#zeki whispering willow

[artisticbunny]

Aaaand the updated character refs I made for this years artfight as well! :3

My beautiful Whispering Willow babies! ^

Clink, my baby boi that I play in dnd! ^

And my sona!

I hope you guys like them! I think I've improved a lot since last year :3

[random-trash-roli]

I have a Headcanon that Hassian and Jel are able to see the things that us as players see, but don't know why it happens.

Carefully folding the fabric, Jel's thoughts wander to his latest design. He's trying to create a garment that captures the essence of the village's tranquil evenings, with the sunset's warm embrace reflected in the material. The whispers of the willow trees add a serene backdrop to his contemplation. He looks up to see a human wearing a hotdog costume fishing at the lake in the distance. A sigh escapes his lips. "Why did those ridiculous hotdog costumes have to become so popular?"

Raising an eyebrow at the human in the costume, he turns to Jel. "You seem… displeased with your creation."

With a huff, Jel sets the fabric aside. He runs a hand through his hair, the silver streaks glinting in the fading light. "It was a jest, a whimsical jest! Now every now and then I see someone wearing it like it's the height of fashion. It's… it's embarrassing. How did something so trivial become so…" He trails off, his voice thick with irritation.

Hassian's gaze remains on the human in the hotdog costume, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "They do seem to have an… acquired taste for the unusual, don't they?" He says, his tone mildly amused. "Just like how the humans love to bother me when I clearly state how much I despise interacting with them."

Jel's eyes narrow slightly as he picks up the fabric again, his deft fingers resuming their work. He glances over at the human in the costume before speaking. "It's not just the costumes, they also seem really odd. Sometimes, when they look into my mirrors at the shop, they can change their voices, their eye color, even their body type. I don't even know how they do it. It's like magic, but… mundane. Like they're playing dress-up with their very beings." He shakes his head, the awe in his voice tinged with confusion. "It's fascinating, really. And slightly terrifying."

Hassian's smirk fades, his eyes thoughtful as he watches Jel's nimble fingers dance over the fabric. "One time I saw a human phase halfway through the floor in the inn and get stuck. They then vanished, appearing outside the inn. They are just weird." He tilts his head, his curiosity piqued. "But some of the others here are weird too, one time I saw zeki moving around without moving his legs. He was just standing, but somehow gliding across the town square, and Ashura, the innkeeper, gliding across the town while doing push-ups. It was… disturbing. Zeki and Ashura weren't aware that that even happened and just looked at me like I was crazy."

Jel snickers at the image of Zeki and Ashura's unexplained abilities, a rare moment of mirth lighting up his eyes. "How? If I just started to glide across town I think that would be something I'd notice." He shakes his head. "This has only happened since the first human arrived, causing chaos and confusion. It's like they brought a whirlwind of… of… I don't know what. It's like they're not even aware of the natural order of things."

With a sigh, he crosses his arms over his chest. "Indeed, it's as if they don't realize we're all just trying to live our lives here. But then again, we all have our peculiarities, don't we?" His gaze shifts to Jel, watching the fabric come alive in his hands. "What is it you're working on, Jel?"

Looking down at the fabric in his hands, Jel's thoughts drift to the task at hand. "A new design, something that embodies the tranquility of this place. I want to capture the feeling of the lake at dusk, the way the light plays on the water and the shadows dance." He unfolds the fabric slightly, revealing a pattern of purples and blues that mimic the lake's surface. "But it's difficult to focus with all these… aberrations." He looks to the side to see a human pick a flower and walk away, only the flower that they picked is still there, untouched.

Hassian nods solemnly, his eyes following the same path as Jel's. "The balance of nature is delicate, and it seems these newcomers are as clumsy as they are curious. They disrupt the very fabric of our world." He looks back at Jel, his expression contemplative. "Plus, some of them are kinda creepy. A few keep getting close to my face, somehow phasing through me. It's unnerving."

Jel shivers slightly, a look of unease crossing his face. "Indeed, the way they just pop in and out… it's as if reality itself has gone haywire." He refolds the fabric, the colors of the design blending into one another as he does so. "But tell me, have you noticed anything… different in the village lately? Something that seems almost… magical?"

He furrows his brow, his gaze searching the distant horizon as if the answer might be written in the clouds. "Magical? No, not really. Unless you count how humans are able to carry thousands of fish at a time without bending under the weight. That seems rather… unnatural."

Jel's eyes widen as he spots a human wearing an outfit that seems eerily familiar. It's one of his most intricate designs, a witch outfit that creates the illusion of snowfall around the wearer. "Hassian, look there." He points to the human with a mix of pride and bewilderment. "It's one of my creations. It's like… snow is falling around them, even though it's the middle of summer. How peculiar."

Hassian's gaze follows Jel's finger to the human adorned in the peculiar outfit. "Ah, yes. The snowfall effect. Quite the spectacle." He pauses, his expression thoughtful. "But I wonder, Jel, have you noticed anything else… strange about them? They pay in this peculiar currency, don't they? The gold coins that appear out of nowhere and then vanish again."

Jel nods, his eyes darkening slightly. "Yes, but they seem to be unable to pay me in those gold coins that everyone else uses. It's always these… blue ones. I don't know where they come from, but they're the only currency they have for my services." He frowns, the fabric momentarily forgotten in his hands. "And it's not just the currency. Their behavior is… erratic. Sometimes they're here, sometimes they're not, without any explanation. It's as if they're ghosts, flitting in and out of existence."

Hassian nods in understanding. "I've noticed that as well. And the way their voices cut out or their bodies lag when they move." He pauses, a sigh escaping him. "It's like trying to converse with a poorly made marionette." He picks up a small pebble, skipping it across the lake's surface, watching the ripples expand. "But their strange ways shouldn't concern us too much, should they?"

Jel's gaze lingers on the human in the witch costume, his mind racing with thoughts. "I suppose not. But it's hard to ignore when it affects my work, my livelihood." He sighs, setting the fabric aside. "These blue coins… they're unlike anything I've ever seen before. They don't seem to hold the same value as our gold, yet they're all they have to offer."

He turns to Jel, his eyes reflecting the concern in his voice. "Perhaps it's their way of showing us what's truly important to them. Like a sort of… token of appreciation for our craftsmanship." He looks back at the water, the pebble skipping forgotten. "Though, I must admit, I've noticed something peculiar with the animals too. Sometimes, they vanish in mid-step, only to reappear a moment later as if they never left."

Frowning, Jel taps his chin with his index finger, contemplating. "It's as if the very fabric of our world is… unraveling. Or perhaps we're just seeing the threads we've been ignoring all along." He takes a deep breath, watching the human in the witch costume fade into the twilight. "Well, I suppose we can't change the tapestry of fate, only how we weave ourselves into it."

With a nod, Hassian stands up, brushing off his trousers. "You're right, Jel. We have our duties, and their oddities are their own burdens to bear." He glances back at the lake, the last rays of sunlight casting a golden hue over the water. It's only then that Hassian realizes that tau has been stuck in a sitting position next to him for a while, not moving at all. "Tau," he calls out gently, "are you okay?"

The plumehound starts suddenly, as if snapping out of a trance. He looks up at his master with a tilt of his head, tail wagging slightly, barking once, he seems to be back to normal.

Jel watches the exchange with a mix of relief and confusion. "It seems Tau was just as lost in thought as we were." He stands up as well, dusting off his impeccable trousers. "Well, I suppose we all have our peculiarities to deal with."

Hassian nods, his gaze lingering on the lake before he turns to Jel. "Indeed. We must each find our place in this… altered reality." He offers a hand to help Jel to his feet, his grip firm but gentle. "We've had our share of strange occurrences today. Perhaps we should both return to our respective domains and ponder these mysteries in private."

With a nod, Jel takes the offered hand and rises gracefully. "That seems prudent. Thank you for the company, Hassian." He tucks the fabric into his pocket, the colors of the lake at dusk still reflected in his eyes. "Perhaps tomorrow we'll find more answers or… more puzzles to solve." He offers a small, wry smile.

Hassian returns the smile, though it's tinged with a hint of skepticism. "I wouldn't hold your breath, Jel. The humans are as fickle as the changing seasons." He looks down at Tau, who seems to have fully recovered from his strange daze. "But who knows, maybe they'll bring us more intriguing mysteries to ponder." He claps a hand on Jel's shoulder. "Rest well, and may your needle find true in the morning."

With the last of the sun's light fading away, the two friends part ways, Jel heading back to his tailor shop and Hassian to his grove. The whispers of the willow trees are replaced by the gentle lapping of water against the shore as the lake starts to calm for the night. The village of Kilima goes about its evening routines, the peculiarities of the day tucked away like the setting sun.

[artisticbunny]

THEYRE FINALLY FINISHED MY GOD

It took forever, but I finally have my redesigned character sheets done!!!

I hope you enjoy!!! :D

[artisticbunny]

Hello Bun! I have magically manifested within your inbox to ask you about…

Your OCs!

One of my anon subordinates (totally not me telling my friends about you no way) previously asked about your number of them, but I want to know who they are!! >:3c Any like, story or interaction or certain universe or specific aesthetics? Feel free to infodump Bun I’m all ears!!

(Sorry if this seems a little too pushy I just saw your reblog and was like ‘why don’t I be a good lad and prance on over eh?’ So here we are! :3 I hope you don’t mind!)

AAAAA HI MOOG!!! THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS EXCUSE ILY DJDBDHE

IM SO EXCITED TO INFODUMP ABOUT MY CHARACTERS I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!

I ACTUALLY HAVE THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THEIR STORY UPLOADED TO AO3 AND IM WORKING ON THE SECOND!!!

Buckle in cuz this is gonna be a long post lol

I’m not gonna reveal everything cuz there have to be some tricks up my sleeves, but I’m gonna be talking about major plot stuff that isn’t in the first chapter so, uh, spoiler warning also X3

OK!!!! SO MY MAIN CHARACTER BROOK IS BABEY AND I LOVE HER!!!! ABUSE TW THO CUZ BOY HOWDY THIS BABY TRAUMATIZED.

Basically the start of the story happens as she’s running away and escaping from her abusive household, this story takes place in a fantasy world so it’s more of a tower than a house but yk.

Her “mother” is this kind of just,,, awful person that basically just was using Brook as free labor. Like, she found Brook as a toddler literally abandoned by this little brook river thing and called her “Brook Child” because she couldn’t be assed to give her a proper name. There isn’t any actual physical hitting or anything to the abuse but god, if there isn’t just a buttload of neglect and verbal/psychological abuse going on. It’s not uncommon for Brook to have been locked in the basement for days on end without food because she did something wrong.

Brook physically is super scrawny because of this, like you can easily see her bones. She has CONSTANT, DEEP dark circles under her eyes that will probably never go away, and is often fatigued. She has a long scar going down one side of her face (her left, our right), caused by an incident with setting up chicken wire. Between her not knowing how to really deal with that kind of wound at the time and the fact that she’s constantly malnourished, it left a pretty noticeable scar

ALSO FUN FACT BROOK IS AROACE CUZ YIPPEE REPRESENTATION!!!!

After she runs away her plan is to get a few supplies so she can go live on her own because the only real experience she has with other people is her “mother” and just really wants to not be around people who she thinks are going to hurt her… uuunfortunately for her she ends up being peer pressured by a merchant into buying an enchanted dagger that uses up basically ALL OF HER MONEY SHE SAVED UP.

Said dagger comes with a prophecy and is, surprise! Sentient! Yeah so now basically she’s forced to go on this quest now! No living alone in the woods in peace for her! She ends up naming the dagger Willow because of a beautiful willow tree engraving at its base and for the fact that it’s handle is modeled after a winding tree trunk (with THOUSANDS of engraved TINY little symbols and glyphs and spells and the like that looks a lot like tree bark!)

Willow uses she/it pronouns because yes! The engravings that are so tiny you can barely see and make them out is what makes Willow sentient! It’s VERY complex spellwork and may have taken even over a lifetime to create! She is very well crafted :)

She is also VERY blunt. Willow doesn’t understand the complexities of like… softening the blow of its words, so it doesn’t even really try lol. Basically it’s like “ah yeah, you are my wielder so you ARE the one from the prophecy, there’s not any getting out of it, let’s go!”

Willow’s one purpose is to complete the prophecy and is ultimately loyal to Brook till the end because of this. Unfortunately, Willow will sometimes bend the rules Brook set for the greater good of completing the quest. (During their first meeting Brook set the ground rules of no killing, and no hurting people unless absolutely necessary.)

During like, the first few hours after she leaves the trade town she fled to to go get this quest over with she gets jumped by this like 7 foot dude in black armor. This is Quincy.

I love him because there are… a lot of complexities with him lol

Without getting into huge spoiler territories, basically, where he comes from, the prophecy is told differently to the point of where Brook is made out to be the villain of the story. He is trying to protect his family and his home. When scouting her out, he is surprised to see that she’s basically just a kid, but decides to go through with the attack anyways as an attempt to stop the prophecy from being fulfilled.

Brook doesn’t know about this rendition of the prophecy.

So basically he attacks Brook, and Brook tries to reason with him to the absolute best of her ability. Quincy, however, is not open to conversation at that point. With willow’s guidance, she ends up killing him.

She is stunned by this. She watches as he bleeds out on the ground and turns to Willow.

She’s like “we agreed on no killing, this guy looks pretty dead to me!!!” (She’s obviously more panicked than this in the actual story lol)

Willow is like “ok ok fine hold me near him give me a second.”

A fun fact about Willow is that she can act as a channel for magic, and use her wielder’s supply. So when Willow uses a spell, the spell treats Brook as the caster even though Willow is effectively the one to have cast the spell.

This is important because, well, Willow uses NECROMANCY. A FORBIDDEN SPELL. ONE THAT IS FORBIDDEN FOR A GOOD REASON.

In this world, when someone is brought back through the use of necromancy they get revived, yes. BUT THEY ALSO BECOME TRAPPED INSIDE THEIR OWN BODIES AS THEYRE PUPPETED AROUND BY THE CASTER. This tactic was used a LOT in wars before it was outlawed btw, just some world building dont mind me :)

Yeah so basically when under the effects of Necromancy you just have to watch as your body has to follow whatever orders the caster gives you, whether you like it or not. Because it’s the spellcaster’s life force that’s inside of you.

(I have a WHOLE magic system thought out btw, magic is part of living being’s life force. Without it you basically starve. It’s like air and food and water, you NEED it to live, which is why Brook going on a quest to save it is such a big deal)

Obviously Willow is like “here, he should fight with us now :)” and brooks just there like “…” =n= because she knows something is off but she can’t put her finger on it yet but this guy is acting REALLY weird now.

Even being cooped up her hole life as she was, KNOWS THIS SPELL IS FORBIDDEN. So when she finds out it was used, she is rightly upset. She doesn’t know the FULL extent of the spell, she doesn’t know if he’s still THERE or if it’s just his corpse or WHAT, but she feels horrible about the situation and tries to give him as much kindness and freedom as she possibly can. Quincy cannot speak, but is later able to communicate better as he’s given more and more agency. (Given the right circumstances, he MAY be able to regain speech in the future ;) )

Over the course of this situation he kinda goes from absolutely despising Brook, to like “ok… this really is just a kid, I kinda feel really bad now” to “oh my god wait this kid is actually really sweet” to “this is my kid now”

He basically adopts Brook towards the end lol

Brook doesn’t really realize this is happening until about mid-way through the story when she goes to get firewood and says if anyone else in the group wants to they can come with her and he goes with her and she realizes she was addressing the whole group and that they can come if they WANT to. And then she just looks up at him and is like… “did you WANT to come with me?” And he just nods at her and she almost cries lol

I just love them, your honor. Quincy = dad of the year (iiif you get past the bit where he tried to kill Brook but yk lol)

OK NEXT WE HAVE SAM AND JOE!!! MY BOYS!!! THEY ARE BOYFRIENDS!!!!! THEY LOVE EACHOTHER!!!! RELATIONSHIP GOALS!!!

Sam is a wizard and Joe is a werewolf, they’re trying to find Joe’s tether (what will let him stay sane when transformed) they met with Joe in a dumpster and Sam trying to throw out that week’s trash from his apprenticeship <3

Joe comes from a loving family of werewolves and was born as one, his biggest fear is hurting his loved ones, which is why he was so desperate to find his tether. It’s also why he was rooting through wizard’s trashcans when Sam found him lol

They made a deal that Joe would stay out of trashcans (because of the dangerous chemicals and broken glass and stuff) if Sam would help him find his tether.

Sam didn’t actually like his apprenticeship. He was forced into it by his parents because he was “talented” and showed signs of developing into a talented wizard. He once loved performing magic, but being an apprentice stripped it of all of its fun. He neglected his work, causing him to fall behind, he is now self conscious and does not like it when people watch him cast spells.

Sam and Joe bonded over researching to find Joe’s tether and eventually fell in love. They both ran away not long after on a search for any more information they didn’t already have.

Also Joe is afraid of sheep :)

(“I don’t like it when they stare at you with those beady little eyes-“)

Kat is a ghost. She doesn’t remember her past, but she does remember waking up in the middle of the woods one day and never being able to find a way out. She had been alone for god knows how long before someone passed through (that being Brook, Willow, Quincy, Sam, And Joe) so obviously, she had to play a prank on them. GOLDEN opportunity for some entertainment.

Kat has claustrophobia (and because it’s never being revealed in the book I’ll reveal it here: she was buried alive. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit by someone in her adventuring group. The group’s agreed on punishment was for her to be buried alive and abandoned.) often getting flashbacks of suffocating, of cool dirt sticking to her face, muffling her screams and pleas for help.

Kat is very laid back and likes to make light of heavier situations with humor. She is a LOT smarter than she lets on, and has a very strong sense of moral justice. She also has a talent of apperating knives from her ghostly fog. She is very skilled at knife throwing.

Terra (Full name Terra Delah Etang) is a siren originating from Ckorplek, an underwater city found in the mesa reefs. She was a mighty warrior (arguably the strongest and most skilled with her voice) tasked with protecting her people’s most prized possession during an invasion. She dragged herself across the red sand, lake hopping for days before settling in a far off small pond-sized salt water body of water with a small island in the center. She would stay there for years protecting the item with her life. Unfortunately, Brook needs that item for her quest and Terra isn’t exactly willing to give it up.

Yeah they basically kidnap and gag her so she can’t make them kill themselves with her voice lol

They’re not just gonna leave her to die but they’re ALSO not gonna risk their lives letting her go free.

She is a reluctant party member, but as long as she’s with her people’s treasure and she’s able to make sure it’s safe, she isn’t super like… against it? Also they’re her only ticket back to her pond since they are basically wheeling her around in a red wagon full of water lol she still kinda hates them tho

Terra is super hotheaded and isn’t that forgiving of a person so it takes a while before she opens up lol

(She’s kind of like the boblin the goblin of the group in a way if you think about it lol)

Corey is half dead.

During his life, he took care of his mother and younger sister by going on quests and bringing back money. He would often ally with other adventurers to do this, and had a habit of only taking what his family needed of the rewards.

One day, on a quest to Dread Caverns- a cave system known for making your worst fears come to life- as they neared the center, where their prize was, he was betrayed.

Busted up in the fight, and with his head cracked open, he fell to the ground, left for dead, as the team he allied with ran off without him.

Fortunately for him, he landed on a healing potion he kept strapped to himself. Just in case. In the moments just after his heart stopped beating but just before his brain activity died, the glass pierced his skin, and the potion flowed into his body.

Because of this one in a billion timing, Corey was able to survive, subsisting mostly off of the world’s magic. He no longer has a heartbeat, and his left arm and leg no longer work, but he was alive, and stuck in dread caverns for about three years before Brook found him.

Corey has killed before in self defense. During his time In Dread Caverns many would come with the goal of killing him in mind, as rumors would spread of him being the reason the caverns were so dangerous.

Next is a reoccurring antagonist: Zeki.

They use She/They pronouns ;)

Zeki first appears after Dread Caverns in the story and is a well known infamous robber. She is known for kidnapping a member of her target group, and hypnotizing them to give her information and or infiltrate the group in order to easily incapacitate them. She smells of metal and is always followed by the sound of ticking clocks. She has multiple pocket watches hidden on her person at all times.

Zeki was originally the daughter of a prestigious family. They were expected to be perfect every second of every day, and were forced to learn parlor tricks to entertain guests. She would often sneak off into the middle of the night in order to destress and indulge in their true passion, whittling wood into beautiful sculptures. This went on for a long time before they were found out. All of her work was burned and destroyed, and she was cast out of the family with just the clothes on her back, and her grandfather’s pocket watch.

She almost starved before out of pure desperation they attempted one of the parlor tricks they learned. Light hypnosis. She managed to convince a passer by to give her some of their bread, and that was the beginning of their new life. Zeki would get more and more powerful every time they practiced.

Hypnosis only ever lasts from 3-5 days, but varies between that from person to person. Even after recovery, a person may relapse.

FINALLY!!! MY BOI!!!! CORVUS!!!

My lil plague doctor guy!!! I love him!!!

He never takes off his mask, he just doesn’t feel comfortable with it. The only reason he would take it off ever would be to clean it (even then, he makes sure nobody is around) or during a medical emergency.

Corvus is an actual, trained doctor! Which is part of the reason that Zeki decided to keep him as a part of their hypnotized entourage.

He is a sweet and caring guy, and just wants what’s best for everyone! No dark backstory for him other than being a part of Zeki’s crew for a bit, he’s just a lil guy! :3

I’m so sorry this is so long and I’m also sorry about the decrease in writing quality as it goes on lol this took me hours to type out XD

THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INFODUMP IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING LET ME KNOW ID BE HAPPY TO ANSWER!!!!

[artisticbunny]

Presenting: the “What if I just gave my characters a piece of paper and told them to go nuts drawing themselves” challenge!

I couldn’t sleep last night, so I drew this on my phone... please excuse the messiness, I used my thumbs to draw it lol