#arcane oba

[scaryladyswife]

🖤 Ran Headcanons 🖤

| Some of my SFW headcanons for a character with zero lines and only a minute of screen time but I love them and we’re married. @sevikitty has very similar headcanons to mine so I’d definitely check out their list of Ran Headcanons.

If you don’t agree with my headcanons its obviously okay and I actually encourage you to tell me your headcanons. (Be respectful of course) |

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• Ran is in their mid 20s, maybe early 30s by the end of season 1.

• Non-binary, on the asexual spectrum (because I am and they give me the vibe), and bisexual. (I believe that they canonically use she/they pronouns.)

• Very quiet person. In a group setting, she doesn’t contribute to conversation unless asked for her opinion or feels like she has something important to say.

• The type of person to say something sarcastic or blunt and accidentally make people laugh.

• Ran’s an observer. Loves to just sit at The Last Drop and just people watch with Oba. Always notices small things when they step into a room. Has probably stopped Sevika and Dustin from walking into Jinx’s boobytraps before.

• Has at least 3 pet rats that her and Dustin named and take care of.

• Dustin is their best friend. They’ve been best friends since they were kids.

• Oba (the person in the picture above. Name not confirmed) and them met when they were a little older. The three of them are a trio, always together.

• Ran seems to hang out with this one patron with tattoos. They’re the same person they arm wrestled and the same person they play pool with before Vi and Sevika’s final fight. He seems way older so I’m saying he’s either their dad or they just have a casual, competitive friendship.

• Piggybacking off of that, Ran is very competitive and kind of a sore loser. Won’t make a huge scene or anything since they’re pretty reserved but will huff, walk away, and hold a small grudge for a bit.

• Will give people the silent treatment but unless that person really knows them, they might not even notice since Ran is usually quiet.

• I think we’ve established that Ran is very quiet but I also think their kind of a go-with-the-flow kind of person. People come up to them and ask if they wanna arm wrestle or play cards, they don’t usually initiate it unless they lost a game to someone and they want a rematch. Dustin usually has these stupid schemes that Ran just kind goes along with just to see how it turns out, not because they believe in the idea. They’re just the kind of person to just sort of shrug and go ‘okay’ with things.

• Not a dancer. Probably will dance with Dustin and Oba if it’s just them, but won’t dance at a party. Even when they do dance, they just sort of sway and bob their head.

• If a song they like comes on at the bar, they’ll tap/drum their fingers along to it without even realizing it. Dustin calls them out on it sometimes and they get embarrassed.

• I’m not sure how they lost their hand but I don’t think they lost it in the explosion Powder caused. Might have lost it in a fight. Maybe a sword fight.

• In the scene after Vi knocks down the neon sign and Silco is beating the shit out of Dustin, we see Ran running away in the background. I saw one person theorize that Ran was running after Vi and Caitlyn but I personally think Ran just didn’t want to be on the other end of Silco’s anger like Dustin. Silco has probably has taken his frustration out on them before in the past. Ran knows they can’t stop Silco from beating Dustin so they probably think it’s best if they just keep their distance for now until they can grab Dustin later when Silco walks away.

• Ran, Dustin, Oba, and (sometimes) Sevika will patch each other up after fights. It’s kind of the only time they can all let their guard down a bit since they trust each other. They’re a strange little family and they really care about each other but they won’t admit it out loud (especially not Sevika). But they don’t have to, they know.

• Vi and Ran use to be somewhat friends. Ran being older (maybe 4-6 years older). Vi looked up to Ran and had a small ‘kid crushing on their babysitter’ crush on them. And Ran thought Vi was a good kid and taught her some stuff about fighting and how to jump between buildings.

• Ran has a tongue piercing.

• Ran, Dustin, and Oba do each others makeup and nails 100%.

• I think enforcers either arrested or killed one of Ran’s parents when she was around 13 and the other parent fell into a depressive state so Ran had to take care of them and herself. If the man with the tattoos is their father, then they seem to have a good relationship now.

• Is an only child but will say Dustin is their brother if anyone asked.

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| I’ll probably add to this list in the future cause I’m always think about Ran and making headcanons for her cause I’m obsessed.

Again, if you have any headcanons about them, I’d love to hear them. |

[ourlittleforever]

Millie is left reeling from Trostani's betrayal.

Words: 1389

Rating: T

News of Trostani’s betrayal had reached every corner of Ravnica. The dryad was allegedly still in a trance following the revelation of Oba’s slaughters, and the Selesnya had attempted to carry on, business-as-usual.

Millie, meanwhile, retreated from their duties to the Conclave. They hadn’t been very active to begin with – it was their parents who had been dutiful members – but now, the half-elf’s involvement was nil. They spent their days in silence, contemplating endlessly.

The shapeshifter hopped off the trash can he had been sitting on, perched in the form of a cat. He padded over to the fence and squeezed between the bars, entering the house via a cat door (how many times had he reprimanded Millie for leaving such an obvious opening to their house?). Then, he manifested in his most common form, behind his partner. The half-elf was staring into a cup of tea, totally absorbed in thought.

Lazav returned to Millie’s home shortly after Oba was exposed. He had laid low, trying to solve the murders for himself, but that damn waste-of-space agency had beaten him to it. The Invasion had left his skills rusty, it seemed.

“Millichika,” he said gently, laying a hand on their shoulder. They hardly responded, and Lazav felt a strange pang deep in his chest – for all his arcane wisdom, he couldn’t place the sensation clawing beneath what would have been his ribcage. “Millichika. Your tea is cold.” 

They blinked, tilting the tea toward themself, and their button nose twitched. “I forgot all about it,” they admitted, pushing it aside. Their gray-green eyes, usually bright and sparkling with good cheer, were puffy and red. “I’m sorry.”

“Trostani,” they replied flatly. “Selesnya. The whole damn thing.” They rubbed their swollen eyes. “I… I’ve been thinking, since you’ve been gone. I might… I think I’m going to resign from the Conclave.”

“You have no reason to apologize.” Lazav swept his cloak back and sat across from them at the table. “Tell me what troubles you, kisa.”

Lazav titled his head. “And why is that?” he prodded. Admittedly, he’d never expected Millie to even consider such a thing. They were a predictable kind of person – most of the time.

Millie’s typically even temperament flared for a brief moment, but they quickly collected themself. “Oba. She… she’s betrayed us all. Not just the Conclave. All of Ravnica was hurt by her, and now she just gets to – to run away? To hide behind her sisters and Emmara?” Their eyes darkened. “And the Conclave acts like nothing happened. Oh, just play nice with each other. We’re the guild of harmony, we can’t acknowledge that Trostani is a murderer.” Millie sniffled. “And we’re supposed to believe she’s the true voice of Mat’Selesnya. That she gives a damn about Ravnica. No, she’s selfish.” They paused. “I never felt all that close to the Conclave anyway. Elves and humans aren’t supposed to mix, but here I am. They all tried to be nice, but I’ve always been an outsider. Even in the guild that’s supposed to be about peace and acceptance. I’ve never fit in.”

That strange feeling prickled under Lazav’s skin again, and he realized what it was – sorrow, for Millie. Belief was such a fickle thing; that, he knew well. All it took to make a knot of religion come apart was to pull at one specific string.

The half-elf stared out the window, where Vitu-Ghazi stood proud in the distance. “We’re taught to believe in Trostani, you know. To be completely, totally devoted to her. I… I already struggled with that devotion. But now, it’s gone. I think of her and I feel bitter. But…” Millie swallowed hard. “I want to leave, but my association with the Conclave… it’s the last thing I have from my parents.” Hot tears brimmed in their eyes, and Lazav couldn’t help but reach across the small table and cup their cheek in one hand. “If I leave the Conclave, follow my heart, I won’t have anything left from them. If I stay, I’ll stay bitter, and I’ll never be happy.” Millie’s eyes flickered suddenly. “Actually, I think… I think I know what I’m going to do. Thank you for listening, Zava.”

They stood from the table, nearly stumbling over Vasily and Murka on their way to the bedroom. When they returned a few moments later, Millie was fastening the last buttons on their heavy tartan coat. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“I need to do this alone. But thank you.” Millie paused at the door. “If you’re thinking of sending a spy bug after me, I can’t stop you. But… I’d really like it if I could just. Do this by myself. I need to.”

—

“I understand.” Lazav nodded to them. “Go, kukolka. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Millie arrived at Vitu-Ghazi some twenty minutes later. It was early afternoon, a busy time for the Conclave, so they were able to weave through the crowd, avoiding prying questions and doubting glares. They came to the council chamber, where a centaur guard was snoring outside.

Emmara Tandris looked up, and the gaze of her fellow council members fell upon Millie. There were harsh whispers and inquisitive yet accusatory stares. The half-elf felt their ears warm, but they did their best to stand tall. “Guildmaster Tandris, I need to speak to you.”

Millie opened the doors as quietly as possible and slipped inside so as not to disturb the slumbering guardian. 

“Approach,” the elf replied, despite the murmurings of her chorus. 

The low-ranking guild member stepped forward, keeping their chin held high. “I…” Millie’s throat felt dry, but they forced themself to speak. “I am resigning from the Conclave. I can’t follow Trostani any longer. And I can’t stand and watch the rest of the Conclave behave as nothing is wrong.”

Emmara’s face was painfully sympathetic and serene, and it almost made Millie want to vomit. “I understand,” she responded gently. 

“You know what this means, Guildmaster,” a Conclave crony said. Millie knew what it meant, too. 

The high priest of the Conclave sighed softly, and reached out to touch Millie’s hand, which they allowed. Even if they couldn’t believe in Trostani, Millie could appreciate Emmara. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, before raising her voice so the rest of the council could hear. “Milena Laska, you are exiled from Vitu-Ghazi. You may shop at our stalls; you may be healed at our sanctuaries. But you may never step foot in the Guildhall again.”

“I understand,” Millie echoed. “Thank you.”

They turned and left without another word, passing the still-slumbering guard. Millie felt like they were lost in a daze, stumbling through Vitu-Ghazi and out into the cold winter air. 

—

Instead of taking a carriage, Millie walked the entire way home.

“How did it go?” Lazav asked as soon as Millie stepped inside. 

“Better than I thought,” they admitted. “Exiled from the Guildhall, but that’s really it.”

“Hmm.” Lazav crossed his arms. “Guildmaster Tandris is a naive fool, but she’s a kind fool.”

“I imagine you say the same thing about me.”

“Only because you won’t close up the cat door.” 

“Even if I want to go to Hellbender?”

“Zava,” Millie sighed heavily, and Lazav couldn’t help but smirk a bit. They knew he was teasing – though he considered that now was not the time, and backed off.

“Should we do something tonight, to keep your mind off things?”

“I’ll go get changed and do my makeup.” On their way by, Millie leaned down and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. For everything, really. You’ve shown and taught me so much.”

“Yes, even if you want to go to Hellbender.”

“You flatter me, kisa. Now, why don’t you go put on the nice red dress I bought you? I’d like to see it again. We’ll have dinner, I’ll accompany you to Hellbender…”

“You’ll dance with me at Hellbender,” Millie corrected.

Lazav ceded the point with a slight nod. “We’ll have a nice night. You and I.”

“I’m counting on it.” One more kiss, and then they disappeared into their bedroom.

Lazav felt pride surge in his chest. His Millie had freed themself from the confines of the Selesnya; and now they could be whomever they wanted, the master of their own fate – at his side, of course.

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The "talks" don't involve much talking

MIND THE TAGS and TW. The fic has escalated to T+ rating due to the violence in this chapter. F&D finally gets a body count...

[warsofasoiaf]

Worldbuilding - Improving Dark Sun’s Sorcerer-Kings

Thanks to the whole quarantine, I’ve decided that I’m going to do some worldbuilding, either building something in an established setting as I’m doing now, or writing about something that you can build on your own settings. Since this is the first iteration, I’ve decided that I’m going to revisit one of the first settings that got me into loving worldbuilding.

One of the first settings I’ve ever played in tabletop role-playing was the blighted world of Athas, in the Dark Sun setting. There was so much of the setting to like, the grim morality, the preserver/defiler take on arcane magic, the unique take on dragons, the different historical cultures developed for the different city-states of the Tyr region being far from the traditional European fantasy model. The Sorcerer-Kings were phenomenal villains, but according to the rules of 2nd edition D&D, they were dual-classed psionicist-defilers (save Oronis), relatively bland in comparison mechanically to their drastically divergent lore and societies. In that light, I had always worked on establishing differences between the Socerer-Kings in their paths to power as opposed to just draconic metamorphosis. Simultaneously, I wanted to ensure I could devise a point in the setting’s history where the Sorcerer-Kings have halted their draconic transformation in favor of experiment and discovery, giving these villains more of a reason to spend their time out of their studies and involving themselves in the world. So here we go, the various philosophies and explorations of the Dragon-Kings

The ascension of Borys of Ebe into the Dragon of Tyr filled the remaining sorcerer-kings with unbelievable dread. Borys’s absolute frenzied devastation nearly destroyed Athas, a second would certainly obliterate the Tablelands if not crack the planet itself. The various sorcerer-kings, in secret, developed their own working theories for why Borys went mad during his ascension, and are engaged deeply with theorizing, experimenting, and exploring ways to avoid this dreaded fate. 

Abalach-Re of Raam: Abalach-Re believes that the mind inherently recognizes what it is and what it is not, an assertion of the ego that finds itself utterly in conflict with the idea of draconic ascension. Yet the ego is not a fixed, inflexible thing. From something as simple as a haircut to the most powerful of transformation magics, the mind is capable of change if it can appropriately understand, rationalize, and recognize the transformation being done. Arcane transmutation magic is the clear starting point, but creatures with morphic, unfixed forms such as shapechangers and oozes, or even the genetic passdown of information to offspring are other methods of discovery and transformation. To this end, Abalch-Re has extensively experimented with developing shapechanging abilities in human beings. Her offspring, created with her understanding of transmutation magic, often have psionic abilities that mold their shape like clay. Abalch-Re catalogs the success and failures of her offspring, often for long periods of time, before devouring the creations body and mind to integrate their experiences and transformations into herself. She has often let her offspring out into the world to infiltrate the notorious cauldron of discontent that is Raam, sometimes even psionically blanking her offspring so that they might attempt to live their own lives for generations, before dominating and recalling them in pursuit of her ultimate ambition. 

Andropinis of Balic: Many living beings of Athas possess some small amount of psionic wilder talents. Even unknowing, small mental talents find their way into the people’s lives, often pairing with their activity and beliefs to strengthen them. To any other, this might be a mere fact of existence, yet Andropinis believes that there is something wholly more to it than that. Unconscious belief is shaped by the living beings of Athas, and that is shaped through years of existence that in summation dwarfs any other element of existence, even the very world itself. Borys’s unconscious belief had successes, but it also had failures, he was known as the “Butcher of Dwarves,” his greatest work ended in failure. That worries Andropinis, the “Slayer of Elves,” to have an equal failure to define him. The Cleansing was long over, even if he went to slay all the elves that existed in Athas, it would not change what it wrought upon his mind and the minds of his fellows. Andropinis needed to build something greater than the cleansing, and in his mind, it is Balic itself. Andropinis strengthens and builds Balic in a way that no other Sorcerer-King can match, not even Hamanu. The belief of Balic as an order in the face of the chaos that is Athas forms concrete magic, to Andropinis’s mind, something that will be reflected into himself as his citizens think of him as something stable and substantial that will guide him on his way to ascension.

Hamanu of Urik: All things are physical beings and all minds are housed in bodies. The ascension is where everything is magnified. You become stronger, you become faster, you become smarter as you ascend through the draconic process. Yet the body is a crucible that is only as strong as its weakest point, and as the strengths of the body are weakened, so are the flaws. Borys of Ebe was truly a remarkable individual, but Hamanu knows that he was ultimately an imperfect being. The sheer scope of the transformation meant that flaws even too small and imperceptible to be noticed by any save his peers became so overwhelming that the conflict became irresolvable, and fury naturally emerged as the perfection of the dragon met with the imperfection of the mortal. On taking the step to dragon-hood, the body no longer aged, and that should have been the clearest sign to all that the time granted is the time to correct all of the flaws. Hamanu has thus taken to devoting himself to the study of physical perfection, attempting to establish perfect control of himself both with physical exercise, psionic talent, and unrelenting training. Hamanu constantly evaluates himself, dividing his attention among tasks and pushing himself to be perfect at all of them. It is not uncommon for Hamanu to engage in games of mental skill while sparring with twenty of his elite guard, all in pursuit of ensuring that he achieves physical and mental perfection before his next step on the path to transformation.

Kalak of Tyr: Borys of Ebe was many things, but one thing he was possessed of was a limited vision. Defiling magic was the siphoning of life to power the arcane, this was as immutable as anything that existed. The simple killings that Borys used in his defilings to further his ascension were small, mere thousands of people. A flurry of small stones is a mere inconvenience, a gigantic boulder has an effect upon the world. Borys’s frenzy was due to no other reason than his magics lacked the power needed to push him into the final, complete state. This is why he went on his defiling frenzy, in a mad attempt to gain more power the way a choking man gasps for air. Living creatures snuffed out through defiling magic is the true path of power, and more creatures means more power. It is this understanding that Kalak builds his ziggurat, it is this understanding that causes him to throw lavish games wherein there is food and drink. His plan is as simple as it is heartrendingly cruel, the sacrifice of the entire 40,000 large population of Tyr in a single dramatic ritual, to provide all the power he needs to ascend not only into a sane state as the second Dragon of Tyr, but one far more powerful than even Borys could have dreamed of. Not only does he require many lives, but lives of tremendous power, hence why Kalak lures gladiators of repute to participate in his arena, why he often calls matches and spares the lives of great fighters to ensure that they live within Tyr, owing their lives to the Sorcerer-King that presents an obligation to never leave. To cause his ritual to cover the whole of the city of Tyr, Kalak has taken to gruesomely sacrificing people at key points within the city, drawing arcane sigils with their viscera and channeling the power to his ziggurat. Soon, he will launch the greatest games of its kind, and the world shall be forever changed.

Lalali-Puy of Gulg: Draconic metamorphosis is a complex interweaving of psionic and arcane powers, and Lalali-Puy has devoted much in the way of study to these two powers, yet these powers are not the only powers that exist in the world. There are elemental powers, natural powers within the forests not yet killed by defiling magics that exist on Athas as well. To Lalali-Puy, the failure of the ascension ritual was the absence of natural power within the ritual, the way a table absent a leg was not as secure or sturdy as one with all of them in place. Living creatures are a part of the world, and possess natural energies that are separate from psionic talents or arcane magic. Her studies have taken to her summoning nature spirits throughout the Ivory Triangle, forcing them to do her bidding by striking against the timber industry of Nibenay and by intimidation through the threat of defiling magics. Her studies of natural magic and natural cycles have taken her to studying much of the Elemental Planes and their complex interactivity with the world of Athas. Her palace has rifts of varying size wherein Lalali-Puy can pull material and elementals from the planes to experiment on their reactivity to arcane spells. Knowing that even if the Elemental Planes are infinite, her resources are not, she sticks to preserving whenever possible during these experiments, lest the people worry why ashen marks begin to surround the Oba’s palace. Her goal is to include a natural component into the draconic ritual, creating a three-part spell that should strengthen her transformation and make her complete.

Nibenay of Nibenay: Arcane magic is, and has always been, the province of the breaking natural laws. Others may contend themselves with other paths, but Nibenay understands that arcane magic is what powers the draconic transformation and indeed, the ebbs and flows of power itself. Reality is shaped from a font of this power, and magic is what molds and shapes this reality in a way that others cannot even begin to attempt. The various schools of magic express the power in their ways, but while magic can break these laws, there are older, more-established truths that magic touches upon. These ancient truths are foundational truths of existence that have their own laws, and these laws are what enforces stability and uniformity in existence itself. Nibenay believes this so utterly that his goal is to master all schools of magic and all spells, out of the belief that understanding this will give him all the information he needs to deduce the laws of power back to their source and divine their function. Nibenay believes that psionics are in their own way related to these fundamental laws of power, and will study them as he studies the other schools of magic, but ultimately, he believes that this true source goes beyond psionics (a purview merely of living things) and are merely an expression viewed through the context of organic beings. Nibenay experiments deeply with magic, flying to remote portions of the world or into the sky to experiment free from disturbance, ultimately looking for that next truth that will lead him finally to the ultimate secrets of existence.

Tectuktitlay of Draj: While other Sorcerer-Kings may flatter themselves with grandiose theories that speak to a secret wisdom that they believe only they can uniquely comprehend, Tectuktitlay bases his understanding upon a simple truth: Borys went insane and his rampage progressed until he became sane. This in itself means that the fury that was seen was not an inherent part of the draconic ascension, but rather a defect of the mind that should have been addressed before Borys ascended. Since sanity is based within the mind, it is there that Tectuktitlay must perfect his mind lest he lose himself the same as Borys did. Thus, Tectuktitlay devotes himself to the study of psionics with a fervor that none can match, focusing particular on the disciplines of mental fortitude to place bulwarks against insanity within his own mind. The Sorcerer-King does not neglect the study of psionic attack, as the ways by which attacks can creep into the mind form a valuable understanding for strengthening his defense. He often worms himself into the minds of the psionic students at his academies, discovering what they have found and learned to compare it with his own experiences, so that he might achieve a perfect understanding of all mental shortcomings that minds endure. His goal is to craft a defense of the mind so complete that no raging torrent of external power or tiny burrowing insecurity can worm its way in, thus creating a mind that will weather the ascension, that will in turn exert perfect control over the new body of the dragon.

Alright, that’s the whole thing, let me know what you think, and if you have suggestions for something I should do next.

-SLAL

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Vi is forced to confont Marcus before following Silco to talks with the Reddies' boss