#the fletching and moondrop traveling carnival of curiosities

[reddit-user-hotbox420]

MEEEE????

MAKING SIMS 4 CC??????

ANYWAYS IF I GET THIS FIGURED OUT STAY TUNED CAUSE I’M MAKING CRITICAL ROLE POSTER CC BABEY!!!

(PSSTTT- If you have any suggestions for posters I should make let me know!!)

(And yes, I am making them in simlish because I love you guys <3 /p)

[acepalindrome]

I think it would be fun if the first episode of the M9 started with the big plot stuff. Maybe we see the beacon being stolen, not showing the thief’s feet so we don’t see him floating, maybe with gloves covering his hands and a hood so we don’t even know if it’s a drow. Then cuts of people talking about war breaking out after a mysterious ‘precious artifact’ was stolen from the Dynasty, the Empire is blamed for it, everything is boiling over on the national scale…

We see a notice board in Trostenwald with a paper about the latest news of the war beginning….and then then the notice is unceremoniously covered with a poster for The Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities, courtesy of Molly and Yasha who slapping up posters all over town and trying to drum up interest. And that’s where the story begins!!

[critter-genfic-events]

This week, we have seven clothing fics recced! Some are perfectly light and fluffy, and some are heart wrenching in all the best ways. Check them out under the cut, and as ever, comment or kudos if you like them!

Ornaments by Crykea (1002,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings:

Mollymauk Tealeaf does not know who he was, and frankly, he doesn't care. Along with his family at the Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities, Mollymauk discovers who he is.

Reccer says: A cute pre-campaign story about Molly finding himself through clothing and accessories

What You Have And What You Hate by sheerdelight (1683,General) Warnings: Canonical Major Character Death Pairings: Beauregard Lionett & Mollymauk Tealeaf

Beau dons Molly's coat.

Reccer says: A loving look at Beau's grief after Molly's death, shown through her taking his coat

The Tale Of The Amazing Technicolor Gravecoat by Angel Ascending (angel_in_ink) (2380,General) Warnings: None Pairings:

A bard tells a tale in a crowded tavern, not knowing that a group of renowned adventurers are listening....

Reccer says: A great outsider point of view and an original idea!

As Though It Were Made for Me by remi_wolf (3345,General) Warnings: Pairings: Jester Lavorre & Caleb Widogast

Jester might have meant the offer to Caleb of one of her dresses as a teasing joke to lighten the mood, but Caleb never actually said that he was opposed to the idea. Even if she had forgotten in the madness that was the rest of the day, Caleb certainly hadn't, and now that they were resting for the evening at the Xhorhaus, he could finally see if Jester could make good on the offer outside the gates of Zadash.

Reccer says: Some thoughtful genderfuckery involving Caleb, extremely fluffy

the brightest shade of sun (when i saw you) by genesis_frog (496,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Caleb WIdogast & Nott the Brave

Her clothing is rags, purposefully inconspicuous and purposefully plain, as if she were trying not to think of her body at all. She buys a yellow dress in Xhorhas

Reccer says: It's absolutely sweet and heartbreaking

Ribbons and Poison Blossom by Beauteousmajesty (1008,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Orym & Fearne

On the skyship over to Jrusar, Fearne injures her arm. In helping her out, Orym gets the delight of figuring out how her clothes go together.

Reccer says: I love Orym and Fearne's friendship but also how Fearne's dress stays up is a mystery for the ages

The Titan's New Clothes by MasterQwertster (440,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings:

Ashton gets their new clothes and does some reflecting on their personal growth.

Reccer says: Just a fun little introspection on the Lvl10 outfit upgrade

This is one of our weekly communally-generated gen rec lists. Every week we announce a new theme and allow anyone to submit a fic recommendation. Please note that the summary and content notes are provided by the reccer, and may be different than what the author has provided. Please assume good intentions all around. <3

And hey, anyone includes you!

Next week, we'll be featuring time skip/future fics!

Then, it'll be pranks, Ashton focused, and game nights!

Any fics coming to mind?  Well, then use this form to submit!

If you're looking for some more, check out some fics written in the critter genfic bingo tag, or the older rec lists! Or you can request your own card and join in on the fun!

[encyclopediacr]

Shine bright, circus man!

Happy pull day! The Mighty Nein Origins: Mollymauk Tealeaf hits local comic shops today. To mark the release, here's a small selection of Molly-related articles:

Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities, the group that took Molly in after he left his grave up until he joined the Mighty Nein

Gustav Fletching, ringleader of the carnival

Mollymauk Tealeaf's tarot deck, a set of Moonweaver card that Molly created during his time with the carnival. He used these to tell fortunes—often with forced draws.

Sehanine, the Moonweaver, goddess that Molly worshiped

Hemocraft, or blood magic, which Molly uses as a blood hunter

The graphic novel is written by Jody Houser with art by Hunter Severn Bonyun, colors by Cathy Le, and lettering by Ariana Maher.

Today's release is in comic shops, and it is scheduled for book stores, retailers, and digital platforms on June 6.

[intothewildsea]

@notyetfixed (mollymauk)

Joining The Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities had been somewhat of an impulsive decision for Niamh. It had been nearly two years since she'd escaped Niall, and a little less than two months since she'd left her island again to travel. She felt...empty. There was a void inside of her that she didn't know how to fill. She thought that traveling might help fill it, because she'd never gotten a chance to see the world.

She hadn't intended to join a carnival at all. She'd been playing her lute and singing her in the square, to earn a little bit of coin, when Gustav came up to her and offered her a spot. He said the carnival could use her talent, if she wanted to provide it.

With nothing to lose, she said yes.

Gustav had given her a brief tour of the tents, showing her where she'd be staying, then left her to get settled in. She felt a bit restless, though, and decided to explore so she could introduce herself to people. She was so distracted by everything, though, that she walked smack dab into someone.

"Oh!" She reached out out of instinct and grabbed their arm to steady herself. "Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention..." She trailed off as she looked up at the stranger. Oh. Oh they were gorgeous. It caught her off guard for a moment and she felt her cheeks flush.

[exandriacityshowdown]

Round 1 Stage 3 Poll 6

Nogvurot, Wildemount: Nogvurot is a city in the north of the Dwendalian Empire. While Mollymauk Tealeaf and Yasha Nydoorin were members, the Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities visited. Later, the Mighty Nein heard rumours of kidnappings in Nogvurot, but they never went to the city. 

image from the mighty nein origins: mollymauk tealeaf, by hunter severn bonyun and cathy le

Kamordah, Wildemount: Kamordah is a Dwendalian town built on a hotspot of geothermal activity. It is known for its wine. The Mighty Nein’s Beauregard Lionett is from Kamordah, and the party visited once while trying to break a curse.

image from crit recap animated

[mareastrorum]

WIP Wednesday: The Fool and the Soldier, Ch. 2 (Cards)

The Fool and the Soldier is now up on AO3, updated every other Friday. This is an off-week, so here is a snippet from next week’s chapter! Commentary on Chapter 1 will go up on Friday.

Fanfic Summary: Mollymauk Tealeaf survived the Mighty Nein's encounter with the Iron Shepherds on Glory Run Road, but a short time later, a spirit began hunting him, claiming that he stole his body. This Campaign 2 AU begins with Episode 26 and continues on from there.

“What’s that you’re working on?” Caduceus asked curiously.

Molly answered without breaking his gaze on the paper, “Changing up one of my cards.” He finished a slow stroke with the brush, then held it up to show Caduceus. The freshly painted image was a fairly accurate depiction of their cart, including the flowers and decorations Jester had started added to it. Partially hidden by Molly’s thumb was an upside-down chariot pulled by two horses.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Caduceus drawled. “Did you make all of your cards?”

Molly grinned at the compliment. “Thank you. Not all of them. I used to be a member of the Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities,” the words rolled out smoothly, as though he had said that phrase hundreds of times, “and Lestera, the prior fortune teller, gifted me her deck. I’ve been making the cards my own since then.”

Caducues nodded with a smile. “I don’t know much about that, but it sounds great.”

“You haven’t heard of fortunetelling?” Molly asked, his voice raising slightly with excitement.

“Ah, I mean, I can do some divinations and pray to the Wildmother,” Caduceus answered. “But I think you mean something different, right?”

“This is a Moon oracle deck,” Molly explained as he withdrew the rest of his cards from his coat with his free hand. “Using them is my way of worshiping the Moonweaver. We’ve gotta be subtle about it in the Empire—both the Moonweaver and the Wildmother are ‘unapproved’ deities, so the authorities take offense if you’re too open about it.”

“What?” Caduceus balked. That didn’t make sense. “How can someone ‘unapprove’ a goddess?”

Molly shrugged. “By making it illegal to worship them openly. It’s ridiculous. But keep it to yourself, and there shouldn’t be any issue with the Crownsguard. I mean, look at my coat.” He showed off several symbols, though Caduceus only recognized a few of them in the low light—Pelor’s sun symbol and the Moonweaver’s moonbow. “I’m obviously an entertainer, and it’s so over the top that they don’t take it seriously. They think it’s part of my aesthetic. Well, that’s not wrong, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t sincere either.”

Caduceus hummed as he thought over his belongings. He had a pin of Melora’s symbol under his breastplate, but he doubted he would have much chance to show that off anywhere. It would be easy enough to keep that hidden.

“What’s that new card mean?” Caduceus asked after a short silence.

“I needed one for pace,” Molly explained, “so The Chariot is for speed, urgency, and ambition. The Cart is for slowing down and taking time to enjoy something.”

Caduceus looked it over again, unsure how a card could mean both of those things. “The cards have two meanings?”

“How about I show you?” Molly smiled, his eyeteeth betraying a hint of mischief. “I’ll do a card reading for you, as thanks for the tea.” He put The Chariot & The Cart to the side, then rapidly began shuffling his deck, the various cards spinning and mixing. Caduceus could barely track Molly’s hands, and just as he thought his eyes began keeping up, Molly stopped and placed the deck on the fabric between them. “Draw three cards and place them face down in front of you. The Moonweaver will tell you a story: your situation, action, and outcome.”

Caduceus’s ear twitched as he raised a brow. “You want me to draw on your cards?”

Molly’s face went blank for a moment, then he barked a laugh that he quickly stifled to a snicker. “It means to pull cards from the deck. Choose three.” Weird turn of phrase, but Caduceus nodded and took three cards from the top of the pile and placed them in front of him in a stack. Molly chuckled again, then pulled three cards to place in front of himself in a horizontal line with each card laid vertically. “Like this.”

“Ah, I see,” Caduceus drawled as he moved his cards to match. “I take it the position is important?”

“It’s how you know which card is which,” Molly explained, his hands waving around for emphasis. He pointed at the left card. “First is your situation. Flip the card whichever way you want and the side facing you is what the Moonweaver selected.”

Caduceus thought it over a moment, but quickly realized that he had no way of knowing which way to flip the card. He flipped it the long way, to reverse whatever had laid underneath. It was a house? No, a wagon made to look like a tiny house, with a door and a window on the side and a lantern hanging from the corner, pulled by a strong horse as it rolled atop a tiny world. At the bottom, the label read Traveler, and another label was illegible at the top.

Molly grinned and explained. “That’s the Traveler. It symbolizes a new journey and experiences—the open road, unexpected encounters, or a stranger. First time traveling from home?”

Caduceus nodded. That was right on the nose. “What’s that on the other side?”

“Home,” Molly said as he spun the card around so Caduceus could see clearly: a quaint cottage with lights visible in the windows sat atop the tiny world. “That’s the prelude to or the end of a journey, back home with familiar things like family. But only the side facing you is part of your reading.”

A slight pang cinched the center of Caduceus’s chest at that. Already homesick? That wouldn’t do. He dispelled it with a slow breath, choosing not to dwell on it.

“I get it,” Caduceus noted, keeping his voice even. “It’s kind of like two cards in one.”

Molly grinned. “Precisely.”

[demon-birate]

God so. I adopted my little circus kitty and named her moondrop bc of fletching and moondrop traveling carnival of curiosities from critrole But I was driving home from work the other day and realized

Moondrop could be a warrior cats name I think

[universal-kitty]

    Actually, cause I’m thinking about Them™️ again... Why not. WIP/Idea dump for The Three Ts and my SI. ✨ (With special mention of Stellar, who is never far from my SI in C2 era.)

    [Yes, there is a C1 vers. Also lowkey two other variants, but y’knooooww.]

    With that being said...

[ Mentions of Nine Eyes of Lucien ahead. ]

    I debate heavily on whether River knew Lucien or not. Mostly because, while they do travail a little bit of everywhere for the calling of dragons, it’s hard to say... Would Shadycreek Run ever be a passing-by spot for them? Would River have been anywhere close to it, in their youth? (Probably not, given that- no matter the universe/timeline/what have you- they grew up in a decent background. No riches or any such thing, but comfortably.)

    However, it is still somewhat possible to meet him during the time of the Bloodhunter, where he’s a member of the Claret Orders. The book was vague on how many missions he and the others would’ve undertaken, but after his first one, I can’t imagine they repressed him so much...?

    (It did dry up at some point, but it’d still be possible that one such mission was slipped past the right eyes to land in his hands. A bodyguarding mission that didn’t seem like much at surface viewing...and he still drools and dreams of the rich payment that human snuck him with a sly wink. A pay he hardly could’ve dreamed of, prior to this moment.

    (...Also, watching someone- a human- command respect and stand firm their ground while speaking with a dragon... It might’ve done something to his imagination. Changed a lot of first impressions of River, as well.)

    Regardless, he’s a man on a path destined to spiral. That glint which took his hand, and gently pulled him down. Right places, wrong times. Or maybe it was all wrong...?

    We know how that chapter closes.

.:.:.

    River honestly never expects to meet the same person twice. So when the Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities happened to be in the same town they were... Honestly, the almost passed on the idea. It was only a lively tiefling who forced them to stop, refused their needling attitude, and insisted on their attendance did it give them some sort of...pause.

    And they went. Intent on purposefully having a bad time and rubbing it into the smug, overconfident tiefling’s face...and instead, was charmed. The colors, the energy, the friendly chaos... It was oddly homely. And the entertainment- damn them- was good.

    They didn’t realize that they knew this “Mollymauk” until much later. Teasing and playfully biting remarks reaching a predictable conclusion; when River found themself searching for the traveling carnival on days off. A playful chase that would eventually see a smug look on River’s face when they met up again...and Molly, ever more smug for such a repeat customer.

    ...It’s funny how familiar a body can be. (Not the night “it” happened; later, his face in side profile at a campfire.) They remember purple skin like this. The scars... There’s a few more, but not a lot. He doesn’t change much; the biggest change is the tattoos, and that’s what threw River almost completely off. That...and the smiles. Mollymauk is so...easygoing, compared to the high-stress blood hunter they used to know him as.

    They leave him for a “short” time, going back to work tending to dragons. Ensuring a new generation, as they always have. Their job no less persistent...and stumble unto a wounded, pained tiefling along the way. It wasn’t the best first meeting- trying to help them up when they violently rejected the touch- but after the job... After making sure they were okay, understanding what went wrong...

    Stellar hung around River. Traveling companions, for the first time in...forever? River never had that, for certain, and Stellar... Well, they’d never been on such a grand adventure, really! So this was all incredibly exciting.

    How the relationship happened, though... Well, it’s funny how things like that happen. Stellar eagerly, curiously, giving their consent when tensions rose high again. River awkward, still adjusting to someone new. Almost ready to back off, but... Molly is ever himself.

    A tangle of bodies, River out like a light. Mollymauk a glorious mess. Stellar, up before any of them; eyes squinting in delight. Some things settle into hearts and bones, like it was always meant to be. That is how it was, for the moonlight trio. (A nickname given from River themself.)

    Stellar ended up assisting with Fletching and Moondrop; River stayed whenever they could, Snap- their pseudodragon- a welcome “baby” to the trio. Mollymauk wouldn’t depart from them all for some time...and when a traveling group brought Molly and Yasha into their fold?

    Well, it was all River and Stellar could do to wish him luck, love, and safety on those travels. Littered with kisses. Occasionally still catching him by surprise, spending the night together. Laughing at his stories. (Playfully envious when he bragged of his two-person night, teasing him for not giving them both a call, instead~! Could’ve made it a real party, at the least...)

    And then... He’s gone. Hardly ever known. River doesn’t find out for what feels like years; it sinks in as hard when the Mighty Nien tell them as much.

    They don’t know of Cree. The Tombtakers. His grave is a bitter place, and Stellar’s heart breaks. For the lover they cherished; for the mournful, quiet croons of the empathetic Snap; for the tears that hardly dry on their beloved’s face.

    He’s...come back before, hasn’t he? Perhaps, one more time... A miracle, for this broken family...

.:.

    They don’t expect Lucien back. He’s not even...the Lucien that River knew. What softness was still there, gone. Yet he oft acts like he is owed much affection and kindness from them. It’s...odd. Uncomfortable. But River stiffly hangs around the Nien. They can’t follow the group far, they know, but it’s worth a shot...

    Lucien makes it hard. It’s so, painfully obvious Molly is in there somewhere. He denies a life that body once proclaimed, but it spills from his eyes and the tremble of a longing hand...that River avoids. (It breaks his heart. He hates it. Weren’t they not-so-important to him? So why...? Why, why, why, why-?!)

    Stellar is equally displeased. They hide it better. But Lucien never gets to touch River with them around. They wish to not have a stranger’s hand on their body...and Stellar intends to help with that goal. (Lucien could scream. He manages to shove it down, somehow. A voice taunts him.)

    They don’t make it with the M9 to the Astral Sea. But that’s fine. As long as they can stop Lucien, bring home Molly... They’ll take it.

.:.:.:.

    When Stellar and River next come by the M9, he isn’t...the same. A new person in this body. The accent has cleared. His tattoos are gone. A fresh slate. That should be a relief...right? He’s looking for simple clothes, not liking Mollymauk’s ostentatious coat...

    It hits like a gut-punch. He’s someone new. Who are they to step in, seeking someone lost? He adopts “Tealeaf” as his surname with a gentle steadiness; “I’ll call that a brother.” He learns on his own time, who his past lives were. (In a way, it’s true phrasing.)

    River and Stellar keep their distance. Inform him why they had showed up...but they won’t wait. He deserves to live a life free to choose, as the M9 have agreed to. They won’t tamper with that. (He plays innocent; he’s heard River sobbing outside. They try hard to keep quiet, but the heartbreak is loud.)

    He still insists to keep up with them. Lighthearted. Easy. River relents; a sending stone for the both of them. It will do fine enough, won’t it?

    It becomes...an odd game again. He chats with them once and awhile, through the stone. Porting typically means River and Stellar wait on him, meet up, and then talk over drinks and food. Kingsley figures them out on his own pace; grows to understand why his “brother” liked both of them so. The touchiness they have with each other... He sometimes feels a prickle of jealousy he’s unaccustomed to; feeling wholly left out, for whatever reason. (He knows the reason. Grapples with what it means.)

    River pretends like they aren’t hoping he’ll come back to them, someday; even if as a new person. A new dynamic. Stellar approaches it all with more caution and understanding; their relationship will never be the same, and that’s okay. May Kingsley find a route that works for his new life better, right? A choice and freedom to choose is a powerful thing...

    Last they were all together, feelings on all sides were happening once more. Old ones lovingly put away for new flowers to grow. Though it’s...interesting. Kingsley’s been getting flashier. Golden eyeshadow, dressing up his coat, getting fancier...

    Maybe things don’t change as much as first thought? A glance shared between Stellar and River; who knows... They’ll find out in time, perhaps.

    ...What was that about U-?!?

[goldenrose101]

No one that good comes out of Shady Creek Run without some mistakes behind them.

What are you hiding, Gustav...?

[bisexualdivaxter]

remember when i posted that headcanon about the carnie phonetic alphabet where “mollymauk” was m and “tealeaf” was t

alternate headcanon: the circus had a months-long informal competition to call him increasingly outlandish combinations of m and t words and “mollymauk tealeaf” was either what molly himself liked the best or was generally acknowledged as the best clean version anyone had come up with

[moonweaving]

very sensual and erotic of me to work out a dragon age verse for molly before i figure out any of his canon or post-canon verses. very well done. (but this is a tag drop for Some verses)

[mnemememory]

(this is a kind of grief)

Here is an attempt to pin down something transient, unknowable, sacred: I need to leave, she says, and it burns.

She walks until her feet are raw. Her leather boots, well-worn and solid, ache with blood. The sun beats a rhythm along her back, hair a singular heavy knot. She keeps walking, and walking, and walking.

Alongside her, the caravans creak slowly. The horses are tired enough to be foaming at the mouth, eyes wild as they plod steadily forward. Someone comes up to whisper in their ears: Just a little more, please, just a little more. Magic hums and sparkles in the thick air, and then dies down as exhaustion once again takes hold. She blinks, and they walk ten miles. She doesn’t know how far they’ve gone, but it’s not enough, it’s never enough.

“Yasha!”

Yasha turns, blinking stupidly into the light. Mollymauk leans out the side of the caravan, ridiculous clothing an eyesore of reflective surfaces. He is grinning, teeth as sharp as his swords.

“What do you want?” Yasha says. She breaks the rigid hold she has on her spine and leans back, clenching and unclenching her fists. Her body is full of dust. It creaks, bone snapping back into place, head clearing behind its previous repetition of keep walking, keep walking, keep walking.

“You should take a turn sitting in the caravan,” Mollymauk says. “You’ve been walking all day.”

If Yasha sits down, she will die.

She shakes her head, unable to crease her face into a smile. She gives up halfway through. “I’ll keep walking,” she says. Keep walking, keep walking, keep walking.

Mollymauk’s eyes are sly, but he doesn’t say anything, not really. He gives a shrug and leans back into the caravan, resettling his clothing around him. “Suit yourself,” he says, and closes the window.

Yasha looks down at the road. It is baked hard and cracking, the grass to either side a mass of clear glass spikes. She wriggles her toes in her boots and hisses. Her skin itches. She looks out across the plains and wonders how far she could travel, how long it would take her to leave the trail of caravans and see mountains. The line of vehicles feels like an anchor around her neck, pulling her back, choking her.

She wonders why she can never seem to stay in one place.

They go from town to town – slowly. So slowly. Yasha’s feet ache and itch and burn.

“Stop glaring,” Mollymauk says, waving to a passing group of children who eye their circus tents with undisguised glee. “You’ll scare people away.”

Yasha crosses her arms over her chest and leans back against one of the posts, chin tilted back. “You pay me to scare people away,” she says.

Mollymauk laughs. It’s his showman laugh, loud and boisterous and inclusive. People stop and wave. “I’m not rich enough to pay you,” he says. His grin is soft in a way it shouldn’t be, in a way it only is around other people. Yasha eyes him warily. When they had first taken her on, there had been an implicit agreement that she wouldn’t have to be a part of the show: You’ll make an excellent bouncer, Gustav had said, patting her shoulder. Yasha had nearly taken off his arm, but he hadn’t seemed to mind overmuch.

Yasha can’t lie to save her life.

Mollymauk, it seems, cannot stop to save his.

“See anyone suspicious?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Yasha says. “You.”

Mollymauk rolls his eyes. The sun is dead, the air a chilly weight against Yasha’s skin. Torches simultaneously burst into flame, casting oddly across Mollymauk’s face. His eyes glow. Another group of people – slightly older than the first, though not by much – visibly hesitate towards them amidst an ocean of applause.

“Go inside,” Yasha says. “You need better light to work.”

Mollymauk’s sharp teeth flash in the fire, and then he’s gone inside the tent, leaving Yasha to glare in peace.

“I would advise against it,” Mollymauk says.

Yasha doesn’t look up from where she is lying on the ground, head tipped to the sun. She’s on break, and they don’t start the show until tomorrow, so she doesn’t need to rush the stage-building. The grass is nice and soft under her armour, and she lets out a small sigh of contentment. If only Mollymauk would –

“Yuli,” Mollymauk says. “I would advise against it.”

Yasha cracks one eye open. “Any particular reason for that?”

“Mora will kill you,” Mollymauk says, and he looks absolutely serious. “If you’re going to sleep with someone, best not do it with the people you’re travelling with.”

“I wasn’t going to sleep with her,” Yasha says with a yawn.

“Good,” Mollymauk says. “Make sure she understands that.”

Then he grins, lethal. “If you’re in the mood, though, I’m sure we could go and find someone for you.”

They find her like this: dead. As good as.

Yasha is being thrown out of another bar, alcohol thick in her veins, unwashed skin a mess of welts and bruising. Her clothing is layers of shredded fabric. She can’t see out of one eye.

Someone catches her – or tries to. They overestimate her size, and they both go tumbling to the ground. Yasha curls onto her side and dry-heaves, alcohol and stomach fluid running out of the corner of her mouth. She hasn’t eaten anything in three days.

“Good evening,” a stranger says.

Yasha tries to straighten, but everything is blurry. Her alcohol tolerance is better than this – should be better than this – but she can’t seem to see straight. There are nails in her feet, in her knees, in her wrists. Her fingers won’t work. She tries to talk, but it comes out in an ugly snarl.

A face appears in her peripheral, and she wildly turns her head, fingers scrabbling for a sword that isn’t there. The face is smiling, eyes glowing, purple horns pulling back a wealth of hair. The clothing glitters with stones and trinkets and baubles, sharp against Yasha’s sore eyes.

“I’m Mollymauk Tealeaf,” he says, giving a small bow. “If you would please get off our ringleader, that would be greatly appreciated.”

Ah. The pain under Yasha’s back is not from alcohol or uneven cobblestones, but from a person. Yasha drunkenly pulls herself forward. Her head spins.

“Oh, thank you, Molly,” someone says, and then Yasha lurches forward into darkness.

The first time Yasha kills someone, she is small.

She keeps growing. She keeps killing people.

The first time Yasha kills someone for Gustav (and Mollymauk and Bo and Toya and…) she is taller than anyone she knows. He is tall, too, but not enough to stop the way her blade (borrowed) slides down his collarbone and into his torso. It is a messy death. She gets blood everywhere.

“See,” Gustav tells her later. “I told you you’d make an excellent bouncer.”

There is a slow process of decay in the way Yasha burns her place into the circus. She can feel it eating away at her muscles – an atrophy, a calcification. She freezes, slowly. So slowly.

“Yasha,” Toya says, dragging a piece of tent behind her. “Could you –”

Kylre is there before Yasha can move, but she can feel the way her body tenses up in preparation to help, can feel the phantom step she never took, and she feels sick.

Every night, before she goes to sleep (rather: when she manages to sleep. “Every night” is a gross over-exaggeration, no matter how tired she is), Yasha promises herself she will leave in the morning.

It would be startlingly easy. Just wake up, grab her bag, and go. The open road is a siren song, winding its way into Yasha’s mind and tugging, tugging, tugging. She breathes dust and she needs more, needs it different, needs it alone. The circus cloys. There are so many people, so many names, so many things she needs to do and remember and think-think-think. There is an allure to a numbness, to alcohol. Yasha’s lips burn with the memory.

The first day, Gustav had said: Drink as much as you want, so long as you do your job properly. It had almost been an insult, the careless wave of his hand. Yasha had read between the lines, between the daggers in Ornna’s eyes: Drink on the job, and I’ll kill you.

Mollymauk laughs at her, dagger-smile exposed and raw. They get drunk together on their nights off and complain about Gustav.

They stop at a town with red bricks and white cobblestones. The trees loom menacingly on the horizon, leaves brazen and bloody. Yasha is sweating in her armour by the time all the stages are set up, twitchy from looking over her shoulder every five minutes. Mollymauk disappeared some time ago (as per usual), slipping out of the heavy work to charm some of the local townspeople into attending tonight’s show.

It isn’t a large town, so they don’t set up everything. Enough to dazzle. They aren’t going to stay too long, either, not with an open road and silhouetted trees and old things buried deep. They’re carnival folk. (Yasha is carnival folk now). They don’t look too hard.

Yasha’s skin crawls as she walks down the street, scanning the crowds of bunched-up people for any sign of lavender hair. Mollymauk is the most ostentatious person she has ever met, and even still, she cannot seem to find him.

“Hey!” someone calls. It doesn’t occur that they would be talking to her, until a small figure hops out in front of her. “Hey, hey, you.”

Yasha peers down at her uncertainly. There is a brief pause. “Yes?” she finally says.

The woman barely reaches up to Yasha’s collarbone, but she grins with the weight of a full sky of stars. Her dark skin gleams with sweat, a crossbow belted to her hip. “Are you one of the performers?”

“No,” Yasha says.

The woman rolls her eyes, loud and expressive. “Are you with the circus?” she says, like it’s the same thing.

“Yes,” Yasha says.

“Oh, good,” the woman says, reaching out and grabbing Yasha’s wrist. “Come with me, my friends want to know all about it.”

(The town is not on any map. No matter how hard Yasha tries to remember how they got there, her brain flinches away from the memory. What she gets is this: soft hands, softer lips, and a smile a world away from sad.)

Yasha leaves twice.

(Three times).

The first time is after a big show, after they’ve stayed in the same place for two weeks and everything hurts. Yasha takes a shuddering breath and doesn’t go to sleep. When the sun bleeds out into the clouds the next morning, she takes her bag and she goes.

Yasha hits the road, and everything is amplified to an almost absurd degree. The trees around her are cold and hard and dead, sticking straight up like metal poles in the dirt. The wind echoes across the path, spitting metal dust in its wake and leaving Yasha’s eyes burning.

The silence is a fist to the gut.

The second time Yasha leaves, she comes back an hour later and punches Mollymauk when he gives her a smug, knowing look.

“Bo, I need you to cover security while we set up the tents,” Gustav says.

Bo nods. “Understood.”

Yasha’s eyes narrow. “Wait…”

“Yasha,” Gustav says, cheerfully talking over her. They’re all sitting next to the caravan, parcelling out jobs and scratching out schedules in the dirt. Ornna is standing behind Gustav, looking put out and unhappy. “I need you to go with Mollymauk while he distributes flyers. You should be branching out more! It’ll be fun.”

“I’ll show you fun –”

Mollymauk grabs her shoulder and pulls her outside the tent. “Understood!” he calls over his shoulder.

“I can’t believe this,” Yasha grumbles, resettling her new (new, so shiny and big and sharp) sword along her shoulders. She likes the weight of it. “Why do I have to work with you?”

Mollymauk ignores her. “Come along,” he says. “Let’s start at the tavern. There are bound to be lots of people, there.”

(this morning, Yasha wakes up and forgets to want to leave).

Beau is bright, and sharp, and angry.

They all are, in some way. Mollymauk falls in with them like a missing puzzle piece: Yasha could have heard the click from halfway across the room. He’s good at integrating himself into groups, but not like this. Yasha pulls back a little, blind.

“Um, miss?” the barmaid says, craning her neck to look at Yasha’s face. She’s pretty, and sweet-looking. “Can I get you a drink?”

Yasha needs alcohol. When she gets it, it burns in a satisfying way down the back of her throat.

On the way out, she stumbles: “Yes, nice to meet you all. You’re all so…wonderful.”

Mollymauk snickers at her. “Charm,” he says, and there’s something harrowingly affectionate about the way he says it. “Pure charm. See you tonight!”

They leave. Outside, Mollymauk tries to pat her on the back, but she shakes him away. “Leave it alone, Molly.”

“She’s just your type,” Mollymauk says, because he is an awful person.

“Leave it.”

“How about this,” Yasha says, with zero sense of self control. “I’ll take it, and I can just carry you to your seat.”

Mollymauk huffs out a knowing laugh, and Yasha discretely steps on his toes. Her stare is flat as she locks eyes with Beau, with her gaunt face and slapstick makeup and strong forearms. She tries to project I hate you to Mollymauk as loud as she possibly can, beside he’s right about Beau being just her type, and it’s infuriating.

After a long, tense second, Beau shrugs and hands over her staff. It’s a good weight in Yasha’s hands, and she hefts it appreciatively. “Alright,” she says, grin lazy.

Mollymauk is never going to let Yasha live this down.

“I think I know who might know what has happened here.”

Running bleeds.

Yasha doesn’t look back, but she feels the pull all the same. It’s a strange tug-of-war in her body, towards the road and towards the tent. She spits nails in her mind, tightens her fists into metal balls and steels her heart. She thinks of phantom steps and tries not to laugh.

I need to leave, she says, and it’s something stamped onto her skin.

[czajnik]

guys guys why is no one talking about Shady Creek Run

we’ve gathered from Cree that Lucien, her and four other people all splintered off from their original order, then went north to Shady Creek Run to form the Tomb Takers.

Lucien was buried near the Tomb Taker’s hideout, in the woods. 

The carnival found Molly a few days after he dug himself out of his own grave, presumably nearby. 

now.

where have we heard about Shady Creek Run before?

Desmond Moondrop mentions it when talking about Gustav. 

Desmond argues that Gustav is a good person, but has had poor decisions plague him all his life. “No one that good comes out of Shady Creek Run without some mistakes behind them.” 

the way Desmond says it, makes it sound like whatever the fuck happened at Shady Creek Run, is something well known enough that a passing reference to it would be understood by anyone. combine this with the fact that Shady Creek Run isn’t on the map of the Dwendalian Empire means that it’s probably in the Greying Wildlands in northern Wynandir, “a lawless realm harboring a curse that has kept it unconquered by human hands”. 

(note that all the people that we know to have been in Shady Creek Run, Lucien, Cree, and Gustav, are not human.)

so if Shady Creek Run and the Greying Wildlands in general are so nasty why the fuck would anyone want to go there, especially a travelling carnival

unless Gustav went back to pick up someone that he knew would be there.

I had thought for a hot second that Gustav could be one of the members of the Tomb Takers, and I totally shed a tear thinking about the angsty implications of that, but the timelines don’t quite match up, Toya was brought into the carnival by Gustav before Molly showed up, and the carnival is certainly more than two years old,

but there is a connection here. something happened in Shady Creek Run and reader I gotta KNOW

[encyclopediacr]

Last month at the wiki — April 2023

Encyclopedia Exandria is always changing with updates, additions, expansions, and edits. The first Wednesday of every month, we highlight significant work done in the previous month by our editing community.

As always, to start, here's a selection of ten articles created in April. You can find more of our newest articles at the 50 newest pages report!

D&O Toy Emporium, toy store in Uthodurn

Spell scroll, single-use parchment that casts the written spell

Catlyn Delafin, clothier and fashion boutique owner in Uthodurn

Abyssal abomination, monstrosities created by K'Varn

Summon Crimson Shade, summoning spell, a reskin of Summon Aberration for Imogen's subclass flavoring

Scars of Scale and Tooth, ruling body of Xarzith Kitril

Midst characters, list of characters appearing in Midst

Woodset Auditors, group of researchers in Uthodurn

Pulse stone, crystal that attracts undead found in Thomara

Ghoul, type of humanoid undead

In April, we finally completed a pass rewriting plagiarism in all articles that were discovered and tagged as having copied text from episode transcripts. We plan to make another scan in the future comparing articles to episode transcripts to catch any we missed tagging in the first round, but we are ecstatic to have completed this pass.

Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities was overhauled in anticipation of the upcoming release of The Mighty Nein Origins: Mollymauk Tealeaf, part of an overall effort to polish articles known to be or believed potentially relevant to the comic.

In miscellaneous articles, which may not be relevant to current releases but remain very important to our wiki, Rockguard Garrison and Ruhn-Shak were updated and untagged as stubs, and Talks Machina 49: Curious Beginnings and 50: A Show of Scrutiny now document all answers.

We look forward to what May brings in new releases of Campaign 3, of Midst, and of Mighty Nein Origins.

[velvetandfreckles]

Day 1: sun & moon/carnival

"Mollymauk Tealeaf, of the Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities. Molly to my friends, and we're friends now, aren't we?”

Taking this opportunity to try some new things with drawing molly, starting with actually putting a little detail into the coat lol