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It's too hot for me to do my job at work, so I'm sitting in the office. Here have a quick doodle of Phyranna, the Head Priestess of Lachrymose and Tarlyn's temple. I have little on her as a character beyond she's somewhere in her late 400s early 500s, and she really likes Lachrymose and Tarlyn and wants them to succeed under Eilistraee's guidance, despite sometimes making their life more difficult by not just unilaterally deciding to make things easier/better for the men within the temple. (There's a council u see, and it's filled with older former noble women from the Underdark. And tho Eilistraee says something, they aren't sure if she like... means it tho. Y'know?)

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song of the dead.

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I think I may never be sad ever again. There is a statue entitled "Farewell to Orpheus" on my college campus. It's been there since 1968, created by a Prof. Frederic Littman that use to work at the university. It sits in the middle of a fountain, and the fountain is often full of litter. I have taken it upon myself to clean the litter out when I see it (the skimmers only come by once a week at max). But because of my style of dress, this means that bystanders see a twenty-something on their hands and knees at the edge of the fountain, sleeves rolled up, trying not to splash dirty water on their slacks while their briefcase and suit coat sit nearby. This is fine, usually. But today was Saturday Market, which means the twenty or so people in the area suddenly became hundreds. So, obviously, somebody stopped to ask what I was doing. "This," I gestured at the statue, "is Eurydice. She was the wife of Orpheus, the greatest storyteller in Greece. And this litter is disrespectful." Then, on a whim, I squinted up at them. "Do you know the story of Orpheus and Eurydice?" "No," they replied, shifting slightly to sit.

"Would you like to?"

"Sure!"

So I told them. I told them the story as I know it- and I've had a bit of practice. Orpheus, child of a wishing star, favorite of the messenger god, who had a hard-working, wonderful wife, Eurydice; his harp that could lull beasts to passivity, coax song from nymphs, and move mountains before him; and the men who, while he dreamed and composed, came to steal Eurydice away. I told of how she ran, and the water splashed up on my clothes. But I didn't care. I told of how the adder in the field bit her heel, and she died. I told of the Underworld- how Orpheus charmed the riverman, pacified Cerberus with a lullaby, and melted the hearts of the wise judges. I laughed as I remarked how lucky he was that it was winter- for Persephone was moved by his song where Hades was not. She convinced Hades to let Orpheus prove he was worthy of taking Eurydice. I tugged my coat back on, and said how Orpheus had to play and sing all the way out of the Underworld, without ever looking back to see if his beloved wife followed. And I told how, when he stopped for breath, he thought he heard her stumble and fall, and turned to help her up- but it was too late. I told the story four times after that, to four different groups, each larger than the last. And I must have cast a glance at the statue, something that said "I'm sorry, I miss you--" because when I finished my second to last retelling, a young boy piped up, perhaps seven or eight, and asked me a question that has made my day, and potentially my life: "Are you Orpheus?" I told the tale of the grieving bard so well, so convincingly, that in the eyes of a child I was telling not a story, but a memory. And while I laughed in the moment, with everyone else, I wept with gratitude and joy when I came home. This is more than I deserve, and I think I may never be sad again.

Here is the aforementioned statue, by the way.

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It's June so obligatory hydrangea inspired illustration

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the seats are empty the theatre is dark why are you still performing?

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the day i dont like the fencer character is the day you put me down like a sick dog (spoilers for confessions under the cut)

if i had a bauble for each time a student stabbed their mentor through the heart in this game... i still wouldnt be able to afford any good trinkets!!

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Birth of the Dungeon

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on your knees. now.

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Mini playlist tag game thingy

" For this, pick 5 songs you feel fit the story/vibe of your favorite ship. Could be canon/head-canon/fanfiction version (or a little bit of all!!) or OG characters as well! "

Blame @beebookmagic !! It's all their fault !! (again)

Anyhow, Tavstarion time (❁´◡`❁)

I tag anyone that reads this ❤

(I do need to finish that illust someday...)

1 | Strange meat pie - (K)NoW_NAME

(Matches Tav's energy, while a bit of an overview of the whole story, isn't it sweet ?)

Guide on, Buy the devil, your best clothes, all of them, go nuts (consume innards, cremation smoke, illusion, rendezvous) I don't, Bathe in brain waves, Puzzle, ride the rendezvous sign (curse the exterior, Don't stop TAKE ME)

Playing dumb, meat pie, faint taste, leading along, part-time job Fall in hell, its compensation lights the blue night A forced recall, a provocative metaphor Going out the door

Padlock a door (the question) destroy it A blood-covered party Make an Error (Don't give a damn) You'll follow me, won't you, who knows

2 | Printemps Blanc - La Zarra

(-"How about I say those little words, everyone's favorite. I love you." -"Having fun, aren't you ?")

A little of me, one last time The time of a moment, the time of an instant A little of you, one last time The time of a moment, the time of an instant Souvenirs of a white spring An inexistant love Shower me with these moments Put your hand on my white heart

3 | Nightmare - Azari (here an eng cover by Will Stetson)

("And all I had to do was not fall for you...")

Upheaving faceless shapes that fall in love, insane I’m weaving these mistakes the way I dress the same Deceiving, all this gray can never go astray They’re leaving, birds that came to take me far away

Invite me, invite me, so deep Invite me, invite me, so sweet Invite me, invite me, so deep Invite me, invite me with traces that you leave

Nightmare, it lies there, so love might flood my brain Dry flair your words bear, a trap I can’t escape Nightmare, now beware, this scattered scent of prey Haven’t played enough, hey, played enough, hey Ruler! Ruler!

4 | Russian - Caravan Palace

("But isn't it fun, not to know ?")

Tell me why? Tell me who? Tell me you don′t know what to do Get it all over you Who won't know how to fight? Only you

Tell me why? Tell me who? Tell me you don′t know what to do Get it all over you Who will know how to fight? Only you

You're with me (You always) Another time (Can't touch me!) I don′t care (I won′t care) If it's wrong or right (I′ll just lie) You'll reach in (You always do) And I′ll reach out (Can't touch me!) Time will tell what we′re all about

5 | Smile - Dami Im

("When I look at my future, anything and everything feels possible now.")

You gotta live your life You gotta treat you right You gotta give into the crazy appetite You gotta shake it up You gotta hold it down You gotta do all the things that Make you smile, make you smile Redefine what it is that really makes you happy Get excited Let your world be a world that you build with a smile

So live for the nights we won't forget Live for the memories we haven't made yet Turn up the love, fall into it Live for the memories we haven't made yet 'Cause this is our life, no regrets

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𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒌𝒊𝒏?

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒌𝒖𝒍𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕.

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Keptolo's Wayward Son

(Some thoughts on Keptolo and image ref below cut)

While writing a yet unpublished, but likely will be published soon, fic about Veldrin getting literally fucked (and fucked over) by Keptolo, I sort of had the idea of like Altonin was on his way to being one of his Chosen. Since there is so little written about Keptolo in particular, there isn't much on his chosen in general. But personally I like to think since Keptolo's powers mostly stem from and are directly related to Lolth's, I don't think Keptolo has that many Chosen, and more specifically, Chosen that he gets total say in. (It's even fewer on Toril bc well... he doesn't exist there, but I'm making it so!!)

I think Lolth has a lot of say in who Keptolo gets to pick as his Chosen, which is why despite male drow worshipping him in Altonin's small village, he doesn't have a ton of influence there beyond the very basic "males worship the male god bc they are unworthy of worshipping our Goddess, and we all want to see Lolth succeed". I think Altonin was on his way to being a Lolth Approved Whore, that Keptolo thought he would finally get powers of his own. (The guy can't even visit the material plane without Lolth sending him there.) He would have someone to spread his divine word ("pls worship my giant wife Lolth. She is gr8"), and gain some direct influence over male drow. Even more so, since Altonin(/Elendar) is a College of Whispers bard.

Which ultimately ended up in failure for Keptolo, as Veldrin's scheme is... Stupid At Best. And now they both lost a very key player in their lives. So rip them, but at least Elendar is living his (somewhat, gestures to tadpole) best life.

Anyways these are my references images. The iconic Wicked Lady pose that was based on this Saint Laurent perfume ad.

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HEAR ME OUT !!

ANTIVAN JEWELS

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Not quite a kiss....

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The Pale Elf

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I want to live.

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Do you need me?