#and magic as a reflection of its caster

[queenangst]

one of the things i love about wha is how clearly the magic and ideas the girls learn and have build on top of each other over time. the continuing theme of magic as solutions, and your own spells can be made by adapting what you know into something new.

in one of her first uses of magic, coco uses fabric to sail through the air at the dagda mountains; she later creates the mantle of flight. the air twisting seal she learns to use to pick fruit becomes part of a spell to create rain underneath the sea. agott uses a bird of light to distract people at the river; later, we learn her love for the decorative seals, and her knowledge comes in use to bring people joy, and to help with the curtain leech. every person has their own magic, and everyone's magic connects together to create new things.

no magic is useless; no magic is too small or too basic. no magic is unloved.

[sorbeau]

hi its me again i feel legally obligated to ask about your thoughts on the new riz design (but also extends to al of the other new art for the bad kids too!!!)

HI SHOKO sorry this took so long to asnwer, it feels a little late to the party now but I have lots of thoughts and this has been in my drafts for a hot minute so I'll break my thoughts down in order <3

Fig

GOD DO I LOVE FIG'S DESIGN. It hasn't changed too drastically in many ways, it's largely the same beats with the plaid skirt, leather jacket, biker gloves, and docs, but there's a lot more detail pertaining to her character now. Ayda's feather earring is abviously a huge win, everyone loves to see it, but I love the small details like the added wallet chain on her skirt, the added ear piercings, and her painted nails. If I had to choose something I didn't like, it'd be the color of her shoelaces, which isn't a huge deal bc you know spyre might have different cultural beats, but it's very reminiscent of punk doc lace codes, which were a way to sort of factionize yourself among punks. Fig wears one purple and one red, and traditionally purple means gay pride(which is great and i would've picked it for her too) but red usually means you allign yourself with neo-nazi's and similar groups which. is definitely Not Fig. It's not a HUGE deal but, maybe some more research could've been put into it.

Gorgug

Gorgug's new design is so. Perfect. Amazing. Spectacular. No notes. It's exactly the changes I wanted to see. The goggles, the dirt-covered face, the ripped jeans, the bags and tools, the gloves, the most disgusting worn pair of convers you've ever seen. It's absolutely amazing and the artist has managed to bring all the beats we loved about his original design(his extremely fashionable purple pants) and mixes them perfectly with all of the new facets of Gorgug's personality that have changed and grown theough their adventures. A little detail I love is how the color of his headphones has changed to match with the rest of his outfit better, creating a more cohesive design with the introduction of more red/maroon tones. This was always a little bit of an issue with the old design for me. The colors sort of didn't go together.

Kristen

She's going through a break up. She's at the most chaotic she's ever been and she's trying to fix it. It is so genius to make her jacked. The bright yellow tracksuit is beautiful and exactly something Kristen would buy and wear every day. Plus the tiedye purple sports bra tying in her old church camp shirt aesthetic is brilliant. I'm mourning the loss of her sandals, but the matching shoes to her tracksuit can't be complained about. Not a whole lot to say, I'm excited about how this design will change and reflect her growth this season! Praise Saint Kristen Applebees!!

Adaine

THE ELVEN ORACLE IS COOL NOW!!! I love her jacket, all the patches and the toned down fur lining is absolutely perfect. I also love the cool strapped bags on her hips and legs, it's just a really cool adventurer addition cementing her as a bad ass practical caster. Her entire face seems more assured and relaxed, which is absolutely amazing for her and reflects how her resting state is no longer as addled with panic and anxiety as it used to be. Her hair also seems a lot more her! Not sure how to describe it, but it seems like she's focusing less on keeping herself perfect, and more on just keeping herself, herself! Not very big design swings or changes, but she doesn't need to change, she just needs to be true to herself. (Also. a huge fan of her cool magic circle shirt.) My only gripe. Give her blue hair. And pronouns. And glasses pretty please.

Fabian

That boy is the future of dance!!!!!!!!!! I love the color palette shift for his design, it's a really great way to show how he's grown out of Bill's shadow and embraced his own passions with the grey tones with red and gold accents. Also a huge fan of the fancy robed pants, tons of great movement lines and something a dancer would totally wear. On the same note however, I feel like it doesn't really go with the rest of his outfit. I love how the changes made are geared towards movement and dance(his shoes changing from sneakers to dance shoes is great) but I feel like the changes are all sort of mismatched? The dance shoes look a lot like tap shoes, but the pants look more big and flowy, better for a more leaping and running style of dance, and his jacket has almost nothing to do with dance. It's delightfully artsy and detailed, which is so chic and Fabian, but the shapes of it don't really match up, and especially without a clear view of the front it makes him look like he's wearing half of a matador outfit. I would've loved to see a more dramatic silhouette without the use of the battle sheet(which is absolutely perfect, no notes) with either lots of flowy parts for movement, or a sharp jacket with skinnier pants for that exaggerated silhouette. Again, I think this is really all due to a lack of research, but the spirit of Fabian is still in the room with us. The colors are great, the bandages on his hands are perfect, and the fanciful element is very on point, just needs some better shape language and cohesiveness.

Riz

There he goes, he's gone from gritty detective to gadget-heavy superspy. I LOVE the character choices that Murph made for Riz, he's become even more of a loser and seems a lot less hard and fast, and more generally passionate. In freshman and sophomore year, he was entirely goal oriented, completely focused on completing his mission and solving the mystery, this time around he's still got a mission, but because he can't do it all himself, he's sort of given the opportunity to branch out and explore himself. This is all to say, i love the insufferable loser hipster kid that he's become. He is truly the trinket goblin of all time, I love all his wild little gadgets and jewelry, and all the extra arcano-tech screens on his glasses are brilliant. I'm also a huge fan of his torso gun-holdster, which is a beautiful homage to his detective nature. The undercut is also obviously perfection. The loser teen-boy urge to cut away your beautiful hair for a nerdy undercut is so painfully lore accurate that it's one of my favorite details. It's probably because he's a dork. but I would love to know why he has rolled up pants and no socks. What is that. Why would he do that. ALSO STOP BEING A COWARD D20. GIVE HIM DIGITIGRADE LEGS AND A TAIL. CAT GOBLIN TRUTHERS UNITE!!!!!!!!!!

anyways that's probably the end of my rant for now. I love the bad kids and overall their designs are great. constantly wishing all of my headcannons were real but understanding that the cannon will never relent.

[magewisdumb]

Protector | Shadowheart x Reader (Tav) Pt.1

A/N: Made shadowheart a paladin for this one as gift to the homie @shartstan97

It was difficult to see in the heat of battle, Karlach’s rage makes the air around her blur into a mirage as her engine cuts into overdrive her great axe catching a Sharran spell caster’s pauldron and digging through their chainmail. Shadowheart bashes her shield against another heavily armored Dark Justiciar, staggering it and slamming the side of her Warhammer against its helm effectively crunching the Justiciar’s composure. Gale’s hands burn with raw heat as he directs a fireball towards the opposite end of the hall, eviscerating the Justiciars and novices gathered there. You, however, were engaged in a fierce duel with Viconia, her eyes reflecting a cold fury that could only be fitting of one of Shar’s most devoted clerics.

You know this is not a fight at your advantage, everyone else had some level of radiant weaponry or spell craft at their disposal, you were but a rogue good with the blade, you had to be on the defensive with Viconia. She barely gives you the time to react as she lunges at you; mace winding back for a strike. You make the mistake of anticipating her strike as it turns out to be a feint, she steps in closer after your dodge and jabs it at your chest catching your leather armor, a buckle breaking under the strike. It’s enough to knock the wind out of your lungs, but you attempt to stay limber and regain your balance relative speed. VIconia attempts to feint you again, but you sidestep and whirl, dagger slicing through the air with the momentum of your flourish. Viconia seems to always be another step ahead and raises her shield and pushes into the attack, your dagger's edge glancing off the polished metal of the shield efficiently staggering you. The drow takes a moment and yells an incantation, and her mace starts to crackle, dark magic coils around the mace's sharp edges. Snapping out of your daze, you raise your other dagger to defend yourself, but Viconia’s strength bests you, her mace connecting just under your breast plate, ribs crunching painfully as you’re sent flying a couple meters back. You attempt to ease your fall with your arm, but it twists under you and bends at an angle it wasn’t intended to. Shadowheart is heard shouting in terror, most likely for you as you’re downed almost immediately from the supreme justiciar’s strike.  A choked groan leaves your mouth as you attempt to get up, coughing up bloody globs of spittle as your arm caves in on itself, vision hazy as you see Viconia raise a hand with magic encircling her fingers, a necrotic spell ready to end your existence. Your eyes meet the drow’s with defiance, not willing to give her a look of surrender before death. Viconia only sneers in response “Shadowheart betrays Lady Shar to the likes of you? Very well, hopefully she sees the cost of her misguided actions.” She aims her hand at you as the wisps of shadow dancing along her psalm intensify. 

“The only one seeing the cost of my actions today will be you Viconia” Your vision of Viconia is obscured by Shadowheart, who skids to a defensive kneel in front of you, her shield catching the spell and fizzing it out. The paladin murmurs a brief chant, and you feel your body infuse with minor healing magic, stabilizing the immediate bleeding. Viconia readies herself and starts to cast another spell, but Shadowheart is quick to react, she leaps to her feet, armored boots cracking the stone floor beneath her and charges Viconia, her warhammer and shield glowing with holy radiance. Viconia stops her spellcasting in a meek attempt to raise her shield though it is no match for the paladin’s charge. Metal armor and shield crashing into Viconia and the momentum doesn’t stop as she is pinned and smashed into the nearest wall. Shadowheart tosses her shield down before reaching with a gauntleted hand gripping Viconia by the collar and slamming her against the wall, hoping that her mother superior was in as much pain as she looked. The paladin glances briefly in your direction and is relieved to find that you are being helped up by Karlach and Gale, Karlach clumsily tipping a healing potion in your mouth. The half elf once again turns her focus on Viconia who opens her mouth “Why, Shadowheart? We are your true family.” Shadowheart scowls and applies pressure against Viconia eliciting a pained breath from the drow. “I will be asking the questions, all hopes of reconciling went out the window when you attack my friends and the light of my life, there is one thing you have left to owe me. My parents location, If you any shred of decency in your conscience left, you will at least grant me this peace” Viconia’s lips quiver as she struggles to breathe out a reply and points weakly at the door “In there you will find them, now end me, send me to lady Shar’s embrace” Shadowheart's visage slips into something eerily calm as her eyes begin to glow with radiant magic and when she speaks her voice reverberates softly with a quiet strength  “May you burn before you find benevolence in darkness” sacred flames begin to lick up Shadowheart’s gauntlet before spreading across the drow’s body, the dark elf panics as she struggles against the unyielding grip of her old pupil. Viconia’s body is turned to ash in a matter of seconds with the holy flames burning eagerly to sear their enemy. Shadowheart shakes the soot of her armor and grabs her discarded shield, walking back in your direction, her hackles lowering as her emerald eyes meet yours. You are clutching on to Karlach as a makeshift crutch trying to smile reassuringly through the pain at your lover in shining armor. Shadowheart only grimaces when she takes in the state of you. Torn armor, leather caked in blood, and one of your arms hangs at an odd angle, she then looks to Gale who is already opening a portal to camp. “I’m out of magic I’m afraid otherwise I’d be able to ease your pain, but I found where my parents are being kept, this is something I need to do. You can be there with me if you like, but I won’t fault you for nursing your injuries at camp.” You and Karlach look to each other before looking back at Shadowheart you harden your expression back into something more appropriate for the atmosphere “After we fought hard to get you here, there’s no way we’re not going with you now” and you sent a pointed look at Gale who sighs before closing the portal. Shadowheart smiles and you’re quick to notice the tears welling in her eyes though she is quick to turn on heel as she marches towards the circular door at the epicenter of the wall “If you say so.”

[paragonrobits]

thinking about Dak'kon in Planescape Torment (initially because Lae'zel's popularity in Baldur's Gate 3 has me thinking about how the contrast between her and Dak'kon is a pretty good description of how thier respective peoples have diverged and also why they hate each other so much) and specifically his statline in how that nicely corrosponds to his own personal conflicts

Dak'kon is a zerth, a sort of warrior monk that practices martial skill and magical ability and serve as guardians of the githzerai cities, and due to a partially manufactured crisis of faith, he no longer truly has certainty in anything; not in the teachings of his faith, and not in himself. This is reflected in him being the only multi-class character in the game in a traditional sense; he is a fighter/mage, leveling up one after the other.

Dak'kon's stat layout is, after he is fully upgraded: Strength 18, Dexterity 18, Constituion 18, Intelligence 13, Wisdom 13, and Charisma 13. On the one hand he has high stats across the board; mechanically, he's both a capable spell-slinger that can act in support or as a combat caster, and he's a frontline tank. In what is most likely intended to be the canon-ish playthrough, he is the ONLY front-line damage dealer in a traditional sense. He can hit like a truck, once you add him to your party he is likely to be your main damage dealer, and he's just very strong across the board. This is an excellent stat line... for a fighter.

But he is also a mage, and for this, his intelligence isn't AWFUL (in fact, he's significantly more intelligent than an ordinary person would be, which is also reflected in interactions) but its not as high as would be ideal for a more specialized mage. His intelligence is significantly lower than it should be for anyone that is taking any kind of levels in wizard (and Torment's mage class is very much a wizard); his spell slots are notably less numerous, and he's most likely to be a fighter with some casting capability.

This reflects his in-game story. Dak'kon's crisis of faith was exacerbated by a holy writ of sorts that takes the form of a complex puzzle, and one of the accounts is of how Zerthimon, the prophet revered by Dak'kon's people, deceived his illithid masters by pretending to submit to them. Dak'kon has his doubts because another such teaching concerns a traitor, and then what he assumes to be the final teaching is of Zerthimon's conflict with Gith, founder-queen of the githyanki, when their peoples split. Dak'kon has come to fear that Zerthimon gave in and became a slave to their illithid captors, which was why he divided their people at the eve of victory, and if you ask him about this, he gives one of the VERY FEW impassioned and furious speeches he makes in the game, when normally he is very calm and detached.

If you have a high intelligence and wisdom scores (significantly higher than Dak'kon's, in fact) you can puzzle out more combinations to the teachings and unlock further ones Dak'kon had not found; these provide him an answer to his crisis of faith and ease his soul; Zerthimon did not give in to the illithids, but he recognized that should his people follow the path of war and conquer all that might threaten them, they would lose who they are. But the mechanical bit is that Dak'kons stats are too low to do so; he has no idea these teachings exist at all.

Furthermore, to recruit Dak'kon at all, you must speak to him on philosophy; its not difficult to have a fairly high Wisdom and Intelligent stat combination to pass this without much trouble, and this further indicates how his statline is a bit sub-par for someone in his line of work. He expresses some profound philosophical attitudes and says them well, but he's hard pressed to defend them when you poke holes in them, and he just gloomily concedes. Part of this is that, again, he IS having a crisis of faith and he has difficulty reconciling these problems to other people.

[cloaksandcapes]

This is end-game level stuff folks, do not give this to your Lv 5 DnD Party. Save it for a one-shot or just before the final battle with a god-level BBEG.

Tarrasque Armor

Armor (plate armor), artifact (requires attunement)

“This heavy plate armor was hewn from the hide of the legendary Tarrasque. Shards of its teeth adorn the armor as decorations and a piece of its horn juts out from the pauldrons. The very remains of the Tarrasque still give this armor its power, requiring no further magical enhancements.” While attuned to this magic armor your Strength and Constitution increase by 2 to a maximum of 24.

Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Reflective Plate. Any time you are targeted by a magic missile spell, a line spell, or a spell that requires a ranged attack roll, roll a d6. On a 1 to 5, you are affected as normal. On a 6, you are unaffected, and the effect is reflected back at the caster as though it originated from you, turning the caster into the target. Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. You gain the use of this feature after you finish a long rest.

Join us on Twitch every Mon\Wed\Fri to create new Homebrews and check out our Patreon for 440+ magic items, tokens, maps, and more.

[corgate-epistolary]

May 6th, 624

(Transcript under the cut) (Read on Ao3 HERE)

[Written on off-white writing paper with a smooth but lightly textured hand, in golden yellow-brown ink, in cursive. Letter was folded into its own rectangular envelope, and sealed with a wax seal depicting a cat surrounded by moons, mountains, and window-like arch frame. The wax seal is gold, olive green, and silver swirled together, and pooled in an oblong rectangular shape]

Elowen Vance, A.Mg. Corgate Village Post Office

May 6th, 624 [the number 6 bears evidence of having been altered while the ink was fresh, from a 5 to a 6]

Eris Mirrows, A.Mg. 87 Lancedragon Street Avalon

Mx. Mirrows:

I am sending this down for posting with the team that brought up our bulky supplies, so if you have sent me a reply I have not yet seen it.

What a place these ruins are!  [scratch-out] And the mountains themselves!  I am very glad I had some shorter skirts made for the practicalities, for it is all rocks & clambering about.  We are on the ocean side of the [scratch-out, “mountains”] ruins, and each evening I see the sun set across the water - though in truth I saw little our first night, as there was much fog.

The whole air is alive with the scent of the trees, which are both unmistakable pines & also quite strangely fashioned.

[end of page 1]

They smell quite sweet, mingling with the ocean & the kelp & a general sense of earthiness.  It is all wild loveliness, & each vista is more wondrous than the last.

The ruins we have yet seen little of, with all the setting-up & organizing.  What little I have seen seems to align with the general knowledge of the place - a city, no, a town, of great & concentrated magic.  The oddest thing is that, within its borders, one feels a queer… tingling?  It is as if each molecule in the body has been made more alive.  This is of course fascinating, as no known magic can persist beyond the life of the caster.  But then again, that is indeed the purpose & focus of our time here.  Obviously, there is some mechanism by which this town’s ruins could remain cloaked for all of living memory.  Would you look in the university library on my & Mg. Hawkins’ behalf with regards to any information on lingering magics, or perhaps folklore of unnaturally long-lived creatures in these

[end of page 2]

mountains? We would both be most thankful.

Let it also be noted that I feel no change of psyche.  I feel entirely & utterly myself, just unusually invigorated & ravenous for all life.

Mg. Hawkins is doing quite well, and has overseen the construction of our base of operations with admirable efficiency.  It is always quite fascinating to see how organized a magician can be when they put their mind to it, is it not?  We now have a trio of cabins, quite well-appointed & comfortable.  The first is Mg. Hawkins’ living quarters, the second is mine, & the third (& largest) is a workroom for Mg. Hawkins, as well as [scratch-out] an ad hoc guest quarters if there should be a need.  I am ever grateful for the privacy of my own cabin, so that I may rest & [scratch-out, “rf”] reflect on the day.

I am hoping this letter finds you in good health & I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely yours,

Ms. Elowen Vance, A.Mg

[end of page 3][end of letter]

[nnibarrel]

So... Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy. My recent obsession. Let's go! I'll try to do it without significant spoilers.

Carefull, long post under the cut!

First of All. Amadeuses Kids! They grew up! UWU. They're such cute little young fireball casters. Omg, that's almost like watching your nephews grow, they feel so much like a family...

That game series has been with me since I was a child and as I remember Trine (part 1) was my first (real) videogame! And now when I play Trine 5 it cures my soul so much, right when I needed it. It's like... Has a Tolkien vibe for me. I mean in the sense that It's too fairy tail outside, it may look childish, but it has layers! I really like the plot, it hit me right in the heart and made me reflect. And I was struggling with dark thoughts on Future and Trine's perspective on the global world's problems made me smile and hope for the best... Really thank you, trine team, you're awesome :D Where there's people who share your concerns and put it in the work of art like that and make witty satire on it that's precious. I have returned some of my faith in humanity now. 

Well, maybe some people may not see what I saw or just won't feel such weight, cause my recent experience made me stump on it, so well I need to say that plot in general... Dramatic. I was impressed How it manages to balance at the edge of magical fairy tail and life drama (OR that's again me and my pains. Anyway...) STRONG twists and things at stake. Heroes encounter both global threat and personal challenges (all three of them, but poor wizard, he got it the most. But he's so silly old man, I'm crying) (Zoya, my girl, I love you...) (Pontius... You're just perfect, I'm proud of you, example of a real knight :D)

Character writing is amazing, they REALLY feel alive.

For example: Amadeus marries a woman after he became a hero and throughout the whole game series he mentions that, then he mentions their kids and, like i mentioned now, now we see how they grew up! And in fifth's game due to plot he misses his triplets greatly and in the forest three heroes meet a fox with three little foxes... And Amadeus is like "oh no, I'm a terrible father" 😭

And there's a lot of cute normal or giant animals in the game series, we're helping them and then they come up and help us. Such lightsome game, I can't/// Those animals... Uwu/// (Just a little detail but I wanted to mention that...)

What I like else about the narrative: humor :D For demonstration I just let Pontius to show himself:

And now when I've let out my shouts...

*sights* AaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA. Another round, Friends :D

I. Worship. Those. Artists. They are geniuses. Screenshots speak for themself, I guess.

Design, artwork and effects... No, I can't describe it in words, again, I just pray on it. So damn enchanting. I literally dream to be like those artists who work on this series. (And that's a threat) When I think of it, well, maybe THAT magic inspired me to be who I am right now...

Magic observatory where's pictures of butterflies there and there... ARE YOU DESNAN, WIZARDS???

And those just killed me. Episode in a dark place with the sudden rays of hope... I was just. Aaaah... So beautiful both by art and location's story.  Replica of the second screenshot: "It's rare that ghosts are on our side. Usually we and undead are not on good terms." What did I tell you? :D Tolkien vibe!

So who got through my post till the end... Please, please get to know those game series. I didn't mention it at all above but It's also a genius of gameplay. It's a platformer with (some) fighting and (a lot of) puzzles. Also. It's thrice (:D) fun in coop.

AND. Music. Won't say much about it either but It's a genius magical masterpiece. I guarantee you: Trine soundtrack will find its way to your playlist.

P. S. Will I do fanart on trine? Maybe... Maybe... You know, I just have that strange thing: some stories are "sacred" in my brain so I can't Just sit and draw cause I'm constantly stressed out if it turns out bad or worse: not how I imagined it. Same with Tolkien books, btw. In fandom since childhood, (if you count that, if not - from adolescents and first steps to the internet) and no single drawing. (not single real drawing at least)

But! I have Nine Parchments fanart :D

Oooh. And. I have THEM in frame. Art from my friend who gifted it to me at postcrossing some time after we played Trine 4 (and then the whole game series) together! It was such a pleasant surprise!

The end. ❤️❤️❤️

[autumnalwalker]

Find the Word Tag

Thank you for the tag, @ahordeofwasps.

My words to find were never, night, nail, & need.

Passing the (optional) tag to @theimperiumchronicles, @sarahlizziewrites, @druidx, @blind-the-winds, and the usual open tag to anyone else who wants to join in.

Your words to find shall be muscle, morning, matter, & message.

Never: Empty Names - 23 - Compression

She waits a second for any objections and then places her palm on the bare skin between his shoulder blades.  He’s warm.  She feels the surrounding muscles reflexively tense on contact and then slowly relax.  He’s all muscle beneath the robes, but it feels different from what she’s felt through Eris’s tank tops when pulled into an embrace.  Leaner.  Less bulk but still toned.  She’s heard of mages tapping into their own metabolism for fueling magic to burn excess fat and retain figures in defiance of diet, but that doesn’t build muscle mass.  The skin on his back and arms doesn’t look like it could ever be anywhere near as sickly pale as hers is, but it is noticeably lighter than his hands and face, even accounting for makeup.  She wonders when the last time was that he wore anything with short sleeves.  Does he even have other clothes?  She’s never seen him wear anything else.  

Still less distracting without the robe on than with.  Probably says more about her than him.  Do all wizard robes on Orthon look like sleek dresses with wide sleeves, or is it just because he copied his mentor’s style?

Night: Empty Names - 23 - Compression

“No vertigo, nausea, or other adverse reactions to the counterseal,” Ashan reports once he and his double return to Lacuna.  “This illusion feels as natural to create and control as my conjurations.”  He glances over at said illusion practically bouncing up and down in excitement.  “Well, almost as natural.  Thank you, truly.”

With those last words Ashan lightly puts a hand on Lacuna’s shoulder.  When his double tries to do the same it passes through her slightly and becomes both there and not there to her vision, like an object only visible through one eye.

“You’re wel- whoa, that’s weird,” Lacuna stumbles her words in surprise.

Ashan pulls his hand back with a puff of exhalation and the illusion throws its head back in silent laughter.

“Ah.  My apologies.  Illusions can be like that when exposed for what they are.”

“It’s fine.  Kind of cool actually.  Do they normally reflect the caster’s emotions like that too?  That’s not something I’ve read about.”

Ashan’s reflection has just enough time to blush hard enough to be seen through the perfect makeup before flickering out of existence.

“Merely a random aberration born from tiredness, I am sure,” the real Ashan says coolly and evenly.  “It must be well after midnight by now.”

“Sure it is.” Lacuna grins and chooses not to poke more fun at the matter.  “Let’s call it a night.  Morning?  Whatever.  Either way, I think we can call this experiment a resounding success.  What do you say?”

“Indeed,” Ashan agrees.

Nail: Empty Names - 9 - Test Run

Just a little further to climb.  Not a bad warmup for her, really.  As long as she’s burning Sullivan’s money, maybe she should add a rock wall to her equipment request along with the other training gear. 

One more stretch.  Grab the main pole of the bowsprit.  Heave.  Swing herself up.  Nail the landing.  Dust off her hands.  Nearly lose her balance when she hears Sullivan slow clapping and sees the others already on the deck.

“What the Hell?”

“I conjured a ramp,” Ashan says matter-of-factly. 

Of course he did.

Need: Empty Names - 23 - Compression

She bends over to use the keyboard and mouse, foregoing sitting down for fear of not wanting to get back up again.  She stops the recordings and takes a brief glance at compiled readouts.  Nothing catches her eye as out of the ordinary, but she’ll need to check it again in the morning when she’s more awake.  She shuts down the test chamber, starts to shut down the computer, and then remembers she forgot to check her email all day.  Nothing urgent, thankfully, but there’s an unexpected message from RevaTech asking if she’d be interested in scheduling an interview and reconsidering working for them.  Weird.  Maybe someone from her old team heard it had taken her a while to find a new job?

She nearly deletes the email but then thinks better of it, flagging and archiving it instead.  Not that she has any intention of leaving where she is now.  Still… It’d be a heck of a coincidence, but with what she gathered yesterday evening and this morning over breakfast about Sullivan and Road looking into something involving robots, it couldn’t hurt to keep open as an avenue to explore later.

[enddaysengine]

Horned Dragon (Paths Beyond)

My patrons expressed interest in a few of the remastered monsters that got a facelift, and I am thrilled to present the first one: the horned dragon. With the remaster project, Paizo had to chuck the classic chromatic and metallic dragons out with the bathwater. Or at least they had to check their names out. While Monster Core is full of brand, new and deliciously weird dragons, there is a familiar face. The green dragon has been redubbed in favour of its horn, making it clear all the dragons we love to love and love to hate are still around. Expect the other metallics and chromatics to reappear with a fresh coat of paint as time goes on. In the meanwhile, horned dragons have literal decades of lore we can draw upon. 

Art by Ben Wootten

The most notable change to horned dragons in the Remaster is trading the arcane spellcasting tradition for primal. This aligns with their fondness for woodlands and linguistic talents for both elven and fey, although their erudite minds still resonate with the arcane tradition. There is an overlap between the two in shapechanging  and elemental magics, which suggests some themes to worm horned dragons around. And, as I will frequently say when dealing with the Remaster, there's no reason you can't just go with the classic arcane caster and all that entails, especially if that's what makes sense for the story.

Horned dragons have a reputation for being intellectuals, but they do have a gap in their knowledge: the outer sphere. For those of us who harken back to the Planescape days or focus our planar games on the afterlife, that sounds like a significant gap. Likewise, they know relatively little about outsiders, and the undead. It is worth remembering, however, that this is the only gap in their knowledge when it comes to planar affairs. Horned dragons are trained in Arcana, Nature, and Occultism, with even a young dragon able to beat expert level DCs reliably. Add in the fact they’re experts in society as well, and they know about almost every type of monster that’s out there too. Horned dragons don’t just have a reputation for being smart, they are genuinely brilliant and unlikely to let you forget it. What that means is that horned dragons could be the masterminds behind any plot involved in the planes. Or they could be the ones who dispense a crucial piece of information to the party. Or both. Probably both.

Deep within the Hanging Bower is one of the Green Mother's favourite concubines: the horned dragon Urðvox, the Hungering Mind. Her title was bestowed by her Eldest mistress, for Urðvox role the Green Mother's court is to speak for and embody mental seduction. Hours of conversation with the ancient worm pass in the blink of an eye, but the horned dragon only hints at her great knowledge. Those who wish to learn her secrets must tease apart the few crumbs the dragon give, all while being careful not to get drawn in too quickly.

The oddest monastery exists in the Napsune Mountains, founded by Zestrex, a young but capable horned dragon. The dragon is enamoured with the Laws of Mortality, scoffing at the prospect divinity makes one more worthy than intellect. Upon arriving in Rahadoum, Zestrex found many restless spirits, mortal and elemental alike, and resolved to gather them to himself. Now, Zestrex studies the primal and occult forces at work within his disciples while helping them move on or return to their planes of origin.

Imetx lives a contemplative live of seclusion and reflect on the Ethereal Plane. She considers herself a gardener, but unlike horticulturalists on the Universal Plane, what she cultivated are emotions. Anger blossoms, red and stinging, on fleshy vines that must be constantly trimmed. Joy is a field of yellow blooms, as far as the eye can see. The white stalks of fear are rarely seen, for it is never Imetx’s own fear, but that of those who see her imposing form. An authority on the In-Between’s emotional resonance, Imetx can provide information or ritual components relating to aura reading.

While horned dragons are known for pursuing self-perfection, they can be protective of other beings they view as perfect, to the point of possessiveness. Giorgis the Pure sees unicorns in this way — they represent perfect virtues, are perfect horses, and serve as perfect emissaries between the mortal world and the First World. The horned dragon obsessively tracks in the comings and goings of all unicorns within the forest where he lairs, as well the portals they use to commune with the fey. He has a violent and deep hatred of alchemists, blaming them for alicorn poachers, whether or not they deal in such substances.

Note: If you want to get a vote in the what monsters I cover out of order next, come follow the link at the top (and right here)

I do have some Monster Core writeups done (you can also find them at the link), but I'm waiting for Archive of Nethys to update so I can include art.

[soylent-crocodile]

Crocutamancer (Prestige Class)

(art by ge-oh on deviantart)

(so i heard u leik yeens)

A terrifying hybrid of osteomancy and beast magic, crocutamancy is the art of hyena magic, channeling the beasts' bone crushing jaws and terrifying laugh. Despite its fearsome reputation, crocutamancy seeks to understand and reflect all aspects of its worshiped animal, and it also bears a strong sense of community and a respect for motherhood; societies structured around crocutamancy are invariably matriarchal, and midwifery is considered an essential part of crocutamancy training. 

Role: Crocutamancers are melee warriors at heart, but often supplement martial might with divine magic of some variety.

Alignment: Any

Hit Dice: d10

Prerequisites

BAB: +4

Proficiencies: Proficient with a Greatclub

Skills: Knowledge (Nature) +5

Feats: Power Attack

Other: Hyena animal companion

Skills

A Crocutamancer gains 4+ her intelligence modifier skill points per level

A Crocutamancer’s class skills are Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str)

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

Crocutamancers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spells

Upon taking crocutamancer, a crocutamancer chooses one of the classes she has that grants divine spells. At the designated levels, she gains spells as though she had gained a level in that class. This only affects spells per day, spells known, and effective caster level. It does not affect other class abilities such as channel energy, domain abilities, or wild shape, although it does grant additional domain spell slots.

If a crocutamancer does not have a level in a class that grants divine spells, upon taking a level in a class that grants divine spells, she gains the benefit of this ability.

Crushing Blow (Ex)

When a crocutamancer makes a successful power attack with a bludgeoning weapon, she inflicts an additional crushing wound on the target that provides a penalty. These penalties do not stack with themselves or each other. She chooses one of the following;

A -2 penalty to saves

A -2 penalty to AC

A -2 penalty to CMD

Creatures that are immune to precision damage are immune to this effect. These penalties last for 1 minute or until the victim suffers another crushing blow.

Hyena Companion

Levels in crocutamancer stack with levels that grant a hyena companion for the purpose of determining that companion’s effective druid level.

Noble Terror (Ex)

A crocutamancer may use her wisdom modifier in place of her charisma modifier to Intimidate.

Splendid Growth (Ex)

At level 2, a crocutamancer’s hyena companion becomes Large. It gains a permanent +2 bonus to strength and constitution and its bite deals 1d8+strength mod damage.

Kneecap (Ex)

At level 2, a crocutamancer may treat a greatclub as though it had the trip weapon quality.

Wretched Laughter (Ex)

At level 3, a crocutamancer may spend a swift action to cackle and howl as a hyena, making an intimidate check to demoralize.

Frightening Beast (Ex)

At level 4, a crocutamancer may, as a standard action, make an intimidate check against a shaken creature, as thought to demoralize. If that check succeeds, the creature becomes frightened.

Precise Power (Ex)

At level 4, a crocutamancer reduces the accuracy penalty when making a power attack against a creature that is shaken, frightened, or cowering by 2, to a minimum of -1.

Pack Wounds (Ex)

At level 5, a crocutamancer and her hyena companion learn how to coordinate their attacks to maximize damage. Whenever the hyena companion makes a successful bite attack, if the crocutamancer has successfully damaged that creature since the hyena’s last round or since combat started if it is the first turn, the bite deals an additional 1d8 damage.

Matriarch’s Aim (Ex)

At level 5, a crocutamancer may use her wisdom modifier in place of her strength modifier for attack rolls made with a bludgeoning weapon.

[sir-virtem]

I have being thinking about Thops Barrier and why is such discovery, most comment in the regard that this spell can reflect impresive proyectiles, such as Maliketh's Deathblade and Elden Beast's Elden Stars, great deeds without doubts, but if one take a look on others spells other reasons emerges.

When we examinate defensive spell, excluding fortifications, we can see two varieties, Seal Wall and Retaliations.

Seal Wall.- We often see this spell blocking paths, isn't absolute since in practice sometimes can be literally walk around it, is seen often in use by glintstone sorceres in their buildings, in sellia and in the erdtree; However this spell doesn't exist in isolation, it doesn't seem to exist a casting varient to cast in situs or combat, instead it require phisical holds, of course this means that can be complemented with other mechanics, locks & keys, bound to teletransportation spells. I consider that everything point that this spells derivate from the gargoyles key, in which a gargoyle statue hold a fog barrier and is require a stonekey to unlock, specially because exist glintstone related variants of it. It have the logical downturn that if it's phisical bounds are removed the spell banish, like we did with the one blocking the erdtree.

Retaliations.- This is one cause me curiosity. I consider that the original one is Golden Retaliation and so belongs to the Erdtree Incantation Family, as an improvement to the seal wall, is used by erdtree greatshield and wields the erdtree crest, which would make it in theory contemporany to Barrier of Gold at least and predescesor of Carian Retaliation, the functionality is simple cast a seal, this is hit by a proyectil and is demake into a new projectil, since the base spell is short in duration and is part of a shield probably require a phisical bound like the seal wall or is just a safety compliment. In the otherway, Carian Retaliation is an upgrade of the Phalanx spell and those are an improvement of Magic Glintblade, The latest one is impresive spell by it's own, since the spell itself cast another spell more complex and the caster just cast the base seal, the phalanx spell take this base and use to triplicate the number of glintblade but also bond them to the inital caster. The introduction of reatliation on the formula and the fact that is secret means that wasn't used in warfare before the shattering and so appeared after the carian wars, if we agree that is a derivation of Golden Retaliation then would mean that Preseptors, Lazuli Sorcerers or Glintknights studied the base spell and were capable to reintroduce into the phalanx while removing it's phisicals bounds, and that is without mention the possibility that it was probably used against them during the wars, in any case would be the only attested exchange of idea from leyndell to liurnia, in contrast that golden order is the result of the contrary, liurnian deas to leyndell.

Thops Barrier.- This spell hijack everything said before, where seal wall flaw was it's breakability and exploit of mechanism and retaliations is limitation on projectil demaking that can at same time. this deflecting spell is absolutist, is simple enough to be cast by a single sorcerer and doesn't care the number of projectils, is simple, is versatil, even use a disturbing field in it's functionality, something only done mostly by the gravity sorceries, one if not the oldest spell family that not only survive but also is still prolifict. The ways that can be employ are widely, just its use in shield already could be divergent in more ways, like of shield crash or barricade shield variants, the spell it's self could be turn into a fortification too or be improve into a greater variant with a larger radius of effect and that is without being apply into a seal to act indepently.

Thops Barrier really deserve it's own Conspectus. Magicbuilding wise is incredible, who knows how astonishing would be for an actual mage.

[markedbyfireandash]

NaNoWriMo2023 Spells Day 03: Free Space

(Skipping "Tape" for now as I can't seem to find a spell that actually incorporates tape as a part of it, and not just as a quick adhesive)

@asksecularwitch

I'll just go ahead and link to what the author refers to as a "cyberspace book" that outlines an entire method of using a chessboard in all kinds of spells:

Magic for Squares by Tony Perez

To summarize the setup:

The chessboard is placed as a diamond, with the four corners pointing at the four cardinal directions (black tiles pointed at the north-south axis). The center four squares are the "starting point", where the pieces selected for the spell (or other relevant objects) are placed. On the corners are the unused chess pieces, still grouped according to their color (black occupying north and west), acting as Witnesses to the scene unfolding at the center.

The arrangement is then charged by placing items symbolic to the elements in their places along the four cardinal corners, and then vibrating their names. The book uses "Integra (N - earth), Renevator (E - air), Igne (S - fire), Natura (W - water)". The same can then be done to "reset" the board to a neutral state.

To use the magical chessboard, the relevant chess pieces and other props are placed at the central square of the board, and arranged in ways that reflect the spell's goals. The author provides several different arrangement ideas, such as elevating chess pieces, making figures face each other or away from each other, and even interacting with them as if they are the person they represent.

A chessboard is a very interesting choice of tool - the first thing it reminds me of is that characterization trope where a character is shown to be good at chess to signify that they're Smart(tm) and/or Manipulative(tm). Using a chessboard as the... setting? of a spell places the caster as the chess master of the situation, manipulating its pieces to suit their goals. As the author is a playwright, and has mentioned their experiences in stage-blocking as an inspiration for this method, playing chess master may not be far-off.

With the addition of the elements and cardinal points though, it seems that the chessboard is acting similarly to a specific kind of altar, or even a circle...? I don't think I have the vocabulary for this lol. It's not something I use, but I see whole rituals of setting up an altar and calling the four elements from the four cardinal points and leaving the ritual objects inside it a lot, and the way the chessboard utilizes the elements and the Witnesses give me the same impression.

I quite like the idea of using the center cross, the point where the two opposing sides meet, as the focal point. I think it's similar to the idea of using the crossroads or a liminal space as a location of power, to make changing the direction of things easier.

The charging and resetting of the chessboard is an interesting bit - the author uses an alternative meaning for INRI. As the Philippines is mainly Roman Catholic, it makes sense that magic practicioners here find power in Catholic Christian imagery and verses - the number 3, Catholic saints, and Catholic holidays feature a lot in local magic beliefs. Google tells me that the "igne natura renovatur integra" meaning allegedly came from the Rosicrucians, and translates to "by fire, nature renews itself". It's a very fitting phrase to use when you're changing the nature and function of a chessboard from a board game to a magical tool.

My Latin isn't Latin-ing well, so I don't have much of an opinion on the translation and the assignation of the words to the elements. I do know that assignment of cardinal directions to the elements varies by tradition, but not enough to know why the difference in what seems to be closely related / commonly syncretized traditions exists.

As for the chess pieces themselves, the author assigns the white pieces as Yang, and its King and Queen pieces as a 'protagonists' (the playwright influences coming in), while the black pieces are Yin, and its King and Queen are the 'antagonists'. Personally, this seems unnecessarily gendered (and perhaps has some unfortunate implications regarding the colors), but it seems the author works with a system that treats "male" and "female" objects differently .(I'm not quite sure why yang is the Default Protagonist here, though.) Following the yin-yang associations, the white pieces are also used to attract influences, while the black pieces repel them.

In general, while I am really interested in the basic idea of the spell method - and anything that can easily masquerade as mundane objects and actions are of great interest to me - the creator of the chessboard spell uses systems that I don't follow and don't fully understand yet. I like the idea of using the whole board as a 'stage' of sorts, of having the pieces to 'witness' my plans unfold (something something about it's not real until you have someone/something see it happen), and using the center of a chessboard as a magical focal point. But other than that, I would completely rework the method he presented, relying on how I personally perceive the concept of chess instead of his playwright's perspective and the whole elements and yin-yang system.

[markowitzbrothers]

Modern Procedure of Wand Making

To create a wand, first you need the two components necessary: the wood and the core. Firstly, I will explain how to find a magical wandwood tree. Unless you are lucky enough to come across a branch of bowtruckles, it can be Difficult to determine whether or not the tree you come across is magical or mundane. If you wish, you can always fall back on the many great writings of Ollivander or Diviciacus, who will be happy to neatly lay out their preferred trees of magic. I, on the other hand, prefer to separate the magical from the mundane with my own intelligence and encourage my followers to do the same. Each and every magic channeling tree has a specific association within magical history. Ancient texts from a variety of distant societies claim a few select trees to be "the power of life and death" and "the protector of the weak." These echos of antiquity left by the wise witches and wizards of the past are the basis for discovering a diverse array of magical trees around the globe instead of a few trees in your country.

Secondly, I will explain the separation of the wood from the tree and the joining of the wood and core. Once you have your magical tree, break a small branch off no longer than 4 inches. The branch needs to split in the middle as you break it off the tree; making a clean cut will only hinder the process. Once you have your small split branch, you can add the core. The core needs to be in the shape of a string or ribbon; otherwise, the wood cannot grow around it. Wedge one end of the core into the split you made into the wood and hold the wood so neither the core nor the wood is touching any other unliving solid. Drop a small amount of growth potion on the wood and allow the wood To grow, healing the split and enveloping the entirety of the core so it is no longer visible.

I will now explain how to carve a wand. From now on, there is no wood and core separate. There is a constant conversation happening within a single being known as the wand. The same way you have a conversation with two sides of yourself in your mind, the wand also comes to conclusions. These conclusions are manifested in reflections on the surface of the wood that can only be seen using sunlight. Those exceptionally versed in wandlore can hear whispers of the wands needs. In places where there is an unnatural reflection on the wood, the wand is begging you to reveal its form. Until the moment the reflection becomes mundane, the wand is essentially suffocating. If you listen to the desperate reflections signing the needs of the wood and core, then the wand will have truth. On the other hand, if you fall into a creative carving frenzy and follow your own shallow design, then the wand will die and be nothing more than a stick.

Classically, this will be where the process of wand creation ends, but as a result of the modern age, many witches and wizards attempt to add foreign materials to the already carefully crafted wood of the wand. Most of the time foreign materials on a wand are unforgivenly rejected at various levels of explosion, depending on the core. In rare moments, usually having to do with the true owner of the wand placing the foreign material, the wand will accept the material for its alchemical characteristics.

Goblin Silver: Allowed for a caster fascinated with power

Wizard Silver: Allowed for a caster who lets their darker feelings be known.

Gold: Allowed for a caster striving for perfection throughout life.

Copper: Allowed for a caster with a strong want for peace.

Iron: Allowed for a caster who has a identification with tenacity

Tin: Allowed for a caster who has an identification with the skill of perspicacity.

In conclusion, the wand-making process is done with the first step being ensuring the magicality of a tree, secondly fusing the wood with the core, and finally carving the wand wood so it can be physically expressed correctly.

[bleaksqueak]

I would read an entire book about the magic system and study in Solivaga… i love intense worldbuilding. Do sigils retain/transmit energy or intent through a shape or letter system? Neither, and simply have to be unique and enchanted by the Magi making the sigil?? Or is that more the concept behind Loci… Maia can use sigils, but cannot make her own? Does the attunement of the caster affect the sigil?

None of these are specific questions, I just love the amount of detail in everything. (But if you want to answer anything… I would not stop you 👀

On the other hand if you’ve answered any of this before ignore me)

So I've been wanting to answer this one since the day you sent it, but between my backwards sleep schedule and being busy, I just hadn't had a moment to or the brain power to... yet, today I am here. Sigils absolutely retain the energy and intent spent to make them. You might notice in Chapter 2 when Prof. GB gifts Maia the imbued sigil, even when dormant, it's radiating *her* aetheric signature's color and energy. When activated, the Trapper's Thrall retains the aetheric signature of the magi who originally cast it. Maia remarks later that it's always ever been borrowed magic-- because, to her, especially, it has. She's never seen her own magic's signature, but she's seen, through these pre-cast imbues, the magic of others. Madame Zoe, the owner of the Apothecary (and knickknacks) shop that Maia works at, sells imbued sigils that she (and Maia's coworker, who we'll meet in another chapter) make. There's other shops around town where they can be purchased, including specialty shops that sell them for convenience, younger/elderly magi, and as general disability aids for those who need them. Their most common usage is simply that of convenience-- a sigil cast has already had that aether spent, stored, and replenished for the magi who made it, saving the need to expend further aether in the now for someone who needs to catch some pests or who wants to have their floors swept up and cleaned. Cooling down, heating up, a spare light, pain relief-- even party tricks, ready made sigils are great usage for convenience. As for how they're made-- The spells all have a precise shape language that builds their foundation. The trapper's thrall I did three stages for in chapter 2 -- the precise geometric perfection of the spell in its official state, I did Madame Zoe's handwritten version, and then I did Prof. Gwennebat's.

You can see them here... the slight differences between the two quickly hand written ones, and the perfected model. The spell in its entirety is written in the sigil itself, and the more complex the spell, the more dynamic the working parts of the geometric language that comprises it. Madame Zoe is older and never became an eidolon, but her work is enough to catch some Mice or Gallynappers (you know, crane flies!) like Maia said. Gwennebat is, however, an eidolic expert in her field, and her shorthand writ for this spell reflects a stronger sense of knowing exactly what must be and where. Each spell must maintain the exact necessity of the language to summon it, but new ones can be made (Granted, this isn't exactly an easy task, and a great deal of the most commonly used spells used by magi within the veil were all coined by a single, well documented scholar from the time before "the worlds were split", as Prof Rasputin put it.). It's a very pictographic writing system with individual sigils themselves feeling more akin to a writing system like kanji, but it's not advised to string a bunch of sigils together to form a cheeky sentence. That's how buildings get evacuated at worst, and angry neighbours at best. As for Maia, before I end this-- Maia can use any sigil so long as she has her vial. Her vial may not be attuned, and it may be magically weak as all nascent aether is, but the vial casing itself and the housed nascent aether still behaves as the catalysts of will. So long as Maia provides these things and enters the mental state required to connect to and summon from the pre-cast sigil, she doesn't need words of invocation, the spell will activate. She carries a fairly large stack of varied, commonly needed sigils with her at all times in her bag. Those imbued on slips of parchment are sadly single usage, so she needs to restock fairly often... luckily, Madame Zoe is fairly generous with her and gives them to her free in exchange for a little bit of extra work around the shop.

[rykardthebarbarian]

When: Post Welcome to Our Queendom Plot Drop Where: Wildlands - Feronia Description: Rykard reflects on what has happened over of the past few months while fleeing Iskaldrik, with focus on the events of The King's Road. TW: Gore

The mountain of a man was crouched next to a flowing stream deep within the forest of Haven, cleaning the trout he had caught. Resonating in his solitude, his mind continued to pour over the events of the past. The escape from his wartorn homeland all felt like a really fucked up dream, but the ache in his bones and the welted scars marring his flesh was a harsh reminder of the hell he had lived through. 

To die with a blade in your hand was considered a great honor in the land of Iskaldrik. They say that when a warrior’s battle in this realm is over, a new one begins elsewhere. Valhalla, they called it. An afterlife filled with feasting, fighting and fucking, what more could a warrior need? As if gorging oneself on violence was not enough for one lifetime. The boundary between bravery and stupidity was nebulous at best and Rykard was never the type to back down from a challenge. So he left at dawn with the King's entourage. 

The journey along the king’s road was wrought with terror. The band of refugees scouting ahead of the King made it very clear that peace was never an option, provoking the first pair of foes they stumbled across. The scouts ventured deeper into the frozen wasteland. 

The party had fought a deserter of the Legion, a fierce slayer of Blademasters and an adept in blood magic. The party had tangled with Lilith herself, and lived to tell the tale. They even survived the roof of the cavern falling in on them. 

Every night when Rykard drifted off to sleep, the same dream repeated. This had been going on for well over a month now. Years of abusing the potion of the berserker began to not only eroded his flesh, but his mind as well, the Barbarian suspected. The brew left his senses numb for days after a fit of rage, body broken and sore, yet in the wolf dream he remained as sharp as a blade. The same images played again for him in his mind’s eye: the dense coniferous forest of the Wildlands, hundreds of wolves running together under the full moon, each of their bodies a single thread of a great tapestry. At some point during the vision, his legs give out from under him as a weight crushes him to the earth as the pack of wolves fade into the distance. Black, congealed blood seeps into his fur and he can make out the mangled remains of his fallen comrades. The fingers connected to severed hands from the mass of viscera crushing him move to wrap around his throat and the dream ends. 

The scouts pressed onwards, deeper into the unknown. 

The dragon roared, Blight hanging on its breath that spewed about the subterranean cavern. The decaying beast oozed tainted ichor from crevices between its scales, crimson eyes glassy but still they shone with malice. The acrid twinge of arcana burned through his nose as the casters in the troupe began to weave, sending forth torrents of destructive raw energy. 

But just as he was about to charge at the blighted creature, the hoards of darkspawn spilled in from the entrance to the cavity. Fuck. A dragon before him and the Dark One's fiends at his back, a river of blood would stain the floor of their escape path. He could not fight a dragon with blades in his back, so he turned and rushed towards the nearest group of Darkspawn. Blades at the ready, he let his rage burn away any other emotion that might have hindered him at this moment. His ax cleaved a spawn’s skull in two, spraying himself and the fallen foe's brethren with hot gray matter. He swung his greatsword with his left hand, cutting down a lesser creature at the waist. The Barbarian continued to viciously strike down the hoard, cutting through the mass of bleeding bodies, the slash of their jagged blades failing to hinder the raging warrior. 

The dragon was felled before he had cut his way through the hoard. The dying cry of the dragon caught his attention and he glanced over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of a shieldmaiden with an enchanted eye plunging her blade directly into its chest. The darkspawn fell next, easy work for a ragtag collective of Iskaran refugees that would rather die fighting than give up now. 

Once again the troupe prevailed. 

The veil that had been draped over the fallen kingdom briefly lifted. Rykard stood witness to the dawn of a new beginning.  Iskaldrik was his home, but the lands had brought him nothing but suffering throughout his lifetime. As he stepped across the border, just an arbitrary line in the dirt that separated one regent’s claim from another, he felt something within him change.  A heavy burden that he had been carrying for so long that he had grown accustomed to the hindrance, its absence an alien feeling that resonated along the very chords that wove together his soul. Maybe he no longer had to hide his true nature. 

This place wasn't home yet, but he would make it so.

[em3ra1dartz]

Hey, I’m new here!! Names Jaden and I am a beginner artist and aspiring graphic designer wanting to create my own comic/show through my art. I have an idea for my magic system already.

In my world, magic is shown through Ikor markings on the back of the hand. Those who have magic are known as casters. Magic is categorized into six classes:

Elemental Class - Elementalists

Casters of the Elemental class, or simply called Elementalists, are magic-users who can use the power of the nine elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, Darkness, Time, Space, and Humanity) or their sub elements. Elementalists have magical abilities known as Special Abilities that can be either passive or active. They have circular Ikor markings that glow white.

Arms Class - Blacksmiths

Casters of the Arms Class are known as Blacksmiths, who can only use their magic if they have a physical weapon that is bonded to them, usually having the same Ikor marking or having their glowing initial on the weapon or tool. Blacksmiths don’t have Special Abilities, unlike Elementalists. They have triangular Ikor markings that glow blue.

Summoning Class - Tamers

Casters of the Summoning Class are known as Tamers, meaning that they use magic through their Summon, a magical beast or entity that is bonded to the Caster and their magic. Tamers have quadrilateral Ikor markings that glow red.

Divine Class - Deitous

Casters of the Divine Class are renowned as Deitous, meaning that their magic embodies a positive concept of existence, for example: Love, Destiny, or Creation. They have unique Special Abilities, called Blessings, that reflect their appropriate concept. They have swirling and regal Ikor markings that have a golden sheen.

Cursed Class - Blights

Casters of the Cursed Class are infamously known as Blights, their Magic living up to their name. Their magic embodies negative concepts, for example: Hate, Lust, and Destruction, which makes them the polar opposite of Deitous. Blights have unique Special Abilities, called Afflictions, that, just like Blessings, are usually passive making the caster unable to turn them off and they reflect the Caster’s appropriate concept. Blights have lightning-like Ikor markings that glow black and smoky.

Errant Class - Waywards

Casters of the Errant Class are known as Waywards, meaning that their magic doesn’t fall anywhere in the other five classes. Each Wayward’s magic is unique to the individual and it doesn’t really follow the same rules as the other five classes. Waywards have star-like Ikor markings that have an opal-like sheen to them.

Other Facts

Rapport and Immersion

Some Casters can use weapons created by their magic, which usually only happens with Elementalists, Waywards, and Deitous. This ability is called a Rapport. Although weapons created by magic usually take only one form, Elementalists are the only ones who can go through a phenomenon known as Immersion that brings out the true power in themselves, their magic, and especially their weapon, which changes into a new permanent form.

Arcanite and Vengesteel

Blacksmiths are able to imbue their weapons with their magic thanks to a powerful ore known as Arcanite. It was found during the calm period of the Arcane Wars by a group of soldiers and researchers learned that it can harness the power of magic, the same way that human Casters can. However, another ore was found during this time and they learned that this new ore did the opposite of what the Arcanite does, meaning that it can negate the effects of magic. This new ore was called Vengesteel. By smelting these two ores into metals, Blacksmiths are able to enchant and bond with their weapon, as well as charge it with their magic.

Summon Types

With Tamers, there are two different types of Summons they can call on. This connection between a Tamer and its Summon is maintained through a special gem known as a Summoner’s Stone.

Beast-types

Beast-type Summons take the form of magical beasts, monsters, or animals that can serve as allies and companions, as well as mounts. Most Beast-types have their own elemental abilities.

Paladin-types

Paladin-type Summons take the form of knight-like spirits and are a sort of combination of Elementalist and Blacksmith. The magic they use to aid their Tamer with is either Elemental or Wayward. (Think of Paladin-types as Stands from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Moonlight Divination

The magic in young Casters is raw and unfiltered, however the class of magic in any young Caster remains the same, even before its class is even determined. To discover what class Casters fall under, a ritual known as Moonlight Divination is performed where a pool of water sits under the full moon, the light causing the water to glow. The young Caster sticks both hands in the water and wait for a bit until they feel their magic flowing. Once the glow in the water is gone, the Caster removes their hands to see their Ikor markings.

There’s a lot more to the story that I’m making and there some parts that I’m still working on, but I’m willing to take some advice on how to do world building better. Let me know what you all think!!