#i looked at these two and looked at my genasi | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

longlivedelusion · 2 months

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hiiii I really love your ashrym fic 🥺 they're so perfectly written that it like actually hurtssss. I was wondering if you'd been open to maybe writing a dorym fic? not sure if you do that pairing but id love like an angsty fic turned comforting at the end? just cause with all the new stuff that's gone on, and how dorians not really opening up as much as he used to with orym (and now braius!)

so yeah like whatever you want with that, just want someone to write my sweet bois cause i miss them 😭

Thank you so much!! 🥹 My friend, I am a Dorym truther. I love Ashrym, don't get me wrong, but I was more Ashrym early campaign. Now, especially having watched EXU, I get it. I get it. (Will always love me a little Ashrym tho)

I love this request though! Happy to oblige ~ It's just a quick little something, but hope you enjoy nonetheless <3

SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL LIKE EP 101 OF CAMPAIGN 3 <3 you've been warned.

The Distance Between Us (Dorian x Orym)

Angsty, hurt/comfort vibes. Nice ending.

Warnings: mention of grief, death, insecurities. Spoilers up until cr3 ep 101

Orym nearly crash landed into a tree, the force of the sudden teleportation spell from Essek causing the Hells to shoot across this new space. He grunted, slowly pushing himself up as his fists sunk into snow below him.

The air around them was cold, colder than it had been in Aeor where they were moments before. He felt the soreness in this muscles as he pushed himself up, a reminder of the battles they'd just had. A Greater Demon, Ludinus, the fall of Aeor… gods. And a new apparent member of their group, as a 6-foot minotaur now stood and shook off the snow like it was nothing. Orym stood, turning to see his friends all paired off already, trying to figure out where they were, what the hell just happened.

After quickly assessing the area and seeing no dangers, he looked to Fearne. He watched as she blinked her eyes up at the Teven, Champion of Hells, held out his hand for her. Unsure of his presence but also clearly enjoying his attentions, she grabbed his hand and stood up, wiping the snow off her dress.

Ashton was not too far off, their eyes darting between the two while they huffed up. Crossing their arms, they sizing up the new members. Essek looked exhausted, and slightly overwhelmed by the new information. Imogen was right beside him as Laudna creeped behind. Unsure.

And then Braius. With Dorian.

He watched as the minotaur reached down to help the air genasi up, with such a force that their chests collided on impact. There were awkward laughs, some flirtatious eyes and a large hand still settled on the lower back to steady Dorian. Fingers teetering on the edge of chiffon.

Hands that easily fit, bodies that easily fit. A better fit, perhaps for Dorian.

He shook his head, trying to let go of the insecurities. They barely knew each other and truthfully it didn't matter. It'd never work out anyways.

Orym's body grew colder than before, the chills settling into his very bones. But he knew the temperature hadn't changed.

He made his way to the group, aiming for Fearne as he sidled up beside her with his arms crossed. One thing at a time.

“So… what the hell is this contract?”

After a series of arguments and discussions about the fact that Fearne was now contracted to the Lord of the Hells, and that we also had another follower of said Lord of Hells now in our midst. That the weight of everything we'd just seen shedding new light on the gods changed things. We eventually settled on the fact that this would need to be discussed further with the Tempest, with everyone else.

So they now all settled around the Essek's magical hut, each separated to process everything. Too much had happened and too much had been seen.

Orym’s own body was worn, not just from the physicality of what had just happened, but the emotional toll it had taken on him and his friends. He could see the guilt lined on Chetney’s face, the heaviness of his shoulders bearing down at whatever he had seen in his vision. A lot of the group had been shown things that played on their insecurity, according to Teven, but none of them took it as hard as Chetney seemed to. Or Dorian.

He looked to his old friend, the deep creases in his brow a new sight. At least, as of late. He was curled over his knees, sat on the ground. Alone. Deep in thought.

Before it would have been easy to go up to him, talk him through whatever he was going through. Hell, Dorian might've come to him even first. But this was before Dorian left. Before he came back and looked like a shell of who he was, empty smiles and hollow eyes that became the new normal. He hadn't relied on Orym since his return, not really. Not truly opening up, despite their attempts to talk and reconnect. It felt awkward and strange and Orym didn’t know what to do.

He could leave him be, let him work out his things. Or, he could push his own insecurity aside and…

“Hey.”

Dorian’s eyes looked up at the soft sound, sending him a tired, tense smile. “Hey.”

“Mind if I sit?” Orym gestured to the space beside him.

Dorian nodded, his arms reaching up as he stretched his back and legs out. “Of course.”

Orym sat down, far enough away but still close enough so that they could talk without being overheard by the group. He looked up, Dorian's tired features looming over. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” Dorian said, his voice taking on an air of innocence.

“Whatever. What happened in there, before, anything.”

Dorian just gave off a charming smile, not even making eye contact as his hand quickly grasped Orym’s shoulder and dropping back into his lap. “It’s nothing important really, don’t worry about me. How about you, you ok?”

Orym sighed. “I’m fine. I’m more worried about you.”

“I’m ok Orym. Really.” He kept the charming smile, but noticed Dorian's hands tighten and flex.

Orym made a point to look at his hands. “Yeah?”

Dorian's hands quickly moved up and behind his head, trying to play it off. “Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for checking in though.”

The two sat in silence for a time, small whispers and wind the only sounds filling the space. Orym’s mind drifted, filling with memories of the past of his time with Fearne and Dorian. Curled together on their travels, the ease of which they told each other things, looking out for each other. Then everything happened with Opal, and the gods, and his brother… It made the distance between them seem like an ocean. He didn’t know how to bridge the gap, had struggled to since he'd returned. If he was the one meant to even anymore. No matter how much he wanted to be.

“I know it’s been… a lot. There’s so much going on and we’ve barely had a chance to breathe. I know I’m the one who asked you to come here, and this is my fault that you got caught in this but... I wanna be there for you Dorian. I wanna help you if I can. Please, let me help you.” Orym’s voice came out breathy, desperate. Similar to the voice he had the last time he sent a message on the sending stone.

Dorian spinned to face him, his face now open in shock. "Orym, no, I-" He sighed, his shoulders slumping forward. “I don’t know how I feel. Angry? Confused? Helpless?" He paused, words caught in his throat. "They had a chance to destroy them, to end the war, to leave and they-“

The halfling reached over, a comforting hand tentatively touching his knee. Dorian’s shoulders began to shake as he leaned his head forward further to cover his face. Orym's grip tightened as he listened.

“It’s the god’s faults. They did this. They had a chance to leave, to stop their siblings, but they just stayed. And now because of that Opal is controlled by the Spider Queen, Fy’ra probably too, and Cyrus- Cyrus is dead. He’s dead. Because of them.”

Orym didn’t know what to say. He knew grief, the earth shattering loss, knew his own confusion with the gods, but... He also knew how he had been helped by some of them as well. He couldn’t condemn them all for their mistakes, for the good they've done. And would Ludinus still have done and been who he was had there not been gods?

“This is all really confusing. It’s a lot.” Orym said, voice more resolute. “I don’t know what the right answer is after all of this, since it’s something that’s not so black and white. At least, I think. No matter how much as we want it to be. But we will figure it out Dorian, we’ll find a way to make this right. Or as right as we can.”

He looked up to Orym then, his eyes slightly bloodshot from tears but fierce. He could see the hint of anger, devastation, uncertainty. Stains marking down his skin, carrying down his neck. Orym wanted to reach out, so badly to wipe away his pain.

“I don’t know what’s right anymore.” Dorian said, his voice raspy yet the lull was still music to his ears. To hear him speak at all, to hear him be open with him again.

Orym reached up then, insecurities be damned as he wiped away his friend’s tears making the genasi stiffened slightly. “We’ll figure it out.”

Just as Orym was about to pull his hand away he felt a large blue hand encompass his own. Dorian’s eyes met his and he felt his body both warm and freeze in place at that moment. He watched those harsh blue eyes now soften, as Dorian whispered out. “I’ve missed you Orym, truly.”

Orym’s heart was beating so fast, a steady drum against his chest as he swallowed his nerves down. He couldn’t find the words in that moment. All he felt was Dorian’s hand curl around his own. He felt as it was pulled away and down to the ground beside them. Dorian's fingers slowly unfurling before Orym held them back, keeping him in place.

It felt like a dance, seeing who would let go first.

The Halfling struggled a moment, his voice getting caught in his throat as he gazed upon this man. This man he...

“I’m glad you’re here. So glad." Orym choked out. "Even if this all goes to shit, I’m just- I’ve missed you too. So much.”

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kabie-whump · 5 months

Text

CYOA Whump Part 17

First | Previous

You chose: Nothing. I'll try to form a stronger bond with him before I ask for help.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

You and Onthyes sit together below deck as the sounds of fighting dwindle down. You're dizzy and cold from blood loss, but he seems confident that you're going to survive.

Sunlight blinds you as the door opens and John beckons the two of you outside. His nose is bleeding, but he looks fine otherwise.

"Hildris?" Onthyes asks as he helps you to your feet.

"She's a tough one, laddie," John says, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder. "A wee stab wound is nothin she can't handle."

"Thank the gods. I wanted to help but..."

"Your charge here is more important, accordin to the captain. Shame that Rye's gonna beat your kill record now. It'll go right to the bastard's head."

Onthyes winces. "I don't mind. It suits him better than me."

Nearby, Hildris is sitting atop a crate while a young elven woman presses her hands to the wound in her side, chanting a soft melody. Her hands glow gold, and Hildres lets out a contented sigh.

"Who is that?" you whisper.

"Tiria," Onthyes replies, leading you over to her. "She's a healer. We picked her up a few months ago. Found her stranded on an island."

You stop short, glaring at him as you pull on the chain, forcing him to stop and look at you.

"What?"

"There has been a healer on board this whole time and I have never met her? What about when I got the shit beat out of me? My ribs have been killing me and they could have just been magically healed?"

A breeze swirls around you, making Onthyes's clothes flap around where he'd torn them to make a bandage for your arm.

"She doesn't want us asking her for healing unless it's an emergency. She doesn't like to tire herself on scrapes and bruises when someone could break a bone or be impaled any second."

"Are my broken ribs not an emergency?"

Onthyes sighs. "They're probably only bruised, Ventis. Rye wasn't even wearing his kicking boots."

You glance over at where Rye is showing off his newest trophy - a severed finger. On his feet, his blood-soaked boots are capped with thick metal spikes.

"I see."

You allow Onthyes to lead you to Tiria. She eyes you with a bored expression as she cleans blood off her hands. "Let's see it."

Onthyes unwraps the makeshift bandages from your upper arm. "He got hit with an arrow," he explains. "Barbed head. I cut it out as soon as we were safe."

You do your best to sit still as Tiria examines the wound. She pokes it with her long fingers and it takes all of your self control to not flinch away from the pain.

"Not bad, Onthyes," she remarks. "Clean cuts. You'd make a good surgeon."

"Um... thanks."

Her fingers dig a little deeper into the wound and you see a look of morbid fascination cross her face. "Your blood is... bubbly," she murmurs. "Interesting."

"Air genasi thing. Can you just heal me?" you grind out through your teeth.

"Hmph. Alright."

She starts singing and the pain fades away, replaced with a tingling warmth that spreads through your whole body. You sigh, your muscles relaxing for the first time in forever.

As she works, you watch the rest of the crew bring in the spoils. Crates and crates of supplies and merchandise. The civilians and remaining guards that weren't killed in the fight are left tied up on their own ship. You can feel the excitement of the pirates around you; can hear the whispers about how this is by far the best haul they've ever had.

And it's all thanks to you.

They're never letting you go now.

The next few weeks go similarly. A few days of downtime followed by Erxik calling you in for a task that requires you to use your magic. The crew of the Fortune enjoy a new era of wealth and power thanks to their use of your abilities.

You stay chained to Onthyes, but it gets easier to manage and it turns out that the two of you coexist pretty well considering how different you are. It helps that he's extremely comfortable to sleep next to. You warm up to his friends as well, and the next time Rye tries to fuck with you he only gets a few punches in before Golkulildyth the Mighty glares at him as she stands to her full eight feet of height and he backs down.

So things are going well, all things considered.

One night, you and Onthyes are preparing to go down for bed when you hear Rye's voice. His voice is low like he's trying to whisper, but the wind just so happens to carry it right to your ear.

You pause, pulling on the chain to halt Onthyes and signaling for him to be quiet.

"Captain's got all this wealth now thanks to the little freak," he says. "But the rest of us ain't seen none of it."

"I hear ya." This one's a woman's voice, deep and raspy. Tinny. "But ya can't go pressin him about it, alright? Captain ain't keen on sharin. You know that."

"Something's gonna change, Tin. If he don't start feeling generous soon we're gonna have to take matters into our own hands."

"Yer not talkin mutiny. I won't hear that."

"Ya didn't. I never said the word. I never said nothin."

You hear footsteps, and you and Onthyes hurry below deck.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

CYOA whump taglist: (let me know if you want to be added or removed): @scp-1296 @sapphicccici @acer-gaysimpstuff @morning-star-whump @rainydaywhump @whumperofworlds @hauntedroseart @3-2-whump @fleur-a-whump @whumpsday @whumpisfun @whumper-whimsy @ghost-whump @fabled-whump @violets-whumperflies @whumped-by-glitter @thewhumpening-thesequel @lumpofsand @whumpycries @unicornbeck @gala1981 @a-formless-entity @ryahisbored @mentallyunwellautism @idontreallyexistyet @aethernorwood

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gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot · 27 days

Text

Once upon a time in a tavern

@sofasoap @eenochian and @nrdmssgs are bleeding this out of me, so blame them (thank you)

Fantasy AU masterlist / First

In any other town, a tiefling, an elf and a goat sitting at an inn together maybe would have raised some eyebrows.

But in Tharbad, the population was so diverse that one could cross paths with a halfling, a genasi, or a lizardfolk, and not bat an eye.

Once, that very inn had been the foundation of a tiny village on the coast, at a crossroad of the three main roads in the continent that grew until it became a bustling commerce stronghold and one of the most important ports.

The local temples thrived with the crowds of travelers that spent the night while on route to some other place and donated great sums for their safe travels. Local commerce and artisan workshops thrived as well, because there was always someone needing something repaired or made from scratch.

Ruled by a council of nobles and rich merchants, the city was staunchly independent, denying loyalty to any of the Kingdoms around. Said Kingdoms didn’t want any of their rivals to own such a rich city, and thus, Tharbad lived comfortably in a precarious balance.

Loved by everyone, desired by all.

‘‘What do you have to do in this place to get served?’’ Calliara grumbled, leaning back in her chair, with Sebastian on her lap. She was still eyeing up and down the furry creature suspiciously as the kid slept peacefully. That very morning when they woke up in the hay cart, the kid that had been brown the previous day, now had big white splotches on its fur.

And to top it off, when she asked Ol’kha about it, the tiefling had shrugged and said she didn’t see any difference.

‘‘Just being patient’’ Ol’kha smiled, filling her smoking pipe parsimoniusly. ‘‘It’s slow at this hour, and surely the kitchen is busy’’

As if summoned, a bubbly redhead half-elf appeared from the kitchen with a full tray, gliding with grace among the tables, placing meals or drinks and avoiding the grabby hands of some of the patrons. A tall, burly man that seemed to have some orc blood in him stood guard next to the bar counter, eyeing everything, and promptly marched over there to knock some sense into some heads.

‘‘I’m so sorry, serah. Your order will be out shortly, messeres’’ The tavern maid apologized to the tables that were still waiting, and stopped right in front of the tiefling and the elf. ‘‘My ladies, I apologize for the delay, the cook had some problems in the kitchen and needed my help’’

‘‘It’s fine, no need to apologize for being busy’’ Ol’kha waved a hand to disperse the smoke from her pipe. ‘‘When you have time, I’ll have mead, thank you’’

‘‘Same’’ Calliara muttered, looking around while rubbing a finger absently between Sebastian’s little horns. The furry creature’s fluffy tail wiggled happily. ‘‘And something to eat’’

‘‘We have a delicious fowl stew that is almost done, cheese and bread today’’ The bubbly maid smiled widely, ignoring two men that were seated at a nearby table with empty plates and that were whistling at her. ‘‘I’ll bring your drinks shortly, and then your food. Will your little friend want anything?’’

Calliara looked at Ol’kha, raising an eyebrow, and the tiefling shrugged.

‘‘Just water’’

‘‘Right away! If you need to call me, my name is Florrie!’’ The maid practically pranced back to the kitchen.

Calliara leaned back in her chair again, studying the room methodically. Exits, where the stairs were, the windows, what tables were occupied and what tables were free. There was an empty table, big enough for several people, right next to the small stage where a willowy human with chesnut hair was quietly tuning her lute.

‘‘Cozy’’

Ol’kha snorted when she heard the pleased grunt coming from her new friend, and took another puff of her pipe, chuckling.

‘‘Not used to taverns?’’

Two tankards, full to the brim with delicious looking mead were placed on the table along with a bowl with water, and the busy maid disappeared once again.

‘‘Not used to not being gawked at’’ Calliara shrugged, with a sheepish smile, seemingly relaxed with the small kid curled on her lap. She grabbed one of the tankards and brought it to her lips, to taste the golden liquid.

‘‘Gawked at why? It’s not like there aren’t more elves around’’ The tiefling tilted her head in the direction of a noble elven woman, elegant and ethereal, sitting at a table close to the stage and that was now conversing with the minstrel. Next to her, a really tall elven man was trying very hard to look busy with a book, but the red ears betrayed him each time he tried not to look at the pretty human. ‘‘See? There are two there, the lady that owns the alchemy shop and…’’

Her trained eyes noticed something before her rational mind did, and she looked back at Calliara, only to find an understanding smile.

‘‘You noticed’’

Ol’kha frowned, looking at the elven folk again, and back to the one sitting next to her.

‘‘Your ears aren’t as long’’

‘‘But they look the part don’t they’’ Calliara sighed, still smiling. ‘‘Well, I promised I’d tell you at a decent inn. Guess this is as decent as we’ll get’’

The tiefling leaned forward until she rested her elbows on the table, and her chin on her hands, with the pipe in her mouth. The elf, or not so elf, rolled her eyes.

‘‘Well, you know, when a father and a mother love each other very much…’’

‘‘Calliara!’’ Ol’kha nudged her companion’s side repeteadly with the tip of her tail, and Calliara tried to push it away without moving the sleeping goat on her lap.

‘‘Ugh, alright, alright…’’ Sighing again, she left the tankard on the table. ‘‘I’m… mostly elf’’

‘‘What do you mean, mostly’’

‘‘I was raised by humans, up in the North, among the tribes, but my mother was… is a half elf. My grandmother was an elven healer that decided to settle with the tribes, and married my grandfather… Oh, you woke up, little rascal’’

Calliara lifted Sebastian from her lap and set him on the table so he could drink from the water bowl, trying to avoid the wiggling tail on her face. Ol’kha moved dutifully both of their tankards so the kid wouldn’t kick them off the table in his excitement.

‘‘Ok but that would make you a quarter elf… unless your father wasn’t from the tribes?’’

‘‘My father was another traveling elven healer that decided to stay for a couple of seasons. Seems some of them are really fond of saving the savages’’ The elf snorted, dragging her chair on the floor so she could escape the wiggling tail. ‘‘At the end of the first summer since he arrived, poof, there I was. So that makes me, hum… mostly elf. Three parts elf and one part human’’

‘‘And were you born an elf or a little cub?’’ Ol’kha chuckled, making her friend roll her eyes with a smile while they tasted their mead.

‘‘I didn’t change into a wolf until I was almost five, after I got so angry I couldn’t see straight. But don’t ask me why, I don’t remember’’ Calliara shrugged. ‘‘By then my parents had decided to leave the tribes as errand healers, following armies to battle or going to lands ravaged by disease and famine’’

‘‘And they left you with your grandparents?’’ The tiefling raised her eyebrows when her friend nodded, and huffed a muffled laugh. ‘‘A mostly elf living among humans… and your elven grandmother, I hope’’

‘‘She passed shortly after my mother left. I guess from a broken heart’’ Calliara left the empty tankard on the table, and passed Sebastian’s water bowl to Ol’kha when Florrie appeared with their meal. Two fragrant, steaming bowls with a delicious looking fowl stew, that smelled heavenly, especially after being on the road for so long.

‘‘I guess it wasn’t easy’’ The tiefling mentioned, tasting the stew and keeping Sebastian on her lap so he wouldn’t get his hooves inside the bowl.

‘‘I was born there, but I was an outsider. And the second my grandfather died, I was very kindly made aware that I was unwelcome to keep living among them’’

‘‘Bastards’’

‘‘I don’t blame them. I’m not human. I’m not elf. I didn’t owe the tribes any allegiance once my bloodkin had passed away. I can change at will into a wild animal, that I keep under control most of the time. I’m a wild card’’ Calliara shrugged, taking a moment to chew what she had in her mouth. Still gliding among the tables, serving drinks or collecting empty dishes, Florrie appeared from behind the counter to refill their tankards with more mead, before disappearing again with a bubbly laugh.

‘‘Ok, so the wolf thing…’’ Ol’kha made a vague gesture with her hand, pointing at her. ‘‘You said you started being able to change at five’’

‘‘Correct’’

‘‘So… is it a spell? … A curse?’’

‘‘No idea. It’s useful to travel big distances, and my senses are very sharp even when I’m not in wolf form. But if I change too fast, too many times, or for a long time, it gets harder and harder to change back’’ Calliara shrugged, focused on her food, which was almost finished by then while Ol’kha still had half of it. ‘‘My grandfather said my father could do it too, but I don’t remember it’’

‘‘So… what are you?’’ The tiefling smiled, scratching Sebastian’s belly to keep him happy, while the furry creature drooled on her shoulder, asleep again.

Calliara let out a genuine laugh, shaking her head.

‘‘Complicated’’

‘‘You don’t say’’ Ol’kha laughed as well. ‘‘I guess you told me yours, I’ll have to tell you mine’’

‘‘That’s be nice…’’ Calliara stopped talking seconds before the main door opened, looking in that direction. If it wasn’t impossible, Ol’kha would have sworn that her friend’s pointy ears had perked up. ‘‘Ol’kha, that is a…’’

‘‘That is a what?’’ The tiefling turned her head to look at the door too, and smiled. ‘‘Oh, yes. That’s a dragon’’

Calliara stared with wide eyes at the imposing frame of what seemed like a big, muscled man, with short unruly brown hair and muttonchops, enter the tavern as if it was his home. Once he trespassed the treshold, big, green, dragonlike wings stretched wide for a moment before folding again at his back, while a long, muscular tail with green scales moved sinously. He waved a big hand, more like a paw with his sharp, dark claws, at the barmaid and the man guarding the bar counter, before heading for the big empty table next to the stage,

Next to him, a young looking half elf, with beautiful dark skin and dark eyes that glimmered with intelligence and wisdom in spite of his young appearance. Those eyes lit up when looking in their direction, and he raised a hand, gesture that Ol’kha reciprocated with a smile. He was chatting with a human just as tall as him but slightly bulkier, with a long braided mohawk and mischievous blue eyes, and infectious smile. His features looked similar to those of the minstrel.

‘‘Ol’kha, that’s a dragon’’ Calliara’s voice was low, almost reverent. The wolf inside her was shaking, howling at her to flee.

‘‘Oh, yes, isn’t he majestic? That’s… Price, or that’s the name he uses. Nobody knows his real name, of course.’’ The tiefling smiled, admiring the dragon’s wings, whose scales glittered lightly with the light of the candles. ‘‘And the half elf with him is my friend Gaz’’

Calliara nodded slowly. It was well known that one’s birthname was the key to the ownership or your soul and will, especially in the case of sentient mytical beasts with the ability to speak like dragons or sphynxes, in the case of demons or in the case of magical users like wizards and sorcerers.

‘‘I don’t know who’s the human but I think that’s Freya’s brother…’’ Ol’kha continued explaining, and laughed when Calliara looked back at her quizzically. ‘‘The minstrel. Her name is Freya, she’s quite notorious here in Tharbad and along the coast.’’

The mostly-elf-but-not was about to say something else when the main door opened again, to reveal another man, who was so tall that he had to duck to cross the treshold. He seemed to be just a tad taller than Price was, but just as broad or more, or maybe it was just the impression his dark clothes gave. His face was covered with a skull mask, and his heavy steps echoed in the suddenly silent room while he headed for the same table as Price and the other two.

‘‘And that’s… I don’t know who that is’’

‘‘People call him Ghost’’ Florrie appeared from nowhere again, holding a tray full of empty tankars and bowls, still with her wide smile. ‘‘Nobody knows who he is or where he comes from. It is said that Price made a deal with a demon to keep him as his bodyguard’’

‘‘Why would a dragon need a bodyguard?’’ Calliara looked up at the maid, who shrugged without losing her smile.

‘‘I’ve heard tons of stories. That he is a construct. That he is a demon, shackled to Price’s will. That he is a deserter from another Kingdom’’ Sighing, Florrie shrugged once again. ‘‘All I know is that Price appeared with him on his back four years ago, and nursed him back from the death. Since then, he is his shadow’’

Calliara and Ol’kha looked at each other while the maid left for the kitchen, and then looked back again at the group while they shook hands with each other, sitting down. The dragon in human form roared with laughter at something that the human with the mohawk said, while Ol’kha’s friend seemed trying not to laugh as well.

Ghost sat down with his back to the wall, able to look at everything and control where everyone was, and calmly took his skull mask off to place it on the table. Dark brown eyes swept all over the room, until they stopped at the table where a pretty tiefling with dark hair and elegant horns was sitting next to an elf with hair so fair that it looked almost white under the light of the candles.

‘‘Oh’’ Calliara muttered, and Ol’kha looked at her.

‘‘What?’’

The elf seemingly didn’t hear her, while she stared right back at Price’s shadow. Ghost’s scarred face seemeed to soften for a second, or maybe it was just an illusion thanks to the candles, and he looked away. Calliara averted her gaze too, and grabbed her tankard to pretend she wasn’t flustered.

‘‘Are you… blushing?’’

‘‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’’

Ol’kha laughed incredulously, and was about to tease her friend further when the main door opened for the third time.

This time, two men crossed the treshold, talking among themselves while they walked towards the big table by the stage too.

A tall, muscular man with a skintone that suggested there was drow blood in him. In what amounth, it wasn’t clear.

And a big, enormous, burly half orc with a wide smile that showed his lower tusks, golden chains dangling from his neck and over his open shirt, and that greeted Price with a thunderous laugh and a slap on the back that would have thrown to the floor a weaker man.

The men at the table shuffled their chairs to make space for the newcomers, except Ghost, who didn’t move an inch from where he was, listening to something that Gaz was telling him.

The half orc looked around the room as he sat down beside Price, without losing the dashing smile, and that smile widened when his dark eyes fell on the tiefling.

Ol’kha sank in her chair, and Calliara looked at her, surprised.

‘‘Crap’’

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saphirered · 10 months

Note

I saw your autumn/winter prompts

It’d be cool for you to do some fluff with Ashton for either cold nights or thunder and lightning

Love your stuff!!!

More prompt requests incoming! 😘

Miserable. This weather feels absolutely miserable. Ashton is uses to the rain and thunder but now it’s fucking cold. Freezing, frigid cold and fuck does it hurt. They can feel it in their bones, their entire body just hurts, more so than usual. The jungle is fine, perfect even. It’s like home. But they’re far from home. The heart in the jungle, lies far beyond sight and perhaps even mind. This fey bullshit is something else entirely and Ashton doesn’t quite like it. The weather seems to hate them especially. If there’s some asshole watching over them making this all happen, he’ll personally see to it that there’s a nice and comfy spot in the earth about six feet under. Fuck.

All of those emotions disappear though. A burst of light illuminates the skies and with it your face. You look up at the sky and admire the tendrils flash before the disappear as quickly as they came. You’re a beautiful sight- It is a beautiful sight. Fuck. You’re beautiful. They’re in deep. Once upon a time Ashton thought this was fun while it lasted. A little teasing and flirting never hurt anybody but the line had blurred a long time ago. Ashton caught feelings and it’s very few times they’re unsure about anything. Your lips move but your voice is drowned out by the sound of crashing thunder.

“Hah?!” Ashton leans in closer to hear as the ground shakes once more.

“I said we should find some shelter!” You all but shout pointing at the sky and take their hand. So much for venturing off on your own and having a little voyage ‘back in an hour’. You hope the others have the mind to find shelter too. You send them a message just in case as you pull the genasi along through the trees and rocks until you stumble upon a cave. You’re not taking any risks and the lightning is getting closer. From here you’d be safe with cover, and still able to witness nature in all it’s grandeur.

Letting himself be dragged along Ashton isn’t opposed to the shelter you’ve found because with his track record he wouldn’t put it behind any mischievous fey to set the gold in those cracks to attract the lightning. On the other side they too are a little curious to see what would happen… Maybe another time. Ashton curls and uncurls their fingers, rotates their wrists when you let go and take a look out at the oncoming clouds hiding the moonlight, or dusk-light should be more appropriate. You stay at the mouth of the cave to watch another rumble hit the earth in a cacophony and the lightning, quick as it passes makes this cave all the darker. Ashton can’t see shit and in an attempt to find a wall loses their footing. A crack, that’s luckily hidden by thunder saves most of the hit to his pride. But then fire glow appears in the palm of your hand.

“Why are you on the ground?” You hide a chuckle as you watch Ashton give up on, life, existence, everything laying on their back, legs bent at the knees and groan.

“I just wanted to be one with my element.” They speak as casually as they can but your brow furrows and you take a tentative step closer, and another and another. You kneel down and help Ashton sit up. Groans are not just a casual annoyance at this place, but something of discomfort. You caught on. Shit.

“I can give you two a moment if you’d prefer but I don’t think that’ll do you much good.”

“There’s room for one more. Plenty of the earth to go around.” Ashton jokes.

“I was hoping there’d be plenty of you but I can settle for the rocks beneath my feet.” You jest and Ashton scoffs though the attitude is quick to slip when your arm hand touches their back. Even through their jacket, the warmth offers such a relief. “You doing okay?” Again your brow furrows.

“Yeah. Yeah sure.” And so the comfort disappears. You pull back and just sit on your knees, hands gathered in your lap. Disapproval crosses your features.

“Sure.” You deadpan and grab onto Ashton’s wrist, uncurling the fingers gently and clasping his hand between yours. You bring it to your lips and blow warm air. It doesn’t take much to see the instant relief cross their features.

“Okay maybe I’m not entirely okay.” The look you give them is much akin to ‘ya think?’ and it hurts to admit to the way it makes Ashton feel inside. Then your features soften. You look out towards, the oncoming storm, to the lightning reaching out, and the wind rustling through the trees picking up.

“Sit with me.” You simply say. It’s not quite a question as much as it is an order and Ashton does feel like they have a choice. It’s just a very tempting one despite their disdain for authority and following orders. You shift from your knees until you’re comfortable, looking out over the horizon. Everything seems so much easier when he looks at you. Everything is. You make it so because any doubt falls away. Ashton knows they’re on the right path because you’re there and as long as you walk it with them they’ll keep walking with you.

Ashton shifts and sits next to you. He bumps your shoulder with his. You chuckle and bump back, though much likes the rock around, they don’t budge. The cold pain creeps up again and almost as if you know exactly what to do, you wrap an arm around their back, slipping your fingers under the jacket and lean your head on their shoulder. Just your sheer presence, and a little magic manages to numb the pain and that’s more than Ashton can say the majority of people they’ve had in their life have ever been able to do.

“You’re so fucking confusing.” Ashton speaks before they think.

“Wow, so much affection.” You scoff but pull closer.

“You are.” Ashton doubles down. “You’re a fucking disaster waiting to happen.”

“But I’m your disaster.” You poke a finger at his chest.

“Are you?” Again, speaking before thinking but that seems to be the right track. You take a deep sigh and Ashton’s heart stops, their breath stops. Time stops. There’s not but anticipation, both joy and dread loom overhead and they’re just stupid fucking feelings because end of the day you’re just you and you’re fucking amazing. That’s what you are. You’re fucking amazing.

“I don’t know. Am I?” The both of you look at another lightning bolt striking close by. Ashton gives it a moment, letting the trembles of the earth fade and the light too, not but the dim orb behind the two of you offering the littlest of light.

“Maybe you are. If you think you can handle it.” He looks down nudging your head from his shoulder.

“First off, rude-“

“You’re the one using my shoulder as pillow, find a rock or something.”

“Maybe I will.”

“Will you now?”

“Yeah. A nice and comfy one.” You’re unreadable. That’s dangerous. Next Ashton knows you’re on your knees at their side, back facing the exit of the cave, your warmth has disappeared from their back but settles on their shoulders. It takes everything to not lean into the touch. Not that they have to because you lean closer.

“This one seems plenty comfortable.” You close the gap, press your lips to Ashton’s. While you’ve shared your flirty kisses before they were just that. This kiss is different. This kiss is a lifetime unfolding however long it might last. This moment is as bright and beautiful as the flashes beyond the cover. You’re like a warm fire in the cold dead night and are simply a relief. You’re a certainty in their life when they have known so little. This might not be eternity but this is certain. You’re certain because you’re just fucking you and that’s all you’d ever need to be. Cover from a thunderstorm isn’t so bad out here.

#critical role x reader #bells hells x reader #ashton greymoore x reader #ashton x reader #bells hells #critical role #critical role fanfiction #ashton greymoore

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leidensygdom · 2 years

Text

Siegmund, my titanium quartz-based Earth Genasi/Tiefling Wizard/Artificer! And their two emotional support orbs

This was the second part of exploring how would the kid of a bismuth-based earth genasi and tiefling look! I wanted to focus on the titanium quartz growths, which form the horns and such. Then I couldn't avoid adding a lil tail because it was just too cute to pass on. I have a reference of them in the works, but this sort of base is great to show the markings + put them in all sorts of outfits in the future!

As always, reblogs help a lot and are really appreciated!

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coolcattime · 4 months

Note

heyy i saw u reblogged the "please ask me abt my ocs" post, so. here is me asking about your ocs! gimme the deets

WARNING THIS IS 8,600 WORDS LONG

So in originally trying to answer this, I ended up just overwhelming myself because I have a lot of OCs and as it turns out trying to write everything about them all at once caused me anxiety and that was incredibly silly for an ask that was meant to, like, bring joy (which it did). So I've decided to just start again and focus on more simple descriptions. Some of these OCs are mine, some of Atlas’ (@theiratlas) and two are Alex's (@gayb0wsr). And I've colour coded them to easily show whose is whose and I've grouped them in a way they're grouped the only story that features all of them at once.

Below the cut is 31 backstories for 31 OCs! They are vaguely sorted - though sorted in a way that they are grouped the same way they are in the only story where all of them appear. So while the groups have titles, the titles don’t matter all that much and were mostly for me to keep track of the groups.

Also here is art of them all! All the art has reference links under the cut and was all either drawn by myself, friends, done in picrews, or commissioned. Basically, these are all images made just for these characters ^-^

To just explain a tiny bit about the world of Libris, The Great Book. It is, as the name does imply, a flat world in the shape of a book. It was originally created as a custom D&D world that now is just kinda a hub world for all the OCs.

Balor Crew

Idric Ba'lor (He/Him) - Tiefling Glamour Bard - Early to mid twenties

Art reference: https://coolcattime.tumblr.com/post/746469835526078464/ive-finally-had-the-brain-space-to-draw-so-ive

The merchant captain of the Balor, having hand-picked her crew since he took the position.

He was taken in by the previous captain after escaping a compound of religious zealots that were enslaving tieflings. He named himself after the ship.

Was taught his musical skills (violin and singing) by the tieflings looking after him in the camp, but his bardic talents are entirely self-taught.

Incredibly powerful Bard, probably the most powerful Bard on Libris. Beat the headmistress of a Bard College in a violin contest when he was a child (said headmistress now hates him with a burning passion). Has created spells.

Mostly a merchant/con-artist (depending on who you ask) but also is very much an adventurer for hire. But above all else, Idric considers himself a storyteller and prefers to tell the stories of others rather than his own.

Medli Mistwalker Ba’lor (She/Her) - Water Genasi Whispers Bard - Late teens to early twenties

Art reference: https://coolcattime.tumblr.com/post/722939088269901824/a-little-redrawvery-slight-redesign-of-my-oc

Was raised on the island of Mistwalker within the walls of Mistwalker College as the prodigy of the schools Headmistress Lady Clarissa Mistbreaker.

Was abused and bullied throughout her life which led to her being a pacifist.

Met Idric when they were kids and he tried to con her. Medli ended up hiding under the stall table when teachers came looking for her and Idric lied to them about not seeing her. This situation ended up with Idric beating Clarissa in a violin contest and him gifting Medli the item he had been trying to con her into buying. The two have been friends since and Medli frankly idolised Idric.

Medli ends up running away from Mistwalker when a “test” turns out to be a fight to the death between herself and another student. She's found half-dead by Idric and Anastasia who are thankfully able to heal her.

Now works as Idric’s apprentice and is a lot happier. Ends up changing her last name to Ba'lor due to disliking having a connection to a place that caused her pain.

Knows a lot about magical theory and is doing research to try and bring back lost magic.

Anastasia Gulp (She/Her) - Merfolk Twilight Cleric - Early twenties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1414503

The navigator of the Balor.

A lot more comfortable in the water than she is on land. Very skilled deep sea diver and navigator, mostly on instinct.

Very typically doesn't realise she is included in a group unless it is directly specified.

Will often say that her parents are great adventurers and that’s why they abandoned her. This is not true and she is not very convincing about said fact.

Despite appearances has had a very normal life. Doesn’t know where her cleric powers came from.

Myla Soliel (She/Her) - Simic Paladin - Late twenties to early thirties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1706331

Hired security aboard the Balor.

Originally a human, but when she was a kid she left to work for Dr Braedan Thaxx - a scientist who had burnt every other bridge the scientific community had to offer attempting apparently impossible research - who fused her with features from other humanoid origins, animals, and monsters to create a superhuman bodyguard.

She worked with Thaxx for her entire adult life until, without warning, his research concluded and he never contacted her again, completely abandoning her.

She ended up working as a mercenary for hire, which led to her getting hired by Clarissa to kidnap Medli. She successfully did this, but was talked out of actually completing the job by Medli. When Idric arrived to find her breaking the legs of the college merchant that had come to collect Medli and hired her as security for the ship.

Altair Delphine (They/Them) - Aasimar Divination Wizard - Late Teens to Early Twenties

Art references:

https://frolis-maneuver.tumblr.com/commissions

https://ko-fi.com/aurelia_r?action=gallery

A divination wizard that uses tarot cards as a magical focus. They are also quite gifted in regular non-magical divination using the cards.

Altair was once enrolled in the most prestigious magical school on Libris: The Penattrey Embark Academy. Despite being intelligent and an incredibly natural divinator, formal education led to them being perpetually stressed. They ended up leaving to avoid seeing their exam results and think about their future for another second.

They briefly attended Mistwalker College as a “non-taught specialty student”, where they met Medli. However they left not long after Medli did due to their stress in formal education not having disappeared overnight, or over many nights (or ever), and due to Mistwalker sucking in general.

They end up staying in a tavern in a small town run by a friendly elderly dwarven couple. They attempted to earn money by doing tarot readings, but didn't actually advertise they were doing this and any curious patrons found Altair’s bedside manner lacking even if their information proved correct. Needless to say, they didn't actually earn much money.

They assumed they were being sneaky and koy in not paying their tab - the couple was actually just letting them stay for free, going along with Altair’s antics.

They ended up reuniting with Medli kinda randomly and getting a job as an assistant on the Balor to help on market days (and get roped into helping out on adventures).

They also ended up as the apprentice of the head of a mysterious magic guild known as Atlanta. They did not apply for nor ask for this job, but it pays well and very very little is expected from them so they have accepted the situation.

Storm's Rest

Katherine Delaney (She/Her) - Half-Elf (Eladrin) Wild Magic Sorcerer - Mid to Late Twenties

Art reference: My current WIP

The adopted daughter of the human noble family of Storm's Rest.

At a young age she was exposed to an extremely high level magic that left her blind and with an overwhelming magical force within her body. Her father found a source of magic water that with a small ritual could be turned into eye drops so she could see, though she needs to apply the eye drops every day.

The massive amount of magic in her left with wild magic surges that occurred no matter what type of magical training she attempted. She ended up honing her powers as a sorcerer to gain some control over this with the help of her mother who is learning this alongside her daughter.

As part of a family tradition, she goes off to adventure for a while after becoming an adult. This ended up in tragedy as Katherine and her party were captured by a green dragon and its cult. One of Katherine’s friends was eaten, the other lost a leg, and her brother (who came to rescue her) lost an eye. Worse, the dragon and the cult leader both escaped alive.

Katherine ends up with survivor's guilt over the situation, especially as she ended up with no long term injuries. She ends up unable to stand remaining at home and taking off in the middle of the night hoping she can prove herself somehow.

In practice this looked a lot like hiding in a tavern three towns over until a cute (please read as: weird) mushroom girl, claiming to be her retainer, showed up.

Rupert Delaney (He/Him) - Human Swarm Ranger - Late Twenties to Early Thirties

Art reference:

https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1706331

https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/582810

The biological heir of the Delaney noble family, and Katherine's older brother.

Typically seen with a charm of hummingbirds following him which fight with him in combat.

He's stopped adventuring since the dragon incident, deciding to focus on learning to run the family shipping business, rather than risking worsening his injuries. Despite his happy-go-lucky nature and less than stellar academic history, he’s found great success in this.

He has always been incredibly protective of Katherine, and is incredibly worried about her since the dragon incident and her disappearance having been a big part of hiring Leontine as Katherine’s retainer.

Leontine O'Dora (She/Her) - Wood Elf Spore Druid - Definitely Always Twenty-Four Exactly, No More, No Less, 24 mmhmm exactly yes, that’s what that guy said that one time, i think it was a good year ago now. He said I looked twenty four and he wore a cravat so you have to assume he knew his stuff :)))

Art reference:

https://x.com/Edlinklover?t=GRwLt_wHWVqEj369CDl0zA&s=09

https://www.tumblr.com/gayb0wsr

Leontine woke up in an abandoned mushroom infested estate with no memory of who she was and with a wound in her chest that had been infested with and closed by mushrooms.

The mushrooms spoke to her, greeting her as a friend, and acted as a guide when she realised she wanted to leave wherever she was.

For a while, she adventured around the general wilderness surrounding the city she had woken up in. She was oddly skilled with a quarterstaff and the mushrooms aided her with necrotic damage and absurd necromantic powers. She was immediately a more than formidable fighter.

She made enough of a name for herself as a fighter that she was approached about becoming a retainer for the daughter of a local noble family. She went to look into this job, however when she arrived she was given an apology. The daughter had disappeared, and the best detectives in the city currently had no leads. Leontine offered to track her down with the help of the mushrooms, an idea that was not really believed by anyone but the son but the family couldn't exactly turn down help.

Leontine found Katherine a few towns over without taking a singular wrong turn. Though Katherine was not exactly hiding, she definitely did not expect to be found. She definitely was not ready to return home. Leontine decided that this was fine as her job was to be her retainer so as long as she stayed with Katherine, she was doing her job. She did however persuade Katherine to send her family updates to let them know she was safe. The two have been travelling together since and have been dating since shortly after the arrangement began.

Marshanne “Marsh” Springharrow (She/Her & He/Him) - Hagkin Warlock - Late Teens

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1564386

The created child to a powerful yet closed coven - designed to the most powerful hag there ever was. The coven began “training” her at a very young age in advanced polyphormic magic, giving her nearby towns folk to “play with” (traumatise).

As Marshanne grows a little older and more of a problem to the local populus, he becomes a folkloric type monster to the nearby town, which very much makes her kinda sad.

A renowned magic school then approaches the coven with the proposal of using and educating Marsh in exchange for studying his powers. The coven agrees but makes it very clear that they will come back to retrieve her as soon as she begins her transformation into a full hag and that even the school will not be powerful enough to stop her once it begins.

Marshanne, upon waking up in the school, is told that he is being given a choice: accept the pact with the school’s patron to supercharge her powers, be given top tier support and care from the staff all while allowing her to do good in the school's name before being killed kindly when her transformation begins or to be horrifically slaughtered in front of the student body as an invading monster.

Marshanne accepts this, desperately wanting to be a hero and the school reserves the right to take that “kindness” whenever they see fit. After a year or so of this dynamic Marsh is sent on placement to support / learn under Rupert Delaney as he rebegins adventuring after an unknown hiatus. Rupert does not believe in the school’s binary regarding Marsh’s life, though will figure those details out later.

Rupert is also the person to give Marshanne, his usual nickname, Marsh.

The Cult Busters

Anshide Munroe (She/Her) - Drow Twilight Cleric - Forties (mid three hundreds)

Art reference: https://neuroticdoodle.tumblr.com/

Born in a particularly religious drow city, Anshide grew up with a number of clear rules. The absolute clearest being that no one was allowed to leave and that there was only one acceptable deity to follow. When she was approaching adulthood, she found an abandoned book on a different deity, one of the star deities of Libris.

Anshide became infatuated by what she read, and secretly began to pray to this new goddess. When her secret was discovered, she was arrested and ultimately exiled from the city. From there she left the tunnels under the World Mountains to the surface of Libris where she saw the stars for the first time and was amazed.

She was blessed by the goddess she was exiled for as a cleric and ended up working for a number of years as a mercenary. During this work she met the man who would become her husband - Himo.

The two settled down and ended up having a child - Kaya - before her past ended up returning. An inquisition from her birth city, tracking down those they had previously exiled to be made an example of to help cement the rule of a new priestess.

Realising the risk they posed to her family, she found a place for them to hide while she took on more mercenary work to keep herself on the move with armed company. And it worked well enough, but it was not a real solution.

After far too long of having to build her strength, Anshide returned to the city where she was raised and found the priestess. With power and experience behind her, Anshide gave a very clear ultimatum: stop with the crusade on the exiles or she would burn the priestess and the church to dust with starlight.

What precisely happened, Anshide kept to herself, but she returned to her family. Rather she returned to where they should've been, that was now a house ransacked, walls and floors covered in symbols and runes that she didn't recognise. In the centre of it all was her husband's severed hand.

She set off to find her family, ready to track down every cult in Libris if need be.

Rhell O'Hara (she/her & zu/zuff) - Human Zombie Fighter - Late Teens to Very Early Twenties

Art reference:

https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1342558

https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1419391

Rhell’s mom raised her, trying to avoid exposing Rhell to her real job, a back alley doctor for a mob who’s dealings focused on anthropomancy, information dealings, blackmail, and general assorted mafioso nonsense.

As Rhell got older and their relationship grew more strained, Rhell learnt to vent this anger physically growing to love sport and develop more into a regular person. Unfortunately this is also when Rhell’s mum’s role within the mob grew and she began to rely on Rhell’s help to do so.

Although a physically imposing presence, Rhell was almost exclusively given runner jobs and normal tasks that could be a part of any other assistant’s life, buying odd things with name’s zu’s never heard of, carrying “carpets” to the edge of town, cleaning apartments at half past four in the morning - the usual.

At some point in this, Rhell completes a drop off in an abandoned quarry, though this turns out to be a sting operation and in running through the quarry, Rhell steps upon loose stone and over fifty feet to her death.

When her body is found, her mum is able to use her sway to get ahold of the corpse, cover up the fact the fall ever happened and bring Rhell back, though due to the substantial damage to the vessel, this took more than what would usually be possible.

However the mother was able to do it though, Rhell came back, now physically unable to die ever again, simply awakening again and again but with an incredible hunger to serve others and more than a few stitching scars. Though it comes with little in the way of magic or impressive feats, Rhell is yet to find something zu couldn’t shake off in an hour or so plus her body has became the perfect vessel for divination, allowing her to gain insight into the future whenever she is harmed as blurry as those insights may be.

Rhell continues working for her mother in a similar capacity.

Libra Linustep (She/Her) - Tiefling Star Druid - Early to mid twenties

(Her name is pronounced Lib-ra, not Le-bra. She's named for the world of Libris, not the starsign ^-^)

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1564386

Born into a cult, Libra has always been told that the work they're doing is going to help all of Libris. A collection of divinators, they were going to read the stats to reunite the twelve star gods holy relics and bring unity to Libris.

Libra was one of those in the community blessed by the stars, she could see into the future and into the unknown. Her talents were only natural, her brother their current leader had such visions too. Libra followed her to guide herself to people or objects that can help their community, but she's sure that one day her visions will lead them to the holy relics they're looking for.

VI of Swords (any/all) - Slime Girl Arcane Trickster Rogue - less than a year of sentience, over 800,000 without

Art reference: https://www.instagram.com/sug4rmush/?hl=en

Once VI was nothing more than a dungeon slime. Very deadly, completely mindless, acting as corpse/general adventurer cleanup for a lich. When said lich ended up evolving to godhood, the magic left behind in the dungeon went into VI and she became a sentient slime (still extremely dangerous and occasional corpse eater).

Not quite knowing what to do with himself, VI found a tarot card on the ground with a figure on it that looked an awful lot like them. Thus they named themself “VI of Swords”.

For a while she hung about on the surface of Libris acting as a con artist giving tarot readings using cold readings and performance rather than divination. Then, as fate would have it, he started to get actual visions of the future.

A little panicked, they returned to the dungeon they were from only to be greeted by a newly formed cult. The Cult tried to fight them, a lot of its members got killed, and barely managed to trap VI in the central chamber which now has more locks, traps, and enchantments surrounding it than the most secure vault in the land. VI is now snuck waiting for someone to let her out so she can figure out what exactly these dreams are about.

VI’s main talents are a) being terrifying and psychological attacks in combat and b) transformation into different (always slimy) forms, mostly a dog.

Orla Waspchild (She/her) - Human Pre-Eldritch Warlock - Literally like nine

Summer Camp

Art reference:

My unposted art

https://www.tumblr.com/gayb0wsr

https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1706331

A young child with two parents who are controversial high ranking naval officers. She has a very black and white view of mortality due to this upbringing.

She was being raised typically on ships stationed around blockages. On one such blockage around an island, she ended up eavesdropping on her parents and overhearing them planning something terrible.

In attempting to escape the ship, she lept overboard determined to swim to shore. Quickly learning exactly what a current was, she began screaming for help, when none came, she instead screamed to the waters themselves, and boy did they answer. And so when Orla should've gone under and drowned, she instead turned into lightning striking the water over and over until she reached a safe store.

Said safe shore happened to be at an adventure camp for kids, where the counsellor coming to see the commotion assumed Orla was a kid that simply skipped checking in to head straight for a swim. She got a mild telling off about swimming without telling anyone and a safe place to stay.

After more than one reckless and impulsive decision, Orla quickly realised that the whole surviving death thing wasn't a one time thing and in fact now whenever she is in danger, something happens and Orla doesn't. She doesn't know why this is, but decides it means she is a hero and the adventure camp is as good a place as any to stay while she figures out how to do that.

Flaire Sandvik-Darling (They/Them) - Half-Elf (Sea) Lifeguard - Late teens / early twenties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/170832

(Flaire is actually blue with light fish features)

The lifeguard at Libris’ best adventure fun camp for junior adventurers, having felt most at home near the water. Flaire is an incredibly confident swimmer and calming presence for many of their friends, despite not always seeming it.

Flaire grew up taking trips to the adventure camp, with stretching days of fun that made adventuring seen like a field trip rather than a dangerous occupation. Flaire would spend their days swimming or exploring the woods with their cousin that never quite seemed to have the magical effect on them that they had on everyone else.

During their teen years, Flaire got lifeguard training and got a job as a counsellor at the camp.

As a young adult, Flaire was enrolled in a prestigious magic school. This was when they learnt a rare quirk they had. Whenever Flaire looked at magic, it stopped. No one could explain the ability, though a good number of professors did discuss theories a bit too loud, but Flaire was very much stuck with it. They attempted to persist at school, but frankly anti-magic vision at a magic school was never going to work.

They ended up having what amounted to a year long breakdown before leaving during exam season to go back to their lifeguard position at the camp. Flaire had developed incredibly complex feelings about having to leave school and so chose to keep this news secret until they decided what exactly those feelings were, hoping to see their old friends, relax a little and return to their old life before things felt too real again. However, said friends no-showed the reunion being too busy with jobs, partners, and parties and Flaire was left in their little clubhouse alone, having just put up a little banner :((

With camp starting the next day, Flaire did what they could - smashed up the clubhouse and awaited the children’s arrival confident that at least things would be normal with their cousin, a new counsellor and someone they had been really close with prior to school. Even if they hadn’t really spoken in nearly a year things would go back to their usual rhythm quickly, right? …

Flaire, batting 0 for 2 at this point, is more than a little surprised that their cousin seems to have gained an incredibly abrasive personality since the last time they met and more than a touch of hostility to them in particular.

Sparrow Sandvik (She/her) - Half-Elf (Wood) Sorcerer/Cleric - Late teens to early twenties

Art reference:

https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/170832

https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1473879

The rope keeper at the adventure camp.

Flaire's cousin on their non-elven side.

Much like Flaire, she grew up with trips to the adventure camp. She's always found a connection with the magical woods that the camp hosts. She never got lost in them like the other kids, they seemed to like her, and Sparrow found them to be her special place where she could retreat when needed.

When she was a kid, she always idolised Flaire, seeing them as a super hero of sorts. This dulled over time as Flaire was around less and less and eventually disappeared for a full year.

Sparrow, during her turn to adulthood, had been dating a religious girl and ended up attending a religious college focused on training this with an interest in becoming clerics or paladins. Against the odds, Sparrow was blessed by one of the Gods and became a cleric. When she told her girlfriend, expecting her to be happy she instead got dumped.

Sparrow returned to the adventure camp and took a job as the rope keeper. She was one of the only people who could reliably travel through the woods so it seemed like a perfect fit.

She is not over the breakup.

Cassidy Reeves (He/Him) - Elf Bard - Mid twenties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1349935

The song leader of the adventure camp.

To be honest, Cassidy is not that developed in Libris yet. He was originally from Liminal Horror where he was a very cool country musician that managed to survive flicking a cigarette butt onto a giant ratking zombie (barely, BARELY, but he did survive).

Mercenaries

Isaiah (He/Him) - Tiefling Wild Magic Barbarian - Late twenties to early thirties

Art reference: https://www.tumblr.com/gayb0wsr

Isaiah was originally raised in a compound of religious zealots that were enslaving tieflings that ended up being destroyed by a mercenary guild run by a human named Noah.

Noah adopted Isaiah and raised and trained him to fight. He is now the second in command of the guild.

At some point, Isaiah managed to find the entrance to Libris’ plane of magic, The Lining, which ended with Isaiah getting impaled through the chest by a massive crystal. How exactly he survived this, no one is entirely sure but now Isaiah has a crystal in his chest and the ability to unleash devastating magical effects on the battlefield.

Darien Morosi (He/Him) - Human Rogue/Fighter - Early to Mid Twenties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1473879

Darien has at one point been living a perfectly ordinary life in a perfect ordinary town. He'd been a law student and would've become a pretty ordinary small town lawyer. Instead the apocalypse hit. Seemingly every natural disaster hit at once. If that wasn't bad enough, zombies whose bites spread their form like a disease began to appear.

This baffling turn of events broke any sense of reality Darien had, he locked himself in a library half as a safezone but mostly to research everything he could on surviving, disease, zombies, infection transmission, biology, and anything else to the much neglect of his physical form.

When he finally left the library he had just enough survival skills that alongside some new friends he managed to make a safe haven in what was once a spire temple in the centre of the city. It quickly went from feeling like a safe haven to a prison as one man, Logan, was determined to fill the leadership void he was so adamant was there. He tried over and over to take charge, to the point where suddenly facing every natural disaster possible and possibly turning into an undead husk doesn't seem so bad.

He's caught in an attempt to escape with one of the survivors that started this haven leading to her being badly injured. Darien is blamed (and blames himself) for this, so he is given the option to either stay and work with Logan having learnt his lesson or be exiled without supplies. He chooses to leave. He walks for weeks, barely surviving by clinging on through sheer spite.

He just kept walking. Until, as suddenly as the apocalypse hit, Darien found himself in a mercenary camp. He looked around confused before promptly passing out from exhaustion and malnutrition. He ends up joining the mercenary guild once he's back to health.

He ends up learning that the town is literally in a pocket dimension now cut off from the rest of Libris.

Marcoh “Roe” Daava (He/Him) - Human Warlock / Barbarian - Mid to Late Twenties

(Daava is pronounced Da[R]-va)

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1414503

Roe made a deal with the Divine Fragment of Hands and got roped into a cult formed by them. With Roe having been the one to bring the cult together.

Roe is an incredibly well spoken man having had elocution lessons at a young age and holds incredibly composed demeanour. For those that have seen it, however, would note Roe has an incredible puissance and love of inflicting damage.

That said, Roe grew up dirt poor and the very definition of a street rat, openly stealing from stores, getting in random fights with other teens, and shouting matches with strangers.

One such fight, got infinitely more complex when Roe was shot in the side of the head. Said shot being in response to Roe having clawed out the eye of what he assumed was just Some Mouthy Fuck. Turned out said Fuck was in fact an incredibly well protected mobster.

Luckily said shot was not lethal, unluckily however Roe’s body was taken in by the gang so “proper revenge” could be had, afterall being humiliated by a child in combat is a pretty bad look for any respected highwayman.

The back alley doctor tasked with keeping Roe alive took pity on him, claiming Roe had died suddenly. But when questioned, the doctor was forced to impale Roe in the chest with a scalpel. This is where the fragment of hands made its deal, using its many hands to cover Roe’s mouth and ensure the scalpel bent just enough to miss anything vital. In return Roe gained the horrifying ability to touch at a long distance and use a mass of hands for grabbing, killing, stealing and, occasionally mixing drinks.

Elaina Gauis (She/Her) - Human Warlock - Late twenties to early thirties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1414503

Elaina made a deal with the Divine Fragment of Mirrors and got forced into a cult formed by them. She's a lot less chill about this than Roe.

Originally a career criminal, Elaina met the fragment during a heist. She was offered a portion of the fragments power which she impulsively agreed to, not realising the cost would be her sight.

Panicked at her sudden blindness and realising the guards were on their way, Elaina ended up burning the top portion of her face, making herself look like a victim of those that owned the house she had been robbing. This worked and she avoided arrest.

Is incredibly pissed off about being forced onto the cult believing that she has already paid more than a high enough price for her powers. The divine fragment disagrees, happily pointing to her contract of servitude.

She is still working in the criminal underworld, though now as a dealbroker more often than doing heists herself. However, those who see her as a weak target quickly meet their match as Elaina's quick thinking and intelligence hasn't dulled, and her new power over mirrors and reflections leads to nasty surprises for those fighting her.

Libi's Ship

Rhys Mourningdove (He/Him) - Half-Elf Grave Cleric - Mid Sixties (Early 40’s appearance)

Art reference: https://twitter.com/nooskadraws

Rhys is the best doctor on Libris. This is just a fact - one that he's frankly egotistical about but is true nonetheless.

Notably, he got this title before he became a cleric, using non-magical methods. He had been asked about this and even offered blessing by the Gods as a way to help more people, but he always refused. He didn't need the power of the Gods to help people.

The Gods were not best pleased with this answer and set Rhys a test. Rhys wasn't actually told about this test, he just found his wife getting ill without explanation. Ill with a sickness that he could not cure.

As he realised there was nothing he could do, he prayed to the gods for any way to help her but received no help and instead instructions to just wait, which Rhys ignored, continuing to try more and more outlandish methods.

Eventually a divine gave him a solution. They gave him a potion. Though confused why now, Rhys didn’t have much time.

Giving the potion to his wife did cure her sickness. It also turned her into a lich and hasn't been seen since. The specific trickster god that answered Rhys was very amused.

The god that set the initial test appeared to Rhys, frankly annoyed that he had turned what was meant to be a test of patience and faith into unleashing a powerful undead creature onto Libris. Rhys blames them for this but finally agrees to receive cleric powers though he still actively avoids using them during his work as a doctor, mostly to prove a point.

Libitina Puch (She/Her) - Winter Eladrin Undying Warlock/Assassin Rogue - Unaging early 40s (early three hundreds)

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1706331

Libitina was born as the only child of an elven noble family and knew one day that she would inherit the house and, so long as she could keep public favour, would rule the city by herself. At least, that was her belief as she studied both law and economics for running the city, etiquette and customs for dealing with nobles, and poisons and blades for dealing with threats.

Her plans of a solo rule were apparently not taken seriously by her parents who arranged a marriage for her with another elven noble who was pleasant enough, but Libi had never really had any interest in men and quickly grew frustrated with the courting process.

Getting more and more annoyed at her life plans being ruined, she began to go out more into the vast wilderness surrounding the city. A place where legend had it there was hidden a crossing point to the realm of the fae. Libi mostly used the place to gather natural poisons. But one day when out, she met the woman that would change her life. An archfey of the Undying Court.

The fey was the most beautiful person she had ever seen and she addressed them as one would a noble ruler. The two did an interesting dance that night, one that most would call flirting but both participants were too pretentious to call it anything so simple. Libi left the encounter with a charm, some strange new powers, and the promise for more if did favours for the Undying Court.

Of course, she still needed to figure out the mess of being engaged. But that was an easy enough problem to solve. All it took was a bottle of wine, a gift from her parents to herself, a single glass and he was gone. Poisoned. The forged documents she had left in her parent's study detailing the purchase of poison and plans to kill her got them out of the way as well.

Of course, her involvement is just rumours, the official judgement by the high court of The Elmmyu’rra States that her parents had tried to kill her and just happened to kill whatever his name was first and thus were sentenced to execution. Libi was just oh so sad about this, she couldn't possibly think about getting engaged again for at least a couple of centuries.

She's proven herself to be a surprisingly good ruler given her tendencies to allegedly assassinate nobles and do the binding of the fey in exchange for immortality. After all, she did her work to get to this position, she was going to put effort in now she actually has what she wanted. It's those living outside her city that need to be worried.

Piper Re'leshi (She/Her) - Drow Dream Druid - Child to early teens (Between 50 and 100).

Art reference: https://coolcattime.tumblr.com/post/624895502460338176/i-found-a-picture-that-i-realised-that-i-never

Piper has always been told by her parents that she is the prodigal princess that will lead their family back into the ruling class of the underdark and while it's been since she's seen them, she still believes that with all her heart.

A drow with stark white skin and only a few dark patches, being born onto the surface of Libris was far more inconvenient for her than most as even brief sun exposure can leave her burnt and in pain. Eventually this became too much for her parents to deal with and, in what was meant to be a brief visit with her uncle, they left her with him with no intention of returning.

Piper had always admired her uncle. He was an arachnologist - which she thought was very important as spiders were very important - and his house is connected to old smuggler's tunnels which connect to caves - places that Piper can explore without fear of the sun. She misses her parents, she wishes she knew when they were getting back, but in the meantime she enjoys exploring the tunnels and learning from her uncle. Plus her uncle lets her have a pet! Her very best friend, Mr Dog the goliath birdeater spider.

One day when exploring the tunnels, Piper runs into another elf. A wood elf boy around her age. He's carrying a wooden sword and seems as surprised to find Piper as she is to find him. She asks what he's doing and he explains that he's looking for the tunnel monster. Piper has never heard of the tunnel monster but happily agrees to look with him when he gives her his spare sword.

They become good friends as she helps guide him around the tunnels and he tells her about the wilderness around the city that has a crossing point to the realm of the fey. He's in training with a druid with a circle that uses the power of this point for their magic. Finding the tunnel monster is a secret mission from them so he can become a fully fledged member. He invites Piper to meet them and even though she wants to, she explains her issues with the sun so he decides that, until they can figure out a way to stop the sun from hurting Piper, he'll just teach her druid stuff.

All in all, Piper's life is going great until one night her uncle pulls her out of bed completely panicked and tells her they need to leave. She's confused as he pulls her through the house down towards the tunnels, until she sees them breaking down the door. People in shiny metal armour with giant weapons. Piper grabs Mr Dog and her sword and tries her best to lead her uncle through the tunnels. But she's scared and a kid, and her uncle isn't an adventurer. The scary people catch up. They keep saying things about them being evil and a dungeon and Piper doesn't understand. She tries to defend them with magic and her sword but it doesn't work very well.

A saviour comes in the form of a woman in a ballgown who appears out of mist and seems quite annoyed at the armoured men being in her city. Piper isn't quite sure what happened to them, but she and her uncle don't need to worry about them anymore. Lady Libitina was very nice and gave Piper a charm that let her go out in the sun without it hurting her skin (it still hurts her eyes, but she likes exploring nevertheless) and she got to meet her friend's druid circle and start really learning magic. Plus her friend apparently found the tunnel monster (neither her nor her friend know when, but the Druid circle leader said he did) so all's well that ends well.

Sigourney Romero (She/Her) - Human Enchantment Wizard/Storyteller Warlock - Late twenties to early thirties

Art reference: <https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1342558>

Sigourney is a playwright. She and her brother used to travel through the towns and cities of Libris putting on plays that told the stories of the Gods. She would write the plays and use her magic to create living puppets to act as creatures and monsters. Her brother, Leigh, was an actor, able to portray gods as if he actually was one. The rest of the actors would be hired locally and their plays were seen as important work as in Libris if the Gods are not remembered, they stop being gods, so spreading their word and stories was necessary.

One fateful night in the climax of a performance everyone in the theatre - cast, crew, audience, everyone - blacked out. It was as if times skipped forward by ten minutes. One moment Leigh and his co-star, the son of a local noble, were acting out a climactic scene the next, Leigh was standing over the corpse of the other actor covered in blood. Chaos erupted.

Leigh was arrested. Sigourney's head ached trying to figure out what had happened. He had to have killed him, there was no one else who could've and he had been covered in blood. But her brother didn't have the powers to make everyone forget ten minutes and if he did he was at least smart enough to make them forget more time so he wasn't so obviously the criminal. But they didn't have enemies, anyone who would want to frame them, except for the Gods themselves. Obviously no one believed her on this idea. Leigh was found guilty and sentenced to life in the gladiatorial arena.

Knowing she didn't have the power or money to do anything about his fate, Sigourney left. Always saying she didn't care, that he was a killer, why would she care, but always searching for anything that could give her any sort of chance to help him. She kept travelling, continuing her shows as puppet only affairs now just as likely to tell the story of the Gods inflicting terror on some poor mortal than to tell their origins or myths. And during her travels, she heard of someone, possibly something, that could help her.

She travelled across two continents to find the place, hiring a mercenary to make sure she had protection as she left the well travelled roads. It took months, but she finally reached the charred library in the middle of a long since abandoned town. In the centre of the building, to an audience of seemingly no one but herself and a hired thug, she began to tell the origin story of Libris. Of the powerful entities that had created The Great Book to tell stories only for the people of the world to feel terrorised and create gods to seal away their creators. Of how, while they mostly died or disappeared, a remnant powerful entities does still exist.

The story is interrupted with the mercenary kicking over the puppets and pointing his sword at Sigourney's throat. Fed up with what seems to be madness, he demanded that she shut up, pay him everything she had, or he'd kill her and take it any way. Before she could answer, a new voice echoed through the library lecturing that it was awfully rude to interrupt a story before it's concluded. The mercenary's eyes widened and he suddenly turned into a book that was picked up and inspected by the new presence in the room. A being made of paper and cloth and ink, a combination of the reminding energy of the creators of Libris. Before Sigourney was The Storyteller.

Impressed by the story, they questioned what precisely Sigourney wanted and she said she wanted a patron. She knew that they still touched the world of Libris, occasionally touching a person's life to make it more interesting, and she wanted to be granted powers that could let her fight back against the Gods. The Storyteller agreed, on one condition: Sigourney needed to tell her own story, the truthful story that she had been avoiding for so long. Reluctant but desperate, Sigourney told the story of herself and her brother and that terrible moment.

Sigourney was granted the powers of story, and was given a book that she could use both to communicate with her patron. She could also write in it to make things happen. They had to be interesting, had to make sense and not create plot holes, but so long as she could write them Sigourney now had the power to use stories to influence the world of Libris. And Sigourney had quite a few stories she wanted to tell.

Mind control Crew

Wyme Fletcher (He/Him) - Human Aberrant Mind Sorcerer - early to mid twenties

Art reference: https://www.tumblr.com/netoey/188189654012?source=share

Wyme grew up in an orphanage and lived quite a normal, if a social life of most people in the small town he was born in. When he was 18, like most of the rest of the people who grew up here, he left to see what else was out there.

Fortunately for the narrative, that was a town that had just been eradicated by an Aboleth. Meaning as Wyme entered its population had just became one. Deciding to stay, steering others away, and just learn to avoid the limits of the aboleth’s mind control, Wyme found a new motivation in his hatred for that fish but also extreme paranoia.

His proximity to the aboleth awarded a horrible and wet form of psionic power, similar to that of the aboleth itself, plus some physical transformations like a long tail and third eye.

Amanda “Am-Mi” Miriam (She/Her) - Human Mastermind Rogue - Early to mid twenties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1342558

The daughter of a prolific (if corrupt) prosecutor who wants to follow in her father's footsteps.

Lives in a city with a famously harsh court system where simply lying in court can result in the destruction of one's soul. Of course this can be avoided if you know the right methods for dishonesty, something Am-Mi's father is quite happy to share with his daughter.

Am-Mi cares little if the people she's prosecuting are actually guilty, she just wanted to be the smartest person in the courtroom. If people were smart they wouldn't have gotten arrested. After all, she's gotten away with murder so if anyone manages to get themself arrested, they deserve everything she can throw at them.

Island

Tabitha Dissimulo (She/Her) - Tiefling Illusion Wizard - Early twenties

(Dissimulo is not trans, just resentful of the name “TaBiThA”)

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1564386

The daughter of two magic school professors.

Dissimulo was born named simply “Tabitha” and told she could have a last name when she graduated from a magic college with honours. She got annoyed at this idea quickly and started going by the virtue name of Dissimulo meaning she wouldn’t even need a last name.

She has enrolled in the study of Illusion magic, which she does have some interest in, but she's far more interested in linguistics and translation. She currently speaks and can read seven languages. She's only attending the university due to the presence of an apparently untranslated tome that she wants to decode.

She also ended up as the apprentice of the head of a mysterious magic guild known as Atlanta. She did not apply for nor ask for this job, but it pays well and very very little is expected from her so she has accepted the situation.

Lance De La'Fluer (He/Him) - Human Monk - Early twenties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1706331

A professional fighter in the dwarven fight pits where he plays an elf - these fight pits are a travelling event of flamboyant faux-violence. He’s also Dissimulo's college housemate.

He’s also been recruited by Atlanta, though less scouted and more that Dissi brings him to work with her and no one’s stopped her.

To be honest, Lance doesn't have a backstory. He was invented as the Ultimate Professional Wrestler for a Danganronpa AU and hasn't devolved much backstory wise but I love him and he's the best.

He has a sister though :))) (we think)

Villains

Taurus Linustep (He/Him) - Aasimar Cult Leader - Early to mid thirties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1706331 (This art is of a human version of Taurus - it was for an AU and I've just not gotten around to drawing his actual form)

Taurus was born into a cult looking like the miracle child they had been looking for. An aasimar with halos surrounding most of his features, he was from a young age marked as the next leader of the cult and taught their true goals and ambitions and his words were followed like prophecies.

Unlike his younger sister, Taurus didn't have any real powers of divination and instead is faking it to lead the cult in the direction he wants and to make sure he maintains power.

He wants to gather the relics of the star deities to reconstruct a broken superweapon and use it to take over Libris and the stars beyond.

Logan Charles (He/Him) - Human Paladin - Late Twenties

Art reference: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1706331

Darien's ex-friend, from Logan’s POV, Logan took a very different view to the end of the world, finding a desperate need to be in control.

He eventually ended up in charge during the apocalypse due to his Paladin training letting him cure injury and disease and the zombies’ surprise weakness to fire. Leading to the rift that formed between him, Darien and their other friend who helped start the haven in the first place that would lead to Darien leaving and the friend being badly hurt.

Furious and feeling betrayed by Darien abandonment, the tower is now a literal prison for his friends to make sure none of them can leave or disobey him. Turning him from hapless leader to fullbore dictator overnight. He’s grown to love this power.

Kinda sorta planning to break the bubble dimension and unleash the apocalypse on the rest of Libris so he can further his dictatorship.

#oc mega post #ask #anon ask #cat's oc #theiratlas #gayb0wsr

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