owed,” you replied instead, the words dripping from your lips like poison.

He dropped your leg as though you’d burned him. “My beasts, huh? Yeah, I guess it’d seem that way to you.” There was a faint trace of humour in his voice, though his wasn’t the tone of someone telling a joke, but rather the sort you used when you were the punchline.

“You can wait in your rooms,” he said, standing and turning to walk towards the towering marble arch that served as the entrance to the room. “I’ll tell our resident healer to come and find you. But seriously,” he paused on the threshold, turning back to look at you over his shoulder, the lower half of his face hidden by the collar of his coat, “keep away from the lower levels. If you want to act out at me for bringing you here, throwing your life away to the things that call that place a home is not the way to do it, and I can’t always be around to keep an eye on you. Not that I imagine you’d want me to either.”

He left without waiting for you to reply, and you watched his form disappear into the gloom that seemed to seep from the walls of the underworld, leaving the room feeling oddly empty. You looked down at your leg, frost still curled around your wound. Sometimes you wished Wriothesley was as terrible as the stories you’d heard about him on the surface claimed—wished he was a little easier to hate. Because you couldn’t give him what he wanted, not if it meant being stuck here more than you already were; a land that had never seen the sun and where every flower you’d tried to grow withered before it could bloom. You needed to find a way out of here and soon, you thought, the feeling of Wriothesley’s hand still fresh in your mind, before you were tempted into something that would ensure you could never leave at all.  

[fivecenturiesverse]

full discography for the “your love is standing next to me” series

Small Town Satan, (IP, Single, 1991)

“gotta run from myself // if I wanna outrun Matthew Hopkins // got blood on my hands // but I swear it’s from holding my own guts in”

Car Trunk’s Bloody, (NBB, Single, 1992)

“we got out // but I’m still wringing out bloody clothes // got weapons crusted black // in the trunk of my car”

Grand Canyon Through Town, (NBB, Single, 1993)

“she’s looking down the canyon // where daylily and larkspur grow // columbine and yarrow // wondering how Arizona came east”

“and when the gorge opens up // and swallows us down, down, darling // and our footprints, erased from the school bleachers // and the parking lots cave in like sink holes // just take my hand and we can fly // when the gorge opens up”

Iron Briars, (NBB, Album, 1994)

Iron Briars

“candle wax pools // still spool of fire gold // through iron the tennis // goes one way // then the next // one moment home // the next some place else // candle wax pools // but who lit the candle?”

Summer at Skull Rock

 “war council by the great rock // had a few girls up here // when the weather was nicer // now summer sits storm heavy // and the flies hum in the shade // and the stink of loam rises // don’t think me and girls’ll be back again”

Eyeless House

“party town // pool fill up with blue sound // and spirits // (take a sip) of her soul or his // (take a sip) of whatever they offer round”

Tennis At The Country Club

 “eighties lovers say: // just back from Greece, // European holiday // to Rome or Nice // country club girls // in tennis skirts // and mommy’s pearls // so the ball boy flirts. // you’re by the fence: // all American dirt // an’ no money sense // ball boy says // “twenty love” // but I think you’re // another kinda love”

Supine

“laying where the Dali clock drips // in the bed of pine needles // and the nest of second hands // time runs grey // not ichor bright // slow like a camel // and the eye of a needle // aureate sand in the hourglass // unblinking or maybe sleeping”

Racket

Flashy Car

Empty Master Bedroom

Tunnels

Whistles Moonlight

The Strangest Shade, (IP, Album, 1994)

The Strangest Shade

“jade’s a shade too bright and she // wades out beside me into the Styx // black dye bleeding from her little midnight dress // slack goes her mouth // and it isn’t dye but blood // hand to her stomach // I let Jade die // in the jade black waters // of Hades’ Styx”

Ghosts in Newspaper Print

 “there’s a ghost sitting // on the wall where the clock should // she raises a finger to her lips // and it’s stained last years date // in newspaper ink // I want to go back, weather permitting”

Big City Satan

Glass Shards

Galactica Girl

Adeline

“she tastes like brine // my sweet Adeline // never seen a girl so fine // it’s like deep sea diving when our lips align // my girl so vulpine // and I cannot divine // why she wants to entwine // with me as her Valentine // the sweetest Adeline // how does outshine // even the coastline // rhyming goldmine”

Bo Peep

“we held tight the lambs // him and I // (him and I) // and stamped them // with our paint mark // so we might find them // when the world got dark”

“now they carry age // and heavy pelts of wool // still carrying our mark // in the eyes and the soul // and tells the world we were here // before they could stake a claim”

Corroded Coffin

Viscera

Ash Weekdays Ending in Y (For Preachers), (BTBB, Album, 1995)

Un-Nuclear Families

“miracles align when it’s you and I // facing down monsters as > mom and dad”

“don’t take my hand if it doesn’t feel right // God I hope > it feels right // feel like both my hands are left // and my feet forget to dance // and our kids are watching // ours since God made our shoulders wide // to hide them and build like Noah // a home from the kraken’s ribcage”

Winter Birds Love Ladies Too

 “a little birdie tells me // to take one of seven deadly sins // like an old lady’s purse toffee // and stick my teeth together”

Ash Weekdays

 “doesn’t hurt to try // if the day ends in ‘y’ // doesn’t hurt to try // till it does”

In My Palms

“however the time passes // like palm ashes through my fingers // the indent of your teeth // against the bone of my knuckle // feels like yesterday and today // and it will be tomorrow”

Was My Girl

She Is

Found Deep

For Preachers

Days Ending In

There’s Nothing Under the Bed, (NBB, Album, 1997)

Lost in Fairy Land

 “lately when the house grows cold // I feel memories thought lost // creeping out of the dark // with white spider’s legs // they grow and grow // inch closer and closer // I feel memories thought lost // in the fires of fairy land”

Breaker Box

Dwell

Sarah

Maria

There’s Nothing Under the Bed

Eyes!

Eyes II

Bridal Style

Witches Screamer, (IP, Single, 1999)

“moons come crashing down // like asteroids of love”

“like asteroids of love // in the fever dream // where time waxes and wanes // falls wide open, gibbous // and lets the wide river time // draw past in slow and marching number”

Miracle Haze, (NBB, Album, 2000)

Fungi Funky

“beyond wasted babe, you think the sky crashes down”

Miracle Haze

 “loving you like a bruise // don’t fade to that miracle haze // purple wine stain like a storm brews”

What He Said In Nonsense

“just try falling, it doesn’t matter why // promise it won’t hurt if it doesn’t”

“and it’s like sunlight // on my poor face // red lightning fades like capillaries // you bloodless but alive enough to smile”

Marmalade Mornings

Lavender, Allium

Space Out

Forage

Amelia

Pizza Van Greens

Cheapened Scars, (IP, Album, 2003)

Dream the Law Maker

“miraculous doesn’t fade like cheap scars // keep drinking pinot noir with panda eyes”

“she’s the asteroid and fever dream // it’s a miraculous, world cracking love // the cusp of greatness it seems // us with the wine-stain devotion // that won’t wash out // like rocks even time can’t carve aside”  

Long Drive By Compass

“what I said that day, and why I left // haunt me like you in the back seat // from Cincinnati, on”

“long drive by nautical means // (magic compass) show me a way that ain’t home // feel like I’m swimming in you still // angry words like the choppy sea // first saw the sea with you // now you’re not beside me it seems // that life is a long drive by nautical means”

“your eyes in the back seat // from Cincinnati on // your dark eyes too warm // when your mouth is that cold”

Loveless Loser Overture

“sun strike me down now if I’m wrong // strike me down now // strike me down // bloodless like king kong”

“a V of geese silhouettes // marking the season turn // like the browning leaves // and cold north winds // horizon afire with sunset // strike me down now // or send me home”

Pantyhose Doorknob

On The Run Blind

Shades

Motel Blues

Cheapened Scars

Stealing Candy From ‘Em is Easy, Try Killing For, (BTBB, Album, 2005)

Killing For Candy

“killing for you ain’t sweeter // but sometimes it’s easier // than taking loving hold of loving hand”

On the Road to Hell

 “little council // full of words learnt // on the edge of death // and the cusp of life // I want to set school desks // amidst the rocks // and leave them to learn // while I ride // to the valley of death”

Dirty Mattress Portals

Aftermath

Back of the Gymnasium

 “only time our paths cross // you drinking water like it’s life blood // sweaty bangs and short shorts // watching me sell out // to the after school flood”

Magic’s Name is Numbered

 “magic’s a little girl (magic’s the little girl) // who talks on the radio (talks on the radio) // magic’s a little girl (magic’s the little girl) // standing next to me (standing in front of me) // when our days are numbered (numbered, darling) // magic’s that little girl (that little magic girl) // who rides the lightning storm”

Childhood Sweet Tooth

 “he took a dance (she took a dance) // out on that gym made ballet score // she’s in her eyes (like the world spins past) // he’s in his eyes (like the sun awakens you) // they’re dancing up a storm // bright like nebulas made candyfloss (like liquorice black holes) // they took a dance (gym made ballet score)”

Quarry

Arcade Parking Lots

Fungi Funky Reprise, (NBB, Single, 2006)

“we know we’re madder // than that hatter // oh darling, at and with and -ly in // and something in-between // did you really think the sky would crash down? // when it’s you and me?”

The Orange Tree House, (NBB, Album, 2007)

Lionesses Stalk My Kitchen

 “the girls bring in the carcass // rotting, foetid, technicoloured fleece of dreams // they say eat it, like toffees, this time swallow // and oh, my heads falling at the seams // and something in my heart is hollow // carrion crows hop on my lion’s deadly sin // the girls loll in the sun // and wait for us to eat”

“wrinkles and sun damage // on Leonid leonine eyes // textures my fingertips have known // counted, loved // smoothed and designed // an image of time // I: the architect”

Scarlette

“wind rush in the Corvette // her eyes starlit // and her kisses like orbit // eyes like chocolate // big bang started with a turn of the faucet // to meet Scarlette // brink where stars are darkest // her eyes starlit // and her kisses like orbit // eyes like chocolate”

Greenwich Mean Time

 “time feels like rust on a porch swing // like flowers growing where the earth // opens her mouth to sing // time feels like that, on summer days”

Polarise / Polar Rise / Polaroid

“_polarise opinion, doe eyes // darling knows she’s too good for Polaroid // but digital’s for the tabloid // let me take a picture girl in Vogue // polar ice will rise // before your looks polarise // Polaroid like it’s eighties, darling // doe eyes, and kissing girls // is in vogue”

FL

Oranges

Bella

1990

Guest Room

Suntrap Garden

Gilded, (IP, Single, 2008)

“it was girls hopping stepping stone rocks // below the boulders of your gallery // (take your pick, liege) // beer sweating up in the copse // please don’t ask for Mallory // she don’t want to join the gilded folk // or to float that blue sound soak // girl on the stepping stones alone // someone said her name is Sloane”

“soft eyed king // and Sloane // outside the stars and Mallory // dance the wizard dance // John and the innocent // tied by strings”

Daffodils In Autumn, (NBB, Single, 2009)

“don’t turn your eyes from that rear-view // I’m in the mirror calling, don’t look at the road ahead”

“Leala follows God across the sky // in your wing mirror // held by spider web strings // into blue and bird sound sky // into grey overcast // ahead on the road // songs and stars dance // Leala holds her peace // I’m in the mirror calling, please”

Wish Monsters Stayed Dreaming, (BTBB, Album, 2013)

Second Look

“honey, I’ve gotta feeling somethin’s outside // don’t take a second look, I don’t wanna know”

Where Are We Going Now

“I’m looking in the mirror, can’t see you now // (passenger seat, darling) // you were meant to haunt me, I’m still looking back // (passenger seat, darling)”

“sun don’t matter if the moon’s looking on // like miracles in solar flares // lighting us both just enough to see by”

Stayed Dreaming

Wishing Well

Flowers, No Note

Shoulder To

Tableau

Open Season

Salmon Run

Northern Lights Off Switch

Corner of the Dance Floor

Gonna Be Abput Yoou, (IP, Single, 2014)

“made you a promise // built on our ash-soaked rudiments // like cornerstones bleeding tequila come new year’s eve // but I made you a promise, spirit eyed or not // this songs gonna be about you”

“call me back on things I said // say nothings changed // but the sun don’t burn so bad // love was something I did to you // now it’s something I drown in // call me back on the things I said // I’m gonna uphold promises, I’m gonna tear down threats”

“made you a promise // built on our ash-soaked rudiments // like cornerstones bleeding come midsummer // I made you a promise, fat fingered or not // this songs gonna be about you”

All This Way Please, (IP, Album, 2015)

Love’s A Lake

“on the heart shaped bank // waits youth in the wings // watching as we plunge // to the brackish jade waters sank // where hell awaits, eerily sings // for them, I think // we return from the brink”

Hellfire

All This Way

“_wet paper // tears beneath my feet // and we go tumbling // one year to the next // hardly a moment to grab on // and make memories // even in the slow heat of morning // and the hum of summer afternoons”

Pleasing

Begging You On the Way (Out)

Devil’s Tang — erine

Drowning Tax

Georgia

Elephant in the Room

The Forest Out Back, (NBB, Album, 2016)

Eden’s

On Moss

“time like hot soup // afternoons like treacle wells // until the flowers droop // and curl their petals // into bedtime kisses // the mosquitoes and the stars // and laughter gells // tears in the dark // where monsters still sleep // by the sundial mark”

The Forest Out Back

Skull Rock Revisited

 “sunbeams through spring leaves // us at the altar that holds minds // the lake deepens ahead like warning clouds // the children kneel about us // and we bind our hands // sunbeams through spring leaves // at the boulder of love born again”

Oaken

Sunbed Wilderness

The Valley

School’s Out

Wine Stain

Sundress

Ellie

Blood in the Water’s Good for Drowners, (BTBB, Album, 2023)

Lady Jane Grey of the Basketball Team

 “tell them what you want // an’ don’t line up that shot // tell them what you want, hold it up to vaunt // don’t let it be the crown baby, it’s thorns baby // I’ve given up that throne, isn’t mine to haunt”

“lion’s mane and pool aquamarine // don’t open up your mouth // and show us the hollows // they took your fangs, baby // and with it the crown”

Entwined

 “side by side (by side) // entwined at the mountaintop // no more time to bide (to bide) // just us at the world’s stop // where time goes on (the great beyond)”

Letters for the Bold

 “whole constellations fall // the moment we breathe // and stars flicker out and die // and the blackness of space overwhelms // the phone line clicks // somewhere I’m still breathing”

“you said the moon falls // you said that space is nothing // but what’s that now creeping over the garden walls // if space is nothing // where do monsters breathe // and flicker // and die”

Ice Rings Like Saturn

 “there isn’t time to talk // I’ve been hiding in dark spaces // there’s only time to sing there // only time to write // darling, I’ve tried talking // in the dark spaces”

Sun-Bleached Bones

 “blood in sun soaked water // do you feel like you’re drowning now? // SPF and pool noodle, space suit left back stage”

“I’ve been hiding, back seat and rear-view // but been loving you since y days”

“it’s always been bats for us and bats don’t swim // but there’s blood in sun soaked water // and your bones are white like mine // let me touch them, when I can see not moonlit // when the biggest star looks close // do you feel like you’re drowning now?”

In Legalese: Can’t Tell You More ft. Tammy Thompson

“What did you say to me, hello? That the fires burn yellow? // Now I’ll take you by the elbow “baby, forecast says snow” // You say it’s August, you doing blow? // I’ll say it’s this town, baby! This fucking town! // Fires burn black and snows year round // And dead don’t mean dead until you see it first hand // What did you say to me, hello? That the fires burn yellow? // Now I’ll take you by the elbow “baby, forecast says snow” // You say it’s August, you doing blow? // Blossoms open with teeth and tongues // And the bats are really vampires, baby. // I can’t tell you again, it’s this fucking town. // In the snows // With vampires // And petal maws // This fucking town // Don’t ask me on air // (Oh babe, please don’t) // Can’t say more, babe // Don’t ask me on air // (Small print, baby) // In the snows // With vampires // And petal maws // This fucking town // When the gorge opens up”

Silver

“dying isn’t so much one silence // but one mellow moment // and another // honeyed sweet // and going silver // like slow worms and iron // feels like becoming the earth // before it eats you”

“curling in the coffins // with silver bones // fusing to ancient stones”

Blood in the Water

Good for Drowners

Memories in Triplicate

Treasure Map

spent the afternoon adding songs to the incompleted albums. this (should be) a complete list of all the lyrics i wrote for any of the songs. as with all my fics i welcome transformative media (just use the inspired by function on ao3/tag me) so feel free to go wild if you want to write any of the rest of these songs. it’s been fun writing the series and i hope you enjoyed it to!

love fives

[tench]

On the other hand all the 4th wall breaking jokes makes sense if you consider that Styx is on two highly hallucinogenic mind-expanding magical substances 24/7 (and I doubt you should be mixing those) throughout the whole game. He ate magic meth from the breastplate of the dead elven queen-centipede. He drank world-tree juice condensed from the bodies of his dead clones. He saw God, he fought God, the God turned out to be Harry Du Bois, so it wasn't that much of a fight. But grandpa was on one hell of a bender.