#called the ghost of the wasteland and her existence is largely only rumored. was a genetic experiment to create something that

[magpigment]

i find it rlly funny when i make a character and i’m just like. tumblr would love them. tumblr would be all over this character. why isn’t tumblr obsessed w them already. and then remember they exist only in my mind :(

[uncertainty5]

I finally finished this at the last second. It didn't turn out the way I wanted but I think i've really improved at drawing with this one!

This is my entry for @far-side-skies Storm Hawks OC challenge for December. Based on the Ardennaise chicken.

Name: Mercury Age: 28 Occupation: Wasteland Raider and Farside Cult Protector Terra: Originally Gale but currently the Wastelands and other abandoned Terras Personality: Strikingly cold and deadpan. She comes off as sarcastic and cynical. She sometimes tries to crack jokes but they don't land due to her delivery. In battle she can go from quiet and unaffected to a blaze of fury. She enjoys collecting little trinkets she finds in the wastelands.

Her backstory is below

Mercury was born with the power to cause any crystals close to her to go out of control when she's upset and fire off at their full potential. Her father was an ex Cyclonian hiding out on Terra Gale before it was taken over. Her mother, according to her father, died long ago. When she was eight, her father remarried a women on Gale and the two had a son. She became jealous however and killed her father by accident when her powers went haywire in an argument.

After her fathers death her step mother and the other people of the village treated her poorly. Fearing her as a killer and a danger to everyone around her. She soon ran away and ended up in a Cyclonian prison mine. After her powers caused a cave in and she was presumed dead, she wandered the Wastelands until she came across a large crystal beast. One of a handful of creatures tied to the Farside as she would later learn. Her powers caused the beast to flee and chip one of the crystals on its body. After running away with the crystal she bumps into a mysterious man. He plans to kill her but changes his mind after he watches her use the crystal, called a time stone, in her panic. He offers to take her to his home and teach her how to use her powers.

Her new mentor is part of a group of people living in the Wastelands who believe they are ancient descendants of the Farsiders who first came to Atmos. They follow the old ways before the storms of Atmos created the terras and claim that their original home was lost to the Wastelands.

They live in a large structure buried under the earth and keep their existence a secret. Their current goal is to find the original site where the living storms of Atmos were created and to find an ancient artificial creature called the Beast of Time and capture it. A Farside creation and the same creature Mercury ran into. The only other crystal beast known so far is rumored to live on Tropica and be under the control of the Cyclonian royal family.

Mercury is given training due to her powers and trains with her time stone to master it. She hunts the Wastelands for supplies and the time beast. Killing anyone unfortunate enough to come too close or carrying something valuable.

She uses a crude scythe designed to withstand large amounts of crystal energy. Her time crystal allows her to slow time down for a little bit within a radius of a few meters and to see potential actions her enemies will take. With her attire keeping her hidden she often appears like a deadly ghost in the Wastelands. Giving her the nickname The Grim Reaper by the few survivors who've seen her.

[nonopiimagines]

Fandom: Fallout: New Vegas: New California Pairing: Ben Kurtz x f!Star Player/f!Courier Warnings: n/a Word Count: 2360 Author Notes: This mod makes replaying New Vegas almost a completely new experience.

part v.

Fort Daggerpoint. You would have easily dismissed the rumors about it being haunted, full of demons, or the epitome of all evil if your worldview hadn’t been so suddenly shattered just a few weeks prior. Talking about what existed outside of the vault felt like a dream, some fantasy made up by you and the other kids. You all knew you were born out there, but as you grew up, that might’ve all been a dream as well. Something unreal, unreachable. You were sure you were going to live and die in that metal tomb. It was almost unbelievable that you fell asleep in that dream and woke up in a burning hell hole, the bodies of your siblings scattered around you. And you had to crawl out of it into another hellish landscape that you never expected to have to fully realize and operate within.

So even though it would’ve have been easier to dismiss everyone’s claims about Fort Daggerpoint--including Ben’s-- you didn’t. It only took one earth shattering moment to teach you that everything was real at some point and though the words may have been twisted over time, their meanings still lay within.

---

It hurt like hell. You were afraid it was going to end just as it started: with your busted leg. It was just barely returning to normal and now you were paying the price without a full recovery. But you couldn’t let it end here. Your ears were ringing, your sweaty hair stuck to your face, tears pricked at your eyes, but your head felt clear in its objective: get the fuck out. Run. You have to tell someone.

Everyone was back in the Fort. You had to make it there. There were at least twenty super mutants standing between you and them. You didn’t even have your armor. You grabbed whatever weapon you could find and you just ran, ignoring the furious cries of your captors calling behind you.

It was the dam that made you the most nervous. You had to weave your way between the super mutants and dodge whatever weapons they were swinging or firing and you had to do it all with your hurt leg. You kept telling yourself that they needed you. If you didn't come back, they would fade into the dunes of The Pass and you could not allow that to happen, they deserved better. You deserved better.

So you were quiet. You gritted your teeth, held your breath, and hobbled along. It was easier than you had imagined, using the vehicles as cover, crawling underneath them when you felt too vulnerable.

You were clawing through the door of the fort, urging your legs to carry you farther and farther, just a little bit longer, up the vehicle ramp. You didn't realize how good it could feel to see the familiar faces of your friends and the relief of knowing that you had done so well. Coming back for them. They had been waiting for you.

It was easy to collapse into Jamie's arms, unable to speak as the stress finally caught up to you in the form of uncontrolled tears streaming down your face. They all looked at you, in your vault-issued underwear, your pistol still gripped tightly in your hand. You saw faces of confusion and concern but Jameson's face betrayed the horror he felt inside. He had sent you to your death but you survived. Maybe he thought he was seeing a ghost or the living dead, his guess wouldn't be that far off.

Ben followed your gaze and saw the same look you did before Jameson quickly regained his composure. It looked almost as though Ben was going to demand answers then and there, but after a moment of hesitation, he knelt beside you. In a moment of tenderness you didn't expect, especially in front of others, he pushed your sweat-soaked hair off your forehead and bore into you with his steely eyes. “y/n, what happened?”

You could not explain the rush of feelings overcame you when you heard his voice. It brought feelings of safety but also encouragement. This was not over. You still had to evacuate the Fort. You had to lead them to safety. So you took a deep breath and wiped away your tears with the back of your hand. “I was captured by super mutants but I managed to escape. We've got to get out of here though, they're looking for me and there's only one way I could've gone.” You spared a moment to glance at the ramp you were stumbling up just minutes before. “I need a stimpak--”

“Way ahead of ya.” Eric was bent over his backpack, rooting around for a moment before finding what he was looking for and tossing it to Ben. A super stimpak.

Before you could oppose, Ben ripped open the packaging and stabbed it into your naked leg, the audible release of the medicine signaling it was too late to protest. You stared at him as he discarded the used needle and tubing, his face more relaxed than it was a few moments ago.

“I grabbed this from an empty house in Union City,” Kira said quietly as she deposited a pre-war dress into your lap. “It's not much, but I want it back!” You gave her a brief smile, appreciating the way she always tried to lighten the mood, intentionally or not.

Already feeling the effects of the super stimpak, you sat up, shooing away Ben and Jamie. The dress fit you well enough, though you knew it would do a whole lot of nothing against bullets and grenades. But it was better than running around in your underwear. Grabbing your pistol, you turned to everyone and nodded. “I'm ready. We better get moving.”

---

“Are you going to tell me what really happened?”

You were sharing a bed again, up in the loft of Dr. Marius’ house. Kira's snores could be heard from a cot on the ground level. Jamie and Eric went into town for a drink. It was just the two of you.

Sleep had consumed you for a few days after you arrived back at Union City. You had dreams of returning to Fort Daggerpoint, wandering the large, cavernous rooms but this time it was empty. No super mutants, no ghouls, none of your companions. It was just you, walking in complete silence, following your footsteps until you reached the door to Father’s chambers. You would never enter, you weren’t ready to face what was behind that door.

As you dreamed, your leg had healed itself fully. You weren’t sure it it was just a combination of the stimpaks and rest or if the parasite inside you was restoring your leg to near perfect condition. When you awoke that morning, you were able to walk back into town without any pain or hobbling. Everyone told you it was a miraculous recovery, but you hesitated to call it a miracle.

You slowly rolled over to face Ben. He lay on his back, chest exposed, with one arm behind his head resting on the pillow. You saw the faint outline of his scar peak over his shoulder and you wondered if he even remembered when it happened. His memories seemed incomplete at times and though he wasn’t afraid to admit it, you knew what it felt like to have a part of you that was foreign. Something you knew nothing about, but was there to remind you every day that your brain was imperfect and you were part of something beyond yourself, whether you wanted to be or not.

You continue to study him, your eyes dragging over his angular features, cascading down his chest and out to his toned arms. He was becoming an extremely adept spear thrower for someone who was kicked off the vaultball team. It was becoming harder and harder to bring to mind Vault 18, trying to imagine yourself and Ben sitting a table in the diner in the atrium or remembering the faces of your siblings when they were playing card games or recalling the way you felt when you showed Dr. Rossman a terminal you hacked. That wasn’t your reality anymore. The dry San Bernardino dunes, the uncanny red ferns in Black Bear Forest, the war between the raiders, the Enclave, the super mutants, and the NCR--those were your reality now. This was your reality. Sharing your bed with this man who you trusted without a doubt, who believed in you when you didn’t, who was ready to follow you into the sunset without a word. You both had seen and lived though unspeakable horrors but to share a moment like this--vulnerable, exposed, uncertain--was comforting and human. It was something to keep you going.

Ben deserved the truth.

“The super mutants wanted me. That’s why we went to Fort Daggerpoint. The NCR knowingly hand-delivered me to them.”

“Jameson?”

You nodded.

He just closed his eyes, his breathing was slow and steady, but the clenched fist behind his head betrayed his anger.

“Why?”

This was your only uncertainty. Ben had expressed to you his feelings about super mutants or demons, as he called them. Repressing his memories for so long only made the pain of remembering his childhood escape from the super mutants that much more potent. They killed his friends and family, they took away his home, his freedom. He was lucky to escape with his life. You were afraid to tell him that you were a super mutant. This parasite made you one of them and it was something you couldn’t deny anymore.

You could feel it in your throat first. The burn of the tears as they welled up out of your eyes and silently slid down your face. It was difficult to go back there. You were already there every time you went to sleep, aimlessly wandering. But you didn’t want to remember how it felt when you woke up inside the glass chamber, how cold the metal was under feet as you were beckoned into the vat of FEV, the lidless stares of the super mutants as they watched you, so proud of what you were about to become. You wanted to throw up, to crumple to the ground and wail until you awoke from this nightmare. But you had to keep going. To tell dumb jokes with Kira again, to discuss alcoholic beverages of the Wasteland with Eric again, to shop for guns with Jamie again, to be near Ben again, to hear his voice, to be close to him, to share everything with him.

What scared you even more than remembering the Fissure of Sorrow, was upsetting Ben, losing his trust, becoming strangers.

“I…” You sniffled, your nose accommodating the wetness of your eyes.

Ben’s hand that wasn’t behind his head slid underneath the blankets until it found your hand, enclosing it within an iron grip. “Don’t cry.” It wasn’t an order. He never demanded anything from you. It was a reassurance. You didn’t need to cry because everything was okay. Everything will always be okay.

Relief rushed over you, forcing a small laugh out of your mouth. Even just small gestures like holding your hand eased your worries. You didn’t feel like everything was closing in on you. It grounded you to the present, the unyielding now. It gave you the strength and confidence to continue.

“The super mutants in Fort Daggerpoint, they’re in a cult. The Father wanted me because I have a parasite inside me. If I come into contact with FEV, I will become the perfect super mutant, capable of becoming the progenitor of new generation of super mutants. I escaped before their plans were fully realized.” You felt years pass, the words slowly coming out of your mouth, your whispers permeating the air. But you felt lighter.

The silence stretched on for a while, your hand clutching Ben’s as hard as he was clutching yours. “They will have to go through us if they want you.”

---

Continuing to support the NCR felt like the worst decision you had ever made. They tried to sell you out to prevent the super mutant uprising in the valley, but here you were and nobody could leave Union City without running into a patrol of super mutants and bellringers. They couldn’t ignore it anymore but above everyone else living in this valley, they were the only ones who could possibly stop the threat.

So you nodded in silence as General Silverman blabbered on about killing the raider king, wondering if he was really any better than that slave-loving bastard. Wondering if he would make the same mistake twice.

---

You all snuck in together with the help of Wilco Wilson. But you were the one who slipped into the mines, found Juan Maxon-Elsdragon, and let your plasma pistol do the talking. You didn’t let him say anything, you didn’t let anyone around him say anything. It was get in, get out. No heroic speeches about comeuppance, about getting what he deserved for all the people he tortured. As the life left his eyes, as you cradled a bullet wound on your arm from one of his bodyguards, you wondered briefly if it would really end here. His daughter would have something to say about her father’s death. But your thoughts stopped there. The NCR could deal with the fallout of their actions.

As you jumped back into Wilco’s wagon, you sat next to Jamie. You stared in front of you, letting her look at your wound, asking Eric for a bandage or a stimpak, Kira waving her hand in front of your face, asking how it went. You just nodded, a fake smile trying to work its way onto your face. “It went fine.”

Your eyes flashed over to Ben who stared openly at you, a mixture of concern and frustration flashing through his eyes.

[asterisquebloomed]

!!

You find yourself lost amidst a blizzard, stranded in the snow. In your travels you had heard rumors that spurred you on this course. Legends tell of a crystalline palace in the snowy peaks of Astial. A place where a goddess resides. Intrigued by the tales, you made your way to the northern continent, in hopes of finding this arctic palace.

The bitter cold was starting to nip at you. You had come prepared for arctic weather, but an unexpected blizzard had enveloped the mountains. Tired from the climb and cold from the howling northern winds, Dread began to set in. Fear that this storm would make these mountains your icy grave. You had yet to finish what you had set out to accomplish. You still hadn’t uncovered the truth of what had happened to you.

Since you began this journey, you have learned things known to no man, that we humans, were not alone. There was another sentient life-form that inhabited this planet. A strange and mysterious being that has existed alongside mankind, hidden in the shadows. You had learned that magic, a thing of fairy tales and myths, was in fact real. It existed, right here in the physical world. If you had been told this by another, and not witnessed it with your own eyes, you wouldn’t have believed it yourself.

But here you were, chasing ghosts in an arctic wasteland. Risking your life on matters one would disregard as mere children’s stories. It was absurd, surreal even. You never would have imagined a life like this. You never wanted a life like things. But even so you pressed onward.

With the last reservoirs of your strength depleting fast, you needed to seek out shelter from the storm. Waiting out the worst of the blizzard in a cave would be much preferable to dying out in the cold, you thought.

After a few more minutes of trudging through the knee high snowfields, your hopes had been answered.

As if by chance, ahead of you was a divide in the cliff side. Upon further inspection, it seemed to be a cave tunneling deep into the mountain. Whispering a soft expression of gratitude, you hurried inside, eager to escape the frigid temperatures of the Land of Eternal Winter.

Retrieving a torch from your pack, you lit it, illuminating the obscuring darkness that filled the cave, Slowly you began to make your way further into the mountain.

As you walked through the cavern, you began to notice it was getting warmer the further you went. While it was normal for hidden caves like this to be a different temperature than the region outside it’s mouth, something was a little strange about it. It was too warm for a supposed extinct volcano. As you considered the possibilities, each on worse than the last, you noticed a faint glow further up ahead. Had you crossed straight through the mountain, you wondered. Biting your lip nervously, you edged closer to the pale blue light.

What you were met with was not something you expected.

A cavern of white crystals greeted you.They glowed faintly with a pale blue light. It wasn’t the blinding white of the blizzard outside, but it rendered the use of your torch wasteful. Snuffing out the flame, your surroundings were tinted with an icy blue light.

As you wandered farther in, you came upon exactly what you had come her to find. Before you was a place, entirely made of ice—or rather, crystal—you found as you placed your hand on one of the smooth surfaces of the walls. They weren’t cold to the touch—actually they were the opposite—they gave off a gentle warmth, contrasting the cold blue and while light that illuminated the palace as if it were day. Intricate details were etched and carved into the walls and floors of the palace, even the ceiling above was ornate, much like one would expect from the homes of nobility and royalty. The sight was magnificent, otherworldly even. Once again, if you hadn’t witnessed the immaculate beauty hidden away in these mountains, you would have been hard pressed to believe such a place existed here.

Making your way through the vast halls and corridors of this ethereal palace, you eventually came to an altar of sorts. A large room with a massive crystalline monolith at it’s center. Surrounding the base of the crystal was a pool of clear liquid. Water perhaps, you thought as you approached the altar to get a closer look.

Suddenly the atmosphere of the room became tense, as if you were not alone here. Turning to look though, you saw no one. Glancing back the way you came, you peered into the eerily glowing caverns to see if anyone had come in after you. Finding no one there either, you let out a sigh. Your nerves must be getting to you, you thought. Relaxing yourself with deep breath, you turned your gaze back towards the altar.

Your heart skipped a beat. There, standing in front of the altar was a woman. Where had she come from? There was no place in the room where she could have hidden herself. Even more unsettling was that you hadn’t heard anything. Not a single sound had echoed through the palace walls, save for your sighs and breathing. You could feel your heart pound in your chest as you stared at her, and she at you.

Her features were delicate, like that of a porcelain doll. Her snow white hair was wavy, reaching to her shoulders. Her eyes, which stared into you without ever wavering, were a soft lavender. She wore a light dress with diamond and snowflake like detailing on the petals of her skirt. White stocking adorned her legs, the left of which had an intricate swirling pattern running up her leg. Her figure was petite, but her presence was overwhelming. It was no wonder Astiel’s myths described her as a goddess. You stood in awe of her beauty, as if time itself had ceased to move. Everything was silent.

She blinked, and as if by her command, time begin to flow. Without shifting her icy gaze from you, she began to walk towards you. As she stepped closer you noticed something strange. There were no footsteps. Turning your attention to her stride, you watched as one foot came forward, then the next. Indeed, she had no footsteps, as if she was merely a ghost. Once she was within five feet of you, she stopped. For a moment she silently gazed at you, eyes moving for the first time to take you in. When she had finished looking you over, her cold stare returned to your face.

“Who are you?” She asked, her voice was soft. Her words might have been soothing had her tone not been so monotonous.

You were speechless for a moment, unable to reply to her swiftly. Inhaling deeply, you swallowed the lump that had formed in your throat.

You explained to her you journey up until this point. You told her of the others you had met, These mystical beings, they were like souls without bodies,they were like the pure essence of a person. Essence. Such a fitting word for these creatures. A pure soul in it’s entirety. That’s what they were. The Essence.

“So you have come here seeking out my kin…” She said, her face still devoid of emotion. Her eyes wander over to the burns hidden underneath your clothes, as if she could see through them. “Those wounds…” She paused, taking a good look at the flesh you could not hide from her eyes. “They were caused by one of us…by her…”

Once more your heart skipped a beat. Of all the ‘Essence’ that you had met thus far, none had any inkling as to the identity of the one who had burned you. This was the first lead that you had found, the first clue,, the first trace of them. Eagerly you pleaded with the girl to tell you more. Who are they? Where can I find them? Your sudden fervor had garnered a response from her as she leaned back a bit in faint surprise.

“Her name I do not know, and I know not where she rests…However she is a very foul girl. I would not be surprised if she had done this to you not out of necessity, but out of vanity.” She exhaled softly as she recalled the woman in question. Her brow furrowed slightly, lips creasing into a frown. Her memories of her had not been fond.

“She is not to be trifled with. Pursuing her is to gamble your life. Despite this, will you still search for her?” She asked, to which you nodded. She closed her eyes slowly. “…I see.”

“Long ago, she stumbled into this place. She too, like you, was a traveler. She was running from something, and sought refuge in my home. She didn’t much like the cold…so I have reason to believe she hailed from the south. Perhaps you should begin your search there…”

With a new light of hope now lit within your heart, you thanked her. “I would go with you, to aid you on your quest, but alas…” She said solemnly, gaze cast downward. “The damage to your soul is too great…”

Your heart sank. Your soul had been…damaged…? A sense of dread filled your being. Not only had this creature which you sought out violated your flesh with her flames, but even your soul itself, your essence, had been tarnished by this woman. It was unforgivable…absolutely unforgivable! You clenched your fists in anger. Seeing your rage, the woman let out a sorrowful sigh.

“You see, we….’Essence’ as you call us, we bond with the souls of humans.in order to leave this place. We are trapped here, endlessly. Without a human vessel, we cannot be free…but that doesn’t justify her methods…” Ire rising in the Essence. “She does not care who she hurts. She destroys human souls for her own gain. Malicious behavior like that…I cannot forgive.” Her voice was stern, breaking from her usual monotone. She hated this woman just as much as you did.

After a moment of silence, she let out a sigh. “I may find her reprehensible, but I refuse to sink to her level. I will not disregard human life solely on the basis of not being one of you. I treasure human life, likely more than any of my kin.” She said, turning her gaze back to you. “I am sorry, but you must make this journey alone. Know that I sincerely hope you will find the truth you seek. And I shall pray for your safety and success in your endeavors.”

After ensuring that the blizzard had passed, You prepared to leave this ‘Arctic Palace’ of hers. You thanked her graciously for her tremendous help. She wished you well and said that she will pray for you in the coming months. As you were about to embark once more on your journey, you realized you had forgot to ask her her name.

“My name?” She said with a slight tilt, before giving an—albeit small—smile.

“I kept my original name, from when I first lived. That name is Aliah Meshia. It was an honor to meet you, child.” Spoken with the wisdom of ten thousand years, this woman. Aliah Meshia, the Essence of Light and Order, bid you a fond farewell, as you departed from her crystalline altar.

With renewed vigor and a clear goal finally within your sights, you made your way out of the cave, stepping proudly out into the sunlight with purpose in each step.

[aramis-dagaz-imaginarium]

25% of the reason why I’ve been so quiet for the past week

The other 75% of the reason is making custom rules for a Pathfinder campaign I’m going to GM, mainly rules for guns that shoot spells.

The Firmament The Firmament is an endless void of silvery gray light.  Within this void are numerous motes of rock, dirt, and other substances upon which many nations and cultures build their civilizations.  Crisscrossing the Firmament are the Arcs, bands of intense energy that travelers use to voyage throughout the aether. In many ways, the Firmament is at the center of all of Existence, where multiple worlds and portals connect to.  As such, the Firmament teems with all manner of sapient species, and numerous cities and nations are melting pots of many different cultures and economies. Such travel and trade is reliant upon the Arcs, which form the pathways upon which ships travel from one place to another.  While it is possible for ships to voyage through the aether itself without the Arcs, such travel would take months, years, even centuries.  With the Arcs, these journeys take mere weeks at most, even though the exact path between any two given points won’t always be the same.  Navigating the Arcs is as much an art as it is a science. Resonances Matter may make up the physical body of the Firmament and everything in it, but Resonances are its very lifeblood and soul.  In its most simple form, a Resonance is simply an energy field, made up of heat, light, or other more exotic forms of energy.  At higher orders of energy, however, patterns begin to emerge.  As these patterns become more ordered and complex, Resonances stop merely existing and start actively interacting with its environment.  Some Resonances bond with matter, and at increasing levels of complexity, these Resonances become life, which in turn become minds, and finally, sapience. Therefore, sufficiently advanced Resonances are the spark of life.  In sapient creatures, many have referred to them as souls.  For those of immense power and consciousness, they are called gods. Like any pattern and energy field, Resonances can be observed, understood, and, more importantly, harnessed and controlled.  This is the basis of magic, which all sapient beings hold the potential of wielding, albeit some better than others.  Over the ages, mages have learned to control and manipulate existing Resonances, and even create new ones to serve various functions. In the Firmament, all living creatures, regardless of their physical composition, level of sapience or lack thereof, and magical power possess a Resonance that is their consciousness and very lifeforce.  Magic creates and manipulates Resonances, and sometimes is able to do so to a degree that it can create a Resonance of sufficient complexity to have an awareness of its own.  Resonances sometimes form spontaneously, especially in regions of powerful, uncontrolled forces or in the wake of gods, becoming aether ghosts or bonding with matter and forming elementals that are little more than wild animals.  Mages create Resonances that become autonomous spells, allowing them to perform rituals without their direct action or perform deeds that they would not be able to accomplish directly.  Some even go further and imbue these complex Resonances with vast arrays of heuristics, and even a bit of personality.  These constructed Resonances are bound to physical bodies, creating golems. And sometimes, whether they were artificially created or arose from the clash and churn of natural forces, these Resonances attain sapience themselves, and thus become their own being. Inpalav One of the many inhabited regions of the Firmament is Inpalav.  What sets Inpalav apart from many other places in the aether are the Asters, seven large structures of mysterious age and origin that slowly pulse with unknown yet powerful energies that give Inpalav heat and light.  This alone would make them the topic of study for many sages and scholars, but adding to the mystery is the fact that they are connected to massive chains trailing off into the void, giving them the appearance that they hanging from something, but whatever and wherever it is, it is far beyond the sight of anyone, mundane or magical.  If the gods know, they aren’t telling anyone.  Many expeditions have been made to discover the other end of these chains, but so far none were able to find out before being forced to turn back due to dwindling fuel and supplies. Below the Asters swirl the motes of Inpalav, upon which its inhabitants make their living.  The motes move in a circular pattern around an empty center below the centermost Aster, with “down” throughout the region generally being an undefined point far below them.  While this doesn’t affect anyone who happens to be traveling through the aether between the motes, it does make building structures on the underside of the motes more difficult, forcing the inhabitants to weather through the hazardous seasons of Dustfall and the Scouring. The primary polity of Inpalav is the Inpalavese Pact Republic, joining together most of the cities, regions, and societies into a single nation.  The Pact Republic’s capital is located in Telseranct, a city that completely occupies the hollow interior of its mote.  The Republic is nominally ruled by the Inpalavese Congress, whose members are selected by their regions’ citizens and pass the legislation that keep the government running.  However, the true power is wielded by a dragon known as Pethakharet the Kritarch, the supreme justice of the Republic.  Although she has explicitly stated that her role is to ensure that the laws of the Republic are obeyed and the rights of its citizens are preserved, only intervening when the laws passed by Congress impede on such rights and the founding principles of the Pact, the fact of the matter is that the Inpalavese Congress rarely enacts any legislation that hasn’t been reviewed and revised by the Kritarch, making her the true ruler of the Republic in all but name. As the political center and most populous city of the Republic, Telseranct is also its center of culture, trade, and magical and technological advancement.  Its citizens enjoy the highest standard of living, at least those who can afford it or haven’t fallen through the cracks.  The city also thrives on the energy trade, as the exterior of the mote is covered with biomechanical plants that convert the energy the Asters and Inpalav’s major Arc radiate into usable power for its shipyards and research universities.  Combined with the protection the city enjoys from the Dustfall and Scouring seasons due to being within the interior of the mote, Telseranct sometimes seems immune to the troubles the other motes face. Chalcauri is a rural mote that once fueled the economy of the entire region through the logging of the metallic trees that grow there, but changes in trade and industry elsewhere has pushed this region into the margins of Inpalavese society, turning it into an economic liability that most would prefer to ignore.  Farming, logging, and mining continue to be the mote’s primary economic activities, but they are a shadow of what they once were and are mostly continued out of stubbornness.  Most of the citizens living here feel neglected and abandoned, becoming increasingly disillusioned of the Pact that joins them to a seemingly uncaring Republic.  Only the continued protection of the Republic fleet guarding against the Sovereignties on the other side of the mote, a lawless wasteland choked with prolific krisweed and populated by outlaws and malcontents who preferred to live in a harsh wilderness than obey the laws of the Republic, are what keeps the citizens of Chalcauri from breaking ties entirely. Tithe Marghûlv is less a proper city and more a staging ground for adventurers, mercenaries, merchants, and others looking for quick coin in the Asterspire, a shattered conical mote that many believe used to be part of one of the Asters.  The very ground seems to support this theory, as there are many minerals and metals there that are found nowhere else in Inpalav or even elsewhere in the Firmament.  Before the Pact Republic was formed, the city of Tithe Marghûlv covered nearly the entirety of the Asterspire, rivaling Telseranct in size and influence, but a terrible war erupted, consuming the entire mote in violence, bloodshed, and devastating, alien magicks.  The conflict did not so much end as it simply died out, leaving behind terrible scars, desolate ruins and urban wastelands, horrifying monsters, and lingering, malignant magical energies.  Despite this, the denizens of Tithe Marghûlv are an optimistic lot, albeit of a gruff and dark humor.  For them, the ashes of the Asterspire hold many treasures, relics, and rare substances waiting for someone brace and tough enough to come and claim them.  As a result, many travel to the Asterspire to seek their fortune, but for every seron who finds vast wealth, there are countless others who either perish in the wastes or are trapped in inescapable drudgery. Located near the primary Arc that leads elsewhere to the Firmament, Port Nephatesh is a busy hub of ship traffic and trade and the center of worship for the dragon god of travel and commerce the city is named after.  Though still far smaller than Telseranct, Port Nephatesh is densely populated by shipcrews, dock workers, mechanics, merchants, harbor masters, and emissaries representing numerous trade ventures and international interests.  Of all of these, the two most prominent presences are that of House Segoril and the personal consortium owned Plutarch, another dragon god of wealth and trade.  Though the presence of two of the largest and wealthiest trade guilds in the Firmament as well as the ever-watchful guards and bureaucrats of Nephatesh’s primary temple keep the city’s never-ending bustle as orderly and congenial as possible, there are rumors that House Segoril or Plutarch are maneuvering to become the dominant faction in the city, not only supplanting the Temple of Nephatesh as the leader of economic and political matters, but also, in Plutarch’s case, in theological ones as well. Though the Pact Republic claims all of Inpalav as its domain, the truth is that there are huge regions that are not under its control or authority.  One of the most prominent is the Lasu Sea, a massive body of water and other, more esoteric liquids that takes up nearly a quarter of Inpalav’s space.  While most of the Lasu Sea is one single entity, the sea itself ebbs and flows in the Aether, forming massive bubbles of aether, swallowing up small, neighboring motes, and breaking up into a chain of smaller, intricate geometric bodies of water.  Numerous sapient species, both aquatic and not, call this region home, and a few of the motes near, on, and within the sea host small societies and loose confederations of nomadic tribes.  The Republic has invited many of these groups into the Pact, but thus far most have refused, preferring to tend to their own affairs.  For their part, the Republic has honored their decisions, pursuing friendly relations with their neighbors and enforcing such agreements against any who would seek to plunder this region at the expense of its inhabitants, but the Republic’s enforcers are only so many and the Lasu Sea has plenty of places for the bold to venture forth unmolested.  There are many tales telling of undiscovered or forgotten riches and wonders to be found, including a portal to the Realm of Dreams itself.

[stained-carmine]

You find yourself lost amidst a blizzard, stranded in the snow. In your travels you had heard rumors that spurred you on this course. Legends tell of a crystalline palace in the snowy peaks of Astial. A place where a goddess resides. Intrigued by the tales, you made your way to the northern continent, in hopes of finding this arctic palace.

The bitter cold was starting to nip at you. You had come prepared for arctic weather, but an unexpected blizzard had enveloped the mountains. Tired from the climb and cold from the howling northern winds, dread began to set in, fear that this storm would make these mountains your icy grave. You had yet to finish what you had set out to accomplish. You still hadn’t uncovered the truth of what had happened to you.

Since you began this journey, you have learned things known to no man, that we humans, were not alone. There was another sentient life-form that inhabited this planet. A strange and mysterious being that has existed alongside mankind, hidden in the shadows. You had learned that magic, a thing of fairy tales and myths, was in fact, real. It existed, right here in the physical world. If you had been told this by another, and not witnessed it with your own eyes, you wouldn’t have believed it yourself.

But here you were, chasing ghosts in an arctic wasteland. Risking your life on matters one would disregard as mere children’s stories. It was absurd, surreal even. You never would have imagined a life like this. You never wanted a life like this. But even so, you pressed onward.

With the last reservoirs of your strength depleting fast, you needed to seek out shelter from the storm. Waiting out the worst of the blizzard in a cave would be much preferable to dying out in the cold, you thought.

After a few more minutes of trudging through the knee high snowfields, your hopes had been answered.

As if by chance, ahead of you was a divide in the cliff side. Upon further inspection, it seemed to be a cave tunneling deep into the mountain. Whispering a soft expression of gratitude, you hurried inside, eager to escape the frigid temperatures of the Land of Eternal Winter.

Retrieving a torch from your pack, you lit it, illuminating the obscuring darkness that filled the cave, Slowly, you began to make your way further into the mountain.

As you walked through the cavern, you began to notice it was getting warmer the further you went. While it was normal for hidden caves like this to be a different temperature than the region outside its mouth, something was a little strange about it. It was too warm for a supposedly extinct volcano. As you considered the possibilities, each one worse than the last, you noticed a faint glow further up ahead. Had you crossed straight through the mountain, you wondered. Biting your lip nervously, you edged closer to the pale blue light.

What you were met with was not something you expected.

A cavern of white crystals greeted you. They glowed faintly with a pale blue light. It wasn’t the blinding white of the blizzard outside, but it rendered the use of your torch wasteful. Snuffing out the flame, your surroundings were tinted with an icy blue light.

As you wandered further in, you came upon exactly what you had come here to find. Before you was a palace, entirely made of ice—or rather, crystal—you found as you placed your hand on one of the smooth surfaces of the walls. They weren’t cold to the touch—actually they were the opposite—they gave off a gentle warmth, contrasting the cold blue and while light that illuminated the palace as if it were day. Intricate details were etched and carved into the walls and floors of the palace, even the ceiling above was ornate, much like one would expect from the homes of nobility and royalty. The sight was magnificent, otherworldly even. Once again, if you hadn’t witnessed the immaculate beauty hidden away in these mountains, you would have been hard pressed to believe such a place existed here.

Making your way through the vast halls and corridors of this ethereal palace, you eventually came to an altar of sorts. A large room with a massive crystalline monolith at it’s center. Surrounding the base of the crystal was a pool of clear liquid. Water perhaps, you thought as you approached the altar to get a closer look.

Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room became tense, as if you were not alone. Turning to look though, you saw no one. Glancing back the way you came, you peered into the eerily glowing caverns to see if anyone had come in after you. Finding no one there either, you let out a sigh. Your nerves must be getting to you, you thought. Relaxing yourself with deep breath, you turned your gaze back towards the altar.

Your heart skipped a beat. There, standing in front of the altar, was a woman. Where had she come from? There was no place in the room where she could have hidden herself. Even more unsettling was that you hadn’t heard anything. Not a single sound had echoed throughout the halls of the palace, save for your sighs and breathing. You could feel your heart pound in your chest as you stared at her, and she at you.

Her features were delicate, like that of a porcelain doll. Her snow white hair was wavy, reaching to her shoulders. Her eyes, which stared into you without ever wavering, were a soft lavender. She wore a light dress with diamond and snowflake like detailing on the petals of her skirt. White stocking adorned her legs, the left of which had an intricate swirling pattern running up her leg. Her figure was petite, but her presence was overwhelming. It was no wonder Astial’s myths described her as a goddess. You stood in awe of her beauty, as if time itself had ceased to move. Everything was silent.

She blinked, and as if by her command, time began to flow. Without shifting her icy gaze from you, she began to walk towards you. As she stepped closer, you noticed something strange. There were no footsteps. Turning your attention to her stride, you watched as one foot came forward, then the next. Indeed, she had no footsteps, as if she was merely a ghost. Once she was within five feet of you, she stopped. For a moment she silently gazed at you, eyes moving for the first time to take you in. When she had finished looking you over, her cold stare returned to your face.

“Who are you?” She asked, her voice soft. Her words might have been soothing had her tone not been so monotonous.

You were speechless for a moment, unable to reply to her swiftly. Inhaling deeply, you swallowed the lump that had formed in your throat.

You explained to her your journey up until this point. You told her of the others you had met, These mystical beings, they were like souls without bodies, they were like the pure essence of a person. Essence. Such a fitting word for these creatures. A pure soul in it’s entirety. That’s what they were. The Essence.

“So, you have come here seeking out my kin…” She said, her face still devoid of emotion. Her eyes wandered over to the burns hidden underneath your clothes, as if she could see through them. “Those wounds…” She paused, taking a good look at the flesh you could not hide from her eyes. “They were caused by one of us…by her…”

Once more your heart skipped a beat. Of all the ‘Essence’ that you had met thus far, none had any inkling as to the identity of the one who had burned you. This was the first lead that you had found, the first clue, the first trace of them. Eagerly you pleaded with the girl to tell you more. Who are they? Where can you find them? Your sudden fervor had garnered a response from her as she leaned back a bit in faint surprise.

“...Her name I do not know, and I know not where she rests…However she is a very foul girl. I would not be surprised if she had done this to you not out of necessity, but out of vanity.” She exhaled softly as she recalled the woman in question. Her brow furrowed slightly, lips creasing into a frown. Her memories of her had not been fond.

“She is not to be trifled with. Pursuing her is to gamble your life. Despite this, will you still search for her?” She asked, to which you nodded. She closed her eyes slowly. “…I see.”

“Long ago, she stumbled into this place. She too, like you, was a traveler. She was running from something, and sought refuge in my home. She didn’t much like the cold…so I have reason to believe she hailed from the south. Perhaps you should begin your search there…”

With a new light of hope now lit within your heart, you thanked her. “I would go with you, to aid you on your quest, but alas…” She said solemnly, gaze cast downward. “The damage to your soul is too great…”

Your heart sank. Your soul had been…damaged…? A sense of dread filled your being. Not only had this creature which you sought out violated your flesh with her flames, but even your soul itself, your essence, had been tarnished by this woman. It was unforgivable…absolutely unforgivable! You clenched your fists in anger. Seeing your rage, the woman let out a sorrowful sigh.

“You see, we….’Essence’ as you call us, we bond with the souls of humans, in order to leave this place. We are trapped here, endlessly. Without a human vessel, we cannot be free…but that doesn’t justify her methods…” Ire rising in the Essence. “She does not care who she hurts. She destroys human souls for her own gain. Malicious behavior like that…I cannot forgive.” Her voice was stern, breaking from her usual monotone. She hated this woman just as much as you did.

After a moment of silence, she let out a sigh. “I may find her reprehensible, but I refuse to sink to her level. I will not disregard human life solely on the basis of not being one of you. I treasure human life, likely more than any of my kin.” She said, turning her gaze back to you. “I am sorry, but you must make this journey alone. Know that I sincerely hope you will find the truth you seek. And I shall pray for your safety and success in your endeavors.”

After ensuring that the blizzard had passed, You prepared to leave this ‘Arctic Palace’ of hers. You thanked her graciously for her tremendous help. She wished you well and said that she will pray for you in the coming months. As you were about to embark once more on your journey, you realized you had forgot to ask her her name.

“My name?” She said with a slight tilt, before giving an—albeit small—smile.

“I kept my original name, from when I first lived. That name is Aliah Y’sha’val, though your people often called me Aliah Meshia. It was an honor to meet you, child.” Spoken with the wisdom of ten thousand years, this woman. Aliah “Meshia” Y’sha’val, the Essence of Light and Order, bid you a fond farewell, as you departed from her crystalline altar.

With renewed vigor and a clear goal finally within your sights, you made your way out of the cave, stepping proudly out into the sunlight with purpose in each step.

[hermanwatts]

Fantasy New Releases: 23 November, 2019

This week’s fantasy new releases feature sword princesses, armored Christian Templars, elemental mages, and superhero spies.

Altina: Sword Princess: Volume 1 – Yukiya Murasaki

Inept with a sword, unable to ride a horse, and apathetic toward the empire he serves, Regis Aurick is a hopeless soldier who spends his days buried in books. Banished to the borderlands, he encounters a stirring young woman with red hair and ruby eyes. She is Fourth Princess Marie Quatre Argentina de Belgaria, known simply to Regis as Altina.

“…Do you want to become my tactician or not?”

Having sought him for his rumored strategic prowess, she aspires to reform an empire led by self-seeking nobles and driven to pointless wars, the legendary blade of an emperor, the Grand Tonnerre Quatre, at her hip. Continuously underestimated by her regiment, including her would-be tactician, the princess resolves to prove her worth beyond a shadow of a doubt—no matter the risk. Here is a tale of war, love, and politics, woven by the bookworm and the sword princess.

The Best of Glen Cook – Glen Cook

The best short fiction of legendary author Glen Cook (The Black Company, the Dread Empire) is collected into a new hardcover volume.

For over forty years, Glen Cook has been among the most well-known, influential, and widely respected authors in science fiction and fantasy. Through classic series such as The Black Company, Garrett P.I., the Dread Empire, Starfishers, Darkwar, and more, his gritty, down-to-earth style left an indelible impression on his readers around the world, forever shifting the genre landscape and carving out his place as a pioneering icon.

The Best of Glen Cook collects eighteen of his greatest stories—as chosen and introduced by the author himself—including a new, never-before-published Black Company novelette. With works set in all of his most famous series, these tales of science fiction and fantasy offer both the perfect way for longtime fans to trace Cook’s history and for new readers to become familiar with one of the finest genre authors of the twentieth century.

The Crimson Spark (Vagabond Legacy #1) – William Hastings

Break the shackles of the mind.

Leo is a boy grieving his twin. Nea is a girl living as a boy to escape her past. Two slaves, carrying the scars of abuse. They form a connection, only to be split apart when their ship arrives in a mysterious and fragmented land, cut off from the rest of the world.

Leo becomes apprentice to a vagabond swordsman and together the two set out to find a stolen weapon locked away in a catacomb city. But what is his new teacher hiding? Tormented by a crippling injury and an anxious heart, Leo must find the strength within himself to keep going despite all that he has lost.

Meanwhile, Nea is conscripted by the Captain of the Royal Guard, who ropes her into the search for a group of men hunting a boy matching Leo’s description. But to Nea’s dismay, the Captain is a woman and Nea must fight past her hateful and damaged mind if she ever hopes to earn her freedom.

When a former child soldier threatens to spark a revolution, Leo and Nea will choose sides. Will they fight to save this cruel land, or punish it? To find the answer, they must confront the horror of the past and fight for the greatest freedom of all, freedom from the fear that rules their hearts.

Crown of Chaos (The Knights of Alana #3) – Aaron Hodges

High in the mountains, Pela and Ruebyn have finally escaped the deadly Knights of Alana. But the future remains uncertain, their only way forward the forbidden lands of Trola. Buoyed by their recent victory, Pela is confident they can overcome whatever lies ahead. When they find the Trolan countryside empty, its villages abandoned, they realise nothing is as it seems in the western nation. There is an evil on the air, an ancient darkness that neither sword nor magic can fight.

Meanwhile, King Braidon has earned a victory against his treacherous wife and her zealous Knights. If only the war could be so easily won. Marianne still holds the capital, and has magic enough to conquer the Three Nations. Braidon must gather the forces of good beneath his banner, and fast, before the queen can march on his stronghold.

The breathtaking finale to the Knights of Alana trilogy by NYTimes Bestselling Author Aaron Hodges

Death’s Mantle – Harmon Cooper

Lucian North is supposed to be dead.

Suffering from a rare heart condition that doctors say should have killed him over a year ago, Lucian is playing a video game when Death finally comes.

Rather than give in, Lucian pulls a gun on the Grim Reaper.

As the two stare each other down, terrible demons known as injuresouls swarm into the room in pursuit of Death.

Summoning courage he never knew he had, Lucian comes to Death’s aid. And for his troubles, he is awarded Death’s Mantle.

It isn’t easy being Death, and Lucian will need just about everything he can get as he faces off against fallen angels, appalling parasites, demon-born injuresouls, and savage Death Hunters.

Regardless of his sudden strength, his newfound enemies, and his gamer ingenuity, Lucian can’t communicate with the living, which wouldn’t be a problem if he hadn’t discovered something terrible about his family…

Lucian’s brother is scheduled to die, and only Lucian has the power to do anything about it.

The Elements Bond (The Elemental Academy #7) – D. K. Holmberg

The key to finding the one responsible for the attack on Terndahl involves crossing the waste, but is Tolan willing to risk the tenuous peace they’ve achieved for revenge?

Now a master shaper, Tolan must serve the Academy but he understands the risk his mother poses. While others want to study the power out on the waste, Tolan sees the need to look beyond Terndahl. His mother remains at large, and they still don’t know her ultimate goal.

When a chance encounter while traveling with the Draasin Lord reveals something unexpected, Tolan realizes he must expedite the plan to explore beyond the waste. What he finds there changes everything he knows about the elements—and the elementals.

The final book in the Elemental Academy series.

Gideon Ira and the Winter Valkyrie (Deus Vult Wastelanders #2) – Adam Lane Smith

The children are dying.

The holy city of Belltower stands besieged by the Blighted Circle’s horde of animated corpses. As the war drags on, the necromancer Plague Princess infects hundreds of Christian children with an incurable disease, and the defenders can do nothing but watch their most precious loved ones die in agony.

In the depths of a snowy winter, surrounded by a horde of death, Gideon Ira leaves on a desperate quest with only the barest glimmer of hope. Vicious corpses hound his every step until he finds himself before the dripping blade of an ancient and unnatural entity feared by both man and demon:

The Valkyrie.

Overlook (Heroes Unleashed: The Phoenix Ring #1) – Jon Mollison and Thomas Plutarch

Nothing is more dangerous than an invisible man.

Joe’s spent his life being forgotten. Not even the IRS comes for his back taxes. He’s a ghost, a perfectly average, perfectly forgettable man. It suits his purposes, though it’s a lonely existence. He can live as he wants, plying his almost-invisibility for freelance jobs.

Then a pretty blonde finds him when no one else can, asking for his help solving a murder. He almost says no, despite his instincts to help a damsel in distress. But how did she find him? And who is she?

He takes the job to find out. But he bites off more than he can chew as he realizes a brutal secretive organization called The Phoenix Ring is behind the murder, and somehow they can predict his every move.

Can Joe defeat the shadowy Phoenix Ring? Or will his powers fail him when he needs them the most?

Fantasy New Releases: 23 November, 2019 published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/