aldings-stash - Tumblr blog

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i totally forgot to post this here - party picture for my D&D group's christmas present!

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Life tip: buy a sponge with a smiley face.

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"So you can cast a few fancy lights. What's the point in that? Our family hasn't produced a mage in generations so what makes you think you're anything special?"

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The debut of Avrin's older sister, Helanwen. And boy, it's not a pleasant one. 😢

Growing up on the Endaron Estate as children of minor nobles afforded them a lot of luxury and comfort but also stifling rules and expectations of Altmer society. Unfortunately Helanwen directed a lot of her frustrations and insecurities at him. They could be ok together but it wouldn't take much to set her off. Eventually after years of on-and-off bullying, she got more than she bargained for after ruining his favourite spellbook by throwing it into a river. He shot a half-formed ice spike at her face, smashing several of her teeth.

From then on, she knew he was becoming more capable and confident as a mage. The balance of power had shifted but he never sought any advantage over her as he grew into adulthood, which puzzled her. Nor could she leverage any kind of influence. How can you play the scheming game of nobility against someone who just doesn't care about it? Who could disarm you with a few wry comments before calmly going back to his studies. Eventually she began to reluctantly see him on a more equal footing and while the two could never be true friends, they at least would have a measure of respect between them.

Avrin is 13 here whilst Helanwen is 23. A few years before the spellbook incident, though clearly he's working up to it already.

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Erris the Sith Inquisitor in a confrontation with Havoc Squad, lead by Zadina Draz. Whilst a Sith force-user always presents a serious risk, Havoc Squad pack a wide range of firepower to discourage them. Erris has strong force powers but is only very lightly armoured and knows when the odds are stacked against her in a straight up fight. She prefers to pull strings from afar and to get into a situation like this suggests her schemes have gone very wrong indeed.

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A quick portrait of Serynth

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I'm trying to play cyberpunk here, cat.

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Mr. Cat is here at my house for 2 weeks this time! He is a handsome devil and super soft.

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took these screenshots for people like me who would rather just know how to opt out than read several paragraphs on corporate greed

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Mr. Cat is staying with me again!

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I'm having more success on DA than Tumblr these days. How that hellsite is better than this hellsite is a mystery but here we are.

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Zadina inspects some of the battle damage she took during a mission. Havoc Squad benefits from much higher grade armour and personal shielding which has potentially saved her life here. Probably still has a headache though.

I don't know why but the shapes of the Republic Trooper helmets are really hard to get right. They were obviously going for Clone Trooper vibes but the design is not as coherent.

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im cooking

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Your cat when it's five minutes till breakfast but you're still asleep

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tolkien writing elves: this is Fëafineärenfindelwë he ruled as a king for 12,069 years and he slew seven balrogs and he created three conlangs and he invented light

tolkien writing men: this is Berengorn he's a nobleman with a fancy sword and he looks just like an elf and he was raised by elves and he marries an elf

tolkien writing dwarves: this is Durin XVI Ironking he forged a billion legendary swords

tolkien writing hobbits: this is Berry Bingo Bongfeet he writes songs about trees and he owns a weed farm

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“Since when do you know how to dance?” said Karelle with a wide-eyed expression on her face.

She had asked Avrin to join her as a jest, knowing that normally, the reserved and stuffy mage would just brush her off with some dry comment. Teasing him like that to get a reaction was one of her guilty pleasures but to her surprise he had grabbed her hand and began to lead her through an Aldmeri waltz.

“I used to be part of the nobility remember?” he said, “So of course I’ve had a few lessons drummed into me when I was younger. Though back then I didn’t enjoy it.

“Why not?” she asked, trying to keep up.

“I was never comfortable putting my arm around women I barely knew.”

“Heh, but you do know me at least.” smiled Karelle.

“More than I’d like…”

Karelle puzzled over the remark but as Avrin spun her around she didn’t have time to dwell on it. Even if he was just humouring her request for a dance it was clear that for once, she was the one on the backfoot.

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I've missed my chance to do a Christmas piece but had the idea to explore Karelle and Avrin's dynamic a bit. How to explain their relationship? I can't. They're not a couple (although may have had a night to remember...or regret depending on who you ask). But there's some sort of opposites-attract magnetism going on that makes them find each other annoyingly fascinating. Karelle, the more extroverted one usually does the prodding to provoke things but occasionally is disarmed by something she doesn't expect.

Bonus pic:

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Best chonker

I am once again looking after Mr. Cat whilst my friend visits the in-laws.