#also like the lore of the sorcerer part of urge

[ranger-crisis]

Fuck BG3 let me multi class on explorer mode you little bitches sorcerer monk shall be achieved

[tansyuduri]

Merlin Loregasm Rewatch S1E6 (Part2)

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my rewatch of Merlin focusing on the lore. I am a giant nerd so pretty excited about this. We’re on A REMEDY TO CURE ALL ILLS So this is part two because last time I cut off early because there was so much lore and I accidentally posted it! ANYHOW lets continue.

Great Dragon: 20 years almost a lifetime to make the short journey back to were you begun. OKAY! so asuming Arthur is 21 in his of age ceremony in later season one episode EXCALIBUR, it means Gaius likely has not visited the great dragon since Arthur's birth.

What I find especially intersting here is "Back to where you begun" I'm assuming this means the great dragon and not the caves under Camalot.

I think this could have three meanings. If it's connected to the previous statement of 20 years I think it would imply that the great dragon might have been the one to give Gaius the idea to go to the Priestessess about making Arthur. Then Gaius came back after Ygraine died to be like "Dude WTF" to the Dragon. If the mentioning 20 years is not directly connected to "where you began" it could mean that Gaius somehow started on his journey of learning magic with the great dragon. This could explain more about how he knew Balinor ETC. And would be an interesting detail. Did the dragon teach Gaius magic knowing Merlin would turn up one day? Did Gaius just see the dragon doing a spell and be like THAT I WANT THAT. How much did Gaius study with the dragon vrs the godess priesthood he mentions later vrs books?

ANOTHER possibility is that Gaius used to go to the dragon for advice like Merlin did. I think this is less likely because the dragon at that time would not have been conveniently locked up in the basment.

It could also be both of the top two passabilies!

Great Dragon: You have struggled against his destiny but you can no more prevent it than he can! What is the dragon referring to here? We know Gaius has in fact encouraged Merlin to protect Arthur. ALSO, Merlin has not yet done anything to protect Uther at Gaius's urge yet. Later this episode is the first time he does. Gaius has given Merlin the book of spells to help him learn more powerful magic. Does he mean Gaius's urging not to use magic for little things? coresponding to the "Gaius doesn't like me to use it" line Merlin says to Edwin. I think this is the only thing the dragon can possibly mean. He thinks Merlin should be able to use the magic for many things and Gaius is not encouraging him to use it enough.

Great Dragon "He and you young pendragon one day will unite the land of Albion. I mean I guess they will in the sense that they help it be at peace as far as all I know?

Gaius: I will not choose between them (Merlin and Uther)

Great Dragon: Then turn a blind eye. That is afterall your talent.

OOF okay more about Gaius letting the purge happen and siding with Uther. I speculated in the last post about why he might have done this. But still this is REALLY not a good look. And I don't think that reason can be all of it? Was he scared? Was he really that dedicated to Uther? Possibly because Uther united the kingdom and the mess it was in? Or my merlin rewatch discord (this rewatch is seperate from that) is right besides the jokes and Utherus is real. Did he stay behind to try to protect Alice (As she later says) I mean the only time we see him helping sorcerers is with Merlin and Alice. (And in his own twisted reasoning Morgana) He tends to keep their magic a secret at times (Like with Gilli) But doesn't really go out of his way to help them.

The dragon interestingly does not mention magic returning to Albion but Gaius does assure Merlin that one day his gifts will be reconized. So apparently he is all alright with magic coming back eventually. So he cannot have been overly invested in it being destroyed. Even if he does fear it some like I theorized. It was to be one of the other reasons. Personally my bet is it's a mix of a lot of them. People tend to be complicated and it was a HUGE decision Gaius made. It makes sense to me he had a lot of reasons.

WHOA hold up! Gaius has only been in the court of Camelot since around Arthurs's birth? I mean judging by other conversations I assumed it was a lot longer. AND HE WAS CLOSLY INVOLVED IN MAKING IT HAPPEN? Why did Uther trust him so much, Why did Uther not turn on him? This could be another reason he went along with the purge for the most part. Freaking out about Uther blaming and executing him? Liking his new gig? So he became court physician around the birth of arthur... Events he helped make happen. I mean it could help explain Uther's hot and cold attitude to Gaius. Gaius helped him get a son. But that son cost him his wife, Gaius blamed magic and went along with him to try to destroy it? Also did Gaius become a "Legend, and THE VERY BEST" viewed physician during those 20 years? I have a suspicion he was before hand and Uther was like I can't do anything to get a baby don't we have that legendary physician somewhere in the kingdom? Then just up and fired the physician he had or something. (I'm assuming he already had one partly out of basic logic and party because it would explain why Gaius was not ALREADY court Physician if he was so good.) BUT this all assumes that Gaius was already so renowned that Also could have happened AFTR becoming court physician. If it was before it could also explain why uther did not just off him. He is the BEST Legendary. That would be some status to have him.

Arnica being prescribed for an old battle wound on the shouldor that gives a lot of pain makes sence. It's been used for centuries as a pain remedy. HELL you can get Arnica Gell today to help with a variety of issues. (Try rubbing it on the belly if you get period cramps.) Arnica also specializes in muscle pain, stiffness, swelling from injuries, and bruising. Its poisonous if ingested but rubbed on the body that stuff is a miracle.

I forgot to mention this earlier BUT WHO THE FUCK let a litteral child attend his parent's death by burning? Was he made to by someone? was there simply no one to stop him? AND HE JUMPED INTO THE FIRE TO SAVE THEM WTF

Edwin: with your death magic will return to camalot.

UH how does he figure? Even assuming no one ever finds out he used magic to kill Uther. Is he just gonna slowly bring it back? What is his game plan? I mean he has to know it's gonna hurt his credibility when Morgana's dreams return. (And another thing I will go into later) Is he just gonna enchant Arthur or...? If he has that kind of power why did he not use it before?

Gaius: I will not allow you to kill Uther

Edwin: You've never had a problem letting people die before

Gaius: Your parents where practicing dark magic, just like you

Ok so in this case they were practicing dark magic. But it could not have been in every case. I do like a lot of Aspects of Gaius's relationship with Merlin but MAAAAN

Okay Man Edwin you really did not think this through! If you could cure it once you would be expected to cure it again. And you are not even hiding so you are hard to find. You are in your freaking room. You would be expected to cure it! So how the hell was magic going to come back. Were you just planing to say "Sorry I cannot cure it this time?"

HEY! first time a baddie does the "join me Merlin" thing. Also this was his plan? Take the kingdom by force, possibly with Merlin. That would not have gone over well or worked well. Unless he was planning top just dominate and rule through Arthur? But if he had that kinda power why did he have to go though all this? I really don't think this guy has thought through his long term plan.

Okay so Elanthia is the name of the world in a text based computer game about dragons... Melanthia means "black flower" in greek. So not much behind the name here. Also it's interesting they can be enchanted to enter the brain and feed on it until they devour the soul. This implies the Soul kinda lives in the brain in the Merlin word.

Uther (looking sad) "There is nothing wrong with my strength. Do you remember them? His parents?

Gaius: I remember them all Sire.

Uther: Gaius, Once again you've saved my life. You've always served me well. And I know there are things that I've asked you to do, which you've found difficult

Gaius: You've always done what you believed to be right.

Uther: I was not right to betray you. I'm sorry. From now on I will remember, that in the fight against magic, you are the one person I can trust

Interstingly this implies Uther is kind of haunted by the people he has killed but possibly not enough to remember faces. (or he could just be asking if Gaius remembers them too) this is futher evidenced by the mandrake later using images of people he killed to torment him. Its an interesting detail that humanises him a TINY bit despite him being just a horrible horrible person. Also what did he ask Gaius to do? Everyone else talks about Gaius standing by, is that what he refers to? Or did he ask Gaius to be an active part in finding magic users? Gosh I hope not. This scene also shows that Gaius is in fact haunted by what happened as he remembers all the faces. The line he uses to reassure Uther is actually one Merlin uses on Arthur. The difference is what Arthur believes to be right is WAY better than what Uther believes to be right. Also Uther will only remember this until next season. Another difference between him and Arthur.

Uther: But hencforth you are a free man of camalot In feudalism, a free man is someone not nobility but higher in status than a serf. In traditional feudalism Sefdom was the state of most peasants they were given a plot of land but in exchange for having it were required to work it for the lord and give up a portion of what they made. It was basically a form of indentured servitude. CLEARLY that is not happening here, and prior to becoming this Gaius was still allowed to just leave. So we need to look beyond that! In England it later came to mean a man possessing the full privileges and immunities of a place which admission was usually by birth. HOWEVER Gaius later mentions growing up in Camalot. My guess is, in the Merlin World, this means Gaius is now higher in rank than most commoners and lower than a noble. He might have more social rights and protections or have to pay no taxes for example. (taxes are mentioned later in Merlin so seemed a good example)

[gryphonlover]

I’m in a yapping mood so I’ve come to bother you (I’m so sorry), anyways here’s how I think the chain would play BG3:

Time- he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. He falls for every trap and he accidentally kills characters he shouldn’t have because he trusted the wrong people. He definitely played the dark urge because he thought “that one looks interesting” but didn’t fully think that choice through, and he was TRYING to be a good person but he’s absolutely given into the evil thoughts by act 2. Doesn’t even realize romancing the characters is an OPTION until Lae’zel comes up to him like “i want you” and then he screams

Wars- He’s still stuck in character creator /j Fr tho he put HOURS into designing his tav and his created like, the most conventionally attractive mf out there (it’s definitely a paladin half high elf with that ONE specific face). He’d romance Wyll (best man in existence) or Lae’zel (terrifying lady). I’d say he plays it for the dating sim but he’s also INSANE and likes attacking people

Twi- He’d play a sweet little tiefling druid. He’s just there for the vibes, he just wants to pet the owlbear cub the rest of the game stresses him out (he’s a stardew valley kinda guy). He stays in the safety of act 1 and just runs around

Sky- he takes his bg3 incredibly seriously, he has over 700 hours. I think he’d be a cleric, every single time. He’s GOOD at combat, he’d good at building the characters, he loves exploring

Hyrule- Ranger. Romanced the emperor because he thought it was funny and then had a LOT of explaining to do when Legend saw he got a trophy for that. He just makes whatever he thinks the funniest choice would be

Legend- He’s one of the few who has the strength to play a different character every play through. He loves exploring the game and he’s romanced all the characters just to see how different they all are and he loves all their lore. Has more hours than Sky but pretends he doesn’t so he doesn’t get judged for being insane

Wild- Wizard or Sorcerer, either way he blows everything up. Pickpockets all the npcs for cash because he thinks its funny, makes HORRIBLE decisions because he’s curious to see what happens. Definitely doesn’t know you can pay Withers to revive people after they die-

Four- plays the exact same dragonborn fighter every single time, but each play through he does gets crazier and crazier until he’s making INSANE decisions and everyone gets the WORST possible endings, but he’s having fun and he likes being evil

Wind- he picked to be a sorcerer, but other than that he randomized everything else and ended up playing a hot pink gnome he named “Ronald”. He’s having the time of his life

-crazylittlejester

This is the best thing I've heard ALL DAY. I'm not kidding. (And you can bother me anytime. That's why the ask ox is open. 👍)

I have to admit, I had the same reaction as Time when I discovered the dating part, and I've never even played the game. 😅

11/10, totally agree. They would love D&D so much, my goodness. Someone needs to make an LU version of that one episode of VLD where all the paladins play a one-session campaign. It would be complete chaos.

[kelandrin]

Hello! I’m Atlas (any pronouns are fine). This is my bg3 blog. It is 18+ so minors DNI. I like pretty much every ship and will reblog most content. I am always interested in how other people interpret characters and parts of the game, even if those interpretations don’t make it into my own head canons. Slowly putting together a list of my Tavs and Durges! I also post daily Tav Questions. All my dividers are by @cafekitsune !

Jan 22-29 Strike for Palestine: I am refraining from participating in the economy for the strike this week. If you cannot stop going to work or school, check out other ways you can strike by checking out this post here. More ways to support the victims here. Animal rescue donations here.

Ask Games

Tav Ask Game and Durge Ask Game. Not-so-nice Ask Game.

You can also send me your favorite pairing and I will say my favorite thing about it (you can also request my least favorite thing) tag: #multiship ask

You can submit your own Tav Questions!

Send me your Tav details and I will tell you how my Tavs would react to them!

Fic Masterlist

BG3 Character Profiles

Atlas - (he/him) Tiefling Paladin who is romancing Wyll. He can be a touch ornery but ultimately a good person. He was raised by a warlock on a farm on the edge of Rivington.

Kelandrin - (he/him) Drow Durge Paladin who is romancing Astarion. He is very evil, obsessive, and has a skewed concept of “love.” The only form of love he knows is religious submission.

Mavrin - (he/they) Half-Elf Durge Sorcerer who is romancing Gale. He is very troubled by his urge and hates feeling out of control of his body and mind.

Kalan - (he/they) Drow/elf ranger who is romancing Halsin. Says he doesn’t have a daddy complex but like…

Xyrra - (she/they/he) Lythari druid in lore but just plain elf druid in game. Romancing Shadowheart but it hard since Xyrra shapeshifts into a wolf.

Natlia - (she/her) Tiefling sorcerer/bard who is romancing Karlach. She starts off with a cynical streak because her fiancée was murdered and the Flaming Fist didn’t do jack to find his killer. She learns to move forwards over the course of the game.

Livna - (she/her) Drow durge monk who is romancing Lae’zel. She is looking for her next physical high all the time.

Vald - (he/him) Drow durge hexblade warlock who is romancing Minthara. He is very loyal by nature and easily molded by more dominant personalities.

Mutuals & Their Tavs

🚧 ⚠️ 🏗️ Sorry in advance if I missed anyone some people show up as following only on one blog etc. just @ me if I messed up or if I have any wrong tav info!

@tavsboots Velric - (he/him) Tiefling Fighter/warlock who is romancing Astarion and has the most beautiful beard. I'm sorry he was a PIRATE??? That is sick as hell.

@koalamatcha Crozier - (he/him) A "jaded" half-elf who romanced Astarion and I am told he is quite handsome!

@the-real-housewives-of-waterdeep Dulcinea Gohar Selemchant - (she/her) A human wizard turned fighter. The world's most beautiful rich girl. She is gorgeous and knows how to work a ballroom.

@desperatewomenenjoyer Durik/Дурик - (she/her) a drow bard who is romancing Minthara. She went from a pretty nice person (if you ignore what she did in the grove) to pretty jaded and manipulative over the course of the story. Love that for her.

@baldurspeen69420 Izra - (she/her) A githyanki monk who super duper promises she isn't questioning her queen.

Sophie - (she/her) If one more person calls her ugly I am letting Gale nuke the city. She is a half-orc and the prettiest girl at the party as far as I'm concerned!

@punk-muffins Daemys Daezorwyn - (she/her) She was raised in a monastery and trained to be a monk, later picking up fighter skills as well. She is romancing Gale.

@ellekhen Church - (he/him) A tiefling warlock who is romancing Astarion. You gotta check out ElleKhen's fanfiction!

@phoenixspencer Arali - (she/her) A tiefling who grew up in Baldur’s gate. She romanced Astarion!

Calryn - (he/him) A lolth sworn bloodhunter durge who is romancing Astarion. Very handsome.

@thecrowandtheraven08 Cassian - (they/them) A lolth sworn cleric who the more I learn about the sadder I get :( Recently learned what happened to their fiance. They are romancing Astarion and Halsin and I hope they get healed and cherished.

@spacebarbarianweird Tyreal - (she/her) is a half-elf barbarian who is romancing Astarion. They have a dhampir daughter together named Alethaine!

@primal-savagery Velvela - (she/her) A drow druid/fighter/cleric who is romancing Astarion. She is super pretty!

@taras-toe-beans Izzrhys - (he/him) A drow oath of devotion paladin. He is kinda messed up from the drow matriarchy which is honestly fair. He is paried with Gale!

Aratris - (they/them) A half-wood elf circle of the moon druid who spends a lot of time as an owlbear.

Leoryn - (they/them) A high elf lore college bard.

Talaak - (she/her) A durge silver dragonborn storm sorcerer.

Aesir - (they/them) A half high elf thief subclass rogue who was a preexisting dnd character!

Tag Guide

Special tags I use that aren’t common

#tavspawn - any posts featuring kids of tavs or canon characters

#bloodpact - wyllstarion ship name

#all the gods we cannot save - my large fic project for the supernatural/urban fantasy au

Dumb Discourse Disclaimer

Anything where anyone says another person’s interpretation of a character is wrong. I just like seeing people be happy. Sometimes someone else’s happiness includes reading a character differently than you do. This includes but isn’t limited to: spawn batstarion, transcharacter readings, autistic character readings, tavxorigin children, straight people, lesbians, asexual astarion, sexual astarion, tavxraphael, top raphael, dad gale, women, things contrary to “canon”, and that ship you find annoying.

[feraelancunin]

May i ask 1 and 7 for the dark urge ask game ^^

30 durge questions 1. What circumstances led to your Dark Urge becoming their Class/Subclass?

SO; Ferael is a storm sorcerer / bard Storm Sorcerer; well - they were made like that. why? idk man i just went for default durge class. Not a very interesting answer I guess XD the bard answer is better, even if i only have 1 level in it for now lmao

Bard: Even pre-amnesia, Ferael enjoyed playing the lute - it was probably the first hobby unrelated to murder that they picked up. Not too long before the game, maybe 3 years earlier? You see, even pre-game they were growing into someone more than just a tool for slaughter of the world.

When Ferael helps Alfira with the Weeping Dawn - that's when they realise that they can actually play the lute quite well and that they enjoy doing so - it's one of the first things they learn about themselves beyond all the rot and crimson. We all know what happens to out favourite tiefling bard a few days later.

Then, something happens in Act 2 that leads Ferael to officially picking up music based magic - I have a WIP fic draft about it THAT I REALLY NEED TO FINISH! Also, atm they have no bard subclass cause they only have 1 lvl in bard lol. idk which one i'd pick up. probably lore cause spellcasting focused.

not the event, buy that's the best shot of Ferael playing the lute that i have

7. Did your Dark Urge recall any childhood memories? If yes, how do they feel about the revelations? If no, was it by choice or lack of options?

Well. Ferael did experience the heal spell at some point of course - before rejecting Bhaal, so it was the "I killed my family" memory. Probably one of few times where they actually cried. I think I'd actually want to expand that memory - not just the aftermath, but also maybe Ferael saw a few snippets of their life with the foster family. Playing with siblings. Or spending time with (foster) dad. A nice family meal. Going to the market with mum. Something like that. But definitely their mum hugging them, wiping their tears and saying that everything will be okay, as she smiles kindly. And that's the part of the memory that instead of bringing grief, self-hatred, or even lingering ghosts of warmth that once was there, causes Ferael's blood to boil instead. Because they knew that face already.

[cactusringed]

IM asking you to ramble about bg3 au and autism blast everywhere. and makeout and how sexy and funny you are.

I love you both so much our wedding is coming soon

Anyway OK listen. Listen to me okay Bg3 refers to baldurs gate 3 and for all you need to know it's a dnd video game where the characters get infected with literal brain worms which should have turned them into murderous cultists, but somehow they got spared that fate, and come together to get rid of their brain worms

The party is made of

Grian: a gnome druid whose preferred wild shape is a bird and who might have some hidden aasimar origins because Grian HAS to be God's favorite princess all the time

Scar: an elf ranger who was torn away from his family when he was kidnapped by illithids, and whose closest bro Cub (a warlock who's made a pact with archfaes) was also infected but sadly was turned into a cultist. Scar is desperately looking for him.

Scott: a tiefling bard/sorcerer who does most of the group's talking with npcs both due to his travels making him the more knowledgeable of the group about the region but also because as a bard you can do wild shit like just convince really powerful entities to just kill themselves for fun and that's a very Scott thing to do

Mumbo: a half drow artificer who tbh is the most normal of the group (as far as everyone knows anyway)

Jimmy: half aarakocra (bird :D) vampire cringefail rogue who. Well yeah he's a stand in for astarion me and my friend just wanted a cringefail vampire with negative charisma ok

Joel: A half elf barbarian who has a little secret. The secret is that he's a murderous bastard. But like in the most literal sense of the word

Joel's role specifically has me so mentally ill. Okay. So like. You need a teensy bit of lore for this ok and this will include spoilers for baldy gate 3 if the 2.5 people who read this far intend to play the viddy game well stop reading but still kiss me on the mouth.

So the Lore has many gods and the gods are just real tangible all powerful beings. Much like with Greek mythos, you following a specific god isn't because you only believe in that God, but because you're most devoted to them. Well that's how I see it anyway. And there are three gods associated with death and evil (it's more complicated than that in my hc but we don't have time). One of them is Bhaal. And Bhaal, get this, is the most metal fucking fictional god I've seen because he's the god of MURDER.

Something something he had to give birth to people called Bhaalspawn for some reason who are his direct children and carry a piece of him within them or something (Bg/dnd superfans don't come at me) and it's all part of his grand plan to take over the world. WHATEVER

But Joel IS a bhaalspawn. And he was Bhaal's specialest most favorite bhaalspawn. And now, okay, the thing about bhaalspawns is that they're not actually inherently evil, but they do carry that part of Bhaal within them - his will, and his potential for power. Some Bhaalspawn are raised specifically to be daddy's best little murderers and of course that's how Joel was brought up.

He was examplary because he was trained to be. He was capable of some of the most rancid bloodshed because it was what he was taught, and rewarded for. He was created to be murder incarnate, so any other emotions (love, empathy, etc) were shunned until Joel was either incapable of it, or refused to show it.

Except something happened. He got betrayed, usurped, and infected with the aforementioned brainworms which led to his memory loss. What did remain, even as he escaped the ship keeping him captive, even as he joined up with other infected survivors, was... A primal need. Like it was coded in his DNA, like it was in his blood itself: he had a need to kill. Not just kill, but spread misery, spread pain, and acquire power at any cost. He mostly unleashes those urges onto his enemies, but it never feels like enough. Like a scratch he can't quite itch. Of course, that's all Bhaal trying to reel him back in, Bhaal trying to reclaim him.

But like clockwork - because such ingrained training doesn't go away no matter how much one thinks they forgot - he finds himself relishing in it. In the violence of it all. The only time he feels truly alive is when he's covered in blood and gut.

... That is, until he finds himself growing closer and closer to Jimmy. After a night where Jimmy, desperately trying to hide his very obvious identity as a vampire but also desperately hungry, tries to feed off of Joel, and reveals his secret... Well, Joel had all rights to kill him right then and there. He reasons that there's no fun in killing someone so helpless but in truth there's something a bit charming about Jimmy. He's earnest, and he's just so... Not exactly innocent, but also sort of? He gives Joel to urge to protect him. To hold him so tight and close as to choke him. But in a sweet way. Probably.

Joel won't be able to put it into words for a long while yet, half because he refuses to let himself feel such things because he's so horrifically repressed. He was the only one at camp who didn't even guess Jimmy was a vampire before the big reveal because he's got negative int and wis (his strategy in battle is just hit things hard before they can hit you and honestly it works most of the time) so he'd just never noticed the obvious signs. Anyway. Because his blood is the tastiest and somehow he's one of the companions who acts the least weird about it, which really says a lot, Jimmy ends up mostly feeding off of him. And, well, something about letting your homie regularly suck blood out of your neck is bound to lead to something more. Joel becomes a bit possessive of his little birdie.

When Joel learns that he's Bhaal's special little princess, in truth he's fucking elated, because he spends weeks torturing himself in an attempt to remember who he is, what he's doing, what's wrong with him - and he's finally afforded answers. He leans fully into it. He's so happy to serve his God with bloodshed.

Until he's faced with him. With Bhaal. And after Joel committed countless atrocities (which the rest of their group didn't mind that much as lokgi as they stayed in the clear. They're all bad people) bhaal asks him to shed one last bit of blood before receiving his blessing, before becoming his chosen, he who will enact the murder God's plans. He needs to get rid of his pesky earthly desires and affections. They have no place within murder incarnate. He asks Joel to flat out kill Jimmy or die right here and then.

You'd think Joel would hesitate with how intensely pro-Bhaal he is. You'd think it would be a difficult decision. Jimmy would have thought too. Except that Joel's response is instant and intense. He tells Bhaal to go literally fuck himself, that he'd rather kill every last Bhaalspawn and make sure his bloodline ends with him, rather than lay a finger on Jimmy. Jimmy, whose helped his heavy heart feel so light and free. Jimmy, who makes him feel true warmth. Jimmy, who makes Joel want to appreciate every sunset, every breeze, every breath of fresh air. Jimmy, who treats Joel as so much more than a bloodthirsty beast.

Joel never thought he would want to be anything more than a bloodthirsty beast.

So of course Bhaal kills him because he's literally a god. Right in front of Jimmy. (there's plot and dnd magic that brings him back but it's definitely the culmination of his arc; that Joel, groomed to become murder incarnate, was given an opportunity to find another meaning to his life)

Also they have CRAZY sex

[areax]

pythia lore dump (BG3 & DURGE SPOILERS)

the sorcerer has harmed me once more

is convinced shes the daughter or descendant of tiamat and operates on that assumption until act 3, which is pretty funny because it puts her into yet another existential crisis when she figures out whose daughter she actually is. to be fair she’s in the right ballpark at least and considering that she has horns and scales and a tail it’s a good guess. though i think those physical characteristics are a result of her mother being an unusual looking tiefling plus some of bhaal's forms having scales. technically in game she's a draconic bloodline sorcerer as there's not a class option to be a bhaalspawn sorcerer but im using the draconic bloodline as a placeholder. anyway i just imagine tiamat hearing bhaal’s wayward child's prayers to her and being like I AM NOT YOUR MOM!

wants to kill her dad not because of any resentment toward him or the way that he was raised but because murdering is the ultimate act of love for a child of the god of murder. she also wants to usurp him and does know or understand what a “sundering” is. she saw gale get horny about apotheosis and was like... yoink

before her brain got all fucked up she was a remarkably... calculated person in terms of killing. i think the parts of her brain that manage her impulse control and make her into an assassin, not just a wanton murderer, got damaged and it takes a while for her to recover from that but she never does fully. i like the idea that her Urge comes not only from being a bhaalspawn but secondarily from having something quite literally wrong about her brain. i mean duh not all ppl with brain damage become murderers but in her case the missing parts of herself (impulse control, moral compass) were filled in by the background radiation of bloodlust that comes from her Urge. nepenthe is the same, but instead of being like “my mind is telling me to do this so it must be right” she was like “fuck what my mind said. i have morals”

possibly my most sparkledog oc in terms of looks. she also later has vulture’s wings. enoby dark’ness WHO

she’s going to put raphael on a leash and he’s going to love it. the war of greeks v italians continues... she fucks his shit up to get the hammer but either leaves him barely alive or he finds a way to weasel out of dying (i absolutely buy the theory that raphael has some kind of resurrection contingency plan or that his soul goes to mephistopheles after his death to be tormented. i think there was some kind of saturn devouring his son imagery there. in any case she wouldn’t rescue him but if he ever came back she’d be impressed) and they meet again at least a decade after the events of the game and she pitches him her “quit your job. help me kill my father and i’ll help you kill yours.” idea. she says she’ll give him the crown once she’s ascended to true godhood and no longer has need of it; he’s not sure if she’s telling the truth but can’t resist the temptation. i haven’t yet decided what actually comes out of this union except absolute misery for everyone in their path

is the big bad of someone else’s campaign. she saw a magical artifact and immediately devoted herself to becoming a serious threat to a party of around 4-5 level 20 adventurers. like she fucks the gate UP for real. comparable to netheril.

[sgt-farron]

For the BG3 ask meme! 8, 21, 41 OR 44 if there’s a question that appeals more 😘

8. Do you have a favorite member of the Druid Circle? Is it the same as your Character's?

I didn't have an answer to this before lol. I guess I'd have to say Rath as he was very immediately on-board with not punishing Arabella with death for her mistake so I was like, "you have some sense!" While I think most of the druids are super weak willed for insisting their hands were tied because they cared more about their hierarchy than justice, I was glad he wasn't entertaining it.

In general I'd say the same for my Tav, Alder'ren if they had to choose. Druids were super in the wrong and were stupid for letting the bad apples spoil the lot, but they managed to resolve everything peacefully.

21. What are your Character's thoughts on the strange artifact that was in Shadowheart's possession? Did it jump to your pack because you changed her out of your party? Fun fact: Shadowheart has never left my party😂 I am currently mostly done with act 3. So no, she still has the artifact in her inventory.

Alder'ren was very curious about it of course, but while they are very charismatic and a very persuasive person, they also respect people's boundaries and right to have their secrets. Maybe it's because of their natural charm, but Alder'ren tends to believe that the important stuff will be shared in due time with trust and it'll all come out in the wash. 41. Is your Character accustomed to being on the road from before the events of the adventure? Yes, Alder'ren as an elf is older than they look and have been around. They were away from Baldur's gate in Yartar laying low, trying to shake a tail from their past when they got snagged up by the Nautiloid. Before spending time in Baldur's gate before the story, they had been a bit of a monster slayer. While in Baldur's gate, they used their dexterous hands act as a thief - specifically specializing in art heists. They could never hold down a regular job. 44. Asker wants Blogger to choose a question from the list.

Oh how fun! I'll answer number 1. Tell us about your Tav! Name, class and subclass, race, pronouns. Do you have a headcanon for where they're from? Their family? Are they a Dark Urge? Or did you choose an Origin Character? Was it an easy decision? Alder'ren (The Crimson Tempest) Storm Sorcerer/Rogue High Elf They/Them

I am not super familiar with forgotten realms lore so I wouldn't know where to canon them being from specifically (thought it would have been a full elven community), but they were definitely at odds with their family and community as a storm sorcerer as they did not fear the destructive nature of their magic and instead leaned into it. It wasn't a bad separation and there was no inciting incident, just a parting of ways as they matured. I do imagine they used their strengths to take of monster threats in places where folks really wouldn't stand a chance to stand against.

Fun fact: in their original conceptions as my ttrpg dnd character, they are a eladrian elf - storm sorc/blood hunter. BG3 is a much softer, well adjusted version lol

[dandelion-bride]

1 and 2, the choice of whom you wanna ramble about is yours! (Or talk about both if you'd like?)

They are the same person! 😊 My Dark Urge gives up his foster family name after he goes to the temple, so he uses part of his title - the Dirge of the Living World, or Dirge for short - so people can refer to him. After he rejects Bhaal, Minsc calls him Fennec, and he decides to take that as his given name and uses a 'softened' pronunciation of his old title as a 'family' name.

1. What or who inspired your Durges design the most? A particular idea or vibe or perhaps another hottie or baddie?

An assassin should blend in, should be easy to forget and hard to point out. My Durge is therefore a half-elf with dark hair and eyes, who blends in and is easy to forget. Kind of the visual opposite of Default Durge, but still a storm sorcerer and with the same vibes, just less imposing.

2. How does their race play into the design? Was it a conscious choice because of the racial features or did you simply enjoy the playstyle or lore?

Related to 1 - half-elf is common, could be mistaken for either a human or elf at first glance, easy to slip into obscurity that way. Also, from what lore I could find, the mortal who became Bhaal was human, so if the Dark Urge were made of his own flesh, I thought he would be part human. Also, half elves are often the odd-ones-out, never fitting in human or elvish culture, and my Durge also doesn't fit in well - even with his flock, he is more a leader than one of them.

Thank you!

[obeyme-kaidii]

Lesson 46 Summary

The adventures continue as MC learns more about Beel.

**SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT**

In the morning, everyone meets Little D Number 2 outside, and he agrees to show them the way to the Casino where Mammon is supposed to be. Number 2 teases Beel about how tired he is, suggesting he had “quite a fun night”, which annoys Lucifer.

Once at the Casino, the group immediately runs into Mammon (who is wearing his Arabian outfit). He seems to thoroughly be enjoying himself within the video game and playing his role, and moves to snatch Lucifer. Just like in a video game, a message pops up announcing his entrance, and then Mammon proceeds to cast a spell.

As Lucifer gets taken, MC remembers Beel and uses their powers to cast a spell that strengthens Beel, causing him to shift into his demon form. Beel comments that his body seems to be moving on its own, and soon he’s canceled out Mammon’s spell. A powerful blast of wind then knocks Mammon backwards.

Beel then returns to his regular form, and asks MC if they did that. Solomon explains that yes, that was a result of MC learning to control Beel’s power. But he also explains that MC hasn’t figured out all of Beel’s power, so the test continues.

Lucifer thanks MC for rescuing him, and then turns his sights on Mammon. Mammon starts to panic a little, and begs for mercy.

The group returns to Number 2, and he thanks them for their help getting his money back from the “Greedy Monster”. As a reward, he gives them Beel’s Lord of Flies armor set at a discounted price. After Beel equips the new armor, Number 2 informs them that there’s a rumor “Demon Lord Satan” has attacked a nearby town.

As they journey towards Satan’s rumored location, Lucifer mentions he’s looking forward to returning to his normal size just so he can punish Mammon. Beel comments that Lucifer used to be nicer to Mammon back when they were in the Celestial Realm, but Lucifer insists he doesn’t remember what he’s talking about. Beel doesn’t believe him though, and brings up that Lucifer and Mammon often used to work together to argue with Raphael (who it seems to be being positioned as the Big Bad for this Season, IMO).

Solomon asks if it was Diavolo’s influence that caused Lucifer to become more rigid. He also points out that since they started as angels, becoming demons of such high status had to be hard. (Which is actually pretty interesting because up until now we’ve mostly been operating on the assumption that Diavolo immediately gave them their positions as Avatars after the fall. But it now sounds like they had to earn the right for those titles.) Beel however seems surprised to hear that that might be the case, and Lucifer once again pretends he’s forgotten.

Solomon then hears a noise that everyone first assumes might be Beel’s stomach, but they soon realize it’s a group of ghosts. At which point Solomon recalls overhearing some towns folk talking about these woods, and he just forgot to mention it, which annoys both Beel and Lucifer.

After running from the ghosts, the group takes safety next to a lake that seems to be protected by some sort of guardian spirit. The decision is then made that they should camp there for the night.

Some time later, MC wakes up and finds Beel already awake. MC is given the opportunity to join him and the two talk, careful not to wake Solomon or Lucifer. Beel tells MC he was thinking about what was discussed earlier - and how Lucifer isn’t the only one who is different. He admits that as an angel he didn’t use to constantly eat back then. He says that he doesn’t remember exactly what triggered the change, but one day he just stopped resisting. (which is pretty interesting, if you think about it, and opens up a whole host of theories and possibilities lore wise 🧐)

Beel also mentions that there are some things that are the same, such as the fact his brothers have always been part of his life and will continue to be. ❤️🥺❤️ Beel then admits to MC that he’s worried about fighting Belphie in the game, and doesn’t think that he’ll be able to protect them and Lucifer if that’s the case. MC is given the option of comforting Beel, who admits that he’s pretty lucky, all things considered, to have a “problem” like not knowing who to protect first because he loves so many people.

The following morning, everyone wakes up and prepares to leave. Beel mentions that he’s glad they weren’t attacked while they slept, and Solomon teases him about his late night “activities” which makes poor Beel blush, and annoys Lucifer.

Once the group starts traveling again, Lucifer points out that it’s been over 24hrs now so Solomon should turn him back. But Solomon is quick to point out since they are in a video game, it’s actually only been a couple hours in the real world, so Lucifer has to continue to stay as he is.

Beel then notices a treasure chest in the road and Solomon immediately suggests opening it. Even if MC urges him to be cautious and warns it might be a trap, he still insists that opening it is the best course of action (how is this man not dead yet???). While Solomon, MC, and Lucifer are discussing what to do about the chest, Beel opens it hoping to find food. Instead, there are 3 objects inside - a magical jar that protects the contents, healing herbs, and a pair of cat ears. (lolololol) Beel suggests putting Lucifer in the bottle and Lucifer glares at him. Beel then looks like a kicked puppy. 🥺

The sky suddenly darkens and Satan appears, explaining that opening the chest triggered the battle. Like Mammon, he too is very much enjoying himself and his time in the video game. Beel and Solomon are both quick to recognize that Satan’s appearance isn’t good, because when things like this happen in video games, you’re almost always forced to lose the battle for the sake of story progression.

Lucifer then turns to MC and tells them to use one of the items from the treasure chest. (Using the Cat Ears I think generates the most entertaining response.) Regardless of what option you choose, Lucifer still ends up in the enchanted bottle and Satan captures him, leaving Belphie behind to deal with everyone else. (yes, Belphie just pops up out of nowhere)

Belphie, however, isn’t too thrilled by this whole thing and complains about Satan. When Beel hesitates to fight Belphie, it’s Belphie who encourages him that it’ll be alright. Because 1) it’s a video game and 2) he’s much stronger now and doesn’t need to be protected. Beel has a moment of realization and turns to MC, letting them know he is confident he can protect them now and won’t hold back anymore, choosing instead to trust them completely.

MC then casts a spell to empower Beel, causing him to once again shift into his demon form, and Belphie is quickly defeated. Impressed by MC’s power, Belphie is eager to switch sides and join their party. All he wants is a chance to poke mini Lucifer, to which MC agrees. Beel and Solomon also admit to wanting to poke Lucifer. 😂 Solomon then suggests they spend the night at a nearby inn.

Meanwhile, Mammon and Levi are talking at Demon Lord Satan’s Castle. Levi is saying Mammon is no longer part of the game because he was too easily defeated, which makes Mammon sad. (Because he’s a geek and just wants to be included 🥺)

As the two bicker, Satan arrives with mini Lucifer, still trapped in the bottle. Both are very excited about seeing mini Lucifer, with Levi even calling him cute. Mammon then suggests that now is the perfect time to get revenge for all the evil stuff Lucifer has done to him over the centuries.

Like the time that he tied him up and tickled him until he cried while he hung from the ceiling.

(wait, what? THATS the worst he’s ever done?)

Levi also chimes in with a memory of one time Lucifer was truly horrible to him and refused to sign for a package that was being delivered by Akuzon, instead returning the item for a refund. 😱

(...may I present to you the Demon Lords of Hell...the most powerful beings in all the Devildom…)

Lucifer reminds Levi, Mammon, and Satan that he is going to punish them for whatever they do to him when he’s small, once he returns to his normal size. Satan then moves to take Lucifer out of the bottle, but the spell on the bottle prevents him from doing so. Levi makes an offhand remark about Lucifer essentially being a collectible figure, which gives Satan an idea.

Satan then proceeds to dress Lucifer up in various outfits using his magic (all his outfits from the events), and Mammon and Levi are both surprised that that is his idea of fun. But Levi points out that Satan is clearly enjoying this and it’s actually like his way of bonding with Lucifer (because clearly admitting to his true feelings would be the worst possible thing).

That evening, Beel, Belphie, Solomon, and MC enjoy dinner at the inn before retiring to their rooms. Solomon has managed to book two separate rooms tonight, which Belphie points out he did just so he could share a room with MC all by himself.

Later that night, MC wakes up to find that Solomon is still awake. When MC asks him what’s wrong, he admits that he was watching the twins earlier and was jealous about the deep relationship they had with one another. He laments the fact that even though he’s lived for centuries he doesn’t have someone like that in his life. If MC asks him about it, he admits that he thought he once had such a person but perhaps the feeling wasn’t mutual. 🥺 (my theory is this is the apprentice mentioned in Lesson 45, the one that founded the Sorcerer’s Society)

After thinking for a moment, Solomon then looks at MC and points out that this scene is another common one in RPG games, where important story points are told. He asks MC if they think that’s what’s going to happen tonight, and MC is given the option of kissing him. (which OMG was the sweetest most heartbreaking kiss scene and goddammit I think I’m now a simp for Solomon) Solomon admits that he didn’t think he ever had a chance with MC since the Brothers are always around them. He then asks MC to come a little closer (and presumably kisses them again).

The next day, Solomon is in a very good mood (I guess finally kissing the person you’ve spent over 2 years pining for will do that to a guy). Belphie is quick to realize why Solomon is in such a good mood, and starts to make the same joke that was made before (about having “fun”), but gives up, leaving Beel slightly confused. Solomon then asks Belphie how they are supposed to get to Satan’s castle, and Belphie says that’s easy - he just uses a spell to summon a portal and BAM they are there.

Beel points out if they had just used the portal last night, they wouldn’t have had to stay at the inn. And Belphie explains that yeah that’s true, but then “fun things” wouldn’t have been able to happen. The comment makes Solomon laugh as he agrees that that wouldn’t have been good at all if they had used the portal and avoided the inn. Poor Beel is still confused. (and is it just me or is Belphie acting like Solomon’s wingman…?)

The group then hears raised voices, and finds Satan taunting Lucifer, who is still in the bottle and now dressed in his wolf outfit. Satan gives the bottle containing Lucifer a little shake, making Lucifer feel nauseated.

MC then is given the opportunity to tell Satan to stop, and Lucifer is embarrassed at being seen as he is (and probably relieved too). Satan asks MC if they are sure they’re ready to battle him, since they skipped a lot of the game by using Belphie’s portal, and might not be strong enough to defeat him.

MC is able to talk to Satan, explaining to him that they value his relationship with his own brothers more than the test, and convincing Satan to let Lucifer go. Beel also chimes in, telling Satan that he knows how much he cares for Lucifer, even if he’s afraid to say it. He also turns to Lucifer and tells him that he needs to be more honest with Satan. Satan is a bit embarrassed by everything being said, but Lucifer lets him know that he never said Satan wasn’t his own demon, or that he wasn't great, so he isn’t sure why he seems to think that’s how Lucifer feels. (which is as close to an apology and compliment as we are probably going to get with this emotionally constipated lot)

Satan decides to accept Lucifer’s “olive branch” and returns Lucifer to MC (by tossing him lol). Once Lucifer is again safe, Beel asks if that means they have beat the game, and wonders what the point of it all was. Solomon then reveals himself to be the true Final Boss, and the one behind the entire thing.

Solomon explains that while he is very impressed with MC and how well they did defeating their opponents thus far, that the test was actually about unlocking Beel’s full potential, which they have not yet done. So, he’s going to give his “adorable apprentice” one last chance to prove themselves.

He then summons Asmo, who complains about how bored he’s been waiting for his turn to join everyone in the game. Solomon uses his powers to strengthen Asmo, who then turns to Beel and the battle begins. Asmo uses his “Charm” to paralyze Beel, but when MC calls for him, Beel breaks the charm. MC casts their own spell, empowering Beel, and he attacks Asmo in return. Asmo is absolutely shocked at how powerful Beel is now. Solomon, even though he’s losing, is very impressed by MC and the power they’ve been able to draw out of Beel. He ignores Asmo’s pleas for help, and MC wins the battle.

(NOTE - in the previous Summary, I blamed Simeon for alerting the brothers. Since it’s actually Solomon that planned the whole thing from the beginning, I guess I kinda have to make a note of that to be fair. But like...I still don’t like Simeon anymore soooo...)

Finally back in the real world, Lucifer (now his normal size), MC, and Beel are enjoying a quiet moment on the back patio near the pool. MC shows Lucifer and Beel their star that they earned from the test.

Screams are then heard coming from inside (presumably Levi and Mammon), and Beel asks if anyone hears anything, which Lucifer denies (he totally hears them). As Lucifer continues to relax, enjoying his wonderful evening, a flashback is shown to dinner time -

Mammon is sobbing, when Solomon comments on how wonderful it is that he must be enjoying his cooking so much that it’s moved him to tears. Solomon encourages Levi to have some more, but it seems he’s passed out already, so he offers the extra portion to Satan instead. Asmo complains about why he has to be there, and when Satan realizes that Belphie is missing, Asmo is impressed with him for having managed to escape. Solomon then makes a comment that he thinks Lucifer is a really nice guy because he didn’t punish him like he thought he would, but instead invited him to stay for dinner and let him do the cooking. (which...damn Luci 😂)

Back in the present, Beel and MC take a walk while Lucifer enjoys the distant sounds of his brother's “screams of agony”.

Beel tells MC that he’s glad he had the opportunity to go through that experience and strengthen his bond with MC. He says the star MC earned is proof of how close they are, and then asks MC if they remember when he gave them his own star at the end of Season 2. He promises to treasure the star, and shares a kiss with MC, telling them once again that he loves them.

Beel then mentions that he feels like he’s forgetting about someone, but decides it’s not important. (hint: it’s Diavolo. They’ve forgotten about Diavolo.)

Favorite Scenes -

It’s a trap!

The power of cats

Geeky Mammon

True evil

Lonely Solomon

Solomon kisses

Emotional manipulation

Lucifer’s revenge

Aren’t we forgetting something...?

[sebastianshaw]

@themusespace- So I did World of Darkness versions for Rhia, and a shorter one for Catwoman! I’ve had it going little by little for awhile and finally got it done tonight! Under the cut for length:

RHIA So, you brought up Gangrel as a choice for Rhia and that’s a good one. Since you’ve already got that, I’ll cover some other options---Toreador, Brujah, and Banu Haqim. Toreador because, well, you can find a reason that a Torrie would Embrace ANYONE, really. Maybe hippie chic was really in one year and they selected Rhia as their new Bohemian muse, or any number of possibilities, really. In any case, I see as a Toreador who takes a less conventional route with what she finds artistic and beautiful, finding more aesthetic glory in the natural world than man’s creation. Perhaps she’s stuck in an ever-fruitless quest to try to capture said beauty in some form, going from one artistic medium to the next--painting, sculpture, even music---to try to convey in creativity what she finds in nature, or maybe she’s content to merely be enraptured by the natural world as it is without trying to emulate it. Either way, she’s surely at a great risk for getting caught in the sunrise! The Brujah option is because they’re as passionate as the Toreador, but with an emphasis that’s typically on freedom, justice, and rebellion. Theoretically, a Brujah can be passionate about anything (or nothing and just a rebel without a cause) so long as they’re radicals about it, but I find they’re most often pushing back against the status quo rather than zealously enforcing it, and that seems to have Rhia vibes to be. So if her style is more than skin-deep, I could see her having been Embraced by a Brujah who appreciated such views. If you wanted to go darker, there is, finally, the Banu Haqim aka the Assamites. I know it seems an odd pick but hear me out. I had NO interest in these guys for the longest time because I just knew them as the assassins of the vampire world. That was it, just “they kill people real good and really like diablerie” and that was just not interesting to me. Being able to be the best guy at murder/fighting/power/etc whatever in the room has never been an interesting character trait for me, and I figured they were just for RPers who wanted a heavy combat focus and to be the Most Badass for bragging points, so I was just...meh about them and regularly forgot that they existed.  Then, recently, I learned a bit more about them. The Children of Haqim are the judges of Kindred society, meting out punishments to vampires who deserve it, and more than that, are often asked by other vampires to act as impartial judges due to their unaligned nature. They have a great passion for justice, and are drawn to feed from those deserving punishment. This passion takes the form of the Clan Compulsion of Judgment, compelling them to punish anyone seen to transgress against their personal creed, taking their blood as just vengeance for the crime. Whether that person is friend or foe, they have to struggle against this urge greatly if they wish not to act on it. And they’re far more dangerous to other vampires than to humans---one of their laws is to protect mortals from vampires (though it is still acceptable to use them as a food source) and to treat humans with honor (though again, feeding is okay), and their clan flaw is an addiction to the blood of other vampires. This addiction, coupled with their laws about humans and their compulsion to punish those who transgress their codes of justice, makes it hard for them to fit into vampire society at large, but in recent nights, they’re become one of the Camarilla clans. Also in recent nights, they’ve started Embracing women and people who are not of Middle Eastern origin, which previously they did not. Speaking of who they Embrace, Assamites typically try to Embrace someone who will be "useful" to the clan as a whole. This most often means someone who be willing to fight and die for the clan's (or at least their sire's) goals. However, during the long period that the clan labored under the Tremere blood curse, people may also have been Embraced for knowledge in a specific (often obscure) area. Typically this had something to do with sorcery or medical research involving blood, but may also have included more obscure areas of research as well. Assamites typically choose people with somewhat obsessive personalities for the Embrace. As they are typically involved with either hunting down miscreants or conducting obscure research, they tend to be highly motivated individuals. This often results in Assamites picking individuals who are fanatically devoted to a cause, religion, theory, or activity. The various caste flaws and the training they undergo after the Embrace tends to accentuate this even more. Thus Assamites can be said to select childer that will be eager to chase down their prey no matter how long it takes or how far they must go. That prey may be a physical target, an obscure piece of knowledge, or even pursuing the perfection of an art form. So if Rhia is particularly driven regarding something that could be of interest to the Assamites/Banu Haqim, then that combined with a sense of justice and honor, if she could become devout and ruthless enough to kill for it, could make her a candidate for an Embrace. It would not be my first pick for her, but it’s a possibility if you wanted to go darker and edgier.  In addition to the Warrior caste that most people are familiar with, there is also the Sorcerer and Vizier castes, who play a greater focus on mental attributes. Viziers and Sorcerers are less focused on the physical skills of their childer, and thus more likely to Embrace women. The number of women Embraced waxed and waned based on the overall attitude towards educating women. In periods where women were rarely taught to read or write they naturally took fewer women. However, even in periods where few people were educated, a Vizier might take someone for their skill with art or social acumen, even if they were a total illiterate. Similarly, a Sorcerer might Embrace someone who showed some innate knack for magic, even if they could not write their own name. As for what they do, Sorcerers are pretty self-explanatory, being practioners of the clan’s version of Blood Magic.  Originally this magic was based off ancient Mesopotamian priestly rituals and the Persian cult of Mithras, but modern Sorcerers now incorporate the ecstatic Hindu devotion to Kali and Shiva, Chinese feng shui, and Islamic alchemy and astrology as well. Sorcerers usually need to send themselves into some sort of altered state of consciousness in order to focus their magics. This may involve consuming drugs, whirling themselves into a trance, ritually wounding themselves, or even more stranger methods. The Viziers are the scholars of the clan and are rather like the Toreadors, lusting after  knowledge or artistic perfection instead of magic, pursuing their chosen lore or art with the tenacity of a pit bull. While the Toreadors sink into hypnotized contemplation, the Viziers frenzy with their creative compulsion. So if either of those sound up Rhia’s alley---I don’t know if there’s a particular art or subject she’s passionate about, or if she’s magically inclined, but she seems like the type of person who COULD be--these seem likelier options than the Warrior caste. I would still go with Gangrel or Toreador first for her, and also they’re easier to understand, have less special hierarchy and history and other shit to keep up, etc.  Her tribe as a Garou (werewolf) is easy---Children of Gaia, one of my favorites, OR the Fianna.  The Children of Gaia are the most peaceful of the Garou, and work for understanding between the tribes in hopes of defeating the Wyrm through a unified front. Defending Gaia is far too important to lose sight of in constant skirmishes over differences! During the War of Rage, when other Garou were trying to wipe out all the non-wolf Changing Breeds, the Children of Gaia tried to stop their brethren from this and initially refused to fight their fellow Fera (wereanimals) and even accepted refugees who came to them seeking shelter. However, when the Fera started exploiting this by sending in agents who were in fact there to slaughter their would-be protectors, some Children of Gaia joined the other Garou in masacring the other Changing Breeds. Similiarly, when Europeans began to colonize the New World and the European Garou learned of the “Pure Tribes” in the Americas, the Children of Gaia advocated for an alliance with them, rather than mimicking the human colonizers by taking what these American Garou had from them or attacking them. They’ve also worked to try to ensure that the attrocities of WWI and WWII never repeat, and have historically been advocates of causes in the human world  such as free speech, civil rights, and women's rights, which reflects how their own culture as werewolves is FAR more egalitarian than almost any other tribe except perhaps the Bone Gnawers.  One major example of this egalitarianism is that the Children treat their metis well and in fact will take in the metis from other tribes who don’t want them. A metis is offspring of two Garou. It’s part of The Litany---which is Garou law---that Garou shall not mate with Garou, and instead must take their mates from among humans or wolves and hope that one of the offspring will be a Garou. The reason is because while the offspring of two werewolves will indeed always be a werewolf, they will also always be sterile, deformed, and stuck in Crinos form (wolfman/hybrid form) until they achieve their First Change (usually around puberty) and thus must be raised in secret away from human eyes. Metis, as living proof that two Garou have broken the Litany, are often looked down and shunned in other Packs, and have to struggle to prove their worth. The Children, however, believe that the child should not be judged for the sins of their parents, and will raise the metis of other tribes as their own. It’s also very common for Black Furies, who are all female, to give their male children to the Children of Gaia. Hence how they stay all female! As a note, having a lot of baby metis around also helps them discourage Garou/Garou matings--- any pup who's been looking too longingly at a packmate (same or opposite sex, it doesn't matter) often finds themselves babysitting a whirling, shrieking ball of claws and fur to teach them just what they’re in for if they give in to such incestuous (as it is seen in their culture) desires.  While the Children’s values are based around peace, mercy, and unity above all else, this doesn’t make them pushovers as some think. They may be pacifists, but they’re still werewolves, and they still have the Wyrm to fight, so they’re not absolute paficists, they’re WARRIOR pacifists. And when their Rage is roused, it is just as terrifying as that of any other Garou---perhaps more so because they keep it so pent up. A lot of people think that hippie werewolves are a stupid concept, but I disagree---real wolves aren’t inherently violent creatures and, like the Children, are only going to fuck up something, whether it’s prey or an intruder, if it’s a necessary thing. And SOMEBODY needs to provide a softer counterbalance to the numerous other extremely war-like tribes. The Fianna are a tribe of Celtic origins. Some come from Spain or France or the Balkans, but they’re most associated with places like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. And there are plenty in the USA, having come there with Irish immigrants during the Great Potato Famine. The Fianna believe themselves to have originated from the union of a passionate Gaillard (I’ll explain what those are after I talk about the Fianna) and Danu, an aspect of Gaia which they see as the mother to both the Fianna and the Tuatha de Danaan, and they celebrate many Celtic Pagan religious holidays such as Beltane. They aided their Irish Kin against Cromwell, and many supported and even aided the IRA.  The Fianna are known as great partiers and great warriors both. They’re one of the most extroverted tribes, rarely turning down an invitation to let their hair down and indulge in their favorite pleasures. Creativity through music or craft is encouraged and prized among the Fianna, and they have created some of the most beautiful and fantastic treasures of the Garou. The Fianna are also hopeless romantics, always falling for humans and their fellow Garou alike. The latter creates metis, of course, but ironically the Fianna are particularly hard on metis as they view their deformed bodies to be a sign that their spirits are also twisted. The Fianna desire to live life freely, but that includes the desire to be free of flaws, and thus they reject those that are different or “flawed” like the poor metis. I’m not saying Rhia would have to think like that---especially since I see her a Lost Cub, which I’ll get too soon too---but that’s just their general culture.    So, each Garou has an Auspice. It’s what their role is, and defines a lot of who they are. Their Auspice is determined by the moon phase they were born under. So like the zodiac, but objectively very real. I think Rhia would be either a Theurge or a Galliard. Theurges were born under a crescent moon, and are the shamans and mystics of the Garou. All werewolves are part spirit and part flesh, but the Theurge in particular are attuned to the Umbra (spirit world) and have many Gifts and Rituals that only they can do, as well as being able to craft fetishes (as in magical objects and talismans, not sexual kinks) They emphasize wisdom, and in a battle, they are more likely to serve as support compared to other Garou, but it is worth noting that even the coolest, calmest Theurges are still Garou, and burn with Rage deep within. The Galliards, also called Moon Dancers, were born when the moon is gibbous, and they are the bards and lore-keepers of the Garou, serving as their keepers of oral history and performance artists. Besides acting as lorekeepers, historians, and prophets, they are also depended upon to act as a source of inspiration in times of desperate need, or for celebration in those rare and wonderful times of fortune. Given her being a bit of a rebel, from what I clean, she might also be a Ragabash. Ragabash are born under the new moon, and their role is to be a trickster and the questioner of the old ways, the wise fools who play the contrarian, always asking “but why is it this way?” and questioning tradition to ensure that it can still stand up as useful and just in the current times. act as a voice of dissent or devil's advocate with far less fear of punishment than the Garou of other Auspices. In a society as traditional and conservative as that of the Garou Nation, a free-thinking individual with the right to speak his or her mind is absolutely important, whether to encourage change or to reaffirm the current position through the challenges he or she provides. They have the least amount of Rage and thus are often cooler-headed than their packmates, but unlike the mystic Theurges, they show this by being playful, playing pranks not to be nuisance (though many are thought of as such) but impart lessons. Those of the new moon are often skilled scouts or assassins, as the "hidden moon" is associated with stealth and secrecy, and use this to help their packmates find their quarry, or to elude their pursuers. They may also use humor to lighten the mood or break up arguments, often acting as an "omega" to turn hostilities toward themselves. I think Rhia works well as a Homid and Lost Cub. A Homid is a Garou born in human form to a human mother or a Garou mother in her human form (as opposed to a Lupus, born in wolf form to a wolf mother or a Garou mother in her wolf form) and will grow up as human until their First Change. So, how is it that a human (or wolf) has a Garou child? Either one parent was a Garou, or one of their parents was a Kinfolk. Kinfolk are humans or wolves who have Garou blood. They are the USUAL result when a Garou has a child with a human or a wolf; they only get a Garou if they’re luckily. So like, maybe one Garou out of a litter or one Garou out of all the kids they have, if even that. The rest? Kinfolk. And the Kinfolk’s children (or pups) will be Kinfolk too, and so will their children, and so on. Most Garou keep careful track of their Kin, since mating with a Kinfolk produces a higher chance of a Garou child, but all too often, the family lines get lost, and you can get a bloodline of Kinfolk with no idea they’re Kinfolk, and then randomly one of their kids gets born a Garou, and they will also not know this until their First Chance. These are called Lost Cubs. So I could see Rhia as such, either a Lost Cub born to a family that has long forgotten a werewolf is a real thing, hence getting raised by her very strictly religious Grandmother.  ( You’ll notice I keep referring to Rage with a capital R. Rage  mystical wellspring of primal anger granted to the Garou and some of the other Changing Breeds by Luna, the moon spirit.  It allows them to move at great speed, shrug off mighty wounds, and change forms quickly, as well as powers some of their Gifts, which are basically like magic spells or extra abilities. A Garou without Rage cannot change shapes. But it’s a double-edged sword, as they also must beware their Rage overaking them in Frenzy, a violent and bloodthirsty uncontrollable outburst.) Finally, for her type as another Fera (Changing Breed, other wereanimals) I’d go with the Pumonca, the cougar Bastet (werecats) of the Americas. Most are Native American, but that’s a general trend, not a rule at all. The Pumonca, also called Stormwalkers,  are restless wanderers and guardians of the land, constantly on the move to protect their sacred home. They spend their entire lives traveling from place to place, looking for signs of Wyrm taint in the spaces in between. It is their task to meander, to take their time, and to notice the world around them. However, this is only restricted to the Americas, because no Pumonca would ever leave her continent---and it fact, they CAN’T. Each Bastet has three Yava, three secrets about their type, which can often be used against them by anyone who learns it. The Yava of the werepumas are: -A Pumonca is one with her land; if she leaves it for more than a full moon cycle, she will die. -The essence of poisoned land (toxic waste, radiation, sewage) is deadly to a puma. Immerse him in its toxins and he will quickly perish. -All beasts fear the puma. No horse will bear her, no dog will follow her. The great cats are her Kin and they befriend her, but no other animal can approach without terror. Due to their history with the Wars of Rage, in which the Garou tried to wipe out all non-wolf wereanimals,  many modern Pumonca are bitter, confused, and angry, and most are looking for a way to serve Gaia that lets them keep their pride and dignity intact. The lucky ones forge ties with other groups, but most just wander aimlessly, fighting the Banes of the Wyrm however they can so long as no one wounds their pride too terribly. Pumonca have a penchant for spreading stories and lore wherever they go. In the past, these were typically tales of great deeds, whether of Garou or Pumonca or anyone else who tickled their fancy that were shared at the camp fires with those who where interested. Nowadays, however, these stories are often bitter tales, because of the aforementioned history, and their anger can make them difficult for some to work with. As independent nomads, they have no organization as a group either. I can see Rhia as a wanderer with a sad ancestral history who is just trying to do her best with what she has left and also take in all the beauty and wonder that the continent has to offer. 

CATWOMAN So, my first thought for her is Ravnos, and that’s unfortunate because the Ravnos have some very problematic origins that I can’t get past. The Ravnos are tricksters, traveling hucksters and charalatans who specialize in deception and theft, with their clan’s trademark discipline being Chimerstry , the creation of illusions. Their clan weakness is that every Ravnos is a criminal, every one has some kind of vice they can’t resist when the opportunity is presented, which could be being a jewel thief for Catwoman. Since being a thief is Catwoman’s primary trait, the sole consistent thing across all her incarnations, of course she should be a member of the clan who is all about thievery. The reason I say the Ravnos are problematic is that they’re also meant to be of Roma origin. So, yeah, White Wolf based an entire clan on all the shittiest stereotypes about Roma people as being thieves and criminals. I think that later editions have fixed them---the company sincerely has been trying to clean up the shitty stuff of previous decades, from what I understand---and cut the Roma association entirely from them, at least I hope they have, but the Ravnos beginning as walking racial stereotypes just personally leaves such a bad taste in my mouth I personally avoid them altogether. But just because I would never make one, does not mean it doesn’t fit Selina, it absolutely does. Especially since one of their other clan disciplines is Animalism, which lets her keep the cat theme too, she could have a whole army of kitty accomplices doing her bidding! And that is pretty cool, I can’t deny. If I were going to find an alternative to being a Ravnos for her, I think a Toreador would be a wonderful fit. Anything can be an art, including thievery, and Selina’s particular brand of cat burglary is DEFINITELY an art. Like she’s not a common thief, she goes after extremely valuable, extremely well-protected gems and jewelry, often with a feline theme, there’s beauty in what she targets and artfulness in how she manages to do it---which is always with STYLE. Her obsession with jewels and cats both work for a Toreador who admires beautiful things, and her graceful, acrobatic style works well with the Toreador discipline of Celerity, which grants a vampire supernatural speed and reflexes; heck, even just the lowest level gives her something appropriately called “Cat’s Grace”  that lets her  automatically keep her balance. And being a Toreador could also be why her on again off again romance with Batman, her attraction to the dangerous Dark Knight despite being on opposite sides of the law, etc. That kind of dramatic, conflicted love story sounds like total Torrie bait to me. She logically should be SOME kind of Bastet, I just can’t specifically think of what!

[alittlepieceofwarcraft]

Arakkoa: A Lore Guide

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History

Evolution (Year -3000): The Arakkoa are a bird-like race native to Draenor and originate from the three primal gods of Arak: Rukhmar, mother of the kaliri; Anzu, father of the dread ravens; and Sethe, father of the wind serpents. After the creation of the arakkoa, Sethe and Rukhmar fought above the Spires, with Rukhmar being warned about the attack by Anzu, managed defeat the serpent, alongside Anzu who stepped in to deliver the killing blow. With his last breath, Sethe cursed his own flesh and blood to rot and corrupt all that it touched. Anzu devoured him in an attempt to contain the curse but  a single trickle of blood dripped down, creating Sethekk Hollow where it touched the ground. The curse crippled Anzu, making him flightless and pained by dark visions.He disappeared into the forest deeps, believing Rukhmar would not longer accept him, and and ignored. Though Sethe's curse weakened Anzu, it also gave him new power: the power of the Void that Sethe had once commanded. He eventually shrouded himself in the shadows forever. Horrified by the curse that now darkened her home. Rukhmar left Arak, eventually settling atop Gorgrond's highest peak. Using her own life energies, Rukhmar transformed some of her kaliri followers into the arakkoa: "heirs of Arak". They embodied Rukhmar's physical grace and majesty, as well as Anzu's intellect and cleverness. The second subculture later comes along in Year -600 with the Arakkoa Outcasts 

Apexis Activate (Year -3000): Rukhmar planned for the arakkoa to one day return to Arak. However, Sethe's curse still lingered and as she did not wish her children to suffer, she decided to delay this. After they had grown, Rukhmar intended to lead her children back to their ancestral home. Yet, she knew she would grow old and die, fearing that she may not be able to wait for that fateful day. For many generations, Rukhmar watched the arakkoa develop from a distance, occasionally she communing with them, telling them stories of Arak, Sethe's evil, and Anzu's nobility. She taught them the ways of commanding the Light and they mastered it, becoming adept healers and seers. Sadly, Rukhmar felt her own life fading. She spoke with her children one last time and urged them to claim Arak for themselves. Rukhmar led her children south, but just as they reached Arak, she died: flames took over her form and she burned like a second sun in the sky. The arakkoa saw Rukhmar's death as a symbol of where they had come from and they vowed to create a mighty empire that would outshine any other culture on Draenor in order to honour her: the light of their knowledge and their power would blaze in the heavens just as Rukhmar had. Calling themselves the Apexis, the arakkoa claimed the highest reaches of Arak's spire. Guided by tales of Anzu and his  sacrifice, arakkoa sorcerers investigated the Sethekk Hollow. They discovered shadow magic and developed the unique ability to combine the arcane with the Void. Embracing both Light and Void, the Apexis believed they were both natural parts of life. Two factions formed within the Apexis: the Anhar order studied holy magic, while the Skalax studied shadow and arcane magics. They also began to explore the rest of Draenor and outposts were claimed across the land to observe local life and they studied and mapped the forests and mountains. The arakkoa they realized that many of these were the remains of ancient creatures that had once walked Draenor. Based on stories from Rukhmar, the Apexis realized the Primals and Breakers were the primordial giants' offspring. They watched the endless warring between the two with pity and fascination but never intervened, seeing it as beneath them.

Ever-Growing (Year -2000): The rise of the arakkoa began to gain attention from the other races of the world. Within Talador lived creatures known as Primals, one being the treant Gnarlgar. He commanded powers of nature and the Spirit of Life, as well as learning from the genesaurs of the Sporemounds, Evergrowth, and communal sentience that once united all of Draenor's plantlife. He had the ability to manipulate other Primals and guide their actions, seeing the botani as having the most potential. While the Botani focused their attention on the Breakers, Gnarlgar became aware of the Apexis. He believed that the arakkoa’s society was a detriment to nature as they burned the plant life with their magic. and that eliminating them would be the only way to keep Draenor alive. He obtained a fossilized root of Botaan and rallied the botani to his side to stop the arakkoa so they could rebuild the Evergrowth. Gnarlgar not only worked to create a new Sporemound named Taala out of Botaan's root, he also used Spirit to gift thousands of trees with intelligence and will - the Gnarled - while his botani spawned new genesaurs. The Apexis did not initially pay attention to the Primals. The forests around Arak grew thicker, vines climbed the spire and planted trees that grew with astonishing speed. Eventually members of the Anhar and Skalax went to investigate Talador. From what they knew of the Evergrowth, the Apexis quickly realized that the monster that was a Sporemound and if it awoke then it would both destroy the arakkoa and bring devastation to Draenor. Knowing their race's survival depended on it, the Anhari and Skalaxi leaders mobilized the Apexis and formed an invasion force. They flew through the skies over Talador, ignoring the Primals and focusing on the Sporemound forming deep in the forest. The arakkoa could not break the Primals as they went deeper into the forest. Nearly half of the arakkoa army had died. The Anhar proposed a solution: a weapon called the Breath of Rukhmar that would channel the sun's energies into incredibly destructive power. As the Anhari began to craft it upon Arak's spire, Gnarlgar sped up Taala's maturation: the Sporemound awoke and led  the other Primals. The Breath of Rukhmar would not be finished in time. Knowing this, a small number of Skalaxi sorcerers volunteered to give the Anhari the time they needed. They had prevoiosuly discovered the existence of Gnarlgar and learned of his ability to command the Primals. They knew that killing him would deal a great blow to the enemy forces nd assassinating him was their only chance - and they succeeded. Gnarlgar's death broke the unity of the Primals, sending confusion through them and for a time they halted at the edge of Arak. The Skalaxi had bought the arakkoa time and the Breath of Rukhmar was completed. It managed to take out most of the Primal sources, ensuring they would never again return.

Apexis Bridge Is Falling Down (Year -1,200): The Apexis had thrived into an empire and their population had increased greatly: believing themselves to be the most powerful force in the world. The Apexis dedicated themselves to the advancement of science and magic, and knowledge became their culture's most important resource. The Anhar and Skalax became the caretakers of wisdom: recording important parts of history, the study of magic, and information about the world and its various creatures. The Anhari and Skalaxi sorcerers combined their magic to develop Apexis Crystals. Just by touching one of the crystals, one would consume all of the knowledge contained within and could even experience the memories of whoever had crafted it. The arakkoa had always been arrogant and this arrogrance increased after their victory against their victory against the Primals. They deemed those who walked the surface to be unclean and used their own constructs to mine and gather other resources from the ground. During the height of Apexis culture, a small group of Anhari priests sought out the remains of Rukhmar. They found her charred bones near the spire, and they used their magics to resurrect her - alas, this was only partly successful. The reanimated Rukhmar only possessed a fraction of her power and intellect. The Apexis still revered her as their goddess who had been reborn.The Anhari infused her with their Light powers, granting her a longer lifespan, whereas the Anhari priests built sun temple around the Breath of Rukhmar used centuries before. Hundreds of arakkoa gathered each year to celebrate the Apexis victory and honour Rukhmar. Unfortunately, a rivalry developed between the Anhar and Skalax as each wanted to be greater in numbers and power than the other. The Anhari knew that to seize power they would need to control knowledge. Their leader Priest-Lord Velthreek order his followers to gather as many Apexis crystals as they could, and the Anhari did so in secret over a number of years, storing them in their sun temple atop the spire. The Skalaxi and their leader, Sorcerer-Lord Salavass discovered what was happening. They believed that knowledge was a basic right for all arakkoa and Salavass demanded the release of the crystals. However, Velthreek ignored this. He declared the Anhari the sole rulers of the Apexis and that they would decide who would access the crystals and their knowledge, stating that he and the Anhari were the living representatives of Rukhmar herself. Salavas knew his order was doomed if the Skalaxi had power over all of the crystals. He gathered his followers, launching an attack at the sun temple to take the Apexis crystals by force. The civil war overtook the spire for months on end, and to turn the tide of the conflict the Anhari harnessed the Breath of Rukhmar. As the weapon ignited and they prepared to incinerate the Skalaxi, Salavass, forseeing this as the end of his people, cast a spell to destabilize the Breath of Rukhmar. It worked with catastrophic consequences: a giant explosion erupted from the Breath of Rukhmar, instantly killing most of the arakkoa on the spire and shattering the land, turning all to dark. The event split Arak's spire into many smaller spires and the surrounding region was left a barren wasteland.It came to be known as the Spires of Arak. Many generations would pass before both life and the arokkoa to recover. The Apexis society had been shattered, leaving new cultures to rise from the ashes. In the years to come, what happened to the Apexis to make them vanish would become a mystery. 

Oh, Ogre (Year -1,000): After Apexis society collapsed, arakkoa priests and sorcerers had spread across the land, taking as many Apexis crystal as they could. Two hundred years later, small groups of what remained of the Skalax began to search the land for more of these lost pieces of knowledge and power. Thye wished to keep the wonders of the land and possibly even revive the lost glory of the Apexis. The Skalaxi leader of this age, Yonzi, discovered a cache buried beneath the ruins of an Apexis settlement now occupied by the ogron and their ogre slaves. Ogron were far too hostile, however the ogres were more intelligent than the ogron and had been angered by their enslavement. Secretly, the Skalaxi approached the ogres and offered the teach them arcane magic. Because the ogres were descendants of Grond who was in turn a creation of the titan Aggramar, they were naturally attuned to the arcane. One of the first ogres to master the power was Gog, who the Skalaxi believed to be the perfect leader to incite rebellion. Gog did rebel, but not against the ogron: he targeted the gronn, whom the ogron and ogres revered and feared as gods. Gog managed to kill several gronn alone and these stories of his power spread hope among the captive ogres. Under Gog, the ogres rose up against their ogron warlords and Gog was renamed Gorgog: "King Gog". The city became Goria, "Throne of the King". The Skalaxi quickly moved into Goria to search for Apexis crystals and artifacts in the ruins Goria was built on, but Gorgog quickly put an end to it: seeing the potential in the power in these ruins. Yonzi and his Skalaxi were enraged and they decided to take the land by force. They released a suprise attack upon Goria but the ogres were able to fight back with their brute strength and newly found magical abilities. The arakkoa were defeated and Yonzi was captured, enduring a slow and gruesome death. Within the gradually  expanding Gorian Empire Apexis crystals became highly prized and eagerly sought out by ogre sorcerers.

Not In The In-Group (Year -600): The next arakkoan culture was that of the sun-worshipping High Arakkoa. The greatest and most loved king of these arakkoa was known as Terokk. The Anhar order shared power with the line of kings, but worship of Rukhmar had become twisted and distorted by time, and respect for Anzu had long since disappeared. The Sethekk Hollow, formed from the cursed blood of the dead god Sethe, had become a form of punishment and any who disagreed with the Anhari were deemed heretics and traitors and dumped into the pools. They would undergo similar flightless mutations to Anzu. Terokk's victory over the saberon Pridelord Karash, who had been tormenting the arakkoa and causing them to ask why Rukhmar had apparently withdrawn her favour, caused the arakkoa to celebrate Terokk as a living legend going so far as to claim he was Rukhmar's reincarnation. The Anhari began to grow nervous, for up until this point they alone had been allowed to speak in the sun goddess's name. Terokk used his widespread support to build a new city, Skyreach. He created new laws restricting the authority of the Anhar order, declaring that high arakkoan society must be guided by a thirst for knowledge and wisdom, not by fear and superstition. This prompted the Anhari to action. They cast Terokk down from Skyreach into the pools of the Sethekk Hollow. Anzu however that took pity on Terokk, experiecing Sethe’s curse himself. He gave him command over both sorcery and shadow magic  with which to save his sanity and The Eye of Anzu with which to contact him. Terokk had become one of the Arakkoa Outcasts, and with the help of Anzu built the city of Skettis among Apexis ruins. as a refuge for his kind. The areas of Talador near to the Spires of Arak came under their control and became known as Terokkar Forest. Meanwhile, from that day forward Skyreach would be ruled not by a king but by the Anhari alone, now calling themselves the Adherents of Rukhmar.The Adherents covered up Terokk's rule: rewriting his reign as a dark time that was driven by a tyrant. According to them, Terokk's tyranny was brought to an end when the Adherents rose up against him and liberated the arakkoa from oppression. Rukhmar then turned her back on Terokk and he became shrivelled and maddened. Other lawbreakers would suffer the same fate and those who survived would find their ways to the Arakkoa Outcasts and their building civilisation. Sethe's curse passed from one generation of Outcasts to the next without any hope of a cure. Rukhmar and her Adherents feared and hated these cursed arakkoa and the dark magic gifted to their Talonpriests by Anzu, and so waged war on them. The Adherents searched for ancient Apexis technology, unleashing powerful golems to and turrets that fired beams of concentrated light. As the years went by, Terokk's health declined, grief tore at his heart, and Sethe's curse overtook his mind. He began to hate the world, abandoning Skettis and even sacrificing the lower castes of his own people to dark powers in search of a cure. Hoping to rejuvenate their king, the Talonpriests sealed Terokk away deep within the shadows. All that remained of their beloved leader were several artifacts he left behind, among them his spear, his mask and his writings. 

Sethekking Hell (Between Year -600 and Year -2): At some point the arakkoa invaded the Tanaan Jungle and attacked the Bleeding Hollow clan, forcing the orcs to hide in fear in their villages until they were inspired and led to victory by Kilrogg Deadeye. While it's unclear if these were members of the Adherents or not, the arakkoa at the Den of Haal'esh in modern-day Hellfire Peninsula may be remnants of this invasion.The high arakkoa predicted the arrival of the draenei a century before it happened. After some time, the Arakkoa Outcasts sought to contact Terokk. Their attempts failedl, however, and without any champions to guide them the Outcasts became increasingly dire and desperate. The Sethekk cult, followers of the dead god Sethe, gained more power, and the Outcasts spiraled into darkness. The loss of Terokk also caused the loss of The Eye of Anzu, cutting off communication between the Outcasts and the only god who had watched over them after being rejected by their own creator, and the Sethekk began to harness Sethe's powers to find the raven god and bend him to their will. The only arakkoa who would continue to worship Anzu were those of the Grishna cult, located today in the Blade's Edge Mountains of northern Outland. The Grishna would come to be considered heretics.

Give A Bird A Break (Year -2): The arakkoa suffered terribly during both the Horde's rampage across their world and the civil war between Adherents and Outcasts. Tthe Sethekk and the Outcasts had abandoned Sethe in favor of an unnamed Old God. The summoning of Murmur and the destruction of Auchindoun was mistakenly seen by the Sethekk as the arrival of their master on the planet, and so the Sethekk leader Ikiss led them to the ruins.  The Dark Conclave attempted to summon the Old God in Shadowmoon Valley to stop the Horde, but Gul'dan intervened and foiled their rituals. The high arakkoa posed one of the greatest threats to the Horde due to their rediscovered Apexis technology, most noteably the solar cannon based at Skyreach. Warchief Blackhand called on Kargath Bladefist and the Shattered Hand clan, which lived in Arak, to deal with the arakkoa. Kargath also enlisted the aid of the Burning Blade and Dragonmaw to form an attack force. They were not prepared for the arakkoa's weaponry. Dozens of orcs died right at the beginning of storming Skyreach. Kargath contacted the Outcasts in the hopes of gaining an ally. The Outcasts agreed on one condition: if the arakkoa infiltrated Skyreach and destroyed the weaponry, the orcs would join the fight and slaughter the high arakkoa. Then, the Outcasts could take Skyreach. The deal was struck and they were initially successful. Alas, in the blood craze, the orcs turned on the Outcast. Kargath knew they were intelligent and may use the technology within Skyreach against them one day. Some high arakkoa were taken prisoner and cast into the Sethekk Hollow to test the stories the Outcasts had told them. By the end of the attack, high arakkoan civilization was destroyed and nearly all the Outcasts remained. The Outcasts shrouded themselves in shadows to hide from any further attacks. The high arakkoa who had recently been transformed turned to Grizzik, a former Skyreach guard. He led his followers to Auchindoun, knowing most orcs feared the supposedly haunted ruins. Dark forces had claimed Auchindoun years ago, and the arakkoa spent their time studying and worshipping them.

Get Outta My Outland (Year 8): The first known contact of an arakkoa with the races of Azeroth occurred during the Alliance of Lordaeron's expedition to Draenor several years after the Horde's rampage. Grizzik, eager to exact his revenge against the orcs, volunteered his people as trackers and guides for  Danath Trollbane's forces, leading them to both the Bleeding Hollow fortress of Auchindoun. When Draenor shattered, the Spires of Arak were destroyed, taking with them Rukhmar and the remains of Sethe. The arakkoa in Skettis, those who had fled to Auchindoun and the dark corners of Terokkar Forest, escaped the destruction. By the time the Alliance and Horde came to Outland, the servants of Terokk who was still worshipped by the arakkoa, were committig evil in his name as the Talon King himself had fallen to the curse’s stage of madness as he had stayed too long in the shadows. At Veil Shienor and Veil Reskk, the Eyes of Skettis allowed Terokk to spy on those areas. At Veil Skith, the arakkoa used the Darkstone of Terokk as an altar of worship and kidnapped children. At Veil Rhaze, the spirits of arakkoa slain in the Auchindoun explosion remained with Terokk's influence remaining on them. At Veil Lithic, his minions corrupted kaliri into his service. At Veil Shalas, the closest colony to Skettis, the arakkoa sages conducted wars against the Light. A group called the Skettis Exiles had been taken in by the benevolent naaru A'dal and were led by Kirrik the Awakened. They saw Terokk and sought to end his destructive ways. Within the Lower City of Shattrath, they battled against Terokk's forces. Ikiss and the The Sethekk had been working for years in Auchindoun bend Anzu to their will - and they had succeeded. They forced Anzu to attack the Emerald Dream. The Alliance and the Horde assaulted their stronghold, killing Ikiss and ending Anzu’s suffering. Elsewhere in Skettis, the arakkoa continued to attempt to snuff out any opposition to reviving Terokk from the shadows in which at this point had led to outright battles. The Sha'tari Skyguard, an airborne detachment Sha'tar warriors, established a base at Blackwind Landing, just outside of the Blackwind Valley. The Talonpriests however now lived in the realm of shadows alongside Terokk, making them impossible to attack. Adventurers, with the help of the Sha'tari Skyguard and Skettis Exiles, prepared a ritual to summon Talon King before the right time when he would not be at his strongest.This led to Terokk to attacked the adventurers for interfering. However, the finally legacy of Arak was ended by adventurer delivering the final blow to him. Many arakkoa still exist in Outland but are scattered, without leadership or a single defining leader.

Help Arrives (Year 31): On an alternate Draenor, the Arakkoa Outcasts got the champions they so desperately needed. Adventurers met with the arakkoa Reshad during their darkest hour, when the Adherents of Rukhmar were in the middle of their genocidal campaign. With these champions' help, the Adherents' Apexis excavations were set back and Outcasts were saved from slavery. The long-lost Eye of Anzu was also found, at long last reuniting the arakkoa with Anzu for the first time since Terokk vanished. The Sethekk's ritual to dominate Anzu's will was stopped, Ikiss was killed, and Anzu slew Sethe's spirit. The Sethekk would never rise to power as they had in the main timeline.The Outcasts attempt to summon and commune with Terokk was successful in this universe, now that their champions from Azeroth-Prime had aided them in gathering his relics. However, Reshad believed that summoning Terokk physically would be a mistake and it was likely that he would only spiral them further into darkness. Instead, against Shadow-Sage Iskar's wishes, the champion was imbued with Terokk's power and took on his form to battle Kargath Bladefist. Despite the Avatar of Terokk losing the battle, Terokk's spirit told the arakkoa to forge their own path, lay the past to rest, and raise new champions.With Anzu's blessing, the Outcasts called upon Ka'alu, his consort. Ka'alu aided the Outcasts in an assault on the Adherents' Apexis weapons, destroying their solar-powered cannons. Afterward, Skyreach itself was attacked and High Sage Viryx, leader of the Adherents of Rukhmar, was killed. This led to the formation of the Order of the Awakened, an organization of both cursed and high arakkoa; however, the Arakkoa Outcasts do not trust them.  As for Rukhmar herself, she was ultimately slain as well.With their champions reuniting them with Anzu, dismantling the Sethekk, and stopping the genocide of the Adherents, the Arakkoa Outcasts found hope in the darkness and looked toward a brighter future. Some of the Outcasts came to realize that the ancient arakkoa had known that having light and dark in equal measure was natural. Only together would the Outcasts and their winged cousins succeed. After Gul'dan's takeover of the Iron Horde, the Burning Legion began its invasion of Draenor. The Sethekk allied themselves with the Legion and its Shadow Council in order to revive Rasthe, son of Sethe. Also, Iskar and several other members of the Outcasts sought out the aid of Gul’dan, planning to use fel magic to curse themselves of their curse, regaining their wings. Both groups followed the Legion into Tanaan Jungle. To fight back, the Order of the Awakened began operating in the same area. Reshad spied on them and both the Horde and Alliance sent heroes to combat the Legion arakkoa. During the march of the Hellfire Citadel, Iskar and his followers were killed.

Physical traits

Life expectancy: Unknown.

Height: Arakkoa tend to be between 6-8 feet tall, depending on their cursed status.

Eye colour: The most commonly seen eye colours for Arakkoa are orange, yellow or green.

Cosmetics: Arakkoa are bird-like creatures covered in bright feathers. 

Personality traits

Other races: Arakkoa were tradtionally a race that kept out of the affairs of other creatures on Draenor. However, the Exiles have no issues allying with Horde or Alliance races in times of need.

Other creatures: Their preferred mount is the Dread Raven and they are known to keep kaliri as attack pets.

Culture

Language: Ravenspeak.

Military: Each faction has their own forces made up of many classes. Arakkoa have control over the arcane, They may also become warriors, priests, sages, druids and shaman. Talon Guards are stationed over Skettis.

Government:  Many other devisions have arisen over the years: the Skettis, the Exiles of the Lower City in Shattrath, the Sethekk and some even ally themselves with the Old Gods within the Dark Conclave. The racial leader depends on various factions: Terokk rules over the Skettis, Kirrik over the Exiles and Talon King Ikiss over the Sethekk.

Religion:  Most Arkkoa religious customs revolve around the worship of Rukhmar, who they revered as the goddess of the sun who is seen as source of their Light magic. Howeve, the Sethekk worship the Talon King. The Dark Conclave honour the Old Gods.

Traditions

Flying arakkoa also carry with them dreamcatchers that are said protect them from Sethe's curse.

The Adherents pair young arakkoa together to ensure they follow the decrees of Rukmar. They are thus symbolically called “clutch brother” or “clutch sister”.

The Adherents are known to burn their victims alive in ritualistic sacrifice.

[starsweeping-dm]

I had the sudden urge to draw my tiny tiefling bardadin and her very freaking tall cousin as humans. So I gave 0 fucks about anatomy since I currently feel like crap, and just had some fun messing with these two. Turns out these distantly related relatives are both hopelessly in love and both have the same reaction to being greeted by the ones they love.

So going left to right on the second image we have Axel, who normally is a red skinned tiefling vengeance paladin who’s an absolute cinnamon roll for the most part and grew up in a church, hence the outfit. For his eyes, I went a more brownish red than the normal bright red, and just switched from red to oranges for his skin tone, leaving his hair the same. 

Then Aspen, who’s an eladrin draconic sorcerer/arcane trickster and best friend of Axel since childhood. As a human, I made his natural haircolor the sort of brownish red found in his autumn form, and made his skin tone less saturated than his autumn form’s skin, alongside giving him his spring form’s eyes. His scales became tattoos that cover his back and his normal tattoo became more complicated in nature, while all of his ear piercings took on different colors from each season, alongside its bell. He’s not good at fashion despite being a noble, so his human fashion is equally as bad. 

Stgeve, or ‘Stef’ in this AU, is originally a tiefling lore bard/ancients paladin. In her original form, she has dark grey skin and white hair, and tarnished looking eyes. I made her natural hair color the same as her canon skin color, while changing the eyes slightly just so they have whites. Common’s not her native language and she primarily thinks in infernal, which the dm and I decided would be latin for the sake of simplicity. In her case, Spanish would also work as her name is Estgeban, after all, and I referenced an old pic of a childhood friend of mine for the skintone as I had remembered them being quite close to how I imagined human Stgeve. She’s also just surrounded by tall people. She’s only 5ft tall after all. Her sweater is actually the same colors as the scar on her chest, and her pants are actually the same color as Aspen’s shirt in his primary winter form. 

Natasha, our human hunter ranger, was pretty easy. Just gave her a dress and a choker necklace and that was it. She was already human after all haha. 

Now, either onto the argument between my backup characters while my old backup character cries in the corner about needing to be replaced, or doodles from last session should be coming up soon. Or maybe the minis that I need to have ready by Friday morning. Either way, thank you guys for your support. You have no idea how much it means to me. Seriously. 

[enflamedxtouch]

           JOSIE SALTZMAN:||TASK 5~ON YOUR ROLE...

( portion one): TINDER.

What would your muse’s profile picture be? 

What other pictures would your muse have? 

What would your muse’s bio be?

Likely some bad sitcom reference or anything that’s a joke about something barely anyone that doesn’t know what she’s talking about will get like people who tell science jokes. Josie is likely out putting subtle puns about magic and wizardry without really letting anyone in on it. 

( portion two ): HOGWARTS.

What would your muse’s house be?

 GRYFFINDOR

– Unsurprisingly Josie would be a Gryffindor, that’s not to say she can’t be cunning and deceiving of course sharing those traits with those of the Slytherin house but her attitude to bravery and putting everyone else before herself means she is the perfect Gryffindor lacking fear of situations that need to be overcome or battles that seem impossible but have weaknesses that can be fought. She not only used her intelligence to effortlessly ensure the safety of those she cares for but she does so without need for gratitude or reward.  

What would be your muse’s Patronus? 

 Black Mare

– This animal is typical for people who show strong motivation in life and usually represents passion, determination, and an appetite for freedom. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, so this could represent a part of your personality that you’d rather keep hidden or just reveal to your personal circle. This specific color could also refer to instinctual urges of your mind for the unknown and mysterious.

What shape would a Boggart take to your muse? 

– Josie’s worst fear is not being able to save the people she loves and being left behind because of it. Her Boggart would be death hovering over the person she loves the most..if not simply the majority of her friends and family. 

 ( portion three ): D&D. 

What would be your muse’s alignment? 

Chaotic Good

– While Josie does believe in staying on the right side of the tracks and defending those who can’t protect themselves from those who mainly stray on the bad sid, she knows rules and laws don’t necessarily always work when it truly comes down to some instances where people need to be saves and the answers stray far from the guidelines. She’d happily do anything to save people and in the end this will likely be her downfall. 

What would be your muse’s stats? ( HERE is a list of stats and their meaning )

Strength (12):–Can literally pull their own weight & carry some heavier objects for a short distance. 

Dexterity (18):–Light on feet, able to often hit small moving targets.

Constitution (11):–Occasionally contracts mild illnesses but anything caused by supernatural circumstances that isn’t fatal, is often something that can be siphoned away.

Intelligence (16):–Fairly intelligent, able to understand new tasks quickly.

Wisdom (16):–Reads people and situations fairly well.

Charisma (13):–Mildly interesting, knows what to say to the right people.

Would your muse’s class be?

Warlock

–Magic is a part of every sorcerer, suffusing body, mind, and spirit with a latent power that waits to be tapped. Some sorcerers wield magic that springs from an ancient bloodline infused with the magic of dragons. Others carry a raw, uncontrolled magic within them, a chaotic storm that manifests in unexpected ways.The appearance of sorcerous powers is wildly unpredictable. Some draconic bloodlines produce exactly one sorcerer in every generation, but in other lines of descent every individual is a sorcerer. Most of the time, the talents of sorcery appear as apparent flukes. Some sorcerers can’t name the origin of their power, while others trace it to strange events in their own lives. The touch of a demon, the blessing of a dryad at a baby’s birth, or a taste of the water from a mysterious spring might spark the gift of sorcery. So too might the gift of a deity of magic, exposure to the elemental forces of the Inner Planes or the maddening chaos of Limbo, or a glimpse into the inner workings of reality.Sorcerers have no use for the spellbooks and ancient tomes of magic lore that wizards rely on, nor do they rely on a patron to grant their spells as warlocks do. By learning to harness and channel their own inborn magic, they can discover new and staggering ways to unleash that power.

[paladin-andric]

11 Questions Tag Game

Tagged by @corishadowfang! Thank you!

Rules: Answer the 11 questions and then make 11 of your own, then tag some people.

1: Is there a real-life location you’d like to base a story off of/in?

Would I?! Well, there’s the Byzantine Empire, modern day Greece and Turkey. Just look up some pictures of Constantinople and you could see why I’d love to have that sort of setting. I already have a story idea for it. An alt-history fantasy where the empire never fell, and mythical beasts invade Europe...

As for places I’ve already based a story off of...the entire continent of Deaco is full of nations based on real life places. The central region, the human Kingdom of Geralthin, is based off of medieval England (with better weather though!) which can be seen with such names like Henry, Elizabeth, Albert and Edward, along with the English feudal system of Earls, Dukes and Barons, along with “Shire” and “Bury” being included in some town and province names.

The Koutu Kingdom is lightly based on  a blend of Gaelic cultures such as the Scottish and Irish, along with some Hellenic additions. Though their homeland is more plains than the Emerald Isle or the rough Highlands, their names reflect this. Domnall, Cuan, Conchobar...there’s also their pasttimes of the great Arena Marathon and other competitions of physical sport that draw on the Greek culture.

The Dacuni Tribes are heavily inspired by the Vikings. Their constant invasions to the south against every one of their neighbors, along with their constant use of battleaxe infantry should make that obvious. The wolfmen also share the similar “-nar”, “-vin”, “nir” at the end of a lot of their names. The tundra environment is similar as well, but I also just wanted an excuse for beautiful winter scenery and an aurora that lights up the sky.

The Pona Federation is a tribal republic that takes light inspiration from the Native Americans of North America. Light. I mostly just got the idea of their government from The Iroquois. The Pona are bipedal turtlefolk that live in a swampy marshland and mostly keep to themselves. I wanted some sort of republic among all the kingdoms of the world, so here they are! They develop into a modern, Constitutional Republic later down the timeline as well, one of the few places in the world that’s a bastion of freedom and liberty in a world full of autocrats and tyrants.

The Abinsil Kingdom is a subcontinent off the coast of Geralthin to the south that’s inspired by medieval Arabic kingdoms. The lizardfolk there are pious (for good reason), isolationist, and mystical. They have sects of holy warriors that guard the groves of saints, strange magic that bends reality around them, wardrakes instead of horses, and a minority of insectoids!

Finally there’s two places I haven’t really touched on, but are part of the world. The Qin Empire, a place based off medieval China (complete with eastern dragons that regularly patrol the skies), and the Republic of Salisca, based VERY heavily off of the United States (where humans have suffered at the hands of dragon-tyrants for millennia before gaining their independence).

2: What are some themes you haven’t used that you think would be fun to touch on?

I’ve touched on The Power of Friendship™ in Blackheart, but its strongest theme was that of determination and perseverance. Never give up! Fight the darkness! As long as you have a reason to believe, something to love, the corruption can never fully claim you!

Another theme I’d like to touch on is the blood of the covenant! The idea that bonds of friendship forged strong enough can be greater than even family! Themes of faith would be interesting too, a long and difficult journey where the hero questions their faith could have some really interesting and powerful results and messages.

3: What character have you created that’s the most like you? The least?

Gotta say Charles. While I’m not a winged, fire-breathing half-dragon wizard, our personalities are very similar. He’s shy, anxious, a bit of a nerd, but a good person and brave when he needs to be...really once you get past that whole dragon part we’re pretty much the same!

As for the least? Well...probably Razorwing. I mean, after what I just told you about Charles, Razorwing is a famous hero who’s always in the spotlight. He’s graceful, and skilled, and charismatic, and loved the world over...so you could see why I think he’s a far cry from me! He’s still a good person though, most characters in Blackheart are.

4: Are there any songs that really encompass what your WIP’s about?

Cold Rain and Snow

“What are we marching for?

What is this trial with our lives?

How will we win this war?

Who among will survive?”

5: Have you ever created unique races/monsters for a story? What are they?

There’s the stock dragons and kobolds, but aside from that I’ve strayed from typical fantasy, for the most part. No elves or dwarves for example. There’s the Koutu, a species of avian adventurers who revel in the unknown and make great company wherever they go.

There’s the wolfmen (Dacuni), though I’m sure there’s similar races in other media. They’re rough, gruff and prone to flying off the handle at the slightest provocation, but they’re ferociously loyal as well.

The Pona, the turtle-men of the East, were made from scratch. I wanted a calm, wise and otherworldly species that had the potential for interesting settings and circumstances (a tribal council sitting around a fire, surrounded by massive trees that go up hundreds of feet and block out the sky, anyone?)

The Ssalik of the Abinsil Kingdom are lizardmen, though not really based on any of other media. They’re friendly with humans and have their own things going on (the mystic magic, the drakes and dragons roaming their deserts...)

The half-dragons take that “dragonblood” thing and take it to the next level, the people taking on the forms of dragons because of it. They’re the size of humans and stand upright, but otherwise look just like dragons. Due to the transformation of body and mind, they have quick wits and an affinity for magic. As such, they make great sorcerers and paladins, and tend to be more accepted in academies and churches as a result.

Pseudodragons didn’t originally exist in the world. They were created, in universe, artificially by a powerful sorcerer. They’re tiny dragons the size of people that have natural urges to do good and help humanity. They love fruits and typically settle in human villages to help the villagers in their day-to-day jobs and activities. They’re near-universally selfless and kind.

The Qin...well, imagine the half-dragons, but use eastern dragons instead of european dragons as the base. They have long, flowing bodies, fins, whiskers, and no wings.

6: What’s your favorite book?

Probably The Outsiders. I can’t say I relate to the characters...but I feel for them, you know?

7: Traditional heroes or anti-heroes?

Traditional! I love classical heroes who always try to do the right thing! I think the edgy dark hero has gotten overused to the point that classical heroes are making a comeback in popularity, and I’m glad to see it. In Blackheart, most are traditional heroes. Paul or “Crux” is the closest to an anti-hero considering his background, but in the city of demons, there’s not much chance for anyone to be anything but heroic.

8: What is your favorite character from any piece of media?

Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. A legendary hero of uncomparable skill that has somehow pulled through some of the most hopeless of situations, went rogue in an effort to save the world from Metal Gears, and has suffered and struggled against way more than he deserved to.

9: What is an AU of your WIP you think would be fun to explore?

Modern fantasy. There’s just something about fantasy races having guns and using cellphones...

10: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Demon’s Souls. The colorless fog and ruined Boletaria being so close to the black fog and ruined Palethorn are pretty obvious giveaways. Also D&D, as all the dragons, priests, holy magic and kobolds might make clear.

11: What is something you love about your WIP?

The ending. It, uh...kinda ruined me while I was writing it. I’m absolutely in love with the characters, too.

Now for my questions! (Mostly just an excuse to hear some worldbuilding!)

1: What’s your favorite genre and why?

2: Unusual themes or plot points that are important in your story? (Music or cooking, for example)

3: Which two characters are the most polar opposites? What is their relationship in the story?

4: Prophecy vs. Defying fate? Which do you think makes for a better story?

5: Which character are you most proud of, for any reason?

6: If your story could be told in any other sort of media, what would it be? How would you like it made?

7: Which part of your world is the most interesting, in your opinion? Location, lore, whatever really drew you into making it.

8: How much do your experiences color the world or characters of your story? Is it born of a worldview you either have or something you wish reality was closer to?

9: What government system does the setting follow? If it’s an international journey, how are the nations different from each other?

10: What role does culture play in the world? Where did you get the idea for such traditions and pasttimes?

11: How do you like your villains and heroes? How do they think and act most of the time?

Tagging @oceanwriter, @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword, @elliewritesfantasy, @caffienefuelsmywriting and @lady-redshield-writes!