#i gave him an npc beard

[wondrous-eos]

XVtober 2023 prompt #14: beard Because this is still funny. 🚫 Do not repost. ⬇️4K wallpaper here.

[dawns-beauty]

The Elves of Whiterun Hold

You may have seen my way earlier redesigns of Anoriath and Elrindir: basically I just tweaked them again to be a little to be more in line with the rest of the elves in the series

Anoriath is a devotee to the Green, so I gave him antlers and sharpened teeth. I also tried to make his outfit Green Pact-compliant, being fully made of leathers and fur.

Elrindir, unlike his brother, has adapted more to the Nord lifestyle, and sports a common Skyrim hairstyle and beard.

Jenassa now has a fantastic bug-leg decorative scar (provided by @lorkhaji!) and new earrings

Irileth now has a true warrior-'do, plus some piercings. With the Spell Knight Armor CC installed, she will recieve some a gorgeous glass set.

I gave Athis some more Nord-like warpaint, as an attempt for him to try and blend in a little with the other Companions.

Nimriel is a really minor Bosmer NPC who works on Severio Pelagia's farm. I gave her a simple overhaul.

[lolliputian]

Some ramblings on the Tieflings' appearances...

Weirdly enough, this is inspired upon by a comment on a DNDBeyond Facebook post.

There's a book in a few places in the game (most notably Zevlor's area of the Grove) that reference the ritual that Asmodeus and his warlocks did after the Spellplague, which cursed all Tieflings to appear more in his image. Prior to that, my understanding is that Tieflings more closely resembled humans. (Doric from the D&D movie is a good example.)

Many, but not all, of WotC's official artwork in the books show Tieflings with their horns beginning at the brow line, extra growth on the chin to mimic a beard, bumps around their eyes or cheek bones, etc. Many players choose to omit those features in their Tieflings' appearances in their home D&D games. Which leads me to what spurned this ramble: the post I reference showed an old Tiefling woman with obvious protrusions on her brow line and cheeks. The commenter on the post hinted that this was what "old Tieflings used to look like" before everyone decided to make them hot. (To which I say: lulz okay nerd, let people make hot Tieflings.)

Who is the ONLY Tiefling in BG3 who has obvious extra definition to the brow and cheekbones? This handsome fella...

...who is the "old one." Which, admittedly, cracked me up. I'd personally argue that the ridges make him look older than the wrinkles would suggest, but that's neither here nor there.

Now, granted, the fact that the Tieflings aren't more varied in their appearances in the game makes complete sense. Larian could only use so many different facial models when they're giving a set amount to the player, and it's not worth their time to give every NPC a unique face when they could add a lot of variation using the character selection presets.

But we CAN look at the other two unique NPC Tiefling models, Rolan and Dammon:

Dammon's got the more pronounced brow area, which at the very least the face model that Danis and Damays use also share. Both of them also have more pronounced cheekbones that could hint at their infernal ancestry. For me, it's been less obvious on Dammon than it is Rolan; in certain lights in the game, it VERY much looks like his protrude more than normal. I notice it less often with Dammon. Granted, in both their cases, maybe they just have really excellent bone structure, and I'm reading too much into their character models. (Reading too much into things? On TUMBLR? Nah, never happens.) Regardless, two male characters younger than Zevlor don't have as many obvious infernal features, which is an undoubtedly unintentional but still funny call back to "old Tieflings" versus "new Tieflings."

Also consider that Karlach does not share these facial protrusions that the male characters have/seem to have. (I don't think any of the female Tieflings do, and there's some commentary to be had with that, but I digress.)

But who DOES get some extra infernal features in addition to the horns? Wyll. Who is not a Tiefling, but go with it.

For shits and giggles, Mizora and Raphael also have smoother facial features:

Again, I completely understand why most of the NPCs were generic face models for practical reasons. But it is interesting they only gave Zevlor the "traditional" 4e/5e Tiefling look.

What are your thoughts? Or theories, even? Let me hear them!

[two-nines-left-spleen]

Thoughts and rambling on HSR 2.2 (Part 2)

MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Please feel free to share your thoughts, Ideas, things you noticed etc. I love when people ramble about things they found in the indulgences they enjoy.

Here are thoughts, pins and findings on Trailblaze Mission

Small Town Grotesque Quest

Misha's introduction as a Key Character was done a little clumsily. He did come a bit out of nowhere and him being suspicious was cleared a tiny bit too fast for me. I mean, as someone who actively tries to figure out the story beforehand, it was clear that there was way more to him, I just thought our characters would find out more -naturally. I blame Welt's perceptiveness, haha. The rest of his story however, was phenomenally executed. More on that later.

Hoyo PLEASE make Micah playable. One man with beard. You had no business designing an NPC this hot. (Siobhan too, please, please, please)

I have - and this is biased as HELL - massive Dr. Ratio brainrot. His fucking prescription he gave to Aventurine in 2.1 said Dormancy first. The Death Meme is revealed here to be Dormancy. Ratio is either a.) connected as all hell to the other characters or b.) really, really fucking clever to have this figured out earlier than everyone else who was NOT directly killed or in contact with Penacony's Kerberos. (Or c.): both). It also shows again, that, for being repeatedly advertised as a narcissist, he cooperates quite well with his surroundings. More on him later - yes, we saw this man for 2 seconds on screen, yes, I will write paragraphs about this. Stop me, I dare you.

Robin is a good-at-heart character and to me, she represents Penacony's heroine (like Bronya and Seele were Belobog's heros -alongside the Express Crew). I like that she was, like Firefly, instigating things on her own and thankfully subverted my fear of her being portrayed as a damsel in distress. I like characters that, at their core, are portrayed as kind. They are easy to write but hard to write well and I feel like HSR has done a very decent (not perfect, but decent) job at it.

I saw some people say that she wasn't in the story enough, and while we didn't get the whole Aventurine-Kakavasha experience with her, I felt like her impact was there during the whole quest, especially towards the end. (Put the metaphorical pin in that too).

Now, Gallagher. Hooooh this one's - hard. Difficult to pinpoint him and his stance and especially his stakes in this story too. I still think I don't fully get why he believes what he believes in. There's obviously so much more to him and this is the very first glimpse of History Fictionologists and the Enigmata followers. I doubt what we saw was the real him - and he did reveal some very interesting things regarding his path. I think we'll see him again, most likely in another form, most likely more complete. He is just a 'made-up character', even according to himself - his story in Penacony is over, but not in the universe. The Penacony Gallagher may have been Thirteen and younger than Mikhail but whatever bigger thing he seems to be part of seems to be- older. Also kind of hilarious that he actually told truths most of the time - in the most backhanded way possible. Frankly, he deserves a whole ass analysis post for himself (The CREDITS, THE CREEDIITS WHAT DOES IT MEAN??????).

And with this 2.2's second trailblaze quest concludes! See you in part 3!

[kitthenameless]

Weird NPC Run Update:

One of my tavs got madness because he went too long without blood (vampire class mod, headcanon is that he's not a spawn but still needs blood because he's a warlock with a vampire patron). The others had to down him to get him back under control, and then he was able to feed on a willing Abdirak, and, well... I feel like I just watched him fall in love lol.

Meanwhile, defending the grove went well, and my other poor tav is pining hard over Zevlor. They shared a single kiss and said their goodbyes for now. The next morning, half-drow tav gave him a hug and promised to help him find Zevlor in Baldur's Gate.

It's quiet without any voiced companions around, but it's fun getting into the roleplay with little moments like this!

(Also, it's too bad I didn't start doing updates like this until my 7th playthrough. They're not my most popular posts, but I enjoy making them and having a little record of my adventures.)

Mods: Weeviljester's Ethereal Heads. Pretty Boys Head Presets by cedastarions. Ghouls Customization Compendium - Custom Heads Horns and Beards. Ghouls Custom Piercings. Viking Hairstyle + Lilith's Armors by badwitch69.

[tazcreates]

CALLING HELP FROM RDO PLAYERS

I just had a very strange interaction with an NPC at my camp, he was sitting at my fireplace burnt up and covered in blood, long ass beard, and pants? He asked for food, i gave him some, and then he left euth the promise of returning???

Help????

I've never seen anything like this, ever in online. It might be worth mentioning that xbox servers just went back up and I am in a server all by myself

Please help

[actuallyevilgay]

The Apathy (Part 5)

Astarion x Male Reader/Tav

DNI if you are a minor. Dead dove don’t eat. Please read my about before replying. Content: Ascended Astarion x Male tav, this is post epilogue.

Summary: Astarion is scheming a plot to get the guards off Tav's back. Tav is dealing with weird feelings at the tavern. Reminders: Astarion is the vampire ascendant, Tav is not a heroic figure. Contains headcanons for several characters, contains headcanons for illithid brain alteration but not evolving. Tav uses daggers and magic. Astarion is an Arcane Trickster Rogue. I created several npcs. Some Neverwinter lore is mentioned but might not be lore friendly. Content Warnings: Tav suffering from depression / ptsd, self-neglect. A/N: Heyy I post to ao3 now too! it is under username actualevil. It's been a while but I found some energy to work on it c: There's a lot- hope you enjoy!

.......

‘’Please.. I’ve told you everything already- I confessed! Why are you doing this?’’

‘’Confessed? You committed worse than a crime. You put your hands on him.’’

The once so proud and corrupted guardsman was reduced to a shaking mess, tied to a chair. The bruises on his body left him marked and mostly discoloured, you’d think he was a blueberry, if it weren’t for the fact that he had been turned into a spawn. Undead. Pale.

‘’Tell me, pig. What makes you think you’re- Oh, so charming? What gave you the impression you had the authority to do whatever you wanted to whomever you wanted?’’ Astarion hovered above him, boot resting on his victim’s knee.

‘’I…’’  Almost in a shameful tone, the guardsman is compelled to speak his truth. ‘’I thought myself irresistible, for my age.. My hair and beard alone being my proudest features-’’

Before he could continue on about how infatuated he was with his own face and body, Astarion laughed to himself, as if he had been told the most ridiculous joke in history.

‘’Your hair?’’ It took a moment for him to come down from his laughter. ‘’Well, if I had to pick something.. Hmm.’’ His thoughts trailed off, kicking the kneecap of the man, causing him to fall on his back in the hair. ‘’What a waste.’’ Astarion mumbled to himself. ‘’Time should be spent pondering about more important things, but if you’re that attached to it, I suppose… Vand could shave it all off.’’ 

While he rambled, he spinned Tav’s curved blade in his hand.  ‘’Eyebrows included.’’ He eyed the guardsman, not able to see his expression from this position.

Astarion walked back so he could lift up the chair, bringing his face close to the guardsman. He drinked in the fear on the man’s face, and his smirk grew. ‘’How- How would one ever grow tired of expressions like these?’’ He let out a joyful sigh as he dropped him to the floor again.

‘’Perhaps my old, old, buried.. Dead and gone- Master, understood one thing at least.’’ As it rolled out of his mouth, a wash of disgust flew over him. ‘’But no, I am not that plain. There are other uses for you.’’ He turned around to watch Vandelion lift the man up in his chair again, holding a shaving knife. ‘’I could beat you up some more as satisfying as that is, but I’d rather see you put to death by the person you wronged.’’ He pointed the curved dagger towards the man’s neck. ‘’Luckily for you, I can just compel you to take the stage yourself, seeing as you’re a pretty good actor already.. But what if..’’

He paused, pacing around while unsheathing Orin’s other weapon from his side, a short sword. ‘’Poor, poor, old guardsman- Corrupted, greedy. Shameful. He tried to commit one of the worst crimes imaginable on an innocent, then frame the victim as an attempted murderer.. How unfortunate for him, that the victim’s friends came to his hospital bed and killed him- Oh! But it doesn’t end there..’’ He twists the blade in his hand. ‘’The man woke up from his grave, undead. He wants revenge..’’ Astarion crosses the dagger and blade together, pausing a moment.

‘’And when he tries to exact his revenge, out in the open, in public.. His guilt compels him to save his soul- to confess to all his sins in public view..’’ He lifts the blades up, pointing them to the ceiling. ‘’Theatrical, but who will give the finishing blow..? Your victim? The public? Or yourself..’’ He turns his head to Tyselius entering the room, who had been too captured by his master’s performance to speak up.

Astarion sheathes the short sword before putting the dagger away as well. ‘’Hmm.’’ He paces around, wanting to finish his monologue dramatically.

‘’Such a hard choice, I’d rather leave it up to the future audience.’’ He waves his hand, gesturing to Vandelion that he was finished speaking and could now shave the man’s head.

Tyselius makes a bow, before revealing his find. ‘’I’ve searched over the area, the inn’s keeper described Tav’s appearance as a dishevelled young beggar.. The trail went cold, but then I found boots with the same scent as the dagger tossed away in some fishmonger shed.’’ He revealed the scraps that remained of Tav’s old boots. Astarion was nearly overcome with emotion at the sight, reaching out before backtracking his hand. They were dirty and covered in mold at this point. ‘’That can’t be good..’’ He muttered.

 ‘’I’ve followed the trail further, but it grows cold every time in the same area. A fountain in the middle of one of the city’s business squares. It’s a very busy area.’’ Ty put the boots down, the smell was getting to him. ‘’..Should I toss them?’’

‘’No.. I need..’’ Astarion paused. ‘’Just put them in the corner for now, just in case.’’

Ty winched as he grabbed the boots again, slowly walking over to a corner while Astarion collected his thoughts. He looked back to the dagger. ‘’Soon, I’ll be reunited with my other, just like these two blades..’’ The spark in his eyes returned, glowing with obsession. ‘’Forgive me, my love..’’

The guardsman listened in still, even in his miserable position he dared to plot ahead, taking in account all the information provided here. He wouldn’t be able to withstand the commands of his new master, but perhaps the situation could still be set in his favour.. He just had to be smart. For now, he would sob and cry as Vandellion shaved him, sniffling pathetically.

‘’My living yet undead lungs are in need of fresh air.’’ Astarion spoke again after a long silence. ‘’To plot ahead, get all the right pieces in place.. I need to locate Tav.’’ His scheming mind snickered at the play he had begun to orchestrate.

With a deep inhale, the elf focussed his collective memory, recalling the distinct scent of Tav’s blood. If Tyselius could not find the rest of the trail with just the smell of moldy boots, then it was up to Astarion himself.

He didn’t plan on meeting Tav directly however. That reunion had to wait, he didn’t know what state Tav was in.. And so, the vampire ascendant disguised himself again, this time taking the guise of a young handsome tiefling with curly black locks as he climbed the stairs to the main floor. He could hear the corrupt guardsman whine while closing the cellar door behind him.

Operating in Neverwinter had some pros and cons, while he couldn’t bestow his protection over the city the same way he could in baldur’s gate, his spawn did not have to worry.

Keeping a low profile and sticking to the shadows was a skill Astarion was all too familiar with. His bodyguards and assassins were essentially trained with those skills in mind.

Vandelion and Tyselius could operate just fine without their sunwalking regent during the day.. Something tells him they’re positively enjoying the work he left them behind with.

For now, he strolled in his disguise, tracing back the trail Tyselius spoke of. From the fishery to the town square with the fountain.

There were several town squares with fountains in neverwinter, but he went directly to the most populated one. From there, he took a minute to observe his disguise in the reflection of the ice water. 

It wasn’t that long ago that running water once burned through his body like acid, and now a wading river was merely pleasantry on hot summer days. It being winter, it could look strange to the average pedestrian to dip your fingers in ice cold water absentmindedly.

Sniff. Astarion takes a deep breath. Ah! There it is- The trail Ty spoke of. It was faint, a couple of weeks old. But the distinct flavour of Tav’s sweat filled Astarion’s head with memories, it was overwhelming. The emotions nearly punched him out of his disguise spell. No! Hold.. Think..

Adrenaline, and.. Other hormones coated the smell. Fear.

Tav’s sweat had been coated in fear when he walked here.. Or ran? Astarion paced around a bit and sat down on the fountain’s bench, observing the snowflakes that fell from the sky.

He closed his eyes to observe the trail in his inner vision, seeing the faint silhouette of Tav change colour in the back of his mind. 

The colour changed a few more times, only to come back to a dull, blueish grey, a stillness you would only be able to observe during the hours of dusk in the evening. 

Once the blueish grey became so still that it was nearly invisible, would another silhouette appear.. That of someone the size of a gnome.. Or halfling. Dwarf? No, there was a distinct earthy but flowery smell, it had to be a halfling.

The silhouette touches Tav’s dull grey colour, and his silhouette stills even more, shrinking.

Any emotion or hormonal response that lingered in the trail of his sweat faded the second the halfling touched his hand..

Astarion tried to focus on the smell of this person, only to see it walking off with their tiny arm stretched outwards, pulling whatever invisible glimmer of Tav’s silhouette remained towards a different direction.

When his eyes opened again, he had returned to the busy festive view of Neverwinter. People flocked around, loud sounds.. Children screaming and playing. Parents yelling, and merchants trying to keep up with growing lines of impatient customers.

Amongst the chaos, of course- even a Professional as Ty would potentially lose track of the subject he had to trace.. But Astarion was from a different Caliber, a Vampire lord, nay! The vampire ascendant. His senses were superior, above any spawn and meagre vampire lord.

Now.. Back to the hunt.

…….

Everything was going well, the bedrest certainly did you good. Jilvy’s clientele, however.. Had grown a lot over the weekend. And so, rush hour became a consistent thing.

With the expanding horizons of your patron’s business, came more chattier customers. Your short-witted and quiet responses for some reason gained you some popularity.

While the storm calmed, Jilvy had run out of wares due to some shortage of ingredients, thus leaving you to man the business on your own for a couple of hours while she went out to get fresh supplies.

Rush hour came and went, with a lack of cookies and snacks to sell, most folks lost quick interest beyond the occasional tea-crazy regulars. The quiet made you realise how much tension had built in your lower back so you took the moment to stretch.

‘’He’s so handsome.’’ The muttering came from a group of ladies settled in a corner right across the bar. With their eyes digging in your back you could swear you pulled a muscle and winched. ‘’Oof.’’ That little awkward display earned you a few giggles, making you feel nervous.

You weren’t sure how to respond to all the flirting that took place, shrugging it off and trying to stay professional.. It made you wonder if Jilvy’s intentions for hiring you were less and less motherly, and more business oriented. She definitely was thriving off how useful you made yourself.. But she mothered you too, pushing you back to take more than enough breaks when your body wore you down.

‘’It’s getting late.’’ You mumbled to yourself, checking back on the dishes that had piled up. Another couple of rubs and they were dry and ready to be used again.

The bell of the tavern door rang everytime someone left and entered the building, making you perk up instinctively.

‘’Certainly not late enough for another cup of tea?’’ A handsome, human man around your physical age had approached the bar. ‘’I swear, this has got to be the cutest tavern I’ve ever seen. I’m parched for a hot drink.’’

His blue eyes made you stall, unsure whether he was flirting or just looking for conversation.

A weird, flowery feeling came over your gut. ‘’Oh, right, what’s your poison? I mean- It’s not alcoholic- Or poisonous.. Uhm..’’ You stuttered over your words, earning more giggles from the ladies in the corner.

‘’Surprise me.’’ He didn’t take too long while looking at the menu. 

‘’Uh..’’ It gave you pause.

‘’I’m-’’ You wanted to tell him this wasn’t your brightest skill. ‘’I mean, Are you-’’ You paused again. ‘’Sir, you could be allergic to mint.. I’m sorry-’’ All the while his big beautiful eyes looked at you. Why were you being weird?!

‘’Oh! How considerate..’’ Your flustered attitude seemed to have an effect on him, his sudden confidence withdrawing. He looked over the menu, blushing. ‘’Winterberry special.. Now that sounds immaculate.’’ 

It didn’t take you long to fulfil the order and pour his drink, popping in the corresponding bag of leaves and herbs in the hot water.

He paid for his drink and sat at the bar, quietly flicking a spoon with honey through his drink while your eyes drifted with the motion. 

You shook your head, unable to discern the meaning behind your emotions. Anxiety? Yes, certainly.. But beyond that empty overwhelming and loud noise that thrummed in the back of your head, was a warmth.

This man was attractive, very attractive, and it was having an effect on you. The feeling seemed to be somewhat mutual. He avoided your gaze notably.

You clutch the fabric on your chest as you turn around to sort your freshly cleaned cutlery.

Whatever this feeling is, it’s kind of nice.

The warmth unfortunately dissipated soon after, like a weight came back to shove it down your guts. And then, nothing. A quiet.

Only for the quiet to be distilled in a throb as you turned your head back to glance at the human while he took a sip. He nearly choked when your eyes met.

Your own identity had been a mystery for some time, but this was somewhat familiar. Attraction. You liked men, and you liked men liking you back. A piece of who you were had been returned to you, giving back an influx of emotions you didn’t know you were capable of.

It made you fidget with your apron, quietly counting the minutes it took for him to finish his drink and eventually leave.

The sensation dropped again, a certain gloominess overcame you when he said his friendly goodbyes and left, the door’s bell echoed through your skill.

There was a unanimous disappointed ‘’D’aww.’’ From the group of ladies who had watched and observed the entire spectacle, all the while quietly finishing their drinks.

Given the hour and decrease of customers, it was probably a good idea to start wrapping up for the day. Jilvy seemed to be taking her sweet time.. You weren’t too worried about her, she probably got caught up in a conversation and was networking on the streets.

The last of the regular customers left, loudly giving their goodbyes and complimenting you on your work ethic. Now the tavern was empty, only with the memory of the doorbell ringing in the back of your head.

There was a long silence before you could feel something shift around the place, only to sit itself in front of you.

A flash of bright orange hair dye reminded you of the first time you met the holiday regular Gale. He wasn’t around today, but this person.. This was Dharma.

‘’Oh, I didn’t hear you, I was preparing to close.. I’m unfortunately still out of snacks, but there’s enough hot water left for a single cup of tea.’’ Your words came out almost robotic, rehearsed. Fast, stumbling.

Dharma didn’t respond, she placed her elbows on the bar and rested her head on the palms of her hands.

‘’Okay..’’ You looked dazed, a little confused. Usually people wouldn’t shut up after your first sentence. The quiet stare continued, leaving you to look at the door and ponder how Jilvy could take so long.

‘’I’ve been observing you.’’ Dharma confidently spoke, her tone was formal, almost like an authority figure.. Unlike the crazy, nervous tone she had around Gale when she followed him into the tavern that first evening. ‘’You seem to be a strapping young man, and.. If I’m correct, a bachelor?’’ She leaned in a little further as she said this.

‘’Do you have a girlfriend?’’ Her eyes sparked with something strange, but it didn’t take a hold of you, she blinked in confusion.

You could feel a strange energy thrum in the back of your head again, giving you a flashback towards that hellish moment with the guardsman..

Yes.. You stabbed him.. Felt his blood pour over you, a sick sense of satisfaction alongside it. But there was also terror, the need to run away from the violence. With that well of power sparked an explosion, shooting you out of the inn and into the water.

The flashback ended, and you could see Dharma’s eyes stare right through you intensely. ‘’What?’’ Your response was a near whisper.

‘’Do you have a girlfriend?’’ Dharma repeated, staring you down almost predatory.

You wanted to say no, but her advances were putting you on edge.

Without much further thought behind it, remembering the strange breeze you’ve been feeling during the night.. The sound of rats running around in the wardrobe near your bed, and the storage cupboard in the hallway.. No rat is human-sized. And there was no door bell to alert you of Dharma’s entry into the building just now.. Perhaps that would explain how Jilvy ran out of food so fast?

‘’I- I have a boyfriend.’’ In the back of your head, your mind recalled the brief encounter you had with the beautiful man earlier. Hoping that if she did indeed sneak around here, she might have observed your awkwardness earlier.

But.. That didn’t seem to change her mind. ‘’It’s Gale, isn’t it? He’s here.. To sneak around and.. Cheat on me.’’

‘’What?’’ You worded in disbelief. No, she didn’t come here to stalk you.. Of course not. This weirdo was convinced the wizard was here for you! But why? You never even talked to him. And- Cheat? Oh gods.. This woman is nuts.

‘’My charm spell didn’t work on you, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll remove you, and he’ll return to Waterdeep. Sit tight, it won’t take long!’’ While she spoke the words in a cheerful tone, and moved her hands to cast a spell, the thrumming energy that was building up earlier burst out of you, causing you to dash forward with psionic energy and swing right out of the door.

‘’I’m going to find my boyfriend- Bye!’’ Is all you could utter, hoping it would keep her from chasing you down in public.. 

Certainly the guard would not take kindly to an attempted public murder attempt, only for you to quickly remember that you have done the same yourself not too long ago.

Shit.

Without a weapon to defend yourself, all you could rely on were these strange bursts of power, bursts that gave you horrible headaches and made you lose sight of where you were walking..

You took your chances and avoided the guards, running down a street, stumbling only to see Dharma chase after you. She was much slower, and thus you kept running.

A few turns later brought you to an empty alleyway, familiar enough for you to know where you were. Just a couple of turns and you could hide in a busy town square.. However, seeing as it was getting late, hiding in the crowd might not be ideal. There weren’t enough people walking around at this hour to get lost between.

Turning your head around and round while catching a breath, you got spooked by the slightest hint of orange in your near vicinity, only to realise it was just a carpet hanging on someone’s window. Perhaps you had shaken her off for now.

Then, as you regained your balance, your eyes with those of a tiefling. Earlier you’d hoped to run into the handsome man again, but the tiefling looked like.. An adventurer. Perhaps he’d be more understanding of your situation.

The tiefling however, had frozen in place at the sight of you, causing you to freeze as well.

This sensation wasn’t pleasant, but you had to fight through it, Dharma could enter the alley any moment.

You could call out for help, but no words would leave your mouth, so you awkwardly strutted over to him, whispering loudly. ‘’Please- For a moment- Could you pretend to be my boyfriend?’’ You grit your teeth at how awkward the request must sound, looking over your shoulder, wary of the colour orange.

The Tiefling had a strangely calm aura around him, his shocked and startled expression faded and gave you a familiar, warm smile. He was about to speak when you could smell the arcane energy of whatever spell the woman was holding.

‘’THERE YOU ARE! You fiance-stealing-piece of shit-’’ Dharma’s voice rattled on about whatever insane delusions she had come up with the past week. You took your chance and hid behind the Tiefling, who tensed up as you brushed against him.

‘’What seems to be the problem, miss?’’ The tiefling’s voice was stern, mature. He kept up an act. ‘’Why are you chasing my darling around town?’’ Darling. That word made you feel weird.

‘’Wait.. Does he have a boyfriend? Oh.’’ Dharma lowered her hands, her magic waning.

‘’So you weren’t..’’ Dharma paused, trying to process this new information. 

‘’This all seems to be a big misunderstanding.’’ Dharma smiled with a teethy expression, stumbling. ‘’I thought he was.. No. Sorry.’’ She grew quiet.

Then she pulled her head upwards, almost in a sense of clarity. ‘’You don’t look like you’re dating, though. I’ve never seen you at the tavern before.. This is.. a ruse!’’ The mage put her hands back together, ready to load up whatever insane spell she was ready to cast earlier.

‘’I assure you, you don’t want to do that.’’ The Tiefling confidently placed his hand around yours, interlocking your fingers. You squeezed his hand, trembling.

‘’Murdering a young couple out on the streets.. Wouldn’t that be a crime?’’ His voice.. It was teasing, challenging. And his eyes, malice. He wanted her to try. 

To give him a reason to kill her out in the open. But.. He kept his composure. There was intelligence behind the quiet aggression.

For a stranger you’ve only just met, he seemed pretty heroic to you. It did concern you a little though.. What if.. The second Dharma was dealt with, the tiefling would turn on you? It’d be back to running off.. No more tavern.. No more Jilvy.. No more bed.. Just ice cold neverwinter and guards you could not trust. Hide.. Please let me hide.. You thought.

Then, he gave you a reassuring squeeze, the tension disappeared. ‘’Have you nothing to say for yourself, mage?’’ The tiefling spoke up again. Dharma began to mumble incomprehensibly. Her spell dissipated again. She started pulling at her orange dyed hair, then turned around.. And just walked off.

You let out a loud wheeze of air, realising you held your breath earlier. On reflex, you pull your hand away and stumble, leaning on the wall of the alley. ‘’Fuck.’’

The tiefling turns to you, with a worried look. ‘’Are you alright, T- … Terribly sorry.. Take your time.’’ his stutter caught you off guard, almost as if he was about to speak your name.

You took a few deep breaths, ‘’Thank you,’’ holding on to the wall behind you, ‘’I’m grateful-’’ And then you turn around and just.. Unwind whatever bile had risen in your stomach and release it to the cold snow. ‘’.. There goes my lunch.’’ You mutter as you wipe your mouth.

….

It’s Tav! As the scene had unfolded in front of him, he almost did not recognize his dearest treasure. He looked out of breath, scared. The scent of his adrenaline had led Astarion straight to him.

He wasn’t as dishevelled as Astarion thought he would be.. Tidied up.. But, thinner. His hair was a little longer than he’d remembered. And his eyes had lost some of their once so rich colour.

He was excited.. And frightened, when he stumbled over towards him asking for help. That was all it took for Astarion to keep on his mask and pretend to be this strong willed and helpful Tiefling adventurer..

When the insane wizard walked off, he quietly cursed the fires in his mind that craved to kill her on the spot.. No, he couldn’t just kill at random without understanding the situation.

Everything was going well.. And then Tav threw up his lunch from the shock. He wanted to hold him, pat his back, tell him everything was going to be alright.. But right now, he wasn’t Astarion. He was some random tiefling adventurer, so he had to act the part.

He needed to know where Tav had been hiding all this time.

‘’Nasty.. I would’ve done the same if I was in your position.’’ He turned his disguised face to look at the footsteps Dharma left behind in the snow. ‘’I mean the vomiting, walking up to strangers and asking them to pretend to be their boyfriend though..? An unusual call for help. What was she after?’’ Astarion eyed Tav as he leaned on the wall, trying to balance himself.

‘’I don’t know.. She’s nuts.’’ He paused, recollecting his thoughts. ‘’She’s some student that chased after her teacher into the tavern I work at.’’ 

‘’And.. I take it she was stalking this teacher?’’ Astarion quickly read into the situation with the new context.

‘’Yes, she was practically begging him to marry him.. I think after my boss sent her away, she must’ve snuck into my room somehow and hid there for .. Weeks? Gods.. She was plotting to kill me.’’ 

From the strange rant Dharma had earlier, she likely convinced herself she was going to marry this teacher.. He probably was a regular customer.. Tav is wearing an apron. He works at the front of the bar in a tavern, then. It all comes together..

‘’She was plotting to kill me..’’ Tav repeated, sinking to the snowy stone floor. His facial expression contorted with one of fear and withdrawal.

‘’Hold on,’’ Astarion reached out with his hand. ‘’I’ll stick around as long as you need. Talk to me.’’ Tav quietly took his hand and allowed him to pull him up.

‘’Okay.’’

Tav guided him down the street, holding his hand tightly for a moment as they walked a bit, he tensed up and released Astarion’s hand. ‘’Sorry-’’

‘’It’s alright. You work at a tavern?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’You smell awfully fruity though, are you sure?’’

‘’Oh, it’s.. It’s not the kind that serves alcohol. I pour tea.’’

‘’Wouldn’t that make it a teahouse..?’’

‘’No-no. More like a tiny restaurant, but operated like a tavern I guess.. There’s a bar.’’

‘’That sounds like a teahouse.’’

‘’Well my boss says it's a tavern, so.. I think it’s a tavern..?’’

The awkward silence cut in, making Astarion withdraw from his usual cool and get lost in Tav’s eyes. He definitely changed, but he hadn’t aged. The clothes he was wearing were concealing the loss of weight, his hair was messy but it wasn’t dirty. His hands were covered in bandages from small cuts, the kind you get from peeling potatoes.

He had been here working all this time.. Forgetting about Baldur’s gate, forgetting about him.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have worried so much.. No. Tav was in danger just now!

He didn’t seem happy at all. Astarion could smell the hormones in his sweat, and combine that reading with his expression. Behind all the masking and fearful spikes of adrenaline was a stilling emptiness, something familiar.

The chill of illithid magic that he had used during their adventure resonated off of him, quietly. Subtly. Psionic magicks. 

Netherse magic, a remainder.. There’s no tadpole left in his head. There couldn’t be. He’d have transformed long ago. Whatever brain-altering the tadpoles he’d absorbed have done, it left a mark.

‘’Oh SHIT- SHIT! I left the door unlocked- Jilvy could come back any moment-’’ Tav erupted, turning around and about to wander off. ‘’Sorry- I’m sorry, and thanks so much again! I’ll figure this out-’’ He sputtered, running off and not giving Astarion a chance to ask where he worked.

But that wasn’t a problem, he got Tav’s fresh scent now. It was only a matter of time..

And he had so many things to plot ahead.

[theenpcbracket]

Seeding Round: Poll 2

(No images were submitted for these characters)

More about each NPC below the cut!

Character Descriptions are in the order of their appearance in the poll!

Character 1

Name: Skeleton Sam Party: Inconceivable Relationship to party: Traveling Merchant What makes them the best NPC: Skeleton Sam is a living skeletal being that drives a caravan and travels across the different plains selling his wears. He has no interest it typical currency such as gold and instead prefers rarer things like memories, dreams, or person artifacts. Skeleton Sam was willing to make a trade to replace a warlock party member's pact with his own and gave her the pact of the undead. His cart has seemingly endless storage on the inside. Quote: "Be careful with what you give away. You might not miss them now but losing too many memories can change you entirely."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Character 2

Name: Professor Torrin Party: Rigsby Raiders Relationship to party: Party's favorite academic/partner in crime

What makes them the best NPC: Torrin is a gnome man of unknown age and origin. He has a bushy white beard that makes it impossible to see his mouth. He has faked his death 4 times, 2 of which were to hide from the gods cause he pissed off Zeus (again). Torrin is a professor at a university and when one of the PC’s pretended to be a student he realized he was lying but made him do the homework anyways (He got a C-). The man has written nursery rhymes about what a hypocrite Zeus is and LIVED. He has two clowns at any given time. He used to do extreme sports as a young man. Torrin will often say something vague and cryptic and when the party asks for more information he will simply say: “I don’t want to talk about it,” sounding devastated, and the party will drop it. By far the coolest thing about him is that his character was made cause the DM made a funny face and did a bad ‘old man’ voice and the party kept visiting him until the DM was forced to flesh out his character into the most dangerous mortal man alive. He is also queer like most dnd npcs.

Quote: Torrin: "I remember my first amnesia" The Party: "Do you?"

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Character 3

Name: Radish Party: Department of Disregard for the Constabulary Relationship to party: Little dude we met someday

What makes them the best NPC: Radish is a little radish with arms, legs, and a face. He runs around a farm owned by a crocodile man and screams. Constantly. Quote: "I'm a security system!"

[fomalhaut48]

DnD gems, vol. 76.

DM: "If you put a red cap on the gnome's head, it will start feeling evil."

DM: "You get the feat to be able to communicate with small animals." PC: "Like bunnies?" DM: "Precisely. I don't know if this power will be useful…" PC: "What, you already gave us a feat called Pumpkin Connoisseur, anything goes now! We can ask a bunny to bring us a pumpkin!"

DM: "The first lights of morning shine on a giant spider the size of a house…" PC: "I HATE Monday mornings!!!"

Giant spider: "The cat is my commander, my prince…" PC: "I don't WANT to imagine what a spider is doing with a cat…"

DM: "The giant spider now looks like a frightened puppy."

NPC: "The other NPC won't talk to you." PC: "I point my gun at him and say 'so YOU will, I guess?'"

Cat NPC: "Don't be afraid, I'm not a dog, I don't bite!" PC: "But you scratch!"

DM (shows image of cat with eyes all over it) PC: "Okay, a cat with a slightly suspicious amount of eyes?"

DM: "This guy shows up." (Shows thin, bearded naked man wearing only a dirty diaper) PC: "Wow, handsome man!"

DM: "The cats are cute, sweet, adorable and fluffy! And they explode if you try to touch them!"

[samuel-coe]

Bare Metal - Extended

It's a Starfield slash fic with a minor NPC! I also posted this on AO3 so check it out and give kudos there too if you like. I wanted this to be like 2k words but it's hard for me to cut things down and then fics take forever, so idk how many more I got in me 😩

Anyway this is an M rated fic that's female player character/Frank Renick from Neon and follows the Bare Metal questline, spoilers for that.

The Captain hadn’t expected much to stand out from each of the shops of Neon. They all seemed to be down on their luck establishments with needy shopkeepers, all asking for one thing or another from her.

It was growing late into the night now, her first day ever in Neon. She’d dragged Andreja along with her as well, not really wanting to get lectured by Sam or Sarah if she decided to do something slightly immoral. She’d already been clubbing at the Astral Lounge for a bit, had some drinks, some food. She even tried Aurora but found she’d hyped the whole thing up a bit too much, even spending 5000 credits on a member’s room at Euphorika to try it out in “peace”. Though the Aurora felt good for a few minutes, it wore off and then gave her a bit of a headache. Or maybe the headache was from the Chimera drink she’d also tried there.

The Captain was still up for more exploring afterwards though, and the shops mostly all seemed open. Not paying much attention to what she was walking into, the tall woman strutted right into Neon Tactical with her companion.

Her first thought when walking in was, oh, the shopkeeper’s cute.

He spoke in a gravelly voice. “If you’re here to buy, take a look around the shop. Just keep your hands where I can see them.”

Her next thought was, oh, the shopkeeper’s a bit of an ass.

This man was tall, in a grey tank top that showed off his muscular arms. He had dirty blond hair and short beard and one, piercing hazel eye. The other was covered with an eye patch.

“I don’t want any trouble,” said the Captain kindly with a small smile, she could tell he was on edge. Andreja, who was behind her, wandered to the side of the store to leave them to talk.

The man went on to explain his store’s current somewhat tumultuous situation in a gruff voice. He pointed out his robot companion, Styx, that runs the “complaints department.” The Captain deduced that dealing with complaints meant a load of bullets. The 8 foot robot did look fearsome, even covered in neon spraypaint. She thought it best to not disparage the robot and instead asked of Styx’s backstory, before then insisting she was there to browse and buy.

The shopkeeper seemed to exhale a bit at her interest in the robot, and she was glad she didn’t say something offensive about it. It was becoming clear the man was attached to the rainbow robot.

“...Look at the graffiti they sprayed on his chassis. If I could find the asshole that did that I’d make them pay for a paint removal.”

The Captain nodded along, knowing immediately she’d help him. She asked the man more questions about himself, found out his name was Frank Renick, he was a veteran that fought in the war and that’s how he lost his eye. He found Styx in storage and fixed him up, he talked to the robot like it could understand him, though the robot had limited response capabilities. The whole thing touched the Captain’s heart, she was deep down a big softy and empath, and she let Frank vent his whole story. Plus, she was still a bit buzzed.

“I could track down the person that defaced Styx, if you like,” she told him, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear.

Frank raised his brows and the gruff exterior faded, “You’d do that? Huh, okay. Maybe I misjudged you.”

The Captain smiled and rested her elbows on the counter, “I can’t allow an assault like that to go unpunished.” She was half joking, but she could also see how much this bothered Frank.

Frank agreed, saying that she could go “scare the crap out of this punk.” Frank already knew it was a Disciples gang member named “Warlord” that did this to Styx, and the the Disciples had it out for Frank and Styx ever since they tried to rob the shop a few years back. Styx shot at them, injuring some and even killing one of the members. It was a dangerous even now for Frank and Styx.

The Captain had heard rumbling about the Disciples gang and the Strikers gang, she’d heard the Disciples were the worse sort but so far she’d stayed out of both of their ways. That wasn’t going to last long though it seemed.

She asked one last question before she set out, trying to understand them even more. “So do people give you a hard time about Styx?”

Franks shook his head, “I know you’ll be surprised, but thanks to my sparkling personality, I don’t really have the easiest time making friends. Styx isn’t programmed to have casual conversation. So most the time I end up looking like I’m talking to a machine and I’m out of my mind.”

That was enough to melt her heart a bit. “Aw,” the Captain replied sympathetically. “Well, I’ll take a look around and then I’ll go track down Warlord.”

With that, she walked over to where Andreja was, with her arms folded with a raised brow. Moments later Frank could be heard talking to Styx about something and the robot errored out and asked him to rephrase. The Captain then went over to the colorful Styx as well and tried to talk to him about what happened, and had similar error filled results. Sighing, she and Andreja left the shop, with Frank talking at Styx and seeming agitated again.

“Well,” said Andreja, “I suppose it’ll be nice to give that poor man some peace of mind.”

The Captain cupped her mouth with her hand, “Can I be honest? I’m so attracted to the broken puppy dog guys. That broke my heart.” Andreja raised her brows, definitely judging her. “I see. Well, he’ll certainly appreciate it if we help him out with this situation.”

The two had already been to Euphorika, out on the Ebbside of Neon. The first time they’d gone though, there weren’t any Disciples there. Now, there was.

A young man in a colorful full body suit and mask was talking to a similar looking person on the couch. The Captain walked up to them and the standing one, presumably Warlord, struck up a conversation. 

“You like art?”

 The Captain cocked her head, “Sure. I like art.”

She could hear the grin on his face behind the dark mask, “Then you should see the tag job on the robot at Neon Tactical! It’s my best work.”

The Captain frowned, this was definitely the guy. “Frank Renick wants retribution for what you did to Styx.”

Warlord snorted, “Hmpf. That cyclops should be thanking me! I dressed up his toy real nice, gave him a total makeover. He’s lucky that’s all I did after what that thing did to my crew.”

The starfarer’s chest squeezed at the cruel name he’d given Frank. She wanted some more answers, asking why he’d done it. Warlord in turn proudly admitted how he wanted to humiliate Frank and Styx as payback.

“...Now every time that cyclops opens his eye, he’s gonna see MY art on HIS buddy!”

The Captain gritted her teeth and asked one more question, asking if Styx really did kill members of the Disciples, which Warlord confirmed. 

“...Lost some good Disciples in that group. If anything, that freak should be paying me!”

Normally, the Captain kept a cool head, tried to talk her way out of unnecessary violence, but her cheeks were burning hot with anger. This punk asshole was a real menace to society.

“So you admit to the crime?” she growled, fingers itching.

Warlord seemed disinterested, but maybe under that a little nervous. “Yeah, I do. And I’ll make art out of your guts if you step out of line.”

She could persuade the thug, but in honesty she’d run out of patience. What use would be keeping this asshole alive anyway? It’d be better for everyone if he was just gone. “Give me the credits for the repairs. I’m taking them from you dead or alive.”

Warlord seemed shocked and then tensed, “Well, if that’s how you want it, we can get messy!” The Disciples reached for their guns, and the Captain pulled up her pistol fast, shooting 3 bullets into Warlord’s mask. Beside her, Andreja unloaded her rifle into the sitting Disciple, who only managed to shoot and miss two bullets before dying. Warlord’s blood sprayed on the Captain’s face and clothes before he collapsed, and she quickly knelt to pick up his ammo and getting out of Euphorika, which was now filled with panicked customers. She hoped that membership she’d gotten there earlier would still be good after this.

When they’d hurried back to Neon Tactical, Frank was there, telling an incredibly bad joke to Styx, who wasn’t understanding. Frank perked up at the sight of them coming through the door.

“Warlord isn’t going to bother you anymore,” the Captain said a matter of factly.

“Good work,” replied Frank, pleased. “I hope you made him squirm.”

The Captain inhaled. “He was actually pretty calm. I had to really try to get him to fight me.”

Frank’s smile turned to surprise. “Oh, you killed him?”

The Captain looked him in the eye and nodded. “Yes. He’s dead. He was a real menace and I didn’t want him causing any more trouble.” It was better that way and they both knew it. Frank thanked her for the credits and told her he planned on getting Styx fixed up and repainted. With a genuine smile he gave her some credits back for a job well done.

The woman hesitated before leaving, she knew the job was done, yet she wanted to spend more time with that lonely man. Other matters pressed her however, and with a wave and a nod they parted.

The next few days, the Captain and Andreja stayed on Neon. They’d solved murders, found stolen music slates, and joined Ryujin Industries to name a few things. She even seemed to transform the culture of the Ebbside by teaming up with the Strikers gang to take down the rest of the Disciples. It’d gotten bloody but was smoothed over with Security. All that and it was seeming like time to leave Neon soon.

However, every time she passed Neon Tactical, the Captain felt the need to go in. She held back though, not wanting to be overbearing to Frank, but realizing she was likely leaving Neon the next day, the starfarer went inside. She’d told Andreja to spend the evening doing her own thing.

“Hey!” How’s Styx holding up?” she asked cheerfully.

 Frank returned a wide smile, “He’s great! Had the paint cleaned up, some dings smoothed out of his chassis and even upgraded his firmware. All thanks to you.” He paused and looked sentimental. “Look, I know it’s ridiculous to be this excited about having that big old tin can around, but he’s still the only friend I got. Come to think of it, after you took the time to help me, I’d say I’ve made a new friend… and you’re welcome here anytime.”

So he was really a softy at heart, wasn’t he? The war, this city, things hadn’t been easy on Frank. The Captain had to admit, she was attracted to this man. She didn’t want to just leave it at this.

She cocked her head and spoke in a husky tone. “Friends, huh? Can I… be blunt?”

Frank’s brow furrowed, “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

The Captain leaned across the counter and tentatively ran her fingers across Frank’s forearm. “Do you possibly… want to get to know each other better? Because I would.” She had to be honest, she was extremely pent up. It’d been months since she’d gotten any action. She found her occasional companion, Sam Coe, pretty hot but the fact he was such a goody two shoes and had his twelve year old daughter with him all the time was a buzzkill.

Luckily, slowly, Frank’s brows raised. He got her drift.

“Oh! S-sure.” His cheeks were turning red.

“Okay,” the Captain continued, playing with the light hair on his forearm. “When do you close?”

Frank checked the clock, “10– er, but I mean I can close now, it’s cool.”

The Captain smiled, “That works. You have an apartment? All I have for now is a Sleep Crate, but I’m sure in a couple months I’ll be able to afford a high rise.”

Frank chuckled, “Oh really, a top floor loft? Yeah, I have a place.” He looked her up and down, perhaps just now taking her in. “I can lock up and we can go now.”

“Lead the way,” the Captain smirked, following him out.

“Keep the place safe, Styx!” Frank told his robot companion.

“Affirmative.” answered Styx, and the Captain was surprised it understood for once.

Frank’s place was right upstairs, a sparsely decorated but tidy place that was definitely bigger than her Sleep Crate. She almost felt bad she let Andeja have the night off but she still had to sleep in that cot.

“Sorry, it’s not the prettiest,” Frank apologized, sounding sheepish. “Do you want a drink?”

“Sure,” the starfarer answered. “Boxed wine is fine, or anything you have.”

Frank rustled around his cabinets, “Yeah, I have one of those.” He held a beer in the other hand, “I don’t drink much nowadays but now seems a good time.”

The Captain took the wine and cheers-ed him. “I agree.” She took a long sip and as did he. Taking a step closer to him she cocked her head. “So, I take it you don’t take ladies back to your place often.”

Frank took another long swig. “No. No, it’s been awhile. That’s for sure.”

The Captain ran a light finger through his beard. “You’re so handsome, though. That’s the first thing I noticed.”

Frank blushed. “Really? That’s sweet. You’re… very attractive as well.”

Taking that as a good cue, the Captain, slowly leaned in and Frank met her lips for a kiss. It felt good, two humans connecting like this. Soon they were kissing deeper, hands in each other’s hair, hands pulling at each other’s clothes. The Captain was down to her underwear, a trendy leather-like green garment set she’d picked up in Neon. Frank’s shirt was off, he had a nice physique though a little stomach pudge, and multiple scars scattered across his torso from the war.

The Captain ran her hands up his sides and Frank followed suit, grabbing her hips and then giving her ass a squeeze. She squeaked and grinned, glad that this was likely to be fun.

They backed into a wall of Frank’s apartment, the Captain pushing him against it while moving her hands down to open his fly. From what she could feel, he was already hard. With a little pull of the zipper he sprung free, and the starfarer leaned back to see what he was packing. Lucky for her, his dick seemed a good size and rather pretty looking too in her opinion. Wrapping a hand around his length she slowly began to stroke while staring him in the eye.

“Wait–” whispered Frank, and then he grunted. The Captain looked down and gasped as Frank came, his dick spurting a thick load of cum onto her bare, muscular thigh. “Fuck!” he grunted, gripping her shoulder hard and the other hand moving to his cock.

“It’s okay,” she reassured him. “Oh, you’re eager, huh?”

“Shit,” he swore, breathing hard. “Goddammit, sorry. It’s been a while.” 

“It’s fine, I swear!” The Captain insisted, taking a step back. “It’s been a while for me too. Let me just wipe this off and we could play around a little differently until you’re ready again.”

Poor Frank’s face was beet red. He slipped away from the wall, apologizing and getting her a paper towel to wipe her skin.

“I’m not upset,” she insisted, wiping off the jizz. “I still want to have sex,” she added bluntly. “Come on, let’s move to your bed.”

Frank's bed was neatly made with dark blue sheets. The Captain led him over to it and kissed the man again, her hands around his face half pulling him down with her on the bed. A calloused hand made its way to her breast, the action seemed ready to be restarted.

The Captain reached for the clasp of her fashionable bra and pulled it off, revealing her somewhat small chest. Frank’s hand went back to her breast and lightly squeezed the nipple, which she answered with a soft hum. The Captain wrapped her legs around Frank's back as they kissed, drawing him closer.

“Touch me,” she encouraged. She didn’t expect much from him but some pleasure on her side would be nice. As if he read her thoughts, the veteran shifted and moved a hand down between her muscular thighs, applying pressure to her crotch over her panties.

“Like this?” Frank asked in her ear in his low, gravelly voice.

She bit her lip and pushed against him. “Mmhmm.”

His hand slipped under her panties to her lower lips, finding their way around until his middle finger found a way inside. “How about like this?”

“Yeah,” the Captain gasped, loving the way his rough hand felt on her sensitive area, gripping his shoulder as his hand worked her in and out. As his beard scratched her cheeks though, she found herself wishing he’d put that head between her legs.

“You want more, don’t you, Captain?” Frank teased. “You’re a wild one.”

“Yes,” she breathed, her skin prickling where his cheek touched her.

His hand turned to more of a rubbing movement, “Would you mind if I used my mouth on you down there? It’s been a while but I liked doing that for beautiful ladies.”

The Captain chuckled, “Aren’t you polite? Who would have thought. Yes please, Mr. Renick.”

He lifted off of her on his hands and knees and moved down to her lower half, planting some kisses on her abs along the way. Carefully he pulled her panties down and off of her, and the Captain lifted her legs up and wide so Frank would have a good view.

She hoped she wouldn’t get his eyepatch dirty, and her chest was tight as the shopkeeper lower his face to her skin, his mouth kissing her folds slowly. His mouth moved methodically, as if looking for cues that what he was doing was working. The Captain responded in turn, guiding him in what felt good.

“Use your tongue like that yes, yes…”

Her eyes had been squeezed shut but she lifted her head to look at the man beneath her, his shaggy dark blonde head bobbing slightly as his mouth lapped at her clit.

Fuck, she thought, the pleasure growing. The Captain tried to relax and enjoy the sensations, the feeling of this connection with this man. His mouth suctioned around her and his tongue explored her up and down, his warm tongue feeling so good she was getting closer and closer.

“Like that, like that, I’m gonna…” she propped herself up on an elbow and moved her other hand to Frank’s hair, firmly keeping him there. Her heels dug into his back clamping him in, the orgasm was coming in quick and hard.

“Fuck! Ahh…” a wave of pleasure hit her and coursed through her body, the suction and the feeling of his tongue on her prolonged the feeling for seconds more. The woman squeezed her eyes shut and cried out. Even as the orgasm had come and gone, pleasure still coursed through her.

Finally she let the man go, and Frank lifted off of her, his beard damp from her juices. The Captain giggled and wiped a bit of it off with her wrist. Looking down between them, Frank’s manhood seemed to be ready for more.

“You look like you’re ready to go,” she pointed out with a glance of her eyes. 

Frank looked sheepish, “I mean, if it’s alright with you…”

She adjusted herself on her back, getting herself ready. “Of course. And I’m on FertiNix. I like it raw, so…”

FertiNix was the current most popular birth control, a yearly shot that even prevented against STI’s. She hadn’t gotten much use out of it lately, but she was glad her luck was turning around.

“Ah, okay.” 

Frank still seemed nervous, so she brought him back into kiss. Taking a hand down, she wrapped around his hard again length and guided him into her hole, then both gasping as he pushed himself inside. After that, Frank seemed to remember his bodily instincts, thrusting up into her first slowly and then getting into a stronger, more confident pace. His size squeezed her wider, it felt big especially after not doing this for a while. She let out a gasp and moan with nearly every thrust as he set the faster pace, her pussy was slick and still throbbing from cumming earlier.

“Fuck, yeah like that,” the starfarer figured he was a guy that would need a bit of encouragement. It wasn’t all for show, she was enjoying herself too. Frank got up on his hands and thrust into her missionary style, some sweat beading off his lightly haired skin. She stared at a little heart shaped burn mark on his chest, all his scars were so appealing to her, she just wanted to kiss them.

After a minute more of thrusting, she had the urge to move more. She was a strong woman who could handle her own, and she knew she could ride this guy into oblivion.

“Let me on top,” she purred.

“You want to go on top?” the poor guy seemed half out of breath, the front of his hair sticking to his forehead.

“Yes, sir.”

Frank smirked and grabbed her by the hips, rolling them over while keeping her firmly around his cock. The Captain giggled and then adjusted, sitting on top of him. “I like this seat,” she teased.

“I like this view,” Frank answered, giving her small tits a squeeze. She smiled back, putting her hands on his strong, yet soft stomach and using her thighs to move back and forth on his crotch, keeping him inside. Back and forth and round and round, his cock squeezed tight inside her and his big hands clutched her thighs, this is what she’d been missing. She wondered who she’d get to do this with next after this.

She began to bounce, the springs in the bed aid her as she plopped up and down on his length, the bounce of it causing her body to shake and their skin to make slapping sounds fill the room. This was extra fun she thought, and she liked the view, beneath her the handsome, one eyed man completely taken by her. This was better than the credits.

Frank’s chest was turning red, it didn’t seem he’d hold on for much longer but that was fine. “Cum for me big boy,” she purred, touching her clit at the same time. “Fill me with your cum this time.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, Frank’s muscles contracted and he grunted, his cock pulsing inside of her and ejaculating his second thick load inside of her. She gasped at the feeling, having a mini-orgasm herself as she put pressure on her clit. Sweat dripped down their bodies and melted into one.

They breathed heavily for some moments before the Captain found the strength to come on off of him. Frank’s sheets seemed a bit of a mess but the Captain didn’t mind getting dirty. She settled into a cuddle with the veteran, putting off cleaning until later as their sweaty bodies began to cool.

“I liked that,” she told him. “Thanks for the fun.” Frank chuckled, “No, thank you.”

“It was no problem. And I needed this.” She snuggled her head under his, into his neck and sighed, putting a hand to his chest and tracing over one of his scars. “I’m leaving Neon for a bit tomorrow. But I’ll be back. It’d be nice to see you again then.”

Frank put a hand around her and gave her strong tricep a squeeze. “Yeah! Yeah, when your travels take you back to this shithole, be sure to come see me. And Styx.”

She smirked. “And Styx.” She sighed. “Soon enough I’m gonna be known throughout this galaxy. I’ll be able to buy a penthouse apartment and my ship will be almost too big for the landing platform.”

Frank chuckled, “You know what? I believe it. Just remember you have a secretly soft, PTSD-suffering one eyed veteran who’s always willing to fuck, back here in Neon.”

“Oh, I will.”

[sorcerous-caress]

Yeah I agree, they should really fix existing characters' bugs and lack of content before adding anything else. Considering my current playthrough had Minthara show up to Moonrise butt-ass naked and immediately ran up to project smut into Tavs head was something else.

Or is the fact that Wyll, one of the few male characters I like, has enough content to fill a thimble. I always felt like they never gave him enough time to breathe.

On the side of a short race companion, I'm definitely putting Sazza on the board. The number of opportunities we get to save her made me think at least we could have her as a camp companion but no. Can one piece of media let us have one goblin friend?

For a call back character, I can't say much regarding Baldur's gate 1&2 since I've only played the Dark Alliance games.(Vhaidra Uoswiir, my beloved).

Maybe Borador Goldhand? I remember him to be quite charming, but take that with a grain of salt. It's been over a decade since I touched those games.

The Minthara thing happens if you loot her armour after knocking her out. It is so funny, omfg.

And for Wyll, yeah, he got the short end of the stick because his character was remade last minute. In early access he was a totally different person with a different premise about Mizora, she was kinda of his lover at the time I think? It's hard to remember the old Wyll now with the new Wyll.

Hmm if theoretically you could add a short race character to the companions, not a npc one but a new one you made up, how would they be?

For me, I'd kill for a dwarf with a magnificent beard who's a monk. Or maybe a rogue halfling who is all happy and sunshines to contrast the edginess of her class? Like she's completely deadly but also makes a pun after killing someone.

The classes we are missing are: Sorcerer, Bard and Monk. Enough for a Halfling, gnome, and dwarf.

[superanonymousthethird]

I don't really like Elden Ring's lack of NPCs you can kill, but I am thankful that they've disabled the combat in the Roundtable and gave Hewg a beard because jesus fuck if my attack button wasn't locked I'd just kill him as soon as I saw him.

[dawns-beauty]

Elderly Elves part 2: Neloth

For Neloth, I didn't want to stray too far from his original design: I feel like the hair and beard choice was pretty iconic (though I did end up making his mustache thicker.)

I reshaped his ears and gave him earrings to better reflect his design in Morrowind. I lightened his hair color and darkened and saturated his skin somewhat. Additionally, I tweaked the facesliders that came with Expressive Facegen Morphs to give him a more unique facial structure than Vanilla.

Morrowind Neloth

Elderly Neloth (uses your own regular Dunmer male textures)

Truly Elderly Neloth (uses my customized Dunmer-Elder textures)

Updated planned coverage list:

Nurelion (DONE)

Neloth (DONE)

Devenin, Bosmer in Solitude

Runil, Altmer priest of Arkay in Falkreath

Calcelmo, Altmer court wizard in Markarth (nephew coverage for consistency will be an optional module)

Nelacar, Altmer in Winterhold

Savos Aren, Dumer Archmage at Winterhold (with special ritual scar texture)

Children of the Pariah (orc NPC overhaul) addon: all the Wise Women, the Old Orc, and Urag

[pyotan]

Ok so some info that doesn’t really matter but just background

NPCS basically? 

G’irfan Nunh

is the one who killed Amal’s dad and became the nunh. He is the one who gave him the face scars and tbh he’s always been the leader of the bullies towards Amal.

He is the same age as him and really a lot of it was childish jealousy to how Amal was so favored despite being half-bred. He picked on Amal a LOT and would get into constant scuffles. He is the one who kind of forced Amal’s first girlfriend to date him and yeah he’s just a dick.

he’s going to be very scrapped up. Scars and like a torn ear kind of shit. But despite this, he has a long but tended to beard. He will see Amal and be very uncomfortable but welcome him in. The village is far more welcoming now but because of Amal’s inner beast, Irfan will follow him around the entire time. Ijs is free to travel alone though.

G’hana 

She will prob be mentioned at some point but this is Amal’s first girlfriend. She would be a short meet up if it happened but she is nice and has a kid at her side. Nose tattoos but no eye ones. She is also like Harumi height.

Zara

This is Amal’s mother. The G is entirely dropped and she might be mentioned at some point. They do know where she lives now so again, if that’s a plot point you’d be interested in let me know. but for now, there’s her name o/! Village

 They don’t get many outsiders so Ijs will be STARED at and approached in a curious matter. 

It’s clear that some people share the same face tattoos as amal except that theirs are all done professionally. I think it’s prob like “yeah ok i can see you did the tattoos yourself” but that won’t REALLY hit until people from his tribe are seen if that makes sense…..

Blessed water has since been fenced off and protected from outsiders, so it won’t be easy for Gamal and Ijs to get to it. But tbh they are very welcomed so if they were to ask, they’d be allowed to use it.

While they are welcomed, Irfan will want at least Gamal to not stay inside the village past nightfall; he has no place there. Ijs is okay to stay though. 

Uhmmm younger generation is obv much kinder to Amal but those similar age to him or older are really.. Kind of forced and uncomfortable but they try.

there are a lot of birds in the area as well as young goobbues just freely wandering..... it’s breezy and if Ijs were to enter any buildings, he would have to lower himself because the roofs can be very short in some places. 

I hope that makes sense, i’ll let you know anything else of relevance and if u have questions let me kno!;;

[kitthenameless]

Weird NPC run Act 2 update!

Got to the shadowlands through the mountain pass where my half-drow tav was immediately enamored with Kar'niss and wanted to help him. He of course sided with him in the fight, and poor tiefling tav just stood there not fighting because he didn't want to kill the Harpers but also didn't want to hurt his adventuring partner who can be strange and chaotic but has been kind.

They let Kar'niss climb to the top of Moonrise, but half-drow was determined, so they went up there and convinced him to join the group (aka I added him with the npc mod) without Ketheric noticing. Gave him a cape in lieu of a blanket.

Went looking for the mausoleum the next day, since that was their lead. The tieflings all think Zevlor betrayed them, and my tiefling tav heard about it from Arabella's dead parents. That made him panicked about all the tieflings, including Zevlor, because he didn't believe Zevlor would actually betray them. They started exploring, to try and find the other tieflings, and stumbled upon all the dead bodies. Ikaron had called him "brother," so that death was especially hard :-(

Then they found LLI and discovered some of the tieflings still alive! Only to learn more had been taken by cultists. But then they saved the ones in Moonrise! Except Zevlor wasn't there. A real rollercoaster of emotions.

Meanwhile, half-drow (and Abdirak) spent the entirety of Act 2 gaining Kar'niss's trust. He also convinced their dream guardian to extend protection to him.

Cleaning out Moonrise before freeing Nightsong was a mess. They did a horrible job of being stealthy. Also had another incident where half-drow went mad from not drinking blood and started using the good throwables, so they had to focus on downing him and his, like, 100 hp instead of the actual baddies attacking them.

Anyway, tiefling tav was overjoyed when they found Zevlor, decided he was having none of his, "I can't be trusted!" speech, and insisted he join up with them.

And they lifted the shadow curse and killed Myrkul and all that. And now my weird little party is finally complete, all five of them together, to head into Act 3!

Mods: Pretty Boys Head Presets by cedastarions. Viking Hairstyle by badwitch69. Yennefer's wardrobe by Bububull. Haunted Instruments by Ariefel. Weeviljester's Ethereal Heads. Ghouls Customization Compendium - Custom Heads Horns and Beards. Alternate Tiefling Tails by samplevi. Slutty Closet by seira123.

[fernrisulfr]

Lawrence Von Rhodes

This one went through a lot of iterations. Originally he was going to be a Blood Hunter who was formerly a part of a Lycan worshiping blood cult. The thing is that, while thematically very interesting, I’ve never actually liked being a blood hunter. I decided from their to tone it down as a Shifter Monk, however the party already HAD a shifter, and lycanthrope was very much her thing so I didn’t want to interfere with or insert myself into that. I still wanted the cult though, for him to view himself as a “monster” so I took a look at official races that appeared human enough, but with “monstrous” origins. That was how I settled on Kalashtar.  His first name Lawrence was something of an in-joke due to a prominent NPC in a previous campaign. The short version is every Lawrence we met always had something to do with a cult from then on. 

Lawrence Van/Von Rhodes "Rhodey" - Kalashtar - Monk (Way of the Drunkard) -

Concept Notes:

Raised in a Lycan-worshipping blood cult. 

Blood Hunter + Monk combination may be redundant and unnecessary. Alright for a one-shot but subpar long term.

Full Shifter Monk may be a better idea, albeit less visually dramatic.

Maybe Simic Hybrid instead?

Maybe instead a shifter who found peace in the way of a particular fighting style?

Drunkard with family problems who met a master that taught them a different path?

Dead wife?

Lotta rage about being a shifter? Father still Lawrence and a former Cultist.

Instead of Shifter, could be Simic-Hybrid or a Variant Human (With a trait that makes them seem more "unnatural"). Fallen Aasimar or Dhampir possibly if in a different campaign than Magic is Lost. Maybe Kalashtar?

Maybe don't make their first name Lawrence?

Backstory Concept 1 (Scrapped): Wife was a Fox Shifter, Mute due to damaged vocal cords, taught him martial arts and to be at peace with himself. Rhodey got drunk one night celebrating and accidentally outed them as shifters, which resulted in her murder. Been trying to drink himself to death ever since. Claims to be out to end the life of her killer, but really means himself. Pretends to be jovial. Used to think of himself as a Monster due to being a shifter, but changed because of her, but now thinks of himself as a monster for less visible reasons.

Backstory concept flow: Born into a cult. Deity/Being of worship left deliberately unnamed, and given an ambiguous title so DM can make them whatever. Children weren't allowed to know the name of their deity until a ceremony held on their 18th year. Was a true believer until that time. Children were split into groups. Got over-excited and snuck a peek when they were forbidden, discovering the 2nd group was sacrificing the 1st in a ritual. (He was in the first group.). Ran away from the cult, becoming disillusioned and a drunkard. If a race where abilities would have already manifested, considers himself a monster.

Encountered a mute woman by the name of Mikoto, who taught him martial arts and gave him hope. They eventually married. Got drunk one night, and his memory after that is a sanguine haze. Remembers things like the glint of metal, scent of iron, ambiguous things. Woke up covered in blood and Mikoto dead. Arrange details so it's not clear whether he or someone else killed her. Fell back into his alcoholic tendencies.

Cult Part. Remove Wife. Kalashtar Race, drunk because disillusionment with Cult + Monster memories. Martial Arts come from remembering how "it" moved, different than a human.

Possibly allow DM to pick whatever creature you're connected to, not just Quori.

Backstory Concept 2: TBD, but less over the top and dark. 

Appearance: 5′9, average weight. Brown hair, blues eyes. Very handsome. Long flowing hair into a well groomed beard. Thick eyebrows. Lean but muscular build. Very basic clothes. Stained white shirt and pants.