#can you imagine the dragon themed jewelry and styles

[mai-sau]

im in the dragonflight beta for wow rn and I am calling my dracthyr evokers mairon and artano just to feel something

[throwaway-yandere]

With Valentine’s approaching, I figured I’d shoot my shot before the blog revamp :’3

Good afternoon, Archbishop Theophilus!! Since you took the time to inquire about my personal style, it’s only polite that I ask you a similar question \(//∇//)\

Aside from fur cloaks, do you have any other fashion preferences?? I assume you have an affinity for accessories, given your earring and hair ornaments. Ohh and I can only imagine how elegant your horns would look with jewelry—not that they aren’t already striking on their own. (Do correct me if dragons such as yourself are against decorating their horns.)

I’ll leave it at that. I’m afraid that if I go into more detail about your beauty, I’d take up too many of your precious hours. Have a nice day, Archbishop ^o^

P.S. Hiiii Ansy, I hope you’re doing well!! I’ve said this before but Theophilus is srsly so pretty. And a dragon + archbishop combo……it feels rather oxymoronic(??), which makes his concept all the more interesting. I can’t wait for his fic >:3

P.P.S. GOODBYE I JUST LEARNED THAT DUKE DILUC IS IN THE LEAD?? And I’d just typed a paragraph joking about how Theophilus and Sunday (the previous lead) both have Biblical references *sobs* I’ll miss our archbishop……

"There... I must say, dear, it looks wonderful on you— though perhaps a size too large— but it adds to the charm!" The archbishop spoke. Although his voice is as soft as ever, no one can miss the way his voice chirps like an excited fledgeling. "You are a beautiful human, Jessamine. My ornaments look far more dashing when you are the one to wear them."

He chuckled softly as he patted your head.

"You can keep what you're wearing, I have spares." Theophilus said before you caught a glimpse of a teasing smirk in his face that disappeared quickly. "I'm aware the flower may not be as valuable for the merchants, but the cloak should fetch a large sum of gold."

"After all, most of what I wear are prepared by the Royal Family. All except the flower and earring. I enjoy any reminders that the small things in life— in nature— are worth thousand years of living for. Before I was hailed as the archbishop, I donned enormous flower crowns often. A shame it's not appropriate for my station."

The Archbishop closed his eyes and pondered about your next inquiry.

"My kind... Hmm..." He mumbled softly. "I wouldn't know. I am the last living Earth dragon left, but if my predecessors and I are similar, I think we wouldn't mind extra decor. That is, of course, if it is a gift bestowed by our beloveds...."

"Oh, leaving so soon?" Theophilus frowned. "Oh, that's alright. Do not fret, I understand. May the God Eusebius walk alongside you."

Okay it's ansy now, I hope you're doing well too and omg I'm rereading your HVOY reblog for a while now fuskkfkakskw. Theo is such a good boy I feel bad for the pain I'm putting him that I nearly forgot how much worse it is that he's a "dragon" archbishop ngl hAHAHAH—

ALSO SIKDKAKA I HAVE NO CLUE WHO'S WINNING THE THEME, I JUST HEARD THE RANKINH WAS SUNDAY FIRST, THEN RATIO THEN NEUVILLETTE??? AND NOW ITS DILUC???? LAST TIME I HEARD DILUC WAS LAST PLACE WITH NO VOTES TF HAPPENED HAHAJAHAJAHAH WHO STARTED A PROPAGANDA HUH?????? WHICH ONE OF YALL WAS IT LMAO—

Naur cuz me too 😭😭😭 i was gonna make a Theo passing his job to Sunday joke drawing too about how they're besties cuz I thought Sunday was on the lead. I am definitely not expecting Diluc. Duke Diluc I know you are self-aware and know the world is a lie but please don't hurt Theo he never did anything wrong ever

[whiskersz]

Hello! Saw you were doing matchups. Can I get a romantic one?

I'm bisexual and I use she/her. I'm an ambivert. For those who don't know me very well, I may appear calm, collected and polite, but when I get close with someone, that's when my true personality comes out; I'm very sarcastic and sassy, especially if someone gets on my nerves. When I'm with my friends, I like to joke around, engage in playful banter with them, even often affectionately insult them (if that makes sense). I also love to tease and I don't mind being teased back. Even though I'm a bit goofy, I'm usually the rational, maybe even mom friend of the group; the type of friend who tries to stop the rest from doing dumb shit if I think it's too dumb or dangerous. I also tend to curse like a sailor lol. But my friends say that I'm also thoughtful, open and understanding. I can be very patient and gentle as well if I want too.As for my style, I usually dress in all black (fun fact: I never wear skirts though, I despise them) and I love silver jewelry. I always have a silver ring on each finger or both hands (without them I feel almost naked) and usually snake or dragon-themed silver earrings.

My main hobbies and interests are: listening to music (I can't live without it), lately I've been listening mostly to any rock or metal type of music or similar (for example I love bands such as Ghost and Nickelback). Besides that, I also love to draw, read, and travel. Sometimes I also like to play or do some sports (I've been a horse rider since I was seven and I love swimming). But I also like to just sit on the couch and watch movies (preferably with friends).

Also, my main love languages are: psychical affection, quality time and gift giving.

As for my type, when it comes to men I love it when they have a sense of humour that's for sure, but other than that it's hard to describe my type. I either usually simp for kind-hearted goofballs or arrogant jerks, there's no in between XD. My taste in women is kinda simpler, I usually simp for confident bad bitches (like Lute for example).

I think that's it, thank you in advance!

Hello, and congrats on being the first requester for my matchups! First and foremost, I got very excited over this because you said you listen to Ghost – they’re my favorite group! But with that out all the way, I sincerely hope you’re up to date with technology, because I match you with...

Vox!

Vox is the charismatic, if not somewhat self-centered,  owner and CEO of VoxTek as we all surely know here. The first thing that I’d like to note here is that he loves any kind of attention, and that you seem to be quite the attention-giver, given that two of your main love languages are physical touch and gift-giving. He likes to show off your relationship by casually draping an arm over your shoulder each time you lean into him, and by keeping all of your little gifts on his desk as he works.

I find that your personalities are a good match for each other, because you sound like you could stand your ground very well to his snarky remarks. He obviously can hold his own as well, which often results in the playful banter that you know and love.

Your more patient and gentle side is also important here, because it takes a very patient person to stand him and how egotistical he is sometimes; he’ll see no problem with it at first, but you need to give him time while also standing your ground as I said earlier. He’ll quickly realize that you’re truly one of a kind for sticking around, and that is how I imagine that you two would decide on starting a romantic relationship with each other.

You mentioned that you like watching movies with your friends; how about watching them with your boyfriend, as he plays them on his TV-screen head? He plays movies, videos, music videos, anything that you’d like to watch! There might be a downside to this, which is that he likes to comment on anything and everything – if he doesn’t like what you’re watching, he will let you know with a groan and will even speak over whatever you’re watching to point out how boring it is for him. But, in the end, he loves you, so he will play it all either way.

He slowly takes interest in your other hobbies as well; since you like drawing, it will basically inflate his ego if once in a while you make a little portrait of him! And he’d surely enjoy a good vacation once in a while (well, whatever that means in Hell), so as long as it’s something relaxing and not at all chaotic he will follow you along in your travels, too.

I feel like you and Vox would be the aesthetically pleasing to look at couple; imagine him, dressed in one of his dark blue suits, and you, wearing something black and elegant. He doesn’t mind that you don’t like wearing skirts, I feel like he doesn’t really have a preference for how his partner would need to dress, in fact he’ll accept anything that comes with dating you as long as you can stand the more difficult sides of his personality, he’s grateful for that already even if he might not admit it.

And lastly, I have a question for you: do you by chance like to call your partner pet names, anon? Because you might want to do that here. It will get Vox all flustered, it’s the one thing that will make him almost short-circuit!

[alice-beaumont-ravenclaw]

From Paris, with Love

A/N #1: Part 7 of my Celestial Ball series is here! In this fic, we meet Alice’s french grandmother and learn a bit more about her family... Anyway, here are the other parts of the series: You’ve Got a Friend in Me | Distraction | Something There | One Step Closer | Fashion Emergency | Get Your Head in the Game | Der Walzer von Alice | Of Quidditch and Ballgowns (there’s a sketch of the dress at the end of that fic) 

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The Celestial Ball was fast approaching and Alice had yet to see her gown. Andre had taken her measurements a few days after they had selected the style, and she knew he was working on it, based on the plasters that were appearing on his fingers as the days went by. She also knew he had already made Charlie’s dress robes, as Charlie’s excitement was apparent during one of their dance rehearsals.

“You’ll see it on the day of the ball, but I’ll give you a hint so you can imagine how amazing it is: Dragons!” he had said as they waltzed with the other prefects.

Alice was pretty sure he was more excited about the dragon part of his robes than the robes themselves. Lost in those thoughts as she watched the first snow falling from a window in the common room, she didn’t hear Andre barging in and coming towards her. 

“Alice!” he exclaimed, standing right next to her.

“What?!” she said, turning her head towards him, her eyes wide in shock.

“Your dress is ready!”

“Really? Can I see it?” asked Alice, excited.

“Well, of course. We need to choose your accessories!” said Andre as he dragged her out of the common room.

“Accessories? I don’t think I brought many with me… Unless you put some in my trunk without my knowledge…” replied Alice, looking at her friend suspiciously.

“No, of course, I didn’t. I didn’t know there was going to be a ball. No… I invited someone over to help us with that,” replied Andre, looking away.

“Invited someone here? At Hogwarts? Was Dumbledore okay with that?”

“Well, seems like they know each other, so yeah, he was fine with it,” he replied as they stopped in front of a door.

“Who the hell does Dumbledore know that could help with accessories?” asked Alice as she opened the door. The person she saw inside the room made her stop dead in her tracks. 

That person was a tall and slender elderly woman with regal beauty. Her white hair was in a French twist, and she was wearing a navy Chanel skirt suit. When her piercing blue eyes met Alice’s green ones, a small smile appeared on her lips.

“Alice, ma chérie!” she said as she approached Alice before giving her two kisses on each cheek. 

“Grand-maman?” said Alice, too startled to reciprocate the bise as she stared at Andre.

“Yeah, well, I wrote to your mother regarding pieces of jewelry to go with the dress, but the letter I got back was from your French grandmother…” started explaining Andre while fidgeting with his hands. “She told me she would come to Hogwarts with a selection of jewelry we could choose from.”

“Albus was so nice to let me come! He hasn’t changed at all! I will go have tea with him while you two choose what you need! But before I go, Alice, j’ai quelquechose pour toi,” said her grandmother as she opened up a little box. Inside was a tiara adorned with stars and celestial waves. Strings were attached to it to fasten it to the wearer’s head.

“Une tiare?” said Alice, slightly frowning.

“Oui, bon, ça peut l’être, but you can wear as a headband or at ze back of your head. I asked my… hum… how do you say ‘joaillier’… Jeweller! Yes, well, I asked him to make something versatile zat could be worn in different ways because my granddaughter does not like wearing classic tiaras.”

“Wait! You had this made especially for the occasion? It’s too much, I can’t…” started saying Alice before being interrupted by Andre.

“It will look amazing with the dress!” he exclaimed.

“Andre…” muttered Alice, trying to get him to calm down, in vain.

“I know! When I saw the sketches you had sent my daughter-in-law, I knew my favourite jeweller would be able to create something wonderful!”

“Sketches?” asked Alice, looking at Andre with a raised eyebrow. “Plural?”

“Yes, I also sent a sketch of the shoes I made,” explained Andre.

“Shoes? You made shoes?” 

“Didn’t I tell you? Guess I forgot. Anyway, thank you so much Mrs. Beaumont!”

“Please, it was no problem at all! Now, I will leave you to it while I go see Albus,” she said, waving as she left the room.

“I can’t believe she knows Dumbledore… Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised,” said Alice as she stared at the now-closed doors. 

“How come?” asked Andre as he started opening the jewelry cases.

“Well, Dumbledore knows a lot of people, and so does my grandmother,” said Alice turning toward the jewelry.

“Oh, Merlin!” exclaimed Andre as he looked, wide-eyed, upon all the glittering pieces of jewelry laid out in front of him.

“Honestly, that’s just showing off,” grumbled Alice as she looked on, rolling her eyes.

“I’m sure she just wants you to have as much to choose from,” said Andre, who was already covered in jewelry.

“Maybe, but she likes to remind people of who she is,” said Alice as she took a pair of very small crescent moon stud earrings covered with white pavé diamonds and set it aside.

“She likes people to know she’s a Beaumont?” asked Andre, admiring the rings on his fingers.

“Not exactly… The Beaumonts are a very reputable family in France, but…” she started saying, before pursing her lips. “Anyway,” she interrupted herself, “you haven’t shown me my dress or my shoes yet. How am I supposed to make a decision if I don’t see what I’m going to wear?”

“Oh! You’re right!” Andre said, getting up from the table he was sitting up. Pushing a screen to the side, he revealed the dress and the shoes.

“Oh, Andre! It’s simply gorgeous!” said Alice as she looked at the dress and shoes. 

The sleeveless dress was covered in sparkles, except for the black shoulder straps. From the waist, it was a dark blue, and the blue got lighter as it got closer to the edge of the dress. From the waist up, the material was very thin, making the blue of it appear very light against the nude lining of the bodice. There was a little bit of tulle under the skirt to give it some volume, but not too much. The shoes were high-heeled sandals with butterfly wings at the back. They were in sparkling silver and navy blue, with a cross ankle strap and glittering stars.

“So… You like it?” asked Andre as Alice touched the skirt of her dress.

“Like it? I love it! It goes with the theme, but not in an ostentatious manner!” replied Alice.

“I’m so glad you like it,” said Andre, smiling. “Now, let’s go back to the jewelry and you can tell me everything about your grandmother.”

“Ugh… Do I have to?” asked Alice, making her way back to the jewelry case.

“Well, I’m intrigued. Such a stylish and regal woman, and it doesn’t have to do with the Beaumonts, but, I’m guessing, her side of the family,” said Andre, taking out a diamond bangle with moons and stars, and putting it with the earrings Alice had put aside.

Alice let out a sigh. “Fine… Before being Aurore Beaumont, she was born Aurore Valois, from the Capetian dynasty.”

“Is that supposed to ring a bell?” asked Andre, raising an eyebrow.

“Outside of France, probably not. In France, the Capetian dynasty is also known as the House of France. Starting with Hugues Capet, a King of France in the 10th century. All the Kings of France after that were his descendants. All the way down to Louis-Phillipe 1er. Technically, the Valois branch was considered extinct in 1589 and was succeeded by the Bourbons. But that’s on the Muggle side of the family. On the wizard branch, the Valois kept going. The first wizard of that line may not be entirely legitimate, but that didn’t seem to matter at the time. So they managed to maintain a certain level of influence in the wizarding world as well as in the Muggle world. In the Muggle world, they are seen as just vaguely being related to the House of France, but even that is enough to impress. France may be a Republic, but they do treat descendants of French noble families with deference,” explained Alice, looking at a necklace paved with diamonds in white gold. “Boucheron, of course,” she mumbled as she looked at the clasp, putting it with the earrings and the bracelet.

“Wow… That’s… detailed,” said Andre, staring at his friend.

“Yes, well, I have heard the story many times, and believe me, that was a summary. All this to say, my grandmother can be a bit of a showoff. She won’t say it, because it is just vulgar to do so, but she will make people feel how important she is.”

“Is that why you never told us? Because it’s vulgar?” asked Andre, smirking.

“What? Of course not. By now, you should know it’s not something I care about,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, I kinda regret muttering about my grandmother. If I hadn’t said anything, you wouldn’t have asked anything, and you would be none the wiser.”

“Oh, even without your mumbling, I would’ve asked questions. Like, why is she wearing Muggle clothes? Why didn’t you tell me you had such a stylish grandma? Can I come with you next time you visit your French family?”

“Yeah… Figures. She wears Muggle clothes because she likes them. She personally knew Coco Chanel and Christian Dior. I didn’t tell you because, why would I? And I guess you can come with me next time I go to France, though I don’t see why,” answered Alice, smirking as she rolled her eyes. Andre could be so predictable sometimes, hence why seeing her grandmother had shocked her. She knew that Andre would be curious about her, would want to know more about her. It was better if he asked his questions in an empty classroom than in a room full of other people that might ask questions themselves. “Now that I’ve answered your questions, you have to promise me to not breathe a word about it. It’s bad enough that people stare at me because I’m the ‘Curse-Breaker,’ let’s not add ‘French Royalty’ to the mix. I definitely don’t want Charlie to act even more strangely around me.”

Andre stopped what he was doing and stared at her. Was she on the verge of realizing her feelings for Charlie Weasley?

“I mean, ever since he saw my house in London, he’s been acting strange, as if the fact my family is well-off disturbed him. I’m pretty sure that if he hadn’t seen my house, he would have asked me to the ball way sooner. We are friends and prefects, after all, so it was the logical thing to do, but took him so long to ask me, I was on the verge of doing it myself!” exclaimed Alice.

“So… You would have asked him to the ball if he hadn’t? You wouldn’t have asked someone else, like, say… Barnaby?” asked Andre, doing his best to hide his smile.

“Barnaby? Well, if Charlie had asked someone else, then I would have asked Barnaby, but he’s not a prefect, he doesn’t NEED someone to dance with. Charlie and I were in the same predicament, so it just made sense to go together.”

“Yeah, but if none of you were prefects, who would you have asked to the ball?” probed Andre.

“No one. I would just have gone to the ball with all my friends,” said Alice as she started to close the jewelry cases.

“Ugh… You are hopeless,” muttered Andre.

“What did you say?” asked Alice, closing the last jewelry case.

“Nothing, nothing…” replied Andre just as Alice’s grandmother entered the room.

“So, you have found everyzing zat you needed?” she asked, looking at the closed cases.

“Yes, thank you. Very nice of you to come all this way,” said Alice with a stiff smile plastered on her face.

“As I said, it was no problem at all. Gave me a chance to catch up with Albus. He told me very interesting zings about you,” her grandmother replied. With a flick of her wand, all the cases floated towards her open purse and got inside it.

“I can imagine…” grumbled Alice.

“I was also very happy to see you,” she said, kissing her granddaughter’s forehead. “You haven’t visited Paris nor Sarrians in a while. You should come next summer.”

“Sure…” replied Alice.

“Andre, it was a pleasure meeting you,” said Aurore, turning to the other Ravenclaw. “I’m sure you will be a great fashion designer one day.”

“Oh! Thanks, but I actually want to be a Quidditch player,” replied Andre proudly.

“Really?” replied the elderly lady as she looked back at the dress. “Quel gaspillage… Oh, well, I hope you enjoy the ball. Au revoir!”

After she had left, Alice started placing the jewelry they had chosen in a little velvet pouch until Andre suddenly realized something. “We forgot to choose a ring!”

“I have one,” said Alice, unperturbed as she tightened the strings of the little pouch.

“You picked one? I didn’t see it,” pointed out Andre, rubbing his chin.

“Already had it. A white gold eternity ring with blue coloured stones. Parents gave it to me after I was sorted into Ravenclaw,” explained Alice as they left the room. 

“Are you sure it’s going to work with everything else?” asked Andre.

“It will,” replied Alice as they stood at the entrance of the Great Hall and could see their friends eating and happily chatting. “Now, remember what I told you. Not a word about my grandmother or her background to anyone, or your chance of ever coming to Paris with me will be null.”

“An empty threat. You didn’t look like you wanted to go visit your grandparents in France,” pointed out Andre.

“Well, maybe I’ll change my mind, especially if I know it’s something I can hold over your head,” said Alice, a sly smile appearing on her face as she made her way toward her friends.

“There are days when I think she should be in Slytherin…” mumbled Andre to himself before following her inside.

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A/N #2: Hope you enjoyed. I was loosely inspired by the 2018 HPHM Fictober prompt “First Snow” (loosely as in “the story does not revolve around it, but that prompt led me to write this fic”). So the main fic of the series is approaching... Which means I’ll have to write a ball scene with dancing and everything. If anyone has tips on how to write a ball scene, let me know. (I may have looked at the various ball scenes in War & Peace...)

[thetypedwriter]

The Ruin of Kings Book Review

The Ruin of Kings Book Review by Jenn Lyons

Boy, oh, boy, was this a wild ride. 

Those of you who have been following me for a while know that I occasionally delve into adult fiction here and there. I mainly stick to my vegetarian course of YA novels, but every once in a while I can’t help but  pick up a slice of bacon, or in this case, an adult fiction book.

Or, even more specifically, I suppose it would be more accurate to say that it’s adult fantasy instead of fiction. High fantasy at that, which is characterized by a whole new world with fantastical elements and not just a novel in the known primary world with fantasy elements.

With that literary lesson out of the way, let me get started. 

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons came recommended by one of my favorite book bloggers, Paperfury. She counted this as one of her most recent book obsessions she couldn’t stop thinking about and in general I trust her judgement (although she was way way off on The Queen of Nothing, yikes). 

This massive installment is definitely not the short and sweet page length I’m used to with YA, and neither does it have the comforting and large font that makes me feel like an accomplished reader after just an hour of skimming. 

No, this installment is large and beefy and could probably give someone a concussion if you threw it at them, so just keep that in mind. 

The whole fantasy revolves around a boy named Khirin. Khirin is your typical fantasy hero, equipped with the luscious blonde hair and the sparkling blue eyes and most importantly, the wickedly sharp tongue reminiscent of a male character from the Cassandra Clare universe.

He’s sharp, he’s witty, he’s charming, and he also has terrible, terrible luck. 

Or does he?

When you first meet Khirin he is being sold as a slave to the highest bidder. He’s cold, he’s injured, he’s starving, and he’s broken. You, as a reader at this point, are completely and irrevocably confused. 

You’re thinking: Who is this boy? What is happening to him? Why are people betting so much money for him? What’s with this necklace around his neck? Where did he come from? Where are we? What world is this? Where is he going? What the hell is going on???

To say that Lyons starts out strong would be underhanded hyperbole. You are forcibly drop-kicked into the fantasy world of Qurr and its many raging empires and states, and putting them all together is frankly daunting and largely impossible until a good chunk of the book is devoured. 

Frankly, I still have trouble figuring out all the locations and gods and god-kings and factions and lore and people and how they’re all related, Game of Thrones style. But that’s part of the fun. 

One of my biggest complaints with YA is that the reader is generally treated like they’re pretty stupid. 

Often a YA author feels the need to explain every single iteration and modicum of interaction between their characters or spend too much time describing things, and it leaves very little for interpretation or inference on the side of the reader. Lyons is almost the complete opposite, which is as refreshing as it is frustrating.

As you are introduced to Khirin and this gargantuan universe that Lyons has created, you will feel stupid. To be fair, I enjoyed it most of the time. I relished the challenge of learning to differentiate all the different families of the Court of Gems, of distinguishing the Goddess Thaena from the Goddess Tya.

I liked when I was finally able to smugly look at the map at the beginning and recognize all of the city states like Doltar or Kirpis or Manol. I liked when I understood the different races like the Thriss or the vané and the implications of what that meant. 

If that was a whole load of word vomit for you, that’s okay. 

Again, it’s part of the fun. 

What I do want you to get out of this, however, is the knowledge that Lyons has created an expansive universe with multiple creatures, including dragons and witches, rivaling royal families, gods reminiscent of the Greek Gods and their interference with human affairs, a rivaling world split with so many seams that you’re not even sure who to root for, an emperor, magical jewelry, demons and even a dose of piracy and musical competition. 

This book honestly has a little of everything — which, to be fair, it should, considering how damn long it takes to get through it’s never-ending pages. 

To make this as simplified as possible, the plot goes like this:

Khirin is sold into slavery and finds himself in the hands of a group called the Black Brotherhood. Over time, Khirin learns about this group and their intentions, learns more about himself and the Stone of Shackles (the necklace he wears around his neck), divulges his past and how he got sold into slavery in the first place-his upbringing, his musical talent, his stay at the Blue Palace, his eventual betrayal at the hands of someone he loves. 

You learn over the course of each chapter what brought Khirin to his current fate and more of what he is trying to do now,: which is to return home and save the world from the likes of the two main antagonists (although not all of them by any means), Gadrith and Darzin.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that is the most bare- bones summary I have ever written. But honestly, this book is about a hero named Khirin and his adventure to rid the world of evil as he learns about himself and his past. 

Like many, many, other books before it, this book explores what it means to be a hero, what it means to be a god, what it means to be involved with the fight of good vs. evil. This book is not special in that sense regarding these themes. 

However, there are some really cool aspects of this novel that I thoroughly enjoyed that I’ll relay now that the summary (as condensed as it is, sorry) is out of the way. 

The two things I enjoyed most about this book were the writing itself and the POV. Most high fantasy novels that I’ve attempted to read have this ridiculous notion that every character must speak in some dead medieval language rife with historical inaccuracies and banal, clipped speech. Lyons does nothing of the sort.

 Her characters are creative and crass and downright funny. The dialogue is immersive and natural and oftentimes, other than the backdrop of a dragon or lizard-people, it felt like two modern-day people were having a conversation, which I greatly appreciated. 

Lyons is also a very big fan of building up her writing and then smacking you down at the pinnacle. For example:

“Before us lay the Mother of Trees.

I didn’t understand what I was seeing. I couldn’t comprehend. It just seemed like a humongous wall at first, one that had been built up with palaces and verandas, graceful pavilions, and stained-glass windows glittering like jewels. Only when I looked up could I perceive the sweep of branches, the distance velvet of green leaves. This was a tree to hold up the whole world, the sort of place where Galava must live, if any place were consecrated to her. It seemed ageless and immortal, a tree that had always and would always exist. 

Naturally, we were setting it on fire.”

I personally found this style of writing hilarious. Lyons often built up the tension, beauty, or conflict, and then would deliver these one-liners that would leave me gasping with laughter. This creative juxtaposition was super enjoyable and one that made the book a big success for me. 

Secondly, while this book is told almost entirely (keyword almost -there are some outlier chapters) from Khirin’s perspective, it technically oscillates between present Khirin and past Khirin. 

The whole book switches from one timeline to another every other chapter, with the chapter starting with Khirin being sold into slavery being the “present” and told from Khirin’s first-person POV and then switching the next chapter to his “past” and being told from Khirin’s third-person POV. 

I loved this. I thought this was so creative, and up to this point, I have never seen this done in another book. The subtle shift from first to third person every chapter, but still from the perspective of the same character, was so interesting and complex. 

I loved that we were simultaneously getting current-day Khirin, but also Khirin from two years ago telling us the events that led up to the present. It was imaginative and intriguing, and I loved trying to fill in the holes before the book presented me with it (which even then was difficult). 

In addition, throughout the whole book are also footnotes from another crucial character that offer information, clarification, and also humor. While I’ve primarily read footnotes in academic papers to cite sources or offer commentary, these footnotes were just as fictional as the rest of the story, but offered insight outside of Khirin that was often dripping in sarcasm, irony, or humor.

 I thought it was another really creative way for Lyons to get across information without boring everyone half to death or releasing a 100- page guidebook to help you along. 

Bottom line, people,: This book isn’t for everyone. High fantasy in general is not for everyone. That’s okay. It’s not usually my taste either, at least not the adult fictional kind, but something about this book really intrigued me. 

Moreso than the actual plot, which is confusing, I enjoyed the writing, the suspense, and the act of playing detective. It’s been so long since I’ve read a book that’s made me think this hard, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. That being said, the same praise is a double-edged sword. 

If you don’t want to have to think and draw out charts and make graphs on Excel, then perhaps this is not the book for you. 

If you don’t like high fantasy or made-up worlds, or very interconnected family dynamics, then this is not the book for you. This book also contains elements that can be triggering to some, like rape, drugs, character death, violence, imprisonment, slavery, etc.

When I say this book has everything, I mean it has everything. And that can be good or bad depending on the person. For me, I liked it. However, I did get frustrated at certain points at the lack of clarification more than once, just for full disclosure. 

Recommendation: If you’ve been bereft ever since the Game of Thrones disaster-of-a-finale, then you are not alone. The Ruin of Kings has everything you’ve ever wanted in a high fantasy book: action, kings, queens, palaces, war, dragons, magic and so much more. 

This book was creative and funny and complex, and if you’re willing to sink your teeth and time into a universe that demands attention then you’ll find yourself rewarded with a brand-new world to fall in love with and characters that you can’t seem to forget.

Score: 8/10

[critrolecloset]

critrolecloset’s holiday guide is here!

the holidays are upon us, and one of the best parts is gift giving! earlier this month, i reached out to the critter community to share their creations with me, whether it was dice, clothing, or “smutty bookshop” scented bath bombs. it’s easy to get stressed out when looking for presents, but i love buying from independent businesses and creators whenever possible. not only will your support help smaller creatives flourish, but your gifts will feel more personal and unique!

before we dig in, i recommend stopping by shop.critrole.com for officially licensed merchandise. geek & sundry also released their own critter holiday guide earlier this week, which includes a list of the cast member’s favorite charities you can make donations to. supporting our beloved cast and crew comes first, and this guide should be used as a supplemental tool to help you find gifts beyond what the critical role fam has to offer.

keep in mind that this guide is also just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to critter creations. i was so overwhelmed with submissions that i unfortunately had to leave a number of people out, and for that i’m deeply sorry. i am amazed at how creative and impressive this community is and i thank you all for reaching out.

dice

for those in need of a full set, “fireball” by caroscuriosities, “dark magic” dice by greenleafgeek, and “sandy beaches” by npcdice are handmade and full of intricate detail. majestic trinkets also has a gorgeous selection of 3d printed metal dice for those who really want to make an impression (they even have a pizza-themed set!). when those dice start acting up, pull a laura bailey and throw them in the “dnd rpg dice shaming dice jail” by criticalkits.

oh, and do know a critter with a raging sweet tooth? sugaranddicecrafts has you covered with their edible dice sets.

dice bags

for starting or modest adventurers, i recommend the “iridescent dice bag” by bagofdiceholding, “drawstring dice bag with chinese dragon pattern” by setdaffodilsonfire, and the “black leather drawstring dice bag” by therislane. 

yarn lovers will love this unique “dragon egg dice bag” by stitchcraftsnsorcery. morningdewdicebags offers a fun selection of sequin dragonscale bags. “adventurer’s inventory dice bag” by greyedout is a solid option for pocket lovers and “the bulba-bag: grass monster inspired drawstring” by magicandstitchcraft is just really freaking cute.

if you think something critical role-inspired will do the trick, this “stay in school kids medium segmented dice bag” by arrowsongcrafts is a nod to everyone’s favorite shit-kicking monk. and who could deny “the little sapphire jester inspired dice bag” by crystalbeehouse?

crafts

this “leather card holder” by theartfulrogue is both beautiful and practical. embroidery fans will love this “how do you want to do this” hoop by lauramakesthingsshop and “carnival tree ornament” by bearclawcraftsshop, which is a nice call-back to the beginning on campaign 2. for glassware, i recommend love this “nott pint glass” by brittsgeekboutique and “drink the dead” mug by sunlitlake.

for those who like cuddlier versions of classic d&d monsters, the “crochet cthulhu stuffed animal” by mostlyharmlessshop and “moxie the beholder wearable handsewn plush” by charredstitchery are too good to pass up.

clothing and accessories

bunnidesigns has a fun and flashy assortment of d&d inspired jersey shirts. by now, every critter should recognize void merch’s signature, bold lettering style, and the rpg collection features numerous shirts worn by the cast throughout campaign 2. the “dungeons and dragons lucky shirt” by paolaspixels is also beautifully designed and features unique sleeve prints (she also offers a large variety of gorgeous enamel pins that are definitely on my list).

this “critical role/dnd patterned stretchy tote bag” by brightshaw is bright and full of bold detail, and for those who want something more on the subtle side, i recommend the “dagger dagger dagger” pouch by rhi43.

pins and patches

these critter location pins by geeky clean are not only approved by our cabbage lord brian w. foster, but they’re a fun and simple way of sharing your roots with other critters. the “d20 hard enamel pins: dungeon master” by eldritchrach is a perfect choice for any leader, while the “vicious mockery hard enamel pin” by hallofmirrorsartwork would be a great for any sass king or queen.

as for patches, the quests & queers collection by majesticmess has a wonderful selection for the lgbt+ critter in your life.

jewelry

for any caleb fans, i recommend this bracelet made with red creek jasper beads by loopedla (fun fact: the woman behind this etsy, tara sands, is the voice actress for a lot of iconic pokemon voices). any druid or overall earthy type would love this “green aventurine necklace” by lunastredesigns, which includes an gold acorn and maple leaf charm. lilacfoxdesigns also has an ensemble of vox machina inspired necklaces, “the ranger” being my personal favorite!

body care

mollymauk may be gone, but his memory lives on in soap form by fandomfinery. natural20bath has d20 dice soap in nearly every color and scent imaginable, and you’ll even get a 7-piece polyhedral dice set included! for those looking for a larger set, this “winter in wildemount: critical role inspired bath bomb or soap gift set” by criticalbaths includes 4 bath bombs (this is the one that includes “smutty bookshop”) and a handmade tusk love ornament.

character art commissions

what could be better than receiving a personalized photo of your d&d or tabletop character? the following artists are offering commissions and you can thank me later!

blueberry-me: headshot, half body, full body, sketch, and illustrations.

afterwits: portrait, half body, half body with background, and full body.

emedeme: chibis, line art, character sheet, and illustrations.

ioana muresan: character design, tarot card, illustration, and painted style. (note: ioana did the officially licensed critical role tarot cards!)

comic books

saga, vol 1: know a critter you’d like to get into comics? not only is saga one of the most popular, expansive series right now (warning: it’s also very adult), but fiona staples just about broke instagram with her mollymauk fan art earlier this year.

kid lobotomy, vol 1: by now, everyone who has seen any critical role fan art is familiar with tess fowler’s distinct style. this book is worth picking up even if it’s just for the liam o’brien cameo!

motor crush, vol 1: babs tarr’s anime-influenced style shines in this sci-fi action-adventure series revolving around a young woman in the world of motorcycle racing. also, babs has adorable jester, beau, and twinnie prints available until november 30th.

black science, vol 1: this one i admittedly haven’t read yet, but you may recognize matteo scalera’s lush art style--he did the standard covers for critical role’s two art books.

[craftsguide]

Holiday Gifts: Crafts

New Post has been published on https://craftsguideto.com/crafts-news/holiday-gifts-crafts/

Holiday Gifts: Crafts

Craft gifts are available just about everywhere, from small craft shops to large malls, to state fair craft booths. You can buy them, you can make them yourself or you can give a craft kit and open up a whole new hobby for the people for whom you are buying. There are specific “holiday” themed crafts such as wreaths for Christmas or Halloween, straw scarecrows and corn husk wreaths for Thanksgiving or more general crafts like birdhouses and dollhouses complete with miniature everything, which can also make great holiday gifts.

Ceramics is a relaxing hobby that allows for great creativity and personalization. There is enough in the way of simple projects that even the beginner can put together a beautiful array of holiday gifts. You can start from scratch using poured pieces (green ware); cleaning, painting, firing, glazing and firing again or you can buy pieces that are already cleaned and fired (bisque) paint and glaze them. There are an almost infinite number of different pieces to choose from. You can make statues, candy dishes, lamps or chess sets. You are really only limited by your imagination. Children love painting on bisque (much easier for a child to work with as it isn’t as easily broken as green ware) Check your local phone book for ceramic shops to find the ones that offer lessons and in no time you’ll be making gifts people will cherish. You can find Santas and pumpkins, turkey platters and figurines of Uncle Sam. You can put together a base topped with several figurines and make it into a night-light or dresser lamp. In fact you can find something for just about any holiday as well as for other gifting like showers and birthdays or anniversaries.

If you don’t have time or the inclination to make your own there are ceramic pieces for sale in just about every store you go into. There are decorative plates and glasses, vases and jewelry boxes, dolls and figurines. There are all kinds of sets of figurines; storybook characters, wild west towns, the entire cast of Star Wars characters, complete Christmas villages, entire renaissance worlds with castles, wizards, trolls, dragons, kings, queens, knights. The best part about some of these is that you can buy one piece for each holiday building the set slowly or buy it all at once.

Other great crafts for holiday gift giving are knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch and sewing. Scarves, sweaters, potholders, Afghans, dresses, shirts and the list goes on. Change the color and the design and you can have a gift for any holiday. When you knit, crochet, sew or cross-stitch a piece for someone you can personalize it in the colors and styles that you know suits them.

You can always hook a rug or pillow. There are complete kits that come with a preprinted canvas the hook and all the yarn you will need or you can buy a piece of canvas and draw your own design, buy a hook and your yarn and you’re good to go.

[mannunope]

HOO Superhero AU

This pretty much covers the Olympians. Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Nico. They only unite for large scale threats, like Kronos, an immortal time controlling warrior from the Bronze Age, Calamity, a woman who can shake the Earth to it’s very core and the one responsible for the destruction of the Atlanteans, and the Snow Queen, a woman who controls and creates a deadly form of ice that is poisonous even to the Olympians. She seeks to freeze the whole world over with her lethal ice and leave no survival for humanity.

Alright so I couldn’t keep this in. I cannot stop thinking of a superhero AU for PJO, and I’ll be damned if I take it to my grave.

Percy

His superhero alias is the Typhoon.

He can control water, it’s temperature, and has control over it’s two other states (vapor and ice).

He swims crazy fast. Like, 240 mph crazy fast.

He is strong enough to lift 25 tons above land.

He can lift 50 tons when under or submerged in water.

If the situation deems it necessary, Percy can create tsunamis and hurricanes.

On one scary occasion, he controls blood and poison. He has only used this ability once.

Percy has divinity over all sea animals. He’s pretty tight with the Loch Ness Monster, though.

He doubles as Percy Jackson, 20 year old lifeguard and college student majoring in marine biology.

For in those really tough spots, water heals Percy of almost any wound.

So basically, Percy is a way cooler Aquaman.

He wields an indestructible glowing bronze cutlass (a lil pirate theme) with blue Atlantean runes that glow whenever he uses his powers. It’s an ancient Atlantean sword found under the ruins  of Atlantis, only to be wielded by it’s king.

Percy’s been a superhero since the age of fourteen.

His role in the Olympians is the loose cannon/the glue that keeps them together. He sometimes takes charge in areas where Jason lacks the strength to.

Annabeth

So her name is totally the Silver Owl.

Annabeth has eidetic memory.

She had a genius level intellect with an IQ of 205.

She is an excellent strategist...so don’t ever go against her in chess. She can and will demolish you.

She is a pro gymnast and acrobat, with a ninth degree black belt in karate. She has peak human everything. So yeah...she kicks ass.

Annabeth can become naked to the human eye.

Later on, she also can become intangible, allowing for gruesome torture tactics on spies and villains that won’t talk. She rarely does this.

Annabeth engineered these awesome silver wings that are almost sentient.

They are synced up to her mind, so they react like extra limbs.

Her wings’ feathers are deadly and razor sharp. With a single thought, Annabeth can fire them machine gun style at an enemy.

These feathers are magnetic, so they return back to her wings once their uses are fulfilled.

These feathers can break through steel.

By day she is a part time librarian and a 21 college student getting her masters in Architecture.

She serves as the strategist of the group and the voice of reason.

She’s been at this superhero shit since the age of nine.

Frank

I struggled with this one, but the superhero name I came up with for him is the Crimson Beast.

Frank can turn into any beast imaginable.

Unicorn? Been there, done that.

Dragon? Please, don’t make him laugh.

Lizard with the butt of a donkey? Frank would hate to admit it, but he’s tried it before.

He is crazy strong. His limit is 75 tons.

Frank can telepathically communicate with any animal in existence.

He is honestly bulletproof.

For some reason, when I think of superhero!Frank, I think of a X from Magnus Chase. So yeah, berserker!Frank.

When you piss Frank off too hard, he becomes an invulnerable, nigh unstoppable force of nature.

He is one of the two legacies on the team. A legacy is a descendent of a superhero. Frank’s father, Berserker,

He serves as the muscle of the team.

Don’t worry though, he’s still a softie on the inside. He’s an 20 year old college student who majors in Veterinary Medicine.

Frank’s been at this doing his thing since he was 15.

Hazel

She is the Misteria

Hazel summon’s jewels to her aide, as well as being able to cause earthquakes.

Her eyes glow a golden yellow when she uses her “Mist” abilities.

Her “Mist” can curse objects and people with bad luck.

She can fire her jewels straight from the ground with some thought.

It eventually gets to the point where she can summon a layered and protective barrier of gems to protect her from most any attack.

Her mist control can also erase memories

A strong 40 tonner.

Hazel doesn’t even wield her sword. She controls it telepathically.

Hazel is a high school sophomore who just wants to prove herself. She lives with her half brother Nico di Angelo and their father, Hades.

She works at her father’s jewelry store with Piper.

Jason

Now presenting to you, the paragon of justice- Skybolt!

This dude can fly.

He can control the winds and storms.

Jason can fly at speeds up to 250 mph.

He’s pretty strong-a 40 tonner.

He can create a funnel of wind to misdirect most long distance attacks.

Jason fights with the use of his electrokinesis.

He’s a long ranged type of guy, who likes blasting his enemies from afar.

He is struggling with the concept of electromagnetism, while his older sister, Thalia, was bomb af at it.

He is much more comfortable with his air powers though, and can literally take one’s breath away. Tornadoes are his shit.

Best believe he is the golden boy and the leader of the Olympians.

He is known for keeping calm in tough situations.

He is constantly trying to live up to his powerful father, Captain Jupiter’s expectations.

He’s been superheroing ever since he was 6 years old and thrust into the role as Captain Jupiter’s sidekick since Thalia pulled a Nightwing.

Eventually he grows out of the sidekick role and owns villains on his own terms.

He is an 20 year old college student studying economics.

Piper

Her name is Nightingale

Her voice is appealing to anyone who hears it.

Like it takes the sound of whatever sound is most appealing to the person.

It lulls you asleep as your body takes over to whatever she wants you to do.

Her power is hypnosis, and she uses that to her advantage a lot.

This power has grown to the point where she can even control animals and mass (100-200) hordes of people before using up energy.

She also uses a form of precognition, in which she can see glimpses of the future.

She can also sense feelings. She has to touch the person first in order to gain this.

This indirectly allows her to find the most important tie to their soul (the person’s most powerful memory).

She can also bring the recently dead back to life. She can restart a heart and lessen pain intake with her sweet, soft voice.

By day she is an 20 year old, insanely talented journalist.

She often functions as the distraction in missions.

Leo

Leo is Infierno.

He, obviously, has pyrokinesis.

His white hot flames can mend steel.

Leo is very pissed that the Human Torch in comics can fly but he can’t.

He has found a way by inventing the F.E.S.T.U.S. Network, which can do a variety of things. Hacking into supercomputers, access to stoplight signals, records of all criminals; you name it, it can do it.

F.E.S.T.U.S. can deploy a fire proof hoverboard meant to clock in at speeds of 200 mph.

He can sort of glide without it by lightning his arms on fire as thrusters.

Leo keeps the F.E.S.T.U.S. network in a high tech red watch.

Leo is impervious to heat and has a high tolerance to low temperatures.

He is wary around ice, since the evil supervillain the Snow Queen wields it with malicious intent, and is dominates his only weakness.

Leo is a 20 mechanic who helps out in his dad’s workshop ever since his older brother, Charles, died.

Leo functions as the team’s technician, though is jokingly called by Piper the “Repair Boy” and by Percy as “Grease Monkey”.

Leo hates this. He will, however, answer to Supreme Commander Leo.

Leo has been a superhero since the age of 15.

Nico di Angelo

Nico di Angelo is the Night Wraith.

Nico serves as the team’s detective.

He can summon ghosts. He often uses them to find any leads on villains.

He uses a form of teleportation known as shadow travelling to get from Point A to Point B.

He later on finds that he can summon the undead to his aid and create his own band of skilled zombie soldiers.

His favorite thing to do is summon a huge ass T-Rex skeleton to do his bidding and ride on.

Nico is so skilled with shadows to the point that he can expand his own and use it to escape harsh situations.

Nico can solidify darkness into a lethal sword for him to use.

He can use the shadows as a portal to transport his undead army to his desired location.

This tires Nico greatly, and he often passes out after doing this act.

Nico also manipulates the darkness to create hands and claws to trip on-foot criminals.

Nico is the 18 year old son of Hadrian “Hades” di Angelo, the owner of a jewelry store and a successful funeral arrangement company. He lives with his half-sister, Hazel.

Nico’s weakness is intense, ultraviolet light. This can disorient and sap Nico’s power.

Nico’s been a hero since the age of 13.

[kayawagner]

Generator Bundle [BUNDLE]

Publisher: Pink Dice Bag Publishing

This special bundle product contains the following titles.

Castle Generator Regular price: $2.24 Bundle price: $1.57 Format: Watermarked PDF We are honored to have such great heroes grace our halls. With this supplement you'll be able quickly create interesting castles for your players to visit, siege, or even take ownership of. In this PDF you will find everything that you need to create the basic physical characteristics of a European style castle as well as interesting items and treasure to fill it with. It includes:  5 tables to detailing the physical characteristics of the castle 3 tables detailing the numbers of guards, servants and guests 3 tables detailing the family that owns the castle 100 books for the library 25 things to find in a noble bed chamber 25 things to find in a servant’s quarters 25 things to find in the barracks 25 things to find in the kitchen 50 treasures If... Cave Generator Regular price: $2.24 Bundle price: $1.57 Format: Watermarked PDF There's plenty of adventure to be found deep underground. With this supplement you'll be able to create unique and interesting cave systems populated by strange animals and filled with treasure and treachery at every turn. In this PDF you will find everything that you need to create the basic physical characteristics of a cave system as well as interesting things and events to fill it with. It includes:  4 tables to create the basic outline of the cave system 4 tables detailing the number of chambers of various sizes 4 tables to create the details of the passages 20 strange and unique animals and insects 15 cave features 15 types of loot, treasures, and trinkets 15 events If you enjoy location generators like this one check out our Fantasy Inn and Cuisine... Fantasy Inn and Cuisine Generator Regular price: $3.74 Bundle price: $2.62 Format: Watermarked PDF There comes a time in every (well almost every) adventure where the party winds up at an inn and wants to know all about it as well as what there is to eat. It can be quite a challenge to come up with immersive and unique inns and taverns on the fly but that’s where generators and menus like this one come in!  In this PDF you will find everything that you need to set up an inn on the fly:  14 tables to generate your own menus 10 themed sample menus  a table to determine menu quality  a glossary of terms  3 tavern name generators,  As well as tables for: number of rooms,  how many rooms that are filled  number of staff  number of patrons  events at the tavern  extra tavern features tavern reputation   ... Farm Generator Regular price: $1.49 Bundle price: $1.04 Format: Watermarked PDF It was just an ordinary day on the farm, untill y'all showed up. With this supplement you'll be able quickly create interesting farms for your players to visit, stumble across, or even ransack. In this PDF you will find everything that you need to create the basic physical characteristics of a farm as well as interesting things and events to fill it with. It includes:  4 tables to detailing the buildings and residents of the farm 4 tables detailing any livestock and crops 100 things to find all around 24 local superstitions that may or may not have a basis in reality 20 extras and storyhooks to draw in your players If you enjoy location generators like this one check out our Fantasy Inn and Cuisine Generator, Wizards Tower Generator, Cave Generator, and our... Character Detail Generator Regular price: $1.12 Bundle price: $0.78 Format: Watermarked PDF Create interesting descriptions for both player and non-player characters in moments with this nifty generator! Inside you'll find 11 tables full of physical descriptors and 6 tables to help flesh out personality and social background.  Both players and game masters can enjoy adding details such as hair length and jaw shape to their characters. After the physical part is settled they can also give their character the start of a personality with tables for basic attitude, social/economic class, and positive or negative personality traits.... House of Horrors Generator Regular price: $1.12 Bundle price: $0.78 Format: Watermarked PDF It doesn't have to be Halloween to explore a haunted house. Sending your players through a creepy, eerie, haunted dwelling always makes for a good game night. In this PDF you will find everything that you need to set up your very own house of horrors:  5 tables to generate the physical characteristics of the house 3 tables to help you decide on the supernatural activity that will take place 50 Supernatural occurances 50 Odities and objects of ill fortune 20 decorations and household horrors If you enjoy location generators like this one check out our Fantasy Inn and Cuisine Generator and our Wizards Tower Generator.... Prophecy Generator Regular price: $1.12 Bundle price: $0.78 Format: Watermarked PDF When the time comes that one become many a forgotten hero will step forward Be they from the fabled oracle or the street performer prophecies can play an interesting and important role in a story.  In this volume you will find four tables each twenty rows long and consisting of three parts. By simply rolling a d20 you'll be able to quickly generate thousands of prophecies both ominous and prosperous. Some possible prophecies include: "When the time comes that legends are found wanting the wild ones will return." "In the husk of the kingdom the child of want will bring forth a rising star." "When the rivers drain the sea the keeper of memory will rise in pain and fury." If you are looking for even more mysticism check out our Wizards Tower Generator... Wizard's Tower Generator Regular price: $2.24 Bundle price: $1.58 Format: Watermarked PDF Wizard’s towers are a classic setting for adventurers. With their near infinite possibilities they spark the imagination of game masters and players alike. In this PDF you will find everything that you need to set up the basic elements of a wizard's tower:  6 tables to generate the psychial characteristics of the tower 20 interesting decorations 20 non-magical trinkets to find lying around  20 magical trinkets 10  items and descriptoins for an alchemists lab 10 items and descriptions for a construct workshop 50 titles of magical books 50 titles of mundane books If you enjoy location generators like this one I would also reccomend checking out my Fantasy Inn and Cuisine Generator for all your inn and tavern needs!... Jewelry Generator and 100 Jewelry Pieces Regular price: $0.56 Bundle price: $0.39 Format: Watermarked PDF Have you ever wanted to give out treasure with a little more flavor? Want to add something to that horde that isn't magical that the players might still be interested in? Need something a little extra to loot off of that body? Maybe you have players that have found their way to a jeweler and you want to give them a little more description that "a gold necklace" or "a diamond ring". If so then this is the publication for you! Inside you will find a table with 100 interesting jewelry pieces such as a jade bracelet carved into a dragon biting its tail, a necklace of alternating gold tubes and serpentine beads, and a triangular gold brooch with pyrope garnets at the corners.  There are also three accompanying tables to help you come up with extra jewelry pieces, o...

Total value:$15.87Special bundle price:$11.11Savings of:$4.76 (30%)

Price: $15.87 Generator Bundle [BUNDLE] published first on https://supergalaxyrom.tumblr.com

[connorrenwick]

This Venice Shop Is Bringing the Best of Brazilian Design to the West Coast

Brazil has a thriving design scene (there’s pages and pages of evidence here) and now for Los Angeles residents, you don’t have to book a ticket down south to see it for yourself. Sao Paulo native Ana Kozak is determined to bring the best of Brazilian design to the West Coast at her newly opened store, Le Magazyn, in Venice, California.

Le Magazyn is the exclusive representative of the prestigious Brazilian furniture Espasso on the West Coast.

Interior designers have been moving away from creating cookie-cutter replicas of catalogue pages these days, mixing vintage with mid-century, contemporary, handmade, local and high-end design. For those looking to add unique, one-of-a-kind pieces to their homes, this one stop shop carries a curated selection of original handcrafted home goods, fashion, table-top accessories, jewelry, furniture and art that are all handcrafted by global and Brazilian artisans. Today we chat with Ana about some of the best selling Brazilian designs in her shop and how the name Le Magazyn came about.

Why did you pick this city?

I chose Venice Beach because I identify with this neighborhood. It’s a vibrant, eclectic and inclusive community where you can see and engage with people from all walks of life – anyone can be part of it. Also, as many major cities experience, this area on the Westside is going through a gentrification process which I relate to being from Sao Paulo and having a multicultural background. This diversity feels like home.

Regarding the building, it’s an original construction from 1904 and it was love at first sight! I remodeled, however I was careful to preserve its original structure. It has high ceilings and an incredible natural light.

Where did you get the name for the store? 

The Portuguese word “magazine” means store in an old-fashioned way, it refers to the old shops that used to sell a little bit of everything. In French “Magazin” also means store so I played with the words and merged the two and added a playful “Y” to the mix. For me it is also an homage from the time I lived in Paris, which was an amazing personal experience.

Has it changed much since it opened? How?

Yes, the store has changed quite bit, even though we’ve been open for a little over a year. I feel that the store is settling into its own personality, which sounds funny but it’s true!  The store is more mature from when I first opened doors. When we launched, I had a different idea of what I wanted this place to be and with time and valuable feedback from clients and friends, it has changed shape and grown. The essence of our business remains the same, we aim to showcase high-end Brazilian design and offer pieces that are unique and exclusive from what you’ll find in other stores in LA.

What’s one of the challenges you have with the business? 

As a small business owner, there are so many challenges, that it can be hard to name one. I like to say that in retail, we have to kill a dragon every day! It’s a Portuguese reference, but in all seriousness the retail business has gone through such a transformation and it’s hard to navigate what the future looks like. People shop differently today than they did 20 years ago, there’s been a tremendous shift in the shopping experience and there’s a lot of competition when it comes to retail. Between technology, online shops, instant shops, corporate shops, mass production and competitive pricing it can be a lot to take on as a small business owner.

While it’s extremely challenging to watch a boutique, restaurant or small business close its doors in place for a big chain or corporate brand to fill, it’s more important we stay on top of these shifts in the marketplace. For Le Magazyn, we know that there are many people who appreciate and value a more exclusive shopping experience. The touch and feeling of a product are important to our audience as is the opportunity to be surrounded by handmade, one-of-a-kind or limited-production pieces.

In my opinion nothing replaces this personal interaction. When you can get to know the provenance of the pieces, the story behind each piece and how they are made, or even presented with the opportunity to meet the designer in-person; These are the experiences that we are constantly aiming to offer our customers.

So, while the challenges may seem huge, it’s the enjoyment we receive from our customers who appreciate the in-store experience that is the most motivating and gratifying!

What other stores have you worked in before opening this one?

Believe it or not, this is my first experience in retail. Before opening Le Magazyn I did a lot of research to understand the market, but you never know until you’re fully immersed.

What’s your favorite item in the store right now?

As the curator of the store I love to discover new pieces. Right now, I’m super excited with my latest find, from Brazilian designer Claudia Savelli. Her maxi bijoux pieces have a lot of personality and are handcrafted with sailing ropes in her studio located in the Jardin Botanico neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.

What is this season’s theme/inspiration/story?

At Le Magazyn, we are less focused on trends and more focused on cultivating a unique product selection that is timeless and made to endure the seasons. Each of our products carries its own story and we like to be the storytellers for these brands here in the US.

Are you carrying any new products and/or undiscovered gems you’re particularly excited about?

Almost everything we carry is still an undiscovered gem, and we can say that because much of what we offer are exclusively available in the US at Le Magazyn! We are proud to be a destination for the LA Market that specializes in Brazilian design. That said, here’s some highlights from the store – it’s hard to choose one piece.

Manus Studio with their Buddha Collection

Thais Costa jewelry – She’s a molecular biologist turned jewelry artist that works with the effects produced by fire and different manual movement

Heloisa Galvão’s liquid porcelain vases

What’s been a consistent best seller?

Everyone loves Paula Ferber’s sandals and handmade bags and the Flavia Del Pra tile tray are always a huge hit (we’re the exclusive carrier of Flavia’s trays and ceramic tiles in the US). We always have new patterns and styles, but these are probably our best sellers and what most people look for when the walk in the store.

Does the store have its own line?

Not yet, however we did just introduce a limited-edition of tile trays with the Brazilian designer and ceramicist Flavia Del Pra. The exclusive print for Le Magazyn is called the Balcony Print and not only are they offered in trays, she’s also doing tile so our cash wrap features her print – it’s beautiful!

Any special events/exhibits/pop ups/collaborations coming up?

Yes! We always have revolving exhibitions in the store and it’s our goal to bring in the designers and artists so that our customers and clients have the opportunity to meet the creatives behind the products. Coming up this month – September 13th – Brazilian fine art photographer, Betina Samaia will showcase her “Amazonia” series. Betina’s work mixes stunning night photos with light painting, she’s extremely talented and she tends to photograph places that normally do not lend themselves to photographs, places that are full of mystery and abundant of possibilities. Her work has been influenced by the Impressionist painters: subtle lines and contours, strong colors, images that go beyond what we see – combining reality and imagination. The exhibition will be her unique vision of Amazonia using an infra-red lens.

Do you have anything from the store in your own home?

Yes, I do have many pieces! I have the liquid porcelain vases from Heloisa Galvão, a tile tray from Flavia del Pra, pieces from Manus studio, and I have an amazing photo from Claudio Edinger’s “Venice Beach” exhibition, that we hosted last year. Ah, I almost forgot, I also have a JZ tea trolley by the great Jorge Zalzsupin.

What’s next for you and your store? 

My passion is for curating and using my knack for design to produce interesting and unexpected results. My challenge is to stay away from the obvious and to transform Le Magazyn into a must-visit destination for high-end Brazilian design as well as produce engaging content and divulge the works of these amazing artists and designers.

Looking ahead, we want to focus on collaborations and bringing new and emerging designers and artists to Le Magazyn.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned since opening your store?

My first and most valuable lesson was involving inventory management. In the beginning, I bought too many of the same pieces, but thank god at the end of the day we sold through everything. The second most important lesson that I live by every day is that you must innovate constantly.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to follow a similar path to yours, what would it be?

I don’t want to sound cliché, but follow your gut and don’t be afraid to fail. Falling and getting back up is part of life and has an important role in any learning process. We all celebrate the winners but I’m sure they all passed through a lot of difficulties to finally succeed. So, for that reason, my only advice is persistence, persistence, persistence! Do not give up easily!

Every path is different and unfortunately there isn’t a recipe for success. I wish I had it to share and for myself!

Visit Le Magazyn at 904 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291.

via http://design-milk.com/

from WordPress https://connorrenwickblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/this-venice-shop-is-bringing-the-best-of-brazilian-design-to-the-west-coast/

[galaxytnt-blog]

Dazzling Dubai !!!

Just when you thought that you had seen it all - hawks eye view from Burj Khalifa, dune bashing in the desert, splendorous Miracle Garden - the city calls you back for its brand new attraction Dubai park and resorts.

Dubai Park & Resorts

It consists of Bollywood Park , Motion Gate , Legoland, Lapita Hotel & Riverland 

Bollywood Park 

Based On Bollywood Theme its divided in 5 zones :-

Bollywood Boulevard - Cafes and Live entertainments

Mumbai Chowk  - Sets Of Mumbai Streets, Food And Daily Life 

Rustic Ravine - Sets of Lagaan, Dabbang, Sholay etc 

Royal Plaza - Rajmahal Theatre , Enjoy Broadway - Style Bollywood Music

Bollywood Studios - See the Magic Behind Krrish, RA.ONE etc 

Motion Gate 

Based On Hollywood Theme its Divided in 5 Zones :-

Columbia Pictures - Sets & Rides of Ghostbusters, Green Hornet etc. Total 7 Attractions

Smurfs Village - Fantasy World of Smurfs ! Ideal for Children under 10 years. Total 5 attractions

DreamWorks -  Explore four unique lands based on the blockbuster classics Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Madagascar, and Shrek – all entirely indoors! Total 12 Attractions

Lions Gate - Sets And rides of Step up , Hunger Games etc

Studio Central - Real Life sets of Hollywood Movies. Go behind the scenes and discover the illusion of filmmaking, theatrical opening shows and the characteristic executive offices of a working movie studio.

Legoland Dubai & Legoland Waterpark

Ideal For age group of 3-12. It has over 40 lego themed ride and Shows.

Divided in 6 Zones:-

Factory - Perfect for a family tour see how the lego bricks are made. later visit The BIG Shop, the largest LEGO store in the Middle East!

LEGO® CITY -  Welcome to the coolest city around where you can fly a plane, steer a boat, save a burning building or even earn your very own LEGOLAND® Driving License! Determination and teamwork are the building bricks in LEGO® CITY.

Imagination - Build Lego race cars , lego Mindstorm robots or hoist your way up the Kid Power Towers, from where you can view the entire Park.

Adventure - Underwater Adventure for entire family. Enjoy power ski on Wave Racers as you dodge water blasts and journey through ancient temple ruins to recover a pharaoh’s stolen treasure.

Miniland - Heart of every Legoland. This interactive area is made up of an impressive 20 million LEGO® bricks.  Guests can bring the models to life at the touch of a button.

Kingdom - Enjoy Dragon Coasters like Dragon’s Apprentice etc with your family.

Best Time To Visit Dubai 

The best time to visit Dubai is from November to March.

5 Reasonable Hotels To Stay @ which are pocket friendly 

Citymax Hotels Bur Dubai 

Al Manar Grand Hotel Apartment 

Hotel Seaview Dubai

Avari Dubai 

Best Western Premier Dubai  

5 Pocket Friendly Restaurants 

Rasoi Ghar - VEG

Calicut Paragon  - VEG / NON VEG

Punjabi By Nature - VEG / NON VEG

Kulcha King - VEG / NON VEG

Gazebo - VEG / NON VEG 

Must See In Dubai 

Dubai Park & Resorts 

Burj Khalifa 124th Floor Observatory Deck 

Emirates Mall

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo - Dubai Mall

Ferrari Park Abudhabi

Dessert Safari Dune Bashing

Miracle Garden

Best Shopping Places 

Malls

Dubai Mall - For Electronics

Wafi Mall  - For Electronics

Ibn Battuta Mall - For Electronics

Souks (Markets)

Gold Souk

Perfume Souk

Meena Bazaar - famous for jewelry, wedding jewelry, watches, etc

Gold souk, Spice souk and Perfume Souk are close to Al Ras Metro Station, so travelling by metro is a good option.

For Booking An Exciting Holiday To Dubai , Contact Us 

www.galaxytoursntravels.com

[vilibertatis-blog]

@stillsolo​ tagged me in a post full of gathered memes  so I’m answering them all here in a similar fashion. Hooray for interesting character development things!

RULES !!  Post a song that reminds you of your muse and then tag 6 people whose songs you want to see!

tagged by:

There are... a lot of songs that remind me of her, picking one is the difficulty. However, the first one that jumped to mind was-

Rise - Katy Perry

I could probably give you a very long list of songs (some for very specific verses, even!) but this one works in a few different ways, so for now, there it is.

WHAT ARE YOUR MUSE’S AESTHETICS?

[ COLORS ]  red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green.

[ ELEMENTS ]   fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine. scars (mental; physical). scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. piercing.tattoos.

[ WEAPONS ]    fists. sword. dagger. spear. arrow. hammer. shield. whips. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pistol (blaster). pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. words. bat.

[ MATERIALS ]   gold. silver. platinum. brass. copper. lead. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. chrome. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.

[ NATURE ]    grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. river. meadow. lake. forest. desert. tundra .savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds. mountains.

[ ANIMALS ]   lions. wolves. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. praying mantises. crows. mice. lizards. unicorns. pegasus. dragons. rats.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ]  sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. bread. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. condensed milk. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. rice. ambrosia. soup. stew. whiskey.

[ HOBBIES ]    music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. meditation. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. cds. records. cassettes. piano. violin. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. bells. percussion. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. mahjong. motorcycle riding. eating. climbing. running.

[ STYLE ]    lingerie. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. rings. pendant. hat. ballcap. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. robes. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. visor. eye contacts. makeup.

[ MISC ]    balloons. bubbles. cityscape. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary. fairy lights. madness. sanity. grief. happiness. optimism. realism. pessimism. legacy. loneliness. family. friends. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs.

TAGGED BY : 

you can tell a lot about a person by the music they listen to. put your mp3 player, itunes,spotify, etc. on shuffle & list the first 10 songs & then tag 10 people, no skipping !

REPOST & DON’T REBLOG !

1.  How Far I’ll Go - Moana OST 2.  Across the Stars - SW OST 3. Don’t Let Go - Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmarron OST 4. Let Your Troubles Roll By - Carbon Leaf 5. Better Than I Know Myself - Adam Lambert 6. It’s the Fear - Within Temptation 7. Luke the Son of Anakin -  Nick Jack Pappas  (I knew a parody would sneak on here somewhere...) 8. Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift 9. Leia’s Theme - SW OST 10. It Takes Two - Katy Perry

(11. Bonus points: My music player somehow brought up the audio from a Natalie Portman Lux Shampoo Ad that I had saved for editing reasons, but I have no clue how it even got in my playlist folder.)

TAGGED BY: 

CHARACTER STRENGTHS.

RULES:    bold  the  characteristics  that  apply  to  your  muse !    Tag  your  friends !

Tagged by:

adaptable |  adventurous  |  affectionate |  ambitious  |  artistic  |  athletic  |  assertive  |  beautiful  | brave |  charming  |  clever  | compassionate |  confident  | considerate |  cooperative  |  courteous  |  creative  | curious  |  decisive  |  dependable  |  determined  |  diplomatic |  easy - going  | enthusiastic |  fair  |  fashionable  | forgiving  |  friendly  |  fun - loving  |  funny |  generous  |  gentle  | hard - working |  heroic |  honest  |  hopeful  |  humble  |  imaginative  |  incorruptible |  intelligent  |  intuitive  |  inventive  |  jocular  |  leader  | lively  |  loving  |  loyal  |  merciful  |  musical  |  observant  |  open - minded |  optimistic  |  organized  | outgoing  | passionate  |  patient  |  playful  |  polite  | popular  |  practical  |  resourceful  |  self - assured | selfless  |  sensible  |  sincere  |  strong  |  studious  |  thoughtful  |  tough  | versatile |  warm - hearted  | well - intentioned |  wise  |  witty

CHARACTER FLAWS. RULES.   bold the ones that apply to your character!   tag your friends ! TAGGED BY.  

absent-minded  |  abusive  |  addict  |  aggressive  |  aimless  |  alcoholic  |  anxious  |  arrogant  | audacious (in the sense of ‘ willing to take bold risks’)  |  bad liar |  bigmouth  |  bigot  | blindly obedient  |  blunt  |  callous  |  childish  | chronic heroism |  clingy |  clumsy  |  cocky  |  competitive  |  corrupt  |  cowardly  |  cruel  | cynical  |  delinquent  |  delusional  |  dependent  |  depressed  |  deranged  |  disloyal  |  ditzy  | egotistical | envious  |  erratic  |  fickle  | finicky |  flaky  |  frail  | fraudulent  |  guilt complex | gloomy  |  gluttonous  |  gossiper  |  gruff  |  gullible  |  hedonistic  |  humorless  |  hypochondriac | hypocritical |  idealist  |  idiotic  |  ignorant  |  immature  | impatient |  incompetent  |indecisive | insecure | insensitive  |  lazy  |  lewd  |  liar  |  lustful  |  manipulative  |  masochistic | meddlesome  |  melodramatic  |  money-loving |  moody |  naive  |  nervous |  nosy  |  ornery  | overprotective  |  overly sensitive  | paranoid  | passive-aggressive | perfectionist  | pessimist |  petty  |  power-hungry  |  proud  |  pushover  | reckless  |  reclusive  | remorseless  | rigorous  | sadistic  |  sarcastic  |  senile  |selfish  | self-martyr |  shallow  |  sociopathic |  sore loser  | spineless  |  spiteful  |  spoiled  | stubborn |  tactless  |  temperamental |  timid  |  tone-deaf  | traitorous  |  unathletic  |  ungracious  |  unlucky  |  unsophisticated  |  untrustworthy  | vain | withdrawn | workaholic

I’m just going to tag anyone who wants to do any of these tbh.