#aurelias

[starman-rat]

Not As It Seems - Chapter 1

Complete control of an all-consuming flame of power comes with a cost. Of course, most things do require payment, bargains, or deals. Even gods are indebted to the likes of man, their power demanding worship as a token, a deal. Dark magics were not an exception, but an example of the most powerful kind.

Viktor was well aware of this fact. Dark magics were forbidden, yes, because many fools got themselves torn up in the web of faekind, trying to control the creature instead of making mutual partnerships. But Viktor knew what it took to be powerful. To be worthy. To be significant. And he was. With years of experience, he had himself a coven of witches and mages that had sworn him loyalty for power. For significance. For a home. All the creatures who had been outcast by the ever-arrogant Covenant found themselves welcomed by one of the most feared and dangerous men in London. Hell, even most of England. He gave them access to Faekind willing to inhabit bodies and gift more powerful gifts than what came naturally, and in return they promised him loyalty. And to their new fae partners, food. Just like Viktor exampled.

You see, he had one of the most powerful kinds of magic because of how sweet his payment was to the fae in his shadow. For never ending youth, for fire magic so hot it made ashes of great buildings and difficult people, for the influence he had over his underlings, he paid in the blood of other creatures. He collected wayward, powerful things that did not quite know their place, and he lured them into his own traps, where they signed deals and made pacts that trapped them as pets to the fae. He had made himself an emperor to an empire of magic-selling and magic-goods, with a worthy harem to match the ferociously hungry beast that helped him forge his power. Greed is always one of the most deadly and unforgiving antagonists, yes, and it is what makes Viktor all the more dangerous. There is no length he will hesitate to go to hold the world in his hands.

Reader, it is important to understand all of this because it is where our story begins; A dark night full of rain in October, the sky lighting up occasionally with bursts of light from the storm bustling over London. Viktor was standing at his desk, looking over the latest shipping updates for some very potent potions he would be selling to one of the members of London's parliament in exchange for favor in the newest legislation concerning the Covenant and Witchcraft. He hadn't really noticed the persistent tingling in his fingers until the dull crackle gave way to pops and snaps, his dark eyes-- black from corruption thick and oily-- lifting slowly to a glass orb on his desk.

Something fun has come to us, Viktor, Whispered his fae, his shadow. A meal. A friend. A little lion.

"I do not understand. You have to be more clear, Aurelias."

Do you not feel it? The crackle of lightning? The bubble of energy?

"It is nothing but the storm. And London is huge, how would you be able to tell if it was a single mage?"

Because this is different. Aurelias insisted. The storm is an old friend of mine, and this is not her. This is someone new.

"Fine. I shall look into it, but don't get your hopes up. Maybe it is just a new power grid." But Viktor knew better. Something-- no, someone fun has come, indeed.

And he would find them.

TAGLIST BELLOW!! (if you want to be added, lemme know!!)

@emmettnet

[marinewaltz]

YAYYYYY WAHOO (CHEERING) DUNMESHI SEASON 2!!!!!!!

i drew stickers of the gang incapacitated by stomachaches

[heartnosekid]

_qualle_9 on ig

[comiclysmic]

The Wolf and The Hart

Baldy Solas and Aury Time 👍

Timelapse under the cut! (Flash warning)

[dactylicreveries]

-Sylvia Plath, The Letters of Sylvia Plath Volume I: 1940–1956

[rolyleritae]

[bg3scenarios]

Cazador: My (512M) spawn (239M, 367M, 349M, 402M, 371 F, 302 F, 363 F) have unionized

[slttygeto]

satoru loses his mind a little every time he hears you sing a random line from a song. its not the fact that you’re singing that’s killing him, it’s the words.

“when I suck it I look in your eyes, you better fuck me like you mean it,” you’re unaware of the eyes he’s giving you from his spot on the couch while you make yourself a snack in the kitchen.

bending you over that counter sounds so good at that moment.

[lizieltallary]

Chains.

Day № 21 of Inktober. A4 notebook, ink

[secretlyaraven]

The Dollmaker

[marinewaltz]

what is this tiny little man SAYING

[heartnosekid]

jelliesfarm on ig

[herukas]

i love these absolute awful people in their 40s

[dactylicreveries]

-Sylvia Plath, from a letter to Aurelia Plath written c. August 1951

[fangsandfeels]

Got hit with more thoughts about spawns and Cazador...

...and naturally, I'm posting it here because I'm no longer a functional human being.

I remember the lingering question that Astarion seemingly being only one of the spawns using seduction to lure victims in. At least, there is no menition of other’s doing so, except for Petras. So, why is that? Why Astarion was the only one?

In my opinion, it stems from Cazador’s very particular choice of victims. In all these years, he acquired only seven spawns (except for the thousands of Turned nobody knew about), and almost all of them used to be accomplished or talented people:

- Violet, a beloved and talented songbird from Reithwin;

- Dalyria, a respected doctor working in the Parliament;

- Leon, a sorcerer (a spell modifiaction he came up with shows how good he is at his magic);

- Astarion, a magistrate with a promising future, centuries of life ahead of him, and a beauty worthy of a thousand paintings.

Following this tendency, we can assume that Yousen, Aurelia, and Petras also were similarly talented or good at something enough to attract Cazador’s attention and make him envious.

The bastard thinks very highly of himself. He calls himself the most intelligent and beautiful creature out there, and spends hours writing letters to other vampire lords, trying to convince them of his grandeur. He attempts to inflate his ego, making it finally big enough to overcompensate for his miserable inferiority complex, in any way he can: so, whenever he spies someone with a talent or potential, someone who might be better than him at anything, he snuffs them away, adds to his collection, and then breaks them over and over, making them believe that they’re nothing. He is the father who gives them purpose; they are his spawn who owe him everything; and everything they have belongs to him.

And maybe, aside from tortures, and humiliation, and gaslighting, and forcing “siblings” to hurt each other, he came up with one more way to break them - when he forces them to hunt, he forces them to use everything that made them special, loved, respected, and admired for the most gruesome things.

- Violet, previously a talented singer whose voice was fondly remembered up to Reithwin’s fall, using her voice to catch attention; using her image and charm to lure people into the palace to their death.

- Dalyria, picking her victims around apothecaries and temples that responded to the people's suffering by closing doors in their faces, seeking out refugees and ailing citizens low on coin, offering to help them, kindly inviting them to “her place” (if we take Karlach’s family as an example, finding a healer who would agree to help a less-than-wealthy family is quite a problem at the city).

- Leon, using his talents and magic to nab people from the street, to drag them to Cazador without a fight while knowing that he will never be able to use the same power against the bastard himself.

- Astarion, a previously sophisticated, proud, and beautiful elf, stripped of his dignity and pride, using his body to either seduce poor young and inexperienced souls (fulfilling their image of an ethereal and caring lover) or let himself be pawed at by drunkards and brothel-goers.

I don’t think any of Cazador’s choices were accidental. I don't think he had to roam the streets at night, looking for potential candidates; that he ever Turned any of them by chance.  

They all caught his eye at some point, became an object of his obsession, and then fell victim to a scenario where they were confronted by a promise of salvation - and each time, it made Cazador giddy with excitement and a sense of self-importance. He took them away from the world because he could. He will twist and shape them to his whim because he can. And then, he will take everything from them, reducing them to miserable wretches because this is who they should be, compared to him.

They will belong under his heel, scared, helpless, and obedient, worshipping him and fearing him. Forever.

[tadpole-apocalypse]

Cazador’s spawn…i just think they’re neat …