#13th age level 6

[paperanddice]

Mithral dragons are very small for dragons of their age, slender and sleek. This makes them more agile and faster than many other dragons, but also more fragile, though it would be mistake to think them weak. It is only in comparison to other dragons that they can be considered frail, as their scales are still as hard as the metal from which they take their name, and their claws are sharper than razors, capable of leaving wounds that bleed profusely. Their breath weapons are a terror, a stream of blades that shred any caught in it, and the oldest of dragons leave a field of spikes stuck in the ground that rips up the legs of any who pass through it. These blades unfortunately don't last long enough to be collected and sold for the priceless bounty they'd represent, melting into smoke within a minute.

Young mithral dragons are often quite impetuous and aggressive, forming their horde early and intentionally, though rarely will they kill for sport or cruelty. This distinction is often lost on those who are victims of their raids, left with little but their lives, and those who stand up too forcefully to the dragon are often left bleeding out or dead. As they get older, mithral dragons tend to calm down and become more inclined to value friendship and knowledge over material value, a lesson they struggle to convey to their children.

In Golarion, where mithral instead goes by the name dawnsilver, these dragons take that name. In the Dragon Empire, these dragons are classed as a special type of metallic dragon, and share traits with them. This includes the Escalator and Flight traits, as well as the metallic dragon's intermittent breath. When the dragon uses its breath weapon, use the natural result of the first attack roll to determine how long the dragon must wait before it can use the breath weapon again. 1-5: The dragon can use its breath weapon again next turn. 6-10: The dragon must wait one turn before it can use its breath weapon. 11+: After waiting one turn, the dragon rolls a normal save at the start of its next turn. If it succeeds, it can use its breath weapon that turn. Otherwise it keeps rolling a save at the start of each turn until it regains its breath weapon attack. Once it uses its breath again, use the attack roll again to determine its next breath weapon attack.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Dawnsilver Dragon Spellcasters Dawnsilver dragon spellcasters tend to cast the following spells.

Young Dawnsilver Dragon Primal Prepared Spells DC 23, attack +15; 3rd haste, lightning bolt; 2nd blur, everlight, see the unseen; 1st charm, fleet step, force barrage, phantasmal minion; Cantrips (3rd) caustic blast, light, prestidigitation, telekinetic hand

Adult Dawnsilver Dragon DC 29, attack +21; as young dawnsilver dragon, plus 5th impaling spike, 4th mountain resilience, translocate, wall of fire; 3rd paralyze; Cantrips (5th) caustic blast, light, prestidigitation, telekinetic hand

Ancient Dawnsilver Dragon DC 37, attack +29; as adult dawnsilver dragon, plus 7th sunburst; 6th cursed metamorphosis, teleport; Cantrips (7th) caustic blast, figment, light, prestidigitation, telekinetic hand

Young dawnsilver Dragon Creature 7 Medium, Dragon, Primal Perception +17; darkvision, scent (imprecise) 60 feet Languages Common, Draconic, Empyrean, truespeech Skills Acrobatics +17, Athletics +12, Diplomacy +15 Str +1, Dex +6, Con +1, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +2 AC 26; Fort +14, Ref +19, Will +15; +2 status to all saves vs. primal HP 90; Immunities acid, controlled, paralyzed, sleep, sonic Reflective Defense [reaction] (light, visual); Trigger A creature within 30 feet of the dragon targets the dragon, and the dragon can see the attacker; Requirements The dragon is in dim or bright light; Effect The dragon reflects light into the creature's eyes, disrupting its focus; it must succeed on a DC 25 Reflex save or be dazzled until the end of the dragon's next turn. Speed 50 feet, fly 150 feet Melee jaws +17 (finesse, magical, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d8+7 piercing Melee claw +17 (agile, finesse, magical), Damage 2d6+5 slashing plus Bleeding Wound Melee tail +15 (finesse, magical, reach 10 feet), Damage 1d8+5 bludgeoning Spells DC 23 ; 3rd heroism (×3); Constant truespeech Bleeding Wound A creature damaged by the dragon's claws must succeed on a DC 25 Fortitude save or take 1d6 persistent bleed damage. Draconic Frenzy [2 actions] The dragon makes two claw Strikes and one tail Strike in any order. Draconic Momentum When the dragon scores a critical hit with a Strike, they recharge Shard Breath. Shard Breath [2 actions] (primal) The dragon spits a stream of metallic shards in a 50-foot line that deals 6d6 slashing damage (DC 22 basic Reflex save). A creature that fails the save also takes 2d6 persistent bleed damage (4d6 on a critical failure). The dragon can't use Shard Breath again for 1d4 rounds.

Adult Dawnsilver Dragon Creature 11 Large, Dragon, Primal Perception +21; darkvision, scent (imprecise) 60 feet Languages Common, Draconic, Empyrean, truespeech Skills Acrobatics +23, Athletics +21, Diplomacy +21 Str +4, Dex +6, Con +5, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +4 AC 33; Fort +20, Ref +25, Will +21; +2 status to all saves vs. primal HP 150; Immunities acid, controlled, paralyzed, sleep, sonic Reflective Defense [reaction]( light, visual) As young dawnsilver dragon, but DC 29. Speed 50 feet, fly 180 feet Melee jaws +23 (finesse, magical, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d10+12 piercing Melee claw +23 (agile, finesse), Damage 2d8+10 slashing plus Bleeding Wound Melee tail +21 (finesse, reach 15 feet), Damage 1d10+10 bludgeoning Primal Innate Spells DC 29 ; 6th dispel magic (×5); 3rd heroism (×3); Constant truespeech Bleeding Wound As young dawnsilver dragon, but DC 29. Draconic Frenzy [2 actions] As young dawnsilver dragon Draconic Momentum As young dawnsilver dragon Shard Breath [2 actions] (primal) As young dawnsilver dragon, but a 60-foot line, 10d6 slashing damage, and DC 28.

Ancient Dawnsilver Dragon Creature 16 Huge, Dragon, Primal Perception +31; darkvision, scent (imprecise) 60 feet Languages Common, Draconic, Empyrean, truespeech Skills Acrobatics +30, Athletics +30, Diplomacy +29, Intimidation +29 Str +8, Dex +6, Con +5, Int +7, Wis +7, Cha +7 AC 42; Fort +25, Ref +32, Will +29; +2 status to all saves vs. primal HP 225; Immunities acid, controlled, paralyzed, sleep, sonic Reflective Defense [reaction] (light, visual) As young dawnsilver dragon, but DC 38. Speed 50 feet, fly 220 feet Melee jaws +32 (magical, reach 10 feet), Damage 3d10+14 piercing Melee claw +32 (agile, finesse, magical), Damage 3d6+12 slashing plus Bleeding Wound Melee tail +30 (finesse, magical, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d10+12 bludgeoning Primal Innate Spells DC 37 ; 8th dispel magic (×5); 6th Heroism (×3); Constant truespeech Bleeding Wound As young dawnsilver dragon, but 2d8 persistent bleed damage, and DC 38. Draconic Frenzy [2 actions] As young dawnsilver dragon. Draconic Momentum As young dawnsilver dragon. Mithral Shards [free action] (primal); Trigger The dragon uses Shard Breath; Effect The causes the ground below the area of Shard Breath to become difficult and hazardous terrain for one minute. A creature that moves through the ground in the area takes 9 slashing damage for every square of that area it moves into. Shard Breath [2 actions] (primal) As young dawnsilver dragon, except 60-foot line, 15d6 slashing damage, 4d6 persistent bleed damage (8d6 on a critical failure), and DC 37.

13th Age

Medium Mithral Dragon 3rd level troop [dragon] Initiative +10 Shredding Claws +7 vs. AC – 8 damage. Natural Even Hit: 4 ongoing damage. C: Shard Breath +7 vs. PD (1d3 nearby) – 5 ongoing damage. Darting Movement: The dragon gains a +5 bonus to disengage checks. Reflective Defense: 1/round, as an interrupt action when the dragon is targeted by an attack against AC, the dragon can force the attacker to roll a save; on a failure, the attacker can’t add the escalation die to that attack. Resist Acid and Thunder 12+. AC 21 PD 18 MD 15 HP 38

Large Mithral Dragon Large 6th level troop [dragon] Initiative: +13 Shredding Claws +10 vs. AC (2 attacks) – 15 damage. Natural Even Hit: 10 ongoing damage. C: Shard Breath +10 vs. PD (1d3 nearby or far away enemies) – 15 ongoing damage. Natural 16+: The save against the ongoing damage is hard (16+). Darting Movement: The dragon gains a +5 bonus to disengage checks. Reflective Defense: 1/round, as an interrupt action when the dragon is targeted by an attack against AC, the dragon can force the attacker to roll a save; on a failure, the attacker can’t add the escalation die to that attack. Resist Acid and Thunder 14+. AC 24 PD 21 MD 18 HP 120

Huge Mithral Dragon Huge 9th level troop [dragon] Initiative: +17 Massive Shredding Claws +13 vs. AC (3 attacks) – 40 damage. Natural Even Hit: 20 ongoing damage. Miss: 20 damage. C: Shard Breath +13 vs. PD (1d3 nearby or far away enemies) – 50 ongoing damage (hard save ends, 16+). Natural Even Hit: The next time the target moves during this battle, it takes 6d6 damage unless it makes a successful disengage check. Darting Movement: The dragon gains a +5 bonus to disengage checks. Inspire Awe: While an enemy has 72 hp or fewer, it takes a -4 penalty to limited attacks against the dragon. Reflective Defense: 1/round, as an interrupt action when the dragon is targeted by an attack against AC, the dragon can force the attacker to roll a hard save (16+); on a failure, the attacker can’t add the escalation die to that attack. Resist Acid and Thunder 16+. AC 27 PD 24 MD 21 HP 430

[firelightmuse]

Character Profile 🔥🌸

Yume Aino

Since it is VERY long, it is under a cut. If you do read all of this, thank you so much for taking the time out to do so!!! Enjoy! 🥰

Updated as of Dawntrail Patch 7.0, 08/19/2024

BASICS//

Name: Yume Aino

Name Pronounciation: Yoo-may Eye-know

Name Meaning: Yume = “Dream”, Aino = “Of Love”, both of Japanese origin. In her lore, "Aino" is the name of the now dormant volcanic mountain that Aino Castle is built upon, and the clan itself took its name from the volcano. Theoretically, Yume was named as such because she was to be the "Dream of the Aino Clan".

Nicknames: “Little Bird”, is a nickname from her childhood but is adopted by Zenos as a pet name for her; “My Fire”, “My Light”, and “Mea Amata”, are all other pet names Zenos has for Yume (“mea amata” is Latin for the feminine form of “my beloved”, and is a reference to the Garlean native language).

Unsundered Name: Currently Unknown

Titles: Warrior of Light, Warrior of Darkness, Hydaelyn’s Chosen, Scion of the Seventh Dawn, Champion of Eorzea, Eikon Slayer, Savior of Ishgard, Liberator of Doma and Ala Mhigo, Wandering Flame, Ronin of Eorzea, Former Heir of Lord Masanori Aino

Age: 24 in ARR, 31 as of Post-6.0

Nameday: 13th Sun of the 3rd Astral Moon (May 13th)

Gender: Female

Race: Au Ra

Tribe: Raen

Nationality: Hingan

Languages: Modern Hingan, Most Far Eastern Dialects, Old Auri Tongue, and Eorzean Common Tongue

Profession: Former samurai and heir apparent of the Aino Clan; Currently a ronin, adventurer, and Scion of the Seventh Dawn

Education Level: Home schooled by private tutors in Hingashi, and is particularly knowledgeable in history, cultures, and languages.

BLOODLINES//

Father: Lord Masanori Aino (48 in ARR)

Mother: Lady Michiko Aino (45 in ARR)

Siblings: 2 younger brothers, Daichi and Kentaro (Ages 8 and 6 in ARR); Numerous half-siblings born of her father and his concubines

Extended Family: Large extended family, but her best friend is her first cousin Rei Tokugawa (25 in ARR)

In-Laws: All in-laws deceased

Children: None, and cannot have any biological children due to her injuries from attempted Seppuku

Pet: An amaro named Nightmare who also serves as Yume’s mount; the amaro was named after Yume’s black horse, also named Nightmare, that Yume was forced to leave behind after she was banished by her father.

ROMANCE & SEXUALITY//

Sexual Orientation: Demisexual

Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic

Significant Other: Zenos Galvus, in a long-term monogamous relationship as of Post-6.0; Will marry at some time in the future

Past Relationship: Briefly dated G’raha Tia during the events of the investigation of the Crystal Tower

RESIDENCE//

Place of Birth: Born in Aino Castle, in Lord Masanori Aino's territory, located not too far outside of Kugane, Hingashi

Current Residence: Small house in Shirogane (Located in game at Rafflesia, Shirogane, Ward 17, Plot 33.)

TALENTS AND SKILLS//

Canon Battle Job: Samurai (canonically referred to as a Ronin; some of Yume’s abilities are unique and distinctive from the in game job) and Viper

Canon Land/Hand Jobs: None

Abilities: Kenjutsu, Martial Arts, Marksmanship, Writing Poetry, Dancing, and Polyglot

Bad At: Singing, All forms of magic, Household chores, Public Speaking, Confiding in others when stressed, and Controlling her anger.

APPEARANCE//

Hair: Naturally jet black in color with straight bangs and pulled back into a high ponytail most of the time, and medium-long length.

Eyes: Large, wide set eyes; Royal Blue in color with lighter blue limbal rings surrounding the iris.

Face: Heart-shaped, with ivory colored scales on cheeks and bridge of her long, thin nose.

Lips: Full, plump lips

Complexion: Fair, can mildly tan with extended sun exposure

Blemishes: None

Scars: Though she has many small scars accumulated over the years, the most prominent one is a large, very deep scar from the right side of her abdomen to her belly button that she is quite ashamed of for many years; she only shows the scar when necessary unless she is alone with Zenos.

Tattoos: One large tattoo of a Phoenix spreading its wings that covers her entire back in all red ink.

Height: 5 fulms 2 ilms (Tallest Height for female Au Ra)

Weight: 120 ponze

Build: Petite and athletic but curvy with a large chest.

Features (Au Ra): Horns are slightly curled and sloping backwards away from her face; tail is long and smooth with a few small spikes near the base. Scales adorn her body and face with a small speckling of scales above the bridge of her nose.

Usual Hairstyles: Usually pulled up into a high ponytail with straight bangs for battle, but she tends to also pull up her hair into a side ponytail with braids while not fighting, and recently she has worn her hair down with a white headband.

Usual Face Look: Usually wears reddish-pink eyeshadow, black eyeshadow and eyeliner, and mauve colored lipstick.

Usual Clothing: Black leather, black colored robes, black or dark colored kimonos, black dresses, and some dark red and dark purple accessories. Basically, Yume asks, “Does this come in black?”

Face and Voice Claim: Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing for both face and voice claim.

PERSONALITY//

Introverted / Extroverted / Ambiverted (bold what applies)

Positive Traits: Friendly, polite, respectful, reserved, courageous, brave, kind, compassionate, empathetic, open minded, pragmatic, intuitive, loyal, faithful.

Most Positive Trait: Honorable to a fault. Yume follows the Honor Code of the Samurai and will not fight an unarmed opponent, tries her best to not bring harm to the innocent, and she is extremely loyal to those she has sworn to serve. Will give her life in an heartbeat if she deems it to be an honorable death and a worthy sacrifice for a good cause.

Negative Traits: Temperamental, prideful, aggressive, cynical, jealous, possessive, distant, insecure, reckless.

Most Negative Trait: Besides falling in love with Zenos? Yume has a problem with anger management. When she doesn’t keep her anger in check, she gets violent, and will kill an enemy with no hesitation. She has killed many people this way in her past in Hingashi, including killing those that she felt had dishonored her in some way.

Fears: Living a life without making her own choices, having regrets, and the death of her loved ones, though not afraid of dying herself.

Aspirations: To live a life that she has chosen for herself and not forced upon her by someone else, to help others and use her powers for good, and to see the entire world for herself.

Traumas: For past traumas before ARR, you can read Yume’s history below. Most of the events of ShB and EW were really traumatic for her, especially almost dying after the battle with Zenos at the end of 6.0.

Hobbies: Writing poetry, travelling, learning about other cultures, learning history, reading, and shopping.

Vices: Eating too much junk food, bottling up emotions until she explodes, shutting out others when feeling depressed, feeling insecure about herself outside of being a Warrior of Light.

Faith: Believes in the concept of Karma and that everything happens for a reason, but does not believe in the Kami or any other kind of god, at least ones that aren't primals anyway.

Turn Ons: Loyalty, Confidence, Bravery, Integrity, Intelligence, unique eyes, beautiful smile, muscular physique, and a large chest.

Turn Offs: Cowardice, Dishonesty, Disloyalty, Deceitfulness, Superficiality, Greed

Temperament: Phlegmatic/Choleric

MBTI: INFP-A

Soul Type: The Warrior

Tropes: The Chosen Many, Lady of War, Aloof Dark-haired Girl, Dark and Troubled Past, Samurai, Ronin, Warrior Poet, Honor Before Reason, Seppuku

Songs: “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones (This one is also her OC tag), “Weight of the World” from Nier Automata, “Sayuri’s Theme” from Memoirs of a Geisha, and “Wandering Flame” from FFX

Character Inspirations: Chiyo/Sayuri from Memoirs of a Geisha, Mariko from James Clavell’s Shogun, Auron from FFX, Tifa Lockhart from FFVII, Rei Hino/Sailor Mars from Sailor Moon, Trinity from The Matrix, Daenerys Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire, and Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin

FAVORITES//

Book: Chūshingura, translated as The Treasury of Loyal Retainers, commonly known as The 47 Ronin.

Deity: Nald’thal the Traders

Holidays: Heavensturn and Moonfire Faire

Month: 3rd Astral Moon (May)

Weather: A warm, sunny day with a light breeze and fair to clear skies.

Time of Day: Dawn

Places: Kugane, Eastern Thanalan, Costa del Sol, The Royal Menagerie in the palace in Ala Mhigo, Rak’tika Greatwood, Thavnair, and Ultima Thule

Sounds: The wind, chimes, Taiko drumming, birds chirping, and crackling wood of a campfire

Scents: Cherry blossoms, tea brewing, incense, and candles burning

Tastes: Anything spicy, strawberries and cream, sushi, curry, ramen, matcha green tea, coffee, chocolate.

Feels: Leather, flower petals, Hingan silk, and a warm fireplace or campfire.

Number: 2

Colors: Jet Black, Dalamud Red, Wine Red, and Gloom Purple

SYMBOLISM//

Elements: Fire and Light

Gemstones: Amber and Sunstone

Animal: Birds of all kind

Mythological Creature: Phoenixes

Flowers: Cherry blossoms and sunflowers

Season: Late Spring to Early Summer

Land, Sea, or Sky: Sky

Astronomical Object: The Sun

HISTORY//

History (Pre-ARR): ((Content/Trigger Warnings Ahead!! Ritualistic Suicide/Seppuku, Attempted Suicide, Mental and Emotional Abuse, Slight Depictions of Self-Harm, and Discussion of Potential Incestual Marriage; Feel free to skip over this section to avoid!))

Yume was born the eldest daughter of a Daimyo (a feudal lord who ruled over a territory in Hingashi), Lord Masanori Aino, and she was his heir apparent. Yume was raised from birth to become the ideal samurai, who would be able to beat any opponent in battle, and to one day succeed her father as daimyo. She excelled in all her studies and was driven to be the best on the battlefield, yet she always felt like something was missing from her life.

As she got older, she travelled often to Kugane, the famed port city where merchants from all walks of life congregated. Yume was exposed to people with vastly different cultures and traditions from the ones she knew. She was fascinated with the travelers from distant lands that she had never seen before, especially the Eorzeans. Yet she would always do her duty and aspired to live up to her father’s expectations.

When she came of age, Lord Aino began the search for his beloved daughter’s suitor, and he had narrowed down his criteria to a very short but nigh impossible list: 1) Must be a son of a prominent noble family, 2) Must be able to sire children, and 3) He must be Yume’s equal in battle, as determined by a 1v1 duel with Yume herself. The first two criteria were the easy part. Many clans were interested in marrying their son to the daughter of Lord Aino, but Lord Aino looked for perfection, and no man around her age was good enough for his daughter. This is because every would be suitor who dueled Yume for a chance to win her hand in marriage was defeated. There were none that proved worthy of her.

Yume pleaded with her father to allow her to decide for herself who she wants to marry in her own time, but her father forbade her from ever speaking of it again, for she would shame him and bring dishonor to the family name. Soon after Yume’s 18th nameday, her father announced her betrothal to Lord Nobu Aino, her own uncle. Nobu had lost his wife due to illness, and he never fathered children with her. To ensure that Nobu will have children of his own, he wished to wed a young woman with many years ahead of her so that she can give him many children. Yume was appalled; it was commonplace centuries ago for uncles and nieces to marry in Hingashi, but it is a dying tradition that only a few remaining noble families participate in, as most of Hingashi frowns upon it in modern times.

Yume soon felt trapped in the station in life that she was born into. Her family never sought her approval of her uncle as her suitor, nor was there any room for her to decline the betrothal. Though she wished for nothing more than to become a samurai, she did not want to be forced into a marriage with her own uncle, nor to be bound to a fate that she never decided for herself. This led to the biggest decision she ever made: she confronted her father and outright refused to marry Nobu no matter what.

Her father answered her by saying that she has dishonored him and the family, but Yume responded that he has shamed her and she cannot live like this anymore. Lord Aino ended the confrontation by telling her that if she cannot live with the shame, then she must commit Seppuku, or ritualistic suicide.

The next day, the ceremony has commenced, and Yume is fully prepared to take her own life. But just as she began to slit her belly open, her father stops her and tells her that she does not have to die but must live in shame. Lord Aino’s change of heart allows Yume to survive the attempted seppuku, but the damage to her organs was so extensive that her reproductive organs had to be removed, so Yume can never have biological children. Soon after she recovers from her wounds, the family disowns her, she is stripped of all her power and titles, and she must leave her father’s lands, never to return. Yume agrees to this, and she never sees her family again.

After she has fully recovered and left her father’s lands behind, Yume is now known as a disgraced ronin, a samurai without a master. To survive, she makes a name for herself as a mercenary and assassin in Kugane for five years, and was known as the “Wandering Flame”, which derives from her clan living on a dormant volcano, the “flame” part, and “wandering” for her being a ronin.

One fateful day, after hearing the voice of Hydaelyn calling to her day after day to go to Eorzea, Yume decides that since there really is nothing left for her in Hingashi, she leaves her homeland behind for Eorzea, a land that she has always dreamed of seeing, and soon becomes a Scion of the Seventh Dawn and is known as a “Warrior of Light”.

OTHER//

Smokes: Never

Drugs: Never

Drinks: Only drinks wine and certain kinds of cocktails, and she is overall very responsible with her alcohol consumption. She will never drink on the eve of battle, nor ever indulge at times when she needs her mind to be clear and focused.

Mount Issuance: Yume was never given a chocobo, as she flat out refuses one. She does not like the chocobos because of their smell, and still usually calls them “horse birds” out of habit from growing up in Hingashi. She rode a motorcycle built by Cid for a few years (from ARR until ShB) until she is gifted an amaro named Nightmare by the Crystal Exarch.

Been Arrested: Was technically going to be arrested for Regicide during the events of the Bloody Banquet, but Yume escapes Ul’dah along with her fellow Warriors of Light.

UNSUNDERED AND SHARDS//

Unsundered: ??? (Not Azem)

Source: Yume Aino, Warrior of Light, 8 times rejoined

First: Renda-Rae, rejoined during ShB 5.0

Second: ???, rejoined in 3rd Calamity (Fire)

Third: ???, rejoined in 4th Calamity (Earth)

Fourth: ???, status unknown

Fifth: ???, rejoined in 1st Calamity (Wind)

Sixth: ???, rejoined in 5th Calamity (Ice)

Seventh: Tifa Lockhart, rejoined in 7th Calamity (Bahamut)

Eighth: ???, status unknown

Ninth: ???, status unknown

Tenth: Auron, rejoined in 6th Calamity (Water)

Eleventh: ???, status unknown

Twelfth: ???, rejoined in 2nd Calamity (Lightning)

Thirteenth: Rubicante, deceased as of patch 6.3

CURRENT STATUS//

As of patch 7.0, Yume will begin by wandering Tural with Zenos as they hunt down Tural Vidraal, since Yume is now a newly trained Viper. Yume and Zenos did not assist in the Rite of Succession for any candidate. However, they helped in the defense of Tuliyollal both times that the city is attacked, and they fought in the final battle alongside Hali and the other WoLs. Following the final battle, Yume and Zenos remain in Tural for a while before they head back to their home in Shirogane.

NOTE: Yume's story follows all of the major events of the MSQ as she is a Warrior of Light. The only major canon diversion is that in her canonverse, there are multiple Warriors of Light (notably my main OC Hali Aloke @starrysnowdrop and my friends’ OCs) and Yume’s ancient self is NOT Azem. Yume won’t always be the main focus of certain MSQ events either, as my main WoL is Hali. Feel free to ask me for any specifics in this regard.

[strawberryspence]

It’s bad. It’s really, really bad.

The sky is red and there’s so many black vines all over the ground. It hisses silently as it slithers around. There’s a monster at the end with mouth as a face, it oddly looks like a flower she used to draw in class, but it has so much teeth. Its body is thin, almost human like. It’s arms stretching long.

It’s chittering as it walks around, walking towards her.

She turns around, running away from the creature but her feet steps on a vine. The monster turns to her, it’s mouth opening widely towards her.

“No! Dad! Pa!” She runs away, as fast as she can. She turns her head to check the monster, but it causes her to slip and fall.

She uses her arms to shield her face as the monster looms over her face, screaming her head off until—

Until she wakes up. It’s just a dream. She tries to catch her breath, chest heaving, as she wipes sweat off her forehead.

She looks around her surroundings. She’s in her bedroom, familiar pink and yellow walls illuminated with stick on stars that has been there for 10 years now. The same walls she’s been staring at for the last 16 years.

She’s too old for this.

She knows she’s too old for this, but she wraps herself in the knitted blanket Grandma Joyce gave her for her 13th birthday. She takes the baby bear she got for her 2nd birthday from Uncle Dusty, the same one she’s never let go, the one named Dart for some reason.

It’s quiet in the house, as she walks to the end of the hallway. The only light is coming from an old lamp that stands in the middle of the hallway.

Her Pa never really liked the dark, they’ve never really explained why, but it’s always been a tradition to leave a light on for him. The light illuminates the hallway wall, filled with different kinds of pictures, some of it older than her. Pictures of graduations, weddings, birthdays, every holiday, always spent together with their weird conjoined family.

It’s not like she’s complaining. She has like 6 different uncles, and another 6 different aunts. She has the best Grandma, and two of the best Grandfathers she can ask for. They’re all not blood related, but they’re the best family. Also, she has like a 15 different cousins and it's always fun when they're all together.

The door to their bedroom is at the other end of the hall. It’s not a big house, her Pa has some kind of vendetta against big houses. But it’s big enough that Tietie Rob and Auntie Nance has their own room, and Uncle Dustin and Aunt Suzie has their own room in the same level even if they don’t live here. Big enough to also have her younger brothers bedrooms side by side.

The basement’s another story though. Uncle Lucas and Mimi has their own rooms, and even if Pa says he doesn’t really like Uncle Mike, he also has a room with Uncle Will. Auntie El has her own little house built in the backyard, because apparently, “She deserves the best. And she deserves her own little house.” She doesn't fully understand why, but eh, she got her second name from her so—

She stops in front of the door, she knows she doesn’t have to be nervous. Her parents has always been unbearably sweet to her. She’s at that age right now that it embarrasses her if they even smile at her direction. But she knows, they’ll understand.

She twists the door open. The room is dark, with a night light lighting up the whole room in a yellow hue. Her parents are in the big bed, in the middle of the room. From where she is standing, she can see her Dad cuddling her Pa, her Pa cuddled deep into her Dad’s chest.

She can’t help but smile. Sometimes she thinks she’ll have a hard time finding love, because she grew up with this kind of love. She was adopted, yes, but not once did she doubt her parents love for her. What her parents have for each other, for their family, it’s something that no one can replicate. It’s something straight out of a fairytale book. It’s pure real love, that would fight monsters for you and stay with you even after the fight. She can’t ever believe that people can look at them and think, “That’s wrong.” How can a love that pure, be wrong?

She pads closer to the bed, from the corner of her eyes she can see the bat with nails standing in the corner of the room. At the bedside table, is a picture of the three of them in her first guitar recital, behind it a picture of her holding her younger brother the day he came home and there's a picture with all five of them in the back. There’s a dish for jewelry, filled with her Dad’s thousands of rings and the red pick necklace Pa always wears.

“Dad.” She whispers, poking his shoulders, “Dad.” She pulls a little in his long curly hair.

He pulls away from Pa, and with bleary eyes looks up at her, “Huh? Wen?”

“Dad.”

He sloppily pushes hair out of his face, “Wen? What’s wrong? What time is it?” He turns to the bedside table to open the lamp, affectively alerting her Pa. The one who sleeps the lightest.

“What’s wrong!?” He sits up in one swift movement, squinting around like he’s looking for a weapon.

Dad puts a hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s just Wen.”

Pa turns to her, eyes wide from sleepiness and alertness all at the same time, “Wen? What’s wrong?”

She clutches Dart closer to her chest, “I had a nightmare. This is embarrassing. And— I know I am 16 already. But—“

Her parents look at each other, before making a space between the two of them. Dad smiles at her, dimples pinching, “You’re never too old. Come, hop in.”

She crawls into the middle of the bed, sandwiched between her parents. She lays in the middle, staring at ceiling. It’s comfortable and she remembers sleeping just like this for years when she was younger. Her Dad turns off the lamp with a click, before they all settle down in silence.

“Do you want to tell us what the dream is about?” Pa whispers softly, turning to his side to face her, his hand rubbing on her shoulders.

“It’s nothing.” She whispers, embarrassment seeping to her voice.

“It’s not nothing if you were this scared that you came knocking at our door.” Dad reasons, his voice still deep with sleep. His hand plays with her hair, combing through it like he always does. Pa hums in agreement.

“It was a demogorgon.” She whispers, kind of out of breathe like she just ran a marathon, “We were in the Upside Down and it was running after me.”

Pa clicks his tongue, “Eddie, I told you to stop playing that campaign. It terrifies the kids.”

“But it’s my best one yet!” Dad exclaims.

“It’s the best one yet because you plagiarized it!” Pa argues back. Dad gasps, feigning shock, he's always so dramatic but it's one of his best features.

“You take that back, Steve Harrington-Munson!”

Pa rolls his eyes, “No, I am going to tell Will your taking his campaign and saying its yours.”

"But you like it too!"

"You know, I like it too. But the kids get bad dreams from it."

Dad laughs, making her smile at the sound, "Ha! You're a nerd! 20 years of marriage and I really turned you into a nerd!"

Pa sighs, but when she looks over to him there's a smile on his face, "Eds, love, I let you name our children with Lord of the Ring names. Dustin's been trying to turn me into one since the day we met."

"Alright, alright." Dad turns over, playful smile still stuck on his face. He reaches over the middle to hold Pa's waist, his arm resting on her stomach.

"It's just a dream, pumpkin." Dad whispers, kissing her temple as she lets her eyes close to the sleepiness.

"There's no Upside Down. No demogorgons." Pa adds, leaving a kiss on the other side of her temple.

"You're safe here, Wen."

"I love you guys." She whispers quietly as sleep finally takes her.

"And we love you too, pumpkin."

Arwen Elizabeth Harrington-Munson falls asleep, fast and easy, in the safety of her parents arms, Steve and Eddie Harrington-Munson with the knowledge that as long as they're around, no monster or evil can ever harm her.

[open-hearth-rpg]

Escalation Die: Great RPG Mechanics #RPGMechanics Week Ten (finale)

I’ve talked about a lot of big scale mechanics on these lists: sub-systems and frameworks which have impacted play. But it's interesting to consider how small, discrete mechanics can drastically change the feel of certain modes of play. The Links mechanics from Girl By Moonlight comes close to this, but it has several stages and parts. 13th Age’s Escalation Die is a tight rule that reshapes combats. It may have appeared earlier than 13th Age, but that’s where I encountered it first. 

The escalation die works simply. After the first round of a combat, the GM sets a d6– often the largest one they have at a “1”. All players now add +1 to their attack rolls. Each following turn, the GM clicks this up by another one, up to a maximum value of “6”. This shifts the combat dynamic hugely but without being too obvious. As the combat rolls forward, the odds of a character landing a blow increases slowly and incrementally. 

This obviously affects player engagement over time. The longer a fight goes on, the more likely a player will be able to land that decisive blow. In practical terms it works to accelerate things. But it also helps reduce players' frustration over bad rolls early in the combat. I’ve played a lot of d20 games where the flatness of the resolution has meant that things stretch on– each round the same without changes. With the escalation die, even if you’re still missing, something about the complexion of the conflict changes each time you go. If you’re still whiffing by the time the die gets to “6”, that’s a story in and of itself. 

But the mechanic offers a host of additional, sometimes subtle benefits. First, it’s an obvious clock. You know how long the fight has gone on and can use that as a gauge of threat and success. On the one side, the players know they’ve been at this a while– or can tell they’ve done a great job if they end things before the escalation die gets too high. On the other side, the GM can see how well they’ve built the combat– if the PCs are cutting through or always desperately fighting forever. It exists as a constant and clear yardstick. 

Second, it impacts the design of monster fights. You can make the foes feel tougher right out of the gate. The players ought to struggle in the first couple of rounds but then begin to gather their strength and fight back against the odds. It naturally builds an arc into any combat. I didn’t realize how impactful that would be until I’d run 13th Age quite a bit. 

Third, it provides a minor risk/reward choice for the players. Do they fire off a once-per-combat attack early on or do they wait for a moment when that strike has a better chance of landing? That’s a small factor and one which enters into player calculations without making the resolution process any harder. 

Of course once you have this piece of game tech operating, the system can add in some additional wrinkles and options. Some powerful monsters can use the escalation die themselves; a few can negate the use of the escalation die against them. Monster special powers can be triggered off of the state of the escalation die: happening on odd/even turns or when the die has reached X level. The GM has another power detail to make their encounters more varied. 

On the player side, their abilities can be tied to this as well. Some powers get stronger the higher the escalation die is. The most common one is an Elvish ancestry feat. At the start of a round, that player rolls a d4 and if the result is equal or below the escalation die, they may take an additional standard action. After the first time they succeed with this, the die goes up a step. The Commander class has several talents and feats interacting with the escalation die. One increases the escalation die the first time the GM rolls a critical against the party. That echoes the escalation die’s intent to represent the rising stakes of a fight. 

I’ll be honest when I first played 13th Age, I thought the escalation die was a cute, throwaway gimmick. The GM didn’t emphasize it. But over time and play, I began to see just how impactful it could be. It’s such a simple thing– but one you can really lean into. For our home group, I bought a massive foam d6 and put that on a stand. It creates a super-clear visualization of how the fight’s playing out. 

Importantly when I don’t have the escalation die present in a d20 game I notice it. Playing Godbound or similar systems, I feel the absence. Even if we’re narrating our misses– giving them color and texture– there’s still a bad feeling if you keep burning your turn hopelessly with wasted blows. The escalation die begins to counteract that. The incremental increase offers hope that the next round might be better than this one. When I’ve added that mechanic into play for d20 or OSR games, it has definitely increased the enjoyment of big fights.  

[getvalentined]

For the ask game:

Vincent: 5, 7, 9, and 50 (any or all!)

[For the Random Character Asks game.]

5. Best personality trait?

Vincent's best personality trait is probably his intense sense of responsibility, which comes with a peerless level of determination to do whatever it takes to set things right in whatever way he can. This is also his worst personality trait. It pushed him to leave Nibelheim and strike down Hojo for what he allowed Sephiroth to do, and also kept him in the coffin in the first place based on the assumption that everything he touched fell apart. It makes him reliable to a fault in some situations, and utterly useless in others.

It's both the driving force behind his entire existence, and the weighted chain around his neck that keeps him anchored in place, unable to move forward.

7. Age/height/weight headcanon?

We have a canon birthdate for Vincent, contrary to the contradictory Ultimanias' timelines, down to the day of the week based on the real-world calendar for the same date, so we have his canon age at any time and I align with that. Vincent Valentine was born on Friday, October 13th, 1950. He's fifty-seven years old in December of 2007, meaning he was born in 1950, and yes, October 13th of that year fell on a Friday.

He's also twenty-seven until the end of time, but I've written a whole fic about that.

Vincent believes he's 184cm tall, which puts him at just over 6' in Imperial, and this was correct at the time of his death; it is not correct anymore, although Vincent doesn't know that until sometime postcanon. I've talked about it before, but my Vincent had an issue where his skeleton didn't completely scale back down after his first traumatic transformation into Galian, so his arms and legs are disproportionately long (and he already had legs for days) and he's just slightly larger all around, putting him at 194cm or just shy of 6'4" in the present.

After the incident with Omega, he actually starts growing, albeit inconsistently and very slowly; little by little, Vincent is developing into a shape befitting the role into which he was cast when Chaos' consciousness returned to the Lifestream, because at that point Vincent isn't a vessel for the Weapon anymore, he is the Weapon unto himself. The original animal consciousness is gone forever, and the role now belongs entirely to Vincent. It takes a long time for him to pick up on the physiological changes, and everyone except Nanaki and Genesis are dead by the time it starts to become noticeable to anyone else, but he'll top out around 225cm/7'5" not counting the horns and wings.

Vincent's weight is a goddamn mystery because his bone and muscle density are all fucked up because of mako exposure, while he's simultaneously built like a goddamn reed and has the shoulder to waist ratio of a dorito. It also fluctuates slightly between transformations for a while due to incomplete or inconsistent reversion, although those issues eventually resolve. It's anyone's guess, really.

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character?

I've kinda talked about this before, but basically I was super interested in Vincent from the moment I learned of his existence, and fell in love the first time I activated his limit break and realized I was dealing with someone with a much more complicated story than previously let on. I have only fallen deeper in love with the character since then—he's smart and snarky and socially awkward, with a specific sort of trauma, both previous and impending, that makes him compelling to me specifically for very personal reasons—and he remains my favorite fictional character of all time.

50. A memory they’ve blocked out?

Vincent canonically blocked out all the memories of Lucrecia's involvement in his seven-year stint as a victim of science, although most of those come back eventually. My Vincent actually has a staggeringly clear memory, to the point that he remembers being on the operating table while Hojo removed all his organs, at least during the term that Hojo was keeping him conscious for it, and is also pretty cognizant of what he does when transformed.

Postcanon, the things he has blocked out are very intentionally blocked out, can inadvertently be brought back at any time with the right trigger, and are mostly related to the experiments. There was a short term when Hojo was still working on Vincent that he would instigate a transformation and run him through the sim on the bottom level of the research facility to observe the monsters, or occasionally just throw Vincent in there once the mako enhancements finally "stuck" in order to get data for Project 0, and Vincent has blocked most of that out. He knows it happened, but the details are either a blur, or he's pushed them so far back that he might as well have naturally forgotten.

[bitteur]

*     ◟    :    〔   cillian murphy  ,      cis man    +   he/him    〕      JEAN-PAUL   ‘   JP   ‘    CONSTANTINE ,      some say you’re a    FOURTY-EIGHT  lost soul among the neon lights.      known for being both  BEGUILLING  and  DECEITFUL,  one can’t help but think of  SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE   by   MUSE  when you walk by.    are you still a    BOSS  at    WHITE    WRAITHS,     even with your reputation as the   GOD   EMPEROR?     i think we’ll be seeing more of you and    TO DEVOUR THE DIVINE IS TO BECOME ONE WITH THE GODS   ;   THE DIVINITY WITHIN YOU IS A GLUTTON   -   THE BEAST WITHIN CAN DRINK ‘TILL IT’S SICK BUT IT WILL NEVER TRULY BE SATISFIED,   LORD HAVE MERCY FOR ANYONE WHO STANDS IN YOUR WAY   -   FOR YOU ARE NOT MERCIFUL,   NOR ARE YOU KIND   ;   AND YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO MAKE EVERYONE WISH YOU WERE,   IF THE DEVIL LOVES DETAILS   -   GODLINESS FLOATS IN THE VAGUE   ;   A GROTESQUE CURSE IN HAVING YOUR OWN EVILS BE YOUR ONLY SALVATION,    although we can’t help but think of TYWIN   LANNISTER   (   GAME   OF   THRONES   ),    PAUL   ATREIDES   (   DUNE   ),   CORIOLANUS   SNOW   (   THG   FRANCHISE   )    whenever we see you down these rainy streets.

TW : cult activity, drug use + parental abuse mention

FULL   NAME.   jean-paul   ‘   jp   ’   constantine. GENDER.   cisman. PRONOUNS.   he/him/his. NATIONALITY.   french-american. AGE   +   D.O.B.   fourty8   +   nov   13th,   1992. LABEL.   the   god   emperor. OCCUPATION.    boss   of   the   white   wraiths   /   a   study   in anti bible thumping + what happens when you let a sexc man keep winning !

HEIGHT.    183   cms,   6’. WEIGHT.     80   kg,   176   pounds. HAIR   COLOR.       black,   raven-like   ...   angel   of   death   made   flesh. EYE   COLOR.   ice   blue,   reminiscent   of   an   arctic   chill. SKIN   TONE.    pale,   ghostly   ...   desperate   need   of   some   sun. ORIENTATION.       pansexual,   greyromantic. TATTOOS.    one   @   forearm,   one   @   side. PIERCINGS.     both   earlobes   ,   studs RELIGION.       cult   évadé,   now   atheist   ...   dabbled   in   self-practicing   satanism BUILD.       mesomorph,   forged   battle-trained   finesse. SCENT.       wafts   of   smoke   from   clove   cigarettes       +       ash   &&.   rubble SKARS.       healed   cut   across   his   right   eyebrow. LANGUAGES.       native   french,   fluent   in   english. EDUCATION.       no   known   formal   education. ALIGNMENT.       neutral   evil. MENTAL DISABILITIES. c-ptsd &&. antisocial personality disorder - moderate ; both undiagnosed VOICE.       controlled,   levelled   +   low   in   its   use   of   intricate   syllables,   carefully   crafted   words   with   hidden   agendas.   heavily   accented   in   his   mother   tongue   of   french. DRESSING.    formal,   crisp   white   button-up   shirts   often   cuffed   to   his   elbows   -   almost   a   competent   professional   but   not   quite   yet.   fingers   always   adorned   with   silver   rings   +   somehow   always   bloodied.

as   wayward   prophets   preached   the   name   of   the   false   gods,       your   family   followed   suit   to   seek   enlightenment   in   the   face   of   an   unknown   power       -        one   much   bigger   than   what   could   be   imagined   by   a   starving   family   living   just   outside   the   outskirts   of   marseille.       you   were   the   youngest   out   of   the   four       ;        the   accident,       runt   of   the   litter.        often   forgotten,        casted   aside   in   favour   of   your   older,       much   stronger   brothers.       your   bones   break   the   easiest,        but   never   your   resolve.   bending   your   back   under   the   scalding   summer   sun   to   seek   penance   under   your   parents’   unforgiving   hands.       god   will   only   forgive   those   who   earn   their   forgiveness,       afterall.       it   was   only   a   little   later   in   life   where   you   finally   started   to   learn   more   about   the   world   outside   of   the   commune   your   family   now   calls   home       ...        tales   of   a   world   of   possibilities,       where   you   can   start   anew.       broken   boy   reborn   into   a   man   of   newborn   faith       -       now   you   finally   understand   what   is   meant   by   enlightenment       ;       there   is   no   truer   god   than   yourself.

you   ran   west,       as   far   as   you   could   go,       taking   whatever   jobs   you   could   until   you   landed   yourself   a   one-way   ticket   to   new   york   city.       dirt,       and   grime   were   nothing   short   of   familiar       :       you   build   your   way   up   through   bronx's   underground   boxing   rings   as   a   fighter       -       long   gone   was   the   boy   born   of   bird   bone,       now   forged   of   stone-cold   steel.       every   scar   is   a   reminder   of   what   it   took   for   you   to   get   here,       and   you   wore   it   with   an   unwavering   pride   that   could   topple   great   empires       -       you've   seen   many   come,       and   go   before   you       …       but   you   were   the   only   one   who   managed   to   rise.       a   tale   of   fate,       sacrifice,       and   unrelenting   faith       ;       there   could   never   be   a   faith   that   is   more   holy   than   the   one   you   held   of   your   own   brand   of   strife-ridden   divinity.

cunning   as   you   are   cruel       +       cold   as   you   are   callous       :        nothing   truly   shocks   you   anymore.   the   unwelcomed   plunge   of   a   blade,       ringing   shot   of   a   gun,       desperate   plea   of   one   begging   for   another   chance   at   a   second   breath       ...       someone's   worst   day   becomes   your   everyday.       you   indulge   yourself   in   every   vice   you   can   find       :       blood,       bodies,       and   benders       ...       you   have   become   your   own   personal   devil.       you   know   many   but   trust   a   fair   few,        only   allowing   for   a   certain   handful   to   be   welcomed   into   your   inner   circle       -       you   never   believed   in   keeping   your   friends   close,       and   your   enemies   closer       ...        not   when   the   latter   far   out   number   the   former.       there   has   been   a   hit   out   for   your   head   for   as   long   as   you   can   remember,       but   you've   paid   no   mind   to   the   infamy   that   drenches   itself   through   every   rolled   syllable   as   they   utter   your   name.

afterall       :       there's   no   one   that   can   touch   god.

[ayeeedomino]

Aespa 5th member

Name: Lyra Dracos Lim (라이라 드라스 림)

Stage name: Julia

Age: 20 (10/08/2003)

Positions: Main Dancer, Lead Rapper, Center and Sub Vocal

Height: 1,73 cm (5,7ish)

Face Claim: Lana (soloist)

Vocal claim: Maya from XG

Julia’s backstory:

Lyra Dracos Lim, professionally known as Julia, was born on August 10, 2003, in Singapore, Singapore. However by the age of 6 her parents moved to Tokyo, Japan due to a work opportunity. During this years, Julia displayed exceptional talent and passion for music and performance. Growing up in a supportive family environment, she received early encouragement to pursue her artistic interests.

By the age 11 she moved back to Singapore.

At the age of 13, Julia auditioned for SM, in an online audition, impressing judges with her powerful dance, rap and stage presence. She was signed as a trainee and began rigorous training in singing, dancing, and languages, preparing for a career in the entertainment industry.

In 2018, at the age of 15, Julia was selected to participate in IZ*ONE and debuted as 13th. Known for her versatility, charisma, and captivating rap, she quickly gained recognition among fans both in South Korea, Singapore and internationally. During her time with IZ*ONE, Lyra contributed to several hit songs and participated in numerous concerts and variety shows, solidifying her reputation as a rising star in K-pop. She was placed as a rapper and dancer.

After the conclusion of IZ*ONE's activities, SM decided to debut her in aespa’s first comeback, “Next Level”. She adopted the stage name Julia based on her favorite character from her favorite book, Julia from 1984. Julia means a lot to her, since she is a fierce, strong, independent woman, something Lyra wish to be. She holds the Lead Rapper, Main Dancer and Sub Vocal.

Throughout her career, Lyra, now known as Julia, has continued to evolve as an artist, blending her experiences from her time in IZ*ONE with her own unique style and musical direction. Her journey is marked by determination, talent, and a relentless pursuit of excellence in the competitive world of K-pop.

[hotheadrednecksimmer]

Teenage Dirtbag - Struck by Love Legacy Challenge - Episode 14

For Kaito's 13th birthday, Maeve and Star planned the party at their favorite park - Central Park!

Now, our sweet little duck is a teenager!

Back at home, Star convinces Maeve to go on a vacation this weekend with the kids to getaway and to also get married!

Off to Tartosa they go!

SKILL CHECK:

Charisma - 6

Handiness - 5

Writing - 9

CAREER: Short Story Writer - Author (6)

ASPIRATION: Bestselling Author 2/4

Achieve level 6 Writing

Publish 10 Books (9/10)

Write 3 Excellent Books (4/5)

Bonus! A Small Family Tree! I'll be keeping this updated as the challenge goes on! People will probably move around as they age up/couple up/have children!!

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ First | Previous | Next

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

13th December >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Matthew 11:28-30 for Wednesday, Second Week of Advent (B): ‘My yoke is easy and my burden light’.

Wednesday, Second Week of Advent

Gospel (Except USA) Matthew 11:28-30 My yoke is easy and my burden light.

Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Gospel (USA) Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who labor.

Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Reflections (6)

(i) Wednesday, Second Week of Advent

We can all grow tired and weary, especially as we get older. We sense that our physical energy levels are not what they were. We may feel the need for a nap in the afternoon. According to the first reading, even ‘young men may grow tired and weary, youths may stumble’. The weariness in question there may not be so much a physical weariness but a weariness of spirit. We can suffer from a weariness of spirit at any age. We struggle to get up and go, to invest ourselves in the task at hand, to give of ourselves to others. Physically we may be strong, but there is a lethargy about us. It is part of the human condition. That first reading suggests it is not part of God’s condition, ‘He does not grow tired or weary’. The Lord is always actively engaged with us. He is always coming towards us. We pray the simple prayer during Advent, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’, a prayer that recognizes that the Lord is always on the way towards us. The Lord never retreats into himself in a kind of weariness of spirit. He is always fully alive, vibrant, dynamic. In the gospel reading, he invites us to come to him in our weariness of spirit and draw life from his presence to us, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest’. The word ‘rest’ there refers not so much to inactivity but, rather, revival and renewal. This is the rest referred to in the Psalm, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ - ‘Near restful waters he leads me to revive my drooping spirit’. Each day, in prayer, we can turn to the Lord in our weariness of spirit and open ourselves to his reviving presence. When we turn to the Lord in hopeful trust, the promise at the end of today’s first reading can come to pass for us, ‘those who hope in the Lord renew their strength; they put out wings like the eagles’. The Lord comes to revive our drooping spirits, so that we, in turn, can be a reviving presence for others whose spirits are low.

And/Or

(ii) Wednesday, Second Week of Advent

We often associate weariness with advancing years. However, the first reading this morning declares that ‘young men may grow tired and weary’. Even those in their prime may grow tired and weary. What is true for those in their prime is certainly true for the rest of us. We can all grow tired and weary for various reasons. Physical weariness is the easiest to deal with. Very often a good night’s sleep will deal with that kind of tiredness. Weariness of heart and of spirit can be more difficult to deal with. A good night’s sleep will not necessarily deal with emotional or spiritual weariness. This is the kind of weariness which leaves us lacking in any kind of hopeful energy. It can be brought on by many things, such as persistent criticism, failure, be it personal or communal, a negativity that prevails about church and state, putting effort into something that seems to lead nowhere. The first reading also declares that even though young men may grow tired and weary, the Lord does not grow tired or weary. The Lord remains full of life, because he is life itself. Our communion with the Lord of life can bring life to our declining spirits and strength to our weariness. That is why, in the gospel reading, Jesus calls on those who labour and are overburdened to come to him and promises them rest for their souls and spirits. In Advent we call on Jesus to come to us, ‘Maranatha, Come Lord’. Today’s readings remind us that the Lord also calls on us to come to him, so as to draw strength from his strength and life from his life.

And/Or

(iii) Wednesday, Second Week of Advent

There is a close correspondence between the image of God in the first reading and the image of Jesus in the gospel reading. In the first reading God speaks of himself as someone who never grows tired or weary and, because of that, can give strength to the wearied and strengthen the powerless. In the gospel reading Jesus speaks of himself as someone who gives rest to those who labour and are overburdened. As a result, he calls on all those who labour and are overburdened to come to him. The message of both readings is that the Lord has a special ministry to those who are tired and weary, to those who are labouring and weighed down by burdens of one kind or another. The end of that first reading says, ‘Young men may grow tired and weary; youths may stumble’. How much more is that the case with those of us who no longer quite qualify as young men or women. We can easily grow tired and weary, including growing tired and weary of serving others. The reading declares that ‘those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put our wings like eagles’. We need to keep drawing on the Lord’s strength if we are to give his strength to others. At the heart of our relationship with those you serve is our own relationship with the Lord. Advent is a good season to come before the Lord in our weakness, perhaps in our tiredness, and to ask him to fill us with his strength, so that we can be channels of his life-giving strength to others, especially to those who are overburdened.

And/Or

(iv) Wednesday, Second week of Advent

The first reading declares that ‘young men may grow tired and weary’. We know from experience that it is not only young men who can grow tired and weary. We can all grow tired and weary. Tiredness and weariness comes to us all from time to time. Indeed, in the words of the gospel reading, we can find ourselves labouring and feeling overburdened. The run-up to Christmas can have that effect on people. Other, more traumatic experiences in life can leave us feeling tired and weary, labouring and overburdened. That first reading also declares that the Lord ‘does not grow tired or weary’. Because he does not grow tired or weary, he calls out to those who are tired and weary, inviting them to come to him, and promising them rest. The Lord can be our strength when we are weak, our rest when we are tired, our support when we are burdened. The great Advent prayer is our invitation, ‘Come, Lord, Jesus’. However, in the gospel reading, it is the Lord who invites us to come. His call to us is prior to our prayer to him. When in responding to that call of the Lord we experience him as our strength, our rest, our support, we, in turn, can be a source of strength, rest and support to each other. The strength we receive from the Lord is for others as well as for ourselves.

And/Or

(v) Wednesday, Second Week of Advent

We tend to associate advancing years with declining energy. As we get older, we don’t always have the energy we once had, and this can a source of frustration for us. Yet, today’s first reading from Isaiah acknowledges that even ‘young men may grow tired and weary’, and that even ‘youths may stumble’. There is such a thing as a weariness of the spirit, which can affect people at any age. Some young people can seem listless, whereas some older people can be full of vitality. Isaiah declares in that reading that the Lord is the one who alone can address and deal with this kind of weariness of spirit. ‘He gives strength to the wearied, he strengthens the powerless’. The Lord does not grow tired or weary. He is the Lord of life who remains vibrant at all times. By turning towards him in our weakness and weariness we can imbibe some of his perennial strength and vitality. In the words of Isaiah, ‘those who hope in the Lord renew their strength’. This is the promise that Jesus makes in the gospel reading, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest’. There is much in life that can deaden our spirit, at any age. It is the Lord, and our relationship with him, that can keep us young and vital even in old age. The Lord comes to us as strength in our weakness, as vitality in our weariness, as hope in our despondency. What is asked of us is that we welcome his coming and be attentive to his presence to us.

And/Or

(vi) Wednesday, Second Week of Advent

We are in the season of Advent and the prayer we often pray in Advent is, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. Advent is a season when we try to open our lives more fully to the coming of the Lord. We call on him to ‘come’ into our hearts, minds and lives. In today’s gospel reading, however, it is Jesus who calls on us to come to him, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest’. There are always those two movements in the lives of people of faith. We invite the Lord to come to us and we try to respond to the Lord’s call to come to him. The primary element in that two fold movement is the Lord’s call to us to come. He calls us to come before we call on him to come. He has loved us before we have loved him. The call of Jesus in today’s gospel reading is a very personal call, ‘Come to me’. He doesn’t say come to my teaching or come to my followers, but, ‘come to me’. That personal call of the Lord is addressed to each one of us without exception. Jesus also makes a promise to those who respond to his call to come to him, ‘I will give you rest’. What is Jesus promising there? We sometimes think of rest as the absence of activity. However, in the bible, ‘rest’ suggests the refreshing break that travellers in a barren desert would find in some oasis they come across. In that sense, ‘rest’ is a revival or renewal of our body and spirit. ‘Rest’ in that sense is more akin to ‘strength’. In the first reading, the prophet says that the Lord ‘gives strength to the wearied’. We can all become wearied in body, mind and spirit, especially in these Covid times. In the gospel reading Jesus promises restful strength to those who come to him. In the lovely image of the first reading, ‘those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put wings like the eagles’. This Advent we ask the Lord for such wings!

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[bramblesramblesintoshambles]

The Eclipse Dungeon

-Art by Alexey Karelin (Art Station).

Hey everyone, I made a little dungeon for 13th Age. Fair warning I've not had a chance to test this out mechanics wise, but with the second edition being worked on I figured I'd post this. I highly recommend this system for anyone who finds Pathfinder "too crunchy" its relatively simple and abstract but has a lot of cool little mechanics you can use.

To set the scene for The Eclipse Dungeon. Your party (Level 1 recommending 3+ players) have been asked to investigate a dungeon underneath strange ruins which were recently discovered. Unlike other castles from forgotten eras, there are no signs of undead or diabolical intent. In fact, you could scarcely call it a castle. A few mushroom shaped towers connected by a hollow wall, strange mixtures of architecture far older than any of the current icons. Their catacombs lay bear of dead, with only a tunnel leading deep underneath remaining there. At its end, a platform which descends, by magic, into the dungeon your adventurers will face. No monsters, undead, or even ordinary folk have attacked them yet.

So, above is a map with a layout for the dungeon, but I figured I should do my best to explain the key first. A purple heart simply marks the locations where enemies appear, not their quantity. However a larger purple heart does indicate a greater challenge. Gold circles represent key items, which are pieces used in the resolution of various puzzles throughout each maze. The blue squares mark the locations of the puzzles themselves, or more accurately where they can be finished. Red lines indicate barriers which can be opened or locked depending on how they are interacted with. A puzzle or key item will indicate which door is unlocked. The ascent points marked indicate your exit from this dungeon.

Puzzle 1

When the PCs arrive in the dungeon they encounter three barriers and an opening to the South-East maze. Above it is writing which no individual party member can read. To decipher it requires a difficult (16+) Intelligence check from a character, adding background skills if applicable. On a normal (11+) result, Human and Elf characters can each determine part of this message. Human characters read: "Long ago... sun and... clung together... kingdoms into". Meanwhile elves read: "... the... the moon... plunging two... darkness". A character with the Linguist feat only requires a normal (11+) Intelligence check to translate it. If they are an elf or human reduce this to an easy (6+) check instead. The full message is "Long ago the sun and the moon clung together plunging two kingdoms into darkness".

There are two tapestries in this maze, at locations 2 and 3. The tapestry at location 2 shows an army of dark elves wearing silver armour. Additionally, there are empty armour suits being controlled by a Drow Mage in the tapestry. She wields a black iron sword edged in silver alongside her wand. This Drow Queen stands at the back of her people. Meanwhile, the tapestry at location 3 shows human warriors led by a figure in golden armour. These soldiers are surrounded by golden light, fighting despite grievous injuries. The Human King wields a staff of gold weaved with bone white wood from which thorns grow. The Drow Queen tapestry is close to location 1, which contains a golden orb; their first key item. Location 3 is close to location 4, which contains their second key item; a silver disk. These can then be taken to the blue square for this maze.

-Art from the Britannica website.

In the final room, there are two statues. One is of the Elf Queen, the other of the Human King. Both have their weapons pointed at each other, however their eyes are shielded against a pillar between the pair of them. In this pillar is a circular indentation, the golden orb glows warmly when placed in there. After this, they must place the disk over that orb to simulate an eclipse. The disk and orb grow dark, all light within pushed to their edges which hurts to look at. This opens the gate into the Western labyrinth, where they will find the second puzzle of this dungeon.

On their way back out players will find new tapestries at 4.5. Hanging to the left of the exit from this maze is a tapestry of the Drow Queen, to the right is the Human King. Above the head of the Drow Queen is the left half of the eclipse, and she now commands animated armours against a hoard of undead. She now wields a staff which was once belonged to an enemy. In her hand what was once pale wood is silver coiled against gold, their briars curling up and around an onyx disk. Similarly, the Human King is posed beneath the other half of that eclipse with gold bathed soldiers battling monsters of various kinds. He has pierced through the heart of a demon with what was once her sword, which is now golden edged with silver and has an onyx in its pommel. A normal (11+) Intelligence check, including applicable background skills, will inform a PC that the events depicted here are ancient. Specifically, they learn this takes place in the mythic age and depict "The Blinding Night". A decade long eclipse which caused monsters, demons, and undead to become more active. On a 16+ they have heard of the Eclipse Royals, mythic rulers of a hybrid kingdom between a nation of moon worshipping Dark Elves and sun worshipping humans.

This is getting enormous so I'll continue this is subsequent posts. Please follow if you want to see the rest of this dungeon.

[kanawolf]

FE OC Week! Day 1 - Introduction & Day 3 - Backstory ( @fe-oc-week )

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Florence von Ludwig

(picrew from https://www.neka.cc/composer/12943 )

BIRTHDAY/AGE: 19 (pre-timeskip) / 21 (3 Hopes timeskip) / 24 (post-timeskip in 3 Houses)

NATIONALITY: Kingdom of Fargus (formerly) / Leicester Alliance (currently).

LANGUAGE/S: Common.

GENDER: Nonbinary - Fem leaning. They/Them & She/Her.

SEXUALTIY: Bisexual / Demi

CLASS: Commoner → Monk → Mage → Assassin / Warlock → Mortal Savant

WEAPONRY: Sword, bow, thunder.

HOMETOWN / AREA: Kingdom of Fargus / Leicester Alliance - Daphnel Territory

CURRENT HOME: Garreg Mach Monastery

PROFESSION: Golden Deer Student (pre-timeskip) / Mercenary + Scholar in the Leicester Alliance (post-timeskip).

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Dark indigo hair.

EYES: Pale mossy green.

NOSE: Smaller bridge that widens at the nostrils.

FACE: Oval-esc.

LIPS: Heart-shaped.

COMPLEXION: Ash-wood, rosy cheeked. Light freckles across their cheeks, scattered near the edges of their hairline & scattered over the back of their neck and shoulders.

BLEMISHES:

TATTOOS:

HEIGHT: 5’8

WEIGHT: 170lbs

BUILD: Gymnast, fencer

ALLERGIES: N/A

USUAL HAIRSTYLE: when working -

when not working/any other time -

USUAL EXPRESSION:

USUAL CLOTHING:

BACKGROUND.

Florence’s early childhood was spent in the cold north of the Guatier region, her family having lived in the Holy Kingdom of Farghus for generations, if rather in the same place. Given many of her ancestors' penchant for trade and mercantile work, they had a tendency of moving to wherever location provided the most work, and roughly around the time of Florences’ 13th birthday, her family moved once more. This time, instead of staying within the borders of their ancestral home, they moved to Leicester, passing through Galatea and Daphnel territory, before eventually settling down in Riegan territory, in one of the smaller towns, not terribly far from the capital of Derdriu.

In the 6 years between their relocation to Leicester and Florence’s attendance of the Officers Academy, her family was quick to adapt to the need of the townspeople, and as such, Florence spent much of the passing years learning all many of trade skills: sewing, leatherwork, fencing (for protection while traveling), pegasus care (learned while passing through Galatea specifically), herbology, cooking, and medicinal training.

Upon arriving at the Monastery, they joined the Golden Deer House and lent their support to their classmates with their various skills and hobbies.

After the Monastery fell, they traveled to Derdriu, rather than their hometown, in order to open up their own business; a combination of shop, where they carry tools that they are familiar with using, and a school, where they teach anyone who wants to learn skills that they are proficient in. In making their own business, they make sure to keep in touch with Claude, Hilda, and Lorenz, in order to keep their supply routes open, as well as wanting to stay aware of what else happens in Alliance.

MONASTERY EDUCATION.

DESIRED SKILLS: Magic & Sword.

DESIRED STATS: Magic & Resistance.

HIDDEN POTENTIAL: Faith.

WEAKNESS: Heavy Armor.

PRE-TIMESKIP → FALL OF GARREG MACH UNIT INFO

SKILL PROFICIENCIES

PERSONAL STATS

SWORD: D → C+

LEVEL: 1 → 20

LANCE: E

HP: 24 →

AXE: E

STRENGTH: 9 →

BOW: E → E+

MAGIC: 5 →

GAUNTLETS: E

SKILL: 8 →

REASON: E+ → C

SPEED: 6 →

FAITH: E → D+

LUCK: 5 →

AUTHORITY: E → D

DEFENSE: 5 →

HEAVY ARMOR: E

RESISTANCE: 8 →

FLYING: E+ → D+

CHARM: 5 →

RIDING: E

POST-TIMESKIP → FINAL BATTLE UNIT INFO

SKILL PROFICIENCIES

PERSONAL STATS

SWORD: C+ → A

LEVEL: 30 →

LANCE: E

HP: 37 →

AXE: E

STRENGTH: 24 →

BOW: E+ → D+

MAGIC: 30 →

GAUNTLETS: E

SKILL: 27 →

REASON: C → A

SPEED: 24 →

FAITH: D+ → B+

LUCK: 17 →

AUTHORITY: D → C+

DEFENSE: 15 →

HEAVY ARMOR: E

RESISTANCE: 22 →

FLYING: D+ → C

CHARM: 11 →

RIDING: E

PERSONALITY.

(Pre Timeskip)

Very soft spoken, Florence grew up in chaos and thus, while very accustomed to it, savors and prefers quieter moments and places. A gentle soul, they do not enjoy fighting but are very aware of the necessity in learning how to fight, in large part to having experienced multiple dangers while traveling in the road. They prefer to be a defensive fighter as a result, preferring to strike from a distance or provide support to their allies.

Good with their hands, they do take pride in the things they create (especially fabric / textile & thread based items & leatherwork), even if they do not say as much out loud, and many gifts they give and enjoy receiving are those that are handmade, but they also enjoy giving and receiving good food.

(Post Timeskip)

While they remain soft spoken and prefer gentility and quiet spaces, they certainly grow into a more self assured, assertive (when necessary), and more quietly confident after taking care of their own business during the timeskip. They are of far stronger personality, mainly due to their newfound confidence, they still do not like the limelight and are far happier to let others take the glory and spotlight.

In combat, they still prefer to be a defensive / support based unit, rather than a front line fighter, but thanks to their speed and evasion, they can more readily handle being at the front

[paperanddice]

A massive pile of bodies the size of a wagon, lurching and crawling across the ground from the effort of dozens of limbs, a corpse mound is a charnel pit brought back to disgusting false life. Driven to kill in order to add to its bodies, each corpse mound will hunt down the nearest living creature it sees larger than a dog, throwing great shards of bone to impale and pin creatures from a distance before closing in and crushing them inside the mass of bodies that make it up. Corpses constantly fall loose from the mount, infused with some of the power that animates the pile and working with it to hem in and capture prey. These empowered zombies carry a touch of the void with them from the core of the mound, using it to siphon off life if they can bite down on a living foe, feeding a portion of the target's life back to the corpse mound that created it.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Corpse Mound Creature 11 Huge Undead Perception +17; darkvision Skills Athletics +24 Str +7, Dex +0, Con +5, Int -1, Wis +0, Cha -1 AC 27; Fort +24, Ref +17, Will +17 HP 242 (negative healing); Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious Absorb Dead [reaction] Trigger A Small or larger living creature dies within 20 feet of the corpse mound; Effect The corpse mound absorbs the body and regains 10 hit points. The dead creature can't be raised from the dead in any way unless the corpse mound is destroyed. Stench (aura, olfactory) 20 feet. A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the aura must succeed at a DC 26 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 as long as it remains in the aura. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune for 1 minute. Speed 25 feet Melee slam +24 (magical), Damage 2d12+13 bludgeoning plus Grab Ranged bone shard +24 (magical, range increment 30 feet), Damage 2d8+11 piercing plus Critical Impale Critical Impale When the corpse mound scores a critical hit with bone shard against a target adjacent to a surface, the target is stuck to that surface by the missile. The target is immobilized and must spend an Interact action to attempt a DC 20 Athletics check to pull the missile free; it can't move from its space until it succeeds. The creature doesn't become stuck if it is incorporeal, is liquid (like a water elemental or some oozes), or could otherwise escape without effort. Engulf [2 actions] DC 27, 4d6 negative, Escape DC 27, Rupture 18 Zombie Drop [free action] Trigger The corpse mound's turn starts and it has less than 10 empowered zombies; Effect The corpse mound drops one empowered zombie. The corpse mound can issue orders to all empowered zombies within 120 feet of it as a single action with the concentrate trait.

Empowered ZombieCreature 6 Medium Mindless Minion Undead Zombie Perception +12; darkvision Skills Athletics +15 Str +5, Dex +1, Con +4, Int -5, Wis +0, Cha -4 Slow The empowered zombie is permanently slowed 1 and can't use reactions. AC 20; Fort +18, Ref +9, Will +10 HP 128 (negative healing); Immunities death effects, disease, fire, mental, paralyzed, poison, unconscious; Weaknesses positive 5, slashing 5 Speed 25 feet Melee fist +15, Damage 2d6+7 bludgeoning and Grab Draining Bite [1 action] Requirement A grabbed, paralyzed, restrained, unconscious, or willing creature is within the empowered zombie's reach; Effect The empowered zombie bites into that creature. This requires an Athletics check against the victim's Fortitude DC if the victim is grabbed and is automatic for any of the other conditions. The creature takes 1d4+7 piercing damage and 2d8 void damage, and if the corpse mound that created the empowered zombie is within 120 feet, the corpse mound regains 5 hit points.

13th Age

Corpse Mound Large 6th level wrecker [undead] Initiative: +7 Vulnerability: Holy Many Grasping Arms +11 vs. PD (1d4 attacks) - 14 damage. Natural Even Hit: The corpse mound can grab the target. When the corpse mound starts its turn grabbing an enemy, it can make an engulf attack as a standard action. [Special Trigger]Engulf +15 vs. PD (all grabbed enemies; includes +4 grab bonus) - The target is hampered and takes 10 ongoing negative energy damage until it escapes the corpse mound’s grab. This ongoing damage can’t stack with additional engulf attacks. R: Bone Shard +11 vs. AC (two attacks, each against a nearby enemy, or a far away enemy at -2 atk) - 16 damage. Natural Even Hit: The target is also stuck (save ends). Natural 18 or 20: The target is stuck and weakened (save ends both). Absorb the Dead: Whenever a non-undead, non-mook creature dies nearby the corpse mound, the body merges with the corpse mound and it regains 10 hit points. Noxious Aura: While engaged with the corpse mound, enemies that have 30 hp or fewer are dazed. Each time a creature ends its turn dazed by this effect, it can roll a save; on a success, it becomes immune to this effect. Zombie Drop: At the start of the corpse mound’s turns, it drops a number of empowered zombie mooks equal to half the escalation die (round up). These mooks join any empowered zombie mob already in the battle, or create a new mob that acts 4 points of initiative after the corpse mound. AC 21 PD 21 MD 14 HP 220

Empowered Zombie 6th level mook [undead] Initiative: +5 Vulnerability: Holy Infused Fist +10 vs. AC - 10 damage. Natural 16+: Both the zombie and its target take 1d6 damage. Headshot: A critical hit against the empowered zombie deals triple damage instead of the normal double damage for crits. AC 19 PD 17 MD 13 HP 30 (mook) Mook: Kill one empowered zombie mook for every 30 damage dealt to t

[frenchmonkeyslut]

BASICS

FULL NAME: TANAKA HIROTO [ たなかひろと / 田中大翔 ]

» MEANING: Tanaka [Tanaka (たなか) is the fourth most common Japanese surname. It is typically written with the kanji for ricefield & middle (田中). Less common variants include many & middle (多中), many & relationship (多仲), another & middle (他中), shelf & low (棚下), shelf & summer (棚夏) and many & name & congratulation (多名賀).]; Hiroto [The name Hiroto is boy's name of Japanese origin meaning "great flying". A very popular Japanese boys' name whose characters refer to the constellation Ursa Major. Hiroto (written: 浩人, 博人, 博土, 弘人, 洋人, 紘人, 裕人, 寛人, 大仁 or ヒロト in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. 飛 means "fly, jump, leap." From Japanese 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or 博 (hiro) meaning "command, esteem" combined with 人 (to) meaning "person", 翔 (to) meaning "soar, glide" or 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation. Other kanji combinations can also form this name.]

VERSES: City of Gods, The Game, Le Château.

NICKNAME(S): Hiro.

AGE: 26-years old.

DATE OF BIRTH: 1996 November 13th, Wednesday.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Tokyo, Japan.

OCCUPATION: Unemployed; heir to telecom company in Japan.

RELIGION: None.

ORIENTATION: Bisexual; Biromantic.

GENDER: Cisgender male.

PERSONALITY

STRENGTHS: Resourceful, Powerful, Brave, Passionate, Loyal.

WEAKNESSES: Jealous, Manipulative, Violent, Distrusting, Obsessive.

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Mackenyu Maeda.

HEIGHT: 6"0 [182 cm.]

WEIGHT: 163 lbs. [74 kg.]

BUILD: Athletic, mascular.

GAIT: Relaxed.

HAIR COLOR: Black.

EYE COLOR: Dark brown.

BIRTHMARK: TBA.

OVERVIEW: » SCARS: Some. » TATTOOS: Yes. TBA.

BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Tokyo, Japan.

RESIDENCES: Tokyo, Stockholm, New York, Los Angeles, London.

NATIONALITY: Japanese.

ETHNICITY: Asian.

FINANCIAL STATUS: Filthy rich.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Uni graduate.

DEGREES: Computer-related and business.

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: Japanese is his first language. He speaks Korean and he is fluent in English. He knows some French and Swedish. His grandfather loves Sweden and had a childhood friend from there because the old Tanaka went to school there. They have a house in Stockholm as well. His Danish is rusty but he gets by. Traveling to middle east and Africa, he picked up a lot of Arabic and can converse in it lightly.

RELATIONSHIPS

PARENTS: Both his parents are alive but he was raised by his grandparents because apparently, his parents cannot be trusted. He doesn't agree. He has a good relationship with his mother

SIBLINGS: Yes, two younger ones from the same parents.

CHILDREN: None.

PETS: None.

SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS: » Im Eon, friend from France. University friend, Red Sangchareon.

HISTORY: 

Hiro was born in Tokyo to young parents. His mother's parents' didn't think his parents were ready to become parents themselves so they adopted Hiro and raised them like he is their own son. Hiro's parents' relationship didn’t last long simply because the old Tanaka did not approve of it.

His parents didn't marry and stopped communicating until later on. They rekindled their relationship and married in secret against Hiro's mother's will.

Hiro, in secret, formed a relationship with his parents but eventually, his grandfather found out about it and threatened to disown him. Hiro was worried at first because he didn't have his own money and experience. But after learning how the real world works at a very young age - saving money, earning money, investing separately from his grandparents' wealth - he's able to build up his own future however, it cannot be compared to what his grandparents could provide.

In reality, his grandparents cannot disown him as he is the only heir they recognize. His mother, their biological child, is the only child.

Hiro compromised with his grandparents; he will run the business in the future but that he is not going to stop seeing his parents and his siblings. Little by little he works on chipping away the frozen ice that surrounds his grandfather in hopes that in the future, he'd be able to unite his family together.

Despite being a hard worker and for the most part, an obedient grandchild, Hiro can be a rebel and continuously questioned his grandparents. He's sent to France a few times but he doesn't take it as a punishment and instead, he network with everyone he meets.

ROMANTIC HISTORY: Hiro has many flings in the past but he doesn't settle or doesn't have a lasting relationship because he's easily swayed.

PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS: He is friends with Saam Akesson and will be good friends with Eon. Hiro is also good friends with Red Sangchareon, a Thai photographer whom he met in France during his college days. Hiro often met Red when they are in the same city. He once housed Red during the photographer's training in Japan. Hiro and Red often traveled together. A few times, they traveled all throughout Asia for a photobook project. Their big goal is to travel the middle east for a similar project.

THOUGHTS ON LOVE: “Sharing is caring.”

HEALTH

PHOBIA(S): None.

HANDICAP(S): None.

MENTAL DISEASE(S): Alcoholism, depression.

PHYSICAL DISEASE(S): None.

PREDISPOSITION(S): None.

[downwithpeople]

NOW i’m picking through the 13th age monk and like the cool thing about it is these forms that you can learn which are naturally the different martial arts techniques your monk has studied. each form has an opener, flow and finishing move attack which corresponds with a steadily increasing damage die. sounds cool!

but your first combat action has to be an opener, and your next combat action has to be a flow move, and if you go a round without attacking someone you have to ‘start again’ with an opener, which means a sharp drop in damage per round, which is the only way you can contribute in combat because of the above malarkey but also because this is a dnd game so unless you grab a specific champion talent that lets you do kung fu stunts (you’re literally not allowed to do stunts until level 6 and if you do you’re taking it instead of a desperately needed damage buff) you can’t contribute meaningfully to a fight except by just attacking dudes, and i haven’t crunched the numbers on whether the forms are good or not in terms of damage but the barbarian’s in this game and god damn if it isn’t good at murdering and on top of everything else i hope you picked the one and only attribute statline for the monk because you roll to hit with DEX but roll damage with STR so. should have played a barbarian i guess.

that’s cool! one of the epic-level forms for 13th age monk has as its finishing move ‘you can teleport to a different enemy and attack it’

[koemi-okano]

THE BASICS

Name: Koemi Eileen Okano.

Age: Thirty-Two.

Gender: cis Female, She/Her.

Orientation: Pansexual.

Occupation: Spooky Realtor.

Birthday: September 13th, 1983.

Zodiac Sign: Virgo.

Location: Marshall Island, South Carolina.

Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina.

Vehicle: 2022 Black Chevrolet Tahoe.

THE PHYSIQUE

Eye Color: Brown.

Natural Hair Color: Brown.

Height: 5′ 6″.

Allergies: Farmhouse Chic and white paint.

Dominant Hand: Left.

Scars: Here and there bc she's clumsy.

Tattoos: Season of the Witch tattoo on the back of her upperarm.

Piercings: A few ear piercings.

THE INTRODUCTION

Born into one of the most haunted cities in America, expecting Koemi not to fall in love with the weird and supernatural and the smell of rotting wooden beams of the centuries old houses filled to the brim with history and spirits would have been like expecting candy to shower from the skies whenever someone was craving something a little sweet. It was next to impossible — but it doesn't mean that her parents didn't try. Growing up, there was always the expectation that Koemi thrived at school. Academically, she was expected to keep on top of her homework, join an amount of clubs that would look good on her future college applications, and balance a sport or musical instrument on top of that. For the most part, she succeeded in academics and making her parents happy, but the only reprieve she found was on the soccer field. Sports games were one thing her parents didn't show up to and she could simply be with the other girls on her team. Having an older sister who seemed so perfect did nothing to help her seem like she was excelling to the level their parents held them to. While her sister had things like the academic decathlon and proficiency in things like the piano, advanced biology, and almost every spelling bee from elementary school under belt, Koemi couldn't exactly put founder and president of the high school paranormal society on her Princeton application, could she? She imagined that would fit nicely right under daydreams in class and likes to kiss girls beneath the bleachers of the soccer field. Eventually, none of it really mattered because, while she agreed to eventually work for her dad's accounting company after graduating college, her stipulation was saying no to any college in any kind of league. Instead, she chose to accept the offer she received from Clemson University, staying close to the old-style cities she loved in South Carolina. Her years in college turned into a job as an accountant and the beginning of a married life with her husband. She was settled. Except, she didn't really feel settled at all. It took a few years of punching numbers at a desk in a cubicle and a friend in Charleston that was looking to sell their home for Koemi to realize she wasn't happy with what she was doing with her life and, at the risk of disappointing her parents and not living up to all her older sister had become, she handed in her resignation with her father's company and found her calling as a realtor instead. With her husband accepting and supporting her career change, she found herself following him to Marshall Island after his own job description changed and they quickly settled into life on the island.

THE HEADCANONS

It seemed like fate that the night Koemi and her husband moved into the house on Marshall Island, a black kitten started hanging around their yard, trying to dart inside at any given chance as they were unloading boxes. With a near empty house and nothing unpacked, they accepted the kitten into their home.

Despite being married for years and expected to be well on her way to starting a family, that hasn't happened for some reason. Whether it's because she's been avoiding it or they've been trying and haven't been successful, this would inevitably be up to plotting with the future husband's player.

[angelo-chiarelli]

[ andrew garfield, cis-man, he/him ] Hey, isn’t that ANGELO ‘ANGEL’ CHIARELLI. I thought they went away for the summer? Did you hear they might be a HUMAN? What I do know for certain is that they’re 38, and they’re SENSITIVE and SECLUDED. They’re originally from FLORENCE, ITALY, and have been in FENRIRSWOOD for 6 MONTHS living in FENWAY. I wonder if they still work at THE LITTLE DUCK as a BARTENDER and at DULANT COLLEGE as a PIANO PROFESSOR.

basics

full name: angelo 'angel' luca chiarelli nicknames: angel age: 38 date of birth: october 13th, 1985 zodiac: libra sun, leo rising, libra moon gender & pronouns: cisgender man, he/him relationship status: single sexuality: homosexual spoken languages: english and italian(native language) occupation: bartender at the little duck, part-time piano professor at dulant college

appearance

face claim: andrew garfield height: 5'10"(177.80 cm) dominant hand: left hair color: brown eye color: brown distinguishing features: tbd tattoos: n/a

personality

positive traits: kind, understanding, intelligent, gentle, passionate negative traits: frivolous, impulsive, gullible, indulgent, envious

mentality

phobias: fear of being alone, fear of being forgotten disorders: depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder allergies: n/a

background

hometown: florence, italy birthplace: florence, italy education level: master’s in music

headcanons

moved to fenrir after going through a pretty rough divorce with his now ex-wife. angel only married a woman because he knew it was what his parents wanted for him and he didn't have the courage to tell them that he's not attracted to women. the marriage was short-lived, having lasted for less than 5 years.

his bipolar disorder is undiagnosed, mostly because he hasn't been to a psychologist before. angel is aware to some degree that he tends to go through highs and lows(mania and depression), but chalks them up to feeling affected by whatever's going on in his life. when in a depressive period he's able to function, he just isn't as lively as usual and keeps to himself more. this is just the part he lets other people see about that aspect of himself, behind closed doors there's much more to it.

he observes and celebrates most jewish holidays because of his upbringing, as he comes from jewish heritage. angel makes it a point to travel back to italy every year for hannukah, it's important to him that he celebrates it with his family. growing up the significance of his culture and heritage wasn't lost on him, his family made it clear that it wasn't something to be taken lightly.

his parents own a vineyard in florence, which is part of why he chose to work as bartender at the little duck. while most of his knowledge about alcohol is limited to wine, angel has been spending recent months educating himself on liquor. he does enjoy some cocktails but holds a certain fondness for wine, specifically rosé

frequently throws extravagant parties because he enjoys being surrounded by people. it makes him feel less alone, which is a feeling he's struggled with for a lot of his life. only the closest of his friends would know that the parties he throws are his way of trying to get people to like him. when his home isn't full of intoxicated partygoers, he can be found playing piano, writing music, or writing poetry. despite what many might think, he's rather quiet in his down time. knows how to play piano and has a degree in music, but never pursued it as a career. angel considers music his true passion, it allows him to express feelings he doesn't know how to put into words. he doesn't necessarily want to perform, though he will on occasion for smaller get-togethers.