#I think it's high time I finally design them a proper ref

[spotlightstudios]

Wip of Pharaoh (who I'll probably be renaming) my og Fursona!

[purfectmlpblog]

*Almost done with the pony-spam, I promise lmao* -Here's some girlies I've been meaning to introduce here for the loooongest time; a core lineup of M6 daughters from my own personal/main NG-AU (also known as the "Diamond-Verse")~ 💜🌈.

Not sure how often I'll draw/do much with these six save for the refs I made for them here, but its been a blast to finally design them out nonetheless (esp since some of them I had in the back of my mind for years😭). Maybe someday I'll get around to drawing their siblings/other NG characters I wanted to add for my AU, soooo stay tuned for that if you're curious! :>

Character info for each fankid can be found below👀:

-Glitter Hollow, young adult unicorn daughter of Twilight Sparkle & Tempest Shadow. Born with the special talent of potion-brewing, Glitter's always had a curious spark to explore and experiment more with the world around her… to the extent of getting herself into more trouble than its worth at times ^^;. Even if this may make her a bit "ditzy" to some, Glitter's got her heart in the right place to spread her own brand of knowledge to help others (as her mama Twilight's done💜), no matter how unconventional the method may be. Has an older brother (Night Shade) alongside a lil sister (Ruby Star). Bears the Element of Loyalty.

-Suncrisp Blaze, young adult pegasus daughter of Applejack & Rainbow Dash. Born with the special talent of gardening and breeding new flowers, Suncrisp's known as one of the chillest lil ladies on the block of Sweet Apple Acres. A real "big sis"-figure to her friends, Suncrisp's always down to lend them a listening ear if any need to get their mind off things, even treating some to a spa-day session with her own love for pampering (contrasting well to her more down-to-earth/tomboyish mamas). Has 2 brothers (Jonagold & Blitz Zapp) and a sister (Pazazz). Bears the Element of Kindness.

-Red Velvet, young adult unicorn daughter of Rarity & Fluttershy. Born with the special talent of literary arts, Velvet's creative mind is as limitless as the world around her… if she ever learned to nudge out of the comfort of her cozy, candlelit bedroom. A dramatic one she can be once she gets hooked on particular story ideas, but also quite the compassionate one when thinking of potential social bonds (particularly of the romantic kind, as her friends can annoyingly attest to~). Has one older brother (Dandelion). Bears the Element of Honesty.

-Songbird Pearl, young adult hippogriff daughter of Pinkie Pie & Skystar. Born with the special talent of underwater singing, Pearl's grown to be… very much the opposite of her goofy, ever-energetic mothers. Fancying the more "well-to-do" life of royalty and graceful oceans, Pearl hopes to find her calling while exploring the boundless waves around her. Uptight & snarky as she can be while surrounded by so many "colorful" folks… when push comes to shove, Pearl can truly be a devoted friend no one would want to mess with. Is the oldest of several little sisters. Bears the Element of Generosity.

-Hope Flare, young adult pegasus daughter of Sunset Shimmer & Flash Sentry (EQG-verse). Born with the special talent of fire-based flight (or in the human world equivalent, skateboarding tricks), Hope's always had an eager view on seeing more of the magical, colorful pony world her mother's always told her about at bedtime. Having proven quite the "spunky" one (both by her old Canterlot High classmates and her new pony friends), Hope's got the spark in her feet to keep on going to see what adventure awaits her. Has one older brother (Sunspark) and one younger brother (Firebolt). Bears the Element of Laughter.

-Moonstone, young adult unicorn daughter of Starlight Glimmer & Blueblood. Born with the special talent of gemstone crafting, Moonstone's life has been… well, rather limited on account of her upbringing. A sheltered, often-sickly only child with both parents coddling her alot (whether it was Blueblood nudging Moonstone to be a "proper" noble like him, and/or Starlight trying (lovingly) to push her daughter as a magic prodigy), Moonstone's deepest wish has always been just to have her own chance for freedom, adventure and friendships of her own. Finally getting that chance out on her own has proven… a lil on the scary side, for such a timid little lady. But with the help of her newfound friends (and childhood bestie Luster Dawn), Moonstone's determination is bound to prove stronger than any diamond she's crafted with. Bears the Element of Magic.

[onedivinemisfit]

During my recovery, this has been my biggest project, no kidding. I looked but couldn’t find Obi’s witcher!AU body template so I sketched some Bruxa!yuki designs instead. <w< I’ll finalize and colour them when I’m well, or so I hope, unless I forget XD

Pls forgive any mistakes I’m not 100% yet. ^^; 

Explanations below the cut~

AnS (c) Akizuki Sorata Witcher (c) Andrzej Sapkowski TW3 models (c) CDPR Art: Me

Disclaimer: I am not a tailor and as such all my opinions are based on preference and evt pushing rules in my favour XD

The main idea with her wardrobe was to underline that whatever she’s doing, Shirayuki is feminine, and wants to present feminine, hence the skirts and ribbons and embroidery. She’s also a person fond of utility, so belts, pockets, and layers that can be added or removed as she fancied, was also an important facet to add. But she’s also bruxae, monster species, so she’s got a few blind spots, so to speak, regarding what is and isn’t proper to wear in human society. But most of all, her clothes make it easy for her to use her bruxa powers to move around swiftly, silently, and with purpose

Around half of these were referenced from the witcher 3 game, with me picking my favourite garb, and what made more sense for her in different situations. 

1. Huntress Outfit - this one I made myself, using only some of the basic wardrobe notes from tw3. I’ve a softness for overdresses/kaftans with splits, especially if they’re combined with tights/buckskins. Shirayuki is a poor bruxa living in the woods outside a small human settlement, so she doesn’t have access to a tailor other than on market day, or when peddlers arrive, hence she often has to redesign old/too-small clothing for new purposes. Another point was to reinforce her sleeves, to make it easier to brush away branches and undergrowth, and adding the Skelligan waist shawl, a gift from her half-sister, as recurring themes.

2. Winter Outfit - another I made myself, because I was dying to design something that included a sheepskin jerkin. The waist shawl helps redefine the jerkin and give it a feminine twist, and the wrapped sleeves both reduce noise and keeps her cuffs from leaking precious warmth. The wool tunic could have been a dress, but I wanted to focus on showing off her fur-tucked winter boots and knitted long socks. Shirayuki probably knitted them herself.

3. High Summer Outfit - another self-made design. Made so as to underline her non-humanness, borrowing heavily from witcher elven aesthetics, with lots of exposed skin, crossed fabric, and asymmetrical cuts. This is what she wears when the weather *won’t* allow you to dress decently or you get purged by the sun, basically. Again, since Shirayuki’s often short of fabric, a lot of refashioning going on. 

4. Commoner Outfit - A very basic woman’s dress, very presentable, very respectable, especially since Shirayuki is trying to sell the lie that she’s a normal human woman. It’s her go-to outfit for visiting human settlements, or for performing simple chores around the house, such as cooking, sewing, or spinning. Things that keep her in or around her homestead, and not gallivanting in the woods at midnight looking for prey.

5. Relaxing Outfit - merely a dusty day dress pulled over her nightgown, for those chilly nights where Shirayuki doesn’t want to undress for bed until she’s halfway under the covers. When the chores are done and all that’s left to do is sip a cup of blood, read a book beside the hearth and wait for Ryuu to return from his late night wandering, she likes to shed all those layers and relax.

6. Throw-together Outfit - referenced from the game, almost entirely (Keira Metz’ witch model) - save the shoes and headband. After the loss of her home and her more presentable clothing thanks to witcher Obi (who will later admit that yes he does in fact owe her a new dress... and blouse... and apron...) this outfit was assembled through raiding an abandoned witch’s hut. Anything that could suffice as clothing, basically, even the old curtains. Shirayuki doesn’t personally care that some of her *assets* are pretty much on display, but she would like some linen anyway, the cotton does chafe a bit. Aside from the pearl necklace, nothing she’s wearing actually belonged to her in the first place.

7. Formal Commoner Outfit - reffed from the game, (Keira Metz’ second model) the shoes being the sole exception. A dress for special occassions, perhaps May Day, Equinox celebrations, etc. Not that Shirayuki often dared participate in such events, due to the amount of people who show up even in small villages to throw tankards together and dance around bonfires. But she does pilfer the dress from the abandoned witch’s hut anyway, thinking maybe, afterall, since it’s so pretty and it had matching sleeves to go with it... keeping it wasn’t such a dumb idea. 

8. Pants Outfit - reffed from the game (juggler npc) A cross between a traveler and a city dweller, a light-weight yet very elegant outfit for strolling in the human cities. The top is presentable enough that she doesn’t look poor as a pauper, while the pants give the impression of someone on the move, a stranger. It also provides the most comfortable riding experience, the few times she does ride, as she has no need for a lady’s saddle.

9. High-Class Outfit - reffed from the game/one of my favourite tw3 modders, (New Sorceress models by Roksa) I only added the shoes and circlet. When Zen has the dress made for her, it is by FAR the most expensive thing she’s ever worn. Not a single thread of the dress isn’t well-made, the dyes are the brightest and most even-coloured, and the silk is light as a touch on her skin. While the dress itself is a demure, feminine dream, what sets the ensemble apart are the dark cat’s eye gems, just hinting at Shirayuki’s darker secrets. They’re set in gold, for obvious, unspoken reasons, as she reacts to silver much like being set on fire...

10. Evening Outfit - reffed from the game, I just changed the necklace (Ida Eméan’s Gwent card art) another very expensive dress, but surprisingly one that Shirayuki tolerates better. No stiff, itchy velvet, no heavy damask, just sheer silk with gold thread (again for reasons obvious to a bruxa) some simple sleeves, and a chain of stones, no gilded jewellry that could empty a bank vault if sold to the right people. She probably takes a fancy to this dress while attempting to woo a certain witcher, which explains the understated beauty, the most daring of cuts, one that screams “look at me, only me” and the simple-at-a-glance design. Much like Shirayuki herself.

11. Skellige Outfit - inspired by the viking-esque game design for Skellige fashion, this dress is for when Shirayuki and her family stay in the Isles, following her sister’s suggestion. A dress that signifies the matron head of a household with its pewter clasps and apron, follows Skellige fashion demanding you wear a shawl with your clan colors (Shirayuki, although clan-less, was given one by Torou) and layers. And armguards. And a split overdress. To show that this is Shirayuki’s choice wear afterall. 

[hcllisfm]

HOLLIS OVERSEE, WALLFLOWER

❝ I became good at pretending. I became so good that after a while the lines blurred between my truth and fiction. And sometimes, when I did a really good job of pretending, I even fooled myself. ❞

playlist / pinterest

AESTHETICS 

Hollis is an avid makeup wearer. He is no beauty guru but you will always catch him wearing eyeliner and dark eyeshadow (bright colors and glitter are for special occasions only) Think of him as a chic Jack Sparrow. It looks smudged but it takes time to perfect that look. Back home there isn’t a lot of vegetation so Hollis enjoys incorporating flowers and nature into his designs and his personal style. He can be seen wearing bright colors, though his fashion sense is not as costume-y as what the Capitol is used to he does tend to dress in a way that gets people to look at him. Skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, he doesn’t care as long as the clothes are telling a story.

He keeps his curly hair long and has a beard he tends to decorate if the outfit calls for it. REF

influences: Prince, Harry Styles, Cody Fern, Givenchy, Versace, John Galliano

( please bear with me since the gifs i will be using won’t reflect this and i’m very upset! )

BACKGROUND TW: death & bullying

You’ve always known what privilege is.

Your life on Eight was not perfect, but you had it much better than the other kids you went to school with. They made sure you knew that. 

You lost your father at a young age, but your mother was a hard worker, so she made up for it. Every day after school you would find her at her little shop turning scraps and trash into beautiful garments that kept both of you fed and clothed. That was supposed to be it. You were a kid, maybe that’s why you didn’t understand. All you saw were pretty colors.

Those were the happiest days of your life. Even with your father gone, you cherish the memories of your mother teaching you the proper way to handle a needle deeply. Life was easy, simple. The pretty colors filled your days. It didn’t matter that no one wanted to play with you because at least you had her.  Then the Capitol found you.

Well, they found your mother. You just came in a package deal. 

You were so young you didn’t understand why her creations were so loved, why people seemed to fawn over every new piece she’d exhibit by the shop’s window. All you saw were colors, the textures.  Your mother’s excitement confused you as well, because why would someone want to leave home? What about your father’s grave? You didn’t want to leave, but you loved your mother and you were barely eleven so you didn’t exactly have a choice. 

You thought things would be different at the Capitol. The kids back home didn’t like you because you were lucky to be in a better position than them. Maybe now that your mother was part of the big leagues things would change. You never expected to be rejected again, this time because of where you came from. You begged to be able to return home, but your mother was on cloud nine and had stopped listening a long time ago.

Your only friends were the sewing kit you got when you were ten. You still have it, though it hasn’t been used for years. It’s a nice reminder of life back at Eight.

Even as you grew up and your mother and her shop became a staple of the Capitol, kids didn’t really pay attention to you. Maybe part of it was your fault too. You were quiet, preferring to observe them in an attempt to imitate them in hopes they’d accept you one day. That didn’t exactly happen, but it gave you something to do when you weren’t busy working for your mother.

Things started looking up when mother met Freesia. She’d stop by the shop every day, your mother the reason why she was there. Despite that, the woman would almost bring you a small gift. Sweets, drawings you’d later use to create a new outfit. Freesia knew that you were lonely and did their best to help with that. When she married your mother, you were the happiest you’d ever been. 

Everything was perfect, but as you grew up, you noticed how the differences between your mother and her new wife were starting to affect their marriage. 

Your mother seemed to be determined to forget all about her life back on Eight. In a way, you understood. She would go on and on about how wonderful life was in the Capitol, how they had blessed you with a chance to be someone else, someone better. And they saved you from the games too, which she would be eternally grateful for. As for you, even as an adult that is a source of guilt you can’t seem to shake off, especially now that you work for the very same terror you managed to avoid.

Freesia was the opposite. You didn’t notice it at first. It’s not until you grew up that you began to learn more about their beliefs. Every year during the games, Freesia’s usual jovial mood would change. She’d spend time alone in their studio, never telling anyone what they were working on. It frustrated your mother and there was nothing you could do except listen to her ranting.

When you were asked to join the games as a stylist, your mother was ecstatic. Freesia was the opposite. They weren’t upset but you could tell they were worried for you. That was what got her to open up to you and reveal what they really thought about your adoptive home. Then everything clicked.

The fights, the secrets. Your mother refusing to talk to the few friends Freesia had. It was almost ironic. There you were, living with with a Capitol born woman from a good family that rejected her own history and condemned their home, and a mother born on Eight that was desperate to forget her past and pretend the Capitol had always been her home. You moved soon after.

You still talk to both, of course. Despite her many flaws you love your mother, and Freesia is your biggest support system. She is good at helping you remain humble now that your budding fame as a stylist is keeping you busy. And maybe there is more to that. Maybe one in a while she shares her opinions with you and has managed to influence your thoughts. Not that you’d reveal what you really think. 

With the climate being so heavy in Panem and people growing restless, you know it’s vital for you to follow your mother’s example and live your life pretending you finally feel like you belong. The Capitol seems to still have the upper hand, so you are in their corner, though Freesia’s arguments are good enough to make you consider leaning towards the other side.

Did the bullying leave a lasting effect on you? You want to say no, but you’d be kidding yourself. When people ask why you’re so quiet your only reply is to shrug and offer them a charming smile along with a compliment that will divert the conversation away from you. You mostly keep to yourself now that you’re older. It’s much easier than attempting to navigate the tempestuous waters of the Capitol, especially when you know how many enemies your stepmother has. So you keep your head down; learn and observe. You speak when spoken to, never allow yourself to say anything remotely controversial that could put your family at risk.

You’re a hard worker still, which has earned you enough leverage to be able to still have a place in high society. You’re not a top dog, but your talent cannot be ignored. Could you be bigger? Absolutely, but you’re content with what you have. You know very well what comes with notoriety and fear what could happen if people were to start looking into your personal life. 

But, what scares you the most is the possibility of people seeing what’s behind your politeness, of ever finding out the inner turmoil you live with because you don’t know where you really belong. Or that you’re starting to agree more with Freesia than with your own mother.

[icypantherwrites]

Voltron Season Seven: Thoughts and Reactions

As you can see, I am out of hibernation mode ;p Just finished up a bit ago.

My thoughts in no particular order on season seven. Prepare for a few unintelligible spazzes and random questions that like, why were these not answered? Oh Voltron writers, you and your plot holes. Tagged with all of my previously mentioned ones so here goes!

Okay, so Adam? As much as I didn’t care for how he wasn’t supporting Shiro, I was excited by his role and inclusion in the story! Also, haha, I laughed because I named the one character in my Keith and Shiro backstory Adam and he’s a pilot too, haha. They definitely aren’t the same one because mine was a jerk, but I love that somehow I still got that name. (or maybe that’s how he and Shiro got to talking after Shiro confronts him for what he said to Keith? hehe. Look at me ;p)

But then. When they were mobilizing to fight the first wave I’m like, is Adam a pilot? And then we saw him and then his ship blinked out… gosh. Shiro at the wall with his name broke my heart. There’s a lot of regret there. Definitely something I wish had been further explored, but I’m not surprised they didn’t. There’s a lot that has been skipped over already.

So… Shiro has a disease that gets brought up once, never impacted him at all in the first six seasons and… never mentioned again? Er… what was the point of that exactly? (clone body not have the illness?)

Oh baby Keef. I cheered when he punched Griffin. Glad to see Griffin has grown up since then. But uh, can someone confirm for me the new cadet pilot with the glasses. Is her name… Wasabi? Usagi? And while I adore my Keith backstory this one was endearing too. And his dad died in a fire? Gosh. I had a feeling after the fireman refs but to hear it confirmed. Sad.

Where did Axca go? Like, she left the base with the Paladins and they have no resources to provide her a ship. So…? I’m curious with her popping up at the end behind Krolia and Keith at the grave… interesting. Once it was disproved that she wasn’t Keith’s twin I thought she might be Krolia’s sister but no mention when they met so… hmm. Curious and curioser. (does she like Keith? Hehe ♥ I admit I think they’re pretty asthecially pleasing together and I love Axca’s new design.)

Veronica is a fucking badass. As soon as she showed up on screen I’m like, that’s Lance’s sister. My sister was like, no, and I’m like, uh, her name is Veronica, coloring is the same including the blue eyes and in that really crappy family projection photo from season one there was a relative in a military uniform. Damn, I love her so much. Almost cried when I thought she died (twice xD). Also, her teasing Lance about Allura and her little smirk smile there? I died. So fucking cute.

This is my personal preference but I did not care for the game show episode at all, nor the “reason” behind it. There were a couple cute moments in it (all of them choosing each other to leave and I winced when Lance kept being called the dumb one and could taste the angst) but overall, my least favorite filler. And this coming from someone who adores game shows xD

The “lost in space” episode also wasn’t high on my list. I loved the idea of it and them forming a circle (that was so flipping cute) to stay together with the check ins (and a note to Keith and Krolia’s time together) but the words exchanged? I get it and didn’t mind but they never *really* resolved it. Not really. And some pretty hurtful things were said. Also, the fact they have almost fatal oxygen depletion based upon Keith’s indicator and their weary lines under their eyes, but then they literally bounce back full power to fight? Just throw the realism out the window. Just like the castle of lions losing all oxygen in a matter of hours two seasons ago xDD

How have we ever survived without the space wolf? Seriously? I’m bummed his name is not Yorak but I’ll take Cosmo. Very cute! Love how keith is waiting for the wolf to name himself. Oh, sweetie.

The Blade of Marmora luring with the Druids was delicious. Loved that bit. Glad Kolivan made it out. Wasn’t surprised when Krolia left the main cast; it was getting crowded and given that the writers have difficulty managing characters on a regular basis at times the more the less merrier.

On that note, loved Romelle in the first episode but she practically disappeared for the rest of the season. Disappointed. Thought her and Hunk were hilarious.

Same token bummed Matt was offscreen for most of it. But again, see above.

The three year time gap was interesting. Never really explained well either; pretty much I think a way for earth to get completely overrun by Galra. On that note, loved all of the Sam episodes, think the new pilots are pretty neat additions. Particularly love… Usagi? Wasabi? Kinkade too; a man of few words and I adore his name. Iverson too was a pleasant surprise and I loved his apology to Keith later and his constant backing of Sam. Also, Collen is a badass too. I do have to give credit to the writers; they make some amazingly strong female characters and it’s such a breath of fresh air (from watching YYH it was a stark reminder how things have changed over the years in terms of representation across the board on many things).

But one woman I did not care for was the Admiral. Boo hiss. I also hate that I called her turning on them as she was adamant throughout the entire thing about protecting earth in “her way” and I was waiting for this move. She did save the Paladins lives but she endangered them in the first place so… I acknowledge her desire to protect earth but am disappointed in how her character was played out. (and honestly, why the fuck would she trust Sendak to keep up his end of the deal? Why? Bit of weaker writing there).

Speaking of characters… where’s Haggar? At the end with the giant robot my sister and I were arguing who was driving it; I was Team Lotor and she was Team Haggar. Nada to both of us. Very interesting with that result too;  how was one Altean doing all that? Hmmm. And with the colony missing something is definitely up.

The Hunk family feels I was not expecting and loved them. I was glad he didn’t endanger the team anymore after he found his parents were not accessible, but dios I felt so bad. It’s hard especially to see Lnace and Pidge with their families and he with none. Loved his and Keith’s moment too. ♥ Keith was particularly awkwardly sweet and I loved it.

And Lance’s family! Gosh. Him hugging his niece and nephew broke my heart and then his being mobbed by his family stomped it into the ground with love. So. Beautiful. My boy has his family and I am so so happy.

Speaking of the families! Haha, I’m excited that I was write in that both Lance and Hunk’s families are stateside and I am going with my headcanon of Arizona (Garrison location) given how they were *right there* to be rescued. My childhood besties idea for Lance and Hunk when Lance immigrated over is still well and strong!!!

Back to Lance. I was so so so excited to see him getting some really nice shots and pieces in this season. The sword (c’mon broadsword, let’s see you come back too), the giant cannon gun, the amazing sniper shots (hoshit don’t get me started on that part, I love good sniper cover and damnnn ♥) his attempts to seat everyone in Lions (whoops xD), his stepping up to really support Keith and be second in command... just so much good stuff for my boy ♥ I was freaking out when Red didn’t come right away in the summoning thing after he and Veronica went under fire, but I’m like, Red always does things differently. And then she came in like ajdfkajfklda right when Lance was closing his eyes and thinking it was the end and just, so good. Great timing on that part.

Shiro’s new arm… loved the angst and pain as first one didn’t calibrate xD I’m terrible. I will admit I’m not sold on the design; very bulky and I dislike that it’s not attached; that’s not a proper hug! But I am happy he has one so will go with that.

Er, this is getting long. Last few.

How was Shiro breathing in space in fight against sendak? Someone, please tell me. But also yesss, loved that the two of them had a final fight. Brings back memories. When Keith saved him I really wanted a throwback to the “as many times as it takes” but alas, no go.

On Sendak… is he the main big bad? He sure has quite the Galra fleet. How do Ezor and Zethrid’s turn to piracy factor in? Was expecting something else with Lotor given their mentions of him early on. Is space just one giant war out there right now? We never really found out any details and here I was expecting Axca to fill us in.

The Atlas turning into its own Voltron was super cool. Loved all of the fight scenes although I admit I get bored with all the constant blasts so would have liked those shortened down and more character stuff, but it is a show geared for little kids so… boom boom pow.

The very end speech via Shiro had me on my toes as I didn’t think any of our team died but I was legit slowly starting to panic that somehow the new cadets were going to be the new Voltron pilots because ours were unavailable Phew, not the case! Loved the little hospital scenes popping around, particularly Lance’s nephew wearing his helmet and then Keith waking up to Krolia there. Oh, and Matt getting a hug from his mom! (and that ponytail! ♥ I love guys with a nice ponytail, mm, weakness).

Overall giving this season a 7/10 rating. Not my lowest, definitely not my highest. Very much appreciated though having a longer season to watch.

If you have thoughts feel free to comment on the post! I will not be posting any asks with spoilers in the ask until next Saturday though so best way to get a response is comment here. What did you all think of the season?

[cyberkevvideo]

Throne of Night Theory Builds Part 4: The Deathless Golem Wielder of Book 3 *updated*

It’s an interesting feeling of nostalgia. The last time I even remotely talked about Throne of Night on here was 2018, but I hadn’t discussed anything seriously since 2017, and only then it was to answer a question regarding the AP. Before that, it was 2016 to discuss a module I found online, and how to convert it from AD&D 2e to Pathfinder 1e so that some people could actually finish the adventure path with some grace and dignity, and without spending money they likely wouldn’t be seeing again. I think all of us are at least somewhat bitter over the experience.

For those of us who had supported the Kickstarter, July 2015 saw an update that essentially gave us a very basic summary on books 3 through 6, but not the extra adventure with the half-god prince. That’s okay though as I have done my own version of that.

In the update it talks about the final encounters for books 3 and 4. Book 5 is more vague about what the final encounter is, but the picture makes you think it’s a mob of aboleths. Book 6 shows a star spawn of Cthulhu, and considering it’s a CR 20, that seems like enough of a challenge by itself, but it’s possible that the party is also supposed to fight a pleroma aeon, which is also a CR 20. It’s unsure whether you do that all at once, or back-to-back, as the aeon does seem to have its own lair. Considering Way of the Wicked had the party fight an encounter that was equivalent to a CR 24, I’m going to assume there’s a few templates on that star spawn to make it a CR 23 (if you’re fighting it by yourself). Personally, I’d go with mythic Invincible template, then Fighter Creature simple template, and finally advance the HD until it had enough hp to rival a CR 23. If that was too weak for your group, then adding mythic Agile might be the way to go.

But I digress. I made this update because I’ve been looking over the July update and contemplating “what would these be?” to an almost unhealthy degree when I should be doing way more productive things. Like finish writing race books or prepping for PFS. But no, I’m researching spells and builds, and trying to come up with builds and tactics for these particular encounters.

Before I showcase the builds, I just want to emphasize that all images shared here were done by the forever fantastic and amazingly talented Michael D. Clarke, aka SpiralMagus.

For space reasons, cropping the encounter build.

NEW EDIT: Cleaned up the stats, altered the picture, and made a huge change to the feats. Also gave it gunzarak.

Book 3′s write-up discusses the party coming into contact with a morrigna. The picture shows her, her spider swarm, and a large tarantula? behind her. She is searching for a dwarf that has managed to achieve immortality.

EDIT: I looked into it further, and it was after the dwarf made a dark pact with a deep dragon, and a good portion of the encounters in Book 3 are the offspring of the “deadless” king and the deep dragon. Even further, the king is a “dragon king”. That means he’s got a draconic bloodline of some kind. Likely magma or underworld, but it’s kept vague. Probably because it’s easier to just use red dragon bloodline for the same effect and not have to worry about non-OGL sources. However, if it’s the full plated creature that I found, especially since the dragon dwarf king is controlling the cannon golem, that definitely limits how it gets those bloodlines. And, unfortunately, this likely means a feat tax.

As for the golem control rod, there was an item back in 3.X that did this, and was a rod found in the Arms and Equipment Guide. It used dominate monster back then. Nowadays, we have control construct from Ultimate Magic. The easiest way to go about it is to say that the rod is a morningstar with the power of the amulet of construct control. This keeps it in with other Pathfinder 1e products.

I looked into it, and it seemed too cheap to make him a lich, and looking into how each undead comes into being, I finally decided upon the graveknight. They fuse with their armor after dying in some horrible way that involves an element (typically fire). Michael had been drawing a lot of black fire in his pictures, and it seemed rather fitting that it would likely be that he would die in that fashion. Also, corrupted? Sounds like someone having fallen from grace and embraced evil. Antipaladin. It continues saying that he wields a deadly weapon of dwarven design, and then shows a picture of a cannon golem. In Way of the Wicked, this exact place in Book 3 was a CR 16 encounter so I mimicked it. The former king is a CR 13 as the golem is a CR 15.

For its CR, the antipaladin is lacking in armor, but hopefully it’s ability to heal itself (and possibly do damage to others), will be enough to offset lower AC.

Note that the armored being in the picture below may not be the king (at least it’s not said he is or isn’t), but it’s how I assume he died and this picture is called “Golem Driver”, so maybe? This is more of a placeholder than proper representation, but either way it’s drawn by SpiralMagus and has the Fire Mountain Games stamp on it.

KING OF DAMMERHALL THALRON BOLDREST    (CR 14; 38,400 XP) Male unique elder dwarf graveknight antipaladin 10/mobile fighter 2 CE Medium undead (augmented humanoid) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15 Aura cowardice (10 ft.), despair (10 ft.), sacrilegious aura (30 ft., DC 23) DEFENSE AC 31, touch 14, flat-footed 28 (+10 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex, +7 natural) hp 188 (12d10+118) Fort +27, Ref +16, Will +21; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities Defensive Abilities agility +1, channel resistance +4, deep warrior (+2 dodge bonus to AC vs. aberrations), rejuvenation; DR 10/magic, DR 3/—; Immune cold, disease, fire, electricity, undead traits; SR 25 OFFENSE Speed 20 ft. Melee +1 conductive gunzarak morningstar +21/+16/+11 (1d8+7/19–20 plus 3d6 fire), slam +14 (1d4+3)      or 2 claws +19 (1d6+7) Special Attacks ancient enmity (+1 on attack rolls against elven humanoids), breath weapon (30-ft. cone, 10d6 fire, R-DC 23, 1/day), channel destruction, channel negative energy (W-DC 23, 5d6), claws (2, 1d6+7, treated as magic weapons, 10 rounds/day), cruelties (cursed, diseased, sickened), devastating blast 3/day (30-ft. cone, R-DC 23, 8d6 fire), smite good 4/day (+7 atk and AC, +20 dmg), undead mastery (60 HD, W-DC 23) Antipaladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +18)   At will—detect good Antipaladin Spells Prepared (CL 7th; concentration +15)   3rd—defile armor, vampiric touch   2nd—bull’s strength, invisibility, silence   1st—death knell, disguise self, inflict light wounds, read magic TACTICS Before Combat If Thalron has time, he activates his fiendish boon (unholy against dwarves, wounding against drow), cast’s bull’s strength and defile armor, then applies an oil of bless weapon on the golem control rod. During Combat Thalron knows that mortals are susceptible to fear and corruption. On the first round, he uses his Dazzling Display to demoralize as many people as he can, then determines who in the party is good-aligned before targeting them with smite good, focusing on divine casters. In following rounds, he attacks with his conductive weapon to deliver his corrupting touch, often selecting the cursed cruelty (DC 23 Fortitude negates) to lower the target’s Dexterity.

While the cannon golem is firing at targets, Thalron activates his longarm bracers to attack opponents from a distance so the golem doesn’t have to adjust to avoid attacking him.

If Thalron is reduced to less than 90 hp, he backs off, casting invisibility, then healing and buffing himself as needed before attacking again. Morale Thalron believes himself invincible now that he’s found the golem and has achieved immortality with his rejuvenation ability. Intruders must be dealt with, and he fights until destroyed. STATISTICS Str 24, Dex 16, Con —, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 26 Base Atk +12; CMB +19 (+21 grapple vs. aberrations); CMD 33 (37 vs. bull rush and trip) Feats Critical Focus, Dazzling DisplayB, Eldritch Heritage (draconic), Improved Critical (morningstar)B, Improved Eldritch Heritage (draconic), Improved InitiativeB, Mounted CombatB, Power Attack, Ride-By AttackB, Skill Focus (Perception), ToughnessB, Weapon Focus (morningstar) Skills Bluff +21, Intimidate +31, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (engineering) +7, Knowledge (religion) +10, Perception +15, Ride +9, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +10, Stealth +6, Survival +9; Racial Modifiers –4 Acrobatics when jumping, +8 Intimidation, +8 Perception, +8 Ride; ACP –2 Languages Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Undercommon SQ aura (strong evil), code of conduct, fiendish boon (weapon +2, 2/day), lorekeeper, phantom mount, ruinous revivification, stonecunning, touch of corruption (5d6, 12/day), unholy resilience, weapon familiarity Combat Gear oil of bless weapon (2); Other Gear +1 gunzarak fullplate, golem control rod (+1 conductive gunzarak morningstar), amulet of natural armor +3, ring of protection +1, Crown of the High Dwarf King (mithral crown acts as a headband of alluring charisma +2), cloak of resistance +2, gloves of arrow snaring, golembane scarab, longarm bracers, pearl of power (2nd), pearl of power (3rd) SPECIAL ABILITIES Agility (Ex) Thalron has a +1 bonus on saving throws made against effects that cause him to become paralyzed, slowed, or entangled. Channel Destruction (Su) Any weapon a graveknight wields seethes with energy, and deals an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 4 Hit Dice the graveknight has. This additional damage is of the energy type determined by the ruinous revivification special quality. Devastating Blast (Su) Three times per day, the graveknight may unleash a 30-foot cone of energy as a standard action. This blast deals 2d6 points of damage for every 3 Hit Dice a graveknight has (Reflex half). This damage is of the energy type determined by the graveknight’s ruinous revivification special quality. Exceptional Stats (Ex) Thalron is a prodigy who believes he was destined from birth to be the greatest ruler of Dammerhall. As a result, his ability scores were generated using 20 points, rather than using the standard 15 point buy used to create most NPCs. Additionally, Thalron  has much more gear than an NPC of his level would normally have. These modifications increase his total CR by +1. Lorekeeper (Ex) Dwarves keep extensive records about their history and the world around them. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (history) checks that pertain to dwarves or their enemies. They can make such skill checks untrained. This racial trait replaces greed. Phantom Mount (Su) Once per hour, a graveknight can summon a skeletal horse similar to a phantom steed. This mount is more real than a typical phantom steed, and can carry one additional rider. The mount’s powers are based on the graveknight’s total Hit Dice rather than caster level. A graveknight’s mount looks distinctive and always appears the same each time it is summoned. If the mount is destroyed, it can be summoned again with full hit points 1 hour later. Rejuvenation (Su) One day after a graveknight is destroyed, its armor begins to rebuild the undead horror’s body. This process takes 1d10 days—if the body is destroyed before that time passes, the armor merely starts the process anew. After this time has elapsed, the graveknight wakens fully healed. Ruinous Revivification (Su) At the time of its creation, the graveknight chooses one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. This energy type should be relevant to the graveknight’s life or death, defaulting to fire if none are especially appropriate. This energy type influences the effects of several of a graveknight’s special abilities. Sacrilegious Aura (Su) A graveknight constantly exudes an aura of intense evil and negative energy in a 30-foot radius. This aura functions as the spell desecrate and uses the graveknight’s armor as an altar of sorts to double the effects granted. The graveknight constantly gains the benefits of this effect (including the bonus hit points, as this aura is part of the graveknight’s creation). In addition, this miasma of fell energies hinders the channeling of positive energy. Any creature that attempts to summon positive energy in this area—such as through a cleric’s channel energy ability, a paladin’s lay on hands, or any spell with the healing subtype—must make a concentration check with a DC 22. If the character fails, the effect is expended but does not function. Undead Mastery (Su) As a standard action, a graveknight can attempt to bend any undead creature within 50 feet to its will. The targeted undead must succeed at a Will save or fall under the graveknight’s control. This control is permanent for unintelligent undead; an undead with an Intelligence score is allowed an additional save every day to break free from the graveknight’s control. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same graveknight’s undead mastery for 24 hours. A graveknight can control 5 Hit Dice of undead creatures for every Hit Die it has. If the graveknight exceeds this number, the excess from earlier uses of the ability becomes uncontrolled, as per animate dead.

Tradeouts: scholar dwarf (+2 Int, +2 Wis, –2 Con), ancient enmity for hatred, deep warrior for defensive training, and lorekeeper for greed.

Gunzarak (true mithral) special material.

CANNON GOLEM  (CR 15; 51,200 XP)

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Be sure to check out Part 5 for the next set of stats.