#DawnTreader

[adozentothedawn]

Finished Dawntreader... what a quest. What a guy. Kicking me in the nuts. But I especially need to talk about this line.

Like what the fuck. The implications here. This is not common knowledge, this is a secret the Watcher learned in the first game, one that is clearly not just widespread. That it's locked behind Court Augur implies that either the Watcher tried to share it, in general or with specific people, and the Envoy was one of the few to actually listen, or the Envoy just deduced that themselves. Just casually unraveled the biggest secret of Eora that Thaos and the gods have eradicated entire cultures to hide. Don't worry about it though, thats just their little project, the really important job is to give the Emperor pretty fortune tellings.

(More insane screenshots below the cut)

My man... what a guy. Also I miss Waidwen so much. I need Sargamis to meet Favaen (my Watcher) who's just dragging Waidwen's soul around right now.

[plushieclan]

Wolf has been escorted back to Crystalclan’s camp, where he is expected to make a full recovery. Clearstripe’s location is unknown.

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[tarbuchyloewenthal]

dawntreader might be my favorite quest ever

i'm having a hard time thinking of any quest in any other rpg i enjoy nearly as much. sargamis is such a compelling character. the eothas leitmotif playing throughout the dungeon is gorgeous. there are so many ways to tackle it. you can even sign up to get vacuumed into a giant statue.

[a-fix-of-muses]

Currently Listening To: "Secret Life" by Dawntreader

[chiropteracupola]

there's no rule saying you can't turn medieval kings into magical girls.

[dawntread]

YROH'A ... ? that's not a made up name, is it?

ah - ! ah, no. it's my mother's, you see ...

( VIERAPRIL, DAY 1: Hello )

happy vierapril!! and if you're reading this, welcome! i figured i'd use the first day as a sort of intro to my blog + my hopes for vierapril.

the tl;dr is i started playing FFXIV not long after dawntrail launched - and i'm not there yet, but i did at least finish endwalker - and i completely fell in love with this game. my WOL and the main character i'll be posting this month, yroh'a, was originally my SWTOR oc ported over to FFXIV. but then over time, they became their own character, and so they got their own name to celebrate!

yroh'a is technically a viera/miqo'te (well, technically technically shetona/keeper miqo, if we want to get super specific) but leans more on the viera side because i don't feel like messing around with cabbit tails.

i want to use vierapril as a chance to grow my gpose skills and get some fun pictures of my blorbo out of it.

this first entry is based on some prior experimentation i've done to get a little bit more ambitious, and in so doing (+ with some frantic googling) i figured out some do's and don'ts about which axes to use for which bones and so on - no more weird screwed up elbows!! well, okay, if you've a keen eye you can see one of the elbows is still screwed up because i only figured out how to avoid that after i finished that one and had to try to fix it after the fact, to little avail. but lessons learned for next time!

[vigilskept]

there is a worldstate out there where edér’s going to be toiling away, trying to fix the damage that eothas caused in the dyrwood and one day a dawn godlike is just going to appear to join him in his labours………..

[ask-crimson-weaver]

Hey! Don’t think we’ve spoken before. Yes, I would ABSOLUTELY prefer to not stake and/or bake my girlfriend.

(Although aside from the light sensitivity in terms of vision, it doesn’t seem like what she’s got going on makes sunlight outright harmful to her?)

Avengers technically have holding cells like that? But ever since Toomes Sr. got his identity plastered everywhere her entire family got put in a bit of a hot seat. It’s mostly cooled down? But the way I heard some of the staff there talk about it after the fact… I don’t trust them with this, let’s just say.

And a blood supply… I’ll figure something out.

Going by scent is actually a decent idea? Hannah and I can go around, see if there’s any hotspots. Would let me keep an eye on her too— if someone involved stopped by to see her, I don’t think leaving her on her own is a good idea. Might see if Abbie and Viper are good to do the sneaking around once we’ve got a location of interest.

Research: done. Wizard: arrived. Here’s what we’ve got so far:

First, Clearlee Cosmetics. It’s a relatively new company (less than a year since it was founded) and is absolutely a multi-level marketing scheme. Focuses on selling skin care products marked up to make them seem fancier. Had Strange look at the hand scrub that showed up, and it’s mundane— no weird magic going on with it. Suppose that can’t speak for the entire product line, but we don’t have anything else to inspect right now. The founder-slash-head person’s name listed on their website is, I kid you not, Karen Clearlee. No other identifying info info online (the Clearlee website and social media are all pretty generic and brand-focused) so we’re assuming it’s an alias. Some of the next-tier members seem to be using their real names though, so Red’s trawling the web to pool some data on them.

Speaking of Res: the footage.

It… honestly doesn’t show much? Hannah didn’t leave the apartment, only came out to head to the bathroom for a minute with the hand scrub before going back to the bedroom. Harls ran some visual identifier program over it, and he did manage to pick up on some distortion in the footage, isolated to the wall where our bedroom is. Started a few minutes before Hannah came out, ended right before she left the room. Trace magic inside suggests that someone else— or at least something using the same type of magic Han’s been dunked in— was in there. Explains how the hand scrub got in, but also means someone else stopped by for a visit. The Karen Clearlee lady, maybe?

Now for the wizard’s input.

It’s definitely vampirism— or, at least, a form of blood magic that mimics what we consider to be vampires. Somehow, though, that doesn’t narrow it down, so he’s gonna have to take his notes and do some research on what type of blood magic-based vampirism we’ve got going on.

Something a bit more concerning is that, from a mix of how the magic is structured and the point it’s progressed to, he… doesn’t have a way to draw out the vampire stuff without some major magical consequences. Something about… bound blood? Connection to the vamp that did the vamping to Hannah, or something like that. Best way to release the hold with the fewest repercussions is to take out the top vampire. But, of course, we’ll have to track her down first.

So… yeah. That’s where we’re at right now.

I guess, for the foreseeable future, my girlfriend is a vampire.

[autoacafiles]

[l3irdl3rain]

Merril and Petunia are like Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg from the discworld series

Someone on here mentioned I should read this series and I really, really need to. So thank you for your reminder again!!!

[adozentothedawn]

Carrie. Carrie, what does this mean? What does this mean, Carrie?? Carrie, what are your plans here???

[plushieclan]

Prologue

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Wolf didn’t trust the new visitor.

She was an old cat with matted white fur and piercing bronze eyes. Her gaze was ever-flitting, changing from spot to spot. It seemed as though she would jump up and attack anyone who got close.

The other cats walked around her as if she was nothing new. Apparently, she was a regular visitor for this sect of the Wanderers.

He wasn’t a member of this particular group; as a Journeyer, it was his job to visit every section of the Wanderers and find his place.

“Hello, Wolf.”

Wolf turned, before gasping. “Trailblazer Maya!”

The tortoiseshell molly smiled, her pink eyes shimmering. He made sure to bow out of respect.

She held up a paw. “No need, Wolf. While you are still a Journeyer, you are a member of this sect.”

He paused, before asking. “May I speak freely for a moment?”

“Of course.” she smiled. “What is it?”

He took a look at the old visitor again.

“I don’t trust her. Something feels off about her.”

Maya sighed. “I understand your wariness, but Clearstripe has been a welcome guest for many moons now. She has never done anything to warrant suspicion.”

Wolf could feel the way she was looking at him. It was just like how cats spoke about his mother.

“I’m not being paranoid for the sake of it.” he meowed. “I’m not my mother.”

Her eyes widened in surprised. “I did not intend on implying that, Wolf. Forgive me.”

He sighed. “No. I know what you’re thinking. Everyone else does as well.”

“Foxtail Barley is a respectable member of our community.” she said. “Don’t let the rumors of others dissuade you.”

He wanted to laugh, but he knew that was disrespectful. Rumors? They were all true!

“I understand, Trailblazer Maya.” he simply replied.

“It’s a shame.” she sighed. “I wish you could stay here permanently. Think about asking your mother if you could join us, ok?”

With that, she turned and left.

He looked over at Clearstripe. He was going to have to investigate her on his own, it seemed. Then, he considered Maya’s words for a moment.

Ma’ wouldn’t take kindly to me leaving, he thought to himself. His place was always going to be by her side… he had no other options.

His thoughts lingered on his mother.

—

Two kits sat together beneath the stars. One, a tom with dark fur that blended in. The other, a young molly with a pelt that reflected the stars. For a while, neither spoke a word.

���I can’t do it.” the molly suddenly said.

The tom turned to her with alarm in his blue eyes

“I can’t stay here anymore.” she said, “Ma’… I can’t live like her. I can’t be alone anymore.”

He looked surprised. “But you have me.”

“Just you.” she repeated. “But I can’t live with just my littermate for the rest of my life. I want to make friends, Wolf. I want to live my own life.”

“Shiny, please don’t leave.” he pleaded. “Is this about Pa’? Ma’ already told us he was a good for nothing—!”

“Stop it! Ma’ thinks that about everyone!” Shiny yelled.

He paused.

“I want to make my own ideas about cats. Not just what Ma’ wants me to think.”

“But you’ll have to leave.” he cried.

She looked at her brother and wanted to tell him everything would be fine. But she couldn’t.

“Come with me.” she finally asked.

“I can’t.”

“I know.”

She turned and left, her small paws thudding against the ground. She followed that path burned into her brain from all those moons again. The path her father took to visit them.

The path to the Clans.

—

The Gathering felt especially hostile this moon, without Darkstar with them. Starleaf was acting leader in his place, and she looked like a mess. She had ordered Mudfoot, Rosepaw, and Jaggedpaw to stay back at camp— if they came with, it would have caused a disaster. Leopardcloud and Lionmane refused to leave Mudfoot’s side, and Nightflower looked too shaken over everything to attend. Everyone else was far too worried about Swampclan or injured— leaving Shimmersky, Gingerclaw, Pebblefur, and Dawntreader the only warriors attending.

“This feels like a bad idea, coming with only six cats.” Dawntreader looked nervous as she paced.

“Well, you could go back and make it five, if you aren’t warrior enough!” Pebblefur snapped.

Gingerclaw stepped between his sister and Dawntreader. “Let’s not fight. We’re going to have enough problems with antagonism when we enter Four Corners.”

Pebblefur hissed, but backed down. She stalked into the old barn ahead of the others, but just behind Starleaf. Pebblefur wasn’t foolish enough to enter first.

Shimmersky was merely lost in her thoughts. She was lucky not to have been majorly injured in the battle with Swampclan she and Tigerpelt had gotten into— Tigerpelt was not so lucky.

Starleaf jumped up the rotten wooden stairs to the loft, where she took Darkstar’s place with the leaders. The other leaders reacted surprised, and begun to talk amongst themselves.

Shimmersky tuned out all of the discussion to focus on what the leaders were talking about.

“Where’s Darkstar?” Finchstar’s eyes narrowed.

“Resting. He’s been ill, so I finally convinced him to stay back.” Starleaf replied calmly.

Badgerstar grumbled “Hopefully he will be back to join us next moon.”

“He certainly didn’t look good these past few moons.”

The other leaders turned to look at Redstar.

Redstar chuckled. “To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran away to some Twolegs for help.”

Starleaf’s face hid her shock. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s a leader. He wouldn’t leave for the Twolegs.”

“When we were kits, I remember him being brought to camp with his kittypet mother.” Redstar said, a pensive look on his face. “Perhaps he’s gone to see her old home?”

“This conversation is over.” Starleaf snapped. “Let’s start the Gathering.”

Shimmersky narrowed her eyes. Redstar knew too much. How could that even be possible? For now, she held her judgement. She needed to watch his mannerisms as the Gathering continued.

Grangeclan and Treeclan went, but nothing particularly caught Shimmersky’s eye. Redstar was fairly unassuming. Even when he gave his own clan’s announcements— so-and-so was expecting kits, so-and-so chased off a fox, nothing truly revealing. Though, she suspected that the “fox” they encountered was rather a very orange clanmate of hers.

Then, it was Starleaf’s turn.

“We have had a good moon. With the last of our apprentices becoming warriors last moon and new kits in the clan, things have been well.”

She turned to leave, but Redstar placed out a paw to stop her.

“Anything else to announce?” he said, eyes staring directly into Starleaf’s

“I— no, that’s it.” she said, regaining her composure.

“No new cats? Not even a few new apprentices?” he continued.

She looked surprised, the emotions flooding her face for the first time that night.

“What in the world are you talking about, Redstar?” Badgerstar looked incredibly annoyed.

Finchstar also seemed confused. This was bad.

Shimmersky knew what his play was. He was trying to force Starleaf to admit that Rosepaw and Jaggedpaw ran away to join the clan. She wasn’t about to let him get away with that.

She grabbed a stone from the ground discreetly. Then, she made a big show of tumbling to the ground. She used that as a screen— distracting from her flinging the stone into the leader’s loft.

Her aim rang true. The stone barreled into Redstar’s flank, causing him to yelp in pain and bring his paw down to his side. Starleaf slipped away with that opening.

“We have nothing more to announce.” she stated.

With that, the Gathering began.

Shimmersky sighed. “That was close…”

“It was that one!”

Suddenly, sharp teeth dug into her scruff. She squawked as she was dragged away from the others.

The cat threw her down in front of the other deputies.

Bergamotfur got in her face. “What was that?! A Gathering is a place of no fighting! You’re disrespecting everything when you throw a stone at a leader!”

Dovelight and Bonestripe also had angry looks on their faces. It looked like she wasn’t going to get off easy. She needed to come up with a good excuse.

“Sorry… I slipped on some loose stones! I didn’t mean to hit the leader, and I would never in my life throw a rock at one! I’m just so clumsy!” she stuck out her tongue, praying they bought it.

“I doubt that.” Bergamotfur said.

“I can corroborate it.” a voice sounded from behind her. Gingerclaw!

“Can you?” Bergamotfur narrowed his eyes.

Gingerclaw pulled something out of his long mane of fur. It was a stone. “Yep. I got hit with one of the rocks when she fell. She really is just that clumsy.”

Bonestripe sighed. “If that is the case, then this isn’t our problem anymore, Bergamotfur. Her deputy will take care of it.”

Bergamotfur’s eyes showed that he wanted to retort, but instead, he turned away.

“Out of my sight.” he said.

Gingerclaw and Shimmersky walked away from the deputies. Once they were out of eyesight, she pressed herself into his side.

“You’re the best mate ever, Ginger.” she purred. “Thank you.”

“I couldn’t leave you to get in trouble, Shimmer.” he rested his head on hers. “But why did you do that?”

She stopped, then looked at him with a serious expression. “Redstar was going to make Starleaf admit to stealing the flowers.”

The flowers. It was the keyword they were using for Rosepaw and Jaggedpaw for now. It was imperative that no one could know, and that meant it was obscured even in private conversations. Eavesdroppers were always a danger.

Gingerclaw looked surprised. “There’s no way he could know for sure. I’m sure he was just testing to figure out if it was us.”

She shook her head. “It can’t be that. He knew about Darkstar’s condition too. It’s not a coincidence.”

Someone must be feeding him information, she realized.

“Ginger… anyone in the clan could be feeding him information.” she emphasized. “But…”

“You have someone in mind, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“I think it’s Jaggedpaw.”

—

“So… there’s a spy among us?” Mudfoot said, her voice low.

Shimmersky nodded. “Yes. It could be anyone.”

Tigerpelt pulled himself up. “But then, why are you telling us?”

Shimmersky sighed. “I won’t be able to figure this out alone. I think you two are the least likely to be the spy. I figured the benefit of telling you would outweigh the negatives. Will you help me?”

“Of course!” Tigerpelt grinned. “We’ll definitely help you catch them.”

“After what Redstar did to me…” Mudfoot brought her paw up to touch the covered side of her face where her eye used to be. “I’d do anything to get him back. Let’s do this.”

Shimmersky nodded. “Alright… I have a plan.”

Nightstar’s clan

Moon 14

[cyborg-squid]

recruited a companion with the same voice as Garrus Vakarian, completed a really cool questline and got a flaming sword out of it (Classic), and punched above my weight by killing an ogre higher level than myself.

what im saying is that Avowed is good and RPGs are fuckin back babeyyyy

[dawntread]

there've been the oddest rumors of late, about the crystal exarch and his loyal knight, the warrior of darkness.

bonus shots that i didn't include:

[hearkenedsouls]

@dynastymuses gets a starter from Caspian for Edmund

The nearer they were to Aslan's Country, the more nervous the crew became - it was understandable, they were heading further and further into uncharted waters. But he hadn't expected Edmund's change in mood; he had initially been so eager to join in with the exploration.

As the sunset, the King finally had a chance to speak to him alone. Sitting beside him on the deck, in the light of the stars, he squeezed Edmund's shoulder and paused for a moment in silence - admiring the moonlight shimmering on the surface of the ocean.

"Would you tell me what's on your mind?