#I begin a new DND game soon pretty excited for it

[samrut]

The gang has gathered together to play tabletop. Matthew is the GM and narrates the current senerio for Alfred's character.

Matt: "You are stuck in an empty, locked dungeon cell. You have no tools or supplies at your disposal, and your arms have been bound."

Alfred: "How big is the key hole?"

Matt: "About the thickness of a banana."

Alfred: "I unlock the door-"

Arthur: "How? He just said, your arms are bound."

Alfred raises his hand to signal for silence. His demeanor has become deathly serious, and everyone pauses in anticipation to hear his strategy.

Alfred: ". . .with my dick."

He rolls a NAT 20.

[blindmagdalena]

Hey, just seen you talking about you being an experienced dnd player/dm. Super interested to know about it as I'm looking to start soon. I have also just started playing BG3 which I love. I really have wanted to get into a ttrpg for ages, and there's an opportunity to start a campaign at last. I wanna know how you begin creating your characters? There's so much lore and I find it overwhelming, but so exciting. My problem is u want to create the character RIGHT NOW, but I still need to leave room for research.

first of all, BG3 is a GREAT introduction to D&D 5e! they really did a superb job translating the rules into video game mechanics. even some of my seasoned D&D players expressed that BG3 helped them understand the game better. getting into those two simultaneously is really going to help that learning curve imo.

as for character creation, start vanilla. just the basic rules, classes and races. you can expand into the other source books when you're a little more familiar, but all you really need to start as a player is the players handbook.

you'll definitely find yourself drawn to things as you go. spellcasters are generally more complicated (especially wizards) but if that's what you're drawn to, go for it. make sure you're starting at level 1! starting higher as a new player can be really, really overwhelming because the characters do get sooo many features and abilities.

the internet is your friend! the books can be a little difficult to navigate, but i can guarantee any question you might have has been answered. probably on reddit.

i've been playing long enough now that character creation is a pretty breezy process for me. generally i'll figure out what flavor of character i want to do ("i want a strange little swamp man.") and then i'll start figuring out what class that would best suit ("oohh, druid from a swamp that only turns into swamp animals.") and race usually comes last ("what if he was a wood elf with a cajun accent...")

the lore will come as you continue to play and read the materials. you'll get more experienced and more adventerous. you might branch out into the expanded source books, or maybe you'll get into homebrew and start making up your own stuff! the best part of ttrpgs is they really are what you make of them.

this got rambly but i hope it was helpful! have so, so much fun. 🖤

[shoutatthe-devil]

Dandelions | E.M.

KICKSTART MY HEART PT. 1

Masterlist | AO3

She was the kind of person who you never saw without a book in her hand. Eddie didn’t think he had ever seen her talk to anyone for longer than a gentle hello, but he had seen her hundreds of times sitting at the edges of any room or facility in Hawkins High with her nose buried in some crusty paperback. She was pretty; hair shorter than acceptable, ignoring any bullying she got for almost looking like a boy, light make up except for heavily exaggerated eyeliner with different patterns worked in every day, loose blue jeans covered with embroidery and a series of blouses that looked like those to be seen in the pages of Oscar Wilde or Thomas Hardy.

Eddie had never spoken to her, never even gotten her name, but every major memory he had at Hawkins High had her in the corner of his eye. He had her gentle smile emblazoned in the back of his mind and the feeling of warmth from when he had been sat next to her in a chemistry class one year carefully engraved in his muscle memory.

So no, he’d never spoken to her, but he knew her. She had captured his attention. Unlike everything else in his life, Eddie kept that attention subtle. He had a feeling that she wouldn’t be the kind of girl to appreciate grand gestures and loud proclamations.

“You’re staring at her again,” Mike said through a mouthful of sandwich. “It’s kinda creepy, Eddie.”

Eddie’s eyes snapped over to the younger boy. “Staring at who? I’m not staring.”

“Y/n Y/l/n,” Mike sighed as if the weight of the world was somehow on his shoulders. Little shit. “You’ve been obsessed with her all year.”

“Which one’s she?” Eddie questioned, hope beginning to fill him at the prospect of finally getting to learn your name.

“Seriously?” Lucas joined the conversation. “You’ve been obsessing over her and you don’t even know her name?”

“She’s the one with the dandelions on her jeans,” Mike tag-teamed in with Lucas. “Y’know, a bit weird, always reading.”

“Don’t call her weird,” Lucas snapped at his friend before Eddie got the chance to. “She’s not weird.”

“Objectively, she is,” Mike countered. “I mean, obviously I love her, but she’s always been a bit strange.”

“Like we’re not,” Lucas grumbled.

Eddie’s mind was reeling at the new information. “Wait, you guys know her? How do you guys know her?”

Mike sighed again. “She was always around when we were kids,” he said. “Used to be Dustin’s babysitter. He was super protective of her, so she always got invited to all of our DnD games and stuff. Plus, the parents loved her, so she ended up having dinner whenever the rest of us were around.”

“She plays DnD?” A great smile spread across Eddie’s face at the prospect.

“Oh, absolutely,” Lucas smirked. “Absolutely crushes at it, too. Although, half the time when she played, we wouldn’t even end up battling anything, because she always thought a way around it.”

“Super creative, and always talking her way out of things,” Mike added. “Honestly it got kind of annoying.”

“If you’re going to do anything about your little crush, though, I’ve got to warn you,” Lucas said, “don’t say anything that’ll make her think you think you’re better than her. She’s real competitive, and she absolutely is smarter than you. She won’t say anything up front, but test her too much and she’ll work out some way or another to make you take it back.”

Eddie zoned the two out as they started bickering about something or another. He began to rearrange all of his thoughts about her to fit with these new details. He had to admit, it intrigued him; he never would have gotten any of that just from observing her. And that she knew the kids, that she babysat Dustin…

“Hey, wait,” Eddie burst out, stopping the kids’ argument in its tracks. “Where is Henderson, anyway?”

“He was asking his science teacher about something,” Mike answered. “It’ll probably take a while, but he should be here soon.”

At that, they all saw Dustin start jogging into the cafeteria, clearly excited by whatever it was he was planning. Not looking where he was going, he bumped right into Jason Carver. Eddie winced as Jason turned to the younger boy.

“Hey, watch where you’re going, little nerd,” Jason scowled menacingly.

“Sorry, but you were in the way, and I was just-” Dustin rushed out all at once. Jason grabbed the front of his shirt.

“I was in the way, was I?” Eddie could see Dustin gulp from across the cafeteria. "Well listen here, toothless-”

“Hey!” an unfamiliar voice spoke up. It seemed light, like a fairy’s, but it was loud. The entire cafeteria quietened down, and Eddie was shocked to see that the voice came from Y/n.

“Leave him alone, Carver.” Y/n’s voice was unshaking. Eddie wouldn’t have realised that he had never seen her talk to anyone based on the way she was acting.

Jason turned to look at her, his hand still gripping onto Dustin. “Oh yeah?” he chuckled. “Or what? What are you going to do about it, Y/l/n?”

Eddie saw your shoulders rise and fall in a silent sigh before you slammed your book shut with a bang. He gasped and people started murmuring as she pulled out her chair and used it to climb up onto the cafeteria table. Eddie had done that exact thing a hundred times before, but you… you were almost elegant as you silently walked all the way down the length of the table to reach Jason, leant down to look him in the eyes with one hand in your pocket and the other curled around your reading material.

“You may not have noticed, Jason,” you began, making direct eye contact with the jock, “because I prefer to observe than to be an absolute jackass, but we grew up together. I was here for everything, all those awkward stages, when you were the shortest in the class, when you were trying to grow in that pre-teen moustache. And, well, I’ve certainly heard enough from the girls around here about Little Jason and his,” you looked down, grimacing, before looking into his eyes again, “limitations.”

Jason tried valiantly to hold eye contact with you and keep his posture arrogant, but Eddie could tell he was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. Everyone could.

You continued. “And I know exactly what to say to destroy you. I know you. I know that you are a pathetic little boy,” you leaned in closer with each word, “who can’t help himself from picking on the weakest and who wouldn’t be passing half his classes if this school’s faculty didn’t care so much about,” you paused and looked at Eddie. His chest grew warm. “Tossing balls into laundry baskets.”

“You- “Jason protested, but you cut him off.

“As for what I’ll do… Have you ever read War and Peace, Carver?” You held out the book you were still clutching so that Jason could read the title. He shook his head. “It’s quite long, and it can get slow in parts, but I’d recommend it. The best thing about it though, is that it’s heavy enough that if you fuck with Dustin again, I will smash your goddamn teeth in so far back that they will lodge into whatever walnut it is you call a brain.”

You jumped down off the table in front of him, gently grasped his hand and pried it off of Dustin’s shirt. “You alright, Dusty?”

Dustin nodded. “Yeah, thanks Y/n.”

You smiled and ruffled his hair before looking up at everyone. “What are you all staring at?”

And just like that, everyone went back to their lunches and their conversations. You walked back over to your seat, leaving Jason Carver behind you, and began to read again. Eddie was still looking at you when Dustin sat down next to him.

“Did you guys see that?” Dustin asked his friends loudly. “So badass.”

Mike and Lucas agreed as Dustin looked over at Eddie. “Dude, are you okay?”

Eddie took a shaky breath. “One day,” he said lowly, “one day I’m going to marry that woman.”

[soyeahitsmiddleearth]

another prompt! as you and the Company take a rest in the monastery you grew up in, you are approached by old friends who are 1) very intimidating and 2) very touchy. kili and fili don’t approve of the last

Used some DnD stuff here since I don't know enough about actual monks and also some Avatar the Last Airbender thingggsss. Sorry the ending is so rushed, I couldn't feel my hands at one point and my doc told me to rest... which I havent been doing lol

---

The majority of your life was spent in a monastery.

As a child, you were left upon the steps of that abbey, and in that very place did you learn everything you know today.

Why would your parents leave you an orphan on the steps of a monastery, you ask? 

Because they feared that power you possess within. A power, a control, over fire that is not unheard of, but definitely rare, dangerous. How they knew so early on, you have no clue, but if they were so willing to give you up over something like that, you don't want to know them anyways. 

There, in that monastery, you were understood. You were taught how to harness those raging flames within you and to use them for good, for the health and benefit of others; and once they could teach you no more, you set off on your own to use your knowledge and skills for whatever you deem fit. 

And for a while you just wandered, helping people out with minuscule things, arresting criminals, that kinda stuff. 

It had been rather tame and relaxed up until you came across a Wizard who had, specifically, sought you out. 

He actually went to your monastery first in search of the supposed person with control over fire, a person who draws their power and strength from the sun, and when he heard that you hadn't been there for a few years now, he immediately went on a search and asked around, tracking you down. 

You, of course, offered to help when he mentioned that it's a journey to reunite some lost dwarfs with their fallen home, regardless of the treasure, and that's how you found yourself in on this wild expedition. 

The very first thing you were asked when you showed up in that little hobbit hole in the Shire, is what the hell you're doing there.

Gandalf explained that for you, stating that you're a very important piece to their little game her, and while you don't exactly know why he thinks as such, you just agree and go along silently with it. 

You actually didn't even realize that they didn't know of your abilities or the word on the street about you, so the first time you utilized your power... well, suffice to say they were shocked. 

It was night, it was cold as hell, and they were having trouble starting the fire, so you walked on over and took a seat, then exclaimed happily, "Allow me!"

The dwarf attending to the fire, Bofur, laughed and shook his head, telling you that it's useless since the wood is too wet. 

"No, really, I'll take care of it." You had insisted, much to the amusement of everyone else. 

They didn't know what tricks you had up your sleeves, and so when Bofur conceded and gave you the flint, he was totally expecting your efforts to flop. 

You looked down at the flint with an odd expression on your face for a time before you tossed it off to the side and picked up one of the logs, heating it with your hands carefully so as to not char and destroy it. 

Everyone watched on with confused expressions for a few moments, though Gandalf watched on with amusement of his own (for a different reason), and when the log burst into flames suddenly, there was a lot of shock. 

Some of them gasped, a couple of their mouths gaped, there was many questions, and Gandalf just laughed. 

"How did you do that?" Kili asked with wonderment, his eyes wide with shock.

And then you had to explain it to them which wasn't a big deal, and they wanted to see more. 

You made a fireball in your hand, used your fingers as candles, and got the fire to rage on even more; each thing you did made them gasp and look on in awe. 

It felt pretty nice and stroked your ego wonderfully, and you found that you didn't quite dislike having all of this attention. 

Anyways, the longer the group traveled the closer you got to Erebor (and the closer you got with those in the group, especially Fili and Kili), and pretty soon you began to recognize the paths you're taking. You all aren't even a day away from the monastery in which you grew up - this is the perfect opportunity to rest and resupply (to bathe too). 

And when you bring the idea up with Thorin, he readily agrees and praises you for offering the suggestion in the first place. 

When you all first get there, you're met with suspicion, but once you step out into view, they welcome you with open arms and no further questions. 

They give you all a couple of rooms to share amongst yourselves, a wonderful and plentiful dinner, and access to a proper place to bathe. 

You stick with the group primarily since you haven't been back here in the past few years, also because Thorin's Company becomes weary left in such a place all alone. 

After dinner and a nice bath, Fili and Kili ask if you can take them on a walk around the monastery, wanting to see more of where you grew up, and you agreed happily. 

You take them to many places including the training grounds, the wing in which you grew up, and a few other places as well, and each thing you point out to them and each area you take them to seems to excite them. 

And then you see 3 familiar faces and all thoughts of showing the princes around fly from your head. 

"Y/N!" One of your friends, Ezra, yells when she sees you. 

Your expression brightens right away and when they run over and immediately go in for hugs, you return them.

Genesis, Ezra, and Leonel are their names, and you've known them ever since all of you were children. 

"Oh, it's been so long!" You say excitedly, a smile etched on your face and joy in your eyes. "I-I've missed you all so much." 

"Too long! You never visit." Genesis grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest, "We didn't even know if you were still alive, always meddling and getting in to things." 

You glare at him playfully and roll your eyes, "I do not meddle! I intervene. There's a difference." 

"Not with you, there isn't." He shoots back, making Ezra and Leonel laugh. 

Leonel takes a step forward and grasps your hands in his, lifting them up between the two of you while he states energetically, "There's so much you have to tell us! Not much happened around here since you left, but I'm sure you've had plenty of excitement." 

"Well-" You cut yourself off when you suddenly remember the brothers standing just behind you. 

You release Leonel and step back between them, placing your hands on their lower backs while you urge them forward, "You haven't met my friends yet! Fili, Kili, these are my friends Ezra, Leonel, and Genesis." 

"Right, hello." Fili greets curtly, seeming rather uncomfortable with being the center attention suddenly. 

"Hello." Kili greets at the same time, glancing at his brother with a similar awkward countenance and stance. 

You frown slightly when you notice their discomfort, and you feel bad for putting them on the spot like that. 

"Oh, well, they're rather short now aren't they?" Leonel comments, looking down at them with that same easy going smile as always. He didn't even realize his comment might be seen as mean!

Your frown increases and you scold irritatedly, "Leonel! Mind your manners, these are your guests and my friends." When you say this you step forward and cross your arms over your chest, that frown coming off as more of a pout than anything else. 

"Come on now, Y/N, don't be so sensitive. It was only an observation." He sasses back, wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you up into his side. 

When he pulls you closer you whine and squirm around over dramatically, grabbing his wrist and pulling it away from your head (he started to give you a nuggie). 

He grabs your hand in his when you pull his arm away and looks over at Ezra and Genesis who are laughing. 

Your gaze slides over to Fili and Kili and you see that they're watching with odd expressions on their faces, so, wanting them to feel included, you ask, "Now do you understand why I left? Look at how they torment me!" 

Small smiles tug at their lips when you make your comment, meanwhile Leonel gasps over dramatically and grabs your other hand. "How could you say such a thing?" 

You glare up at him for a few moments and begin to heat your hands, and, once it gets to a burning temperature, he yelps and lets you go. You, of course, begin to laugh as he fans and blows on his smoking hands, and Ezra joins you. 

"You burned me!"

"Y/N, what have you been told about messing with your abilities?" Genesis scolds, crossing his arms over his chest with a very disapproving expression on his face. "This is why you never should've left."

God, he's always such a worry wart. 

"Genesis, relax. I didn't actually hurt him. And you can't deny that he deserved it." 

Ezra snickers from his left and nods her head, "He certainly did deserve it. Making fun of Y/N's friends and then manhandling 'em all in one minute?"

"I suppose you could say I was playing with fire." Leonel pipes up suddenly, a huge smile on his face despite the fact that you guys are basicaly making fun of him. 

The joke earns matching groans of disgust from all of you. 

The three fall into conversation suddenly about your new friends and why they're here, though they don't address you directly. 

Since they're busy, you turn back to Fili and Kili and say softly, "They are certainly a lot to deal with, I hope they didn't offend you." 

Fili shakes his head quickly and replies smoothly, "No, they did not. And even if they did, you surely avenged us in burning his hands." 

That brings a smile to your face, and you laugh lightly at that, "Just a little singe, he will survive." 

"It appears that such a long time away has put no barrier up between you." Kili comments, looking up at you with that same odd expression on his face. The one that you can't quite place your finger on. 

"No, it hasn't. It only made me realize how much I missed them, how much I missed this place." 

That right there, sprouts a feeling of panic within the brothers. It almost sounds like you long to stay. 

"Anyways, it's getting late. You two should head back and get some rest- you've earned it." You lean down slightly and pinch their cheeks lightly, enjoying the way they look so annoyed at you for doing it. 

"Aren't you going to come with us?" Kili asks, eyebrows furrowed as he glances over at his brother. 

"Maybe in a little while. I want to speak with them some more." You look over when they call your name suddenly, and it seems that Ezra is waving you over. "Oh, I'll be right there!" 

When you look back, however, they are both already walking away.

This makes you frown and it kinda hurts your feelings that they didn't say even a good night, but you just push that away and return to the three. 

---

Little did you know that, that whole exchange worried Fili and Kili greatly. 

The way you so longingly looked upon the halls of your former home, how easily you fell into conversation with those you left behind, how you fit in so well... they fear that you may want to stay behind. 

They discuss it between themselves instead of going to bed like you told them to, and came to the conclusion that if they don't do something you'll end up staying or coming back at some point and leaving them- er, the company, behind. 

"What should we do about it though?" Fili wonders out loud, rubbing his whiskered chin as he mulls over the question. 

"I haven't a clue... other than speaking to Y/N directly." Kili offers up the dialogue option hesitantly, for he isn't sure if it's a good idea or not. 

Fili doesn't reply right away, thinking over what his brother said, before he sighs, "That is really our only option now, isn't it?" 

"It appears so."

"But what do we even say?" Fili is beginning to feel frustrated, and he looks it too. 

"We can try being honest..." 

Sudden footsteps catch their attention, and when they turn there you are.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, apparently. 

"Oh! Why are you two still awake?" You ask, stopping right in front of their seated forms with your hands on your hips. "It's late, and tomorrow is going to be an early morning-"

"You can't stay here!" Kili blurts out in a rush before you even finish speaking, immediately cringing at how he sounded just then. 

Your eyebrows furrow and you're taken aback by his sudden outburst, what in Eru's name does he mean? 

They both hastily get to their feet and Fili speaks next this time before you can get even a word out, "I know this place is your home, but we- t-the company I mean, needs you. Gandalf said so himself, you're important to the journey." 

"I know you miss your friends and being in the place you grew up, but we'll miss you greatly!" Kili adds right after. 

"And who else will set the fires at night? Bofur is horrible at lighting the wood." 

"And you heat up the food wonderfully!"

"You're an excellent fighter too- we need lots of those." 

"That humor of yours keeps everyone happy too!" 

"Staring at Dwalin all day is hard on the eyes too, we need someone who doesn't look so awful after a few missed days of bathing." 

"Our uncle likes you, you make him less grumpy." 

"And-"

"Enough!" 

Your sudden snapping at them shuts them up successfully, but the way their faces fall makes your heart pang uncomfortably. 

First, you take a deep breath, and once that's done with and you're a bit calmer, you say slowly, "Where did you get the idea that I was going to stay here?"

Uh oh. 

The two glance at each other nervously since neither of them have an answer to that, and when the silence persists you speak once more. 

"That's what I thought." Your arms are crossed over your chest and gaze pointed as you stare at their ashamed and slightly red faces, and, once you're done torturing them, you add, "I signed up for this journey and I intend to see it to the end." 

"No, it's not just that- A-After the journey is over... you're going to come back once we're finished, aren't you?" Kili's voice sounds so sad, it makes your heart hurt some more. 

"Where are you two getting these ideas? I never said that!"

"You didn't have to. The way you look at this place, how fondly and longingly you stare and speak of things, your recounting of memories and that desire to be here..." Fili trails off and sighs heavily, "It's, of course, your choice... Forgive us. We just... do not wish for you to go." 

You slowly take a seat on the ground and look up at them with a raised eyebrow, "I wasn't planning on it. Now if you two are done berating me on staying with this company after we reclaim your mountain, I would like for you to go to sleep." 

"You weren't planning on coming back...?" Kili asks, slowly settling down onto his knees with his eyebrows knitted together and a questioning expression on his face. "B-But you said-" 

"I said I miss this place, not that I wanted to come back forever. I would miss you two too much to leave." You feel no embarrassment admitting this, for it's true. "I've grown too fond of you fools to just up and leave." 

It seems they quite liked that.

"So... you intend to stay in Erebor once we complete the quest?" Fili asks more hopefully this time, also taking a seat next to his brother with his legs crossed. 

"Yes." 

"Because you would miss us?" 

"Yes." 

That certainly silences them, and the flabbergasted expressions on their faces makes you laugh lightly. 

"And I guess this ambush has shown me that you also prefer me being her- you like me much more than you want to admit." Your voice is teasing, but you mean it. 

Fili sighs once more and looks at the ground, "I suppose that's true." 

"Well, good." You lean forward a bit and grab one of their hands each, "Now, I won't say it again. It's time to go to bed. Tomorrow we will have to leave early." 

"Yes, ma'am." 

[pbandjesse]

Today was a pretty excellent day, all around. I mean I could complain a little. Mostly that I was cold. But like. It was still a really good day. 

I slept pretty good last night. Waking up continues to be hard, but I just have to let myself believe Im making up for the lost sleep. James woke me up at 8 and confused me about where they were going because they work at home on wednesday and Im like. Where you going. But it was just a joke. I would sleep for another hour. And when I got up and felt pretty okay. 

I had a nice breakfast. I made two different kinds of toast. Had a half of one of the special black apples we got at the farmers market. I didnt like the skin so much but the texture of the inside was nice. A little different then like a granny smith, and much sweeter. I like trying these new apples. 

I watched some videos and changed my shirt a few times because I was cold. It was a cold and rainy day. Which just made me feel damp and icy. But it was a nice morning still. 

I had my phone interview at 11 and it was great. I may or may not actually like the job but the conversation I had was lovely. I got to talk about Jess and me's relationship a little. And just about how I look at things, about my art and background. I talked about this blog a bit, and explained how the project works. She asked me to talk about how I would style someone in my family and I think I surprised her because I chose my brother. Steve is super minimal and spartin so I thought it would be a neat conversation and I was totally right.  Sort of upgrading a minimalist look. It was cool. This job is very very much a side hustle/micro part time job. But I think it would be fun. But even if I dont get it I had a good time talking to Emily. She was very sweet and made me feel very heard and I like that in people. 

I had like 10 minutes before I had to leave for work. I got myself ready and felt very cute. I like my new shirt a lot. I had to wear my fluffy jacket because it was very cold. And shockingly it was cold in the building at work too. Which has never been the case so it was a surprise. 

But work was really good for once? Thats not fair, there are good days. But today was good. It was chill. Yes it was almost all boys, and one little girl. But she went home half way through the day. So the boys were very loud. I got to spend the beginning of the day while they were in class reading!! Thats three days in a row! Im honestly trying to mirror behavior I want to see. And I am excited to have time to finish this book of short stories I started literally months ago. I finished one of the short stories and it was excellent. Like just awesome. 

And my mirroring plan worked because I read so many books to the kids today too. I was like, you wont like this (mostly because I didnt want to read one outloud I didnt know the content of incase it wasnt appropriate) but go pick a book and Ill read to you. So I read 4 little books and one 90 page book. The one little book was about a tiny seed and was our program so I asked them lots of questions throughout about where they think the seed could grow and stuff. It was very cute. And then while they worked on the yarn art project I showed them I read them a good about dragon riders. It was great. It took like 45 minutes to read the whole thing to them. It turns out its the first in a series. Im not sure we have the rest of the series but it was fun regardless. And it was nice having something to do. 

The rest of the day was pretty chill. We would read and paint and play games. We ran around upstairs. It was a good day. 

The kids took forever to get picked up again. I left a few minutes early because. I wanted to. And so I was out in the rain again. 

I got home and heated up my leftover pasta. I kissed on James for a little. And soon we had DND.

 My social battery was bad tonight. But I still had a lot of fun. Our party is essentially going to a 4H fair and most of us are just like. Cute story!! One person in our party seems annoyed with that and wants to go fight which like. I get. Thats how my last group was. But I like the cute story of it all! I hope we can make the story really nice and fun and like. Real? Like pushing violence just doesnt make sense for the story, not that we wont have fights, but I think the story can be better then that. 

We finished up the game and I got a shower. I used my new lotion bar and I will not be getting the no package one again because Ive only used it three times and its like half the size. Not cool. Learned my lesson there. 

Now it is time to dry my hair and go to sleep. I hope tomorrow is a nice day. I want to start painting my bears. So wish me luck for the energy to do that. Goodnight everyone. Take care of yourselves. 

[dennydraws]

Hello Summer!

I was really determined to do a little life update post every month but here we are, mid July and I’m behind :D;;;

Please, feel free to skip ye olde Denny rambles if you like, dear reader! 

But what’s the occasion to, in fact do a post? Why it’s a whole week off work! Which is now... close to be over. Apparently I hit pretty cold weather and some clouds, no beach for me yet :c The world is still on fire and I do my best to carry on without giving in to scary thoughts (it is way harder than I thought..) So, my week off has been mostly furniture removing, buying new front door, more furniture hunting, gotta order new bedroom today, buying paint and now painting the bedroom, I feel so tired argh XD I hope I won’t get back to work twice more tired now lol

All these repairs of course cause so much dust and I’ve been taking allergy meds which make me feel so, so groggy. What even is art these days? I was so confident about drawing and I barely sketched a few things. Not that I have much room to draw even. Everything is like a huge store house and I barely have any space on my desk >.>;; 

(Can you imagine a box more 90s than this!?) Speaking of, in mid of moving things I found my inktober 2018 sketchbook! I had just about 3 prompts to finish :D;; two years later...ahem. I may actually finish it! I want to record a flip through so bad when I’m done cause I loved what I did with the theme to bits!  Please look forward to it.. ... hopefully this year?? :D;;; are people even interested in art videos? It’s something I always wanted to get into but... time!!

But wait, there is more! I’m so happy I’m close to finishing another sketchbook, though it’s mostly just my DnD bard drawn 10 or so times there lol, I’m just happy I’ve filled the sketchbook! \o/ and excited that I will start a new one soon... from my pile of new, unopened sketchbooks, ahem... I may have a sketchbook hoarding issues. :D;;;

OKAY SOME ART TALK NOW! So, my friend from Japan brought me more copic markers and I now I better see the divine power these lil juicy things hold. They blend, so, so so so so well and they are so, so, so juicy. I’m trying to use them more but I’m also afraid of spending them too fast, yet compared to the spectrum noir they seem bloated with ink! Not that spectrum noir are bad, no no, but I felt like their ink goes out faster, or maybe I drew a bit more with them? Hmm! Either way I’m in need of burgundy color... XD;

(realizes can’t share latest arty-works due to possible spoilers for my DnD group and I know they lurk here, hmm >->)

A friend also recommended me Steadtler color-erasable pencils and they are very very good, hella cheap too. I was lucky I spot them in a local book store of all places XD It’s so nice sketching with a colored pencil. These are definitely going in my fave tools pouch!

And of course new comic project is taking so much time and energy between everything else. I’m determined to take my time but also try and not lose my spark. I’ve written down chapter 3′s script but yet to sit down and begin sketching the pages. I may do so in the weekend or at least start! Friends’ support and comments help me so much, ty ty !! Reminder you can check chapter 2 here! >> Click <<

FF14 has been a bit of a lull due to lack of updates and I’ve got little inspiration to log and do much ... beyond sit and take truck load of screenshots. But I hope this will change when patch comes! Meanwhile I’ve played a lot of Animal Crossing and now playing SoS: Friends of Mineral Town which is remake of my first Harvest Moon game and boy it’s my childhood right there! I was lucky to be runner up on Marvelous’ fan art contest so I got the game for free! :’D!! I was over the moon happy! I should post my entry later! Can you guess whom my farmer girl is going after?

(You should know by now, my type is short shady merchants!) And this post got long enough. Thank you for reading through! :D I hope you have an amazing day full of inspiration, good news and not a single cloud to rain on your parade!

[ophexis]

Decade thoughts thing

This isn’t gonna be particularely exciting I’m just emptying my brain. Also probably kinda long.

I’m gonna start with the personal points cuz those are probably the most depressing lol

I only feel disappointment towards myself considering the last 10 years. I started off this decade freshly entering college with ideas and a plan on what i wanted to do, and I’m ending it here...I’ve given up on an art career, I struggle to draw anything and I can barely keep up with my life. I’m having the worst art block of my life and I can’t finish anything. I was relatively active online and now I can’t find anything to post. I feel useless most of the time. I lost 5 years of what could’ve been constant art progress, and I feel it daily.

I have a now stable job at least, and in about two-ish months I will be moving out into my first appartment. At work I’ll strive to try and continue to be more confident in myself and my work experience. My lead, who sadly passed away on christmas eve, did all he could to push me to believe in my knowledge and 3 years of experience at my workplace and I’ll be trying my best to continue in that direction in his honor.

I’ve met some incredible people, some of which decided to stick with me despite what I ended up being. I’m eternaly grateful that they’ve decided to continue to share their lives with me and I love them very much.

I completely cut off a high school abusive friend from my life.

I’ve made amazing friends, but I’ve also lost some from...just my own fault I believe. I’m not a particularely good friend, overall. I wouldn’t blame anyone but myself.

I learned about Aromanticism (and tbh a lot of things about lgbt+!! I barely knew anything before coming here). Been identifyign as aromantic since then, and it’s been the perfect descriptor of my feelings towards romance my whole life.

On some less personal points, some highlights I can think of at the moment, in no particular order:

The glorious return of Star Wars. It was kind of a lonely time without content for a long time, and I had been staying away from the main fandom. But having new stuff has been great, and I got some friends to get into Star Wars with me, and we now have an Edge of the Empire thing going, and it’s been great fun. I got to rewatch The Clone Wars, the Prequels, watch Rebels, and I hope we’ll get to watch Resistance and anything else. The Mandalorian is easily one of the best thing to happen to the franchise since The Clone Wars. I definitely enjoyed the new Trilogy despite some of its faults. I’m planning on flying to Florida next year to go to Galaxy’s Edge. That would be my first trip to the US.

I started the process of building my own set of Mandalorian armor, some time before the serie aired. I’m hoping I’ll be able to actually finish it, and possibly join my local mando mercs clan.

I started playing Final Fantasy XIV, which has been great fun, lead me to meet some super cool people who are still playing with me, and helped carry me through some very rough years of my life. It lead me to my first plane trip, my first visit to Europe and outside my country, and more importantly lead me to meeting some very important friends. I hope I can return soon. Shoutout to EGG, my FC, but also Whitesand, a friendly FC, who hang out with us!!! They’re cool.

Going back further, I played Saints Row, which lead to some of my best times on Tumblr, and more importantly, allowed me to meet Ten. I can’t even begin to imagine what my life would be like right now had I not met him. He’s been ridiculously supportive of me and the things I like, and there’s nothing I could say or do that would properly express how happy I am that we’re friends. 

I started playing DnD! More accurately, I started playing pathfinder, then DnD5, then Edge of the Empire, then a WHOLEASS CUSTOM SYSTEM MADE BY TEN and it’s been great fun. I now have a buncha dice which is apparently a “modest amount” by dnd player standard.

I also, at some point, decided to revisit myself, and allow myself to indulge in some styles. As someone who’s been wearing hoodies and jeans for a long fucking time to avoid being noticed and generally hiding my own form, now that I had money I decided to indulge a bit....and I dedicated part of my wardrobe to kawaii shit. I now have a decent amount of skirts, pastel graphic shirts, dresses, tigh high socks and leggings. And I’ll admit I do not wear them enough, out of severe social anxiety, but I’ve been trying, particularely at cons.

I now have a pretty significant figure collection. I started off with one scale that my brother had given me, and like, one figma, and now I have several scales, many figmas, a bunch of nendoroids, and various other figures. I love looking at them, and I’m still working on making decent displays with them. I have a couple of gunpla to build still.

I started palying Monster Hunter, and I loved every minute. I started with MHgen, then MH4U, then MH3U, then MHWorld, THEN MHGenU. While World has a lot of stuff I’m not super happy with, all the games were still rly enjoyable.

I got me a Switch, a PS4, and now an actual gaming PC. I frikkin love videogames.

There are a lot of things that happened in the decade.

In the next, I’ll keep trying to enjoy art again, despite my lack of progress so far. My life’s about to change with my move and all, so I hope I can...kind of improve on myself, somehow. I know I don’t post anything and don’t talk to anyone, so like I get it. But thanks to anyone who decided to give this a read. You’re all rad and I hope you’ll all have a nice 2020, and I hope many good things happen to you all in the next decade.

I’m going to keep trying.

[technical-adulting]

Hello, September!

Things have been going pretty good at my new place. There have been some bumps, an issue with vermin I’m trying to get a handle on, and the general issue of clearing out stuff with very little place to put it, but otherwise it’s been good. I have a functional bedroom, two bathrooms, living room (though theres some stuff I’ll want to move around eventually) and kitchen (but that needs a lot of work still.) There’s a spare room, laundry spot, though you’ve gotta keep and eye on the dryer because it won’t turn off. We’ve planted some plants outside and various people have chopped down some of Nana’s bushes by mistake. (Sorry Nana, please haunt them, not me.) I’ve transitioned into being the person who tends to the lawn, though this has been met with distrust from my dad so far. Alyssa went back to school, so I’m alone up here, but I’m getting used to the area. I might check out the game shop in town soon, maybe I could join a little dnd game there or just generally make some friends who live closer. Not that the drive to Mansfield is that taxing, but you know...

Farm sanctuary is extending my position until December. I attempted to get a full-time job there but I’m not sure that’s the right fit, and have begun looking for other job opportunities. I have an interview tomorrow!! The past few days I’ve felt a little antsy and I guess bored with my general responsibilities. I think that there’s something more than just finding a job up here that pays enough for me to exist (and pay my student loans). I don’t know what it is yet, if it’s going back to school or looking for more ambitious and farther away jobs, but I’m not sure yet. I think that there’s something out there for me that’s closer to my passions. I’m happy to do hard honest work, but I know that I was given a creative mind and a skill with sciences... so I don’t know yet, we’ll see what comes up. In the mean time I’m just blessed to have a job at all. The cats are doing good. I didn’t get to sleep at home last week because I was house sitting, and felt really bad that the first week Alyssa was gone, so was I. However, all has been forgiven and Whitney sleeps on the bed with me <3 I think Sophie would too but Whitney is a little territorial about the bedroom. (Brat) However, Sophie has decided that the spare room was made for her, so I guess it’s an okay trade off. I let them on the porch sometimes and it’s so funny because they’ll scurry back in if I catch them out there. Like it’s okay girls, you can do that, that’s why the door was open!

The office space is still full, but I’m sure we’ll get to it soon. I can’t do too much without mom, especially in that room, so usually I do desk-work from the living room floor, lol. We have little tv stands but they’re just not the right shape and I have old-lady back problems to begin with. That’s my next big goal for this place, though.  I did get a book from work! I haven’t read it yet, it’s been sitting in my car. I’ve been helping my church with some extra video projects, doing stuff like that, so I haven’t had a lot of time. It’s funny when I think about how I’m actually rather busy but still feel bored sometimes. I’m blessed, but I’m not satisfied, and I think that’s a good thing. I know there’s more out there for me. I know that I am going to change the world. I released another song recently but it hasn’t really gotten any attention. (Not that my stuff does that much anyways.) But I thought it was weird! I think I’m getting close to having enough songs to release a full album, but I’m not sure if that means I should avoid posting them the moment they’re done... I’m not sure I can contain my excitement, haha. I feel like I need something to promote me, but wouldn’t even know where to start with that. I suppose we’ll see. Anyways! Just a quick update :) Now I’m going to get back to it!

[zippdementia]

Part 70 Alignment May Vary: Escape from Hell

Situation: As the players destroy the chains around the demon train’s heart, they are forced through a passage that appears in the heart chamber, rushed up to the “brain” of the train, the front car engine room, where an old conductor with pits for eyes (and four eyes that may remind one of Verrick’s four eyes), tells them of their success in freeing him and his desire to help them murder devils. He also explains that Arbeyach has been left behind in a discarded train car, still living in the world that Arbeyach created for himself, but now unable to flee it.

Alyss tells the train their next destination: the tower of Mammon and the conductor smiles in anticipation. She uses her phone device to signal to the rebels where they are and their situation, then lowers herself to the ground to try and heal her hurts. Aldric returns her bike to her in a cool roleplaying moment and realizes that she is developing feelings for Carrick, which grows his enmity towards the Paladin.

The players also heal up: the soul stuff that Ratticus gave them heals their hurts completely and also cures the curse that was left upon them by Arbeyach.

Then, rushing across the desert towards the city and Mammon’s tower, the players have one more obstacle to face: they are waylaid by Hecate in her gunship as she tries to blow apart the demon train. 

The demon train fight I’ve set up to be an unusual one: the players are pulled inside the train’s “skin” and actually fight AS the train against the gunship, combining their hitpoints and using the following rules:

Their life force combined makes up their hitpoints. AC is 10. Each turn player can choose either defense, maneuver, or attack (only attack can be multiple players). Hecate fires her ship’s weapons at the beginning of the turn. The player maneuvering through the canyons gets to dodge Hecate, adding to their base AC of 10 by a d20+Dexterity or Wisdom roll. The player on defense can subtract damage by a D20 roll + either constitution or charisma. If no one is on defense, this doesn’t happen. Hecate has the following attacks, and DM either chooses or rolls randomly to determine effect each round:

Missiles: 5 missiles at 6 (1d4+4) each. Instant success.

Dual Lasers: fire twice +13 to hit for 27 (5d10) fire damage

Bombs: Player on maneuver must make a dexterity DC 20 save or else take 39 (6d12) concusive damage, halved on a save. Failure means players roll at disadvantage for all attacks.

Power siphon: a harpoon that steals life. +15 to hit. If it hits, steals 26 (4d12) life, no subtraction.

Then players get to attack. Each player in the attack area can use their normal attacks, using spell slots and all of that as normal, but everything is amplified as the train mimics the attack with its own demonic version (so an attack with Imoaza’s scythe may manifest as clawed hands erupting from the side of the train and tearing into the gunship), adding two more damage dice, but no damage modifiers.

Hecate has 212 hitpoints and AC 19. Her saves are +7. She can’t be affected by conditions. She is immune to poison damage. If there are more than three players, she gets an extra attack for each weapon for every three players.

After a drawn out but dynamic fight where Hecate’s rage builds more and more and her mother, Imoaza, continues to taunt her more and more viciously, Hecate’s ship finally blows an engine and she crashes in the desert.

The players are told to cure up, get a short rest and they’ll be at the vault soon. Mammon interrupts their journey with another psychic visit to his throne room, but the players completely ignore him while he tries to offer deals and a chance to join his side. Like I pointed out before, he’s really grasping at straws here, and they know it. Carrick finally loses his anger, telling Mammon that he’s the lamest devil they’ve come across, and that the players give zero shits about him. Mammon takes the revelation calmly and informs them that they are ants to him, ants he was debating whether to crush or not. But now he’s made his decision. The psychic connection is cut and the players arrive at Mammon’s tower in a fairly spectacular way: the demon train crashes into the side of it, ripping it open, and deposits them inside, as close to the vaults as it can. Then it races off to fight a new, horrible threat, while the Hells Rebels arrive and Puck flies down from the sky to join them in their race to the vault of the crystals.

The Conductor let out a gleeful laugh, the sound odd coming from his weathered and cracked lips and completely out of place with the rest of his austere appearance. “When a demon dies in battle, our souls return to the Abyss! My greatest foe comes. Today I go out in a blaze of glory! Today is the day I go home!”

I’m going to take a break from my structure here to chat for a moment about the difficulty of setting challenge in Dungeons and Dragons, because it is highlighted by the next scene.

I know Xanathar’s guide and the DM’s guide both have different methods for setting and figuring out good difficulty for fights, but you really can’t know how something will go in Dungeons and Dragons until you are playing it. I have three players at level 12. Xanathar’s guide suggests CR 5 monsters will be a decent match for them. I want this vault to be guarded by Abishai tasked with ensuring that those who enter the vaults are worthy, so I pick two black Abishai and a White Abishai (CR 7s and 6, respectively) and run a fight against them as the beasts drop down from among rows of statues of similar looking monsters. It’s a cool set up, the Black Abishai causing the vaults to become shrouded in shadow which then gives the Abishai advantage on their attacks.

But in three rounds, the fight is over: the players wipe the floor with them!

I was ready in case this happened, and have a Green Abishai standing by. He is a CR 15, and he comes into the arena with his fear effect blasting across the room indiscriminately, terrifying not only the players but the surviving White Abishai. This fight is a little more dynamic and long lasting, as Carrick and Imoaza flee in fear and the Abishai takes over Aldric’s mind, commanding him to turn on his fellows. The fight could have gone either way, but a mixture of poor die rolls from the Abishai and Aldric mean Carrick and Imoaza get a moment to break him free from his mind control and turn the tide on the Abishai.

Side note: there is a fun moment where the Abishai leaves a suggestion implanted in Aldric and Imoaza’s mind to flee from him and go stand in a corner, a suggestion that carries on after the Abishai is dead, and leaves Puck and Alyss and Carrick arguing with them to get moving. It’s also where we develop something deeper between Carrick and Imoaza: Carrick uses the bond they established on The Arc to take her hand and break her from the spell’s hold with soft words. Imoaza, not used to feeling anything and with her emotional wall weakened by the suggestion spell, feels a twinge of something for Carrick. It’s upsetting for her and strange, but maybe a little exciting too. Alyss catches the moment and believes that Carrick and Imoaza are already a “thing” setting us up for all sorts of romantic comedy action later... if we want to go there.

After all of this, the players rush back to the hole caused by the Demon Train, Alyss having stored a ton of crystals in a bag of holding, and leap out of the hole onto The Arc, which swoops down to catch them. The monster the train was fighting (in fact, died fighting, its soul returned to the Abyss) was none other than Tiamet, Queen of the Dragons.

A ridiculously tough beast, I know the players can’t defeat her in a fair fight. I use her toned down stats from the Rise of Tiamet final fight, but even then this is a beast capable of one-shoting an entire party with a single breath attack. And yet Aldric also hits like a beast, able to take off over 40 hitpoints each turn he attacks something. So I have to do a lot of tweaking as the fight progresses in order to achieve what I want this scene to achieve: a crazy final fight as the party flees from Hell.

Captain Krisp ran around the deck of The Arc, shouting orders. His generals and confidants: Ikbaldi the Barbarian, Star the Tiefling, Tinia the Cleric, Otto the Warlock, Jacobs his First Mate, and Geth the Rogue, all leaped to their battle stations, manning guns and turrets and swiveling them all to point at the rear of the ship as Tiamet crashed into them, her claws and talons wrapping around The Arc and hugging it close to her like a cat about to tear into a trapped mouse. Her five heads darted and dove down at the ship, tearing metal and wood apart, dodging bullets (or seeming to ignore them) as the gunners launched assault after assault upon her, raining down a barrage that would have destroyed a fortress. Aldric, Imoaza, and Carrick stood their ground on deck, Aldric laughing as gleefully as ever the Demon Train had at the prospect of facing such a mighty foe. He ran forward and leaped towards the nearest head, even as it swung around to regard him with fire in its eyes.

I recently did a podcast where I talked about setting difficulty for encounters in DnD 5e. In it, I come to the conclusion that one of the best ways to go about creating good encounters is to let the game world and your plot tell you what needs to be where and to worry about the challenge afterwards. Basically, don’t  build with numbers: build with story.

In this case, I know I want Tiamet to be the final fight and I want it to be tough, really more of a feel of surviving a siege than a fist fight with a god where they are going to knock her out. Tiamet is (and rightfully so) way above their pay grade. But I also don’t want the fight to be impossible or a straight party kill. That’s why I have Krisp’s team launching barrages of attacks at her, and also why Puck steps in to use some pretty incredible high level magic to shield and block the worst of Tiamet’s attacks (we don’t yet know the limits of Puck’s powers, but the effort does seem to wear him down).

I also don’t want this to be a fight without consequences, so I let the situation and character choice determine where the danger is. For instance, I let the players roll damage for all the gun barrages being launched each turn. I don’t use all of Tiamet’s legendary breath attacks. And when she does unleash her attacks, I make one of them poison (which Imoaza is immune to). Even when she finally unleashes her signature fire breath, rather than make it about pure numbers, where Tiamet’s attacks are left at their full power, I use Puck to reduce damage to a more reasonable place for the player level. I also really focus my attacks on Aldric, who is insistent on taking on Tiamet directly, which to me is letting the player character steer this fight. Aldric is playing it like a crazed bad ass, which means he’s drawing the focus of the attacks. After lasting two orounds in close quarters with Tiamet, he does fall unconscious, and here is where Krisp finally rushes forward with a rocket launcher, lobs a missile into Tiamet’s mouth, and calls to everyone to get below deck, that he’s got a final plan.

There is one last challenge I place here. In order to let Carrick grab Aldric and flee, Imoaza places herself in the line of danger to distract Tiamet for one more round. This works, but then Imoaza has one chance, one dodging roll, to get away from Tiamet before she gets hit by a bite attack from the Goddess of Dragons. She makes the roll, but had she failed, the damage certainly would have killed her and we would have to roll up a new character. It’s a moment that creates the mood I want, it takes this fight from the status of story battle to one of real consequence and danger, but I don’t just throw it in: it’s set by player decision and action.

Imoaza rolled forward through the open hatch leading into the belly of The Arc, jaws snapping shut behind her in a rush of hot air and sparks. She stumbled to her feet and kept running as the jaws tried to force their way through the narrow opening.

She soon caught up with Carrick and Krisp and Krisp’s commanders. Aldric was coming to, having been cured by Carrick’s magic. Krisp was yelling into a phone: “Alyss, is everything ready? The crystals are in place? Good! Then let’s do this!”

Krisp--talking a mile a minute about how everything had to come together in a spectacular fashion in order to make this all work and about how hell was never going to be his forever home--leads them down to the hold of The Arc, where the bottom of the ship has opened up to reveal The Surveyor’s repaired massive ship flying beneath them. Krisp tells everyone to jump down, and crew and commanders alike rush to obey, Carrick and Imoaza joining them. Last to go is Aldric and Krisp himself, who stands for a moment looking around the now empty hold.

“She was a good girl,” Krisp says, his voice uncharacteristically sad. “She served well. I’ll be sorry to lose her.” Aldric places a hand on his shoulder. “As a fellow captain, I know what it’s like to lose something. To lose your mount.”

Krisp smiles. “Well, if we are going to lose her, let’s let the girl go out in style, eh?”

He pulls a device with a large red button on it from his waistcoat, then pushes the button. He grabs Aldric and leaps out of the hold with him, shouting his catchphrase: “Let’s get Krispy!”

And behind them, there is a sudden roar as The Arc explodes in a ball of intense flame, engulfing Tiamet who is still wrestling with her prize. They do not see if it is the end of the Dragon Goddess, for they are pulled inside the Surveyor’s Ship and the hatches battened down behind them, and then there is a sudden jolt as the ship, their new Arc, blasts out from the atmosphere and leaves the world of Hell behind, for the vastness of space, and the first step on the long journey home.

Epilogue

Somewhere out in the blasted desert of Hell, Hecate pulls herself from the crash of her ship and rolls onto the hot red rock. She coughs up black tar and smoke and wheezes as she sucks in clean air. Her eyes are slits of rage as she looks towards the city where her foes disappeared. She shakes a fist of rage towards the sky as she manuevers her snake away from her crashed gun ship.

“Mother!” she screams. “I will have my revenge!”

And then, unexpectedly, a voice answers her from behind. She turns and sees something unusual discarded on the rock behind her, a sword, black as night, and emanating all the power that it had promised to its last bearer, before Aldric lost it and Carrick refused to bring it back. Blackrazor speaks to Hecate, and its voice is pure menace:

“Did I hear you say revenge?

[renderedusefulyo]

Family Christmas

Aizawa x reader

He remembered when you first met... there had been a miscommunication between the police and a number of heroes including himself. The tension between the two parties had escalated to the verge of a physical fight between a few of the more outspoken members when he first became aware of your presence. You had been so calm and level headed and were able to sort through the mishap after only a few minutes of listening. He was impressed to say the least but was curious if it was attributed to your quirk. He soon learned it was just your personality and you were an informant for the police that came in for special cases. He saw you several times after the initial meeting while the case lingered unsolved much longer than anticipated but had little time to speak to you until one day you met him in the hall way upon his arrival.

“Ah, Eraserhead right?” Your big eyes blinked at him and a small smile graced your face when he nodded. “Here” handing him a coffee “ I wouldn’t go in there right now if I were you... they are being a bit... unreasonable right now. I’d give them a few minutes.” You then introduced yourself and briefed him on the new developments. He found you easy to talk with and your voice was soft, something he quickly figured out he really enjoyed. Over the next few weeks he learned more about you and began to share more about himself, by the end of the mission you had defended his absence during the day while he continued his teaching, he had confronted those in charge for over using your quirk for the case, and you both kept each other company and sane. As the mission had wrapped up he knew he had to do something or he may not get the chance to see you again with his two jobs and your work with the police, so he took action and asked you out before you had a chance to say goodbye. You had been surprised but that look had melted away and was replaced with a wide smile by the time he finished talking about the pros and cons of a relationship with him and how difficult it would be, him being a hero and teacher after all. You had been amused by his shock when you accepted.

That had been several months ago. Overtime you had both found a comfortable rhythm in your lives, spending as much time as he could spare together. He had moved in even though he lived in the dorms and looked forward to each time he got to come home to you.

You.

He loved you.

“Shouta!” He blinked owlishly and looked at you.

“Eh?”

“Are you alright? I’ve been trying to talk to you for a bit now” concern creased your brow. He hummed reassuringly. “Well we are almost there.... thank you for coming, I know it’s not something you normally like but it means a lot to me.” You smiled but kept your attention on the road.

Aizawa sighed through his nose “I don’t mind so much. Though I’d rather not have had to wear this.” A knowing smile crept up on your face as you glanced at your boyfriend, he had his hair pulled back the way you liked best and was wearing nice pants and a green Christmas sweater with cats on it. You were wearing a matching red one, both compliments of your mother. They had arrived in the mail a few days before and even though Christmas was still two weeks away you had both donned them for the early celebration your family decided to have.

“I appreciate you doing this.” You reached out for his hand which he gladly accepted and pressed a kiss to your knuckles before holding it in his lap. The rest of the ride was spent in quiet conversation and expectation. Shouta hadn’t met your parents in person before, only on video chats and phone conversations, and meeting them and everyone else for that matter, at a big family event wasn’t something he looked forward too. But here he was, in a car loaded down with presents and food, heading for your grandmothers house.

A few short minutes later you had pulled into a cozy neighborhood littered with nice houses and Christmas decorations. You squeezed his hand as you parked in front of one before turning off the car. Taking a deep breath he exited the car and carried the box full of presents while you carried a pan of food. He followed you to the door and nodded to some people you greeted that were hanging out outside. One person opened the door for you both and you were greeted with a shriek of excitement from who he recognized as your mother. She took the food from your hands and hugged you and calling your fathers name “It’s about time you made it! Now all we are waiting on is your aunt and her bunch and no telling when they will get here.” She ushered you inside and aizawa followed right as your father joined her. “Oh Shouta! You came! I’m so happy you are here. Look dear she brought Shouta! I was beginning to think she was keeping him from us!” Your mother exclaimed as the box he was holding was taken from him and he was pulled into a warm, and very tight, embrace. Your mom continued to chat about him meeting all the family and other things as your father shook his hand and patted his back. Your dads welcome was much shorter but equally as friendly full of pleasantries. After the initial greeting you managed to pull aizawa to you and away from your parents.

“Are you alright?” You asked him after a few more family introductions and awkward hugs for him “I don’t want you to get overwhelmed.”

“I’m fine... it’s not completely terrible and it only happens really once a year right?” You laughed gently and confirmed, leaning into him he wrapped his arms around you and held you while resting your foreheads together. Your quiet intimate moment was interrupted by the sound of camera and a flash. Pulling away from each other abruptly in surprise you found a cousin of yours grinning cheekily behind a camera before running off to take more pics. You sighed but smiled as Shouta hugged you briefly from behind and kissed the side of your face.

A bit later you had been separated from Shouta as you were asked to help get the food ready but your dad came to his rescue when he found him being questioned by some well meaning family about babies and marriage. Shouta has never been so relieved to be sat on a couch beside a man he scarcely knew and soon found that your dad was much easier to talk to than most others he had met. You had definitely taken after your dad in your quiet personality but you had your mothers looks. He smiled at the thought of you. Sitting back he was content in watching most the antics from a distance. He could see the young men of the family running around outside through the window and most of the women were in the kitchen.

“Hey, I’m going upstairs for a minute. All the kids are up there and I’m going to say hi and let them know to start getting ready to come down for dinner.” You had appeared near Shouta handing him a drink and kissed the side of his head. He watched you until you were out of sight before turning his attention back to your dad. When you returned he was listening to an uncle of yours describing a hunting trip he had been on. Shouta had mastered the poker face but you could tell he was dying a bit on the inside. You sat on the arm of the couch next to him and ran your hands through his hair. Immediately he turned to you and asked about the kids. “Oh they’re fine. The little ones have toys pulled out everywhere and some of the older girls are watching them. The oldest boy is really the only young boy of the family so he brought some friends from school and they have locked themselves in a room and are playing DND, i can’t believe he’s in high school now. I remember when he was born.” You stretched and then whined that these family gatherings make you feel so old now. Shouta pulled you into his lap and you both sat in comfortable silence as he laid his head on you and you curled into him. Even though the atmosphere around you both was pretty busy there was still a sense of peace. Your family had gladly accepted Shouta and the initial anxiety had worn off. He still felt overwhelmed but with you entangling your fingers together he knew it was manageable.

Or so he thought. Getting food was insane. Oh it smelled amazing and it started out easy enough. They had been asked to get in line and had plates in hand when the kids were called down. He never saw just one kid appear, it was as if a floodgate of children had been loosed. Plates were being held over heads, kids were screaming and running, crying over what food they did or didn’t want, young parents frantically trying to fill small children’s plates... did someone just throw food overhead? Once his initial shock wore off you helped him navigate his way through the line, watching where you both stepped. At times like these he was thankful for your patience and calm nature but he could tell you were getting frazzled. You ushered him to a table and went back for drinks. Sitting down Shouta sighed and ran his hand through his hair before picking up his fork and beginning to eat. The first bite had almost reached his mouth when a familiar voice spoke.

“Aizawa sensei..?” He looked up and froze. “What are you doing here?” Directly in front of him sat not one but three faces equally shocked, confused, and concerned. If he didn’t know better he would have thought time had stopped. It seemed to have slowed down as his thoughts rushed him, but before anyone could say anything a drink was sat in front of him. You placed your hand on his back as you sat down beside him smiling widely at him.

“I’m back! That was almost a nightmare” you took a bite and chased it down with a drink. Looking over at your boyfriend you quirked an eyebrow at the expression he was looking at you with “what? Are you ok?” He nodded then blinked slowly and turned to his plate. You watched him eat for a bit noting he was tense but not knowing why. You placed a hand on his leg and squeezed gently and looked over “oh hey Fumikage. I didn’t see you or your friends come down. How’s the game going?”

At first you were met by blank stares but then the boy next to fumikage spoke up. “The game is going well and the food is great, thank you!” You watched as one of his hands had morphed into a mouth and another pushing fumikage enough to break him out of his trance and he quietly agreed.

Nodding you ate a bit more then turning back to Shouta you said “this is my younger cousin I was telling you about and his friends he brought from school. Fumikage this is my boyfriend Shouta.”

“You’re dating aizawa sensei?!” The poor boy was so shocked and you choked on your drink. Coughing a bit you looked between Shouta and the kids and then you laughed, the awkwardness of the situation hitting you.

Wiping your eyes you apologized and attempted several times to talk about things with either Shouta or the kids but it was painful. Eventually when you were both done eating you pulled Shouta away asking if he was ok. After reassuring you that he was fine and it was just unexpected you explained to him about how the Tokoyamis were related to you. “The crow likeness runs on his dads side of the family and he’s related to us on his moms. So we have different last names. His dad had to work today but that’s his mom over there.”

It was getting close to time for the gift exchange and you couldn’t find Shouta. You had helped clean up after everyone was done with dinner and had sat down with your grandma for a bit. She had talked about her time with your grandfather and asked about Shouta. She was very approving of him from when she had met him earlier in the day and enjoyed your stories about him. But now the whereabouts of this man of yours was a mystery.

Heading upstairs you asked one of the kids if they had seen a man in a green Cat sweater with long black hair pulled back come up and they pointed to the door tokoyami and his friends had been playing dnd in. Getting close you could hear voices but they were too muffled to understand so you knocked quietly. Tokoyamis quiet friend opened the door for you to come in. He was a sweet boy but you had never heard him speak. Stepping in you looked to aizawa who was standing near the game table. “Everything alright?”

Everyone nodded at you “yes, we are just making a deal on not speaking about this l at school... or ever.” Tokoyami answered. You smiled but quirked an eyebrow at them as Shouta walked to you.

“Alright I guess, if it’s that important to you all. It’s time to open presents so if you want...” You were cut off by the three boys running past you. You laughed and linked hands with Shouta once again. “Come on let’s join them”

Downstairs everyone had made a place for themselves and you and Shouta found a place in one of the corners of the room. You sat with your back against his chest as one of your uncles became the designated person to pass out gifts. “My grandma really likes you, really everyone seems to like you but she really does.”

“You think so?”

You hummed in affirmation “yes. She also said you are very handsome and we will make beautiful babies one day.” He buried his face in your shoulder and you smiled knowing he was blushing. “You want to go home after this?”

“Sure, if you are ready.”

Gifts were exchanged, laughs were had, and Love was shared. Overall is was a great Christmas celebration but you were ready to go. You said your farewells and loaded up the car. The boys came down to see you both off having eased up with their teacher being around. You stood to the side as they reminded each other not to say anything at school, swearing it to each other.

“Hey guys! Over here!” All four boys looked in your direction to be met with a blinding flash. Both you and your same cousin with the camera smiled cheekily. “Thanks guys, I just wanted a pic of all you in your Christmas sweaters.” You laughed at the glares you got and finished saying goodbye.

Aizawa opted to drive home and held your hand as you discussed the days events. He assured you he enjoyed himself and wasn’t going to leave you for anything your family did. You laughed and rode the rest of the way home in comfortable silence.

You awoke to aizawa lifting you out of your seat and carrying you inside. He unloaded the car as you changed into one of his shirts and crawled into bed. Shortly after he joined you in just pajama pants “we don’t have anywhere to be in the morning so I hope you let me sleep in.” He said with one arm covering his eyes.

You watched him for a minute then leaned up and kissed his lips softly. “I won’t wake you, you deserve to sleep.” He hummed. “Unless you want to make beautiful babies.” You whispered against his lips kissing him quickly then rolling over and settling into bed. Shouta pulled his arm off his face and looked wide eyed at the back of you as he felt his exhaustion melt away being replaced by something different entirely. Running his hand over your side and kissing your neck you felt a low growl in his chest and knew sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon.

Rolling over you met him in a heated kiss

“I love you Shouta”

“Mmm I love you too”

[dmwisdom]

Hi ! So I'm pretty new to d&d in general; I've only done 2 one shots at my local game store haha. but I want to start my own homebrew campaign, since I don't have time to go to the game store every week. do you have any tips for writing a conspiracy/mystery style campaign, or just beginner DM tips in general? I know that a conspiracy will somehow be involved, but I'm just beginning to lay the groundwork. thanks so much (and I love this blog!!)

Wassup! I want to start this out by saying that my intention with this reply is not to discourage you from DMing -- seriously, we can’t ever have enough DMs and those of us that do run groups are always extremely excited and grateful when a player (or non-player/newbie) becomes a DM.

With that being said, it’s really important to know that running your own homebrew campaign is a ton of work. I usually put around 4 or 5 hours a week into the game, and that’s when my players aren’t really doing much. If I need to design a dungeon, detail the encounters and their triggers, come up with new ways to throw baddies at my players, maybe think up some fun puzzles, etc. I’m looking at a lot of prep work. On top of that, you will be worldbuilding; so you have to come up with locations (both a map of and details about said locations); people (who they are, their background, their personality); lore; etc.

So, my advice, if you don’t have time to go to the game store every week, is to pick up a module. Lost Mines of Phandelver, the module that comes with the starter kit, is a really great starter campaign! If you find yourself struggling to find time to come up with homebrew content, I would suggest you pick up one of those modules and work your party into that story.

The upside: all of that ^ is a lot of fun! It is oodles of fun coming up with your own dungeon. I never get tired of my players walking right past the thing they’re looking for, or watching my players try figuring out a puzzle when the answer is slapping them in the face! I haven’t run any official modules yet (I will soon though!) so I can’t really speak for how much fun running one of those can be, but I will never not enjoy watching other people interact with something I created all by myself (bonus points if they enjoy it!)

(I didn’t realize how much time I spent on that section of the post, whoops!)

You asked if I had any advice for a conspiracy / mystery style campaign, I do. (Wait, what? Shocker!) I haven’t run a game like this, but the campaign that introduced me to DnD had some of these elements. Story time: Some delinquent decided to torch the local school because they were teaching the students things that didn’t quite line up with the dominant religion of the region (lots of homebrew so I’m keeping it vague.) Since we are kind of a special police force for the city, we investigate the fire. After intense investigations, breaking through doors with an ethereal tiger, setting a criminal hiding under an invisibility cloak on fire, and the usual, we finally get down to the bottom of the crime. There were two people who did the actual arson (owner of the house with the now-broken door and the guy in his basement... who we set on fire...) and another person who orchestrated it. Now, we didn’t have any solid evidence of her involvement, but we are 98% sure she was behind it. The real kicker was that we couldn’t do anything to her because she was basically a cardinal to a pope (who later will become pope, making her even harder to touch agh!) The point of this story is that we know she did it, but we have no way of proving it. The actual police knows she did it, but they can’t prove it. The frustrating part of the conspiracy lay in the fact that we can’t actually prove anything so her smugass gets to walk free knowing she can’t be touched. It’s really, really frustrating.

My next piece of advice for a conspiracy/ mystery campaign is to have a few betrayals. One betrayal hurts but isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Too many betrayals and your players won’t trust anyone you introduce them to. My DM (same campaign from earlier) has revealed a couple of people to be behind some pretty major, shady events in the campaign and it sucks. It especially sucks because they were NPCs that we all really liked. I would also suggest having a red herring NPC; someone that is 100% involved and 100% in the open. That way, your group will be even more shocked when they learn about the involvement of one of their faves.

Since I’ve already written close to 800 words on this reply, I’m going to end it with some pretty general tips. Find someone on youtube who creates DM advice videos. Matt Mercer (Critical Role) has his own series. I prefer Matt Colville, however. His videos includes advice and examples from games he’s run. I can’t say whether or not Mercer does this, but he didn’t in the videos I watched.)

If you want me to expand upon some general DM tips, hit me up with another ask! This is already more than a page worth of content and I don’t want to overwhelm the homies.

[thornstocutyouwith]

Character Sheet  DnD: Claerwen

“I am aware. That I am an asshole!! Just like you!”

    - Falling in Reverse, Just Like You

   General Information

Name: Claerwen Tancred Hailstrum Name Meaning:  Claerwen (Clear light) Tancred(Well Thought Advice) Hailstrum(Brute) Pronunciation: Cla-er-wen  T-ah-n-cred Hail-struhm Other Names: The Bard, Sexy, Hot Titles:  Our Bard, Hot Elf, Clarence’s ‘Friend’ (They aren’t friends, the people just include him as such because he’s been with the party, against his own will more or less)

Sex: Male Gender: Male Age: 100

Birth Date:  Unknown ( They haven’t really been a very elaborate D&D group, they are much more I WANT TO FIGHT and less. THE WORLD NEEDS TO HAVE SENSE OF REALISM, like a fucking calendar, at the very least. lol) Birth Place:  Feywilds, City/Kingdom in a Forest, somewhere, far, far, far away from where the story takes place.

Species: Elf Occupation: Bard, Archivist(Shhhh), Instrument Maker, Performer, Ninja (NINJA BARD!)

Dominant Hand: Ambidextrous Astrological Sign: Aquarius (Not that it fucking matters? lol) Blood Type: B

   Appearance

Main Appearance: Elf ears, very pretty/Handsome, Well endowed ( apparently says the person that looked at his junk while he was meditating,11-12Inches. lol), Sandy blonde hair, Turquoise blue eyes, Hair length/Style(Shorter side for the moment, trying to grow it out, and kept in a ponytail for the most part), Brand between shoulder blades.

Alternative Appearances: 

Wardrobe: Studded Armor, What he wears under the armor, what else he wears

Accessories: Backpack full of stuff Musical Instruments: Violin Piercings:  Left ear Hygiene: Very well kept and clean Makeup: Maybe a little here or there, but not usually. At least when he’s not performing. Perfume / Cologne: Flowery Scent: Leaves or Grass, Bars, Rain Tattoos:

   Health

Diet: Fruits or fish mostly Exercise: Sometimes exercises Fitness: Yes Posture: Stands with purpose usually, straight backed. Though often enough, he relaxes and his body leans or slacks into a more comfortable and casual stance.

Abnormalities: n/a Aids:  n/a Allergies: n/a Diseases:  n/a Illnesses:  n/a Disorders:  n/a Broken Bones:  n/a Reason for Health:  Most likely childhood trauma, and further trauma’s after.

   Voice

Accent / Dialect: Some what Snobbish, Aristocratic accent Voice: Tenor Laughter: Gentle Impediments: Sometimes stutters or gets his tongue tied

   Psychology

Languages: Common, Elvish, Orc, Draconic, Sylvian, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Personality: Honest, Offhand, Independent, Asocial, Daring, Egocentric, Aloof, Studious, Unceremonious, Calm, Reflective, Attractive, Persuasive, Free Thinking, Insightful, Introvert, Innovative, Perceptive, Future-focused, Curious, Logical, Imaginative, Crafty, Theoretical, Enthusiastic, Objective, Introspective, Impersonal, Inventive, Assertive, Flexible, Carefree, Gregarious, Intellectual, Entrepreneurial, Complex, Non-conforming, Fearless, Efficient, Exciting,

   Philosophy

Outlook on Life: Mostly just wants to explore places, find out the history of places and things, and perhaps get some coin or prize while doing so. Philosophy / Motto:  To test the limits of pretty much everything you hold dear to you, lol. To learn all that he can.

   Character

Quirks: Mutterer, Awkward, Taps foot when he’s bored, Tinkering with things,

Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Lyricism, Playing Instrument, Acting, Play writing, Music Composition, Games, Storytelling, Cooking, Adventuring,   Closet Hobbies: Sewing, Singing, Dancing, Voices ( for performances, duh), Drawing, Painting, Journalism, Puppetry,  Guilty Pleasures: Inciting Chaos among the group.

Habits: n/a Nervous Tics: Tugs on his ears, hums under his breath, goes quiet and becomes slightly more goofy. Soft Spots: Creatures, especially those he can make useful to him.

Most Prized Possession: His Violin of course, but generally things he’s earned himself since becoming free. Collections: 18 mole like creatures and 5 Ankheg Eggs,

Regrets: Nothing Secrets: Many Darkest Secret: He is a former(Kidnapped) House servant to a wealthy family. Pet Peeves: Currently not much, though he dislikes a certain dwarf for being annoying, and he’s not very fond of the Barbarian’s world wide notoriety, or the apparent vastness of the barbarian’s popularity anyway.

Phobias: N/a

   Preferences

Likes: Writing in his journal, playing his violin, singing, fruit, sunflower seeds, fish, learning new things, exploring the world, music, books, swimming, games, performing, looting, animals, quiet alone time, getting stuff for basically free, traveling, new things, Dislikes:  Helena pointing out that he is ‘the bard’ or ‘our bard’ as if he were more so property rather than someone they basically have kidnapped at this point, and hardly even think about paying him for his wonderful music, lol. Clarance’s fame. The Dwarf always getting drunk, and saying that his music sucks, the baby golden dragon trying to eat his properties and other comments made that Claerwen just hasn’t cared for. Being surrounded by mostly strangers, despite Helena saying he ‘knows them’, Claerwen has no idea who these people are, other than their names and their professions and slight inclinations.

Favorites: N/A Least Favorites: N/A

   Combat

Ability: Mostly good, very good. As long as it’s not close up and the rolls are good, lol Position: Mostly defensive, but can be offensive, if the situation calls for it. Weapon: Throwing Spear ( Since he was kidnapped and lost his real weapons, and the group gave him it), Slingshot ( Kidnapped so the group gave him it), Element: Fire Martial Arts: He’s a Ninja, pfft. He’s got a foot in all of them, pretty much. Strengths: Stealth, Bardic stuff, Ninja stuff Weaknesses: Close combat(debatable, given the situation) Restrictions: Being weighted down,

   Home, Work, and Education

Abode: He doesn’t live anywhere, right now, technically, though he does have a rather large estate back in his home city.

Pets:  18 Vols and 5 Ankheg eggs, and soon a T-Rex Helena offered him as a bargaining chip for selling an adult Ankheg he wanted. Roommates: Technically, none. But seeing as they are all going to be sleeping in a cart, wouldn’t that make them roommates...

Sleep Patterns: [Self explanatory] Eating Habits: [Self explanatory]

   Social

Mother: Ceinwen, Half Moon Elf/ 23% Blood Elf/17% High Elf, 5% Cosmic Elf, 3% Tel-quessir 2% SilverBlood Elf, Father: Llywelyn, 16% Wood Elf/ 15% Star Elf/ 10% Draco-Elf/  9% Crystal Elf/  9% Dark Elf/ 8%Moon Elf/ 7% High Elf/  7% Grey Elf/ 6% Eladrin Elf, 5% Aquatic Elf/ 4%Wild Elf/ 4% Elf Guardians: Staff at his Estate home from childhood. Siblings: Older Brother: Neifion/ Older Sister: Briallen/ Older Brother: Eirwen Children: None Best Friend: None Close Friends: None Friends: Maybe Helena, a little bit, lol, Team: Helena, Artex, Hyna, Norah, Clarence, Some Necromancer, some Dwarf, some others he has no clue, lol Acquaintances: Helena Rivals:  No one Enemies: No one

   Romance

First Love: None Love Interests: None Significant Other: None Sexual and Romantic Orientation(s): Bisexual/Grey-Romantic

   Reactions

(Optional; but generally, this is how they react to what they’re feeling)

Angry: Anxious: Conflicted: Criticized: Depressed: Embarrassed: Excited: Frightened: Guilty: Happy: Humiliated: Nervous: Offended: Praised: Rejected: Sad: Stressed: Thoughtful:

   Biography

Background: 

Claerwen was born into an Elven Family (Left ambiguous for several reasons) where he grew up until he reached childhood. Claerwen had grown to become curious and knowledgeable as a child. He often enjoyed his time away from others his own age to go explore his hunger for knowledge. Though this did not always leave him with much safety or supervision. His parents never quite figured out just how far their son would go in his quests for knowledge. It seemed that as long as he came home they had no reason to worry about his long and mysterious disappearances. And so he was allowed to continue with what they had surely must have thought was just a peculiar young elf growing up as he pleased.

That was until the day of the incident, the day he would never return home, at least not for a long time. Over the years Clearwen’s curiosity had grown perhaps slightly out of control as he had begun to venture out from the safety of their protected lands. Claerwen would take secret trips to go explore the places he would hear others( those who were assigned to leave the safety of their land )speak of treasures and other wonders outside of the barrier. It had been the fall season where he lived when Claerwen had heard the story of one cave just outside the safe zone. He had worked up the courage to go outside the zone.

So, the young elf child set out he spent the next few days preparing for his trip. Thinking that it would be easy and brief, he had packed up some of the essentials he would have needed, something to drink, something to snack on, perhaps some first aid just in case. But outside of the beasts that had roamed around their city, Claerwen had never heard many stories, if any of all, of any foreigners being found in close proximity, if at all, to their city. So he did not factor in any of those, they seemed the least likely to need thinking about.

At the beginning of his little adventure things had been going well, his curiosity had definitely been stroked. He kept himself alert through his trek to the cave that had supposedly been full of treasure. But eventually his childish nature had started to get the better of him and he began to drop his alertness in favor of goofing around. As he traveled, he came across a few threatening beasts that he had managed to get away from and kept working his way toward the cave.

Once at the cave, and with some hesitation, he began to poke his way into the cave. As he walked through it his initial nervous feelings about it had begun to dwindle, he started to feel much more safe than he had outside of the cave, with the creatures in the forest.  Enjoying himself over all as he made his way through the cave.

He would visit the caves every day then,  exploring them most of the day. But had unfortunately never came across anything of any special importance to him. It was for the most part, just a cave. Which had after sometime began to make Claerwen bored after several days. Weeks would pass though, Claerwen would keep going back to the cave, studying it and exploring it, mostly just wanting to find every dead end possible.  He was unaware that his unauthorized trips back and forth between his Kingdom and the caves outside of it, would trigger something horrible. But how was he to know what fate had in store for him.

One night after he had returned home from his lasted trek through the woods he created his father at dinner who pointed out that he had a leave stuck in his hair. As his family ate his mother had started to ask him where he was going, and that she heard rumors about his leaving the safety of their kingdom from the locals. Which Claerwen obviously told her weren’t true. He didn’t know if his parents had believed him or not. But they said nothing else as his siblings had begun to talk about their own lives, soon Claerwen joined in talking of the things he had learned and what he wished to do when he was older.

As his mother came in to say goodnight to him she walked over, placing a kiss on his forehead before making a face at him as she looked around. It was easy to tell that Claerwen was her child, of course he was also his fathers. But Claerwen didn’t have the dark black hair his father had, he didn’t have the same eye color, or many features. Sleepily he watched as she got up making sure he was secure, then looked around, as if there was some hidden danger that might have been waiting just inside the closet on the other side of the room or just outside the window. It was perhaps nothing more than just a motherly thing to do. Little did she know, that the danger was real, and very close.

Later on that night, others, outsiders, began to infiltrate the kingdom, silently picking their way through guards and others still awake. Snatching up the vulnerable and defenseless children they came across. Some elves were murdered, others only knocked unconscious, depending on what they did to the intruder, and the intruders own inclinations.

Being at an estate Claerwen’s family had been one of those that were the safest in the city. But even still, Claerwen and his family had know clue what had been heading their way. As it would later be clear that those who were invading the city had done their research, had planned almost to an exact T one what they would be doing, and how they would be doing it in a sufficient manner. The alarms in the city had not been going off, no one knew what was going on in the dwellings next door, much less their own homes, until it was too late. In no time the invaders had made their way toward Claerwen’s Family’s Estate. He had still been resting in his bed as a shadowy figure crept through the window to his room, and quietly made their way toward him.

Claerwen had been a heavy sleeper as a child, so by the time he heard anything, the slightest creak as the intruders weight neared the side of his bed, it had been too late. They had snatched the small elf boy up into their arms, pulling him from his bed as he tried futilely to escape the intruders grasp, digging his fingernails into their arms and trying to bite them, only to be carried away like a useless ragdoll. Being carried out into the hallway by the male who had captured him

It had been in those moments that he could make out the noise of someone fighting from another room. He could also hear distant voices shouting and other noises from the city around them, which had been waking up and been aware of the threat that had come to their kingdom. Claerwen took that moment  as the intruder paused, apparently taking notice of the severity of the moment, that he screamed out toward where the fighting was going on.  Following that the agonized gasp of someone who had just been cut down could be heard. Quickly followed by the door the intruder and Claerwen had been in front of, jerking open, violently.

In the doorway had stood Claerwen’s mother, and she did not look at all very happy about her child being in the hands of some stranger. Her clothes had been splattered in quite a bit of blood. Blood had dripped from the sword she was hold. As she made a stance to attack, the blood was flicked onto the floor and wall before she charged forward, shouting for the intruder to let her son go. She had been about to strike when an arrow, show with great precision struck her, sending Claerwen’s mother to the ground. Looking over then Claerwen watched as the other intruder made their way over and told their friend to get out with the child as they had to start clearing out of the area. Before Clearwen could hear anything more, however, things had begun to go fuzzy for him and he blacked out.

The next thing Claerwen remembers is waking up in a cart that had been full of other kidnapped elf children and for the next hour the invaders had managed to keep the cart hidden and anyone who got close to it that wasn’t part of the foreign invaders was brutally killed by those who had stayed behind to guard the cart. After all, they were going to make a lot of money of their prisoners. After that night, Claerwen of course did not see his family again. It took more than an hour for the intruders to finally relent and retreat from the city entirely, gathering up a few more children. Which took about an hour at most. Once it seemed they were ready to leave the prisoners had been given something to put them to sleep through most of the trip they would be taking.That way they wouldn’t know their way back home if they ever escaped. And so they could easily be recaptured.

They had traveled over many, many, many days then. Getting farther and farther from him and from being saved. A full month had gone by before the prisoners would come to realize what they were captured for, to be sold in auctions at a black market. Some children did not make the trip, but Claerwen had. After watching countless others be sold off to wealthy households it was soon to be Claerwen’s turn as well. He was sold far more quickly than any of his other counterparts. As Claerwen had a better pedigree than most of those other children had. He was clearly one of the only children that had been taken from what was clearly a wealthy family. And had been worth a lot more than most other family buy that day could even afford.

Once he had been sold the children were branded with images that, if anything happened to the family’s property, they could easily identify it. Claerwen had been branded just like the others, between his shoulder blades and sent to live with the family that had purchased him.

Over then ext few decades of Claerwen’s life he had been taught the ways of a bard, or at least his already adept musical ability had been improved upon then, during his years of servitude to the family that bought him. Being surrounded by books as well, Claerwen was able to continue to feed his appetite for knowledge, when allowed the chance to, during breaks and such things like that when he was not expressly needed other than for something pretty to look at. However, despite all of this Claerwen was regularly beaten and abused while under the care of the family that bought him. Originally because of his defiance, and after that was apparently beaten from him, just because they had felt like it.

On one fateful day, however, decades after being bought at the black market, Claerwen and the young master had been out riding on their horse. Claerwen had been made to walk beside him, or keep up with whatever they were doing at the time, on foot. While he walked behind the teenager, tired from the last five hours of having to chase the teen around on their horse or be yelled at and smacked with their riding crop. Which he had just then, been hit with across his left arm, that he was trying to tend to as well as continue to keep up with the young master ( This is a person SOMEONE keeps telling me Claerwen was horrible to, by the way, lol).

As they had continued on, despite the obvious build up of storm clouds, a crack of lightning shot down from the sky close by which had ended up scaring the holy hell out of the Master’s horse, sending it into a fit. It bucked before taking off toward some trees. Claerwen, for one, not being able to really do anything, had just watched, and secondly, didn’t want to do anything anyway, to help the young master’s horse from bucking. He was more about preserving himself at that moment in time. Rather than risk getting fucking kicked by a horse in the head, or the chest, or anywhere else.

So the horse sped off, right for the trees and the young masters head managed to catch a low hanging tree branch as the horse dashed under it. The masters head snapped back in an ugly way before their body fell from the horse into a heap just under the tree branch. The horse then took off into the woods nearby neighing loudly. Claerwen had stared in apathy at the far off heap of surely dead teenage boy in the distance before turning and, upon realizing there was literally nothing he could to about it, he took off.

Clearwen had taken that moment of absolutely no one else being there to break free of his servitude and try and find his family, finally, after all the years being held captive, being watched and unable to leave, the lightning had given him this rare opportunity and Claerwen took it.  Even as the rain began to pour down from the darkened skies he continued to trek through the mud and cold, trying to get as far away as he possibly could from those horrible people and start his own life, like he should have. As a one hundred year old, this was the year when in his home city he would be considered an adult, he would have been going through the Rites. But instead, for him, and many of the other kidnapped elven children from that night, would be passed over. Perhaps this was fates way of saying to him that this would be his Rite to adulthood.

Either way Claerwen knew he wouldn’t stop moving until he was completely free to live his life, to be himself, finally. Taking only the things he had been wearing and had on him at that time, a violin included, he had managed to start forging a path toward at least having a better life than the one of servitude that had been waiting for him. He managed to work and get things for himself in the years that fallowed his escape and in time put all but the memories of his time as a slave behind him. It was during his years of freedom that he also happened to be asked to join a clan of local ninja’s in one of the places he had traveled to, in order to earn money by playing violin. At that time he did not entirely take the clan up on their offer, but told them that he would come back when he was ready to learn. They happily accepted this and told them they would be waiting for him.

Some time later Claerwen eventually did take the ninja clan up on that offer, and has been learning to be a ninja when he has the time to.

Earliest Memory: [Self explanatory] Fondest Memory: [Self explanatory] Worst Memory: [Self explanatory]

   Miscellaneous

ENTP-A

Not a Virgin

Skilled in Sex (lol)

Can become emotionally cold because of his past

Choloric-Phlegmatic Blend

Chaotic Neutral(Alt Neutral)

Enneagram: 7/7w8, The Enthusiast, The Challenger

Aquarius

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor/ House Blends: Ravendor

Ilvermorny: Horned Serpent

Aura: Green

Patronous: Hawk or Swan

Divergency: Dauntless, Candor, Erudite

Prefers Dogs over Cats

Likes the color Red

Dislikes the color Yellow

Natural Disaster: Earthquake

Favorite Color is Blue

Elements(Extra): Steel, Light, Thunder, Dark

Balanced Brain

[xmirakell-moved]

Hello everyone ^^

Been a few busy days but I hope everyone has had a nice Christmas and is looking forward to the new year. We had the kids up yesterday so I shall be posting up those pictures soon enough ^^

Even if you may have not gotten to spend Christmas how you wished - I hope at the very least you are safe and warm.

Long distance relationships at this time of year are horrid. I miss Chris a lot, especially since I spent last holiday season with him but, he phoned on Christmas Day and we keep in touch using Between which does help a lot. My mood is also beginning to settle down, I’m feeling motivated again and less wishing to murder people which is always a good thing lol.

Got xenoblades 2, so I shall be addicted to that game a lot. I’m six hours in and have really just been exploring more than anything else. It’s a really pretty game. Quite amazing and quite large for being on the switch. I mainly play the console in handheld and though the game uses a lot of juice (needs charged about every two hours) it’s bloody worth that small annoyance!

Today’s plans are to relax, play my game and later tonight begin my planning for my first season as DM for the guilds DnD group. I bought the pdf file needed but may buy hard copies too - much easier for me to bloody use ^^

In the new year I shall be attempting to write more and to keep this place more up to date. There is a lot to get done and planned in 2018. It’s gonna be an exciting but scary year.