#magic and vague lore things

[doodlingwren]

Ok, back to girlblogging eheh (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

[little-piece-of-tamlin]

took me only three pages in my new sketchbook to start drawing gay shit....

poses courtesy of pinterest

i have regular brainrot of shipping redacted with various npcs from the campaign, this one, zarak, is a recurring one! do love me a grumpy tragic drow that i can soften up... and redacted may be a flirty fuck but i think zarak could get him flustered if he really tried

also his nickname for redacted is trinket. like. yes its bc when they first meet redacted gives him an origamy thingy But regardless!!! do you not see the potential!! in the immediate pet name!!!

[rexomi]

Something something. Making Solas a liar in Veilguard actively brings back a problem they fixed working on Inquisition.

On December 20 2019 VGS posted an interview with Trick Weekes about their work on Solas. This whole sentence is a link so its large enough for mobile but also disclaimer this is before they changed their name so deadname warning.

Here's a transcription I found here which is where i took the screenshots above. Since I know not everyone has 40 minutes to listen to an online radio interview.

I however highlighted the main point since most of you are not reading the screenshots anyway but skimming through. Rant under Read-more. Also bc i try to not be too negative on people's dashs but also i wanna ramble some more.

"But he lied a lot more. And it really weakened his character."

You can tell this happened during the game. Solas lies only once within Inquisition. He says something he can't be vague about and you push him so he lies, badly. He usually tells the truth vaguely. Typically Solas lies no more than Blackwall.

I fully believe that if in Inquisition your inquisitor figured out that Solas was Fen’harel and asked him bluntly to his face he'd confess. He might even be impressed. But why would you ever start to think that. No one assumes that their coworker is actually Poseidon regardless of how much they love the beach and ocean.

He hides in your expectations.

You can't ask him about being an ancient elf or being Fen'harel of myth because those aren't very probable. They're astronomically low to be truth within that universe. And outside, no one finished DA2 and went i wonder if one of our next companions is the Dread Wolf. Sera said, impossible things can't be surprises. He doesn't have to lie so when the truth comes out it's becomes obvious on a second playthrough.

They then actively bring back a problem they fixed in Inquisitions development. That they were open about fixing. That having a character that outright lies to you makes you have no intention of even hearing out the character. It retroactively undercuts Inquisition bc i see people trying to find Solas' lies in it when they aren't going to find any beyond the court intrigue.

It undercuts any lore we do get from Solas bc people dismiss it outright as being a lie from Mr "I abhor blood magic". I feel like shaking people's shoulders like no, dont do it.

They retconned him guys i have proof from 2019.

And its like if you hate Solas is this even satisfying? Like that's not Solas. His motivations are gone (that's a whole other post) and so is his core personality trait. It's like they went here's the Dreadwolf but during the ten years they replaced the smug asshole who was insufferably right with a 20 yo senior chihuahua that doesnt have any teeth.

My favorite villains are those that tell the truth. Because nothing hurts more than the truth. Can you imagine if he told you the truth. If he told you horrible things that you dismissed as lies to only be true. Wouldn't Varric’s death have more weight if he told you Varric was dead only for you - for everyone - to see him in the Lighthouse. If it was a spirit who took his shape to help you or even because it saw something worth reflecting in your memories.

So you dismiss him until it's revealed near the end oh he was telling the truth and you have an oh shit maybe he was right about other things but its too late to try and stop any of the truths he told you which could be from allies/companions betraying to stuff about Ghilan'nain and Elgarnan.

Like the only way to redeem Solas was to listen to him and by going out of your way to address problems he sees and you can find the alternative to tearing down the Veil by a series a little puzzle pieces throughout the game.

Have it be he will only listen to you if you listen to him. That he'll reject your other solution bc why the hell would he trust you if you couldnt extend the same.

Like Solas couldve been a great villian and he should've been great for both the haters and those that liked him. Not only the romance but for those who became his friend. Like i keep coming back to if i hated Solas would i be satisfied with Veilguard.

And the answer is no because that isnt Solas.

Tricking him has no weight bc he's an idiot in Veilguard like not even in the ending bc doesn't notice you switch the dagger around like right in front of him but none of his actions make sense. Ppl have mentioned the regret prison makes no sense for Elgarnan and Ghilan'nain bc they don't have regrets.

Attacking Solas has no weight because he literally needs the shit kicked out of him by a dragon for it to even begin to work. They literally need him to be at deaths door before its realistic that Rook could take him in a fight.

Redeem has no weight bc of the massive retcons to his motivations. They had to retcon the post credits scene bc even if Flemythal went hey i don't want you to do this Dai Solas wouldve went okay but that doesnt solve my other problems with the veil including the corruption of spirits and the fact its in literal shambles so i guess is still coming down.

I'm just disappointed. By the end of Trespasser they had a great villian and they just tossed it to the side and reverted him and people are arguing about a character who's sole defining trait in Veilguard is a problem they solved before Inquisition launched.

Basically we can sum it up with a screenshot.

[that-hazbin]

I have some HCs from twitter I'd like to transfer here, so pspspsps come get some food

Alastor hung out with women who liked to seduce their way to success, and inadvertently picked up their body language. When he was alive, many people thought that he was intentionally seducing men and women alike, which had landed him in some hot water once or twice. There is a DIRECT correlation between this and Vox's One-sided Psychosexual Obsession with him. He is not doing it on purpose and he has no idea what his body language comes across as.

Alastor has Uber Autism, specifically the kind where he needs to listen to the same exact song 379 times before he is satisfied. Dying and going to hell was an absolute delight because he no longer has to uphold standard broadcasting procedure, and instead can do whatever the fuck he wants. Everyone in Hell believes he's attempting to torture them when he plays Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" for the 67th time. He's not, he genuinely just loves playing the same song over and over. (He also loves that magic can prevent his records from wearing out so quickly.)

Alastor likes to divulge the Deep Lore to Angel because he knows no one will EVER believe him. It does not bother him at all that Angel knows things about him that no one else does, because Angel ALSO hates the Vees and therefore is very unlikely to go around spilling any of it to anyone outside their mutual circle of merry misfits. And, again, no one would believe him anyways.

Alastor is hyperaware of other people's facial expressions, and believes this is normal, which is why he controls his own facial expressions so obsessively. He thinks it's a universal behavior to hyper analyze facial expressions and guess what goes on in people's heads that way. He has yet to figure out that it's not, even after a near century in Hell.

Vaggie reminds Alastor of Susan. He vaguely believes that if he ever pointed out the similarities to Charlie, it could possibly ruin their relationship. Which is pretty cruel even for him, so he'll be keeping his mouth shut.

Alastor built the entire radio network in Hell. Before he arrived, Hell was actually pretty far behind technologically. People were too busy suffering. Luckily for them, Alastor is Autistic and his special interest is Radio. Nothing will stop this man from indulging in his passions.

[tossawary]

I don't have a solid plot attached to this idea, I don't currently really have the desire to drop everything to go write "The Hobbit" fanfiction, but for a while I've had the idea of *gestures vaguely" some post-canon story (probably some form of fix-it) taking place before, during, and after a grand dwarven opera performance in Erebor.

Because I am absolutely certain that the Lonely Mountain had an absolutely stunningly beautiful Royal Opera House (and plenty of other, less grand performance halls) that, at the city's height, was putting at least one show every single day. Orchestral symphonies, operas and operettas, dramatic plays, dance performances... you name it, they had it and more. The various cultures of Middle Earth evidently ADORE music, dwarves absolutely included. The Company all bring instruments to Bag End to play and sing themselves off before their quest!

Also, beyond the music side of things, with how dwarves are named as master crafters? Smiths and toymakers and magicians? No way that they did not have some of the most gorgeous costumes, sets, and effects on the planet. Dwarves would go WILD with their articulated stage puppets, I know it.

One of my biggest issues with the film trilogy is that it failed to deeply explore the Company as people who had lost their home, beauty and culture included. Smaug not only killed countless people, entire families, and leave many of the survivors poor and desperate, the dragon went on to hoard their heirlooms and life's work and leave these priceless gold treasures UNUSED. It is an additional heartbreak to imagine Smaug tearing through Erebor neighborhood by neighborhood, house by house, so that he could tear out every gemstone in, say, mosaic made by someone's grandmother that sat above the breakfast table every morning. To think that Smaug in the aftermath tore magical lanterns off the walls, the sort that might have been decorated with animals or flowers, to make some daycare walkway just a little more cheery for the children, and in his greed left a dead city in the dark.

The live-action movies put both Smaug and the Balrog in these... absolutely enormous chambers that serve somewhat unclear purposes. The king's treasure vault and a former marketplace, I think? (Moria has been raised by goblins, I can forgive the emptiness.) It's a quick visual depiction of Thror's uncontrollable gold lust to give him a Scrooge McDuck room, sure, instead of anything with an actual organizational system (normally, I assume dwarves are big on sorting their vaults if they have one). Super big columns and hallways and staircases do somewhat effectively communicate the "lost glory" of Moria (I am very fond of these movies!!!), even if I also think it's not as interesting as it could have been. And the other obvious purpose of big, open warehouse-like spaces is 1) it's easier to animate the big creatures moving around in them generally and 2) it allows the films to show off the full-bodied visual spectacle of their big creatures.

But I think it would have also kicked ass to put Smaug in Erebor's former Royal Opera House or something, some enormous theatre decorated across generations. That could be big! The ART (statues, fountains, banners, windows, general architecture) that you could put on the exterior, which has had its face ripped open for the dragon to get inside? The ART that you could put INSIDE (mosaics, murals, and more) as Bilbo sneaks inside? Ohhh, you could include so many potential lore references with thematic relevance!

Also, Bilbo could get jump-scared by old articulated stage puppets or something. IT'S THE DRAGON-! Oh, no, it's some old opera prop. (Yes, we're talking more about an actual adaptation of "The Hobbit" rather than fanfiction concepts now.)

Sure, there's raw material treasure and coins hoarded here in this place, but there would also be musical instruments and toys and household tools and cookware and fancy dishes, wedding jewelry and anniversary gifts and family shrines and festival costumes, fountain statues and street lamps and mailboxes and business signs, and other evidence that people really LIVED here. These are all ordinary objects that Bilbo recognizes from the Shire.

We could tie these objects directly back to objects we saw featured in Bilbo's home early in this adaptation, which he was trying to "protect" from the dwarves during their "That's what Bilbo Baggins hates" song. There are half-burned portraits of people's late parents here too. Did he think that there weren't any dwarves who made doilies or handkerchiefs embroidered with flowers? Of course they made things like that too.

It's perfectly symbolic to, say, place Smaug's bed in an area like the king's throne room. The dragon is now the King Under The Mountain. But I think it would be deliciously haunting to have the throne room of Erebor be empty, the throne half-broken, the silver stripped from the walls and moved elsewhere, because Smaug doesn't care about Thror's old audience chamber. What's a dwarf king to a dragon? He burns the same as all the others. The dragon has instead made his bed in a beautiful public place of art and culture that was for the people, by the people, surrounded by the lovingly crafted belongings of the ordinary people he killed. Gold is gold to a dragon whether it's in a coin or a candlestick.

I think if you really want to sell one of the key messages of "The Hobbit", which in my opinion is: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." then you ought to throw yourself behind EREBOR being a place where food and cheer and song had value, not just the Shire. Thorin isn't lost at the end because he's a dwarf and dwarves don't value such things, but because he as a specific person who makes the mistake of weighing pride and gold over people, and he comes to regret that on his deathbed.

So, back to the fanfiction idea, I think that Erebor had music again in it as soon as dwarves started living in it again. It will take decades and decades before the Royal Opera House is half as splendid as it was before, and there is a performance there with beautiful costumes and puppets and sets comparable to those that came before, some traditional historical show that is part of specific seasonal holiday for dwarves. But that very first winter, when the future still looked grim, I think the dwarves cleared out a small stage and cast the roles of this traditional musical retelling of their history among them, based on who knew the parts best, because they aren't just miners and smiths and soldiers, and there was music again in Erebor that winter despite all the damage that the dragon did.

[kikitakite]

I saw your callout in the Gale tag for that one user (no comment on them, tho ty for the callout bc i'd seen them in the notes of my fics) and was curious if you could elaborate on some of the Mystra incidents you described towards the end of the post? I'm new to the lore of the setting and find it hard to research (which makes sense given its importance to dnd), so I've heard a lot of conflicting things about Mystra's portrayal in the wider series. No pressure, obviously!

No problem! And yea, I've seen her arguing in the posts of a few people I follow or just Gale-related posts I find interesting. Usually I don't get involved in stuff like this, but I noticed a constant pattern and then all the homophobic shit so I went off a little.

Unfortunately it's hard to find exact examples of the Mystra lore because certain modules aren't very popular or even free to access, but if you're interested the best way to learn about her is by reading the Elminster novels. There's twelve total, dating all the way back to 1994, and they detail Elminster's adventures. I'll be honest though, some of them are a hard read and written through the lens of a man who's admitted very creative, but also has a lot of problematic ideas.

In the first book Elminster is a child. His entire town gets wiped out by mages, thereby making him hostile toward magic. He sneaks into Mystra's temple to deface her statue one night, but she appears before him and basically gaslights him into learning magic and becoming her rare Chosen. He becomes a wizard and cleric basically overnight, until eventually he multiclasses into pretty much every class type in DnD. As you can imagine a lot of players aren't too fond of Elminster, as he's a well known self-insert of the author and pretty annoying to run into during campaigns. None of my dungeon masters like him anyway.

He also becomes one of Mystra's most loyal followers, but she fucks with him over and over, turning him into a woman to teach him a lesson and SLEEPING with him in that form, berating him when he struggles with the torture he endures when he gets stuck in the hells, making him reproduce without his knowledge and getting jealous when he gives his partners more attention. Because she's a very jealous goddess, which I think the game vaguely touches on but not really.

I wish I had the time to flip through all the novels and give exact citations but the best I can do is suggest them, because they're so eye opening. She's considered a neutral good goddess, but neutral gods often do terrible things for the sake of their domain. I think it needs to be noted that Mystra, as with all gods in the pantheon, only cares about her portfolio. She isn't wrong for that, but it doesn't mean she's blameless when she messes with people's lives. She's done a lot of good but she's also made horrible decisions, especially where her followers are concerned.

For example, Elminster having children he doesn't know about. He has a daughter named Narnra. Her conception was... pretty fucked up. Basically a song dragon named Ammaratha Cyndusk was an occasional lover of Elminster's (he has a lot of those because of course he does) and she wanted to bear his child, but since he's a Chosen of Mystra he can control his fertility. Magic birth control, basically. He didn't want a kid so Ammaratha went behind his back to learn a counterspell that would make him fertile during sex. The man she asked refused to teach her because...duh that's messed up, but then Mystra intervened and told him to teach her the spell because she wanted Elminster's "seed to spread". Ammaratha never told him and neither did Mystra. No matter what the reasons, that was NOT consensual on Elminster's part, and it happened two more times, resulting in two more daughters with different women. If I remember correctly Elminster did eventually find out waaaaay later when they were all adults, but it never amounted to anything.

The sisters I was taking about are the Seven Sisters, Mystra's "daughters". And I put "daughters" in quotations because Mystra possessed the body of a woman named Elué and impregnated her without her consent. She slept with the woman's husband (again, while possessing her body) and made them sire seven children. This of course lead to Elué's death because the constant flow of magic in her body was too much for her to handle. Her grieving husband broke after she died and eventually left, abandoning his daughters and earning Mystra's scorn...as if he was in the wrong. The sisters were then orphaned and raised by foster families.

That said, most of the awful things anyone can say about Mystra were the doings of her previous incarnations so ultimately it doesn't apply to the Mystra of BG3. In fact, this third Mystra is supposed to be a new and improved goddess who's nicer to her followers. So her portrayal in BG3 annoyed a lot of DnD fans. I should also point out that Mystra has two types of fans: ones who will defend everything she does, even when it's fucked up beyond all comprehension, and the ones who will tell you she's a true neutral goddess capable of good and bad. I'm the latter. There are plenty examples of Mystra sticking her neck out for innocents, but there's also examples of her doing the most horrendous shit imaginable.

A lot of veteran players, at least the ones I know, are upset with the portrayal of Mystra in BG3 because her plan to end the Absolute is, quite frankly, stupid. Your party is the best chance anyone has of ending the threat, but she asks Gale to nuke himself and possibly tens of thousands, which makes no sense because she could've just sent her mages/clerics to deal with the problem. And there was no guarantee the bomb would've worked anyway. She put all the responsibility on one man and it DEFINITELY comes off as vindictive. That isn't out if character for her but she's not SUPPOSED to be that bad anymore. For a lot of DnD players it felt like she was reverting back to her old habits.

I think there's also a part in the game where you can directly ask Gale why she doesn't just blip the Absolute out of existence and he says something like, "She could but Ao won't allow it." That was also really strange for a lot of veteran players to hear because Gale drops Ao's name like it's nothing. Most people (especially if they're new to the franchise) wouldn't know this but most people in Faerûn don't know who Ao is! Because he wiped people's memories of his existence! I suppose it does make sense for Gale to know that name, since Mystra probably explained the pantheon to him, but it's VERY unlikely tav would know it. So during that conversation all I could picture was tav tilting their head like, "Huh? Who? Whaaa?"

And on top of that......Ao absolutely WOULD allow it because the Absolute effects the Weave and every other god! It had the potential to ruin the balance of the universe, which makes Ao a very angry boy. Balance is one of the ONLY things he cares about. The Dead Three were stealing souls and worshippers, which gods needs to survive, and dying gods disrupts the balance. It's a whole circle of chaos. So the only conclusion left for me to extrapolate is this: Mystra just really, really wanted Gale to kill himself to prove his devotion to her. Which...isn't great. Bad look for her.

It's kind of like how Raphael thinks the Crown of Karsus is going to help him end the Blood War and take over the hells. DnD players laughed during his epilogue because...no it won't lol. He doesn't stand a chance even with the crown. He's arrogant and he's gonna get slapped by his daddy and all the other archdevils, the same way Gale gets slapped by Mystra if he ascends. Even the Absolute ending of the game wouldn't last long because the gods would go to war with the Dead Three, wipe them out and rebuild Faerûn, which has happened many times in past DnD campaigns. Mystra alone has torn worlds apart and glued them back together. The main crisis of BG3 is saving the world you live in or everybody dies. For the gods it's just a Tuesday. I mean look at how Withers owns the Dead Three with a wave of his hand at the end of the game. Mystra COULD'VE killed the Absolute, just as she could've removed the orb from Gale's chest the moment it happened. She just didn't WANT to. She wanted him to die. She wanted him to chastise himself. She wanted him to suffer and come crawling back to her as an obedient follower. She wanted him to learn a harsh and honestly unfair lesson, which is a terrible throwback to her previous incarnations.

[randomshyperson]

Lacy - Werewolf!Reader x Wanda Maximoff - Kinktober #07

Summary: This Halloween, Wanda receives a surprise visit from her favorite werewolf. The problem is that it's very difficult to keep a crush hidden during mating season.

Warnings: (+18), mutual pining, semi-public, very vague allusions to omega verse, beefy!reader, power!bottom wanda, a bit rough but they are actually sweet to each other, some praising and dirty talk. | Words: 3.144k

A/N-> First, I know nothing about werewolves. It was never my thing growing up (I’m a witch type of person I suppose) but I know about omegaverse stuff and since it’s wolf-based I tried some references from that lore. Also, I was totally thinking about Wednesday's show (and Wenclair ship tbh) when writing the school but you all be free to image whatever you wish. Also, the name is from Olivia Rodrigo’s song, ‘cause it’s such a friends-to-lovers/mutual pining coded lyrics. Good reading folks! 

General Masterlist | Kinktober Collection | AO3 | Wattpad

-&-

The mating season was always the most tiring part of the year.

Even as a child, her days were marked by hard work and running errands - her mother was always very busy with orders, and somehow, the twins were obliged to finish the tasks in record time, so as not to delay the calendars and keep Natalya busy when her customers needed her.

As the largest and most respected apothecary in the country, Natalya Maximoff was also one of the biggest dealers in magical items - and this also included natural suppressants. Her customers wrote to her from all over the world, many famous packs like the Romanoffs or the Howletts only bought her products, and the witch was always very busy at this time of year.

So when their mother told them that she would leave the Maximoff Magical Articles Boutique in their care for two whole days, while she delivered packages around the world, none of them were surprised, as this had been done dozens of times before.

Wanda's indignation stemmed from the fact that her twin brother, as soon as there were no more magical remnants of the portal his mother had conjured to travel through, put on a jacket and told her he was leaving.

"But you can't leave me alone!" Wanda hurried away from the counter. Pietro chuckled, adjusting his hat on his silver hair. Since he had turned 18 last month, he had grown a good few centimeters, and even with her best serious expression, Wanda, who hadn't grown much since she was 15, no longer succeeded in frightening him. That, and well, like his father, Pietro had a bastard heritage of lycanthropy, and with his new skills, he had also gained extreme confidence.

"What, you gonna tell me you're scared of some little wolves?" He sneered, his fangs protruding from his smile. Wanda huffed angrily, her cheeks slightly red. "Don't be silly, Wanda. You're a witch. Nobody's is crazy enough to mess with you."

He tries to pat her on the shoulder, but Wanda pushes a finger against his chest. "I'm not afraid of any wolves, you selfish idiot! Mom says the store is our responsibility. And you're sneaking off to do who knows what! I don't want to spend all night looking after this place on my own. Apart from the season, it's Halloween, and kids go apeshit and-"

"Jesus, Wanda, I'll make it up to you!" He cuts in, already pulling away and ignoring the other girl's protests. "I've got to go, I'm taking Crystal to the movies, then we'll settle up!

"Pietro!" But the call was ignored and the store door was slammed in her face.

Wanda huffed to herself. She could survive a Halloween night, but her brother would owe her a lot if he didn't want to be snitched on. She returned to the counter, texting him another dozen curses before texting to her mother that everything was under control.

And lucky for her, that's how the evening actually went. 

Most of the few customers who showed up were locals, a few sorcerers in need of ingredients, and even a traveling vampire who needed to replenish some reserves for a long trip. Some children also asked for candy, and tired of getting up so often, Wanda decided to leave the jars outside.

It was almost at the end of her shift, when she was ready to close the shop, that a delicious smell wafted into the room. Wanda, who was distracted by the holiday lessons that the institute where she studied always offered when there were short vacations or not, was snapped out of her concentration by the fascinating smell. She looked up just as a figure stumbled into the store, covered by a school uniform hood.

She didn't need you to remove the cap to recognize you, and yet, when your face became visible, Wanda felt her heart unlearn how to beat properly. 

"Good evening?" You looked between the shelves, approaching the cashier, only to hesitate as soon as you saw Wanda. "Oh, h-hi. Uh, is Madame Maximoff around?"

You looked uneasy, adjusting your hair and fiddling with your fingers. Your flushed face must have been due to the walk from the Institute to the store. 

Wanda shook her head as she replied: "She had some orders to place. How can I help you?"

The color of your face deepened, and you couldn't look her in the eye for more than two seconds. "Hmm, I kind of need... suppressants." And it was the turn of Wanda's face to heat up. You continued talking anxiously. "I thought I still had some, but my reservation ran out, and since I'm in the dorm, I wouldn't want to... well, would you have any left? I know it's very short notice but I really need it."

Wanda nodded quickly, equally at a loss for words. You see, if you were any other of her werewolf colleagues, the situation might even be comical. She wasn't like Pietro and didn't make friends very easily, but she shared the same taunting nature. One horny wolf in the store and Wanda would have jokes for the rest of the year. But it was you, her longtime secret crush, emanating a very pleasant scent and in need of something so intimate that Wanda could barely control her own thoughts about what other ways she could help you if there were no other suppressors in the store.

"My mom usually sells everything before the season starts, but I can look in the warehouse to see if we have any leftovers. I'll be right back." She says, smiling softly at your anxious figure.

Wanda has never seen you in heat before; the mating seasons for new wolves begin at the end of puberty, between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, and the vast majority of her werewolf classmates at the Institute return to their packs at this time of year, already matched with their partners in the traditions of the lycanthrope. Wanda only knows about the rituals from her father's family, because each clan, from the Vampires to the witches, is very private about it all. Witches like her mother, who specialize in all kinds of products, are the exceptions.

Wanda tries the storeroom next to the counter, but after a few boxes, she snorts in frustration. Her mother really did sell everything, and she almost reprimanded you for not planning properly. For older, mismatched wolves, being without suppressors could be really dangerous. For you, a new werewolf, it would only be quite painful. It was easier for her to feel sorry. 

And while she tried the last few shelves at the back of the storeroom, you grew even more restless outside. Wanda had no idea how intoxicating the essence of a witch, especially a witch one cared about, was. If you hadn't been so desperate, you would have given up going into the store as soon as you could smell her from around the corner, but then again, your brain wasn't working very rationally right now.

And there was also a scarf on the counter, Wanda's most characteristic item since she had received it as a gift so many years ago. Many of the times you've noticed her, she's worn the item around her neck and it made sense that her scent was so strong in the room, even though she was upstairs.

Your limbs moved by instinct, you didn't have to think much, just let yourself be guided by the urge to exhale that distinctive smell more deeply. 

Your face was pressed against the scarf when Wanda reappeared, and her confused giggle made you jump away mortified.

"Are you all right there?" She ventured, receiving a very quick and embarrassed nod. Wanda chuckled again in amazement, and without caring much about your current condition, she approached. "I looked upstairs, but my mother sold everything, sorry. There's something else you might like to try, maybe a calming potion so you can sleep while... well, this happens to you."

You quickly agree, still embarrassed at being caught. Wanda doesn't mind, if anything, she always found it very entertaining how different you were from the other werewolves she knew; loud and confident to the point of being idiotic. Pietro was a prime example. And if it wasn't for your distinctive stature, she could easily have assumed from your shy and careful personality that you were just an ordinary human, perhaps a mermaid from the way you seemed to bewitch Wanda's attention all to yourself.

"I'm sorry." You mutter suddenly, while she is searching for a sleeping potion on the shelf under the counter. Wanda turns her face up in confusion, but you're looking away. "From the scarf, I know it's... weird. But my body seems to be acting on its own. Just forget about it when we get back to school, okay? I'll be normal when it's over."

"Don't worry, I don't mind." She assured meekly, before finally finding some bottles that could help you and taking them back to the counter. She bit her lip at the way you were panting, and the way your trembling fingers pulled some notes and coins out of your pocket. "You can take these two vials today, and this one in the morning if you're still..."

"Horny'?" You joke, and take Wanda by surprise, but she manages to return the short laugh. Your hands push out the money and she turns away to pack the vials into a small bag. "So, one now and two tomorrow."

Wanda quickly denies it. "No, darling, two now and one tomorrow. Are you... are you sure you're all right? You're sweating-"

"Just give me a minute." You interrupt her with a gasp, the sudden wave of heat catching you completely off guard. The room starts to spin, and for a whole moment, all you can feel is your own arousal and the way you want to touch the witch in front of you. Your body gives way, and your hands force down on the counter, disastrously strong enough for the wood to crack. Wanda jumps in fright, worried, but you grunt quietly. "Shit, I'm really sorry-"

She hurries around the counter, and her soft hands make you jump away. "Hey, it's okay, I just want to help you stand up."

But you gasp in despair, wrenching your body away from her. "Don't touch me, Wanda, for God's sake." You grunt, and if you hadn't sounded so affected, Wanda would have taken offense. Instead, she stands ready to catch you if you lose your balance again, and that's exactly what happens. This time, your weight falls forward, and Wanda's body serves as a barrage. 

Your wolfish weight is almost too much for her, and it doesn't help that your face is buried against her collarbone, and your arms embrace her clumsily. "Hm, so soft." She hears you sigh, as she struggles to drag you over to the reading area of the store's bookshelves, where there's a sofa to put you on. When you fall into the cushions, you look up with dreamy eyes and an easy smile playing on your lips. Wanda gasps softly from exhaustion. 

"Wait here a moment, okay? You feel like you're burning up with a fever. I'll get you some water." She explains, but it doesn't seem like you're listening very much, disconcerting her with the way you're looking at you so discourteously, your pupils dilating. Wanda adjusts a strand of hair, self-conscious under your gaze. "I'll be right back."

She practically runs out of there, and alone, realizing her own hands are trembling as she remembers the sensation of having your body against hers. She shakes her head to push the thought away, you were clearly in a vulnerable moment right now, and Wanda doesn't think she'll survive the shame of being rejected once the heat wears off.

When Wanda returns with the water, she almost drops the glass on the floor. You haven't moved, but you've changed position, limp against the sofa, evidently rubbing yourself down the item as you whimper. 

"Oh, detka, let me help you." Wanda abandons the glass on a shelf, and rushes to your side, kneeling beside the sofa. You gasp in embarrassment, trying to escape her gaze, but Wanda's hands grab your warm face. "Let's go upstairs. I'll make it better." She whispers the invitation, but the thought alone is enough for you to grunt in affection and pull her face towards you. 

It's a hungry kiss, and the position doesn't help. Wanda has to grab your shoulders to keep from falling to the floor and ends up breaking into a giggle when a moment later it's you who's throwing yourself at her, desperately kissing her as if she's going to disappear. 

The lightness disappears quickly. She feels very hot and bothered, especially when your tongue slips into hers as if you already knew exactly how to kiss her, and your hands touch her entire body with determination. Her plea for you to slow down turns into a moan when your knee pushes between her legs.

It's almost primitive the way you seem willing to have her right there on the floor, angrily trying to pull her clothes off while your moans mingle. Wanda's face burns and she struggles to match the kiss, losing that battle all too easily when your palms begin to stimulate her nipples. 

She can feel the wetness begin to bother her through the fabric of her panties, and perhaps, you can smell it too, because you grow more impatient, and begin to murmur disconnected compliments into her skin, your hands reaching down to unzip her pants. Wanda chokes between moans, practically whimpering when your fingers find her so ready. 

You enter her, all at once, without a second thought. You suck on her tongue as she squeezes your fingerprints and soaks your hand. It's dirty and rough, and Wanda couldn't hold back even if she tried. Yet the store door opens, and she has to bite down hard on your shoulder to muffle her own noises.

Whoever the customer is, asking if there's anyone there or if the store is open, Wanda makes sure they don't see her. Her eyes are scarlet, and it's never been harder to do a concealment spell than it is now, with your fingers thrusting inside her as if the world around you hardly mattered. Finally, the customer leaves and her magic plays its part in locking the door before Wanda digs her nails into your back and comes against your fingers.

It's not enough - Nothing seems to be. You continue your movements inside her until Wanda is spasming again, begging for a pause. Your hungry mouth finds its way into her most intimate place then, just to tear more pleasure out of her. She loses count of how many times she comes, on your fingers and tongue, until the whole store smells of sex.

Fuck, she has to move you before Pietro comes back.

It's only when you let her breathe, retreating like a wounded wolf, that Wanda notices the puddle of moisture on your pants. You came at the mere act of watching and touching her. 

"Hey, are you okay, sweetheart?" She coos gently, propping herself up on one elbow now that you're lying on your back, one arm over your face. Your clothes are as torn as theirs, but there are many more marks on her body than on yours. 

You sniffle quietly, and Wanda looks at you with concern. "Why didn't you stop me?" you ask upset, and Wanda stares in shock for a moment. Then, swallowing dryly, she works up the courage:

"You didn't want this?"

But your reaction is to laugh incredulously. "Of course, I wanted it, Wanda! But I'm talking about you. Why didn't you stop me? You're a witch, you could have knocked me down, look at you! You're all purple, and I... God, I can't believe I... hurt you." 

She climbs into your lap before you can despair, ignoring your soft protest and grabbing your crying face. "I haven't stopped you because I've wanted you to since we met." She assures you determinedly, caressing your cheeks. "I'm in love with you, you idiot."

Sniffling softly, you raise hopeful eyes. "Really?"

Wanda smiles, her weight against your chest. "Really." She assures you. "And don't worry about the marks, I... like it rough."

You groan in embarrassment, looking away and amusing her. There's a moment's pause, and then finally: "I like you too."

Wanda bites back a smile. "I got that impression, you know? When you were all whiny on me." 

Your laugh is sincere and shy, and Wanda kisses you as your hands grip her thighs. But before she can deepen it the way she'd like, you break again.

"Thanks for helping with the heat... but I'll take you on a date after this. I promise."

She pulls on your bottom lip with a provocative bite. "I'll charge." She assures you in a naughty whisper, and you sigh contentedly as she presses your hips together. Smooth movements, and you're already seeing stars again. 

Your breathing becomes shorter, and Wanda traces her fingers along your jaw, while her other hand moves down. "I bet you're all warm and tight."

You sigh, closing your eyes and nodding in agreement. Wanda kisses you leisurely, also taking time to slide her fingers into your pants and assess the effects of everything so far. She's not surprised by the immense wetness, but the sensation of sinking into you is overwhelming. She can feel ready for another when she starts to stimulate you and watches you squirm beneath her.

"So good... don't stop..." You moan helplessly, and the grip on her thighs is almost strong enough to hurt. Wanda makes a mental note of how to make you lose control of your strength, before curling her fingers inside you and being rewarded with the sweetest sounds in the world. "W-Wanda!"

She decides she likes it very, very much when you whimper her name like that. She continues her motions a few more times until you come hard on her fingers. Wanda thrusts a few times, before removing them and bringing them to her mouth, sucking them clean while you try to catch a breath. 

Your murmurs are labored, and Wanda kisses your cheek a few times. "Come on upstairs, sweet baby, I'll take care of you." She tries to get up, but your hands steady her on your lap.

It's almost ridiculous how easily you lift the two of you, and Wanda has to hold onto your shoulders, chuckling softly at your uncertain stumbles on the way upstairs. 

She'll have time to look after the store when you fall asleep. Right now, she's more focused on kissing you again.

[annabelle--cane]

What are your opinions on Jonelias, if you have any? Not the community or w/e (although if you have any particularly strong ones, by all means) but the actual ship/dynamic itself

I think there are some somewhat erotic undertones to their relationship in the text, mainly with how elias continually tries to establish greater commonality and intimacy between them by saying he has a window into jon's True Nature and that he knows jon's mind, motivations, and likely future actions better than jon does. the "that's quite nice actually. tingly, but sort of freeing" and "agonized bliss" lines are fairly undeniably pieces of sexualized language, and the way jon kills elias is suuuper charged and is directly paralleled with martin's later explicitly romantic killing of jon.

elias's fatal flaw that he keeps repeating is that he underestimates people and doesn't even bother to use his mind reading powers when he thinks he's got someone sussed out, and with jon this means that he thinks jon's monstrous becoming has been all about him rather than all about the eye, so he thinks jon won't be able to bring himself to actually hurt him. he's right that jon is always a lot more in-tune with beholding than he'd like to consciously believe, but he is dead wrong that jon will ever see the people around him as objects to observe and discard.

elias is remarkably cruel to him; even beside the, yknow, manipulating him into fourteen distinct magical tortures, the way he talks to him in mag 102 is particularly callous, but it doesn't seem like he actually dislikes jon. his tone shifts completely for his mag 160 statement and he's quite transparent that none of what's happened has been jon's fault and it was instead all down to him, so one gets the impression that his s3 era turbo victim blaming was just part of his scheme to drive jon towards avatar encounters. which is kind of nice, if a little insane, though he does keep up the "we're not so different, you and I" thing up through his last appearance. I think he really believes that jon will eventually come around and see what he did was great, but alas, he doesn't realize that jon is hopelessly down bad for a shitty poet who smells like a beach and has callouses on his hands from his favorite tea mug.

for something community related, I always found it kind of funny that the 2020 tumblr teens were super hard set against jonelias, if you kudos'ed the wrong fic you'd end up on a blocklist, but the 2020 tiktok teens loved it. couldn't get enough. they were making lore-intensive vaguely gothic cult aus. every hannigram cosplayer duo doubled for jonelias and barely had to change a thing.

[shy-sapphic-ace]

List of queer books I read, loved & recommend!

(There isn't any particular order, I wrote these as I remembered them)

Master Of One - Jaida Jones & Dani Bennett (mlm, fantasy, very cool worldbuilding and magic system, funny, cool characters)

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree (wlw, fantasy, very soft & chill vibes)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (wlw, high fantasy, cool worldbuilding, kinda reminds me of LOTR but with more dragons and feminism and lesbians)

Even Though I Knew The End - C.L. Polk (wlw, supernatural noir, cool 1930s detective story with angels & demons, I loved this one!)

The Love Interest - Cale Dietrich (mlm, science fiction, very cool concept)

The Darkest Part Of The Forest - Holly Black (side mlm, fantasy, cool fae lore)

The Weight Of The Stars - K. Ancrum (wlw, not quite science fiction but space stuff is involved, lovely and complex characters)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz (mlm, fiction, very nice in general, there is also a sequel)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee (mlm, historical and vaguely fantasy, nice story but I preferred the sequel honestly)

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee (wlw, the sequel to the one before, more fantasy elements than the first, asexual main character!!)

Gallant - V.E. Schwab (no romance, but in the background one of the characters(?) uses they/them pronouns, very cool dark fantasy vibe)

Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer (gay main character, trans main character, coming-of-age, nice book)

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (yes it's the Love, Simon book, mlm, fiction, pretty nice)

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera (mlm, sci-fi ish but mostly fiction, cool ideas, but the ending is sad! Very amazing book though, I haven't read the prequel yet)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (wlw, bi main character, historical fiction, cool story, just a neat book in general)

This Is How You Lose The Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (wlw, sci-fi, very cool time travel stuff!! and very beautiful, it felt like reading poetry most of the time)

One Last Stop - Casey McQuinston (wlw, background trans & pan & queer characters, sci-fi or fantasy idk, but time travel, I loooved this book, great)

The House In The Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, THIS BOOK oh my gosh you should read it!!, just cute and lovely and good)

Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, this book is also sooo amazing, great character development and awesome relationships and stuff, it's been a while since I read it but it was so good)

In the Lives of Puppets - TJ Klune (mlm, ace main character!!, sci-fi, now THIS is found family, oughh feelings. argh, tj klune you’ve done it again, a human and his family of funky robots… I love them)

And They Lived... - Steven Salvatore (nblm, fiction, about gender identity and learning to love yourself, read it a while ago but it was very nice)

I Wish You All The Best - Mason Deaver (nblm, fiction, about finding your identity and people who care about you, very cute and sweet)

The Song Of Achilles - Madeleine Miller (mlm, historical, very good in general)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (mlm, background wlw in the third book, fantasy, it's a trilogy, basically Harry Potter if it was gay and also better)

Silver In The Wood - Emily Tesh (mlm, fantasy, very pretty, lots of fae stuff and lovely descriptions, it has a really good sequel too)

Pretty much anything by Alice Oseman (all cute and lovely and great, though I've only read Radio Silence so far I hear only good things, Solitaire is on my to-read list)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuinston (wlw, fiction, it's been a while but I liked this book)

The Falling In Love Montage - Ciara Smyth (wlw, fiction, this book was so cute and funny and deeply emotional it made me Feel way too many things, I'd definitely recommend it)

What Big Teeth - Rose Szabo (a bit of queerness all around, fantasy, werewolves and monsters, this one was pretty cool!, lots of original ideas for the world/character building)

His Quiet Agent - Ada Maria Soto (mlm, asexual, fiction, about like spies but this book was so gentle and sweet I wanted to cry in the best way possible)

Some By Virtue Fall - Alexandra Rowland (wlw, historical fiction(?), theatre drama!! rival romance!! duels!!, a very good read in general)

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend - Emma R. Alban (wlw, historical fiction, I’m not usually one for regency romances, but I really liked this!!, very cute and lots of drama, and there’s a sequel coming out soon!)

[blightbright]

Solas' story has always been about resenting authoritarian slavers but I don't think he himself was ever enslaved? like I don't see how his relationship with Mythal is really like Fenris and Denarius sorry

I'm curious if you played DA:I, Trespasser, and Veilguard all the way through, did you recruit Cole and bring him along regularly in main game and DLC, and did you do the Redeem ending in Veilguard?

Isn't it so silly that I have to ask all these highly specific things? This is what I mean about the Veilguard writing tbh, I don't think they landed the plane so to speak in terms of really letting players understand Solas' arc. or maybe they intentionally left it open because they didn't want to make people who hated Solas feel bad??? Or wanted a secret for a future game that will now never happen??? idek

Basically I can completely see why you feel this way, because it's some Deep Lore shit that doesn't really get laid out plainly. I think that's unfortunate in terms of the writing. Solas was absolutely enslaved by Mythal. He had her vallaslin (which he calls slave markings in DA:I) and burned them off leaving a scar, was a spirit bound to/by her will (which he calls slavery and abuse in DA:I), and had to be magically freed by Morrigan channeling Mythal's fragment in one of the Veilguard endings, after which he immediately stops doing terrible things. Check out what Solas says when he freaks out about an Inquisitor drinking from Mythal's Well, too, or what Morrigan says if she drinks: they're talking about slavery. His enslaved Wisdom friend in his personal quest is a direct parallel to his own experience. He led a slave rebellion because he himself was (IMO, is, until the optional last ~10 mins of Veilguard) a slave. Solas regularly tells people he wants to stop XYZ but cannot, which is a very specific word choice.

There's more that I don't have the chance to write an essay about right now (tbh my current WIP fanfiction is partially an essay about it in story form lmao) but yeah. Legit that you feel this way, though, given Veilguard kinda dropped the ball on fully revealing this, and then Trick Weekes' somewhat tricksy, ambiguous wording (I would bet money they were instructed to keep things vague and open-ended) about regret requiring choices, when responding to a fan on social media, IMO muddied the waters even more about Solas' literal slavery.

[evilminji]

Ngl, I'm kinda really big on "Accidentally Fixing Things While I Was Off, Minding My Business/Indulging My Hyper Fixation"

With a side of "huh, why do I hear jaws music?" *Og!Protagonist Approach-ith*

Cause like? Who WOULDN'T want to play around with QI? Talismans? Get REAL deep into the esoteric Cultivation Lore??! What do you MEAN "boring", native to this universe!? This shit is MAGIC! We're literally playing with MAGIC here! I can write squiggles on a peice of paper and BEND REALITY! Concentrate REAL hard and have the universe around me just... shrug and OBEY!!!

That's SO COOL!

Sweet backflips and flying swords! Mythic animals! Forget being a wizard, this is WAY better! *cackles in glee*

Imagine if a SI-OC aims for a Peak that was never even brought up in Cannon! The Talismans and Artifacts (don't get them started. Yes, it's both two seperate fields. But somehow ALSO a spectrum? And can be both at once, depending on the age of the object? No one else is quite sure...) Peak. She finds her people.

First you study the general, then you specialize.

Everyone there can info-dump for HOURS on their niche field of study! Lots of cross Peak cooperation! Half of them are never ON Peak because they can't MOVE their objects of interest! Gotta study them at location! Which, yes, includes hidden realms! AND THE CREATION OF THEM.

Their last Peak lord? Fuckin DIED to Tianlang-jun's sealing. Their CURRENT Shizun? Hates the Old Palace Master with the fury of ten thousand suns. Bastard just... just DUMPED a project like "seal a Heavenly Fucking Demon Emperor" on everybody LAST MINUTE. And WIPED OUT an ENTIRE GENERATION of Masters.

If ANY of them work with ANYONE from Hau Haun? They are DEAD to him.

DEAD.

So like.... fuck those guys. It's the formal stance of her Peak. Fuck those guys forever. *spits*

Oc agrees. Cause wtf. That sounds like it was unreasonable and deeply fucked up. And that kid of demon? SUPER dangerous! Good thing there aren't any more of them! She says... having never read the book. Either one. Granted, things KINDA sound familiar? In that her brother used to talk about a series from overseas he was slowly moogle translating to read.

But like? It's the Multiverse. Not impossible odds. Maybe her soul just clung to a Cultivation Universe that VAGUELY sounded familiar, over the countless that DID NOT. Not like she knows how Reincarnation works...

Anyway~ Back to her projects!

She's industrious AF. Exceeds her Talisman goals. Constantly. Which means she gets to keep or sell the extra (it's motivation to work hard). She likes to give some to people who look like they need um. Like that miserable kid on Qing Jing. She sees him every time she stops by to hit up their, frankly, Gucci Library. VERY fancy.

Here, kid, have some warming and protection talismans. Perimeter alert ones. Kinda weird you go through so many, but meh, I don't know your life. Want one of my practice Qiankun pouches? It's ugly af. But since our peak makes them, I gotta practice.

The kid gives her snacks. They're pretty good, not gonna lie.

He IS... kinda creepy though. Very "you should skip school tomorrow" quite kid with too intense eye contact. You... uh... you GOOD, kiddo? Wanna talk? Should... should she, like, do something about this, or.....

No, no! He insists. With the flattest, fakest smile she's ever seen outside of a Serial Killer. He's Fine™! No need to worry about HIM!

......okay, but, see, when you SAY shit like that....

Creepy™ "probably gonna murder everyone on Qing Jing" kid aside? She has a GOAL! Wants to make a MEDICAL Hidden Realm! Yeah, that's right!! See, you can dictate the "rules" of reality (somewhat) inside the Realm you create, right? SO! It occurred to her! She should make a Realm?

That DOES NOT ALLOW QI DEVIATIONS!

Something that forces the Qi inside one's body to smooth and heal! Calm and rich! Like Ling Xi caves but for healing instead of breakthroughs! It could be a lifesaving realm, where one goes to ride out a Qi Deviation or face their heart demons! In an environment that will not ALLOW them to fatally spiral!

Of course, she needs to find a whole bunch of rare and soothing legendary flowers to plant. Trees, too. A couple rare beasts, known for their intensely soothing auras. Just... REALLY stack the odds. THEN off course, she'll have to lay the ground work of the realm itself. Find a good place to PUT it!

Maybe Qian Cao Peak? Or could she connect it to to the Ling Xi to take advantage of the natural Qi and protection the mountain itself gives? She would need permission either way... she should draft a consultation request...

All this? As the immortal conference gets closer and closer. Fate LOOMS.

Only to slide wildly off the rails, as she get approved by THE SECT LEADER to make her "Anti-Qi-Deviation Realm" in the Ling Xi Caves as her final project. Her Master Work as an Inner Disciple, as it were, Proof of studies and skill. All HE saw was "anti-Qi-deviation" and thought "this could totally help Xiao-Jiu". Immediately gave the go ahead.

(And as for Lui Qinggi? This is NOT a new idea of hers. She'd long gotten Mu Qingfang on board. What luck, for EVERONE involved, he was in the caves that day. Once again looking for a good place to anchor the realm, for a maximum effect to ease of access ratio.)

She anchors the Realm. Starts planting like mad. Transferring her legendary Soothing Plants and Soothing Trees. Constructing a few buildings in accordance to the feng shui MASTER she hunted down and consulted. Requests Shen-shibo himself come and be in charge of paintings and other decorations, as he IS the master of the scholars peak.

(And most at risk of a Lords or a Qi Deviation. So would be a splendid test case.)

(Is what she does not say...)

(But they are both aware of anyway.)

And? Shen Jiu? Has... never felt so calm and safe in his LIFE. Unnatural! Doesn't like it. Disgusting. What coddling nonsense! He's never going... going... to go... *stands at the entrance and glares, like the realm personally offended him* *carefully inches back inside like an abused cat*

He stops paying attention to his peak almost immediately. Yes, he does his job. But... his brain is no longer wrapped up in it. Obsessive over it. Constantly comparing and jealous and spiteful. Don't get him wrong! He's still a petty, spiteful, bitch of a man. But...

True, restful sleep? Changes a man. The complete lack of constant minor Qi Deviations, like mini-seizures, in the night. Throughout the day. Constantly wearing him down, tearing him down. Exhausting him and hurting. That... gentleness. Calm. Escape from pain, which he has lived with for so, so long.

What was he doing? Comparing himself to brats?

Being jealous of and competitive of tiny little IDIOTS. They're morons! He's a Peak Lord. He's WON.

He starts ignoring Bingge. Noticing things he'd overlooked before, in his exhaustion. Like the fact that his daughter is, apparently, very susceptible to rumor mongering and not AWARE she is just and ONLY his daughter. (Ying-er, sweetie, Baba loves you... but sometimes you make him very tired...) (also it will be a cold day in hell, when he allows to to marry that little cretin. Chose better.)

Oc? Getting SLOSHED with Mu-shibo! WOOOOO~☆ we DID IT!!! The Realm was a SUCCESS! We're GENIUSES! We can't wait to see how this develops!!! *celebrating noises*

Immortal Conference, happens. SI-OC? Just graduated. Missed it. Meh... it should be fine. Still... here, kiddos. Her backlog of Talismans and pouches. Never know when that might be useful! Oh, hey, Creepy I mean, that Kid from Qing Jing who thankfully hasn't killed anybody yet! Still got the Weirdly Intense Eye Contact, I see! You all packed?

....that's... a little light.

Here, Talismans and Pouches, just like the kids from her Peak. Stay safe, okay? There's food and water in there. Medicine too. Some emergency blankets. Flares and stuff. Don't hesitate to use um. They are made to be used. Everybody be good!

And remember! This conference isn't worth your life!

[♡Luo Binghe Will Remember This♡]

W...why do I hear jaws music? Hello? Helloooo?

Cause like? Shen Jiu? Doesn't throw him in. He's too busy saving students he Actually Cares About. You know... like a RESPONSIBLE Peak Lord. But does that STOP fate? Ha! No. Down Binghe goes! With a bunch of pouches he begged of Talisman Peak disciples who were dropping out. Since... they didn't need them... *puppy dog eyes* c-could he steal borrow them?

He ends up in the Abyss with a small warehouse of supplies. Which is GREAT! Will get him through this hellscape!

Assuming he can protect it.

Every meal. Every night of sleep where he DOESNT have to twitch at every sound, thanks to the talisman arrays. Every drop of clean water. Scrap of medicine. It's a reminder of the One(1) Sister who was nice to him at no cost. Didn't want to fuck him, use him, in some way. Have him a part, like some sort of emotional crutch. Was just... kind. For the sake of kindness.

Saw him, not the mask he wore, and recognized he'd be strong. (Why else would she look so wary?) And he wants and wants and Wants AND WANTS.

Aren't I strong, now, Shixiong? Aren't you so very proud of me? Look how powerful Luo Binghe has become! I came back for you. Brought back the things you gave me. A little stained, but that's okay. We can make new ones. Can finally move on. No more Cang Qiong. Isn't it great? Tell me it's GREAT, Shixiong.

Please stop running. Or I'll have to burn the mountain down.

@mayfay @legitimatesatanspawn @babbling-babull @hdgnj @spidori @leftnotright

[captain-space-kin]

My take on the regional Sora’s trend! She’s an alien now >:3

I had no idea what to do for this initially, but then it hit me, I could just shove her into my OC story. If I have the motivation I might shove everyone else into it too! I roughed out some ideas for the main cast while working on this.

A (sort of) brief lore explanation and tag list under the cut o7 (also tumblr killed the quality so click for a better view etc etc)

A lot of this still a work in progress since I’ve been changing this species lore a lot recently, but! Starsino’s are a semi-aquatic vaguely amphibious + reptilian race, whose society at large bears a striking resemblance to Imperium (hence why I chose it for Sora). Their eyesight is not great, and as a whole the species used to have a sixth sense that would them navigate in difficult to see areas like underwater (similar to a platypus!). At some point the ✨Space Fae✨ (not an 100% accurate description but it’d take too long to explain their lore afshhdf) came down and gifted them the ability of True Sight. Which expanded their sixth sense to allow them access to telepathic/telekinetic abilities. Eventually the ✨Space Fae✨ got bored and left but also took the True Sight with them, which inadvertently cut off their species ability to access this sixth sense at all, which caused their entire society to collapse. Not everyone lost their “sight” but the majority of people did. Some people are still born with the sixth sense and even True Sight, they’re called Seers and True Seers respectively.

Nowadays there are two major factions of Starsino’s society, The Dictatorship, and The Cult. Both are trying to restore everyone’s access to the True Sight they’re just going about it a different way. There’s a lot more to it them this but it can basically be boiled down to a Science Vs. Magic thing.

Sora being born with True Sight (which is where her tech manipulation stuff comes in), is taken from her family as a baby and given to the Science People to experiment on. Eventually she escapes and makes it out of Starsino controlled space. Where she meets Arin! Who is just some human guy who managed to get off of Earth somehow, idk I haven’t really worked that all out.

Anyway! Gonna try to not let this be an all consuming project like my AU’s usually are, but it is oh so tempting

Tag list -

@Inspectorghoul @fading-through-existence @juniperjellyfish @carmelo-san @lightningchicken

@crying-over-cartoons @officercooks @mywasasi @ashclouds366 @basicallyjaywalker 

@finn-m-corvex @garmaballs

[butterfly--empress]

And Another Thing...

Because actually, the more I think about it, the more it just pisses me off...

If The main writer wanted this to just be a simple formulaic "magical girl powa" kids show that sells merch. With no overarching story plot.

MLB could've just simply BEEN that. A cutesy Sailor Moon inspired story!

MLB could've just BEEN an all female superhero team with Marinette as leader, Alya second in command, and Chloe and/or Kagami being her love rivals/friends for Adrien's affections.

And Adrien could literally just BE THE DAMN LUKEWARM LOVE INTEREST that she wins in the end. Because the Deuteragonist of this show, sure as shit ain't been him since at least S4, let's be so for real.

Nothing against Alya, I love her, but girlfriend has overshadowed what used to be Adrien's role.

But in this version of MLB, being an all girl team of superheroes with a secret identity. Marinette's absurd 'whacky' antics in this show could easily be ignored/deflected/handwaved away, if we never knew much about Adrien outside of him being a popular, good looking rich kid, whom Marinette crushes on and daydreams about often.

And TA doesn't have to twist himself into a pretzel to defend his poor writing choices, when the only POV that matters is Marinette's.

There would be no need for the lore, or vaguely changing it when he feels like it. Or worrying about the unnecessary drama of the whole 'they can't know each others identities' main plot that has all become meaningless.

The original main plot of the whole secret identities for romantic drama and the reason many of us were drawn to this show to BEGIN WITH, is moot when the writer constantly refuses to do ANYTHING with the setup he writes for himself.

He won't let none of his characters have any real development and growth and only seems to care about ONE-HALF of the original two man team.

And I'm over it. 4 episodes and a lame ass Special that literally excuses the main heroine's reasons for LYING to her One True Love has shown me this show is NOT interested in doing anything beyond what it's given.

All of us invested or holding your breath for any real progress with the romantic/main subplot are going to be waiting for naught.

I was already convinced but now I'm certain:

There will never be a big reveal. And if there is one, it'll be purposely left to the VERY end of the series. And it won't even be satisfying.

Nothing will EVER be done with the Lie. Why should it? Marinette finally has the boy she wants, and even if it ever got addressed, the writer would handle it in the most contrived way possible that somehow excuses Marinette's decision anyway.

How much you wanna bet, he'll just end up retconning his own story to SOMEHOW scapegoat Marinette's bullshit to be Lila's fault?

Or Chloe's? Because even when she's not around, not in the same school, city, or even country, the writer STILL finds a way to hate on Chloe.

No...wait even better! Adrien finally finds out and to avoid allowing Marinette to own up to her fucking mistake/betrayal of trust, she decides to 'sacrifice' her memories and being Ladybug...and oh my fucking god.

......This is why TA had Marinette entrust Alya as the new leader isn't it? He thinks he's so goddamn clever!

Marinette's gonna fuck up big time in this season and then get temporary or semi-permanent amnesia to forget EVERYTHING to avoid owning up to her mistakes?

And instead of people seeing the manipulative writing to handwave away how she's been very selfish and self-centered, and her need to control everything. People are going to praise TA for believing or redeeming her bad decisions/behavior on how much she was finally willing to 'sacrifice' herself for a change for Adrien.

*groans*....god this sounds even worse.

You know what, this post had a point and I spiraled again.

Oh yeah...MLB should've just been another inspired typical 5 teamed magical girl knock off because hoping the writer does anything worthwhile with his Deuteragonist, is just waiting for Levithan to reveal itself from the deep, dank, ocean depths, and in this timeline the world's in rn, that's actually more plausible than hoping for meaningful character arcs after 6 seasons of MLB...

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

What're your thought on Skully/Skelly so far? Personally, I like the kid, he seems fun and cute (might even adopt him too lol)

I’ll make an update post later once the full event is out; this post will be my first impressions of the guy! Thought it might be interesting to document my feelings now and see how those change over time.

First thing I’ll say is while I like his design, his personality didn’t match my expectations. I expected him to be polite yet also eccentric and a little sinister, not… going around kissing the hands of everyone he meets. Skully also comes off as much more harmless than he appears. It’s an odd mix of demure but also really excitable when his special interest (Halloween, lol) comes up in conversation. A fun-loving guy! He definitely looks a lot more imposing and mysterious than he actually is.

I think a lot of his intimidation factor comes from the shades. If you take them away, he looks more like a dejected fuzzy animal or a Halloween-flavored Idia/Saeran (Mystic Messenger boi). LIKE SORRY BUT WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE A SAD PUPPY LEFT OUT IN THE RAIN… His spiral eyes are cool though ^^ It’s just slightly hard to see sometimes because of the shadow his hair casts and the shading around that area.

His overall expressiveness is great! He looks cute when he smiles and blushes (from his idol complimenting him, haha). It feels very pure and innocent, which contrasts with his more… deranged expressions.

The way he speaks surprised me too… He talks about coming from a rural place, but he speaks so formally! Sometimes even more formally than Jade. I wonder if that implies being of high class/social status or if he just taught himself to speak this way for personal reasons. My worst nightmare (hah) is that Skully devolves into a heavy Kansai accent later in the event (if only because I’m not sure how to transcribe the Kansai accent into English when I write his dialogue 💦).

I mentioned in an earlier post that Skully’s outfit is a Nightmare Suit provided by the book. We don’t know what he actually dresses like irl which is a shame. Knowing that would really help with getting a read on his character, even if he were just in a school uniform (because different people can wear their uniforms very differently, as we can see in the NRC School Uniform line of cards). Stuffing Skully into a Nightmare Suit by default doesn’t tell me much about how he presents himself outside of the book, in reality.

There’s definitely a lot of interesting (and vague) lore around him 🤔 like how he doesn’t know what magical pens are and how his hometown is the only place that knows who Jack Skellington is… Hopefully those questions get answered by the end of the event. I also have to wonder why he’s such an intense Halloween otaku??? There could be no deep reason behind it, but I’m a little suspicious since this is a Halloween event. It feels like Skully’s hiding something and/or he’s not confident in himself since his dialogue implies he’s a loner irl. Maybe he’s attracted to the idea of Halloween because even the dead and creatures of the night can fit in (so he, the outcast, can also have a place among them)?

That being said, I do find Skully’s personality charming, especially when he’s opening the event with his little dramatic monologue about Halloween. It’s a nice way to interpret Jack Skellington’s whimsy and child-like wonder into a Twst character. However, I don’t exactly find myself completely endeared to his character yet. He feels a little too… safe? Too… sweet. Unless this was all intentionally and he's actually a RSA student or something/j I’d like to see more of his villainous traits and weaknesses on display to get a full scope of his character. *rubs hands together* I want to see what he’s like when he snaps… We already saw some glimpses of his nastier side when he calls his classmates worthless for not understanding him. I want to see that unleashed on the NRC students! As is, I’m not sure if I enjoy him talking down to others (he calls his classmates worthless) for not being on the same wavelength as him when it comes to his interests. It feels like something elitist otaku do (Idia has definitely done this), and that’s a big yikes for me.

[hoboblaidd]

Talking to @lostinquisitor about immediate post Big Sleep Solas needing a serious high fat high protein diet to regain his strength, and it really is surprising that Bull and Vivienne and those who are suspicious of Solas’ distinct ‘lack of personal history’ never brought up the most glaring, obvious explanation there is for his (lack of) background - Solas is a runaway slave from Tevinter.

He's secretive as hell about his background, and tells you upfront that he won't be upfront. robyn put it best: "if i was a runaway slave and the ‘anti-slavery’ nation i was in actively sold slaves north within living memory i’d also not want to be identified." Yeah Loghain I'm talking to you. Which could be the reason Bull, Viv, and co. wouldn't push - if they figured that was his story, no one in Inquisition is cruel enough to mess with that cover story. They get it, even if they don't personally like him.

I don't think Solas intended this to be his cover - I feel like he was convinced the 'apostate hobo' act was a good one (tho it's really not). But if he caught wind people were whispering this sort of thing about him, he wouldn't dissuade it. If it proves to be a stronger cover than the one he came up with, he might even subtly encourage it.

oh I have to add this robyns killing it: it just makes the most sense!!! i can EASILY picture him as a tevinter slave, who awakened powerful magical abilities, and who was NOT freed ‘as he should have been’ because what master wouldn’t want a friggin somniari in their pocket??

below the cut is just rambling on circumstantial evidence that supports this theory.

Solas ‘grew up in a village to the north.’ So he’s already placed himself further away from Ferelden/Orlais than any other companion save Dorian, and a vague ‘the north’ can reasonably be assumed to mean Tevinter.

'The Tevinter Imperium is not the safest place for an elf' - an obvious statement from any elf. But in whole it could be taken as speaking from experience.

Discusses the culture of slaves in Tevinter and city elves in alienages - again, could be taken as experience in either.

‘While in Tevinter, magisters compete with each other instead of keeping their volatile friends in check.’ Again could be a guess, but also as a personal witness.

Solas has a surprising aptitude for magic despite no formal training. Someone raised in a magister’s home or belonging to a magical entity like an archive, library, etc. would be exposed to a shit ton of magic.

Same line of thinking, robyn noted that he’s bitter when he says ‘and those with magical talent are freed, are they not?’ 

Solas has a lot of experience with spirits, who are regularly enslaved by Tevinter mages.

Solas is a Dreamer. Somniari aren't exclusive to Tevinter by any means, but it's most associated with Tevinter in Thedas from what we can tell in in-game lore.

He has a surprisingly nuanced view on blood magic. Could reasonably be because he's an apostate, though it is widely practiced in Tevinter. Same conversation, he says 'Inquisitor: You don’t need to sacrifice a slave’s life to make a dagger. Solas: I suppose it depends upon the dagger.'

He’s bitter about Tevinter claiming elven magics, etc. Could also reasonably just be an elven thing. ‘His empire’s magic was built on the bones of my people' and 'Tevinter's foundation stones are the bones of ancient elves with slave-blood for the mortar. It is an example of nothing more than gilded savagery. Pitiable, in a way. They always succeed through power, so they have never had the chance to learn another way.'

He paints Corypheus’ goal to retake and rebuild Tevinter - obvious, and straight from the horse’s mouth. But still interesting to frame it that way instead of bigger picture. 'I'd never believe a Tevinter magister could unlock such a powerful artifact.'

He’s hostile to Dorian, and never loses the chip on his shoulder when talking to him. He holds him responsible for all of Tevinter’s (modern) failings. Solas tells Dorian to make amends by freeing all Tevinter slaves - an unreasonable ask - and hits him with the ‘then how sorry are you?’

His general comments/attitude could support this too:

Slavery is the thing he vocally hates most in the world, save for the Qun. And he hates the Qun because it’s slavery of both mind and body in his opinion. Maybe a bit of a stretch, but Tevinter’s been at war with the Qunari for centuries and there’s a lot of learned hatred on both sides. 

He knows way too much about history and languages to have lived alone in the wilds and a small village his whole life. The sheer amount of languages he reads, from ancient to modern, is just too much. 'The Fade' doesn’t explain the breadth of his knowledge. Working in a library or archive does.

He was part of a 'skirmish', he's joined his share of causes, he's seen a blood mage healer shed her own blood to heal. Not very solitary.

He’s waayyyyyyyyyy too comfortable in and familiar with high society to have been a wandering hermit. He doesn’t miss a beat, and his "oh well never personally" is such a badly told lie.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Beginner's guide to Vampire: the Masquerade lore

Vampire: the Masquerade is a tabletop roleplaying game that, since its debut in 1991, has gone on to become one of the most influential pieces of vampire media. It also launched the World of Darkness (nowadays called the Classic World of Darkness or Old World of Darkness) franchise, a series of TTRPGs that all share a setting but can be played independently of each other. This post is intended to be an introduction to the lore of the setting for someone who might want to get into the game and wants to know the basics. It's not a deep dive. For one, this post is long enough already and for two, you don't need to know about stuff like the Tal'Mahe'Ra, the Laibon, and what every bloodline is to get started. Also worth noting is that VtM lore is presented as things the characters believe rather than things the players know, so there's lots of ambiguity and contradiction and differing opinions. This is very much by design.

Also important to note is the nature of the Time of Judgement and 5th edition. All the Old WoD game were building up to an apocalypse and, in 2001, books were released for every game to let players roleplay the end of the world. The setting was then discontinued and replaced with the New World of Darkness. However, starting in 2011, the Old WoD was revived in a new 20th anniversary edition. The lore of this new edition just assumed the apocalypse never happened. Since then, a 5th edition has been released that changes a lot of the lore of some of the games. The 5th edition lore changes for Vampire were pretty well done and I do like most of them as they feel like an addition to the setting rather than blatant retcons the way Werewolf's 5th edition changes were. What I'm not fond of is some of the mechanics changes, especially with regards to the Disciplines, but we'll get to that later.

So what is a vampire? Well, WoD vampires like to call themselves Kindred or Cainites, and they are made rather than born. Every vampire must be Embraced by another vampire outside of weird magic stuff. A key component of the game is that being a vampire comes with a lot of benefits, but also a lot of downsides. First of all, vampires are dead. They are walking corpses who have to consume blood to force their bodies to pretend to be alive again. They do not age and they are very resistant to change. Blood is the only thing they can eat. Normal food and drink makes them throw up. Animal blood does work, but it tastes disgusting. On the other hand, the blood of other vampires (which they call Vitae) is even better than human blood, but drinking it is risky. If vampire A drinks the Vitae of vampire B three times, A will become B's slave for a period of time that can be extended by drinking more Vitae. In addition, if one vampire drains another completely dry, to the point of draining their heart's Vitae, they consume the soul, an act called Diablerie. Diablerie confers great power, but it comes with heavy consequences, both social and metaphysical. Vampires do not have to kill those they feed on and it is generally encouraged that they not. The bite of a Kindred, which they call the Kiss, feels highly pleasurable to both parties and the victim usually only have vague memories of what happened. The bite would heal extremely fast too, leaving no real evidence. Kindred can store blood inside their bodies and they expend some of this blood supply during their nightly lives and more to use their powers. The act of making a new Kindred, called the Embrace, requires the sire to drain the chosen target of their blood, then, before the target dies, feed them some Vitae. If done correctly, the corpse will rise again the next night and a new member of the undead. If a Kindred wants a servant but doesn't want to Embrace, they can instead make a Ghoul. Ghouls are humans fed a vampire's Vitae. This gives them some minor powers and stops their aging as long as they keep feeding, but it also warps the mind, making the ghoul enamored with and eager to serve the Kindred that created them. A vampire's power increases with age, but the most important determining factor is generation. A vampire's generation is how far removed they are from Caine, the first vampire. The higher your generation, the weaker you are.

In addition to sharing some abilities, all Kindred share weaknesses. For one, the sun and fire will kill you very fast. A stake to the heart won't kill, but it does paralyze the Kindred until removed. Other common fiction vampire weaknesses, like running water, garlic, and needing an invitation are not actual Kindred weaknesses. Most of them also cast reflections. A major weakness all Kindred share is the Beast. This is the animalistic monster part of a vampire, the id that is constantly within their minds, encouraging them to hunt, kill, feed, reproduce, and escape from danger. It is the part that encourages them to give up on the remnants of their humanity and become a monster. The Beast is constantly trying to take control and during times of danger, hunger, or passion, it can drive the Kindred into a state of mindless fight-or-flight instinct called a Frenzy. There are various ways to keep the Beast in check, but the most common one is by keeping in touch with one's former humanity. This means acting human, surrounding yourself with humans, refraining from violence and bloodshed, and generally resisting the Beast's influence. The more you give into the Beast, the more likely you are to Frenzy. A Kindred who completely gives up on their humanity will enter a state of permanent Frenzy. Kindred in this state are usually hunted down and killed.

Vampires are divided into Clans and Sects. Clans are lineages of vampires that go all the way back to the birth of the species. There are 13 of them and I will discuss them later. Sects are political organizations with shared laws and goals. There are three primary Sects as well as some smaller ones that I won't discuss. They are the Camarilla, the Sabbat, and the Anarchs.

The Camarilla are the most powerful Sect and the one most players will be in. It is a very feudal society based on the principle of rule by the elders. The specifics of international Camarilla politics are beyond the scope of a beginner's guide. What most players will interact with is the structure of the Camarilla within a city. Cities are ruled by a Prince, who delegates to various other official positions and to the Kindred who live in their city. The Camarilla is an organization marked with political intrigue and subterfuge, where everyone has a plan and see you as a puppet at best and an obstacle at worst. Unlife in a Camarilla city is defined by rules. Such rules include "respect each other's territory", "get permission before you Embrace someone", "your Childe (new vampire you Embraced) is your responsibility until the Prince decides they're fit to set out on their own", "don't go around killing each other without permission", and "no Diablerie", but the most important rule is the Masquerade. This is the rule that humans are not allowed to find out that vampires exist. The Masquerade is a matter of life and death. In the past, when Kindred ruled humanity openly, humans armed with torches and stakes were able to force the Kindred into hiding through sheer force of numbers. Now there are more humans than ever and they have nukes. There's a reason the number 1 rule of the Camarilla is "don't provoke the humans."

The Sabbat used to be the second most powerful Sect, but have recently dropped down to number 3. They are an organization dedicated to the Jyhad, the struggle of Kindred against their elders going all the way back to the original vampires. The Sabbat believe that Caine, the mythical first vampire instructed their founders to find and destroy the Antediluvians, founders of the Clans (more on them below) to prevent the end of the world, which they call Gehenna. By contrast, the Camarilla officially denied the existence of the Antediluvians and Gehenna until circumstances forced them to come clean. The Sabbat also dream of openly ruling over humanity and hate the idea of remaining hidden, but they still respect the Masquerade as they acknowledge they aren't yet in a position to seize power. The Sabbat is a very violent organization and members are often stereotyped as violent and stupid thugs, but the leadership is very cunning. The Sabbat equivalent to a Price is a Bishop.

The Anarchs are a loose organization of Kindred who don't want anything to do with the complex power structure and rule by elders that defines the Camarilla and Sabbat. They answer to nobody and just want to do their own things. Power structures in the Anarchs are very loose and driven by respect, not force or seniority. Anarchy will respect the opinions of those who earn it, but will never accept authority from force or any ideas of right to rule. There is a position called a Baron that is similar to a Prince or Bishop, but is much less formal and chosen almost democratically. The Anarchs have been a footnote for most of history, but as of recent events, their power has expanded considerably, allowing them to seize lots of territory and take the Sabbat's place as the 2nd most powerful Sect.

Before discussing the clans, we need to go over the origin of vampires. There are a lot of stories about how they came about, but the most common is that of Caine. According to vampire history, after Cain slew his brother Abel, he was cursed and banished from his family. Wandering the land, he found Lilith, said by many to be the first wife of Adam who was banished from Eden. Lilith was an immensely powerful mage and recognized in Cain the power to kill, something she thought was unique to God. Cain begged Lilith to teach him her powers ans she eventually agreed. She made a potion of her blood, which Cain drank, giving him a vision. In this vision, three angels came to Cain, each offering him a chance to repent of his sin of murder. Cain refused each angel and was cursed by each in turn: first with a fear of fire, a second with a fear of sunlight, and the third with the Beast. Cain then awoke from his vision as the first Kindred, a being of unfathomable power. Now calling himself Caine, he stayed with Lilith for a while and they became lovers. This lasted until Caine simply left her one night as she slept and returned to wandering.

Caine's wanderings eventually led him to the Land of Nod, where he found the First City. The people of the city feared Caine's power and worshiped him as a god, with the king, Enoch, granting Caine his throne. In time, Enoch requested that Caine share his immortality and so Caine Embraced Enoch as the first member of the 2nd generation. Eventually, he was joined by at least two more Kindred, A warrior named Irad and a beautiful woman named Zillah. They in turn Embraced the 3rd generation. Caine feared that the Kindred would overwhelm humanity and decreed that no more Kindred be sired. Eventually, the First City was destroyed by the biblical deluge and Caine returned to wandering the world (the order of these events is debatable). The 2nd and 3rd generation members that survived are known as Antediluvians and they tried to rebuild the First City as the Second City. In time, the 3rd generation raised up and destroyed the 2nd. Caine then returned long enough to curse the members of the 3rd Generation. These Antediluvians are said to be the founders of the 13 Clans and their curses were passed down to their descendants. The Antediluvians eventually turned on each other, leading to the destruction of the Second City. Many Kindred now believe that the Antediluvians now slumber in hidden places around the world and when Gehenna comes, they will rise and devour the world to slake their thirst before Caine returns to pass judgement on the survivors.

Your Clan is your vampire family. You are the same Clan your sire was barring very uncommon circumstances Each clan claims descent from one of the Antediluvians and inherited their founder's curse, known as a Bane. 5th edition also added compulsions that the Clans suffer from, which I think are cool and add more character to them. Vampires also have powers called Disciplines. Each Clan inherits three Disciplines that will grow in strength as the Kindred grows older and more powerful. It is possible to learn Disciplines not from your Clan, but it is harder and generally requires a teacher and that tutelage will not come cheap. Thematically, the Clans are based around common archetypes of vampires in fiction. Historically, the Clans were all aligned to different Sects or remained independent. As of recent events, those strict lines have started to break down more than they were in the past. There are also mini-clans called Bloodlines and Caitiff and Thin-Bloods who don't really have Clans, but you generally don't need to know about them as a beginner. I'll cover the clans in alphabetical order.

Clan Banu Haqim, commonly but incorrectly called Clan Assamite, fills the archetype of the eastern Vampire. They are the self-appointed judges of the Kindred world, secretly observing the activities of other vampires and assassinating those who proved unworthy. For most of history, they were a very tight-knit clan based out of a mountain fortress called Alamut hidden somewhere in the mountains of Arabia. They were divided into three castes. The Judges were the ones who went out to observe and pass judgement on other Kindred. Most outsiders only knew the Judges existed and they became the boogeymen of the Kindred world. The Viziers are scholars and advisers who seek out hidden lore and act as the leadership of the Clan. The Sorcerers are the smallest caste and are assigned to study secrets of ancient blood magic. They are kept on a tight leash by the rest of the Clan. Once Islam arose as a religion, it became adopted by the Clan, to the point the vast majority of members were Muslims. This changed in the 90's when Ur-Shulgi, one of the first members of the clan, arose from nearly 2,000 years of slumber and took over, demanding that the rest of the Clan renounce Islam and convert to worship of their Antediluvian. This led to a schism with about a third of the clan staying with Ur-Shulgi as an independent Clan, another third defecting to the Camarilla, and the rest being split up between the Anarchs, Sabbat, and independence. Those who left have to adapt to a new way of unlife as they are denied access to Alamut and must live amongst Kindred who have historically feared them. The Banu Haqim Antediluvian is Haqim. Legend says he was appointed to be a keeper of justice in a city ruled by two unnamed members of the 2nd Generation. When his rulers turned to evil, Haqim slew them in their sleep. He then cut himself to bleed out and drank their Vitae to embrace himself as a vampire. Haqim was appointed to enforce Caine's laws, but when the corruption of the Second City became too much for him to take, he took his Clan and left, eventually founding Alamut. He would come and go from the fortress and was last seen in the year 121 BCE. He is now believed to be slumbering somewhere, though some Banu Haqim claim he is secretly watching and judging them. The Banu Haquim used to have different Disciplines based on their caste, but the most common spread was Celerity (superhuman speed), Obfuscate (the ability to go undetected), and Quietus (blood control). In 5th edition, Quietus was replaced with Blood Sorcery, which is what is sounds like. Their compulsion is to pass judgment on others. Their Bane is an addiction to Diablerizing those they view as guilty.

Clan Brujah fills the archetype of the violent street punk vampire. Once, they were a clan of warrior-scholars who worked to restrain their naturally violent tempers and the temptations of the Beast. Since some major defeats in the past, these practices have been lost to time. Now, the Clan is one of violence and rebellion. While the clan was historically officially aligned with the Camarilla, there was little internal structure and defections to the Anarchs were so common that many considered them an Anarch clan instead. The Anarchs for the Brujah heavily as their natural rebellious tendencies give them a natural dislike for hierarchy. Brujah are often associated with various countercultural and minority movements. They tend heavily toward anarchy, but any minority political position appeals to them. You can just as easily find Brujah neo-nazis simply becuase that position is opposed to the majority. In 2012, a Brujah elder murdered two major political figures in a meeting of Camirilla elders. In the aftermath, the clan formally left the Camarilla and became the first official Anarch clan. They have since been instrumental in the rise of the Anarchs as a major Sect and have helped establish an Anarch Free State that now cover large portions of the west coast of North America. There are many conflicting stories about the Brujah Antediluvian, but the most common one says he was either named Ilyes or Troile the Elder. He was a very calm and dispassionate man who only Embraced one Childe, the passionate and rebellious Troile the Younger. Throile the Younger eventually Diablerized their (stories differ on their gender) Sire in what may have been the opening moves of the 3rd generation's rebellion. The Brujah Disciplines are Celerity (superhuman speed), Potence (superhuman strength), and Presence (incredible charisma). Their compulsion is to rebel. Their Bane is a closer connection to the Beast, which gives them their violent tempers and makes it harder for them to resist Frenzying.

Clan Cappadocian is one of the two extinct Clans who represented the archetype of the vampire as a creature of death. Their Antediluvian was Cappadocius, a scholar of death who only sired Childer because he realized he couldn't complete his research alone. The clan was small and kept tightly controlled by Cappadocius as they tried to uncover the secrets of death and the underworld. In the 1440s, Cappadocius Embraced a Venetian merchant and necromancer named Augustus Giovanni. This proved to be his undoing as Giovanni diablerized Cappadocius and proceeded to drive his clan to extinction, with only his Childer surviving as a new clan: Clan Giovanni. However, eventually a number of Bloodlines emerged, all claiming to be descended from Cappadocius, indicating Giovanni's genocide was not as complete as he thought. The Cappadocian Disciplines were Auspex (superhuman senses), Fortitude (incredible durability), and Mortis (a form of necromancy that could control ghosts). Their compulsion was to surround themselves with symbols of death. Their curse caused their bodies to continue to decay after their Embrace, leaving them looking mummified.

Clan Giovanni replaced Clan Cappadocian under Augustus Giovanni's leadership. They remained independent of the Sects, who were getting their feet under them at the time. The Giovanni acted as a crime family, growing to control criminal activities worldwide. They also only Embraced form a single family, which has grown enormous over the centuries and incorporates many sub-families. The mortal family members serve the family, often as Ghouls, in the hopes of receiving the Embrace and ascending up the ladder. Their practices were truly depraved, with rampant abuse being the least objectionable thing they did. Even the Camarilla and the Sabbat often found them unseemly. The Giovanni's criminal activities served to gather resources for their ultimate goal, the gathering of enough ghosts to rip apart the barriers between the world of the living and the underworld so Augustus can rule as an emperor of the dead. They almost succeeded before the events of the Week of Nightmares (described below) ruined that plan. Things went downhill for the Giovanni after that, especially with Second Inquisition attacks on their headquarters and Augustus Giovanni's mysterious disappearance. To survive, the Giovanni had a meeting with the various Bloodlines claiming descent from Cappadocius and performed a ritual called the Family Reunion to unite them all as the new Clan Hecata. Clan Hecata is still establishing itself as a power in the night, but is still heavily invested in necromancy and organized crime. According to the lore, the Family Reunion changed all the Bloodlines' traits to match the Giovanni's. I think that's dumb and would run thing with the Bloodlines keeping their Disciplines and Banes. The Giovanni compulsion is to investigate death. Their curse is that the Kiss is very painful to the victim instead of pleasurable. Their Disciplines are Dominate (mind control), Potence (superhuman strength), and Necromancy (what it sounds like). 5th edition changed Necromancy to Oblivion in a very dumb change. They took the signature Disciplines of two Clans and made them the same Discipline for obscure lore reasons, but it still acts like two Disciplines. I really don't get it.

Clan Gangrel fills the archetype of the vampire as an animalistic shapeshifter. They feel more at home with animals than with people and possess bestial instincts. Most vampires are creatures of the city, living where the prey is and where there's plenty of shelter from the sun. Gangrel prefer to live in the wilderness. Those who live in cities still prefer parks and the outskirts: places where nature thrives. The clan is very social Darwinist, believing only the strongest deserve to survive. They typically abandon their Childer after the Embrace and watch from afar. Only those who manage to adapt to their new condition and survive will be inducted to the Clan. There is very little organization amongst the Gangrel, though they do occasionally have meetings called Gathers. Many Kindred underestimate the Gangrel, seeing them as mere beasts. This would be a very foolish mistake. Possibly because they share a mix of human and animal instincts, the Gangrel are the only Kindred on anything resembling good terms with werewolves (by which I mean they might not immediately jump to ripping a Gangrel's head off and might be willing to talk). The Gangrel Antediluvian is Ennoia, who was said to be a wild woman, one of the daughters of Adam and Lilith who was sent beyond Eden to live amongst animals. Gangrel legend says she was raised by a pack of wolves and eventually mated with them, birthing the first werewolves (the werewolves themselves would disagree violently with this origin story). She was eventually defeated in a great battle and forced into slumber. She was then buried and the earth was salted to keep her from rising again. The Gangrel disciplines are Animalism (control of animals), Fortitude (incredible durability), and Potence (shapeshifting). Their compulsion is to abandon the trappings of civilization and settle things like beasts. Their curse causes them to get temporarily (permanently in older editions) stuck with animal features when they Frenzy.

Clan Lasombra represents the archetype of the vampire as a creature of darkness, as well as the archetype of the Catholic vampire. To the Lasombra, ambition is everything. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Having lines you won't cross is viewed as a weakness. This means all Lasombra are petty, power-hungry, would-be tyrants and they are proud of it. Accordingly, if a Lasombra is outsmarted or betrayed, they deserved it for not being smart enough to see it coming. Appearance is very important to the Lasombra. It isn't enough to outwit your enemies, you have to look good doing it. Any lapse in your public persona is a weakness that will be pounced in. Historically, they were pirates who dominated the Mediterranean sea, but they eventually transitioned into ruling indirectly. They are now heavily entrenched in religious institutions. Why take things by force when you can convince the masses that it's God's will for them to give it to you. They are especially entrenched in the Catholic Church, which is engaged in a shadow war between the Lasombra and those who want to force them out. The Lasombra look down on humans and only pick the best to Embrace. A common tactic when looking for a Childe is to systematically ruin their life. Only if the human can pull themselves back up will they be worthy of the Embrace. The Lasombra were historically a Sabbat Clan, but large numbers of them jumped ship to the Camarilla after the Week of Nightmares. They are distrusted, but fully intend to rise to power as usual. The Lasombra Antediluvian is known by many names, so most people just call him Lasombra. He was reportedly a pathetic failure of a man who only achieved greatness after his Embrace. He was a sailor by trade and studied the powers of the Abyss, the darkness that existed before creation. He was eventually Diablerized by his Childe, but many Lasombra believe that his soul merged with the Abyss and he now watches the world through his descendants, waiting to make his move. The Lasombra Disciplines are Dominate (mind control), Potence (superhuman strength) and Obteneration (mystical control of darkness). In 5th edition, Obteneration was changed to Oblivion. Their compulsion is to pursue their goals with utter ruthlessness. Their curse is that they cast no reflections and cannot be recorded by cameras. This means that the Clan who most values independence and self-image has to rely on others to develop that image.

Clan Malkavian represents the archetype of the vampire as a madman. Most clans can hide their curse, but not the Malkavians. From the moment of their Embrace, each Malkavian gains a unique and incurable form of insanity. With their madness comes a strange form of clarity that allows Malkavians to know things they shouldn't. While their often unusual behavior means Malkavians are rarely accepted in polite Kindred society, their ability to act as seers means they are too valuable to to reject entirely. Malkavians claim they are all connected by an invisible psychic web called the Madness Network. Everything one Malkavian knows is know on a subconscious level by every other Malkavian, though it is hidden by delusion and hallucination. Some Malkavians can even directly communicate with each other through the Network. Little is known of Malkavian history as their records tend to be unreliable. They also have little in the way of a unified culture or hierarchy, though they are officially a Camarilla clan. They often act as prophets or advisors, though untangling the truth from the delusion is difficult at the best of times. Their Antediluvian is Malkav, and little is known of him, though he is often said to have been a seer. Its not clear when he became insane. It could be the result of Caine's curse, a secret Lilith showed him, the result of Diablerizing his sire, or he may have always been mad. Non-Malkavian historians speculate that he lies in slumber beneath Jerusalem and his presence is responsible for all the religious mania present in the city. Malkavians tend to claim he became the Madness network and now manipulates all of his descendants like puppets. The Malkavian Disciplines are Auspex (superhuman senses), Obfuscate (the ability to become undetected), and Dementation (the ability to inflict madness on others). 5th edition switched Dementation out for Dominate and made the Dementation effects a combination of Dominate and Auspex. I really hate this change and would not run it that way.

Clan Ministry fills the archetype of the vampire as the creature of evil. They are formally known as the Ministry of Set or Mesu Bedshet and informally known as the Followers of Set or Setites. They reject the story of Caine and have their own creation myth. According to them, Set was the first mortal to discover that morality was a restriction placed on humanity by the gods to keep humans from obtaining godhood themselves. Set achieved apotheosis and taught his method to mortals, creating the vampires. However the other gods created their won vampires to interfere with Set's plan. The Ministry teaches that morals are a crutch that must be discarded and sin and corruption should be embraced. This is part of a long path toward godhood of which vampirism is just the first step. Faithful Setites encourage people to revel in vice and cruelty, often forming cults which they use as a power base and recruiting pool. Notably, they will accept Kindred of other Clans into the Ministry and treat them as siblings, though this does not actually change their Clan. While the cult is primarily based out of Egypt, they have spread across the world and are heavily invested in the international drug trade. The Ministry has historically been independent of the Sects, but they recently petitioned the Camarilla for membership. This was rejected as nobody in the Camarilla trusts them, so they largely joined the Anarchs, looking to corrupt them from within. According to non-Setites, their Antediluvian is Set and his family drama inspired Egyptian mythology. He was the elder son of the king Ra, but Ra chose the younger son Osiris as his heir. Set attempted a coup, but failed and he was exiled. This led him to the First City, where he received the Embrace. Returning to Egypt, he killed Osiris and took the throne. Osiris's sister-wives brought him back to life with a ritual and Osiris gathered an army of various supernatural beings to oppose Set, including the first mummies. This led to a shadow war between the two that went on and off through the millennia. Set is currently believed to slumber somewhere beneath Egypt and the Ministry are trying to find him. Set was also a worshiper of Apophis, a dark god that may be the same spirit of corruption and entropy that shapeshifters call the Wyrm. The Ministry Disciplines are Obfuscate (the ability to go undetected), Presence (incredible charisma), and Serpentis (shapeshifting and other powers associated with snakes). 5th edition changed Serpentis to Protean. Their compulsion is to indulge in vice. Their curse is an increased sensitivity to light, to the point that bright enough moonlight or artificial light can hurt them.

Clan Nosferatu fills the archetype of the vampire as an inhuman monster. No Clan's curse is more visible than that of the Nosferatu. Upon receiving the Embrace, each Childe is transformed ove the course of several agonizing days into a monstrous appearance. This new visage is unique to every Nosferatu but it is always obvious upon looking at them that they are not human. Because of their appearances, the Nosferatu have not historically been welcome in polite Kindred society, forced to live in the slums and sewers. This suits them just fine, because being beneath notice is the Nosferatu's greatest strength. They are the spymasters and information brokers of the Kindred. It is always a good rule of thumb to assume that no matter how hard you try to keep your secrets, there's a Nosferatu out there who already knows them. While the Nosferatu are a Camarilla Clan, the division between Sects is less important than Clan unity to them. Camarilla, Sabbat, and Anarch Nosferatu will work together for their united goals. The majority of Nosferatu in a city will live togeter in an underground tunnel network called the Warrens. Nosferatu prefer to Embrace from the ranks of outcasts and the forgotten, people who nobody will miss. They also Embrace from the ranks of beautiful people. This is usually targeted at the vain to teach them a lesson, but some Nosferatu view any beautiful person as deserving to become a monster. These people, known as Cleopatras, have a rough time adapting to their unlife. The Nosferatu Antediluvian is Absimiliard, who was a very beautiful and very vain man. When his Embrace left him with a tiny scar, Absimiliard became consumed by hate and killed his sire. Caine's curse on him was to make his face match the ugliness of his soul. The reason the Nosferatu are so tight-knit is becasue Absimiliard believes (falsely) that if he kills all of his descendants, Caine will forgive him and lift his curse. Thus he sends monsters called Nictuku after the Nosferatu. As Nictuku activity is on the rise recently, many Nosferatu believe Absimiliard is awake once again somewhere in the arctic circle. The Nosferatu Disciplines are Animalism (control of animals), Obfuscate (the ability to go undetected), and Potence (superhuman strength). Their compulsion is to seek out and horde secrets. Their Bane is their appearances.

Before discussing Clan Ravnos I need to throw up a content warning for racism and use of slurs. This is because Clan Ravnos represents the archetype of the vampire who is a Gypsy. And not an accurate representation of the Roma at all, but full stereotype. Listen, old White Wolf (the original publisher of WoD) was racist (though I think they were less malicious and more just stupid) and relied heavily on stereotypes. While they smartened up and revised some of the more stereotypical clans like the Banu Haqim and Giovanni, the Ravnos were so racist they didn't have an option to rehabilitate them other than to kill them. But I'll get to that. The Ravnos used to be divided between their western and eastern branches, with the two being almost completely different. The western Ravnos were nomads who worshiped chaos and brought disorder and crime wherever they went. They typically traveled with and Embraced from the Roma people. The eastern Ravnos where headquartered in India and engaged in a constant war for control if India with the Kuei-Jin. The Kuei-Jin are the vampires of Asia. They aren't descended from Caine, they're their own type of supernatural being. You don't really need to know about the Kuei-Jin for a beginner's guide so I'm not going to say much more about them. This war eventually led to the Ravnos Antediluvian, Zapathasura, rising from slumber and devouring his offspring and a big chunk of India before being slain. This was the Week of Nightmares, which I will discuss later. In the aftermath, the eastern Ravnos were utterly wiped out and the western Ravnos were driven into a Frenzy of violence. By the time it was all over, less than a hundred Ravnos were left standing, and none of them had any significant power. They are now a Clan on the brink of extinction, trying to find an identity in the face of their inevitable doom. The Ravnos Antediluvian is known by many names, including Zapathasurea, Ravana, and Dracian and there are way too many conflicting stories about him to go over here. The Ravnos Disciplines are Animalism (control of animals), Chimerstry (illusions), and Fortitude (incredible endurance). 5e changed to Chimerstry to Obfuscate and Fortitude to Presence. Their compulsion is to take risks. Their Bane used to be an addiction to crime, but after the Week of Nightmares it changed to an inability to rest in the same place twice in a row. They have to sleep at least a mile or so apart each night.

Clan Salubri is one of the extinct Clans who represented the archetype of the good guy vampire. They were healers dedicated to helping humans and Kindred alike overcome what ails them. There was also a warrior group focused on defending the defenseless. But because this is the World of Darkness, we can't have nice thing and the Salubri were wiped out. The new clan Tremere legitimized their position by slandering the Salubri as demon-worshipers and monsters and enacting a campaign of genocide against them. In modern nights, only a handful of Salubri survive in hiding, their resentment and desire for revenge driving them to become the very monsters they were slandered as. Their Antediluvian is Saulot, a philosopher and healer who sought to overcome the Beast. He would go on expeditions beyond the Second City doing unknown things. We know he spent time with the Kuei-Jin and that it probably ended poorly because Kuei-Jin refer to him as the betrayer. His search for enlightenment eventually led him to develop a third eye, which his clan inherited. He may also have been the only member of the 3rd generation that did not rebel against the 2nd. Eventually, he was attacked in his sleep and Diablerized by the founder of the Tremere. That's not quite the end of his story, though. The Salubri Disciplines are Auspex (superhuman senses), Fortitude (incredible durability), and Obeah (the ability to manipulate life and death). 5th edition changed Obeah to Dominate. Their compulsion was to empathize with others. Their Bane is a matter of debate. Some say they were the only clan to have no Bane, others say their Vitae was unnaturally delicious, and some say they could only feed on a willing person. The third eye ended up acting like a Bane because it made them very easy to identify.

Clan Tremere fills the archetype of the vampire as a wizard. They are usurpers to the title of Kindred, not descended from one of the Antediluvians. In the 1020s, the powerful mage Tremere set about finding a way to achieve immortality and opted to use a ritual to turn himself and his followers into Kindred. The plan was for them to retain their magic, but this failed and so they developed a practice of blood magic instead (though the Banu Haqim claim the Tremere stole their secrets instead). In order to gain the power needed to survive, he sought out the slumbering Saulot and Diablerized the Antediluvian, ascending to the power of a 3rd generation vampire. This made a lot of Kindred furious at him, so Tremere slandered the Salubri as demon worshipers and engaged in a "righteous" campaign to destroy this threat to all vampires. Most of the elders at the time probably realized the Tremere were lying, but they were just too useful not to make use of, so they played along. Clan Tremere joined the Camarilla and became one of their most important members, though nobody really trusts them. The Clan was easily the most well-organized due to the practice of members blood bonding their subordinates. This formed a massive hierarchy called the Pyramid, with Tremere at the top. The Clan is heavily focused on scholarship, delving into the secrets of the world and seeking to improve their blood magic, all focused around home bases called Chantries. This changed when the Second Inquisition bombed the head Chantry in Vienna, destroying most of the senior members of the Clan and shattering all the blood bonds. This led to the Clan fracturing into multiple competing factions, some of which defected to the Sabbat and Anarchs. Tremere was believed to have been killed in the bombing, but the truth is not so simple. Saulot's soul survived within Tremere's body and the two spent centuries fighting for control of the body. Saulot eventually won and disappeared to parts unknown; his current whereabouts and goals are a mystery. Tremere was forced to steal his lieutenant's body to survive. After the attack on the Chantry, Tremere faked his death and is now leading one of the factions of his Clan under a false identity. The Tremere Disciplines are Auspex (superhuman senses), Dominate (mind control), and Thaumaturgy (blood magic). In 5th edition, Thaumaturgy was renamed to Blood Sorcery. Their compulsion is perfectionism. Their Bane used to be an increased vulnerability to the blood bond, needing to drink another Kindred's Vitae only twice to be bonded. After the attack on the Vienna Chantry, the Bane changed to an inability to blood bind others.

Clan Toreador represents the archetype of the vampire as a beautiful and seductive predator. They are artists and innovates obsessed with beauty and art. While many dismiss them as vain fops, the Toreador are masters of the art of social manipulation. More than any other clan, they know that the right word whispered into the right ear at the right time can change the world. There's a reason they're one of the most politically powerful Clans in the Camarilla. While all Toreador seek beauty, that meas different things to different people. One Toreador might find beauty in refuse and garbage while another only appreciates the finest art of the Renaissance. Naturally, they love to spend time arguing over who is a true atriste and who is a mere poseur. Art to them also means more than just creative expression. Martial arts, investigation, and politics are all art forms to them. Because the vampiric condition tends toward stagnation, they often act more as patrons of the arts than as artists themselves. In modern nights, they hare heavily embedded in the entertainment industry. The Toreador are the Kindred most closely connected to humanity and spend much of their time amongst mortals. They often latch onto a human who catches their eye and dote on them, becoming an integral part of their life. However, the Toreador are fickle and once their attention shifts, they will drop their ward and move on like they never existed. The Toreador Antediluvian is usually called Arikel, though some sources call her Ishtar. She was said to be the most beautiful woman who ever live and a performer of a dance that involved leaping over the backs of bulls. She allegedly fled the Second City after stealing something called the Tablet of Destiny and was chased to Greece, where she vanished from history. Another story says she Embraced a pair of lover so their love would last forever. However once the two realized they could not have children, they walked into the sunlight. Arikel swore then to never Embrace again. The Toreador Disciplines are Auspex (superhuman senses), Celerity (superhuman speed), and Presence (incredible charisma). Their compulsion is to become transfixed on beautiful sights. This was their Bane prior to 5th edition. 5e changed their Bane to a penalty to their mental abilities when they are surrounded with less than beautiful scenery.

Clan Tzimisce fulfills the archetype of the vampire as the reclusive lord of a castle. They are easily the most inhuman of the Clans, moreso than the Nosferatu. While the Nosferatu were cursed into their inhuman appearances, the Tzmisce willingly give up on their humanity. If you were to call a Tzmisce inhuman and sadistic, they would likely agree, then demonstrate that you definitions of those words are woefully inadequate. To them, humanity is something to be discarded so they can surpass the weakness of their former mortality. To them, humans are an unfortunate component of making new Kindred at best. Thus, they tend to use forced eugenics programs to produce the best possible candidates. The Tzimisce also have the power to shape flesh and bone like clay and enjoy creating fleshwarped horrors and punishing humans for their humanity by doing things like turning them into furniture while leaving them alive, conscious, and in incredible pain. Most Tzimisce will turn their fleshcrafting on themselves, shaping themselves into monstrous forms to symbolize their rejection of their former mortality. Tradition and history are highly important to the Clan and they practice a form of sacred hospitality. A Tzimisce's domain is their most important asset and it is to be protected at all costs. Many of them are ancient lords ruling from castles in eastern Europe and have no interest in adapting to the times. While they are a Sabbat Clan, many young members are defecting to the Anarchs. Tzimisce are very rare in the Camarilla and those who do join pretend to be members of other clans as even other Kindred fear and hate the Tzimisce. The Tzimisce Antediluvian is only known as the Eldest. Legend says the 2nd generation vampire Irad sought to purge himself of evil by expelling expelling ti as a black mass. He them force fed the evil to a human and planned to kill him afterwards. However, when the man showed no change, Irad became curious and Embraced him. The Eldest quickly abandoned his humanity and soon left the Second City, having no interest in the political games of his siblings. He ended up in what would become Transylvania, where he made a pact with a bound demon named Kupala, binding him and his descendants to the land forevermore. During the founding of the Sabbat, the Eldest learned of a plan to kill him. He altered a follower into his likeness and left him behind to be Diablerized as the Eldest fled the land. The number of people who know he's still alive can likely be counted on one hand. The Tzimisce Disciplines are Animalism (control of animals), Auspex (superhuman senses) and Vicissitude. 5e swapped Vicissitude for Protean and Auspex for Dominate and made the Vicissitude abilities an amalgam of Protean and Dominate. I don't like this change. Their compulsion is to hoard things. Their Bane is that they can't sleep unless surrounded with reminders of their former human lives. Prior to 5e it was that they couldn't sleep unless surrounded with dirt from their grave. I think the 5e version is more thematically fitting, personally.

Clan Ventrue fills the archetype of the vampire as the aristocratic overlord. They are the blue bloods of the Kindred who believe they have the right to rule because they know better than everyone else. This naturally does not make them very popular, but they are extremely powerful and very wealthy. The Ventrue form a hierarchy based on their wealth, political influence, and dignitas, a measure of their responsibility and competence. Ascending the hierarchy is every Ventrue's goal and they will do anything to do so. Each city has its own hierarchy called the board that controls the politics and goals of that city's Ventrue. Each Ventrue in a city is expected to run their businesses without interfering with each other. In practice, this means you only get punished if you get caught. When a Ventrue Embraces a Childe, they are put in charge of a business and expected to make it prosper. They aren't allowed to interfere with other Ventrue's businesses during this time, so most local Ventrue will lend them a hand. This is the closest any Ventrue will ever get to altruism. Failure during this time will lead to a severe loss in dignitas for both Sire and Childe. In the past, they most embraced from noble families and knights. In modern nights, they are heavily involved with big business and politics. They were one of the founding clans of the Camarilla and claim that there are no Ventrue outside of the clan, though most people realize that's not the case. Still, questioning this claim tends to be bad for your long-term health. The Ventrue are very rich, very politically powerful, and they do not take insults lightly. The Ventrue Antediluvian was named Ventru, and he is often said to be the first member of the 3rd generation and Caine's chosen replacement when he left. Many Ventrue claim he took no part in the 3rd generations rebellion, while many others claim he was the instigator. Many sources say that when the 3rd generation began to fight, Ventru left to go find Caine and bring him back. He was then killed by an ambush of his siblings shortly after leaving. The Ventrue Disciplines are Dominate (mind control), Fortitude (incredible durability), and Presence (incredible charisma). Their compulsion is to rule over others. Their Bane is their refined tastes. Ventru can only feed on humans who have a certain trait, which is different to each Ventrue.

The Week of Nightmares was one of the most important events in the history of the World of Darkness and lasted from June 28th to July 4th, 1999. The war over control of India between the eastern Ravnos and the Kuei-Jin was ramping up. The Ravnos began to mass-Embrace fledglings to drown their enemy in sheer numbers. The psychic backlash of so many deaths happening so fast rippled through the clan, awakening slumbering elders and eventually the Antediluvian himself, Zapathasura. The starving blood god psychically called his descendants to him and devoured them before going on a rampage, devouring countless humans, Kuei-Jin, Kindred, and other supernatural creatures. Three immensely powerful Kuei-Jin sorcerers challenged Zapathasura, summing a hurricane over them to fight during the day. Meanwhile, the world-spanning technological mage organization known as the Technocratic Union or Technocracy took notice. They launched a spirit-charged nuke at the hurricane, dispelling it and killing the Kuei-Jin. They then used orbital satellites to direct concentrated sunlight onto Zapathasura, destroying him. The psychic backlash of Zapathasura's death sent the surviving Ravnos into a Frenzy of violence that left them on the verge of extinction. Shockwaves were sent through Kindred society. The Camarilla were forced to admit they were lying about the non-existence of the Antediluvians, leading to major defections to the Anarchs. The Sabbat, who had built their identity on being able to kill the Antediluvians, also lost major face when they were useless to stop Zapathasura, leading to mass defections to the Camarilla and Anarchs. The Sabbat dropped to the third largest Sect while the Anarchs moved up to the second. Kindred across the world saw the Week of Nightmares as proof that Gehenna was imminent.

In the wake of the Week of Nightmares, the Sabbat launched the Gahanna Crusade, a mission to track down the remaining Antediluvians and slay them in their sleep. The Camarilla opposed this, believing that the Sabbat would end up waking the Antediluvians instead. This led to a worldwide shadow conflict called the Gehenna War. At the same time, elders started experiencing visions of a black sarcophagus and feeling a compulsion to travel to the Middle East. Most interpret these visions as a sign that another Antediluvian has either risen or is about to rise. The mass exodus of Elders has destabilized the Camarilla and Sabbat, allowing the Anarchs to gain major ground. As the Gehenna war rages and elders consolidate power around the Middle East, the future is uncertain.

In the 2000s, a new threat appeared. The USA's National Security Agency discovered SCHRECKnet, a secret dark web operated by the Nosferatu. They spread the information to other secuurity agencies both in and out of the USA and collaborated with vampire hunting organizations in the Catholic Church and other religious institutions to fight back against the Kindred. This began with a missile strike on the Tremere Chantry in Vienna and coordinated ground work that managed to clear New York, London, Paris, and Marseilles of Kindred before the vampires were able to rally and put up a resistance. Kindred refer to this new generation of vampire hunters as the Second Inquisition. The Second Inquisition is not a unified organization but a loose collective of different organizations utilizing different tactics which can include military organizations using top-of-the-line hardware, scientists dragging Kindred to black sites for experimentation, gangbangers out to protect their neighborhoods from Kindred, and religious fanatics armed with swords and the power of true faith. Some of the more scientifically-minded organizations have even developed a chemical weapon that is harmless to humans but burns Kindred the way sunlight does. In response to the rise of the Second Inquisition, the Nosferatu disabled SCHRECKnet and the Camarilla banned electronic communication for fear of another hack, instead relying on couriers. This slower method of communication, combined with the exodus of the elders and the Gehenna War has destabilized all the Sects. The Second Inquisition has also noticed the increasing Kindred activity in the Middle East and has effectively become a third side in the Gehenna War. More than anything else, the Second Inquisition has reminded Kindred why the Masquerade is so important.

If you want to get into the setting but don't have a group to play with, the video game Vampire: the Masquerade Bloodlines is excellent, but you need to play it with the unofficial patch to avoid glitches.