#But I also wanted to somehow keep some elements of raven in his design

[naberrius]

Next set of moth designs because I can't stop making these 💀

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

HER!!! I definitely had the most ideas story-wise for her that changed from the original canon out of anyone else in the cast

Obviously design notes under the cut-

Alright, a lot of this was trying to synthesize her MH and EAH designs together, but leaning towards the EAH side for reasons

Im also grafting MH Cupids personality onto EAH Cupid. I feel like she was wildly underutilized, and her only arc had to do with her crush on Dexter that I personally found irritating. So, I'm dashing that, and giving her back her serious business attitude when it comes to her job

She's very lively and bouncy and friendly, but she also has a disturbing capacity to be terrifying. Really taking after her Dad there.

Speaking of stealing MH traits, I'm giving her badass crossbow and pink eye glow back

Also! Apparently Cupid is a bone elemental, whatever the hell that means in the monster high world. I'm guessing that involves some control over bones, but I'm interpreting it a little differently. I wanted to keep it tied to Greek mythology, so I decided that, technically, her destiny is to be a psychopomp. Her natural magic revolves around the dead and guiding them to their final resting place, but because of her family she uses those natural inclinations to guide people to new relationships

The shawl with the wing shapes is enchanted to keep her wings hidden. They were given to her by Cupid, but they combined with her natural magic a little... Unsettlingly. When she takes it off the wings burst out and unfurl

She doesn't have a crush on Dexter, but they are super close. Dexter considers her his most trusted friend besides Darling. Instead of the gag being that Dexter is into Raven but Cupid is into Dexter, it's that Cupid is trying SO HARD to get them together, but neither one of them thinks that the other would like them because of wild self esteem issues, so no matter what scenario Cupid sets up neither of them do anything romantic. It drives her up the wall.

I like to think that she's aro/ace, but is still a total romantic. She just loves love! Even if romantic love isn't personally her thing

Also when she uses her natural magic her arms slowly turn black, like ink in a pool of water

Those headphones are permanent. Is she listening to something? Recording her podcast on the go somehow? Is nothing playing at all and she just wants to confuse people? Are they sound proof? You don't know!

[paperstarwriters]

The arcana crew as beast-kin

Why? Because I wanna :P

General notes:

Everyone is based off of the card they’re associated with

Beast-kin tend to have magic that lets them look human (three forms; 1: anthropomorphic beast, 2: human with animal ears/wings and tails, and them as a normal human—I’ll be focusing on the animal aspects)

Just because they can do glamour magic doesn’t mean they can do other types of magic.

They still have their familiars, don’t worry.

If you wanna reference for the first form, just watch Beastars. The design is pretty similar (mainly thinking about the birds)

If you wanna reference for beast-kin in general check out the manga “Milady Just Wants to Relax” it’s what I’ve based the abilities off of and just beast-kin in general.

Asra

This sly fox :)

It’s probably because of my ties with anime but I imagine him like a multi-tailed fox

It’s purely so that you have more tails to cuddle and snuggle with.

You know how when foxes are in the snow they leap into the air then get their whole upper half stuck in the snow?

Well, when Asra hears something they want to catch, or they’re playing with Faust, they sometimes just... well....

It’s funny to see honestly.

Lowkey acts like a dog sometimes. They Loves the pats and chin scratches he can get and will whine until you give him more.

Sometimes you wake up to their tail(s) in your face. Good or bad, you decide.

In most folklore that have them, foxes aren’t exactly trusted, so often, Asra uses his glamour to make himself look like a human. However, when a customer runs unsavoury or maybe there’s just some mean brat that he wants to scare, his shadow still shows off his ears and tail(s)

Cuddles??? Cuddles!!!! Foxes are just so fluffy... Asra is no different. (In fact he might just be even fluffier)

Hate to delve a little into angst territory, but as a child since he was an orphan and all, Asra probably learned to basically act like a dog or a cat depending on the person to get more food, or to convince them that they’re a harmless beast-kin.

Nadia

Design wise, I love humanoid bird designs with their wings doubling as their arms and hands. Don’t ask me how this works logically right now we’re talking about crazy fantasy elements anyways, let me have this.

One thing I cannot get out of my mind is:

Nadia has her back to Lucio and he’s just talking and chattering nonsense. Then Lucio says something insanely stupid or offensive and whoever is talking to Lucio can see Nadia behind him just—

Whips her freaking head around 180°

It’s worse if she’s somewhere dark cause then you just see two red eyes coming into view as she slowly turns to glare at you.

Our queen is proud of her pretty talons, honestly probably spends a day sharpening them with Portia.

Goes out flying with Chandra at dusk if she has the time, and if you can fly (via spells, wings, a broomstick, etc.) you’re welcome to come along

Super accurate hearing. Honestly. It’s hard to hide an injury from Nadia even without her being an owl but she hears you Yelp in pain on the other side of the palace and she’s there in minutes.

Pretty problematic when she has headaches though :(

Preen feathers with her!! She’ll love having you card your fingers though her feathers making them less itchy. You’ll often help her preen after a bath, but honestly she’ll appreciate the sentiment anywhere but during an important meeting. It’s hard to concentrate when you’re providing her such wonderful affection.

Please don’t make owl jokes. She doesn’t like them. Sometimes she just avoids saying “who” so people don’t make that annoying joke. (It’s Natiqa’s favorite joke to make please spare Nadia the pain.)

“...and to whom will I be sending this?” “don’t you mean to “who” Dia?” *glare*

Julian

This is a happy raven ok? HAPPY. no birdie in a cage, ok?

The look we all know is probably his second form leaning to the first. Nadia’s would look somewhat similar

Crows & ravens are pretty dramatic birds. Reminds you of someone doesn’t it?

Idk if Edger Allan Poe even exists in this world, or any variant of it, but if it does... ooohhh if it does... this guy is totally gonna recite the poem in a dramatic flourish, and when he’s drunk you can sometimes find him chanting “ever more” same applies to any and all raven/crow themed media.

Screams. A lot. “Caw, caw b**ch” or “quoth the raven: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

Once convinced a bunch of birds to just go n take a dump on Lucio & his statue. He helped the servants clean when the work was dumped on them but they all agreed the bleat he made was hilarious(more on that later)

Shiny thing collector. Portia tried to get him to clean his stuff up but he has since bribed her out of it with a ball of yarn.

He and Portia make an odd pair of siblings, they’re still pretty much the same though. Crows are kinda just cats with wings.

“One day Illia, I’m probably just gonna eat you.”

*overly dramatic offended gasp*

All in good humor lol

Speaking of, their familiars are the same animal as they are!

So sometimes Julian scoops up Malak and says in a dramatic fashion (because however else would he say it) “I’ve found you my long lost brother! Oh how I’ve missed you!”

Portia does the same (more on that later)

Because his sister is a cat, Julian sometimes does a lot of cat-like things. (Case in point, he bleps. Tongue just kinda left out after yawning or something.)

Flies around with Malak often, like Nadia does, and sometimes carries Portia around with him. Will do the same for you if you want him to, sometimes if you don’t want him to as well. Expect to be grabbed from the ground and flown up into the sky at some point.

Bread. Boy loves his lobster claws but bread is a close second. “Aww yisss motha freaking bread crumbs”

Sometimes on a bad day, he just walks in dragging Pepi behind him who has her mouth latched on his tail

Portia

(If this were modern times) “you know, like, nya~!”

Look. Portia is so sweet to be around. But take that plus PURRING? And a soft as all frick FUR?

Honestly I think that sometimes when with Nadia has a bad headache, Portia purring is a great way to calm her down. You—you lucky MC, get to fall asleep to that.

She falls asleep on your lap and you are stuck there. Bound by a rule that transcends time and space. Her purring does little to aid the fact that YOU NEED TO PEE. The universe does not care of your internal tides, for your lover, who is also a cat, rests in your lap.

When she’s chasing down Julian for something stupid he often yells about being hunted. All in good fun!

“Mazelinka!!! Portia’s hunting me again!!!” “I wouldn’t be chasing you if you’d just clean your stuff!!!!”

Small boxes are her jam! Julian hates them, and like other birds doesn’t like closed spaces, but Portia loves em.

Good at squeezing into and out of tight places. Which is really helpful for sneaking around, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

Swishy swishy tail.

Cast a little light spell for her to case down. She loves it, you love it, Pepi loves it— everyone wins! (Except for the furniture she crashes into)

Yes, she has picked up Pepi before and yelled very loudly for Julian to hear (often after he’s made the joke of his long lost brother Malak) “Oh Pepi, you’re my favorite sister!!!”

On a bad day, Malak may be found in Portia’s mouth. He’s completely unharmed if only a little ruffled, but it’s gotta be a pretty bad day to find her doing that.

If Camio is in her mouth it’s same business as always. She won’t kill hem either but if Mr. Sh**bird doesn’t shut up she’ll make him shut up. You don’t even know why he keeps coming back.

Not all cats like cuddling, but like Pepi, Portia LOVES it. So long as you’re the right person and not someone unpleasant.

Please don’t step on the tail.

As much as she doesn’t like baths she still does properly was herself. She just really doesn’t like it when her fur is all wet and clings to her body. Do you have a spell to dry her off quickly? Please use it. Save her the misery.

Muriel

pretty sure he’s even bigger as a bear. Like, it’s probably because of the added fur but— woah... Big. Bear.

Big arse bear with scars is SUPER intimidating buuuuut you saw him sitting in the sunlight with Inanna once, just napping in the sun. He looked so peaceful and so dang fluffy!!

He enjoys headpats and gets very flustered at belly rubs. He’s seen you do so to Inanna many times probably kinda wanting you to do the same to him though he would never willingly admit it.

When you two get closer expect to spend some time with his head in your lap. Pat his head rub his ears, Inanna may get jealous if you don’t also provide her attention

Just don’t let him fall asleep there, he’s gonna have a sore back later and you’re going to have numb legs.

Hunting, swimming, carrying you, this boy can do it all.

Unlike his usual(cannon) self, Muriel probably doesn’t carve any bear statures. The only one he’d have was probably a gift from Asra. Carves birds, bunnies, foxes, and wolves instead. Does NOT carve goats. Never have never will.

Again I hate to go int angst but Muriel probably wants to get his claws removed somehow. It’d hurt and it probably insanely unsafe, but they were used as weapons before and its one of the things on him that everyone is afraid of. If he could he’d probably try to change his teeth too.

Show him that claws aren’t something to be feared. They don’t have to be a weapon. They help him climb and hunt food and sometimes to even carve wood. Like humans and knives, his claws aren’t bad or inherently evil, and neither is he.

Giant. Teddy Bear. You will be getting hugs and falling asleep with a Giant Teddy Bear.

He probably keeps in his mostly human form though, because he stands out less that way and he looks a little less intimidating.

Short little bear tail on his butt. Plz don’t touch, he’s going to be blushing so hard if you do (let’s be honest, that’s all the more reason to do so)

In “Milady Just Wants to Relax” Beast-kin are feared as monsters and I don’t think it’d do Muriel any good to have to live with that kind of fear from everyone. However, when you come around un afraid and eager to provide head-pats, but patient enough to let him get comfortable with it, Muriel will probably start using less energy to try and glamour himself.

Sometimes he’s so caught up with you that when you go to the market together he forgets to cast a glamour. While some do get scared off most of the people who you buy from are only a little surprised and take things in stride. They still treat him like he’s human, and he’s forever grateful for that.

If I could write a beast-kin version of his route, the moment you and Muriel meet Morga is probably when you first realize he isn’t human. And it’s because Morga pointed it out.

“Why didn’t you fight? As a beast you’re stronger than them.”

He knows you’ve spent time with Asra but he probably assumed they kept it hidden from you most of the time.

Just love him please. Platonic or romantic doesn’t matter, just give him headpats and belly rubs and boop his nose. Keep him assured that you aren’t afraid of this giant teddy bear.

Lucio

We know of both first and second forms. They’re pretty much cannon, but just not a ghost.

Which means you finally get to pet the fluffy white fur.

This also means his horns can do an irritating amount of damage.

Also he’s so much more noisier now

*loud stupid goat noises*

It’s fun to make him bleat a lot. He tends to bleat when embarrassed. If you’re topping him expect a bleat every time you pin him to the wall.

Tries to butt heads with EVERYONE. Please stop him, Lucio is the only prey animal in the lineup!

Seriously, how has he survived this long?? Muriel is a bear! he could just.... chomp.

not that he would obviously, but I don’t think Asra would hesitate after what he’s done to you and his parents...

Portia too for that matter, if she realized that Lucio had forcefully given Julian the plague, Lucio would be forever running from a feral cat.

I know he’s probably skilled in fighting or whatever, enough to take down various fantastical beasts, but stiiiiiiilllll.....

Is it obvious I dislike Lucio?

Grouchy bias aside, Lucio is really good at climbing. Like I’m pretty sure he’s a sword fighter so just imagine him leaping onto ledges in order to get the high ground.

Still uses eyeliner. I don’t know how since he has fur sometimes, but yeah, he still somehow uses eyeliner.

Honestly he probably keeps in a mostly human form or just entirely human form for that reason exactly. It’s just easier to look good when he’s more human.

But if you wanna pet his luxurious fur then he is all but willing to take on his goat form. In fact, if he turns into his goat form around you (which is always) he pretty much expects you to brush his fur or just run your hands through his fur. He will whine very loudly if you don’t.

Spare everyone else’s ears (especially Nadia’s) and just give him the head pats.

[fivegoldpieces]

Talks Machina at Gen-Con Q&A Highlights

Note: This only has the audience q&a portion. Cast answers are transcribed, side-comments and banter are only included if they are relevant to/answer the question posed. Apologies in advance to mobile-users if the read-more doesn't work - this is tagged as #long post if you want to blacklist it.

[[MORE]]

Q: For Matt; might we expect any possible homebrew releases coming out in the next year or so, like dunamancy?

Matt: I have plans. I can't say anything because I want things to be cool and surprising. But I have plans don't worry. It's not that I don't care, it's that I don't have time, but I'm working on it.

Q: For Taliesin; what would make Caduceus really angry?

Taliesin: I will say that he can get angry. It does happen. Juvenile disrespect does eventually get to him. Not a fan of pranking. I mean, you know, everybody's got some layer - there's some stuff. No one's that serene all the time. No one.

Q: For Taliesin; at the end of the Call of Cthulhu oneshot, you mentioned that you had a lot of mouse traps set up. I was just wondering, were the shadow people the most dangerous thing they could've released, or was there a more dangerous horror waiting that they managed to avoid?

Taliesin: I mean, if the cats had been released first, that would have definitely been an interesting thing. The cats would have been a problem. Also, if somebody had died really early, I was setting up a series of rules for dead players to continue to interact, which would have been really really unhappy and bad. And terrible rules for the things that were living behind the glass, and if you were stuck behind the glass, you were right there with them and they could really mess with you. Thankfully none of that happened.

Q: For Matt; you have the Tal'dorei Campaign Setting - I was wondering if you were going to do one for The Mighty Nein campaign?

Matt: I don't have a lot of time. Campaign settings are extensive. I'd like to eventually do something like that. I have materials, it's just assembling them in a way that can be legible by a non-crazy human being that I am. Hopefully! We'll see as time goes on. At the moment, we're consumed with this animated series that you guys helped make happen. Super excited about that. Keep an eye out as time goes on, because hopefully I'd like to get around to that. That'd be awesome.

Q: For Matt; what the hell was up with the undead vibe on Jamedi Cosko?

Matt: Yeah, that's crazy huh? That's a pretty weird thing. Yeah, there was something about him that gives off an undead vibe. Wonder what that means? I appreciate the question, but I don't know if that'll come back into play in some time. Let's see if it gets explored at some point, and if not at least I could tell you at the campaign wrap-up.

Q: For Travis; for the animated series, a lot of the characters have iconic catchphrases so I was wondering how you're going to translate "I would like to rage"?

Travis: Are we going to "translate" that? I think he's just going to say "I would like to rage". Yeah, we are definitely keeping iconic lines, moments, interactions, all those things will be there just as they were.

Taliesin: I'll also add to that - if you want to see somebody doing that and taking things that shouldn't actually work in-game and making them work in-game, Jody Houser is doing a great job in the comic book series of making you feel like somehow Matt is intertwined in everything that happens, it's kind of cool. Check it out!

Q: For Taliesin; a lot of comparisons have been thrown around between Fjord and Percy, and something that I noticed was Uk'otoa is being much more insistent than Orthax was - do you think if Orthax was as insistent and as keen on punishment, Percy might've gone a similar direction as Fjord?

Taliesin: Honest to God, and this is just from watching, I don't think Percy had nearly as strong a will as Fjord does. Watching Travis play Fjord was definitely like, "I did not have the balls to pull that off, oh my God." Percy was never about the hard choice, it was always about "what's the option C that I haven't figured out yet, there's a way to game my way out of this, if I just keep talking I can get everything to work" until the very end. Like chicken? Percy doesn't play chicken.

Laura (using Vex's voice): From firsthand knowledge, Percy does curtail very easily.

Matt: If you actually recall, Percy didn't even make the choice. Scanlan did for him.

Q: For Laura; when can we get a Caduceus tea set?

Laura: Oh, I heard a lot of "ooh's". Who would buy a Caduceus tea set? [audience applause] Well, shit, maybe I should look into it.

Sam: That's so many more people than who voted for me.

Brian: Not to be That Guy, lets just see how long his character lives, before we start making merchandise around him.

Q: For Sam; you are kind of the king of over-the-top and ostentatious whether it be with your character design, or your flasks, or things like that, and especially your outfits at the live events - how do you come up with these over-the-top creations and also how on earth do you plan on topping last night?

Sam: That last part will be hard. I think next year, I'll either come out totally naked or I'll just be so basic - pleated khakis, a polo shirt, I don't know. That outfit last night, it was pieced together from several different stores, I'm sure CritRoleCloset will figure it out at some point. But it was a challenge putting that together. And then, my fellow cast members, like two weeks after I bought all that weird stuff I wore, they were like, "hey let's go goth". So. Fuck you guys.

Q: For Travis; with Fjord's recent decision, do you see him changing outfits to fit his new or old persona?

Travis: I don't think so. Most of Fjord's armor was very piece-mail stuff that he got either from working on the docks, or stuff that he got from Vandren, or items that he was given just as he sort of accrued time and responsibility where he worked. I think that stuff's very dear to him, especially coming from an orphanage where he didn't have any possessions, so all those things that are actually his are very dear to him. He might add to those things, but I think underneath they'll stay there. He might augment them or change them a little bit, in the same way you would draw on your jeans in school or whatever, but that stuff's his so it means a lot to him.

Q: For Travis; after Fjord severed his pact with Uk'otoa, was there a larger fear in telling Beau and Jester what had happened, since he had been traveling with them the longest out of the Nein, or did his journeys with the Nein make that fear equal across all of the party?

Travis: I think actually he was worried about telling Beau and Jester the least, and maybe Caduceus in there as well. He knew he would hear about it from Nott, and Caleb had already sort of started to call him on his shit and saw through a lot of that stuff. He also regards the group as very powerful, so I think a lot of it is turning to his very powerful and talented friends and saying, "I don't have any of that anymore, I hope I can still play with you guys." Legit though, the response was amazing. It was absolutely incredible. Jester is so gregarious and loving and joyful and exuberant that I don't think he was worried about that, I think he was actually looking forward to telling her as one of the first people to know. And Beau is second-mate, so like ride-or-die or right?

Q: For Taliesin; I can totally be wrong for this, but just reading body language and facial features, there do seem to be moments where you're kind of just like, "I'm done with this" - I just kind of want advice, like how do you keep playing when your energy level might be low or you don't like where the story is going?

Taliesin: Oh, that is never "I'm done with this", what you're seeing is the "I'm trying to make sure no one notices that I'm reading my backstory notes". That's me reading, frantically. I'm a big believer in terror, terror is a great way to keep me up. "Oh God, I don't remember anybody's name, oh God how many siblings do I have oh God."

Marisha: Well, also you write your backstories like the Silmarillion, it's like, so intense. I'm like "my dad was mean to me" like that's my backstory.

Q: For Sam; based on the amazing reaction we've had to your DnDBeyond theme and the Critical Role theme, when can we expect a parody version of the 2010 hit "Like a G6" by Far East Movement as "Like a d6"?

Sam: Oh wow, that's good.

Marisha: Not to be that person, it already exists. The Library Bards did it. So, you should check it out. I mean, do a cover, Sam, I don't know.

Sam: There are more songs incoming, just so you know.

Q: For Matt; you say dunamancy can alter the reality and the fate of the person that wields it - is this an affront to the Raven Queen?

Matt: I would say, given the fact that elements of dunamancy deal with the manipulation of probability, destiny, things like that, the Raven Queen is probably not that cool with dunamancy. Just throwing that out there. One of the few things she's probably like, "Really, guys?" So yeah, I'd say you're on the right track.

Q: For Laura and Travis; do you talk to Ronin about your campaign?

Laura: So, Ronin, every Thursday night he stays with a babysitter at home, but he watches the opening of the show. Like, he loves the theme song so much. I sing it every time I change his diaper.

Travis: Same, like I know there's songs that parents sing to their kids - he's heard the damn theme song every day of his life.

Brian: But do you guys change the lyrics though, like "You shit your pants, I'm cleaning it up now", you know what I mean?

Liam: My kids bust into that song constantly. We cannot play a board game or anything. Someone goes "it's your turn" "TO ROLL" every time.

Q: For Marisha; I'm a huge fan of Jocks Machina and hopefully we'll get to see them on the channel one day - will Beau ever join Jocks Machina?

Marisha: What are the requirements, are there prerequisites for joining Jocks Machina? You're kind of the authority on this.

Travis: Guns. Abs. Likes to lift heavy things. Likes to break a sweat. Likes to whoop that ass.

Marisha: Check. Check. ...Check? Check. Hell yeah.

Q: For Matt; this is a rather involved conspiracy theory question, so excuse me - last year when the party was in Shady Creek Run at the Landlocked Lady Inn, they first arrived and there was a doorman named Champ who Keg knew. The next morning, they went down and there was a new doorman who said he'd been working for the Marduns for a few months and had bright red curly hair and vibrant green eyes and acted rather enigmatic and shady and shifty and was saying they should listen more and that he hoped that whatever they were after, they were on the right path. Later, once they recover everyone, Jester is asking the Traveler where he was, and he says he was always there. So my question is this: was that character the Traveler in disguise?

Matt: [several moments of silence]

Matt: That'd be pretty interesting, huh? That's a unique observation. I will confirm nor deny.

Q: For Matt; now that Fjord has effectively broken up with Uk'otoa, what do you think would be a more compelling storyline, or what are you most interested to see: him continue to take levels in warlock, possibly with an Archfey patron, or paladin...?

Matt: Part of what I really enjoy about this game is how the players continuously surprise me. I'm down to see what journey Travis wants to take. I'm curious to see how he takes this next path in his journey and which elements he wants to maintain, what direction he wants to go - he seems to be really finding interest in the Wildmother and talking to Caduceus about that, and that's kind of been an element of breaking that pact at the time, so I'm curious if he's going to continue down that path or see this as a blank slate to continue to grow. I'm interested to see the different decisions that Fjord takes, and Travis does through Fjord, and kind of adjust and build the narrative for that character around that. I can't say I have a specific path that I'm hoping for, because I have no idea what Travis's direct interest is, beyond just the actions he's taken in the game. Yeah, I'm just excited to see where it goes. I really love the idea of not knowing that as the Dungeon Master. As much as it's me building and world-planning, many of you out there who run games as GM know the most exciting part of the game is after all that prep, coming to the table and the players completely surprise you, and you kind of have to think on your feet and go with it. That's the best part of the game for me.

Q: For Marisha; what inspired you to play Beau a bit more shaken about her near-death than some of the other characters?

Marisha: Well, I was at 2 hit points the whole time - Liam can attest to that. So you know, I was kind of role-playing that. Shit's crazy man.

Q: For Liam; so you play your characters, both Vax and Caleb, very emotionally without any hesitation, and you're an experienced actor. What I wanted to ask was, something that people who try to emulate Critical Role don't realize that can happen when you try to put yourself into the character and get emotionally invested is character bleed. I was wondering how you deal with that, if you do at all. Like, if something really emotionally devastating happens to Vax or to Caleb, how does it affect you and how do you deal with it?

Liam: These feel like synthetic memories, so any time the superimposed fantasy friend gets killed or has to leave or whatever happens - that shit we carry around and get upset about. Every time we leave on a cliffhanger and someone's gonna die, we think about it constantly. Vax helped me sort through things, but made me more loyal and determined and willing to take chances - which in life I generally try to avoid conflict. Caleb, I still kind of drive around and think about him and still go, like "why did you do that?" He's really messed up, if I just think like, fireballs and cats like it's fun, and we can make dick jokes and it's fun. But if I really take a minute, I just go "Oh". I feel bad for him, I feel really bad for him. I have fun playing the game, and I love these guys, and I feel bad for my character.

Follow-up Q: Do you have ways that you learned to process that, like if you're at home feeling bummed about something that happened on a Thursday night, and you're like "man I need to get out of this funk"?

Liam: Yeah, I pull my head out of the game. I'll play a game with my kid, or watch a movie with my wife, or go running. Running is great. Not for your knees, but everything else. Or spend time with these guys out of the game. There's lots of ways. We're really invested in their stories, so it sort of drags along like coattails wherever we go.

Matt: To give you examples too, when he says "hanging out with friends", the group that's there, your friends that are in this game that you trust enough? You should all also support each other when those dark moments happen outside of the game. Whenever we lose a character in the game, we have like a wake. We go to an Irish pub that we go to often in Burbank, and we all get drinks and we have a wake for that character. And it's part of that process too. Even though it's imaginary, there's a part of that experience and journey that's come to an end and that deserves its respect as well, and we're all there to support the player. As a playing group, be there for your friends who may be going through that experience, because even though it is make-believe and it's a game, that is still a loss. And that's not a bad thing either. Loss is an important thing to process, because life comes with loss. Part of the wonderful experiences of role-playing games is that it allows us a safe space to explore very positive and very negative emotions in a healthy way and make us better people for it. So just be there for them, be supportive, and be the best friends and co-players you can be.

Liam: Part of the reason, I think, that we get upset when these fictional characters are killed is because we're playing this game of imagination together, and we form a chemistry together where we're like "we get to do this together, and it's always like this, and you're always funny like that, and you're always intense like this" and we really love that chemistry. Then somebody gets killed and they're gone, and that chemistry, which is something that we're like addicted to and love, that chemistry is gone. Like, when Molly was gone. Beau and Molly had this great "fuck you" "fuck you" butting heads thing - that's gone. We're actors, but anyone who plays this game extensively, you love the sort-of second life that you create for yourself and then when the character is gone, you don't have that unique mix anymore.

Q: For Laura; I really love how you play Vex and Jester, even though as two characters, they're pretty different from each other. But sometimes, you have an instance where like, your Laura shows. So I actually just wanted to ask, what was the biggest disconnect you've ever experienced between player versus character? If you've ever felt like, you as a person, as a player, would never ever make a choice in a situation versus what your character would do in that same situation.

Laura: I feel like everything my characters do, I wouldn't do in real life. Like, especially Jester. Travis and I have had these conversations: the joy of playing a character like Jester or like Grog, where you don't have to filter yourself - everybody, I assume, has these random really stupid things that pop up in your brain and you don't say them because everyone would judge you, and they're weird - and as these characters, you just embrace it, and it is so much fun. Talk about character bleed - it is an issue that I deal with now, because Jester has had that effect on me, and so I tend to say stupider things in real life now. No, but I would never deface anything in public, I would never steal anything.

Travis: You're not gonna attach any dicks on the walls.

Laura: I would not attach a dick to a wall in public. Or anywhere. I do eat a lot of donuts though, that's on me.

Q: For Matt; we've explored several places in the multiverse in your games, like the City of Brass, the Feywild, places like that - are there any places in the multiverse like the Astral Sea or somewhere that you, either as a player or as a GM, would have liked to have gone but have never had the time or resources to do?

Matt: Interesting. I do have some places that I really would like to explore, whether in this campaign or campaigns down the road. Astral Sea is interesting, it's a really weird amorphous plane, and I just love the prospect of one day throwing an Astral Dreadnought at these poor guys. He's my second to the Tarrasque. Oh they're fun, they're a good time. I've always loved Planescape. The City of Sigil would be great for obvious reasons of course. So I can be like, "no guys, this is where I learned my wrong pronunciation". But the City of Doors is awesome. Lady of Pain is a great element. Those who watched the Search for Bob oneshot, there was a Lady of Pain reference dropped in there. If you missed it, you can go back and look. Maybe there's a few doors in Sigil that lead to Exandria, who knows. Think about that for your home campaigns, huh? I want to go into some deep Abyssal planes too. We've been to the City of Dis, we've seen a little bit of the Nine Hells of Baator, though maybe not the harsher places. There's so many to explore!

Q: For Sam; Matt has said on Twitter that one of the ways you guys handle the pressures of the Kickstarter and the intense dramatic moments in the campaign is by checking in with each other and checking in on each other's mental health. I know you take on a lot of responsibilities with doing the DnDBeyond ads and the songs that you write and also your characters are often joking around with other characters and giving them a hard time so I was wondering, from your perspective, if you could give some details, without giving away anything too personal, on how to properly mentally check-in with your fellow players and just help everybody and check that everybody is doing okay.

Sam: Well, I'm learning from these guys, as we go, how best to do that. I'm weird in that, as weird as I am on-screen, I don't really talk very much when we're off-screen, or I keep my stuff to myself, more than some of these guys do. But they have, in the last few years, helped me sort of connect more with my best friends here. You know, we do check in a lot with each other, thanks to Matt and thanks to all of us. For instance, yesterday morning we all had breakfast together. It was really nice - we just talked about stuff, and it was just great to just sort of reconnect with everybody. I'm not an expert at this in any way, and in fact, on this stage, I am the least good at it, but I have endeavoured to become better at it. Opening yourself up to your friends and feeling comfortable enough to share your past or your worries for the future with your friends and not getting any judgement back is like, the greatest gift. If you have that with one person, it's amazing. If you have that with all of these people? Holy moly, it's the greatest thing in the world. I've tried to be better at sharing my stuff with them and being there for them. That's all I can do.

Q: For Marisha; in campaign one with Vox Machina, there's a lot of powerful badass lady NPCs, so if by chance, it all worked out timewise, who do you think Beau would be most likely to have a crush on?

Marisha: Kima. Yeah. Keyleth very much emulated Allura, and really looked up to her and kind of looked at her as a powerful female figurehead and took notes for leadership through her. Beau would just wanna fuck.

Q: For Liam; what do characters do in the campaign that you find funny no matter how old it gets?

Liam: Everybody throw in on this one. I'll never get over Laura waggling her eyebrow every third word in the game.

Taliesin: Slow snicker every time there's even vaguely a possibility of a dick joke.

Travis: I'd say every time there's a pain reaction out of Nott. It is hysterical to me.

Liam: I like any time, just the concept of death comes up or Molly - anywhere, in the game, out of the game - one of these people would be like, "Like you, you're dead!"

Laura: Uk'otoa.

Q: For Laura; do you think the volcano would be a good spot for Traveler on?

Laura (using Jester's voice): Okay here's the thing. Like, I totally did at first and I need to talk to him, because I think that now it's probably not, because it wasn't very expansive really, as big as I thought it would be, and there wasn't like a lot of beds, and like, no real good food. So, I don't know how many people are coming, but like, even just getting to the nearest hotel was really difficult, you know?

Matt: I love the idea that half of your sketchbook is Jester's tiny Yelp reviews of locations in Wildemount.

Q: For Laura; with all of the throwback to Vox Machina and Whitestone in the week before, how are you feeling with all of it?

Laura: I'm feeling very nostalgic.

Laura (using Vex's voice): Also, I would love for everyone to come visit.

Marisha (using Keyleth's voice): Me as well.

Laura (using Jester's voice): And also, if we did, I think we would cause a lot of problems.

Marisha: New pitch - Travelercon at Whitestone. We know the food is good, lots of lodging and room and board, no dead people in trees anymore.

Laura: All of the residuum that you could ever hope for.

Brian: And endless booze.

[Panel end]

[madlymiho]

Hello dear <33! Of course, you may request this!! This drabble is LIFE, and I enjoyed so much to write this!

Really I hope it would suit you! 💖 I put all my heart in this continuation! Amazing topic, love the idea that after all those reckless intercourses, they are finally facing some unexpected consequences!

Oh oh and yeah, it's suitable for once! ~

Words : 2930

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Crocodile - Scenario Part 4 (read after the cut)

Crocodile didn’t plan that he would be gone for so long. The mission in the New World was utterly different from any other one, and a simple trip of two weeks has ended up in the longest business he had to close for a long time. Now that he reaches his mansion’s door, Crocodile feels how much all of this adventure has deeply tired him. Lazily smocking on his cigar, creating a puff of grey cloud around his shoulders, he lifts his chin and looks up at the radiant stars, gleaming in the nocturnal sky. For a moment, he listens to the sounds of the house, feeling at ease to recover his common environment. The soft splashing sound of the fountain in the flowered garden. The appeasing clinking of the night insects. Everything feels like a suspended moment, and Crocodile can’t help but let lose a quick but real sigh of blissful.

“Sir,” someone greets at the door.

Crocodile, brought back to reality, gazes at his coworker with an eternal severe look. He didn’t even hear him open the door.

“Mister 1.” He greets back, making his way inside the mansion.

Almost by instinct, Crocodile can’t help but checks at the coats on the coat rack, searching for a particular element. He eventually spots a brown trench with a white fur around the collar, classy but also very feminine, and for one second, he smirks, satisfied.

“It seems that Name isn’t on the loose for once,” Crocodile comments, removing his own raven long jacket from his large shoulders. “It’s almost impressive.”

Daz Bonez blinks, grabbing his boss’ dark cap as this one extends it to him.

“I think it’s my duty to warn you that she doesn’t feel good for several weeks. Yet, she continually insist not to see the doctor, Sir.”

Crocodile raises an eyebrow, intrigued by his subordinate’s statement. He eventually shrugs, extracting a long cloud from his cigar. He forces himself not to care too much about this odd situation, preferring to have a long night of sleep before their next meeting tomorrow, where he’d be more able to judge her condition. However, since Daz Bonez is still staring at him with a strange light in the eyes, as if he’s waiting for a certain reaction, Crocodile exaggeratedly sighs and nods. After all, he knows that he needs to act like a boss would do, and even if this girl is particularly hard to handle, he still cares about his employes.

“I’ll take care of this tomorrow. Good night, Mister 1.”

***

Indeed, that’s what he does. After a short but restful night, Crocodile is already ready to take care of everything in the mansion. First, he needs to have a quick check on every of his business, hoping that there’s nothing alarming. Second, and also very important to him, finds out what’s wrong with his tiny secretary. It’s not in her habits to show any form of weakness, and it clearly bothers him. So Crocodile walks in the meeting room with the most determined eyes ever. His partners are already here, standing back up from their chair to greet him. Crocodile lets his gaze travelling through the entire room, surprised, but also upset, to notice that she’s not here yet. He throws a furious look at Daz Bonez, yet, his subordinate doesn’t show any kind of emotion. Frankly wrathful, Crocodile decides to start the meeting anyway, sitting on his favorite chair. He lazily grabs the papers in front of him, his boring gaze wandering on the symbols noted down there, until he eventually hears a timid knock on the door. Daz Bonez immediately reaches the entrance of the room, opening it to let her in.

“Oï, Name, you’re…,” Crocodile makes a pregnant pause, almost surprised by her complexion. She seems at the edge of fainting. “Late.”

She nods, impatiently scratching the skin of her arm, making her way quickly to her usual chair. She doesn’t bother to answer, and for once, Crocodile wishes she would open her mouth and delights him with one of her everlasting comebacks. Yet, she remains quiet, gathering the documents in front of her, avoiding Crocodile’s stare. There’s something different about her. She seems exhausted; dark circles surrounding her beautiful almond-shape eyes, her complexion almost grey, like a faded flower. He’s unconditionally sure that she has lost some weight as well, her jaw slightly hollowed, which gives her a spectral aspect. Yet, has his eyes continue their journey on her body, he spots a light swelling of her belly. He raises a curious eyebrow, unable to find a link between her disastrous features and her rounder tummy, to the point that he starts to believe she might have an aggressive form of infection. He pinches his lips, furious that she let herself go that way, and promises himself that he will drag her to the doctor right after this meeting.

“Alright, gentlemen, let’s begin.” Crocodile orders, maintaining his everlasting unconcerned face, since he has a business to rule, and other problems to take care of.

However, as Daz Bonez usually acts during these meeting, offering to each of them a cup of coffee, he notices that her secretary repulses it violently, pouring the burning liquid all over the table. She presses a hand over her mouth, struggling against a powerful retching, already back on her feet. Before Crocodile could say anything, she’s already running somewhere, disappearing for the rest of the day.

***

If it’s not infectious, then what it is? Crocodile, eyes closed, his head falls back on his back chair, tries to assemble all the missing pieces of the puzzle. He feels there’s something he doesn’t understand, and this situation starts to get under his skin. It’s been three days since he’s back, and clearly, she’s not going any better. She avoids him at any cost, locked in her room as if she’s keeping the darkest secret ever. Secret. Yes, it feels more like an impossible confession she’s trying to hide. Something which would match her odd condition. The more he thinks about it, and the more he gets close to an hypothetical answer, and for once, his throat goes dry and his mind is nothing but a burning pyre. If this theory is real, then he understands why she’s suddenly wholly different, turning into a devastated ghost who has abandoned the fight. A curse she can’t take upon herself, carrying a secret not only in her mind, but also in her belly.

Crocodile stands back up, slamming his glass of whisky on his wooden desk. There’s no any other possibility; no other option. Every single signs of an early pregnancy are here, and if it’s real, then he needs to muster up his courage and talk to her. He knows her enough to understand that she plans for her departure. She’s ashamed, unsure, terrified at the idea to carry his child. She doesn’t love him, or at least, this is what she tries to believe. To despite him is her only way to find the courage to leave his house, disappearing somewhere he wouldn’t be able to find her. Yet, Crocodile can’t really figure out what are his own emotions at the moment. She has been reckless, once again, ignoring all the risks to have him in her bed, moaning under his touch as she wasn’t fully protected. He’s furious, towards her, but also against himself ; all those years of manipulation to end up with a bastard in a secretary’s tummy, what was he thinking about, really?!

Bastard? Crocodile freezes, mortified by his own thought. Clearly, this is not a bastard that she’s carrying. This is the unexpected fruit of two lovers who certainly have been imprudent, but have somehow loved each other, at least that’s what he hopes for. He pinches his lips, pushing his fist and his hook down on the table, bending his chest, like he suddenly feels his torso becoming tighter. What should he do, now? What is his role in all of this? Crocodile sighs, his eyes brushing the papers in front of him as her name appears on every of them. He knows what he has to do. He needs to act like a man.

***

The room is plunged into the darkness. There’s only a couple of candles lighting the bedside table which offers a timid clarity for his eyes. He hears a soft and deep breathing coming from the bed, and for a second, it reassures him ; she’s not gone. She’s profoundly asleep, hunched into a foetal position, her sleep apparently broken. She’s mumbling a few words, and Crocodile finds her a bit pitiful like this. He hesitates for a second, but then, he decides that it’s more than time to have this little talk together. Tomorrow, she might be gone, and he can’t bear the idea to lose her because he couldn’t put aside his pride for once. He first removes his golden hook, not particularly enjoying the sensation of his missing limb on the mattress, but he doesn’t want to hurt her, if she would ever try to get away from his grip ; and he knows her enough to believe this is a thing she might do. Beside Daz Bonez, she’s the only one who has ever seen his handless arm, and somehow he hopes that it would be a proof of his benevolence, and that he came here metaphorically unarmed and without any design to harm her. Once he’s eventually ready, he slides himself into the sheets, still entirely dressed, careful not to wake her up. For a moment, he remains still, simply lied on the silken sheets, his eyes watching her closely. She’s far for being peaceful, even in her deepest sleep. Her eyebrows are furrowed, and for some reasons, she presses her tiny hand directly on her swollen tummy. He slides himself closer, spooning her gently, his massive arm curled around her waist, until she eventually breathes more vividly, her eyes wide opened.

“Easy,” Crocodile whispers, feeling how tensed her body is against him.

She doesn’t even turn her head, preferring to remain mute. Her fingers scratches the skin of his arm, desperately intimating him the order to go away. Yet, he doesn’t obey, his digits suddenly spreaded wide open to cup her entire belly, pressing it gently to feel that specific hardness he’s looking for. His heart pumps strongly against his chest, like it would cross this muscle barrier to explode in the tensed atmosphere. She’s now shaking, her whole body wilted under his touch, her face flushed against the pillow. When he finally finds the courage to caress her rounder belly, he hears a plea coming from her mouth, something desolate and almost unbearable to handle. He presses his lips against her forehead, somehow hoping it would cure her wounded heart, but all she does is flinch.

“Crocodile… I can explain myself,” she tries, her voice struggling to break the barrier of her lips.

“Sssh, don’t talk.” Crocodile snaps with a severe voice.

It almost sounds like one of his numerous emotionless orders, and he curses himself for being such a cold man at the moment. Yet, he still doesn’t know how to react. Feeling this tensed body against him, but also this roundness under his large palm, bring many emotions in his dry heart. He usually always knows what to do, how to deal with emergencies and unexpected situations. But this? This requires so many change. He has never truly desired a family of his own, his business way too dangerous and time-consuming to have another useless burden. However, here and now, as he presses his torso against her small body, circling not only one, but two lives, he feels different. He feels finally as a whole. No more missing parts. No more everlasting conquests around the world. Everything he craves is right under his palm, not entirely alive, but already present, peacefully growing into the womb of a woman he has once despised. What an unexpected twist of fate. He can’t help but let lose a soft laugh behind her ears, setting ablazed her curiosity, but also her anger.

“There’s nothing funny about it, Crocodile!” She finally snaps, rolling on her hips to eventually face him.

So there she is. For a few days he has thought that she wouldn’t ever be back at her true self. Yet, her fierce look is still present, gazing at him through the darkness of the room. He grins, wildly, his old habits coming back as he softly cups her jaw, putting a strand of her long hair behind her ear.

“There you are, untamable creature,” he greets teasingly, vivified by her furious features. “I’m not mocking you, Name. We need to talk about it, though. It’s a serious matter.”

He sighs loudly as he loses his smile, his gaze travelling through her tired face for a moment, before he eventually points at her covered tummy, the roundness slightly noticeable under her short night dress. She bites her bottom lip and looks down, her nose digging a bit more into her pillow, as she presses a timid hand on her belly, as if she’s not entirely ready to accept this situation. She looks weak, almost like a child, yet he still can feel this wild strength emanating from her every movements. She’s lost, but she’s still fighting, and somehow, this is something he has always loved about her. She eventually gathers her courage, putting her elbow on the pillow to lift her chin, her face resting on the palm of her hand, as she faces Crocodile, her deep worried eyes digging in his impassive stare.

“I’m listening.” She says severely, her eyes serious.

He slightly grins, trying his hardest not to make a comment about her situation, remembering her that she’s still his secretary. But then, as he thinks about it, Crocodile furrowed his eyebrows, adopting a colder face.

“I figured out that you’re carrying my child,” he begins, his voice low and deep. “This is something reckless. I don’t want a family. I’ve never wanted one. You may understand that I’m concerned, but also disappointed,” he states, watching her eyes remaining still, yet full of anger and tears. “I’ve never wanted to have a family because I’m a businessman, and I have no use of it. I don’t want any burden in my path, and bringing children in my outlawed business is nothing but a stupid idea. And you must know that I despise stupid matter. I don’t have time for this, Name.”

She rolls up her lips like a wild animal, her gaze nothing but a ravenous fire, preparing herself to answer to this insult. Yet, he lifts one ringed finger, keeping this patronizing face.

“No, let me finish. You’ll have all the time of the world to let me know your deepest thoughts about the situation, but for now, you listen to me, and you do it quietly.” Crocodile orders, his hand firmly grabbing her shoulder, until she eventually bites her lips and allows him to continue. “All of this, what I’ve just said, this was my prepared speech for the past few days. I may be harsh, and sometimes severe with you, yet I’m still not a liar.”

She blinks, unable to understand what is his point. He remains silent, his gaze travelling through her body to eventually digs in her eyes. His hand on her shoulder moves slowly, coming up to cup her jaw, his thumb fondling her cheek.

“I don’t want you to go,” He simply states, his voice slightly tender than usual.

“But…,”

“If you go, you better be sure that I’ll use all the necessary means to find you, and bring you back here.”

“This is not your choice…,”

“It is,” he says more loudly, almost like a cry from his heart. “You’re the mother of my heir. Do you really believe that I would let you run away, Name? So I…,” he marks a pregnant pause, closes his eyes for a second, and lets out what he couldn’t say before. “I beg you to stay.”

She freezes at the last sentence, tears falling quietly on her cheek, his thumb gently wiping them. Her lips are trembling, her vision blurry, her whole body shaking under his touch. Crocodile doesn’t want to be harsh anymore. He moves his hips forwards, to bring his body closer, until he has a better access to her waist, pulling her against his chest. She doesn’t protest, her face finding its favorite place in the crock of his neck, her hands gripping the edge of his collar, humming his manly scent she deeply enjoys. She finally allows herself to let go all of her anxious feelings, her voice echoing in the room as she cries loudly, sometimes hiccuping between two breathing. He kisses her forehead, putting his jaw against her hair as his hands cautiously fondle her back.

“It’s alright.” Crocodile simply whispers, unable to find any other words tonight.

He doesn’t know if this situation is alright, but he believes for sure that she needs to remain by his side. He craves to tell her that he wants her to be the mother of his child. That his heart is pumping furiously against his chest. He wishes he has the courage to say that he’s terrified to become a father, but also profoundly sorry to inflict her such a heavy burden. However Crocodile is a proud man, and silence is his better option. At least, it is for tonight, as he makes her roll her hips, spooning her delicately, his large ringed hand finding its way back to the roundness of her tummy, where their most beautiful secret is peacefully growing.

[chroniclerofthedeep-blog]

No More Need of You - Star Wars OC Fan Fiction

“This infernal mob is just, disgusting, do they not know who they are threatening?!”

The Third Brother stood there, a dull look on his face as always as he listening to this idiotic man prattle on. Overseer Bergen Vaza, 46 years old and with a troubled record in the past but somehow, he was allowed up this far in the Imperial government on Crillmar. The force-adept considered how the other had gleaned this power. Blackmail? Treachery? All he knew for certain was that he had grown a bit podgy since the images the Brother had seen had been taken. Either that or he’d payed off a splicer to edit away his extra weight…

“You, Inquisitor, why haven’t you gone out there and put them in their place?!”

The Mikkian looked up to stare at the other in front of him who had turned his head to the right as he stood irate at his desk, face red. Several other Imperial officials stood or sat in the room while two stormtroopers stood by the exit door at the far end of the almost palatial quarters. The red skinned alien gave a subtle gesture of his head and his mask folded away as he took a few steps closer to the desk. He felt the uneasiness in the room heighten yet the Overseer still stood there, looking as whiny as ever.

“Because I am not here to deal with the miners Overseer, I am here to deal with their leader. This false Jedi or however he styles himself is locked deep in their stronghold, something you have failed to breach or even get close to for the past 12 rotations. I will not however, just barge in and kill the entire population of some 3000 miners who could be serving the Empire well. They are not though, because they are angry with how you have treated them. I will and am here to cut off the head of the serpent to help you then keep them in line. Is that understood.”

The icy silence that followed his crisp and curt retort to the older man with finally ended with a snort as the fat Imperial official took a seat in his chair, grunting with the exertion.

“Well…fine fine, get on with it. All my resources are at your disposal Inquisitor, but let me tell you, we’ve tried everything I could think of. Nothing has worked so far, so, I implore you to try to find a better way.” He waved a grubby, grasping hand to one of the officers in the room who quickly stood up and crisply gave a salute.

“Captain Dennels there will help you get to our Operations Center and help you out. He also does things with the stormtroopers and all that…”

“If you’ll follow me Inquisitor.” the man said to the Brother in a formal Core accent, leading him out of the room as the other officers followed them out of the room. The meeting was over and as they moved closer to the more public hallways, the Inquisitor closed his helm so again his eyes were met with the familiar red-tinged sight he had possessed these past 10 years or so.

When they arrived in the bustling room, they were greeted by the turning body of an auburn haired woman who gave them a tight smile before turning back away from them again. Her hair was held up in a bun while her outfit was like that of any other Imperial officer, and in this case had the minor differences of a captain on her badge.

“Who ar-”

The Third Brother cut in listlessly. “This is the captain who accompanied me on my journey, Besla Venow. She is merely here to ensure our ship is protected and the ships we have with us are used well in the upcoming operation. Can you please call a general meeting around the holotable of everyone that could be of use in this room.”

The raven haired man gave a quick nod and gestured at several people to approach, oddest of all a cadet with black markings and a black dot on his helmet.

“Why is this cadet here.” The Third Brother said, bristling a bit as his body turned to face the table, his head still trained on the child however.

“Well. Cadet Tamri here is actually a miner’s son. His father is one of the few who sees the benefit in Imperial work yet doesn’t have the clearance currently to enter our base. In any case, youths such as the cadet here seem to know places adults rarely do.”

The red-skinned alien nodded. “Mm, tis true, but in any case for now I need to be briefed more. I would hazard a guess that the foundry explosion and small attack I faced when I arrived was not the full brunt of the rebel miners or their forces.”

“Right you are sir.” A bushy-bearded face stepped closer to the table and changed its viewpoint from the main Imperial base to a region very close by, given how slowly the hologram panned over.

“Inquisitor, this is Commander Branson, he’s been here since year one of this planet’s Imperial presence.” Dennels said quietly as the cadet came to stand slightly behind him.

“Never seen an Inquisitor until now…you heh, make quite the impression.” he chuckled a bit before he refocused on the task at hand, the light laughter he’d been expecting not emerging. The image he showed was one of the many mesas that dotted the surrounding region.

“The miners are holed up here, at the Keep.” Suddenly the huge rock formation was sliced open to show an intrigue and vast cave, a village-citadel combined around a central pillar while also being built into the walls.

The Brother leaned back and quirked his head. “That is…certainly formidable.” Several other people came around the table to glance at the new image, Belsa leaning forward the most to peer through squinted eyes at the various smaller features.

“Hm, seems to be an Old-Republic Era construction with rounded corridors, hallways and a central column structure that doubles as the headquarters for the overseers and other officials…yet here we sit in this…base. Why was the Imperial command area of this planet moved here?” the peering woman said, her eyes popping up for a moment at the others while she spoke.

There was a small ripple from the group there. Branson providing a gruff answer.

“About 3 years into our occupation here, Overseer Vaza decided it was best to pull out of the Keep to allow even more room for miners…but the miners instead turned it into a sort of public square area and from then on, they started to get…rowdy.” he sighed out at the end and cleared his throat a bit. “But, back to the matter at hand, the Keep was indeed designed in the Old Republic Era and has formidable defenses. The wild monsters that lurk in the deserts on this world needed to be kept out so a heavy front gate was constructed as well as a reinforced interior. Turrets were set up to fire on any attacking foe and these line most of the formation, all being controlled from the control center near the top of the column. In addition, the air shafts were all left open to the elements but have since been heavily protected by the miners. We barely even managed to close off one of the five.”

At each point, the hologram flashed the area he was pointing at red, first the front door, then the command center and after a final pan, the exterior turrets. Finally, five lines running down from the rock formation’s surface into the hollow space.

The Mikkian’s tendrils wafted in the air behind him the whole time as he stood there, a flat expression on his face as his eyes flicked across the hologram. The helmet interior provided additional information for him which he turned off as he looked up at everyone save Besla, still leaning down and peering.

“Why haven’t you used bombers or charges to blow a hole big enough in the structure to perform a mass assault.” he asked as he slowly walked away from the table, heading for the commanding viewpoint the center’s glass window gave him.

The young cadet piped up “The Keep is supposed to be preserved at all costs sir, it’s a very well designed facility and it’s loss here would set the mining projects back almost a decade!…the Overseer doesn’t want that. Also, he says it’s all about that J-” A gloved hand appeared on his shoulder, pushing him back a bit as Captain Dennels stepped forward after this silencing maneuver.

“We’ve been trying to keep damage to the base a minimum. We are certain that if the leaders were captured and executed, the others would fall into line, like Tamri’s father.” Dennels calmly said as he advanced towards the armored superior slightly, stopping just before the stairs up to the platform where the Inquisitor stood.

The Third Brother turned around and rapidly spoke as he stepped down the stairs and moved to the exit door. “Cadet, with me, we are going to infiltrate the Keep now. The rest of you ready your forces to attack the front gate and Captain Venow, get our bombers ready to attack.”

There was a small stir in the room as people watched him start to leave and looked at each other. He stopped in the doorway and turned his head to the left, stating again “Cadet, with me.” before he exited the room.

“So, what are you?”

The Third Brother stopped his crawling, pausing for a moment which caused the boy behind him to also stop.

“Race I mean, what um. Kind of alien are you.”

The Inquisitor gave a small nod at the better phrasing and replied in his dull toned voice “I am a Mikkian. My people don’t travel into the outside world much so it’s likely you won’t see too many of us throughout your hopefully long service to the Empire.”

The two resumed their crawl in quiet. They had been very stealthy in their approach, travelling in a wide arc away from the small wasteland that had formed between the Imperial Complex and the Keep before approaching their destination through a secret maintenance tunnel. The Inquisitor had encountered it when scanning the records of the base which he had done as he had been standing there looking at the table in the meeting, searching for his way in. The few reports he found under the fresh Imperial data was from roughly 10 years before the Clone Wars, where a series of notices first asked people to stop using the old access chute for smoking on break, then a demand which finally turned into a note of closure. So now, the two smaller figures crawled through the narrow chute, the Inquisitor’s red blade heaving easily cut past the welded plates that kept others from gaining access. Cobwebs and dust lightly drifted in the dank tunnel of metal but eventually, they found their way out into the Keep.

Crawling into a room carved into the rock, they both moved to stand up and scan the space. Several crates lay nearby, all empty of their original contents. With a few taps onto the device in his artificial limb, the Inquisitor’s probe droid came racing into the space from the outside and with a few chitters, got down to scouting for them. The cadet slowly move on ahead with the droid at his side, an antenna extended as it scanned the storerooms they found themselves in. The cadet himself meanwhile, kept ducking and pressing himself up against the walls as he held his E-11. Their leader stayed closer to the rear, tapping at his wrist device to communicate with his probe and also call up all information relevant to his interior visor. He eventually turned the feed off as they continued to sneak around. There was just, nobody around, no guards yet or even maintenance droids.

They made their way out of the storage rooms and quickly pressed themselves against the wall, staring up in awe and observation at the Keep around them. They had emerged out on what was about the third floor of a some thirty floor structure, the floor of the base stretching out beneath them until it met with the central column that rose up from the middle of the huge space and met the ceiling. Along the walls were doorways, windows, lifts and hanging laundry that all led up until the roof became too steep and was cut off. They clung to the shadows, the space illuminated by lighting attached to the walkways. The small group remained to the side, keeping out of sight of the rough and tumble miners who patrolled the area.

The Brother turned to look at the young man and said “Take my droid, head up to an electrical box and cause some…mayhem. Hide afterward and wait for a signal.”

The youth nodded before he darted a few looks around and plunged back into the hallways, closely followed by the probe. The droid’s feed entered a small circle in the corner of his helmet as he slowly headed into the space. He felt eyes snap to him as he also saw that the other two had reached a box.

“Stop there!” one of the men gruffly shouted out, staring down from a catwalk.

The Third Brother instead called his lightsaber to his hand from his back, activating it. There were gasps and the male Mikkian felt awe and shock enter through the room.

“Another Jedi?” he detected someone mutter to their fighting companion.

He gave a snarl and muttered “Certainly not.” as the lights suddenly went haywire and he got to work.

He headed up the final few steps to the peak of the column at the center of the base, cutting down the final guard in his way as he finally stepped into the control chamber. The man he’d just killed hadn’t even fully hit the ground behind him as he entered, the door closing with a hiss behind him. There stood his quarry, a half-trembling male Theelin who was aghast by him.

“S-such darkness…” he muttered out as he stumbled back, his hand on a metal cane. Yet his other hand was free and he brought out a unadorned lightsaber as the armored other approached. He ignited its green blade and held it out before him in a weak attempt at defense. The Third Brother brushed past him, using a push and hold to keep him against a nearby wall. His eyes kept forward as he scanned the control consoles. Still using his hand, he placed his now deactivated lightsaber on the bank of controls and started tapping away at the terminals.

“What happened to you -” the male started to ask but the Third Brother whipped around, yanking him closer with the Force as his hissed “Don’t say it.” before he pushed them back, sending the male sprawling back along the floor. He came to a stop shortly before the door and lay there, coughing.

The Mikkian turned back to his task to deactivating the defenses and opening the front door. He was about to succeed when he felt a ripple in the Force and just barely dove away as the green lightsaber flashed across the space he has occupied. The Theelin was not as injured as he seemed, a ruse obviously as the Third Brother then called his lightsaber to his hand, leaping out of another swipe. Then began a more traditional battle, the Theelin and the Mikkian dancing around the room, landing the occasional kick or force move on the other but never failing to recover. With each parried swing however, the Inquisitor grew more and more aggressive. This battle impeded him, it stopped his duty here, it was aggravating!

He finally had enough and with a series of pushes and backflips, he tapped the final few buttons he needed to and signaled the Imperial forces through his helmet as he turned to now look at the Jedi, panting with sweat coming down off his brow.

“Why!” the male shouted angrily at him.

The Third Brother darkly smiled as the other was giving in to the Dark Side. “Because this world is needed for the future of the Empire.” he said before he slowly pivoted around. “And this world has no more need of you.”

With a double handed push, he sent the other force wielder crashing into the door and then, as the door too was pushed off of its tracks, flying over the railing and out of sight.

He turned back to the console and activated the projector, Besla Venow’s crisp figure appearing to him.

“Mm, excellent work Inquisitor, the outside forces are crumbling and our troop transports are heading inside now.”

He nodded, hearing the sounds of blaster fire echoing in the space before he deactivated the hologram. He paused and went back to searching the computers. There, within all of this data, he now had what he had suspected. He then headed back to the now broke down door and igniting his blade. Starting it up, he leapt off of the tall structure and slowly drifted downwards to the battle below to help end the conflict once and for all.

“Ah, excellent work Inquisitor…” the Overseer began to speak before the Mikkian simply lopped off his head. The entire party of a very dirty Cadet Tamri, several minor officers, Captain Dennels and Commander Branson all stiffened. They stood there outside the Keep as vehicles slipped past and troopers were beginning to march the miners away. Fear hung in the air like a Falleen pheromone, oozing from the miners as well as the assembled party of officers.

“He allowed this entire event to occur, he left weaponry for the miners to take, he dismissed talks of their mobilization and activities, all to gain glory for himself in the end by defeating them. What he didn’t count on was their devotion to freedom and their ability to modify the weapons he let them steal. He was an ineffective Overseer here and I hope his replacement is far better than he ever was.”

With that, the Inquisitor turned around and moved to walk away, followed by his probe.

“W-wait, wh-” Captain Dennels started soon after him.

“You. I have already given my recommendation to Governor Rais but I suspect my choice will be respected in this matter.”

“Th-” Dennels tried to thank him only to be silenced by a wave of the Mikkian’s hand.

“Serve the Empire, maintain the order so needed in this galaxy Captain, and you will get very far.” the Inquisitor said before he headed off. The sun was low in the sky and a final boom echoed from the Keep.

It was over.

(Artwork of OC made by amazing artist Charles Tan - https://charlestan.tumblr.com/)