#and someone else is making a lore about magic trees

[doekimakura]

Starting a new SMP with my FF14 friends and this is my beach villa after renovation :D

[thewertsearch]

pipefan413: In following years, she was left to ponder all that might have been. pipefan413: What might have been if there had been no baroness to keep the girl and boy apart? pipefan413: What might have been if the baroness had not disappeared, and she had the opportunity to use her secrets against her!

What could still be, in a world about to be rewritten?

All bets are off, at this point, and Nanna and Grandpa could easily be rebooted into a couple. Hell, they might actually raise John and Jade this time around - which, come to think of it, may have been the future that Crocker was actually seeing.

As always, the possibilities of the Scratch are staggering – but, with Doc Scratch looming over everything, they’re sure to come with strings attached.

pipefan413: For you see, the girl had uncovered so many dirty secrets about the terrible batterwitch, including the most troubling one of all. pipefan413: Of course no one would have believed her, but she knew. pipefan413: She knew the baroness was not human! :B

Wait, what?

This one's a real curveball, I've got to say - and I don't have a clue what this might mean, or what Crocker's secret identity could be. Homestuck’s other species feel far too alien to pass as human - surely if Crocker had horns, green skin, or an insect-like carapace, someone would have smelled a rat.

Like... this is Betty Crocker's 'canon' design, and her skin tone alone rules out most of Homestuck's aliens. I suppose she could be using some sort of illusion magic - but at this point, I'm making up mechanics that we've never seen before. That's usually a sign that you're barking up the wrong tree.

Alright, then – I’m guessing that Crocker is a robot. They're probably the easiest type of creature to disguise as a human, since they can be custom-made. Plus, it’s consistent with the real-life lore that Crocker isn’t actually a real person; she was created by someone else.

CG: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING NOW. CG: [...] WHY DID YOU GO BACK TO SEE HER? YOU DIDN'T MENTION THIS LAST TIME.

I assume ‘her’ is Echidna. We’ve been giving the kids’ Denizens a lot of focus in this sequence, and now it’s Jade’s turn. It also means that Cetus is next - which is going to be fun, since she's the only Denizen in the session that we know nothing about.

It seems like none of the kids will actually be fighting their Denizens -they're all choosing to consult with them, instead. Is it starting to dawn on the remaining trolls that they may have misunderstood this mechanic?

[fanged-fanfics]

☆ How About An Orange? — 8:11 x GN Reader ☆

Genre: Fluff || they/them pronouns for reader || No warnings needed

A/N: For the unaware, oranges are a sign of love/luck in Rosso Cadere, so I had the idea of Reader giving some characters an orange because of this! It's really up to interpretation if you know the symbolism or not here. Also yes some of the characters are really hard to see unless under specific circumstances in the lore but shhh fanfic magic

──────.𖥔 ݁ ˖˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ──────

Ryker Dublin

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Speechless initially, then you see a small blush crawl up their face

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Second-guessing everything. They only found out recently what oranges meant here- did you not know? Should they just tell you? What's the appropriate response here??? Maybe it was just for luck and they're overthinking???

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Awkwardly and bashfully thanks you while stowing it away for later, but gives you a subtle hint about not just giving them around to everyone you meet in case someone gets the wrong idea

Accardi Florentino

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Genuinely very caught off guard- an orange? From you? He didn't expect such a token so suddenly

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Just holds the orange cupped in his palms, silently staring at it and processing the situation before bringing himself back to the present and trying to shake off his fluster

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Offers to take you out sometime not long after receiving it and gives you one in return the next time you meet up

Juliek Octavia

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Looks at it. Then you. Then the orange again. Does a back and forth quite a few times as his face slowly gets more red

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Tries very very hard to hide any signs of being embarrassed and brushes off any questions about it in a brisk but not quite as dignified as he wants it to be manner

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Starts store hunting the next day for a gift to give you in return, but he keeps second guessing whatever he picks because he wants it to be 'special enough'

Vittorino

ᯓᡣ𐭩 His first question is if you stole this from the tree in the Basilica, already beginning to lecture you about being a thief before you gently cut him off to reassure it's from somewhere else

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Sort of chuckles as he looks over it and makes a comment to you about the symbolism behind it, but he accepts it nevertheless and calls you bold for handing one out to begin with

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Runs his hands over it occasionally while it stays in his possession, seeing the little grooves in the peel. He's actually really touched at the gesture, he's just terrible at admitting it

Beetle

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Informs you that he doesn't need to eat and that it would be pretty pointless of him to snack on it, but he accepts it when you offer it again

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Doesn't much hang onto the symbolism himself, but finds a bit of a charm in the notion, especially that you'd extend such kindness to him

ᯓᡣ𐭩 He still goes on a bit about the pragmatic side of things, but he doesn't let go of the fruit for quite a while at the same time

Dante

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Eats it whole as soon as you hand it to him. Yes with the peel still on. While making direct eye contact.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Thanks you for it anyways and calls it an 'offering to [his] cause'... whatever that's supposed to mean- at least he seems happy?

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Begins following you around like a raccoon afterward and pops by on random visits to inquire if you have any more food on you

[puppethorror-confessions]

I put together a ref sheet for Sally today because I'm commissioning someone from outside the fandom to draw her, and it reminded me how much I love her actually (platonically ← arospec ← but still). Sally my friend Sally. I wanna hang out with her and watch the plays she makes with the other neighbors...

She put together a Halloween party and then got so frustrated everyone was telling random stories she just casually dropped the biggest piece of lore on the neighborhood's Situation™ we've gotten so far. She went dressed as Pedrolino from Commedia dell'arte.

She climbed the tallest Homewarming tree in town while singing carols, so that Santa Claus would come and wish everyone a good Homewarming, and then just stayed there all day (until she saw Eddie and guided him to the party).

She put together play recreations of Jack and the Beanstalk (story about arriving to a place thousands of times bigger than you, full of magical things, with a giant who wants to kill you and whom you end up having to kill) and the Telltale Heart (story about killing someone and hiding them under the floorboards of your house only to become haunted by the heartbeats).

She cares a lot for Poppy and wants her to participate in the plays, asks her for help to create costumes and food props, and feels really guilty whenever she learns Poppy is frightened by the horror plays. Even if yes the bricking up was a bad idea (even though it was proposed by Barnaby but like w/e) she wanted to help her and keep her safe, and got the whole neighborhood to help. Similarly she cares for Julie also, having her be an important character of just about every play, valuing her additions to the scripts for them (see the Sally & Julie hidden video from Playfellow Exhibition update).

She's secretly very observant, where even though she dislikes both Frank and Eddie, she knows about what's going on between them (whatever you think that is) and brings Frank over to help Eddie when he needs it in commercials (and leaves them alone so that Frank could break character). It's implied she knows more than she lets on too in general...

Her backstory states that even though she was already the brightest star in the sky, she came down to live in Home to help everyone else become stars (→ famous) too! Σ:o)>

I want her to be relevant to the rest of the plot of WH so so bad ... I wanna hear more from her...

[sillybillymillyrilly]

Shuu Lore!!

So I wanted to make a lore drop about Shuu because no one really knows much about her. Plus I have lots of ideas for her and I want to share them!!

Name: Shuu Miáo (Not her real name. Just a fake name while she stays in Twisted Wonderland)

Ethnicity: Chinese and American.

Gender: Female Male. (So the thing about Shuu is that she is pretending to be a guy because NRC is a male school. But she is still a girl!! She uses male pronouns around with everyone, except the ghosts in ramshackle and Grim. Because she trusts them the most and because they're the only people at the start to have seen her as a girl.)

How did she come to Twisted Wonderland?:

Shuu was walking on a crosswalk. She was going to a picnic at a park nearby with her friends and family to hang out. In the middle of walking a black carriage was quickly driving through the road. She turned her head and before she would even blink the carriage slammed into her. Then everything went black. When she woke up she was in a black coffin.

What does she like and dislike?:

Shuu likes jewelry, cute things like plushies, animals, and sour candy. She hates super sweet stuff and mint chocolate chip ice cream. (It tastes like toothpaste)

How old is she and when is her birthday?:

When she came to Twisted Wonderland she was 17 years old. Her birthday is January 15.

What club is she in?:

Shuu is in the equestrian club with Sliver and Riddle. Fun fact, she got into the equestrian club because of Riddle! She was at the Heartslabyul lounge hanging out with Ace and Deuce. Then Riddle comes up to her and asks if she wants to be apart of the equestrian club!!

What's her personality?

She's mostly calm and polite! She doesn't try and stand out or make any type of scene, but I guess it happens when you're a magic-less human. She'll only get mad if you say something bad/rude about someone she cares about. She's really talkative towards her friends. Always chatting and joking.

(Random but!)

Angst:

Random nights Shuu would have the same dream. It wasn't a bad dream! At the start at least. It would be of her family, her mom, dad, little brother, little sister, and her friends. They were at a park having a picnic. The sound of laughter and the wind, blowing through the trees, and the sound of--- Crash. . What was that? Once she looked over she saw it. . A black carriage and. . Her family, friends, their faces changed. They looked angry and upset? Why? What did she do? Then she woke up in a cold sweat. This would happen for a good 3 months. But she was never sure why. .

Sometimes she would talk in her sleep when these dreams happened. Grim would wake up to hear mumbled words.

Uh thank you for reading all of this!! If you did!! Nothing else to say other than I will be making more Shuu stuff! (Hopefully!!) I hope you enjoy the writing and have a good night/morning/afternoon!!

alos here's some shuu x silver!! (I will find a ship name one day) + shuu's art ref!!

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

I am hating college sm I need some ultra fictional blorbos to get through the rest of this semester

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼

Oh no! Sorry to hear that!

Does it help to hear you will get the first words of chapter 4 of FIrelight?

90 for 🌲:

---

Eddie cleans up the broken glass on his kitchen floor as Buck explains. He should probably be sitting down for this. It’s sort of upsetting news. But he needs something tactile. Something to do with his hands so he doesn’t rip out his hair. Or cling to Buck like some sort of depressed octopus. So he’s on his knees, picking up broken shards of glass from a sticky, sopping mess, when, not for the first time in his life, someone else tells him what he is. 

“Uh, so… So Tommy’s entire demeanor shifted once he was away from you… And he didn’t really remember what happened. But he said you sounded like a song. Something I can’t hear. Probably because… You know. So then I thought, huh. Like a siren.”

Eddie pauses, dripping glass between his fingers. “A siren? Like a mermaid? What about this says mermaid to you?”

“I don’t think you’re a mermaid, Eddie,” Buck says. “I said like a siren.”

“Okay, good. Because mermaid would be ridiculous.”

“Do you want me to dunk you in the ocean just to check?” Buck asks flatly. 

“No! Just keep going.”

“You interrupted - Ugh, you know what? I’m letting it go. Okay, so then I remembered, I have read about a kind of… Scandinavian siren.”

“Scandinavian?” Eddie asks. “Like Sweden?”

“Not limited to Sweden, but yeah.”

“My mother… She was born in Sweden,” Eddie says. “Immigrated as a kid.”

Buck’s shoulders drop a little. “Okay, so… So, it’s… A possibility?”

“I don’t even know what it is,” Eddie reminds him. 

“Right, right,” Buck says, voice shaky. “Okay, so… Uh… There’s a lot of variance across the myth. Like regionally and across time.”

Eddie hates that word. Myth. Implies that it’s just magic. Not real. But Eddie is a real person. This is a real problem. It’s not just a story.

“But I’m thinking, uh, Huldra,” Buck continues. “Or, well… Apparently in Norwegian lore Huldrekall for a dude Huldra.” 

A dude Huldra. 

Awesome. 

“What does any of that mean, Buck?” Eddie sighs. 

“Well… Okay, so there’s a lot of variance, like I said, but… Think of a, like, forest lady with a fox or cow tail, a hollowed out back like a tree, and, uh, the ability to seduce and kill men.”

Eddie’s spine shivers. “A hollow back?”

“Yeah,” Buck says. “Like a rotting tree hollow? I don’t know.”

“Holy fuck,” Eddie exhales.

“Didn’t you, uh… Ask me about your back?”

Eddie nods. “I’ve been dreaming I had a hollow back… The nightmares… Uh, my whole life.”

Buck’s mouth twitches a little. “So… I mean, that makes sense.”

Eddie wants to puke. “So I’m a tree monster that seduces and murders men?” 

This is terrible. This is the worst. 

Buck shrugs. “Um, I don’t think you have to? There are also stories of Huldra protecting travelers in the woods who are kind to them, and… And other good things.”

“None of this feels good,” Eddie complains. 

He finishes with the glass and gets a towel to soak up the beer. He’s moving around the kitchen, full of frantic energy.

---

90 for 🔼:

---

The rage room ends up being a lot of fun. Tiring, but fun. Buck doesn’t love that Lena is there. His legitimate replacement. But… He supposes that’s one of the things he needs to let go of. She’s nice enough to him. Despite what he’s sure was a pretty terrible first impression with the whole lawsuit thing. And, if he’s being honest, the whole reason he didn’t like her was because she was on his team, working and friendly with his best friend. He doesn’t need to be insecure about that anymore. Did Eddie go over to Lena’s place and kiss her? No. He did not. Buck wins. 

So he is polite to Lena back and he has a good night. It’s hard to keep his hands off Eddie. And his eyes. But he wants to respect Eddie’s boundaries, obviously. It’s probably just good sense, too. They have a lot to figure out. Doesn’t mean it’s easy, though. Because now that he knows he can be with Eddie, can touch him and kiss him and look at him in a whole new way… Well, he really likes looking at him! It’s kind of the best! Now that Buck knows he is attracted to man - probably men, if he self-reflects - he’s kind of blown away by how beautiful Eddie is when he lets himself think that way. Like… Eddie is gorgeous. Very pretty. Great for the eyes. Hard to be around and pay attention to other things going on. Buck actually does nearly walk into one of the metal barrels meant for smashing trying to stare at him. 

He feels a little silly. Like he’s in high school again or something. They keep meeting each other’s eyes across the room, then blushing or smiling or quickly looking away. It’s sort of fun, having a secret. Even if Buck would love to put a big old stamp on Eddie that says MINE. This is also sort of thrilling, in its own way. 

When they leave, it takes everything in Buck not to kiss Eddie in the car. Right there in the parking lot, where anyone could see them. 

“I’m going crazy,” he mutters as he starts the ignition on his new Jeep. The replacement from the one he lost in the tsunami.  

“Me too,” Eddie admits. “I felt like I was going to explode in there.”

“Good thing we were smashing shit,” Buck says. 

“Mhm,” Eddie replies, nodding a little more exaggeratedly than necessary. 

“So, uh… When we get back to your place…” Buck prompts. 

Eddie’s cheeks go a little red. “Uh huh.”

Buck smiles. “Okay, well… Good. I’ve, uh… I’ve done research.”

“Research into…” 

“Uh, you know,” Buck mumbles awkwardly. “Sex.”

Eddie just sort of blinks. “Like, you watched porn?”

“What?” Buck replies. “No! I mean, in my lifetime? Sure. But that’s not what I’m talking about!”

“Okay, then, uh, what?”

Buck feels a bit anxious now. Is he misreading this? He kind of thought the plan was to get back and fool around. And keep fooling around. 

“I’ve never had sex with a guy,” Buck says by way of explanation. 

“Right, I know. Me neither,” Eddie says. 

“But I want to, like, make sure it’s good for you… Uh, if and when…”

“If and when… Is tonight right?” Eddie asks. 

“Well, I sure hope so.”

“That’s, uh, that’s super considerate,” Eddie tells him. “The research. But, you know… We don’t have to put that much pressure on it, right?”

“R-right,” Buck replies. “Except, you know… Being good at sex is sort of something I can usually pride myself on, so…”

Eddie nods. “Okay. I get that. You’ve, uh… I’ve heard, I guess. Your stories.”

[batteryacidpasta]

Assigning R1999 Afflatuses to TWST characters for fun

The characters are places in the order of how sure I was of the choice. The choices were based on vibes, the character’s magic mechanics and personal traits, sense of balance and whatever element logic Reverse 1999 has. Everything is subjective and I haven’t actually played Twisted Wonderland — if you have your opinions, feel free to share 👍

Mineral

Deuce - The master of brute-forcing through a problem, and a physical type of person overall, so the choice was straightforward

Leona - He’s a weird guy with abstract “destruction” magic, and placing him into Beast just because he's a beastman felt a bit too cliché for the Sawanclaw boys. Before Chapter 7 I wanted to place him into Plant category to reflect the environmental aspect of his magic and conflict, but the dream have convinced to choose Mineral

Lilia - It would be easy to give the travelling fae Plant Afflatus, but, to not conflict with Rook, I’ve reached to Far Cry Cradle being an ability to read objects and places, therefore Mineral. Also, Mineral Afflatus is somewhat associated with resilience, and Lilia knows a thing or two about it

Trein - Pure vibes

Sebek - Also was a hard choice because I really didn’t want to assign him as Beast, but also had no vibes suggesting anything else - so I went to Fandom Wiki. Mineral Afflatus was chosen due to his inclination towards dry subjects

Beast

Jack - He literally turns into a wolf and has overall is about being able to use oneself’s body to the fullest

Ruggie - A street smarts guy who is, also, a body-affiliated magician. He lives and he will make it everybody else’s problem

Crewel - Tbh he just reminds me Ms. NewBabel and he literally calls students puppies

Vargas - Muscles. And he’s that kind of guy that would hunt

Ace - Tbh I’ve put him here just to all the Heartsabyul boys would be in different Afflatuses, but it’s kinda fitting with how Beast characters tend to interact with the world

Plant

Kalim - Was put into Plant category for the same reason why Vila was put here - water nurtures life

Malleus - The way he manipulates the environment and interacts with it adds the weight to his status of fairy prince. The only reason he’s behind Kalim is because I’ve considered Star Afflatus for a second

Epel - It seems like he *would* actually have apple fruit/tree/garden as Inspiration in Reverse 1999 character chart. Also, I find Plant poison/petrify units iconic, and Pomfeoire guys *are* supposed to be potion-brewing debuffers

Rook - He’s also a hunter type, but his special magic and personal interests are more centred around being able to observe things and take actions afterwards. If to compare to R1999 characters, Argus' skillset and the Fool's ability to be extra

Trey - Pure vibes (and my own balance sense)

Star

Silver - The pal has most of the dreaming time per day, so the association with Babyblue (and Barbara) is present. The other reason is that he always dreamed about things he wasn’t sure were possible for him

Vil - Association with Blonney through being movie industry related. And more importantly, he chases the unarchivable concept of true beauty

Ortho - I was planning to put him into Intellect Afflatus, for tech-related characters tend to be in the category, or into Spirit Afflatus for his connection to the concept of soul, but looking closely, he is driven by big dreams. The Disney Astroboy goes to the Stars!

Azul - For some reason his energetic nature reminds me of Regulus. Wanted to put him into Intellect originally, but he’s most driven by ambitions more suited for this Afflatus

Cater - The main storyline doesn’t cover his character a lot, but I heard there are references to Cinderella in his lore. She has Star vibes, so does he

Jamil - I’m very torn between Star and Intellect for him, he’s put into the category to avoid balance conflict with Jade (aslo he wants to shine outside someone else's shade)

Intellect

Idia - Originally put him into Mineral because I thought he’s related to the underworld on the same level Necrologist is related (aka being at the entrance to it). Looking closely, his Inspiration source would more likely be videogame design, which fits into Intellect category. Unrelated to Afflatuses, he goes into doomed Greek island bearer of the curse gang with 6

Riddle - Idk chat, the theme of reasoning goes deep into him

Jade - I want to be indulgent in making an Intellect-Spirit Leech sibling duo, but I feel like I don’t look deep enough into his character by slapping this Afflatus just because he’s visibly smart and collected. He, though, and plays “mind games” with his opponent for his special magic to work, so maybe that’s deserved

Spirit

Sam - I've never seen the in-game mechanic of the shop, buuuut... As it seems from some quick googling, the man literally takes inspiration from Louisiana voodoo patrons of the dead (Geude Nibo and Baron Saturday specifically), do I need to say more?

Floyd - His sense of chaos alights with some Spirit Afflatus characters alright. The name of his special magic - Bind The Heart - does imply it affecting the opponent caster directly

Grim - His blue flames and relation to blot does make me feel like he would be related to Spirit

Crowley - He has the vibe, but I don’t have enough proof for the assignment Honorary mention - Phantom Ortho - always been a Spirit guy

[shinechermont]

Can you give us a lore dump about any of your ocs?¿ I love hearing about them <3

Nimh technically isn't my original character, but her presence in my swapdreamtale is primordial.

One thing I noticed is the Tree of Feelings isn't exactly mentioned in ANY of the original works of swapdreamtale, or barely appears a background for flashbacks???

The OG Nim is barely discussed already, which is kind of sad considering she is the entity who brought Dream and Nightmare to life???? But at the same time that leaves A LOT of space for headcanons and personal interpretations.

Since swapdreamtale is my current brainrot, I am dibs on the forgotten SwapDreamtale Nim, Nimh.

This post is going to be a bit longer than usual, so before anything, lemme give the credits to the people I need to give it to:

Swapdreamtale by litemong and song_a

Original Dreamtale by jokublog

Nimh, like Nim, is the original guardian of the Tree of Feelings (which I am just calling ''Tree'' to keep it short)

Nimh was the first one. Nobody - not even the twins - know how she was made. Perhaps she was a creation of the Tree just like Swad and Swan, or maybe some person/entity who was chosen to protect the Tree, or even a conscious part of the Tree itself?(I suppose the last one is the most accepted explanation for this, but I am going to keep things up to YOU, fellow reader, to think of)

Regardless being the Tree herself or not, she was the only guardian for ages. Being a god-like creature just protecting a big apple tree for thousands of years in the heart of a very big and dense forest... it is an important chore, but it sure gets boring after a while. Besides, as much as she hates to admit it, her attention spam and overall magic got harder and harder to control properly.

She, unlike Nim, decided herself it was time to "retire" and become one with the Tree for now and always... but to do that, she had to find someone to be in her place. After all, who would protect her and the apples?

That is how she creates the twins - Nightmare and Dream.

The new guardians are taught what to do -more or less, as being fused with a tree has its limitations, you know? She swears she did her best. For years things were peaceful, with the twins doing exactly what she told them to.

Until one day...society starts growing inside the forest, taking down all the nature that served as a barrier of protection to the Tree besides the twins.

It is no secret Nimh thinks of mortals as lowly ones. She never was seen by anyone other than the twins and elder entities ofher past. Ever.

Meanwhile Nightmare is hostile towards the newcomers, Dream is willing to let them stay, kind of curious about them, as he never talked to anyone else but his brother and mother.

Nimh gets displeased by this. It is when she starts preferring Nightmare over Dream - literally just because he refuses to leave the Tree alone.

The more Dream gets along with the villagers, the less she interacts with him, to the point of her only appearing to Nightmare and making sure he won't let his mind get persuaded like his brother's.

Of course, this upsets Dream. He knows why his mother is ignoring him, but at the same time he likes the time spent with the villagers. His relationship with Nightmare gets a bit tight, as he gives Nimh reason - mainly because the villagers bully him, not because of the whole guardian thing.

The very first time Nimh will appear for Dream in years will be in a very, very unfortunate occasion...

[jellypop-04]

Heartslabyul in the Swap au/RSA au, my ideas for these characters are mainly for Ace since I want him to be the one that Overblots in this au

Which led to him having the most lore and ideas, like his backstory with we almost have nothing in canon for besides him having an older brother and a father who isn't a mage. So here are some ideas for his Backstory in the Swap au/RSA au

Backstory

Ace comes from a wealthy family that originates from nobility on his mother's side of the Family. He was raised in Wealth and spoiled, almost always getting what he wanted. He was also a gifted child who learned fast and quickly without Problems. However, Ace getting gifts was a way to distract him from their absences in his daily life with work until he was 6 years old when his cat he got gifted when he was 3 named "Diana" went missing, he tried to do anything to get his parents' attention for help to do something, his older brother "$%6$?" tried helping but nothing they couldn't find her. Then Ace on his own went searching for her in the Garden, mainly the Maze he easily got lost and ended up following an animal he thought was Diana. Sadly it wasn't instead it was a white rabbit that led him to a broken tree where he found a hole under, in that small hole, laid the body of his beloved cat Diana covered in blood. Ace screamed scared and ran back home trying to find his parents, brother or a servant to help him with what he just found nobody believed him, already being over the fact of Diana going missing and accepting it as she left. Ace tried anything to have his parents go to that tree and look he studied to get perfect scores and did extra classes just for them to go and look and they did a year later but instead of finding Diana under it there was nothing, Ace was confused but didn't voice anything when his parents angrily told him he was wasting there time. Ace continued to visit that tree doing anything under it studying, practising magic tricks, drawing or playing during those times he acted as if someone else was with him. Because for him there was Diana was back, she looked different and disappeared at random slowly in weird ways always leaving her smile at the end, her smile? "But cats can't smile" his brother always said. Ace started to hallucinate more and more it was treated as him being childish or him joking about the eyes watching him, pink smoke, or pig mushrooms even when he drew them, even when he talked to himself... no to someone else who wasn't even there. During this, he got tired of making an effort to do stuff (burnt-out gifted kid) even though he gave it his all he never got what he wanted so what was the point of giving it?

This is what I have right now I'm not completely finished and some parts might change.

Ideas/Changes to Ace's Story:

He blacks out after finding Diana's dead body instead of screaming and running for help

During his overblot thiers two Overblot monsters one bing his based on Alice and another based on the Cheshire Cat to represent Diana

Small facts about Swap au/RSA au Ace Trappole:

he has a pair of identical twin cousins who are a few years younger than him

He's still close to his brother

He has a black bow in his hair that he ties up in a small side ponytail, he always switches it up to busy his hand during hallucinations

[lehdenlaulu]

Okay, 40h in, some stray thoughts:

I keep going back and forth between 'oh it's not really that bad after all' and 'ugh why' basically. Every time there's actually a nice bit of writing etc. the frustration at some other aspect soon takes over.

I'm particularly not fond of the random faceless mook hordes that keep respawning in certain locations (seriously, DA2 was bad enough). Or the dumb pointless boss battles you have to do in order to unlock new areas in the Fade where your reward is... another boss battle. And more faceless mooks. And maybe some gear. And maybe more of Solas's tedious sob story if you're lucky. The ghost of the live co-op thing really keeps quite literally haunting the narrative.

Oh, and there's even a fucking gladiator arena. I'm guessing that was originally for PvP. And now it's just there just in case you didn't already get your fill of combat elsewhere. And wanted to ogle Isabela who now inexplicably wears only a bikini and thigh-high boots. Because apparently that's Rivaini cultural outfit now or something? Some pseudo-Aztec thing? Sure. Whatever.

Honestly, just imagine if they'd put as much time and effort into making sure the story is narratively sound and makes any kind of sense as a sequel to its predecessors as they did into crafting the combat system and the needlessly byzantine combat skill tree. *sigh*

I do really like the new exploration mechanics though. I like that I can strafe on narrow ledges and vault over fences and through windows and such. Not super fond that I can magically just use my absent companions' exploration abilities because of my mystical magical all-powerful MacGuffin, though. Guess some people really don't feel like changing their party composition ever. 🙄

And that's another thing. This game coddles the player way too much to the point of treating us like particularly dense toddlers. Not only are there tons of visual options that basically guide you by the hand and point out everything relevant (all of which I obviously immediately turned off) but the dialogue also will very unsubtly tell you what to do at every turn. Like... Taash, babe, we're both Lords of Fortune, I don't think I need to be told to check out if there's something behind the waterfall. And if someone is so new to RPGs to not know something that basic, they need to discover it for themselves, not have it spelled out to them. Honestly, I thought this game's age limit was 18, not 12.

Speaking of Taash and all things unsubtle... I feel like there was a way to introduce their struggle with gender identity in a less... anvilicious way. And maybe come up with some in-universe lore and terminology instead of just defaulting to modern real-world vocabulary. The codex entry in particular frankly felt like breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the player. And I say this as someone whose own gender identity is pretty nebulous.

Frankly, I'm surprised someone hasn't already literally told Bellara she has ADHD. Yet. I'm guessing she and Taash are relatable to some players, but to me they feel... vaguely insulting, honestly, because it really is about as subtle as a brick in the face. I'm also getting the vibe they're both someone's self insert to some degree at least. Which isn't new for DA, but... yeah.

What else... Oh. Yeah. The less said about the main plot the better. Varric, this really is your worst book yet.

Speaking of Varric, it's pretty funny how he keeps telling Rook to please get some sleep. Sure, mate, would love to but a) all I get for a bed is apparently a bare divan in a room with a massive glowing aquarium b) every time I try to sleep some smarmy elf keeps mansplaining at me in my dreams. Which, you know, is something I shouldn't have in the first place as a dwarf. Maybe I should just start chugging coffee with Lucanis. (But honestly, only Taash and Davrin get to have actual beds, everyone else has to make do with cots, bedrolls, divans, and... an embalming slate??)

Oh, and I'll be really surprised if Varric survives this story. I mean, he's barely there in the first place and keeps talking like some ailing relative who secretly has consumption in a Victorian novel. I mean, his writer was laid off after all.

The pacing and structure of this game is extremely weird. The beginning was particularly rough, then it got better, but it's still a bit all over the place.

Oh, right. I'm fairly sure we were promised cool bard songs at some point. I haven't heard a single one yet. Unless that one street performer in Treviso strumming Enchanters counts, which I don't believe does. It was nice to hear it, though, as much as it was a bit contextually odd to choose that song in particular. Ah well, I guess Empress of Fire would have been even odder.

This is also the most forgettable Hans Zimmer soundtrack I have heard in my life. I can't think of a single theme or leitmotif off the top of my head, but the Inquisition theme on the other hand was instantly recognizable. I might say he's just new to writing video game soundtracks, but... dude's famous for his highly catchy, recognizable and evocative themes. Weird.

But hey! As much as I don't like the cartoony character models, the game is actually otherwise really pretty and has some really lovely visual designs in environments and architecture etc. It's also very stable and smooth for a brand-new game, I've only had one crash and two obvious bugs so far. That's always a big win for a studio. Too bad its actual problems are too baked in to be fixable with some patches.

Anyway, that's it for now. Lots of negativity, I know, but I actually do like playing this game for the most part. I just have to... not think of it as a Dragon Age, basically. Because for all the bells and whistles, or maybe because of them, it really doesn't feel like one. There are glimpses here and there of a great DA game it could have been, but unfortunately, the final result is a bit of a Frankenstein's monster of different and largely incompatible concepts hastily sewn together.

[all-things-john-constantine]

If you’re trying to avoid NMT3 spoilers I discuss what we know from the readings and synopsis and a couple things that have been said about the lore.

Thinking about NMT3 (Miss Holloween and Orbweaver)(THAT’S WITHOUT DISCUSSING TOM AND BECKY AND THEY’RE HAVING A BABY! I JUST KNOW ZOMBIE STANLEY IS GOING TO TRY TO RUIN THEIR HAPPINESS! TIM AND GRACE!!?!?! RICHIE AND RUTH!! DISASTER NERDS GETTING THEMSELVES IN MORE SHIT! BILL AND CHARLOTTE!! CHARLOTTE MIGHT FIND LOVE!!!) and the Miss Holloway Musical. Specifically I think about how Duke is totally dying in Miss Holloween. There is just no way they’re going to give us a happy ending (Kim and Curt please have mercy on me with your acting the reading was painful enough i know the actual thing will gut me). I also think about how we’re also getting Macnamara back. It brings up all the questions and thoughts for me.

1. What was John’s reaction when he saw Wilbur for the first time after the portal was opened? What about when he realized Wilbur’s mind was gone and it wasn’t coming back? Did he try to bring Wilbur back? What made him finally give up trying?

2. Who is John’s husband? It could be Xander, but I’m leaning towards it being someone else. I just feel like the “i know what I have to do” “no don’t go in there John!” moment would have been bigger if it was, but it was mid Wilbur monologue so maybe it would’ve been too clunky to do more. We don’t tend to get super huge reactions to deaths in Hatchetfield shows so maybe that’s just irrelevant.

3. How old is Miss Holloway? She’s depicted in the black book. Does that make her as old as it’s author Willabella? I’m leaning no. TURNS OUT MEG LLOYD TALKED ABOUT IT BEING FOR ORIGINAL WORKING BOYS SCRIPT!! IT’S BECKY!!! BADASS WARRIOR OF LIGHT!!! We could have a moment where it just works out and it’s applicable anyways, but I think we can put that on the back burner and just consider it a depiction of her making the deal. I think if she was enjoying herself as a rockstar in the 1980s she might have just been getting used to her immortality at the time which could make her birth year anywhere from 1900 to 1950. Something about that doesn’t seem right either though. I just can’t get a read on her as far as her age is concerned.

4. How did Douglas Keane Sr end up in Wilbur’s crosshairs? Were he and Miss Holloway friends? He was probably investigating something Wilbur did as sheriff and got in over his head. I feel like whatever it was leads to the initial Holloway vs Cross death match in the starlight theater.

5. What happened to Casey and the three girls Miss Holloway couldn’t save? Is Casey one of the three girls? What the hell happened beyond the obvious hatchet men ritual involving murder and burying people alive to grow as trees in the witchwood forest?

6. Why did Ethan recite the magical hat speech Miss Holloway gives to kids to Hannah in Black Friday? Where did he learn it? He totally had a touch of the gift and needed Miss Holloway’s help at some point in his life didn’t he? I also love the idea of all of the people being targeted by the Lords in Black like Paul and Ted having a touch of the gift even though there is no canonical support for that.

Alright I think that’s all I’ve got for now. Feel free to share your thoughts. I’m clueless and usually not great at predictions.

[mintytealfox]

hello Minty, what's good? I have been wondering, have you ever thought of some silly hc for the different skins Norton has? considering that some of them have their own lore and differences from the original one and knowing that some changes most of his look (waiting for Magic item keeper stuff...)

Heellllooooo Anon~ Its another good day of thinking about Norton/Nortalice and listening to Enya while still doing breathing treatments heh~ 🤣👌👌👌👌💪

YOU BET I HAVE LOL I have too much time to think recently lol

I have been wondering for Orphan, is no one concerned that Norton's eyes are glowing/on fire?? while everyone else seems relatively normal he is just on fire LOL like:

Orpheus: "you've got something going on with your eye region" Norton: "what do you mean" 🔥👄🔥 Orpheus: ".........you know what? never mind"

---

Then for Ronald of Nice, I wonder if he gets a military pension 🤔especially if he was sent home early from being wounded (assuming the burns are from the war)

but on the more silly side, I wouldn't be surprised if he has piles of fan letters that he doesn't open lol just has them all piled on display to flaunt cause he doesn't care what people have to say pfff Enjoying the sheer amount of em Like Uncle Scrooge Mcduck and his money bath -WHEEZE-

---

Speaking of Scrooge Mcduck, that reminds me of Mr. Mole and how I think he genuinely views the moles, in his life, as his family.

Norton: "I want you to meet my family" Alice: "Oh wow, really?" -Norton picks up and holds out a group of moles in his hands- Alice: "Oh....wow...it is so good to meet you all" -internally sobbing😭- Norton: "oh they want to show you the family home, follow" -trying to squeeze through the tiny door at the base of a tree- -Alice watching in concern- "I......am not sure there will be enough room.." -Norton giving it his all to try and fit through- "don't be silly"

---

Okay I will put you out of your misery and talk about Magic Item Keeper 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bro gives me those dragon in the dungeon vibes lol He doesn't care what side you're on, good or bad, if you're a professor or a student, nothing, if you eff with his items he is keeping, especially without permission, he will nuke ya LOL Like a ruthless librarian, you best not return the item you borrowed LATE worst of all DAMAGED (honestly good luck borrowing it in the first place LOL)

"DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO FIX THIS ITEM BEFORE?!??!?!?!??!?!"

which is funny that I think like that cause this skin has got to be one of his more unassuming ones

-WHEEEZZEEE- but don't underestimate a person who takes item keeping seriously, they can be so scaryyyyyy.

Like, look at him, he looks NICE not a SPECK of dust or grime NOTHING, SHINY, every piece looks enchanted honestly. Makes me think he takes this line of work more than seriously. Then there's that massive time piece, its there for a reason, DON'T BE LATE.

Which also makes me think he knows where everything is of every moment of everyday, boi got active chart updates going on in his brain, eyes reading and observing everything BUT the person in front of him LOL Honestly if you have his undivided attention you've effed up with something and pissed him off LOLL

and honestly he is likely the more powerful of the bunch. You don't put someone in charge of keeping all of these coveted magic items safe if they don't have the ability to keep them safe, ya know? bro likely op as hell but his only concern is caring for these items lol

[colourprinter]

Day 16) wait... That's not right

But I've had something playing in my brain from the answer I gave so have this which might be a start of a series of posts, call it a minor change fanfic :3

I'm also just gonna make a tag "#ow: mywonderland" if anyone wants to do something similar!

Lore below!

Part 1 - Make a wish

It was a normal, boring day in the woods, a smile on my face as I point my vintage camera to a blooming flower, doing whatever I can to get the shot in focus! "Darn, I should have gotten a better camera... Maybe next time" I take the shot and sigh, taking a look around, seems rather quiet, I'm sure people were around but now the area seems... Quiet

Without even thinking, my voice starts to mumble out, "This is what I get for my first look around, I'm starting to lose it, it's normal for people to not be wondering the woods in the middle of the day" I sigh again, taking a look around, I did hear about the biggest tree in the woods, sounded like something fun to take a picture of but these woods are much denser than I was expecting, despite this and the worry in the back of my mind, my feet take me deeper into the woods, the want to go the other direction in my mind getting stronger by the step.

Soon enough my eyes lay upon what has to be the large tree in the woods, my jaw hanging open from the size of it. After a few moment, I regain my composure, getting my vintage camera out and taking a couple of nice shots. But after those shots, a wirring sounds out from the camera, a groan escapes my lips, "Really, out of film now?!" I swap my camera for my phone, taking a few pictures, reviewing them and digitally developing a few that didn't come out how I had hoped.

As I'm distracted by my phone, my phone catches on a root, I tumble towards the tree but instead of connecting with wood, I fall into a hole? The moment my head dips below the floor, I feel my mind drift away...

...

My mind regains itself and I feel like I'm floating in an endless void but at the same time falling, falling so far. "You..." A voice rings in my head, a child-like voice, "What do you want?" A voice that feels so personal but completely alien to me, a message for someone else, "What do you wish for more than anything else in the whole world?" This sparks something in my mind, if this 'wish' is real then I know genie tricks, monkey paws, and at least one bit of media that shows the horrors of wish magic. "If this is real, then I wish..." I pause for but a moment, the thoughts firing in my brain, making sure I pick the best thing I can, something that can't possibly backfire! "... I wish to be happy and fulfilled" and as the last word escapes my lips, my mind is put to rest yet again.

...

My eyes finally open, I look up onto a rustic ceiling, my eyes wonder the matchingly rustic room. I look over to a bedside table, the content of my pockets and my phone sitting on it, "T-the hell?" I sit up, my clothes tattered and torn, my arms with cuts that match those on my hoodie.

"The traveller awakens, good morrow to you!" A voice speaks up to my side. A woman in what I would best describe as fantasy casual wear, looking to her face, I offer a small but confused smile. This is going to be a weird day... Isn't it?

Note: I don't know if these are bad story telling things but the mumbling out loud to myself and not taking in someone's features when I look at them are things I do, the lack of description of the woman is intentional, to me the most striking feature would be the clothes that don't fit the time period I'm expecting to wake up in

[howlingday]

Oh ok so I'm about lore dump one of the most important for my Rwby world. So

I have seen all of Rwby and don't know everything so I'm gonna step over real Canon lore.

I'm not good with power balancing in stuff.

A lot stuff my be understanding which you might see differently.

Feel free to call anything out you think could be better also I'm not asking to write anything if want to use my ideas I give you permission but I'm asking you to?

Without further ado let's talk about The Keep and it's Keeper.

Long ago when the brothers still wandered the Rement with their creations a women would follow and worship them. The women was mighty curious about the gods. She would flatter them, bring them gifts and talk about how the world was. Inreturn they would sparly talk of a relam they lived before. The women wonder if they were born their or if it was another world they made. As she grew old and Time neared its end she would build a magic mask to keep her memories and a piece of soul so her apprentice would have all the tools he needed.

As time pasted the mask would gather more soul pieces and memories. Soon a women named Salem would gather the armies of Humanity to fight the gods. The current holder of the mask thought she was insane with how much he knew of the gods.

So he gathered a small group of people and ran far away from the battle and prayed for mercy. It is not know if the gods listen or were seemingly so egotistical that they missed the spot. With population they would try to reproduce but it was quickly show 2 generations they would end up inbreeding with how little they were. So the current holder tried to slice human and animal DNA to fix the problem and it worked.

But would one see humans came back so the host now called the Keeper would return and learn of Salem and Ozma using the relics he would learn Salem,Omza, and even the Ever After story and mangne to get a single leaf of the Tree. The next Keeper would become one of Salem's handmaidens. Which would go terribly so as the castle burned the Keeper would shove a child away causing the child to knock out but seen by someone else and saved.(A story for another time)

Salem and Omza were locked in battle so the Keeper would hide away. The Keep would soon develop fully as it's own entity. As magic started to die out the Keep and it's current Keeper were able to grow a small tree from the preserved leaf. Using the tree they were able to make a Potion that would awaken magic in people without magic but kill those unable to handle it. So the Keeper title would be passed down all the way to morden day always staying out of Ozpin and Salem sight even giving people Magic or making Magic tools to keep them of its tail.

I think that's enough for origin. Many of his actions will effect my Rwby world. Feel free to ask any questions or critique anything.

This sounds like a really interesting idea. I'm kinda curious to see where this story goes. Though I do have some questions about the story, too.

First off is the mask the Keeper wore, and how it would store the memories of the previous keeper, as well as their soul. Does the mask still do that? What happens when someone wear the mask? Does it ever come off?

Next is the topic of the inbreeding group who were able to solve their problem thanks to splicing animal DNA. How exactly did they do that, and were there any ramifications to the inbreeding?

Last is the tree growing in Remnant. Is it sentient? How is it decided whether or not a person is worthy? And if these people are granted magic, how are they kept out of sight by the rest of Remnant?

[littledragondork]

Greetings. I an once again rummaging around for specific lore regarding TES. (And this ask turned out longer than I was expecting so sorry about that!)

So you you know Alchemy, the trans woman from ESO? Do you happen to know if there were any specific details on how she transitioned or if it was just another detail that Bethesda added and then added basically nothing onto? When I looked her up to see if I could figure it out on my own, she just mentioned using magical means to do it, but I'm not sure if that means she used some kind of spell (probably either from the Restoration or Alteration school) or if she just brewed/had someone else brew her own HRT.

Asking because 1) I think it's a nice bit of lore to have some knowledge of and 2) because the character I made for my next College of Winterhold playthrough is trans masc and I was wondering if it would be lore accurate to say he got the Skyrim equivalent of top surgery from one of the teachers or if he just found a testosterone recipe in the library, or if I should just go with the good old fashioned (and probably unsafe but I'm not sure if there are safer materials in the time period of the game) method of using bandages as binding tape.

(Also, if the transition process did involve using some sort of spell, which teacher do you think would be capable of effectively utilizing it? My guess would be Tolfdir (because Alteration magic) or Colette Marence (because Restoration magic), but since Alchemy mentioned that apparently there are plenty of trans people in Summerset it could also be Farlada or whoever the other one was.)

Sadly I don't play enough of ESO to know how she transitioned but I really wish I did, but after reading her dialogue, It seems like she just used magic, (likely alchemical if I had to guess). Bethesda did really nothing else on it except say it's pretty common for people to be trans in Elder scrolls and not everyone would use magic or surgery to transition which is cool. The only real concrete information I could find was that the writers made it vague so people could make up their own ways for how HRT/transitioning works.

@foulserpent has a great post here about Headcanons regarding HRT in TES if you want to give it a look because they did a great job with it!! I personally refer to it when putting HRT in my own TES stories and OCs

I also have a transmasc OC, my HOK Balheim, for his top surgery I just him going to some form of medical place/person as those do exist in universe (that or he just got himself super drunk, readied a ton of super strong healing potions, and did it himself but idk if that fit's his character tbh). I also imagine it was alchemical HRT that he would drink daily and either makes himself or buys from a specific alchemist. But that's just me for my own character.

I know Argonians can use the Hist sap to transition fairly quickly and it's also super common for them to do that, love the trans Lizards! Hist says trans rights! Wish I could just lick a tree to transition but alas.

[vorpalbun]

Witch Machines part 3

Part 3 is a lore dump, and this is where it appears in the original draft, but I might move it. There's a bigger lore hole that I wrote later but it's more encyclopedic and doesn't really fit in anywhere so I dunno when it'll get posted. Anyway. What the fuck is up with Sign?

The village of Sign was said to be incredibly old. Everyone was taught that it had been founded deep in the woods at least one thousand years ago and had been home to a thriving community ever since. Very little of the land was cleared, just enough to build modest houses raised on stilts. The rest of the village was dominated by trees, tall and old, which had been decorated with platforms and treehouses, extending the village to three dimensions. As the land did not lend itself to agriculture, the people of Sign instead made their living hunting and gathering in the forest from carefully tended plants. This gave the villages a lush, welcoming appearance.

Apart from trees, history was extremely important in Sign. The archives contained records stretching back through the entire lifetime of the village and were meticulously kept by a group of archivists. Every child learned an exhaustive history of Sign in preparation for the possibility of one day being responsible for the archives.

Due to its location, Sign very rarely had any visitors. At the same time, no one ever left. The village was a tiny island in a sea of trees and everyone agreed it was for the best. The woods provided everything they needed and someone had to keep the archives, so there was never any reason good enough to leave. The visitors who managed to find Sign were usually lost travellers telling frightening stories of rough seas, hunger, and icy storms. Much better to stay amongst the trees.

The most recent visitor—an esfa, like everyone else in Sign—had arrived in the early morning just over a year ago. They were cautiously welcomed and offered hospitality in Neela’s house. They were surprised to have come across Sign, but most visitors were. It was probably not on any maps except the ones made in Sign itself. Once the visitor left, after resting for a day and a night, the village elders breathed a sigh of relief and disappeared into the archives, which had remained locked for the duration of the visitor’s stay.

The last recorded visitor who was not an esfa was a porry who had stumbled upon the village nineteen years previously. The people of Sign had been fascinated by the bird-like person, in their own timid way, but they did not seem taken aback by the smooth tawny skin and pointed ears of the esfas. They had been particularly fond of the children of the village and showed them some of the trinkets they wore attached to their voluminous clothing. Deryn was among them but was too young to remember them for long. However, this mutual adoration came to an abrupt end when the porry showed the children magic. It was just a small enchantment, whistle that played by itself, but this was enough for the elders to ask them to leave immediately. Strangers were already suspect and a magical stranger was simply too much. The porry’s visit was recorded in great detail and the children were warned to stay away from strangers after that. Of course, being too young to remember, Deryn did not follow this rule.

Whenever Deryn heard of a visitor in the village, he would always introduce himself. This distinguished him from the other villagers, who were usually too shy or suspicious to make conversation. His cheerful demeanour put visitors at ease, although he mainly wanted to chat for his own amusement rather than out of concern or kindness. This meant that he learned a lot more about the world outside Sign than the rest of the community and developed rudimentary knowledge of the geography of the southwest of Raiperra, which the travellers passed through to reach Sign. He also became familiar with some of the many peoples of the island, some of whom were mentioned in the archives, but some he had only heard of from a single visitor, like the ixes, secretive rats living in elaborate burrows in the dry southeast.

-----

As well as outsiders, the people of Sign were taught to be suspicious of magic. The reasons were made clear: magic was something other people did, people outside of Sign. People in Sign had no use for it, it would simply make them like everyone else. What this meant ranged from malicious to lazy and dull. However, exact opinions on magic varied throughout the village. When Deryn started to play with magic as a child, his parents were blandly supportive but made sure not to talk about it with anyone else. They gently directed him to more subtle, harmless expressions of magic when he discovered he could make fire but this just made him practise in private. Over the years, he became more confident in his abilities and learned who could and could not be trusted with knowledge of what he was up to.

Deryn knew he was not the only person in Sign who did magic. Most notably, Arianan’s older sister had learned how to use magic for medicinal purposes. This was an open secret, with many people going to her for various ailments. Deryn had been treated by her himself, after a few increasingly uncomfortable years, in order to flatten his chest.

There had also been hints that some of his other neighbours knew more about magic than they let on. A bowl he accidentally knocked off Adair’s table and broke was seen again, apparently unharmed, on a later visit. On more than one occasion, Deryn had seen specks of light drifting through the trees that were not any insect he had ever heard of. Another time, he had passed a tree that he was sure had not been there the day before. Upon closer inspection, the tree did not appear to be solid, instead a pillar of colours shifting slightly in the breeze. He never found out who made it and did not try to find them, hoping that they would do the same for him.

Life in Sign had been strict in other ways but as a child the village elders often reminded Deryn that they were very lucky to live in such a peaceful, secluded place. The rest of the people of Raiperra had to contend with evildoers and their magic every day. At the time, this seemed like a reasonable trade-off, but now he was going out into the world, just a little, to see for himself.