#teddie be quiet!

[apricotzel]

castle ravenloft is so funny to me. that shit makes 0 sense. none. and he likes it like that. he did that on purpose.

[ballpitwitch]

KEANU REEVES | DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY DREAM | FENDER

[apricotzel]

replies were too long for comments so i have to reblog, here be vague spoilers + a long textpost etc etc. disclaimer that while it’s worded that the brides are all ride or dies for strahd, they can be saved + freed in my campaign! but because Strahd is Strahd, it will have to take some work (and a lot of therapy post-campaign)

Escher:

my party’s only met escher so far, so he’s the one i have the most content for as of rn!

in my game he’s a 5th level necromancy wizard. he was a minor prince drawn to Barovia after reading too many adventure books (in our game escher is prone to dissociating and romanticizing everything that happens, now used more or less to cope with the trauma that comes with existing in Barovia). the base of his and strahd’s relationship was magic; strahd woo’d him with his skill, taught escher, and escher fell hard for him.

one of the key reasons escher was attracted to strahd was that “he was Escher’s mirror. The gods dug their claws into Escher’s heart and scraped out all of the darkness and molded it into a man.” he essentially deluded himself into thinking they were the same and could be equals. he falls for strahd hard, and strahd is interested by him. strahd marries him, and their relationship sours. things escher did that were once endearing are now annoying, and escher is clawing frantically as he slides down the cliff right into the crypt because he isnt interesting anymore, wailing all the while because in his mind he and strahd are still the perfect romance story. he does love strahd, focused more on the positives of their relationship than the plethora of negatives, and is willing to die for him to prove how much he loves strahd.

Ludmilla

ludmilla is our game is a 5th level echo knight fighter! she’s one of strahd’s earlier brides, and has been both sent away to the crypt and retrieved many times.

she was once an adventurer who was sent into barovia on a quest to kill strahd von zarovich. the only catch was that, for all ludmilla was a hero, she deeply didn’t want to be. from a long line of adventurers the pressure to succeed and carve her legacy was strong. being swept into barovia, she found herself suddenly free of all responsibility, and alone without someone telling her to do for perhaps the first time in her life.

strahd quickly filled that void. he courted her in the way a noble would, charming, giving gifts, letting her see the more vulnerable parts of himself. ludmilla isn’t a fool, and could see the actions as vampiric charms. however, strahd had treated her more like an individual with her own wants and dreams more than anyone else she had met, how could she not be swayed?

ludmilla is one of the friendlier brides (even managing to befriend Rahadin, though the chamberlain would rather die than admit that she has), and knows that strahd wants from her a gentle hand. she can get away with telling him things he doesnt want to hear, as long as she says it motherly-like. but years of seeing the vampire lord fly into fits of rage and despair - sometimes directed at her - have changed her. ludmilla is loyal to strahd, and will do whatever it takes to keep the waters of ravenloft calm, wether it require her gently soothing strahd or driving a sword through a party member’s heart.

Anastrasya

unfortunately this is where my lore of the brides begins to dip off for now. anastrasya in our game is a 5th level phantom rogue! she is, to put it lightly, batshit fucking crazy.

her life is almost certainly marked by a string of major tragedies. she came to barovia specifically to seek out strahd von zarovich. she had begun to hear tales of the vampire and wanted to see if the things that were said were true. she had always planned to wed into the von zarovich line, impressed by his bloodlust and thinking she had finally found someone who would not only see her, but not look away.

strahd married anastrasya after ludmilla, and the reason is because anastrasya is the antithesis of all ludmilla is. where ludmilla is rational and kind, anastrasya is wildly emotional and cruel. strahd was intrigued by this. at first he had hated the woman, but seeing her pension for violence figured he could make some use of her. she was receptive to his interest shown in her, and they wed easily.

anastrasya does not care for the party, and nor anyone else for that matter. she has no empathy for anyone (including herself). she’s wildly unhappy, but this manifests in anger rather than sadness. she demands fear from everyone at all times, and is happiest when she gets what she wants. she is upset at the power difference between her and strahd, but knows it would be futile to rally against him. she stays on his good side the best she can stand to, and it helps that she gets blood and gold as she does so.

Volenta

volenta in our game is a 5th level shadow mage sorcerer! she’s essentially strahd’s quiet-but-deadly bride, and will often go down to the crypts by herself to work on making different potions and poisons. she gets along well with the witches.

volenta is the walking definition of unethical scientist. she’s extremely focused, dry, and smart. she sees no reason for why ethics should have to halt invention, and excels in making traps and disturbing inventions. she has no respect for the gods and wants to push all mortal science as far as it can go just to spite them. she arrived in barovia completely by mistake, but she is wildly adaptable. the reason she garnered strahd’s attention was because she plainly just didn’t give a fuck about him for a while. she existed in barovia doing her own thing, searching for no one’s approval.

strahd found himself intrigued in her knowledge and experiments and attempted to grow closer to her. though she was cold at first, when strahd began suggesting things to help volenta grew closer to him as they worked together. strahd is attractive and charming still, and volenta was enticed by castle ravenloft. she proposed first, actually, and strahd accepted.

volenta despises being trapped in barovia, feeling she has exhausted all she can do in this place now. she’s restless but knows she can’t leave. over time she has become more irritable, and if the party isn’t instantly useful to her she will chase them off. she has seen strahd’s power and thinks defeating him is nigh impossible, and strahd still entertains her when she’s bored, so currently she has no desire to turn against her husband.

Fellow CoS DMs (and players),

I call upon ye once more, to tell me all your Brides of Strahd lore!

There's nothing in the module. I do not know how to work with this.

(I do have some stuff for past love interest Patrina Velikovna and forgotten bride Sasha Ivliskova. It's the Main Three plus Escher I'm worried about.)

Thanks in advance team. ♡

[dreammeiser]

🪄 Dear Mad March Hare, Sweet Rose of May 🌈

[moonlight-taylor]

y'all are gonna hate me lol

@sid-0 @joeynumbr1 @pig-covered-in-grayblood @f3hn1s @jroot04 @number5craig @sevenguitar @t8yl0r-8

[newestcool]

Max Mara s/s 2025 rtw Creative Director Ian Griffiths Fashion Editor/Stylist Tonne Goodman Photographer Armando Grillo Newest Cool

[disaster-j]

First chapter of my Psychic!Buck au!!!!

[mysticcupcakeprince]

not the best quality picture and couldn’t capture the whole page but still think it’s worth a post🥰🎀

[sailoreuterpe]

Someone please remind me to formulate my Rudy - Teddy parallels essay at some point.

[gent-illmatic]

1st time 🍒💥

[djevilninja]

So many times I need to have you by my side To be my friend, my lover and my guide. Oh, baby, Don’t keep runnin’…

Guy - Yearning for Your Love

*hell of a cover

[apricotzel]

i like how the books tell us strahd is attracted to kind women who would take care of him and then the camera pans over to his wives, who are all fucking insane

[vhoss]

yes it’s been a while (with school i have been so busy) but here have Teddy, a guy i saw in my dreams as a child and named “the Dream Man” until just recently.

he’s such a wholesome guy and will protect you from nightmares. optional cuddles if offered sweets.

[bodiesinourcellar]

Bodiesinourcellar presents favorite jonathan and einstein scene from the radio show

[tracingpatternswrites]

Of Quiet Hearts and Thundering Dreams has officially reached 1000 kudos, almost on the day that it was completed. I'm overwhelmed and so so proud and happy.

Thanks to everyone who has read it, kudoed and commented.

A little snippet below the cut:

“Pa’foot!” Harry shrieks delightedly as he spots him, setting off into a run and Sirius just about manages to catch him as the boy throws himself into his arms.

“Hiya, sprog,” he laughs, feeling his chest expand as he hugs him, pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head, knowing it’s something Harry will grow out of eventually. But for the time being it’s allowed, and he spins him around before setting him back down on the ground. “Eager to get home, are we?”

“No,” Harry shakes his head, blinking up at him with bright green eyes. “I don’t want to go home.”

“Oh?” Sirius asks, ruffling his hair. “Where d’you wanna go then? Park? It’s a bit late for the beach.”

“I want to go with Teddy,” says Harry, already tugging Sirius along with him, but not towards the exit but rather back towards the school. ”Teddy has a swing and a trampoline behind his house and I think that would be so cool to try and Teddy says it’s very safe and he says he can jump super high and I think if I could just try and jump on a trampoline I’d be very good at it too but if you say I can’t then at least I can swing and you know how much I love to swing and–”

“Whoa, Haz,” Sirius laughs, holding a hand up as he pulls the boy gently to a stop. “First thing’s first: breathe, please.” He smiles fondly as Harry sucks in a breath, then, “Who’s Teddy? I don’t remember seeing that name on the list of your year.”

“He started today,” Harry says, practically jumping on the spot as he shoots his godfather an impatient look. “He started today because they just moved here and he missed the first week, and he’s all new here and he doesn’t know anyone so I said we could be friends and did I say he has a trampoline and a swing?”

“You did,” Sirius confirms, trying to keep a straight face at the boy’s obvious eagerness. “But we don’t know if it’s okay with Teddy’s parents yet.”

“Teddy’s daddy said it was,” Harry interrupts eagerly, pulling at his arm, “Come oooon, Padfoot!”

Sirius allows for Harry tug him along then, towards a boy with brown curly hair that looks about the same age as Harry albeit a bit taller, dressed in a similar burgundy school uniform. The other boy grins a little shyly at them, one of his hands fisted in the trousers of the tall man standing next to him.

“This is Teddy,” announces Harry brightly with a gesture to the boy, “and Teddy’s daddy.”

Sirius says a hello to the boy before shifting his gaze over to the man next to him. He extends a hand automatically, the polite greeting on the tip of his tongue but then he looks up and oh.

[villalunae]

now that i think abt it 5yr old me was NOT beatin the pica allegations i was eatin cat litter and dr pepper chapstick and biting wet towels to suck the water out of them and suckin on pennies. if smth smelled remotely nice or gave my mouth a metallic taste id be all over that shit