#“protector” as in. the first one to attack. the one on the frontlines

[kastalani123]

Trials of Ares: TTC

(Mortal Ares in SoM/BotL)

Ares spends the time between SoM and TTC throwing himself into way too much training, trying to compensate for his weak body and newfound limits. Everyone, including those not too fond of him, keeps trying to get him to stop because it just lands him in the infirmary over and over again and they honestly think it's pathetic to see him constantly sporting bandages and bruises (he can't even get ambrosia/nectar-powered super-healing) in an attempt to regain his godly prowess, unattainable by a mortal. He does not comply with doctor's orders, because he has to be able to protect himself and his allies, you know? Or at least be capable of putting up a fight. It doesn't matter how beaten he gets so long as he stands back up until he is physically incapable of moving again.

Annabeth has gotten over her initial inklings of pity and now just feels pissed every time Lee comes to get her because Ares will not stop even though he's about to cause serious permanent damage to himself and she's the only one who can force him to stop without further harming him.

His kids are conflicted. On one hand, they get the need to constantly train and fight, the need to push as far beyond the limits of their bodies as they can manage. On the other... there's a crazed, glazed look in his eyes when blood and sweat pour down his face, as if he's not really seeing what's in front of him, and his battle screams seem tinged with hysteria. It's a little like he's unravelling at the seams, each forgotten memory and unfamiliar softness of his body sending him further and further into a frenzy.

He always seems normal enough when he cheers them on, though. Not any worse with his threats than any of his children. It's odd. They're not sure how to deal with their father, always shaking with rage, seemingly never aiming the brunt of that rage on them.

Anyways.

He goes to Westover Hall because, again, tied to Annabeth. Also, Chiron thinks it's a good idea to get him away from the arena. He doesn't think Ares's young, mortal fingers can handle being split any longer, they need a moment to build up calluses. So, off he goes. Sally worries over him, as moms do. He doesn't know what to do with it, because he wouldn't dare blow up at a mother, but he hardly knows how else to react to concern. He just. Freezes for most of the ride. Annabeth probably told him not to say anything stupid, anyways.

He tries to attack Thorn the moment he realizes he's a monster. He gets in a decent hit, but is quickly tossed aside and breaks a rib or two (and doesn't tell anyone; no revealing weaknesses here!).

His feelings about Annabeth's kidnapping are... odd. Externally he is, obviously, enraged, though seemingly because he lost the fight with Thorn more than anything else. He even laughs a bit, about how no one can boss him around anymore! But he's a bit more jumbled up inside; he's gotten annoyingly attached to the brat, and not being able to piss her off a bit because she's not there grates on him more than he expected.

Artemis's presence is met with mutual insults. Artemis digs at his weakness, probably roughs him up a bit in a small fight, but ultimately pays him little mind; Ares pulls out insults he doesn't particularly mean, just trying to piss her off despite not having his rage-bait-aura because he wants a fight, damn it, he needs to release all his rage despite his body aching, and who better to do it on than a direct connection to their Father? Suffice it to say, the Hunters really don't like him within like. Two minutes.

When Nico realizes that he's the Ares, he bombards him with questions; Ares blows up a bit, essentially telling the kid to back off, then goes to sulk and try and figure out his ribs. Bianca tries to follow him, because his fall really didn't look good, but he blows her off too. Both the Hunters and Percy tell the siblings to try and avoid him because he's not worth the effort. Bianca... decides to take this as a little challenge, later.

Apollo makes fun of Ares, commenting on his appearance and powerlessness and how mortality isn't all that bad, Apollo's gone through this punishment twice before, can Ares really not handle it? He probably also talks about sending Ares on some errands, now that he's mortal and has to listen to him. Thalia's too stressed to care, the Hunters laugh along, Percy feels complicated because it's essentially bullying but also he still doesn't like Ares all that much, and Grover and the di Angelo's feel bad for him because do you really need to beat down a kid who's already bruised and bloodied and fuming enough?

Ares is essentially considered an extension of Annabeth, and therefore brought along on the quest as a sixth at Chiron's request, despite Zoë's hatred of the idea. Maybe there's a mention of him in the prophecy, I'm not sure, but regardless, he's on the quest legitimately because he needs to help his master. On one hand, he despises this, because he hates being told what to do. On the other, it's once again a fight and a chance to regain his divinity. Though, honestly, a major reason for how determined he is about the quest is that his sister got taken and he does not take that well. It only get worse when he gets the same dream Percy did about Artemis holding up the sky because damn it, no one's allowed to touch his family. He has learned that trying to rush the quest doesn't end well for him, but he's definitely on edge, though he won't let anyone know why.

Bianca is very determined to find out, though. She's got that sibling need to dig into others' business, and though she's trying to distance herself from "babysitting" others, it's a bit hard when there's a brooding kid her age around. She decides it's still a form of rebellion, since everyone keeps telling her not to talk to him. She gets snappy at him, because he is uniquely talented at pissing people off, and they're both surprised when she fires back at him. They both like it, though, and start exchanging barbs; Ares likes having someone to fight who doesn't back down or get too annoyed/bored to continue, and Bianca is giddy with glee that she's being mean. Zoë is. Not supportive of this newfound friendship, but Bianca says she's keeping Ares in check and Ares will be damned if he lets go of his newest little sister-kid.

Bianca is kind of the start of Ares's character development. Most others will either refuse to engage with him or make him shut up/walk away before he gets to anything concrete. Bianca, filled with the pent-up rage of a parentified older sister, refuses, because this is something she's choosing to do for herself, in spite of what those around her say; even her joining the Hunt was prompted by others, but this is entirely her own. She drags genuine emotions from Ares's mouth like she's pulling teeth, gets him to admit that he's worried for Artemis, and repays it with her own concerns about Nico. They bond over being the self-designated "protectors" of the family and being determined to be eternally strong. Ares has already signed the gods damned adoption papers.

And then she dies.

Ares. Does not take this well. He decimates Talos with a godly power-up, desperate to find her; the others cannot pull him away until he does, crushed in metal and burned with electricity. He begs her to wake up but, of course, she doesn't, so he curses out Zeus and Thanatos: Zeus because he's the reason Ares is mortal and got attached; Thanatos because she should have gotten to be picked up by him and not his sisters, the Keres, and can Thanatos not repay his debt to Ares for the Sisyphus thing by being the one to take Bianca, at least?

This is the first time Percy sees through Ares's rage. He has no idea what to do with this, because he is a child and grieving Bianca himself; he decides to process Ares being an actual, multi-faceted person later, when they're not on a quest to save Annabeth and Artemis.

(Also! In his encounter with Aphrodite, he's caught off-guard by her expressing what seems to be genuine concern and feeling for Ares, especially when she tells him to pass on her love and that she misses him, along with a dog tag and a Polaroid picture of her with four young men. He does not, initially, caught up in the quest and digesting their conversation. He will backtrack and correct this later)

Grover also finally manages to get through the stench of rage constantly surrounding Ares and finds the softer grief and worry. He tries to take Bianca's spot of trying to get Ares to talk things through, but after his teeth are almost knocked out, he decides Ares needs a bit of space first. It can wait at least until they get back to the safety of Camp. He's not letting up after the quest is done, though, he vows.

Hoover Dam calms him a little, when they start exchanging little facts about it. He complains about Annabeth ranting about it so much that even he absorbed the knowledge, but is actually grateful for the distraction. He's pissed in a jealous way that Zeus answers Thalia's prayer, though. He doubts he'd ever get that much attention from their Father, and it's fine, really. He doesn't care. Why would he care about familial validation? He hasn't had it in millennia, there's nothing to it. He's fine.

He absolutely freaks out about Bessie. He's also baffled Percy isn't smitten on the spot. He almost kills Bessie himself, in fear of anyone else getting to him first, but lets him be taken to Camp instead.

He totally has a panic attack about the lightning that strikes their car. Thalia realizes something is off, but they don't have the time to deal with it at the moment, so she brushes it off.

Percy and Thalia have to physically hold Ares back from attacking Atlas when he sees Artemis holding the sky and Annabeth gagged. Atlas orders Annabeth to command Ares to not attack him; he's not too concerned about Ares attacking him, especially as a mortal, but it's always one less pest to deal with. She complies.

So he goes for the sky.

I know Percabeth's shared grey streaks are iconic, but Ares is the one who takes the sky from Artemis here. She tries to refuse, because he's mortal, he will die, and regardless of his hated status, she does not want to watch him die, in the end. Ares yells at her, that just because he's mortal doesn't mean he can't handle this, he's still the god of war and her older brother whether she likes it or not. Begrudgingly, he adds that they both know he can't currently rival Atlas in power, but she can, with her trickery. She defeated the Aloadae when he couldn't, so she better give him the sky right now and go fight.

She does.

It is like the pain of all the soldiers he has ever led to war has decided to explode across his body.

(And yes, he is still dealing with previous injuries he has not gotten treated. It's very fun for him. He totally develops chronic pain and adjacent ailments throughout the books, if he wasn't sent down to Earth already with them)

He collapses almost the moment Atlas takes the sky back. The demigods have to help him get up and over to Artemis and Zoë, and Artemis has a bit of panic over who to be more worried about, but Ares makes her shift her focus to Zoë because he's fine, really.

He's not dying, at least.

She does turn her attention on him after Zoë's turned into stars, and finally someone realizes he's been injured for a bit. She yells at him about knowing his limits and not hiding his weak spots from allies because they need to know about them so they can cover for them, then does what she can to heal him up a bit before heading to Olympus. This is the first time in the story that she calls him "brother" in a genuine way, though. It takes away from the worried rage that's been keeping him from passing out and he just. Deflates and drops from exhaustion and pain.

(Fight with Atlas)

He sleeps through the winter solstice meeting. Maybe Zeus keeps him as such, to keep the other Olympians from thinking of him too much; he doesn't want him returned yet, and if Ares shows up in front of everyone right then, the others might argue. So, he sleeps; Apollo probably squirrelled him away to his infirmary or something along those lines.

Once they're back at Camp, Ares finally taking a bit of a break to heal up, Percy passes on the message from Aphrodite, and the dog tag and photo. Ares immediately puts the dog tag chain on and tucks it beneath his shirt; it's the most precious one of his collection, with a curly Harmonia engraved on it, atypical as the format is. The photo, he almost crushes in his grip as he stares at it, before pocketing it with a gruff thank you. After this quest, the TLT trio grows a bit more patience with him, and he ever-so-slowly softens his aggression; there's still a long journey ahead of them, but the trio can now admit some fondness for him, and he stops arguing about everything they say and do.

Ares goes with Percy to talk to Nico but it doesn't change much; honestly, it might make it worse, because, mortal as he is, Ares is a god, he is meant to be powerful enough to protect those around him if he wishes to, so clearly he didn't want to save Bianca. Ares is kind of devastated by Nico running away, because he was hoping he could look after him for Bianca, similar to Percy, but Nico wants absolutely nothing to do with him. He swears he will find him, though, and make up for Bianca's death.

[thealphavoidofficial]

Finally finished Wandering Souls Mystic Flour and Paprika Cookie’s designs!! + Shadow Milk Ref reupload

AU INFO

Mystic Flour Cookie:

After being found in the snowy wastes on the outskirts of the Dark Cacao Kingdom she was brought before the King. Seeing great potential in her abilities as a healer he made her Head Healer of the Black Citadel, putting her in charge of the care and wellbeing of his soldiers.

She is very kind and good willed in nature, willing to rush to the frontline to assist soldiers if needed, putting others safety before her own.

Paprika Cookie:

After being found by the Kulfi during a Spice Storm he had tagged alone ever since, soon becoming their protector against aggressive Wild Spices.

Despite his intimidating size and strength he has a kind heart, willing to protect the Kulfi till his last breath if he needs to, he does not like unnecessary violence and will always use words first, only fighting if there are no other options.

Shadow Milk:

Temporarily traveling as a wandering Fortune Teller (While scamming the hell out of Cookies by over pricing his services) he comes across the still developing Cookie Kingdom by pure chance, later settling in and creating a home there, and later becoming the acting Guardian and ‘father’ for the Brave Trio.

He is mischievous in nature, playing a few tricks here and there but never really going to far, never crossing any boundaries. Witches above he would die for those kids, asks himself everyday why he lets them go on these dangerous missions , he swears they will be the death of him one day from how many heart attacks they’ve given him.

[chaoshaven]

Chaotic Card 11-Heptadd

An ultra rare Creature, Heptadd seems to show up any time there is a mystery in the world of Perim. No one knows where he came from, and he can ignore the tribal Mugic rule; only Overworlders can cast Overworld Mugic, Underworlders with Underworlder, etc etc. Also notable I want to say because of his voice sounding similar to Batman The Animated Series Joker, I thought Mark Hamill voiced him. In actually it was Mike Pollock, so I feel the need to credit him here. Art By: Khary Randolph, Etienne St.Laurent

Stat Spread:

Courage:40-60

Power:40-60

Wisdom:40-60

Speed:40-60

Energy:45-55

Mugic Counters:1

Elements:

Fire

Air

Earth

Water

Abilities:

A Guardian Muge (but guardian of what?) all of his average stats are counter balanced by the fact that he can use any Mugic card regardless of tribe affiliation and can use any elemental attack. There are some decks built around creatures sharing elements, so if one card controls fire then they all have that ability. In those decks Heptadd is a must have, so you can have all the elements. 

The downside is that he has the Unique and what would come to be the Loyal tag; Loyal Creatures cannot be played in a team with tribes other than it’s own. The Unqiue tag means you can only have one copy of him in your team, as opposed to the standard rule of 2 copies of a card in your deck.

Playstyle;

In modern decks, Heptadd is fully a support creature. He could be frontlining in DoP which would require the Unqiue tag, but, theres better attackers now. He’s mostly used only for his elements and one Mugic counter, often with another Creature set up to defend him from attacks. 2 offensive warriors in the front, protector in the front, Heptadd in the middle, then a Mugic caster in the middle and back. 

There is a mech suit Battlegear that beefs his Discipline and Energy, at the loss of being able to any any tribal Mugic. Or a Battlegear from the newest set where you gain 5 in each Discipline and 5 Energy for each element you possess. Great!! He can have that. But where your front liners also have all the elements, and you can only have 2 copies of Citadel Fragments...do you give it to a support person to make a decent fighter, or the front liner to make a good fighter better?

Biography:

Heptadd has 7 letters, can cast Mugic from any tribe, the Mugic crystals having 7 sides. No one knows where he came from (at first) but he has a vested interest in protecting all of Perim, which is why he sided with the Overworlders. The least aggressive tribe in Perim.

Creatures think he knows where the Cothica is and now I need to explain that.

Out of universe, it’s a  McGuffin. All the tribes want it to further their own goals, which is why they all fight. So what is it?

...not sure.

In Chaotic NoN there was a Chaos Rock, which served as the engine for the space ship that Overworlders piloted but crashed on Perim and somehow got ejected in the crash. They want it to go home, Underworlders want it to take over the planet, etc etc.

In the version of the lore we have however, the Cothica, anagram for Chaotic, is a mythical thing  that will give the given tribe ultimate power. Some say it’s a creature with really high Disciplines, or a Mugic to make you unstoppable, or a Location that gives you an automatic win in combat, maybe a Battlegear that gives you a killer ability.

Bryan Ganon was in an interview and when the question of “what is the Cothica?” was asked, he said it was a combination of all of the above. The right Creature with fitting Battlegear, good attacks, a Location the favors you, and a Mugic to help you in a pinch. The Cothica is an idea, that idea being strategy and planning. Knowing your deck and building it properly, with good synergy, is the Cothica.

Or who knows maybe it’s just a super giant mech suit with unlimited Mugic Counters and a flamethrower.

[glorianamultistan]

Requested by @ledosbunnyboy - Hi was wondering if I could request a Juyeon x male reader with corruption kink? Juyeon is a thief who went into a castle to steal some treasure but prince reader asks if he can take him to cuz he hates the Royal lifestyle and cuz he’s abt to be made king and Juyeon agrees and snatches him away. They just live pretty domestically until reader asks Juyeon to teach him abt sex and they do the nasty. Mostly Juyeon guiding Reader thru the motions and some muscle worship (Juyeon receiving). It’d be kinda based off “The Stealer”. If u don’t wanna write it it’s okay 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 have a nice day/night 🫶🏽

I don't own the pic

Juyeon × male reader Pt. 1

(ps:- I am so excited about this because Juyeon is one of my ults! This turned out to be longer than I expected but I assure you, it is worth it. I might write a second part if yall like it)

Part 2

Contents - SMUT, a bit of life crisis, protective violence

Y/n was never satisfied in the position he was forced to be in, and neither was he ever mentally or physically ready for the throne. His ascension was undisputed, as the first in line to the throne, he was always treasured and pampered like a god because that was what he was supposed to be, the head of the empire, the centre of every and all lifecycle in it and their protector.

For a guy who never went out of the palace, to be thrown suddenly into the foremost castle of the capital for training was a traumatic experience. But, while he used to train with weapons in the morning, he sneaked into the kitchen of the castle to learn to cook secretly with the help of the head chef.

In the main palace, doing this was an impossibility due to the presence of the king and the queen who had every line drawn in stones, but here, y/n was the highest-ranking royal, so he was able to change a few things.

After 7-8 months of training, he was supposed to move to the very frontlines of the empire and do a border tour before the coronation but, just after 2 months of training it was clear to most of the high-ranked warriors that the crown prince was not ready. He was too naive to attack, too clumsy in the armour, too depressed to have the will to do better and was becoming weaker as the days went by because of this burden.

On the other hand, y/n was already a great cook, well-versed even in local medicinal plants and soups. The head chef was very proud of the young prince for being such a diligent learner.

Y/n realised soon into the training that he never wanted to finish the process, that would mean going to the borders and coronation and he was in his own words "just incapable of taking care of the whole empire." His younger sister would do a better job than him, she was already an admiral of a victorious fleet which out mastered many neighbouring nations. Her character was even stronger than the current king.

But for that to happen, y/n would have to die. How can he leave end this life when he has so much to do, so many wishes to fulfil, yet he knew he cannot go on like this too.

One night during the eleventh hour when y/n was reading a cookbook describing the ways teas can be healing, he heard a scratchy sound outside his chamber. As his positioning in the castle was supposed to be very strategic, he knew the dungeons close by had treasury for the castle.

Was it a test? Were the officials trying to test whether the crown prince would go head-on into such a situation without notifying others? After all, he was supposed to become an expert in warfare, a persona y/n was disgusted by.

He slowly mustered up his courage and went to the treasury with a cat-like movement.

Due to it being only candle-lit, there was a lot of darkness down the stairs and before he could reach the bottom, he slipped.

Y/n ended up in the treasury with a sprained ankle and was in so much pain that he actually started to cry but stopped when he heard a sound. "Oh, look what we have here. A royal insignia... You must be the crown prince, my pleasure to meet you, your royal highness." The guy was taller than y/n, clad in skin-tight black attire, he looked as if another royal just walked in front of y/n.

"Are you a gentleman?" Y/n absent-mindedly uttered and got a hearty laugh as a reply. "Name's Juyeon sir, I am just a passerby, who thought why not take some treasure to my friends, you must have heard of them, the famous bandits called TBZ."

Something is wrong, this guy's voice and presence should scream danger but for y/n it is as if he was engulfed in a warmth that not even his family ever provided him. TBZ have vandalised many of the castles protecting major ports, obviously, y/n heard of them.

"I see you are not well, you look sick my prince, I will just take my portion and silently leave, you should get better soldiers, by the way, they did not even hear me sneaking in."

"Why are you not afraid of me? I am the heir to the throne, you are one of the most wanted criminals, yet you talk as if we can not harm each other. Why such bravado?" Y/n merely whispered it all as he began feeling pain in his leg again and hissed while lightly touching his ankle.

Juyeon came closer to the prince and softly bent to look at y/n's leg. "You have sprained it, you were crying a few moments ago, and you look so pale and unaccustomed to the surroundings, the weapons you carry and the way you talk too. Do you think I will be scared of you, my prince? I will leave, you should pull the bell if you want."

"Wait!" Y/n screamed as he tried to get up but he hit something in the dark and fell again. "Wait..." he whimpered, "Take me with you."

'What!? Take you with me? Why? Where? Do I look that kind to you?" "No, please listen, take me with you, out of here, I know your gang has routes around other kingdoms too, please, I don't want to go on like this, please, help me." Y/n tearfully whispered these words as if a prayer for salvation.

"Are you sure about it? You are the next king, what about this empire? I don't want my people to be hunted for kidnapping the crown prince."

"Yes, just, help me cross the border, I will be fine." "Okay."

Juyeon picked up the prince and carried him out of the castle on his back, then with the help of his friends outside he covered y/n up and they left for the kingdom in the East of the empire.

~time skip~

After a week's journey, Juyeon realised that y/n was never let out in the real world, so he had no social inhibition and often was a target of weirdos praying on his naivete. Y/n was so curious about everything that Juyeon had to conform to the rest of the members of his gang that he did not mean any harm as y/n really just want to know things for the sake of it.

Y/n on the other hand was fascinated and now that his leg healed completely thanks to the medicinal balms Juyeon gave him, he roamed around in the foreign land freely looking at the people in the market with awe and talking to the spic merchants and florists.

Y/n and Juyeon lived outside a city in a forest area, this base was supposed to be safe and was well connected to the main routes to the city and port. Since Juyeon brought the prince, he was given the responsibility to look over him which in reality was to look after him.

One day y/n asked Juyeon to bring some vegetables and berries and other food items promising nothing will go to waste as he was tired of just bread and soup. And that was the day Juyeon decided that if anytime y/n was to leave him, the first thing he will miss would be the food made by him. Even though y/n was clumsy all around, in the kitchen he was a magician, weeks went by as Juyeon would return from the city to meals only his moans while eating could describe, rest of the members when they came to check upon them found it all too domestic and started referring y/n as the house-husband and homemaker.

Through this time Juyeon began to understand y/n more and more and wanted to protect the prince even from minor scratches he had while cooking or just randomly stumbling and falling. He would never want to see the prince as he saw him in the treasury again. This y/n was healthier, happier and livelier than anything he ever experienced, this was the prince he was blessed with, his prince.

"My prince." He suddenly uttered as y/n was sitting beside him on the same sofa, trying to understand how to weave something, while Juyeon was admiring him.

"Yes?" "What?" "You said my prince, you tell what." "I did?" "Yes, Juyeon, you just said it and after such a long time."

Juyeon liked y/n. It was made clear to everyone on the day he almost killed a gang of three middle-aged warriors who tried to have their way with y/n when the prince got lost in the market and got separated from Juyeon. Only one hand was able to rip the veil off the face of the prince he always wore to hide his identity, in that very moment, the very hand got cut and fell off with the now mythologized remark heard by the child whom y/n was trying to save from the three men, "move one step closer to him and next will be that leg."

It was a blood bath and if y/n wouldn't have cried to stop Juyeon for the sake of the child who would be traumatised beyond help seeing it all, Juyeon would have killed those three men.

Since then, that child frequented their home and they got to know that he was the only one left in the family as those loan sharks killed his parents for money. Y/n asked his name, but the child did not know so he named the child Ruka. Now, Ruka was referred to by the city people as y/n and Juyeon's child and this provided him security too. Nobody dared to touch people related to the TBZ.

After all of this fiasco y/n got pretty scared and they started sleeping in the master bedroom together, when Ruka was not with any one of his friends, he joined them too.

One morning y/n got up to an embarrassing hard-on as he had a very sensual dream about Juyeon. And before he could leave the bed, Juyeon hugged him from the back and whispered "you moaned my name with such passion and are now leaving me alone in the bed like this."

It was too much for the virgin prince to handle, the voice, the bare chest, the breath at the back of his neck.

"Ju-juyeon, what are you saying? Let me go please." Rather than doing that Juyeon moved his hands in y/n's shirt and whispered again. "Remember when you said you wanted to learn about sex and I said you were not ready? Let me teach you now, my prince." His hand flicked y/n's left nipple while speaking, making y/n moan.

Curiosity to know about his body and pleasure Juyeon came over y/n and the next thing he knew, he was being guided to touch the bare abs of the same person he has liked for so long.

"You can touch me, baby, my dear prince, I am all yours." And so y/n did, his hands were moving on their own as he touched every curve and admired every ridge of Juyeons bare upper body. The muscles he admired from afar as Juyeon walked semi-naked around the house, were divine to touch, this must be the holy grail, this knowledge and body must be godly.

Slowly, Juyeon was on top of y/n kissing, licking and biting as if claiming his reward finally, the real treasure he found in that castle was this person and all the love and warmth he got from him.

As he began eating y/n out, the prince was a crying moaning mess, so much pleasure, he did not know what to do, his tongue failed him and only broken syllables of Juyeon's name were echoing through the bedroom. Then he came for the first time and his scream was enough to make Juyeon too come back to reality as he was so engrossed in eating the other out he forgot to look up. And the sigh was heaven to behold, y/n looked like salvation, the answer to his own prayer in that treasury. This was the liberation they both needed.

As Juyeon inserted himself in y/n and as he picked up his pace, he made sure to wrap the other up around him tightly to hold him, suck his nipples, and kiss his lips in such desperation that after they were done and Juyeon finally came for the first and y/n for the nth time. Both were sure that their bodies had no boundaries from each other, just one vast sweaty mass heaving and kissing as if itself.

"You did so well my prince, so good for me. I will never let you go." Ple-ase, d-dont let me go. I love you, so much, you are my god, how... how will I live without you?"

With such declarations, they left the bed together to have a warm bath. That evening when the members found out about what had happened due to y/n's loose shirt and him proudly wearing the marks Juyeon left, all anyone would ask was a date for marriage.

P.S.:- If you liked it, you can support me by buying me a coffee; link's on my page.

[majoringinsarcasm]

“V9 was filler because nothing changed about Ruby or Jaune, she could’ve had her breakdown in Vacuo while the real plot was being fleshed out.”

Ahem

1) Above all else you sound like you hate fun bc V9 was so freaking cool and visually stunning and new and different and weird and wonderful

2) Had Ruby gone to Vacuo right away she would NOT have properly grieved Penny nor would she have had time to vent her frustrations because she is a Leader, capital L, and it’s been 8 volumes of her not addressing her issues or having bursts of anger and then immediately trying to comfort someone else. See V4 when she tries to tell Jaune that Ren and Nora will be fine. He responds “you don’t know that” and we see her smile fade. Her uncle might die and it’s her fault he’s hurt but she’s trying to comfort Jaune. No time for her.

Or in V6 where she just learned the big bad they are fighting seemingly can’t die. She goes to Oscar and makes him feel human she comforts him even though she’s no doubt flipping out inside. And then later when she smashes the bottle to wake Qrow up she is visually upset that he’s passed out drinking again but she softens and hugs him and offers support.

She has been trying to prove herself since Volume 1. She is the one who tells Jaune that as Leaders they have to put their team first and themselves second and she’s stuck to that rule. She wants to prove that Ozpin making her Leader wasn’t a mistake. With Jaune, it’s similar, he doesn’t ask for help from anyone with his emotions. He’s the golden retriever, the lovable idiot stuck in the tree. He didn’t want to be a team player at all he wanted to be The Hero, someone who didn’t need help, someone who could save his friends instead of being shoved in a locker and moved to safety. He didn’t want to work With them, he wanted to save them all.

And that’s why V9 is so special. For the first time since the series began Ruby Rose “puts herself first”. She’s been lamenting all of her failures she’s been stewing in this hopelessly because she thinks SHE is the issue when that’s not the case.

“What about me?!”

“What happens if I choose me?”

She decides she is Enough, flaws and failed plans and all. She does not need to change into someone else to be better because SHE was never the problem. The world would have fought against whoever came out of that tree and she’s holding her own hand and saying “I will be there for this girl I will grab the weapon she made and I will fight for Myself as well as everyone else. I am worth fighting for.”

And with Jaune, well he got to be The Hero all by himself. He got to be the protector of a group of beings that did what he asked and wanted to make him happy. Who Let Him Help. No one shoved him into a locker, he wasn’t laughed at for making up silly team attack names, he was in charge all by himself. He was selfish but he STILL wasn’t putting himself first at the same time. He was clinging to unhealthy ideals because he was without a team to lean on or even help. He had no one to call him out nobody to keep him level. It’s not until the final battle that he gets to be “the man he’s always wanted to be.”

Jaune is a strategist. He’s good at looking at the whole picture BECAUSE he’s not on the frontlines from the start. He provides perspective and new ideas. In V4 he also plays this role but he’s a bit reluctant. He’s without a weapon and sees at first the role as lesser, but now he’s fully embracing it. He’s from a big family and then had a team he’s not Built to be a lone wolf. He’s built to be with a family, he’s meant to be part of something bigger. After years of being the rusted knight he never changed or got better and THAT was the lesson. He got to play out his ideal and was worse because of it because a hero isn’t what he thought it would be. Or what he wanted it to be.

In the end Ruby still doesn’t call herself a huntress. Somewhat calls her that. In the end Ruby still doesn’t pick that definition for herself, but someone she showed kindness to and helped just because she could called her that. THAT is what makes Ruby a huntress. It’s not just about fighting monsters or even protecting those who can’t protect themselves. It’s about kindness, it’s about love, it’s about patience.

Ruby Rose is a huntress, because SHE embodies what a HUNTRESS should mean, not the other way around. And That is why this finale means everything to me. She’s better than the heroes in the books, and now she gets to save herself along with everyone else.

[nerdythebard]

#25: Artio, The Bear Goddess

Fáilte, Gods and Goddesses!

Today, we step onto the green shores of Ireland for our first Celtic deity. Meet Artio, the Bear Goddess. Evidence of her cult was found as far as modern-day Switzerland, where a figure showing a woman feeding a bear was discovered. In SMITE, Artio is a melee druidess who shapeshifts into a bear to protect her allies.

Next Time: Who knew the wisest of the gods would turn out to be the pettiest...

Let's start with the goals of making Artio:

Bear Hug: Easy one, but necessary - we need to be able to transform into a huge bear and deal some serious damage.

Mother Nature: Artio can heal, conjure up vines, and drain vitality from her enemies.

Celtic Guardian: Artio's strong sides are good Crowd Control abilities and High Sustain. We need to be able to soak in some damage and prevent enemies from advancing.

---

Now, we could just go with a human or (like Artemis) an elf, but for Artio, I think we'll look at the Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron and one of their races. More specifically, the Beasthide Shifter. Believed to be descendants of humans and lycanthropes, Shifters combine the traits of man and beast into a single, deadly force. Beasthide Shifters get a +2 Constitution and a +1 Strength, 60 feet of Darkvision, and proficiency in Athletics skill. We also get the Shifting ability; as a bonus action, we can assume a more bestial form for up to 1 minute. We gain Temporary Hit Points equal to [our level + our Constitution modifier] plus one more benefit depending on our Shifter subrace. Beasthide Shifters gain an extra 1d6 THP and +1 AC bonus when shifted.

As the Big Bear In Charge, Artio is the protector first and foremost, so making her the Folk Hero seems right to me. We gain proficiency in Animal Handling and Survival, one type of artisan's tools, and land vehicles. The Rustic Hospitality feature allows us to seek help and shelter among the common folk, because of our good reputation among the poor.

ABILITY SCORES

We'll start with Strength - we're a melee combatant, our blows need to pack a punch. Constitution will be next, we're the guardian with a thick bear hide for a reason. Follow that up with Wisdom, it's going to be our casting ability, but we won't be very spell-forward.

Dexterity is next, while not the most nimble of fighters, we need to make sure everyone around is protected. Charisma is a little low, but since Artio keeps mostly to the wilderness and forests, she doesn't necessarily interact with people... although we need to boost this up, bears are pretty intimidating. Finally, we're dumping Intelligence. I don't see a reason to have academic smarts here.

CLASS

Now, I know what you're thinking. Nature, shapeshifting, magic... Druid start-to-finish, right? Well, not necessarily. Half-a-point for trying, though.

Level 1 - Fighter: Artio is a melee character with spellcasting. We need to be a tank first, a magic-user second. Fighters get a d10 Hit Dice, [10 + Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, and proficiency with light armour, medium armour, heavy armour, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons. For Artio (when not in the Bear Form) I think we could get regular leather armour and either a quarterstaff or a glaive. Our saving throws are Strength and Constitution and we get to pick two class skills (Intimidation and Perception).

Fighters begin by choosing their Fighting Style, and to fulfil Artio's role as a guardian, we're gonna go with Interception from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of us is hit by an attack, we can use our reaction to reduce the damage taken by [1d10 + our proficiency bonus] to a minimum of 0 damage. We must be wielding a shield or a simple/martial weapon for this.

We also get Second Wind, which lets us take a breather and heal [1d10 + our Fighter level] Hit Points as a bonus action once per short or long rest.

Level 2 - Fighter: We get Action Surge. Once per short or long rest we can take one additional Action on our turn.

Level 3 - Fighter: We get to pick our subclass, our Martial Archetype. For Artio, who uses her bear form to maul any enemy in her sights, we're gonna pick the Brute archetype from a 2018 Unearthed Arcana. With Brute Force we increase our overall weapon damage by an extra 1d4.

Level 4 - Fighter: Time for our first Ability Score Improvement. We're really going to double down on our Hit Points, by taking the Tough feat. Our maximum Hit Points increase by [our level x2]. Whenever we level up afterwards, we get +2 Hit Points Maximum.

Level 5 - Druid: Time for some representation of Nature's might. Multiclassing into a Druid gives us proficiencies we already have, so we're going to skip it. We do, however, learn the Druidic language - a system of phrases and symbols we can use to encrypt messages.

Druids are also full casters, so we learn Spellcasting from the start. Wisdom is our casting ability, and we can learn cantrips and ritual spells. Druids have an access to their full spell list, and can each day prepare [our Wisdom modifier + our Druid level] spells. We start by knowing two cantrips:

Druidcraft is a druid-exclusive cantrip used to influence nature around us. We can make flowers bloom or wither, predict the weather, light and extinguish small flames, and create harmless sensory effects.

Guidance lasts for 1 minute (concentration). A willing creature we touch (or us) can add a 1d4 to one ability check of its choice.

We also start with two 1st-level spell slots:

Cure Wounds is a very useful healing spell. One creature we touch regains [1d8+our spellcasting modifier] Hit Points instantly. The number of Hit Points healed increases if we use a spell slot higher than 1st level.

Earth Tremor creates a shockwave within 10 feet of us. Each creature in the range must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage and fall prone.

Level 6 - Druid: We unlock the Druid's signature ability: Wild Shape. As an action, we can transform into a beast for a number of hours equal to half of our Druid level (rounded down). In the beginning, we can only transform into a beast with no flying or swimming speed and with a maximum CR of 1/4... which means, we can't become a bear yet.

We also get to pick a second subclass, our Druid Circle. We need to become a bear ASAP, therefore we're choosing Circle of the Moon, which focuses on improving our Wild Shape. The Combat Wild Shape feature lets us transform as a bonus action instead of action and lets us spend a spell slot when transformed to regain 1d8 Hit Points. Circle Forms changes our Wild Shape table, giving us the ability to transform into beasts with a maximum CR of 1 as of now. This means we can now become either a brown or black bear.

We gain another 1st-level spell: Entangle causes grasping vines and thick brambles to grow in a 20-foot square area centred at a point within 90 feet of us. For 1 minute (concentration), the area becomes difficult terrain. Any creature that enters (or ends their turn in) the area must make a Strength saving throw or become restrained. On each of their turn, they can make a Strength saving throw to free themselves.

Level 7 - Druid: We don't get any class features here, but we do unlock 2nd-level spells. Gust of Wind causes a strong gale to blow in a line 60 feet long and 10 feet wide for 1 minute (concentration). For every 1 foot they want to move, all creatures within the line must spend 2 feet of their movement speed. The wind disperses gases and fog and can either extinguish flames or fan them (50% chance).

Level 8 - Druid: Time for another ASI. This time, let's put two points into Constitution for even better durability.

Our Wild Shape ability also improves, now giving us the ability to transform into beasts with a maximum CR of 1 but with swimming speed (e.g. a giant octopus).

We also learn a new cantrip: Frostbite causes ice and frost to appear on one target within 60 feet of us. The target must make a Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 cold damage and gain disadvantage on their next weapon attack before the end of its next turn.

We get one more Druid spell: Enhance Ability lasts for 1 hour (concentration) and enhances one ability for one creature of our choice (or ourselves).

Level 9 - Fighter: Coming back to the frontline combatant, we unlock Extra Attack. We can now attack twice instead of once during each Attack action.

Level 10 - Fighter: Halfway through the build and we get an ASI. This time, let's raise our Dexterity by 2 points for better AC and Initiative count.

Level 11 - Fighter: We get another subclass update. With Brutish Durability, we can now shake off more powerful attacks. Whenever we make a saving throw, we can roll a 1d6 and add the result to the overall score. This benefit also works on Death Saving Throws; if a total result is 20 or higher, we gain the DST benefit of a Natural 20 (+2 saves).

Level 12 - Fighter: Another ASI. This time, let's put one point in Strength and one in Dexterity.

Level 13 - Fighter: We get the Indomitable feat. Once per long rest, we can re-roll a failed saving throw. We have to use a new result even if we fail it again.

Level 14 - Fighter: Another subclass upgrade. This time, we get to pick a second Fighting Style. The Superior Technique style lets us choose one manoeuvre from the Battle Master subclass. We also get one d6 Superiority Die to fuel said manoeuvre. Pushing Attack allows us to spend the Superiority Die whenever we hit the enemy and impose the Strength saving throw on them. On a failed save, the target is pushed up to 15 feet away from us.

Level 15 - Fighter: Our Extra Attack can now be used to attack twice instead of once, for a total of three attacks per one Attack action.

Level 16 - Fighter: For another ASI, we once again increase both Strength and Dexterity.

Level 17 - Fighter: We improve our Indomitable feature into two re-rolls between long rests.

Level 18 - Fighter: Another level, another ASI. Let's max out our Constitution into 20.

Level 19 - Fighter: We get our final subclass upgrade. With Devastating Critical, when we score a critical hit with a weapon attack, we gain a bonus to damage roll equal to our Fighter level.

Level 20 - Fighter: Our capstone is Fighter 16, which means final ASI. Let's put two points into Intelligence to get rid of negative modifiers.

---

And that is Artio, the Mother Bear of Ireland. Let's see what I came up with here:

To start off, we're an absolute tanking beast (no pun intended). With an average Hit Points of 235 and Temporary HP of 25+1d6 every time we shift, we can soak some serious damage and protect our allies. Our AC is 16, and we have a +3 to our Initiative.

Unfortunately, our magic capabilities are pretty scarce for a Druid. Plus, most of our spells require concentration. Our Intelligence and Charisma scores are also not great, so we might be vulnerable to those kinds of saving throws.

---

Another day, another build. I hope you guys enjoyed it and I'll see you for the next one. I'll start with another request when we finish gods beginning at the letter A.

- Nerdy out!

[seventeenlovesthree]

Digimon Adventure Relationship Analysis: Why Sora and Koushirou are actually closer than you think (Part II)

As mentioned in the first part, Sora and Koushirou’s relationship - besides generally confiding and trusting in and also protecting each other - is often fueled by their relationship with (and desire to support) Taichi (and Yamato as well later on). 

They both trust in Taichi thoroughly - and yet, they also know him well enough to be aware that he makes mistakes, even minor ones, causing them to even share some lighter “You know how he is” bonding moments with each other.

In their way of trusting into Taichi and Yamato, it is easy to see them as parallels, especially in the Dark Master’s Arc - metaphorically and visibly. Koushirou already affirmed his complete trust in Taichi in the Vamdemon Arc (after Sora asked him about it specifically) and his entire role in the Dark Master’s Arc revolves around being his emotional support system. Sora is also staying by Taichi’s side alongside Takeru and Hikari - after reassuring the departing Yamato of her trust in him as well. Thus, she is actively taking on the role of watching over Takeru while Koushirou is simultaneously seen doing his best to reassure Hikari and ensure that she is safe (for Taichi’s sake).

They’re not only mirrors in supporting the respective main fighters (and their siblings)��in the final arc - they are also seen as their primary support/assists in combat. Even if it takes time to get there, as Taichi for example actively forbids them (and Koushirou in particular) to join the fight for as long as they don’t consider it safe. However, at the very end of the series, Piyomon and Tentomon are often seen joining the fight together, even supporting one another and their human partners in the process.

Additionally - and this is a very self indulgent headcanon - they’re directly seen as mirrors of Taichi and Yamato in their “data state”: Taichi and Yamato stand next to each other as Taichi mirrors Koushirou and Yamato mirrors Sora, who are also placed next to each other. This makes sense and foreshadows their very final fight (as do Hikari/Takeru and Jyou/Mimi), as their roles are clearly assigned: 

Jyou and Mimi commit to destroying the claws of Apocalymon, so the others can move ahead. They’re like the supporting staff in the back and it fits them so well, not fighting at the frontline, but making sure the others have free way. 

Takeru and Hikari protect Jyou and Mimi, so they can work without getting attacked themselves, thus being the “protectors of the defenders” so to speak. 

Taichi and Yamato are, as mentioned above, the main fighters. 

And then we have Sora and Koushirou - who are f i n a l l y allowed to ACTUALLY be their right hands. They are both seen as hands-on characters throughout Adventure, who simply go for it when their input is required, but they also both struggled with their sense of helpfulness at some point and NOW they get to fight equally alongside Taichi and Yamato and are not told to stay back to make sure they can pull off their final attacks.

Beyond that, their relationship in itself isn’t as clearly stated as their roles are, as mentioned, being (emotional) support for others. However, there are glimpses that show that there is a bond that doesn’t just consist for the sake of being Taichi’s and Yamato’s “knights”.

For example - Koushirou knows Sora’s telephone number by heart (as well as Taichi’s and Yamato’s, in the year 1999), which is seen twice, once in the series and once in “Our War Game”. Again, she is the second person in the former case he chooses to consult once Taichi is not available.

When calling her in OWG, he also immediately picks up that something’s wrong. Her reaction - and Taichi’s as well - make him notice that his two best friends have been fighting, without even having it confirmed directly.

And - while he mainly gets angry at Taichi for acting recklessly without thinking sometimes, he also (indirectly) gets angry on Sora’s behalf here. He understands her frustration (even if the conflict in itself was pretty silly). As mentioned above, they both know Taichi after all and as much as they value and adore him, they bond over things being difficult with him at times.

There is a deeper understanding between them - even though it’s subtle. Unfortunately, they’re not seen as much in 02 and Tri - but the scenes they do share with each other show that, had the producers made the decision to make all Chosen Children Jogress partners, these two might have been great contenders for a partnership like this (tbc).

[rex101111]

...do ya’ll ever think of how terrified Sokka must have been when Zuko first showed up?

Like. This kid has been the sole protector of his village since he was like. 6 or something. He’s been carrying this responsibility on his shoulders for literal years, in his mind his father made the safety of every one there, the woman, the children, his sister, his duty. (which, ya know, is fucked, but what else was Hakoda supposed to do? bring his six year old to the frontlines of a war?? come on)

That scene where he trains those little kids who to fight is supposed to be funny, but the fact remains that he’s pretty much the only person in that village willing to fight aside from Katara, and she can barely bend a pile of snow at this point.

For years, he’s trained himself as well as he could manage without any outside help, along with hunting for food with Katara, to protect the only home he knows. The war is this distant storm cloud, and he just knows that one day it’ll come to darken his sky again and take his family away from him again.

(First his mother, than his father. The fire nation drags water benders kicking and screaming out of their homes. Part of him doubting Katara was for sure just him being a bullheaded teenage boy, but you can’t tell me the thought of his sister getting tied and taken didn’t factor into that at least a little.)

And then he finds out a warship is heading towards his home. Can you imagine how panicked he was? He was 15. A kid. He was probably scared out of his mind, no matter how much he talked a big game about this being his duty as the “man” of the village. But even then, he was ready, he put on war paint, his battle-vestment (do you think someone in the village knitted that for him? Do you think they prayed that Sokka, little, clever Sokka, would never have to wear something like that?), and he stood his ground.

He saw this massive steel ship, probably bigger than anything he’s even seen short of an iceberg, crash into his home and dozens of fire nation soldiers began marching out. 

And he attacks, it’s a joke, sure, but he attacks. He charges these faceless monsters in steel armor and plans to fight them all to his last breath to protect his family, his home.

And he fails.

Zuko doesn’t even look at him after knocking him aside, he just walks right passed this nobody and starts demanding for the avatar. Can you imagine Sokka in the snow, his jaw hurting and his heart pounding with fear. This is it. His nightmare, his home was going to burn and his sister was going to be taken he failed he promised his dad he would protect them and he failed.

Can you imagine his relief when Aang just offers himself up to the soldiers? Can you imagine the shame he might have felt once he realized he was willing to throw someone else’s life way for his own?

No wonder he felt like he was dead weight, the one moment he trained his whole life for, dedicated his every waking moment to, and he failed miserably.

Do ya’ll ever think about that?

I do.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #55: Darius III

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re building Iskandar’s eternal rival and the thinking man’s berserker, Darius III! Darius’ build is a... little complicated. He’s an Ancestral Guardian Barbarian for some skeletal defenses, a Necromancer Wizard for some skeleton offenses, and a Scout Rogue to help him retreat or push the offensive with ease.

Check out the level-by-level breakdown below the cut, or the build summary over here!

Race and Background

Unlike your nemesis, you’re a totally normal human. But you’re also absolutely massive, so I’m taking a mulligan on that and calling you a Goliath. This makes you a Natural Athlete, giving you proficiency in Athletics. Stone’s Endurance lets you react when taking damage to reduce it by 1d12 + your constitution modifier. Your Powerful Build makes you a large creature when it comes to your carrying weight, and you’re Mountain Born, acclimating you to high altitudes and cold weather. You also get +2 Strength and +1 Constitution.

You’re a king, but you’re more well known as a commander, so the Soldier background will work here. This gives you proficiency in Athletics (again) and Intimidation. You’re a scary guy, that fits.

Stats

Your highest stat is your Strength: you’re swinging  massive flaming axes around, you gotta be strong enough to make them move. Second is Dexterity: you’re famous for being able to choose your own fights and retreat when you need to, so that requires some speed. Third is Constitution: you’re tough. Fourth is your Intelligence: unlike most berserkers, your madness enhancement doesn’t prevent you from making tactical decisions, even if it does keep you from speaking. Your Wisdom is still pretty low though; that madness enhancement does affect you. Finally, dump your Charisma. You’re so unremarkable the writers had to move you to another game entirely so you could get some screentime. 

Class Levels

1. Barbarian 1: You knew this was coming. First level barbarians have proficiency in Strength and Constitution saves, as well as two barbarian skills. Perception will help you find Iskandar so you can run away, and you ride on an elephant, so you’re probably pretty good at Animal Handling. 

You also have an Unarmored Defense, giving them an unarmored AC of 10 + your dexterity mod + your constitution mod. Bling is not armor, no matter how much Kintoki and Gilgamesh complain otherwise. You can also Rage, adding bonus damage to your strength-based attacks, gaining advantage for strength saves and checks, and resistance to physical damage types. You can’t cast or concentrate on spells while raging, but most of your slots will be used on making your army, so it’s not a huge loss.

2. Barbarian 2: You’re quite cautious, but you can pull out a Reckless Attack when you need it. It gives you advantage on your turn’s attacks, but attacks against you also get advantage until your next turn. More in-character, you have a Danger Sense, giving you advantage on dexterity saves from things you can see.

3. Barbarian 3: Third level barbarians set down their Primal Path. The Path of the Ancestral Guardian gives you some Ancestral Protectors. The first time you hit a creature each turn while raging, skeletal warriors pop up to slow down their movements. They get disadvantage on attacks that aren’t directed at you this turn, and when they do attack other creatures, they get resistance to the attack’s damage. A good king takes the hits for his subjects, especially when those subjects don’t have class levels.

4. Barbarian 4: Use your first ASI to round out your Strength and bring your Intelligence up to multiclassing standards.

5. Rogue 1: Speaking of multiclassing, let’s do that now! First level rogues get Expertise in two skills, doubling your proficiency bonus in Perception and Intimidation. You also gain a Sneak Attack, letting you add 1d6 to an attack made with certain conditions. One of those conditions is using a finesse weapon, which your axes are not. You can use a Thieves’ Cant, a secret language of rogues. In theory, anyway. You can’t really talk.

Finally, you get proficiency in one rogue skill. You can’t plan against an enemy you don’t understand, so grab Insight for better strategies.

6. Rogue 2: Your Cunning Action makes you much more mobile, even while raging. You can use your bonus action to dash, disengage, or hide.

7. Rogue 3: Third level rogues pick a Roguish Archetype. When you join the Scout subclass, you become a Skirmisher and a Survivalist. If an enemy ends its turn within 5′ of you, you can use your reaction to retreat half your movement speed away without provoking opportunity attacks. You also gain proficiency in Nature and Survival, and have expertise in those skills. You can’t control a hungry army, and that’s going to require a lot of foraging. Or it would, if they weren’t all skeletons now.

8. Wizard 1: Speaking of that army, we’re a third of the way through this build and you don’t have one yet, so let’s fix that. First level wizards can cast Spells based on their intelligence, and they have an Arcane Recovery, letting them regain spell slots with a total level of half their wizard level (rounded up) on a short rest once per day.

First level wizards get three cantrips and six spells, so to get through all that in a reasonable amount of words, this one’s a lightning round. Chill Touch: skeletons. Green-Flame Blade: you can just do that for some reason. Mage Hand: Skeleton. Alarm: Physical items. Catapult: Throwing things. Expeditious Retreat/Jump/Longstrider: Pushing yourself. Unseen Servant: Another skeleton.

9. Wizard 2: Second level wizards pick a school of magic to specialize in. Necromancy will let you make more skeletons eventually, but at this level you become a Necromancy Savant, halving the time and gold needed to copy necromancy spells. You can also enact a Grim Harvest. When you kill a creature with a 1st level spell or higher, you gain twice that spell’s level in HP, or three times if it’s a necromancy spell. Spells that require saves or aiming aren’t your best work, so this won’t be used that much.

Grab Shield for extra protection (blocking with your axe) and Grease to cover your retreats. With grease.

10. Wizard 3: Third level wizards get second level spells. Knock lets you kick down a door, and Arcane Lock lets you patch it back up again when you leave.

11. Wizard 4: Use your next ASI to become a War Caster, giving you advantage on concentration saves, the ability to cast spells as opportunity attacks (green flame blade will be handy here), and most importantly, the ability to cast spells with your hands full of axes. You will be dual wielding eventually, so we have to pick this up while we can.

For spells, True Strike lets you hit things smarter, not harder. Enlarge/Reduce can empower some of your skeletons (or you), and Sudden Awakening is just you shouting at people to wake up.

12. Wizard 5: Fifth level wizards get third level spells, letting us finally pick up Animate Dead for some skeletal army action. You also get Fear to act as even more intimidation.

13. Wizard 6: Sixth level necromancers create Undead Thralls, adding your wizard level to your skeletons’ maximum HP and your proficiency bonus to their attack rolls. You can also make an extra skeleton with each casting of Animate Dead.

For your last couple spells, grab Haste to push yourself even further beyond, and Wall of Sand (or skeletons) to create a rampart of living death that blocks sight and triples the cost of movement within it.

14. Barbarian 5: We’re finally back in the barbarian class, just in time to grab an Extra Attack each attack action. You also get Fast Movement, adding 10′ to your movement speed while not wearing heavy armor.

15. Barbarian 6: At this level ancestral barbarians can create a Spirit Shield, using their reaction to put a couple skeletons between a creature within 30′ of you and whatever’s hurting them and reducing the damage taken by 2d6. 

16. Barbarian 7: Your Feral Instinct gives you advantage on initiative rolls, and you can ignore being surprised if you rage first thing. If you’re being surprised, it’s probably an ambush, so you should retreat at the first opportunity.

17. Barbarian 8: Use this level’s ASI to finally pick up the Dual Wielder feat, letting you use a battleaxe in both hands, and get +1 to your AC while doing so. You’ve done it: you’ve learned how to use your left hand! And it only took seventeen levels.

18. Barbarian 9: Your last barbarian level gives you a Brutal Critical, adding an extra die to critical hits.

19. Rogue 4: Use your last ASI to bump up your Constitution for more health and more consistent buffs.

20. Rogue 5: Fifth level rogues gain an Uncanny Dodge, letting you react to halve damage to yourself. This means you can effectively cut a normal attack’s damage into a fourth of what it should be if your dodge and rage at the same time. Also, your sneak attack finishes at 3d6.

Pros: 

You’re pretty mobile, with the ability to weave through combat and multiple spells to increase your speed even further you’ll be very hard to pin down.

Speaking of spells, your concentration is great, meaning your buff spells can last a very long time even under fire. And you’ll be able to put them to good use with your big chunky weapons.

Finally, you’ve got a big skeleton army on your side! You might not have any ranged attacks, but anything that wants to get close to you will either waste their time destroying them or eat a lot of opportunity attacks. No matter what happens, you’ll just slip away the second they’re done, and then the whole thing starts again.

Cons:

You only got four ASIs this build, and two of them went towards feats. Your stats are very low compared to simpler builds, and it shows. You’ll need all that damage reduction you’re getting, because your AC isn’t great, and neither is your health (for a frontline fighter). And once again, your wisdom save is really bad.

Your movement skills, damage reductions, and opportunity attacks are all tied to your reactions, so you’ll have to use them carefully. Also, they only block up single attacks, which might not help against enemies with multiple hits like fighters.

Once again, magic and rage don’t mix, and you use magic more than most berserkers. Effectively, your rage is another buff you’d need concentration for.

Finally: Your skeleton army requires upkeep, so you’ll be eating up all your third level slots to keep them content. Otherwise you’ll suddenly end up with a bunch of marauding skeletons in the middle of town, and an angry party.

Next up: The Lizard Wizard

[djinmer4]

Matchmaking for the Greater Evil (1/4)

Inspired by: https://mdzskinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/841.html?thread=120649#cmt120649

~~~~~~~

It starts during the Sunshot Campaign.

Jiang Wanyin is, barring Chifeng-zun himself, the most powerful and enthusiastic supporter of taking down the Wen Sect.  His drive attracts rogues and new cultivators like flies to honey, then he trains Jiang Sect’s new recruits to standards that impress even Nie Minjue.  He’s a hurricane on the battlefield, aggressively clearing out the enemy with floods of purple-clad soldiers, swift passes of Sandu, and burning strikes of Zidian.

Unfortunately, he’s a hurricane off the battlefield too.  He’s far, far too aggressive, plunging deep into Wen territory, forcing their other allies to race to catch up to him, driving his men into exhaustion, never retreating no matter the tactical situation.  Only Sect Leader Nie is spared his acid tongue, probably because Nie Mingjue’s the only person on their side that Jiang Wanyin actually respects.  Being the most frequent relayer of other’s orders to slow down, halt or even retreat, Meng Yao experiences the brunt of Sect Leader Jiang’s displeasure and the man is rapidly becoming a massive headache for him.

He hopes that when Wei Wuxian is finally found again, that it will calm some of the younger man’s temper, but unfortunately the recovery of Jiang Sect’s First Disciple seems to spur Jiang Wanyin to even greater heights of aggression.  The only silver lining, in this case, is that with the corpses doing a great deal of the heavy lifting, the Jiang Sect soldiers are finally getting from the constant battle and are no longer in so much danger of burn-out.

Reprieve comes from an unlikely source.  Nie Huiasang, like many other Qinghe non-combatants, has been sent to the Cloud Recesses, but he’s not letting that stop him from assisting.  He’s taken over most of Meng Yao’s former quartermaster duties and compiling reports from the territories they conquer.  Nothing that directly impacts the front, that’s still going to Meng Yao’s desk, but stuff about destroyed infrastructure and population, things they are going to need to know after the war is over and rebuilding has begun.  It mostly keeps the younger Nie away from the frontlines, but he occasionally accompanies dispatch and supply caravans in order to get a bet picture of the front and carry sensitive messages.

One such trip brings him to a Jiang war camp . . . with orders for Jiang Wanyin to retreat back up the valley and help Lan Wangji secure another Supervisory Office.  The orders come from Lan Quiren.

Meng Yao suppresses a wince, then steps up to shield the Young Master from Jiang Wanyin’s temper.  But to his surprise, Jiang Wanyin grumbles and shouts but does in fact order his men to pack up and prepare to retreat.  And without any prompting or coaxing from anyone else!  It’s such a surprise, he barely registers when A-Sang latches onto him and complains about being dragged to this horrid place and not being able to see Da-Ge before having to go back to the Cloud Recesses again.

Huiasang doesn’t come with orders for Sect Leader Jiang very often and Meng Yao ends up defecting to the Wens halfway through the war, but each and every time he does, Meng Yao observes the same pattern.  Jiang Wanyin will complain and shout and yell about losing ground, but he’ll automatically comply without needing Meng Yao or Lan Wangji breathing down his neck.  Even the quality of his shouting is different, still as loud as ever but without the bitter edge that indicates he’s about to attack the messenger for not giving him the orders to push, push and keep pushing ahead.  Huaisang complains too, but given that Jiang Wanyin never lays a hand on him, Meng Yao considers it a pretty big statement of how tolerant the Jiang Sect Leader is with his former classmate.  Meng Yao hasn’t been attacked either, but Meng Yao has had a lifetime of experience calming angry people and he knows it’s happened to other messengers.

It continues after the Seige at the Burial Mounds.  The Jin Sect is at its wit’s end, trying to dislodge Sect Leader Jiang from haunting (Lady Jin’s words, not Guanyao’s) Carp Tower.  Despite being concerned with rebuilding his own Sect, the man shows up religiously every month to check in on his nephew.  Finally, after that first year, Nie Huiasang makes the suggestion that they send little Jing Ling to Lotus Pier, to be raised by his uncle.  Jin Guanyao happily seizes upon the idea.  With his own marriage to Quin Su coming up and her pregnancy, having Jin Ling potentially be Lotus Pier’s heir rather than Carp Tower got him out of the way neatly.

He half expects Nie Huiasang to be back within the week, complaining about Jiang’s harsh behavior, but the boy sticks it out for six whole months, before being called back to Qinghe by his brother.  It’s the start of Huiasang’s busy traveling schedule for the next few years, shuffling back and forth between Qinghe, Lanling, and Yunmeng, carrying messages and observations to each of them.  Xingchen even jokes that Huiasang should add Gusu to his travel route, otherwise the only time he ever sees the younger is when the Lan Sect Leader visits Lanling.

It doesn’t last.  When Jin Rulan is five and Jin Rusong is four, Jin Guanyao brings up the ideas of the watchtowers, and certain elements take revenge by targeting Rusong.  Someone needs to tell Sect Leader Jiang that he will no longer have exclusive custody of Jin Ling, but there are no more couriers in Carp Tower willing to go to Yunmeng and this is not the type of thing that can be sent via spiritual messenger or one of Huiasang’s birds.  Out of options, he sends Huiasang himself and prays that he’s not sending his little brother to his death.

To his surprise, A-Sang comes back intact with Jin Ling, dressed in Yunmeng purple, a small army of Jiang Sect cultivators, and Jiang Wanyin himself.  The walking headache is as vicious as ever, not willing to let his only remaining relative out of his control.  It’s a strenuous week of negotiation that makes him contemplate the murder of all the involved parties more than once, but a compromise is finally hashed out, with Jin Ling to spend half of each year at Carp Tower and the other half at Lotus Pier, at least until either Jin Guanshan, Jin Guanyao or Jiang Wanyin produces another viable heir.  Jin Guanyao celebrates by getting blackout drunk with Huiasang.

That solidifies Nie Huiasang’s position in his schemes.  No matter what skills the boy does or does not demonstrate, the one consistency is that he has become Lanling’s unofficial messenger to Yunmeng.  Need to impose new tariffs on weapons?  Huiasang gets sent.  Jing Ling fought with his classmates again?  A-Sang, Lotus Pier is lovely at this time, please paint a picture of it for Quin Su.  Jin Guanshan just died, and Jin Ling’s going to have another stay another month at Lanling for the funeral?  Take this gift with my compliments to Sect Leader Jiang, and feel free to say for the entire month.  Just make sure you’re back in time to escort Jin Ling to his uncle.

The only time he doesn’t send A-Sang anywhere is just after Da-Ge was put to rest.  There are few things that could possibly be more upsetting during the mourning period than dealing with Sect Leader Jiang and Jin Guanyao isn’t cruel if he doesn’t have to be.  Huiasang begs off attending the next two Cultivator Conferences and Jin Guanyao gladly takes up the responsibility of inter-sect relations for the Unclean Realm, it’s the least he could do for his little brother.  And when he finds out Jiang Wanyin had barged into Huiasang’s seclusion, he takes the journey to Lotus Pier himself to chew out the other Sect Leader.  After all, if Jiang Wanyin is actually interested in Huiasang, he should have the decency to go through Huiasang’s protectors.

(Really, the only thing that could be worse is if Huiasang found out what really happened.) 

[ofdevils]

LOLA BISHOP is a TWENTY-SEVEN year old BISEXUAL, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER, here in Firebrand City. People say they look a lot like ZOEY DEUTCH. They are FREE SPIRITED but can be PESSEMISTIC. They are a HUMAN SLAVE in Firebrand and they work as a COURIER AT SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE BAKERY.

help i’m alive my heart keeps beating like a hammer. hard to be soft, tough to be tender.

She was sure at one point in her life there was hope. Lola lived off of hope, was born of hope. Her parents were active in the fight against supernaturals. Borderline fanatic but as a child she never saw it that way. Only saw two people who would do anything to protect their family. Anything to keep them safe. 

Her family was raised with the knowledge of all things that went bump in the night. Coming from a long line of self appointed “protectors of humanity” when the first mutters of protests turning to war began, the Bishop’s were on the frontline. Ready to lend their hunting skills and knowledge to the rest of the world.

Her best skills came with her hands. Able to stitch up clothing and fabrics almost as quick as she could a wound. From the time she was old enough to see over the table and strong enough to keep her hands steady, Lola played doctor for the human resistance, trained by her father.

For almost a decade all she knew was war. A fire burned among the human rebellion and over the years as she grew she watched it flicker out. The wishful thinking, the what ifs, the hope slowly lost as the body count grew higher and higher. Eventually her parents would join the count, and then a sibling, an uncle, a best friend, a lover. She watched war take them one by one. 

Despite it all Lola continued to fight. There wasn’t anything else she could do. Every last shred of her former life and the hope for a future was picked away until all that remained was the fear of a collar clasped tightly around her neck. It was the only motivation she had left driving her. Fear and the the uncertainty of her life ahead. 

When the war came to an end, the humans on the losing side, Lola slipped away along with the last of the resistance. Living along the outskirts of the city or hidden among it with the help of allies. Her freedom was short lived however after the rebel attack on the city. Captured and collared she was quickly separated from the last of her friends and family and forced into the world of Firebrand. 

She’s been a slave to the city for nearly a month now. A small spark still burns somewhere but it’s buried by each and every loss she’s suffered. No leader herself Lola keeps an ear to the ground for any new movement among the resistance, any new talk of rebellion. Since the last attack however it’s been radio silence so far. 

@firebrandbios

[scarbladed-archive]

possible final fantasy verse ft. vii.

i’m planning to make a 7, 10, and 13 verse for kenshin in ff. 

i already have some ideas for kenshin in vii so i’ll just drop them.

is an unnaturally powerful swordsman / warrior, on par with any of the party members despite being only 5′2, his agility and ability to sense another’s spiritual presence / feelings / intentions + thoughts despite not being a mind-reader is an uncanny skill . would be a must-have in boss fights.

is in nanaki’s place, the ‘guardian’ of cosmo canyon, a simple rurouni, as they would call it in wutai, where he hails, for ‘wanderer’ who is content to stay and protect the people fighting and researching gaia / the planet. 

he may or may not have been experimented on in his youth, whether that attributes to his nickname of ‘the man whose skill matches the gods’ among the wutaian people for better or worse is unknown, as the man is fairly mysterious and enigmatic, though not keen to show his power much less act unnecessarily. he can easily not interfere with the core plot.

fought in the war of wutai, achieving legendary status and the nickname ‘hitokiri battosai’, both revered and feared as a master swordsman / warrior of legend years past who fought in both the shadows and on the front-lines as an unstoppable force. when the war was finished, results not to his liking, sins carved in a scar across his cheek, he vanished from his home country for a time, seeking to find another way to secure its future instead of taking life. 

a gentle spirit, who does not necessary know nanaki, but is rather close to bugenhagen, and highly protective of the old man. is recruitable once the crisis of the planet is made more clear to him through cloud + company’s arrival, feeling he cannot stand idly by and seek a peace that he may not necessarily find.

if he does join avalanche, he’d take to helping tifa with cooking and often be a wise and gentle ear that seeks to emotionally support and protect his new allies and comrades, finding a sense of kinship with vincent valentine for the shadows of a shared bloody past, though how such a gentle man obtained it, few if any know save the people of cosmo canyon, who revere kenshin lovingly as one of their key protectors besides red xiii. 

would adore marlene, and be an avid listener and counselor to any who sought him out or needed space, seeming to always know the right way to distract or say something, while maintaining a sense that he isn’t ‘quite there’ due to being somewhat of an enigma. 

his limit breaks are major attacks of hiten mitsurugi-ryu, and the ultimate is amakakeru ryu no hirameki, ‘flash of the heavenly soaring dragon’ is impossible to avoid and rarely used for how devastating it is.

 like the party particularly cloud and vincent, sephiroth would be someone on par with shishio in his canon, or any other major antagonist, someone who would not be easy to chip away at with his new found friends, if he is able to open his heart once more beyond his distant smiles.

knows some white magic, but would probably ask aeris/ aerith for advice on how to properly administer it best, and if possible listen to her concerns as a fond favor. like her he shares a love of nature and would show her the vegetable garden he’s been cultivating in cosmo canyon, wondering if she would like to help while they’re there.

would be familiar with yuffi / yuffie and godo, as he was assigned many assassinations + including frontline work in the war by a influential man from wutai named katsura kogoro. whether he ever acts on this is entirely unlikely and will go based on first meetings. 

basically kenshin as usual is someone you don’t mess with but fortunately is for you and not against you, and only wants to help you. he’d be a stalwart, recruitable npc, otherwise you can follow a fairly tragic, but hopeful story-line if you do not follow his request to join you ! 

extra: would scold cid on his manners politely and say ‘please say that more kindly, there are ladies here.’ yes he treats the vii heroines tifa / aerith as queens and yuffie he holds with some reverence for being the princess of his homeland. sorry boys but the girls being doted on and treated to wonderful treats and meals and anything they need help with goes to kenshin’s preference first!

if you grow close to him you may learn more about him, but that will take time! basically kenshin will love the cast and want to help, but likely will not be one to deliver a killing blow to humans, not monsters due to a non-killing vow. 

[militant-holy-knight]

Aftermath of Battle of Didgori by Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau, 2016.

In 1121 A.D., one of the biggest and yet largely unknown battles of the Middle Ages took place in Georgia at Didgori with the clash of tens upon tens of thousands of Christian and Muslim fighting souls. Though largely regarded as a sideshow to the better known Crusades in the Holy Land, Georgia’s struggle against the Seljuq Turks not only served to relieve pressure off the new Crusader States but also ushered in the Georgian Golden Age and the battle is celebrated in Georgia to this day.

Having brought much of the Middle East and the East Roman Empire under their thumb, by 1080 A.D the Kingdom of Georgia too was brought to heel in what was known as the Great Turkish Onslaught. King Giorgi II was forced to recognise the mighty Sultan and his overlord and pay him tribute. So long as the Turks remained strong and united and the weak Giorgi remained in power, this arrangement continued unchecked. In the early 1090s however the balance of power began to shift at both poles. In 1092 A.D the Sultan Malik Shah died and his lands swiftly fell into chaos as his sons and vassals scrambled for power. The realm was further weakened a few years later when Crusaders from the West invaded and conquered the Holy City of Jerusalem along with a number of other cities such as Edessa and Antioch. Within Georgia then there was also great change underway. In 1089 A.D King Giorgi was overthrown in a bloodless coup which put his sixteen-year-old son, David IV, on the throne. Young and untried as he was, David proved to be wise and mighty leader who unlike his spineless father was willing to stand up to the Turks. He put a stop to the tribute payments and the seasonal migrations of Muslims into Georgia. He then consolidated his grip on his own kingdom before rallying his armies and steadily expanding the frontiers of his realm southwards with the aid of Kipchak and Alan nomads from the northern steppes along with Frankish mercenaries who no doubt were veterans of the First Crusade in search of fresh adventures. In exchange for their services David allowed the Kipchaks to settle in the newly conquered lands and then reformed the Georgian army so that he basically had a standing army on hand to face both internal and external threats whenever and wherever they might arise. In 1120 A.D the young king began expanding southwards again and besieged the city of Tbilisi in 1121 A.D.

At this point the Seljuqs had had enough. Having lost the Holy Land to the Crusaders, they could not afford to lose their northern climes too and appear weak. The loss of tribute and the constant complaints of their merchants being unable to trade in the region anymore would also have contributed to the move to teach the upstart Georgians a lesson. That year Sultan Mahmud II bin Muhammad declared a holy war against the Caucasian kingdom. To undertake this punitive expedition, the Sultan appointed the highly respected and esteemed Ilghazi ibn Artuq of Mardin. Ilghazi had only recently been responsible for pillaging Edessa and defeating Roger of Antioch in battle, thereby swelling his reputation as a protector and champion of the Muslim world against the encroachments of the Christians. Under his command a truly enormous army was mustered. Though its size is still a matter of debate among scholars, most agree that it vastly outnumbered that of the Georgians and that it may have been up to a quarter of a million men in total. The army in fact was so big that it had to be split up to take various roads up to Georgia.

Though King David had a sizeable army at his disposal, estimated at over fifty thousand men of which some were Crusader Knights and Kipchak horsemen, he wisely understood what advantages he possessed and which he did not. With the numbers stacked against him, he wisely made the decision to choose his own battlefield, earmarking a mountainous and forested area known as the Didgori Valley where he could use the terrain to obstruct and deceive the enemy. Though the Georgians would fight on their own soil, they were no doubt gripped with terror and fear as they set their eyes upon the vast expanse of the Seljuq army sprawling like a great leviathan over the hills in front of them.

According to the chronicles, David rode out before his men and gave a spirit-raising speech to them as they faced down the great horde, saying unto them that “Soldiers of Christ! If we fight with brave abandon, defending the Faith of our Lord, we will defeat not only the devil’s servants, but the devil himself!... raising our hands to Heaven we will all swear to our Lord… that we will rather die on the battlefield than run… And if any one of us should wish to retreat, let us take branches and block the entrance to the gorge to prevent this. When the enemy approaches, let us attack fiercely!!” His rousing words were thereat met with a thousand cheers and the two great armies faced each other for death and glory.According to both the Georgian and Arabic chronicles however the battle did not commence with two great human waves mashing into each other, but with a small detachment of Kipchak horsemen crossing the empty gulf of space between the two armies and requesting that they might defect to the Seljuq side having seen that the odds were clearly in Ilghazi’s favour. So intrigued were the Seljuqs by this that Ilghazi and all his commanding officers assembled to meet these nomadic warriors. The whole thing was a trick however for while the Kipchaks treated with Ilghazi and his distracted subordinates, David and his son Demetrius were skilfully redeploying their army into a position to make a pincer move on the enemy. Once completed, the Kipchaks suddenly unsheathed their swords, loaded their bows, and unleashed their fury upon the trusting Seljuqs, killing as many of the commanders as possible before sprinting back across the battlefield. While Ilghazi and his army tried to make sense of what had just happened and attempted to organise themselves, David gave the order for the Frankish knights to charge forward at full gallop and plough into the face of the Seljuq army, ripping through their frontlines and smashing into the Seljuq archers who did not have the chance to make their infamous feigned retreat before letting loose a volley of arrows. Panic, confusion and anxiety spread like an epidemic amongst the Muslim forces as they grappled with themselves to launch a counterattack against the heavy horsemen that had pummelled into them. Distracted and disorganised as they were, this allowed David and the main Georgian army to knife their way into the Seljuq flanks from the mountainsides in full formation. Having been mauled in the attack on the vanguard, Ilghazi and his son-in-law, both made a run for it, thereby leaving the entire massive army without any real leadership at all. Charging downhill off the mountain slopes, King David himself led the Georgian cavalry as they swept over the splintering ranks of Seljuqs, washing over them in an unstoppable tidal wave of blood and steel.

Faced with such an onslaught the leaderless Muslim forces began to follow their commander’s example and flee the field, trampling their way backwards into their own rear-guard which likewise lost heart and started to flee. Despite all their numbers and overwhelming might the Seljuq army was thus put to flight. Those whose feet could not carry them fast enough or those who bravely chose to stay, were all put to the sword and annihilated by the Georgians. Within three hours the battle was over, the battlefield littered with thousands of Seljuq corpses. The Georgians would pursue their fleeing adversaries for a week before finally letting them return unhindered to their homeland. As such Georgia was now entirely independent from the Great Seljuq Empire and Tbilisi soon became the new capital. Though David meted out much vengeance on the Muslim population within his new kingdom initially, in time he showed great tolerance, patience and respect to them. The chroniclers said of the noble king that he “resembled a swift, fleet-footed panther, by which the vision of Daniel described Alexander the Great. Our Alexander was no less than he, although younger, yet comparable in fortune.”

[sophibeans]

Etrian Odyssey Nexus class descriptions

A brief, spoiler-free explanation of what each class wants to do and how to use them in a party.

Hero- Frontline Damage and Utility A well-rounded frontliner, Hero's primary gimmick is that skills have a chance to create an "afterimage" in the open 6th party slot, who repeats the skill next turn. Their skills cover most bases, with area, single-target, and all three elements, as well as some shield skills that reduce damage to the party for a turn. A superb DPS with tons of versatility, though they need a bit of build-around to get the best damage possible. Greatest strength is breadth of options, as Hero is one of the best classes to have in nearly every situation. Closest thing to a weakness is that they're somewhat SP hungry- think carefully about whether you’d rather have shield or sword techniques. Pairs best with any strong party that leaves an open spot on the frontlines, since you want the afterimages to be in melee range and need lots of damage to charge up the Hero’s strongest attack.. Also can put out a little bit of off-healing and solid damage reduction, making it easier to get by with less dedicated supports such as Harbinger and Survivalist.

Protector- Defensive Support A defensive support that works on either line, Protector is the class that best reduces incoming damage. Taunts, direct cover, flat damage reduction or even nullification, attack debuffs, every trick in the book from past games is here to improve survivability and give the rest of your party more room to breathe. Can function in frontline for increased aggro or backline to reduce damage taken. Greatest strength is the unique niche of making the party way, way harder to kill. Greatest weakness is limited contribution outside of that, though at least their new counter move chips in on damage somewhat. Pairs wonderfully with squishy damage-dealers such as Nightseeker and Shogun, and allows less dedicated healers such as War Magus or Harbinger to fit the bill.

Medic- Primary Healer Surprising nobody, Medic is the single best healer class in the game, with every kind of healing, revival and curative one could ask for, as well as a get-out-of-jail-free Force Break that fully cures and revives everyone. Would you believe they can deal reasonable damage with hammers, too? Fun tools such as overhealing and multicasting healing allow for a significant degree of creativity. Greatest strength is being the best at getting the party out of bad situations. Greatest weakness is chugging through TP real quick, but realistically a smart player won’t be too worried. Every DPS loves to have a Medic on deck, but due to practically being a defensive support, stacking Medic with another healer is definitely overkill- just one other support should be more than enough.

Survivalist- Backline Damage/Defensive Support/Labyrinth Utility This class is interesting in the best of ways. Out-of-combat utility such as a revive, inventory space increase and gathering is nice. General archery skills give multitarget coverage and access to fire, as well as fairly standard damage-dealing. Where these guys stand out is their dodge utility; their blinding arrow, force boost and accuracy debuff combine to potentially nullify incoming threats, and Hazy Arrow- which you can only use after dodging- is tied for the strongest attack skill in the game. They also can play around with turn order, giving an ally instant priority on the turn order. Greatest strength is widely varied utility. Greatest weakness is middling damage unless you get lucky, and the risk involved in dodge-tanking. Pairs well with inaccurate, slow, or squishy classes such as Gunner and Imperial, and few parties would turn down a little extra damage.

Ronin- Frontline Versatile Damage If you ask me, Ronin is the most interesting it's ever been. Glass cannon katana-wielders by default, they can use Upper Stance to boost damage and lay down single-target skills, Clear Stance to bolster their damage and infliction rates when they use binding or petrifying cuts, or Drawing Stance to improve speed, accuracy and evasion for multitarget damage... or Force Boost to do all three! Using skills during matching stances will grant critical hits, providing some serious value. As the class with the highest Strength in the game, Ronin are superb damage dealers, but ironically are unambiguously the best inflictors thanks to Clear Stance. Greatest strength is awesome damage and the option to build towards a specific direction. Greatest weakness is squishiness, though if you’re careful that shouldn’t be crippling. Loves any and every kind of support.

War Magus- Frontline Healing/Offensive Support Healers with a twist, War Magi have good (no longer insane) damage output, with skills that apply strong secondary effects against targets with ailments, such as debuffs and binds. Bring a dedicated inflictor along with to combo with them! As for their healing, they pack numerous proactive options to block ailments and heal damage, including heal skills that trigger at the start and end of the turn. Greatest strength is extreme versatility, with more to do than other healers. Greatest weakness is lack of specialization- neither their healing nor debuffs nor offenses are as good as more dedicated units, and that’s assuming you even stick the ailment. Pairs best with an ailment inflictor such as Ninja or Nightseeker, enables Harbinger and Pugilist, and enjoys having a non-healing support such as Survivalist or Protector to help out.

Highlander- Focused Frontline Damage Back into the simpler classes, Highlander is a spearfighting berserker class, with powerful attacks and huge strength buffs that cost a chunk of HP and other moves that can restore HP. They also sport mild utility, with anti-status effects and a pseudo-counterattack when they lose HP. Overall, if paired with a decent supprt base, capable of pumping out great damage. Greatest strength is an easy-to-execute way to get excellent value in the form of damage. Greatest weakness is the ever-present chance of getting themselves into kill range with their HP loss. Pairs awesome with other frontline DPS such as Ronin or Imperial due to a row-target attack buff, and enjoys defensive support, particularly healing.

Gunner- Versatile Backline Damage Gunner is probably the most well-rounded of the backline DPS, with all three binds (and huge infliction rates), all three elements (with great damage), and a unique gimmick centered around accurate attacks that reduce evasion and inaccurate attacks that do loads of damage. Heck, they even have a healing move if you're desperate. If you aren't sure who to add and have an open spot on your backline, why not toss in a Gunner? Greatest strength is being one of the most effective "self-sufficient" DPS. Greatest weakness is that most high-value plays Gunners can do are unreliable due to poor accuracy or lowering your defense. Fits into basically every team, but pairs well with ailment inflictors like Nightseeker or Arcanist, since blinded or paralyzed enemies can’t dodge.

Sovereign- Buffing/Healing Support Another support class, Sovereigns are dedicated buffers that make your team deal more damage, take less damage, and all sorts of other tricks. Notably, they have a number of sustain-based healing abilities and can purge buffs and debuffs for more substantial healing. Also of note is Final Decree, a huge one-turn multiplier to outgoing and incoming damage that requires the Sovereign to purge three buffs from themselves. Greatest strength is that Sovereign can (theoretically) handle every imaginable aspect of support all on their own to carry a team. Greatest weakness is that doing so means keeping a lot of plates spinning, and spinning them can run you dry on TP quick. Pairs well with high-power DPS to enable, preferably all on the same line. For instance, a frontline of Ronin+Landsknecht+Highlander. Buffs of the same type stack additively, by the way, if you’re thinking of running more buffs and debuffs alongside a Sov.

Ninja- Backline Debilitating Support Here's another odd one. Ninja can use melee weapons from the backline with full power, have all sorts of status infliction moves, and have dodge-tanking abilities to attract and avoid enemy attacks. Is it a DPS? Is it an ailment inflictor? Is it a defensive support? Its greatest strength is that it can be two of the above at once, and will basically always go first to slap enemies with a hard disable or eliminate a priority target- or even pass an item to someone who needs it! Its greatest weakness is it may not be as good as just running more dedicated units in those roles. Pairs well with anyone who likes ailments and dislikes taking hits (Nightseeker and Shogun spring to mind). Note that Clone isn’t nearly as good as EO3, so completely ignoring it is perfectly valid.

Zodiac- Backline Elemental Damage The dedicated blaster caster. Zodiac get access to fire, ice and lightning right off the bat, and have strong area of effect moves to burn down random encounters. Elemental weaknesses are slightly stronger in this game than in past EOs (no more x1.25 weaknesses), so take note. Also, the base damage on their skills is less than you might expect, so picking up Charge moves to power up is key. Greatest strength is elemental access and consistently high area damage. Greatest weakness is churning through TP astonishingly quickly and, surprisingly, fairly mediocre damage output, especially against weakness-less targets. Pairs well with supports such as Survivalist to draw enemy attacks away or Sovereign to buff the Zodiac’s damage.

Farmer- Debilitating/Resource Management Support Ladies and gentlemen, Farmer is an actual class now. Outside of bosses, they’ll mostly act as inflictors and labyrinth support, giving you extra EXP, items and money while putting enemies to sleep. Unlike before, they can contribute wonderfully to boss fights with their Force Boost, which double-casts all items for free (including status-inflicting items, damage-dealing items, TP-restoring items...) and a Force Break that restores your entire party’s Force to full with a chance to repair broken gauges. Greatest strength is how much easier they make life during day-to-day exploration. Greatest weakness is abysmal stats and how much they struggle to contribute if you don’t come packing an item supply, which means their early game suuuucks. Pairs well with anyone who really wants TP, relies heavily on Force, or likes to see disabled enemies- Hero and Imperial spring to mind, but who doesn’t like an easier time in the exploration phase?

Shogun- Damage/Offensive Support Shogun can either act as dual-wielding katana masters on the frontline, or strategic commanders dispensing buffs and coordinating team attacks from the backline. Perhaps a mix of both! Dual-wielding and no access to armor means they desperately want a defensive support to help out, and they probably want at least one big frontline DPS to enable, but with the right party they can enable some great stuff. Notable for having the strongest attack buff in the game in Great Warrior. Greatest strength is big damage and enabling fun party builds. Greatest weakness is the fact that I cannot overstate how squishy these guys are for frontliners. Pairs well alongside a strong set of frontline attackers, and whatever kind of defensive support you can find- fittingly enough, Ronin and Ninja are great examples. Good at setting up for Landsknecht, too.

Landsknecht- Versatile Frontline Damage The bread-and-butter melee DPS, Landies gain access to sword, rapier, and shield-bash skills, as well as Links: an elemental attack that then hits again every time an ally hits the same target this turn. They also sport a number of abilities to play with turn order, with ways to enable going first and skills that reward you for going first. Greatest strength is pure simple power (for non-linkers) or the strong elemental damage (for linkers). As for weaknesses, Linksknechts really need a party built around enabling them by hitting enemies as many times as possible and need to juggle two self-buffs. Meanwhile, non-Linkers are pretty much the “baseline DPS”, with no real weaknesses (but not as high peaks as other options.) Fits wonderfully into any team, since everyone likes a tough, powerful frontline attacker. Worth noting that the only DPS that don’t have a strong multi-hit attack to Link off of are Highlander and Imperial, while Shogun and Pugilist have the greatest focus on multi-hits. [Disclaimer: This ain’t EO4, and Links are no longer busted OP. If you build a party that sets off a lot of links and nothing else you’re gonna be disappointed.]

Nightseeker- Frontline Ailment-based Damage Speaking of good damage, Nightseekers have Throw skills to inflict enemies with ailments, and gain huge buffs to damage against disabled foes. Though they have poor defense, their Shadow Cloak ability can temporarily block incoming attacks. Greatest strength is that they can pump out huge damage with little specialization and only a turn of prep. Greatest weakness is inconsistency, between the chance of ailments not sticking and their low defense. Pairs well with a good defender such as Protector and maybe ailment inflictors such as Arcanist, though depending on your build your Nightseeker may want to solely inflict ailments themselves to build up stacks of Foul Mastery. (Consider Nightseeker as a subclass for any of your DPS if you already have a strong inflictor.)

Arcanist- Backline Disabling/Healing Support And here's another disabler. Arcanists apply Circle spells, lasting effects that repeatedly try to inflict ailments or binds on enemies that the Arcanist can dispel early for a powerful effect. The first such effects are all-party heals and revives, making them good supports. They also put out good damage with the dismiss attack spells. Greatest strength is their strong disables and incredible healing numbers to keep momentum in your favor. Greatest weakness is running out of stuff to do once you’ve set up, as well as high TP costs. Note that Circles have relatively low infliction rates to balance their over-time effect, too. Capable of healing reasonably well for most teams, but especially loves to work with allies who can get value off of ailments and binds such as Nightseeker or War Magus.

Imperial- Frontline Burst Damage If you like to see big numbers, do I have a class for you. Imperials overheat their mechanical swords to deal hundreds if not thousands of damage, then chain together combo skills to reduce the cooldown timer and prepare for the next burst. For best results, lay down as many buffs as you can to get some real fun cooking. Greatest strength is their apocalyptically high damage numbers, and not unreasonable damage while on cooldown. As for weaknesses, they're incredibly slow, expend huge chunks of TP from a tiny pool, and take double damage on the turn they're using their big damage skills. Be wary. Pairs great with Survivalist to make them faster, Protector to cover their defenses, or (god forbid) Farmer to keep their TP and Force meters topped off.

Pugilist- Frontline Debilitating Support Barrage Pugilists return from EO5 to apply binds, deal damage and hit as many times as possible in a turn. Each attack has a chance to lead into another, with binds tacked on for good measure. Fully bound enemies, in turn, take massive damage from their finisher, Leading Blow. Please note that these guys are NOT the same as EO5 Pugs- Impact Pugilist goodies have migrated to Highlander, and moves like One-Two Punch got nerfed in damage but buffed in infliction rates. Greatest strength is being far and away the best in the game at hogtying enemies. Greatest weakness is a dearth of options in multi-target fights, and thoroughly mediocre damage. Loves to pair with anyone who wants their prey debilitated, such as Gunner or Imperial, and makes a great Link activator for Landsknecht.

Harbinger- Debuff/Healing Support The final returning class, Deathguard Harbingers act as debuffing supports, lowering enemy attack, defense, and notably ailment and bind resistance. As they apply stacks of the Miasma Armor stance, they can remove it to heal and revive the party, and block incoming ailments. They can do reasonable damage on a fully debuffed target, too, although if you want Deathbringer Harbinger you may want to use Nightseeker instead. Greatest strength is the mixture of healing, damage and debuffs becoming more than the sum of their parts. Greatest weakness is that you need to juggle a lot of timers and getting thrown off hurts your effectiveness. Pairs wonderfully with anyone who wants to stick ailments or binds, but fits into most parties that don’t already have a dedicated buffer, since buffs and debuffs stack additively and thus aren’t great in saturation.

[acradaunt]

EON Playthrough - Week 2

After the pretty great (to me) 3rd and 4th stratum, and the fairly stellar end to the 2nd (but then again, EO games always have the most interesting boss setup first), I think I’m at a sort of low-point in the game right now. The fifth stratum was alright, but only had one real gimmick and kinda ran it right into the ground.

Conversely, the sixth stratum felt waaay too short by compare and really felt like a 'breather' stratum. I didn't even bother buying anything the whole stratum and just bulldozed the boss no problem, before even bothering to try fighting the FOEs. On that; it's nothing really new in the series, but it's always really freaking weird to see a late-game FOE downgraded to a regular enemy, while simultaneously seeing an early-game enemy promoted to a FOE.

My initial perception of the seventh also seemed quite negative, being possibly the single most droll stratum in the whole series, but I have a little more faith after seeing its first FOEs do something I wish happened way more often; they're not near-boss level threats to be avoided at all costs (or at least until the last floor of the stratum) but annoying nuisances barely stronger than normal enemies that continually blunder into you.

Also, one last random note before character comments. Back in EOV, you were seeing other Guilds (or Conrad endlessly, if you never scanned anybody else's QR codes) show up in events on nearly every floor, if not multiple times per floor. I think it's happened maybe five times total so far. It's not really a bad change, but it is kinda odd.

Iris the Protector - After seeing no less than three different sources of mass-fire attacks in the 5th, and then later even the boss itself, it was time to bring Iris back. I believe this marks the first Etrian Odyssey in which blocking elemental attacks is worth a damn outside of three recurring bosses and maybe the ultra-superboss. That said, using her against the fire-breathing boss was actually the wrong call, as its damage output was incredibly poor otherwise. My first attempt lasted about 35 turns, ending with it getting three insta-kills when it had about 5% HP left. Switching her out and going full ham with Erika killed it in about 7. She also faired fairly questionably against the main fire FOE, as while Flame Shield is highly effective, it only blocks once per character. Not very helpful when that fire attack randomly hits seven times, especially when Taunted to utterly bombard the poor Protector. I think her greatest fault is that, right now, her defense is not remarkably higher than anyone else's. As stats expand outwards and upwards, hopefully she won't remain within 10 points of the Medic's defense.

Leon the Sovereign - As I suspected, Leon was gonna make himself useful soon, but he didn't quite work as I always hoped. When I first saw a FOE that could half your Max HP with a debuff, I thought I could preemptively counter it with the Max HP up buff. And while it does get rid of it afterwards, it doesn't do a thing to stop the dreadful debuff in the first place. Was also seeing ample amounts of annoying Ailments, so thought Prevent Order might also come in handy. And it does, but it's not guaranteed to actually kick in anymore. However, it also doesn't fade at the sight of an ailment; only if it tries and succeeds at blocking one does it fade. So it's kind of an even trade, really. Next odd surprise with him was finding that Sovereign's can innately wield staffs (that's new, right?), and with the third or so highest INT of any class, he's no slouch as a frontline caster once buffs are ready. Granted, he has to rely on weapon Skills, which is kind of unreliable, but they're also WAAAAAY more common than they were in V, so I'm not terribly worried. Throwing out ice chunks has gotten him by in most low-stakes random encounters.

Olga the Gunner - Also as expected, one good gun was all it took to get her going hard. And it's not even a good gun; just a decent one that was easy to forge at the start of the 5th stratum. She's gone from about 5 levels behind the main cast to the single highest-levelled member, so it's more than feasible to put a fresh recruit into the main party. If you're carrying the Memory Conch around. The infinite accuracy on the Leg/Arm/Head Snipes also needs a shoutout for breaking through some seriously annoying enemy skills.

Laura the Medic - Has probably spent more than half her time as of late in the front row. It's probably incredibly reckless, but it's yet to bite me in the ass, and she's doing fairly comparable damage to Klein or Erika's backrow Mirage Blade / Air Blade. It might seem weird to keep a Medic around when I'm bragging about things being in 'breather' territory, but the answer to that is Ailments have been showing up a lot, especially in tandem with enemies that are basically wannabe Nightseekers, totalizing anyone who's Ailed. So maybe I just have a really good team for this bit.

Coral the Landsknecht - Has basically devolved strictly into using the Shield Breaks at this point. New enemy, not sure what it's really capable of? Power Break away! Confident they're not a big deal? Guard Break and watch 'em fall in two hits. Links aren't exactly of priority when Olga's usually shooting someone else in the face/arms so they don't annoy me, and Leon is buffing, leaving only two other attackers, one of which is the Medic.

Klein the Hero - Used a bit when exploring new areas, as he's still really good for wiping encounters. But I know he struggles in bosses, so I'm leaning away from him when I can, because bosses is where I already struggle, and investing him isn't helping on that front.

Juri the Survivalist - Juri's basically only brought out for farming runs at this point. Still OKAY in combat, but that initial edge she had is definitely gone. The fact that she's usually much faster than Coral only hurts her chances, as Double Shot would be great for Linking, if it didn't go off first. Olga's slow and strong fits my setup much better than fast and unkillable. I'm still happy with the Survivalist class, though. Being unkillable wasn't even on their list of upsides in EOII, and they did even crappier damage back then, too. AND Ailments were garbage back then. So I guess being vastly improved is obviously good, but it still might not be enough to make you great.

[crowkingwrites]

War Creatures (Ch.17)

Pairing: Loki X Reader

Summary:  In a crossover of the Nine Realms and Westeros, you find yourself in the dawn of a rebellion. Odin, Lord of Pyke, has made alliances with your family, House Grover of Highgarden. Your father’s army will join Odin’s army to overthrow the King and take the Iron Throne. There is just one cost to this alliance.You must marry the dark, young prince Loki.In a world where Kings do as they wish, where war is an oncoming storm, and peace is nothing but a dream, you are lost but brave. Loki is more powerful than he seems, and love will grow from the flames of war.

Words: 2416

Taglist: @white-chocolate-mocha-fan

Read on Ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11108748/chapters/29052837

“Within A fortnight!” shouted Lord Wilfig across the dining hall. “My son and his new bride shall be joined in marriage! Ah, sweet, young love.” He looked at us. Walder’ grin had a piece of meat stuck in it, and I politely tried to smile. Fandral cringed at my facial reaction, and tried to lighten the mood for the both of us.

“Think of it this way,” he began. “Less than two weeks till they’re all gone.” He was right. Loki’s plan had put Fandral and me at the frontlines. Each day passed and we grew more and more annoyed with the drunken dwarves.

The Lord Mother, Lady Wewatta, planned every detail of the wedding, down to the seating arrangements. I was a part of these plans as much as a baker was a part of a naval army. Not to say that she was cruel or mean. Lady Wewatta was very excited about her son’s upcoming nuptials, and even more excited that it was to Lady Cerissa, a very pretty, human noble.

“And you shall wear a handmade dress, my dear,” she said proudly. “I’ll have them work day and night for you.” I nodded my head, but in a way, I felt bad for her. When you have a husband and a son who are nothing but awful, how do you cope? I wondered how she felt about King Malekith.

After another fitting which lasted three hours, I took a refreshing walk about the castle. The Eyrie was no maze. Visitors in Highgarden would often complain to me how lost they would get in the halls and corridors. Maybe it was where I grew up, or maybe because dwarves were simpler, but the Eyrie’s layout was not hard to figure out.

My room was among the other guest rooms in the castle. The floor above me had our hosts’ rooms. Lord Wilfig’s room was the biggest in the castle, but the least defended. It seemed Lord Wilfig thought he could defend himself and if any enemy were to come to his door, he would want them to face him first.

Walder’s room was much similar to his father’s. He did have guards protecting his door, but they seemed lethargic and bored standing there. In the floors below all of the bedrooms were obviously the throne room, dining hall, lord’s talking chambers, etc. One thing that caught my eye was the Moon Door.

As I walked into the throne room again, I noticed more of the grandeur of it all. Lord Wilfig’s ancestors loved luxury, art, but most of all, looking intimidating to their enemies. Hence, the Moon Door. The perfectly round door was a long way down to hard rocks, spikes, and the cold, unforgiving earth.

I bent down over the wall to see scattered bodies. Most of them were decayed, but I spied an elf, quite a few dwarves, but most curious, a frost giant. My father told me how savage they were. Their cold, hard northern laws made every man held accountable for their wrongdoings. Sometimes I didn’t know what was colder: frost giants or their traditional ways.

“Lady Cerissa!” I heard behind me. It almost startled me into falling through the Moon Door. I turned to see Walder with a few of his friends. Loki was not far behind. It seemed he was watching him.

“Good afternoon, Walder,” I greeted as politely as I could. A smile made its way onto my face, my eyes looked alert and gave all of their attention to the dwarf in front of me.

“How’s my bride-to-be?” Walder leaned forward to give me a kiss on the lips. The Black Mountain Knight stepped in between us to stop him. I secretly smiled at my protector, but as I glanced over to Walder, he was clearly unhappy. “Move, you cunt.”

Loki turned around to face Walder. I could almost feel the fire coming from his eyes to Walder. Walder stood his ground this time. His friends were armed.

“I wish to kiss my betrothed,” he stated. His friends were ready to attack. Quickly, I stepped in between my silent knight and Walder. I put my hands up and kissed Walder on the cheek. His skin was uneven, but I let the kiss linger for a moment. As my lips left his cheek, I could feel heat rise to his cheeks.

“There,’ I smiled at him. “Better?” My warm smile cooled his temper. I watched Walder’s friends lower their weapons, and Walder’s smile fade into a sense of awe. His eyes grew wide and they dilated. I turned to Loki to see what he thought of my acting.

Loki’s green eyes seethed at the scene before him. His fists were clenched. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was jealous. I shook my head. No, that was a silly thought.

:Loki’s POV:

Why were my muscles tensed up? Why I did feel the need to eliminate this excuse of a mortal being? I watched his anger fade and genuine joy and awe replace it. Lia turned to me and she knew. She could see underneath my armor. She saw my rage.

What was I doing? I couldn’t be like this. I turned and walked away from the whole situation. I heard Lia say some excuse to get herself away from Walder, and she followed me in pursuit.

This was ridiculous. The rush of anger carried my feet further away from that oddly-shaped pig-nosed hideous thing. Why? Why was I feeling this way? There was no rational reason why I should feel this angry.

“Loki!” I heard in a lowered voice.

Oh. Oh that’s why. Oh no.

“Loki,” Lia said to me, grabbing my full attention. She wore purple every day since we’ve been here. She looked lovely in purple. Then again, she’d look lovely in any color I put her in. I shook my head. I can’t have these thoughts.

“Yes?” I snapped out of it.

“What happened back there?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were acting weird,” she pointed out to me. No, she’s onto me. She knows.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lia,” I turned and led her away from the hallway. Somewhere we couldn’t be heard. I turned into a small room off to the side. It was filled with queer knick knacks and scrolls.

“Are you alright?” she asked me, looking around our surroundings. What could I tell her? That I felt jealous of the dwarf? No, that’s silly. She would think I’m petty.

“I’m fine,” I lied.

“You don’t look like it, take off your helmet,” her eyes searched mine. I followed her orders. My hair fell loose behind me.

“Better?” I asked her. Lia’s arms crossed. Why must she be so difficult?

“What’s wrong? Please tell me. Did I do something wrong? Why did you go off like that?” Her eyebrows knitted at me. She thinks this is her fault.

“No, it’s not you, Lia,” I tried to remedy it. “I just feel sick.”

“Do you need to lie down? You work yourself too hard sometimes—

“It’s fine, Lia,” I interrupted her. I looked at her in her fancy dress and her hair tied back like a northerner. Her e/c eyes looked into mine, and I could feel my heart sinking. We were friends. I couldn’t break our friendship over a heated moment.

Suddenly, the door opened to our private conversation. Fandral smiled at us both. “Found you.”

“What?” I asked him. “What could you want?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Fandral shrugged. “It’s not like we’re about to invade or anything. Personally, you two hiding in this closet seems like a great idea to win this rebellion.” Lia smacked Fandral in his upper arm, and I fell in love with her a little bit more.

“What is it, dear cousin?” the poison from her voice could have killed Fandral. I could not hide my wicked smile any longer. This was going to be good. Fandral rubbed his arm.

“Our troops are ready,” his voice lowered. “We could strike tonight.”

“We should strike tonight,” I confirmed. “Do you have the gift?”

“The gift?” Lia asked. I smiled wickedly again.

Lord Wilfig was a drunken old fool, but few could say that to his face. He liked to consider himself a connoisseur of ales, wines, and other spirits. He could taste the difference between an arbor red made in Westeros and an arbor red actually made in Dorne.

I kept quiet under the helmet as Fandral presented the gift to him. “Ten barrels of our finest, my Lord! I wish nothing but to truly celebrate this impending union!” Fandral’s smile sold it all. Lord Wilfig clapped his hands, his pint at the ready.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Get those barrels open!” he cried out, and the whole hall celebrated. Dwarves poured themselves the gifted ale and gulped it down with smiles on their faces.

I stood behind Lia, and I watched Walder very closely as he was already on his second pint of the ale. His behavior wasn’t sloppy or crude yet, but the thought of him even touching her again didn’t please me one bit. This would be over soon.

Lia did very well. She and others knew not to touch the gifted ale. Lia didn’t ask me why, but I could see how curious she was. Her eyes watched Walder gulp the ale down so quickly. I wondered if she could figure it out herself.

“Lord Flement!” Lord Wilfig shouted at Fandral. “What do you call this? It’s smooth. It’s delicious!” Fandral took one quick glance at me, and answered Lord Wilfig.

“It’s from our mountains. We brewed it with something special. We call it the Night Ale,” I heard a small gasp from Lia. There it is. She figured it out. She looked to the dwarves with their heavy eyes and sluggish movement. Several of them had left the hall already. Others had fallen asleep where they sat.

“The Night Ale?” Lord Wilfig repeated. “What a lovely name.” He clinked glasses with Fandral and drank the rest of the ale.

“Do you like it?” Fandral asked. “Would you like some more?” Fandral kept Lord Wilfig’s attention while his people sang drunken songs and became sleepier by the minute. I escorted Lia to her bedchambers on the higher floors.

Once we were away from everyone and the halls were quiet, Lia turned to me. “Loki! That’s genius! Did you see them? They’re all falling asleep!”

“I didn’t think it would work so fast,” I confessed to her. “But we have to wait to strike. Not until everyone is in a deep sleep.” Lia helped me hide my weapons and armor in her chambers. The dwarf maidens knew not touch things that were not theirs. I changed into my true armor.

I felt powerful in gold and green. My cape cascaded behind me. The golden armored plates and my horns were not polished, but I felt proud of them. They have been through battle. That’s when I saw Lia.

She covered her eyes so she couldn’t see me change, but she was peeking through her fingers. Her eyes were gazing at me as if she was admiring me. No, that’s a silly thought. She wouldn’t be looking at me like that. Would she?

“Lia, I can see you peeking,” I boldly said. Lia gasped and turned away from me quickly. She was admiring me. I felt a smile quietly grow on my face. “Do you like it then?”

“Like what?” I heard her say. I wanted to chuckle at her misfortune. Her hands were still covering her now-red face. She made herself look so small. I walked over to her and touched her shoulders. She jumped.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” I apologized. “I only thought—

Fandral came into the room again. “We’re almost ready, my lord.” Elise followed behind him and grabbed Lia. Elise started to wrap Lia in a heavy blanket and pulled her away from me.

“Your timing is perfect again, Fandral,” my sarcastic voice dripped onto the floor. “Thank you, really. Thank you so much.”

“I told you I wouldn’t disappoint you,” Fandral winked. I turned to Lia and Elise. Lia was wrapped sitting on the bed so far away from my touch.

“You are to stay here, do you understand?” I warned her. “You’re not running off on me again.”

“I won’t.” she answered in a quiet voice.

“Promise me.”

“I swear I will stay here,” Lia’s voice carried her anxiety with her words. She was nervous again. I found myself walking to her before I could even realize. My fingers felt her soft hair, her face warming up to my touch.

“Cecelia,” I brought myself to her level. “I don’t want to lose you. Please swear to not run away from this room. I need you to stay here. I promised your father—

“I don’t need a speech,” she interrupted me. “I swear to not leave. You have my word.” She brought her lips to my cheek, and I felt the same warmth as Walder did. Now I understood why he was in awe. She smelled like roses and honey. She was not as warm as the sun, but she was something better. I felt a pull to her, but I stood up. I had to.

“Thank you, Cecelia,” I said and I turned to leave. I would return to her, and I would return with an entire castle that would be ours. Ours alone.

:Lia’s POV:

I watched Loki walk away from me, and it hurt. The door closed behind them both, and Elise locked the room from the inside.

“It’s happening. We’re going through another battle,” she sighed.

“We’ll be alright in here. The Eyrie is a stronghold. These rooms are meant to protect the inhabitants,” I told her.

“Yes, but what good will that do for them?” Elise asked me. The dwarves were nasty and heavy fighters. They played unfairly. I shifted in my bed, and I felt something heavy and hard.

Oh no.

I quickly got off my bed and pushed my sheets around. Elise looked at me confused.

“What are you doing?” she asked me. Under my sheets, it laid there. Oh no. I picked it up with both hands to show Elise my concern.

“He left it,” I showed the sword to Elise. “Loki left his sword. He’s not armed.”