#veilcrest

[englishotomegames]

Veilcrest: Trial of the Arcane is an upcoming otome game by Repulse currently on Kickstarter!

"This is it. Your first year at the elite Veilcrest Academy. Following in your father's footsteps and ready to take on anything. Things were going great until you stumbled upon a magical world hidden in plain sight.

In your curiosity to see how deep this rabbit hole goes, your life becomes entangled with those of three magical men. With your world turned upside down, it’s up to you to uncover the secrets of the academy and navigate the complicated world of young love."

Meet and romance three magical men

Make choices that impact the story, your relationships and future dialogue

Learn new spells in the secret magic classes led by Professor Theon Whitelock

Explore the Academy at night and choose who to spend time with

Talk with people and experience the story in Visual Novel style dialogue

Use magic to solve puzzles around the academy and discover collectables, find secrets and learn about the magical world

Multiple endings

3D characters that move, react and express themselves during dialogue

You can download the demo (on Steam or for Android) or support the Kickstarter here!

[bountiesofkian]

who?: open to all || capped at 2 replies where?: veilcrest when?: in the now

Kian had tried to tell Valdís that the Tower was a waste of her time, that he had claimed more power for himself in the years following the abandonment of his trials than anything those Olympians could've taught him. She didn't listen, which meant her crew would be without his aid until they returned. Hopefully, she had a crew to return to because The Dreadnought would be in hiding until then. He was too annoyed about his bad gamble to care much about keeping them alive for Valdís to return to.

The Deadlands seemed like the best place to hide. Lady Aetos never committed crimes there, and Kian could adopt a temporary mask of a loyal thrall. It was easy to find a wealthy vampire to bite his neck and even easier to use the blood they ingested to hex the vampire for leverage. He didn't want much, just permission to wear a mask and follow the vampire around Veilcrest as a loyal, leashed thrall in exchange for not inflicting the vampire with unimaginable pain. Everybody won, except Kian, who was beginning to feel shortchanged. A life of opulence in the role of pet was incredibly dull. Moments of independence were far and few between but cherished nonetheless. That's why he wasn't willing to risk losing it. "Forgive me, but my Master's kindness extends so far. If I keep him waiting, he won't let me out by myself any longer," he says worriedly to the one stopping him, trying not to gag as he did. Kian served no one, but his collar and skimpy attire conveyed that his body was meant for the pleasure of a superior. A kept thrall didn't have time to waste. Beneath his mask, his eyes were pointed and focused, but his voice remained as meek and needy as he could manage. "I can feel his hunger growing with each passing second. The worse it gets, the rougher he is with me, which is … so enjoyable, but even I have limits. I hope I haven't offended you? I just really really want to get back to him…"

[otomegamesandme]

Otome Jam Thoughts 2024: Veilcrest: Trial of the Arcane

Veilcrest: Trial of the Arcane

By: Repulse Games

Summary:

This is it. Your first year at the elite Veilcrest Academy. Following in your father's footsteps and ready to take on anything. Things were going great until you stumbled upon a magical world hidden in plain sight.

In your curiosity to see how deep this rabbit hole goes, your life becomes entangled with those of three magical men. With your world turned upside down, it’s up to you to uncover the secrets of the academy and navigate the complicated world of young love.

A 3d rpg otome game? This caught my eye instantly, just because it's always fun to see otome games that aren't in the typical VN medium (don't get me wrong, as someone who plays and makes VNs, I love them, but it's always nice to see new things!)

With that said, this felt very 2000s YA, which if you're feeling nostalgic for that era, might be fun. It was for me, seeing all the old tropes that used to be overdone but now you don't really see much anymore. It felt cozy, in a weird way? I do think this demo doesn't showcase all the components of the game. There's screenshots that show more use of magic and puzzles, amongst other things, and I hope there's an extended demo so we can get a feel of how all the elements play out and how it feels in game. I especially want this seeing as there's a planned kickstarter for this coming up at some point.

My biggest complaints, which I normally don't talk about for Otome Jam thoughts but again, seeing that this is going to get a kickstarter I would want addressed, are:

No subtitles for voice acting

The mixing for the VA was too quiet and hard to hear

Most of the scenes for the morning class added nothing to the story save for one (the scene with Dante one of the LIs). I can imagine this becoming really repetitive, and hope they cut it down or tighten things up going forward

Other then that, I did like the foundation it has so far and I hope they improve on it. It's really cool to see a project like this in the otome space, and I hope it does well!

[agrcn]

Casimir certainly had a way with words. It wasn’t surprising given who his mother was. Agron had never been afforded the luxury. Not until Valerius had appeared did he truly find his purpose. Becoming a Blademaster had been a necessary stepping stone that he wouldn’t have changed for the world. He wished for the Warriors’ Guild to still accept him after this, but Casimir’s words made him feel like that wasn’t the case. Agron had some semblance of hope that his fate would not be as grim as the other was making it out to be. There was a bear as he listened to Casimir, but none of it was fully being retained. Unsurprising given how much he was looking forward to this. He understood the other’s reluctance to participate though. What reason would he have to march against the Tower? There was a fucking diamond encrusted spoon in his mouth. Again, he had the luxury of not being filled with anger and being able to make the choice to not come with.

“If that’s all you have to say…” Agron paused and looked at Casimir. “I’ll take my leave now. If I see you again or don’t see you again, this was my decision. Remember that well.”

A Child of the Night, Casimir was literally born to take the helm of violence and be constructed as a soldier for Lusacan's beliefs. An outlier in the Noctis home, each of his siblings had blood on their hands, dressed in armor and fitted with weaponry, but Casimir could only curl his lip in distaste at the idea. He'd been reared in the Church of Night, uttered its sermons and excerpts, understood the draconic tongue, but still the young heir could not be roused to fight and die for something that may not ever be a tangible truth again. Lusacan's crypt remained somewhere within the dirt of this realm, a draconic god that was meant to bring back everything Queen Lavinia and her war generals dreamed of; the cataclysm and the chaos that plumed from it.

He couldn't pretend he'd ever understand the wrath which melded with pride in the face of a heron's mark. The talent and violence Agron could breed merely from wielding a blade whereas Casimir's own talents resided in his mind and the arcana studied. Privilege of such advancements and medicine were not lost on the Shade, but he would leave them behind if it meant he was not to betray himself.

His eyes grazed over Valerius' prized soldier, someone who was ultimately preened for this life but someone who did not falter. One who jumped at the opportunity to cull and maim, murder and conquer. Perhaps there was honor in a warrior's death but Casimir was not interested in learning such fate when his life had barely begun. All within Veilcrest, the technology Queen Lavinia kept shepherded away from the rest of Lysara, was something vital to Casimir but he'd lived little in the rest of this Queendom's regions and it was time for him to do so without the inheritance of a legacy to breathe upon his spine.

Casimir stood tall as the strigoi stepped closer; he'd never known the struggle of hardship nor the grit of Lysara's underbelly. He'd known the rampant craving for blood, the perpetual itch in his throat and yet somehow he was disarmed of this urge to storm the battlefield and kill, "May you feel peace as you go from this life, Agron." Simple as the freshly exiled heir bit his tongue, resigned from the fight, and abandoned his place as a member and soldier for Lusacan's ideology. "And may the vitriol that teems within you shed with each Lysaran you cull under your marked blade."

[alucardrakul]

open to those who've gone through a Mystery Box location: In Vein, Eterna notes: limiting this to two muns!

Better wasn't the word that Alucard would use to describe it. Different was more accurate. Alucard had never struggled with focus; when he had a goal in mind the dhampir was relentless in his pursuit and in his study. Clarity came following that puzzle box and something else too - camaraderie. Room after room Alucard had been confronted by memories, preconceived notions, and his own perceptions.

Most of all, when given the choice to free themselves or risk their lives for him, those that Alucard had traveled with had chosen him above their own liberation. Time had worn down and they still chose not to abandon him; even for someone like Alucard, who was so entrenched in manners of doubt, could believe they'd

Another certainty came from the puzzle box, one that Alucard had felt at the back of his mind since the last night at Nornwatch Keep. The Blight was gathering strength and Vlad held a cure, one that he would never share. That truth had made him untouchable but Veilcrest would inevitably side with the Dark One and too many within the Church of Night would use this as a chance to raise Lusacan. Alucard's conclusion was simple:

'I have to kill my father.'

The establishment was one of few places in Lysara that served drinks laced with blood and while the dhampir rarely imbibed, he fixed himself on a barstool and turned the glass idly on the counter. Away from the Silverlands, absent his black armor, he was just another figure in the crowd.

"Didn't think this would be your usual haunt." Alucard greeted the familiar presence, wordlessly grateful for the company.

[thequeendomhq]

“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.”

Some time during the Dark Age –

A griffon shrieks – its large, dark wingspan making a shadow over the sun. It lands a few feet from a woman, an Elvhen, dressed in dark armor. “Revas,” the woman greets the Griffon, who, after a moment, turns into a rather large mimic of a dog, pressing its head against the Elvhen’s chest.

She laughs, her hand scratching the cheek of the large griffon, the momentary pain forgotten. It had been a long day, the barren land that she had just come from finally burnt and left behind. 

Those who had survived the onslaught of what eventually would become Eastreach had dragged themselves towards the safety of the broken Tower, towards any place where an Old God and the Dark One’s power could hopefully not reach. What they did not expect was the desperation that followed, the death that would rise in these places that only knew how to kill or be killed. More and more took the Joining, more and more would begin to understand their sacrifice, and more and more became ghouls.

“Isseya!” 

Another’s voice pulled the Elvhen from her thoughts, her hand dropping from Revas’ cheek even as the Griffon gave a huff of annoyance. 

A sandy colored Griffon landed a few feet away, a man sliding off its back, “Andoral has been sighted, coming for the islands – what do we do? Valeria Mordecai and the witches have made it to Eterna. They’ll never last against Andoral alone.”

Isseya glanced at Danaro, then to his griffon, “Valeria has the palantír. She’ll know. Take Shrike and wait for me by the ruined Tower. We will fight the Old God head on.” Her words were strong, but even she was just an Elvhen – just one soldier part of the pattern. The Light of the Laurelin still shined within her, blades that were conjured out of nothing that she would send flying towards the Darkspawn that dared to rear their ugly heads, and she was of Sylaise – she would sacrifice blood for her goddess, and pray that those she fought for would continue on.

The city that would become known as Eterna currently lay in waste ahead of her; broken and shattered buildings, a Tower with white marble that was stained with fire and missing pieces that had fallen into the bay below – the city Valeria Mordecai, the future queen, would rebuild stone by stone. It was a ruin from a previous age, the original name perhaps lost to time. Isseya turned towards Revas now as Danaro and Shrike took to the sky, flying towards the battered city ahead. 

“Ir abelas, Revas,” Isseya’s apology was quiet, but the Griffon was noble – it would never turn from such a fight, and the Legionnaire would never ruin his honor by sending him away. She reached for his back, climbing onto the Griffon as she looked at the Tower far off in the distance. “Lasa ghilan, Sylaise,” she whispered, and the two launched themselves forward, the shrieking of a dragon the only answer to the quiet prayer.

Amon Sûl, a few weeks before the fall of Iskaldrik –

“Veilcrest has always been the reason. It’s a stain on all of Taravell. We can’t destroy the Blight without ridding those who worship Lusacan–”

“You’re talking about a full on war with the Queen and all her followers, it’s madness.”

“Taravell has forgotten about us, we’d have no support, not even–”

“You’re right, but if they knew we were marching to our deaths? They’d support us even less–”

“–Or support us more. Lose Veilcrest or the Legion? They’d be fools to choose them over us!”

Voices continued to shout over one another, the halls of Amon Sûl no stranger to strife and disagreement. Legionnaires had been stationed here for years, those they dragged in, blighted and dying, and somehow survived the Joining – they had yet to leave. Even now, as different officers stood arguing around a large table with a map of Taravell, there didn’t seem to be any moment of respite. 

“Every minute we wait is another minute one of them could regain power. There are forces at work for all of them, nevermind the Dragon of Night.” This Legionnaire did not wish to speak the name Lusacan; names had power, and this one held fear in his heart.

“It’s not like they’re thanking Him for giving them a hobby, they–”

“Well what about the Darkspawn? Nornwatch has reported increased activity, they’re responding to someone–”

“Enough.” 

One voice seemed to silence the others, the Legion Commander standing now at the head of the table that the others stood at. The officers placed their arms over their chest in greeting, some looking annoyed they’d been interrupted, others chastised. 

“We do nothing.” Silas’ eyes were darkened with exhaustion, the commander moving towards a door. Voices called after him, but they were ignored as he shut a door behind him, closing off anyone who would enter the room that led to the staircase for the tower. Up and up he went, silent and weary. No one noticed the tiredness in his voice, or perhaps the way his blue eyes were always watching with an unknown emotion. No one dared question him, and those that had were admonished before they could ever finish their declaration. What good could the Legion be if they spent half their time in single combat, fighting over leadership?

Silas continued to walk the steps of the tower, the stone echoing every movement, every rustle of armor, every sigh – until he reached the top. The hilltop fort was one of the few things for miles around, and within the tower lay the only thing that Silas wished to look at. He walked towards the center of the room, a pedestal rising as he approached. Upon it was a round, crystalline stone. It glowed unnatural colors, twisting and turning, like it was whispering some quiet words as Silas got closer. The Commander pulled off one of his gauntlets, and he reached forward to place his hand upon the glass stone. 

The voices quieted, and Silas’ eyes turned white.

Aventia, Borderreach, Present Day –

“Oi! Get the hell out of my house!” An older man brandishing an axe chased after a young man, who was frantically gathering his clothes and sprinting out of the backhouse that he’d been caught in. The farmer’s daughter was left laughing in her beloved’s wake, watching as he ran, ass out, towards the woods. 

The young soldier stopped when he reached the treeline, a laugh on his lips as he thought about nearly getting axed by the farmer. Pulling his clothes on, he searched for the bow and arrow he’d set down. The woods were quiet, and as he trudged around, it wasn’t until he noticed how quiet that he took pause.

Not a single bird chirped, not even an insect dared to make a noise. 

This farm was settled on the edge of Aventia, the inner town itself a little worse for wear after being on the very border of Iskaldrik and Aetheron’s magical barrier. 

Suddenly, the ground started to shake, the young man falling backwards onto his bum as the noise suddenly became unbearable. Trees began to crash, creatures scuttled from their hiding spots as they sprinted past. The soldier couldn’t move quick enough, scrambling to his feet and discarding his bow and arrow as he raced away, back towards the village.

The farmer still had his axe, holding it up, “Hey! Ya little fucker, I’m gonna…” he cut off as the barrier started shifting, creatures shrieking and the forest seemingly coming alive as it groaned and creaked. 

“Run!” The ground continued to tremble, the farmer and his family gathering their horses. They raced away, despite the barrier…shrinking?

The soldier stopped, watching as it got smaller, and smaller –going further away. 

Eventually, the crashing noises ended, and silence fell upon the farm once more. 

He huffed out a laugh, unsure why they’d taken so much care to run the other way. He started to walk, following the tracks of the horses. It wasn’t a long march back to the town of Aventia, but the hoof prints he followed eventually were paired with…something else. 

Blood splattered in the mud, large sliding tracks that showed where a horse had fallen, where another had been dragged – and a severed leg was all that remained as he continued to walk. His weak stomach simply made him gag; an untrained soldier, he’d barely seen war. Aventia was a town plagued with pressure from the Iskaldran border, used to seeing witchers catch runaways, smugglers pass through with those they’d rescued. It was a strange town, but it had always been relatively peaceful – only because they avoided conflict as much as possible.

Until now. 

Smoke rose from one of the nearest farms, the entire home and field burning. The ground rumbled once more, and the young soldier had to lift his eyes to see the town of Aventia under siege. Creatures that he’d never seen before were climbing the wooden walls. Archers who hadn’t seen battle in many winters attempting to shoot them off. Screams echoed through the valley, and the young man suddenly wished he hadn’t left his arrows behind. 

Pulling the shortsword from his belt, he took a breath, ready to charge forward to help his home. A noise from behind him made him pause, however, the ground shaking with every step that seemed to come closer and closer. 

He turned, eyes lifting up to a monstrous creature that was born easily from nightmares. The ogre roared, and the young man fell backwards, eardrums shattering from the sheer proximity. The last thing he would see was the ogre’s axe swinging down. 

OOC Information:

Enjoy some spicy Legion things and a first insight into what those in Amon Sûl have been arguing about for a while…

Legionnaires will occasionally have visions of a blighted dragon in their dreams. Infrequent, but it leaves a bitter taste upon awakening.

The barrier surrounding Iskaldrik put up by Aetheron has shrunk. 

The town of Aventia is located in Borderreach, you can find it on the Lysara map. 

Aventia is under siege by a massive amount of darkspawn. News has spread towards Feronia and the edges of Northreach, and news will slowly be making its way down through the Silverlands and Lysara to Eterna. This is the first time in modern history that a large, seemingly coordinated attack has been made against a capital town by darkspawn. 

Lady Severian, a silver faiman and the ruling noble, has called for aid from Lórien’dal, Caer Glas Keep, Feronia, and Eterna.

Aventia is not known for its modern defenses, only its strategic location and old but sturdy stone walls. 

[strigoisak]

Person: @vicoya Location: Lil Path between the Keep and the stables It's not like Isak doesn't have friends. Back in Veilcrest he'd had.....Well he'd had Dracula's friends technically. And then when he'd ventured to Eterna he'd made...Colleagues with other physicians, alchemists, scholars, and the like. Carys probably counted as at least an acquaintance. Other members of the Legion in Ankhuria were also kind of coworkers but he had been fond of them in his own way. Vicoya though, the redhead was actually so kind that Isak didn't quite know what to make of her. Which was why with whisperings of her birthday, he couldn't not acknowledge it and so inside the pocket of his coat, there's a particularly pretty leatherbound journal. "Do you have a moment?" He asks as he falls into step with her on the path, his hands in his coat pockets.

[vuldak-juneau]

Happy birthday miss Gus! Casimir won't be the king of Veilcrest any time soon, but he is our king of mommy issues. @casimirnoctis

[strigoisak]

He is not good at this part. His bedside manner left much to be desired, it was the small sliver of humanity left in him, the one who walked the rows of cemeteries and spoke to the dead buried there that offered comfort to people. It's not like it's not heartbreaking to see Asael clutch at him, he just doesn't know how to express it. Especially because he doesn't quite understand why Asael is fighting him so much about this. He's offering help and it's still somehow some kind of argument. He's an interesting specimen. "We're taking this upstairs." It isn't a question and Isak uses the fact that Asael is clinging to his arm to haul him out of the actual office and up the adjacent steps. Except he doesn't walk up the stairs, he just sort of floats up them as per usual, witch in tow. The door to his quarters upstairs opens with a little help from telekinesis and then they're not in the office area and his place in Eterna is very....It was apparent a vampire from Veilcrest lived there. Other people would probably call it gloomy, the color palette deep tones of dark colors. "You were shivering in the alleyway before and after the ice. You have a weak pulse and you seemed both dizzy and on the verge of losing consciousness. All signs of hypothermia." It is but one thing on the long list of things he thinks is probably wrong with the witch, but it's a start, a thread to unravel. "You have to warm up first, we'll go from there." Again it's not a question, it's not an offer, it's somewhat of a command as he leads Asael to the (unnecessarily lavish) bathroom. A little more telekinesis and the knobs on the large tub in the center of the room starts filling with water from the spout. Warm, too hot would be potentially send the witch into shock. "You can let go of me now." He deadpans, looking to where the witch's hand is still over the scar on his wrist. It's uncomfortable, attention brought to something he was self-conscious of.

Teeth clenchend and eyes emblazoned once more, Isak's words triggered an anger response in Asael. "I'm killing myself? I'm lucky?" Labored, uneven breathing rattled his frame as his body tensed to lash out without conscious thought. It was the sight of Isak's scars that caused Asael to hesitate long enough for the migraine brought on by his intense feelings of stress to cause him to clutch his forehead and groan. When he places a hand over Isak's arm, though his fingers curl over the scar, no threads of ice are pulled towards his hand.

"You're wrong! I died beneath the floorboards, then again when I went to the Tower! Everyone who took something from me took my life, and the only times I feel better are when I'm killing them." That is, until he inevitably started vomiting, but he didn't want Isak to think him weak. Every step, breath, and movement Asael made was painful, he'd just learned how to deal with it. He didn't learn because of luck. "Revenge is all I have. Revenge keeps me going. It's not luck, it's strength. Power. And if you help me, I can get more. So please!" Asael didn't beg for anything, but Isak was the first person ever to make him feel better without murder being a factor. Even if it was brief, it felt good to be restored in some small way. Drip, drip, drip... He could hear and feel clearly the phantom blood long dried leaking onto his face from beneath the cracks. Rage and pain caused him to tremble slightly as the frayed edges of his sealed traumas brought fuzzy remembrances to the surface, angering him all over. "Do what it takes. You have to. Or else you're no better than the people I'm after."

[englishotomegames]

Veilcrest: Trial of The Arcane

Release date (Steam) English: October 31st, 2024

"This is it. Your first year at the elite Veilcrest Academy. Following in your father's footsteps and ready to take on anything. Things were going great until you stumbled upon a magical world hidden in plain sight.

In your curiosity to see how deep this rabbit hole goes, your life becomes entangled with those of three magical men. With your world turned upside down, it’s up to you to uncover the secrets of the academy and navigate the complicated world of young love."

Meet and romance three magical men in an otome story

Make choices that impact the story, your relationships and future dialogue

Learn new spells in the secret magic classes led by Professor Theon

Explore the Academy at night and choose who to spend time with

Talk with people and experience the otome story in Visual Novel style dialogue

Use magic to solve puzzles around the academy and discover collectables, find secrets and learn about the magical world

Multiple endings

3D characters that move, react and express themselves during dialogue

This is a commercial game by Repulse Games! You can buy it or try the demo from Steam here.

[alucardrakul]

@etienneulven location: Lostlands notes: in the swamp jestie

Things couldn't possibly have been worse.

Alucard had been separated from the King and the others when the mountain collapses, he'd watched Etienne fall through the caves, and by the time he'd caught up with the King's Army, Riandur and Vicoya were already sent to scout ahead. They battled a disgraced legionnaire, faced off against Aetherians, and slayed a blighted dragon.

Alucard bit his knuckle, Vicoya and Riandur were just so cool. The King had been taken which was- well, not really his problem or his priority. Insensitive, maybe, but the Legion of the Dead didn't have a nation.

At least he'd been part of inducting their two newest recruits, a princess and a witcher.

In the swamplands Alucard knew to be weary. He'd traveled this way years ago on his way from Veilcrest to Nornwatch Keep. They were deceptive because the terrain was vastly different here and as warm as it could be, the Lostlands were just as unforgiving as the Wastelands.

Alucard hovered in front of the prismatic wall that sealed the Iskarans within their nation and let his red gaze wander over its surface. He caught sight of Etienne's reflection and turned in the air, excitedly, shocked to see the boy at all. Which, since this was Alucard, just looked like a slow turn in the air followed by a nearly emotionless stare.

"You're alive."

[thequeendomhq]

THE ENGINEER ~

NAME. UTP AGE & BIRTH DATE. UTP SPECIES. Strigoi FACTION. Tower of Olympia OCCUPATION. Inventor / Master of Artillery

In Lysara, the metropolis has taken leaps and bounds over the last century. Eterna now stands at the forefront of what the world can accomplish when science and mana work in tandem. You aren’t without your involvement in this. A disgraced warrior from the Deadlands, you put Veilcrest behind you because despite being dead you never considered yourself a monster. You wanted immortality, fear of the Abyss came after, and worry about a being that no one had ever seen like the Dark One, sounded like something meant for a children’s storybook. You weren’t easily fooled, and now you had centuries to work and toil. Queen Damodred Mordecai saw your worth, an artillerist and creator, one who’d seen the rise and fall of enough innovation to know errors a mile away. The city boomed, plans were drawn, checks were revised, and your eyes were behind it all. Every gun mounted on every vessel, every wall erected to prevent incursion, Damodred passed, Arethusa rose, and you remained as the master of artillery and advisor on all things mechanical.  Every blueprint and schematic, every high rise and tower. Checks and balances, weights, and measurements. Eterna was moving beyond bricks and mortar, one stone out of place, one valve left open, and disaster could spark across the city.

CONNECTS

THE RIGHT, HONOR, REDEMPTION, LIONHEART, SANCTUARY, AND THE BLAZING: Members of the Queen's Court

NOTES

N/A

[casimirnoctis]

Darkness was what he'd been crafted from, something which he'd befriended for the longevity of his life, but a pit Casimir had crawled from all the same. The Shade - that which was in darkness if only because it'd been sheltered from the direct brilliance of light, and Casimir no longer vied to have Veilcrest's shadow hailing over him. He never wished to be molded into something expected of his lineage; a warrior, a cleric, something which rattled around in the cage of violence perfectly crafted for their kind. Casimir envisioned something which could reach farther than any claim to former glory, any bastion of truculence his family hoisted above their namesake, and though he'd not find that in the Vanguard, he certainly had discovered something of curiosity within this church.

A wolf donned in cleric's clothing, something that teetered the very lines Casimir often did. It was compelling enough that he might vie to waste this one's time again when it came to the notion of the church.

"I will live enough lifetimes to be able to explore different means of living." Casimir shrugged, perhaps it was a cop out, but he'd shared enough to this cleric without having even been granted their name. "If I seek the Light," definitely a sarcastic bite there, "Who am I to ask for?"

In the dim light that the flickering torches afford, it was easy to lose traces of Casimir to the shadow. As if he existed somewhere between where the darkness ended and the light began. Curiosities were always of interest to Nikandros, but more than that he lent a favorable mind toward understanding them. Mysteries were so rare these days and people were all but complacent in their stagnancy. Even now a power rose in the west, with darkness just north of it wasn't hard to imagine what might become of the world if these powers were left unchecked.

"There's room enough beneath me." Lightly taunted, Nikandros let the humor lift for a moment as he digressed a bit further, "Scriptures, arcana, and demonology aside, there's room for you here - should you change your mind." Nikandros wouldn't press the faith any further on the stranger, though his interest was piqued so he'd see to it that their paths would inevitably cross again. "But, Casimir Decebal Noctis, you do pride yourself on being something of an enigma, don't you?" Enough had been deduced for the day, instead of cutting deeper into Casimir's possible motives, he pried deeper into the things that he could see and smell. Faint evidence of an artificer's dedicated hands, the lingering scent of an alchemist's machinations- and something else that resonated as vaguely familiar. Nikandros kept the thought in seclusion, hoarding it privately to himself.

[strigoisak]

Person: Fellow Legionnaires Location: Caer Glass Keep, library In Ankhuria, during the day, he was mostly holed up in the library and it was hard to admit, but the library at Caer Glass was better somehow. Probably because there wasn't a layer of sand on literally everything and the abandoned atmosphere almost reminded him of being back in Veilcrest. That was something he mourned almost more than the actual bond with his sire, the castle's library, Vlad's lab. But he has to make due with what he has and he had gone to the keep on purpose, he can't complain. And because he'd gone there on purpose and because from a logistics standpoint, morale was indeed impacted by camaraderie, when someone enters the library he tries to look up from whatever he is doing. And goes back and forth on if he should say anything to someone no doubt just passing through or perhaps grabbing something and retreating to their chambers. Totally casual, he looks over his shoulder from where a book is hovering before him via telekinesis to look at whoever had slipped into the room. "Hi." Nailed it.

[alucardrakul]

@hiddenlilja location: Haven (Technically I think Feronia is still alpha? She's old now tho) notes: last call before damnation

Fresh off of telling his father that he had joined the Legion of the Dead, Alucard made for what would be his last stop before he was posted at Nornwatch Keep. The dhampir was inherently uncomfortable in any social setting, but this one was already more intense because he couldn't shake the notion that the wolves here didn't like him on principle. Alucard did his best to appear friendly and approachable, he'd smiled at those who passed him by and he made strong eye contact to inspire something akin to intimacy... but so far nothing had worked.

Alucard's smiles looked more like snarls, and the piercing red gaze of a creature that didn't need to blink could only be called intimidating, but not intimate. Wearing the black armor of one of the Legion of the Dead, the cloak of the Church of Night of Veilcrest dragged behind him, stitched in gold embroidery with the sigil of Lusacan the dragon upon it. A symbol of the blight, but a beacon for the path that Alucard had walked before enlisting in the Legion.

"We may be the only dhampirs for miles." Alucard commented as he sat next to the stranger perched at the corner of the bar, gesturing toward the bartender who, instead, pretended not to see Alucard at all.

[thequeendomhq]

THE SHADE ~

NAME. UTP AGE & BIRTH DATE. 25+ SPECIES. Dhampir FACTION. UTP. OCCUPATION. Vampire Royalty

From the shadows, you were born and to the shadows you returned to every night. Heir of darkness, regent of disorder, your mother is Queen Lavinia Noctis. Daughter of the night, first general of the Old God Lusacan, ruler of Veilcrest, and regent of the Deadlands. You grew up amidst machinery, medicine, and technologies that the human world lost so long ago that the common tongue no longer has names for them. These things interested you more than the appointments your mother wanted you to make, the priestess of the Lusacan who was ever-vigilant in her search for his prison. Stories abound of the glory days of shadow and darkness, but you were more interested in what the world looked like today. Battles were for the boring and the drab; you grew up in luxury, and decadence was all you truly craved. Your mother wanted a soldier, a warrior like the siblings lined beside you and the many that had died before you. One of many, the chipped cup in an otherwise perfectly matched set. She told you the Blight was rising, that a war was coming, and when you professed your disinterest, you were cast out. A stranger amidst your people, a prince turned exile in the blink of an eye - a pampered child with tears of blood and nowhere to go. What would become of you now?

CONNECTS

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NOTES

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open.